Mexico City–based Carla Fernández has been fascinated by traditional dress since she was a child. Travelling throughout southern Mexico with her father, she witnessed early on the textile traditions of the Indigenous peoples. Years later, with her business partner Cristina Rangel, Fernández founded her eponymous brand, which spotlights historic techniques practised by artisans across the country.
At home in Mexico City’s Coyoacán neighbourhood. Photograph by Ben Lamberty.
“The superpower of Mexicans is creativity,” she says. The designer has become known for her bold, boxy shapes using traditional weaving, embroidery, and pleating, and also for her commitment to empowering artisans through training programs. Here, she shares more of her favourite spots in the capital.
Shop
Decorative objects at Onora. Photograph by Fabián Martinez.
Artisan-Led Boutiques: In Mexico City, there are many artisan-led brands and shops she adores, such as Lago (with three locations in the metropolis) and Onora (in the Polanco neighbourhood). “They work together with artisans to create new designs. I love their selection of pieces from all over Mexico,” Fernández says.
Coyoacán Market: “If you want Mexican street food, I truly recommend going. They have these tostadas that have shrimp and chicken, which I love. You can find everything there—grasshoppers and cheese from Oaxaca. I also love to shop for flowers. On Sundays, they have tlacoyos, these tortillas with beans, fava, or cheese inside.”
See
The mural facade at the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Photograph by Bede Sheppard / Wirestock / Adobe Stock.
National Autonomous University of Mexico: “They have beautiful grounds.” Make sure to stop at the Central Library, which is covered with the world’s largest mural: an extraordinary four-sided tiled mosaic by Juan O’Gorman.
Museo Anahuacalli: “An amazing museum, which now has a contemporary art program that is held by a brilliant curator, Karla Niño de Rivera Torres. It’s really progressive. They have a lot of workshops and music festivals, so it’s definitely worth seeing what’s going on.”
Savor
A fusion of global flavours at Masala y Maíz. Photograph by Ana Lorenzana.
Masala y Maíz: “They just received their first Michelin star. I saw them [grow] from the very beginning; we used to be neighbours, but [now] they’ve moved downtown. Their food is just stunning. I love the shrimp, and they have this fried tortilla that has birria [stewed meat] inside—it’s so delicious.” [Read more about Mexico City’s food scene here.]
The Lamb: “I don’t eat a lot of British food, but I love this tiny little restaurant in Roma. They have really good oysters, as well as fish and chips and a delicious pea salad. I also usually order a glass of natural wine or cider.”
The moody interiors at Ticuchi. Photograph by Robert Morley.
Ticuchi: “I don’t go to Polanco much, but I really like going to Ticuchi—they have the best vegan tacos and amazing mezcal. There’s also a sculpture by my husband (Pedro Reyes) in the entrance.”
La Mano:“Everything is about Mexico [here]! It’s super relaxed with a beautiful garden. I like to go and have a hot chocolate and sweet bread, but they [also] cook the tortillas by hand and have really good tacos. There’s a beautiful store where you can buy good mezcal.”
Sip
Salón Palomilla: “It’s a really great bar. I’ll get the delicious organic orange wine, which they get from winemakers in Valle de Guadalupe. They have good music from DJs—it’s live, so you have to check the calendar. It’s a great option for Sunday nights.”
Stay
The courtyard at Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City.
Four Seasons Hotel Mexico City: “I like to go for hot chocolate or tea and pain au chocolat and sit in the garden for breakfast. During the Day of the Dead, don’t miss the Pan de Muerto [sweet brioche-style bread]. The hotel is where Fashion Week [events] happen, so I [also] go there to see the shows! The staff are so sweet and gentle.”
Four Seasons Hotel Madrid is centrally located in Plaza de Canalejas, where you can spot some other notable landmarks also seen in “Money Heist.”
“We do better together than we do separate,” says Chris Shepherd of his altruistic modus operandi. At his former restaurant Underbelly—where his cooking won him a James Beard Award in 2014—Shepherd made a habit of recommending other local spots for diners to try. In 2015, with his wife, Lindsey Brown, he co-founded the Southern Smoke Foundation (SSF), a nonprofit that supports food and beverage workers across the United States who are affected by disasters; to date, the SSF has disbursed nearly $15 million in direct aid and made possible more than 8,000 mental-health visits. Here, Shepherd shares his favourite restaurants (and more) in the city that he loves for its boundless multiculturalism. “Houstonians are just welcoming. The diversity is there, which makes the food scene so amazing.”
