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…)

The country house from a time gone by comes to the centre of bustling London, offering an oasis of chic and eclectic charm

Designer: Denis Looby, Sheehan & Barry Architects

Entering the The Kensington Hotel feels like arriving at very grand private home, or perhaps a member’s club, with its wide flagstoned entrance offering an all-but-forgotten world of British manners and sophistication.

Architect Denis Looby was assigned the job of amalgamating not one but four Victorian townhouses to create the Kensington. He worked hard to restore the most important aspects of the existing architecture while creating fresh new interiors worthy of a 21st-century hotel. It is adorned throughout with antiques from London’s Pimlico Road as well as more contemporary pieces, to enhance the vintage meets modern vibe.  (continue reading…)

Denis Looby is one of four partners at the Dublin-based architecture practice Sheehan & Barry. The company was established in 1981 and has particular expertise in the conservation and refurbishment of existing buildings. It works on everything from residential projects to ecclesiastical work and commercial contracts. Looby has led the renovation and refurbishment of several properties, turning them into luxury hotels for The Doyle Collection, including The Kensington Hotel. (continue reading…)

Californian eco consciousness meets modern design to create this unique hotel, which combines luxury and sustainability without compromising either

Design: Phil Sherburne and Ron Mitchell

Solar panels and efficient drip irrigation are not often associated with luxury hospitality design, but that’s a perception developer Phil Sherburne is out to change. For him, maintaining a sense of environmental responsibility means more than just new, green technology. The mantra at the Bardessono hotel in California’s Napa Valley is ‘to turn scrap into style’.

Sherburne enlisted the help of architect Ron Mitchell of design firm Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo, as well as a slew of environmental consultants, local artisans and landscape designers to complete the project. Altogether, the hotel encompasses 62 rooms, a 93-seat restaurant and bar, rooftop pool, spa and event space, located on the 2.4ha Bardessono family homestead.

From the base build through to the finishes and furnishings, there has been a fervent dedication to local outsourcing and green initiatives. Salvaged wood collected from within a 100-mile radius of the hotel has been used for all of the building’s walls, floors and doors. (continue reading…)

Chinoiserie with a modern twist was the design theme for this latest Viceroy hotel, resulting in an eclectic and chic environment with vintage and contemporary features

Interior design: Kelly Wearstler
Architect: Arquitectonica

The Viceroy Miami is just one of several new Viceroy hotels opening worldwide over the next few years, and with interiors by Kelly Wearstler the brand’s commitment to outstanding design is established from the off.

Wearstler’s style is effortlessly glamorous and clever with it, and the building’s location, in the 40,500 sq m Icon Brickell development, only serves to heighten the luxury factor. Icon Brickell itself is designed by Arquitectonica and comprises three towers ranging in height from 50 to 57 storeys, connected by a 15-floor, 8,000 sq m base. (continue reading…)

In its first foray into hotels, designer fashion brand Missoni took the opportunity to make it a showcase for its exuberant and colourful style

Interior design: Rosita Missoni

No style guru would be fooled. The loud colours and patterns in this Lothian retreat could only belong to one iconic fashion label: Missoni. In the first of three properties worldwide to open before the end of this year, Hotel Missoni in Edinburgh introduces the brand’s new design-hotels concept with characteristic flair and fashion sense.

Rosita Missoni, the company’s creative director and one of its founders, developed the interiors, which are a celebration of glamour, colour and energy. A simple black and white combination, often in playful patterns, is accented with bold colours and mesmerising Missoni prints throughout the hotel.

The Missoni family is famously based in Italy, and when it came to developing the hotel design and working out its day-to-day operations among the main aims was to draw on traditional Italian family values of warmth and hospitality. (continue reading…)

The award-winning Swedish design practice Claesson Koivisto Rune was founded in Stockholm in 1995 by Mårten Claesson, Eero Koivisto and Ola Rune. At the beginning its focus was on architecture but it has evolved into a multidisciplinary company, designing everything from furniture to buildings. It was the first Swedish architectural office to be invited to exhibit in the international section at the Venice Biennale, 2004. The team recently completed the interiors of Hotel Skeppsholmen. (continue reading…)

Phil Sherburne used to be a city planner before he turned his hand to developing, specialising in the creation of ‘low-impact’ projects. He studied law at Harvard Law School but decided not to practice it, instead choosing to lead a team of federal and city officials in the development of housing for low-income families. A commitment to quality design mixed with a strong social conscience led him into the realm of sustainable design. Bardessono is his first foray into luxury eco hotelling.

Bardessono is promoted as the epitome ‘luxe green living’. Are there many examples of this phenomenon in Californian hotel design?
There are a handful of other like-minded hotels in California, but none that have received Platinum LEED certification, as Bardessono has. We consider ourselves in good company and anticipate others joining in the movement. (continue reading…)

MKV Design was established in 1999, specialising in interior design for the hospitality and resort sector. Headed up by Maria Vafiadis, the company is a respected name in the industry with a range of international clients.MKV recently completed work on the Radisson Blu Hotel Sandton in Johannesburg while other current or recent projects include The Alcron and Lanova hotels in Prague, Angasana Santorini in Greece and The Sheraton, Edinburgh. MKV is now designing a second Radisson hotel in Johannesburg. (continue reading…)

Californian modernism meets medieval Spain in a hotel that is as eclectic as it is a refuge for peace and tranquility

Designer: Jesús Marzoa
Architect: Camprubí I Santacana Arquitectes

Apart from its spectacular setting, there is something very special about Hotel Consolación. Tucked away in the lush countryside of north-east Spain’s Matarraña county, its design and architecture is a perfect match for its surroundings with its strong, minimalist sensibility.

It’s no great surprise then to discover that the building was inspired by the architecture of Craig Ellwood, who practiced his own unique brand of modernism from the Fifties to the Seventies. Also in the mix is a healthy dose of Mies van der Rohe and Californian informalism. That said, the hotel does take its name from the nearby 14th-century Consolación Hermitage, which is an appropriate choice for a hotel that focuses on tranquility and privacy.

Designed by Barcelona-based Camprubí I Santacana Arquitectes, Hotel Consolación’s  layout consists of a central house for services and communal areas and 10 separate minimalist rooms, known as kubes, built 100m away on a hillside. (continue reading…)