20 New Hotels You'll Want to Check Into Just for the Design
This article was originally published in Architectural Digest.
All around the world, 2023 is going to be a big year for hotel openings. Major cities like Paris, London, and Rome are getting evermore luxurious hotels that will cater to savvy travelers, while eco-chic openings will reach even the most remote places in the world—from Kenya and Morocco to the fjords of Norway. From a luxe Capri hotel designed by an AD100 designer to an ambitious project that will transform one of London’s most important historic landmarks into a veritable design destination, these are the hotels we can’t wait to check into.
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Vincent Leroux/Courtesy of Le Grand MazarinLe Grand Mazarin (Paris)
Ask any Parisian where tourists must stay to see the best of the city and they're almost always going to say the Marais. And it's because this neighborhood features old-world charm, narrow cobblestone streets, hidden courtyards, and trendy boutiques. Starting this summer, the stunningly Le Grand Mazarin can be added to the list of reasons to go. Designed by AD100 talent Martin Brudnizki, the hotel features 50 rooms and 11 suites that are cocooned in natural light, bold colors, and high craftsmanship. Opening in June 2023.
Courtesy of AngamaAngama Amboseli (Kenya)
The team behind cult-favorite safari lodge Angama Mara is set to open a new lodge in Kimana Sanctuary, southeast of the Maasai Mara, which was the first community conservancy established in Kenya. It’s being designed by the same team of designers who imbued Angama Mara with its contemporary African style. There will be ten luxurious tented suites with Fermob rocking chairs on private decks offering views of Mount Kilimanjaro, an indoor-outdoor dining area with a firepit for sundowners, and an infinity pool with a drinking trough for visiting elephants. Opening November 2023.
Courtesy of Six Senses RomeSix Senses Rome (Italy)
One of Rome’s most highly anticipated openings is the first Italian hotel by wellness-focused brand Six Senses. The hotel will breathe new life into the 18th-century Palazzo Salviati Cesi Mellini just off the bustling Via del Corso, with a modern, breezy design by Milan-based architect Patricia Urquiola. The showpiece will be the massive spa inspired by ancient Roman baths, but the plant-filled rooftop bar will no doubt become a hotspot for both locals and visitors to the Eternal City. Opening spring 2023.
Leonardo R. Merlos/Courtesy of LongfellowHotelLongfellow Hotel (Portland, Maine)
Named for hometown hero Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Longfellow Hotel will be the first independent full-service hotel to open in Portland, Maine, in 20 years. Designed by Brooklyn-based firm the Post Company, the 48-room hotel will combine contemporary architecture with traditional New England design elements, like moldings, ceiling medallions, and mosaic tile floors. In addition to a wellness-focused café and lobby bar serving classic cocktails and local seafood, there will be an 1,800-square-foot Nordic-inspired spa. Opening summer 2023.
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Timothy Kaye/Courtesy of Sydney CapellaCapella Sydney (Australia)
Luxury brand Capella is getting ready to unveil the sensitive restoration of one of the two historic Sandstones buildings that will form the Capella Sydney in the Central Business District. Housed in Australia’s former Lands and Education buildings, the hotel will have 192 rooms and 32 suites, a modern brasserie, a bar inspired by Victorian-era drinking dens, a soothing spa, and the former Plans Room, which will open in 2024. Make Architects, which has offices in London, Hong Kong, and Sydney, is behind the project. Opened March 2023.
Brendan Mainini/Courtesy of MankasMankas (Marin County, near San Francisco)
Courtesy of Oetker CollectionHotel La Palma (Capri, Italy)
AD100 designer Francis Sultana’s debut hotel is this luxurious member of the Oetker Collection, which will surely be the most buzzed-about hotel in Capri when it opens. Built in 1822 as the island’s first hotel, it will shine again, with contemporary-meets-classic interiors inspired by Capri’s 1950s Dolce Vita heyday and artful touches, like frescoes by Roberto Ruspoli and tapestries by Allegra Hicks. Expect 50 rooms and suites, a rooftop restaurant and bar, pool deck, spa, and beach club. Opening spring 2023.
