This book seeks to offer a meaningful selection of outstanding recent projects that are altering the guidelines that obtain in hotel design, establishing fresh new ground for the dialogue between the traveler, the hotel and the place. A longstanding and inescapable part of the catenng trade as a whole is the permanent seesaw between the size of the business and the need to maintain a 'personal touch'. Among many professionals involved, hotel managers, architects and designers, not to mention the guests, concern has been growing for some time that the standardization and globalization of an itemized series of luxuries is accompanied by a sneaking suspicion that in the midst of evey imaginable comfort, something is missing besides the toothbrush...

With every generation past, there are a few icons that carve out a legacy of their own and set the bar for the rest of the industry.Iconic Design Hotels offers a glimpse into the some of the world"s best establishments, defined by their stunning designs and distinguished service.

Enter a world of designer accommodations and top-class amenities, where design is king and distinction rules. With exquisite photographs, comprehensive drawings and enlightening text, Icon/c Des/gn Hotels offers a glimpse into the hospitality icons of the twenty-first century that define the high life and are, in every sense, destinations of a lifetime.

Introduction

Jean Nouvel

matali crasset

Taller de Enrique Norten Arquitectos,SC (TEN Arquitectos)

Giorgio Palu & Michele Bianchi architetti

Fabio Novembre

King Rosselli Architetti

Forengn Office Architects (FOA)

Simone Micheli

German del Sol

Jestico + Whiles / Shell Architects-D3A Studio

Kisho Kurokawa

Eric Raffy & Associes

Kurt Hofmann

Ruy Ohtake

Pei Cobb Freed & Partners

Eva Jiricna Architects

Perkins Eastman

Jan Stormer Architekten

Auer + Weber + Achitekten

Jestico + Whiles/Ferrier Crawford

Carlos Ferrater - Alberto de Salas

Graft