3. Ngorongoro Crater Lodge : Mud-plastered walls hide the luxury inside this magnificent lodge in Tanzania. PHOTO andbeyond|
2. Hotel Tierra Patagonia : A hotel shaped like just a dune in a wind-swept part of Chile.
PHOTO Pia Vergara, courtesy of Cazú Zegers Arquitectura|
4. Fogo Island Inn : Tradition meets contemporary at this island inn with wood-burning stoves warming up the bedrooms.
PHOTO Iwan Baan, courtesy of Saunders Architecture|
10. Sheraton Huzhou Hot Spring Resort : A round ring of layered floors over scenic luxury living at the new Sheraton hotel on China’s Taihu lake.
PHOTO courtesy of MAD architects|
7. Annalisa and Peter Zumthor's vacation homes in Leis, Vals : Perched on snowy slopes are these timber holiday homes in Switzerland.
PHOTO Ralph Feiner, courtesy of Zumthor Ferienhäuser|
5. Thermal baths and spas : Restored underground wooden vats become baths, pools, steam rooms and lounges at the old Hurlimann brewery in Zurich.
PHOTO bluewatercom|
6. The Manta Resort : Dive right into an under-water hotel on this African island of Pemba.
PHOTO Jesper Anhede, courtesy The Manta Resort|
8. Urban villas on Lake Lucerne : These sleek urban homes are built with Jurassic limestone and seem to simply pop out of its grassy surrounds.
PHOTO roger frei, courtesy of Lischer Partner Architekten|
9. Parkroyal Hotel : This Singapore’s hotel doubles up as offices and features beautiful curved high-rise gardens.
PHOTO Patrick Bingham-Hall|
1. Art Villa Complex : Situated on the Jeju island of Korea, these villas donning round rocky roofs are for rent of buy. PHOTO courtesy of Kengo Kuma and Associates|
Imagine staying in a hotel in Chile shaped by the wind, a private African island floating in the ocean, or at a lodge at the foot of a crater in Tanzania where wild animals roam free. Imagine a luxury few days at a hotel built with Jurassic limestone on lake Lucerne.
These are just a few of Designboom’s top 10 nominated hotels and resorts for 2013, and because they are far too big to fit into Christmas stockings this year, we invite you to imagine some more!