Shepherd hosts the Houston-area TV show Eat Like a Local and owns the sausage and hot dog company Full Tilt Foods. Photograph by Tiffany Hofeldt.
Eat
Cali Sandwich & Pho: “The Vietnamese spot we just really love. It’s banh mi, it’s the Vietnamese egg rolls, spring rolls, a bowl of pho. It’s just what we crave.”
Bludorn’s blackened cobia. Photograph by Jenn Duncan.
Bludorn:“You can have a fantastic experience with a group of friends while ordering a Seafood Tower, all the pastas and big entrées. It can also be that place where just you and your significant other eat perfect oysters and a burger at the bar with a beautiful glass of wine.”
The retro-chic interior of Nonno’s. Photograph courtesy of Gin Design Group.
Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern: “They’re from Chicago. They do a tavern-style Chicago pizza, and chicken wings, and Italian wedding risotto.”
London Sizzler: “A curry house—British Indian cuisine. Absolutely fantastic.”
Tex-Mex deliciousness at Candente. Photograph by Duc Hoang.
Candente: “It’s a restaurant right down the street from where we live. It’s live-fire Tex-Mex. They do really good beef cooked over mesquite, the same with the chicken. It’s very Texas and very delicious.”
Drink
A bourbon steward in the spirit lockers at Bayou & Bottle, Four Seasons Hotel Houston.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston: “Bandista [the hotel’s speakeasy] is one of the most amazing bars in the country. They do a damn good martini, man. And then Bayou & Bottle [lobby bar]—the service there is so kind and nice, and the bourbon selection is sick.” (Shepherd keeps some of his favourite bourbons in one of the bar’s spirit lockers, including a bottle of Michter’s and his new single-barrel release with Rare Character.)
See
Rauschenberg’s Mirage (Jammer) 1975 at the Menil Collection. Photograph courtesy of Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
The Menil Collection: “It’s the largest public art collection in the country that’s privately owned, and it’s free to the public.” (Shepherd and his wife are such fans that they painted their townhouse in Houston in a shade known as Menil Gray. This fall, the museum opens an exhibit of Robert Rauschenberg’s fabric sculptures.)
Houston Ballet:“I like going to the ballet with my wife. I can’t believe I just said that. But she will also go to the Houston Texans games with me. Having all of the sports—the Rockets, the Astros, the Texans—and then having all of the arts and the museums, it’s a city like no other.”
Stroll
Montrose Neighbourhood: “Kind of the heartbeat of everything, and the most walkable neighbourhood in Houston. All of the restaurants I had were in the middle of Montrose.”
Experience Texas hospitality just a stone’s throw from Houston’s major sporting and cultural venues.
Four Seasons Hotel Houston
Sophistication and comfort in the heart of downtown.
Approximately four miles from Magic Kingdom® Park, this intimate collection of just 40 residences offers resort-style living with the personalized care that defines Four Seasons—all nestled inside Orlando’s exclusive gated neighbourhood, Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort. Opened in 2011, Golden Oak is renowned for its proximity to Walt Disney World, with residents enjoying exclusive Disney-designed experiences.
Now its story welcomes a new chapter: Florian Park, the latest jewel in the community’s enchanting portfolio of homes.
Florian Park: A Neighborhood Shaped by Thoughtful Design
Homes within Florian Park are complemented by meticulously groomed landscape design. (The attached two-level Boutique Homes are not yet built, are proposed and subject to change.)
Neighbouring Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World® Resort, these gracious residences form their own distinctive enclave. Set amid a lush landscape that makes the most of Central Florida’s subtropical climate—think swaying palm trees and vibrant flowers blooming year-round—Florian Park includes nine proposed attached two-level homes and a single, elevated address with 31 three- and four-bedroom Luxe Residences. The collection is crowned by five expansive two-level penthouses.
Each of the signature Luxe Residences features a gourmet kitchen and a spacious primary suite, while the additional bedrooms are also en suite. The Penthouse Residences offer four distinct floor plans ranging from approximately 6,590 to 7,002 square feet across two levels. The penthouses boast impressive primary suites on the first level and three en suite bedrooms upstairs, along with kitchens complete with wine storage, elevators, and private balconies.
