We found ourselves in Barcelona again six years later and feeling more at home than we could ever imagine thanks to the warmest stay at The EDITION Barcelona. If you're unfamiliar with the EDITION hotels, I highly suggest you check out my previous stay at their location in Tokyo; and then you'll completely understand why, when I found out that there was one in Barcelona, I had to experience what it's like to stay here as well. Asides from the luxurious but minimal decor and unique vibes, something that I've felt at the EDITION properties time and time again is just how comfortable the atmosphere is, the minute that I step inside. It could easily be credited to the amazing Le Labo signature scent that they have throughout the space, but for me, it's mostly the gratuitous greetings and thoughtful service from everyone that encapsulate perfectly that feeling of "my own home away from home".

While there are certain aspects of the EDITION hotels around the world that are uniformly upheld, each property in their respective city aims to capture the essence of their location and the culture, ranging from the design of the rooms down to even the food and beverage offerings.

My boyfriend and I checked in to the EDITION on a Sunday night, the weekend of the New Year's celebration in Spain. We were so excited for our stay here to enjoy a little R&R time so that we can reset and restart the year on a good note. When we arrived at our room, we found something we've been missing from our previous EDITION stay, and that's the robes and faux fur throw that seems to always invite us to cozy up in a nook that's hard to miss in every EDITION hotels' room. As we filled the beautiful bath in our suite, we watched the birds fly peacefully left and right in the coolest window view we've seen in Barcelona so far. The window view featured the colorful roof of the Santa Caterina Market next door and when the sun is setting or rising, the view was pretty much kaleidoscopic with all of the colors dancing in the light.

That night, we did something we haven't done at a hotel in a while, and that's to just order room service dinner and enjoy ourselves to the fullest in our room. For me, the best sign of a comfortable hotel is when I seriously don't want to leave my room for even a second. We were tempted to hop down to the Punch Room, which is the property's very own speakeasy lounge, but we thought, we would save it for another night when we could hang out there for a few hours and try all of the cocktails (which we actually did, the following Wednesday). After a restful night, we were spoiled with a delicious breakfast in our room that featured a delicious mix of typical Spanish dishes and continental ones. For the best of both worlds, we ordered the 'PATATAS CON JAMÓN' and a stack of 'PANCAKES' with mascarpone topped with fresh berries. That sets us up quite nicely to enjoy the rest of the day exploring the different iconic neighborhoods that The EDITION Barcelona is conveniently located around.

Wearing: Aritzia tank, and ASOS pearl beaded skirt.

Wearing: Sezane boyfriend shirt, The Frankie Shop grey trousers, Common Projects sneakers and Chanel WOC.

We were able to see Santa Caterina Market as it was opening its doors from our room's windows and by 11 am when we stopped in, it was bustling but not as hectic and as crowded as the other known market in Barcelona, Boqueria. It was a much more local experience and truly adds to the charm of the hotel being so close by.

That afternoon we walked through El Born and grabbed a mascarpone croissant at Hofmann, and then Bar Cañete for some tapas. The EDITION Barcelona is also relatively close to the main shopping center, so I was able to browse and pick up a couple of souvenirs as well. Because it was a Monday night, which tends to be a slower night in Spain; if you've been here before, you'll definitely know what I'm talking about- so we retreated to our room so that I can squeeze another glorious bath in before checking out the next day.

We switched it up a little for breakfast the next morning, and I got a 'WAFFLE' with banana, caramel whipped cream, and granola and my boyfriend got a hearty 'SHAKSHUKA'. Of course, the morning routine could have not been complete if there wasn't another bath for the record. After slowly starting our morning and getting ready to head out, we had a chance to visit the The ROOF and enjoyed some quick bites and a couple of drinks. I was pleasantly surprised with the Asian take of the menu there and if I wasn't staying at the hotel, The EDITION Barcelona's rooftop would be a spot that you'll find me frequent with friends. Beyond the food, it is one of the only places in Barcelona where you can get a 360 view of the city.

Checking out of a property like this is always such a dreading process for me, and honestly, I couldn't stay away from this place for too long as I mentioned that during our trip to Barcelona, we returned on a separate night to spend almost four hours trying all of the special punches and have a couple of game of pool in the Punch Room. My favorite was the EDITION's punch, but the fun bartenders there can surely fix up some solid classics like an espresso martini or an old fashion too.

Our trip to Barcelona wouldn't have been as special if we didn't get a chance to experience this hotel. I highly recommend you check this hotel out the next time you're in Barcelona, whether you're staying there, or just stopping in for a drink on the rooftop or their Punch Room.

Press/Media Stay. All opinions are my own.
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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D600 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens. The Barcelona EDITION, Spain

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Quaint Stay at Casa Taberna in Pedraza, Spain

Somehow found myself in a quaint little town called Pedraza located in Segovia, a city between where I'm currently living, Valladolid, and Madrid. It was only the second week of October, but the mountains were already capped with flurries of snow which made for clear skies and really crisp air. Spain has been ridiculously kind to me by slowly revealing all of its charms that I wouldn't have otherwise ever been able to see had I not gotten the chance to live here for a short amount of time.

