Quinta do Pinheiro
Algarve

It’s increasingly hard to find somewhere off the beaten track in the Algarve but Quinta do Pinheiro, a converted 19th-century farmstead, is one of them. Bordering the sandy dunes of Ria Formosa Park, this property is made up of five terracota-tiled cottages.

Lisbon-based architect Frederico Valsassina preserved key features of the buildings, such as their prominent chimneys, and used traditional materials including cane strips to create rustic living quarters.

A large water-storage tank once used by farmhands is now a pool. Each cottage comes equipped with a kitchen but Monocle restaurant favourite Noélia is a short drive east of the estate should you have a hankering for superb seafood.
quintapinheiro.com

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Stockholm Stadshotell
Stockholm

Built in the 1870s, this historic building at Björngårdsgatan 23 has been restored as a 32-key hotel with a lounge, a sauna and a cold plunge. “Many of the original details have been preserved,” says founding partner Johan Agrell. Stockholm Stadshotell also offers two restaurants, one of which, Matsalen, is in the former chapel. Chef Olle T Cellton dishes up contemporary Nordic fare, such as wood-grilled fish. “Matsalen is about cooking without ego,” says Agrell.

The rooms and suites are rendered in muted tones, with furniture by Swedish company Tre Sekel, Italian linens from Liv Casas and bathroom fixtures by Lefroy Brooks. “The property’s architectural significance made it a compelling choice for a hotel because it has a soul,” says Agrell.
stockholmstadshotell.com

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Chiemgauhof Lakeside Retreat
Bavaria

The Chiemgauhof Lakeside Retreat overlooks Lake Chiemsee, an untamed expanse of water nicknamed the Bavarian Sea. Halfway between Munich and Salzburg in Übersee, the property was acquired by hoteliers Dieter Müller and his wife, Ursula Schelle-Müller, in 2021.

Working with Milan-based designer Matteo Thun, they embarked on a major reconstruction. Thun conceived a contemporary barn built from larch, with oak-floored interiors and floor-to-ceiling windows that open up to the surrounding waters. In the restaurant, Maximilian Müller serves hearty Bavarian classics, while at the bar, Japanese chef Naoki Terai crafts sushi using fish caught from the lake.
chiemgauhof.com

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Hotel Humano
Oaxaca

The so-called Mexican Pipeline on the country’s southern Pacific coast attracts an international surfing community to the town of Zicatela. Steps from the break at Playa Zicatela, Hotel Humano has become a popular stop-off. Architect Jorge Hernández de la Garza developed his idea with design firm Plantea Estudio for Mexico’s Grupo Habita. The result is a striking building defined by brutalist concrete and terracotta-coloured tiles offset by native tropical wood. The lobby, which opens onto the street, allows the interior and exterior to merge seamlessly.

In Humano’s 39 guestrooms, handmade hazel-coloured tiles by San Pedro Ceramics nod to the 1970s, while ecru twill curtains divide the ocean-view suites. In the evenings, chef Marion Chateau of Marseille’s La Relève brings a refreshing fusion of French and Mexican flavours to the dinner table.
hotel-humano.com