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  Image: Cate St Hill x Beaverbrook 

 

 

 

[Travel](/culture/travel)

 /  17 September 2025  

#  The Curated Spaces Duo Talk Favourite Hotels, Packing Essentials &amp; More  


Molly Cooper and Alex Oldfield are the co-founders of Curated Spaces, a booking platform that helps people discover and book hotels through the eyes of the creators they already love and trust – think Laura Jackson, Estée Lalonde and Gina Jackson. Here, the two share their favourite stays, holiday destinations and the packing essentials they can’t travel without…  


ByHeather Steele

  /  

[ Save To My Favourites ](/user/login?destination=/markdownify/node/48413)

 

  Image: Cate St Hill x Beaverbrook 

 

 

 

All products on this page have been selected by our editorial team, however we may make commission on some products.

 



 

 

 

 

 [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/1T5pQg_3JDOJ0EosAfEdLP9gvBc=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Fcurated-founders.jpg?itok=AmS-8v0G)

 

 ](https://www.instagram.com/curatedspacesclub/?hl=en) 

 @CuratedSpacesClub 

 



 

 

 

 

 

#### Where was the last place you travelled to? 

**Molly:** I’ve just come back from a month on the Greek island of Leros, where I booked an Airbnb that happened to be perched right on a nudist beach. My days were simple: long swims in the Aegean, hikes up the hills to watch the sunset and the odd goat encounter along the way. The highlight, though, wasn’t planned – I burst a tyre on a backroad and ended up being rescued by some wonderfully kind locals, who insisted I sit and eat endless biscuits with them until their friend arrived to fix the wheel.

**Alex:** This summer I spent a month in Switzerland, the highlight being our stay in a little mountain hamlet in Ticino where families used to bring their cows in summer. We stayed in a converted barn: very rustic, remote and completely perfect. We went on long walks, enjoyed evening swims in the waterfall, then ate dinners made up of local cured meats and cheese.

#### Where’s the most memorable place you’ve ever visited?

**Molly:** Miyajima in Japan, a magical little island where deer roam freely through the streets and the Great Torii Gate rises out of the water at high tide. It was also where I ate some of the best oysters of my life, freshly grilled at little street stalls.

**Alex:** Tasmania, Australia. When I was studying in Melbourne, my best friend and I road-tripped to the island in a tiny Nissan Micra with a tent on top. It was like nowhere else – endless empty white-sand beaches, impossibly blue sea, red rocks and bushland that felt completely untouched. It was chilly, so we bought woolly hats, travel mugs, blankets and hot chocolate, and every day we’d find a new beach for our little hot chocolate ritual.

#### What family holiday from your childhood do you remember most?

**Molly:** Sailing around the Peloponnese, crossing from port to port, mooring up at tiny, uninhabited islands and swimming in turquoise bays you could only reach by boat. Evenings were spent stargazing from the deck.

**Alex:** Algonquin National Park, Canada. We arrived at a cabin deep in the forest with nobody else around. Overnight it snowed a foot, and by morning it had completely transformed – glittering white, completely still, absolute magic. We spent the days canoeing, spotting otters and snuggled up by the log fire.

 

 [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/9uKPxLua7JT6OlHWe-d_bxEpoUQ=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Flaura-jackson-x-boath-house-5.jpg?itok=RfZrG9lx)

 

 ](https://www.instagram.com/iamlaurajackson/) 

 @IamLauraJackson x Boath House; @CuratedSpacesClub 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

#### Where’s the most remote place you’ve ever been?

**Molly:** Réunion, a volcanic island between Mauritius and Madagascar. It feels both wild and familiar – you can hike past lava fields and waterfalls in the morning, then find yourself in a French-style boulangerie by lunch. The seas are shark-infested and there’s a live volcano, but my favourite memory is hiking into one of the cirques and staying in a tiny mountain hut only reachable by foot or helicopter.

**Alex:** The most remote I’ve ever gone was at [Estancia Bonanza](https://estanciabonanza.com/), an expansive ranch in Patagonia with little cabins looking straight out to Mount Fitzroy (the one from the Patagonia logo). We rode horses – the land as far as we could see was still part of the ranch. One evening we sat in a wood-fired hot tub, watching wild horses run past. It was already unforgettable, but it was also where my partner proposed.

#### Any advice on how to book a great hotel room?

**Molly:** We actually built [Curated Spaces](https://www.curatedspaces.club/guest) for this exact reason. It’s a collection of brilliant, independent spaces – think boutique hotels, country inns, cabins and coastal gems – all brought to life through tastemakers who’ve stayed there and shared their experiences. I’ve always found the best trips come from word-of-mouth recommendations, so the idea is to capture that: you get a sense of the place through real people’s stories and imagery, not just glossy marketing shots. It’s a way of finding hotel rooms that feel soulful and special, while knowing someone you trust has already road-tested them.

