It Took a Whole Decade to Design These Dramatic Hotels

A lot can happen in a decade—but for a few special hotels, a decade is just what it takes to be reborn. Whether it’s a reimagined landmark or a new-build in a hard-to-reach location, the most exacting properties can take years—decades even—to create. From post-Victorian factories at the ends of the earth to warrior fortresses in India and the Middle East, these precious and ambitious hotels required more than blood, sweat, and tears to create—they demanded time.