As the weather gets warmer, the pull of a European break gets stronger, promising azure archipelagos and sunny cities. Like always, Wallpaper* has the inside scoop on the most distinctive and distinguished stays in Europe. These destinations are practically guaranteed spring sun. They are also spots that, come summer, will be heaving with tourists, so savvy travellers should get in before high season.
If you’re a design lover, look no further than our collection of European hotels to book now.
The best European destinations to visit in spring
Meraki Studios, Crete, Greece
Meraki Studios offers Mediterranean minimalism in the nature-rich valley of Kissos. The six simple studios by Sigurd Larsen Design blend indoor and outdoor living, sitting within a 6,500 sq m garden filled with olive, oak and fig trees, which is also home to a vegetable garden. Each accommodation boasts either a shaded patio or infinity pool; inside, expect functional comfort and well-equipped kitchens. The nearby village of Kissos is a quiet, secluded escape from the crowds of Crete’s major towns, and the local beaches of Ligres and Triopetra are as beautiful as any.
This Time Tomorrow in Florence, Italy
This Time Tomorrow offers experiences in Florence and Marrakech; its Italian travellers stay in the Abitazione building, a modern tribute to Florentine art situated on the city’s northern edge. The fresco-filled building, restored by SpaceStudio and RecDi8 Living, is home to eight curved-ceiling residences filled with baroque portraits and velvet furniture. Enjoy off-menu cuisine and unseen exhibitions while you stay here courtesy of This Time Tomorrow’s resident curators.
This Time Tomorrow in Florence is located at Viale Don Giovanni Minzoni, 3, 50129 Florence, Italy; thistimetomorrow.io
The Verse, Lisbon, Portugal
The Verse offers the chance to experience local living in design-led surroundings. Fifteen residences designed by Studio Astolfi, from a pastel-pink loft with soaring ceilings to an apartment with a private walled garden, are housed in a historic building. They boast marble-clad kitchens, midcentury furnishings and a palette inspired by a Portuguese landscape, and are populated with local handcrafts, metalwork and hand-painted Azulima tiles. As well as five-star hotel amenities, The Verse also offers a home-away-from-home experience with fully-equipped cooking setups, work areas and hosting spaces.
The Verse is located at R. de São Bento 39, 1200-109 Lisbon, Portugal; theverse.com
The Bodrum Edition, Turkey
Get in before the summer crowds on Turkey’s Turquoise Coast with a stay at the Bodrum Edition, a boutique hotel in one of the twin bays of the Bodrum Peninsula. The 110-rooms, suites and villas feature custom furnishings, marble bathrooms, warm wood finishes, light fabrics, and a private plunge pool, balcony or garden. The Bodrum Edition is also home to a spa, Turkish hammam and beach club, all mere moments from the glittering Aegean Sea and a stone’s throw from the medieval Bodrum Castle.
The Bodrum Edition is located at Dirmil, Balyek Cd. No 5A, 48400 Bodrum/Muğla, Turkey; editionhotels.com
La Residencia, a Belmond Hotel, Mallorca, Spain
Nestled in the mountain enclave of Deià, a centuries-old spiritual home of artists and musicians, La Residencia captures the area’s bohemian spirit. The hotel, which recently unveiled the Studio Ashby renovation of its Villa Robert Graves, sits across twin manor houses among olive and citrus groves. La Residencia offers an award-winning spa and art classes for guests, while local exploration can be done on foot via local hiking trails, by Vespa, or even with the hotel’s donkeys transporting your picnic.
La Residencia, A Belmond Hotel, Mallorca is located at Carrer son Canals, 07179 Deià, Balearic Islands, Spain; belmond.com
La Fondation Paris, France
It’s always a good time for Paris, but the city is especially lovely in the spring. Stay at La Fondation, which is cocooned from its 17th arrondissement surroundings inside brutalist volumes by Philippe Chiambaretta Architecte, breaking from the city’s wedding-cake Hausmann aesthetic. Interiors, including 58 rooms, a brasserie and a bistronomic restaurant, are designed by Roman and Williams; La Fondation is also home to rooftop offices, a semi-Olympic pool and a climbing wall.
La Fondation is located at 40 Rue Legendre, 75017 Paris, France; lafondationhotel.com
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