The Curation: Volume 39
The Curation: Volume 39
In Residence with Livia Hengel, how to become a curious traveler, additions to hotel lists around the world, and far-flung hotels in special places.
This week, I read a truly great thriller (The Girl in the Mirror by Rose Carlyle, 5/5), I re-fell in love with Seth Cohen I mean Adam Brody and fondly remembered the few times people told me that I look like Leighton Meester (I don’t). I planned an Italian Winter trip for myself (that hopefully I can make work!), because it’s been 7 years since I’ve been there during cold climes. I sweat my tush off in a brutal, record-breaking heatwave in San Francisco that has finally departed. I saw the Blue Angels by accident while washing dishes. I did a lot of pretend shopping, all of which is here.
But also! We scheduled my first Substack Live! This Wednesday, October 16 at 3pm Pacific, 6pm Eastern – for paid subscribers. Come with questions, come chat, come hang. I’m all yours for an hour! At this time, lives are only available on the Substack App, so make sure to have it downloaded and be signed in to your account. I’ll send you an email before it starts to remind you.
Today’s Agenda
In Residence with Livia Hengel (so good, my friends).
Far-Flung: Worth the Trek – special hotels in special places that are not easy to get to and that’s the point. We venture to Mongolia, the Andaman Islands, the Mentawai Islands, and Namibia.
A story about my dad that led me to 10 ways to become a curious traveler.
A grab bag of one or two name additions to Hotel Lists: two in America; one in South Africa; three in Scandinavia, split between Denmark and Norway; one in Greece; one in Nicaragua for The Central America Hotel List
Up Next
An updated version of The African Safari List
A spotlight on Namibia
Italian Summer itineraries to book now to get the good rates and the good dates
Hotels to see the Northern Lights
Winter wonderland towns for non-skiiers
A bucket list trip to Nepal
All the magic in-between
I hope you have a lovely week, you Good People with Good Taste. Thank you so much for being here.
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In Residence with Livia Hengel
This marks six checks on my 2024 vision board. I’m excited and humbled to have today Livia Hengel, the Rome-based founder, editor, and Person with Good Taste behind The Italy Edit who just launched (subscribe, yay!) her personal travel Substack,
. I’m so excited to have her on this platform.When I first started venturing into the travel world, I remember tagging The Italy Edit in all my posts, hoping to catch her eye. Now we’re here. Talking about hotels! And so much more. Today is really a treat. I admire Livia’s perspective on life so much. The way she travels, where she travels, and how she showcases her travels and shares them with us. She is authentic and kind and has great taste. There are very few people who’s opinion I trust on Italy travel, and Livia is one of them. But also, I trust her picks wherever she is, around the world. We share the same vision in seeking hotels, which is so exciting for me. And it makes for one great conversation today!
Even though you likely already do, follow both Livia and The Italy Edit on Instagram. You won’t regret!
My first question is always the same – what is your favorite hotel in the world, that you've ever stayed at? Of course, you can pick more than one :)
I’ve got a few!! Amanpuri was an absolute dream, it was such a treat to experience the very first Aman hotel. The property is such an elegant, beachfront hideaway perched above a beautiful cove in Phuket.. tropical bliss.
Bellevue Syrene in Sorrento is another favorite hotel, and it was my first post-pandemic stay which made it extra special. I slept in a four-poster princess bed under soaring frescoed ceilings and sipped coffee on my balcony every morning with a view of the sea. The hotel also has a gorgeous pergola where you can enjoy a sunset aperitivo, and it that looks like something you’d find in the Garden of Eden. It’s just picture-perfect.
And the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok is iconic, it’s such an impressive hotel from every point of view — its location along the river, its plush rooms, photogenic swimming pool and of course, amazing Thai hospitality.
And what about your hotel bucket list - what properties are on the top?
There are so many. In Italy: Passalacqua, Casa Maria Luigia, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Tre Ville, Sextantio in Abruzzo, Palazzo Daniele. I’d also love to spend a night aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express.
Abroad I’d love to stay at The Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, Shinta Mani Mustang in Nepal, NIHI in Sumba, Six Senses Bhutan, The Siam in Bangkok, Park Hyatt Tokyo (Lost in Translation is my favorite movie!). I’ve been on an Asia kick these past few years, so it’s my focus area.
Speaking of, what do you look for in hotels?
Stunning locations, beautiful design and a heritage element. I want a hotel to feel lived in and authentic — I love when the building has been repurposed and had a life before it became a hotel (we’re lucky to have a lot of those Italy). There’s just a different atmosphere and it makes you feel at home.
The hotels I mentioned above as my favorites are all iconic “Grand Dame” hotels with a capital “H”, so they are standouts for that reason, but I also love hyperlocal heritage hotels that are less extravagant and more soulful. Hotel Signum in Salina, Eden in Nairobi, The Asa Maia in Bali and Eraeliya Villas & Gardens in Sri Lanka are all hotels that stole my heart because of their deep sense of place and thoughtful design.
You live in Rome and run the incredibly valuable and successful The Italy Edit, naturally I have so many Italy questions but let's keep it simple. First, what is your favorite hotel, favorite place for a great amatriciana, favorite restaurant, and favorite bar/caffe in Rome?
There are so many but here are some favorites:
Hotel: I really like Hotel de la Ville for its gorgeous décor and location above the Spanish Steps. I think Cielo is the best rooftop in Rome and I love going for an al fresco lunch with a view. I could eat the tomato, avocado and burrata salad every day, and the spaghetti with tomato sauce and basil may sound simple, but it is divine.
