What I'm Dreaming Of For 2026
Baby, it’s cold outside. It’s a snowy day in Amsterdam, and I don’t feel like doing much. I have ‘To dos’ and ‘Not to dos’ on my list, but I’m parking those to turn to some wanderlust.
I thought, what better way to escape the snow, the grey, the low-energy, January hump-day vibes, than to write something just for me? So I am imagining away the day with my ultimate trip wishlist (for right now).
These are the experiences, hotels and destinations that I’m thinking most about right now. I have no set number in mind as I formulate this list — there are so many ideas popping in and out of my head — some adults only, some family friendly, all adaptable for princely pets, mostly euro-centric, and probably way above budget for 2026. But this is my time to dream — and take you with me.
Italy and Greece are always on my mind and top of my list right now — so you’re going to see that landing here. In my opinion, there’s no better beach holiday than Greece — crystal clear sea, island-hopping adventure, delicious food, pretty towns, welcoming, kind, joyous people who take the concept of philoxenia to another level. We love it because both our children (2-legged and 4-legged) are not just welcomed, but embraced, with literal open arms.
For Italy I have some bucket-list trips that won’t shift until I tick them off, although the cost / quality of hotels in some parts will break your soul. Having said that, there are some real goodies opening there this year.
Searching for Venus in Florence, Italy
First up is Florence. This one has been on my wish-list for some time. I turned 40 last year and all I wanted to do was visit the Uffizi Gallery (I mean it wasn’t all that I wanted to do) — but if I make it before I turn 41 I will be very happy. Logistics didn’t work out last year, and this is definitely an adults-only one for me. It’s my weekend city break to be young, free and cool again. Biscuit is invited, but we will need a dog-sitter for when we visit the museum. And there’s only one place (well two) that I want to stay. For quintessential Florence on the banks of the River Arno it can only be the St. Regis. If the budget blows up, I would gladly take the Four Seasons, especially when it’s warm enough to use the pool. And when it reopens I would run to the Belmond Villa San Michele just above Florence in the hills of Fiesole (I guess that makes three.). If all else fails Il Salviatino looks so pretty too. Days spent sipping franciacorta on piazzas, an evening at Gucci Osteria, and you’ve got a content girl on your hands.
Carb-Loading Foodie Tour in Rome, Italy
The pasta and pizza is calling, and so is the Hotel de Russie in Rome. I went to Rome for the first time with some girlfriends a few years ago and ate the best food of anywhere I’ve ever been. Ever since I’ve wanted to go back with my husband to do what we do best — eat pasta and be merry. A tour of the Roman classics — cacio e pepe, amatriciana and carbonara — topped off with heavenly tiramisu, and some thin and crispy pizza in case we get peckish in between. We did Naples, Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast almost 10 years ago, trying the best named pizza restaurants in the world, including the number one spot at the time Pepe in Grani in Caiazzo. Call me crazy though — I’d take a Roman slice any day. I do love an adults-only city break, but we might have to take the whole family for this one, seeing as our second-born (Ted) is obsessed with pasta and pizza too. Top it off with a vintage car or golf cart city tour, a browse through the big names on Via dei Condotti, and it would be a great family event.
Laidback Island Life in Sifnos, Greece
This is my (extended) family holiday of dreams at the moment. There is a small beach on the island of Sifnos called Platis Yialos that is lined with delicious restaurants — some modern, some traditional, some a little bougie, some very simple — all with tables in the sand and toes in the water, and to my mind nothing says carefree freedom more than that. There are a couple of very pretty, cute hotels — Verina Terra across from the beach and Niriedes at the top of the hill — and lots of apartments and small houses and villas just set back from the seaside. The island itself is known as the food capital of Greece, and there are gems to be found everywhere, and some real hot spots that everyone is talking about. Bring the family, bring the grandparents, bring some friends and their kids too, find your spot to stay along the beach, meet for swimming, take a boat ride, start cocktails in the afternoon, watch the sunset, send the littles and the oldies home, and stay all night for ultimate island life. A trip where all you need is bikinis and kaftans, loads of sunscreen, and the Greek version of joie de vivre. The beach itself is not the most remarkable you’ll find in Greece, but the sea is perfection, the atmosphere is pure relaxation, and if you’re inclined, there’s exploration to be found all over the island. And just a 2 hour ferry-hop from Athens.
