Travel Blog - Mr & Mrs Smith Boutique & Luxury Hotels

Allow us to bring you a compendium of convenience, a cornucopia of chic – an A to Z of the very best and most desirable luxury travel accessories, as tried, tested and loved by the hardworking travel community. We quizzed them all on what their essential travel accessories were; the little luxuries they won’t leave home without. Their answers will make your journey just that little bit better. However did you manage without them?

A

‘My Acorn slippers: sheepskin uppers with memory-foam midsoles. Luxurious-feeling but not luxury-priced, and they beat any slippers provided at hotels.’ – Rodrigo Calvo, Mr & Mrs Smith

B

‘Belle & Bunty silk tunics and kaftans. I love these as they weigh nothing, fold/roll tiny, don’t crease and look amazing every year… I buy one every Spring/Summer season.’ – Sabine Zetteler, Mr & Mrs Smith

C

‘My favourite travel accessory has to be, without a doubt, my cashmere socks, which in my case come from The White Company. I reserve them for long-haul flights – they’re grey-marl cable knit and they work a bit like that favourite soft-toy when you were a kid: comforting, cosy, calming, precious.’ – Mimi Spencer, journalist

‘Cashmere scarves and baby blankets from Johnstons. It’s a Scottish firm, established 1797, somewhere between Brora and Boden. The quality is impeccable and the old-school men’s designs are particularly hard to go wrong with.’ – Sophie Dening, travel writer

‘Cashmere ballet-pump slippers by Cash Ca. They’re really soft and fold up easily – so cosy when the plane gets freezing.’ – Susan Ward Davies, travel editor, ‘Elle’

D

‘My diving watch. I love diving, and the Suunto D9 Titanium is an incredible diving watch for all sorts of geeky reasons and also it looks fantastic!’ – Will Beckett, Underdog Group

‘My diary. It’s a Smythson fashion diary with maps of London, Milan, Paris and New York. Their info pages are so much more handy than the weights-and-measure conversion tables you usually get, not to mention the restaurant numbers and shop addresses. Totally essential - and so chic.’ – Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor, ‘The Guardian’

E

‘I never travel anywhere without eye mask and earplugs – I’m a very light sleeper.’ – Mimi Spencer, journalist

F

‘For weekend trips, I love Filson rusacks.’ – Lauren Sherman, Forbes.com

‘FedEx – I travel with a lot of gadgets and books, so my greatest luxury is sending my luggage via FedEx so it’s there to meet me when I arrive at my destination.’ – Kerrin Wallace, Audio Sushi

G

‘Chewing gum as the plane descends helps keep your ears clear.’ – Aline Keuroghlian, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘Green & Blacks Maya Gold chocolate; this bar goes straight in the mini fridge in my room on arrival. Apart from in Switzerland, chocolate abroad is always a disappointment, especially in the US (Hershey bar… pass me the bucket!). ’ – Lucy Cleland, ‘Country & Town House’ magazine

H

‘It would have to be noise-cancelling headphones, not the bulky type like Bose, but ear-buds like the ones made by Shure. Allows you to enjoy your inflight entertainment, and/or block out unwanted noise from within the cabin.’
– Rodrigo Calvo, Mr & Mrs Smith

I

‘I’m a light traveler, and I’m obsessed with making sure I carry the smallest version of anything — which is why I travel with the iPod shuffle and not any of the other iPod incarnations or the iPhone.’ – Mark Jolly, Globorati.com

‘I got a great little gadget the other day. A mini iPod speaker the size of a ciggie lighter. It requires no batteries – amazing little thing. Only $25.’ – Rob Chilton, ‘OK!’ magazine

‘It has to be my iPod, as I collect albums all year and never get the chance to listen to them properly. Tunes sound best by the pool and you always end up with a holiday favourite which will then help bring a smile to your face during another miserable British winter.’ – James Lohan, Mr & Mrs Smith

J

Jasmine and Lily Healing Mask from Chantecaille: the absolute best for aeroplane skincare. Buy a full-size pot for home, and ask for samples – but save them for long-haul!’ – Sophie Dening, travel writer

K

‘Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with avocado. I love the sun, but my skin can be quite sensitive and this stuff is gloriously soothing without making my face feel all greasy.’ – Sabine Zetteler, Mr & Mrs Smith

L

‘Cool luggage. I’ve no idea why – I don’t really go in for cool clothes, I don’t drive a cool car, but I love cool luggage. I’ve got an amazing black leather Aspinal’s bag and his ‘n’ hers leather bags from Sri Lanka that we bought on our honeymoon.’ – Will Beckett, Underdog Group

M

‘I love having all my matching Mandarina Duck luggage with me – there’s something very satisfying about being so ‘together’ as to have matching luggage.’ – Amber Spencer-Holmes, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘Little Marc Jacobs purses in different colours for different currencies.’ – Sophie Dening, travel writer

