Set between Les Menuires and Saint-Martin-de-Belleville, my recent foray to the mountains offered plentiful serene moments of reflection and emotional expansion, with ample time to enjoy the last of the white stuff as the ‘23-’24 ski season came to a close.
I am revisiting Marbella after decades to take a fresh look, as I’ve heard more than a few murmurings that this locale is experiencing a new era of redefined luxury. Indeed, Marbella is said to be undergoing a renaissance created by attracting an entirely new highly sophisticated and professional global jet-set, one that is thriving on a new limitless lifestyle whilst honouring its pedigree and provenance.
There are few greater joys than arriving at a grand hotel on Christmas Eve, just as snow begins to fall. There are also few greater embarrassments than discovering the carpet in the lobby matches your tweed coat exactly. At the Fife Arms in Braemar, I became momentarily indistinguishable from the soft furnishings. But no one batted an eyelid.
The mango-shaped island, only 27 miles long and 14 miles wide, was born from volcanic origin and is fringed with soft sandy beaches, golden in the north and dark silver in the southwest.
It is perhaps one of the great tragedies of my life that I don’t spend every weekend in a beautifully crafted replica of a Kyoto bathhouse, surrounded on all sides by thirty or more totally naked Norwegians, each glistening with perspiration and a curated array of essential oils. However, my trip to the spectacular Oslo wellness resort The Well ensured – within an hour of arrival, in fact – that my existence would no longer be completely lacking this experience.
Recently, I was bestowed a great gift, and each evening my partner grows more covetous as its use becomes routine. I speak with friends, and they too desire to know how they might enhance their morning with such an advantage. What is this gift, you ask? Something that should be so simple, yet for many remains just out of reach.
A good night’s sleep.
I won’t lie, I can’t. That part of any trip where I sit at my desk and relive each moment to digitally pen the experience, that really is not the best bit. Where is the snow? Where are the divine panoramas of iced mountains and frosted pines? The morning light hits a little differently in the cityscape I see from my window at home as I embark upon my day. Alas, from my screen to yours, I imbue your daydreams with all the details you need to plan your next sojourn in the Italian Alps. Where to stay Just a short 90 minutes through the rolling countryside outside of…
Ibiza does drama well. It’s in the beat of the bass, the flash of a camera, the whisper of a high-stakes guest list. But somewhere high above it all, past the yoga retreats and influencer outposts, is a hotel that redefines island escape.
Puerto Rio is borne out of an immensely long and diverse history. Its current social make-up and the basis for much of the social aspects of life, food, dance and art are influenced by the triumvirate of backgrounds that the population is largely made up of, those being the indigenous population.
To explore the prevailing wind of the latest travel destinations is one thing. To unpick the essence of luxury travel and hospitality, to unravel the nature of what a whole new generation of high-end holidaymakers are seeking, and to understand what is driving the shifting sands of travel trends is something else entirely.
The transatlantic flight is one of the staples of international air travel. We’ve all heard reference to taking the red eye out of New York, and for many, it’s a consistent and oft’ times fraught journey to make. In fairness, it seems that most air travel is the same. The London-New York route is one that is serviced by a wealth of traditional carriers, yet has long been the target of many a disruptor. As a route taken by so many for so long, to crack it, or crack into the incumbents, would represent a good bit of business. In walks JetBlue. A relative newcomer in a world of BA,…
For me, London tends to be a swift one-day affair for a day on set, back-to-back meetings or events across the city. However, last week my visit was a little different, I was to stay at The Gantry, a Stratford hotel, with dinner at Chino Latino, just south of the river. To the eyes of someone with a packed schedule, staying almost an hour away from an evening destination might seem abhorrent. If this sounds all too familiar, let me explain why you need to embrace a slowing pace, and never overlook the joy of seeing one’s own country or city through the eyes of a tourist. The Gantry Arriving…
This seems as good a place as anywhere to interject with some information pertaining to the car in question. The 296 heralded part of a new era for Ferrari in the move towards hybridisation and the creation of this 120 degree turbocharged V6, dubbed internally as the mini V12. The hybrid, turbocharged V6 has also been the standard in Formula 1 since 2014, so Maranello is not short of experience.
From the lush terraced rice paddies to mysterious forests and serpentine rivers, Vietnam’s natural splendour is nothing short of breathtaking. The nation’s rich cultural tapestry, a seamless fusion of Asian and French influences, is beautifully woven into the very fabric of daily life, from its unique architecture to exquisite cuisine.
Welcome to the digital nomads. This new tribe of traveller has an intense desire to immerse themselves in a place, to get a sense of its space and its people. To unearth the roots of its way of life and discover its heartbeat. Only then, can they feel like they are part of its landscape rather than just a visitor to it.
The trip in question was to the far-flung shores of Thailand, a place I had once visited in what was seemingly a whole other lifetime. I say that as it was a trip taken with a former fiancée, in a pre-social media world.
The thought of a summer vacation may feel all too painful in the depths of winter, but as the frost begins to thaw, you might find yourself spending more time staring out of the window at your desk, daring to dream of a summer escape.
Freshly back from a trip to Méribel, my Moonboots still at the door and my Flight Deck still tucked in my Huff ‘n Puffa jacket, here’s a run-through of where to head this season in this enticing section of Les Trois Vallees.
Imagine scaling the sheer walls of a mountain, gripping onto metal rungs and wires, while admiring the stunning scenery of the Alps, the Mediterranean, or the Canadian Rockies. This is the thrill of Via Ferrata, or “Iron Way”, a type of climbing that originated in the First World War as a way for soldiers to traverse the rugged terrain of the Dolomites.
Join us as we visit resorts across Europe and the US and get serious about this season’s must-have styles. We also sit down with Air Zermatt CEO Gerald Biner.