$5K a night for a pair of socks
Hotel merch is rivaling fashion brands.
Aaaand we’re back! Happy Friday. That energy you’re sensing? It’s Benson Boone’s fault. It started when Dominique saw him at Austin City Limits, continued when we saw his blades of glory back flips at the Grammys, and isn’t slowing down. So, here is your soundtrack to today’s debrief.
Onto the good stuff…
😎 This & That
Quick hits, notable reads, and the cultural news worth indulging.
Would you pay $95 for a dozen cookies? Sporty & Rich gets sexual. Burberry goes to battle. The World Cup gets a halftime show. Is AI setting the new beauty standard? Michelle Obama takes the mic. Tower28 starts a comedy series. A potential Reels spin-off has creators on edge. Beehiiv bets on Russell Westbrook. Wonder acquires Tastemade. The era of free checked bags is over. The White Lotus intro easter eggs. And The North Face’s most beautiful collab.
👀 S.C.O.U.T
We’ve done the work for you—our top recommendations for the week.
Seeing | The Invisible Life Of Addie LaRue—follows a frenchwoman who makes a deal with darkness to become immortal. The only caveat is she's forgotten by everyone she meets. If you’re looking for a spellbinding fantasy book to devour in an evening, this is it.
Consuming | Spicy Black Bean Soup—Lexi made this for me and then I recreated it at home. It’s the easiest NYTimes Cooking recipe I’ve made. Accompany with chicken quesadillas to double down on the protein.
On the way out | Old Raggedy PJs—the average person spends 26 years of their life asleep, so we’ve decided it’s time to throw out our old sweats and invest in Eberjey Pajamas. We love the tencel fabric ones.
Unearthing | Cosmos—feels like we’re sharing a trade secret, but this is the best spot for image inspiration. While Pinterest offers a playground of options, it can feel redundant. Cosmos offers a fresh editorial take.
Trying | Soft Services Hand Cream—we’re adding this pillow of a hand cream as the final step in our skincare routines. Made with retinol and colloidal oatmeal, we’re hoping to repair our winter worn hands.
What are you trying or obsessing over this week?
❤️🔥 In The Spotlight
Our analysis on fascinating brand moves and what’s happening in culture.
The most covetable memento of your luxury vacation—the hotel merch.
Call it ‘Resort Core’ or ‘hotel couture’ there is a growing trend at the intersection of hospitality and fashion. From Aman Junkie t-shirts to Ritz Paris x Frame cashmere sweaters, hotel merchandise is becoming travelers’ biggest flex. Why?
While you could always purchase merch from the candle in the gift shop to the branded baseball cap, what’s shifted is the quality of the merchandise and the intrigue of the collaborations.
Hospitality groups are tapping into the cult followings of brands like Late Checkout and Sporty & Rich to drive clout. Now travelers are seeking the allure of a hyper-specific drop in an exclusive locale. We anticipate a brand like Aimé Leon Dore to hop on the hotel merch train next.
The exclusivity of drop culture coupled with limited access to luxury hospitality experiences has made the hotel merch moment a way to signal—you’re in the know.
That’s it for today’s debrief. If you enjoyed, please share with a friend! x