Hotel Reviews

As one of this country’s most beloved modern artists, it was only a matter of time before quadruple Archibald Prize winner Vincent Fantauzzo received his very own Art Series Hotel. The Australian hotel brand, now owned by AccorHotels, is a decade on from their first property – Melbourne favourite The Cullen – and has continually…

The Peppers brand has always been a valuable player in Australia’s hotel industry, with a penchant for seeking out great locations and turning in interesting accommodations with distinct identities. From the mighty bright Peppers Soul on the Gold Coast, to the fascinating Peppers Silo Hotel in Launceston, which has converted disused silos into luxury accommodation…

The Ovolo Hotels brand is one that you’ve probably seen popping up quite a bit of late, with new openings in Australia (including this one in Brisbane). But the brand all started in Hong Kong about 18 years ago. It was a hotel placed in a slim building in the heart of Hong Kong (literally…

Legendary Phuket resort Sri Panwa has operated in a league of its own since opening in 2005. Almost 15 years later, the property, which tops the jagged jungled-covered Cape Panwa along the island’s south-eastern tip, has welcomed celebrities and royal family members from all over the globe. Snoop Dogg (while going through his confusing Reggae-tinged…

Built into an unassuming front, situated in the heart of Hobart and boasting water views from many of its rooms, the Mantra Collins Hotel delivers everything one may want from a visit to Tasmania’s capital. The rooms themselves boast a contemporary design with a touch of luxury, and a taste of the practical, with a…

Name any city around the world and you’re bound to find a cluster of its best hotels lying around the central business district or the bucketlist landmarks. Very few tend to play outside of these invisible borders, and when they do, they’re often of the “you get what you pay for” compromise. For visitors, this…

Jordan is a suburb you’ll find in Hong Kong’s Yau Tsim Mong District, and a lot like the rest of the city, it’s densely populated, with tens of thousands living in an area roughly one square kilometer in size. But it also is among the most diverse areas you’ll find in the entire country. With the…

Saying a hotel had a “motel vibe” used to be a dirty word, but now it’s a bit chic, with clever hoteliers renovating outdated accommodation options into hotels bursting with sophistication and modern comforts – all with a touch of nostalgia. One such hotel is The Burrard, located less than 15 minutes walk from Vancouver…

One of the newer locations for the international Intercontinental chain finds itself in San Diego; a luxury 400 room, 19 floor hotel which opened in September last year. The brand’s 3rd property in Southern California, the hotel sits right on the revitalised San Diego Bayfront. About the Room I stayed on the 15th room in…

As one of the top rated boutique hotels in Victoria, British Columbia, The Oswego Hotel gets by beautifully on the simple pillars of good hospitality, great guest rooms, and excellent food and wine. Although you’d expect nothing less; as BC’s capital and one of the most pleasant small cities in the world (something that’s been…

Also known as “Surf City USA”, Huntington Beach sits along a straight stretch of the Pacific Coast Highway, with the Pacific Ocean seeming to stretch on forever; this section of the beach iconic for the concrete pier that stretches out into the Ocean, and the great food, drink and lifestyle options that accompany it. One of…

In Covent Garden, just on the outskirts of the heart of theatre district (London’s West End), is one of the area’s finest hotels, St Martins Lane London. But this is luxury with a twist – with a green revolving door at the entry, and an eccentric design collection that await you in the hotel’s spacious lobby….

Marriott has the W, IHG have Hotel Indigo, and Sofitel (owned by Accor) have the rapidly growing “SO/”. Hotel brands known for their warm luxurious embraces have, in the past decade especially, finessed their respective languages and funnelled them into younger, energetic off-shoots that fully commit to the “luxury boutique” label and thrive on individuality….

