AquaViva Collection, San Juan del Sur

We’ll never turn down the chance to spend a night in an opulent 5* hotel bed, but occasionally a property comes along that offers so much more than just standard creature comforts. AquaViva Collection in San Juan del Sur – a surfing town on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast, some 2.5h south of Managua – is aContinue reading “AquaViva Collection, San Juan del Sur”

Saltmarshe Hall, East Yorkshire

Switch off Bridgerton. It’s time to immerse yourself in a real-life 19th century love affair, courtesy of Saltmarshe Hall in Howden, East Yorkshire. Set in a sprawling country estate in existence since 1067, the Hall provides a low-key luxury experience fit for high society, discerning diners and everything in between. Located near the banks ofContinue reading “Saltmarshe Hall, East Yorkshire”

Massimo Villas, Sicily

Don Corleone turns to Michael and says: “there wasn’t enough time, Michael. There just wasn’t enough time”, which we assume was about not wanting to leave Sicily and, more specifically, this special villa in the north of the island. Lazy Godfather references aside, Villa Vittoria is worth every second of the hair-raising journey on aContinue reading “Massimo Villas, Sicily”

The Londoner, London

With its crowds of camera-wielding tourists and booming screens, Leicester Square isn’t the first place you’d associate with luxury in London. Imagine my surprise, then, when a glass door off the main square leads to one of the most luxurious hotels in London – the incontrovertibly named The Londoner, which describes itself as “the world’sContinue reading “The Londoner, London”

Villa Montesquieu, Laudun-l’Ardoise

Sometimes the most pleasant experiences are those which happen upon you by surprise, when expectations are particularly low. One such happy accident was a stay at Villa Montesquieu in the sleepy town of Laudun-l’Ardoise, l’Occitanie in the south-west of France. Having arrived at our rented villa to find that it wasn’t as described in theContinue reading “Villa Montesquieu, Laudun-l’Ardoise”

Hotel de la Cité, Carcassonne

Forget Bruges, forget Mont Saint-Michel; Carcassonne is the real-life Disneyland you didn’t know you needed to visit. Bastioned within medieval ramparts is a host of fine restaurants, great wine bars, and just a couple of very special hotels – one being the 5* Hotel de la Cité. The adventure begins before you’ve even reached theContinue reading “Hotel de la Cité, Carcassonne”