Where to Go Late Summer

Words Vidula KotianDate 17 August 2022

“I wonder what it would be like to live in a world where it was always June.”
L.M. Montgomery

Who among us wants summer to end? So, we decided to extend the feeling of everlasting sun-kissed days by indulging in some wanderlust and asking our dear colleagues where they’re headed. We now have lots of inspiration for a late-summer getaway.

Tinos, Greece

Natalia Wojcik, Director of Programming

I traveled to Tinos for the first time last year, and I am counting down the days until my return later this month. Its wild and dramatic landscapes make for beautiful sunset drives. The island consists of many scattered villages, all with distinct personalities. For instance, Volax is located on one of the highest points of the island and the landscape is incredibly unique with large round boulders scattered across farmlands.

Some of my favorite beaches in Greece, such as Livada, are in Tinos. There are so many of them that you can explore a new one every day. And finally, my favorite part of the island—the marble. Tinos was home to one of the largest marble quarries in Greece, and this means that from sculptures and streets to tables and even ashtrays, marble is present everywhere. If you’re open to a bit of a trek, you can travel to an abandoned green marble quarry to take a swim in the marble pool that edges the Aegean Sea.

Greece

Daniel Hilz, Director Brand Management

I decided that this year will be all about Greece. For the late summer, I will visit our beautiful property Dexamenes on the mainland in Peloponnese. The setting within these old wine tanks is magical and perfectly combines the history of the place with an amazing hospitality experience. After that, I will switch from the mainland to an island, take a car and a short ferry ride to stay at Olea All Suite Hotel in Zakynthos, which is the best place to read plenty of books without distraction by your private pool. It’s all about relaxing, taking boats, jumping into the deep blue sea, and enjoying some typical filoxenia with a lot of Greek salad.

Sydney

Madelaine Chan, Regional Director - Account Management & Sales APAC

It’s summer all year round in Singapore so we don’t really have a summer break. My family and I are planning to travel to Sydney for two weeks. We want to visit family whom we have not seen since COVID and my brand-new niece who is now 11 months old. We want to explore the farms, vineyards, beaches, and mountains—everything that Sydney has to offer.

Ulgueira, Portugal

Alexandra Bruns, Senior Art Director

This late summer I am especially excited for a new type of holiday. With a growing interest in permaculture, land regeneration, soil health, and its overwhelmingly positive impact on our planet, I decided to immerse myself further and join Terra Alta’s two-week permaculture design course. Terra Alta is an education and research center in the middle of a protected valley in Portugal, close to Ulgueira. The design course will give a rich, comprehensive introduction to living, designing, and creating in harmony with nature while providing a real example of harmonious community living.

Slovenia

Andrej Blaho, Sales Manager Lifestyle Leisure & MICE

Slovenia is not only very close to my home country Slovakia by name—people confuse the two all the time—but they are also culturally very similar, so I’ve always wanted to explore it. One of the most beautiful places is Lake Bled, which suffers from overtourism in the high season. I’m planning my trip for September when I can enjoy glamping in the amazing nature without the crowds and will visit our member hotel Vander Urbani in the heart of the car-free historical city of Ljubljana.

Ithaca, U.S.A

Scott Borens, Director of Account Management & Brand Portfolio – The Americas

I’m going to Ithaca in the Finger Lakes region for a wedding. It’s where the bride grew up. The celebrations are over three days, but I am hoping to have a bit of time to explore. Ithaca boasts many wineries, state parks, waterfalls, farmers markets, and gorge trails, which I hear are worth seeing. It sounds like a good place to escape the hustle and bustle of NYC although a bit far to go for just a weekend.

Sils-Maria, Switzerland

Alba Biedermann, Director Portfolio Development

I’m looking forward to spending some days in Sils-Maria—a quaint village in the Engadin region of Switzerland. The village is 1,800 meters above sea level, surrounded by impressive mountains and two crystal clear lakes in between. There are so many ways to connect with the magical nature there, whether it is an early morning dip in one of the lakes, a hike, horseback riding, windsurfing, or simply going for a conscious walk. If I’m on a culture quest, I usually take the train to the village of Susch to visit the recently opened Muzeum Susch built in a monastery that dates back to the 12th century.

South of France

Klaudia Czarlinska, Senior Digital Communication Project Manager

The pandemic taught me to appreciate the beauty of coming back to the same places. Now I cannot imagine a summer without visiting the South of France. I always start my trip with a few days in Nice, the city of dazzling colors that inspired so much of Matisse’s work. I start the day with a few hours on the beach, followed by lunch at one of my favorite restaurants, such as Chez Davia or Lou Pistou, and spend the afternoon discovering new architectural gems and museums—this is the recipe for a perfect day for me. All the most beautiful spots on the Cote d’Azur are very well connected and easily accessible by train or bus, which leaves a lot of room for spontaneity. Let’s see what I will end up discovering this year…

New York

Ella Marshall, Head of PR

This summer I am looking forward to going back to New York, a place I have not visited since 2019. It might not be everyone’s idea of a summer getaway—most New Yorkers flee this time of year—but there’s something about the city in August that I love. The abundance of outdoor festivals, concerts, and events, yes, but also the joy of pounding the pavement, even in the heat, to explore each borough.