Best Hotels

The Relais Henley is a stylish new waterside retreat in Henley-on-Thames. There’s just something about riverside hotels that is gloriously appealing, particularly in England. In the old days, you could always find something wrong about a hotel, but a new breed has emerged that just gets everything right from the get-go and the Relais Henley is just such a place.

The Hotel Montalembert is an incredibly chic hotel set just off the Rue Du Bac, one of the best streets on the Left Bank of the Seine in Paris. You are ideally situated to explore the superb cafes, Michelin-starred restaurants, antique furniture shops, bistros and boutiques and only a stone's throw from the famous bridge of love "Le Pont Des Arts".

The Mitre Hampton Court Hotel is a luxurious boutique hotel overlooking the Thames that has been extensively refurbished. It was the first stop on our Ferrari F8 Spider Tributo tour and delivered exceptional food, decor and service with great panache.

Set like a gem on the north side of Hampton Court Bridge, it boasts a long terrace overlooking the water. Just opposite the Hampton Court Palace. Its origins date back to the reign of Henry VIII, built at the direction of Charles II as a hostel for Palace visitors.

Imagine having an affinity with nature where Europe finishes to face the full force of the Atlantic as she unfurls her fury amassed after 3000 miles. It’s all here to discover for the extremities of the Algarve (that is a stunning coastline of miles of untrammelled white beach) are yet to be known by most travelling Brits.

During our Maserati Levante Trofeo tour to visit the Great North Air Ambulance Service helicopter rescue we stayed at the lovely Derwent Manor Boutique Hotel between Newcastle and Durham at the edge of the North Pennines in North Yorkshire.

Originally built as a country residence for the three-time Lord Mayor of Manchester, Alderman John Grave. Derwent offers 56 elegant double bedrooms including five suites with stunning views over the countryside and four boutique cottages

Vintage sepia photographs, part of a permanent display dedicated to the history of ‘pearl diving’ at the Bahrain National Museum, was an ideal starting point to understand this cultural heritage. Displays give an insight into the design of the timber Dhows, the basic dive equipment used and of course the men who crewed the boats for months at a time. The few grainy images available, show every muscular sinew visible across the diver’s torso, created from a life below the waves, and based on a diet of fish, dates and rice.

An unassuming, anonymous and heavy-set red door separates a quaint cobbled courtyard, from an intimately historic foyer, embracing an almost monastic-like silence. As the door closes behind you, Lisbon’s bright morning sunshine is replaced by softer tones; the sensory contrast is immediate and welcome. This is one of many such contrasts that guests of the exquisite ‘Palácio Belmonte’ will experience during their stay.