Design firm: Mecanismo, Madrid

The details: To complement chef Pedro Subijana’s three Michelin-starred restaurant on Mount Igueldo in San Sebastián, Spain, design firm Mecanismo transformed an existing structure that was vacant for 10 years into the tranquil, minimal Hotel Akelarre. The 22 sanctuary-like rooms boast simple geometries and materials that “are natural and nice to touch,” says architect Pedro Rica of the Madrid-based firm, including unexpected white fabric-covered walls and the defining feature: expansive windows and glass balconies that give way to views of the Cantabrian Sea.

Gray stone bricks clad the building’s façade, which also form a series of seaside terraces punctuated with wood-lined circular seating areas. “The curved shape contrasts with the sharp edges of the cubes making the space cozy and attractive,” notes Rica. This organic, pristine aesthetic continues in the spa where limestone covers massage cabins and the swimming pool and sauna are dressed in more stone. The lounge provides another quiet space for relaxation and reading, outfitted with an eye-catching fireplace made of black marquina marble that continues in two symmetrical pieces that cut into the warm wood of bookshelves, complementing the slatted wooden panels along the ceiling. It’s “one of the most iconic spaces of the hotel,” notes Rica, with windows opening to the sea—the inspiration behind the whole design.