16 Elevated European Summer Sojourns
The new adventures, properties and places to indulge across the continent this season.
An unsurpassed insight into what’s new and exciting on the continent this summer: exclusive Greek moments, gilded Paris experiences, Denmark’s cool charms, train travel dripping in Belle Époque splendour, and so much more.
From Europe, With Love
Whether you’re a James Bond fan or not, few would pass up the chance to live like the famed British spy for a day—or a couple of weeks. Now you can do just that thanks to a new partnership between EON Productions, makers of the James Bond empire, and upscale travel company Black Tomato—the first, and only, official 007 travel partner. It begins in March 2023 with 60 limited-edition private trips, each paying homage to Bond’s memorable adventures through a host of immersive experiences, beginning in London, Bond’s home base, before moving to Paris, Monaco, Lake Como and Venice. At each stop, expect high-octane experiences—whether in cars, yachts, helicopters or on trains.
Pull out your bow tie for VIP access to Monaco’s Casino de Monte-Carlo, which starred in Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Get set to waterski along the shore of Moltrasio and soar in a seaplane over Bellagio at Lake Como (Daniel Craig did the same during 2006’s Casino Royale). Then, north of Paris, Château De Chantilly—the sumptuous lair of evil industrialist Max Zorin in A View to A Kill—becomes exclusively yours for an equestrian adventure through enchanting Chantilly Forest.
Denmark’s Capital Of Cool
Danes have long inspired design and architectural enthusiasts. Small wonder, then, that Copenhagen has been designated the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture in 2023. This year, the city will host a series of events exploring how architecture and urban planning can contribute to achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Case in point: the new Opera Park along Copenhagen’s waterfront, drawing inspiration from romantic 19th-century gardens and featuring systems that reuse rainwater and recyclable materials.
Lauded Danish chef René Redzepi also has his eye on sustainability at his three-Michelin-starred restaurant noma, with a culinary ethos dedicated to low food miles: don’t miss out before the restaurant closes for good in 2024. After eating, you don’t have to travel far to reach soon-to-open seaside resort, Gilleje Sø- og Havbad, just 50 kilometres from Copenhagen. The dreamy retreat occupies a restored heritage building on the Danish Riviera, transformed with 40 rooms, an outdoor pool, rooftop terrace and spa.
uia2023cph.org; noma.dk; khr.dk
All Eyes On Evrima
Having sailed her maiden voyage in October 2022, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s inaugural ship, Evrima, is doing what every savvy traveller seeking sunshine does over the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer months—making a beeline for the Mediterranean.
You’re sharing the yacht with just 297 other guests (there are almost as many crew), checked in to suites that come with floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies—the Owner’s Suite’s alfresco whirlpool is a nice touch. More bubbles await on the pool deck and marina, the latter of which provides easy access to the ocean and water toys when the ship anchors.
On-board indulgence can be found at six restaurants and bars, including specialty dining room S.E.A, conceptualised by chef Sven Elverfeld of Aqua, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton in Wolfsburg.
ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com
Greece Is The Word
The global jet-set have been visiting the Athenian Riviera for decades, drawn by aromatic pine forests that fringe thermal springs and opaline water. The glamorous Astir Palace Hotel has been an A-list favourite since the 1960s, with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga spending the night. More recently, Four Seasons gave the property a chic makeover, adding beach clubs, restaurants and a spa.
Its reputation will be elevated when the One&Only Aesthesis opens here this year, set over 21 waterside hectares. Design takes inspiration from local culture, heroing woven leather, muted tones and accent patterns. The Chenot Spa, courtesy of the Swiss wellness brand, will be a highlight.The hotel is within easy reach of the new Ellinikon Experience Park, built on the site of Athens’ former airport. It’s a stunning example of re-greening, and home to a Zen garden, interactive water maze, fitness equipment and forest playground.
fourseasons.com; oneandonlyresorts.com; experiencepark.theellinikon.com.gr
Loving Lake Como
In Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Lake Como has seduced painters, philosophers, musicians and poets for time immemorial. More recently, its dramatic beauty in the foothills of the Alps has drawn the fashionable and famous, who come here to explore atmospheric waterside resort towns by day, and sip spritz in seriously sexy hotels by night. Arguably the prettiest perch of them all is Villa Passalacqua.
