VESPER HOTEL NOORDWIJK

July 25th, 2014

vesperhotelnoordwijk

The Vesper Hotel in Noordwijk opened its doors two weeks ago. It’s situated right on the beach and that’s why they call themselves the first boutique hotel on the Dutch shore. Michiel and Martijn van der Berg, two brothers who also own beach clubs Bries and Zuiderbad, opened this hotel and asked architect Bart Akkerhuis to help them with the design and interior. Akkerhuis works at Renzo Piano, the famous architect who is in the news right now with the forthcoming opening of the Pathe Fondation in Paris (see pictures of this stunning design here). Just like Read more…


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MOTHER GOOSE UTRECHT

July 23rd, 2014

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Utrecht always has a warm place in my heart, because I have studied and lived there for a time. And now there’s a hotel that feels like that warm nest again and that’s Mother Goose on the Ganzenmarkt (Goose Market, hence the name). A central location and almost next door to that other cool spot called Stan & Co. The entrance is a bit hidden and the lobby is small, cozy and friendly. There are many paintings and mirrors on the walls and you see a few postcards with goose on it to send back home. The elevator has a beautiful view over Utrecht. Each floor has Read more…


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VOLKSHOTEL AMSTERDAM

July 22nd, 2014

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This is the place where once de Volkskrant (a famous Dutch newspaper) was made and after they moved, it was occupied by artists and other creatives. They organized some parties there and if you drove past it with your car you did see the huge building, but it looked rather lifeless. Fast forward to July 2014 when it’s a total different scene at the newly opened Volkshotel. People are sitting behind their computers or chatting with each other in the cafe, there’s a line of hipsters in front of the check-in counter and because the hotel just opened there are still some builders working on the finishing touches. It isn’t just a hotel, there’s also a Read more…


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FONDA MEXICAN FLINDERS LANE MELBOURNE

July 18th, 2014

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3 reasons to go there:

  1. If you already like the other two Fonda Mexican’s in Melbourne (like this one). They’ve now opened a new one on Flinders Lane. Right in the middle of the city.
  2. If you love Mexican food and drinks.
  3. If you like the colorful interior.

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HOLIDAY HOMES PIET HEIN EEK DORDOGNE

July 17th, 2014

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3 reasons to go there:

  1. If you’re looking for a restored holiday home in the Dordogne in France.
  2. If you like the fact that Dutch designer Piet Hein Eek designed the two houses.
  3. If you’re looking for nature, stillness and a bit of design for your next holiday.

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ACE & TATE AT HOTEL DROOG AMSTERDAM

July 15th, 2014

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Ace & Tate is a Dutch eyewear brand that only exists for a year, but is already selling their frames in London, Berlin and The Netherlands. Their success is that they design fashionable, high quality, frames with a more than okay price tag (you already have a frame for 98 euro including prescription). They sell the frames mainly online, although you can also buy them at Hutspot in Amsterdam. This Summer they have opened a beautiful retail space in Hotel Droog, designed by Studio Droog. It’s a bright space with a minimalistic installation where they present the glasses on. When you Read more…


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NACIONAL AMSTERDAM

July 14th, 2014

nacionalamsterdam

Casper Reinders isn’t someone who stands still. Late last year he opened Chow on the Rozengracht and shortly afterwards his gallery Libertine. His restaurants Bocinq and Lion Noir are still a hit in the Amsterdam restaurant scene. And now there’s Nacional: a huge project on the Kleine-Gartmanplantsoen, better known as an extension of the Leidseplein, opposite the Apple Store and the Balie. A central location with a 24/7 atmosphere. That’s why Nacional is also open from breakfast to late dinner. Perfect if Read more…


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TO GO: JEFF KOONS: A RETROSPECTIVE NEW YORK

July 12th, 2014

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3 reasons to go there:

  1. If you want to see the work of Jeff Koons: one of the most controversial artists of the postwar area. On show are almost 150 objects.
  2. If you want to see the first major museum exhibition of this artist in New York and the first to fill nearly the entire Whitney’s Breuer building.
  3. If you want to see the last exhibition in the Whitney Museum before it moves to the Meatpacking District and reopens in 2015.

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STORY RESTAURANT HELSINKI

July 10th, 2014

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3 reasons to go to Story in Helsinki:

  1. Not only the place looks stunning, the food is also good. Four of the best restaurateurs of Helsinki are behind it. One of them, Teemu Aura got a Michelinstar for his last restaurant (Grotesk).
  2. The interior is done by Joanna Laajisto, who also did the design for Bar & Co.
  3. Story is located in the Old Market Hall and offers wide views over the waterfront.

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WIN A WEEKEND AT HOTEL PARADIS PARIS

July 7th, 2014

winaweekendinhotelparadis

Last November I went to Paris and stayed at the beautiful Hôtel Paradis. A hotel in an upcoming neighborhood where I slept in a room that really felt like home. From the cozy lobby with the beautiful sofa to the great big bed in my room. The interior, done by Dorothée Meilichzon is stunning! I got a lot of response from people who have been there and they all enjoyed it just as much as I did. With the biggest compliment that it is the ideal base to discover the city – because you are so close to le Marais, Canal Saint Martin, as well as spots like Paris New York hamburgers and Cafe Le Pinson II. In short: a must if you go to Paris!

And the good news is that we’ve (Hôtel Paradis and Petite Passport) teamed up so that you can win a weekend in this wonderful hotel! A weekend in August so you can soak up the beautiful summer days in Paris and after that you can enjoy one of the unique rooms in the hotel – or that beautiful sofa in the lobby with one of the books the owner buys at Ofr. But nobody is stopping you if you want to stay in the room for the weekend. Can you already imagine being there? (Want to read more about Hôtel Paradis, see my Tried & Tested review here)

To win this weekend at Hôtel Paradis for 2 persons it’s very easy: Read more…


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