Best Hotels

Everyone’s Choice Is Pleasingly Different: They Can All Be Number One  
Freedom of the Seas: Spoilt for Choice

There are so many restaurants in London these days that when you recommend somewhere to a visitor to the metropolis you might be forgiven for feeling slightly nervous. However, you know you are in safe hands when you suggest Mark Hix, whose reputation must span almost twenty years or so, and his executive chef Lee Kebble.

Promenading along the waterfront in a Mediterranean resort is one of the joys of life, that special light, the dreamy atmosphere, the cafés and other distractions all make for an emotive and memorable experience.
Seeking the real style of promenading

At any time of year Ljubljana is a delight. We have just added another time to visit: early December for the St. Nicolas celebrations which lift the city into another dimension. The mix between a religious festival and commercial interests is so much better than in the UK, it is the equal of Antwerp which we had assumed was way ahead of anything we had experienced previously.

Saas Fee obviously gets into the blood as successive generations come to ski in this low-key and very relaxed resort.  The large village is car-free and whilst there are plenty of shops, bars and restaurants, they are not adorned with the intrusive signage seen all too frequently these days.   

Gravetye Manor is a beautiful country house hotel with 17 bedrooms and suites, nestled in the most glorious gardens. The gardens at Gravetye, created by William Robinson who lived there from 1884 until his death in 1935, are really rather special, and their history and that of the Elizabethan Manor is fascinating to discover during your stay.

Art Therapy, Jacuzzis & Watercraft At Art Rotana Hotel Bahrain
Another day, another airport terminal at some ungodly hour of the morning. However it seems petty to moan as I was off to Bahrain to stay at the new Art Rotana Hotel and take in the sights and sounds of this island jewel set in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

We could have been forgiven for thinking that we had stumbled upon a film set as we emerged from the wooded lane and crossed the old stone bridge under which a tinkling brook – yes it did tinkle – flowed.  A lady dressed in an overall added to the scene as she waved and smiled as we passed.  The over-used word ‘quintessential’ is certainly justified here as it has picture perfect historic buildings of an English village with its cricket pitch set along the tranquil River Windrush complete with neatly mown verges and roses in full bloom.

Having been an avid winter sports enthusiast since I was old enough to stand upright without assistance, Austria has long been on my radar during the colder months. And there’s no better destination in the country than Kitzbuhel, the Alpine enclave renowned for hosting the Hahnenkamm.

McLaren launched the new 570S Coupe in the Algarve last week at the Conrad Hotel and the race track at Portimao. It was quite a sight to see so many McLaren 570s’ all lined up outside the Conrad hotel, flanked by flames floating in the elongated water pools, and outside the race track in every available colour. Not quite as good as driving them, but we’ll get to that.