Anthony So Peggy, you’ve been noseying around Paris for Mr & Mrs Smith – where did you go and what did you get up to?

Peggy I stayed in the Montparnasse area and also visited St Germain des Pres and the Champs Elysées…

Anthony How long were you there? Was it business or pleasure? Or a bit of both?

Peggy I was there for four days on business but it ended up being a very pleasurable trip, since Paris was so empty and relaxed.

Anthony Of course - Parisians usually disappear off for their holidays in August, don’t they? Does that make it the best time of year to visit?
(Because it’s less busy generally, not because Paris is better without the Parisians, natch)

Peggy Yes they do, so Paris is rather empty (still a few tourists in evidence though!). Most of the shops and restaurants are closed but if you do your homework beforehand and make sure the hotel you’re staying at helps with restaurant bookings, you’ll be fine. The Metro is uncrowded, no one pushes you and there are no delays/strikes, which is always a bonus in this city! Most of the main museums and attractions are open and again, less crowded. You’ll also get the best hotel deals.

Anthony Well, I’m sold. So, speaking of hotels… Which ones were you snooping around?

Peggy I stayed at the Hotel des Academies et des Arts in Montparnasse. It’s a small 3* hotel with 4* service and their 5th floor used to be Modigliani’s workshop. Montparnasse is where real Parisians hang out and it’s also home to some of the best brasseries in Paris, including La Coupole. The Jardins du Luxembourg are also minutes away, as well as Le Bon Marche, Paris’ oldest department store.

Anthony Sounds like a great find, in an unbeatable location. So will Hotel des Academies et des Arts be joining Smith’s burgeoning Paris collection?

Peggy Yes it will – I think it’s a great alternative to our more expensive hotels (rooms there start from €187 a night)

Anthony More budget boutique hotels can never be a bad thing, given – and I hate this phrase – ‘the current economic climate‘.

Peggy Exactly!

Anthony But pocket-money -friendly pricing aside, what else has it got going for it?

Peggy Jerome Mesnager’s paintings all over the walls.

Anthony Er, Jerome who?

Am I shockingly out of step with Continental contemporary art?

Peggy Mesnager - French artist who paints white bodies

Didn’t know him beforehand, either…

Anthony Ah yes, got him (thank you wikipedia). Very funky stuff. Sort of eerie mannequin street art type gubbins.

Peggy Yes!

Anthony I like. So what else did you find?

Peggy We discovered a gem of a house called L’Hotel Particulier, hidden in a quiet residential street in Montmartre, near the buzzing Sacre Coeur.

Anthony L’Hotel P’s been on the Smith site for a while now, hasn’t it?

Peggy No it’s not the same - the one we have is in Arles.

Anthony Sorry – so many hotels these days I get confused…So what’s so special about this one?

Peggy L’Hotel Particulier is the first ‘private guesthouse’ of its kind in Paris so it is the current talk of the town. Montmartre, where it’s located, is a very artistic place so the hotel owner has asked young contemporary artists to give their own personal touch to each of the five suites.

Anthony Looks gorgeous…

Peggy Stunning…

Anthony <reading blurb> Any idea what ‘the witch’s rock’ is? The “Rocher de la sorcière” ?

Peggy it’s a huge rock just in front of the hotel - behind it, steep stairs but also a brilliant view of the Eiffel Tower.

Anthony Aha. I love the fact there’s a room called ‘Tree with Ears’ – sounds like a Dali sculpture…
In fact there’s seems to be a slightly surrealist feel to a lot of the rooms

Peggy It’s absolutely gorgeous and so romantic.

Anthony Reminds me a touch of the Luxe Manor in Hong Kong – quirky, chic, and immaculately decked out.

Peggy Yes, you’re absolutely right.

Each artist was asked to feature their work within one particular room.

Anthony That seems to be quite a trend. We’ve a few other hotels where different artists have been involved in the decor. Farol Design Hotel in Cascais, recently commissioned nine Portuguese artists to revamp their rooms..

Do you have a favourite room at Particulier then?

Peggy I loved the Tree with Ears room.

Anthony Just for the name alone, surely.

Peggy …and the Poem and Hats room.

Anthony Ditto. They’ve a way with names, clearly.

Any other Parisian pads make the Peggy shortlist?

