Travel Blog – Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels

In honour of yesterday’s Australia Day celebrations (for which our Melbourne team naturally took a day off in the sunshine, and laughed at their colleagues in London and NY while eating Samboy barbecue chips and Tim Tams), we bring you Spicers Canopy, a glorious glamping getaway in Australia’s Scenic Rim.

Style Back to nature
Setting Mountain high

Why this week? Ooh, you lucky people – Smith members booking the hotel’s special eco and spa package will save 25% at Spicers Canopy. The package includes all meals, a full-day privately guided eco walk, and a one-hour spa treatment for two at the hilltop Spa Anise. They’re even throwing in a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne for good measure!

Our favourite bits The 10 breezy luxury canvas cabins are grouped together, overlooking sprawling green lawns and bushland, but with its fantastic views of Cunningham Gap and the mountains, Tent 6 is the standout. Three-course dinners, gourmet barbecues, and pizzas and roast meats from an alfresco wood-fired oven are all on offer; watch acclaimed chef Daniel Mosedale whip up dishes with an authentic Australian flavour in the open kitchen, where bush spices and locally grown produce are the stars.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘If you ever get nostalgic for the camping trips of your childhood, then a stint at Spicers Canopy in Queensland’s serene Scenic Rim could be just the ticket. Set in a private nature reserve, this eco-aware retreat is all about achieving a natural high. Enjoy guided walks through the 8,000-acre grounds, take a cooling dip in the swimming hole, dine on gourmet fare with an Australian flavour, and star-gaze with a glass of red in hand…’

Smith members can book now at 25% off; read more about Spicers Canopy; find more Scenic Rim hotels.

We love the cool Scandi chic of wonderful, wonderful Copenhagen, from its hot Danish design to its effortlessly fashionable locals. We’ve got the insider scoop on shopping in Copenhagen: where to buy Scandianvian style must-haves, sip creative cocktails and snack on traditional smørrebrød sandwiches.

One of the top names in Copenhagen’s design directory is Georg Jensen, the high-impact silversmith that lends sleek Danish style to everything from elegant candlesticks to show-stopping jewellery; Smith reviewer Heather Cowper picks the brains of Georg Jensen’s Anne Mette Müller-Krogstrup for her guide to the best design shops and snack stops.

When your girlfriends come to visit, where do you like to take them shopping in Copenhagen?

I’d meet them at at Amagertorv (above), Copenhagen’s central square, and we would drop in at Illums Bolighus, which sells a variety of accessories, furniture and lamps. Then we’d go next door to the Georg Jensen flagship store to see the beautiful selection of art nouveau silver (left).

Further down the street is Hay House (right), an innovative store with Danish design at its best – original, humorous and colourful. They also have one of the best views in town, so we’d take a five-minute break by the window. For lunch, we’d go to The Royal Café: the decor’s both funny and stylish, the food’s inspired by the traditional ’smørrebrød’ (open-faced sandwich) and the service is charming! From here, we’d head to Lot #29, where the designer brands are cooler than a Danish winter day. Finally, we get an indulgent treat from Agnes Cupcakes — my favourites are the red velvet and liquorice flavours.

And how would you spend a relaxing day out around town with friends?

Let’s start with a visit to the newly renovated Rosenborg Castle to admire the original Flora Danica dinnerware collection (left), created in 1790 as a gift to Catherine the Great. In the Kings Garden, we’ll walk among the roses, sculptures and handsome royal guards (they’re not supposed to smile, but sometimes they do.)

After, we’d check out the work by emerging and established artists at Galleri Christina Wilson on Esplanaden. For lunch, we’d go to Gitte Kik, founded in 1797; the mix of good food and good people makes for a great buzz. Next door is Amazing Space spa, where we’d get the ‘Day in Heaven’ treatment. Newly detoxed, we’d to Ruby’s, one of the hippest bars in town, to start our evening…

ANNE METTE’S COPENHAGEN ADDRESS BOOK

SHOP:
Illums Bolighus 1 Amagertorv, (+45 3314 1941)
Georg Jensen 4 Amagertorv (+45 3311 4080)
Hay House 61 Østergade (+45 9942 4440)
Lot #29 29 Gothersgade (+45 3314 1429)

