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An ochanoma lounge at Hoshinoya Tokyo. All photos courtesy of Hoshinoya Resorts. A stay at Tokyo's first luxury ryokan did not disappoint. Fathom editor Berit Baugher checked into the city's most talked about new hotel. TOKYO – On a recent visit to Japan I checked into Hoshinoya Tokyo , one of the city's newest and most exciting hotel openings . Styled after a traditional Japanese inn , also known as a ryokan , the quiet 84- room hotel feels worlds away from the busy streets of Tokyo. Historically, ryokans are low-key affairs with minimal furnishings and services, shared bathrooms, and no heating or air conditioning. Hoshinoya Tokyo embraces the tradition of simplicity, but through an elevated and luxurious lens, differentiating it from other urban ryokans. Upon entering the hotel, I instantly felt at peace; fragrant incense filled the air and soft Japanese music played in the background. Instead of a traditional lobby , I was greeted by an attendant in a room laye...

This alluring, rustic-looking fieldstone house is a rarity, as very few farm houses dating from the mid-18th century still stand today. But what makes this house even more of a gem is that it is not tucked away in the countryside as one would expect, but rather stands on a busy street in Montreal facing condo towers . Yet many visual elements give the illusion of a rural setting, notably it is set back from the street and surrounded by vegetation and mature trees. Named the Maison Gervais -Roy after its first two owners, the building’s style is French colonial, and research documents put its construction somewhere between 1752 and 1802. Originally built square , it underwent major alterations around 1840, when it was extended on the right side and the batten-seam roof was elongated by an overhang to cover a new porch. Three dormer windows were also added to make the attic habitable. Despite these modifications, the house has kept its harmonious proportions. It was declared a cultur...

Bath’s fortunes had rather faded in recent years but new developments and a faster rail link to London mean this Georgian city ’s fortunes are on the rise again A Roman city, a Georgian city or an early-Victorian reinvention? Bath is all of these and more. as the art historian James mcDonaugh observed : ‘Bath has been in the renaissance business for a long time.’ and now it’s doing it again. after a period in the westerly doldrums, this architectural gem is on the cusp of achieving permanent status as a world- class cultural destination . The reason? a synergy of happy circumstances converging upon this valley on the River avon. July witnessed the opening, right in the Georgian city centre , of the first grand hotel by a major international resort operator ; another major hotel launch is due next year, as is electrification of the Great Western Railway . The latter will reduce journey times from Londontoaboutanhour. In anticipation, festivals celebrating literature , regional foo...