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I still remember my first. The roaring fireplace. The sumptuous sheets. The bubbling bath. I’d splurged for a private bungalow at San Ysidro Ranch, a five-star boutique hotel in the foothills of Montecito, California (where one might rub shoulders with Oprah and Harry and Meghan), and soon after that, I became a certified hotel snob. Shouldn’t every hotel suite offer deep soaking tubs, outdoor rainfall showers, king-sized four-poster beds and a collection of antiques and artwork sourced from around the world? As the adage goes, once you go luxury, you never go back.

So, take it from us: 2025 is the year of aspirational travel. Now worth an estimated $1.5 trillion, the global luxury travel market has boomed in recent years, growing as travelers seek high-end experiences in bucket list destinations.

Not only do travelers want to visit exotic locales and embark on once-in-a-lifetime excursions, but they also want to do so in the most spectacular settings. And with so much competition in the high-end travel market, the world’s top hotels have begun introducing showstopping suites that can only be described as dream-fulfilling. From amenities like 24-hour butler service and personal wine sommeliers to private 10-person cinema rooms and Michelin-starred dining, these suites prove there’s no better time to travel than now.

Luxury can be defined in myriad ways. For some, it might mean an encounter on the annual wildebeest migration route in the Serengeti, as one might enjoy during a stay in Singita’s Milele (Swahili for “forever”) Villa. For others, it translates to a primary bathroom in The Colony Hotel’s Goop Villa, complete with pink and green Botticelli marble and no shortage of fan-favorite Goop beauty products. Or perhaps it’s a professional-grade recording studio with your own grand piano (the Cave Royale suite at Six Senses Ibiza)? Or, better yet, a 1,000-square-foot private garden in the heart of the City of Lights (Saint James Paris).

Whether you’re looking to commune with nature, scratch an itch for extreme adventure or jetset in style with your closest group of girlfriends, you will find everything you could possibly dream of in this year’s roundup of Artful Living‘s most luxurious hotel suites around the world.

Rendering by FORESTIS

Forestis Dolomites

From $21,052 per night for the Forestis Villa (up to 10 guests)

Located opposite the Italian Dolomites UNESCO World Heritage Site, Forestis is a former tuberculosis sanatorium turned ultra-luxurious mountaintop hideaway with a new villa that debuted in December. Envisioned as a secluded hideaway that blends an intimate connection to the landscape with the natural beauty of the Dolomites, the Armin Sader–designed villa maintains the integrity of its historic roots but with modern amenities.

Occupying a 19th-century structure originally built by the Austrian monarchy as a residence for the doctors of the neighboring sanatorium, the five-bedroom Forestis Villa “builds upon the house’s original purpose as a place of healing by carefully handling the landscape and adopting a clean architectural language that lets nature shine through,” said Günther Kofler, hotel manager.

Surrounded by some of the most stunning and unobstructed nature scapes the world has to offer, Forestis is devoted to the four elements of the Dolomites: clear water, pure air, ample sunny days and mild climate. A one-of-a-kind, nature-inspired wellbeing refuge, Forestis pays homage to Celtic wisdom, offering treatments based on the principles of the Forestis Tree Circle, forest cuisine that emphasizes ingredients sourced from the earth and local farmers, and an endless array of adventures.

Rendering by FORESTIS

In keeping with the traditional design of alpine holiday residences — and reflecting a commitment to sustainability — the villa features historical design elements like solid-wood furniture sourced from old parlors; refurbished interior doors and wooden floors; wood beams dating back to 1912; an abundance of natural materials, including wood from the forest, regional stone, glass and lime plaster, local sand and clay floors; and box-type wooden windows crafted from heritage design templates. “The minimal, nature-inspired interior ensures the backdrop of spectacular views is the villa’s main focal point and design element,” said Kofler.

That said, there’s still a lot to appreciate beyond the view. A nature-inspired Celtic spa has its own treatment room, heated indoor-outdoor pool, sauna, steam bath, relaxation space and Technogym-outfitted fitness center. A fully-equipped kitchen is restocked each morning to guests’ desires. There’s even an outdoor garden and a cinema. The villa is an “opulent setting with infinite opportunities for personalization,” said Kofler. “Guests staying here will be the curators of their most perfect stay.”

Rendering by FORESTIS

Think personal chef services, in-villa spa treatments, and ski-in, ski-out access to the Plose ski region. Guests receive dedicated 24-hour butler service, VIP concierge, laundry service, a daily guide for all outdoor activities and a trainer for fitness sessions, “ushering in a new era of hospitality and capabilities for the hotel,” said Kofler. And while Forestis is typically an adults-only (14+) property, the villa will be open to guests of all ages. “The villa will give guests the same luxury and opulent experience as the rest of the Forestis resort in a more exclusive setting,” explained Kofler.

“From its refined simplicity and nature-inspired design to a spa that harnesses the healing elements of the forest, every detail of the villa has been thoughtfully crafted to epitomize sustainable luxury and historical charm,” said Kofler.

Photography by Singita

Singita Milele

From $27,300 per villa per night (up to 10 guests)

A consistent and enduring shift in travel over the last few years inspired hospitality group Singita to debut Milele in May, a new and expansive private villa in the Serengeti ecosystem of Africa. “Guests are increasingly seeking space and personalized service,” said Singita Public Relations Manager Lisa Carey. “The demand for exclusive-use properties prompted the creation of Milele.”

The name perfectly encapsulates the villa’s setting and the vast expanses of unspoiled savanna that surround it. The Serengeti spans the Mara and Arusha regions of Tanzania, and the protected area includes approximately 30,000 kilometers of land, including the Serengeti National Park and several game reserves.

Intentionally designed to minimize the barriers between guests and nature — visually, acoustically and physically — the villa celebrates Africa’s creative energy and wildlife through locally sourced design and craftsmanship.

“We have proudly made and sourced about 90% of the items locally,” said Carey. “All of the pieces have a beautiful narrative, and it’s been a remarkable experience to work on a project with such a focus on local African art and furniture.”

The villa features a collection of South African works by contemporary multimedia visual artist Trevor Stuurman, mirror and light-based installation sculpture artist duo Water Dixon, Cape Town–based abstract artist Tarien Bruwer, weaver Marguerite Roux and more.

“Sourcing is a core consideration when conceiving and creating these spaces,” explained Carey. “Our teams feel a sense of responsibility to choose and support local artists and artisans, even though the process can be more challenging. Our collaborators are crucial to this and bring soul and a sense of place to our spaces.”

Photography by Singita

Accommodating up to 10 guests in five individually designed suites inspired by the region’s most iconic species, the villa comes with a dedicated staff, complete with a field guide, chef, butler and housekeeping team. In addition to an infinity pool overlooking the Serengeti plains, there are four separate spa pools, a 10-person cinema room and a fully-stocked wine cellar with award-winning wines.

Singita’s highly skilled wine team in Stellenbosch, the Western Cape Winelands, is responsible for managing the selection and service of all Singita wines. Guests can even order their favorite wines from their trip to enjoy at home, either packaged as checked luggage or shipped directly. “Personalized wine tastings in the villa’s temperature-controlled cellar are a favorite guest experience,” says Carey.

