Angelina Villa-Clarke

Journalist: travel and lifestyle.

I have been a travel writer for nearly 26 years. I spent 11 years as deputy and associate editor on BA's High Life magazine and have been freelance for the past 11 years. I contribute to a range of newspapers and magazines, including Metro, Mail on Sunday, City AM, Family Traveller, High Life, Sainsbury's Magazine, and many more. I am also a travel contributor for Forbes.com

Portfolio

DAILY MAIL 2023

Mail Online
06/04/2023
Can pancakes REALLY plump up your skin?

A chocolate pancake that promises to give you a glowing complexion? Don't be absurd! Yet that's the claim of one of the new generation of 'food items' that apparently come with health or beauty benefits baked in. In the case of the pancake, it's skin-boosting collagen.

CONDE NAST TRAVELLER

CN Traveller
04/26/2023
The best spas in Scotland

With its misty mountains, tranquil lochs and untouched coastline, the rural Scottish landscape is a natural tonic for anyone looking to decompress and unwind, and that's before you've even checked into one of its many pampering spas. From Baronial castles to windswept coastal landmarks, Scotland is home to some of the UK's best spa hotels.

WANDERLUST

WOMAN'S WEEKLY

HOUSE BEAUTIFUL US

House Beautiful
04/19/2022
Every Design Lover Needs to Take a Stroll Along This London Road-Here's Why

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life," English author Samuel Johnson once said. Nearly 250 years later, the sentiment still rings true. Rich in history and diversity, the British capital has it all-from storied landmarks and cultural institutions to vibrant culinary and art scenes.

READER'S DIGEST

Readersdigest
Into the blue: Greece's best secret islands - Reader's Digest

For sun, sea and seclusion, head to some of Greece's lesser-known islands. These gems promise all the enchantment of better-known destinations, but without the crowds. Antiparos viewed from the sea The island is blessed with many gorgeous beaches, but the horseshoe-shapedSifneikos Gialos, on the north of the island, is one of the best and a popular spot for its stunning sunsets.

WORLD OF CRUISING

BA THE CLUB

Ba
How to have a holiday in your back garden

INSPIRATION * June 2020 If you've ditched your holiday spirit, we're here to help you get it back. From a Provencal wine escape to an Indian Ocean getaway, our destination experts show you how to recreate an authentic holiday experience at home.

A&K SUNDOWNER

THE MAIL ON SUNDAY

Mail Online
11/09/2022
Inside No.1 by GuestHouse York, a luxury new boutique hotel in York

No.1 by GuestHouse is a 10-minute walk from the Shambles, the inspiration for Diagon Alley in the Potter films The property has been carved out of a regal Georgian house, with interiors by designer Martin Hulbert Angelina Villa-Clarke checks in, discovering that he's showcased period details alongside his 'quirky style' Guest bedrooms have record players and coffee machines hidden in dolls' houses The basement has been transformed into a spa, with massages and facials using Pinks Boutique...

Mail Online
10/18/2022
Follow in the footsteps of Agatha Christie on an epic new world tour

Travel company Black Tomato has curated an extraordinary trip inspired by Agatha Christie's 'Grand Tour' Visitors can do part of the journey or the full 40-night expedition, which is broken up into three 'chapters' The itinerary starts at Brown's Hotel in London where Agatha stayed before she embarked on her odyssey In Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, there's a frisson in the air.

Mail Online
08/01/2022
Inside Turkey's Turquoise Riviera, the last untapped corner of the Med

Angelina Villa-Clarke says this part of the Turkish coast has water that 'dazzles with the shades of a peacock' She stays at Hillside Beach Club in Kalemya, a resort on its own crescent-shaped beach Another highlight is Lycian Way, a hiking trail that stretches some 300 miles from Fethiye to Antalya We've dropped anchor on a sea that dazzles with all the shades of a peacock - royal blue, iridescent azure and shimmering emerald.

Mail Online
06/03/2022
A guide to the charming towns and beaches of Tuscany's secret Riviera

For Italians, the star attraction in Tuscany is Versilia Riviera, which is just a short drive from Pisa and Lucca Check into the glamorous Hotel Il Pellicano, perched above the Tyrrhenian Sea in Porto Ercole Explore the cobbled streets of Castiglione della Pescaia before hitting the family-friendly beaches nearby It's late afternoon on Bagno Carducci beach and, all around, bronzed Italian families are beginning to pack up their raffia bags.

Mail Online
04/15/2022
Who needs the Maldives! Why we're smitten with the Isles of Scilly

Angelina Villa-Clarke sees dolphins leaping out of the water as she takes a boat ride to St Martin's She recommends heading to Bryher, the smallest island, for its secluded beaches and handmade fudge Stay at the Star Castle Hotel on St Mary's and nab a uniquely Scillonian souvenir at Phoenix Craft Workshops Scudding across sapphire seas, salty wind in hair, the boat ride from Bryher to St Martin's, the most northerly island in the Isles of Scilly, is spectacular - yet it's about to get better.

Mail Online
03/18/2022
The best pubs and restaurants in the UK's national parks revealed

From the Daffodil Hotel in the Lake District guests can hike to Helm Crag and take in views from its summit The Black Swan at Oldstead features a Michelin-starred restaurant-with-rooms and just one tasting menu In the Peak District The Blind Bull is one of Britain's oldest public houses, dating from the 12th Century Walking has almost become a national pastime, and there's nowhere better to increase your daily step count than on a visit to one of our National Parks.

Mail Online
08/14/2021
Why food lovers should visit Piedmont in Italy

New film The Truffle Hunters follows a handful of men who hunt for white truffle in the villages of Piedmont Gourmet travellers will be most familiar with the region's food-focused towns such as Alba, Asti and Barolo Here truffles are sold for thousands of pounds and sparkling wines, comparable to champagne, are produced Carlo, Carlo!'

Mail Online
07/29/2021
Step off the tourist trail and discover Italy's secret beaches

At San Fruttuoso the beach is dominated by a 10th Century abbey - and you can roam around inside In Tuscany visit the wild Monte Argentario peninsula in the Maremma region for its sandy beaches From the north-west-coast beach on Ponza Island you can hire a small boat and visit

Mail Online
05/08/2021
This tiny Italian island has one big secret... it's PERFECT!

Procida is a picture-postcard-perfect Italian island that's been chosen as Italy's next Capital of Culture There are no big resorts - instead you'll find a handful of inviting boltholes, such as La Cantina dello Sgatto Visit Bar Roma to try lingua di bue, a puff-pastry parcel filled with lemon cream that's an island speciality Faded fishing boats bob in the water at Marina Grande, while behind them ice-cream-coloured houses in shades of pistachio, peach, raspberry and lemon are precariously...

Mail Online
02/20/2021
Great British boltholes: A review of The Globe, Warwick

The Globe, in Warwick, is a modern boutique restaurant-with-rooms It serves Mediterranean food from wood-fired pizzas to grilled Rosso prawns Angelina Villa Clarke checked into Room 9, which has a sleek four-poster bed The Globe's creaking stairs are the first giveaway.

Mail Online
11/23/2020
Glorious gardens at Britain's historic homes

'A day away from Chartwell is a day wasted,' Sir Winston Churchill said of his country home in Westerham Faversham, Kent's oldest market town, is home to Belmont House, where gardens stretch across 14 acres Wander Kentwell Hall's grounds and you'll have one of England's finest moated Tudor houses as a backdrop Wake up and smell the roses.

Mail Online
09/07/2020
Seven writers seek out little-known gems for a brilliant staycation

Bruton in Somerset has a burgeoning reputation as a gastro hub and is home to a Hauser & Wirth art gallery Sherbourne, in Dorset, has an 800-year-old abbey resplendent with Gothic arches and stained glass windows The small town of Tenterden has a bustling high street and is located in the heart of Kent's wine country The South West, the Cotswolds and many staycation hotspots became fully booked this summer, with hardly a B&B room left unoccupied.

Mail Online
09/08/2020
Exploring Lincolnshire - a glorious mix of countryside and beaches

The beautiful county of Lincolnshire has long been overshadowed by its much cooler neighbour Norfolk But when Angelina Villa Clarke visited, she found that quiet Lincolnshire also has its fair share of charm She visited the Edwardian town of Woodhall Spa and stayed in a luxury lodge at Bainland Lodge Park An hour's drive north, past the painted storefronts of Norfolk's boutique towns, lie the undulating wheat fields of Lincolnshire.

Mail Online
07/27/2019
The UK's most beautiful lavender fields to visit this summer

Norfolk Lavender in Heacham is one of the oldest lavender farms in the UK At Castle Farm in Kent visitors can learn how to make lavender wreaths Mayfield Lavender in Banstead, Surrey, is located just 12 miles from London Who needs Provence?

COUNTRY LIFE MAGAZINE

JOURNEY MAGAZINE

SAINSBURY'S MAGAZINE

WILDFLOWER MAGAZINE

Wildflower Magazine
11/11/2021
Doing time: Journeying into the past at Bodmin Jail Hotel

Located in Cornwall on the fringes of Bodmin Moor, the historic 18th century prison has been transformed into a luxurious hotel for 21st century guests Words: Angelina Villa-Clarke The grey cell door slams shut behind me, and, through the bars at the windows, beams of sunlight are finding a way to light up the room.

Wildflower Magazine
11/05/2021
Pure shores: A scenic stay at Three Mile Beach, Cornwall

Found on one of Cornwall's best-loved beaches, this new collection of beach houses is elevating the self-catered homestay to chic new heights Words: Angelina Villa-Clarke Early morning on Gwithian Beach, north Cornwall, and the light is hazy and golden with the promise of a sun-drenched day ahead.

EVENING STANDARD & ES MAGAZINE

Destination Online

Destination Online
Understated glamour at The Belsfield in Cumbria - Destination Online

If chintzy florals are your thing, then think again about checking into The Belsfield, on the shores of Lake Windermere. This impressive-looking hotel may have had a revamp by Laura Ashley - a brand once best known for its pretty, whimsical designs - but you'll not find a pastel flower in sight.

VICTORIA MAGAZINE ONLINE - P&G EUROPE

VictoriaUK
Top 10 holiday destinations for animal lovers

From swimming with dolphins to spotting a wild tiger in its natural habitat - make this the year you tick that amazing animal experience off your bucket list From swimming with dolphins to spotting a wild tiger in its natural habitat, make this the year you tick that amazing animal experience off your bucket list They may be part of Europe, but the nine islands that make up the Azores, off the coast of Portugal, are still relatively undiscovered.

THE JEWISH CHRONICLE

Thejc
Mindful Maldives

The entrance to Joali Being is no ordinary hotel lobby. Named the Gate of Zero, you first spot it as you approach the Maldivian island of Bodufushi, in the Raa Atoll, exiting through the clouds in a tiny sea-plane. The poetic, white, undulating structure looks more like an art installation than a hotel reception.

Thejc
JC Stays: The Retreat at Elcot Park, Berkshire

The newly-opened Retreat at Elcot Park is full of surprises. During a year-long renovation to turn it from a bog-standard Mercure hotel into one that oozes charisma, the builders found gilded mirrors behind plasterboard, boarded-up ornate fireplaces and beautiful teak wood floors hidden under tired carpet.

Thejc
JC Stays: No 1 By GuestHouse, York

York has long had an affinity for quirkiness. Its most famous street, the medieval Shambles, looks like something from a film set; its characterful crooked houses and timber-clad overhanging buildings are thought to be the inspiration behind Diagon Alley in the screen version of Harry Potter, drawing hordes of fans.

