Hotels, Travel Culture & Design

welcome to The Aficionados

The Magazines

For the Love of Print

Meet our favourite Cycladic Quintet

our pick of 5 easy-to-get-to Cycladic island escapes

The Magazines

For the Love of Print

The Aficionados - Stylish hotel with design detailing, luxury elements, Scotland
The Aficionados - creative boutique hotels
The Aficionados - creative boutique hotels
The Aficionados - creative boutique hotels
The Aficionados - creative boutique hotels
The Aficionados - luxury boutique hotels,  interior design, style

The Aficionados is an established reference for design hotels, travel culture and lifestyle. Bound into neat edits of fantastic hotels, places, creators and crafted products; we are a kindred emporium of beyond ordinary. We’ve been connecting the dots of creativity since 2009 in a deliberate line-up that cleverly knits the threads of travel, design, craft, and architecture into an emporium of all things nice.

The Aficionados is an established reference for design hotels, travel culture and lifestyle bound into neat edits of fantastic hotels, creators and real nice products.

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Tasty Buds

Join the self-confessed foodies, lovers of great taste and those pioneers of gastro from flavour-hunters to the mavericks who turn humble into heroic.

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Tasty Buds | Foodies, Chefs, Eateries, Restaurants  | The Aficionados

Sustainability

Who was it that said it's better to have millions of people doing sustainability imperfectly, rather than a handful doing it perfectly?

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Private Houses

A fantastic collection of private-hire holiday houses and luxury villas for vacation rentals or simply retreats of ‘private isolation’.

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Neu Heritage

Peer into the treasure pot of one-off brands, rarity and inherited blueprints - each throwing a punch at blandness as the incubators of curiosity, originality and legacy.

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Archi'terieurs

We love finding a patch of really good design production, architecture and style. When executed well, it's like walking into a fantastic novel.

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Architerieurs | Architecture Design Interiors | The Aficionados

Holistics

Pitstop here for a bucket-list dispatch which jumps off the treadmill of busy on a journey through the moi realms of wellness, escapism and curation.

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Wellness | Holistic Beauty, Nature, Spa, Slow Living | The Aficionados

Culture Kids

Dens of creativity, art and playfulness, each of these hotels play host to countless cultural events where boho meets highbrow.

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Creative hotel guest book with drawing about a stay, culture travel and art, little details

Salt & Turf

Bijou refuges crafted deep in the countryside or clinging to the wild coastline, these hideaways bring style to their natural location.

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Countryside and Coastal Hotels, Guesthouses

The Luxurians

A smooth genre of luxury hotels that bring urban touch and impeccable luxe together with an old school quality creating a relaxed, contemporary feel.

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Fabulous Penthouse Suite at The Greenwich Hotel, NYC by Axel Vervoordt

Unwaxed Lemons

Capture the essence of the Mediterranean from cool luxuriously crafted boutique hotels and villa retreats to the makers and artisans who populate the region with products of style.

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Mediterranean escapes, gardens, landscape, sun, sea, holiday, luxury, White Line Hotels

HOTELS, TRAVEL CULTURE & DESIGN

The hotels, the people, the products and a natural sense of creativity, meet our friends that made us smile.

We at The Aficionados get excited about finding standout markers that share our culture for style, creative luxury, design and aesthetic. Possibly random in nature, perhaps, but go ahead and freely explore our collection of hotels, edits, finds and little treasures from Lisbon to NYC - Here, there, not everywhere™️.

Vocabolo Moscatelli | Design Hotel in Calzolaro, Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados Vocabolo Moscatelli | Design Hotel in Calzolaro, Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados
HOTEL & RESTAURANT - Umbria, Italy

Vocabolo Moscatelli


Restored within a former monastery, this fabulous design hotel and foodie hotspot brings together the stone mason, blacksmith and wood worker with the artisan makers.

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JOURNAL

Our Favourite Femmes of Style


Our Favourite Femmes of Style - hotel matriarchs, interior gurus, fashion femmes, and women of effortless charm who make the world a better place from the entrepreneurs to the skincare disruptors.

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Gasthaus Traube Buchs | Design Hotels in St Gallen, Switzerland Gasthaus Traube Buchs | Design Hotels in St Gallen, Switzerland
HOTEL - Canton of St. Gallen, Switzerland

Gasthaus Traube


A fabulous creative fusing of two historic landmark buildings, this popular restaurant and newly created design hotel is decked in Swiss and Scandi aesthetics and crafts.

