Amazing Hotels Host Monica Galetti Prefers Boutique

New Zealand chef and co-presenter of Amazing Hotels, Monica Galetti, tells The Sunday Times about her favourite places to stay, and how she brings back ingredients from her travels.

“I always return with a suitcase full of ingredients – ras el hanout from Morocco, lemon salt from Abu Dhabi, XO sauce from Macau,” Galetti, 46, says. “I spent a few days with a gardener in St Lucia who gave me some cocoa pods for my chefs. I could never fully explain what they’re like, and it was thanks to the gardener’s gift that they finally got to taste them.

“The Royal Mansour Marrakech hotel in Morocco was extraordinary; it’s uber-luxe and right in the heart of the city. I also loved the Brando in French Polynesia because it reminded me of my heritage.

“But when I’m with my family I prefer smaller boutique hotels and the privacy they bring.”

Galetti lives in London. Her new cookbook At Home: My Favourite Recipes for Family & Friends is out now.

Original article by Shelley Rubenstein, The Sunday Times, May 29, 2022.