Thejc
Albanian adventure

It may be next door to Greece, Croatia and Montenegro but Albania has long been overlooked by tourists, who instead head in their droves to the country's better-known neighbours. Just 22 miles by boat from Corfu - which by contrast sees around half a million British tourists visit each year - the south-eastern Balkan country has struggled with an image problem that it's found hard to shake off.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Bodmin Jail Hotel, Cornwall

It's not often that you learn all about the hotel guest that stayed in your room before you. But check into the new Bodmin Jail Hotel, and you'll discover more than you bargained for. After a five year renovation project costing £50 million, this once notorious prison, dating back to 1779, has been reimagined as a luxury hotel.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: The White House, De Vere Beaumont Estate, Windsor

For practical, family stays in pretty locations across the UK, the De Vere group is always a dependable name, but there are few surprises in its line-up of contemporary hotels. Instead, it's in its small collection of country estate hotels where you'll find the brand's true soul.

The Jewish Chronicle
Find your mojo in Mauritius

Far below, the sea is swirling with shades of blue. It's as if someone has rinsed a paintbrush in it - kingfisher, periwinkle, cerulean and duck egg. At first you think all is silent, until you stop and listen.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Bainland Country Park, Lincolnshire

The fields stretch out as far as the eye can see. Some are resplendent with the brilliant sunshine yellow of rapeseed, trimmed with vividly green hedgerows. Others have undulating heads of wheat, which seem to wave at you from afar.

The Jewish Chronicle
Turkey's hidden delights

From the terrace, the shifting Aegean Sea twinkling in the distance is mesmerising. The air is scented with sage, citrus and olive, and is heavy with the heat of a beating sun. The only sounds are the swallows and warblers swooping overhead and the whispering breeze in the laurel trees.

The Jewish Chronicle
How we will travel in 2021

After spending much of this year 'grounded', you'd forgive people for simply wanting to get away once it's possible again. But the big trends for 2021 travel are showing that we're also being more thoughtful about our future trips, with sustainability and wellness high on the list - here's how globetrotting is set to change.

The Jewish Chronicle
Little wonders

Escaping to a deserted island might seem all the more tempting at the moment - but once it's safe to travel again, you needn't leave the UK to enjoy an island experience on one of the picturesque isles off the coast.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Treehouse Hotel London

It's fitting that check-in at London's hippest hotel is on the 15th floor. For, just like a tree, it's at the top where everything flourishes. The lobby space is eclectic - there's a bark-covered wall, with wooden bird boxes and lush plants growing out of it.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: The Biltmore Mayfair, London

Presiding along one side of Grosvenor Square, in the heart of Mayfair, The Biltmore hotel is a swish reincarnation of what was originally the slightly fuddy duddy The Millennium Hotel. The £60 million reimagination, by Hilton's new, top-end LXR brand, didn't stint and it shows.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Silverlake, Dorset

For a holiday destination that's focused on family stays, it's remarkably peaceful at Silverlake. This rural retreat, in the heart of Dorset, consists of a community of sustainable holiday homes perched around a series of lakes, ponds and heathland.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Villa Di Bagnolo, Tuscany

Florence's most famous son, Leonardo da Vinci, didn't actually die in the Tuscan city, but rather in the Loire Valley, where he was holed up with his patron, King Francois I. But that's no reason for his home town not to commemorate the 500 th anniversary of his death.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, New York

Even the most jaded globetrotters won't fail to be impressed by the Manhattan skyline as seen from 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge. Set on the waterfront of the East River, it's five blocks west of the Brooklyn Bridge promenade and next to the Dumbo ferry terminal (so it takes just a few minutes to reach Wall Street).

The Jewish Chronicle
Indian Ocean unplugged

I knew I had a problem when - at 6am in my darkened bedroom - I broke out in a cold sweat, thinking I had lost my phone. I had got so used to waking up, reaching for my little screen and checking updates, that the thought of not be able to do this had resulted in a disproportionate level of anxiety.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Uxua Casa Hotel & Spa, Bahia, Brazil

An emerald hummingbird delicately hovers over a hot pink bougainvillea, and when the sun hits the pool, a thousand shades of azure sparkle like diamonds. Lofty ruby and gold Birds of Paradise flowers line the paths and, as you amble around in the Havaianas from your room, huge palm leaves gently sway.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Albany, Bahamas

Discover this under-the-radar resort and you'll be rubbing shoulders with the stars

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Cheval Three Quays London

You may not have considered staying in one of the increasingly popular, serviced apartments appearing in cities like London: too soulless and not suitable for a short stay, you might have assumed. But think again. Because Cheval Residences' luxury collection of apartments is upping the ante with its design-led properties available to rent from one night to three months or more.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Culloden Estate And Spa, Belfast

There's an aura of serenity that permeates the Culloden Estate - a grand country house hotel on the outskirts of Belfast. It's not just the hushed reverence of five-star service that you'll pick up on, for, in fact, the property was once a palatial home for Church of Ireland bishops.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: The Bloomsbury London

You might not be overly familiar with the name Martin Brudnizki, but there's a good chance you've eaten in one of the many dining rooms he has designed. The interiors guru is the man to have on speed dial if you're thinking of opening a hip restaurant or cool hotel and want to attract an uber-glamourous crowd.

The Jewish Chronicle
The wild run: a sidecar ride from Marrakech

It may be winter in the UK, but Marrakech - just a short three-and-a-half hour flight away - is the ideal spot for basking in some rays. And while getting lost in the city's medina, wandering through its palm-tree gardens and sharing mezze in the rooftop restaurants should all be on your 'must-do' list, you can now get a different perspective on this intriguing destination.

The Jewish Chronicle
Big in Japan: hi-tech meets tradition in Tokyo

Peer out the huge windows of Sushi Sora - a compact dining room on the 38th floor of the elegant Mandarin Oriental Tokyo hotel - and the vast city skyline glows as far as the eye can see. Night-time is surely the most cinematic way to see Tokyo from up high.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: Beaverbrook, Leatherhead, Surrey

Leatherhead in Surrey is an unlikely place to find what could be the UK's most glamorous recent hotel opening. But, nonetheless here - just a 10-minute drive from the M25 - is Beaverbrook, a re-imagination of what was previously Cherkley Court, the former home of press baron Lord Beaverbrook.

The Jewish Chronicle
Veg out in Jamaica

You eat under an ackee fruit tree as the sun dips down. The night is balmy and Ella Fitzgerald - along with a few hundred crickets - is singing the blues. The historic watermill still turns, giving a soupçon of charm that is far removed from the site's actual history as part of the 17th-century Rose Hall Sugar Plantation.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays - Kurhotel Skodsborg, Copenhagen, Denmark

When Dr Carl Ottosen opened his sanatorium back in 1898, he probably didn't envisage that nearly 120 years later, a legion of wellbeing lovers would still be arriving at the same spot.

The Jewish Chronicle
JC Stays: The Lanesborough, Hyde Park Corner, London

If luxury to you means cool, funky and stripped back, then don't come to The Lanesborough. After its lavish 18-month, top-to-toe revamp, the hotel has shaken off its scaffolding to reclaim its crown as one of the capital's most luxurious hotels - and if it makes no pretensions to being hip, it's unquestionably special.

The Jewish Chronicle
A Bohemian rhapsody; the timeless appeal of Prague

On Prague's historic Charles Bridge, the crowds are heavy. At times, its nigh on impossible to get near the imposing Baroque statues of saints that the picturesque bridge is known for. Its the same in the Old Town Square, where tourists with selfie sticks mingle in front of the famous 600-year-old Astronomical Clock, waiting for it to chime the hour and display its moving figures.

FORBES

Forbes
The Grove: A Mansion Updated For A Modern Age

The Grove may be just a short hop from north London - just over an hour's drive, in fact - yet it is a world apart from the hustle and bustle of the city. Checking in here is like arriving at a far-flung resort, except you aren't by the sea (although, miraculously, it does have its own beach - but more on that later).

Forbes
London Is Buzzing Right Now With RHS Chelsea And Chelsea In Bloom

London is looking particularly pretty right now with both Chelsea in Bloom and RHS Chelsea Flower Show officially kicking off the summer season. Stretching across Sloane Street, Pavilion Road, Duke of York Square and the King's Road, Chelsea in Bloom has come into its own this year with the theme 'Flowers on Film'.

Forbes
Kimpton Fitzroy: All Dolled Up And Somewhere To Go

There are not many hotels that boast one of London's famous blue plaques, but Kimpton Fitzroy , overlooking Russell Square in the city's charming Bloomsbury area, is one. At first, you might not notice it.

Forbes
Where To Find A Hampshire Feast For All The Senses

From swooshing down the 20-foot water slide at Sharkie's Reef pool to petting the Shetland ponies in the display zoo, Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire has long been renowned as the place to decamp for family fun.

Forbes
Dukes London: A Hotel Fit For A Right Royal Time

In a week that sees London in a celebratory mood, with the King's Coronation on the horizon, there's perhaps no better place to decamp than Dukes Hotel . The hotel has its own royal connections; said to be a favourite haunt of Princess Diana and the Queen Mother and there is even a rumoured 'secret tunnel' leading from Duke's bar to nearby St James's Palace.

Forbes
Good Tourism: What Does It Actually Mean?

"For explorers everywhere" is Lonely Planet's tagline. Launched with a first book entitled Across Asia on the Cheap, the publishing company was founded bymarried couple Maureen and Tony Wheeler in 1972, after they had traveled overland through Europe and Asia to Australia.

Forbes
Soneva X WGSN: Who Are The Future Travellers?

Always with an eye on the future, Soneva has now collaborated with trends forecaster WGSN to see how our travel habits are changing. The result is the publication this month of 'The Future Travellers' report, which reveals the key trends that will shape the future of luxury travel.

Forbes
Does It Get More Iconic Than This? The Latest Travel Experiences Focus On The Best In Class

This month, I look at the latest developments in luxury hotels and travel experiences, and it's all about going deeper to be the 'best in class'. 1. Kimpton Fitzroy London launches 'House of Pankhurst' Found in the heart of Bloomsbury, it is apt that Kimpton Fitzroy 's new creative residency - House of Pankhurst - pays homage to the area's literary heritage.

Forbes
Mother's Day Gift Guide: The Best Pampering Gifts For Mums Who Travel

If you have a mom or a beloved 'mom figure' who loves to explore the world, why not make her next journey that little bit better with one of these luxurious beauty gifts? From fragrances inspired by far-flung shores to products that aim to beat the effects of jet lag, choose one of these products for the ultimate way to treat a travel-loving mom for Mother's Day.

Forbes
Barsham Barns: Capturing The Magic Of North Norfolk

The sky stretches for miles above, cumulous clouds creating smudged polka dots across the cobalt blue. To get to Holkham Beach - the UK's answer to The Hamptons and North Norfolk's much-prized beauty spot - you walk across salt-aged boardwalks, as Little Terns and Oystercatchers soar overhead.

Forbes
It's A Gut Feeling: How To Find Weightlessness In The Maldives

While many health resorts might suggest you could lose a few pounds after one of their retreats, not many will promise a new sense of 'weightlessness' after tucking into a wealth of delicious food. But, when it comes to JOALI BEING , a dedicated wellness resort found in the Maldives' Raa Atoll, its promises tend to come true.

Forbes
Need To Know: Five Essential Hotel Updates For Travel Lovers

The iconic Rosa Alpina hotel, in Italy's UNESCO-protected Dolomites, has been providing hospitality since 1939 and is about to enter perhaps its most exciting chapter yet - as a fully-fledged Aman resort. Having presided over Rosa Alpina for three generations, the Pizzinini family will remain at the helm of the serene mountain retreat.

Forbes
Three New Parisian Hotels To Book For A Summer In The City

Paris is having a 'moment' with a slew of new openings shaking up the hotel scene. Here are three of the latest properties illuminating the City of Lights... Found in an elegant six-storey Haussmann building, this new offering from the Touriste brand (which also boasts Les Deux Gares, Hotel Bienvenue and Hotel Panache under its umbrella) claims to offer guests a quintessentially Parisian experience.

