Seeing the World From a Window

A winding road leads to Praiano, where the whitewash refuge of Casa Angelina is perched above the bright blue Mediterranean. The memory of a warm breeze, the scent of lemon trees and the bitter sweetness of an Aperol Spritz on ice takes us back there.

In Northern Italy, on a hillside high above Lake Garda, Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda, a haven of peace and tranquility, makes time move more slowly. We imagine strolling amongst the olive trees, napping in the afternoon sun and cooling off in the pool.

Anchored in Barcelona’s historic heart, near Las Ramblas and the Barcelona Cathedral, The Barcelona EDITION frames its surroundings like art, alongside works by Dalí and Gaudí. While the city is quieter now, the vibrancy of its people never diminishes.

In Costa del Sol, not far from the Rock of Gibraltar, 500-acre retreat Finca Cortesin is bathed in sun and salty air. Open the curtains and beyond is a pool, then a fairway, then a hillside blanketed with wild flowers and finally, the sea. You can almost hear the rhythm of the waves from here.

Open the French doors of the terraced Eiffel view suite at Shangri-La Hotel, Paris and there is the City of Light’s most iconic structure, standing as it has since the 1889 World’s Fair. We long to sit outside, with a Champagne coupe in hand, letting the murmurings en français float through the air and tickle our ears.

On one side, the Brooklyn Bridge and on the other, Lady Liberty, both enduring symbols of connection. At 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge hammocks hang in the corner suites and beg you to watch the boats, dwarfed by the Manhattan skyline, puttering up and down the East River. We heart New York.

Picture yourself on the banks of the Suzhou River, next to the historic Bund. From the glassed-in Vitality pool at Bellagio Shanghai, you see the glittering buildings of Lujiazui lighting up the night sky and reflecting their kaleidoscopic colours on the river below.

Looking out over Victoria Harbour from the Kowloon side, Rosewood Hong Kong‘s 65-storey tower commands the skyline, yet inside its all serenity. A day starts like this: wake, order room service, raise the curtains and watch as the early light makes the city glow golden.

At The Standard Hotel, London, the linens are linear, but the windows are curved and look out onto St. Pancras Station where Eurostar trains come and go. Once again, King’s Cross will fill with the sound of roller bags being pulled across cobblestone by weekenders setting off for Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

People have come to Hotel Casa del Mar since the 1920s, to watch the Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel circle through the big arched bay windows, to walk the long stretches of sand and, once the sun sets, be lulled to sleep by the sound of surf.

On the highest point of the island, carved into a caldera, a panorama befitting its Iconic Santorini name. All awe-inspiring Aegean blue interrupted only by its sister Cyclades. A view made more unforgettable with the taste of anise left on your tongue, ouzo’s lingering love note.

In the southernmost city in the world, ships setting sail for Antarctica and row upon row of snow-topped mountains are seen as you ascend and descend Arakur Ushuaia Resort & Spa‘s spiraling staircase. Outside, adventures await, when the time is right.