Best hotels in Europe 2023, from boho chic to Art Deco design
Whether you’re looking for a romantic weekend getaway or a longer holiday for all the family, a European trip is the way to go.
There are plenty of great hotels on offer, but if you’re after somewhere extra special to stay, you’re in luck, as the past year or so has seen the unveiling of a dazzling bunch of new and revamped European hotels, including a dolce vita-inspired legend and several slick new city kids on the block.
From a boho chic property in Lisbon and a sophisticated wellness resort in Greece, to an Art Deco beauty in Prague and a French 18th-century property in the heart of Burgundy’s wine region, these hotels all offer something rather special.
Passports at the ready, and get scrolling for some of the latest European hotels to book for a cool and chic stay.
The best hotels in Europe in 2023:
Best hotel for a hipster city break: The Hoxton, Poblenou, Spain
Best hotel for families: La Zambra Resort GL, Spain
Best spa hotel: Isla Brown Corinthia Resort & Spa, Greece
Best hotel for luxury: Cali Mykonos, Greece
Best hotel for wellness: One&Only Aesthesis, Greece
Best hotel for affordability: Mama Shelter Lisboa, Portugal
Best hotel for couples: The Julius Prague, Czech Republic
Best hotel for foodies: Hotel La Palma Capri, Italy
Best hotel for art and design: Sommerro, Norway
Best hotel for vineyard location: COMO Le Montrachet, France
Best hotels in Spain:
Best hotel for a hipster city break: The Hoxton, Poblenou
Location: Barcelona
Offering cool-cat design and lively social hangouts at prices that won’t break the bank, the Hoxton Hotels group has amassed a legion of loyal fans. One of its most recent addresses is aâ¯240-room property in Barcelona’s arty Poblenou district – a traditionally Catalan neighbourhood where tech start-ups, craft breweries and concept stores have all sprung up in recent years.
Abstract woven wall tapestries, subtle floral touches and natural fern-green and biscuit tones masterminded by Ennismore Design Studios give stylish bedrooms a gently whimsical feel. In addition to the familiar roster of room categories, ranging from “cosy” through to “biggy”, come new “homey” rooms, with their own lounges and kitchenettes – ideal for longer stays and larger groups.
Not only is the Sagrada Familia just a 15-minute walk away, guests can enjoy killer views of Gaudi’s architectural wonder while enjoying tacos and margaritas from the hotel’s hip rooftop pool.
Best hotel for families: La Zambra
Location: Mijas
Another hotel icon and jet-set magnet is the La Zambra, previously the Byblos Hotel, a historic property half an hour from Marbella’s beaches. When it launched in the mid-1980s, Byblos quickly drew an A-list crowd, with the likes of The Rolling Stones and Princess Diana checking in during its heyday.
In the summer of 2022, the 197-room property was reborn as La Zambra – a new addition to the Marugal Hotels portfolio (which includes the ritzy Cap Rocat and Torralbenc hotels) – and sporting a top-to-toe zen look created by Mallorcan father-and-son architectural studio Esteva i Esteva.
Artful bedrooms pay homage to contemporary Andalusian style, with soft cappuccino, sand and pistachio hues, wooden touches and bespoke furniture. Terraces have sweeping views out to the Sierra de Mijas mountain range, while two neighbouring golf courses give you room to roam. As well as being a golf haven – there are a dozen courses close by – La Zambra has three swimming pools, a gym, yoga and pilates studio, tennis courts, wellness centre with 10 treatment rooms and a kids’ club to keep little ones entertained.
Best hotels in Greece:
Best spa hotel: Isla Brown Corinthia Resort & Spa
Location: Agioi Theodoroi, Corinthia
Well-known for a clutch of trendy boutique hotels in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Athens, Brown Hotels’ Isla Brown Corinthia Resort & Spa is less than an hour’s drive from the Greek capital on the picturesque Corinthia coast.
A slick, curved building with views out to the shimmering Saronic Gulf, it’s a sculptural, modern project designed by Elastic Architects, comprising 166 rooms and 110 bungalows, with eye-catching curved details in bedrooms and communal spaces. Eschewing the bold colour palettes the brand’s known for, the seaside resort favours relaxing white-on-white rooms with occasional blasts of colour.
There’s a spacious beachside swimming pool, as well as a rooftop bar and private beach. There’s also a watersports centre, to keep adrenaline junkies happy, with windsurfing, kayaking and flyboarding on hand – plus a high-end spa for those who prefer things more relaxed.
Best hotel for luxury: Cali Mykonos
Location: Kalafatis, Mykonos
For those looking to push the boat out on their next beach holiday, coastal escapes don’t get much more stylish than this 40-villa hotel on Mykonos, with its own private beach. Tucked between two mountains on the rugged eastern side of the island, the sensitively constructed, striking sugar-cube villas sit atop old stone walls, with views out to the glittering Aegean Sea from a discreet pool terrace.
Roofs are planted with lavender and prickly pear, while, inside, interiors show off natural, sustainable materials, local marble, and beds with eco-friendly Coco-Mat mattresses.
Plus, there’s an impressive 110m river-shaped saltwater infinity pool, a Mediterranean restaurant, sushi bar and a state-of-the-art spa. Yachts and speedboats linger offshore to whisk guests out to neighbouring Tinos and Paros on a whim.
Best hotel for wellness: One&Only Aesthesis
Location: Athenian Riviera
Greece really has been upping its game when it comes to hotels, and adding flair to the coast outside Athens is One&Only Aesthesis. The big-hitting wellness resort brand revived a landmark site on Glyfada’s exclusive beachfront, with the aim of recreating the sophistication of the Riviera’s heyday in the Sixties and Seventies.
