5 luxurious Sri Lankan hotels
Sri Lanka is an island to be toured. Hire a driver and car for a week or two to…
Review: DoubleTree by Hilton Metropole Brighton, Sussex, UK
When the red-brick Metropole opened in 1890, such was its allure that special trains were laid on to deliver…
Review: Brighton i360, Sussex, UK
Once Brighton was renowned for horizontal piers, three of them, stretching out towards a horizon where blue sky merges…
Review: The Cottage in the Wood Malvern, UK
No longer merely a Georgian cottage, this boutique hotel is now a fine-dining destination drawing foodies from afar. Earlier…
Review: Gal Oya Lodge, Galgamuwa, Sri Lanka
Three hours south-east of Kandy, Gal Oya Lodge is the gateway to a National Park that includes Sri Lanka’s…
Review: Stafford Bungalow, Sri Lanka
Days of Raj elegance live on behind the white picket fences at the Stafford Bungalow. The roads to Ragala…
Review: Rosyth Estate House, Kegalle, Sri Lanka
Colonial charm meetsVogue tropical-photo-shoot-style at Rosyth Estate House. Two hours north of Colombo airport, Rosyth Estate House is the perfect soft-landing spot for a Sri Lanka arrival. Owners Farzana and Neil Dobbs creatively combine the retro style of the original 1926 tea planter’s bungalow with contemporary design flair.
Review: Brook Meadow, Leicestershire, UK
Brook Meadow provides lakeside holidays on a working farm. An idyllic collection of luxurious lodges and exciting glamping options provide peaceful rural escapes along the Leicestershire / Northamptonshire border.
Review: The Grand, Brighton, Sussex, UK
This palace by the sea has the ultimate wish-you-were-here location. Opening in 1864, The Grand combined Italianate-style with aspirational Victorian architecture. Since Regency times, Brighton had been a royal favourite, and the hotel’s design was suitably palatial.
Rivieria’s voyage around Corsica on the Star Clipper
Sailing south-east from the glamour of the Côte d’Azur – the glittering trio of Nice, Cannes and St Tropez – the Star Clipper leaves one of France’s richest departments for a rugged, rural island. The four-masted Star Clipper, a nautical tribute to the golden age of sail, slices through the Mediterranean as we approach Corsica.
Review: The Biarritz Hotel, St. Brelades Bay, Jersey
High above the eastern end of St Brelades Bay, the gleaming white Biarritz Hotel looks down on clean white sands. A private pathway provides quick access to the beach below. Jersey is almost France, almost abroad, a mere 14 miles from Brittany.
Review: Riviera’s French Riviera and Corsica aboard Star Clipper
Nostalgically rekindling the golden age of sail, the four-masted 366-feet long clipper sails through the Mediterranean. From the bikini and jet-ski hedonism of Nice to the pure white cassocks and imperial grandeur of Rome.
Review: Brocket Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire, UK
Back in the 19th century this vast Hertfordshire estate was the home of two British Prime Ministers, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston. Now, with two championship golf courses named after the former premiers, it is a leafy Mecca for golfers.
Review: The Talbot Inn, Ripley, Surrey, UK
Not only were the flinty roads here dangerous, but they were also beset by ruthless highwaymen. There has been a coaching inn in this Surrey village since 1453. Christopher Columbus was merely a two-year-old toddler, and the Wars of the Roses hadn’t even begun.
Review: Riverside Mozart, Treasures of the Danube Eastbound
“Best ship on the Danube”, announced a veteran of countless cruises, both ocean and river, as he sat at the cocktail bar. He was congratulating himself on his astute selection of Riverside Mozart from around 200 ships that cruise the Danube.
Review: Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere, Vienna, Austria
Back in 2021, when the Andaz Vienna Am Belvedere hotel opened, renowned architect Renzo Piano picked up an award for the design of this luxury hotel of 303 rooms and 44 suites.