The proposed shared outdoor living space at Florian Park.
At the heart of Florian Park lies a vibrant outdoor living space designed for connection, relaxation, and family enjoyment. The lakeside residents-only retreat features a heated pool with private cabanas, a children’s water play area, fire pits for cozy gatherings, and an events lawn.
For Page Pierce, Vice President of Real Estate Development for Emerging Business at The Walt Disney Company, Florian Park represents the epitome of Golden Oak’s enchanted story—an exciting opportunity to purchase a new home within the exclusive, golf-cart-friendly community.
“Golden Oak has been an extraordinary success story, bringing families together to experience the Disney lifestyle in a way that is timeless and inspiring,” says Pierce. “With Florian Park, we are proud to offer this unique opportunity to call the community of Golden Oak home. It integrates seamlessly with the character and charm of Golden Oak, making this a fitting addition to the community’s remarkable journey.” Homes within Florian Park are complemented by graciously appointed interiors by Parker-Torres Design and meticulously groomed landscape design.
Penthouse Residences will range from approximately 6,590 to 7,002 square feet across two levels.
The vision for the neighbourhood, explains Mike Lentz, Vice President with project developer Host Hotels & Resorts, was to create a unique residence-inspired experience that reflects both the surrounding Golden Oak community and the grandeur of the Mediterranean and Spanish Revival architecture of Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort next door.
“The exterior architecture of the Luxe Residences was designed to pay homage to the classical architecture of the Four Seasons hotel, with a contemporary and residential feel,” says Lentz. “This also allowed us to create a new neighbourhood of Boutique Homes inspired by the layout and scale of the Golden Oak cottages with an elevated French-Moderne style.”
The interiors, adds Lentz, are designed “to provide generous living areas and flex rooms and an understated elegance with materials that reflect the natural surroundings.”
Service That Makes Every Day Feel Like a Vacation
The view from Capa steakhouse at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, just steps from Florian Park.
The exemplary service for which Four Seasons is known is found throughout Florian Park and handled by a team that anticipates residents’ needs. “A primary attraction of living at Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando is the dedicated team who help provide a worry-free lifestyle,” says Helen Barry, Director of Residences with Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort. “The Resident Services team is on hand to assist with an incredible array of services, such as in-residence dining, delivered to one’s doorstep, or a fully catered private party, which can be enjoyed in one of Florian Park’s private event spaces or on the beautiful lakeside pool deck.”
“With a team of experts readily available, including stylists from the resort’s boutiques who can customize one’s closet and personal trainers who can assist with fitness goals, residents experience a high-level of personalized care,” adds Barry.
All Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Florian Park, residents join the private Golden Oak Club, a required membership that offers access to a dedicated Club Member Services team, ready to assist with membership benefits and select concierge services.
Membership in Golden Oak Club includes invitations to exclusive events held throughout the year and access to Summerhouse, Golden Oak’s private clubhouse with two restaurants, a coffee bar, 24-hour fitness centre, zero-entry pool area with cabanas and towel service, and the Family Room hangout space, where kids and teens can play games and watch movies.
The lazy river at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort.
Florian Park residents can take advantage of the private recreational paths and footbridges that meander through Golden Oak’s gardens and parks, like Ferndell Park in the Kingswell neighbourhood. Just steps from home, residents also have special privileges at Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, where they can access the five-acre water park complete with two pools, water slides, a splash zone, and a lazy river; the expansive spa and salon; a state-of-the-art fitness centre; tennis and pickleball courts; and the Tom Fazio–designed Tranquilo Golf Course. This year, the hotel’s Capa steakhouse received Michelin-star status for the fourth year in a row. Additional amenities include seamless account charging and valet parking at the resort.
And the fun of Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks and two water parks—with all of their newest attractions—is just a quick ride away.
“Enjoying the magic of the nearby Walt Disney World Resort theme parks and the signature service provided by Four Seasons, residents truly live the dream,” says Barry. It’s a community where wonder is always within reach, and relaxation is built into every day.
Signature Amenities
The interior of Capa steakhouse.
Dedicated transportation to Walt Disney World Resort’s four theme parks and two water parks is provided by both Four Seasons and Golden Oak Club. (Park admission is not included.)