**Alex:** I swear by recommendations, especially from people who uncover soulful, off-the-beaten-track places rather than just the obvious hotels. Don’t always go for the ‘best’ hotel either – the nicest room in the smallest hotel can be far better than the smallest room in the biggest. There’s nothing worse than feeling like you’ve overpaid for a boxy room with no windows in a ‘fancy’ hotel. I also use filters as a proxy for vibe (like always ticking ‘open fireplace’) to make sure it feels cosy.

#### Where’s your favourite place in Europe?

**Molly:** The French Riviera doesn’t always have the best reputation but if you head slightly off the beaten track there are still glimpses of its storied past – faded glamour, Belle Époque villas clinging to the hillsides and sleepy fishing villages where locals play pétanque in the square. It’s that mix of old-world charm and Mediterranean ease that keeps me going back.

**Alex:** As a bit of a home bird (and someone who doesn’t love sweating), Wales has my heart. It has wild beaches, hidden coves and that rugged beauty you can’t beat. Outside the UK, my Swiss husband might protest, but I’ll always have a soft spot for France.

 

 

 



  [ ![@IAmLauraJackson x Boath House](https://media.sheerluxe.com/NEl4N92LrcyvbpVz9sqpo6te-AE=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Flaura-jackson-x-boath-house-port.jpg?itok=IDkH19v_)

 

 ](https://www.instagram.com/iamlaurajackson/?hl=en-gb) 

 @IAmLauraJackson x Boath House 

 



 

  

 

  [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/2p5nBASuYLKdDEySnrS5kxGL7xs=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Felmley.jpg?itok=MI78tEA2)

 

 ](https://www.elmleynaturereserve.co.uk/) 

 Elmley 

 



 

  

 

 



 

 

 

#### And in the US?

**Alex:** California. We did the ultimate tourist cliché and hired a convertible Mustang for a road trip from LA up through Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Napa Valley, San Francisco and into Yosemite. It was everything I’d imagined from the movies – yellow school buses, diner coffee, supersized muffins. In Napa, we found a little restaurant where the chef stretched fresh mozzarella onto warm bread right in front of us, and I’m still dreaming of it to this day. The scale of it all, from the coastal roads to the national parks, just blew me away.

#### Have you been on any staycations this year?

**Molly:** Yes, to [Knepp](https://knepp.co.uk/#) [ ](https://knepp.co.uk/#)in Sussex. It’s an extraordinary rewilding project that’s inspired countless others. I stayed in a shepherd’s hut, did yoga in a yurt, swam in a lake and ate food from the estate itself. It’s off-grid living but with a touch of comfort – exactly the kind of UK escape I love.

#### Where’s a good place to book for a week away with friends?

**Molly:** This summer I went to Umbria, Tuscany’s under-the-radar (and dare I say slightly cooler) little sister. We rented a castello, stocked it with local food and wine, and spent our days in the pool and visiting medieval hill towns. One night we stumbled across an open-air Abba concert in the piazza and ended up dancing until midnight.

#### What are your favourite hotels in London?

**Molly:** [Templeton Garden](https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/templeton-garden?s%5Btags%5D=destination.destination%3Aeurope.united-kingdom.england%3Bdestination.destination%3Aeurope.united-kingdom.england.london) in Earl’s Court is a gorgeous new opening with a secret garden that feels like you’ve been transported to Paris. I also love [Broadwick Soho](https://www.broadwicksoho.com/): the interiors, the story behind it, and how it genuinely feels like a celebration of Soho itself, with local artists and events at the heart of it.

#### Where’s your favourite place for a city break?

**Molly:** You can’t beat hopping on the Eurostar to Amsterdam – it’s so easy and once you’re there the whole city feels instantly liveable. Days can be spent dipping in and out of galleries, cycling along canals and stumbling into tiny candlelit bars. The Dutch are wonderfully warm and their dry humour feels so close to ours.

**Alex:** Porto totally surprised me. Cobbled streets by the river, tiny port houses and boutique shops alongside very cheap flights makes it a slam dunk. Copenhagen, on the other hand, is just effortlessly cool: bikes everywhere, harbour swims and we stayed in the dreamiest old warehouse on the harbour. Both feel really walkable, which makes them perfect for a weekend trip.

 

 

 

 

 [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/2FkiWUibaUzn6K8ZBEmzbcy6I7A=/1920x0/smart/filters:no_upscale()/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Frest-wild.jpg?itok=8bkRv0I_)

 

 ](https://www.restandwild.co/) 

 Rest + Wild 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

#### Best work trip you’ve ever been on?

**Molly:** My very first recording road trip down to Devon and Cornwall will always stay with me. It was a late-British summer with long sunny days and sunsets each night. We stayed in cabins and little inns, and every conversation with the people behind these special places filled me with excitement for what lay ahead.

**Alex:** Our first Curated trip was technically a work trip, but it hardly felt like one. We hosted eight lifestyle influencers at [Cothelstone Manor](https://www.cothelstonemanor.com/) in Somerset. With matching pyjamas by [Desmond &amp; Dempsey](https://desmondanddempsey.com/), food by Olivia Cavalli, days filled with blackberry-picking walks, life drawing, and drinking cans of [The Uncommon wine](https://wearetheuncommon.co.uk/) by the fire, it was the perfect way to soak up the last of the September sun.

