The co-founder of Mr & Mrs Smith talks about their new book, The World's Sexiest Bedrooms, and how the brand is moving beyond the four corners of a hotel room
Like every great entrepreneurial story, Mr & Mrs Smith was created to answer a personal need. “We couldn’t find a trusted source of where to stay when we were planning our weekend trips. So we decided to create our own,” said co-founder James Lohan, who is also known as the original Mr Smith.
In 2003, he and his partner in life and business, Tamara Lohan, created a travel brand to champion the boutique hotel experience. The timing was ripe—boutique hotels were just starting to take off and discerning travellers were looking for a platform to discover them. With a distinct point of view and excellent curation, the brand first published books and later expanded online to create a “travel club for hotel lovers”. Today, thousands of its members across the globe browse through Mr & Mrs Smith’s hand‑picked selections, from chic hotels in Paris to stylish villas in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
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“Celebrating 15 years is the perfect excuse to return to our publishing roots and produce a book that’s beautiful, playful and representative of everything Mr & Mrs Smith stands for,” said Lohan about its newest travel tome, The World’s Sexiest Bedrooms. While they are marking the milestone with a nod to the past, Lohan and his team are also busy forging the company’s future. They have acquired SideStory, an experiential travel platform that complements their current offering. “The aim is to give our members insider access—whether it’s a street art tour with a graffiti artist or unearthing rare antiques with a renowned expert.”