Susanna Cots Create a Place of Calm, Light, and Contemplation

This week’s instalment of the Project of the Week series features a calm boutique hotel design by 2025 SBID Awards Finalist, Susanna Cots.

Les Clarisses is a boutique hotel in Vic, designed by Susanna Cots, blending the peaceful legacy of an ancient convent with modern elegance. The project preserves the building’s historic integrity while integrating organic materials like wood and stone to create a tranquil atmosphere. Soft, flowing shapes, bespoke furniture, and natural light invite guests to experience mindfulness and luxury. Original architectural elements, such as stone vaults and pillars, merge seamlessly with contemporary design, maintaining the convent’s serene spirit. Les Clarisses is not just a hotel but a restorative space where history and modernity coexist to offer a unique experience.

What was the client’s brief?

The client had a clear and poetic vision: to transform a former convent into a boutique hotel where silence would not only be respected but become the soul of the project. A place of calm, light, and contemplation — where every detail invites pause and wellbeing.

What inspired the design of the project?

Silence was our greatest inspiration — not as absence, but as presence. Natural light guided us as a narrative thread to shape each space. And, of course, the architectural essence of the original convent, which we wanted to preserve and reinterpret with emotion and deep respect.

What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project?

The main challenge was to find the balance between historical memory and contemporary function. We were working with a building full of emotional and symbolic weight, and our task was to reinterpret it without betraying it. Managing natural light within such an ancient structure also required precision and sensitivity.

What was your team’s highlight of the project?

The moment we saw light flow naturally into the reimagined spaces for the first time. That instant when everything aligns, when the design disappears and only peace remains. Also very special were the first impressions from the guests — when they connected with the space through silence.

Why did you enter the SBID Awards?

For us, silence is not the absence of sound — it is a design principle. We wanted to share this vision with an international community that values subtlety, emotion, and depth in interior design. We’ve been part of the SBID community for many years, and for us, it feels almost like a responsibility — and an honour — to showcase our work through such a respected platform.

What has being an Award Finalist meant to you and your business?

It’s a recognition that touches us deeply — especially in the year we celebrate our 25th anniversary. To be shortlisted with such a symbolic project as Les Clarisses reaffirms our belief that beauty, when born from stillness and respect, can resonate far beyond borders.

Questions answered by Susanna Cots, Founder of Susanna Cots.