It used to be thought, years ago, that the interior design of hotels was not something that would work across national boundaries. It was believed that each country has its own style, its own ways that were immutable and had to be reflected in the interiors of their hotels. This is no longer seen as the case, and the spread of brands such as Marriott, Hilton or Intercontinental seemed to support this. There have been many accusations of the internationalisation of hotel style, of increasing uniformity,and of tourists flying from international airport to international airport into bland international style interiors that give no clue to location.
This uniformity is being challenged by the large groups such as Marriott in its Courtyards (see
Colombes with its characteristic French cockerel on the counter), but it is still possible to find hotels that are characteristic of the country they are situated in. We have previously featured an Italian example at
Hotel di Sole in Pieve di Cadore and in Arras in northern France I found this delightful example of a traditional French style hotel in the Hotel de l’Univers.
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