Hotels, Travel Culture & Design

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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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Unwaxed Lemons

Capture the essence of the Mediterranean from cool 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

Go Private

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

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 Beautiful Boutique Villas, Apartments, Private Houses & Small Hotels

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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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

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™️.

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

STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN - Fabulous Gallery in Tribeca


STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN is an invention of gallerist Nacho Polo and his partner Robert Onuska. Together, they transformed the space over two years – and none of the 7000 square feet escaped their meticulous gaze.

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JOURNAL

Nicemakers - Creators of Exceptional Interiors


Life partners Dax Roll and Joyce Urbanus are at the helm of the interior design studio Nicemakers based in Amsterdam, creators of design hotels and beautifully conceived homes.

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JOURNAL

Woven in Wales: Melin Tregwynt


The country of Wales is a long-time respected and highly regarded producer of crafted textiles and weaving, and one of the most sought-after British manufacturers, produced in a whitewashed mill that’s been in continuous use since 1841.

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A|S Boutique Residence | Luxury Design Hotel in Havana, Cuba A|S Boutique Residence | Luxury Design Hotel in Havana, Cuba
Hotel - Havana, Cuba

A|S Boutique Residence


Boho, ornate and stylish, this mansion speaks of colonial architecture narrated by art, design, and antiquities - a chilled luxury bolthole of hushed opulence.

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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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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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Durgerdam - Coastal Retreat close to Amsterdam  Sailing Boats| De Durgerdam | Luxury Boutique Hotel The Netherlands | The Aficionados Durgerdam - Coastal Retreat close to Amsterdam  Sailing Boats| De Durgerdam | Luxury Boutique Hotel The Netherlands | The Aficionados
Hotel - Durgerdam, Netherlands

De Durgerdam


Creativity, nature, heart, design, deep comfort and food fuse at this house hotel and restaurant on the other side of Amsterdam, along the wild shores of Durgerdam, 20 minutes from downtown.

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JOURNAL

Solid Wood: Eco Modernism, Made in Germany


Founded in 1990, Zeitraum is a sustainable solid wood manufacturer from Bavaria, Germany, that marries ecology, design and a passion for its Alpine roots and traditions.

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Über Tote | The Aficionados Über Tote | The Aficionados
Tote Bag

Handmade in Portugal


The must-have summertime accessory, these mega beauties come in eye-catching Seville Orange or a cooling Eggshell Blue, complete with our signature "happy face" - this roomy buddy takes it all.

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JOURNAL

Connolly: For Sartorialists on the Move


Established in 1878, the quintessentially British brand Connolly is a perfect London pitstop for those who love heritage, crafts, bespoke leather goods and the fashion essentials for travel, design, and adventure.

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

Architect Vincent Van Duysen


The master of reductive design, Belgium architect and interior designer Vincent Van Duysen is a behemoth legend of pared-back aesthetic and minimalist style over a spectrum of design disciplines, including furniture, textiles, and lighting.

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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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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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1280 Krone | Beautiful Design Hotels in Baden-Württemberg, Germany 1280 Krone | Beautiful Design Hotels in Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Hotel - Baden-Württemberg, Germany

1280 Krone


Raw architecture, rusticity and a gallery of textured heritage narrate this design hotel outpost from its façade of dandy red shutters to the tales of twisted loft rafters and atmospheric exposed history.

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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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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

Queen of Dumplings – Vienna's Humble Legend


Affectionaltely dubbed the organic 'Queen of Dumplings', Vienna's Humble Legend Zur Herknerin in Vienna's Wiedner Hauptstraße 36 (hip fourth district) an absolute legend in Viennese dining circles – and deservedly, one of the hardest places to get a reservation.

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JOURNAL

Chef Ramón Freixa – Spain's Culinary Legend of Soul


Madrid’s celebrated two-Michelin star Chef Ramón Freixa talks about his love of L'Empordá and he draws on a quote from Josep Pla that continues to inspire him: 'The cuisine of a country is its landscape in the casserole'.

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Bootshaus Hotel & Restaurant Amberg | Beautiful Design Hotels in Bavaria, Germany Bootshaus Hotel & Restaurant Amberg | Beautiful Design Hotels in Bavaria, Germany
Hotel - Amberg, Germany

Bootshaus


A beautiful narrative of restoration and design, this riverside perch of style sits in the heartland of historic Amberg, its aged facade plays host to a seductive remit of subtle design and crafted interiors overlooking the river Vils.

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The Brecon | Luxury Design Hotel in Adelboden, Switzerland | New hotels 2024 The Brecon | Luxury Design Hotel in Adelboden, Switzerland | New hotels 2024
Hotel - Adelboden, Switzerland

The Brecon


An adults-only newly opened hotel-chalet chameleon married to a curatorial melange of mid-century nostalgia and a dialogue of soft luxury perched in altitudinous Adelboden.

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Mezi Plutky Boutique Hotel in the Carpathian Mountain range of Beskydy offers cool design accommodation in the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic Mezi Plutky Boutique Hotel in the Carpathian Mountain range of Beskydy offers cool design accommodation in the Moravian-Silesian region of the Czech Republic
HOTEL - Beskydy, Czechia

Mezi Plutky


Set against the forested Beskydy (Beskids) range in the Carpathian Mountains, this 200-year-old designer hideaway fosters modern Czech country living whilst giving heritage a hug, decked in whites, linens and twisted rafters.

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

håndværk: Changing The Casual Fashion Industry


Stylish, natural, casualwear, knits, t-shirts + crafted closet essentials that are ethical, sustainable, carbon neutral and natural, created by Petra Brichnacova and Esteban Saba.

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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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JOURNAL

New York Design Guide


Set among the wide streets and historic buildings of downtown Manhattan, for decades Tribeca has been an understated artist haunt, a fusion of easy-going European charm and New York ambition.

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JOURNAL

Artfully Tamed: the garden designs of Fabiano Crociani


Mediterranean landscaping by Italy's top garden designers Fabiano Crociani, found throughout Tuscany and Umbria, including hotel Vocabolo Moscatelli.

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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

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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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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JOURNAL

Lisbon’s Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation


Architecturally deigned buildings, an eclectic museum, library, secret garden and a scientific research institute make up the Lisbon outpost of this Portuguese philanthropy foundation, which is just the tip of the iceberg.

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Benedikta Montafon | Holiday Home Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados Benedikta Montafon | Holiday Home Vorarlberg Austria | The Aficionados
Private Rental - 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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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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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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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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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, Antwerp, Billund, Copenhagen, Berlin, Dusseldorf, and 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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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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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

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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