Travellers with an eye for innovative design and cutting-edge architecture will undoubtedly be drawn to the burgeoning number of design hotels that have graced magazine covers or popped up across social media in recent years. Some of these hotels feel playful, others sleek and sophisticated. Many look to the future, hark back to a particularly significant era, or have been created by fashion icons. Our favourites include a Salvatore Ferragamo-designed bolthole in Florence, a grown-up haven of print and pattern in central London, and a boutique pad offering a tropical take on industrial chic in Bali. Whether you’re dreaming of a romantic hideaway, a trendy urban spot or a seaside escape, our pick of the top design hotels across the world has it all.
Adelboden — Switzerland Show the map
71 rooms 
Ahangama — District de Galle, Sri Lanka Show the map
9 rooms 
Al Khutaym — Oman Show the map
86 rooms 
Alicante — Valencia Community, Spain Show the map
80 rooms 
Altura — Portugal, Algarve Region, Portugal Show the map
40 rooms 
Amsterdam — Netherlands Show the map
129 rooms 
Athens — Attica, Greece Show the map
136 rooms 
Azurara — Portugal Show the map
43 rooms 
Badgastein — Salzburg, Austria Show the map
20 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
147 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
91 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
22 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
77 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
28 rooms 
Barcelona — Catalonia, Spain Show the map
6 rooms 
Bergamo — Lombardy, Italy Show the map
13 rooms 
Berlin — Berlin Federal State, Germany Show the map
89 rooms 
Berlin — Berlin Federal State, Germany Show the map
149 rooms 
Berlin — Berlin Federal State, Germany Show the map
77 rooms 
Berlin — Berlin Federal State, Germany Show the map
158 rooms 
Berlin — Berlin Federal State, Germany Show the map
78 rooms 
Bilbao — Basque Country, Spain, Spain Show the map
50 rooms 
Bogotá — Bogota region, Colombia Show the map
55 rooms 
Brussels — Brussels Region, Belgium Show the map
150 rooms 
Caminha — Portugal Show the map
23 rooms The essence of a design hotel is innovation. Many have been created by well-regarded architects or fashion designers, and buildings, as well as interiors, can feel like curated art pieces. Think towering glass atriums, enormous sculptures, or futuristic furnishings in hip Hamburg and on-the-rise districts in Istanbul.
Groups such as Design Hotels, with a membership of 300+ properties, highlight forward-thinking spots across the world. These spaces, often put together by passionate teams, pride themselves on offering their guests a unique experience. All reflect their environment, and simultaneously seek to engage with it afresh. Consider a Burgundy château with a modern art collection and impressive kitchen garden, for instance, or a revamped 1960s hillside haven which once hosted Brigitte Bardot in Mykonos.
Rethinking and reimagining the hotel experience is central to the design-hotel ethos. Expect conscious connections to craft and community, a focus on sustainability, and a desire to create something truly different. Food features heavily as an avenue for creativity, too, and many design hotels boast Michelin-recommended restaurants.
Design hotels are exciting places to stay as a first-time visitor to a new city or region, but they can also be brilliant for those who know an area well, and wish to experience it anew.
