Like the hidden Tyburn River flowing beneath London’s surface, Mr Porter London from the Entourage Group reveals itself discreetly below the Hilton Park Lane hotel in Mayfair.

“We immersed ourselves in the history of Mayfair and its old market—once a hub of commerce, indulgence, and debauchery in the mid-18th century,” says Alon Baranowitz, founding partner at design and architecture studio Baranowitz + Kronenberg.

At street level, a single copper door is the only hint of the 2,297-square-foot space concealed below. Beyond it, guests enter a monochrome foyer that gives way to a sculptural spiral staircase—“a journey into the unknown and the beginning of an extraordinary adventure,” Baranowitz says. “It’s a metaphor that captures the essence of curiosity and the willingness to venture beyond the familiar, leading to experiences that challenge perceptions of reality.”

Indeed, the unfamiliar unfolds in the subterranean space where traditional, masculine notions of a steakhouse are reimagined through a more sensual, feminine lens. A mirror-polished copper ceiling creates a sense of verticality and expansiveness, while a palette of brushed metals, neutral stone, and velvet lends a soft richness.

In the main dining room, warm tones of brass, copper, and gold are illuminated by uplighting, anchored by a 360-degree bar designed for both intimate and social interactions.

“Restaurants have transformed into event spaces,” Baranowitz adds. “It’s where the quotidian self is momentarily suspended in local and translocal histories and experiences, allowing for one of the essences of the modern self to materialize: its unique desire for originality and authenticity. If our guests leave with that aftertaste, they will embrace Mr Porter as their own, marking the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”

This article originally appeared in HD’s May/June 2025 issue.

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Rising up in a striking composition of red brick, textured inlay, and claret-tinted metal window frames, Melbourne Place stands out “like a beacon visible across the city,” says Patrick Kennedy, founding partner of Kennedy Nolan. The hotel’s distinctive rooftop terrace, featuring porthole-like windows set within an arched brick wall, is especially eye-catching.

Inside, the 191 rooms and suites draw inspiration from the Australian landscape, with color themes that shift by direction—eucalyptus green and orange in the Eastern rooms, and indigo and calico dress blue in those facing North.

“We were keen to imbue an experience to the hotel with qualities specific to Melbourne and not found elsewhere,” Kennedy says.

To achieve this, the design team commissioned many of the guestroom furnishings from local makers and designers, including coffee tables in rich russet-toned West Australian jarrah wood, handmade metal wall lights, custom terrazzo tiles, and curvaceous armchairs upholstered in earthy brown bouclé wool.

The hotel is also home to a trio of dining venues. On the ground-floor, Marmelo—designed by local studio Mitchell & Eades—features a blend of natural, tactile materials, such as a marble bar, handcrafted tiles, and banquettes upholstered in an épinglé fabric. The firm also spearheaded the design of Mr Mills, the moody basement supper club accessed via a chartreuse staircase and decked out in timber and terracotta.

Crowning the property is rooftop bar Mid Air, which reflects the “rich materiality, natural textures, and warmth,” of the rest of the property, says Kennedy. The space flaunts ochre-tinted canvas sofas, tiled tabletops, and bright manor red high chairs with canvas saddles. The circular windows are the venue’s focal point, he adds, drawing eyes to the city’s skyscrapers from the herringbone-tiled terrace.

Marmelo restaurant

This article originally appeared in HD’s May/June 2025 issue.

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Finding Brass, the latest venture from owner/restaurateur Nick Hatsatouris, takes a little work. Accessing the NoMad brasserie involves traversing through the Evelyn hotel lobby, past a bar, and up a set of stairs—but don’t call it a speakeasy.

Crafted by locally based Islyn Studio, the interior design takes inspiration from New York City’s Jazz Age (with nods to France); however, the restaurant reimagines, rather than reproduces, the era.

The sophisticated space opened in October at the Evelyn, a historic Beaux-Arts building that debuted as Hotel Broztell in 1905. Struck by the grandeur of the rooms, Hatsatouris knew he wanted to create a brasserie that channeled the spacious, bygone restaurants of Manhattan.

He also wanted to incorporate the hotel’s location on Tin Pan Alley, a collection of music publishing houses that helped form America’s music industry in the 19th and 20th centuries. “We wanted to pay our respect to that history,” says Hatsatouris.

However, that didn’t mean turning Brass into a period piece. Islyn Studio founder and creative director Ashley Wilkins endeavored to “create a space that has longevity but feels like it’s already laced in the fabric of New York,” she says.

The result is a mix of contemporary and vintage touches informed by the French New Wave, a midcentury film movement that rebelled against tradition. The team preserved historic elements—including a circular skylight, bordered mosaic floors, and ornate millwork—while modernizing the rest of the space. For example, a color scheme of plum, raspberry, and pistachio—from the velvet berry-hued booths to the soft green floor—is evocative of the desserts on Brass’ menu.

