The success of Firmdale hotels crosses the Atlantic to bring the unique styling of kit kemp to the group’s latest hotel, in New York

Interior design: Kit Kemp
Architecture: Stonehill & Taylor

So, Kit Kemp has finally arrived in the Big Apple. An 11-storey new-build hotel in downtown Manhattan is the first US venture for the Firmdale Hotels group, owned by Kemp and her husband Tim. The self-taught designer already has six successful hotels in London to her name, including, most recently, the Haymarket Hotel, and it was only a matter of time before she took her talent across the Atlantic.

The concept for the hotel’s public areas and guest accommodation is a sophisticated melange of colours, textures, antiques and quirky furnishings, with both American and British references in the mix for good measure. The lobby features mixed media artwork by Scottish artist Jack Milroy while hand block printed fabrics have been sourced from Philadelphia company Galbraith & Paul. (continue reading…)

A collection of individual houses in a village setting was created by local craftsmen using age-old techniques and materials

Designer: Wilbert Das

After his first visit to the Bahian region of Brazil and the quiet fisherman’s village of Trancoso, Wilbert Das, creative director of fashion label Diesel, embarked on a whole new type of design project.

What started as a small holiday home with a design studio evolved into an intimate resort with houses individually designed for guests.

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With stunning and unique architecture and a sensational futuristic interior design concept, The Yas hotel makes a striking statement both externally and internally

Architecture: Asymptote Architecture
Interior design: Jestico+Whiles, Richardson Sadeki

Sleek, sexy and inspired by speed, The Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi could easily be the setting for a Bond film. Its location on Yas Island, overlooking a marina and the newest of Grand Prix circuits, is overwhelming enough, but the building itself with its ‘out of this world’ exterior is simply stunning.

New York architects Hanoi Rashid and Lise Anne Couture of Asymptote Architecture came up with the concept based on the ergonomics of high performance cars and yachts. The hotel is the amalgamation of two separate buildings connected by a bridge, over which is draped a shell-like grid of diamond-shaped glass panels lit by more than 5,000 colour-changing LEDs.  (continue reading…)

Architect: Luciano Columbo
Designer: Current interior decoration by Fay Parker

Barbados is the perfect antidote for an executive lifestyle. It’s true what they say about it: perfect beaches, an idyllic lifestyle and perfectly laidback ambience. But I stayed in The House, so-called for its lack of hotel infrastructure - no concierge, reception, or formalities, so this turned out to be quite a different experience from the more conventional 5-star hotels, especially in the UK. Every guest is assigned an ‘ambassador service’. This is someone who is there just for you and is on call 24 hours a day to meet your every request. Another drink? Another towel? Another scallop? But is it intrusive? Well, no. They never crowd your space. It’s a bit like a very quiet restaurant with more waiters than guests, knowing that they are just waiting to jump into action… (continue reading…)

Fun-filled, laid-back and relaxing seaside holiday was what the designer remembered and planned for his own beach hotel

Getting in shape for the beach generally involves shedding a few pounds. For the renovation of The Surf Lodge, this meant stripping down decades-old interiors and filling eight skips.

The Twenties’ building had previously been a motel and a nightclub. Peeling off layer upon layer of its past until just the raw beams and original flooring were left, designer Robert McKinley embarked on a fresh new look mixing clean lines with natural materials where possible. (continue reading…)

Swire hotels are going up in the world, literally, with its latest offering in Hong Kong. Built above the hubbub of the city, The Upper House aims to be a sanctuary of calm

Design: Andre Fu

Swire Hotels’ newest property, The Upper House, had a hard act follow. Its first hotel, The Opposite House in Beijing, opened to rave reviews in 2008, much of it attracted by the architecture. That was masterminded by Kengo Kuma Associates, regarded as one of the world’s leading design practices.

The names of the two hotels may sound like they are in the same vein, but The Upper House has a style all of its own, and this time is the work of the British-trained but Hong Kong-based architect, Andre Fu. Called The Upper House because of its location above commercial complex Pacific Place, it also references the guest’s journey from the bustling city to serene surroundings. Fu designed the 117-room hotel to be a ‘haven of calm and quiet taste’, from the hubbub below. (continue reading…)

Philippe Starck makes his debut in Venice with this striking and opulent hotel in a 16th-century grand canal house, where mirrors, glass light, and acid colours play their part

Interior Designer: Philippe Starck with Emanuele Garosci (concept) and Aristide Najean (glass art)

With many acclaimed hotel designs already to his name, Philippe Starck has made his debut in Venice with the astonishing Palazzini Grassi. (continue reading…)

A second Kube Hotel travels to the Med, where white meets blue meets green in garden rooms designed to provide maximum relaxation in ultra contemporary surroundings, and where drinks always are served on ice…

Interior Designer: Christiane Derory
Architect: Francois Viellecroze

This hotel, along with its sister Kube in Paris, is a member of Design Hotels, a global life style brand synonymous with distinctive architecture balanced with functionality and exceptional service. (continue reading…)

Gordon Campbell Gray is one of the most respected names in the industry, responsible  for launching a new style of luxury hotel offering exceptional service and comfort in an uncompromisingly chic environment. He is chairman of Campbell Gray Hotels, established in 2003, which comprises One Aldwych, London; Carlisle Bay, Antigua; Dukes, London, and now Le Gray Beirut, the group’s first hotel in the Middle East. Campbell Gray designs all his hotels in collaboration with Fox Linton Associates. (continue reading…)

Its location near to the Museum of Modern Art is a sign that this hotel, while acknowledging its historic roots that date back to the 15th century, is now leading a thoroughly modern existence

Architect: Erseaus Arkitekter
Interior Design: ClaessonKoivistoRune

Its quaint, yellow exterior may be slightly at odds with Hotel Skeppsholmen’s minimalist interiors, but that’s all part of the charm of the place, which combines the best of contemporary styling with stunning period architecture.

The listed historic property consists of two buildings dating back to 1699 and earned the nickname ‘Long Row’ from its time as a barracks for King Karl XII’s army and as a hospice during the days of plague in the 18th century.  (continue reading…)