A pitch perfect combination of history and modern design awaits you at Das Triest, a former coach station used by travelers en route to the spas of Trieste. Austrian architect Peter Lorenz and British interior designer Sir Terence Conran joined forces to preserve parts of the original structure, combining elements of imperial elegance with sober lines. The result is a sharp contrast to the city?s charming, late 19th-century Art Nouveau architecture. Subtle nautical touches like old ship railings and flags feature throughout the hotel, evoking an indirect homage to the port city of Trieste.

The interiors strike a distinctly contemporary note: Every upholstered piece by the Austrian firm Wittmann is handcrafted. Sir Terence Conran?s choice of instantly recognizable near modern classics includes also Artemide light fixtures and table lamps by Philippe Starck for Flos.