Design twists also appear in the vibrant dining chairs and walls painted in a soft gray-brown. The tobacco-colored, petal-shaped chandeliers “felt like such a fun nod to the old smoky jazz clubs of New York City,” Wilkins adds.

To further reinforce this vibe, a retro piano is situated in the middle of the room beneath a restored skylight.

Large-scale, Cubism-like murals of the female form by artist Jessalyn Brooks add a sense of movement, too. Brooks, coincidentally a former jazz singer, painted them onsite.

“When there’s music playing and the candles are flickering, the space has this soulfulness,” Wilkins says.

More from HD:
7 Tasting Rooms and Wineries Make a Visual Impact
Experimental Group Balances Innovation and Legacy
Artful Surprises Await at Hotel Saint Augustine

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MGM Resorts International is deeply entwined with Las Vegas culture.

The hospitality, entertainment, and sports behemoth spans 31 properties in Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, and Ohio, as well as China, with projects underway in Dubai and Japan as well. But the lion’s share of its developments is found in Las Vegas, the city the brand was born in. Today, MGM, which traces its roots to the late 1960s, is Nevada’s largest employer.

With MGM hotels accounting for more than 40 percent of the local market (the portfolio comprises the Bellagio Hotel & Casino, Aria Resort & Casino, Vdara Hotel & Spa, the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, MGM Grand, the Signature at MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the recently rebranded W Las Vegas, Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas, Park MGM Las Vegas, NoMad Las Vegas, New York-New York Hotel & Casino, Luxor Hotel & Casino, and Excalibur Hotel & Casino) chief content, hospitality, and development officer Ari Kastrati feels MGM has a duty and responsibility to leave a memorable imprint on the city.

“Las Vegas is synonymous with the word ambition,” says Kastrati. “I’ve been here for 25 years, and I’ve seen it evolve over that time. We’re all blessed to be here right now. Travelers come to this city with a great curiosity. Imagine the expectations they have for Vegas when they have the luxury of exploring other destinations.”

Secret to Success

A sculptural chandelier hangs over the dining table in one of KES Studio’s Sky Villas at the Aria Resort & Casino

Experiences are what propel each of MGM’s distinctive integrated resorts, which operate as “large ecosystems that tell a narrative through the hotel, food and beverage, and entertainment,” adds Kastrati. “We take a meticulous approach in understanding the guest journey. How do we engage them for the three, four, or five days they are staying and have surprises for them every time they come?”

A commitment to design is crucial to orchestrating these compelling journeys. “New developments are one thing that’s always challenging for us,” explains Nicole Fournier, MGM’s vice president of interior design. “How do you move a concept forward so the story feels consistent?” She revels in matching the right projects with the right designers, seeking out those who can best execute MGM’s vision—a creative process buoyed by storyboards that help shape a cohesive language.

Although many of the firms selected are powerhouses, as Fournier puts it, MGM is also keen to work with emerging designers. Every week, Fournier and Joyce Ceryance, director of interior design, peruse portfolios that have been submitted to them, adding the ones that make an impression to a database with the hope they might be a fit for an upcoming project. Collaboration is Fournier’s favorite part of the job, considering herself a caretaker in the partnership. “I get to be a voyeur and see into the eyes of the talented people in our industry,” she says. “Everyone sees things differently.”

Redefining F&B

For the renovation of Bellagio’s Prime Steakhouse, Woogmaster Studio enhanced the dining room’s French blue and chocolate palette

Dynamic F&B venues, increasingly blurring the lines between dining and entertainment, encapsulate the MGM ethos. “It lifts the experience and expectations for guests and puts Las Vegas in a unique position for someone making a choice to come here,” points out Kastrati.

Consider Tao Group Hospitality’s Palm Tree Beach Club, opening in May at the MGM Grand. The open-air retreat, designed by New York’s Rockwell Group with bungalows, cabanas, daybeds, and chaise lounges, doubles as Norwegian DJ, music producer, and Palm Tree Crew cofounder Kygo’s daytime residency. Likewise, in 2024, the Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars, the music sensation’s Rat Pack era-style lounge and music venue, debuted at the Bellagio with a mirrored passageway, halo-like chandelier with tiers of hanging crystals, and a sunken conversation pit courtesy of Toronto- and New York-based design firm Yabu Pushelberg.

Found at the Bellagio, curving forms dominate the Pinky Ring by Bruno Mars, the handiwork of Yabu Pushelberg

Prime Steakhouse, from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, has been a fixture at the Bellagio since 1998, but earlier this year, local practice Woogmaster Studio (the firm also revamped the property’s pool complex, beauty salon, and barbershop) gave it a new look that respects its past.

