Category Archives: Luxury
Having a Rewarding Experience in Rome with IHG’s Spire Elite
Taking advantage of my chance to try out IHG Rewards Club’s new top membership level, Spire Elite, I had a fantastic time last month exploring one of my favourite cities: Rome. Continue reading
Christmas Unwrapped Afternoon Tea at Intercontinental London Park Lane
This review of the Intercontinental’s limited run Christmas Unwrapped afternoon tea isn’t the first (and hopefully won’t be the last) opportunity for me to rave a little about one of London’s more elegant spaces and for you to add a … Continue reading
Good Stuff #47
Good stuff and lots of it! Here’s the low down on some fine things to see, sip or savour – all of which I’ve recently come across and thought were worth sharing with you. Enjoy. Tacopedia: The Taco Encyclopedia Published … Continue reading
Grosvenor House Apartments: View From The Penthouse
“There’s luxury, and then there’s sophistication,” says Maddie Salters, and “The Penthouse at Grosvenor House Apartments embodies the latter: true elegance, presented with grace, not overstating itself.” Continue reading
#BBQbound: Dallas
From Austin I headed north to Dallas, a city I’d never visited before and one that I really wasn’t certain whether I’d take to or not. I ended up regretting not having more time to spend there. As for the BBQ, Dallas wound up being one of the tastiest pit stops of my three week road trip. Continue reading
Inspired and Aspiring Travel with IHG’s Spire Elite
Over the summer, IHG unveiled its Rewards Club’s new top membership level: Spire Elite. When asked to give it a test run with a jaunt over to the Continent, I did not hesitate to take IHG up on the offer. … Continue reading
Win a Case of Prosecco Spumante Extra Dry Vallate from WineTrust
Online wine retailer, WineTrust, offers discerning customers a “ruthlessly edited selection” of wines from small independent wine makers whose products have “character and deliciousness that over-perform for their price.” Sounds good to me! So when the opportunity to pop the cork and collaborate with WineTrust presented itself, I raised my glass high to such delectable ambition and suggested we find a way to pass the bottle on to you lovely readers. Continue reading
My Mini Grand Tour: Abbaye de Montheron
Set beside the Talent River within the wooded Jorat Valley (and only about a 15 minute drive outside central Lausanne), the Abbaye de Montheron is an ideal venue for special occasions, dynamic dinners paired with long forest walks, and quick rural retreats without having to put too much of a pause on all that urban luxury just up the road in Lausanne. Continue reading
Virtually Travel the World Without Leaving Your Hotel Room
Currently being tested for two weeks at the London Marriott Park Lane and New York Marriott Marquis hotels (check with the individual properties for exact dates), VRoom can be requested to use for free by guests in the same manner as they might go about ordering room service meals or laundry pickup. Upon request, the VRoom gear is hand-delivered to the guest’s room along with instructions and left on loan for up to 24 hours. Continue reading
September Issue of UK Cigar Scene Out Now
Issue Eight of the monthly UK Cigar Scene Magazine is now online and ready for download. Each issue of UK Cigar Scene is free to download and includes a video interview with a key cigar personality along with news of … Continue reading
August Issue of UK Cigar Scene Out Now
Issue Eight of the monthly UK Cigar Scene Magazine is now online and ready for download. Each issue of UK Cigar Scene is free to download and includes a video interview with a key cigar personality along with news of … Continue reading
Afternoon Tea with a Difference with Bird of Smithfield and Veuve Clicquot
In celebration of Afternoon Tea Week – Monday the 10th to Saturday the 15th of August – Bird will be offering guests sandwiches with a twist, classic scones and yummy cakes – all served alongside “The Earl of Veuve” cocktails (Veuve Clicquot Rich infused with delicate Earl Grey leaves). Continue reading
Living Lech: Auf Wiedersehen!
Four days in Lech am Arlberg was a rejuvenating experience. Though it’s known as ski country, the relatively uncharted summer territory was just as charming and far less crowded, with enough recreational activities available to keep me constantly on my toes. High-altitude fun in the stunning Alps meant that I was out daily hiking, fishing, and enjoying the early July heat spell. Continue reading
Living Lech: A Taste of Austria’s Gourmand Side
Austria, like any culture-rich nation, has a consummate tradition of food: timeless recipes, fresh ingredients, and local preferences. That’s given. What I didn’t expect from my four-day trip to Lech, a traditional valley town nestled into the sprightly Alps, was for my farm-fresh experience to cross-over with world-renown couture gastronomy. And here’s the thing about couture: it always fits. (Not sure if I could say the same for my jeans afterwards.) Continue reading
Living Lech: An Unrivaled Experience at Aurelio’s Lush Spa
Winner of a Relax Guide SPA Award in 2015, the state-of-the-art spa at Hotel Aurelio includes a 23-meter swimming pool, experience baths, saunas, treatment rooms, and more while offering a wide array of rare amenities and tailored services. Continue reading
Living Lech: Sporting and Recreation in the Athletic Alps
It was my first introduction to the world of summer sport and outdoor recreation in the resort town of Lech, and it was a blast. After four days in Lech, my running shoes were dusty with exertion, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling I wanted more time to appreciate everything on offer. Luckily, Hotel Aurelio put together a programme that allowed me to dabble in a wide array of Lech’s summer options. Fishing, llama trekking, cooking classes, and marathon shopping (it may as well be a sport,) were all highlights for me. Continue reading
Living Lech: Summer at the Magnificent Hotel Aurelio
During her three night visit to the “fairytale landscape” of Lech, Maddie Salters stayed at Hotel Aurelio, where her “every impulse and need was catered to in a decadent manner indicative of the finest five-star hotels.” According to Maddie, “to say the Hotel Aurelio spoils you would be an understatement: choices seem boundless, from cuisine to entertainment, and bespoke itineraries are par for the course.” Continue reading
Living Lech: Where Luxury and Adventure Await
Lech am Arlberg is a linchpin in European ski culture, known for its flawless slopes and prim luxury hotels, which offer privacy and comfort to winter holidaymakers. But Lech blooms into a little-known treasure in the summer, when its rolling green hills and burbling rivers become the ideal location for hiking, biking, and sport. Michelin-starred plates are served out on sunny terraces and relaxation becomes synonymous with indulgence. Continue reading
July Issue of UK Cigar Scene Out Now
The seventh issue of the monthly UK Cigar Scene Magazine is now online and ready for download. Each issue of UK Cigar Scene is free to download and includes a video interview with a key cigar personality along with news … Continue reading
5 London Hotels Offering Uniquely Urban Access (OneTravel)
Here’s a list of five upscale London hotels offering excellent access to the vibrant metropolis they call home – be it supreme convenience, gentile comfort or a more stylish than typical way to get around town. Read my complete post … Continue reading
Wimbledon-Themed Afternoon Tea at The Landmark London
Earlier today I had the pleasure of enjoying afternoon tea in the light filled Winter Garden of five star hotel, The Landmark London. I reckon it’s one of London’s most elegant spaces to book an afternoon tea service, and proved to be an excellent setting for me to get through an initially awkward start and have a great conversation. Continue reading
UK Premiere of Roxanne by Paul Frankl
Shot in 35mm and on location in Soho, the film follows the relationship of transgender sex worker (played cool and convincing by Miss Cairo) and motherless 12 year-old Lily (spectacularly portrayed by Thea Lamb). It’s an ‘unlikely friendship’ kinda flick – not too dissimilar in theme to, say, About a Boy except the ‘boy’ in Roxanne is a girl and the ‘Hugh Grant’ character is Miss Cairo. Continue reading
Scents of Summer Afternoon Tea at Intercontinental London Park Lane
A new limited edition Scents of Summer afternoon tea is available now and running until the end of September at the Wellington Lounge of the Intercontinental London Park Lane. The colourfully presented tea features a bouquet of delicacies created by the hotel’s Executive Chef Ashely Wells in collaboration with Edward Bodenham, 9th generation of the world’s oldest family-run perfumers Floris. For a taste (and whiff) of the joys of summer, this afternoon tea offers a luxurious opportunity to while away some and come out smelling like a rose! Continue reading
Yummy Sophistication in Swish Digs: Yauatcha City, Broadgate Circle
The new 7,220sqft semi-circle restaurant echoes the swankest of design elements of its flagship Michelin starred sister site in Soho – only in shinier new Broadgate Circle digs for easy access to Liverpool Street passers by and for City workers keen to flash cash in tasteful (and tasty) surroundings near their offices. Continue reading