8 Design Hotels for Stylish Stays  

By Esme Benjamin

If you fancy yourself a bit of an aesthete and spend ages clicking through hotel photos online before selecting one that speaks to your taste in decor, we get it. Even before the age of Instagram there was something incredibly alluring about surrounding yourself with beauty while on vacation. Nurture your inner style snob as you peruse our list of hotels for design lovers and nerd out over perfectly placed coffee table books, curated art collections, historic flourishes, rich color palettes and clean modern lines. 

Casa Delphine (San Miguel de Allende, México)

Casa Delphine is just as stylish as you’d expect given that its owner, Amanda Keidan, is also a jewelry designer. After falling in love with the artistic city of San Miguel de Allende during a vacation for Day of the Dead festival, Keidan bought and overhauled an old 5-bedroom hotel, transforming it into a zen hideaway decorated with antique furniture, hand-loomed rugs, decorative tiles and mellow shades of blue and grey. During the pandemic, Casa Delphine began offering “Sabbatical Sessions,” a one week stay with daily creative classes (everything from cooking to ceramics) organized by a concierge, so you can indulge your artistic side while exploring one of Mexico’s hottest destinations. 

Listen to Amanda Keidan tell her story of moving to Mexico on The Trip That Changed Me podcast >>

The Peninsula Paris (Paris, France)

While every room in The Peninsula Paris has an air of French refinement, the hotel’s standout space has to be The Historic Suite. Drawing inspiration from the building’s past, local artisans were hired to recreate period decor as it would have been a century ago. Marble fireplaces, gilded cornicing and crystal chandeliers are complemented by modern furnishings and bronze sculptures by the artist Nathalie Decoster to create a unique and beautiful space that feels utterly Parisian. While The Historic Suite offers plenty of elegant nooks for a celebratory tipple, make sure you check out the hotel’s rooftop for unbeatable views of Paris street life and the Eiffel Tower. 

Dimora delle Balze (Noto, Sicily)

Situated in the bucolic Sicilian countryside, inside a lovingly restored and beautifully crumbly estate, the Dimora delle Balze embodies the Mediterranean good life. Each of the hotel’s 11 rooms is inspired by an artistic work or its creator, and has its own distinctive mixture of textures, materials and colors. Think: jewel colored velvet, easy breezy linens, antique wood and shiny ceramics. Spend your time relaxing by the pool or opt for a workshop like pastry making or photography.  

Santa Monica Proper (Los Angeles, USA)

Superstar interior designer ​​Kelly Wearstler is the woman behind the Santa Monica Proper’s distinctive aesthetic. Each of the hotel’s sun-drenched rooms is filled with custom-designed furniture in warm shades of caramel and sand. Potted palm trees and bamboo accents give public spaces a very on-brand beach-y feel, and the hotel’s roof terrace and pool are the best places in the neighborhood to get a cocktail while watching the deep blue waves of the Pacific roll in.

Esmé Miami Beach (Miami, USA)

If you thought it was virtually impossible to find a laid-back enclave in buzzy South Beach, think again. Recently opened Esmé Miami Beach is tucked away down Española Way (a cobbled street full of bistros that feels distinctly European), a five minute walk from the beach and removed from the crowds. There’s a clear Spanish influence at Esmé, from the rose and emerald hued rooms to atmospheric El Salón, a moody bar with tapas bites and classic bistro chairs. Spend your day lounging by the rooftop pool or stroll down to the water and take advantage of the hotel’s beach chair and umbrella service.  

Bulgari Resort Bali (Bali, Indonesia)

Indonesia’s most popular island is full of beautiful hotels with dreamy pools set amid unspoiled jungle, but in our opinion Bulgari Resort Bali has an aesthetic edge. A thoughtful blend of Italian and Balinese design, it incorporates natural elements of the surrounding landscape, from hand-cut volcanic stones to rich bangkiray wood. Each Bvlgari villa has a clean, modern interior with decorative flourishes made by local artists and craftspeople, and outdoor areas with plunge pools, open-air showers and ocean views. Continue your cultural immersion with a Melukat Purifying Ceremony, cooking lesson or a visit to an artisanal workshop to learn about the crafting process.  

Tortuga Bay Hotel (Punta Cana, Dominican Republic)

Created by Santo Domingo-born fashion designer Oscar de la Renta, the Tortuga Bay Hotel in Punta Cana manages to be effortlessly stylish and luxurious without being overtly opulent. Settled on the easternmost tip of the Dominican Republic on a 1,500-acre ecological reserve  with miles of pristine beaches, the 15-villa hotel has a quintessential DR feel  – natural materials and a neutral palette, accented with tropical pops of green and yellow. Botanical paintings adorn the walls and rooms boast elegant four-poster or canopy beds. The Tortuga Bay Hotel gives each guest a golf cart to zip between their villa, the oceanfront restaurant, golf course and the Six Senses Spa and Wellness Center.

Royal Mansour Marrakech (Marrakesh, Morocco)

The riads of Morocco are a dream for design lovers, with their beautiful interior courtyard gardens and shaded rooftop terraces. If you’re looking for your own little oasis in Marrakech, it doesn’t get better than the Royal Mansour, an intricately designed luxury hotel composed of 53 private riads – each one subtly different from the rest. Relax amid sumptuous furnishings and carved wood, plush curtains and decorative mosaic tiles, steam in your private hammam or read a book on the terrace. The Royal Mansour Marrakech is known for its wellness programming, which includes everything from private fitness classes and pampering treatments to nutritional programs and sound baths, all centered around its breathtakingly gorgeous white-latticed Spa Royal Mansour.

Featured image courtesy of Dimora delle Balze