The Edit: Volume 7
In Residence w/ Morgan Jones Atherton, stay review at The Francis House in the Napa Valley, a Morocco hotel preview, honeymoon hotels in Ibiza and South Africa, and my link loves of the week.
In Residence with Morgan Jones Atherton
A couple months ago, I wrote a list of people I’d love to feature in this series. She was one of them. I’m so grateful she’s in your inbox today!
Morgan is the only person I “know” on the internet that loves hotels as much as I do. That could be the intro alone, but she deserves a much grander entrance.
First off, she’s a true tastemaker - she knows her own style, and people want to replicate it. She knows what’s good and what’s give-or-take, an unteachable and powerful skill. She’s also a creative and a businesswoman, in the world of hotels nonetheless. A woman I understand! A woman I admire. Morgan and her husband Christian are co-founders of Take Out, a social content studio in which they work with hotels to really capture the special parts of the hotel through their unique eyes. It’s very cool and they do it incredibly well.
I’m unsure whether I first came across her on TikTok or Instagram, or both simultaneously. Do yourself and give her a follow on both, as well as her and Christian’s Take Out account. Your future self will thank you!
I feel like I have to start out with the classics, because I'm so curious but also because I have so many you-specific questions to ask later. So, I must know, what's your favorite hotel (or two!) you've ever stayed at?
I would have to say Can Ferrereta in Mallorca, or Il Borro in Tuscany. Il Borro was our first true luxury hotel that we stayed at together and paid for with our own money and a trip of ours that inspired us to start Take Out. I just remember noticing every small detail that made our stay and the property so exceptional, paired with being in Tuscany, one of our favorite places, and eating some of the best food we’ve ever had. One of those places that truly makes you feel present. And then Can Ferrereta was so special because we stayed there their inaugural season, and we got engaged while there. The location, the hotel, and the staff will forever be imprinted on my heart and the design is stunning while being understated.
What about the hotels at the top of your bucket list? For personal stays, not work - that's next!
Reschio is at the very top of my list! And so is Jade Mountain in St. Lucia!
Reschio, same! The ultimate.
I'm obsessed with you and your hubby do with Take Out - you have the best eye, knack for capturing the essence of a place. I always want to go where you go, even if I didn't want to before. What are a few of your favorite hotels that you've worked with?
Thank you!!! It has been a dream building this company with Christian. Our very favorite, also because it was so recent, has to be Ventana Big Sur. Big Sur has become one of our favorite places in the world — and when we went for the first time a few years ago, we had bookmarked Ventana. And a few months ago we had the opportunity to work with them and shoot the hotel over the course of 3 days and it was an absolute dream. I could rant about Ventana for days, but there were three things that especially stood out to us: the property itself, the staff, and the curation of experiences. We joke that our life’s work is finding hotels that are set on the “best earth”, and those who have been to Big Sur, know that that rings true. Paired with the staff — many of whom have legacies at Ventana and grew up with their parents and aunts and uncles working there, and all of them who care so deeply about the property and preserving its land. It’s the kind of place that touches your soul and we feel so grateful to have had that experience and opportunity.
Dream job!! Dream property!! I’m so thrilled for you both, and you killed it. Absolute magic captured and created.
Because dreams become reality once you say them out loud, do you feel comfortable sharing your dream hotels to work with?
Cuixmala has been at the top for awhile. Simply a treasure trove for the eyes! And tied with that would be really any of the Belmond Orient-Express trains, but especially the route from Paris to Istanbul over 5 nights!
I know this is a hard question, but I'm so curious how you'll describe it as I love your writing. What do you look for in a great, special hotel?
I’m a details person, and in a future life I would love to consult for hotels thinking through the small things that they can do to really create a guest’s experience. Location, design, and architecture often are what draw me to a hotel initially, but what makes a hotel truly memorable is the programming and offerings they have. There are so many “luxury hotels” that just haven’t adapted to the times and don’t hit the mark with our generation, and that’s such a huge miss in my opinion. I love hotels that thoughtfully curate the guest experience, whether it’s an exceptional mini bar, or wellness offerings that make me excited to continue my routines while I’m traveling — that’s truly special to me.
I’ve never met anyone else who shares the same dream future life - I’m so happy the internet brought you into my life, and love that we share a good friend.
