Six Distinctive New Stays

A 1940s Californian motel transformed into a contemporary desert retreat. An eco-luxury lodge in Costa Rica’s Monteverde Cloud Forest. A coastal hotel in Split that honours Croatian craftsmanship and heritage. And a trio of USA city stays – in Asheville, Denver and Savannah – each with community-driven, destination social spaces. Discover the newest members of Design Hotels around the world with these six distinctive new stays.

 

Salon Spirit, Modern Stay

 

Inspired by Madame Rambouillet’s 17th century French salons, The Ramble Hotel was conceived as a social space for the community with rooms above. In 2018, it was the first hotel to open in Denver’s industrial-turned-arts district RiNo, just north of downtown. Yet the ground-up construction feels as if it has been immersed in the neighbourhood for years, thanks to the layering of reclaimed finds (antique Persian rugs, salvaged green marble), and rich jewel tones accented with brass.

 

 

A partnership with New York City’s renowned East Village cocktail bar Death & Co puts the spotlight on the lobby bar – a vibrant, all-day, locals hang out with plush seating, arched mirrors, and chandeliers – as well as the Suite 6A cocktail bar and DC/AM, which serves breakfast and lunch. The courtyard garden is a secret oasis and there’s a ballroom for events.

 

For more information and reservations, call +1 720 – 996 – 6300 or email: reservations@theramblehotel.com.

 

Savannah’s New Social Hub


 

Among Savannah’s Spanish moss-draped squares and parks, Municipal Grand stands out as a bold expression of reimagined mid-century modernism. Building on the success of The Ramble, this 2025 opening by hospitality developer Midnight Auteur is designed as much for city residents as travellers. Interior design studio AAmp restored original elements – grey granite walls, blue mosaic tiles, structural columns – and added in tropical modernist details inspired by Brazilian and Finnish design traditions.

 

 

Custom wood-and-velvet headboards and cosy banquette seating enhances comfort and character in the rooms and suites; bathrooms feature handmade Moroccan tiles and red marble vanities. Anchoring the ground floor is the plant-filled Municipal Bar, a semicircular bar and all-day restaurant from the creative team behind Death & Co, that fuses Southern ingredients with coastal cuisines. Other communal spaces include the rooftop Sun Club which has a pool, and The Hot Eye, a low-lit subterranean cocktail den for late night revelry.

 

For more information and reservations, call +1 912 – 456 – 1760 or email: reservations@municipalgrand.com.

 

Asheville’s Art Deco Revival

 

Set in a landmark Art Deco building in downtown Asheville that was once the workspace of revered architect Edwin Grove, The Flat Iron Hotel combines restoration and preservation, with contemporary art and design. This ethos is immediately evidenced in the lobby, which has a marble stairwell, hand-cranked antique elevator, and red Steinway piano yet while also wrapped in a fantastical mural by artist Jess Murphy. Warm tones, brass fixtures, Art Deco walnut furniture, and leather are all key to the aesthetic while in the rooms, sky, cloud, and sun motifs abound.

 

 

Celebrated restaurant Luminosa is known for its Italian-Appalachian cuisine and hand-painted portraits of noteworthy Ashevillians such as Bob Moog and Nina Simone that hang on the walls. There’s also a basement speakeasy, Red Ribbon Society, and a rooftop bar where the entrance is marked by a custom mosaic of dyed cowhides in a nod to the city’s first radio station which broadcast from here.

 

For more information and reservations, call +1 828 – 579 – 2106 or email: theflatiron@theindigoroad.com.

 

A Modern Croatian Retreat

 

Just as Split and the wider Dalmatia region has a rich history influenced by the ancient Greeks, Romans and Illyrians, so adults-only Boutique Hotel Venturo – the first Design Hotels’ member in Croatia – honours the past through artisanal craftsmanship and heritage motifs. Designed by Mikelić Vreš Arhitekti, the new-build has a geometric white Brač limestone façade; inside, airy interiors by Studio Nacrt reflect coastal living.

 

 

The ground floor houses the reception, lobby, bar and restaurant – all seamlessly integrated through natural materials. Decorative ceiling patterns interspersed throughout take their cue from the embroidery of the Drniš area, adding cultural depth, including in the rooms where shades of sand, cream, and beige create a calm, sophisticated feel. The all-day Mediterranean restaurant opens onto a terrace and a serene garden beyond, while the bar has a sculptural counter and cloud-like pendant lights. On the rooftop, the infinity plunge pool, sleek sundeck, and panoramic sea views invite guests to unwind.

 

For more information and reservations, call +385 (0) 2131 – 2700 or email: info@hotelventuro.com.

 

A Contemporary Desert Escape


 

Just minutes from the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park, Hotel Wren is a 1940s motel that has been transformed into a contemporary desert retreat by Jessica Pell, principal of LA-based design practice Manola Studio. The palette is rooted in the Mojave landscape with custom Saltillo tiles, fossilised flagstone, plaster finishes, warm woods, and fabricated metalwork creating texture throughout.

 

 

Colours draw from mineral tones – sand, clay, sage, rust, and sun-faded neutrals – while detailing references regional craft traditions and vintage Americana. The property is organised around a central courtyard and a series of garden spaces, and televisions have been intentionally removed from rooms to encourage being present in nature. Each morning, guests are offered a continental breakfast; the on-site shop, Windsong, sells provisions and pantry staples, and every room has a kitchenette.

 

For more information and reservations, call +1 760 – 362 – 9559 or email: hello@hotelwren29.com.

 

Costa Rica’s Conscious Retreat


 

Sustainability has been embedded in Hotel Belmar since it opened in Monteverde’s Cloud Forest in 1985 – from the regenerative approach linked to the local culture and wooden Austrian chalet-inspired architecture, to establishing Finca Madre Tierra, the first carbon-neutral farm in Costa Rica. Over the years, refurbishments have maintained the use of natural and organic materials, while introducing eco-luxury elements. The most recent updates in 2024, led by NAAS Interior Culture, are expressed through subdued earthy tones, mid-century modern touches, panoramic windows that bring the outside in, and bespoke artisanal pieces.

 

 

Newly opened this month, Hotel Belmar’s Artista Villas comprise 10 private cloud-forest retreats featuring saltwater plunge pools, dedicated creative studio spaces, glass-enclosed walkways immersed in nature, and interiors thoughtfully designed to foster rest, creativity and connection with the surrounding landscape. Further connections to the environment come in the form of the outdoor yoga deck and jacuzzi, and trails through the private forest to a spring-fed lake for moments of reflection.

 

For more information and reservations, call +506 (0) 2645 – 5201 or email: info@hotelbelmar.net.

 

 

Source: Design Hotels.