LUXURY TRAVEL 41
Whatever your choice , it ’ s about time spent well and to the full ,” says Maria .
MKV ’ s portfolio includes many story living examples . Take , for instance , Bürgenstock Hotel and the Grand Residences Suites , both of which the practice designed as part of its total revitalisation of the entire Bürgenstock Resort . The experience of the hotel is that of being a bird in flight hovering above the sheer drop to the valley and Lake Lucerne below . The scenery is everything and the interior design is held in check to allow the natural world to be the star . Materials were selected to achieve a sense of uninterrupted transition from the view outside to indoors and include stone from the mountains , timber from the forests , bronze resembling the light of late afternoon and deeply veined green marble . The Grand Residences offer an alternative – the Swiss grand hotel tradition transposed into residential living with interiors graced by fine silk fabrics , crafted saddle leather and works of art by international artists .
MKV has also transformed a dilapidated palace building in Budapest into one of Europe ’ s grandest hotels - Matild Palace , A Luxury Collection Hotel . In a city synonymous with the tradition of bathing , guests can live the story in their guestroom bathrooms , soaking in a custom-designed tub or under a rain shower surrounded by turquoise glass mosaic interleaved with gold – a nod to Budapest ’ s famous Gellert Baths – combined with richly veined marble and classic bronze fittings .
Story living is not always a private affair , however . As anyone who has spent time in Greece knows , the gathering outside of friends , families and neighbours to eat , drink and converse is the very essence of the Grecian experience . Two years ago , MKV completed W Costa Navarino . The team fragmented the conventional allday dining room into four outlets , all of which open onto the Platia in a playful interpretation of the Greek village square . Each venue is consciously designed not to feel like a hotel restaurant but rather as a place that belongs to the village with their own interior aesthetic and a seamless indoor / outdoor connection . In the Platia , hotel guests and local neighbours can sit wherever they wish and partake in whatever cuisine they desire at that moment in time . In true Greek style , they can re-arrange the seating for friends who happen to pass by , shelter from the afternoon sun under pergolas and find niches for candle-lit suppers at night .
This too is living the moment to its full , but for guests who want social engagement . “ If luxury equates to the chance to live the story as you want to , when you want to , it follows that the great hospitality destinations should be diverse , from those on the public stage through to clubs where members can surround themselves with a like-minded community ,” Maria explains . “ For younger people , in particular , social media has infiltrated the world of luxury in a way that the paparazzi of old never could with the result that luxury hospitality is seen as more accessible than it was . However , the very noise of modern-day living means that there is still very much a place for withdrawing into a luxury that whispers .”
A new MKV-designed villa at Mykonos Grand Hotel & Resort , is just such a place . The resort is sunken into a hillside overlooking the Aegean Sea and is prized for its sunset views . The 945-sqm villa is the ultimate retreat with four bedrooms , lounge , dining & kitchen and a gym . Above this , a magnificent rooftop terrace with pool , lounging , dining and a choice of sitting areas combine to create a collection of outdoor experiences where guests can feel they are living in their own dreamscape .
ISSUE 66 2024 THE ART OF LUXURY