What an impressive city! I already was excited to go because of the connection it has with the story of Sissi, but I wouldn’t imagine that it would be this incredible. Within a day I already knew that I would definitely go back to Vienna to stay longer. For now, let me take you through my luxury, relaxing weekend in this imperial city.

If you rather watch the Vienna travel vlog:

Day 1

I always make sure to get the first plane in the morning if I go somewhere, so I can get the most out of it. The first plane from Amsterdam to Vienna was not until 9:30, so it would arrive at 11:30. Unfortunately we started our trip with an hour delay because of the weather conditions in Vienna. That was probably one of the first things I heard about Vienna, omg. What do you mean ‘spring’? Well, anyway.. Let’s get into the good vibes now.

We were welcomed by the driver that was arranged by the hotel. It was the first time that I used that service, and I’m telling you.. That’s going to be a standard from now on. How relaxing that was! No need to look for the exit, for the taxis, and dragging your suitcases there. You arrive, you look for a sign with your name on it, you hand over your suitcases, and you follow the driver. You’re sitting within 5 minutes.

I’ll leave the hotel experience for a different blog post, as it deserves its very own blog post. But we stayed our weekend at the lovely Almanac Palais Vienna.

After checking in, we immediately went to the place where we planned on having lunch: Verde.

Lunch at Verde

Let’s start by saying that Verde was an amazing spot for lunch. It’s in the middle of the city, and basically next to all the luxury shops. The service was amazing, we had a lovely waiter, and the interior was exactly how I love it. Velvet, colors, gold. Yes!

I started with my very first glass of Austrian wine (how could I not): a delicious Riesling. They also make their own limonade. My sister ordered one with passion fruit. It was so good!

In terms of food I had an amazing truffle ravioli, and my sister had risotto with chicken. Just a note here. I’m always into eating the original foods, but I do have to say no to authentic Austrian food though, because I don’t like it. And Kaiserschmarrn is something I only eat when I’m skiing in the ice cold. That’s why I’m eating Italian food in Vienna, haha. I do love the Austrian wines though!

Goldenes Quartier Wien

I have to say that I was so deeply impressed by this square and all the streets around it with all the luxury shops they had, the buildings that they were in, and how BIG the shops were. They also had such a big Zimmermann store, and I felt like a child in a candystore. It’s definitely one of my favorite designers. Just the quality and the details of it, wow.

Oh, and that insanely gorgeous church next to the Zara store. And the building next to it, where there’s a McDonalds, the colors and detail on that building, wow. I think it’s the most gorgeous outside of a McDonalds that I’ve seen in my entire life.

Dinner at THELL

Our evening started with dinner at THELL. If you look them up on social media, you wouldn’t necessarily think that you could have a nice sitdown dinner there. At least, when I looked them up before we went there, all I saw was parties and it felt more like a club. But it was such a vibe. I loved their interior, but we had such a nice dinner. It did become louder the later it got. It was a different world compared to where we went the next day, but if you’re looking for something nice, and not too fancy, this is definitely a good place.

Cocktails at Potions

This place has been on our radar ever since we knew that we were going to Vienna: Potions. It’s giving Harry Potter vibes (such a coincidence, but we are HP fans!), and they have amazing cocktails. Literally potions! Of course, I had the Lost Cherry cocktail. If there’s something with cherry, it has my name on it. My sister had the Charmlixir. They were amazing. I love these chemistry vibe cocktails. Such a fan!

Day 2

On the second day I woke up early, because I had an appointment.

Photoshoot

Ever since I got started with doing a photoshoot on one of my trips, I’ve been doing it on every trip, and have no regrets whatsoever. I love doing a professional photoshoot with a photographer that knows the best spots in the city, and having a bunch of amazing photos afterwards. The first one I did was with Flytographer because it’s just so easy. But on this trip I started doing it by looking for great photographers myself in the destination where I’m going. Because I’m all about supporting them over a big business, and they are also just less expensive.

So because it was supposed to be spring, I brought such a cute red dress because it would look so cute outside with these gorgeous buildings. But when I left the hotel, it was snowing and -7 degrees. That was a challenge, I have to say. Wow. I was freezing! But I did it anyway, and no regrets, haha. I love the photos and videos she took of me.

If you’re looking for a good photographer in Vienna, check her out on Instagram. What I loved about her is that she really has these fun ideas, knows all the right places, and that she also records small videos that you can use.

Austrian National Library

Wow, this was mesmerising. The Austrian National Library. As if I was in Beauty and the Beast. It so felt like that movie inside this library. This is something that you just HAVE to see with your own eyes. I can tell you how amazing it is, I can show you pictures, I can show you videos of it on my vlog, but nothing beats the feeling of actually seeing it with your own eyes. Felt like a dream.

Back to the luxury shops

Because we didn’t really had a lot of time on the first day, we didn’t visit all of the shops that we wanted to see, so we went back for a couple of them. And I found my new sunglasses at Loewe. I tried on a couple of them (on my vlog you’ll see them all, I started with the fun green one on the top left). And I actually loved them all, but the sales assistant and my sister both agreed that the last one was the best fit. I might go back for the fun green one though, loved that one!

Then we went to Dolce & Gabbana, and also bought a gorgeous one there. I bought it as a gift for my sister. But I might steal it from time to time.

