Kate Weir

2 weeks ago | mrandmrssmith.com | Kate Weir

Porto might be Portugal’s second city (after Lisbon), but it makes for a first-rate weekend break. Its high-frequency topography is lined with lavishly Azulejo-tiled buildings, gets you woozy on white-to-tawny ports, rings with mournful Fado songs and spills over into the Douro Valley wine region. The best hotels in Porto reflect its characterful nature; our pick of spa hotels, family apartments and beachside hideaways offer an intro to the city as smooth as its signature drink.

3 weeks ago | mrandmrssmith.com | Kate Weir

Saving the world looks different these days. It’s galloping out into Chile’s sierras on horseback with a gaucho, laying down tracks with indie darlings in a secret recording studio in Cabo, diving into bioluminescent waters in Cambodia, and many more thrilling pursuits beyond sorting rubbish into bins. How do you do your bit? By booking a B Corp hotel.

1 month ago | mrandmrssmith.com | Kate Weir

By London standards, Clerkenwell is relatively low-key. It’s lighter on postcard sights and leaves hipster swagger to Shoreditch next door, and people actually live around its serene Georgian garden squares (a word of warning: you’ll never be more tempted to buy a townhouse). But its laidback feel masks centuries of political dynamism, dining revolutions and historic intrigue, which you can discover without those pesky tourist hordes.

1 month ago | mrandmrssmith.com | Kate Weir

Let us introduce you to the world’s most exciting hotel chefs as we guide you through the gourmet getaway spots we’re hungering for…WHO’S IN THE KITCHEN? It’s unsurprising that Veronese chef Chiara Pavan specialised in philosophy of science at university — she’s a talent whose approach to dining is methodical and innovative, and she’s working where she’s needed most.

1 month ago | mrandmrssmith.com | Kate Weir

In January this year, California’s usual placid scenes of close-up-ready beaches and vine-clad hinterland were replaced with those tragically more infernal. But amid the devastation of the voracious wildfires — which tore through 57,000 acres and killed 29 people — there were tales of hope and humanity, many of which came from California’s top hotels, who provided shelter for those displaced and rallied around to raise donations.