Forget Where You Think You’re Going—These Are the 8 Travel Destinations Designers Are Gatekeeping for Inspiration

Modern luxuries and traditional design meet in Kyoto, Japan, and that’s exactly what designer Ashley Wilkins of Islyn Studio loves about it.

“Every day unfolds slowly, revealing some new form of beauty through quiet moments and small details,” she explains. Japan is known for its more minimalist design style, and while Kyoto reflects that sentiment, it does so through exquisite craftsmanship.

“Some of my favorite memories there are impossible to separate from the feeling of the city itself,” Wilkins adds. “Eating fresh fish beside an open hearth while drinking sake brewed from melted snow in the northern mountains, then being led to hidden bars invisible from the street, filled with antique glassware and shelves of impossibly old spirits.” The city shows restraint through its aesthetics, something that lingers long after one leaves.

It’s no surprise that the Mexican city of San Miguel de Allende is so inspiring to designer Emily Janak—it is a UNESCO World Heritage site, after all. Located in the central region of the country, this almost 500-year-old city boasts architecture of various styles and covering multiple eras, such as neo-Gothic, Baroque, neoclassical, and Spanish colonial.

That architecture and thoughtful craftsmanship are what draws Janak to the destination. “I already source from several makers there, and there’s a consistent thread in their work that translates beautifully to the American West—both visually and functionally,” the Next Wave designer says.

“Untouched” is how Next Wave designer Abigail Marcelo describes Marrakech, Morocco.

“The culture and architecture exist in a kind of beautiful suspension, and that sense of timelessness is instantly transportive,” the founder of Casa Marcelo explains.

Marrakech, known for its vibrant buildings, intricate tilework, and blended architecture, charmed Marcelo, making it one of her go-to spots for increasing her creativity. It’s the attention to detail found throughout the city that really strikes the designer. No matter what hotel she stays in, every single one features some elaborate detailing with the architecture and decor.

“And then there's the iconic Marrakchi pink color,” Marcelo adds. “Warm, dusty, and utterly effortless, it saturates the walls and light in a way that somehow becomes its own kind of neutral.”

One of the most vibrant and inspiring cities you can visit is Bangkok, Thailand, according to designer Samah Nawar. The founder of Nawar Designs is from South Asia but is based in Virginia, and she credits this capital city for reintroducing her to how color can exist in everyday living.

“I love to play with color, and I believe the spaces I create should spark joy in the people who move through them. Bangkok understood this before I walked in,” Nawar explains.

Bangkok beautifully integrates traditional architecture into a modern concrete jungle, pulling hues from the land to give the destination life. “Bangkok is where I go to remember that a room can be joyful without apology, and that the most inspiring spaces are built by people who know exactly where their colors came from,” she adds.

Venice, also called the Floating City, is beloved for its many charming canals, elite boutique hotels, and shopping destinations. It’s also essentially a living museum, showing off myriad architectural eras, from Byzantine to Baroque to Gothic. However, designer Géraldine Dohogne loves it most for the Venice Biennale, a cultural exhibition where art, architecture, interiors, and atmosphere “are in constant dialogue, creating environments that feel alive, evolving, and culturally engaged.”

It’s here, during this event which only happens every two years, that London-based Dohogne feels deeply inspired, crediting the way the historic grandeur “becomes a stage for contemporary expression,” she explains. “The old world meets today’s creativity in a way that feels entirely relevant to our current way of living.”

Though Marie Cloud hasn’t yet been to Mexico City, the Next Wave designer finds that its architecture and design constantly pull her in. The capital city has recently become well-known to the American masses for its rich cultural scene surrounding interiors and home decor, but it has long been an influential spot for design.

Designer Coco Greenblum, who has visited this storied city, echoes this idea and calls out the way old and new seamlessly coexist. “There’s such a strong sense of history, yet the contemporary design scene feels incredibly new and forward-thinking,” she adds.

The spaces that most often catch Cloud’s attention are the hotels and restaurants, even though the designer specializes in the residential space at Indigo Pruitt Design Studio. “Those spaces do something most interiors don't: they make you feel the culture before anyone says a word,” Cloud says. “The materials, the color, the way a room is composed—it's all intentional in a way that feels ancient and completely current at the same time.” She likes to chase this same tension in her work for her clients.