Aug. 03–In what might best be described as an experiment to help acrophobics shake their fear of heights, architect and artist Alex Schweder has created a hotel room — a clear inflatable hotel room measuring a mere 35 square feet, which is hoisted atop a van on a scissor lift and perched 22 feet above the ground.
The room, titled “the hotel rehearsal,” was created for the Biennial of the Americas festival of arts, culture and ideas in Denver and is statement on Denver-area developers’ plans to build hotels on several parking lots. Fans are used to keep room, which is fashioned from clear vinyl, inflated and open.
A cool $50,000 will get you one weekend night in the space, but the following are prohibited:
Smoking.
Alcohol.
People (or things) totaling more than 450 pounds.
No rules were mentioned regarding stilettos or needlepoint work, or whether an inflatable girlfriend is a possible upgrade. The Curtis, an actual brick-and-mortar hotel that sponsored the piece, probably expects you to bring your own, as a Tiffany diamond necklace and earrings and two iPod Nanos loaded with 60s tunes are thrown in as part of the deal. Just make sure she’s not tipping the scales too far.
Curious? Always wanted to one-up Yoko Ono and John Lennon? Here’s your chance: thecurtis.com/special-offers.
But if you would rather stay in the Lone Star State and save about 40 grand (at least), you still can shell out for any of these hyper-luxurious suites:
The Omni La Mansion Del Rio:
This River Walk standby is no slouch when it comes to sweet suites. The Presidential Suite was suitable for the likes of Lyle Lovett, Sandra Bullock, Luis Miguel, Denzel Washington, Bette Midler, George Lopez and Morocco’s Prince Moulay Rachid ben al Hassan. The two-bedroom space includes spa tub that seats six and a dry sauna, just in case you can’t get enough of that famous San Antonio heat. From $1,799 per night. (210-518-1000, 112 College St., San Antonio).
Hotel St. Cecilia’s Suites 1 & 4, Austin:
This boutique hotel has a couple of Austin-centric sophisticated suites, like Suites 1 and 4, which both include Hastens beds (nothing to shake a stick at) claw-foot tubs in mosaic-tile bathrooms, and rustic-but-sophisticated decor that will make you want to ring up an interior designer. Goodies like an outdoor shower (Suite 1) and a private backyard with a fireplace (Suite 4) will help you get back in touch with nature, without having to sleep on the ground. Suite rates start at $550. (512-852-2400, 114 Academy Dr., Austin, TX).
The Joule:
One of The Joule’s reservations agents said, “We can basically arrange anything you want if you’re paying $5,000,” which is about what the Penthouse Presidential Suite starts at. We can imagine that getting tickets to a concert or getting a hard-to-find bottle of wine to materialize is probably well within their means. If you wait until late September, The Joule is opening a new tower with brand-new penthouse suites starting at about $9,000. (214-748-1300, 1530 Main St., Dallas, TX 75201).
Hotel ZaZa Houston:
This Museum-District hotel includes the “Magnificent Seven,” a group of suites of which the Rock Star Suite, complete with leather, velvet, animal prints, a crystal chandelier and the swaggering hubris that comes from legions of adoring fans. Sure to go to your head, and for around $1,100, not as hard a hit to your wallet as say, a vinyl hotel room in the sky. (713-526-1991, 5701 Main St., Houston, TX 77005).
stressler@express-news.net
Twitter: @sarahtress
