Many of the world’s largest hotel brands design their hotels in such a way — clean, inoffensive, neutral — that they can often appear indistinguishable from one another. These are turnkey templates meant to be deployed at a moment’s notice to any outpost around the world. And sure, these brands are often wildly successful, and there’s a certain creature comfort for travelers in not being challenged and in not having their senses overwhelmed. Come here, and you’ll know what to expect, down to where the light switches are positioned. But on the luxury end of the travel spectrum, shouldn’t we expect more?
Hotel style and décor should inspire. Memorable, characterful, and distinctive should be the name of the game. The best hotel design forces you to pause in thought or spark a conversation, it leaves you marveling to yourself as you take a photograph of an art installation, furniture piece, architectural feature, or whichever other flourish of fancy caught your eye and made an impression.
For those who pay attention to these finer details, certain hotels soon become unforgettable, forever emblazoned into your mind and soul as temples to stylistic splendor. There are a handful of designers who are renowned for doing just that, and once you come to recognize their particular influence and signature touches, you’ll soon recognize them at a glance. Seek out one of their properties, and you’ll always be staying in style.
Martin Brudnizki
The La Fantaisie Hotel in Paris is a one-of-one escape within the city, with the whimsical flair that you’d expect from the name, as well as a property billed as a “home of joy.” Imagine: botanical patterns and motifs, bright pastel colors, richly layered details, and art-filled spaces. It’s a lush dreamscape that stems from the creative powers of Martin Brudnizki, and it has made the Faubourg area hotel on Rue Cadet a hidden gem for those looking for a different type of Parisian stay.
A stuffy or old-school grand dame, this is not. And it’s not bashful about flaunting that, though it doesn’t mean you have to forego the level of luxury you’re seeking. Head to the spa, which incorporates a hammam, infrared sauna, steam room, and four baths for an indulgent day of relaxation. End the day at the Bar Sur Le Toit rooftop, a space almost akin to a chic dollhouse room, where you can make a selection from the jukebox, order caviar nuggets, and enjoy a fitting fantasy above the city streets.
Brudnizki’s Design Studio has also taken the New York City hotel world by storm. Hotels include The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel, The Beekman, and Fouquet’s New York, while he’s perhaps most well known for his work with The Fifth Avenue Hotel. The latter is a maximalist masterpiece designed through the lens of a globe-trotting flâneur, evocative of the items the most worldly, well-seasoned traveler one could envision would collect. The property is colorful, curated, and lavish, with no detail left unconsidered.
Kit Kemp
There’s no guessing game required to determine which properties have been designed by Kit Kemp. The aesthetic pops with instant recognition, but making it even easier is that the designer is the co-founder of Firmdale Hotels, a group of luxury boutiques with 11 locations split between London and New York City. Her hotel group is her personal stylistic playground, and each of those properties follows a certain set of principles — plenty of patterns and textures, bright colors, handmade goods, bespoke crafts, and curated art programs — while standing on its own as an inimitable.
It’s a delicate balance that Kemp deftly achieves, while going even further by ensuring each individual room is unique to itself. “Every room must have its own story,” she says. “Art plays a major role in our work and our love of local craftsmanship makes each hotel individual. It means the interiors cannot be repeated, they have a life of their own and our guests love to return to their favorite room time and time again.”
Philippe Starck
Perhaps you’re familiar with Starck for his architectural projects, his industrial design, or even for his furniture or lighting collections. But if you haven’t been staying at his hotels, you’ve been missing out on all the fun. He’s collaborated frequently with brands including La Réserve, SLS, Mondrian, and Mama Shelter, to name a few.
Then there are the showstoppers, properties such as Rosewood São Paulo, a hotel with one of the most immersive and entrancing interior designs and art collections on the planet. Each floor of the hotel showcases a different Brazilian artist with public corridors and rooms to match, while Starck infused the entire project with Brazilian materials, artisans, and crafts. Staying here is to become acquainted with local art and culture in a deep and meaningful way, all while relishing a ratified level of luxe amenities.
Bill Bensley
Bill Bensley is responsible for a staggering array of sultry properties in southeast Asia, including several of my favorite stays in the region: properties such as the Capella Ubud, Rosewood Luang Prabang, Four Seasons Koh Samui, The Siam in Bangkok, and the InterContinental Danang, amid scores of others.
There’s a bold boisterousness to a Bensley property, an “if you know, you know” vibe, with eclectic designs loaded with sculptures, artifacts and artwork piled high, and an overall go-big or go-home philosophy. Add that extra detail, make it even bigger, ensure it stands out even more. Central to many of his properties — such as the Capella, Rosewood, and The Siam mentioned above — are thematic rooms built around motifs such as specific vocations or crafts, whether a photographer or explorer, for instance.
Bensley is known first and foremost for his interior design, however his studio has also been the lead architect for a number of luxury properties as well, handling everything from the top level down, including overall concept, site plans, and landscaping. With offices in Bali and Bangkok, most of his most well known projects are indeed located in the region, though he’s completed more than 200 projects across more than 30 countries.
Feature image courtesy of Capella Ubud.
