Smith Travel BlogTravel tales and hotel news from the boutique hotel experts at Mr & Mrs Smith

It’s peak road-trip season and sun and scenic routes are on our minds, so this week we’ve been California scheming. Take the infamous Highway 1 for its vertiginous coastal views, then hotfoot it inland to wine country. Luxury boutique hotel the Farmhouse Inn in Sonoma County (Napa Valley’s chilled-out contender) awaits with its sip-worthy wining and Michelin-starred dining.

Style Romantic ranch
Setting Rolling Russian River Valley

Why this week? With a wealth of wineries hidden in the surrounding hills and plenty of laid-back lounging to be done in the rustic-chic rooms, the Farmhouse Inn is the sort of place that makes you think, “Why don’t we come to Sonoma more often?” With our special mid-week three-nights-for-the-price-of-two offer, you can. (And, San Francisco is just a 90-minute drive from the hotel, so you can spend the weekend city slicking then reverse commute to the country to put your feet up in pastoral bliss.)

Our favourite bits We love that everything about the hotel is designed to lull you into a near-comatose state of relaxation. The spa uses ingredients from the farm for ginger and honey or lavender body-butter massages and Adirondack chairs are liberally scattered about – by the fire-pit, the pool and on your balcony and the front porch – giving you plenty of opportunities to sit and sample the well-informed wine list. The cuisine in the restaurant may have haute leanings, but it’s anything but haughty – offbeat wall decor and a few cosy tables make it feel more like a traditional farm kitchen. Rooms have restful cream-and-lemon colour schemes and enormous beds; that’s lucky, because after a busy day of sitting, spa treatments and pairing your Pinot Noir with locally sourced delicacies such as Sonoma duck breast with candied kumquats, you’ll be ready to slumber soundly with your slightly tipsy Mr or Mrs Smith.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… As special and character-rich as an aged Sonoma cabernet, Farmhouse Inn is worth a try. The bright barn-inspired rooms – decorated with antiques and salvaged barn treasures – conjure the oaky aromas of California chardonnay. Fancy mixology instead? Play alchemist in your giant Whirlpool tub, which can be customised with salts, soaps, milks and tonics from the lobby’s bath bar. A few even come come from Farmhouse’s own garden, where flowers, vegetables and herbs create a rich bouquet. Chef Steve Litke combs the gardens every night to select the star players on the morrow’s menu, and the spa harvests lavender, grapes and herbs for use in its massages, wraps and facials. Wine’s best pairing could be a melting square of Valrhona chocolate, wedged inside a melt-it-yourself s’more, available each night by the crackling firepit.

Find more boutique hotels in Sonoma County, stake out some San Francisco guesthouses or browse our hotel offers…

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Bali’s nicknamed the island of love, and this week we’re setting the scene with L Hotel Seminyak. When the sunset views on the rooftop terrace and waterfall table for two get a bit too much, step out the door to sample Petitenget’s divine boutiques and lychee martinis.

Style: Luxe, lively, lovely
Setting: Seminyak’s style strip

Why this week? Blessed with a quiet surfing beach and the best strip of restaurants on the island, Seminyak is the sleek and savvy alternative to neighbouring Kuta’s frenzy. Now’s the time to visit: the summer hordes are yet to arrive and, though the season is blissfully dry, the rice paddies, dotted through Seminyak’s back streets, are still that startling shade of green. L Hotel Seminyak is flanked by Bali’s swankiest boutiques, cafés and bars on Jalan Petitenget, and with our exclusive offer including a personal shopping tour, mani-pedi and cocktails and canapés, you won’t need to stray far. Enlist friends to help you tackle Métis’ gargantuan côte de boeuf and deceptively airy soufflés, then head to hip Potato Head Beach Club to dance the night away.

Our favourite bits With luxurious suites, anything-you-ask service, rooftop restaurants and romantic bars, you’ll be forgiven for forgetting what lies beyond L Hotel Seminyak’s doorstep. The rooms flaunt lashings of marble, black parquet floors, white leather headboards, peek-a-boo bathrooms and carved Balinese panels on the ceiling. Don’t forget to pack your yoga kit, swimwear and designer gear for bar-hopping by night – but leave plenty of suitcase space to take home Seminyak’s boutique booty.

