Reports yesterday on Day 4 of the Olympics tell the story of a very quiet London. Many companies suggested employees try and work from home, and everyone else seems to be heading towards Olympic Park and many of the other London venues, leaving areas such as Oxford Street, Leicester Square and Covent Garden quiet and dare we say peaceful. So if you want to enjoy a spot of shopping in London, now’s the time to go.
Hotels, surprisingly, still have availability during this period and here is a round up of some of our favourites that we have reviewed.
Tune Hotels
This great little chain currently has four London hotels all situated handily near London’s main rail and tube stations. Each one offers you everything you need for a good night’s sleep at what I think is the most affordable prices in London. Please click here for our reviews of the Tune Hotel Westminster and Tune Hotel Liverpool Street. Tune Hotel Liverpool Street is probably the most ideally placed if you’re heading to Olympic Park although it is also the best place to stay if you want to check out Spitalfields and the vintage shops of the East End. The Westminster hotel is round the corner from Waterloo; the King’s Cross hotel is handy for St. Pancras and the Eurostar; and the Paddington hotel is near the Heathrow Express terminal.
This has to be the best located value hotel in London, and being in the centre it is well situated if you want to enjoy London’s theatres, nightlife and a spot of shopping. London’s latest musical offering, Singin’ in the Rain, is literally right outside the door, and Covent Garden in the West End is a short stroll away. These are urban hotels but even at this busy period, both are offering some great out-of-town prices. For our review of the Z Soho, click here.
Z Hotel Soho, 17 Moor Street, London W1 tel: +44 (0)20 3551 3701.www.thezhotels.com
Rooms at Z Soho start from £85 per room per night. The sister hotel, Z Victoria, also has rooms available during this period from £75 per room per night.
For more luxury, the Stafford in St. James’s also has a few rooms at all levels during this period. Located near Green Park and not far from the Queen’s favourite grocers, Fortnum & Mason, is the quietly refined Stafford. We visited all of its facilities recently and we can now say it's one of our favourite luxury hotels in London. Click here for our review of the gorgeous Stafford Hotel.
Last week, shoppers around the world lost an expert and an icon. We here at Frommer's lost a colleague and a friend. Longtime “Born to Shop” author Suzy Gershman died in her hometown of San Antonio after a ten-month struggle with brain cancer. She was 64.
Suzy in 2006.
(You can read her obituaries here and here. Travel writer Peter Greenberg wrote a lovely tribute to his friend here.)
Suzy started the Born to Shop series in 1986 for Bantam, and Frommer’s published the guides from 1995 to 2010. Suzy and her writing partner, Sarah Lahey, shopped the world: New York, London, Paris, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Italy, France, Mexico, Great Britain, and elsewhere -- more than a dozen books, some in more than a dozen editions. Her 2008 world shopping book, Where to Buy the Best of Everything, was the product of her 25 years of research (and, she noted, “ten pounds and 100,000 extra miles”).
I had the pleasure of editing this and other guides and got to know Suzy as sharp, tenacious, fun, and friendly -- graced with a remarkable wit. She once sent me a fake Rolex while traveling in China. (“Sorry, it stopped working in the taxi from the market,” the note said.) She sent me a long request for guidebook copies in the form of a Dear Abby letter. Her shopping reviews -- with their enthusiastic exclamations and creative putdowns stashed amongst the meticulously researched tips -- often made me laugh aloud. The best I would share with fellow editors: Hey, listen to this line…
When you read Suzy Gershman’s reviews, you are right there in the store or market with her, following in her wake of exotic perfume and jangling bracelets as she dashes for the goods, both the sales and splurges. Her verdict was unflinching, and she nearly always added a zinger. If she loved the store, she might declare: “I often confess that I belong to a cult -- I love just about everything Chanel.” If she hated it: “Their website sucks. Don’t waste your time.” She had no shortage of personal anecdotes: “Snugli is a tote for the baby, but I've used it for a geriatric cat, too." Or pointed observations: “Sabbia Rosa is the kind of store where a man takes his mistress."
Here are a few more of the many sentences and stories that made me laugh aloud and read aloud. Listen to these lines -- and remember Suzy Gershman. She was one of a kind.