“Prime has a Hollywood Regency air, and we looked back to that history while we invented complementing layers to amplify the room,” says founder Alex Woogmaster. The beloved French blue and chocolate palette was maintained, but now it’s elevated with woven metal mesh screens, cut-crystal mirrors, Brutalist-reminiscent gold-leaf wallcovering, and “handmade bas-relief doors depicting the fountains just outside,” adds Woogmaster. “We are in love with the added texture throughout.”

For the pool deck, home to Como Poolside Café & Bar and coveted cabanas, Woogmaster drew from the greenhouses of Rome’s Villa Borghese. “The interplay of the new, classically inspired soft architecture and the renewed gardens are stately but made approachable by a sense of resort color that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” he says. “That’s the trick here, playfulness amidst classicism.”

Fournier loves walking into this space and taking in the striped canopies and bright teal and limoncello hues. “We’re trying to build upon the classical nature Bellagio was founded on, and seeing what’s happened at Como and Prime is an exciting evolution,” she points out.

Stay Awhile

Floral motifs in the corridors of the Bellagio’s Spa Tower contrast pared-back suites, courtesy of Champalimaud Design

Most of what’s on the boards for MGM is currently under wraps, but in the fall, MGM Grand will roll out its new guestrooms by Gensler. The Bellagio is still reveling in the $110 million 2023 renovation of its Spa Tower, including 819 guestrooms designed by Chicago-based the Gettys Group, and 104 suites completed by New York’s Champalimaud Design.

The Gettys Group mingled marble, granite, and velvet to conjure Italy’s Lake Como and the picturesque town of Bellagio in the guestrooms. Some “channel the soft, crisp energy of a sunrise over the lake,” says director Matt Swope, while others “reflect the warm, calming glow of sunset.” Adds CEO Ron Swidler: “One of our favorite details is the mother-of-pearl inlay on the vanity mirrors—subtle, luminous, and evocative of water’s reflective beauty.”

Champalimaud Design also looked to northern Italy in the suites, embracing colors like granite, indigo, and rose. “We wanted them to exude elegance without pretension,” says partner and CEO Ed Bakos. This translated to subtle design moments like architectural headboards, color-blocked consoles, and furniture embellished with fringe. “The tapering of a leg, the detail of drapery, it’s a montage that transports you to that Italian mindset,” adds Bakos.

The dramatic bronze staircase is the centerpiece of KES Studio’s Sky Villa

In 2022, Aria Resort & Casino announced the reimagining of its seven Sky Villas and 423 Sky suites. Houston-, New York-, and Los Angeles-based Rottet Studio designed the latter as a serene counterpoint to the buzz of the Strip. “Gray, beige, and cream [hues] ground the space, while deep blue and rich terracotta accents echo the drama of the surrounding mountains and sky,” says founding principal Lauren Rottet. Large windows, curated art books, and sculptural seating all create “space that holds you in its quiet elegance,” she adds.

Kara Smith, founder of KES Studio in New York and Los Angeles, has a vast residential background that informed her design of the Sky Villas (with more to come). The high-roller pads—complete with a theater, gaming room, office, lounge, dining room, bar, and karaoke—take cues from the hedonistic 1980s with its mélange of marble, alabaster, walnut, and lacquer. “It is a breathtaking experience to enter and see the vastness of the space, the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the Las Vegas Strip, anchored by the double-height staircase made of pure bronze that we restored to its original condition with some additional shine and polish from the previous renovation 20 or so years ago,” Smith says. “It creates an immediate sense of opulence and sexiness.”

Kastrati and Fournier are dazzled every time by such creations and how they continuously fuel MGM’s momentum. “A director doesn’t take credit for the work they do on a film, but instead for the team they have assembled,” points out Kastrati. “It’s no different from development.”

This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2025 issue.

Photos by Brandon Barré, Sean Davidson, Clint Jenkins, Ye Rin Mok, Vanessa Rogers, and courtesy of KES Studio and MGM Resorts International

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Last year, Copper Cane Wines & Spirits reopened its Quilt & Co. tasting room in downtown Napa, California.

Situated in a three-story 1908 building, it’s capped with a rooftop patio, an ideal hangout for visitors after they plunge bottles of Belle Glos wine into signature red wax in the dipping room. San Francisco’s Architectural Resources Group preserved the façade’s quartet of cast-iron columns and reassembled the wood-paneled storefront base from historic photos but modernized it with triple-slider windows.

Wine tasting for Quilt & Co. takes place in a stylish downtown Napa lounge

2024 also saw the arrival of St. Helena, California’s Bella Union Winery, part of the Far Niente Wine Estates portfolio. Here, Culver City, California-based architecture practice JK & Co. and Mike Niemann of Pacific Building Workshop in Marina del Rey, California hatched a sequence of six tasting experiences.

