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    Home Studios uses local materials to renovate Northern California hotel

    Brooklyn-based Home Studios has turned a conference centre in Northern California back into a luxury hotel, as originally intended by the property’s founder: the inventor of the radio.

    The Lodge at Marconi sits on a 62-acre site next to Tomales Bay, within the picturesque Marconi State Historic Park – a 1.5-hour drive up Highway Route 1 from San Francisco.
    Home Studios created a variety of lounge areas across Lodge at Marconi to provide an informal atmosphereDesigned for Nashville-based company Oliver Hospitality, the hotel occupies a historic property that was first built by Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian physicist who invented the radio in 1896.
    “Home Studios found inspiration in the property’s storied history – particularly in the pioneering spirit of Guglielmo Marconi, who worked with a New York-based engineering company to build the property’s initial building, a luxury hotel, in 1914,” said the design team, led by Oliver Haslegrave.
    The reception counter is clad in oxblood-coloured tiles from Heath CeramicsIt took 17 months to overhaul the complex of blackened-wood buildings, which are topped with mono-pitched roofs of different heights and opposing directions.

    The architecture is similar to that of The Sea Ranch Lodge further up the coast, which reopened in 2022 after its own extensive renovation.
    The Redwood Dining Hall features brick flooring, blue-green tilework and eclectic contemporary furnitureHome Studios looked to the iconic site – famed for its modernist style and sensitive land planning – for cues when developing the Lodge at Marconi’s 45 guest rooms and suites, which occupy freestanding buildings across the wooded site.
    “Borrowing design language from Sea Ranch’s ‘living lightly on the land’ credo, the rooms blend into the environment and boast a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere,” the team said.
    Artworks in the restaurant, including a series of coloured wooden cubes, were created in collaboration with Lukas Geronimas GiniotisThe hotel complex is made up of eight indoor and outdoor spaces, laid out “like a summer camp” to accommodate different activities in each area.
    In the reception block, guests arrive to a series of lounges and other communal spaces that create a more informal setting than a traditional hotel lobby.
    The bedrooms are bright and airy, with materials and colours that subtly reflect the hotel’s natural surroundingsA check-in counter is fronted with oxblood-coloured tiles by Heath Ceramics, which was founded in nearby Sausalito.
    More of the company’s tiles, this time in blue-green hues, line the lower walls of the restaurant known as the Redwood Dining Hall.
    Three of the guest room bathrooms feature original tiles that date back to the 1960sRed bricks are laid in a basketweave pattern across the floor, contrasting with the bright blue bases of the custom dining tables, while warm cedar panels and beams cover the ceiling.
    A mural comprising four-panel linen screens and a series of wood cubes mounted on a wall was made in collaboration with California-based artist Lukas Geronimas Giniotis.

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    The guest rooms are bright and airy, with the colours of the natural surroundings subtly reflected in the furnishings.
    Some have cosy loft spaces, while larger suites feature a dedicated workspace and sitting area.
    The accommodations are split across several buildings clad in blackened wood and topped with monopitched roofs”Northern California’s rugged environment served as a design influence, and is reflected in the natural woods and earth-tone textiles that adorn each room and weave together a cohesive connection throughout the property,” Home Studios said.
    “Three guest room bathrooms feature original tile dated to the 1960s when the hotel served as a rehabilitation facility known as Synanon.”
    The property includes multiple outdoor areas for gatherings and eventsAcross the property, the indoor spaces are afforded scenic views of the forest and the water through large windows.
    A variety of gathering and event spaces are available to guests both inside and out, including wooden chairs positioned around fire pits among the landscape designed by Bay Area firm Dune Hai.
    Lodge at Marconi sits atop a hill overlooking Tomales Bay in Northern CaliforniaThis is Home Studios’ third hotel project, following the Mediterranean-influenced Alsace hotel in Los Angeles and the boutique Daunt’s Albatross motel in Montauk.
    The firm’s other recent projects include a revamped bar and restaurant on Nantucket, an Italian eatery close to Harvard University and a townhouse renovation in Fort Greene, Brooklyn.
    The photography is by Brian W Ferry.

