Surely the only the thing better than taking a holiday is taking a trip to a hotel – or even an Airbnb – where the design has been so beautifully and thoughtful done that you come away with more than just a suntan and a well-rested glow, you leave with a head buzzing full of design ideas for your own home.
Ten years after first staying there, this writer still has fond memories of the way the designer-owner of Maison La Minervetta in Sorrento displayed his eccentric collections of curios and objets d’art against a bold palette of red, white and blue, with an expansive backdrop of the sea through enormous picture windows.
If you’re yet to plan your getaway for next year, allow the interior designers, artists and creatives below to get the ball rolling with some of their favourite holiday homes and hotels for interiors inspiration.
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“Hotel Julien is bang in the centre of beautiful Antwerp, where two grand 16th-century houses have been conjoined and restored exquisitely. It’s hard not to linger in the communal hallways, drinking in the marble cornicing and the grand curve of the two old stairwells, one in unfinished oak, the other resplendent metal work. The hotel celebrates all these classical details but adds a modern element with their finesse and finish, and their bold use of colour contrasts in natural hues. The rooms hark back to the best of Conran in the ‘90s, old Ercol, Eileen Gray, unfinished wooden slat blinds, pure linens, books that want to keep you in the hotel, striped kilims and beautifully detailed white marble bathrooms with gloss-painted doors. Black, white, wood, marble. Everything solid and certain.
We have also stayed at August, Hotel Julien’s sister, which was also lovely but the location in the Jewish Quarter is less central and for my taste, it was a bit too grown up, though it has a great, great bar.”
“One of the most unsettling things about the hotel and hospitality industry is the disposability. Everything from the furniture to the bedding to the carpets has a (usually) very short life span and is so harmful to the environment, so you can imagine I don’t always sleep that easy in hotels, having said that, there are some wonderful gems like The Gunton Arms, near Cromer in North Norfolk. It’s owned by art collector Ivor Braka, whose vision is amazing – he chooses things as if he was furnishing his own home, often using antiques, always favouring quality that he knows will last and that customers will truly appreciate and benefit from.
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I think it magically feels like home to everyone from the locals using the pub to people making a special trip there to enjoy the best steak cooked on an open fire below a priceless piece of art. We were lucky enough to be involved in the project but really the best bit has to be the bedrooms, designed by Robert Kime, which are a dream and so comfortable!”
“Beautiful Braquenié fabrics by Pierre Frey paper the walls in an elegant mix of period florals and toile de Jouy. If the walls are not fabric covered, then they’re painted in the most stunning acid brights against which the vintage rattan furniture works beautifully. One of the terraces has the most stunning hand-painted alcove area I have ever seen, and the kitchen/tea room - created in the old stable block, and incorporating the old stalls and loose boxes – is simply incredible.
“I particularly adore the Mezzatorre hotel on the island of Ischia but I love everything about the Pellicano group of hotels. The design is beautiful, inspiring, and the settings are always magical. It helps that Italian food is also my absolute favourite!”
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“I discovered Riad Mena when I visited Marrakech this April. The city gives so much inspiration on every corner that I feel it’s great to stay in an almost all-white spot with perfectly neutral decor and curated antiques. The calming design, tropical garden and the spacious rooms makes it the perfect spot to think and to recharge your mind. The riad instantly feels like a second home and it has a pool if you need a cooling dip after walking around the heat.”
Heckfield Place is my ultimate hotel – it’s so simple and elegant, and so calm. It’s a real treat, I’ve been three times now and it’s incredible. I’ve stayed in a different room each time and they have always been amazing, I was lucky enough to have a room with one of their wide woven rush headboards – which is a genius design idea. The downstairs restaurant – called Hearth – is just so lovely, the interiors in there are beautiful. A really special part of the hotel is the artwork from the owner’s private collection, which is dotted all around the hotel.
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“One of the places in the world which I find very special is Le Grand Hotel des Bains. For years I took my children there for half term, finding a haven of walks on the beach and the crisp, energising ocean breeze. Locquirec in Brittany isn’t the easiest place to get to but that's part of its charm. The sweeping sea views and purple heather in Autumn thrilled my sense of colour. It retains all the old-world grace of the French Atlantic coast where white-painted wood furniture and crisp linen in blues and white exude freshness. It belongs to a Belgian family who have protected its gentle spirit and my friend Gael Camu of the firm Camus & Morrison recently renovated it. I’m sure she has used her usual sensitivity. It was also the set for a favourite childhood movie of mine called ‘L’Hotel de La Plage’ where teenage romance bloomed!”
“Arniano is a lovingly restored farmhouse that you can rent for holidays, secluded amongst the glorious Tuscan hills. It has the most dream-like views of cypress trees and medieval hilltop towns, which appear through clouds at daybreak and fade to gold in the evening light. The interiors are perfect – they combine whitewashed walls with luxurious textiles and rustic Italian ceramics. It was decorated (originally as a family home) by its owner, the interior designer Camilla Guinness. It is total heaven!”
“For the ultimate downtime I head to Anopura, which is an hour’s drive from Jaipur, between Delhi and Jaipur. It’s a total haven. A luxurious guesthouse set around a series of verdant courtyards and pools and filled with wonderful furniture and textiles. It’s the perfect place to unwind en route from Delhi to shopping in Jaipur. Don’t miss 47 Jobner Bagh in Jaipur too (another sanctuary in the heart of the bustling city).”
“This summer I've returned to my family home just outside Woodstock, Vermont, where I grew up as a child. I haven't been back there for about six years but it's amazing to return as it feels as though time has stood still. It was a particularly evocative trip because I have brought my one-year-old daughter for the first time, and we retracing my steps doing all the things that I did here at her age. Our house is out in the rolling green hills, with the sound of bull frogs from our little pond chorusing alongside a deafening array of nature sounds. At night, the stars are second to none as there's so little light pollution. Our house is a small red wooden slatted one with white shutters, which is a typical Vermont style, and we drive through the most beautiful working farms with their big red barns. The architecture and design here is so beautiful in its simplicity. Our house hasn’t changed for years and has original American colonial architecture on the exterior with a shaker inspired interior. I love the proportions – it’s a bit like living in a doll’s house.”
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“I took an all-girls trip to India in 2018 and it was the most inspiring country I have ever been to. The Oberoi in Agra was magical. From the moment you arrive, you feel like a princess in an enchanted palace. Every detail is special and you can tell that so much thought has gone into it. From the two-colour rise of the steps to the flower panels to the thick panelling throughout the hotel. In the vast lobby, your eyes are drawn to the most incredible hand-painted screen framing the reception desk. All the arches, internal courtyards and details transported me to another world, filled with magic. It was an unforgettable experience. Not to mention the views of the Taj Mahal. I can highly recommend staying there – it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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