There’s the cloistered outdoor patio Wren, for instance, with its firepits and aqua-tiled water feature, as well as the salon, a mélange of emerald velvet, oak, and black metal.

The airy, light-filled Jewel Box, one of six distinctive hospitality settings at Bella Union Winery in Napa Valley

In addition to California, places all over the world are creating compelling winery and distillery design.

Below is a look at seven spaces that celebrate wine and spirits—from a scenic events venue to a 168-year-old Cognac house.

Sauska Tokaj

The architecture of Sauska Tokaj’s winery engages with the landscape

Tokaj-Hegyalja, some two and half hours east of Budapest, is one of Hungary’s most well-known wine regions, and one of its most acclaimed producers is Sauska, helmed by husband-and-wife team Christian and Andrea Sauska. Sweet and dry white wines are made at the new Tokaj winery—there are two additional locations in Budapest and Villány—which Budapest-based BORD Architectural Studio designed as a duo of intersecting sculptural orbs floating atop the vineyard like UFOs.

“The winery’s strong architectural presence means that every angle presents something intriguing to admire,” says Alessia Genova, principal at New York firm Tihany Design, which handled the interiors. To welcome visitors into the equally dynamic interiors, “a sculptural wooden counter echoes the undulating hills, reflecting the organic textures of nature and the artistry of winemaking.”

The Sauska Tokaj bar is topped by a radial ceiling installation

Walnut-fluted steel columns bring depth and texture and for a sense of refinement, “we introduced plaster-finished walls in a pale green hue, chosen for their silky tactility and their ability to subtly reflect the surrounding vineyards,” she adds.

Bronze metal and mirrored glass accent the bar, restaurant, and tasting room. At the bar, the overhanging shelf and radial ceiling pattern direct the eye “toward the center, amplifying the spatial language and enhancing the sense of grandeur,” Genova says. “The tasting area extends beyond the building’s signature saucer shape, seamlessly connecting with the interior garden. This integration creates a tranquil, almost meditative atmosphere.”

Thames Distillers

Rendered in green marble, the Fords Gin bar at Thames Distillers in London was conceived by renowned bartender Leo Robitschek

It was a tall order: design a bar for serving world-class drinks “that doubles as a visitors’ center for Fords Gin,” recalls Fords Gin founder Simon Ford. Conveniently housed in London’s Thames Distillers, where Fords Gin is made, the tasting experience was conceived by local architecture and design practice Transit Studio, which “took over an evocative yet empty shell and sought to fill it with life, warming up the space,” says firm director Zoe Masterton-Smith.

A floor salvaged from a former mill in Bristol was the starting point. Then the other elements were layered in, including a dining table spawned from reclaimed timber, a massive chest of drawers to showcase the botanical collection, and the centerpiece bar and backgrounding joinery, fusing rippled green marble, gold mirror, oak, and reeded glass. “The bar lights evoke the traditional soda siphons and custom brass drip trays are etched with an intricate elephant motif,” adds Masterton-Smith, a nod to the Fords Gin label.

Ford asked renowned bartender Leo Robitschek to design the bar, and “the result is a bartender’s ideal workspace—both functional and beautiful. Every component and tool is thoughtfully placed within arm’s reach,” says Robitschek, noting the two full-service stations arranged in a butterfly style. “The bar runs seamlessly and is as refined and decadent as the best in the world.” Ford’s favorite feature? “Leo made sure the bar was equipped with state-of-the art freezers to chill glassware and to keep batched martinis as icy cold as we choose.”

Frank Family Vineyards

High ceilings and sliding glass walls define the Miller House hospitality space at Frank Family Vineyards in Calistoga, California

Leslie and Rich Frank were married at Miller House, a barn on the grounds of their Calistoga, California winery Frank Family Vineyards, so the structure holds special meaning for the couple. Now reborn as a hospitality space by the late architect Howard Backen and Napa Valley-based Hawkins Interiors, Miller House provides “an elevated yet inviting experience for guests. Our goal was to capture the essence of Napa, while giving it a stylish edge inspired by Leslie’s eye for fashion and design,” says firm founder Julie Hawkins.

On warm, sunny days, tastings take place outside on furniture covered in hardy fabrics emblazoned with “prints that are eclectic and bold,” points out Hawkins. Patterned vinyl wallpaper also energizes the all-white bathrooms.
Cooler afternoons mean guests linger inside in the cozy lounge area comprising Cognac-hued leather sofas and recycled ash tables topped with books and objects. Artwork and a mirror-flanked fireplace reinforce the welcoming feel of a living room. “When the sliding glass walls on three sides are opened,” says Hawkins, “you truly feel like you are sitting in the vineyard.”

