We present 16 fashionista destinations, one-of-a-kind hotels or suites revealing the audacity and imagination of the world’s most celebrated creative minds.
You can stay at hotels designed by Christian Louboutin, Ralph Lauren, Christian Lacroix, Oscar de la Renta and Wilbert Das.
And sleep in suites specially created by Paul Smith, Karl Lagerfeld, Matthew Williamson and Diane von Furstenberg.
Top fashion houses have launched their own hotels too, like Fendi, Ferragamo, Armani and Chanel.
Hotel Vermelho, by Christian Louboutin (Portugal)
Christian Louboutin’s preferred holiday destination is Alentejo, a rural and unspoiled part of Portugal with spectacular beaches. In 2013 he opened his own hotel there, in the town of Melides, surrounded by ocean, vineyards and rice fields.
Hotel Vermelho is created as “a private space to appreciate art in all its forms” with 13 rooms designed by Christian Louboutin, each different in tonality, texture and style.
Jardim Portugûese suites are a blue ode to Alentejo artistry while the Matinha Suite has the bold, feminine colours most associated with Louboutin’s shoes.
Tortuga Bay Hotel, by Oscar de la Renta (Dominican Republic)
Oscar de la Renta made his name in New York and Paris, but returned to his native Dominican Republic to design Tortuga Bay Hotel, a property he co-owns with Julio Iglesias.
This became the fashion icon’s home and he said: “we wanted a small jewel of a hotel, something that would be unbelievably comfortable, that people would tell their friends about.”
In sharp contrast to other hotels in Punta Cana, this hotel has only 13 beachfront villas and 17 suites. Oscar de la Renta designed the interiors of them all, along with the lobby and main restaurant Bamboo.
Round Hill Hotel & Villas, by Ralph Lauren (Jamaica)
Ralph Lauren bought the highest located villa at Round Hill some 35 years ago. Then he bought another. And when the Round Hill Hotel needed renovation, Ralph Lauren took the job personally.
The Spring 2018 Ralph Lauren collection was based on Round Hill, the designer saying “everyone wishes for a magical place where they step out of time into the beauty of nature.”
A timeless palette of white, navy and green now gives Round Hill a signature Ralph Lauren look at what continues to be the number one beachfront property in Jamaica.
Hotel Le Bellechasse, by Christian Lacroix (Paris)
In the heart of Faubourg Saint Germain, Christian Lacroix’s boutique hotel is an ode to his elaborate imagination and gothic decadence.
The 33 rooms and suites celebrate the designer’s own inspirations, from the realms of art, music, literature, theatre and cinema.
Hotel Le Belleschasse is a four-star hotel. Christian Lacroix was attracted by the quirky architectural details and the challenge of creating his signature in small, unusually shaped rooms.
Also in Paris, Christian Lacroix designed the interiors of the four-star Hotel du Petit Moulin and three-star Notre Dame Saint-Michel.
UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, by Wilbert Das (Brazil)
Wilbert Das created his hotel by restoring 13 traditional casas in the fishing village of Trancoso, between Rio and Salvador, Brazil.
As creative director of Diesel in the nineties, Das invented techniques to give jeans a more vintage feel. UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa opened in 2009 and the style is pure vintage, with faded hues, rustic features, and many organic creations made by the designer’s hands.
Das also created a Casa do Arvore honeymoon suite from recycled wood, what he calls his very own “fantasy treehouse.”
Armani Hotel Dubai
Armani Hotel Dubai was a project by Giorgio Armani himself, who personally oversaw all aspects of its development and design.
When it opened in 2010 he said, “it has long been my dream to have a hotel in which I would like to stay and entertain friends. I invite my guests to experience my world.”
That world is one of minimalism in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. Overall, it’s not one of the best five-star hotels and resorts in Dubai, but the Eramosa limestone floors, zebrawood panelling and fabric covered walls are certainly worth a one or two-night experience.
In 2011 Giorgio opened Armani Hotel Milano, in the city he made his name, although his involvement in the hotel’s design is considered to be limited.
Gianni Versace’s Legacy in Miami (not Gold Coast, Dubai or Macau)
Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast was one of the first fashion designer hotels. Opened in 2000 it symbolises Gianni’s world of glamour and decadence.
Donatella Verscace was the artistic director of Palazzo Versace Dubai in 2015 and Palazzo Versace Macau which opened earlier this year.
Unfortunately, experience shows that Versace doesn’t really know how to operate hotels. These large properties live on reputation alone (or lived in the case of Gold Coast, which closed in 2023).
You’ll find a better peek into Gianni Versace’s world at The Villa Casa Casuarina, a boutique hotel in the former Versace Mansion on Ocean Drive. Here the design is mostly original, dominated by the architectural and artistic features of Gianni’s personal life there.
Lungarno Collection by the Ferragamo Family
When Versace, Armani and Bulgari launched themselves into the hotel industry they created large hotels in their modern brand style.
