Dan Howarth on Design-Driven Travel, What Makes a Hotel Feel Authentic, and Finding the Perfect Solo Reset

What got you into writing about travel in the first place?

I’m very fortunate that I had many opportunities to travel from a young age. Growing up in the UK, much of Europe was within easy reach—and relatively affordable in the 90s—so our family would explore England, and visit France, Spain, and Greece during the school holidays. We also had family friends who moved around internationally, to Singapore, Berlin, New York, and we would visit them in each location (can’t beat a free place to stay!). My school also offered subsidized trips—everywhere from art department visits to Florence, to skiing in the Alps.

I studied Architecture at university, but after spending a year in Asia post-graduation, I realized I wasn’t prepared to sit at a desk. On my return to London, I interned at an online design publication, then was hired full-time and honed my journalism skills as I climbed the ladder to editor. After writing about architecture and design for many years—traveling the world for events in the process, and eventually relocating to New York City—I naturally gravitated towards hospitality interiors, and slowly found a niche for myself covering luxury hotels, restaurants, lifestyle trends with a strong design focus or angle.

What's a detail you notice now that you'd have missed five years ago?

Now more than ever, I’m acutely aware of context when it comes to hotel design. Does the property feel like it belongs to its location, or is at least an extension of it? And does it achieve that in an authentic way? I’ve stayed in a few places that have tried to blend into their environments using the local vernacular, but come across as pastiche or trying too hard. On the other hand, many hotel designers completely disregard the locale and just build whatever they want, which results in soulless, corporate-looking architecture. Sensitive development, or even better, historic restoration, is always the way to go. At the very least, incorporate locally produced materials, artwork, and crafts into a hotel, to give the spaces a sense of place.

Where would you send a friend looking for a solo reset?

I was just in Milan for the city’s annual design week, and after many long days of appointments, events, and dinners, my social batteries were dead and I needed to be on my own for a couple of days. So I traveled down on the train to Porto Ercole, a small fishing town on the Monte Argentario peninsula—about as remote as you can get for Italy’s popular west coast. This charming little town is a favorite with Romans, many of whom have summer houses here, but still largely undiscovered by international tourists. I stayed at La Roqqa, a paprika-hued boutique hotel perched on the hillside, filled with iconic Italian furniture and with a spacious rooftop overlooking the harbor. In April, both the hotel and the town were very quiet, so I could fully relax in peace—even the hotel’s beach club on the pristine Mediterranean waters was almost empty. A day laying in the sun here, then dinner at a quaint waterside restaurant, and a morning stroll around the fortified medieval borgo, and I was a brand new person! I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a solo spring getaway.

What's the fastest way a hotel can win you over?

Having a clothing steamer in the room! No one wants to (or should) wear creased clothes on their vacation or business trip, and an ironing board is far too cumbersome and unsightly. A steamer is the first thing I look for after I’ve checked in, and I hate having to call down for one. I will say, at the newly opened Casa Laveni in Milan, the General Manager went out and bought a brand new steamer for me because they didn’t have any yet. Now that’s great service!

What's an amenity you don't care about that everyone else seems to?

Controversially, I’m not a fan of turndown service. Mainly because I prefer to sleep with the drapes or blinds open so I can wake up with the sun, and whenever I return to my room to find them closed, I have to open them all again. Don’t get me wrong, I love the slippers placed by the bed and the chocolate on the pillow, but I’d be very happy to fill out a quick form letting the housekeeping team know to leave the windows uncovered each night. I guess I could leave a note… Perhaps I’ll try that next time!

Where are you trying to get to this year?

I have never been to Japan and am dying to go! From what I’ve seen and heard, everything about the architecture and design; efficiency and service; cuisine and culture will blow my mind. I’d love nothing more than to spend two or three weeks hopping between the cities on the bullet trains, and also exploring the smaller islands and rural villages while staying at family-run ryokans and onsens. A dream trip, for sure.

What's the most recent hotel you added to your Stayed List?

Castiglion del Bosco, the Rosewood property formerly owned by the Ferragamo family in the heart of Tuscany, was the last stop on my recent Italian adventure. I stayed in one of the 5,000-acre estate’s private villas, which was absolutely stunning and epitomized the Tuscan countryside fantasy. I’ve never eaten so much food in my life: local pici pasta, truffles we foraged ourselves, ravioli we made during a cooking class, and more bottles of Brunello di Montalcino red wine that I could count. It was a very indulgent end to an amazing two-and-a-half weeks in Italy.

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