When La Réserve Paris opened its doors in 2015, it quickly became one of the city’s most sought-after addresses, offering a fresh take on Parisian hospitality. At a time when many of the capital’s best-known hotels were defined by their old-world grandeur and opulence, Michel Reybier instead took his cues from the intimacy and elegance of a private residence. Occupying a 19th-century Haussmann mansion tucked behind a discreet red door on Avenue Gabriel, La Réserve still feels more like an exquisitely run private home than a hotel. It’s this residential atmosphere, together with faultless service and Jacques Garcia’s richly layered interiors, that makes it as compelling today as it was ten years ago.

Wallpaper* checks in at La Réserve Paris Hotel and Spa

What's on your doorstep?

In the 8th arrondissement, between the Champs-Élysées and Faubourg Saint-Honoré, La Réserve occupies one of Paris’ most coveted addresses. Whether you’re a first-time visitor ticking off the capital’s landmarks, or a return traveller who simply wants to spend the day meandering without an agenda, the hotel is perfectly placed to explore the city on foot. The Grand Palais sits directly opposite, making it easy to drop into one of its exhibitions before wandering towards the Petit Palais, Place de la Concorde or the banks of the Seine. Avenue Montaigne’s designer boutiques and the Eiffel Tower are both within easy walking distance, but sometimes, the greatest pleasure is to spend an afternoon drifting through the surrounding streets, people watching over a glass of wine on a terrace, or settling into a neighbourhood bistro.

Who is behind the design?

Jacques Garcia’s fingerprints are unmistakable, but La Réserve is less about his usual theatrical flourishes or statement pieces. Instead, he channels the elegance of a lived-in Parisian residence, restoring original cornices and mouldings and layering the interiors with antiques, opulent fabrics, selected artworks, carved marble fireplaces, and precious woods. The result is timeless and full of character, with a level of attention that comes together to create a series of beautifully cohesive spaces, from the subtly illuminated bookshelves and embossed leather wall coverings in Le Gabriel to the handwoven silk wallpaper that envelops the bedrooms and the upholstered headboards.

The room to book

It’s hard to go wrong with any of the rooms at La Réserve Paris, but the Eiffel Presidential Suite ticks all the boxes. At 140 square metres, it’s generous in size, but it’s the flow that makes the biggest impression, where the living room connects seamlessly to the bathroom, dressing room and bedroom and then loops back, giving it the feel of a gracious Parisian apartment. French doors open onto a narrow balcony big enough for lingering breakfasts for two against Eiffel Tower views, while inside, Garcia’s richly layered interiors and luxurious marble bathrooms come together to create an elegant space you’ll find hard to leave. Even at turndown, the silk-upholstered headboard is protected with a bespoke linen cover in one of those memorable details that perfectly encapsulates La Réserve’s meticulous approach.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

One of the things La Réserve does so well is that its restaurants and bars are every bit as inviting for visitors as they are for guests staying upstairs. Le Gabriel, Jérôme Banctel’s three Michelin-starred restaurant, is the hotel’s culinary centrepiece, serving refined French cuisine through three tasting menus - Virée, Périple and Escale - that celebrate seasonal produce in a gorgeous dining room wrapped in embossed leather wall coverings.

During the warmer months, The Patio at La Pagode becomes one of the loveliest spots in the hotel for a leisurely breakfast or a caesar salad with a crisp glass of wine beneath century-old maple trees, while the Duc de Morny Library serves the same menu in cosier surroundings, where floor-to-ceiling bookshelves and deep armchairs invite lingering over an afternoon coffee. Come evening, the best space for an aperitif is Bar Le Gaspard, where the drinks menu features the hero cocktails from each of the La Réserve hotels around the world. The Golden Negroni from the Zurich property goes down a treat with the lobster club sandwich, followed by a glass of cognac in the intimate cigar lounge.

Where to switch off

After a day exploring the streets of Paris, there’s nowhere better than retreating to the Spa Nescens. Hidden away on the lower ground floor, it’s a calming space centred around a 16-metre indoor pool. There are just three treatment rooms and a menu that focuses on doing a few things expertly well, through its partnership with Swiss better-ageing specialist Nescens. Alongside facials and massage offerings like the Tesla Med Full Body Sculpt, which works on firmness, contouring and toning, there’s also a hair salon and beauty studio, making it tempting to pop in for a blow-dry before heading back upstairs for dinner.

The verdict

It’s easy to understand why La Réserve Paris remains a favourite for those in the know. Yes, the interiors are beautiful, and the location is exceptional, but it’s the intuitive service and the feeling of staying somewhere genuinely personal that sets La Réserve apart.

La Réserve Paris is located at 42 Av. Gabriel, 75008 Paris, France

There are a lot of changes happening in Hong Kong’s Central district at the moment. The renovation of The Landmark, the sprawling modernist complex at the heart of the area, is taking place concurrently with huge works closer to the water to create Central Yards, a vast new complex designed to bring more flat, green space to an area renowned for its soaring glass-and-steel skyscrapers.

The latest milestone in the process has been marked by the reopening of guest rooms at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark. The 109-key hotel is a petite, discreet sibling to the grand brand flagship just a short walk away, offering a more demure atmosphere, intended to feel closer to a private Hong Kong apartment than a hotel. Its position within the footprint of The Landmark allows it to behave as much as a hub for locals as for guests, with an inconspicuous entrance tucked inside the main shopping concourse to attract shoppers to the diverse array of restaurants and bars across the seventh floor.

Wallpaper* checks in at Mandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong

What’s on your doorstep?

A quite astonishing array of luxury shops is scattered all across Central, with the usual international behemoths joined by local artisans like The Anthology and Prologue. For true tourists or first-time visitors, the Victoria Peak Tram and Star Ferry Terminal are both within easy walking distance. An almost entirely covered route to the Central MTR station means the whole of the island, and of Kowloon beyond, is a reasonably short travel-time away, but the wealth of excellent bars and restaurants within Central itself, as well as the proximity of sightseeing favourites like Man Mo Temple and the Tai Kwun Cultural Centre, could easily persuade you not to leave the area.

Who’s behind the design?

Hong Kong-based Joyce Wang, leader of her eponymous studio, was given the responsibility of updating the space. Her decision to draw inspiration from the colonial-era mansions that litter the Northern Territories is immediately evident in the undulating terracotta tiles of the street-level facade. These are emulated in the crimson travertine columns of the double-height main foyer, whose radiant warmth is in turn juxtaposed by ice-shaped glass blocks covering the opposing walls. A curved staircase in light beige stone transports guests up to a significantly more intimate lobby area, panelled in blond wood and liberally scattered with comfy red leather armchairs, and the grandeur of the initial reception gives way to the cosy residential aesthetic.

Local art is spread liberally throughout the entire hotel. Each lift bears a hand-painted abstraction of the Hong Kong skyline by Eliza Ling, an in-house artist at Joyce Wang Studio, which is then reinterpreted in the hand-tufted carpets running through the corridors. Stepping out of the lift, we are greeted by mesmerising small vases by locally based ceramicists Julie & Jessie, each with a tantalising flash of brilliant colour partially revealed under ‘paper’ wrappings partly torn off the surface. Every small detail like these helps to build a rich, nuanced identity for the property.

The room to book

Book the L600 Junior Suite, located at a corner of the building, giving the bathroom a double window to be enjoyed from the signature circular bathtub. The layout of the space places the shower and toilet cleverly behind the tub, completing a round area built within the main floor space, which also serves to separate the bedroom from the living and working area. Decor in light greens and rich, dark brown wood soften the atmosphere and build the feeling of a chic apartment in downtown Hong Kong. Larger L900 suites employ the same colour scheme but offer more space, including a larger bed with wrap-around polished wooden headboards.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Most of the hotel’s food and beverage venues stayed open throughout the renovation; some have been created as part of the project. The Communal, an understated artisan coffee shop just off the lobby, is a key part of the push to increase engagement with the local market. Plush booth seating and tables for two line the walls and face a marble-topped coffee bar decorated with bamboo-shaped tiles in a dark and lustrous green, allowing guests to watch baristas prepare their pour-over coffees and delicate pastries. Nearby roastery Hazel & Hershey provides freshly roasted beans each day. The space is bright and welcoming, as is the service, making it an energising place to begin a morning.

The seventh floor is where the majority of the dining takes place. Blanc de Noires is a new addition as part of the renovation, a champagne-focused snug bar with space for around 25 guests. Crisp white marble floors sparkle under the atmospheric low lighting; impossibly dark black wood panelling to the walls absorbs the sheen to ensure the room retains a secretive, seductive aura. The white dinner jackets worn by the bar team embellish a feeling that we’re drinking in a 1980s neon pastiche of a 1920s New York speakeasy. 25 champagnes by the glass, expertly paired by the sommelier to a ‘Ham Library’ – an extraordinary collection of cured meats, sliced on demand to suit each drinker’s individual palette – as well as an extensive list of champagne cocktails complete what is already one of the most stylish drinking spots in the area.

The verdict

Aside from being simply a luxurious, welcoming place to stay, this is a place to develop a relationship with one of the greatest cities in the world. The hotel presents a modern, cosmopolitan version of Hong Kong as the international hub it truly is, rather than leaning too hard on its cliches or pandering too strongly to an incoming audience. It's a place for locals to love and visitors to get to know them through, and a great reason to visit the city in itself.

Mandarin Oriental The Landmark is located at 15 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong

When Rosewood took over Hôtel de Crillon in 2013, many were curious to see how one of Paris’ most storied palace hotels would evolve. More than a decade on, it has retained the grandeur and heritage of the original while giving it the unmistakable feel of a Rosewood. Discreet, warm and instinctively personal, the experience begins with a glass of champagne and the choice of checking in either in a private reception salon or from the comfort of your suite. That feeling carries through the rest of the stay, with staff who instinctively read their guests, whether that’s a butler who immediately checks the room temperature is to your liking, or a doorman waiting with a bottle of water after your early morning run. It’s this blend of Rosewood’s warm hospitality and one of Paris’ most iconic addresses that makes Hôtel de Crillon feel every bit as special today as it did when it reopened.

Wallpaper* checks in at Hôtel de Crillon, Paris

What’s on your doorstep?

Occupying a prime position on Place de la Concorde in the 8th arrondissement, Hôtel de Crillon puts quintessential Paris on your doorstep. Whether it’s a morning run to the Eiffel Tower, an afternoon exploring the latest exhibition at the Grand Palais or a stroll through the Jardin des Tuileries towards the Louvre, it’s easy to spend an entire day on foot. Rue Saint-Honoré, Place Vendôme and the Champs-Élysées are all close by, while some of the greatest pleasures come from ducking down a quieter side street before settling into a neighbourhood bistro for a long lunch spent watching Paris go by.

Who is behind the design?

The restoration of Hôtel de Crillon was the work of architect Richard Martinet together with interior designers Aline d’Amman, Tristan Auer and Chahan Minassian, who have given the hotel a lighter, more contemporary feel. Original details such as marble, carved stone, crystal chandeliers and gilded mouldings are balanced with contemporary furniture, carefully chosen artwork and a softer colour palette. It’s brighter than many of Paris’ palace hotels, with natural light pouring into the public spaces through a series of open-air courtyards, drawing attention to the craftsmanship throughout. The end result feels elegant and timeless, making it difficult to pick a favourite space.

The room to book

It’s hard to find fault with any of Hôtel de Crillon’s rooms, with even the entry-level rooms thoughtfully designed, and often used by butlers accompanying guests who require round-the-clock service. The Grand Premier Suite, however, strikes the sweet spot. Available with either courtyard or Rue Boissy d’Anglas views, it’s at its best first thing in the morning, when the French doors are thrown open and the sounds of Paris drift inside.

Decorated in a palette of soft greys, creams and pale blues with French oak parquet flooring, bespoke furniture and marble bathrooms, it perfectly reflects the hotel’s balance of history and modernity. If, however, you’re looking to experience one of the city’s most extraordinary hotel rooms, Karl Lagerfeld’s Les Grands Appartements deserve a look. Inspired by Versailles, the two apartments combine classical French detailing with a restrained palette of greys, marble and mirrored surfaces. Among the many standout details is a two-tonne solid Carrara marble bath, so heavy it had to be lifted through the window before being lowered into place on a block of ice, allowing it to settle gently onto the bathroom floor as the ice slowly melted.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The best thing about Hôtel de Crillon is that its restaurants and bars feel just as much a part of Paris as they do the hotel itself. Breakfast is best enjoyed in the hotel’s leafy courtyard, where baskets of warm baguettes, generous slabs of salty French butter and an entirely à la carte menu set the tone for the day. Return later for dinner at Nonos by Paul Pairet, where the lively courtyard is one of the city’s loveliest places to dine, with standout dishes including the signature cheese soufflé, theatrically finished tableside.

The real showstopper, however, is Les Ambassadeurs Bar. Set beneath one of Paris’ most spectacular painted ceilings and surrounded by crystal chandeliers, gilded detailing and soaring windows overlooking Place de la Concorde, it’s the sort of room that, even on a balmy Paris evening, makes people choose to sit indoors rather than on a terrace. The signature cocktail menu takes inspiration from nostalgic memories, transforming everything from birthday cake to forest walks and summer barbecues into inventive drinks, while the black truffle and Comté croque is reason enough to linger for another round. Before leaving, make a detour via Butterfly Pâtisserie, where chef Matthieu Carlin’s beautifully crafted pastries provide a suitably sweet finale.

Where to switch off

Tucked beneath the hotel, the spa feels like a sanctuary from the bustle of Place de la Concorde above. At its centre is a beautiful 14m heated indoor pool, framed by pale stone, oak and softly lit alcoves that give the space a calm, residential feel rather than that of a traditional hotel spa. Alongside a sauna, steam room and fitness studio, the treatment menu combines bespoke massages and facials using Maison Caulières and EviDenS de Beauté products.

The verdict

There are grander hotels in Paris, and there are more intimate ones, but few strike the balance quite as well as Hôtel de Crillon. Beautifully restored, impeccably run, and warm with its instinctive service and relaxed atmosphere, it’s a hotel that’s just as enjoyable to return to after a day exploring the city as it is to simply spend time in.

Hôtel de Crillon is located at 6 Pl. de la Concorde, 75008 Paris, France

An Italian summer holiday can feel like familiar territory: centuries-old palazzi, leisurely aperitivi and endless Mediterranean sunsets. Yet this year’s crop of hotel openings and restorations proves there’s still plenty of room for reinvention. From painstaking renovations that breathe new life into historic landmarks to design-led beach retreats in Sicily, these are Italy’s most exciting hotel openings, reopenings and reimaginings for 2026.

All that’s new in Italian hotels this summer

The Dolomites

Hotel Ambra Cortina d’Ampezzo

The beloved family-run mountainside bolthole Ambra Cortina has emerged as one of the Dolomites’ most fashionable hotels in recent years, thanks to its forward-thinking hospitality concepts that rival the design-led boutique hotels of Paris or London. Recently, the 24-room boutique hotel opened Lanterna HiFi Bar & Lounge, the first of its kind in the Dolomites. Spend a post-hike evening listening to vinyl in the lounge, or sip cocktails at Zelda’s Cocktail Club, a cosy drinking den decorated with playful ephemera by Toiletpaper magazine.

Hotel Ambra Cortina d’Ampezzo is located at Via XXIX Maggio, 28, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Rosapetra Spa Resort

Italian furniture brand Henge has ventured into hospitality with the unveiling of the Henge Suite at Rosapetra Spa Resort in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Perched beneath the timber eaves of the five-star hotel overlooking the Unesco-listed Dolomites, the design-forward retreat was conceived by architect Isabella Genovese as a contemporary interpretation of alpine living. Eschewing chalet clichés in favour of a restrained palette of bespoke joinery, natural materials and sculptural furnishings, the suite features a private sauna, a freestanding bathtub, a fireplace and a 50-square-metre terrace framing uninterrupted views of the Tofane peaks.

Rosapetra Spa Resort is located at Località Zuel di Sopra, 1, 32043 Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy

Florence

La Darbia

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. LC

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

Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence

The much-anticipated reopening of Belmond’s Villa San Michele, a former Franciscan monastery in Florence’s Fiesole hills, was celebrated in April 2026 with a star-studded bash that counted Gwyneth Paltrow and Alexa Chung among the guests. But the real draw this summer is the property’s restyling by Luigi Fragola Architects, whose elegant facelift of the historic hotel included a brand-new Guerlain spa, the new dining concept Antesi by Chef Alessandro Cozzolino, and the intimate Bar Doccia for relaxed aperitivi.

Villa San Michele, A Belmond Hotel, Florence is located at Via Doccia, 4, 50014 Fiesole, Italy

Hotel Savoy

Following openings in Milan and Rome, Rocco Forte is continuing its Italian Grand Tour with a new outpost in Florence. The Hotel Savoy Rocco Forte opened this spring in the city’s Piazza della Repubblica neighbourhood, bringing together 79 elegantly appointed rooms and suites by Olga Polizzi, a museum-worthy collection of contemporary Italian art, the restaurant Irene and Bar Artemisia, where legendary bartender Salvatore Calabrese serves signature cocktails beneath frescoed ceilings.

Hotel Savoy is located at Piazza della Repùbblica, 7, 50123 Florence, Italy

Lake Como

Casabianca Suites

The De Santis family has already made their mark on Lake Como’s hotel scene with Passalacqua and Grand Hotel Tremezzo, so it’s little surprise that their latest project similarly unites art, design and hospitality. Casabianca began life as an art gallery in the town of Como and now expands its remit with three suites that function as both guest accommodation and artists’ residences, allowing visitors to spend the night immersed in the family’s collection of contemporary art and twentieth-century Italian design. Designed by architect Corrado Tagliabue, each suite is individually conceived around the work of a contemporary artist and combines vintage Italian furnishings, bespoke interiors, private terraces and breakfast by Cova with exclusive after-hours access to the gallery.

Casabianca Suites are located at Lungo Lario Trento, 47, 22100 Como, Italy

The Lake Como Edition

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. SDLC

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

Rome

Casa JK Place Roma

Casa JK Place Roma opened its doors this May with 12 stylishly appointed apartments set in the historic heart of Rome. A few steps in any direction lead to the Pantheon, the Tiber River, Piazza Navona and Piazza di Spagna, making this 18th-century palazzo one of the best-positioned addresses in the city. In addition to the residences, the property includes Al Ventidue, a restaurant serving contemporary interpretations of Italian classics, a private lounge and bar, a Technogym-equipped gym, and access to Biologique Recherche treatments at the neighbouring wellness space.

Casa JK Place Roma is located at Via dei Prefetti, 22, 00186 Rome, Italy

Corinthia Rome

A neoclassical former bank by the prolific Roman architect Marcello Piacentini was transformed by London- and Shanghai-based GA Studio into the new Corinthia Rome hotel. The studio turned back time after an unfortunate 1960s renovation, reconstructing mosaic floors and intricate ceiling details to restore a palatial sense of grandeur to the 60-room luxury hotel. The property also offers several dining options, including the fine-dining restaurant Viride and Ocra, for evening aperitifs and late-night drinks.

Corinthia Rome is located at P.za del Parlamento, 18, 00186 Rome, Italy

Sardinia

W Sardinia – Poltu Quatu

W Sardinia is nestled within the pre-existing architecture designed by Jean-Claude LeSuiss – he originally designed the resort's buildings in the early 2000s. The hotel replicates his signature style of white-washed facades and irregular arches (known as occhio de bue, meaning eye of the bull, a construction nightmare but one that results in a visual delight). Interior-wise, the design was spearheaded by Will Meyer and Gray Davis, founders of their eponymous New York design firm. The duo kept the architecture, flooring and pool completely original, while every interior detail is considered and locally made. There is a lot of artistic expression across the 157 rooms and suites, from the vibrant veining of the stone cabinets to the chunkiness of the makeup vanity coupled with an overlapping mirror which mimics an oceanic ripple effect. If you fancy staying for drinks and dinner, the Tanit restaurant, named after the ancient goddess of abundance, is perched overlooking the harbour where one can gaze at the yachts in transit. TW

W Sardinia - Poltu Quatu is located at SP59, 07021 Poltu Quatu, Italy

Sicily

San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel

Ever since the television series The White Lotus landed at San Domenico Palace in Taormina in its second season, this jewel of a Sicilian hotel has been a must-visit for southern Italian summer holidays. This season, the hotel is unveiling a bombastic new takeover by Dolce & Gabbana, which will dress the pool with the Sicily-born brand’s iconic prints – a fitting homecoming, considering founders Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana once called the town home.

San Domenico Palace, Taormina, A Four Seasons Hotel is located at Via S. Domenico, 5, 98039 Taormina, Italy

South Tyrol

Hotel Bella Vista

There is a particular kind of silence that you find only at high altitude. It arrives with thin air, settling on snow-muffled valleys and plateaus. The world below feels entirely theoretical. It is this silence that the Milanese architect Matteo Thun has spent years thinking about and which, this May, took physical form in an extension at Hotel Bella Vista – a family-run retreat in Trafoi. Set deep inside the Stelvio National Park at the foot of the 3,905-metre-high Ortler massif, the tallest peak in South Tyrol, the project is, at its heart, a friendship made architectural. Thun and Gustav Thöni – Olympic alpine ski champion and co-owner of the hotel with his family – had spoken about expanding the property for years. The hotel itself dates to 1875, its original 36 rooms enduring through generations precisely because it had never tried to be anything other than what it is: a place shaped by landscape, not the other way around. Thun’s new wing, which adds 24 suites, a lounge bar, and a substantial wellness complex, cleaves close to that polestar. DW

Hotel Bella Vista is located at Via Trafoi, 11, 39029 Trafoi, Italy

Venice

Airelles Palladio, Venice

French hospitality group Airelles has finally debuted in Italy with its brand-new Venetian outpost, Airelles Palladio, Venice. Opened in April 2026, just in time for the Venice Biennale, the 45-room property has taken over the former Bauer Palladio on the island of Giudecca. In typical Airelles style – the brand is known for inhabiting history-laden locations, like its flagship Versailles outpost – the hotel spans three historic buildings and the restored Santa Maria della Presentazione Church, all set within almost one hectare of Mediterranean gardens, with three restaurants, three bars, a traditional cicchetti bar, a 1,700-square-metre Guerlain Spa, a Rossano Ferretti Hair Spa, and four swimming pools.

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

Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel

Few hotels embody the romance of old-world Italian hospitality quite like Danieli, the Venetian Gothic masterpiece that became a hotel in 1822 after Giuseppe Dal Niel transformed the 15th-century Palazzo Dandolo – originally built as the private residence of Doge Enrico Dandolo and a lodging for princes, cardinals and ambassadors – into one of Europe’s grandest addresses. Now, after years of graceful decline, the landmark property has been given a new lease of life by Four Seasons, whose meticulous restoration by French interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon culminates this August with one of the year’s most eagerly awaited hotel reopenings.

Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel is located at Riva degli Schiavoni, 4196, 30122 Venice, Italy

Locanda Cipriani

When Giuseppe Cipriani opened his first American-style bar in Venice in 1931, he couldn’t, in his wildest dreams, have fathomed the international acclaim the name would one day hold, with bars, restaurants, and hotels now spanning three continents. With the opening of Locanda Cipriani, the institution is going back to its roots with a new hotel located on the island of Torcello, where the family first opened an inn in 1947. Reopening in June 2026 following a careful restoration, the intimate ten-key retreat preserves the spirit of the historic inn, pairing exposed antique beams, bespoke furnishings and Murano glass lighting with contemporary interiors by Fabrizio Cocchi Studio.

Locanda Cipriani is located at Piazza Santa Fosca, 29, 30142 Venice, Italy

Orient Express Venezia

In the unpolished heart of Cannaregio, a 15th-century palazzo has been transformed by designer Aline Asmar d’Amman into one of Venice’s most spectacular hotels: Orient Express Venezia. Like many of the palazzi in the city, the property has two entrances: one on the street, one on the water. The latter is the only way to do it. As your boat glides through Cannaregio’s canals, medieval façades rise straight from the water, their reflections broken by the steady choreography of gondolas and vaporetti. Asmar d’Amman approached the restoration as a labour of love requiring rare interventions, from drying the palazzo’s foundations and building a dam around the façade walls, to the removal and treatment of each stone on the walls and floors. In the guestrooms, tall windows frame canal views, while antique-inspired furnishings and rich textiles capture the essence of Palazzo Donà Giovannelli at its most romantic. AS

Orient Express Venezia is located at Strada Nova, 2292, 30121 Venice, Italy

Ever since The Zetter first opened in Clerkenwell in 2004, the group has helped set the bar for London’s boutique hotel scene with its relaxed approach to luxury, characterful interiors and distinctly residential feel. Its newest opening, The Zetter Bloomsbury, continues that tradition across six interconnected Georgian townhouses neighbouring the British Museum, where check-in takes place over a glass of wine or coffee, immediately setting the tone for the rest of the stay. With interiors that have all the warmth and personality The Zetter has become known for, it’s the sort of hotel you’ll find yourself looking forward to returning to at the end of the day.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Zetter Bloomsbury, London

What’s on your doorstep?

Tucked away in Bloomsbury, The Zetter sits in one of central London’s most convenient yet often overlooked locations. The British Museum is just next door, while Russell Square, Tottenham Court Road and Holborn Underground stations are all within a short walk, making it easy to reach almost anywhere in the capital. Soho, Covent Garden, Oxford Street and the West End are all close enough to reach on foot, whether you’re heading to a gallery, catching a show or browsing the shops. Yet Bloomsbury itself is reason enough to stay put. Beyond the museums and shopping, it’s the sort of neighbourhood where it’s easy to lose track of time, whether you’re browsing an independent bookshop or settling into a café for a long lunch.

Who is behind the design?

The interiors are designed by James Thurstan Waterworth, and every shelf, cabinet and corner is layered with objects that feel as though they’ve been collected over a lifetime. European antiques sit alongside midcentury furniture, African textiles, Turkish rugs repurposed as ottomans and works by St Ives artists including Sandra Blow and Roger Hilton, while ancient Egyptian artefacts and a library of more than 600 vintage art and auction catalogues reflect the hotel’s close relationship with its neighbour, the British Museum.

It’s the craftsmanship that really sets the hotel apart. More than 500 cushions have been made from antique textiles; vintage fabrics have been reworked into upholstery, headboards and lampshades; Georgian cabinets discreetly conceal modern services, while hand-painted faux-marbled architraves, reclaimed timber floorboards, bespoke rugs and decorative pieces made by British artisans create interiors that feel deeply personal.

The room to book

Overlooking the secluded courtyard garden, the Junior Suites are well worth booking, with lofty ceilings and four-poster beds that give them all the charm of the Georgian townhouses they occupy, while marble bathrooms, richly textured fabrics, antiques and collected objects make them feel just as characterful as the public spaces downstairs. Thoughtful details continue throughout, from the well-stocked minibar tucked discreetly beneath the television to Verden amenities in the bathroom. If you’re celebrating a special occasion, however, the Terrace Suite is worth the splurge, with its wraparound terrace, claw-foot bath positioned beneath the bay window and views across the garden.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Breakfast is served in The Orangery beneath a glass roof, where leafy plants, the morning light and views onto the courtyard garden make it one of the loveliest spots in the hotel to start the day, while an à la carte menu featuring dishes such as avocado on toast or a full English breakfast is complemented by baskets of pastries, breads and fresh juices.

Later in the day, the menu moves next door to The Parlour and its adjoining courtyard garden, where elevated British classics such as Scotch eggs and sausage rolls are joined by seasonal salads and larger plates, making it just as suited to lunch as evening drinks. On arrival, every guest is also handed a coin to exchange for a complimentary drink from the bar, from a coffee to a cocktail or even one of the more premium spirits, a small but memorable touch that perfectly captures The Zetter’s relaxed approach to hospitality.

Where to switch off

The Zetter Bloomsbury isn’t a hotel with a sprawling spa or extensive wellness facilities, but that’s part of its charm. Instead, switching off comes naturally in the hotel’s secluded courtyard garden, where a drink beneath the trees on a warm summer afternoon is the perfect escape from the bustle of central London.

The verdict

Characterful, welcoming and full of personality, The Zetter Bloomsbury is the sort of place that’s just as appealing to first-time visitors to London as it is to those who know the city well. As one of London’s newest hotels, there are still a few service inconsistencies to iron out, but once those settle, the hotel has all the ingredients to become one of the capital’s most enjoyable boutique stays.

