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.
The ION Adventure Hotel is a pure Icelandic destination in every sense. If you’re looking for an encapsulation of all that makes this country special, look no further. If you’re looking for a club sandwich, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
Tierra Patagonia is a dinosaur — a prehistoric, skeletal body washed ashore on Chile’s Lake Sarmiento. That’s how the hotel’s architect perceives it, at least. And just like the dinosaurs, she’d prefer it also disappeared.
There’s a whole range of ranch hotels out there. From those with real, live cattle drives to those with little need for more than a prairie and some single-story structures. And that’s exactly how the people want it.
Many moons ago, a volcanic eruption ripped Santorini apart. The caldera it left behind filled with Aegean blue. Thought to be an inspiration for the legend of Atlantis, the majestic island is iconic, and Perivolas is perhaps its most iconic hotel.