In our monthly series, we highlight the products, places and experiences we’ve bookmarked – and that you won’t want to miss.

As Europe sizzles in the summer heat, queuing and crowds are best avoided. But that doesn’t mean your cultural calendar needs to cool off. Take your cue from our editors and drift off the beaten path – dodging the hotspots while keeping your diary rich with art, design and discovery.

Discover an Indonesian art collective, slip into a Stoke Newington dining room for Asian-fusion cooking, or immerse yourself in a new programme from cultural platform Forefront. For their summer escapes, our editors decamp to a Munich art museum, trade Mallorca for its quieter cousin Menorca, and lose themselves in the colour and chaos of Cartagena.

Stay cool, but don't stay at home.

The escape: Cartagena, Colombia

Anna Fixsen, US editor

July Fourth may mark America’s birthday (and a big one at that!) but my (British) husband and I typically celebrate by getting out of the country for our wedding anniversary. This time around, we’re making a beeline to Cartagena, Colombia, a city that’s captivated us ever since we first visited four years ago. We’ll be staying in our favourite place, Casa del Arzobispado, a gem of a hotel located in a 17th-century building in Cartagena's historic walled city, a Unesco World Heritage Site. From there, we’ll do what we do best: take in the local culture, marvel at the beauty of the Caribbean and feast on heaps of ceviche. As a lover of winged critters, I am particularly looking forward to a trek to the Aviario Nacional de Colombia, where I can’t wait to spy coastal birds like herons, pelicans and flamingos.

The restaurant: Cálong

Anna Solomon, digital staff writer

This month, I’ll be stress-testing the credibility of Cálong’s fusion of Korean and European cooking – think kimchi reimagined as French-style fritters, or roast lamb saddle with gochujang. If the buzz is to be believed, chef Joo Young Won makes the collision feel inevitable. A veteran of Michelin-starred Galvin at Windows, he’s traded the West End for a Stoke Newington dining room, bringing fine-dining technique down to earth. I’m hoping for some serious crunch on those fritters – likewise Joo’s legendary fried chicken. The grilled pork jeyuk and pan-fried hake with mushroom and seaweed dashi also sound particularly good.

It’s an intriguing concept that stops just short of fine dining – a more affordable, thoroughly worthy alternative to the tasting-menu circuit.

The art museum: Haus der Kunst, Munich

Hannah Silver, art, culture, watches & jewellery editor

I have wanted to visit the incredible Haus der Kunst in Munich for a long time, and the opening of multi-disciplinary artist Tomás Saraceno’s major exhibition later this month is the perfect excuse. Saraceno works at the intersection of art, architecture and science, and will be unveiling a major new co-commission, encompassing a permanent piece of land art, as part of the show.

The Eurotrip: Menorca

Sofia de la Cruz, travel editor

I spent so many childhood summers along the Mediterranean coast, back when I loathed the sticky humidity and the feeling of sand somehow lingering on your skin for days. Now, not so strangely, it is exactly that sensation I find myself craving. I’m looking forward to a few days by Menorca’s pristine waters, before moving on to the thrum of Ibiza’s balmy, buzzy evenings.

The event: Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy

Léa Teuscher, sub-editor

I’m looking forward to introducing my family to a fantastic London tradition: the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition. Held every year since 1769, it is the world’s oldest open submission exhibition – anyone can enter their artwork for a chance to be displayed on the great walls of the academy’s Burlington House on Piccadilly.

This year the Royal Academicians, led by Ryan Gander for this edition, have sifted through thousands of creations and selected over 1,800 artworks. The rooms are packed with every kind of art – from drawing, painting and photography to sculpture, architecture and film – made by either members of the public, emerging artists or household names. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s great fun to play ‘guess which artwork is by a famous artist’ or count the red dots marking how many editions of the same piece have been sold. Plus, there are late openings on Fridays and Saturdays (with a gin bar and regular DJ sets).

The music: Madonna, Robyn, Wolf Alice and Joan Jett

Charlotte Gunn, director of digital content

July is a live music extravaganza in London, with this week being particularly stacked. I've been fortunate enough to have been invited to Madonna's 'Club Confessions' on Thursday night – the official launch party for her much-anticipated new album, 'Confessions II', out this Friday. I've heard a few advance songs, and guests would be wise to arrive ready to dance.

On Friday night, Robyn continues the party at The O2 for her 'Sexistential' tour – currently in my top five album releases of 2026. And on Sunday, one of Britain's best guitar bands, Wolf Alice, play their largest headline show to date in Finsbury Park along with Lykke Li, The Last Dinner Party and Rachel Chinouriri. For a slice of rock nostalgia, the inimitable Joan Jett comes to new London venue the British Airways Arc next week – her first show in the capital in 16 years.

Get tickets for Joan Jett, Robyn or Wolf Alice.

The exhibition: 'Rakyat Pasti Menang', Taring Padi

Gabriel Annouka, art editor

I’m already circling 8 July for Indonesian art collective Taring Padi’s 'Rakyat Pasti Menang' ('The People United Will Never Be Defeated') at Ibraaz. The exhibition brings together banners, puppets, prints and archives spanning nearly thirty years of collective making, presented in the Majlis at Ibraaz, a space dedicated to meaningful dialogue and exchange.

93 Mortimer Street, London W1W 7SS
Open 8 July-22 November 2026

The platform: Forefront

Ellie Stathaki, architecture & environment director

Part of London cultural platform Forefront's activities, a new series is being launched this summer, and I am very much looking forward to visiting and meeting the initiative's co-founder, Dicle Guntas, managing director of developer HGG, in July. The new family of shows centres on pairings between architects, artists and designers, and it kicks off with newly commissioned work by architects Bureau de Change and textile artist Ptolemy Mann, curated by Venice Biennale British Pavilion curator Maria McLintock. The exhibition is free to visit and is held at 134 Forefront on Old Street. Knowing Bureau de Change co-founders Billy and Katerina's work, and learning more about Ptolemy's approach, guarantees that we are all in for a treat of colour, pattern and inventive material use.

'Intertwined', Bureau de Change x Ptolemy Mann
134 Forefront, 134 Old Street, London EC1
Open now

Vibrant, colourful and intoxicatingly charming, Cartagena attracts throngs of romance seekers and holidaygoers looking for a good time. To date, the city’s hotel scene, with few exceptions, has been marked by boutique boîtes, with a mysterious magic that’s hidden behind imposing wood doors.

The debut of the 131-key Four Seasons Cartagena (among the most exciting new openings of April, nay the entire year) brings one of the world’s most well-established luxury hospitality brands to Colombia’s seductive Caribbean port – a move that will no doubt lure even more aesthetes and discerning travelers keen to pepper days with pampering spa sessions and refreshing dips in the pool in between coffee tastings, visits to local handicraft shops and cruising to the Rosario Islands.

Wallpaper* checks in at Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena

What’s on your doorstep?

Located in the lively Getsemaní neighbourhood, Four Seasons Cartagena is next door to Parque Centenario, which recently received a major facelift, and steps from the Walled City. Within its 16th-century stone walls travelers will find a warren of cobbled corridors, preserved Spanish colonial buildings splashed in shades of purple, yellow, red and blue, restaurants (if you want an unforgettable meal, book lunch or dinner at Rabo de Pez), artisan shops (Johanna Ortiz, AGUA by Agua Bendita and Mercedes Salazar are a few of my favorites), bustling plazas and cultural institutions, such as NH Galeria, which displays an impressive collection of contemporary Colombian art. If you’re not sure where to start, the hotel partners with Galavanta, a regional travel specialist, to curate bespoke experiences for guests, ranging from private outings to the city’s most emblematic residences to shopping excursions at the chromatic boutiques in Old Town.

Who is behind the design?

WATG took on the task of transforming a scattered collection of historic buildings in varying states of disrepair into a cohesive compound. Some structures were rebuilt from scratch, while significant time and investment went into restoring the most sacred spaces – notably the Cloister of Saint Francis, an almost biblical sight, with a quiet courtyard punctuated by four banyan trees estimated to be more than 100 years old, and the original Club Cartagena’s monumental split staircase, which now sits beneath a soaring, newly constructed glass roof.

The challenge wasn’t just conceptual but also spiritual. The question posed to all involved in the project was how to capture the seductive swagger and Caribbean charisma of Cartagena while also infusing a sense of serenity and resort-style amenities that give guests – whether weary from daily life or late-night dancing and drinking – a true reset. The answer? Acclaimed French designer François Catroux, in collaboration with Wimberly Interiors and AvroKO, shaped the interiors into a visual identity that embraces warmth and character. Intricate woodwork, sun-faded shades, and art, furnishings and textiles by Colombian artisans layer old-world charm and the creative expression of the current thriving art scene.

The room to book

Travellers staying at Four Seasons Cartagena can choose between colonial-style or contemporary rooms. The former, tucked inside old cloisters, shows off soaring ceilings, exposed brick, dark wood cabinetry and four-poster beds. Windowless bedrooms, cranked A/C and signature Four Seasons mattresses topped with fluffy pillows create the optimal sleep setup. The latter doesn’t skimp on character, but its style skews lighter and brighter with blond wood, striped area rugs, and a coastal palette of watery blues and sand. Framed artworks by Colombian artist Miguel Cárdenas hang in both categories. The duality of the accommodations isn’t just an aesthetic play (one that’s done exceptionally well, might I add) but also a nod to the past and present evolution of the destination and an acknowledgement of the weighty expectations of choosy Four Seasons loyalists.