On the origins of Born to Shop:
"Over 25 years ago, when I first had the idea for the Born to Shop series of travel guides, I went to my then agent and said something like, 'Voila!' She was not impressed with my book outline and refused to handle the proposal or the series -- she said I was a serious journalist who worked for Time magazine and I would ruin my reputation by writing about a silly subject like shopping. I took the proposal to my husband's agent, who sold it in 2 days."
From her introduction to Where to Buy the Best of Everything:
"I have suffered more or less the same nightmare for well over three years. I wake up screaming, ‘LouLou.’ The LouLou in question is LouLou de la Falaise who now has one very charming, very interesting, very exciting store in Paris. In my nightmare, I have left her -- and her store -- out of this book."
From her chapter on “How to Be A Shopping God or Goddess”:
"Mere mortals may ask how to get to Carnegie Hall (practice, practice, practice), but a Shopping God or Goddess wants to know how to get to Woodbury Common."
On curiosity:
"Maybe curiosity killed the cat, but it rarely kills the shopper. (I don't mean to be glib here -- curiosity can kill the shopper. Don't go down any alleys in search of a fake Vuitton handbag.)"
On knowing when to quit:
"Sure, you can shop 'til you drop, but why would you? On the way down, you'll make mistakes and buy the wrong things."
On using magazines for research:
"My home looks like the waiting room of a dentist's office. They know me at the seniors' residence around the corner because I drop off a valise full of magazines every other month. I hope that the seniors do not notice how much has already been torn from these magazines."
On the importance of museums:
"People laugh at me whenever I say that all good shopping sprees begin in a museum. I'm not trying to be funny. If you are at all interested in merchandise (of any quality or price), you can't judge it accurately until you know what the best looks like."
From a Frommer's podcast between Suzy, Frommer’s Editorial Director Kelly Regan, and me, when describing purging her house of clutter:
"Every once in a while I stop and say to myself: 'Suze, stop buying crap.'"
On Anthropologie, one of her favorite brands:
"The best thing about the store is that it teaches you how to mix periods and styles and layers and looks and come out looking fabulous and not like a bag lady."
On Hermes:
"One accessory from this brand can define an entire persona."
On Disney Store merchandising:
"If you don't think that Minnie Mouse made into the Statue of Liberty and selling for under $10 isn't genius, then you are Goofy."
A description of Dr. Hauschka Lemon Bath Oil, by way of Nora Ephron:
"Be careful when you use this stuff. It's slick. Enter and exit tub with care or you could feel bad about your (broken) neck."
Bentwood Country Mart in Santa Monica:
"This isn't even a mall, it's a lesson in what rich people want and enjoy."
On Neiman Marcus:
"When I was a girl growing up in Texas, Neiman Marcus was not the name of a store; it was a prayer. 'Dear God, please make Momma take me to Dallas to buy a dress.'"
On 10 Corso Como in Milan:
"Take two very talented and stylish Italian sisters who look a lot like twins and you get either a Greek tragedy...or the most talked-about team in a generation of fashion talent."
On Fred Segal in Los Angeles:
"You don't need to understand how to get the LA look. You just have to have enough money to shop at Fred Segal...Okay, big boobs help, too."
On jewelry:
"I'm trying to grow another hand so I can have more room for a few more rings."
On shoes:
"What are the best shoes in the world? The pair that doesn't hurt."
...and more shoes:
"I have shoes for walking. I have shoes for standing. I have shoes for walking the dog at 3am. I have shoes for the beach. I have shoes for travel. I have shoes for bad weather. I have shoes for dressing up. I have shoes for seducing men. I have shoes for doing TV interviews. I have shoes for public appearances. I have boots and booties, too. And those are just the black shoes. You are laughing because you understand."
On wallets:
"I am still trying to find the perfect wallet. The one that is the right size is the same one that doesn't fasten and opens up in my handbag. The one that fastens weighs a ton. My Judith Leiber has lost a gemstone. My yellow plastic job from some supermarket in Italy -- the best wallet of my life -- is all marked up with pen smootz and filthy seams. I cannot afford Goyard. I persevere. To keep my handbag from becoming too heavy, I also carry a tote bag. To keep my tote bag from becoming too heavy (that laptop weighs a ton), I also schlep a roll-y roll-y when I travel. And then there's the dog tote. Someday I'll just break down and get a team of donkeys with some deep-fitted panniers."
On Lush soaps:
"The distinctive aroma of the store is enough to send an asthmatic into convulsions."
