What makes a Smith hotel?
It’s a question many people ask us. In the Independent on Sunday, this article reveals what we look for in a hotel to give it the Mr & Mrs Smith seal of approval.
Of course there’s subjectivity when discussing style, and people define luxury differently. Excellent service and elegant surroundings are fairly obvious measurements, but now more than ever it’s also about value for money, or 
offering a truly extraordinary experience for a special-occasion escape.
When I asked our team their thoughts too, here came some of the responses…
Simon Westcott: ‘I still think the Islington in Hobart – at 11 rooms – is quintessential boutique scale and style. It’s still like a grand private home but big enough to find your own nook or cranny without any embarrassing communal breakfast scenario if you don’t feel like it.’
Sabine Zetteler: ‘Mirabó de Valdemossa in Mallorca is an example of a small and stylish hotel where just about everything had been carefully considered. A deal-breaker when assessing whether somewhere could be in the Smith collection would be when you can tell corners have been cut. Somewhere can look boutique, sound boutique and sell itself as entirely boutique – but when you get there and sleep in the bed, use the facilities and speak to the staff, it will become clear instantly if it really is or not. The linen must be of a certain quality, and the shower powerful (and soft) enough to drench. Great products, great service and an unpretentious atmosphere do not come easily and they do not come that cheap – so try to cheat at any of these and in my book, you’re out.’
Anthony Leyton: ‘The best evidence I’ve’ve seen of inspired attention to detail has to be the instant provision of route-marked maps at the Aviator, when we mentioned we were after some drawers. So, so fast, attentive and welcoming. In Hotel du Vin Cambridge, you could reach the minibar from the bath – nice. Um, derriere-drying toilets in Amanpuri? Seriously. Also, at Six Senses Hideaway Samui, they do a weekly cocktail afternoon with the management, with masseurs wandering around giving free head massages – could be stilted and gimmicky, but actually works really well and makes you feel valued as a guest.’
Kate Pettifer: ‘A Smith hotel for me must have perfectly proportioned style and service – neither showy and overly attentive, nor corporate bland and impersonal. I think people misunderstand “boutique” as a euphemism for expensive, not realising that if a property has high enough standards of service, decor and individuality, it can qualify for our collection without a huge price tag. Absolute no-nos? Tepid breakfast buffets, excess beige, doilies. ‘
Tamara Heber-Percy: ‘I love… the flapjack and water bottles that you get given as you drive away from Chewton Glen, the amazing sheets at Endsleigh – hand-embroidered and hand-made for them in Ireland – so creamy you don’t want to get out of bed. And the sexiness and sumptuousness of Anoushka Hempel’s penchant for loads of cushions – apparently she has a cushion placement manual for her staff. Deal-breakers? Plastic hairdryer contraptions attached to walls. Airport-style check-in desks. And prominent signage to conference areas.’
Caroline Lewis: ‘The common thing is the kind of easy-going, refined (but not in a snooty, unattainable way), relaxed ambience – a place that’s a pleasure to be in, even if you’re just in the lobby. So somewhere where it’s all about having a good time – where everything’s comfortable and everyone (the staff) wants to help you. I also think they should reflect the country they’re in, so you get a sense of individuality and the culture – the ones in Mykonos and Santorini are perfect examples of this. They’re very boutiquey, but very Greek [see Sun Rocks, below].’
And another thought from me…. I find myself really examining the quality of fixtures and fittings more and more, and might write off somewhere because it’s got cheap taps or MDF chests of drawers; as your average hotel guest has seen so many TV shows and magazine gushing about Egyptian cotton threadcount, they too are quality conscious.
I recently stayed in a minimalist supposed temple to design, but sloppy grouting in the bathroom, a small black TV and a cheap plastic phone had me wondering why anyone would be happy paying a few hundred dollars a night. Cheap-chic is one thing, but cheap is another. If a hotel has an impressive historical heritage, hi-tech accessories are less relevant, but you still want everything to work properly and be of a high quality.
It’s a balance though, because if it was family-run and the owners were super-friendly and it was great value for money and there were lots of other plus points – eg, they served fabulous food – you might be forgiving. I’d heard great things about the cocktail bar at Marina All Suites on fashionable Leblon in Rio. Supposedly a favourite with the world’s most famous Carioca, Gisele, it was hardly a setting befitting of supermodels. The tacky decor felt more like the product of someone who’d been given £50 and a couple of hours at Homebase and Camden Market. The bedrooms were bizarre, too. Not quirky in a cool or innovative way, instead kitted out with low-grade furnishings – more Travelodge than trendsetting boutique hotel. We’d gone there in the hope that we could film it for our Discovery Travel & Living TV show but left feeling it was a location better suited as a TV set for an Australian teen soap. So it’s not always cities’ supposedly coolest abodes that make the cut…
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