Office block hotels from Paris to New York

Stay in a former IBM office block or the old Office for Electricity and Harbour Construction

25hours Altes Hafenamt, Hamburg

25hours Altes Hafenamt, Hamburg

The latest 25hours hotel opened on 1 March in Hamburg's regenerated Hafencity district, right next door to its predecessor, 25hours Hafencity. There's nothing new about the hotel's setting though; this listed building dating from 1885 is the oldest in the neighbourhood and once housed the harbour's Office for Electricity and Harbour Construction. The décor of the 49 rooms channels the look of a captain's house and there's a Boilerhouse Bar and NENI Restaurant serving Eastern Mediterranean cuisine.

Üeberseeallee 5, Hamburg, Germany (00 49 40 55 55 750; 25hours-hotels.com). Doubles from €135, room-only.

The Langham, Chicago

The Langham, Chicago

Mies van der Rohe is one of the giants of modern architecture. Design buffs can check into one of his famed buildings, the former IBM office block completed in 1972. Overlooking Lake Michigan, the first 13 floors now house The Langham hotel. The clean lines of the lobby were designed as a tribute to van der Rohe by his grandson, Dirk Lohan, while the 268 guest rooms have views of Chicago's forest of skyscrapers.

330 North Wabash Avenue, Chicago, Illinois, US (001 312 923 9988; langhamhotels.com). Doubles from $420 (£300), room-only.

The NoMad Hotel, New York

The NoMad Hotel, New York

This handsome Beaux-Arts office block dates back to 1903 and stands in an overlooked part of mid-town Manhattan. It was given a new lease of life when The NoMad Hotel opened four years ago. As the name suggests, it's set north of Madison Square Park, on a slightly chaotic stretch of Broadway. The interior was the first stateside project for French design supremo Jacques Garcia and the look is subdued and sophisticated.

1170 Broadway, New York City, US (001 212 796 1500; thenomadhotel.com). Doubles from $345 (£246), room-only.

Hotel Ekta, Paris

Hotel Ekta, Paris

The Hotel Ekta is something of a surprise amid the 19th-century streetscape of this chic Parisian neighbourhood. This 1970s office block has been imaginatively converted into a 25-room hotel with typical Parisian panache. It was opened last year in the heart of the 8th arrondissement; its interiors are a homage to the Sixties and Seventies fashion scene, and reminiscent of the work of celebrated designer, André Courrèges.

52 rue Galilée, Paris, France (00 33 1 53 76 09 95; hotelekta.com). Doubles from €115, room-only.

Mondrian at Sea Containers, London

Mondrian at Sea Containers, London

Sea Containers House was initially conceived as a hotel in the 1970s, but was turned into office space instead. It takes its name from one of its tenants, and it was not until 2014 that the first guests started to check in as the South Wing became home to the 359-room Mondrian. Tom Dixon was tasked with the makeover of this landmark building overlooking the Thames and took his cue from the golden era of steam travel with cruise-liner touches.

20 Upper Ground, London SE1 9PD (020 73747 1000; morganshotelgroup.com). Doubles from £230, room-only.

The Old Clare Hotel, Sydney

The Old Clare Hotel, Sydney

Every up-and-coming neighbourhood needs a fashionable hotel to cement its arrival, and Sydney's Chippendale got that with The Old Clare Hotel late last year. Singapore-based hotelier Loh Lik Peng fused the former Clare Hotel and the erstwhile offices of the Carlton United Brewery for this property. The result includes an Art Deco pub, a Jason Atherton-conceived restaurant and a rooftop pool.

1 Kensington Street, Chippendale, Sydney, Australia (00 61 2 8277 8277; theoldclarehotels.com.au). Doubles from A$269 (£141), room only.