Warm, personalized service by a dedicated Four Seasons team, which can arrange for housekeeping, chauffeured transportation, personal training, fashion styling, grocery shopping, dog walking, event planning, and in-residence or poolside dining.
On-site private event room and conference room, and bellman and doorman services.
Resident-only pool with cabanas, a children’s water play area, towel service, and fire pits.
Access to Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort and its five-acre water park, Tranquilo Golf Course, spa and salon, fitness centre, and tennis and pickleball courts, plus account charging services and valet parking.
Membership in Golden Oak Club and access to the Summerhouse clubhouse, which features two restaurants, a pool, and a Family Room hangout space.
For more about Four Seasons Private Residences Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, Florian Park, visit our website.
“When I think of beauty, I also think of beautiful landscapes that I know,” said the Irish poet John O’Donohue. I feel this in my bones. The most meaningful moments of my life have taken place outside—in wilderness, in the presence of something so large it made me feel small. Boating down the Ganges in Varanasi. Walking a suspension bridge high above the jungle in Costa Rica. Staring into a midnight bay in the San Juan Islands and watching creatures bloom bioluminescent beneath the black water. Sitting on a heap of rag rugs on a rooftop beneath the blazing sun in Chefchaouen, Morocco, with a cup of hot mint tea in hand.
The word awe has roots in Old English: ege—fear, dread, terror. Go deeper and you land in Old Norse: agi. Same meaning, only more intense. The kind of fright that makes your stomach drop and your skin hum. Awe once meant trembling before something vast and unknowable. Awe had nothing to do with fumbling in your pocket for your phone to snap a selfie, to prove to other people you’d been to a place and been moved by it. It was about standing still, overcome by the magnificence of the world, your brain sizzling with majesty. It was about being afraid—in a good way—of how big the universe is. It was about bowing down. The experience of awe was an embodied one. Reverence and surrender, a mystery inside your bones.
By the time of Middle English, the idea of awe had evolved into something more attainable—the tender recognition of quiet beauty everywhere. A perfect rainbow after a storm. A temple where your breath echoes. At the edge of a birth, a death, or a galaxy too big to name. One could even find awe in the tiny, mundane moments or minutiae of the natural world—a rose petal, a frozen pond. Vastness veined with grace. As Walt Whitman wrote in Song of Myself, “I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journeywork of the stars.”
Dreamy blues in Chefchaouen, Morocco. Photograph by Taisha Ellison / Unsplash.
Now neuroscience is catching up to what mystics, poets, and travellers have always known: Awe rewires us. According to Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology at University of California, Berkeley, awe is not a luxury—it’s a biological necessity. Defined by Keltner as “the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world,” awe has measurable effects on the body and brain. A 2015 study co-authored by Keltner revealed that participants who felt positive emotions, such as awe, wonder, and amazement, had lower levels of the cytokine interleukin-6, a marker for inflammation. And Keltner’s research also has found that experiencing awe can trigger the release of oxytocin, the bonding hormone, which has been shown to decrease anxiety levels.
In his book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life, Keltner identified “eight wonders of life”: nature, the moral beauty of others, collective movement (shared joy in groups), music, visual design, spirituality, big ideas, and, as he puts it, “encountering the beginning and end of life.” These are the stimuli that pull us into the present, that return us to the why.
And it gets more interesting. In Soft-Wired: How the New Science of Brain Plasticity Can Change Your Life, neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich says that to stay sharp and healthy as we age, we need the unfamiliar. We need to jolt the system.
Travel does that, scrambling the senses in the best way. A new language in your ear. Smoke and spice in your nose. A cerulean sky, deep and rich as the ocean. When exposed to new stimuli, the brain forms new neural pathways. According to Merzenich, novelty keeps the brain lit up. People who stay curious don’t just age; they grow. “This lifelong capacity for plasticity, for brain change, is powerfully expressed. It is the basis of our real differentiation, one individual from another,” he said.
For me, simply navigating a foreign grocery store—figuring out which fruit is which or translating a label—is a way of triggering brain activity. And curiosity itself is neurologically rewarding. When you explore something new, your brain’s reward system is activated, releasing dopamine, its built-in pleasure chemical. The stronger the dopamine response, the stronger the reinforcement signal, making us more likely to repeat the behaviour. The more you explore, the more you want to explore. Wonder can become a feedback loop. And we need that loop now more than ever.