For travellers who simply can’t decide which era speaks to them (or for whom privacy and space are the highest priority), the two-bedroom presidential suite, accessed by private elevator, expresses a modern interpretation of more traditional colonial elements, featuring high ceilings, historical arched windows overlooking the garden, plush furnishings, sleek marble bathrooms and a terrace with a plunge pool.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The question isn’t whether you’re staying for dinner and drinks but rather which of the many outlets to patronise – all with a distinct point of view and a connective thread of tropical glamour, thanks to AvroKO and François Bompard, founder and creative director of SBM Interior Design and a protégé of Catroux, who carried out the late designer’s vision after he passed.

Start with sunset sips on the rooftop at El Palomar, a calm vantage point from which to look out over the city’s beautiful chaos. Once evening sets in, move on to pre-dinner drinks at Bar Lelarge, dedicated to architect Gastón Lelarge, which draws on 1940s Cuban influences with custom shelves for spirits and intricate woodwork, and serves signature cocktails made with premium spirits and local fruits like the sweet, citrus-y and spicy Dorado. If you prefer, it’s possible to imbibe in the atrium, where the moon casts a glow through the glass onto the marble floors as guests and locals clink glasses of mojitos and silver aperitivo carts roll through with fruit and cheese.

The Grand Grill, Major Food Group’s first foray into South America, is indeed grand in its design, but intimate in size, with tables underneath the soft, diffused glow of a pair of alabaster light fixtures and a lush, tropical ceiling by Eloín Rivera. Like the atmosphere – and as the name suggests – the menu leans on American grill classics, with crowd-pleasers like prawn cocktail, tableside crab Louis salad and prime cuts of meat.

Where to switch off

The hotel boasts the beautiful Umari Spa, built from the ground up within a structure monks used for food preparation and storage. Even within the frame of new construction, Wimberley imbues warmth and heritage with sun-faded terracotta tiles, large framed windows and high ceilings. A striking spiral staircase and gauzy relaxation lounge stocked with pitchers of refreshing hibiscus tea represent a contemporary counterpoint. The menu includes massages like the indulgent signature Amazonian nectar ritual and glow-boosting facials. You can also switch off at one of two rooftop pools, a halcyon perch above the thumping city.

The service

The service is exceptional. Four Seasons Cartagena doesn’t show any of the shakiness of a new opening; rather, the well-trained team approaches hospitality with warmth, friendliness, and attentiveness – the steady-handed mark of a long-running hotel that found its five-star footing years ago. If you need one example of that, while having a cocktail on the rooftop, I failed to realise the kitchen closed at 5 pm. The unflappable team brought me an in-room dining menu and had my order (ceviche) delivered right to my tucked-away corner booth.

The verdict

Four Seasons Cartagena isn’t just the best stay in the city from a design and service perspective; it’s an example of how to tell a story through hospitality. The soulful restoration and reinvention of the various buildings’ former lives shine throughout the property, offering a sanctuary of calm that cuts through the cacophony of honking horns and thumping bass, yet never leaves you wondering whether you’ve drifted entirely from the hum. Sophisticated always, serene in the cloister and spa, more convivial in the atrium and F&B spaces, it’s a destination designed to dazzle travellers who arrive with high expectations – and it delivers.

Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena is located at Cl de la Media Luna #8B #8B-44, Getsemaní, Cartagena de Indias, Bolívar, Colombia

Today, Dallas Contemporary presents ‘Profile in Ecstasy’, a solo exhibition from American artist and designer Chris Wolston. Based between New York and Medellín, Colombia, Wolston is celebrated for his vibrant and conceptual practice spanning furniture, lighting, installation and sculpture. In this showcase, design transcends function to become an immersive, sensorial experience.

The exhibition’s title, chosen by curator Glenn Adamson, refers both to the drug and its etymological meaning, ‘to be outside oneself’. This provides a provocative lens through which to view Wolston’s work, which extends beyond the physical into realms of imagination and expression. The exhibition presents bold, hallucinatory objects that merge Art Nouveau, pre-Columbian symbolism and architectural exuberance.

Unfolding across four catwalks – evoking the theatricality of a fashion show or drag ball – ‘Profile in Ecstasy’ showcases creations ranging from bronze furniture with iridescent patinas to woven rattan sculptures echoing the human body (the body is a major theme in Wolston’s work, as is the natural landscape of Colombia).

Elsewhere: monumental terracotta sculptures carved from solid clay; lightweight aluminum forms cast from foam and anodized in shimmering hues; furniture animated by torch-worked surfaces; and handwoven carpets from Beni, an atelier in Marrakech, featuring warped calla lily motifs. It’s all accompanied by pulsating video works created by Wolston’s husband, filmmaker David Sierra. At the heart of the exhibition stands a luminous fountain depicting pop icon Grace Jones.

Wolston’s postmodern aesthetic results from his fusion of traditional and non-Western craft techniques with contemporary sensibilities – a dialogue he first began at the Kokrobitey Institute in Accra, Ghana, and developed further at the Rhode Island School of Design. A defining moment came in 2010, when Wolston completed a Fulbright fellowship studying pre-Columbian ceramics in Colombia. This experience led him to establish a second studio in Medellín, where he now collaborates with local artisans alongside Sierra.

An institution dedicated to presenting the most compelling art of our time, Dallas Contemporary is an ideal platform for Wolston’s boundary-pushing practice. ‘Profile in Ecstasy’ reflects the museum’s mission to engage audiences with experimental, interdisciplinary art that challenges conventional categories.

‘Profile in Ecstasy’ is on view from 7 November to 1 February 2026 at Dallas Contemporary.

In the work of New York-based Colombian artist María Berrío, nothing is quite as it seems. Otherworldly tales are part myth, part memory, delicately rendered in watercolour on Japanese paper. Her paintings are unexpectedly rife with familiar and contemporary detailing, in a meeting of worlds real and imagined. It is a style that is reflective of Berrío herself.

Growing up in Bogotá, she spent much of her time on a family farm, triggering the love of nature and storytelling she was to build on later. Beginning first by drawing large-scale works in charcoal – ‘it was a way of connecting me to the world,’ she says – Berrío became fascinated with Japanese paper, using it to create collages. In the physical and symbolic act of layering, collage makes a natural medium from which to explore the intersection of past and present.

‘I grew up with legends and myths in Colombia, and this fascination with the magical realism of my culture started in childhood,’ says the artist. ‘This fantastical way of seeing the world is always with me.’

At 18, Berrío moved to New York to study at Parsons School of Design, where she discovered a more contemporary mythical heritage in the famous monuments of the city. The aura of New York’s landmarks loom larger than their reality, a magical symbolism that Berrío draws on in her modern retellings.

Speaking to Berrío during her recent debut solo exhibition at Hauser & Wirth (which ran until 19 October 2025), in New York, we glimpse details of these in an eclectic jumble of references from worlds we’ve heard about or seen.

Works are vast and lifesized in scale. They are created from handmade paper, which is torn, cut into fragments and layered, with the resulting mixture of painting and collage reflecting the disparate nature of oral storytelling itself. A rich narrative runs throughout. Among the works on view at the show, entitled ‘Soliloquy of the Wounded Earth’, is a series of three full-length vertical portraits, in which Berrío reinterprets the myth of the Moirai (or Greek Fates), who here become Colombian dancers swirling a vibrant blue ribbon, synonymous with the fragile thread of life. In planning the paintings, Berrío worked with a dancer, creating an image that sparked the idea for a parallel world, where the artist imagines that the threads of the three fates were stolen by humanity.

In other works on show, the humans have ceded control of the Moirai’s threads, and disaster reigns. The threads are no longer recognisable, now woven into everyday motifs, such as colourful banners and flags, and used as symbols of war, as sacred as gods to the crowds in the pictures. Berrío encourages us to wonder whether they are all that will be left when people have burned earth to the ground?

‘What would happen if humanity could control its own destiny?’ she asks. ‘When you walk into the show, you see the myth that is part of the show, and then the parallel world that has been created. Humans have made their own gods, which you can see flying above the crowds. In the struggle to create their own destiny, it ends up being chaos and warfare. Throughout, there is a mix of contemporary life with fantasy and storytelling.’

The world-building continues in other works where we follow individuals – dancers, adolescents, horseriders – as they make their way through colourful worlds that are both fantastical and surprisingly familiar. ‘All these threads of life are connected, so it’s very powerful, but also quite dark at the same time,’ says Berrío. ‘In my work, there is always this sense of mystery, of beauty, but also of darkness.’

Berrío has previously focused on the end of rituals. ‘Now I am going back and seeing how these myths were created, and how these ideas could help or inspire people.’ She acknowledges that the internet and social media have created a different approach to telling stories. ‘We have lost a little bit of those oral traditions now that there are new ways of thinking and reading. But I feel it’s important to keep our stories, stories from our ancestors and the ways in which they developed. That’s what I’d like to bring back.’

