Behind every great hotel is a great Original, whether they be a hotelier, interior designer, restaurateur or craftsman.

Characterised by a passion for hospitality, innovative thinking and an eye for cutting-edge design, these hot hotel people are pioneers in their field, whether they be a hotelier, interior designer, restaurateur or craftsman.

Recently opened in July 2018 and already making huge waves on Santorini, Istoria has quickly established itself as the island’s first and last word in all-out modern luxury. This is wholly owed to the unwavering vision of husband-and-wife team Kalia and Antonis Eliopoulos, who have used their extensive experience to bring a historic Santorini mansion to life. Still in the Mediterranean, but with an altogether more bohemian vibe is Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel Port de Sóller, conceived by Kai Hollmann, Christoph Hoffmann, Christian Zenka and Prof. Stephan Gerhard. The collaborative effort sees a gypset mix and an expression of the joy of life prevail in all areas, thus lending every corner of the hotel a laid-back atmosphere that serves a perfect frame to Port de Sóller’s soothing mood.

Over at Vertigo Hotel in the heart of Dijon, tastemaker twins Bruno and Christophe Massucco have plunged their expert knowledge—inherited in part from generational experience in the field—into a property that combines the area’s rich cultural heritage with slick design and historic architecture. The result is a hotel that bears all the hallmarks of the duo’s electric personalities and outlook by way of show-stopping monochrome interiors. Also standing tall in the heart of its locale is Nakar Hotel, a revamped landmark building in central Palma de Mallorca, reshaped by hotelier Toni Ramis—the grandson of the structure’s original architect. As well as placing an emphasis on the use of locally grown ingredients, materials and staff, the hotel offers phenomenal views of the area in a true tribute to the city by its Mallorcan Original.

Led by Lily Elstein and merging guestrooms with a multifaceted cultural center, the Elma Arts Complex Luxury Hotel in Israel is a Brutalist icon presenting a multitude of opportunities for exploration and leisure. Most notably, the property serves as an expansive showcase for pieces from Elstein’s private and ample art collection, which lines the walls throughout. In Athens, it’s a family affair at Perianth where siblings Konstantinos, Anastasia and Alexandra Sgoumpopoulou have forged elements of their respective disciplines to form a modern hotel carved from an interwar modernist structure from the 1930s.

Its design speaks for itself, but having a world boxing champion as its Original has no doubt assisted in putting Kiev’s 11 Mirrors on the radar. Here, Wladimir Klitschko, along with Ruslan Oleksenko, has injected elements of his international lifestyle and knowledge into the cosmopolitan hotel, where 19th-century architecture and contemporary Ukrainian aesthetics merge to pack a mighty punch. Flying the flag just as earnestly is Hotel Freigeist Göttingen, a new creative hub set in Germany’s university town of Göttingen in Lower Saxony. It’s all spearheaded by Georg Rosentreter, a design lover with a soft spot for the region which continues to awe thanks to a unique vibrancy.

For bookings visit www.designhotels.com