For the fourth year, Mr & Mrs Smith, the travel club for hotel lovers, is searching the world for the 12 most special stays that raise the bar in terms of design, food, service and all-round wow factor.
From today, the hotel-loving public are invited to vote for the hotel in the 1,000-strong Smith collection that most merits the ultimate accolade: the title of ‘Best Smith Hotel 2016’.
For this year’s awards, the 12 categories have been updated to reflect the changing boutique-hotel scene around the world, acknowledging those unique aspects of the hotel experience that have particular resonance to today’s traveller – whether that’s having an intimate bar just made for date nights; supplying a pitch-perfect soundtrack; acting as a hub for the neighbourhood creative scene; or being an environment-enhancing champion of the local community.
With results announced officially on Friday 13 January 2017 (and with a sneak preview at a champagne-popping press party in London on Thursday 12th), the awards aim to reward the world’s best boutique stays, while setting the travel agenda for the most desirable destinations for the year ahead.
How it works
MMS Copper Room
Shortlists of the top 10 hotels in 11 categories (selected by Smith’s expert insiders including company founders James and Tamara Lohan and founding editor Juliet Kinsman) will be put to a panel of three specialist judges in each category.
However, the headline award – Best Smith Hotel 2016 – is entirely down to the public vote, with every hotel in Smith’s worldwide collection in with a chance to win.
The judges
One of the judges Charlotte Dellal, Founder of Charlotte Olympia. Image Credit: MarieClaire Australia
As ever, Mr & Mrs Smith has reached out to its network of global tastemakers to put together a panel of expert judges (three for each of 11 categories), all selected for their gimlet critical eye and impeccable travel credentials. The full line-up is listed on the awards site, but this year’s judges include:
Designer Charlotte Dellal, founder of Charlotte Olympia
Yasmin Sewell, Fashion director at Style.com and co founder of être cécile
Fast moving founder of House of Holland, Henry Holland
Tailor, Patrick Johnson, founder of Johnson Tailors
Jewellery designer Lucy Folk, Lucy Folk
Founder of Eco Age, Livia Firth
Co-founder and editor of Cereal magazine and Cereal Guides, Rosa Park
Designer and luxury nightwear specialist Olivia von Halle
Cocktail maestro Tony Conigliaro
Digital editor, Amanda Shadforth
Legendary restaurateur Jeremy King
Singer-songwriter Jessie Ware
Travel writer and hotelier, Alice Naylor-Leyland
Louise Olsen & Stephen Ormandy, founders of Dinosaur Designs