On department store beauty products:
"When the world was flat, you went to department stores for premium makeup brands and drug stores for low-cost brands. (You also stole a Tangee lipstick from the drugstore as a coming-of-age ritual, but that is another subject entirely.)”
On Sephora:
"In France, we say 'Seph-a-rah.' In the U.S., we say 'Se-For-ah.' I say tomato, you say tomah-to -- it's all the same when you're having a shopping moment, believe me."
On Paul Stuart:
"When you enter the store, it may at first glance look like a yawn, but that just proves that good taste never shouts."
On men's dress shirts:
"These days it can cost an arm and a leg to give someone the shirt off your back."
On Italian brand Zegna:
“Even if you can’t pronounce it (say ‘Zen-ya’), you can shop it.”
On Elegant Linens in Park City:
“It’s not often that I go wild for a store in the middle of nowhere (excuse me, Mr. Redford) that has no bargains, but yup, here I am in a very touristy city, just drooling onto my chest and happy to tell you that this store has an excellent collection of hard-to-find sheets and features brands that even I have not heard of.”
On Pratesi linens:
“I once became seriously ill in the [Pratesi] factory in Pistoia, Italy. I passed out; an ambulance was called. When I came to, I was in the bed in the outlet window -- the only bed in the factory. For just one moment, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.”
From an introduction to cleaning products:
“I hired a professional cleaning team to get my house in order; they treated the house with the utmost respect but seemed to have little leftover for me. I am the Rodney Dangerfield of housewives, I guess.”
On catalogs:
“My favorite catalog story is about the child who was a peer of my son’s. This young lady -- aged 6 -- was asked to bring her favorite book to first grade for a class project. She brought the Tiffany catalog. You go, girl!”
On the world’s best clothes:
"The best clothes in the world -- the best wardrobe around -- is the one that makes you feel confident. Nothing else matters."
One of the best things about working on travel guides is putting together first editions. I've worked mostly on these and it's a real pleasure to have all that space (say 50-80,000 words) to weigh up the best approach. Give me a blank page and I get excited, give me 500 pages and it's deep joy; a bit perverse, but there you are.
The key relationship here is with the author. I really enjoy building and developing this relationship with writers. And I really value it. I've been lucky, and my job's been made easy by working with a lot of decent ones.
At the end of the process, there's nothing better than looking back at how the concept and initial ideas have taken shape and formed a print book, e-book or, increasingly, digital story for online/mobile/tablet etc.
There's only one thing that competes with a first edition and that's a major overhaul. This goes beyond a thorough update. It's when you take a book, tear it apart and put it back together again. It's an MOT, a structural audit and a deep dive into the state of a place and the content that covers it, all rolled into one. And it's pretty satisfying. It often brings up more questions than answers, but again it's a chance to work out what really matters to readers, and a chance to bang your head together with writers.
The last time I revised our England guide, one basic question I asked was, did we need so much information on gardens? I mean, people like gardens right? I get it. But do we need so many? Possibly scarred by day outings to English regional garden centres with my parents and elderly grandparents as a kid -- serving as the closest "attraction" palatable to three generations -- I think I harboured deep doubts. I remember a lot of scuffing my trainers and being told off for climbing in plant trolleys. The highlight was being rewarded with one and two pence pieces to slot and roll down the spirally, charity donation bins. But, it seems, my judgement was clouded and some research and discussion with our writers put me straight. People love gardens in the UK. Actually, I love them, too (especially if they have sprinklers to run through), I just get anxious in garden centres…
So, we still have plenty of gardens. Big ones, small ones, the long, outstretched ones, to run up and down, and the intricate, tangled up ones that you can get lost in. It's no surprise to me that The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has announced the launch of a range of RHS Holidays with specialist escorted tours operator Collette Worldwide Holidays. This is flower power in action and I think they're on to something here; it's a niche strong enough to get those with green fingers reaching out to Italy, Spain, South Africa and China.
Nature and the seasons are what really strike you working on England; the shifts in the landscape and sense of renewal. It's similar to working on travel guides themselves. Whether you're out for the spring blossom in Kyoto, or hunting for red October in Ontario, you need to be there when the world turns.
