JOIN the AFICIONADOS
To receive our world of travel and style delivered straight to your inbox.
This is (y)our wanderlust collection of cool design hotels, luxury villas, stylish houses and boutique B&Bs that share our passion for good architecture and creativity. These are soulful places to stay that we have chosen and that you have always wanted to find, where ordinary is a no- no. Small, family-owned independents of lifestyle and the fine details, these hotels and guesthouses were created by those local heroes, designers and architects who dared to dream. From your alpine pitstop of aged heritage to the modernist architectural den lost in the wilderness, the luxury coastal bolthole to the culture crash pad of urban design.
Meet The Aficionados - pleasingly here, there and not everywhere.
Happy travels amigos,
Iain & Crew
Definitely off-radar, ‘an insider’s boho art den’ best describes this series of lavish apartments, suites and rooms dressed in a plush melange of period styles, furnishings and artistic installations. This discreet little number is famed by writers, artists, actors and thinkers alike.
Nothing short of a foodie legend, Restaurant & Hotel Taubenkobel’s quirky 19th-century Austrian country cottage is the iconic culinary destination of Austria - and beyond. Serious pilgrims of food flock from far reaches of the globe to this tiny gourmet hub of creative flavour.
The edgy contrast of an aged coaching inn where artsy installations lend an air of east-side gallery – this is a cradle of the arts and style where a bold, contemporary curatorial scene is flanked by twisted beams and heritage-thick walls.
A lair of nature wrapped by the mountains and forests with perhaps one of the best nature-inspired spas in Austria, all overlooking the Leogang Rockies. This design hotel hugs smooth modern interiors that brush up to loveliness of the Alps, complete with its own lake.
A lovely Alpine lodge for families that has had a chic, eclectic refit. Quirky design elements, stacks of well-positioned collectables and lively, modern takes on heritage prints and textiles decorate this boutique interior.
A peak-side, sophisticated bolthole oozing fifties Vogue glamour. A firm favourite of the design fraternity, it is a trove of timeless, postmodern pieces that feel perfectly at home in this Alpine masterpiece of creative chillax.
Doorstep slopes, bold architecture and ethos of family living flood this hotel-apartment basecamp with rooftop restaurant, infinity pool and sunshine decks steps from 220km of ski pistes and mountain hikes.
A legendary crash pad of royalty, celebs and lovers of Arlberg, this is the chic chalet hotel and spa of consummate five star style. Interiors are dedicated to Alpine heritage and modern luxe running through the hotel’s family history.
Mesmerhaus, once the sexton’s home, is today a wonderful style chameleon of ornate exteriors and simplistic elegant interiors. The effect is of refined originality, a heritage house reduced to its essence through a calming language of decorative stillness.
The Hirschen "Young since 1755", is a love pot of heritage, wellness, art, culture, food and style – a Wunderkammer of familiar nostalgia reframed for the nomads who seek roots and prefer to sleep with history.
Strikingly modern design and humble heritage are the trademarks of Tempel 74 Apartments in the heart of the Mellau-Damüls ski region, just 500m to the ski lifts. Centuries-old Alpine craftsmanship marries pioneering architecture.
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.
Overlooking a dramatic diorama of mountains and valleys, this fun spirited luxury den threads the Heimat of Montafon with a modernist design aesthetic.
A fabulous foodie haunt, this chilled riverside hotel in Upper Austria is a traditional modernist that plays with heritage, the arts and nature between the Bohemian Forests and the Danube.
Ullrhaus is a hotel of muted luxury, where cool design marries Alpine soul and a minimalist edge. Located in the resort of St. Anton in the Tyrolean Alps, home to some of the Alps’ most exhilarating skiing.
Built into the original Medieval town walls of Hall, this former guilders’ house of traditional Tirol style has stood here for well over half a century with records dating back to 1450. Today, behind the rose petal façade, lies the small Kontor Boutiquehotel.
A contemporary private den for discerning design purists, Ʌerli’s allure is a harmonious marriage of tradition meets modernity, continuing and furthering the strong architectural alpine remit of Tyrolean design.
Drenched in Tirol originality and crafted by a setting of mountainous vistas. This luxury ski & spa hotel is all about boutique personality, passion, delicious food and a perfect location that hugs the snow-capped plateau, with windows that frame endless Austrian mountain eye-candy.
Close to the Tirol mountains of the Tux and Zillertal Alps, this design hotel of chilled style and nostalgic tradition, steps away from the chocolate-box picture-postcard image with creative art installations and a casual approach to life in the alps.
Birds, botanicals and fauna headline the canvas of this Austrian designer den found in Tirol wrapped in a fusion of honeyed Alpine traditions and chic urban style.