Is there anywhere in the world that you realllly want to go to, but haven't found "the" hotel to stay at yet? I want to help you find one, if possible! Totally share more than one if you have.
South Africa! Ibiza! We’re actually beginning to plan our honeymoon after a crazy 6 months of work since our wedding and are looking for an Africa-specific travel advisor if you know of anyone!!!
I got you!! Dreamy, I’m so excited for you two.
I feel like I can only ask this question to people who also truly really love hotels. I find it so interesting. Would you rather stay in the dream splurge hotel in the cheapest room, or a dreamy suite in a less-dreamy hotel?
I feel like this is a trick question!! But I’m going to go with dream splurge hotel in the cheapest room because it’s so expansive to get a taste of something you’ve always dreamed of, and I truly believe that once you experience a place first hand, if you are keen to, the universe will bring you there again. Plus, an exceptional hotel experience in my opinion, takes place outside of the room just as much as in the room.
Not a trick question, I totally agree! It’s all about getting to get to experience the magic of the hotel at-large.
Do you have a "happy place"? Somewhere in the world, and perhaps a hotel, that you just feel the most you, and at peace?
My happy place is in the Hudson Valley of New York. There’s something that’s so ethereal about it up there, and as a New Yorker, it’s the best reprieve. There are so many hotels I love in that area, but I’m not sure that I’ve found my true happy place hotel there — which can only mean one thing ;)
I can think of two things and either one I would really co-sign!
I always ask because I love to know, is there one hotel or hotels that speak to you as having the best hotel bed?
Recently, I commented on how amazing the bed at MacArthur Place was — so plush and made better by an in-room wood-burning fireplace. But honestly, I’m an easy sell as long as it’s a king with a down comforter (living in a 600-sq ft Brooklyn apartment has my standards at an all time low).
Lastly, what's the most special hotel amenity/activity/special touch that you've experienced?
Cold plunging in the wild with Ventana Big Sur was a spiritual experience. Horseback riding to a private Italian picnic at Borgo Pignano in Tuscany will forever be a favorite of mine. And Le Martin Hotel in St. Martin is the perfect boutique hotel experience run by the loveliest French couple. I love everything they do, but namely their homemade croissants and breakfast spread each morning. Not to mention the kayaks that they have that you can take to two different islands nearby!!
Thank you beyond, Morgan. You inspire me!
Stay Review: The Francis House in Calistoga, California’s Napa Valley
In the last 12 months, I’ve had two hotel stays that stand out among the rest as superiorly special. One was just a few days ago, at The Francis House in Napa Valley. Set on a residential street in the mineral springs town of Calistoga, just a 2 blocks to downtown. I’ve wanted to stay here since they opened in 2018, because I’ve always had a gut feeling it’s “the one” for me in terms of Napa Valley hotels. Spoiler alert: I was right.
Built in 1886, later the longterm home of the Calistoga Hospital, and left for decay - husband and wife Dina and Richard Dwyer purchased the property and turned the historic home into a standout hotel. They live on site, it is very much their home and that is exactly what makes it so special. They are very hands-on, very intuitive, very gracious, and very lovely all around. I have new friends in them, I feel grateful to know them. It’s a bed & breakfast by definition, but it feels like the most special kind of luxury hotel.
And little luxuries are everywhere. A living room wonderfully designed by Dina, with ancient curios, the best photography book archive curation I’ve seen, open to the inviting living room. Breakfast is a big affair here. Every morning, Dina prepares the most inventive gourmet meals. On my morning, it was an egg-scramble sandwich with so many clever ingredients I couldn’t pinpoint, and perfectly cooked bacon. It was a “family” breakfast, with all guests, Dina & Richard, and the coolest college-aged family friends. The owners are local heroes, without a doubt.
My room was incredible. High ceilings, flooded with natural light, a magically-draped window seat, antique furniture, and one hell of a comfortable bed. As you know, that’s very important to me. If you’ve ever traveled with me, you know I always bring my “little pillow.” A toddler down pillow. I forgot it for the first time, and they HAD A LITTLE PILLOW. A Toto smart toilet, Aesop toiletries, Matouk bath towels, and filtered water from the tap round it up as a fully fantastic room.
