We are booking our travels, packing our suitcase and our skin is glowing from the summer climes. Enjoy this week’s Citizen Femme Hotlist.
Maybe some of that is down to her product picks! But with a healthy combination of Vitamin D, good skincare, and vacay time, enjoy this week’s style, culture, travel and food picks.
STAY HERE Villa D’Este, Lake Como, Italy
Renaissance culture at its most refined, this is the most iconic hotel on Lake Como.
The hotel sits within extensive private grounds in a quite spectacular lakefront location. A walk around the stately gardens, with magnificent fountains, grand terraces, and trimmed topiary will leave you speechless; 19th-century mock fortifications on the hillside offer lovely lake vistas and the favourite part? The boat tours to discover the lake. Stop by Isola Comacina for a coffee before continuing your lake tour (drive yourself or take a driver with you, depends how bold you really are).
It’s somewhere you could stay for weeks, the facilities are exceptional. Follow a discreet passageway to the Sporting Club including a large indoor swimming pool, fitness room, sauna, steam room, golf simulator and a squash court. Outdoors you’ll find eight tennis courts, a children’s pool, a putting green, a floating pool on the lake and hiking trails across the grounds, while there’s water-skiing, canoeing, SUP, kayaking, sailing and windsurfing on the lake. All of this and cooking classes can be organised too.
Surrounded by so much variety, you may find yourself sitting on the terrace, looking over the lake, sipping rosé all day, like a true vacay.
SHOP HERE MONNIER Frères
Have you ever found yourself staring or scrolling through pictures of Parisian It-girls wondering, how do they do it? That effortless chic. Well, you aren’t alone. When it comes to style, the French do it better. Hell! They eat better, they drink better and they definitely dress better.
Let’s break it down.
Rule 1: Invest in a few classic luxury items which are timeless.
Rule 2. Work to perfect a style that is your own, because half the battle when it comes to dressing well is feeling good in what you are wearing.
Rule 3. Everything is discreet, so keep the outfit simple and accessorise.
Which leads us to our favourite discovery – MONNIER Frères. The most curated selection of accessories online, from Paris to everywhere. For bags, shoes, jewels and other accessories, “je ne sais quoi” now makes sense. Watch out for our favourite picks coming up! And in the meantime, shop here.
PACK THIS Bjork & Berries face wash
Top Scandinavian eco-luxury brand Björk & Berries adds the final piece to their line of active and moisturising face care products with the Gentle and Nourishing Cleansing Gel Formula. This new-thinking formula brings natural cleansers to a whole new level. It’s hard-working but mild and soothing.
It tackles the challenges for us female travellers. Hydrating for plane journeys, assisting in flawless complexions for women on the go, and packed with natural minerals, it tackles toxins and impurities protecting from daily pollution. It’s active ingredients include pink clay, organic oats and organic green mandarin water.
Why do you have to buy this brand? Björk & Berries supports local experts, is fully organic, creating sustainable and waste reducing products, particularly in their make up range, and quite frankly, we love them.
CHILL OUT HERE OD Barcelona
Located in the heart of the Eixample district just 200 metres from Passeig de Gràcia, OD Hotels is ideally located for first-time visitors longing to explore the ins and outs of Barcelona in a short space of time. After a morning tour of Casa Vicens (Gaudí’s house and museum) or indulging in some retail therapy along La Rambla, you can hop on over to the comfy lobby lounge or rooftop terrace bedecked with Scandi-style deck chairs and a pool that overlooks a striking view of the city below.
The interiors are suave, smart and light, blending browns and contemporary creams with minimal neutrals that all contribute to a relaxed oasis within the bustling city.
Highlights? The hotel is full of unexpected pockets, including a cosy and stylish wine bar perfect for a post-dinner catch-up and a relaxing rooftop terrace.
EAT HERE Joe's Cafe, Knightsbridge, London
The Joseph empire started in 1972 by the inimitable Joseph Ettedgui. Renowned for his eccentric personality, Joseph opened Joe’s café in 1984 and it quickly became a place where a vibrant and eclectic crowd of the fashion industry’s most interesting icons gathered to share ideas and inspiration outside of the constraints of an office. Today it remains a popular venue for stylish locals. Under the direction of new head chef Anupam Som, who has previously worked at Michelin-starred Quilon, the menu will now take inspiration from cultures and cuisines around the world, as well as serving some of Joe’s signature dishes.
Open all day, the café has a relaxed feel, to pick up your morning coffee or a fresh pressed juice, perhaps a light lunch, a glass of wine, and spot of shopping.
Favourite dish? Joe’s turmeric risotto.
Any Questions or Tips to add?