20 cool and quirky luxury hotels around the world

01 · Paris, France

Bus Palladium

A legendary rock address, reimagined

Parisian nightlife history has been given a five-star new chapter in Pigalle. On the ground floor, chef Valentin Raffali’s restaurant moves from dinner into late-night drinks while DJs play from a console concealed within a wall of more than a thousand records. Part of that archive belonged to original founder James Arch, so the music is not decorative—it is the thread connecting the new hotel to the legendary Bus.

The 35 Studio KO rooms and suites shift the mood without losing the attitude: leopard print, curved leather seating and mirrored surfaces meet raw concrete, cork, velvet and dusty-pink carpet. Deep in the basement, the rebuilt club and concert hall keeps the address alive with DJ sets, live music, screenings and events. Add the cocktail bar and rooftop above Pigalle and this becomes much more than an unusual place to sleep; guests can move from dinner to dancing and back to their room without leaving the building.

02 · Paris, France

Les Bains Paris

Bathhouse, nightclub, boutique hotel

Once a celebrated bathhouse and later one of Paris’s defining nightclubs, Les Bains now balances its creative history with the intimacy of a 39-room hotel. Dark wood, velvet and stained glass create a seductive atmosphere, while the restaurant, bar and club keep its social pulse alive. It is a hotel for travellers who want to feel part of Paris after dark, not simply observe it from a traditional palace lobby.

03 · Metz, France

Maison Heler

Philippe Starck’s surreal house in the sky

A traditional Lorraine house appears to have landed on a nine-storey monolith. Philippe Starck conceived Maison Heler as both a hotel and an inhabitable story, with 104 restrained rooms below and stained glass, dining and sweeping views inside the extraordinary rooftop house. The pleasure lies in the contrast: a severe concrete tower outside, then warmth, wit and an invented domestic world waiting at the top.

04 · Arles, France

L’Arlatan

A historic mansion transformed into living art

Artist Jorge Pardo turned this centuries-old mansion into a joyful immersive artwork. Handmade mosaics flow through the hotel in shifting colours, joined by sculptural lighting and bespoke furniture, while historic courtyards retain an unmistakable sense of Provence. Even a walk to breakfast becomes a visual discovery, making the stay feel closer to inhabiting an artwork than visiting a conventional design hotel.

05 · London, United Kingdom

Beaverbrook Town House

Fourteen suites, fourteen London theatres

Each of this Chelsea townhouse hotel’s 14 suites takes its name and decorative cues from a celebrated London theatre. Velvet beds, playful lighting, vintage posters and carefully selected art create real personality, while the Japanese restaurant adds another layer of theatre. With only 14 suites, the effect is intimate and residential—an eccentric private townhouse rather than a large London hotel.

06 · London, United Kingdom

The Mandrake

Art, botany and beautiful eccentricity

Deeply atmospheric rooms, original artworks, a jasmine-draped courtyard and an evolving programme of performances give this Fitzrovia hotel a creative charge. Rich textures and dramatic lighting suit travellers who want provocative personality rather than quiet neutrality. The hotel changes with its artists, exhibitions and events, so public spaces feel like an unfolding creative scene rather than a fixed design statement.

07 · London, United Kingdom

The Standard, London

Brutalism with a bright red exclamation mark

A restored 1970s council building opposite St Pancras is animated by a vivid red external lift. Inside, saturated colour, curves and mid-century references create a sociable, design-led base with destination dining high above King’s Cross. Riding the lift to Decimo and the rooftop is part of the fun: London’s skyline gradually opens as the austere façade gives way to music, colour and fire-led cooking.

08 · Rioja, Spain

Hotel Marqués de Riscal

Frank Gehry among the vines

Silver and purple titanium ribbons tumble over a stone base in the heart of Rioja. Frank Gehry’s only hotel pairs 61 individually shaped rooms with vineyard views, destination dining and a vinotherapy spa—a striking dialogue between avant-garde design and a centuries-old landscape. Wake among the vines, tour the historic cellars and return to a building that changes character whenever the light moves across its metal canopy.

09 · Cape Town, South Africa

The Silo Hotel

Industrial heritage meets contemporary African art

Built into a 1920s grain elevator above Zeitz MOCAA, The Silo is both hotel and landmark. Extraordinary pillowed-glass windows frame Table Mountain and the harbour, while bold colour and contemporary African art soften the muscular concrete architecture. No two rooms feel identical, and the rooftop pool turns the working waterfront into one of Cape Town’s most memorable hotel views.

