TheChosenStay

HomeJournalEleanor Whitfield

Eleanor Whitfield

Editor

Eleanor Whitfield

The Chosen Stay · Joined 2025

Eleanor Whitfield joined as Editor in October 2025, overseeing the editorial direction of the journal and the curatorial standards applied across the property directory. Her focus is on the intersection of architecture, landscape and private accommodation: the kind of stay where the building, its setting and the experience it enables are inseparable from one another. She has spent time in each of the destinations covered in the directory, with particular depth in Tuscany, the French Alps, the Cyclades and the Iberian coast. Her writing takes a deliberate position against the tendency to describe places in superlatives, preferring instead the specific detail, the drive time, the sub-region, the month, that helps a traveller make a genuine decision. Eleanor's editorial approach to the directory is selective by design: fewer, better-considered recommendations over exhaustive cataloguing.

TuscanyFrench AlpsGreeceIbizaAmalfi CoastLuxury villa curationSki chaletsCoastal estates

Articles by Eleanor Whitfield

Where to Stay Amalfi Coast: Town Guide for Couples

where to stay

Where to Stay Amalfi Coast: Town Guide for Couples

The Amalfi Coast stretches roughly 50 kilometres along the southern edge of the Sorrentine Peninsula in Campania, Italy, with thirteen towns clinging to cliffs between Positano in the west and Vietri

4 June 2026

Best Beaches in Puglia: A Villa Guide to Salento's Coastal Gems

things to do

Best Beaches in Puglia: A Villa Guide to Salento's Coastal Gems

Puglia's Salento peninsula stretches roughly 100 kilometres from Brindisi to the southernmost tip of Santa Maria di Leuca, and its coastline holds some of the most varied and beautiful beaches in all

4 June 2026

Where to Stay in Mallorca for Couples: Palma, Deia, and Beyond

where to stay

Where to Stay in Mallorca for Couples: Palma, Deia, and Beyond

Mallorca covers just over 3,600 square kilometres, making it the largest of Spain's Balearic Islands and one of the most varied. For couples, this variety is precisely the point: a long weekend in

4 June 2026

Mykonos vs Santorini: Which Cyclades Island Suits You

travel guide

Mykonos vs Santorini: Which Cyclades Island Suits You

The Cyclades archipelago spans roughly 2,500 square kilometres of the Aegean Sea, with Mykonos and Santorini sitting approximately 115 kilometres apart and drawing the vast majority of visitors to

4 June 2026

Where to Stay in Puglia: Ostuni, Lecce & Polignano Compared

where to stay

Where to Stay in Puglia: Ostuni, Lecce & Polignano Compared

Puglia stretches roughly 400 kilometres along the heel of Italy's boot, and that length means choosing where to base yourself matters more here than in almost any other Italian region. The landscape

4 June 2026

Best Time to Visit Ibiza: Seasons and Weather Guide

best time to visit

Best Time to Visit Ibiza: Seasons and Weather Guide

Ibiza covers 572 square kilometres of Mediterranean coastline, pine forest and red-earth farmland, sitting roughly 150 kilometres off the eastern coast of mainland Spain. For most travellers, the

4 June 2026

Best Time to Visit Tuscany for Wine, Art & Countryside

best time to visit

Best Time to Visit Tuscany for Wine, Art & Countryside

Tuscany covers roughly 23,000 square kilometres of central Italy, making it larger than Wales and home to seven UNESCO World Heritage Sites, over 400 DOC and DOCG wine appellations and some of the

4 June 2026

Things to Do on Amalfi Coast: Beyond the Beach

things to do

Things to Do on Amalfi Coast: Beyond the Beach

The Amalfi Coast stretches roughly 50 kilometres along the southern edge of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997 that draws over five million visitors each year. Most

4 June 2026

Best Time to Visit the Cyclades for Private Villa Stays

best time to visit

Best Time to Visit the Cyclades for Private Villa Stays

The Cyclades archipelago spans roughly 2,500 square kilometres of the central Aegean Sea, comprising over 30 islands of which about 24 are permanently inhabited. For travellers seeking private villa

4 June 2026

Masseria and Boutique Hotels: Puglia's Finest Retreats

where to stay

Masseria and Boutique Hotels: Puglia's Finest Retreats

Puglia stretches roughly 400 kilometres along the heel of Italy's boot, from the Gargano promontory in the north to the sun-bleached tip of Santa Maria di Leuca in the south. This southern region has

4 June 2026

Where to Stay in Provence: A Luxury Villa Guide

where to stay

Where to Stay in Provence: A Luxury Villa Guide

Provence covers roughly 31,000 square kilometres of south-eastern France, stretching from the Rhône Valley to the Italian border and from the Camargue wetlands to the foothills of the Alps. That