Despite its remote location in the heart of the wilderness, the villa offers unsurpassed luxury. Set high on Sasakwa Hill with uninterrupted views of the endless plains below, a front-row seat to the Great Migration and year-round game-viewing experiences, the villa is surrounded by 350,000 acres of the world-renowned Grumeti Reserve in northern Tanzania. Here, visitors can experience exclusive encounters on the annual wildebeest migration route in the Serengeti, along with game drives, community visits, wine experiences, guided safari walks, bird watching and more.

“A golden thread throughout every Singita experience is a deep reverence for the wild and its healing power,” said Carey. “Singita’s lodges, camps and villas across Africa have been intentionally designed to offer guests the freedom to reflect and awaken their senses, inviting a sense of wonder and wholeness that comes from truly leaning into nature. At Singita Milele, a contemporary villa pays tribute to its surroundings through design and an extraordinary experience of the Serengeti.”

Photography by Carmel Brantley

The Colony Palm Beach

From $4,000 per night for the two-bedroom Goop Villa

In a heartfelt tribute to the elegance and romance of Paris and the natural beauty of Palm Beach, Florida, The Colony Hotel debuted the 2,524-square-foot Goop Villa in October 2023. Reimagined by Gwyneth Paltrow–founded wellness and lifestyle brand Goop and designed by New York City–based architecture and design firm Ronen Lev, the villa mirrors the modern, feminine Parisian aesthetic that Goop is renowned for, blended with the vibrant spirit of Palm Beach.

“Fundamentally, both Goop and The Colony are female-led businesses driven by personal vision, passion and curiosity,” said Sarah J. Wetenhall, owner and CEO of The Colony Hotel, Palm Beach. “At their core, both brands are committed to intentionality and wellness, while helping people live more beautiful and connected lives in an immersive, multi-generational fashion. We say that The Colony is more than a hotel, it is a way of life. And Goop is a brand that is also committed to the betterment of people’s lifestyles. In many ways, collaborating with Goop was a natural fit.”

Materiality is a glamorous thread in the villa design, which incorporates rattan, marble, antiqued mirror and mohair, while tones of blush, gray and green nod to Goop and The Colony Hotel’s signature hues. The design pays homage to the villa’s dual influences, seamlessly combining woven textures and floral motifs.

As you enter the villa, arched elements and organic forms create a visual narrative that celebrates fluidity and grace, exemplified by the Goop x Fromental botanical wallpaper. The villa is filled with a curated selection of designs from the online gallery Invisible Collection and its artisans, like Atelier Vime, Pierre Augustin Rose and Sandra Benhamou. Select furniture and fixtures come from design collaborators CB2 and Furniture Marolles, along with handcrafted wool rugs from Armadillo.

“I am absolutely obsessed with the marble and stonework throughout the villa,” said Wetenhall. “My personal favorite is the pink and green Botticelli slabs in the primary bathroom vanity and shower. They are the epitome of all things The Colony.”

Photography by Carmel Brantley

Throughout the space, Goop opted for paint by Farrow & Ball, and Monogram appliances and fixtures by Brizo. A lofted space features a wicker daybed and a Re-jute Ruggable rug created in partnership with Goop. Guests will also find accents from heritage Palm Beach brands, like a hand-painted palm motif mural in the powder room by Lilly Pulitzer Studio and coffee table accessories from Cartier. Tappan Collective curated art is sprinkled throughout, including original works from abstract minimalist artist Ryan Snow and painter Marleigh Culver.

“The Goop Villa has a completely different look and feel than our other redesigned villas,” said Wetenhall. “It is also totally different from the guest rooms in the main hotel. Although the materials used are similar, like linen, jute, florals and restful colors, the effect is unique to anything else on the property, with a design language that leans more minimal, modern and earth-toned. Guests are drawn to this space’s modern, feminine, calming nature.”

Wetenhall and Goop aimed to design a space that showcases Palm Beach through the Goop perspective. Wetenhall envisioned a villa that would serve as a holistic retreat, where guests could immerse themselves in The Colony and the Goop ways of life. With that in mind, the bathrooms are stocked with Goop beauty favorites, including the Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator, the All-in-One Nourishing Face Cream, the Cloudberry Exfoliating Jelly Cleanser and the Nourishing Repair Body Butter.

“Launching the Goop Villa allowed us to celebrate the intersection of lifestyle and hospitality distinctively, providing guests with an opportunity to experience Goop’s philosophy firsthand,” said Wetenhall.

Photography by @mistertripper

Saint James Paris

From $1,890 (one bedroom) to $4,700 for the Villa apartments; from $10,500 per night for the Longchamp Apartment (up to 7 guests)

Originally built in 1892, the same period in which French Emperor Napoleon III commissioned a vast public works program to renovate Central Paris into the distinctive look it has today (led by Georges-Eugène Haussmann), Parisian hotel Saint James Paris was once home to the Thiers Foundation, supporting young students with scholarships and comfortable living conditions. In the 1980s, the building became the gentlemen’s club Saint James Club of Paris and, as of 1991, has been run as both a hotel and club (the property joined Relais & Châteaux in 2011).

The hotel features a mix of historical design eras throughout, including neoclassical, Greco-Roman, oriental and art deco. Reimagined by French maximalist interior designer Laura Gonzalez starting in 2020, the decor features whimsical juxtapositions (like cherry blossom wallpaper mixed with Laurel & Hardy bedside tables).

Photography by @mistertripper

“These would be the styles typically mixed in wealthy Parisian homes,” explained Nicolas Egloff, the director of sales and marketing. “Most of the walls are covered in Pierre Frey fabrics — white wool, in particular — and there are Pierre Frey carpets with Greco-Roman designs in the suites that do not have a Versailles hardwood floor. Wall lamps are the famous mushrooms from Jean Roger, and ceiling lamps are original plaster creations from artist Patrice Dangel, making Saint James Paris a tribute to French craftsmanship.”

Part-château, part-family estate — just steps from the Trocadero, L’Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Élysées — the hotel is designed to evoke the spirit of a private collector who’d brought home souvenirs from their travels. Gonzalez used panoramic wallpapers, historic architectural elements, ornate furnishings and a vibrant mix of colors and textiles to achieve the effect.

In 2023, Saint James Paris and Gonzalez unveiled Villa Saint James, a private townhouse with four luxury-serviced apartments next to the property. Designed as a true pied-à-terre, the apartments of Villa Saint James combine the intimacy of a private home with the comfort of a luxury hotel. Guests have access to all the services of Saint James Paris, including Bellefeuille (the Michelin-starred restaurant led by chef Grégory Garimbay), the Library Bar (surrounded by leather-bound books and the original winding staircase from the Thiers Foundation library), a terrace and garden, the Guerlain spa and fitness and wellness activities.

Photography by @mistertripper

Within the villa, the nearly 1,400-square-foot Longchamp Apartment is “a truly hidden two-story suite that’s peaceful and independent with a private garden in the most exclusive area of Paris,” said Egloff. Named for the famed Rue de Longchamp in the fashionable 16th district, the pied-à-terre combines Parisian chic and privacy and can accommodate up to seven guests. The living room faces the suite’s 1,000-square-foot green oasis, while the bedroom overlooks the architectural jewel of Saint James Paris.