The Dead Sea can hardly be claimed as a new attraction. When Christ was born not even 50km away, Cleopatra had already built the world’s first spas on the shore of the famously salty lake, so that she could bathe in the mineral-rich waters and retain her youthful looks. Clearly it worked, and many others…

No one who has been to Canberra in the past few years would dare say the city lacks character. Though Australia’s capital may be better known as the seat of a chaotic political scene, its not hard to be won over by world-class museums, stunning urban vineyards, classic markets, spectacular light festivals and an exceptional…

L.A-originated Paligroup have officially stretched out of the Golden State and headed up coast, opening their first boutique hotel in Seattle in what is easily the city’s most valuable location. Building on a reputation for dependable, eclectic neighbourhood hotels and suites like Palihotel Melrose and Palihouse West Hollywood, the recently opened Palihotel Seattle has sprung…

Of the four Fairmont properties in Vancouver, only two can claim the distinction of immense waterfront views. Grand harbour vistas that stretch all the way to majestic coastal mountains, promising inspiration for all those who visit the great British Columbian city, immediately connecting them with the sense of adventure that gives Vancouver its allure. Unbeatable…

“This is so incredible. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate them doing this.”, I heard a woman saying as I entered the new TWA Hotel at New York’s JFK, which opened yesterday alongside the modern Terminal 5. She said she used to work for the airline in the 70’s, and was wearing her…

There may not be a hotel group as iconic in Canada as Fairmont. From Quebec and Whistler, to Lake Louise and Vancouver, the defining locations of this inspiring country are almost always accompanied by one of Fairmont’s historic properties. The group boasts an enviable claim on location, thanks to its history and position in Canada’s…

Arriving on a train into Cardiff station, it was a 15 minute walk through the heart of the busy city on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to take me to the relatively recently opened Hotel Indigo Cardiff; hidden away in the Dominions Arcade. Like many Hotel Indigo’s around the world, this hotel has been built into the…

With Singapore’s Bicentennial commemorative events in full swing, one hotel which promises to keep you in the heart of the action is the The Fullerton Bay Hotel. The hotel, which opened in 2001, sits in Singapore’s GPO building, built some 100 years ago – a tradition which will continue in Sydney later this year when the…

In a relatively quiet area of East Perth is where you’ll find Mantra on Hay, not as central as some of Mantra’s – well, now Accor’s – other properties in the “most isolated city in the world”, but close enough that you don’t feel like you’re missing any of Perth’s increasingly energetic social scene. It’s…

As part of Marriott’s highly regarded “Autograph Collection”, the one of a kind Press Hotel in Portland, Maine is a shining example of the kind of magic one can spark when channeling a building’s history into something new and exciting. In this case, it’s the site of the old Portland Press Herald newspaper, the state’s…

On the Western edge of Perth’s densely packed CBD, opposite the vibrant piazza of Kings Square, and a short walk from the nightclub lined streets of Northbridge and Perth’s busy RAC Arena, stands the modest Peppers Kings Square. It’s a hotel that boasts an enviable, dynamic location and has a lot to offer guests and…

Set in the heart of Downtown El Paso, and having just opened up mid last year, is the new hotel and convention centre from Courtyard by Marriott. Sitting in a hub of museums and just around the corner from the El Paso train station, the 9 floor hotel boasts a stunning outdoor pool that overlooks…

I can’t take my eyes off the bedhead in my Deluxe River View Room. First my phone scans it – vertically and horizontally (because social media demands both orientations now) – and then my eyes. I’m mesmerised. The scene of gold, Elephants and gods painted across dark wooden panels, is the most striking feature of…

The “hotel within a hotel” concept has been done before in Las Vegas; it didn’t work out particularly well for Marriott’s famously funky W brand – although location had a lot to do with it – but the concept has proven viable before, particularly with long-standing favourite Nobu Hotel. It’s an interesting approach to redefining…

Tucked off Wickham Street in the Fortitude Valley is one of Brisbane’s finest and newest hotels, sitting comfortably alongside a slew of great dining and entertainment options in the city’s famously bustling district. The hotel in mention, Ovolo The Valley in many ways sits at the heart of this, surrounded by an area of Brisbane…

You don’t have to look hard to find a picture-perfect villa in Bali. The shimmering private pool, the immaculate bathroom and the lofty bedroom – and we’re just talking about the small ones – is the now generic Villa recipe plastered all over social media (mostly Instagram) every single day by people living out their…

One would reasonably expect that Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver is entirely worthy of the opulent luxury brand and its reliable reputation. It is, after all, Shangri-La’s North American flagship and – so far – only one of two on the continent, with the other being in Toronto. In 2008, it was the first to open; slightly…