There is something instantly intoxicating about hotels that have been designed as a window into local history, heritage, and artisanry, and you don't even need to be all that versed in interiors to recognize that. Whether because of their innate popularity or thanks to their ability to ooze inspiration inside and out, summer destinations are a prime example of how decor can be used to weave together the stories, craftsmanship traditions, and intrinsic peculiarities of a place into rooms that feel like a perfect microcosm of the region's past, present, and future. Perhaps, heat-mandated breaks aside, it's precisely the level of escapism — the perception of vacationing somewhere that, somehow, transcends space and time — unlocked by the immersive essence of these stays that makes them so widely sought after.
When it comes to conceiving world-class design hotels, even the smallest of details counts — from the choice of floral fabric applied to the beach chairs and loungers dotting the bathing-in-sunshine perimeter of your favorite Italian stay's pool to the way in which traditional ceramics, wood paneling, and shoji sliding doors seamlessly merge with the hi-fi sound system in your Japanese hideaway's decor, and how the striking balance between raw and soft surfaces is retained throughout the architecture of the most theatrical of brutalist resorts.
Maybe you are heading to the airport right now, ready to explore the winding alleys of some tucked-away southern European village. Perhaps, instead, you're browsing your options between glamping getaways and farm stays in the UK for a last-minute staycation, or off to some other overseas destination. To ensure the right dose of travel inspiration reaches you wherever you are — and shows you new places you could be in — I have compiled my top four summer 2025 hotel openings edit, and found matching furniture, collectibles, and accessories you can style to recreate their look at home.
1. Braccialieri. Avola, Italy
Contrada Seggio, 96012 Avola SR, Italy
Every design head who looks to the Mediterranean as the epitome of summertime leisure won't have missed the news of Braccialieri's opening. Inaugurated this April, this new boutique resort, comprising three suites and six eco villas, rises within a centuries-old olive grove to herald a more intentional, eco-conscious era in Sicilian hospitality. Minutes away from The White Lotus-famous Noto, one of the region's southeastern gems, it pairs the soulful simplicity that has long characterized life in rural Italy with Palermo-native fashion designer Alessandro Enriquez's irreverent approach to decor. Scattered across the resort, which marks his debut in interiors, are artisanally produced wicker and glass creations that hint at Sicily's legendary past. But it's Enriquez's amusing, non-conforming eye that makes this stay one of a kind.
From the instantly iconic, checkered bed of the hotel pool to the unexpected pops of electric green bringing the modern rustic Dodici Zappe restaurant to life at night, the many Cassina and Cappellini staples sprinkled throughout the site, and the bespoke, narrative wallpaper frieze adorning the coral tiles-sculpted counter of the Braccialieri Café — interspersed with, yes, traditional Sicilian pastries — holidaying in Italy has never looked more fun. Everything cooked on-site is realized with produce from the surrounding estate, or using ingredients from local farmers, after whom the sojourn is named.
Book your stay at Braccialieri.
The outdoor area of Braccialieri, Noto's new gem, expands on the tree-lined premises of the stay with cocooning rattan armchairs complete with creme and olive green cushions. Originally £899.00, this West Elm design brings the look home.
No Italian getaway is ever complete (or even worth it?) without a colorful culinary feast, and these Talking Tables plates, available in multiple, playful designs and shades, beautifully marry the retro-inspired aesthetic of Braccialieri.
Once known as Magna Grecia, southern Italy is directly linked to the ceramic tradition of ancient Greece. At Braccialieri, large planters add warmth to both bedrooms and the outdoor. Style this Ferm Living Dodu Pot in your home for a similar result.
2. Patina Osaka. Osaka, Japan
Japan, 〒540-0007 Osaka, Chuo Ward, Banbacho, 3−91 パティーナ大阪 1階
With the country's ongaku kissa ("vinyl bars") mania currently taking over the nightlife of cities like London and Milan, and, soon, even a dedicated 'Listening Suite' at Lake Como's trendiest hideaway, Il Sereno, and Expo 2025 — one of this year's most anticipated cultural events — attracting visitors from all over the world until October 13, it seems only fair to say Japan is having a moment. Landed on time for spring on May 1, Patina Osaka, the namesake group's first urban hotel, adds to the Nippon enthusiasm with its 221 rooms and suites distributed across a 20-story sanctuary for the contemporary traveler.
Wrapped by views of the Osaka Castle and Naniwa-nomiya Parks, the stay reinvents the city's centuries-spanning tradition by incorporating floating art installations and worldly-inspired designs and breathing a laid-back cool atmosphere into its five F&B destinations, OJAS-curated Listening Room, wedding locations, and spa. Remarkably 1970s at first sight, the interiors of the hotel embrace guests with the earthiness of their palette, unfolding in a dialogue between textured stone, lustrous wood, and handcrafted details. Jun Mitsui & Associates Architects and Strickland's co-authored brainchild brings you the best of Japanese-style decor, and more.
Book your stay at Patina Osaka.
Is is just me, or Tom Dixon's Melt Table Light feels like an adult, design-conscious version of our childhood favorite lava lamps? Already sitting in Patina Osaka's iconic Sonata Bar, it would make an eye-catching addition in every 1970s-inspired living room and home lounge.
