US architect Steven Holl has won an international design competition for the new Angers Collectors Museum and hotel, inspired by the medieval Apocalypse Tapestry displayed in the French city. Collaborating with Parisian real estate firm Compagnie de Phalsbourg, Holl’s design for the museum is inspired by the historic Chateau d’Angers – built by King Louis IX in the 13th century – with the architect planning to create a new cultural

German architecture firm GRAFT have completed work on a timber hotel and spa hidden in the woodland of Nohfelden, northern Germany. Designed as a product of the surrounding topography, the 12,860sq m (138,400sq ft) Hotel Bostalsee rests above a pair of green hills, overlooking Lake Bostalsee. Guests arrive through oak woodland, with the water hidden from view. The lobby is situated in the natural gap between the hills and reveals

It was built as a grandiose home for an 18th-century archbishop, and later became a luxury hotel frequented by the likes of Ronald Reagan, Jacqueline Kennedy and Richard Burton. Now Ireland’s Cashel Palace Hotel is set to be given a new lease of life, courtesy of architecture and design firm ReardonSmith. The building – designed in an Early Georgian style by Sir Edward Lovett Pearce, the architect of the Old

Dutch hotelier Eric Toren and designers Wim van de Oudeweetering and Cris van Amsterdam are collaborating on a boutique hotel in Amsterdam they claim will offer a level of luxury that is “unprecedented in the Netherlands.” Hotel TwentySeven has been created within the city’s early 20th century Royal Industrial Club building, located opposite the palace in Dam Square. It will open at the end of October. The designers have created

Hospitality designer Bill Bensley has teamed up with Cambodian luxury boutique hotel group Shinta Mani to launch his own brand of hotels in the country, with two projects already in the pipeline. ‘The Bensley Collection’ is billed as a portfolio of “super luxe hotels and resorts showcasing visionary concepts, extraordinary design and bespoke service”, with Bensley granted “complete freedom to let his famed creative spirit run free.” The debut property,

Hong Kong’s Landmark Mandarin Oriental hotel has opened its newest and largest suite, designed as the “ultimate retreat for socialising” by Joyce Wang and her studio. The 2,250sq ft (209,000sq m) Entertainment Suite has been conceived as “a welcome respite from Hong Kong’s hectic streets”, with a subtle, nature-inspired colour palette and soft custom-designed furnishings created by Wang – including hand-chiselled cabinet doors adorned with hand-painted art and a chandelier

The Pritzker winning architect Thom Mayne has criticised the majority of hotel designs as “generic and unmemorable” in an interview with CLADglobal. Mayne, the founder and creative director of US practice Morphosis, argued that architects and designers working in the hotel sector are too often failing to create a space that wows the guests who will occupy it. “I’m a person who lives in hotels and I have done for

The hotly-anticipated new hotel by Ian Schrager has opened in New York’s Bowery neighbourhood, in a building designed by Swiss architects Herzog & de Meuron. According to the pioneering hotelier, the 367-room Public will be “the people’s hotel,” providing unique memories for guests looking for more than just a place to sleep. “I truly believe that everyone deserves a one-of-a-kind experience that lifts their spirits and makes their heart beat

The architecture practice of Jean Nouvel have revealed new renderings of the plant-covered hotel they have designed for Rosewood in São Paulo. Developer Allard Group is transforming a complex of early 20th century landmark buildings in the Brazilian city into a development featuring a hotel and spa, private residences, art galleries, high-end retail and entertainment venues. Nouvel has been commissioned to create the centrepiece hotel, located in and around the

Hospitality group AccorHotels has announced Dubai as the first Middle East location for its Mama Shelter hotel brand. French designer Philippe Starck will craft the interiors of the hotel, following the brand’s “trendy, boutique” image. It is set to open before 2020. AccorHotels announced Mama Shelter’s regional arrival during a panel at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference at the Madinat Jumeirah centre last month. “The idea is to create something

Asia’s best designed hotels have been celebrated at an awards ceremony held in Singapore. Winning design practices at the inaugural AHEAD Asia awards include Blu Water Studio, LTW Designworks and Tony Chi. Entries were assessed on aesthetics, guest experience and commercial viability by a panel of industry and design leaders. AHEAD – which stands for The Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design – is a new platform that has consolidated

Architecture practice Michaelis Boyd have designed an eight-storey boutique hotel in the heart of Brooklyn, described as “a sincere love song” to the industrial heritage of the New York neighbourhood. The 150-room Williamsburg Hotel has opened on the corner of Wythe Ave and North 10th St – a site once home to wooden water tower factory. Brick, glass and Corten steel have been heavily used in construction to honour the

The hotels of 2060 will self-assemble and morph from one design to another based on the votes of their guests, a leading futurist has predicted in a study on how the hospitality industry is likely to change over the next 43 years. Dr. James Canton of the Institute for Global Futures – a think tank that advises Global Fortune 500 companies on emerging trends in innovation and technology – predicts

