The Hotels Interior Designers Love To Visit

Irene Gunter

Founder Of Gunter & Co

“I would highly recommend a weekend away at the Edinburgh Gleneagles Townhouse. Once a bank, it’s since been transformed into a luxury hotel with 33 boutique bedrooms, each one unique in its design. The stunning restaurant is a feast for the eyes. It’s a big space, but, despite its grand proportions, it feels very intimate with its curved banquette seating. Lashings of dusky pink complement the tall granite columns that punctuate the space. It’s wonderful to see banking hall’s decorative mouldings, flooring and – the pièce de resistance – fabulous dome ceiling all be given a new lease of life. Meanwhile, plenty of mod cons bring it bang up to date, but they’re so discrete, it’s possible to forget a fast-paced world exists just outside the front door.”

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Henriette von Stockhausen

Founder & Creative Director Of VSP Interiors

"My favourite hotel is the Beldi Country Club in Marrakech. I love its relaxed Moroccan-French atmosphere and flair. Antique metal beds, vintage fabrics and antique rugs sit next to mid-century lighting and specially selected pieces in vibrant colours to create an eclectic and truly unique feel. Vintage linen curtains blow in the breeze and the windows look out onto beautiful landscaping. I love to walk around the grounds in the evening when the light is at its best and enjoy a cocktail at the Cactus Bar. The hotel grows its own produce and has a bakery, on-site glass blowing and its own porcelain makers. It’s also home to the best hammam. I go back every year and always look forward to my time there."

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Emma Shone-Sanders

Interior Designer At Design & That

“My all-time favourite hotel has to be Ett Hem in Stockholm. The building is a beautiful old townhouse in Östermalm, turned into a boutique hotel with only a small number of rooms. One of my favourite interior designers, Ilse Crawford, worked on the project – and the interiors have really stood the test of time. Ett Hem translates as ‘at home’, and the whole idea is to enjoy the hotel as a home from home. You can wander from room to room, cosy up by the fireplace with a drink and a book from the library, or help yourself to a snack from the kitchen. The rooms are big and beautiful – being there is so inspiring.”

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Nicole Salvesen

Co-Founder Of Salvesen Graham

"Sterrekopje Hotel in South Africa has all the elements of a comfortable English country house combined with a warmer climate, extraordinary views, open space and beautiful light. It’s such a sanctuary for a restorative break, and offers a total retreat from everyday life. Every room feels unique and individual, yet they share a common thread so they feel cohesive as a whole. The interiors are eclectic but considered, designed with layers of pattern, print and texture, all of which creates a warm and inviting environment – a real home away from home.”

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Bee Osborn

Founder Of Osborn Interiors

“Mine is the Hotel Le Toiny in St Barth’s. Each room has the most incredible view and the décor is calm, neutral and chic. The neutral colour palette is serene but so glamorous at the same time. Plus, the food is second to none. I can understand why it’s a favourite of Leonardo DiCaprio, Jeff Bezos and Paul McCartney.”

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Noor Charchafchi

Founder Of Celine Interior Design

“Beaverbrook has taken the British country aesthetic a step further and elevated it into an elegant, romantic and memorable place to stay. I love that Susie Atkinson has referenced so much of the building's late 19th-century history and the team has restored so many of the original architectural details. They've also invested in beautiful and historically appropriate antiques, but given the spaces a modern and playful twist at the same time. The attention to detail is spectacular; I love spotting new things every time I visit – the fringing on the curtains or the floral upholstery for example.”

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Sarah Ward

Founder Of Ward & Co

"Having spent much of my childhood in Hong Kong, I love returning to stay at The Upper House Hotel. A high-style haven, the hotel sits above the Pacific Place Mall, whisking you up and away from the hustle and bustle on the streets. This is also met with the choice of sweeping bedroom views over both the harbour, island and mountains. The intimate interiors, from renowned designer Andre Fu, immediately invite you into a hushed world of bamboo, glass and limestone. Ultra-sleek and stylish, it's the perfect balance of subtle opulence and minimalist Japanese design. I take great inspiration from the lighting schemes and the bedrooms feel reminiscent of a private residence. With curved banquettes and a magnificent marble counter, the hotel bar is the perfect place to wind down after a day in the city – you'll most likely find me here in the Sky Lounge on level 49.”

