When, in April 1933, The New Yorker published a story on the best hotel in the world, their requirements were not extravagant by today’s standards. “Simple in taste, with a good view, and an excellent cuisine” was the recipe for success, the magazine argued. And while today, just shy of a century later, the same requirements still stand, one factor has evolved with time: design.
Great design, like great art or literature, is difficult to define. It contains a cornucopia of meaning: how one feels upon entering a room, what one doesn’t feel when entering that very same room, and more. And while every year it seems as if beautifully designed new hotels are sprouting up across the globe, 2024 feels like a moment in which some of the best have finally opened their doors.
Below, AD examines eight new hotels that, by way of ingenious design, stand above the rest.
Photo: Courtesy of Casona Roma Norte Boutique Hotel/Zaickz
Casona Roma Norte Boutique Hotel
In the 1920’s, émigrés, refugees, revolutionaries, and dreamers began moving in hoards to Mexico City. And the spirit of the times found its way into the world of art, design, architecture, and literature. Many of those hallmarks remain in the city’s newly opened hotel Casona Roma Norte Boutique Hotel. The building blends elements of Belle Époque, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco styles throughout the space. For those travelers keen on experiencing historical allure with modern sophistication, Casona Roma Norte is about as good as it gets.
Photo: Chris Mottalini
Casa Loma Beach Hotel
Perched on Laguna Beach’s craggy coastline is the all-new Casa Loma Beach Hotel. Designed by Electric Bowery and LAND, the hotel echoes the history of the area: a time when artists, surfers, and bohemians brought a particular type of excitement and aesthetic to the land. And due to its location, guests are offered one-of-a-kind views from their room to nature surrounding the property.
Photo: Courtesy of The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel
The Surrey, a Corinthia Hotel
The first hotel by Corinthia in the United States, the Surrey was originally built as a residence hotel in 1926 and hosted VIPs like John F. Kennedy and Bette Davis. Ahead of the building’s centenary, it’s being reimagined by AD100 designer Martin Brudnizki, who’s sure to bring the glamor back. Corinthia.com
Photo: Goldenberg Photography
Hotel Anna & Bel
Housed in an 18th-century building that once served as a women’s asylum in Philadelphia’s artsy Fishtown neighborhood, this 50-room hotel combines contemporary and classic design. Nods to the building’s feminine history abound, with pastel colors and graceful lines. Annaandbel.com
Photo: Jon Makhmaltchi
Voaara
One of just a few luxury resorts in Madagascar, Voaara is the first on the island of Sainte-Marie, which was once a base for pirates. The resort is designed to epitomize barefoot luxury with tropical-style bungalows and villas. Voaara.com
Photo: Courtesy of The Dunlin, Auberge Resorts Collection
The Dunlin
Despite being only 40 minutes from downtown Charleston, The Dunlin—the latest from Auberge’s Resorts Collection—is a calming oasis of natural beauty and relaxed, unfussy elegance. The property occupies 2,000 acres of Kiawah River coastline, which the resort makes great use of through myriad activities like kayaking, hiking trails, and multiple dining venues with sweeping marshland views. Amanda Lindroth, an undeniable titan of island style, designed the interiors, rich with whimsical green hues, charming gingham upholstery, and rattan galore. The architecture—clean, classic, and warm—was conceived by Robert Glazier and successfully conjures the fantasy low-country lifestyle of lazy summer porch cocktails, kicked-back glamour, and, of course, Southern hospitality.
Photo: Matthieu Salvaing
Hôtel Balzac
It may be hard to think that in a city like Paris, exciting new hotels can live up to the hype. But for those who enter the doors of Hôtel Balzac in Paris’s 8th arrondissement, they quickly realize the buildup was warranted. Located a mere block away from the lively Avenue des Champs-Élysées, Hôtel Balzac is a meditation in zen-like design. Much of this calmness stems from the hotel lobby, which consists of warm wood ceilings and non-polished marbled flooring. But it doesn’t stop there. Rooms, which were designed by Charlotte de Tonnac and Hugo Sauzay of Festen, offer sweeping views of the city (including the Eiffel Tower). Yet, visitors shouldn’t just come for the design, but also the history, as the site was once home to French novelist Honoré de Balzac.
Photo: Michael Clifford Photography
The Jenni Kayne Farmhouse
Designer Jenni Kanye, best known for her understated, rustic-natural lifestyle brand, has always had an affinity for the Hudson Valley. So much so that she bought a home and, after a renovation, turned it into a stunning farmhouse complete with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a bucolic setting that includes a greenhouse, sauna, and lavender garden. While Kayne is a native of the West Coast, the decor she selected for the farmhouse was very earthy in tone, harmonious with the seasonal changes best exemplified in the northeast.