Lunch at Buxbaum

I absolutely loved our lunch at Buxbaum. Definitely put it in your itinerary. I also might be a little bit biased because I absolutely love good wines and lobster linguine. And they had both. But no seriously, it was such a cute place. The wines were amazing, the food was excellent. I would definitely go back here for lunch.

Please be aware though. There’s also a hotel called Buxbaum, and it is not inside the hotel. You have to walk past the entrance of the hotel, go the left, and then straight ahead you’ll see a courtyard. That’s where it’s located.

Getting a tattoo

I have been thinking about getting a tattoo at every destination I’m visiting from now on. Just like collecting stamps in your passport, but instead, you’re collecting stamps on your body. So I’ve been thinking about the tattoo for Vienna for a while. But I just couldn’t think of anything. At the last minute I decided to go for the tattoo that I chose. I have flowers in the form of a heart. Nothing to do with Vienna except me knowing that I had it in Vienna, and the heart stands for that I loved it more than I thought I would. But the thought behind this was actually to get something that had a true link to Vienna. We got our tattoo at EasyTattoo Vienna.

So I already have on in mind for Paris, but for Rome I’m not sure if I’m getting one because of the fact that I’m traveling with my mom, and she doesn’t like it, and we also don’t really have a lot of time in Rome. But I still like the idea of doing it in Paris etc.

DAS LOFT

Now it’s time for the star of the show: DAS LOFT! This view was truly breathtaking. Wow. The vibe was good. The view was stunning. The service was good. The drinks and food were amazing. If you only take one thing to add into your itinerary for Vienna (which you shouldn’t but okay), then let it be this one.

I started dinner here with a glass of Dom Perignon champagne. I feel like that’s the only right way to start evenings at places like this. As a starter I had the Pumpkin Veloutée, and it was delicious. I love pumpkin, especially when it’s as cold as it was. Then as the main course I had Risotto with truffle and mushrooms. Everything was so incredibly delicious, I loved it. This was truly a 10 out of 10!

Cocktails at The Chapel Bar

After dinner we went to the speakeasy cocktail bar The Chapel Bar. It was super busy, and we had to wait on our table a little bit, but the vibes and the drinks were so good! Totally different from Potions, but I loved it. They had the ceiling full of Christmas decoration, and it was just so much fun. I had the Huntress of Hearts, which was super cute, delicious, but a pretty normal cocktail compared to what my sister had. She had like a bathtub, and the bubbles were popping one by one. It was so cute!

The entrance of The Chapel Bar is hidden inside of restaurant Let’s Be Frank.

Day 3

We requested a late checkout on the last day, so that we could enjoy our morning there in the spa. I am convinced that you should at least have 1 slow morning in your weekend, where you’re just fully relaxing. We also actually wanted to go to the Sissi museum (it was literally the main reason why I wanted to go to Vienna), but we found out last minute that you had to buy tickets with timeslots. I wasn’t prepared for that at all, so we couldn’t even go. That really sucked for me. So please buy your tickets in advance.

So instead of going to the Sissi museum, we went to the Easter markets. It’s so cute that they have these. I never knew, and I’m pretty sure that I’m not the only one who knew about Christmas markets but not about Easter markets. It’s basically the same principle as the Christmas markets, but instead of Christmas trees, you have Easter eggs.

That was our luxury weekend in Vienna. It’s so worth the visit, such a gorgeous city! But I do recommend to go later in the year. March is too unreliable. The weekend before our trip it was 15 degrees and sunny, the weekend of our trip it was raining, snowing, and -7 degrees. So I’d recommend to go somewhere in May. But definitely use this Vienna weekend itinerary. Just maybe actually add the Sissi museum in there, haha.

See you in the next one where I will tell you all about the amazing hotel that we stayed at!

How to choose the right destination? And once you did that, what luxury hotel is going to be the best pick? How to plan your itinerary so that you don’t come back exhausted, but you’re actually seeing the destination while also relaxing. So you don’t need a vacation after you got home from your vacation. They also call this slow traveling. What restaurants and bars to choose? What activities? In this blog post I’m showing you my process on how to plan your trip, and how it gets me a successful perfect luxury getaway.

If you would like to watch the video version of this blog post, here it is:

Choosing the destination

Obviously, the first thing you want to be doing is decide when you’re traveling. Let’s say you’re wanting to book a trip around April/May. Then some really good destinations are in the south of Europe. I would always go for a city trip around these months, because the weather is really good, but not too hot yet.

Some amazing destinations could be Lisbon, Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Rome, Athens, Nice, and many more around that area. For the sake of example in this blog post, let’s go with Rome. I love Rome, and need to go back. I might even do. The one time I visited Rome was back in 2016, and we went in August. Everything about that trip was bad, expect for Rome, haha. Rome is so gorgeous. The history, the food, everything. That’s it, I’m going back. Going back to my trip back in 2016, I’ll spare you the details. But August is such a bad time for Rome. Let’s leave it at that. Okay, so Rome it is.

What exact location?

The next step in how to plan your trip is, once the overall destination is set, where exactly do you go? What exact location? Rome is a big city. Because I’ve already been to Rome, I know where all the good things are. I would go for a place near the Spanish Steps or Trastevere. What I do with a destination that I don’t know yet, depending on the trip, I look at the itinerary with all the things that I want to do, and look in that area. For example for Sardinia, that would be the North Eastern area.

