Checking in with Jonathan Openshaw
Behind a man with an unrivalled passport is an expert eye capturing the luxury travel landscape through print and image. As Global Editor-in-Chief of Belmond, Openshaw brings a distinctive narrative to place-making — and tricks of the trade from life on the go.
Where is home today?
I’m a true Londoner, born and bred, but with my partner now based in Milan, we divide our time between the two. While Milan is every bit a global city, it’s the ease of escaping to lakes, coastlines or mountains that gives it a real edge over London.
Tell us about a place that first made you see travel as an art rather than an exercise.
When I was growing up, we’d spend a few weeks every summer staying with some family friends in the Dordogne. They had this beautiful old farmhouse with a small vineyard attached and were amazing hosts - - simple food from local markets, long walks through the vines, days spent floating on the river. I think it’s there that I first learnt the art of hospitality and how to really relax into a location.
Magic potions, grounding crystals, binge-worthy series and the glossies. What keeps you sane (or comforted) on the move from Capri to Cape Town?
I don’t like the waste of disposable in-flight vanity kits, so I’ll always travel with a mini washbag of my own… filled with the basics and a padded silk eye mask that has transformed my inflight sleep. Recently, I’ve also started to use an overnight, Korean collagen peel on long hauls that really protects your skin from drying out. Add in a good audiobook and I’m happy.
Turning destination into brand moment is a slow game shaped city by city. Name a personality or creative confidant you’ve leaned on to shape this narrative.
Belmond takes a very destination-focused approach. We don’t impose a global sense of what ‘Belmond’ is but focus on how this can articulate itself locally – through the amazing history, community and culture of our destinations.
We work on so many of these collaborations it’s impossible to pick one, but a recent partner who taught me a huge amount is the designer Thebe Magugu. He’s a creative powerhouse with an incredible fashion legacy, and we were lucky enough to work with him on a new suite and cultural centre at Mount Nelson hotel in Cape Town. His dedication to finding a contemporary home for ancient heritage was an inspiration.
When you land in a new place, do you have a prescribed routine? From check-in onward, what’s your method of discovery: a map, a meal, a first stop? Tell us about a recent experience local encounter that flipped your perception – for better or worse?
I always ask the concierge for a good running route and get out into the area. Exercise is the best way for me to get into a time zone, and running to the right music is the perfect way to connect with a new destination. I always spot a cafe or shop on these runabouts that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise, orienting myself.
From check-in onward, what’s your method of discovery: a map, a meal, a first stop?
I tend to do a lot of research before I get to a destination – once a journalist, always a journalist! This mostly comes from asking friends for tips, but I’ll also skim city roundups from titles I trust. I’ll land with a skeleton guide, and from there it’s really just about having conversations and asking questions. I try to get the local take on a destination as much as I can.
Tell us about a recent experience or local encounter that flipped your perception - for better or worse?
Belmond commissions a lot of contemporary photography – across print and digital – and one of our flagship print projects is a photographer-led cookbook series celebrating local terroir, suppliers, and recipes from our chefs. One recent shoot was in the region around San Miguel de Allende, where we have the Hotel Casa Sierra Nevada. One afternoon, we visited a women-run farming collective with which the hotel works. It was an incredible experience that really demonstrated the meaning of tending to the land and how good things need to unfold at their own seasonal pace.
What is your room service guilty pleasure?
It has to be a club sandwich! Not original, but true and comforting solution for long days or jet lagged nights. If I’m going to try something local, I’d rather at a restaurant.
And finally - where are you most excited to discover (or rediscover) next?
I’m going to Japan later this year and am so excited. I travel quite a bit for both work and leisure, and have been all over East Asia – I even lived in China for a year. But somehow, I’ve never been to Japan. It’s actually become a bit of an obsession now and I delayed this trip until I really had time to do it right. I can’t wait.