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JOURNAL

Hotel Design Magazines


Anchored to specific genres of hotel design, The Aficionados print editions: Farmhouse Fabulous, Casa Gorgeous, Blueprint Beauts, Neu Heritage and Alchemists of Italy take the reader through the creation narratives. A sourcebook for hoteliers, travellers, style aficionados and those who appreciate design.

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New Members | Latest Hotels & Accommodation On The Aficionados New Members | Latest Hotels & Accommodation On The Aficionados
GENRE

New Members


Find our latest member boutique hotels, luxury villas and design B&Bs to join The Aficionados collection of creative places to stay.

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JOURNAL

Austrian Cities


Vienna, Hall in Tirol, Salzburg and Innsbruck are our Kirsche on the cake urban pitstops - our cultural heartthrobs, hubs of Habsburg heritage, Petri dishes of arty accomplishments and showcases of the city’s status markers of old.

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Cotto Etrusco | Traditional Ceramic Tile Makers of Perugia in Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados Cotto Etrusco | Traditional Ceramic Tile Makers of Perugia in Umbria, Italy | The Aficionados
Crafts

Cotto Etrusco


Fabulously individualistic hand crafted tiles made using Etruscan clay, traditional methods with a modern design - terracotta to glazed ceramics.

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Palacio Principe Real | Luxury Boutique Hotel Lisbon | The Aficionados Palacio Principe Real | Luxury Boutique Hotel Lisbon | The Aficionados
Hotel - Lisbon , Portugal

Palácio Príncipe Real


A noble Palácio of cor de rosa in the leafy Príncipe Real district dates back to 1877, a luxurious family residence that courted Lisboan high society. Aptly, this former heritage palace is a rather fabulous boutique hotel of style – it is grandeur: suitably chilled.

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ATTO Suites | Design Hotel Dolomites - San Candido/Innichen, Italy ATTO Suites | Design Hotel Dolomites - San Candido/Innichen, Italy
Suites & Cuisine - San Candido, Italy

ATTO


An architectural-statement, this minimalist hideaway in the Dolomites is the perfect basecamp for those who appreciate design, food, comfort and doorstep nature.

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JOURNAL

Repatriating to Zurich through the lens


Internationally acclaimed artist and photographer Jonathan Ducrest returned home to his native Switzerland in 2021 after a 23-year stint in the U.S. - relocating from Los Angeles to Zurich.

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JOURNAL

Tinos Wines


Three distinctive vineyards on the wild Greek island of Tinos produce bold natural wines from the harsh, mineral-rich, wind-sweept lands in the Cyclades. Meet three heroes: Gerard Margeon of T-oinos, Domaine de Kalathas by vigneron Jérôme Binda and Volacus Wines.

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Nōstos Design Hotel Serifos | Best Boutique Eco Hotels in the Cyclades Nōstos Design Hotel Serifos | Best Boutique Eco Hotels in the Cyclades
Hotel - Sérifos, Greece

Nõstos Sérifos


Billed as the first ‘green’ hotel on the island, Nōstos is a casual style refuge , a marriage of sustainability, nature, design and creativity that is neatly wrapped by the doorstep bustle of the port and the nearby beauty of Sérifos’ abundant beaches.

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Ansitz Steinbock Villandro | Beautiful Castle Hotel in northern Italy | The Aficionados Ansitz Steinbock Villandro | Beautiful Castle Hotel in northern Italy | The Aficionados
Hotel - Villandro, Italy

Ansitz Steinbock


Austere beauty and chunky grandeur are the inaugural hallmarks of this 15th century castle and glacial-grey monolith perched on the slopes of South Tyrolean village Villanders / Villandro in northern Italy.

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JOURNAL

BaBatchas Design Studio


Based in Athens, the creative directors of BaBatchas, Chrysi Makri and Nefeli Gkyzi, were drawn to each other by a common love for their homeland of Greece and Athens in particular, where they both found its modern idiosyncrasies and ancient peculiarities an inspiring place to live and work.

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Gorgeous Hotel Suites | Monteverdi Hotel | Beautiful Luxurious Hotel & Spa in Tuscany Gorgeous Hotel Suites | Monteverdi Hotel | Beautiful Luxurious Hotel & Spa in Tuscany
Hotel - Tuscany, Italy

Monteverdi


Curated architecture, restoration, rolling hills, wellness and food are the gorgeous tangents of this once-dilapidated hilltop village - lovingly restored into a slow-down bolthole of romance, heritage and utter style.

