Hotels have evolved far beyond mere places to rest—they’ve become landmarks, artworks, and design statements. From futuristic towers to timeless palaces, these iconic hotel designs not only define their skylines but also reflect the cultural heartbeat of their surroundings. Embark on a visual journey across the globe, one legendary lobby at a time.
1. Marina Bay Sands – Singapore
Three gleaming towers reach skyward, crowned by what appears to be a surfboard suspended 57 stories high. This architectural marvel isn’t just a hotel—it’s Singapore’s defining silhouette.
The rooftop infinity pool creates the illusion of swimming at the edge of the world, while the SkyPark offers breathtaking panoramas of the city-state. Designed by Moshe Safdie, the structure embodies Singapore’s ambition and futuristic vision.
Inside, a soaring atrium connects the towers, filled with light, art installations, and the constant buzz of visitors marveling at this feat of engineering and imagination.
2. Burj Al Arab – Dubai, UAE
Rising from its own artificial island, this sail-shaped wonder stands as a monument to Dubai’s limitless ambition. The Burj Al Arab’s silhouette has become as recognizable as the Eiffel Tower or Empire State Building.
Gold leaf adorns nearly every surface inside—24-karat extravagance covering columns, elevators, and even bathroom fixtures. The atrium soars 590 feet high, creating a canyon of luxury within the sail’s billowing form.
Arriving guests trade ordinary taxis for Rolls-Royces or helicopters landing on the sky-high pad. Nothing here whispers—everything boldly proclaims Dubai’s arrival as a luxury destination.
3. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc – Antibes, France
Perched on the rocky promontory of Cap d’Antibes, this cream-colored palace has witnessed a century of glamour. F. Scott Fitzgerald immortalized it in ‘Tender is the Night,’ capturing its timeless allure.
A grand allée of pine trees leads to the main building, a 19th-century mansion that exudes quiet elegance rather than ostentatious display. The saltwater swimming pool, carved into coastal rock, has hosted everyone from Picasso to Connery to Kardashian.
Napoleon III-style furnishings and Mediterranean light create interiors that feel both aristocratic and sun-kissed. The hotel embodies French Riviera sophistication—exclusive yet eternally stylish.
4. The Plaza Hotel – New York City, USA
Standing sentinel at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Central Park South since 1907, The Plaza embodies old New York grandeur. Its chateau-inspired silhouette of copper-clad mansard roofs and cream-colored façade has starred in countless films and novels.
The Palm Court, with its stained-glass ceiling and afternoon tea tradition, transports visitors to a more gracious era. Chandeliers drip with crystal, hallways gleam with marble, and the Oak Room’s dark-paneled walls whisper of Prohibition-era deals.
Eloise, the fictional six-year-old who lived here, captured generations’ imagination about life inside this storied address where elegance never goes out of fashion.
5. Icehotel – Jukkasjärvi, Sweden
Reborn each winter from the frozen Torne River, this ephemeral masterpiece exists for just a few months before returning to nature. Artists from around the world transform 5,000 tons of ice into sculptural rooms, each with a unique theme and design.
Temperatures hover around 23°F inside, where guests sleep on ice beds topped with reindeer hides. The walls glow with ethereal blue light, creating an otherworldly atmosphere beneath the Northern Lights.
A pioneer in ephemeral architecture, the Icehotel challenges conventional notions of permanence and luxury. It offers perhaps the world’s most unique hotel experience—one that literally melts away come spring.
6. Taj Lake Palace – Udaipur, India
Appearing to float on Lake Pichola’s surface, this white marble fantasy seems more mirage than hotel. Built in 1746 as a royal summer palace, it transforms into a luminous apparition at night, its lights reflecting in the surrounding waters.
Ornate courtyards, fountains, and gardens occupy this four-acre island where guests arrive by boat. Each room features hand-carved furniture, silk drapes, and views that have enchanted maharajas for centuries.