Mr & Mrs Smith say ‘What’s love got to do with it? Well, at L Hotel Seminyak the L-word seems to pop up everywhere, from the sweetly named Love Bar, a prime position for sunset sips, to the romance-heavy Love Corner, a secluded table for swooning duos. When the personable butler team isn’t playing Cupid, they’re kept busy serving guests evening cocktails and canapés, arranging elephant safaris or day-trips to top Bali dive sites. And whether you’ve come back to flop on your bed after a day spent surfing and shopping, or are yet to rouse yourself from your room, the stylish suites are sure to please. Our top tip: plump for the Luxe Suite for a freestanding bath tub on the cusp of the bedroom. Go on, you’ll love it.’

Find more boutique hotels in Bali or browse all our hotel offers…

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This month, the intrepid Smith team of style-seeking hotel hunters began its global trek in canal-crossed Amsterdam, home to a trio of reinvented Dutch stunners: a modern aristocrat named Sir Albert (originally a diamond factory), the fantastical Andaz Amsterdam (formerly a library) and modernist masterpiece Conservatorium (the one-time Sweelinck Conservatory of Music). Then, we headed south to Sicily to eco-friendly Monaci delle Terre Nere, a 19th-century villa on the sea-facing slopes below Mount Etna.

Up in the UK, we added three quite different hotels to our hand-picked collection. The grand, heart-of-the-action Corinthia Hotel London overlooks the Thames, the tourists and Trafalgar Square from its unbeatable spot in the centre of the city; the 500-year-old Crown boutique hotel in Amersham has undergone a modern-rustic makeover at the hands of style guru Ilse Crawford; and The Pig in the Wall is a cosy Southampton stay.

Next, we flew into the Windy City to meet the mid-century modern James Chicago and the lake-view Hotel Lincoln. Way out west in Hawaii, we watched the Pacific lap at Maui’s shores while we sipped our Mai Tais at The Residences at Kapalua Bay. Once we finally pried ourselves from our hammocks, we crossed the ocean and made our way to lively Kowloon, where Hotel Icon has sweeping views of Hong Kong’s harbour, excellent restaurants and enough Chinese art to fill a gallery. Then, we ventured into Vietnam, where Mia Resort in Nha Trang has a private beach and rooms set on the sand and the cliffs, and the An Lam Saigon River hotel is a peaceful Ho Chi Minh City hideaway by the water.

Check back with us (same time, same place) next month to see how many new stamps we’ve added to our well-used passports…

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Luscious lodgings? Check. Rooftop plunge pool? Check. Glorious views stretching to the Atlas Mountains? Check check check. Riad Siwan is the quintessential bolthole in the heart of Marrakech’s Medina.

Style: Regal and rooftop-enhanced
Setting: Just by Djemaa El Fna

Why this week? Marrakech needn’t be all about wafting about in kaftans and indulging in tagines, dahling. Riad Siwan grows its own organic produce so it’s the perfect place to kick off your summer detox. It also supports Education For All, a project to help rural schoolgirls get access to education. They’re raising funds to build boarding houses so the girls can continue their secondary education – and with the first batch of baccalaureates expected this summer, there’s no better time to support them.

Our favourite bits Riad Siwan is as ravishing as Moroccan buildings get: loyal to its North African roots, yet with stylish contemporary furnishings at every turn. Try Sidi Ifni or Qamar if you love a good roll-top bath, or curl up by the fireplace in Sidi Walata or Ifrane. After a long day in the souk you’ll want to rest your weary toes on the spacious terrace: with a plunge pool, inviting sun loungers and sweeping views over crenellated rooftops and minarets, it’s the perfect place to watch the Medina bustle in the dusk.

