Best Hotels

Paris at any time of year is simply magical and a post-Valentine shopping and culinary trip is always the highlight of our calendar. On our annual trip we chose to stay in the 25hours Hotel Terminus Nord, Paris, opposite the Gard Du Nord, its location is super handy for navigating one’s way around Paris. For example the fabulous Galeries La Fayette is within thirty minutes walking distance, some might say it’s faster than actually hopping in a taxi!

An island perfectly suited to a geologist, a poet or indeed an artist! For Lanzarote has such an awe-inspiring setting: dramatic, expansive, picturesque and welcoming. This island of cacti and volcanoes, though highly individual, summoned to me the glories of other lands. The long sweeping landscape, punctuated with the occasional finca, evoked the beautiful expanse of Andalusia. The straight, low and narrow back streets of habitation with those of Colombia. The aridity and jagged landscape of the Sahara with which it is globally parallel.

Arriving at the Royal Lancaster was like stepping into a world of effortless sophistication. The entrance, opposite Hyde Park, is nothing short of grandiose, and the lobby is a fantasy in marble. Sparkling glitter everywhere, gleaming from pillar to post, from the reception desk to the café. It’s a blaze of glorious welcome, the kind that makes you feel like royalty from the moment you step inside.

As a self-proclaimed connoisseur of all things luxurious (and let’s be honest, someone who enjoys pretending to live the plot of a sybaritic novel), I’ve made it my mission to meander through the opulent landscape of London’s members’ clubs. These exclusive havens provide not only a comforting refuge from the chaos of city life but also the perfect stage for roguish antics, self-indulgent conversations, and the occasional over-the-top Instagram post.

If it’s Tuesday, it must be the Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic in Cannes. After a summer that felt like a blur—over ten destinations ticked off, including the usual escapades with adventure car tours—this iconic hotel was a fitting crescendo. The Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic is not just a stay; it’s an experience. So, once more unto the breach.

What fun sometimes merely to fly and flop. To be just 20 minutes from a small airport like Olbia. To see out over a wide expanse and lie under the great globe of unblemished sky that’s simply serene. To witness the mesmerically azure blue sea along miles upon miles of untrammelled coastline.

Hampton Manor can be described as an exceptionally rare gem nestled perfectly in the heart of the Midlands, where independent British heritage intertwines with a modern flair that feels effortlessly cool. It’s the kind of hotel that captivates with an understated elegance, drawing you in without the need for ostentation.

Flock to this Eternal City, this ‘urbs sacra’ for the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, the first ordinary jubilee since the Great Jubilee of 2000. Celebrate a special year of grace as the jubilee begins just before Christmas to end on the Epiphany next year. For the papacy gives the Jubilee a spiritual meaning in granting the remission of the temporal punishment of sins for all pilgrims who visit Rome during this specific year. The most exciting and well-known rite is the opening of the Holy Door (open only during the jubilee year): a symbolic re-enactment of the opening of the gates of Heaven.

From Nxamaseri Island Lodge, we took a boat, a 4x4, and then a light 8-seater plane flying southeast (with me as co-pilot), before finally hopping back into a 4x4 to reach Leroo La Tau in southern Botswana. This lodge sits on the Boteti River, which forms the natural western border of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park.

Botswana is one of the most remarkable countries in the world. This landlocked gem in Southern Africa, home to just 2.5 million people, is celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes, thriving wildlife, and strong commitment to conservation. Botswana artfully blends natural beauty with forward-thinking progress. It's also home to over 130,000 Elephants, 11,000 Giraffes, 15,000 Hippos, 1,200 Lions and 10,000 Zebras. I have been on safaris where you were lucky to spot one or two elephants at a time. In Botswana, it's more like Elephant Piccadilly at rush hour.