Having friends in the travel business makes planning a holiday quite easy. In the instance of flying to Cape Town to see some friends (and take advantage of a fantastic Qatar Airways deal, never mind the money stolen off the DWB – DOH portion of […]
While I certainly don’t mind a chain hotel (the Four Seasons Sayan is still my overall favorite property in the world), I think there’s also a time and place for a smaller, more intimate experience. While our stay at the W was lovely (those beds!), […]
The W brand has a special place in my heart. On a cool night in January at the W Doha, the idea for Room 702 came to me (of course, that was because I couldn’t sleep because we were placed over a DJ spinning nothing […]
Having been to RAK on a few occasions (mostly to visit my favorite UAE property, Banyan Tree Al Wadi) I hadn’t yet had the opportunity to stop by the upscale resort neighbor, the Waldorf Astoria. Having been to the flagship Waldorf Astoria in New York many years ago […]
My love for the Fairmont brand is a strong and steady infatuation, built on years of admiration. The Fairmont Bab Al Qasr in Abu Dhabi offers my favorite weekend package in the Emirates (which I’ve taken advantage of on numerous occasions) and the Fairmont on SZR […]
As spread out as I feel Abu Dhabi is, I’ve tended to focus my attention on venues located on the main island, near the corniche, Saadiyat Island, or Yas Island. Always wanting to expand my experience, I was happy to accept an invitation to stay […]
The Middle East is no stranger to a nice hotel room, and ten years in, I have high standards about my expectations when a new property comes along. While I certainly love luxury and well-known brands, more than anything, I like a quiet, modern room […]
Dear Shangri-La Qaryat Al Beri, I remember when you just opened — a sparkling jewel in Abu Dhabi — when you were the most exciting venue in the capital and a destination to look forward to. Unfortunately, the years have not been kind. My stay […]
With a three-hour drive from Denpasar Airport, the tiny driveway to Villa Markisa sneaks up quite quickly in the quieter northeast section of Bali. With plenty of staff on hand, our bags were quickly whisked to rooms (either in the main house or the free […]