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 [...]
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: [...]
Time away is precious, and we can’t help but want to fit it all in – spa treatments and surfing trips, premium pampering and paddle-boarding. So we’ve picked out shore-side spots for surf, spa and sun that strike the right balance between action-adventure and soul-soothing. And, for our North and South America Smiths in search [...]
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
Did you catch our recent Facebook poll? We asked you whether the best refreshment for your mind was stimulation or sloth, and the consensus was clear: don’t overthink it – just take off for someplace sunny. Rather than trying to kick-start your neurons with culture-packed city tours and gallery visits, you should give in to the [...]
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 [...]
Eager to take your minibreaks to new heights? Book a spectacular treehouse hotel room at our best boutique spot of the week, Chewton Glen in the New Forest. With floor-to-ceiling windows and underfloor heating, the circular treehouse Loft Suites are the ideal spot for canoodling love birds, or for a luxurious child-friendly holiday hideaway… Style [...]
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 [...]
Spring’s a superb time to head for the hills. The changeable British weather won’t be a problem at Cowley Manor hotel in the Cotswolds: if the sun shines, there are acres of undulating English countryside in which to frolic… and if it rains, this boutique bolthole’s billiard room is the perfect place to hide out. [...]
Not decided what to do for Easter with your family yet? You’d better get cracking! (I know, but seasonal themes just lend themselves to awful punnery. You’ve been warned). So, to make sure your Easter is eggsellent (rather than rotten), we’ve brought you a last-minute child-friendly boutique stay that will make everyone – big or [...]
