The Addresses is a new hospitality brand that offers up beautifully designed custom houses for rent in the Algarve region of Portugal. Designed by Lisbon-based architects, atelier RUA, the company's initial houses include a former fish warehouse that was renovated with both modern and traditional Portuguese touches.

Alongside these retreats, the company (by way of a partnership with Studio Stories) also offers its guests curated "experiences." This is all part of the company's focus on culture, architecture, and hospitality.

I am a big fan of these design-forward hospitality companies, which offer experiences that you could probably describe as existing somewhere between a traditional hotel and an Airbnb. Similar to the latter, they are decentralized and they are focused on authentic and local experiences.

But they also come with a particular set of sensibilities -- and perhaps some consistency -- that you could argue starts to reflect your favorite hotel. Another more local example is Canadian-based Hinter, which I discovered and blogged about last fall.

When I checked this past winter, Hinter's houses were booked up several months in advance. This tells me that there's more than a few people who are hungry for these sorts of travel experiences. At the same time, I think it speaks to the tremendous value that you can create with beautiful architecture and design.