Plan a post-lockdown escape at the stunning Sopwell House in St Albans November 2, 2020 THE WEEKEND: Serious me-time in the UK’s first private member’s spa, handily attached to luxury country house hotel Sopwell House. You can spend the entire weekend in a dressing gown without skipping the gourmet food, stylish surroundings and decent cocktail menu every suitably indulgent weekend break needs – especially after another month of being confined [...]
A Scottish expedition: Falling in love with the Hebrides November 2, 2020 “Do you want to head for the shark or the dolphins?” As questions go, it’s not a bad one. In the distance to the right of us, the two fins of an 8-metre basking shark wobble gently from side to side as the extraordinary creature gorges on krill. To the left, coming closer, the tell-tale [...]
Airlines plead for emergency support as international travel banned November 1, 2020 The UK aviation industry has made fresh pleas for emergency financial support from ministers after international travel was banned for the duration of the new lockdown. From 5 November to 2 December, foreign holidays have been banned – as well as overnight stays in the UK. The decision is a hammer blow to the country’s [...]
Don’t panic: Verbier will open its slopes today October 30, 2020 This may have been among the worst years in living memory, but at least Verbs is open for business. The famous Verbier ski-resort, the slopes of choice for City bankers and Sloane Rangers alike, will open today, despite surging Swiss Covid cases. This, coupled with today’s news that UK travellers will no longer have to [...]
Could Germany have its quarantine free travel corridor revoked today? October 29, 2020 Germany looks likely to be taken off the UK’s quarantine-free travel corridor list this afternoon after its rate of coronavirus infection doubled in the last week. The surge in cases meant that Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday announced that Europe’s biggest economy would enter a four-week lockdown from 2 November. As a result, bars, restaurants, and [...]
Escape to Poldark country this half term at The Polurrian spa hotel October 27, 2020 With a staycation the safe option for a half-term break from the city, Cornish oasis The Polurrian spa hotel on the Lizard at Mullion could be the answers to your prayers. The weekend This craggy cove, just 40 minutes’ drive from Penzance, offers a beautiful sandy beach, spectacular coastal walks and horse trekking across the [...]
Beautiful Samoa: Beautiful will always be here October 27, 2020 | Sponsored Nestled in the heart of the Polynesia – only four hours away from New Zealand, five hours from Australia and three hours from Fiji – lies beautiful Samoa. Known for its pristine beaches, lush gardens, majestic mountains, breath-taking waterfalls, powerful blowholes and stunning seascapes, the islands of Samoa celebrate the gifts bestowed upon it by [...]
New Mondrian hotel gives boost to London’s tourism industry October 26, 2020 Hospitality giants Accor and SBE have delivered a vote of confidence to the beleaguered UK tourism sector, announcing plans to convert Shoreditch’s The Curtain hotel into a stylish new Mondrian. The 120-room hotel, which will undergo a comprehensive redesign, will open in the spring. It will be the sixth Mondrian globally and the first European [...]
Why Catalonia? October 26, 2020 | Sponsored From Barcelona’s unique personality to the region’s 800 kilometres of coast and its world-acclaimed gastronomy – here are some reasons to make Catalonia your next travel destination To many, Catalonia conjures images of Barcelona and Antoni Gaudí’s dreamy Sagrada Familia church. While the city is a must-see, a visit to this unique Southern europe region [...]
Take a break in Sweden’s magical Arctic Bath Hotel October 21, 2020 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. The weekend Set [...]