Travel Notes: February
SARAH RICHER/UNSPLASH
NAB A FREE FLIGHT:
Hong Kong Give Away
If you’ve always wanted to visit Hong Kong, now could be your chance as the city’s tourism department is set to give away half a million free flight tickets to attract more tourists. As part of the ‘Hello Hong Kong’ campaign, tickets will be distributed through airline Cathay Pacific – and there will be an allocated number for European tourists released in May. If that wasn’t enough, the Hong Kong tourism board will give away one million spending vouchers to help you explore the city. To win a ticket, bookmark the Cathay Pacific World of Winners hub page below, which will release more information soon.
HEAD TO A FABULOUS BEACH CLUB:
One&Only Reethi Rah Maldives x Missoni
Luxury Maldivian resort One&Only Reethi Rah has collaborated with Italian fashion house Missoni for a Beach Club takeover. As part of the brand's Missoni Resort Club project, parasols, loungers, cabanas, beach towels and even the DJ booth have been decked out in the brand’s signature striped pattern. Until the end of the year, you’ll also find Missoni buggies, paddleboards and bicycles, as well as a pop-up boutique selling the brand’s resort and beachwear and travel accessories.
Visit OneAndOnlyResorts.com
VISIT THE WHITE LOTUS SET:
Villa Tasca
If you were hooked on White Lotus, you can now visit and stay in the villa featured in the Golden Globe-winning show. Available to rent on Airbnb, the grand Italian villa is in Palermo and sleeps eight guests across four spacious bedrooms. As you’d expect, each room is ultra-luxury with palatial ceilings, vintage furniture and sumptuous marble bathrooms. There are also four living rooms, a games room, music rooms and a swimming pool surrounded by beautifully lush gardens with trellis-lined balconies. Ideal for an extravagant event or trip, the villa is fully staffed too.
Visit Airbnb.co.uk
PLAN A ROMANTIC GETAWAY:
Casa La Siesta
London-based design studio Kitesgrove has designed a suite at Casa La Siesta, a boutique hotel in the southern Spanish city of Cadiz. Perfect for a romantic getaway, the hotel was created from reclaimed finds; the new room blends in with the chic aesthetic, featuring an earthy palette of neutral tones with accents of terracotta, and a mixture of textures and like rattan, linen, wool, raffia and wicker. There’s also a beautiful bathroom with Kitesgrove tiles – we love the look of the scalloped mirror and antique brass wall lights.
Visit CasaLaSiesta.com
HEAD ON A MYSTERY TRIP:
Srprs.me
Not sure where to go next? Srprs.me is the booking platform that provides mystery trips for spontaneous travellers. To book a flight or road trip, answer a few questions about what you like and whether you’d prefer a luxury holiday or shoestring trip. Once you’ve secured the dates, download the app via the link and pack your bags. Then, two hours before departure, the app will reveal your destination and itinerary. Srprs.me has just launched a Sunny Escape route for guaranteed sunshine at a southern European destination. City breaks starts at £325pp for five days and an island break starts at £645pp for seven.
Visit Srprs.me
PLAN AN ADVENTURE HOLIDAY:
Kerlingarfjöll
With Iceland tipped to be a must-see destination this year, it’s worth having The Blue Lagoon Family – a collection of sustainable destinations and resorts – on your radar. This spring, it will open Kerlingarfjöll in the Ásgarður Valley, a protected nature reserve at the edge of a remote mountain range deep in Iceland’s central highlands. One of the few accommodation options in the breath-taking mountains, the resort will comprise a hotel with 46 rooms and two suites with a geothermal hot tub; highland base huts with bunk beds and shared facilities for families or small groups travelling together; and a riverside campsite – an affordable option for an outdoor adventure. Guests can try everything from hiking and mountain biking to swimming in geothermal valleys and cross-country skiing during the winter months.
Visit Kerlingarfjoll.com
PACK FOR A TROPICAL HOLIDAY:
La Valise Jungle
Whether you’re looking for honeymoon destinations or want a luxury hotel to relax in after exploring Mexico’s bustling cities, Tulum recently welcomed La Valise Jungle. Sandwiched between lush jungle and a pearl-white beach, rooms overlook the treetops with high palapa ceilings and neutral décor that blends into its surroundings. Beds can even be wheeled out onto the terrace so you can watch the sunrise and spot wildlife. Guests can visit the nearby zero-waste farm-to-table restaurant NU, or walk across to its sister property, La Valise Tulum, for access to the beach, sun beds and another restaurant.
Visit LaValiseTulum.com
FEED YOUR WANDERLUST:
Lonely Planet’s The Islands Book
This inspiring coffee table book by Lonely Planet features 150 of the world’s most beautiful islands. Thanks to photography, illustrations and maps, readers can hop across tropical destinations in remote corners of the world to cosmopolitan archipelagos, discovering fascinating stories about each island. In true Lonely Planet fashion, each island has five experiences plotted on a bespoke illustrated map, including trips to see natural wonders, food and drink recommendations, and wildlife watching spots.
Visit Amazon.co.uk
WORK OUT & RELAX:
The Garden Club and Palm Heights Athletics at Palm Heights
If you’re planning a Caribbean getaway, Palm Heights is the boutique hotel in the Cayman Islands to bookmark. Right on the beach, the hotel has cool 1970s-style décor complete with vintage furniture and ocean views. This month, the hotel will open a spa and wellness area. The Garden Club has an outdoor hammam, an infra-red sauna, a steam room, ice room, outdoor bathing lounge and a variety of hot and cold plunge pools. Meanwhile, Palm Heights Athletics comprises a 40m sprint track, boxing ring, specialist dance and Pilates spaces plus world-class training equipment.
Follow @PalmHeightsGC on Instagram.
BOOK AN EPIC GROUP TRIP:
ARC
Founded last year by architectural designer Tom Leahy, ARC is a growing collection of country houses in the UK. Combining unique architecture, interiors and landscapes with local experiences, its properties in Painswick and Padstow each have space for up to 30 guests. This month, it’s launching ARC Lobby, a concierge service to make your trip that bit more special. Services include locally sourced food specialities delivered to the door, a private bartender for a cocktail night, and an at-home murder mystery evening (complete with actors to guide the storytelling). You can even book horse-riding excursions, quad biking and a private pizza van.
Visit ARC.Club
ESCAPE TO THE CITY OF LOVE
Too Hotel, Paris
If you want excellent views in Paris without the crowds, put TOO Hotel at the top of your list. Having opened a few months ago, it’s already popular with tourists and locals who queue outside to get into its buzzy rooftop restaurant and bar. Opened by Laurent Taïeb (also behind the Madame Rêve hotel) and with interiors by Philippe Starck, the hotel occupies the top eight floors of one of the tallest buildings in Paris. Up there, you’ll find 139 rooms and suites – some with views of the Eiffel Tower – and a chic restaurant for lunch and dinner. Nearly every room in the hotel has spectacular views, but the very best are reserved for the TacTac Sky Bar where DJs play house and jazz in the evenings while waiters deliver pan-Asian sharing plates and cocktails. There’s also a spa and an outdoor jacuzzi.
Visit TOOHotel.com
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