Winter ‘25 Edit
Luxury Travel Inspiration: Japan Adventures, Winter in Maine & Cozy Favorites
Last month, we designed a multi-stop Japanese adventure for a wonderful family—parents and their 10-year-old—seeking world-class skiing, cultural immersion, and a bit of luxury along the way. From Tokyo’s electric energy to Niseko’s powder fields and Kyoto’s quiet beauty, this itinerary blended design, food, and unforgettable experiences at every turn.
Here’s a closer look at the journey.
Tokyo: Design Hotels, Hidden Eats & Neon Wonder
. . . Aman Tokyo
Stay: Aman Tokyo
A standout in every sense—serene, architectural, and deeply considered. The service and design are impeccable, but the real highlight is the 33rd-floor pool, where guests float above the city with sweeping 180-degree views of Tokyo.
Eat: Tokyo Ramen Street (Tokyo Station)
Tucked inside the maze of Tokyo Station, this ramen corridor rewards those willing to hunt it down. Each shop offers its own regional style—worth the search and the slurp.
Do: teamLab Borderless
An immersive digital art experience where light, motion, and sound blur together. It’s equally captivating for kids and adults, with rooms that echo the magic of infinity installations and interactive storytelling.
Explore: Harajuku Sneaker Culture
Harajuku remains ground zero for sneaker drops and limited-edition releases. Favorites include Undefeated, A+S, BILLY’S ENT HARAJUKU, and Kicks Lab—part boutique, part gallery, all culture.
Bonus Stop: Toy Sapiens
A must for collectors—especially Star Wars and comic book fans—this is Tokyo’s ultimate pop-culture toy destination.
Niseko: Powder Days & Alpine Luxury
Stay: Park Hyatt Hanazono
Ski-in, ski-out luxury paired with modern alpine design. This is Niseko at its most elevated.
Eat: MAME Niseko
A culinary highlight of the trip—refined, intimate, and deeply memorable after long days on the slopes.
Ski Tip: First Tracks Access
For serious powder lovers, “First Tracks” lift access is essential. Being the first on untouched snow is a Niseko rite of passage.
Do: Relax & Adventure
Daily onsen ritual for recovery and warmth
Hanazono Zipflight (seasonal): Asia’s longest zipline, stretching 2,591 meters across snow-covered forest, reaching speeds up to 110 km/h
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Kyoto: Ritual, Design & Quiet Beauty
Stay: Sowaka
A refined ryokan-style stay in the heart of Gion, where traditional design meets contemporary comfort. Every detail feels intentional, from the interiors to the dining experience.
Eat: Sushi Gion Matsudaya
An intimate Michelin-starred counter experience with just a handful of seats. Reservation-only and unforgettable—this is sushi at its most precise and personal.
Do: Kyoto’s Sacred Sites
Kyoto is best experienced slowly, through wandering and discovery:
The city rewards getting a little lost.
Japan continues to inspire us with its thoughtful design, extraordinary hospitality, and unforgettable landscapes. If you're dreaming of celebrating there, we invite you to explore a wedding we had the honor of designing in Naoshima.
White Barn Inn: A Winter Site Visit in Maine
Fresh off a visit to White Barn Inn , we’re newly inspired by the quiet magic of winter weddings in coastal New England. There’s a distinct kind of luxury here—cozy, unhurried, and deeply experiential—where snowy landscapes and intimate hospitality set the tone for meaningful celebration.
Winter at White Barn Inn feels less like a season to work around and more like a design element in itself.
Rooster Coffee Delivery: coffee delivered to your room each morning, paired with fresh pastries—an effortless, comforting start to the day.
White Barn Inn Restaurant: Standouts like peekytoe crab and caviar cannoli showcase Maine’s coastal flavors in a refined, unexpected way.
Farm-to-Cocktail Class: Hands-on classes with the F&B team highlight seasonal ingredients and the craft behind their cocktail program.
Maine Oyster Tasting: A guided introduction to Maine’s oyster farms—interactive, local, and unforgettable.
Dog Sledding. A true highlight: gliding through winter forests in full Barbour gear, equal parts adventure and stillness.
Maple Syrup Making. A visit to a local farm to see sap collection, sip maple tea, and take home fresh syrup.
What stood out most about White Barn Inn is how naturally it lends itself to winter celebration design—balancing elevated hospitality with authentic seasonal experiences.
Winter weddings here aren’t about resisting the cold—they’re about embracing it.
Naoshima Island, Japan by Norman and Blake
The AE Five: Cozy Travel Essentials
A seasonal collection of the team’s current favorites:
Alison: A heated vest for Northern California’s unpredictable weather + a travel-ready matching set for Austria-bound days
Lauren: A deeply nourishing tallow-based body lotion + noise-canceling headphones for every flight
Brooke: Bootie slippers at home, a cashmere wrap on the road, and a red light mask for recovery
Amy: A chic ski onesie for powder days + a long-loved body moisturizer she never travels without
Danielle: Hydrating sheet masks for post-flight recovery + an oversized coat for cold-weather layering
Welcome, Amy!
We’re thrilled to officially welcome Amy Soper to the AE world as our Luxury Travel + Experience Advisor.
Amy’s story is full circle—she once assisted Alison over twenty years ago, and more recently, we had the joy of planning her elopement in Costa Rica and a celebration in San Francisco that reconnected her with her love of travel and design.
Raised between Maui summers and Utah ski seasons, Amy brings a lifelong appreciation for both tropical escape and alpine adventure. Her philosophy is simple but powerful:
“Travel isn’t just about seeing new places—it’s about immersing in different cultures, deepening connections, and gaining fresh perspectives on the world and yourself.”
We couldn’t agree more.
We’re so glad you’re back, Amy!