We’re throwing a Moroccan-themed dinner party this weekend so I immediately thought of Peacock Pavilions guesthouse outside Marrakesh. Owned by an architect and the blogger behind MyMarrakesh.com, I knew I’d find some fresh Moroccan design ideas for the party. Now, if only we could have the dinner here…
In my dreams I’m headed to the London Olympics where I’ll take in a few matches followed by Pimm’s Cups and shopping. Then we’ll ferry off to the countryside and make like locals for a few days at Coworth Park, a new country-house hotel and spa 45 minutes outside of London where we’ll watch polo while Marguerite hangs out in their “creche” hotel daycare. Fancy that.
P.S. Prince Harry has been spotted on the polo field …
Read about other Sweet Hotels on CultureFix.
I’m not afraid to admit that I really dig L.A. – especially after a recent visit to Venice Beach. We stayed at the newly renovated Hotel Erwin, a block from the boardwalk with an incredible rooftop bar called High (perfect name for the ‘hood). Yes, Venice has the wacky, medical marijuana-induced boardwalk scene but it’s also got a super-hip main drag, Abbot Kinney. The mood at The Erwin fell somewhere in between.
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Tagged california, hotels, L.A., Sweet Hotels, Travel, Venice Beach
To Brooklyn! Here’s the view of Manhattan from the fantastic, new Wythe Hotel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. More to come, gotta go get coffee…
Take me here now. PLEASE!
I’ve been following the progress of this sweet Brazilian resort and am so excited to finally share it. Uxua Casa Hotel has all the elements I love to find in a hotel: It’s lovingly created by a private owner, its dripping with local flavor and has a great design aesthetic. See, I’m not that hard to please.
Here’s the deal: Uxua was started by the fashionable Wilbert Das, the former creative director of Diesel. He traveled to the remote Trancoso region of Brazil, fell in love with it, bought some property and decided to share his special place with a quiet Brazilian resort. And importantly, he also wanted to incorporate the village into his resort. He built the hotel so it would mesh with and even aid the community. Four of the hotel’s colorful “casitas” face the 1586 town square and were original fishermen cottages. In the 16th century missionaries cleared the rain forest to establish the town for the native people and apparently not a whole lot has changed over the years.
Today, guests can watch locals do capoeira, the Brazilian martial-art in the town square, and take lessons from townspeople. Or they can go fishing for dinner then learn to clean and cook their catch in the local style. But mostly it’s the resort’s position on the town square that allows visitors to become a part of town life, at least for a week or two. Lets go, eh?
And of course the design is fantastic. Here are more photos of Uxua… Continue reading
Sometimes you need a manicure AND a drink. Well good news: The Paris hotel Pavillon de la Reine just started offering manicures in it’s library lounge on Saturdays.
The hotel is in the trendy Marais district on the Place des Vosges so you may spot some fashion insiders in the armchairs next to you. Manicures are open to the public and just 25 euro (or about $33). Then there’s the little manner of the plane ticket…
Make like Samantha, Carrie, Miranda and Charlotte and head to Morocco, suddenly the hottest destination on the map. Although Morocco plays Abu Dhabi, UAE, in the movie “Sex and the City 2,” which opened yesterday. But never mind that, Morocco has been absolutely everywhere in the last six months. Popping up in Vogue fashion spreads, on the pages of Bazaar magazine (with a spread on jewelry designer Paloma Picasso’s Marrakech home), and on travel pages of many a newspaper (The New York Times this month touted Casablanca’s contemporary art scene). So what does all this mean?
It’s time to head to Morocco.
Fancy a Swiss Family Robinson experience but with indoor plumbing? Treehouse hotels not only get you up close to the local wildlife-your neighbors could be anything from Howler Monkeys to flying tree frogs-they can also offer seclusion for a romantic getaway or excitement for adventure-seeking families. While some of our top ten treehouse hotels have saving the environment firmly on their agenda (the eco-friendly Post Ranch Inn in California relies completely on solar power), others don’t compromise on the luxuries that come as standard in a five star hotel (the Four Seasons accommodations in the Seychelles, above, have private infinity pools). But the one guarantee that comes with every treetop property on our list is a knockout view. Just don’t forget your binoculars!
Read the rest of my story and see its slideshow at Aol Travel.
