Hotel Reviews

Ritz Carlton Toronto

February 2012

In Canada’s most dynamic city, GARETH DAVIS finds a well-known brand that’s still cutting edge... RITZ CARLTON, TORONTO, CANADA Instead of the usual tale of gorgeous building destroyed to make way for car park, this is a case of car park levelled to make way for gorgeous building. It’s a Ritz Carlton so in my experience not always a guarantor of beauty. When I stayed at the RC in Istanbul my thoughts were 70s office block exterior, fusty mansion house my-grandmother-would-like interior. But the Ritz Carlton Toronto is a different breed. Following a reboot of the brand in 2006, this Ritz Carlton exhibits all the attractive contemporary luxury qualities you’d expect from one of the world’s leading hotel chains. It soars twenty floors into the cluttered skies of Toronto’s downtown. All rooms are north or south facing so you either get an eyeful of cityscape or a view of Lake Ontario and icons like the CN Tower and Rogers Centre. ... Read More

Old Swan and Minster Mill

December 2011

After a full-on summer of non-stop work my husband and I were looking forward to a much needed weekend break, away from our blackberries and never ending list of domestic chores. Our chosen retreat was the beautiful Old Swan and Minster Mill in the picturesque village of Minster ... Read More

Corinthia Hotel, London

November 2011

The image of the metropolitan luxury hotel that has infused into popular culture, the haunt of dignitaries, diplomats and glittering denizens is “the Grand Hotel”. This late Nineteenth/early Twentieth century European creation of neo-classic splendour and ... Read More

Hotel Review: Hesperia, Lanzarote

October 2011

Boasting five star facilities at sensible prices, beautiful weather 365 days a year and a convenient location just a stone’s throw away from Lanzarote’s chic Puerto Calero marina, Hesperia Hotel certainly promises a great deal. Easily reached from most major ... Read More

Hotel Review: Shangri La, Kathmandu

September 2011

I last visited Nepal in 1989 as back packer on a long 6 month journey back from Hong Kong to the UK. Funds were tight and armed with my trusted Lonely Planet guide and I checked into one of their recommended cheaper guest houses. It was nothing to write home about ... Read More

Hotel Review: Conrad Chicago

August 2011

The Conrad Chicago is very conveniently located just off Michigan Ave, more often referred to as the Magnificent Mile. As first impressions go the Conrad didn’t exactly fill me with the wow factor. We turned off Michigan and drove down into what felt like a basement level ... Read More

Summer Hotel Special: Forest of Dean Cabins

August 2011

It’s August and with the kids out of school, Matt Westrup went searching for luxury in the woods... Driving along the M4 towards the Forest of Dean, the boot of my car was virtually empty. Normally, for the outdoor experience, it would be rammed full of all that it takes ... Read More

Hotel Review: Sail Lofts, St Ives

June 2011

There’s no denying the sheer prettiness of St Ives, though I have tried for the past eleven years. Blame it on a bout of food poisoning that left me doubled up in pain; not the kind of experience that gets you coming back for more. So it was with some trepidation that I ... Read More

Hotel Review: Grand Hotel Cocumella

April 2011

Arriving at a rather chaotic Naples airport on a hot and sticky Autumnal afternoon doesn’t exactly inspire you with Le Dolce Vita. But around an hours drive away, north of the Gulf of Naples lies the Sorrentine Peninsula and its main town Sorrento. It’s here that ... Read More

Hotel Review: Abode, Manchester

March 2011

It’s a Grade II listed building in Manchester’s Piccadilly and looks like an Edwardian hospital, all red brick and turrets, but it’s one of the city’s most stylish hotels, a fusion of vision from hotelier Andrew Brownsword and magical Michelin chef ... Read More

Hotel Review: Auberge Saint Antoine

February 2011

The city of Quebec, high above the St Lawrence River, always strikes me as a place of possibilities. Historic in appearance, its location makes me feel as if the world is opening up before me, the New World that is. I think it’s a feeling I must share with those early ... Read More

Hotel Review: La Mamounia, Marrakech

January 2011

You know you have arrived at no ordinary hotel when a small army of staff wearing sumptuous Moroccan robes opens the doors for you and welcome you into the lobby. No, La Mamounia is definitely not an ordinary place! Located in the heart of Marrakech, within the ancient walls of ... Read More

Hotel Review: Blythswood Square Hotel

October 2010

Class and warmth under one roof as GARETH DAVIS discovers in Glasgow... Gazing out over the sward of Blythswood Square, the old automobile club with its high ceilinged spaces and marble foyer has been transformed into a contemporary spot of luxury. Colour combinations ... Read More

Hotel Review: CastaDiva Resort

September 2010

Being a born and bred Italian, I have always regretted not visiting the beautiful lakes in the northern regions of my country. Finally, some years since my departure from Bel Paese, I was offered the opportunity to visit a new resort opening on Lake Como: CastaDiva Resort! Lake ... Read More

Hotel Review: Me Madrid Reina Victoria

August 2010

Me Madrid Reina Victoria, formally the legendary Hotel Reina Victoria, opened its doors in October 2006 and was the first ‘Me’ branded hotel to be opened by Melia, the upmarket Spanish hotel chain. Described as ‘experience based personality ... Read More

Hotel Review: The Arch London

July 2010

I first visited the Arch Hotel at its opening party on a cold and rainy evening in January 2010. Back then, I remember the friendliness of the staff showing me around the rooms, the remarkable artworks, the glorious canapés and the flowing champagne; six months later I ... Read More

Hotel Review: Radisson SAS Carlton

May 2010

As the UK plodded through one of longest and coldest winters on record, my competitive family and I killed an afternoon by working out who had been to the most countries in the world. Not as easy as it sounds – were we to include places like Madeira ... Read More

Hotel Review: Dukes

March 2010

Back in the 70s I was one of millions who tuned in on Saturday nights to watch Lousia Trotter’s transformation from East End working class skivvy to the proprietor of Bentinck Hotel, the Edwardian London town house hotel of distinction. THE DUCHESS OF DUKE STREET starred ... Read More

Hotel Review: Lucknam Park

February 2010

“I love Lucknam”. That’s what a six-year old wrote in the visitor book of our room at Lucknam Park. And I know what she means. I love Lucknam too. My partner and I had made it all the way across London and down the M4 in our 206 without once letting up on our ... Read More

Hotel Review: The Hoxton

January 2010

MATTHEW WESTRUP finds luxury in an unexpected corner of the UK capital... The Hoxton Urban Lodge, London Why can’t all hotels be a little more like The Hoxton? This property proves you can be well run, hip, with a stylish dollop of luxury, without being stupidly ... Read More

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