Forbes
All Aboard: The Whodunnit That Takes You Back To A Golden Age Of Travel

There's a frisson on London Victoria's Platform 2: a trio of singers are harmonising swing classics while travellers, chatting excitedly, are bustling about looking for their carriages. Everyone is dressed in their finest and the mingled scents of heady fragrances and musky colognes are heavy in the air.

Forbes
It's A Celebration Of Spring At Shangri-La The Shard

The weather may still be cold, and the sky is undoubtedly grey, but - in the city of London, at least - spring has arrived. It's a couple of months yet until London bursts into bloom - with the RHS Chelsea Flower Show , its most famous celebration of all things green, not due to kick off until May.

Forbes
Food Festivals And Fabulous Stores: Finding The Charm Of Marylebone

With its winding lanes and artisan shops, the corner of London that is Marylebone Village is renowned for being one of the most fashionable spots in town. In fact, this reputation for being a hub for artisan makers dates back to the 1770s, when musicians and artists lived and worked in the area.

Forbes
Casa Baglioni: Celebrating The Design Heritage Of Milan

"Casa Baglioni is a five-star hotel which is not just a place to eat and sleep, but somewhere which recognises a significant moment in Milan," says architect Federico Spagnulo. The founder of Spagnulo & Partners spearheaded the design of Casa Baglioni , the newest hotel from the Baglioni luxury hospitality group (the ninth property in its portfolio).

Forbes
The Dorchester's Big Reveal: The First Stage Of Its London Renovation Is Unveiled

Any hotel buffs recognising the names Pierre Yves-Rochon and Martin Brudnizki will know that when these hotel designers make their mark on a space, the results are nothing short of spectacular. It's apt therefore that both designers have had a hand in the highly-anticipated first stage of the iconic Dorchester 's revamp.

Forbes
On Top Of The World: How Lefay Dolomiti Is Taking Wellness To The Next Level

Above the Alpine town of Pinzolo, the snow is softly falling, covering the pines and meadows with a crystalline, fairytale-like coating. Seen from the glass-fronted lounge of Lefay Resort & Spa Dolomiti, the peaks of the Dolomites are in touching distance but, while plenty of guests do hit the slopes, skiing is not Lefay's main calling card.

Forbes
Proverb X Cliveden: How The Iconic Hotel Is Moving With The Times

The music is unexpected: hypnotic Balearic Beats, turned up loud, and on the right side of heart-thumping. It's just the thing to transport you to a sunset spot in a sultry, Mediterranean island. Yet, this is not Ibiza but, rather, Berkshire, and instead of chilling out on a beach, I'm in the spa at the iconic Cliveden House .

Forbes
How To Soak Up The Italian Renaissance, The Second Time Around

With a major exhibition taking place at the V&A from next month, Renaissance Art is being given, well, a bit of a renaissance ('scuse the pun) for a modern-day audience. Donatello: Sculpting the Renaissance (11 February - 11 June 2023) will be the first major UK exhibition to explore the exceptional talents of the Renaissance master, Donatello.

Forbes
How Amano Is Bringing Berlin's Party Spirit To London

There's a gold bath in the restaurant and a DJ is playing ambient house. It might raise a few eyebrows in any other restaurant, in the deepest of winter months, but in Covent Garden's latest - and coolest - hotspot, it sets the scene for The AMANO Group 's first opening in London.

Forbes
Quince: Finding The Heart In A New Kind Of Holiday Home Rental

The pandemic irrefutably changed the travel industry in many ways, but one outcome was the rise in travellers discovering the natural beauty on our own doorstep. With this rise in UK staycations, the past three years have also seen a boom in the home rental market, with holidaymakers wanting the flexibility and privacy of a home-from-home, rather than a hotel stay.

Forbes
The Top Five Destinations To Put On Your Radar For 2023

Leading travel companies reveal the top five destinations to travel to in 2023. 1. DOMINICA Global travel authority Lonely Planet has announced its ' Best in Travel' list for 2023 and Dominica has ranked as one of its top destinations in its 'Unwind' category.

Forbes
Find A Cup Of Festive Cheer At Hotel Café Royal

It may be found just off Piccadilly - quite possibly one of the busiest streets in the capital - but, inside Hotel Cafe Royal, there's a hushed ambiance that brings a sense of serenity even though it is slap bang in the centre of town.

Forbes
Icy Delights And Festive Food: It's A Nostalgic Christmas At Beaverbrook

With its rich history, Beaverbrook , in the Surrey Hills, has no trouble tapping into a sense of festive nostalgia. The hotel, which was once the home of Lord Beaverbrook, a politician and owner of the Daily Express and Sunday Express newspapers and a great friend of Winston Churchill, comes into its own during the winter season with its traditional Christmas celebrations.

Forbes
Hibernicis: A Beauty Lover's Guide To The West Coast Of Ireland

Rooted in the untouched west coast of Ireland, new wellness brand Hibernicis (pronounced HI-BER-NI-KIS) is all about celebrating the destination in which it was born. Not only does it use the natural resources, such as seaweed, from the Connemara and the Atlantic coastline, but it was founded by Catherine Logue to champion Ireland's cultural and linguistic heritage.

Forbes
Holiday Gift Guide 2022: Stylish Ideas For A Long-Haul Journey

Why not make a long trip more enjoyable for your loved ones with one of these pampering and practical gift ideas? From travel bags to wearable PJs, they are all designed to make you look super-stylish, and feel comfortable, no matter how long you've been travelling.

Forbes
Bequia: Is This The Caribbean's Best-Kept Secret?

There are no large resorts on Bequia. Sure, there's a smattering of faded guest houses and shuttered villas to rent, but Bequia Beach Hotel is the main place to stay on the island. Charmingly low-key, you are greeted with a fiery rum punch in the lobby lounge...

Forbes
Holiday Gift Guide 2022: The Best Italy-Inspired Gifts

Whether they adore the Amalfi Coast or are transfixed by Tuscany, the Italophile in your life will be kept happy with one of these Italian-inspired gifts. From the scents of Sicily to the aromas of Piedmont, these unique presents will capture the essence of the La Dolce Vita and transport them to Bella Italia, without the need for getting on a plane.

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Cap Karoso: Inspired By Great Explorers, For Modern-Day Adventurers

Found on a far-flung exotic island, amid megalithic tombs and windswept beaches, Cap Karoso is set to be one of the most captivating hotel openings when it opens at the end of this year. Located on Sumba, in remote Indonesia, the new launch is a pioneering island getaway with meaningful community engagement and sustainability at its heart.

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NoMad Hotel: Where Beauty And Ballet Combine To Make Music

This is NoMad London - a hotel which has been making waves on the hospitality scene since it opened its doors in Covent Garden in May 2021. NoMad has set the pace when it comes to those coveted collaborations - partnering with some of the most exceptional names in the business.

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Just Opened: Ritz-Carlton Amman Perfects The Art Of Blending Old And New Worlds

A button is pressed and the curtains magically swish back to reveal the city below. In the morning's sharp sunshine, the vision beyond is cinematic. The city of Amman, seen from 14 floors up, in the west of the city, positively shimmers. It is an all-white cityscape, made up of endless, low-rise buildings created out of creamy limestone.

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A Classic Reopens With Mexican Artistry And Culture At Its Heart

Adding a sense of culture and charm to a stretch of coastline that is more usually associated with all-inclusive resorts is Maroma, A Belmond Hotel . Set between verdant jungle and the twinkling Caribbean sea, the legendary property has just reopened after a starry make-over by Tara Bernerd .

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Celebrating 150 Years: Lake Como's Grandest Grand-Dame

This is the Grand Hotel Villa Serbelloni - a one-of-a-kind, true 'grand-dame' hotel, which has welcomed guests since 1873. Overseen by the Bucher family for four generations, it has retained many of its original features - and stately ambiance - since it first opened.

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How Staying In A Bush Camp Can Help The Future Of Africa

Not content with opening a new camp in Zambia - to add to its 16 camps and lodges across Zimbabwe, Botswana and Zambia - the founder of African Bush Camps, Beks Ndlovu, is also driving an important new initiative called Africa Change Makers.

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The Fox At Oddington: Redefining The Countryside Inn

You'll drive via winding lanes, trimmed with tangles of brambles and wild flowers, and past chocolate-box cottages with doors painted in Farrow & Ball's 'Elephant's Breath' or 'De Nimes'. Oddington, it seems, is found in one of England's most pleasant quarters.

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The Making Of New Identity: How Bhutan Created A Brand For The Future

Last month, on 23 September 2022, Bhutan, the tiny mountain kingdom sandwiched between India and China, reopened its borders after more than two years. The country is best known, perhaps, as the only one in the world that uses the happiness of its people as a guiding principle to underpin its philosophy.

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Rooms For Art: Frieze Art Fairs X Four Seasons Park Lane

Embracing this tradition, this month the city comes alive with art for everyone, in the form of Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2022 and it is the turn of Four Seasons London at Park Lane to pay homage to the art world.

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How A Re-Imagined Château Is Championing The Heritage Of The Languedoc

From Château Capitoul's windows, the vineyards stretch out tidily as far as the eye can see. It's autumn and the grape harvest is in full flow; the low-buzz of the tractors is pleasing to the ear. Above, in the cobalt sky, swifts and storks, have already begun to make their way south to Africa.

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A New Look Will Take You To New Heights At The Dorchester

All of London is stretched out before you, and you can just about spot the tops of Hyde Park's trees turning from green to amber. If it wasn't for the faint noise of traffic below, the sun umbrellas, potted olive trees and tubs of scented rosemary and thyme would transport you straight to the Mediterranean.

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The Twenty Two: Reviving Old-World Glamour For A New, Cool London Stay

The name may be simple enough - The Twenty Two - after its position just off London's grand Grosvenor Square, but, inside London's newest hotel, it's anything but. The lobby is a monochrome ode to chic styling - with mirrored doors, polished marble floor and black lacquer furnishings giving a seductive, 'after hours' feel.

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Young At Heart, with Grown-Up Appeal. Nobu Shoreditch Is Back

Step inside the lobby and you'll be immersed in Nobu Shoreditch 's true aesthetic: a place where East London meets Tokyo. Raw concrete pillars, polished terrazzo floors; low-slung teak chairs and towering plants fill the space. As the hanging globe lamps cast moody shadows on the black furnishings, check in is swift and no-nonsense - it's the best of curated, urban hospitality.

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Keep On Moving... Says The Iconic Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Tradition is sewn into the seams of the red-brick facade of Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park - one of the capital's most beloved 'grand dame' hotels. Housed in a building which dates back to 1889, the hotel - originally called 'The Hyde Park' before Mandarin Oriental took over in 1990 - has welcomed the great and the good - from Royals to Winston Churchill; Hollywood A-listers to larger-than-life rock stars.

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My Beautiful World: How Travel Inspires Some Of The World's Most Cult Beauty Brands - Part 2

Today, I continue to look at howa growing range of cult beauty labels are capturing the zeitgeist with their authentic harnessing of heritage beauty intelligence. Their range of authentic products bring a sense of 'meaning' to our bathroom cabinets, by not only tapping into the traditions of far-flung destinations but by being inspired by the very surroundings in which they were born.

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It's A 'Swallows And Amazons' Experience At Lakes By Yoo

"We see ourselves as gatekeepers for the future," says Rebecca Davies, the estate manager at Lakes by Yoo , a rambling, rural estate boasting a series of luxury home-from-homes in the Cotswolds. We are looking out across an eco-pond, which is bursting with life, with incredible-looking, tall bull rushes and cotton grasses, surrounding the water.

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Vakkaru Maldives Takes You On A Journey Into The Deep

From 27 August - 2 September, A Deep Sea Odyssey sees Oliver Steeds OBE take up a week-long residency at the resort - which was recently voted Indian Ocean's Leading Resort in the World Travel Awards - to challenge guests to take a deeper dive into ocean conservation.

