A hand-picked collection of places to stay: Authentic, Small-scale, One of a kind!
Just outside a picturesque small village, Paul and Fran found their Italian dream home. An old farmhouse with thick ocher-colored sandstone walls, plenty of space, surrounded by fruit trees and views of Marche’s rolling hills and high fortified villages. The perfect Hideaway to slow down and to enjoy local Italian (rural) life. Suitable for max. 6 persons.
The north of Italy has many well-known lakes, beautiful and very popular with holidaymakers for years… but hugely flattened. Time for a suitable alternative. Luckily, this summer I found a fairytale lake 1.5 hours’ drive from Milan where tourism is still mostly limited to Italians who have their country houses there. And it gets even better because I visited an amazing Hideaway there where everything is right and all 20 apartments have a view of the lake.
A hidden gem, adults only, in the lovely town of Boliqueime… this small-scale boutique hotel meets the Local Hideaways wishes. Only 7 rooms, a pittoresque courtyard where a delicious dinner is served in the summer months and brunch in the other months. Beautiful art by Meinke Flesseman (a personal fave) decorates the walls. Boliqueime is a lovely nice town in the Central Algarve with authentic restaurants/bars and a few great shops.
Hidden away on the glitzy Greek island of Spetses is this small-scale hotel…. Here you’ll find privacy and fine rooms – including family rooms – some with kitchenettes. Dimitris is a fantastic host and knows the island like the back of his hand! He is happy to share his insider tips. You can cool off and relax by the small pool, you will be spoiled with a breakfast in the morning and the old harbour and the centre are within walking distance.