A Rendezvous with Mr. and Mrs. Smith,  The Luxury Hotel Collection

Mr & Mrs Smith is a preeminent curated collection of international luxury hotels. What has become one of the most respected luxury traveller’s bibles, began in 2003 with two lovers of travel and adventure who sought out to create a reference for those seeking an ideal hideaway for a lover’s tryst and to explore new destinations. Their hobby of hotel-hopping evolved into what has become a global travel club of elite members pursuing swank hotels in the world’s most unique destinations.

The co-founders James and Tamara Lohan created their company following underwhelming hotel stays, and decided to publish their own personal reviews in a guidebook, which has evolved into a hotel booking website with over 1,300 property partners, including hotels in the sky, private island hotels, and boutique romantic getaways in cityscapes.

The moment the decision to create their own guidebook arose in 2001, when the couple booked into a spa in the Lake District. What they had expected to be a romantic break with culinary delights and a serene atmosphere was actually an alcohol-free nightmare, and, they spent the first night compiling a list of what they had actually been looking for in a hotel. Following other sub-par experiences, they realised their expertise in judging hotels from their own stays could actually become a business, inspiring them to write their own guidebook, benefitting other guests from not having to waste their own time-off at mediocre boutique hotels.

Whether they were questioning the comfort of the sheets, the size of the bath, or even the atmosphere provided by the lobby music, Tamara and James set out to create a business of collecting hotels that avoided the flaws they had personally discovered. James, who had worked in events and managed nightclubs, and Tamara, who previously worked in marketing, related to their audience and knew what a luxury holiday break truly entailed. Their career expertise merged with their hobby of holidaying to create the ultimate guidebook.

Having written reviews of 41 hotels, the couple were dismissed by publishers, so decided to self-publish in 2003, resulting in a big win of selling 10,000 copies within the first six weeks, and being featured with positive mentions in a number of publications. This reached 100,000 copies, and referrals from the guidebook amounted to 40% of the bookings for some of the boutique hotels featured. By 2005, the realisation that this could be the next big thing offered Tamara and James the opportunity to expand their business, creating the Mr & Mrs Smith website that is relied upon by many travel-lovers today. The name Mr & Mrs Smith is a nod to the classic nom de plume that couples would give on check-in at a hotel for illicit stays, a unique name for the brand. For each booking made to the hotels in over 80 countries on the Mr & Mrs Smith site, the business is paid a commission, as each hotel is reviewed anonymously by more than 50 experts around the world, some by the likes of Cate Blanchet, Pandora Sykes and Stella McCartney.

Seeing the business grow from one night at a shabby hotel to an international brand has been, as Tamara claims, ‘really exciting, and nerve-wracking at times’ with ‘mistakes along the way’. Despite the expansion from a guidebook to an international travel club, curation and authenticity have always been at the heart of Mr & Mrs Smith, who offer an uncompromising, truthful account.

Alongside the expansion of the site and its following, the Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Awards were introduced, with a line-up of niche and original categories including the Most Spoiling Spa and the World’s Sexiest Bedroom (which was adapted into a book in 2018), categories that have meant something personally to them, with traits that the couple have looked for amongst their own travels. The awards are in line with their company values, evoking the seductive qualities that are desired in their properties.

The ‘Local Hotel Hero’ award highlights hotels who are paving the way forward in sustainability efforts and eco schemes, who have strived to support the local community, perhaps through improving the way they source their produce, or reducing their waste. According to Tamara, ‘it’s incredibly important to celebrate and highlight those hotels making waves in their own space, whether that’s having an innovative and seriously spoiling spa, knock-out restaurant, one of the most seductive bedrooms in the world’.

As Mr & Mrs Smith have grown into a global, renowned brand, they’ve began partnering with other companies, including IHG® (InterContinental Hotels Group), who they admire. Their collaboration, launching in Spring this year, aims to attract more US members and shine a spotlight on boutique properties that may otherwise be overlooked, as the company has agreed to an exclusive loyalty partnership where their handpicked collection will be available to book via IHG.com.