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Martin Waller

Founder Of Andrew Martin

“I really admire Kit Kemp's work for Firmdale Hotels, especially Ham Yard. There’s clearly such an emphasis on making this space feel relaxed and accessible, hinting at exclusivity but in a way that turns stuffiness into quirky, confident design. Whether it’s the bright, lacquered wallpaper or using hats as art work, it’s so unique.”

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Jennifer Hamilton

Director At The Vawdrey House

“For something unpretentious yet still design led and visually breath-taking, The Experimental Hotels are great. The Menorcan property, set back from an olive tree-lined dusty track in a converted stone farmhouse, is the perfect mix of rustic charm and glamour. Guests can relax as happily in a sarong and flip flops as they can in glitter and sequins, and not feel out of place. I love all the considered details, down to the table linens and eclectic ceramics they serve breakfast on – be warned, the carefully curated gift shop is a dangerous place. I also love the Venice property. The painted green striped walls in the guest toilets that pull down onto a green striped terrazzo floor is so in keeping with many of the painted two-tone bathrooms we’ve designed that I felt in equal parts inspired and right at home. The lush red velvet banquette seats with their curved top detail in the restaurant also deserve a special mention. This winter, I think I’ll be able to justify a trip to The Experimental in Verbier to see what they have done in the mountains.”

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Polly Ashman

Founder Of Polly Ashman Design

"For me it has to be The Nomad in London. It’s set in a former magistrate’s court and police station in Covent Garden, and combines Victorian elegance with old-school art deco. Within this Grade II-listed building, my highlight is the opulent restaurant at the heart of the hotel, with its tumbling greenery, luxurious banquet seating, statement lighting and pitched glass roof. Around and about there’s a plethora of opulent spaces, including the dark red library with layers of deep, textured fabrics and cosy little nooks. Even though there are 91 rooms, each one has its own signature look, with art and furniture that was curated to look like it had been there forever. A total triumph from Roman and Williams.”

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Naomi Astley Clarke

Founder Of Naomi Astley Clarke

“We first visited the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni in Bellagio on Lake Como when I was a child. I had never seen anything so smart or grand, and I remember being awestruck by the vast marble floors, the frescos on the cavernous ceilings, the exquisite food, and dancing to the piano with my father. Since that first spoiling visit we made several trips throughout my childhood, and now in adulthood I try to visit whenever I can. There is an old-school charm about the neo-classical building that makes it feel unbelievably special – it is grand but not glitzy, beautiful but not overbearing. Each room is completely unique, yet infused with the charm and character of its 150-year-old Italian history, featuring elaborate fittings, Murano chandeliers and storied antiques. The lake, in view from a number of guest rooms and the hotel’s Italian-style gardens, carries the cool air from the mountains and there is a romance to the place that is unbeatable. The staff really make you feel like part of the family."

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Matthew Williamson

"One of my favourite hotels is the Marbella Club in Spain. It’s designed in a maximalist vein and every part of the hotel (especially the communal areas) has been paid such close attention. The exquisite and whimsical interior is designed by Marie-Caroline Willms and Johanna Haniel of design studio EMCI. Another advantage is that it’s only a short plane ride from my home in Deià, so it’s always on my mind.”

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Katharine Pooley

"Although I am lucky enough to travel a lot for work, my favourite hotel is a hidden gem I return to time and again. Set on the lush green banks of Taupo's Waikato River on New Zealand's North Island, in acres of private gardens, Huka Lodge is captivating, unforgettable and, for me, a personal paradise. I must have stayed there 15 times now and the peace and beauty of the surroundings always draw me back. It exemplifies the best kind of luxury: small in scale, gorgeous interiors, faultless service, superb facilities, exceptional dining and so personal it feels like a home. The beautiful setting and cosy styling remind me greatly of Scotland. I love the generous rooms, high-back armchairs, roaring fires, timber-beamed ceilings and touches of deep forest green and rich red. Every space is different, and every view is extraordinary. The whole experience is delightful and unforgettable.”

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Lucy Barlow

Co-Director At Barlow & Barlow

"My favourite hotel would be The Dunmore on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. It’s relatively small, which I much prefer, and feels so naturally in keeping with its local habitat. It doesn’t try too hard – there’s a chicness to it that is very low-key but very beautiful. It helps that it looks out onto arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the world – Pink Sands. I’ll never tire of visiting it."

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