I'm not sure how I stumbled across Casa Taberna, but I'm so glad that I did so that it could lead me to experience what it's like to stay in a 17th-century Castilian mansion that turned into a small guesthouse consisting of only 4 rooms and a traditional restaurant that features traditional recipes of open fire grill techniques. Casa Taberna won me over, not just because of their labor-of-love's attention to the modernized interior decor, while respecting the traditional features of the building, but also the warmness of the entire staff and how cozy being there felt.

I spent a full day and night there, but I truly wish I could have stayed another couple of days or so to fully soak in what it must feel like to live a small Spanish town life. I also wouldn't have minded waking up to that breakfast spread that my boyfriend and I were seriously spoiled with again as well-- truly, it was one of the best breakfasts at any hotel we've been to in a long time.

After seeing all of these photos, I'm sure you'll be putting Casa Taberna on your list of places to visit in Spain for your future trips, and just in case the direction might seem a bit daunting (since Segovia is quite far out of the way from many major cities that are more well known in Spain) I can assure that you'll definitely not only fall in love with this place but also this magical town, Pedraza, as well.

ps. Room 1 at Casa Taberna is my favorite, but all of the other rooms are just as well decorated and comfortable.

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Camera Gear Used: Nikon D600 (body only) with 50mm F1/4 and 24-70mm F3.5 lens.

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Valladolid Aje

As a summer baby, pretty sure I can say that summer sure does live forever (well, especially if it's in this form as a dress). I got this Aje number last summer when I was in Tokyo, and wore it out to one of the best meals I could've had during the times we were living in. Fast forward pretty much a year later, and I'm prancing around my new stomping ground in Valladolid, Spain.

You guys aren't new to this by now, but I'm a sucker for re-wearing and styling pieces that I carefully add to my wardrobe, and I love that they feel fresh when adapted to the season I'm dressing for or the places I'm currently living in. I'm slowly getting adjusted to living in a small town coming from cities like New York and Tokyo. I can't wait to share more of my style changes in the upcoming months.

Dress: Aje in white
Shoes: Ancient Greek Sandals in black
Bag: Chanel Wallet on Chain
Accessories: Nadri pearl choker, and boheme pearl earrings


Photo by Shun S.

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Barcelona, Spain

There is a special place in my heart for a city like Barcelona. Growing up, it was probably one of the only cities that I felt really captivated by with that romantic vibe (I know, even more so than Venice). And thinking back, I really can’t recall why it ever left this impression on me. Maybe it’s the flamingo dancers or the exotic music? I mean, I’ve been dreaming about Park Guell for so long that I was too gleeful to contain myself when I was physically there. But surprisingly enough, one of the best things I did in Barcelona was seeing a game at the Camp Nuo stadium which filled up with 89,000 people for a Barcelona vs Atletic Madrid match.

I don’t really have a strict itinerary when I’m traveling abroad. It’s not my goal to see every attraction that a city is famous for. In fact, my trip was pretty much revolved around the restaurants that I really wanted to try. I was glad that I skipped the Sagrada Familia since it’s still not quite finished. I stopped by Casa Batllo and Casa Mila since they were around the hotels I stayed at. Personally, I enjoyed Casa Mila much more as it felt like I was in a playground. I pretty much spent most of my time wandering El Born, and the Gothic Quarters. I highly recommend visiting Girona as well. It’s only 40minutes away from Barcelona and it reminds me of a medieval Venice with its Cathedral giving off major Game of Thrones feels (see my outfit post for that day trip here). Eating fresh seafood right inside Boqueria Market is also something really fun that you should consider experiencing as well! And if your heart is calling for you to visit again, make sure to drink from the Fontana so that you’ll always find a way back.

Where I Stayed:

Praktik Garden
Praktik Rambla
The Moods

Where I Ate:

Windsor: A great Michelin recommended restaurant that I feel deserves a star of its ownn.

El National: Tapas of all sorts in a really sophisticated open space that allows for tapas bar hopping in one building.

Vinitus: Highly recommend going here later in the night for tapas as it is extremely packed early evening.

Brunch and Cake: You'll be blown away by the portion-size colorful masterpieces of the brunch-inspired dishes here. At least it's super healthy! I highly recommend their smoothies.

Maestro: This place has a beer of their own that's done in-house. Best 5 euro beer-tasting sampler you'll have in your life.

El Catala: Hands down my best lunch in Barcelona among so many good paellas that I've had on my trip.

Artesans: A gem in the outskirt of El Born. It's quiet and quite cozy for the most contemporary take on some of Barcelona's most popular tapas.

Cafe Le Bistrot: This one is in Girona and is my recommended spot to stop for a drink and people watch as seating for this restaurant scatter on the massive historic Jewish steps of this small town.

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