From a quintessential English country manor to a luxury safari camp in the foothills of Kilimanjaro, these soon-to-open hotels are born from some of the biggest names in the world of interior design.
The first six months of 2023 have been big for hotel openings. One of Rome’s most highly-anticipated openings, Six Senses Rome, has injected a stylish sense of serenity into the Italian capital; Francis Sultana’s debut hotel for the Oetker Collection, Hotel La Palma, has been making waves across the exclusive island of Capri; and Martin Brudnizki’s La Fantaisie has been attracting Parisian insiders in their droves with its touches of colour, bold prints and noble materials since opening in the city’s 9th arrondissement earlier this month. And there’s plenty more where that came from.
From a quintessential English country manor to a luxury safari camp on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, these much-anticipated new design hotels are all scheduled to open their doors before the year is out, and we can’t wait to check in.
Cowley Manor Experimental, Cotswolds, UK
The first UK property outside of London from the Paris-based Experimental Group, known for its eclectic collection of restaurants, hotels and cocktail bars, Cowley Manor Experimental “won’t be just a typical country house hotel” when it opens (or reopens, as Cowley Manor has been a country house staple for years) its doors later this year. And what else would you expect from a luxury hotel with interiors by the group’s resident interior designer – and founder of design studio Czhon – Dorothée Meilichzon?
The Grade II listed building is set to be home to 36 bedrooms delivering an “antidote to traditional British countryside design”, complete with plenty of graphic fabrics, vibrant colours and stylish rattan furniture. Guests can also look forward to a luxury spa and the fanciest bar in Gloucestershire in the form of Experimental Cocktail Club Cotswolds.
Due to open in summer 2023.
Otro Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
The newest hotel from Grupo Habita, Otro Oaxaca is set to be the jewel in the crown of the historic city centre of Oaxaca, with its exposed brick façade and minimalist reinterpretation of abundant elements like red clay, nude concrete, natural resins, steel, glass and recycled wood.
A labour of love from Root Studio and Carlos Couturier, this architectural new opening will be home to 16 rooms and suites that harmonise comfort and intimacy, with the design team curating an atmosphere that embraces it vegetal cocoon, culminating with a trendy rooftop and panoramic pool which provides a serene lookout point over the city and Oaxaca Valley. Natural light takes pride of place here too, and can even be found in the underground levels among the wellness area, pool, spa and hammam.
Due to open August 2023.
Nobis Palma, Mallorca, Spain
Following a seven-year restoration of a 12th-century palace, one of Mallorca’s oldest, the second Spanish property from Nobis is set to open its doors on the island later this year.
Wingårdhs took control of the interior design here, creating a smorgasbord of modern Scandinavian design and medieval Islamic architecture punctuated with centuries-old wood and stone, metal elements, and an earthy colour palette with sudden streaks of brightness and reflective surfaces.
Guests can expect 37 rooms, four junior suites and seven regular suites, plus a reincarnation of NOI restaurant which offers an innovative menu fusing the best of European cuisine.
Due to open August 2023.
Le Grand Mazarin, Paris, France
Martin Brudnizki sure has a lot on his plate right now – the Swedish interior designer has already opened one hotel this year, with three more slated to open their doors in the coming months. Boasting prime position in Le Marais, Le Grand Mazarin will only add to the charm of the neighbourhood’s narrow cobblestone streets, hidden courtyards and trendy boutiques with its 50 rooms and 11 suites decorated in Brudnizki’s signature bold hues and vibrant prints.
Revisiting French classicism with a breath of refined modernity, inspiration comes from the great houses of the aristocratic era, where figures from literature, art and music gathered in sumptuous residence. “I love the concept of the literary salon of yesteryear and this was one of the main sources of inspiration when designing Le Grand Mazarin,” says Brudnizki. “Our design concept for Le Grand Mazarin was to reignite this historic ambience for the modern world, where guests feel as though they have arrived home and have the freedom to express themselves.”
Due to open in September 2023.
Angama Amboseli, Kimana Sanctuary, Kenya
An all-new opening from the creative team behind popular safari lodge Angama Mara, you’ll find Angama Amboseli in Kimana Sanctuary, southeast of the Maasai Mara. “The personality of the lodge has developed from the place, the views, the experience – and most importantly the feelings it gave us – which lead to the design and overall look and feel,” says Alison Mitchell, Head of Creative Development. “The great elephants of Amboseli have, without a doubt, been our greatest inspiration and influenced everything from tent design to colours, fabrics, furniture – even the material of our wall.”
The result is set to be ten luxurious tented suites that come flanked with Fermob rocking chairs on private decks offering sublime views of Mount Kilimanjaro, an indoor-outdoor dining area with firepit, and a slick infinity pool with a drinking trough for visiting elephants, to name a few highlights.
Due to open in November 2023.
The Curator, Lisbon, Portugal
Late 2023 will see the opening of The Curator Hotel in the historic district of Belém – Alcântara, Lisbon – an exciting new member of Design Hotels located within the Palace of the Counts of Ribeira Grande alongside the Museum of Contemporary Art Armando Martins, a new cultural project dedicated to modern and contemporary art.
While design details are currently being kept strictly under wraps, we do know that the hotel’s 44 rooms will be spread among the first through sixth floors of the palace, with an additional six studios in an independent wing and 14 rooms in the new building. There will also be an on-site restaurant dedicated to local flavours and regional products and producers, a small auditorium, and a desecrated chapel to host cultural programming with a focus on performing arts and literature.
Due to open December 2023.
Broadwick Soho, London, UK
It was only a matter of time until Martin Brudnizki made his mark on a luxury hotel in the British capital, and it’s coming in the shape of Broadwick Soho. A 57-room hotel home to a Sicilian-inspired restaurant and terrace, rooftop lounge, intimate dining area and speakeasy bar, the interior designer – who is working with Ica on this exciting new project – has taken cues from the grit and glamour of Soho through the space, which he describes as “70s hedonistic pop meets your eccentric godmother’s townhouse.”
70s hedonistic pop meets your eccentric godmother’s townhouse.
Martin Brudnizki on the design of Broadwick Soho
Set to comprise residential-style guestrooms including one penthouse and nine suites, all individually designed and with many offering private balconies, expect an opulent yet cosy design that is a perfect match for the exhilarating neighbourhood.
Due to open December 2023.
Warren Street Hotel, New York, USA
While technically not due to open until 2024, Kit Kemp Design Studio’s Warren Street Hotel needs to be on every interior design aficionado’s radar. Known for breathing new life into empty spaces and transforming unloved properties into world-renowned hotel’s, Kit is doing just that with her latest project – a luxury new design hotel built on a New York car park from the ground up.
Injecting her colourful and carefree spirit into the neighbourhood hotel, the British interior designer will work her magic across 57 individually designed bedrooms and suites along with 12 exclusive residences over 11 floors, each with floor to ceiling windows, and some with private terrace and skyscraper views including One World Trade Center and the Hudson River.
Due to open March 2024.
Read more: Interior Designers | Hotels | Restaurants | Interiors | Design | Martin Brudnizki