Multiple Regions Art & Culture, Beaches, Cities, Countryside
The Design Edit: Inspiring new spaces in luxury travel
The Design Edit | SAKA | Night Ambience
Across continents, a new wave of design-led spaces – from sculptural lodges and museums to off-grid retreats – is reshaping the way we experience beauty, place and stillness
In an era when luxury design is less about spectacle and more about connection, these seven new destinations offer proof that thoughtful architecture can be both grounding and transformative. From Finland’s forests to Chile’s desert, each space reflects an evolving dialogue between nature, culture and craft — where design deepens our sense of place rather than distracting from it.
Sanctuary in stillness – Mornington Peninsula, Australia
Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula isn’t short on luxury lodgings – but few are as quietly compelling as The Sanctuary at Alba. Designed by Kate Walker of Mt Martha’s KWD, the new accommodation at Alba Thermal Springs & Spa swaps flash for flow: soft-hued interiors, sculptural simplicity and native bushland views that do the talking. Set atop the 15-hectare property, five freestanding villas and two studios slip almost invisibly into the landscape. Inside, the palette is pale and whisper-quiet, with natural materials grounding each space in place and season. This is design for decompression – a place where architecture follows mood, not trends. Guests move between thermal pools, steam rooms and spa rituals at their own pace, or retreat entirely to their villa decks for sunset solitude. It’s a study in stillness, framed by thoughtful design.
Stargazing goes next level – Capertee Valley, Australia
Pisces and Ophiuchus are the latest additions to Bubbletent Australia’s celestial collection in the Capertee Valley of NSW – and they’ve redefined off-grid luxury. Set on a remote ridge overlooking the world’s second-largest canyon, the new domes come with queen beds that rotate beneath the stars, private alfresco bathrooms topped with transparent domes and Swedish hot tubs tucked under native trees. Ophiuchus captures both sunrise and sunset from its elevated treehouse perch, while Pisces ups the romance with a netted daybed suspended between canopies. Interiors are stocked with thoughtful touches – from marshmallow kits to iPads loaded with stargazing apps – and the tents are powered by a cutting-edge geothermal system to ensure the sustainability of this fragile ecosystem. But the real magic lies above: here, with zero light pollution, the Milky Way glows like a cosmic river. When you’re not tracing constellations, light up the Bushbuck kitchen or settle in by the firepit and toast to the stars.
Reed magic – Hook Island, Whitsundays
A bold new chapter is unfolding in the Whitsundays as Hook Island prepares to unveil an upscale sustainable lodge crafted by visionary firm Luxury Frontiers. Slated to open in 2027, this eco-retreat will rise from a cyclone-battered past to embody ‘barefoot luxury’ through biophilic design and sculptural, low-impact architecture that blends seamlessly into its reef-fringed terrain. Inspired by the island’s vibrant marine life, the interiors will echo forest greens, coral reds and ocean blues, with each of the six accommodation types offering a unique sensory immersion. Think clifftop fine dining with Stingray Bay views, forest-spa rituals, and an arrival pavilion with soaring lines that mirror the island’s rugged contours. Led by Epochal Hotels’ Glenn Piper, the project places conservation at its core, from cyclone-resistant modular builds to tree-sensitive site planning.
Bali beauty – Bali, Indonesia
Bali has its fair share of architectural gems, but SAKA Museum might just be the island’s most striking. Forget bland white cubes – this bold cultural space at AYANA has just been named one of the World’s Most Beautiful Museums 2025 by Prix Versailles, joining the likes of the Grand Palais and Kunstsilo. With jagged stonework, sharp lines and elemental textures, SAKA channels ancestral wisdom into sculptural form. Inside, high-concept exhibitions like Kasanga: Nyepi and The Five Elements use sound, scent and light to reframe Balinese cosmology for a new generation. It’s immersive, intelligent and impossible to forget.
An Italian revival in Portofino
Perched above Portofino’s shimmering bay, Villa Beatrice has emerged from a meticulous restoration as the crown jewel in Belmond’s portfolio. Originally built in 1913 by visionary architect Gino Coppedè, the clifftop villa fuses art nouveau fluidity with gothic revival grandeur. Now reimagined by Martin Brudnizki Design Studio, its interiors blend storied elegance with a lived-in intimacy. Think Vienna straw-inlaid furniture, Albisola ceramics, frescoed ceilings and scagliola-finished surfaces, layered with locally sourced antiques, and custom Italian textiles. Original geometric murals and Graniglia alla Genovese floors have been lovingly restored, while the palette – terracotta, pink, sage – channels Ligurian coastlines. The villa’s whimsical torretta delivers panoramic views from Paraggi to Cinque Terre, while lush gardens tumble to the sea below. With five suites, private plunge pools, and exclusive sea access, Villa Beatrice is a masterclass in heritage design and Italian villeggiatura – a romantic retreat rich in history, craftsmanship and natural beauty.
Art among the vines – Yarra Valley, Australia
Victoria’s TarraWarra Museum of Art just got a serious glow-up. Enter the Eva and Marc Besen Centre – a bold, sculptural expansion by Kerstin Thompson Architects that proves regional doesn’t mean rustic. Carved into the contours of the Yarra Valley, the new building blends form and function with brutalist curves, horizon-framing apertures and warm, earthen textures that nod to the surrounding vineyards. This is architecture with attitude. Designed to host performances, installations and boundary-pushing programs, the new wing doubles down on TarraWarra’s mission to fuse art with place – and to do it beautifully. Think more room for big ideas, bold works and a better flow between the gallery and the landscape.
Where the desert meets design – Atacama Desert, Chile
Tierra Atacama has always offered front-row seats to the otherworldly beauty of Chile’s Atacama Desert. Now, it’s doing it in serious style. Fresh from an AU$30 million redesign led by Tierra Hotels founder Miguel Purcell, the lodge reopens with bold architecture, immersive views and interiors that reflect 10,000 years of local heritage. Walls of glass frame the cinematic drama of the Licancabur Volcano and Andes ranges, while sculpted stone, raw timber and handwoven Andean textiles create a tactile link to place. The redesign respects the rhythms of the land and its people – the Inca and Aymará descendants of San Pedro de Atacama – while dialling up the design sophistication for today’s discerning adventurers.
Explore more design-led spaces in other editions of The Design Edit – including our latest features on global architecture and sustainable design.
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