Iceland author Lisa Shannen takes a new tour inside a dormant volcano to discover a world benearth the surface
Unless you happen to be a daredevil volcanologist or a real life Indiana Jones, taking a trip inside a volcano tube is something you would only imagine possible in science fiction novels such as Jules Verne's 'Journey to the Centre of the Earth' - that is until now. Thanks to some very adventurous Icelanders, the stuff of your wildest dreams became a reality on the June 15th this year, when the first commercial tours allowing people to safely visit the inside of a volcano tube began. The new tours provide a once in a lifetime opportunity to descend 120 meters (394 ft.) into a bottle shaped lava tube and explore the large chamber at the bottom. The tours will run for a limited period only, with the last tour departing on August 20th 2012.
Image: K.Maack
Now before your imagination gets carried away on a blistering stream of hot lava, this particular volcano, with its tongue twister of a name - Thirhnukagigur (The Three Peaks Crater) is dormant. Its last eruption took place a few thousand years ago giving its upper chambers plenty of time to cool down to temperatures cold enough to give you a chill if you're not dressed properly. The tour starts with a 30-minute bus ride from Reykjavík, followed by a 40-minute hike across a rocky lava field overlaid with a bouncy layer of moss, which creates a soft-solid type of terrain suited best for walking boots.
Image: Hans Strand
At basecamp just by the foot of the volcano, you're kitted out with some safety gear and in small groups of five taken to meet the mouth of the volcano tube, where a specialty lift awaits to lower you down to the base of the chamber. As you descend, down the throat-like tube, the daylight is swallowed by the darkness, but the passage is lit by the powerful lighting fixed on the lift which illuminate brilliantly the crimson coloured remnants of the last fiery episode. Tongues of lava line the walls in places and although now solid and cold, are dramatic reminders of the power of nature, frozen in time and suspended like ancient licks of paint clinging to a canvas of mutli-textured rock of varying form and colour.
Image: Roman Gerasymenko
Once at the bottom, you are delivered into a massive chamber of wonders - an Aladdin's cave of nature, where your eyes are treated to a feast of colours and forms. The scene within the chamber is illuminated by strong beams, creating a display of light, emphasizing the details and variations of patterns, and a theatre of shadows as silhouettes of the explorers are cast onto the walls.
Image: Roman Gerasymenko
Being a singer and sound aficionado, I had to ask if was ok to try the acoustics out and was immediately rewarded with a passionate performance of 'I Dreamed a Dream' in Icelandic by our tour guide Jón Gauti. Then we sang together an old Icelandfolk song and enjoyed the interesting reverb patterns created by the complex dimensions of the chamber.
Image: Roman Gerasymenko
Visitors can stay for up to an hour or less should they wish to return to the surface with the lift as it collects more passengers. To find out more or book a trip, visit the 'Inside the Volcano' website for a truly fantastic adventure.
With the summer holiday break imminent, it seems there are still a lot of families who have yet to plan where to go and what to do. We asked Mark Hodson, editor of 101 Holidays, to give us some recommendations on the best places to take your kids on holiday this summer. Mark is an award-winning travel journalist with more than 12 years experience writing for The Sunday Times and other newspapers.
Q: Where do you recommend for a family beach holiday on a budget?
A: The Vendee, an unspoilt region in Western France, has wide sandy beaches and is great value, particularly if you drive. Rent a villa at the Mas de St. Hilaire holiday village which has a large pool and oodles of children’s facilities. A week’s self-catering from 28 July costs a total of £886 for up to 5 people including Eurotunnel crossing with Wake up in France (www.wakeupinfrance.co.uk).
Mas de St. Hilaire, Vendee
Q: What about if you don't want to travel abroad, where would you recommend in the UK on a budget?
A: You could explore the beautiful Norfolk Broads on a motorised cruiser. It’s an ideal holiday for families that value their independence, and no experience is required. A week’s rental from 10 August for five people sharing a cruiser costs £233 per person based on 5 sharing with Waterways Holidays (www.waterwaysholidays.com).
Messing about on the Norfolk Broads
Q: Where do you recommend for families with sporty children?
A:La Manga Club in Spain has superb sporting facilities -- including 28 tennis courts and eight football pitches -- and runs courses for kids throughout the summer. Prestige Holidays (www.prestigeholidays.co.uk) has a week’s B&B for 2 adults and 2 children at the five-star Hotel Principe Felice departing Gatwick on 16 July for £3,292.