EAT & DRINK:
Royal Cafe 6 Amagertorv (+45 3312 1122)
Agnes Cupcakes 2 Sværtegade (+45 3120 6000)
Gitte Kik 4 Fortunstræde (+45 3311 1537)
Ruby’s 10 Nybrogade (+45 3393 1203)

VISIT:
Rosenborg Castle 4a Øster Voldgade (+45 3315 3286)
Galleri Christina Wilson 8 Esplanaden (+45 3254 5206)
Amazing Space 1 Fortunstræde (+45 3333 8233)

Check out Heather’s interview with Mai Kappenberger, manager of stylish Copenhagen bolthole Avenue Hotel; or read her anonymous review of Heritage Av Liberdade hotel in Lisbon.

When the Colombo Art Biennale hits town next month, two of Smith’s Sri Lanka boutique hotels will be front and centre for the line-up of exciting events. Capital Colombo will swap colonial grandeur for cutting-edge cool from 15 to 19 February, as artists, curators and performers gather for exhibitions, talks and dinners across the city.

Historical hipster Casa Colombo (below) will play host to a talk with Viennese art historian Roman Berka, who’ll wax lyrical on ‘Art and an expanded museum concept’, Friday 17 February, 11am–12.30pm. Housed within a  200-year-old Moorish mansion, decked out with ultra-contemporary, custom-designed pieces from Lalin Jinasena, Casa Colombo is the ideal setting to explore the idea of art’s place beyond galleries.

On Sunday 19 February, 11am–12.30pm, Paradise Road Gallery is the stylish scene for Jagath Weerasinghe’s talk, ‘What now, after the 90s trend?’. Stay on-trend yourself by booking a suite at Paradise Road Tintagel Colombo (below). Lifestyle brand Paradise Road founder Shanth Fernando’s lavish boutique hotel in chichi Cinnamon Gardens is just a short tuk tuk ride away.

Check out the full Colombo Art Biennale programme or discover the best places to eat, play and shop in our insider city guide to Colombo.

Banish the January blues by canoodling in the country: The Wheatsheaf Inn will do nicely. This historic Cotswolds coaching inn seems to have it all: stylish rooms, a parade of strokeable livestock for children, and a restaurant that capitalises on its rural bounty. There’s also that title-snatching cocktail from the recent Cotswolds Bloody Mary Competition…

Style Chic coaching inn
Setting Northleach market town

Why this week? The Wheatsheaf Inn has an exclusive Smith offer for Smith members: book a stay by 31 March and get two nights for the price of one.

Our favourite bits? This rustic charmer in the Cotswolds brings the trad British coaching inn bang up to date, with stylish design, tasty regional food and beer and even a petite spa room. Once weary wayfarers called in at this 17th-century bolthole to refuel and recuperate. Now you can do the same, provided Kate Moss’ posse hasn’t got there first.

Family-friendly? The Wheatsheaf Inn is a great choice for families: baby cots can be supplied, or fold-out Z-beds for older kids. Babysitting with a nanny can be arranged. Keep little ones occupied with fishing trips, country walks and riding lessons at the nearby Talland School of Equitation. For more animal encounters, they can feed the lambs at Cotswold Farm Park or go wild at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘Formerly a coaching inn, beyond the ivy-clad stone façade, Wheatsheaf Inn keeps the same friendly atmosphere I imagine it had when welcoming weary days-gone-by travellers. Original stone flags are suitably worn and roaring hearths keep the pub toasty. Subdued green walls, exposed Cotswold stone and antique armchairs hemmed in by the low-beamed ceilings conveyed chintz- and clutter-free charm and impeccable taste.’

Packing tip Informal gastropub gear, but a tad of tweed will tally with the hunting, shooting and fishing crowd. Pack country clobber for hearty walks, although the hotel can provide handy Hunter wellies.

Read the full review of The Wheatsheaf Inn. Find more hotels in the Cotswolds, or search all our hotel offers.