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It's A Global Art Attack At 'Back To Earth' At The Serpentine

Since the Serpentine Galleries opened in London's Hyde Park in 1970, it has become renowned for its pioneering exhibitions which champion new ideas in contemporary art. That ethos is still going strong today and, for our modern times, the Serpentine has turned its mind to the climate crisis.

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Villa San Michele, Where Life Imitates Art

Based on the outskirts of Florence, in the hills of Fiesole, Villa San Michele, a Belmond Hotel, has prime position overlooking the city. It, too, has its roots in the 15th century - the golden era for Florence, the jewel in the crown of Italy.

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Behind The Scenes: Nhow London Brings An Eclectic Take On The City

A riot of colours, irreverent nods towards the royal family and rainbow-hued hotel-room doors (inspired by Notting Hill's houses) - nhow London harnesses all the joy and quirks of British culture. A short walk from Angel or Old Street tube stations, the hotel is found on the fringes of Shoreditch.

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Fusion Fantastic: How London's New Riding House Bloomsbury Has Global Cuisine At Its Heart

Born in Nigeria, time spent in Barbados and calling London his home, chef-patron Henry Omereye is 'riding high' with his signature African-Caribbean fusion cuisine. Ten years after the opening of Fitzrovia's Riding House Café , a venture with restaurateur Adam White, comes Riding House Bloomsbury - the latest showcase for Omereye's sun-fuelled cuisine, influenced by the chef's global travels.

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Food For Thought: How Soneva Is Revolutionising Dining And More In The Maldives

Chef Christoph has a 'Little Black Book' bursting with starry chef names. It reads like a 'Who's Who' of the gastro world. The Berlin-born director of culinary services at Soneva Jani in the Maldives, chef Christoph Pentzlin is the driving force behind the luxury resort's Soneva Stars programme, which welcomes a roster of internationally-renowned chefs to head-up residencies on the exotic island.

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Silence Is Often Golden At Hillside Beach Club In Turkey

Tucked away on the Turkish Riviera,Hillside Beach Club is built, terrace-like, into the hills and overlooks the most unbelievable turquoise waters. Verdant pine trees and tumbling fuchsia-pink bougainvillea disguise that the fact that the hotel is even there. If you happen to be sailing past on a yacht, you could blink and you'd miss it.

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Coworth Park X Ishga: Sound-Bathing In The Scottish Hebrides

Luxury Scottish brand ishga offers the widest choice of treatments at The Spa. The brand is also leading the way with innovation when it comes to Sound Therapy Treatments, with a brand new offering just launched, that has been created especially and exclusively for Coworth Park.

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Poetry Is In Motion At The New The Retreat At Elcot Park

Tucked away near the Wessex Downs, The Retreat at Elcot Park has a sense of poetry about it. It's no surprise, really, seeing that one of its prior owners was the mother of wordsmith Percy Bysshe Shelley, who bought the house in 1844, after his tragic drowning at the tender age of 25.

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Hillside Hangouts: The Cotswolds Reinvented

You'll pass by impossibly pretty honey-hued cottages, pink roses nodding at the door. You'll meander past idyllic rolling hills, the likes of which are normally painted in children's books. This is the Cotswolds, with its world-famous chocolate-box appeal making it one of the most visited - and traditional - corners of England.

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On Top Of The World: A Stay At Severin*s Reveals The Serenity Of Mountain Living

For European skiers, it doesn't get any better than Austria's Arlberg region. After all, it's not known as the cradle of Alpine skiing for nothing. Stretching from the regions of Tyrol to Vorarlberg, and encompassing the glamorous resort of St Anton, adrenalin junkies can access over 200 miles of slopes, as well as reaching Valluga, the area's highest peak at 2,811 metres.

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How York's Newest Hotel Captures The Essence Of The City's Charm

Welcome to No 1 by Guesthouse, York - the new opening by Guesthouse, one of the UK's latest and most charming hotel brands. It is found in a grand Georgian house, with many of its 200-year-old period details, such as ornate fireplaces, giant sash windows and elegant plasterwork, intact.

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The New OTO Residency At Cliveden Perfects The Art Of Sleep

In the dark, the sound of the singing bowl emanates around the treatment room. It's part soothing, part otherworldly and definitely all encompassing. It's an evocative noise, fitting perhaps given that this is happening in England's most talked-about spa. Cliveden House in Berkshire is laden with 'noise'.

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All's Well That Ends Well Following A £5.6m Renovation At Billesley Manor

For a writer, Billesley Manor Hotel & Spa , found just outside Stratford-upon-Avon, is the perfect place to find your muse. First, there's the evocative 125-year-old topiary garden, where you can waft around and be inspired by the giant yew trees clipped into chess pieces, (they were fashioned after Lewis Carroll's chess set in Alice in Wonderland).

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Costa Rica: Celebrating Conservation And Pura Vida

Celebrating the fact that it is home to 6.5% of the world's biodiversity, Costa Rica is currently the star attraction at Kew Gardens' annual orchid festival - which has returned for the first time in two years (on until Sunday 6 March with timed entries).

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The New Mondrian Shoreditch: Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This

The new Mondrian Shoreditch brings a mix of Spanish flair and Miami vibes. From the tapas-style dining by world-famous chef Dani García to the sunshine-fuelled rooftop pool and bar - the new opening will surely redefine how we see our city.

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Fall In Love With London Again: How The Carnaby Quarter Is Reviving Its 60s Heyday

It may be inextricably linked as the birthplace of Swinging London in the 1960s, but some 60 years on, Carnaby Street has maintained its boutique appeal. These days, the famous road has been reincarnated as 'Carnaby Quarter ' and expands across 14 streets, encompassing the Newburgh Quarter , Kingly Court and the famous street itself.

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Callow Hall: Reinventing The Country House Hotel For The 21st Century

Found on the cusp of the wilds of the Peak District, Callow Hall is no ordinary traditional country-house hotel. This, the first property of the Wildhive brand, may be housed in a Grade II-listed building, complete with feature staircase, imposing fireplaces and stone-framed windows, but yet it manages to feel thoroughly modern.

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The Travel Trends Report 2022 - Part 1

From green travel to child-focused itineraries, I talk to the travel experts and insiders to find out how we will travel in the year ahead. 1. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE ABTA's Travel in 2022 report showed a growing appetite among travellers to visit new destinations in the wake of post-pandemic travel, rather than sticking to their creature comfort destinations.

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Smiles And Stories: Habitas Reveals Just What Makes Its Hotels So Unique

When it launched in 2016, the innovative hotel group Habitas put a marker in the sand with its genuine values rooted in sustainability and local community empowerment, while redefining the luxury hospitality experience. CEO Oliver Ripley discusses the ethos and development of Habitas.

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10 Years On: How Novikov Is Still One Of London's Most Unique Dining Spots

The soundtrack is a funky kind of samba-soul and the vibe is just as up-tempo as the beat. A stalwart of London's restaurant scene, Novikov in Mayfair may still be dusting off the bunting following its 10 year-anniversary celebrations (it opened in 2011), but yet there's still a frisson in the air, just like when the restaurant first opened its doors.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels, Part 6

In my final instalment in the series looking at the top hotels to open across Europe and the UK in 2022, I reveal what's on the cards for the last quarter of the year. GRAN HOTEL MONTESOL, IBIZA - OPENING SUMMER 2022 Experimental Group is expanding its Balaerics portfolio further by taking over Ibiza's first ever hotel, Gran Hotel Montesol , which first opened in 1933.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels, Part 5

In my continuing series - looking at the top hotels to open across Europe and the UK in 2022 - today I reveal what's hot for the summer months. CALI MYKONOS, GREECE - June 2022 Set to be one of the summer's 'big-hitters' is Cali Mykonos , an ultra-luxe 40-villa property found on the east of the Greek island.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels, Part 4

Today, I continue my series revealing the best new hotels to put on your radar for 2022. THE ALBION, ABERTEIFI, WALES - March 2022 Much-loved for its re-invention of camping, the innovative fforest group is set to open The Albion , in west Wales, carved out of two historic warehouse buildings.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels, Part 3

Budapest's newest opening - Hard Rock Hotel Budapest - will feature 136 rooms and suites in the heart of the city. Found on Budapest's 'Broadway', it will offer a signature restaurant, Sessions, which will give a twist on traditional Hungarian cuisine; Roxy, a rooftop bar and space, and Constant Grind coffee shop.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels, Part 2

The latest boutique hotel to open in Mallorca is the sister property to El Llorenç , the design hotel found in the capital city of Palma. The new opening, El Vicenç De La Mar , by contrast, is found on the north side of the island, in Calla Sant Vicenç, an area which grew in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s due to its untouched beaches and secret coves.

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Where To Stay In 2022: The Top New Hotels - Part 1

Bvlgari brings its slick Italian luxury to Paris this month when it opens its new hotel on the exclusive Avenue George V. A collaboration between the Italian architectural firm Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel - who have designed all the Bvlgari Hotels & Resorts - and Parisian architects Valode & Pistre - guests can expect beautifully curated interiors, which marry an Italian sense of style with a French nonchalance.

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Launching Today - Soneva Soul Which Taps Into The Trend For Bespoke Wellness Experiences

With a heightened interest in wellbeing, leading resorts and spas around the world are continuing to offer increasingly targeted, bespoke offerings to their guests. With experts on hand, personalised treatments and advanced healing on offer, it's a travel development which is tapping into a burgeoning wellness trend on the rise across the globe.

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Myth, Legend And Love: How Kalesma Captures The Heart Of Mykonos

It's not clear what is the most spectacular - the salmon-pink streaked sky of the Greek sunset or the amber awakening of its sun-rise. Luckily, from your suite at the new Kalesma hotel, on the island of Mykonos, you are blessed with both views, so you can take your time to decide.

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The Travel Trend Report 2022: The Experts Have Their Say, Part Two

How has travel changed in the past 18 months? And how will our post-pandemic psyche affect how we travel in 2022? Following on from part one of this series (published with Forbes yesterday), I talk to industry experts to reveal further trends on the horizon for the year ahead.

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Rest Easy: An Insider's Guide To Travel by Desmond & Dempsey's Molly Goddard

Pyjama label Desmond & Dempsey - which has had a cult following since it launched in the UK in 2014 - has the essence of travel sewn within the fabric of its much-loved PJs. Launched by Molly Goddard and her husband Joel Jeffery - both avid travellers - they have based their iconic prints on the many destinations they have visited.

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Star Castle Hotel: It's A Feast Of The Senses In The Scillies

Star Castle Hotel is perched on the highest part of the island. You reach it by walking up a steep cobbled lane. The further you go - under an original gateway with bell, past a detention cell - the more you are taken back in time, until you reach the narrow walkway which takes you into the castle.

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Behind The Scenes: How Cheval Gloucester Park Is Perfect For A Post-Pandemic World

In this post-pandemic world, what we are looking for from our travel experiences has changed. Privacy, pampering and personalisation are the key buzzwords going forward. Perfectly in tune with these new trends is the Cheval Collection of luxury serviced apartments. They've been simmering away, under-the-radar, over the past few years - essential addresses for those 'in the know'.

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It's A Little Slice Of Hotel Heaven At Hell Bay On Bryher

Eventually, with rolling fields on all sides of you, the sea twinkling beyond, you'll catch sight of Hell Bay Hotel ahead. Found in a secluded cove, and made up of a collection of higgledy-piggledy buildings it is infused with the scent of salt air and is quite possibly the perfect coastal retreat.

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How Burlington Arcade Captures The Best Of Old And New London

The iconic London destination that is Burlington Arcade dates back to 1819 and is the oldest shopping arcades of its kind. But it has always had an avant-garde ethos and the reason maybe why - in normal times, at least - four million visitors arrive here each year.

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The Henrietta Collaborates With Italian Supper Club To Offer A Slice Of Southern Italy In The...

