Lindsay Silberman is a luxury lifestyle blogger and the founder of Hotel Lobby Candle, a home fragrance line inspired by the scents inside five-star hotels.
Before launching her candle brand and lifestyle blog, she spent a decade as a magazine editor covering travel and beauty for outlets like Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Town & Country, Elle Decor, and GQ.
She splits her time between New York City & Miami with her proud Instahusband (whose Instagram handle is, in fact, @instahusband) and her mini dachshund, @longhairpierre.
We recently sat down with Lindsay to get the scoop on her favorite places to travel, the inspiration behind her brand, and more.
Tell me about your job. You started as a journalist, right? How did you transition into being an influencer/content creator?
I started my career in magazines back in 2007 as an intern at Vogue. I had known that I wanted to be a magazine editor since I was probably around ten years old, so I chose a college (Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School of Public Communications) where I could specifically major in Magazine Journalism. While in school, I started interning at several different magazines and continued on that path when I graduated.
Initially, I wrote about celebrities and pop culture but later transitioned into beauty and travel writing. I spent around ten years doing that—both on staff and as a freelance writer—before I decided to take the leap into being a full-time blogger and content creator. I left my job as the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country and Elle Decor in 2018, and it's been a wild ride ever since! Being a content creator has given me a chance to partner with some incredible brands—everything from Sephora to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts.
How many countries have you traveled to so far?
63, the last time I counted!
What are some of your favorite places?
I would say my "happy place" is St. Barths. My husband and I fell in love with the island many years ago and have been going back regularly ever since. Farther afield, I think The Maldives is one of the most magical places on earth. Thailand also holds a special place in my heart. To me, it's the perfect combination of incredible people, amazing food, and gorgeous scenery.
What luggage do you use?
- Away Aluminum Bigger Carry-On
- Tumi Duffle (as my personal item)
- Tumi Tegra Lite Large Checked Luggage
Tell me about where you live and what you love about spending your life in two places?
I split my time between New York City and Miami Beach. My husband and I like to say that we're very young snowbirds. I absolutely love New York and have lived here all of my adult life—but I hate the cold. We recently decided to get a second place in Miami Beach to escape for the winter. We loved it so much that we ended up staying much longer than anticipated.
Do you have one incredible piece of travel advice?
This applies to both travel and life… you don't get what you don't ask for.
What's your favorite hotel in the world and why?
That's such an impossible question! If I had to choose, I would say Rosewood Mayakoba in Mexico. The property is breathtakingly beautiful, and the service is hands-down better than any other resort in the world. (It's also where my husband and I got married, so I'm a bit biased!)
Let's talk about Hotel Lobby Candle. What was the inspiration behind the brand?
Hotel lobbies, of course! When I was travel writing full-time, my primary focus was the luxury market, so I got to stay at some seriously incredible five-star hotels. I always remember falling in love with the scents they would pump throughout the lobbies—it gave me a sense of escapism, and I also just thought it was genius branding. I wanted to bring those "scent memories" into everyone's homes, so I launched a brand to do just that. Our candles draw inspiration from different cities and places around the world.
What's next for you?
We have really big plans for Hotel Lobby Candle. New product categories, new scents…so many exciting things in the works! We're growing incredibly fast, and my goal is to keep up that momentum as we scale the business.
Anything else you'd like to share?
You can find me here! Also, be sure to check out Hotel Lobby Candle's latest launches here.