Whether by totally transforming a city’s skyline, subverting old standards of hotel architecture or creatively reclaiming historic structures, these 12 unusual modern hotel designs have become destinations in and of themselves. These aren’t just cool-looking concepts that may or may not ever become reality - they’ve actually been built and are open for business.
1. Bella Sky Hotel by 3XN
Two wedge-shaped towers connected by a small sky bridge taper down to the ground at 3XN’s Bella Sky Hotel, a new landmark in Copenhagen.
Not only does this unusual design transform the city skyline, it also has the benefit of giving all 814 guest rooms view of the surrounding landscape.
2. Hotel Marques de Riscal, Spain by Frank Gehry
Whether they’re world-class museums or relatively small hotels in the Spanish countryside, architect Frank Gehry’s designs are anything but ordinary. The City of Wine complex for the Marques de Riscal Winery in Elciego, northern Spain features a wavy metallic exterior meant to reflect the colours of the winery’s signature bottles with their silver foil and gold mesh covering.
The building houses a five-star, 43-room hotel as well as a restaurant, a spa offering ‘wine therapy,’ a wine shop and a viticulture museum.
3. ParkRoyal Hotel by WOHA
A series of towers is elevated above a wavy, sculptural ground-level platform characterized by breezy courtyards that blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces.
4. Fogo Island Inn by Saunders Architecture
A cantilevered dining hall reaches out over the rocky coastline of Fogo Island, Newfoundland in Canada.
The Fogo Island Inn, by Saunders Architecture and the Shorefast Foundation, is a contemporary 29-room hotel merging traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics for a dramatic look that pays proper tribute to the landscape.
5. Sheraton Huzhou Hot Springs Resort by MAD
A ring of stacked hotel rooms rises from the south bank of Taihu Lake in China.
The Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort by MAD Architects gives every room access to lake views, natural light and ventilation, no matter what floor it’s on.
6. Andels Hotel Lodz City by OP Architekten
A contemporary glass addition sits on top of a historic brick building in Lodz, Poland in this award-winning hotel design by OP Architekten. The adaptive reuse project reclaimed an 1952 weaving mill with cast iron pillars that had been abandoned since the 1990s, turning it into a four-star hotel.
Andels Hotel Lodz preserves the history of the original structure while adding an eye-catching cantilevered glass box that overhangs the building’s brick exterior.
7. Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai
Whether or not you’re a fan of the ship-like design of the Burj Al Arab hotel, there’s no denying that it has become a major landmark and symbol for Dubai. Instantly recognizable, the structure by British architect Tom Wright was inspired by wind-swollen sails and is the first thing many ships see when they reach Dubai’s port.
8 & 9. Prahran Hotel Melbourne by Techné Architects and TuboHotel, Mexico
17 massive concrete water pipes make up the pub and other common areas of the Prahran Hotel in Melbourne, Australia (pictured above). The wood-lined industrial pipes are a nod to the neighbourhood's heritage and to visuals of stacked kegs of beer.
Another hotel takes this concept even further: the TuboHotel in Mexico (pictured above) uses reclaimed concrete pipes as the actual hotel rooms.
10. Marina Bay Sands Hotel, Singapore
The world’s most expensive building at US$5.7 billion consists of three towers topped by a cantilevered rooftop structure covered in infinity pools, gardens and lounging areas. Like the Burj Al Arab, Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands has become a symbol for its setting in a prime new business district.
Prime designer Moshe Safdie took inspiration from the form of a deck of cards for the structure’s unique appearance. In addition to the vast public SkyPark and all of its restaurants and gardens, the hotel includes 2,561 luxury hotel rooms and suites.
11. Manta Resort Underwater Hotel Room, Africa
While Dubai continues working on its fantastical submerged hotel plans, other underwater accommodations are already open to the nautically inclined. The lone underwater hotel room of the Manta Resort off the eastern coast of Africa near Pemba Island is tethered to the sea floor.
It has an upper-level sun lounging area and a submerged sleeping area with incredible views of marine life. It would be cool to see this unique concept take off in other areas around the world.
12. Stockholm Waterfront Hotel
One of the most visually striking hotel designs of the 21st century, the Stockholm Waterfront Hotel by White Arkitekter AB is a 400-room hotel, 3,000-seat congress hall and 2,000-seat dining room.
Located directly across from Stockholm’s Central Station, the structure is connected to the congress building. The architectural solution of fitting so much into a small triangular plot involves a large portion of the hall suspended beyond the footprint of the site like a gigantic canopy.
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