James Bond’s ‘Octopussy’ brought Hollywood attention, but the palace’s true magic lies in details like the lily pond courtyard and intricate marble latticework that tells stories of Rajasthan’s royal past.
7. The Beverly Hills Hotel – Los Angeles, USA
Known affectionately as the ‘Pink Palace,’ this candy-colored landmark has defined California glamour since 1912. Hidden behind tropical gardens on Sunset Boulevard, it’s where Hollywood conducts business over poolside cocktails and power breakfasts.
The hotel’s signature banana leaf wallpaper, designed by Don Loper in 1942, has become as iconic as its blush-colored exterior. Bungalows scattered throughout the 12-acre property have hosted everyone from Howard Hughes to Marilyn Monroe.
The Polo Lounge remains the ultimate insider spot, where green-and-white striped ceiling and dark wood paneling have witnessed countless deals sealed with handshakes over McCarthy Salads.
8. Aman Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan
Occupying the top six floors of the Otemachi Tower, this urban sanctuary redefines skyscraper hotels through Japanese minimalism. The 98-foot-high lobby resembles a giant paper lantern, where natural light filters through washi paper onto stone and wood surfaces.
Traditional igusa mat flooring meets contemporary furnishings in guest rooms framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. Each bathroom features a deep furo soaking tub carved from black basalt, positioned to contemplate Tokyo’s sprawling cityscape.
Kerry Hill’s design brilliantly balances Japan’s reverence for nature with metropolitan sophistication. The hotel demonstrates how emptiness—ma in Japanese aesthetics—creates space for contemplation amid urban chaos.
9. The Ritz Paris – France
Behind its discreet Place Vendôme facade lies the hotel that defined luxury so definitively that its name became an adjective. Founded in 1898 by César Ritz, this Parisian institution has maintained its Belle Époque splendor through careful preservation and updates.
The Bar Hemingway, wood-paneled and intimate, commemorates the author who “liberated” the bar during WWII. Gilded cherubs, damask fabrics, and crystal chandeliers create interiors of almost museum-like opulence.
Coco Chanel lived here for 34 years, influencing the hotel’s aesthetic with her modernist sensibility. After a four-year renovation completed in 2016, the Ritz emerged refreshed yet faithful to its storied past.
10. The Waldorf Astoria – Chicago, USA
Rising like a sophisticated limestone wedding cake above Chicago’s Gold Coast, this Lucien Lagrange-designed tower channels 1920s Parisian grandeur. The hotel’s cobblestone courtyard creates a theatrical entrance, where guests are greeted by doormen in top hats and tails.
Inside, Art Deco details meet contemporary comforts with an understated elegance rarely found in modern luxury hotels. Fireplaces warm many guest rooms, while mosaic-tiled bathrooms feature soaking tubs positioned by windows framing city views.
Unlike flashier competitors, the Waldorf Astoria Chicago whispers rather than shouts. Its quiet confidence and attention to detail have made it a favorite among travelers who appreciate refined design without ostentation.
11. Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort – Abu Dhabi, UAE
Rising from the Empty Quarter’s endless dunes like a mirage, this desert fortress hotel appears to have stood for centuries. In reality, it masterfully mimics ancient Arabian architecture while concealing modern luxuries within its sand-colored walls.
Winding pathways lead through the property, revealing hidden courtyards with fountains that provide cooling respite from the desert heat. Guest rooms feature carved wooden furniture, copper accents, and textiles that reference Bedouin traditions.
At sunset, the fortress walls glow amber against the world’s largest uninterrupted sand desert. The hotel offers a rare opportunity to experience the majesty of this extreme landscape without sacrificing comfort.
12. The Venetian – Las Vegas, USA
Bringing Venice to the Nevada desert required audacious vision and engineering bravado. This mega-resort recreates St. Mark’s Square, the Rialto Bridge, and even the Grand Canal—complete with singing gondoliers—all under a perpetually blue ceiling painted to mimic the Italian sky.