Peggy Of the Smith hotels in paris we already have, I love Pershing Hall for its location and Franco-Japanese restaurant; Le Placide is my Rive Gauche favourite – you’re five minutes from the Boulevard St Germain.

Another new favourite, though, is Hotel Keppler near the Champs Elysees, which I visited. It’s location is totally unexpected as it’s tucked away in a small street off Avenue Marceau (next to Avenue George V). Elegant and serene.

Anthony And what’s Keppler like? I’m not getting much from the website, other than the fact it’s ‘GROUNDBRAKING’. Paint me a picture.

Peggy Keppler is more grown-up; decorated by French designer Pierre-Yves Rochon (he’s decorated a lot of famous places including the  Four Seasons George V). Elegant decor and bold colours, like a private home. Reception is just a desk and two chairs (comfy) and the lounge looks nothing like a run-of-the-mill hotel lounge.

Anthony That sounds lovely – I think there’s a trend developing for more informal, welcoming, homely places in the hotel world (like the resurgence of inns in the UK),  wouldn’t you agree?

Peggy Completely agree - overpolished and impersonal is definitely out.

Anthony Well, I’m looking forward to seeing the results of your hotel-hunting on the Smith site. Before we get back to our actual, real, non-blog chatty work, do you have any tips for Smiths on a Parisian city break?

Peggy First: ditch the taxis and take the bus, rent a velib or take the metro - so much nicer and you’ll become as savvy as a Parisian in no time.

Anthony A velib? Que est-que c’est? (See? I’m fluent.)

Peggy I can see that! It’s a rental bike provided by the city. Paris has recently added a lot more cycling lanes so it’s much easier for bikes to get around the city. It’s cheap and there are bike terminals in all the arrondissements, generally close to metro stations.

Anthony Okay, thanks peggy. I’ll let you get back to hotel-relating now. When’s the new Paris collection launching?

Peggy Jan? Don’t think you can fit it in beforehand right?

Anthony Ha ha. Don’t even go there…

Peggy So is  Jan reasonable for a Paris launch?

Anthony I’ll do my best…

Peggy Merci Antoine!

Anthony De rien! Au revoir!

Here she reveals her favourite wedding-dress designers, UK wedding venues, caterers and honeymoon destinations…

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DEBORAH JOSEPH’S LITTLE WHITE BOOK

THE DRESS
Fishtail or fairytale? A-line or slinky? Choosing your wedding dress is the biggest fashion decision a woman will make in her lifetime. And finding the right designer/retailer to ensure you are top-to-toe perfect is essential. Luckily, the UK has a range of incredible places to buy from.

My favourites? Pronovias on Bond street is perfect for brides who want glamour and flamboyance; Jenny Packham’s wedding dresses (available nationwide) are unique with a boho twist; and Caroline Castigliano’s dresses are perfect for that classic, traditional look.

THE VENUE
The first thing you need to do after he’s popped the question is choose your venue and make sure it’s free on the date you want to get married. You need to ask yourself the following question: do you want to marry in the city, the country, in a stately home, or in in a marquee wedding at home? Then you can start your search.

I had a city wedding and married at the Midland Hotel in Manchester, but other venues I love include London’s Claridges, The Grove (half an hour from London), Blenheim Palace, and Stoke Park.

THE CATERING
Although the day is about you and your husband, for a truly great wedding, you need to make sure your guests are well watered and well fed. Lunchtime weddings are cheaper than evening weddings as you don’t need to serve a three course meal and guests tend to drink less alcohol. Buffet-style receptions can also be a good budget option. If you’re getting married in a hotel, they will usually work with reputable catering companies, which they will recommend to you.

Alternatively, three of my favourite catering companies are: Celia Clyne based near Manchester; and Rocket and Blue Strawberry in London.

THE HONEYMOON
The time of year you get married will influence where you go on honeymoon. If you’re marrying in the summer, Europe, and West Coast America are fabulous (California’s Napa Valley is beautiful and great for wine tasting; and the London West Hollywood in Los Angeles is a new favourite). For winter honeymoons, head to Australia, a safari lodge (Sasaab in Kenya is truly special), the Caribbean, or – my favourite – the Maldives.

I honeymooned at the Conrad Maldives and can honestly say it was the most incredible holiday of my life. My top tip? Even if you’re looking for an adventure honeymoon, give yourself at least a few days of relaxation as you’ll be exhausted from the wedding!

