Vicki Denig on Great Hotels, New England Escapes, and Why Staff Make or Break a Stay

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

I grew up on the island of Bermuda so anytime my family traveled beyond the 21-square-mile blip in the Atlantic Ocean required a flight. I loved being in transit and I loved checking into hotels even more. I used to tell my parents: “I want to live at a hotel when I grow up.” I began documenting all my travels and creating memory books of family trips. I always knew I wanted to be a writer so I attended Emerson College for journalism and honed in on my niche. I began a travel blog during my sophomore study abroad in London where I accumulated maybe 10 followers (all family) but I remember feeling so committed and proud to write each entry. That’s what really solidified my direction into travel and when I returned to Boston to finish my last two years, I sought out internships to further my progress. Now, after more than a decade post-graduation, I think I made my young self’s dream come true—on assignment at least two trips a month, I’m essentially living in a hotel. 

‍

What does a "good" hotel mean to you right now? What makes a "great" hotel?

I think so many hotels rest on their laurels, whether that’s a brand name or a tie to a supposedly luxury destination. But just like anything, you need to work for a “great” title and the ones that do are the hotels that invest in their staff. 

Friendly, reliable, present service is a baseline for me. A great hotel offers service before you know you need it—the staff feel like mind readers because they pay attention to every detail. Maybe they noted how you skipped breakfast for the gym so they send up a protein bar or you mention you’re getting married in a few months and the next time you enter your suite there are essential oils tied up in an aqua ribbon with a note that follows the generational idiom “something borrowed, something blue” and a reminder to relax. 

There’s also personal details like remembering your name—that always gets me. 

And small touches that really make a difference like placing a sunglass cleaner under a spare pair you leave on the dresser when you’re out or wrapping your charger cords up in a tidy bundle (which have happened to me outside the luxury stalwarts, by the way, and I may have been even more impressed). 

In forward facing roles, interactions should always be positive; staff should never make you feel like you’re inconveniencing them. In an incredibly digital world, human interactions mean more than they ever did. The hotel staff are the first impression you get of a property and if they are short, dismissive or negative, it can easily sour the start to any stay. You can book a room at the “most luxury hotel in the world” but if the staff aren’t well-trained or well-versed you won’t remember it for the plush beds or golden toilets. Simply put, great staff make a hotel great. 

‍

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

A welcome cocktail. I’m not only a travel journalist but also a spirits and wine reporter so this underrated detail swoons me (and I think more hotels should offer it). I wrote about it a few years ago for Food & Wine—how offering guests a destination-specific drink at check-in immediately reflects a sense of place. A few recent examples I’ve loved since then: a turquoise-hued refresher of vodka, lychee and coconut that matched the Caribbean Sea beckoning me from the open-air lobby at Wymara Resort in the Turks & Caicos. The rotating cocktail at Cartagena’s Blue Apple Beach featuring a splash of local fruit juice. And it doesn’t need to be alcoholic—the proprietary tea and hot towel at Mandarin Oriental Boston connect to the legacy brand’s Asian heritage while making you feel at home. Or the Kirala (mangrove apple) pops served in a mini cup at Cape Weligama simultaneously cool you from the stifling Sri Lankan heat and introduce you to a fruit you’ve likely never tried before.

‍

Where would you send someone looking for a hotel in New England?

The thing about New England is how varied the landscapes are across its six states. If it’s your first trip to the area, I think you need to experience both the coast with its seafront escapes and the charming cottages in the Thoreau-esque deep woods. Castle Hill Inn is perfect for the former; a Newport, Rhode Island retreat with 33 accommodations spread across 40 acres. The beach cottages feel incredibly personal, almost like you’re returning to your own summer home with private access to a sandy bay. As a Relais & Chateaux property, their restaurant is an experience in itself with many reservations filled by locals who love the fine dining experience. For an inland scene, Hidden Pond in Kennebunk, Maine coddles you in deep nature with a selection of cottages, bungalows and treetop lodges. It’s like camping with all-inclusive comforts like coffee and pastries delivered to your doorstep daily, marble hearths, screened porches lined with flora and fauna titles and outdoor rain showers. Dining at Earth is a special experience blending seasonal produce grown onsite and local proteins; just leave time for a night cap by the fire pits under the stars.

‍

What about in your hometown of Bermuda?

To me, The Loren has it all. The 45-suite property didn’t exist when I was growing up, but as a recent addition, it’s a welcome one. Every suite features a spacious terrace with views over the sparkling azure ocean; two infinity pools; a restaurant that brings in overseas chefs for culinary weekends and of course, an exclusive slice of powdery sands flecked with the rosy-hue of broken corals that give its original site its lauded name—Pink Beach. The nearly central location is also ideal, placing you both within less than 20 minutes of the pastel-flecked capital city, Hamilton and of the UNESCO World Heritage historic town of St. George.

‍

How do you usually spend a day at a hotel?

I cherish a hotel espresso in bed so no matter how stacked my day is, I build in time for that. If the hotel offers a standout terrace, I’ll cozy up in my robe and slippers (which are two other details I probably place more emphasis on than the average traveler) to take in the sights and sounds at leisure. 

Next, I’m usually hitting the gym—that is, as long as it’s not in the basement of a hotel (the surge in wellness travelers has many hotels moving away from the damp, dingy spaces of yesteryear but seriously, when will those go completely out of style?!). If it’s a basement gym, I’m going for an outdoor run or bodyweight in my room (props to hotels with provided yoga mats in the closets). 

When I travel for work, I’m usually out for the day, which, admittedly, sometimes makes me sad when all I want to do is enjoy the luxuries of the property! Then I return and it feels like home, stopping for a martini and nibble at the bar before returning to my room to polish off some work. I’d like to say I then order room service for dinner but it’s actually a rarity as I like to push myself to experience a local haunt or celebrated eatery in whatever destination I’m in. On the select chance I have a leisurely morning, I’m more apt to order room service breakfast—a pot of black coffee, two eggs over-easy, extra crispy bacon and a heaping side of sautéed spinach. If there’s a pastry basket, I’ll usually add on one of those to dabble with the pain au chocolat. 

‍

What's the trip you haven't taken yet but keep thinking about? 

A safari with my family. Though I’ve been on safari with a press group, I think the entire experience is really intimate. There are many poignant and primal experiences so to absorb that with my mom, dad, brother and now, my husband, feels like it would mean so much more. Also, in between game drives, there is a lot of down time that naturally welcomes deep conversations and as we all live our very busy lives, I can only imagine truly disconnecting to learn things I might not know about them—and as we get older, these types of experiences are really important to me. 

‍

What about Safara excites you most or resonates with you?

Being able to share more of my favorite stays with a wider audience is exciting! As a journalist, I’m often working on the “newest” and “best” lists but there are so many properties that fall through the cracks after they’ve been open for a year, let alone 30 years. It’s such a treat to have a community where like-minded travelers will find value in my favorite stays, regardless of whether they opened last week or are icons in their respected regions.