8 Architectural Digest-approved design hotels

When Architectural Digest considers a hotel, it's not just about finding a solid place to spend the night. No, these professional aesthetes seek out properties that merge hospitality with art, often through boundary-breaking architecture and paradigm-shifting design. From Copenhagen's grand Moorish-style Nimb Hotel, a 20th-century palace reborn for modern travelers, to a newly reopened Art Deco icon in Santa Monica (The Georgian Hotel, pictured above), every hotel featured here is a masterpiece all its own. Besides being located in global style capitals the world over, each one creates an immersive experience that could rival the finest museum installations. Prepare to gate at your surroundings from the moment you check in—and to spend the rest of your trip searching for souvenirs to recreate the feeling back home. (Photo courtesy of The Georgian, by Douglas Friedman.)

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The Newbury Boston (Boston, Massachusetts)

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It's hard to miss the stately 1927 façade of The Newbury, which overlooks the Boston Public Garden—and the inside is just as commanding. Warm wainscoting flows into herringbone floors, while a striking sculptural staircase draws you into public spaces filled with works by local artists. But the real gem in The Newbury's lofty crown is Contessa, a glass-enclosed rooftop trattoria designed by local design darling Ken Fulk. Here, regional Italian fare is served all day long—most appealingly, with a side of sweeping Back Bay views. Even the clubby Street Bar lounge, an icon revitalized with the hotel's 2021 reopening, satisfies an appetite for New England fare with fresh takes on regional specialties, like spicy lobster chowder, crispy Maine crab cakes and a Crab Louie salad studded with hearts of palm and avocado.

Hôtel Lutetia (Paris, France)

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Enmeshed in the bohemian neighborhood of Saint-Germain-des-Prés, this Rive Gauche hideaway effortlessly mingles Art Nouveau motifs with Art Deco geometry. Rooms and suites feel timeless and elegant, thanks to vintage boudoir décor and Carrara marble bathrooms, and guests who book balcony rooms get bonus views of a twinkling Eiffel Tower. For a memorable evening, descend to the low-lit Bar Josephine. The show-stopping salon is kitted out with romantic frescoes, plush velvet upholstery and mirrored gold accents, but don't miss the refreshed Le Saint-Germain lounge; with its original stained glass ceiling, the sunlit parlor is ideal for savoring the city's celebrated pâtisserie traditions.

Nimb Hotel (Copenhagen, Denmark)

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You can’t miss the dramatic archways and soaring marble domes at this Moorish-inspired 1909 castle, which holds court at the gates of the Tivoli Gardens. Beyond the storybook exteriors originally envisioned by former Tivoli architect Knud Arne Petersen, the 38-room property blends fanciful architecture with quintessential Danish design traditions. No two accommodations are alike, but each room has standout features, like private terrace gardens or intricately carved freestanding tubs. The recent unveiling of the Tivoli Corner wing by architects Pei Cobb Freed & Partners, which oversaw the modernization of Paris's largest museum, welcomed contemporary restaurant concepts and an emerald-green rooftop pool, ensconced in glass.

The Capitol Hotel Tokyu (Tokyo, Japan)

Bookended by the buzzy Akasaka district and the Hie Shrine, The Capitol Hotel Tokyu has turned hospitality into an art form—and an immersive one, at that. The architect Kengo Kuma has cultivated a distinct sense of place throughout the property, thanks to a careful coupling of Japanese craftsmanship with a reverence for nature. Minimalist rooms with views of the gardens or Imperial Palace grounds are outfitted with shoji screen partitions and oversized soaking tubs, and elsewhere, you'll clock sculptural ikebana arrangements and soothing water features inspired by undulating streams. An urban oasis, indeed.

The Georgian Hotel (Santa Monica, California)

Like a lighthouse beckoning you toward the Santa Monica oceanfront, there's something about The Georgian's turquoise façade that draws you in. That same feeling guides you under the cherry-red marquee and into the lobby (where barrel-vaulted ceilings and Art Deco furnishings further channel the neighborhood's ties to the entertainment industry) and continues to the rooms, where velvet-tufted beds sit beside windows that frame the Pacific. As tempting as it might be to settle in and enjoy the view, head down first to The Georgian Room. Here, candlelight flickers against scarlet walls, and curved banquettes that once hosted Hollywood's A-list for Prohibition-era gatherings beckon you to sit and stay awhile. And while we'd wholeheartedly encourage a long night in the lounge, don't forget to check in with the concierge at some point—they can tell you all about the rotating art exhibitions at the in-house Gallery 33. (Photo courtesy of The Georgian, by Douglas Friedman.)

The Merrion (Dublin, Ireland)

Four meticulously preserved 18th-century Georgian townhouses were combined to create The Merrion, which swiftly transports guests to a bygone era of Dublin. The transition begins in the lobby's grand marble foyer, where a slew of magnificent artworks hang at attention, and in spaces like the Cellar Bar, where wine vaults were reclaimed from the original foundations. In the drawing rooms, overstuffed sofas beside crackling fireplaces tempt you to while away the hours over a leisurely afternoon tea. And the accommodations, which are split between the main historic wing and the quieter garden house, are elegant but homey; each room features The Merrion's signature upholstered patterns on the custom furniture pieces.

Palacio Duhau - Park Hyatt Buenos Aires (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

An elegant 1930s Belle Époque palace meets a sparkling new modernist tower: The dual design schemes of Palacio Duhau, a stately refuge amid Buenos Aires' Recoleta neighborhood, couldn't be more different, but they're perfectly in sync. In the original palace wing, suites are chockablock with all the charming, old-world details you'd expect: soaring ceilings, marble fireplaces and Regency antiques. Accommodations are more restrained in the tower, but bold pops of color, natural wood paneling and leather upholstery keep things lively, modern and light. Even the art contains multitudes. In addition to its private collection of fine art, the hotel cycles contemporary local exhibits through its underground gallery.

Hôtel Le Doge Casablanca (Casablanca, Morocco)

According to local lore, this eccentric, 16-room White City bijou was originally conceived as an Italian entrepreneur's love letter to his Moroccan wife, whose cross-cultural union was manifested through craft and design. From the intricate tilework and Art Deco furnishings to the saturated textiles, each space overflows with artistic character. No two rooms are alike, though each one has its own flamboyant flavor, thanks to a unique combination of salvaged furnishings, objets d'art and patterned rugs. Indulge in one of the Moroccan pampering rituals at the spa, like an argan oil massage or eucalyptus hammam session—you can rave about it afterward over shareable dishes at the courtyard restaurant.

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