Imagine having the enviable job of travelling the world to review hotels, in particular hotel bedrooms. Well, that is what Tamara Lohan and her husband James have been doing for the past 15 years, since they established Mr & Mrs Smith, a travel club for hotel lovers.
Monteverdi hotel in Tuscany, from Mr & Mrs Smith Presents the World’s Sexiest Bedrooms. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
The couple, along with a group of secret reviewers, including culture connoisseur Stephen Bayley, design doyenne Faye Toogood, pyjama queen Olivia von Halle and The Guardian’s Jess Cartner-Morley hand-pick and review luxury and boutique hotels for the online booking service.
A room in Coqui Coqui Merida, Mexico. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
And now to celebrate the milestone of 15 years, Mr & Mrs Smith have released a coffee table book The World’s Sexiest Bedrooms of their favourite places yet in their travels.
The view from a room at The Upper House, Hong Kong. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
According to James Lohan ‘We wanted to mark our anniversary in the best way we knew how – paying tribute to the most romantic rooms we’ve discovered in proper, unputdownable print. We hope it inspires another 15 years of Do Not Disturb sign-hanging and raises a few eyebrows…”
The view from bed at Soneva Jani, Medhufaru, Maldives. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
Cosy country hideaways, canopy-covered safari lodges, cliff-clung island perches – the book compiles honeymoon-worthy hotels of every shape and size. There are old classics, new loves, passion projects and statement stays from the Cotswolds to the Caribbean, Paris to Phuket.
Gorgeous and sexy – Uxua Casa, Bahia, Brazil. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
But why call it Mr & Mrs Smith? The name was commonly given by couples, who really shouldn’t have been seen together, checking into hotels in post-war Britain for a sexy weekend. So the name is a cheeky nod to that time, although these hotels are suited to all couples – new couples, honeymooners, or long-standing couples, and even those who want to get away and relax and unwind.
The stunning view from a room at Cap Rocat, Mallorca, Spain. Image by Polly Brown/Thames & Hudson
Writer and podcast presenter Pandora Sykes is a fan: ‘There is nothing more delicious than a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel. And there is nothing sexier than a Mr & Mrs Smith bedroom. Now you have a whole book of them to feast on… I’m seduced.”
Go to mrandmrssmith.com to browse more photos from the book.
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