Why the Cotswolds is perfect for an October holiday THE COTSWOLDS THE WEEKEND: Part of the idyllic Chimney Meadows Nature Reserve in the south Cotswolds, The Lock Keeper’s Snipe is a charming converted barn with boutique hotel aspirations. It is part of a new collection of British homestays from Quince, which has found and renovated a load of old properties to newly high standards. With its [...]
Bequia in the Grenadines: Tall tales and windswept shores caribbean retreat Lawson Sargeant is bent over a scrubbed bench, fixing a tiny sail on a carved, wooden boat. It’s a fiddly and intricate business. In his workshop in Port Elizabeth, on the Caribbean island of Bequia, wooden replicas of yachts and sailing boats are lined up on turquoise-painted shelves all around the room. You might first [...]
Nobu Shoreditch is back, now with ultra-chic new rooftop rooms London hotels The weekend: Like most London hotels, Nobu Hotel London Shoreditch was forced close in March 2020, due to the pandemic. It reopened some two years later, having taken advantage of its time out of the spotlight to upgrade its offering. Found in a quiet street in what is London’s most creative corner, just off Great [...]
Why Turkey’s south western beaches are taking flight this spring April 24, 2023 Ancient sites and untouched beaches: Angelina Villa- Clarke on a fab corner of Turkey’s Turquoise Riviera In the abandoned town of Kayakoy, the streets are dusty and thyme grows tall and wild, scenting the air with a sweet piquancy. Derelict houses have gaping windows; ancient churches are in ruins, their frescoes faded and mosaics crumbling. [...]
Doing Portugal’s Algarve the smart way, at Pine Cliffs Resort April 17, 2023 THE WEEKEND: Perched on the cliffs above Falésia Beach on Portugal’s Algarve coastline, Pine Cliffs resort is the perfect gateway to exploring this sun-drenched region of southern Portugal. In reach are resort towns, such as Vilamoura and Albufeira, as well as the charming inland village of Estoi and Santa Bárbara de Nexe (the latter is [...]
Supporting South Africa’s rarest wildlife on safari with Lepogo Lodges April 17, 2023 I’m admiring the rolling plains of the Lapalala Wilderness Reserve, but not with the naked eye – on a computer screen. Flashing red dots indicate roaming beasts, rhinos and leopards, which are being monitored, and tiny, moving shapes show the reserve’s trackers as they drive around this remote part of northern South Africa. We’re three [...]
Retreat East is an inventive countryside hideaway in Suffolk November 29, 2022 THE WEEKEND: You’ll find Retreat East along a quiet lane in the middle of Suffolk’s glorious rolling countryside (watch out for the discreet sign, as you’ll probably miss it). Made up of a series of converted barns, this newly-evolved project takes all the best elements of the archetypal countryside stay and merges it into one. [...]
Inside The Fox at Oddington, the latest venture from Daylesford Organic Farm November 14, 2022 THE WEEKEND: In the heart of the Cotswolds, close to the picturesque town of Stow-on-theWold, Daylesford Organic Farm is perhaps the country’s poshest farm shop. Owner Carole Bamford, founder of the Bamford wellness brand and Daylesford, has now launched The Fox at Oddington, a ‘pub with rooms’ in a renovated 16th-century pub. It’s made up [...]
Château Capitoul in the Languedoc region is gorgeous in cooler months November 7, 2022 THE WEEKEND: The cooler months are the finest time to arrive in the Languedoc region of southern France. Across a cloudless sky, white storks make their long way south to soak up the sun in Kenya’s savannah lands. Below them, the grape harvest is underway, taking place in vineyards said to be the oldest in [...]
Searching for Shelley at Elcot Park in Berkshire June 13, 2022 THE WEEKEND: On the fringes of the market town of Hungerford in rural Berkshire, The Retreat at Elcot Park is set on elevating the country-house hotel stay. The second hotel from The Signet Collection (the first property is the awardwinning The Mitre in Hampton Court), guests can expect more of the brand’s alluring combination of [...]