Ehlers Estate

Ehlers Estate is located in Napa Valley’s picturesque St. Helena region

Ehlers Estate in St. Helena, California also called upon Hawkins Interiors for the modern remodel of its tasting room set within a stone building dating from the 1800s as well as an adjacent residence.

Restoration was top of mind, so wooden posts and beams were cleaned, and the original concrete slab floor was polished. Selecting the furniture, a mix of new and vintage pieces that felt at home in the heritage space, was a particularly time-consuming endeavor.

A stone building dating from the 1800s is a dramatic backdrop for the Ehlers Estate tasting room

“The clients are European, so they brought in a bit of that aesthetic, which was different from our usual style but made for a fun challenge,” explains Hawkins. Tapestries from London artist Sussy Cazalet were commissioned early on, helping to guide the overall look and feel of the interiors, as well as one of Hawkins’ favorite finds: a 100 percent Trevira fabric. Flaunting a pattern redolent of zipper teeth in alternating shades of ivory and tobacco, it was used to upholster the Pierre Jeanneret-inspired armchairs.

Her team also “leaned into medium wood tones for the tables and furniture, pulling in the warmth of the stone walls,” she says. “You can feel the history from the building itself.”

Klocke Estate

A curving banquette contrasts floral walls in the Klocke Estate restaurant

Klocke Estate produces its brandies in New York’s Hudson Valley, on 160 acres of idyllic farmland in the town of Claverack. It was that idyllic setting, overlooking the Catskill Mountains, that inspired Ken Fulk when he was dreaming up the tasting room and restaurant at the distillery designed by Hudson- and Manhattan-based architecture practice BarlisWedlick.

“We dove into the region’s history of Dutch settlement, culture as an artist enclave, and ongoing relevance as bucolic getaway. This drove the subdued color palette of green, deep blue, and gray and a strong influence of the decorative traditions of the mid-19th century,” says the San Francisco- and New York-based designer.

Antiques from the area, lights fashioned out of vintage glassware, and a tapestry from local artist Richard Saja mingle with velvet and walnut tables handcarved by local artisan Gary Keegan to forge what Fulk describes as “an alchemy of lived-in, pastoral opulence.”

The bar at the Klocke Estate in Hudson, New York exudes a patina that depicts the notion of aging

Fulk’s embrace of materials mirrored the brandy-making process. “Klocke brandy is aged in an impressive copper still from Cognac, which was shipped to the distillery in many pieces and then assembled by French technicians,” he says. “In the great room and bar spaces, I reintroduced this material with expansive copper cladding, complemented by faux bois patterns. The copper’s sheen and patina further represent the idea of beauty through aging.”

Danza del Sol Winery

Danza del Sol Winery’s Barrel Room in Temecula, California amplifies views of the vineyards

Located on the De Portola Wine Trail in California’s Temecula Valley, Danza del Sol Winery beckons with its 40 acres of vineyards. It’s a particularly alluring backdrop for weddings, which unfurl in the Barrel Room, an event hub designed by Los Angeles-based AAHA Studio for its longtime client Wedgewood Weddings.

The versatile space honors both the history of winemaking and modern California design through a balance of industrial and contemporary features. Past the Tuscan-style façade painted with stucco, polished cement floors juxtapose faux, lightweight, pre-finished polyurethane beams that exude an “unfinished, natural look,” points out AAHA Studio cofounder Harper Halprin, “and barrel-lined walls that create a direct connection to the local area.” A custom chandelier crafted from rope and exposed bulbs also “introduces a modern, artistic touch that contrasts beautifully with the rustic elements.”

Sustainability was key to the design, so reconstituted wine barrels are also found outside, cleverly standing in for tables and umbrella stands. But, Halprin says, “the true focal point is the large glass doors that span the back wall.” Opening to the alfresco ceremony space and entertainment areas, they frame views of the rolling hills, drawing the landscape indoors and eliciting “a magnificent play of light and shadow.”

Maison Courvoisier

Built in 1857, Maison Courvoisier is one of the most famed Cognac houses in Jarnac, France. When Gilles & Boissier revitalized the property, founder Félix Courvoisier’s legacy was front and center.

Located in Jarnac, France, Maison Courvoisier’s Salon du Fondateur illuminates bi-color walls that recall bygone distilleries

“We sought to capture the intimate, convivial atmosphere he would have cultivated. It was essential for us to imagine this man, to feel his presence, and through him, the brand he embodied,” says Dorothée Boissier, cofounder of the Paris architecture and design agency.

Isabelle Vignon, Courvoisier’s historian, was instrumental to the process, and “this deep dive into the archives allowed us to design the bar, lounge, and salon, a space enriched with carefully curated archival pieces that narrate the story of the Maison,” she adds.

