TRAVEL NOTES April 15, 2012 Cafe Royal hotel reopens Café Royal, the Piccadilly institution, has nearly completed its third major reconstruction and will be re-opening its hallowed doors on 8 July after a state-ofthe-art three year overhaul. The listed interiors of the 1860s and 1930s have been restored and new touches added, including a spa with a massive swimming pool [...]
This Port D’Andratx stunner offers the best of sunny luxury April 12, 2012 A state-of-the art villa to make your glitziest friends weep with jealousy – but at least they’ll be able to stop off on their yacht tour round the Med and see you. This 540 sq m, four to five bedroom pad revolves around sun and water, with a magnificent pool area with sauna and Jacuzzi, [...]
A pair of ocean idylls in the BVI and Mallorca April 12, 2012 I’m fairly sure it doesn’t get much better than 100 Pond Bay for a paradise island getaway. This newly built, 8,000 sq ft BVI idyll is a five minute drive from the Virgin Gorda yacht harbour, commercial centre and main ferry dock of Spanish Town. The house, which includes its own spacious spa, is set [...]
FOCUS ON: CHISWICK April 12, 2012 BEDFORD ROAD Price: £3.1m This six-bedroom estate is a great property for relaxation with a south facing garden and a roof terrace. It has two shower rooms and a bathroom. With two reception rooms, the property is perfect for social gatherings. Contact savills.co.uk or 020 8987 5550 HARTSWOOD ROAD Price: £1.9m This semi-detached family house [...]
Cabin in the Woods has the goods April 12, 2012 FILM THE CABIN IN THE WOODS Cert 15 **** The Cabin in the Woods is one of those films you really need to see before you read about it. Ideally, you should stumble across it by mistake. I suggest running blindfolded into a cinema with your fingers crammed into your ears and hoping that by [...]
Hirst’s Tate retrospective is brash, crass and completely compelling April 12, 2012 Damien Hirst | Tate Modern | ★★★★☆ The killer killed. The inevitability and unfathomability of death. Death, death, death. Spot, spot, death, spot, death. You know what you get with Hirst. His pickled shark has become shorthand not just for his body of work but for a generation of modern art, as have his ubiquitous [...]
A more rewarding way to travel April 12, 2012 Never has everyday spending had the potential to take you so far. Virtually every time you use the Card, you’ll earn Membership Rewards® points which can be redeemed for flights, hotel stays, car hire, gift experiences and lots more. When it comes to earning rewards, American Express makes it easy to build up points fast. [...]
LIFE THROUGH A LENS April 11, 2012 Emporio Armani 9682 Aviator Men’s Sunglasses, £125, sunglassesshop.com Sporty but oh-so-fashionable, these classic aviator-style shades featured in the spring/summer 2012 runway shows. Super-comfortable and equally good for strolling Mayfair or hitting the beach. Ray-Ban Black Folding 4105 Men’s Wayfarers, £125, my-wardrobe.com If you’re tired of all the aviator cool out there, try a classic with [...]
From Nero to Posh, a long love affair with sunnies April 11, 2012 Victoria Beckham’s image is defined by her bug-eyes – you almost forget they’re the effect of enormous pieces of plastic and not simply part of her anatomy. Shades have become such a hallmark of where you stand on the trend spectrum that it’s easy to forget that they have a purpose, and that is to [...]
Introducing the $1bn app April 11, 2012 What is Instagram? It is an app, previously available for free on the iPhone and iPad but this week expanding to Google’s Android platform, that allows people to share photos with their “friends” online. It works a bit like a specialist Facebook, allowing you to post pictures to your profile, which are visible to people [...]