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    The Rebello Hotel occupies former factory along Porto’s riverside

    This hotel by architecture studio Metro Urbe occupies a series of former industrial buildings on the banks of the River Douro in Porto, Portugal, and features interiors by Quiet Studios.

    The Rebello Hotel is spread across several 19th-century buildings, which have been overhauled and adapted with new additions by Metro Urbe, in Vila Nova de Gaia – across the river from the city proper.
    At The Rebello Hotel, nods to the site’s industrial past and Porto’s nautical history can be found in artworks and decor choicesOperated by Bomporto Hotels, which has two properties in Lisbon, the new addition to its portfolio was designed with a local approach and to take full advantage of its prime riverside location.
    The Rebello is named after Porto’s famous rabelos – wooden boats that used to transport barrels of port wine down the river – and located beside the city’s only remaining boatyard.
    The lobby bar and cafe was designed for digital nomads to work and relaxThe collection of buildings was once a kitchen utensil factory and had been unoccupied for some time before work began to reconfigure the site.

    The team restored two long buildings that face onto the river, preserving their historic stone facades, and constructed two new volumes in the centre of the site that incorporate smaller original structures and resolve the sloping topography.
    A variety of soft seating options enliven the industrial-style interiors of the hotel’s communal spacesPresented with a blank canvas, Spanish interior designer Daniela Franceschini – founder of Lisbon-based Quiet Studios – worked with local artists and creatives to transform the industrial spaces into warm and comfortable guest facilities.
    Using vintage and contemporary objects, she based the interiors around four key elements: water, wine, wood and industry.
    Bedrooms are bright and neutral, with splashes of colour introduced through contemporary furniture”There’s a nautical feel to the colours, materials and textures,” said Franceschini. “That also comes through in the lighting, which is suggestive of floating and sailboats, and in the lamps with chains, the wooden shelves by Tomaz Viana, the ceramic nets by Fig Studio and the undulating mirrors that evoke the movement of the sea.”
    Above the retro-style reception counter, fronted by a metal lattice, is an artwork crafted using reclaimed materials from the rabelos, which was designed by Studio Ther in collaboration with a local artisan.
    Guest room types vary from studios to three-bedroom penthouse apartmentsThe lobby lounge and bar was designed for digital nomads to work or relax on a variety of comfortable soft seats, within a bright space that features polished concrete floors and exposed ceiling ductwork.
    As a nod to the site’s history, the ground-floor Pot&Pan restaurant serves family-style dishes in large pots and pans within a space decorated with dark-toned walls and plants to create a casual atmosphere.

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    There’s also a cafe and store selling local produce and crafts, and meeting rooms that can be hired separately or combined for private events.
    The Rebello Hotel’s 103 guest rooms and apartments are split into 11 different types, ranging from studios to three-bedroom penthouses that span 37 to 195 square metres.
    The hotel’s spa is modelled on ancient Roman bathsThe interiors of its light-filled suites have been decorated with walnut, steel, concrete and tiles, along with contemporary furniture that introduces splashes of bright colour to the otherwise neutral palette.
    The bedrooms also include “tailor-made pieces influenced by nautical and industrial design, such as the sinks inspired by old water tanks and the organically styled bed headboards that resemble the rippling waters of the Douro”, according to the design team.
    The fourth-floor rooftop bar offers views across the Douro River to the Porto skylineThe Rebello Hotel guests can enjoy a spa, modelled on ancient Roman baths and encompassing a heated pool, sauna, fitness centre and treatment rooms.
    Finally, the Rooftop Bello bar on the fourth floor offers a spot for al fresco cocktails overlooking the river, with a view of the city’s terracotta-tiled skyline beyond.
    The riverside site, a former kitchen utensil factory, was converted and extended by architects Metro UrbeOther interior design projects in Porto include a rustic restaurant interior designed by Space Copenhagen, which features a ceramic mural by Álvaro Siza, and a sushi bar by Paulo Merlini where 8,000 wooden chopsticks hang above diners.
    The photography is by Francisco Nogueira.

