Joali Being: inside the Maldives’ pioneering wellness resort
By John O’Ceallaigh When I visited Joali resort in Raa Atoll in the Maldives shortly before its opening in 2018, I was told about its founders’ plans to build another…
Introducing Lanserhof Sylt: the new German medispa that will be Europe’s most expensive resort
By John O’Ceallaigh Germany isn’t known for its beaches, which suits Sylt’s wealthy residents and discerning holidaymakers well. Fringed by a 40km-long beach, the North Sea island is referred to…
First Look: Bulgari Resort Los Angeles revealed
By John O’Ceallaigh Bulgari Hotels & Resorts has just announced that its second US property will open in 2025. If you were to stab a guess at its location from…
Torfhús Retreat: Iceland’s wild and wonderful resort
By John O’Ceallaigh Iceland is full of surprises: the first thing I saw when I arrived at Torfhús Retreat was a chef giving a wall a haircut. About a 90-minute…
The Retreat at Giraffe Manor: The Nairobi Instagrammers’ idyll expands
Irritating though I often find Instagram to be, usage of it feels like a professional necessity if you’re in the luxury-travel industry: for better or worse, there are so many…
Pac Pacific London: The capital’s new hotel that will be “a haven in the City”
By John O’Ceallaigh With business travel still suffering and so many one-time office inmates now enthusiastically working from home, it perhaps isn’t the best time to open a new hotel…
London’s best hotel suites (reviewed by somebody who has actually stayed in them)
By John O’Ceallaigh One niche journalism specialism I’ve developed over the years is appraising the world’s best hotel suites. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it, etc….
Borgo Santandrea: The new Amalfi Coast cliff hotel that has the look of a modern classic
By John O’Ceallaigh All that Covid stuff notwithstanding, things must feel pretty good in Italy right now. There was that recent Eurovision win and then last week’s UEFA Euro triumph,…
Ultima Cannes Le Grand Jardin: the island hideaway competing to be the Cote d’Azur’s most exclusive villa
By John O’Ceallaigh Though heavily impacted by C***d regulations, the Cannes Film Festival is taking place IRL this year. While it may not be the most egalitarian of occasions, its…
Carlye & Co: Rosewood Hotels’ new members’ club revitalises real-life social networking
By John O’Ceallaigh Back in March 2019, I stayed at the Rosewood Hong Kong hotel to attend its heaving, no-expense-spared opening party; even with all the competing distractions offered by…