THE LOOK
If these walls could talk… they’d have to hire a lawyer first. The iconic Chelsea Hotel has artistic, rock’n’roll folklore in its foundations. Patti Smith, Andy Warhol, Dylan Thomas, Jackson Pollock, Madonna, Jack Kerouac – all have called it home. But like any party gal, Chelsea got tired and in 2022 reopened after 11 years of renovation. Spruced up by the team behind The Bowery, she maintains her louche magnetism, via velvets, jewel tones and chandeliers. In keeping with the bohemianism enshrined in Chelsea lore, inspirations are eclectic – a bit India, a bit fin-de-siècle Paris, a bit English country house. Art deco antiques co-exist with mid-century gems. 

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Try tiger print! The exotic cat adds a dash of decadence to even the most suburban of homes. The artistic might try their hand at a bit of a mural – frescoes adorn the Chelsea’s check-in space. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £473pn; hotelchelsea.com

THE LOOK
Mid-century modern meets white sands. Gabriella Khalil, creative director of Palm Heights, sees it as a ‘reboot of the Caribbean’s glory days’. The luxury boutique hotel is an antidote to the cut-and-paste jumbo resorts that had long dominated the Caymans. Working closely with designers Sarita Posada and Courtney Applebaum, vintage pieces have been sourced from flea markets around the globe. Plus, don’t miss on-site shop Dolores, which highlights Caribbean design talent alongside exclusive collaborations with the likes of Gohar World and Christopher John Rogers.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
It’s all in the mix: Pierre Paulin, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Gijs Bakker. Tap into the gently kitsch, ’70s jet-set style via raffia accents, wicker furniture and low-slung armchairs.  

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £469pn; palmheights.com

THE LOOK
Mexican modernism meets Japanese minimalism. Nestled in lush jungle on the edge of a luminous lagoon, these eco-conscious treehouses in the Yucatán Peninsula are designed by award-winning Mexico City architect Frida Escobedo. Soothingly pared-back rooms toy with bringing the outdoors in. Furniture is handcrafted by local artisans using recycled materials.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Less is more. An infinity pool in the jungle might be the stuff of pipe dreams, but IRL take a cue from Boca de Agua’s screen-free rooms and strip your space of superfluous distractions. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £238pn; bocadeagua.com  

THE LOOK
Mediterranean with Moroccan nuances. Once owned by Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé, the coastal Moroccan villa is now in the hands of interiors icon Jasper Conran. ‘I will never forget that first sensation of coming off the narrow Tangier streets and into the villa’s green and shady courtyard, full of banana and palm trees,’ he says. Conran has achieved elegance in simplicity. ‘Here, you are not walking into a Moroccan palace,’ says Conran. ‘It is like a house you might have once found in 1940s South of France.’

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
A reminder that simplicity and minimalism are two different things. By keeping the palette pared-back, decorative details – from 1930s lighting to Roman busts – make even more impact. Comfort is paramount, as are local traditions (handmade bejmat and zellige glazed clay tiles) and Moroccan-made furniture. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Suites from £384pn; villamabrouka.com

THE LOOK
A masterful clash. In downtown Austin, the indie capital of Lone Star state, design doyenne Kelly Wearstler serves up an artfully curated mix of styles, drawing on its Texan identity without cliché (think works by local artists, an earthy south-western palette and textures, vintage furniture and so on). It might sound chaotic, but Wearstler’s meticulous eye – she knows when to go in and when to pull back – makes for a modern, maximal space that feels at once elegant and interesting.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Let go of matchy-matchy. A patchwork of mismatched tiles in The Proper’s Peacock restaurant is a clever idea (try in a downstairs loo if you’re feeling nervous). Soften sculptural minimalism with tactile accents; Wearstler has carpeted a monolithic wooden staircase with antique rugs. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £467pn; properhotel.com/austin 

THE LOOK
Supremely chic – but in a languid, easy way – the Tuscan coast’s cliffside hideaway Il Pellicano has seen the likes of Sophia Loren and Jackie O stay (Harry Styles and EmRata have graced the iconic yellow-and-white striped towels in recent years); its bougainvillea-sprayed terraces have been photographed by Slim Aarons and Juergen Teller. Old-school glamour that feels relevant now, it’s as classic and refreshing as a negroni.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Thankfully, the Pellicano Group’s charismatic CEO Marie-Louise Sciò has made it easy with her 2020-launched brand, Issimo. ‘A virtual treasure chest overflowing with Italianità,’ it has a broad selection of hotel souvenirs, from towels to ashtrays and Nordic Knots’ Campbell-Rey designed Climbing Vine rug, reimagined in terracotta exclusively for the Pellicano.

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £873pn; hotelilpellicano.com

THE LOOK
Power lunch at Spago, shopping on Rodeo Drive and a $12 juice at Erewhon? All in walking distance! The perfect base for indulging your LA fantasy life – and from the people behind Claridge’s and the Connaught, expect nothing less than Oscar-winning service. Top-notch luxury is offset with a laid-back Cali twist; breezy guestrooms and suites maximise that famous West Coast light.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Lend tactility to pale tones by mixing up textures (bouclé, marble and wood). The Maybourne’s art collection champions Californian names; your budget might not extend to Ed Ruscha, but consider it a reminder to shop local. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £709pn, maybournebeverlyhills.com

THE LOOK
In a word? Red. Lots of it. The Rajasthani haveli is 10 miles east of the so-called pink city. The work of Marie-Anne Oudejans, Barbara Miolini and Vikas Soni, the striking scarlet space is a jewel box of a property that draws on an exchange of cultural influences. Maharajan splendour meets Diana Vreeland’s Manhattan apartment.

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Calling all vermillionaires – bring Villa Palladio’s boldness home with you. Dare to go all-in with red. Soften the pack-a-punch primary with pinks and white – or keep it to colour-pop accents. Layering slightly different shades of the hot, hot hue softens the effect without sacrificing the impact. 

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £358pn; villa-palladio-jaipur.com

THE LOOK
The St Andrew Square outpost of the feted Perthshire golf resort, the Townhouse gives that Gleneagles grandeur a city-ready spin – deftly translated by sibling-run design studio Paskin & Associates. Housed in a former bank, expect curtained four-posters and velvet and scalloped banquettes that pay homage to tradition without being beholden to it. 

THE TAKE HOME DETAILS
Rethink the mirrored ceiling. No longer the preserve of a retro playboy’s bedroom, find them in rooftop cocktail bar Lamplighters. A clever way to create the illusion of more space in your pad. See also: sage green and blush pink.

THE SMALL PRINT
Rooms from £495pn; gleneagles.com/townhouse