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Is the Buddymoon the New Honeymoon?: Here’s Why You Should Consider Bringing Your BFF’s Along for the Ride {with Mr & Mrs Smith}

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Your honeymoon should be the trip of a lifetime. Of course you want to capitalize on the chance to spend quality time with your new spouse, but what if you brought some of the other most important people in your life along for the ride too?

Today we’re talking about how you can have it both ways with Elise Tagatac, who heads hotel partnerships for Mr & Mrs Smith, the award-winning boutique-hotel booking business boasting a collection of more than 1,000 boutique and luxury hotels (all hand-picked and anonymously reviewed).

A travel club for true hotel connoisseurs, Mr & Mrs Smith is a brand that I’m absolutely obsessed with. Mr STG and I planned our own honeymoon (to the Bellevue Syrene on the Amalfi Coast!) with Mr & Mrs Smith, and we were just bowled over by the ridiculous beauty and off-the-charts service. Ever since, they’ve been our go-to when searching for a weekend getaway destination, and they’ve never let us down — on the contrary, they continue to surpass our expectations time and time again.

Photo courtesy of Elise Tagatac

As the head hotel hunter for this fab company, Elise knows more about planning the ultimate honeymoon than just about anyone. So what did she do for her own honeymoon?

Elise had the absolutely genius idea to split her big trip into two: the first half was a buddymoon — a holiday to a romantic destination with a group of friends — where she, her new husband, and their crew took in the splendor of India. The second half saw the newlyweds taking off solo, first to take in some of India’s most romantic spots, and then for private island paradise in the Maldives.

I just love the idea of a buddymoon, and it’s one that’s been gaining popularity among newlyweds. It’s not only a great way to include some of your nearest and dearest in a very special experience, but it can also lead to super savings in the form of group discounts, shared villas, and so on.

And given that a honeymoon is usually a fairly long trip, dividing it up between group time with your buddies and one-on-one romance with your honey, as Elise did, makes perfect sense. Her honeymoon hit the perfect combination of togetherness and alone time, adventure and relaxation, with Mr & Mrs Smith’s unwavering commitment to absolute luxury underlying every step.Continue ReadingContinue Reading

Top Five Above & Beyond Honeymoon Hotels {with Mr & Mrs Smith}

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After months, possibly years, of planning a wedding, you need — no — deserve to unwind together in the lap of luxury as newlyweds. Luckily, we know just the people to help you out: Mr & Mrs Smith, who happened to help founder, Karen, with her honeymoon planning. We are BIG FANS!)

With so many amazing potential honeymoon spots to choose from, this year your trip starts with the hotel… And nobody knows more about picking out the perfect hotel than Mr & Mrs Smith.

In case you didn’t know, Mr & Mrs Smith is the travel club for hotel lovers. Each stay in their collection is a destination itself and comes with the all-important Smith stamp of approval; none more so than the 10 hotels shortlisted in the 2018 Mr & Mrs Smith Awards’ Above & Beyond category.

Seamless service

These Mr & Mrs Smith hotels are made even more special (if that’s possible) with seamless service and a generous spirit. Going the extra mile is the rule, not the exception, so it’s safe to say you’ll be well looked after. We really wish we could show you all of them, but we’ve had to narrow the list down to our five favourites.

Oh, and just to make things even easier for you, the Smith24 team can take care of everything from hotels and villas to itineraries and flights, so all you have to do is relax and have the time of your lives.

And now, without further ado, and in no particular order, we present the five stays that stole our hearts.Let us know your favourites in the comments below!

1. Chamba Camp Thiksey, Himalayas, India

The winner of the Above & Beyond category in the Smith Hotel Awards 2018, this breathtaking property is set an impressive 3,500 metres up in the Ladakh Valley.

Now, let’s talk service… What could be more decadent than having a personal butler assigned to each ultra-luxe tent? That’s right — everything is taken care of, so you’re free to enjoy exploring the mountains and watching the local dancers strut their stuff at dinner each night.

Every last detail has been thought of here — there’s even a well-stocked snack drawer for those who get peckish in the middle of the night. Above and beyond even the hotel’s lofty altitude…

Find out more about Chamba Camp Thiksey and book your stay here.

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Top 5 Honeymoon Destinations for 2018 {with Mr & Mrs Smith}

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Planning a wedding is one of the most exhilarating, magical and, let’s face it, stressful experiences of your life! After pouring so much of your time, energy, heart and soul into your big day, you absolutely need, no, deserve a proper break in the lap of luxury.

Deciding on the perfect destination to start your married life can be tricky, which is why we’ve brought in some real experts in hotel curation to help narrow it down – Mr & Mrs Smith.