Now, thanks to some clever
web trickery, you can also read candid reports by our roving team of anonymous Mr & Mrs Smith reviewers for any hotel also recommended by Bazaar on its luxury travel pages. I know! We’re as excited as you – read on to find out more…

Each review has a handy link back to the hotel’s original page on the Mr & Mrs Smith website, giving you the full insider low-down on the best rooms, which table to reserve in the restaurant (basically, all the stuff you’d want your best friend to tell you if they’d already been there).

From there, you can check availability instantly and book a room there and then, should the impulse take you. Heck, why not book yourself a bit of winter-sun fun… Let’s face it, the British summer has officially been a wash-out.

The jet-setting, fashion-loving, style-hunting Harper’s team has even penned a feature about Mr & Mrs Smith, explaining why we’re all best-holiday-friends now, and why they decided to climb into bed with us (electronically speaking). We heart them.

After last month’s tropical island extravaganza, our hotel-hunters have been dividing their time trans-atlantically, pinpointing hot new hotels in some fabulous North American destinations, as well as a fresh flurry of stylish stays in the UK.

As promised last week, Juliet’s travels in Toronto have borne some snazzy hotel-shaped fruit, in the form of the cutting-edge, boho-brilliant Drake, and the high-glam Hazleton. The addition of these two to Smith’s growing Canada collection, means that Smiths now have somewhere to stay when they leave Montreal…

…assuming they don’t want to go to New York, that is, where we found another new addition, Robert De Niro’s much-buzzed Greenwich Hotel, which none other than Mr Smith himself popped into during his recent Manhattan mission to review anonymously.

The Drake, Toronto

Also in that neck of the woods, (and in this case, we’re talking actual woods), we’ve been gadding around New England to bring you historic country manor, Wheatleigh in the Berkshires, and the wonderfully off-the-wall Winvian, a stone’s throw away – well a short drive, at least – in Connecticut’s Litchfields Hills.

The Smoky Mountains, Tennessee

From New England to the Old South: Tennessee’s slice of the Smoky Mountains is home to the unutterably charming Blackberry Farm, the ideal outdoorsy outpost for adventurous types. Smith team members Aline and Amber are more used to supping martinis than home-pressed cider, but the hotel’s rustic warmth and fantastic food managed to enchant even their arch-sophisticated urban hearts.

Cider is certainly not on the drinks list at Hotel Healdsburg, however, given its location in the heart of Californian wine country in Sonoma. Some of the area’s finest vintages are to be found in the hotel’s gigantic cellar – and some of the finest food in the county are found in its kitchen too.

Back on British shores, we’ve a smattering of freshly launched hotels in the south of England, including a Brighton B&B, a sexy London pad, a brand new hotel in Tunbridge Wells and a quirky coastal inn (we told you inns were in) in West Sussex…

Phew. I think next month we’ll take a breather and not bother introducing any more hotels to the Smith collection…

… Spoke too soon. I’ve just learned that Laura and Katy have unearthed a treasure trove of boutique hotels in Brazil. We’ll share the riches next month…

Hopefully - if it was you saying ‘I do’ – your nuptial fun happened on Saturday, when the weather was outrageously good, rather than Sunday, when rain almost certainly stopped play. And hopefully, everything you did have a little control over (the venue, the reception and, most importantly, the post-wedding getaway) was perfect.

Knowing how vital it is to make the right choices (let’s face it, this is probably the most expensive day out you’re ever going to host), our thoughts have been turning to those who are currently in the process of planning such a whopping event (Smith’s own blogstar Anthony, for example, who’ll be tying the knot with his own Mrs-Smith-to-be next spring – congratulations!). Thanks to the tireless efforts of Mr & Mrs Smith, we already know your wedding guests don’t need help to find a stylish boutique hotel to hole up at; in fact, in the past week, we’ve launched five new hotels in the UK, including a boutique B&B in Brighton, a charming West Sussex inn, a Kentish boutique retreat and a rather dandy London pied-à-terre.

But what you might not have known is that many of Smith’s romantic hotels would make awesome wedding venues; or you may not have been sure whether or not particular resorts – fantastically exotic and relaxing though they may be – could pass muster for the two-week honeymoon of your lifetime.