‘For stays in Europe, Merian Scout Navigator, a GPS that not only lets you know your exact location, but recommends restaurants, museums and other cultural attractions in the area.’ – Lauren Sherman, Forbes.com

‘I still don’t go any where without my Mulberry bag. It still looks great after all this time.’ – Andrew Grahame, Mr & Mrs Smith

N

An N Peal pashmina. I don’t care whether pashminas are in or out, I can’t get on a plane without one.’ – Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor, ‘The Guardian’

O

‘Oil – Aromatherapy Associates do an amazing eucalyptus essential oil that you can dab around your nostrils to relieve congestion and stave off germs.’ – Aline Keuroghlian, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘Optrex eyedrops – for during and post-flight hydration… My eyes get awfully red even on short-haul flights.’ – Lucy Cleland, ‘Country & Town House’ magazine

P

‘My Persol sunglasses are a favourite as they are classics that are definitely back in fashion plus I can’t get enough of those polarised lenses – if I get let out to do a day’s sea fishing, they’re invaluable.’ – James Lohan, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘I love the feel of the high-quality leather we used for our Bill Amberg for Mr & Mrs Smith passport holder – especially as it’s now getting quite soft and warm.’ – Amber Spencer-Holmes, Mr & Mrs Smith

Q

‘A quick-drying microfibre towel - useful for travelling, especially if you have long hair: hotel hairdryers are never quite up to the task, and it’s great for taking to the gym or the beach.’ – Lucy Fennings, Mr & Mrs Smith

R

‘A pair of Repetto ballet flats. They weigh nothing, and the leather is so soft that they fold totally flat and take up no room at all in your bag. They are the most comfortable shoes ever, and so much smarter than flip flops.’ – Jess Cartner-Morley, fashion editor, ‘The Guardian’

S

‘I always, always take a huge Indian shawl I bought in the Himachal Pradesh. It works as a wrap, a blanket, a pillow, a veil of privacy. Sling it around your shoulders as you leave a flight land it looks as though you’ve made an effort even if you feel like hell.’ – Mimi Spencer, journalist

‘Smythson carry-on bag – like a giant handbag so you can fit all your documents etc inside – as well as your laptop.’ – Susan Ward Davies, travel editor, ‘Elle’

‘My ultimate must-have is something I don’t even have to pack: steam. Whenever I emerge from a long-haul flight, I’m tired and dry, so I always try to seek out the nicest steam room in town. No amount of yoga or pill-popping can put me back together again like a full-on steam.’ – Mark Jolly, Globorati.com

T

‘My Fortnum & Mason Breakfast Tea Bags; the tea served abroad is always disgusting.’ – Nigel Massey, public relations doyen

‘Tivoli iSongbook – whether I’m working or on holiday, I have to have music playing. I always travel with my Tivoli portable speaker system for my iPod. Great sound for its size and cool design.’ – Kerrin Wallace, Audio Sushi

U

‘An extra set of underwear and a clean top in my hand luggage, in case my suitcase goes astray (more common than you’d think, unfortunately).’ – Lucy Fennings, Mr & Mrs Smith

V

‘My set of six travel-sized vitamin sprays by Hakansson, which are made to deliver vital nutrients to thirsty skin with a blend of natural floral, fruit and vegetable extracts. Sprays are greaseless, quickly absorbed, and ideal for all skin types. Each spray is a different scent. Yum.’ – Aline Keuroghlian, Mr & Mrs Smith

W

‘My Alice Temperley travel wallet – I love it as you can fit everything in: passport, tickets etc, and it’s open-ended.’ – Susan Ward Davies, travel editor, ‘Elle’

X

‘My Mr Smith loves his X-posed toiletry bag from the travel accessories website, Flight 001. The messages to airport x-ray scanners by artist Evan Roth are pretty funny, too – although I daresay you might get into a bit of trouble… ’ – Lucy Fennings, Mr & Mrs Smith

Y

‘Youth as We Know It Concentrate by Bliss – OK, I’m preparing for old age, but the wrinkles are beginning to appear already. Plus we all know how flying dehydrates the skin, so this serum is serious stuff – packed with mega strength ingredients to give you plumper and more luminous skin!’ – Lucy Cleland, ‘Country & Town House’ magazine

‘Yves St Laurent’s legendary Touche Eclat cover-up; essential for hiding those red-eye bags you get after long-haul flights (or for disguising a good night out).’ – Lucy Fennings, Mr & Mrs Smith

Z

‘Clear zipper packs for toiletries to get you through customs – more leak-proof than freezer bags, and you can use them to store your wet swimwear or greasy suntan lotions in your beach bag.’ – Lucy Fennings, Mr & Mrs Smith

‘A zingy cologne. Verbenas of Provence body lotion from Jo Malone is citrus-inspired.’ – Lucy Cleland, ‘Country & Town House’ magazine

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 15th, 2009 at 9:45 am and is filed under Features, Shopping, Travel tips, Uncategorized, Worth getting out of bed for. You can follow any comments on this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.