The historic 1787 property seems made for romantic trysts, from its manicured garden nooks of olive trees and mimosa to the 24 deliciously detailed rooms, each individual in design and with heart-stopping lake views. The piece de resistance is the former music room with Giocondo Albertolli frescoes, now the Bellini Suite, where the maestro composed. The Casa Al Lago is a sleek private house, and there are additional accommodations in the Palazz, which also has an intimate spa. Order an Aperol spritz to be delivered poolside, where a 200-year-old greenhouse has been repurposed as a casual restaurant with JJ Martin-designed floral furnishings. Or in the dining room, snack on Italian sweets or discuss dinner with the chef.
Le Grand Tour
Whether murder mysteries or love affairs, there’s something about long-distance rail travel that inspires drama. The team behind historic French theme park Puy du Fou will add to the spectacle when they launch Le Grand Tour in June. This six-day, 4,000-kilometre journey traverses Champagne, Burgundy and Lake Annecy, pausing to visit Avignon’s Palace of the Popes and some of the 300 châteaux of the Loire Valley—while you’re here, sit under the stars for a performance of Puy du Fou’s famous show, the Cinéscénie. After days of exploring, meals and music are enjoyed in swanky dining carriages. And with space for just 36 passengers, every experience is sure to be exclusive.
Mallorca’s Moment
Sir Richard Branson once famously quipped that he’s not a fan of hotels … unless they are his own. It’s perhaps understandable once you’ve glimpsed the British billionaire’s latest lodging on the Spanish isle of Mallorca. Son Bunyola will skyrocket Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition portfolio to new luxury heights when it reveals 26 new suites on August 1. Joining Branson’s three existing villas (Sa Punta de S’Aguila, Son Balagueret and Sa Terra Rotja) on a 325-hectare estate—the centre of which is an historic finca (manor house)—the new hotel includes two suites located in former defence towers, each with ravishing vineyard views.
While Mallorca and its Balearic sisters have traditionally enjoyed a wild party vibe, this pocket of the island—part of a World Heritage Site—exudes nothing but class, from the hotel’s drop-dead-gorgeous GRAS Reynés Architecture Studio-designed interiors to its two restaurants, each paying homage to this produce-blessed region of Europe.
If you tire of the pool, stroll through olive groves fringing the estate to reach pebbly Son Bunyola beach—it’s so off the beaten track, you may well have it all to yourself.
Ahpo For All Seasons
Don’t expect much change from $4.4 million when you charter new superyacht Ahpo for a week, exploring the Mediterranean. But for the price tag, you’re given access to a long list of indulgences, from a helipad to a beach club, pool and cinema, spread over the yacht’s 115 metres.
While there’s space for just 16 guests on board, Ahpo comes with a crew of 36 to manage your every whim, whether that’s dropping anchor to shop in Saint-Tropez or picnic in Portofino, or jumping in a tender for an afternoon of fishing. The owner’s requirement for the yacht was that it be refined yet family friendly, which means there’s room for water toys for kids of all ages—think WaveRunners, waterskis, seabobs, kayaks and windsurfers—as well as a dancefloor, best enjoyed when your crew fire up the yacht’s underwater lights and plug in the karaoke machine. After a night of partying, be sure to make the most of the spa, hammam and sauna, and huge fitness centre with floor-to-ceiling windows.
For all her style, Ahpo is also sustainable with high eco-credentials, including an innovative heat recovery system and dynamic positioning.
French Tryst
There’s a reason why the Loire Valley has been the chosen retreat of the French elite for centuries—it’s the perfect backdrop for aristocracy and royalty to erect fairy-tale châteaux. From Renaissance-era mansions to fortified castles, there are more than 300 sprinkled across the countryside. Check in to freshly minted Château Louise de La Vallière, an opulent 20-room Relais & Châteaux hotel where the staff dress in period wear, deer roam between centuries-old oak and cedar trees, and you can dine on dishes King Louis XIV once ordered.
The spirit of the King’s era has been brought back to life, with meticulous attention to detail at the hands of French designer Jacques Garcia. Rooms are named after historical figures, each individually designed with swathes of marble, textured wallpaper, wood panelling and antiques.
