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 […]
Sustainable Cities and Investor Citizens – Making Urban Life Liveable Again?
Riots in the most important cities of Brazil started when taxes on public transport started to rise, just as Brazilians’ rights were going down. Mobility, and moreover, sustainable mobility, is extremely important for the fight against climate change and for the life of inhabitants. According to the United Nations, 70% of the world’s population will […]
Gran Meliá Hotels: The Paradise of Business Luxury
How does paradise look? The answer would probably be: a blue sky, a blue sea and a blue lake to swim in. This paradise has a location: Gran Meliá Palace Isora in the Spanish Island of Tenerife. Gran Meliá is the premier collection of Meliá Hotels International. Currently undergoing expansion, there are now nine Gran […]
Catalan Fashion, An Industry With Expansion Stitched Up
Pertegaz, Antonio, Miró, Rosa Clará, Javier Simorra, Custo Barcelona, Desigual, Mango. These are just a few designers whose pieces of clothing can be visited at the Catalan Delegation in Brussels until the end of June. The exhibition shows a retrospective of how Catalonia has become the scenario of the Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Porter. The exhibition […]
The Incredible Cool, Green, Goa – Alila Hotel, Southern Goa, Hotel Review
‘Incredible India’, it wouldn’t have taken the Indian Tourism Ministry long to conjure up that slogan. One look outside the office window and it is easy to see how one word superbly compliments the other. From the cool, calm green of Goa to the brilliant sparkling white of Agra, there are no shortages of experiences […]
A Special, Five Star Peace of Mind – Aman-i-Khás – Aman-i-Khás, India – Hotel Review
Think safari and your mind tends to wander to the plains of Africa, David Attenborough, dressed in full khaki regalia, stealthily tracking wildebeest through the Serengeti. Surprisingly India has a lot to offer too in the safari stakes, albeit on a different scale. This is where Aman-i-Khás takes centre stage. Meaning ‘peace’ in Sanskrit (Aman) […]