Hotels

The chalet's pool and luxury spa

Stay the night: Chalet Shemshak, Courchevel

It's not cheap, but gourmet food, a pool, and your own driver all soften the blow, says Minty Clinch

Inside Hotels

<p><b>Hotel Nôtre Dame, Latin Quarter:</b> What could be more evocatively Parisian than views of the Seine and Nôtre Dame and whimsical interior design by Christian Lacroix? That's the promise at this 26-room Left Bank hotel. While the 400-year-old exterior is indicative of its three-star status, the rooms are a cut above: wallpapers emblazoned with black tulips, jasmine and peacocks, faux-medieval wall-hangings and trompe l'oeil carpets that appear to look like cut logs. </p> <i>Hotel Nôtre Dame, 1 Quai Saint-Michel, 5th Arrondissement (00 33 1 43 54 20 43; hotelnotredameparis.com). Doubles from ?159, room only.</i>

The Big Six: Chic Parisian hideaways

Saturday, 19 February 2011

From views of the Seine and Nôtre Dame to a hotel that pays homage to the literary greats...

Kulm runnings: A fantastic view in St Moritz

Stay the night: Kulm hotel, St Moritz

Sunday, 13 February 2011

The venerable hotel is the birthplace of snow-sports tourism. Stay here and you could ride the Cresta Run, says Simone Kane

<p><b>Shakti 360 Leti, India:</b> These four solar-powered, stone-and- glass cottages have sweeping views over the Himalayas and come with wood-burning stoves and pashmina-draped beds. The exclusive retreat is the perfect place to recharge your batteries. There's no internet or mobilephone reception: just gourmet food and wine, long hikes through rhododendrons (from March until the end of May) ? and space. Shakti 360 Leti, Kumaon, India (020-3151 5177; shaktihimalaya.com).</p> <p>Three-night packages start at US$1,825 (£1,216) per person fullboard with activities,the services of a guide and transfers from Almora</p>

The Big Six: Himalayan Retreats

Saturday, 12 February 2011

From solar-powered cottages to a Nepalese manor house with views of an ancient fortress....

Heart of glass: The polished exterior of The Opposite House

24-hour Room Service: The Opposite House, Beijing

Saturday, 12 February 2011

More than 100 new hotels opened in Beijing in anticipation of the 2008 Olympics, ranging from two- and three-star chains to international five-star brands such as the Ritz-Carlton, the Park Hyatt and the Shangri-La, which lies near the top of the 81-floor World Trade Centre complex. Given such a surge before the Games, scheduling your official hotel launch for three days after the Olympic opening ceremony seems a little... tardy. However, in a show of sheer bravado, the Swire group did just that, unveiling its first hotel as the centrepiece of its shiny new project, the Sanlitun Village.

<p><b>La Verte Campagne, Normandy:</b> Set in a lush part of northern Normandy, this pretty old auberge is owned by a British couple: André and Lynne Tamba. He hosts, she cooks (four-course menus from ?22). This homey place has palpable charm, while the cuisine impresses even the French clientele ? some of whom find it difficult to believe that their meal was not prepared by a fellow Gaul. Comfy accommodation is offered in seven bedrooms creaking with venerable beams. </p> <p>Le Hameau Chevalier, Trelly (00 33 2 33 47 65 33; lavertecampagne.com). Doubles around ?60, with breakfast.</p>

The Big Six: French restaurants with rooms

Saturday, 12 February 2011

Click to watch video The spectacular façade of the hotel has decorated the north-eastern corner of central London since 1873

A Renaissance arrives at St Pancras

Saturday, 12 February 2011

One shortcoming prevents St Pancras station living up to the title of the Roman martyr, Pancras, whose name means "one that holds everything": presently there is nowhere to sleep. There is a youth hostel, but only on the far side of Euston Road, the clogged six-lane superhighway that separates the station from central London. But 30 days from now – and 75 years after it closed its doors to the travelling public – the former Midland Grand Hotel is reborn, appropriately, as the St Pancras Renaissance.

Thatch Of The Day: Marari's villas, were built to mirror the local fishing village

Stay the night: Marari Beach Resort, Kerala

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Laze in the sun all day, then learn how to make a cracking curry. That's what Sarah Barrell did

<p><b>Kenoa, Alagoas:</b> This new beach resort is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and tropical forest of Barra de Sao Miguel. Stone, thatch, glass and timber are used to bold, modern effect for the exterior, while natural colours and fabrics create a subtler statement in the 11 suites and 12 villas (some of which boast traditional Japanese bathtubs, courtyard gardens or private pools). An elevated outdoor lounge scattered with cushions and low tables is the perfect spot for after-dinner stargazing.</p> <p>Kenoa, Barramar, Barra de Sao Miguel, Alagoas (00 55 82 3272 1285; kenoaresort.com). Doubles start at 1,020 reals (£388), including breakfast.</p>

The Big Six: Brazilian beach hotels

Saturday, 5 February 2011

From a resort sandwiched between ocean and tropical forest to another tucked on a mountainous island...

The bold and the beautiful: An ongoing refurbishment has injected new life in the hotel's interiors with a palette of strong colour

Stay the night: The feathers, Woodstock

Sunday, 30 January 2011

The Feathers trades on history, but its refurbished style will suit modern tastes, says Adrian Mourby

<b>The Chatwal, New York:</b> Recently restored and opened as The Chatwal hotel, this art deco jewel recreates a 1930s ambience with wood-panelled walls, chrome features and period lighting in the lobby. The atmosphere continues in the bedrooms, with vintage prints and a minibar featuring a bespoke cocktail set, custom playing cards and a backgammon set. The Lambs Club Bar pays homage to the hotel's original incarnation as The Lambs social club for theatrical workers.

The Big Six: Art deco hotels

Saturday, 29 January 2011

From a 1930s jewel in New York to a vintage seaside resort in Morecambe...

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