Charlotte’s Life In Hotels

For a city break, you obviously can’t beat Paris. The hotel I return to time and again is Hôtel Nationale Des Arts et Métiers – it’s a great location if you like to be near the Marais, the rooms are clean and comfortable, it isn’t extortionate and it has a seriously cool rooftop bar open in the summer months. The Martin Brudnizki-designed La Fantaisie is a newer find – the interiors are my idea of heaven, and I love the busy market street for good evening vibes. Last Paris Fashion Week, I had dinner at the newly opened Experimental hotel in the Marais which was gorgeous – opulent, dark, candlelit and sexy. In Paris, I generally like to stay in a boutique hotel but Le Bristol’s suites and iconic nautical-themed rooftop swimming pool make for a very special weekend.

How can I talk about city breaks without mentioning New York? I’m addicted to the city and try to go two or three times a year. Warren Street Hotel is a new favourite – I had been nervous TriBeCa was too far downtown but after a few days last October cosseted in Firmdale’s unique brand of colourful, cosy hospitality – with oversized beds, spacious lounges, honesty bars and another killer rooftop – I was sad to move further uptown into Soho. For a very special occasion you obviously can’t beat The Mark or The Carlyle. When we stay uptown, we always eat at local Italian Antonucci Café but our most regular spot is The Bowery, which manages to be achingly cool whilst also being silent at night, which is an absolute hotel essential for me. I can’t say the same about its sister The Ludlow, which many love but is too vibey for this girl who needs her eight hours.

I’ve already mentioned a few iconic destinations, but I don’t think anywhere feels as steeped in history as the Copacabana Palace, the Belmond property along one of the most famous stretches of beach in the world. I couldn’t have loved Rio more – as sensible city dwellers we always felt safe – and marvelled in the throbbing scenes of life visible from the hotel’s panoramic suite balconies. Strolling down to Ipanema, sipping on cold coconuts, soaking in the pounding sun and vibrant music is a core memory – and escaping to the Palace’s shaded courtyard pool, with pão de queijo on tap, was the best way to recover from the stimulation of the city. 

The most luxurious hotel I’ve ever stayed at has to be Amangiri – the Japanese hotel group’s flagship US property, nestled in the hills on the Utah/Arizona border. I must caveat this by saying the price is extortionate and I think it’s hard for any hotel to live up to that – what sets a $4,000-a-night stay apart from one that costs $2,000? But the pool, carved into a millions-of-years-old rock formation, the magical Sarika restaurant which is designed to feel like a camp lodge on the moon, the dreamiest spa imaginable (have a massage and a sound bath and thank me later) and a team who pack your trunk full of homemade sandwiches, brownies and ice cold water before you head off on a day trip all make a strong case. 

I’m not much of a fly and flop girl – I’ve figured I have the rest of my life to lie on a beach somewhere, so I’m trying to adventure as much as possible whilst I’m young. Matetsi in Zimbabwe was the most incredible launch pad – positioned directly on the Zambezi river, we saw incredible wildlife on safari (despite it only housing four of the big five), white water rafted through Victoria Falls, swam in the devil’s pool in Zambia which sits 320ft above the falls and helicoptered over herds of zebra and giraffes pounding the arid landscape. Camping at Under Canvas in Yellowstone last summer was also a top tier adventure – we hiked the national park’s most scenic routes, woke up at 4am to see exploding geysers, white water rafted yet again (there’s a theme here) and toasted marshmallows before sleeping under the stars. 

I’m not typically drawn to ‘cool’ hotels, but South Congress in Austin is a serious vibe. The interiors are ultra stylish but it’s the location that makes this a must-visit – surrounded by lively bars, food trucks, festoon-strung courtyards and boutique concept stores, the city is a Texan island that I’ve returned to a few times to kayak on Ladybird Lake and sit around an enormous open firepit serving the most authentic BBQ food in the most no-frills environment.

It's probably clear that I love America. I’m not very well travelled in Asia for boring reasons – it works best for both my husband and I work-wise to take time off in the summer – so we gravitate west where the weather is good and there’s adventure to be had. Napa is an absolute favourite – last summer, we stayed at the heavenly Estate in Yountville, the small town overrun with chef Thomas Keller’s restaurants ranging from the world-famous French Laundry to a surprisingly authentic Mexican and a very chic, buzzy French bistro. If you dream of life in a Nancy Meyers movie, it’s the spot for you, full of picture-perfect bakeries and curated delis. 