10 · Nairobi, Kenya

Giraffe Manor

Breakfast with the manor’s tallest residents

At this intimate 1930s manor, a resident herd of wild giraffes may stretch through the windows at breakfast or afternoon tea. The surreal encounter is grounded in conservation and an indigenous forest sanctuary, making it a carefully planned highlight before or after safari. The small scale matters: between visits from the giraffes, lawns, fireplaces and classic rooms give the atmosphere of a private country house on Nairobi’s edge.

11 · Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia

Shinta Mani Wild

Arrive by zipline, sleep beside the rapids

An optional 400-metre zipline begins the adventure. Bill Bensley’s 15 extravagant riverside tents pair outdoor bathtubs and theatrical design with guided conservation experiences in a protected wildlife corridor. Wake to rushing water, join rangers in the forest and return for cocktails beside the river—luxury that feels active, surprising and purposeful.

12 · Phuket, Thailand

Keemala

Bird’s nests and tree houses in the rainforest

Woven Bird’s Nests, elevated Tree Pool Houses, tent-inspired villas and Clay Cottages appear to have grown from the hillside. Every category has its own visual language and private pool, creating a storybook silhouette without sacrificing seclusion. The rainforest envelops the villas, yet Phuket’s beaches remain close enough for guests to combine fantasy architecture with island life.

13 · Ubud, Bali

Capella Ubud

A lavish jungle camp with a vivid imagination

Twenty-two one-bedroom tents and a two-bedroom lodge are layered with antiques, carved wood, patterned textiles and private pools. Bill Bensley’s theatrical old-world expedition theme is grounded by Balinese craft and the sounds of the rainforest. Copper baths, hand-picked curios and jungle decks reward slow exploration, while the campfire and riverside pool give the resort a sense of shared adventure.

14 · Noonu Atoll, Maldives

Soneva Jani

Barefoot luxury with a playful side

Overwater villas with retractable bedroom roofs and private slides into a luminous lagoon make Soneva Jani feel designed around delight. Outdoor cinema, observatory and imaginative dining give the resort substance beyond its famous villas. At night, the roof can open above the bed for stargazing; by morning, the slide offers a gloriously unserious route straight into the sea.

15 · South Ari Atoll, Maldives

The Muraka

Sleep five metres beneath the ocean

Above water, this private two-level residence has generous living spaces, decks and an infinity pool. Below, a lift or spiral staircase leads to a curved acrylic bedroom five metres beneath the Indian Ocean. Watching rays, reef fish and changing light drift past from bed transforms the sea into a living ceiling—a true once-in-a-lifetime celebration stay.

16 · Harads, Sweden

Treehotel

Architectural fantasies in the forest

Choose from the reflective Mirrorcube, giant Bird’s Nest, silver UFO or panoramic 7th Room. Each individual architectural commission is suspended among northern Sweden’s pines, with restrained interiors leaving the forest as the main event. Reaching a room by bridge or forest path restores some childhood wonder, while the stillness and Arctic landscape keep the experience unmistakably grown-up.

17 · Harads, Sweden

Arctic Bath

A floating nest on the Lule River

Inspired by timber once transported along the river, the circular building floats in summer and freezes into the ice in winter. Cabins, sauna, steam and an open-air cold bath turn elemental simplicity into luxury. Step from heat into icy water, then watch the northern light—or, with luck, the aurora—through wide cabin windows.

18 · Newfoundland, Canada

Fogo Island Inn

Modern design at the edge of the Atlantic

A long white structure on stilts appears to hover over the rocky coast. Ocean-facing rooms and locally made furniture connect uncompromising architecture with island craft, while its social-enterprise model gives the stay unusual depth. Days follow the island rather than a resort timetable: weather walks, community stories, Atlantic views and meals shaped by what is available locally.

19 · Uluru, Australia

Longitude 131°

Wake to Uluru from a desert pavilion

Each elevated tented pavilion is oriented towards Uluru, turning the monolith’s changing light into part of the room. Fine dining, guided experiences and polished service complement design that frames the desert rather than competing with it. Sunrise can be watched from bed; after dark, storytelling and dinner beneath the stars reveal a completely different character to the Red Centre.

20 · Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Atlantis The Royal

Dubai spectacle at architectural scale

Six linked towers form stacked blocks and sky bridges with elevated pools and terraces. Celebrity-chef restaurants, dramatic water features, a destination spa and Cloud 22 make this the choice when the hotel itself must deliver entertainment and visual drama from morning until late. It is Dubai at maximum volume: arrive for the architecture, then build whole days around pools in the sky, ambitious dining and the theatre of the resort itself.