Set on the side of an extinct volcano, off the less rainy northwestern coast of Madagascar, this little eight-room ecolodge was built by a Frenchman two decades ago and has recently been taken over by the sea-and-safari specialist Time + Tide, which also owns the smart retreat Miavana on the northeastern tip of the island.
A woman named Alex claims she was booted off a Southwest Airlines flight to Los Angeles after her kitten pooped in its carrier, forcing her to spend the day in a random city.
Mattresses are thermoregulated, the pillow menu has 11 categories, the integrated Siro app controls blackout blinds to wake guests up in natural synchronisation with their circadian rhythm, and â at the recommendation of elite runners who test-drove the rooms ahead of the Dubai Marathon â ceiling fans have been installed to prevent dry throats after a night of heavy air conditioning.
When those tactics fail to soothe a savage passenger, Mikusova said flight attendants should ask âopen-ended questions,â asking specifics about âwhat,â âwhereâ and âwhen.â Those help get to the root of the problem while also âgiving the complainant a chance to fully express their feelings,â she explained.
Found in a hidden burial chamber near the Great Pyramid of her son King Khufu, the collection includes her bed, chair, sarcophagus, canopic jars and a box of bracelets.
My favourite part of the day was before sunrise, when I would enjoy a pot of coffee on deck while watching a thin electric wire of dawn burn against the epic darkness of the sea and sky, slowly growing and revealing the new landscape that we had reached the night before.
Christmas in Greenwich sees the peninsula turn into a festive wonderland with a 10-metre tree at its heart, Thereâs a childrenâs carousel ride, street food stalls selling everything from Bratwurst to cups of steaming mulled wine, and an arty market stocked with plenty of goodies thatâll make great last-minute gifts.
Subtly textured cedarwood rooms induce a sense of calm with silently sliding doors, fretwork inspired by local Tochigi latticework, puffy white (Western-style) beds, granite onsen, and balconies where you can wrap yourself in a cashmere blanket, sip green sencha, and watch cormorants and Black Kites flit around the lake.
With its sultry red walls and velvet-clad armchairs, waiters in black suits balancing trays of Old Fashioneds and Manhattans and live jazz band jamming on the stage, the only proof that we are, in fact, not in the 1920s is (thankfully) the absence of a thick cloud of cigarette smoke in the air.
Perhaps an unlikely contender, the property is, in fact, one of the most family-friendly hotels in London; there are in-room games consoles (this grande dame is no Luddite), childrenâs films on DVD, Ritz teddy bear souvenirs, Cocci Nella toiletries, mini bathrobes and slippers, recently redesigned to be more minimal and in keeping with the adult version.
La Galerie Dior and Claude Monetâs Water Lilies or Les NymphĂ©as at MusĂ©e de lâOrangerie are as compelling as ever for those who enjoy strolling peacefully through Jardin des Tuileries in the winter months.
The main thoroughfare of Union Street, previously slipping into obscurity, now connects an eclectic array of newly blossomed global dining spots â from flavour-packed vegan Venezuelan arepas at La Tiendita del Sabor â cooked up by five members of the same family â to Second Home Studio + CafĂ© around the corner, where visitors can pick up a paintbrush or take part in weekly blanket-knitting workshops over homemade bakes.
The plush hotel, located in the heart of posh Mayfair, welcomes guests with a 15-foot UK-grown Nordmann spruce Christmas tree, as well as festive floral displays overseen by in-house designer florist Philip Hammond.
Walk through its breezy, worn-in corridors, and itâs like The Jamaica Inn never left its glory days: blue and white palettes reign supreme alongside sofa-filled rooms, an eclectic and deeply personal mix of family heirlooms, and umbrella-flecked terraces that overlook one of the islandâs longest private beaches and turtle sanctuaries.
Soothing chocolate box tones abound in this stylish apartment in quiet Calle Carill, which has tastefully refined Bohemian sensibilities with plenty of comfy touches; a big pouffe, plush double bed and various sofas to jump on.
At 4pm each afternoon, she and my dad would pour glasses of shop-bought sangria for themselves (diet cokes for us, naturally), and weâd sit on the balcony of our apartment chatting and playing card games, nibbling the kind of heavily salted cheap crisps you can only get on a European holiday.
Befitting the stylish hosts (both fashion types, one a former model and the other with a CV boasting Versace and Jil Sander), the interiors are tasteful and refined, with huge windows adding grandeur and original wooden beams bringing the cosiness.