La Cala restaurant, La Manga resort
Q: What do you suggest for teenagers that just want to sleep in late and laze beside the pool?
A: A villa with private pool. There are some bargains in Greece including Villa Erimitis on the island of Paxos which is available with a 25% discount for a week from 16 July with CV Travel (www.cvtravel.co.uk). It costs £554 per person based on 4 travelling including flights, ferry and car hire.
Villa Erimitis, Paxos
Q: Where do you recommend for families with very active children?
A: The Adventure Holiday Company (www.adventurecompany.co.uk) has multi-activity holidays for families. You could stay on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast where kayaking, river rafting, hiking and biking are all included. A week departing 26 August costs from £3,896 for two adults and two children under 12 including flights.
White water rafting in Croatia
Q: What do you suggest for families excited by the Olympics?
A: Sands Resort (www.sandsresort.co.uk) on the North Cornwall coast will run Olympic-themed kids activities this summer and has discounts of up to 20% during the Games. Facilities include adventure playgrounds, a swimming pool, climbing wall, zip-lining and free use of wetsuits and surf boards. A week’s B&B from 28 July costs from £1,742 for 2 adults and 2 children.
Sands Resort, North Cornwall
Q: What is a good option for large families that want to holiday together?
A: You could rent a large house and create your own private house party. The Big Domain (www.thebigdomain.com) has a huge selection including Plas Dinam, a Grade 2 Listed house in Powys with a tennis court, stables, billiard room and croquet lawn. It sleeps up to 30 in 14 bedrooms and costs £4,000 for a week beginning 17 August.
Plas Dinam, Powys
Q: Any ideas for families that want to go abroad and be pampered, but are really strapped for cash?
A: Stay at a chalet in the Alps. You’ll enjoy wonderful scenery, lots of activities and all your meals included - at low season prices. Esprit Family Adventures (www.espritfamilyadventures.com) has a week’s full-board in August at Chalet Hotel des Deux Domaines in Belle Plagne from £950 - the total price for two adults and two children. The Channel crossing costs an extra £125.
In the Alps with Esprit Family Adventures
Q: What is the best option for families that want watersports beside a beach?
A:Mark Warner (www.markwarner.co.uk) has a winning formula at its Mediterranean beach clubs: all your meals, wine with dinner, kids clubs, tennis and watersports with tuition all included in the price. A week at Perdepera Beach Resort in Sardinia from 28 July costs from £3,796 for 2 adults and 2 kids.
Perdepera Beach Resort, Sardinia
Q: Any suggestions for a family that wants something completely different?
A: How about a luxury volunteering holiday in South Africa? You could combine a safari and Winelands tour with three days teaching students in one of Cape Town’s townships. Eight nights from 21 July costs £19,200 for two adults and two children under 12 including B&B in Cape Town and full-board safari at Sabi Sands with Hands Up Holidays (www.handsupholidays.com).
Volunteering holidays in South Africa
For more recommendations on summer holidays, please check out 101 Holidays atwww.101holidays.co.uk.
Top Deals for UK Travellers including Lake Garda, Barbados, Gascony, Tanzania and Reykjavik.
By Dinah Hatch
Deal 1: Lazing by the lake
Inghams has sliced a tempting £306 off its Lake Garda holidays for early July and is offering seven nights surrounded by olive groves and cypress tress for £359 per person. This is the ideal location for lazing by the water, strolling along the tree-lined promenades and road-testing Italian dishes in the many restaurants. The deal for the Northern Italy lakeside break is on a half board basis at the three-star Palme Hotel and includes return flights from Gatwick to Verona and resort transfers. Departure is on 11 July. The deal is also available from Birmingham and Newcastle for an extra £29 and £49 respectively.
Bag yourself a Barbados bargain at the three-star SoCo Hotel on the popular South Coast Board Walk with Tropical Sky, which is currently offering seven nights on an all-inclusive basis for £899 per person. That's a £400 per person saving on regular prices. The Miami Beach style hotel is within a few minutes' stroll from lots of good restaurants and bars and has a hip, young vibe to it, with each of its 24 rooms offering seaviews over the Caribbean. The deal includes flights from London Gatwick with Virgin Atlantic for departures 2-28 November.
