Estar en las nubes a La Bionda, Costa Brava
A daydream of a hotel in Begur, Spain. 18 reasons to stay, starting with the owner and her undeniable taste.
Another Monday and my head is in the clouds.
How lovely it is to plan travel with the sole purpose of pursuing pleasure and joy.
I’m in the midst of mapping out a client’s solomoon. There’s this dreamy hotel I’ve been thinking about for weeks - it feels like the one. It’s a hotel that invites you to embrace the divine feminine.
My Under the Tuscan Sun x Practical Magic hotel:
La Bionda. Begur, Spain.
Before I go on, I want to make one thing crystal clear. Every single item I’m about to share has been touched and curated by La Bionda’s queen-mother-owner, Carla Lloveras. My new girl crush. Everything on this wishlist carries her chic / laid-back essence.
La Bionda has just 7 rooms, the perfect size for Carla to infuse every stay with her signature touch.
She spent her childhood in her grandparents’ charcuterie store and summering in Begur.
She’s mastered the art of hosting. Her 17th-century home is designed to connect, create, imbibe, and unwind - a tribute to the 1930s, to the women who open their homes, and to the matriarch artists and icons who might have stayed there.
So, without further ado: all the reasons I can’t stop thinking about La Bionda.
lo mejor // el millor de la bionda
A wine suggestion from the owner herself 👑
To stay in these 3 rooms, in this order. Each based on one of the influential women who stayed there, each with a King-sized bed and private terrace:
Carmen, a flamenco dancer, with an outdoor shower + a bold lip bathroom.
Joséphine, a French-American artist, with the best views.
Valentina, the first female astronaut, with a glass of wine in a copper tub.
The complimentary breakfast includes hand-selected local goods like cheese and meats from the family shop 🫶. Cafè doble in the courtyard, the greenhouse, or brought to your room.
A chic, cozy couch-seat at Clara. I want the croquetas, octopus brioche, and to bring the small logo plates home. Wednesdays are for hamburgers.
Also on Wednesdays: market peaches, melons, and figs.
A cocktail on the rooftop solarium. Maybe under a parasol.
A holistic facial from the hotel’s studio spa - opened in April of this past year.
Mooma cidery*. *Not exactly from Carla’s guide, but in a magazine feature including Mooma + Bionda.
To eat a whole fish, wood-fired, traditional catch of the day that I picked out myself at Casa Juanita.
A coastal trail beside the sea.
Ship home a tabletop set of stoneware ceramics* from Sampere. Served at 50+ (!) Michelin star restaurants. * Set includes two ice cream bowls.
Sunbathing at Sa Tuna next to the cute little block houses all in a row.
The beach, the view, and the food at Toc al Mar. This is a top-notch beach restaurant where the food is no let down compared to the view, and Aiguablava is a looker.
A more “out-there” outing: the nearby rocky pine nudist beach.
La Bionda’s spotify playlist, floral robe on, listening from my private terrace. I love a hotel with its own soundtrack.
Bubblebath and a book. I love a hotel with bathroom amenities that feel like I’m shopping for luxury organic soap.
Turandot tasting menu. Fingers crossed for morels.
To take part in an outdoor garden ceramic workshop at Caterina Roma.
A farmhouse garden walk and the rice at Sol Blanc. A bit of a splurge, that no one seems to regret.
Champagne room service via pressing 91 on the telephone.
A puppy hug from the hotel dog Pepa!
Dreammyyyyy