Design
Hotels as architecture. Reviews and reportage on the studios, materials and decisions that turn a property into a piece of design worth a detour.
Barcelona and Madrid: Spain's Two City Moods and Their Design Hotels
Spain's two great cities are often set against each other, and travellers do tend to fall for one more than the other. Barcelona is coastal, Modernista and effortlessly stylish, a city of Gaudi facades, sea air and El Born lanes. Madrid is inland, grand and sociable, a capital of boulevards, world-class museums and rooftops that come alive at dusk. The clearest way to feel the difference is through where you sleep, because each city's design hotels are distilled versions of its character. This is a portrait of both, told through five stays, and a guide to which mood is yours.
The American Design Hotel: Stays That Reinvent New York, Miami and Los Angeles
The United States more or less invented the boutique hotel, the idea that a place to sleep could have a point of view, a soundtrack and a lobby worth crossing town for. Nowhere is that instinct clearer than in its three great style cities. New York turns old industry and downtown grit into rooms; Miami restores the glamour of a lost era in pastel and palm; Los Angeles lets the light and the mid-century do the talking. This is a look at how design-led hotels reinvent those cities from the inside, told through seven stays that each take a building, or an era, and make it the reason to book.
Europe's Best Boutique Design Hotels 2026: Eight Stays Where the Building Is the Point
Some hotels are a place to sleep near the things a traveler came to see. A design hotel is one of those things. This is a list of eight European stays where the architecture, the interiors and the idea behind them are reason enough to book the room.
A Swiss Summer: Three Hotels That Show What the Country Does When the Skis Are Gone
Switzerland is famous for its winters. Its summers, when the cable cars run for hikers, the city beaches open along the lakes, and the old towns slow into their long northern light, are arguably the better season. Three hotels across the country, from an alpine village to the financial capital to the old town of Geneva, illustrate what the Swiss summer actually does.
Three Hotels in Istanbul: The Quiet Design Wave Reshaping Two Continents
A close look at three restored boutique hotels in Istanbul (Orient Occident and Orientbank in historic Sirkeci, The Bank Hotel in contemporary Karaköy) and the broader story of a city teaching its older buildings to do new things.
Three Ways Thailand Does Design: River, Rainforest, Skyline
A close look at three design-led luxury hotels in Thailand: The Siam on the Chao Phraya, Keemala in Phuket's rainforest, and The Standard in Bangkok's tallest tower.
Tulum Beyond the Hype: Where Design Still Matters on Mexico's Caribbean Coast
A close look at four design-led luxury hotels on Mexico's Caribbean coast: Casa Malca, Delek Tulum, Hotel Muaré, and Chablé Maroma. Architecture, art, rooms, and how to choose
The New Ibiza: Design Hotels Redefining the Island
Three properties, three philosophies. From a hippie-era pioneer perched on northern cliffs to a yacht-inspired clifftop village and an ex-cinema turned downtown hangout, these design hotels tell the story of an island that refuses to stand still.
The New Chinese Luxury: Beyond the Fusion Cliché
Three design hotels redefining luxury hospitality in China
Desert Modern: Three Hotels Shaping Oman's Architectural Identity
From canyon-edge forts to fishing village resorts, how Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Six Senses Zighy Bay, and Alila Hinu Bay redefine luxury through Omani vernacular architecture. Three properties, three landscapes, one design philosophy.
Design Hotels Japan: The Complete 2026 Guide for Architecture and Design Lovers
From traditional ryokans to contemporary luxury, here is where to stay if you care about how spaces are made.
Italy by Design. Five Boutique Hotels Redefining Style Through Craft, Light and Atmosphere
A journey through five Italian boutique hotels where light, craft and atmosphere shape a new idea of design. Rome, Tuscany, Piedmont and the Amalfi Coast told through interiors that inspire and stay with you.
The New Mediterranean Aesthetic: Calm Tones, Honest Materials, Real Spaces
Discover the new Mediterranean aesthetic across Spain, Italy, Greece and Portugal. Natural materials, warm minimalism and boutique hotels where design feels quietly, beautifully real.
The Shape of Serenity: How Design Defines the New Boutique Hotel Era
Explore how architecture and emotion merge in Europe’s new design hotels, where materials, light and stillness redefine the art of hospitality.
Design Lovers’ Guide to Greece: Boutique Hotels and Architectural Gems
In Greece, design has never been a trend. It is a necessity born of climate and landscape, refined into an aesthetic that has become one of the country’s greatest exports.