As the Olympics take over Paris, the hospitality scene is expanding in the city — and beyond — with a handful of new hotel openings worth bookmarking for a visit once the crowds have died down. Le Grand Hôtel Cayré opened in the Seventh Arrondissement earlier this month with 123 rooms, all with handcrafted wooden beds and mustard yellow velvet chairs, some with balconies and views of the Sacre Coeur or Eiffel Tower. In Carry-le-Rouet, a seaside village outside of Marseille, L’Hôtel Bleu’s design follows its name with 44 harbor-view rooms decorated in shades of blue. The property’s restaurant offers three seafood-heavy, Mediterranean-inspired tasting menus, while a private cinema room can be reserved when the weather calls for some indoor time. Further east toward Cannes, in the commune of Mougins, Hôtel Le Mas Candille was recently redesigned by the architect and decorator Hugo Toro, whose hand-painted patterns appear on the curtains and carpets in the 46 rooms. Its Glow House spa has four treatment rooms, each with its own terrace, and a private swimming pool overlooking Provence. In Nice’s old town, Hôtel du Couvent opened last month within a 17th-century convent surrounded by two-and-a-half acres of gardens. The former nuns’ herbal shop has been revived and now offers personalized remedies, some made from herbs grown on the property. There’s also a bathing area with pools of varying temperatures inspired by the nearby Roman baths.
I spent $135 to have dinner in a cave in Bali. The food was delicious, but there are better ways to experience the island.
23.07.2024 - 11:53 / insider.com
It's not every day that a chef gets a chance to open a restaurant in a cave.
So Ryan Clift, the chef and owner of Tippling Club, an award-winning restaurant and cocktail bar in Singapore, seized exactly that opportunity when it arose.
It all started when a close family friend, the interior designer Caroline Usher, told him a cave had been discovered on a hotel property she was working on in Bali.
"I said, 'I'm going to put a restaurant in there!'" Clift told me when we met earlier this year in Singapore.
After about seven years of planning and construction, The Cave by chef Ryan Clift opened its doors in May 2022 at The Edge, a resort in Bali.
Dining at the restaurant is meant to be an immersive adventure, Clift said.
It's a two-hour experience, and it's not just about food. Light projections on the cave ceiling serve as breaks between courses.
"We have a little cave off the side. We have these little hard hats that people can wear and go exploring," Clift said.
I first came across The Cave on TikTok.
Bali's tourism scene is exploding. With its well-connected international airport, lush scenery, and famous beaches, it has become a hotspot for digital nomads and expats who can build their dream houses anywhere in the world.
While the island is now home to a mix of affordable surf hostels and high-end resorts, it doesn't have any Michelin-starred restaurants. It does, however, have a range of high-end dining options, like Locavore and Room4Dessert, the latter of which was featured on Netflix's Chef's Table.
The Cave still stands out from the rest of the dining scene, Gita Widyasari, an Asia Pacific travel concierge for Jacada Travel, a luxury tour operator, told me.
"The Cave is arguably the most distinctive fine dining experience in Bali," Widyasari said.
The Cave's setting sets it apart from its competitors, Widyasari, who was born in Bali and recently dined at The Cave, said.
"The Cave's location and its accomplished menu are helping to place Bali firmly within the international culinary scene as we strive to gain our first Michelin star in the not-too-distant future," she said.
For my part, I saw the restaurant being hyped by travelers on TikTok, who praised the one-of-a-kind experience and the picturesque cave setting.
Bali is a little under three hours by plane from Singapore, where I'm based,and I was going to be on the island for work anyway, so I decided to give it a shot.
The restaurant has 22 seats, so I made a dinner reservation a few weeks before my trip. I picked the seven-course set menu, which was priced at 1.75 million++ Indonesian rupiah, or about $110, and had to pay a deposit.
Related stories
The Cave is located in The Edge, a resort inUluwatu, at the southern tip of the island.
The World's Most Powerful Passports: Find Out Where Your Country Ranks
In a shift in global mobility rankings, Singapore has claimed the top spot in the 2024 Henley Passport Index released on Wednesday, granting its citizens visa-free access to 195 countries.
I spent 3 nights in Asia's least visited country. It also turned out to be the most expensive.
I graduated from college two years ago and set a goal for myself to visit at least 50 countries before I turn 30.
Copy My Trip: a week of island hopping around the Azores
Jul 23, 2024 • 6 min read
Qatar Airways CEO to See First Class Suite Prototype Thursday
A new first class cabin is on the way at Qatar Airways, but it might take a little longer to arrive than expected. Speaking to , Badr Mohammed Al-Meer revealed that he is due to see a prototype of the new top-tier seat on Thursday.
10 of the best things to do in Delhi
Jul 23, 2024 • 5 min read
Some airports were forced to use whiteboards to handwrite flight information due to the global IT outage
Staff at several airports had to handwrite flight information on whiteboards due to a worldwide IT outage.
I've visited over 40 countries. These are 6 of the most overrated tourist attractions I've ever seen.
Having visited over 40 countries, I've been fortunate enough to experience many of the world's most famous tourist attractions.
The Recovery in Air Travel from China Is Happening… But It's Slow
International air travel from China is recovering, but set to remain at a fraction of what it was in 2019, according to data platform OAG.
StayVista: Indians Are Finally Ready to Embrace Alternative Stays
The demand for alternative accommodations in India is at an early stage but continues to grow.
7 of the best places in Southeast Asia for solo travelers
Jul 12, 2024 • 11 min read
Banyan Group Set to Have Record Year of Luxury Hotel Openings
Banyan Group is set to open a record number of luxury hotels and resorts this year. The Singapore-based luxury hotel operator also plans to expand into the Bahamas and introduce a residential rental offering, according to an update this month.