To stay at one of the many old school, but newly renovated, European castles on the market, you usually need to be prepared to leave with a wallet considerably lighter than the one you took in.
Not here though. Albergo Il Monastero is the achievable European castle stay; a former 16th century convent with room starting at just AU$215. Bargain.
Albergo is a restored stone beast perched high up on the Island of Ischia, just off the Italian south coast. From this vantage point you can sit on the castle’s terrace at night and admire the lights on the fishing boats as they bob gently up and down in the Gulf of Naples, catching fresh seafood for your next day’s dinner.
Across the way is the hullabaloo of Naples, but that’s well in the distance; here you’re ambling about with a vino from the on-site vineyard, at complete ease with the world. #CastleLyf is pretty sweet, if you can afford it.
Staying at the Rooms Hotel Kazbegi, in Georgia’s incredible northern region, sort of feels as if you’re sat on some shoulders at a gathering of the giants.
With the awe-inspiring Caucasus Mountains looming as a shadow, the hotel would have looked impressive had it just put a tin shed. As it is, the building is a typically Soviet symmetrical thing of beauty, curving slightly if viewed from side on.
There’s a swimming pool for the ages, where you can swim in heated goodness while watching snow doffs the mountain peaks around you through floor to roof windows. There’s fireplaces, leather couches, wooden floors and stylings that reflect Georgia’s unusual place in the world, as a gateway between Europe and Asia.
This is some of the best hiking country in the world in summer, and the trekking – either by foot or by horse – is some of the best you’ll ever do.
The Russia-Georgia Friendship Monument is within reach from here – a very Instagrammable spot, even if Russia and Georgia aren’t always the best of friends.
The rooms at Rooms are plush – ideal for corpsing after a mammoth day of scaling the giants . Georgian recipes handed down from generation to generation are served here – if you’ve never had Georgian food, you’re in for a treat (and some carbs).
The air is clean in this part of the world, so make sure you go out at night and take a big long look at the stars. Some cheeky vodka will warm you up, and word is they roll cigars for you at the lobby if requested. This is living.
Italy has given the world plenty of masterpieces over the years.
The Mona Lisa. The Margherita pizza. Andrea Pirlo’s free-kicks.
Add the Vocablo Mocatelli to those, a hotel of exquisite design in the heart of Umbria, between Florence and Rome, and a concoction of old and new Italy.
The building was previously an ancient monastery, dating back to the 12th century, although we’re pretty certain the monks didn’t have a private sauna, an outdoor jacuzzi and extraordinarily lux furnishings when they were chilling here.
The stone walls remain from the monk days, as well as beamed ceilings, heavy stone fireplaces and wooden floors, a charming contrast with the plushness of everything else.
There’s only 12 rooms, so you don’t feel overran. There’s no set hours for brekky – just wake up whenever, and treat yourself whenever.
There’s a long table outside to enjoy dinner or lunch with a serene Italian countryside setting surrounding you.
WunderLocke is a series of expansive suites with arty vibes done in a cool, German way. Not in a pretentious, Moe from The Simpsons way.
The suites are in Sendling, a borough of Munich blessed with the best of both worlds. AKA access to green spaces and the rivers of Bavaria (hello urban roof garden) and proximity to a U-Bahn, meaning hustle and bustle whenever you feel like it.
Inside the complex you can find restaurants, a fitness studio, a leafy chill-out area, and a pool. In most rooms there’s a freestanding bath that overlooks Munich’s alps—not a luxury you get in every European city. Wunderbar.
ONOMA Hotel has a manifesto posted on their website, pledging: “We are against any boring old type of hotels that include all their clients needs in one common package of services”.
Whether you’re sporty, a businessman, a gamer or just someone looking to sprinkle a little chilli into their love life—this is a hotel that will customise your stay to suit you.
ONOMA staff set your room up based on the kind of stay you’re after. A specialised gaming area? Done. A room that’s perfect for a dating app profile photoshoot? Sorted. There’s even a 50 Shades Of Grey themed room which, due to its spicy nature, we are unable to reveal the details of. Plus! A basketball-themed stay that includes a one-of-a-kind basketball court (big Jamie XX vibes) that’s good for shooting—hoops AND photos.
