Eight new members join Design Hotels

Design Hotels has introduced eight new members to its collection of independent properties around the globe.

The latest additions reach from El Paso in Texas, USA to the Lech am Arlberg village in Austria, and from Mykonos in the Greek Isles to Georgia in the Caucasus.

Bursa Hotel – Kyiv, Ukraine

Bursa Hotel is a mix of two new structures and two 19th-century buildings that mirror the charm and bohemian spirit of Podil. The older part of the hotel was home to architect Andriy Melenskyi, who helped shape the look of the Podil district in the early 1800s. Fittingly, Bursa blends the past and the present by juxtaposing historical architecture and modern design. Here, glass, concrete, wood, and brick are used to unify disparate elements, presenting balanced, clean-lined forms that adhere foremost to function.

The property features 33 rooms, a restaurant, a rooftop bar and a music bar.

Hotel Arena – Amsterdam, Netherlands

Behold a reanimated landmark in the city’s new-spirited East, a study in hyperlocal art, a culinary draw, and a design-focused springboard for exploration.

Built in 1886 as the Sint Elisabeth Gesticht orphanage for catholic girls, the Hotel Arena structure was then occupied by the German Nazis from 1944 until the liberation in 1945, and then became a nursing home for the elderly, a care home for people with dementia, and a “sleep-in” for people experiencing homelessness. Before becoming Hotel Arena in 1992, the building also hosted the International Youth Center for Culture and Tourism from 1992.

The hotel is located in Amsterdam Oost and features 140 rooms, a restaurant and a bar.

Rockabella Mykonos Hotel – Mykonos, Greece

Intimacy and privacy are the mainstays of Rocabella Mykonos Hotel, which offers an inviting world of wellness and a wood, stone, and sisal design scheme that merges into the landscape.

Rooms are awash with the crisp white palette of Cycladic architecture where tactile natural materials and wood furniture complete the picture of Grecian paradise.

There are 24 rooms at the Rockabella Mykonos Hotel, as well as a restaurant, pool bar, spa and gym.

Kazan Palace by Tasigo – Kazan, Russia

Built in 1910, this historical structure is rich in idiosyncratic features, stately stairways, and grand arches.

For most of last century, the building that is now home to Kazan Palace functioned as a hospital. Its restoration celebrates the architectural features of the original structure. The all-brick façade was buffed and reconditioned; the archways were returned to their original state; and the courtyard and its high ceilings were encased in glass to enable it to blend seamlessly with a new addition.

Inspired by the culture of Tatarstan, the hotel is awash in custom-made furniture and works by Turkish artisans.

There are 66 rooms, a Turkish Bath, an indoor pool, gym, sauna, steam room and Topaz Restaurant caters for Asian, European and international tastes.

Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel – Lech, Austria

Organically set into Austria’s Lech am Arlberg village, Rote Wand Gourmet Hotel combines tradition with contemporary splendour and culinary excellence to create an Alpine haven for foodies and design aficionados.

Crafted in harmony with the village, the hotel is comprised of five “houses” and an old schoolhouse that, together, enhance the character of this timeless setting.

Rote Wand has been designed to take existing historical structures and fully update them so as to provide the highest quality amenities while maintaining the tradition, character, and architectural integrity of the region. This old-meets-new approach is perfectly represented by Rote Wand Chef’s Table, which is located in the old schoolhouse.

To preserve the timeless feel of the village, the hotel has outfitted each guestroom with pieces made by local craftspeople.

Rote Wand features 62 rooms and offers an on-site restaurant, chef’s table in an old schoolhouse bar, cooking school and more.

Stanton House – El Paso, USA

The design scheme at Stanton House intentionally puts the Tex-Mex cliche to shame, announcing to the world that El Paso is a culture-rich city with international flavours.

Stanton House is tethered to yesteryear, thanks to its location in a former showroom built in 1916. Revamped with the help of Braunton & Leibert, the hotel now features warm and contemporary interiors designed by Ann Tucker of Studio A Group and Jack Sanders of Design Build Adventure. The duo has kitted out the 42 guestrooms in neutral colours, wood, concrete, marble, terrazzo, and a highly curated art presence for a modern and stylish mood that bucks the narrative of the “sleepy Southwest border town”.

The property offers 42 rooms, a restaurant, bar and a spa.

K5 – Tokyo, Japan

Within a former bank, a treasure trove of Swedish design and traditional grace, of inspired cuisine and flowing greenery, of craft beer and Chinese mixology give Tokyo a bold new look.

Claesson Koivisto Rune renovated and designed the structure that houses K5, fully respecting its original look and features. A big challenge was transforming the parking structure behind the building into a positive. Coloured, patterned glass on the hotel’s windows capture external lights in a way that produces a mesmerising and amorphous interior glow.

K5 features 20 rooms and dishes up Japanese cuisine at Caveman restaurant, craft beer and tacos, along with speciality coffee.

Rooms Hotel Kokhta – Bakuriani, Georgia

A strikingly contemporary resort with Georgia’s finest pistes at its doorstep, this ski-in ski-out resort is a year-round springboard for adventure and exploration.

A sleek structure set in the heart of mountain greenery showcases the design mastery of Rooms Hotels contributors Adjara Arch Group, as well as Rooms Studio, Tbilisi-based duo – Nata Janberidze and Keti Toloraia, who represent a new generation of Georgian designers.

The concept of the hotel was inspired by its location Bakuriani – specifically, by the vastness and wilderness of the mountains surrounding the hotel. The monumental atmosphere created by nature and the idea of being close to it, in itself – was the initial stimuli and inspiration behind the design concept.

This idea was reflected in the resort’s usage of locally crafted, old, natural materials like wood, stone, and clay – materials that, for centuries, were associated with Georgian heritage. These materials were used in their purest, most organic forms to revive a sense of primitivity and to highlight the permanence of nature.

Rooms Hotel Kokhta features 95 rooms and serves contemporary Georgian cuisine.

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Lead image: Rocabella Mykonos Hotel