#### What’s the most memorable meal you’ve had abroad?

**Molly:** Midsommar in Båstad, Sweden. We sat at a long trestle table overlooking the sea, feasting on pickled herring, new potatoes and cured salmon, with endless schnapps and aquavit flowing. There were mandatory drinking songs between every course – honestly, Christmas has nothing on it.

#### Do you ever order room service?

**Molly:** Usually breakfast. There’s nothing better than a pot of coffee and a tray of pastries when it’s grey outside and you can’t quite face leaving your pyjamas.

#### If you had to live in a hotel, where would you pick?

**Molly:** Tough one. In the UK, either [Thyme](https://www.thyme.co.uk/) for country living at its most luxurious or [Gara Rock](https://www.gararock.com/) in Devon for sea views, coastal walks and the option of a lunchtime swim. Otherwise, somewhere small and perfectly formed as close to the sea as possible – maybe [Mèlisses](https://melissesandros.com/) in Andros.

#### What are your holiday packing essentials?

**Molly:** Books (or a Kindle if I’m packing light), a notebook and multiple pens, my camcorder, prescription sunglasses and always under-eye patches (I swear by [Charlotte Tilbury’s](https://shop.charlottetilbury.com/or/camref:1011l4QSA/destination:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charlottetilbury.com%2Fuk%2Fproduct%2Fimmediate-revival-eye-patches)).

**Alex:** A sarong. It sounds unlikely but it’s my ultimate Swiss Army knife: blanket for the plane, picnic rug, beach cover-up, towel, a saucy fashion number – and it packs down so small. My other must-have is my headphones for Audible; I always travel with a big audiobook on the go.

 

 

 

 [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/fJaz6mIHnxOTPOxZXZIfDUqMf_o=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Fthyme-3.jpg?itok=zxD0W5Kb)

 

 ](https://www.thyme.co.uk/) 

 Thyme 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

#### What’s the best souvenir you’ve brought back from holiday?

**Molly:** Some paintings by an Argentinian artist I bought at a street market in Amsterdam. I was there for Pride and whenever I look at them, I’m instantly taken back to that weekend – full of colour, joy and celebration.

#### Where were your favourite holiday pictures taken?

**Molly:** The mountains. I ski a lot, so my camera roll is full of silly après shots and sweeping Alpine sunsets. Nothing cheers me up faster than scrolling through those.

#### What swimwear do you always pack for a holiday?

**Molly:** An admittedly chaotic collection: swimsuits for proper swims, one nice bikini (this summer I loved [Rat &amp; Boa’s Azra](https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=etT1jgERWYw&mid=52944&murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ratandboa.com%2Fproducts%2Fazra-bikini-top%3Fsrsltid%3DAfmBOoon9JRd9cNvyJxbCP_V5MePQibVIqwq-ETebIZhblhlWJyBJ_GA)) and a jumble of mismatched bottoms for a more Gallic approach to sunbathing.

#### What places are on your bucket list?

**Molly:** I’d love to do a proper Scandinavian adventure – maybe a road trip through Sweden or the Norwegian fjords. I’d also like to spend more time exploring Africa and am hoping to visit Tanzania and South Africa in 2026.

#### What have you got booked next?

**Molly:** I’m excited to be getting the [Curated Spaces](https://curatedspaces.substack.com/podcast) podcast back on the road and am heading back to Devon and Cornwall to record at some amazing places like [The Idle Rocks](https://idlerocks.com/), [Three Mile Beach](https://threemilebeach.co.uk/), [The Bull in Totnes](https://www.bullinntotnes.co.uk/) and [Fowlescombe Farm](https://fowlescombe.com/). It’s been two years since I first started the podcast. Back then, it was just me, a mic and a slightly hare-brained plan to share the stories behind the UK’s most soulful stays. Fast forward to now and Curated has snowballed into a platform. Why? Because time and again, I heard the same frustrations. Spaces felt lost in the noise of faceless booking platforms. Tastemakers – the very people filling rooms and putting places on the map – were completely cut out of the process and travellers were crying out for something more personal that would put the joy back into travel planning.

**Alex:** Think of it as a travel club where tastemakers share the places they love and stay – from boutique hideaways to design-led boltholes – and you can book them directly. Less endless scrolling, more ‘I’ll have what she’s having’.

 

*For more from Molly &amp; Alex, visit* [*CURATEDSPACES.CLUB*](https://www.curatedspaces.club/guest) *&amp; follow* [*@CURATEDSPACESCLUB*](https://www.instagram.com/curatedspacesclub/)

 

 

 [ ![](https://media.sheerluxe.com/4re_7N2mMLHaHXA-WEv8K8RmYgA=/800x0/smart/https%3A%2F%2Fsheerluxe.com%2Fsites%2Fsheerluxe%2Ffiles%2Farticles%2F2025%2F09%2Fthyme.jpg?itok=GKL3DaRT)

 

 ](https://www.thyme.co.uk/) 

 Thyme 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

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