Disruption with Mr & Mrs Smith

What began in 2003 as a curated guide to boutique hotels has since evolved into a global booking platform synonymous with design-led, experience-driven travel predating even the Hollywood film that shares its name. Speaking recently, Tamara Lohan, now Global Brand Leader - Luxury at Hyatt, reflects on an entrepreneurial journey that not only built a business but helped redefine modern hospitality. “At Hyatt, we have undergone a transformation towards being brand-led, using insights and data to better understand our guests and bringing each of our brands to life in a way that feels personal and relevant on property. Our strength lies in combining global scale with a disciplined, brand-led approach to growth, allowing us to deliver consistently while preserving what makes each brand distinct.”

Yet, despite these uncertainties there is a notable shift in decisions around personal travel and Lohan remains optimistic about the long-term trajectory of travel. “As the world becomes wealthier and we live longer, healthier lives, we have more opportunity to travel and explore,” she says. “Travel is increasingly part of our lifestyle and it’s how we understand different cultures and perspectives. It’s a pivotal moment for luxury travel, and what excites me most is the opportunity to both care for and differentiate Hyatt’s luxury brands, including Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, and The Unbound Collection. I think of brands as personalities, each has a distinct point of view, and I want to bring that to life for each of them in a way that feels considered and true to their identity."

In the early 2000s, the UK hospitality market was ripe for disruption. Travelers were largely confined to a binary choice: large hotel chains offering predictable experiences or smaller establishments that, despite their independence, often lacked distinction. The Lohans saw an opportunity to spotlight a different kind of hospitality; hotels rooted in individuality, design, and a deeply considered guest experience. “I think the boutique hotel movement was absolutely starting in the UK,” Lohan explains. “We helped push it along. These hotels were looking for the right customers, people who wanted something special and different, and we gave them a platform. There were lots of us looking for these places that were doing things differently, where hoteliers genuinely cared about the experience of their guests.”

The idea was simple but ahead of its time: curate and celebrate properties that offered more than just a place to stay, spaces with personality, style, and a sense of place. Yet translating that vision into a business proved far from straightforward. The couple initially pitched the concept as a book to multiple publishers, only to face repeated rejection. Critics questioned the market demand, the production costs, and even the aesthetic choices the founders insisted upon. Rather than abandon the idea, the couple chose to self-publish, raising funds independently and persuading a distributor to take a chance on them. “It was that classic entrepreneurial story,” Lohan recalls. “Everyone told us, ‘No, you’re crazy. No one needs another guidebook.’ They said you can’t send photographers around the world; you’ll blow the budget. You can’t use tactile paper because luxury means gloss. But we wanted something that people could feel, literally. Every ‘no’ made us more determined.”

That determination paid off. When the first edition launched in 2003, it secured placement in major bookstore chain Waterstones. Initial forecasts predicted modest sales, perhaps a third of the print run. Instead, the book sold out, requiring a reprint before Christmas. The first edition ultimately reached 100,000 copies, validating both the concept and the appetite for a more curated approach to travel. As demand grew, so did the business. Mr & Mrs Smith transitioned from a printed guide into an online platform, connecting travellers directly with boutique properties around the world. With this growth came an evolution in leadership.

In the early stages, James Lohan served as CEO, steering the company through its startup phase. As the business matured, however, he championed Tamara to step into the role, recognizing both her strengths and the needs of the organization. While Lohan has since become a visible role model for female leadership, she emphasizes that the transition was driven by capability rather than intention. “I remember thinking, ‘I’m not qualified,’” she says candidly. “But someone I trusted simply told me, ‘Of course you can, you’ve got this.’ And sometimes that’s all it takes, someone in your ear reminding you that you can do it.”

Tamara’s Leadership style: curiosity and flexibility at the heart of decisions.

At the heart of Lohan’s leadership philosophy is curiosity. She credits this trait with helping maintain an entrepreneurial culture within a scaling business, encouraging employees to move across roles and explore different functions. “We worked hard to give people flexibility,” she explains. “If you’re in sales, it doesn’t mean you have to stay there. We move people between functions so they can try new things. It allows them to follow their curiosity without being penalized if it doesn’t work out. Sometimes they return to their original role and that’s fine too.”

This emphasis on mobility and experimentation has also contributed to building a strong pipeline of female leadership within the organization. One notable example is Natasha Shafi, the current CEO of Mr & Mrs Smith, who began her career at the company as a receptionist during its early growth phase. Beyond the business itself, Lohan has also co-founded a network to support women leaders, reinforcing her commitment to fostering inclusive leadership environments.

The recent acquisition of Mr & Mrs Smith by Hyatt in 2023 marks another significant milestone. The partnership brings together Hyatt’s global scale and legacy with the entrepreneurial spirit and curated approach that define the Mr & Mrs Smith brand. Founded in 1957 by Jay Pritzker, Hyatt remains influenced by its founding family. “Hyatt comes from an entrepreneurial background as well,” Lohan notes. “The Pritzker family really understands the importance of culture, art, history, architecture. There’s a natural alignment there.”

Moving to Luxury with Hyatt Hotels

In her new role as, Lohan sees an opportunity to apply her experience across a broader portfolio, shaping how luxury hospitality evolves within a global organization. “When this role came up, I jumped at it,” she says. “Most of my career, I’ve been a curator. I’ve seen so many hotels across the world, what they do well and what happens when they get it wrong. Most importantly, I understand how it feels from a guest’s perspective. To now influence brands at that level is incredibly exciting.”

That shift is also reshaping expectations. Today’s traveller is no longer satisfied with generic luxury. Instead, there is a growing demand for loyalty, authenticity and connection, for hotels that reflect their surroundings and engage meaningfully with local culture. “Wherever you stay, it’s no longer acceptable for a hotel to have no connection to its location,” Lohan explains. “That connection runs deep, from local people and culture to nature and environment.”

At the same time, luxury hospitality itself is undergoing a transformation. While traditional models focused on anticipating guest needs based on profiles and preferences, the new frontier is hyper-personalization in real time. This requires a level of nuance and emotional intelligence that technology alone cannot replicate. “AI has a role to play,” Lohan acknowledges, “but it cannot replace human-to-human interaction. The cues, tone of voice, body language, context, these are things people interpret instinctively. A great hotelier picks up on those signals and responds in the moment.”

The hospitality industry is experiencing a radical shift, from standardization to hyper-personalisation, where travellers want experiences and connections. Tamara Lohan’s story is not disruption for disruption’s sake, but it shows the impact of conviction, built on her belief that travel should be as unique as the person experiencing it. The journey may have started over twenty years ago, but there is a long and exciting road ahead.