Five Frivolities: Oct 8
Five Frivolities: Oct 8
A 3-week European summer itinerary, my Argentina hotel list, private member's clubs anyone can stay at, predicting the next Mediterranean hotspots, and my top 20 hotels in Italy.
1. A three-week European summer vacation itinerary
It’s the perfect time to get next summer’s European vacation planned and booked. Here’s an itinerary that I would recommend for those who have been to Europe before, and are looking for a mix of beach and city, hotspots and quieter locales.
I would start by flying in to London, and staying for 2 nights. For my full London hotel list, search my Archive. Then, you’ll fly direct from either London Luton, Stansted or Gatwick airport to Bordeaux, France.
Then, I would rent a car and explore the coast. Ile de Re, La Rochelle, Biarritz, the Aquitaine region - you name it. Depending how you like to travel, you could stay a 2 nights in 2 different places, or 4-5 nights one place. Then, you’ll fly direct from Bordeaux to Figari, Corsica. There are only direct flights on certain days of the week, so check this before booking anything else and revolve around that date.
Then, you’ll arrive at Figari airport and pick up your pre-arranged automatic car from Avis rental car. You need a car for this island. Again, depending on how you like to travel, you could either make one hotel/home your base for 4-5 nights, or split it up between different parts of the island. At the end, you’ll fly out of Calvi airport in Corsica to Milan. Again, there are only flights certain days of the week, so book your Corsica flights before anything else.
In Milan, you’ll stay for 2 nights. Or, just one, if you don’t mind that. Then, you’re off on the high-speed Frecciarossa train to Naples. It’s a pretty long but beautiful journey, and you’ll be sick of airports by this point. Bring a book and a bottle of wine, pre-reserve your seats and you’re golden.
At the Naples train station, you’ll have a private car pick you up to take you to La Minervetta in Sorrento. You must get a Superior Corner room for the sweeping views. This hotel is a destination in itself. It’s uniquely special. Stay for 2-3 nights. Another option would be to go to Borgo Santandrea in Amalfi, instead. Similar vibes, way different price ranges.
From Sorrento, you’ll take one of the many ferries to Capri. Capri is intentionally the (almost) last stop - after having so many clients say it was their favorite part of their trip this year, I realized Capri ruins everything else after. (In my mind, there is never a contest, Capri will always win, so it doesn’t matter which order I go). 5 nights in Capri. Yes, 5 nights. That’s the way you learn to love the island and get sucked in and want to come back every summer.
Lastly, you’ll take the ferry back to Naples. You could get a private driver, and stay your last night at La Posta Vecchia, on the coast of Rome, which is a great last night before flying out of Fiumicino. Or, you can take the Frecciarossa train from Naples to Rome, and stay in Rome for your final night.
Any questions? Feel free to ask below.
2. My top 20 hotels in Italy
Condé Nast Traveler came out with it's 2023 Reader’s Choice awards this past week, and the global hotel list was befuddling and bad, the global resort list was fine but not exciting, and the Italian hotel list was, a toss up. As someone who has spent a whole lot of time in Italy, my whole life, and who specializes in the country as a travel agent - I thought I’d share my personal top 20 hotels in Italy list. In no particular order, pinkie promise.
Villa Feltrinelli - Lake Garda
Reschio - Umbria
Belmond Splendido - Portofino
Belmond Caruso - Ravello
Il Pellicano - Monte Argentario
Four Seasons Firenze - Florence
La Minervetta - Sorrento
Punta Tragara - Capri
Caesar Augustus - Capri
Borgo Santandrea - Amalfi
Il San Pietro - Positano
Villa TreVille - Positano
Villa Igiea - Palermo
Belmond Sant’Andrea - Taormina
Passalacqua - Lake Como
Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni - Lake Como
Grand Hotel Tremezzo - Lake Como
Borgo Pignano - Tuscany
Borgo Santo Pietro - Tuscany
Palazzo Vilón - Rome
3. Private clubs you can stay at as a non-member
Sometimes, when you’re visiting, you want to get a feel of the local experience. The cool kind. Sometimes, the easiest way of doing that is by staying in a room at a private member’s club. The list below offers guest rooms for anyone, with access to some or all of their club. This is by no means an exhaustive list, just hopefully a helpful list.
