Special Features Archives - Page 2 of 6 - A Luxury Travel Blog : A Luxury Travel Blog

Special feature: Andara Resort & Villas, Phuket, Thailand

By Chinmoy Lad on Jul 14, 2014 in Accommodation, Asia, Featured, Hotels, Regions, Resorts, Special Features, Thailand, Travel Miscellany

Commonly referred to as ‘Millionaire’s Mile’ in Phuket, Thailand, the Kamala headland that juts out westward comprising the areas of Surin and Kamala is justifiably nicknamed such for the slew of luxurious resorts and private villas that dot the coast. Andara Resort & Villas epitomises the best of upscale Kamala and Phuket, with a series

Special feature: Flying Butler apartments by Deep Blue, Kingston-upon-Thames, UK

By Paul Johnson on Apr 27, 2014 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe

Less than an hour west of London lies Kingston-upon-Thames – a thriving suburb of the capital, with a relaxed but vibrant feel to it. There we enjoyed a leisurely stay in one of the brand new Flying Butler apartments by Deep Blue, close to Kingston Bridge and overlooking the River Thames. Once we located the apartment

Special feature: Polurrian Bay Hotel, Lizard, Cornwall, UK

By Paul Johnson on Feb 26, 2014 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The West Country has had its fair share of publicity lately thanks in no small part to the storms over the last few weeks and the media coverage that’s accompanied them – so much so that Visit Cornwall even produced a video to say they were very much open, accompanied by the #openforbusiness hashtag. Living

Special feature: Sheraton Macao Hotel, Macau

By Chinmoy Lad on Jan 23, 2014 in Accommodation, Asia, Family Travel, Featured, Going Out, Hotels, Macau, Regions, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany

In Macau, the Las Vegas of the East, bigger is better. Going by that simple judgement, the 3,896 room Sheraton Macao Hotel on the Cotai Strip, the largest Sheraton in the world, is one of the city’s top hotels. But there is more to this sprawling behemoth than meets the eye. Underneath the overlapping layers

Special feature: W Retreat and Spa, Maldives

By Chinmoy Lad on Jan 09, 2014 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Asia, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Maldives, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany

They tell you the Maldives is beautiful; they undersell it! In short, the W Retreat and Spa, Maldives is the ultimate Maldives experience: exactly how you imagined it – days, months, weeks, or even years before finally making your virgin trip over. As we were transferring from a sister Starwood resort, we were dropped off at Malé airport,

Special feature: Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Ireland

By Paul Johnson on Nov 04, 2013 in Accommodation, Attractions, Bars, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Going Out, Hotels, Ireland, Regions, Restaurants, Road Travel, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe

We have just returned from Ireland where we spent the week at the five star Sheen Falls Lodge hotel on the outskirts of Kenmare, County Kerry. Rather than staying in the hotel itself, we were in one of the hotel’s ‘villa rental’ properties, known as Little Hay Cottage. This thatched, two-bedroomed property gives you the

Special feature: IDW Esperanza Resort, Kozelkiskiu, Trakai, near Vilnius, Lithuania

By Paul Johnson on Sep 17, 2013 in Accommodation, Air Travel, Eastern Europe, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Lithuania, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany

When we told friends that we’d be going to Lithuania this Summer, they invariably looked at us with surprise. Not only had we never visited the country before, but it soon emerged that we didn’t know anyone who had, either. Lithuania, of course, is a relatively new country, and one where tourism hasn’t yet fully

Special feature: The Black Swan, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, UK

By Paul Johnson on Jul 29, 2013 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

We had called in at The Black Swan on our last visit to Helmsley – just for a drink – but on a recent visit to this market town had the opportunity to both stay and dine there. There is no mistaking this historic coaching inn at one end of Helmsley’s market place – it

Special feature: Domes of Elounda, Crete

By Paul Johnson on Jul 25, 2013 in Accommodation, Attractions, Bars, Cruises & Boat Travel, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Going Out, Greece, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Resorts, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

