The new properties span Japan, Italy, Portugal and the United States. Together, they demonstrate different approaches to preserving local character while introducing contemporary hospitality concepts.
United States: Palisociety expands the portfolio
This year, 18 properties from American hospitality brand Palisociety joined Design Hotels. This marks the network’s largest portfolio expansion through a single move to date.
Behind Palisociety is Avi Brosh, a Design Hotels Original who founded the group in Los Angeles in 2008. He continues to shape its creative direction. Rather than applying one standard design concept across its hotels, the group develops each property individually. Each design responds to its specific location.
One recent opening, The Hôtel Lili, occupies a discreet setting in Beverly Hills, Los Angeles. The 44-room property combines residential charm with Parisian elegance and richly layered interiors. As a result, it offers an intimate alternative to the neighbourhood’s polished glamour.
Looking ahead, Palihotel Palm Springs will add another property to the group. The 116-room hotel is scheduled to open in spring.
Italy: contemporary design in the Tuscan countryside
In Chianti, Chapter Chianti brings a bold design approach to a restored 17th-century borgo. The property sits among more than 50 hectares of vineyards, olive groves and rolling hills. It is also just 45 minutes from Siena.
Designer Tristan du Plessis combines historic architecture with clean contemporary lines. Custom lighting, striking textures and expressive art create an urban art-hotel atmosphere in the Tuscan countryside.
Dining centres on soulful Italian cuisine at Osso. Guests can also visit the vibrant Main Bar. Meanwhile, the 500-square-metre F.A.R.M Social spa introduces a contemporary approach to wellbeing. The hotel also offers experiences connected with the surrounding region. These include truffle hunting, wine tastings and cooking classes.
Japan: hospitality supporting local regeneration
In Matsumoto, Matsumoto Jujo contributes to the regeneration of the hot spring town of Asama Onsen. The literary-inspired property occupies the site of a former ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, amid the Northern Alps.
The development comprises two distinct hotels. The first, Matsumoto Honbako, occupies the original inn. Its dramatic interiors provide a backdrop for furniture by designers including Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen and Isamu Noguchi.
The second property, family-friendly Koyanagi, is a new construction. It features tatami mats on wooden floors and folk art by artists including Samiro Yunoki and Umetaro Azechi. Every room also has a terrace with an open-air bath.
Two restaurants showcase local ingredients. Dining 367 offers a wood-fire experience and a Japanese fusion menu that tells the story of the Shinshu region. Italian Alps Table provides another dining option.
Beyond its accommodation and restaurants, Matsumoto Jujo includes a bookshop, lifestyle store and bakery. It also features an Edo-period bathhouse with three hot springs. Samurai once reserved these baths for their own use.
Further south, Hotel Koo Otsu Hyakucho follows a similar commitment to local regeneration. The sister property to Matsumoto Jujo reflects owner Totu Iwasu’s mission to revitalise lesser-visited Japanese towns.
Otsu lies just two stations from Kyoto. Historically, the town served as a key stop along the Tokaido route. Today, the hotel occupies seven restored machiya houses across different streets. Moreover, part of its revenue goes to nearby shops and artisans.
The interiors combine traditional architecture and craftsmanship with unexpected colour palettes. Modern Scandinavian furniture and lighting complement the historic buildings. Designers represented include Finn Juhl, Hans Wegner and Nanna Ditzel.
Breakfast at Omi restaurant centres on unagi chazuke, a regional favourite featuring eel. However, the hotel does not offer dinner service. This encourages guests to support local restaurants and businesses.
The setting offers a calm atmosphere close to nature. Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, lies around a 10-minute walk away.
Portugal and the United States: heritage meets contemporary hospitality
In Comporta, Spatia Comporta reinterprets traditional cabanas and rural Alentejo buildings through contemporary design. The 39-room resort spreads across a preserved pine forest estate.
Winding paths connect low-rise, thatched-roof buildings among the trees. Inside, clean lines and natural materials create a restrained aesthetic. Warm woods, stone and soft linens complement off-whites, sand, muted greens and terracotta.
Rattan and jute feature in the chair
s, rugs and lighting. Meanwhile, regional cork and locally made ceramics provide decorative details. The overall approach keeps the surrounding landscape at the centre of the experience.
Wellness activities range from yoga to padel and tennis. Guests can also use two heated pools and borrow bicycles. These provide access to the well-known sandy beaches along the Atlantic coast.
Dining continues the connection with the region. The signature Mediterranean restaurant, ŌRA, serves freshly caught seafood cooked over charcoal. Its menu also includes dishes inspired by Alentejo cuisine, with service extending from day into evening.
In Providence, United States, Neptune occupies a renovated 1912 building. The hotel belongs to Ash, a US-based design and hospitality group known for reimagining historic properties as vibrant hotels. Its location also places guests moments from Providence’s major cultural attractions.
The restoration retained original features, including the building’s brick façade. At the same time, the design references Providence’s merchant maritime heritage. It also acknowledges the site’s past as a notorious inn that later operated as a bordello.
Throughout the property, Shaker simplicity meets industrial heritage-chic. Curated antiques and custom-designed furniture complete the interiors. The rooms feature crisp white walls, muted textiles and bespoke artworks.
The lobby centres on an inviting café. Guests can also visit Mémère’s, a French restaurant with a soulful approach to dining. An intimate cocktail lounge serves ice-cold martinis. In addition, The Boombox offers a karaoke bar for late-night entertainment, drawing inspiration from karaoke rooms in Korea and Japan.
Across these destinations, the latest Design Hotels members bring different interpretations of place-led hospitality. Their projects range from the regeneration of lesser-visited Japanese towns to the restoration of historic buildings. Others introduce contemporary design into rural landscapes while retaining connections with local architecture, culture and food.
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