The 5 Best Designed Holiday Destinations in the World

As designers of breath-taking buildings across the globe, we are often asked about the holiday destinations that inspire us. Around the world, there are thousands of beautiful buildings, but if we could only ever travel to a select few holiday destinations, these stunning examples of supreme architecture would be on our list.

Gilpin Lake House Jetty Spa, Lake District, England

For years, now, Gilpin Lodge has been one of the Lake District’s most charming places to stay, and its gentrified tranquillity has been replicated in the design and aesthetics of its sister creation, six-suite Gilpin Lake House. Located a few miles from Lake Windermere, the Jetty Spa sits in the rural idyll of the Lake House’s garden, nestling on the edge of Knipe Tarn. Made up of a series of wooden buildings, the Jetty Spa has a rustic, Scandinavian appeal which complements the natural beauty of its surroundings. Guests can go on a ‘spa trail’ through the trees which line the lake, from a private, heated, indoor pool, to a suite offering spa treatments in front of a roaring fire. Fur throws are draped over massage beds offering stunning views across the water, and an outdoor hot tub and quaint boat house offer further pleasures.

Hôtel Eugène en Ville, 6 rue Buffault, Paris, France

Hôtel Eugène en Ville is inspired by enigmatic 19^th century French novelist Eugène Sue, a moustache-touting intellectual. The extravagant dandy enjoyed a meteoric rise to fame after releasing The Mysteries of Paris, a tale about the dark underbelly of the city. The hotel replicates the author’s famous baroque style, using stunning black and gold ceiling lamps, gilt detailing, cabinet de curiosités, and bathrooms inspired by gentlemen’s fitting rooms, with valet stands, darkened mirrors and velvet armchairs, to create an atmosphere of gothic decadence. Rococo wallpaper adorns the walls of the Cantine d’Eugène, a traditional French bistro where vintage movies are projected onto nine LCD screens. Located on the 9^th arrondissement, the home of Opéra Garnier and Galeries Lafayette, the 66-room hotel is a dream location for those looking for culture, elegance and beauty combined.

Skiathos RX, Sporades, Greece

Skiathos is the glamorous star of pine-fringed Sporades, and the glass fronted Skiathos RX peeks out of the hot, evergreen forest. From afar, it is a pale beacon; up close, it is an architectural marvel. The modern interiors are so sleek that they’re almost austere, cool and sparkling in the heat of the day. The outside is simply stunning. Featuring a vast wooden deck with a palm-thatched barbecue, fire pit and open-air home cinema, it is one of those places that you could stay forever. It not only boasts architectural, but also natural, beauty. At sunrise, seagulls swoop down from the sky, floating on pale wings above the 75-square-metre infinity pool, as though they, too, are admiring it. At dusk, the sun seems to melt into the sea in a dramatic show of red and orange, which floats on the waves awhile, before melting into the sea.

Banyan Tree Batu Bay, Ordos, Inner Mongolia

Batu Wan has a singularly climatic appeal, its seasonal rhythms allowing for the creation of unique features, from outdoor fire pits surrounded by amphitheatre-esque built-in seating, to roof lounges offering spectacular sunset views and open bathing experiences with stunning views across the arid Mongolian landscape. This luxury desert destination incorporates everything from a speciality restaurant featuring a sunken wine cave, to a water sports activity centre and a riverboat to the hotel. Viewing platforms, delightfully illuminated, stand just above the waterline. They’re so breath-taking, that we guarantee that once you come home, you’ll be tempted to recreate the look for yourself, with LEDs strategically placed around your pond or patio. Offering 40 villas and 20 guestrooms, this luxury desert destination is simply stunning.

Suján Rajmahal Palace, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

The palace of Suján Rajmahal is, quite simply, astounding. An 18^th-century palace and Persian pleasure garden, it will re-open this November as a luxury hotel. Owned by the royal family of Jaipur, it is one of the city’s oldest, and arguably most beautiful, palaces. Built in the early 1720s for the Maharaja, it was one of the favourite abodes of Indian royals for hundreds of years. Most recently, its archaic walls have hosted the Queen and Prince Philip, Jackie Onassis and Lord and Lady Mountbatten.

A hotel since the 1980s, it features a contemporary take on palatial Indian style. Recently refurbished and restored to its former glory, it combines modern and traditional decorations in stunning yet tasteful shades of pink and green, red and orange, with exotic patterns and extravagant detailing. Although original features from the Mughal era have been preserved, the pale exterior is now more reminiscent of English Georgian architecture, with select Art Deco features. Colonnaded porches run along the front and back, and delightful gardens reside behind shell-pink walls and stone balustrades, hiding swimming pools surrounded by palms and masses of exotic flowers. For heaven on earth, simply step inside.