Jet Set: Heidelberg Suites by Michele Bonan

The Heidelberg Suites is ultra-chic, as is typical of Bonan's designs.

The Heidelberg Suites Boutique Hotel opened in the fall of 2008. It is an extraordinary hotel property located in one of Germany's oldest and most charming cities. It is composed of villas from the turn of the century which were restored and furnished by world-renowned architect and interior designer, Michele Bonan. You may already know and love a couple of his projects, like the JK Place Firenze in Florence and the JK Place Capri.

A Suite at the JK Place Firenze

The Reception Area at the JK Place Capri

The Heidelberg Suites, illuminated in the evening

According to TripAdvisor.com, who named the city of Heidelberg a Travelers Choice Award Winner in 2008, "Home to the oldest university in Germany, Heidelberg suffered during 17th-century wars and was rebuilt in the 18th century, using the old Gothic street layout but with Baroque buildings. The historic city center's Gothic streets are easy to navigate on foot. Fourteenth-century Heidelberg Castle is the symbolic heart of the city. Alte Brucke is a beautiful 18th-century bridge. This university town also has a historic Student Jail, for visitors who take both their history and education seriously."

Sounds charming, doesn't it? The Heidelberg Suites is situated next to the "Old Bridge" and overlooks the Neckar River. Every room in the hotel features an incredible view of the Castle as well as the "Old Town". It is also located within walking distance from all of the historical sites. The hotel also features a rooftop terrace, garden, and spa.

Michele Bonan was inspired by the history of Heidelberg when creating the hotel and focused on a vision of "German Romanticism meets Italian Architecture. Bonan emphasizes this through his choice of colour and the interior design. According to the architect, an ideal synthesis has been composed of 'Heidelberg’s historicism', 'Florentine elegance' and 'refreshing naturalness'".

The Heidelberg Suites is purely Bonan's vision. In addition to designing the architectural elements of the villas, he designed the interiors along with every single piece of furniture found in the hotel, which is available for purchase, if you are so inclined.
A sitting area in one of the suites overlooks the Neckar.

Bonan's Italian influence is very evident in this room. Notice the pattern in the rug. It is the same design he used for the hotel's logo. Everything was custom made.


The Spa at the Heidelberg Suites

The hotel features four types of suites ranging from a Standard Suite to the Penthouse Suite. Though they vary in size, every suite features a unique view of the castle and the "Old Town" along with two rooms, a fully stocked pantry kitchen with an espresso machine, and state of the art electronics. More importantly, they are dressed in Bonan's signature style of mixing a bit of modernism with classical romanticism.


The Rooftop Terrace

Staircase

The reception is the area of the Heidelberg Suites which reminds me most of Bonan's JK Place Firenze and JK Place Capri.


How romantic is this courtyard? I love the white buildings with the painted black shutters and black and white awnings. The little benches and vintage bicycles complete with wicker baskets add the perfect touch.

An Alternate View of the Beautiful Hotel

A View of the "Old Bridge" and Castle from the Heidelberg Suites.

I cannot adequately describe how much I love Michele Bonan's work. He is the person I would turn to if I ever needed someone to design a dream villa or hotel for me. Notice I said "dream"! I can't imagine he comes cheap. I adore his aesthetic and think his work is absolutely brilliant.

As you may have noticed, there was no installment of my Jet Set series last week. I hope that this week's featured hotel, the gorgeous Heidelberg Suites was worth the wait! I don't know about you, but I am definitely wishing I could book a little getaway to Heidelberg right now. Seriously, doesn't it look romantic?

Images via Heidelberg Suites, JK Place Florence, and M.A. Belle (JK Place Capri image)