Since being introduced to honeymoon planners + boutique travel experts, Mr & Mrs Smith, organizing that perfect post-nuptial getaway has never been more fabulous! For the past ten years, they’ve been organizing incredible trips for clients throughout the world and just recently, they’ve introduced a planning service just for honeymooners — the Just Married Pass! We sat down with one of their expert concierges, Jasmine Robinson, to pick her well-traveled brain for the honeymoon inside scoop. Get ready to take some serious notes, lovelies!
SMP: How do you define a Mr & Mrs Smith honeymoon?
Jasmine: To me, the ultimate in luxury is having everything taken care of from the moment you leave for the airport to the moment you arrive back home at your front door. You should be staying at a memorable, distinctive hotel. Whether that means a private beach and breakfast in bed or a five-room inn down a winding side-street in Positano, it is all about having once-in-a-lifetime experiences.
SMP: Tell us, what are your top three most favorite honeymoon hotels?
Jasmine: Castiglion del Bosco, The Datai and the Post Ranch Inn, in no particular order.
SMP: So, where would you send someone with a $5,000 budget?
Jasmine: I’d go for a shorter trip to Central and South America. Costa Rica is easy to get to and it’s absolutely gorgeous — and really affordable! You can get your beach time in, but then totally chill out in the jungle at someplace like Kurà. I’m also completely in love with Peru and Mexico as destinations right now. If you want to stay in the US, then definitely the West Coast.
SMP: And where would you send your clients if they had an unlimited honeymoon budget?
Jasmine: Southeast Asia, for sure. The Maldives are probably the most commonly requested honeymoon destination I get, but I often try to steer couples toward Bali, Thailand or elsewhere in Southeast Asia — similarly unspoiled beaches, but with interesting cultural things to do, too!
SMP: We are fascinated by the beauty of Italy, but want to try something new. Where else would you recommend that has a similar feel?
Jasmine: If you want to try something different, and stretch your budget a little further, San Sebastiàn, in the Spanish Basque Country, has the best food in the world — and northern Spain is just so beautiful! Croatia also has that old-world feel and looks very similar to parts of the Italian coastline. For somewhere a little more exciting, I love Morocco. The cities are so vibrant and we have some seriously gorgeous and romantic riads there.
SMP: Where would you go if you could plan your own honeymoon?
Jasmine: I’d buy an around-the-world ticket… But if I had to pick, I’d do a few weeks in either New Zealand or Patagonia. They’re both stunning, in terms of natural beauty; and they’re still flying a bit under the radar as destinations. And there are some hotels I’d love to stay at in both – like the minimalist and modern Eagles Nest, overlooking the Bay of Islands, and the edge-of-the-world Rio Hermoso
SMP: Sounds dreamy! Any other advice for honeymooners?
Jasmine: Get a honeymoon registry! Mr & Mrs Smith includes one as part of the Just Married Pass and it’ll help ensure you are able to take the trip of a lifetime. The Pass also gets you bespoke trip planning, automatic room upgrades and around-the-clock concierge service; plus this year only, we’re including a $250 travel nest egg to make your first anniversary trip just as good as the honeymoon.
So there you have it! Ready to have Mr & Mrs Smith plan the bespoke honeymoon you’ve been dreaming of? Give them a call at 800-464-2040, email their expert honeymoon planners (including Jasmine) on honeymoons {at} smithhotels.com, or head over here to get started!