There’s another royal (and Relais & Châteaux) connection at nearby Fleur de Loire, a palace conceived by Gaston d’Orléans (son of King Henry IV), reimagined as an enchanting hotel mid-2022. There are plenty of reasons to linger, from the duplex suites with views of the Loire River to the Sisley Spa. Tasting menus are prepared at double-Michelin-starred Christopher Hay’s eponymous on-site restaurant, heroing wagyu from the estate’s own farm and black bass from Solonge.
fleurdeloire.com; chateaulouise.com
Linger In Venice
For those here on an extended stay, the recent introduction of an entry fee of between three and 11 euros means you’ll likely glimpse a calmer side to Venice’s canals, cathedrals and architecturally significant buildings. And if visiting for the La Biennale di Venezia (11 February-26 November) you’ll definitely want to linger. This is one of the world’s oldest and largest creative celebrations, a whirlwind of events, performances and exhibitions.
Stay somewhere stylish—might we suggest The Langham, Venice. The brand’s first Italian property sits on the island of Murano with direct frontage to the Venetian Lagoon in the former Casino Mocenigo, an architectural grande dame from the 1600s.
Otherwise, there’s the Rosewood Venice, housed in the beautiful Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a 15th-century building created by famed architect Filippo Calendario. The canal-side setting grants easy access to some of those sites you’ll (hopefully) no longer have to queue to visit.
labiennale.org; langhamhospitalitygroup.com; rosewoodhotels.com
Rail’s New Heights
Riding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has always been a glamorous affair. In June, it will become even more exclusive with the unveiling of eight new suites on the Belmond-owned train. French craftsmen restored two original ’20s and ’30s carriages, accommodating four suites each.
Design is inspired by the dramatic landscapes unfolding outside the train’s windows, capturing four regions—la campagne (countryside), les montagnes (mountains), les lacs (lakes) and la forêt (forest). Book your journey from December 2023 to enjoy a new route into the French Alps, between Paris and three stations in the heart of the mountains: Albertville, Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Tuscany’s Time To Shine
The walled hamlet of Magliano in Toscana dates to Etruscan times. Life here is slow, sweet and blissfully simple, particularly if you’re checked in to the town’s namesake 8,000-square-metre villa, set on a hillside estate surrounded by olive groves and historic vineyards.
Local Italian architects and artists were called in to transform the former monastery into this striking abode—a jaw-dropping union of stone, brick, glass and wood. Décor is pared-back yet polished, with no luxury spared across the seven bedrooms, formal dining room and professional kitchen.
This part of Tuscany, close to the Maremma coast, is known for its bountiful produce, and you can sample the wares without leaving the estate—the 80-hectare grounds come with an organic vegetable garden, lemon grove and orangery to explore and pluck at your leisure. The cellar, meanwhile, is stocked with wine and olive oils made by the villa’s own vintners and farmers. If you venture into town, atmospheric lanes are home to restaurants specialising in fish soup, wild boar pasta and (in season) truffled everything.
Scottish High
Draw up a list of 40 of your favourite people (and single malts) and ride the Scottish rails in style when chartering Belmond’s entire Royal Scotsman train. The stations you choose to pause at and activities you do on this journey through the bucolic Scottish Highlands is completely customisable, although the train’s concierge will likely have a few ideas. Perhaps an exclusive visit to the neo-gothic Mount Stuart mansion on the Isle of Bute? A private whisky tasting in your distillery of choice?
There’s plenty of liquid-gold inspiration in the train’s bar carriage, which has more than 60 whisky varieties. Across the train’s 10 vintage-inspired cars there’s also an open-air veranda and cabins designed in dark polished wood and brass, with Scottish wools, tartans and antique prints. There’s even a spa on board.
Red Marks The Spot
Arguably the world’s most famous shoe designer, Christian Louboutin’s distinctive red-soled stilettos are the stuff fashion dreams are made of. Now, the guru is turning his craftsmanship to hotels. When it opens in mid-2023, 13-room Vermelho will be “Simple outside; impactful inside,” says Louboutin modestly. The goal being, he adds, to let the surrounding countryside of Portugal’s seaside Alentejo region, 130 kilometres south of Lisbon, do the talking.
The bucolic setting attracts some of the country’s most applauded artisans, whom Louboutin intends to hero across Vermelho’s individually designed rooms and public spaces. He’s committed to hand-selecting the furniture, ceramics, fabrics and art that will star throughout; think feature walls of Portugal’s famed glazed blue ceramic tiles, delicate plates commissioned from local potters, and produce sourced from the fields that surround, to be served in on-site restaurant Xtain. And expect accents of Louboutin’s shade. Vermelho means “red” in Portuguese, after all.
