Soho House, owner of a network of members’ clubs, revealed Friday that its board had formed a committee to “evaluate certain strategic transactions, some of which may result in the Company becoming a private company.”
22.01.2024 - 15:25 / theguardian.com
Set in the heart of Funchal’s atmospheric Old Town, the five historic houses that make up Castanheiro offer guests an immersion in more than 300 years of Madeiran history. Communal areas in each house are filled with antique furniture and period pieces from its earlier incarnations – one as a handcraft atelier, another the home of wealthy traders – while bedrooms are sleek and modern. The cherry on the cake is the rooftop pool, with fantastic views over Funchal and plenty of quiet outdoor spaces on the walled terraces for relaxing with a book or a cocktail. There’s no restaurant, but plenty of good options within a minute or two’s stroll.
Doubles from £153 B&B; castanheiroboutiquehotel.com
Created by one of Madeira’s best-known chefs, Octávio Freitas, Socalco offers guests the chance to immerse themselves in the island’s natural landscapes, gastronomy and wine, with cookery classes, wine-tours and things to do around the farm. There’s plenty of chance to relax, too, with an honesty bar, a freshwater pool and solarium overlooking the Atlantic and gardens planted with vegetables and aromatic herbs, crisscrossed with levadas (historic aqueducts developed into walking trails). Accommodation is either in individual houses, linked by limestone paths, or rooms in the main house, with superb views out to sea.
Doubles from £133 B&B; socalconature.com
Set on a clifftop above the small resort of Ponta do Sol, this chic design hotel is a clever conversion of a former quinta, reimagining the spaces in minimalist black and white, with floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the communal spaces with crisp, bright sunlight. A great choice for a restorative break; yoga and qigong sessions are included in the rate, along with indoor and outdoor pools, sauna and steam, with a wide choice of massages available (payable on site). Cocktail hour can be taken by the outdoor fire on the bar terrace, with Mediterranean dishes given a Madeiran twist and served in the Michelin guide-listed restaurant.
Doubles from £92 B&B; pontadosol.com
Explore Madeira’s spectacular north coast by basing yourself at this clifftop quinta, with widescreen sea views and five hectares of lushly planted grounds including a large swathe of vineyard. Bedrooms are crisp and unfussy, the wellness area boasts a good-sized pool and tempting menu of massages, and dinner in the charmingly rustic restaurant – whether on the terrace on warmer evenings, or by the fire if cold – offers the chance to try classic Madeiran dishes. Ideal for walkers, many of Madeira’s spectacular levadas are close by.
Doubles from £180 B&B; quintadofurao.com
Billing itself as an island within an island, Atrio is a bucolically lovely escape, run by Emmanuelle and Mickael, who have
Soho House, owner of a network of members’ clubs, revealed Friday that its board had formed a committee to “evaluate certain strategic transactions, some of which may result in the Company becoming a private company.”
Our slow travel series explores how you can take more mindful journeys by train, boat, bus, or bike – with tips on how to reach your destination without flying, and what to see and do along the way. Here, we join Lonely Planet contributor Brian Healy on the 112-year-old Alishan Forest Railway in Taiwan following its recent makeover.
From basic mountain huts to self-catering luxury villas, there are lots of accommodation types to choose from in Croatia. Though hotels abound in cities and popular tourist destinations, the majority of accommodation on offer is made up of tourist apartments, owned and often managed by locals.
“Tender” is Them's column about all of the beautiful, delicious, and liberating ways that LGBTQ+ people work with food. From production to preparation, local farms to reimaginings of the restaurant, our community is at the forefront of what it means to nourish and be nourished today. Read more from the series here.
Luxury hotels in Thailand will be hosting "The White Lotus" season three cast in February, and they're just as swanky as the last locations.
Editor's note: Japan Airlines provided TPG with a complimentary round-trip ticket between New York and Tokyo so we could be aboard the airline's inaugural A350-1000 flight, but all opinions expressed are entirely those of the author and were not subject to review by the airline or any other external entity.
For travellers with serious hiking ambitions, there’s no better country than New Zealand. ‘Tramping’, as the locals call it, is easy and accessible in this land of fern-fringed rivers, glacial valleys and volcano calderas. But the crowning glory is its ‘Great Walks’ — a collection of 11 multi-day hiking trails that capture the best of New Zealand’s spectacular landscapes. Though easy enough to complete, tackling any one of them requires planning — so, from how to budget or book huts to what to pack, here’s all you need to know.
Five years ago, my typical day consisted of work in Downtown Philly at my regular retail job, lunch, and then clocking out to ride the SEPTA to South Philly to take on the evening shift at my seasonal retail job. When I got home, I would shower, go to bed, and do the same thing again the next morning. It was a wash, rinse, repeat routine fueled by my motivation not to return to my hometown in LA.
Hundreds of passengers ended up hundreds of miles away from their destinations as planes were caught in a storm across the UK and Ireland on Sunday.
Roots tendril out of the grassy banks, piercing the surface of the water, while giant dragonflies skim the heads of water buffaloes cooling off in the 46C heat. Nearby, African sacred ibises stand regally in the shallows and vocal laughingthrushes nestle between the seven-foot reeds. My eyes are locked on the watery scenes — I’m hoping to spot a crocodile nostril or a slinking scale, at least.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Los Angeles in collaboration with STARLUX Airlines, is excited to announce the launch of flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Chiang Mai, a captivating cultural destination in Thailand. Starting January 16th, STARLUX Airlines, renowned for their premium service will provide convenient access to the vibrant region of Northern Thailand. In celebration of this new venture, TAT Los Angeles and STARLUX Airlines hosted a cultural event on January 16th at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). The event featured the unique traditions of Chiang Mai and highlight TAT’s dedication to fostering US-Thailand travel.
Many of the issues that dogged the UK’s dining scene in 2022 did so throughout 2023 — particularly the high cost of food, which continues to have a big impact on how and what we’re eating. This is being felt most notably in the capital, where food costs are compounded by high and rising rents, contributing to what many food writers have cited as a sense that restaurants are playing it safe, at least within the city centre. As the Guardian’s food critic Grace Dent put it in her end of year review, ‘2023 seemed to be the year that London’s restaurant scene lost its edge. Outside the M25, I was eating far better’. This sense of caution can be seen among many of the trends widely cited for 2025, with humble ingredients and classic creations seeing a return in popularity. Perhaps this is why the martini is back in fashion and beans are more prevalent on the menus of hip restaurants — albeit both with fresh twists and interpretations. For all this, though, there are still plenty of exciting developments, such as the rise of music-led restaurants and fresh ingredients to explore, such as the fig leaf. Here’s what’s on the horizon for 2024.