4 June 2026

When to Visit Provence for Lavender, Wine and Perfect Weather

best time to visit

When to Visit Provence for Lavender, Wine and Perfect Weather

Provence covers roughly 31,400 square kilometres of south-eastern France, stretching from the Rhône Valley to the Italian border and from the Mediterranean coast to the foothills of the Alps. For

4 June 2026

Best Time to Visit Puglia by Month: Weather and Seasons

best time to visit

Best Time to Visit Puglia by Month: Weather and Seasons

Puglia stretches over 19,000 square kilometres along the heel of Italy's boot, making it the country's longest region from north to south at roughly 350 kilometres. That geography matters when you

4 June 2026

Dalmatian Coast Hotels: Luxury Stays in Hvar, Brac & Korcula

where to stay

Dalmatian Coast Hotels: Luxury Stays in Hvar, Brac & Korcula

The Dalmatian Coast stretches roughly 350 kilometres along Croatia's Adriatic seaboard, from Split south towards Dubrovnik, taking in more than a thousand islands on its way. For travellers seeking

4 June 2026

Where to Stay in Greece: Islands, Mainland and the Best Villas

where to stay

Where to Stay in Greece: Islands, Mainland and the Best Villas

Greece spans roughly 131,960 square kilometres across a mainland peninsula and more than 6,000 islands, of which only around 230 are inhabited. That extraordinary spread of geography means choosing

12 May 2026

Best Place to Stay in Mykonos Town: Villas for Groups

where to stay

Best Place to Stay in Mykonos Town: Villas for Groups

Mykonos Town, known locally as Chora, covers roughly 1.5 square kilometres of labyrinthine whitewashed lanes, harbour-front restaurants and hilltop windmills on the western coast of Mykonos island. For groups travelling together, finding the right villa here requires more than a quick search: it dem

11 May 2026

What to do in the French Alps

things to do

What to do in the French Alps

The French Alps span roughly 35,000 square kilometres across southeastern France, stretching from Lake Geneva in the north to the Mediterranean hinterland in the south. This vast mountain territory encompasses some of Europe's highest peaks, including Mont Blanc at 4,808 metres, and hosts a culture

11 May 2026

Things to do in Mykonos and Santorini: a curator's perspective

things to do

Things to do in Mykonos and Santorini: a curator's perspective

The Cyclades archipelago spans roughly 2,500 square kilometres of the central Aegean Sea, with Mykonos and Santorini sitting approximately 115 kilometres apart and connected by high-speed ferry in under two hours. Together, these two islands account for more than half of all international arrivals t

10 May 2026

Where to stay in Ibiza: an editor's neighbourhood guide

where to stay

Where to stay in Ibiza: an editor's neighbourhood guide

Ibiza covers just 572 square kilometres, yet the island packs an extraordinary range of landscapes and moods into that compact footprint. From the salt-white south coast to the pine-clad hillsides of the north, each corner attracts a different kind of traveller, and choosing the right base can make

10 May 2026

The Algarve travel guide: where to stay, when to visit, what not to miss

travel guide

The Algarve travel guide: where to stay, when to visit, what not to miss

The Algarve stretches across 150 kilometres of Portugal's southern coastline, from the Spanish border at Vila Real de Santo António in the east to the windswept cliffs of Cape St Vincent in the west. This is a region that has drawn travellers for decades, yet it still rewards those who look beyond t

10 May 2026

The best time to visit the Amalfi Coast for a luxury villa holiday

best time to visit

The best time to visit the Amalfi Coast for a luxury villa holiday

The Amalfi Coast stretches approximately 50 kilometres along the southern edge of Italy's Sorrentine Peninsula, encompassing thirteen municipalities that cascade from clifftop to shoreline between Positano in the west and Vietri sul Mare in the east. For most travellers planning a luxury villa holid

9 May 2026

A 7-day French Riviera itinerary for slow luxury travel

itinerary

A 7-day French Riviera itinerary for slow luxury travel

The French Riviera stretches roughly 115 kilometres along the Mediterranean coast from Menton near the Italian border to Saint-Tropez in the Var, encompassing some of Europe's most celebrated coastal towns and a hinterland of medieval hilltop villages. A week here, done well, moves at a pace that al

9 May 2026

Where to stay in Tuscany: an editor's guide to luxury villa stays

where to stay

Where to stay in Tuscany: an editor's guide to luxury villa stays

Tuscany covers 23,000 square kilometres of central Italy, stretching from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian coast and containing 287 hilltop villages, 11 protected nature reserves and one of Europe's densest concentrations of Renaissance art. For visitors choosing a luxury villa rental, the question i

9 May 2026