The Zetter Bloomsbury is located at 2-7 Montague St, London WC1B 5BP, United Kingdom. Rates: from £210

As you wander through the grounds of Casa Bonavita, a new 17-bedroom hotel in Malta, it is easy to forget you are in a hotel at all. With its golden limestone walls, palm-fringed pool and gardens scented with jasmine and orange blossom, it feels more like the home of a particularly fortunate friend. That, its owners Christopher and Suzanne Sharp explain, is entirely the point.

The founders and former owners of The Rug Company stumbled across the dilapidated 18th-century house in 2010 and were instantly bewitched. Over the next 15 years, they gradually brought it back to life, first as their family home and later as a hotel, which opened in late spring 2026.

Casa Bonavita is located in the sleepy village of Attard, one of Malta’s historic Three Villages and around 20 minutes from the capital, Valletta. Five minutes’ walk away is Villa Bologna Pottery, the renowned ceramics studio, shop and restaurant owned by the Sharps’ daughter, Sophie Edwards. But Casa Bonavita makes retreating behind its garden walls especially tempting.

Almost every bedroom has its own private outdoor space, yet even in the gardens or beside one of the hotel’s two pools, it is possible to enjoy complete solitude.

The terrace-wrapped restaurant centres on an open, Sicilian tile-clad kitchen with a Lacanche range, further blurring the distinction between hotel and home. Open to guests throughout the day, it welcomes outside diners in the evening, serving Mediterranean dishes including pan-roasted sea bass, verdura mista and buffalo mozzarella.

While Christopher revived the gardens, the interiors are the work of Suzanne’s London-based practice, Suzanne Sharp Studio. Drawing on her southern Mediterranean heritage – she grew upin Malta – she has created welcoming spaces that appear to have evolved over generations. Antique furniture, Murano glass lighting, textiles and art are layered with hand-painted murals that sweep across walls and ceilings, most notably in the restaurant where Alfonso Orombelli and Luna Aulehla Greppi have created a leafy scene that brings the hotel's garden foliage inside. The bar is wrapped in a bespoke de Gournay wallpaper depicting 17th-century Valletta, while artists from the nearby pottery studio hand painted the lampshades. Every surface has been considered.

A subterranean spa encompasses a hammam, sauna, cold plunge and gym, its blousy floral fabrics and deep-green zellige tiles creating a glorious meeting of English and Moorish pattern.

The best bedroom is hotly disputed among staff and guests, but Wallpaper* believes that Room Five – the only suite in the main house – just takes the crown, thanks to its generous proportions, its bathroom, set within the house’s former chapel, and private terrace overlooking the gardens.

Here, Wallpaper* speaks to Christopher and Suzanne Sharp about memories of Malta, designing through instinct, and finally realising a lifelong dream.

The home that became a hotel

Wallpaper*: You’ve both said that opening a hotel had been a lifelong dream. Where did that dream begin?

Christopher Sharp: When we were in our mid-twenties, Suzanne and I dreamt of opening a small hotel in Tuscany. Looking back, had we somehow managed to pull it off, it would almost certainly have been an unmitigated disaster. We had neither the financial resources nor the experience to make such an ambitious venture succeed. Having now opened Casa Bonavita, we appreciate just how much knowledge, resilience and patience it demands. Quite simply, we weren’t ready. Even so, that early dream never really disappeared. It became one of those quiet ambitions that stays with you, surfacing every few years to remind you that there is something still left to do.

Over the course of our lives, we’ve had several different careers, and we often joke that our philosophy is to do everything once – and leave while we’re still enjoying it. When we found this house, everything seemed to align. We finally had the right property, the experience that had been missing all those years before, and the resources to realise the vision properly.

More importantly, we had reached a stage in our lives where we understood what kind of hotel we wanted to create. Casa Bonavita was never conceived as a commercial exercise; it was the opportunity to fulfil a dream. Sometimes the best ideas simply need time before they are ready to be realised.

W*: Before it became a hotel, Casa Bonavita was your family home. How did living here influence the decisions you made as you transformed it into a place for guests?

CS: Living in Casa Bonavita before it became a hotel gave us an understanding of the house that would have been impossible to acquire from architectural plans alone. It allowed us to experience its rhythms and subtleties through every season: how the light moves through the rooms at different times of day, how the sun travels across the garden, and how the character of each space changes throughout the year.

It also taught us the practical realities of living in a historic Maltese house. Although Malta enjoys abundant winter sunshine, the humidity means good heating is essential for comfort. In the height of summer, effective air conditioning is equally important, but we also came to appreciate the value of ceiling fans. There are many evenings when a gentle movement of air is far more pleasant than the constant chill of air conditioning.

Perhaps most importantly, living here allowed us to understand how the house actually functions as a home. Spending time in every room revealed what each space needed to make it both practical and comfortable, while living in the village gave us the opportunity to get to know our neighbours and become part of the local community. We hope that sense of belonging and authenticity is something our guests experience too. The house was designed not simply to look beautiful, but to feel natural to live in, and we believe that has made all the difference.

Suzanne, you grew up in Malta. What is the Malta of your childhood that you remember, and in what ways did those memories find their way into the hotel?

Suzanne Sharp: My inspiration has always come from memory rather than a particular design style. I grew up in Malta when life was slower and houses were lived in rather than styled. I remember the cool stone floors, high ceiling rooms with shutters closed against the afternoon sun, family houses filled with objects and furniture collected over generations, and gardens that seemed overgrown. There was an ease to the way we lived and entertained that has stayed with me.

Casa Bonavita was never intended to recreate my childhood, but to capture that feeling. We wanted it to feel like a much-loved home where everything has found its place over time. If guests leave with a sense of the Malta we remember – its warmth, generosity and quiet beauty – then we’ve achieved what we hoped.

Designing the interiors

W*: The wall and ceiling murals are one of the hotel’s most distinctive features. How did the idea first emerge?

SS: As we restored the house, we uncovered traces of its past that reminded us how colour in Maltese houses was used. That became the starting point for the murals. We didn’t want to recreate anything historically, but rather continue the story of the building in a way that felt natural.

W*: How closely did you direct the artists, or were they given room to interpret the spaces themselves?

SS: I had a very clear vision for each room and worked closely with the artists, discussing colours and atmosphere, but I also wanted their own creativity to shine through. It was a genuine collaboration. Each mural was designed specifically for its space, so no two rooms feel the same, yet together they create a narrative that runs throughout the house.

W*: You worked with your son, the antiques dealer Jamie Sharp, to source many of the antique and vintage pieces. Are there particular periods, styles or objects that you’re instinctively drawn to?

SS: I’ve never collected according to period or fashion. I’m drawn to pieces with character, craftsmanship and a sense that they’ve already lived a life. Christopher and I, together with our son, spent years searching for objects that simply felt right for the house. Some came from antique markets, some from dealers, and others have been with our family for years.

W*: What do these older pieces bring to a hotel that contemporary furnishings perhaps can’t?

SS: Older pieces bring a warmth and authenticity that is very difficult to manufacture. They carry imperfections, stories and a sense of scale making a room feel as though it has evolved naturally rather than been installed all at once.

W*: Are there any particularly special pieces that guests should look out for?

SS: Rather than highlighting one or two star pieces, I’d much rather guests discover things for themselves. There are paintings, sculptures, ceramics and small objects tucked away throughout the hotel that reward a second look. I hope people notice something different each time they wander through the house – that sense of discovery is part of the experience.

Rediscovering the gardens

W*: The gardens feel wonderfully established, almost as though they’ve always been this way. What did you inherit when you first bought the property, and what has the process of shaping and restoring them involved?

CS: When we first bought the house, the garden felt rather forlorn. Its underlying structure was still there, but it had received little more than basic maintenance for many years. There were several citrus trees, though they were in poor condition, and the planting lacked both coherence and ambition.

The garden revealed itself all at once rather than unfolding gradually as you moved through it. We wanted to create a sequence of spaces – a sense of journey and discovery – where each turn offered something new. Because the house was becoming a hotel, it was equally important to create places where guests could find privacy, as well as areas that naturally encouraged people to gather.

The scale also needed rebalancing. There were too few mature trees to give the garden the sense of enclosure and permanence we were looking for. We planted twelve full-sized palms, together with a wide variety of smaller trees and shrubs, to restore both proportion and depth. If anything, I preferred to overplant. It is always easier to remove a tree or thin out a border than to wait decades for a garden to mature.

W*: Were sound and fragrance important to the experience you wanted to create?

CS: Yes, the scent and the sounds of the garden are enormously important. Although we are in the heart of a village, there is a remarkable sense of tranquillity. One of the pleasures of the garden is that it allows you to forget where you are. Beyond the walls there is village life, but within them there is a feeling of calm and enclosure.

Sound is a large part of that experience. The gentle movement of water has an almost timeless quality; the wind passing through the crowns of the palms, the chorus of crickets on a hot summer afternoon, and the birds at first light all become part of the rhythm of the day. None of these sounds demands your attention, yet together they create an atmosphere that is deeply restorative. Scent is just as evocative. The fragrance of jasmine in the evening, lantana warmed by the sun, citrus blossom in spring and herbs releasing their oils in the heat all anchor you in the Mediterranean.

Perhaps most importantly, I wanted the garden to feel alive. I like the idea that there is an entire world of insects, birds and small creatures carrying on their own lives, quite oblivious to our presence. A garden should never feel like a stage set; it should feel like an ecosystem. If we have done our job well, guests are simply passing through a landscape that has its own life and rhythm, rather than one that exists solely for their enjoyment.

On 12 August 2026, Mallorca will fall into the path of a total solar eclipse: the rare moment when the moon passes directly between Earth and the sun, briefly covering the solar disc and turning day towards dusk. The event will pass across parts of the Arctic, Greenland, Iceland, the Atlantic, northern Spain and the Balearic Islands, making Mallorca one of Europe’s most desirable places to watch it unfold. This round-up looks at the Mallorcan stays making the most of the eclipse – some have built full celestial programmes, with astronomers, telescopes, dinners and sea departures.

Mallorca’s total solar eclipse is best seen from these hotels

Hotel Corazón

Hotel Corazón sits off the mountain road between Sóller and Deià, in an 18th-century finca wrapped in palms, cypress and Tramuntana rock. The 17-room hotel is run by photographer Kate Bellm and Edgar Lopez, whose eye for image, garden and mood shapes everything from the room newspapers to the cactus garden. Moredesign restored the finca with local artisans, keeping the cobbled courtyard, terracotta tones and old chapel, now a spa. Rooms feature limewash, linen, stone, pink, sage and rough ceramics; the pool sits above the sea among pampas grass, rosemary and 1970s loungers. Farmer-in-residence Emma Philip sends kitchen-garden produce to chef Eliza Parchanska, who offers plant-led plates at the terrace restaurant, which Tatjana von Stein recently redesigned with carved marble tables, mustard banquettes, gingham napkins and sailor-striped cushions. For the eclipse, Corazón is keeping it stylishly low-key: the boutique is already selling bohemian Corazón Eclipse ’26 T-shirts, with the real viewing party happening on the terrace, a drink in hand, as the Tramuntana turns blue.

Hotel Corazón is located at Carretera de Deià, km. 56, 7, 07100 Sóller, Balearic Islands, Spain

Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor

Few Mallorcan hotels come with a backstory as rich as Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor. The original Hotel Formentor opened in 1929, founded by Argentinian poet and promoter Dan Diehl, and became the island’s grand northern hideaway long before the word resort lost its romance. In 2024, Four Seasons took over the 40-hectare site at the tip of the island, with Estudio Lamela remodelling the historic building and Gilles & Boissier handling the interiors. The white façade remains largely intact, while all 110 rooms and suites face the sea, with terraces looking over Formentor Bay. Inside, the palette follows the coast: pale natural tones and deep green accents feature across tadelakt walls, fabric panelling, and timber. The eclipse programme here includes a viewing from the spectacular Na Blanca summit, an elegant BBQ evening in the resort’s private vineyards beneath the Perseid meteor shower, and a yacht journey along the Formentor coastline for a front-row view of the celestial event. The property itself already has the right ingredients too: pine-shaded terraces and outdoor tables at Mel, Shima and Llum I Sal.

Four Seasons Resort Mallorca at Formentor is located at Carrer de Formentor, s/n, 07470 Mallorca, Illes Balears, Spain

Jumeirah Mallorca

Jumeirah Mallorca is perched above Port de Sóller on Mallorca’s north-west coast, with the Serra de Tramuntana behind it and the Mediterranean below. Designed by Arditecnica, with interiors by Peter Silling & Associates, the 121-room hotel is worked into the slope with planted roofs, private terraces and a round stone entrance hall that refers to the island’s talaias, the defence towers once built along the coast. Rooms split their gaze between mountain and sea, while the best views are saved for the public spaces: the 240 sq m Tramuntana Terrace, the eighth-floor infinity pool 110m above the water, five restaurants including Cap Roig and Sunset Lounge, and the Talise Spa, where a hydropool looks back to the mountains. Jumeirah is treating the eclipse as a four-day takeover. From 10 to 14 August, there will be astronomy masterclasses with Mallorca’s Astronomy Institute, solar telescopes, sunrise rituals, yacht trips, olive-grove dining and wellness sessions. On the night itself, guests can gather 100m above the sea for a lunar-inspired cocktail reception, live commentary from astronomers, and stellar gastronomy.

Jumeirah Mallorca is located at Carrer de Bèlgica, S/N, 07108 Port de Sóller, Illes Balears, Spain

Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca

Mandarin Oriental’s first Balearic resort takes over the former Hotel Punta Negra on Mallorca’s southwest coast, a pine-fringed headland in Calvià, close to Puerto Portals. Renovated by Estudio Lamela with HKS, the 131-room property is arranged to sit low among Aleppo pines, rocky coves and Mediterranean views: protected buildings have been restored, with their new volumes opening fan-like towards the sea, and bungalows placed by the water’s edge. Six dining venues include concepts by Nobu Matsuhisa and Dani García, while the spa, gardens, art pathway, tennis, golf and coastal yoga add the usual Mandarin Oriental flair. For the 12 August eclipse, the property is offering guests the opportunity to watch from a private yacht or traditional boat, rise above the coastline by helicopter, or join a limited 15-person hot-air balloon flight, with viewing lenses provided. On land, a 12-day Eclipse Advent Calendar brings the build-up into the resort through infusions, local sweets and bites.

Mandarin Oriental Punta Negra, Mallorca is located at Carrer Punta Negra, 12, 07181 Palmanova, Illes Balears, Spain

Nakar Hotel

A 1950s building was coaxed back to its former glory, thanks to local Palma hotelier Toni Ramis and architect Magi Marqués, who together transformed the Pension Nacar building on one of the city’s liveliest streets into the 57-room Nakar Hotel. Along with designer Marga Rotger’s touches – contemporary accents of pale oak, stone, black lacquered iron, glass and copper – a rationalist design aesthetic runs throughout. The result is a harmonious marriage of neutral colours, soothing lighting and simple planes, which together create the calm atmosphere that is Nakar’s signature. This commitment to relaxation is punctuated by the presence of a subterranean spa, where bamboo details, a shadowy palette and a heated pool, steam bath and sauna offer holistic rejuvenation. Elsewhere, a ninth-floor rooftop sundeck and infinity pool offer a privileged vantage point from which to enjoy the eclipse, while a more subdued mood can be found at CUIT Bar and Restaurant, which serves local cuisine from chef Miquel Calent.

Nakar Hotel is located Av. de Jaume III, 21, Centre, 07012 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Nobis Hotel Palma

Nobis Hotel Palma sits in the city’s Old Town among Gothic churches and stone squares, occupying one of the city’s oldest buildings: a 12th-century former Islamic palace, later a noble Mallorcan residence. Wingårdhs, working with Jordi Herrero Arquitectos and Eduardo Garcia Acuna Arquitecto, handled the renovation with due restraint, restoring vaulted ceilings, Gothic archways and a pair of courtyards, one fitted with a small dipping pool around an ancient fountain. The 37 rooms and suites bring Scandinavian calm to Spanish limestone walls and beamed ceilings, with wood, wool, leather, Örsjö lamps, Ogeborg carpets, Flos pendants, ceramics by Miquel Segura and tapestries by Leela Rome throughout. NOI Palma serves sharing plates beneath a textile ceiling installation; Mirall Bar brings velvet and drama to nine-metre-high stone walls; the rooftop looks towards La Seu Cathedral. For the eclipse, Nobis is taking guests out to sea. Its 12 August sailing experience leaves from Palma for around six and a half hours in the bay, with hotel-to-port transport, a professional skipper, swimming in a turquoise cove, snorkelling kit, paddle boards, dinner and drinks on board, and a champagne toast during the eclipse.

Nobis Hotel Palma is located at Carrer de les Caputxines, 9, Centre, 07003 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Sant Francesc Hotel Singular

Combining an historic 1880 manor house, a prime location on Plaça de Sant Francesc, and contemporary design, Sant Francesc Hotel Singular serves as a stylish base camp from which to experience Palma. Originally built as the residence of the Alomar family, the 42-room hotel is carved from a thoroughly renovated neoclassical structure where original details such as frescoes, beams and coffered ceilings abound. Working closely with the building’s current owners, the Soldevila Ferrer family, architect Tolo Cursach, interior decorator Maria Jose Cabré and landscape designer Ana Esteve successfully merged features such as a Baroque façade with present-day designs from Antonio Citterio, Jaime Hayon and Paola Navone. The Quadrat restaurant, led by chefs Àlvar Albaladejo and Carles Forteza, serves Med-inspired dishes, while a rooftop pool and terrace are ideally placed for soaking up the sun with cooling cocktails and breathtaking views of the Mallorcan capital. Another privileged rooftop view.

Sant Francesc Hotel Singular is located at Plaça de Sant Francesc, 5, Centre, 07001 Palma, Illes Balears, Spain

Like many of the palazzi in the city, Orient Express Venezia has two entrances: one on the street, one on the water. The latter is the only way to do it. As your boat glides through Cannaregio's canals, medieval façades rise straight from the water, their reflections broken by the steady choreography of gondolas and vaporetti. A doorman appears at the blush-pink façade of Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, home of the hotel, opening a portal into a world of frescoed ceilings, ornate stucco and Murano chandeliers.

Wallpaper* checks into Orient Express Venezia, Venice

What’s on your doorstep?

Cannaregio isn't the Venice of postcards. It lacks the grandeur of San Marco and, yes, there's a Claire's Accessories around the corner. This is a neighbourhood where Venetians actually live – where laundry hangs over the canals. It's home to the Jewish Ghetto, founded in 1516, the Gothic church of Madonna dell'Orto. But besides, when the address in question is the 15th-century Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, quibbling over postcode hardly feels apposite.

Who is behind the design?

Built in 1436 during the height of the Venetian Republic, the palazzo passed through some of Venice's great noble families before becoming one of its leading cultural salons. In the mid-19th century, architect Giovanni Battista Meduna introduced the neo-Gothic interiors – the octagonal staircase and the lavish reception rooms are some of the palace's most breathtaking features.

‘The restoration was a labour of love requiring rare interventions, from drying the palazzo’s foundations and building a dam around the façade walls, to the removal and treatment of each stone on the walls and floors. Over nearly a decade, hundreds of artisans worked across fresco restoration, sculpture, gilding and woodwork,’ explains Lebanese architect and designer Aline Asmar d'Amman, who is behind the latest chapter of the building, it’s transformation into Orient Express Venezia.

She resisted turning the hotel into a museum piece: original frescoes meet mirrored walls, and silk, velvet and embossed leather run into patinated plaster, carved timber and time-worn stone. ‘Beyond a monument to history, I see Orient Express Venezia as a living story, where the past shapes the future,’ she says. ‘It was important for me to honour the palazzo’s history while reimagining it for the present.’

The palette is clever. Asmar d'Amman drew on Venice's ‘lost colours’ – the rich reds, ochres, blues and greens that once animated the city before centuries of salt air and sunlight softened them to powdery hues. The designer embraces the spectrum that remains: baby tones woven through upholstery, curtains and finishes. This finds its fullest expression in the public rooms – the sorbet-hued Salone Vittoria and the Sala della Cultura, crowned by a lapis lazuli ceiling, are the undeniable stars of the renovation.

The room to book

They're rivalled only by the six Signature Suites, the largest of which span 145 square metres and incorporate incredible original details, including 19th-century frescoes depicting mythical winged figures and vast marble fireplaces. Tall windows frame canal views, while antique-inspired furnishings and rich textiles capture the essence of Palazzo Donà Giovannelli at its most romantic. ‘I wanted guests to be touched by the grace of [the palazzo’s] undying youth, while also experiencing a sense of cinematic progression,’ says Asmar d'Amman. ‘It becomes a great discovery, where one moves through layers of history.’

‘I love the act of re-using what once belonged to a glorious past, with an infinite interplay between old soul and contemporary interior architecture,’ she continues. The Cherubini Suite, for example, is home to a 1958 Carlo Scarpa chandelier as well as a vintage Murano chess table, weaving together distinct threads of Venice's architectural and artisanal heritage.

The guestrooms, by comparison, dial things down. Finished in coffee tones, pale timber and fretwork inspired by the Ca' d'Oro, the Grand Canal palace also designed by Meduna, they're elegant, if a little overshadowed by the spectacle outside.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Dining is split between relaxed Venetian cooking at all-day La Casati and the more ambitious Heinz Beck Venezia. La Casati takes inspiration from the persona of Marchesa Luisa Casati, who would famously take her pet leopard for walks in Piazza San Marco, serving seasonal dishes from cicchetti to marinated beef with artichokes and creamed cod ravioli.

At Heinz Beck Venezia, the three-Michelin-starred chef brings his ingredient-led approach to lagoon produce in the palace's restored orangerie. Before or after dinner, cocktails are served at Wagon Bar, an art deco space that subtly references the golden age of rail travel in a nod to the Orient Express name. ‘A loving tension reigns between the Orient Express world, marked by the glamour of the 1930s, and a reinterpretation of Venetian living. It embraces the duality of legacy and reinvention,’ says Asmar d'Amman.

Where to switch off

Perhaps the greatest luxury at Orient Express Venezia is its rare tranquillity in the city's tourist centre. The hotel's walled garden – almost unheard of in this part of Venice – is a pocket of calm restored with fountains, antique gates and lantern-lit pathways.

The spa follows the same philosophy, borrowing from Roman, Venetian and Ottoman bathing traditions to create a lagoon-inspired sanctuary.

The verdict

Orient Express Venezia’s location should not be mistaken for compromise – few addresses in the city can rival Palazzo Donà Giovannelli’s scale and atmosphere. The romance of Venice is palpable here, with contemporary interventions executed so deftly that you barely notice them.

London’s top suites have moved beyond the question of thread count. They now sell temporary ownership of the city: a roofline, a piece of a landmark, a view, an all-suite ecosystem. Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane enters that conversation with 14 newly renovated suites. Spanning Deluxe, Park and Grand Suites, alongside the Presidential Suite, the collection gives the hotel’s upper floors a further ritzy residential character.

Tour Four Seasons Park Lane’s new suite collection

Designed by London-based studio Interiors with Art, the spaces take their cues from the manicured Hyde Park and the manners of Mayfair. Sycamore panelling, brushed metal, Murano glass lighting and bespoke furniture run through the rooms; soft greens, autumnal shades and gold tones draw from the lush greenery across the road, while an art deco influence is kept to the details.

The Presidential Suite, on the fifth floor, might be the most formal of the set: three bedrooms, marble bathrooms for each, a guest powder room, rosewood panelling, Gaudi stone marble, dining for six and a private fireplace, all looking towards Hyde Park and Park Lane. The Park Suite, on the other hand, takes a softer route, with gold and burgundy tones, a fireplace in the living room and the ability to connect to a Mayfair Suite for a larger two-bedroom arrangement.

The Deluxe Suite is the city-facing option, set higher in the building, with panoramic views, a separate dining area and a layout that can also expand into two bedrooms. Meanwhile, the Garden Suite, which overlooks the hotel’s private garden, pairs 128 sq m of interiors with a sprawling 60 sq m landscaped terrace.

Suite guests can opt for butler service on request, packing and unpacking, Bentley house-car drop-offs in the local area, in-room styling and, for signature suite bookings, airport transfers. The concierge team includes seven Les Clefs d’Or members, while complimentary tickets to sold-out exhibitions across the V&A South Kensington, Young V&A and V&A East add a useful cultural key to the stay.

‘Each of these suites has been designed as a sanctuary, where every detail, material, and experience reflect the character of London and the care of Four Seasons,’ says Lynn Brutman, regional vice president and general manager at Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane. ‘Whether guests are with us for a weekend or a month, they’ll find a space that feels both elevated and effortlessly personal.’

The renovation sits neatly alongside the hotel’s stellar line-up of facilities: Pavyllon London by Yannick Alléno, the tenth-floor spa overlooking the skyline, and Bar Antoine, where the new Savoir-Boire menu turns French culinary cues into cocktails – from a Croissant Old Fashioned with croissant-infused cognac and Byrrh to a Cornichon Martini with olive oil vodka.

Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane is located at Hamilton Pl, Park Ln, London W1J 7DR, United Kingdom

The Florida motel has always known the power of a good sign, a swimming pool and somewhere to hide from the sun. Perroquet, a redesigned 1950s motel in Fort Lauderdale, starts there and takes it up a notch. Located on Harbor Drive, between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, the 37-room hotel keeps the familiar vernacular ingredients – courtyard, balcony, pool, palms, shade – and gives them a slick architectural treatment.

Come on down to Perroquet Hotel Fort Lauderdale

Hoteliers Clifford and Matthew of The Lane Organization brought in Belgian architect Bernard Dubois (recently behind The Standard Brussels) to rework the property, keeping the traditional U-shaped motel layout centred on a courtyard. On his first visit, Dubois says he ‘immediately loved’ the old motel plan, even before the building had found its new identity. His first move? To use a lush pairing of off-white and forest green across the façades, guardrails and corridor ceilings, referencing the region’s country clubs, tennis courts, and post-war motels. Dubois describes it as ‘a way of taking familiar codes and giving them a new clarity.’

Outdoors, red brick, green canvas, white railings and custom outdoor furniture give the courtyard a sculptural rhythm, while new planting turns the pool area into what Dubois calls 'a real jungle'. The trees screen the hotel from the street, draw birds into the courtyard and give the rooms a view of greenery rather than traffic. From outside, the building almost disappears behind them – clever planning by landscape architect Nathan Browning of Island Planning Corporation.

Thirty-seven rooms sit across nine categories, where a verdant palette turns slightly sulkier across linoleum floors, sheer curtains, chrome, leather and lacquered wood. Dubois designed the furniture himself, pulling from 1970s and 1980s chairs, 1990s chrome-and-leather silhouettes, Miami art deco geometry and 1930s rug patterns. The result delivers the clean snap of a boutique hotel, but also the delicious eccentricity of a roadside bolthole.

On the art front, curators Valerio Polimeno and Whitney Lane have assembled a collection that includes Salvatore Emblema, Giorgio Griffa, Jean Tinguely, Jean Cocteau, Lucio Fontana, Roberto Matta, Alekos Fassianos and Jeff Koons, with different works placed across the rooms. Elsewhere, the offer is deliberately straightforward: Sferra linens, Byredo toiletries, a self-service breakfast bar, deck chairs for the beach and a check-in style designed to leave guests to the pace of the place.

For Dubois, the contemporary motel is no longer bound by old ideas of luxury. ‘Many places that are the most authentic, charming and interesting aren’t the most traditionally luxurious,’ he says. Perroquet gives Florida a bijou hotel with panache, plenty of shade and a very good retro-style pool chair.

Perroquet Hotel Fort Lauderdale is located at 3081 Harbor Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316, United States

La Fantaisie in Paris has handed over one of its 73 rooms to the Hungarian artist Szabolcs Bozó, whose vibrant creatures and fluid, folk-inflected forms now occupy Room 607 for a nine-month residency. Running until 22 February 2027, the project continues the hotel’s ongoing artistic series, which previously saw a takeover by French contemporary artist Ben Arpéa.

Tour La Fantaisie’s Art Suite by Szabolcs Bozó

Bozó’s work has always carried the cadence of a spontaneous drawing and the nostalgia of a childhood memory. Rooted in Hungarian folk traditions and shaped by a self-taught visual language, his paintings, sculptures and installations are populated by zoomorphic figures that orbit somewhere between dream, fable and playground.

The walls of Room 607 have become an in-situ canvas, layered with works made directly for the space, while the existing artworks have been replaced entirely with pieces by Bozó. Handmade cushions and bespoke bedspreads woven with his signature animal-like motifs bring the collaboration into the soft furnishings; large-scale soft sculptures introduce a more physical sense of play; and hand-painted lampshades cast the room in a warmer, stranger glow.