It's a quirky little place, on a charming little street - smack bang in the heart of Covent Garden. Blink and you'll miss it perhaps, but that is partly what makes The Henrietta Hotel one of London's finest under-the-radar gems. Part of the Experimental Group 's portfolio of achingly-hip hotels, restaurants and bars, the 18-bedroom townhouse was the first London hotel from the group when it opened in 2017.

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Lincolnshire: How A Luxury Offering Is Championing Sustainability

Bainland Country Park has, for the past few years, been championing the charm of Lincolnshire Offering luxury lodges, shepherd's huts and Mediterranean-style villas, all in the midst of glorious nature, owner Simon Craddock reveals the inspiration behind its new sustainable direction.

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Tuscany Revealed: How Assouline's New Book Will Take You On An Immersive Journey

Luxury book publisher,Assouline , is renowned for its covetable, coffee-table books which are celebrate the wonder of travel. From Ibiza to Capri, Marrakech to Mykonos, the publisher is known for a whole collection of travel titles, instantly recognisable by their bold, typographical covers and expertise within its pages.

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Fit For A King, Or Queen, At Hampton Court's The Mitre

It is at the The Mitre Hampton Court, which opened in August 2020, where Nicola Harding comes into her own. Her quirky-cool interiors in this historic building, reimagined as a boutique hotel, are instantly welcoming. Found on the River Thames, The Mitre has a rich heritage in hospitality.

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Happy Hotels: The Latest Openings Have Optimism At Their Core

Is there anything that the Grammy-award winning Pharrell Williams can't do? Most famous perhaps for his joyful anthem - Happy (possibly the most optimistic tune ever written) - the Virginia-born singer-songwriter is also a multitasker supreme. Record producer, fashion designer and restaurateur are just a few of the accolades under his belt.

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Expect An Expert Embrace Back To Normality At Beaverbrook's The Coach House

The first thing you notice is the stained-glass. As you step inside the characterful building, the jewel colours - sapphire, ruby and amber - hit the sunlight and create a dazzling dance on the tiled floor. Pots of towering plants and oversized blooms give the notion that you've entered a chic and colourful greenhouse.

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Black Tomato On How It Is Embracing Travel Through Children's Stories

Who hasn't been inspired by an imaginative story? Who hasn't travelled to new places through the pages of a book? Of course, the whole point of many novels - particularly for children - is to spark the imagination, allowing us to travel into new worlds, explore unseen spheres and giving us endless possibilities.

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The Latest European Hotels Bring A Design Focus For Sunseekers

A new batch of hotel openings is capturing that elusive optimism of sun-drenched holidays we are all lusting after right now. Here are five hotels to put on your wish list for when we can travel again... W ALGARVE, PORTUGAL What's the vibe? This spring, is bringing its signature 'urban glam' aesthetic to Albufeira, Portugal.

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New Urban Tours Reveal London Through A Different Lens

Teaming up with social enterprise Women in Travel (CIC), Intrepid Travel has launched three new Intrepid Urban Adventures Tours led by women. Travellers are given a unique insight into the lives of immigrant communities in the capital and a taste of different cultures.

Forbes
International Women's Day: How Maldivian Resort JOALI Celebrates Female Empowerment

It's International Women's Day today and we go behind the scenes at JOALI - a unique, female-orientated resort in the Maldives to see how female empowerment is giving its sustainable hospitality an innovative edge. Owned by one of Turkey's leading businesswomen - Esin Gural Argat - JOALI, which opened in 2018, is the Maldives' first and only immersive art resort.

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Arnaud Zannier On How To Open A Hotel During A Pandemic

With a collection of five hotels, resorts, lodges and private residences in Europe, Africa and Asia, Zannier Hotels - founded 10 years ago - has pioneered what it calls 'a new era of progressive luxury hospitality'. At the heart of its ethos is authenticity, with hotel design, authentic cuisine and guest experiences all rooted in local culture.

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Design Story: Behind The Scenes At Bainland Country Park

This year, it looks as though holidaymakers across the UK are gearing up for another summer of the staycation, with many hotels, cottages and country houses already fully booked. Simon Craddock, owner of Bainland Country Park - a unique collection of design-led villas and lakeside lodges in Lincolnshire - confirms this is set to be the case.

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The Top New Hotels In Europe To Book Now For When We Can Travel (Pt 2)

Here's how to keep dreaming of travel, with the second part of my series looking at some of the hottest new European hotels for 2021. IKOS ANDALUSIA, SPAIN What's the buzz? It's the latest opening from luxury, all-inclusive brand Ikos - known for its stylish, top-end take on holidaying - and the first hotel from the company found outside of Greece.

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Page Turners: You Can Still Travel Thousands Of Miles With Maison Assouline

While we are confined to our armchairs right now, we can still indulge our wanderlust with some escapism of a different kind. With bold colours, strong design, interesting subject matters and the unearthing of unique destinations, Maison Assouline has a strong history when it comes to travel books.

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The New London Hotels To Book For 2021

The streets of London may be deserted right now, but hopefully for not much longer. With the vaccine rolling out, there's hope on the horizon for travel to recommence and normal life to slowly return.

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Positive News: The Top Hotels To Open In The UK In 2021

It's still early days for global travel to resume to the ways we once knew and loved, but with the vaccine now rolling out, we can only remain hopeful that the industry will slowly start to start to return later this year. One positive of 2020 has been the rediscovery of the staycation.

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The Essential Travel Forecast Report 2021 (Part 4)

Today in the final article in my Travel Trend 2021 series, I look ahead to brighter times and talk about 'Regenerative Travel' - the increase in companies having an eco-aware ethos and 'give-back' mentality. I also consider 'Optimistic Travel' - because there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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The Essential Travel Forecast Report 2021 (Part 3)

In Part 3 of my travel trend series, I reveal why the boom in UK travel will continue - it offers safety and beauty on our doorstep, and a flurry of new openings next year. I also reveal the hidden side of Europe, and why hotels are opening in some under-the-radar destinations not too far away.

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The Essential Travel Forecast Report 2021 (Part 2)

In this, the second part of my travel forecasts for 2021, I reveal two trends predicted to be on the rise for next year: why you should put Africa on your wish-list and how cruising is taking a more intimate new direction.

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The Essential Travel Forecast Report 2021 (Part 1)

Now, we are slowly emerging out into the world again. So, what will 2021 bring for travel? In the first of my features looking at forecasts for 2021, today, I reveal two trends predicted to be on the rise for next year: wellness travel and a new demand for seclusion and privacy.

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Design Stories: Behind The Scenes Of Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel

Carved out of one of Ostuni's most notable buildings - the former 17th century Palazzo Rosso - is the new Paragon 700 Boutique Hotel & Spa. Owners Pascale Lauber and Ulrike Bauschke have reimagined the historical property, working with conservationists to restore it to its former glory.

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The Companies Bringing Travel Home To You This Winter

Those working in the hospitality sector have had to think fast on their feet to keep surviving, and we can only applaud the efforts of many brands who have pivoted to offer something new, in order to keep their names fresh in the minds of would-be guests and travellers.

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From The Experts: Peter De Savary Talks Hospitality In Uncertain Times

One of the UK travel industry 'heavyweights', Peter de Savary is probably best known for his 'thoughtful' and personal approach to hospitality across a portfolio of stylish properties. The hotelier, 76, works alongside his wife, Lana de Savary, who is responsible for the hotels' chic interior-design ethos, with both presiding over a collection of boutique outposts across the UK and beyond.

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Behind The Scenes With A Hotel Expert: How To Open Post-Covid

One of Wales' most prominent hotels - Celtic Manor Resort - was one of the first to reopen when restrictions began to ease. Matthew Lewis, vice-president of operations at the hotel, talks to Forbes about the process of reopening in these uncertain times.

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Trend Insight: The New Ways We Will Travel

Destinations are opening up to tourism again and our appetite for travel is slowly returning. With it, there are new trends emerging for how we will travel, with safety, privacy and seclusion all top of the 'want list'. Here, I reveal the latest ways we will continue embracing the world around us.

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From The Experts: Will The Pandemic Make Us Care More About Our Planet?

With travel having been 'on pause' for the past few months, tastemakers and expert leaders have had some time to reflect and think about the future of the travel industry. But, with many companies simply fighting to survive, will the progress made in sustainable travel before the pandemic hit be lost?

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The Need To Improve Racial Diversity In The Travel Industry

I talk to Jamie-Lee Abtar, executive director of BAME Women in Travel, and Alessandra Alonso, founder of Women in Travel CIC, about how to cultivate understanding around what racism means, how to improve representation of people of colour in the travel sector, and how to attain positive progress.

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Behind The Scenes As The UK's Best Hideaways Prepare To Open Again

Travelling abroad this summer is still looking uncertain, so, instead, we turn our eyes to holidaying on our own shores. One clear option is to find your own home-from-home, where you can enjoy a change of scenery, escape the confines of your own four walls and discover a new part of the UK.

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Safe Havens, Sustainability And Social Distancing: Welcome To A New Era Of Travel

In a continuing series about what the future holds for the travel industry, I talk to a range of expert insiders about what lies ahead. Ed Newell, founder and CEO of NewTree Ranch , a 'farmstead' concept found in the Pacific Redwood Forest of northern California, says that he thinks people will look for new and better ways to travel.

Forbes
Dive Into World Oceans Day: How To Help Preserve Our Blue Planet

Today is World Oceans Day, which aims to help minimise our impact on our 'blue planet'. As travellers, we can also play our part by choosing our destinations wisely, and helping with marine conservation when we get there. Here's where to holiday and help the health of our planet.

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Adventures For The Future: The Trips To Start Thinking About Now

As a travel writer, I am used to whizzing off to some incredible places. Some of my trips may be impromptu hops to nearby destinations, other journeys take months in the planning - curating itineraries and discussing ideas for the stories I will eventually write.

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Feed Your Wanderlust With These Ways To Escape At Home

From losing yourself within the pages of a glorious travel book to indulging with the pampering products you'd usually find in an exotic spa - there's still an element of travel that you can enjoy while being confined to your homes.

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From The Experts: What Is The Future Of Travel?

Here, I talk to a range of travel 'insiders' to hear their views on the impact of coronavirus and their predictions on how we will travel in the future. Delaying, rather than cancelling your trip - if finances allow - seems to be one over-riding message at the moment.

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Compassionate Travel: How The Travel Industry Has Become A Force For Good

While the travel industry may not be operating 'business as usual' during the current crisis, it doesn't mean to say that they have lost their fighting spirit. In fact, many companies in the sector have admirably adapted their offerings and risen to the challenge of helping others in need.

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Travel For The Imagination: Five Innovative Ways Travel Companies Are Continuing To Inspire

Confinement and self-isolation means that we are unable to go anywhere far at the moment, but that doesn't mean we can't dream and plan for our trips ahead. In fact, many travel companies and tourist authorities are coming up with increasingly innovative and imaginative ways in which we can continue our 'journeys' from our homes and bring a touch of positive dreaming to our lives.

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Future Planning: Three Inspiring Places To Put On Your Wish-List

We are surrounded by uncertainty, with travel perhaps the last thing on our minds. But with many of us hunkering down indoors, there's nothing to stop us dreaming. Here are three extraordinary trips to put on your wish-list for when we can spread our wings again...

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In Mind, Yet Far Away

Most of us are in the unprecedented position of being 'grounded' for a while, but this doesn't mean we can't plan or dream about our future travel. The following gems are found off the beaten track and will offer the chance to recharge our minds, and rest our bodies, once we're all back on the move.

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Valerie Hemingway On Why Her New Insider Arts Trip Will Take You To The Beating Heart Of Cuba

From Cuba's extraordinary dance scene to Havana's exciting community of artists, Cuban's seem to have a knack of putting their own incomparable stamp onto every genre of the arts. Over the years, international filmmakers, writers and artists have flocked to the island, in search of their own inspiration, but it is, perhaps, Ernest Hemingway who remains the most famous of these talented 'ex-pats' who chose to make their home here.

