Europe and Middle East

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Europe and Middle East. independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Hotel Le Saint James. Bordeaux

30/04/2015 by .
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The view of The Garonne river from my bedroom window is spectacular, no question. Particularly as it is framed by the vines in the foreground from Hotel Le Saint James own vineyard. But in all fairness, even that charming montage is surpassed by the sight of the full size Harley-Davidson standing like a silent sentinel next to my bed.

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Mottram Hall Hotel. A Brilliant Cheshire Stately Wonder.

07/04/2015 by .
Anthea Gerrie reviews Mottram Hall Hotel in deepest Cheshire, where footballers and WAGS are commonplace. RS4052 028 AIK IMG 0036 HIGH RES EXT NEW

Anthea Gerrie reviews Mottram Hall Hotel in deepest Cheshire, where footballers and WAGS are commonplace.

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Preview of Langham London new Regent Wing

14/03/2015 by .
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To mark its 150th anniversary, The Langham London Hotel has unveiled to TripReporter the first phase of its renovations. The Langham London new Regent Wing precedes the new Langham Club Lounge and The Sterling Suite projects which are due to open later this spring and offers guests a new experience in what was formerly their club floor rooms.

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Madinat Jumeirah

12/03/2015 by .
Madinat Jumeirah Dar Al Masyaf Waterways

Well this was a first; a whiskey cocktail with real smoke pouring out of it. You can call it theatre, but I called it genius.  It was a little number entitled “as good as it gets”  the signature cocktail at Pier Chic, the celebrated seafood restaurant at Madinat Jumeirah set at the end of a pier jutting out into the warm waters of the Persian Gulf. Just us, the moonlight and The Burj for company. It was romantic for sure, but wait a minute, this was Dubai.

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Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel. Discover luxury in Istanbul’s trendiest district.

10/03/2015 by .

The Lakeside Hotel.  Lake District

08/03/2015 by .
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It seems The Lakeside Hotel can cure all ills. Just lately I’ve noticed myself growing a little grumpy about hotels. Twenty years on the road as a travel writer have turned the old excitement of walking into a new and different foyer and sleeping in cool clean sheets into a grouchy wariness. Add to that the advent of the designer hotel and these days I’ve found myself snarling my way through the revolving doors. I’ve had my share of sliding off armchairs that looked like Dali’s ”melting” clocks or hitting my head on oversized ’ironic’ chandeliers in cold, unwelcoming dining rooms decorated in the requisite charcoal and grey. And I’m tired of  trying to make myself heard in the cacophonous acoustic of bars with stripped pine floors and formica.

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Corinthia Hotel Budapest. 5 Star luxury beside The Danube

27/02/2015 by .

Chester Residence named Small Hotel of the Year

12/02/2015 by .
Grand Apartment Lounge

An exclusive collection of 23 5-star Georgian townhouse apartments in the heart of Edinburgh’s elegant West End has won top spot in a well respected awards competition. The Chester Residence named small hotel of the year in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice® Awards 2015 claimed the ‘No1 Luxury Hotel in the UK’ and the ‘7th Best Luxury Hotel in Europe titles.

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La Manga Club Resort

11/02/2015 by .
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I’m sitting in Luigi’s, a really excellent Italian restaurant on the La Manga Club Resort, minding my own business and just concentrating on enjoying the rather fabulous Insalata di Rucoloa Pomodorini which for the uninitiated, is rocket salad with sun-dried tomatoes, pine nuts, parmesan and roasted pancetta bacon with  basalmic.

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Il Giardino di Ballaro

08/01/2015 by .
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The weather in Palermo may well have been unseasonably freezing, almost arctic some might have said, but inside Il Giardino di Ballaro the warmth was contagious, from the roaring log fire in the lounge to the hospitality of owner Annalise and her team. Il Giardino di Ballaro is a luxury B&B converted from an ancient bakery and stables right in the heart of Palermo’s old town and just a few steps from Ballaro, the biggest of the city’s four iconic outdoor markets.

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