Win a 1-night stay for 2 at The Athenaeum Hotel and Residences in London’s Mayfair

HIP Hotels: The best way to discover ‘Highly Individual Places’

By Georgie Bentley-Buckle   |  

Unique, characterful and charming are the three ingredients that form a HIP Hotel. Those are the characteristics that have made this brand so iconic since its establishment in the 1990s and has helped them sell over two million books in 11 different languages.

To this day, the combined marketing and publishing company encourage their affluent audience to tap into destinations that are off the beaten track; to delve that bit deeper and discover travel experiences both meaningful and memorable.

HIP Hotels are created for those who seek rewarding travel experiences with a significant presence beyond the Instagram caption. Revealing hotels and locations fit for the screen of a James Bond movie; from an eco-lodge buried in the depths of the Sri Lankan grasslands to the heritage of an elegantly grand one-hundred-year-old lakeside property — their diverse portfolio spotlights on rich heritage and magnetic cultures whilst highlighting the raw beauty of various global destinations.

hip hotels
HIP stands for Highly Individual Places – a must for every property featured on their impressive website. Image above: La Baye des Anges, Provence, France

Officially launching this November at Condé Nast Traveller’s Luxury Travel Fair, Spectrum is the company’s fourth edition of their annual coffee table book. Offering an insight into their varying collection of design-led hotels with brand new photography, Spectrum showcases inspiring interiors paired with an abundance of inspiration for globe trotters. Orbiting locations that are ‘highly individual places’, users can browse hotels from iconic European destinations such as Italy and Switzerland to Mexico, India and Oman — this book will continue to open reader’s eyes to HIP Hotels’ captivating collection.

Displaying a refreshing new contemporary theme whilst retaining founder, Herbert Ypma’s, distinctive creative style of a composition of clear daylight paired with careful attention to detail, Spectrum is dedicated to beautiful pages filled with visuals of inspiring interior design and architecture. Passionate about the absence of filters or artificial lighting, the photography perfectly captures the inherent personality of each and every HIP Hotel. Each chapter of Spectrum conveys its very own colour theme with an artful transition from the very first to last page.

hip hotels
HIP hotels have to fulfil certain criteria: they must be unique, characterful and charming, and off the beaten track. Image above: La Segreta, Umbria, Italy

If a hotel has a story, HIP Hotels want to tell it. With a goal to capture the character and distinctive style of hotels globally, no two of its hotels are the same. They take pride in each and every hotel in their collection, subjecting each application to an internal screening process to maintain the exclusiveness of their members. Having published over 20 books, HIP Hotels’ editions can be found across hotel suites, distinguished desks and bookshops stretching the globe. With a goal to spark excitement, they encourage their target audience of mainly age 35+ to push boundaries and consider travelling to places they once may not have considered.

The company communicates the unique elements of their collection carefully through the art of social media, particularly via their Instagram channel, that boasts over 65,000 dedicated followers. Showcasing the beautiful characteristics of each and every member, they cultivate a digital buzz with refreshing and innovative strategies, to an audience that continues to expand, month on month.

hip hotels spectrum book
HIP Hotels offers the chance to experience the sort of hideaways once found only in the pages of James Bond novels. Image above: Las Ventanas al Paraíso, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

The HIP Hotels website reflects the editorial style of its coffee books. Offering daily travel inspiration on their homepage, with an everchanging thread of blog-style stories, from their top pick of culinary getaways to luxury water sports and exclusive locations for afternoon tea, the ways to encounter unique travel inspiration is seemingly endless.

Their collection of properties can be browsed via country, city and region or categorised by inspiration from adventure to art, barefoot luxury, camping and boutique experiences so users can discover exactly what their heart desires.

hip hotels spectrum
The company have just published Spectrum IV, which is now available to purchase on Amazon

Spectrum IV, their latest coffee table book, is distributed through the HIP Hotels website and is also available on Amazon UK at a retail price of £45.

For more information and to begin your exploration, visit hiphotels.com.

Image at the very top of the article: Bellonias Villas, Santorini, Greece.