In 2021, the hotel relaunched its wellness program with a two-story Guerlain Spa, which includes an indoor swimming pool with views of the Parisian skyline. Its aesthetic is reminiscent of the Greco-Roman thermal baths. In 2024, Bellefeuille restaurant was awarded the Green Star by the Michelin Guide, a nod to its environmentally friendly gastronomy and the ongoing efforts of the Saint James team to source local and seasonal products from places like their organic farm at the Nonville estate in Île-de-France.

“Saint James Paris sets itself apart by being both a hotel and a private club,” said Egloff. “Set in a private mansion in a walled garden that is a natural protected area in Paris, it is an oasis of peace and privacy in the city’s chicest district.”

Photography provided by Six Senses Ibiza

Six Senses Ibiza

From $3,150 per night for the Cave Royale Suite (up to 3 guests)

French astrologer Nostradamus once predicted Ibiza, Spain, would be Earth’s final refuge. Since the 1950s, Ibiza has attracted a specific type of free-spirited seeker: artists, creatives and musicians who have chosen to settle in the northern tip of the island, where a live-and-let-live attitude pays tribute to Ibiza’s past.

At Six Senses Ibiza, the first BREEAM-certified resort (one of the world’s leading sustainability property assessment methods) in the Balearics, the entire property was envisioned and created by Jonathan Leitersdorf, who specializes in blending luxury with local authenticity, said Oriol Juvé de Yebra, Six Senses Ibiza’s resort manager. It’s the ideal setting for profound spiritual experiences rooted in local culture, celebrating the music, art, sustainable fashion, wellness and spirituality that has become synonymous with the island.

Photography provided by Six Senses Ibiza

The pulse of the hotel’s effortless vibe is the Cave Royale Suite, a 3,368-square-foot respite built into the coastal cliffs of Xarraca Bay that pays homage to the Ibizan bohemian scene. With design elements that reflect both luxury and a strong sense of place — think a custom, oversized bed and a high-end sound system by McIntosh valued at $156,000 — “the collaboration with Jonathan ensured the suite feels both opulent and grounded in Ibiza’s coastal beauty,” said Juvé de Yebra.

Sustainable furniture pieces, a plunge pool and earth-toned finishes echo Ibiza’s natural landscape. Locally sourced stone, artisan-crafted light fixtures and spa-inspired bathrooms add layers of elegance. A secret door leads to a private professional-grade recording studio below the suite (with its own grand piano!) for when creativity strikes, no matter the time of day. The suite is built partially into the cliffside and combines dramatic Mediterranean views with a sense of privacy.

“I’m particularly captivated by the seamless integration of luxury and natural beauty, embodied by the suite’s unique design and innovative features,” said Juvé de Yebra. “The spacious, custom-designed bed and McIntosh sound system are my favorites. They bring both comfort and an elevated sense of atmosphere. The views of Xarraca Bay are another spectacular highlight.”

Photography provided by Six Senses Ibiza

An array of unique experiences helps guests immerse themselves in the property. Try a private yoga class on the suite’s deck or stand-up paddleboarding in the bay. Join the culinary team as they harvest fresh organic fruit and vegetables from the hotel’s farm, Can Tanca, just north of Santa Gertrudis, then enjoy a hand-picked meal. Spot dolphins during a half or full-day trip to Formentera, a tiny island off Ibiza’s south coast. Catch a movie at Six Senses’ open-air rooftop cinema with individual bean bags, blankets and gourmet popcorn. Learn how to make your own toothpaste, deodorant or lip balm — all with natural ingredients and plastic-free reusable packaging — at the hotel’s Zero Waste Workshop. Take a sunset kayak tour.

The resort also has a dedicated sustainability fund made up of .5% of total revenue, supporting local organizations that make a positive social and environmental impact. The property saved 40% of carbon emissions each year by producing its own renewable energy and used 298 solar panels to generate 10% of its electricity needs. A full-time sustainability team drives the hotel’s environmental efforts and continues to develop new initiatives to minimize Six Senses’ ecological impact and act as a regenerative force for good. “When you travel here, you not only arrive at a destination, you travel to a different frequency,” said Juvé de Yebra.

Photography by Alex Moling

Eriro Alpine Hideaway

From $3,123 per night for the Himil Suite (up to 4 guests)

In July 2024, the Eriro Alpine Hideaway opened on the Austria-Germany border in Ehrwald, Austria, at the foot of Zugspitze, the highest peak of Germany’s Wetterstein Mountains. Designed by South Tyrolean–architect Martin Gruber, the intimate property, boasting just nine exclusive suites, is handcrafted with locally sourced, organic materials like stone and wood, paired with hand-knotted sheep’s wool and a nature-inspired color palette of gray, green and brown elements. It sits at 1,550 meters (more than 5,000 feet) above sea level.

Gruber deliberately rejects ornate decor to illustrate the idea of simplicity, a respectful attitude derived from building in the alpine region. Floor-to-ceiling windows and doors flood the space with natural light and position the pristine mountain surroundings as the centerpiece of Eriro’s design philosophy.

Nowhere is that more clear than in the Himil Suite on the property’s top floor, where guests enjoy unique elements like handmade lamps from stone collected in a nearby riverbed and water faucets crafted from repurposed driftwood branches. Dual terraces allow guests to observe the mountain views from multiple vantage points — like the private sauna or standalone bath carved from a single block of pine from the surrounding area. The calming shades further complement the landscape. A pitched ceiling allows for extra natural light, and a telescope in the room lets guests take advantage of starry night skies. The hotel dims all exterior lighting beginning at 10 p.m. to enhance the views.

Photography by Alex Moling

“An essential part of the Eriro experience is immersing guests completely in nature. This allows them to feel like they’re in the mountains and meadows, even when staying in the suite,” said Eriro General Manager Henning A. Schaub. “While large [it accommodates up to four people], the suite still offers a feeling of coziness and warmth. We emphasize the immersion in nature by not incorporating televisions in the rooms to avoid distracting guests from the surroundings. They learn to find more peace observing the movement of the trees and the clouds floating across the mountaintops, a view they’ll never be able to see and feel through a screen.”

Upon arrival, the hotel gives each guest a pair of sheep’s wool socks to add an extra sense of hominess and comfort to any stay. Management recommends guests wear them when walking around the property to experience the tactile moments of uneven and natural floors and to feel fully immersed and grounded. Almost all of the architectural elements throughout the property were crafted by hand, including the 4,000 cotter pins (a locking mechanism used to secure other fasteners or bolts in place) and the long table in the lobby.

The interior is embellished with woven, bound and carved wood, pure sheep’s wool carpets and handmade coat hangers by designer Huanzn. Even the bathtubs are crafted by hand from tree trunks and sealed with resin. Hand-in-hand with the commitment to live each day with respect to nature, the design pays homage to the alpine ecosystem, emphasizing simplicity and craftsmanship.

Photography by Alex Moling

Fresh, locally sourced ingredients, favoring the shortest-distance delivery routes and traditional Tyrolean recipes inspire the kitchen’s creative cuisine. Whether coarse and robust, like the grilled butterflied trout glazed with a fish jus, cold-pressed grapeseed oil and tomato sugo or mild and delicate, like the alpine herb dumplings with forest mushrooms, dishes reflect the moods of the mountain. Served on wood, stone or in the form of a nest, each dish is a culinary work of art.

