Though it’s just as beautiful, Lake Garda never became the playground for the wealthy that its smaller neighbour, Lake Como, did. Yet, now that a handful of starchitects have teamed up to create a unique ensemble of stunningly beautiful and expensive homes, it looks as if the nature of Italy’s…
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The world of hotels could easily be categorised as BA (Before Aman) and AA (After Aman). With its pioneering strategy of creating stunning hotels in far-flung locations with limited rooms at high rates – discreetly advertised just by word-of-mouth – Aman resorts have forever changed Hoteldom. Last night I dreamt…
The evolution of the customer base at Geneva’s top hotels means that the Arab customer is more important than ever. But before you worry about what the consequences of that might be, let us tell you that at the Mandarin Oriental, their targeting has been via discretion, good taste and…
As with most Maldivian resorts, Maalifushi by Como has a mix of overwater and beachfront bungalows. But where it differs is in its fundamental premise. This isn’t just a tropical escape – it’s a place to detox too. If truth be told, my first impressions of Maalifushi were all over…
We’ve loved La Petite Maison ever sinced it opened in Nice in the late 1980s. But now that it’s becoming a global force to be recokoned with, we thought it time to salute the magic of LPM and also investigate the truth behind its rapid expansion. These days, you’ll be…
George Gershwin may have written ‘An American in Paris’ while staying at the original incarnation of this hotel in 1928 but fast-forward to today and you’ll find the new Peninsula Paris sings a very different tune – one that will resonate greatly with the world’s most discerning travellers. Here’s an…
Even if it’s just an hour and a half’s drive from Zürich, or two from Milan, Andermatt used to somewhere where you’d think time had stopped. Not anymore. Egyptian developer Samih Sawiris is turning it into a high-end global village, set to rival Europe’s best ski resorts. And it all…
Nestled in the gently undulating hills overlooking the dramatic coastline of Vinh Hy, the new Amanoi is not just a secluded getaway, it’s another compelling reason why you should visit Vietnam. I am way ahead of you. When it comes to being an ‘out-there’ travel spot, Vietnam hasn’t genuinely qualified…
Forgive me, but the idea of reinventing the concept of a hotel makes me cringe. Literally. Such statements immediately make me think of pernickety PR people so wrapped up in their own hyperbole that it’s patently obvious they have no idea what the customer really wants. So when I first…
For over half a century, Courchevel and its 600 kilometres of glistening pistes has been one of the world’s most spectacular ski resorts. Though the focus nowadays is on how it’s attracting the world’s most affluent winter vacationers, there’s a lot more to this story. Before Courchevel’s manicured heated pavements…