Since July 1, 2021 Jean Imbert is the new French chef leading some 220 staff across the five restaurants at the Dorchester Collection Hôtel Palace Plaza Athénée in Paris, including the...

The famous Baron Haussmann, born Georges Eugène Haussmann (1809-1891), was largely responsible for the major public works (les Grands Travaux) of the Second Empire, which shaped modern...

After decades as a banker, Ivo Correia decided to open Sé Boutique Hotel (SBH) in Funchal on the island of Madeira. In 2017, the former bank director turned hotel owner and general manager...

Castanheiro Boutique Hotel originally opened its doors in 1991 and then again, totally renovated and refurbished, in November 2015. The family hotel with 81 rooms is situated in the...

One of the newest additions to the hospitality landscape of the city of Funchal, situated on the island of Madeira, is the four-star Hotel Caju. It opened at the end of 2019 and is the...

Because of the European covid-mess, at the last minute before Germany — unnecessarily — closed all hotels to tourists, I managed to fly to a jewel in the Atlantic Ocean: Madeira....

Just managed to escape the European covid-chaos and fly to Funchal yesterday. Halleluja! On the island of Madeira, officially,...

I was looking forward to go back to the great design hotel The Vine, where I have already stayed in 2012 and 2015. The multiple...

Quintinha de São João in Funchal, Madeira is a traditional, old-fashioned, Portuguese style family hotel with only 42 rooms....

In 1801, João José Xavier de Carvalhal Esmeraldo Bettencourt Vasconcelos Sá Machado da Câmara Leme (1778-1837; sorry for the...

Hotel Casa Velha do Palheiro is part of the Palheiro Nature Estate owned by the Blandy family, famous around the globe for their...

My hotel review of the Pestana Carlton Madeira has to start with a charming detail: instead of “Do Not Disturb”, the sign to put on your door reads in big letters: “Having...

The five-star hotel The Cliff Bay in Funchal, Madeira offers understated luxury. Set on a promontory, The Cliff Bay offers direct...

Hotel Porto Santa Maria in Funchal — the city name is the adjective of the Portuguese word for “fennel” — is part...

The history of The Connaught begins in 1815: Napoleon was definitively defeated and George III was King (1760-1820) of the ever more powerful British Empire. My first stay at the London...

A history of Amsterdam’s canal district Situated at Herengracht 341, you can find the cozy Ambassade Hotel Amsterdam, offering 56 rooms, a unique library, a rare floating experience...

A history of the Galician city of Lviv (Lwów in Polish, L’vov in Russian, Lemberg in German and Leopolis in Latin) has to...

At the end of 1998, the Old Town of the Galician city of Lviv (Lwów in Polish, L’vov in Russian, Lemberg in German and Leopolis in Latin), which has completely preserved its Medieval...

Review, history, anecdotes and design of the palace at avenue Montaigne In February 2015, I finally had the chance to rediscover the renovated and enlarged Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris....

On July 14, 1913 the elegant Polonia Palace Hotel opened it’s doors. It remains until today one of Warsaw’s few traditional luxury hotels. Founded by Count Konstanty...