Capital Assets
The English capital has its fair share of hotels with landmark addresses. But The Peninsula London may well steal the scene when it welcomes guests in early 2023. In the heart of Belgravia, the 190 rooms here feature covetable views over Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch, which means you’re mere steps from Buckingham Palace—and just a few more from the iconic River Thames.
The design throughout the restored former office building reflects this prestigious position, from the grand colonnaded courtyard to the luxe destination spa and no-expense-spared rooms, which come courtesy of architect and interiors whiz Peter Marino, who counts Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari among his clients. While the hotel is keeping quiet on the specifics of its forthcoming dining offerings, we’re told there will be four marquee restaurants to choose from, with an emphasis on British culinary traditions.
Island Idyll
The 230 islands of the Greek archipelago host millions of tourists annually, most of them flocking to Santorini and Mykonos—for good reason. If you want to sidestep the crowds but still enjoy the colour of the Cyclades, set sail for dreamy Sifnos and set your sights on Villa Calder.
Wake up in this out-of-town aerie with just 13 of your closest friends, your horizon-bending outlook melting over a private infinity pool before carving through groves of fragrant olive and fig trees that tier to the sea. Everything feels remote, yet you’re just a short walk from village squares where grandmothers gossip on polished marble steps lined with geraniums, the aroma of orange-and-anise biscuits drifting down narrow lanes.
You may wish to call on the services of a private chef to prepare Sifniot specialties while you watch the day disappear. At other times, arrange for the Villa Calder concierge to host hikes through wind-chiselled valleys perfumed with sage and oregano; prepare beach chairs overlooking fishing boats bobbing far offshore like rainbow pelicans; plan for a photographer to guide you to the island’s most postcard-worthy sights, whether whitewashed, blue-domed churches or crumbling monasteries in the clouds. Time stands still here, in the best possible way.
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Omega Just Unveiled 9 Watches in Its New Constellation Observatory Collection
The line-up shows up a bevy of metals and colours, too, as well as two new calibres.
Omega’s latest watch is in a universe of its own.
The Swiss watchmaker just unveiled its new Constellation Observatory Collection today, the next step in its Constellation lineage and the first two-hand hour and minute timepieces to ever earn Master Chronometer certification. And if you were paying attention to any of the dazzling watches spotted at the Oscars this year, you would’ve caught a glimpse of the new line already: Sinners star Delroy Lindo rocked one of the models on the Academy Awards red carpet, giving us a pre-release preview of the collection.
Developed at Omega’s new Laboratoire de Précision (its chronometer testing lab open to all brands), the collection houses a set of nine 39.4 mm watches. The watches underwent 25 days of scrutiny there, analysed via a new acoustic testing method that recorded every sound emitted from the timepiece to track irregularities, temperature sensitivities, and more in the name of all things precision. (Details such as water resistance and power reserve are also thoroughly examined.) This meticulous process is all in the name of snagging that Master Chronometer label, meaning that the timepiece is highly accurate and surpasses the threshold for ultra-high performance. The Constellation Observatory Collection has now changed the game, though, thanks to its lack of a seconds hand.
“Until now, precision certification has required a seconds hand,” Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of OMEGA, said in a press statement. “The development of a new acoustic testing methodology has made that requirement obsolete. It is this breakthrough that has enabled us to present the Constellation Observatory, the first two-hand watch to achieve Master Chronometer certification.”
In addition to notching its place in history, the collection also debuted a new pair of movements: the Calibre 8915 and the Calibre 8914, each perched on a skeletonised rotor base. The former’s Grand Luxe iteration will appear on the 950 Platinum-Gold model in the collection, which offers up that base in 18-karat Sedna Gold alongside a Constellation medallion in 18-karat white gold with an Observatory dome done in white opal enamel surrounded by stars. The second Calibre 8915, the Luxe, will find its home on the other precious-metal models in the line, either made with the brand’s 18-karat Sedna, Moonshine, or Canopus gold seen across the case, the hand-guilloché dial, and, of course, the movement itself. (Lindo chose to rock the Moonshine Gold on Moonshine Gold iteration, priced at approximately $86,000, for Sinners‘s big night at the Oscars.) As for the Calibre 8914, it can be found in the collection’s four steel models.
Each model is a callback to myriad design features on past Omega models. That two-hand dial, for one, comes from the 1948 Centenary (the brand’s first chronometer-certified automatic wristwatch), while the pie-pan dial (seen in various blue, green, and golden hues throughout the line) and that Constellation medallion caseback both appear on watches from 1952. The star adorning the space above 6 o’clock also harks back to 1950s timepieces from Omega. And to finish off the look, you can opt for alligator straps in a variety of colours, or perhaps a gold iteration to match the precious-metal models; the brick-like pattern on the 18-karat Moonshine bracelet was also inspired by Omega watches from the ’50s.
