This weekend, another Hallmark-friendly holiday approaches, but this one really is worth celebrating. Rather than inscribing a heart-shaped ‘mum’ tattoo on your right bicep, show your affection with a sumptuous spa retreat (where you get to be perfectly pampered, too)… Whatley Manor , Wiltshire This historic hotel and spa in the West Country is grade II-listed Cotswold stone, and set in magnificent grounds. The tastefully decorated interior... 

A flight to Geneva, a train to Martigny and a 100 minutes of driving will get you to Switzerland’s sunniest ski resort: Verbier . Nothing prepared me for quite how special a few days here would be: it’s upmarket but down-to-earth; sophisticated yet unsnooty; and when the weather’s right, it’s breathtakingly beautiful. This weekend, it was fantastically snowy and conditions were perfect; the chaps hit the slopes while... 

Last week, we were asked to ferret out our finery and head west to Wales for a glitzy party on a former farm estate near Carmarthen . Armed with our Dylan Thomas verse, marsh-proof wellies and facial-thirsty faces, we willingly went to experience a night of canapés and cocktails in honour of the shiny new spa at Hurst House on the Marsh … Style Contemporary countryside clubhouse Setting Lost in Wales Why this week? The Andrew Price spa and... 

With the last of the fashion weeks causing catwalk-and-couture chaos in Paris, we’ve found some supermodel-worthy stays, dreamed up by designers usually famed for their frocks… Christian Lacroix takes over in the capital of couture, Paris . He’s transformed the 400-year-old building of the Hôtel Notre Dame into a designer devotion to the city’s famous cathedral. He’s also responsible for the theatrical reinvention of Hôtel le... 

ALBUM OF THE MONTH The Family Jewels by Marina & the Diamonds When? You’re planning the soundtrack to summer 2010 Why? She has the twinkle to be a star and the songs to prove it It is a particular brand of Top-Shop-pop that will take Marina Diamandis from obscurity to the mainstream. Like Little Boots, who walked a similar path before her, she has chosen to walk the dividing line between pop and credibility – a perilous course to follow... 

We’re heading over to the heavenly Hamptons this week to decisively declare the picket-fenced and prim 1770 House in East Hampton our favourite hotel (for the next seven days at least)… Why this week? Mr & Mrs Smith members should move fast (before 1 April at any rate) for a free night if they stay for three. Our favourite bits The…  Read More →

East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet? Join the discussion, hotel lovers… See The New York Times’ T Magazine piece: For the Moment | East vs. West Pictured: Sukhothai , Bangkok, left; Miller’s Residence , London, below. Adding their tuppence to the debate, from the Mr & Mrs Smith team, were: Anthony Leyton , managing editor, London: “It’s more about open, communal …  Read More →

A few too many stacks of pancakes this week have left us in need of a detox. We can’t think of anywhere better to cleanse body and soul than at Aquapura , Portugal ’s sexiest spa retreat… Style Sprawling spa retreat Setting Dazzling Douro wine country Why this week? This perfectly positioned former farmhouse has had a dramatic designer reinvention and offers indulgent wining, dining and poolside reclining. Until 31 March…  Read More →

Dear Mr & Mrs Smith readers, As we all know, the way we book travel has changed so much in the last decade. So who to trust when you’re seeking stylish stays? I discuss trust in my latest post for The New York Times . Trust is especially crucial for anyone who cares about the decor of their digs. Yes, J Jones from…  Read More →

We rather love The New York Times’ T magazine over here in Smith HQ. So I was honoured when they asked me to write some posts for their blog, The Moment . In the first post, I chew over that beloved of Mr & Mrs Smith boutique-travel topics, weekending – which to us, is boutique travel gold. I actually spent two months in NYC at the end of last year, which was edifying and entertaining as you’d expect from that fine city. And... 

Apparently Victoria Beckham has been asked to design a hotel in Dubai . We loved The Guardian ’s Lucy Mangan’s entertaining article If Posh Spice can design a hotel, why can’t I? published last Saturday. Lucy Mangan reviewed the Bull Hotel in Dorset for Mr & Mrs Smith.  Read More →

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, leaving a trail of red envelopes, chocolate wrappers and dishevelled hotel sheets in its wake. If there was ever a time to dish the dirt on your love life, it’s now… We like to think that we know a thing or two about dirty weekends , but we reckon you do too, and we’ve created our first ever sex survey so that you can prove it. So far, a whopping 3,459 of you have, erm, done it, but... 

A while ago, we chatted with the Handpicked Collection about superiority in gift selection. With the 16th Best Day of the Year* for Lovers speedily approaching, comedian Sally Phillips gives us her take on what she’d really love for Cupid’s calendar moment… Valentine’s Day. The day I try hardest not to look like a gerbil (difficulty level five) approaches. I take five online ‘ How Romantic Are You ?’ tests and do not score highly.... 

Chocolates and flowers – pah! The ultimate Valentine’s Day surprise has to be a trip away, preferably to sun-kissed, sandy and secluded shores (diamonds, champagne on ice and roses optional, but highly recommended). Having dropped some heavy hints, Team Smith are hoping to be whisked away to the boutique Balé , in beautiful Bali (greedy, us?). Cautious Casanovas should consult our collection of honeymoon hotels , where romance and relaxation... 

With the shops’ shelves crammed with heart-shaped chocolate boxes and tiny teddies declaring undying love, our thoughts have turned to the practical issues surrounding Valentine’s Day – where can we find really romantic bedrooms in which to woo and be wooed? As usual, the Italians had the answer… Casa Angelina , Amalfi Coast The all-white rooms at this cliff-top casa are tranquil capsules of blanched-out bliss, where you won’t...