Window shopping #23
TikTok as a travel agent, Louboutin’s latest stay, and why $4,000-a-night rooms are still selling out
This is Window Shopping, a weekly mini-letter from Window Seat—your stylish scroll through what’s new and noteworthy in the world of travel. Each issue blends timely headlines, personal favorites, and design-forward hotels to keep your wanderlust well-fed.
Christian Louboutin just gave us another reason to book a trip to Portugal. Not that we needed any convincing. After opening the art-filled Vermelho hotel in Portugal’s Alentejo region in 2023, the designer best known for his signature red sole has expanded with two private villas. The standout is La Salvada, a blush-pink hideaway designed as a private escape for friends, family, and in-the-know travelers. Louboutin has long championed Melides as an under-the-radar alternative to the Algarve, and these new additions cement it as a fashion-forward escape.
Your For You Page just became your travel agent. TikTok has officially launched a built-in hotel booking feature in the US, letting users browse and reserve stays directly on the app. Even more notable: it’s paired with a new creator commission program, meaning travel influencers can earn a cut when followers book a property they’ve featured. For travelers, it could make trip-planning more seamless (and more impulsive). For hotels, it’s a direct line to Gen Z and millennial audiences who already treat TikTok as their top search engine for where to stay, eat, and explore. Now let me get my bag.
$4,000 a night and still sold out? Welcome to luxury travel in 2025. If you’ve been browsing hotel rates lately and had to pick your jaw up off the floor, you’re not imagining things. Luxury hotel prices in top leisure markets are now 25–30% higher than in 2019, and in places like Capri, Santorini, and the Amalfi Coast, €3,000–€4,500 a night is standard (with some suites topping €11,000 and still selling out). Hoteliers point to skyrocketing operating costs, higher wages, and post-pandemic travelers willing to splurge on experiences over goods. For us, it means two things: sticker shock when planning bucket-list trips, and great reason to lean harder into shoulder-season travel, credit card points, and Xth night free promos, which luxury hotels sometimes use to fill spots in their calendars.
Since getting back from Spain, I’ve had my head down trying to get as much work done before my next trip at the end of September. I’m working on a lot of great stuff right now—I just wrapped a Substack newsletter strategy & design refresh that’s launching soon (a travel + style letter that Moms especially will appreciate) and just started a second that I’ll share more about soon. Side note: if this is something you’re interested in too, book next month’s slot!
In the meantime, I’m trying out some new products to level up my travel arsenal:
In our co-written travel wellness article, Katie Stone mentioned Pludo as her electrolytes of choice, specifically in the 'pink yuzu’ flavor. One thing about me is, if it’s yuzu flavored, I’m gonna try it. And despite being an LMNT and Liquid IV fan for years, I gotta say: I think I’m making the switch. It tastes amazing and doesn’t have the super sweet or salty taste that others have. (BTW, Katie always has great recs.)
You guys know I don’t mess around when it comes to jet lag. I’ve sworn by the Timeshifter app for years now (begging them to sponsor me lol), but I’ve been seeing a new option called Flykitt floating around. Whereas Timeshifter is purely digital—an app that creates a personalized schedule—Flykitt is a hybrid. Each kit comes with supplements, blue-light filtering glasses, and an app that tells you exactly when to take them, along with when to eat, sleep, and move. I haven’t tried it yet, but I have two immediate thoughts:
I like that it includes supplements; this makes me think it’d be easier to stay on schedule.
The Flykitt app can adjust for delays and cancellations. This has always been my one gripe with Timeshifter: you can’t shift your flight plan. Last time I used it, my plane sat on the runway for two hours, which completely threw off my protocol.
I’ll report back on Flykitt!
Cirqa — Arequipa, Peru
Housed in a 16th-century monastery built from white volcanic stone, Cirqa invites you to step into another century. The design is pure drama: centuries-old arches, a centerpiece courtyard plunge pool, and rooms that balance history with sleek, modern comfort. Step outside and you’re in the heart of Arequipa’s UNESCO-listed historic center, but you may find it hard to leave—this is the hotel that is making Arequipa, once just a quick stopover, a destination in its own right.
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Tori Simokov is a Travel Writer and Graphic Designer/Strategist based in New York. To get in touch, email tori@v1projects.com. Want more? Check out Instagram, TikTok, or shop her curated favorites.
adore u Tori!
Can confirm Pludo yuzu is delightful and not too sweet and yes, I got the rec from Katie's newsletter earlier this summer :)