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Petal Power: From Indonesia To Kew

The temperature is humid, and if it wasn't for the rain splattering outside and the grey skies overhead, you might think you were wandering around the rainforest of a far-flung island The 25th edition of Kew's Orchid Festival might be found in London but it has been inspired by Indonesia - an arc...

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Take A Walk On The Wild Side At This Mauritian Hideaway

The only wellness resort of its kind on the island, it is found in a 2,500 hectare private estate, known as Heritage Bel Ombre, partly made up of the immense Fredrica Nature Reserve, a golf course, an untouched shoreline, as well as two sister properties.

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Three New Hotel Hotspots To Put On Your Radar

From a 'curated' townhouse in Mallorca to the carnival-themed hotel on London 's Southbank - hotels are pushing the boundaries when it comes to design this year. Opening in June 2020, in the quaint rural town of Santanyí in the south east of Mallorca, Can Ferrereta is carved out of a stunning 17 th-century mansion.

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Adventures In Lapland: Behind The Scenes Of The New Arctic Bath Hotel

As the sun dips behind the curve of the horizon, the pure white of the iced-over Lule River gives off a supernatural glow against the darkening skies. Inside your room, it's warm and cosy - modern Scandi lamps are dimmed, and on the Mid-century-style sofas you can huddle under faux-fur throws to keep off the chill.

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Ten Years On: The Story Behind Sweden's Most Adventurous Hotel

Kent and Britta Lindvall are not your average hoteliers. They may be at the helm of the inventive Treehotel - a collection of weird and wonderful rooms perched high in the trees in a remote Swedish forest - but, they say, they are simple folk at heart.

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Thrilling Travel: How To Travel Like Agatha Christie

Travel, it seems, is taking a mysterious turn this year, with a flurry of Agatha Christie-inspired trips being launched for amateur sleuths, and explorers, alike. Putting the Nile on the radar - the setting for perhaps what is Christie's most famous novel - and coinciding with the October 2020 release of Kenneth Branagh's new cinematic version of Death on the Nile-travellers can once again sail on the .

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Heritage In Hotels: How Old Fashioned Romance Lives On At London's Hotel Café Royal

The corner seat is the one to bag. The very same soft, red leather banquette that was Oscar Wilde's favourite and which gives the best view of the resplendent Rococo room. Opened in 1865, on the Piccadilly end of Regent Street, The Oscar Wilde Lounge is the jewel of Hotel Café Royal, and one of the most historic rooms in one of London's oldest hotels.

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Read On For The Best In Travel Inspiration For 2020

When it comes to travel, there's nothing better to spark inspiration than a glossy tome which sets out to celebrate the virtues of a destination. Immerse yourself in a new batch of titles for the year ahead and you can silently journey to far-flung destinations and sow the seed for where you'd like to tick off your must-see list next.

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Six Of The Best: The Ultimate Places In The World To Escape Winter

Once the festivities are offer, why not shake off the winter blues by heading to one of the new resorts opening in 2020? The best luxury openings - from Miami to St Barths - are ideal for globetrotters who appreciate the latest in design, but who are also conscious about their travel footprint.

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London Calling: Three New Hotels Opening In London In Early 2020

If you are looking to explore somewhere new and exciting, look no further than the capital city which is gearing up to welcome three new hotels early next year. The Guardsman , on Buckingham Gate, is one of the most highly-anticipated openings for 2020.

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Folie Brings A Touch Of Riviera Glamour To London's Dining Scene

Inside the dining room, it's all curvy lines, teal velvet armchairs and gleaming brass fixtures. The lighting is warm and cocooning and disco-funk is on the playlist. Outside, London might be dripping with rain again, but Folie, the capital's latest restaurant, will welcome you in from the cold with a touch of Riviera sunshine.

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Where In The World? Travel Trends For 2020 - Part 3

From the rise in eco-friendly hotels to the search for authentic experiences, the world of travel has never been so 'woke'. In my final feature, as part of a series of articles revealing what's new and what's coming up on the horizon, I continue my look at what's happening in travel for 2020.

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Where In The World? Travel Trends For 2020 - Part 2

From the rise in eco-friendly hotels to the search for authentic experiences, the world of travel has never been so 'woke'. In a series of articles revealing what's new and what's coming up on the horizon, I continue my look at what's happening in travel for 2020.

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Where in the world? Travel Trends for 2020 - Part 1

From the rise in eco-friendly hotels to the search for authentic experiences, the world of travel has never been so 'woke'. In a series of articles looking at what's new and what's coming up on the horizon, I reveal what's happening in travel for 2020. 1.

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Travel Insight: Exploring The Portuguese Flavour of Goa

Outside, the sky is heavy with ominous-looking clouds - it's the end of the monsoon season in Goa, and the sun is struggling to shine. Inside the Figueiredo House , in the village of Loutolim, it's also dark - but this time it's with the laden import that comes with a history dating back to 1590.

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The Ultimate Day Trip Just Launched To Give Kids A Flying Start

Private jet company, 365 Aviation's new partnership with The Little Grand Tour sees groups of children being able to fly off and tap into unique 'behind-the-scenes' experiences at some of the world's leading galleries and museums and travel by private jet.

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Travel Trend: Live Like A Londoner At Cheval Knightsbridge

The concierge is busy arranging an impromptu bottle of bubbles for a guest's birthday, while in the bedroom there's a curated selection of books themed around London. You might think that this is the latest boutique hotel in the capital, but you'd be wrong.

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The Art Of Venice: A Sensory Journey Into Europe's Fragrant History

Inside the jewel of Venice's crown - the inimitable Gran Teatro La Fenice opera house - you might consider wearing a pair of sunglasses. In the lobby the huge, glittering chandeliers remain luminous, giving more than the wow-factor - (gleaming with their multitude of lights, you can't take your eyes off them) - despite the theatre's restoration having been completed back in 2003 (following the third fire of its history).

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Find Your Eureka Moment In A Search For The Heart Of Venice

In all the cities in all the world, the one place where it is actually a joy to get lost in is Venice. One minute you can be in the midst of heaving crowds, the next - turn the wrong way - and you'll find yourself along an empty fondamenta, the lapping water in the canal sending up an eerie echo.

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The Future Of Travel: Hotel Game-changers

Those wanting to know more about the shape of the travel industry of the future, should look to the finalists of the Radical Innovation competition, which is gearing up to announce its winner next month on 16 October 2019. The yearly competition challenges designers, hoteliers, and students to pioneer compelling ideas in travel.

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It's All About Neighbourhood Vibes As Moxy Opens A Third NYC Hotel

With its micro-room, macro-amenity concept, Moxy Hotels has done much to change the way travellers think about affordable hospitality. Having debuted in 2014 with the opening of Moxy Milan, the boutique hotel brand - from Marriot International - has become known for its tech-enabled rooms, vibrant lobby spaces and modern experiential approach.

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From Taiwan To London: How Travel Has Inspired The Founders Of BAO And Xu Teahouse

When BAO opened in London, as a street food stand back in 2012, it kickstarted a love affair with Taiwanese cuisine (not to mention those delicious Bao buns). Inspired by her childhood in Taiwan, co-founder Erchen Chang, and partners, have since gone on to conquer the London restaurant scene with a series of cult classics.

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Secret Garden: 1 Hotel West Hollywood Opens With Greenery At Its Heart

Inspired by the natural world, 1 Hotel's Brooklyn Bridge property brings a touch of the outdoors in more ways than one to this urban location. The new opening - the group's West Coast flagship - is also inspired by outdoors - this time, the raw natural beauty of the southern Californian landscape.

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Divine Intervention: How To Discover The Art Of Tuscan Cuisine

It may be best known for its Renaissance art, but Tuscany, in the belly of Italy, is also bursting with culinary richness like no other Italian region. From the most flavoursome Ribollita soup to the juiciest Bistecca alla Fiorentina, the crispest Chianti wine to buttery gnocci, a typical Tuscan meal is often simple, but always a masterpiece in its own right.

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Behind Paris's Iconic Art Hotel: Molitor Celebrates Its 90th Birthday

From its Art Deco pool to its unique connection to the art world, hotel Molitor 's iconic status is as much down to its rich history as it is to its forward-thinking ethos. This year it is celebrating 90 years since it first opened its doors in Paris's 16 th arrondissement.

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Hotel News: Inside The Revamped De Vere Tortford Court

With its elaborate turrets, honey-hued lime-stone façade and ornate curlicues - arriving at the De Vere Tortford Court in Gloucestershire feels - at first sight - like you've stepped into a Mary Shelley novel. While the hotel may have its feet in a Gothic past, its face, however, is firmly facing the future following its recent £6 million refurbishment.

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This Month: The Beaumont Knocks It Out The Ball Park

This month, the American-Art-Deco inspired hotel, The Beaumont, is offering a range of authentic Boston dishes in its Colony Grill restaurant, to mark the two Major League Baseball season games, which will be hosted in London for the first time in history.

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Behind The Blooms: Inside The New Moxy Chelsea

The recently opened Moxy Chelsea in the heart of New York offers a genius twist on the affordable, micro-hotel trend: glamourous sociable spaces, a top-end Italian restaurant and cool rooms, designed by Yabu Pushelburg and the Rockwell Group, give you more bang for your buck.

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Eco Travel: How 1 Hotels Is Embracing The Natural World

With International Recycling Day just ticked off the calendar (17 May) and the World Environment Day on the horizon (5 June), the themes of sustainability and eco awareness are particularly relevant right now. In the travel world, of course, these issues have never been so pertinent, with the brightest, newest hotels looking to tick the right boxes to keep their consciences, and forward-thinking guests, happy.

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The Founder Of Harvest Nature On Why Vacation Conferencing Is The Latest Travel Trend

Following a successful debut last year, Harvest returns to Kaplankaya, Turkey, on 24-26 May, with a new addition to the series - Harvest Nature. This three-day experience, based at the Six Senses resort, will host up to 15 internationally renowned speakers to discuss themes relating to the exploration and conservation of the planet - all with a positive focus.

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Travel In Leonardo Da Vinci's Footsteps With An Authentic Stay In Tuscany

This month marks 500 years since Leonardo da Vinci died. As well as his masterpieces, which sees him regarded as one of the world's finest artists, da Vinci's sketches, found in the thousands, across numerous notebooks, also reveal just how ahead of his time he was - with the works showing the first known concepts for bicycles, helicopters and aeroplanes, as well as advanced anatomical sketches and scientific studies.

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Authentic Luxury: The Geoffrey Kent Suite At Sanctuary Olonana Lodge In Kenya

When it comes to luxury travel, there is one name in the industry who has led the way, particularly when it comes to creating the most enlightening safari experiences imaginable. Geoffrey Kent, the founder of luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent , is renowned as a pioneer, with his innovative and upscale approach to experiencing some of the continent's greatest wildernesses.

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New Opening: The Spa At South Lodge Elevates The Traditional Country House Hotel

The honey-coloured exterior is somewhat misleading. Bordering Sussex's idyllic South Downs, South Lodge - a 19 th century neo-Jacobean manor - on first sight is exactly what you'd expect. There are manicured lawns, wooded walkways and a Wisteria covered entrance. Step inside and there's enough ornate ceilings, wood panelling and overstuffed sofas to keep any Victoriana fiend happy.

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From City To Shore, Three New Hotels To Put On Your Wish List

Found in the eighth arrondissement of Paris, new boutique hotel Fauchon L'Hotel brings together a playful design ethos with a gastronomic focus. Founded in 1886, is one of France's most famous gastronomic luxury brands - renowned for its gourmet delicatessen, including the most celebrated macarons.