Timeless Luxury in Halkidiki, Greece
I have been waiting for this one — waiting for the day that Ted is old enough to go to the kid’s club. We planned it last year, we cancelled, and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. We are not big resort people, but The Danai in Halkidiki in the North of Greece could change that. It is set above a pristine beach, family-owned, old-school, understated luxury, and completely pet friendly. This is the holy grail for us. We haven’t tried it yet, it has an eye watering price tag, so timing is key. And I think why do a resort with a kid’s club if you can’t use it? But this summer Ted turns 3 — and we’re one step closer. You fly to Thessaloniki, and it’s an hour’s drive from there. We spend a lot of time in Athens and the Cyclades islands, but have never been to the North of Greece, so we’d combine this with a night or two in Greece’s second city, and the foodie destination of the mainland. Head out to The Danai and flop for the rest of our stay. They have an on-site bakery, where you can pick up your morning pastries on the way to breakfast, a concept that I find utterly charming. The steps to the beach will help burn off the baked goods, and with a beautiful private yacht available to charter for day trips, we better start saving.
New Spots, Old Places, in Venice & Lake Como, Italy
Take me to the water ways of Northern Italy. Venice, and in particular Lake Como, are two places I can never get enough of. We took a road trip for our honeymoon and Lake Como was the highlight, and we’ve been fortunate enough to stay at some of the heavy hitters there — Il Sereno, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, and the Mandarin Oriental — each exquisite, each unforgettable, each in the most breathtaking setting in the world. And as always I want to go back. There is so much to see and explore around Lake Como, and so many villages we are yet to visit, so I’m not quite satisfied. This year sees the opening of The Lake Como Edition, perfectly situated on the western shore to get me to Menaggio and Varenna. Villa d’Este is also on my list, we have visited but never stayed, and I love that it’s right in the middle of Cernobbio. But the ultimate fantasy is Passalacqua. A lakeside villa with bursts of colour by La DoubleJ, and the Tremezzo’s exclusive little sister, this is the ultimate dream for la dolce vita.
Head East across Italy to Venice, where there is a plethora of new hotels and huge brand names just opened or about to. But I have been hashtag influenced by Worldwide Winston — the ultimate doggy luxury connoisseur — and my pick is San Clemente Palace, set on a private island with acres of gardens, a top notch pet policy, and a 10 minute boat ride from San Marco. I know Biscuit will be happy there. Thank you Winston for opening my eyes to this Venetian reverie.
Nostalgia and Grandeur in Vienna, Austria
I thought I better venture a bit further afield from Greece and Italy and close this list off (because really it could go on). We haven’t touched on Il Pellicano in Italy — we did the Mezzatore last year on Ischia for my birthday from the same group, so it seems sensible to try the original at some point — but we’ll leave that for another day. I thought about adding in the archipelagos in Sweden, which are high on my list — but I don’t know enough yet. Slovenia, Lake Bled, and Montenegro are floating about there too. Paris and the South of France always have a yearning. Portugal and Comporta I’m trying so hard for, but the dog options are not coming.
So I decided to end with Vienna. A mainstay for us. I used to come here pre-Tom (my husband) for the art fair and loved the city so much. It is grand, magnificent, and sophisticated. Then Tom and I got engaged here at the Belvedere Palace (home to Klimt’s The Kiss), and we returned when Ted was about 9 months old, with Biscuit of course, and had the most amazing time. We stayed at the Rosewood, they treated us so well, our room was upgraded, our transfers were seamless, the food was divine, and the location is everything. There is a new Mandarin Oriental in town — but after that experience I could never switch sides. I would go back for schnitzel at Meissl & Schadn, which I’ve wanted to go to on every trip and still haven’t tried, and rooftop drinks at Atmosphere, which wasn’t open for the season yet the last time we were there. The joy of visiting cities you’ve been to many times is there is no pressure to see and do — wander, people watch, soak it in, eat Sacher cake, and enjoy the familiarity and the novelty all at once. It helps that this one coincides with a work conference for Tom, so it’s easy to justify. I say, why not make it annual?
