Eat your way around Barcelona! 11 of the city's must-visit eateries, from bocadillos to pintxos
*The remaining 10 per cent of post-holiday agony will be down to European Monzo transactions, FYI.
When it comes to choosing where to stay in Barcelona, you've got options galore; Airbnbs that feel like home and hotels that offer a slice of luxury. But if you're looking to elevate your trip, I experienced the following three-night stay that truly stood out.
Seeking a stylish and indulgent escape (Aren't we all...)? Well, SLS Barcelona is the city's newest five-star hotspot that offers a chic waterfront retreat, seamlessly blending Mediterranean vibes and culinary excellence with Miami design and a luxury flair. Basically, if this hotel were a Hinge date, I'd no doubt swipe right.
Situated at Port Fòrum, the hotel boasts 471 rooms and suites, many featuring private balconies with views of the marina or Mediterranean Sea. Interiors by Rockwell Group combine sleek materials like Venetian mirrors and sculptural lighting, creating a sophisticated ambience.
Rooms aside, with six dining spots, SLS Barcelona is a foodie's dream. Lora serves up Mediterranean dishes cooked over a wood and coal grill, while L'Anxova Divina offers tapas with a Gaudí-inspired twist. And coming soon, they have Kyara, a cocktail bar exploring mixology as an art form, and Cosmico, a rooftop pool bar and club with floating sushi boats and Ibiza-worthy vibes. Oh, and they're not short of amenities, either. Guests can unwind at one of the three pools, including rooftop options with panoramic city views, or enjoy exclusive access to Coral, the guest-only pool bar. Plus, with a 24/7 fitness centre, complimentary bikes, and a forthcoming subterranean spa, SLS Barcelona provides a luxurious base for exploring the city's vibrant culture and nightlife.
Basically, if you don't want to leave the hotel, you don't have to! But if you do want to explore the city, I've got you covered...
Book now
Whether you're looking to indulge in retail therapy at chic boutiques or immerse yourself in the rich tapestry of history and culture, Barcelona has a number of specialities waiting for you.
Park Güell is Gaudí's signature, whimsical masterpiece – think pastel-coloured mosaics, curvy stone benches, and panoramic city views that are the epitome of "Instagrammable." It's the perfect spot for a chill day of exploring, snapping pics, and soaking in the surrealist vibes. But be warned: Book in advance and head early to beat the crowds.
For vintage treasures and gourmet street eats (away from tourist traps), Mercat dels Encants is Barcelona's must-visit flea market, blending vintage treasures with modern finds. From retro furniture to quirky fashion, it's a treasure hunt that's both eco-friendly and totally unique. Don't miss the live auctions for some extra thrill.
Spiral through ancient laneways, spot the Cathedral, and cosy up in hidden plazas with a morning trip to the Gothic Quarter. It's packed with hidden squares, independent cafés, and historic landmarks that make you feel like you're stepping back in time.
You can't visit Barcelona without going to El Born (no, seriously, it's pretty unavoidable...). El Born is Barcelona's artsy, boho neighbourhood. Prepare for indie boutiques, art galleries, and street art that give the area its creative edge. It's the perfect place to get lost and discover something new around every corner.
If Parc Güell is a lil out of your budget, or you just don't have the time to spend a day there, some of Gaudí's most renowned architectural genius is on full display around the city – including Casa Batlló and Casa Milà. These buildings are like living art – curvy facades, colourful tiles, and designs that defy convention.
Ocaña is a cultural hotspot in Plaça Reial, offering a mix of art, food, and nightlife. Don't forget to snap a quirky photobooth pic to remember your night out in one of Barcelona's most iconic squares.
Whether you're lounging by a rooftop pool or catching rays at Barceloneta Beach, Barcelona's got your chill time covered. Grab a drink, soak up the sun, and vibe out to the sounds of the city and sea. The SLS Barcelona pool (and its bar) is the place to be.
Barcelona's culinary scene is a vibrant tapestry of flavours, offering everything from traditional tapas to innovative Mediterranean cuisine and world-class wine bars. These spots are basically Barcelona's best mix of iconic, artsy and outright delicious.