Courtesy of Hotelito by MUSAHotelito by MUSA (Zihuatanejo, Mexico)
In Mexico’s Zihuatanejo region, Hotelito by MUSA—which stands for the Modern Utopian Society of Adventurers—is a new member of Design Hotels with a tropical-modern vibe that’s net-neutral on power consumption. With just 13 rooms, the hotel features locally sourced handmade details like bespoke mosaics and tiles by Oaxaca’s Tata Mosaicos, custom furniture by local makers, and art from MUSA’s artist in residence program. Amenities include a beach club, swim-up bar, restaurant, open-air gym, and pickleball courts. Opened January 2023.
Courtesy of Maybourne Hotels GroupThe Emory (London)
The Maybourne Hotel Group, which already has three hotels in the British capital as well as the buzzed-about Maybourne Riviera, will debut a new hotel in London this year. Maybourne has tapped not one but six acclaimed designers—Alexandra Champalimaud, André Fu, Pierre Yves Rochon, Rémi Tessier, Rigby & Rigby, and Patricia Urquiola—each of whom will design one or more floors. The restaurant will be by famed chef Jean Georges Vongerichten, who is bringing his ABC concept to London for the first time. Opening winter 2023.
Courtesy of HabitasHabitas Caravan Dakhla (Dakhla Lagoon, Morocco)
Eco-hospitality group Habitas just opened their second of four properties in Morocco, this one on the shores of the remote Dakhla Lagoon, a destination for surfing, windsurfing, and kiteboarding. The property’s 24 accommodations range from riad-style rooms to modern villas with outdoor showers, patio decks, and locally inspired design details. With a kitesurf school, yoga and wellness center, barrel sauna, outdoor cinema, and gathering spaces, the hotel is sure to draw adventure and wellness-focused travelers who appreciate great design. Opened February 2023.
Andrew Reiner/Courtesy of Hotel San FernandoHotel San Fernando (Mexico City)
This intimate 19-room hotel by Austin-based hospitality group Bunkhouse, which is behind retro-chic properties like Hotel Magdalena and Hotel Saint Cecilia, will bring the boho vibes to La Condesa, a hip Mexico City neighborhood. In a 1947 building that originally housed apartments, the hotel will valorize original architectural details like encasement windows, encaustic tile floors, wainscoting, and stained glass, while adding clean-lined furnishings, textiles, and decor by local makers, as well as color-blocked walls and plants. A ground-floor lounge will serve coffee and pastries by day and small bites like tostadas with natural wine in the afternoon and evening. Opening May 2023.
Courtesy of The Peninsula IstanbulThe Peninsula Istanbul (Turkey)
Istanbul’s most luxurious new hotel is the Peninsula Istanbul, housed in four buildings, three of which are early-20th-century historic landmarks. Known for high-tech luxury and white-glove service, the Peninsula brand is bringing a five-star option to the revitalized Galataport district. Many of the hotel’s 177 rooms and suites boast Bosphorus views and private balconies or direct access to beautiful gardens and an outdoor swimming pool. A rooftop restaurant serves Turkish Asian cuisine while the lobby offers the Peninsula signature afternoon tea. The 18,030-square-foot spa has opulent hammams, treatment rooms, and an indoor pool. Opened February 2023.
Elin Engelsvoll/Courtesy of The Bolder StarlodgesThe Bolder Starlodges (Lysefjorden, Norway)
Located in Lysefjorden on Norway’s west coast, the Bolder comprises just four cabins designed by acclaimed firm Snøhetta in collaboration with Danish interior brand Vipp. Built to blend in with the landscape, the wooden cabins have floor-to-ceiling windows that give guests the feeling of floating with incredible views of the fjord and surrounding mountains. Laid out on two floors, the cabins have a kitchen and dining area on the upper floor and a bedroom and bathroom on the lower floor. In the next few years, the property will add a lounge and gourmet restaurant. Opened February 2023.
