‘What is the busiest season?’
‘Always’

Bianca and I stayed over at the 25 Hours Hotel Vienna for two nights last week and the experience was unique to say the least.

Based upon two core concepts – the first is the circus, the second is the ‘cozy, personable and homey’ lux hotel – I have to say I’ve never been in a hotel quite so interesting and comfortable.

I think ‘quirky’ is a great way to put it; all the bedrooms are decorated with really great wall paintings and mismatched urban furniture to create the spectacle mood of the circus. Even the elevators have cages in front of the mirrors, almost like animal boxes, which were apparently inspired by the penguins in Madagascar. There are some meeting rooms with optical illusion mirrors in the lower ground floor, as well as a mermaid-themed spa/sauna area. Nothing fishy here.

The suites are made for parties. There is also a terrace with a functional outdoor bath. Just in case you want to mix bubbly with bubbly with a pretty damn good view. Speaking of views, there is also a bar upstairs with Wednesday Cha Cha Cha and swing music nights.

Hotel restaurants/bars usually lack their own personality, kind of just blending into the background of the hotel itself, but the 1500 restaurant downstairs of the 25 Hours Hotel definitely is one sassy place. The name of it refers to the number of minutes in 25 hours (definitely some kudos for keeping up the theme) and their slogan? ‘Fuck it eat pizza’. Yeah I feel that sometimes all the time. So if you’re around in Vienna – visiting, on a business trip, or what a getaway in a great location – then I fully recommend this place for a unique experience and mad dope vibes.

25HOURS HOTEL AT MUSEUMSQUARTIER

Lerchenfelder Strasse 1-3
1070 Wien

From Tuesday until Thursday, my sister and I took a mini retreat away in the Austrian Riviera in Portschach am Wortersee, around 4-5 hours away by train from Vienna. Lake’s – My Lake Hotel graciously hosted us for the two nights, and it was definitely a much-needed relaxing getaway.

The view from our balcony was spectacular. In the background you see mountains with low flying mist and clouds – almost like an overly photoshopped series of layers, and in front, an endless mass of clear blue lake. After spending time away in Beijing, Shanghai for over a month, it’s made me appreciate scenery like this. Something natural and completely unaffected by trouble.

We stayed in room 116 – the Lake Suite facing the whole lake. The room was spacious with dark wooden floorboards and retro meets clear white furnishings. I had a lot of work to do for KNEON so the balcony was pretty much my staple location for most of the time; with some red wine and my sister as pet, it was a pretty great way to get work done.

We ate at the Lake Bar and Restaurant – I recommend sitting outside facing the lakefront. The hotel also have a state of the art gym, spa services upon request and two pools – outdoors and indoors.

Personally, I get excited by skylines, the busy drive of big hustling cities, and people on the verge of rudeness. It’s the environ that keeps me going. However, this retreat for me was not only cathartic but deeply educational – I learned that peace and quiet should be a gift to oneself, a reward for accomplishment and achievements, and to really reflect on what you’ve done. Lake’s combines elements of casual luxury, space, the beautiful environment and great staff service to really make you feel like you’re taking a break away – at home. So if you’re based in Austria or closeby, definitely have a look.

Ok, so it’s been exactly a week since I got back from Tomorrowland festival and this post is long overdue but omg…What an amazing weekend. We saw the most audibly and visually stunning shows, interviewed some inspiring producers/djs and met some great people amongst the press. Amir took so many beautiful photos that I thought I’d do a quick post while I work on the official photobomb (as well as the story for the next issue of KNEON…but shh).

Interviewing Rebecca & Fiona…I really have no idea why we all look slightly pissed here.

Bumping into Skrillex at the press area backstage was probably a 15-second acquaintance that became one of the highlights of the weekend. Nicest dude ever!

David Guetta on the main stage. i have to say, his show was disappointing. I nearly saw him during my gradtrip to Ibiza, but he was on the same night as Deadmau5 and I heard the whole push-the-button thing, so I opted out. All he did was play beats and his own tracks every now and then…over 20,000 people in the crowd and he couldn’t get them to move. I think that says something about extremely established producers.

Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo of the Bloody Beetroots!

SHM…an emotional set. A group of tall guys next to me were looking very bambi as Axwell gave a speech that was followed by this tune. I felt my knees wobble slightly at that point. Or maybe it was lack of energy. Or a bit of both.

Chinese VIPS and actors like Lu Yi and Miss Universe China 2011, as well as extremely relevant figures in China’s contemporary fashion scene, were all amongst the guests during the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Beijing. There was a highly inviting and special lounge area available to guests with invitations.

And this marks the last post of my Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week coverage series! I hope it introduced you to some new designers and facets of Chinese fashion – a field I’m hoping to jump into one day, if not in this coming summer. Thank you all so much for reading and responding! x

„brought to you by Mercedes-Benz“