So we’ve put together a one-stop search stop with our new wedding and honeymoon pages: want a wedding with a view? Find a wedding hotel from a pre-edited selection of guaranteed-stylish spots with our worldwide venue search. Fancy a honeymoon in Mexico? Check out our honeymoon hotel search. Not sure what you want? Then <to the tune of a well-known song sung by that wedding-DJ favourite Robbie Williams:> ‘Let me… info-tain you…’ Sorry. We’ve also put together a page of inspiration, with top 10s and insider advice.

We’ll be updating it with more need-to-knows as time goes by; and watch out for a feature about wedding venues from Condé Nast’s Brides magazine on the blog soon. In the meantime, we’re posted one of our latest honeymoon features (see previous post) to whet your wedding wanderlust…

Why to go Safaris epitomise romance, with spine-tingling safari drives, the thrill of a close encounter with nature’s biggest and strongest beasts and tall tales told round the campfire. In the spectacular Kruger National Park, wildlife abounds: there are white rhino and buffalo in the densely wooded southwest; and the eastern plains play home to wildebeest, impala and zebra – in turn attracting prides of lions. After a few days of safari drives, you’d have to have been pretty unlucky not to have seen the Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino.

When to go Winter (July–September) is the dry season and is the best time to spot game, although it will be cold at night; there’ll be plenty of newborns in summer (November–December) but it will be hot and humid.

Where to stay Safari honeymoon hotels in Kruger include luxury lodge Lion Sands; modern-among-the-trees Singita Lebombo; and safari-and-spa stay Tintswalo. See more safari lodges…

THE CLASSIC BEACH HANGOUT

Coastline Lush, sun-kissed Thailand
Coast life Beach-basking and bar-hopping

Why to go Providing the blueprint for the perfect honeymoon getaway, this tropical Thai island ticks all the white-sand, blue-sky boxes and promises a hedonistic fortnight of sun-lounging, spa pampering, sundowners and fragrantly spiced food. If you’re feeling energetic, rent a boat and explore the hidden coves of the Ang Thong National Marine Park, or kayak off gorgeous Cheong Mon beach.

When to go Koh Samui’s hot-weather high season is from May to November, ideally coinciding with the late-summer wedding window. It’s still pleasantly sunny during the off-peak periods, although be prepared for rain.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Koh Samui include hilltop spa retreat Six Senses Hideaway Samui; secluded seaside stay Anantara; designer beach bolthole The Library.

TELL ME MORE

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03 Venice

THE WORLD’S MOST ROMANTIC CITY
Cityscape Archipelago of alleyways
City life Walking on water

Why to go Mist rising over silvery lagoons; the rhythmic ‘doop’ of gondola oars striking the canal floor; masked figures darting behind Byzantine and Baroque buildings… Venice is a visual, sensual, historical treat, and if its maze of alleyways and many surprising sights fails to quicken your pulse, you may as well call it a day right now. Stray off the beaten track and you’ll discover your own classic Venetian vignette.

When to go Avoid August, which is hot, sticky and crowded. Autumn is our favourite time to visit; November is quietly fabulous when the city is cloaked in fog. February is great, especially if you’re going to a carnival ball, but you’ll have to book your hotel well in advance. Spring in Venice is also lovely.
Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Venice include Baroque boutique hotel Ca Maria Adele.

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04 Indian Ocean

DESERT-ISLAND FANTASY
Coastline Nothin’ but blue skies
Coast life Coconuts, cocktails and coral reefs

Why to go When you dream of sailing into the sunset on a deep, glassy sea, it’s probably the Indian Ocean you’re imagining. Whichever island archipelago you choose, you’ll be rewarded with the classic escape-from-it-all tropical-island dream, with floating palm fronds, kingfisher-coloured lagoons, vanilla beaches and cornflower-blue skies. Scuba divers will be in seventh heaven on a Maldivian atoll; get a taste of the East in magical Mauritius; or go for untrammelled luxury on a Seychelloise private island.

When to go Between April and October for Mauritius, when the mercury doesn’t shoot up too and the island is at its driest. It’s incredible humid from January to March: frizzy hair and fainting spells might spoil the mood a bit. In the Maldives, you’d be very unlucky to get more than a few days’ rain on the trot, even in the Monsoon season (mid-May–November). The Seychelles are good year-round, but the islands are at their driest May–October, their wettest December–February, and their most humid October–April.

