Jumeirah Expands Further Into European Luxury Hotels

There are many historical properties turned into luxury hotels.

When Edmund Jenkins visited Bangkok recently, he knew he had to stay at the Mandarin Oriental.

Visiting London is all about hitting the big sites: Tower Bridge, the British Museum, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and, of course, Big Ben. To make every second of your time in the English capital count, book a hotel near one of those must-see places — you’ll feel fully immersed in the city, and you’ll get an eyeful of beauty every time you look out the window or step out the door. Staying in a hotel near Big Ben in London is probably the best strategy because you’re not only next door to the most famous clock tower in the world, but also to so many other must-sees: Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, Trafalgar Square, 10 Downing Street, and, the icing on the cake: Buckingham Palace. Of course, the problem with this idea is that the closer you are to the big attractions, the more expensive the accommodations, but we’ve managed to find six luxury hotels near Big Ben for a variety of budgets.

Although it is only the ninth biggest city in France, Bordeaux is certainly one that should be at the very top of your French to-do list. Not only is it the heart of the famed wine-growing region, the entire city is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, and it has more protected historic buildings than any other city in France except Paris (there are 347 listed buildings in Bordeaux). To see the city, its glorious architecture, and its excellent cultural offerings properly, you need to stay in the city center in one (or several) of the best hotels in Bordeaux, France, for every budget.

Acadia National Park stretches over a rocky and mountainous coastal landscape of the Maine coast. The park has a wild beauty reminiscent of the Pacific Northwest and is home to an extensive network of hiking trails (120 miles, in fact) and its 30 lakes are prime fishing, biking, and boating spots. Mount Desert Island, where the majority of the park is located, has a quintessentially New England atmosphere, with charming fishing villages, bustling lobster boats, and colorful buoys dotting the harbors. While there are no lodges within the boundaries, there are plenty of hotels near Acadia National Park for anyone who would prefer a comfortable bed after a day of adventuring.

Summers in my hometown of Geneva, Switzerland used to bring sunny spells, but also long, rainy periods during which one wondered whether July had suddenly morphed into November. No longer. Climate change and its resulting heat waves have transformed the aquatic landscape, and more importantly the relationship between people and Lake Geneva (also known as Lake Léman). Along the quays, outdoor bars and cafes have sprung up, and on the water, sail boats, yachts, but also kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, and even floating mattresses lend a new Mediterranean feel to this Alpine scenery.

Can hotels exert more influence in policy-making? Where will future development growth come from? Is generative AI relevant to the hotel sector? These and other subjects will be top of mind for us as we interview top bosses at Hilton, Hyatt, Accor, and other hotel leaders on-stage at the Skift Global Forum in New York on September 26-28.

Anyone who has stayed in an exuberantly designed hotel in Asia has most likely experienced the designs of Bill Bensley: the Bangkok-based designer is the creative force behind The Siam Hotel Bangkok; Rosewood Luang Prabang, Shinta Mani Angkor and Capella Hanoi among others. Apart from his hotel designs, though, Bensley is also an artist and philanthropist and those three interests combine in the first Bensley Art Trail, a 12 day tour for those interested in art, design, luxury and conservation from November 28th-December 10th. Bensley will lead it, taking 12 guests behind the scenes of several of those hotels as well as his home, with itinerary details constructed by the Bangkok based luxury, bespoke travel company Smiling Albino. Proceeds will go to the Shinta Mani Foundation which is based in Cambodia to fund 32 scholarships for students of the Shinta Mani Foundation Hospitality School, Class of 2024.

Guests commonly come in contact with numerous hotel personnel, even during short stays. They are less likely to meet—or even know about—some of the people who work behind the scenes. One of those roles is the Hotel Operations Manager.

While luxury boutique hotels have always appealed to a certain set, Small Luxury Hotels of the World is trying to create more converts. In October, it launched a marketing campaign around a so-called “private collection” to amplify the message that “smaller is better.”

The Portrait Milano debuts December 1 in the heart of Milan’s fashion district. The location makes sense, given that the 73-room property belongs to the Lungarno Collection — a group of Italian boutique hotels founded by the family of Italian loafer king, Salvatore Ferragamo.

Earlier this month, Roseate Hotels and Resorts said it is buying yet another luxury hotel in the United Kingdom — this time, a five-star boutique called The Dunstane Houses located in Edinburgh, Scotland. As with the three other UK properties Roseate has acquired, the brand will attempt to keep the decor and service practices localized.