Bringing your travels home is not just about snapping up souvenirs, it’s also about reworking ideas from the road – a colour palette, graphic pattern or tactile handmade object – to suit your style. Global nomads can find interiors inspiration anywhere, from a walk around a new town to museums, galleries, flea markets or food shops. For holiday style at home, check out Nomad, the latest book by Australian stylist Sibella Court (left), who sells hand-picked finds from her forays abroad at her Sydney homewares store the Society Inc. She’s also designed some of Sydney’s coolest bars and restaurants, including hip Asian eatery Ms G’s (by the trendsetting folk behind Establishment Hotel). Here are Sibella’s top tips for making your home more worldly…

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1 ‘Teamed with a Union Jack, the colours of Japan can be an interiors inspiration, with a mix of woodblock quilts, screenprinted and embroidered pillows’

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2 ‘The natural tones of handmade soap and wide-weave cloth make you dream of hot springs in the mountains of Japan’

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3 ‘Throw an alfresco lunch – so Italian. Load a tree branch with glittery anchors, mercury glass or feathered baubles. I love all things shiny and summery!’

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4 ‘A metal postcard holder is a place for cards, invites, coasters, napkins and other ephemera collected on my travels to Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Naples‘

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5 ‘Journeying through Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur in India, I loved the braid and ribbon stores. Bring back lace, cotton, silk, tassels and sari decorations’

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6 ‘Paper cut-outs bought during the Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico City can be pinned up later at home. Flat and easy to pack, they look festive outdoors’

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7 ‘A recycled Toby’s Estate coffee sack, personalised by a stencilled ampersand and folded over cushions, hints at the coffee-scented souks of Damascus, Syria’

For more style inspiration, pick up a copy of Sibella Court’s book Nomad or see Smith’s boutique hotel collection in Italy, India and Mexico; we’ll be getting to Japan soon. Check back later for Sibella’s travel address book.

Think you know your coffee? Tell us where to find the best coffee in Australia for your chance to win a copy of new book Coffee Trails by Toby Smith. Not only does this java master sport our favourite name, his cool cafés in Sydney and hip espresso bars in Melbourne make our mornings much more bearable. Take a peek at Toby’s caffeine-fuelled travels, from the hills of India to Jamaica’s jewel-bright ranges.

1 What kick-started your love affair with coffee? I was first inspired by the taste of an Ethiopian Yirgacheffe, more than 20 years ago. It was quite startling. Once I tasted Yirgacheffe, everything I thought I’d known about coffee was turned on its head. It wasn’t the bitter, slightly nutty, chocolately flavour I’d been used to from my regular flat whites. It was so different: floral, fruity, citrussy. I’d never known coffee could taste like that.

2 Which country is your favourite coffee destination? The last place I visited while researching Coffee Trails was Panama. Every country has its jewels – you just have to find them. In the past, Panama was known for mass production, but these days there’s a demand for high-altitude coffee, sustainably produced, which has led to a varietal awakening.

3 Your book covers the world’s great coffee-growing regions, including Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Brazil and Jamaica. Tell us about unique coffee fixes in these places… In India, make for the Baba Budan hills in Karnataka [Smith tips SwaSwara boutique hotel] and then seek out the coffee ‘monsooning’ (harvested beans are left out in the monsoon winds for a few months, reducing acidity and enhancing sweetness). In Jamaica, head up the hills to Clydesdale Estate for their great coffee (and rum). In Brazil (pictured below left), drink lots of cafezinho (an intense, sweet shot of coffee) and visit Museu do Café in Santos (95 rua XV de Novembro, Santos, São Paulo). If you’re travelling to Indonesia, check out the cool Bandung region of West Java, two hours south of Jakarta. Swing by Morning Glory café in the Setra Sari Mall and ask them to take you on a tour of the coffee hills nearby.

4 How have locals reacted to your new cafés and roasters in Singapore and New York? We now have a Singapore branch on Rodyk Street in Orchard, and a Brooklyn outpost in Williamsburg – in both cities, expats have been pleased to see us, and locals are curious and keen to try us out.

5 What do you always take with you on your travels? Lots of coffee, my coffee-brewing travel kit and not too many clothes.

Searching for superior coffee? Dip into our musings on Melbourne’s best cafés and the best coffee in London.

WIN A COPY OF COFFEE TRAILS
Australian caffeine fiends, fancy winning a copy of Toby’s book? In the Comments section below, tell us in 25 words or fewer what is your favourite café and why. The competition closes 24 February 2012 and entries will be judged on creativity.

