Love design? These hotels are ready to startle your eyes and drop your jaw.
A treasure trove of curios and resplendent decor await


There is a place for bare bones hotel rooms — just not on this list. These six accommodations are a feast for the eyes, with ornate woodworking, dramatic draperies, lavish wallpaper, gilded frames and other over-the-top touches. Stepping into each one feels like entering a human-sized jewel box.
Arq Pichola by The Leela Palace Udaipur, India
Gilded bathrooms are part of the charm of Arq Pichola
The Leela Palace Udaipur "needs no introduction," Elle India said, as it has "become synonymous with luxury, defining the very essence of grandeur." The property's newest collection of villas, Arq Pichola, offers the same ritzy experience, with expansive views of Lake Pichola. Deep blue lapis stones, gold-plated ceilings and brass-inlaid wooden floors are among the glittery design elements that pay homage to India, along with traditional Thikri art on the walls.
Maison Proust, Paris
Rich red curtains and gilded touches add to the ambiance at Maison Proust
Opulence is the polestar at Maison Proust. The hotel takes its inspiration from French writer Marcel Proust, with "lavishly furnished Belle Époque-style suites" and a "sublimely elegant salon/bar," Condé Nast Traveler said. Rooms are named after Proust's circle of friends and filled with "19th century paintings galore" and thousands of vintage books. The rich jewel tones and deep brocade add to the hotel's romantic feel, and in the spa, the "swoon-worthy Moroccan-style heated pool exudes unpretentious luxe at its best."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Mining Exchange Hotel, Colorado Springs
King corner rooms at the Mining Exchange Hotel offer great views of downtown Colorado Springs
The Mining Exchange Hotel offers a vintage take on elegance. More than a century ago, this was a stock exchange for precious metals and today it is a "glamorous addition" to the downtown Colorado Springs scene, FOX 21 said. Elements of its past are apparent in the rooms, from the exposed brick walls to vaulted ceilings, alongside new additions like warm leather furnishings and bold patterned wallpaper and bed frames. Every type of sleeper is comfortable; each room comes with two firm and two soft pillows.
Royal Mansour Casablanca, Morocco
Rooms at Royal Mansour Casablanca are a mix of colors, textures and patterns
A few steps from the Old Medina, in an Art Deco skyscraper, is the rejuvenated Royal Mansour Casablanca. Its "sheer splendor" can "feel a little overwhelming," Vogue said, but soon your eyes will "adjust to all that shimmer and all that marble." In the guest rooms, marble walls and rich wood paneling plus patterned rugs and drapes come together for a sumptuous look accented by "exquisitely lacquered wooden desks carved into elegant modernist curves" and "delicate glassware and ceramics created by local artisans in smoky caramels and golds." When you are ready for dinner, head to the elevators and go up to the equally swanky Le Sushi Bar and Le Rooftop.
The Maker, Hudson, New York
The Maker is a moody escape in New York
No two rooms are alike at The Maker. The 11 accommodations, spread across three buildings, have their own themes but are tied together by commonalities like rich woodwork, fireplaces, stained glass windows and original art. One standout is The Architect suite, which "could have been the apartment of some Bauhaus luminary," Travel and Leisure said. The "best part" of it is the "massive — like, swimming-pool sized — bathtub, made using two slabs of Roman black marble."
The Witchery, Edinburgh
The Witchery's room are downright bewitching
The Witchery offers maximalism at its finest. Each of the nine suites in this Edinburgh charmer feels like its own cabinet of curiosities, filled to the brim with antiques, tapestries, statues and baubles. Book the Inner Sanctum for an over-the-top experience, as you must "climb the stone turret staircase" to enter this accommodation "swathed in crimson, claret and port," Condé Nast Traveler said. Everything is grandiose, from the "claw-footed, roll-top bath" to the "huge four-poster bed made from an old church pulpit." The Witchery is also known for its baroque Original Dining Room and candlelit Secret Garden featuring a painted ceiling.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
George Floyd: Did Black Lives Matter fail?
Feature The momentum for change fades as the Black Lives Matter Plaza is scrubbed clean
-
National debt: Why Congress no longer cares
Feature Rising interest rates, tariffs and Trump's 'big, beautiful' bill could sent the national debt soaring
-
Why are military experts so interested in Ukraine's drone attack?
TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The Zelenskyy government's massive surprise assault on Russian airfields was a decisive tactical victory — could it also be the start of a new era in autonomous warfare?
-
How to go on your own Race Across the World
The Week Recommends The BBC hit show is inspiring fans to choose low-budget adventures
-
Ancient India: living traditions – 'ethereal and sensual' exhibition
The Week Recommends Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are explored in show that remains 'remarkably compact'
-
Art review: Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers
Feature Guggenheim New York, through Jan. 18
-
Bring the great outdoors inside with these 8 sublime cabins deep in nature
The Week Recommends Enjoy nature without having to sleep in it
-
The Chelsea Townhouse: London luxury feels right at home
The Week Recommends This boutique hotel strikes the right note between sophisticated and cosy
-
Floral afternoon teas to enjoy during the Chelsea Flower Show
The Week Recommends These are the prettiest spots in the city to savour a traditional treat
-
How to plan a (road) trip along the Mississippi River where the water isn't the only star
The Week Recommends See this vital waterway from the Great River Road
-
7 US cities to explore on a microtrip
The Week Recommends Not enough vacation days? No problem.