Meet the HÔTEL WEEKEND travelers
ANDREA SWARZ
Photographer & Art director based in Colombia
Favorite destination: Baja California & Myanmar
On her bucket list: Portugal, Costa Rica, Nepal
Can’t travel without my Colombian mochila and camera
ANTONIA FEST
Originally from Germany but growing up in London, Antonia believes you can only see beauty when you understand what lies beneath the surface. She applies this ethos to her travel and explores towns, countries and cities around the globe by digging deep into their roots and seeking to understand what makes them special.
“Getting lost is a path too”
Favorite destination: Italy
On her bucket list: Japan, Hawaii, Portugal
Can’t travel without her diary
ANNA PIHAN
Anna Pihan is a Sydney-based photographer and co-creator of The Pleasure of Leisure. Living in a perpetual state of exploration, Anna seeks aesthetic pleasure wherever she goes. Accompanied by her cameras and plenty of 35mm film, she invites viewers into a sunny world of leisure. Her warm gaze rests on luscious landscapes, glistening oceans and unexpected beauty in the ordinary.
“The pleasure of leisure”
Favourite Destination: Italy and Australia
On her bucket list: Spanish Islands off the coast of Morocco, Zanzibar and South of France
Can’t travel without her cameras and swimmers
ARIANA DICKSON
Ariana Dickson is a freelance travel writer and creative consultant, as well as the Senior Manager of Social Media & Communications at Under Canvas. Known for her perpetual wanderings, she's lived in cities like Los Angeles and Mumbai, India—creating and writing along the way.
"Wander far and let it flow”
Favorite destination: Sri Lanka, Greece, India, Cambodia
On her bucket list: Rwanda, Bhutan, Egypt
Can’t travel without her camera
CLEMENTINA CALLERI
Clementina, an Italian whom never lived in Italy. The Palmist Club comes from Clementina’s interest in different artisanal practices and the idea of discovering new ways of sharing the manufacturing techniques she learned from her travels and the people she worked with.
“Travel to tiny villages, explore the markets, hang with the local people”
Favorite destination: “Tunisia has my heart, Kenya my soul”
On her bucket list: Papua New Guinea, Mozambique, Japan
Can’t travel without giant foldable bag (to bring back full of treasures)
CAITLIN GARCIA-AHERN
Caitlin Garcia-Ahern is a social entrepreneur, fiber artist and event coordinator based in Oaxaca, Mexico. She is originally from Atlanta, Georgia. In 2014, she founded Thread Caravan, an organization that hosts cultural craft workshops with indigenous artisan communities around the world.
“Through diversity we recognize our unity”
Favorite destination: India
On her bucket list: Bolivia, Ethiopia, Japan
Can’t travel without her camera
CAROLENE MÉLI
Carolene Méli is an Experience Strategist and Leadership Mentor. Carolene travels close to full-time and has thus far journeyed to 41 countries. She is currently based in Montenegro where she works remotely with clients from all over the world.
"One great experience has the potential to change someone's world”
Favorite destination: Greek Islands
On her bucket list: Morocco, Turkey, Cyprus
Can’t travel without a beautiful, stylish, high quality, super versatile weekend bag
DAVID GOMEZ-VILLAMEDIANA
Creative Consultant specializing in Fashion and Luxury. An adventurous and curious spirit currently based in Los Angeles and working across The United States, Europe and Latin America.
Favorite destination: Anywhere with a nice beach
On his bucket list: Tokyo, Japan, Zanzibar, Tanzania and Isla del Coco in Costa Rica.
Can’t travel without a pen and notebook
Daniella Benedetti
Born with eyes wide open
Photographer and Co-director at Fotomeraki, based in Colombia
Favorite destination: Tokyo
On her bucket list: New Zealand, Bali, Iceland, South Africa
DARCIE IMBERT
Interview places as if they were people
A freelance journalist working with Conde Nast Traveller, British Airways and The Telegraph, based between Mexico City and London.
