They’re all made in – or inspired by – Scotland
I like to think of this week’s column as a bit of an ode to a Scottish urn – or, more accurately, a pot and some pump dispensers. It’s not that I’m setting off on a Prince William-style charm offensive up north – though, of course, if called on to do so by my industry (and country) I’m very happy to book a train ticket. Just say the word.
But there is a nod to Scotland in beauty at the moment. Firstly, there’s Ishga, an organic seaweed brand based in the Hebrides and enjoying a pop-up residency at The Bamford Wellness Spa at London’s Berkeley hotel. I experienced their Immune Boosting Ritual (£160 for 90 minutes, the-berkeley.co.uk) and it was excellent. It deployed one of my favourite products of theirs – the Hebridean Sea Salt Scrub (£16) which uses local sea salts blended with jojoba, thistle and almond oils. Also great is its Hydrating Hand Cream (£28, both uk.ishga.com) with seaweed extract, argan oil a
Best for: Couples, adults
On-site amenities: Restaurant, pool, indoor/outdoor gym
Pros: The hotel has a picturesque aesthetic and a trendy pool that hosts celebrity DJs on the weekends.
Cons: The standard Queen room can seem small (180 square feet), and on weekends, the pool turns into a day club with a cover fee (even for guests).
Peep the guestlist for the Goodtime Hotel s grand opening on Miami Beach this past spring: Kim Kardashian, David and Victoria Beckham, Future, and Maluma. Sure, the property is totally chic, but getting this sort of star power in attendance may have had something to do with the fact that Pharrell is one of the hotel s owners. For the singer-songwriter s first venture into the hotel business, he teamed up with Miami nightlife and hospitality mogul David Grutman to ensure its success.
Hotels are back – and our roving reviewers are once again doing what they love best
These four beautiful British hotels should be on your wishlist for a summer staycation
Our reviewers are back doing what they love best
Hotels are back baby! Check-in desks, crisp linens, bountiful breakfast spreads, champagne in bed, freestanding tubs (with more champagne?), a place far from the ennui of your own four walls.
Oh, how I have missed them. They have become a collective place where I contain all my fantasies of future ‘normal’ life. In my dreams I’m in a riad courtyard in 40C heat in Marrakech; listening to the sirens and noises of a city back-to-life from a high rise in New York; sunbathing next to a ladder into the sea on a Mediterranean island. In truth, as it currently stands, I’m staying closer to home: my first hotel booking in a couple of weeks is at the newly opened Glebe House in Devon, a boutique wonder that makes my heart flutter every time I think about it.
Photo courtesy of Clevelander South Beach
Clevelander South Beach 1020 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach 305-532-4006 Even if you ve never stayed there, you know the Clevelander. It s where the
Jersey Shore crew partied at poolside, and where ESPN set up shop for its pre-Super Bowl LIV coverage. The Ocean Drive hot spot continues to bring the party amid the pandemic, and its “Famous Frozens” haven’t gone anywhere. Beyond the Clevelander s hoppin’ pool and patio, its rooms are bright, unpretentious, and colorful. Florida residents (and Georgia residents, too) get 20 percent off their stay, two Famous Frozens, and 25 percent off food and beverages purchased anywhere in the hotel.