Where to stay Indian Ocean honeymoon hotels include Cocoa Island or Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives; Frégate Island Private, Round Island or Maia Luxury Resort & Spa in the Seychelles; Constance Le Prince Maurice or The Oberoi in Mauritius.

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05 The Garden Route

ADVENTURE ON A GRAND SCALE
Coastline South Africa’s coastal wilderness
Coast life The greatest show on earth

Why to go Hugging South Africa’s rugged coastline and passing some of the continent’s most beautiful landscapes, this fertile swathe of country is astonishing in its natural diversity – it’s a feast for the eyes, with dramatic cliffs, dense bushland and mighty mountains. And whether your idea of fun is whale-watching, beach barbecues or bravura bungee-jumping, one thing’s for sure: you won’t be short of things to do.

When to go With about 300 days of sunshine a year, the Garden Route is a good choice at any time. Areas such as Plettenberg Bay do get crowded in peak season, particularly at Christmas and Easter. Winter days from May to September will still be warm but temperatures dip sharply at night. July to November is the best time for whale-watching.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in South Africa include private coast look-out, Castle on the Cliff; Nature’s Valley polo estate, Kurland; and East-meets-West escape, Ichibi Lakeside Lodge.

TELL ME MORE

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06 Belize

FOR UNDERWATER EXPLORERS
Countryside A Central American beauty
Country life Piña coladas, getting caught in the rain

Why to go Belize offers not only glorious beaches and some of the best diving on our blue planet, but also jungle-clad mountains and Mayan ruins; it’s a stunning one-off, from its reef-adorned Caribbean coast to the inland Cayo, boasting lush rainforest, white-water rivers, sacred stalactite caves and plunging waterfalls.

When to go Belize has a year-round subtropical climate, but can be quite wet with brief but frequent showers and clouds outside of the driest months (January–May). August to October is hurricane season.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Belize include Francis Ford Coppola’s forest retreat Blancaneaux Lodge; private-island getaway Cayo Espanto; chic shore-shack Turtle Inn.

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07 Marrakech

EXOTIC AND EXCITING
Cityscape Minarets and mountains in Morocco
City life Mint tea, mules, medina mayhem

Why to go A three-hour flight from London transports you to North Africa; only a short hop from Spain across the straits of Gibraltar, but exotic, mysterious and a world away from modern Europe. A perennial favourite with the boho-chic jet-set, mediaeval Marrakech provides intrepid honeymooners with a glimpse of Berber, Arabic and Moorish heritage. A dawn hot-air balloon ride over rose-hued rooftops, with views of the ancient Atlas Mountains and Sahara Desert, has to be one of the most romantic experiences on earth.

When to go Marrakech can be too hot to handle from June to August; we love autumn and spring, when sunny days and balmy nights allow for rooftop sunbathing and starlit dining.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Marrakech include elegant Arabesque riad Noir d’Ivoire; Palmeraie retreat Ksar Char-Bagh; and boutique guesthouse P’tit Habibi.

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08 St Barths

COSMOPOLITAN CARIBBEAN
Coastline French-Caribbean jewel
Coast life A-list beach lounging

Why to go As chic as Paris, as cosmopolitan as Cannes… St Barths may be a French-flavoured island with a jet-set fan club, but make no mistake, it’s still as laid-back and gorgeous as its commonplace Caribbean counterparts. More brasseries than beach shacks? Bien sur. Croissants for breakfast? Mais oui… Blue skies, sugar-soft beaches and aquamarine seas? Yeah baby! This is sophisticated honeymoon heaven.

When to go At the tail end of high season (January–April), room rates drop and the beaches empty out; but if you want to be seen with the in-crowd, Christmas and New Year is when the party sails into town. September–October is ‘rainy season’; the rest of the year, trade winds keep the temperature hovering pleasantly around the 30ºC mark.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in St Barths include cottage retreat Hotel Guanahani & Spa; rarefied star stay Eden Rock; and jungle bungalow bolthole La Banane.

