Continuing our review of 2019, Sabina Sohail selects the top 10 hotels of the year including a spa in the Sharjah desert and a hotel built within an abandoned quarry in China.


Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Jungle Keva hotel, TulumDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Jungle Keva hotel, Tulum

Jungle Keva Hotel, Mexico, by Jaque Studio

Located in Tulum, the interiors of this hotel features palm leaf-lined ceilings and wooden fixtures and furnishings – taking cues from its verdant surroundings.

Jungle Keva is made up of four 50 square-metre guest lodges, which have been dotted throughout a tree-filled plot of land to create an atmosphere of “being in a small village in the Mayan jungle”.

Read more on the Jungle Keva Hotel ›


Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Al Faya Lodge by Anarchitect, photography by Fernando GuerraDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Al Faya Lodge by Anarchitect, photography by Fernando Guerra

Al Faya Lodge, UAE, by Anarchitect

Anarchitect transformed a pair of stone buildings, originally built half a century ago, into this five-room boutique hotel and saltwater spa located in the Sharjah desert.

Each room has its own star-gazing skylight, while the master suite has its own private roof terrace.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Studio 10 designs M.C. Escher-inspired guesthouse in ChinaDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Studio 10 designs M.C. Escher-inspired guesthouse in China

Dream and Maze, China, by Studio 10

Studio 10 created an MC Escher-inspired look for two of the guest rooms within a hotel in Guilin, China, which is comprised of several differently themed rooms.

The rooms, which are described as a “hideout from the bustling world” by Studio 10, have maze-like stairways and optical illusions that are designed to trick the eye.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Monteverdi Tuscany boutique hotel by Michael Cioffi and Ilaria MianiDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Monteverdi Tuscany boutique hotel by Michael Cioffi and Ilaria Miani

Monteverdi Hotel, Italy, by Ilaria Miani

Old, crumbling structures located in a hamlet in Val d’Orcia, Tuscany, were restored over a 14 year period to form the 29-room Monteverdi Hotel. It also has a restaurant, culinary academy and spa.

Rome-based artist and interior designer Ilaria Miani designed the interiors to contrast between contemporary and rustic.

Read more on the Monteverdi Hotel ›


Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019

Barefoot Luxury, Cape Verde, by Polo Architects and Going East

Polo Architects and Going East paired cobbled stone walls with neutral interiors to camouflage 12 guest villas against Cape Verde’s rocky terrain.

To ensure guests have maximum exposure to sweeping sea views and natural daylight, each building was arranged around a central outdoor patio that comes complete with a pool and kitchen area.

Read more on Barefoot Luxury ›


Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Quarry hotel: Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental Hotel in China by Jade+QADezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Quarry hotel: Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental Hotel in China by Jade+QA

Shimao Wonderland Intercontinental, China, by Jade + QA

Jade + QA designed a 337-room hotel that descends 16 storeys below ground level in an 88-metre-deep abandoned quarry near Shanghai.

Described by the architect as a groundscraper, the steel-framed building is attached to the cliff on one side, with rooms wrapped around the walls of the quarry. A “glass waterfall” structure contains the hotel’s observation lifts.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019

The Opus, UAE, Zaha Hadid Architects

Set in the Burj Khalifa district, the cube-shaped hotel was designed by the late Zaha Hadid.

It was built from two 100-metre-high towers that are joined by a four-storey atrium at ground-level and an asymmetric sky-bridge to create an irregular void at its centre.

Read more on The Opus ›


Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Heckfield Place hotel by Ben ThompsonDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Heckfield Place hotel by Ben Thompson

Heckfield Place, UK, by Ben Thompson

The interiors of Heckfield Place combine the grandeur of a Georgian manor with the informality of a modern farmhouse.

Built within an 18th-century country house, the hotel sits at the heart of a 430-acre estate and features two restaurants, spa facilities, an underground cinema, and a farm where natural produce and flowers are grown for guests.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Casa Popeea boutique hotel by Manea KellaDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Casa Popeea boutique hotel by Manea Kella

Casa Popeea, Romania, by Manea Kella

This 11-room boutique hotel was on the verge of collapsing until Manea Kella transformed restored it with contemporary details that combine with the house’s art-nouveau details.

Some original features were restored, including a grand oak staircase, original mouldings and terrazzo by specialist craftsmen.

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Dezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Interiors of Wuyuan Skywells hotel, designed by anySCALE Architecture DesignDezeen's top 10 hotels of 2019: Interiors of Wuyuan Skywells hotel, designed by anySCALE Architecture Design

Wuyuan Skywells, China, by Anyscale Architecture Design

This 300-year-old building that once served as an inn for merchants and a refuge for Chinese soldiers was converted into a boutique hotel that features a series of spaces designed to “capture the essence of a bygone era”.

Located in rural China, the hotel was restored to respect and honour of the local architecture history with the help of local artisans.

Read more on Wuyuan Skywells ›

https://www.dezeen.com/2019/12/26/top-10-hotels-2019/