January and detoxing go together like Brad and Angelina. Tis the season to give your body and mind an MOT, boosting wellbeing levels and booting those pesky bad habits into touch. So where better to kickstart those 2012 Brand New You resolutions, than at luxe private retreat Como Shambhala Estate in Bali, one of the most respected spa hotels in the world?

Style Well-heeled wellbeing
Setting Jungle wonderland

Why this week? The good folks at Como are offering Smith guests an exclusive 20 per cent off rates with their three- to seven-night Discover Como Shambhala package, for stays before 30 March 2012. You’ll get free run of the estate’s fab fitness and wellbeing activities and delicious meals are thrown in, proof that detoxing doesn’t have to be spartan.

Our favourite bits We love the serene Ubud setting, but the retreat’s stylish design is more than a match for mother nature, with most rooms grouped in intimate Residences around a chill-out living area and shared infinity pool. We’re also impressed by the wellness experts on tap, including an Ayurvedic doctor for personal readings, and Como’s invigorating own-label botanical spa products. Converts rave about this sanctuary, which is one of our most popular boutique hotels in Bali.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘This highly rated flagship is renowned for its back-to-nature approach, and promises to soothe, relax, cosset and revivify – while surrounding you in totally tropical, thatched-pavilion, wall-to-wall waterfall luxury, of course. East meets West in the holistic Ojas spa, with therapies running the gamut from Ayurveda and anti-ageing to Thai massage and stress management. Yoga and Pilates sessions will appeal to bendy types, or get active with guided walks, white-water rafting or scenic mountain bike rides. All-day restaurant Glow offers delicious, healthy, organic food to match, or enjoy snacks, sorbets and granitas poolside. The one-bedroom Retreat Villas – each with a private treatment room – are ideal if you’re planning on being a regular at the nearby spa.’

Reviewer Nadya Hutagalung says… ‘While we’re out cruising around Ubud, one of the locals comments that “too much is never enough” when it comes to Como Shambhala Estate. Later, as I’m wrapped in a towel on our private outdoor massage suite, looking out over the valley, I realise just how true that statement is. When we last visited this holistic haven, the treatments were an absolute highlight. I guess they’re still amazing, but as I fell asleep just minutes into my massage I’m not really in a position to speculate.’ Read Nadya’s full review or find out more about Como Shambhala Estate boutique hotel in Bali.

Check out our recent round-up of stylish Asian spa hotels for a New Year detox or book now to enjoy 20 per cent off at Como Shambhala Estate.

We couldn’t forgive ourselves if we didn’t begin 2012 in style. Luckily, this month’s exploring unwrapped some super new Smith hotels in Somerset, Shropshire and Naples.

First we checked into The Swan Wedmore, a pub with poise (and a darn good restaurant) in Sedgemoor, a quiet, pretty patch of Somerset. Here we discovered real ale, the best black pudding we’ve ever tasted, rooms with village views, and some inventive decorative flourishes, including cheese-strainers and framed corkscrews in place of pictures.

Next up was Shrewsbury in Shropshire and the Lion & Pheasant, a 16th-century coaching inn with candle-lit nooks, Philippe Starck Ghost chairs and a rustic restaurant. We lingered in the loft rooms admiring the beamed ceilings, enjoyed dinner in the glittering dining room, then sipped zingy Town of Flowers cocktails by the crackling fire in the bar.

The only thing worth leaving the Lion for was Romeo Hotel, in grand but gritty Naples. This bayside beauty has a covetable stash of art and antiques, Vesuvius views, a ninth-floor pool and the glossy Dogana del Sale spa: salt room, five treatment rooms, three Jacuzzis and two saunas. There’s even a virtual golf room…

Have a taste for the tropics? Check back next month: our hotel hunters are just back from Cambodia, Fiji and Bali, and they’ve found some very special stays…

My journey to Romania started in a Chiswick bookshop. Our Transylvania destination guide recommends a few books; standing in the travel section William Blacker’s Along the Enchanted Way looked just the ticket for a taste of northern Romania. By the time we reached Copsamare Guesthouses I’d already been charmed by the country folk and entertained by gypsy life…