Thanks to a last-minute cancellation, The Gascony Secret is offering a carefully restored, luxury six-bedroom 18th century farmhouse close to Aignan in the Gers in Gascony, south west France, for £560 under its brochure price. Les Deux Etangs, which sleeps up to 14 people and sits within 2.5 acres of land, has an all-weather tennis court, table tennis table, swimming pool and large sunbathing terrace and dining area with amazing views over the countryside. One week's rental costs £2,300 (or £164 per person) for departures 7 or 14 July.
Fancy a twin-centre break under the sizzling African sun? Africa Odyssey has a two-stop Indian Ocean beach escape deal to Tanzania for £2,800 per person, saving £400 each on regular prices. You'll get seven nights full board at the glamorous Ras Kutani lodges which feature amazing food, billowing drapes around four poster beds, and secluded white sand beaches plus lagoon and coastal rainforest walks. Then you'll be transferred to Zanzibar's Ras Nungwi where you will stay five nights on a B&B basis. Ras Nungwi is famous for its great dive school, laid back social life and cracking seafood. The deal includes flights from Heathrow with British Airways. Departures are valid throughout July.
Never been to achingly hip Reykjavik? Now could be the time as low cost carrier Iceland Express has just launched its summer sale. Fly to the Icelandic capital between now and 30 August for as little as £64 one-way (that's out of Edinburgh). You can also hop across to check out the hip Reykjavik scene from Stansted or Gatwick for £69 one way. Pleasingly (and unusually for a budget carrier) all the prices include taxes, surcharges, seat allocation at check-in, a 20kg bag in the hold and 10kg hand luggage. There is also no extra for flights booked on a debit card.
I recently returned from a dizzyingly informative few days at the WTTC Americas Summit in Mexico. At this first-ever regional meeting, Mexican President Calderón, tourism ministers, travel company leaders, and luminaries like Mexican businessman and philanthropist Carlos Slim gathered in the Riviera Maya to discuss how important travel and tourism is as a global industry. (According to the WTTC, tourism currently constitutes 9% of the world’s GDP and sustains 255 million jobs.)
My main takeaway from the conference, however, was that the Riviera Maya, a coastal region in the Yucatán Peninsula that stretches from 20 miles south of Cancún in Puerto Morelos to Punta Allen, a village within the Sian Ka'an Biosphere Reserve, is an incredible place to visit. From show-stopping performances at the archaeological park Xcaret to the laid-back beach town of Playa del Carmen, the region packs in a lot to see and do—it’s no surprise, then, that it’s one of the most popular regions in Mexico for foreign travelers. (A record-breaking 3.6 million people visited the Riviera Maya in 2011.)
Straddling between the chic French shops and trendy eateries of Marylebone
Village and the vast designer department stores of bustling Oxford Street, the
independently owned boutique-style Mandeville Hotel allows serious shoppers
a luxurious spot to recharge.
You can kickback with afternoon tea or cocktails at the new Reform Social & Grill or book a room and soak your tired limbs in a deliciously smelling hot bath with complimentary Etro toiletries from Italy.
On arriving at this grand building, staff are quick to welcome you in. As you
enter the lobby area, the individuality of the design by one of London's top
interior designers hits you with a cute model vintage racing car taking centre
stage.
All the rooms in this five-story building have also had an interior designer's
touch, with flashes of colour and glints of mirrored chrome against a natural
backdrop of woody, country colours.
Bedding and beds are the most important thing if you're staying for long, and
in a hotel in this setting, you expect nothing less than crisp white linen, soft
touch duvets and feather pillows. And you won't be disappointed when you
slip between the sheets.
Showers are also a big selling point nowadays and most rooms at The
Mandeville have both a hand-held and power shower either above the bath or,
in the junior suites, in a separate walk-in shower. Afterwards you can wrap
yourself in the biggest and fluffiest bath towels I've enjoyed in a hotel. The
Etro toiletries also include good-size shampoo and conditioner, and hand-held
ionic hairdryers have been placed in all of the closets so you won't have to
leave the room with wet hair.
Free internet and Wi-Fi is provided, which is sometimes still a rarity even in
top city hotels. Plugs are both UK and European.
