Boulevard, Barcelona

Nowhere does day-to-night quite like Spain, a country where a liqueur coffee in the morning is perfectly acceptable, and where a night out can comfortably begin at 2am. We travelled to Barcelona to test the unique hybrid of a sit-down three-course meal that melts into a dance party. Boulevard is one of the city’s newerContinue reading “Boulevard, Barcelona”

Maison Lefèvre, Luxembourg

If you enjoy your dinner accompanied by illustrious surroundings from a bygone era, look no further than Maison Lefèvre. Located in Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg’s second largest city, this fine dining restaurant is hidden away in plain sight among shopfronts and passing traffic. You could miss it altogether were it not for the glittering chandeliers visible throughContinue reading “Maison Lefèvre, Luxembourg”

Fontenille Torre Vella, Menorca

How do you choose where to stay on an island that specialises in luxury agrotourism? Menorca is a treasure trove of excellent boutique and small chain hotels, each one offering something different, from sunset bars to clifftop picnics. After much research and comparison, we decided on Torre Vella, one of two luxury hotels on theContinue reading “Fontenille Torre Vella, Menorca”

Relais Balcone di Giulietta, Verona

It’s every tourist’s dream: at 7pm every evening the crowds are dispersed from Verona’s most popular tourist attraction, the gates are locked, and you’re left in total privacy to enjoy the courtyard with Juliet’s balcony. It’s the sort of exclusive experience you might associate with endless waiting lists and an extortionate price tag. And yet,Continue reading “Relais Balcone di Giulietta, Verona”

Relais & Châteaux Weeshuis Gouda

The chances are that Gouda is not even on your radar yet, and almost definitely not as a luxury destination. At the risk of sounding cheesy (get it?), Gouda is more than just its greatest export. The town is a perfect taster of an authentic Dutch experience, just a stone’s throw from the country’s biggestContinue reading “Relais & Châteaux Weeshuis Gouda”

Vivood Landscape Hotel

Just half an hour from the stag parties and all-day English breakfasts of Benidorm lies a paradise nestled in the rugged hills of the Costa Blanca. If you’re not from the region, the likelihood is that you’ve never heard of it and it keeps an equally low profile in reality too, hidden away among treesContinue reading “Vivood Landscape Hotel”

De Jonkman, Bruges

A short bus journey from the fairytale streets of Old Bruges and far from the hordes of camera-toting tourists, past the city walls and windmills, brings you to the suburb of Sint-Kruis. It’s a quiet residential place with tree-lined avenues and family homes. It’s certainly not where you’d expect to find a two Michelin starContinue reading “De Jonkman, Bruges”

13C Wine Shop and Restaurant, Amman

Everything about 13C is surprising. It starts with the entrance – an unimposing door off a nondescript street in an area of central Amman that doesn’t feel like there’s much else around. Arar Street could be a commercial area of any city, surrounded by apartment buildings and furniture shops, save for the fact that it’sContinue reading “13C Wine Shop and Restaurant, Amman”

The House Boutique Suites, Amman

From the comfort of our bed on the 6th floor of The House Boutique Suites, we’re enjoying the best view in the city. As though back in our star-gazing bubble in Wadi Rum, we’ve left the curtains wide open and are taking in the city lights of Amman, glittering as far as the eye canContinue reading “The House Boutique Suites, Amman”

Mövenpick Aqaba

It is new year’s day and average temperatures in Jordan are sitting in the single figures. Hotels have the heating turned up full and outside locals are wrapped up against the winter elements. As we leave Wadi Rum desert the sky is grey and hanging low. But as we approach the rocky highway to Aqaba,Continue reading “Mövenpick Aqaba”