About Simone

At the age of 27, I returned to Lugano, Switzerland and studied hotel management.  I then bought a small hotel and restaurant which I ran for 5 years but felt that Spain had really captured my heart, so I relocated to Andalucia – the “soul” of Southern Spain with my husband. Together with our daughter (Stefanie), we lived close to Villablanca on a small farm in an agricultural region near the Portuguese border.  I studied Oenology and we planted our first vines in 2007 – although the winery was a success, circumstances changed and in 2022 we sold the farm and business as the time had come for new dreams and ventures. I moved to the wonderfully unspoiled Huelva region of Andalucia where I now live with my partner Juan in our forever home.  Whilst living in Villablanca, I heard through the grapevine (literally!) that the Manoir in Portugal’s Eastern Algarve was on the market and I couldn’t resist a peep – as soon as I saw the façade from the parking area, I was smitten. It was then that my relationship with Tamar began as she had been letting the Manoir for the previous owner… My career path has included being a restaurateur (food has always been hugely important to me!), hotelier, wine grower and art collector! Juan and I both adore cooking and are never happier than when feeding groups of friends and family with just-picked produce at our home surrounded by our in-house menagerie which includes 7 horses, 8 dogs (including two very nosey St Bernards), 7 goats, 4 donkeys, 2 peacocks, flocks of guinea fowl and chickens.  Wild deer often visit in the evening to drink at our stream.

I have always loved rescuing old homes and transforming them into something magical while retaining their original essence. My father was a contemporary art dealer, and my brother is a sculptor and so a love of art runs through my veins.

For many years, I have scoured antique fairs and markets, searching for that perfect piece of art or sculpture to complete the style puzzle and restore these neglected homes to their former splendour (I have even managed to convert an old 20’ shipping container into a glass sided plunge pool for the courtyard at the Yellow House!). Supporting local artists and their work is incredibly important to me.  The reviews from our guests reflect the love that we have put into these old homes…returning guests are the norm…………

Our love of animals has fuelled my other passion in saving abandoned creatures – our latest additions (now in situ at the Olive Mill) are 2 Llamas (Pinky and Punky) and 25 Rescue Donkeys. As fervent believers in Farm-to-Fork philosophy and mindful of our carbon footprint, much of the produce we provide to our guests is home-grown and very much seasonal. Guests at the retreats will have the opportunity to buy some of our home-made conserves and oils via our “honesty box” – we even bottle our home made limoncello using just picked lemons!

Having lived in various European countries, I am fluent in German, English, Spanish, Portuguese, French and Italian.