Ice cave exploration in Zinal glacier in Switzerland. Photograph by Frédéric Sabalette / Wirestock / Adobe Stock.
The goal is to put down your phone and feel what it’s like to be in the presence of great beauty—to metabolize your own relationship to the divine in real time.
More and more of us are seeking “mental wellness.” We’re booking getaways not to check out but to check back in. We’re exhausted, depleted from hyper-productivity and hyper-connectivity. We want the reset. Yet nearly 72 percent of global travellers use social media while on vacation, according to a study out this year. Many now use AI to plan, curate, and narrate the experience before it’s even begun. We consult influencers before we consult the wind.
We’ve turned awe into content—and risked missing it altogether. The goal is to put down your phone and feel what it’s like to be in the presence of great beauty—to metabolize your own relationship to the divine in real time. To be humbled by it all and do nothing but breathe. No stories. No likes. No selfies.
In my travels, I’ve learned that awe must be experienced firsthand. It reveals itself in the most beautiful places on Earth, such as the Sea of Stars on Vaadhoo Island in the Maldives, where the waves glow turquoise and footsteps spark light across the beach. The Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, in Bali, cascading through thick jungle. The glacial caves of Aletsch and Zinal in Switzerland—frozen, echoing, otherworldly. The Byodo-In Temple near Kyoto, still and ancient. These places carry a sacred frequency.
Awe doesn’t always announce itself. This past winter, standing barefoot on Playa Majahua, a secluded beach on the Pacific Coast of Jalisco, near Four Seasons Resort Tamarindo, Mexico, I felt something inside of me shift. It was sunrise. The moon was sliding down the sky as the sun rose. The air was balmy and fragrant with cypress and gardenia. There was a puma print pressed into the cool, smooth sand. For a moment, it felt like the whole world was holding its breath.
Usually things go awry when the wheels come off—but on the water, that’s a good thing. Whether it’s an old-school wooden boat for two or a state-of-the-art yacht with plush accommodations, Four Seasons offers on-the-water experiences that you won’t soon forget. Here’s a small sampling.
A Floating Resort
Four Seasons Explorer, Palau: There is simply no better way to experience the Micronesian island nation of Palau: Explore UNESCO World Heritage islands and stunning lagoons while spending nights aboard this intimate ship, home to 10 elegant staterooms and the luxurious Explorer Suite.
Ideal for: Those who love the outdoors and water sports as much as they love AC and high thread count.
Romance on the River
Four Seasons Hotel Prague: The Vltava River flows through the heart of the Czech Republic’s capital, making a private boat ride—especially on a charming wooden vessel captained by a guide carrying Prosseco or mulled wine and hot chocolate, depending on the weather—an ideal way to experience the city’s most romantic landmarks in unforgettable style.
Ideal for: Couples looking for a guided experience without the tour group.
From Air to Water
Four Seasons Resort Bora Bora: All arriving guests are escorted from the local airport directly to an awaiting 1920s-inspired Andreyale for a breathtaking 15-minute transfer to the resort. The 39-foot yacht can also be booked for sunset cruises.
Ideal for: Guests who are eager to be up close with Tahiti’s legendary turquoise waters after a long day of travel.
Multigenerational Adventures
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai: Guests visiting the Big Island and seeking fun for the whole family will want to consider chartering Alaka’i Nui, the resort’s 46-foot luxury catamaran. Customizable experiences include beach-hopping voyages and whale-watching tours.
Ideal for: Groups with a range of interests and abilities. Guests can participate in water activities, like snorkeling or deep-sea fishing, or simply relax on the boat.
A Retro Rental
Four Seasons Hotel Austin: A trip to Texas Hill Country wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the many lakes in the region. In Austin, guests can rent a vintage-style electric boat, in retro colours like mint green and bubblegum pink, to cruise Lady Bird Lake. Cooler and Bluetooth speaker included.
Ideal for: Fun seekers and vibe chasers. (To captain, guests must be at least 21 years old.)
Catch of the Day
Four Seasons Resort and Residences Los Cabos at Costa Palmas: Top skiers know to head to Whistler for epic slopes; deep-sea fishing enthusiasts know to make a pilgrimage to Los Cabos for some of the world’s best salt-water angling. Hop onboard a 17-metre yacht for an unforgettable guided day of fishing; all equipment is included.
Ideal for: Anglers who love the adrenaline rush of big-game fishing.
