Mr & Mrs Smith
Internet hotel research often takes much longer than anticipated. Even with some of the great new travel search and booking websites, you still often spend hours ensuring the hotel you book will be something you like. Even then, if the hotel is new to you, it still feels like a risk and you’re not completely at ease until you check in.
Former Lonely Planet Director and now Melbourne based, Simon Westcott, co-founded Mr & Mrs Smith Asia Pacific, which publishes hotel guide books and a website to cater for those seeking luxury boutique hotels. A team of anonymous reviewers travel around the world to each of the hotels featured on the site to ensure they deliver the standards required for inclusion. Simon did reveal at a recent conference that Cate Blanchett is one of the reviewers for Mr & Mrs Smith.
A Smith hotel has a certain look, feel and ambiance and it’s probably best understood by visiting the website and exploring the many gorgeous properties on offer. The site concentrates on smaller boutique hotels that are situated all over the world at varying prices.
In addition to being able to book via the site, there are also various levels of membership, the ultimate being the Goldsmith package. Being a Goldsmith gives you a personal 24 hour concierge. The Goldsmith team will discuss your requirements with you and make any bookings you require for your journey – theatre tickets, restaurant reservations and even look after your home while you’re away (organising plant watering, pet feeding and the like).
Goldsmiths also get room upgrades when available, various discounts, perks and access to more than 150 airport lounges around the world if you book for three nights or longer. The annual fee is $600.
All of the membership levels have a loyalty component with a percentage of each booking going back into your account to be used in future bookings. For Blacksmiths the rate is 1%, Silversmiths 3% and Goldsmiths 5%.
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