Whilst it has been challenging managing their global offices, running teams in far-flung destinations with time-zone and communication issues, the strong work-ethic Tamara claims was given to her by her mother, a calming influence, has enabled her to expand the business to what it is today, whilst also adapting to travelling with her own family. Inspired by travelling from a young age, she has loved discovering the stories behind unique, special places, and the hoteliers involved in creating dream destinations for travel-lovers like herself.

With their own children travelling with them now too, Tamara and James have included family-friendly hotels in their collection, aware of the requirements the luxury travellers of today may also be seeking. As Tamara puts it, ‘More and more hotels are offering a greater range of experiences specially tailored to kids; say Madikwe Safari Lodge, where kids’ club activities focus on sustainability and the environment and kids get hot-chocolate and storybooks delivered at bedtime. Taylor River Lodge even has axe-throwing (for older kids, of course). Kids’ menus are getting more imaginative too, and hotels are providing more imaginative ways to spend quality time together.

Since its debut Mr & Mrs Smith has been known for curating hotel collections to offer unique experiences for any holidayer, and in 2018, the brand branched out from hotels to other holiday experiences, as they acquired SideStory, and have been growing their range of experiences ever since. Two years later, they have more than 75 experiences globally, with 18 in the UK. SideStories are highly curated cultural itineraries, crafted and led by knowledgeable and connected local insiders, able to draw back the curtain and reveal the hidden gems of their respective city. It’s a project that is planned to grow globally with an expansion into a further 10 cities this year, including LA, New York and Singapore.

Revealing her own insights into her travelling-lifestyle and career, Beau Monde Traveler interviewed Tamara on her own travelling experiences and being the co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith:

Which are the two or three best hotels you’ve experienced?
It’s hard to pick favourites as each hotel has something uniquely special (which is why we picked them for the collection). But, I’ve very much enjoyed staying at Deplar Farm in Iceland, where you get two free activities a day, including cross-country skiing, horse riding and more; plus they have a gear room with everything from surfboards to snowmobiles. I love its geothermally heated open-air pool too – if you’re going to see the Northern Lights, this is where you want to be. Another winner is idyllic secluded stay Morukuru Beach Lodge in South Africa’s De Hoop Nature Reserve. Wildlife roam the surroundings freely, so you’ll see flamingos, zebra, ostriches and more playing in the dunes – but the star sightings are pods of whales that breach close to the coast from July to October. A recent hotel launch I love is Somerset retreat the Newt, a classic British countryside stay styled by an Elle Decoration editor. The 17th-century manor is set on a working farm with acres of apple orchards and has its own ‘cyder’ press, plus gardens for playing croquet or badminton – ideal for a weekend away.

What are your top travel highlights, not necessarily including hotel stays?
My kids are getting to the stage now where we can take them for longer car journeys and our recent trip from Denver to California through Colorado and Utah was incredible – we stayed at the incredible Dunton Hot Springs where we learned to fly fish and rock climb. I love dramatic countryside scenery, wide open spaces and mountain views, so road trips are ideal. I think these days we all have the yearning to get away from it all – to escape and be absent from the daily grind.

What has been the highlight of your career?
There have been so many ‘highs’ I don’t think I could pick one. I delight in the achievements of the team here at Smith – a recent one was the report we produced with the Future Laboratory on how romantic travel will evolve. The report looked at the shifting nature of relationships (for example hotels catering for ‘thruples’ or ‘brotopian escapes’ for more holistic male bonding), psychotropic stays where you’ll find CBD products in your minibar or trip out on ayahuasca with your fellow Smith, and how tech will become more sensitive to our needs, with hotel rooms that adjust to your moods or let you commune more with nature. It’s truly enlightening – really thinking about what the future might bring has enabled us to think about what direction the business should head in.

Since the very first guidebook the business has evolved, to become a travel club with more than 1,500 hotels globally, all available to book online and through their team of Smith24 travel experts, who guests can contact 24 hours a day. Members of the renowned travel club are spoiled with Smith Exclusives including early-bird Summer holiday discounts, culinary courses at discounted prices, and a Smith Extra at every hotel booked through the site such as a spa treatment or a bottle of local wine. For the two higher-tier membership levels which charge an annual fee, SilverSmith and GoldSmith, additional perks like half-price offers and an in-house concierge service are also included, one of the many reasons that this brand has become renowned in the luxury travel industry.