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09 Tuscany

RENAISSANCE ROMANCE
Countryside Cypress Hills of Italy
Country life Pleasures for every palate

Why to go Renaissance beauty Florence, mediaeval marvel Siena, cowboy country Maremma… why not go? Tuscany’s popularity might make you think it’s not the ideal place to get away from it all; but deep in the Chianti countryside, Tuscany’s glories can be enjoyed at every pace, from dozing in the shade of a tree to galloping cross-country with Maremma’s horsemen or hitting Florence’s fashion boutiques. Whatever your holiday wont, this corner of La Bella Italia won’t disappoint.

When to go The cities of Florence and Siena are best enjoyed outside the peak summer season; the countryside can be busy with tourists throughout summer, but once you’ve escaped to your honeymoon retreat, you won’t notice…

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Tuscany include Borgo Santo Pietro near Siena; L’Andana in Maremma; Villa Bordoni in Chianti; JK Place in Florence.

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10 Napa Valley

WINE, DINE & UNWIND
Countryside Fields of dreams
Country life Havin’ a vine time

Why to go Napa may have been the setting for an ill-conceived stag do in the film Sideways, but it makes a wonderful backdrop to a honeymoon of wine, wooing and wandering in California. With impeccable French-inspired cuisine, a benign climate and some beautiful scenery, it’s hardly surprising that couples flock from San Francisco for some refined R’n’R. If you’re feeling flash, you could of course always charter a helicopter to buzz you to your boutique hotel…

When to go The exciting autumn harvest is known locally as ‘the Crush’. You might want to time your visit and go just after or just before, when the weather is perfect and the crowds less madding.

Where to stay Honeymoon hotels in Napa include ravishing retreat Calistoga Ranch; modern-day pleasure-centre The Carneros Inn; and lyrical hideaway Poetry Inn. See also Hotel Healdsburg in Sonoma County.

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Not seen anything that tickles your fancy? Really? Are you some sort of stone-hearted misanthrope?! Find your fantasy honeymoon hotel with Mr & Mrs Smith…

Anthony Good to have you back Juliet – where have you been gallivanting to then?

Juliet Hello. I was in North America… New York in July - whew - now that is hot. And I had a cheeky little few days back in my motherland too….

Anthony Your motherland?

Juliet I’m a Canuck originally, didncha know? Like these people.

Anyway, I went to Toronto. Boy is that place clean and organised. And everyone’s so well, nice.

Anthony Well I’ll be darned, I thought Canada had banned all celebrity exports after Celine Dion…

Yes – I was in Toronto five or six years ago and it positively sparkled.

Juliet I’m afraid even Avril Lavigne slipped through after that.

Anthony They need stricter border control.

Juliet Well picture it now but with about 100 glass and metal condo apartment buildings all along the lake. Those bad boys spring up faster than mushrooms in warm dung.

Anthony What a lovely image! I remember being blown away by its sheer ‘polishedness’. Reminded me of Canary Wharf… Didn’t you find it almost eerie?

Juliet You are hilarious. That is EXACTLY what it’s like in parts although…. I loved this really cool new district: the Art and Design quarter aka Parkdale: where this incredible hotel called the Drake is. Set to be a Smith hotel. Really vibrant, fun place.

Anthony I had a feeling it might be… So, what was so special about it?

Juliet It’s a buzzing little cultural hub… with really great design influence on the decor, the graphics… and the guy on the front desk was easy easy on the eye. And super friendly/helpful of course being a Canadian. Something that really stood out for me at the was that they had this bonkers piece of art which was a totally lifelike sculpture of a bloke’s head by Evan Penny.

Anthony Whoa. That’s the weirdest thing I’ve seen today. So it’s a gallery-ish spot then?

Juliet When I went back in the evening it was great, they had a fab jazz singer. Only fly in the ointment was the two bouncers letting people into the Skybar were a little moody, mind, but apart from that…

Anthony Have you been rumblin’ with security again?

Juliet They eventually let me and my, ahem, dad through but obviously thought — hey — you’re over 30, you aren’t a cool young thing. Obviously those fools didn’t realise who they were dealing with ; )

Anthony What were the rooms like?

Juliet A fun little treat for guests at the hotel is they have a free paperback for you to keep by the bed… this month’s was a murder mystery set in that actual neighbourhood…

Anyhoo, Toronto itself was a nice place to be; although typically I was there for record rainfall. It was literally headline news — front-page photo of a guy with an umbrella. Almost a relief after the humid 100º swelter of Manhattan which we’d just come from.

