Talk Shop: Callie Stanton // Aubergere Resorts
ABOUT CALLIE
At Fenimore Lane, we love and appreciate a lot of things—one of them being a well-designed and one-of-a-kind luxury travel experience. When it comes to Auberge Resorts, we know visiting or staying at any of their locations is a 5-star experience. (AO detailed her stay at The Mayflower Inn last year.) Each hotel and resort’s digital presence is curated to perfection, and that’s all thanks to the inimitable Callie Stanton. Callie is the Vice President of Communications for Auberge, where she leads all brand communications, strategic partnerships, social media, and influencer marketing. She’s a marketing whiz, with over 15 years of experience under her belt. Before Auberge, Callie worked for Nike Communications as Vice President, where she led the hospitality, real estate, and lifestyle divisions. During her tenure at Nike Communications, Callie was integral in helping to build the reputations of numerous accounts including Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, Miraval Resort & Spa, and many more. Callie has always loved travel, and more importantly, staying at beautiful hotels—a girl after our own hearts! We hope you enjoy this wanderlust-filled interview with Callie (who has the best travel + resto recs, hands down.)
Describe your style in three words or less.
Timeless
What have been the three biggest influences on your aesthetic in your life:
My travels, hotels, and my parents.
How did you find yourself in the luxury travel space and what is your favorite thing about what you do:
I started my career working for a luxury PR agency in New York City. My first client was The Carlyle Hotel, and the rest is history. Since I was a little girl, I have always loved traveling and beautiful hotels. I often joke with my husband that I feel more at home at a hotel than anywhere else in the world. I love building brands and telling stories. No two Auberge hotels are the same. We build each one from scratch, and I love the challenge of creating a new identity for each hotel. I am also fortunate that my career has allowed me to travel around the world and stay in some of the most spectacular and iconic hotels.
Do you have a mentor in your career, and if so, how have they helped to shape your trajectory:
I have three. The first is my mother, who was a high-powered attorney when I was growing up. She was one of the only working mothers in my community, which I hated as a kid. Now, it’s one of the things I most admire and appreciate about her. Her career ambition and drive have shaped me into the person I am today and have played a huge role in my own career ambition and drive.
The second is Nina Kaminer, the president of Nike Communications, where I started my career in communications. Nina taught me to never take “no” for an answer, and that you can achieve the impossible if you live by that mantra.
The third is Peter Malachi, the former creative director of Nike Communications, who now oversees marketing for Hermès. Peter taught me to believe in myself, even when I thought I wasn’t capable. Although I no longer work with the two of them, I still speak with them constantly, call them for advice regularly and look up to them in so many ways.
What does your home say about you:
That girl loves hotels and cocktails!
Where do you find inspiration:
Hotels! I get so much of my inspiration from hotels and regularly incorporate design elements from my favorite hotels into my home. Our cottage on Nantucket, for example, incorporates some of the same fabrics, lamps and furniture that you’ll find at the Mayflower Inn & Spa in Connecticut, which was recently redesigned by Celerie Kemble. I also used some of the same paint colors, fabrics and accessories from White Barn Inn, our hotel in Kennebunk, Maine that Jenny Wolf designed. Our New York City apartment is inspired by my favorite hotels in New York, London and Paris.
Who are your style icons:
Aerin Lauder, Lauren Santo Domingo, and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy.
What are your key ingredients for entertaining:
Great cocktails and a fabulous group of interesting people.
Do you collect anything:
Hermès scarves and matches from the restaurants, bars and hotels we’ve visited.
Favorite Instagram accounts to follow for inspiration:
@arielokin, @celerie, @aerin, @marksikes, @palomacontrerasdesign
What design “rule” do you always follow, and which is made to be broken:
Follow: Pay attention to scale.
Break the rest!
What are you working on right now, both professionally and personally:
Last year, Auberge opened three hotels, including Stanly Ranch in Napa Valley, Wildflower Farms in Hudson Valley, New York, and Susurros del Corazón, which is located on the most breathtaking beach in Punta de Mita, Mexico. In February, we also opened The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos, CA, which is a really cool, up-and-coming destination in the Santa Ynez Valley of Santa Barbara County. And, just this month we opened our first hotel in France, Domaine des Etangs, which is an exquisite 13th century French chateau in Southwestern France. It’s located just two hours by train from Paris. That is a lot for a brand our size, so I've been very focused on work as of late!
Wardrobe staples:
Elevated sneakers, Hermès scarves, and a classic blazer.
Favorite fabric/wallpaper:
I love so many! Schumacher, Casa Branca, Pierre Frey, Brunschwig & Fils, de Gournay, Gracie…the list goes on.
Best interior advice you ever received:
Take your time. If you do it all at once, you’ll end up with a very one-dimensional home. I prefer layered spaces that are collected and created over time.
Best career advice you ever received:
Never take “no” for an answer.
Types of home purchases you invest in and save on:
I tend to splurge on furniture and textiles that are classic and will stand the test of time. For the most part, our walls are covered in art, textiles and unique pieces we’ve found at antique stores and markets around the world. These pieces are precious to us but don’t necessarily cost a lot of money.
Your greatest extravagance:
Luxury hotels.
Favorite places to shop for home:
1st Dibs, Chairish, Stark, March SF
Most prized possession and why:
A vintage gold Patek Philippe watch that my dad gave me. We are very close and it reminds me of him every time I look at it.
Your interiors motto:
Your home is a work in progress. Take your time and never consider it “finished.” Like you, it should evolve over time.
Your life motto:
Home is where the hotel is.
Advice for someone looking to define their own interior style:
Social media has really helped me define my own interior style. Follow designers whose work inspires you and save your favorite photos on a Pinterest board. Eventually, you’ll be able to home in more closely on your own interior style.
Advice for someone interested in luxury hospitality design:
You don’t need a background in hospitality to get into luxury hotel design. Many of the designers we work with on our Auberge hotels have never designed a hotel before. We often pick residential designers with a unique style of storytelling, who will bring the location to life and who will make our properties feel more like a private home than a hotel. If you have a unique point of view and a deep passion for design, you can work in luxury hospitality design.
Take Ten: My Favorite…
Food: Pappardelle bolognese and french fries!
Drink: Skinny Spicy Margarita
Film: Any and every Nancy Meyers film ever created. The interiors in her films are as dreamy as the films themselves.
Hotel: It’s nearly impossible to choose just one… I always say that’s like asking someone who their favorite child is! I love every one of our hotels for different reasons. But, if I had to choose just one, I would say Hotel Jerome in Aspen. I’ve been going there since I was a little girl and I have so many special memories there.
City: New York City
Bedding: Hästens
Tea or Coffee (and how do you take it): Cashew Milk Matcha Latte
Playlist: My Nantucket Playlist
Weekend Activity: Spending time with my husband! We love the outdoors and spend a lot of time hiking, biking, skiing, at the beach, and of course, traveling.
Design Book: Beautiful: All-American Decorating and Timeless Style, by Mark D. Sikes.