Overlooking the Amstel River 10 miles southeast of Amsterdam, Lute Suites is a collection of seven three-story cottages on the grounds of a former gunpowder factory. A stay here is a bit like sleeping in a modern Alice in Wonderland, thanks to Dutch interior designer Marcel Wanders (artistic director of the innovative firm Moooi and frequently described as the next Philippe Starck). The wildest suite is number five, which includes coat hooks made from tea saucers, Moooi’s trademark creative lighting, and a freestanding bathtub that resembles a giant piece of soap. Book dinner at the hotel’s modern restaurant, also called Lute, and order the truffle soup, served with parmesan foam and a delicately cooked quail egg.

Lute Suites,  31/(0) 20-472-2462, from $425. Photo courtesy of Lute Suites. This appeared in the December/January 2010 issue.