Review of The Hotel, by Jamie Dunford Wood

The Hotel is a boutique hotel in the shape of a deluxe cube very much in the stamp of a single creative force, French architect/designer Jean Nouvel. The big idea here is a giant projection - or rather reproduction, but it has the effect of a projection - of movie stills, some a bit racy, on the ceiling of each of the rooms: John Malkovich writing a letter on Laura Benson's derriere in Dangerous Liaisons, for example. It is a masterpiece of design and provides a unique experience. This is a boutique hotel which resolutely refuses to take advantage of the two great natural assets Lucerne has to offer, its lake and mountains.

Nouvel also designed the tall moveable stainless steel TV / Hi-Fi consoles, the doors (mirrored on the inside) and the beds. Floors are of polished teak, the large square-like skyscraper style windows are serviced by electric blinds (operated from push button controls) rather than curtains, and great care has been taken with the lighting. These are spaces that really come alive at night, when they are undeniably glamorous in this boutique hotel. The corridors outside are dark and lit industrial style with fluorescent strips to help emphasise the fantasies within the rooms. The Hotel is not just a place to sleep but a reinvention of the hotel experience for the new Millennium era.

The facilities

This boutique hotel offers renowned cuisine to entertain and excite its guests. Awarded 14 points by Gault Millau, Bam Bou is the most stylish restaurant in Lucerne. Serving under the concept of an East-West fusion, a melody of Asian and French flavours will take guests' palates beyond expectations. The Lounge is an ultra-hip bar where both ambiance and cocktails are never lacking.

The rooms

There are 25 suites and studios at this boutique hotel. Designed sparingly with simplicity and space, the bold and strong dark colours add an excitement to the rooms. Ranging from purples and mauves to a bright orange, room 5403, guests can relax and be playful at this boutique hotel offering abundant amounts of both. For daytime comfort the best rooms are the corner junior suites, which have two windows with park views and separate showers. All beds are twins next to each other and the bathrooms have twin sinks in moulded cream.