Mr & Mrs Smith editors rarely stay still for long, whether they’re swaggering through Berlin and Paris, nursing a Manhattan in New York or hot-tubbing in the English countryside.
That’s because there’s always somewhere new to explore, with an exciting array of hotels joining the unequalled Smith collection each month. Right now, we’re booking flights from Athens to Austria and scoping out new offerings from Ace and The Standard — let us take you there too.
VALLETTA VINTAGE
Malta
Valletta is so perfectly preserved, it has been granted Unesco World Heritage status — not many fellow capital cities, with their urban sprawl and architectural mash-up, can relate. I have a bias for this beautiful little Mediterranean island because one of my oldest friends is Maltese, but even objectively speaking, I rate it for a city break, especially at this time of year, when it’s likely to be markedly warmer than many other places in Europe. Valletta Vintage is a series of self-catering apartments, each adorned with antiques found at a market or bespoke furniture sourced straight from an artisan’s workshop.
Don’t miss Bond fans will enjoy the special screening of Skyfall soundtracked by the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra on 15 February; and keen runners can sign up for the Malta marathon on the 23rd.
Caroline Lewis, Senior Associate Editor
ROSEWOOD MANSION ON TURTLE CREEK
Texas
Who wouldn’t want an address that reads ‘the Mansion on Turtle Creek’? This dreamy uptown Dallas stay is just north of the city centre, in the smart and leafy (two of the best adjectives for neighbourhoods) Turtle Creek. It was once a private estate, with a still-grand restaurant specialising in Southern hospitality. Apparently, ‘cowboycore’ is going to be a thing this year (thanks to various stars and the content they’ve been putting out, from Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter album to shows like Landman and Yellowstone). My stetson is ready.
Don’t miss Nineties legends (no hyperbole here) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and Warren G (regulators!) are in town for a concert on 7 February. And if you’ve been watching the recent Netflix show Kaos (or loved the musical Hadestown), you might want to catch Orpheus and Eurydice at Dallas Opera, also on the 7th.
CL
ERIRO
Austria
For me, the first quarter of the year is all about resetting; it’s a time for building good habits (despite their inevitable demise the minute summer’s beer gardens open) and re-establishing routine after a hedonistic holiday season. Turns out, the Austrian mountains are ideal for that — being both meditative and free from distractions; Eriro, an Alpine hide in Tyrol’s Zugspitz area, makes an ideal mountain base. It has everything I could need for getting my priorities in order: tech-free suites and a nature-inspired spa, all within easy reach of Ehrwald’s ski lifts and hiking trails. And it’s all-inclusive — with lift passes, mountain kit (hiking poles, snowshoes etc), farmer-style breakfasts and rustic dinners included in the rate — taking all the stress out of a hard reset.
Don’t miss Snow-shredders will love the Lermoos ski show where piste-pros show off their skills by jumping through fire hoops to a soundtrack of Nineties anthems. Otherwise, set your OOO email and glide some 10,000 feet to the peak of Zugspitze, where emails will simply not find you.
Stephanie Gavan, Associate Editor
HENNINGSVÆR BRYGGEHOTEL
Norway
I often fantasise about what I’d do if I had infinite lives to live. As a Gilmore Girls superfan, one would definitely be spent drinking ungodly amounts of coffee in a small Connecticut town. In another, I’d move to Henningsvær, a colourful fishing village in Norway’s Lofoten islands where I’d spend my days among its glassy fjords and charming wooden houses. But, for now, I’ll settle for cosplaying as a local at Henningsvær Bryggehotell, taking breakfast in bed in a harbour-side cabin, eating my bodyweight in Nordland cheeses drizzled with truffle honey and embracing Norway’s concept of friluftsliv (open-air life) by going full Wim Hof and taking icy dips in the Vestfjord.
Don’t miss Despite appearances, ol’ Henningsvær is something of a hipster hotspot, and you can find Holzweiler-clad crowds gathering at Trevarefabrikken, a former carpentry warehouse turned cultural hub. On 15 February, it’ll be hosting Norwegian singer-songwriter Jonas Alaska for its first gig of the year.
SG
ACE HOTEL AND SWIM CLUB ATHENS
Greece
In my opinion, Ace hotels are just plain cool, with their lobby DJs keeping the vibes immaculate, turntables to tinker with in your room, arts programmes signposting local ones-to-watch… you’re in the zeitgeist just by stepping through the door. So, I’m excited to follow the in-crowd to Ace Hotel & Swim Club Athens (actually a 30-minute drive from the city centre, joining notable recent opening One&Only Aesthesis in reinvigorating the Riviera), where you’ll find all of the above, plus the throwback, bask-by-the-two-pools-all-day feel of its blueprint Palm Springs outpost; god-tier Greek dining; and a coffee shop serving real, slap-in-the-face-strong local brews.
Don’t miss The Ace leads the charge on Glyfada’s social life in February, with Sixties sounds by Kongofuzz, and swing and jazz from Jeepers Creepers. Or head into the city for the last edition of ‘oi’-filled festival Vive Le Punk Rock, snarling into gig venue Black Hole Kipseli over 14–15 February. And worship equally badass goddesses, priestesses and more at Kykladitisses: Untold stories of Women in the Cyclades at the Museum of Cycladic Art till 4 May.
Kate Weir, Deputy Editor
THE STANDARD
Singapore
The Ace isn’t the only hotel group which has cornered the market on international cool — The Standard runs a very close race. And it’s spreading the gospel with a new outpost too, set close to the iconic Orchard Road shopping belt in Singapore. As I anticipate the long-awaited release date for the Crazy Rich Asians sequel (get cracking, Jon M Chu); I can at least hang out with the who’s who of the city’s social scene now — they surely will have been tempted to the Standard by the brand’s dynamic design, a modern izakaya eatery and pool with submerged loungers tucked into a secret garden. Altogether it’s more alluring than Michelle Yeoh’s on-set wardrobe.
Don’t miss Lock prosperity, longevity and sweetness into 2025, with the tossed salad, soba in duck broth and yuzu cannolis of the Standard’s Lunar New Year menu (served until 12 February). And, Singapore has a milestone birthday this year; celebrate its 60th at the Chingay Parade over the 6th and 7th, a fabulous array of lion dancers, costumed performers and food-themed floats.
KW
AWOL STOWE
Vermont
As a child, I envisioned Vermont as an endless pile of autumn leaves, a sort of auburn and gold playground that you could dive right into and disappear. Now, I know there’s more to the place than maple trees, but Awol Stowe makes a fine case for vanishing acts. Wrapped in Alpine scenery on the edge of the Cady Hill Forest, it’s somewhere you’d actually want to be snowed in, toting stove-warmed lounge spaces, fire pits, a cedar hot tub and a Hemingway-worthy whiskey collection behind the bar. But here’s the thing: for all its place-beyond-the-pines credentials, the hotel’s actually a stone’s throw from downtown Stowe, where clapboard boutiques, galleries, bakeries and rollicking après bars await.
Don’t miss Touted as one of the most unique ski races in North America, the Stowe Derby has been going since 1945. The rules are simple: race from the top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont’s highest peak, to the village of Stowe using just one pair of skis. It’s on the 25 February and is one of the highlights of the Stowe social calendar (meaning you can expect après to be extra lively afterwards).
Hamish Roy, Senior Associate Editor
And keep some space in the calendar for more new arrivals