Salvador Ferragamo’s family have looked more towards history and heritage when creating their Lungarno Collection of seven hotels.
The family’s private art collection provides much decoration, including black and white photos and paintings by Picasso and Caravaggio. The aesthetic is clean lines, Italian charm, and everything impeccably made to measure, just like Salvador’s shoes.
We particularly like Portrait Firenze, which overlooks the river in the heart of Florence, and Portrait Milano, a hidden space in the middle of Milan.
In 2003 Massimo and Chiara Ferragamo restored a country estate in Val d’Orcia to its former glory. Chiara renewed the architecture and design while Massimo transformed the vineyards, creating globally revered Brunello di Montalcino.
That estate became Rosewood Castiglon del Bosco in 2015 and Chiara Ferragamo remains very active in the interior design across the property.
Fendi Private Suites in Rome
Fendi transformed the top floor of their Rome headquarters into a seven-suite hotel. It’s a complete immersion in Fendi aesthetics.
While the suites are small, you stay here to experience the Fendi world in all its details, the constant dialogue between old and new, history and imagination.
You sleep in the building where Fendi designers work. And for shopping in Rome there isn’t a better location than the Fendi Hotel.
Christian Dior Suites
Christian Dior suites are now scattered across the world, each an indication of the fashion brand’s artistic direction.
Nathalie Ryan designed over 250 boutiques and showrooms for the French fashion house, along with the Christian Dior Suite at Hotel Majestic Barrière in Cannes, an ode to the original No 30 Avenue Montaigne in Paris.
The Dior Suite at St Regis New York is also based on the fashion brand’s original headquarters and boutique, conceived when John Galliano was creative director.
Hôtel Plaza Athénée is just across the road from Christian Dior on Avenue Montaigne. It has enjoyed many Dior haute couture collaborations over the last 70 years and was where the first Dior Spa opened in 2008.
It’s very little known, but there is also a suite on the fourth floor of La Galerie Dior on Avenue Montaigne. A stay includes a team of stylists for a day of Dior shopping, an after-hours tour of the gallery (in Dior pyjamas should you wish) and dinner in Le Salon Historique de Monsieur Dior.
Suites by Fashion Designers
Rather than jumping into the world of owning and operating hotels, many fashion designers have collaborated with established five-star hotels to curate one-of-a-kind suites.
These one-off creations are a complete immersion in a designer’s imagination.
Matthew Williamson Suite at La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel (Mallorca)
Matthew Williamson’s lively colours and playful designs frame the suite he designed at La Residencia, a stunning Belmond hotel hidden away in the artist’s village of Deià in rural Mallorca.
“Deià is one of the places where I feel most creative” said Williamson, who designed a suite that is more like a private house, with striking wallpaper, upholstery and furniture.
Coco Chanel Suite at Ritz Paris
Coco Chanel didn’t design the Coco Chanel Suite at the Ritz Paris. However, she started staying at the hotel during the 1920s and lived there from 1954 to her death in 1971.
Ritz Paris later dedicated a suite to their famous former guest. It’s filled with Chanel’s original sketches, beloved objects and furniture. The shape of the suite’s high windows is even said to have inspired the No5 perfume bottle.
The Royal Suite by Gucci at The Savoy, London
Guccio Gucci was a luggage porter at The Savoy in London. Exposure to the elegant guests and their luxurious luggage was the inspiration for him to start a leather goods company in Florence, or so the story goes.
A century later, the Gucci fashion house transformed The Savoy’s Royal Suite into a the Gucci world, clad head to toe with furniture, furnishing and decoration from the Gucci Décor Collection.
Sir Paul Smith Suite at Brown’s Hotel, London
The classic British designer meets the classic old-world London hotel, with Paul Smith personally designing the suite bearing his name at Brown’s Hotel.
Grand Piano Suite by Diane von Furstenberg at Claridge’s
Velvet and silk dominate this two-bedroom suite by couturier Diane von Furstenberg, who has a long history of collaborations with Claridge’s. Most of the suite’s artwork comes from her own collection too.
Karl Lagerfeld’s Les Grandes Apartments at Hotel de Crillon
Karl Lagerfeld’s final interior project was the two royal apartments of Hotel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel.
They are not apartments with Lagerfeld’s touch, but an insight into his life.
Creation and construction took five years. All photographs are the designer’s own camera work. There’s even a room in black and white stripes, dedicated to his cat Choupette, with a carpet designed to mimic cat scratches.
Stay in a Hotel or Suite From a Fashion Designer
These hotels and suites reveal the mind and imagination of some of the world’s most celebrated designers.
Or perhaps you prefer a hotel that is completely suited to your own personal style and imagination.
Either way, we are here to provide personal advice about hotels all over the world, to give recommendations depending on the feeling you want from each particular holiday.