This article appears in the November 2025 Art Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News + from 9 October. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

This Medellin House is an ode to tropical modernism, located in the mountains outside the Colombian city, and takes its name from the places dedicated to breeding the country’s much-desired Paso Fino horses. A potent collaboration between its owner, Colombian interior designer Karlos Pérez, and architecture studio 5 Sólidos, there’s an element of the Trojan horse in Casa Haras, a 780 sq m home that is both fortress-like and ethereal, monumentally brutalist yet wonderfully enticing.

After passing through the fissure that breaches its black aluminium-clad façade, visitors are greeted by a wondrous world of contrasts that blur the lines between inside and outside, art and architecture. Situated at the subtle transition between exterior and interior is a bronze sculpture by Richard MacDonald, a masculine figure that greets visitors with arms outstretched, gazing upwards to the skies and bathing in the light of a dramatic oculus.

A Medellin house blends art and brutalism

Beyond its decorative function, MacDonald’s sculpture, and others by Danilo Cuadros, Andrés Layos and Julian Voss-Andreae, contrast with the house’s geometrical purity. ‘It was clear that the goal was for the house itself to be a sculpture,’ says María José Fernández, co-founder of 5 Sólidos, who was charged with bringing physical form to Pérez’s poetic vision, creating a cinematic canvas for his artistic universe. ‘We decided to keep the design as clean as possible so that when scaling it to large volumes, the materiality wouldn’t work against us,’ she says.

Adding to the sculptural theme, a spiral staircase serves as a pivot for the otherwise angular aesthetic. Positioned in the centre of the house, the monumental stairway to heaven provides a celestial link between the common areas and the upper floor bedrooms, pinning together the house’s two rectangular volumes like the hands of a monumental clock. A 35m-long body, on a north-south axis, overlaps perpendicularly with the smaller, 25m-long body below to create a composition that reads differently from all angles.

Almost 4m in diameter, the oak veneer-clad staircase took artisans 90 days to complete. ‘It’s the heart of the house, and follows the Fibonacci spiral that repeats throughout nature – in shells, in plants, in the universe itself,’ says Pérez. The staircase provides a dramatic counterpoint to the home’s other defining feature, a V-shaped concrete column that supports the striking overhang of the upper body and permits the living and dining area to open out fully to the verdant mountain scenery at ground level.

Plunging into the pool, lined with black Bali stone tiles to reflect the play of light as it passes over its surface, the column composition represents ‘victory, dreams and stability’, themes that, according to Pérez, resonate throughout the project. The dark hues of the tiles reference the blackness of the Rio Negro, which backs on to the property and gives its name to the municipality that is home to most of Medellín’s most luxurious residences. The garden is also dotted with monumental rocks, plucked from local rivers for their energising properties, and native plants selected by landscape company Arte Natural Paisajismo, creating what Pérez calls ‘a vibrant environment that combines the natural with the modern’.

The house’s raw concrete interiors contrast with the more elaborate exterior cladding. Even the roof was treated with the same careful consideration as the façades – covered in stone sourced from local rivers, it creates an unexpected fifth elevation that aligns with the five platonic solids that give the architecture studio its name. According to Fernández, ‘design is rarely thought from above. That’s why we gave the roof the same importance as the other four façades’. Aluminium shuttering, painted to replicate the wood used throughout the house, softens the lighting and casts shadows as the sun passes overhead. Furniture by Paola Lenti and B&B Italia was chosen by Pérez to soften the otherwise brutalist interiors.

It’s in the passage from day to night that Casa Haras reveals its dual nature most clearly; as a place for profound reflection, it is both a powerful architectural statement and an intimate family home. ‘The sturdiness gives a sense of security, but it also represents how important and beautiful it is to be located in one’s own centre,’ says Pérez. Since shaping his dream home with 5 Sólidos, he has assembled his own team of architects in Miami to launch his design studio, Studio KP2, with a second brutalist project due to complete later this year.  

cincosolidos.com

studiokp2.com

This article appears in the May 2025 issue of Wallpaper*, available in print on newsstands from 3 April 2025, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today

The term sustainability as it relates to design and architecture is so much a defining part of the zeitgeist that it is often interchangeable with other idioms like ‘green architecture’ or ‘passive design’. But ‘are we here to sustain something?' Colombian architect Ana María Gutiérrez asks herself constantly. She is the founder of Organizmo, an education and research centre for low-impact construction techniques, alternative technologies, and ecological restoration. 'And what exactly is regeneration? What is permaculture?' she continues. 'All these words that we grab and put into fashion are already alive and a huge part of the resilience in the communities [we work with].'

Behind the scenes of Organizmo's community work

Gutiérrez, a trained architect, learned to work with the soil using different earthen techniques in Barichara, northern Colombia, and completed her training in bioconstruction in Brazil. After experiencing the practice of learning by doing in additional places like Amazonas, La Guajira, Orinoquía, and Chocó, she was invited to join local mingas, groups of people collaborating and building together. ‘By observing and living with them, I learned the rest,’ Gutiérrez says.

Founded in the Tenjo municipality on the outskirts of Bogotá, an area known for agriculture and livestock farming, Organizmo is an experimental laboratory. It tests site-specific architectural solutions which are then built in collaboration with indigenous and Afro-descendant communities that have adapted to their unique environments over thousands of years. Colombia has distinct climate zones known as thermal floors, which vary from the Caribbean and Pacific coasts to the plateau region of the Andes and the Amazonian jungle.

Gutiérrez received the land in Tenjo 18 years ago as living inheritance from her father after it had been used as a dairy farm and for monoculture agriculture of corn, beans, potatoes and flowers. For the last ten years, the land has been in a process of regeneration, allowing the forest to grow back with the help of trained naturalists and working to re-introduce native pollinators, medicinal plants, and biodynamic agriculture.

But the backbone of Organizmo has always been architecture. The first building on the property was a house made with PET bottles, followed by explorations on earth techniques and dry toilets. Other buildings were added, like yurts inspired by nomadic Mongolian tribes and EarthBag architecture houses, which consist of sandbags and barbed wire with a catenary curved roof, a technique developed by Iranian American architect Nader Khalili as immediate shelter relief.

The most recent architectural venture onsite was the Maloca or House of Thought, built in the shape of a toroid, a geometry considered sacred, with four entrances signifying the four elements. A group of students led by architect Jaime Peña built this structure with non-glued laminated beams using bamboo from the southwestern Valle del Cauca, and a local roofing technique used by the Muisca people. ‘Architecture has to be like the loom, to visualise all the abundant languages in the territory,’ Gutiérrez says. ‘You create the scenario so all these old languages can be expressed and sheltered.’

But the real purpose of Organizmo is fulfilled off site. For the past year, the foundation has been working on community projects in Vichada, on the border of Venezuela, and Vaupés, in the Amazonian region, to develop programmes of self-education and territorial harmonisation. ‘We support collective processes around local initiatives, strengthening their cultural expressions,’ Gutiérrez explains. This is in large part thanks to a two-year grant from re:arc Institute, a nonprofit based in Copenhagen that ties climate activism with architecture philanthropy under the framework of planetary wellbeing.

In Vichada, the local Pieroa community resolved on the need for a weaving school that Organizmo helped build. The community’s primary means of food security, the yuca brava, doubles as the raw material for weaving.

The ideal is to continue the knowledge transfer that had started to disappear. Organizmo will continue to work on strengthening the school's curriculum so that it reaches the Ministry of Education, with the aim of weaving becoming a central part of the educational system.

In Vaupés, a collective of young leaders named Takaka is working as researchers and communicators between eight different ethnic groups that inhabit the territories along the river, building a network of knowledge using video and audio recording. While an architectural intervention is not envisioned at this stage, it is important, first, to listen and understand the inherent needs of the different communities before taking action. ‘Architecture is always the excuse,’ Gutiérrez says. ‘Things will always manifest in a beautiful way, especially if the collective process is seated and rooted from the voices of the territory.’

organizmo.org

Summer is in full swing – which means you’re either on holiday or coveting the posts of friends who are. The latest crop of design-driven new hotels is tailor-made for escapism – from Fouquet’s opening a Cycladic sanctuary to reset in between (or instead of) partying hard on the island of Mykonos to a fresh-faced boutique stay with unmistakable New England charm on Cape Cod. Also on our radar this month: Annua Signature expands its glorious grip on Mallorca, a storied Montréal stay debuts a decadent new look and a San Sebastian landmark stars in a cinematic next act.

The world’s best new hotel openings

July 2026

Fouquet’s Mykonos, Greece

Fouquet’s Mykonos expands the brand’s reach beyond its exclusive addresses in Paris, New York City, Courchevel, and Saint-Barthélemy to a Grecian jetset hotspot. Set on Paraga Beach, on the southern coast of Mykonos, the sanctuary, designed by Divercity Architects, trades clubbing for calm. Embracing a contemporary take on traditional Cycladic aesthetics, it offers sweeping views of sparkling azure waters of the Aegean Sea from its 61 breezy suites and three villas, imbued with the serenity of sun-faded neutrals, clean lines and natural materials like stone. Embracing restoration, the wellness-focused amenities include indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a spa sanctuary in partnership with Dr Barbara Sturm (think hyperbaric oxygen therapy, a flotation tank and an ice bath) and a basketball court carved directly into the rock.