Courtesy of One&Only AesthesisOne&Only Aesthesis (Athens, Greece)
Designed to evoke the midcentury glamour of the Athenian Riviera and set within 52 acres of protected forest reserve, One&Only Aesthesis is sure to evoke old world nostalgia with modern serenity. Tucked into nature, this coastal hideaway is a short drive from many of the ancient ruins throughout Athens. After a busy day touring all o the historic sites, guests can come back to eco-friendly designed rooms that have been carved out of native stone, blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor living. Opening October 2023.
Courtesy of FasanoFasano Itaim (São Paulo, Brazil)
Brazilian luxury hotel brand Fasano is returning to its roots with its second hotel in São Paulo, this one in the trendy neighborhood of Itaim Bibi. A member of the Leading Hotels of the World, it’s being designed by Aflalo/Gasperini architects in partnership with Márcio Kogan as a sleek contemporary ode to Brazilian design. It will have 60 rooms, 47 suites, a luxurious spa, a fine dining restaurant, and a rooftop pool bar only open to hotel guests. Opening April 2023.
Courtesy of Raffles London at the OWORaffles London at the OWO (England)
This ambitious project will see the transformation of London’s Old War Office, where Winston Churchill had an office and Ian Fleming found inspiration for the James Bond series. The landmarked building is being restored to its original glory, with interiors by Theirry Despont. In addition to 120 rooms and suites and 85 residences, the project will house London’s first Guerlain Spa and nine restaurants, three of which will be created by award-winning chef Mauro Colagreco. Opening summer 2023.
Courtesy of Hotel VermelhoHotel Vermelho (Melida, Portugal)
From the same mind that brought scarlet-soled stilettos into vogue comes Hotel Vermelho, a 13-room boutique property designed by the illustrious Christian Louboutin. Located in the coastal town of Melides—which is perhaps one of Portugal’s best kept secrets—the luxury accommodations are packed with frescoes, art, and antique furniture. However, it’s the custom-designed tiles and ceramics, which can be found everywhere from the hotel’s floors to the bed headboards and are unique in each suite, that truly steal the show. When crafting the swoon-worthy property, Louboutin tapped friends like Carolina Irving, who consulted on the hotel’s textile offerings, and AD100 Hall of Famer Louis Benech, who was responsible for the landscape design. Opens in April.
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Valentina Sommariva/Courtesy of QC TermegardaQC Termegarda (Garda Italy)
Nestled into the southwest corner of Italy’s iconic Lake Garda, QC Termegarda is a five-star resort that epitomizes the beauty and serenity of northern Italy. The interior design of the hotel features frescoed ceilings and antique floors. The hotel spa includes whirlpools, relaxation rooms, steam baths, and Kneipp paths (where cold water jets alternate with hot jets stimulating blood circulation). Opens spring 2023.
Ludovic Balay/Courtesy of Hôtel Dame Des Arts ParisHôtel Dame des Arts (Paris)
Hôtel Dame des Arts is situated in the Latin Quarter, which is to say the very center of Paris’s artistic heartbeat. Beautifully designed by the creative eye of Raphael Navot, the space blends rich natural materials with bold colors. Rooftop views from the hotels Left Bank location provides stunning panoramas of the Eiffel Tower and beyond. Opening spring 2023.
Courtesy of Janu TokyoJanu Tokyo (Japan)
This fall, Janu, the sister brand to luxury hospitality group Aman, will open the doors to its latest property in the heart of Tokyo. Offering 122 guest rooms, six restaurants, and one of the largest wellness facilities in the city, Janu Tokyo will be located in Azabudai Hills, a new 87,000-square-foot luxury development and cultural hub. Unlike Aman hotels, which are known for their quiet seclusion, Janu Tokyo offers a lively guest experience while honoring Aman’s reputation for high design, cuisine, art, and service. Opens fall 2023.