This Ritzy Hotel Speakeasy Is Now Loewe’s Playground—Catch It Before It’s Gone

Say hello to this week’s Happenings—your sometimes spicy yet digestible and eventful dispatch concerning HAP editor Luke Abrahams’ authentic thoughts on travel. Plus, what’s going on in the Big Apple’s hospitality scene this week, courtesy of our NYC Know-It-All, Megan Shelton. Bon voyage, friends.

Mount Etna just blew—shall I go?! You have probably seen Etna blow smoke all over social media of late, and if you are headed to Italy, the first thing that might pop into your head is: shall I go? While everyone loves a bit of drama, that's all it is, drama. Nobody died and nobody was injured. In fact, eruptions are common, and while this was the largest eruption the island has seen in four years, it posed absolutely no threat according to officials and scientists. All tours have since resumed and all is well and back to normal. If you are still a bit meh, check out this deep dive into the situation to find out more.

Take your seatbelt off in this country and you will be FINED. Have you ever touched down at an airport and asked yourself... why the hell are these people getting up to grab their luggage before the plane has even reached the gate? It's a group one only, group 6 comes to the counter kinda situation, right? The Turkish Civil Aviation Authority are like me, they have had enough and to curb the rebels have introduced new regulations that will FINE you for standing up before an aircraft docks. Slap off your belt too soon and you will be 62 euros poorer. Y'all have been warned. Find out more about the terms here.

This eco tour company takes you to the most remote places on earth. The world is getting smaller and tour op Natural Habitat Adventures knows it. Beyond all of the same old, same old marketing jargon, its tours come with an actual purpose: to educate the next batch of "climate advocates." To tighten up its credentials, the green travel company is pairing up with the World Wildlife Fund to encourage travelers to visit locations around the globe threatened by global warming. Why? To create even more advocates to help protect our beautiful planet. Find out where they are off to here. –LA

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 via her Substack, Turndown Service.

In our latest edition of Meet The Hotelier, we have a rendezvous with Sama Trinder, the powerhouse behind B-Corp boutique hotel, Bingham Riverhouse.

Luke: Sum up the Sama hospitality style in a sentence.

Sama: For us, true hospitality is about caring for and nurturing our guests. It’s more important now than ever before, with the stress and pressures of life. Guests seek personalized care and attention—not something homogeneous or formulaic, but the feeling of being truly seen and understood.

Luke: You are the only black female-owned boutique hotel in the UK. Tell us about your journey and what has been the most rewarding thing for you so far, personally and as a business?

Sama: I was lucky enough to take over a family business in my early twenties. My mother, a formidable Kenyan woman came to the UK in the 1960s and ran a chain of nursing homes with my late father. Little did I know, but it was incredible training, as they ran the homes like hotels for the elderly, offering three-course meals for lunch and dinner, afternoon tea, and more.

I took over Bingham Riverhouse when my mother was planning to sell it—it was the beginning of the boutique hotel era, and I saw the potential for it to become something really unique. I stumbled across the first edition of “Mr & Mrs Smith” in a local book shop and it captured my imagination. Before that, luxury was all about grand central London or countryside properties. We, as an intimate Georgian townhouse, found a way to offer luxury while staying true to our roots as what was originally a private house.

There have been so many rewarding aspects. The boutique sector resonates with my values as an innovator, always wanting to go against the grain and do things differently. We earned a Michelin star for a couple of years and began offering yoga classes to our guests and team over 10 years ago. Sustainability has always been a key value for us, and we’re proud to be the first independent B Corp hotel in the UK.

Luke: The UK hotel climate is changing rapidly, and fast. How are you keeping up with it all and ensuring you read guests better than the competition?

Sama: As a small, independent property without shareholders, we have the flexibility to offer new services more easily. We often look to properties abroad for future trends, and guides like Hotels Above Par help us to do this.

Over the past year for example, we've focused on deepening our commitment as a B Corp-certified hotel, understanding how important this is for guests. We’ve transitioned entirely to renewable energy sources across the property and have expanded our partnerships with local and sustainable food producers for Riverhouse Restaurant. We’ve also recently expanded our commitment to wellbeing with the launch of a new eco treatment space and infrared sauna, as well as wellness experiences by bhuti—a holistic wellness collective which I founded.

Luke: Name five people, dead or alive, you'd like to check into your hotel.

Sama: Joe Dispenza, Facesoul, Richard Branson, Oprah Winfrey, Nina Simone (Nina Simone actually already visited in the 80’s!)

Luke: If there was one thing you would want to abolish in the hotel industry, what would it be and why?

Sama: It’s a tricky one – I think wages in the hospitality industry are not where they should be due to the tight margins needed to keep a business sustainable and what guests are prepared to pay. In many other European cities, higher rates charged by hotels and restaurants make it more viable to offer more competitive pay to staff.

Luke: Who is your hotel hero and why have they been such a driving force in your life?

Sama: In the past, I was inspired by Robin Hutson—I loved the unique and individual food & wine led brands he created that went against the grain at different times, with both Hotel du Vin, and then The Pig. Each championing location, produce and creativity.

Today, I’m deeply inspired by Sonu and Eva Shivdasani, whose vision for wellness and sustainability through Six Senses resonates strongly with me. As we evolve at Bingham, our ambition is to become a fully integrated, soulful, wellbeing-led hotel – and their work inspires me for that future.

Luke: Tell me your fondest travel memory. Why does it stick out most?

Sama: My fondest memories have to be of family holidays when I was a child. I was very lucky – being an only child with older parents, I was always taken everywhere. Every summer, we would return to the same five-star hotel in the Lake District. The general manager knew us well and would chat with us every evening. The breakfasts were unforgettable – Scottish porridge with cream – and there were decadent seven-course dinners each night. It was the 1980s, and everything was EXTRA, but I look back on those times fondly. That personal connection we had with the general manager left a lasting impression, and it’s something I’ve always encouraged my team to emulate with our guests.

Luke: Name one hotel you walked into recently and thought, they do this better than me. Why and what stood out most?

Sama: Heckfield Place—it doesn’t feel like a hotel, but rather a private home. I loved that the original general manager came from the arts, not the traditional hotel industry.

What's irking my soul of late? Terrible airline service. I fly a lot. I have clocked 120 countries and goodness knows how many miles since 1989. I love a good flight, but do I like the airport experience? Absolutely not. Turn up at Heathrow and it’s like cattle being led to the slaughterhouse. No smiles, no greetings... just: "Where are you going?” or "You gotta bag love?" At security, you are simply screamed at, and when you get on the plane, it's like chickens running from Mr KFC. Onboard, the aircraft are filthy, the breakfasts are not fit for consumption (unless you are in business or first class), and the toilets are vomit-inducing. Some airlines are better than others, but it leaves me asking, "What the hell happened?" Discuss.

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