Despite what we can all agree has been a “disruptive” year for tourism across the board (among other things), there’s still some cause for celebration in the world of international accommodation. Here are 24 selected winners from the inaugural Architectural Digest Hotel Awards – honouring the very best in hotel design from new openings this past year.
Ace Hotel Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan
For its Japanese debut, Ace assembled a veritable dream team, tapping starchitect Kengo Kuma and the AD100 firm Commune Design to help transform what was once a telephone-company office into a temple to local craft.
Aman Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan
Nature and nurture collide at this exquisite property, set on 80 sylvan acres with moss-covered paths and ancient stones. A series of pavilions by the late architect Kerry Hill updates the Japanese vernacular for relaxing at its most refined.
August
Antwerp, Belgium
Part restoration, part reinvention— AD100 designer Vincent Van Duysen’s first hotel project masterfully transformed a former Augustinian convent into a spare yet cerebral sanctuary of guest rooms, gardens, spa facilities, and more.
Austin Proper
Austin, US
The latest hotel from the AD100 maximalist maestro Kelly Wearstler does the Lone Star State proud, paying homage to Austin’s idiosyncratic spirit with splashes of graphic tile, wallpaper, and carpeting, among other quirky touches.
Cheval Blanc
St. Barth Isle De France
As part of a total refresh to this hot spot, AD100 Hall of Famer Jacques Grange devised impeccably textured, tonal rooms—a wonderfully patterned bar, too—while AD100 landscape designer Madison Cox sculpted the tropical grounds.
Hotel de la Ville
Rome, Italy
An 18th-century palazzo above the Spanish Steps has been reborn as lavishly decorated lodgings (think yards of silk, slabs of marble, and pattern galore), thanks to Rocco Forte’s design director, Olga Polizzi, and local architect Tommaso Ziffer.
Hôtel Le Coucou
Méribel, France
AD100 star Pierre Yovanovitch picks up where Charlotte Perriand left off, injecting high design into this scenic swath of the French Alps. The hotel’s suites, chalets, spa, and restaurants all put a delightful twist on Alpine style.
Hôtel Lou Pinet
St. Tropez, France
Punchy colours, sensuous curves, liberal doses of raffia and rattan— the bohemian vibes of the French Riviera in the 1960s come alive at this boutique property, outfitted by the AD100 architect Charles Zana, with gardens by Jean Mus.
Kachi Lodge
Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia
Situated amid otherworldly terrain, this remote getaway is a meditation on land and sky. Geodesic domes erected atop simple timber platforms reveal haute-hippie interiors by Swiss duo Marina Cardis and Marine Luginbuehl.
La Réserve Eden au Lac
Zurich, Switzerland
Hitmaker Philippe Starck has left his inimitable stamp on this lakeside gem, conjuring an imaginary yacht club with shipshape guest rooms and nautically inflected public spaces, among them a tree-lined rooftop terrace and wood-paneled restaurant.
Maison de la Luz
New Orleans, US
Five-star luxury meets bed-and-breakfast charm at this soigné guesthouse, designed by the AD100’s Studio Shamshiri in partnership with Atelier Ace. Layered, intimate rooms break hospitality rules for a totally residential feel.
Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como
Blevio, Italy
Botanical gardens by landscape architect Patrizia Pozzi offer a lush backdrop to an ornately panelled 19th-century villa; inside, old meets new, courtesy of Milanese designer Eric Egan.
Mauna Lani
Kameula, Hawaii
After taking over this Big Island icon, Auberge Resorts tapped the celebrated design firm Meyer Davis to oversee a property-wide renovation. Nuanced hues, natural materials, and good mana now abound.
Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa
Ischia, Italy
Pellicano Hotels has a delivered a dose of la dolce vita to this volcanic island, adapting a 16th-century watchtower as an oasis of glamour. Creative director Marie-Louise Sciò’s upbeat decor (striped parasols, Italian tile, the crispest white sheets) lifts the spirits.
Ngala Treehouse
South Africa
Set on andBeyond’s Ngala private game reserve, bordering Kruger National Park, this villa by architect Jack Alexander and Fox Browne Creative is a solar-powered world unto itself, with a roof terrace nearly 40 feet up for surveying the bush.
Park Hyatt Kyoto
Kyoto, Japan
An Edo-era teahouse sets the tone at this long-awaited hotel (the sister property to the Tokyo fave). Nestled in the hills of Higashiyama, the terraced structures filter Japanese traditions like shoji screens and tamo-wood panelling through a cool, contemporary lens.
Potato Head Studios
Seminyak, Bali
This beachfront project from the Rem Koolhaas–helmed architecture firm OMA boldly rethinks resort typologies, orienting itself toward the greater community. Ground-level and rooftop public spaces offer a stage for music festivals, art exhibitions, and more.
The Prospect Hollywood
Los Angeles, US
Inside a 1939 Hollywood Regency-style building, AD100 designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has devised 24 unique rooms and suites, deploying signature splashes of colour and pattern while taking cues from the neighbourhood’s Tinseltown past.
Rosewood Little Dix Bay
British Virgin Islands
To revive the legendary resort after Hurricane Irma, design firm Meyer Davis stayed true to hotel founder Laurance Rockefeller’s vision, recreating hexagonal cottages and tree houses while preparing all structures for future storms.
Trunk(House)
Tokyo, Japan
Down a stone-paved street in historic Kagurazaka, this one-suite gem occupies what was a restaurant and geisha house, since transformed by Tripster design studio into ultra-rarefied lodgings, complete with a private karaoke bar.
TWA Hotel
New York City, US
Following a meticulous restoration by Beyer Blinder Belle architects, Eero Saarinen’s landmark JFK terminal for Trans World Airlines reopened as the centrepiece to this 512-room hotel—a delightful throwback to groovier times, with interiors by Stonehill Taylor.
Vipp Chimney House
Copenhagen, Denmark
Built in 1902 as a water-pumping station, this brick beauty—distinguished by its chimney tower— was converted into a two-bedroom guest house by Danish architect David Thulstrup, who added terrazzo floors and a statement steel stair, among other refined touches.
The West Hollywood Edition
Los Angeles, US
Architect John Pawson left his minimalist mark on this Sunset Strip newcomer, Ian Schrager’s latest hit. Inside, clean lines and sleek surfaces prevail. Outside, AD100 landscape designer Madison Cox has conjured a verdant Eden.
Zannier Hotels Sonop
Karas, Namibia
Erected atop a mass of boulders within a desert nature reserve, this tented camp takes inspiration from British expeditions of the 1920s, its luxury accommodations (including an immaculate spa) outfitted with campaign-style furnishings.
Read the original Architectural Digest Hotel Awards 2020 announcement over at architecturaldigest.com.
