The Blueprint of Luxury Hospitality Design Trends

News and Insights

The Blueprint of Luxury Hospitality Design Trends

October 29, 2025

Hotel development is surging. According to Top Hotel Projects, of more than 8,000 projects in the pipeline globally at the start of 2025, close to 3,000 were due to begin welcoming guests before the end of the year, proving that high design, innovative concepts, and luxurious living are a priority for both consumers and developers alike.

There is, for instance, Cape Grace, set on a private quay bestride the V&A Waterfront and a yacht marina in Cape Town, with a subterranean bar, a Jacuzzi-appointed penthouse suite overlooking Table Mountain, and contemporary artworks and ceramics by local artists and artisans. There is the ultra-luxury superyacht-inspired resort Jumeirah Marsa Al Arabin Dubai, designed by Shaun Killa, the architect behind the much-Instagrammed Museum of the Future, featuring 11 restaurants, four bars, a three-storey Talise spa, and a superyacht marina, all complementing its maritime-inspired architecture. Additionally, the heights of luxury can be experienced at Eriro, a classic Alpine chalet at 5,100 feet in the Tyrolean Alps of Austria, with just nine suites, modern interiors, and wood consciously reclaimed for ceiling paneling from a rundown inn that formerly occupied the site.

And there are thousands more hospitality design trends.

The Gilded Age Returns

Among motivations currently driving hotel choices for younger-ish travelers is a yearning for days gone by, observes Caroline Keane of FINN Travel in New York. "As Millennials grow into their own spending power, the idea that they lost key parts of their lives during the pandemic has created a yearning for things they don't even realize they're nostalgic for."

The result? A generation less drawn to "sexy" hotel stays that, while luxurious, can feel interchangeable across the globe - and more inclined toward properties that are deeply rooted in their destinations, incorporating local design, vendors, and culturally immersive experiences. That said, high-end amenities and modern conveniences remain a top priority for Millennials, no matter the location or style of stay.

Among eagle-eyed properties that have invested in appealing to such audiences is The Palace Hotel Madrid, a newly renovated Luxury Collection address surrounded by the UNESCO-accredited Landscape of Light district and the Golden Triangle of Art in the heart of the Spanish capital. While the 114-year-old hotel has all the trappings for travelers ages 50+, it has seen a huge uptick in Millennials whose travel yearnings see them gravitating towards the hospitality industry's most revered institutions, icons, and legends.

The same is holding true at Çırağan Palace Kempinski Istanbul, a grand dame, if ever there was one, overlooking the Bosphorus Strait in the international city straddling Europe and Asia. A recent, comprehensive redesign has brought the Ottoman Imperial Palace into a new era, blending its rich heritage with modern elegance while gilding the guest experience with amenities such as the seasonal C Baroverlooking the Bosphorus and a redesigned Sanitas Spa with a private hammam. Çırağan also introduced a Historical Corridor to cater to modern travelers while celebrating its past with immersive, professional guide-led tours. Tours end with special sherbet at the Historic Hammam, which has been meticulously preserved and is otherwise closed to the public.

While Rixos Tersane Istanbulhas drawn from the local area for inspiration, the new property is the focal point of a development to transform the historic Ottoman naval shipyards into the beating heart of the famous city. The property has incorporated a number of shipyard elements into the design while its interior decoration blends history, culture, and art, with historic ships taking center stage in the lobby and old artifacts on display, bringing the area's history to life.

In sunny SoCal, The Langham, Huntington, Pasadena, Los Angelesis set to unveil an extensive renovation to enhance the grandeur that has epitomized the hotel since 1907. The transformation will balance the property's heritage with a sleek, modern aesthetic in guestrooms and suites, restoring the Lanai Pool - California's first outdoor Olympic-size pool upon its debut in 1926 - with design that celebrates Hollywood's golden age, and enhancing both the iconic Horseshoe and Japanese Gardens bordering the famed Huntington Botanical Gardens. The hotel also recently unveiled a new historical gallery, opened the door for a new Tap Room Art Series spotlighting contemporary works in partnership with The Resin Collection, and is transforming one of its eight historic private cottages into a recording studio through partnership with Sony.

"This is a great example of how renovations can go beyond making things look nice to fashioning design concepts that move the needle on innovative guest experiences," says Aubrey Mobilia of FINN Travel in New York, adding, "It takes more than new upholstery to get buzz these days."

Sustainable Stays and Abiding Design

That lesson was not lost on Cannery Pier Hotel & Spain Astoria, Oregon, which recently created a Hall of History in partnership with The Clatsop County Historical Society to inform guests about canning in the region and spotlight the city's Scandinavian culture and legacy as the "Salmon Fishing Capital of the World." Further south along the coast, Tu Tu' Tun Lodgein Gold Beach eschewed a new wing or tower to focus its recent renovation instead on the addition of a dozen Glass Cabins with private patios and outdoor soaking tubs nestled in nature, as well as glass treatment rooms in a creek-side spa.

On the Greek island of Santorini, Santo Mine Oia Suites, one of three conscientiously sustainable properties of Santo Collection, recently achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The certification was born of a range of considerations including use of carefully selected natural materials, among them locally sourced stone, to minimize the hotel's environmental footprint and ensure seamless integration into the volcanic terrain. Unobstructed openings frame panoramic views of the Aegean Sea; arched enclosures provide senses of shelter and continuity between interior and exterior spaces; and green roofs and light-colored surfaces reduce heat absorption, aiding in climate control.

Strikingly immersive design is key to the experience of Mandarin Oriental Qianmen, Beijing. Newly opened in 2024 in the cultural heart of the city, the hotel is really more of a neighborhood, with rooms located within siheyuan courtyard houses dating from the Ming Dynasty that are scattered among hutongs, or alleyways, where they share space with area residences. "The entire property supports the revitalization of the alleyways while giving back to local residents," says Vivian Pau of FINN Travel Hong Kong, who notes that guests are accommodated alongside local homes and shops, and upgrades to the neighborhood included rewired electricity, a rebuilt sewer system, and more. "It's community-based hospitality with design that draws people in."

Another property that encapsulates its destination is PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering, which embodies Singapore's eco-conscious spirit through acclaimed biophilic design, featuring over 50 varieties of exotic greenery. Its vertical garden façade not only offers striking visual appeal but reduces heat, improves air quality, and promotes urban biodiversity. Measurements taken through advanced tool ENVI-met showed that green areas in the hotel are 1.5 to 2.9°C cooler than nearby streets and adjacent buildings. Its rooftop garden offers panoramic city views while serving as a natural insulator. Inside the hotel and out, guests are surrounded by lush trees, palms, flowering plants, and cascading vines, all carefully positioned to thrive in Singapore's climate.

Download the New TrendHawk for Insight into Hospitality Design Trends

DOWNLOAD

• Share this page on Facebook
• Share this page on LinkedIn
• Share this page on Twitter

• TAGS:

• Luxury
• ,
• Travel & Tourism