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    Moooi furnishings “tell a different story on every floor” of Lisbon hotel says Rebelo de Andrade

    Father and son architect duo Luís and Tiago Rebelo de Andrade explain how they furnished Lisbon’s Art Legacy Hotel entirely with Moooi products in this video produced by Dezeen for the Dutch furniture brand.

    Lisbon practice Rebelo De Andrade designed the interiors of the five star Art Legacy Hotel, located in the Baixa-Chiado district in the city’s centre.
    The hotel is notable for its exclusive use of Moooi products and rooms with bold primary colour schemes.
    Art Legacy Hotel is a five star hotel in Lisbon”Hospitality is always about image and stories,” said Luís Rebelo De Andrade, founder of the studio, in the exclusive Dezeen video interview. “We wanted the guests, when they come to this hotel, to have a completely unexpected experience.”
    “So, we proposed to our client that we make a hotel with only Moooi products, to give it a very strong identity.”

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    Moooi’s products were used throughout the hotel, including carpets, furniture, lighting, wall coverings and art pieces.
    “Moooi is everywhere in the building,” said Tiago Rebelo De Andrade, who is partner and principal architect at the studio and Luís Rebelo De Andrade’s son. “When you enter the hotel, all the colours, all the textures, all the furniture from Moooi helps us to tell a different story in every floor.
    Rebelo De Andrade furnished the Art Legacy Hotel entirely with Moooi productsThe project is a renovation of a historical office building. Alongside overhauling the hotel’s interior, Rebelo De Andrade also redesigned its facade.
    According to Tiago Rebelo De Andrade, Moooi’s blend of modernity and classical references suited the studio’s approach to designing the hotel’s interiors.
    “Moooi is classic but in a way that can also be modern,” he said. “It’s a modern-classic building.”
    Art Legacy Hotel is a renovation of a historic building in Lisbon’s centreLuís Rebelo De Andrade decided to partner with Moooi on the hotel’s interiors after visiting the brand’s Museum of Extinct Animals exhibition at Milan design week in 2018.
    Each room in the Art Legacy Hotel has either a blue, red, yellow or green colour scheme, with matching wall coverings, furniture and tiling in the bathrooms.
    “When I first met Moooi’s products, I felt that it uses a lot of primary colours,” he said. “So I used primary colours in a very strong way in the hotel. They are colours that provoke you.”
    Moooi’s lighting, furniture, wall coverings and carpets are used throughout Art Legacy HotelIn the video interview, the duo also discussed their working relationship.
    “My son, he provokes me,” said Luís Rebelo De Andrade. “We had to educate ourselves on how to work together.”
    “I offer my experience, he offers his youth in projects,” he continued. “So I think it’s a good mix.”
    Rebelo De Andrade used primary colour schemes in Art Legacy Hotel’s rooms”It’s difficult because it’s a father and son relationship,” added Tiago Rebelo De Andrade. “We are always arguing, but at the end of the day, we drink a bottle of wine so that we can make peace with each other.”
    Other recent projects from Moooi include the IDEO-designed Pallana suspension lamp, made up of adjustable ring lights, and the rope-like Knitty Chair designed by Nika Zupanc.
    The photography is by João Guimarães.
    Partnership content
    This video was produced by Dezeen for Moooi as part of a partnership. Find out more about Dezeen’s partnership content here.

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    Historic sanatorium in Greek mountain forest transformed into Manna hotel

    Greek architecture offices K-Studio and Monogon have converted the abandoned Manna Sanatorium in Arcadia, southern Greece, into a luxury forest hotel.

