Luxury hotels are engaged in a race to the top to treat their wealthy customers to ever more extravagant perks, from designer wardrobes to private jets July 7, 2016 Back in the late 1800s, the Savoy famously became the first hotel in London to run on electricity, a sign of true luxury at the time. It also had lifts, “speaking tubes” so that guests could call for a maid and, later, en suite bathrooms with showers. Over the decades, it has continuously evolved to [...]
Culture, coffee and cocktails. A tour of arty and historic Vienna June 24, 2016 The commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the death of Franz Joseph I of Austria – head honcho of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for nearly 70 years – presents a grand opportunity to delve into Vienna’s imperial past while catching up on some of its more contemporary delights as well. Franz Who? No, not Archduke Franz [...]
Discover Pompeii and the Gulf of Naples, a luxury destination in the shadow of Vesuvius June 22, 2016 So this huge cloud of scalding steam, which reached temperatures of around 600 degrees centigrade and contained toxic gases, caused people’s brains to basically boil and explode through their skulls, after which their skin began to melt off,” says historian Dr Francesca Del Vecchio to her frankly horrified audience, who are hanging on her every [...]
Learn to sword-fight with Adrian Paul, star of TV show The Highlander June 21, 2016 The idea: Adrian Paul, star of the ‘90s fantasy TV spin-off Highlander: The Series, now travels the globe training fans in the art of stage combat. I expected the gathering to be attended exclusively by middle-aged men called Gareth. In reality, it was far more varied, with a more or less even split of men and [...]
Long Weekend review: Discover a cave of historical paintings, open air theatres and a taste for sweet wine in the Dordogne June 17, 2016 The weekend: Get away from the crowds of Bordeaux in south-west France’s rural, second-home paradise. The Dordogne is the perfect summer escape; you can either wile away lazy afternoons sipping wine in the shade or, experience the region’s three Cs – countryside, culture and, most importantly, cuisine, a weekend tour of medieval market towns and [...]
The six best boutique and art hotels in Tel Aviv, Israel, from the eye-popping Artplus to The Montefiore June 17, 2016 Until about 2008, if you wanted to stay in Tel Aviv without slumming it, your options were limited to the hulking, ageing concrete corporate hotels lining the beach. Embarrassing, really, for a city so flush with style in art, design, food, and fashion. But in the last eight or so years, Israel’s biggest city has [...]
From Bangkok to Phuket, Thailand is a country of contrasts that’s full of surprises June 10, 2016 What are you missing?” the chef asked. I looked down at a soggy pile of noodles, looked back up and replied, “More soy?” “Sugar!” he barked, then he dumped an entire saucer’s worth into the pan. “Now that’s pad thai.” As someone with severely savoury tastebuds, I was appalled. I was in Issaya Cooking Studios, [...]
The best way to get to Berlin? Take the Venice Simplon Orient Express, an enchanting route to the German capital that crosses the Rhine Gorge June 10, 2016 THE WEEKEND: Berlin, which has always demonstrated its ability for re-invention, is experiencing one of its most exciting eras. The old East, left by the Kremlin to rot, has been cleaned up with futuristic steel-and-glass architecture; making for a dazzling capital city. THE JOURNEY: Take Belmond’s new London to Berlin overnight service, the Venice Simplon [...]
Long Weekend review: Island hopping around Spain’s Balearic Islands, from luxury villa to serene Mediterranean spa June 3, 2016 THE WEEKEND: Island-hopping around the Balearics is the perfect way to spend a three-day weekend. The Mediterranean islands may be notorious party hotspots, but the charm of the Balearics is easy to find in the quieter parts of the islands. You know, the parts that don’t attract groups of lads who expect two-for-one Jagerbombs poured [...]
The beautiful Caribbean island of Anguilla is the shimmering blue epitome of tropical fun times June 3, 2016 Far out in the well charted waters of the east Caribbean lies the Leeward Island chain, and at its northern tip is an utterly charming little strip of limestone called Anguilla. Its interior is arid, scrubby and overrun with semi-domesticated goats and chickens, but it is frilled with some of the most incredible beaches in [...]