Design & Architecture

Boutique Leadership Defined: BLLA’s 2025 Board of Advisors

The Boutique & Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) is delighted to announce its 2025 Board of Advisors, a distinguished assembly of leaders and innovators from the boutique hospitality industry. This esteemed group will guide BLLA’s mission to champion and support the boutique lifestyle movement as it continues to expand its influence globally.

IHG Launches Atwell Suites in Greater China

On November 22nd, IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) launched its new exquisite lifestyle brand, Atwell Suites, in Greater China. Using “new territorial home” as the core design concept, Atwell Suites is dedicated to offering a high-quality experience for young guests seeking an exquisite lifestyle, and creating a living space with aesthetic value, emotional value and spiritual value. It also offers a new choice with excellent returns for hotel investors through a high premium and low cost business model.

BLLA Welcomes New Premier Vendor Partners, Elevating Boutique Hospitality Experiences

The Boutique Luxury Lodging Association (BLLA) is proud to announce its newest vendor partnerships, expanding its network of innovative, forward-thinking partners who are helping to shape the future of boutique hospitality. Since June 2024, BLLA has welcomed a diverse range of vendors offering exceptional services and products tailored to the unique needs of independent hoteliers worldwide.

Accor (unpacked): 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central, Building a Legacy by Connecting Communities with a Holistic Ecosystem of Experiences Rooted in Local Heritage

Building on the success of our first episode, the Accor (unpacked) video series returns to uncover more captivating stories from our hotels and brands through the voices of our teams. In this episode, we discover Ennismore’s 25hours Hotel Dubai One Central with Mehdi Khei, General Manager and Sanela Vuckovic, Restaurant Manager at the Nomad Day Bar. It’s now their turn to share meaningful items from their luggage – a book from the hotel’s spectacular library and a pack of Nightjar coffee beans from the Nomad Day Bar – as symbols of the way the hotel builds a unique legacy, based on local connections, cultural diversity and a special sense of community.

The Mille Club: Two Rocco Forte Hotels in One Incredible Trip to Italia

Known to many as the Eternal City, Rome has an uninterrupted history spanning two and a half thousand years. Apart from incredible historical sites, Rome has some of the world’s finest luxury hotels, often carved out of grand palazzos that once served members of the royal court of the Papal elite, and all of them adorned with opulent finishings and fine art.

Spotlight: Curio Collection by Hilton Delivers Remarkable One‑of‑a‑Kind Stays in Former Banks, Railroad Stations & More

In this edition of Spotlight, we’ll learn more about Curio Collection by Hilton by peeking inside The Candler Hotel Atlanta. The hotel is a great example of what makes this Hilton brand so special, as many Curio Collection properties are built inside one-of-a-kind, historic buildings in the world’s most sought-after destinations. 

Design Hotels Accelerates Global Portfolio Growth with Milestone Signings

Design Hotels, the community-driven portfolio of nearly 300 independent hotels, announced 29 signed agreements and 10 percent growth of its global portfolio within the last 12 months. From the under-the-radar Black Sea coast of Batumi, Georgia, to the bustling, residential neighborhood of Tribeca, New York, each of the new and upcoming Design Hotels properties embodies the values of the brand and the singular vision of the property owner.

The Progressive Luxury Hotel Evolution in Focus with EAST Hotels

The 21st century has already seen immense changes in how people travel and their demands for hotel services and amenities. In focus here is the growth, evolution and diversification of the luxury segment, wherein we recently sat down with the team behind the rebranding of EAST Hotels, a hotel brand that’s emblematic of this modern dynamic and the aspirational nature of travel for the 2020s and beyond. EAST Hotels has launched three hotels in Beijing, Hong Kong and Miami, with several more in the pipeline on multiple continents.

Phuket Transforms Into Global Luxury Lifestyle Destination as High Net Worth Residents Flock to the Island

Phuket has changed dramatically in recent years. Fringed by the Andaman Sea, the tropical oasis has evolved from a popular beach resort destination into one of the world’s most attractive luxury residential markets, with elite luxury consumer brands, Michelin-dining and international quality education and medical care fueling the interest.

Accor (unpacked): Domaine Reine Margot Paris Issy – MGallery Collection, Curating Unique Guest Experiences by Celebrating Its Rich Heritage

With an unrivalled global hotel network and portfolio of 45+ brands delivering unique experiences and value, Accor is dedicated to cultivating the essence and unique identities of its brands and destinations. Accor unveils a new video series Accor (unpacked), exploring the fascinating stories of our hotels and brands through the voices of our teams, highlighting how they are shaping their legacy over time, connecting people and places and bridging past, present and forward-thinking vision to shape the hospitality of the future.

onion expands nature-inspired resort with pool villas atop thai mountains

Interior design and architecture studio Onion completes the second phase of Sala Khao Yai in Thailand and expands on the original resort, incorporating three types of villas: a three-bedroom Pool Villa, two Pool Villa Suites, and two Pool Villas. Situated on a mountaintop, the design of the development offers sweeping vistas of the country’s National Park. The masterplan prioritizes the orientation of buildings, maximizing natural light, wind flow, and views of sunrise or, in the case of the three-bedroom Pool Villa, a 360-degree panorama.