A booklet for guests offers an introduction to the artist alongside the works available to purchase, while a selection of co-branded objects is also available and is exclusively sold at La Fantaisie, featuring caps, stickers, playing cards, and trays.

The Art Suite by Szabolcs Bozó spans 42 sq m, sleeps up to three guests and overlooks the hotel’s garden. It comprises a large walk-in closet, a plush bathroom with a bathtub and shower, and a sofa bed which can be turned into an additional sleeping quarter. Designed by Martin Brudnizki, La Fantaisie is already a botanical exercise in colour, pattern and exuberance, with boutique rooms, a glass-roofed restaurant, garden terrace, street-facing café, rooftop bar and spa in Paris’s 9th arrondissement.

‘Coinciding with my exhibition Antidote at Semiose, my collaboration with La Fantaisie brings together familiar elements from my studio, but also new materials, including fabric and everyday objects, allowing guests to experience my work in an even more tactile way. Paris as a location has always been close to my heart, with my first show taking place here,’ says Bozó of the opening.

La Fantaisie is located at 24 Rue Cadet, 75009 Paris, France. Rates for the Art Suite by Szabolcs Bozó start from 1,000 EUR inc. breakfast (approximately 862 GBP)

Kyoto is not short of beautiful hotels, but Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto has one thing most of them do not: an 800-year-old pond garden at its centre. At the foot of Higashiyama Mountain in the ancient capital’s temple district, the hotel feels like an idyllic paradise arranged around Shakusui-en: a heritage garden believed to date back to the late Heian period. With 180 rooms, including 13 suites and 57 residential suites, two restaurants, two lounges, a spa and wellness centre and a leather-clad Hermès rickshaw in its lobby, this is a property that makes staying in feel as compelling as going out.

Wallpaper* checks in at Four Seasons Kyoto

What’s on your doorstep?

Higashiyama might be Kyoto at its most atmospheric: narrow alleyways, traditional machiya houses, temples, shrines, small artisanal shops. Kyoto Station is about ten minutes away, making arrivals easy, while the surrounding district places guests close to some of the city’s most rewarding cultural sites, such as the Kyoto National Museum or Kiomizu-dera temple. That said, the hotel has a habit of slowing plans down. Between its garden, tea house, terrace overlooking the koi pond, and weekly maiko (traditional apprentice geisha) live performances in its lobby, leaving requires a surprising amount of discipline.

Who is behind the design?

Kyoto’s Four Seasons Hotel is an exercise in understated luxury, steeped in tradition yet thoroughly modern. The architectural blueprint was developed by Japanese studio Kume Sekkei, while global interior design firm Hirsch Bedner Associates (HBA) led the interiors for the guest rooms, spa and public spaces.

The sense of arrival is particularly strong: the porte-cochère, designed by Jun Mitsui & Associates, takes its cue from traditional Japanese umbrellas, with washi paper and glass used to soften the threshold between city and hotel. Indoors, HBA overlooked nothing, with grandeur in spades: quadruple-height ceilings in the dining room; a leather-clad Hermès rickshaw in a hallway corner; and cushions woven by Hosoo, a Kyoto atelier that dates from 1688.

Among the hotel’s expansive art collection, highlights include Seven Stones by Tokyo-born sculptor Todo, made using rocks collected from the hotel’s pond garden, and Zen by Ofune Makoto, a large blue work inspired by the temple district, shifting seasons and Kyoto’s meditative calm.

The room to book

Rooms and suites are designed around the Japanese idea of kutsurogi, or relaxation, and the best of them look directly onto either the city or the garden. Even the more contemporary spaces feel rooted in Kyoto through their use of washi-paper lighting, soft screens, warm wood and calm, restrained palettes. The garden-facing rooms are the ones to book, if possible: waking up to Shakusui-en is an experience in itself. The residential suites are a particular hot commodity for longer stays or families, offering the scale and privacy of an apartment with the service of a hotel.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Designed by Yamamoto Atelier, the teahouse in the garden, also known as Fuju Lounge, is used for meditative tea ceremonies by day, but come twilight, it turns into a swanky bar serving fine sakes – including one produced exclusively for Four Seasons – and premium Champagne. The perfect pre-prandial stopover before heading to Sushi Ginza Onodera Sushi, the 10-seater restaurant that serves Edo- (Tokyo-) style sushi from chef Takuya Kubo, or Kyoto Grill, the brasserie-style restaurant serving breakfast, afternoon tea and dinner, with charcoal-grilled meats, dry-aged cuts and seafood among its signatures

Where to switch off

The spa is one of the largest wellness areas in Kyoto, where facilities include a 20-metre indoor pool, Japanese ofuro baths, sauna, steam room, whirlpool, relaxation lounge and 24-hour fitness centre, alongside seven treatment rooms. Treatments draw on Kyoto traditions and seasonal ingredients. The Heian Tradition ceremony uses matcha, bamboo charcoal salt, camellia oil, rice milk, honey compresses, a sake bath and hot stones, while the Zen Ceremony focuses on full-body massage, ginger-infused hot towels and, in the longer version, another sake bath. There are also Sodashi treatments for jet lag and detox, alongside facials using Kotoshina, Biologique Recherche and Tatcha.

The verdict

Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto works because it understands that the garden is not a backdrop, but the point. The rooms are elegant, the food is strong, the spa is genuinely worth setting time aside for, and the location places guests inside one of Kyoto’s most atmospheric districts. But it is Shakusui-en that gives the hotel its character: koi in the pond, seasonal blossom, a glass bridge over ancient stonework, a tea house looking back towards the 12th century. Kyoto's beauty and history is unusually easy to take all at once.

Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto is located at 445-3 Myohoin Maekawacho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0932, Japan

Palácio Príncipe Real is a boutique Lisbon hotel with a backstory – tied to Portugal's aristocracy and the changing tides of the capital – and is infused with a sense of historic hedonism. Constructed in 1877 as a mansion for Diario de Noticias, co-founder of a Lisbon newspaper, the private residence was soon passed to the Teixeira da Mota family, who made it a centrepiece of Lisbon’s high society – famed for extravagant, decadent parties hosted in its lavish rooms – and would own it for more than a century.

Palácio Príncipe Real

The grand building is right at home in the surrounding Príncipe Real neighbourhood, an area established in the mid-19th century as a leafy residential haven for Lisbon’s aristocracy, and named in honour of King Dom Pedro V (Príncipe Real meaning ‘Royal Prince’), who reigned from 1853 to 1861.

After the Teixeira da Mota family moved out in 1980, the building slowly began to fall into disrepair. That was until retired British couple Miles and Gail Curley discovered the derelict building in 2015. Over the course of several years, they restored the classical architecture and ornate stucco, down to the hand-painted arabesque ceilings and azulejos (Portuguese tiles). Their attention to detail helped make the property into an award-winning boutique hotel, where historic glamour and contemporary craftsmanship meet.

Amid the grandeur, an unlikely, recurring motif throughout the hotel is the Indian runner duck – a nod to the small ecological farming business in Mallorca that the Curleys owned more than 20 years ago. Two Indian runner ducks, gifted by a friend, captivated the owners at the time, and are now suitably honoured.

At the heart of the hotel is a cascading stairway. Sunlight streams through a skylight, illuminating the pink walls. Up these stairs, are 25 restored rooms and suites. You might choose to sleep in the former family ballroom, or perhaps to soak up the views of a jacaranda tree from a window-side Drummonds roll-top bath.

Outside, the hotel opens up to a soothing oasis with a pool. The 1,400 sq m garden includes wisteria that climbs up the outside staircase, while deep-pink bougainvillea tumbles down the walls, and jasmine and lemon blossom add fragrance.

The residence’s Gatsby-esque grandeur nods to high-society parties past, but in its latest incarnation, this former palace has transitioned into a calming retreat where a more restrained elegance is the relaxing order of the day. Sip a glass of rosé in the grounds, peruse the neighbourhood shops (there are hilly, cobblestoned streets – pack comfortable shoes), or daydream beneath a jacaranda tree about the wild parties once hosted in the ballroom.

palacioprincipereal.com

Munich is the victim of more than its fair share of lazy Bavarian clichés, but beyond the beer halls and lederhosen lies a city with a far richer creative history than many visitors realise. ‘There are certain cities I feel like I just get very fast,’ says interior designer Tatjana von Stein, whose largest hotel project to date opens there this month. ‘Munich I found a little bit harder to grasp, if I'm totally honest.’

The admission is perhaps surprising. Von Stein was born in Munich to a German father and French mother before moving to the Austrian Tyrol as a young child. Now based in London, designing the latest offering from Irish-born lifestyle hotel brand The Dean has offered an opportunity to rediscover her birthplace from a fresh perspective.

What von Stein found was a city whose cultural identity proved far more layered than its reputation suggests. In the hotel’s Westend neighbourhood she discovered a burgeoning creative community, where pottery studios, wine bars and independent restaurants sit side by side, reminding her of her home in London. ‘Two big movements really came roaring out of the research: Jugendstil (the German and Austrian interpretation of Art Nouveau)... and the music industry (which boomed there in the 1980s). That really surprised me,’ she says. ‘I don't feel Munich is known for that kind of music scene at all.’

These seemingly disparate movements became the basis for the 281-room hotel’s interior, which oozes the sort of sultry sophistication that has become a hallmark of von Stein’s work, albeit dialled up a few notches. Working within the framework of an existing postmodern hotel, von Stein retained elements where possible – including the black stone floors in the lobby – before completely reimagining the public spaces as a sequence of increasingly theatrical interiors.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Dean Munich

What are the design standouts?

In the lobby, guests are greeted by softly curved Art Nouveau-inspired forms and floral motifs paired with flashes of 1980s glamour – lacquered finishes, reflective surfaces and polished metals that bring softness and warmth. A cream lacquer wall is set with stainless steel lighting by Cologne-based Studio Kuhlmann. ‘I don't want people to walk into a space and understand everything immediately,’ says von Stein of the design-era mash up. ‘I like nuance and discovery.’

Throughout the hotel, curator Christian Ganzenberg's site-specific art programme provides another layer of interpretation. Rather than attempting to match the interiors, the contemporary works deliberately create moments of friction – something von Stein sees as one of the project's strengths. 'Sometimes tension can be wonderful,' she says. 'Different people see and feel different things.'

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Further inside at Ibasho, a Japanese restaurant with a menu conceived by consultant chef Alex Craciun, the palette becomes warmer. Stained-glass screens reinterpret Jugendstil motifs in a more geometric language while apertures in the partitions frame views through the space. A glossy C-shaped bar and sunken seating area, topped by a mirrored ceiling, create a cosy cocktail spot within the restaurant. Rust-coloured carpets woven with floral motifs soften the room, in one instance climbing up the back of a banquette.

Vintage pieces, including designs by Josef Hoffmann, sit alongside von Stein's own bespoke furniture featuring fringing, velvet upholstery and glossy black veneer. The effect is one of controlled decadence: richly layered without ever tipping into excess.

Where to switch off?

‘I've always been obsessed with flow and tempo,’ she says of the hidden speakeasy. ‘Like the spaces are revving up, if you know what I mean.’ At The Dean, the interiors build to a crescendo in Noren, a small but richly decorated bar with a timber-lined ceiling that sits behind Ibasho. Here, tiger print sits alongside glossy timber, tapestry-style banquettes, mountain-inspired wallpaper and a lacquered bar illuminated by vintage Gabriella Crespi bamboo lamps, while custom lime-green Friendly Pressure speakers mounted to the ceiling inject an unexpected note of playfulness. Von Stein’s affection for this space is clear: ‘it’s such a vibe – an explosion of indulgence’.

The room to book

If the public spaces are designed as a crescendo, the guestrooms provide the exhale. Rather than starting from scratch, von Stein worked within the framework of the existing hotel, refreshing the rooms with new furniture, textiles and joinery while retaining much of the original architecture. Muted greens, soft curves and tactile finishes temper the visual exuberance of the public spaces below, creating rooms intended to restore.

The verdict

‘I would say we're primarily hospitality designers, and I think the part I love about that is the fact that we get to indulge in the story,' she reflects. Asked what unites her increasingly varied portfolio, von Stein is reluctant to pin it down. ‘I'm such an intuitive designer,’ she says. ‘It simply has to feel right.’ Judging by The Dean Munich, that instinct is remarkably well calibrated.

The Dean Munich is located at Landsberger Str. 68, 80339 München, Germany. Rates: €225 per night.

Since opening their debut in a former Freemason’s Hall in Shoreditch almost twenty years ago, Andaz have proven a canny ability to get ahead of the curve and open high-end hotels in up-and-coming neighbourhoods. Andaz Shanghai ITC follows suit, as the first lux stay in Xujiahui (the centre of the Former French Concession, aka Xuhui), set inside the new International Trade Centre complex. As is the Andaz way, the interiors are inspired by the locality, and this branch has gone for a nod to nostalgia. It’s an urban bolt hole, but the open-air movie nights, outdoor yoga and DJs in the cocktail bar make Andaz Shanghai ITC more than just a spot to rest your head.

Wallpaper* checks in at Andaz Shanghai ITC

What’s on your doorstep?

Slightly removed from the tourist trail, Xuhui is an enclave of heritage buildings, leafy parks and wide boulevard streets. Its main thoroughfares are fast-paced, but the side streets are homey, with the occasional impressive art deco apartment block or modernist civil building tucked away. The district’s supporting cast, which the Andaz design team took their inspiration from, is the distinctly Shanghaiese shikumen, or Lane Houses; the pre-war era micro-communities of dwellings that curl around communal courtyards with arched gateway entrances. Shikumen can date as far back as the mid-19th century, melding Chinese and European styles, and you can spot them around Xuhui, particularly those repurposed as cafés and boutiques. The area also comes with cultural cachet, as the home to Xujiahui Library, St. Ignatius Cathedral, and the Shanghai Film Museum, all within a 10-minute stroll of the hotel.

Who is behind the design?

This newly opened Andaz is part of a vast architectural project designed by the Hong Kongese P&T Group, the Xujiahui International Trade Centre. The ITC is a self-proclaimed ‘vertical neighbourhood’ of streamlined pathways, encompassing the Andaz, condo and office blocks, soon-to-open malls and the other ITC figurehead, Tower 2, which at 70 storeys and a soaring 370m in height, makes it the tallest tower in Puxi, the west side of the river.

The Andaz Shanghai ITC interiors are by HBA, who have artfully mirrored features of the heritage buildings of Xuhui to elicit an elegant time warp, while infusing a playful tone through the pops in colour and flow of lighting and space. Alleyway-like corridors lead into naturally light-drenched, high-ceilinged drinking and dining spaces. HBA’s Matthew Liu explains: ‘The communal spaces (the gym and swimming pool) were inspired by the historic rowing clubs along the Huangpu River. We are particularly proud of the dining rooms on the 14th floor. Architecturally, they reference traditional Shanghai lane houses; their proportions and spatial scale closely reflect those residential typologies.’ Think classy but cosy.

The 14th floor lobby is a design whimsy, with 1930s flashback elevators and a grand clock that has its own daily ritual at 5.30 pm, marking the moment when day becomes night. Grey brick provides a neutral backdrop to the colourful light fixtures and inviting textiles used throughout this floor, which also houses three lively dining spaces, the East Wing, the Rooftop Bar and the West Wing. ‘Brick was reinterpreted in multiple forms and materials across different areas of the hotel to define character, texture, and spatial identity,’ Matthew Liu told us. The vivid turquoise chandeliers of the East Wing and cluster of bright light globes and mirror balls in the Rooftop Bar are stand-out features, but honourable mentions go to the wellness floor’s triathlon mosaic by SONITE, art installations in the dining spaces by Debut Studio and Lu Jian Xin’s large wall piece ‘City Coordinates’, all accentuating movement and dynamism of the neighbourhood below.

The room to book

The 267 rooms come in five different types, each styled as the abode of a creative professional; the King rooms are the home of a fashion designer, the Twin rooms are the creative artist’s, the Andaz suites are the photographer’s house, the Premier suite is the florists and the unfathomably swish Executive suite is the jewellery designer’s pad, with all five decorated with art and artefacts to fit the profession. We loved the Andaz suite, a three-room affair on the corner of two corridors with sweeping views of Xujiahui below. Cameras deck the walls, as do used film reels and photography books, all adding fun detail and commitment to the theme. The sizeable sofa and bathtub in the Andaz suite are both ideal for reviving your feet after a busy day marching through the city, resetting before heading to the bar.

Voss water is plentiful throughout the room. Cans of Heineken beer and Coca-Cola sit cooled in the fridge, as do bottles of soda water. Spirits come in the form of Absolute Vodka, The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Aged 12 Years) and most interestingly, a lightly spiced local Shanghai craft gin by Peddlers Gin Co, infused with lotus, cardamom, Sichuan pepper, Chinese cassia, and liquorice, to name just half the ingredients. TWG Tea bags and Nespresso coffee pods are also readily available.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Executive Chef of Andaz Shanghai ITC, Jesse Chen, is Shanghainese born and bred, and has returned home after working in Europe for a long stint. She tells us, ‘Sweet things bring people joy; I am a typical Shanghainese that way. I saw my mother and grandma cooking a lot of rich sauces like soy sauce and sweet and sour sauce.’ So on the East Wing’s menu, she showcases these Shanghai flavours with plates of braised pork belly, slow-cooked lotus root, marinated river prawns, and of course dim sum and bao.

In the West Wing, there’s a multicultural approach, typical of Shanghai, with a deli-like counter offering Spanish tapas and Italian bites. After grazing, there are tea-based cocktails in the Rooftop Bar, concocted by bar manager Van Li. The Pomelo Oolong with pineapple, Japanese yuzu and 10-year-old Lafroig is a smoky dream. His domain is afternoon tea by day and DJs and board games by night.

The verdict

Despite being China’s capital of nostalgia, finding glimpses of old school Shanghai can be elusive beyond The Bund, given the forward-facing and futuristic nature of the city’s design. So Andaz Shanghai ITC is something of a shrine to the city of yesteryear, putting working-class culture (communal living, kids' games, everyday flavours) on a pedestal through its design. It’s a heart-warming stay without being too kitsch, elegantly done but with a lot of character. Everything is seamless, as you’d expect from a chain so committed to understated luxury, but the ease is a particularly welcome respite from the fast pace of the city outside.

Andaz Shanghai ITC is located at Hongqiao Rd. 283, Shanghai, China 200030

Fans of the eco-conscious 1 Hotel chain will now have yet another reason for visiting Japan, with the latest addition to the brand’s portfolio in Tokyo’s Akasaka neighbourhood. Featuring 211 rooms, including 24 suites and three penthouse suites, a gorgeous pool and hammam, a dedicated gin bar and delicious Mediterranean-inspired cuisine, guests might find it hard to actually leave and go explore the city, though.

Wallpaper* checks in at 1 Hotel Tokyo, Japan

What's on your doorstep?

Located right in the heart of the city, 1 Hotel is within walking distance of fun-loving Roppongi, shopping in Azabudai Hills and a 20min stroll to the Imperial Palace Gardens, but with the pool, Hamman, excellent coffee at the Neighbors coffee shop adjacent to the reception, you might find it hard to leave the hotel altogether.

Who is behind the design?

Housed on the upper floors of the Akasaka Trust Tower, the interior design has been put in the very capable hands of Jun Aizaki of Crème. A stunning stone wall at the entrance on the ground floor sets the tone of the natural and eclectic palette of materials used throughout the space; distinctly Japanese Oya stone, reclaimed wood, handblown glass and hemp cord lamps. With a carefully selected variety of lamps and bespoke furniture, the design never gets repetitive, and there is a clear reference to the local setting (moss, bonsai, earthen walls) without the design being overly Japanese.

The room to book

Even the standard rooms feel spacious and inviting with ample use of subdued colours, wooden furniture and carefully selected lighting fixtures. The rawness of, for instance, the rough edges of the bathroom vanity, marble counters, reclaimed wood furniture and wood panelling adds an honesty to the sophisticated design that renders the rooms very cosy.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The hotel’s main dining room, NiNi (a name meaning ‘two-two’ in Japanese), takes its inspiration from Mediterranean cuisine, while making abundant use of local Japanese ingredients, and is headed by Nikko Policarpio. Dinner offers fresh seafood dishes such as botan shrimp carpaccio, hamaguri clams (served with cucumber mignonette, yuzu kosho and olive oil Caviar), roasted scallops, homemade pasta (the zucchini ravioli being our favourite), simple charcoal grilled meat dishes (including chicken confit from Iwate Prefecture, pork chop from Yamagata and Tajima Wagyu) and a selection of vegetable side dishes.

Breakfast is the perfect blend of made-to-order mains (perfectly cooked omelettes, mushroom tartines, waffles, French toast, etc) and a carefully selected, but not overly complicated buffet.

Where to switch off

Guests can indulge in various treatments and massages (including hard-to-find in Tokyo couples massages) at The Bamford Wellness Spa, and are also given free use of the small but gorgeous pool and adjacent Hamman steam rooms.

The verdict

We love the stylish, honest and natural design throughout the hotel. Dining at NiNi is a treat, and with a well-selected wine and impressive non-alcoholic selection too, a new favourite addition to Tokyo’s vibrant dining scene. The rooms come with a well-stocked minibar and the pool and Hammam onsite, and delicious coffee at the hotel’s own coffee bar Neighbors, makes it hard to actually leave the hotel.

Book 1 Hotel Tokyo, 2 Chome-17-22 Akasaka, Minato City, Tokyo 107-0052, Japan. Rates from $550

Art deco architecture is as much a part of South Beach as sandy beaches and dancing on tables. The Delano Miami Beach has stood tall inside the same iconic building since 1947. After a six-year full-scale renovation, led by Elastic Architects, the latest reincarnation of the once hard-partying hotel – one of the most exciting recent hotel openings – brings its iconic luxury footprint back to Miami Beach with plenty of glamour and a more modern mindset that, while still convivial, puts wellness ever-so-slightly above late-night antics.

Wallpaper* checks in at Delano Miami Beach

What’s on your doorstep?

Located on Collins Avenue, the Delano sits in the middle of a stretch that’s seen the old guard flip – with The Shelborne by Proper opening last year and revamps of The Raleigh and the Shore Club (which soon fly the Auberge flag) coming down the pipeline. It’s also in a prime beachfront position, providing direct access to the Miami Beach Boardwalk and the Delano’s serviced beach area.

Who is behind the design?

The Delano is one of Miami’s most emblematic hotels. When it first opened, the sign read ‘nothing finer’. It also advertised air conditioning – a big deal back in the day; thankfully, now standard across the balmy Florida city.

Hotelier Ian Schrager, in collaboration with designer Philippe Starck, reignited the historic hotel into a sleek, scene-driven South Beach destination in 1995 and operated it for 25 years. The latest iteration, nay transformation, turned back the clock in some ways, honouring the hotel’s legacy, while also bringing it into the present. The design and management teams worked closely with the City of Miami Historic Preservation Division to stay on task. Aesthetically, there’s plenty to appeal to history buffs, from the terracotta floors emblazoned with the original emblem to the scene-stealing lobby, which shows off soaring columns and billowing fabric.

Despite its deep roots – and thoughtful choices that pay homage to its glam past – the Delano feels refreshingly on the pulse, thanks to its airy palette and impressive collection of works by Miami artists – including a mythical glazed stoneware relief by Nina Surel, oil paintings by Natalie Galindo and striking botanic sculptures by Alissa Alfonso that adorn the walls outside of Rose Bar.

The main pool area is now flanked by loungers and umbrellas, accented with lemon print underneath and playful fringe, plus a row of cabanas for VIP poolside hangs. Rooms are bright with crisp linens, light wood flooring and rugs evoking the soft sands below and large, ocean-facing windows. The dining concepts channel other vibe-driven destinations: the dynamic energy of Osaka, languid summers on Italy’s Mediterranean coastline.

The room to book

The Delano Miami Beach features 171 rooms and suites, decorated with crisp tonal hues, curved furnishings and oversized windows for gazing at the beach or the city skyline. For the ultimate in space and scenery, the swank 2,824 sq ft ocean-view penthouse offers unobstructed panoramas of the sandy shoreline and Atlantic waves from the three ensuite bedrooms, living and dining spaces and terrace.

If you’d rather soak in the social buzz, the two-storey poolside bungalows are the epitome of a Miami Beach holiday. Located just steps from the pool, each boasts a covered patio that effectively doubles as a cabana, allowing guests to enjoy food and beverage service without ever leaving the shade.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

It’s not a secret that Miami Beach is chock-a-block with great spots to eat and drink – a trio of them happen to reside at Delano Miami Beach, the result of a partnership with Paris Society, marking the group’s first restaurants in the United States. Gigi Rigolatto – a chic Italian eatery with outposts in Saint-Tropez, Paris, Dubai, Rome and Bodrum – brings its effortless elegance and coastal Italian cuisine to South Beach. Designed by Hugo Toro, the first-floor space, which extends from the air-conditioned dining room to the covered terrace, gleams with the sun-dappled warmth of plaster walls, carved wooden panels, archways and yellow Sienna marble. Signature dishes include seabream carpaccio, tomato salad, linguine alle vongole and grilled octopus.

On the fourth floor, at Mimi Kakushi, Elastic Architects and Pirajean Lees utilise wooden screens, textures, and hand-painted walls to transport Delano Members Club and hotel guests to Osaka, blending art deco-influenced design with modern dining. There’s an open sushi counter where chefs craft nigiri by hand as well as a menu of shareable Japanese plates such as tuna tartare topped with caviar, Wagyu and foie gras gyoza and miso black cod. The cocktail program, inspired by Sessue Hayakawa, celebrates the Japanese silent film star’s many on-screen characters through cinematic tipples and nonalcoholic options.

For a nightcap, the Rose Bar, just off the lobby, is back in all its glam glory, whether you belly up to the dusky-lit Rosso Lepanto marble bar for a Rose Old Fashioned or sip a Floral Negroni on one of the low-slung sofas that spill out into the lounge.

Where to switch off

Back in the Ian Schrager days, the basement was a nightclub. The glow-up, which taps into Miami’s wellness-oriented lifestyle rather than dance-till-dawn nights, replaces that more debaucherous after-dark fixture with a forthcoming wellbeing wing. There’s also a chic gym kitted out with tonal Technogym equipment and a fitness studio. Beachfront yoga sessions are also available to guests.

The verdict

Delano Miami Beach is a chic, grown-up – much-needed and welcome – addition to the South Beach scene. It’s a place where you can indulge in rosé by the pool, cocktails and late-night sushi. But there’s also a quieter emphasis on wellness. Guests might just as easily turn in early rather than stay out till dawn and rise for morning yoga. The service is friendly, warm, and young. Not inexperienced by any stretch, just vibrant and youthful. The Delano employs people who can match the fun, sunny energy of South Beach.

Book Delano Miami Beach, 1685 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States. Rates: from $650

If you were to sail around Sardinia, it would be easy to glide past Poltu Quatu without a second glance. True to its name meaning ‘hidden port’, the small Sardinian village peeks through the mountains like a hidden oasis. Its topography is reminiscent of Greece, and its flora that of Spain, making the Italian island a cultural conglomerate, offering an environment that is distinctly different, yet familiar.

At the heart of the village is the new W Sardinia by Marriott Bonvoy. The hotel is nestled within the pre-existing architecture designed by Jean-Claude LeSuiss – he originally designed the resort's buildings in the early 2000s. The hotel replicates his signature style of white-washed facades and irregular arches (known as occhio de bue, meaning eye of the bull, a construction nightmare but one that results in a visual delight).

Sardinia became a tourism hotspot in the 1960s, and W Sardinia echoes this. There is a feeling of nostalgia and glamour within its interior, from the poolside bar, to the chunky bridge connecting the hotel suites to the main lobby, it is a surprising reposition for the company, known for having a vibrant party atmosphere, but now embarking on a new, elegant chapter – still with a sprinkling of W’s playful energy.

Wallpaper* checks in at W Sardinia - Poltu Quatu

What’s on your doorstep?

After perusing the small village of Poltu Quatu (home to a few boutique shops and restaurants), book a 15-minute taxi to the neighbouring village of San Pantaleo. Enjoy a gelato at Il Buon Gelato (we recommend the salted pistachio), and explore the bohemian village. Known for its art, head there on a Thursday to see the street market, or check out Sardinian artist Nicola Filia’s art gallery – he designed the W sculpture outside the hotel.

You can also choose to spend an afternoon at Surrau Winery and taste a selection of Sardinian wines against the backdrop of rolling vineyards. The winery itself is full of architectural intrigue, from its wooden ceilings to the large underground tunnel home to various wines.

Who is behind the design?

