White Hotels with a Modern Touch

Good morning everyone,

I hope you all had a great weekend.  It was so darn hot this weekend!  I hope you relaxed at a pool somewhere or stayed indoors where you enjoyed the benefits of air conditioning.

Our weekend was all about “firsts.” We fired up the grill Saturday night for our first barbecue and yesterday it was our first boat ride of the season.  We have a tradition of doing the first ride by ourselves.  With the weather being so crazy hot, it was nice to be out in the river lying on the sundeck soaking up the sun.

Moving along to my “first” article of the week, it’s not just about modern hotels exactly, but more about hotels I had the pleasure of visiting while on vacation in Southern Italy.  I found out, much to my surprise, that the main color scheme of these hotels is white!   I’m sure you’re familiar with the term “Old European Style?”  Well, I have to say that after visiting these hotels, they need to find a new saying.  There was nothing “old” in what I saw.  I must admit,  I have a huge admiration for the way Europeans think outside of the box when it comes to designing and decorating.  They’re not afraid to experiment.  They have a way of mixing old and new together and it somehow just works.

Our hotel in Sorrento, was my first introduction to this “old-modern” style.  It was a pleasure to walk into the lobby everyday and be greeted by this entryway ~ the rich color of the terra cotta tiles adds just enough warmth to the room along with the decorative pattern on the floor.  There were no carpets to be seen anywhere in the lobby, this is due to the fact that there are less allergens in the air of a hotel without carpets.  Eco-friendly hotels are making their way in abundance in Europe.  The sofas were so comfortable and I simply love the fact that the decorators added the cushions with the red color.  It’s such a nice contrast.

Another way  they added color to the lobby was by adding vases of different colors, heights and textures.

Here’s the bar area, this time it’s all about the browns and blues. The area has so much natural light, the use of embedded wall sconces and the glass chandeliers did not take away from the outside view of the gardens.

The bar itself, was a work of art.  I loved the architectural sculpturing in at the bar with embedded blue lights and the glass pendants.  Now I ask you, can you see why we had a night cap here most nights?

While travelling along the Amalfi coast line, our guide took us to this hotel.  This hotel is a relatively new, 3 years old, and so modern and trendy for the Amalfi coast line it is almost out of place. It’s so clean and sleek that you’re afraid to sit or touch anything.  They graciously allowed me to photograph the common areas.  Trust me, I took so many pictures, that I thought they might ask me to stop.  The designers put in glass sculptures and modern art throughout the hotel.

Here’s a sampling ~ this is the reception area.

The dining room, so fresh and clean.  I love the glass candlestick holders.  There’s nothing in the middle of the tables to obstruct your view of the diners or the view outside.

Another view of the dining room,the floor lamps, very simple and it just blends into the walls.

The cigar room,very comfy chairs to smoke a cigar,the glass sculpture, very cool!

Instead of chandeliers, they had these spot lights throughout just fabulous.  I would have loved to seen this at night.

Let me show you some of the sculptures and paintings, it’s very modern and bold

This sculpture made me do a double take.  It’s very unusual almost scary at first, but so creative.

This is what he’s looking at…

Can you imagine what the reflection this gives when the sun sets?  Again, I wish I were there in the evening to witness it.

This is a mural in the lounge area…the mural is painted alongside one wall and it’s totally unexpected to see among all that white.  I love the colors so warm and inviting.  They named it the Marrakech Bar and Lounge

Alas!  We had to say goodbye to this awe inspiring hotel.  As we were leaving, the sun gave me a farewell, it casts this shadow into the reception area, just long enough for me to take a picture.

I am getting carried away, so I think that I will stop right here and simply say; both hotels were  gorgeous, with white decor.

I was struck by how each designers modernized them in two completely different ways.  Like I said, I have a huge admiration for the way Europeans are so experimental when it comes to design.

I hope this inspires you, just a little, to be creative when decorating your home.  I think it’s a great thing to experiment with color, art and textures, don’t you agree?

Wishing everyone a great day!

Simone