Note
On packing for a ten-night stay
A short note on what actually earns its place in the suitcase for a longer resort holiday.
A personal travel diary
Luxury stays,
honestly reviewed.
A personal travel diary sharing thoughtful reviews, practical details and memorable moments from luxury hotels and resorts.
As Featured In
Condé Nast Traveller
Travel + Leisure
Forbes
The Times Travel
National Geographic TravellerBritish Airways High LifeInternational Hotel & Resort Press
Hotel reviews and luxury travel commentary featured, quoted or referenced by leading international travel publications.
Featured Hotel Reviews
Recent stays worth remembering.
9.4
Bodufushi Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives
JOALI BEING
JOALI BEING manages the balance between calm and family life better than many dedicated wellbeing resorts. It feels calm without becoming clinical, luxurious without being stiff and purposeful without making every day feel like a programme that needs to be followed.
9.0
Place Vendôme, Paris, France
Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme
Parisian luxury in a location that makes family travel feel effortless.
8.6
Miches, Dominican Republic
Zemi Miches, Curio Collection by Hilton
Zemi Miches keeps the practical advantages of a large all-inclusive while creating a stronger sense of design and place, on a quieter stretch of coastline well away from the Punta Cana resort corridors.
What I Review
The whole stay — not just the room.
Each review considers the complete experience of a hotel: the spaces you live in, how the food and service hold up, and the details that shape a memorable stay.
01
Rooms and Comfort
Whether the suite genuinely lives up to the photography, and how comfortable it is over a full stay.
02
Food and Drink
Breakfast, restaurants, room service and bar experience — including the honest cost of eating in.
03
Pools and Facilities
Pool design, sunbed availability, spa, gym, gardens and everything that shapes the daytime experience.
04
Service and Experience
How the property feels day to day, from arrival to housekeeping to the small details that leave a lasting impression.
Trusted by Leading Hotels
Read, quoted and shared across the industry.
Reviews from the journal have been shared, quoted or referenced by luxury hotel groups and the properties within them.
The Leading Hotels of the World
Member properties
Small Luxury Hotels of the World
Member properties
Mandarin Oriental
Hotel Group
Four Seasons
Hotels & Resorts
Rosewood
Hotels & Resorts
Belmond
Hotels, trains & journeys
Aman
Resorts & retreats
Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Global collection
Brand names are referenced editorially. The Refined Stay remains an independent publication and is not owned or operated by any hotel group.
Upcoming Stay
In the diary
Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora
Tenerife, Spain
A ten-night family stay at Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora is coming soon. I will be sharing an honest review covering the suite, resort facilities, swimming pools, restaurants, family experience and overall service.
View Upcoming FeatureLatest Travel Notes
Short observations from the road.
Note
The quiet luxury of a proper breakfast
Why breakfast, more than any other meal, tells you what a hotel really thinks of its guests.
Note
Finding calm in busy destinations
A few thoughts on choosing hotels that let you slow down, even in a lively city.
The Newsletter
Occasional hotel reviews and travel notes, without the clutter.
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