Some cities are design destinations. Their hotels reflect the local design vocabulary in ways that make the city's design tradition tangible.
Milan — Italian modernism
The hotels
- Bulgari Milano — Antonio Citterio's Italian-modernism flagship
- Mandarin Oriental Milan — Antonio Citterio interiors
- Senato Hotel Milano — quieter Italian-modernism
- Armani Hotel Milano — Giorgio Armani residential
The design vocabulary
Walnut and oak woods. Travertine and stone. Italian-modernist furniture (Cassina, B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau). Gold and bronze accents. Custom Italian craftsmanship.
Best paired with
A Salone del Mobile visit (April annually) — the Milan design week. Multi-day stays let you experience the showroom culture.
Tokyo — Japanese minimalism
The hotels
- Aman Tokyo — Kerry Hill flagship
- Bulgari Tokyo — Antonio Citterio Italian-modernism in Tokyo
- Park Hyatt Tokyo — Tony Chi residential
- Mandarin Oriental Tokyo — Niwa garden tradition
The design vocabulary
Hinoki cypress wood. Black basalt and granite. Shoji screens. Indirect light. Tatami floors in select spaces. Glass walls framing nature.
Best paired with
A Tokyo design walk — 21_21 Design Sight, Mori Art Museum, Daikanyama T-Site. The hotels read in conversation with these sites.
Copenhagen — Scandinavian craft
The hotels
- Hotel d'Angleterre — historic Copenhagen luxury
- Nimb Hotel — Tivoli Gardens setting
- Sanders — boutique Scandinavian design
- Hotel Skt. Petri — design-led Scandinavian
The design vocabulary
Pale woods (oak, ash). White walls. Linen and wool textiles. Hans Wegner, Arne Jacobsen, Poul Henningsen lighting. Copenhagen-craft sensibility.
Best paired with
Designmuseum Danmark, the PH-lamp factory tours, the Hay store flagship. The hotels are extensions of this material culture.
Other design destinations
New York
EDITION Times Square (Yabu Pushelberg), Aman New York (Jean-Michel Gathy), The Mark.
Paris
Cheval Blanc Paris (Peter Marino), Bulgari Paris (Citterio), Hotel de Crillon (Aline Asmar d'Amman).
Singapore
Capella Singapore (Sentosa, Norman Foster), Marina Bay Sands (Moshe Safdie).
Five rules
- Plan trips around design weeks — Milan, Tokyo, Copenhagen all have them
- Pair the hotel with the city's design tradition
- Visit the architecture before checking in — gives the hotel context
- Multi-property trips in design cities are dense — slow down
- Take the architect tour at the hotel
For more, see the architecture pillar.