    Originally built in the 1920s to give tuberculosis patients access to the healing power of nature, the historic structure is now a five-star wellness retreat.
    Manna offers 32 rooms fitted out with natural materials and neutral tones, plus gym and spa facilities and a restaurant focused on local produce.
    Manna hotel is housed in a former sanatorium for tuberculosis patientsThe building sits within a fir forest on Mount Mainalo, the tallest peak in the mountainous region.
    The design vision set out by Athens-based K-Studio was to amplify the sense of sanctuary offered by the remote location and enhance the feeling of connection to nature.

    Manna owner Stratis Batayas, a Greek entrepreneur who had spent his childhood summers in the area, wanted to create a year-round destination that stayed true to the building’s history.
    The building is set in a fir forest in Arcadia, a mountainous region of Greece”The client’s ambition was to reinterpret the concept of a sanctuary in the mountains with contemporary terms,” reads K-Studio’s design statement.
    “The hotel would have to be a place for isolation, as well as community-making and participation in the primary activities of everyday living.”
    Design details include columns with curved corner reveals and ornate gridded ceilingsThe renovation was overseen in collaboration with Athens-based Monogon and involved significant building work, including the reconstruction of a derelict rear wing and the installation of a new roof.
    When the sanatorium closed – made obsolete following the introduction of penicillin in 1938 – the building had been emptied to prevent looting. Stone window sills were stripped out and relocated, while the original roof was removed and repurposed on a hospital in nearby Tripoli.
    Concrete was used to replace the old sills, while the new timber roof was installed over rendered brickwork.
    The bar features neatly crafted joineryA reconfigured layout provides a new entrance on the side of the building.
    This leads through into a series of elegant reception and lounge spaces where details include columns with curved corner reveals, ornate gridded ceilings and a herringbone-patterned fireplace.

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    Manna’s bar can also be found here, featuring neatly crafted joinery. Elsewhere, the restaurant run by chef Athinagoras Kostakos has a more casual feel thanks to an open kitchen.
    Art is present throughout, with works by Greek artist Nikos Kanoglou, painter Joanna Burtenshaw and ceramicist Diane Alexandre.
    Attic bedrooms feature dormer balconiesBedrooms are located on the upper floors of the main building, including a new attic level, and on all levels of the rebuilt northern wing.
    Attic rooms offer the most modern feel, extending out to balconies set within large gable-ended dormers.
    Interiors feature natural materials and neutral tonesThe materials palette combines brushed timber with earth-toned textiles. Standout features include the elaborate privacy screens that form a backdrop to the beds.
    Terrazzo flooring is inlaid with marble to define different zones, matching the stone used for wash basins. Room numbers are carved into the floor surfaces in front of each room entrance.
    “Local craftsmen were involved in all construction phases, as they bear the knowhow of stoneworks, joinery and even the characteristic engraved grouting of the exterior stonewalls,” said K-Studio.
    Terrazzo flooring is inlaid with marble to define zonesManna opened its doors in the summer of 2023 and is represented by Design Hotels, a booking company that specialises in design-led retreats.
    K-Studio co-founder Dimitris Karampataki presented the project at the 2023 edition of The Lobby, an annual hospitality conference in Copenhagen.
    Manna’s restaurant features an open kitchenHe said the design for Manna “embraces the wear and tear, embraces the natural patina”.
    “When we first arrived we saw something, which took about a century to make,” he said. “We didn’t want to clean it too much, to be selective of its heritage. It was more important for us to embrace the whole story.”
    The design aims to reconnect people with natureOther destination hotels to open recently include the Six Senses Rome, designed by Patricia Urquiola, and the Sanya Wellness Retreat in Hainan, China, designed by Neri&Hu.
    The photography is by Ana Santl.
    Project credits
    Architectural concept: K-StudioTechnical design: Monogon, CS ArchitectureOn-site supervison: Monogon, K-StudioFF&E: K-Studio, MonogonArt curation: Joanna BurtenshawBranding design: MNPSurveyor: Ioannis CharbilasStructural engineer: Niki PsillaMechanical engineer: Gerasimos Vasilatos/Alexandra Zachopoulou & PartnersLighting design: Eleftheria Deko and Associates Lighting DesignSound consultant: Alpha AcoustikiKitchen consultant: XenexLandscape architects: H Pangalou & AssociatesMain contractor: CT Construction

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    Bunkhouse and Reurbano convert 1940s Mexico City apartments into boutique hotel

    American hotel brand Bunkhouse and interior design studio Reurbano have used motifs derived from the history of a Mexico City structure when converting it into a boutique hotel.