There is a heavy tech focus throughout, with ultrafast wi-fi internet, tablets in every room for smart management, wireless charging and self-check-in and check-out. It feels a lot like ONOMA is in 2050 while the rest of us are faffing around in 2023.
Picture this: it’s a delightful 25 degrees outside, and you’re hiking through a pleasant forest in France’s east…
Fast forward an hour and you’re cooling off by jumping off your own private pontoon, into what feels like your own private lake.
A little while later you’re enjoying drinks in the minimalist, but full-equipped teardrop-shaped treehouse you’re calling home.
As night falls, you can drink a red wine from Burgundy either on your balcony or while soaking in your Nordic bath tub. This is life at Coucoo Cabanes des Grands Lacs, on the banks of Lake Bonnal. And life is good.
Cornwall has been a favourite holiday destination for Brits since before King Henry VIII was chopping off heads, but there’s a brand-new stay in the southern seaside town that would surely satisfy even the big man himself.
‘The Island’ is the unimaginative name for what is actually a pretty imaginative place to stay – a nautical bolthole perched dramatically above a beach on its own little island, only accessible from the mainland by a private suspension footbridge (vehicle access is impossible).
The place is perfect for small groups, for romance, for artists seeking inspiration or anyone who enjoys being up close and personal to the roaring symphony of the ocean crashing into the rocks below. Spectacular storms is one of a number of things Cornwall is famous for, and we can’t think of anywhere we’d rather be than the deck of The Island as Mother Nature gets to work.
Rather than most seaside accommodations, where you are looking out over the water, at The Island it actually feels as if you’re a part of the ocean.
In 1616, a Dutch sailor by the name of Dirk Hartog stumbled across an uninhabited island off the western edge of Australia.
More than 400 years on and very little has changed on what is now called Dirk Hartog Island; a 620-square-kilometre patch of rugged paradise inhabited by only one family.
Dirk Hartog Island Eco Lodge is a chance to escape the madness of the mainland for a few days of magical seclusion.
Untouched marine ecosystems make it possible to swim or paddle alongside turtles, whales, dolphins and more. Enjoy the luxury of uninterrupted access to majestic sand dunes and extraordinary wildlife, and skirt the edge of the island’s spectacular cliffs, where you’ll stand at Australia’s western-most point, taking in the sheer size of the Indian Ocean. At this point you’ll feel tiny, but you also may never feel closer to the planet you live on.
One of Sicily’s most famous aspects is its history as a mafia stronghold, which sells short the island’s beauty. Still, there’s no doubt a well-to-do Godfather would feel right at home in the grandeur of Zash Country Boutique Hotel, an 18th century Villa surrounded by vineyards and citrus groves.
With Mount Etna looming on one side and the Ionian Sea on the other, it doesn’t really matter which side of the sprawling country manor you stay.
There’s an underground spa, a restaurant that specialises in produce found locally (less than one kilometre away), gorgeous terraces, a stunning swimming pool to relax underneath the Sicilian sun in, and more.
The architects of Jølstraholmen in Western Norway seem to have taken literally the lyrics of Talking Heads’ 1978 classic Take Me to the River.
Jølstraholmen is a compound of several different accommodation types, the most memorable being A-Frame tiny homes that are situated right on the river. And when we say right on the river, we actually mean pretty much in it.
The ‘Cabins’ each have in-ground hot tubs, meaning you can sit in warmth as the icy waters of the river Jølstra rushes by. Inside, it’s classic Scandinavian minimalist design, which we think looks cosy af, especially when there is snow falling on the outside.
Perfectly situated in the fresh air of Norway’s west coast, this place is an outdoor lover’s dream: it’s possible to kayak, canoe and float down the river in a boat. There’s bike tracks, a water slide, a zip-line, a giant trampoline, amazing spots to fish and more.
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