I’m not typically drawn to beach resorts, so to have visited two in a single year is quite unusual for me. My visit to Cook’s Club in El Gouna, however, had a specific purpose — obtaining my open-water scuba diving certification. Originally, I had planned to head to Sharm El-Sheikh, the common choice, but flight … Read more
Well, this is a novelty — a rare opportunity to review a brand-new hotel. It’s so new in fact, that when I booked it, there wasn’t a single review to be found, whether on Google or elsewhere online. I’ve got Oktoberfest to thank for this. The annual festivities meant that finding a reasonably-priced five-star hotel … Read more
The Sofitel Munich Bayerpost is a distinguished five-star hotel located in the centre of Munich. It’s a hotel which I have stayed at on three separate occasions, admittedly, usually as a fallback when I’ve been priced out of my usual go-to, The Charles Hotel (which I reviewed here). The brand highlights “Contemporary style, deep comfort, … Read more
Established in 2007, The Charles Hotel is part of the British family-owned brand, Rocco Forte, which maintains a relatively small portfolio of hotels. Over the years, the hotel has earned a stellar reputation and currently holds the title of the highest-rated five-star hotel in Munich. While most of the brand’s hotels are situated in Italy, … Read more
Considering its reputation as a thriving business hub, I’ve always found myself surprised by the lacklustre nature of Silicon Valley’s hotel offerings. Although a handful of upscale choices exist, their steep price tags make them difficult to justify as go-to options. On the flip side, chain hotels such as Aloft, Hilton, and Residence Inn dominate … Read more
London is not somewhere you can find accommodation cheaply… or is it? Working, but not living in London, has meant that over the past six months, I’ve had to search high and low for the budget accommodation which won’t get me killed or — worse? — give me bedbugs. It’s no easy task; the average … Read more
For such a popular travel destination, it’s surprising that there are so few 5-star hotels in Split, particularly those from recognisable brands. In fact, there’s only two from international brands, one of which — AC Hotel Split by Marriott — has only just opened in recent weeks. Wanting more of a beachfront location than the … Read more
Typically a city traveller, I was excited to have the rare opportunity to experience a beachfront hotel on a recent trip to Dubrovnik as the first stop in a family vacation to Croatia. Specifically, I was to experience the Valamar President hotel, a 5-star hotel, rated among the very best in Dubrovnik — perhaps even … Read more
In planning a recent trip to Vienna, I went through my usual checklist of travel booking sites to find somewhere to stay. Originally, I’d booked a fairly unremarkable, but good-value hotel, until I remembered that I’d forgotten to check Airbnb. Now, Airbnb isn’t often a source of accommodation for me, as I gravitate towards hotels. … Read more
As someone who stays in London on a weekly basis, I’m always looking for new and interesting places to stay that don’t break the bank. Usually this leads to nothing better than a newly-opened Travelodge, or maybe a micro room in a monochrome hotel. Sometimes however, something new pops up for a good price — … Read more