    Hotel San Fernando is located in the Condesa neighbourhood of Mexico City, a largely residential zone that in recent years has seen an influx of national and international travellers.
    Bunkhouse and Reurbano have converted a 1940s apartment building into a boutique hotel in Mexico CityBunkhouse worked with local interior design studio Reurbano to take a 1940s apartment building and convert it into a 19-room hotel, with finishes informed by the neighbourhood.
    The face of the structure was restored and painted a light green, with darker green used on the awnings that provide coverage for seating attached to the hotel’s lobby and restaurant, which open to the street through glass-paned French doors.
    It features renovated spaces that maintain details of the original structureAn art deco-style logo spells out the name of the hotel above the door. Saint Fernando is known as the patron saint of engineers, and the team wanted to highlight this by maintaining the name of the original building in the branding of the new structure.

    “We wanted to honour this building,” said Bunkhouse senior vice president of design Tenaya Hills.
    “We love the story and the history and like to imagine what it has been for people over the decades.”
    A spiral staircase leads from the lobby to the rooftopThis primary entrance features a metal door with glass panes informed by the original stained glass of the building.
    The entry corridor leads past a lobby lounge, with lighting by Oaxaca studio Oaxifornia and furnishings by local gallery Originario; and design studios Daniel Y Catalina, and La Metropolitana, which also created custom furniture for all of the guest suites.
    At the far end of the lobby lounge is the restaurant’s bar, which features a large semi-circular cabinet with mirrored back to hold the spirits. A chandelier by local sculptor Rebeca Cors hangs above the clay-clad bar.
    French doors feature at the entrance and on some of the roomsThe entrance corridor has green encaustic concrete tiles from the original building. Other original details include the wainscotting and casement windows.
    A reception area is located at the end of the corridor and behind it is a circular staircase with metal-and-wood railing that leads all the way up through the building, with landings on each of its five floors, terminating at a terrace on top of the building.

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    The guest rooms range from single-room setups to multi-room suites, the largest of which are accessed through French doors with opaque windows.
    Here the studio departed from the greens used on the exterior and the lobby and utilised soft orange, pink and white paints.
    Light colours and hand-crafted goods fill the roomsFloors in the rooms are either tile or wood and furniture made from light-coloured wood is covered by locally derived textiles. Three rooms on the rooftop level feature furniture designed by Bunkhouse and fabricated by local design outfit B Collective Studio.
    Pendant lamps and sconces by local ceramicist Anfora are found in the kitchens and bathrooms.
    The rooftop features sculptural breeze blocksThe rooftop features a tiled dining and lounge area surrounded by sculptural breeze blocks, designed to mimic the original building’s patterned stained glass.
    Mexican design studios Mexa and Comité de Proyectos contributed furniture pieces for the rooftop.
    Other hotels in Mexico include a tile-clad structure in San Miguel de Allende by Productora and Esrawe Studio and a hotel in Mexico City with wooden lattices by PPAA.
    The photography is by Chad Wadsworth. 

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    Ibiza Interiors turns dry-stone stables into flexible guesthouse Campo Atelier

    A 200-year-old stable building in the mountains of Ibiza has been converted into a vacation home by local studio Ibiza Interiors.

