The Edit: Volume 6
In Residence with Jennifer Welch, two South of France itineraries, a Kenyan luxury farmstay obsession, a new hotel in Rome to know about, and warmer-weather shopping
In Residence with Jennifer Welch
This was on my vision board for the year.
Jennifer (Jen) Welch is a woman I admire tremendously. She does it all, flawlessly. She’s the founder of her namesake Oklahoma City-based interior design firm, the co-host of the smash hit I’ve Had It podcast, an avid traveler, and an aspirational-yet-relatable wife and mom. Plus, she’s funny as f*ck and incredibly well-dressed – a soaring combination.
I challenge you to name another woman who had not one but two Bravo shows, has had AOC on their podcast, has been on The Today Show, is still married, and who makes it to their kids’ sports games. She’s a one-of-a-kind powerhouse who is genuinely making a positive impact on American culture today. Jennifer has an uncanny way of being aspirationally relatable.
I’m incredibly honored that she took the time to chat with me about her Capri (we share this love), her favorite hotels, her bucket list, and what’s next in her world. Internet friends, it is so very good. Please take this time to do all the important following, and do not pass go until you do so.
Jen’s Instagram, the I’ve Had It podcast and Instagram. Jennifer Welch Designs Instagram. Side note, all of these accounts have loyal followings - an incredibly hard thing to do once, yet alone thrice. To infinity and beyond for Jennifer Welch!
Jen, I so admire what you do with the I've Had It podcast, your design eye, and your goddamn fabulous sense of humor. But naturally, I really love that you love Capri as much as I do.
Everyone has their favorites on the island – what are yours? Hotel, restaurant(s), beach club(s), store(s)? I know I'm dying to know, I love how different people have different favorites on the same small, special island.
Capri is my favorite place on the planet. It captivates me each time I go, as though it were my first visit, and I’ve been well over a dozen times. My family and I usually stay at the Quisisana. It’s central location was very appealing in our early days of visiting the island. My sons were younger, and my husband Josh and I could perch up on the terrace, and keep an eye on them while they run to Buonocore to grab a gelato. We’ve continued to stay at the Quisi each summer, as now we know the staff, and they take excellent care of us.
Every time we visit Capri, we must have the pizza from Aurora and Ravioli Caprese from La Capannina. Both dishes are so excellent, we often go twice during our stay. Additionally, we mix in Villa Verde, Le Grotelle, Da Giorgio, Paolino, Il Geranio, Villa Margherita, Villa Brunella, Mamma, and many others. It’s difficult to have a bad meal in Capri!
Ah, the beach clubs. Our goal each day is to get off of the island, during the day tripper rush, and find a nice beach club. We, of course, love La Fontelina and Riccio. However, Conca (del Sogno) is our favorite. Da Luigi is also a great one to mix in on longer stays. Lo Scoglio is delicious, and well worth it. Last year, we tried La Palma’s, Da Gioia beach club and loved it. It’s set in Marina Piccola with iconic views and top notch people watching.
My husband and I are prolific shoppers! We love all of the designer boutiques, and visit each one an embarrassing amount of times. However, the locally owned stores like Eco Capri, Canfora, Carthusia, and many others are not to be missed.
We also hit the Capri Tennis Club every morning. The staff is amazing, and have become friends. They have two hard courts, and one clay court. The Quisisana has two grass courts. For any tennis lovers, tennis in Capri is an absolute must.
Sadly, moving on from Capri, what's your favorite hotel in the world? You can pick two, of course.
Although Capri is my favorite summer beach spot, I do love a big European city - specifically London and Paris. I never tire of visiting either city. I adore the Berkeley Hotel in London. Every detail is spot on, and the neighborhood of Belgravia provides a great location to explore the city. In Paris, I’m a purist. I love the Ritz. It’s so over the top Parisian, and I cannot get enough. Honorable mention: Il San Pietro in Positano.
I love watching your travels on Instagram, but I'm curious, is there a hotel and place in the world that you've yet to visit and that's on the top of your travel bucket list?