Rooms also have a Nespresso machine for guests to enjoy a quick coffee
shot, although if you're like me and enjoy a cup of tea and a biscuit as you
wind down (or even to start the day), you'll have to call room service as there
are no kettles provided. The room service menu is excellent however with
meals served 24 hours, and if you don't want to call down, you can pick from
a small selection in the paying minibar, which you'll find in most rooms. If you
enjoy breakfast in bed, this can be ordered to your room, but to refuel
properly, head downstairs and choose from the healthy buffet with fruit,
yogurts, smoked salmon, cold meats, cheeses, cereals and mini pastries or
order an English breakfast or an egg dish from the selection on the breakfast
menu.
With a mix of rooms ranging from singles to the beautiful Terrace Suite with its
own cute flower-filled rooftop terrace, guests stay here from one night after
their wedding next door to much longer stays. Business clients from the swish
upmarket brands in the area lay their heads here during the week, while the
weekends are much quieter. Aside from being close to Oxford Street and Marylebone with its Sunday market, the Mandeville is also a short walk to trendy Soho, a bit further to the
Top Deals for UK Travellers including the Greek Islands, Tunisia, Egypt and Bulgaria.
By Dinah Hatch
Deal 1: Get with the yacht set
Take a five-star cruise along the Greek coastline and discover the islands this June while saving a whopping £3,703. Dialaflight is offering the seven-night holiday onboard mega yacht SeaDream II from £2,369 per person for departure on 16 June. The price includes accommodation in a luxury cabin on an all-inclusive basis, all activities and tours and return flights from London with British Airways. SeaDream II styles its trips as more private yachting than cruising, with smaller capacity,
gourmet meals and more personalised service. The itinerary begins in Athens and heads along the Corinth Canal to Galaxidi, Sarande in Albania, Katakalon, Gythion, Elafonisos Island and Santorini before arriving back in the capital.
Dome of a chapel in Santorini along the hike from Fira to Oia, by jessikahsd
Deal 2: Nubian know-how
Fancy a trip around Egypt with an expert guide to talk you through the sights? Encounters Travel has not only nipped £60 off its 13-night Nubians and Beaches holiday, now costing £535 per person, it will also throw in a fully qualified Egyptologist to travel with you. The tour starts in Cairo, with a visit to the Pyramids and the Sphinx, then heads south to explore the Nile Valley on board a traditional felucca cruise boat. Guests then travel back to Cairo with time relaxing by the Red Seaat the beach resort of Dahab. Prices include airport transfers, four-star accommodation each night plus two nights on the felucca and two nights on a sleeper train with breakfast and some meals. Flights not included.
Get your summer holiday boxed off right now with seven days on the beach in Bulgaria for a measly £379 per person including flights from Manchester and all meals. Cheapflights.com has slashed prices by 30% off this holiday which is for travel on 7 July. You'll be staying at the three star Pomorie Hotel at Sunny Beach, 50 metres from 8kms of glorious sandy shores. The hotel is a promenade's stroll away from the lively Sunny Beach resort with its bars, restaurants and clubs. The offer is based on two adults sharing.
Aldemar Holidays has lopped 10% off autumn holiday prices at the five-star Aldemar Olympian Resort in Skafidia, western Greece, and is also offering free upgrades for those travelling on an all-inclusive basis. This means that you can currently book seven nights at the resort for £399 per person including flights from Stansted, based on two sharing. The hotel stretches across 3km of peaceful sandy beach and has terraced pools, plenty of sports including tennis and mini-golf plus a petting zoo for the kids. Travel dates are 29 September, 2, 6 and 9 October.
Thomas Cook is offering a raft of online discounts at the moment for those who book their holidays for travel between now and July. Bag seven nights all-inclusive at the Sentido Rosa Beach Thalasso and Spa in Tunisia for £434 per person, including flights from Newcastle, on 6 June. That's a £105 per person saving on regular prices. The beachfront hotel has an indoor and outdoor pool, large sun terraces, archery, tennis, football, volleyball, basketball and mini golf plus aerobics classes and a massage centre. There's also an Italian and Tunisian a la carte restaurant as well as an international buffet-style eaterie.
