stuff we drool about

Not A Hotel Minakami

High above the mountains of Minakami in Japan's Gunma Prefecture, the Not A Hotel Minakami Toji offers a striking blend of nature, architecture, and tranquility. Designed by Suppose Design Office, this boutique escape features five minimalist copper-clad villas and a private restaurant, all perched on a scenic ridgeline with uninterrupted views of the Tone River valley.

Each 252-sqm villa reinterprets the traditional Japanese mountain hut with a modern twista€”clean lines, hand-finished plaster walls, and panoramic glass that dissolves boundaries between indoors and out. Guests are immersed in nature through a thoughtful layout centered around water: a 15-meter infinity pool, natural hot spring onsen, cold plunge bath, and a full-scale sauna surround the open living space, offering an all-season sensory retreat.

Inside, you wll find two serene bedrooms with tatami floors, a cozy wood stove, and sculptural lighting by Isamu Noguchi. The villas sleep up to eight and are designed to adapt to Japan's four vivid seasons-snow-covered winters, cherry blossom springs, lush green summers, and vibrant autumn foliage.

Just two hours from Tokyo, Not A Hotel Minakami is more than a stay, it is a destination. Outdoor adventures like rafting, skiing, and golf are steps away, while the on-site omakase restaurant Kigi elevates local ingredients through the theme of fire and water.

Also check out the spectacular Not A Hotel Setouchi




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RIVER HOUSE | SERBIA - Image

RIVER HOUSE | SERBIA

This amazing isolated house is located on the Drina River in Serbia. The tiny wooden house has been standing on an exposed rock in the middle of the Drina River for more than 40 years, it was built by a group of young boys back in 1968 that used the rock to sunbathe. Every time there is a flood the house is destroyed, but it is built again from ground up. via photo credit: National Geographic Also check out "The Rock Restaurant" in Zanzibar...
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PUNTA CALIZA HOTEL - Image

PUNTA CALIZA HOTEL

Located on the remote Isla Holbox in Mexico, the Punta Caliza boutique hotel is an intimate sanctuary in an emerging beach destination within the Yum Balam nature reserve. Designed by architecture firm Estudio Macias Peredo, the spectacular hotel has an incredibly unique design that features eco-chic minimalism with clean lines, earthy wood tones, and white accents. Based on the region´s ancient buildings, the 12-room boutique hotel features a shallow triangular po...
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CHEVAL BLANC RANDHELI | MALDIVES - Image

CHEVAL BLANC RANDHELI | MALDIVES

Today´s dreamy escape is located in Noonu Atoll, a handful of unspoiled green islands protected from the ocean by a large coral reef in the Maldives. The preserved and exclusive exotic oasis features opulent vegetation and is surrounded by pristine turquoise waters that house a dazzling sampling of multicolor fish, rays and sea turtles. The luxurious Cheval Blanc Randheli resort has a contemporary yet indigenous architecture and offers guests several breathtaking s...
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