Nature’s rhythm, says Schaub, dictates how guests will spend their time, from the wellness treatments, like the fan-favorite detox massage using nettle oil from freshly brewed nettle tea, to the activities, including barefoot hikes through the forest moss, working with stone, wood and other materials from the mountains or drawing the crystal clear, refreshing water from the mountain spring and carrying it home. Experiences, much like the property itself, are meant to be savored with all the senses.

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.

The post The 6 Most Luxurious Hotel Suites in the World appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

Photography provided by INKATERRA

No sooner had I hopped off into the wilderness than four beaming Quechua women, our porters for the trip and part of the Indigenous community that many consider the closest descendants of the Incas, greeted our small tour group. They quickly distribute water and the weight in their bags. They wear no-nonsense hiking boots complemented by embroidered azure blouses and the tall, jaunty felt hats that are ubiquitous in this region. Decked out in head-to-toe REI, I can’t help feeling simultaneously underdressed and underprepared. It’s a relief to have these experienced, confident women by my side as we brace ourselves to ascend nearly 2,000 feet to the legendary “Lost City of the Incas,” rediscovered by American archaeologist Hiram Bingham and native farmers in 1911.

Hiking the Inca Trail isn’t a trek you want to — or even can — do alone. Since 2001, the Peruvian government has required that anyone on the historic path, a route of pilgrimage to Machu Picchu used by the Inca (or Emperor) in the 15th century, be accompanied by a licensed guide to protect the heritage site from the unsafe and destructive effects of overcrowding.

Peru, Llama Trek, Local Woman with Llama

Only 500 permits are available per day. Among those, 300 go to the diligent porters and guides who haul heavy loads packed with water, oxygen tanks and other necessary supplies, helping travelers like me make our way along the winding, rocky path. Because of this, it’s not unusual for the coveted passes to sell out months in advance.

Until recently, only men were hired for the job; women traditionally weren’t considered fit for such brawny, masculine work in Peru’s patriarchal society. Now, that’s gradually changing thanks to initiatives like Abercrombie & Kent’s Inca Trail Women’s Project, which launched in 2021. This program provides professional training and jobs to Quechua women who often face limited economic opportunities in remote Andean villages. Other companies, such as Evolution Treks Peru and Mother Earth Treks, also offer adventures geared specifically toward female tourists.

Marisol Velasco Espinoza, an accomplished Abercrombie & Kent tour guide who led the first group for the Inca Trail Women’s Project, has broken barriers all her life. Guiding since 2011, she has completed the four-day Inca Trail 500 times and can speed through the one-day route in a mere two hours. For Espinoza, who celebrates the progress Peru is making in gender equality, the Inca Trail project feels personal.

“I finished my studies very young and thought that no one would trust me because of my appearance — young, small and female,” she says. “That’s why I tripled my effort; I wanted to prove to myself I could make it. I never liked the idea of someone being faster than me in my mountains. Guiding the women from the Village of the Flowers on their first trip to the Inca Trail and Machu Picchu was very important to me because I identify with them. This program helps reduce the machismo idea that only men have the right to work. It teaches everyone to raise awareness that there should be mutual respect between men and women.”

When I ask the Quechua porters — Cintia Amalia Chaucca Ramos, Elizabeth Ttito, Sonia Quispe Quispe and Emilda Ramos Sallo — what they most want travelers to take away from this experience, the answer is clear: that women are every bit as strong as men. But they also wish to share their community’s customs. “[I hope people will] learn about our traditional clothing, our Quechua language [and] our dances,” says Ramos.

Before the big climb, we do just that while exploring their homeland in the Sacred Valley’s Ccor Ccor District. Once the center of the Inca Empire, this fertile farmland remains a stronghold of Quechua culture.

Masterful weavers, the women demonstrate how their ancestors have used textiles like alpaca and vicuña wool (a rare and impossibly soft raw fiber far exceeding the price of cashmere) to create fine yet hardy clothing for centuries. Together, we enjoy a joyous warm-up hike accompanied by local musicians along the terraced hills, stopping for a surprise picnic of fruit and coca tea — an herbal remedy that’s popularly used for altitude sickness. Later, a local shaman reads our fortunes in the drink’s soggy leaves.

The next day, as I stumble up 200 steps at nearly 9,000 feet above sea level to reach Wiñayhuayna, a stunning archaeological site that’s only accessible for those who take the Inca Trail on the way to Machu Picchu, a porter grabs my hand, willing me to the top. We pause to admire the stone architecture, intact and hugging the mountain slopes after hundreds of years. Below, the Urubamba River ripples past, partially obscured by the cloud forest that settles over us at this high altitude. Along the way, the women tell me about medicinal plants and native birds. We peer intently at the sky for a glimpse of the Andean condor, a rare species and the largest bird of prey in the world.

I learn so much from the women leading us, and the long journey to Machu Picchu is definitely worth it. Peering at the citadel through the Sun Gate, or Inti Punku, at sunset is a privilege earned by those who walk in the footsteps of the Incas. Suddenly, I understand why Espinoza has embarked on this journey countless times.

“After so many years, I still enjoy walking,” she says. “I am happy believing that time has not passed. I know that it is not me who will decide to stop trekking the Inca Trail, but life will tell me when it’s time. In the meantime, if I can return, I will continue to take the opportunity and won’t let it go.”

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The post How Women-Led Trekking is Reshaping the Inca Trail appeared first on Artful Living Magazine.

For the past five days, I’d been leading a group of American and Canadian skiers on what I call the “Japow Backcountry Ski Safari.” During that time, we had conspicuously avoided ski areas and lifts, preferring instead to earn our turns far from the madding crowds with special “alpine touring” bindings and removable “skins” that allowed us to walk uphill using our skis like snowshoes. We had already climbed and skied down Shiribetsu three times that day and barely crossed another track. But it was getting late, too late probably for what I was contemplating: a final run down a side of the mountain I had never skied before.

Photography by Mattias Fredriksson

To the north, Yotei-zan (6,227 feet), which bears an uncanny resemblance to Mount Fuji, rose from the snow-covered plains that surrounded us. Its upper slopes, where we had skied earlier in the week, were bathed in alpenglow, and a tiny plume of wind-blown snow billowed from its summit. I could feel the nip of that cold north wind on my nose. To the west, a dark bank of clouds was rolling over the town of Niseko where I hoped to soon be soaking in the mineral-rich waters of a local hot spring with a cold beer in hand. Considering the late hour and our fatigue, I knew my old boss would have told us to play it safe and ski down the way we had come up on the south side. But that slope was riddled with tracks; whereas here, on the shady north side of the peak, the snow was still virgin and untouched.

I looked at Karl, a professor from a university in New England. Fifty-something, he was the oldest in the group but also the best skier of the lot. “What do you think?” I asked him. Karl looked up from buckling his boots, his eyes barely visible through his amber goggle lens. Then he reached out with his ski pole and clinked it against mine. “Let’s do this,” he said. This was all I needed to hear. I signaled for him and the others to follow and without further discussion, I dropped into a forest of old-growth silver birch blanketed in waist-deep, untracked powder.

