Ready for Takeoff
Upgrade your travel style with intel from New Orleans tastemakers Jayson Seidman and Paris Neill
By Kathryn Davé
It only takes one trip through a busy airport to realize that while most people are merely trying to slog their way from point A to point B, some among us have turned travel into an art. Hôtelier Jayson Seidman and his wife, Paris Neill, the creative duo behind some of the South’s most stylish boutique hotels, belong to that sainted few.
Seidman, an investment banker turned hôtelier, is the founder and CEO of Sandstone, a hospitality company. Neill, a Louisiana native, has spent much of her career as part of a third-generation firm in the beauty industry. After first meeting in New Orleans, the couple briefly lived in New York City before returning to settle in New Orleans, where Seidman added The Columns, Hotel Saint Vincent, and Hotel Henrietta to a noteworthy portfolio of hotels that includes Thunderbird Marfa and Ranch Motel. Each hotel has a distinct charm, but they’re all layered, warm, and designed with exquisite attention to place. Minding the details is part of what makes their hotels so compelling; it’s also Seidman and Neill’s secret to elegant, effortless travel.
Over the years, they have perfected their travel rituals—here, they share a few that add joy to the journey.
ALWAYS IN MY SUITCASE
Jayson notes, “Black Schiesser slub T-shirts from Germany work with everything.” Schiesser slub cotton T-shirt, $65, clothbase.com
HOW TO FEEL HUMAN AFTER A LONG TRAVEL DAY
“The ritual is brushing my teeth, face wash, facial toner, long shower, and body oil. My favorite is Officine Universelle Buly Hinoki body oil,” Jayson says. Huile Antique Sumi Hinoki body oil, $43, buly1803.com
SECRET WEAPON FOR SMOOTH TRAVEL
Seidman swears by the power combo of the aluminum Rimowa rolling carry-on and his Monocle travel tote. Cabin carry-on, $1,430, rimowa.com, and Porter x Monocle travel tote, $465, monocle.com
TRAVEL UNIFORM
For comfort that reads effortlessly chic, Seidman and Neill have both adopted a monochromatic approach to travel days. His: black pants and T-shirt, gray hoodie; hers: the Tibi sweatsuit with its thoughtful tailoring and design-forward details—in black, of course. Cocoon crewneck sweatshirt, $295, and Calder sweatpant, $198, tibi.com
Photography courtesy of Jayson Seidman and Paris Neill; this story appears in our Spring 2025 issue.