We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for any other Constellation Observatory timepieces (or any other unreleased models from the brand) at the rest of the star-studded events headed our way this year—perhaps the Met Gala?
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Inside Loro Piana’s First Sydney Boutique
A first Australian address brings the Italian house’s textile-led approach to retail full circle.
On the fourth floor of Westfield Sydney, near the Castlereagh and Market Street entrance—in the space formerly occupied by Chanel—Loro Piana has opened its first Australian boutique. It is a significant address change for that corner of the mall, and a meaningful one for the Italian house, which has sourced Australian merino wool for decades but until now had no retail presence here.
The facade is understated—creamy, tactile, more about texture than theatre. Inside, the store unfolds across a single, expansive level divided into distinct men’s and women’s wings. The separation is clear without being heavy-handed: womenswear leads from soft accessories and leather goods into ready-to-wear, while menswear occupies its own assured territory, with tailoring and outerwear given proper breathing room. Footwear (supple loafers, luxurious slides, pared-back sneakers) is particularly strong, and the sunglasses are a quiet standout: mineral-toned frames with a disciplined elegance that feels entirely of the house.
That same restraint carries into the interiors, where the surfaces do much of the talking. Walls are wrapped in the company’s own linen and cashmere; carpets are custom, dense underfoot, softening the acoustics and the pace. Oak and carabottino wood add warmth without fuss; marble accents introduce a cool counterpoint. The effect is a composed space calibrated around material, proportion and restraint.
The Spring 2026 collection now in store underscores that sensibility. Silhouettes are elongated and fluid; cashmere, silk and featherweight merino move in sandy neutrals, creams and muddied earth tones, with flashes of marigold and pale turquoise breaking the calm. Tailoring is softly structured and projects confidence without aggression. Leather goods arrive in buttery skins that feel almost pre-lived, as though time has already worked its magic.
What distinguishes Loro Piana, particularly in a market that has grown noisier by the season, is its refusal to perform luxury in an obvious register. There are no oversized insignias telegraphing allegiance. Instead, the status is encoded in fibre count, in hand-feel, in how a coat hangs from the shoulder. It assumes the wearer knows and, crucially, does not need to announce it.
Sydney’s luxury landscape has matured in recent years; global houses no longer test the waters but commit to them. Yet Loro Piana’s arrival feels different. It is not trend-driven expansion but material logic. For a country whose sheep stations have long contributed to the house’s fabric story, this boutique reads almost as a thank-you note written in cashmere.
Photography: Courtesy of Loro Piana.
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This Stylish, Water-Resistant Dopp Kit Might Be the Last One You Ever Buy
Patricks’s limited-edition wash bag is designed to keep liquids in and out, so it can come along wherever your travels take you.
If all you’re going to do is look at it, a leather Dopp kit from a fashion house is a fine choice. But if you take travelling seriously—and do it often, for business, pleasure, or both—such a bag will inevitably end up blemished with droplets of water or stained by errant flecks of toothpaste. Get stuck with a cavalier team of baggage handlers, and it can even get soaked in your favourite fragrance or anti-ageing serum.
But Patricks, the high-performance Australian grooming brand stocked in Harrods and Bergdorf Goodman, has a solution. Its limited-edition bathroom bag, called BB1, is purpose-built to protect everything inside and out. Conceived by industrial designer George Cunningham with brand founder Patrick Kidd, the cuboid design is executed in a water-resistant recycled nylon you can rinse clean. It’s lined with a thin layer of shock-absorbing foam to safeguard your products, but if a bottle somehow gets cracked in transit, the two-way water-resistant zippers and sealed seams (which keep liquids from seeping in or out) ensure that whatever leaks won’t ruin your cashmere. Inside, two dual-sided zippered compartments are ideally sized to fit toothbrushes, razors, and other small essentials.
And though its clean lines and rugged construction make it undeniably masculine, its greatest feature is borrowed from women’s makeup bags. Like the best of these, BB1 unzips to lie flat, giving you unobstructed access to everything inside. Well, you and the 999 other gentlemen who move fast enough to snag one. $289
Courtesy of Patricks
1. Hanging Loop
The G-hook system isn’t just a stylish handle: You can also use it to hang the bag from a hook or secure it to your carry-on.