Mr & Mrs Smith say ‘Our eyes widened as the nondescript door in the dark alley opened way to the lush, bright core that is Riad Siwan. Dramatic art, intricate lattices and coolly assembled tropical plants – from our first step inside, the seven-room riad has us stunned. And within seconds, we were getting the grand tour from jovial owner Cees Van den Berg. Cees and his wife Maryk bought the riad as a crumbling hovel filled with dirt and exposed to the elements. The couple painstakingly restored the entire space to opulence, working with a local husband-and-wife team who tackled the light fixtures and glasswork. The result is an oasis that pays tribute to the traditional patterns and colours of vivid Marrakech, incorporating modern conveniences – hello, rooftop plunge pool! – and dramatic ironwork.’

Read the full anonymous review of Riad Siwan here. Find more boutique hotels in Marrakech or browse all our hotel offers…

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London, please don’t talk with your mouth full. But it’s hard not to when there are so many exciting restaurant openings. Sign up for weekly corkers from Urbanologie and keep your fingers on the pulse of all restaurant, bar and hotel openings. Here is the latest on where is hot to eat in the capital…

This month is an exciting time for new restaurant openings including John DeLucie’s (pictured) bistro The Red House which brings a bit of New York to Chelsea, and also, over in Southwark The Shard we will see the Shangri-La hotel open its doors to Arjun Warney and Rainer Becker’s new Oblix restaurant.

Bird of Smithfield is a fresh venture from chef Alan Bird (previously head chef at the Ivy and Group Executive Chef for the Soho House Group). Set within an old Georgian townhouse and operating across five floors, there will be a roof terrace, a chef’s table and private-dining areas. The all-day menu ‘British with a twist’ will feature dishes aiming to explore the influence British food has had both historically and presently. There will also be a small basement bar known as The Birdcage with a cocktail menu by bar consultancy Fluid Movement (Purl and Dach & Sons).

Kaspar’s Seafood Bar & Grill is replacing the Rover Room restaurant in the Savoy Hotel and it will offer an informal yet luxury dining experience presented in an elegant Twenties-style setting. Named after the resident cat  (a three-foot-high feline sculpture) the new restaurant offers an all-day brasserie-style menu with dishes including smoked brown shrimp and eel cocktail and smoked salmon sausages and a lobster club sandwich.

Taking over the Great Eastern Dining Rooms in Shoreditch is Casa Negra, sister to Soho’s La Bodega Negra. As with the original the interior design is being overseen by NYC’s Serge Becker, which is being modeled after a traditional English house in which ‘some Mexicans moved in and opened a pop-up restaurant’.  Casa Negra will feature a basement nightclub and have a slightly cheaper array of fresh Mexican cooking, and you won’t have to enter through a sex shop.

If you are seeking a special private dining experience for up to 22 seated guests The Rosebery Routemaster (an elegantly restored and converted 1966 doubledecker; pictured, left) will be parked outside Wiltons of St James’s restaurant Thursday 16 May until Saturday 18 May. They will be serving Wiltons food for lunch and diner: the menu includes champagne, Wiltons specialty oysters presented by their renowned shuckers before enjoying their signature seafood platter – with native lobster, smoked salmon, eel and potted shrimp.

A new invitation-only, curated lifestyle guide (providing members with personalised news on all of life’s essentials, invitations to exclusive events and access to privileges and benefits), Urbanologie also provides updates and reviews on lifestyle and fashion trends and recommended travel destinations. Sign up for complimentary membership: email Hugo Campbell-Davys at hugocd@urbanologie.net.

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Just like Cole Porter, we love the City of Light in the springtime… and we love boutique hotels in Paris. Hotel Sezz is the perfect place to enjoy the season: the fin-de-siècle façade gives way to industrial-chic interiors in couture-inspired colours (check out those Valentino-red carpets), and the Seine-side location makes for optimum sightseeing.

Style: Discreet, sexy, arty
Setting: Seine-set tranquillity

Why this week? The sun’s hitting the spotless boulevards, the Tuileries Gardens are in full bloom and the air is the ideal temperature for idling at a pavement café till the wee hours; it may be a hackneyed sentiment, but Paris in spring really is worth singing about. And, as if spring in the City of Light wasn’t enough, Hotel Sezz has a sweet-as-an-éclair deal offering 10% off city breaks. And if you’ll be flying, you can book your travel and stay with Smith’s brand-new bedfellows, British Airways.