The 21-hectare estate allows guests to truly get back to nature, with beach and forest to explore, and Athens, the Parthenon and masses of ancient history just 25 minutes’ drive away.
Natural stone and timber details complement the breathtaking blue hues of the ocean, and design features riff on aspects of Greek mythology, including fire and water.
As well as a nostalgia-fuelled beach club, innovative kids’ club and top-notch restaurants, most of the secluded villas have their own pool – sure to attract the odd A-lister looking for a private escape.
Best hotels in Portugal:
Best hotel for affordability: Mama Shelter Lisboa
Location: Lisbon
Known for its cheeky and affordable crashpads, French brand Mama Shelter brings its signature sass to the Portuguese capital, with a 130-room property set between hip Principe Real and swanky shopping street Avenida da Liberdade.
Mama Lisboa pays homage to Lisbon, inside and out, with a Viuva Lamego-tiled facade, columns decorated with Bordallo Pinheiro fish ceramics and wave-patterned carpets inspired by the Tagus River. Boho-look bedrooms pair straw lampshades, colour-pop pillows, cork-framed smart TVs and leafy ceramics with a kooky pop culture reference or two, as well as organic, plastic-free toiletries.
There’s also a rooftop bar for porto tonico sunset toasts, which segue into Portuguese-meets-French brasserie suppers, accompanied by twinkling fairy lights and DJs spinning chillout tunes, plus a pizzeria, cocktail and coffee bar.
Best hotels in Czech Republic:
Best hotel for couples: The Julius Prague
Location: Prague
Famed coffee pioneer and the brand behind Austria’s upmarket food emporium, Julius Meinl am Graben (the Viennese answer to Fortnum & Mason), the Meinl family has added a fresh string to its bow with this first foray into hotels.
Launched in the Czech capital in spring 2022, The Julius Prague is a gorgeous 168-room pad inside an Art Deco building, reimagined by Italian architect Matteo Thun & Partners. Interiors have a restful, autumnal palette (inspired by the works of celebrated Czech artist Alphonse Mucha) and give “a feeling of home” with soft orb lighting, comfy beds topped with eco-conscious Quagliotti linen and refillable toiletries. Most have living rooms behind oak-panel dividers, and many have fully mod-conned open-plan kitchens, too.
Communal spaces include a bistro restaurant and laid-back lounge (ideal for co-working), and there are electric car-charging points on site.
Best hotels in Italy:
Best hotel for foodies: Hotel La Palma Capri
Location: Capri
After a dose of la dolce vita? About as high-end and haute as it gets, Capri’s first and oldest hotel – Hotel La Palma – reopened in June 2023, joining the likes of Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc, The Lanesborough and Le Bristol Paris in the rarefied, international Oetker Collection.
Sporting a seriously fresh new look, the storied Mediterranean property continues its 200-year-long tradition of attracting the great and the good to 50 exclusive rooms and suites, all with alluring white and aquamarine-accented interiors and their own balcony or terrace, designed by Francis Sultana.
Just moments from the vibrant Piazzetta – the island’s most fashionable square – Hotel La Palma’s restaurants, under the culinary direction of acclaimed chef Gennaro Esposito, includes Gennaro’s for authentic Italian feasts; a rooftop restaurant and bar (Bianca); a new pool deck and bar, and an upmarket spa.
Best hotels in Norway:
Best hotel for art and design: Sommerro
Location: Oslo
Oslo’s design-led hotel scene has been a slow burn – first came The Thief in 2013, known for its eclectic modern art,⯠then in 2019 Amerikalinjen brought a touch of funky nautical-chic to the Norwegian capital, and this hotel comes from the brand that has masterminded both: Nordic Hotels & Resorts.â¯
Sommerro, in Oslo’s West End, has 231 rooms set inside the striking former HQ of electrical company Oslo Lysverket, and is Norway’s biggest conservation project to date. A multi-million pound renovation saw the 1930s building transformed into a hotel, which reads like a love letter to Norwegian design, and features works from acclaimed artist Per Krohg, including a wall fresco and ceiling mural throughout the property.
Bedrooms, ranging from cosy lofts to vast suites, feature Art Deco details, oak parquet floors and hand-knotted rugs, with the most swish rooms kitted out with Murano glass chandeliers, four-poster beds, and dusky pink marble bathrooms with deep tubs.
Home to four restaurants – including an outpost of popular Nordic-Japanese restaurant Tak, helmed by Frida Ronge, and To Sostre for tasty Smorrebrod (open-faced sandwiches) accompanied by live classical music – they use hyper-local ingredients, and offer experiences with a sustainable focus. With a trio of bars, and the city’s first year-round rooftop pool, it’s an all-round crowd-pleaser.
Best hotels in France:
Best hotel for a vineyard location: COMO Le Montrachet
Location: Puligny-Montrachet, Cote-d’Or
Much to the delight of fans who like to slumber in style, wellness guru COMO – known for its purpose-led ethos and high-end spa offering, with spoiling properties from Bali to Bhutan – has recently made its French debut in the heart of Burgundy’s wine region.
Taking over and transforming the Hotel Le Montrachet, the 18th-century property sits across four heritage buildings, which ring a charming courtyard in Puligny-Montrachet. There are 30 rooms and suites to choose from, designed by Italian interiors whizz Paola Navone. Through its insider connections, COMO can also arrange unrivalled behind-the-scenes access to the area’s Grand Cru vineyards, too.
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