Author Archive for Alan Hazel

7 of the best restaurants in Malaga Province, Andalusia

7 of the best restaurants in Malaga Province, Andalusia

By on May 25, 2013 in Europe, Food and Drink, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Spain, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe   - Read 312 times

The recent announcement of this year’s list of the best restaurants in the world has cemented Spain’s place at the top with more Spanish chefs in the top ten than any other country. Not only did the Roca brothers climb to number one with The Cellar de Can Roca in Girona, but Basque restaurants Mugaritz [...]

Table for four? That’ll be $28,000 thank you

Table for four? That’ll be $28,000 thank you

By on Apr 05, 2013 in Asia, China, Food and Drink, Hong Kong, New York, North America, Regions, Travel Miscellany, USA   - Read 2329 times

Although Spanish chef extraordinaire Ferran Adria closed his El Bulli restaurant in Catalonia after maintaining three Michelin stars for more than a decade, many still consider him the world’s finest and most innovative chef. However, the price tag on a private dinner for four at an auction in Hong Kong this week is a bit [...]

Ethical luxury: the world’s only organic caviar

Ethical luxury: the world’s only organic caviar

By on Mar 23, 2013 in Europe, Food and Drink, Regions, Spain, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe   - Read 3615 times

Black sturgeon caviar has been a luxury delicacy for centuries, though it is only in the past couple of decades that our taste for it has driven the sturgeon, an ancient species with a history of at least 250 million years, to near extinction. Despite a temporary and partial ban on wild sturgeon fishing in [...]

4 top tips for today’s personal concierge

4 top tips for today’s personal concierge

By on Feb 21, 2013 in Travel Miscellany   - Read 4906 times

As today’s luxury travellers grow ever more discerning and tastes and trends evolve, so must their holiday services evolve to keep them satisfied and to keep them coming back. Based on luxury travel trends identified by a study from the The Future Laboratories for the International Luxury Travel Market (Dec 2012), here are some tips [...]

The top 5 luxury guide to Malaga, Spain

The top 5 luxury guide to Malaga, Spain

By on Jan 20, 2013 in Attractions, Europe, Going Out, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Spain, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, Western Europe   - Read 4007 times

The Andalucian port city of Malaga, on Spain’s southern coast, appears to have a bit of an image problem. Why else would a city that has been such a rich and vibrant centre of trade and culture since at least the Phoenician times be so conspicuously absent from the rankings of most desirable destinations? Blame [...]

The Andalucian harvest: sherry, sweet wine and a very good time

The Andalucian harvest: sherry, sweet wine and a very good time

By on Jul 26, 2012 in Europe, Food and Drink, Regions, Spain, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe   - Read 2496 times

So you’ve done the tour of French vineyards and you’re looking for something new, or perhaps you’ve been to and done the Tuscan wineries and you want a different take on the grape scene.  Andalucia makes for a surprisingly sophisticated harvest experience; and let’s face it, la fiesta is in the Spanish blood so it’s [...]

Top tips for luxury east of Malaga: the Andalusian anti-glitz alternative

Top tips for luxury east of Malaga: the Andalusian anti-glitz alternative

By on Jun 20, 2012 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Spain, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe   - Read 2145 times

With the best climate in Europe and hundreds of miles of Mediterranean coastline, it’s little wonder that the Costa del Sol became such a popular destination for European sun-seekers. Some will lament the nature-spoiling megalopolis of tourist towns that grew together along the coast, though Marbella and Puerto Banus continue to attract the economic elite. [...]

Experiential travel: new horizons for the luxury traveler

Experiential travel: new horizons for the luxury traveler

By on Nov 06, 2011 in Europe, Regions, Spain, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe, Worldwide   - Read 904 times

Experiential travel is no new concept, though the term pops up with renewed significance and frequency of late. Backpackers and adventurers have long been exploring unchartered or little known destinations for the personal growth, satisfaction and self-realization that come with the profound impact of extraordinary experiences or overcoming internal and external obstacles. As globalization brought [...]

The future of luxury travel

The future of luxury travel

By on Sep 20, 2011 in Accommodation, Hotels, Vacation Rentals   - Read 461 times

Although the recent financial crisis has certainly much affected the travel industry, the luxury traveler is alive and well. But according to the initial findings of a current global research project for the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM), their tastes are changing. Based on the predictions and identified trends in “The Future of Luxury Travel, A Global Trends [...]