Design Hotels introduces six new members

Locally rooted retreats on the soft shores of Lombok, Mauritius, and Mykonos. An earthy oasis in the fir forests of the Peloponnesian highlands. A new living room for the Bulgarian creative class in the heart of Sofia. Here we introduce the six newest members of Design Hotels.

Indonesia

Set on a stunning and secluded 250-meter stretch of private white-sand beach, Innit Lombok is a seven-villa haven in Ekas Bay framed by a bamboo forest. Each villa is a modern take on the traditional Lombok lumbung-style house, crafted with local, replaceable and easy to find materials, including wood, bamboo, and rock. This modern reflection of traditional values continues inside, where designers Andra Matin and Gregorius Supie Yolodi have created a sleek and understated feeling defined by teak, rattan, and terrazzo. At the restaurant, separated from the villas by a striking black infinity pool, chef Matthew Angga’s mouthwatering Indonesian menu is built around farm-to-table cuisine and locally caught seafood.

Founded by sisters Claire and Valia Gontard, Somewhere Lombok looks out over Areguling Beach, a world-renowned surf spot. This carefully curated world of 20 standalone villas, each with a private plunge pool, takes guests on a mindful journey into Indonesia’s culture and environment. The villas, spread across four rows and carved into a steep landscape connected by pathways and staircases, are handcrafted from locally sourced materials to produce a modern look of straight geometrical lines and signature wooden screens. Bringing a dose of contemporary Indonesian design to the spaces, the bohemian chic interiors – imagined by the sisters in collaboration with Studio Amal—feature baskets woven from seagrass and banana leaves, handwoven rugs, textiles made from recycled fabrics, and handmade ceramic lamps.

Greece

The Myconian Collection’s first beachfront property, Myconian O emulates a cool, blue oasis, offering a luxury adults-only experience steeped simultaneously in connection and seclusion. Drawing inspiration from its majestic location at the Bay of Ornos, just a few kilometers south of Mykonos Town, the architecture champions airy spaces and sightlines in relation to the light, views, breeze, and bay. Wood, marble, bamboo, wicker, and stone are complemented by verdant green landscaping and the infinite blues of sky and sea. Architectural highlights include the stunning infinity pool and the O Spa, where a pool has been built under a rock. Myconian O will open for the season in April 2024.

Once a sanatorium and now an indulgent mountain sanctuary, Manna is a secluded natural paradise, a haven for wellness and outdoor adventure. The stunning neoclassical building, first built in 1929 at an altitude of 1,200 meters amidst the fir forests of Arcadia, was preserved with a contemporary approach and minimal intervention. A material palette of mosaic gray limestone and dark wood covers the facade, with textural details that continue inside, where a sense of timelessness is established through an earthy color palette expressed in chestnut wood, rattan, wool, and linen. An indoor cave pool at the serene wellness hub reflects the ancient sights and activities nearby, including trekking through the surrounding earthly paradise and visiting the Monastery of Moni Prodromou, carved into the rock of Mount Mainalo.

Mauritius

Nestled into the landscape of a mini peninsula in Palmar Belle Mare, SALT of Palmar is a picture-postcard adults-only gateway to a natural world of turquoise water, volcanic rocks, and filao trees. An existing, Moroccan-inspired structure was transformed to let in light and provide endless views, while artist and designer Camille Walala created bold interiors that channel Mauritius’s cobalt-blue skies, pink sunsets, green sugarcane fields, and the explosion of colors coating houses around the island. Everything at the hotel—from the woven chairs by the pool to the rug in the library to mosaic tables, cushions, and sunbeds—was custom-made by local artisans, and the cuisine at The Good Kitchen is traditionally prepared and locally rooted. Plus, each of the three bars offers a distinct menu designed by Mathew Atkinson, a mixologist from London who wandered the island gathering stories that he transformed into imaginative drinks.

Bulgaria

Awash in natural fabrics and handmade furniture, with abundant light and a restaurant that interacts with the outside scene, Junó Hotel Sofia is a cozy, urban wonder in the pulsing heart of Sofia’s downtown. Sliding glass panels and floor-to-ceiling windows on each of the hotel’s six floors connect the lobby and guestrooms to the city beyond, with the interiors further defined by wood, black stainless steel, brass, oak and teak flooring, woven carpets, and black leather. In the foyer and an open-air lounge, sculptures and paintings by the renowned Bulgarian artists Pavel Koychev and Tatiana Harizanova steal the show, while at Cookó Kitchen:Drinks, edible artistry comes together with local farm-to-table ingredients. Here, young standout chef Valery Rusanov balances the simple and seasonal with Mediterranean and Balkan traditions.

The article Design Hotels introduces six new members first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.