Bespoke glass shelving in the bar, lounge, and salon divides the space from the tasting room, distinguished by its monumental pure white marble table and François Houtin’s handpainted frescoes, and the Salon du Fondateur, where “we incorporated bicolor boiserie walls, with the lower section painted in a deep black, an almost tar-like finish. This detail echoes a time when alcohol vapors from distillation would blacken the walls of old distilleries, a distinctive marker once used to identify clandestine operations,” explains firm cofounder Patrick Gilles.

Over the years, Maison Courvoisier’s character was diminished, and Gilles & Boissier was keen to revive forgotten details—“to restore ceiling heights that had been lowered, reopen windows overlooking the Charente River that had been blocked, and, most importantly,” says Boissier, “to bring back architectural richness through elaborate moldings, decorative elements, and refined craftsmanship that are always at the heart of our projects.”

Photos by Amy Bartlam, Jerome Galland, William Geddes, Marc Goodwin, Yoshi Makino, John Merkl, Adam Potts, James Riley, and Michael B. Woolsey

This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2025 issue.

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From the outside, Hotel Saint Augustine in Houston seems to be playing it safe, but once guests look beyond its unassuming exterior, unexpected surprises await: pops of color, rare vintage finds, and an immersive indoor-outdoor experience.

Inspired by Houston’s Menil Collection, Hotel Saint Augustine’s five buildings are crafted from stacked gray brick, echoing Renzo Piano’s design of the nearby museum

“Our aim was to create a space that feels both intimate and expansive—a blend of residential warmth and cultural richness,” says Tenaya Hills, head of design, Bunkhouse Hotels, JdV by Hyatt. “We wanted to capture the spirit of Montrose: creative, open, and deeply rooted in the arts.”

The project is the first in Houston for Bunkhouse, the Austin, Texas-based hospitality brand, and developer the Marchbanks Company, unveiling a discreet new build with architecture by Texas firm Lake|Flato that is designed to blend seamlessly with the landscape while simultaneously fostering a sense of calm. “Drawing inspiration from early modernist design, the architecture is very quiet in spirit, allowing nature to take center stage,” says Lake|Flato project director Nyssa Sherazee.

Located in Montrose’s Museum District, the 71-key hotel was four years in the making and features five two-story buildings connected by accessible open-air bridges, verdant courtyards, inviting porches, supportive gray brick masonry façades, and ash wood panels. Austin-based Ten Eyck Landscape Architects helped enhance the natural beauty of the 95,000-square-foot site as the “connection to nature was essential,” Hills points out.

Perseid restaurant’s yellow walls contrast with Art Deco-informed iron pendants that look like eyes

Paying homage to Houston’s cultural landscape, the design teams took inspiration from the nearby Menil Drawing Institute and Menil Collection. “We wanted the space to feel sophisticated yet comfortable—something that envelops you in the beauty of architecture, color, and furniture,” says Hills.

Once inside, guests are greeted by enigmatic yet theatrical interiors by Brooklyn, New York- and Jackson Hole, Wyoming-based Post Company, with many of the furniture pieces sourced from the Round Top Antiques Fair in Texas to give the hotel a “good amount of spontaneity,” says studio partner Jou-Yie Chou.

Take the lobby, where guests are met with a bright red high lacquer back-lit jewel box, which takes cues from the Menil museum’s gift shop. It’s paired with a burled walnut reception desk with Calacatta Viola marble accents and rich red velvet drapery, evoking a chic ambiance. “We had a vision for the hotel’s design, but on the hunt for vintage, you never know what you’re going to get,” he adds.

The lobby lounge blends vintage and contemporary seating, while sheer linen drapery filters soft light

The guestrooms nod to the de Menil’s home, including a high-lacquer mini bar and dark oak flooring that juxtapose blue, red, sage, and mustard hues and velvet textures. The bathrooms exude old Hollywood glamour with marquee wall sconces, Calacatta Viola stone countertops, and marble floors in Rosso Impero or emerald green. “We wanted to engulf the rooms in color so they would have this surreal, almost dream-like quality,” says Chou.

Inside Perseid restaurant, meanwhile, a unique find hangs from the ceiling: Art Deco-inspired pendants made of bent iron with armatures that look like eyes. “The exterior is beautifully done—it’s intentionally quiet—so we wanted to contrast that by providing these moments of surprise and delight throughout the property,” Chou adds.

This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2025 issue.

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If ever there was a built environment that perfectly represented the synergy of dichotomous characteristics and periods, it’s Hotel Maistra 160 in Pontresina, a traditional mountaineering village in the Engadin region of Switzerland.

Designed by Gion A. Caminada, one of the country’s most celebrated architects, the hotel (which is a member of the Aficionados collection of design-forward hotels) is a 36-room and 11-lodge boutique property offering the throngs of outdoor enthusiasts who visit the area a respite that reads part rustic alpine lodge, part urban resort, and part grand hotel of a bygone era.

