建築大師眼中的奢華酒店：從杜拜到曼谷，預見「新頂奢」時代未來10年

EDITOR Annie Chien｜TRANSLATOR Aurora Lin｜PHOTO AMAN, PETRIE PR, ONE&ONLY ONE ZA’ABEEL, HUFTON+CROW, WESLEY COLLEGE

近年頂級旅宿的競爭，早已不再停留在房價、服務或地段，而是回到一個更核心的問題：為什麼我們會想住進這個地方？答案，往往藏在建築師的筆下。

當飯店不再只是睡一晚的空間，而是一段被記住的旅行體驗，建築就成了第一個語言。有些建築師擅長把城市喧囂轉化成靜謐，讓建築退到背景，自然成為主角；也有人用大尺度結構與工程美學，重新定義「都市度假」的可能。

不談排行榜，不談奢華標籤，這一回，我們聚焦三位在國際酒店設計領域具指標地位的建築師——Jean-Michel Gathy、Kerry Hill，以及全球建築事務所 WATG，透過他們近年的代表作，看見奢華飯店如何從一棟建築，進化成一個值得專程前往的目的地。

From Bangkok to Kyoto, Dubai to Bali
How Architectural Masters Define the Next Generation of Luxury Hotels

In recent years, competition among top-tier hotels has moved well beyond room rates, service standards, or prime locations. Instead, it has returned to a more fundamental question: why do we want to stay here in the first place?
The answer is often written into the architecture itself.
When a hotel is no longer simply a place to sleep, but a journey worth remembering, architecture becomes its first and most enduring language. Some architects are masters of restraint—softening urban intensity and allowing nature to take the lead. Others embrace monumental scale and engineering prowess, redefining what an “urban resort” can be.
This time, setting aside rankings and luxury labels, we turn our focus to three architects and practices that have shaped contemporary hospitality on a global scale—Jean-Michel Gathy, Kerry Hill, and the international architecture firm WATG. Through their recent landmark projects, we see how luxury hotels have evolved from buildings into destinations worth traveling for.

安縵、四季、三亞等頂級度假酒店，常被旅人列為「一生必住」的清單，而其中許多空間的靈魂，都來自比利時建築大師 Jean-Michel Gathy。作為 Denniston 建築事務所創辦人，他在奢華酒店設計領域深耕數十年，擅長將地景與文化融入設計，與安縵的長期合作，更讓他對「安靜、內斂、精準」的理解，成為安縵設計的核心基調。

繼東京與紐約後，曼谷奈樂安縵作為全球第三間城市型安縵，最能看見他在城市與度假之間的拿捏，讓繁華都市也能保有一處可呼吸的靜謐。曼谷奈樂安縵坐落於奈樂園這片百年綠地之中，36 層高的建築包覆著 52 間套房與 34 間品牌公館，空間規劃卻刻意保留寬闊與留白，一踏入便與城市節奏拉開距離。

設計上融合奈樂家族歷史細節與當代線條，將百年 Sompong Tree 作為建築視覺與動線的起點，並以橢圓形中庭回應自然生長的節奏。套房最小面積即從 94 平方米起跳，頂層的安縵套房更獨佔整層，配置私人水療等，完整體現低調而克制的奢華語言。曼谷奈樂安縵不只是安縵回歸泰國的重要里程碑，也清楚展現 Jean-Michel Gathy 如何在尊重歷史的前提下，為城市創造一處真正可呼吸的空間。

Aman, Four Seasons, and premier resorts across Asia are often described as “once-in-a-lifetime stays,” and behind many of these spaces lies the vision of Belgian architect Jean-Michel Gathy. Founder of Denniston, Gathy has spent decades shaping luxury hospitality through a design approach that integrates landscape, culture, and architecture. His long-standing collaboration with Aman has helped define the brand’s core values—quiet, restraint, and precision.

Following Aman Tokyo and Aman New York, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok becomes the brand’s third urban Aman, and perhaps the clearest example of Gathy’s ability to balance city life with a resort sensibility. Set within the century-old Nai Lert Park, the 36-storey tower houses just 52 suites and 34 branded residences. Despite its height, the spatial planning prioritizes openness and negative space, creating a clear separation from the city’s tempo the moment one arrives.

Design elements reference the Nai Lert family’s heritage through contemporary lines, with the historic Sompong Tree serving as both a visual anchor and a guiding axis. An elliptical central atrium echoes organic growth, while suites begin at a generous 94 square meters. The Aman Suite occupies an entire floor, complete with private spa facilities—an expression of luxury that is deliberate, understated, and quietly confident. More than a return of Aman to Thailand, Aman Nai Lert Bangkok demonstrates how Gathy creates spaces that allow cities to breathe.

