Daniel Hotel

With daily temperatures well above 30, one would not think it is the ideal week to go touring around the country.  The heat can be tiring.  As my fiance says, “We’re Canadians. We can travel in all weather.” I agree.  However I think he was referring to colder weather.

I was having a conversation with a friend last week saying there weren’t enough well-appointed, reasonably priced boutique hotels in North America.  It seems once you mention boutique, the prices jump to at least $200+.  In Europe, it’s not the case.  Every country we travel to it is quite easy to find a design forward, reasonably priced hotel that is not going to cost you an arm and a leg to stay in.

Here is a new one I just found:  Daniel, in Vienna.  I am not staying here as I just learned about it yesterday but I would totally consider it when I return the next trip. (There is a second location in Graz (Daniel Graz), my other favourite design city that I have blogged about here and here).

Photo Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

It’s adorable right?  You have nice wooden floors, funky lighting, plants, an in-house bakery, nice looking rooms, iconic design furniture pieces.  It looks like you are walking into someone’s really nice vintage chic living room.  I wonder why this model has never quite taken off back across the Atlantic?

See you Friday….

European Vegetarian Hotspots

As the count down to the holiday season begins, I find myself craving vegetables more and more.  I think my body knows it needs greens, like part of some sort of pre-holiday-season detox before the impending sugar high of December.  It is certainly not impossible to find vegetarian, organic or vegan food while dining out in Europe, but after travelling with a vegetarian, not to mention my own preference toward a low-meat regime, I will say this: certain countries and cities do it better than others.  Two restaurants that I think should receive attention for their cool vegetarian/vegan concepts that should expand their brand and concept around the continent are:  Juicebar from Milan and Mangolds from Graz.

Originating from two countries that tend to be more meat and carb heavy than vegetable focused in its cuisine, both Juicebar and Mangolds offer veggie-craving customers, fresh, healthy vegetarian and/or vegan options but in two very different ways.

Juicebar is more like a fast food concept and reminds me of a place I used to frequent in Hong Kong (whose name escapes me right now) that was part cafe part fast food, and focused on healthy, vegetarian take away items, and snacks.  At Juicebar in Milan, I had a super juice, a salad with tuna and barley and grabbed a pack of dried fruit and nuts for the road.

via Juicebar

Mangolds on the other hand is like Ikea, meets Whole Foods, mixed with some great typography and branding in a smaller scale format.  I found Mangolds while staying over in Graz because the carpark for Hotel Wiesler was conveniently located across the street from the cafe.  Mangolds is a self-serve salad bar with plates and take away containers where food is charged by weight, with a couple of food stations as well as a coffee bar and desserts.  It is a full sit down restaurant, with a play area for kids, a mini retail section and changing tables for babies in the men’s and women’s washroom (I know this because my male friend confirmed it for me).  The interior is Scandinavian minimalist, with soft lighting, whites and neutrals and light wood.

via Mangolds

vegan pistachio cherry cake

While travelling, I am perpetually on the hunt for interesting retail and restaurant concepts to blog about.  When these concepts happen to be vegetarian or highlight healthy, local, organic or vegetarian food, that is a double bonus for me!