Vino by the waves: The best British seaside hotels for wine June 10, 2026 English summertime means visits to the seaside, ideally with a glass of wine in hand. Having toured the coast recently here are some of the best places to drink with a view of the waves. The Terrace Rooms & Wine – Ventnor, Isle of Wight The Isle of Wight has a new destination for wine [...]
Portugal holidays: why The Algarve offers so much more than just beaches June 9, 2026 The Algarve beyond the beaches, by Jack J Matthews The prospect of walking 300 km is intimidating. But even the longest, most challenging of journeys begins with a single step, and as long as one foot keeps following the other, you will have covered a good distance in no time. This, at least, was the [...]
The Suffolk in Aldeburgh: Restaurant with rooms is a super seaside City break June 2, 2026 My first morning at The Suffolk, I woke not long after dawn and took a bleary-eyed stroll across the pebbled beach, where I found the majority of the staff – including owner George Pell – preparing for their morning dip. Not wanting to let the side down, I stripped off my dry robe (borrowed from [...]
Sicily: Italy’s jewel, from foodie hubs to the coastline June 2, 2026 Sicily: Italy’s moreish island, from food hubs to the coast, by Jamie Douglass The history of Anglo-Sicilian relations is long, amicable, and has much to do with wine. In 1773, a travelling Englishman called John Woodhouse discovered the excellence of Marsala – a fortified wine produced in the city of Marsala in Sicily – and [...]
Chaos at Heathrow as burst water pipe causes train cancellations May 30, 2026 Passengers are facing major travel disruption travelling to and from Heathrow airport after a burst pipe ground train services to a halt earlier today. Transport for London said there were no services on the Elizabeth Line between Hayes and Harlington and Heathrow due to a signal failure caused by flooding at Heathrow Terminals 2 and 3. The Heathrow Express was also affected [...]
Can Newcastle go posh? Our honest review of city’s first five-star hotel May 29, 2026 In a far cry from the late noughties zeitgeist of Geordie Shore, Hotel Gotham offers a fresh brand of sexy that differentiates Newcastle from its MTV days. Once famous as the hangout for characters from that reality show, like Scotty T and Gary ‘the parsnip’ Beadle, Newcastle has quietly been building a higher-end repertoire of [...]
Turbulence for Luton as court decides if expansion project can leave the ground May 19, 2026 The Court of Appeal will today hear a challenge to the government-approved expansion of Luton Airport from an environmental group over whether the development should have been green-lit last year. The dispute was escalated to the appeals court by the campaign group, Luton And District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (LADACAN), who brought [...]
Why now is the perfect time to visit Cyprus May 16, 2026 There are many reasons why Brits love holidaying in Cyprus. The weather, of course, but then there is the driving on the same side of the road, the plugs are the same and communication is easy. “As my mother used to say” says Mario, my excellent guide, “even our cat speaks English”. Competition may come [...]
‘An impish sense of fun’: Claridge’s announces new era with fresh restaurant May 15, 2026 Claridge’s hotel in Mayfair has traded on its British history ever since Queen Victoria chose it as her preferred choice for a cocktail. The late Queen was another fan of the property, which first opened in 1812. But the hotel has experimented with that image lately, welcoming a kitchen takeover from New York restaurant Dante. [...]
Pan Pacific London director: The City is ‘incredibly special’ May 15, 2026 We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of the nominees. Today we caught up with Pan Pacific London director of marketing communications Michelle Whittemore, whose hotel has been nominated in the Best Overnight Experience category. To nominate your favourite Square Mile spots, from bars [...]