If you’ve decided on a trip to Amsterdam, I love that for you! Make sure to check out my Amsterdam travel vlog, and the Conservatorium hotel review vlog.

Choosing the hotel

Moving on to choosing the hotel. My favorite step in the how to plan your trip process. I always start my journey at Booking.com since almost every hotel is on there. I use it more like a search engine than an actual place where I book a hotel. I can filter what’s important to me, I can see reviews, it’s the best hotel searching tool if you ask me. I filter on hotels, 5 stars, and 9+ reviews. The very best hotels come out of this search. Then I’m going through them to see which one matches my vibe, I add that in a spreadsheet, and then decide which one I want to book.

Making the itinerary

I create my itinerary on Wanderlog. I seriously love this application. You can add your hotel, and all the places where you want to go, and it automatically calculates the time that’s needed to get there. How to plan your trip without Wanderlog? I can’t even imagine that anymore.

So I first go on Instagram, TikTok, and Youtube to find the best things to do and see. Then I put that into the list on Wanderlog. And I schedule it in once I have everything that I want to do and see in my list. By the end of the planning, my whole itinerary is in here and I know exactly what, how, why, when.

Are you already subscribed on Youtube? I’m putting out videos like this on a weekly basis. So, if this is helpful to you, I would love for you to subscribe and click the bell, so that I can officially welcome you to the community, and you get a notification when my next videos are live. Psst, there’s a Vienna travel vlog, and luxury hotel review vlog coming in a few weeks.

Choosing the right restaurants

Lots of destinations have countless of restaurants, but you only have so many evenings in your trip. So you have to choose. Omg, I suck at making decisions. Anyway, the thing that I always look for first is the vibe of the restaurants and possible views. A restaurants with a gorgeous view wins easily from a different one that doesn’t have a view. After I’m convinced about the vibe and the view, I look at their menu. After that I check out the reviews.

What I also look at is if the restaurants has specific nights you know, like a jazz night or something like that. Based on that I place each of them on a specific day in my itinerary.

Now that you know how to plan your trip, the luxury edition, make sure to watch my Amsterdam travel vlog if that’s the destination you want to go for. Subscribe if you’re curious about Vienna, because that travel vlog will go live in a few weeks. See you next week!

This past weekend I took my mom on a surprise luxury weekend getaway in Amsterdam. Let me start this blog post by saying that you should definitely take your mom on a surprise luxury weekend getaway. We had the best time together! We did the whole thing. We went shopping, had deep conversations, went out to dinner, laughed until we cried, had a massage, and went to visit some of the best museums. Let me walk you through a perfect 3 day itinerary in Amsterdam.

If you would like to see it in video format, then subscribe to my Youtube channel, because the travel vlog will go live this Friday February 27th.

Day 1

We stayed this weekend at the Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium Hotel (review will come soon on my blog). You arrive at the hotel to do the checkin and leave your luggage. You start the day with a nice cup of coffee in the hotel lobby, before heading out for the day. On the first day you explore the beauty of Museumplein (which is right across the street from the hotel), and after that you walk over to the other side of the hotel to do some shopping at the luxury shopping street P.C. Hooftstraat.

Halfway through you pass by Georgette and walk in for a quick lunch. My lunch consisted of mimosas and a Croque Madame (which was huge, more calories than a Big Mac, but delicious).

After your lunch you get back to your shopping and walk all the way through to the end of the street, to walk back to the hotel for picking up the keys and getting to the room. You explore the room and also the rest of the hotel, to then continue the shopping at De Bijenkorf, which is a luxury shopping mall. You walk around for a few more hours until you have to get back to the hotel to fresh up and change for dinner.

You first have a drink at the hotel bar, to then being escorted to the restaurant. We had dinner at Taiko, which is the restaurant located in the Mandarin Oriental Conservatorium Hotel, which was a wonderful experience. We had an amazing waiter and sommelier.

Day 2

On day 2 we were planning to go to the Barbie House and go up the A’DAM tower, but we decided to do some more shopping instead. The Barbie Experience takes place at Wondr Experience. I haven’t seen it myself yet, but I would definitely recommend to go. Who wouldn’t want to walk in a real life Barbie house? If you would like to go shopping instead, like we did. Definitely check out the 9 straatjes. It’s a super cute Amsterdam area with all these cute boutiques.

Around 14:00 we went back to the hotel for a massage at the spa. We had a massage with champagne and fruit. It was a lovely experience. The fruit was really fresh! The massage was amazing. And I really recommend to implement this into your busy itinerary.

Then we got ready, because our next dinner reservation was already waiting. We went to The Siren, which is located at the Rokin, in the middle of the city centre. It’s such a gorgeous place with an amazing vibe, and amazing food and drinks. There was a singer as well that evening. Such an amazing vibe. We started with 2 glasses of Dom Perignon, which I always save for real special occasions. And for a special occasion I always choose The Siren.

Day 3

On the last day we had actually planned a canal boat tour, but it was raining like crazy. We adjusted the planning. We started our day after breakfast at the spa of the hotel for a couple of hours, and after that we left to go to the Moco Museum and the Rijksmuseum.

The Moco Museum is such a cute museum that you have to experience. They have all these seperate rooms per artist. Robbie Williams and Banksy also have their individual space. At the end, you’ll walk through their immersive experience, and it’s amazing! I truly loved it.

