The Cōmodo

On January 27 2023, the brand-new boutique hotel the cōmodo is set to open its doors in the Austrian Alps. Spearheaded by owner and architect, Barbara Elwardt, and lead designer, Piotr Wisniewski (both westudio.berlin), the hotel is a bold debut for the cōmodo brand - the first of a series of design hotels projected to pop up around the world over the coming years.

Reborn from the bones of an old clinic, the cōmodo translates a mid-century vibe into a modern mountain escape. The 70-room design hotel offers a year-round refuge for savvy travellers and the creative community, perched in the alpine town of Bad Gastein. Here, art takes the stage with a curated mix of old and new: think handpicked art collaborations, custom-made furniture and eclectic vintage finds.

Built with a focus on sustainability and self-sufficiency, the cōmodo will use thermal water for spa treatments, have its own mountain spring, and come fitted with solar panels to produce its own electricity.

A MODERNIST RETREAT

The lobby is the pulsating heart of the hotel - a living room-esque space to meet, drink and gather. Each corner has been designed with its own story to tell - art, books and curios line the space, and a fireplace sets the scene for special encounters.

At the restaurant, stunning vistas are paired with organic wines, classic cocktails and modern Austrian cuisine. Here, it's all about a farm-to-table approach where sustainability is key. Ingredients are sourced fresh from local farmers and producers, each meal artfully assembled without sacrificing on flavour and creativity.

Elsewhere on the menu, you'll find co-working spaces, a fitness and yoga studio and a boutique cinema. Meanwhile at the spa - complete with treatment rooms, two saunas, and an indoor and outdoor pool - treatments are tailored to the individual and performed using luxury Saint Charles products and the healing properties of the Gastein thermal water.

THE ROOMS - AN ODE TO THE SIXTIES

Guests can tune out and wind down in the modernist rooms - ranging from Mountain View Rooms to Garden Suites. Inside, bold shapes and pops of colour create a warm and inviting atmosphere - an ode to the mid-century modernist style of the 1960s and 70s. Each room is fitted with a spacious rain shower, a comfortable bed, oak parquet with floor heating and original vintage furniture. Some offer sweeping views deep into the Bad Gastein valley, while others overlook the woody forest pines.

WHERE ART TAKES THE STAGE

Art plays a starring role at the cōmodo, shining the spotlight on some of Europe's finest talent. Current collaborators include Berlin-based pair Gosia Warrink and Katja Koeberlin from AMBERDESIGN, who crafted 140 unique artworks for the hotel, and up-and-coming Berlin design agency Fundamental, who have been commissioned to produce a series of vases, candleholders and brass trays for the space. Later in the year, a series of upcoming young artists as well as reknown gallerists are expected to join the stellar line-up.

Hotel website