The Amangiri in Utah is on my list. I usually prefer international travel to domestic travel, but the hotel looks amazing. However, my biggest travel goal is to rent an apartment in London or Paris for three months, and completely immerse myself in the daily culture of either city. However, my jobs & children tend to get in the way of me fulfilling this dream ;)
Something I always find so interesting is what people's "happy places" are. What are yours, if I may ask?
I feel peak happiness when I’m on a boat in the Amalfi coast floating around Capri or the Sorrentine peninsula. Having the boat driver drop anchor, and jumping into the ocean with my family is pure joy. I imagine the generations of people that have enjoyed the same feeling in the same place, and I’m able to fully embrace the moment.
Same! Nothing compares. Once you fall in love with Capri and Campania, you’re in deep.
Last hotel question, which I ask for selfish reasons but I've found others love this too - what’s the most comfortable hotel bed you've ever experienced?
The Berkeley hotel in London has perfectly appointed beds. The Baccarat in New York also has fantastic beds.
Ok, to wrap us up, I'd love to know about what's in store for you in the future. You are so important for culture right now – there is no glass ceiling for you, the sky's the limit. I know you're still on tour for the podcast, but is there anything else we can keep our eyes and ears peeled for on the horizon?
In combining my love of travel, my love of tennis, and my podcast, we are planning a tour in Australia next January. It’s really a perfect storm: I’ve never been to Australia, and I’m eager to go down under. Coincidentally, the Australian Open is the only major tennis slam I haven’t attended, and we have great listenership in Australia. So, I’m especially enthusiastic to combine all of these things into one monster trip to Australia in January of 2025.
How incredible. All of the above. I can’t wait to digitally watch you continue to soar. And, as I’ve mentioned one too many times, I owe you dinner at Aurora. Thank you, Jen, for your time and your knowledge and honestly for your existence.
A 10-Day Follower-Requested South of France Itinerary
I share an itinerary on the Sunday free edition once every few months, and it was about time for a new one. So, this week on TikTok, I posted a video calling for people to share their itinerary that needs planning. I got so many wonderful responses, but I promised to create the itinerary for one request here. The winning commenter’s request: “SoF & French Riviera - 10 days in the end of August. Mix of budget and splurge.” I got you!
Budget and splurge are two very subjective terms. And, I received a lot of comments for very similar requests. So! I’m going to share a couple ways I’d slice this particular France dice.
The first would be to divide your time between 5 nights in Provence and 5 nights on the Côte d'Azur, with only one hotel in each area. To make the most of this, have full freedom, and get to stumble upon special instead of over-plan, I’d rent a car. If you’re new here, I pretty much always recommend renting a car for non-city trips in both France and Italy.
With this itinerary, I’d save in Provence. If they have availability, one of the best bangs for your buck is Château Martinay. While the classic room itself is not life changing, at €200/night, with the rest of the property at your disposal - it’s a steal. Prices only increase slightly by category - the Signature Suite is €385/night. It’s also incredibly well-located in the Vaucluse region of Provence, just outside the cute town of Carpentras. If they are booked (it is August and a very popular wedding venue), top choices in the under €400/night range would be: Le Moulin Lourmarin, Le Pigonnet, Bastide du Mourre, the treehouse (only) at Absoluut Valvert, or the Suite under the Stars at Metafort.
If you save in Provence, the splurge happens farther south, by the sea. My top choice (with current availability and end-of-August pricing) is Airelles Château de La Messardière in St. Tropez for your 5 nights on the Côte d'Azur. For still a splurge just slightly less so: La Tartane, the new-this-season Arev, or Villa Marie are great options.
For a different itinerary, one that’s more broken up, here’s how I’d do it.
First, three nights in Avignon, Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, or the surrounding area. If you’re not renting a car, go for Avignon or Saint-Rémy proper. Choose between La Divine Comédie and La Mirande in Avignon. In Saint-Rémy, Le Petite Hotel is the move, and it’s under €200/night. (My favorite hotel in town, Château des Alpilles, requires 4 nights in August so it’s out of the running.) If you’re renting a car, for a mid-splurge go for La Bastide de Marie or Château de la Gaude (a room in the vineyards), or Airelles Gordes for a major splurge. On this leg of the trip, some nearby favorite towns are Gordes, L’Isle Sur La Sorgue, and Venasque.
