Tradition Meets Modern – 5 Mediterranean Stays

Shanghai is hot as 🔥HELL 🔥 at the moment and in this harsh Asian climate I’ve been daydreaming about the Mediterranean. You know… the breezy evenings, the smell of salt, the local wine… I can easily imagine myself sitting at a seaside taverna, just lazing the afternoon away.

I regularly bookmark places to see, stuff to do, etc. but when it comes to hotels or AirBnbs to stay I tend to look for modern-traditional places, preferably simple and minimalistic, even better if family ran, but most importantly: places that tell the story and history of the land they sit on.

I think I hit right on the spot with these few finds. Don’t tell me that the photos of these stunning hotels are not making you want to take a flight to Europe right now!

MASSERIA MOROSETA

Puglia ・ Italy

“A sun-drenched, whitewashed, masseria set in a quasi-Biblical landscape of ancient olive trees, with views of Ostuni and the Adriatic sea”

A MODERN DAY MASSERIA

Masseria Moroseta is built like a typical “Pugliese” farmhouse, but with the modern enhancements of solar power, green building techniques and energy-saving insulation.
It’s a modern country house, that was born out of love for a unique land, the open sky, for fragrances that open up your heart and for simple tastes.
A place created for those seeking a peaceful atmosphere between nature, good food and beauty.

MASSERIA MOROSETA ・Contrada Lamacavallo, Ostuni, Italy

www.masseriamoroseta.it

KINSTERNA

Peloponneso・ Greece

A MASTERFULLY RESTORED BYZANTINE MANSION

Kinsterna Hotel is an ancient Byzantine estate, overlooking the fairytale rock city of Monemvasia. Located in the Peloponnese, it stands surrounded by olive groves, vineyards and citrus trees. Rooms whisper of history, with stone fireplaces and atmospheric balconies.

Today, this timeless tale continues with special emphasis on reviving and strengthening ancient practices such as harvesting grapes and making wine and tsipouro, gathering olives and producing olive oil, baking bread, making soap, weaving fabric on the traditional loom, etc. The owners have consciously made great efforts to ensure that the local community and wider region will benefit from this impressive model of sustainability.

KINSTERNA HOTEL ・Agios Stefanos, Monemvasia

www.kinsternahotel.gr

“With healthy, beautifully presented cuisine, including a tasty bar menu and fresh fish caught locally, it engages the soul.”

TORRALBENC

Minorca ・ Spain

A TRADITIONAL MENORCAN FARM

Torralbenc is a charming collection of white-washed farm buildings from the 19th century that have been carefully restored. The Menorcan beauty is reflected in all of their rooms, from the rosemary scent to the earthy tones. They are also involved in sustainable initiatives that respect the surrounding nature and the fair use of its resources.

TORRALBENC ・Alaior, Menorca, Spain

www.torralbenc.com

KAPSALIANA

Crete ・ Greece

”The aromas from herb bushes, lemon and lime trees and Crete’s largest olive grove make Kapsaliana smell like heaven on earth.”

A HISTORY-RICH VILLAGE

This ancient abode boasts an 18th-century olive press and its own museum – no wonder the Ministry of Planning has pronounced the hotel a site of ‘significant cultural importance’.
All rooms share the same distinctive decor: stone walls, floors and arches, wooden beamed ceilings, chunky wooden furniture; with private terraces and bathrooms.
Food is locally sourced and organic; everything that can be is recycled and the village’s restoration relied on natural, local materials.

KAPSALIANA VILLAGE HOTEL ・Arkadi, Rethymnon, Crete, Greece

www.kapsalianavillage.gr

FARO CAPO-SPARTIVENTO

Sardinia・ Italy

A UNIQUE CLIFFTOP LIGHTHOUSE

This Sardinian hotel still shining brightly after 160 years and makes the most of its enviable position and its dramatic surroundings. The charm of this unique building has been preserved during its recent 8-year renovation using carefully selected local materials.

Stone, granite, basalt, wrought-iron, wood and sea water play important roles both inside and outside Faro Capo-Spartivento. In a nod to the power of nature, both hot water and electricity are produced using solar panels.