‘July! July! Never seemed so strange,’ sang the Decemberists — and we have a few compelling curiosities for your next global adventure. There’s the re-awakening of a legendary Paris nightclub, a Copenhagen retreat built by a ballet dancer and a French-château-style stay in Japan’s leafy interior. Ready to go offbeat?
Bus Palladium
Paris, France
Testing, testing, is this thing on? Yes? Good, because I have a few things to say about new Paris stay Bus Palladium (AKA Le Bus). This is the 2.0 version of a legendary, 1960s nightlife hotspot, which counted Serge Gainsbourg, the Rolling Stones, Salvador Dalí and more as regulars. Founder James Arch felt the usual velvet ropes were limiting, so he eschewed A-list exclusivity to diversify the crowd, sending buses out into the suburbs to bring in a fresh, youthful crowd.
You’ll need a little more than a two-franc bus fare to dance under the original mirror ball today, but Le Bus’s glamorous new incarnation is more luxurious than it used to be, with a jewel-toned bar area, cool-kid rooms with curated playlists, and guaranteed club access for guests. The hotel’s legend, though, remains intact — and priceless.
Why we love it: This is an icon reborn, where the spirit of rogue creativity is still keenly felt. Music-lovers will fall not just for the many listening ops (niche records, curated playlists, live gigs…), but the in-the-know details, too: say, door handles textured like microphone grips and light switches like those on amps.
Kate Weir, Deputy Editor
Dvele Inn
Newfoundland, Canada
I love Nordic design and a historic Queen Anne House — when you combine them in Newfoundland, you get Dvele Inn. Beyond its cute, crimson clapboard façade, you’ll find rooms in sophisticated colourways, which are as cosy as they are stylish. But it’s thoughtful touches that win me over: a poetry book left open on your bed (to an especially relevant page if you tell them you’re celebrating something), custom scents, locally made treats to try. The look skews international, but island pride is as boldly on display as the owner’s collection of Canadian artwork — the library offers insight into local culture, and Dvele is the springboard for rugged adventures by sea and land, or a more refined look at the city’s dining and drinking scene.
Why we love it: It’s certainly somewhere for the loved-up — but if you want to fine-tune the romance, you can arrange for flowers, champagne, charcuterie boards, fresh oysters or even caviar bumps to be delivered to your room.
KW
The Bradley Hare
Wiltshire, UK
I grew up in Dorset, but the charms of neighbouring county Wiltshire were never lost on me. Early last summer, after a pitstop to meet the monkeys, camels and koalas of Longleat, I arrived at The Bradley Hare, a charming pub with rooms on the Duke of Somerset’s estate. It’s close to the Somerset border in the village of Maiden Bradley, with Frome and Bath both a short drive away. Within a few steps, there’s a village shop, an ancient church and walking trails to set off on — in other words, unapologetically British. The hotel has recently been taken over by the Beckford Group, masters of the Great British pub, both in terms of grub and somewhere snug and stylish to rest your head.
Why we love it: One of the main things to admire about Wiltshire is its many pretty villages, most of which, naturally, have a classic British boozer attached — and country pubs don’t get much better than this. The peaceful garden is ideal for a summer sundowner, and the food takes the average pub lunch up more than a notch.
Caroline Lewis, Senior Editor
The Hoxton, Poblenou
Barcelona, Spain
The finishing date for La Sagrada Família remains mysteriously vague, but like many people, I’ve had Barcelona pencilled in my diary for ‘sometime in 2026’ to see it. Now that the tower is complete, I’m making a beeline for The Hoxton, Poblenou, which has prime gazing potential for Gaudí’s whimsical behemoth from its rooftop terrace — a triple threat with its parasol-flanked pool, seasonal taquería and margarita-shaking bar. Seek solace from the July sunshine up here, or in a nearby art gallery, concept store or on Bogatell beach, a 30-minute stroll away. Come evening, brush shoulders with locals in the hotel’s lobby bar and ask them for late-night recommendations to continue the fun, Catalan style.
Why we love it: Poblenou is a lively neighbourhood with vermút bars and design studios, but in July use it as your launchpad to open-air music festivals in El Raval and El Poble-sec (each a 20-minute taxi or commute) — then retreat back to The Hoxton’s polished embrace.
