I Don't Want to Sightsee. I Want to I Don't Want to Sightsee. I Want to Bask.

We all travel for different reasons. Some of us want to explore, some want to relax, some of us are looking for a true escape. I however, I want to bask.

I want to bask in my surroundings, I want to be enveloped by my environment. Engaged in the experience. I want in.

So where and how I travel means a lot. I am not necessarily a hotel snob, but rather an aesthetic one. The star ranking on where I stay is much less important to me than the detail, the artistry, the vibe for lack of a more sufficient descriptor. Travel is meant to transport us, whether across the globe or into someone else's kitchen, we are meant to be curious about other ways of living. What I am looking for is to be immersed in whatever environment I imagine myself to be exploring. Like when we stayed in a picturesque Provençal mansion atop the tiny village of Ménerbes or the villa on Lake Como with ornate molding and unbeatable view. When I plan travel I don't just think about where and what but rather how. How will I feel when I wake up each morning, how will we live in a way that is more special or unique than we do at home. How will staying here, stay with me?

We are so very much influenced by our environment, us humans having originated as wanderers of the world, on foot, looking for food all day, talking to each other about what we see and how we feel. Not much has changed for me when I travel, except I may have traded the search for berries and bears for the best tarte tropézienne or strolling through narrow cobblestone streets of Havana, in awe of how people simply sat outside and talked to one another without 5G cell service.

For this trip to Mallorca I am really proud of our hotel choices — both the ones we stayed in and the ones we visited — all offering us something unique, especially the one we only made it to for tapas and the tapestry adorned design of my maximalist dreams.

Hotel Cort, Palma de Mallorca

For our time in Palma I chose Hotel Cort, a charming boutique hotel set in Plaça de Cort, which is nestled right in the center of old town. Despite being a central spot in Palma a stone's throw from most of the historical sights, retail and restaurants, it never felt overcrowded or touristy. Our balcony had a perfect view of the Palma's 17th-century Town Hall with a bell tower that rang on the hour and the olivera de Cort, a 600 year old olive tree with its exceptionally well preserved roots on display. I chose the Junior Plaça Suite with a double balcony and it was a perfect fit for us three with just the right amount of space to relax, eat breakfast and watch the happenings on the square. Arriving here for our very first night of the trip I wanted to ensure we had a restaurant in house for dinner and the tapas on our first night was incredible. We loved sitting in the square while people watching, nibbling slowly as we pushed through the jet lag.

My favorite moments here in Palma, however, were the slow mornings. All to myself, sipping my nespresso with the windows wide open, the boys fast asleep, seeing how everyone in the square started their days. As a younger traveler my goal was always about maximizing my time but as I've become older I hold more value now in how travel feels. Whether it's booking a massage after the long plane ride or committing to a slow start each morning, my presence has truly become the gift.

Grand Hotel Son Net, Puigpunyent

This hotel might be my only reason for returning to the island. Not to sound dramatic, I loved Mallorca, but Son Net blew my expectations out of the water in terms of delivering on both design and service. About 25 minutes inland of Palma, Grand Hotel Son Net is a diamond in the countryside, an absolute slice of Mallorcan maximalism I was desperate to be served. If only my husband could get on board, or rather, not get bored — this man is all about fun, beachy, lively energy, it's his euro summer too, unfortunately — meanwhile I am ready to retreat into a bed of 55 different patterns that somehow magically sync up with one another to create the most beautiful hotel in the world. Yes, I said it. I think it might be the most beautiful, and yes, I've seen almost all of them.

We did not stay here. We came for cocktails and tapas, and lounged leisurely al fresco, perhaps a bit too leisurely for Parker. What I loved about it was the combination of countryside charm and maximalist glamour. It's the balance of the two things I obsess over, beauty and depth. I am determined to return one day as a guest, perhaps for a relaxing stay with some girlfriends, with all the outfits to match — ready to bask.

Hotel Es Port, Port de Sóller

Since Arthur loves the beach and the energy that comes with one, and I love Mediterranean charm and the storied villas that tend to come with it, finding Hotel Es Port was essentially like finding true compromise in our marriage. Nestled into a goat and citrus tree adorned hillside, yet perched steps above the lively Port de Sóller, sat the solve to all our hotel struggles. Alas, the hours I spent overanalyzing our next hotel stay finally felt worth it. All the while I knew the compromise didn't just appear. Someone went looking for it.

I knew Arthur would love the bustling seaside town, with its beach lined promenade and laundry list of ocean facing shops and restaurants. I knew Parker would love the calm water of the bay, the wooden tram up to Sóller, and the excess of gelato shops. And I would have my 17th century possessió — a Mallorcan mansion with an old olive mill in the lounge, which gave me something to consider each time I passed it: how slowly something like olive oil took to make back then, something I completely take for granted every day.

Every morning I sat on the balcony overlooking the Tramuntana mountains, listening to the tram bells and the goats while I sipped my coffee. I wondered how much more regulated people who live here and wake up this way feel. Despite not being a breakfast eater, I loved the terrace overlooking the gardens, the mix of Spanish and German and English, the British and Australian accents. Some mornings I hit the spa or went for an oceanside run, but my favorite was walking the grounds alone, earbuds in, a podcast going — not entirely in flow with my surroundings, but close enough.

What stayed with me most was the light. Every evening the sun hit the stone of the estate and the Mediterranean facade became the backdrop for our stroll into town, and for my photos, of course. There is a particular feeling to being somewhere with that much history on a warm summer night. It's exactly the kind of simple thing I treasure on these trips — that, and the ease with which its residents seem to live, an ease we Americans find harder to replicate. What the Italians call il dolce far niente: the pleasure of simply existing, savoring the moment. It's something I took seriously during our stay, and it showed.

La Residencia, Deià

A visit to the elevated countryside village of Deià and this gorgeous Belmond property would have been a must do regardless of whether or not I secured the El Olivo reservation. La Residencia is perhaps one of Mallorca's most prestigious hotels although there are quite a few on the island, this one is most certainly a dream stay with its sweeping views of the tiny hilltop town and mediterranean sea. Deià itself is absolutely adorable and everything you'd want from a European hilltop town but with the added benefit of the ocean just a steep drive down and five star amenities you'd expect with Belmond that remain in keeping with the quaintness that surrounds it. Before our highly coveted dinner we enjoyed an aperitivo on the terrace, boasting exceptional views of the village, mountains and sea. We watched with our faces in the sun, nibbled and sipped while a guitarist played one too many American hits. The golden light pouring greatly onto every guest, the servers just as omnipresent as the sun, ready to source a smoothie Parker had ordered at Gran Folies. Being here instantly felt luxurious, albeit slightly touristy, as if Mallorca was delivering every charm it possessed to us on a silver platter — our dinner at El Olivo proving the pinnacle.

This trip I basked in my slow mornings everywhere and indulged in Mallorca's maximalism. Arthur and Parker remained their lively vacation selves. We all fell in love with Mallorca while drenched in light and luxury. Some might call it paradise found. I'd call it paradise, created.

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