Europe

Everyone works up such a frenzy about the Olde Bell Inn (me included) and it’s certainly not without merit, I assure you. All rush matting, peeling paint and bartenders wearing suspenders without irony, it’s the single best inn experience I’ve ever had, period. But its sister inn, The Crown–just 20 minutes away by car–is pretty spectacular, too. Owned by Tej and Sarina Dhillon and design...

There are so many things to say about Paris. I’m not sure I can add much that hasn’t already been rhapsodized to death. It both embodies and defies its stereotypes (yes, those stylish French ladies do wear a lot of stripes! yes, those baguettes are a little bit like heaven! no, French people aren’t all elitist snobs!)–visually, emotionally… gastronomically–and can completely take you i...

The Marais House is as quintessentially Parisian and eclectic as they get. Situated on one of the oldest street in the Marais, the 16th-century, five-story b&b also doubles as a highly coveted location for film productions and photo shoots (including a glamorous spread with Laura Dern in W magazine a few years ago). The owner completely transformed the upscale city chateau, formerly a gold-lea...

Former Travel & Lifestyle Editor of Cookie Magazine, Yolanda Edwards, always finds cool under the radar spots. Case in point: During her latest trip, while on assignment in Switzerland and Austria for Travel & Leisure, she and her family were tipped off to a small restaurant with four spare, modern guest rooms above. “In the middle of nowhere in the Alps, close to Vals, opened by a forme...

Growing up on opposite coasts, my husband and I had parallel fantasies of leaving our suburban childhoods behind for the “civilized” life: We would be rich and European, ideally with a manor thrown in. These (now slightly embarrassing) imaginings may be in check, but the pull of a life right out of the pages of The World of Interiors is still strong. So, while on a trip to Dublin with our...

As you drive through the tiny, perfect Irish village of Enniskerry on your way to the Ritz-Carlton Powerscourt, you notice adorable restaurants like Poppie’s, Nancy Murphy’s Pub, and Emilia’s, and start making plans to try all of them. When you drive through the tree-lined, green-lined road and arrive, you feel like you’re entering a movie set of Ireland, which makes sense since Braveheart...

The Perfect Restaurant for Honeymooners in Madrid We are a culture of food-obsessed folks! From the popularity of food-related television like Bravo's hit Top Chef and the Food Network's spin-off Cooking Channel, to the nation-wide obsession with cupcakes and Starbucks, we all just love what tastes good. Honeymooners are no exception to this rule. In fact, most newlyweds spend a good portion of th...

A year and a half ago, London-based interior designer David Carter—known for his artistic spin on grandiosity—turned his historic East London Queen Anne into a wild, charming and totally fantastical b&b for fashion and design-related travelers. “It’s not trying to be a conventional hotel,” says David. “We’re drawing artsy types and people who really love design—people who love ...

The beautiful, ornate facades and decadent modern interiors by Lázaro Rosa-Violán are so old and romantic, and I spent a lot longer than I’d like to admit pouring over the kind of architectural detail nobody is skilled enough to create anymore. With wrap-around iron balconies overlooking Rambla de Cataluna, one of Barcelona’s most picturesque boulevards, the Praktik is a former residence des...

With an address tucked in the delightful 9th arrondisement, just south of Montmarte and off the main tourist track, Hotel Amour is one of only a handful of boutique hotels in Paris which finds the balance between style and function. Around the corner from the hotel is the famous Rue des Martyrs with a view up to Sacre Coeur, which is pedestrian only every Sunday until 2:30pm. It’s the kind ...