Michael Edwards, Author at A Luxury Travel Blog : A Luxury Travel Blog

Danube highlights: an A-ROSA DONNA river cruise

By Michael Edwards on Oct 26, 2019 in Austria, Cruises & Boat Travel, Eastern Europe, Europe, Food and Drink, Hungary, Regions, Slovakia, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

A long horizontal crimson-red rose, decorating the A-ROSA DONNA’s white hull, informs us that we have found our 100 cabin river cruiser at Engelshartzell, Austria. The 118-metre ship will be our home for the next five nights for a cruise that takes us on a dramatic section of the Danube through Vienna and out to […]

Short stay: Palais Amani, Fez, Morocco

By Michael Edwards on Oct 03, 2019 in Accommodation, Africa, Hotels, Morocco, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel

Amani means desire or wish in Arabic. The Palais Amani gives guests the chance to fulfil their dreams of living at the heart of Fez’s ancient and authentic Medina. For guests the Palais Amani, with its opulent Arabian-Andalusian style, is their home for a few precious days, as they savour an imperial city of colours […]

7 reasons to visit Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK

By Michael Edwards on Sep 30, 2019 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Often called “The Jewel of the North”, Harrogate attracts visitors for its urban charms, stunning gardens and its position as a Gateway to the Dales. It is close to Nidderdale, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, as well as the UNESCO world heritage site of Fountains Abbey and Studley Royal Water Garden. Within easy travelling […]

Short stay: Fairmont St Andrews, Scotland, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 19, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

St Andrews is the spiritual home of golf pulling in players from afar. Hosting a final qualifier for the British Open, the Sam Torrance and Kittocks Course provide a challenging course for serious golfers. Scottish hospitality blends with top notch American-style service at Fairmont St Andrews to provide far more than just golf. The welcome […]

Short stay: Country Living St. George Hotel, Harrogate, North Yorkshire, UK

By Michael Edwards on Aug 15, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Every room looks as if it’s been tastefully curated for a magazine shoot – which is no surprise as Country Living Magazine is bringing country chic to urban stays in what was orginally a grand Edwardian mansion. A rambling Grade 2 listed building was the perfect candidate for a classy makeover that name-checks Regency taste […]

Short Stay: Absalon Hotel, Vesterbro, Copenhagen, Denmark

By Michael Edwards on Jul 12, 2019 in Accommodation, Denmark, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

The Absalon Hotel is just a three minute walk from Copenhagen Central Station in the upcoming Vesterbro district. It is a great base for seeing Copenhagen and beyond. Vesterbro, a haven for foodies and lovers of quirky boutiques and design stores, is steaming ahead with classy gentrification. But the Absalon’s recent sophisticated revamp has edged […]

Short stay: Domaine de Perches, Gaillac, France

By Michael Edwards on Jun 30, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Food and Drink, France, Hotels, Regions, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

At Domaine de Perches you are guests of Alain and Howard for the ultimate French country house escape, staying at a welcoming boutique hotel. Alain and Howard have breathed new life into a 17th century oatmeal-coloured wine château. Even Grand Designs’ Kevin McCloud would be in awe at the scope of their project. Six years […]

Short stay: Longevity Cegonha Country Club, Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal

By Michael Edwards on Jun 27, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Food and Drink, Health & Safety, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Portugal, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

Join a Pilates class, take the shuttle to Vilamoura’s marina, opt for a personal training session and then spend time in the relaxation room before dinner. All this plus a staff as warm and welcoming as the Algarve sun. There’s a luxurious freedom to life at Longevity Cegonha Country Club (LCCC). Many guests are taking […]

The Isle of Wight: 7 reasons to sail across

By Michael Edwards on Jun 10, 2019 in Accommodation, Attractions, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The short voyage across the Solent, sometimes as little as 22 minutes, makes a visit to the Isle of Wight an adventure. Not only are crossings fast, they are very frequent too. You are embarking on a mini-cruise when you take Wightlink from Lymington, Portsmouth or Southampton to the Isle of Wight. Although the ferry […]

5 luxurious Marrakech riads

By Michael Edwards on May 18, 2019 in Accommodation, Africa, Hotels, Morocco, Regions

For travellers looking for an authentic Marrakech experience it is hard to beat a Riad. That’s a traditional Moroccan house within the historic walls of the Medina. Riad translates from Arabic as garden. Tall airy houses, often three storeys, are based around an internal cooling garden made up of a plunge pool, trees climbing up […]

Short stay: Stanbrook Abbey Hotel, Worcester, UK

By Michael Edwards on May 14, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, United Kingdom, Western Europe

A mere decade ago, the Benedictine nuns of Stanbrook Abbey were wearing grooves into the floor of their chapel as they knelt to pray, as they had since the 19th century. Then, seeking further peace and seclusion, the nuns relocated to Waas in North Yorkshire. Once the Pope had agreed to deconsecrate Stanbrook Abbey it […]

Short stay: Hilton at St. George’s Park, Burton-upon-Trent, UK

By Michael Edwards on May 10, 2019 in Accommodation, Europe, Hotels, Regions, United Kingdom, Western Europe

If you ever feel a touch of nostalgia for England’s 1966 World Cup win, sense the drama when you see that picture of Gazza with a tear in his eye and know that Harry Kane does more than just advertise razors, then a visit to the Hilton at St George’s Park is a must. It […]

Bryher: 9 reasons to visit this idyllic Isle of Scilly

By Michael Edwards on Apr 09, 2019 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Events, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

A little over a mile long and rarely half a mile wide, Bryher is as close as you will get to the Caribbean around Britain. The rugged island, “The Island of Hills”, with a sub-tropical climate, has azure and turquoise seas, a scattering of palm trees and white sand beaches. With a population of just […]

Soma Bay, Egypt: 8 reasons to visit

By Michael Edwards on Apr 03, 2019 in Accommodation, Africa, Egypt, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel

Soma Bay is Egypt’s welcoming resort on the warm shores of the Red Sea Riviera. Top-end hotels luxuriate in acres of space. A speedy 40 minute transfer from Hurghada airport is increasingly making Soma Bay a popular destination. In 2018 visitor numbers soared by 110%. The climate With a sub-tropical desert climate, mild winters and […]

Egypt’s Red Sea Riviera: 5 luxurious Somabay hotels

By Michael Edwards on Mar 15, 2019 in Accommodation, Africa, Egypt, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Spas & Pampering, Speciality Travel

The sun almost always shines on the Somabay peninsula, a welcoming sub-tropical finger bathing in the warmth of the Red Sea. Even in the depths of the cold and dark European winter visitors still pick-up a tan on the shores of the Red Sea. Hurghada’s modern airport quickly sends visitors on their way on a […]

Light Festival, Lucerne: 7 reasons to put LILU in your 2020 diary

By Michael Edwards on Jan 31, 2019 in Europe, Events, Regions, Switzerland, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

Lucerne is celebrating its first and highly successful Light Festival. From 10th to 20th January 2019, soft-lights shimmered across Lake Lucerne and this Swiss city’s beautiful architecture was highlighted by the installations. Throughout this historic city, in the centre of Switzerland, national and international artists created 18 beautiful and thought-provoking installations. In cold and dark […]

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