Ever fancied yourself as lord or lady of the manor? As soon as you cross the drawbridge over the moat at aristocratic Château de Bagnols hotel in Beaujolais, you’ll feel as though your palace-dwelling dreams have come true… Style Five-star aristocrat Setting Cultivated Beaujolais Why this week? Once spring sunshine arrives, the French countryside’s ripe [...]
A leisurely break on the sun-caressed shores of Greece provides a natural antidote to the daily grind. Why not indulge in some serious relaxation at the boutique spa hotel Grace Mykonos, on an island renowned for its stylish visitors? Style Contemporary coastal cool Setting Aegean beach-side seclusion Tweet
After several days spent juggling turkeys, presents and bottles of whisky (for Santa, natch) while entertaining the family, you’re probably in need of some downtime. Why not give yourself a pat on the back and retreat to a fabulous 15th-century boutique hotel in the Cotswolds? Style Fifteenth-century thoroughbred Setting Racy Prestbury Why this week? If frantic last-minute Christmas shopping has [...]
Those of you who’ve been concentrating will by now be fully up to speed with the system à la Smith: we pack suitably qualified experts off to do a secret hotel review, so you get the low-down, the up high and everything in between. And no one knows luxury like a true fashionista – step [...]
Starck-designed hotel Le Royal Monceau knows a thing or two about art: it’s got a gallery, art-book shop and a dedicated art concierge. With our thinking caps firmly on, we nominated the art-savvy YBA Gavin Turk to join the ranks of our secret hotel reviewers and tackle the task of appraising this unconventional Parisian palace. Turk has [...]
We’re not the sort that likes to sing our own praises (ok, we are, a bit), but we’d like to ask you to raise a glass of virtual prosecco in honour of our shiniest new gong: Best Travel Guide. Our Italy guidebook – the most recent addition to the Smith travel bookshelf – scooped the [...]
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 [...]
Start 2012 with a bang after a bunk-up in one of London’s original boutique hotels, the Sanderson. A shimmy from Oxford Street, she’s got all that you need for a glamorous intro or outro to the year. And well, it is the sales: this hotel’s neighbourhood is the beating heart of retail. London – you’re [...]
Andalucian tiling, Moorish archways, salvaged castle doors – it’s near impossible to believe that Finca Cortesin in the Costa del Sol, was recently built from scratch. Opened in 2009, this modern classic has quickly become a favourite with the discerning luxury traveller – especially for a Mr & Mrs Smith romantic getaway. Picture the scene: [...]
It’s amore: Mr & Mrs Smith’s love affair with Italy is official (ok, that by itself isn’t really ‘news’, but read on…). Our latest (and, may we modestly suggest, greatest) hotel guidebook brings you 32 hand-picked hotels in Italy, including traditional Puglian trulli, gorgeous guesthouses, spectacular lakeside villas, wonderful farmhouses and dazzling city-centre palazzos. As ever, we [...]