The design was spearheaded by Will Meyer and Gray Davis, founders of their eponymous New York design firm. The duo kept the architecture, flooring and pool completely original, while every interior detail is considered and locally made, including the large hand-sculpted art feature by Luca Scassellati behind the lobby deck, to ceramic vases by Walter Usai and tapestries by Fabrizio Sanna, to the woven carpet which nods to the crystal seas, a stone's throw away.

‘There’s something kind of mystical about the area,’ says Will Meyer. ‘There is a depth of history, and myth, and there's something kind of magical about it.’ Gray Davis continued to note, ‘I think the narrative is such a key element. We learned about the native Sardinian Nuragic civilisation, and the archaeological treasures found in Sardinia that were created by the civilisation, and that in itself felt very mysterious.’

From the minute you enter the building, the architecture strikes you as unique. As Davis explains, ‘[The architecture] speaks to a lot of the caves and kind of an underwater world. We really leaned into this and enhanced those elements within the main lobby living room area.’

This abstract storytelling was balanced with contemporary functionality. The designers created a space which slowly reveals itself. The lobby feels compressed and cosy, before entering the ‘Wet Deck’ which opens up as if stumbling upon a secret lagoon offering a sense of discovery. Meyer and Davis were also inspired by the mythology of the Janas, fairy-like creatures which resided in caves and ancient sites around the island. In Sardinian folklore they are the protectors of the fisherman on their journeys at sea. This is celebrated with a large mural at the back of the W Lounge restaurant.

The room to book

There is a lot of artistic expression across the 157 rooms and suites. From the vibrant veining of the stone cabinets to the chunkiness of the makeup vanity coupled with an overlapping mirror which mimics an oceanic ripple effect. Each suite feels like a secret grotto. Either book the premier room, which offers a private balcony to enjoy views of the pool below, or indulge in the deluxe suite, a more spacious room with a tub, lounging area, and large makeup vanity. In either room, the layering of materials creates a soothing oasis that encourages you to exhale as soon as you step inside.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The Tanit restaurant, named after the ancient goddess of abundance, is perched overlooking the harbour where one can gaze at the yachts in transit. Breakfast is a main event here with a dedicated Dolce Room by Italian chef Fabrizio Fiorani offering an array of delectable pastries and cakes (the petite custard-filled fruit tart is divine). Dinner at the restaurant is fresh, local and light, and centred around seafood. We would recommend the freshly caught sea bass accompanied with garlic potatoes and roasted vegetables, followed by a symphony of frozen fruits stuffed with a refreshing sorbet. The cocktail menu stays classic, but fair warning: the drinks are strong.

If you want to venture out of the hotel and into the small village for dinner, we recommend Il Marchese for an authentic Italian experience. A table outside is perfect to watch the sky light up in sunset hues. Enjoy the fried courgette flowers and Matriciana pasta, with 18-month-aged pecorino romano and traditional pork cheek.

Where to switch off

The best place to switch off would be poolside. Don't miss the hidden sauna and steam room. The cave-like architecture makes it a soothing destination which perfectly captures Sardinia’s spirit.

If being active is your way of unwinding, then head to the resort's fitness centre, fully equipped with Technogym. W also suggests experiencing sunrise yoga and power walks around the marina.

The verdict

Stepping away from W’s party roots, the Sardinian location is more like a chic older sister, offering a more sophisticated stay while still uniting W’s signature energy. It's transportative, comfortably straddling the past and the future, and engulfed in timeless, Sardinian beauty.

W Sardinia - Poltu Quatu is located at SP59, 07021 Poltu Quatu OT, Italy. Rates: from £423

Nick Jones, founder of the Soho House group, has spent more than three decades shaping how a certain generation wants to eat, drink, work, linger and belong. At St. Clement, his anticipated new hotel in London, that instinct has been turned inward. Here, everything he finds annoying about hotels has been removed, softened or rethought: No fussy check-in, no paid-for minibar snacks, no laundry forms, no promise of a river view unless there is actually a river view. And certainly, no performative luxury.

At St Clement, Nick Jones rewrites the rules of the London hotel

St. Clement sits at 180 The Thames, part of the wider 180 Quarter being developed by British entrepreneur Mark Wadhwa, whose work around 180 The Strand has already pulled this once-overlooked pocket of the city into a cultural mecca for the groovy and cool: residences, restaurants, galleries, libraries, studios, and a new London square all stitched into one address. Jones knows the weight of the site and its privileged vista: ‘This is where London started,’ he says during a walk-through with Wallpaper*, looking out across the city.

The interiors, by London-based Eagle + Hodges – the studio founded by Alex Eagle with Sophie Hodges in 2016 – avoid the over-dressed mood of many new luxury hotels. It is polished and sleek, but it does not want to vaunt. In Jones’ own words: ‘This is our take on what a grand dame hotel like The Savoy would be if it were built today. Not bowler hats, stiff suits and high heels, but something a bit more relaxed, closer to cashmere and trainers.’ Indeed, the lobby has the ease of a laid-back, gallery-like private living room, with vintage furniture by George Nakashima and Jean Royère, blossom-heavy tables, and Richard Horwood’s 1799 plan of the City of London anchoring the walls.

All 90 rooms follow in spirit. The 450 sq ft entry-level rooms would pass as suites elsewhere. Jones calls one ‘bog-standard’ during the tour, then immediately points out the details that make it anything but: complimentary non-alcoholic minibar snacks, free laundry and steaming, proper luggage storage, and games boxes. ‘I hate paying for the minibar,’ he says. ‘I hate being charged for a Kit Kat.’

In the bathroom, a mirrored cabinet opens like a beauty apothecary, stocked with a Discovery Kit by beauty brand YLW (You’re Looking Well), Daba sunscreen, Laro dental care, Arlington shaving cream and Pleasing nail polish, among other essentials.

Standout details throughout include generous Eagle & Hodges-designed Rutland sofas and matching armchairs, glowing Brian Clarke glass screens, and bespoke Perfumer H amenities. Meanwhile, the 4,000 sq ft, two-storey penthouse – with its vast river-facing living spaces, fully equipped chef’s kitchen, library anchored by a vintage Bernar Venet sofa from 1993, and wraparound terrace – has the feel of a cinematic collector’s apartment. Rather than oversell the experience, Jones prefers to underplay the promise and let the hotel exceed expectations.

Food and drink venues are positioned as their own destination. Café Clement, the all-day restaurant and bar from chef Danny Bohan, reads like a London brasserie with French and Italian instincts: cheese soufflé with Gruyère and nutmeg; Sea bass carpaccio with citrus and herbs; an open Scottish lobster omelette with crème fraîche and tarragon served at breakfast, lunch and dinner; Roast duck for two with dripping potatoes and St Clement sauce.

Bobbi’s Bar takes the mood later. Open until 3 am and featuring a sound system by Devon Turnbull, it sits in a darker register: wood panelling, warm lamps, glowing bottles and the faint danger of staying one drink too long. A daybed running alongside the bar stools makes it an ideal spot for a final nightcap before bed. The cocktail to order is the Clementini – a mix of ‘Oranges and Lemons’ vodka, Champagne, Oyster Vermouth and olive oil. Add a pickle to make it dirty.

More is still to come. Lunette, chef Florence Knight’s first solo restaurant after Sessions Arts Club, will open on the top floor in September. A private screening room is also in the works, alongside a series of event spaces for dinners and parties of up to 100 guests. Then there is the Health Club & Spa. Set to open later this year for both hotel guests and members, it spans three levels and centres around a 25m pool running alongside the Thames. Around it: weight training, cardio, banya, steam room, hammam, sauna and ice baths.

As our tour with Jones comes to an end, it becomes clear that St Clement is not selling a one-night fantasy of London, but the promise of return. Jones wants the property to be used regularly, not simply visited once for the novelty of a new opening. That distinction matters. ‘We want people to decide to change this to be their new London address,’ he says, before the conversation turns to his plans to host a ‘cabbies’ breakfast.

St. Clement is located at 180, the Thames, 12 Temple Pl, Temple, London WC2R 2NF, United Kingdom

Tucked between two of Mallorca’s most photogenic villages, Hotel Corazón has found the answer to the popularity of the island’s mountainous spine: a sunbaked 18th-century finca where the outside world feels very far away.

Wallpaper* checks into Hotel Corazón, Mallorca

What’s on your doorstep?

Amid the 90km of the Serra de Tramuntana mountain range, rocky headlands studded with cypress drop to glittering coves. Along this range sits a trail of villages – Valldemossa, Fornalutx, Deià, Sóller – that have variously claimed the ‘most beautiful in Europe’ crown.

That said, predictably, the hordes have descended (or ascended). In high season, it can be difficult to move through the honey-coloured streets. Hotel Corazón sidesteps all of that. Between the amenity-rich Sóller and the picture-perfect Deià (both still worth a visit), a veer off the hairpin road brings you to a historic finca ensconced in palms.

Who’s behind the design?

The 17-room property is owned and run by photographer Kate Bellm and her husband, green thumb Edgar Lopez, and you can tell: everything here – from the interiors to the printed ‘newspapers’ left in each room – bears the mark of people who care deeply about how things look and feel.

The original restoration was led by Mallorca-based studio Moredesign, working alongside local artisans, metalworkers and ceramicists. The main body of the hotel sits around a cobblestone courtyard in shades of terracotta, punctuated by monstera-filled amphorae. The original chapel remains, repurposed now as a spa.

The dining terrace and conservatory were expanded and redesigned in 2024 by London-based designer Tatjana von Stein, who brought prior experience in Mallorca from her work on Làlia, a private members' club in Palma. These areas feel bohemian but never eccentric: hand-carved marble tables, mustard banquettes and benches adorned with sun motifs meet gingham napkins and sailor-striped cushions. The view of the Serra de Tramuntana from the terrace is breathtaking – particularly at dinner, when the peaks turn blue in the twilight and their summits swirl with cloud.

The room to book

Hotel Corazón has two suites, 13 individually designed superior and double rooms and two garden rooms. I stayed in one of the last – modest in scale but the most private on the property, set apart from the main building beside Lopez’s cactus and succulent garden. They’re cosy, with candy-pink bed linen, though let down somewhat by an almost total lack of storage.

Holy Wood, one of the superior rooms I also had the privilege of experiencing, is Jacques Couëlle-esque in its wobbly doors, rounded steps and bumpy surfaces. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a right angle here. These rooms combine stone, limewash and linen in the shades of pink, beige and sage, offset by sheepskin rugs, rough ceramics and oversized art.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The hotel’s kitchen garden is integral to the dining offering. Farmer-in-residence Emma Philip harvests produce that reaches the plate within minutes, and chef Eliza Parchanska’s cooking is vibrant – finished with edible flowers which make each dish positively sculptural. Sweet potato noodles with spicy sesame dressing are transformatively good, a crispy rice salad with edamame and peanuts detonates on the tongue, and fried artichokes with pistachio aioli have a quality that seems somehow greater than the sum of their parts.

Where to switch off

Perched on a vantage point over the sea, the pool is surrounded by pampas grass and rosemary, with carritx-covered umbrellas, 1970s-style loungers and tasselled hammocks for comfort and shade. A WhatsApp ordering system is a good idea in theory, undermined by the area’s patchy signal in practice. Pilates and yoga sessions, offered free to guests, are an excellent way to get into the hotel’s clean-living spirit.

The verdict

For the aesthete, Hotel Corazón feels like heaven – from the whimsical interiors to the kitchen-garden cooking, every detail has been tended to with a rare level of conviction. In a corner of Mallorca that feels at risk of being loved to death, the property carves out its own paradise.

Hotel Corazón is located at Carretera de Deià, km. 56, 7, 07100 Sóller, Balearic Islands, Spain. Rates: from 350 EUR

Hudson, New York, began as Mohican land before becoming a prosperous river-port town after the American Revolution, built by Quaker merchants and New England whalers seeking inland trading routes along the Hudson River. As whaling declined, the town reinvented itself in the 19th century as a compact industrial hub of brickworks, foundries, textile mills and ironworks linked by river and rail. Like many American industrial towns, Hudson fell into decline after WWII. Over the past two decades, however, its remarkable collection of Georgian, Victorian and Italianate buildings has been revived by a thriving LGBT community, creative New York City transplants, second-home owners and antique dealers.

Pocketbook Hudson now occupies the town's largest historic building, a 70,000-square-foot former textile mill and pocketbook factory from 1883 that spans an entire city block. It has been reborn after years of abandonment into the Hudson Valley’s newest destination for hospitality, nightlife and the arts. The hotel encompasses 46 guest rooms and suites, a day-to-night café and bar, restaurant, communal bathhouse, subterranean nightclub, and three floors of multi-brand retail space.

Wallpaper* checks in at Pocketbook Hudson

What’s on your doorstep?

Book an Amtrak train from Manhattan’s magnificent Moynihan Train Hall at Penn Station, housed in the city’s original Beaux-Arts post office building from 1914, recently renovated by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. In just two hours, you’ll arrive at Hudson Station with your feet firmly planted steps from Warren Street, the main artery of this tiny but mighty Catskills hamlet.

Traverse the de facto antique capital of the East Coast as you head down Warren and its side streets filled with furniture dealers, homeware shops, clothing boutiques, bars and restaurants. At the end of the shop-filled thoroughfare, pivot left on North 6th Street past the Hudson Harmonic (former German Lutheran Church) to Washington Street, and you’ll arrive at Pocketbook Hudson, with its towering three-story red brick edifice.

Who is behind the design?

A Covid-era daydream turned reality, Pocketbook is the culmination of six years of planning and renovation led by a cohort of partners including Gabriel Katz of MacArthur Holdings, developer and realtor Sean Roland, Nancy Kim, former design director of Ace Hotels, and Vipin Nambiar and Jeremy Selman of HN Capital. The newly minted hoteliers tapped their mentors at Salt Projects, the Tbilisi-based hospitality consultancy known for Georgia's industry-defining Rooms hotel brand. Together, they selected renowned architecture and design firm Charlap Hyman & Herrero for the overhaul at hand.

Winners of the prestigious 2026 Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Award for Interior Design, this was CHH's first full-scale hospitality project, lending a ‘residential’ take on the hotel and holistic repurposing of industrial spaces into immersive habitats.

Collaborating with a roster of local contemporary artisans and designers, each space has been outfitted with distinctive furnishings and crafts, from cascading ceramic washbasins and table lamps by Misha Kahn, to the waterproof jelly-moulded seating systems by Rich Aybar in the bathhouse. Artist WangShui led the hotel’s art curatorial program, commissioning paintings, mural works and photography by artists such as Tschabalala Self, Maryam Hoseini and Martine Gutierrez.

The room to book

The industrial bones of this former factory lend to giant interiors with soaring ceilings and unique architectural details. The spacious ‘Bathing Studio’ on the ground floor sports original burgundy-red window frames, which fill the limewashed space with natural sunlight. Highlights include an upholstered seating bench that runs the length of the room, a separate bathroom and toilet, and a tastefully cheeky shower porthole peering into the bedroom. The pièce de résistance is the stainless steel elevated bathtub behind the sleeping quarters. As the room name suggests, bathing is a lifestyle at Pocketbook, and the creative minibar has Casa Finca salts perfect for a nightcap soak.

Only the ‘Weekend Studio’, ‘Loft Studio’ and ‘Lounging Studio’ room categories lack an in-room soaking tub, yet follow the same ethos across: warm and off-green materials, stainless steel sink washbasins, natural wood bed frames and millwork by Primary Visual, exposed brick accent walls, CHH-designed linen pendants and chrome wall lights, a custom amenity skincare line by Village Common, glassware by Mamo, and lime green terry-clothed bathrobes from Eckhaus Latta.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Open Wednesdays through Sundays for dinner service, Ambos is the headlining restaurant, named in memory of the factory's former proprietor and well-known Hudson bon vivant, Eleanore Ambos. Meaning ‘both’ in Spanish, the name is an accidental double entendre as chef Norberto Piattoni's menu pairs the staples of his native Argentine cuisine with the seasonal ingredients of the Hudson Valley.

Standouts include a Picanha steak with chimichurri, demi-glace, and rejilla potato, and a Black Sea Bass in Basque-style vasca sauce. Start with a fresh elderberry honey-dressed snap pea salad or choose from fail-safe delicious classics, including Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe or Pappardelle with a Mutton Ragu sauce.

For breakfast and lunch, the café runs a daily menu (opt for the perfectly fluffed scrambled eggs with spinach and toast), along with coffees, to-go pastries and baked goods. Come evening, the bar’s housemade brioche burger is not to be missed.

Offering more than just drinks, cultural magic at Pocketbook is thanks to Brand Director Shanekia McIntosh, who heads experiential programming and partnerships. She has brought in a repertoire of multi-hyphenate international and Hudson Valley DJs, artists, and performers such as Papi Juice, Bearcat, Autumn Knight, Fulathela, and Ahya Simone to headline the subterranean nightclub Ether, a lineup that feels more at home in New York City than in Hudson.

‘Our mantra is that each person who enters our space is a guest, whether or not they have a room for the night,’ explains McIntosh. ‘We want to make sure everyone feels welcomed and is having a good time. Pocketbook feels most alive to me when our community in Hudson is also here attending an event, grabbing dinner or drinks, and intermingling with out-of-towners on holiday.’

That ethos extends weekly to Tuesday and Wednesday community days, offering residents half-off entry to the baths, followed by free cultural programming, including live evening record spins in the lounge by Hudson-based artist and DJ Tshidi Matale.

Where to switch off

Veering far beyond a typical hotel pool offering, the Baths are available to overnight guests, members and day-pass visitors for unwinding amongst cold and warm plunge pools, a sauna and a rotating calendar of fitness classes. Opt for a deep-tissue massage with a practitioner or a classical Chinese medicine bodywork treatment on the upper level.

The verdict

An ambitious endeavour for a small town, Pocketbook is the missing puzzle piece from Hudson, cementing the town as its own cultural powerhouse and forecasting its continued evolution as one of the fastest-growing creative enclaves in the Tri-State area. With just 46 rooms, the main apparatus of Pocketbook centres the local community as its main economic engine amongst dining, drinks, shopping and wellness, as opposed to becoming a gilded enclave for vacationers.

Pocketbook Hudson is located at 549 Washington St, Hudson, NY 12534, United States

There is a particular kind of silence that you find only at high altitude. It arrives with thin air, settling on snow-muffled valleys and plateaus. The world below feels entirely theoretical. It is this silence that the Milanese architect Matteo Thun has spent years thinking about and which, this May, takes physical form in an extension at Hotel Bella Vista – a family-run retreat in Trafoi.

Explore Matteo Thun’s new vision for luxury in South Tyrol

Set deep inside the Stelvio National Park at the foot of the 3,905-metre-high Ortler massif, the tallest peak in South Tyrol, the project is, at its heart, a friendship made architectural. Thun and Gustav Thöni – Olympic alpine ski champion and co-owner of the hotel with his family – have spoken about expanding the property for years. The hotel itself dates to 1875, its original 36 rooms enduring through generations precisely because it has never tried to be anything other than what it is: a place shaped by landscape, not the other way around. Thun’s new wing, which adds 24 suites, a lounge bar, and a substantial wellness complex, cleaves close to that polestar.

‘When Gustav spoke about expanding the hotel, the image of the nest came naturally,’ says Thun. ‘You don't want to interrupt the landscape; you want to frame it, to live within it.’

The nest became the project’s organising principle – not as a literal form, of course, but as a sense of openness tempered by shelter, exposure softened by enclosure. With sensitivity to the spirit of place above all else, Thun conceived a structure that sits lightly on the ground, its exterior clad in regional alpine timber – Swiss pine, fir, oak – giving the building the quality of something grown, rather than built. ‘Wood is not a stylistic choice; it is a cultural and environmental one,’ he says. ‘The structure is clear, the surfaces are honest, the details are precise. In this way, the material loses any sense of pastiche. It becomes contemporary because it is used with discipline.’

Connecting a substantial new volume to a historic structure inside a national park – a process subject to lengthy permitting processes that paused the project for years – demanded equal parts patience and precision. The new reception solves one of the trickier physical problems: it sits between the 1875 building and the new wing as a shared arrival corridor, so that guests move between eras without rupture. ‘The historic house carries memory, time, and identity,’ says Thun. ‘We did not want to imitate it, but to extend its spirit.’

Where Thun’s architecture sets the frame, the interiors by Merano-based Studio Biquadra – led by Christina Biasi-von Berg, who spent five years working in Thun’s studio before founding her own practice in 2005 – are filled with warmth and narrative specificity. In the lounge bar, her palette draws directly from Italian sporting archives, specifically blue, white, and red hues referencing the Valanga Azzurra – the legendary Italian ski team whose greatest champion co-owns the hotel – to create a post-prandial mood that is equal parts gathering place and architectural memoir.

The 24 new suites, meanwhile, are pared back to essentials – large panoramic windows commanding uninterrupted views across the Stelvio and Engadine Dolomites, alongside pared-back interiors that allow the changing light to do the decorating.

In the adults-only spa – 550 square metres of indoor space opening onto 5,000 square metres of outdoor wellness terrain – Biasi-von Berg shifts register entirely. Natural stone, pale tones, and moss-green accents produce deliberate calm to frame the mountain panorama beyond. An infinity pool opens toward the Trafoi Canyon like a suspended terrace, whilst four saunas, an outdoor Jacuzzi, and a hot and cold relaxation zone complete the immersion.

For Thun, the extension, so many years in the making, reflects a definition of luxury that has quietly evolved over a long career. ‘In a place like Trafoi, luxury is not an addition; it is subtraction,’ he says. ‘It is space, silence, and the possibility to reconnect with nature. When architecture allows you to experience a place in its purest form – when time slows down, and the landscape becomes part of your inner space – then it becomes luxury.’

Hotel Bella Vista is located at Via Trafoi, 11, 39029 Trafoi, Italy

The next chapter in The Dorchester’s most ambitious transformation in over three decades has arrived in the form of a new Royal Suite by Pierre-Yves Rochon. The residence follows the renovation of all guestrooms and suites, as well as The Promenade, Vesper Bar, Artists’ Bar, The Grill and China Tang. While plans for a private members’ club on the rooftop are still to come, Rochon’s latest intervention continues the evolution of the Park Lane grand dame, whose guest list has spanned royalty, Hollywood stars and political leaders since opening in 1931.

Occupying a prominent corner position on the eighth floor, The Royal Suite looks out across Hyde Park’s treetops, the Serpentine and the wider London skyline, from the quartet of chimneys atop Battersea Power Station to the distinctive dome of the Royal Albert Hall. It is also among the largest hotel suites in the city, spanning up to 4,660 sq ft when configured with four interconnected rooms.

For the interiors, the French designer, who recently oversaw a three-year renovation of all 243 rooms and suites at Four Seasons Paris, turned to the legacy of theatre designer Oliver Messel, whose work for The Dorchester remains one of the defining references for the hotel’s exuberant character. Rochon describes the scheme as ‘a mix of traditional British elements, a palette of pastel tones, floral inspirations and details drawn from the 1950s’.

Tour The Dorchester’s Royal Suite

The experience begins through a gallery-like corridor washed in pale pink before entering an oval lobby anchored by a sculptural Bardiglio marble vase from Atelier Prométhée and a collection of historical paintings from the original suite, staged by art consultancy Visto.

The expansive living room is among the suite’s most breathtaking spaces. Celadon and blush tones soften an otherwise formal room, where a decorative ceiling inspired by 18th-century Scottish architect Robert Adam sits above a mirrored fireplace. Here, Rochon layers English and French influences with a collector’s eye: white lacquer and gold-patina ottomans by Henryot & Cie sit alongside armchairs upholstered in English garden-inspired fabrics by GP & J Baker, while a floral Tai Ping rug based on a design by André Arbus anchors the room.

Nearby, a study conceived as ‘a small dark-green box’ offers a moodier counterpoint. A varnished mahogany bookcase, Tisserant sconces, a Chinese-inspired red lacquer desk and a cane armchair lend the room the character of a private library. The shelves are lined with everything from the novels of Jane Austen to volumes on maximalism, automotive design and the English garden.

Meanwhile, the dining room, described by Rochon as having a ‘surprisingly garden-inspired decor’, is wrapped entirely in trellis-pattern wallpaper by Adam Ellis and crowned by a mirrored ceiling with a crystal chandelier by Delisle. A Chinese console and mirror, together with an Aubusson-style rug in shades of celadon and pale pink, subtly echo the aesthetic language established downstairs in The Promenade. A private, fully-equipped kitchen allows The Dorchester’s culinary team, led by director Martyn Nail, to host intimate in-suite dinners for up to ten guests.

The bedroom adopts a lighter tone. A four-poster bed dressed in pale blue silk anchors the space, while a sitting area upholstered in ivory faux leather with diamond-tipped stitching is layered with fabrics in soft shades of pink, blue and green. A polished timber dressing table and upholstered stool reinforce the room’s residential feel, while a figurative painting depicting a napping woman above the seating area adds a touch of theatrical drama. Beyond, a generous dressing room leads into a marble-clad bathroom with a double shower and a freestanding bathtub taking in views across the rooftops of Mayfair and glimpses of Hyde Park beyond.

As expected, the service offering has been thought out to match the scale of the residence. A dedicated butler oversees every stay, while privileges range from complimentary airport transfers and access to a chauffeur-driven car to personalised wellness experiences at The Dorchester Spa. In a nod to its setting, the hotel has also partnered with The Royal Parks charity, with a portion of proceeds from Royal Suite bookings supporting the conservation of London’s historic green spaces.

The Dorchester is located at 53 Park Lane, London W1K 1QA, UK. Rates for the Royal Suite start from £30,000 per night

When the Cori Hornbæk Hotel opens its doors this summer, it will not only revive a Danish architecture classic, but also herald a new hospitality era for the north shores of Zealand island, one that taps into the area's early 20th-century incarnation as a seaside resort.

Step inside the Cori Hornbæk on the Danish Riviera

On a sandy beach, facing the blue waters of the Kattegat strait, the Cori's original building was designed by Ole Falkentorp in 1935, bridging early modernism with a Scandinavian functionalism in a streamlined style that makes its soft curves and white volumes gleam under the region's softly luminous skies. A much-loved badehotel (seaside hotel), it was famous in the region for its role in the nation's health and holiday habits, as well as for its prominent position in the resort town of Hornbæk, but fell into disrepair after the Second World War. Enter developer Copi, a group with a strong track record for revitalising historical buildings in its home city, Copenhagen, which acquired the building at an auction in 2022.

Copi founder Jesper Brunander says: ‘One of our greatest passions is the restoration and transformation of heritage properties. For us, Cori represents a rare and exciting opportunity to restore Ole Falkentorp's architecture to its original purpose and former glory. On a more personal level, we all have a special and personal connection to Hornbæk. We wish to see this building, which we have known our whole life, come back to life, open its doors to locals and new guests.' Copenhagen-based Jon Clausen, of NVMBR Architects, and Scandinavian studio AART were in charge of the building's refresh and architectural updates, while London practice Afroditi took on the creative lead and the task of transforming the space for the 21st century.

‘We looked at amazing archive imagery,' says Afroditi founder Afroditi Krassa. ‘The hotel was very glamorous when it first launched. It attracted an international, artistic crowd. We had a meal with the owner, and I remember distinctly he said, “I don't want baby blue stripes in this hotel”. It summarised everything that we were already thinking.' The design team's pairing of the Nordic region's legacy in warm minimalism with a more international, contemporary spirit has resulted in a space where both locals and tourists can feel at home, where design is ever-present but effortless.

The building, which cuts a distinct figure against the area's fairly low-rise context, was woven into its surroundings with the help of landscape architects Effekt. Meanwhile, inside, Gubi collaborated with Afroditi to work on the majority of the furniture and a bespoke line for the hotel, which offers 77 rooms and five townhouses. It also encompasses a bar, a restaurant headed up by chef Brian Mark Hansen (whose career includes 16 years at the Michelin-starred Søllerød Kro), and a spa, all accessible to guests and locals like. ‘We want the people of Hornbæk to come, for Cori to be part of their daily life,' notes Krassa.

This balance between Danish tradition, a sense of place and a touch of contemporary, gentle luxury defines Cori's identity. ‘The most important thing to me is that you should feel that you're in a resort environment that's very natural, earthy and luminous,' says Krassa. Tapping into Cori's original soul of escape and glamour, and weaving in 21st-century sensibilities with a quiet, welcoming warmth, this project revives a period landmark for the next 100 years.

corihotel.dk

afroditi.com

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

This is the latest instalment of The Inside Story, Wallpaper’s series spotlighting intriguing, innovative and industry-leading interior design.

