Done the Blue Lagoon in Iceland? Upgrade your next trip by visiting the Retreat Spa September 18, 2023 You’ve done the Blue Lagoon, now enhance your Iceland trip with a visit to the more exclusive part, The Retreat, says Daniel Edward Winter may be coming, but the water’s always warm in Iceland. If you know where to look, Iceland is one of the hottest countries on Earth. The roughly decennial volcanic eruptions remind [...]
Why Kitzbuhel is your must-book Austria ski holiday for 2024 September 11, 2023 Winning Kitzbuhel’s downhill ski race is seen by some as more prestigious than the Olympics. Simon Miller got his racing gear on… Kitzbühel hosts the maddest, most prestigious downhill ski race in the world but has plenty of cruising pistes as well. It has stunning restaurants and more than a few infamous party venues. And [...]
Ski holidays: why skiing on your own private mountain is this winter’s top trip September 11, 2023 The top of the pile for ski holidays for 2023-2024 is a privately bookable mountain, finds Justine Gosling Picture the scene: you exit the boot room and head to the hotel’s exclusive ski lift, and minutes later, you’re alone on the wide, silent piste. There’s no queue for the chair lift. You fly down without [...]
Inside the opulent new Claridge’s hotel spa September 8, 2023 Being a lifestyle reporter is a tough job. Sometimes it means getting massages at newly-opened spas and calling it work. What I have learned from all this labouring is that massages tend to be the same. Nice, but forgettable by the time you lay down for the next. (Again, it’s a tough job.) The massage [...]
This Spanish island has been called best for a September holiday September 6, 2023 It’s nice enough in London right now that you could pull up a towel and spend the weekend lazing around the edge of The Serpentine in Hyde Park – but if you are planning a September holiday then we’ve got a tip. According to the team at Skyscanner, the Spanish island of Ibiza is the [...]
We’re buzzing about this London hotel’s overnight bee package September 5, 2023 We tried out the Royal Lancaster hotel’s new beekeeping overnight package If you’re ever wandering through London’s leafy Hyde Park and hear a gentle humming sound, don’t panic – killer AI robots aren’t here for us just yet. What you might be hearing (very faintly, as it is 17 floors up) is the sound of [...]
Why Karakalpakstan in Uzbekistan is your next adventure holiday destination September 4, 2023 After writing the first official guidebook, Sophie Ibbotson tells us why Karakalpakstan is the new destination adventure holiday seekers need to book ‘‘How can you write a guidebook about Karakalpakstan? There’s nothing for tourists here!” Those words will echo a long time in my ears, and they must rate amongst the last things a guidebook [...]
El Fuerte is proof that Marbella is now a luxury destination September 4, 2023 For decades the Costa del Sol has been a byword for Brits abroad. However, after years of hen and stag dos, accessible package holidays and cheap flights, it has reinvented itself as a contemporary getaway for the Insta-smart traveller. At the centre of it all is El Fuerte, a stunning property dating back to 1957, [...]
At New York’s highest Midtown restaurant, the best dish is vegan August 31, 2023 The waiter had persuaded us to get the tuna. It’s understandable. We’ve all spent our lives being conditioned that meat and fish is best. But at Midtown New York’s highest restaurant, the vegan food shouts loudest. Peak restaurant opened during the pandemic on the 101st floor of 30 Hudson Yards, the tallest building within New [...]
Jordan Bespoke: The coolest bags on the circuit August 31, 2023 Sometimes good things really do come to those who wait. If you’re looking for the perfect present for someone this Christmas, now might be the time to get the process started. Take fine Italian leatherware producer Jordan Bespoke – each of its creations are hand made, with an impossible amount of detail going into everything [...]