A hand-picked collection of places to stay: Authentic, Small-scale, One of a kind!
From your lounger at the edge of the infinity pool, staring at the sheep grazing over the hills… it does not get any more Alentejo Zen! At 45 minutes from Lisbon airport, we discovered this new gem. A recently completely renovated farmhouse, the house of the grandparents of the dear hostess Dona Toia, is now a charming bed & breakfast with 5 suites. All with their own terrace, bathroom and fully equipped kitchen. But this is not all, the family now owns 3 townhouses in the historic town of Alcácer do Sal, 10 minutes by car, which are also rented out.
The sympathetic guesthouse of the Dutch Madeline and Gerard is situated in a beautiful part of Andalusia. Not too far from the coast, close to Malaga and Ronda. A paradise for hikers and for those seeking tranquility in the low season but also during the school holidays a wonderful place to be with kids. Swimming pool, garden and rooms that are easy to prepare for a stay with your offspring and/or several families are the perfect ingredients!
When there’s a big bar of Hermès soap in the bathroom and a tea menu, you know this is pure luxury. This wine and olive oil estate, Herdade in Portuguese, covers 450 hectares, so it is huge but it doesn’t feel too big. It’s because the various accommodations are spread out and all have their own style. This is such a special hideaway, very suitable for the spoilt international traveller who goes for luxury and (eco) top quality in combination with nature, Alentejo deluxe!
Okay, there’s special and then there’s very special… this hideaway in the heart of Cologne falls into the latter category. I often talk about how a hotel needs to have a soul… this is what makes it stand out from the crowd, and this hideaway certainly does. In this case, the soul of Michael Kaune, which perfectly matches the beautiful neo-Gothic building, the old city archive. Michael was looking for a place where he could bring together his love of design, art and beauty. Not a museum, but low-threshold and everyday, so that everyone can enjoy his wonderful collection of modern design.