Oblouková 171 in Žatec is a building that almost wasn't. The Czech townhouse sheltered the same family for four decades before falling into serious neglect – and now emerges as one of the most compelling restoration projects in recent memory.

The story begins in the 1920s, when the current owners' great-great-grandparents settled in the town. Successive generations lived there until the Velvet Revolution, after which the house fell into disuse. By the time it passed to its current owners as an inheritance, it was barely standing. The roof leaked, ceilings were caving in, entire sections of the roof truss were missing and dry rot had spread through the structure.

The inheritors, as it happened, were architects – Jan and Barbora Hora of Ora – and they saw potential where others might have seen a write-off. When they discovered a spot in the attic where the family had hidden moonshine behind a beam, their minds were made up: the house had to be saved.

The renovation took eight years, and was predictably gruelling. Steel tie rods were used to brace the entire building; a collapsed vault was rebuilt; and a concrete slab replaced a ceiling so waterlogged it had sprouted a destructive fungus large enough, as the owners put it, to fill a skillet. Most demanding of all was the three-tiered hop-drying attic – a structure typical of Žatec and its hop-growing heritage – which required specialist craftsmen to restore.

From the outset, salvage and reuse were guiding principles. The owners had spent years collecting reclaimed materials – old floor tiles, handmade bricks, antique beams – and Oblouková 171 finally gave them a home. Rotten ceiling joists were replaced with hand-hewn beams sourced from a demolished house 400 kilometres away; red marble tiles were rescued from a skip; courtyard paving came from Šatov tiles that had sat in a barn for a century. The result is something of a Frankenstein house – a patchwork of parts gathered far and wide, stitched together with care and conviction.

Recreate the mood

Where new elements were unavoidable, they were handled with utmost taste. Custom ash-wood doors reinterpret traditional panelled designs; new windows faithfully match the profiles of the originals. The street façade was the thorniest problem: stripped of its detailing in the 1990s, it required historical photographs just to establish what had been lost. The architects then chose reinterpretation over reproduction, restoring the underlying geometry while simplifying the ornament. The result, with its pretty pastel symmetry, looks like something out of a Wes Anderson film.

The completed building now functions as guest apartments, a family holiday retreat and a taproom serving craft beer from a local brewery, which is fitting: Žatec – recently inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List – built its identity on hops. Oblouková 171 now raises a glass to that legacy while adding a new chapter of its own.

Since opening in 2019, The Newt in Somerset has exemplified the notion of a perfect ‘weekend getaway’ to the country that is as luxurious as it is bucolic. Owned by South African businessman Koos Bekker and his wife Karen Roos, the bolthole, located at 18th-century Hadspen House (a West Country estate), is best known for its Patrice Taravella-designed gardens and a 2,000-acre working farm, where the majority of produce for the hotel’s various rooms and restaurants is sourced.

The Newt introduces Yarlington Lodge

Now, the fairytale-worthy estate and spa is starting a new chapter with Yarlington Lodge, a revitalised Regency rectory within the grounds (just one mile away). In Tudor times, the estate was gifted by Henry VIII, at different moments, to two of his queens. Drawing from its fascinating history, Roos, in collaboration with Richard Parr Associates, carried out a multi-year restoration project, which also included the reimagining of the surrounding cottages, walled garden, formal lawns and historic woodland. Myriad influences inform the ‘Regency meets Empire’ interior design, including British, French, Dutch, Italian and South African nods. This stratified creative narrative strikes the perfect balance between heritage and contemporary design.

Yarlington Lodge accommodates up to 32 guests across a main house and two cottages, which share the historic walled garden, extensive grounds, indoor-outdoor pool and Palm House for entertaining. Playful references to the Gothic Revival and Napoleonic era are seen throughout, from fabric walls and canopy-tented ceilings to tented beds.

Each of the eight bedrooms in the main Lodge – which features a library, drawing room and formal dining room, private cinema and a speakeasy overlooking the croquet lawn – is named after a literary character of the time, from Natalya Rostova to Jane Bennet; the corresponding novel can be found on the bedside table. Green marble bathrooms, pale pink walls, vintage Fendi chairs and Hay furniture make up for a confidently eclectic setting.

The Coach House, meanwhile, has four rustic bedrooms that reference its equestrian past through exposed stone, intricately carved wooden furniture and panelled walls, anchored by a modern fully-flexed metal kitchen. Cottage in The Wall, formerly a gardener’s cottage, also acts as a four-bedroom hideaway, incorporating deep-coloured velvet seating, warm neutrals, woven furnishings, arched windows framing the view and walls adorned with floral art.

Yarlington Lodge, which can be booked in its entirety or as individual bedrooms, is part of The Newt, Hadspen, A359, Bruton BA7 7NG, United Kingdom

Set in the green-clad hills above Melides, this rammed earth sanctuary, designed by Manuel Aires Mateus, offers solitude, natural beauty, sea views and, at its core, a healing stillness. Here, hospitality, in the true sense of caring for your guest, runs deep.

Wallpaper* checks in at RockRose Melides

What’s on your doorstep?

Expect a carpet of sand, studded with sea rose flowers and purple milk thistles, their tall heads waving in the wind. Beyond, across the private 25 acres that surround the house, are pine trees and medronheiro, the strawberry trees whose fruit makes the popular, potent firewater, and oak trees, which sustain the rich biodiversity of the Alentejo forests, their thick trunks yielding the cork so woven into Portugal’s economic and cultural heritage.

In less than ten minutes by car, you reach the beaches this region is famous for; long stretches of white sand, washed by turquoise waters, as far as the eye can see. The nearest town is Melides; little more than one street, it is nevertheless charming, with its white-washed church, squat bell tower and enticing shops like Noemina and Vida Dura. The latter, brimming with pottery and attractive homeware, is where the plates at RockRose came from; white with a gentle green trim, they were specially made for the house.

Who is behind the design?

Owners Marta Alvim (a visual artist) and her husband Vasco Maya (a TAP Air pilot) spent almost two decades searching Portugal for a location which met their criteria: no visible agriculture, native vegetation and a sense of stillness, which here, both inside and outside the house, is profound. They always knew that once they had the location, they would ask the renowned Portuguese architect Manuel Aires Mateus to do the house for them.

They knew exactly what kind of house they wanted: something thick-walled that captured the silence, monastic in its simplicity yet generous in both space and its interaction with light – a contemporary rammed-earth building. Aires Mateus had restored one before, but never built one from scratch. It is something best done with vast resources, due to its labour-intensive methods and long construction time. Aires Mateus agreed to do it, but it took six years from start to finish. Each of the 60-centimetre walls (whose thickness naturally regulates temperature) was completed earth layer by earth layer, with workers compacting each one to precise thickness and densities, assisted by Tania Teixeira from Atelier Cru.

The room to book

All of the five suites open out onto the landscape, on the horizon of which is the shimmering sea. Four are clustered together at one end of the house, with en-suite bathrooms. One suite is at the other end with a bathroom next door (not en-suite), where an impressive stand-alone tub comes in smooth Lioz stone. There is also a little library which encourages guests to sit and delve into books like Water of the Sky; A dictionary of 2,000 Japanese rain words, and a meditation room. In the centre of the house is a fire-room, offering space for contemplation around the open fireplace and a Roman-bath inspired spa room.

Materials used throughout, within the rammed earth and Venetian stucco walls, are Santa Catarina handmade terracotta tiles and European oak, chiming perfectly with the owners’ wish for quality and authenticity above all.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

There are no mini-bars in rooms, but a fridge hidden behind heavy oak panels in the kitchen reveals whatever you may have requested on booking, with the addition of lots of fresh, healthy, seasonal ingredients to plunder and the building blocks for the three different organic breakfast menus, conceived in collaboration with Florence Rolando, a gut-health and nutritionist specialist. One is a fully anti-inflammatory breakfast with overnight oats, green juices and even functional mushroom drops developed in partnership with Portuguese brand VeryChaga.

In addition, a variety of private chefs are on standby for those who want that luxury. Emphasis is on local, with chefs who specialise in sustainable fishing on the Atlantic coast. A wood oven inside the house and BBQ outside is often the centre of the meal. The lovely House Manager who can come in to prepare breakfast is also happy to do a shop for you so that those who enjoy cooking can do so without the chore of first shopping.

Where to switch off

RockRose Melides encourages you to lean into the resounding peace and silence. The spa offers massages and infrared light therapy, and as the partnership between RockRose and a Lisbon-based Longevity Clinic progresses, there will be ozone therapies, vitamin infusions and more.

The verdict

An extraordinary and unique addition to this highly sought-after region of Portugal, RockRose offers a restorative stay with its magical stillness, amid a wild and natural landscape.

RockRose Melides is located at 7570-695 Melides, Portugal. Rates: from €14,000 to €19,000 per week

The bustling west London suburb of Shepherd’s Bush just got a slightly quirky new haven of hospitality. While the main streets often thrum with music fans heading to the O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire and shoppers en route to the Westfield, one of Europe's largest malls, the new Hotel Indigo London K West is tucked away on a residential road.

Opened in March 2026, the hotel, part of the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), boasts a site with a musical backstory – the building, in a previous life as Kensington House, was home to BBC recording and broadcasting studios, and played host to the likes of David Bowie and The Clash. It’s the ideal destination for a pre-concert stay, an evening cocktail, and a day strolling neighbouring Notting Hill.

Wallpaper* checks in at Hotel Indigo, London

What’s on your doorstep

Mine the location’s musical connections by popping into Next Door Records, a relaxed listening bar and record shop. The Bush Theatre often has performances that transfer to the West End. And Portobello Road Market in Notting Hill is within mooching distance. You’ll find an extensive variety of food stalls at Shepherd’s Bush Market for casual dining, including Trinidadian curries and roti at Archie's Doubles, Ethiopian dishes at Delina Kitchen, and Cantonese dumplings at Mr Dumpling.

Who is behind the design?

The building’s latest transformation, from a previous hotel into the Indigo, is the result of a collaboration between Scottish architecture studio Mosaic, experiential design practice Red Deer, and cultural curator ArtStory. They were inspired by the area's rich creative and musical heritage.

Sleek, contemporary lines are layered with warm textures, with textiles and timber helping to create a relaxed yet refined atmosphere. A standout feature is the signature terrazzo flooring, made from reclaimed London stone, which anchors the entrance and restaurant spaces and reinforces the connection to the city.

Playful details include Bakelite telephones, Roberts radios, and sculptural artwork that nods to recording equipment. The overall feel is laidback but considered, with a bohemian edge.

The room to book

The hotel is arranged over seven floors, some below ground (entry is at level three), with 231 rooms and suites. We stayed in a premium room that was bright, airy and restorative, while a one-bedroom suite, once these are open, will offer up to 59 sq m. Curved furniture and a geometric rug feel like a retro nod, albeit within a contemporary aesthetic.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Flock restaurant is relaxed and refined, with a simple but well-executed menu. Starters include N’duja scotch egg, classic burrata, and polenta and mushroom tart. Main dishes include sharing options, such as a beautifully prepared whole seabass. There is also a range of elevated pizzas to choose from – the mushroom pizza with bone marrow is heavenly.

The warmly lit, 30-seat bar on the entrance level is the hotel’s social heart, its interiors hinting at both the industrial and the retro, pulled together by that statement flooring.

Where to switch off

Although the hotel is open, it is yet to be fully finished. Post-completion, currently expected to be in September 2026, a spa, gym and pool will be open to guests. For now, your room is your sanctuary, aided and abetted by a rainfall shower, fully stocked with Urban Apothecary products.

The verdict

Vibrant and energised, Hotel Indigo London K West offers comfort within a considered setting, and is a good bet as a west London base for those on a flit to the capital. Newly inviting, the venue opens up to its local neighbourhood, from its overhauled exterior, with new curtain walling to its warm and welcoming interior.

Hotel Indigo London K West Shepherd’s Bush by IHG is located at Richmond Way, London W14 0AX, United Kingdom

Getting to Shakti Prana requires commitment. From Delhi, the journey to the hotel begins with a short domestic flight to Pantnagar, followed by nearly six hours of winding mountain roads climbing steadily through the foothills of Uttarakhand, the first of several drives across a five- to seven-night programme that takes in traditional village stays on either side of Shakit Prana itself.

Founded by Jamshyd Sethna over two decades ago, hospitality group Shakti Himalaya pioneered a form of luxury travel in the Indian Himalayas that was intimate and community-rooted, built around private walking journeys between restored traditional village houses in three distinct regions: Ladakh, Sikkim and Kumaon. Its most celebrated property, Shakti 360 Leti, helped define what mountain hospitality could look like when it opened 16 years ago, before being dismantled stone by stone in March 2024. Those same stones, carried by mule train 2,700 ft up a steep goat path, now form Shakti Prana, the brand's newest and most ambitious lodge, with breathtaking views of the Nanda Devi and Panchachuli ranges.

Wallpaper* checks in at Shakti Prana, Kumaon

What’s on your doorstep?

The walking around Shakti Prana is among the finest in the Kumaon region, and the beauty of the Shakti approach is that there is not a prescriptive programme. Each morning, over breakfast, you discuss the day’s route with your private guide – the distance, the terrain, the pace – and the plan is built around you, extending to picnic breakfasts on a bed of pine needles, arranged simply because it was mentioned the evening before. The standout is the Jhandi Dhaar ridgeline climb, a gradual ascent along a narrow pagdandi, the local word for a footpath, that follows the south-eastern ridgeline above the lodge through cedar and pine forests to open ridgetops with sweeping views across the Great Himalayan Range and the Ramganga river valley far below.

Herds of goats, cows and sheep graze the upper slopes, moving unhurriedly across the hillside. For those wanting something more demanding, the Ramganga river walk descends steeply through jungle and village houses to the river itself, though the steep climb back up is best suited to the more agile and fit. The circuit runs from early October to the end of April, the autumn months offering lush scenery and clear skies, with winter bringing the sharpest mountain views.

Who’s behind the design?

The lodge’s architecture is the work of Sam Barclay of Case Designs, who had previously served as site manager on the Leti project and brought an intimate understanding of both the logistics in such a remote area and the character of the landscape, resulting in a lodge deeply rooted in its setting. Seven suites – six single-bedroom and one two-bedroom – are arranged across the hillside, built from stone and glass, their large floor-to-ceiling windows framing uninterrupted views of the Nanda Devi and Panchachuli ranges.

Defined by stone, timber and copper, the interiors are warm and pared back with considered furnishings and local, textured fabrics. At 7,000 ft, bordering Nepal and Tibet, with solar power providing the entire electricity supply and spring water used for drinking throughout, the lodge operates lightly amid its environment.

The room to book

All suites largely follow the same layout, so the choice comes down to position on the hillside. Each has its own perspective, and opens into a cosy sitting room anchored by a wood-burning fire, with an Eames-style lounge chair and built-in seating that takes in both the flames and the views. From here, the bedroom is positioned to face the mountains directly, while the bathroom sits to the rear, a small atrium flooding it with natural light. The room to book is number five, which sits nudged against the forest, and while all have their own private terrace, here it sits to the side, adding an extra run of windows and considerably more light to the room, a bonus for early risers given that the blinds are sheer.

No doubt the best feature of the room is the service button by the bed. Press it and whatever has been arranged with the team arrives within minutes, from morning tea as the sun streams through those windows, to a glass of wine best sipped on the terrace next to the firepit at sunset. The day ends as well as it begins; return to your room after dinner to find the fire lit and a hot water bottle tucked between the sheets.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The food at Prana is exceptional. Unlike many remote lodges, from Africa to Argentina, this one doesn’t try too hard. The cooking here – served family-style – is honest, rooted in what the surrounding villages and the lodge’s own herb and vegetable gardens produce. Leading the kitchen is Yeshi Lama, Indian-born with Tibetan heritage, whose cooking spans local Kumaoni dishes, broader Indian favourites like butter chicken, Burmese khowsuey – noodles in a coconut curry broth – and Nepali momos, a reminder of just how fluid the cultural borders are at this altitude.

Breakfast is usually Western, with fresh juice, granola and yogurt, alongside egg dishes cooked to order, but the kitchen is open to requests, among them spiced potato dosas, crispy and freshly made. After a long hike, lunch hits the spot with a good salad, mushroom pie or grilled chicken, while pre-dinner drinks on the terrace or by the living room fire arrive with canapés, from lamb kebabs to samosas, that set the tone for the evening ahead.

Where to switch off

At Prana, switching off requires very little effort. The nature, the setting and the peacefulness of the landscape are enough on their own, aided by the hikes, the village walks, and long hours spent reading on your private terrace. In between, you might make use of a yoga space, as well as a sauna and a deep-set bathtub that can be run hot or cold depending on your inclination, both positioned to look out over the hillside. Mobile signal is non-existent at the first village stop and limited at Prana itself, which only adds to the allure.

The verdict

Shakti Prana is, no doubt, one of the most remarkable properties to open in the Himalaya in years, and the Kumaon circuit that leads to it is among the most genuinely immersive travel experiences in India. The design is considered, the hospitality is warm and deeply personal, and the landscape is breathtaking. The caveat is that none of this comes easily. The journey from Delhi is long, the roads are winding, and the final approach is on foot. For those who see the remoteness as part of what makes an experience meaningful, Shakti Prana exceeds every expectation.

Shakti Prana is located at Shakti Kumaon, Kasar Devi, Uttarakhand 263601, India

Billed ‘the modern heartbeat of Hanoi,’ Fairmont’s Vietnam debut leans hard into style and conviviality while veering slightly from the brand’s historic reputation as a collection of elegant grand dames. Then again, in 2025, Fairmont unveiled a new brand campaign that positioned the hotels as vibrant social hubs for locals and travellers alike.

In keeping with that vision, the Fairmont Hanoi brings together six vibrant culinary concepts, a rooftop pool, and a large subterranean health club in addition to 241 guestrooms. Outside, a French Colonial-style entrance is topped with sculptural vertical channels of rooms and balconies that reflect the surrounding ‘tube house’ vernacular architecture – narrow, vertical shophouses that make use of the dense urban space. Inside, the palette is vibrant and confident, with each public space focused on a motif of Vietnam’s history or culture.

Wallpaper* checks in at Fairmont Hanoi

What’s on your doorstep?

If the city centre’s Hoàn Kiếm Lake were a timepiece, the Fairmont Hanoi sits at 3 o’clock sharp. The location is ideal for exploring both the lively Old Quarter and the atmospheric French Quarter. All are within ambling distance, and the streets are heaving with little Vietnamese cafes and boutiques to keep you entertained while you wander toward Ngoc Son Temple, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Hanoi Opera House, or Ta Hien Beer Street.

Who is behind the design?

Together, Perkins Eastman and Aston Design have created a splash of modern glamour in the historic neighbourhood. The architecture is French Colonial and Indochinese, with a collonaded entrance, sculpted balconies, and geometric floor patterns. Greenery drips from terraces surrounding the bibliophilic courtyard.

Aston Design frames the interiors as a journey through layers of Hanoi’s identity. To wit: Garnet lacquer accents and oxblood carpeting à la Hanoi’s Red River flow throughout, connecting public spaces that feel like stepping from one moodboard to the next. There’s the lobby, a riot of colourful midcentury glam and florals, crowned by a chandelier that looks like a dragon or a phoenix, depending on your vantage point. On the second floor, a painted mural of mandarin ducks – ‘love birds,’ in Vietnamese culture – welcomes guests into YY Bar, where feather-shaped chandeliers illuminate curvaceous velvet chairs and bamboo adornments. And down in the Cirua Bathhouse, undulating sand-colored walls lead into an airy reception where a school of sculptured crystal fish dangles from the ceiling.

The room to book

Fairmont Hanoi has 241 guestrooms, including 38 Fairmont Gold rooms and 12 suites, all with city or courtyard garden views. As at other Fairmont properties, rooms feature Marshall speakers and Le Labo amenities – Rose 31 in standard rooms and suites, Santal 33 in Fairmont Gold. Mini bars are lightly stocked with local treats such as dried mango, roasted cashew nuts, and single-origin Vietnamese chocolates. A leather-wrapped Nespresso machine and matte-black Fuji kettle ensure easy in-room coffee or tea, and a trio of Fairmont-branded spirits shelved above a brass cocktail shaker and ice bucket invites you to mix up a nightcap.

Compared to the public spaces, guestrooms are restrained, with minimal artwork and walls awash in soft taupe moulding. Curiously, standard and Fairmont Gold king and twin rooms have single-sink bathrooms. The Fairmont Gold 1-Bedroom King Suite feels like a small apartment, with a balcony, a generous living room, and a separate sleeping space.

Word to the wise

Book a Fairmont Gold room if you can. In addition to unlocking admission to the Fairmont Gold Lounge, with its offerings of a more private breakfast, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails and canapes, booking a Gold-level room ensures elevated décor and a higher – and hopefully quieter – perch above Hanoi’s noisy streets.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The hotel has six distinct dining and drinking venues, from Vietnamese to Japanese to Italian. 10 Central offers a coffee bar, afternoon tea, and café staples; on the second floor, Bacco serves hearty breakfasts followed by pizzas, pasta, and seafood. Hiryua focuses on Japanese sushi and teppanyaki, while YY Bar pairs creative cocktails and mocktails with local bar snacks. For more casual drinks and bites, there's the rooftop pool bar and lounge.

Tran Dynasty boasts Vietnamese fine dining led by Chef Luke Nguyen. Here, dinner is an elegant affair that echoes the royal life of ancient Vietnam. Think traditional paper lanterns reimagined as luxe glass-and-brass pieces and a jewellery box-like bar swathed in red and gold.

Where to switch off

The impressive 3,500-square-meter wellness centre, of course. It encompasses the Cirua Bathhouse & Spa, a Technogym-kitted fitness space, and a yet-to-be-opened salon.

Cirua is a calming labyrinth of pools and chambers housing a Vichy shower, OpenSeed meditation pods, a Himalayan salt room, a low-heat forest therapy vault, several saunas, and a cave-like relaxation room lit only by an LED constellation of lights meant to evoke the glow of fireflies in Cuc Phuong National Park. The space sprawls to the point that guests, heavy-lidded after a signature massage, would be forgiven for getting lost on their way to the tea-focused café at its centre.

The verdict

In a city as warm and lively as Hanoi, the hotel fits like a silk glove (available, by the way, from the tailors on Hang Gai Street). It’s stylish and modern, with enough food and beverage options to suit everyone. With a bathhouse that rivals those of top wellness resorts in Asia, this property is bound to attract a loyal following of well-heeled Hanoi residents and visitors alike.

Fairmont Hanoi is located at 10 P. Trần Nguyên Hãn, French Quarter, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam. Rates from VND 12,000,000 per night (inclusive of tax), without breakfast

Leading a wave of new international openings in Portugal’s ancient capital, to include this autumn, The Standard and next year the Six Senses, Andaz Lisbon, designed by Patricia Urquiola, is a triumph of colour and carefully curated art, perfectly reflecting the city’s vibrant cultural melting pot.

Wallpaper* checks in at Andaz Lisbon

What’s on your doorstep?

Everything you might want really, starting with Lisbon’s most impressive square, the Praça do Comércio. Open to the water, this was once the gateway to Lisbon, where the grand caravels arrived in the Golden Age of Discovery to unload the gold and exotic spices from their travels or visiting dignitaries alighted to meet the King. Between this square and the hotel is the imposing Rua Augusta Arch, built to commemorate the city’s reconstruction after the devastating 1755 earthquake. Several of the hotel’s rooms look directly onto the arch, topped with, among other figures, the great explorer, Vasco de Gama; a unique view to wake up to.

Opposite it, along one side, is Lisbon’s Design Museum, MUDA, which houses fashion and design from the 19th century to the present day. A little further afield, but visible from the hotel, is Lisbon’s 12th-century cathedral and the even older Castle of St. George, which dominates the city’s skyline.

Who is behind the design?

Patricia Urquiola, leading her acclaimed design studio, Studio Urquiola, was responsible for the entire interior design concept, which immediately immerses the visitor in colour, warmth and creative detail. Inspiration came from Lisbon’s rich heritage, where past influences from Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Goa, Brazil, Japan and Macau are all woven into today’s Portugal. This is writ large in rooftop restaurant Luzzi, where blue floors represent the Ocean which connects these countries, vibrant African designs clad the ceilings, and wall décor mixes rope masks from Japan with bold murals.

Over-layering the vivid colours and textures used, art, curated brilliantly by Federica Sala, grounds us closer to home with the traditional Portuguese materials of local Lioz stone, cork, textiles, ceramics and tiles, much in evidence. Vibrant cork artwork by Beatrice Bonafini decorates the walls in the Andaz Lounge, the hub of the hotel, where the bar is a contemporary reinterpretation of Lisbon’s famous street kiosks. In the rooms and suites, bespoke furniture from Studio Urquiola and contemporary art, such as a geometric textile work in yellow, blue and white by Rosarinho Andrade or colourful abstract dyptychs by Farinha Rosa hang on the tactile wood panelling, adding yet more depth to rooms which come with a strong sense of place.

The room to book

I loved my Arch Suite, one of only four in the hotel, from where, through the Rua Augusta Arch, I could watch the wonderful Lisbon light rise on the shimmering water. But all the 170 rooms are charming. Filled with light, many with views on a quintessential Lisbon landmark, they come in calming tones with art which reflects the surrounding Lisbon streets, their vivid colours, gleaming tiles, and pottery, such an integral part of Portugal’s culture. The capital’s red roofs might well have been the departure point for the glossy red walls in the bathrooms, where red and white tiles also feature, with Lioz stone square basins. Mine came with a tub to sink into and a generous double shower. Amenities are Eleventh Hour from Byredo.

Minibar high?

Championing the best of Portugal, the mini-bar offers white port from the north, Ginja, a sweet and sour cherry liqueur from Obidos, beer from Sagres in the Algarve and a Portuguese gin, Sharish. Elegant, ribbed bottles of tonic water and lemonade come from the Spanish Tribute brand, and there is, of course, water and Coke. There is a Nespresso machine, capsule coffee and a variety of teas. A nice touch is the coffee cups, which come from Vista Alegre and are an interpretation of the famous Lisbon pavement mosaics.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

You definitely should, for the concept in the rooftop restaurant, Luzzi is an interesting one, and the food here is a serious delight. The menu, created by Bruno Alves, is billed as ‘modern Lusitanian cuisine’ and draws on the countries that are part of Portugal’s culinary heritage but uses ingredients essential to these countries’ cuisines today. Goa, Macau, Mozambique, Japan, Cape Verde, Angola and Brazil are all represented with dishes like kibbeh, a Levantine dish popular in Brazil served here with bulgur and a citrus tahini sauce, or the tuna tartare, which nods to the simple tuna pie loved in Cape Verde. Reimagined anew here, it is elevated with fresh rather than canned tuna, cream from the Azores, spices from Japan and piri-piri from Angola. Guinea Fowl might come in a clay pot with cachupa, another Cape Verdean dish, while puddings include a traditional, conventional layered cake from Goa, with a roasted coconut sorbet and a Port glaze, from the vineyards of the Douro further north.

Drinks, at the Bar in Luzzi or across the rooftop in the terrace where live music and the warm Lisbon breeze blow, are equally creative as are cocktails at the Andaz Lounge, on the ground floor, where home-made pennyroyal (an herb much used in the Alentejo) soda is mixed into Mojitos. There, too, Portuguese wines can be explored from a list which represents the best female winemakers; a nice touch. Soak it all up with the ‘street food’ served here, the kind of popular snacks that can be found in the iconic kiosks which dot Lisbon’s squares and avenidas. Cod fritters, chicken empanadas and meaty croquettes. Save room, though, for the Basque cheesecake made with sheep’s cheese from Portugal’s mountain range, the Serra da Estrela. It is a triumph.

Where to switch off

As yet, the spa has not been opened, but there will be both a spa and a gym in the future. Currently, there is a room on the ground floor which has been equipped to serve as a temporary gym with weights and treadmills. Meanwhile, the rooftop overlooking the Rua Augusta Arch (there is a little niche with a table in it, which has a bird’s eye view) is as good as it gets for downtime.

The verdict

This is the first Andaz to open since it has been rebranded by Hyatt, after their acquisition of another lifestyle brand, The Standard, and its more upscale positioning is evident. Visually compelling, it dazzles with warmth, storytelling and respect for its location.

Andaz Lisbon is located at R. do Comércio 132, 1100-060 Lisbon, Portugal

The wind-carved ochre cliffs of the Grand Staircase-Escalante national monument in Utah have been indifferent to human presence for uncounted millennia. So when Aman Resorts opened Amangiri here in 2009, it pulled off something remarkable, creating a retreat that practically disappeared into the ancient rock formations around it. Sixteen years on, a new silhouette cleaves to the same creative direction with the building of 12 private residences under the Aman marque.