    The Atelier is one of four dwellings that make up Campo – a group of rentable guesthouses set in a finca, or farmstead, in the island’s Morna Valley.
    Campo Atelier is located in a renovated dry-stone stable buildingIbiza Interiors founder Jurjen Van Hulzen has renovated these buildings one by one to enhance their original features and create a series of tranquil getaway spots.
    “Nestled between carob and orange trees, the Atelier […] appears at the end of the path as a haven of peace,” said the Dutch architect, who founded the studio in 2014.
    The main space is designed for flexible useThe single-storey dry-stone structure is typical of the local vernacular but now features a large retractable glass wall across its front.

    A polished concrete patio continues inside, where exposed timber ceiling beams and wooden doors complement the neutral colour palette.
    “Textures and styles are not afraid to cohabit and the emphasis is on the interplay between old and contemporary, elegant and rustic,” said Van Hulzen.
    A small kitchenette with wood-panelled cupboards matches the doors on either sideThe main space contains a small kitchenette on one side and a dining table that doubles as a workspace on the other.
    A seating area comprising low, comfy sofas is positioned towards the back.
    The minimally furnished bedroom includes built-in storageThe interior is designed to be as flexible as possible, with all of the furniture except the kitchen counters moveable to provide space for exercise or meditation.
    Equally, the linen curtains can be drawn and the sofas reoriented for watching movies on a projected screen.

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    The bedroom is minimally furnished but guests can store their belongings within built-in closets while another glass door opens to the exterior.
    In the bathroom, lit from above by a skylight, a large tub made of dark stone is accented with matte black hardware.
    In the bathroom, a grey stone tub is illuminated by a skylightThe landscaping around the Atelier was designed by Ibiza Exteriors, a new offshoot of Ibiza Interiors created by Van Hulzen and Alicia Uldall.
    The pair chose local flora attuned to the island’s climate that requires minimal maintenance such as stipa grasses, aloe, rosemary and mastic trees.
    The 200-year-old building sits on a hillside, with its flat roof accessible via stairsDeep steps lead up to the flat roof that serves as a picnic or sunbathing spot overlooking the valley. The dining table and chairs can also be brought outside for al fresco dining among the vegetation.
    “Like the Atelier, the garden preserves the wild essence of this land and its genuine beauty,” Van Hulzen said.
    The dining table can be brought outdoors for al fresco mealsBetter known for its party scene, Ibiza is becoming ever more popular as a wellness and relaxation destination – particularly away from its coast.
    Many of the island’s historic fincas have been converted into secluded accommodations including the remote Aguamadera resort and the members-only retreat La Granja.
    The photography is by Ariadna Puigdomenech.

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    Puerto Rico guesthouse by Dreamers Welcome features retro-modern interiors

    Four vacation rental apartments within a green-painted building in San Juan, Puerto Rico, are each designed with a slightly different take on “minimalism meets retro-chic”.

    Verde contains four minimalist apartments: two studios and two one-bedroom apartments, all a 10-minute walk to Ocean Park Beach.
    Each of the four apartments in Verde has a different interior, including the cool-toned Verde 1The units were designed and are operated by LGBTQIA-owned hospitality group Dreamers Welcome, which manages over 60 rentable rooms across hotels, multi-unit properties and single-family dwellings in Puerto Rico and North Carolina.
    All of the spaces at Verde are designed to create a “cohesive contrast where minimalism meets retro-chic charm”, according to the owners.
    Verde 1 studio features concrete furniture and a giant keyhole that leads to an outdoor showerThe loft-like Verde 1 studio boasts 12-foot (3.7-metre) ceilings and opens onto a private terrace, complete with a water feature and hammock.

