Design Week: April 2003

A new generation of travel guides aimed at the discerning, design-conscious traveller are hitting the shelves.  But Sarah Manuelli asks if their promise is as good as their word

There is breed of traveller out there for whom constant escape to luxury resorts or jetting off to some buzzing city for a three day sojourn is not mere fantasy.  For those with the cash and the lifestyle, packing a well-stocked contact address book into their Louis Vuitton weekend bag is more valuable than their pressed DKNY daywear.  Time poor, they live off recommendations from those in the know, rather than from a well-thumbed copy of the Rough Guide

To cater for this generation of discerning travellers, publishers are bracing themselves with new types of publication.  This month sees the launch of Thames & Hudson's StyleCity books, a design-savvy series on London, Paris, Barcelona and New York, while Nota Bene, an independent publishing venture, will be publishing its 'destination review' to the Maldives, following its successful series of luxuriously packaged guides to stylish resorts.  September will also see the publication of Mr & Mrs Smith, a guide devoted to long weekend breaks, while most connoisseurs can enjoy new offerings from City Secrets, the elegant series that is based on travel tips from celebrities, writers and film directors.

Most of these books have actually dropped the 'travel guide' tag often associated with teen-budget economy or Blue Guide academic.  Instead, the focus is on inside knowledge for those with a sense of style.  They aim unashamedly at design buffs, brought up on a diet of achingly Hip Hotels and lifestyle magazines, who have an eye for detail and a heightened sense of typography, layout and attention-grabbing photography.

 Mr & Mrs Smith is the witty title of a new guide that will hit the shelves in September.  The name created by Ben Whitem planning director at Bloom, the design group behind the guide, is an 'irreverent way to express the fact that when couples go away for a weekend they want some covert naughtiness - although being British they probably won't admit it,' he says.

The brainchild of James Lohan and published by Spy Publishing, the book intends to be 'a stylish guide of stylish hotels with a few twists,' says Lohan.  Aimed at the 'chic opinion urbanite' who may have varied budgets and different wants at different times, it features 40 hotels and pubs to stay in the UK and Ireland.  Fashion designers Stella McCartney, chef Raymond Blanc and even designed Tim Pyne are some of the reviewers, perhaps in the hope that their cachet might rub off on to those using the guide.  The guide is divided into sections like 'in the know', which describes the best bed or table to choose from in the establishment or 'need to know', with other useful information.  Another section, called 'worth getting out of bed for', proposes more exciting excursions than the usual golf tours or museums, like walks, visits to race courses and even trips on hot air balloons, he says.

Bloom designer Samantha Armes says the book's design provides 'understated intrigue that reveals the unexpected from one page to the next, with close attention to the design detail and colour, capturing the essence of every hotel while trying to instill the sexy personality of the Mr & Mrs Smith brand.  It's a book that works on many levels, uses simple, honest and contemporary layout with enticing photography - by Adrian Houston - and moves into lighthearted encouragement to play poker, or throw a frisby.  A sense of humour is important.'

If the venture succeeds, Lohan intends to expand the brand further.  'We are looking at a City Breaks version, and also at splitting up the couple, when they take trips separately.'  Asked if he's considering a Mr & Mrs Smith version, Lohan agrees it's a possibility.  Considering the worth of the pink pound, this might well be the next big thing to look out for.