Perspective: Natalia Swarz

Natalia Swarz is a Colombia-born, Barcelona-based Art Director & Creative Consultant with a keen eye for fashion, travel, and design. She has an effortless, cool style that permeates every part of her life and is a tastemaker whose opinion you can trust. She is the founder and editor of Hôtel-Weekend, a travel website highlighting design hotels, secret local haunts, and travel guides made by creative people. Natalia answered our questions about how her website came about and the items she cherishes most in her home.

WW: Where are you from and where are you located now?

NS: I am from Cali, Colombia and currently located in Barcelona. We have Lisbon in our plans, so might be moving soon!

WW: Tell us about your background and how Hôtel Weekend came about?

NS: I’ve been working as a designer for 9 years now. I started very young and moved to Barcelona when I was 21 years old. Since then, I started working as a designer in really cool companies, yet the 9 to 5 life didn’t feel right for me. I founded Hotel Weekend three years ago when I started travelling through Europe. All the guides out there felt too commercial, too predictable. I wanted to travel and discover the places only locals would know. This was hard to find so I decided to do it myself. I’ve collaborated with a lot of creative people who shared with us their own city guides, it’s so different to discover a place with the eyes of an artist, designer, architect, etc!

Photo courtesy of Hôtel Weekend

WW: Your travel recommendations are very design-focused, have you always had an affinity for design?

NS: I studied graphic design, my sister is a photographer, my husband is an artist and my mother was a fashion designer, so I guess I’ve always been into all things creative!

WW: What is an item in your home you cherish the most and why?

NS: This is very hard to choose! We love our large table, it sits 8 people. We love to have dinner parties and have all of our friends together. I recently got a black woven hammock from Colombia, made by Verdi design. This is our latin touch to our European home!

Photo courtesy of Hôtel Weekend

WW: We love interiors with personality -- any homes or hotels in particular that you've felt really characterizes it's owner or location?

NS: Oh yes! Los Enamorados in Ibiza is wonderful. You need to be there to understand, but its so unique! It show Ibiza’s soul and the owner’s personality.

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