Millie Field, Content Writer & Editor
Hotel Sanders
Copenhagen, Denmark
By no means do I declare myself a dancer, but having spent years both admiring and inhabiting the world of ballet, it is one I know very well. So, when I realised that the former principal dancer Alexander Kølpin was behind one of Copenhagen’s most sought-after haunts, it immediately bumped up my wish-list. There are nods to the owners’ career throughout, but much like the art form itself, Hotel Sanders is defined by its easy elegance. Bedrooms feel tightly curated, the locally loved restaurant’s seasonal plates can be enjoyed in candle-lit living areas or on the guests-only rooftop, and staff are on call with their ‘Little Red Book’ to guide you around the lively Nyhavn neighbourhood’s hottest hangouts.
Why we love it: Who can help but love a hotel where meals rich in caviar, truffle and lobster finish with cookies and ice-cream? And whose cocktails have whimsical fairy-tale names (Cinderella, Prince Charming…). You can extend the fantasy by combining a stay here with Sanders’ sister hotel, Helenekilde Badehotel, in coastal Tisvilde — the spot to be come July’s warmer weekends.
Ellie Nelson, Senior Content Writer & Editor
Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa
South Tyrol, Italy
I broke my arm skiing on the slopes of Ortisei, but my surgical orthopaedic detour has never dented my love for this Alpine pocket of the Italian Dolomites. If you’ve yet to discover the tinkling-cowbell charms of Val Gardena in South Tyrol, July is one of those months when Ortisei — one of its main villages — is in its element, flanked by viridescent pastures and river-cooled valleys.
Take your hiking boots and wildflower guide to these scenic climes to stay at Gardena Grödnerhof Hotel & Spa — a storied gran dama of a mountain hotel that’s moved with the times, as its clutch of top-notch dining spots and sprawling spa can testify.
Why we love it: Gardena Grödnerhof’s ethos is a distillation of everything I love about the Dolomites: it’s family-friendly with a polished kids’ club; focused on wellness at its three-storey spa; and provenance proud, which is best showcased at its 12-seat, Michelin-starred restaurant, Anna Stuben.
Kate Pettifer, Senior Content Editor
Hôtel de l’Alpage
Nagano, Japan
If you know Japan, you’ll know that its devotion to craft means cultural influences are never superficial. At Hôtel de l’Alpage, an unassuming property shielded by forest in Nagano, the result is less a themed homage to France and more a love letter from its Francophile owner to the country that inspired him through the many family holidays he spent there as a child.
It helps that the hotel sits in the highlands of Tateshina, a region blessed with fresh mountain produce and a growing reputation among food-lovers for its dairy, mushrooms and seasonal ingredients. What caught my eye is the way French gastronomy has been absorbed and reinterpreted through a Japanese lens. Fans of Juliet Binoche-starring drama The Taste of Things take note: eating and drinking here (the wine cellar houses over 2,000 French wines) is to experience a parallel France, one shaped by Japan’s extraordinary respect for technique and tradition.
Why we love it: Hôtel de l’Alpage feels like a rare meeting point between two craft-obsessed cultures. So we wouldn’t blame you if Japan’s better-known charms were top of your bucket-list. But it’d be remiss of us, as hotel connoisseurs, not to point you towards this unexpected encounter between French gastronomy and Japanese precision.
Martin Dickie, UX writer & editor
Hôtel Basgi Basgi
Corsica, France
Last July, I was hoofing around Paris in a fierce heatwave. With my energy dwindling, I ducked into a bistro, where the waiter recommended a drink muddled with Cap Corse. This bittersweet Corsican apéritif — made with grape mistelle (fortified wine), quinine and cédrat (a rare citrus fruit) — vanquished all woe in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, it also made me wish I was on the tipple’s native coastline instead.
This year, have the July that I didn’t by hightailing it to Hôtel Basgi Basgi, perched on the pine-clad hillside above Corsica’s Plage de Tettola. The hotel’s name, pronounced ‘baji baji’, is a Corsican expression of affection — something that comes naturally to owners Coline and Matthieu, who’ve poured love and care into the light-flooded rooms, locavore restaurant and ocean-blue lounge bar, stocked with over 100 Corsican wines and a selection of rare rums from Guadeloupe. Sante!
Why we love it: Restaurant La Table is serious about the provenance of its produce, sourcing almost everything from within 50 kilometres of the hotel. In summer, there’s a barbecue every Sunday, where local delicacies like Corsican veal and Nustrale pork are paired with wines chosen for their complementary characters.
Hamish Roy, Senior Associate Editor
Keep some space in your calendar for our other new arrivals