Try this: after checking into the White Exclusive Suites & Villas, São Miguel Island, Azores, let them take your bags to the room while you jump aboard an elegant Beneteau Flyer 8.8, pre-booked for a Sunset Boat Tour. The Atlantic is just in front. You deserve a few hours sailing with a glass of sparkling wine, in the hands of an experienced crew.

After that, yes, come and discover the true meaning of “exclusive” (though you were already enjoying it, of course). If you choose the Casa da Rocha villa, 200 meters from the hotel, you’ve picked the perfect place for a stay with family and friends (the hotel only welcomes guests above 14 years of age). If you go for the nearby The Villa, that’s a whole other experience: you may find it the most relaxed and secluded space at White, standing out for its location right over the ocean, with its 40 square meters and a private heated saltwater pool. Or be dazzled by one of the nine suites, all also with sea views. White doesn’t have more than this, nor does it need it, nor do you want it.

Here, everything is in communion with the sea, its murmurs, color and aromas. The ocean spray from the waves is a balm. It impresses in the winter, relaxes during the summer. The White turns the banalities of everyday life into vague memories.

There is a wonderful direct access to the sea from the hotel. There are two restaurants, Cardume and Santa Bárbara, with absurdly talented chefs reinventing the fabulous flavors of the Azores. The spa is unmissable. The hosts are your friends: talk to them, they’ll tell you all about how this place came to be, inspired by mementos from trips to the Pacific to explorations of the Mediterranean. It’s quite a story.

Ponta Delgada, the capital city of the Azores on this island of São Miguel, is a ten minute drive (and the airport is 15 minutes away). The beautiful town of Lagoa is right next door. You’re on a small island, but one full of wonder. So, also talk to White’s Experiences Managers. They can advise you on safe underwater experiences, forest walks, the discovering of waterfalls and lakes and, why not, being a farmer for a day and getting to know the life of a farm where the delicacies you enjoy at White’s tables are born.

White is quite more than full exclusivity: it’s a way of having, for a while, your own private island.