The first to go on sale is a six-bedroom villa that sits roughly half a mile west of the main resort on nine acres of desert wilderness (the remaining 11 plots, opening progressively, will range from five to 19 acres). The 1,115 sq m property includes a principal suite with a private courtyard and heated pool, a 36m lap pool worked into the topography, a spa with steam room and sauna, and a fitness studio facing the sandstone cliffs. Loggia pavilions flow out from the living and dining areas, dissolving the boundary between inside and the vast desert beyond.

Marwan Al Sayed of LA’s Masastudio – one of Amangiri’s original architects – helmed the villa design. ‘Our approach is a direct response to a magical landscape of stone, wind and water that has shaped this residence into a sanctuary of stillness,’ he says. ‘Each space is composed to support the essential rituals of daily life while harmonising with the passage of light and shade throughout the day.’

At the heart of the villa, Al Sayed has carved out a skylight that pulls desert light through the space by day, framing stars by night. Both practical and meditative, the design is underpinned by an old Navajo prayer: ‘With beauty below me may I walk, With beauty above me may I walk, With beauty all around me may I walk.’

Meanwhile, Masastudio’s co-founder, Mies Anderson, drew inspiration from the site’s dunes and sandstone formations, with the materials skimming through pale whites, neutrals and golds through to black accents – colours and forms that, as the Australian designer puts it, allow the villa to feel connected and at one with its surroundings.

In the shadow of worn stone cliffs, old beyond imagining, Amangiri’s new villa makes a compelling case, we think, for never having to check out.

Amangiri is located at 1 Kayenta Rd, Canyon Point, UT 84741, United States

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

‘Qui est “in”? Qui est “out”?’ sang Serge Gainsbourg in his 1966 song of the same name. His lyrics immortalised the Bus Palladium as the epicentre of Paris nightlife, name-checking the ‘little guys from Liverpool’ and the explosive energy of Rue Fontaine. Opened in 1965 by 22-year-old bebop dancer James Arch, the club democratised live music by running shuttle buses to the suburbs – hence the name ‘Le Bus.’ It became, as Jane Birkin described it, a ‘mental laboratory’: a place where long-haired beatniks and suburban teenagers could rub shoulders with models and rock stars, where you could expect the unexpected, like bumping into Salvador Dalí leading a panther by a leash, say.

In spring 2026, Pigalle’s paradigmatic icon rises from the ashes, not just as a club, but as a boutique hotel. Thanks to an extensive makeover by Chapitre Six Hotels, the building has gained five new storeys, a sleek bar and restaurant and 35 vintage-inspired rooms, making it arguably the 9th arrondissement’s coolest stay.

Wallpaper* checks in at Hôtel Bus Palladium, Paris

What’s on your doorstep?

Once-gritty Pigalle has been the beating heart of Parisian nightlife since the 1800s. Though it was long a neighbourhood of ill-repute – a former red-light district where the main drag is still lined with neon sex shops and the iconic Moulin Rouge – today’s Pigalle is more chic than seedy. It is a neighbourhood in the midst of a bold transformation, and has been rapidly evolving into one of the most stylish corners of the city. To get a feel for it, head to Le Mansart, a 1950s-style café that’s permanently packed with locals and perfect for people-watching over a coffee or a beer. Fittingly for such a music-oriented stay, the Phono Museum is also on your doorstep and traces 140 years of sound recording history.

If you’re craving culture, the Musée de la Vie Romantique is a must, tucked away at the foot of Montmartre and housed in a charming green-shuttered villa. With a secret garden, a tearoom, and an impressive collection of romantic works, it captures the artistic spirit of 19th-century Paris. As for wining and dining, Pink Mamma is famous for its truffle pasta and rooftop views, Le Bon Georges offers a quintessential bistro experience, and Monkey Pigalle is a go-to for high-energy cocktails. For something more upmarket, seek out Onyx, a contemporary neo-brasserie delivering elevated French fare infused with global influences.

Who’s behind the design?

Having welcomed everyone from Jagger to The Beatles, Téléphone and Dalí, Paris-based Studio KO was tasked with reviving not just a building but a slice of musical history. Having previously tackled London’s Chiltern Firehouse and the iconic Yves Saint Lauren museum in Marrakech, the studio’s founders, Karl Fournier and Olivier Marty, are accustomed to working on sites that possess a unique sense of place. With Le Bus, they sought to balance heritage with high-end hospitality, honouring the club's long and legendary history by preserving its sensual and hedonistic atmosphere.

Though the club previously topped out at just two storeys, the duo added five floors during their four-year renovation, offering the space a new city-gazing rooftop with views to Sacré-Cœur and the Palais Garnier. Inside, the duo employed cork walls, bare ceilings and Afghan-style carpets in a nod to 1960s recording studios. The project is also overseen by artistic director, model and producer Caroline de Maigret, who chose the hotel’s signature amber-noted scent, dressed the staff in chic denim and corduroy uniforms and curated playlists which play in each room.

What are the standout design elements?

Studio KO’s rock-n-roll homage manifests long before you’ve entered your room. The club’s original red neon sign lights up the building’s new façade, which bears the imprint of the old lower-slung building, rendered in a sandy concrete mixed on-site to harmonise with the surrounding Haussmann-era stone. Inside, spaces reverberate with a dissonance that recalls the club’s storied clientele, as Velvet Goldmine-esque glamour rubs up against brutalist touches. Metal grating ceilings you’d typically find on technical runways and thick concrete walls are punctuated by Lynchian red velvet curtains and kaleidoscopic carpets.

The restaurant is arranged around a striking terrarium filled with wild ferns, and tables are lit by geometric pendant lights. Spotlights cast a theatrical glow along the corridors, illuminating witty touches such as door handles fashioned from microphone stems and vintage-style ‘On-Air’ sliders that signal either a request for service or a red ne pas déranger. Rooms lean into a 1970s style, with tulip coffee tables, salmon-pink carpets, mustard cord drapes and Bauhaus ‘SF 28’ hemisphere table lamps.

The room to book

No two rooms are alike. Entrusted to L’Œil de KO (Studio KO’s art gallery) and antiques dealer Antoine Billore, each is curated with unique artworks and vintage curiosities. Soundproofed walls, glass-enclosed bathrooms, and raw concrete ceilings remain constant, while most also feature cork-clad walls and headboards – a nod to Paris’ convalescent prodigy, Marcel Proust (the writer lined his bedroom walls with cork, combatting noise and allergy-aggravating dust), but also to 1960s recording studios. Bathrooms pop with electric blue tiling and Hollywood-style mirrors, while minibars are stocked with cocktails to mix yourself, craft beers, and an artisan selection of spirits. Which room to book depends on your priorities: if a place to lay your head is all you need, the small Supérieure is fine, though the integrated banquette and central table in my Deluxe Suite made it perfectly functional as a workspace. Those looking for a bathtub should opt for the Prestige Room, while the Suite Terrasse is the choice for those seeking outdoor access.

The headline act, however, is the Dalí Suite. At 70 sq m, it is the hotel’s largest, overlooking the street and the iconic red neon sign from its private balcony. The decor is full-throttle retro-futurism, anchored by a tangerine circular rug and a cognac leather De Sede banquette sofa that curves along its perimeter. It is a fluid, Kubrick-esque space featuring a glass-encased black marble bathroom that floats like a spaceship in the corner of the room. A Murphy bed – which can be folded away to transform the suite into a green room for touring musicians – is flanked by mirrored walls and a leopard-print headboard, and the space is peppered with midcentury design icons, from the black leather ‘Apollo’ lounge chair by Illum Wikkelsø to the brass-topped Henge ‘Galaxy’ coffee table.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The restaurant is helmed by young Marseillais chef Valentin Raffali, a Top Chef France alum who brings an ethical, zero-waste philosophy to the table, ditching imported salmon for Basque Country trout and smoking his own bacon on-site. His eclectic, seasonal cuisine feels right at home here with inventive pairings like smoked white asparagus with Mara des Bois strawberries, pooled in a savoury chicken sauce that masterfully counteracts the fruit's sweetness. For mains, flavour-packed Gallic classics like vol-au-vent sit beside langoustine slathered in a spicy XO sauce. My dessert was a nostalgic chocolate mousse served in a vintage silver coupe and crowned with a single, lipstick-red cherry – almost too pretty to eat.

For breakfast, guests can choose a continental spread or upgrade to the Palladium option. The latter is worth it for the hash browns alone – served like thick-cut fries with a dipping sauce of creamy Gwell Breton cheese – though the pastries are also a revelation: oversized, flaky, and butter-soft, baked to perfection by Stéphanie Le Quellec.

The sustainable ambition extends to the bar, where all tonics, syrups, and cordials are made in-house. There are six signature cocktails alongside all the classics and a particularly well-considered mocktail list. The Chaussan, named after a legendary host of the original Le Bus, who ensured the club’s night-owl suburbanites got home safely, is a particular highlight: subtle, elegant, bubblegum pink and made with olive oil syrup, lemon juice, tomato liquor and basil-infused vodka. Grab a seat and on Thursday through to Saturday, live DJs spin in the restaurant, where the soundtrack is dictated by a formidable vinyl collection – half belonging to Bus Palladium’s original founder James Arch, the other to Jean-Charles Dupuy, the reigning 'King' of Parisian nightlife. Grab a seat at the bar to soak it all in, accompanied perhaps by a silver tower of pre-gig pommes frites.

Where to switch off

One doesn’t come to Le Bus to switch off, but rather to switch on. Though the rooms themselves are peaceful, the lower ground floor cranks up the volume, placing the storied concert hall at the very heart of the experience. Lionel Bensemoun, known for iconic venues like Le Baron and La Mano, acts as the head of programming, overseeing a varied roster of live acts from cabaret to film screenings, music and dance. His ambition is to foster the same sense of inclusivity as Arch did when he first opened the club, a task he deems extra important given the area’s gentrification. The layout remains faithful to the original club, but KO has added a hint of theatrics with a Persian-style carpeting covering the walls, silver lamé curtains, a smoking room decked in stainless steel and a mammoth disco ball hanging over it all.

The verdict

The eyeliner-smudged glamour of bygone days gets a second chance at Bus Palladium, a place that seems at once out of time and firmly of the present thanks to clever, sensual interiors by Studio KO. The food is inventive, the rooms are sexy and the staff are bracingly cool and brimming with joie de vivre. Given how busy it was during its opening week, I’d say the locals agree.

Hôtel Bus Palladium is located at 6 Rue Pierre Fontaine, 75009 Paris, France

Melbourne’s Southbank precinct has plenty of hotels, but none as design-forward as Hannah St Hotel. Occupying an awkward triangular block next to the King’s Way overpass – a site most developers would have ignored – the hotel wears its location as a badge of honour, with a bullnose façade that echoes New York’s Flatiron Building.

Developed by Time & Place in partnership with TFE Hotels, the 188-room property is part of the mixed-use Queensbridge development, a 65-storey tower that rises 209m above Southbank. The hotel alone cost $150 million to deliver, with local designer David Flack of Flack Studio responsible for the interiors.

Wallpaper* checks in at Hannah St Hotel, Melbourne

What’s on your doorstep?

Set a couple of blocks back from the Yarra River, the hotel touts its ‘15-minute city’ credentials, with an impressive roster of cultural institutions on the doorstep: National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Southbank Theatre, and Hosier Lane’s renowned street art. Major sporting venues such as the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Melbourne Park, where the Australian Open tennis is held, are also within reach, as are the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Its proximity to entertainment complex Crown puts a multitude of cuisines within a short walk, from Bistro Guillaume and Spice Temple to Nobu and Marmont, alongside the casino floor for those inclined.

Who is behind the design?

Callum Fraser of Fraser & Partners designed the building, positioning the main entrance beneath the overpass as an act of urban embrace rather than apology. The ten-storey bullnose podium features 274 custom-precast aerated concrete panels along the façade, engineered to evoke Melbourne’s volcanic bluestone, a material woven into the city’s built environment since the 1830s.

David Flack of Flack Studio, perhaps better known for his residential work, took on the interiors for his first whole-hotel project, drawing freely from across the decades: 1920s French and Italian modernism, 1930s art deco, 1950s curves, 1980s Memphis, with no single era dominating. The eclecticism extends to the corridors, where burnished stainless steel wayfinding meets red-painted ceilings – a nod to deco-era Tokyo and New York’s Grand Central Station.

An art programme curated almost entirely around women artists adds further depth: Justene Williams’ large transmorphic sculpture commands the double-height lobby, Georgia Spain’s figurative abstract painting dominates the alternate entrance, and photographer Jo Duck’s quirky portraits appear in rooms and suites.

The room to book

The triangular building generates a variety of irregular room configurations – angular, curved, pointed, but rarely square. Tying it all together is Flack Studio’s bespoke handiwork: blush-pink carpets, polished concrete ceilings, octagonal ottomans covered in bright Kvadrat Maharam fabrics, polished steel and brass joinery referencing Charlotte Perriand, and bathrooms finished in navy blue tiles, Carrara marble and terrazzo. Almost every piece of furniture, fixture and fitting has been custom-made; the sole exception is a single black swivel desk chair by Tecno in each room.

Entry-level Local and Traveller rooms start at 21 sq m and come with Malin + Goetz amenities, Marshall speakers, Dyson hairdryers and 55-inch smart TVs. For space, style and comfort, the Lookout Corner Suites are worth a look. At 45 sq m, they offer 270-degree city views through floor-to-ceiling glazing, with hairpin-shaped window lounges that follow the building’s curved geometry.

Top of the range is the Hannah Suite, a 58 sq m penthouse with kitchen, separate living and dining rooms, window-side bathtub and private terrace. Views here – overpass, Crown car park, city skyline – are proudly gritty, in keeping with the spirit of the place.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Five venues across the hotel are operated by Melbourne hospitality veterans The Mulberry Group. The day begins at Hannah St Coffee, a pavement-facing kiosk serving Square One espresso and freshly baked pastries to guests and passing locals.

Anchoring the ground floor is Coupette, an all-day European bistro that occupies the building’s curved front corner. Sunlight pours through wraparound windows into a high-ceilinged room centred on a U-shaped, marble-topped bar, with blue banquettes lining the walls.

Breakfast runs from bacon and egg rolls and avocado tartine to a blue swimmer crab omelette that is the standout of the morning menu. Lunch and dinner lean into European and Australian comfort fare: steak frites, côte de porc, grilled scampi with citrus butter, and crème brûlée or tiramisu to finish.

For drinks, Bar Hannah in the lobby is good for cocktails from mid-afternoon, while the intimate Carriage Lounge suits a late-evening whisky. The Terrace Lounge, an indoor-outdoor rooftop space on the tenth floor, serves spritzes by day and cocktails with music after dark, with views across Southbank and the city.

Where to switch off

The glass-roofed Clubhouse, shared between hotel guests and building residents, houses a black and white-tiled 25-metre-long swimming pool, steam room and sauna, and gym, with sun loungers and banquettes spilling onto an outdoor terrace.

The verdict

Hannah St Hotel makes a virtue of its awkward angles and setting, with a neighbourhood character likely to appeal to both overnight guests and local residents. Flack’s interiors give the hotel a distinctive edge, and it sits close to the city centre and within walking distance of Melbourne’s top cultural institutions, the Yarra River, green space and a strong roster of restaurants and bars.

Hannah St Hotel is located at 19 Walker Street, Southbank, Victoria 3006, Australia

Those drawn to Antwerp tend to look for a base that mirrors its cool nonchalance. In the heart of the Old Town, just off Groenplaats, Hotel Julien has long answered that need. Since opening in 2004, it has remained a constant for those returning to the Belgian city’s particular mix of history and forward-looking design.

Now, just over two decades on, the hotel reopens following a complete makeover led by founder Mouche Van Hool, alongside interior designer Bea Mombaers and architect Peter Ivens. The intention was never to redefine the place, but to bring it closer to its original idea, something more akin to staying with friends than checking into a hotel. ‘I started Hotel Julie with the idea of offering an intimate, welcoming place with a homely atmosphere. As if you’ve discovered a hidden gem,’ Van Hool tells Wallpaper*.

Tour the new chapter of Hotel Julien, Antwerp

Occupying two adjoining 16th-century townhouses, the property carries a natural sense of charm, pairing original features – fireplaces, beams and cornicing – with a more restrained, contemporary sensibility. Wool, stone and timber define the material palette, extending into custom pieces designed specifically for the hotel. In the lounge, painted wood panelling runs low along the walls before opening onto the courtyard through steel-framed doors.

The bar offers a more relaxed rhythm, where restored wood interiors lend a warm, familiar feel, while classic cocktails, vintage wines and locally brewed beers, including those from De Koninck, shape an extensive list. As the day shifts, the rooftop terrace becomes the natural draw, with open views towards the cathedral. Throughout, lighting by PS Lab is kept low and deliberate, softening the spaces and drawing attention to texture.

Meanwhile, the breakfast room brings in more light through wide glazing while staying within the same muted palette. For guests, mornings begin here with pastries from Dôme, alongside a selection of warm and cold dishes. Below ground, the spa occupies the building’s former cellar, its vaulted structure left intact. Access is by reservation, offering private use of the sauna, hammam and hot stone seat.

‘For us, creating the right atmosphere was essential. We wanted to strike a balance between a sense of coming home and a space that continues to inspire. I believe we’ve succeeded, and created something truly special,’ note Ivens and Mombaers.

Upstairs, the 21 rooms follow the same approach. Materials remain consistent – linen, marble, timber – while the architecture shifts subtly from room to room. The Dreamer and Experience categories sit beneath original beamed ceilings in the eaves, offering more secluded stays. For something more outward-facing, the Experience Terrace rooms introduce private outdoor space overlooking Antwerp’s Old Town. Interiors are layered with considered details: books on Belgian design and architecture, ceramics from Serax designed by Vincent Van Duysen, and Aesop products in the bathrooms.

Hotel Julien is located at Korte Nieuwstraat 24, 2000 Antwerpen, Belgium

Once one of London’s great department stores, Whiteley’s, in Bayswater, had lost some of its grandeur in recent decades as the retail landscape changed. But a growing trend for large-scale restoration and transformation in favour of demolition was its saviour. The Grade II-listed landmark underwent a £1.5bn redevelopment by Foster + Partners that encompassed 139 luxury apartments, which launched in 2023, alongside a Six Senses hotel and spa resort, which opened last month.

The opening marks the UK debut of the pioneering luxury wellness brand, with the new hotel offering 109 rooms and suites, alongside 14 branded residences. The serene interiors, courtesy of design firm AvroKO in collaboration with EPR Architects, unfold as a layered dialogue of the site’s past, amalgamating post-Victorian, art deco and early modernist influences.

Wallpaper* checks in at Six Senses London

What’s on your doorstep?

Long overlooked yet astutely positioned, Queensway has been smartening its act over recent years through substantial investment, replacing luggage shops and mobile phone repairers with luxury residences and high-end restaurants. As such, minutes away from the hotel, one can go for a stroll around Hyde Park, followed by an epicurean moment at Jeremy King’s mid-century diner, The Park, or open-fire gastronomy at Nela.

Who is behind the design?

‘The interior design is driven by the narrative of the building that houses it,’ says AvroKO partner Adam Farmerie, referencing both the department store and its founder. William Whiteley’s vision was shaped in part by his visit to the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London’s Hyde Park, where the vast offering of manufactured goods all displayed under one roof would go on to inspire his eclectic retail identity.

This lineage carries through spatially in retail display-led elements across the space, taking the form of vitrines, haberdashery cabinets and counter-like interventions. Furniture moves between bespoke pieces and items sourced from across Portugal, Turkey and the UK, while much of the lighting, designed by AvroKO, draws on references ranging from steamship interiors to Parisian street lamps.

The room to book

Whisking guests up to their private quarters are three colourful lifts, playfully decked out with graphic details. Across all guest rooms, more restrained elements, including hardware, modesty curtains and chevron timber floors, imbue a softer, more residential feel. Little details, such as the gold hand-shaped handles set into dark, art deco-inspired cabinetry and the handmade zellige tiles in the bathrooms, add character.

Even the smaller bedrooms feel generous, aided by open-plan bathrooms with glass shower screens that can be veiled with curtains, while around 30 guest rooms come with private terraces. The crowning glory is the Whiteley Suite, which encompasses two huge bedrooms, two marble bathrooms, a large kitchen and a tree-lined terrace with sun loungers. ‘It channels the spirit of how William Whiteley’s personal residence might have looked if it had been frozen in time shortly after the building’s opening,’ says Farmerie.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Leading back down to the public spaces is the sole surviving feature from the original property – a restored cast-iron staircase with marble treads and brass balustrade. A preprandial drink can be enjoyed at Whiteley’s Bar, where hangovers can be avoided as all cocktails are designed to work with or without alcohol – signature offering Clouds Over Islay is equally delicious with either Bruichladdich whisky or nonalcoholic apéritif Everleaf Forest. The neighbouring café, where caffeine-free hot drinks, wellness-blend teas and protein-rich flapjacks are among the health-focused treats, is anchored by a large-scale abstract rendering of the Thames by artist Rachael Addis.

Elsehwere, a tea lounge serves botanical infusions developed with Old Tree Brewery, while Whitley’s Kitchen centres on an open kitchen, its domestic scale recalling a manor house. The dining room leans towards a European grand café, defined by its timber ceiling. Executive chef Eliano Crespi, who visited 30 British farms to select his suppliers, doles out a vegetable-forward menu with subtle Asian inflections – a Suffolk pork chop with shio koji and mustard jus among the standouts.

Where to switch off

Members’ club Six Senses Place offers access to a series of private lounges, dining rooms, bars and wellness options, while the Earth Lab, a dedicated space within all Six Senses properties worldwide, demonstrates the brand’s practical approach to conservation and sustainability, offering hands-on workshops in repurposing and botanical preparation. There’s also a Hum2n longevity clinic providing blood diagnostics, IV nutrient therapy and hormone optimisation, alongside a hyperbaric chamber.

The 2,300 sq m spa occupies the building’s former vaults. At its centre, a suspended ceramic installation by Ula Saniawa unfolds in petal-like forms, catching light and movement as you descend. Arched openings and raw textures define the space, while the art deco-style pool is anchored by a backlit glass-block wall. The spa also includes a magnesium-enriched pool, cold plunge, sauna, steam room, hammam and relaxation flotation capsule, alongside a biohacking recovery lounge and state-of-the-art gym. All guests are encouraged to book an integrated wellness assessment, which scans more than 40 biomarkers, such as galvanic response and oxygen levels. Another must-try is the Alchemy Bar, a kind of contemporary apothecary where guests are invited to transform locally foraged herbs and botanicals into personal skincare products.

The verdict

If Whiteley’s once promised that it could provide ‘everything from a pin to an elephant’, Six Senses recasts that breadth for a different era. The London landmark’s eclectic spirit very much lives on.

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

A version of this article appears in the June 2026 Travel Issue of Wallpaper*, available in print, on the Wallpaper* app on Apple iOS, and to subscribers of Apple News +. Subscribe to Wallpaper* today.

Launched in 1984 as an upscale addition to the multifaceted Marriott hotel group, the JW Marriott brand delivers a relevant kind of luxury for each country it’s operating in (currently 130 hotels across more than 40 countries and regions). In Japan, the brand’s tally stands at two – the first opened in Nara in 2020, while its Tokyo incarnation opened in October 2025 – and the relevant kind of luxury here is that soothingly quiet minimalism that the Japanese so excel at.

In the quaint and compact city of Nara – the capital of Nara Prefecture and about an hour from Kyoto – the star attraction is the 1,000-odd docile deer that roam freely around a park in the city’s east. It’s hard to resist a deer that bows at you for a cracker, so, understandably, the tourists flock here and this part of the city can feel pretty congested at times.

The JW Marriott Nara, the first international luxury hotel to open in the city, is a low-rise six-storey building located west of the main train station and feels like a calm oasis from the hullabaloo, peppered as it is with subtle Japanese elements and deer motifs. The ground floor, open-plan reception, lobby and piano bar feel welcoming and spacious, as do the 158 guest rooms, with their noiseless views across the city. A particular highlight is the hotel restaurant, Azekura, which offers a refined Japanese experience through three different styles of Japanese cuisine – teppanyaki, sushi and kaiseki. A series of beautifully presented, carefully composed little plates of food with a strong focus on seasonal, local ingredients introduced such delights as firefly squid and the wagyu sakura leaf sushi.

Also opened in 2020, nearly 300 miles away in Tokyo, the Takanawa Gateway station is the main transport hub of a spankingly shiny, mixed-use, ‘smart city’ redevelopment project. Featuring a mix of high-rise office towers, shopping malls, dining options, residential spaces and cultural hubs (including the Kengo Kuma-designed Museum of Narratives, which opened in March 2026), this futuristic new district is not unlike a traffic-free Canary Wharf, but with robots that do everything from cleaning to delivering drinks and transporting pedestrians around the site.

The station is incredibly well connected, with Tokyo station, Shibuya and Shinjuku a few stops away, while the nearby Shingawa station is the future terminus for the next-generation magnetic bullet trains that will eventually connect Tokyo with Osaka in around an hour.

A hop and a skip from the station is the brand new JW Marriott, which occupies the uppermost floors of a 30-storey high-rise. Designed by Yabu Pushelberg, with a creative narrative driven by Zen philosophy and classical Japanese minimalism, it’s a tranquil space that cocoons you the moment you emerge from the lifts. Moody, low-lit public spaces with wood panelling, muted fabrics and warm copper finishes create a cosiness, while a flickering fireplace, the seductive, ever-present scent by Flamingo Estate, and Lasvit’s luminous glass centrepiece add to the serenity.

Guest rooms are spacious, well-accessorised and peaceful, soundproofed from the traffic and trains zipping around many floors below, while those looking for an extra hit of Zen can book a room in the Mindful wing (located on the same floor as the spa and fitness centre, it allows guests to bypass the reception check-in/check-out procedure).

The biggest draw, however, is the view. Jaw-dropping panoramic vistas catch the eye on every floor, at every angle. And it doesn’t really matter which side your room is on, the views are equally far-reaching and time-absorbing. From one side, you can see Tokyo Tower and as far as Mount Fuji (on a clearish day), while from another, there are sweeping views across the railyards and train tracks to Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge. And no matter what you are doing – taking a bath, tucking into the voluminous breakfast buffet or doing laps in the Instagrammable pool – it’s hard not to keep staring at it.

marriott.com

During Japan’s Edo Period, hundreds of feudal lords, samurai, priests, and tradesfolk traversed the Tokaido Road between Japan’s old and new capitals: Kyoto and Tokyo. Many inns welcomed travellers along the way, but there were none so rewarding as the ryokans of Hakone, where an abundance of natural hot springs soothed knotty muscles and weary feet. These days, standing out in the crush of Hakone’s modern-day ryokans isn’t easy, but a targeted renovation at KAI Hakone attempts to reinstate – and elevate – the restorative onsen stays of yesteryear.

Wallpaper* checks in at Kai Hakone

What’s on your doorstep?

KAI Hakone is located in Hakone Yumoto Onsen, Kanagawa Prefecture. An eight-minute drive from Hakone-Yumoto railway station, the ryokan is tucked into a wooded slope below a quiet, somewhat isolated stretch of the Old Tokaido Road. Transportation options are thin, but nature is plentiful. The property’s entrance is not grand, marked only by a squint-or-you’ll-miss-it sign leading to an unassuming parking lot next to the reception entrance. But once through the doors, serenity seeps in as the lamp-lit lounge and glass-walled forest and river views beckon.

Who is behind the design?

A 1987 inn was first reinvented by its new owners, the Hoshino Resorts Group, and Sakakura Associates Architects and Engineers in 2012. Now, a new chapter unfolds courtesy of the same architectural firm, along with Yuki Ito Architectural Design and head lead designer Hirofumi Inoue of Nomura Co., Ltd.

The renovation drew design cues from a condensed version of historic travellers’ many-week-long stays at spa retreats along the Tokaido Road. The addition of an outdoor tea house, Sawa Chaya, and a marquetry workshop invites convivial gatherings. Two sumptuous suites, housed above the workshop, offer private open-air onsens and intimate proximity to the complimentary coffee station, lounge and restaurant. Attention to detail is evident in several new art and design features, from a wood-scraps sculpture representing the elevation changes of the post towns along the old highway to bed throws depicting Edo-period tools that would have been unloaded at the foot of the futon.

