“A hotel should be like church: Everyone’s accepted”

Kwame Onwuachi has seen a lot in his lifetime. The New York native has lived in Louisiana, DC, Nigeria, and even on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. In his youth, he sold candy on the subway to pay for culinary school. Later, he starred on Top Chef, opened five restaurants, won a James Beard award, and wrote two books—one of which is being turned into a movie. And that was all before he turned 30. His latest accomplishment: Tatiana, a restaurant named after his sister, which just opened in New York City’s Lincoln Center.

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As someone always on the go, it’s no surprise that Onwuachi has cultivated a taste for great hotels, especially those with inspiring food and drink options. “Different hotels have their different iconic dishes,” he says. Citing San Francisco’s Fairmont Hotel as an example, he explains, “At the Fairmont, for me, it’s the French onion soup; that’s the thing that blew my mind,” he says. “The color comes from caramelizing those onions and then using a really good veal stock so I can taste all of that in it—it makes me all warm inside that they took the care to make that.”

Over the years, Onwuachi has discovered that hotels can grant you access to coveted, chef’s kiss-worthy dining experiences outside of their confines, as well. Recalling a stay at the ANA InterContinental Tokyo, he says, “I was able to get a reservation at a two-Michelin star sushi restaurant the day of because they hold some back—so be nice to the concierge.”

Sampling a drink or two at a hotel’s bar is another travel ritual Onwuachi enjoys. “Some of my favorite hotel bars are Mr. Purple at Hotel Indigo in New York City, and the bar at the InterContinental in Los Angeles ’cause it’s so high up,” he says. “I like that my room is so close, my bed is in close vicinity, so no matter what happens, I can stumble my way and make it home safe.”

Beyond food and drink, Onwuachi believes it’s the overall vibe experience that makes a hotel stay special. “One of my earliest memories of being in a hotel wasn’t really about the brand; it was that feeling of being in a whole different space,” he recalls. “When you’re a kid, you only know the space that you’re in, so going to this magical place and getting key cards to unlock your door, running down the hallway… and oh my God, there’s a pool!” he says. “I think that nostalgia is kind of what I look for when I go back to a hotel: Is this gonna excite me? Check that box.”

Martina Sheehan

Writer

Martina Sheehan is a Chicago-based travel writer-editor who has written for the New York Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Budget Travel, Forbes Travel Guides, and Time Out guidebooks, among others. She has traveled to 38 countries and 46 states, and never leaves home without a good map app, a themed playlist, and her daughter.