The Rijksmuseum is a place that I’ve been wanting to visit for such a long time. Especially for the paintings of Rembrandt. It was truly special to see these paintings in real life.

After that, it was already time to go home.

If you’re planning to go to Amsterdam, use this 3 day itinerary Amsterdam as your guide. If you would like to see it in video format, then subscribe to my Youtube channel, because the travel vlog will go live this Friday February 27th.

Don’t plan your weekend Amsterdam outside end March – September, unless you want to have rain. During this months, no rain still isn’t guaranteed, but you have a way bigger chance at good weather, and Amsterdam is so gorgeous when the sun is shining.

Either if you’re wanting to do a luxury weekend getaway to Antwerp, or if you’re planning a longer European vacation and you’re planning to pass through Belgium, you do not want to miss the Botanic Sanctuary Hotel in Antwerp. I stayed there for 3 nights in the Junior Suite, and let me walk you through my stay from arrival to departure.

If you would rather watch this in video format, then here’s the YouTube video:

Arrival

We arrived by taxi and you arrive at this grand entrance with a roundabout and a gorgeous statue right in the middle. The moment we arrived we were immediately welcomed by the bell staff. We didn’t have to lift a finger. The doors were opened for us. The luggage was taken out by someone else from the bell staff while we were escorted inside to the front desk. We were greeted by the front desk staff and they set us down with a glass of Champagne to do the checkin. It was one of the most comfortable checkins I’ve ever had. The room wasn’t ready yet, because we arrived super early, but they gave us a small tour through the hotel. They showed us the bar and the chapel. After that we went into the city centre of Antwerp, which was closer than you would’ve imagined. Within 5 minutes walk we were there, while it’s so peaceful at the hotel. Not just inside, but also outside in the courtyard, and in the gorgeous garden they have.

If you would like to see more from the garden, I refer you to my Instagram, as I only did video footage there and not so much photos. Below on the left photo you can see it a little bit in the back. It’s also not really a garden, it’s more of a park in my opinion.

The room

When we got back to the hotel, we went to the reception. The front desk staff escorted us to our room, which was in a different building. Our suitcases were already at our room waiting for us. The gentleman who escorted us to the hotel, showed us where everything was in the room, and then left. We had a pretty big bathroom with a bathtub and a large shower. We also had a seating area. And of course a large, and super comfortable bed. This was a junior suite. Normally these colors wouldn’t be something that I would go for, as I like more red vibes (as they had in the bar), but it was actually quite peaceful.

Spa

After we packed out our suitcases, we went to explore a little bit more, and went to the spa to check that out. We had to go through a huge corridor to get there, felt like I was on the Titanic, haha. But then we finally reached it. It was such a big spa! You enter the space of the waiting area for the treatments, and then on the right you had a door that led you to the actual space with the swimming pool and the saunas. We spent one morning there, and it was lovely. If you went one floor up, you came into a small seating area, and a gym attached to it. That’s where this photo was taken.

Bar Henry

My favorite place of the hotel, haha. I just loved the vibe here so much. These are the colors that I meant. Details of red, marble, and chandeliers. Wow. Looking at the colors that they use for the interior of that bar, is totally what I’m into. And then the chandeliers, gorgeous. We were having a drink (most nights multiple) at Bar Henry every evening. But the people that came to the bar, were also just so nice and coming for a nice time. Nobody was shouting or being loud, just having fun.

We had cocktails, and didn’t drink anything else. I do know they serve Dom Perignon, also by the glass, which you don’t see very often. I remember we mostly had the generic cocktails like Pornstar Martini, Espresso Martini etc.

Breakfast

The breakfast was such an event on itself. They had a huge breakfast buffet, bigger than I’ve ever seen before. And besides that you could also order dishes a la carte. If you’re curious about the breakfast buffet, you should check out my highlight on Instagram, because it was a video of 1.5 minutes. That’s how extensive it was. Of course, they offered Champagne at breakfast. And for the ones that really wanted to start their evening early, they also had Vodka, haha. Not for me though. I’ll just stick to the Champagne.

I’m doing the price breakdown in the video at the end, that explains it all a lot better than me trying to explain it here. But I would most definitely go back to the Botanic Sanctuary Hotel. I loved it there. You just feel like you’re in the middle of nature, while the centre of Antwerp is just around the corner (literally). So yes, if I would ever go back to Antwerp, I’m staying here.

The Botanic Sanctuary Hotel Antwerp is a part of the Leading Hotels of the World. You can book your room here. If you decided to book it after reading my blog post, or watching my Youtube video, definitely let me know! The easiest way is to message me on Instagram. And if you did book it, I’m jealous. You’re going to have the best time there!

If you’re new here… Welcome to Maps & Suitcases! I wanted to write this post so that you’ll know from reading just this one blog post, what to expect on here instead of having to browse for a few hours, and making your own assumptions.

My name is Sylvahna, and I’m the writer behind this blog (and creator of the socials, and my Youtube channel). I wasn’t grown into luxury travel. What I got a lot from back home was “the cheaper the better” kind of vacations, and even growing older I always tried to get the best deal possible – but the right hotel has always been important to me. But when I arrived in my thirties, things shifted. I started to make more money, and kept on growing more towards luxury travel, and have been loving it from the start. I started Maps & Suitcases to share my luxury travel, the luxury hotels, and the destinations. Because when I was going through the transition of becoming the luxury traveler, I wished there was something that would help and guide me through this amazing world of luxury travel.

