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Boutique hotel brand Aethos has opened its first London outpost with interiors designed by Astet Studio in a Ron Arad Associates building that was formerly home to Nobu Hotel Shoreditch. Created by Astet Studio, the interiors of Aethos London Shoreditch were designed to blend the industrial design language of the original building with a softer Japanese-inspired material palette. Astet Studio used earthy tones to introduced warmth into the industrial setting "When we first approached the project, we saw an opportunity to explore what we call East meets East," Astet Studio co-founder Oscar Engroba told Dezeen. "Rather than recreating Shoreditch's industrial past, we wanted to bring its existing character into conversation with the precision and craftsmanship of Japanese design traditions." Textured fabrics were used to absorb rather than reflect light in the breakfast room The Barcelona-based interiors studio was inspired by the Japanese concept of Utsuroi for the project, explaining to Dezeen that its employment meant "the architecture stays constant while the experience quietly evolves". Astet Studio used the Japanese concept of Utsuroi to evolve the hotel's lobby, bar, gym, members' lounge and Mitsu restaurant. The 164-room hotel, originally built in 2017, is defined by its striking industrial facade, featuring cantilevered balconies framed in glass, steel, and concrete. Aethos London Shoreditch is housed in a building designed by Ron Arad Associates Guests enter through this layered concrete facade into an open lobby  characterised by earthy browns and muted natural tones, which was designed to introduce warmth into the industrial setting. "We wanted

European travelers are using AI well beyond simple search, and the data shows just how far it's spread across the trip journey. According to Phocuswright's Europe Consumer Travel Report 2026, AI now plays a role in destination research, hotel and flight planning, and in-destination support across the U.K., France and Germany. Standalone AI platforms remain the top entry point everywhere, but the surrounding mix of channels, from OTAs to search engines to social platforms, varies sharply by country.

British studio Richard Parr Associates has renovated a trio of 19th-century buildings at The Newt in Somerset hotel in England, restoring their interiors to nod to the site's past. Named Yarlington Lodge, the buildings are spread across five hectares of rural land at The Newt in Somerset, a luxury estate, hotel and working farm located just outside of Bruton. Yarlington Lodge is a three-building holiday home at The Newt in Somerset Conceived by Richard Parr Associates as a 32-guest holiday home, the project comprises the main lodge, the Coach House and the Cottage in the Wall – three buildings that historically served as a rectory, its coach house and the gardener's cottage, respectively. "They were once a functioning trio and we wanted them to become so again," studio founder Richard Parr told Dezeen. Patterns and bright colours reference the Napoleonic era in the main lodge The architect worked with The Newt in Somerset's founders, Koos Bekker and Karen Roos, to restore each property. For the 1831 lodge, striking patterns and bright colours were selected to reference the high drama of the Napoleonic era. The Coach House was renovated to reflect its equestrian history Bedroom ceilings were clad with swooping textiles that give the impression of military tents, while classical paintings embellish the green-hued library. Despite these statement design features, Parr explained that interventions to the bones of each building were intentionally subtle. This included carefully restoring the lodge's old fireplaces, elm floorboards and stonework. "Deliberately pared-back" changes were made to