The OG tapas spot where you're basically time-travelling back to 1929. Get ready to elbow in beside locals, chug that homemade cava, and snack on anchovies and tortilla like a true Borneño. It's a classic, total vibe.
Enter: Picasso's hangout turned artsy café. Gats has got that vintage Modernisme look plus major Bohemian energy – basically peak Insta meets art history IRL. (The patatas bravas are the best I've ever had, BTW...)
Okay, slight mix-up: you've got Boadas, the slickest cocktail bar since 1933 just off La Rambla. Think mint‑tux bartenders, daiquiris inspired by Havana, and interesting history in every glass.
To brunch with style, La Papa in Eixample is a mood: pastel‑tone interiors, avocado-toast glow‑ups, vegan croissants, açai bowls, and sustainable coffee that's actually worth the queue.
Mercat de la Boqueria is a total bucket‑list foodie destination. The historic Modernista market (dating back to 1217!) is like walking into a sensory overload of vibrant produce, top‑tier seafood, and legendary cured hams under a stunning iron-and-glass canopy.
Benzina in Sant Antoni is a breath of fresh air from the usual Spanish tapas circuit – it's that perfect blend of Italian soul meets rock‑and‑roll swagger. The vibe? Once a mechanic's garage, now a sleek industrial-chic space with vinyl tunes from The Rolling Stones to Led Zeppelin. Oh, and the food? Well, each dish flips Italian classics in fun, unexpected ways – spaghetti carbonara, eggplant parmigiana with parmesan ice cream, lobster‑avocado linguine and a viral "sferamisu" that doubles as dessert art.
A speakeasy behind a random bazaar? You bet. Push past the groceries into this moody, neo‑Gothic cocktail cathedral where drinks are art and the vibe hits different, like the sister‑bar to Paradiso, but moodier and more immersive.
I've never been one to fall victim to a restaurant hotel, but Volta is an exception. The setting is the verdant, plant-filled ground floor of Borneta (one of the city's coolest new boutique hotels) beneath the iconic 19th-century arches of Passeig de Picasso, but the menu is even better. Executive Chef Andrea De Benedictis's pan‑Mediterranean dishes (think fire‑grilled tagliolini with clams, cheesy tempura zucchini blossoms, and juicy ossobuco) are as fresh as they come, made with local farm-to-table ingredients and served in a chill space that's cosy but still feels bougie.
Famous for its "cloud sandwiches" on challah, fluffy croissants, avocado‑feta toasts, and top-tier barista coffee, brekkie at Flying Monkey is a failsafe start to any Barca day. Plus, the natural wine selection makes it a go-to for evening aperitivo, too.
Minute‑by‑minute fresh and massive sandwiches, Bo D Be is a hole-in-the-wall sandwich shop that overloads the perfect baguette with your meat/veggie of choice, plus endless toppings (feta, lentils, pesto, tzatziki – no skimps), making each bocadillo feel straight-up custom and enormous. The best bit? It's super affordable; we're talking full meal vibes for €4–6 – sandwiches, bravas, salads.