My Luxury Travel Journey So Far

I’ve seen a lot of destinations before I started indulge myself into luxury travel, but my very first luxury travel destination was London. The trip before that was to Disneyland Paris, but I was staying in a cheap hotel. Such a difference that London was! I stayed at One Aldwych, and it was the best hotel experience I ever had in my life. I was addicted immediately. From that moment on, luxury hotels became my thing. I have moments that I have a destination in mind, but also moments that I have a hotel in mind and I plan everything around that hotel. Hotels became a huge part of the luxury travel experience for me. How I used to always traveled just to cross things off of my list, now I’m traveling for the feeling. You know that feeling you get when you’re traveling, overlooking the ocean, standing still, and just being insanely happy and proud? Right, that feeling.

How I Travel & What You’ll Always See Here

Even though I do a lot of luxury long weekend getaways, you’ll never see me rushing from one thing to the next. I schedule at least 1 day for the hotel itself (depending on how long I’m staying there). What’s important to me when I travel, is that I’m recharging and not coming home feeling exhausted from all the running and flying I did on a destination.

Things you’ll always find back on my blog are destination itineraries, honest and genuine luxury hotel reviews, destination recommendations, and travel tips.

Where I’m Taking You in 2026

So now let’s get into where I’m taking you this year. Get excited, because this year is going to be amazing. Expect city escapes, but also destinations with blue oceans and cherry blossoms.

Let’s get into the plan for 2026, and what’s already booked:

• Luxury weekend Amsterdam in 1,5 weeks – booked
• Luxury weekend Vienna, Austria – booked
• Luxury week in Marrakech, Morocco – not booked yet
• Luxury weekend Barcelona, Spain – not booked yet
• A full week in Paris & Disneyland Paris – partially booked
• Luxury weekend in Singapore – not booked yet
• Full luxury week in Bali – booked
• Luxury week in Italy, where I’m traveling between Sardinia, Capri & Positano – not booked yet
• Luxury weeks in Japan & Disneyland Tokyo – not booked yet

When I look at this list, what goes through my mind is “Is this my life? I formerly went on vacation once a year..” – So yes, I realize that I’m very blessed to be able to do this. And to be able to show you all of these places together with me this year.

What’s Coming Next On My Travel Journey

What you can expect on Maps & Suitcases these coming weeks:

Upcoming trip:

February 20th – 22nd: Luxury weekend in Amsterdam – Follow along on Instagram

Upcoming blog posts:

• February 17th: Luxury hotel review Botanic Sanctuary Hotel Antwerp
• February 24th: Amsterdam Itinerary
• March 3rd: Luxury hotel review Amsterdam

Do the luxury travel destination quiz, and start receiving email updates about my upcoming blog posts.

Upcoming videos on Youtube:

• February 11th: Weekly vlog #2
• February 13th: Chatting about my experience at the El Somni Ibiza Dream Hotel
• February 18th: Weekly vlog #3
• February 20th: Disneyland Paris Secrets

Subscribe on Youtube

Browse through my other posts in destinations or luxury hotels.

See you next week!

Time for a new luxury hotel review, this time from Hotel Per La in Los Angeles Downtown. It was our very first stop in Los Angeles. There were a couple of things in Downtown that we wanted to see and visit. We stayed at Hotel Per La for 5 nights, and in this blog post I’ll take you through the experience from arrival to departure.

Arrival

Arrival & Check In

We arrived by taxi and were welcomed by the bell staff. They took out our luggage and escorted us inside. I loved the entrance, and the mirror hallway that you had to go through to arrive at the front desk. The lobby and the front desk was decorated with a living room feel, I loved it. The front desk staff was so kind and checked us in. 

But then, my card decided to not work. I did everything in the preparation of going to the US, so it should’ve worked. But the room was already pre-paid, so it was just the deposit. I had to call the bank and it took us about an hour and a half to sort it out. It would’ve been great if they had just given us the key to the room to sort it out there, and then have me come back later for the deposit, since we just had an 11-hour flight and we were exhausted. But eventually I spoke to someone from the bank, which was a miracle because it was already evening there. And we finally could go to the room.

The front desk staff escorted us to the room, and explained a little bit about the history of the hotel. It used to be an Italian bank, and you can still see that in a lot of details.

The room

We booked the Skyline View Salon and paid €1340 for 5 nights. As soon as you enter the room you immediately see the details from the Italian bank. I love that they kept a lot of it, it makes it feel special and not just like any other hotel. The room itself had the cutest colors, and a gorgeous bathroom. The bed, don’t even get me started on that. It was heaven. I was ready to just buy the whole bed, including pillows and sheets. I slept like a baby there.

Swimming pool

A Los Angeles luxury hotel without a swimming pool, is no luxury hotel, haha. The swimming pool was such a vibe. It was located at the rooftop. It didn’t necessarily have an amazing view, since you basically only have tall office buildings in the area, but the pool itself was lovely. I truly loved the statue at the end of the swimming pool. The weather also was so amazing for that time of year for us North-Europeans, haha. It’s usually pretty cold already in the first weeks of October, but in LA it was still 23-28 degrees. Like you went time traveling back to summer, but with Halloween decorations. 

