In this photograph of mine, taken at Castel Frasburg, the glass does not separate two worlds, but rather connects them. The reflection of the mountain blends with the interior, transforming the landscape into part of the architecture. It is this dialogue between place and design that unites all the examples featured in this article.
Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco was named the No. 1 resort in Europe and No. 1 in Italy at the 2026 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards. Nestled in the heart of the Val d'Orcia, this medieval village-turned-resort blends hospitality, architecture, landscape, and local culture, reaffirming its status as one of the most iconic destinations in Italian luxury.
Contemporary hospitality is no longer measured solely by comfort or exclusivity. At Shebara, on the Saudi Red Sea coast, luxury takes shape through design: a balance of architecture, innovation, landscape, and environmental responsibility that redefines the guest experience.
Field Notes from the Principality: hotels that resemble private residences, spas overlooking the Mediterranean, signature cocktail bars, and beach clubs designed by leading fashion houses. This is how Monte Carlo reinterprets contemporary luxury today.
Orient Express Venice restores new life to Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, transforming a 15th-century Gothic mansion into a project that combines restoration, design and cultural hospitality in the heart of Cannaregio.
With the Thebe Magugu Suite and the new Magugu House, Cape Town's Mount Nelson interprets one of the most interesting trends in contemporary hospitality: the transformation of hotels into cultural platforms capable of telling the story of the area through design, art and creativity.
In Cortona, the Baracchi family has transformed a historic estate into a hospitality ecosystem where wine, wellness and sustainability coexist in an authentic tale of contemporary Tuscany.
