For Antonella Lazzeri, 58, a writer based in Bournemouth, a recent experience at a five-star resort in Abu Dhabi made her think twice about booking a hotel in 2024 without doing extensive research first. The hotel’s cabana-style beach club was, she recalled, “gorgeous: all trickling hot tubs and beachy, barefoot restaurants”. Yet it was, she … Read more
One of London’s largest hotels has a new family member. Last week I was one of the first to set foot in the capital’s newest super-luxury hotel, Mandarin Oriental Mayfair. Located on the southeast corner of Hanover Square, it is one of London’s most coveted addresses, and Mayfair’s first new-build hotel in a decade. The … Read more
The site of the former Heythrop College in Kensington Square, London: its future development remains uncertain – Betty Laura Zapata/Bloomberg It was to be a luxurious ‘later life facility’, where residents could drink afternoon tea on a landscaped terrace and play croquet on a manicured lawn. Housed in a Grade II listed former Jesuit seminary … Read more
London’s Old War Office has reopened as the new Raffles at the OWO following a £1.4 billion renovation – Grain London Ltd London’s Old War Office has a rich history. It was formerly home to the Secret Service, Winston Churchill’s office, and has featured in numerous Bond films. The latest incarnation? A luxury hotel. Originally … Read more