Fouquet’s Mykonos is located at Paraga 0, Mykonos 846 00, Greece

Gran Hotel Margalida, Banyalbufar, Spain

Annua Signature builds on its Spanish presence with the debut of Gran Hotel Margalida, located in the village of Banyalbufar on the quieter western coast of Mallorca. Madrid-based architect Álvaro Onieva and interior designer Virginia Nieto reinvented a historic building into a contemporary escape that captures the elemental beauty and ease of the Balearics. Local materials – notably stone references the Tramuntana mountain range – hues inspired by the Mallorcan glow and vast water views set the tone for an unhurried Mediterranean holiday. Guests can float between the terraces planted with indigenous wild olive and 29 sea-facing rooms, warmed with sunny yellow accents. For an added dose of relaxation, the wellness area has an indoor pool and a light-washed wood gym that may be the chicest of all.

Gran Hotel Margalida is located at Carrer Major, 49, 07191 Banyalbufar, Illes Balears, Spain

Hoshinoya Nara Prison

Working with longtime collaborator and architect Rie Azuma, Hoshinoya Resorts has transformed the former Nara Prison – the sole survivor of architect Keijiro Yamashita's Five Great Meiji Prisons, built in 1908 by inmates – into 48 soigné suites. Each merges nine to eleven former cells, contrasting century-old red-brick masonry with contemporary finishes. The hotel’s layout mimics a hand: five cell wings radiate from a central watchtower where guards once surveyed prisoners. The former detention block now houses a Japanese-French restaurant, whilst an adjoining museum, provocatively titled ‘An Eternal Question Posed by an Iconic Prison’, asks visitors to meditate on liberty inside spaces built to deny it.

Hoshinoya Nara Prison is located at 18 Hannyajicho, Nara, 630-8102, Japan

Hôtel Nelligan, Montréal, Canada

Following a comprehensive transformation led by Corner Collection, a Montreal-based family-owned independent hospitality group, in collaboration with Atelier Zébulon Perron, the luxe redux of Hôtel Nelligan honours the heritage of existing architectural elements – including original stonework and exposed brick – while integrating refined materials to create a cohesive, elevated environment in lockstep with the past and present identity of Old Montréal. Fostering a deeper sense of place are partnerships with local artists and makers such as Lambert & Fils and St-Damase. The use of rich velvet sofas in elegantly curved shapes, deeply veined marble and warm wood infuses the interiors with character, from the 102 guest rooms to the atmospheric modern Greek restaurant and cocktail bar/music salon nestled within the old stone vaults.

Hôtel Nelligan is located at 106 Rue St-Paul Ouest, Montréal, QC H2Y 1Z3, Canada

Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton, San Sebastián, Spain

One of Spain’s earliest grand movie theatres just entered a second act as a striking hotel. Isabel López Vilalta recast the 1914 Beaux-Arts cinema as Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton, reawakening the building’s spirit and inviting an international audience to experience it anew. An audacious destination for design and gastronomy, the landmark hotel weaves rich colour, texture and subtle cinematic references into a tapestry of early film glamour and San Sebastián’s cultural heritage. The 81 rooms and suites are dressed in sumptuous shades of rose, with heavy drapery and velvet walls that nod to a theatrical past. This sense of drama carries through to the lobby bar and the highly anticipated Basque-influenced restaurant.

Hotel Palacio Bellas Artes, Curio Collection by Hilton is located at Urbieta Kalea, 61, 20006 Donostia / San Sebastián, Gipuzkoa, Spain

Shore Haven Inn, Falmouth, Massachusetts, USA

Cape Cod is one of New England’s most quintessential summer colonies, with an elite pedigree that spans the Kennedy clan and present-day polo-clad elites. But a younger, cooler, more accessible undercurrent is sweeping in. Riding this wave, Lark Hotels continues its commitment to reinvigorating tired stateside digs into hip haunts for modern-minded travellers. At the old Victorian hotel, formerly known as the Beach Breeze Inn, hydrangea-framed gardens, freshly cut lawns, white Adirondack chairs and a classic shingled exterior look like a postcard from the Cape. Boston-based Rachel Reider Interiors gave the hotel a fresh new look, anchored by a coastal palette of watery blues, soft greens and sand, complemented by textured wallcoverings, light wood and rattan accents.

Shore Haven Inn is located at 321 Shore St, Falmouth, MA 02540, United States

The Dean Munich

Irish lifestyle brand The Dean has arrived in Munich’s Westend. Set between the main station and Theresienwiese, the site of the annual Oktoberfest, the historic quarter trades its former factory past for creative studios and indie Java joints with Google and Apple offices nearby. Designer Tatjana von Stein, a Munich native, has reworked a 1970s hotel block into 281 rooms, fusing the city’s Art Nouveau roots with 1980s club culture. Glossy lacquer clashes with burr wood, velvet against polished chrome, whilst the lobby features an oversized eye motif channelling new-wave iconography. For sustenance, Ibasho opens with yellowtail hiramasa, slow-cooked pork shoulder temaco and Wagyu ribeye, and post-prandial treats are served up in four bars, including a hidden speakeasy.

The Dean Munich is located at Landsberger Str. 68, 80339 Munich, Germany

June 2026

Casa Cedo, Porto, Portugal

Porto is known for Port wine and the bridges across the Douro River, but it’s underrated when it comes to its boutique hotel scene. Casa Cedo has the potential to put the city on the design-driven hospitality map for a cohort of travellers who prioritise intimacy and curation over spectacle and scale. Daniela Franceschini, founder of Lisbon-based Quiet Studios, worked closely with local artisans and creatives – including Ayala Braidman, a ceramist based in Porto, and Portuguese visual artist Juliana Julieta – to imbue the property with character. The rich details carry from the eight rooms to the common areas: a lounge area, rooftop, private rear garden and a living/dining room that hosts special events with buzzed-about local chefs, as well as a hybrid reception and retail cabinet with ceramics, coffee, fresh flowers and Byredo fragrances.

Casa Cedo is located at R. de Cedofeita n. 334, 4050-174 Porto, Portugal

La Darbia, Chianti, Italy

A peaceful escape with access to wineries in Chianti and Florence (just a 25-minute drive away), La Darbia sits on a hilltop estate spanning 15 hectares of olive groves, meadows, and lavender fields. Restored by Studio Primatesta, the intimate retreat is the result of a meticulous renovation that preserves the 11th-century site’s original character and heritage. A contemporary spark comes through local materials – pietra serena, terracotta, travertine, and wood – and traditional craftsmanship techniques, such as intricate woodwork by Flavio Bettio, which ground its sense of place. Tucked into a trio of historic farmhouses, each of the 17 light-filled suites (four of which cater to families) is individually decorated with layered textures, while the windows frame the rolling countryside. The restaurant, led by Chef Sebastiano Pagliaro, serves seasonal Tuscan cuisine. All guests have access to two panoramic swimming pools.

La Darbia is located at Via Case Sparse (Greve), 16, 50022 Greve in Chianti, Italy

Eréma, Milos, Greece

Empiria Group arrived in Milos with the opening of Erema, a member of Design Hotels, located on the southeastern coast of the island near Provatas Beach. While the moon-like landscape may be hard to pull your gaze away from, the architecture and interiors by Athens-based ID Laboratorium, led by Stamos Hondrodimos, are equally arresting without pulling focus. The volcanic terrain lays the foundation for its sensibility and environmental consciousness. Minerals such as stone and marble, alongside sun-faded earth tones, contribute to a grounded feel. From the 41 suites, each with a private pool and panoramic terraces overlooking the Aegean Sea, to the two restaurants, the indoor and outdoor spaces flow together, an expression of the Cycladic lifestyle. The third location of Anthologist, a boutique curated by Andria Mitsakos, stocks global finds, Greek ceramics and vintage treasures.

Eréma is located at Cape Chalaka, Plaka 848 00, Greece

Faraway Sag Harbor, New York

Faraway, the hip, heritage-tinged brand from Blue Flag, with outposts in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, has expanded its reach out East. For Faraway Sag Harbor, Jenny Bukovec Studio, in collaboration with the in-house design team, gave the old Baron’s Cove a full facelift, reimagining the iconic hotel, located just a short walk from Havens Beach and Main Street, into a fresh-faced bolthole that draws on maritime history, merging a coastal palette and oceanic revival motifs. The 67 rooms and suites are clad in saturated hues and warm wood. The lobby lounge is envisioned as a hangout when not enjoying the outdoor spaces, including the covered porch, lush patio – conceived as the heart of the social scene – and outdoor pool. Guests also have access to Amalfi Coast–inspired dining at Zagara, a ground-floor bar and lounge and a gym.