Like my clients, I had come to Japan in search of its famous powder skiing. I’d been hearing for years that Hokkaido was home to the best snow in the world. Its quality is so exceptional that it even has its own name: Japow (a combination of Japan and powder). And so, in 2017, I finally went to see what all the hype was about. Over the course of more than 25 years working as a certified mountain guide, my work had led me all over the world, from the Tetons to the Alps, from Patagonia to the Arctic to the Himalayas, but I had never found snow like that which greeted me in Hokkaido. Not even close.

Photography by Joel Bard

The key to Japow is a warm ocean current known as the Tsushima that runs northward up the Sea of Japan. Vapors rising from these warm waters are picked up by cold westerlies blowing in from Siberia, which forms dense storm clouds. When all of this pent-up moisture runs into Hokkaido’s mountains, it’s released in the form of snow. Exact numbers for snowfall totals are hard to come by, but I’ve driven up mountain roads where I had to crane my neck to even see the top of the snowbanks. In Niseko, a mega ski resort that has been called the “Aspen of Japan,” they routinely record 50 feet of snow in winter. Where Vail, Colorado, or Whistler, Canada, might get a storm once a week, in Hokkaido it snows most days, and it’s rare to wake up in the morning without the mountains having had a refresh overnight. What this means for a skier is that virtually every day is a Japow day. And for people like me who live for skiing untracked snow, Hokkaido is quite simply the promised land.

Of course, Japan is a long way from North America. From most cities in the U.S., it’s two days of flying and tickets tend to average about $1,500 to $2,000. Add in 14 hours of jet lag from, say, Minnesota, and it’s easy to question if it’s really worth all the expense and hassle to travel halfway around the world just to ski. And truth be told, if it was just about the snow, one trip might be enough to check that box and take those bragging rights for the next time Japow comes up in the lift line. But, of course, the “Land of the Rising Sun” has so much more to offer than just stellar dendrites.

A visit to Japan will always be about immersing oneself in a spirit of collectivism and respect for one’s elders. In Nippon, as the Japanese call their country, social cohesion is valued above all else. Coming from a deeply divided country like the United States, I was taken by Japan’s emphasis on aesthetics, orderliness and extreme courtesy — all while maintaining a strict adhesion to ancient customs. Visiting there makes you feel like you’ve traveled back in time to a bygone era that has long since been lost in the West.

Photography by Syuzo Tsushima

Perhaps nowhere are these traditions and aesthetics more fully on display than in the ancient Japanese onsen (hot springs) tradition, which dates back to the sixth century when Buddhism introduced communal bathing as a way to promote purification and healing. Historically, most Japanese homes did not have private baths. Instead, each town had a central public bathhouse called a sento where townspeople would gather to soak together in geothermal waters. Today, life still revolves around the sento (a man-made public bath made with mineral-rich heated tap water) and onsen (a natural hot spring used for communal bathing). Each day, on our way home from our ski tours, we would stop at a different bath, where we’d partake in this ancient tradition. Most public baths are segregated by sex, and clothing is not allowed. After showering at small wash stands, we would move from one hot spring pool to the next, both inside and outside, all varying temperatures, while alternating between cold plunges and a sauna. Guests frequently comment about how effective these healing soaks are at washing away lactic acid in sore muscles, almost akin to the results of a long sports massage. Costs are small, typically $4 to $8 per person.

After all this, you’re going to be hungry, which leads to the very best part about travel in Japan: the cuisine. Besides sushi, sashimi and more types of noodles than I knew existed — beyond ramen, there was udon (thick wheat noodles), soba (buckwheat noodles) and somen (thin wheat noodles usually served cold). A typical dining experience in a resort town like Niseko might include tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet), onigiri (rice balls), or takoyaki (octopus balls). My personal favorite is shabu-shabu, which features cuts of thinly sliced meat and vegetables that you cook yourself over a bubbling, broth-filled hot pot right at your table. In Japanese, shabu-shabu means “swish-swish,” which is the sound the meat makes when you drop it into the bubbling pot. Washed down with a cold Sapporo or Asahi “Dry” beer, or even better, with a tokkuria (ceramic vessel) of cold sake, there is simply nothing better in this world after a long day of skiing. Between all the energy you’ll be burning on the hill and the Japanese concept of “hara hachi bu,” a philosophy centered on mindful eating — 80% of satiation is the target — you’re likely to go home a fitter, more healthy version of yourself.

But no, I wasn’t thinking about any of this as I swooped down through that forest on Shiribetsu. The trees were tight at first, but after a few hundred feet they opened up, and as I gazed downslope through a haze of flying powder, I noticed that the day’s last beams of sunshine had lit the slope aglow, its surface scintillating as if strewn with a million tiny diamonds. My thighs burned, but a little voice inside my head whispered don’t stop now! A quick glance over my shoulder showed Karl, closely followed by the others, lacing a perfect figure eight in my track.

And that’s how the day ended, with the four of us floating down through that magical forest like feathers dancing on the invisible hands of the wind, the only sounds the swish-swish of our skis through the untracked snow and the cries of pure joy, heard by no one but us, that echoed across the mountainside — as we reveled in the best skiing on Earth.

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In the 16th century, the legendary artist and architect Michelangelo traveled hours from Rome to the village of Fiuggi in search of relief from the pain of chronic kidney stones. For centuries, popes and nobles also made the trip for “the cure;” it’s said that the healing qualities in the water come from rain being enriched as it passes through the roots of the area’s thick chestnut forests. Today, thanks to the recent opening of the luxurious medicinal health retreat Palazzo Fiuggi, wellness pilgrimages to this rural town continue. However, now it’s much easier: The drive from Rome is only an hour. And the accommodations are decidedly more deluxe: The property, an art deco–style villa with 102 rooms and suites, is set on a hilltop within 8.5 acres of private grounds, gardens and woodlands. Although it’s a medical spa staffed with multiple trained doctors, the interiors are palatial. Guests dine in a grand space with a glass ceiling, crystal chandeliers and frescos; long, white marble hallways lead to indoor fountains. And a 4,000-square-foot gym is housed in what was once a majestic ballroom.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

Before you arrive, consultants discuss your goals. There is no set schedule unless you want one; guests can stay three days or sign up for one of several programs, from detox to medical, where you can opt to get an ultrasound of your organs, try a vitamin infusion or test out the latest cryotherapy machine. Palazzo Fiuggi also offers a popular longevity program, a version of which Oprah Winfrey experienced and wrote about in 2023, calling it the “best wellness retreat of her life.”

As a working mother of three, life for me was consistently challenging. And the last few months of work travel and unhealthy eating — while battling perimenopause — had taken its toll, so I decided to sign up for a four-day detox.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

Shortly after being escorted to my spacious suite — which featured an attached study, a lavish, king-sized bed covered in ivory Italian linens and a vast marble bathroom with a deep bathtub — I was brought to the ground floor spa reception area. There, the resident doctor administered several tests to assess the state of my health. Although my body mass index, or B.M.I., was standard, my body fat percentage was slightly above average for my age, putting me at risk.

To alleviate the stress caused by my less-than-perfect results, the doctor sent me to soak in three mineral-and-salt-enriched pools within a light-filled room composed of floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The spa recommends that guests spend 30 minutes here daily to calm their nerves and help boost their immune system.

