Independent Minds: Loes Dingemans, Pillows Hotels

As discerning travellers know all too well, there’s more than meets the eye when it comes to ‘understated luxury’. It’s carefully crafted, and close attention is paid to the smallest details for that seamless, when-can-we-stay-again experience. For CEO of Pillows Hotels, Loes Dingemans, the secret ingredient to the perfect hotel stay starts with the building itself, by selecting and sensitively restoring properties with stories to tell. Pillows Grand Boutique Hotel Maurits at the Park is case in point – housed within a beautifully restored listed building next to Amsterdam’s stately Tropenmuseum and idyllic Oosterpark.

Guests are seen as individuals, and we carefully consider what they need right now, why they’re travelling, and how to make each experience better than the next.

How would you describe your own perfect luxury experience?

For me, the perfect luxury experience is all about feeling seen and feeling welcome. It frustrates and disappoints me if the opposites happen in a luxury experience. For example, waiting too long, or not being made to feel special. It’s all about attention to details.

Previous

Why you should go Greek island-hopping, all by yourself

Next

Barefoot diaries from Barbados’ west coast

Latest stories

Turning nature into nourishment on a remote Norwegian island

On a small island a short boat ride from Herdla, where salt carries on Arctic winds, sustainability isn’t a slogan — it’s the rhythm of life. At Lilløy Lindenberg, the days move with the tides: seaweed is foraged from the surrounding shallows by chef Antje de Vries, whose vegan, season-driven

The must-know boutique hotels of 2025: SLH award winners revealed

As SLH marks 35 years of celebrating independently minded stays, this year’s awards spotlight the hotels redefining boutique luxury around the world. Handpicked by our travel experts and voted for by our passionate community, the 2025 winners are stylish, soulful stays to have firmly on your radar. Bookmark this list

Tuscany, not as you know it: inside La Roqqa’s riviera escape

In the mid-20th century, Porto Ercole was a hot spot for the Hollywood jet-set. Now, design-led La Roqqa is putting this quaint seaside town – and Tuscany’s unsung Argentario coast – back on the international crowd’s map.

The ultimate Vilnius city guide

With a complicated political past (and present), Lithuania might not typically be top of mind when brainstorming a European getaway. But Vilnius, the country’s vibrant capital, is a burgeoning hub for culture with a vibrant international food scene. And the utterly walkable metropolis — just a short flight away from