Sometimes on holidays, guide books are a little much. If you’re only in a city for a weekend, it can be a little daunting to have a 250-page to-do list to get through, right? What you sometimes want is a few tips, a list of the must-sees, and a couple of personal recommendations. Rocco Forte Hotels get that, so much so that this spring they’re launching City Insiders, a programme in which well-known influencers and style makers handpick and share their favourite trusted city spots so that hotel guests can enjoy and see their destination like a local.
The influencers’ tips range from morning coffee hangouts to art galleries, great boutiques and off-the-beaten track restaurants, making for authentic, diverse day guides. In London, guests at Brown’s Hotel will get to dine in David Gandy’s favourite breakfast spot, before hitting up his shopping recommendations on the streets of Mayfair. Alternatively, they can go for lunch at Hugh Bonneville favourite lunch spot, HIX Mayfair, before exploring one of Paul Smith’s museum musts.
At Hotel Savoy in Florence, guests can explore Emilio Pucci’s daughter, Laudomia’s smartest shopping itinerary; in Edinburgh at The Balmoral, guests can see the city under the guide of ex Formula One world champion racing driver Sir Jackie Stewart; and at Hotel de Rome in Berlin, restaurant and bar legend Heinz Gindullis will be sharing his secret spots for the finest cocktails in town and best late night snacks.
Get ready to get stuck into the city and see the very best bits.