From Cartagena to Aspen, discover destinations where interiors, art, and local identity define the experience
Submitted at Apr 8, 2026, 10:54 AM
Four Seasons Resort and Residences The Surf Club, Surfside, EUA. (Four Seasons/CASACOR)
For the discerning eye, staying in a hotel is also an exercise in curation. In the itinerary below, discover five properties where architecture and interiors not only follow the landscape, but interpret it through local materials, singular art collections, and heavyweight signatures.
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Cartagena, Colômbia. (CASACOR)
Newly opened, Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Cartagena arrives with the status of a collector’s piece. The project marks one of the last forays into hospitality by the French master François Catroux, a decorator known for accepting only projects that personally inspired him. Local identity is amplified by Colombian designer Poli Mallarino, responsible for furnishings and textiles created in collaboration with artisans.
Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences Cartagena, Colômbia. (CASACOR)
The hotel occupies a singular ensemble of historic buildings—from the 16th-century cloister and Church of San Francisco to iconic theaters and the legendary Club Cartagena, a landmark of the 1920s. Restored facades, hushed courtyards, and open corridors reveal preserved frescoes that lead to accommodations inspired by the charm of European tradition, conceived by José María Rodríguez.
DPNY Beach Hotel & SPA, Ilhabela, Brasil. (DPNY Beach Hotel & SPA/CASACOR)
In Ilhabela, DPNY Beach Hotel & SPA demonstrates that design and excellence underpin longevity. Its aesthetic was not merely acquired, but built—literally—by hand.
One of the property’s most striking elements, the vibrant mosaics, emerged from local art workshops promoted by the founders themselves. By turning the creation of the hotel into a collective process, DPNY embedded craftsmanship as an essential part of its architecture.
DPNY Beach Hotel & SPA, Ilhabela, Brasil. (DPNY Beach Hotel & SPA/CASACOR)
The result is authentic barefoot luxury: absolute comfort, a toes-in-the-sand setting, and a sophisticated atmosphere that balances lightness, identity, and one-of-a-kind pieces.
Four Seasons Resort Punta Mita, México. (Four Seasons/CASACOR)
In this Riviera Nayarit retreat, the traditional casitas with clay-tile roofs and tropical gardens frame one of hospitality’s most expressive collections of contemporary Mexican art.
Nav.va, A Four Seasons Resort (Naviva®, A Four Seasons Resort/CASACOR)
The design invites “intentional leisure,” a concept elevated at Cuevas Club de Playa, where sunset hues and vintage-inspired furnishings create a sophisticated seaside nostalgia. The experience extends at Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, a sanctuary with only 15 luxury bungalows immersed in the landscape.
Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort. (Naviva®, A Four Seasons Resort/CASACOR)
There, biophilic design—such as the bamboo bridge inspired by a cocoon—dissolves boundaries between nature and architecture, revealing an approach in which modernity acts as a frame for connection with the Pacific.
The Little Nell, Aspen, EUA. (The Little Nell/CASACOR)
An Aspen icon, The Little Nell subverts the alpine cliché with art curation worthy of a museum.
The interiors explore textures with sophistication: local stone and fine woods appear in a contemporary key, serving as a backdrop for a collection in constant renewal, with works by Theaster Gates, Rashid Johnson, and Vik Muniz.
The Little Nell, Aspen, EUA. (The Little Nell/CASACOR)
In the new spa, designed by Luis Bustamante, a palette of deep blues echoes the lobby, while earthy tones and tactile materials reinforce the mountains’ quiet sophistication.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences The Surf Club, Surfside, EUA. (Four Seasons/CASACOR)
In Surfside, the architecture of Richard Meier meets the interiors of Joseph Dirand, creating one of Miami’s most refined hotel aesthetics.
A constant presence on The World’s 50 Best Hotels list and holder of Two MICHELIN Keys, Four Seasons Resort and Residences The Surf Club balances 1930s glamour—preserved in the social areas of a historic building—with Meier’s luminous minimalism in the accommodations.
Four Seasons Resort and Residences The Surf Club, Surfside, EUA. (Four Seasons/CASACOR)
The aesthetic precision extends to gastronomy: from the Champagne Bar, which evokes the club’s golden era, to the restaurant helmed by Thomas Keller, where mid-century design sets the scene for a contemporary reimagining of American classics.
