Tag: <span>hotels</span>

Around the World Travel and Design blog
If you haven’t noticed, HoneyTrek.com has become my new labor of love. Seeing Design was meant to be the aesthetic arm of our blog about our 4,685-day (and counting) honeymoon around the world, but the style and stories behind each of the 80 countries and 700+ places we visited can’t be separated from our journey to find them. HoneyTrek chronicles the twists and turns of our unconventional path and everything that inspired us along the way. Stunning architecture, charming homes, chic designs, talented artisans, exotic cuisine…these tenets of Seeing Design can all be found over on HoneyTrek…but within a context that means so much more than what meets the eye.  We couldn’t be more proud of HoneyTrek (and all the press it’s been getting!) so we hope you check it out and join us for the adventures to come!

 


If you want to catch up on our past two years of world travel, watch this video, full of highlights from a trip that has truly changed our lives.

 

honeytrek 2014
Even though we are back in the States we still have 12 more countries-worth of stories to share, so…

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Places Projects

Mendoza luxury travel
The mountains and vineyards of Mendoza, Argentina are spectacular but when enjoyed from Entre Cielos Hotel and Spa they become transcendental. Set on a vineyard at the foothills of the Andes, the contemporary property has 15 rooms and the most unique suite I’ve ever stayed in: The Vineyard Loft—a private tree house hovering over acres of pinot noir vines.

 

luxury travel Argentina
A tree house architecture firm Baumraum was specially brought in from Germany for the perfect pod and the in-house design team completed the fantasy with sleek and seductive interiors. Newly opened this spring, we were amongst the first couples to nest here.

 

Entre Cielos
Views down to the vines and out to the Andes (plus, a welcome bottle of wine) lured us outside for a little terrace time.

 

Luxury hotels mendoza
Here, the view from the Vineyard Loft to the main hotel, designed by Argentine Firm A4 Estudio. Each tower is a duplex wrapped in graphic imagery of figs, mushrooms, cherries—and other flavors of full-bodied wines. The patterns can change depending on the season or vision of chief designer Daniela Wager for architecture that never gets old. The next motif on her list? The typography of wine words.

 

Luxury Travel Argentina
Creators of the first traditional hamam in Latin America, Entre Cielos brings the Turkish bath tradition to a new level of decadence and relaxation. Wrapped in flauta towels we basked in the herbal steam room, exfoliated in the Kese shower, soaked up the vinotherapy in our couples wine bath (yes, I said wine bath), and ended in the lounge chairs of the relaxation room nibbling on fruits and nuts. Heaven is an understatement.

 

luxury travel argentina
Not ready to stir from relaxation mode, we went back to our Vineyard Loft for an extra soak in the outdoor bathtub. You can never have too many bubble baths, especially when bubbly is involved.

 

fine dining mendoza
In the morning, the Katharina restaurant hosts a gourmet buffet breakfast. Fruits, cheeses, eggs to order and cappuccinos were served to perfection amidst the chic décor. When we returned for dinner, we nuzzled up by the fire for a special five-course honeymoon meal, complete with Argentine beef, of course.

 

Entre Cielos ipad by the pool
After our bike ride to the neighboring vineyards, we came back to do a little reading by the pool. Love that the front desk has iPads available for guests to use throughout their stay.

 

room service
We were so sad to leave the Vineyard Loft, we had to order breakfast in bed. It is not easy bringing carafes of coffee and poached eggs down a gravel road and up the stairs of a tree house but the staff didn’t even flinch. Aficionados of service and style, Entre Cielos holds up to its heavenly name.

Have you ever stayed at a truly unique property? If so, where? If not, what would you think about a night here?

Note: Entre Cielos invited us to stay at the property. Our stay was comped; however, all opinions are our own.

Places

luxury travel uruguayYou don’t hear to too much about Uruguay, until you hit Buenos Aires. The town of Colonia del Sacramento is a mere hour boat ride from the Argentine capital and is a key player in its colonial history. Set up by the Portuguese in 1680 as port to smuggle in riches to BA, Colonia was so strategically situated that the Spanish got jealous and went to battle to snag the city– 11 times over the course of 150 years. With the perma-flip-flopping of power and nationalistic renovations, Colonia has become one of the most confused yet charming colonial towns in South America– mashed up with the architectural styles from three distinct cultures and one wacky history.

 

luxury uruguay travel tips
We came to Colonia to celebrate our first wedding anniversary so we classed it up a bit with a stay in the romantic La Mission Hotel. Built originally as a house in 18th century, we loved the bright colors, original stone walls, contemporary decor, and central locale.

