Neil Patrick Harris is now free to roam in Canada. This month, 8.5 million Instagram followers followed the triple-threat actor during his mandatory 14-day quarantine in a Toronto hotel room before starting production on the movie 8 Bit Christmas.
“He made it!” commented one follower as he emerged into the real world and off digital-only living.
After a year of lockdowns, quarantines, and time at home, we all might stumble a little on re-entry. So as part of Accor’s new summer campaign, Harris is helping us remember the basics of “acting human,” with amusing lessons on Dressing, Planning, Greetings, Small Talk, and Relaxing at ALLgetsreal.com.
For someone with such a huge following, what’s his biggest Instagram obsession? Anything Disney. His family—husband, David, and 10-year-old twins Harper and Gideon—have traveled to Disney World almost every year.
We talked about why he loves Disney and London, hotels and room service, and starting a trip with adventure and ending it with relaxation.
Did you feel grief from the loss of travel this year?
I certainly did. I’m a massive fan of the process of experiences, of experiential education, and entertainment. I think the journey is part of the trip. I weirdly miss airports and airplanes and the communal experiences. Yes, I miss being able to go to destinations, but more so, I miss going to circuses and magic shows and concerts and museums where lots of people can be in close proximity experiencing something together. That exchange of energy is palpable and I think that’s what I miss the most.
I’ve never been a fan of hotel rooms that are too fancy because I wake up and feel like I can’t touch anything and that I’m unwelcome.
Why do you think the hotel matters so much for a trip?
A hotel is the nucleus. You wake up in a new environment and you want to start your day and trip in the right frame of mind. I’ve never been a fan of hotel rooms that are too fancy because I wake up and feel like I can’t touch anything and that I’m unwelcome. Simultaneously, I don’t want to just wake up in a small rectangular room with a bed and a dresser and that’s it, because it feels like you’re needing to quickly leave. You want it to be comfortable enough that you can stay there, but not so luxurious that that’s all you want to do.
Hotel room service—yes or no?
It depends on the hotel, but generally speaking, yes. My husband and I love a good staycay, which provides a good opportunity to escape for a minute and room service is pretty pivotal to that. Most room service menus will have a turkey club so I’ll usually first order that and see where we are [in how the food tastes]. Of course it’s with french fries. Sometimes I’ll say I can’t decide between french fries and salad with an ellipsis there, hoping they give me a little bit of both.
What’s the item that saved you the most traveling with little kids?
Bose noise-canceling headphones? [Laughs]
What’s a family-friendly trip that appeals to cool adults?
I’m a die-hard Disney fan so I have to say that Disney World in Orlando is absolutely outstanding. We’ve gone every year with our kids and it appeals to so many people on so many different levels. I’m a massive fan and it’s pretty much all the stuff I follow on Instagram—historical Disney podcasts, photos of the Disney parks in 1967, and aerial shots of the new Tron ride being built in Tomorrowland. It’s all the Instagram algorithm serves up for me. If I could be an Imagineer, I would.
You’re working on this campaign with Accor. Do you have a favorite Accor hotel?
I got to stay at the Fairmont San Francisco, which was lovely, historic, and great. I’m jonesing to go to Hawaii again, and they have the Fairmont Kea Lani in Maui. When we lived in L.A., we went to Hawaii more often, but living in New York, it’s quite a journey to get there. I feel like I’m home in Hawaii. You know there are some places you go, and you just feel very comfortable there—that is Hawaii for me.
Do you work with an amazing travel agent?
I wish I had an amazing travel agent. I’ve honestly never been quite sure how that works. I don’t mean that jokingly; I’m never sure if there’s some sort of hidden agenda. That’s probably just my own issues. My husband, David, and I love to travel the world and plan it ourselves. That’s one of the ways we realized we were going to be together. We like to front load with adventure and end with relaxation. We spent 20 days in Costa Rica, where we did 10 days of ziplining, white water rafting, and fun adventure, and the second half was sitting on the beach getting Vitamin D.
What are your favorite places in Europe?
I’m a super Anglophile. London is just a remarkable city in every way—there is a vibrancy and life there, and incredible culture and history. I keep angling to work in the U.K. so I can spend more time in London. Outside of London, I love the Cinque Terre in Italy. We’ve spent time in Hvar, Croatia, the last couple of summers. The Adriatic Sea is exquisite and healing.
All of the content lives on ALLgetsreal.com, which also features Accor’s summer offers (the longer you stay, the more discounts you get), and new lifestyle loyalty program, Accor Live Limitless.
