Wrapping up the hotel year 2023
Selected by RG Awards 2023
2023 was a year where it felt like we were all so ready to get back on track. Put everything that was connected to that bloody pandemic behind us and celebrate brighter days. Yes, the pandemic was indeed over but still, it can be questioned how much brightness 2023 offered to the world in general…
With that said, if we stay in this isolated little hotel bubble for a moment, there were some really great hotel experiences during the year. And since I am a big fan of closure this is my favorite post of the year, when I get to look back and highlight some of my favorite hotels that I got to stay at during 2023.
Which one of all of the hotels will earn a coveted Selected by RG Award? This is the fourth time since I started this blog that I am doing this and I will present my front runner in ten different categories:
Alpine hotel
Rural hotel
Hotel by water
Historic hotel
Urban hotel
Cabin hotel
Budget hotel
Gastro hotel
Sustainability focused hotel
Unique Award
My favorite alpine hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Icaro, Italy
A hotel that is a true Alpine hotel. It is located on the high plateau of Alpe di Siusi where hiking tracks or ski pists start right outside the door. An old Alpine lodge that has been extended and transformed into a wooden design masterpiece. And since this is Italy, the food is amazing.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Icaro.
My favorite rural hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Hospedaria, Portugal
This quirky, whimsical, vintage laden design hotel is located in the most peculiar places, a road crossing in the Algarve country side. Behind the white walls there is a hotel like no other where locally sourced vintage furniture plays centre stage, the honesty pool bar is the most amazing one I’ve ever seen and the Portuguese hospitality is warm and welcoming.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Hospedaria.
My favorite hotel by water of 2023…
…and the winner is: De Durgerdam, Netherlands
It is hard to believe this hotel is located a mere 10 minutes outside Amsterdam, right by the water in the cute little fishing village of Durgerdam. I love, love, love when you can start your morning and end your day with a dip. It is the best frame to a day. And in this case the hotel also looks great with some really unique design and once again, Amsterdam is a short bike ride away. It is like the best of both worlds.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about De Durgerdam.
My favorite historic hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Il Palazzo Experimental, Italy
Venice is such an amazing city, if you come here the right time of year. And when in an amazing city it is only right to stay at an amazing hotel. And here it is, Il Palazzo Experimental. A historic palazzo that has been transformed with a huge portion of colors and playfulness but still honoring the building’s rich past.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Il Palazzo Experimental.
My favorite urban hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Wilmina, Germany
This is the most tricky category. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great urban hotels out there but to create an exceptional one there has to be something really extra. And this is where Wilmina leads the way. An urban sanctuary where the design is exquisite, the service is friendly and there is an interesting story that the hotel is created around. It took 10 years to transform this former prison to a design hotel and this shows in the details.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Wilmina.
My favorite cabin hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Les Cabanes de Rensiwez, Belgium
Les Cabanes de Rensiwez is located in the Belgian country side in the rolling hills of the Ardennes. A cabin hotel that feels like a modern take on the Shire where the hobbits lived in the Lord of the Rings. Moss covered roofs, clunky wooden furniture, huge metal bath tub, open fire place and stunning views of the surrounding forests.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Les Cabanes de Rensiwez.
My favorite gastro hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Mesnerhaus, Austria
Mesnerhaus is a true gastro hotel. Where the restaurant came first at the hotel after. Maria and Josef (yes, I know!) wanted to offer people that travel from afar a place to stay after having enjoyed their multi course dinners with wine pairing. The hotel has that typical Austrian “gemütlichkeit” that is so easy to love. And the breakfast is almost even more amazing than the dinner.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Mesnerhaus.
My favorite budget design hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Alamo Motel, California, USA
This is my favorite category. I love to highlight hotels that manages to make great design available to more people by not charging an arm and a leg for a stay, This is totally the case with the Alamo Motel, an old mid century motel brought into the present by the Social Shelter Club. Located in the Santa Ynez wine country in the cute little village of Alamo.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Alamo. And here is a link to a film that my friend Jack made during our stay.
My favorite sustainability focused hotel of 2023…
…and the winner is: Babette Guldsmeden, Denmark
The Danish Guldsmeden chain has been obsessed with sustainability from the start. They want to show that you can run quality design hotels and not leave a carbon footprint the size of a small country. This year’s front runner in this category is Babette, located in downtown Copenhagen, one of my favorite cities in the world.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Babette Guldsmeden.
And the final one, the Unique Award of 2023…
…and the winner is: Rosso, Germany
This category is in a way a combination of all the other categories. Some hotels are just too unique to fit into only one category. And my favorite in this category of categories this year is Rosso. A rural sanctuary in the rolling hills of Bavaria where the design is so stunning. I just wanted to move right in. A place where you can check in and just stay put. There is a yoga room, outdoor fire place, outdoor pizza oven, sun terrace and a cute little natural pool. Rosso offers a hotel experience out of the ordinary.
Here is a link to my blog post where you can read all about Rosso.
If you are curious to read about which hotels stood out to me in in my previous annual Selected by RG Awards, you can find those post here: 2020, 2021 and 2022.
As we close 2023, I once again look forward to what will hopefully be a better year for the world and a really good hotel year for Selected by RG. I hope you will join me as I continue to explore more of all the wonderful, unique hotels out there.
//RG
