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2013 Year in Review: Destination Design

From warm, tropical locations to the city that never sleeps, we virtually took you on vacation all over the world to some of the best designed hotels. Take a look back at 2013’s Destination Design picks that you won’t want to miss:

Tántalo Hotel
In January, we hit Latin America to visit the Tántalo Hotel in Panama City. With a classic Panama City exterior, the interior received a complete contemporary redesign with the help of twelve local artists who helped create unique works in various mediums in the twelve different rooms.

Argentario Spa and Golf Resort
February brought us to Tuscany to the Argentario Resort, which boasts a gorgeous golf course, pool, and spa. Situated on a peninsula surrounded by Mediterranean beaches, this Tuscan resort is a little slice of heaven.

Chic & Basic Ramblas Hotel
We headed to Barcelona in March to check out the Chic & Basic Ramblas Hotel, which was designed by local firm La Grangja Design. Housed in a 1960’s building, the firm created an experience around the ’60s in Spain.

A Trip to Paradise: Ayada Maldives
By April, it was time to go tropical and the Ayada Maldives was right on point. The resort and spa features 112 villas surrounded by a shallow lagoon, offering breathtaking views.

Old World Meets Modern-Day: The NoMad Hotel
Spring is a perfectly good reason to take on Manhattan, which landed us at The NoMad Hotel. Housed in a fully-restored, turn-of-the-century Beaux-Arts building, the interior references 17th- and 18th-century Old World charm mixed with modern-day elements.

A Glimpse of the Future: Myriad by SANA Hotels
We began the summer in Portugal right by the Tagus River in Eastern Lisbon at a business and pleasure hotel. The futuristic Myriad by SANA Hotel has rooms that feature bright, bold colors and jaw-dropping views of the Tagus estuary.

Where Ideas are Born: Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel
The dead of summer brought us to Gothenburg, Sweden to the Radisson Blu Riverside Hotel, whose ambitious design took three firms to complete. Wallpaper in various patterns and colors set the tone of each of the rooms, giving it a boutique feel.

The Rockaways Artistic Playground: Playland Motel
The sweltering heat of August took us out of New York City to New York’s own Rockaway Beach to a campy destination called the Playland Motel. The restored 19th century building features quirky rooms designed by twelve prominent designers.

A Koh Samui Retreat by the Beach
We didn’t want summer vacation to end so we darted to the Gulf of Thailand to a modern villa in Koh Samui that is definitely what dreams are made of. Overlooking Bang Por beach, this spot has dramatic sea views and plenty of privacy for the perfect vacation.

Funky and Artistic: Hotel Vincci Bit
We went back to one of our favorite European cities, Barcelona, for a tour of the energetic Hotel Vincci Bit. The hotel’s artistic interior is just as funky as its city center locale.

25hours Hotel Zurich West
For October, we headed to Zurich to the 25hours Hotel Zurich West, which sits next to the highest building in Switzerland. Located in the city’s trendy quarter, the interior fits right in, with its anything-but-boring, brightly colored textiles and furnishings that keep the hotel bright and fresh.

A Secluded Beach Hut Village on Mexico’s Coast
With winter barely settling in, we were already dreaming of summer months come November and the Hotel Escondido made us dream of heading south of the border to Mexico. Located between the Pacific Ocean and the Sierra del Madre Sur mountain range, the hotel boasts 16 secluded beach huts for beachside privacy.

Qbic: Charming Pod Style Hotel for the Budget Conscious
And finally, we rounded out the year by hopping across the pond to London for a peek into the Qbic Hotel London City, a recently opened, pod-style hotel for the budget conscious traveler. Full of Scandinavian furnishings and mid-century finds, this quirky hotel makes quite the impression for a pit stop in London.

Caroline Williamson is Editor-in-Chief of Design Milk. She has a BFA in photography from SCAD and can usually be found searching for vintage wares, doing New York Times crossword puzzles in pen, or reworking playlists on Spotify.