Relaxation isn’t only found while flat on your back. Some stays work their magic by creating space for fresh perspectives and quiet contemplation. Spanning cultural movements old and new, these five hotels are worthy of your full attention, whether you’re approaching a favourite destination with fresh eyes (we see you, Rome) or want to dive into something new, like a Finnish bolthole with a literary lean.
Cristine Bedfor Málaga
Málaga, Spain
Named for a fictional yet heroically hospitable host, Cristine Bedfor Málaga leans on storytelling to enfold you into a world of Andalusian fantasy. The hotel has taken up residence in a 19th-century mansion in Málaga’s Old Town, designed by the same architect who shaped the city’s Teatro Cervantes. Its rooms read like chapters in a travel diary, drawing on Cristine’s memories of the make-believe island of Clementine; invoked with antiques, artwork and fabrics that mesh Spanish styles with curios from further afield. Real-life owner Cristina Lozano is committed to peeling back Málaga’s manifold layers, directing guests to noteworthy exhibitions and inviting creatives to host workshops at the hotel. She’s put together a detailed walking guide for the upcoming Semana Santa holy week (29 March to 5 April), showing you how to make the most of the celebrations.
Broaden your horizontals: If the fictional island of Clementine has you yearning for a tangible coast, grab the beach basket in your room and take a 10-minute drive to Playa de la Malagueta. The golden sands here are backed by a palm-lined promenade, where chiringuitos (beach bars) serve chilled wines and skewered sardines.
Number One Bruton
Somerset, UK
‘The peace I have dreamed about is here,’ said John Steinbeck of his months-long residence in Bruton in 1959. That sense of repose lives on at Number One Bruton, spread between a Georgian townhouse, mediaeval forge and a clutch of 18th-century cottages. The colourful country rooms are a showcase of West Country craftsmanship, which spills over into the fire-warmed pub and restaurant Briar, where the seasonal menu is rooted to the land. The hotel’s private dining room doubles as an arts and workshop space; previous exhibitions include photographs by Don McCullin and Nik Wheeler, and mosaic and needlework pieces by artist Candace Bahouth. From 14–18 May, author Esther Freud will run a creative writing workshop at the hotel; spaces are strictly limited, so be quick. In Bruton itself, you’ve got plenty to pique your interest, including Hauser & Wirth Somerset and award-winning restaurant Osip, where chef Merlin Labron-Johnson makes use of the county’s abundant orchards, wildflowers and forageable ingredients.
Broaden your horizontals: In recent years, Bruton’s high street has gone from strength to strength, amassing independent boutiques, wine bars and West Country delis as it goes. Swing by antiques store Philo & Philo for covetable homeware, then find your poison at The Old Pharmacy — actually a bistro and bar replete with fine wines, cordials and herbal cocktail tinctures.
The Moore Miami
Miami, US
An anchor between Miami’s boom-town past and glitzy present, The Moore Miami proves that good design can buy staying power. The neoclassical landmark has stood its ground for more than a century, built on the site of a former pineapple plantation. Fast forward a hundred years and it’s now at the heart of the Miami Design District — an enclave of creative studios, design boutiques and envelope-pushing galleries. The designers at LA-based Studio Collective were brought on board to transform the building into a hotel, filling corridors with works by Latin American artists and kitting out the rooms with furnishings by Brazilian brand Sossego and Dallas-based makers Mous. The Moore’s crowning glory is the vast Zaha Hadid sculpture that straddles the four-storey atrium, also home to chef Massimo Bottura’s Italianate restaurant, Torno Subito. The fourth-floor gallery is currently gearing up for artist Soledad Low’s A Theory of Remains exhibition, which opens on 14 March and runs until the end of June.
Broaden your horizontals: Touring the Design District’s galleries (try the Institute of Contemporary Art and Opera Gallery) can be thirsty work. Thankfully, stays at The Moore come with access to its private club, which includes a skyline-spying rooftop bar and an intimate speakeasy.
Runo Hotel Porvoo
Porvoo, Finland
Famed for its cobbled streets, timber houses and placid riverside walkways, picture-book Porvoo is likely the most photographed place in Finland. It’s one of the country’s six mediaeval towns and has strong links to Finland’s national poet, Johan Ludvig Runeberg, who once laid his head at an inn that stood on the site of what is now Runo Hotel. You’ll find pieces by contemporary Finnish artists displayed throughout the mod-Nordic rooms, some of which are kept toasty by monumental tiled stoves. The hotel punches above its weight in the culture department, staging a monthly Finnish Jazz night (often the last week of the month); arranging poetry retreats with guided workshops; and hosting the Runo Biannal, a consecutive programme of six-month-long exhibitions held in the hotel. The concierge team are forever on the pulse of what’s going on in the city, too, ensuring you’re kept in the loop about special exhibitions, harvest fairs or lantern-lit carnival nights.
Broaden your horizontals: This being Finland, it’s only fair to count spa days as a cultural pursuit. You’ll find Runo well versed in the art of wellness, with a sauna in the attic, a traditional cold-bucket shower and a fireside relaxation zone.
Palazzo delle Pietre
Rome, Italy
Some acts of cultural stewardship take place long before a stay opens its doors. That’s the story at Palazzo delle Pietre, a collection of antique-blessed apartments in Rome’s Campo Marzo, close to the Centro Storico’s big-ticket acts. When owner Carlo Mazzi bought the 15th-century palazzo in 2012, he embarked on a seven-year refurbishment project to undo years of style crimes, uncovering forgotten frescoes, restoring porticoes and adding his personal collection of masonry, some of which dates back to antiquity. Not willing to rest on looks alone, he then offered a set of the palazzo’s rooms to the Frammenti Club — a cultural salon and concierge service that can arrange private tours, chef-led dinners and literary talks.
Broaden your horizontals: Follow in the footsteps of the Romans’ thermae with a treatment in the palazzo’s mosaic-tiled hammam, bookable through the concierge. At your bidding, they’ll also raid the Frammenti Club’s wine cellar on your behalf, delivering the bottle to your apartment so it’s waiting for you after your session.
Feeling inspired? You can broaden your horizontals elsewhere, including our flat-out best wellness breaks, paradisical stays for staying supine and hotels for those prone to adventures