Pet Nat specialises in "pétillant-naturel" (ancestral method) sparkling wines, bottled mid-fermentation to lock in that natural fizz, turning every glass into a flavourful, lightly effervescent surprise.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK. Covering everything from viral celebrity hair and makeup news to the latest trend predictions, she's an expert in recognising the season's next big beauty look (before it ends up all over your social media feeds). You'll usually find her putting TikTok's recent beauty hacks to the Hype Test, challenging the gender-makeup binary and social stereotypes, or fangirling over the time Kourtney Kardashian viewed her Instagram Story (yes, it's true). Find her also on LinkedIn.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Yahoo
I wore a glucose tracker to monitor my holiday weight gain. Here's what happened
If you're anything like me, then the whole point of a week away on holiday is that you can eat and drink as much as you want, guilt-free. But how many of us can properly switch off? Too often, phantom calorie counts float next to the delicious treats listed on restaurant menus or presented in the windows of patisseries. Inevitably, there is panic, as the jeans worn on the flight to somewhere sunny refuse to button on the return home. Add to this a long string of hangovers and the general sluggishness that follows a week of heavy dinners, and you can find yourself more drained by a trip away than you were before it. Yet the positive effects that come with a week of R&R aren't to be underestimated. Holidays can be good for the health of our muscles, hearts, brains and blood sugar alike. So, earlier this year, I went off to Greece armed with a glucose tracker and the determination to keep a food diary but still enjoy myself, to see how much damage a week of ice cream, souvlaki and wine can really do to your health. The glucose tracker in my arm was there to tell me about how all of these carbs could 'spike' my blood sugar, leading to potential consequences for my health later down the line. Going to a Mediterranean country wasn't cheating. Yes, there's plenty of fresh vegetables and your food is more likely cooked in olive oil than butter, making it better for your heart and your skin. But there's also deep fried feta, chips inside of massive pita wraps, huge trays of baklava, and many different kinds of spirits to contend with. I went to Athens and then an island, with two friends and my boyfriend, who, thanks to spending a lot of time in the gym, usually eats about 4,000 calories a day. Foodwise I pretty much kept up with him for the whole trip away. For breakfast on our first day I had a huge bowl of creamy full-fat Greek yoghurt, topped with tahini, banana, honey and nuts. Lunch was a halloumi souvlaki, stuffed with chips and some kind of delicious yellow sauce. I split a box of baklava as a snack with one of my friends and then for dinner, I had a huge bowl of orzo with mushrooms, a side of (more) chips, and dessert, a platter of Greek treats split between the four of us. In true first-night-away style we got through five litres of wine. In our defence, it was 11 euros a jug. (Then I went back to our AirBnB and ate four croissants meant for the morning to soak it up). I might have earned some of that with a walk up the acropolis (thankfully, we hadn't planned it for the morning afterwards) but the rest of the holiday was spent lazing about. We all took it a bit easier on the booze but made up for it in food. Most mornings started with Greek yoghurt, but the nights ended with huge dinners, snacks afterwards, and a dessert like loukoumades (donuts covered in hard sugar) to finish. At home I try not to snack too much (a rule of keeping your blood sugar in check) but while I was away I ate anything I stumbled across that looked half-tasty. All in all, I totally pigged out and I drank more than I do in an average month. What would this blip in my usual moderate lifestyle mean for my health in the long run? Lauren's diet: at home vs abroad How bad is it really to gain a few pounds on holiday? I'm not here to tell you to starve on holiday. As personal trainer Dalton Wong helpfully puts it, 'losing holiday weight is easy, but you'll never get back the time that you spend away'. Yet the truth is that a sudden jump in weight can be jarring. When I got on the scale after my week in Greece, I weighed a full half a stone more than I had done when I left. I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me. Did all the cheese and pita bread I ate really do that much damage? Probably not, Wong says. 