Amethyst-hued ceiling panels mark the spa atrium

At the start, visitors are greeted with a façade of clean lines and a rigid geometric, almost Brutalist composition of concrete cladding and local Bodio Nero granite columns. The latter continues inside the lobby, giving the space a monochromatic and minimalist appearance. The columns also informally become a wayfinding system, ushering guests down a terrazzo-floored corridor flanked by the hotel’s restaurant and bar on one side and the reception, library, and lounge on the other.

Yet the design manages to counterbalance the spare structural language with a cozy casualness using round chandeliers with an ambient glow, warm wood paneling, curved forms, and upholstered furniture in the surrounding amenity zones. In one of the dining rooms, the Arvensaal, the design once again feels grand with its soaring double-height ceiling of coffers fitted with a blue acoustic textile, and an open fireplace. The space below, meanwhile, is clad entirely in warm pine and grounds the room, making it feel much more intimate. All these public-facing areas enjoy massive picture windows offering panoramic views of the varied landscape, from the Via Maistra promenade to the Corviglia and Piz Julier mountains.

Green velvet seating lines the perimeter of the lounge, which invites in alpine views

After the day’s activities, guests who want a restorative experience before retreating to their rooms can visit the hotel’s spa, which spans two levels and includes every type of facility one expects to find in a sleek holistic wellness center, from a basalt-clad steam bath and Finnish sauna to a sundeck.

Drawing from elements of nature—such as water, fire, air, stone, and earth—the spa’s design merges these in both a literal and visual way that, once again, presents some intriguing juxtapositions. For instance, a stone-columned space evokes a traditional cloister but with modern details such as an open-air concrete oculus and a bed of jagged stones unexpectedly poking out the center of a shallow, jetted warm-water relaxation pool.

At reception, blonde timber backs the front desk and draws attention to a statement-making chandelier

Meanwhile, the spa’s lounge area overlooking the cloister through full-height glazing recalls the elements of fire and stone with its pink-reddish Swiss marble tiling on the floor that carries through to the custom fireplace and complements amethyst-hued ceiling panels.

It’s in the hotel rooms where guests encounter a more traditional alpine feel. Here, floors are made with unstained Swiss stone pine, which partially wraps up the wall to form a headboard. “This is the predominant wood here that you see used in old Engadin houses,” says Richard Plattner, who co-owns the property alongside his wife and business partner Bettina Plattner-Gerber.

Swiss stone pine envelops the guestrooms, covering the floors and rising up the walls to form headboards, while a floral mural painted on the ceiling adds a vibrant touch

The material reappears in the Stüvetta, a dramatic feature found within every room. “It’s an intimate ‘room within a room’ cabin offering a peaceful retreat,” explains Plattner. Accessed via a sliding glass door, the Stüvetta is clad entirely in the pine, ceiling included—much like a sauna but without the heat—and is furnished with a stool and simple daybed. A cozy nook for reading, napping, working, and meditating, it’s windowed to allow ample natural light in but also to redirect focus onto the mountain landscape.

In keeping with the play on dualities, Caminada juxtaposed ruggedness with elegance, in the process bridging old with new in the rooms: The raw look of the pine—accompanying modern furnishings—and a clean neutral palette meet a colorful and romantic flourish wallpapered onto the ceiling above the bed. Indeed, the ceiling murals are unique to each room, depicting motifs ranging from traditional Grisons carnations to an elegant rose.

“These floral ornaments evoke the centuries-old tradition of ceiling painting and the grandeur of the Engadine hotel industry during the Belle Epoque,” says Plattner-Gerber. “It’s bringing the past to the present—and connecting with guests on a deeper level.”

This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2025 issue.

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Around seven years ago, Chad Oppenheim, founding principal of Miami-based Oppenheim Architecture, was invited to Saudi Arabia to tour a remote, unspoiled desert landscape.

Noble materials anchor oak wood shelving and smoked oak flooring in the lobby

Red Sea Global, then known as the Red Sea Development Company, was in the throes of planning its ambitious regenerative tourism project on the kingdom’s west coast, and Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman was eager for the forthcoming hotel-packed destination to include a bold, ecologically conscious property in the Hejaz Mountains that paid homage to the rugged terrain.

During this exploratory design phase, Oppenheim was one of several architects asked to weigh in on the possibilities. “They brought us to the desert, and they asked, ‘Where do you think we could build something that would be spectacular?’” recalls Oppenheim. “Normally you have a site, and you get a brief, but this was certainly a more exciting, more open-ended approach. It was an expansive area, and we searched the desert for days, looking at different places. Then we came upon a huge rock, a massif, and I said, ‘That’s our resort. Let’s inhabit that rock.’ It had all these nooks and crannies and dimples, this welcoming geology, and in my mind, it was about building with the land rather than on it.”

