Family hospitality at its finest, in sumptuous design hotels from around the world. Not just places to stay, but invitations into a different and private world. And not only old-world hotels, also modern hoteliers sharing a new vibe.
These are the anti-chain, anti-same, absolutely unique hotels owned and operated by one family. Places that know their guests by name, where the family story is integral part of your stay.
Cap Karoso, Indonesia
Evguenia Ivara was designing products for brands like Louis Vuitton, Dom Perignon and Tag Heuer, before she designed and opened Cap Karoso with her husband Fabrice Ivara.
Set on the island of Sumba, her beachside resort is a bridge between the mysterious aesthetics of Sumba and the serenity of tropical leisure.
It’s family owned and operated, while staying true to the inspiration and culture of the destination. Truly a new-world property for the curious explorer.
Kristiania Lech, Austria
Othmar Schneider was Austria’s first Olympic ski champion and his family invented the modern slalom technique. Othmar’s daughter transformed the Schneider family home into an eclectic 27-room hotel full of pop art and a very idiosyncratic style.
Being a house, every room at Kristiania Lech is completely different. Their styles vary enormously and guests choose their specific room before arrival.
Another option in Lech is Post Lech, owned and operated by the Moosbrugger family, where the Dutch and Norwegian royal families stay for their ski holidays.
Domaine Les Crayeres, Champagne
A legendary chateau full of history and art de vivre, born under the sign of Champagne.
Domaine Les Crayeres epitomises French classicism. Built by the Marquis and Marquise de Polignac in the early 20th-century, then redeveloped by the Gardinier family in the 1980, with the help of Pierre-Yves Rochon.
Now the Gardinier family faithfully maintains an atmosphere of formal French luxury, with the most remarkable attention to detail. And a divine two-Michelin-starred restaurant.
Hotel Ranga, Iceland
Access to natural attractions and idyllic isolation make Hotel Ranga the perfect base from which to explore the south of Iceland.
Designed and operated by owner Fridrik Palsson, Hotel Ranga captures a personalised energy that’s delightfully pure.
Palsson balances Icelandic tradition, like the log-cabin style and outdoor hot tubs, with a contemporary take on hospitality. His hotel is hidden, between wild beaches, lava meadows and the Milky Way.
Hacienda Zuleta, Ecuador
The 17th-century family home of two Ecuadorian presidents. Galo Plaza Lasso ruled Ecuador from 1948 – 1952 and his weekend hacienda was where a lot of the country’s history was written.
Not a pretentious presidential palace but an authentic window into old-world Ecuadorian life, where you spend the evenings sharing stories with the president’s grandchildren.
Hacienda Zuleta is now operated by Lasso’s youngest daughter and among its attractions is one of South America’s best regarded horse stables.
Want Personalised Hotel Recommendations?
Arctic Bath, Sweden
Swedish design studio Kauppi and Kauppi are world renowned for creating very Swedish-feeling products for inside the home, like lamps and furniture. They teamed up with architect Bertil Harstrom to create Arctic Bath, after Harstrom designed the famous Treehotel.
A bold and abstract floating spa hotel, on a river in Swedish Lapland, where pure Nordic design meets minimalist luxury.
Kauppi and Harstrom may not be from the same family, rather they illustrate the beauty of a shared vision and desire to be absolutely unique.
Villa Nai 3.3, Croatia
Created by renowned Croatian architect Niko Basic, who portrayed Villa Nai 3.3 as being not obtrusive to nature, rather accepting and adapting to it.
Eight suites carved into the hillside of an ancient olive grove, on the wild Croatian island of Dugi Otok. Villa Nai 3.3 is striking yet also hidden, on an island with only 2000 inhabitants.
The grotto, almost Star Wars-esque style, is fringed by terracotta soil, pink-tinged local stone and generous slabs of marble. It feels like a private island retreat, in Croatia.
Castello di Reschio, Tuscany
This tenth-century castle was bought in 1994 by Count Antonio Bolza. In the 25 years since, his son Count Benedikt, and his wife, Donna Nencia Corsini, have restored the estate with meticulous detail, into one-of-a-kind private homes and a 36-bedroom hotel.
It’s a crumbling castle ruin turned modern-day masterpiece, one of Europe’s hottest places to stay in 2021.
Castello di Reschio also features in the 15 best hotels of 2021 – 2022 and Europe’s amazing castle and chateaux hotels.
Hotel La Perla, Dolomites
Originally built by local ski instructor Ernesto Costa in 1931, Hotel La Perla has evolved into the best ski-in ski-out property in the Dolomites. It’s now owned and operated by Ernesto’s children, Michil and Mathias.
Remember the names because staying at Hotel La Perla is an invitation into a family home, where the owners converse with guests over aperitivos. There’s a huge amount of passion here, from the hotel to the Costa’s newest venture L’Murin, a brewery and apres-ski venue.
Soneva Jani & Soneva Fushi, Maldives
Sonu Shivdasani and Eva Malmstrom founded Soneva in 1995, after a honeymoon exploring the world’s most exclusive islands and resorts. They’re still heavily involved in the direction and running of Soneva Jani and Soneva Fushi, two of our favourite Maldives resorts.
Sonu and Eva also founded Six Senses, which they later sold to fully focus on Soneva. For over two decades they’ve pioneered sustainable tourism in the Maldives.
Here’s an October 2022 inspection of the two Soneva resorts.
Your Unique Hotel Experience
At EliteVoyage we personally visit hundreds of hotels and destinations every year, so we can show you the best of the best, not just the best-selling hotel brands and chains. We know many more family-owned properties and we know many of the families personally.
We’re not a booking platform. We can tell you the differences between suites on different sides of a hotel. We can make sure you enjoy the personalised extras and touches you deserve.
With us, a hotel isn’t only a place to stay. It’s a unique holiday experience.
