Mushrooms, Anyone? You Can Now Stay in a Smurf Mushroom Villa

In today’s Happenings—HAP editor, Luke Abrahams, shares how you can now book a Smurf mushroom house, engage in “challenge travel,” and find allure in a secret part of Scotland. Also, on the agenda: Meet the Hotelier continues, why a summer lake break is the vibe, and our NYC Know-It-All, Megan Shelton, strikes again with the “Big Apple” happenings on her radar. 🔽

I used to love the Smurfs—minus the terrible movie. So when I found out Airbnb was offering a Smurf-themed gaff for the night, I was rather stoked. As with anything of this nature, there's a story behind it. The gimmicky abode coincides with the release of the new Smurfs movie, and a few lucky folk will be able to book themselves onto a four-hour experience taking place in the Belgian Woods, where the idea for these characters was born. Expect smurf houses, cool games, and some crazy themed meals. Find out more here.

I am bored of all these trends, but it's newsy and keeps me in a job, so here it goes. Getting out of your comfort zone is the latest frontier in luxury travel, according to the folks at Travel + Leisure. In a nutshell, travel experts Black Tomato and Pelorus say that trips that challenge adventure seekers to the max have spiked by nearly 40% in 2024. They want "a true challenge and isolation." We can't blame them, the world is getting smaller and finding any spot oozing splendid loneliness is a task these days. Here's some inspo just in case you need to escape and stat.

Oh, look, more royal history the Americans will love. Balmoral is world-famous, not just for its castle, but for its stunning grounds. Queen Victoria was a major fan of course—it was her favorite spot—and now that the place is even more accessible to common folk, its secrets are slowly being revealed. Tucked deep in the woods of Balmoral lie 11 little-known memorial cairns—including one massive granite pyramid—that commemorate love, grief, and nation building. You can now see them on a long AF walk around the estate (for a price, of course) but the effort is worth it because the entire Scottish estate is damn beautiful in my opinion. Find out more here!

In our latest edition of Meet The Hotelier, we catch up with James Lynch, the man behind two of the finest boutique stays in Wales: fforest and Albion Aberteifi. From his style to his wildest travel story, James gives us a smidge of insight into his hotel journey thus far.

Luke: Sum up your hospitality style in a sentence.

James: Warmth, craft, and comfort—all expressed in the design and delivery of what we do.

Luke: Why should people visit this part of Wales? What makes it so special to you?

James: I always say—because it’s not Shoreditch! But on a serious note, the landscape, authenticity, and undiscovered beauty of the area are undervalued in the UK, and everyone should see it for themselves.

Luke: Who or what is your hospitality muse? Why has this inspired you so much?

James: My muses are destinations—the welcome and championing of the outdoors from New Zealand, the cultural and technological prestige of Japan (as well as their ‘mend and make do’ mentality), and the high sense of design from Scandinavia..

Luke: When a guest walks into Fforest, what do you want them to feel, and how does your own personal brand philosophy hope to capture this?

James: Whichever fforest venue you walk into, we want you to feel transported. My personal philosophy is that you should never take away anything good—whether on the land or in a historical building. For example, at fforest Farm, we worked with the 200-acre woodland, so you are part of nature; and at Albion Hotel, the historical shipping warehouse has the gift of the ghosts in its bones—original sketches of sails on the lime walls, etc.

Luke: Name five people, dead or alive, whom you would want checking into Fforest.

James: Ronnie Lane, Milton Glaser, Glenn Murcutt, Etta James, Fergus Henderson.

Luke: If you could do one thing differently throughout your hotel journey at the Albion Aberteifi, what would it have been and why?

James: To build the spa and wellness offering at the same time. We are currently working on this project, with more updates to come.

Luke: Tell us your wildest travel story.

James: My outlook on food, architecture, and design has been most inspired by Japan… In 1979, when I was just 20, I was invited to live in Osaka for a year. I had never been abroad before and arrived in a scruffy Levi’s tee and £40 to my name. Looking a little too punky, I was nearly sent straight back by customs, but luckily, my boss bailed me out. I went back at 60 with my wife and four sons, and we did the Kumano Kodo Buddhist trail—a different wild experience from when I arrived.

I recently spent a weekend in St Moritz at Badrutt's Palace. While everyone was flocking to the beaches, I fancied something a wee bit different: isolation in the mountains. The beauty of a European lake break is that, aside from obvious spots like Como and Garda, those wedged in between the Alps are virtually yours to explore, minus all the deafening crowds you find elsewhere. Sure, you've got the day trippers and all that, but there's a resolute peace day in and day out that you won't find at a busy beach. Being by a lake is relaxing thanks to a serene atmosphere and beautiful scenery. And if you do get bored easily like yours truly, there's plenty to do: swimming, kayaking, paddle-boarding, hiking, and more. Plus, come the time, you'll get some of the best sunrises, sunsets, and stargazing experiences the world has to offer. Discuss.

Our weekly column from hospitality-obsessed city native Megan Shelton unveils the gotta-be-there spots across the Big Apple that are anything BUT basic.

For more NYC + travel content, follow Megan, who doubles as HAP's NYC Know-It-All and Contributing Travel Editor, on Instagram, TikTok, and her Substack, Turndown Service.

Want more Hotels Above Par?

Thanks for continuing to subscribe to Hotels Above Par’s twice-a-week newsletters. To unsubscribe, click the link at the bottom of this email. To note, as it’s a different send-out, if you want to unsubscribe from Hotel Espresso, you can do that at the bottom of that newsletter, not this one