Although there are only 8 rooms, luxury amenities are plentiful. Tesla chargers, an infrared sauna, massage room, walled gorgeous tennis court with racquets in the living room, a fire pit, and a truly stunning pool. The Napa Valley gets hot, and I find the vast majority of the hotels in the area to be lacking in terms of specialness in the pool department. Not The Francis House. It’s stunning, something out of Provence, but in California.
I arrived hopeful to find “my hotel,” and I left friends with the owners and a life-long customer. It’s really special. Add it to your list, towards the top.
Oh, no kids.
The Morocco Hotel Preview
In this week’s paid edition, I’ll finally be sharing my months-in-the-making Morocco hotel list. I’m so excited! To the point that I couldn’t help but share three really unique ones right here and now.
Beldi Country Club, 10 minutes outside the center of Marrakech has been a can’t-get-it-out-of-my-head hotel for me for the past few years. And even if you aren’t staying there, it’s a great place to visit for lunch or dinner. One of my best friends, Stefanie, does so every time she’s in town and absolutely loves it. It’s also a great choice if you have an early flight into or out of Marrakech airport, as it’s very close.
Kasbah Kissane is in the town of Agdz in the Draa Valley and is one of those places that I can’t pinpoint what calls to me so loudly about it, but I know I must go. The view, the abundance of rugs, the imperfections - I’m so intrigued.
Riad El Amine in Fez is described as a jewel box and I can’t think of a more apt adjective. A living testament to the rich intricacy of Moroccan craftsmanship. It’s tied for my top choice in Fez, this one is slightly outside the hustle-and-bustle.
Hotels in South Africa & Ibiza, Curated for Morgan
Picking up with Morgan’s hotel quest above. South Africa and Ibiza are on the agenda, but the hotel has not been honed in on! I’m on the case.
A South African honeymoon typically includes two parts: the Western Cape and Safari.
First, in the Western Cape, Sterrekopje Farm really seems like a “special Earth” place. It’s a splurge. For something special but affordable, 7 Koppies would be a top choice. If you’re going after September 1, Coot Club is somewhere really calling my name, and this is the date they finish renovations fully. No one wants to be on their honeymoon and hear construction…and then also have to photograph around it!
Now for the entree, the Safari. For a more affordable option, Dulini River Lodge would be one of my top picks. If you want to splurge, &Beyond Phinda Rock Lodge in the Phinda Private Game Reserve is one that just stands out among the SA safari crowd to me. The unique position and architecture, the great big-5 viewing but also the hotel experiences. I want to go so badly. For a Singita splurge, Singita Ebony Lodge is my personal top contender.
Ok now onto the other side of he world, literally and figuratively - Ibiza. Despite its reputation, there are a lot of really charming hotels on this island that really draw me to its rural, creative side. Particularly, Los Enamorados, Agroturismo Cas Gasi, and Es Cucons.
Link Loves
What I’d be buying if I didn’t spend all my money on hotels!
I’m obsessed with my new pet fish purse, Wanda, from Staud. I won’t shut up about it yet. But also, if you’re a clutch type, the go red fish. Also, this black-and-white two toned skirt looks incredibly flattering, vacation packing-proof, and versatile. I love.
I’m a Kule fan through and through, mostly because they share my over-the-top love for stripes. I really want this perfectly-toned terry crewneck.
I’ve decided this is going to be the summer I wear a nightgown. Mostly because I like the idea of adding that into the Summer staple wardrobe mix of pieces I’ll remember the season by. This Doen one is the one.
Lioness is fast fashion, but my two purchases from them in 2021 have gotten each 15+ wears so I say it’s ok enough. Plus, these pleated pants are really good.
I love following Tara Moni on TikTok, and think this elegant, elevated tshirt maxi dress from her new line The Maregold is quite perfect.
See you later this week, you good people with good taste. Thank you for being here, thank you for providing me a platform to do what I love.
xx Your Penpal,
Marissa
I've long-loved hotels and found a way to weasel my way into a few of the grand chains in Toronto and surrounds (Fairmont, Le Meridien, Relais & Chateaux) as a massage therapist in the splashy in-house spas. It took me 17 years to finally realize that I wanted to STAY in these hotels, not work in them! I wanted to receive the massages, not give them! I'm glad I found your page here, Marissa. Thanks for the virtual fresh sheets and lemongrass-infused amenity whiff!