Known for its pink-sand beaches, pastel-colored houses, shipwrecks ringing the island, and sailboats bobbing in its quaint sheltered harbors, Bermuda offers an idyllic island escape. And while many people assume that it’s in the Caribbean, it’s not--it’s smack in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, 650 miles east of North Carolina and about 1900 miles west of Portugal’s Azores. (The flight from New York is only about 2 hours.) Yet the waters are still crystal clear, the weather is temperate, and the foliage lush and tropical. Bermuda is unlike any other island. This British territory retains its British roots--cars drive on the left side of the road, British pubs abound, and cricket is one of the most popular sports--yet it also embodies some Caribbean elements in its cuisine and culture as well as a New England flair, thanks to the large number of visitors who come from the East Coast of the U.S. But Bermuda is an expensive place to visit and live (it’s one of the most affluent countries in the world). Room rates average around $500 per night in season (May to September), but for that hefty price tag, you’ll get luxury, safety, and a serene escape. Bermuda is home to a wealth of luxury accommodations that cater to high-end travelers. Here are a few of the best.
Built in 1908, Elbow Beach hotel is one of the oldest hotels in Bermuda, and today it remains one of the premiere high-end hotels on the island. Managed by the luxe Mandarin Oriental hotel group, Elbow Beach boasts a pool, tennis courts, an incredible spa, a pink-sand beach, 4 restaurants (including Mickey’s, one of the only beachfront fine restaurants on the island), and a coveted beachfront location right on the pink sands that the island is so famous for.
A Luxurious Spa Treatment Suite in the Spa at Elbow Beach
But it’s the spa that really wows. Unlike other spas in Bermuda, the Spa at Elbow Beach is the only spa to offer treatment suites rather than individual treatment rooms. Although there are only 6 suites, each one is sumptuous, with a handcrafted granite soaking tub, a river pebble-lined steam shower, a large private changing area, separate toilet, and a treatment room with a private balcony offering views of the Atlantic Ocean. The divine treatments integrate scents and oils, which are tailored to each guest. The 98 guest rooms, which are spread out in the main building and in cottages over the resort’s 50 acres, are equipped with all the modern amenities you might expect from a hotel of this caliber--Wi-Fi, flatscreen TVs, plush bedding, and more--but it’s the sweeping views of the turquoise ocean beyond and the stellar service that keeps drawing return visitors year after year.
One of the many outdoor decks at Cambridge Beaches Resort & Spa
Sex, sex, sex. This is hands-down the sexiest hotel in Bermuda, seemingly built for honeymoons and romantic getaways. With no children allowed in the resort’s 94 guest rooms, there’s a level of privacy and serenity here that most other Bermuda hotels don’t offer. Cambridge Beaches bills itself as “the most sensuous address in Bermuda,” and it encourages couples (of any gender) looking for privacy and romance to relax and reconnect at this resort. There's even a clothing-optional deck here where guests can sunbathe freely.
A cottage at Cambridge Beaches
Guest rooms and suites are built in cozy little cottages spread out over the resort’s 30 acres, nearly all offering water views. The poolside suites--with their giant Jacuzzi tubs, mirror-clad wall behind the bed, and private outdoor plunge pool facing the water--were seemingly built for couples. The décor throughout the hotel is a mix of traditional, mod, and contemporary, with bright pops of color (lime green, aqua, magenta) against clean white walls. And did I mention their “Little Black Book”? Browse through their “Little Black Book” for sexy treats and toys, like their best-seller: a lipstick-shaped vibrator--all of which can be discreetly delivered to your room. There’s also a sleek Ocean Spa which offers personalized couples treatments, 4 private beaches, and 3 restaurants on site, including Breezes, offering fresh seafood overlooking the bay. Average room rate: from $653 in season
The infinity pool overlooks the bay at the Newstead Belmont Hills Golf Resort & Spa
The big appeal here is the overly spacious rooms, which are more like apartments rather than traditional hotel rooms. The one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites all come with a fully-equipped state-of-the-art kitchen, dining area, separate living room area, enormous marble-clad bathroom, high-ceilinged bedroom, and large wraparound terrace. There’s also a spa, tennis courts, infinity pool, and restaurant on-site. The Sunday jazz brunch at their Beau Rivage restaurant is very popular with both locals and guests. The Newstead is centrally-located and makes for a good place to base yourself while you explore the island. Although it’s not directly on the beach or golf course, the hotel provides regular shuttle service to the beach and to the 18-hole Belmont Hill golf course. The Newstead is located directly across the bay from the city of Hamilton (there are great views of Hamilton and the bay, especially at sunset) and the hotel provides water ferry service, frequently shuttling guests across the bay and back.
