Travel

Travel

That Four Letter Word

Outstanding luxury golf resorts in Europe

As preparations are under way for the first major championship of the year at Augusta in the US, the season in Europe is emerging from its winter hiatus. Time spent outdoors with loved ones, or in a profoundly green space, can be soul balm. Golf fanatic and mother of two, Juliet Taylor Foster, explores some luxury resorts where, luckily for those with family in tow, there is a lot more on offer than just the golf…

THE GROVE HOTEL, RESORT & SPA – CHANDLER’S CROSS, ENGLAND

Feel like you are cheating the system, being able to enjoy such stunning countryside in Hertfordshire, just 18 miles from central London. This sprawling mansion was Queen Victoria’s weekend getaway and is still a celebrity hub today. The multi-award-winning course has implemented agronomic practices that are more sustainable and mean the soil drains well in the cooler months, so the course can still be played after a bout of April showers. Players won’t be able to resist the urge to attempt an eagle on the 9th hole, like Tiger Woods did three times in a row when he…

Travel

Bab Samhan Hotel

Luxury Collection Hotels arrives in Diriyah

Nestled in the heart of historic Diriyah, Bab Samhan is the first luxury hotel opening in the ancient capital of Saudi Arabia, Diriyah. This is a city freighted with history. Every corner of this breath–taking destination could whisper a fascinating story to you. The remnants of the old city, which is made almost entirely of adobe […]

Travel

Beatle-mania Arrives in Austria

A Beatles spring extravaganza in Obertauern

When the Beatles needed help filming the Alpine sequences of their famous 1965 movie, they knew exactly where to head. Keen to ensure that their location could guarantee heaps of snow, they travelled to Obertauern, a high-altitude resort in Salzburger Land, Austria, to shoot key scenes for their second movie, Help! To mark the 60th […]

Travel

Rituals of Emotion

Naum Spa, Andaz Mayakoba Resort, Riviera Maya

The Riviera Maya on the East Coast of Mexico is home to some of the best beaches in the world; turquoise blue water, sparkling-white sand and vibrant coral reefs. You’d struggle to find a better place to unwind and forget the stresses of everyday life. At the heart of the region, in Playa del Carmen, […]

Travel

Days of Love

Ideas for a romantic escapade

As we wave goodbye to the magical twinkly lighted wonderland that was Christmas and find ourselves tripping over the evergreen graveyard of wilted and sickly-looking pines discarded by the side of the road, we now have to face the year ahead. Whether you are feeling joyful and ebullient or frazzled and disenchanted (or even everything […]

Travel

Once Upon a Half-Term

Travel ideas for all to enjoy

Half-term is just around the corner. I know, just when there’s a reprieve after Christmas, many of us are faced with planning what to do in February to keep everyone in the house happy. Well, look no further; here’s our line-up of some of the best destinations to take your children for something a little […]

Lifestyle, Travel

Shop And Never Drop

Bicester Village redefines luxury shopping

I must confess I don’t like shopping at all, so when I was proposed to spend a whole day doing just that in what is considered the busiest shopping outlet in the UK, I felt quite dismayed. However, Bicester Village has a VIP programme that will convince even the most reluctant of shoppers and make […]

Travel

The luxury of Time and Space

Kuda Villingili Maldives

Located in the North of which is considered the most beautiful of the Maldives atolls, the Malé Atoll, just a 30-minute boat ride from Velana International airport, Malé, the Kuda Villingili Resort Maldives is the kind of private island where one easily loses track of time and space. Further enhancing the luxury five-star resort, the […]

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The fairy tale continues

Winter at the Gstaad Palace

If there is a hotel that knows how to keep its guests coming back time and again, that is the Gstaad Palace. Since it first opened its doors in 1913, this is a place that has overcome economic crises, wars and anything else thrown at it, including Covid, thanks to the determination and savoir fair […]

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Beaches, lagoons and reefs

A winter escapade to Mauritius

Instead of spending winter freezing in cold latitudes, it is becoming increasingly popular to sneak away to a tropical destination for a week or two… especially over half term, so the whole family can enjoy a bit of winter sun instead and swap the sideline of a water-logged football pitch on a Saturday morning for […]

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Schweizerhof Hotel, Bern

In Pursuit of James Bond (Part III)

The hour-drive from Lucerne allowed me to play a little with my BMW M850i xDrive, which in Sport mode delivered a seismic degree of thunder roaring for all inside and outside the car. Surprisingly agile for its size, it offers stacks of grip through the tight Alpine corners, a testament to its great chassis and […]

Travel

Bürgenstock Resort, Lake Lucerne

In Pursuit of James Bond (Part II)

Apart from the environs of London, the Alps have the highest density of James Bond locations in the world. Part of the films Goldfinger, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, For Your Eyes Only, Goldeneye and The World Is Not Enough were all filmed here. One of these locations is the Bürgenstock Resort, where Sean Connery […]