When it came to luxury hotel brands, Mandarin Oriental had been one that had always eluded me. Despite often being seduced by their marketing – I particularly love their slogan of ‘I’m a fan’ –, I had somehow never had the occasion to actually stay at one. Until my most recent experience at the exquisite … More Mandarin Oriental Singapore: My comprehensive review
With Muscat being the beautiful, low-key city that it is, I wanted to find a property that matched that classy, chilled vibe. I knew I wanted to be by the coast, and was looking for somewhere reputable and upscale that didn’t completely shatter my budget (Oman has one of the strongest currencies in the world … More Crowne Plaza Muscat: My review
When looking to book my most recent trip to Doha for the F1 grand prix, I noticed a few new hotels had popped up in the city since my last visit. One of those was the Andaz Doha by Hyatt, which opened in early 2025. Boasting the vibrant, edgy décor the Andaz brand is known … More Andaz Doha: My comprehensive review
Modern-day China is no stranger to luxury. Its urban centres are packed full of glittering high-rise, many of these housing 5-star hotels. And Chengdu, its fourth largest city, with a population of around 20 million people, is no different. It had been over 10 years since I had last visited China (read my top tips … More Ritz-Carlton Chengdu: My comprehensive review
After a 6-hour drive from its sister property in Siem Reap (which I found to be an excellent base for exploring Angkor Wat), I was really excited to experience the Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh. I knew it was going to be a very different style – the Siem Reap property being a low-rise resort … More Courtyard by Marriott Phnom Penh: My review
In the urban Asian metropolis that is Seoul, there is certainly no dearth of top-class hotels. And, as I stepped into the lower lobby of the JW Marriott, where a giant necklace-like sculpture drops from the ceiling as a zen centrepiece, I was in no doubt I had chosen one of the very best of … More Hotel review: JW Marriott Seoul
Azerbaijan is known as the ‘Land of Fire’; indeed its ancient Persian name of Aturpatakan roughly translates to ‘a place where the sacred fire is preserved’. It lies in an oil-rich part of the world with intense geothermal activity that includes mud volcanoes and natural-gas fires that blaze continuously on hillsides. The region was also … More Hotel review: Fairmont Baku Flame Towers