Anthony That’s such a great idea! The book rather than the rain. Much more exciting a souvenir than a monogrammed flannel and half a bottle of Molton Brown.

Juliet Indeed. And the other place I eyeballed for Smith was the Hazleton. Tres luxurious.

I brushed shoulders with Roger Federer no less; I guess a few hours after he’d been knocked out of the Toronto Masters. But my favourite celebrity spot? <cue Famous Canadians game…>

Anthony John Candy?

No, wait… he’s dead

Juliet He sure am dead. Cue Dead or Canadian? game they played on MTV c1980-something

Anthony the Barenaked Ladies?

Perry Mason?

Don’t keep me in suspense here…

Juliet Ahem, anyway, it was <drum roll>

Will.

Anthony Will?

Will Young?

Will Smith?

Will Shakespeare?

Juliet From Will and Grace. Look it felt exciting. And it was funny seeing all the people in his wake whispering to their friend - ‘omigod was that who I think it was??’

Anthony That is a cool spot indeed. Was he staying at the Hazleton too?

Juliet Hmm, no just walking past I think. Lots of the stars do though — tis properly glam. In a Bulgari, Milan super-glossy kind of way.

Anthony As in hyowge Wayfarers, Prada’d up to the nines, get-me-a-martini glam?

Juliet Yup. It’s all that and a bag of chips.

And in case that expression’s over yer head:

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=all+that+and+a+bag+of+chips

Anthony Every day is an education…

I guess Canucks like chips.

So you’ve got me intrigued by Hazletonian glam? Paint me a picture…

Juliet About the French Fries? Oui. With poutine, As in gravy.

Anthony Oh, and cheese curds! I remember cheese curds.

Juliet Yuck. I don’t know nuffink about cheese curds. We digress.

Anthony So, Drakes, and the Hazleton: we’ll look forward to seeing them on the Smith site next month! Any final Toronto tips for those going Canada-wards (other than, don’t do what I did and go in February, when it’s frickin’ freezing)?

Juliet Print off a list of famous Canadians for hours of ‘Dead or Canadian?’ enjoyment.

I went to the comedy venue Second City which was fun. John Candy made his name there actually… I saw a sketch show called Barack to the Future which I’d throughly recommend.

Mind you, if you stay at the Drake or the Hazleton you’ll probably find you don’t need to leave the hotel as there’s tonnes of entertainment and excellent eating and drinking right on your lap.

Well, thanks be to Juliet. The Drake and the Hazleton have both made Mr & Mrs Smith’s new hotel launch list for this month, (alongside some equally fabulous finds in North America and the UK).

]]> http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2008/08/smith-trips-toronto/feed/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2008/08/music-by-the-millpond-an-invitation/ http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/2008/08/music-by-the-millpond-an-invitation/#comments Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:40:02 +0000 Anthony http://blog.mrandmrssmith.com/?p=175 And now, some shameless plugging…

The chaps at Tuddenham Mill in Suffolk (one of our most popular boutique hotels), are having a bit of a shindig next week and have asked us to spread the word via the medium of blog. And so we shall.

The fun kicks off beside the  millpond at 6.30pm next Thursday, 4 September, with a Pimm’s reception followed by dinner. The hotel’s kitchen wizards will be rustling up a ’seafood-inspired menu’, (which we assume involves actual seafood, not just cockle-shaped potatoes and similar), to be washed down with a healthy selection of fine wines and beers.

The highlight, however, will be live music provided by Bijoumiyo, Indy Music Award finalists, MySpace favourites and all-round super-cool songsmiths. Their music, we’re told, ‘meanders between straight up sleaze funk grooves, and eerily ethereal pop-edged mini-epics that are allowed to roam uncompromised by pre-written structures and constraints’ – which we assume means they make it up as they go along but it doesn’t half sound good.

So get yourself along to Tuddenham Mill next week. Tickets are £45 (covering food, drink and entertainment), and if you want to stay the night too (do – it’s a great hotel), there’s a one-night only room rate of £100, including breakfast. If you fancy it, give the lovely Smith travel team a ring on 0845 034 070 and they’ll sort it out – they’re good at that.

Plug complete.