The room to book

The ryokan offers just 34 rooms, all with expansive views and tatami flooring. Thirty-two are signature guest rooms with abstract artwork of essential Edo-period travel items, such as sandogasa – woven straw hats – or chochin – collapsible washi paper lanterns. Outdoor pathways of bamboo and stone connect the guestrooms ‘to represent material used to make the road in the Edo period,’ says manager Moeka Tsuyuki.

The two new 110 sq m Hakone Gokochi Suites steal the show with long, birch-hued corridors that lead past shoji-screened bedrooms to sunken, glass-walled living rooms. The open-air onsens off the shower room offer views of the Sugomo river that somehow feel both intimate and expansive. The connecting passage between living and bathing spaces is perhaps the most striking: A dark, spare ishi-no-ma (rock room) relaxation space with black walls, two simple wooden chairs, and cool, dark stone underfoot offers a small window to a terrace rock garden or a floor-to-ceiling window to the changing leaves outside.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Standard lodging plans include kaiseki course dinner and breakfast. The subterranean restaurant consists of semi-private dining spaces screened in wood and washi paper. A dearth of décor encourages focus on the cuisine, which begins with a soup made from chilled amazake, a fermented rice drink once consumed to restore energy after climbing the Hakone Pass. The procession of subsequent dishes follows the motif, with sashimi and other seasonal selections served in wooden boxes designed to look like old carrying cases. For breakfast, a wooden tray of jewel-like bites alongside a bubbling single-serve hot pot is served in one main course.

Staff at the lantern-lit tea house outside proffer complimentary herbal tea in the afternoons and a small variety of Japanese alcoholic drinks in the evenings.

Where to switch off

It’s all about the hot springs. Follow ‘The Immersion Path,’ a mural designed by Mitsuko Ogura that sports parading feudal lords alongside modern-day relay racers and skiers, down the lower corridor toward the two sex-segregated public onsens — 40-41°C baths powered by geothermal waters from sodium chloride springs. The baths are enclosed on three sides to protect against the elements, with one wall open to frame the Japanese maples and mountain stream like a painting. Each bath area also contains a dry sauna and a cold plunge pool.

The verdict

Kai Hakone remains a tranquil retreat in the heart of hot springs country. From Sawa Chaya, the simple outdoor tea room, to the gently cocooning rooms with framed views of forest and stream, it’s built for contemplation. The out-of-the-way location can be difficult for travellers without a car, but the point is to soak in the space, not use it as a base for exploration. For guests willing to spend a day or two sitting and savouring, the revived Kai Hakone is well worth the time.

Kai Hakone is located at 230 Yumotochaya, Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun, Kanagawa 250-0312, Japan

‘Quiet and deep.’ This is how architect Kengo Kuma describes Miyagawa-cho, a Kyoto neighbourhood famed for its community ties, traditional wooden architecture and rich geisha culture. The same words reflect the essence of its newest arrival: Capella Kyoto.

The long-awaited Japan debut for the luxury Singapore brand, the new hotel recently opened in the heart of the district. Rebuilt on the site of a former elementary school, it’s one of a trio of new Kuma-designed structures – including a historic geisha theatre and community centre – together creating a connective hub between past and present, tradition and innovation.

Wallpaper* checks in at Capella Kyoto

What’s on your doorstep?

Capella Kyoto is very close to tourist-packed Gion, also famed for its time-etched streets and layered geiko (Kyoto geisha) culture. However, the hotel is in fact in nearby Miyagawa-cho, which is a little quieter and has a more local atmosphere. Capella Kyoto sits directly opposite a low-key side entrance to Kenninji, the city’s oldest Zen temple complex, a soul-soothing sanctuary of stone walkways and historic structures. Along the same street are generations-old family stores, from wooden bucket artisans to sandal makers.

Softly mirroring its surroundings, the hotel rises from the site of a former elementary school (whose vintage lighting and trodden floorboards are reborn in restaurant Yoi). Intimate and low-rise, the four-storey building has layers of roofs, dark wood frames, gently curved roof brackets and lattices of bamboo – a modern riff on the low curved inuyarai fencing that lines local houses, marking a boundary between home and street. The crafted beauty of noren curtains in dusty sakura pinks, by Kyoto-based textile artist Mae Engelgeer, marks the entrances (these will change with the seasons).

‘We applied the wisdom of the machiya to the hotel design,’ explains Kuma. ‘I wanted to evoke the image of smallness, local materials, tiered roofs, hidden inner gardens, layered internal spaces – just like a Japanese home.’

Who is behind the design?

Inspired by the intimacy of the traditional machiya townhouses on surrounding streets, the 89-room hotel is rooted in a pared-back serenity and crafted Kyoto touches, with architecture by Kengo Kuma & Associates and interiors by Brewin Design Office. Picture a deepening journey through sliding screens, an inner garden mirroring the micro-seasons, contemporary artworks and an elemental material palette (wood, stone, bamboo, paper) – harmonised with the effortless sense of modern luxury that goes hand in hand with the Capella brand.

‘This area is very connected to traditional house design,’ says Kuma, taking Wallpaper* on an exclusive tour of the hotel ahead of opening. ‘The uniqueness of a machiya lies in its layering, creating small spaces with multiple atmospheres. I wanted to show the quiet depth of this neighbourhood in the design of the hotel.’

When arriving, it’s all about transitioning: from street to home, outside world to inner sanctum. Rather than entering directly, sloped pathways of natural stone gently guide visitors inside. Along the way is a curved installation of earthy straw by artist Momoko Fuji, leading into the stillness of an intimate inner space. Here, floral arrangements in ceramic vases rest on sculptural wood tables, while timeless gold panels and calligraphic artworks hang in earthen-walled alcoves.

The journey continues along a light-flooded corridor, an internal tsuboniwa courtyard garden on the left – a serene composition of cherry blossoms, camellias, rocks, stones and cloud-reflecting pond; while on the right, paper screens filter the sound of flowing water from a basement fountain composed of large rocks from Gifu (‘to bring inside the sounds of nature,’ says Kuma). A sense of intimacy arises in the unwrapping of the hotel’s layers: ‘We used many sliding shoji screens to control privacy and soften natural light. These screens are the most important architectural vocabulary for a machiya.’

The light-shifting walkways lead into the Living Room – a screen-wrapped sanctuary. Here, staff in contemporary outfits fastened with Kyoto obi sashes sit at desks. Sunlight flickers on a paper screen behind a delicately gnarled bonsai. Historical books sit among flower arrangements and artworks, which range from the rhythmic paper folds of a hanging work crafted from geisha books to monochromatic Kyoto photography. It is here, every day before dinner, that a geiko or trainee maiko performs – a moment balancing intimacy with connection (guests are encouraged to chat at the end).

The room to book

Serene, spacious and soft in palette, the 89 rooms are elegant showcases of craftsmanship. Light filters through screens, alongside carpets marked with tatami mat lines, gently curved oak furniture, minimalist artworks by Kyoto creatives, including paper artist Kamisoe, textured tubular lighting and deep black bathtubs in granite bathrooms (or hinoki cypresswood tubs in suites). A highlight is curved sweeps of calligraphy on woven panels above the bed – a collaboration between avant-garde Okinawan calligraphy artist Daichiro Shinjo and Kyoto’s 17th-century kimono textile innovators Hosoo.

Views are firmly rooted in the surroundings – be it temples, old streets, or distant mountains. Six onsen suites are intimately fitted with private hot spring bathing and Zen gardens. ‘Our approach was to create spaces that felt grounded in the city’s architectural traditions while interpreting them in a contemporary way,’ Robert Cheng, founder of Brewin Design Office, tells Wallpaper*. ‘Rather than referencing history directly, we looked at underlying qualities such as proportion, materiality and atmosphere. We drew inspiration from the warm timber tones of a traditional Kyoto machiya to create spaces that feel more enveloping.’

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Behind a white noren curtain is scene-stealing SoNoMa restaurant by SingleThread. Created by Kyle and Katina Connaughton of wildly acclaimed SingleThread in California, the new outpost is the sensory culmination of decades spent exploring Japan’s culinary heritage, farming practices and earthy Iga ceramics. ‘It’s about the story of the day,’ says Kyle, highlighting its microseasonality. Inspired by an ochaya teahouse, the 12-seat counter restaurant – helmed by chef Keita Tominaga – serves up an omakase journey that is surprising and sensory, modern and creative, balancing Japan’s crafted flavours with a touch of California – from a forest-wrapped medley of early spring treats (fava beans, Hokkaido sea urchin, lily bulbs with sakura) to Kyoto duck sprinkled with fennel pollen from their Sonoma farm. ‘We use mainly Japanese ingredients but like to include an expression of California, even if it’s hidden,’ explains the chef.

Shaping the hotel’s daily rhythm is Lanterne – a light-flooded all-day restaurant with elegant sweeps of marble, herringbone floors and garden views. French cuisine with Japanese imprints is on the menu (a favourite is King Crab pain perdu with zesty kinkan kumquat and bisque); plus a fresh, buzzy breakfast (opt for an outdoor table when it’s warm). At the threshold is The Patisserie, serving SingleThread Entremets – otherworldly sweet treats displayed among foliage and flowers.

Yoi is a refreshingly laid-back spot for modern Japanese cuisine. Sit at the counter and enjoy a relaxed mix of treats – from sashimi platters served in a cloud of mist to chrysanthemum, spinach and young bamboo shoots in sesame dressing – alongside crafted cocktails such as Japanese Loafer (midori, bergamot, Kyoto craft gin and yuzu citrus).

Where to switch off

The basement is a temple to wellness. Start the day with gentle stretches and singing bowls by the fountain. The Ofuro Suites offer private onsen soaks overlooking a Zen-style garden. Auriga Spa has a menu inspired by the moon cycles, unfolding in four treatment rooms – where massages are perfectly executed in an aromatic cloud of curated oils and herbs – plus saunas and steam rooms in changing areas.

In addition, the hotel shines particularly brightly with its Capella Curates programmes. Inventive experiences tap into Kyoto’s layered culture – with a playful twist. I lost track of time with charismatic Seiji Naito, who helms Gion Naito, a century-old family-run wooden sandal company, a few minutes from the hotel, talking about the meaning of life, nature and the universe, while playing book games (yes, really) and trying on shoes. Other experiences include visiting a surf-loving lacquerware artisan and kintsugi workshops. The friendly staff are also accomplished at bespoke experiences.

The verdict

A smooth mesh of Kyoto culture and contemporary warmth, intimacy and connection, nature and city, tradition and innovation – all threaded together with a luxurious dose of Capella’s signature hospitality.

Capella Kyoto is located at 130 Komatsucho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0811, Japan

Rooted in Celtic tradition, The Fife Arms has been a Braemar landmark since its inception in 1856. The village rose to prominence following Queen Victoria’s purchase of Balmoral Castle, a swift ten miles from the hotel. Its interiors, clad in tartan and layered with antiques and art, capture the richness of Scottish craftsmanship. Now, the property – owned by Artfarm, the hospitality company of Hauser & Wirth’s founders – has unveiled a ‘Secret Room’ inspired by an unexpected protagonist.

Discover The Fife Arms’ new room, inspired by Coco Chanel

Coco Chanel had long been inspired by Scotland’s fabrics – a thread woven through her tweed collections (the maison continues its longstanding relationship with Linton Tweeds, first discovered by Chanel in 1928). She first visited the country in the 1920s during a whirlwind romance with Hugh Grosvenor, 2nd Duke of Westminster. Over a decade of returns, Chanel fell for the rituals of the landscape – fly-fishing, long walks, the texture of the Highlands itself. One could argue the enduring love affair was less with the Duke and more with Scotland.

Using this vivid romance as inspiration, Russell Sage Studio brings the new secret guestroom to life. The practice sidesteps Chanel’s familiar black-and-white codes and interlocking ‘CC’ monogram, instead tracing the designer’s more intimate preferences. She was known to dislike doors, often masking them with screens in the hope guests might forget to leave. Here, that instinct is reimagined: the room is concealed behind a trompe-l’œil door, detailed with references to her Paris apartment, and revealed by following the path of a camellia motif.

Upon entering, guests are met with an interior layered in green and burgundy tweed. The room nods to 31 Rue Cambon, Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment, through details such as a wheat sheaf chandelier and an art deco vanity mirror set on the dressing table. The room, now occupying The Fife Arms’ former Family Room on the ground floor, boasts a walk-in wardrobe, bar area, and a freestanding copper bath nestled within an alcove.

Chanel also decorated Rosehall House, a Scottish manor near Lairg, during her relationship with the Duke. Russell Sage Studio has drawn directly from this history, using a reproduction of the house’s wallpaper within the secret room, while the headboard and furniture are finished in a Scottish interpretation of Chinoiserie.

The Fife Arms is located at Mar Rd, Braemar, Ballater AB35 5YN

Rome has no shortage of hotels, but Casa Monti operates on its own frequency. Boutique at 36 keys and quietly beautiful, it has earned a reputation as a creative hideaway. Its latest move is characteristically well-judged: a six-month residency with artist Michael McGregor, running until 15 October 2026, during which he has transformed one of the hotel’s suites into a liveable artwork, bringing his fine art sensibility to bear on the intimacy of a hospitality space.

The Art Suite at Casa Monti, Rome

Over the past decade, McGregor has lived and worked across Mexico City, Los Angeles, Paris, London, Greece and Italy, and now calls Athens home. A habitual traveller and frequenter of hotels, he has, since 2016, developed a practice of drawing on hotel stationery – a ritual that has since evolved into his visual signature: an expressive, instinctive language that blends impressionism with fauvism, playing on the tension between formal logotypes and loose, pastel-pencil gestures.

It is this itinerant practice, and his intimate familiarity with hotels as spaces of both transit and inspiration, that made McGregor a natural fit for Casa Monti. In his Roman residency, custom wall panels anchor the suite, while the artist’s exclusively designed patterns extend across upholstery and decorative elements. Drawings and paintings unfold across paper and textiles, woven into the fabric of the room: a bespoke backgammon set, for example, is adorned with his signature motifs, while personal art books and carefully placed objects lend the space an air of pleasing informality – as though the artist’s stationery sketches simply took on a life of their own, and the guest has stepped into McGregor’s private universe.

Debuting within the suite is ‘Roma Amor’, a new collection of drawings and sketches the artist created during a stay at the hotel in 2025, reflecting on visits to Centrale Montemartini, Villa Medici and Palazzo Venezia.

‘Casa Monti offers a rare opportunity to work beyond the walls of galleries and studios,’ says McGregor. ‘My aim is to craft moments of discovery through small gestures, playful details and subtle interventions that spark curiosity and invite personal engagement.’

The suite speaks to Casa Monti’s talent for creating spaces that feel curated yet uncontrived, and to McGregor’s ability to find meaning in the marginal and incidental. For those who find themselves in Rome between now and October, you know where to find the hottest room in the city.

The Art Suite is available to book now, with rates starting from €1,200 per night based on double occupancy with breakfast included. Casa Monti is located at Via Panisperna, 210/212, 00184 Rome, Italy

Perched on a long sandbank within the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO-designated biosphere reserve, .Here takes the Maldivian resort in a more private, design-led direction, unfolding as Somewhere and Nowhere, two distinct stays with different intentions.

Somewhere comprises seven expansive villas, while the soon-to-open Nowhere is reserved for full private hire with just two residences and its own dedicated facilities. Both sit within the Seaside Collection portfolio and are accessed via its sister property Finolhu, by a short boat transfer along the connecting sandbank.

What sets Somewhere apart is its approach to architecture. Rather than separating beach and overwater villas, the residences span the width of the sandbank, combining both in a single footprint. It’s this approach that gives the resort a distinct identity before you even get into the details of the rooms, the food or the wider experience.

Wallpaper* checks in at .Here, Baa Atoll

What’s on your doorstep?

Unlike the typical Maldivian island, Somewhere is set along a narrow sandbank, so what’s on your doorstep is defined less by dense greenery and more by open water on either side. One side faces the lagoon, which is calm enough for a swim, while the other opens onto the ocean, where waves break more forcefully along the shore. There is no house reef here, so snorkelling is limited directly from the villa.

From Somewhere, the sandbank stretches over two kilometres back towards Finolhu’s main island, passing the Crab Shack, a laid-back restaurant set directly on the beach, before reaching the resort, where a broader range of activities and snorkelling can be found.

Who is behind the design?

Architecture is by KulörGroup, with interiors by London-based Muza Lab, and together they bring a clear identity to a destination that moves away from the familiar barefoot-luxury aesthetic. Rather than slotting into the landscape, the architecture takes a more deliberate approach, drawing on Maldivian maritime culture through dhoni-inspired forms, rope-wrapped columns and low, open structures set along the sandbank.

Inside, Muza Lab introduces a more confident use of colour and texture. The bold palette is a strong departure from the expected neutrals, shifting instead through lagoon blues and greens into more vivid fuchsia tones, layered with woven installations and tactile surfaces. In the main living spaces, sunken seating lowers the perspective towards the water, while sculptural lighting and coral-like forms add a sense of depth and movement.

At Safar, the resort’s restaurant and bar set between Somewhere and Nowhere, the architecture becomes more expressive with a series of open pavilions with sail-like roofs that define the space. At the centre sits the bar, backed by a sculptural, coral-like installation, while behind that, sunken seating extends out along two jetty-like platforms over the water, making it the best spot for sunset.

The room to book

Of the seven villas at Somewhere, five comprise three bedrooms, with two larger four-bedroom residences positioned at either end. All follow the same architectural blueprint, so the decision comes down to size rather than layout.

Each is arranged as a duplex that stretches across the sandbank. The ground floor is given over to a large, open-plan living space with dining area and sunken seating, alongside a walk-in minibar, bar and butler’s kitchen, all opening onto a generous deck with a pool, barbecue and multiple places to sit or dine. Upstairs, the main bedroom faces the lagoon, with a balcony, four-poster bed and a large bathroom with an outdoor shower and freestanding tub, while a second room sits alongside, designed as a flexible space that can be used as a spa treatment room, office or gym.

From here, the villa extends across the sandbank via a long, bridge-like pool to a third bedroom on the ocean side, more self-contained and oriented towards the beach. It’s a layout that prioritises space and flexibility, but one that makes most sense when fully occupied rather than as a couples retreat.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Everything centres around Safar, the only restaurant and bar, set out over the water between Somewhere and Nowhere. While meals can be taken in-villa, where your Roohu (butler)handles everything with the same polish as a restaurant service, Safar naturally draws you back in, particularly towards sunset.

Drinks are well judged, drawing on global influences without overcomplicating things. Kyoto, for example, blends ginger, lemongrass, passionfruit, sake and Grey Goose into something light and balanced, while the food follows a similarly wide reach. The menu covers all bases from Maldivian and Asian to Middle Eastern influences, with dishes such as tuna tartare and Moroccan lamb tagine served with couscous.

Breakfast is entirely à la carte and can be taken here or in the villa, with a mix of familiar and less expected options, alongside a build-your-own 'Open Toast' section, where you assemble combinations from a choice of breads, cheeses, eggs, toppings and vegetables.For a change of pace, Finolhu sits a short boat ride away, where a broader range of restaurants, including Arabian Grill and Kanusan – modern Japanese – can be found. Along the sandbank, the Crab Shack – an easy walk away – is set directly on the beach with laid-back vibes and a menu with dishes like the Sri Lankan curry crab, best eaten with your hands and your feet in the sand.

Where to switch off

Given the focus on privacy and seclusion, switching off here requires very little effort. Much of it happens in the villa itself, whether that’s stretched out on the deck or taking a long bath at sunset.

There is no spa at Somewhere, but treatments can be arranged in the villa, often set up in the flexible second room, where massages are accompanied not by music but by the sound of the ocean just beyond.

The verdict

With none of the dense vegetation or winding sandy paths that typically define the Maldivian experience, .Here might not be for everyone. For the right guest, it offers a more considered, design-led take on the destination that prioritises space, privacy and a clear point of view.

.Here is located at Kanufushi, Baa Atoll, 21002, Maldives

When Ian Schrager created the ‘boutique hotel’ concept – first with Andrée Putman at Morgans in 1984, then with Philippe Starck at the Royalton, Delano, and more – he launched a five-decade transformation of the world’s gateway cities. Stylish lobbies, destination restaurants, and rooftop bars became magnets for travellers and locals alike, redefining urban hospitality from New York to London, Miami to Paris. But São Paulo, one of the world’s largest and most dynamic urban centres, remained an outlier. For decades, this metropolis of 20 million had only a handful of boutique properties that captured its cultural energy and met the global standard for sophisticated travellers.

But at the recent South American Hotel Investment Conference in Rio de Janeiro, industry professionals were discussing what has become a boom in high-end hotel development in Brazil – and how to keep it going in the face of war and other geopolitical risks, rising energy costs, and stubbornly high interest rates.

Despite headwinds, both new and old, Brazil has more than 150 upscale and luxury hotel projects that have recently opened or are currently in development, according to industry reports – a stark contrast to the high-profile handful that defined the market just five years ago.

The momentum behind Brazil’s hotel expansion

São Paulo’s boutique hotel market started with the Emiliano in 2001, the city’s first true luxury boutique hotel, launched by the Filgueiras family in the exclusive neighbourhood of Jardins and designed by Arthur Casas. Just a year later came the Hotel Unique, an iconic building and boutique hotel by Ruy Ohtake – its ‘unique’ form still helping to define the cityscape. In 2003, the original Fasano Hotel São Paulo opened – designed by then-partners Isay Weinfeld and Marcio Kogan – a timeless, luxurious masterpiece that honours the Fasano family’s four-generation legacy as Brazil’s finest restaurateurs.

For over 20 years, these were the only independent properties that reflected local character and met the global standard for a luxury boutique travel experience – largely due to market conditions that contributed to shaky investor confidence – both foreign and domestic – in the Brazilian hotel space.

But when French developer Alexandre Allard launched the Rosewood São Paulo in January 2022 – designed by Philippe Starck – the property became the tipping point for the Brazilian hotel market. Shortly after, in 2023, Fasano added a second hotel and branded residences – almost 20 years to the day of the original Fasano launch – designed by Studio MK27, in the buzzing neighbourhood of Itaim. Then, in early 2024, hotelier Otávio Suriani launched the Pulso Hotel in the Pinheiros neighbourhood, also designed by Arthur Casas. Suriani is also developing a second Pulso Hotel in São Paulo, set to open in 2029.

These properties were just the start of a pipeline that seemingly has no end in sight – the result of major shifts in the Brazilian market. ‘Three forces have converged to transform Brazil’s hotel market. First, domestic institutional investment funds and REITs – now fully regulated and active on Brazil’s B3, the second-largest in the Americas – gave developers a clear exit strategy. Second, post-pandemic domestic tourism hit record highs. Third, international capital finally viewed Brazil as a stable bet for luxury hospitality investments,’ says Laurent DeKousmaeker, head of Latin American Development at Marriott International.

DeKousmaeker launched São Paulo’s first W Hotel in early 2025, and an ambitious new Westin concept by Brazilian architect Jayme Bernardo in June of the same year. He and his partners are planning 98 new hotels in Brazil over the next five years. The other major brands have similarly ambitious plans with their development partners.

But perhaps no single developer is as bullish on Brazil as Alexandre Allard, who launched Soho House São Paulo in 2024, next to his own Rosewood property, both located just off iconic Avenida Paulista. He is also launching his own luxury hotel brand, Allard, with properties under development in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, both designed by Arthur Casas.

Beyond Allard, Rio de Janeiro’s hotel pipeline is robust. Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts recently announced a complete renovation of Ipanema’s Marina Palace Hotel, expected to open in 2029 as Four Seasons Hotel Rio de Janeiro at Leblon, designed by Patricia Anastassiadis. Her São Paulo-based namesake firm has also designed an elegant remodel of the Sofitel Rio de Janeiro Ipanema, scheduled to open in November 2026. Just 45km outside Rio, in Maricá, local developers Maraey have partnered with Marriott International to create an environmentally and socially responsible destination resort complex, including a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, a JW Marriott, and a hotel themed after the famous Rock in Rio music festival, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection, all opening in late 2026.

Also not far from Rio, the Emiliano Hotel Paraty is under development in the namesake historic colonial town and Unesco World Heritage Site that is an important part of Brazilian history. With architecture by Norman Foster, the project exemplifies another reason for the increase in ‘new’ hotel projects.

‘There are some really special projects that were started years ago, and it took a long time to get through Brazil’s environmental approvals process. Those are also coming online now, adding to the momentum we are seeing in the market. The Emiliano Paraty is over 15 years in the making – hard to believe for those outside Brazil, but that has been the reality here,’ says Gustavo Filgueiras. We first reported on Emiliano Paraty in our June 2010 Born in Brazil issue.

‘It isn’t just São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro that are booming,’ DeKousmaeker adds. ‘Secondary markets in the Northeast, the Central-West, and the South are bubbling too. It’s almost everywhere. It’s an exciting time for hospitality in Brazil.’

In Ceará, on Brazil’s northeast coast, the Mana Hotel Cumbuco exemplifies this secondary-market momentum, bringing contemporary Brazilian design to one of the country’s most spectacular beach destinations. Designed by Guilherme Torres, it is an example of how sophisticated, yet locally relevant properties are proliferating in locations once overlooked by luxury travellers. Torres is applying the same modern gestalt, articulated in humble, local materials, on his second hotel in the area, the Silêncio Hotel, where carnauba straw roofs and hand-packed mud walls frame an open-air layout designed for Ceará’s year-round warmth.

The Central-West region, which includes the farmlands on the tropical savanna around Brasília and the southernmost portion of the Amazon, is also seeing unprecedented development activity. Perhaps the most luxurious addition planned is Arthur Casas’ luxury boutique hotel in the perfectly preserved town of Belterra, Pará. The hotel is currently being crafted from restored houses built by Henry Ford as part of a major area of revival anchored by the new Museum of Amazonian Science (featured in the May 2023 issue of Wallpaper*). Ford built an entire town of matching green and white buildings in 1934 to support rubber farming activities for his factories, all in the style of his hometown of Dearborn, Michigan. Ford’s rubber empire collapsed within a decade, but Belterra’s Midwestern American architecture – preserved as a national heritage site – now offers one of Brazil’s most surreal juxtapositions: white clapboard houses with front porches adjacent to the Tapajós River and the Amazon forest.

The southern region of Santa Catarina is a hotbed for development too, highlighted by a high-profile conversion just outside the state capital and an elegant new-build launch by a familiar name, near an up-and-coming city. In November 2025, the renowned Ponta dos Ganchos Resort became Awasi Santa Catarina, bringing the Chilean luxury brand’s adventure-driven concept – featuring private nature guides and personal 4x4 vehicles – to Brazil’s protected Atlantic Rainforest, near the increasingly popular city of Florianópolis. Yet another Emiliano Hotel is under construction here, too. The project is north of Florianópolis, in Santa Catarina, outside of Balneário Camboriú, the city known as the ‘Dubai of Brazil’ for its own building boom. The Emiliano Santa Catarina also features architecture by Norman Foster and stunning interiors by Patricia Anastassiadis, and will include both a hotel and luxury residences.

The boom signals more than just hotel development – it reflects Brazil’s emergence as a mature luxury market capable of supporting the kind of design-driven hospitality that has long defined global gateway cities. For the first time, Brazilian cities can compete not just on price or exoticism, but on design, service, and brand prestige. While Brazil’s hotel boom includes both international and domestic brands that deliver all three, there is only one homegrown company that is doing so abroad.

After opening in exclusive Brazilian destinations such as Angra dos Reis and Trancoso, Fasano Hotels has expanded abroad. That growth started in 2010 with a property designed by Isay Weinfeld in the chic summer playground of Punta del Este, Uruguay, then New York City, and now there is a beachfront Miami property under construction – all under the leadership of partner and head of hotel development Constantino Regis Bittencourt.

Constantino Regis Bittencourt and Gero Fasano are also entering Europe, with projects underway in London, Cascais, Sardinia, and Milan, which marks the family’s return home, four generations after leaving for Brazil in 1902. With the purchase of the 16th-century Palazzo Taverna in the city’s Quadrilatero della Moda, or Fashion District, the project marks a full-circle moment for the brand and signals that Fasano is quickly growing into a global luxury brand to rival many of the traditional names. But unlike its global competitors, Fasano is already established in virtually all of Brazil’s best destinations. The group remains truly independent, and its celebrated 124-year culinary history has become the ultimate competitive advantage, proving that Brazilian hospitality can compete on the world stage, even if the home market is still catching up.

