No. 1: Burj Al Arab, Photo by jonrawlinson
Check out the most amazing hotel designs from around the world.
For some, a hotel is nothing more than the place you lay your head when not at home. For others, hotels are works of art and luxurious paradises where your every wish is granted.
If you fall into the latter category and dream of a combination of art, decadence and world-famous architectural design, consider the following the next time you book.
1. Burj Al Arab
Most have heard of the bending curves of this ultra-lavish hotel on the Arabian Gulf, but it’s only fair to mention it here again as it is one of the most eccentric forms of hotel architecture to date.
The Burj Al Arab is 321 meters of pure luxury and exclusive service. British architect Tom Wright conceived the billowing hotel in 1993.
Where: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
What: Luxury hotel with helipad on the gulf
Designed by: Tom Wright
More: www.burj-al-arab.com
2. Hotel Marqués de Riscal, The Luxury Collection
This is a smart fusion of award-winning wine and avant-garde architecture. Spain’s Rioja vino is a favorite for many and a visit to the region makes for an interesting trip in rural Spain, especially if staying at Hotel Maqués de Riscal.
The hotel’s flamboyant style is signature Gehry, who has left his artistic imprint on other parts of the country as well.
Where: Spain’s Rioja wine country
What: Luxury hotel and vineyard
Designed by: Frank O. Gehry
More:www.marquesderiscal.com.
3. Park Hyatt Tokyo
Photo by wili
This upscale hotel has 178 rooms and a mere 23 suites with views of Yoyogi Park. Designed by Kenzo Tange, who has made many contributions to Tokyo’s skyline, this hotel made a famous appearance in the United States in the film, Lost in Translation.
Where: Tokyo, Japan
What: Luxury hotel with interior design by John Morford
Designed by: Kenzo Tange
More: www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com
4. Wynn Hotel
Photo by kathika
From the outside Wynn is a striped giant, new and sleek in a town that is the definition of over-the-top. As the Wynn P.R. reps are quick to mention, the hotel holds five stars, five diamonds and Michelin seal of approval.
True, it’s not an easy task to obtain all these bells and whistles and most would agree that Wynn is the cream of the crop when it comes to staying in Las Vegas.
Where: Las Vegas, Nevada baby!, USA
What: Luxury hotel and casino
Designed by: DeRuyter O. Butler
More: www.wynnlasvegas.com
5. Phinda Getty House
Unlike most of the hotels listed here, the Phinda Getty is a lodge which architect Nick Plewman attempted to blend into the surrounding environment. The lodge is set on a private game reserve in South Africa looking over grassy landscapes and onto volcanoes in the distance.
Photo by ricoslounge
Where: KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
What: Luxury lodge and reserve
Designed by: Nick Plewman
More: www.phinda.com
6. Inn at Price Tower
Built in 1956, the Price Tower is famous because it’s a Frank Lloyd Wright building. Only recently did interior architect Wendy Evans Joseph turn eight floors of the tower into a 21-room hotel.
The tower is owned by the non-profit group, Price Tower Arts Center.
Where: Bartlesville, Oklahoma, USA
What: Hotel of historical significance
Designed by: Frank Lloyd Wright
More: www.pricetower.org
7. The Four Seasons Hotel, NYC
Photo by paulkhor
New York has some of the best hotels around and so it is no small feat that the Four Seasons’ Manhattan Hotel is one of the best in New York City. Pritzker prize winner, architect I.M. Pie is the talent behind this top-of-the-line hotel, which is located on 57th Street in the city’s shopping and financial district.
Where: New York, New York, USA
What: Metropolitan luxury hotel
Designed by: I.M. Pei
More: www.fourseasons.com
8. Shanghai’s St. Regis
Bustling Shanghai has reinvented itself and continues to build as the world looks to China with curious eyes. K. Jeffries Sydness’ Shanghai’s St. Regis Hotel is a fine example of just how chic Shanghai has become.
The hotel’s silvery towers jump up like an exclamation mark, as if to say we’re it and then some!
Where: Shanghai, China
What: Metropolitan luxury hotel
Designed by: K. Jeffries Sydness
More: www.starwoodhotels.com
9. Le Meriden Lingotto
Once a Fiat car factory, this hotel is an example of a popular blend of architecture in Europe which mixes the old with the new. A competition was help to see which architect would bring the old factory into the 21st century, and the winner was Renzo Piano who took on the 800,000 sq. foot factory and transformed it into the successful hotel you see today.
Where: Turin, Italy
What: Design Hotel; old meets new
Designed by: Renzo Piano
More: www.starwoodhotels.com
Regina WB
Regina WB is a writer living in Barcelona. She works mostly on non-fiction and travel pieces with a focus on Latin America and Europe.
Connect with Facebook
Pingback: 4 Seasons » The 9 Best-Designed Hotels Worldwide