HAROLD has a chat with brothers Colin & Ronan Hannan, owners of Central America’s Famed Hotel, the Ka’ana Belize
Dear Brothers,
HAROLD wants to know….
H: One luxury item you couldn’t live without?
C&R: Custom suits. We count Michael Andrews as a good drinking buddy
H: Your signature fragrance?
CH: Rose 31 from Le Labo
RH: Dunhill
H: When you need to escape & clear your head, where do you go?
CH: Our rooftop overlooking the downtown skyline, it’s a quiet retreat above the madness of the city.
RH: If we have some time after a Belize trip, it’s always Antigua, Guatemala. Spanish colonial town in the mountains surrounded by volcanoes and great coffee plantations. A great escape.
H: Strangest thing an interviewer ever said to you?
C&R: “What’s the biggest mistake we’ve ever made?” Maybe not strange, but we couldn’t answer it, probably because there are so many! It did become a great drinking discussion though.
H: What’s hanging on your walls?
C&R: Guillermo Maldonado. He’s a really talented Guatemalan artist who creates wood-carved prints. We bought them initially for our resort’s new villas and now keep going back for more for our own place.
H: Favourite drink?
CH: Plymouth martini.
RH: Red Breast w a couple of rocks.
H: Who’s your favourite designer?
RH: Thom Browne: He designs with conviction and isn’t afraid to be bold, yet still delivers an understated elegance.
CH: Simon Velez: His use of bamboo is always pushing boundaries, always stunning and always sustainable. That’s impressive.
H: What’s the coolest place you’ve jet-setted to?
CH: San Sebastian: In terms of food, wine and architecture, it’s outstanding.
RH: Atacama desert: It feels like you’re away from everything, is strikingly beautiful (almost other-worldly) and yet has some amazing design resorts.
H: Do you have a man-bag? What might we find inside?
C&R: No, we’re Irishmen. We know our limitations.
H: Who is your style icon?
RH: Fellini. It’s like the Italians are born with a distinct sense of style, none more so than Fellini.
CH: Paul Newman, he just always came across as effortlessly cool and stylish.
H: Best pair of jeans?
RH: John Varvatos
CH: I don’t wear them!
H: What’s sitting in your drive-way?
C&R: We live in Soho, so…this time of year probably a bunch of annoying tourists..
H: Ultimate splurge item?
RH: Hotels, always worth the splash. After years of traveling, we’ve come to appreciate the value of a great hotel and the amenities that come along with it.
CH: And restaurants. Good food is happiness.
www.kaanabelize.com