In the heart of Cap Ferret – a quaint oyster village situated on France’s west coast often dubbed the French Hamptons – Hôtel Villa Colette has just opened its doors, marking the first outpost of the Utopik Collection outside of Paris. The brainchild of French entrepreneur Laurent Taïeb and designer Philippe Starck, also behind Maison Heler Metz and Brach Madrid, the two long-time friends set out to capture what they call a ‘happy nostalgia,’ their poetic interpretation of a destination which they are deeply tied to.

‘We wanted to bring something special, and we designed Hôtel Villa Colette as if our friends and I were going to be the future guests,’ says Starck, who is not a stranger to the area.

Down the street, Starck owns a home where he spends much of his time with his wife and daughter. ‘I have been living here for 45 years now, which has felt like 45 years in paradise. It is a magical place that perfectly embodies the French spirit,’ he says.

The first 5-star hotel in Cap Ferret, Hôtel Villa Colette is a welcome addition to the limited hospitality landscape on the peninsula, which has long been known as a discreet hideaway for the rich and famous. With just 28 rooms, the property is designed as an intimate hideaway, a sort of secondary home that guests will want to return to over and over again.

Wallpaper* checks in at Hôtel Villa Colette, Cap Ferret

What’s on your doorstep?

Just a few steps from Hôtel Villa Colette is the main shopping street, lined with independent boutiques offering everything from laid-back surfer fashion to niche labels, design furniture and art galleries, and restaurant shacks and cafés perfect for a casual bite.

On one side of the peninsula, the calm waters of the Arcachon Basin; on the other, the wild Atlantic Ocean, where surfers can catch waves over two metres tall. For guests eager to discover the bay from the water, the hotel can arrange private boat charters with a skipper. A stop at the Dune of Pilat is an absolute must – the tallest sand dune in Europe – bordered by the bay on one side and an expansive pine forest on the other, before docking at an oyster shack, the most famous of which is La Cabane Hortense, for a platter of fresh oysters farmed a few metres from the restaurant.

Who’s behind the design?

Starck may be the creative force behind the interiors of Hôtel Villa Colette, but the project is, at its core, a shared vision between the designer and Taïeb.

‘My vision for Villa Colette began with my fascination for the elegance and singularity of French actresses from the 1930s to the 1950s. I imagined the story of one of these great actresses: at the end of her career, she leaves her Parisian apartment on Avenue Foch, to retreat to the countryside, settling into a humble house near the beach, in an oyster-farming village,’ explains Starck.

‘She repaints the interior of her home in soft tones – faded powder pink, very pale lemon yellow – creating an intimate and soothing space. Throughout the house, she scatters her memories: fragments of her life as an actress, family mementoes, traces of a rich past that inhabit the space,’ he continues.

The opening space – part lobby, part foyer, part bar – perfectly embodies Starck’s vision, with paper flower bouquets, geometric cushions, ruched lampshades, a wood-burning stove and a Klein piano from the 1950s.

In the dining room, reminiscent of a Spanish patio, the eye is immediately drawn toward an open kitchen framed by a still life by the Parisian classical painting house Troubetzkoy. Above, a retractable glass roof opens up on warm summer nights, allowing guests to dine beneath the stars.

The room to book

The hotel features 28 rooms and suites, each carrying through the same design language, from the classic rooms to the Prestige Suites spanning over 55 sq m. Every room includes an outdoor space – a garden on the ground floor or a balcony overlooking the bay or pine trees on the first floor. For the best view and stunning sunrises, book one of the two Cap Ferret Prestige Suites, looking out over the square and the bay.

Washed in powder pink, the rooms feel light and airy. Beige furnishings, mahogany headboards and side tables, pink-and-grey veined marble, and touches of stainless steel create a cohesive aesthetic. Mirrors hung on the wall frame photographs of Cap Ferret landscapes enhanced by AI, bringing to life a dreamlike version of the destination.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The on-site restaurant led by chef Benjamin Six adopts a culinary approach designed to complement the peninsula’s existing offerings, rather than compete with other local restaurants. The cuisine leans international, with strong Asian influences, resulting in dishes that feel both creative and bold in flavours.

From breakfast to Sunday brunch, lunch, tea time, and dinner, the restaurant offers a variety of experiences, ensuring guests never feel limited in choice.

At the bar, order one of the five signature cocktails or a non-alcoholic creation. Drinks are crafted using syrups made from local pine and spirits infused with regional flowers – subtle nods to the surrounding landscape, captured in a glass.

The verdict

It was almost inevitable that Philippe Starck would lend his name to such a deeply personal project in a destination he knows and loves so well. From the moment guests step onto the property, they are transported into Starck’s universe: a dreamlike hallucination that feels perfectly at home in Cap Ferret.

Hôtel Villa Colette is located at 39 Bd de la Plage, 33970 Lège-Cap-Ferret, France

Two hours and 20 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo to Morioka, then 25 minutes by road. That's how close Azuma Farm Koiwai sits to the Japanese capital, and yet how far it feels from the Japan most luxury travellers know.

The man who identified that gap is Fumitomo Hayase, a career hotelier who spent 12 years overseeing the development of Aman Tokyo and Amanemu before founding his Kyoto-based hospitality company, Naru, in 2017. His first project with Naru was Azumi Setoda, launched in 2021 in collaboration with Adrian Zecha – the legendary hotelier who founded Aman – and built around the ryokan tradition, channelling Japan through the sea and the pan-Asian cultural exchange that shaped it.

Azuma Farm, the new brand Naru has developed in partnership with East Japan Railway Company, turns its back on the coast entirely. Azuma means ‘the East’, a pointed nod toward Tohoku, a region that sits largely outside the established luxury travel routes around Japan. Where most high-end itineraries cluster around Kyoto, the Hakone onsen belt, Nikko and the Seto Inland Sea, Tohoku draws its identity from Jōmon-period (14,000 BCE to 300 BCE) communities that predate the westward migrations across the archipelago, and an agrarian, mountain-rooted way of life never shaped by the tea ceremony or the classical ryokan aesthetic. It is a Japan that’s less mediated, less packaged and until now, largely underserved by serious hospitality.

Zecha’s influence on Azuma Farm has been indirect but foundational: a philosophy absorbed by Hayase through years of close collaboration, distilled into a single guiding principle – that the site, not the designer’s ego, determines what a place should become.

Tour Azuma Farm Koiwai

The first property, Azuma Farm Koiwai, opens on 23 April within historic Koiwai Farm in Iwate Prefecture. Begun 130 years ago as a reclamation project on barren volcanic terrain, today, the grounds span 3,000 hectares of diverse forest and pasture, shaped by generations of careful stewardship.

Hayase’s new project occupies eight hectares of that landscape, and designer Shiro Miura of Kyoto firm Rokkakuya understood from the outset that the architecture had to take second billing. He and the Koiwai Farm team walked the forest together, selecting and felling each tree individually before a plan was drawn.

The layout takes its cue from Jōmon-period settlements found throughout this region: villas arranged around a generous central clearing, with distinct zones for sleeping, gathering, eating and bathing. Twenty-two Forest Villas at 65.7 sq m and two larger Garden Villas at 87.4 sq m sit quietly within the tree line, opening to splendid views of Mount Iwate.

The hero material is century-old red pine, grown in Koiwai’s own managed forest. Ordinarily prone to warping, here, the timber is straight-grained and structural enough to form the trusses of the main building and clad every exterior surface. Ceilings are swathed in Koiwai cedar; columns in the guest rooms and dining hall use Iwate chestnut; furniture takes ash and oak, both broadleaf species native to this part of Tohoku. Even the earthen walls carry a local imprint: Koiwai pasture grass substitutes for conventional straw.

Beyond the villas is a fire-centred gathering space where evenings are warmed by glowing embers, whilst an onsen facility is due to open this November. Meanwhile, dining draws on Koiwai’s own produce and the wider Tohoku region, with seafood from the Sanriku coast paired with mountain ingredients from the interior.

As for guest diversions, the offerings mine Iwate’s cultural bounty. Horseback rides through the Ainosawa pastures connect guests to a horse-breeding tradition several centuries old. A Nanbu ironware tour takes visitors to the workshop of Koizumi Nizaemon, an 11th-generation master kettle-smith operating since 1659, where guests commission their own iron kettle – the ultimate turn-down gift that takes two to three months to complete. Seasonal hiking programmes thread through the volcanic plateau of Hachimantai. Excursions into Joboji Urushi lacquerware, the Tono wasabi fields, and the sake traditions of Ninohe extend the radius further, positioning the property as a base for serious regional exploration.

Azuma Farm Koiwai is located at 68-77 Maruyachi, Shizukuishi, Iwate District, Iwate 020-0507, Japan

Brought to life in sultry technicolour by award-winning hospitality interior designer Rachael Gowdridge, The Dean Berlin embodies the German capital’s unique character with a considered offering that feels intimate and tailored specifically to the needs of today’s urban traveller. Located in a historic west Berlin neighbourhood, a stone’s throw from one of the city’s main arteries, the hotel’s 81 rooms and thoughtfully designed communal spaces act as a cosy base from which to get to know one of the world’s most layered cultural destinations.

The first of two culture-rich lifestyle hotels opened by The Dean Group in Germany – with its new Munich outpost following quickly behind – The Dean Berlin offers a modern take on hospitality, balancing a no-frills approach to on-site amenities and services with a refined, design-led architectural standard that includes a curation of artworks from local artists and galleries.

The Dean Group has teamed up with Berlin brunch favourite Benedict for its ground-floor bar and restaurant, serving breakfast classics from early in the morning until all the way into the evening, positioning the hotel as a daytime social hub while embracing local food culture. Here's what else to expect from your stay.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Dean Berlin

What’s on your doorstep?

Situated in a peaceful Charlottenburg neighbourhood just a 10-minute walk from Berlin’s most famous shopping street, Kurfürstendamm, The Dean offers itself as a gateway to the elevated shopping, dining and entertainment experiences the west side of Berlin has built its legacy on. Local highlights include the Zoo Palast cinema, C/O Berlin photography gallery, the Helmut Newton Foundation and Schwarzes Café – a legendary café that has been attracting artists and writers since 1978. Meanwhile, more ambitious explorers enjoy easy access to public transit in order to explore the full breadth of the city, with multiple U-bahn (metro), S-bahn (overground) and mainline train stations within strolling distance of the hotel. The hotel even has bicycles available for hire, inviting guests to explore the city like a local.

Who’s behind the design?

British designer Rachael Gowdridge has breathed new life into a late-19th-century building with interiors that centre the building’s multi-faceted history. Original architectural details collide with punchy colour schemes, sculptural lighting and avant-garde aesthetics, bringing a confident sense of Berlin’s personality into each aspect of the hotel.

Having previously worked for hospitality-specialised practices Martin Brudnizki Design Studio and Ennismore International, before launching her own studio in 2021, Gowdridge is well-versed in employing design principles and intuition to shape premium hospitality experiences. Amenities and services are kept to a minimum, but the considered design ensures that the needs of the modern traveller are met with ample desk and seating space, atmospheric lighting and a number of options for connectivity and entertainment.

‘From the outset, we thought carefully about how people actually travel today and how the hotel could support those shifting rhythms. Hotels are no longer just places to sleep: they’re spaces where guests might work, meet, socialise or simply pause between experiencing the city,' Gowdridge says.

Upon arriving at The Dean, guests are greeted by a lounge-like lobby featuring a snug library alcove. Clad in eye-catching Ettore Sottsass veneer, the space is furnished with an enticing blend of contemporary and vintage pieces and feels more like a private living room or studio. A bespoke art curation titled Wanderers by Thom Oosterhof adorns the hotel’s communal spaces and rooms with off-centre works from local galleries and artists, complementing Gowdridge’s design scheme, which she explains is built on ‘contrast, restraint and moments that make you pause.’

The room to book

Guests of The Dean Berlin are enveloped in Gowdridge’s decadent palette of colour and texture, with a focus on textiles and finishes that nod toward the work of German artists such as Anni Albers. A welcome arrangement of visually interesting floor and table lamps offers a warm glow, while the intuitive installation of end-grain timber flooring and graphic carpet gently outlines key areas of each room.

The Cosy and Double rooms provide compact but well-designed options that are perfect for short stays spent traversing the city’s many wonders, while the range of suites available invites dedicated travellers to make themselves at home. In particular, the generously sized Balcony Suite comes complete with a spacious lounge area; a beautifully designed dining table and chairs; plenty of work space and an irresistible bed that faces the balcony with views of the city that stretch as far as the iconic TV Tower at Alexanderplatz.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Despite its brunch-forward menu, Benedict, the hotel's on-site restaurant, is the perfect place to start or end your day. Open from early morning to late evening, the inviting eatery spills into the lobby, promising casual dining with a touch of glamour. Breakfast favourites such as a hearty full English, steak and eggs and (of course) eggs Benedict are accompanied by an intriguing drinks list designed to suit brunch orders and beyond.

While there is no dedicated dinner menu, some of the more decadent dishes on the menu make a suitable late-in-the-day order, and the restaurant’s experienced bartenders are more than happy to cater to off-menu cocktail orders, such as a classic martini with a twist. Benedict’s reputation as a must-visit brunch spot extends far beyond the hotel itself, so be sure to snag a reservation when you check in.

The verdict

It is the attention to detail and richness of the design of The Dean Berlin that elevates the experience of your stay. Thanks to Gowdridge's hands-on design approach (many aesthetic decisions were made on-site 'with a hammer in hand,' she says) each room and communal space feels tactile and unique. While some might hope for a more tailored evening offering from the restaurant and bar – perhaps with a dedicated dinner menu and a bar open later than 10 pm – Benedict’s brunch concept is executed with excellence, and the surrounding city offers plenty of alternatives. With no on-site amenities such as a gym or spa, The Dean Berlin is most suited to adventurous travellers keen to get up and go out.

The Dean Berlin is located at Uhlandstr. 49, 10719 Berlin, Germany

Edinburgh in March is a confusing place. Drawn by the promise of a spring staycation – of daffodil-strewn strolls across the Meadows, perhaps – we stepped out of Haymarket Station into a downpour that gave way to pale sunlight before culminating in a spectacular rainbow. This meteorological indecision set the tone for the weekend.

It’s precisely this mercurial quality that makes The Hoxton feel so well-placed in the city. Opened last June as the brand’s first Scottish address (it is the first UK property outside of London, where there are currently four outposts), the hotel seems designed to absorb and reflect Edinburgh’s shifting moods.

Wallpaper* checks into The Hoxton, Edinburgh

Who is behind the design?

Interiors by AIME Studios (the in-house studio of the Hoxton's parent company Ennismore) are versatile enough to accommodate all seasons: in colder months, heavy jacquards, velvet headboards and ornate cornicing create a cocooning warmth. Come summer, the same spaces feel transformed by the light that floods in from vast sash windows, playing off jewel tones and graphic patterns.

You enter the hotel to a pattern-rich lobby anchored by a pastel mural from artist Verity Woolley. Raffia detailing, dark timber parquet and vintage Murano glass usher you into the Lobby Bar – a reinterpretation of a classic taproom, wrapped in perforated brass with peach-toned tiles. Original pillars sit alongside mid-century furniture; geometric textiles meet unlacquered brass; and, at the centre of the space, an azure-tiled chimney breast is adorned with a tufted artwork by local artist Jasmine Linington.

What’s on your doorstep

Haymarket, home of The Hoxton, occupies a sweet spot between the historic centre and the more residential West End, and is refreshingly removed from Edinburgh's more congested tourist corridors. The surrounding streets showcase the city's sandstone tenements, which shift in tone from warm honey to brooding grey depending on the light.

Nearby, the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art sits within an elegant neoclassical building; ‘Modern Two’ houses the remarkable reconstruction of Eduardo Paolozzi’s studio. A short walk brings you to the Water of Leith, whose winding path leads to the postcard-perfect Dean Village, where former mills cluster above the water in an enchanting scene. Continue on to Stockbridge, a village-like enclave known for its Saturday market.

Loop back on yourself for Edinburgh’s headline attractions: the Castle perched dramatically atop Castle Rock; the Royal Mile; and the medieval maze of the Old Town.

The room to book

The building – an amalgamation of eleven former townhouses straddling Grosvenor Street – retains a pleasing disorientation, with dimly lit, thickly carpeted corridors leading to the 214 rooms.

Categories range from compact ‘Snug’ rooms to more expansive ‘Biggies’, each with elevated ‘Up’ versions. Three self-contained ‘Houses’ offer a more immersive option. Across all tiers, the palette leans into vibrant teals, raspberry reds and cool sages, accompanied by plush fabrics and locally inspired tiling. Whimsical details like pineapple coat hooks exist alongside thoughtfully preserved original features.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The Hoxton’s in-house restaurant, Patatino, channels the Amalfi Coast with unapologetic exuberance. Inspired by Sorrento, the space is a riot of striped rattan, scalloped tables and hand-painted ceramics, all radiating from a Baroque-style fountain in the centre of the room.

The menu offers a familiar lineup of pastas, pizzas and antipasti; while it doesn’t quite match the refinement of its surroundings, there are highlights. A charcoal and ricotta focaccia, for example, exists somewhere between bread and cake (in the best way). Also tempting: the deep-fried spaghetti squares and sourdough pizza topped with ’nduja, jalapeño, hot honey, fior di latte and – because this is Scotland, after all – haggis.

Where to switch off

The Lobby Bar is the hotel’s communal heart. Divided into inviting nooks by sofas, it’s a space equally suited to working on your laptop or Saturday evening cocktails with friends.

The Hoxton also has a a five-seat cinema swathed in burgundy velvet, complete with a popcorn machine – an indulgent, unexpected touch.

The verdict

In a city that can’t quite make up its mind, The Hoxton finds a natural home. By threading a contemporary sensibility through a framework of historic townhouses – and balancing playful design with a strong sense of place – it captures something essential about Edinburgh: its delightful capacity to surprise.

The Hoxton, Edinburgh is located at 5-21 Grosvenor St, Edinburgh EH12 5EF

During the Gilded Age, young, single women flocked to New York to seek their fortunes as factory workers, secretaries and shop workers. There was just one problem: where this emerging class of career women might find affordable and – more importantly – ‘respectable’ lodging.

Enter heiress and philanthropist Margaret Louisa Vanderbilt Shepard, who, along with the Young Women’s Christian Association, constructed a ladies-only Romanesque Revival revival boarding house just off Union Square in 1891. As a Progressive Era periodical noted at the time, ‘Professional and business women earning good salaries are naturally the chief patrons of this home.’

One hundred and 35 years on, the Margaret Louisa Home is still hosting guests. Only now, it welcomes visitors of all stripes as The Twenty Two. Just like its mother property, a tony Grosvenor Square address of the same name in London, The Twenty Two New York is a unique hybrid concept that merges a hotel, dining destination and members’ club under one roof. Unlike its English counterpart, however, the Manhattan version – with sophisticated interiors by celebrated London practice Child Studio – was built for a New York minute. Here’s what to expect from your stay.

Wallpaper* checks in at The Twenty Two New York

What’s on your doorstep?

The Twenty Two is located on 16th Street, just steps away from Union Square Park, the verdant urban respite at the convergence of ‘Uptown’ and ‘Downtown’. In addition to being a welcome slice of green and hosting one of the city’s most famous farmers’ markets, Union Square Park conceals a public transit hub, allowing you to zip seamlessly through the borough. But The Twenty Two offers plenty of sightseeing accessible on foot, too. Head uptown along Broadway, and you’ll be standing in the shadow of New York’s landmark Daniel Burnham-designed Flatiron Building in minutes. Walk south along Fifth Avenue for ten minutes, and you’ll be beneath the Washington Square Arch, where shopping, dining and people watching in charming Greenwich Village awaits.

Who is behind the design?

The hotel’s gracious interiors were designed by Alexy Kos and Che Huang of Child Studio. They had worked with clients Navid Mirtorabi, Jamie Reuben and Michael Chetrit before, but the Twenty Two was a much larger project, some five years in the making. Fortunately for Kos and Huang, the historic building offered plenty of inspiration: ‘It has a fascinating history,’ Kos says. ‘We work within historic contexts a lot and we think about how to respond to it in a subtle and understated way without going into replica or pastiche.’ The duo pored over period photos of the Margaret Louisa Home and its diminutive yet comfortable rooms. ‘That quiet domesticity is something we wanted to translate into the interiors,’ Kos says.

That feeling is apparent as soon as you are warmly greeted by a porter in the hotel’s entry. The snug lobby features Gilded Age-inspired touches – the concierge desk, framed by velvet curtains, has the feeling of a Victorian dry-goods counter – but retains a modern feel thanks to lofty ceilings, a muted palette and archways. ‘Arches was one of the elements we discovered in the archival photos,’ Huang adds.

There are nods to The Twenty Two’s London outpost (you’ll pass by photographs of Mick Jagger and Queen Elizabeth II in a vestibule and both members’ clubs feature leopard print carpet), the interiors here are more subdued – an interlude from the hustle and bustle outside.

The room to book

There are 78 rooms and suites at the hotel. And just like its original incarnation as the women’s hotel, the rooms exude a delightfully cosy feel. Unlike those quarters (which set patrons back 50 cents a day), the present rooms are anything but spartan. Visitors can choose from four varieties of rooms (deluxe, standard, nook and classic) and while some are more snug than others, all feel gracious thanks to high ceilings, natural light and handsome, glossy mouldings, 19th-century inspired custom furnishings and plush herringbone-patterned carpets (a nod to the London location).

Drama and hue are amped up across The Twenty Two’s 19 suites. ‘Colour was introduced gradually as the project evolved,’ Kos explains. ‘Colours come through in the textiles – there are a lot of very lush fabrics and deep tones.’ The hotel’s crowning glory – literally – is the dramatic penthouse Twenty Two Suite, which features a soaring pitched ceiling, a dedicated sitting room (equipped with a fully stocked bar) and two bedrooms. The creation of this suite was one of the project’s most complex elements; in keeping with original 19th-century drawings, the design team opted to set a period-appropriate gable roof atop the building.

For the interiors, Child Studio looked to the neighbourhood’s nearby green spaces – including Union Square park and the ultra-exclusive Gramercy Park. Therefore, the soaring sitting area is wrapped in a beautiful scenic wallpaper depicting images of wind-swept trees and shrubs. ‘The idea was a fantasy version of the park,’ Huang explains.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

The surrounding area has plenty of dining options, but The Twenty Two’s ground-floor restaurant, Café Zaffri, is by far the most atmospheric. The eatery comes courtesy of Jennifer and Nicole Vitagliano, the sister duo behind the popular Noho restaurant Raf’s. Instead of Italian and French cuisine, Café Zaffri (known as Zaf’s) offers elevated reinterpretations of Mediterranean dishes. The sprawling setting, which includes a light-filled atrium for more casual meals as well as a more formal, wood-clad dining room, was designed by Brooklyn-based firm Post Company.

As with the rest of the hotel, the spaces draw from old world restaurants, as seen in details like stained glass, embroidered wallcoverings, mosaic tile floors and plush curtains. After sleeping in, have a breakfast of labneh and pistachio granola or shakshuka beneath the dramatic skylight. Or, in advance of a night on the town, head back to the sexier dining room for lamb Wellington, saffron-scented spaghetti, or short rib glazed in Lebanese spices.

Where to switch off

If you musn't skip Leg Day, The Twenty Two has a small-yet-stylish gym, outfitted with chequerboard cork floors and state-of-the-art Technogym equipment. Guests can also opt to set up personal training sessions courtesy of ​​S10 Training, a luxury gym nearby.

For an added layer of exclusivity, you could also opt to enroll in The Twenty Two’s members-only club (annual dues are around $3,000 a year), which occupies the hotel’s upper levels and includes a private restaurant, Living Room salon and a roof terrace. While these spaces are largely off-limits to hotel guests (though this journalist cracked open her laptop and had a spot of tea in the Living Room), the Victoriana vibes carry through. ‘It’s a bit Gothic, bringing a bit of Old World Europe to these spaces,’ Huang explains.

The Living Room, for instance, is anchored by a 19th-century stone fireplace and, like many of The Twenty Two’s spaces, is swaddled in drapes and velvet upholstery. But leopard-print carpet – inspired by legendary tastemaker Madeleine Castaing’s Paris salon – adds a touch of cheek. Go up another floor and you’ll encounter an exclusive nightclub, wrapped in a fabric inspired by Renzo Mongiardino’s tented rooms. But the space is party-ready, thanks to a constellation of Fortuny lanterns and a central disco ball. What are such evenings like? You’ll have to join to find out.

The verdict

Hotels are, by definition, for hosting out-of-towners. But The Twenty Two offers something for locals, too – whether you opt to have a croissant and a coffee in the airy café, or splash out for a membership at the club. If you’re just passing through New York, The Twenty Two also offers that special something, from the well-appointed quarters and the warm service to the basket of clementines on a side table – respectability that Margaret Louisa herself would surely approve of.

The Twenty Two New York is located at 16 E 16th St, New York, NY 10003

For a city best known as the gateway to safari, Nairobi’s creative scene has been gathering momentum. A new generation of designers, artists and entrepreneurs is reshaping the Kenyan capital, as seen in its art galleries, growing culinary scene and fashion labels such as Lookslike Avido, whose playful, distinctly East African aesthetic has begun to attract global attention. Yet until recently, design-forward places to stay have been surprisingly thin on the ground.

The arrival of Céline & Lolo is shaking up the hospitality landscape. Set in a reimagined 1970s villa in the leafy neighbourhood of Lavington, the 24-room hotel and bistro has fast become a hotspot for Nairobi’s cultural crowd, drawing locals and travellers alike to its pool terrace for long lunches that stretch well into evening drinks.

Wallpaper* checks in at Céline & Lolo, Nairobi

What’s on your doorstep?

Tucked within Lavington, one of Nairobi’s more affluent neighbourhoods, Céline & Lolo sits on a quiet Jacaranda-lined street, among diplomatic residences and low-rise villas. Removed from the city’s frenetic pace, it’s still within easy reach of Nairobi’s cultural scene and growing food landscape, with Circle Art Gallery, Hero restaurant and Pop’s Diner all nearby. The suburb of Karen – home to farm-to-table restaurant Cultiva – is a short drive away, traffic permitting, and for nature lovers, the Karura Forest – popular for morning walks and cycling – is also within easy reach. In other words, this is a location that offers a peaceful base, while keeping the creative pulse of Nairobi at your fingertips.

Who is behind the design?

The transformation of Céline & Lolo was led by Dutch architecture studio Powerhouse Company, whose work in adaptive reuse and reputation for balancing a sense of place with an international outlook made it a no-brainer for this project.

This approach plays out through the reworking of the 1970s villa, its strong, geometric form, modernist lines and details such as the original parquet flooring, retained and sharpened to form a backdrop for vivid interiors with a slightly retro sensibility. Blocks of bold orange, alongside vibrant pieces by East African artists and glossy finishes, give the hotel a playful, expressive edge, and as the designers note, the aim was to create something that feels unmistakably Nairobi while still meeting the expectations of a global traveller.

The room to book

Each of the rooms at Céline & Lolo is different. Some sit beneath higher ceilings, while others open onto small balconies, but all follow the same thread, with colour, texture and midcentury details carried through the spaces.

The ones to book, however, are the Oasis Rooms, tucked into the bottom of the garden. Opening directly onto tropical greenery, they have large windows that let in plenty of light and the sound of birdsong, while a softer palette leans into leafy tones and natural materials. Bathrooms are simple but well considered, with walk-in showers and locally made products.

Staying for drinks and dinner?

Bistro Lolo is the social heart of the hotel, drawing a mixed crowd throughout the day. Set around the pool terrace, the space leans into the same playful, colour-led aesthetic as the rest of the property, with bold colours, terrazzo flooring, warm lighting and an easy indoor-outdoor flow that keeps things feeling relaxed.

The menu follows suit, with a focus on seasonal ingredients and a loose, French-leaning approach, featuring classics from steak frites to niçoise salad. The kind of place where one drink turns into dinner and dinner stretches well into the evening, the restaurant has a steady energy that has become a neighbourhood favourite.

Where to switch off

The pool, original to the 1970s house, sits at the centre of the property and sets the tone, its surrounding greenery and checkerboard of terracotta tiles sharpened by rows of bright orange loungers and matching parasols that give the space a European beach club feel. Often dotted with local regulars, the scene has an easy, social energy, and for those more wellness-oriented, a small outdoor gym and yoga studio is being built within the garden.

The verdict

Offering something Nairobi has long been missing, Céline & Lolo – with its confident design, sociable energy and a crowd that extends well beyond hotel guests – is as much a place to stay as it is a neighbourhood hangout. For a city whose creative scene is gaining pace, this new addition captures Nairobi’s energy with flair.

Céline & Lolo is located at Kabarsiran Ave, Nairobi, Kenya