Design Hotels

The new destinations for the design aficionados

- Patrick Hamilton Courtney​​​​​​​

ALILA YANGSHUO

Guilin, China

The lowdown A converted Sixties sugar mill set in the magnificent countryside.

Best for Design-conscious travellers seeking a pared-back oasis. Bypass the Great Wall, skip Beijing and head straight down to the south of China for Guangxi’s winding rivers, pagoda-dotted lakes and dramatic limestone landscape. Just outside of the ancient city of Guilin you’ll find Yangshuo, an area so picturesque it’s been a popular item on backpackers’ lists since the Eighties. Slightly off this well-worn path is Alila Yangshuo, a new wellness retreat flanked by tree-covered peaks that straddle a curve of the Li River. The hotel’s imposing architecture comprises a series of mid-century industrial buildings, with lofty public spaces that are a minimalist’s dream. Head to the subterranean spa for a black sugar scrub, take rock climbing lessons in the hotel’s gardens and dine on southern Chinese classics in Philip Zhu’s Sugar House restaurant. Alila’s pièce de résistance, however, is a pillar-lined lap pool looking out over the spectacular mountains and valleys beyond.

Book it Double rooms from 22,000 approx. Visit alilahotels.com/yangshuo for more info.

VILLA LA COSTE

Provence, France

The lowdown A contemporary cultural haven in the grounds of Château La Coste.