They have Bar Clara attached to the swimming pool, so you could enjoy amazing cocktails while being at the pool. But you could also choose to leave the pool and just go sit at a table there. Of course, I chose the pool. How often can we sip a cocktail by the pool around October 5th? Easy choice.

Café Ora

They had a small coffeeshop inside the hotel – that was also open to people from outside the hotel – where I got my cappuccino and croissant each morning. I would choose this any time over a lousy cup of coffee inside the hotel room. 

Sometimes I would just sit there in peace when I had enough time, other times I would take it back to the room because we had to get ready for the day.

Ristorante Per L’Ora

We had dinner at the restaurant on our day of arrival. It’s gorgeously decorated with lovely details, even in the ceiling. There was a musician playing the piano. It was such a vibe. We had pasta and a cocktail, but we almost fell asleep while eating because we hadn’t slept for almost 24 hours. So sadly I don’t remember much of the menu, what kind of cocktail and what kind of pasta I had, because I was about half asleep there, haha. I just know that it was good, and we wanted to stay and sit there if we weren’t so tired. But we left pretty quickly, and then went to bed.

Conclusion

The hotel itself was lovely. I’m not a big fan myself of the neighborhood, but if you’re looking for a good luxury hotel for a good price in Los Angeles Downtown, then Hotel Per La can be just the one that you’re looking for. Just make sure that your card works before you leave home, haha. Looking for the best lunch and dinner spots in LA? Then check out this blog post here, where I’ve added 6 amazing lunch/brunch spots, and 5 iconic dinner spots. For more LA content, visit my Instagram. You can book the Hotel Per La through this link.

See you next week!

Los Angeles is an amazing luxury travel destination. There’s an insane amount of luxury there, but you do have to go to the right places. I’ve been there twice for more than a week, so I know exactly where to go. The first time I went to Los Angeles, I made the mistake of going to Downtown. Little did I know that Downtown was NOT the place in LA where you would experience luxury. More poverty. But it does also have an iconic place to eat at. So yes, I’m also sending you Downtown. But with an Uber, and only one evening. Not to worry. 

Lunch & brunch places

The Butcher, The Baker, The Cappuccino Maker

Let’s start with the lunch places, and this is one of the best. I’ve been to LA twice, but I’ve already been here 4 times. Order the art cappuccino. It blows my mind every time. And each time more than the last. And what I always order there is avocado toast. Just because I love it. But there are so many different options to choose from. And besides the fact that the food and drinks are good, the service is excellent, and it is located on Sunset in West Hollywood. 

Met Her At A Bar

Pretty close to The Grove, there is Met Her At A Bar. The waffle I had with fruit, was to die for. Omg, it was so good! The only downside of this place is that it’s actually not really close to anything except The Grove. So, if The Grove is on your list, definitely have lunch here!

The Polo Lounge

The Beverly Hills Hotel, isn’t that the perfect picture of luxury when you think about LA? The Polo Lounge is located inside the Beverly Hills Hotel. I loved the interior design of the Beverly Hills Hotel and you see that back in the Polo Lounge. The service was amazing (make sure that you’re not getting the table underneath the tree). The cocktails were delicious. The food itself (we had lunch there) was a little disappointing for a place like this. There wasn’t a lot that stood out to me.

The Cabana Cafe

The other lunch spot at the Beverly Hills Hotel is The Cabana Cafe, it gives a more informal vibe than the Polo Lounge, but I truly loved it! If you’re going for lunch, I would definitely choose The Cabana Cafe again. The cocktails were yummy, the food was delicious. I would definitely go back here without question.

Malibu Farm Cafe

First of all, you have to go here for the view. I could’ve stayed here all day just for the view. If you go sit on the terrace, just have a drink, and no food. It’s full of seagulls, and they are not shy. They will just go to your table and grab your food. I loved the moments that I just sat there at first with my cappuccino and enjoying the view. As soon as the food came, I felt like a guard that was protecting my lunch. If you’re going to have lunch, sit inside. But I would go back there in a heartbeat. So incredibly gorgeous.

Élephante

If you’re going to Santa Monica, and you definitely should, have brunch or lunch at Élephante. It has a gorgeous view over the ocean, and it’s the perfect day to start your day at Santa Monica with tranquility.

Dinner places

Ocean Prime

On your Beverly Hills day (you should at least have 1 of them as a luxury traveler), I recommend going to dinner at Ocean Prime. It’s located right next to Rodeo Drive. The service there is truly excellent. I also go here every time that I’m in LA. It just keeps pulling me back, it’s so good! I drink the smokey red berries cocktail, start with oysters, and then.. The lobster linguine is just to die for. It’s so good!

Geoffreys

When in Malibu.. You have to experience Geoffreys at least once. The service is good, the cocktails are good, and the food is good. The view is excellent. I do want to say, I went here both times I was in Malibu/LA. The first time was amazing. The second time is was mostly the view. Would I go here next time? Probably not. I would probably choose to go to Nobu Malibu. I found out that Malibu also had a Nobu after we got back home, but next time, I will definitely choose Nobu. But go to Geoffreys at least once.

71 Above

Remember I spoke about an amazing restaurant in Downtown? One of the most iconic places to eat in Los Angeles is located there. It’s 71 Above. Even going up there is already an amazing experience. There are 2 elevators you have to take. I believe the first one only went up until floor 50, and then you had to move to a different elevator that goes up to the 71st floor. Do you even realize how high that is? 71 floors. You can imagine that the view was amazing. It was sunset when we arrived, so it was gorgeous. It’s a must if you’re in LA.

