The Curation: Volume 18
The France Hotel List, my perfect weekend in Los Angeles, hotels in Tulum, interviewing myself about hotels, summer hotel retreats, and UK & US hotels under $250/night peak-summer and more!
This week is a little different. It’s a hybrid free and paid edition, because something very big and much-requested has landed…The France Hotel List. This Hotel Person has been hard at work on this to get it out as soon as possible before all summer plans have been cemented. I did it! So, today I wanted everyone to get what they deserved, in one post. This upcoming week, we’ll be back to regularly scheduled programming. Today, I’ve gone bit rogue in an interview with myself, summer retreats and hotel events of note, unique hotels in France fit for your personality, my link loves before the paywall strikes. Then, we continue with the ~unveiling~ of the link of all links in the form of The France Hotel List via a via a Google Map, my perfect classic weekend in Los Angeles, the Tulum hotel list, and lastly a curation of UK & US hotels under $250/night in peak-summer.
Happy Sunday and Happy Hoteling!
In Residence with…Myself!
Happy Hoteling is a one-woman show. And long and hard, I’ve been working on getting The France Hotel List out for the past few weeks. This week, something had to give. This week, it’s having someone In Residence with me. But, I figured, why not share the answers to all the questions I typically ask my guests? People do solo episodes for their podcasts, I feel as though this is the equivalent. Regardless, I do believe this solution is a direct by-product of Only Child Syndrome. But also, it’s a way of laying some foundation to solidify what I love most in hotels. The bedrock of Happy Hoteling, you could say.
Let’s do this?
What are your favorite hotels in the world? Two tied, Il Pellicano and the Ritz Paris. Il Pellicano has an aura that is indescribable and incomparable. You feel special, everything is so beautiful, so cool, simple and removed. It’s everything I want in a hotel. The only large-ish scar on my body is on my foot, and I proudly call it my Pellicano tattoo. There’s no cooler provenance for a swimming souvenir.
I stayed at the Ritz Paris for my 30th birthday with the highest hopes and every one of them met. It is opulence. But, not without function. Everything is intuitive. The service is fantastic. Hemingway Bar makes a killer martini. The beds are divine. The golden swan faucets are fun. It’s over the top and exactly right. I must share that I went during the Delta surge of COVID, and prices were at an all-time low.
What’s at the top of your hotel bucket list? Number one is hands down Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda. To me, that is what fairytales are made of. Number two is Reschio in Umbria. The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur is up there, as is Jack’s Camp in Botswana for a safari experience. Stateside, The Point in upstate New York holds the number one spot. Airelles Versailles is way up there, too. The Fife Arms in the Scottish Highlands and Adrere Amellal on the Siwa Oasis in Egypt are also at the top of the list, which I’ll include as well as an avid-oversharer.
What do you look for in hotels? Above all, I want a hotel to make me or others feel special - ultra alive. I love old-world touches, modern amenities veiled in timelessness, and places that have at least one “must experience” element. This means boutique hotels with charm, in the simplest terms.
What is the most comfortable hotel bed you’ve ever experienced? Hotel Eden in Rome and the Ritz Paris are tied. I strategically booked Hotel Eden two summers ago as the first night of my trip to Italy because I had heard that their beds win in the plush department. I’m here to confirm – they win. And not just on Roman soil. In second place is Claridge’s in London, however I’m unsure if I had a particularly wonderful bed experience because of my unexpected over-the-top upgrade to a historic suite. I must add Punta Tragara in Capri as number three, mostly for the perfect pillow configuration. But all the other elements, too.
What hotels do you hope to be a life-long regular at? La Minerva in Capri and Regina Isabella in Ischia are the top two that come to mind. I grew up staying at Hotel Mamela in Capri, but the reality is that was my tradition with my dad, and I’m creating new traditions for myself. Ideally, I will have a family and kids one day, and while they are allowed at Punta Tragara, they’re much more welcome at La Minerva. They feel like family. Regina Isabella is my happy place for solo travel. It’s rejuvenating. It’s a trip back in time. It never gets old to me.
Summer Retreats and Hotel Events
Typically, I don’t love group activities. However, a summer retreat at a beautiful European hotel is something I have yet to do and I want to do desperately. Here’s a few top events on my radar:
Chateau de Gudanes in the Ariège area of the south of France - June 22-25 or June 28-July 1 for the Bric-A-Brac Away experience, the Grand Tour experience July 4-15, the Starry Nights experience July 20-27
Villa Lena in the Tuscan Countryside of Italy - Savasana & Sound July 1-5, Autumn Retreat Oct 3-8
Casa Lawa on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily, Italy: Italo Disco Dinner Party on a boat in Ortigia June 21, Cherry Festival June 26-June 30
Hotel Tresanton in St. Mawes on the Cornwall Coast of England: Summer BBQs on the beach May 26, July 14, July 21, July 28, August 4, August 11, August 18, August 25
Link Loves
What I would be purchasing if all my money didn’t go to hotels…
This jersey top with stone details that would be an easy-to-pack addition to any vacation wardrobe
If you haven’t seen these K. Jacques x Ciao Lucia collab sandals and you’re not going to Capri this summer to make your own, you might need these
I don’t love how I look in mascara, I don’t ever want it to be obvious for whatever reason - this Queen Musia one that grows your lashes (naturally, none of that scary stuff) is exactly what I’ve been missing. Wears beautifully and washes off easily, too. I think I’m a mascara girl now.
Taffetta has always been cool, but it’s having a moment and these perfectly juxtaposed casual pants are occupying too much brain space
This $35 linen (blend, but we’ll take it) button down with a very good red on white stripe seems like a no brainer
If you’re going to Europe and insist on wearing heels, let them be these or these so you don’t end up in a boot by the end of the trip
For a Gwyneth as Marge in The Talented Mr. Ripley movie moment, this nostalgic modest-enough bikini is it
On the same page, this appears to be the most flattering bikini top to exist
The biggest, chicest raffia beach bag I ever did see
Unique Hotels in France Based on Your Personality
A teaser, you could say. An amuse bouche, we will say. A peek into The France Hotel List, which is up next. Plus, it’s always fun to self-identify yourself with a few adjectives.
For Old Souls who love the air of bygone eras but like the food advancements of today, Château Sainte Sabine is right up your alley.
For Theater People, Château de Maubreuil in the Loire Valley is the ultimate hedonistic escape.
If you’re a History Person who loves old-world, simple flair by the sea, Manoir des Impressionnistes in Honfleur, Normandy is picture-perfect.
If you’re a Design Person who leans more minimal but loves an easter egg and a side of wellness, Domaine Des Andéols in Provence is your place.
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If you’re a Good Person with Good Taste (you are, you’re here!), drumroll please….
The France Hotel List
The biggest day! I’ve been working on this consistently for nearly a year. It’s here. The comprehensive list of hotels in France. The 382 most special hotels throughout the country. A special country, with particularly good hotels.
Because there are so many, I figured it would be easiest to share via a Google Map, where you can search at your own leisure. My favorites that would typically be marked with an asterisk appear in yellow. I will continue to update it as new hotels open and come my way!
A few answers to questions I anticipate: yes of course Paris is included, Corsica is also included, no French territories are included, there are properties from less than $100/night to well over $1,000/night, but I’d say there’s a pretty even mix.
Also, the link to the map will be available via a $25 PDF of The France Hotel List on happyhoteling.com. Paid subscribers do not buy this, you have the intel here. Non-paid subscribers, it’s available to you in two forms, however you prefer to use it when you need it.