'That jump won't just be fat but also water retention, caused by eating a lot of salty food, and probably a bit of fat depending on how much you've eaten,' he explains. If you're someone who does a lot of strength training, 'you might even put on a bit of lean muscle mass, because you're giving your muscles the good rest and nutrients that they need to actually grow'. As Wong often reassures his clients, you would have to eat a truly enormous amount of food to put on half a stone of fat in a week. A single pound of fat gained requires 'about 500 extra calories every day on top of the amount you need to maintain your weight,' he explains. As such, the reality is that a week of overindulgence likely won't make you gain more than two or three pounds at most, even if, like me, you've ended up reaching to the back of your wardrobe for an extra pair of trousers. I think I ate at least 4,000 calories a day. To maintain my weight I need about 2,000, roughly what I eat when I'm at home. It's not all as simple as calories in, calories out, either, however. 'Your body has a set point that it really wants to stay at,' says nutritionist Jenna Hope. Once you return from holiday, your body works hard to bring your weight back down to its usual levels, a process that can be masked by water weight and constipation. 'A week or two, or even three, outside of your norm might not actually cause weight gain at all, because you aren't causing any long-term changes to your metabolic activity,' so long as you go back to your normal habits. For this reason, Wong advises that you 'avoid weighing yourself for four weeks after you get home,' he says. 'Anything you see differently in the scales then might be actual fat, but until then, what you're seeing likely isn't real weight gain.' Sure enough, after a week back at home I was only three pounds heavier than I was when I landed in Athens; after a month, I was back to my usual weight. Given the power of your set point, shifting the weight can be as simple as 'going for an extra walk after lunch,' says Wong. If you really are concerned about putting on weight on holiday, 'either eat or drink your calories,' he advises. 'Have the extra cocktail or the slice of cake, not both. You'll likely be satisfied with one and feel a bit healthier afterwards.' What happens on the inside? The scales don't tell the full story, however. Studies that examine what a week of overindulgence does to your body only present bad news. One Oxford University study reveals that three weeks of eating badly is enough to raise your risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Their participants were fed a diet high in sat-fats (crisps, cheese, chocolate and pizza) for 24 days, and while their weight didn't budge, their cholesterol levels spiked by 10 per cent, and the fat in their liver increased by a fifth. A summer trip can also give you an 'obese brain', another recent paper from the University of Tubingen in Germany found (clearly, holiday-spoiling is a flourishing academic niche). Just five days of eating a poor diet is enough to cause changes to our brains that outlive 'the timeframe of the consumption', reports Professor Stephanie Kullmann. After eating an extra 1,000 calories a day for five days, 'the brain and behaviour response resemble that of a person with obesity and changes in the brain seem to occur prior to weight gain.' What can also change quickly is our gut microbiome. 'A week or two weeks of eating differently and not getting enough fibre is long enough to see some changes in the makeup of your gut,' says Hope. The happiness of your gut is a core to good energy levels, proper digestion, immune function and even keeping you in a good mood. Spending time away in a totally different food environment is part of why we can come back from holiday feeling more sluggish and constipated than ever before. From the food log before and after my holiday, and while I was away, it's clear that I was eating more than I usually would for a few weeks on either side. I'd have an extra pint of beer or glass of wine on a Wednesday and I'd often veer towards something heavy in fat and salt and therefore attractive to my 'obese brain' for dinner post-holiday. I'm sure that my gut was not impressed. 'If you go away multiple times a year, it can be really hard to reset and not slide into bad habits,' Hope says. Fortunately, this is easily avoided. 'Preparing your breakfasts and lunches for the week that you're back home can be really helpful, as it removes the element of spontaneous choice and helps you make better decisions,' says Hope. 'It can be really helpful to order a grocery shop to arrive on the day that you're back.' To make it even easier for yourself, 'try having a healthy breakfast on the days that you're away, rather than diving into the hotel buffet and having everything you can see,' she adds. Having one healthy meal a day makes it much easier to get back to normal once you're home, and if it's high in protein, you won't instantly reach for a snack as soon as you leave your hotel. (And if you're in the land of thick, creamy Greek yoghurt, like I was, it won't feel like a sacrifice.) Will a holiday raise your blood sugar? Blood sugar monitors are increasingly being worn by people who aren't diabetic. The way they work is that you stick them into your arm (there's a small needle, but you can't feel it once it's in), and then you can monitor the amount of sugar that's in your blood after you've eaten from an app on your phone. Ups and downs are normal, but