Savoir Stays

Fancy spending a few days staying in your own private lakeside retreat, surrounded by stunning nature, with quaint and historic honey-hued village pubs on your doorstep? If the answer is yes, then holidaying in log cabins, Cotswolds style could be the mini-break for you. Renting a rustic but luxurious log house of your own is […]

When I’m invited to visit Barberyn Sands Ayurveda Resort in Sri Lanka, the timing couldn’t be better: it’s been 2 years since a driver ploughed into the back of my car while waiting at a roundabout, resulting in me losing consciousness. I still have debilitating whiplash that just won’t quit. Having already set aside 4 […]

You may be thinking of spending 1 day in Colombo on your trip to Sri Lanka, but aren’t sure if the capital city has enough to offer to make it worth your precious holiday time (the answer is a resounding YES!). Perhaps you’re a city break fan and have decided you want to experience the […]

Do you love getting into the outdoors, cooking on an open fire and sleeping under the stars? If you’d asked me that very question just a few years ago I would have answered firmly in the negative; as I didn’t understand just how amazing a camping break can be. These days my feelings about camping […]

If you’d like to head to Scotland for a wee staycation and can’t decide between the historic cities of Edinburgh or Glasgow, then this at-a-glance guide to the two contrasting  – and often competing  – Scottish cities might help you make up your mind on the question of Edinburgh Vs Glasgow. Edinburgh Vs Glasgow: Get […]

One of the things I banged on about endlessly while based on the West Coast of Canada was the sheer variety of travel experiences on offer back in the UK – especially the variety of cities we can visit, often within a couple of hours drive of our homes. Canada is epic, obviously, but those […]

If you’re looking for true romance and a mini-break that swerves the stresses and strains of long haul travel, you can do no better than to cosy up together on the banks of Loch Lomond. Gather round the hearth with your hubby, take a wee dram with your wife and snuggle up in the cutest […]

I was deciding where to stay before flying out of San Jose airport following a trip through Nicaragua and Costa Rica. I considered taking in Costa Rica’s capital city but like many travellers, I decided that with just an overnight visit I couldn’t do San Jose justice. Instead I plumped for a relaxing night in […]

Mexico’s Riviera Maya isn’t short on publicity for its vacation charms, and the entire Yucatan Peninsula isn’t exactly bereft of 5 Star hotel options.  So chances are if you’re headed to this area of Mexico you already know exactly what you want, and that’s likely to be a luxurious haven of relaxation encompassing the holy holiday trinity of sun, […]

A romantic weekend away for Valentine’s Day – sounds like a great idea in principle, right? But as anyone who has tried to book even a simple night away with their partner already knows, the process of finding the perfect hotel for romance isn’t all hearts and flowers. You’re searching for seclusion and sophistication in […]

At the start of winter I usually struggle with the idea of weekends away to colder European countries – ever clinging onto that last bit of winter sun. But that all changes come Christmas when I’m a sucker for short breaks to snowy cities and can’t wait to hit the European Christmas markets to stock […]

I begin my weekend in Houston like any average tourist, knowing this city has been singled-out by its history of space exploration, is the very definition of a sprawling US metropolis, and that it’s famous for oil and gas. Fast forward 48 hours and I’m wearing my H-Town T-shirt with pride, clutching a NASA fridge magnet and nursing a hangover which underlines […]

If you’re looking for a scenic yet rustic Canadian camping experience, within a 2 hour drive of downtown Vancouver – and one that doesn’t require a 4×4 to access – this small picturesque lake offering trout fishing, boat rental and hiking near Harrison Mills, is a great option for adventurous locals and holidaymakers alike. Let me tell […]

It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, right? Well sometimes, wrong. When the destination is Arizona’s famed scenic and sacred red rock panorama, specifically the high class hippy hiking mecca of artsy Sedona, and that final section of your journey is a spine-tingling first glimpse of looming rocks under the cloak of darkness, […]

Rio Perdido – literally meaning lost river – is one of those paradise hotels that you can’t quite believe exists this far off the beaten path; you wonder how anyone first discovers it while being simultaneously glad you did – and hopeful that not too many other people have been let in on the secret…