Faraway Sag Harbor is located at 31 W. Water Street, Sag Harbor, NY 11963, United States

Kitirua Plains Lodge, Amboseli National Park, Kenya

Abercrombie & Kent’s return to Kenya, with the opening of Kitirua Plains Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary in Amboseli National Park, marks a full-circle moment informed by the legacy of having defined luxury safari travel in the 1960s and a clear vision for the future. Pivoting from archetypal tented camps to something more permanent, Luxury Frontiers created structures from quarried stone with sculptural roofs that nod to traditional mud-building forms and timber screening. Interiors draw directly from the surrounding dust, grasslands and wetlands. Earth tones come to life in textured clay plaster walls, green stucco, green onyx accents, locally sourced Mazeras stone and handwoven sisal ceilings. Kenyan-made furniture crafted from mango wood and African teak is complemented by woven grass artwork and raffia accessories. The sculptural spiral staircase in the main lodge, open-air boma for storytelling and meals under the stars and yoga deck are also calibrated to the landscape.

Kitirua Plains Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary is located at Amboseli National Park, Ol Tukai, Kenya

May 2026

The Baby Grand, Coronado, USA

For its second hotel venture, The Baby Grand, San Diego-based hospitality group CH Projects (the team behind the power-clash cult-favorite Lafayette Hotel in North Park) snapped up a prime perch along Orange Avenue. Once an asphalt parking lot, the 31-key boutique is poised to become Coronado’s coolest stay, steering away from the dulcet tones synonymous with SoCal style. Brooklyn studio Post Company crafted a lush aesthetic that toes the line between overgrown jungle and fantastical underwater oasis. The lobby roars with sculpted rock formations, swaying palms and private lagoons. The under-the-sea themes play out vividly in the rooms, with iridescent clamshell headboards and oversized mirrored minibars mashed up against custom leaf wallpaper and bold leopard prints. The flashy, sensorial feast carries over into dining concepts: an oyster-and-champagne bar with an ornate mosaic of sea creatures and a craggy, Greek-inspired taverna.

The Baby Grand is located at 1315 Orange Ave, Coronado, CA 92118, United States

Hotel Corduroy, Montauk, USA

Montauk, the easternmost point of Long Island and the furthest of the Hamptons towns from New York City, retains a more laid-back appeal than the buttoned-up, busier East Hampton. Hotel Corduroy – the latest venture from Blue Flag Capital, which also includes The Beachside on Nantucket – takes over the former Sunset Montauk. To convert the old motor court into a cool summer weekend escape, Ward + Gray drew on the area’s surfing heritage and its Atlantic coastal setting, grounding the project in a palette of deep green, sun-faded red and light oak. Conceived with mingling in mind, the 29-key hotel will feature outdoor gathering spaces for golden-hour cocktails and firepit stargazing, while the rooms act as sanctuaries with grasscloth wallpaper, reeded bamboo bedside tables and rattan-wrapped consoles.

Hotel Corduroy is located at 437 West Lake Drive, Montauk, NY 11954, United States

Nômade Temple Madrid, Spain

Mexican-owned Nômade brings its breezy, wellness-centric bohemian ethos to Spain’s largest city with Nômade Temple Madrid, a creativity-driven urban destination for design, culture and healing. Housed within the restored Las Letras building on Gran Vía, the hotel’s layered aesthetic, the work of Oneness, is a visual expression of its eclectic vibe – sun-faded reds, geometric prints, modular seating, bold lighting. There's a deeply entrenched spirituality, yet it’s still very socialable. The 93 rooms and two penthouses are tailored for rest; likewise, GÖN House of Healing focuses on restoration. The scene beyond the guests' quarters and wellness wing is far more happening: a 112-seat restaurant draped in natural stone, aged brass and dramatic drapery; a communal cafe softly lit with vintage-style lamps; a speakeasy and nightclub for vinyl and vivid photo opps and a lush, romantic rooftop.

Nômade Temple Madrid is located at Calle Gran Vía, 11, 28013 Madrid, Spain

Sublime Sand, Comporta, Portugal

Following the well-laid roadmap of its destination-defining older sibling, Sublime Sand captures the wild, natural ethos of Portugal’s chicest coastal enclave. The architecture by Lisbon-based Fragmentos in collaboration with Sublime Comporta’s original architect, José Charrua, harmonises with the rugged, windswept landscape of Alentejo, where umbrella pines and cork trees perfume the air and rice paddies stretch as far as the eye can see. The indoor-outdoor spaces, created by Andringa Studio, take a similar approach – drawing from the sun-faded palette of the surrounding landscape and incorporating minimalist textures, local materials like wood and stone and sculptural forms. These elements come together across the multi-bedroom villas, Beefbar, Davvero – the crowd-pleasing Italian restaurant from Sublime Lisboa – as well as the wellness facility and kids’ club.

Sublime Sand is located at Estrada Nacional (EN) 261-1, 7570-337 Muda, CCI 3954 Grândola, Portugal

Tierras Villas, Crete, Greece

A quiet departure from the thumping beats of Mykonos and the hordes swarming Santorini, Crete’s newest refuge, part of the family-owned Omicron Hotels group, focuses on heritage and halcyon. Designed by Manos Kipritidis, Tierras Villas embraces a peacefulness that’s both visual and visceral, signalling a shift in how the island is being discovered – slower, more intentionally, with a stronger orientation toward nature and an eye for aesthetics. Set against the sweeping backdrop of the Mediterranean, each of the five minimally designed villas features calming hues and organic materials such as stone and wood, along with a private pool and expansive terraces for sipping a crisp, chilled glass of Vidiano while soaking in sweeping views of the sparkling sea and blue sky.

Tierras Villas is located at Mononaftis, Ag.Pelagia, 715 00 Crete, Heraklion 715 00, Greece

April 2026

Airelles Palladio, Venezia, Italy

The first project outside France for Airelles reaffirms the French hotel group’s knack for transforming historic landmarks into richly appointed luxury retreats. Spread across impeccably restored buildings – including the church of Santa Maria della Presentazione – the property occupies the site of the late-16th-century Bauer Palladio. Architect and interior designer Christophe Tollemer conjures a Venetian fantasy, steeped in heritage and the serenity of Giudecca. A warm palette of ambers, mahogany and deep blues, along with terrazzo and marble floors, custom Fortuny chandeliers, delicate Murano glass pieces, Rubelli wall coverings and hand-selected antiques gives the impression of staying at a noble villa. The elegant effect carries through the 45 rooms and suites, three restaurants, five bars, a spa and wellness area and swimming pools.

Airelles Palladio, Venezia is located at Fondamenta Zitelle, 33, 30133 Venice, Italy

Conrad Athens The Ilisian, Greece

Like the phoenix, the regenerative bird that rises from the ashes in Greek mythology, Conrad Athens The Ilisian emerges from the remains of its predecessor: the former Hilton Athens. Occupying the redeveloped mid-century modernist landmark on Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, the 307-key hotel commemorates the building’s legacy, incorporating the original 620-square-meter marble façades by 20th-century Greek artist Yannis Moralis and exterior illumination by Eleftheria Deko, the Emmy Award-winning lighting designer behind the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The interiors by AvroKO pay tribute to the past through original furnishings pulled from the archives, which contrast with the sleek finishes and pop art of its modern revival. There are tonal rooms and suites with skyline views, nine restaurants and bars – including Athens’s first rooftop bar, reborn as Galaxy Dispensary – a spa and the largest outdoor pool in the city.

Conrad Athens The Ilisian is located at Vasilissis Sofias 46, Athina 115 28, Greece

Delano Miami Beach, USA

Delano Miami Beach isn’t a new build – the landmark property dates back to 1948, when its 14‑story tower was the tallest on the strip. Yet if you weren’t aware of its past, the slick surfaces and gleaming fixtures might belie its age. The transformation, led by Elastic, celebrates the spirit and sun-dappled lifestyle of Miami, while honouring the hotel’s legacy. The glossy pool area is flanked by umbrellas, accented with playful fringe. Rooms are bright and airy with crisp linens, light chevron wood flooring, rugs that evoke the soft sands below and large, ocean-facing windows. Gigi Rigolatto, the first-floor Italian concept designed by Hugo Toro, is a soaring oasis of striped plaster walls, intricately carved wooden panels and yellow Sienna marble.

Delano Miami Beach is located at 1685 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States

Read our full hotel review of Delano Miami Beach

Four Seasons Cartagena, Colombia

Located in Getsemaní, a vibrant neighbourhood steps from the Walled City, Four Seasons Cartagena captures the rhythm, romance and Caribbean charisma of Colombia’s most seductive city while also offering a sense of tranquillity and resort-style amenities. WATG breathed new life into a collection of historic buildings, restoring the Cloister of Saint Francis, timeworn façades, courtyards and the original Club Cartagena grand staircase. French designer François Catroux, in collaboration with Wimberly Interiors and AvroKO, shaped the interiors, which unfold in a warm embrace of old-world charm: intricate woodwork, sun-baked hues, and furnishings and textiles created by Colombian artisan Poli Mallarino. Guests can choose between colonial-style or contemporary rooms, each infused with timeless character. French studio SBM Interior Design extends the visual identity across the eight food and beverage venues, including the cocktail bar dedicated to architect Gastón Lelarge.

