one night in… Kitzbühel
Kitzbühel is most famous for its winter season: not only does the small Tyrolean town provide great skiing, cozy Après ski and lavish nightlife but it also offers a unique atmosphere, courtesy of a its scenic setting combined with authentic and genuine Austrian hospitality.
one night in… Quinta do Lago
A short ride from Faro airport, the Hotel Quinta do Lago has been the area’s most famous hotel since the 1970s. When it was taken over by local do Adro family in 2003, there was skepticism about whether the new owners would be able to keep up the hotel’s excellent reputation.
one night in… Munich
Munich is one of my favorite cities in the world. The jovial Bavarian atmosphere it oozes, combined with the influences of Northern Italy (in fact, some say it’s Italy’s northernmost city) create an immediate sense of well-being. In the very heart of the Bavarian capital, tucked away in a quiet side street off famous Maximilianstrasse is the 73-room Mandarin Oriental Munich.
the london discoveries – pt. 3: paxton & whitfield
Central London’s Jermyn Street in the heart of Westminster is probably most well known for its range of exclusive gentlemen’s outfitters, so finding a specialty cheese shop amidst all of this was quite a serendipity: welcome to Paxton & Whitfield.
fantastic five: mauritian hotel breakfasts
This series is about my favourite five hotels by category.
In what I call my travelling years, the three years I spent reviewing luxury hotels across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa for Kiwi Collection – at the time the world’s largest independent luxury hotel reviewer – I was constantly looking for the “perfect” hotel. But even after several hundred hotels a year (about 400-500 annually) my search never revealed that one hotel, that perfect place. Actually, I don’t believe there really is such a hotel… However, there are a few runners up which came pretty close to perfection, who turned my stay into a memorable, lasting, and thus unforgettable experience.
the london discoveries – part 2: t&f slack
Walking through Notting Hill last weekend – and I don’t mean the tourist hell hole that is Portobello Road – I made another unique discovery, a shop combining classic British design with a colourful twist: welcome to T&F Slack Shoemakers.
the london discoveries – part 1: squint
I love doing things on foot, I think it’s the best way to discover any particular city. Whether it’s the off-the-tourist-track side streets in Jakarta, Ninh Binh, Tallinn, Havana or Budapest, as long as you keep your mind and eyes open, the effort is rewarded with either meeting someone fascinating, seeing something unique, discovering something new, or all three. Walking around London, a city with well over 25’000 streets, it’s easy to discover exciting things every time you set off.