As indiscretions go, my visit to the confessional in Monastero Santa Rosa was, shall we say, not quite a full disclosure. Latent guilt weighed heavily on my mind, though rich cake and sweet prossecco are repeatable offenders. It’s difficult to resist temptation in such angelic surroundings. My penance you ask? 50 laps of the azure […]
Palazzo Avino, Amalfi Coast. Mythical, Magical.
Palazzo Avino (formerly Palazzo Sasso) is a restored 12th century architectural marvel. Once built to be a palace it still serves its name well, the darling of the romantic village of Ravello, I’d call it the Narnia of the Amalfi Coast. Just as the Chronicles of Narnia are set in a fictional realm, a fantasy […]
Altapura, Val Thorens – Ski Palace Perfection
You’ve heard of a ‘ski palace’, right? Me neither. Not until I ascended into the clouds surrounding Val Thorens and was greeted by the five star Altapura hotel. At a heady altitude of 2300m, it could have been the lack of oxygen, or the sheer elegance of the hotel, hard to say – but I […]
Koh I Nor, Val Thorens – Sparkling Luxury
Val Thorens, is “Anti-Bling Luxury” or so the tourist board says; they have a point. Even though the newest hotel on the block is named after a 105.6 carat diamond, the feeling is still of ‘do what you like, as you like, when you like’. Pretention dissipates and that in itself is a promising start […]
The Merrion Hotel, Dublin. Hidden Treasure, Elegant Delight.
Merrion Square is the epitome of Georgian Dublin. Wandering around, it is hard to believe that around 250 years ago the area was farmland on the edge of Dublin city. A far cry from the plush, leafy suburbia that it is today. As a child, Oscar Wilde lived at No 1 where rumour has it […]
EBX Q&A – With Peter McCann, General Manager of The Merrion Hotel, Dublin
Sarah-Jayne Smith speaks with Peter McCann, General Manager of The Merrion Hotel, Dublin EBX: What motivates you most – in practical terms, and in emotional terms? PMcC: Emotionally, it’s the people that who work in the hotel. You can be having a bad day and meet someone who puts you in a good mood. We […]
Selman, Marrakech – Intimate Arabian Chic
The stage is set. The lights are dimmed. From within the night’s silence, the soft sound of ruffled blades of grass can barely be heard. Suddenly, the flare of what appears to be white feathers flutters through the air. Their distinctive prance recognisable whether you are a horse connoisseur or not. They have arrived. The […]
Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro – A Touch of Gatsby
Burnt orange rectangles framed by symmetrical cream lines are the calling card of Roland Garros. The bitterly fought 2014 French Open final between Nadal and Djokovic, in which Nadal won, paled into insignificance when Djokovic married his childhood sweetheart at the Aman Sveti Resort in Montenegro. All eyes were not only on the bride but […]
Amanjena, Marrakech – Dusky Kasbah Bathed With Light
The castle, or Kasbah, of the last Pasha of Marrakech, is situated high in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco. It’s difficult to find, meshing into the red dusk of the mountains. It belies the true identity of its last owner, the Lord of the Atlas, once the most powerful man in Morocco and one of […]
Palais Namaskar, Marrakech Saharan Splendour
The heat of the Atlas desert blasts anyway any dreary thoughts that might linger from the flight as the plane doors open to reveal the bustle that is Menara Airport in Marrakech. Then, you are whisked to the air conditioned comfort of the Palais Namaskar top-of-the range BMW. Of course, if you prefer to arrive by […]