Casa Fayette, Guadalajara

Among DIMORESTUDIO's much-admired hospitality projects are Fendi’s lavish Roman palazzo, Paris’ sumptuous Hôtel Saint-Marc and the Grand Hotel et de Milan, which the design duo are gently and lovingly updating. But for co-founder Britt Moran, Mexico’s small Casa Fayette - with just 37 guest rooms - stands out as one of their favorite projects of all time. “Casa Fayette is really special,” he says. “We loved working on the project and the property itself was so thought out as it’s so connected to the neighborhood; it feels genuinely alive.”

The same can be said for the interiors, where the studio worked its inimitable magic for Grupo Habita, the Mexican hospitality group known for working with some of the top names in the industry, including architects TEN arquitectos, India Mahdavi and Joseph Dirand. Typical of Britt Moran and Emiliano Salci, the aesthetic appears layered without ever feeling too nostalgic or overly referential. “It feels resort and a little art deco with some tropical influences,” Moran says. “It’s got rhythm and soul.”

This being Mexico, Casa Fayette, sited in the old part of Guadalajara, features plenty of color: pale foamy green, gold, cool blues and scarlet reds. The project was loosely inspired by masterful Mexican architect Luis Barragán - whose conceptual work injected emotion (and plenty of color) into modernism - and remains a key influence for today’s generation of designers. By working with local artisans and referencing designs of the architectural period, the hotel feels simultenously minimalist (by Dimore stands, that is) and plush; old and new world. “It’s definitely a place worth traveling for,” says Moran.

Photography by Undine Pröhl.