Where Serena Williams, Padma Lakshmi, Debra Messing, and More Stars Are Vacationing
In many parts of the country, the weather outside is frightful. So stars like Serena Williams, Martha Stewart, Will Smith, and countless others have been escaping on vacation lately, sharing their travels on their Instagram pages.
These stars have the means to stay in some pretty stylish hotels, and many of them have shared envy-inducing experiences most design lovers would appreciate. For example, Will Smith hit Tokyo's popular teamLab Borderless exhibition, while Maria Sharapova got in touch with nature in a unique cabin in the Rwandan hills. Below, Architectural Digest rounds up the Instagram posts of the jet-setting celebrities currently providing our vacation inspiration.
Padma Lakshmi, Rome
When in Rome with her nine-year-old daughter, Krishna, over Thanksgiving, the Top Chef host made sure to stop by one of the world's most important architectural sites, the Colosseum. Considered one of the seven wonders of the world, the ancient amphitheater reportedly welcomed over 7 million visitors in 2018. Of course, architecture wasn't the only thing on the agenda for the foodie. Lakshmi also shared an Instagram story of herself enjoying a chocolate and peppercorn gelato.
Busy Philipps, Charleston, South Carolina
Philipps has said many times that she fell in love with the historic southern city of Charleston while filming Vice Principals there, and she recently returned for a quick visit. The former Busy Tonight host posed on a red Poul Kjaerholm sofa in the lobby of The Dewberry, a former government office building which was turned into a stylish midcentury-modern hotel by Studio Dewberry in collaboration with Workstead.
Serena Williams, Maldives
The tennis champ traveled to the other side of the world to the enjoy clear blue water and swanky villas at the Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi. The resort is located on a private island, and the design is sleek and simple, with light woods, blue accents, high ceilings, and plenty of windows and overwater walkways, allowing the idyllic scenery to take center stage.
Debra Messing, Tuscon
After arriving to a singing butler in her suite, Will and Grace star Messing chronicled her stay at the Miraval Resort and Spa in Tucson with a series of posts showing herself relaxing and recharging. The design of the property seems totally geared toward promoting a peaceful state of mind, with a neutral color palette, fireplaces, plenty of outdoor seating areas, and a tranquil stream. Of course, Messing opted for a spa treatment while there, donning a robe and posing for a spa selfie with none other than her pal Kathy Najimy!
Martha Stewart, Costa Rica
From the look of her recent posts, the lifestyle maven's jaunt to Central America included plenty of time spent mingling with wildlife (she shared a few images of two turkey vultures, calling the birds, "not very beautiful but useful") and exploring nature, but at night, she retired to luxe quarters. Stewart stayed at Los Elementos, a property on the country's Pacific side with Balinese-inspired villas and lush gardens.
Will Smith, Tokyo
Part art museum, part interactive Instagram explosion, teamLab Borderless is a popular spot to snap a picture or make a video in Tokyo, and Smith did just that on his recent visit. It seems the Aladdin star was inspired by what he saw; he quoted Albert Einstein in one caption (above) and in another, he wrote,“'You are an aperture through which the universe is looking at and exploring itself.' - Alan Watts." Smith also visited Robot Restaurant, a sort of high-tech cabaret show with music, dancing, lights, lasers, and, of course, robots.
Maria Sharapova, Botswana and Rwanda
Jetting to far-flung destinations is nothing new for Sharapova. The tennis player's Instagram page is full of travel photos, and most recently, she spent some time on safari in Africa, visiting the countries of Botswana and Rwanda. Along the way, she shared video tours and pictures (one is above) of her hotels. First up was Wilderness Vumbura Plains in Botswana, where Sharapova stayed in a wooden indoor-outdoor suite with a screened-in seating area, a large shower with views of the surrounding delta, and a plunge pool. In Rwanda, she stayed at Wilderness Bisate Lodge, which she declared as having "one of my favorite rooms." Inside the wooden lodge, curved walls and a stone fireplace give the space a futuristic yet cozy feel.
Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
