We’re prematurely making like swallows this week and migrating south to Australia ’s Royal Mail Hotel in the Grampians , in search of spectacular skies and taste sensations… Style Country pub gone gourmet Setting Panoramic peaks Why this week? This week, and every week up until the end of September for that matter, Smith members can stay for three nights over the weekend and only pay for two. The catch? You’ve got to have... 

We know what you’re thinking: how on earth do I pick out the cream of the comedy and avoid the am-dram dullards at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe ? How do we know this? Because entertainer, comedian and all-round showmanship-wonder Chris Cox has been peering into his murky toughened glass ball, and he told us. Not via high-energy brainwaves and mind-bending telepathy, but via high-energy thumb and mobile telephony. Chris has... 

Beloved Smith & Friends self-catering property Château de Lartigolle in Gers is known for hosting special social shindigs, and this summer they really wowed us with their Burlesque event. Hope you like my and Gavin Mitchell’s snapshots of this rather sexy soirée. As well as serving a feast in their party-perfect vaulted cellar, London’s Tassel Club entertained revellers with risqué performances from a Marilyn-esque Banbury Cross... 

Former fashionista Elizabeth Kiester gave up a crazy-glam-hectic New York lifestyle (complete with full Sex and the City trappings, requisite high heels and sashimi-platter lunch dates) to give something back to the Khmer people she’d fallen in love with on a trip to Cambodia . She sold her apartment, packed her bags and (quite literally) set up shop in Siem Reap. Which is where we discovered her, while researching star stays for our next... 

This week, our prize-scooping hotel is a decadent den in a rather smart corner of the city that never sleeps. Numerous 24-hour options aside, we reckon you’ll be hankering after a nap if your bed happens to be at The Surrey in New York … Style Beaux Arts beauty Setting Upscale Upper East Side Why this week? The kind folk over in New York are offering all Smith members 30 per cent off stays until early September, so hit the city this month... 

Though our hunt for hip hotels is ceaseless, every now and then something comes along and gets in the way. The best coffee in London for example, or the best steak in London , or the best bohemian book launch with cheese (also in London )… Yesterday’s distraction was tea at the sumptuous Soho Hotel . Afternoon tea is always a treat – the combination of prettily…  Read More →

As though the ice-white beaches and sparkly seas weren’t enough to tempt us to the Caribbean , in August there’s an added incentive: Carnival season in Grenada starts tomorrow… When 5–10 August. Where Grenada National Stadium, and island-wide. What hap pens Loud, colourful, and exciting, this island-wide jump-up is a showcase of kaleidoscopic costumes and licentious dance moves – all washed down with lashings of rum, naturally.Carnival... 

This month’s hunt for hip hotels has taken us to lands familiar and foreign. We lingered on British turf for two seaside retreats – The Reading Rooms , a boutique B&B in Kent , and relaxed family-friendly retreat, South Sands , in Devon – before leaving the beach behind in honour of a reincarnated city slicker: Town Hall Hotel & Apartments in East London . Next up, we scanned the Continental horizon and discovered Maison Moschino... 

This month’s hunt for hip hotels has taken us to lands familiar and foreign. We lingered on British turf for two seaside retreats – The Reading Rooms , a boutique B&B in Kent , and relaxed family-friendly retreat, South Sands , in Devon – before leaving the beach behind in honour of a reincarnated city slicker: Town Hall Hotel & Apartments in East London . Next up, we scanned the Continental horizon and discovered Maison Moschino... 

Saturday 7 August, Rag&Bow ’s monthly women’s vintage sale at the Paradise By Way of Kensal Green is back (free entry; 12pm–5pm) says local West London blog, Park-Life.org . Visually engaging merchandising, continually on-trend stock and affordable prices have made this monthly vintage sale a welcome fixture on West London’s fashion calendar, with folks flocking from miles away to frock-hunt here. Stylish, eco and thrifty – we... 

Ibiza lovers and eco warriors, it’s time to pledge your support to the Ibiza Preservation Fund . William Aitken and Serena Cook (of Deliciously Sorted ) have set up this eco-saving organisation with the support of Ben Goldsmith with the intention of boosting awareness of the environmental effects of tourism on this magical White Isle, and to raise funds to protect and preserve the island’s precious coastline and its marine…  Read More →

While our love for hotels knows no bounds, our feelings about getting from A to (boutique) B are slightly less rosy. When flying is involved, the prospect of lengthy waits, over-zealous security personnel and sinister-looking plane food can slightly dampen the hopes of even the most optimistic traveller. So, as everyone else jets off to far-flung locations, we’re skipping the fuss and making the most of the gorgeous weather right here in the... 

With a look book that’s generally considered to be the last word in British bridal elegance, Amanda Wakeley (OBE, if you don’t mind) is renowned for her fashion finesse (not to mention after-dark attire, if Beyoncé’s recent Vegas clubwear and Florence & the Machine ’s choice of performance get-up, below right , are anything to go by). Since we at Planet Smith already worship at the altar of Amanda and recently picked... 

It’s here, and we’ve had a launch party to prove it. Mr & Mrs Smith’s latest guidebook features 31 hotels in 12 destinations around France, is packed with gorgeous original photography and irreverent hotel reviews, and is genuinely a thing of beauty. (If we do say so ourselves.) What better excuse for a shindig? Last week, Team Smith descended on The Travel Bookshop in Notting Hill (yep, the one from the film ), armed…  Read More →

We’re setting our sights stateside this week as we lay our affections on Stonehurst Place , a bright spark of a B&B in Atlanta , that would have been right up Scarlett O’Hara’s street a few years back… Style Southern B&B belle Setting Princely Piedmont Park Why this week? Until September, a weekend at this 19th-century artwork-filled inn comes with one night free ; Smith members can stay Friday and Saturday, and not pay...