Secret Stays

The book explores twenty-two extraordinary privately owned properties from around the world, curated by Melinda Stevens, Issy von Simson, and Tabitha Joyce. Each entry combines vivid imagery with narrative accounts of the property's history and its contemporary transformation, from a secluded Croatian monastery to a Japanese machiya townhouse. The featured spaces range from estates owned by notable figures such as the Countess of Burlington to communal dwellings in Tizkmoudine, offering a varied cross-section of how private homes function as travel destinations. The writing focuses on the cultural and architectural character of each place, tracing the shift toward home-based hospitality that emerged in the early 2000s.