The Battery, San Francisco
Casa Cipriani, NYC
Soho House - UK (London, Oxfordshire, Somerset), Amsterdam, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Barcelona, Mykonos, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Rome, Paris, Istanbul, Mumbai, Nashville, Austin, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles,
The Ned (same minds behind Soho House) - NYC, London,
Fitler Club - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Estelle Manor
The Twenty Two - London, UK
Saint James Club - London, UK
Home House - London, UK
Brody House – Budapest, Hungary
4. My Argentina hotel list
I’ve wanted to go to Argentina since I was little, my dad has always wanted to take me to stay at the Alvear Palace hotel in Buenos Aires and get me a “good steak.” We haven’t gone yet, but I’ve spent the decades since researching. Here’s my list of hotels across Argentina:
Las Balsas - Patagonia
Eolo Patagonia Spirit - Patagonia
Aldebaran Hotel & Spa - Patagonia
Los Cauquenes Resort & Spa - Patagonia
Llao Llao Resort - Patagonia
La Bamba de Areco - La Pampa, outside Buenos Aires
Cavas Wine Lodge - Mendoza
SB Winemakers House & Spa Suites - Mendoza
Finca Adalgisa - Mendoza
Estancia Los Chulengos - Mendoza
Alvear Palace - Buenos Aires
Faena Hotel - Buenos Aires
Be Jardin Escondido - Buenos Aires
Hotel del Casco - Buenos Aires
Awasi Iguazú - Iguazú Falls
House of Jasmines - Salta, at the foot of the Andes
Finca Valentina - Salta, at the foot of the Andes
Patios de Cafayate - Salta, at the foot of the Andes
El Colibri - Córdoba
FYI, full lists of hotels in a destination are typically reserved for Wednesday’s paid edition.
5. Predicting 5 new Mediterranean hotspots
For a long time, I wanted to be a trend forecaster. I’ve always had a knack for having a gut instinct about something that hasn’t quite stepped into the mass spotlight yet. That dream has come and gone, but I still find myself predicting on a day-to-day basis. I thought I’d share my thoughts on where upcoming hot spots will be. That doesn’t mean they’re not frequented (even highly) now, but that a mass audience doesn’t have it on their radar or their must-visit lists.
Ischia, Italy - When I first went to Ischia in 2019, none of my American friends or colleagues knew what I was saying. Mezzatorre changed that for those in-the-know, but it’s only just begun. You can’t imagine the amount of emails I get asking about Ischia from people who just heard about it. The Germans have always known, for the record.
Melides, Portugal - A beach town that’s long been a summer destination for the art and design world is going to reach the main stage sometime soon. Christian Louboutin’s new hotel Vermelho will be the impetus, as was Mezzatorre in Ischia.
Lake Garda, Italy - Lake Como has gotten so incredibly expensive. But, people want the Italian lake experience. With many towns, and just an hour east is Lake Garda. A huge destination for Italians and other Europeans, but barely so for Americans. If I were to guess, a lot more well-curated, design-driven boutique hotels will open in the coming years.
Marbella, Spain - Marbella had a big heyday in the Slim Aarons era, and is about to enter its second wave. Marbella Club is to me, the coolest, most iconic, best-evolved hotel in the area. But, there are more and more luxury hotels opening, with designer beach clubs and the PR trips have started to come alive.
Maremma, Italy - I know, I know - I won’t shut up about Maremma, a seaside area of Tuscany. But, still, so many people don’t know what I’m talking about. With Il Pellicano more and more on the mass radar, and thus people realizing that it’s not particularly easy to get to (located on Monte Argentario in Maremma) there are more people looking to stay elsewhere nearby, on a roadtrip to the mecca. Beach and “Tuscan countryside” - it’s a yes.
Thanks so much for being here and making it to the end. As always, feel free to share and requests or questions below.
Until next time,
xx Your pen pal Marissa