How the Design Teams Behind Andaz Hotels and Resorts Create Tactile Experiences

A luxury hotel is a retreat in and of itself. But when your stay becomes a sensory experience enriched through native materials, bespoke finishes and hands-on amenities, the vacation becomes truly transportive. Andaz hotels and resorts take guests on a tangible journey through local culture and experiences by weaving the fabric of each destination into every property. Feel the palpable ways the brand makes every one of their properties inspiring for an experience that’s altogether immersive.

Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor

A mix of modern culture and Bavarian tradition, Andaz Munich Schwabinger Tor is a study in Munich’s contrasts experienced through materiality. The lobby ceiling features a high-gloss metal and braided wood design that shows the dichotomy between traditional craftsmanship and high-tech industry. Guests can take a seat (and selfie) in the giant bronze pretzel sculpture, which gives an avant-garde nod to a classic Bavarian staple. Contrasts continue in the ground-floor elevator bank, which is decked in fashion-forward leather wall panels embroidered with classic quotes from Swabian artists. The hotel bar has its own brand of tactility and juxtaposition: A counter made from polished copper plates reminiscent of old-world beer kettles bears a contemporary twist thanks to a high-gloss oak plank counter. Loden fabrics, horn buttons, leather straps, and braided cords on the sofas give subtle references to the regional fashion. Modern lofts, rooms, and suites forgo walls for raw steel frames that divide bathrooms, bedrooms, and living areas. These are perfectly counterpointed by local materials, including oak flooring and copper detailing, as well as cultural winks like a Gamsbart hat or a dirndl-clad mannequin used as decorative accents. A custom leather sofa echoes the quilted seaming of a vintage BMW, paying homage to Germany’s rich history in automobile craft.

Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere

Designed by world-renowned architect Renzo Piano, Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere creatively expresses the city’s art and style through the lens of historical figure Prince Eugene of Savoy, the developer behind Belvedere Palace and one of the foremost art collectors of his time. The hotel takes guests on a tour of Prince Eugene’s imagined world, which brings his tactile interests—tailoring, art, and architecture—to life. Rooms and public spaces are inspired by his passion for collecting and attention to detail. A cozy living room-like lobby invites guests to relax on plush leather sofas amid palisander woodwork where they can admire a gallery wall filled with local art and interact with collectables lining shelves. The bar is the ultimate space for a bon vivant: Here, travelers can kick back in soft felted seating or curl up with a fur throw, creative cocktail in hand. Wood flooring, chairs, tables, and a statement wall handcrafted from slats of various sized wood blocks lend richness to the room. The three meeting-room spaces, dubbed Tailor, Artist, and Architect, reflect Prince Eugene’s pursuits both in name and design. For instance, you can take a seat at the drafting table in Architect, pin up drawings on the easel in Artist, or fashion a garment on the dress form in Tailor. Guestrooms highlight traditional Viennese craftsmanship through bespoke detailing such as a cut-glass mirrored wardrobe door and headboard side panels, leather wall paneling, and Viennese fishbone parquet flooring.

Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort

Often, learning about a destination comes through experiencing the environment by touch and feel. Designed by David Rockwell, Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort showcases a life-size sandbox in the lobby of the hotel where visitors can literally sink their toes in the Hawaiian sands, making the check-in process all the more Zen. Through the touch of a skilled aesthetician or massage therapist, you can appreciate locally sourced herbs, salts, and potions blended and tailored to treat you from head to toe at the resort’s `Āwili Spa and Salon. Public areas showcase woven upholstery highlighted by Hawaiian Kapa-influenced accent fabrics, which trace the roots of the culture in their design. Smooth, well-appointed surfaces, such as Italian marble flooring lining the main level and reception desks, elevate the space underfoot and all around. A curving wood staircase inspired by the contours of a canoe winds from the lobby to the restaurant below. Guestrooms feature a range of soothing tonal fabrics with varying textures to create depth against the beachy wood finishes. Natural teak wood vanities, lava stone flooring and showers, and whitewashed oak wood screens resembling surf shack shutters open to the landscape.

Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht

Imagined by designer Marcel Wanders, Andaz Amsterdam Prinsengracht is a whimsical world reflective of the city’s vibrant history and heartbeat. Stepping inside is a sensory experience at every turn defined by multi-textural design and décor. Larger than life bells housing chandeliers hang from the lobby ceiling, and cubbies filled with curio, books, and objet d’art in common spaces invite interaction. Handcrafted materials and luxurious fabrics invite visitors to feel their surroundings. Carpets and walls throughout the main level depict ancient nautical maps and Dutch conquerors; large red felt tulip chairs lend a cozy place to rest travel-weary feet, and fabric pillars and wallpapers provide a plush touch. Marcel Wanders’ iconic Monster chairs in block colors with quilted leather upholstery beckon a seat at Bluespoon Restaurant, Bar & Studios. Each room is decorated with heavy concrete vanity tables embossed with the three XXXs of Amsterdam, the symbol of the city, and smooth porcelain Delft Blue basin sinks hand-painted by Wanders himself. Custom murals in bedrooms adorn the walls, and wallpaper portrays Amsterdam’s history and culture in its bathrooms.