Episode 5 Christian Louboutin on Design, Inspiration and Portugal

On this episode of Passport to Everywhere, Melissa sits down with renowned shoe designer Christian Louboutin to discuss his latest venture: a boutique hotel in the scenic hills of Portugal. Christian is widely recognized in the fashion industry for his glamorous footwear line featuring coveted red-bottom shoes. He has now, however, ventured into the world of hospitality with his latest project, the Vermelho Hotel. Vermelho is located in Melides, a quaint fishing village in Portugal, and opened in April 2023. In this episode, Christian shares his journey of opening Vermelho (it was originally going to be only a restaurant) and why he fashioned the property to feel more like a home than a hotel. He also dives into the beauty of Portugal and what motivates his nomadic lifestyle creating homes in different parts of the world.  Melissa also reveals her favorite ways for mastering jet lag while traveling.

Lighting Round with Christian:

• What is your favorite travel sneaker or shoe? Slip-in shoes, no shoelace, way easier for airport checks and the plane
• Three other favorite hotels that inspired you as you were creating your own? Al Moudira in Luxor, Hotel Nacional in Havana & Villa Palladio in Jaipur
• Favorite hotel in a city? The one where you feel at home, so not really any international place
• Something you always travel with that isn’t your phone or iPad? My agenda
• What is another place in Portugal that you think is a must-visit? Evora is an underrated city. And Villa Viçosa
• What are you reading now? Nos Frères Inattendus by Amin Maalouf
• What summer trip are you planning now? Melides as every year, I invite friends and family, it’s like in the French comics Asterix & Obleix, during the day you do whatever you want, but we all meet for lunches and dinners.