This month we had one of our most relaxing breaks in a long time, enjoying an 11-day stay at the Domes of Elounda on the eastern side of the biggest of the Greek islands, Crete. Arriving quite late in the evening, we were welcomed to the resort with a complimentary drink at the Grand Domes Lobby

Special feature: Intercontinental Hong Kong, Hong Kong

By Chinmoy Lad on Jun 14, 2013 in Accommodation, Asia, Bars, China, Featured, Going Out, Hong Kong, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Travel Miscellany

As you pass through its doors to the lobby and gaze upon the view through the ceiling-high windows at the distance, there is no doubt what the main attraction at the Intercontinental Hong Kong is. Sitting on a protruding promenade in Kowloon, the hotel is in a prime position to view Hong Kong Island as it

Special feature: Congham Hall, near King's Lynn, Norfolk, UK

By Paul Johnson on Apr 13, 2013 in Accommodation, Bars, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

If you are looking for somewhere to totally relax and unwind, then you’d be hard-pressed to find somewhere more peaceful than Congham Hall where we have just spent the past week. Recently named as winner of the Best UK Small Hotel at the International Hotel Awards, this Georgian country house is home to a hotel,

Special feature: The West Bay Club & Spa, Yarmouth, Isle of Wight, UK

By Paul Johnson on Mar 01, 2013 in Accommodation, Europe, Family Travel, Featured, Regions, Resorts, Spas & Pampering, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Vacation Rentals, Western Europe

Our recent trip to the Isle of Wight was our first, but one we were very much looking forward to. There are a number of ways to reach the island but we opted for the ferry crossing from Lymington to Yarmouth, since we were heading for the West Bay Club and Spa between Yarmouth and

Special feature: The Roxburghe Hotel & Golf Course, Kelso, Scotland

By Judy Johnson on Dec 18, 2012 in Accommodation, Europe, Featured, Food and Drink, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

The wonderful welcome from Robyn at reception is typical of the staff at the Roxburghe. Always at hand, always willing, yet never interfering. This wonderful Georgian house, owned by the Duke of Roxburghe, is situated on the banks of the River Teviot. This river, together with the Tweed where the Duke also has beats available

Special feature: Palm Beach Hotel & Bungalows, Larnaca, Cyprus

By Paul Johnson on Nov 06, 2012 in Accommodation, Attractions, Cyprus, Family Travel, Featured, Going Out, Hotels, Middle East, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany

Arriving on a late flight into Larnaca, we stayed at the Livadhiotis Hotel in the town centre. Not only was this ideal for a late arrival, being just a few minutes from the airport, but it also put us well placed right in the heart of the town centre. Larnaca is a harbour town with a

Special feature: Hotel Castell, Zuoz, Switzerland

By Paul Johnson on Oct 23, 2012 in Accommodation, Europe, Family Travel, Going Out, Hotels, Leisure Travel, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Switzerland, Travel Miscellany, Western Europe

Earlier this year we spent some time at Hotel Castell which occupies a commanding vantage point high above the village of Zuoz, just a short drive from St. Moritz. The hotel is enjoying its centenary currently, having been built back in 1912/1913 and, whilst it might not be in the league of some of the

Special feature: The Feversham Arms Hotel and Verbena Spa, Helmsley, North Yorkshire, UK

By Paul Johnson on Oct 19, 2012 in Accommodation, Attractions, Europe, Family Travel, Going Out, Hotels, Regions, Restaurants, Special Features, Speciality Travel, Travel Miscellany, United Kingdom, Western Europe

Helmsley was a part of North Yorkshire we weren’t familiar with prior to our recent stay at The Feversham Arms Hotel and Verbena Spa, but it is a pretty market town in the heart of the North York Moors National Park, with an eclectic mix of interesting shops, galleries, pubs and cafés. The hotel lies

Category: Special Features