Yamashiro

Let me start with, if you can’t handle spicy food, skip this one, haha. But it’s a gorgeous place to visit above all. We were super excited and started with wagyu toast, but it was so incredibly spicy. I literally have videos of us where we’re half dying because of the spice. I had a cocktail called Dragon Milk to turn down the heat, haha. After that I had some delicious sushi that wasn’t too spicy, thankfully. Would I go again? Yes. I loved the venue, I loved the service, and I loved the sushi roll. 

Nobu

Now, talking about sushi. If we’re talking about the most iconic places to eat in Los Angeles, Nobu is definitely the winner. You don’t know what real sushi tastes like until you had it at Nobu. There’s literally nothing else like it. And I went to some sushi restaurants in my life. Nothing beats Nobu. You heard me mention Nobu before, since there’s also one in Malibu. We went to the one in West Hollywood. I swear by Nobu. If I could only pick one restaurant to go to in LA, it would be Nobu. Please don’t skip this. You will thank me later.

Conclusion

Of course it’s dependable on how long you go to LA, and what places you’re actually going to. I would recommend a hotel in West Hollywood. We stayed at the Chamberlain and the Andaz WeHo. Also I would advise against going in May. It was really cloudy, and I spoke to a local and she mentioned that it’s usually cloudy around the beginning of May. The first trip I went at the end of September until mid October, and the weather was amazing. Have the best time in LA, and make sure to follow and tag me on Instagram @mapsandsuitcases if you end up going to one of these places.

See you next week!

You know how there’s always this one thing that we’re nonstop searching for? The perfect mascara, the perfect necklace, or you can just fill in the blank: the perfect ____. For me, that has always been the perfect blazer. The perfect blazer for me is a mix of business and pleasure. Literally that. Just a black blazer? It’s chic, but also boring. My DVF blazer with glitter (that was also worn by Blair Waldorf on GG btw)? Yes, I love it. But does it take your outfit to the next level? Not all that much. It’s great for the office, but anything after that, it’s not enough. So, I was scrolling on Farfetch just going through my weekly edit (they know me so well), and that’s when I saw it. The perfect blazer, and the brand? Cinq à Sept.

Background Information About Cinq à Sept

Before I get all hyped about this brand, let me tell you a little background information. Cinq a Sept means from five to seven in French. So after office hours, but before the actual night begins. The day transforms into evening. Imagine a gorgeous sunset in Paris. That’s what it means. For those of you who know me a little, know that I’m obsessed with sunsets and obsessed with Paris. When I did a little background information on the brand, I found out that it launched in 2016. That’s 10 years this year. I didn’t hear about it until just recently. It was founded by designer Jane Siskin, in the US. Finding a retailer in Europe is hard, but not impossible. Zalando sells the brand, other than that it’s hard to find. Hopefully they’ll start selling their collection soon at luxury shopping malls like Galeries Lafayette. 

What Made Me Fall in Love With The Brand

The moment that I found the perfect blazer, I was literally taking a pause. Like, omg, what is this beauty? A black blazer with the statement “I’ve arrived, and I’m going to steal the show”. After my breathing went back to normal again, I started researching Cinq à Sept. What else do they have in their collection? I came across gorgeous suits, coats, dresses.. They were literally made with me in mind. 

To The Office & After Work

Looking for items that are suitable for the office and for going out for drinks after work that they currently have in their collection? I got you. 

How cute and chic are all of these? I would not wear statement piece on top of statement piece, but you can really play around with the white satin suit. You can put a cute top underneath (that they have in a lot of different colors btw), or add a statement blouse. Shop these gorgeous items here (psst, some are on sale).

Live Stores

They have their own stores in the US in 3 locations: Newport Beach, New York, and Aventura, Florida. I really truly hope that they will expand to Europe soon. I like to at least see and feel the quality before I order something online from the US. Note: if you’re someone that’s living in Europe, first take a look at Zalando if they have your preferred item there. Saves you tremendously in shipping costs. 

Conclusion

Cinq  à Sept should also be on your radar! Follow them on IG, and start filling up your wardrobe with these gorgeous pieces for cinq à sept, when you’re going out after work. Looking for a blog post with all the accessories a woman needs? Read that here.

See you next week!

I’m sitting here writing my article about Paris, while sitting in my office in Amsterdam while it’s snowing outside. Thinking “I wish I was in Paris right now”. How romantic Paris already is, how much more romantic would it look like covered in snow like a WInter Wonderland? Apart from the fact that I lived in Paris for a year, I’ve probably been there before that around 20 times. It has a really special place in my heart, and that’s also because I know all the places to visit  in Paris that genuinely make you fall in love with your life again. Let’s go through them.

Montmartre

Of all the places to visit in Paris, the Montmartre should be included in your trip! This is the most romantic neighborhood of all of Paris. Just thinking and writing about it makes my heart skip a beat. Place du tetre where all the painters are working their magic, the views, and the gorgeous Sacré Couer. The only downside is that it’s super busy with tourists. So if you want to avoid that, go early in the morning around 8:00.