dramatic spikes after meals or prolonged periods of super-high blood sugar can indicate insulin resistance. This is a sign that your body is struggling to handle the amount of sugar you're feeding it, and is a precursor for type 2 diabetes. Discovering the foods that 'spike' you can help you prevent this in the long term, and this can also help you to avoid the sluggishness and fatigue caused by the crashes that follow. It was interesting to see that a typical day in Greece eating a lot of carby and sugary foods made my blood sugar soar. But I can't say it made me behave any differently. I did get a few weird looks from other tourists and it does ruin the bikini photos. The really useful bit came when I looked at my results after landing in Britain. I wore my patch, from Lingo by Abbott before, during, and after my holiday. In the week that I came home, my average blood sugar fell to being 95 per cent lower than it had been while I was away. At first I was shocked. Clearly my body had gone into panic mode because of how much I'd eaten. The stats sound dramatic on paper but in both cases, my average blood sugar remained in a 'healthy' range overall, only briefly rising or falling to unhealthy levels. Such a return to normal is a good sign: 'this shows that you're in good metabolic health and that your body is responding with insulin in a normal way,' says Sophie Bertrand, Abbott's nutritionist. Your blood sugar levels are a result of homeostasis, the complex bodily process that keeps us functioning as normal. It's hard to disrupt this process in a serious way by overeating for a week, Bertrand says. If you're in your twenties and have a BMI that marks you as healthy, like me, then you can eat whatever you like for a short while and be fine in this regard, but this process works less well as you age. Seeing its effects was helpful. 'Someone who's older might find that they have more problems bringing their blood sugar down to normal,' says Bertrand. Over time, this is an issue that can raise your chances of developing insulin resistance, a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. About 40 per cent of us in Britain are insulin resistant. With this in mind I'll probably start approaching holidays a bit differently as I age. But regardless of your health, there are ways to get back to normal more quickly regardless of your age. Again, a protein-rich breakfast is king: 'this will help to avoid big fluctuations in your blood sugar throughout the day,' says Bertrand. 'Your sleep is also really important in keeping your blood sugar levels stable. Take the opportunity to grab a few more hours each night than you might at home.' Regardless of what you're eating or how much you're sleeping, a quick walk after dinner can work well 'to balance out your blood sugar' too. Besides, the chance to let loose can be good for us. Regularly going on holiday can lower your chances of dying from heart disease in the long run, and can also bring improvements to your blood sugar and 'good' cholesterol levels. As Bertrand puts it, 'a week of treats is much better than a routine filled with less healthy food or binges that follow restricting yourself too severely'. Do you need to worry about your step count? All of this ignores a fact that's fundamental to the concept of holidays: a week or more of relaxation does us provable good. Stress – both the physical and mental kind – can wreak havoc on our health. If you're the kind of person who exercises a lot, a week spent abstaining from lifting heavy weights or sprinting on the treadmill, presents a much-needed break for your joints and muscles. As a result, 'some of the weight you put on while you're on holiday might well be lean muscle mass,' says Wong. That said, keeping your step count up can actually offset the potential damage done to your health by eating outside of the norm. 'Going for a walk before or after dinner is a good way to help bring your blood sugar back down to a healthy range,' says Bertrand. And what's more, you'll probably find it easier to get them in while you're away than you do at home. I certainly did: my average steps per day are 12,000 as per my health tracker, but I got in 15,000 a day in Athens, and it didn't occur to me that I was exercising. Do I regret letting loose on holiday? Not at all. As Jenna Hope says, the really crucial thing for your health is how quickly you go back to normal after your holidays, and making sure that you don't live with your 'holiday brain' between them. Next time I go away, I'll be sure to plan some healthy meals for the week that I get back, and I'll try to find ways to keep my step count up while I'm away too, to counter the effects of eating badly. I'm not sure that I'd take a glucose tracker with me again, but it's certainly helpful to know that beer spikes me more than wine, and that baklava does less damage than chips. Best of all is that, having looked at the changes to my body, I now know that with some thought, I can keep enjoying holidays the way I want for the rest of my life. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Miami Herald
