Lisbon, 5 Years Ago
A fine dining restaurant and a reservation for one.
They sat me next to another woman — also American, also alone. We talked for three hours. We ordered more wine. We told each other things you only tell strangers on trips. We exchanged details at the end of the night and, in the way of those evenings, never spoke again.
On the flight home I kept thinking: I want more of that. Not the serendipity — the conditions that made it possible. A beautiful place, enough time, and the right people around the table.
That's where Solenne began.
about me
That night in Lisbon stayed with me. Not because it was rare, but because it felt like something I should be able to experience on purpose — not by accident. A beautiful place, enough time, and the right people around the table.
That’s the seed of Solenne.
The rest of the story starts long before that night.
I grew up in Southern California, moving through the state like it was its own world — Palm Springs, the Channel Islands, Joshua Tree, Big Sur. Even then I understood that the best places make time feel different.
At sixteen, I traveled to Japan. I went to a small town in the Miyagi Prefecture. Tatami mats, onsen baths, quiet mornings. It was the first time I felt both far from home and completely at peace.
Paris came later — the Eiffel Tower lighting up on my first night, weekends spent traveling with people I’d just met, learning that beauty lands deeper when it’s shared.
I kept searching for that feeling —ease, connection, time stretching in the right ways. The trip I would plan for myself—a villa chosen for how it feels, a pace that lets you breathe, and people who notice what you notice—didn’t exist.
So Solenne took shape.
-Shamber
the Philosophy
Solenne is built on meaningful moments — the place, the pace, and the people who make it unforgettable.
the place comes first
Every Solenne trip starts with a place that has a reason. Not a famous place — a right one. A place with atmosphere, beauty, and a sense of arrival.
the details matter
From the villa to the meals to the activities, every element is chosen with intention.
space to breathe
There are things worth doing on every trip. But there is always room. A Solenne day should never feel full. The itinerary exists to make space, not fill it.
the people are the best part
The setting is beautiful, but the real magic comes from the women who show up. The connections formed are the heart of every retreat.
Travel with Solenne
Three retreats coming in 2027. Waitlist guests hear first when spots open.