The Hotel Luzern

“The Hotel” may seem a bit audacious as a name; but in Lucerne, there’s really nothing else like it. This is a design-oriented boutique, through and through, designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel around a simple organizing concept: each room’s ceiling is decorated with an enlargement of a film still, as if projected from above. Subject matter leans toward the slightly racy—selections include Last Tango in Paris and The Pillow Book, among other European art-house classics.

The Hotel's studios and suites (no mere singles or doubles here) are stylish, if rather dark and masculine, in a palette of rich, earthy colors, with attractive custom-designed wood and steel furnishings. Teakwood floors and theatrical lighting add to the chic look, and whimsical touches like the Bamboo Suite’s outdoor jungle patio add a helping of humor.

Traditionalists may be skeptical of the low-lit boudoir look, as well as the Bam Bou Asian-fusion restaurant, but there are plenty of places in Lucerne for the chocolate-dipped Swiss chalet experience. Interior design fanatics, however, will feel right at home—The Hotel may well be their entry point to a city they might otherwise have neglected.