Other favourite US boltholes include Auberge Resorts Collection's Wildflower Farms, a winter wonderland escape in Hudson, NY, where guests congregate around an enormous outdoor firepit to play cards and drink wine all day – and where the surrounding nature lends itself to spectacular hikes – as well as nearby Inness, which offers a similar retreat but in a more pared-back, Scandi setting. Do yourself a favour and visit Silvia in nearby Woodstock for dinner. This summer, I’m hitting some East Coast wish list spots, including the Faraway hotels in Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard, the iconic Vanderbilt in Newport Rhode Island and the White Barn Inn (both also Auberge properties) in Kennebunkport – I’m prepping my vintage Ralph Lauren wardrobe as we speak.

Both Hotel Danieli and the St Regis in Venice have the best views imaginable. It’s impossible to go to Venice and not be completely enchanted, even in the rain. I wouldn’t rush back to the former – it’s a legendary setting but baroque Italian interiors aren’t my favourite – but the St Regis is undeniably special, with rooms right on the grand canal and a killer terrace for breakfast and drinks. For a more traditional mega view, The Maybourne Riviera, sat majestically above Monaco, is what the word ‘panoramic’ was made for. The blues are the bluest blues in the world, and with a pool menu curated by Jean-Georges Vongerichten, you’d be crazy to leave. 

I’ve had some magical times in Mexico. I did not like Tulum – it’s like the Magaluf strip – but Hotel Escencia on Riviera Maya, a 45-minute drive up the coast, is the antithesis of the town’s chaos. It has so many elevated little details, like the fact that hotel staff deliver fresh coffee and pastry to your balcony before breakfast every morning. I’m so pleased a Soho House has opened in Mexico City – we visited two years ago and fell completely in love with its tree-lined streets, independent brands, world-class food scene and tiny watering holes – but stylish, comfortable hotels were thin on the ground, especially in Roma, the city’s trendiest corner. Soho House wouldn’t be my first choice but take a look at the architecture in the Mexican outpost – a former private home. I defy anyone to find a better option in such a cool location. Wherever you stay, make sure to allocate half a day for a hot air balloon ride over Teotihuacan and its ancient pyramids. And don’t miss the labyrinthine markets, where I discovered the delights of Chilaquiles and Michaelidas, a surprisingly delicious beer/Bloody Mary hybrid.

It's not specifically a hotel recommendation, but I can’t talk about my travel experiences without reflecting on a trip to Warsaw and Krakow to visit the ghetto and several Nazi concentration camps. Travel has the power to move and change you, and it’s no surprise that visiting Midanik, the camp that still houses an enormous ash pit made up of the burnt bodies of the camp’s victims, and Auschwitz – for all the obvious reasons – had a profound effect on me. It’s a trip I would urge everyone, whatever their background, to make – it’s historically fascinating, galling, traumatic and life-affirming all at once.  

My bucket list is non-exhaustive. I’m a hotel enthusiast, and there are so many legendary destinations still on my hit list. In Italy alone, I’m desperate to visit Hotel Il Pelicano, Le Sirenuse, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, Passalacqua and the cool new Sicilian opening Braccialieri. I want to go to Qualia in Australia and ride around the town in little golf buggies, guzzle chardonnay at Babylonstoren in Franschhoek and soak up the Californian sun at the San Ysidro villas and Palm Beach’s 70s glamour hotels. I haven’t stayed in many of Paris’s most opulent destinations, from George V to The Ritz to La Plaza Athenée, and I want to island hop around Greece, visiting the very chic Rooster in Antiparos and the One & Only in Athens. There’s a new rural offering in Amsterdam from the team behind The Newt, and I’ve long dreamed of Ett Hem in Stockholm’s interiors and the art on the walls at Hauser & Wirth’s The Fife Arms. I want to visit the islands off Brazil and hike through Patagonia and Ushuaia and take a boat out to Chile’s Easter Island and hang out in Cartagena and surf in Costa Rica and go antiquing in Charleston and Savannah and hike around Lake Louise and take a train through the Dolomites and walk across the Shibuya crossing and go on a desert safari in Namibia. Like I said – there’s plenty of time in the future to relax on a beach. 

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