Pasta: Grappolo d’Oro is my go-to for Roman classics and it’s in a great location right near Campo de’ Fiori.
Restaurant: Trattoria Pennestri in Ostiense is another wonderful restaurant with a contemporary spin. You have to try the pici with cicoria ripassata and the chocolate mousse — it’s served with crunchy Sardinian pane carasau crackers, drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt and rosemary. It’s my favorite dessert in Rome.
Coffee: Casa Dante in Piazza Vittorio is a cool, industrial-hipster café in an under-appreciate neighborhood. Forno Conti next-door also has great coffee and nice pastries, and Salotto Caronte is a fun wine bar. There are lots of hidden gems in the area.
What about when you want to get out of the city? What is your ideal day or weekend trip from Rome?
Let’s stick with Lazio because there are so many overlooked areas in the region. If I want a beach weekend, I love to head to Ponza, a stunning island with low-key Capri vibes, or Sperlonga, a whitewashed town with sandy beaches and a local atmosphere.
I also like to explore towns and the countryside near Rome. The Tuscia area in northern Lazio is definitely one of Italy’s best-kept secrets. There are so many gorgeous garden villas and palaces here (Villa Lante, Palazzo Farnese), along with Etruscan ruins (Necropolis of Tarquinia) and gorgeous hilltop towns. I’ve got a good hotel rec in the area: Corte della Maestà is a really cozy hotel in Bagnoregio, which is a true fairytale town perched above a huge valley. It’s one of those places you can’t believe is actually real.
My loyal readers will know after reading this response exactly why I’m so excited to have you In Residence today.
I must know, if money were no object, what hotel in all of Italy would you go to stay for a week?
It’s a tie between Belmond Splendido in Portofino or Punta Tragara in Capri. I adore both destinations and the hotels are top of the top.
Now, beyond Italy. Of all the countries you've visited, is there one country or trip that stands out as being the most special, or even life-changing?
Two places have been my absolute favorite: Laos (specifically Luang Prabang) and Sri Lanka. Both places gave me a visceral reaction of… I’ve fallen in love, I feel so at home here. I love the tropics — warm weather, lots of color and soul —and both of these places delivered in spades.
Luang Prabang is the prettiest heritage town I’ve ever seen, surrounded by mountains and set along the Mekong River. Laos is off-the-beaten-path and maybe that’s why it’s so special — it’s peaceful and has retained its authenticity. It also has some incredible hotels: Rosewood, Belmond, Aman and Avani+ all have dreamy properties here.
I also feel head over heels for Sri Lanka which everyone should put on their bucket list. It has incredible UNESCO heritage sites (like, truly exceptional — google Sigiriya and Dambulla Royal Cave Temple right now), hypnotizing tea plantations, gorgeous beaches, great food and the kindest people ever. There is so much art, culture and untouched nature, along with great boutique hotels, almost all locally owned. Two brands to check out are Uga Escapes and Teardrop Hotels.
What is one trip you think everyone should (finances and health willing) take in their life?
A solo trip! I was recently looking back through my calendar and realized I took my first solo trip to Paris in my early 20s. I had just ended a work contract, I had savings and I remember wondering, “Is it weird to go to a “romantic” destination by myself?”. And it wasn’t — I had so much fun. I stayed in Belleville, spent my days in museums and cafes, hopped on a train to Versailles and ate macaroons at Pierre Hermé. I took tons of pictures and returned home with renewed sense of independence and the confidence that I could make myself happy.
Sometimes you don’t want to wait for the right person to show up, or for schedules to align, to embark on your dream trip. Sometimes you just need to go by yourself. I’ve been to many romantic destinations on my own now — the Amalfi Coast, the Maldives, Venice, Bali… and I’ve loved them all. It’s really empowering to step outside of your comfort zone and realize you’re enough, always.
AMEN! I couldn’t agree more. Plus, the it’s peak people watching in the romantic destinations. Lastly, please tell us everything about the launch of your Substack!
I’ve been writing and posting about my trips for a long time, but it’s always been from an objective or neutral point of view, my writing has felt a little stunted and I feel that I have more to say. So I launched inside/out as a place to explore my personal reflections on travel and along the way, find my voice and hopefully connect with other people who see the world the way I do.
I’m also really passionate about responsible tourism and preserving cultural heritage, so I’m planning to share stories around those topics and hopefully some solutions on how destinations can retain their identity and authenticity while still welcoming visitors.
Follow along if you’re curious and feel free to reach out if this resonates, I love making new friends! ☺
I’m so excited about inside/out, and grazie di cuore for all of your wonderful insight and sharing your eye with us. I’m so grateful! Alla prossima.
Far-Flung, Worth the Trek
One of the things I love most about you, Happy Hotelers, is that when I ask you, repeatedly, if you want to stay on the beaten track or get out there and have me surprise you, you, in turn, always pleasantly surprise me. You share my thrill for going way out of the way to go somewhere way special. Let’s go to four.
The Andaman Islands are some of the harder places to get to on this planet. But, from what I hear, worth the trek. While part of India, the archipelago is (far) off the coast of Myanmar in the Indian Ocean. A quick Google will lead you to believe that you, a tourist, are not allowed there. This is untrue as of today, while some islands remain