Athens, Greece

A short distance from the Parthenon and the Acropolis, The Dolli is a terrific home base from with to explore the city’s wonders on foot. This manor, a symbol of neoclassical architecture that was built in 1925 by the architect Andreas Kriezis, was converted into a fabric emporium in the 1930s before gradually falling into ruin.

This posed an immense challenge for the new owner, Mari Daskalantonaki, and for the architects Stelios Kois and Nikos Sifounakis, chosen to restore it. It took seven years of painstaking work to bring the iconic building back to life.

The once-again immaculate façade accentuates the grandeur of Kriezis’ work, with its superb tall windows and curved ceilings, and its 46 sun-drenched guest rooms and suites.

The experience is at its peak on the rooftop, where guests can take a dip in the infinity pool – surely one of the most gorgeous in the world – and feel like they’re floating above the Parthenon or dine at the restaurant, which has become one of the hottest spots in Athens.

Lasserhaus

Brixen, Italy

In the heart of the oldest town in South Tyrol, the Lasserhaus had been an aristocratic residence since the 15th century.

The family that owns the property tasked the Milan-based architectural firm Vudafieri Saverino with its reorganisation in a way that balances deference to the existing building and present-day lifestyles, as witnessed by the combination of the Faller family’s collection off classical paintings with pieces by contemporary artists.

The furniture, which is representative of Tyrolean traditions in the common areas, and the functionality of the 10 guest rooms elicits a sentiment of familiarity, intimacy and comfort.

This sensual approach to the space includes the creation of a spa with every modern amenity on the mezzanine and, drawing from the depths of history, a small tasting room in the wine cellar.

The Hanok Heritage House

Yeongwol, Republic of Korea

The word hanok refers to a Korean architectural style that was employed all the way from the Three Kingdoms period (57 BC to 668 AD) to the Joseon Dynasty (1392 to 1910).

For this project, the Seoul-based architect Sangyoon Kim adopted a strategy of reinterpreting the beauty of his country. And architecturally speaking, nothing represents its history better than the hanok, a style of building with a gabled tile roof, natural materials chosen for their durability and health benefits, underfloor heating, rooms arranged around a courtyard, and feng shui compliance in harmony with the environment.

Here, each aspect of the design is a tender tribute to the national culture. At the same time, the architect reinvented this age-old architecture by employing cutting-edge materials on a monumental scale – 78 buildings spanning 16,332 m² – but with great sensitivity, given that the 35 guest rooms and 102 terraced houses are nestled inside a sprawling site with 300,000 m² of unspoilt nature.

Maroma, A Belmond Hotel

Playa del Carmen, Mexico

Between a tropical jungle and a white sand beach, in the beating heart of the Riviera Maya, Tara Bernerd & Partners were tasked with restoring the resort to its natural and cultural environment.

This challenge was met and exceeded by Maroma’s 72 guest rooms, suites and villas, all of which embrace ancient Mayan traditions, whether in terms of the materials, the motifs or the know-how employed.

The renovation drew on Mexican heritage as a whole whilst showcasing Maroma’s original architecture, with white stucco buildings aligned according to the sacred geometry of Mayan masonry.

In addition to the experiences offered by the hotel, the entire site now contributes to the spirituality tied to the genius of the place, the spirituality of a mind in perfect symbiosis with its environment.

Vermelho

Melides, Portugal

Tucked away in the centre of the village of Melides, in Alentejo region, Vermelho is Christian Louboutin’s first hotel project.

The French designer fell for the peacefulness of the pine forest and the incredible beauty of the light over the lagoon’s rice paddies. The hotel has 13 different rooms, all of them connected by a love of culture and heritage.

This is materialised in the name Vermelho in a nod to Louboutin’s signature colour. Its sound also calls to mind the colour vermilion as well as vermeil, a term meaning silver gilded with a thin layer of gold.

To make Vermelho a reality, Christian Louboutin enlisted the talents of the Portuguese architect Madalena Caiado, the textile designer Carolina Irving for some of the interior décor, and local artisans with unique, ancestral know-how. The result of this amalgamation is an aesthetic that is both intimate and profoundly inspiring.

The Ned Doha

Doha, Qatar

In the space of a few decades, the city has been completely transformed, such that the Doha skyline of today is truly breathtaking.

Still, located directly on the famous Corniche waterfront promenade, right near the Amiri Diwan and the Grand Mosque, there remained the old Ministry of Interior building – constructed in the 1970s by the Lebanese architect William Sednaoui, an icon of Brutalist architecture in the Middle East – that had taken its place in Qatari heritage.

The architect David Chipperfield, with Soho House Design for the interiors, managed to refurbish this immense and mysterious building as an elegant 21st-century hotel.

The 99 guest rooms and suites, inspired by the glamour of the 1970s, are spread out over three floors. A new podium has created an oasis of vegetation, lined with basins and art installations.

This reinterpretation delivers shady outdoor areas and amplifies the dignity of the site.

Pan Pacific Orchard

Singapore, Singapore