In the latest season of Killing Eve, Villanelle sits on the carpet of a pristine hotel room. She’s draped in a dressing gown with her hair wet and slicked back, seemingly refreshed and relaxed as she reclines against the foot of the bed. In that moment, Villanelle has a newfound desire to meet her family. The setting is purposeful and tasteful like much of the programme’s exotic locations. This episode might even be a favourite so far for the balmy Barcelona terraces and subterranean bars that seem like a distant memory.
Drooling over fleeting scenes of sultry hotel rooms is one of the many ways we can mentally transport ourselves for the foreseeable future. And yes, we are also lusting after the idyllic Italian villa from Normal People (minus Jamie).
While flights are grounded, there are plenty of hotels out there leading the way with virtual activities to alleviate lockdown tedium. We’re all for virtual yoga on the beach as much as a transportive “quarintini” cocktail recipe if it means escaping for a short while. Here, we’ve compiled some of the most fun and creative ways hotels are lending a helping hand before we can show them some love once more.
MarBella Collection
Step away from the screen with MarBella Collection’s new mindfulness colouring. Adult colouring books were all the rage at one point, but we were probably all too busy commuting or socialising to give them a go. There’s no time like the present as the saying goes. Outlines of Greece’s bountiful backdrops and sunset scenes from MarBella Collection’s beautiful properties in Corfu and Parga are a therapeutic escape for pent-up travellers. Don’t forget to hashtag #MindfulWithMarbella to connect with like-minded travellers and future artistes in the making. You can download the sheets here.
Nihi Sumba
Master various breathing techniques in Nihi Sumba’s new Instagram live series. The 45-minute sessions offer breathwork exercises, with the intention to help participants overcome stressful situations through the development of self-awareness. These practices will draw on diaphragmatic and yogic breathing techniques by candlelight. Tune in weekly on Nihi Sumba’s IG Live.
Babylonstoren
If you’ve been longing for the outdoors, join Babylonstoren for frequent tours around their tropical garden. Enjoy a (virtual) whizz around the citrus block in a short but intimate tour of the farm with Constance Stuurman or the beautiful cycad garden with professional botanists and horticulturists. Tune in everyday for something new. We can’t wait to take a post-lockdown stroll through the garden amidst the yuzus and tamarillos.
Windjammer Landing
Everyone seems to be baking banana bread or honing the art of a newfound skill. Mixology might be next, thanks to Windjammer Landing’s easy breezy cocktail recipe made from super sweet citrus flavours. One taste and you’re far off on St Lucia’s kaleidoscopic beaches flanked by frangipani trees.
Ingredients:
4 oz Tequila
2 oz Triple Sec
2 oz Lime Juice
4 scoops of Ice
Bottled Beer
Sugar to taste
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth
Add sugar if required and mix again
Pour into a large glass and top with beer
Le Sirenuse
Anyone else living for virtual live DJ sets at the moment? Le Sirenuse and Emporio Sirenuse have introduced the very cool concept of live DJ sessions around the world to alleviate lockdown fatigue. DJ friends of the hotel, including Mia Moretti and Lucy Wrubel, have just hosted live takeovers in support of Le Sirenuse and the hospitality in Italy. The sets are then uploaded onto Spotify. Other than general wellbeing, live sets have been great for having a boogie and then getting an early night without having to take the night bus home. It’s a win-win. See the playlists for yourself.
The Legian Seminyak
The Legian team have put together a weekly series of wellness experiences set in their beautiful Bali properties. Partake in recipe cook-a-longs, guided yoga with ocean views and expert led mindfulness sessions. Create your own herbal-infused water for an immune boost or prepare a Michelin-starred meal inspired by Executive Chef Stephane Gortina. Gortina will talk participants through his famous ‘Marinated Mahi Mahi’ recipe. Here’s hoping we can keep up with his effortless finesse. Videos are being released on a weekly basis on IGTV every Thursday with the hashtag #StayHomeWithLHM.
Courmayeur Mont Blanc
We can’t deny a live-streamed yoga class positioned against a real, but virtual, mountainous backdrop. This Saturday, Courmayeur Mont Blanc will be hosting the class to mentally transport your mind to the soul-stirring mont blanc massif. For Italy, this is a remarkable sign of progression as lockdown restrictions are eased ever so slightly. Time: 9am BST. When: Saturday 16th May. Place: the comfort of your living room, bedroom or a stretch of grass within social distancing parameters—whatever suits your fancy.
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