Summer Special Discount: 40% off

At the beginning of each year (as I do every year), I shared the 20 hotels and hideaways I was dreaming of staying in. This was always a dream list — I travel a lot for work, but have a limited budget for my personal travels. I never thought I’d be writing this halfway through the year having stayed at two of the hotels at the very, very top of my wishlist.

June has been another busy month, absolutely flying by in a blur of shoots and travels. I’ve briefly visited Malta on a press trip, spent four days shooting in south-west France, and enjoyed shoots in Liverpool, Gloucestershire, Wiltshire and at home. Somehow, the year is halfway over and summer has well and truly begun (we’re two intense heatwaves in). Part of me is worried that I don’t have much work booked in for the next couple of months; the other part is looking forward to some time at home (although our renovation is about to kick off, so home isn’t looking that comfortable right now).

Pretty much every photographer, writer and influencer I follow on Instagram seems to have been to Cape Town over the past six months. Perhaps because its such a convenient destination for winter sun (a 12 hour flight directly south = no jet lag), but also its just such a magnetic city, surrounded by beautiful landscapes. Its unlike anywhere I’ve been before (my closest comparison is perhaps California for its coastline, winelands and laidback cities) and there’s so, so much to see and do. I barely touched the surface, and would love to return to visit Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, take a tour of Robben Island, hike up Lion’s Head, swim in tidal pools, and take to the water to spot marine mammals.

To put it simply, I’m a little bit obsessed with hotels. As someone who both writes about and photographs hotels for work, I ensure I’m up to date with new openings and am always keeping one eye peeled for those elusive establishments that have everything I’m looking for: beautiful interiors, rural settings, and those added extras that make a stay a little bit more special (for me, this tends to be wild swimming spots, well-positioned saunas, sprawling kitchen gardens, and excellent vegetarian cuisine). A good, sturdy and embellished room key is always a bonus.

Back in October I spent (almost) three weeks travelling around Greece. With friends to begin with and then on my own for eleven days. The trip was originally planned as a long weekend on the Athens coast with two friends; I then decided to stay a little longer with one of my friends, hopping over to Hydra and then spending 24 hours together in Athens. When we booked our flights, I didn’t book a return, manifesting finding work over there. This worked out in my favour, and I ended up staying twice as long as I originally anticipated, fitting in a couple of shoots and a hotel review. Following

I have a bit of a thing for solo travelling in Greece. Last spring, I was determined that I wanted to try out exploring another country completely on my own before I turned 40, so I booked a 12-day solo trip around the Cyclades. It turns out, I love travelling on my own and Greece is the perfect country to scurry around without any travel companions. And so, last month I once again flew to Athens to embark on a Grecian adventure. This time it was a little different — I begun the trip with friends before spending 11 days solo — but it cemented the idea that I want to take a solo holiday every year.

This was my third summer road trip through Sweden’s countryside (you can read about my previous travels in Skäne and Västra Götaland here, here and here). Ever since that last trip in 2022, I’d been itching to return, and had always wanted to experience Sweden’s Midsommar festivities. When a pitch I sent to a magazine suggesting a Midsommar story was commissioned, I suggested to my boyfriend that we tie in work and leisure and turn the trip into an eleven-day summer holiday. We’d start in Stockholm, saving the city itself for a future trip and spending a couple of nights on the archipelago, before driving up north to Dalarna where I’d immerse myself in the Midsommar celebrations for my article. We were flying home from Gothenburg, but decided to take our time driving south-west, stopping at our beloved

First of all — my apologies for the lack of newsletters this month. I had an influx of shoots over the last few weeks, followed by a tight deadline for a story I’m currently writing. My working life has been very full-on lately, with lots of time away and many late nights editing and submitting galleries. I’m mostly at home for the next few weeks (besides a weekend in the Cotswolds coming up), so I’m hoping to get back into regular writing here. I’ve actually been writing this particular newsletter for a fortnight, so I’m committed to finalising and publishing it today. I’ve also started writing about the new hotel and hideaway openings I’m excited about. And I’m always open to any questions you might have or subjects you’d like me to cover here. Drop me a comment below or send a DM.

A year-ish ago I published a newsletter entitled Hotels & Hideaways Around the World on my Wishlist. This is the sequel. Another 20 design-led, slow paced hotels and hideaways that I’m dying to visit — for their beautiful interiors, their locations, their bathtubs, or a combination of all of these and more. Funnily enough, I still haven’t stayed in any of the places on my original list, so hopefully I will make it to at least one out of 40 destinations this coming year. Finger’s crossed!

My solo trip to Greece last month whet my appetite to visit more of this beautiful country. I completely fell in love with everything on the Greek islands, from the laid-back way of life and the endless swimming opportunities, to the delicious cuisine and varied landscapes. A few people have asked me to write more about my island hopping experience and to share practical advice, as well as asking how to decide which islands to visit when there are so many to choose from. I’m hoping to answer all of your questions within this one newsletter.