Mr & Mrs Smith is the travel club for hotel lovers: an award-winning boutique-hotel booking service specialising in the world’s most seductive stays. Founded in 2003, there are now more than 1,000 boutique and luxury hotels in the collection, all hand-picked and anonymously reviewed. 

For anyone who hasn’t yet had the pleasure of staying at an incredible Mr & Mrs Smith property, they are so divine that even if you never left your hotel or villa, you would still have an amazing stay – they’re basically destinations within themselves, and come with a round-the-clock service from in-house travel specialists, Smith24! Oh, and if this piece leaves you full of wanderlust, you can even create a honeymoon gift list and request donations from your loved ones towards your ultimate Smith-inspired honeymoon.

Their iconic Get a Room! gift cards are also available to purchase through the Mr & Mrs Smith shop – winning wedding gift inspiration indeed!

In 2018, booking your dream honeymoon starts with the hotel – which means Mr & Mrs Smith is your secret honeymoon weapon, especially with its helpful itineraries! Here are a few of our favourite hidden gems! 

1. Sumba Island, Indonesia

If you’re looking for an idyllic break that’s steeped in local culture, traditions and history, as well as the opportunity to surf some world-famous breaks, then the gorgeous Sumba Island in Indonesia is definitely one to daydream about – and then turn into a reality.

Packed with lush vegetation, coconut and papaya trees, Sumba Island is the perfect choice for travellers who want to stay away from touristy crowds and opt, instead, for something off the beaten path. Stay at Nihi Sumba Island, which has been shortlisted in the World’s Sexiest Bedroom category of the Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Awards 2018.
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10 Luxury Honeymoon Destinations that go above & beyond

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luxury-honeymoon-destinations
Wouldn’t it be great if a super-stylish crack team of travel experts scoured the globe and tracked down the best boutique hotels for you to choose from for your honeymoon? The best that is, according to the really important stuff, for this most romantic holiday of your life. How about the hotel with the most extravagant view from the pool or the most indulgent spa, the sexiest bedroom, the most intimate bar or those places that simply go above and beyond anyone’s expectations?

Well that’s what’s happening right now in the gorgeous, totally dreamy world of Mr & Mrs Smith. Believe me, they are your secret honeymoon weapon.

For those who haven’t yet heard me extol the many virtues of this extraordinary boutique hotel finding and booking site, let me fill you in here.

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Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand

Mr & Mrs Smith Awards 2016

Ok, so they’re not technically looking for honeymoon destinations in this current global search but, Mr & Mrs Smith are running their annual awards to identify and reward the boutique hotels in their outrageously impressive portfolio – that create THE most special stays. They are singling out those utterly unique, personality-packed places that raise the bar in terms of design, food, service and all- round wow factor.

So that’s great news for us as we get to take a peek at those choice contenders – the best boutique hotels in the world in the most desirable destinations. This has to be the hottest shortlist in travel right now!

Nihiwatu, Indonesia
Nihiwatu, Indonesia

And the award goes to…

The awards are being judged on 12 different categories. Namely: Pool with a View, World’s Sexiest Bedroom, Best Dressed Hotel, Best Date-Night Bar, Best Gourmet Getaway, Most Spoiling Spa, Local Hotel Hero, Best Family Hotel, Above and Beyond, Coolest Creative Hub, Hottest Hotel Soundtrack, Best Smith Hotel 2016.

And reassuringly the top ten hotels in each category have been selected by none other that the King and Queen of Mr & Mrs Smith themselves — company founders James and Tamara Lohan, along with the amazing founding editor Juliet Kinsman. They know, live and breathe their stuff. So any hotel worthy enough to make their short list is good enough for me.

As you can see by the colourful categories of awards — this is a cool company that understands the changing boutique-hotel scene around the world.

There is a new order in what people are looking for and it’s moved on considerably from “how far to the beach?” and “is breakfast included?’. Mr & Mrs Smith recognise those unique aspects for the hotel experience that have particular resonance to today’s traveller. Be that acting as a hub for the neighbourhood creative scene; having the perfect date night bar; being a destination foodie spot or of course setting the stage for an out of this world, memory-making honeymoon.

aman-tokyo
Aman Tokyo

Do Judge me

The chosen hotels will be put to a panel of three specialist judges in each category.

And the judging panel? It’s basically across the board cool — a network of travel experts from the fashion, music, food industries, including chef and author Tom Aitken, writer and broadcaster Lauren Laverne, singer Jessie Ware, legendary restaurateur Jeremy King, cocktail maestro Tony Conigliaro … take a look here at the impressive line up.

keemala-thailand
Keemala, Thailand

Above and Beyond

For Smashing The Glass, I really wanted to feature a list of the best of the best — essentially the Above and Beyond category. These are Smith stays that are made even more special by seamless service and generosity of spirit — where going the extra mile is the starting point. Is there nothing this hotel won’t do?

