Around the World Through Design:
My Favorite Hotels in Europe
source: Jules Pansu; Jules will be exhibiting at EquipHotel Paris, taking place from 2 to 5 November 2026 at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
Paris, Saint-Tropez and Zurich through the lens of architecture, interiors, art and the details that make a place unforgettable.
Travel has always influenced the way I look at real estate. When I arrive somewhere new, I notice the architecture first. Then the proportions, materials, lighting, furniture, art and landscaping.
I notice how a room flows, where the eye naturally goes, and whether a space feels simply decorated—or genuinely considered.
Some hotels understand this exceptionally well. They are more than places to sleep. They create a complete sense of place and often leave me with ideas I bring home with me.
Here are a few European favorites that do exactly that.
La Fantaisie
There is something wonderfully unexpected about La Fantaisie.
Set on Rue Cadet in Paris's 9th arrondissement, La Fantaisie takes the idea of a Parisian garden and carries it throughout the property—from its interiors and courtyard to its rooftop and spa.
The interiors were conceived by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio , while French architecture practice Petitdidierprioux transformed the existing building.
Botanical references, patterned ceilings, saturated greens, warm yellows, decorative mosaics and beautifully layered materials create an interior that feels sophisticated without becoming overly formal.
La Fantaisie proves that luxury doesn't have to mean beige, restrained or predictable. Pattern can coexist with elegance. Even a ceiling can become one of the most important design surfaces in a room.
Architecture: Petitdidierprioux
Landscape Design: Agence Christophe Gautrand
Style: Parisian eclectic, botanical, colorful and layered
Perks: Courtyard garden, rooftop, spa, baths, sauna, hammam and fitness facilities
Visit La Fantaisie →
Brach Paris
If La Fantaisie is botanical Parisian fantasy, Brach Paris is something entirely different.
Located in Paris's 16th arrondissement, Brach occupies a former 1970s postal sorting center that was transformed through the imagination of Philippe Starck .
Starck brings together references to 1930s architecture, modernism, Bauhaus, Dada, Surrealism and Art Brut, then layers them with influences from Africa, Asia and South America.
Wood, leather, concrete, glass, marble and metal sit beside vintage furniture, sculpture and unexpected objects. It feels collected rather than decorated.
Brach illustrates something I particularly appreciate in residential design: a sophisticated home doesn't need to belong to one prescribed style. What makes eclectic design successful is not matching—it is composition.
Original Building: Former postal sorting center
Style: Eclectic modernism with global, vintage and Art Brut influences
Perks: 22-meter swimming pool, sports club, thermal facilities, sauna, steam room and rooftop garden
Visit Brach Paris →
Bagatelle Saint-Tropez
Not every favorite destination needs to be a hotel.
Bagatelle Saint-Tropez belongs on my list because the experience itself is part of the design.
Located in Ramatuelle near Pampelonne Beach, it captures the relaxed, social spirit of the French Riviera through Mediterranean food, outdoor dining and an environment designed around spending an afternoon rather than simply having a meal.
There is a wonderful lesson here for outdoor living. The best terraces don't feel like rooms that happen to be outside. Architecture, landscaping, furniture, textiles, table settings and atmosphere all work together.
It is an idea that translates beautifully to California real estate—particularly Malibu, Santa Monica and Napa, where outdoor spaces can be as important as the interiors.
Experience: French Mediterranean dining, wine and outdoor living
Perk: Guests arriving by sea can contact the restaurant regarding boat-valet service
Visit Bagatelle Saint-Tropez →
Mama Shelter Zurich
Mama Shelter Zurich approaches design with humor.
The hotel is part of the revitalized Oerlikon One complex, a striking high-rise whose history reaches back to the Brutalist architecture of the late 1960s and early 1970s.
Its contemporary transformation combines the building's architectural character with Mama Shelter's playful interpretation of Switzerland.
Alpine references, clock motifs, graphic artwork, warm wood and unexpected decorative elements create an interior that feels playful rather than thematic.
Good design doesn't always need to take itself seriously. A successful interior can reference its location without becoming obvious or literal.
Building: Oerlikon One
Redevelopment Architecture: Züst Gübeli Gambetti Architektur und Städtebau
Style: Contemporary, playful and eclectic
Perks: 178 rooms, restaurant, bar, garden terrace, event spaces and recreational areas
Visit Mama Shelter Zurich →
What Hotels Teach Me About Homes
The places I remember most rarely have the most expensive finishes simply for the sake of expense.
They have identity.
La Fantaisie understands pattern and color. Brach understands juxtaposition. Bagatelle understands indoor-outdoor living. Mama Shelter understands personality.
All four demonstrate something I see repeatedly in exceptional residential real estate: the best spaces create an emotional response before you have had time to analyze why.
A beautifully designed home works in much the same way as a beautifully designed hotel. Architecture establishes the structure. Interior design creates the character. Art adds individuality. Lighting changes the mood. Landscape extends the experience beyond the walls.
The difference is that a home gets to tell your story.
That may be one of my favorite things about both real estate and travel: discovering spaces around the world and bringing home ideas—not necessarily to copy them, but to understand why they work.
Luxury Real Estate Specialist
Compass | Beverly Hills
California DRE #02120134
