Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This is where the cool Dutch crew pop to for a countryside blast, but amazingly it’s only a 30-minute cycle ride from the capital’s central Grachtengordel neighborhood. Another world appears at the outskirts of Amsterdam-West as the landscape changes from canals, bikes, and medieval architecture to green polders, ever-changing widescreen skies and fresh breezes blowing in off the North Sea. At The Unbound, young families rent a cabin for the weekend to unwind. Children quickly clamber straight to the natural playground and forget that thing called the iPad ever existed while their parents sink glasses of wine on the sunny deck or nip between the barrel sauna and the dip bath overlooking the pond. Don’t come expecting the pizzazz of Soho Farmhous— things are pretty relaxed but incredibly comfortable.
The forward-thinking, architect-designed free-standing cabins, made from sustainable European wood, sit on stilts and are linked by boardwalks. Interiors are stylishly pulled together by Studio Pistache, with a vintage Ligne Roset Togo sofa, exclusively designed fabrics, and merino-wool blankets. The family-friendly lodges include The Lighthouse, which has its own hot tub, The Barn, modeled on traditional farm buildings, and The Wikkel, partially constructed from cardboard. There is cabin service, which means it’s possible to order in for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, or wander to The Daily shop, fully stocked with wine and food, for supplies to bake your own margherita pizza in the outdoor ovens. But the hub of the place is The Unbound restaurant. Devised by Swiss chef Ralph Schelling, who has worked for big names such as Ferran Adrià and Heston Blumenthal, dishes are inspired by the produce from the organic vegetable fields. Yet there’s no need to dress for dinner. Kick back, relax and no one will bat an eyelid at muddy wellies under the table.
Price: Cabins for a family of four from around $287 per night