The Crown Prince was swayed by Oppenheim’s vision, and so the architecture firm and the Red Sea Global team plunged ahead with the sensitive construction. Desert Rock is the fifth hotel owned and operated by Red Sea Global—which also includes Thuwal Private Retreat and the wellness-driven Amaala, currently readying itself for the unveiling of phase one—and part of the Saudi government’s Vision 2030 program to establish a prosperous economy that transcends fossil fuels.

At the resort, accommodations are found both low in the valley and high up the mountain

For Desert Rock, which was brought to life with the help of hundreds of engineers, geologists, and mining experts, the architecture is downright otherworldly and has “never been seen before in its current incarnation,” Oppenheim says. Yet, throughout the design process, he consistently looked to the past.

Petra’s wondrous tombs and temples, carved into the pink sandstone cliffs of southwest Jordan by the Nabataeans in the 3rd century B.C., was an inspiration. AlUla was another. Residents of the ancient walled city in Saudi Arabia’s Medina province abandoned their mud brick homes in the 1980s, but it is now enjoying a revival through the lenses of culture, wellbeing, and recreation.

Minimizing inevitable disturbances to the environment was the cornerstone of the project. For example, excavated materials unleashed during construction were reworked into the resort, anchoring visitors in the location as they enter the 64-key hotel by way of a concealed valley.

The one-bedroom Mountain Cave suites star cliffside plunge pools

Further reflecting Oppenheim’s mindset of building with what was already there, an abundance of native plants is woven into the design acting as both a passive cooling system while also preserving the native habitats. “Working around the world, I’ve never come across a place where replenishing the ecosystem is such a priority. The goal was to make it healthier,” he adds.

Complete with capacious living spaces and private pools, some of which appear to float through the air, the various guestroom types engage with the site in different ways. Wadi villas blur into the dramatic valley, elevated Cliff Hanging villas beckon from the side of the massif, Mountain Crevice villas are perched above rock pinnacles, and Mountain Cave suites are nestled directly into the mountain. There is no shortage of privacy at the property either. Given its secluded locale, the three-bedroom Royal Villa takes discretion to new heights.

Equally respectful of the land is the pared-back design, courtesy of Studio Paolo Ferrari (the Toronto practice tackled the guestrooms at Red Sea’s Shebara Resort, too, which also bears the imprint of Rockwell Group and Killa Design). Consider the views amplified from glass-walled restaurant Nyra or Wadi, the loungey poolside sanctuary. The spa, located at the foot of the mountain, also encourages contemplation in its private hammam and rhassoul chamber.

Signature restaurant Nyra evokes a dark, moody vibe thanks to volcanic rock on the floor and a screen that wraps the walls in a stacked pattern

According to founder Paolo Ferrari, the design journey that unfurls for guests at Desert Rock revolves around the dual notions of strength and barefoot luxury. “This is a project about cocooning, meditation, and reconnecting with the earth,” he says. “It was about pursuing a design that was understated and did not overwhelm. It’s a special site, almost spiritual, and for us, it was about honoring that.”

That philosophy led to a simple, natural, and reverent palette. Concrete flooring flows between indoors and out, plaster covers ceilings and walls to strengthen the relationship between the architecture and interiors, and limestone and bronze were also embraced in key areas. These elements convey “a quality of minerality,” adds Ferrari, propelling guests back to the land. Where possible, the studio opted for sand casting “to evoke, in a subtle manner, a sense of place.”

Such cultural influences, interpreted in a sophisticated fashion, are part of Studio Paolo Ferrari’s overarching concept of quiet monumentality, exemplified in standouts like the guestrooms’ cast concrete headboards and rough-cut and sculpted stone. Another restrained touch is the incense holder greeting guests at arrival. “This was an important point of ritual,” says Ferrari, for the scent is a link to the flora flourishing across the grounds.

Loungers line one of Desert Rock’s pools, which overlooks the rocky terrain

Along with some 200 bespoke pieces of furniture and lighting, Studio Paolo Ferrari designed a poetic collection of bone-like hardware, “weathered by sand, expressing an ancient timelessness,” Ferrari says.

This blend of the elemental and thoughtful is ideal for Desert Rock, for it allows the panorama of amorphous rock to take center stage. Oppenheim says he could have suggested another architectural solution; a black or white structure, he notes, might have been a memorable juxtaposition to the vast amounts of red rock. But ultimately, he wanted to impose restrictions, for the rock formations’ surreal vistas to become the resort’s very purpose.

“It’s about bringing you into the present. We want the architecture to ground people, to make them feel in the moment and viscerally connect to the site,” Oppenheim says, “to watch the stars, to see the sun, to find the joy in these things that we’ve somehow forgotten. There’s a magic there.”

This article originally appeared in HD’s April 2025 issue.

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