Where Luxury Has Moved On
How many words have been written about luxury? Yes, these are exceptional hotels, often five-star—but forget the gold taps and formality for formality’s sake. Today’s luxury can mean space, privacy and extraordinary service, but also simplicity, authenticity and the freedom to do things your own way. Breakfast at noon, a brilliant bed, someone remembering your name without making a performance of it. These are hotels where luxury is defined by how the experience feels, not by how much marble is in the lobby.
Danieli, Venezia, A Four Seasons Hotel | Venice, Italy A Venetian Gothic legend reborn, with Pierre-Yves Rochon bringing light, colour and contemporary refinement to one of Venice’s grandest hotels Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of Venice’s great historic hotels, centred on the 15th-century Palazzo Dandolo and now meticulously restored rather than reinvented by…
read moreThe Westin Xi’an | China Ancient Chinese courtyard architecture reimagined by Neri&Hu — with a museum hidden beneath. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Neri&Hu designed the hotel as a contemporary interpretation of Xi’an’s monumental architecture, courtyard houses and 3,100 years of history. ● Architecture does the storytelling: floating pitched roofs, deep red window reveals,…
read moreThe Sukhothai Shanghai | China An urban oasis where Neri&Hu translate Thai serenity into contemporary Shanghai. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Neri&Hu created a distinctly Shanghai interpretation of the legendary Sukhothai Bangkok, replacing resort grandeur with intimacy, texture and calm. ● The monumental terrazzo-and-bronze staircase is one of the hotel’s defining architectural moments, wrapped…
read moreAlila Bangsar | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia An urban oasis in the sky, shaped by Neri&Hu’s rigorous architectural grid. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Neri&Hu designed both architecture and interiors, turning the upper levels of a city tower into a coherent architectural world. ● A dramatic three-storey courtyard and open-air pool blur the boundary between…
read moreLe Méridien Zhengzhou | China Where Neri&Hu turns Henan’s history into a monumental architectural archive. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of Neri&Hu’s most ambitious hotel projects, combining architecture, interiors, furniture, signage, landscape and art into a single narrative. ● The 25-storey building is conceived as an “archive” of Henan’s culture, translating literature, nature,…
read moreTsingpu Yangzhou Retreat | China An extraordinary architectural retreat where Neri&Hu turns the traditional Chinese courtyard into a labyrinth of reclaimed brick, water and landscape. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Neri&Hu reinterprets Yangzhou’s traditional courtyard-house typology as an entire hotel, using walls and pathways to connect old buildings, new architecture and landscape. ● Reclaimed…
read moreMandarin Oriental The Landmark, Hong Kong | Central, Hong Kong, China Hong Kong heritage, contemporary residential luxury and one of Asia’s most formidable culinary collections, reimagined by Joyce Wang Studio. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Joyce Wang Studio has transformed the 109-room hotel into a sophisticated Hong Kong pied-à-terre inspired by the city’s historic…
read moreVan Oys Maastricht Retreat | Eijsden, The Netherlands Eight centuries of history, reimagined through slow luxury, gastronomy and the landscape of South Limburg. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● A historic estate on the River Maas transformed into a contemporary retreat across a château, former farmstead and new-build Carré. ● Quiet, tactile interiors use stone,…
read moreKruisherenhotel | Maastricht, Netherlands Late-medieval Gothic architecture meets uncompromising contemporary design inside a 15th-century monastery. Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of the Netherlands’ most convincing examples of adaptive reuse: a Gothic monastery and church transformed into a contemporary hotel without disguising the original architecture. ● Henk Vos’ interiors and Ingo Maurer’s lighting installations…
read moreW Sardinia – Poltu Quatu, Italy W grows up on the Costa Smeralda, trading glossy excess for Sardinian craft, coastal textures and a hidden harbour Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● Meyer Davis gives the W formula a distinctly Sardinian identity, replacing the brand’s old high-gloss aesthetic with tactile materials, organic forms, local stone and…
read moreVilla Argentina - Dubrovnik, Croatia Dubrovnik’s grande dame returns, with Adriatic views, Mediterranean gardens and a carefully restored modern soul Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● One of Dubrovnik’s great historic hotels returns in August 2026 after a major transformation by Croatian architecture studio 3LHD, preserving the character of the original villa while radically improving…
read moreCanopy by Hilton Bangkok Sukhumvit - Thailand Bangkok’s cinematic past meets contemporary neighbourhood cool in Asoke Why DNA Hotels Loves It ● The first Canopy hotel in Southeast Asia, with AvroKO using Asoke’s industrial history and Thailand’s early film industry as unexpected starting points for the design. ● A bronze façade inspired by vintage movie…
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