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JOURNAL

Akrotiri: The Pompeii of Santorini


Covered in volcanic ash, just like its Italian counterpart Pompeii, the Bronze Age settlement of Akrotiri, located on the south side of Santorini, was once the main port of the Aegean and a busy urban hub.

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Casa Fortunato Alcácer do Sal | Design Hotels of Alentejo, Portugal Casa Fortunato Alcácer do Sal | Design Hotels of Alentejo, Portugal
Hotel - Alcácer do Sal, Portugal

Casa Fortunato


With a handful of rooms, suites and studios to opt for, it is tough to know which one to fall in love with - they each have a distinct identity and are all infectiously gorgeous.

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JOURNAL

Architect António Falcão Costa Lopes


One of Antonio’s unique skills is his ability to fuse the old with the new – looking at the bones of a building before deciding what should be renovated, and later enhanced by a modern touch.

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JOURNAL

From Port to Wine: Five Winemaker Innovators in Porto


From Port to Wine - a new generation of winemakers is working with old vines and native grapes on the region’s dramatic slopes to craft a new wave of wines that speak of this unique region.

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JOURNAL

The Amalfi Coast’s textile temptations


Temptation Positano is a fashion brand that translates the golden moments of the Amalfi coast into its garments. Drawing inspiration from these unique locations, Temptation Positano produces all its garments in picture-perfect Positano.

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Pontisella Stampa | Bergell, Grisons, Switzerland | The Aficionados Pontisella Stampa | Bergell, Grisons, Switzerland | The Aficionados
Guesthouse - Bergell, Switzerland

Pontisella Stampa


A curated style jungle of mid-century furnishings, abstract modernism and bespoke pieces are flavoured by the original pine panelling dating back to 1848 - and all this cuteness is wrapped in a canvas of wild herbs and mountain eye candy.

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Benedikta Montafon | Holiday Home Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados Benedikta Montafon | Holiday Home Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados
HOLIDAY HOME - Montafon, Austria

Benedikta


The perfect amalgamation of old and new, Benedikta breathes fresh life into Vorarlberg heritage traditions in this smoothly crafted private-hire house originally built in 1836, located in the sleepy village of Vandans clasped by the wildflower-strewn valley of Montafon, west Austria.

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Na Travessa Suites Porto | Design Guesthouse Portugal | The Aficionados Na Travessa Suites Porto | Design Guesthouse Portugal | The Aficionados
Guesthouse - Porto, Portugal

Na Travessa Suites


Na Travessa pleasingly resides almost incognito amongst its neighbours, it is unassuming, familiar and reveals little about the poetic architectural features within.

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JOURNAL

Jardim Botânico Lisbon - A Magical Garden of Palms


Dendrophiles, or lovers of trees, will enjoy the diversity here with over 1,400 species – including rarely seen palms and ferns from across the world.

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JOURNAL

Slow lane living on the Ligurian coastline


Cinque Terre in the Slow Lane – Ensconce yourself at a secluded retreat where the pleasures of slow living are championed in a peaceful and tradition-filled Ligurian way of life.

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Oro de Cacao by Dieter Meier | Ethical Chocolate | The Aficionados Oro de Cacao by Dieter Meier | Ethical Chocolate | The Aficionados
Chocolate Maker

Oro de Cacao


'Oh Yeah,' from cult band 'Yello' to producing ethical, fair-trade chocolate, Oro de Cacao is real chocolate using a manufacturing process that carefully extracts the actual flavour of the bean.

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Monsieur Didot | Design Hotel Athens, Greece | The Aficionados Monsieur Didot | Design Hotel Athens, Greece | The Aficionados
Hotel - Athens, Greece

Monsieur Didot


A wonderful six-suite design guesthouse-hotel in the creative heartlands of Athens in the Kolonaki Quarter - home to the creative set, bookstores, publishing, galleries, museums and cafes.

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JOURNAL

Jürgen Haller – Architect Studio that builds with nature


Jürgen Haller is the gentle giant of a guy, a genius Baumeister in Austria’s Bregenzerwald. Over the past years, he has carved a name for himself with his imposing architecture, engineering, and design narrative.

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JOURNAL

Santorini’s Wines - Four Producers


Discover the four best Santorini winemakers on the volcanic Cyclades island's vineyards: Argyros, Gavalas, Venetsanos and Hatzidakis from vinsantos to Assyrtiko.