They boast dedicated, flexible and helpful staff who totally rock at enhancing your stay, or maybe the hotel goes above and beyond in terms of products or services — full-size bathroom products, free laundry, transfers by speedboat?

Sometimes, it’s one individual who makes the biggest impact. The sommelier who helps you discover a new favourite wine; the concierge with an unbeatable book of contacts; the chef who keeps the kitchen open a little longer because your flight was delayed.

The Above and Beyond category is by far my favourite, and that’s what you really want for a honeymoon. Natural hosts who instinctively know how to spoil you, anticipate your every need and upgrade your trip beyond measure. Oh yes and it so happens that all the hotels are in sublime and wildly different locations.

A trad twenties hunting lodge on the banks of Waikato, New Zealand to the thoroughly modern English countryside manor with just a sprinkling of rock star style to a remote ecolodge on the rainforest clad coast of Nicaragua. Where would you even start to choose between them?

fasano-rio
Fasano, Rio, Brazil

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Honeymoon all year long with Mr & Mrs Smith

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One of the fabulous perks of being a wedding blogger is being invited to press days and WOW, what a fun time we had when we were invited to brunch with Mr & Mrs Smith at the super cool Bourne & Hollingsworth Buildings, a couple of weeks ago on a sunny August morning.

In an enchanting, sun drenched, flower filled, Islington hot spot, along with a handful of other bloggers and press, we were introduced to Mr & Mrs Smith’s fabulous new cosmic-themed honeymoon hub.

The introductions were made by none other than Mr & Mrs Smith’s founder and current CTO — Tamara Heber-Percy. Admittedly we were a little star struck (if you missed the post outlining my obsession with Mr & Mrs Smith, then please allow me to fill you in right here). And as for the location, there’s no real surprise that they chose a stand-out spot for brunch… because that’s what they do.

To give you more of an idea what, and how they do it, Mr & Mrs Smith have rounded up into their stable, 1000 of arguably the most stylish hotels in the world, and as an extension of this, their honeymoon hub is essentially, a call-off-the-search, look-no-further, honeymoon finding and booking service. That’s whether you’re looking for a mini moon, midi moon, full moon or maxi moon. Indeed the terminology has moved on.

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Me and Sharon (STG team writer) at the fabulous Mr & Mrs Smith press breakfast at Bourne & Hollingsworth

We all just need a holiday

Gathered around an enormous farmhouse table laden with fruit salad, yoghurt, granola, smoked salmon bagels and toasted sourdough, Tamara — who, by the way is as smart, stylish, warm and inspirational as we’d heard – ran us through the results of their honeymoon inspired survey. Take a look at the graphic at the foot of the post for a roundup.

Aside from the hysterical number of people who’d been caught in a compromising position on honeymoon, there were some interesting findings in how people would choose to honeymoon again given the chance.

Given the choice between an all-expenses-paid trip to the Maldives or the moon, most people chose, perhaps unsurprisingly, sunbathing on the magical beaches in the Maldives. But let’s face it when it comes to a honeymoon, no matter how adventurous and intrepid we think we are, we all just need a holiday. Especially after organising your dream Jewish wedding and using your very last drop of energy and patience achieving just that.

And isn’t it interesting that only a third of couples opted for the combo-moon, pairing a city/culture stay with a beach break? Most opted solely for the beach retreat. The flying and flopping honeymoon isn’t dead after all.

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Of-the-moment honeymoon trends

So where is everyone going? Mr & Mrs Smith have identified five trending long-haul destinations. Given the choice to honeymoon again this year, half of the already married couples would head to Sri Lanka. There has been a burgeoning boutique hotel movement there for a while now and has become a firm holiday favourite for the big one. If that appeals you really must check out Mr & Mrs Smith’s Sri Lankan gems.

Japan is another favourite. It’s a bit different in terms of honeymoon destination, but it really has everything from skiing to crazy city culture. Considering it’s just got the Olympics, I can see this destination wedding going through the roof in the next four years.

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Where to go when…

That’s all well and good but what’s the best time to go to any of these places?

When’s the sweet spot between the rains and the searing heat, a time when hurricanes hardly ever happen? How many times have you goggled “best time to go to x”? You’re not alone.

Mr & Mrs Smith, always with an eye on service and those added extras, have created a simple but effective month-by-month breakdown of the globe’s best getaways.

January

Keemala Phuket, Thailand
Nestled in glorious greenery — a short drive from Patong beach , Keemala Phuket‘s holistic philosophy proposes healing spa rituals, healthful homegrown cuisine and an eco-friendly ethos. And did I mention that the swimming pools are on stilts?

January in Phuket = Very little rainfall and lower humidity.

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