Have you ever had the feeling, upon waking in a hotel room, that you can't remember where you are? It's a common complaint among today's 'astronauts' (so named on account of how much time they spend in the air).
In many of the world's chain hotels, you can stumble through your morning fug and maintain your routine as if you were at home. There is an air of consistency that pervades everything. But it's all a bit too similar, and many regular travellers and hotel operators are going all out to stimulate our senses.
It's a return to the good old days, when staying in a hotel was a new experience, when we relished the differences in colours, textures, furniture and amenities - the differences from home rather than the similarities.
In Madrid, operator Hoteles Silken turned loose a pack of top designers on a project that has 'landmark' written all over it. At the company's Hotel Puerta America, a 34,000 square metre temple of design with a HK$932 million price tag, glistening marble, warm natural timber tones, face-slapping reds and sunshine oranges contrast with Space Odyssey-like eggshell and yakuza den-style guest rooms.
Bringing together 19 heavyweight designers from every discipline, including architects, interiors specialists, artists, lighting gurus and landscapers, the hotel is a testimony to the power of good ideas and a big budget. Designers were allocated whole guest floors or other areas and given a brief to create a truly unique hotel stay.
'This hotel has a lot of gifts for a lot of people,' says designer Jean Nouvel. 'You need to be a little bit curious to stay here, but it will create some very special moments.'