2025 went fast, and so did the Mr & Mrs Smith team, criss-crossing the globe from Paris to Peru to Tbilisi and beyond. Along the way, we dined fabulously while conversing with world-class chefs, had real and raw animal encounters (including showing some pups a whole new world), upped our souvenir game, drank cocktails and ate some more. All this while keeping the future of travel in mind by highlighting our sustainable stays. Phew.
It was a year that reminded us just how much we love being on the move (or lying on a beach) and we hope we inspired you to do the same. To see where we’ve been and perhaps figure out where you’d like to go, we’ve whittled down a long (long, long) list of highlights for your perusal. Here’s to a happy new year and all the adventures ahead…
THE HEADLINERS
The culinary campaign, photographed by Martin Parr
For our culinary campaign, we witnessed two giants of artistry come together: the late, great and indisputably bold British photographer Martin Parr and legendary chef Nobu Matsuhisa, both creating visual and visceral feasts. It was a delicious pairing.
We gave four-legged friends more treats this year with a refresh of our pet-friendly collection, through the lens of Guy Bolongaro. We found spa hotels where pets are pampered, cottages catering to dogs, and animal-whispering author Lottie Gross showed us how to travel stress-free with pets.
The crowd went wild as Wilderness safari camps joined our collection to a Circle of Life-style fanfare, intimately captured by Adrianna Glaviano. Combining Attenborough-esque scenery with luxurious quarters, the 13 camps offer privileged access to megafauna-roamed parts of Rwanda, Namibia and Botswana.
WE LIVED FOR THE WEEKEND
Can Na Xica, Ibiza / Casa Monti, Rome
Hannah Dace heeded the mosques’ mesmeric call to worship and made her way through many plates of meze during 48 hours in Istanbul.
Hamish Roy spent two days in a 16th-century palace on the Dalmatian Coast, drinking Croatian wines and digging deep into Dubrovnik’s past.
Martin Dickie roamed around the green and pleasant parts of North Devon, in search of ‘piskies’ and smugglers, the correct cream-to-jam ratio for a scone and off-grid peace.
And in Tbilisi, he tracked down techno clubs wallowed in hot springs and indulged in many dumplings, all while checking out its burgeoning hotel scene.
Globetrotting scribe Lucy Halfhead found Ibiza’s bohemian magic and mysticism of old amid its design-forward galleries, shops and stays.
When in Rome, editor Caroline Lewis made palazzi her home, admired director Luca Guadagnino’s eye for interiors and explored lesser-known neighbourhoods, such as Monti.
US journalist Amelia Mularz showed us how to do a bite-sized trip to the Big Apple, squeezing in New York’s scene-y hotels, culture you won’t soon ‘fuhgeddaboud’ and stand-out eateries.
Au fait former resident Madévi Dailly made us fall in love with Paris all over again, navigating its Haussmannian boulevards to indie boutiques, chic cafés and treasure-packed brocantes.
WE LEARNT SOMETHING NEW EVERY STAY
Susafa, Sicily
Hannah Ralph plotted out cult sandwich stops, natural spectacles and surf-primed beaches, while cruising along Australia’s Great Ocean Road trip.
Author Amelia Abraham acted as personal shopper in Shanghai through her guide to stores with giant robotic installations, heritage brands and food halls to sate the curious.
Photographer and writer Liam Freeman adventured along the Amazon, meeting sloths, pink dolphins and kaleidoscopic birds along the way.
At family-run, Sicilian farm estate Susafa, Hamish Roy found a deep-rooted respect for the land, ambrosial dining and Arcadian self-sufficiency as he holed up in its antique masseria.
We learnt how to do the classic Cali road trip right, with Amelia Abraham’s tips for a journey along the Pacific Coast Highway, passing pioneer towns, wineries and charming vintage motels.
Estella Shardlow squeezed the most out of her Tokyo trip with a bijou bar hop through Golden Gai’s teeny-tiny drinkeries, saying kanpai to niche spirits, top-shelf whiskies and a drop of absinthe.
Caroline Lewis found heroes, monsters and godly mischief while hopping on a mythic quest through the most storied of the Greek isles.
As a proud B Corp company, we hailed our sustainable and socially aware hotel champions, where your stay is guaranteed to be green as can be.
Stroopwaffels, bitterballen, saucy fries: Hannah Dace checked in at Pulitzer Amsterdam to get the lowdown on the Dutch city’s dining scene, from street eats to refined restaurants and cool cocktail bars.
Kate Weir scoped out the Sex Pistol’s graffitied party suite; a former club where royals and artists spent devilish evenings and a Notting Hill stay famous for a champagne-filled bath as she uncovered London’s hotel legends.
WE GAVE OUR COMPLIMENTS TO THE CHEFS
Chef Nobu, photographed by Martin Parr
A chef so famous he’s known by one name — and one enduringly famous dish (hi, black cod miso) — the one and only Nobu bestowed a sushi masterclass at his Portman Square hotel on Cat Tsang, while discussing building an empire, bouncing back from failures and cooking with heart.
Jackson Boxer is a chef who wears many toques, as the culinary talent behind Brunswick House, Dove and Henrietta Experimental’s Henri. Read about the restaurant he’d fly for, how he runs a happy kitchen and his global inspirations.
Angela Hartnett and Luke Holder are the unstoppable dining duo at Lime Wood hotel. Both known for TV appearances, podcasts and achievements beyond the kitchen, we got them both fired up about industry practices, judging cooking shows and the future of fine dining.
WE WERE INSPIRED BY VISIONARY TALENTS
Ryan Chetiyawardana, photographed by Charlie Kwai / Kate Bryan, photographed by Tara Sood
If you’ve ever been in a Soho House and coveted the artwork, you have Kate Bryan to thank. The group’s Global Director of Art showed us the inner workings of the hotel world’s best-dressed walls.
Accolades pour in as freely as spirits into a cocktail shaker for Mr Lyan (aka Ryan Chetiyawardana), a man who produces worlds-best bars as smoothly as he does drinks. We propped up his bar to talk sustainability, innovation and what snack to pair with a French 75.
Thanks for following us on our many journeys this year. For an equally momentous 2026, here’s our guide to where to stay