Some hotels you check into and forget the moment you leave. Others imprint themselves on your memory—with colour, texture, detail, and atmosphere so compelling it’s hard not to take mental notes (or, in my case, real ones). The stays that follow are more than just well-designed: they’re deeply considered, layered, and often wildly original. A blueprint for how you might want to live—not just travel.
From cliff-hugging Grecian suites and Tokyo sanctuaries to Sydney's new design darling and Ibiza’s most joyful bohemian escape, these are spaces that celebrate style without sacrificing soul. They mix high design with the kind of energy you want to bring home—whether that’s via bold wallpaper, a velvet armchair, or just the feeling of stepping into a place where everything has been chosen with purpose.
You might go for the location, but it’s the interiors that linger. From bold British maximalism to cliff-carved Grecian minimalism, these hotels do more than just host you—they inspire you to redecorate your entire house. Here’s where to check in (and look up).
Ham Yard Hotel, London – The library, in Kit Kemp's award-winning modern British style.
Ham Yard Hotel, London
In the midst of Soho and moments from Mayfair, Ham Yard Hotel has an urban village feel. Part of the Firmdale Hotels group, the this beautiful destination revolves around a tree-filled garden with a bronze sculpture centrepiece by Tony Cragg. Each of the 91 rooms at the Ham Yard Hotel is a riot of colour, texture and British wit, all under the masterful eye of designer Kit Kemp in her award-winning modern British style. Kemp doesn’t so much decorate as curate—layering exuberant prints, tactile fabrics, and unexpected details that always land just right. There’s a bowling alley in the basement, a rooftop garden above, and a drawing room filled with books and eccentric art in between. This is maximalism with manners—delightful, un-beige, and unapologetically bold.
AMAN Tokyo – Inspired by Japanese design tradition.
Aman Tokyo, Tokyo
Aman’s first city hotel is as serene as its most remote jungle retreat. Floating above Tokyo on the top floors of the Otemachi Tower, the lobby rises 30 metres like a paper lantern, casting soft light across the stone and timber interiors. Like other Aman resorts around the world, Aman Tokyo is inspired by local design tradition. Ikebana displays, washi paper doors and engawa platforms, the vast hotel lobby, ryokan-style rooms and Aman Spa are all among the city’s largest. Every detail speaks to Japanese restraint—cedarwood panels, deep soaking tubs, and views that stretch to Mount Fuji. The cellar hides more than 1,200 wines, should you wish to reimagine your own at-home drinks cabinet with a little more ambition.
Otemachi Tower, 1-5-6 Otemachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0004, Japan aman.com
ACE Hotel Sydney – Bold interiors that go beyond beige.
Ace Hotel Sydney
Ace’s first foray into the Southern Hemisphere arrives with all the cultural cachet you’d expect—and a gritty, intelligent beauty that feels tailor-made for Surry Hills. Inside the former Tyne House brick factory, it’s part artist’s loft, part community hub: exposed beams, tactile layers, and warm, 1970s tones. Rooms are stocked with vinyl, ceramics and creative energy, while downstairs, a buzzing all-day lobby and a rooftop restaurant Kiln, 18 floors above Ace Hotel Sydney and helmed by chef and partner Beau Clugston, pull in more locals than guests. Loam is now open right next to the lobby as well. It’s not just a hotel—it’s a love letter to the city’s creative undercurrent.
A brutalist gem softened by nature, Nest Hotel sits quietly on the Yellow Sea, just outside Seoul. Its low-slung, concrete geometry opens to broad windows, coastal dunes and a reflecting pool that mirrors the sky. Inside, the aesthetic is calm and deliberate: pale wood, stone textures, and minimal furniture that lets the architecture speak. A hot spring spa, infinity pool, and on-site greenhouse café round out the sense of quiet luxury. It’s a rare case where form and function strike a poetic balance.
19-5 Yeongjonghaeannam-ro, Jung-gu, Incheon, South Korea nesthotel.co.kr
Papaya Playa Project, Tulum
Papaya Playa Project is where jungle dreams meet conscious design. Tulum’s beachfront eco-haven merges raw simplicity with ritual: think open-air casitas, plunge pools, organic materials, and thatched roofs made for barefoot luxury. The architecture blends into the palms, with each room offering a private perch to reconnect with nature—and yourself. Solar power, slow food, and full moon parties by the sea make it both sanctuary and scene. Come for the aesthetics, stay for the energy.
Km 4.5 Carretera Tulum-Boca Paila, Zona Hotelera, Tulum, Quintana Roo, Mexico designhotels.com
Once a surfer’s motel on the sleepy NSW coast, Halcyon House is now one of Australia’s most photogenic boutique stays. Designer Anna Spiro brought the hotel’s whitewashed bones to life with a kaleidoscope of vintage fabrics, antique furniture, and art-clustered walls. Each of the 21 rooms is different, but all feel like stepping into someone’s (very stylish) seaside home. It’s eccentric, elegant, and just enough fun to have you planning your return visit before you’ve even left.
21 Cypress Crescent, Cabarita Beach, NSW 2488, Australia halcyonhouse.com.au
COMO The Treasury, Perth
This West Australian stunner sits quietly behind the original 19th-century state buildings in Perth’s CBD, its grandeur revealed slowly. Inside, Singapore-based architect Kerry Hill’s light-handed design—blonde wood, soaring ceilings, marble bathrooms—lets the heritage shine. The rooms are all calm curves and soft khakis, while downstairs, dining at Wildflower or Petition gives a taste of modern Perth. It’s not just a hotel, it’s a masterclass in thoughtful restraint.
1 Cathedral Avenue, Perth, WA 6000, Australia comohotels.com
The Eve Hotel, Sydney
A new mood is moving through Sydney’s hotel scene, and The Eve captures it with conviction. Set in Redfern’s emerging cultural corridor, the hotel is part gallery, part sanctuary—with interiors by SJB Architects that nod to mid-century softness and contemporary minimalism. Think polished terrazzo, blonde timber, chrome curves and just enough blush velvet. Rooms are compact but calm, while downstairs, the restaurant and bar take the same quietly stylish approach. Less flash, more feeling—this is Sydney design stepping into its own.
58 Regent Street, Redfern, NSW 2016, Australia evehotel.com.au
Canaves Oia Suites, Santorini
Santorini is no stranger to a good view, but Canaves Oia does it best. Its sugar-cube suites are carved directly into the volcanic cliffs and trimmed with bougainvillea. Infinity pools seem to spill into the caldera, while indoors, cool white tones and sculptural arches make a case for keeping things simple. Luxury, here, is in the edit. If your Pinterest board is full of white-on-white fantasies, this is your blueprint.
Part concept store, part hideaway, all style. This nine-room wonder in Ibiza’s quiet north is a treasure chest of design finds—from tribal textiles and wicker to ceramics you’ll want to smuggle home. Owners Pierre Traversier and Rozemarijn de Witte have filled every corner with texture and joy, and the bay it overlooks is ideal for early-morning swims. There’s no minimalism here, just a warm, worldly exuberance that’s impossible not to fall for.