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Arabian Nights: How One&Only Royal Mirage Conjures Up The Past In The City Of The Future

The scent of roses is heady and, wrapped in my traditional pastemal wrap, I am guided into the heart of the hammam where the plumes of steam intensify the aroma. This is the Oriental Hammam found at the heart of One&Only Royal Mirage hotel in Dubai and it serves as a gentle oasis away from the high-octane glitz that is the hallmark of this city.

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International Women's Day: Carol Lovell, Founder Of STOW, On Inspirational Travel

When Carol Lovell founded STOW back in 2013, she set out to create a leading brand renowned for its luxurious and life-lasting travel accessories. Combining traditional artisan skills with practical storage solutions, that work for the modern-day traveller, the company has become synonymous with the spirit of stylish 'wander-luxe'.

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Marrakech To The Maldives: My Year In Travel Part II

Here, I continue to look back on the trips I made over the course of last year. In this this second instalment, I pick up my journeying, as I touch down for a night away in Edinburgh. There's no grander place to see Edinburgh than from the old railway hotel that is the Waldorf Astoria Caledonian .

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The Art Of Travel: Viking Cruises Continues To Champion Culture

As well as its innovative sea and river voyages around the world, Viking Cruises is also renowned for its continual support of the arts. Following on from last year's sponsorship of the V&A's major Ocean Liners: Speed & Style exhibition, this year, the cruise line is working alongside the British Museum on the anticipated Edvard Munch: Love and Angst exhibition, which will run from 11 April - 21 July 2019.

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Marrakech To The Maldives: My Year In Travel Part I

As a travel writer, the horizon is always on my sightline (literally and metaphorically). I'm constantly looking forward to an upcoming trip, thinking about a new destination or what will be the next airport I'll be touching down in.

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Live, Life And Balance - How A New Wellness Company Is Elevating Holistic Holidays

When Livia Manca di Villahermosa wanted to find a holistic holiday which was also nurturing and luxurious, rather than minimalist and depriving, she struggled to find anything that suited. Having worked with luxury brands, such as Chanel and La Perla, in both New York and London, her experience in the luxury world meant that she quickly saw a gap in the market.

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Hot, Hot, Hot: Three New Hotels To Book Now For 2019

From a weekend break in the balmy island of Mallorca to exploring the wonders of Costa Rica, these three hotel openings are the ones to put on your wish-list this year... Can Bordoy Grand House & Garden, Palma de Mallorca, Spain Just opened in Mallorca, is the island's newest, and arguably most stylish, retreat.

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A Home-From-Home On Kent's Coastline Will Inspire Even On A Winter's Day

For the past few years, there's been a little coastal revival simmering away on the east Kent coastline. It started with Whitstable, and its impossibly pretty fisherman's cottages and stylish oyster restaurants. Next came Margate, with its Turner Contemporary gallery and buzzing art scene.

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The New Ways To See The World: Travel Trends 2019 Part 2

From futuristic cruise ships to interactive architecture for hotels - the ways in which we see the world, and how we want to experience different destinations, is changing. I speak to some of the industry's leading experts to discover the latest travel trends.

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ME Dubai, Zaha Hadid's Legacy Project, Is Set To Make Its Mark On The Dubai Skyline

From its uber-luxury, sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel to the Burj Khalifa , the tallest building on the planet, when it comes to impressing even the most world-weary travellers, Dubai knows how to pull out the stops. It latest addition to the skyline - the 95m-high The Opus building - has ramped up the city's architectural prowess even further.

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The New Ways To See The World: Travel Trends 2019 Part 1

The ways in which we see the world, and how we want to experience different destinations, is changing. Here, I speak to some of the industry's leading experts to discover the latest travel trends. Bite-sized travel According toNobu Hotel Ibiza Bay , 2019 will be the year of 'bite-sized travel', with travellers looking to squeeze in curated travel itineraries into shorter time-frames.

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Spend Your Own Finest Hour At The Montagu Kitchen Restaurant, Inspired By Churchill

For a hotel inspired by one of our greatest Brits, Sir Winston Churchill, The Hyatt Regency London is surprisingly buzzy, and not in the least bit stuffy as you might perhaps expect. The five-star hotel, known as The Churchill, on Portman Square in Marylebone, has nods throughout towards the great leader and politician - from bronze busts to a curated book collection on display in public areas.

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Chalet Makeover: An Experimental Approach Comes To Verbier

The Experimental Group brings its hip ethos to Verbier with its Experimental Chalet opening in December. The new opening offers a signature cocktail bar, club and modern restaurant and is perfect for skiers after a contemporary interpretation of chalet living.

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Immerse Yourself In Corfu Life At The New Ikos Dassia

The new Ikos Dassia in Corfu may offer five-star all-inclusive living, with a luxury twist, but it also has a unique take on local living - by encouraging its guests to go beyond the walls of the resorts with innovative experiences.

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Green Travel: Inside Bangkok's Innovative New Akyra TAS Sukhumvit

The latest new opening from the innovative Akaryn group of hotels, Akyra TAS Sukhumvit , will 'have you' at 'hello'. Not only does its downtown Bangkok vibe ooze coolness (Sukhumvit is Bangkok's most upcoming area, which the hotel reflects in its chic-retro interiors), but the boutique hotel is also making a stir with its forward-thinking, eco-conscious ethos.

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How The Habitas Brand Is Changing The Way We Travel

Last year, when Habitas opened its lifestyle hotel in the hippie beach town of Tulum , Mexico, it offered everything, and more, for a savvy Millennial traveller. Not only was it built in collaboration with local carpenters and artisans (thus ticking the 'give-back' box), it also made sure that sustainability was key with its environmentally-aware ethos, that has become all-important to the way many of us want to travel.

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Diamond Life: A Look Inside The Bulgari London Hotel

Better known for its lavish jewelry - think gleaming emeralds, dazzling diamonds and the deepest azure sapphires - it's no surprise that stepping into Bulgari Hotel London is like finding yourself encased in a jewelry box. Polished, black granite floors and acres of glossy sapele mahogany mean that the lobby is, more specifically, the equivalent of the inside of a black-lacquered case.

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Nature Calling: How Weekapaug Inn Lets You Escape The Rat Race

Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. In the distance, a great egret glides gracefully across the pond, while, closer to where we stand on the veranda, a purple martin lands on the lawn.

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Blantyre: How A Gilded Mansion Has Been Bought Back To Life

Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Hidden in the woodlands of western Massachusetts, Blantyre stands as a reminder of a gilded age that time has nearly forgotten.

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Swept Away: Powerscourt Hotel Will Have You Sold On Its True Irish Welcome

Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. They say that first impressions count, and at Powerscourt Hotel , one of Ireland's most lavish resorts, it's certainly true.

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Marvellous Malta: More Than Just This Year's Capital Of Culture

Valletta in Malta is one of this year's Capitals of Culture, with a wide range of events planned for this year. But it was already making its mark on the hip destination map due to its cool hotel scene, avant-garde architectural projects and it's all-round sunny disposition.

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Just Beachy: Chalet Saunton Brings A Sharp Design Focus To North Devon

Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Think of a trip to Devon and you might dream of thatched cottages on winding lanes, picturesque coves and little villages with tea shops that time forgot.

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The Great Escape: Half Moon Jamaica Invests $75 Million In A Super Transformation

Share to email Share to facebook Share to twitter Share to linkedin Share to google Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Half Moon, a luxury beachfront hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica, has long been an iconic property that is at the top of many well-heeled travellers' wish lists.

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How To Be A Professional Traveller: An Insider's View On How To Make Travel Work

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Tweet This After hopping around the world for nearly 20 years as a travel journalist, I'd like to think that I've picked up some insider information about the 'business' of travel that's worth sharing.

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Mountain High: How To Discover Marrakech On The Inside

Discover a new side to Marrakech - one that is full of magic, charm and promise. Insiders Experience takes you beyond the realm of a usual tour, and, instead, on the back of a bike with sidecar, shows you the hidden side of the city.

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The Travel Companies That Will Change The Way You See The World

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. From bespoke itineraries to seeing a place like a local, the latest travel companies are adding a big dollop of imagination to the process of booking a holiday.

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Greek Gods: Five New Hotels That Promise Heavenly Holidays

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. With a batch of exciting new openings on the cards for the summer ahead, it looks like Greece is back in the spotlight (or should that say, sunlight?)

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Slow Travel: How To Find The Serene Side Of Tokyo

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. While us Brits like to pride ourselves on our love of the varying seasons, the Japanese have elevated the changing months into an art form.

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The X-Factor: Why It's All About The Collaboration For The Coolest Luxury Hotels

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The stars of the catwalks have long been in bed ('scuse the pun) with luxury hotels. From Armani to Versace , some of the globe's best-loved hotels - found in the glitziest locations, of course, - have a fashion designer's name over their doors.

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Location, Location, Location: Why The UK Remains Picture Perfect

The landscape of the UK has long been immortalised in film - from sweeping landscape shots of the great British countryside (think: County Durham as the dramatic backdrop in the 1996 film Jude) to our cities being immortalised in iconic films such as Notting Hill, Sherlock Holmes, and Truly Madly Deeply.

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Look No Further: Why The UK Should Be On Your Travel Bucket List For 2018

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Forget taking off to exotic climes for inspiration or finding your thrills in far-flung lands - next year, the UK will be buzzing with a packed calendar of exciting cultural events and new openings, guaranteed to inspire and delight even the most jaded travellers.

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Why COMO Hotels Can't Get Enough Of The Magic Of Bali

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Despite having hotels dotted throughout some of the most glamorous destinations in the world - from Miami to Western Australia - it seems as though Singapore-based COMO Hotels has a particular fondness for Bali.

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Why Santa Barbara Is The Jewel Of USA's Pacific Coast

Known as the American Riviera, Santa Barbara, in the state of California, has always been a popular destination for those in the know. But now, with a slew of new openings, it looks like its under-the-radar charm will be exposed for all to see.

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Beaverbrook: Welcome To The UK's Most Glamourous Country House Hotel Opening

Chasing the dream: I write about travel and the world around me Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. You'll drink cocktails in the Parrot Bar, perched on deep-teal, velvet bar-stools, against a curvy, bronze bar. Walls are the palest peach - oil paintings giving a splash of colour, while tasselled lamps cast a flattering glow across the room.

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Welcome To Pure Escapism: The Top Three Brand-New Hotels To Have On Your Wish-List

You can't move for new openings in the Maldives at the minute, but Dhigali , the newest island outpost from Universal Resorts, is quite possibly one of the most glamourous. Having just opened its doors in June 2017, in the Raa Atall, its design ethos is minimalist, with teak wood, curvy bath-tubs and aquatic pops of colour.

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Discover The 'Turner' Skies, Wide Beaches And Historic Towns That Are The Glories Of Kent

It may be called the Garden of England due to its idyllic, quintessential English countryside, but when it comes to seaside charm, Kent is somewhat overlooked for well-known places like Dorset and Cornwall. But look again. With pretty beaches, such as Botany Bay and Pegwell Bay, the county has much to offer - and was even the inspiration for many of JMW Turner's works.

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Why This Hidden Gem In St Barts Is Redefining How To Stay In The Caribbean

It's the Caribbean, but not as you know it. There's no loud reggae, jerk chicken or chintz in sight - instead it's all French pop, just-baked croissants and white jeans. Welcome to St Barts (technically St Barthélemy) - so achingly chic, it is like someone has transported the South of France to the tropics.

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Sailing And Super-Suites: The Mark Is One Of A Kind In NYC

Back in 2009, legendary designer Jacques Grange put his spin on The Mark , one of New York's most iconic hotels since 1927. His haute-pop fusion style means the property has the brightest, stand-out lobby you'll ever come across.

