Excellence Luxury Villas
Flaine is the Vivian Westwood of ski resorts; so it was away with the expected Alpine style which has become so hackneyed across the Alps that it can be suffocating. Flaine’s style is certainly challenging; conceived in the 1960s, in the era of ‘Brutalist’ architecture which has been so derided by the general public, but ...
Having been an avid winter sports enthusiast since I was old enough to stand upright without assistance, Austria has long been on my radar during the colder months. And there’s no better destination in the country than Kitzbuhel, the Alpine enclave renowned for hosting the Hahnenkamm. To clarify, this is the Terminator 2: Judgement Day ...
Hunton Yachts are a British boating phenomenon, building unique luxury yachts in the UK to the highest standards. These fine craft are designed using the latest technology to the finest premium specifications for yacht connoisseurs. A blend of superb styling, looks, pedigree, performance and luxury unavailable elsewhere. Hunton Yachts may be the fastest, most comfortable ...
Kicking Horse: A resort that lives up to its name. No helicopters are needed to ski over 30,000 vertical feet a day by any social skier whose nerves hold firm. as he or she will enjoy of the most challenging skiing they will probably ever experience. There are some 85 ‘chutes’ in Kicking Horse, I ...
Choosing a family ski resort is fraught with problems as the needs of the frequently extended family have differing criteria of requirements. The mid-teens can be a difficult age but there are a few resorts where everyone can be happy and have a fulfilling holiday. To explain that qualification, a riotous nightlife with lots of ...
It’s true that other regions in Italy are lusher, have taller mountains, more fertile valleys and a more temperate climate. But in Tuscany and Umbria the serenity and joy of their rolling landscapes, their winding lanes and their cypresses pointing in silhouette to the heavens are harder to challenge. I stayed at Castello di Spaltenna ...
We were ready to give up. And I am oh-so-pleased we didn’t. If we had, we’d have missed one of the most spectacular sights we’d ever seen. It’s giving me goosebumps just thinking about it (and no, I’m not just talking about the cold!). We’d arrived at Hotel Grímsborgir a few hours earlier. We unpacked ...
Bentley presented their new fragrance for men, Azure, at the Langham Hotel London last night. It was a great evening and I was feeling pretty dapper, having just been groomed by the celebrated and charming Brent Pankhurst. Pankhursts is the most refined barber in London, providing iconic 60’s British luxury and style. The new Azure ...
I popped over to Turin for the launch of the new Fiat 500 Star and Rockstar. Turin is a mere two hours away in the very north of Italy, just shy of the border with France. Typical of the area, Turin boasts a mixture of post modern industrial buildings and classical Latin Renaissance, Baroque and ...
As the only city in the world located on the border with three countries – Austria, the Czech Republic and Hungary – Bratislava, the Slovak capital, is worth at least a weekend trip away. There are also some excellent things to see and do in ‘Little Big’ city. And, with Vienna around 40km away, it’s ...
When arriving late at night, it’s always worth the suspended joy of opening, like a present, the shutters the next morning. In comes the sun over a clear blue sky above these terracotta roofs of Ronda. With Ronda what’s so special is that it’s that rarity: a European city centre from which I could see ...
Magic in Morocco: Essaouira is an adventurers and surfers’ paradise rich in African, Oriental and European history. Essaouira is a deeply magical place that has remained largely unchanged since I last went there 25 years ago, with glorious sandy beaches, constant sunshine, fabulous food and the best water sports this side of the Atlantic. Also ...