Luxury Holiday Guide Blog
Destinations that are a cut above the restArchive for Luxury Holiday News
Down Under
You can’t really get anything further away from the normal way of things here without leaving the planet, than to go right round the world to see our antipodean comrades. But I’m not talking about the those people down under that most normally think of, I’m talking about the ones on the other side of the Tasman Sea. Yes, New Zealand.
Although NZ always lives in the shadow of its bigger neighbour this doesn’t mean that it doesn’t have it’s own beaches and attractions which put those in Oz to shame. It also a has a history which is strikingly different to Australia and has a lot more in common with its Polynesian neighbours to the East.
But, of course New Zealand has been getting its own positive reactions of late, mainly due to the global success of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. New Zealand though doesn’t really have it’s own climate, it has many microclimates that make it as much like tahiti as it is like Scotland it has Fjords like Norway and geysers like Iceland. This is where we should all be going for those big holidays of a lifetime.
England’s South Coast
Nestling cosily between the South Downs National Park and the English Channel, that long strip of English coastline has long been renowned for it’s connection with the upper classes and the “glitterati”. But it is in no way exclusive. The coast is dotted with fantastically beautiful towns and cities, Hastings, Seaford, Brighton, Bognor.
From here you can relax in comfort watching the world go by, you can hire a travel inland to see the natural beauty of the downs, or you you could spend you well-earned money on, well, anything you wish.
But among the most famous places for its lavish holiday lifestyle is definitely the city of Brighton. For years associated with the London ‘set’ travelling decamping en masse, from the time of Lord Byron and before. Although the visitors are no longer as rarified Brighton itself has not lost its elegance. The world famous beachfront hotels in Brighton are still there with the same charm as ever.
And Brighton especially, still has the same attractions, as it has always had, alongside the new.
Ascot Racecourse
Enjoy the life of the upper classes with a holiday at the Ascot Races – enjoy the Sport of Kings. You too can be in the lap of luxury, away from the bustle of urban, city lifestyle.
Enjoy your days speculating upon the fortunes of the horses and your evenings sampling good food and wine in the local hostelries, or perhaps just with a relaxing stroll in the beautiful Berkshire countryside.
Also within easy traveling distance are the attractions of Windsor Castle and the new resort of Legoland Windsor. All this itself within easy traveling distance from the capital city and all the major airports in the south, yet still sufficiently tucked away from the view of the mainstream tourist market.
But this means that it is slightly more difficult to find a choice Royal Berkshire hotel, as if they were everywhere the county would not be quite so special. Choose well.
Shopping Holidays in Edinburgh
Edinburgh, the Capital City of Scotland, is one of the world’s most beautiful cities, because of both its architecture and its greenery. In between the city’s two main streets, Princes Street and the Royal Mile, lies the resplendant Princes Street Gardens, all lying under the gaze of the magnificence of Edinburgh Castle.
Within this area is everything you could want from a shopping trip to Edinburgh. There are a number of shops on Princes Street solely dedicated to help the customer find the relevant high quality tartan goods, all of which are made locally.
If you are a connoisseur of Fine Whisky why not try one of the specialist Whisky retailers in either the Royal Mile or Princes Street. Though there are many other places to sample their wares throughout the City.
And of course for that one off shopping experience everybody who visits Edinburgh has to shop at Jenners. This great old department store is as famous for its shopping experience as it is for its architecture.
But if you are to spend the maximum time enjoying yourself you’ll want to stay in the centre of it all. Why not on Princes Street itself, the accommodation in Edinburgh comes with a view of the Gardens and of the Scott Monument included.
Don’t forget Edinburgh welcomes international visitors for twelve months a year, so arrange a visit soon!
Glasgow Links – The best hotels, food, drink and attractions!
Glasgow is a very much underestimated city. The city has a proud industrial past that it retains strong links to – however, the city is now emerging as a stylish and vibrant alternative to Edinburgh. The city is now second only to London in terms of retail, has a world renowned reputation for a vibrant and diverse nightlife and has a wide range of accomodation types to suit a wide variety of needs.
These are some of our favourite Glasgow links:
Hotels and Accomodation
- If you’re looking for a quality hotel in Glasgow City Centre then the Ramada is a great option. Situated in the heart of the city, this elegant hotel is a great option for a short stay in Glasgow.
