After a grim winter, months of lockdown and a lack of Vitamin D it is only normal for us to dream of our European summer get-aways. Whilst it still remains unclear if this is possible this year, it does have us dreaming and researching the very best interior hotel destinations around Europe.
Bijou Plage Hotel
Starting in France, it’s very hard not to dream about Bijou Plage Hotel in Cannes. Designed by the French architect Rashid Rivani ,otherwise known on Instagram as Arrivani, this beach restaurant embodies everything of a European summer. This beach chic restaurant pays close attention to every detail and uses natural materials to create a sophisticated yet relaxed interior. Using Terrazzo as the choice of stone, this strong and sustainable material resembles to that of sand, establishing a connection to the surrounding material. We love Arrivani’s detailing of the Terrazzo on the walls, skirting’s and columns bringing a sophistication to the beach style restaurant. The relaxed interiors are established through the clever detailing of the bamboo, which we see detailed differently throughout, from wall sconces, to ceiling panels, mirror frames and wall details. With no hung art in sight, the interiors has art drawn on the walls and ceiling, taking a very unique approach, one that certainly works well. We love the pop of yellow in the furnishing bringing some brightness to this very neutral material palette.
Hôtel Les Roches Rouges
Next up, and also in France, is Hôtel Les Roches Rouges, a seaside sanctuary along the Mediterranean designed by the renowned Parisian architecture firm Festen. The 1950s/early-1960s structure was reworked, stripping away the unnecessary ornamentation and bad renovation from the 1980’s and 1990s to “emphasize the clean nautical-modernist lines of classic French Riviera architecture. Broadened windows, clean modernist lines, and materials like polished concrete and Opus Incertum harken back to the classic French Riviera style of the mid-20th century.”
Decorated with a discrete eye, these rooms are inspired by the concept of a “holiday on the coast”. Each room brags historic, custom-made pieces by local carpenters including vintage furnishings and miscellaneous objects and art. The interplay between the seaside beach interiors and the mid-century furniture and materials results in a truly spectacular space.
Hotel Le Sud
Further away, on the French Riviera, we’ve been eyeing out Hotel Le Sud, in Antibies. Designed by Stéphanie Lizée, this ultra chic and instagrammable hotel was designed to reflect the region's laid-back ambience. The resulting interior captures the essence of summer in the South of France with its white plastered walls, terracotta floors, wicker furniture and citrus-hued stripes.
Lizée explains the concept: "We have revisited the stylistic codes of the south with subtlety:the sandstone, the terracotta, the stripes, the rattan, interact with objects found in the surroundings and custom-designed furniture, mostly made by local craftsmen," she continued. "The spirit of the South is here both revisited and modernized, without ostentation or caricature."
Both the palette and the graphic elements in the Hotel were inspired by mid-20th century French artists like Pablo Picasso, Fernand Leger, Jean Cocteay and the ceramicists of Vallauris. These influences were also adopted by artists Franck Lebraly, who designed the hotel’s logo, the murals, and the artworks in the rooms.
Cretan Malia Park
Greece is on the top of our holiday wishlist and this sustainable family resort in Crete is everything you can dream of and more. The Cretan Malia Park takes a holistic approach to wellbeing, with a focus on slow-paced living, and a lush outside world.
The hotel’s modernist structures were constructed in the late 1980s by Antonis Stylianides, who once worked with Bauhaus legend Walter Gropius. In 2018, Cretan Malia Park was fully renovated by Vana Pernari, who used assorted colours, materials, and styles from multiple design eras, while still maintaining a strong Cretan identity.
“Swaying palms, Indian figs, and banana trees are part of an exotic garden that serves as a strong reference point and a dynamic architectural element that animates the property.”
Murals artistically bring the nature of Crete inside the living spaces and serve as main focal points for the interior design. The natural wood textures and earthy tones in the suites are contrasted with the polished copper and geometric tiles. The time to visit this relaxing and sustainable hotel has never been more appropriate after what has been one of the most stressful years yet.
Dexamenes Seaside Hotel
Last, but certainly not least, Dexamenes Seaside Hotel located on the west coast of mainland Greece showcases an industrial piece of architecture against the beautiful coastline.
This abandoned wine factory conversion by the visionary K-Studio has won numerous awards and distinctions for its unique design.
Dexamenes is an architectural slice ofGreek trading history on the mainland’s western Peloponnese coast. The abandoned wine factory, set directly on the sea, comprises of wine tanks that have been minimally restored to preserve their original industrial feel, out of respect of the history of the place and for sustainability reasons. The new design complements the brutal silos with elegant interventions transforming the interiors into a place of calm through the interconnection of the surrounding environment.
In addition to repurposing the building envelope, many elements such as coffee tables are made of original blocks of concrete taken from the wine tanks, and reclaimed bricks made of clay that are now on the floor of the restaurant. This is a truly unique setting in Greece. A spectacular display of history and industrial design has us itching to go visit as soon as we can!
Tell us…
Which hotel are you most excited to go visit and why? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below!
