Berlin, Design Hotels, a global collection of over 300 visionary, design-led properties worldwide, proudly presents Designed to Stay: The Design Hotels Book, a captivating exploration of how innovative architecture, cultural authenticity, and creative vision redefine contemporary hospitality, inviting travelers to immerse themselves in spaces that foster meaningful connections and unforgettable experiences.
Capturing the essence of contemporary hospitality and design as championed by Design Hotels, the book features a curated collection of properties, each reflecting its surroundings and the individuality of its creators. At its core, DESIGNED TO STAY is a celebration of the Originals — the visionary architects, designers, and artists who breathe life into these spaces. Their stories are woven throughout the book, told through stunning photography and thoughtful essays from a distinguished group of writers.
Featured writers and their topics include:
- Oliver Jahn, who explores the hidden narratives within architecture in his essay, “The Whisper of the Steps: What Spaces Tell Us (and Conceal).”
- Kissa Castañeda, who delves into how a sense of peace is built through elements of design in “The Design of Stillness: a Language of Texture, Light, and Presence.”
- Nicola Leigh Stewart, who discusses how true hotels are built to create a full sensory experience in “Why True Hotels Speak to the Senses.”
- Alexis Dornier, who frames the entire hotel journey as a unified work of art in “From Arrival to Departure: The Hotel as Cinematic Gesamtkunstwerk.”
- Christina Ohly Evans, who writes on how spaces intentionally shaped with care can foster genuine cultural connection in “In Spaces Shaped by Care, Culture Becomes Second Nature.”
- Sarah Owen, who examines the role of hotels as vital hubs for cultural exchange in our digital world in “Cultural Infrastructure for the Connected Age.”
- Eleni Petaloti, who focuses on how design creates a tangible, emotional experience for the guest in “The Static Performance: Designing for Felt Experience.”
- Arman Naféei, who highlights the crucial role of mood and atmosphere in defining a hotel’s unique character in “The Pulse of a Place: Why Ambiance Is the Secret Sauce.”
“Every hotel is a testament to the Originals—the owners, designers, architects, or artists—behind it, to their teams who breathe life into their spaces, to the locals who enliven our sense of hospitality, and the travelers who join us when the table is set. More than just a book, the following pages offer a moment outside of time”, says Stijn Oyen, Managing Director of Design Hotels™. Stijn Oyen is available for interviews to discuss the book and the future of design-led hospitality.
The book’s stunning visuals are brought to life by celebrated illustrator Monja Gentschow who states about the inspiration for her cover design: “For the cover, I painted three canvases and combined them into one motif: a drink with feet in the water at sunset, THE feeling of relaxation on vacation. A black coffee with a boiled egg and a city view, for me the basis of a wonderful morning, anywhere in the world. And the view of the mountains, a time out in nature. Three scenes that, for me, together define the ‘Art of Pausing’.”
