What makes a hotel a "design hotel" in this collection?

Each property is shortlisted where the building and interiors are central to the experience — restored heritage spaces with contemporary work on historic bones, or entirely contemporary builds led by the architect's vision. The design has to earn its place, not imitate the genre.

Which destinations does the collection cover?

The edit spans continents and idioms — from Italian palazzos and art hotels to a Marrakech riad and Amsterdam canal houses, then onward to contemporary design in Charleston, Hong Kong, Gothenburg and the Mexican highlands.

Are these heritage buildings or contemporary builds?

Both. Some are restored historic spaces — palazzos, canal houses, riads — with contemporary design layered onto original bones; others are entirely new builds where the architecture is the defining feature. Each property page details the building's story.

Do the rooms differ from one another?

Often, yes. Many of these properties design each room individually — themed concept rooms, commissioned furniture, one-off art — so no two stays are quite the same. Room-by-room detail is on each property page.

Design Hotels

Explore Hotels

Introducing Design Hotels

Some hotels you book for the location, some for the service. These you book for the building. Ceiling murals worth a long look, furniture commissioned for the room it stands in, architecture that shapes how you spend the day — here the design is half the reason to come, sometimes more.

The edit holds that the best design carries cultural personality, not just style. A Venetian palazzo doesn't read like a Marrakech riad, and the difference is the point. In Venice, Ca Maria Adele fills a 16th-century Dorsoduro palazzo with Murano-glass chandeliers and five theatrical concept rooms; in Marrakech, Riad Kheirredine hides a tranquil courtyard inside the Old Medina. Amsterdam brings The Toren, a baroque interior set in two 1618 canal houses on the Keizersgracht; Athens brings 18 Micon Str, a 1950s Psiri warehouse reborn as a design hotel. Madrid's Only YOU occupies a central palacio, and in Rajasthan, Suryagarh evokes a desert fort-palace.

Our editors pick the properties where design earns its place rather than imitates the genre. Book a room and see if you agree.

Browse on Map — Design Hotels

Explore 59 exceptional boutique hotels from the Design Hotels collection around the world. Click a pin to discover each property.

Exquisite Design Hotels

Spain, Madrid
Only YOU Boutique Hotel
A design hotel in a 19th-century palace in Madrid's Chueca, with award-winning interiors by Lázaro Rosa-Violán, 125 rooms and a…
Price for 1 night from
€186.50
4.6 (18)

Morocco, Marrakech
Riad Kheirredine
A tranquil and luxurious Riad amid the intoxicating chaos of Marrakech’s Old Medina.
Price for 1 night from
€245.00
4.6 (18)

Netherlands, Amsterdam
The Toren
The Toren — 40 rooms in two 1618 canal houses on Amsterdam's Keizersgracht, UNESCO Canal District. Theatrical baroque interior by Wim van de…
Price for 1 night from
€286.50
4.6 (18)

United States, Charleston
Hotel Bella Grace
Beautifully designed modern hotel set in a Charleston neighbourhood steeped in history.
Price for 1 night from
€296.00
4.6 (18)

Italy, Venice
Ca Maria Adele
A twelve-room palazzo beside the Salute in quiet Dorsoduro, with five themed concept rooms, a rooftop over the basilica and its own canal landing…
Price for 1 night from
€324.10
4.6 (18)

Byblos Art Hotel — Italy, Verona
Byblos Art
A Renaissance villa in the Valpolicella hills turned contemporary-art museum-hotel — 200-plus works by Kapoor, Hirst and Cattelan, Mendini…
Price for 1 night from
€423.20
4.6 (18)

Netherlands, Amsterdam
Hotel TwentySeven
Hotel TwentySeven — 16 neo-Baroque suites on Amsterdam's Dam Square, Two Michelin Keys, 1-star Bougainville restaurant, Eric de Toren's dream…
Price for 1 night from
€632.60
4.6 (18)

Laos, Vang Vieng
Riverside Boutique Resort
A 34-room riverside hotel on the Nam Song in Vang Vieng, each room themed on a different Lao ethnic group, set against the karst mountains, with a…
Price for 1 night from
€90.80
4.6 (18)

Greece, Athens
18 Micon Str
18 Micon Str. — 15-room design hotel in a 1950s Psiri warehouse, opened 2017 by Minas Terlidis and George Tsoukalas, with floor-to-ceiling…
Price for 1 night from
€100.50
4.6 (18)

Thailand, Chiang Mai
The Chiang Mai Riverside
An all-suite, 14-suite boutique hotel residence on the Ping River just south of Chiang Mai, with Lanna design, personal butler service and breakfast…
Price for 1 night from
€105.90
4.6 (18)

China, Hong Kong
Hotel Stage
A 97-room culture-led boutique hotel in unsung Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon, built around local art and community, with a gallery, a wine bar and a bookshop.
Price for 1 night from
€106.70
4.6 (18)

Italy, Lake Garda
Le Ali del Frassino
Five historic buildings in a protected lakeside oasis at Garda's southern shore — 92 rooms, two panoramic pools, its own wine, and Bronze Age…
Price for 1 night from
€115.40
4.6 (18)

Frequently Asked Questions about Design Hotels

: Each property is shortlisted where the building and interiors are central to the experience — restored heritage spaces with contemporary work on historic bones, or entirely contemporary builds led by the architect's vision. The design has to earn its place, not imitate the genre.