The Imperial Hotel 4* May 23, 2011 A grand Victorian façade and fantastic sea-fronting position on Llandudno’s promenade makes The Imperial Hotel a real seaside classic. Relax in the elegant surroundings, enjoy the stunning sea views and taste mouthwatering dishes in the AA Rosette awarded Chantrey’s Restaurant, well known for its delicious food made with seasonal Welsh produce. Lovely. Book at Laterooms.com
Village PREM Swansea 4* May 23, 2011 As with all Village Hotels, the range of facilities at the Village PREM Swansea is fantastic. This cool and stylish hotel offers a great Health & Fitness club, a grill restaurant, a pub and even a Starbucks. Being a ‘PREM’ a high spec stay is on offer, and with so much going on there’s a [...]
Lavishness amid the lonely splendour of the Welsh coast May 22, 2011 SOUTH Wales is home to a duality like nowhere else in the British Isles. It’s a land of timeless verdancy, endless summers and persistent rain. It’s a land torn apart by poverty, and before that the machinery of heavy industry. It is also my favourite place on earth. On the train eastwards from Swansea, this [...]
TRAVEL NOTES May 22, 2011 ALL ABOARD! EUROSTAR TO AVIGNON Paris? So over. Well, not quite, but as the weather gets warmer southern France does hold a certain allure. Lucky then, that Eurostar has started offering direct weekly services to Avignon, pictured above, the beautiful town in the heart of Provence. From July 9th to September 10th this year, passengers [...]
THINK ROOMS… with LateRooms.com May 22, 2011 THE ST DAVID’S HOTEL & SPA 5* Havannah Street | Cardiff | CF10 5SD A modern icon of the city, The St David’s Hotel & Spa stands proudly on the edge of bustling Cardiff Bay. With its striking glass-fronted design every room here enjoys spectacular floor-to-ceiling views across the water, creating a real tranquil atmosphere [...]
Cosiness meets luxury in the new generation of pub hotels May 22, 2011 IF you’re skipping out of town for a weekend, you don’t always want the ultra-plush, waited-on-hand-and-foot trappings of a smart hotel any more than you want the chintz and limited comforts of a B&B. For cosiness, convivial hospitality and excellent nightcap options, a stay at a pub with rooms can be the answer, not least [...]
Floral menus, fruity fare and shops galore May 22, 2011 IT’S here! Chelsea Flower show opens tomorrow and 157,000 gardening lovers – the lucky ones who managed to get tickets – are set to descend on the chi chi London locale. Gardeners aren’t the only ones getting in to the spirit this year. Throughout Chelsea and its surrounds, London’s finest bars, boutiques and eateries are [...]
Pirates series hits the rocks May 19, 2011 FILM REVIEWS PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES Cert: 12A IN the fourth episode of Disney’s adventure franchise everybody is searching for the Fountain of Youth. But it’s the series itself that feels long in the tooth, groaning under the weight of its pointlessly prolonged existence – pointless, that is, unless you’re a Disney [...]
Chelsea in bloom as Flower Show lands May 19, 2011 ALL those months of composting are coming to fruition as the RHS Chelsea Flower Show arrives. From Tuesday the area will be in full bloom with the world’s finest gardening talent on display. City A.M. rounded up six of the show’s hotly-tipped highlights. AUSTRALIA GARDEN This marks the debut for the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne [...]
ALSO OUT: May 19, 2011 DVD BLACK SWAN Natalie Portman on Oscar form in Darren Aronofsky’s psychological thriller. THE WALKING DEAD SEASON 1 Surprisingly effective US TV hit with Brit Andrew Lincoln. THE NEXT THREE DAYS Formulaic thriller with Russell Crowe. GAMES L.A. NOIRE (PS3, X360) 1950s Los Angeles gangsterland is brought to scintillating life. THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF [...]