如果說曼谷奈樂安縵展現的是收斂，那 One&Only One Za’abeel 則是 Jean-Michel Gathy 對「大尺度」的極致詮釋。這是 One&Only 首度進軍垂直都市度假型態，也是杜拜天際線中最難忽視的存在！

整體建築由兩座不對稱高樓組成，最具話題性的「The Link」橫跨其間，被譽為全球最長懸臂結構之一。這座長達 755 英尺的平台，承載無邊際泳池與空中海灘俱樂部，成為俯瞰城市的最佳視角。

設計靈感源自 Za’abeel 在阿聯酋語境中「白沙」的意象，室內大量運用中性色調與細膩材質，讓龐大的結構依然保有柔和層次。

客房與套房配置寬敞露台，餐飲空間則集結多元高端選擇，讓飯店本身成為城市生活的一部分。One&Only One Za’abeel 不強調逃離，而是大膽站上城市之上，重新觀看整座杜拜。

If Aman Nai Lert Bangkok embodies restraint, One&Only One Za’abeel represents Gathy’s most ambitious exploration of scale. This marks One&Only’s first vertical urban resort and stands as one of the most striking presences on Dubai’s skyline.
The architecture consists of two asymmetrical towers connected by The Link, one of the world’s longest cantilevered structures. Stretching 755 feet across the skyline, the platform hosts an infinity pool and sky beach club, offering uninterrupted views over the city below.

Inspired by the meaning of Za’abeel—“white sand” in the Emirati context—the interiors favor neutral palettes and refined materials, softening the monumentality of the structure. Guest rooms and suites feature expansive terraces, while the dining venues form a vibrant collection of destination restaurants. Rather than encouraging escape, One&Only One Za’abeel places guests above the city itself, inviting them to experience Dubai from an entirely new perspective.

用留白定義奢華的建築哲學，Kerry Hill 這位澳洲建築大師，曾操刀東京安縵、安縵伊沐、上海養雲安縵，以及台灣日月潭涵碧樓等，作品遍及亞洲，而始終維持極為一致的設計態度——安靜、節制，並深度回應土地本身。

安縵京都，被譽為這套哲學最完整的體現，也具有特殊意義，這是 Kerry Hill 生前最後一件完成並正式對外開放的作品。隱身於金閣寺附近的森林庭院之中，佔地廣達 29 公頃，僅設 26 間套房與別墅；建築以庭閣形式分布，刻意降低量體存在感，讓自然成為主角。木材、石材、榻榻米構成空間基調，大面落地窗引入光影與四季變化，卻不試圖框住風景，讓人與環境並行。

水療與溫泉空間延伸至森林之中，結合冥想、瑜伽與森林浴體驗，讓停留成為一種回到內在的過程。安縵京都沒有過度詮釋的京都意象，留下的，是 Kerry Hill 最擅長的留白，也是一種溫柔而完整的告別。

Few architects have articulated luxury through restraint as consistently as Kerry Hill. The Australian architect, whose portfolio includes Aman Tokyo, Amanemu, Amanyangyun in Shanghai, and Taiwan’s The Lalu at Sun Moon Lake, maintained a design philosophy defined by quietness, discipline, and deep respect for place.

Aman Kyoto is widely regarded as the most complete expression of that philosophy—and holds particular significance as Hill’s final completed project before his passing. Hidden within a forested estate near Kinkaku-ji, the property spans 29 hectares yet offers only 26 suites and villas. Pavilion-style buildings are dispersed across the site, intentionally minimizing architectural presence and allowing nature to take precedence.

Wood, stone, and tatami establish the material language, while floor-to-ceiling windows invite light and seasonal change without framing the landscape too tightly. The spa and onsen extend into the forest, accompanied by meditation, yoga, and forest-bathing experiences that encourage a return inward. Aman Kyoto avoids overt references to Kyoto iconography; instead, it leaves behind the generous quiet that defined Kerry Hill’s work—both a culmination and a gentle farewell.

WATG（Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo）被封為全球最具影響力的建築設計事務所之一，作品遍佈六大洲，對台灣旅人而言，最熟悉的代表作之一，正是台北文華東方酒店——那座以歐式輪廓成為城市地標的經典建築，正出自 WATG。

不過，擅長把地標變成目的地的 WATG ，在峇里島蒼古麗晶度假酒店，則展現與台北文華東方酒店截然不同的語言。整體設計靈感來自峇里島村落與梯田景觀，低矮建築順著地勢展開，運用木材與安山岩，讓建築彷彿自然生成於土地之上。視線從迎賓亭一路延伸至海洋，結合廟宇軸線與景觀層次，營造出安靜卻開闊的節奏。

峇里島蒼古麗晶度假酒店提供 150 間套房與別墅，坐落於海濱花園之中，從建築、藝術插畫到細節用品，處處融入在地神話與文化符號，讓入住不只是度假，而是一段與土地、故事共存的體驗，映照著 WATG 最擅長的事——讓一間飯店，成為一個值得專程前往的地方。

WATG (Wimberly Allison Tong & Goo) is widely regarded as one of the most influential architectural firms in global hospitality, with projects spanning six continents. For many Taiwanese travelers, one of its most familiar works is the Mandarin Oriental, Taipei—a European-inspired landmark that has become part of the city’s identity.

At Regent Bali Canggu, however, WATG speaks an entirely different architectural language. Inspired by Balinese villages and terraced landscapes, the resort unfolds in low-rise structures that follow the natural contours of the land. Timber and andesite stone are used extensively, allowing the architecture to feel as though it has emerged organically from the site. Sightlines extend from the arrival pavilion toward the ocean, integrating temple axes and layered landscapes to create a rhythm that is both calm and expansive.

The resort comprises 150 suites and villas set within beachfront gardens. From architectural details and illustrated artworks to everyday amenities, local myths and cultural symbols are woven throughout. Staying here becomes more than a vacation—it is an experience rooted in place and narrative, reflecting WATG’s enduring strength: transforming hotels into destinations in their own right.