Author Archive for Kay McMahon

Chef Alfredo Russo's John Dory with sweet garlic sauce, broccoli and crispy Brussels sprouts

Allegrini Wine Dinner at Rossini's, Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit, Bangkok

By on Sep 02, 2013 in Asia, Food and Drink, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
Rossini’s, the Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit’s Italian restaurant, is based on the concept of a Tuscan villa and certainly offers all the charm, comfort and warmth you could want from one. But it also offers monthly wine dinners where some of the world’s greatest chefs create menus to complement a selection of equally great wines. Dave
Chef Tommes

Interview with Chef Tommes, Chef and Owner of That Little Wine Bar

By on Sep 01, 2012 in Accommodation, Asia, Australia, Canada, Ecuador, Europe, Food and Drink, France, Going Out, Hotels, Interviews, Malaysia, New York, North America, Oceania, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, South America, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, USA, Western Europe
What do you do if you’ve hunted high and low for a decent wine bar but there’s none to be found in your home town? For Chef Tommes and his wife Louise, the answer was simple – they opened their own! That Little Wine Bar in Georgetown, Penang, has attracted rave reviews (including on this

Update from Penang, August 2012

By on Aug 26, 2012 in Asia, Bars, Going Out, Malaysia, Regions, Restaurants
Hello from Penang! We’ve not been here for a while and how things have moved on since we were last there. Regular A Luxury Travel Blog readers might remember that I wrote a special feature last year about That Little Wine Bar. We went back to That Little Wine Bar again, and it was every
Singapore's Marina Bay at night

Special feature: Premier Club at the Peninsula Excelsior Hotel, Singapore

By on Nov 06, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Attractions, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Singapore, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
This is a heads-up on how you can enjoy a luxurious hotel stay without paying five-star prices. It’s “simple luxury”. The concept is that a premium room in a four-star hotel can offer better facilities and services at a price cheaper than a standard room in a five-star. We tried it and here’s how we
The Mosaic restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

Special feature: Mosaic, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Kuala Lumpur

By on Nov 03, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Attractions, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Malaysia, Regions, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
The Mandarin Oriental Group of hotels requires no introduction on a blog about luxury travel, as the brand is famous for its prestigious hotels and resorts. The interesting thing, though, is that they are all quite different from one another. Whilst they all maintain standards of excellence, this is a group rather than a chain
Jean-Christophe Nager, GM at The Pavilions Phuket

Interview with Jean-Christophe Nager, General Manager, The Pavilions, Phuket

By on Oct 15, 2011 in Accommodation, Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Botswana, Cambodia, Caribbean, Europe, Interviews, Italy, Maldives, Oceania, Philippines, Regions, Resorts, Switzerland, Thailand, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe
Jean-Christophe Nager is the General Manager of The Pavilions, Phuket, a 5-star luxury resort built on a hill-top on the delightful island of Phuket. A Swiss national with more than 25 years’ experience in the hospitality industry, Jean-Christophe (JC) graduated from Collège St-Michel, Fribourg, in Switzerland in 1978 and studied photography in Montreal, Canada for a
A Thai mixologist shakes a cocktail

Special feature: Passions at The Pavilions, Phuket

By on Oct 12, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Bars, Going Out, Leisure Travel, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
Please let me get some adjectives out of the way before I go on to give you a more factual report of staying at The Pavilions in Phuket. Amazing, wonderful, fun, incredible, entertaining, educational, friendly, interesting, luxurious, impeccable, beautiful, spacious, different, comfortable, exciting, relaxing. Are you getting the gist of it yet? The Pavilions is
Le Normandie at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Bangkok

Special feature: Le Normandie, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand

By on Sep 20, 2011 in Asia, Food and Drink, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
The prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel contains several restaurants offering different cuisines. All are renowned for their excellence and Le Normandie is world-famous for its classical French fine dining. Opened in 1958 by Germain Krull, Le Normandie has produced the height of French gastronomy for more than 50 years. The restaurant provides a stunning view of
Exterior of That Little Wine Bar

Special feature: That Little Wine Bar, Penang, Malaysia

By on Jul 31, 2011 in Asia, Bars, Going Out, Malaysia, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
Penang has a reputation for being a food lover’s paradise. Really? I’ve looked hard but very rarely seen it, and that’s despite being a nomadic gourmet who likes to try all kinds of new things. I’m always on the lookout for exceptional places which provide an oasis from the usual fare. And I have just
The Deluxe Spa Suite at the Hotel de la Paix in Siem Reap

Special feature: Hôtel de la Paix, Siem Reap, Cambodia

By on Jun 13, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Cambodia, Hotels, Regions, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
The most popular tourist destination in Cambodia is the vast complex of temples at Angkor Wat. This is really a fascinating place to visit, but surprisingly it’s not on the usual lists of Wonders of the World. It should be! It is, however, a UNESCO World Heritage site. In my opinion the best way to

Bangkok's art scene

By on May 30, 2011 in Asia, Events, Regions, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
When people think of Bangkok, mostly they think about wats (temples), shopping, the bustling city and the night life including all the wonderful places to eat. What they may not realise is that the city also has a thriving arts scene. Would you like to learn to draw and paint? Attic Studios on Sukhumvit Soi

Thailand titbits

By on May 03, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Events, Food and Drink, Hotels, Regions, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
Here are some May events in Thailand which may be of interest to luxury travellers. There are several trade shows including: Thailand Golf and Dive Expo 2011 from 26-29 May 2011, at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok. This is an opportunity to learn more about the best golfing and diving destinations in Thailand. You may
Spa oils and herbs

Special feature: Activities at the Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi

By on Apr 19, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Malaysia, Regions, Resorts, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
After our visit to the Tanjung Rhu Resort, I wrote about the resort itself. What I omitted from that article was information about all the activities on offer, because there is just so much to do that it wasn’t possible to squeeze them all into the original article. You’ll see what I mean if you
Beach barbecue at the Tanjung Rhu Resort

Special feature: Dining at the Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi

By on Apr 06, 2011 in Asia, Food and Drink, Going Out, Malaysia, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
We had a wonderful stay at the Tanjung Rhu Resort recently, and there was so much to write about I decided to do it over several articles. The first was a special feature about the resort itself. Now let’s look at the dining options. There are several restaurants at the resort: The Rhu – this
Sands Pool at the Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia

Special feature: Tanjung Rhu Resort, Langkawi, Malaysia

By on Apr 05, 2011 in Accommodation, Asia, Malaysia, Regions, Resorts, Special Features, Travel Miscellany
We hadn’t been to Langkawi island before, although we’ve been to Malaysia many times. Langkawi is an amazing place and the Tanjung Rhu Resort is ideal for getting away from all the stresses of modern life. There are several ways to get to Langkawi. We tried two different methods of coming and going. First we
Bangkok bites

Bangkok bites

By on Jan 20, 2011 in Asia, Food and Drink, Going Out, Regions, Restaurants, Thailand, Travel Miscellany
Just in case any of you are visiting Bangkok in the next few weeks, here are a few suggestions of what’s on at some of Bangkok’s top eateries. The Déjà Vu restaurant in the Pullman Bangkok King Power are running “A Taste of Caviar” special from 18th to 30th January 2011. Enjoy Champagne and caviar