You needn’t have ever stayed in a ski hotel to understand why they tend toward interiors that are cozy, warm, and intimate. It’s like a womb welcoming you back after a long day in the cold white snow and blinding sunshine, and nowhere is it accomplished to a more satisfying degree than in the French Alps.
When we describe a hotel as being interesting, we mean it as the ultimate compliment. The most interesting hotels of the Nordic countries are exactly what you’d expect: monumental meetings of inside and out, influenced by the types of design the region is famous for.
There’s a boutique wave washing ashore on the African hotel scene. High-design hotels are bubbling up throughout the continent in destinations both traditional and trending. We can’t show them all, but we can show the ones with water views.
Spain is the #3 wine producer in the world, right behind Italy and France, miles ahead of everyone else. While that made it a top contender for this list, it was the bold mix of design styles at the country’s vineyard hotels that truly sealed the deal.
They have a peculiar affinity in the south of France for giving shockingly long standing ovations to films they enjoy. The hotels of Provence deserve at least as much applause, and won’t cause as much regret.
Italy’s Amalfi Coast is storybook Europe. Here, historic houses and gravity-defying villas crawl down cliffs and meet cute with romantic coves and secret grottos in the sea below. It’s pure theater, and thanks to a collection of beautiful hotels, you’re welcome to play a part.