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Say Hello To London's Coolest New Hotel: The Novotel London Canary Wharf

From the super-hotel that is The Ned to the capital's cool little gems, like Ham Yard Hotel , London is awash with inspiring and design-savvy places to lay your head. You would be forgiven for thinking, therefore, that a new property from Novotel - part of the French Accor group - wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting as some of the big-name openings flinging open their doors in town.

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How THE Park Hotels Changed The Face Of The Indian Hotel Scene

Think of Indian hotels and you may call to mind either grand palatial affairs or, on the other end of the scale, homely B&Bs. For many years, when it came to the hotel scene in the Asian country, there was not much to cater for a savvy, younger traveller.

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City Secrets: Detour, The Coolest Walking Tour In The World, Arrives In London

Let's face it: walking tours haven't got the most exciting reputation, but founder and former CEO of Groupon, Andrew Mason is determined to change all that. His latest venture- Detour -is based around immersive, experiential and location-based audio tours. Launched with a splash in the USA back in 2015, they have just been unveiled in the UK and across Europe.

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Head To This Sicilian Secret Hideaway And Soak Up The Real Dolce Vita

When you walk into the grounds of the 600 year old San Michele Estate (complete with a moat and watchtower), it's almost like stepping into an Italian art-house movie scene. Sicily's Donna Coraly Resort is one of those places that only a handful of travel connoisseurs know about (read: not very many).

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Seaside Heaven: Three Cornish Restaurants With Heavenly Views And Heartwarming Dishes

With its straight-out-of-ocean seafood, artisan cheeses and home-grown organic meats (not to mention the sumptuous cream teas) - Cornwall's foodie scene has always been a highlight of holidaying by the seaside. With starry chefs, such as Rick Stein, Nathan Outlaw and Paul Ainsworth, creating a simmering restaurant scene - the southern destination has become one of the UK's best-loved foodie hotspots.

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Speedy Safari For Those Who Are Time-Poor But Want To Be Experience-Rich

The thought of a safari trip brings images of long, hazy days, discovering parts of the world that are a world away from our usual existences. They are intrinsically romantic - exploring the wilds of Africa, sundowners over a majestic plain and sleeping under the stars, not to mention offering the highs of coming face-to-face with nature's finest creatures.

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Why Erosantorini Is This Year's Ultimate Summer Experience

Stark white buildings, the bluest cornflower roofs against an endless sky and a haze of sunshine: think of a summer holiday and this picture surely sums it up. This image, albeit repackaged for modern-day travellers, is what you'll find at sleek new opening Erosantorini - a new concept in luxury hotels.

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Why Covent Garden Has Become London's New Beauty Quarter

We're in the age of Instagram, when the pursuit of perfected beauty is widespread, and the choice of products (which will help make us the air-brushed versions of ourselves) is ever mounting. It's no surprise, then, that many designer brands are focusing their energies - with millions spent on increasingly complex research and development - on what they would call their 'entry-point'.

Forbes
Five Reasons Why The Landmark Hotel is London's Best-Kept Secret

So, you're familiar with The Dorchester, checked out The Lanesborough and The Ritz is on your lust list. Hey, you've probably had afternoon tea at Claridge's (said to be one of the best in London but, as an aside, my money is on The Langham's afternoon treats for overall winner).

Forbes
Why The Maldives Is Hot Right Now: Six New Resorts That Are Seriously Glam

The Maldives: historically seen as one of the most idyllic places on earth to visit, and, of course, considered the destination of choice to kick off married life (it's one of the most popular honeymoon locations in the world), has also been making headlines of late for somewhat darker reasons.

Forbes
Why Porto Is The City To Visit This Year

Set aside the Duoro River, Porto - Portugal's second city - is one of the most eclectic destinations in Europe. With its Medieval architecture, it's defining Dom Luis I Bridge (designed by Gustave Eiffel) and Art Nouveau cafes, there's something for everyone.

Forbes
Hotels With A Heart: Why Bouteco Will Be The Only Way To Travel Soon

Journalist Juliet Kinsman is probably most famous for being one of the founders ofMr & Mrs Smith , the impossibly stylish boutique hotel website that has won numerous awards over the years for its 'on-the-money' witty reviews, not to mention sourcing beds for the night for savvy travellers desiring more than a chocolate on their pillow.

Forbes
The Top 3 Retreats To Detox From Modern Life

While food for the soul is more than catered for, the body is not overlooked either. Aja's artisanal menu is harvested on-site from the property's biodynamic vegetable and medicinal herb gardens, which are also the basis for Aja's herbal infused olive oils, vinegars, green powders and herbal salt blends.

Forbes
8 Ways to Fall In Love With A Cold Climate

Tropical beaches, radiant sunsets and bare-foot walks along the beach - for some, the real essence of getting away from it all means basking in the heat somewhere remote and exotic. But, the hardier travellers among us know that cold climates have their own, unique charm.

Forbes
Behind The Scenes of The Spa Industry: An Expert's View

When was the last time you went to a spa? Did you enjoy it? Did you feel comfortable, at ease? Or, in fact, was it not as relaxing as you'd hoped it would be? For many, a spa experience can be a let down - at best baffling, at worse intimidating.

Forbes
The Experts' View: Five New Travel Trends for 2017

As another year ends, we'll soon be taking stock of the year that's been and what's to come ahead of us. Travel of course is as important as ever. Here, I speak to some leading travel experts on how we will be travelling in the months to come...

Forbes
An Insider's Guide To Ibiza: Off The Beaten Track And Out Of Seaso

When you think of the Balearic Islands, you instantly conjure up the hazy, lazy days of summer. Ibiza, in particular, is everyone's favourite party place - full of endless possibilities with its long, sunny days and even longer nights (many of which are often spent in its world-class nightlife and [...]

Forbes
5 Healing Holidays to Kick-start a New You

The beginning of a new year is often the only chance we get to stop, pause and reset our mind-set. With January just around the corner, why not cement your New Year Resolutions with some serious 'me' time. Check into one of the latest wellness retreats for 2017.

Forbes
Travel That Turns Down The Volume

Travel means so many things to so many different people but in an increasingly hectic and globalised world, the search for 'silence' has become an increasing demand and rising trend with those touching down somewhere new. As a response to this, major brands are responding with services that give travellers the chance to 'turn down the volume'.

Forbes
The Three Exotic Hotels To Put On Your Bucket List for 2017

So, the festive season is upon as and, after the parties and get-togethers come to an end, we'll soon enter our 'cocooning' stage when our thoughts typically turn to planning our vacations, touching down in sunnier climes and discovering new, far-flung destinations. It's vital to stave off the winter blues.

PUBLISHED IN SURREY LIFE

PUBLISHED IN CITY AM AND ONLINE

CityAM
06/05/2023
Nobu Shoreditch is back, now with ultra-chic new rooftop rooms

The weekend: Like many London hotels, Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch was forced to close in March 2020, due to the pandemic. It reopened some two years later, having taken advantage of its time out of the spotlight to upgrade its offering.

CityAM
04/17/2023
Supporting South Africa's rarest wildlife on safari with Lepogo Lodges

I'm admiring the rolling plains of the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, but not with the naked eye - on a computer screen. Flashing red dots indicate roaming beasts, rhinos and leopards, which are being monitored, and tiny, moving shapes show the reserve's trackers as they drive around this remote part of northern South Africa.

CityAM
04/17/2023
Doing Portugal's Algarve the smart way, at Pine Cliffs Resort

THE WEEKEND: Perched on the cliffs above Falésia Beach on Portugal's Algarve coastline, Pine Cliffs resort is the perfect gateway to exploring this sun-drenched region of southern Portugal. In reach are resort towns, such as Vilamoura and Albufeira, as well as the charming inland village of Estoi and Santa Bárbara de Nexe (the latter is renowned for its accordion-playing inhabitants).

CityAM
12/12/2022
How The Maldives are properly celebrating their food culture

On The Maldives, local cuisine is finally being properly celebrated. Angelina Villa-Clarke jets in to eat local delicacies including mud crabs I'm sat high in the treetops, hidden amongst the oversized leaves of banana trees. Flickering candles light the tables but, mostly, the scene is illuminated by the night sky, ablaze with an eternity of stars.

CityAM
11/29/2022
Retreat East is an inventive countryside hideaway in Suffolk

THE WEEKEND: You'll find Retreat East along a quiet lane in the middle of Suffolk's glorious rolling countryside (watch out for the discreet sign, as you'll probably miss it). Made up of a series of converted barns, this newly-evolved project takes all the best elements of the archetypal countryside stay and merges it into one.

CityAM
11/14/2022
Inside The Fox at Oddington, the latest venture from Daylesford Organic Farm

THE WEEKEND: In the heart of the Cotswolds, close to the picturesque town of Stow-on-theWold, Daylesford Organic Farm is perhaps the country's poshest farm shop. Owner Carole Bamford, founder of the Bamford wellness brand and Daylesford, has now launched The Fox at Oddington, a 'pub with rooms' in a renovated 16th-century pub.

CityAM
06/13/2022
Searching for Shelley at Elcot Park in Berkshire

THE WEEKEND: On the fringes of the market town of Hungerford in rural Berkshire, The Retreat at Elcot Park is set on elevating the country-house hotel stay. The second hotel from The Signet Collection (the first property is the awardwinning The Mitre in Hampton Court), guests can expect more of the brand's alluring combination of seriously stylish interiors, innovative dining and a laidback twist on luxury.

CityAM
05/24/2022
Callow Hall: Laid-back charm and rural beauty in the Peak District

THE WEEKEND: Found on the southeastern edge of The Peak District, Callow Hall is the first hotel from the Wildhive hospitality brand. Placing nature at its core, the owners behind the launch are aiming to champion the UK's lesser-known spots, by offering laid-back stays in restored historic houses.

CityAM
03/14/2022
A love-letter to Mykonos: Why this Greek island has it all

From the sunken fire pit, guests can watch the sun setting over the neighbouring island of Delos. Gold, amber and peach streaks are scrawled across the sky, like an angry toddler has raided the crayon box. The smoke rises up, making smudges, like dirty fingerprints across the sky.

CityAM
01/12/2022
The Langley in Buckinghamshire is a staycation dream

Take a trip to The Langley in Buckinghamshire to discovers a Grade II historic property given a 21st-century makeover. Don't be put off by your drive through Slough - the route to The Langley in Buckinghamshire is a touch misleading.

CityAM
10/21/2020
Take a break in Sweden's magical Arctic Bath Hotel - CityAM

Sweden is currently in the UK's travel corridor "green list", meaning you can travel without having to self-isolate for two weeks when you return. So why not venture into the wilderness of Swedish lapland to forget about the woes back home, staying in Arctic Bath, one of the world's most unique hotels.

CityAM
03/06/2020
Ikos Aria hotel review: No better place from which to explore the charms of Kos - CityAM

Found on the impossibly scenic bay of Kefalos, on the southwestern tip of Kos, the latest hotel opening from Ikos Resorts is the group's prettiest yet. An ideal place to soak up the sun, get fit - there's a huge amount of activities in store - or as a base to discover the charms of the island, Ikos Aria will soon have you cosseted in its easy-breezy, 'pre-paid luxury' approach to all-inclusive hospitality.

Cityam
01/03/2019
A stay at one of the USA's most iconic hotels, Ocean House

With its fancy turrets, myriad windows and pastel-lemon façade, Ocean House is an imposing place. Found on the bluffs of Watch Hill, a well-to-do town in Rhode Island, on first appearances it's a hotel that looks like a stuffy, Victorian grand-dame, fitted in an overblown crinoline dress, and exuding old-fashioned principles.

Cityam
09/25/2018
Want a real spa? Spelunk deep underground into this hot, rejuvenating cave

As if hearty Italian cuisine, elegant rooms and innovative cocktails were not enough, this historic villa in overlooked Lucca, Tuscany, has a spa that's so out of this world it'll take you to Heaven and back. Set in a series of underground caves, it will add a whole new dimension to your downward dog.

Cityam