For some design studios, the key to creating a sui generis lodging experience is all about personality. Drawing on historic details, local culture, and pure imagination, these boutique hotels exude one-of-a-kind characteristics that result in a singular stay. Each was selected from the portfolios of firms on The List, the destination for all things Surface-approved.
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The lobby restaurant features the building's original limestone arches and wrought iron staircase. (Photo: Kip Dawkins)
The hotel's beds were designed using salvaged beams from the site. (Photo: Kip Dawkins)
The coffee bar features a site-specific work by artist Susie Ganch, while hallway runners were informed by Wilton rugs, which are found throughout Richmond. (Photos: John Gruen)
Each artwork in the hotel, including this loft suite, is from its owners's gallery, located nearby. (Photo: Kip Dawkins)
1. Quirk Hotel, Bristow | Proffitt Studio
The Quirk Hotel in Richmond, Virginia, is a place where Southern gentility and creative energy intersect. Its designers, Robert Bristow and Pilar Proffitt, celebrate the beauty of the historic building—a former department store that was built in 1916—while weaving in artful, offbeat details.
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The hotel features reproductions of 1920s Parisian bistro tables and antique wooden chairs. Bucolic oil paintings, handpicked by regional collectors, hang throughout the space.
A room filled with solid pine beds, made by local woodworker Dave Cummings, and hand-dyed French linen blankets by Brooklyn textile studio Sharktooth.
Inside, brass details add antique flair, while the hotel's exterior takes cues from nearby horse stables.
The lobby is designed to feel like a classic parlor with reclaimed white oak flooring and antique gilded mirrors.
2. Brentwood Hotel, Studio Tack
Brooklyn design agency Studio Tack bought a former motor lodge near a historic horse-racing track in Saratoga Springs, New York, to create a new kind of hospitality experience in the area. Classic architecture and equestrian motifs reflect local charm, while gilded antiques and artisan-made furnishings produce a Williamsburg-meets-Paris vibe.
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The design for the lobby bar, called Mister C, was informed by Alexander McQueen dress patterns.
Each suite features customized furnishings with high-gloss finishes.
Tactile surfaces and geometric patterns abound throughout the hotel.
Marked by marble, this washroom includes a walk-in shower and heated floors.
3. Bisha Hotel, Studio Munge
Located in Toronto, the Bisha Hotel is steeped in sensuality. Designed by Canadian firm Studio Munge, it features velvet-draped walls, evocative portraits, and lacquered surfaces that draw guests into the glamour.
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The historic Troutbeck library has its original wood paneling in tact.
The Manor House on the Troutbeck estate.
Muted colors imbue each room with a serene, inviting character.
A luxuriously modern bathroom complements a window seat and study table, which capture the contemplative nature of the estate.
4. Troutbeck, Champalimaud
Located in Amenia, New York, this 250-year-old homestead—which regularly hosted Mark Twain, Henry David Thoreau, and Ralph Waldo Emerson—was re-envisioned by Manhattan interiors firm Champalimaud last year. Contemporary updates respectfully complement historic details and antique furniture, resulting in a cozy home away from home.
