Ardbeg House

This New Hotel on a Tiny Scottish Island Is Redefining Whisky Tourism With Playful Interiors and Nightly “Wee Drams” | Vogue

"An initiation into centuries‑old traditions—not just for whisky lovers—my stay unfolded in a luxury 12‑room haven perched on the nib of Port Ellen, where the distinctive Ardbeg ‘A’ greets you and Russell Sage Studio’s boisterous, witty interiors showcase work by more than 20 Scottish makers. I slept in the Fèis room, inspired by local music and song with a bed made from a deconstructed piano, peeked into the Monster room with croc skin‑like Fromental wallpaper honoring the mythical ‘Islaygator’ and a monstrous emperor‑sized four‑poster swirled with metal serpents, and admired the Smoke room’s peat‑row leather headboard hiding two mini bottles of Ardbeg Ten; thanks to Sage’s design imagination and Scottish humor, it’s both sophisticated and unserious. Each evening at 6.15 p.m., whisky hour beckoned with small‑batch, secret‑recipe ‘Badger Juice’ and wee drams from a 500‑plus selection, while plans to fire up a handcrafted smoker in the courtyard—built by distillery technician Daniel Brandson—to perfume barbecued seafood spoke to a genuine desire to welcome locals so the House feels part of the community. Between bold meals, nightly tunes, custom Islay Cocoa ‘Fáilte’ bars in the room, and private distillery tours at 4 p.m. daily, the ‘true Ardbeggian immersion’ appealed to all the senses; after three days amid wacky walls and folkloric dreams, I left clinking with scavenged mini bottles and already plotting a return." - Anna Cafolla