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Cap Ferret's low-key beach town just got a beautiful new boutique hotel. And Villa Colette is a very welcome arrival—we love Cap Ferret, but it’s short on hotels, and until this debut, we preferred booking a villa here to booking a hotel (read our Cap Ferret GoGuide for more intel). Designed by Philippe Starck and the hotelier behind Paris’ Madame Rêve, the stylish stay offers six suites and 22 rooms with views over Arcachon Bay, and is set just steps from the center of town and beach. White parquet floors, mahogany furnishings, soft tones, and colorful details complete the elegant seaside getaway, in addition to a restaurant and bar.
No one knows vintage like our latest tastemaker Saida Akhralova, the founder and eye behind Akhralova, a second-hand vintage archive. It’s the result of a lifetime of research, vintage hunting, and painstaking curation, with rare pieces including a 2007 Alexander McQueen sculptural mini in green taffeta and an elegant 1996 Gucci by Tom Ford black dress with an open back and statement gold belt. Based in Pesaro, Italy, she focuses her travels on vintage and visiting places that feel equally one-of-a-kind. Follow her for more recs like these: •Baraboux, London: Not your typical vintage store. This feels more like a quiet fashion gallery. •Casanova Vintage Y2K, Tokyo: Insane collection of bags. Found a mini LV in purple for €200. Total gem. •ArchiveStudio/22, Athens: The selection is exactly my taste—Gucci by Tom Ford, Yves Saint Laurent, Prada. •Rosy Vintage, Copenhagen: One rack really stood out, featuring archival pieces from the ‘90s and 2000s—Comme des Garçons, Chanel, Gucci—a strong but limited selection. •Majco, Paris: A hidden showroom. The selection is sharp and sensual, long dresses, rare pieces… all chosen with instinct not trend.
French film producer Dorian Grinspan is the man behind one of Upstate New York’s most beautiful new guesthouses, Maison Monna, a restored white farmhouse that dates back to 1796. Set 30 minutes outside of Hudson, the stay is a true labor of love, with painstaking attention to detail given to the interiors. Grinspan sourced pieces from all over the world, including from Spain, Brittany, Japan, and Paris’ Marché aux Puces de Paris Saint-Ouen, and the result is a design that feels both comfortable and very considered (brass pots and pans line the kitchen walls, custom blue-and-white linen drapes over the beds). It’s an ideal retreat to book for a week of slow living spent cooking, sipping coffee on the porch, or lingering by the fire pit or pond. Maison Monna is available for booking all year, except for one month when it operates as an artist residence.
There's truly nothing like early April in Europe, when trees bloom and streets fill with a reclaimed energy and the sweet scent of spring. We just spent a few beautiful days in Lisbon—a favorite destination year-round, but particularly wonderful this time of year, when you get all the sunshine and none of the summer crowds.
We stayed at three boutique hotels, each offering a distinct experience and neighborhood: Pátio do Tijolo, a pared-back yet cozy stay tucked into Bairro Alto with a tranquil courtyard; Hotel das Amoreiras, a charming, family-run property on the beautiful Praça das Amoreiras that exudes European warmth and service; and Santa Clara 1728, a former palace that has been transformed with neutral, minimalist decor and features linen couches, marble tubs, sweeping views of the Tagus, and a meditative, light-filled energy. Staying here feels a bit like taking a deep breath.
Meals were equally varied and memorable: creative small plates at the Entropia (particularly the steak tartare and a celery salad that nods to NYC's Four Horseman); an intimate, 13-course omakase at IRU, a thoughtful and fun experience led by just two people; and Gambrinus, the legendary Lisbon institution that has been perfecting seafood, traditional Portuguese dishes, and tableside service in its wood-paneled dining room for decades. This is just a sneak peek—a full update to our Lisbon guide, with all the intel on where to eat, drink, and shop, is on the way.
We finally made it to São Lourenço do Barrocal, the farmstead hotel in Portugal’s Alentejo region, and can confirm that it indeed is as spectacular as everyone says. Set on more than 1,900 acres, the estate has been in the same family for over 200 years and is still an organic working farm and vineyard. All of the buildings maintain their original structure, beautifully renovated in a farmhouse style—textured white stucco walls, doors in green and blue hues, bespoke wooden furniture, handwoven rugs, and antiques from the original property (everything from farming tools to books to picture frames). Alongside 40 rooms and cottages, the hotel boasts a winery, olive oil mill, two outdoor pools, a Susanne Kaufmann spa, horse stables, farm-to-table restaurants, and more. The experiences are even more impressive: olive oil tastings, beekeeping classes, and pottery workshops (the region is famous for it), to name a few. But perhaps what stands out the most is the conscious effort to keep the property as it has been for centuries, sustainably run with a deep connection to the land, history, and Alentejo culture. We could go on, but it’s just one of those places you have to experience yourself.
We’ve just added two more of our favorite hotels to our Premium Hotel Perks Collection, a tightly curated list of our editors’ absolute favorite stays, where we’ve secured special rates for Premium members.
First up is Farasha Farmhouse, a gem of a hotel 40 minutes outside of Marrakech that we visited right after opening and loved. Owned by the husband-and-wife duo behind Boutique Souk (Marrakech's best event planning firm), it is an impeccably designed stay with 11 rooms, a pool, and a regenerative farm, making it ideal for a few days of R&R. Truly every single detail has been considered, from the custom tapestries to the book collection donated by the estate of legendary fashion editor Diana Vreeland.
Our other addition is The Brecon, a design-forward, 22-room boutique hotel in the beautiful, quiet town of Adelboden in the heart of the Swiss Alps. It offers stylish, mid-century modern interiors, a small but pampering spa area, and a seasonal culinary program with meals (and alcoholic beverages!) already included in the room rate.
Enjoy 10% off Farasha Farmhouse and 15% off The Brecon, and don’t miss all of our Premium Hotel Perks for your spring and summer travels.
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The AmiGo Editors**
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