Weeks Off: Exclusive holiday homes across Europe
In 2021, brothers Robin Michel and Thibaud Elzière launched Iconic House, a selection of exclusive houses in France for holidays, events and seminars. These are houses with soul and thoughtful designs that offer privacy without sacrificing the comforts of a hotel. In 2024, they expanded the idea with Weeks Off, a curated guide to these special holiday homes.
They now offer accommodation in the most beautiful locations across Europe — and most recently in Portugal too. We spoke to the founders about the idea behind Weeks Off and their work together.
What was the idea behind creating a guide to exclusive holiday homes across Europe?
The idea grew from our passion for travel and beautiful homes. Over time, we kept discovering extraordinary places across Europe — but finding them required hours of research and a lot of guesswork. So we thought: why not curate the homes we truly love, the ones we’d recommend to our friends? That’s how the Iconic House collection of private luxury homes — which we own and operate from A to Z — and the Weeks Off guide came to life: a personal, honest selection shaped by our own vision of what hospitality should feel like. To take this project further, we will soon launch the Maisons Hôtelières label by Weeks Off. The label is built on three pillars: the property itself, hotel-style services, and professionalism, and will stand as a mark of quality and trust.
What do you look for when selecting the properties listed?
We start with one key criterion: soul. Not just spectacular views or a perfect pool. We look for places that tell a story through their architecture, materials, history — homes that instantly make you feel something. Then come the fundamentals: location, design, service, and the home’s ability to help travellers truly disconnect. We are taking this even further with the Maisons Hôtelières label, for which we have defined over twenty criteria. This enables us to certify professional homes that meet these standards.
How does a stay in your “Maisons Hôtelières” differ from regular hotels and rentals?
Iconic House, which we launched in June 2021, sits exactly at the crossroads between the hotel world and private rentals. We like to describe it as the freedom of a home with the magic of a hotel, designed for the ultra-luxury market. Guests enjoy the privacy of their own house, but with top-tier services — concierge, chef, curated experiences — just like in the very best hotels. Because we buy and manage our homes ourselves, we can go much further in terms of design, décor, service level and the overall experience. That’s what creates the signature thread running through all our “Maisons Hôtelières”: a real brand, with a unique concept and a consistent feel. We also launched Side House in 2025, the ‘little sister’ of Iconic House — a collection of hotel-style rental homes in France — with the first property opening in Normandy.
Thibaud, you have founded several start ups in the past, what was special about founding Iconic House and what was your main takeaway?
Most of my previous ventures were tech-focused — I’ve been running the start-up studio Hexa for a few years now — so Iconic House was a very different kind of adventure. Here, we’re working with something tangible: houses, spaces, atmospheres, emotions. Our biggest takeaway? That hospitality is a craft of details. And when you’re building experiences instead of just products, you need even more listening, refining, and caring. It’s extremely demanding… and extremely rewarding.
Just like the founders of onomao, Arthur and Felix, you founded Iconic House together with your brother — how did you experience the process of working together?
Working together as brothers is both incredibly natural and wonderfully efficient. We know each other by heart, so decisions are fast, conversations are direct, and we share the same long-term vision. And bringing Iconic House to life together feels a bit like extending our childhood holidays — this time with spreadsheets and architecture plans added in.
Recently you launched a selection of houses in Portugal. What do you like most about this country?
Portugal has a rare, effortless charm. The light, the food, the rhythm of life — everything invites you to slow down. Architecturally, it’s a dream: striking contemporary lines alongside soulful traditional homes. It’s a country where you feel good the moment you arrive, which makes it an ideal setting for this new selection.
How does the perfect vacation day look like for you?
Something beautifully simple: waking up without an alarm, breakfast outdoors, a swim or a walk, a long, lazy lunch… all of it in a Weeks Off or Iconic House property, of course. Then a quiet moment with a book, a sunset drink, dinner with local flavours, and a late-night conversation that goes everywhere and nowhere.
Le Sarto Iconic House © Mr Tripper
Villa Junot © Agathe Boudin
Rive © November Studio
Portrait © Adrien Maurice