If you’re not renting a car, you’ll then take the train from Avignon to Aix-en-Provence. If you’re driving, it’s about an hour. In the case of the latter, reserve ahead and stop at Château d'Estoublon for lunch.
Villa Saint-Ange and Villa Gallici are my top hotel choices in Aix. The more affordable in-town option is Le Pigonnet. If you’re renting a car, then under €400/night you have options – I’d consider the treehouse at Absoluut Valvert, Le Moulin Lourmarin, or La Ferme HI Bride. Stay 2 or 3 nights here, depending on how much time you’d like to spend on the Côte d'Azur.
Then, you’re off to the coast. For your 3-4 nights here, you kind of have to choose, west towards St. Tropez, the middle towards Antibes, or east towards Nice.
St Tropez area top choices: Lily of the Valley for a big splurge (#1 hotel choice in all of the South of France), Airelles Château de La Messardière or Hotel Lou Pinet for slightly less of a splurge, Arev, La Tartane or Villa Marie for pricey but a slightly less.
If you want this part of the trip to be affordable, Hotel Le Sud in Antibes is the move.
In Nice, go Le Negresco for a splurge or the newly remodeled La Perouse for something a bit more affordable. To lower the price tag even more, head into the hill towns, to Château de la Chèvre d’Or in Eze or Château le Cagnard in Cagnes-sur-Mer. It ends with a flight out of Nice.
This is by no means a comprehensive south of France hotel list. The Provence list is here, and the Côte d'Azur is here. Still, they’re not entirely comprehensive. Excitingly, the full monty France hotel list, will be available for purchase on happyhoteling.com sometime this spring!
A Rome Hotel Opening on the Horizon
My most awaited ‘24 Rome opening sadly must remain behind a paywall for now, but another new announcement has made the rounds enough that I feel good about sharing it with all of you. The hotel in question: Casa Monti. Located in the neighborhood of the same name, which is lovely. Great vintage, great restaurants, and perfectly close to the Colosseum. It’s positioned as a luxury bohemian hotel, with 36 rooms, a rooftop bar, a restaurant, and a cafe. Oh, and a spa! I can’t wait to see.
A Kenyan Farm Hotel Obsession
I can’t remember when or how or why this first came on my radar, but I haven’t been able to forget it since. Olepangi Farm, at the foothills of Mount Kenya is a farmstay, the luxury way. And while they do offer day-trip safari experiences, it’s more about embracing the nature on-property. Expansive and impressive, I’d do what they suggest: tack it on before or after your safari.
Links of the Weekend
First of all, I want to make it clear that “red” is not a trend. Red is a primary color. Red has always been and will always be “in” if you like it. If you’re looking for a splurge summer sandal that you can wear for years to come, these Jil Sander pairs are so chic, simple yet perfectly special. Flat, or with kitten heel.
I scoured the dresses from the Net-A-Porter sale section. This 50% off Norma Kamali white dress is sure to be as flattering as all her dresses, and wrinkle-free (perfect for vacation). If you’re a Stripes Person like myself, this 30% Miguela mini is so cute. A mini shirtdress that’s both loose and tight is hard to find - this dress that’s 60% off from The Attico fits the bill.
A novelty choker for summer will never be a no in my mind. Especially this pearl & paperclip one and this two-in-one large shell piece.
I’m usually iffy on Ciao Lucia, but their Spring Collection is good, and going fast. This striped sweater dress is high on my list. As are these cotton, bloomer-adjacent pants that look as comfortable as they look cool. Lastly, hotpants are always one of my favorite vacation pieces, and this micro-striped and belted pair is perfect.
Thank you for spending your Sunday with me! We made it to March - a cause for celebration. Until next time!
xx Your Penpal,
Marissa
Come to Kenya and Olepangi Farm! https://essentialeastafrica.com/properties/kenya/olepangi-farm-cottages/