Musee de l’Armee

A lot of people don’t even know that this exists, but when you walk past it, there’s a 0% chance that you’ll overlook it. This isn’t just a gigantic war museum, this is also where Napoleon had been laid to rest. If you’re even a little bit into history, this is a super interesting one of places to visit in Paris. The most beautiful part of it? The golden dome.

Notre Dame

I have been in love with the Notre Dame since I stepped inside for the very first time. The moment I saw on the news that it was on fire, it broke my heart. During the year that I loved in Paris, it was closed because they were busy rebuilding everything. It has been open to the public again, and I haven’t been there since it reopened. But I will this year. Around May/June I will go back to Paris again, and you better believe that the Notre Dame is at the top of my list. I seriously can’t wait to step back inside.

Eiffeltower

Before you go “ugh, boring”, I get it. It’s not really a hidden gem, haha. But to me, the Eiffeltower IS Paris. It will never be boring. Every moment that I see it appear, I’m in complete awe. I’m always like “how do people just don’t get this?”. If you’re traveling with me to Paris, we’re going to see the Eiffeltower. From. Every. Angle.

Disneyland

Come on guys, how could I not include it? We’re talking about falling in love. Wishes and dreams. The place that I’ve been in love with ever since I first stepped inside in 1995 (yes, I know it opened in 1992 – I was 3 and my mom was pregnant with my sister in that year). I’ve been to Disneyland more times than I can count over the years, but I’ve never had the opportunity in my life to stay at the Disneyland Hotel, until now. We’ve arrived in the year that I will stay at the Disneyland Hotel, and I already know that I will cry when I arrive. That’s part of the dream that I’m making come true.

And for me, the magic is everywhere. In the rides, the shows, the characters that are walking through the park, the restaurants, everything.

I would always advise to go for at least 3 days to see it all. Since it has 2 parks. You can never see it all in 1 day. In 2 days you have to seriously run to be able to see it all. With 3 days you can actually take your time and see it all.

Conclusion

If you’re really looking for the Paris to fall in love with your life again, go for a week. Or at least 5 days. The best time to visit is around May or September. The weather is good but not too warm. Implement all of these places into your itinerary, and you’ll have the best time! My recommendation would be Paris in May, and use September to extend your summer a little by going to Sicily or Ibiza. I’ll have just the luxury hotel you need in Ibiza, read about it here.

See you next week!

I did some shopping at Farfetch and I freaking love Farfetch. I hate however package delivery companies, because it took them forever to deliver my packages. But now it’s all here and we can finally get into it!

I ordered a few items, that I LOVED on their website, but do we love it in real life? Let’s check it out!

Rather watch the video version?

Hugo Boss Trousers

The first thing I’m going to unbox, or unseal actually, haha, is my Hugo Boss trousers. If you’ve seen more of my content, you might’ve noticed that I’m more of a dress-kinda-girl, but having some casual, but beautiful trousers, is a must in any wardrobe. I have one in black, but didn’t have it in white yet. And white trousers with a gorgeous belt are amazing for the spring that we’re currently in.

I love the model and the quality, but the size looks SO small! I also didn’t fit it. Surprise, surprise!

But I decided that it’s not THAT far away from my actual size. At first I thought it was, but after I compared it to my other Hugo Boss trousers, it wasn’t that big of a difference. So I decided to keep it in the end as some kind of reward after I lost some weight, haha.

But it’s such a pretty trousers to wear in the summer with a cute top and some gorgeous heels. I do think we need to exchange the black belt with a brown belt for this.

Tory Burch Necklace

Then moving on to the next item, which is going to be my Tory Burch necklace. So, on my blog (and my socials) I’ve been talking about necklaces, and that we all should have at least 3 kinds of necklaces. The short bold and statement necklace, which I already have. I love my Givenchy lock. You should also have a long necklace which is a little more delicate. Because short necklaces just don’t always go well with everything. That I also already have. It’s my YSL pendant necklace that I wear so so often. But what I was still missing of the three, is a shorter and delicate necklace. That would be this Tory Burch necklace.

I absolutely ADORE this necklace. I love that it has the layers, which makes it a little more special instead of just being a delicate necklace. And what I LOVE, is that some of the charms have a little color. I would wear this necklace with so many outfits. Omg. LOVE LOVE LOVE! 11/10

Btw, I have a free downloadable mini-guide / checklist on 5 fashion items that can NOT miss inside your suitcase when you’re traveling, make sure to get that here.

Zimmermann Blouse

And theeeeen, omg I’m so excited about this one. My Zimmermann item. It’s a freaking gorgeous blouse. If you’re following me on IG you might have seen it pass by on my stories. If you don’t follow me yet, then definitely do so that you can get these BTS and I also put polls up regularly on what to buy, what video to create etc. But back to business: my Zimmermann blouse.

So I was deciding between 2 Zimmermann blouses, but decided to go for this one, because it gives me a little bit more of summer vibes..

As usual, Zimmermann does NOT disappoint. The details, the quality.. WOW.

In my opinion it goes best with a white trousers, possibly the white Hugo Boss trousers, but yeah.. Not going to happen right now, haha. I do think it can also look really cute with a black skirt. And I also LOVE it as a set that’s on Farfetch.

I love Farfetch so much. They also have this program where you can save points with everything you buy on there and with every level they have certain bonuses. I was a gold member, but went back to silver because I didn’t buy enough in the past year, but I’m determines to get back to gold again!