Discovering Portugal’s wild side
For unspoilt countryside, top camping, hiking, wild swimming, plus great local food and wine – and all doable in a weekend from the three main airports – try one of these itineraries from Edwina...
View ArticleRoom for improvement with Accor’s pricing policy
I paid the ‘advanced saver rate’ online but later found my hotel was selling rooms cheaperLast November I used AccorHotels’ website to book a night at its Stratford-upon-Avon Mercure hotel at the end...
View ArticleWright’s Food Emporium, Llanarthney, Carmarthenshire: review
This pub/cafe/deli on the edge of the Brecon Beacons made a name for itself with its excellent food and laid-back charm. Now it’s added stylish accommodation ‘over the shop’ so diners can crash out...
View ArticleConcrete thinking's in fashion at Brussels' brutalist Jam Hotel
Budget hotels always offer basic, boxy rooms, but not many are as creative as this alternative gem in the Belgian capitalBrussels is a city of grand townhouses and art nouveau. Yet plonked in the...
View ArticleHow rich hippies and developers went to war over Instagram’s favourite beach
With its Mayan ruins and moonlight raves, Tulum has become Mexico’s hippest holiday destination. But a spate of violent evictions reveals a darker sideReviews of Uno Astrolodge, a boutique new...
View ArticleFrom animal-print to denim: why hotels are upping their bathrobe game
A comfy bed and a travel kettle is no longer enough – high-end hotels are investing in luxurious, Instagram-friendly bathrobes in an effort to appeal to the selfie generationNext time you want your...
View ArticleBrussels city guide: what to see plus the best bars, hotels and restaurants
Ignore the cynics, Brussels is one of Europe’s most cosmopolitan cities, with hip bars and cafes, vintage markets and a fine line in the ‘9th Art’Living in Paris, I am used to getting a surprised look...
View ArticleSerifos, Greece: great interiors, even better outdoors
For beauty, Serifos is up there with the Cyclades’ more famous islands – but it surpasses them for easygoing charm, which is why Athenians come here. That and the stylish places to stayHow do you...
View ArticleThe Swan at Hay, Hay-on-Wye: hotel review
The chintzy restaurant is awaiting a refurb (and the bedrooms are a little fussy) but no one is looking at the wallpaper when the food is this good. Shame the hotel itself isn’t as creative as the...
View ArticleUndiscovered south-east Asia: remote towns and secret beaches
From Vietnam’s little-known islands to Laos’s interior and even tourist-free Thailand, our writers reveal some hidden treasuresAdd your own favourite find belowThe Ghost festival is said to have...
View ArticleHow rich hippies and developers went to war over Instagram’s favourite beach...
With its Mayan ruins and moonlight raves, Tulum has become Mexico’s hippest holiday destination. But a spate of violent evictions reveals a darker side • Read the text version hereContinue reading...
View ArticleMr & Mrs Smith co-founder: ‘Don’t let yourself get comfortable’
Tamara Heber-Percy, the Mrs behind the bookings website, talks rejection, working with your spouse and what makes the perfect hotelWe kept having disastrous breaks. A weekend in the Lakes sold to us as...
View ArticleHigher Buck, Waddington, Lancashire: hotel review
This pub, in one of Lancashire’s prettiest villages, is up there with the finest dining in the lauded Ribble valley. The modish makeover is no match for the food, but the classy guest rooms areA stream...
View ArticleGreat bed and power shower: is this really a budget hotel?
Like Ryanair and easyJet before them, low-cost hotel chains are eyeing the lucrative business travel market – and it’s sweet dreams all roundFor the battle-hardened business traveller, budget hotel...
View ArticleCity breaks with kids: Bristol
Our series of city guides for families heads to creative, community-minded Bristol, with its fab, and often free, attractions and acres of parkland nearby More in this series: London | Brighton |...
View ArticlePortland city guide: what to see plus the best hotels, bars and restaurants
It’s famous, derided even, for hipster coffee and craft beer, but there’s so much more to one of America’s coolest cities – and there are new direct flights from London, tooAll hail Portland! The...
View ArticleThe Queen’s Head, Troutbeck, Lake District: hotel review
This 17th-century Grade II-listed coaching inn has had a major and sensitive refurbishment following a fire. A shame its food isn’t as good as the settingThe Queen’s Head does not seem to have much...
View ArticleThe Fritton Arms, Norfolk: hotel review
Plenty of hotels have a pool, but this one comes with its own swimming lake. And exploring the extensive grounds provides the perfect excuse for tucking into the estate’s excellent fareMy weekends away...
View ArticleWhat’s Trump’s great American Idea? A new chain of budget hotels
The US president is going into business with Chawla Hotels to offer three-star American-themed hostelries. But is his name too toxic to put on them?Name: American Idea.Age: Prenatal.Continue reading...
View ArticleHavener’s Bar & Grill, Fowey, Cornwall: B&B review
Teething problems over, this south Cornwall restaurant with rooms now offers cosy stays and refined pub grub that rival its riverside setting for the feelgood factorThings didn’t get off to a very good...
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