Page 92 - Katherine Ryan press pack 2015-20

Where’s the strangest place you’ve spent the night?

There was a hotel in a small town in England that was very eerie. My room was
massive with a TV on one side, the bed far away on the other side, with a stretch of
red carpet in between — and nothing else. It was just a big, dark, empty room. Very
disconcerting. I’ve also stayed in hotels in the UK where they check you in then
happily tell you about all the ghosts they have. It’s a bit odd.

And the best place you’ve spent the night?

When I go to LA there are cooler places where they have rooftop bars and parties
but I prefer the Four Seasons, even though it’s more expensive (rooms from around
£440pn, fourseasons.com/losangeles). They’re so family-friendly and go out of their
way to make my daughter, Violet, feel welcome. I love staying in any establishment
that doesn’t treat children as a burden.

Where are you going next on your travels?

I’ve been working pretty much full-time for ten years and it gives me great anxiety to
be somewhere for leisure. I’m always thinking, ‘Well, what if my agent calls and
someone like Jimmy Carr has lost his voice and I suddenly need to go and host the
Trucker Of The Year Awards at the Grosvenor hotel?’ I wouldn’t be able to relax. But
when I get the chance, I’d love to see more of Canada as a tourist — maybe go
skiing in Banff in Alberta province. I would love to visit Sri Lanka. Romesh
Ranganathan makes it sound so amazing.

■ Katherine Ryan is fronting Barclaycard’s Travel Smart campaign, which gives
consumers advice about spending abroad. barclaycard.co.uk/personal/credit-
cards/travel-smart