Stars: They’re just like us! When The Wall Street Journal recently asked famous globe-trotters which hotels they love the most, we were thrilled to see that many — 27 to be exact — were Hideaway Report-recommended. Here, we share quotes from the article about why they hold these particular properties so dear. See our favorite snippets below.
Karin Slaughter, crime writer: “It is right on the Grand Canal. I got the suite that George Clooney honeymooned in.”
Judy Collins, singer: “[In high school] one of the places we performed at was the Brown Palace Hotel. We met Tony Curtis there. He told us how wonderful we were.”
Kelli O’Hara, singer and actress: “The guest-room walls were, as the song goes, ‘a bright canary yellow’ and made me ‘forget every cloud I’ve ever seen.’ At least for a bit.”
Rob Marshall, Oscar-winning director: “It’s an intimate hotel right on the beach — pure heaven. You open the door and you’re on the sand.”
Paul Feig, producer and director: “It’s everything I want the world to be … I always dress up in suit and tie and when I walk down the master staircase into the lobby I feel like Scarlett O’Hara.”
Donna Karan, fashion designer and philanthropist: “Beyond the aesthetic, COMO Shambhala embodies holistic wellness, combining spirituality and inspiration through activities, different Eastern therapies and its food.”
Kelli O’Hara: “One night, after a long day out, we found ourselves sitting by the fire, having a drink, eating ice cream and playing Scrabble. It felt like home … a fancy home.”
Malin Akerman, actress: “Ett Hem is a rustic-looking boutique hotel in Stockholm that has a family-style kitchen where you can have the cooks make you something anytime.”
Susan Orlean, author: “Besides having the most beautiful spa I’ve ever seen, the hotel has a resident family of water buffaloes named Mr. and Mrs. Mud and Baby Sand, who walk the perimeter of the hotel each evening at sundown. I miss them.”
Paul Feig: “It’s gorgeous, art nouveau. It’s the best-run hotel I’ve ever been in.”
Veronica Miele Beard, co-founder of fashion brand Veronica Beard: “Grand-Hôtel Du Cap-Ferrat [on the French Riviera] is the honeymoon hotel of the century.”
Robin Standefer, co-founder of Roman and Williams interior design firm: “After a bath in a wooden tub in a Japanese cedar room and a long sleep, [we] opened the shoji screen to find snow falling on a still-red maple with a bird on a branch. Totally surreal and dreamlike.”
Rob Marshall: “We sat on the terrace until dawn and watched the sun come up over the Riviera. We’ve never been back, but I’ll never forget it.”
John Sayles, writer-director: “I only stayed once at the Plaza Athénée in Paris, not too far from the Eiffel Tower, in 1980 or something. I was writing a movie for Steven Spielberg that he was producing…. The Athénée is such a classy place.”
Renée Fleming: “It’s a paradise … I really just unwound, but I did take a mule tour of the countryside and Berber villages, which was lovely, especially when our guide invited us into his home for tea.”
Jimmy O. Yang, actor: “My big thing is beds. Mattresses … My dream is just to take my mattress to every hotel. But the Mandarin’s bed is really nice — it’s the right amount of soft.”
David Rockwell, architect and designer: “The public spaces are filled with Bauhaus-influenced artwork by contemporary Israeli artists so you feel like you are spending time at home in an amazing private residence.”
André Fu, architect: “Its modernity and timeless quality have continued to inspire me. The bold proportions are visually powerful, yet there remains a strong sense of intimacy within the spaces.”
Rob Marshall: “For me, this was the hotel where Eloise lived, and it was easy to imagine Eloise with her turtle and pug running down the hallway causing havoc!”
Phil Keoghan, TV host: “I love the setting, the weather can be crazy and wild and the rooms are really interesting.”
Kelly Wearstler, interior designer: “The hotel’s history, luxurious attention to detail and impeccable service truly impart such a sense of place. And the staff is super friendly and makes you feel like this legendary hotel is your own personal European pied-à-terre.”
Lizzie Fortunato, jewelry designer: “The Six Senses in Con Dao, Vietnam, is in the middle of the South China Sea on a relatively deserted island, but the infinity pools, impeccable service, paddle boarding, sunsets and perfectly decorated beach bungalows made it one of the most memorable stays ever.”
Aurélie Bidermann, jewelry designer: “Lake Palace in Udaipur, India, is this magnificent place in the middle of a lake. I was in my late 20s when I visited. I’m not sure I would go back. I don’t want it to lose the magic I have in my memories.”
Martine Assouline, publisher: “One night … the geishas asked us to follow them to the best tempura bar in Kyoto. It was a 20-minute walk from the ryokan, and the four of us were in kimonos and sandals in the street.”
Read the complete quotes, along with other hotels these A-listers liked, in The Wall Street Journal’s “24 Famous Globe-Trotters on the Hotels They Love Most.”
Andrew Harper members have access to full travel-planning services through Andrew Harper Travel.
1 (800) 375-4685
Open M-F 8:30AM-5:30PM CT
