Monica Mendal

2 weeks ago | sotheresthisplace.substack.com | Monica Mendal

“Do you want to stop for coffee?” Gianfranco, my driver from Puglia Auto Classica asked me as we walked through the archway into Monopoli’s old town. It was early in the morning and cafés were slowly beginning to open. I hesitated for a second because I didn’t want to waste time as I was booked for only three hours with him and had three towns I wanted to squeeze in during that period. I was living in New York City at the time and had recently transitioned from a fashion editor to a travel writer.

1 month ago | sotheresthisplace.substack.com | Monica Mendal

In hotel news, there’s a lot to talk about in the South of France this summer. Here are a few worthy highlights as you plan your summer travel to the French Riviera…Last summer, the South of France was buzzing with the highly anticipated opening of Hôtel du Couventin Nice, and I can wholeheartedly attest that it lived up to the hype. The property and everything they’ve done with it is remarkable.

1 month ago | sotheresthisplace.substack.com | Monica Mendal

Everyone has that friend they turn to for travel advice. I like to think I’ve become that friend for you—even if we’ve never met, I’ve loved getting to connect with so many of you in our Substack chat. As for me, I feel lucky to be surrounded by friends with deep, firsthand knowledge from years working in the travel industry—plus impeccable taste, original points-of-view, and a real gift for storytelling—so many of my best travel insights come directly from conversations with them.

1 month ago | houseandgarden.co.uk | Monica Mendal

Photo: Alixe Lay featuring Le Grand Mazarin in trendy Le Marais:, one of the best hotels in ParisParis is many things: it is the capital of culture and a hub of history; it is the city of light, of romance, of un-ending possibility. It is also a haven of hotels, not all created equally. Whether you're a first-timer or a connoisseur of the city, we've rounded up the best in Paris, from luxury suites to adorable and affordable lodgings beneath 19th-century rafters.

1 month ago | vogue.it | Monica Mendal

Un hotel in Portogallo, a São Lourenço do Barrocal, in un antico borgo rurale, è stato trasformato in rifugio di charme, dove vivere il ritmo lento e le tradizioni della campagna tra vigneti, degustazioni e paesaggi stordentiPochi minuti dopo aver pubblicato le prime storie Instagram dal mio soggiorno a São Lourenço do Barrocal, sono arrivate decine di messaggi entusiasti: «Il mio posto preferito», «Il miglior hotel del mondo», «Che ricordi meravigliosi».