- Those looking for a little luxury should seriously consider the Hotel du Vin in the stylish West End of the city. This multi-award winning hotel has been home to a wide range of A-List guests throughout the years.
- Malmaison Glasgow
Food and Drink
- Rogano, Glasgow – One of Glasgow’s most famous and oldest restaurants the Rogano has a worldwide reputation for excellent seafood.
- The Scottish Food Guide has an excellent page devoted to some of the best eateries in Glasgow.
- Glasgow Guide – Pubs – A wide and varied list of pubs in Glasgow.
- Cafe Andaluz
The Rogano, Glasgow
Events and Attractions
- Kelvingrove Art Gallery
- Glasgow Transport Museum
- The Glasgow Science Centre
- The SECC – Concerts and Events
- Glasgow University
These are just a few of our top links for Glasgow, if there are any that you fell should be added, don’t hesitate to let us know!
Travel and Leisure names top 10 Best New Hotels
Somehow, we managed to miss this interesting list from Travel and Leisure at the tail end of last year, where they have named their top 10 best new hotels of 2008. There are some extremely exciting looking locations on this list, has anyone managed to stay in any of these hotels yet? – let us know what you thought! The full list is as follows, click the link for the slideshow.
- Habita Monterrey, Mexico
- Mondrian, Miami
- Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus, Turkey
- Atlantis, The Palm, Dubai
- Xudum Delta Lodge, Botswana
- St. Regis Bali Resort, Indonesia
- Mandarin Oriental, Boston
- Mama Shelter, Paris
- Valle Perdido Wine Resort, Argentina
- W, Hong Kong
Our personal choices would be the Mondrian in Miami and a trip to the Xudum lodge in Botswana – that would certainly be a unique experience.
UK Travellers face holiday habits scrutiny
UK Passports - Under the Spotlight
Are you heading on the holiday of a lifetime this year, or are you going on a few smaller trips?, perhaps to visit friends or family? Where are you going? How much did it cost and how did you pay for it?. If you think im being nosey, you better read on………………
An interesting travel story came to light this month, the importance of which seemed to get lost amongst news of the continuing economic problems.
Essentially, the UK government is compiling a massive database of all travel journeys taken from the UK. What this means is that each and every trip made from Britain by you and is going to be stored on computer records. That’s around 25 million flights, holidays, ferry and rail journeys over the next 10 years. The level of detail is where we got slightly worried – names, addresses, telephone numbers, seat reservations, itineraries and credit card details are all trackable elements. The UK government claim that this database is essential in order to effectively fight against illegal immigration, crime and terrorism. We would be slightly more confident if we we sure that this data is going to be completely secure and used for these noble purposes. We’ll be interested to see hope this story develops.
Classy Edinburgh
Hello and Welcome to Edinburgh, where the buzz of Scotland’s capital city sits in perfect contrast to the peaceful tranquility of the surrounding Lothians region.
Edinburgh has one if not the most beautiful cityscapes on the planet, making it the ideal city break destination. With Scotland’s most famous castle dominating the city skyline which is steeped in history, there is plenty to see and do with the perfect balance between all things traditional and contemporary.
The Night life is exceptional too with hundreds of classy restaurants, pubs and clubs. It might not be the largest city in the world by size but it certainly is with character.
Discover world-class museums and galleries, take a tour on an open-top bus or even visit the city’s own zoo. From the world famous Festivals to top-class restaurants and bars, not to mention fabulous shopping and Hotel Edinburgh accommodation you’ll be spoilt for choice.
Dubai Atlantis – $20m Opening Party
The official opening of the Atlantis The Palm Dubai hotel took place yesterday. To reflect these difficult financial times for the hotel sector, there wasn’t a great deal of fanfare to mark this event. Actually, thats a complete lie – the owners of the Atlantis have laughed in the face of the econmic crisis, with an incredible $20m opening extravaganza. Amongst the A-List celebs were in attendance were Kylie Minogue, Michael Jordan, Janet Jackson and Wesley Snipes. The 7-Star Dubai Hotel War (Atlantis V Burj Al Arab – Fight!!) is now well and truly joined!
Here is the fireworks display, which almost puts the Beijing Olympic opening ceremony in the shade – enjoy.
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