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GENRE

Restoration Dens


The Restoration Hotels are those aged modernists that marry twisted beams of centuries old with the design of Corbusier and we love this style combo of sheer architectural inspiration.

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Amrai Suites | New Design Hotel in Schruns, Montafon, Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados Amrai Suites | New Design Hotel in Schruns, Montafon, Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados
HOTEL - Montafon, Austria

Amrai Suites


Overlooking a dramatic diorama of mountains and valleys, this fun spirited luxury den threads the Heimat of Montafon with a modernist design aesthetic.

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Santomiele Italy | White Fig Syrup Cilento | The Aficionados  Santomiele Italy | White Fig Syrup Cilento | The Aficionados
Chocolate Maker

Santomiele


What do you do if you inherit six acres of fig orchards? If you’re Antonio Longo you start Santomiele, a luxury confectionary business that uses the sun-dried figs in delicious handmade chocolates, stuffed figs, cakes and syrups.

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JOURNAL

Fly direct to South Tyrol and the Dolomites


Get straight to the heart of the action with a new SkyAlps ski flight that lands directly from London, Brussels, Copenhagen, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Rotterdam & Hamburg into Bolzano, the Alpine capital of South Tyrol and perfectly placed for ski escapades in the UNESCO protected Dolomites.

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Monastero Arx Vivendi Hotel | Garden Spa walled gardens | Architects: noa* | Lake Garda, Arco Trentino, Italy | The Aficionados Monastero Arx Vivendi Hotel | Garden Spa walled gardens | Architects: noa* | Lake Garda, Arco Trentino, Italy | The Aficionados
HOTEL - Arco, Italy

Monastero Arx Vivendi


Once the home of devout Sisters, its aged cloistral heritage has been recast following an exacting narrative of preservation, reframing the monastic aesthetics for the modern nomad without corrupting the patina of austere beauty and timeworn touchpoints.

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Howlin’ Knitwear Antwerp | Celtic Crafted Fashion | The Aficionados Howlin’ Knitwear Antwerp | Celtic Crafted Fashion | The Aficionados
Fashion

Howlin’ Knitwear


A brand this quirky yet with such cohesion, it makes sense that it was created by two brothers, Jan and Patrick Olyslager, who hail from Antwerp.

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JOURNAL

Bordalo Pinheiro Museum, Lisbon


With an extraordinarily creative mind, Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro (1846 – 1923), was known for taking his own approach which can be seen in this revealing museum which showcases his graphic arts, caricatures, ceramics, object design and decoration.

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Spa & Wellness Hotel Resorts | The Aficionados Spa & Wellness Hotel Resorts | The Aficionados
GENRE

Spa, Wellness & Discovery


In need of some tender loving care? Or perhaps in need a boot-camp style health kick? Either way we have Spa destinations that just browsing the images make you feel better.

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Design Houses, Luxury Villas and Holiday Homes | The Aficionados Design Houses, Luxury Villas and Holiday Homes | The Aficionados
GENRE

Private Houses & Villas


For when you need that extra space and you need the whole damn place for yourself, whether you wanna rock like a star, get hitched behind closed doors, hosting a yoga retreat or just fancy having a ball with your friends Bond style – these are our XL+ luxury private hire rental abodes, from rustic to mega to the designer architect's pad.

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JOURNAL

NOA Architecture Studio - Fabulous Hotel Concepts, Homes and Spaces


Conceiving of NOA as an ever-changing network of architects, interior designers, graphic talent to even psychologists and much more, NOA is able to incorporate a multitude of ideas and styles into its hotel projects.

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JOURNAL

Genuizzi | Banal Architetti


Genuizzi | Banal Architects studio based in Milano is synonymous with clear spatial design and a strong lineal aesthetic bound to the environment.

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JOURNAL

The Island Edit of Hush


Poseidon’s Sanctuary, the Ilha Verde or the basecamp of cashmere, these wild island hush outposts of myths, folklore and cultural soul are well worth finding your sea legs.

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JOURNAL

Kanaal: Axel Vervoordt’s cultural hub outside Antwerp


Kanaal by Axel Vervoordt & Co is a kind of city in the countryside, less than half an hour’s drive from Antwerp, where art, architecture and nature combine.

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JOURNAL

Antwerp: a round-up of the city’s cultural surprises


Antwerp is one of Europe's cultural hotbeds with historical landmarks and art institutions. And while Antwerp has plenty of those – we turn our focus on the smaller-scale contemporary culture must-sees the Flemish city has to offer.

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