Favorite destination: Mexico
On her bucket list: Belgrade, Zanzibar, Tokyo
Can’t travel without Olympus Mju-II
EMILY LEVINE
Emily Levine launched in 2018 with a focus on creating craft-based, feel-good products in small batch production. Incorporating the fusion of Indian and Japanese aesthetics is what brings each collection to life: colorful fabrics blended with effortless silhouettes.
Live in the moment and take in whats infront of you.
Favorite destination: Africa
On his bucket list: Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, Brazil
Can’t travel without Toothbrush and a good SPF
EMMA LAVELLE
Emma is a writer, photographer and nature lover living in the English countryside. She writes about slow travel, simple living and sustainable style while shooting self-portraits and nature. Through her work she focuses on telling stories themed around living a slower and more sustainable life.
"Take it slow and enjoy every moment”
Favorite destination: Mallorca, Italy or California
On her bucket list: Menorca, Mexico and Tasmania
Can’t travel without her camera
Hannah Canhan
Hannah is a vintage collector and founder of This Era Archive. Born in Melbourne but later living in New York, Paris, Madrid and now Berlin, Hannah loves to discover new places and old things.
Vintage Collector based in Berlin
Favorite destination: Pantelleria, Italy
On her bucket list: A road trip across the U.S.
Can’t travel without: an extra bag to bring home treasures
JULIE POINTER ADAMS
Finding wabi-sabi beauty everywhere I go
Freelance writer and photographer
Favorite destination: Southern France and Denmark
On her bucket list: Mallorca & Puglia
KARLA CASTAÑEDA
FROM LATIN AMERICA WITH LOVE is a creative platform which mission and vision is to expand the sophisticated aesthetic of the region to the world.
The eye has to travel
Favorite destination: Somewhere in Latin America
On her bucket list: Vinicunca, Perú - Quechula, México - Casapueblo, Uruguay
Can’t travel without: My Fuji Camera
KYRA SHAPURJI
Kyra has comfortably settled in Brooklyn and proudly loves calling this city home. When she's not out at a new restaurant, art exhibit or theater show, she's busy with her nose in a book and The New Yorker.
"Go forth with all your senses alert (and have in hand a journal and pen)”
Favorite destination: Patagonia
On her bucket list: Morocco, Japan, Portugal/The Azores Islands, and India
Can’t travel without a journal and pen
LÍA LÁZARO
The authenticity of simplicity
Stylist & Creative director based in Perú.
Favorite destination: Cusco, Morocco & Paris
On her bucket list: Japan, Kenya, Indonesia
Madelyn Hannah
Madelyn is a Sydney-based photographer with an innate sense of capturing the beauty in the ordinary. Her eye is drawn to honouring the details and simplicity in the everyday rituals that are often left unnoticed. People, scenes and objects — perfectly, imperfectly placed.
"holiday often"
Favorite destination: Italy & Brazil
On her bucket list: Japan & Mallorca
Can’t travel without her camera… and free spirit
MARINA DENISOVA
Marina Denisova is an architectural, travel and lifestyle photographer living in Barcelona and working worldwide.
"be available for life to happen” - quote by Bill Murray
Favorite destination: Mexico
On her bucket list: Brazil, Mongolia Africa
Can’t travel without her camera
MONICA MENDAL
Monica Mendal is a New York City-based writer, editor and brand consultant focusing on fashion, travel and lifestyle. She was previously an editor at Vogue, GQ and Glamour.
Favorite destination: Depends when you ask me. At the moment, it’s Brazil!
On her bucket list: Morocco’s Atlantic coast
Can’t travel without: An open mind
MARÍA RAMÍREZ GOZALO
Content editor at Hôtel Weekend
"Enjoy and let it flow”
Favorite destination: Tuscany, Mexico, Lanzarote
On her bucket list: Morocco and Greece
Can’t travel without: her camera and AirPods to listen to her favorite holiday playlists
MARIANA GARCÍA
“Searching for myself in every stage of life”
Mexican photographer & Creative Director of P Magazine based in NYC
Favorite destination: Barcelona & California
On her bucket list: Amalfi Coast & Capri, Brazil, Japan, Bali
MARISTELLA GONZÁLEZ
Always looking for design inspiration wherever I go
Graphic Designer and Art Director based in Brooklyn, NY
Favorite destination: Rio de Janeiro
On her bucket list: Japan, Italy, Balearic Islands
Can’t travel without my camera
NATALIA SWARZ
Founder Hôtel Weekend
Finding beauty in the ordinary
Favorite destination: Colombia, always.
