Hotel Reviews
Atura, Adelaide
Check-in go to woah in under 90 seconds. Reception was peopled by cheery, efficient staff who clearly realised I was the walking dead after 30-odd hours on the go. Reception is in the free-flowing communal ground floor, an open plan space shared with the hotel’s bar and restaurant, and all decked out in warm, unfussy décor. Ten out of ten.
Al Najada, Doha
Swift, efficient and friendly check in. A sea of smiles greeted me on arrival at Al Najada as the car pulled in, and reception was just as cheery. There was no problem with the early (6am) check-in, and I was served a restorative cup of tea while the concierge completed the formalities.
The enthusiastic air-conditioning in the marble lobby slapped the jet lag right out of me, but the hotel’s chill factor soon became my BFF. Even in October, Qatar’s climate is smouldering.
Anantara, Dubai
Exhaustion was setting in and I was close to seizing the map from her hand and making a dash for it … but Lolly the receptionist was far too lovely.
The friendly duty manager double-checked to make sure everything was in order — even arranging for late-night room service, as we had missed the restaurant booking included in our room rate. The property is vast so we jumped aboard a tuk-tuk and were driven to our villa. We scoffed our green curry chicken, the delightful macarons (complete with gold leaf) and collapsed into bed.
Lights out.
Cliveden House Hotel, England
Nothing ordinary ever happened here, nor could it.
Getting there was far from ordinary.
My clapped-out rental had broken down twice. With the exhaust rattling and the hazard lights jammed on and blinking at warp speed, I resorted to wrapping the car in duct tape.
The rivulet of anxiety at driving in a foreign country had gushed to full-blown panic as I fishtailed the icy roads of Taplow in Buckinghamshire, skidding the last few kilometres to the Italianate mansion.
Atura, Adelaide
Al Najada, Doha
Anantara, Dubai
Cliveden House, UK
El Palace, Barcelona
There was something Narnia wardrobe and other worldly about El Palace as the revolving door propelled me into a nirvana of liveried bellboys, fragrant, long-stemmed roses and chandeliers. Check-in was as polished as the gleaming brass balustrades.
El Palace, Barcelona
Metropol, Moscow
Any concerns about the austere exterior of the Metropol and its airport-like security on entering were quickly banished by the ornate chandeliers, efficient team at reception and effortless check-in. An army of liveried porters whisked my luggage away at lightning speed.
A five-minute walk to the Kremlin, Red Square, Saint Basil's Cathedral with its cupcake domes, and GUM department store — and smack-bang in the centre of town. The hotel is vast and its street frontage and adjacent shops are garnished with designer labels from Bentley to Dolce & Gabanna.
Metropol, Moscow
Raffles, Dubai
A seemingly infinite reception desk staffed by an army of superhuman, super-polite receptionists made for a 10-out-of-10 "blink and it's over" check-in experience — exactly what you want after a 17-hour flight. No issues with my very early check-in.
A vast, 70 sq m Club Room complete with butler and access to the Raffles Club, where you're fed and watered with a constant flow of between-meal meals. Two queen-size beds, a sofa with chaise and a writing desk made for a comfortable in-room lounging about experience.
Raffles, Dubai
Saint James, Paris
After visiting the Palace of Versailles, I was terrified I might have exhausted all my oohs and ahhs, but I needn’t have worried, Saint James’ eccentric, yet elegant interior design, radiates a beauty all its own.
It even has a Hall of Mirrors! Here, Classicism, elegance and downright daring live side by side, with a great dollop of glamour.
Saint James, Paris
Thornbury Castle, England
Arriving at Thornbury Castle is a regal affair.
I passed through a chocolate box village, alongside a Victorian gatehouse, up a sweeping driveway and under the arch of the main castle into the courtyard.
There’s no parking in a far-off car park and dragging your cases half a mile to your digs, your immersion in the world of Tudor hospitality starts the moment you alight from your vehicle, right next to the castle.
Thornbury Castle, UK
Tresanton, England
Absolutely flawless. After an hour driving through horizontal rain to St Mawes during a thunderstorm, dodging Cornish hedgerows and sundry bewildered badgers, it was much appreciated. Professional, slick and quick, the staff were uber efficient.
The carpark is at the top of the cliff and I was at the bottom, but my luggage magically appeared in my room before me. Just in time for cocktail hour and the most divine Aperol Spritz.
And the superlatives kept coming.
Ten out of ten.
Tresanton, UK