AD 's Inaugural Hotel Award Winners

AD’s inaugural hotel awards celebrate the best new openings of the past year. Because even when travel is disrupted, great design endures. We can’t wait to check in...

Ace Hotel Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

For its Japanese debut, Ace assembled a veritable dream team, tapping starchitect Kengo Kuma and the AD100 firm Commune Design to help transform what was once a telephone-company office into a temple to local craft. acehotel.com

Aman Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

Nature and nurture collide at this exquisite property, set on 80 sylvan acres with moss-covered paths and ancient stones. A series of pavilions by the late architect Kerry Hill updates the Japanese vernacular for relaxing at its most refined. aman.com

August

Antwerp, Belgium

Part restoration, part reinvention— AD100 designer Vincent Van Duysen’s first hotel project masterfully transformed a former Augustinian convent into a spare yet cerebral sanctuary of guest rooms, gardens, spa facilities, and more. august-antwerp.com

Austin Proper

Austin

The latest hotel from the AD100 maximalist maestro Kelly Wearstler does the Lone Star State proud, paying homage to Austin’s idiosyncratic spirit with splashes of graphic tile, wallpaper, and carpeting, among other quirky touches. properhotel.com

Cheval Blanc

St. Barth Isle De France

As part of a total refresh to this hot spot, AD100 Hall of Famer Jacques Grange devised impeccably textured, tonal rooms—a wonderfully patterned bar, too—while AD100 landscape designer Madison Cox sculpted the tropical grounds. chevalblanc.com

Hotel de la Ville

Rome

An 18th-century palazzo above the Spanish Steps has been reborn as lavishly decorated lodgings (think yards of silk, slabs of marble, and pattern galore), thanks to lead architect and designer Tommaso Ziffer, who was appointed by Rocco Forte’s design director, Olga Polizzi.

Hôtel Le Coucou

Méribel, France

AD100 star Pierre Yovanovitch picks up where Charlotte Perriand left off, injecting high design into this scenic swath of the French Alps. The hotel’s suites, chalets, spa, and restaurants all put a delightful twist on Alpine style. lecoucoumeribel.com

Hôtel Lou Pinet

St. Tropez, France

Punchy colors, sensuous curves, liberal doses of raffia and rattan— the bohemian vibes of the French Riviera in the 1960s come alive at this boutique property, outfitted by the AD100 architect Charles Zana, with gardens by Jean Mus. loupinet.com

Kachi Lodge

Uyuni Salt Flat, Bolivia

Situated amid otherworldly terrain, this remote getaway is a meditation on land and sky. Geodesic domes erected atop simple timber platforms reveal haute-hippie interiors by Swiss duo Marina Cardis and Marine Luginbuehl. kachilodge.com

La Réserve Eden au Lac

Zurich

Hitmaker Philippe Starck has left his inimitable stamp on this lakeside gem, conjuring an imaginary yacht club with shipshape guest rooms and nautically inflected public spaces, among them a tree-lined rooftop terrace and wood-paneled restaurant. lareserve-zurich.com

Maison de la Luz

New Orleans

Five-star luxury meets bed-and-breakfast charm at this soigné guesthouse, designed by the AD100’s Studio Shamshiri in partnership with Atelier Ace. Layered, intimate rooms break hospitality rules for a totally residential feel. maisondelaluz.com

Mandarin Oriental, Lago di Como

Blevio, Italy

Botanical gardens by landscape architect Patrizia Pozzi offer a lush backdrop to an ornately paneled 19th-century villa; inside, old meets new, courtesy of Milanese designer Eric Egan. mandarinoriental.com

Mauna Lani

Kameula, Hawaii

After taking over this Big Island icon, Auberge Resorts tapped the celebrated design firm Meyer Davis to oversee a property-wide renovation. Nuanced hues, natural materials, and good mana now abound. aubergeresorts.com

Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa

Ischia, Italy

Pellicano Hotels has a delivered a dose of la dolce vita to this volcanic island, adapting a 16th-century watchtower as an oasis of glamour. Creative director Marie-Louise Sciò’s upbeat decor (striped parasols, Italian tile, the crispest white sheets) lifts the spirits. mezzatorre.com

Ngala Treehouse

South Africa

Set on andBeyond’s Ngala private game reserve, bordering Kruger National Park, this villa by architect Jack Alexander and Fox Browne Creative is a solar-powered world unto itself, with a roof terrace nearly 40 feet up for surveying the bush. andbeyond.com

Park Hyatt Kyoto

Kyoto, Japan

An Edo-era teahouse sets the tone at this long-awaited hotel (the sister property to the Tokyo fave). Nestled in the hills of Higashiyama, the terraced structures filter Japanese traditions like shoji screens and tamo-wood paneling through a cool, contemporary lens. hyatt.com

Potato Head Studios

Seminyak, Bali

This beachfront project from the Dutch firm OMA founded by Rem Koolhaas boldly rethinks resort typologies, orienting itself toward the greater community. Ground-level and rooftop public spaces offer a stage for music festivals, art exhibitions, and more. potatohead.co

The Prospect Hollywood

Los Angeles

Inside a 1939 Hollywood Regency-style building, AD100 designer Martyn Lawrence Bullard has devised 24 unique rooms and suites, deploying signature splashes of color and pattern while taking cues from the neighborhood’s Tinseltown past. theprospecthollywood.com

Rosewood Little Dix Bay

British Virgin Islands

To revive the legendary resort after Hurricane Irma, design firm Meyer Davis stayed true to hotel founder Laurance Rockefeller’s vision, recreating hexagonal cottages and tree houses while preparing all structures for future storms. rosewoodhotels.com

Trunk(House)

Tokyo Down a stone-paved street in historic Kagurazaka, this one-suite gem occupies what was a restaurant and geisha house, since transformed by Tripster design studio into ultra-rarefied lodgings, complete with a private karaoke bar. trunk-house.com

TWA Hotel

New York City

Following a meticulous restoration by Beyer Blinder Belle architects, Eero Saarinen’s landmark JFK terminal for Trans World Airlines reopened as the centerpiece to this 512-room hotel—a delightful throwback to groovier times, with interiors by Stonehill Taylor. twahotel.com

Vipp Chimney House

Copenhagen

Built in 1902 as a water-pumping station, this brick beauty—distinguished by its chimney tower— was converted into a two-bedroom guest house by Danish architect David Thulstrup, who added terrazzo floors and a statement steel stair, among other refined touches. vipp.com

The West Hollywood Edition

Los Angeles

Architect John Pawson left his minimalist mark on this Sunset Strip newcomer, Ian Schrager’s latest hit. Inside, clean lines and sleek surfaces prevail. Outside, AD100 landscape designer Madison Cox has conjured a verdant Eden. editionhotels.com

Zannier Hotels Sonop

Karas, Namibia

Erected atop a mass of boulders within a desert nature reserve, this tented camp takes inspiration from British expeditions of the 1920s, its luxury accommodations (including an immaculate spa) outfitted with campaign-style furnishings. zannierhotels.com

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest