Home Is Two Houses
Many miles from the antique charms of a traditional English country house hotel, Douglas Blyde checks-in at two couth city house hotels – in the mighty Zhongguo…
Browsing: The Explorer
The Cadogan Hotel, London
“Celebrating its 125th birthday this year, The Cadogan Hotel is famous for having hosted two Victorian stage legends; the flamboyant playwright Oscar Wilde and music hall singer and stage actress Lillie Langtry…”
Hart’s Hotel, Nottingham
“Pretty much in the thick of town – it’s off Maid Marian Way, for goodness sake – this boutique Nottingham hotel nestles in its own peaceful enclave, and is all the better for it…”
Four Seasons San Francisco
We begin on the Powell–Mason Cable Car, hurtling down the vertiginous Powell toward central San Francisco. In the distance, the Bay Bridge shimmers in the mid-afternoon light…
The Manor House Hotel, Cotswolds
“Castle Combe is so picture-perfect that it looks like a film set; indeed, quite a few films have used the tiny Cotswold village for location shoots. But annexed to the village is its most impressive asset, the 14th century Manor House Hotel.”
The Cornwall Hotel & Spa
“I’m sat at the window of our room as I write. It’s the one sunny day we’ve had all week in Cornwall, and a gentle breeze wafts in through the broad knee-high sash window that opens to a view of lawns…”
J’adore! Dior Institut, Paris
“The Plaza Athénée, the Parisian palace par excellence. Pair it with one of the world’s most prestigious fashion and beauty houses and a girl’s dreams come true. Or at least mine did…”
Lucknam Park, Cotswolds
“Lucknam Park is located just 6 miles from the beautiful city of Bath, nestled in the depths of the Wiltshire countryside and set in 500 acres of stunning parkland and landscaped gardens.”
The Cape Town Muse
Cape Town is having its moment. And as locals and international design aficionados collectively hold their breath and count down to 2014, this soon-to-be World Design Capital is emitting megawatts of creative energy…
Bella Figura: Lake Como’s Casta Diva
“The sky was flecked with white lights that twinkled from Como’s western shore, and the bolt of electricity that the clouds would imminently bring provided a certain drama to our recent arrival.”
The Lugger, Cornwall
Portloe, so I read in the Lugger’s brochure, was described by Sir John Betjeman as ”one of the least spoiled and most impressive of Cornish fishing villages.”
Sleep and Spice and All Things Nice…
“Telling an Olympic boxing champ to ‘work me hard’ in a one-to-one personal training session probably wasn’t the wisest of lines…” Gabrielle visits La Source in Grenada.