Lifestyle and Adventure
The Palazzo Manfredi
It’s terribly difficult to write anything about Rome without opening a can of cliched worms, but once in the Roman city itself, all original thoughts perish whilst surrounded by mythology and ancient history.
It was my first time in the city (can you tell?), and beyond my girlish squeals of glee and excitement driving through the beautiful city at night, we stopped just in front of the Colosseum at the Palazzo Manfredi, where later we spent two wonderful evenings.
This charming 17th century palace was built metres away from the Colosseum and a training school for gladiators of ancient Rome. The beautiful...
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More Lifestyle and Adventure
Featuring Careys Manor & SenSpa | New Forest
As a destination I hold close to my heart, returning to the New Forest often feels like coming home. I have many childhood memories of summer holidays spent cycling the forests, feasting on picnics and camping with friends. With the prospect of a weekend of sunshine ahead, I took the opportunity to escape to the New Forest; boyfriend in-tow, to it’s blossoming heath-land, wild ponies, cosy pubs and an oasis of relaxation at Careys Manor & Senspa. Making a swift exit out of the City, miraculously missing any Friday night traffic, we were greeted by the setting sun as we travelled up a meandering gravel drive towards Careys Manor. I can only describe the view of Careys Manor as something out of a quintessential English novel. Immaculate lawns, trimmed hedges, tudor chimneys and air of history. Nestled under the bows of the trees is an outdoor bar and comfortable sofa setting, the perfect place to start your weekend with a glass of Provencal as the sun begins dip behind the trees.
Featuring The ultra sports clinic
The newly opened Ultra Sports Clinic (USC), located in the heart of The City is a stone's throw away from the busy business district of Bank. Ultra Sports Clinic work holistically and sustainably, whatever the ailment. Taking a highly professional and proactive approach to treatments tailored specifically towards you, the clinic is dedicated to creating a stronger and better you. “The best athletes are passionate, motivated and committed to their craft, so it makes sense that the people who treat them should be the same. Regardless if you’re an elite athlete, a weekend-warrior or anything in-between, we’re motivated to help you achieve your fitness objectives,” says Ashleigh Wienand. With 15-years worth of experience under her belt, Ashleigh has worked with some incredible sports teams such as the British Lions Rugby Team, Davis Cup, Fed Cup Tennis, South Africa Rugby 7′s and Legends, London Irish RFC, the England Cricket team, Commonwealth Games and IAAF Athletics.
Review of The Upper House – the definitive luxury living hotel in...
For one, though its location is smack in the centre of the city, sitting amongst Shangri-La, The Conrad and Marriot Hotels, its discretion as a five-star luxury living abode is its allurement. Just as you enter its lobby, one isn’t really there until they’ve gone up the stair-way of The Upper House. Call it Feng Shui, but The Upper House wants its guests to feel as if they’ve been transported to a home away from home where luxury living is waiting to greet you at the very top. Rather than the typical check-in of entering through the hotel’s doors towards the concierge desk, The Upper House takes it to another notch. As in, one needn’t go through the check-in process. All one need do is head straight to their rooms whilst its staff takes care of everything else.
Featuring Sir Bani Yas Island: an eco-Wildlife Safari on the...
Beginning when this 87-sq-km desert island was originally Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s private retreat. The founder and first ruler of the United Arab Emirates was given a bevy of exotic animals as gifts when exploring Africa as a young royal. After this, he took an interest and started collecting exotic species now thriving on the island's huge wildlife. Sheik Zayed’s initiative was to save a native species that had teetered on the brink of extinction; the Arabian oryx. Officially declared extinct in the wild in the late 1960s, it’s plight moved the animal-loving emir to begin developing Sir Bani Yas as a place to protect it. "The oryx is the main reason the island is the way it is today," says Matt Bottomer, an adventure guide who familiarizes visitors staying on Sir Bani Yas with its many resident creatures. "Sheikh Zayed searched the world to see if there were any oryx in captivity. "He found a handful and started a breeding program here."