Wonderfully humble, this authentic exclusive-hire farmstead hideaway dating back to 1885 comes with the mandatory choc-box appeal of a rural Alpine chalet besieged by the hush rhythms of lush green pastures, ancient forests and hum of the mountain waters.
The fabulous boutique Hotel Julien, with its mansion-house pedigree in the heartlands of old-town Antwerp, is a self-confessed curator of the arts, designer pieces, antiques and mid-century furnishings, which adorn the handsome salons and rooms in comfy elegance.
Created within a former Augustinian cloister and chapel, Hotel August in the Flemish city of Antwerp was designed by one of Belgium's most acclaimed architects, interior designers, and product designers, Vincent Van Duysen.
Just 80 steps from the sea, this design outpost of style is a fabulous townhouse hotel-guesthouse decked in antiques, designer pieces and curios with just a handful of boutique bedrooms.
Boho, ornate and stylish, this mansion speaks of colonial architecture narrated by art, design, and antiquities - a chilled luxury bolthole of hushed opulence.
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.
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.
Steps away from Lake Constance, this shoreside hideaway fuses historical elegance with modern, purist architecture and conscious design, cradled in nature, wildflowers and centuries-old pine trees.
A regal abode of rich heritage rethought for the creative set, founders, fashionistas and entrepreneurs who feel equally in residence in Bavaria's downtown beauty, Dinkelsbühl.
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.
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.
Housed within a fabulously restored Venetian-styled mansion house, this design hotel with nine suites and a stunning rooftop bar has put the island of Syros back on the map.
Éros Kéros Villas, on the slow-pace Cyclades island of Koufonisia, come drenched in Aegean blue vistas – a sun-kissed boutique retreat of four cubic Cyclades-style merchant houses that lazily gaze onto the island of Keros.
Sat in a secluded spot right on the edge of the famous Caldera, individually-created traditional houses hug the rock formations – these exceptionally sleek designer dens are more than villas, their tonal whitewashed minimalism gradually revealing handcrafted touches and a cool boutique aesthetic.
Seamlessly slotting into Tinos’ wild and remote surroundings, design hotel Under The Sun is a raw and natural addition to this dramatic cliff-scape where Aegean blues blend sky with sea and a rugged architecture creates the perfect setting for a soulful escape.
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.
An elemental experience awaits at these natural designer dens, private-hire holiday houses for small groups, where cashmere hugs, rock walls shield, and simplicity is elegant.
A short drive northwards from the wild sandy beaches, the eco-design guesthouse lies secluded within the Horn Head peninsula. Created to blend seamlessly in with its surroundings of County Donegal’s mountainous yet green landscape.
Hushed, located close to Milan's fashion district, this new townhouse-hotel bolthole is laced with a troupe of design heroes, heritage and curated artworks - a discreet little number for those who want to reside off-the-radar, but in the hum of Milan.
Overlooking the Grand Canal, this cool-cat Palacio Hotel is for those who prefer their heritage married to sophisticated design and seductive luxury.
With arguably one of the most magnificent infinity views across Lake Garda, the new, all-suite hotel and wellness retreat is a fabulous escape of design.
A small designer outpost that is both rustic and sophisticated in its design simplicity – conceived to mirror the surrounding vineyards and Arco Mountains of Trentino, this rural idyll is an architectural bolthole that gives nature a stylish makeover, irresistibly close to Lake Garda.
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.
With the feel of a hip in-the-know club for lido-lovers, Aqva Boutique Hotel’s modular alabaster white building is fronted by a turquoise pool surrounded by sleek decking. Like a pointing finger, a private pier juts out onto the lake - perfect for those celeb moments.
A smooth design den pearled in white with an interior design that is eminently simple: a clean alpine aestheticism that borrows from Italian design, the Danish principles of hygge and a touch of sweet sophistication in the Japonesque detailing.
The chilled design hotel Miramonti sits perched atop Merano, nestled in forestry with spectacular, Bond-like views. Modernity subtly reigns whilst snuggling up to Alpine traditions – the vibe is relaxed, chilled and most definitely easy-going.
Remodelled over the centuries, 'Cinematic Italian' is the interior design mantra that consummately knits the restored historical elements to the nostalgia, style and flamboyance from the height of Italian film and design of the 1960s.
Affectionately known simply as ‘Magda’, personality flows from this mountainous bolthole of style framed on all sides by glorious greens, thanks to its location in choc-box Bolzano within the South Tyrolean Dolomites. Magda will soon become your New Best Friend.
In a heritage fusion of aesthetic restraint, the aged inn dates back to 1450 and we are privy to its past in all its whispered glory. Once a post office, coffeehouse and coppersmith, the townhouse has been skilfully reinvented by ASAGGIO architects.
Sleep under medieval frescoes, sweep down labyrinthine corridors, lord it up on the lofty ramparts or stroll through the Mediterranean garden, admiring the ivy-clad castle backdrop.