Four Seasons Cartagena is located at Calle 30 Media Luna 8B #8B-44, Getsemani, Cartagena 130001, Colombia

Read our full hotel review of Four Seasons Cartagena

Vestige Binidufà, Menorca, Spain

The buzz of Ibiza (thankfully) hasn’t yet reached Menorca. Nestled within an 800-hectare private estate on the island’s unspoiled northern coast, where native Minorcan cattle roam the untouched countryside, Vestige Binidufà preserves the bucolic side of the Balearics, sharing its sprawling grounds and amenities – including two restaurants, swimming pools and wellness facilities – with its hilltop sister, Vestige Son Ermità, which opened in June 2025. Shaped by the land and its history as a working farm, the in-house design studio, Vestige Estudio, restored a red-colored finca into an 11-bedroom, valley-ringed hideout that harmonises rustic farmhouse charm and serene sophistication, expressed through earthy hues, exposed wood beam ceilings, terracotta tile flooring, stone soaking tubs and antiques from the family’s collection.

Vestige Binidufà is located at Diseminado Binideufa, 18, 07750 Ferreries, Illes Balears, Spain

March 2026

1 Hotel Tokyo, Japan

Adding to Tokyo’s striking skyline, 1 Hotel Tokyo, the brand’s first seedling in Japan, is a masterclass in sustainable luxury within an urban setting, rising atop Akasaka Trust Tower. To create a biophilic oasis in one of Asia’s largest cities, Creme, in collaboration with 1 Hotel’s in-house design team, turned to nature, bringing the outdoors in through the thoughtful use of natural materials, a practice deeply rooted in both 1 Hotels’ philosophy and Japanese design. A vertical botanical installation, Oya stone and recycled timber panels greet guests in the 38th-floor lobby. Rooms are adorned with muted earthy hues, abundant greenery and floor-to-ceiling windows that flood in sunlight. The spaces feel like a breath of fresh air: a visual reset, a place to unwind above the bustle of the city.

1 Hotel Tokyo is located at 2 Chome-17-22 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan

Read our full hotel review of 1 Hotel Tokyo

Fairmont Hanoi, Vietnam

Fairmont Hanoi, the brand’s first debut in Vietnam, adds a splash of modern luxury to the city’s Old Quarter. Glimmering gold and dripping in glamour, the 241-key hotel is a contemporary take on the opulence of Vietnamese tradition, poised to become a landmark in its own right. Influenced by French Colonial and Indochinese architecture, the sculpted, articulated façade, with collonaded podiums and balconies, punctuates the ever-changing cityscape. The interiors by Aston Design extend the aesthetic, while layering in elements that echo Vietnamese symbolism and the surrounding landscape, from a large-scale floral installation in the lobby to the vertical tapestry of vegetation in the courtyard. The clutch restaurants, bars and lounges serve as the social hubs, while the 3,500-square-meter spa and light wood-accented rooms channel artistry into relaxation.

Fairmont Hanoi is located at 10 Tran Nguyen Han Street, Hanoi, Vietnam

Read our full hotel review of Fairmont Hanoi

The Huntington Hotel, San Francisco, USA

San Francisco is in the midst of a renaissance, driven by new culinary and hospitality happenings, most notably the return of the Huntington Hotel. Once frequented by luminaries like Truman Capote, the storied Georgian estate helped put the city on the map. The redux – now part of Leading Hotels of the World – seeks to reclaim its cultural legacy. For hometown designer Ken Fulk, returning Nob Hill’s crown jewel to its ivy-clad glory required a grand reimagining of its accommodations, restaurant and wellness facilities, alongside a careful polishing of original plasterwork ceilings and boiserie panels. The 143 rooms and suites capture the elegance of the hotel’s heyday, enhanced by the allure of warm, muted hues and bold art. The Big Four benefited from a gracious upgrade without compromising its character, while the emblematic Nob Hill Spa once again beckons with an atrium crowned by Moorish fretwork and a heated indoor swimming pool.

The Huntington Hotel is located at 1075 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108, United States

The Lake Como Edition, Italy

Situated on Lake Como’s western shore in Cadenabbia, The Lake Como Edition balances heritage and hip, standing out among the historic landmarks of Italy’s most legendary lakeside destination. The Edition’s creative directors, Kirstin Bailey and Paul Haslhofer, in collaboration with Neri&Hu and architectural partner De.Tales, transformed a 19th-century palazzo into a modern interpretation of Italian glamour, translating the landscape – lush flora, turquoise water, pink sunsets – into a colour palette complemented by marble-faced archways and terrazzo floors. The lobby lounge is punctuated by a celadon green Sekoya marble bar and a custom Neri + Hu bauble chandelier, while the lakefront pool deck, dotted with striped umbrellas, looks ready to splash across postcards. Walnut furnishings and arched windows add character to the 148 rooms. True to the hotel’s forward-thinking ethos, there’s a state-of-the-art longevity spa for high-tech biohacking treatments and cryotherapy.

The Lake Como Edition is located at Via Regina, 41, 22011 Cadenabbia, Italy

Read our full hotel review of The Lake Como Edition

Six Senses London, UK

While most of London’s luxury hotels cluster around Mayfair and Belgravia, Six Senses London plants its flag in the heart of Bayswater. Taking cues from the building’s origins as the city’s first major department store, AvroKO looked to the heritage façade, the Great Exhibition and the streamliners of that era, weaving in modern, streamlined thinking and a soft palette that shifts the mood from retail to retreat. The residential-style rooms and suites unfold in a serene sweep of rounded forms, inky blues and warm woods. Some feature soaking tubs or glass stall showers that resemble old-school phone booths. Works by contemporary British artists complement a sculptural green bar, curved velvet seating and orb-like lighting in Whiteley’s Bar. Follow the restored circular staircase down to the basement spa, replete with a handmade porcelain petal sculpture by Ula Saniawa, a vaulted swimming pool and a biohacking recovery lounge.

Six Senses London is located at 1 Redan Pl, London W2 4SA, United Kingdom

Read our full hotel review of Six Senses London

February 2026

Alila Mayakoba, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Far removed from nightclubs and co-eds in Cancun, Alila Mayakoba shows off a more tranquil, down-to-earth side of the Riviera Maya. Huber Design Studio took a biophilic approach, celebrating the ecological beauty and deep cultural roots of the Yucatán Peninsula. Situated at the intersection of nature and culture, the five-star, adult-centric resort unfolds across mangrove-framed waterways, cenotes and the Caribbean coastline. Native, locally sourced materials – including tropical hardwoods such as tzalam, parota and rosa morada, along with stone ranging from hand-chiselled Mérida limestone to travertine – ground the design. Furniture, ceramics and henequén textiles handcrafted by Mexican artisans reinforce a sense of proximity and purpose, resulting in a retreat that feels deeply rooted in place while thoughtfully reducing its environmental footprint.

Alila Mayakoba is located at Carretera Federal Cancún-Playa del Carmen KM 298, Mexico

Ayan Zalaat, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Set on a 34-acre estate just outside Ulaanbaatar, Ayan Zalaat gives visitors a visually stunning and immersive introduction to Mongolian heritage. The combination of architecture led by the Mabetex Group and interior design by Fabio Friso reflect the country’s rich roots, while introducing a new echelon of glamour and grandeur to contrast its rugged surroundings. From the opulent double staircase and chandelier-studded reception to the 10 dazzling F&B concepts, it’s lavish on a considerably large-scale – but its sumptuous scene never overshadows its spirituality. The 32 rooms and suites show off bespoke furnishings, premium Mongolian wool carpets, marble bathrooms and expansive windows for soaking in the panoramic views. The property is also home to the Soma Temple and an ornately decorated Mongolian theatre, adorned with bright colours and intricate motifs, that hosts traditional throat singing (khöömii).

Ayan Zalaat is located at BZD - 11 khoroo, Ulaanbaatar 13241, Mongolia

The Newman, London, UK

Designed by the London-based studio Lind + Almond, The Newman is a new independent hotel that strikes a balance between a modern creative vision and nods to Fitzrovia's decades-long bohemian and literary heritage. Drawing inspiration from Art Deco design and the vibrant, creative spirit of the neighbourhood itself, the 81 rooms, including 16 suites, mix a soft yet warm neutral palette and geometric shapes with scene-setting art and a curated selection of books. Guests will also notice references to iconic figures such as the curves of the wood on the headboards, which recall the oversized bangles worn by British writer, heiress and political activist Nancy Cunard. Bathrooms feature bespoke tiling that echoes the façade of Gem Langham Court Hotel and sinks influenced by Shropshire House.

The Newman is located at 50 Newman St, London W1T 3EB, UK

Read our full hotel review of The Newman

The Vineta Hotel, Palm Beach, USA

The newest entrant to the posh Palm Beach scene, The Vineta Hotel, marks the first US opening for Oetker Hotels (the luxury hospitality brand behind Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc and Eden Rock - St Barths). Set on Cocoanut Row, just two blocks from Worth Avenue shopping, the elegant property revives what was previously The Chesterfield, a beloved Palm Beach hotel. Paris-based interior designer Tino Zervudachi headed the top-to-bottom renovation of the 1926 landmark, restoring iconic elements such as the distinctive Mediterranean Revival façade and leaning into its 100-year-old legacy with signature Palm Beach pastels and details like scalloped pendant lights that ooze coastal glamour. Snowbirds can expect 41 light-filled rooms, a flower-framed courtyard restaurant called Coco’s, a cocktail bar and a pool flanked by sun loungers.

