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New hotels for 2012 in London, Paris and NewYorkNatalie Paris looks ahead to some of the biggest new hotel openings scheduled for

2012, in London, Paris and New York.

Image 2 of 5Melia will be the f irst hotel to be solely designed by Foster + Partners

By Natalie Paris

11:26AM GMT 06 Jan 2012

As the 2012 Olympics draws near, hoteliers in London are planning a raft of new openingsdesigned to capitalise on the anticipated influx of tourists to the city. Visitors to Paris and NewYork can also look forward to some bold new accommodation options. We preview some of thebest below.

London

Bulgariwww.bulgarihotels.com

Knightsbridge is where fine jewellery merchant Bulgari will open its new five-star Hotel andResidences later this year. We are promised sleek and elegantly-styled accommodation in silvertones equipped with the latest technology. Exclusive furnishings in the 85 rooms and suites willbe crafted by Italian manufacturers, there will be two solid silver chandeliers in the ballroom andthe patterns on silk curtains will replicate classic Bulgari jewellery designs.

There will be a cigar shop and bar with a sweeping, silver, staircase down to the restaurant whichwill serve Italian cuisine. The spa will have 11 treatment rooms and a 25m swimming pool.Unusually, there is also a 47-seat cinema underway, accompanied by a library of more than 500hand-picked films for guests to enjoy. The hotel will be eco-friendly too, incorporating thegeneration of geothermal energy into its design the first of its kind in the UK.

Opening in April

ME by Meliwww.me-by-melia.com

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Housed in what was once the BBC Marconi building, this hotel will be the first to be solelydesigned by Foster + Partners, the firm founded by Sir Norman Foster, the lauded Britisharchitect. The best of the 157 rooms and suites will be a two-floor suite within a turret that leadsonto the roof terrace. The city views from the club up here look impressive and will be worthchecking out should you be passing through Holborn one evening. Staff are hoping to provide asclose to a bespoke service as they can - rather fantastic-sounding "aura managers" will be onhand to gauge guests' moods and provide appropriate assistance and advice.

Opening June 4

London Belgraveswww.thompsonhotels.com

Located near Sloane Square in smart Belgravia, this 85-room hotel from American companyThompson Hotels, hopes to envoke the spirit of "new Britannia" for city bohemians, with aneclectic but chic lobby, an outdoor terrace with a retractable roof and rooms that look equal partscomfy and stylish. Popular chef Mark Hix will open another London restaurant on the premises -HIX Belgravia - and the bar will open out onto a cigar garden, decorated with contemporary art.

Opening February 1

The Ampersand Hotelwww.ampersandhotel.com

A boutique property that hopes to open in time for the Olympics, The Ampersand has taken overa Victorian building, near to South Kensington tube and will comprise 110 rooms. Designers aretaking inspiration from the great museums surrounding the hotel and the interiors find inspirationfrom botany, music, geometry, ornithology and astronomy. The hotel will also offer westLondoners and guests a patisserie, vaulted restaurant and Bellini bar.

Opening in spring

South Placewww.southplacehotel.com

South Place is a80-bedroom, design-focused property, due to open in the summer. The hotel'srooftop terrace will offer 7th-floor views of the City of London. Handy for Liverpool Street

commuters will be the two restaurants, including a brasserie on the ground floor, plus bars fromhotel owner the D&D London group, which owns restaurants including London's Bluebird andCoq d'Argent.

Opening in summer

Paris

W Hotelwww.starwoodhotels.com/whotels/index.html

W Hotels will make its debut in France on February 14 with a Parisian hotel set inside a 1870s

Haussman-era building close to Opra Garnier and the department store Galeries Lafayette. WParis Opera is attempting to bring New York dynamism to the historic building, playing on thetheme of Paris as the city of light. The hotels central walls will be illuminated with a digital"spark", that forms patterns of dots at various tempos depending on the time of day.

Red elevators are supposed to give a womb-like sense of energy, while elsewhere historicfeatures such as stained glass windows are being preserved to sit alongside contemporaryadditions. There will be a bar, restaurant, fitness centre, and 91 rooms - including 22 suites -some with ceilings up to 3.5m high.

Opening February 14

New York

Conrad New Yorkconradhotels3.hilton.com

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This super-stylish, 463-suite hotel, the first Conrad in the city, will be opening in lowerManhattan's financial district and is currently taking bookings from early February. It has a rooftopbar overlooking the Hudson River and two restaurants, Atrio for Mediterranean food and BlueSmoke, an already existing restaurant offering regional American barbecue specialities. Eachcontemporary room is actually a two-room suite, giving you at least 430sq-ft of space. Theyinclude wifi and espresso machines.

Opening early February

NoMad

www.thenomadhotel.com

Occupying a grand building in the up-and-coming area north of Madison Square, NoMad willprovide Parisian-inspired accommodation incorporating 168 guestrooms that overlook the EmpireState and Flatiron buildings. Guests will be able to dine throughout the day in a glass-roof atrium,operated by the people behind celebrated restaurant Eleven Madison Park.

Opening early 2012