HOTELS: We do like to be beside the sea |
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Celebrating our collection of stylish beachside stays, Juliet Kinsman signposts you to some favourites as featured in our online Coastline collection
The information superhighway is a wonderful thing, although when it comes to hotels, without the right guidance, the Internet can be as useful a shortcut as the M25 at rush hourAnd when it comes to finding the right stylish European coastal retreat, prepare for gridlock. Business boltholes are bumper-to-bumper with bargain-bucket travel agents, and seemingly sweet and bijoux hideaways signpost you to soulless corporate giants and shabby guesthouses. 'We have responded by creating what we believe to be the ultimate boutique hotels website around, so that everyone can access Mr & Mrs Smith recommendations, wherever they are,’ says James Lohan, founder of Mr & Mrs Smith. Judged on their intimacy, good looks, comfort and individuality, our new seaside recommendations include secret island retreats in Italy, Mallorca and Greece, sleek designer stays on the cooler waters of Iceland and Portugal, and hip hangouts on the Riviera. LA SACRISTÍA Tarifa, Spain Style Moorish shabby chic Tarifa is in Spain’s deep south, and promises to be hot, hot, hot. And cool – because this stretch of beaches and cliffs is the Costa del Surf, where Stussy beats Pucci, and the nightlife is less disco, more mellow. Wend your way along the cobbles of the casco – the mediaeval centre – and you’ll best find La Sacristia on foot. The reception/bar mixes traditional tiled tables and old stone floors with a profusion of silk lanterns in jewel shades, Moroccan ironwork and a display of Chinese lacquerware, so a surprise comes in the simplicity of the rooms. In ours, the walls and muslin curtains are white; and a single piece of driftwood decorates the wall behind the bedhead. Anyone who models their lifestyle on Donatella Versace’s – and some like it sumptuous, especially on holiday – may find the beach-hut chic of Sacristia’s rooms on the spartan side, but we loved the unexpected minimalism of it, the quiet, and the feeling of being hidden when we looked down into the narrow street below. Sophie Dening LE JARDIN DES SENS, Montpellier, France Style Cool contemporary cocoon We arrived at this boutique hotel with a gastronomic restaurant, a little surprised that such an acclaimed spot should appear such an unprepossessing, bunker-like structure, from the outside. Those fears were allayed as soon as we stepped inside. Our room was a hideaway: contemporary-chic, with a mahogany floor, linen bedspreads and a scattering of oranges and mauves amid the otherwise delicate cream and grey tones. With plenty of space, it was a restful place to be, even more so owing to the fact that it faced inwards, onto the tropical ‘garden of the senses’ and swimming pool. The restaurant itself is a grand space, rendered light and airy by floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides, looking out onto the eponymous Jardin, buzzing with casually clad, sun-kissed diners – no starchy dress codes here, despite prices which attracts the Black-AmEx crew. This is indeed a hotel that intends to transport all of your senses into a garden of delight. Darius Sanai BELVEDERE Mykonos, Greece Style Whitewashed wonderland Mykonos was the first Greek island to be ‘discovered’ in the Fifties, and its main town rapidly gained a reputation as the Cyclades’ most happening harbour. With its perfectly curved bay, maze of whitewashed alleys and picturesque windmills, it became a must-hop for any island-lover. The proliferation of trendy clubs and fashion boutiques attract a international crowd of the young and beautiful, all united by a shared purpose – to pose, party and be pampered. And few places fulfil these criteria quite like the Belvedere. This haven of laidback luxury oozes style and glamour, elevated high above the sugarcube buildings below, and with a heavenly view of the Aegean beyond. The Belvedere wears its party credentials on its (white) sleeve, with 37 rooms and eight suites spread among the six buildings around the swimming pool. The coterie of honed, toned and tanned model types sprawling out by the pool are a clear indication of the sort of jetset crowd that touches down at this party hotspot every summer. Richard Bence FAROL DESIGN HOTEL Cascais, Portugal Style Modernist-hedonist Perched on an outcrop of rock a few feet from the Atlantic Ocean, this contemporary crib marries a traditional Portuguese villa with a modern wing encasing a slick restaurant and additional rooms. The blend of old and new is a triumph. While the exterior is stark white and minimalist, the interior is wood-panelled and luxurious; the result is an exciting Pandora’s box. Of the hotel’s 34 boudoirs, 10 are the creation of esteemed Portuguese fashion designers; of particular note is room 204, which can only be described as the lovechild of Boogie Nights and an African safari. The design savvy extends to the grounds, which ooze Café del Mar cool, and daybeds shrouded in muslin overlooking the sea are a perfect retreat from the busier Ibiza-style pool area. Considering our aim on any escape is a hip hangout for her and the perfect surf beach for him, it’s a match made in heaven. Katie Vanneck |