The scale is staggering: over 7,000 suites, 640,000 square feet of retail space, and enough Italian marble to pave a road to Italy. Yet despite its size, the details impress—from hand-painted ceiling frescoes to the authentic replicas of Venetian landmarks.
Critics may call it kitsch, but The Venetian successfully transports visitors to another place and time—the ultimate goal of theatrical architecture.
13. El Fenn – Marrakech, Morocco
Hidden behind an unassuming door in Marrakech’s ancient medina, El Fenn unfolds as a kaleidoscopic surprise. This restored riad combines traditional Moroccan architecture with bold contemporary art and unexpected color combinations.
Courtyards feature emerald-tiled pools surrounded by hot pink walls, while guest rooms might pair peacock blue ceilings with cherry-red floors. Vintage furniture sits alongside custom pieces by local artisans, creating spaces that feel both timeless and thoroughly modern.
The rooftop terrace offers panoramic views of the Atlas Mountains and Koutoubia Mosque’s minaret. Owned by Richard Branson’s sister Vanessa, El Fenn pioneered the boutique riad concept that has transformed Marrakech’s hospitality scene.
14. Hotel Marques de Riscal – Elciego, Spain
Frank Gehry’s architectural rebellion rises from ancient vineyards like a titanium tornado. Ribbons of pink, silver, and gold metal twist and undulate across the facade, their colors echoing the wine bottles produced by the Marques de Riscal winery since 1858.
The contrast between the avant-garde structure and the surrounding medieval village couldn’t be more dramatic. Inside, tilted walls and zigzagging windows create disorienting yet thrilling spaces where guests experience architecture as art.
The hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant serves regional cuisine beneath waves of wood and metal. From certain angles, the building appears to defy gravity—a fitting tribute to wine’s ability to elevate the spirit.
15. The Royal Hawaiian – Honolulu, Hawaii, USA
Affectionately known as the ‘Pink Palace of the Pacific,’ this flamingo-colored landmark has graced Waikiki Beach since 1927. Its distinctive Moorish-inspired architecture with arches, towers, and courtyards stands in striking contrast to the azure Hawaiian waters.
The hotel’s signature hue extends from its stucco exterior to interior details like the custom-blended ‘Royal Pink’ bath products. Lush tropical gardens surround the property, while inside, koa wood furnishings and local artwork honor Hawaiian heritage.
During WWII, the hotel served as a rest and recreation center for submarine crews. Today, its historic Monarch Room continues the tradition of luaus that have introduced countless visitors to Hawaiian culture.
16. Park Hotel Tokyo – Japan
Occupying the top floors of a skyscraper in Tokyo’s Shiodome district, this hotel transformed the concept of room design by inviting Japanese artists to paint directly on walls, ceilings, and furniture. Each of the 31 ‘Artist Rooms’ functions as a livable canvas exploring themes from sumo to geisha to cherry blossoms.
The lobby atrium soars through 10 floors, filled with natural light and seasonal art installations. Traditional elements like shoji screens and washi paper coexist with cutting-edge technology and contemporary furniture.
One standout room features a massive dragon that wraps across walls and ceiling, creating an immersive experience where guests sleep within the artwork itself.
17. Palacio de Sal – Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia
Built entirely from blocks of salt harvested from the surrounding flats, this hotel takes the concept of building with local materials to an extreme conclusion. Nearly everything—walls, floors, ceilings, beds, tables, chairs—consists of compressed salt blocks held together with salt mortar.
Located on the edge of the world’s largest salt flat, the structure blends seamlessly with the surreal white landscape that stretches to the horizon. At night, the salt blocks glow with warm amber light, creating an otherworldly atmosphere.
Guests are politely requested not to lick the walls, though the temptation is understandable. The hotel demonstrates how architectural innovation can arise from embracing rather than fighting extreme environments.
