The first thing certain VIPs notice when they check into their suite at the Mandarin Oriental in Milan, Italy are the fresh flowers. Depending on the day, maybe it’s a bouquet of hydrangeas; a pop of pink and green in front of the white bed. Inside the bathroom, there are also monogrammed hand towels with the guest’s initials for a personal touch. But there are VIPs, and then you have your GOATs. Considering her status as one of America’s greatest athletes, Simone Biles might be most ubiquitous as a Summer Olympian with a treasure chest of 11 medals under her belt. But when it comes to this year’s Winter Olympics in the land of pizza and pasta, she’s earned the right to actually enjoy the all-encompassing spectacle for once. Along with her husband, the football player Jonathan Owens, Vogue was with Biles for her Olympic sojourn, Italian-style. “You’re gonna see the best of both worlds on every end of the spectrum, and that’s what makes the Olympics exciting,” she says.
Biles and Owens were only living in their brand new Houston, Texas-area home for a day and a half before high-tailing it to Milan. “So this is our first big trip after moving in,” she explained. Along with juggling the move, Biles said she started packing a week before takeoff. “We went from Chicago to Houston beforehand, so I was already pre-packed.” And yes, she admits she’s an overpacker. “I’m very organized, though. I like to lay out my outfits and take pictures of them so I know what I’m wearing each day. But I think what got me this time was all of the heavier jackets we had to bring.”
However, not even Biles is immune to travel hiccups, GOAT-status notwithstanding. “When we arrived in Germany for our transfer, they said, ‘You’re on a different airline. We were like, ‘No, we’re not.’” But it turned out Lufthansa went on strike, and the couple was delayed 10 hours before finally landing at Milan’s Malpensa Airport. “It was very hectic and crazy, but it worked out.” Fortunately, she was refreshed considering she can easily sleep on planes (“It’s a trait you have to learn when you’re traveling the world competing.”) And for those wondering, she opts for the window seat. “Because it can be tucked away and a little bit more private.”
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Photo: Courtesy of Mandarin Oriental
