Dunton Hot Springs, Dolores, Colorado

Back in the early 2011, when I was newly engaged and addicted to wedding blogs (from which I have since overdosed), I came across this wedding and my head exploded all over the keyboard.  But then another 5 months passed before I started Let's Stay Here and somehow I forgot that the best part of that wedding porn was actually the setting, Dunton Hot Springs.

Thanks to the December issue of my beloved Sunset Magazine, I was recently reminded of its glory and I thought I'd kick off 2012 with my dream winter hotel.

Dunton Hot Springs is an old ghost town converted into a luxury resort nestled deep in the Colorado Rockies.  It's made up of 12 cabins, a saloon/dancehall turned dining room, library, spa, and of course, hot springs.  

Remember way back in this blog's very first post, when I mentioned that one of the reasons I started this was in the hopes that some kind hotel would throw free hotel rooms at me?  Well, Dunton Hot Springs, I was talking to you.

Fazenda Brazil, São Luiz do Paraitinga, Brazil

Once again the website boutique-homes.com has rocked my world.   The small hotel, Fazenda Brazil, in Brazil's coastal mountains is few hours south of Rio and was once a 19th century colonial estate.  Still situated on a working coffee farm, you can rent out a room in the main house or one of the five villas.

I would pretty much kill to trade in the party-chasing lameness of New Year's Eve in Los Angeles for a chance at renting out this place with my friends and spending this New Year's sipping caipirinhas and enjoying the Brazilian summer.

     

 

 

La Villa Gallici, Provence, France

I suppose it's a bit ironic that my last post was all about being tired of the stereotypical, over-the-top design of Moroccan interiors and today I feature the most ridiculously garish, cliché version of a Provençal hotel.  Well, you know what?  Deal with it.  Sometimes matching fabrics on the curtains, wallpaper, bench, bedspread, and headboard is just the right thing to do.  Also, it was raining yesterday and I could not resist the draw of that sun-kissed bathtub.

La Villa Gallici is an 18th century residence-turned-hotel in the region's capital city, Aix-en-Provence.  The photos are all from their website.

     

Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid, New York

The only thing I know about The Adirondacks in upstate New York is that they are famous for their lovely outdoor chairs.  And the only thing I know about Lake Placid is what I learned from the critically-acclaimed 2007 movie Lake Placid 2 (17% on Rotten Tomatoes!).

That is to say, I know nothing, and when I saw these unbelievable photos of the Lake Placid Lodge, I wanted to know more. 

This winter wonderland is exactly the kind of cozy place I'd like to hibernate in until spring comes around.

p.s. Please forgive my month away from Let's Stay Here.  I've recently started a new job (horray!) and am trying to figure out a way to make this happen during off hours.

Camp Wandawega, Elkhorn, Wisconsin

The end of summer has arrived.  As an Angeleno, I know this primarily because they are now serving pumpkin lattes at Starbucks.  In other parts of the country, I hear, the end of summer is very real and very tragic, and every last moment of it must be savored and celebrated. 

I believe this to be especially true in the winter-is-no-joke Midwest.  My mom grew up in Illinois and every summer she would take an overnight train to Wisconsin for two months of summer camp.  As a child I found the stories about this trip unbelievably romantic.  An overnight train filled with kids off to summer camp?!  Even now it seems like something out of Harry Potter.  When I saw the photos of Camp Wandawega (adorable website!), the summer camp turned hotel in Elkhorn, Wisconsin, I felt like every fantasy I have had about my mom's 1950's childhood were realized. 

This lodge-themed hotel is only open from May to October and it seems like the ideal destination for lessening the pain of letting summer go and welcoming all that autumn has to offer. 

I stole these photos from Time Out Chicago. You'll also find a good article about the place at that link.