    Inside, antique checkerboard tiles cover the floor and polished concrete furniture elements including a table-cum-counter and a centrally positioned headboard add Brutalist touches.
    Verde 2 has a warmer palette, with honey-toned floors and colourful accentsWalls are painted pale blue until halfway up, then replaced with beige that continues across the ceiling.
    A giant keyhole behind folding glass doors provides access to a small outdoor pool with a shower.
    Verde 2 has access to two outdoor spaces, including one with a pink concrete tub and rain showerVerde 2 features a warmer palette, with honey-toned floor tiles and pink concrete surfaces including the outdoor shower and soaking tub.
    This one-bedroom apartment has access to an additional terrace, wrapped with wood slats for privacy, and has colourful accents throughout.
    In Verde 3, tinted glass gives the room an amber glow”The oversized windows overlook a verdant plant enclosure allowing for plenty of natural light to pour in,” said Dreamers Welcome.
    Upstairs, Verde 3 is another studio unit, where retro-tinted glass gives the whole space an amber glow.
    Neutral hues are used through the majority of one-bed Verde 4A compact kitchenette opens onto a balcony enclosed by concrete blocks and more tinted glass.
    “Midcentury modern pieces like lamp fixtures, peacock chairs, and wood panelling create a unique contemporary vibe rooted in the past,” Dreamers Welcome said.
    In contrast, Verde 4’s bathroom features olive green walls and a pink double vanity and showerThe final one-bedroom apartment, Verde 4, is decorated in neutral tones apart from the bathroom, which has olive green walls and pink concrete double vanity and shower.
    A hammock is installed in the bedroom and a corduroy sofa in the living area can sleep a third guest.

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    There’s a full kitchen for those who wish to cook for themselves, and a balcony for eating and relaxing outside.
    Two of the four apartments also have access to a secret room, which is lined entirely with silver foil as an homage to Andy Warhol’s Factory in New York City.
    Two of the units have access to a Warhol-themed secret roomGuests won’t know if the space they’ve booked is one of those with access until they arrive and discover the room by exploring for themselves.
    Dreamers Welcome was founded by entrepreneur Stephan Watts and artist Roy Delgado, and the duo design the interiors for each of their properties themselves.
    The apartments are housed within a green-painted building 10 minute’s walk from Ocean Park BeachPuerto Rico’s Caribbean climate makes it a popular tourist destination, particularly for American tourists, and the island has a wealth of accommodation options to cater to them.
    A 1920s residence that was destroyed by Hurricane Maria and then converted into a luxury holiday home in Dorado, and pairs of apartments stacked in rectangular concrete blocks to form a self-sufficient guesthouse are among other choices for holiday makers.

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    Dezeen’s top 10 hotels of 2023

    Already thinking about your next getaway post-Christmas? Here is Dezeen’s pick of 2023’s top 10 hotels, put together as part of our review of the year.

    Our selection of the most popular and noteworthy hotels featured on Dezeen this year includes what is possibly the world’s skinniest in Indonesia, the grand conversion of a 1940s bank building in Rome and a place in Tbilisi that aims to make guests feel like they’re inside a movie.
    Read on for the full list:
    Photo by David PermadiPituRooms, Indonesia, by Sahabat Selojene
    This seven-room hotel in Central Java is just 2.8 metres wide. Each compact room contains a double bed and bathroom pod with a toilet and shower.