Review of The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights
It is its heritage and ability to intertwine its own story with the story of Hong Kong through curated experiences that would make any fortunate guest feel a sense of euphoria. One such experience that is relatively new to its offering is their luxurious private charter experience better known as The Symphony of Lights. Expect to be greeted at the main lobby where a brief introduction on the evening’s itinerary is given before being privately whisked off to the docking harbour to aboard the Peninsula Yacht. Once on board it’s off to Victoria Harbour to witness a magnificent sensory experience showcasing Hong Kong’s skyline and ultimately the more creative side of the city through this spectacle of an installation. Of course, it wouldn’t be replete without onboard canapes and champagne - but of course should you have a special request there is nothing that the Peninsula can’t do if only to please its guests for the sake of wanting to leave behind an intimate memory of enjoyment.
The best hotels and restaurants of 2017: the places you...
We are bringing to you a series of posts rounding up the whirlwind that has been 2017. Whether it is beauty products, restaurants, hotels or film & TV, we bring you our favourites from the past 12 months. The best hotels that we have chosen to share with you are a wide variety, from a stunning picturesque property with sprawling gardens, to a treehouse in Sweden. We have got our 3 favourites that we think you will love, for their sheer luxury and unique features.
Featuring Gili Lankanfushi – a sanctuary hidden from the world
This is a sanctuary hidden from the world, where you are invited to literally kick your shoes off and let go of any stresses or worries of the world. Their ‘no news, no shoes’ ethos means that your footwear is placed in a little canvas bag during the short 20-minute boat ride to the resort, allowing you to just be casual and comfortable your entire stay.
Review of Visit the Residence: The perfect family getaway in the...
We returned home feeling completely rejuvenated and relaxed. From the mesmerizing colour of the water to the mouth-watering local cuisine, everything oozed luxury. For the first part of our trip, we stayed at The Residence, an exclusive and secluded retreat of unparalleled beauty in Falhumaafushi, a pristine island located in Huvadhoo Atoll one of the largest and deepest atolls in the world. After a 10-hour flight with our little boy, we were greeted by a representative from the Residence who took our luggage away for us and escorted us to the air-conditioned lounge. The hotel is located 242 miles south of Male International Airport, so after a cold drink, we boarded the scenic 55-minute flight to Kooddoo airport. This was then followed by a short mini-bus ride and speedboat direct to the resort.
Review of Head to a London ski lodge as winter is approaching...
Booking flights, looking forward to seeing family again, imagining mulled wine in front of the fireplace, or London's glittering Christmas market lights and cosy pubs...
Featuring Polo’s most prolific philanthropist Nic Roldan, sits down...
We caught up with the champion polo player to discuss the highs and lows of playing polo professionally and the impact it has on family life, as well as getting Nic’s best tips for polo amateurs. Growing up on a farm with horses is what inspired Nic Roldan to get into polo, and claims that his father being a polo player isn’t the main reason he got into the sport, he always had an interest in the speed and intensity of the game along with his love for horses. Being a professional sportsman can be stressful for anyone, but ‘polo has more highs than lows’ as Nic gets to play the sport he loves and is around horses constantly, all whilst travelling the world and visiting beautiful countries. According to Nic, the lows are ‘the same as any sport, it’s a very cut throat, competitive and intense sport.’ The sport also requires a huge amount of investment in the horses which can be incredibly stressful and unlike most other sports. However ‘it is tough to say there are any other lows when you get to do what you love to do as a career, what could be better?’
Featuring The Best Concierge Doctor Service in London
Whilst typing up the consultation notes from my last patient in Harley Street, I receive a phone call from a sixty-year-old gentleman, on business in the UK from the USA for two days. He’s staying at arguably the most luxurious hotel in the capital and has been vomiting the moment he disembarked from his private jet the previous day...
Review of Health and wellness at the Corinthia Hotel in London
The attention to detail throughout this world-class hotel is second to none. We visited to try out their new health and wellbeing package, The Brain Power Package, which promised to leave us feeling refreshed. As soon as we arrived, the doorman was already at our service, ready to whisk us into the hotel’s lobby. The first thing we noticed? Every member of staff that we met always introduced themselves first, which signifies the establishment’s friendliness and approachability. We checked ourselves in with ease as our concierge led us straight to our room via the lobby’s set of lifts (note, there are quite a few ways to get to your room via the different lifts) and then proceeded to give us a little tour of the room, which was indeed, spacious, temperature-controlled and utterly refreshing. If you are travelling with little ones, The Corinthia Hotel is nothing short of accommodating. We travelled with our 5-month old son and to our delight, a beautifully laden-out cot was prepared with the little one’s own amenities including a set of Burt’s Bees toiletries, blanket, stuffed toy elephant and a set of robe and slippers.
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