Tomás Alía, one of Spain’s most influential interior designers, has been named the creative force behind Hotel Hábitat 2025, the flagship installation at Feria Hábitat in València.

Scheduled to be unveiled between September 29 and October 2, this year’s edition of the hotel will occupy over 800 square metres at Feria Valencia. Known for his distinctive fusion of tradition, craftsmanship and modern design language, Alía is set to re-interpret a defining element of Valencian vernacular architecture: the humble barraca.

These traditional homes, typically found along the Albufera lagoon, serve as the core inspiration for Alía’s temporary hotel concept. Built by hand using local, climate-responsive materials, the barraca exemplifies sustainable, community-driven construction.

They are found particularly in farming and marshland areas. Simple constructions, they are nonetheless highly adapted to the environment, designed to make the most of the natural resources and provide good thermal insulation.

As the designer’s Studio Estudio Caramba notes, this approach aligns perfectly with the project’s ethos: an immersive, sustainable hospitality space rooted in local identity and built using contemporary, contract-sector solutions from leading exhibitors at Feria Hábitat València.

Heritage, innovation

The structure of Hotel Hábitat 2025 centres around a spacious lobby crowned by a marquee constructed from indigenous materials and fitted with outdoor furniture and accessories.

To the left, a lobby bar and relaxation zone will open into an auditorium, the designated venue for the fair’s professional talks on design, interior architecture and contract applications.

On the opposite side of the installation, eight suites will take form as signature luxury hotel rooms, each designed by different Spanish design luminaries, including Pascua Ortega, Pepe Cosín and Luis Calabuig.

At the heart of this ambitious installation is Alía’s enduring connection to artisanal craft. Born in 1964 in the small town of Lagartera (Toledo), Alía was raised amidst the tactile beauty of handmade objects, an experience that continues to inform his approach to materiality and form.

Over the years, he has spearheaded large-scale international projects, from designing the Doha stadium for the 2022 FIFA World Cup to crafting interiors for royal residences in Qatar.

Hotel Hábitat 2025 is more than just a showpiece – it is a manifesto for thoughtful design that celebrates cultural continuity, champions sustainability and re-invents hospitality spaces for the future.

With Alía’s singular vision and the backing of some of Spain’s most celebrated designers, the installation is poised to be one of the standout highlights of this year’s Feria Hábitat València.

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