Nendaz, in 4 Vallees, Switzerland is a year round resort offering winter skiing and summer hiking. 1 Nendaz is not one place but many: the Haute-Nendaz resort plus 17 surrounding villages. It is in the central part of Switzerland’s vast 4 Valleys ski area and is popular with Swiss families — many of whom have…
Product Review: Timekettle M3 Translator Earbuds
The Timekettle M3 Translator Earbuds are designed to translate instantly. Do they? 2 I remember that when I was a teenager, being enthused about the Babel fish translator featured in the fantasy book The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy authored by Douglas Adams. Characters from different worlds would pop one in their ear and it…
Accommodation Review: Bude Coastal Resort, Cornwall
Bude Coastal Resort offers contemporary houses, stone cottages and cool timber lodges served by a restaurant and swimming pool sit above the historic holiday town by wild beaches and pretty high street. 13 Nicely away from Bude’s bustling holiday streets, tiny quayside and intriguing waterfront, Bude Coastal Resort in Cornwall is a calm, considered haven…
Ski Resort review: Thyon, Switzerland
Thyon, in Switzerland, offers peace, skiing in winter and in the summer unspoilt nature – and some remarkably good food. 1 The 4 Valleys is the largest ski area in Switzerland, and resorts such as Verbier are loud and crowded. But if you head east, away from the mayhem, then sooner or later you will…
Hotel Review: The Phoenicia Hotel, Malta
The Phoenicia Malta is a luxury landmark hotel with a perfect location on the doorstep of Valletta. 18 Opened in 1947, the Phoenicia was the first luxury hotel in Malta, heralding tourism on the island. Following a total restoration it now combines grandeur and old-world charm with a fresh modern feel and contemporary facilities. The…
Hotel Review: Hyatt Place, Heathrow Airport
Ten minutes’ drive from all Heathrow terminals, Hyatt Place is a cut above its neighbours with rooms of a high standard. The Bath Road runs alongside the runways at Heathrow with Hyatt Place one of many hotels catering for airline passengers. If you’re just staying there to catch an early morning flight, it’s tempting to…
Farmstead Lodges, Suffolk
Farmstead offers 8 dreamy log cabins to enjoy in the heart of Suffolk in the Deben Valley. I have a friend who lived in a large converted barn that looked over sprawling fields. It’s quiet and pretty. I visited often as I felt calm, happy and at home there. But then she moved. Happily, I’ve…
Restaurant Review: Penelope’s, Russel Street, London
Penelope’s restaurant offers a fusion of Spanish and Israeli cuisine in London’s Covent Garden. Barely three months old and Ariel Schiff’s Penelope’s restaurant (named after his daughter) is already on the gastronomic hot list. Penelope’s is attached to the newly opened stylish Amano hotel, nevertheless, the restaurant is likely to become a destination in its…
Hotel Review – Chalet Royal, Veysonnaz, Switzerland
Extraordinary views of the Rhone Valley make Chalet Royal the best place to stay in Veysonnaz Location, location, location. There is no debating that Chalet Royal has an unbeatable position in the Swiss ski resort of Veysonnaz, part of the vast 4 Valleys ski area. This impressive chalet-style property is situated right opposite the gondola…
Hotel Review: Habitas, Alula, Saudi Arabia
Habitas is an extraordinary collection of 96 luxury villas located in a canyon in the Saudi Arabian desert. It took me, a city dweller hailing from London 4,272 miles away from Saudi Araba, a while to acclimatise to the otherworldly terrain of the Habitas resort and its Beduin-like vibe – ephemeral even. I had arrived…
