Founders of hotel guide Mr and Mrs Smith on what you can expect from boutique hotels in the future

SINGAPORE — It’s time to meet the real Mr and Mrs Smith, aka the founders of the boutique hotel website James and Tamara Lohan. The couple started their guide to sexy and stylish boutique properties in 2003 after a disastrous weekend away where the hotel they booked was nothing like what it promised.

“Things were very different. There weren’t that many (boutique hotels) then. We struggled to find hotels to suit what we were after,” shared James, who was in town with Tamara for a panel discussion on the topic The Future of the Hospitality Experience Through Technology and Design.

He added: “These days, we have too many hotels to choose from. We have 300 a month trying to get into the Smith collection.”

Tamara agreed, explaining that the glut of boutique hotels these days makes their jobs in curating them even more relevant. “True boutique hotels, which are owner-run, are the ones which always reinvent themselves,” she said. “They’re always the ones who are evolving with new trends.”

Q: How has design and technology affected the hospitality experience?

Tamara: We’ve noticed how travellers are looking for more organic, almost back to nature, designs. Treehouses and cabins are doing very well. For technology, it should be more in the background in hotels, to make your stays as comfortable and seamless as possible.

James: We have seen so many hotels try different things when it comes to technology. Everyone seems to jump on being too clever but all travellers want is a frictionless stay. There was a terrible trend in boutique hotels for a while where everything became electronic and could be controlled from a master keyboard; it took you half an hour to figure everything out. That was ghastly.

Q: How about some of the more promising new trends in the industry?

T: We’re seeing hotels becoming more like a private house. These stays are more specialised and personal. It’s hotels such as Et Hem in Stockholm, Luna2 in Bali and Foxhill Manor in England. They are more like homes where you can book rooms; they’re also different from villas as they’re fully staffed.

J: There’s also a movement for countryside hotels. As urbanites, we crave greenery, animals and being a part of a place rather than just a visitor. There is a sense of localisation. For instance, The Pig Hotels in England call themselves “restaurants with rooms” as the produce comes from their gardens or are sourced within a 15-mile radius.

Q: As founders of Mr and Mrs Smith, you see so many beautiful, stylish hotels. Does it get too much after a while?

J: It doesn’t get boring. But it does get difficult to wow or surprise us so what we are looking for are touches and details that make a hotel special. Is the music just right? Can the bartender make a killer cocktail? It’s about seeing the love and attention that goes into the property.

T: It has been inspiring. We’re lucky to see such innovations and unique stays and the evolution of hotels.

Q: You also bring your children along quite frequently for your work travels. How do you manage?

J: We lock our eight- and six-year-olds in the room and throw them some food!

T: Travelling with kids can be hard but we bring a nanny sometimes or we tag-team. With kids, even a hotel room can be a giant playground — it’s about finding the right place to stay. As for surviving the flight, we have to say, the iPad is a breakthrough. I know a lot of mums get panicky about too much screen time, but sometimes it’s about getting some peace on the flight. Apps these days are also very educational. I give them a mix of gamey ones they choose and the educational ones I pick out for them.

J: When they were younger, we’d wrapped up presents and say they could get them if they were good on the plane. They were small items like wind-up toys or sticker books. It’s quite a good way to get them to behave. SERENE LIM