The NS notes that ‘edgier’ boutique hotels have thus far managed to keep the Gideons at bay, and rang us up for a comment. We noted that, in the kind of hotel we’re into, the Kama Sutra would be more appropriate bed-time reading – which is certainly true, but, sadly, I doubt that anyone would be willing to set up an international non-profit organisation dedicated to the global dissemination of sex manuals. Now, that would be a missionary position indeed…

As a hotel music consultant, I can be something of a difficult customer when I check in for a weekend away with my Mrs Smith. It never ceases to amaze us how many wonderful hotels which have invested so much time, creativity and money into their interiors seem content to play Café del Mar, Buddha Bar, or worse on repeat, or to fill their guests’ music library with Classic FM compilations. Such CDs have their uses and their success can’t be denied, but, isn’t a visit to a boutique hotel all about escaping the mundane and the familiar? We want to be wowed with a unique hotel experience. That’s what Mr & Mrs Smith is about after all.

Why is music so important in a hotel?

It’s absolutely crucial to get the music right. As savvy guests, we all know that hoteliers have to make sure the interior design is stunning, the menu and wine list are mouth-watering, and the bed and its linen are perfect. All of those factors delight us through the senses of sight, taste, smell and touch. Sound is the missing part of this sensory jigsaw. It is often ignored, yet hearing is our second most important sense after sight. When a property gets the music right, it has an emotional impact on us as soon we cross the threshold. It’s thus an essential part of a hotel’s sensory branding. That’s why hotels that want to stand out need to sound different as much as look it.

We recently visited a new hotel in Greece. It was an incredible place with really innovative design and attention to detail in every respect – apart from the music. They played Phil Collins.  All. Night. Long. Literally. My ears wanted to get the next flight back to Blighty. There’s no excuse – the iPod revolution has reawakened most people’s interest in music; when they go away for a weekend they should hear something new and wonderful, not ‘In the Air Tonight’ on a loop.

So how do so many hotels get it wrong?

Hotels usually get the music wrong when it is added as an after-thought. On an equipment level, they might install low-cost speakers, which means the subtleties of the music are lost, or, worse still, volume levels become annoying. Then there’s the ubiquitous chill-out CD, often used to guarantee the hotel sounds just like every other. The biggest crime, however, is allowing the staff to put their own favourite music on, thus inflicting loud, inappropriate, usually up-tempo, club-style music on the poor guests. Instead, hoteliers should explore the world of music out there and incorporate it into the hotel design. Like a good menu, the music in a hotel should be comforting, tempting, and slightly adventurous. Guests will always remember a place if that can be achieved.

What does Music Concierge do?

Having been a music journalist and DJ, I set up Music Concierge to offer boutique hotels consultancy from real music experts. We have an ever-growing music library which now covers over 100 genres spread across nine decades, including the latest finger-on-the-pulse releases. This incredible library, alongside our music-programming experience, allows us to offer a hotel a unique signature sound that reflects its character, location and ethos. We spend a great deal of time sourcing music that fits our clients’ needs and then painstakingly piecing together separate sophisticated playlists for each time of the day and for each different area within the property.

For instance, for the desert island chic of Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives, we created a rich and colourful  listening experience that becomes a subtle part of the experience of eating at their amazing Raw restaurant. While at Chewton Glen we went to great lengths to find piano-led music that felt just right for this wonderful country house hotel. We’re also about to start work on a new music concept for the Ritz Club, which will be really interesting as it is the iconic hotel’s Edwardian gaming club. I’m looking forward to working with them to create a real sense of refined drama as a backdrop to the high stakes.

Once we’ve designed the playlists, our music is delivered, timetabled and updated regularly via broadband. It’s a great service and our clients regularly get good press and guest feedback that mentions the quality of the music. Condé Nast Traveller recently reported that the high standard of the music at our client, the Forbury hotel, was ‘a world first for hotels’, which was nice to hear!

I’d love to hear people’s suggestions on which albums or songs they’d think would work really well in a hotel environment. Please feel free to comment below or email me your suggestions at rob@musicconcierge.co.uk

If you want to know what I’m listening to, you can read the TuneSmith column on the Smith site . Also fans of the Smith CD compilations will be pleased to know we have an exciting new project to announce soon, but more on that later!

I’m now off to work out what ‘Sussudio’ was actually about. Also a fact for you pop pickers: the video features a cameo appearance by a very young Quentin Tarantino. I kid you not.

I’m not really obsessed by Phil. Honest.