Top 10 Luxury Art Deco Hotels Around The World

London’s capital is home to some of the finest examples of Art Deco hotels, and Claridge's is viewed by many as its pinnacle. Without a doubt, it captures classic British grandeur, but it also has an abundance of typically Art Deco jewels in its crown.

After all, it was designed in the 1920s when the Art Deco period was born and, to this day, it retains many of its original, bona fide Deco pieces. Walking through its hallways and corridors, you can see how the forms of Art Nouveau, Cubism and Futurism meld with the more traditional representations of English luxury.

At Claridge's, the lines are bold but juxtaposed with gloriously sweeping curves and swathes and drapes of the finest cloths. In the late 1920s, they invited Basil Ionides, one of the pioneers of the Art Deco movement, to decorate the restaurant and multiple suites, securing its status as one of the most sublime of Art Deco destinations in the world. These days LuxDeco 100 designer Bryan O'Sullivan lends his hand to the icon with his just-announced pink take on the style.

Another of London’s most celebrated Art Deco residences, The Savoy has always been viewed as an icon and that became ever more so after its £220m makeover which blends Edwardian and Art Deco design.

The typography of its gleaming mirror and green backlit sign epitomises its design intentions; Art Deco fonts are recognised for their geometric, streamlined beauty, often seen in capital letters, evoking the Jazz Age spirit.

As you enter under its emblematic sign, the hotel does not disappoint with its Deco references. Coloured Murano glass chandeliers, monochrome marble floors, and a partnership between silky gold and sultry black interiors seen in areas such as the Beaufort Bar (built upon the original cabaret stage) where they serve rare vintage champagnes, all combine to create a veritable haven of Deco design.

The third stop on London’s Art Deco tour has to be Mayfair’s Beaumont hotel, which, like The Savoy, has a classically Art Deco sign and font choice which is continued thereafter in every design choice. Having only opened in 2014, it was a case of waiting for the right building, and when the original 1926 Wimperis & Simpson building became available, the wait was over.

Checkerboard floors in black and white marble, the rounded contours of retro-inspired furniture shapes and decorative columns detailed with bands of gold and brass, ornate gilded frames containing the finest oil paintings, and highly polished mahogany wooden wall panels drench it in Art Deco glamour.

Vanity Fair’s words were “it’s the tone of the place—smooth grandeur—that seduces”. Words that feel entirely fitting and representative of the look and feel of the entire hotel.

New York’s Waldorf Astoria is rightly considered to be a legendary example of Art Deco design. The landmark’s restored lobby is one of its principal talking points with its intricate mural and glamorous display of antiques.

The hotel is peppered with multiple divine murals such as the one by French artist, Louis Rigal, as well as tiled mosaic murals on the floors. It’s prudent to always look up at The Waldorf Astoria so that you can appreciate the Art Deco character in its lighting collection that hangs from the gold and silver leaf ceilings.

Set in Shanghai, the Fairmont Peace Hotel opened in 1929 and almost instantly became known as a playground for the elite. Today, the interior design fuses old-world Deco glamour with modern undertones.

Gilded geometric flooring, wall panelling and ceiling finishes (such as the yellow glass rotunda in the main vestibule) mean the Fairmont Peace is enrobed in soft ochre tones, glimmers of gold and bold shapes which make you feel as though you’ve walked onto the set of The Great Gatsby.

Returning to London, this next hotel is a less expected choice of the Art Deco hotels in England as it is not originally an Art Deco establishment.

Be this as it may, a visit to one of its intimate bars or lavish restaurants and it is immediately clear why it deserves the title of an Art Deco champion (the Crystal Bar is a real must). It is not simply the design of The Wellesley that grants it Deco charm, but the entire experience.

A distinguished Italian menu, the selection of vintage spirits whose bottle designs exude opulence and sophistication, and the deep feeling of show and performance is infectious. Head to the Jazz Lounge where you’ll be greeted with a sizeable performance area fit with grand piano, a beaded crystal screen (inspired by glitzy flapper gowns) and a dusty pink show curtain—one of Art Deco’s softer colours.

Across the US, there’s a rich array of Deco hotels, from Santa Monica to Miami and of course, New York. Part of the Starwood Hotels & Resort Group, The Chatwal is undoubtedly one of its reigning Art Deco heroes. Its clientele (including Fred Astaire and John Wayne) very much confirmed its Art Deco status with key players of the era having membership to its ‘Lamb’s Club’.

In 2010, the hotel underwent an extensive refurbishment by the architect Thierry Despont who safeguarded its heritage Art Deco glamour, only reinterpreting it through a new lens. The colour palette is decidedly opulent with brooding ruby, golden saffron and antique sepia used throughout in the company of suede wall finishes and wood panelling.

Prague is not often cited for its luxury hotels, despite being renowned for its rich tapestry of architecture and business culture. Sadly, torn apart due to multiple fires, The Art Deco Imperial had a thorough reconstruction in 2005 to restore it to its rightful decadence.

Whilst in need of a little update, all 86 of its rooms have Art Deco furnishings and antique bathtubs. Its main draw has to be its Cafe Imperial, which features a mosaic ceiling, decorative pillars and, the pièce de résistance, its grand marble staircase.

Part of the Marriott Group, Prince de Galles boasts an unquestionably glamorous location, that of Avenue George V—one of the most elegant streets in the whole of Paris.

Like many of the world’s best Art Deco hotels, Prince de Galles exudes decadence with its oversized golden urn lamps topped with deep black shades (a colour palette continued on every floor and in every small detail), evocative animal sculptures and plush upholstery that reminds you that no luxury has been overlooked. Having opened in 1929, when the Art Deco period was peaking, it is a celebration of its time.

Another of Paris’ luxury five star hotels, The Peninsula Paris might look quintessentially Haussmannian from the outside, but its interior reveals some notable nods to the city’s other great style, Art Deco.

The hotel celebrates haute couture design with important Art Deco influences and in both modern and traditional incarnations. In its main lobby, a contemporary welcome desk hints at the ultimate Art Deco combination—high-gloss black lacquer and gold. The piece is enhanced by Deco-like urn vases raised on plinths and a unique ceiling display of seemingly floating glass leaves. What the main lobby starts, the Peninsula Suite finishes.

It being the main Art Deco triumph of the hotel and done in a more traditional way. Bookmatched burr wood panels clad the Haussmannian residence’s square columns, glass etching decorates the doors, a sleek black lacquer piano introduces high-gloss finishes into the space and supremely Art Deco accessories, such as the geometric folding screen and decorative glass vases, add the final authentic layer.