A late landing at LAX and an early start to collect our rental car were followed by a relaxed drive along the coast towards Santa Barbara. It was a pleasure to have swapped the cabin air for the warm climate of Southern California but we were too early to check into our accommodation, so we’d […]

Tucked within a secluded acre of manicured gardens in Santa Barbara, Simpson House Inn has long set the benchmark for American hospitality. Built in 1874 for Scotsman Robert Simpson, this Eastlake-style Victorian manor made history in 1997 as the first bed and breakfast in North America to earn AAA’s coveted Five Diamond rating — a […]

There’s something rather secretive about St. Ermin’s Hotel in London. Long before it became a refined refuge for global travellers, this grand Victorian property was the clandestine epicentre of British espionage. It is the very birthplace of Winston Churchill’s Special Operations Executive (SOE) – where codebreakers, double agents, and intelligence officers once huddled over gin […]

Cumbria and the Lake District is well known for its beautiful landscapes but seemingly less known for its food. Yet the region home to more Michelin starred restaurants than anywhere else in the UK outside of London, as well as having some excellent pubs (some of which have Michelin stars, too). We’ve travelled the length […]

You may recall a couple of months ago that we had the pleasure of staying at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, between Kendal and Windermere, in the Lake District. As part of that stay, we dined at the hotel’s 2 AA Rosette Gilpin Spice restaurant. A few changes have happened since that visit, most notably […]

Remember those days when you used to have to fiddle about with changing the SIM card in your phone whenever you went abroad? Thankfully those days are long gone. They were soon followed by an era of dual SIM trays which allowed you to put SIM cards in your phone at the same time, and […]

Dubai is a city that is seemingly synonymous with luxury. It’s a city where even the police force owns a Bugatti Veyron, and one where the acceleration of wealth is like nowhere else. It’s hard to imagine that in 1968 there were only 13 registered motor vehicles in the entire emirate of Dubai. Today, things […]

The UK countryside is much-loved by both residents and visitors alike. Famed for its beauty, the rural landscape of the British Isles is home to lush, green landscapes that are the envy of many other parts of the world. As well as being home to a number of stunning national parks, the UK is a […]

A narrowboat holiday might not be everyone’s idea of luxury. But approach with an open-mind and you might be surprised. A number of canal boats nowadays are kitted out to a surprisingly high standard, and it’s perhaps more about the luxury of the lifestyle in any case – the slow pace of life and the […]

With Summer now officially underway (it starts on 1st June each year according to the Met Office), there’s no better time to explore the UK‘s wonderful array of gardens open to the public. Regular readers will be familiar with some we have visited in recent years – such as the wonderful National Trust Crook Hall […]

Kubili House is tucked into a seriously wild corner of South Africa‘s Thornybush Private Game Reserve in the Greater Kruger ecosystem. People who know luxury safari travel have always loved this place. But right now, things are moving fast behind closed doors as the lodge has changed hands. The new owners are keeping the original […]

Travelling by train is very different to other forms of transport. You could even say it’s a luxury of sorts. Unlike sitting on a plane, where you might gaze ahead at your route map or watch a movie, a journey by train is somehow quite different. It encourages you to look around a little more […]

Durham is a city of sharp contrasts. You’ve got this towering, dramatic Norman architecture that sits alongside a chaotic, bustling student scene. During term time, the population of the city more than doubles. Similarly, the brutal hike up some of the city’s steep cobblestone streets contrasts with the lazy, winding River Wear below. Finding a […]

You could be forgiven for thinking that a simple request for a glass of tap water in a luxury hotel restaurant would be nothing more than a formality. Well… think again. It might not be as straightforward as you’d imagine. While many people will claim it’s simply a basic human right, one luxury hotel in […]

There are places where luxury seems so effortless – where there’s a quiet confidence that’s deeply rooted in the quality of the offering. Gilpin Hotel & Lake House is one such place. Situated just off the Crook Road that runs between Kendal and Bowness-on-Windermere, the hotel enjoys a tranquil location among rolling fells on the […]