On the edge of Hamburg’s Alster lake, The Fontenay is a contemporary city resort shaped by curved architecture, glass and water-facing terraces. Rooms and suites are bright and composed, with pale woods, soft textiles, floor-to-ceiling windows and many with balconies looking over the lake or leafy neighbourhoods. The hotel centres on calm rather than spectacle, with a rooftop restaurant and bar, lakeside lounges, a library and a serene spa with indoor-outdoor pool. Its setting gives Hamburg a quieter, more residential kind of urban luxury.