Hotel design in general is incredibly considered, down to the finest details. But beyond functionality and mass appeal, there are some destinations that push the design world forward with bold and modern ideas.
From gob-smacking lobbies and hospitality spaces that encompass large-scale art and unique lighting, to the cosy and chic ambience of each room, there is plenty to take inspiration from.
For accomplished designers tasked with creating captivating interiors, hotel design provides a large-scale canvas (and exceptional budgets) with which to explore their ideas.
However their unique colour application and textural details provide even the most inexperienced decorator with food for thought during their stay.
The Carlyle, New York City, USA
A symbol of New York glamour and luxury, The Carlyle has been a Big Apple icon since it opened in 1930. The hotel’s spaces and guest rooms have been updated numerous times, the most recent in 2021, by New York-based, award-winning design practice tonychi studio, however signature pre-war details and Art Deco motifs remain.
Sanders Hotel, Copenhagen, Denmark
One of Copenhagen’s hippest hotels, the 54-room boutique offering has a a sleek 950s-style cocktail bar and leafy roof terrace, but it’s the mix of Scandi design and mid-century modern wood furnishings in each room that keeps fans coming back.
Paradiso Ibiza Art Hotel, Ibiza, Spain
It’s hard to imagine needing any more convincing that this pink, tile-lined marvel of a hotel room, but the retro-styled pink poolside bar and cabanas are also the stuff made of Instagram heaven.
La Maison Champs Élysées, Paris, France
A stylish boutique hotel with quirky yet sophisticated interiors created by fashion icon Martin Margiela, the location is also hard to beat, just of arguably the most famous boulevard in Paris.
Parco dei Principi, Sorrento, Italy
Designed by architect Giò Ponti, Parco dei Principi Grand Hotel and Spa was built in 1964 and while updated, retains many of its original features, notably the blue on blue floor tiles that mimic the azure sea beyond the courtyards and balconies.
Hotel Casa Bonay, Barcelona, Spain
This beautifully restored 19th-century modernist mansion houses a hip boutique hotel with rooms of different sizes stylishly appointed with furnishings and amenities from local artisans and providers.
Locke am Platz, Zürich, Switzerland
Modernism meets luxurious riviera in Enge, Zurich, in a brand new hotel full of bold colour and a mix of design influences.
Zentis Osaka, Japan
A sleek contemporary hotel housed in a 16-storey tower in downtown Osaka, the interiors have been created by Philippe Starck protégé Tara Bernerd and focus on raw materials, a natural color palette, exposed brick, and timber beams.
The Rooster, Antiparos, Greece
A wellness resort in the Greek Islands, The Rooster is made up of a number of separate residences, each sparely yet spectacularly designed to make the most of the natural colours and textures of the stunning landscapes that surround it.
Nobis Hotel, Palma, Balearic Islands, Spain
Housed in a former 12th-century medieval palace, the newly opened Nobis brings together elements of Scandi and Spanish design thanks to renovation by Swedish studio Wingårdhs and the Palma-based Jordi Herrero Arquitectos and Eduardo Garcia Acuna Arquitecto.
Cugó Gran Macina, Malta
A massive centuries-old stone building, once part of the harborside fortifications in the Maltese city of Senglea, showcases the luxury hotel’s masterful contrast of antique architecture with sleek, ultra-modern interior design.
