Many Alpine ski resorts these days are far too bling. Visitors to those places often seem far more interested in parading up and down in designer coats and watches than actually skiing. That is certainly not the case at Samoëns.…

NB/ This article has been modified since its publication on 30 January 2019 when it was titled 10 new hotel openings in the Maldives.  Much loved by tourists for its beaches, blue lagoons and extensive reefs tourism, the Maldives has been…

A genuine 5* hotel was long overdue in Tashkent, so the opening of the impressive Hyatt Regency Tashkent in 2016 was incredibly welcome. This dazzling white structure is in the heart of Uzbekistan’s capital, right next door to the National Library and…

The restaurant scene in London’s St James has a new boy on the block. Well not exactly new, as this is newest incarnation of The Wellington Club which started a rather interesting social history in 1832 in Knightsbridge. Frequented by…

When I booked a table at the intriguingly named POTUS, I was half expecting to walk through the door and be greeted by a giant inflatable Trump baby, or at the very least a “Make American Great Again” slogan. This, of…

Staying in Le Cour des Consuls is like getting two hotels for the price of one – the property includes a pair of buildings, one dating  back to the 16th century and one to the 18th. Historic original features blend…

As a couple of middle aged “Cruise Virgins,” my wife and I wondered if going on a SAGA Cruise would be a wise decision. After experiencing the Baltic Myths and Legends cruise on Saga’s Spirit of Discovery, we are hooked…

Typical mountain food is by necessity hearty fare; think lots of sausage and potatoes, fuel for strenuous exercise, designed to fill you up. But in Ischgl they’re doing something extra. The town sits at an altitude of 1377m, in the…

La Plagne Centre might sound like the, well, centre but La Plagne is a starburst of self-sufficient conurbations. Centre might be the original, long, low 60s buildings (which, with their indoor shopping mall, have undergone a neat refurb) and Aime…

We arrive in the pouring rain at London’s Old Street Silicon Roundabout – the centre of the Tech Hub that’s meant to rival California with lots of spacey new buildings. The M by Montcalm Hotel is one of those, thrusting…