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CNN Live Today

Talk With Author of 'Hip Hotels'

Aired August 05, 2002 - 10:44   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Vacation season is almost over for most of you, but if you're looking for some advice to use next time around for vacation, or you think your hotel is just a place to sleep when you get there when you travel, our next guest this morning wants to open up your eyes to a new dimension of travel. Now he sees the hotel itself as a vacation destination that's often overlooked and underappreciated. In fact, he's compiled a top 10 list of hip hotels. The title bestowed not for trendiness but rather for "highly individual places."

And here to explain exactly what all that means and why these places made the cut is Herbert Ypma. He's author of the book "Hip Hotels."

HERBERT YPMA, AUTHOR, "HIP HOTELS": Good morning.

HARRIS: What exactly makes a hotel hip here?

YPMA: For me, it means it's individual. It means it's something different from what you're normally used to. It means it's a place that -- it's away from the norm, and for me, it's probably the most important thing for a hip hotel is that it gives you something that you're traveling to. So in other words, if you are going to Paris, you want a hotel that feels Parisian, that looks Parisian. So when you're staying there, even if it's for business, for three or four years, you say, wow, I've been to Paris, because you know, I had this hotel room, and I could see the Eiffel Tower, and I had Louis XIV chairs in my room, and I had some beautiful Damask (ph) upholstery.

HARRIS: Since you mentioned that -- I will get right to as many of these I can, because we've got President Bush's event about to get underway here, let's get to list we've got here. I want you to talk us through some of these hotels you have on the list. Let's talk about this Paris experience you mentioned here. I don't know if you can see the screen here. In France here, the Maison Du Bassin? Where is this at, and what is this about?

YPMA: This is on the Atlantic coast, and it's by an area that has some of the highest dunes in France, very, very beautiful coastal area. Most people don't know it, because most people associate France with the Rivera, when they're talking about a coast. But for the Parisians, they go to -- it's an area called Capfala (ph). They go to -- they go there because it's very much like Nantucket. It's wild, it's a fantastic sailing, and right on the beach, there's this small hotel which was started by a bunch of people who have a business importing furniture from Bali. And they said, well, let's create a place where our friends can stay in.

When you go there, it's all things a hotel in France should be.

HARRIS: I'm sorry, I don't mean to cut you off, but we're trying to squeeze some more of these in before we have to cut away. You said Bali. How about Bali? You got this on the list as well, The Waka Ganga (ph)?

YPMA: Yes, the Waka Ganga (ph) is owned by three Balinese guys. They ride around Bali on great big Harleys, very cool guys. They found this black, volcanic sand beach, in a place where hardly any tourist go to. When you stay there, you get a house to yourself, so every bungalow you that you stay in is kind of raised along series of rice paddies. It's very affordable. It's Like $70 a night.

HARRIS: Really?

YPMA: And you...

HARRIS: You can't do that in Decatur, Georgia. That's not too bad.

Well, tell you what, let's move ahead, how about in Italy? Let's go to -- I think we've got a couple here, on your list here, from Italy. Here's the Villa Faltrinelli.

YPMA: Villa Faltrinelli. I think this is for people who want glamour. What you get here is basically an extraordinary villa on a lake in north of Italy, and really when you stay there, it's -- the feeling as if it's your own villa, in a sense. They treat you as if this is your house, and it's a very extraordinary Gothic villa which was turned into 12-room hotel. It's expensive, but it's worth it.

HARRIS: All right, what's it cost there?

YPMA: I think the room rate start at $600.

HARRIS: OK.

YPMA: That is expensive.

HARRIS: Yes, I'll bet. Moving right along. How about Marrakesh? That place is a place that always fascinated me?

YPMA: Yes, well, Marrakesh, this is completely new. This is an Aman group, which has traditionally made it's start in Asia. I think their idea was, if people are going to go to Marrakesh, give them the full experience, make it feel like you stepped into 1001 nights, which is exactly what they've done with this.

HARRIS: Wow. All right, and Jackson Hole, a little bit closer to home -- Jackson Hole.

YPMA: Jackson Hole, again, it's same group, but this time around, they went to Jackson Hole, and it was really saying, well, Grand Teetans (ph) one of the best views in the United States, yet, there wasn't a hotel that was actually looking at these very beautiful mountains. So let's a build hotel in a very American style, so the architecture looks -- if you had to put it in a soundbite, you would say, if Frank Lloyd Wright skied, this is what he would have built for himself.

HARRIS: There you go, you got me on that one.

How about in Colorado? The Dunton hot springs -- what's that about?

YPMA: This is very unusual. It's an old mining camp high in the Colorado Rockies. I think it's at 8,900 feet. A couple of Hollywood film producers found this little village, or found this little town by mistake, discovered the whole damn town was for sale, bought the town in its entirety, the mining town, with all the little log cabins, and turned it into a hotel, which from the outside, you wouldn't know that they've actually changed anything.

If you look at it, every person staying there gets their own log cabin. The tepee you see in the photo has actually got a hot tub inside, well, it's actually hot spring -- hot spring swimming pool -- inside the tepee. And it's a fantastic combination. So from the outside you think, gee, I've arrived in the middle of nowhere, but inside these log cabins is very luxurious and very beautifully done.

HARRIS: How much does that one cost?

YPMA: You have to break the bank, so when you get it's beans and jerky for the entire time, huh?

YPMA: They have a great kitchen, but it's worth it, again. It's expensive. It starts about $350 a night. But my idea of things like this go for a fewer days and have more memorable experience. You know, so instead of going for 10 days, go for four days and break the bank, but, hell, you only live once.

HARRIS: That's great advice. You know what, you sold me, maybe not on $600 dollar a night joint, but you did sell me.

Herbert Ypma, thanks much. We appreciate it.

YPMA: All right. My pleasure.

HARRIS: Author of "Hip Hotels." Check it out before you take the next trip.

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