Hawaii. I have been to Kauai several times. The lushness of the interior, the beaches around it, the level of peace, the people, the pace at which they live, you can’t help but slow down. The other place for me, which is quite the opposite, is New York. I like the spirit of New York. When my family comes and they say, “Can you move slower?” I’m like, “No, we in New York. We have to go. So I need something that says, “Hey, take a look.” ” That’s wonderful. There is a rainbow almost every day. [in Hawaii], because it will rain and it will be light, then it will rain and it will be light. Evidence of divinity is everywhere in this place.
What his family is looking for on vacation:
My wife’s priority, which is becoming my priority, is the beach. There is Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa. If we go to Africa, we will be on the coast. She’s like, “We’re not going inland, brah. We have to be near water. Cape Town is a destination that’s been talked about for a number of years, the Greek Islands, Portugal. Anyone what a place that has a beach will be very exciting for the wife.And my son who told me that I can’t call football football it’s football he would love to go to see games in Europe. [Like] Italy or Spain, to see Real Madrid or PSG, wherever there is a major match.
A place he found surprisingly child-friendly:
I had the privilege of spending a few extended stays in Florence, Italy. This place is just ridiculous. Italy is very family-friendly, I found. I went with my eldest son when he was only two years old, and we let him run around and people would pick him up. “Oh, piccolo, piccolo, piccolothis piccolo little baby.” We would eat in restaurants and the older Italian women would say to him, “Eat, eatThat focus on family was such a treat. And then the art is stunning. Walking around the corner from the Accademia and seeing David and thinking, someone made a man out of Pierre. He has a vein in his arm! It blew me away. I have a weakness for Florence. It’s probably the [city] with whom I am most intimate.
The equipment of the hotel to which he is very attached:
I’ll give you one that’s inconvenient for a lot of people and probably my publicist: the bidet. It’s not an everyday occurrence, but when it does happen, it’s always the most delicious of surprises. If there’s a fancy bathroom with a heated seat and a bidet, you’re like, Oh boy, we’re gonna be clean today.
How he follows his professional trajectory through hotel stays:
The last time I visited Kauai was before the last few years when Brown had great success. My wife and I were staying at an affordable place, Koʻa Kea, and decided to go to the St. Regis Kauai [now the 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay], just to take a look and see what it looks like. We walked around the grounds and were like, ‘Okay. One day, we’re going to come back to this place.’ Recently, I had the chance to make such a comeback with the [Ritz Carlton] Bacara in Santa Barbara. When we got married 16 years ago, I couldn’t afford Bacara. We stayed at Inn Montecito then driven to Bacara for dinner. I could afford a meal. For our 15th birthday, we stayed at Bacara for four days. Ocean view! I was like, I did it. If I can go back and do that for the St. Regis Kauai, that will be really good.
Where he hopes to go next:
I look forward to taking my family to the homeland whether it is Ghana, Nigeria or South Africa. There was this homecoming a few years ago in Ghana and we had an invitation, but it was in conflict with It’s usthe schedule. My passport needs more stamps!