West coast, best coast? Chase sunsets, marine life and circus vibes on Florida's Gulf coast
It doesn't take much prodding to get me to visit the west coast of Florida — not with its photo-worthy sunsets, daily dolphin cameos, calm Gulf waters and powdery white sand. Now there are new reasons to visit, from a circus-themed hotel in Sarasota to an all-suite hotel that thrives on roomy suites and luxe perks in Clearwater Beach. Peek Behind the Curtain of Cirque St. Armands Beachside, Sarasota Ever wanted to run away with the circus? Escape the doldrums of everyday life with a stay at the new Cirque St. Armands Beachside in Sarasota. At this circus-themed hotel, which fronts the powdery sands of Lido Beach and is within walking distance to the Italian-inspired shopping and dining area of St. Armands Circle, guests are immersed in Sarasota's rich circus legacy — without the kitsch. In the heyday of the 1920s, John Ringling moved the circus' winter quarters to Sarasota, forever changing the city's cultural core — and this hotel is an imaginative tribute to that legacy. Why Stay Like a magic trick, the boutique hotel was transformed from a former Holiday Inn. Circus magic grabs your attention upon arrival: Green lion topiaries that stand guard at the front doors, sophisticated Art Deco touches like animal throw pillows on velvety furniture, ostrich feather chandeliers, black and white-striped columns, and oversized artwork featuring scenes from circus life. Grab the welcome cocktail — prosecco anchored with a popsicle — and walk around the property to soak up all of the whimsical details. Every day, I discovered something new. While the communal spaces are doused in personality and bold patterns and colors, rooms are kept quiet for a relaxed vibe, with subtle nods to the circus, including artwork and coffee table books. All rooms come with balconies, many of which showcase beach views; and while rooms are spacious, we suggest booking a one-bedroom suite that offers an apartment-type feel. There's a kitchen and a large island for dining or working, a living room with a comfy wraparound couch, and the king bedroom features a bathroom with a gorgeous soaking tub. Slip behind the red velvet curtains to dine at Ringside restaurant, where the beach and evening sunset show glimmer through floor-to-ceiling windows. The restaurant also pays homage to the circus, with curtained nooks that are reminiscent of rail cars for private dining (perfect for date night). Sip on theatrical cocktails and order from the seafood-centric menu that stars crab-stuffed mushrooms, char-grilled octopus, a pan-seared local grouper and a gorgonzola-encrusted New York strip. The on-property pool is small but deliciously quiet, and includes a separate lawn for sunbathing, but guests seeking a resort experience can hop on a shuttle to Cirque's sister property, Lido Beach Resort, to use its pool and beach amenities. One afternoon, I ordered an early dinner by Lido's pool, walked the beach at sunset to hunt for shells (and scored sand dollars) and swam in the pool until after dark. To me, that's vacation magic. What To Do For better insight into Sarasota's circus heritage, spend a day at The Ringling, which is arguably one of the best museums in Florida. The estate grounds are massive and there is so much to see, from circus memorabilia to a rose garden and bayside winter mansion. Start at the Circus Museum to take in the impressive mini-model of the tented Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus which authentically details every aspect of circus life, to restored original wagons and costumes, and even the Ringlings' private rail car. Make time for The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, where the diverse range of artwork and the grounds blew me away. It feels like a slice of Italy with Renaissance-style gardens and statues, and its arching pink architecture is worthy of photos. At Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in downtown Sarasota — the world's first net-positive energy botanical garden complex — you'll bliss out on the garden's tree-canopied paths that wind past Sarasota Bay and its natural spaces that showcase serene waterfalls, towering banyan trees and perfectly crafted topiaries, and swinging bridges that adults will enjoy as much as children. The garden is beloved for its orchid collection, air plants and rare plants. It's worth having lunch at The Green Orchid, where ingredients are often sourced from the on-site garden. A Suite Stay At Opal Sol On Clearwater Beach Another newcomer on Florida's west coast is Opal Sol in Clearwater Beach. This resort is connected to its sister property, Opal Sands, which means guests have access to amenities at both properties. In the lobby, towering trees grandly sprout from water features and luxe coastal vibes abound, and the guest rooms showcase Clearwater's prime assets like the beach and clear waters, where dolphins and manatees make regular appearances. Why Stay What sets this hotel apart from others in