Landing at Targu-Mures airport (which I knew to be pronounced ‘Teergu-Muresh’ thanks to a tip-off from my Romanian friend, Anelis), we were excited to be taking a hour-and-a-half drive to the centuries-old Saxon village where we were staying the weekend. Then as the charming car rental guy gestured to a medical kit and emergency reflective jackets in the boot of our tiny Fiat, a few nerves were piqued about our winter drive through the Carpathian Mountains…

We needn’t have felt worried. Our only competitors for road space were horse-drawn carts laden with logs – the main local transport. Driving through hamlets of pretty brown, red, blue, green, purple and yellow cottages, the biggest challenge was dodging cows and chickens. Rumbling down a bumpy dirt road, we overtook a man laden with a huge bundle of branches. He was on foot, miles from anywhere, carrying sticks. Where was he going? What was he going to do with them? It was eye-opening to know that some of my fellow Europeans still live such a pre-industrial life. Even the GPS looked bewildered: it reckoned we were in the middle of a field. A reassuring peek at an old-fashioned road map confirmed we were almost at Biertan (pictured top right), a World Heritage site and the nearest town to Copsa Mare. How magical must this part of the world be in the sunny blossom-filled months: trees laden with fruit, herbs and fragrant wildflowers at the edge of lush, terraced vineyards. For us it was autumnal: we visited in December just before a wintery sprinkling of snow.

A road sign nudged us down a bumpy road through more pastel-toned houses – some peeling, others just-painted – and through neatly harvested fields of wheat. A turreted fortified church still looms over Copsa Mare’s cluster of side-to-side Saxon cottages, guiding us down into the village. Though the 16th-century church has long-since fallen into disrepair, and the village’s many German-origin inhabitants all but gone post-1989, the next generation of Transylvanians are visible everywhere. A teenager was at the well filling a bucket, while a toddler scampered with puppies and kittens across the main track. Read the rest of this entry »

January’s the most anticlimactic of months: it starts with a bang of popping champagne corks and exploding fireworks, then immediately peters out, leaving you with nothing but a hangover and soggy streamers on your light fittings. But if you’ve found yourself slumped in the New Year doldrums, Smith has the solution: a springtime escape to sunny South Africa.

Style Cape crusader
Setting 1930s decor in leafy suburbia

Why this week? Your hosts at Beaumont House are currently offering seven nights for the price of five for stays between now and 28 April. While you’re there, catch one of the Summer Sunset Concerts at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens: their event calendar runs until 1 April, and includes a host of South African rock, blues and classical performers as well as international musicians.

Our favourite bits Beaumont House has more debonair, early 20th-century charm than an Evelyn Waugh character strolling rakishly through an exhibition of Lee Miller photographs, but its thoroughly modern luxuries include underfloor heating, Charlotte Rhys toiletries and walk-in showers. The two Garden/Pool Suites, away from the main house, are private and peaceful with their own covered patios.

Mr & Mrs Smith say… ‘Owned and run by British couple Gill and Peter Deering, Beaumont House is a tastefully renovated 1930s property, in the heart of the most exclusive part of this sprawling South African city. The Deerings, who left Surrey 10 years ago for a life in the sun, are central to the hotel’s success. It’s the couple’s native-like knowledge of the surrounding area – which not only includes the tourist spots of the coast, but also some of South Africa’s finest vineyards – that makes a stay here. The Deerings certainly brought with them their very own bubble of the high life. The guesthouse’s stylish, French-inspired interiors are testament to their impeccable taste. The overall effect is one of serene sophistication. The combination of light, airy design – all pale colours and clean lines – and well-chosen antique and contemporary furniture is a stylish antidote to the bustle of the city. If you are lucky, your stay might coincide with one of Gill’s showbiz friends’ visits and during cocktail hour, maybe they’ll make the most of the piano in the ivory-hued living room.’ Read the full anonymous review of Beaumont House in Cape Town, or find more hotels in South Africa.

You say… ‘Beaumont House is the ultimate peaceful idyll out in the suburbs. However, when you can drag yourself away from all the unadulterated luxury, make sure you talk to your wonderful hosts, Gill and Peter. Their knowledge of the constantly evolving Cape Town restaurant scene is bang up to date and if you take their recommendations, you’ll experience the whole gambit of culinary delights on offer.’ (Phil, BlackSmith, stayed on 22 Nov 2008)

Book now to save 15% on spring stays, or search all our hotel offers.