The Athenaeum, London
“I stare into the bevelled edge, floor to ceiling mirrors running around the room. Drifting my fingers over the notched glass handle of the wardrobe, I lose myself in visions of ’20s glamour…”
Browsing: The Explorer
A Corner of Tuscany: Forever Castelfalfi
Victoria Sackville-West lyrically wrote of the region, “This calm of husbandry, this redolent tilth. This terracing of hills, this vintage wealth.” David explores the luxury properties of Tuscany’s Castelfalfi…
Stanglwirt, Austria
“Sometimes I still can’t believe there is a place called the Stanglwirt. It has a Narnia quality, and how I wish I could retreat to the back of my cupboard and enter into its reception daily.”
The Grove
“The Grove, London’s self-proclaimed country estate, has played host to everyone from Kylie Minogue to Johnny Depp.” Jess embarks on a celebrity safari in Hertfordshire.
The Lydmar, Stockholm
“The cold wind hits hard as we descend the steps from one of Ryanair’s winged beasts. This is bitter. We’ve left a London where every paper carries the headline ‘The Big Chill is here’…”
All Aboard the Orient Express
“Chekov would have been in his element. The sky was grey, the air chilled, a bracing morning and one with a wisp of adventure on that Siberian fuelled breeze.” Stirling takes Lady S for a train ride…
Four Seasons Langkawi
“Langkawi is prone to sudden and arresting tantrums; riveting downpours and urgent winds alarm palms, ripple private plunge pools and foam the Andaman’s emerald waves on the cusp of the rainy season.”
Yucatan Peninsula 2: The Mayan Heartland
“There are two roads from Cancun to Chichen-Itza. The first takes you through quiet villages. The other, the one we found ourselves on, was a dual carriageway, through scrub jungle and without a single stopping point for 150km.”
Yucatan Peninsula: The Mayan Riviera
“Traditionally the preserve of spring break chaos and package holidays, my heart sank when an invitation dropped through our letterbox to the wedding of Mrs L’s Canadian cousin, naming the destination: Cancun.”
Hartwell House
“I think it’s somewhere down there,” said Her Ladyship, raising her voice above the growling…
Duke’s Palace, Bruges
“There is a point in every hotel stay where, I believe, you decide if you love it…For me, love happened at around 11pm while I was stood in the bathroom of my suite at the five-star Kempinski Hotel Dukes’ Palace in Bruges.”
Destination Andermatt
“The good people of Andermatt are very excited. Or at least 96% of them are, according to official statistics. Probably with good reason too. Things are going to be changing. Irreversibly. Forever!”