If there’s one thing I always thought sounded like a great thing to do one day, you know, in the future, it was a yoga retreat. But now that I’ve tried a week-long beach side yoga retreat on Costa Rica’s unspoiled Osa Peninsula, all I can say is don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today… […]

I have a confession to make: I can’t ski. So when I was invited to the famed ski resort of Whistler I was a bit apprehensive about what a London girl like me would do while everyone else made plans to zoom down a mountain. It turned out that I was still able to zoom […]

It’s not often I want to italicise the word perfect, and even less often that a globe wanderer like me wants to return to the same hotel over and over again, but after experiencing The Post, nestled in the Bow River Valley amongst the awe-inspiring scenery of the Canadian Rockies I’m fighting the urge to […]

Looking for the perfect place to stay in Vancouver? Look no further than these 3 properties that work for luxury seekers, budget travellers and trendy young things in Canada’s West Coast capital.

From budget boutique bolt-holes to blow-the-budget palaces Siem Reap has it all – in fact it’s hard to imagine a single town in the world with a better selection of stylish places to stay. Here are my top 10 Siem Reap hotels for style on every budget…

I often evangelise about the saving grace of apartment rental as opposed to hotel stays for a certain type of trip. Usually I’m preaching to the converted but some people would need a miracle of water-to-wine proportions before they’d give up 24-hour room service, the breakfast buffet and a decent concierge (though perhaps not the in-room […]

I say The Cosmo is the perfect place to stay in Hong Kong but frankly my dears I’ve never actually stayed anywhere else. Once I found The Cosmo with its boutique concept, ice-cream sundae colour-pop rooms, super-efficient shuttle service about town, and 24 hour check-in policy I simply never bothered to look elsewhere.

If you’re looking for the perfect luxury beach resort on Cebu’s Mactan Island, it has to be The Crimson Resort Cebu. With stunning Asian-inspired decor and manicured grounds it makes a great retreat after exploring The Philippines’ bustling second city.

I’m just going to come right out and say it, Manila’s Fairmont Makati is my new favourite hotel in the world. In fact it isn’t really a hotel, it feels like a destination in and of itself. Manila may not be the first place that springs to mind for a relaxing break, but after a stay […]

For a city of 22 million people, 10 million cars and seemingly a million coffee shops (plus a million and one Gangnam Style souvenirs) Seoul is pretty short on boutique hotels – but Seoul’s original boutique hotel, the IP, is just what you need for a short stop in the city.

Italy obsessives seeking-out their next Mediterranean weekend away should look no further than Genoa, where the palatial Melia Genoa hotel provides the perfect refined and romantic base from which to explore this port town‘s twisting caruggi, waterside attractions and enticing culinary delights.

Looking for a 5 star resort hotel with real design flair to set it apart from the droves of other properties lined up along the same stretch of beach? The Seaside Palm Beach Hotel at Gran Canaria’s Maspalomas has all the facilities you’d expect from an upmarket resort property, with a dash of South Beach […]

A safari really is the holiday of a lifetime, so that means staying in just the right spot; and having the perfect safari guide makes that trip into the bush even more memorable. I stayed at Thakadu River Camp, one of the area’s most exclusive lodges. “Here comes the McDonalds of the bush, showing us his […]

I love hotels, but I get even more excited about quirky and interesting accommodation which means I really love boutique hotels. I seek out, write about, blog about and recommend boutique properties, yet the question I am most often asked is simply ‘What makes a hotel a boutique hotel?’ so I went along to the Boutique Hotel Summit […]

If you’re looking for a the perfect place to stay in Perugia Hotel Gio just outside the city’s centro storico offers you two hotels rolled into one, with a choice of distinctive themes  – one will jazz up your stay and the other will have you clinking glasses and popping corks. Sound enticing?… As soon as […]

Want to feel the beating heart of southern Africa’s most-visited and most-loved city? You can’t get more urban cool than the The Adderley, a contemporary boutique hotel located in the centre of Cape Town’s City Bowl.  The Adderley’s small reception, squeezed between shop fronts on the wide thoroughfare of Adderley Street belies the scale, comfort, style and […]

Finding the right place to stay in any sprawling metropolis can make the difference between a great time and a terrible experience, but in Johannesburg choosing the right suburb, and the perfect bolthole is essential if you want to buck the trend and fall in love with the city that everyone loves to bash. When […]