Having been stripped back to their bare architectural bones, these designer restoration hotels have their roots in heritage, modernism and heart. Often discovered in an often ruinous state, these salvaged beauties are a testament to the owners' dreams and vision - turning them into a unique genre of cool design dens.
It takes a curatorial eye and a great deal of patience, money and passion for turning a derelict building into your dream hotel. Yet rather than trying to "re-create history", which frankly never really works, these icons have bravely opted for the purest, modernist interior notes. The "look" always comes with a statement of clear design, form, function and calculated simplicity with sleek interior combos of old & modern that are a dramatic and added wow factor of creative discipline.
The fabulous boutique Hotel Julien, with its mansion-house pedigree in the heartlands of old-town Antwerp, is a self-confessed curator of the arts, designer pieces, antiques and mid-century furnishings, which adorn the handsome salons and rooms in comfy elegance.
read moreBuilt into the original Medieval town walls of Hall, this former guilders’ house of traditional Tirol style has stood here for well over half a century with records dating back to 1450. Today, behind the rose petal façade, lies the small Kontor Boutiquehotel.
read moreSet against the forested Beskydy (Beskids) range in the Carpathian Mountains, this 200-year-old designer hideaway fosters modern Czech county living whilst giving heritage a hug, decked in whites, linens and twisted rafters.
read moreA restoration den of raw genius – a weathered Tuscan house close to Montefollonico that has been allowed to expose her weathered elements and complemented with chic salvaged interiors. An imaginative retreat of utter, rustic romance.
An aged former Convent, the history and heritage of this house has been lovingly exposed to play host to modern furnishings and a chilled vibe right in the heart of old town Pienza.
read moreSmall, delicate, exquisite; this creative residence is fully-stocked with vintage family pieces and curatorial heritage, and includes a fabulous orangerie thriving between the greenest of Mediterranean gardens and whitest snow-capped peaks.
read moreThis reclusive stopover will give you reason to pause and take in the stillness of your environment while a revelling in the perfectly blended alchemy of Scottish and Scandinavian style.
read moreMesmerhaus, once the sexton’s home, is today a wonderful style chameleon of ornate exteriors and simplistic elegant interiors. The effect is of refined originality, a heritage house reduced to its essence through a calming language of decorative stillness.
read moreCeramics, pencil-lead greys, putty linens and aged furnishings headline at this restored design guesthouse of original simplicity in the cute market of Lana, South Tyrol.
read moreGelato pastels and chalked whites perfectly frame the eye-candy vistas and usher in the essence of slow-living Ligurian culture - a chilled affair close to Cinque Terre, overlooking the Ligurian coast and lush Levanto Valley.
read moreThe edgy contrast of an aged coaching inn where artsy installations lend an air of east-side gallery – this is a cradle of the arts and style where a bold, contemporary curatorial scene is flanked by twisted beams and heritage-thick walls.
read moreA former 18th-century Mallorcan palace built for a wealthy marqués merchant in 1760, is now one of Palma’s most noble Palacio's of style, renovated into a seductively glamorous grand hotel of casual luxe.
read moreA tiny redoubt of stripped, twisted beams, limestone walls and a modern interior. There’s an air of culture at this aged – and much loved – restored monastery, which perches on a verdant hillside overlooking distant Capri and close to the Paestum Temples.
read moreNature-inspired architecture brushes this renovated farmhouse hotel and South Tyrol design gem in Italy with an air of designer luxe and clever acoustic cool.
read moreThe edgy contrast of an aged coaching inn where artsy installations lend an air of east-side gallery – this is a cradle of the arts and style where a bold, contemporary curatorial scene is flanked by twisted beams and heritage-thick walls.
read moreArtsy modernism melts within aged tea plantation walls perched upon a verdant hilltop – a house of uninterrupted rural life where Azorean beauty bursts from the terracotta architecture and the scents of wild coastal nature clean the air.
read moreA fabulously humble basecamp of good design for kindreds of style, Brücke 49 is a collection of rooms, suites, studios and apartments in the high-in-the-mountains creative enclave, Vals. Nordic elegance, designer furnishings and a creative narrative marry the concept of a loveable Swiss refuge with urbane cool.
read moreOnce a remote shooting lodge home to the Duke of Sutherland, Kinloch
Lodge now provides a remote and inviting retreat into the vastness of
nature. Boutique, urban touches meet a rustic, countryside canvas so
striking and so open, it is as if you are in floating in an earthy infinity
pool. Embrace the mountains and the sky with family, friends, the clan, or
just yourself.
Once the grand resting spot for the weary English mountaineer brigade heading high up the Alps, this wonderful historic spot has been brought smack up to date and is the creative hub of the town. This is a fabulous example of Swiss culture melting into English eccentricity – a place where the urbane greets the mountains, all in fresh modern tones.
read moreNiedermairhof is no ordinary bed & breakfast; it is a wonderfully restored nest egg vision, with a combo of traditional heritage and classic designer pieces – complete with all the creature comforts of a dinky luxury hotel.
read moreA tiny weathered Scottish farmhouse plays host to Scandinavian contemporary design and Scottish crafted pieces from the Highlands - an irresistible combo of old and new, heritage meets the design - affectionately known as the 'Scandi-Scot'. This is where wild hearty Scotland meets the smooth Nordic around the crackling fireplace.
read moreUnapologetically vivid, this preferred pad of intellect and creativity is awash in Art Nouveau flamboyance tamed with clever 1950’s-inspired design interventions. A stylishly cool home of the arts, brushed with boldness.
read moreTwisted beams frame the 14th century frescos while a curatorial catalogue of designer classics delivers a modernist influence: the Widder Hotel is where medieval heritage meets Eames and Poliakoff slumbers against thick stonewalls. This is at the heart of Old Town Zurich and has both the luxury pedigree of a small Grand Dame Hotel and the eclectic charisma of a design diva.
read moreAn aged private-hire farmhouse conversion that is brimming with smoothness and urban vibes. Original stonework is forged with pastel eggshell tones, modern furnishings and fresh tonal whites. The perfect frame to those alluring Tuscan vales and the puffball sheep grazing all around.
read moreA monastic designer den of rural appeal set in a 30-hectare estate, this rural sanctuary has clubhouse flair, a sleek modernist touch and loads of sun-kissed sophistication. Altogether, a chilled off-radar adaption of indulgent luxury.
read moreDating back to the 1700s, Gasthof Hotel Hirschen Schwarzenberg in Bregenzerwald is a boutique art hotel boasting an eclectic combo of choc-box appeal, culture and rich history woven throughout, with an enviable personal collection of artworks that span the centuries and styles. An informal gallery sets the tone of this cute, boutique heritage hotel, cradled by the Bregenzerwald mountains.
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