A groovy icon from the seventies, Seehotel Ambach, presides over the shores of Lake Caldaro in Italy’s South Tyrol with its perfectly formed, curvaceous marshmallowy walls of laid-back glamour and a canvas of tangerine, vert and oxide red, which drape mid-century furniture pieces.
A design smoothie wrapped in vineyards and mountain eye-candy; this villa-hotel masters the polarity of heritage with its sedated tones of taupe framing dramatic vistas of vert. Modernity, fresh elegance and a natural hand are cornerstones within the restored traditional walls of Das Wanda; a modern, designer, natural retreat with a strong South Tyrolean heart.
History, design, calmed wellness and an interior of modern heritage make this hotel-apartment refuge close to Merano the perfect pitstop for some downtime and closeness to nature.
Ceramics, pencil-lead greys, putty linens and aged furnishings headline at this restored design guesthouse of original simplicity in the cute market of Lana, South Tyrol.
A fabulously chilled 1920s villa-guesthouse decked in creative glamour wrapped in mustard yellow, it has just ten gorgeous suites and is set to a rhythm of vineyards, vegetable gardens, velvets, rattans, good food, and a pool.
Rising up like delicate meringue-whipped peaks, mirroring the Dolomites panorama that surrounds it, the architecture and design of Hotel Milla Montis create an impact.
Small, delicate and exquisite, this creative residence is fully stocked with vintage family pieces and curatorial heritage and includes a fabulous Orangerie thriving between the greenest of Mediterranean gardens and the whitest snow-capped peaks.
A fabulous retro-design, five bedroom holiday home of smooth vintage in Merano, this design vacation-rental is gorgeous, a luxury haven dotted with thoughtful mid-century design pieces, layered with love.
For lovers of that perfectly curated menagerie of style, good taste, careful heritage and thought-provoking artwork, this is your soft urban pitstop of smart Dolce Vita.
A design refuge for those that like their head in the clouds but feet firmly placed in architectural modernism, set at 1850 metres, the hotel is lofty enough to be able to ski straight out of its door, as well as hiking in summer.
An architectural-statement, this minimalist hideaway in the Dolomites is the perfect basecamp for those who appreciate design, food, comfort and doorstep nature.
Wrapped by the Dolomites, this modern eco resort pairs mountain lifestyle with simple elegance and luxury wellness vibes. An authentically pastoral location accented with the local Ladin culture that feels at once both holistic and fun.
The vigilius mountain resort was created by architect Matteo Thun, inspired by a fallen tree and the surrounding beauty of San Vigilio’s mountaintop landscapes. This wellness sanctuary rewrites the blueprint for an eco-design hotel, reached appropriately only by cable car.
With mountain eye-candy stretching out in every direction, this nest egg of casual style is the perfect bolthole for urbanites who love the rural idyll framed by modernity and crowned by its fabulous rooftop infinity pool of sheer wow.
Fabulous holiday apartments with panoramic views and an interior palette that borrows from the surrounding beauty and captures the purity of nature with a modernist hand.
Cuboid, measured and precise, Casa Al Sole is emblematic of the Italian Rationalism architectural style of Italy in the 20s and 30s. Renovated with precision and scrupulous attention to detail, the house is a meticulous restoration of purity and simplicity.
Birch and smoked oak hug the thick walls and capture the house’s DNA from the days as a farmhouse barn. Once a resplendent Renaissance home to the Bishop and favoured lodgings for the merchant traders heading along the Romanesque Via Claudia Augusta.
An eye-catching designer hillside bastion of cool contemporary interiors framed by lush alpine forests and snow-capped mountains, where simple luxe shakes hands with age-old tradition.
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.
Crossing Corso Apartment is a luxury design pad in the heartlands of Rome set within a historic 18th-century palazzo townhouse, which poignantly resides behind the Piazza di Spagna.
Crossing Condotti is a style colony of luxury suites, lavish apartments and designer penthouse living created within 18th-century palazzo townhouse, which poignantly resides behind the Piazza di Spagna and namesake, Via Condotti, in the heart of Rome’s historic Tridente district.
Dating back to the 16th century and once the noble country pad of Marquises and Counts – the Roncolo 1888 is a boutique guesthouse-hotel set within 130-hectares of the Venturini Baldini viticultural estate.
Caramel timbers, robust chunky stone and larch shingled rooftops amplifies Alpine charisma buttered across the three ‘Malghe’houses of the Borgo Eibn which are draped in the views of the Sauris plateau and the Dolomites.
A restoration den of raw genius – a weathered Tuscan house close to Montefollonico that has been allowed to expose her weathered elements and complemented with chic salvaged interiors. An imaginative retreat of utter, rustic romance.
