At the Camille Styles headquarters, the month of March has been devoted to all things Hometown Love. We have celebrated our hometown of Austin, Texas and made stops in Marfa and Portland along the way. Sometimes life gets so hectic that even the time and planning it takes to go on a vacation feels overwhelming. So, we sat down with Gabriella Ainslie (pictured), the buyer and retail coordinator at genius hotelier Liz Lambert’s Bunkhouse Group, the parent company of our favorite destinations (Austin’s Hotel San Jose and Hotel Saint Cecilia, San Antonio’s Hotel Havana and Marfa’s El Cosmico), so she could share a few simple ways for bringing the special magic of a place like the Hotel Saint Cecilia in to your home. The first step? Slip in to one of the Saint Cecilia’s (the patron saint of music and poetry) kimono robes. Gabriella says pool side: “The generous proportions on this 100% cotton indigo-dyed batik fabric robe and the kimono sleeves make it perfect for lounging in any setting: by the pool, at the spa, or with the New York Times on your back porch.”
The former buyer for ABC Carpet & Home and Terrain’s next pick for creating a staycation is lighting Le Labo’s Santal 26 candle. “This will really bring the spirit of the Hotel Saint Cecilia into your home. This fragrance gets to the heart of the hotel — a little sexy, a little smoky, and very much rock and roll.”
“I love the Santa Maria Novella’s ‘Relax’ bath oil and body lotion. The fragrance is delicious, and it can take the edge off even the most stressed of moods,” Gabriella says. “Use the oil in an evening bath for the perfect night’s sleep, and then apply the lotion in the morning to keep the blissed-out vibe going all day.”
Forget your shades and ready to lay out under the Saint Cecilia’s famous neon “SOUL” sign that holds court over the pool? Try on a pair of these Saint Rita Parlor “The 1308” sunglasses available in the finely curated gift shop or in their web store.
Gabriella loves her signature custom blue Hotel St. Cecilia dopp kitt by Cambria Harkey of Cambria Handmade so much that she keeps hers out on the counter as a reminder of travels to come. And when she is packing for a trip, this is the soundtrack that puts her mind in vacation mode:
Joao Gilberto’s “O Sapo”
Kindness’ “Swingin Party”
Brigitte Bardot’s “La Madrague”
Poolside’s “Next to You”
Feist’s “Piste 4”
Check out playlists for all the Bunkhouse hotels on Spotify.
*Photography by Jessica Pages
