Five Frivolities: October 15
10 hotels to disconnect, my Brazil hotel list, the coolest new hotel in Switzerland, a weekend getaway to Valle de Guadalupe, and a bucket list hotel in Sweden.
A quick note. The following five things could not seem more frivolous in today’s climate. Alas, as a Jew, I only know to keep on. And for the record, I’m pro-civilian.
1. Ten hotels to truly disconnect
You either want to go on vacation and do stuff - see it all, eat it all, experience it all, or you want none of that. You want to read books, plural, talk, nap…relax. Here are 10 hotels where you can do allll of the latter. I can most definitely do a follow up on this, with another batch of 10 hotels - let me know below if that would make you happy.
Pardini’s Hermitage - Isola del Giglio, Tuscany, Italy
Il Baciarino - Maremma, Tuscany, Italy
Verana - Yelapa, Jalisco, Mexico
Eremito - Umbria, Italy
Turtle Inn - Placencia, Belize
Il Cannito - Cilento, Campania, Italy
Capo la Gala - Vico Equense, Campania, Italy
Casa Silencio - Oaxaca, Mexico
Willow House - Terlingua, Big Bend National Park, Texas
And of course, Il Pellicano. People always ask me if they should plan to leave property and the answer is always no.
2. Brazil hotel list
Brazil is a country I’ve been fortunate enough to visit many times, as my grandparents live there. That means I’ve been to their city of Curitiba a whole lot, Rio and Sao Paolo once and all the places I really want to go no times at all. But, I have the list ready. And, I’m here to share. Brazil is a big country, and this is not a little list.
Kenoa - Barra de Sao Miguel
Belmond Hotel Das Cataratas - Iguazu Falls
Belmond Copacabana Palace - Rio de Janeiro
La Suite by Dussol - Rio de Janeiro
Chez Georges - Rio de Janeiro
Mama Ruisa Boutique Hotel - Rio de Janeiro
Rosewood Sao Paolo - Sao Paolo
Uxua - Trancoso
Etnia Casa Hotel - Trancoso
Villa Kalango - Jericoacoara
Barracuda Hotel & Villas - Itacare, Bahia
Txai Resort - Itacare, Bahia
Ka Bru Beach Boutique Hotel - Maraú Peninsula, Bahia
Casa Brancas - Buzios
Vila D’Este - Buzios
Hotel Boutique Quinta das Videiras, Florianópolis
Ponta dos Ganchos Resort - Santa Catarina coast
Fasano Boa Vista - the countryside of Porto Feliz
Botanique Hotel & Spa - Campos de Jordao
Parador Casa da Montanha - Rio Grande do Sul
Wednesday’s paid edition will have my full Mexico hotel list, which has about 80 hotels. Previously in the paid edition I’ve shared hotel lists for: Paris, New York, Los Angeles, African Safari Hotels, Milan, London, New England, Argentina, Amsterdam, Honeymoon Hotels, Bhutan, Napa & Sonoma County Wine Country, Mendocino & Sonoma Coast of California, Thailand, Mérida, Vienna, American Ski Hotels, Ski Hotels in the Alps, Uruguay, Italian Spa Hotels, Harbour Island, New Orleans, American Wellness Hotels, Procida, Maremma area of Tuscany, Calabria, Cilento Coast of Italy, Northern Liguria, The Sicilian Islands, Lake Como. You can always search in the archive!
3. A bucket list hotel in Sweden
I remember reading about this hotel, as a senior in high school in 2010, just as it opened. It immediately made my “list.” It’s still firmly on it. One part treehouse hotel, one part pure nature hotel - this is a destination of design. Each house unique, and unlike anything else I’ve ever seen. I love their one-liner, “welcome to the landscape hotel where nature and imagination run wild.” Swedes are fantastic at branding. But, from everything I know, this is far from a gimmick. I can’t wait to make the trek.
4. A weekend escape to Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico
Southern California people make up a good amount of my following. As two-time former Southern California resident, I know the itch to get out of LA, or your bubble, can really get to you. Sometimes, Palm Springs isn’t where you want to go again. Or, Joshua Tree doesn’t jive. Maybe you want to drive, but to another country, and quickly. Valle de Guadalupe in Mexico is exactly that. Not far over the border, this region produces around 90% of all wine made in Mexico. It’s beautiful, known to have fantastic restaurants, and there are three hotels in particularly that I really want to go to.
La Villa del Valle is how I imagine my friend Aliah’s cool Mexican Jewish grandparents’ home to be. Curated, cozy, eclectic, and luxurious.
Bruma Valle de Guadalupe has a picturesque pool, overlooking vineyards. The rooms are sparsely furnished, but seem to have a real sense of soul.
Encuentro isn’t all that different from Bruma, on the hotel scale. Minimalistically-inclined, sparse with soul, and a pretty great pool.
5. The coolest new hotel in Switzerland
Hotel Drei Berge is just…cool. Creative, you could say, kinda quirky, unexpected, and cozy. But cool seems the most fitting. It just opened a few months ago, and the property’s first slew of guests have raved. Located in Mürren, high in the Swiss Alps - this is where you don’t have to be a skiier or a socialite to feel like you’re in on something special.
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