Photography by Tyson Sadlo

My recommended daily calorie intake was about 1,800 calories but they told me I would temporarily be put on a 1,500-calorie diet to jumpstart weight loss. Fortunately, with the three Michelin–star chef Heinz Beck (based in Rome at the legendary La Pergola) curating the healthy menus at Palazzo Fiuggi, I didn’t suffer any sense of deprivation. With rare extra time on his hands during the COVID epidemic, Beck tells me he spent days working with the property’s lead doctor, Professor David Della Morte Canosci, to devise recipes that combined all the necessary nutrients with Michelin-star flavors — and little to no unhealthy fats. For breakfast, I ate porridge with honey and blueberry jam and yogurt topped with wild berries. At lunch, I nibbled on a beautifully spiced grilled cauliflower and pumpkin gnocchi with spinach cream or roasted artichokes and zucchini followed by a flavorful minestrone soup. Dinner was a wholesome but savory affair: a filet of sea bass served with carrots and parsnip or amberjack sashimi on a curried red quinoa. “Over several months, I created over 900 recipes for Palazzo Fiuggi,” Beck tells me, adding that he has long been interested in how certain foods can combat inflammation and disease. “My computer is not just filled with recipes but also the latest scientific research.”

Photography provided by Palazzo Fuigi

Every day, I took at least two movement classes. After just 20 minutes on the Icaros Virtual Reality machine — a high-tech device that worked muscles I didn’t even know I had — I felt like I had completed an Ironman marathon. During my stay at the Palazzo, I slept hard, averaging 10 hours a night. My days were filled with pampering treatments, including a lifting facial massage that I swear took years off my face. I spent several tranquil hours daily relaxing on a comfy lounge chair in the glass-enclosed pool house. But perhaps the most incredible luxury of my four days at Palazzo Fiuggi was that I spoke to virtually no one except the friendly technicians, trainers and servers and only allowed myself to be on my phone for an hour a day. By the time my detox retreat was over, I felt physically and mentally lighter (I had lost three pounds). I was ready — indeed inspired — to return to everyday life, committed to my new and improved wellness routine. The “cure” had worked miracles.

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Photography by Spacecrafting

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Visit galleriaedina.com to view the full collection of stores and learn more.

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Photography by Spacecrafting

So, it’s not surprising that people gravitate, sometimes unconsciously, to homes similar to those they grew up in. Take this new 6,500-square-foot home by Charlie & Co. Design. “Our clients desired a modern home that felt rooted in a classic saltbox shingle–style Colonial you might see on Cape Cod or Martha’s Vineyard,” says founder and principal Charlie Simmons. “When I pointed out the similarities to the house the husband grew up in [where Simmons has done a few projects], that made it special for them.”

The assignment wasn’t unusual for Simmons, who’s adept at reinterpreting traditional forms for modern living, but this project had a unique point of inspiration — a sculptural plaster staircase like the one featured on the March 2020 cover of Architectural Digest in Kanye West and Kim Kardashian’s minimalist Los Angeles mansion. The homeowners loved its volume and elegance and wanted something similar in their new home — a home with the heart of a Colonial. It was no small task.

Simmons began by following the rhythm and patterns of Colonial architecture to create a familiar exterior form. There are symmetrical windows, a centered front door, a steeply pitched roof and cedar shake–type siding. Then he veered off script with a flat roof bump-out clad in an iridescent black brick, and a two-story glass link between the main house and the garage. “We took the DNA of a shingle-style Colonial and stripped out everything unnecessary to create a modern interpretation,” says Simmons.

The front door opens to a white gallery that runs side to side, parallel to the street. At one end lies the formal living room. At the other, sits the staircase that started it all. The gallery is lined with cloister vaults that bounce light and shadow and sets the tone for the drama of the stairs. It’s another riff on a traditional Colonial that would have a central hall from front to back. “We pulled the circulation away from the front because this house has great views, light and privacy in the back,” explains Simmons.

A soft plaster ellipse that curls up to the second floor and down to the lower level, the staircase provides a pleasing counterpoint to the sharp angles of the house. “We chose an ellipse because that shape implies direction, whereas a circle implies a destination,” says Simmons. Building anything curved is a challenge and something as large as this, more so. Fortunately, contractor Anderson Reda had the patience, skill and enthusiasm to make it happen. “Building curved staircases is kind of a lost art,” co-owner Kareem Reda points out, noting that it took over two months to construct this one — bending layers of metal and plywood to create the skeleton, then covering the form with sheetrock and finally plaster. The homeowners and their three kids view the staircase as the heartbeat of the house. It offers a transition between the hustle and bustle of the main floor and the more private upstairs that, despite its elegance, is an unpretentious space where fingerprints happen and Magic Erasers are in abundant supply.

Along the back of the house is the hub of family life, with big west-facing windows overlooking a marsh and providing sunset views. The spacious kitchen has two islands for entertaining and an informal eating area with a banquette and custom table by interior designer Carrie Ellington of Ellington & Co. Design. The adjacent family room is a cozy nest filled with tufted furniture, placed one step down from the kitchen, an intentional transition that helps define the spaces. Beyond that lies an office and formal living room separated by glass and steel doors. “They wanted a connected layout where you can see into other rooms but not an open plan,” explains Simmons.

Touches of white oak add warmth to the mostly white interior, particularly in the living room, where a fireplace clad in the same iridescent brick as the exterior bump-out engages in pattern play with a corduroy-like vertical slat wall. Here and throughout the house, Ellington worked with the homeowners on furnishings that suit their lifestyle and enhance the architecture, such as a curved sofa and chairs that echo the staircase. “This is an adult space where they can mix a drink at the bar, sit in front of the fire and listen to music,” Ellington explains. Another area she made extra special for the homeowners: their en suite bathroom, which features a striking white marble streaked with purple veining. “We were careful about where we incorporated color to keep the overall palette of the house calm and minimal,” says Ellington.

As sophisticated as this house is, it works like a dream for this family, combining an architectural point of view with functional ease. “We’re thrilled with how Charlie brought this design to life,” says the homeowner. “While the drawings and architectural plans checked every box for us, it was not until we moved in that we could appreciate the true beauty of the work. The home is so livable and filled with natural light and life, and we love how he brought the outside in for us to enjoy at all times.”

Architect: Charlie & Co. Design
Builder: Anderson Reda
Interior Designer: Ellington & Co. Design

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Photography provided by John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

When Hemingway arrived in 1939, Ketchum was merely a crossroads, a mining town anchored by a handful of saloons moonlighting as casinos. He came with Martha Gellhorn while still married to his second wife, Pauline. They stayed at the Sun Valley Lodge, a mile north, where the owners of the country’s first destination ski resort offered celebrities like Hemingway free lodging in exchange for the publicity they brought. He worked on For Whom the Bell Tolls in the mornings, hunted in the afternoons with friends he quickly made among the locals and fell in love with the countryside, which reminded him of Spain.

He returned twice with Martha, whom he had eventually married, and after World War II with Mary Welsh Hemingway, his fourth wife. In 1959, Ernest and Mary bought a house in Ketchum on a hillside above the Big Wood River from Bob Topping, a playboy who, the story goes, built the concrete structure painted to look like a log cabin in the style of Sun Valley Lodge to spite its management for kicking him out. The house had very modern amenities for the times, such as a movie projector with a screen that dropped out of the living room ceiling, a television with a remote control, air conditioning and double Thermador ovens. Huge picture windows provided stunning views of the surrounding mountain ranges on three sides.

