JAN & MONIQUE'S HIDDEN GEMS

Jan & Monique Des Bouvrie take us through their list of secret spots. Beautiful hotels, unique dining places and more. Are you curious which five hotspots are on the list? Read on.

Jan & Monique Des Bouvrie take us through their list of secret addresses. Beautiful hotels, unique places to eat and more! Are you curious which five hotspots are on the list? Read along.Text: Jan & Monique Des Bouvrie | Online editor: Natasha Hendriks
Image: Rahi Rezvani

Hotel Fasano, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Jan & Monique: “This hotel is located in the heart of Ipanema Beach. It was decorated by Philippe Starck. Partly with furniture by Sergio Rodriguez, a Brazilian pop art designer who... hot is. A very nice hotel with a rooftop swimming pool with a huge terrace and views of the beach and the Christ the Redeemer statue. We went there in a very touristy way. We waited three damn hours before we could go up! When we had just been upstairs for a minute, we said to the kids: 'Did you see it? Then we'll go back again.' No, it did not result in a religious experience.

Igloo Village, Switzerland

Jan & Monique: “Every year, for a few months, igloo villages rise from the snow at several locations. Each village works with an artist who designs the igloos as sculptures. They look like villages of pristine white candy, against the clear blue sky. Very romantic. Also for the cold: bear skins and vodka within reach.”

Prada Epicenter, New York

Jan & Monique: “Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli approached Rem Koolhaas fifteen years ago. They asked him to come up with suggestions for a store that rethinks the (one-way) relationship between the brand and the consumer. The architect came up with ideas for places where there is room for creativity and experiment and where Prada's image can be continuously tested. We went to the Prada Epicenter in New York. The building includes an exclusive boutique, a gallery, an auditorium... It's shopping in a completely new way, with magical mirrors in the fitting rooms and screens hanging on clothes racks on boys. Surprisingly fun!”

Butchery De Leeuw, Amsterdam

Monique: “Sometimes I just stand in that store for half an hour. I just stand and watch. And let owner Arno Veenhof tell us. I always take too much with me: Wagyu, Thai pate… I'm not much of a meat eater myself, but Jan is. He really appreciates it if you serve him a steak.”

Skybar Sirocco, Bangkok

Jan & Monique: “Amazing! It's crazy, good food, that you can get delicious oysters in Bangkok, you wouldn't expect that. Not to forget the breathtaking view over the city.”