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Soak up Budapest

With a design inspired by the look and feel of an Alpine ice tunnel, the new spa at the New York Palace in Budapest is a welcome addition to the Hungary branch of the luxury Boscolo Hotels chain. A steamy sauna, traditional Turkish baths and an indoor swimming pool are all available on-site, and if that’s not enough water therapy for you, there’s always the indoor waterfall. Or you may prefer to just tune out by watching the light refracting through the oversized Swarovski crystals that decorate the space.

The spa, New York Palace
Erzsébet Körut 9–11, Budapest
+36 (06) 1 886 6111, www.boscolohotels.com

Strip off in central Berlin

Conceived by artist Susanne Lorenz, Berlin’s Badeschiff is an outdoor swimming pool contained in what was once the hold of a cargo ship. The name Badeschiff means “swimming ship” and the craft is moored off the banks of Berlin’s River Spree. Being surrounded by the river gives swimmers the sensation that they are actually bathing in it – except for the fact that the water is somewhat cleaner. For the winter, a beautiful, white, bubble-like roof has been designed to cover the Badeschiff, which has been converted into heated baths and saunas. Don’t miss the chance to be pampered and pummelled in this cosy setting with its striking views.

Badeschiff
Arena Berlin, Eichenstraße 4, Berlin
+49 (0)3 0533 2030 www.badeschiff.de

Hang out in a tree house

The newly opened Hotel Yasmin, near Wencelas Square in the heart of Prague, is bringing a sense of style and cheer to the city’s range of mid-price hotels. Facilities include a sauna and gym, and the décor feels more like a series of art installations. The trunks and branches of dead trees are employed to surprisingly elegant effect, a series of silver balls are suspended at varying heights from the ceilings and the citrus colour scheme is the visual equivalent of a shot of caffeine. Noodles, the in-house restaurant, has a bizarre culinary theme – all the dishes are either made of noodles or pasta, whether they are from the Far East or Italy. You never know, it might catch on.

Hotel Yasmin
Politickych Veznu 12/913, Prague
+420 23 410 0100 www.hotel-yasmin.cz

Check into a ’Dam hot hotel

The refurbishment of The Dylan, a boutique hideaway in the Nine Streets area of Amsterdam, included putting plasma TVs and Wi-Fi in every room. Despite these technological tweaks, this high-calibre hotel still has real soul. Make sure you visit the intimate cocktail bar, which has a pair of connecting lounges to laze in. In the new meeting room the peaks and troughs of the hypnotic, textured wall feature will capture your imagination – even if your business meeting doesn’t.

The Dylan
Keizersgracht 384, Amsterdam
+31 (0)2 0530 2010 www.dylanamsterdam.com

Snap up a design icon

The One concept store is now open in Bleed Design Studio’s Oslo headquarters. With only one of each item on display for sale, shoppers will have to get in there quick: as soon as each piece has been sold, something completely different will replace it. This isn’t a secondhand store – designers including Marc Jacobs and Sweden’s Konkret Form will be supplying original stock, as will Alta bicycles, and a range of specially developed Levi’s T-shirts is in the works. The most accessibly priced items include quirky toys and books from Japan from 100 kroner (about €12). “The only unifying concept is excellent design,” explains creative director Kjetil Wold.