From Sicily to Kyoto, these stays double as design lookbooks for your next home refresh
Words by STUART BRUMFITT
melides, Portugal
Vermelho Hotel
Rare is the designer who can stamp a signature on planet fashion. But Christian Louboutin is one of them, with his red-bottomed stilettos famous the world over. Less well-known is VERMELHO HOTEL, the 13-bedroom hotel the French designer created in the sleepy town of Melides, Portugal, a short drive from Comporta. Louboutin wintered on this part of the Atlantic coastline for more than a dozen years before he got to work on the enchanting space — which, naturally, features lots of red (vermelho means “red” in Portuguese). The space is about so much more than just vivid pops, however. It feels like a private home bursting with lively frescoes and exquisite craftsmanship, prioritizing storytelling over perfection. Take inspiration from the hand-carved facade of Italian sculptor Giuseppe Ducrot, the local hand-painted azulejo tiles, or the frescoes by Greek artist Konstantin Kakanias. Some local crafts would be easy to take home with you (there are many artisans in the village), but if you love the doors by Los Tres Juanes carpentry in Granada or the silver cocktail bar by Villarreal silversmiths, it might require some extra organizing. vermelhohotel.com.
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The giant frescoes that combine beautifully with the abundance of plants wouldn’t look out of place in Montecito or Malibu.
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colima, Mexico
Hacienda de San Antonio
Set at the foothills of the Volcán de Colima, HACIENDA DE SAN ANTONIO is a majestic and meticulously restored 120-year-old estate adjacent to its 5,000-acre working ranch and nature reserve, Rancho Jabalí. Coming here feels less like checking into a hotel and more like being welcomed into a fantasy civilization. Behind the scenes is buzzing with activity because they grow and create almost everything you eat and drink, including all-organic cheese, meats, jams, ice cream, coffee and bath products. (The picnics are a must, set out on the lawns, lagoons, and the wild corners of the estate.) Each of the 25 suites is shaped by owner Alix Goldsmith’s instinctive eye and the work of interior designer Filipe Lencastre, formerly of Aman Hotels, with French doors opening onto private terraces overlooking the gardens or the volcano. There’s a relaxed and warm feel to the textiles and antiques; unexpected details like the use of volcanic stone and the custom-made armoire minibars and cocktail stations take you by surprise. haciendadesanantonio.com.
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sicily, italy
Villa Igiea
VILLA IGIEA, a late 19th-century neo-Gothic villa, was transformed into a grand hotel around 1900 by Sicily’s powerful Florio family. It’s the perfect place to escape from Palermo’s thrilling chaos, with Liberty-style interior and tiered gardens that are the epitome of classical calm and elegance. You might not be able to re-create the impressive coastal setting (it’s perched above the Gulf of Palermo at the foot of Mount Pellegrino), but you can take inspiration from the soft and relaxing palette — blues and greens that are never too saturated — created by Olga Polizzi of the Forte family, which owns and manages the property. The giant frescoes in the Igiea Terrazza Bar or the bold floral printed chairs that combine beautifully with the abundance of plants in the Florio restaurant wouldn’t look out of place in Montecito or on the bluffs in Malibu. The villa is a perfect interior inspiration for anyone less keen on aggressive modernism and more inclined toward the classic and comfortable. Materials like marble, wood, and rattan add texture and befit an uncluttered layout that allows light and views to dominate. And while you’re in Palermo, go on the hunt for antiques, art, and vintage furniture so you can ship a piece of Sicilian history back home. roccofortehotels.com/hotels-and-resorts/villa-igiea.
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Kyoto’s rich heritage is evident through Japanese artworks and artifacts that go as far back as 1,200 years.
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kyoto, Japan
Capella
It’s all meditative perfection at the brand new CAPELLA in Kyoto, an 89-room traditional townhouse (machiya) that’s been reimagined for the modern world by Kengo Kuma & Associates and the Brewin Design Office. This sanctuary near the famous Miyagawa-chō Kaburenjo theater is pure tranquility, with soothing hues, intricate textures, and the calming courtyard water around which the suites are arranged. Kyoto’s rich heritage is evident everywhere in the hotel’s Japanese artworks and artifacts, which go as far back as 1,200 years. The hotel uses natural wood, stone, washi paper, bronze, and ceramics, making texture more important than aesthetic. Light is soft, diffuse, and gentle. The machiya is a traditional Kyoto townhouse layered with a sequence of spaces moving from public to private, spaces within spaces with a particular purpose. Rather than thinking of rooms as isolated zones, they’ve used hallways, screens, level changes, or lighting shifts to create a sense of a journey. Even a small space can feel richer if it unfolds gradually rather than all at once. capellahotels.com/en/capella-kyoto.
This story originally appeared in the Fashionable Living 2026 issue of C Magazine.
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