Destination: Mexico

Hotel Azucar, Mexico

I love the sunshine and in Athens, summer is officially here. However, it doesn't stop me from dreaming of distant shores of San Rafael, Mexico and this gorgeous little hotel, Azucar. If you're looking for luxe you won't find it here, as the decor is all about going back to basics, as the 20 bungalows (each with private terrace & hammock), thatched roofs have furniture made from driftwood. What this place will do for you is work wonders on the soul, enjoy the light breeze from the sea, the relaxing luscious environment and the starry sky at night.

I love the chilled out vibe and accents of pink!

Oooh, i could so be lounging on that hammock right now, it's too hot to do anything else

Location: Km 83.5 Carretera Poza Rica – Nautla
Localidad Montegordo Veracruz
Mexico C.P. 93588

images via: Hotel Azucar, Kiwi Collections & The Style Files

Chic Retreats: Honeymoon breaks

It's cold, it's relatively sunny but it's been way too long since any of us felt the summer sun and the heat blasting through every inch of Athens. Flicking though Design Hotels monthly newsletter, they've introduced some great getaway deals with a whopping 20% on selected hotels, only the finest one with stunning interiors and location of course.
I don't know about you but I love this place, Alila Villas, Uluwatu in Bali. It's made up of 84 villas surrounded by terraces, pools & scenic gardens set 100m above the Indian ocean on a limestone cliff.
This place is not only a spa but offers Bali culinary courses, scuba diving, water rafting amongst a whole host of exciting extra curricular activities. What else do I love about this place apart from the fact that the villas are simply amazing & quite possibly perfect for a Honeymoon escape? Alila Villas are going for the Green Globe certificate, which means they're trying to conserve energy and water as best possible through one of the highest levels of Environmentally Sustainable Design. Check it out guys.

Location:
Jl. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak
Desa Pecatu, Bali
Indonesia

30 minutes from Ngurah Rai International airport

all images via Design Hotels

My Morocco Part 1: Ksar Char-Bagh, Marrakech

Once upon a time I dreamed about the pink city that is Marrakech with it's exotic vibe and interesting sounds, smells oozing from the Souks, Medina's (old town) and colourful Bazaars within. I've seriously wanted to take a little trip here to discover everything about this wonderful, mysterious & bustling city and basically get my hit of 'Arabian Nights' style architecture & fascinating stories. Well this is part 1, in the series that will become a hot spot collection of fabulous hotels in Morocco, starting with Kser Char-Bagh in Marrakech. I found this gem of a hotel on Mr & Mrs Smith when searching for boutique hotels... enjoy!
In a nutshell, there are 13 luxurious Harem suites (this place is definitely suited for couples), all with private gardens and terrace - you have to see the view of Atlas Mountains, it's simply breathtaking!

Views of Atlas Mountains

Palatial style Bathroom

Courtyard

Harim Suite Bedroom

Harim Suite Living Room

Stunning Terrace

The Grand Salon Restaurant at Ksar Char-Bagh
All images via Mr & Mrs Smith Hotels

Update: Hot hotels

Currently on our love list are these two super stylish hotels with delicious interiors. The St. Regis in Washington, USA is simply stunning and only a hop, skip and a jump away from the White House. Apparently the butlers are armed with Blackberry's should you wish to email over a request, they will indeed fulfill it in a moments notice, brilliant or what?
There are plenty of rooms and 25 suites decked out in old world glamour and the divine hotel restaurant ain't too shabby either.

I received an email over the weekend from Design Hotels and immediately I recognised the style of the hotel room staring at me... It reminded me of The Knightsbridge Hotel and also similar style of The Soho Hotel. It was blaringly obvious that the Kemps had spread their stylish hotel wings to bring us Crosby Street Hotel.

The Crosby Hotel is somewhat special as Tim and Kit Kemp (of the Firmdale Group) put their signature style stamp with their very first American hotel in New York. It used to be an former parking lot and a whole lot of nothingness in downtown, New York. They literally built this chic 11-story hotel from scratch, adding a dash of glamour to the SoHo neighbourhood.

Lobby, St. Regis

Presidential Suite Parlour, St. Regis

Love the wallpaper! Presidential suite, St. Regis

Presidential Suite bedroom, St. Regis

John Jacob suite, St. Regis

Astor Parlour Terrace, St. Regis

View from Crosby Street Hotel

I love the colour combo here with a flash of silver

Suite at Crosby Street Hotel

Images via: Mr & Mrs Smith, Crosby Street Hotel

Aviator Hotel, Farnborough, England

Hello folks,

Now at Epiplo Aris, we have a lot of love for design and stylish Hotels. On a recent visit to the UK for a dear friends surprise birthday we stumbled upon part of the surprise which was a beautiful dinner followed by the party of all parties in one of the most beautiful rooms - The Sky Lounge at the Aviator Hotel.

Ooh and best of all? We were offered one of the suites to stay in after the party... so no late taxi ride for us!

The Aviator Hotel is just one super stylish, contemporary Hotel located in Farnborough, Hampshire, on a privately-owned airport. Surprisingly there was hardly any noise what so ever.

The hotel has been built in the same style as the private jets you can see landing from one of the hotel's wings, purely because The Aviator is an architectural gem built in the shape of an airplane propeller. The interiors are deeply seductive and discreet whilst the suites and bedrooms have a much softer yet warm tones of chocolate and beige.

Time to check out the images!