Denbies Wine Estate is a delightful 265 acre vineyard in an area of Outstanding Beauty which has been producing wines since 1986 and as English wines finally receive the recognition they deserve, the family owners have this year opened England’s first vineyard hotel. Overlooking the vineyard the 17 room Denbies Vineyard hotel has a charm that is both English country house and contemporary in style. There is a lovely conservatory restaurant and two pretty cabanas in the g

The Hotel con Corazon sits on an unpretentious corner of the historic city of Granada, Nicaragua. This charming boutique hotel has 15 rooms, a swimming pool, tiny bar and restaurant and a lush courtyard. But the Hotel con Corazon is more than just a pretty face. The boutique property helps young Nicaraguans build a better future, as 100% of hotel profits are invested in educational projects as well as creating jobs and supporting local businesses. Inside the hotel, evidence

I recently headed north of Luxembourg City to the enchanting Ardennes district - a region rich in nature, fairy-tale castles and villages crammed with character and charm. A good starting point is pretty Esch sur Sure, home to the country’s oldest castle (927) and gateway to the Upper Sure Nature Park with trails, walks and even a solar powered boat for a guided tour of the reservoir. I stopped off at the slightly eccentric but enchanting Hotel de la Sure which has a large te

A piper, swathed in a tartan kilt, is making his way down the path to the sea front playing traditional Scottish bagpipes. He continues to play as a uniformed official ceremoniously lowers the national flag of Sri Lanka. This ceremony takes place each day at sundown at The Galle Face Hotel, one of the many old colonial practices that have endured to this day. Photo credit: Martin Sasse/lief The Galle Face Hotel has been called the ‘oldest hotel east of Suez’ and indeed is on

'This hotel is NICE', declared Sasha, my discerning 11-year-old niece on entering the Vibe hotel, Rushcutters in Sydney, Australia. I was grateful to have her with me for lots of reasons – mostly because she is great company, but also because without her we would have missed the turning and failed to get the security card work for the car park. Sasha is also a stand-out critic, so I was interested to see what she would make of this mid-range hotel that was functional and frie