The Vineta Hotel is located at 363 Cocoanut Row, Palm Beach, FL 33480, United States

White Elephant Aspen, USA

Colorado’s chicest winter hotspot welcomes a new stay aimed at the well-dressed coteries. White Elephant Aspen – the brand’s first Western outpost, joining properties in Nantucket and Palm Beach – introduces a contemporary, alpine-chic aesthetic to Aspen. The brainchild of Boston-based architectural firm EMBARC, the 54-key hotel showcases a mountainside colourway of white, cognac and charcoal, complemented by the natural textures of leather, wood and stone. Rooms and suites (some of which have crackling fireplaces) are kitted with porcelain tile, embossed headboards and oil-rubbed bronze light fixtures. The art collection boasts 125 original works, including landscapes by Alex Katz and rotating photography of nearby Maroon Bells by Bob Tabor. Guests familiar with the portfolio will appreciate the playful details, such as elephant door knockers.

White Elephant Aspen is located at 110 W Main St, Aspen, CO 81611, United States

January 2026

Andaz One Bangkok, Bangkok, Thailand

For Andaz One Bangkok, a new lifestyle hotel on historic Wireless Road, Thailand interior design firm PIA drew inspiration from the pulse of the city, from the motorbike-jammed bustling streets to the hidden alleys. Envisioned as a base for ‘curious urban travellers,’ the design and energy aim to match the exuberance of the Thai capital. Colour and texture play an important role in expressing a sense of evolution. Arches – in mirrors, hallways and windows – nod to the curved lines of the Thai mid-century movement, while pops of sunny yellow and orange, bold works by Thai female artists and traditional window grills inject character and personality. As much a place to unwind as to sip cocktails at the swank lounge or swim in the outdoor infinity pool overlooking Lumphini Park, the 244 rooms are quiet with peaceful, leafy views.

Andaz One Bangkok is located at 201 Wireless Road, Lumphini, Patumwan, 10330 Bangkok, Thailand

Chesa Marchetta, Engadin Valley, Switzerland

In 2014, Iwan and Manuela Wirth, co-founders of the international gallery Hauser & Wirth, expanded into hospitality with the creation of Artfarm and, four years later, opened The Fife Arms in Scotland. The creative powerhouse couple has done it again with Chesa Marchetta, a cosy 13-bedroom retreat in Sils Maria, a small village in Switzerland’s Engadin Valley. Reimagined by the design-oriented duo and frequent collaborator Luis Laplace, of the Paris-based interior architecture firm Laplace, the seasonal refuge comprises four historic buildings dating back to the 16th century, decorated with arven wood panelling, traditional Engadin furniture and blankets from a nearby weaving collective. As to be expected, the art collection is exceptional: a mix of works by Old Masters and local artists, alongside murals by Corin Sands. There’s also a former barn turned 46-seat restaurant, adorned with stone and an exposed wood-beam ceiling.

Chesa Marchetta is located at Via da Marias 88, 7514 Sils im Engadin/Segl, Switzerland

Read our full hotel review of Chesa Marchetta

Oculto, Mexico City, Mexico

Oculto, the latest venture from Vida Lenta – the hospitality group behind Hotel Dama in Condesa and Hotel Parián in Roma Norte – is an intimate boutique gem in Mexico City’s trendy Juárez neighbourhood. Fernanda Diaz, of Mexico City-based interior design studio Eran, conceived the hotel as both an intentional hideaway for travellers and a tribute to Mexican craftsmanship and creativity. Tucked behind an unassuming façade on Calle Versailles, the 21-room bolthole veers toward minimalism with polished concrete floors and clean lines, yet the interiors are anything but sterile. The palpable warmth comes from the thoughtful layering of locally sourced antiques and contemporary art, creating an authentic atmosphere that encourages slowing down while remaining unmistakably spirited, like CDMX itself.

Oculto is located at Calle Versalles 80, 06600 Mexico City, Mexico

Soori Penang, George Town, Malaysia

​For Soo K. Chan, ​the founder of award-winning firm​ SCDA Architects, Soori Penang​ – the follow-up to the flagship Soori Bali – is deeply personal. ​Situated in the oldest part​ of George Town, the UNESCO-designated historic heart of Penang, ​the extraordinary undertaking reinvents a​ collection of Khoo clan​ shophouses​, where the architect was born and raised, into an intimate 15-key ​luxury boutique hotel. Centuries-old craftsmanship shines, reflecting an unwavering reverence for the past, thoughtfully reinterpreted through a contemporary mindset. The generously proportioned one- to three-bedroom ​suites are imbued with heritage details, from motifs inspired by the ornate Khoo Kongsi temple to carved stone and onyx lanterns, complemented by custom-designed furniture and latticed shutters. Inner courtyards, with reflective pools and bespoke stone fountains, provide a tranquil place to unwind between excursions.

Soori Penang is located at 48 Lebuh Aceh, George Town, Penang, 10300, Malaysia

Read our full hotel review of Soori Penang

V Villas Maldives at Mirihi

International architecture and design firm Studio Gronda transformed an older resort in the South Ari Atoll into a stylish vacation paradise where tropical escapism is elevated with sun-dappled sophistication. The newly unveiled V Villas Maldives at Mirihi, debuting as part of Accor’s MGallery Collection, echoes the barefoot luxury essence of Maldivian holidays. In tune with the rhythms of island living, each of the 42 villas showcases contemporary open-air architecture, seamlessly integrating indoor and outdoor spaces. Throughout the property, guest sanctuaries are accented with timber floors, vaulted ceilings, natural textures and handcrafted furnishings. Accommodations range from overwater villas with private sun decks suspended above the lagoon to beachfront abodes shrouded by lush greenery, as well as multi-bedroom suites complete with private pools.

V Villas Maldives at Mirihi - MGallery Collection is located at Mirihi Island, 00190, Maldives

Casa Cuore sits high up in the hills staring down imperiously at the urban sprawl of Colombia’s second-largest metropolis, Medellin. Designed for a young couple and their first child, the contemporary compound grapples with a steeply inclined lot to create a solid setting for the family’s future.

The young studio has quickly established itself as the city’s heavyweight tastemakers for the aspiring crypto class, telenovela superstars and reggaeton artists like J Balvin and Nicky Jam.

Tour Casa Cuore by Cinco Solidos, Medellin

Stacked over two superimposed volumes, the silky smooth brushed cement addition to the pinnacle of the city’s real estate pyramid tops out at 2,700 m above sea level, creating climatic challenges that needed to be overcome.

At its lowest point (1,600 m above sea level) the city is famed for its idyllic, all-year-round, spring-like climate but at the top of the valley, temperatures can drop sharply, challenging architects to find ways to embrace the outdoors in the day and find ways to swaddle its inhabitants at night.

To achieve this the 5 Solidos design team wrapped the bedrooms and study upstairs with a perforated metallic skin to reduce the solar flare effect during the day and add further protection against the elements after dark.

The home is formed by three monolithic horizontal slabs 30 m in length, supported by a combination of load-bearing walls that isolate the service area and garage from the rest of the house, and pilotis used to create a central space that intelligently throws itself open to its surroundings.

Huge retractable glass panes fold away so the living spaces can expand continuously to the terrace and frame the breathtaking views. The monolithic slabs have cantilevered overhangs of up to 5 metres at ground level creating liminal spaces that blur the lines between interior and exterior.

Natural elements contrast with the house’s brushed cement exoskeleton including travertine stone, painted steel and wood paneling used throughout to soften the interiors.

A rouge marble island containing a kitchen for entertaining gives a colourful pop to the downstairs living area. The program is connected by a slick, elongated stainless steel staircase that leads to the bedrooms upstairs.

Outside, the jacuzzi shares a stainless steel box with an ancient olive bonsai tree imported from Japan, a popular feature from 5 Solidos’ Asian-inspired playbook.

Imposing vertical brise soleils made from terracotta-painted steel were added to the rear of the house to offer added privacy for an upstairs studio.

On the second level, the rooms open to the landscape through a folding skin that promotes an interaction between the interior intimacy of each space and their unique views of the city below.

Skylights perforate the ceiling to offer additional ventilation and light in the rooms upstairs and there’s a magnetic lighting scheme throughout that permits inhabitants to transform the lighting scheme with ease.

'The house is presented with dominant simplicity, demanding attention through the details in the cast concrete and creating a sensitive and functional space to live within the uninterrupted landscape,' says Daniel Correa, one of the two founding partners of 5 Solidos.

'Amid the mountainous topography overlooking the city of Medellin, the house balances strong architectural forms, human scale, and connection to the place, creating a viewpoint as a unique retreat,' he adds.

