Monthly Archives: May 2015

cruises river boats Bordeaux european-square
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French river cruises | Viking longships | French countryside | castles and wine

Garbo
Cool, understated elegance that belies inner sparkle and sizzle.

From the Mekong to the Amazon, Bordeaux to Budapest, river cruises are proving the new “nine-to-five adventure”. Longships are tapping into what seems an insatiable desire for good food, fine wines, providore markets and ancient towns along the waterways of France. Susan Skelly reports from the comfort zone. If proof were needed that river cruising…

Tiffany&Co blue-book-launch aquamarine and turquoise necklace with diamonds
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Statement jewellery | Tiffany & Co | NYC Blue Book launch | Francesca Amfitheatrof

Monroe
Sexy and glamorous. Red carpet ready. Did someone say 'rescue fantasy'?

  Tiffany & Co has a history of stellar designers such as Jean Schlumberger, Elsa Peretti and Paloma Picasso. Now Francesca Amfitheatrof adds to the 178-year-old jeweller’s legacy. In New York, Susan Skelly previewed the artistic director’s first Blue Book. In the icy month of February, traffic isn’t the only thing that’s being disrupted in…

London West End Sherlock Holmes Sleuth city
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Sign of the Sleuth | London | West End |Sherlock Holmes

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

London’s East End got all the love in the lead up to the Olympic Games, but, reports Susan Skelly, the West End has always been a precinct of interest for sleuths. Just ask Sherlock Holmes. London W1: home to The Ritz, Claridges, The Dorchester, Brown’s Hotel, Charlotte Street and the Sanderson. One of its oldest…

hayman island resort pool beach villa accommodation one and only
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Luxury hotels | Hot accommodation | Sensational suites

Garbo
Cool, understated elegance that belies inner sparkle and sizzle.

A hotel can be as much a part of the travel experience as the destination, whether it’s the location, interiors, room service, staff or just the way it makes you feel like a jetsetter. These are establishments that have left a good impression at home and abroad on the Excess All Areas travellers Adelaide The Mayfair…

Barcelona food tapas snacks dom perignon tomato airbags
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Goliath and Goliath | elBulli with bubbles | Dom’s vintage vision

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

A collaboration between two food and wine behemoths raises questions about directions for gastronomy, dining, and future-proofing luxury brands, reports Susan Skelly. It’s mid-April 2015 and Ferran Adrià is back in the kitchen for a three-night stand, four years after closing his celebrated three Michelin-starred elBulli close to the town of Roses in the north…

mandarin-oriental-paris-france-susan-skelly
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A luxurious speed date with Paris

Brando
Charisma and character - and just a little bit game-changing. Action!

The City of Light is full of spectacle and surprise. New(ish) is a 2.3km stretch on the Left Bank, given over to cyclists, walkers and families. Foodies have been talking about small, wine-focused neighbourhood restaurants: Bones, Septime, Le Verre Vol, Le Chateaubriand, Monsieur Bleu and L’Atelier Rodier. Artisanal shops are the icing on the gateau….

First class bed home away from home emirates flat bed
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First class upgrade | luxury travel |Dom Perignon vintage

Monroe
Sexy and glamorous. Red carpet ready. Did someone say 'rescue fantasy'?

What’s the best sound a traveller can hear? It just might be the gentle ripping up of a boarding pass at the gate. More often than not it signifies an upgrade. Turning left to First, at the pointy end of the plane, turns out to be the icing on a Barcelona holiday cake. So what…

Paloma-Picasso-morocco
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Q&A: Tiffany & Co | Paloma Picasso | Marrakesh

Brando
Charisma and character - and just a little bit game-changing. Action!

The ancient Moroccan city of Marrakesh  inspired some of Paloma Picasso’s best works for jeweller Tiffany & Co, including the iconic Zellige collection. She shared its charms with Susan Skelly. I have lived in Marrakesh since … 2006, but have been visiting since 1980 and so has my husband, Eric [Thvenet]. My first impression of the…

Hong Kong skyline nightlife
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Hong Kong | Nurtured by neon | Shopping |Best food

Brando
Charisma and character - and just a little bit game-changing. Action!

With flights to Hong Kong from Sydney daily, reports Susan Skelly, a short break in the electropop city has never been more appealing. Just enough time to speed date the hottest eateries, be dazzled by the mega-malls, scour the alleyways for antiques and mementos and locate the cool art. The transport system is peerless, so pick…

Centennial Hotel marble long table reflected in mirror Athol Wright
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Centennial Hotel | Chef Justin North | Sydney dining

Groucho
Brainy and cheeky. Witty and inventive. Always smoking hot.

Is it a dining room, lounge, bar or art gallery? As it is, the Centennial Hotel in Woollahra ticks all the boxes. And you can throw in upmarket pub. Centennial Hotel is part of the Halcyon Hotel Group’s portfolio, which also includes the Woolwich Pier Hotel, the Woolloomooloo Bay Hotel and the recently purchased Buena…

Copyright © Susan Skelly 2020.