ROADBOOK

There is a fine line between familiarity and predictability. Somewhere between a mid-century club chair and a fringed velvet cushion, a singular idea of good taste began to take hold. You might be in Mumbai, London or Bangkok, but it’s often hard to tell amid the potted fiddle-leaf figs and sandalwood scent that drifts through the air. “One can travel halfway around the world and arrive in a hotel looking rather like the one they left that morning,” says architect and designer Bill Bensley.

Toronto is one of North America’s fastest-growing cities, and nowhere is that momentum more visible than in its evolving hotel scene. In recent years, a wave of new openings has brought fresh design verve to the Canadian metropolis. Toronto’s hotel scene is deeply neighbourhood-driven, from historic boutique hotels by the hip Ossington Strip to polished suites in upscale Yorkville.

The counter has come a long way in the past decade: from open kitchens in restaurants to the anchor of the modern coffee shop, it has evolved into an architectural focal point. This shift is due in part to Modbar, the original under-counter espresso system. Modbar removes equipment from the counter, concealing machinery beneath the surface. Above, only the slim Modbar taps remain visible: minimal stainless-steel spouts, available in custom finishes, designed for espresso, pour-over, and steam.

Milan’s coffee scene has two distinct settings. The first is old and deeply rooted: historic torrefazioni (roasteries) that have been blending their own beans for generations, alongside old-school coffee houses and bakeries. In contrast, a new wave of contemporary roasters and modern cafes has taken root in recent years, challenging the $1 espresso with careful sourcing and a slower rhythm, quietly rewiring how Milanese people think about coffee.

There is a phrase often invoked when speaking of Italians: “a nation of saints, poets and navigators”, pointing to the country’s spirit of exploration. One might reasonably append another epithet: a nation of hoteliers. Italy has a long, rich history of hospitality.

To understand Milan, you first have to understand the way we walk: with a purposeful, caffeinated velocity that suggests a ten-million-euro deal is just around the corner. Our energy moves in step with a city quietly reinvented itself. Oh, Milan, my lovely Milan. Since the 2015 Expo exploded, this city, once dismissed as the “gray epicenter” of stiff finance, has undergone a metamorphosis.

The tactility, pleasure and permanence of analogue is driving culture in 2026, and vinyl is thriving. Bottle displays in bars are giving way to record walls; turntables take pride of place, and listening has become an inclusive, intentional pastime. “Digital playlists are often consumed in the background. The ritual of vinyl is very different: selecting a record, placing the needle,” says Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, director of product circularity at Bang & Olufsen.

A fully-equipped kitchen with a La Marzocco coffee machine on view; a spacious living area for entertaining visitors; ample workspace and a signature scent, drifting through bedrooms designed for deep rest. A temporary home to call one’s own has never looked or felt better. Serviced apartments are, of course, nothing new. Fraser Suites and Ascott have long pioneered the segment.

Bangkok’s Lumphini neighbourhood is one of the city’s most verdant upscale locations. It centres on Lumpini Park, the largest green space in the Thai capital, offering a rare contrast to the city rush surrounding it. Cultural landmarks and rows of embassies reflect Thailand’s long diplomatic history, while the newly developed One Bangkok introduces retail, hospitality and entertainment on a grand scale.

“Bangkok already feels like a collage. Old buildings stand beside new ones, unfinished structures next to temples and shopping malls,” says multidisciplinary artist Nakrob Moonmanas. “That visual logic, and sometimes its lack of logic, strongly influences how I compose images.” We are in Moonmanas’s studio in the city’s temple-studded Old Town, where collected artefacts, furniture and photography serve as inspiration for his surrealist mixed-media works.