Skydiving in the Maldives: Why Ifuru Island is like no other Life&Style If I’m honest, my first thought when someone offered me a trip to the Maldives was bling and boardwalks, with limited character or culture. But Ifuru Island, a 5km long oasis in the northern part of the famous luxury region, is so much more. Ifuru – meaning ‘blossom’ in the local Dhivehi language – is [...]
No Wales? No problem: Why I travelled to the World Cup even though my team weren’t there Life&Style He bought tickets to see Wales play in the World Cup before they lost their place. Can Gav Murphy find solace in California despite the lack of his beloved national team? Despite everyone and everything – we are still here!” The words of the Welsh football team’s unofficial anthem, Yma o Hyd, rang out around [...]
Can Newcastle go posh? Our honest review of city’s first five-star hotel Life&Style In a far cry from the late noughties zeitgeist of Geordie Shore, Hotel Gotham offers a fresh brand of sexy that differentiates Newcastle from its MTV days. Once famous as the hangout for characters from that reality show, like Scotty T and Gary ‘the parsnip’ Beadle, Newcastle has quietly been building a higher-end repertoire of [...]
Pan Pacific London director: The City is ‘incredibly special’ May 15, 2026 We have launched the Toast the City awards 2026 and throughout the year we’ll be speaking to some of the nominees. Today we caught up with Pan Pacific London director of marketing communications Michelle Whittemore, whose hotel has been nominated in the Best Overnight Experience category. To nominate your favourite Square Mile spots, from bars [...]
Why Burford should be your next Cotswolds weekend away February 9, 2026 If there was a Venn diagram between people who live in East London, have smart little dogsin dinky little coats and are partial to pet nat, then The Bull in Charlbury would probably be inthe middle. If you draw a Venn diagram between people who live in West London, havesmart gundogs and are partial to [...]
How Exclusive Collection’s Danny Pecorelli built the top luxury corporate hotel group in the land January 13, 2026 As managing director of Exclusive Collection, Danny Pecorelli oversees one of the country’s most distinctive luxury hotel groups, with a portfolio that spans country house hotels, a gastro pub, destination spas, Michelin-starred dining, golf, cookery schools and some of the most sought-after corporate meeting spaces in the UK. Born into the business his father founded [...]
Beyond the neon lights: Discover Tokyo’s timeless traditions January 8, 2026 Japanese culture has always had a strong influence. Whether food, anime or Pokémon, Japan has captured attention from childhood and stayed with people for years whether they’ve visited the country or not. . Art such as “The Great Wave” and traditional themes like samurai are globally recognised, reflecting the country’s craft and pursuit of perfection. [...]
The UK’s first ever reality TV show stranded people on a remote island for an entire year January 5, 2026 25 years ago the UK’s first ever fish-out-of-water reality TV show launched. Castaway 2000 stranded dozens of people on a remote Scottish island – its astonishing scope inspired shows like Big Brother, finds Adam Bloodworth. Photos by Simon Roberts It was a sunny autumn day in 1998 when TV producer Chris Kelly arrived at the [...]
Robert De Niro: Nobu reveals major London plans amid UK push November 13, 2025 Robert De Niro’s hospitality brand is open to considering new luxury residences in London after the success of its restaurants and hotel, the firm’s co-founders have exclusively told Morning Wire. Nobu Hospitality first launched in London in 1997 with a restaurant at Old Park Lane. That was followed by a hotel and restaurant in Portman [...]
Why don’t London’s luxury hotels make any money? October 13, 2025 London is home to some of the most iconic and well-known luxury hotels in the world. The Savoy, the Ritz, The Dorchester and Claridge’s, to name just a few, are renowned the world over and have played host to the ultra wealth, celebrities and royalty. Also appearing in a string of popular films, London’s luxury [...]