Once Upon a Salop Time
I met a traveller from an antique land who said, somewhat to my surprise, ‘Have you been to Shrewsbury?’ To be honest, I’d never really thought about it…
Browsing: The Explorer
The Ampersand Hotel London
Being a lover of punctuation, The Ampersand Hotel had me at the name. The squiggly ‘and’ sign makes for an aesthetic logo, printed sporadically throughout..
The Grove Hotel
The Grove hotel in Hertfordshire is so vast that I actually discovered faults in my footwear while negotiating its cavernous interior…
The Magdalen Chapter Exeter
Floating starfish-style in the steaming water on a chilly yet cloudless Easter Sunday, I knew I’d made the right decision… Estella trades her childhood bedroom comforts for a more luxurious hometown stay…
Greece’s Two Graces, II: Mykonos
Our next port of call, literally, was to be Mykonos. And here was a taste of the infamous island hopping so inclined by itinerants, backpackers and lunatics.
Greece’s Two Graces, I: Santorini
This trip feels like it’s been a long time coming. It was conceived nearly two years ago over dinner at Quo Vadis, when I was told about the Grace hotels on Mykonos and Santorini in the Greek Cyclades.
Pavillon de la Reine
“Don’t forget,” I called from the bathroom, mid-shave, “this is Paris. We can’t set foot outside the hotel without looking like we’re stepping onto the catwalk.”
Hotel La Tour Birmingham
I last visited Birmingham for a piece back in the mists of time (well, 2009). It was a city on the cusp of something…’ Alex Larman checks in to the city’s luxury newcomer.
Scandic Front: Copenhagan
It was The Killing’s Sarah Lund, with her exemplary knitwear and sixth sense for scenting out serial killers and political conspiracies, who first made me fall for Copenhagen…
Anything is Possible: Anassa, Cyprus
“By mid-April it’s hot, the wheat fields are golden and the hay has already been cut and is drying in huge round bales. The swallows are here too, swooping and diving around the coast.”
A Tale of Two Riads
A riad is not exactly what you think it is. Or at least it’s not what I thought it was. I’ve always believed a riad to be a Moroccan house with an inner courtyard, but that’s a much less magical-sounding dar…
Berns Hotel Stockholm
“Let me make one thing clear up front: if you’re looking for a calming retreat in the city centre, look away now. No one, dear reader, comes to Berns to sleep.”