Dayna Lee

Where are we?
St Barts is where we shall swim this time.

How did you get here?
I’d prefer to ask Scotty to beam me up – instantly and effortlessly. Otherwise the jump seat in the cockpit of a large plane will do; then an old ‘68 oxblood red Mercedes with leather interior picks us up and takes us to the dock where a small Boston Whaler awaits to putter across the bay.

Who are you sharing your room with?
My husband, Ted; our pup, G, and her kitten, Q. We are a pack. They know their hotels.

Is there anything you would like waiting for you in your room on arrival?
A baby Aga range and a glass Thermador, stocked with local farmers’ produce and a super cool sampling of local beverages. It is my personal comfort and a great cultural introduction to a new place.

Who’s at the concierge desk?
Alan Rickman; he’s not a concierge. I just cast him as concierge and think his performance as one would be engaging. Otherwise, we have been witnesses to miracles worked by the concierge at the Peninsula at guests’ requests.

And the owner / manager?

Hoteliers Jon Cummins and Steve Eckley of Amerimar have a sensibility that matches mine.

Describe the hotel building, your room and the view...
This ideal hotel is an old estate with a factory on a hill looking down at a vigorous sea. Remember, G and Q are with us so we’ll add a gentle swimming cove. The estate houses the lobby living room and dining. The guestrooms have enormous factory windows with metal fittings bringing natural light to the baby Aga and stocked chilly Thermador. Pastel botanical murals give dimension to the tall walls; sturdy cotton textiles for window treatments and woven light cashmeres on the bed for breezy evenings. Silk and wool woven Bessarabian rugs and cotton dhurries offer paw traction. The bathroom is cutting edge.

Who designed it?
Henry Moore, the sculptor. If his understanding of volume and tenderness could be translated into a hotel, it would be the most emotional hotel ever.

What’s the restaurant / bar like?
The restaurant is oddly formal for a beach setting. The European equivalent would be dining al fresco at Villa D’Este by Lake Como in Italy.

Who are you dining with this evening?
1. Our close friends and (human) family
2. The animals
3. May we have a passing giraffe pop his head into the window for some salad?

Who’s manning the stoves?
Corina Weibel, Lynn Saathof, Yotam Ottolenghi and my family. 
And what’s on the menu?
Starter: Middle Eastern by Ottolenghi and Latin by Saathof – diverse and complex
Main: French by Weibel and Chinese by my family – rustic and simple
Dessert: A selection of cheeses and fruit from the chef’s cart

Would you like something to drink with that?
I trust any after dinner drink that Steve Eckley recommends.

What music is on the iPod on your in-room docking station?
The Cure

What’s on the movie channel?
1. The current silliest comedy of the season... to catch up
2. Hannah and Her Sisters – Woody Allen (1986)...to bring us home
3. Truly Madly Deeply – Anthony Minghella (1990)...gulp
4. Les Visiteurs – Jean-Marie Poiré (1993)
5. Any Bourne Identity film makes one travel wrecklessly like a spy

What’s in the mini-bar for a night cap?
Mini?! In the big glass Thermador in this hotel guestroom, there are stacks of fruity, gingery and tonic-y beverages, ice, and fish dumplings for us, G and Q.

Would you like a newspaper or magazine in the morning?
The New York Times on Sunday, is delivered daily to my fantasy hotel.

What toiletries would you like to freshen up with?
Korres.