Five Frivolities: October 22

My Scandinavia hotel list, a luxury Southern California wellness hotel, hotels in Zanzibar, where I'd stay on Isla Holbox and single-occupancy rooms in the Swiss Alps

Oct 22, 2023

1. Hotels in Zanzibar

When I was in high school, two of my best friends went on a study abroad trip to Tanzania, which culminated on the island of Zanzibar. I remember being 16, working at LF (iykyk), while one showed me her photos of the “gatorade blue” water that she was going to upload to Facebook. I never forgot the color of that water, and as a result, that’s always been in the back of my mind as a potential honeymoon destination – not the Maldives. A byproduct of being an only child, being an original is something I’ve always held with utmost importance. Unsure if it’s a red flag or a green flag, likely it’s a “beige flag,” which a few hundred TikToks has taught me means “strange fact or habit, but not something bad or good.”

I get a lot of questions on that app around “somewhere cool to go for my honeymoon” and my instinct is always singular: Zanzibar. Unless they want to go to Italy, of course, in which case I have many suggestions.

So, if you find yourself in my camp of staunch individualist, or with a ring on your finger but vows yet to be said, ooooor if you just want to go on a cool beach vacation with Gatorade blue water (pre or post Safari, perhaps?) this is where I’d stay, on the Tanzania island off the coast of the mainland:

Kilindi Zanzibar

&Beyond Mnemba Island (technically a private island, off the coast of Zanzibar)

Qambani

*Zuri Zanzibar -

*This is a preferred partner with my agency, Fora - I’m able to get my clients complimentary breakfast, VIP status, room upgrade + early check-in + late check-out upon availability, a property credit for an experience of 50 eur for rooms and 100 eur for suites

Happy hoteling, good people with good taste :)

Clockwise from top left: Kilindi Zanzibar; Qambani; &Beyond Mnemba Island; Zuri Zanzibar, via IG

2. A European-inspired Southern California spa hotel

I’ve done a few posts on spa hotels, which combine two of my favorite things: doing nothing and hotels. But, I’ve always left one out, unintentionally. I, for one, sometimes have a place in mind that I can picture vividly, but cannot remember the name of for the life of me. In this case, that’s Cal-a-Vie.

In San Diego County, it’s most definitely a California destination but it does a spectacular job of fronting as a Mediterranean hideout.

I should be clear, this isn’t merely a spa hotel, it’s a wellness hotel - this is the year 2023 and it is located in California, after all. They have program options for 3, 4, or 7-night stays, where your regimen is tailored to you.

If you opt for a fitness assessment, you’ll experience a “Bod Pod” who’s namer should be reprimanded. (I love a rhyme more than most, but that is one bad name.) They have state-of-the-art everything that can take you to the next level…wherever or whatever that is for you. Private training, group training, fitness classes and yoga aplenty. Plus, golf and hikes and tennis and meditation, too.

As for food, it’s all farm-to-table, and described as “a culinary experience for body and soul.” They also have nutritional and functional medicine practitioners on-site where you can get a slew of testing done to get to the bottom of anything that’s been amiss in your body.

But yes, this is a relaxing getaway vacation at the end of the day, so they do have world-class spa facilities and treatments as well.

The coolest thing, above all of the above, is the observatory they have at the Health Spa dedicated to star-gazing. It features “features eight flat-screen TVs and a state-of-the-art Takahashi telescope, allowing guests to peer deep into the cosmos of the night sky with the help of guest presenters.” I’m SOLD.

It’s all a lot (and all quite frivilous in today’s climate), but I know a lot of people who love all of the above. It’s a time to love on oneself, that I know. Plus, I finally remembered the name and had to share.

3. Hotels on the island of Holbox, Mexico

Holbox, an island off the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, has remained far less touristed than Tulum. It’s notorious for the power going out every day, but everyone I know who’s ever gone has loved it. In this past Wednesday’s paid edition, I shared the 89 hotels that make up my master Mexico hotel list. Today, everyone gets in on the Isla Holbox list:

Punta Caliza

Ser Casasandra

Aldea Kuká

*Nomade Holbox

*This is a preferred partner with my agency, Fora - I’m able to get my clients complimentary breakfast and a bottle of mezcal

4. Hotels in The Alps with single rooms for solo stayers

Ski vacations are often friend trips, or involve a plethora of plus-ones. The old hotel custom of having single-occupancy rooms isn’t as prevalent today as I’d like it to be, but they are out there. And there are two particularly good options in the Swiss alps:

Beausite in Zermatt, Switzerland - from €300/night

Chesa Grischuna in the Parsenn ski area of Switzerland - from €305/night

5. My Scandinavian Hotel List

I’ve never been to Scandinavia, but I’ve wanted to since elementary school. I’ve spent the years since compiling a list of hotels:

Sweden: *Ett Hem, Hotel J Stockholm, *Villa Dagmar, *Bank Hotel, *Lyndmar Hotel, *Grand Hotel Stockholm, Stallmästaregården, Urnatur, Arctic Bath, Treehotel, Icehotel, Hotel MJ’s, Dorsia Hotel & Restaurant

Norway: Villa Inkognito, *Sommerro, Solstrand Hotel & Bad, Fjaerland Fjordstove Hotel, Union Oye, Walaker Hotel, *Storfjord Hotel, Juvet Landscape Hotel, Manshausen, *Boen Gård, Bergen Børs Hotel, Hotel Brosundet

Denmark: *Hotel Sanders, Kaj Hotel, Nimb Hotel, Coco Hotel Copenhagen, *Villa Copenhagen, *Hotel d'Angleterre, Dyvig Badehotel, Falsled Kro, Stammershalle Badehotel, Allinge Badehotel, Fanø Krogaard

Finland: *Hotel St. George, *Hotel Kämp, Arctic Treehouse Hotel

*Hotels with an asterisk are a preferred partner with my agency, Fora – at these properties, I’m able to get complimentary amenities for my clients

On Wednesday’s paid edition, I’ll share my list of hotels in the Balearic Islands of Spain: Mallorca, Menorca, Formentera, and Ibiza.

As always, thank you for your support and time.

xx Your Penpal,

Marissa