Where to book if you’re planning the ultimate honeymoon February 27, 2011 Jade Mountain, St Lucia JADE Mountain is about the most spectacularly situated hotel in the Caribbean. Facing out across a bay towards the Pitons, St Lucia’s iconic pair of dramatically steep mountains, it hangs against the side of a jungle-covered mountain like an eagle’s nest. Some nest. The rooms – or “sanctuaries” as they are [...]
Why Marrakech is now the fashionable place to relax February 27, 2011 WANDER into Marrakech’s famous souk and you can find all manner of unctions, ointments and powders intended to cure ills, sooth skin, clear airways and put a spring in your step. Among alley after alley of cloth and leather merchants, pottery shops, brass vendors, blacksmiths, and hawkers of every kind of tat, are spice stalls [...]
Falling in love with Gstaad February 27, 2011 I HAVE never liked the idea of skiing. I was raised strictly on a diet of city breaks and cultural immersion holidays. I thought that was the noble way forward, holiday-wise, until I went to Gstaad and stayed in the Grand Hotel Park. It might have helped that my baptism of Alpine leisure took place [...]
Travel Notes February 27, 2011 ROCK OUT AT ZERMATT Those after late-season Alpine adventures – with a twist – should make for Zermatt, where Zermatt Unplugged, the resort’s annual music festival, will be rocking out in the shadow of the mighty Matterhorn. Past performers include Suzanne Vega, Alanis Morissette and Lionel Ritchie and this year Seal, David Gray and One [...]
THINK ROOMS… with LateRooms.com February 27, 2011 KENZI CLUB AGDAL MEDINA* Avenue Mohamed VI | Zone de l’Agdal | Marrakech | 40000 Enjoy the magic of the ‘Red City’ from this plush and tranquil hotel. After your time spent exploring the souks and sights of Marrakech (just use the hotel’s free shuttle to take you there and back!), you can relax around [...]
Making interiors more fashionable February 24, 2011 BLACK leather rock and roll was certainly a feature of this year’s London Fashion Week. Kate Moss was slapped across yesterday’s papers for finishing the week in a floor length leather dress. But she wasn’t the only one to be upping the ante and embracing cow skin. The German twins, Daniela and Annette Felder, behind [...]
London’s hidden property gems February 24, 2011 ROTHERHITHE, SE16 The renaissance of this former dock has gone largely unnoticed, and house prices are generally cheaper than surrounding areas. Carl Davenport, of estate agents Chesterton Humberts, says Rotherhithe is the “overlooked neighbour” of Tower Bridge. “Prices are in many cases cheaper by up to 20 per cent on a like to like basis,” [...]
NEED TO KNOW | AREA INSIGHT February 24, 2011 Commuting: First-rate connectivity. Liverpool Street is just five minutes away on the central line, while the jubilee line can transport you to Canary Wharf in a quarter of an hour. Crime: Crime rates are higher than national averages, but regeneration projects (most notably – the Olympics) should encourage these to fall. Education: Stratford might not [...]
STRATFORD February 24, 2011 DOWNSELL ROAD Price: £239,995 This two bedroom Victorian cottage would make an appealing starter property for young professionals. It has been recently redecorated in soft neutral colours and boasts a compact but pretty garden. Ideally located for commuters on the Stratford/Leyton border, with no less than five rail or tube stations under a mile away. [...]
RENTING February 24, 2011 DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL LONDON LETTINGS FIRM, DRAKER LETTINGS WWW.DRAKER.CO.UK Q.I have a rental property that has been on the market for some time now. I have also not heard from my agent for a while. Is there anything I can do to speed things up? A.There are four things you can do when a property [...]