Tue 14 May, 2013 The Hotel Hop Forget the days of chocolates on pillows and 12pm checkouts – the hotel model is changing. In London, the latest crop of hotels aren't just providing a place for tourists to lay their heads, they're also appealing to homebodies. Abroad, something's changed too. While luxury travel still abounds, the rise of the haute hostel means more options for fun stylish travel for less – and you don't have to bunk. THE PRE-HOLIDAY If you're Eurostarring anywhere soon, plan a mini-holiday before your holiday at the Great Northern, a one-time Victorian railway hotel. After an extensive refurbishment, the hotel positively gleams, and everything from the original architecture, Couchette rooms (which emulate train sleepers) and decadent, chandelier-clad bar evoke the romance of the railway age. Dine on something straight off the Inka Grill at Mark Sargeant's Plum and Spilt Milk restaurant before helping yourself to midnight snacks at the Pantry. Roll over to St Pancras the next morning, picking up a salt beef sandwich from Kiosk (the hotel's food-to-go place) en route to your platform. You can also get your King's X fix at Shrimpy's Outside Grill, Caravan or Kerb. Great Northern Hotel, King's Cross, Great Northern Hotel, N1C 4TB Opens May 23 (currently in soft launch), rooms from £250 THE STAYCATION Pack an after-work bag and make like a tourist in Chinatown at new 15-room boutique spot One Leicester Street. Weekends in Soho are quiet, so check out all the things you keep meaning to, go to some favourite restaurants (Spuntino!) or book into a "post-supper" room. It's all about attention to detail here. Uniforms are handmade, there's unique typographic signage on doors, and the interior design by Universal Design Studio is unadulterated and calm. The restaurant follows a similar ethos. Tom Harris (former head chef of St John Chinatown) has designed a simple sharing menu, split into five categories: shellfish, meat, vegetables, cheese and pudding. A great place to breathe and reboot. One Leicester Street, 1 Leicester Street, WC2H 7BL Rooms from £180 THE SUITE PARTY If we were to throw a party anywhere in London, up high on our list would be the inside of a St Pancras penthouse apartment, especially since TG Studio redesigned their interiors. We'll take the next best thing and play make-believe a few floors down in a hotel penthouse. For £10,000 you can rent out the Royal Suite, which includes 3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, a table that seats 22, complimentary drinks and spa treatments. Alternatively, the best suite at ME London is a two-level duplex (with an optional link to an adjoining suite) under a glass cupola, which opens directly onto the rooftop Radio Bar. Then there's the Hoxton Apartment (pictured), a new hire concept from Soho House that launches tomorrow. The space, styled to mirror a real-life apartment (living room, pantry, library, study, dining room, pantry and playroom) is available for meetings, events and parties. No clean up? We're sold. The Royal Suite at St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Road, NW1 2AR Suite ME at ME London, 336-337 The Strand, WC2R 1HA The Hoxton Apartment, 81 Great Eastern Street, EC2A 3HU, launches May 15 THE HAUTE HOSTEL We're not advocating bunking, but since the onset of the Ace Hotel culture, the haute hostel has become a sustainable hotel model. Call it research, or a re-visit to youth, perhaps. The rumour mill has it that Ace will be coming to London later this year, but in the meantime we've got some good haute hostel alternatives. Freehand Miami's interiors were designed by the folks behind Ace New York, but offers a more SoBe feel in an Art Deco building with a swimming pool. Or, stay Europe-bound and get to the Generator Barcelona, which opens today. Interiors have been designed by Anwar Mekhayech (behind Soho House Toronto) – you'll find us in the penthouse suite (with decks, wet bar and hot tub), overlooking the Sagrada Familia. Lastly, #Bunk in Istanbul's buzzing Beyoğlu district is boutique travelling at its finest – 11 rooms, a beautifully designed café and rooftop #bunkbath (aka hot tub). A much larger #Bunk hostel – complete with sundeck and pizzeria – will open this summer. Freehand Miami, 2727 Indian Creek, Dr Miami Beach, FL 33140, king rooms from £171 Generator Barcelona, Carrer de Corsega 377, 08037, Barcelona, private rooms from €37 #Bunk, Kamer Hatun Mh., Balık Sk No:7, 34435 Istanbul, superior double rooms from €90 LINK TO THIS FEATURE: Travel by JC WE'RE ON MAD TIME AC Santo Mauro and AC Palacio del Retiro Madrid In a Sentence Pineapple lights, lobster telephones and lots of tapas. About We're not ones for the bigwig hotel chain, but when we were invited to two of Marriott's Autograph Collection properties in Madrid, we were intrigued to see how the other side do things. It turns out they do things well, merging 5-star bling with boutique panache. Why Go Now To see the Salvador Dalí exhibition. The Euro exchange rate at the moment is not good, but Madrid is cheap. Read the full review > LIKE SHARE FORWARD PREVIOUS EDITION (c) 2013 Urban Junkies. All rights reserved. Reproductions of any portion of this website only with our express permission. Urban Junkies is a free daily mailer. All listings and features are editorial: We do not receive any payment from venues, artists or promoters. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy of information listed but we cannot accept responsibility for errors or omissions.