On her bucket list: Mozambique, Kenya
Can’t travel without: My eyes, and heart, wide open
Neada Deters
The founder and CEO of LESSE; a new way of thinking about organic skincare.
Pack less, experience more.
Favorite destination: The Aeolian Islands, Sicily.
On her bucket list: Siargao, Philippines. Japan and Kenya.
Can’t travel without… LESSE Bioactive Masque. I always, always apply it after a flight. It's the only thing that keeps my skin in check.
REEME IDRIS
Reeme is an Irish Sudanese freelance writer from London, with a background in events production and fashion styling.
"Always take the train if you can”
Favorite destination: The Coqui Coqui Universe!
On her bucket list: Patagonia, Okinawa, Antigua Guatemala
Can’t travel without a Mason Pearson brush, plus something to read via Tenderbooks, Sendb00ks or Daunt Books
SHANE FONNER
Creative Director of Palmiers du Mal, is an avid travel enthusiast with almost twenty years in the fashion industry. Shane is passionate about his work developing mutually native fashion / hospitality concepts, understanding the creative process from concept to point of sale, utilizing his past work as a resource for all aspects of innovative and progressive brand development.
“Seeking utopia”
Favorite destination: Morocco, St. Barth, The Balearic Islands
On his bucket list: Tangier, Greece, Japan
Can’t travel without my sketchbook
Sophie Hay
Sophie is a social media strategist and writer based in East London. When she's not scrolling, she's always got her nose in a good book.
“Let's get stuck in”
Favorite destination: Sri Lanka, New York, Provence
On her bucket list: The Philippines, New Orleans & Costa Rica
Can’t travel without her Away suitcase (and packing cubes)
Rebecca zeijdel-PAZ
I’m Rebecca, a Brooklyn-based jewelry designer with a deep love for travel, wonder and discovery. I grew up in Curaçao, where the pace of life follows the slow rhythm of the Caribbean Sea— I try to keep this internal rhythm wherever I go.
“Travel light, get lost”
Favorite destination: Anywhere near the sea
On her bucket list: Marrakech, Egypt, Lebanon, Kyoto... among many more places
Can’t travel without I travel with only a carry on, regardless of how long our trip might be. My tip is to always carry a folded up duffel bag inside to bring back unexpected souvenirs.
ROBYN DAVIS
“Loves a good hotel, loves a good daydream”
Travel photographer based in London
Favourite destinations: Scotland, San Sebastian, Austin
On her bucket list: Norway, Georgia, Hawaii
VALENTINA BARABUFFI
Italian globe-trotter, Valentina Barabuffi was born under the Tuscan sun in the small town of Cortona, and now lives in Florence. Her passion for photography and travel leads her around the Mediterranean, discovering new places that are “a never-ending exercise in beauty”, although her heart is rooted in Italy.
“Travel not to see the sights but to discover beauty in every sight”
Favorite destination: Italy, Spain, Greece, and Morocco
On her bucket list: Mallorca, Beirut, Mexico
Can’t travel without her camera
XENIA PRAKSINA
With her name meaning "outlander" or "welcomed guest", Xenia has almost being destined for the life of travel. Raised in Siberia, she daydreamed about destinations far and close. Xenia is a creative mind, and she's deeply passionate about good design, hospitality, the art of hosting, travel, and sustainability.
"Live with your eyes wide open”
Favorite destination: Japan, Mexico
On her bucket list: Kenya, Australia, Sri Lanka
Can’t travel without her camera
