When it comes to matters of taste, fashion designers tend to be more discerning than most. This is why, when someone in fashion recommends an under-the-radar, family-owned hotel on a craggy Italian isle (see Roger Vivier creative director Gherardo Felloni’s pick), you know it’s worth the trek. For this group, it’s all in the details, whether it’s the striped cabana cushions at Villa Feltrinelli (“perfection” in the eyes of Carolina Herrera creative director Wes Gordon) or the cinematic nature, per Thebe Magugu, of Cape Town’s Mount Nelson, a Belmond Hotel. (“I feel like a character playing a role whenever I stay,” he says.)
In celebration of peak out-of-office season, here, 18 fashion designers share their very favorite hotels around the world.
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Esencia
Xpu-Ha, México
Esencia is an absolute dream—my boyfriend and I have spent some of the most beautiful and romantic days there. From the rooms to the food to the beach, everything is perfection. —Ludovic de Saint Sernin
Photo: Courtesy of Post Ranch Inn
Big Sur, California
I was recently brought to the Post Ranch Inn as a surprise and it was possibly one of the most magical places I have ever been. Mornings spent hiking the redwood trails, warm afternoons spent poolside amidst the the fog of high elevation clouds. Dinners watching the sunset over the oceans to the song of night owls. Pure bliss. The very best place to unplug. —Aurora James
Photo: Courtesy of Passalacqua
Lake Como, Italy
The minute I step out of the car at Passalacqua, I literally feel myself slip into a different energetic frequency. Everything is better, bouncier, brighter, and more beautiful. It’s so hard to get the mix right at a high-end hotel these days. Most people don’t understand that a truly luxury experience means one-of-a-kind and grand but still small enough that it feels home-y, cozy, and personal. Passalacqua is a blend of the very best of Italy—the beauty, the food, the craftsmanship, the joy, the thousand sensations, which is all down to Valentina and her family. I think she really had a vision of the non-stuffy, non-traditional Como hotel. I mean, who else would have approached a brand like La DoubleJ—wild, a little wacky, with prints that honk very loudly—to work with her on designing the pool area, bar, and glasshouse lounge at the foot of her grand villa? —J.J. Martin
Passalacqua in Lake Como, for me, encapsulates the spirit of what I define as the art of a well-dressed life. An effortless elegance permeates the villa—from the architecture, interiors, and color palette to the gardens and mesmerizing view beyond. From the moment I visited, I was captivated—and the hotel even inspired my latest vacation capsule, Emilia Wickstead x Passalacqua. —Emilia Wickstead
Photo: Courtesy of Belmond
Cape Town, South African
Of course, my favorite hotel is the Belmond Mount Nelson in Cape Town. I do some work with them but also can’t bear to stay anywhere else because of its cinematic appearance. It quite literally looks like the type of hotel you would come across in a Wes Anderson film, and as someone who appreciates camp and pomp, I feel like a character playing a role whenever I stay there. The gardens are whimsical, the service is precise, and the staff and teams are the loveliest people you will ever meet. It all culminates in one not wanting to leave. It’s called the Mount Nelson Hotel but many refer to it as “The Pink Lady” or “The Nellie.” —Thebe Magugu
Photo: Courtesy of Il Pellicano
Porto Ercole, Italy
My favorite hotel is Il Pellicano in Porto Ercole. What I love the most about it is the feeling of being out of time in a kind of floating place. True escapism. —Margherita Maccapani Missoni.
Photo: Courtesy of Nemacolin
Farmington, Pennsylvania
My absolute favorite hotel in the world is Nemacolin—a really magical spot in the Laurel Highlands outside of Pittsburgh. The spa can only be described as life-changing, and the scenery is like something out of a storybook—they get the best of all seasons. The owner, Maggie Hardy, has such an extraordinary vision for the property and has brought Wiederhoeft on board for projects like redesigning the staff uniforms and costuming a massive immersive holiday village last year. It’s so inspiring to see the multidisciplinary approach to hospitality—the team is always outdoing themselves. —Jackson Wiederhoeft
Photo: Courtesy of GoldenEye
Oracabessa, Jamaica
GoldenEye in Jamaica. We go twice a year. It is all about a feeling. There is nothing like sitting in the lagoon at the end of the day, to us. —Catherine Holstein
Photo: Courtesy of Blackberry Farm
Walland, Tennessee
Blackberry Farm is such a special place for me. It’s beautiful and cozy, and everyone is so wonderful. I have fond personal and family memories there. Each time I visit, I leave with such a feeling of warmth and connection. —Brandon Maxwell
Photo: Courtesy of The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel
New York, New York
One of my favorite hotels in the world is The Carlyle, I love it! I imagine it’s a glimpse of what New York might have been like a long time ago… it’s almost like stepping back in time. The last time I stayed there I had a room that was more like an apartment. I could have moved in. Also they have the best (dirty vodka) martini in Bemelmans Bar. —Erdem Moralıoğlu
Photo: Courtesy of Villa Feltrinelli
Lake Garda, Italy
Paris, France
It would be a tie between Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda in Italy and Hotel La Réserve in Paris. Both have the magical ability to transport you to another world upon entering. The pool at La Réserve is my favorite way to exercise after a busy Parisian day, and the cabana-striped cushions on the steps of Villa F. are perfection. —Wes Gordon