It was there, in the front foyer, that Hemingway shot himself on July 2, 1961.

Photography provided by Mary and Ernest Hemingway House and Preserve Collection. Photos used with permission from Hemingway, Ltd.

My first stop was the Casino, a windowless, working man’s bar with low wooden beam ceilings. Hemingway played the slots and drank at the Casino. “He used to sit in the corner there,” the bartender told me, confirmed by photos on the walls. The Casino’s antithesis across Main Street, Whiskey on Main (formerly Whiskey Jacques), is a cheerful bar and eatery with high ceilings and large windows. They used to say, “You go to Whiskey Jacques for a cocktail and a show; you go to the Casino for a shot and a fight.” Hemingway visited Whiskey on Main when it was the Alpine Restaurant for the “sizzlin’ steak” (inch-thick sirloins served with potatoes and coleslaw for $1.25).

Nowadays, Hemingway likely wouldn’t recognize Ketchum, which has grown to eight square blocks and become a collection of boutique shops, yoga studios, ski rental outlets and real estate offices. The building where Pete Lane’s General Store anchored the crossroads of Main Street and Sun Valley Road for decades now houses Enoteca, an upscale restaurant that serves duck confit with risotto and wood-fired pizzas in a long, narrow brick-walled space. Since Lane’s catered to the Basque shepherds who had populated the area after World War II — a sign painted on the back of the building still reads “Eat More Lamb – It’s Delicious.” — I ordered the lamb chops, which were, indeed, delicious: tender and cooked to perfection.

Though chic, brick sidewalks have replaced the town’s former wooden planks, Ketchum retains its casual Western roots. When I called the Sawtooth Club to ask if it had a dress code (I had only packed two pairs of jeans), the host laughed. The place is rustic, with wooden tables and a moose head above the entry, but it serves decent food (I tried the jambalaya). The Sawtooth trades on its Hemingway connection, marketing a Hunter Thompson quote (“He could sit in the Sawtooth Club and talk with men who felt the same way he did about life . . .”), yet when I asked the young waitress about Hemingway, all she knew about him was the photo hanging by the fireplace (depicting the author in Key West, not Ketchum).

Photography provided by The Community Library Center for Regional History Donald Snoddy and Ralph Burrell Collection Photos used with permission from Hemingway Ltd

Three of the Basque restaurants Hemingway frequented — the Rio Club, the Idaho Club and the Tram — are long gone, but his favorite restaurant in town, Christiania, remains, now called Michel’s Christiania. The stone A-frame with booth-to-ceiling windows looks up Bald Mountain, known to locals as “Baldy.” (When I skied it one morning, I was pleased to find a run named “Hemingway,” though he did not ski in Idaho.) An enormous chandelier hangs above tables draped in white cloth and lit with oil lamps. Here, Hemingway ate his last meal, a rare New York steak and, most likely, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. I sat at the same table, a corner booth in the back. In memory of Hemingway as a trout fisherman and because the waiter told me that the nearby Buhl River supplies 75% of the country’s trout, I ordered the trout à la meunière with couscous, green beans and baked tomato. It was excellent. So were the crêpes with locally foraged morel mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce. Over dinner, I pondered how Hemingway — sitting in that same booth — felt about what he planned to do the following day.

Sun Valley Lodge was overhauled a mile down the road in 2015. Hemingway’s room, No. 206 — he nicknamed it “Glamour House” — has moved to No. 228 and now features a bronze statue of the writer at his typewriter. The Ram restaurant, which Hemingway mentions in his short story “The Shot,” has retained its Austrian ambiance and recently featured a Hemingway Hasenpfeffer on its heritage menu. (Ironic because Hemingway shot hundreds of rabbits to relieve farmers of the pests but did not like to eat them.) Up the road, Trail Creek Cabin looks very much like it did when Hemingway partied there, tossing an olive into the mouth of his friend Gary Cooper on one occasion and passing New Year’s Eve with Ingrid Bergman on another.

Mary Hemingway willed the hillside house in Ketchum to the Nature Conservancy, and it is now managed by the Community Library, which has a vast Hemingway collection of books, letters and photos in its regional history center. The house has been restored to the way it was when Hemingway lived — and died — there. It is closed to the public but open to private tours. I spent more than two hours inside, reconstructing in my mind scenes of Hemingway watching the Friday night boxing matches with friends and the days he struggled with the manuscript published posthumously as A Moveable Feast.

Photo by Lloyd Arnold/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

It seems everyone in Ketchum has a story to tell about Hemingway. The retired gentleman eating lunch next to me at the Bigwood Bread Bakery & Cafe who had given tours of the Hemingway house told me with mischievous delight about the Playboy magazines he imagined Hemingway perused. (Doubtful. The magazines in the home have been added as props.) A librarian who grew up with Hemingway’s granddaughters told me in a conspiratorial whisper that the gun Hemingway used to shoot himself had been buried about 30 miles south of town. (Possible. I heard competing theories about the gun’s fate.)

The best stories came from a 70-year-old realtor named Jed Gray, whose parents had befriended the author. Hemingway often made his rounds of the town in the afternoon, stopping at the post office and drugstore before driving out to the Gray house, not far from the Sun Valley Lodge, for his daily walk. Jed often accompanied him along the remote dirt road by Ruud Mountain, where Sun Valley installed the nation’s first chair lift, and Hemingway went to watch the annual ski races in the spring before his death. Today, the chairlift no longer runs, and the paved road resembles a subdivision lined with houses.

One evening at the Gray house, when Jed was sick, the author read to him from The Old Man and the Sea. Another evening, they watched the television debut of A Farewell to Arms. During a commercial break, Hemingway decided it was time to teach the two Gray boys and another youth how to drink red wine from a bota. He encouraged them to hold the wineskin at arm’s length. “We all got wet,” Jed says.

Photography by Bettmann

At the Ketchum cemetery on the edge of town, Hemingway’s grave is marked by a flat granite slab beneath two large pine trees. Pilgrims leave bottles of whiskey, cans of beer and coins scattered across his gravestone. The day I visited, there was also a letter written by a fan along with a framed 5-by-7-inch shot of the view from Hemingway’s Cuba home.

On my way out of town, I wanted to see the Hemingway Memorial beside Trail Creek about a mile and a half up Sun Valley Road from the resort. I had trouble finding it so I stopped to ask directions from a woman walking three dogs. Celebrity sightings are not unusual in the area, where you might spot Clint Eastwood driving his battered pickup or Reese Witherspoon on a chairlift. Serendipitously, the woman turned out to be Mariel Hemingway, the author’s granddaughter. She pleasantly directed me to the site.

The memorial features a bronze bust of Hemingway; his gaze permanently fixed across the valley (now the seventh fairway of the Sun Valley Golf Course) toward the hills. It is inscribed with words he wrote for a Ketchum friend killed in a hunting accident that he may as well have written about himself: “Best of all he loved the fall/The leaves yellow on the cottonwoods/Leaves floating on the trout streams/And above the hills the high blue windless sky/Now he will be part of them forever.”

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Here are some of my favorite stylish cities.