    “Aside from the technical difficulties, the biggest challenge was the typical mindset surrounding the hospitality industry that is used to superlative words: biggest, tallest, most luxurious,” Sahabat Selojene studio founder Ary Indra told Dezeen. “Here we are skinniest.”
    PituRooms was not the only skinny hotel to capture readers attention in 2023, with 324Praxis’ Sep’on Heartfulness Centre in Vietnam similarly slender.
    Find out more about PituRooms ›
    Photo by Nikolas KoenigThe Rome Edition, Italy, by The Edition
    Dramatic seven-metre-high ceilings, full-height windows with green curtains and travertine surfaces grace the lobby of The Rome Edition.
    Created by Amercian entrepreneur Ian Schrager’s hotel group The Edition, the 91-room hotel opened this year in a 1940s bank building. Other highlights include the intimate Jade Bar, which is fully lined in deep green antique marble and furnished with emerald-coloured velvet seating.
    Find out more about The Rome Edition ›
    Photo courtesy of Blueberry NightsBlueberry Nights, Georgia, by Sandro Takaishvili
    Georgian architect Sandro Takaishvili wanted Tbilisi’s Blueberry Nights to make guests feel “like they’re inside a movie, where everything feels slightly familiar but otherworldly at the same time”.
    With a theatrical colour scheme and cinematic moody lighting, its design evokes the visual style of directors such as Stanley Kubrick and David Lynch, while film projectors feature in all 16 rooms.
    Find out more about Blueberry Nights ›
    Photo by César BéjarBoca de Agua, Mexico, by Frida Escobedo
    Wooden guest quarters perched on stilts characterise Boca de Agua, a resort in the Yucatán Peninsula designed by Mexican architect Frida Escobedo
    The villas – including one with a private pool and terrace – were raised up to reduce the environmental impact of the ground plane and to raise guests into the leafy jungle landscape.
    Find out more about Boca de Agua ›
    Photo by Adrian Gaut Borgo Santandrea, Italy, by Bonaventura Gambardella and Nikita Bettoni
    Overlooking the historic fishing village of Conca dei Marini on the Amalfi Coast, the 1960s Borgo Santandrea hotel was restored by architect Bonaventura Gambardella and interior designer Nikita Bettoni.
    The hotel incorporates the atmospheric medieval stone fortifications carved into the cliff below, with some of the guest rooms built into the old ramparts.
    Find out more about Borgo Santandrea ›
    Photo by Emily AndrewsMaison Brummell Majorelle, Morocco, by Bergendy Cooke and Amine Abouraoui
    Located next to the famous Majorelle Gardens in Marrakech, this boutique hotel was designed by New Zealand studio Bergendy Cooke in collaboration with Moroccan architect Amine Abouraoui.
    With its sculptural, monolithic aesthetic and recurring arched openings inside and out, it was intended as a playful contemporary twist on the site’s history and the city’s traditional architecture.
    Find out more about Maison Brummell Majorelle ›
    Photo by Montse GarrigaThe Lodge, Spain, by Pilar García-Nieto
    From Único Hotels, The Lodge occupies a 500-year-old farmhouse in Mallorca on a 157-hectare estate filled with almond and olive trees, lavender fields and hiking trails.
    Interior designer Pilar García-Nieto kept the interiors mostly clean and minimal but left traces of the building’s agricultural past visible – most spectacularly an old stone mill for pressing olive oil, which stands in what is now the hotel reception area.
    Find out more about The Lodge ›
    Photo by Darren SohPan Pacific Orchard, Singapore, by WOHA
    Large, elevated garden terraces are cut into the form of this tall hotel building in Singapore designed by architecture studio WOHA, including one 18 floors up.
    The studio wanted the hotel to have verdant views on all storeys despite its urban location, while the terraces also provide passive cooling in the humid climate.
    Find out more about Pan Pacific Orchard ›
    Photo by Ambroise TézenasVermelho, Portugal, by Christian Louboutin and Madalena Caiado
    Fashion designer Christian Louboutin teamed up with architect Madalena Caiado to create this 13-room hotel in the Portuguese village of Melides.
    Its traditionalist architecture meets maximalist interiors, with the rooms containing furniture from Louboutin’s personal collection as well as objects produced by local craftsmen. Louboutin talked to Dezeen about design process behind the hotel in an exclusive interview.
    Find out more about Vermelho ›
    Photo by Felix BrueggemannChâteau Royal, Germany, by Irina Kromayer and others
    Berlin’s renovated Château Royal references the German capital’s heyday at the turn of the 20th century through abundant oak panelling, art nouveau tiles, sisal carpets and hardware in brass and nickel.
    The 93-room hotel comprises two buildings dating from 1850 and 1910, in addition to a newer building and roof extension designed by David Chipperfield Architects.
    Find out more about Château Royal ›

    2023 review
    This article is part of Dezeen’s roundup of the biggest and best news and projects in architecture, design, interior design and technology from 2023.

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