A new global awards ceremony has been launched by design publication Sleeper to celebrate the best hotel and spa designs from around the world. The Awards for Hospitality Experience and Design (AHEAD) replaces the European Hotel Design Awards and the Asia Hotel Design Awards, which are being consolidated into one competition with a more global outlook. The new platform will also be expanded to cover hotel designs in the Americas

The JW Marriott Resort & Spa in Venice, designed by Matteo Thun & Partners, has won the European Hotel Design of the Year prize. The announcement was made at the European Hotel Design Awards, which took place in a star-packed ceremony last night at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel in London. Matteo Thun and his team created a contemporary resort on the man-made Isola delle Rose island – located

Park Hyatt will follow Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Luxury Collection in opening a high-end hotel in the ancient Japanese capital Kyoto. Construction and architecture firm Takenaka Corporation have been appointed to design the 70-room property, which will be surrounded by several UNESCO World Heritage sites in Higashiyama ward, including Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Tony Chi and Associates will create the interior design. Park Hyatt Kyoto will be built as a low-rise structure

Figures from the worlds of architecture, design, fashion and food have collaborated on a design-led hotel in the heart of Barcelona that “transports classicism to the present day.” The Midmost Hotel is located minutes from both the city’s famous Ramblas and the Sagrada Familia. Interior design firm Luzio Studio have refitted the building, which dates from 1919, using a fusion of styles, materials and concepts. Classical design touches, such as

Interior designer Andre Fu has completed a restaurant by a lagoon for Grand Hyatt’s new Sanya resort in Hainan, China. The design of the two-storey site, called Yu Cun, is inspired by the kitchens of the floating homes of the local Dan minority and creates a relaxed fine-dining experience. The layout includes three private dining rooms and eight private pavilions nestled along the lagoon. The structures are formed of bronzed

World famous fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld is moving into the world of hospitality design by launching his own hotel, restaurant and nightclub chain. Fashion company The Karl Lagerfeld Group has signed a deal with hotel operator Brandmark Collective BV to establish Karl Lagerfeld Hotels; a new brand that will open properties in “key cities and resort destinations” around the world. The German designer is well-known for his love of living

ReardonSmith Architects have collaborated with interior designer Pierre-Yves Rochon to create two new suites at The Savoy in London, as the hotel aims to enhance its reputation as a glamorous destination for the rich and famous. The architects previously oversaw the hotel’s four-year restoration and rebuilding programme from 2007 to 2010, and were invited back to reimagine the Royal Suite and create a new Savoy Suite. “Returning to The Savoy

The finalists for the 2016 European Hotel Design Awards have been announced following a preliminary round of voting, with a shortlist that showcases some of the continent’s most innovative new projects across the sector. The shortlist includes an apple-themed hotel and spa in Germany, a resort recreating an authentic Mallorcan village in Spain, and a Clodagh-designed getaway inspired by Portugal's trading history. The ten shortlisted categories include best new build,

Luxury fitness chain Equinox will theme its first hotel/health club hybrids around movement, nutrition and regeneration in an appeal to regular travellers who want to keep fit. In an exclusive interview, the company’s vice-president Aaron Richter told CLAD that Equinox Hotels – which will open its first branch in New York’s Hudson Yards in 2018 – will implement the core philosophies of its well established fitness clubs to “the art

A 75,000sq ft (7,000sq m) rainforest will be situated halfway up a tower in the Hilton Worldwide hotel in Dubai as part of a "never before seen" entertainment experience created by ZAS Architects. In an exclusive interview with CLAD, principal DJ Armin said the firm is using innovative digital technology, advanced architectural practices and biophilic design to create an indoor/outdoor leisure experience that “can work successfully through all four seasons

Interior designers Studio Proof have revamped Amsterdam’s famous Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky to evoke the atmosphere and stylistic flourishes of the 1920s. The hotel, which was established by enterprising tailor Wilhelm Krasnapolsky in 1855, is one of the city’s oldest and has become a landmark in Dam Square. It is now part of the NH Collection’s portfolio of five star hotels across Europe. Studio Proof were tasked with refreshing the hotel’s

JW Marriott has reopened London’s Grosvenor House after an extensive revamp by interior design studio The Gallery HBA aimed at making the hotel’s public areas “a destination in their own right.” Grosvenor House is known for its flamboyant design features and its rich heritage – it has hosted concerts by the Beatles, high-profile boxing matches and during World War II was a regular stopover for US generals Dwight D. Eisenhower

Citysurfing, a company that makes eco-friendly floating structures, has partnered with the Elegancia Hotel Group to create a hotel and bar located on the River Seine in Paris. Moored at the foot of the Austerlitz railway station, the OFF hotel and bar features 54 rooms, four suites, a bar, a plunge pool and a marina on a floating structure. The hotel is built using architectural floating technology developed by Citysurfing

Natural elements such as spa gardens are increasingly important to today’s spa design, and creating an authentic experience through design and programming is key, said Ashley Scott, principal director of global design and infrastructure services firm AECOM, in an exclusive interview with CLAD. “Spas were traditionally quite internal to the hotel and resort, but now what we are experiencing is that spas are very much destination components of the hotel