the area: All guests get a roomy suite and are guaranteed a Gulf view from huge, glassy balconies — which means you have a front-row seat to Clearwater's nightly sunset extravaganza and the beach. The moment I stepped outside on my balcony, I spotted a manatee swimming near the shoreline, coming close to giddy swimmers. That's just how clear the water is and how good the views are from Opal Sol. Families or big groups will appreciate the range of room layouts, from studios to three bedrooms, and amenities such as kitchenettes and soaking tubs. All suites can be connected (so you can be with your kids or friends, while having your own space too). Pro tip: Choose a corner unit that comes with an outdoor shower and a hot tub, where you can watch the sunset from your balcony and then soak in the bubbling warm water as the sun goes down. Drift restaurant is elevating the dining scene in Clearwater, not only in ambience but with a menu that focuses on local produce — do not miss the whipped feta served on a board with a medley of baby veggies, along with a velvety lobster bisque, a whole branzino topped with crispy onions, and locally caught fish dishes. You can also order a pizza blistered in the wood-fired oven. When you're done dining and sunbathing at Opal Sol's three pools, take the skyway bridge to neighboring Opal Sands for more dining options, a Gulf-front pool and easy access to the beach. Altogether, guests have access to four pools, 10 dining outlets and two Opal spas, including one with a salt cave. What To Do Clearwater Beach regularly wins awards for its beaches, and a typical day should revolve around dips in the Gulf and walks along the beachside boardwalk. You're also in walking distance to Pier 60 and its nightly sunset celebrations. Make a dinner reservation at nearby Crabby's Dockside, a three-story restaurant with panoramic views of the beach and neighboring marina. A coastal breeze and live music flow through the open-air spaces, making it easy to sink into relaxation. Grab a frozen cocktail and lock in an order of warm royal red shrimp doused with Old Bay seasoning, fire-roasted Alaskan snow crab legs, and local grouper cooked your way. From there, head to the neighboring marina for a sunset cruise. While you can jet off on boats shaped like chomping sharks and tiki huts, adults looking for a serene sunset experience should book a trip with Schooner Clearwater. They cap the guest list at 20 people on the 52-foot sailboat, so everyone has room and an intimate experience. The captain sets the tone with a chill playlist, and if the winds are right, guests can help hoist the sails. You'll look for dolphins as you sail around the beachfront waiting on the sun to set. The night I was aboard, clouds hindered an epic sunset the area is known for — but in typical Clearwater style, on the return back to the marina, the sky turned a brilliant pink and put on an incredible sky show that I'll never forget. That's the thing about Florida's west coast — from marine sightings to sunsets that always outdo the night before, you never know what nature has in store.
Business of Fashion
2 days ago
- Business of Fashion
Hotels' Luxury Brand Pop-Ups Are Creating the Ultimate Vacation Flex
On a scorching day in Taormina, Sicily, guests at the Four Seasons San Domenico Palace would usually be worshipping the sun by the infinity pool overlooking the Ionian Sea. But on a visit in mid-June, as I peer around from my perch on a cloud-like chaise, I realise everyone else at this picturesque former convent is more concerned with the towels. The lounge liners, swathed in a cobalt-blue floral motif that looks like Mediterranean ceramic tile, are positively delectable. They're Dolce & Gabbana and available for purchase at the hotel shop for about €559 ($656) apiece. In fact, almost everything on the pool deck sports the same fanciful print. It's all part of a summer resort takeover by the Italian fashion powerhouse: The umbrellas, the floats, the ceramic planters and even the napkins are D&G-branded. This is luxury writ (very) loud — and it's a trend playing out at hotels in almost every major summer destination, especially in Europe. Burberry tweeds deck out the Newt, a British resort in the Somerset countryside; Dior-branded buoys beckon in the water outside the Jumeirah Capri Palace off the Amalfi Coast; Missoni stripes cover the pool decks of the beach resorts Oku Ibiza and Cali Mykonos; Jacquemus' banana-yellow sunbeds have taken over the beach club at the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer. The list goes on. Ilaria Alber-Glanstaetten, senior director of communications for the Four Seasons resorts in Italy, says these fashion-hotel mashups are like 'waking up on Christmas and finding presents under the tree.' The whole installation happened overnight, with some nine staffers and a crane employed to hoist a large D&G-patterned vase to the pool deck. Summer is, after all, the equivalent in the Mediterranean of 'festive' season — the once-a-year chance to capitalise on big business, glorious vibes and