Category: Featured

Short stay: The Cavendish, Mayfair, London, UK

Short stay: The Cavendish, Mayfair, London, UK

I recently had the pleasure of staying at The Cavendish, a four-star hotel in London which can be found on Mayfair’s Jermyn Street which runs parallel to Piccadilly, and is close to West End shopping and theatres. Built as a hotel in the 1830s, it has served as a hotel for most of the last 200 years and was
Short stay: Macdonald Ansty Hall, Ansty, near Coventry, UK

Short stay: Macdonald Ansty Hall, Ansty, near Coventry, UK

Ansty Hall lies in the village of Ansty, which despite being just 300 feet above sea level, is one of the highest points in Warwickshire. It was built in the 17th Century for Richard Taylor, a supporter of Oliver Cromwell during the English Civil War, and passed to the Adams family in the late 18th
Kayaking combined with a little luxury in the Lake District

Kayaking combined with a little luxury in the Lake District

We recently tested two Sevylor kayaks on a luxury stay in the English Lake District, arriving at one of Cumbria’s finest lakeside hotels in style… by kayak! Before we get started, the first thing to mention about Sevylor kayaks is how portable they are.  Despite being quite large and robust vessels, once they’re fully inflated,
6 durable alternatives to Apple's iPhone and iPad lightning charging cables

6 durable alternatives to Apple's iPhone and iPad lightning charging cables

If you own an iPhone or iPad, it’s probably just been a matter of time before the lightning cable that you get from Apple has stopped working. And, if you travel with your charging cables, they might well have perished even more quickly. Well, don’t despair… there are some alternatives out there that will stand
8 reasons why you really need to visit Cascais in Portugal

8 reasons why you really need to visit Cascais in Portugal

Portugal’s Cascais region is gaining a reputation as one of country’s best areas to visit. It is a place of wild coastlines, natural beauty, history, and Portugal’s famous cuisine and hospitality. And here are eight reasons why Cascais is becoming Portugal’s best region to visit: 1. It’s easy to get to Hugging mainland Europe’s most
A luxury weekend in Paris with Infiniti

A luxury weekend in Paris with Infiniti

What better way to visit the Paris Motor Show than to drive there. And to drive in the luxury of the Infiniti Q30 is about as comfortable as it gets. This is a car that offers comfort in abundance and is every bit as stylish as it looks. (Some of you may recall that I test
Short stay: Best Western Beaumont Hotel, Hexham, Northumberland, UK

Short stay: Best Western Beaumont Hotel, Hexham, Northumberland, UK

For a recent sailing weekend at Derwent Reservoir, we stayed at the Best Western Beaumont Hotel in the Northumberland market town of Hexham. We’d often passed Hexham travelling from Cumbria to the north-east along the A69, but rarely had much time to spend there. Previously awarded the title of ‘England’s favourite market town’ in Country
6 tried and tested accessories from my latest trip

6 tried and tested accessories from my latest trip

Our last trip involved a couple of weeks in Spain during which our boys competed in a sailing event. We also got the opportunity to explore a little and particularly loved our time in San Sebastian. During the trip, we also tried out some new products and include details of these for you below. Waterproof
5 of the best pintxos bars in San Sebastian

5 of the best pintxos bars in San Sebastian

One of the highlights of our latest trip to Spain was our time in San Sebastián and, more specifically, our pintxos tour with Iñigo Tames (highly recommended) from San Sebastián Food, a culinary enterprise based in the basement of the Hotel Maria Cristina where we stayed. Pintxos – if you’re not already familiar – is
Win sleek, smart and collapsible luggage worth over $1,000!

Win sleek, smart and collapsible luggage worth over $1,000!

The Barracuda is the world’s first collapsible carry-on with an ergonomic handle system and USB charger. The collapsibility feature allows the bag to be conveniently stored under a bed or hung in a closet. Other features include location tracking and proximity sensing and a built-in tray with cup holders to place a laptop or other
How to automatically backup your phone every time you charge it

How to automatically backup your phone every time you charge it

Backing up your phone can be a bit of a chore sometimes, especially as you travel. You have to fire up your laptop, connect your phone, launch the relevant software and wait. Imagine, though, if you could back up a phone – be it Android or iPhone – without the need for a laptop at
Short stay: Bette Davis Suite, Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastian, Spain

Short stay: Bette Davis Suite, Hotel Maria Cristina, San Sebastian, Spain

The elegant Hotel Maria Cristina is a member of the Luxury Collection, has 136 rooms and was designed by Charles Mewès – a French architect who was also behind the Ritz hotels in both Paris and Madrid. Since its opening in 1912 it has been a firm favourite with celebrities and international high society and,
10 great reasons to visit Santona, Cantabria, Spain

10 great reasons to visit Santona, Cantabria, Spain

Nestled approximately midway between Santander and Bilbao in the province of Cantabria, the town of Santoña is a fishing port that has an interesting history but is perhaps best known today as a holiday destination in the Summer months and for its year-round fishing trade. Here are 10 great reasons why you should visit. 1.
From chaos to calm: how our latest trip nearly didn't happen

From chaos to calm: how our latest trip nearly didn't happen

It started with a bang. A very loud bang. And it didn’t take us long to realise what had happened. The boat trailer that we were towing had become detached from our car and one of the boats on it had come straight through our rear windscreen. Panic set in. We were due to catch
A luxury golf break at Stoke Park Country Club, Spa and Hotel, Buckinghamshire, UK

A luxury golf break at Stoke Park Country Club, Spa and Hotel, Buckinghamshire, UK

The estate of Stoke Park has a long history dating back over 900 years but it was John Penn – 1760 to 1834 – who was responsible for most of what you can see today. In the latter part of the 18th century James Wyatt, architect to King George III,  worked on the development of
New luggage that can actually climb stairs... and a whole lot more besides!

New luggage that can actually climb stairs... and a whole lot more besides!

It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? A piece of luggage that will actually easily travel up stairs. But that’s exactly what the new TraxPack case does. Launched on Kickstarter by good friends Naisha Joseph and Richard Braddock, TraxPack is set to revolutionise the luggage industry. No more struggling with awkward, heavy cases – difficulty