
How I Travel: Mr & Mrs Smith's James and Tamara Lohan
What’s your idea of the perfect getaway – a weekend at an inn, a beachside boutique hotel or a five-star property? If you said all of the above, you probably already know Mr & Mrs Smith, the travel-booking website that caters to all our vacation personalities. But you may not know James and Tamara Lohan, the British husband and wife behind the brand that showcases only hotels that lie up to their high standards. We caught up with the parents of two to ask them about their hit business and favourite hot spots.
Since Mr & Mrs Smith got its start 10 years ago (first as a publisher of guidebooks), you’ve made a lot of fans, including Cate Blanchett. How did
you interest the Oscar winner in reviewing the
Wolgan Valley resort for MrandMrsSmith.com?
James: She’s a friend of a friend ... She was
eager to do it. Even for A-listers, it’s not a bad
gig. I think everyone has an article in them.
Tamara, can you recommend a favourite
sunny getaway for Canadians?
Coqui Coqui is
one of my favourite hotels! It’s in Tulum,
Mexico, on the Riviera Maya and run by two
fashion [veterans]. You feel like you’re on a
fashion shoot when you’re there.
Do you have favourite items to travel with?
Tamara: Lily and Lionel scarves because I love
the feel of them. They’re just beautiful.
James: I always wear a hoodie on a plane. It’s
comfortable and stops a draft around your neck.
Is there a secret to working together as a couple?
James: Complementary skill sets. We are
opposites. She is techy and I look after the brand.
Tamara: He chooses the wallpaper in our
house and I make the TV work. [Laughs]
Might you open a hotel of your own one day?
James: We probably will have to, if I’m honest.
Tam and I are a bit obsessed about hotels.
A MrandMrsSmith.com favourite, Goldeneye - the boutique hotel once home to James Bond writer Ian Fleming.