Our favourite bits: The spa’s glowing red entrance and industrial grey tones make it feel like 2001: A Space Odyssey’s HAL 9000 will usher you to the hammam and gauge the temperature of the Jacuzzi for you; but it’s this anti-frippery approach that makes this space so appealing – no pseudo oases, no gilded lilies (in any sense), just a sophisticated space for your boy and inner tomboy to relax in. Overnight, Suite Eiffel is worth splurging on. This huge, 70sq m room’s Christophe Pillet-designed, bachelor pad tailoring and almost monochrome colour palette bring the cutting-edge style; but the begging-to-be-shared, deep-soaking bath at the foot of the bed and uninterrupted views of the Eiffel Tower add plenty of amour.

Mr & Mrs Smith say: “We were delighted that our base camp for this expedition was to be the recently conceived, ultra-modern Hotel Sezz, on the left bank of the Seine, a stumble from the Eiffel Tower. Tucked away in a quiet and conservative neighbourhood and hiding behind a classic facade, it was a surprise to pass through the glass doors into such a heavily designed luxury Paris hotel, straight out of the pages of Wallpaper*.  Respected designer Christophe Pillet, one-time protégé of Philippe Starck, is the brains behind the furniture. His pieces lend a faintly masculine air, though in the lobby, for example, they are broken up with pastel colours and the occasional bit of floral decoration.”

Read the full anonymous review of Hotel Sezz here. Find more boutique hotels in Paris or browse all our hotel offers…

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Looking for boutique hotels in London but want to escape the bustle of the city? Go west: in riverside Richmond, the Bingham is a smart townhouse with stylish rooms, excellent food and a verdant lawn that leads down to the Thames…

(All photos by Rachel Juarez-Carr.)

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We were doubtful of its existence, but spring has finally made its stateside appearance. And all these blooms have us craving a weekend at the glam hotel St Regis Washington DC, in one of the most glorious spots to stop and Instagram the flowers this time of year.

Style Old-world wow
Setting Steps from the Obamas

Why this week? Catch the last gasps of 3,500 rosy-cheeked cherry blossom trees in bloom on the Tidal Basin while you can. Right now Smith members can bunk Friday and Saturday nights and extend the weekend with a free Sunday night stay.

Our favourite bits Location, location, location! With the White House practically across the road, a significant portion of the US’s most famous statuary down the street and the Smithsonian’s 19 museums within meandering distance, you could spend days in the same square mile. Is spring shopping on your agenda? We’ve got a few must-browse boutiques for you to pop by between museum and garden visits. Oh, and the digs aren’t so bad either. Built in 1926, but brought back up to date with a multi-million dollar refurb, a Claridge’s-inspired lobby makeover and an Alain Ducasse restaurant, this boutique hotel exudes vintage glamour from every keyhole.

Mr & Mrs Smith say…  ‘The bar, once a cigar-smoke-filled den tailor-made for lobbyists and backroom deals, is now a sleek, dark watering hole with silver accents, a drink menu that includes a $500-a-glass scotch, and a clientele mercifully short on congressional staffers. There are no large tour buses from the heartland headed here.

…We decided to have dinner at Adour, the hotel restaurant, straightaway, rather than go to our room. It meant that we were an unfashionable 45 minutes early, but I was interested in testing the flexibility of the place – it looked somewhat foreboding from the outside. The hostess wasn’t bothered in the least. She seated us right away, guiding us to a large, U-shaped booth with seats covered in a velvety cloth. We were quickly treated to an amuse bouche of creamy foie gras and risotto soup – unexpected, strange, and delicious. Over the next two hours we moved through course after artful course: artisanal pasta with butternut squash and ricotta; hangar steak with barbecue sauce; farm-raised Berkshire pork loin and glazed belly with Yukon potatoes. The dessert, chocolate and earl grey mousse, with grapefruit cream and sorbet, came with a tray of strawberry and chocolate macaroons that were so delectable, we asked for a half-dozen more…’ Read the full anonymous review of St Regis DC

Book this St Regis Washington DC offer or browse all our Smith hotel offers…

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This week we’re dusting off the ski boots and setting our sights on snow-covered slopes. Swap rainy cityscapes for jaw-dropping mountain panoramas at Azur Lodge in New Zealand, set on the hills over Queenstown’s spectacular Lake Wakatipu. 

