Palacio Del Retiro, Madrid.

Palacio Del Retiro is not any ordinary hotel. For starters, it is a restored 20th century palace within the "golden triangle" of museums - the Prado, the Thyssen and the Reina Sofia. Despite it's grand, old-fashioned architecture, the 50 rooms (inclusive of its 13 suites) are styled modern and simple with dark wood, blue and cream as its theme.

Personally, I love the fact that it is such a small hotel, and the beautiful architecture. The little touches like intricate plaster designs on the wall and the wrought iron-work pieces remind you subtly of its heritage.

Pour Une Amorette.

This is taken off the movie," I've Been Waiting For So Long." I love Nathalie Baye, there is something so charming yet mystic about her. Here, she sings the classic French song, Pour Une Amorette by Leny Escudero. The lyrics are poetic and terribly apt for this movie.

theOutnet.com

theOutnet.com is set up by the same folks who brought to us, net-a-porter. This is their online past season discount outlet. After trawling their site, there are some gorgeous designer buys that would look great for the holiday season. As I love black and grey, here are some of my picks for hot holiday wear.

Alexander McQueen Satin One-Shoulder Dress.

Oscar de la Renta Embroidered Neckline Dress.

Matthew Williamson Poppy Shift Dress.

Halston Silk Evening Dress.

Marchesa Embellished Draped Chiffon Gown.

Atheanaeum Hotel, London.

What's there not to love about the Atheanaeum Hotel in London? Firstly it is located in Mayfair and anyone who has played Monopoly knows that it is in one of the best neighbourhood. Then there is the fact that the hotel is family owned and it has got a lovely vertical garden designed by the French architectural botanist, Patrick Blanc creeping up one corner of its building. This breathed in new life to the 1849 building which was once a private club for MPs, Lords and all sorts of VIPs, then it was bought by an entertainment company and soon became home to traveling film stars that were filming in London. Steven Spielberg livedin and edited Indiana Jones and ET in one of the apartments.

The rooms are cosy and have such a good English feel about them without being too stuffy. The rooms come equipped with a Nespresso machine and for those who love their ice-cream, Ben and Jerry mini tubs in the mini bar. How if you are traveling with kids? They have an in-house kid's concierge who will make sure that the child gets age-appropriate toy boxes, a Wii or X-box on loan, mini dressing gowns and slippers. They will also get milk and home baked cookies at turn-down. For those who love the parks like I do, Hyde Park is just at its door. The hotel will even loan bicycles and kites free of charge as well as water, towels and a jogging map.

Gramercy Park Hotel, New York.

No one understands how a New York hotel should be like Ian Schrager (co-founder of Studio 54) . After all, he is the largest private hotelier in New York and also the man who created the boutique hotel genre.

The Gramercy Park Hotel itself is also a legend. It is next to Gramercy Park which is one of the few private parks left in New York. Firstly, it was build by famous developers, Bing and Bing in 1925, then there are the celebrities who lived out of the hotel. Some notable guests include Humphrey Bogart, Joseph P. Kennedy, Bob Marley, Bob Dylan, Madonna and David Bowie. In 2003, the hotel was sold to Ian Schrager who collaborated with artist and film maker, Julian Schnabel to re-design the hotel.

I love the Haute Bohemian feel of the hotel. The bright colours, the art pieces selected for the hotel (pieces were by Andy Warhol, Richard Prince and Damien Hirst to name a a few), the cocktail of old and new, luxury and simplicity, bold colours. It's almost something that would have come out of a 21st century storybook. It houses a private rooftop club, looks like a gentleman's club of sorts. It has a retractable roof and beautiful views of New York City.

Apparently, it has paved the way for a whole new genre, the art hotels. All in consent, say Aye!

Chasen Lamp By Patricia Urquiola for Flos.

When Flos commissioned Italian designer, Patricia Urquiola to design a lamp for them, they must have known that it will be a hit. After all, the Caboche lamp, that she had designed for Foscarini a few years back was so well received. The Chasen lamp that she designed for Flos is simple in shape and colour yet its curves make it so fascinating and fun. The light gets beautifully diffused and the light dispersion can be altered by changing of the lamp's shape.

Kit Cosmetics and Dulux Paint Collaboration.

Kit Cosmetics, the younger sister of Mecca Cosmetica in Australia has recently collaborated with the folks at Dulux to come up with a range of nail varnishes inspired by Dulux's just released summer colour forecast. Now your nails can be as trendy as your favourite living room wall.

Each bottle costs AUD $15.95.

The colours from left to right: Dulux Hot Calypso, Dulux Blue Surf, Dulux Kiss and Dulux Exotic Flower.