London: Enlightened Footsteps

There are many reasons Englishmen look great — they grew up dressing formally; it’s their native sartorial language. Nobody looks more natural in black tie. One thing I always notice in London is all the stellar shoe stores. That’s no surprise since great companies like Crockett & Jones and Edward Green have been in business in Northampton for over a century. Or you can go to the original John Lobb or George Cleverley and have shoes made right there. It’s a commitment — they begin by shaping a wooden last (or mold) that resembles your foot. Whether brogues, Oxfords or Chelsea boots, they can handle serious conditions and cobblestones, too. It’s great to be in a city where men don’t rely on an endless stream of sneakers.

Milan: Tailoring Fluency

Milan is sartorially conservative for an Italian city. But there are plenty of men who want to look dapper even in a business meeting. What we can learn here is the power of understated tailoring. Too often, the blue suit is a depressing default option. It’s what you get when you have your first interview, or when you start a new job you don’t like. But it doesn’t have to be that way! A well-tailored deep blue suit in a quality fabric flatters every man. Of course, you can veer from this recipe: What about a good cashmere sports coat and some gray flannel trousers? Now, this is a good equation. With the suede shoes you got in London, you’ll look great wherever you are.

Illustration by Hilbrand Bos

Paris: Ambitious Accessories

Years ago, I was in Paris on one of the first cool days of fall. I wanted to wear a scarf but didn’t want to appear overeager. I need not have worried. The men strolling around the Luxembourg Gardens and down the Rue Jacob were way ahead of me. Scarves of every color were on display: ochre, aubergine, moss, plum. And these scarves were draped and wrapped with such care. It was a reminder, if any was needed, that accessories are an easy way to bring pleasure and a sense of festivity to anything you wear. Though you don’t want to bring everything back with you — if you get the urge to buy a beret, try to resist it.

Tokyo: Global Thinking

Japanese men know a good thing when they see it, regardless of where it’s from. They embrace American denim, Italian tailoring and English shoes. The sense of curiosity is always inspiring. They also love to shop. Not surprisingly, many of the best men’s stores in the world are in Tokyo, from Beams to Isetan to United Arrows. These buyers seek out the smartest knits, outerwear, luggage and tailoring worldwide, bringing it back to Japan for an eager audience. In many cases, the Japanese improve on the original (which is why Japanese denim now sets the standard). I love the way all these elements are reinterpreted on many of the men I see in Tokyo. The lesson is: If something looks good and is well-made, it doesn’t matter where it comes from.

New York City: Fearless Confidence

I live in New York City and am accustomed to crowded streets. There aren’t as many men in suits these days, which is probably fine for most people, but it is still a little sad for me. The city is full of people rushing to where they need to go. That confidence can be charismatic. If you don’t believe in what you’re doing (or wearing), then nobody’s going to do it on your behalf. They say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, and that’s what you expect a New Yorker to say! Whether that’s true or not, the spirit remains. Many of the best-dressed men bring self-assurance to what they wear. I didn’t know you were allowed to wear that, you ask. Well, when you dress in a way that’s true to yourself, you can get away with more than you think.

A Minnesotan turned New Yorker, David Coggins is the author of the New York Times bestseller Men and Style and writes a column for Artful Living.

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It’s my mom’s first time in Mexico, and we’re staying at an all-inclusive resort. Admittedly, these types of stays are not typically a very authentic representation of a country’s culture, and my friends know I usually prefer a locally owned boutique hotel. But when the all-inclusive in question is Four Seasons’ first foray into the category, an adults-only resort with just 15 bamboo “tents,” I’m willing to make an exception.

Nothing about Naviva feels like a regular resort. For starters, you’ll chat with a personal concierge before arrival and discuss your interests and goals for your trip. My mom and I wanted to enjoy quality time together, eat well and leave feeling rejuvenated. From there, a custom itinerary is crafted for your stay, although it’s merely a framework and can be adjusted at any time. The Naviva team is always a text away, waiting to respond to any request.

Photography provided by Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort

Upon arrival, crossing an undulating bamboo bridge into jungle paradise, we are greeted with a refreshingly sweet coconut water, walnut and apple concoction served in a gourd. Then, we are whisked off on a buggy for a grounds tour. There’s no need to check in; everyone already knows who you are.

Most travelers come here to rest. Immersing yourself in nature gently invites you to slow down and breathe more deeply. The ocean-view tents come with private plunge pools, indoor and outdoor showers, hammocks and soaking tubs, making it all too easy to melt into a languid stupor wrapped in a light cotton robe made in Oaxaca.

You can relax on the private beach, lounging on a lone curtained daybed while enjoying a steady flow of unlimited beverages — including freshly fermented tepache and my favorite new combo of fresh coconut water mixed with cold brew coffee. Your only companions might be cute little crabs scampering across the sand and chachalaca birds gracefully swooping overhead.

It feels like we have the whole place to ourselves for most of our stay. Summer is the rainy season and, therefore, less busy. It’s hotter and more humid this time of year, and you’ll contend with more mosquitos. But the sunsets are glorious, and Naviva is one of the rare resorts in the region with stunning sunsets year-round, especially from the Copal Cocina fire pit.

It was too sweltering for me to take a Mexican boxing class, but we enjoyed daily meditation, yoga and sound healing classes at Risco Terrace, along with spa treatments (one massage or facial is included with every stay) in elegant bamboo spa pods inspired by the indigenous ceiba tree with laminated arches and panels.

There’s only one restaurant, Copal Cocina, but the unwritten menu is an ever-changing affair, and the restaurant experience feels like stepping into a friend’s kitchen. Chefs prepare seasonal specials for each meal and can deftly accommodate any dietary restrictions or preferences. When I seemed less than enthused about the Italian-themed meal on our final night, chef Mike immediately pivoted and suggested cooking something authentically Mexican for my mom and me. I readily agreed, and a few hours later, we were delightfully surprised with a veritable feast of duck carnitas tacos, huitlacoche and rajas poblanos tamales, and a whole snapper served a la talla with red adobo and salsa verde, accompanied by charred baby corn and squash.

The longer you stay, the more personalized each day feels as the Naviva staff gets to know you better. No matter your length of stay, a Temazcal sweat lodge ceremony should not be missed. These communal rituals are offered three times a week because General Manager Eduardo Sampere says he wants to be sure that every guest has a chance to experience the physical detox and spiritual healing.

I close my eyes and am enveloped in warm copal smoke as we begin with a blessing. Our curanderos, Marisela and Manik, lead us in seven rounds of prayer punctuated by baritone conch shell bellows. We pray not only to the four cardinal directions but also to the sky, the Earth and finally, our hearts, for we are part of nature, too. After confirming that nobody is claustrophobic, we stoop to enter the Temazcal dome together.

Whether your eyes are open or closed, pure obsidian darkness surrounds you once the entrance is closed. We have only Marisela’s melodic voice to guide us as she pours water over the hot stones while singing. There are four rounds for the four elements — wind, fire, Earth and water. The door opens to let in air and light between rounds, as hot stones are added to the pit along with different herbal medicines — palo santo, sage and oca roots – for each element. By the end, we are all lying down, struggling to survive the intense heat. When the door finally opens for the last time, and we are able to crawl out to the light, I do feel awakened, like my senses have sharpened. Temazcal is described as being back in Mother Nature’s womb, and I look over to my own mother and give her hand a squeeze, overwhelmed with gratitude for her love and wisdom.

Read this article as it appears in the magazine.

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