Style: Luxe lakeside lodges
Setting: Lush Queenstown hillside

Why this week? As the southern hemisphere’s cooler months creep up, it’s the perfect time to take advantage of Smith’s Queenstown winter offer, handy for the ski season (which runs from around 9 June to early October). Enjoy four nights for the price of three on stays between 1 June and 30 September 2013, including breakfast, return transfers to Queenstown Airport, afternoon tea, evening apéritifs and canapés, as well as minibar drinks. Plus, if you book with us you’ll also receive the mouth-watering Smith extra: Arcadia sparkling wine on ice and handmade chocolates.

Our favourite bits You could easily be forgiven for ignoring the call of nearby Coronet Peak and the Remarkables ski fields to spend a day indoors; lingering in bed enjoying alpine views through floor-to-ceiling glass, soaking in the ensuite’s window-side double spa bath, or curled up on a cosy sofa by the fire. This intimate nine-villa hotel doesn’t have a restaurant but it does provide tasty breakfasts (pre-piste pancakes are a must), afternoon tea, sociable evening drinks and canapés. Stay in for deck-top dining under the stars, or glam-up for a night out at one of Queenstown’s top spots (the concierge can arrange in-room dining, recommend and book the best local eateries, and sort out transfers).

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘It’s a testament to the sublime comforts of Azur Lodge that, in the renowned adventure capital of the world, this keen skier was unable to leave her private villa for the better part of 24 hours. Even snow falling heavily outside didn’t make me muster the energy. OK, so I managed to meander up to the main lodge for an afternoon tea of melt-in-the-mouth brownies and still-warm choc-chip cookies whipped up by our host. But that was the extent of my outdoor adventures. Like Gollum and his cave, I quickly slunk back to savour the delights of my sumptuous cavern…’ Read the full review of Azur Lodge.

Search for more boutique hotels in New Zealand or Smith hotel offers.

Copy compiled by Sophie Young

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This week we’re prescribing a hearty dose of lavish Latin living as a post-winter pick-me-up: snugly situated on the southwest corner of London’s Hyde Park is the irresistibly Italian Baglioni Hotel…

Style: Daring decadence
Setting: Parkside palatial

Why this week? Spring is officially here but many of us are still stuck in the wintry doldrums. If you need a bit of perking up, seek salvation at this suitably luxurious spot. (And, you can take advantage of this week’s Smith-exclusive offer with three nights for the price of two).

Our favourite bits One of the big draws here is the Moreno at Baglioni ground-floor restaurant where celebrated chef Moreno Cedroni has compiled a mouthwatering menu packed with an array of avant-garde inspired Italian dishes. Many of the ingredients are imported freshly from Moreno’s homeland to ensure all those authentic regional flavours from across Italy. The stylish lounge room is furnished with grey- and gold-velvet armchairs, glass candelabras and lashings of unabashed opulence – it’s the perfect place to sample one of the restaurant’s precious Sassicaia Bordeaux-style wines.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘The hotel doesn’t have the glitzy façade that some insecure five-star hotels cling to. There are none of the flags or huge signs sported by the neighbouring hotels. Clearly, Baglioni’s clientele is sufficiently in the know to be aware of its presence, because the Georgian building, although respectable and impeccable, doesn’t allude to the over-the-top grandeur that awaits inside. A cascading water feature, stone floors and oversized gold vases spilling enormous white roses create a suitably classy entrée to our new world of care-free indulgence. I feel myself happily slotting into this new lifestyle.’ Read the full Baglioni Hotel review.

You say… ‘We had a fabulous weekend at the Baglioni. We had booked three rooms and each was upgraded to a beautiful junior suite, which made the weekend extra special. The hotel itself was understated and beautifully decorated and the location, food and service was perfect.’ (Susan, Silversmith, stayed 6 January 2012) Read more Baglioni Hotel reviews from Smith’s guestbook.

Book this Baglioni Hotel offer or browse all our Smith hotel offers…

Written by Andrew Wilson, @andystravelling on Twitter.

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