2. Two-Way Zipper
The closures are water-resistant in both directions, meaning liquids won’t get in or out.
3. Fold-flat Construction
BB1 opens to 180 degrees, letting you scan its 4.2-litre capacity at a quick glance.
4. Technical-Fabric Shell
The durable recycled-nylon is easy to maintain and woven to survive splashes and leaks from your go-to products.
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Mauve on Up
Brisbane boutique stay Miss Midgley’s offers a viscerally human experience—especially if you dig pink.
On a sun-bleached corner of Brisbane’s New Farm, where the scent of frangipani mingles with the clink of coffee cups, stands a building that has lived more lives than most people. Once a premier’s residence, an orphanage, a hospital and a private school, the 160-year-old stone structure now finds itself reborn as Miss Midgley’s—a boutique stay that teaches a masterclass in how to make heritage feel modern.
Designed and run by architect-mother-daughter duo Lisa and Isabella White, Miss Midgley’s captures the cultural confidence of a city in bloom. Nowhere is that new confidence more visible than along James Street—the leafy, slow-burn heart of the city’s fashion and dining scene—where Miss Midgley’s sits quietly at the edge, its shell-pink façade glowing in the subtropical light.
Built of Brisbane’s rare volcanic tuff, the building’s soft mauves and pinks are more than aesthetic; they are its identity. Locals still remember its 1950s incarnation as the Pink Flats, and the Whites have honoured that legacy with a contemporary blush-toned exterior, chosen to harmonise with the stone’s peachy undertones. Inside, those hues continue in dusty terracottas, russets and the faint shimmer of brass tapware. “Design can’t afford to be for the sake of fashion,” Isabella White has said. “It has to respond to what’s in front of you.”
That sentiment is tangible in every corner. Five apartments, each with their own idiosyncratic floor plan, occupy the building. Ceilings bloom with heritage plasterwork, 19th-century wallpaper fragments have been preserved in the kitchens, and tiny hand-painted notes left by the architects point out original quirks: a misaligned beam here, a hidden archway there. It’s a kind of adult treasure hunt for design lovers, where discovery feels personal and unforced.
Even the picket fence, a heritage requirement, has been reimagined in corten steel—a sly nod to regulation turned into sculpture. It’s this blend of reverence and rebellion that gives Miss Midgley’s its edge: heritage without starch, nostalgia without sentimentality.
True to Brisbane’s easy elegance, luxury here is measured not in marble or minibar but in proportion, privacy, and personality. Each apartment—from the Drawing Room and the Assembly Hall to the Principal’s Office—is a self-contained sanctuary with its own kitchen, large bathroom and outdoor space. The ground-floor units open onto leafy courtyards and welcome small dogs; upstairs, the larger suites spill onto verandahs shaded by jacarandas.
At the heart of the property lies a solar-heated pool hemmed with tropical greenery and fringed umbrellas—more mid-century Palm Springs than colonial Brisbane. Around it, guests share a petite laundry, a communal library and that rarest of urban luxuries: a car park per apartment. The atmosphere is quietly collegiate—a handful of travellers who might nod to each other on the stairs but otherwise inhabit their own creative bubbles.
The hotel’s namesake, Annie Midgley, lends the project both its name and its spirit. An ambidextrous artist and teacher, she famously instructed two students at once, writing with both hands simultaneously—a fitting metaphor for the dual vision the Whites bring to the building: one hand rooted in history, the other sketching toward the future. “Not famous, yet known,” goes the property’s understated tagline—and indeed, Miss Midgley’s has quietly become that most desirable of addresses: the one whispered about by people who know.
Sustainability isn’t an accessory here; it’s structural. The adaptive reuse of the heritage building is its boldest environmental act. Solar panels power the property; an electric heat pump warms the pool; recycled decking and tiles frame the courtyard. The metre-thick tuff walls regulate temperature naturally, and the amenities follow suit—refillable bath products, biodegradable pods, Seljak blankets spun from textile off-cuts, and compendiums wrapped in Australian-made kangaroo leather. It’s slow luxury in the truest sense.
In a world of carbon-copy hotels, Miss Midgley’s feels deeply human—a place where history isn’t curated behind glass but lives in the warmth of stone and the flicker of afternoon light. The lesson it offers is simple and resonant: that the most elegant modernity often comes not from reinvention, but from listening to what’s already there.
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