Discover
Bold ideas, unforgettable architecture and a few decades when designers weren't afraid to experiment.
Some designs never lose their edge. At DNA Hotels, Design Icons celebrates the architecture, interiors and creative optimism of the 1950s, ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. These were decades when architects and designers challenged conventions, embraced new materials and imagined radically different ways of living, travelling and staying in hotels. From Mid-Century Modern landmarks and experimental Brutalist buildings to glamorous roadside motels and wonderfully extravagant 1970s resorts, the results were anything but ordinary.
The architectural vocabulary is unmistakable. Sculptural concrete, dramatic cantilevers, geometric façades, panoramic windows and space-age curves transformed buildings into statements. Inside, sunken lounges, conversation pits, modular furniture, bold patterns and unapologetic colour reflected an era fascinated by progress and possibility. Scandinavian modernism, Brazilian tropical modernism, Japanese Metabolism and the playful excesses of the Space Age all contributed to a remarkably diverse design landscape. Some hotels were architectural experiments; others simply captured the spirit of their time with extraordinary confidence.
Not all these hotels have survived unchanged. Some have been meticulously restored, preserving original furniture, materials and architectural details. Others have been reinvented by contemporary designers who understand that the best way to honour an iconic building isn’t necessarily to turn it into a museum. A former motor lodge might become a fashionable desert retreat, a concrete mountain resort a contemporary design destination, or a forgotten 1970s hotel find a whole new audience. The challenge is knowing what to preserve, what to reinterpret and what should never have been covered up in the first place.
What makes these hotels special isn’t simply nostalgia. Their architecture and interiors still feel relevant, sometimes remarkably ahead of their time. They remind us that hotel design can be adventurous, expressive, unconventional and occasionally a little outrageous. Not every experiment was successful, of course, but at least nobody could accuse these designers of playing it safe.
Discover Design Icons
Staying in one of these hotels is an opportunity to experience some of the most influential and adventurous decades in modern design history. From carefully restored architectural landmarks to bold contemporary reinventions, each has a distinctive story to tell.
Explore the Design Icons in the carousel below and discover hotels where yesterday’s vision of tomorrow is still very much alive.
Because great design doesn’t have an expiry date.
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