A hand-picked collection of places to stay: Authentic, Small-scale, One of a kind!
Gather your friends, family, acquaintances, remote co-workers or whoever else you want… because I’ve found you a beautiful house. A family project where daughter Lara, a talented interior designer, transformed the old aristocratic building into a wonderfully comfortable house for 10 people with 5 bedrooms and bathrooms. The garden is huge and has a pool, various seating areas and outdoor dining facilities. The kitchen is a dream!
And then there’s the location… within walking distance of my favourite Catalan city, Girona, with a plethora of good restaurants and a nature park in the hinterland. Okay, it’s not a cheap stay, but if you split the costs, you really do have a gem of a hideaway, I can guarantee you that!
A bay where the light is so beautiful and reflects off the picturesque white houses… it’s the perfect source of inspiration for many artists! And so Lorca, Picasso, Miró and Dalí discovered Cadaqués… a picturesque fishing village on the Costa Brava. Nowadays, it is a popular spot for day trippers and tourists. Especially on nice days, it gets busy, very busy. But despite this, it is a special place and definitely worth a visit. It has the best of both worlds: the sea and beautiful nature in the hinterland.
Away from the hustle and bustle (but within walking distance of the lively centre with its charming shops and excellent restaurants), I found a fantastic hideaway. Sixteen rooms in different categories, modern and tastefully decorated. There is a very good restaurant and a garden with a swimming pool. The staff are super friendly and helpful, and there is a “hidden” beach just around the corner. This is an absolute must and a real local hideaway!
The Ourika Valley is enchantingly beautiful! And the good news is that it’s less than an hour’s drive from Marrakesh, making it the perfect combination for a day trip during your stay! Brothers Mohammed and Hussein have created a solar-powered eco-paradise with first-class sunset views. There are only seven rooms, varying in size and décor, a beautiful terrace, a restaurant serving a homemade three-course dinner, an honesty bar (alcohol is served), a beautiful infinity pool and a hammam. It is a lovely hideaway from which to discover this beautiful area and enjoy a change of scenery from your stay in Marrakesh!
Personally, I find a lovely hotel just outside the hustle and bustle of Marrakech’s old medina to be the best of both worlds. You can seek out the hustle and bustle whenever you want: wander through the narrow streets of the medina, shop till you drop, and soak up all the sights and smells. But you can also retreat to a beautiful tropical oasis with plenty of space, a garden and a swimming pool. And it gets even better, because this fantastic hideaway just outside the city also has a sister hotel in the medina… so you can combine relaxed outdoor living with one or two nights in the city! For when you can’t choose and want to experience both!