View by country
View by genre
Overlooking the legendary Cinque Terre, Ligurian coastline and the Levanto Valley would alone be reason enough to stay at this off the beaten track small boutique hotel.
Wrapped in aged honeyed stonework, La Sosta di Ottone III is a fabulous small boutique hotel and restaurant perched high in the wonderfully preserved (car-free, shop-free) hillside village of Chiesanuova, close to the legendary Cinque Terre on the Ligurian coast – a must-do Mediterranean beauty spot on the Italian Riviera.
Dating back to the 16thcentury, La Sosta has been completely restored working closely with local artisans. Gelato pastels and chalked whites perfectly frame the eye-candy vistas and usher the essence of slow-living Ligurian culture. The suite-sized rooms are decked in antiques and designer pieces from Italy, which are paired with contemporary furnishings, crisp cottons, raw damask, parquet floors and scatter rugs – a design marriage of chic country-house with a patina of cool elegance.
The alfresco terrace and dining rooms – with wood, slate and marble, have also been lovingly restored creating our favourite spot from breakfast to dinner - a fab retreat for sun-set drinks, or an evening plate of fresh seafood pasta while absorbing the heady scents of pines.
Named after the spot where Otto III stayed on his way to his coronation in Rome in 996, La Sosta (stopover) is worthy of a longer stay, with easy walking access to the legendary Cinque Terre, this boutique hotel lost in the hillsides of Liguria is the perfect bijou retreat for those seeking culture, flair and soul – infinity views included.
Under the pleasing motto of tradition & heritage, Ligurian classics headline the foodie mantra of being local, fresh and authentic. Produce from the land and the sea paired with wines produced on the doorstep, deliver an uncomplicated taste of the region on a plate. The Chef, as indeed the Sommelier, are both true locals and embue a natural passion for everything that Luguria produces from the coast to the organic farms.
Breakfast is packed with sunshine goodness; farm-to-table cheeses, eggs, homemade jams, traditional cakes and breads, cured meats and fresh fruits.
Order a take-away picnic – rural inspired treats for trekking or a day on the beach.
Being the only restaurant in the medieval village means La Sosta Restaurant, loved by hotel guests alike, is popular and with good reason. Menu options feature from 2-course Bistro to our pick, the 5-course plus dessert Discover Dinner - from delicious Ravioletti Croccanti to house-made Tiramisù de la Sosta.
Being submerged into the wine region of Levanto Valley and the Cinque Terre vineyards, La Sosta has a great cellar and offers wine tasting events for guests.
Angela & Fabio simply love everything that is Ligurian and you immediately get the sense that this couple fell in love not only with this corner of Northern Italy, but with this very spot upon which the aged house presides. Angela & Fabio are the behind the scenes creative duo, and have found a wonderful host team that run La Sosta di Ottone III - each a character, each as local as Liguria itself.
In 2002 the owners Fabio Graziani and Angela Fenwick set about the renovation of this house and turned it into an understatedly elegant and welcoming small hotel and kitchen that is “as Ligurian as the landscape.”
La Sosta di Ottone III sits in the tiny hillside hamlet of Chiesanuova, a few kilometres from the Cinque Terre in Liguria, northern Italy. The car-free (parking 150 metres from the hotel) medieval village is the perfect rest-bite location – this sleepy hamlet is a rare find, perfectly preserved with Monterosso, the first of the Cinque Terre just 5 km away, as indeed is the Levanto seaside resort.
La Sosta’s unique location means it is best suited for active travellers who travel light, with the ancient foot paths leading right from hotel front door.
Venture further afield with the ferry services from Levanto: In the summer, there are regular ferry services to the Cinque Terre, Portofino and Genova as well as boat rentals where visitors can hire canoes, paddle boats or a motor boat by the hour or for the day.
An aged former Convent, the history and heritage of this house has been lovingly exposed to play host to modern furnishings and a chilled vibe right in the heart of old town Pienza.
read more
Luxury boutique villas with hotel services, dotted around pools in scented gardens and all done in a chilled Cycladic design. The villas are perched on a gentle hillside that melts into the Aegean with views towards the islands of Delos and Mykonos. This personal project echoes the soul of this untouched isle of saints with a style edit that captures the essence of island living.
read more
Unapologetically vivid, this preferred pad of intellect and creativity is awash in Art Nouveau flamboyance tamed with clever 1950’s-inspired design interventions. A stylishly cool home of the arts, brushed with boldness.
read more
A short drive northwards from the sandy beaches, Breac.House lies secluded within the Horn Head peninsula. Designed to blend in with its surroundings, the house allows County Donegal’s mountainous yet green landscape in via the many windows and terraces.
read more
Nestled in majestic solitude atop Italy’s Amalfi Coast, this former 17th century monastery is a lemon and lavender scented haven of infinity pool and tiered garden views, far from the crowds.
read more
One of the best golf courses in all of Italy, San Domenico Golf on Puglia’s well-heeled coastline is an incredible Italian escape into nature pure – and for you cool cats who know the difference between a driver and an iron, the ideal place to perfect your swing.
read more
Paestum Temples in Southern Italy is one of those ancient antiquities that you have to visit – this UNESCO World Heritage Site in Cilento Campania is a treasure trove of ancient Greece including three of the world’s best-preserved temples.
read more
A sleek modernist base that is both rustic and sophisticated in its design simplicity – conceived to mirror the surrounding vineyards and Arco Mountains of Trentino, this rural idyll is an architectural bolthole that gives nature a stylish makeover, irresistibly close to Lake Garda.
read more
Zaha Hadid Architect's coastal Salerno Maritime Terminal in Cilento, Italy stands beneath Europe's oldest botanical garden - innovation upon innovation, sip your herbal tea and admire the view.
read more
A restoration den of raw genius – a weathered Tuscan house that has been allowed to expose her weathered elements and complemented with chic salvaged interiors. An imaginative retreat of utter, rustic romance.
Get lost in a world of femininity & art at Saint Phalle's incredible sculptural Tarot Garden in Tuscany, she of the groundbreaking 'Hon' exhibition in Sweden.
read more
A monastic designer den of rural appeal set in a 30-hectare estate, this rural sanctuary has clubhouse flair, a sleek modernist touch and loads of sun-kissed sophistication. Altogether, a chilled off-radar adaption of indulgent luxury.
read more
Small, delicate, exquisite; this creative residence is fully-stocked with vintage family pieces and curatorial heritage, and includes a fabulous orangerie thriving between the greenest of Mediterranean gardens and whitest snow-capped peaks.
read more
Escape to Tinos – the Greek island of over 60 Cycladic villages, art, culture, great natural food, pristine beaches and enough churches (1500+) to feel totally blessed – and slip into a new way of living, the Tinos way. We have picked our den on Tinos – a luxe residence of eight eco-chic villas set into the hillside just a few kilometers from the old town and port.
read more
Agriturismo simplicity meets designer theatrics here at this chilled farmhouse awash in white and filled with rustic bric-a-brac. A candlelit gem that sits amongst the twisted olive trees, rubbing shoulders with a golf course and the Adriatic.
read more
The vigilius mountain resort, created by architect, Matteo Thun, reclines in effortless eco style set to a fragrant Alpine landscape of larch trees, mountain pine, foxgloves and alpine roses.
read more