There's something about sculptural coffee tables that makes domestic spaces immediately more fun and convivial. It's this laid-back cool that characterizes Patina Osaka as a whole, where tradition and innovation fuse at every door. Plus, should you find yourself short on chairs, it even doubles up as a stool.
The heritage element woven into the decor of Patina Osaka, one of the hotels on my bucket list for summer 2025, primarily stems from the choice of paneling and traditional accessories scattered across the place, of which this Roji Nanbu tea pot is a great example.
3. Municipal Grand. Savannah, US
45 Abercorn St, Savannah, GA 31401, United States
Savannah, Georgia, might not feature in your list of must-visit destinations, but what if I told you it is an underrated art and design think tank? Home to the prestigious arts school SCAD and a plethora of galleries, including the Telfair Academy, the oldest art museum in the South, a thriving dining scene, lush gardens, and intricately ornate, time-traveling architecture, the city's cultural scene is abuzz with life, and so is its hotel design one. Launching imminently, and, more precisely, July 9 next week, Municipal Grand stood out to me among dozens of summer 2025 hotel openings for its astute and animated reinvention of a former mid-century bank.
A collaboration between Lynch Associates Architects and AAmp Studio, the yet-to-be-unveiled boutique stay reunites 44 imaginatively decorated rooms, a lobby bar and restaurant, a rooftop pool or 'Sun Club', and a subterranean bar into what was once the First Federal Savings and Loan Association, a six-story building dating from 1960. To catch my eye was the two firms' evocative use of the pastel green and pink that characterized Milanese design in the Sixties — two hues I found a lot of during my stay at Oscar-winning director Luca Guadagnino's first-ever hotel, Rome's Palazzo Talìa. But there's more that made this Savannah newcomer one of my instant favorites. Whether in its dining locations, in the bedrooms, or near the pool, every single straight (or arched) line, fuzzy or sleek surfaces, and table lamp, tile, and artwork, all meticulously placed within the colorful canvas that is Municipal Grand, gives you the impression to have been there for decades.
My point is, when it comes to reviving a local institution like this former bank, it is easy to slip into erasing its aura completely, and build something that feels new. That isn't the case here. Barely open, Municipal Grand has already proven it is fit for time travel and boy, I can't wait to go back.
Book your stay at Municipal Grand.
Did you spot Soho Home's Giovanni Tample Lamp inside the rooms of Municipal Grand? Well, if you didn't, you're in luck, as I found it for you. Here available in green, it is the only decor touch you need to start living in your 1970s' dream.
I've said it before, and I say it again: in many ways, boutique hotels and private members' clubs have become the new galleries. This easily downloadable, digital wall art set reflects the colorfulness of Municipal Grand and its whimsical decor, infusing fresh inspiration into your home.
Haven't seen the pool at Municipal Grand's Sun Club yet? Just you wait! This Al Fresco Sun Lounger is the ultimate teaser to it. Striped outdoor furniture, Editor Hugh Metcalf reports, is this summer's hottest trend yet, blurring the boundaries between Soho House and yours.
4. Hotel Humano. Oaxaca, Mexico
Alejandro Cárdenas Peralta 610, Brisas de Zicatela, 70934 Brisas de Zicatela, Oax., Mexico
A recent addition to the award-winning Grupo Habita portfolio, Hotel Humano has only opened its doors to the public this winter, but the bold brutalist essence of this Oaxacan stay has already earned it a reputation as one of the real must-visit destinations of today. Crafted by Jorge Hernández de la Garza, who curated its architecture, in collaboration with the interior designers at Plantea Estudio, this dramatic 39-room hideaway will immerse you in the lush greenery and tropical energy of Puerto Escondido, a surf enclave that's recently become known for its pioneering role in sustainable tourism.
Embodying a hardcore form of quiet luxury, the hotel strips it all back to geometric furnishings carved from wood, argilla, and chrome, without ever feeling inhospitable. Quite the opposite, at Hotel Humano, the nature outdoors steps in, bringing to life the tile and chrome surfaces that define its suites, and blessing the numerous wooden collectibles placed all around. Thriving off community and Puerto Escondido's vibrant social life, it makes the perfect escape for bohemian travelers with a love of waves. The on-site, airy bistro, led by Executive Chef Saúl Carranza, allows visitors to discover Mexico's finest, seasonal plates, while dinner is served by Chef Marion Chateau of La Relève, who injects the sojourn with a taste of Marseille.
Book your stay at Hotel Humano.
Isamu Noguchi's paper lamp shade prove truly authentic design needs no frills to make a long-lasting impression, and the virality of these lanterns 75 years on attests to his groundbreaking legacy. At Hotel Humano, they add a soft touch to the cement walls of this iconic sojourn.
Ask me what makes Hotel Humano even more of a design standout, and I'll say it bluntly: its chrome metallic detailing. Contrasting with the textural earthiness of the rest of the stay, the stainless steel bathroom and occasional pops of silver scattered in its communal areas are the edgy note that roots this sojourn in the present day.
When summer hits and garden parties strike, nothing comes more handy than a spare set of folding stools. This model by Generic captures the organic, soothing essence of Hotel Humano, sculpted from leather and wood.
After more hotel news? Peek inside Belmond's Splendido Hotel, which has only just reopened in Portofino, the Pearl of the Italian Riviera, after a complete revamp led by Martin Brudnizki.