Playing with shapes is a common theme in 5 Solidos work and they chose to contrast the rectangular form of the house with a curvaceous collection of sofas and armchairs and a selection of acute and obtuse angles can be found throughout the furniture selected to complement the architecture.

As well as international pieces like amber coffee tables by Yiannis Ghikas and MR01 chairs by Danish designer, Gubi, the team created some bespoke additions from its own furniture line, 5 Solidos Objects, that include a triangular dining table mirroring the family dynamics, cuddly sofas and a collection of stone Jenga bricks, each weighing 80 kilos that form two imposing coffee tables at ground level.

cincosolidos.com

The Ciénaga de Mallorquín, a lagoon north of Barranquilla on Colombia's Caribbean coast, stands out – even for a country rich in natural beauty and biodiversity. A fundamental part of the city’s identity, the estuary wetland is the result of the confluence of the Magdalena River and the sea. It hosts four of the five mangrove species found in Colombia and is teeming with a rich variety of flora and fauna –including a mind-bending array of birdlife.

Sadly, this fragile environment has been in jeopardy for decades, starting with the construction of the Bocas de Ceniza canal almost 100 years ago and continuing with rapid urban expansion, which together has resulted in extreme pollution and the erosion of the fragile mangrove forest habitat and its diverse inhabitants.

Ciénaga de Mallorquín: a Colombia eco-park haven

But a ten-year, seven-phase civic master plan for a new eco-park is working to reverse the destruction and promote rebirth by proposing a sustainable relationship between the city and this important natural resource. 

The result of a collaboration between Francisco Ricardo (of Barranquilla-based DEB) and Giancarlo Mazzanti (of Bogotá-based Equipo Mazzanti), the plan encompasses 1,600 acres and will eventually include 10km of boardwalks that connect the city with the various natural elements of the location, thwarting urban growth and promoting an appreciation of nature while also preserving the local fishing culture and hosting a wealth of recreational activities. The first two phases, with a price tag of $32 million (USD), were completed at the end of last year and comprise 4.4km of pathways.

The challenge, points out Ricardo, was finding a solution that would be mutually beneficial for both the ecosystem and the human population. 'We asked ourselves: how can we bring the city to this beautiful lake – that was not previously reachable –in a responsible way?' The municipality dictated the use of wood, so the team selected sustainably farmed yellow pine for its resilience.

The inland portions of the boardwalk follow existing paths made by local fishermen while the segments that cross the water are formally based on the mangrove forest’s root structure. 'We are interconnecting and helping preserve the unique landscape of river, lake, and sea with a literal pathway system,' says Mazzanti, 'so that we can show all Colombians – and the world – the beautiful environment we have here.' On a typical weekend, families, runners, and bird watchers explore the network of paths while kayakers and kite surfers take to the water.

Construction is currently underway on the next phases and includes the extension of the path on the park’s coastline as well as the revival of a defunct rail line (and addition of a new train station) that will carry visitors to the beach. Anticipated completion is 2030.

elequipomazzanti.com

debconsulting.co

If you ask us, every residential neighbourhood should have a restaurant this slick. For New York-based Studio Cadena, the client’s brief contained significant challenges, not the least of which was how to shoehorn a dining establishment into the streetscape in a way that stood out enough to attract business, but without offending the prosperous residents.

The solution was to demarcate the 7,500 sqft space into connected volumes – specifically, a café and bakery, dining room, retail space, and al fresco patio, the ensemble cleverly wrapped up in a discreet façade of small vertical ridges punctuated with triangular windows of varying sizes that create, especially at night, a warmly lit beacon.

Inside, guests peer out at alternating cut-outs of street scenes and a light, airy interior furnished with paper globes, terrazzo tiled floor, walls of textured concrete and ribbons of sienna-hued metal mesh that drape decorously from the ceiling. Circular air-wells, judiciously placed mirrors and large sliding doors add to a soothing indoor-outdoor effect.

Co-owner and chef Silvana Villegas injects a chilled artisanal mood into her cooking, a legacy probably from her years in New York, to deliver artfully homey dishes, where even the slow-cooked steak sandwich is served with caramelised onions and avocado on crusty house-baked miche levain bread, with a side of plantain and yuca chips.

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ADDRESS

Calle 105 # 18A-68
Bogotá

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PHOTOGRAPHY
Naho Kubota

When the Colombian architect Santiago Medina Mejia built Casa Medina in 1946 in Bogotá, he filled the apartment block with stone columns, floorboards, and hand-carved wooden doors salvaged from demolished convents.

Happily, these gracious period details alongside Mejia’s original wrought iron finishes have survived two rounds of renovations, the first in 1988 when Casa Medina – by now, a beloved landmark in downtown Bogotá – was converted into a hotel, the second, this year, by architect Milena Vargas as one of two Four Seasons properties in the city

With just 62 rooms, the hotel’s masculine furnishings are courtesy of interior designer Lauren Rottet who has complemented the original slanted beamed ceilings, sweeping lobby staircase, fireplaces, and convent doors with Chesterfield lounges, geometric patterned rugs, and mirror-clad travellers’ trunks.

The sunny courtyard is now topped with glass and converted into the all-day Spanish diner Castanyoles, though it would be churlish to bypass the spectacular gastronomic offerings at the hotel’s doorstep in Zona G.

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Avenida Carrera 7 #69a-22

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The new W isn’t Bogotá’s first contemporary design destination to draw inspiration from the myth of El Dorado and stolen riches, but it has certainly taken the bling quota in the Colombian capital up a notch. Designer Ilan Waisbrod, of New York-based outfit Studio Gaia, took the lead on the interiors, creating a 17-storey treasure hunt comparable to the collection of priceless trinkets on display at the city’s Gold Museum. Black tunnels, which link dazzling spaces and curvaceous hideouts, evoke the quest by Colombia’s Spanish conquerors for the country’s hidden riches, while sustainable furniture, crafted by Waisbrod, earns environmentally friendly brownie points. Jean-Georges Vongerichten has installed a fourth version of his Market restaurant chain, which, decked out in wood panels, has a more organic feel than the gilded lobby – dressed with 1,200 gold butterflies – or the hotel’s destination bar, which features a cosmic intervention by artist Venuz White. 

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Avenida Carrera 9
#115 – 30
Bogotá
Colombia

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Clad in an 11-storey road map of Bogotá cut from black laminated steel, the hotel debut of young entrepreneurs Juan Felipe Cruz and Tomas Beltran is the city's first shot at an urban resort that truly breaks ranks with Colombia's painfully corporate hotel scene. The hands-on duo hired award-winning architect Felipe Mesa of Plan B Arquitectos and another ten design houses to build the most playful place to sleep (or not) in Colombia's high-octane capital. They combined Scandinavian interiors (that include seating by Hay and Bo Concept) with 500 sq m of vertical gardens at ground level, two 6m displays for art installations and bedrooms with floor-to-ceiling windows. Adding to the mix, Felipe Rodriguez and Mariana Vieira - the duo behind Bogotá's standout bars El Coq and El Bandido - installed an LA-style burger joint on the roof. Inside, chef Juan Felipe Camacho (who earned his stripes in San Sebastian at restaurants with nine Michelin stars between them) has developed a Basque-inspired menu appealing to the young crowd of Click-Clackers.

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Carrera 11
93-77
Bogotá
Colombia

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With new restaurant Juana la Loca already being hailed as Bogotá’s most beautiful, it comes as no surprise to hear architect Isay Weinfeld’s work is as enthusiastically received in Colombia as it is in his home country of Brazil. Centrally located on a main strip between two of the city’s most buzzing districts – Zona T and Parque 93 – the restaurant can be found on the third floor of a an upscale mixed-use complex, which also houses a host of shops, a hotel and a sports club. The eatery is set over a series of rooms, where an intimate wood-clad bar with marble detailing and a feature chandelier by lighting designer Lindsey Adelman, gracefully unfolds into a splendid stainless-steel show kitchen, two dining rooms and a leafy outdoor terrace. Signature Weinfeld, the venue’s clean modern lines are articulated in rich, natural materials which are a subtle juxtaposition to the collection of vintage mid-century floor lamps and furniture pieces. Food by fashionable Madrid-based enterprise The Company of Wolves is modern tapas; expect fancy versions of classic dishes such as jamón ibérico con pan con tomate or gambas al ajillo.

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3rd floor
11-13 Calle 90
Bogotá
Colombia

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PHOTOGRAPHY
Monica Barreneche

The architectural duo Manuel Villa and Antonio Yemail have taken Bogotá's love of high-octane rooftop bars to new heights. The pair, two of the country's sharpest young architects, commandeered the penthouse of the former Hilton, an iconic 1963 tower block designed by Colombo-Catalan architect Fernando Martinez in the city's financial centre, to create Bogotá's loftiest new bar. Determined to go one better than legendary predecessor Cha Cha, Villa and Yemail added a 41st floor to Martinez's residential tower (originally built for retired policemen) turning the roof into Colombia's highest spot for discreet late-night mischief. Along with the best views of the Latin American capital, it serves up food by Enobra chef Francisco Pinzon and soul and Latin sounds stretching back through the building's glorious 40-year history.

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Cra 7 # 32 -16
Bogotá

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