An aged former Convent, the history and heritage of this house has been lovingly exposed to play host to modern furnishings and a chilled vibe right in the heart of old town Pienza.
Fabulous farmhouse luxury decks this Italian bolthole in the hilltops of Versilia close to Tuscany's coastline hot picks Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio.
A sleek modernist mansion sitting front row on the Lezzeno shoreline of Lake Como, backed by a mountainous canopy forest. An homage to Italian custom, style and native craftsmanship, Filario flirts with time-past decadence and chilled luxury.
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.
Hushed luxury greets this solid stone casa in its cubic form, topped with terracotta tiles, reconfigured for sophisticates that like to tap into Italy’s pervading dolce far niente culture.
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.
An unfussy architectural gem that floats above a bed of the greenest and most delicate fauna like a scene from the latest Hobbit epic, this is total immersion in nature from your spectacular viewing pods – here, less is definitely more.
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.
Built on the blueprint of a former woodwork and abandoned timber yard, Pátio do Tijolo has more than a cue of industrial chic infused with design, art and contemporary accents.
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.
A cohesive blend of wine culture, raw nature, commitment to the environment and design are the quintessential hallmarks of L'AND, which give the retreat a sense of belonging and an original bond to oenology.
This reclusive stopover will give you reason to pause and take in the stillness of your environment while revelling in the perfectly blended alchemy of Scottish and Scandinavian style.
Once a remote shooting lodge home to the Duke of Sutherland, Kinloch
Lodge now provides a remote and inviting retreat into the vastness of
nature.
In a toned-down material palette of stone, timber, metal and glass, the brutal stone exteriors are hushed by Danish functionality: each piece of furniture carefully considered so as to embellish nothing but the raw landscapes, framed in oak.
Design Bothy & Geordie's Cottage close to the Cairngorms National Park, ideal for a small family or as a Highland refuge, this aged restored cottage is decorated with Scandi influences and Scottish crafts - complete with log stove.
A tiny weathered Scottish farmhouse plays host to Scandinavian contemporary design and Scottish crafted pieces from the Highlands - an irresistible combo of old and new, heritage meets the design - affectionately known as the 'Scandi-Scot'.
Historic private-hire castle on the shoreline of Loch Ness restored by British architect Ptolemy Dean, landscape designer Tom Stuart-Smith and interiors by Charlotte Freemantle and Will Fisher of antique emporium Jamb.
A monastic designer den of rural appeal set in a 30-hectare estate, this rural sanctuary has clubhouse flair, a sleek modernist touch and loads of sun-kissed sophistication. Altogether, a chilled off-radar adaption of indulgent luxury.
A fabulously styled country retreat lost between the Pyrenees and Costa Brava in Catalonia's heartlands of L'Empordà - like the Hamptons are for New Yorkers, this bolthole is the secret destination of the good-life insiders from nearby Barcelona.
A funky creative home to fashionistas and hipsters, trendy grandmas and urban kids - this is where generations mix with ease. Hotel Flora’s playfully light, vibrant boutique interior sees the modern designer hotel fused with Nordic confidence and a nudge of hot Brooklyn vibe.
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.
Eye candy sets the tone, a decisively chilled design refuge of honeyed timbers and smooth noir accented interiors, a foodie basecamp and cabin-esque hideout for the lovers of keeping it easy, perched hillside overlooking Engelberg.
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.
Unapologetically vivid, this preferred pad of intellect and creativity is awash in Art Nouveau flamboyance tamed with clever 1950s-inspired design interventions. A stylishly cool home of the arts, brushed with boldness.
Found high in the Alps, design hotel Maistra 160 is a soulful modernist, a deeply rooted sanctuary of diligence with a gorgeously retracted remit of interior precision and silent sophistication.
A fabulously humble basecamp of good design for kindreds of style, Brücke 49 is a collection of rooms, suites, studios and apartments in the high-in-the-mountains creative enclave, Vals.
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.
A bijou design hotel laced in a plush hipness of crushed velvets, soft linens, aged oak beams and lovely quirky accessories – a dash of peacock blue, gold, burgundy and teal usher a signature of urban cool to this
120-year-old dairy warehouse.
Perched high, this reborn majesty presides over the larch-wrapped resort of Zermatt in the Swiss canton of Valais, a design hotel that rekindles the Geist of Golden Age alpinism.
Rethought Gasthof Inn with a fabulous Restaurant, an upstairs private Apartment Suite by Monocle, Guest Rooms, and a Kiosk make this a popular pitstop along Zürich’s Gold Coast.
A combination of country house familiarity and urban chill. A designer orchestration of salvaged pieces, crafted textiles, aged ceramics and bespoke furnishings that are housed in a traditional red-brick new build – this new luxury kid on the block gives TriBeCa the unpretentious grand hotel it so craved.
To receive our world of travel and style delivered straight to your inbox.