7 Tiny Hotels Leave Room to Dream
Art, history, and fantasy are fellow guests at these small hotels.
1. Firm: Giovanni Cagnato and Humusstudio and TomoArchitects.
Project: Conconct Milano.
Styling:Chiara dal Canto.
Standout: Each firm was tasked to “concoct” its ideal digs for short or extended stays, resulting in such one-of-a-kind features as a dining area in an iron cage.
2. Firm: Ministry of Design.
Project: Loke Thye Kee Residences.
Location: George Town, Malaysia.
Standout: Landmarked shophouses from 1919 have been revitalized as duplex suites with original ceramic floor tile and, a contemporary adaptation, latticework in CNC-cut MDF.
3. Firm: Gilles & Boissier.
Project: Chess Hotel.
Location: Paris.
Standout: Set on the lobby’s chessboard floor in black and white Italian marble, wing chairs in birch resemble kings or queens ready to make their move.
4. Firm: Dimorestudio.
Project: Casa Fayette.
Location: Guadalajara, Mexico.
Standout: While an art deco 1940’s mansion houses public spaces, a new tower contains guest rooms and suites mixing European forms with Mexican colors.
5. Designers: Scott King; Jim Lambie; Jonathan Monk; Scott Myles
Project: Progetto Lira Hotel.
Location: Turin, Italy.
Standout: What began as an installation at a gallery has morphed into an immersive experience, with buyers of limited-edition artwork eligible to stay overnight.
6. Firm: Stonehill & Taylor Architects.
Project: Renwick.
Location: New York.
Standout: F. Scott Fitzgerald once worked in this building, where guest rooms are now modeled on artist’s studios complete with a “paint-splatter” carpet pattern.
7. Firm: Commune and Maurer Architecture.
Project: Durham Hotel.
Location: Durham, North Carolina.
Standout: Behind a restored facade, a 1969 bank’s mid-century spirit lives on via Scandinavian-esque furniture and carpet and tile patterns à la Anni Albers.