 

uruguay travel tips
Colonia was originally walled city and with their UNESCO heritage status they got the funds to restore it quiet nicely. Colonia is about 25,000 big and expands well past these walls but the charming historic quarter lies within. We took a fantastic walking tour by the proudest Uruguayan (she is looking for investors to help further spruce up the city a if anyone is interested. Honestly.)

 

uruguay travel
Calle de Suspiros (Street of Sighs)  is said to be the most well-preserved street in town and the best example of the style war between Spanish and Portuguese design. The Portuguese always built with slopping tile roofs while the Spanish underdogs always made quick-dry flat roofs since they never had much time before they were under attack again.
Here are the ruins of 17th century Convento de San Francisco and the renovated lighthouse behind. For a couple pesos (Argentine money is accepted everywhere in Colonia) we climbed up for great views of town all the way to Buenos Aires.

 

luxury travel uruguay
Looking at this crazy expanse of coast and water you are convinced you are on the ocean but oh no, it is the Rio Plata–the widest river in the world. Its main water source is the gush from Iguazu Falls which is so powerful it makes what would be ocean, brackish all the way past the coast of Montevideo. The milk chocolate color, weeping tree-lined coast, and a few islands make it a unique city river.

 

luxury travel, colonia
The irony of the constant Spain vs Portugal battle is that they kept canonballing the town they considered home. In the case of the church, both cultures were catholic and neither had the time to rebuild it fully so the architecture is like a patchwork of Portuguese rock mixed with Spanish stucco and cement filling in between.

 

design travel tips colonia
All the restaurants along the plaza have a amazing seafood and colonial ambiance but for something a little more unique and funky, we went to Drugstore. They couldn’t have fit more colors or art on the wall and the food was just as all over the map–but in the best possible way.

colonia design tips
With the smoggy metropolis across the river, Colonia is supposed to have some of the best sunsets and with a wild rain storm right before sundown, we got the full spectacle in the sky.

Spending the night in Uruguay is a nice getaway from the ber urban BA but if you do a day trip, book the latest boat back so you can catch the sunset and see the candle-like street lights twinkle at night. For more photos from the picture-perfect Colonia del Sacramento, see the slideshow on HoneyTrek.com

Places

trancoso design restaurants
In our three-week journey down the coast of Brazil we encountered some of the most beautiful beaches I’ve ever seen, but none as chic as Trancoso, Bahia. Accessed by a semi-paved road an hour from the nearest city of Porto Seguro, we bumped along assuming this was going to be a ten-shack town but instead we found the hippest side of paradise.

luxury travel ideas
If a town's center is meant to represent a place, then Trancoso planned it perfectly with the Quadrado, a wide open field surrounded by charming cafes and colorful casas. Though obscured here, the nighttime twinkle is one of my favorite features.

design travel
This Jesuit church was the heart of town in the16th century and still is. Though I am sure the church square still has its share of devotees, this is now where artisans sell their wares and wild horses tend to congregate.

design travel brazil
Trancoso is set on a bluff overlooking a beach filled by a system of rivers and lagoons. The change in tides keep them filling and falling, creating an ever-changing landscape that draws you down the coast. Just be warned, if you stay out too late in the day...you may have to wade part of the way home.

brazil  design hotels
Trancoso is far from flashy but pay attention and you'll notice the beach is full of little paths leading to luxury hotels.

trancoso pinapple vendor
Just when you think Trancoso is all about the jetset, a guy like this will roll by to keep it real.

trancoso beach destinations
This washed up boat was turned into the rustic chic bar, Uxia. Love the sun hat umbrellas.

brazil design restaurants
Trancoso has found the winning formula for a beach-town restaurant: massive tree for shade, big wooden patio chairs for seating, and poppy pattern pillows to draw you in. Cafe Vitoria's fun floral cushions tempted me curl up here with a book and a caipirinha.

brazil design shops
With everyone on the beach all day, the town comes alive at night with art galleries and boutiques like Galleria Fulô and staying open until 10pm or later.

trancoso travel
Trancoso is a magical place (If a white wild pony grazing in front of a blue beach cottage didn't have you convinced.)

Essential Trancoso

luxury hotels bahiaLodging
Relais & Chateaux is one of the most selective hotel groups in the world and there only have one property in the state of Bahia that gets its seal of approval: Estrela d’ Agua. If you want to be directly on the beach this is the spot to be.

Dining
Casa Timbo is one of the chic lantern-lit restaurants under the boughs of the Quadrado but with a better price than its neighbors.

Entertainment
Aue Zum Zum has a great outdoor music scene by night. Snag a table early or just can grab a drink at the adorable pop-up bars and listen in from a bench in the square.

Places