free-spirited spending. By real Christmas, this region is as quiet as a ghost town. ADVERTISEMENT Don't want to pay the $1,000-a-night room rates of these resorts during peak season? No problem. Last summer, day visitors to Puente Romano Marbella on Spain's Costa del Sol could get an accessibly priced taste of a luxury brand by ordering a mille-feuille with Fendi Fs dusted in cocoa powder; this year, at Rome's Hotel de Russie, day guests can enjoy a €26 Champagne cocktail at the Aquazzura-branded garden bar. But back in Sicily, only overnight guests at the San Domenico Palace are afforded the privilege of buying a certain €1,700 silk D&G shirt from the hotel boutique. When I hit the store myself — it's housed in a former sacristy — I gaze up at the frescoes and consider charging a dress to my credit card. I am just barely able to resist the glamour of the moment. Instead I head outside, where, conveniently for my bank account, a D&G-branded gelato cart is serving free granita. These partnerships hit a travel sweet spot: They're ephemeral experiences that create a sense of urgency ('Get there now, before it's gone!') and encourage social media sharing ('I was there, and I can prove it!'). And they're happening at a time when travel is thriving — but retail is not. A June report from Bain & Co. says the luxury sector is undergoing its first contraction in 15 years, but a May survey from Chase Travel shows 38 percent of cardholders plan to spend more than they did last year on globe-trotting adventures, even amid deep economic uncertainty. 'The only luxury sector that's actually growing now is hospitality,' says Fflur Roberts, global insight manager for luxury goods at Euromonitor International. That success has spurred unprecedented expansion among top-tier hotel brands, which means everyone else needs to work hard to stay relevant. Pop-ups are a brand-safe way to do just that. Guests are even starting to expect them, says Eric Mourkakos, owner of Cali Mykonos, which opened in 2022 and charges non-guests €100 for day passes to its Missoni resort club. Chase's survey backs up the demand, noting that 79 percent of Generation Z travellers want to shop on their travels, and 64 percent of them seek out limited brand collabs. 'It's an equation where everyone wins,' says Cristina Borges, who teaches a course on luxury fashion and lifestyle trends for the prestigious Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland. 'Fashion brands gain easy exposure to a new, affluent audience. Hotels can offer exclusive experiences to their guests. And customers get to have fun and feel part of exclusive moments and post about them.' Plus, she says, 'retailers need to meet their clients in the one place that they are still happy to spend money.' The three-month Fendi partnership last year at Puente Romano Marbella cost about $600,000, says Borges, who was formerly its marketing director. The resort split that outlay with Fendi, then reaped $1 million in added profit — plus reams of media exposure. Andrew Foulkes, CEO of hospitality at the Newt, says the goal of its Burberry pop-up is buzz and new guest bookings. 'We are really trying to grow our reach in America, where Burberry is big,' he says. And it benefits his partner too: 'It's amazing how many people want to come and buy a Burberry bucket hat.' ADVERTISEMENT Euromonitor's Roberts says that creating a 'scarcity effect' adds layers of social clout. 'If you didn't take a picture and post it, did you even go on vacation?' says Stephanie Phair, former chair of the British Fashion Council and consultant to top luxury brands. Of course, the strategy has its pitfalls. In the worst case, a partnership can feel misaligned or can create chaos by association should, say, the fashion brand (or designer) become embroiled in some sort of controversy. Brand dilution is another concern. 'You don't want your hotel to feel like an ad for someone else,' says Rosewood Regional Vice President Edouard Grosmangin, who's installing a partnership with Brazilian menswear label Frescobol Carioca at its Riviera Maya outpost in Mexico. Arguing against a broader takeover, he says: 'We're keeping it very discreet, no logos anywhere. And we'll sell their products only if it's alongside the local artisan wares that people love in our boutiques.' To his point, you really don't need Dolce & Gabbana anything to feel fabulous at the San Domenico Palace, which served as the backdrop to Season 2 of HBO's The White Lotus. But I embrace the moment and, channeling the enthusiasm of a group of American teens posing for selfies with their scoops of that D&G granita, I post a picture with my own—in a refreshing jammy fig flavour—before it melts. The image gets more likes on my Instagram than anything I've shared in recent memory. By Sarah Rappaport Learn more: Hilton to Enter Cruise Business with Waldorf Astoria Nile Ship The hotel group's Waldorf Astoria Nile River Experience, set to launch in late 2026, follows similar moves by Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, Orient Express and Aman.
