Friends of RG: Mathieu & Michiel

Friends of RG: Mathieu & Michiel

We lived in The Netherlands for almost 6 years when I was working for a Swedish furniture giant with yellow and blue stores (hmmm… which one could that be…?) and it was at the office that I met and got to know the lovely Mathieu. We kind of hit it off right away and we started to hang outside work with our husbands and that is how I got to know the lovely Michiel. They live in the most beautiful apartment in Amsterdam and are currently renovating a Summer house in the Italian countryside. Mathieu and Michiel are both fun-loving, warm, generous, intelligent and really great chefs. Basically, they are just great people to hang out with. In addition to this, we share a love for the Italian region of South Tyrol and just like me, they are both hotel-fanatics.

What hotel were you staying at when you first realised that you were a hotel-fanatic?

I guess there was not just one hotel. It has been a combination of the love of traveling, with the love of food, design and hospitality. But Indigo, Puerto Natales in Chile, the Standard Hotel, L.A, Brunton Boatyard in Kochi, India or Brauereigasthof-Hotel Aying, Germany are all hotels that made us realize how much we love great hotels.

What kind of hotels do you usually go for?

Well-designed, well-maintained, love for details and genuine love for hospitality and food are mostly the keywords we are looking for.

You can feel when a hotel is good. It is not usually only the design. It’s the complete package that makes or breaks it. Oh, and crispy white bed linen and a good shower not to forget.

What has been your most memorable hotel stay thus far? And why?

August, Antwerp, Belgium; Designed by Vincent van Duysen. Located in an old military hospital – It was one of the first trips after travel restrictions during COVID. What a pleasure! The design is just perfect, the barman shakes the right cocktails, and the restaurant is just amazing. We just had NO reason to leave the hotel at all…

3 of your musts when staying at a hotel?

Location: We like the hotel to be in a nice neighborhood. Somewhere where you can walk out for a drink, or a quick bite. Or a nice hike in nature.

Style: We like our hotels to have a certain flair, attention to details.

Care: One of the most important aspects of hotels or guesthouses is how the staff takes care of their guests. You can have an amazing design, but if the love is missing everything falls apart.

If you have stayed at any of the hotels featured on SbRG, which one is your favourite?

Can we also choose a group of hotels? ;-)

We have fallen in love with the Alto Adige (South Tyrol) area in Italy. And thanks to Selected by RG we have learned about and stayed at: Bühelwirt, Briol, 1477Reichhalter, Zum Riesen and Parkhotel Mondschein, they all are great!

Here is Michiel, sitting and contemplating (I am sure something important like if he will order a Negroni or Aperol) at Parkhotel Mondshein in Bolzano, Italy. One of the many hotels on SbRG’s list they really like.

Which of the featured hotels on Selected by RG are on the top of your wish list to stay at?

AEON, Soprabolzano, Italy

Mathieu and Michiel are dreaming of adding AEON to their list of hotels to stay at next. And I understand why.

Are there any hotels you think should be featured on Selected by RG in the future?

Maybe Borgo di Carpiano in Gubbio, Italy Our guilty pleasure in Umbria