A Travel Expert Shares Her Favourite Hotels, Destinations & More
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The last place I went was Menorca for an off-season trip in October. It was the perfect family holiday for us. Our youngest finally found her holiday groove, swapping daytime naps and tantrums for learning to swim and staying up late. We stayed at the beautiful Vestige Son Vell near Cuitadella, a newly opened and restored 18th century manor house and working farm where my children were entertained by taming giant butterflies, riding ponies on the beach and stargazing at night.
Northern Ibiza is a special place for me. It’s where I fell in love, so it’s somewhere we return to time and again. I also love Formentera for its laidback vibe and there’s a chic new beach hotel I love for a grown-up weekend away called Teranka. Its roof-top bar is the best spot on the island for sundowners.
One of my favourite hotels in the world is Marbella Club – a 1950s icon which is having a bit of a renaissance. It’s exceptionally chic and spoiling without being overly polished or taking itself too seriously. It has joyful interiors, fabulous restaurants and an impressive wellness programme.
Along the Amalfi coast, Lo Scoglio is a hidden gem to know. I almost want to keep this recommendation to myself, it’s so good… It’s home to the best seafront restaurant on the coast, and in the evenings, it’s full of locals. It has a few simple, affordable rooms overlooking Nerano Bay. I dream of the zucchini pasta and watching the Italian nonnas on Nerano beach gossiping with a Campari spritz as they bake in the sun.
I first caught the travel bug in Latin America. It was the first place I went backpacking about 20 years ago. I studied Spanish in Ecuador and worked on a community project in Peru, before travelling for eight months across the continent. For the grand finale in Mexico, I lived in a sand-bottomed beach bungalow in Tulum for a couple of months with my best friends from school. These days really expanded my mindset and greatly informed my life and career path.
The most memorable place I’ve ever been to is Indonesia. We went on a sailing trip on a boat called Vela. The ocean is my medicine and I’m never happier than when I’m waking up at sea or deep underwater with a tank on my back. This epic sailing adventure around Komodo National Park ticked both boxes and more.
I also love Sri Lanka, which I’ve visited at least half a dozen times since. It’s a cultural feast for the senses with a laidback vibe, like India on a sedative. The people are wonderful, the landscapes are epic – don’t miss the interior or plantation hotels like Ceylon Tea Trails – and the food is incredible. Each visit has brought new, interesting friends, adding to its magic.
The teeny Kenyan island of Lamu holds a special place in my heart for its sleepy chilled-out vibe and arty bohemian community. Rent a house in Shela, eat at the legendary Peponi, hop on a dhow to Manda or charter a live-aboard like Tusitiri and sleep on-deck under the stars for a lesson in true tranquillity.
For a family holiday, Alentejo in Portugal is a great spot. Here, you can combine wholesome farmyard fun at São Lourenço do Barrocal – where, during a recent trip, the kids rode in a donkey cart, learnt to plant veggies and made bird-feeders. Wel also rented a converted fisherman’s cottage in Comporta, a beautiful part of the region known for its show-stopping sandy beaches and incredible wildlife.
My partner loves shopping in local markets and cooking on holiday, so we tend to rent villas. However, these days, we really appreciate having childcare and kids’ activities for some grown-up R&R. Peligoni, on the Greek island of Zakynthos, offers the perfect blend of a villa holiday with the added perks of fantastic programming. There’s an imaginative kids’ club run by Sharky & George, as well as a great health and fitness schedule and supper clubs you can dip in and out of, before retreating to the privacy of your villa.
For an ultra-luxe family trip, Soneva Fushi is paradise on earth. The beach villas are perfect and the staff are incredibly caring with children. The kids’ club feels like a gigantic adventure park, complete with pirate ships, water slides, a music room, a dress-up area, and an ever-changing daily adventure schedule. While we go scuba diving, enjoy the spa, or indulge in long lunches, the children are having the time of their lives. The resort also hosts visiting scientists, environmentalists, astronomers, and professional athletes, all of whom contribute to the kids’ program. My kids always leave having learned so much about marine life, conservation, recycling, the planets and more.
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In the UK, a staycation usually revolves around food. My partner is a chef and restaurateur (Tim Siadatan of Trullo and Padella) so we are usually led by our appetite. We like small, characterful boltholes where food is the focus, like Glebe House in Devon, which feels like a delicious equivalent to an English agriturismo with better interiors. We also like Updown Farmhouse in Kent for its whimsical gardens and excellent woodfired grill restaurant. And you can’t beat Heckfield Place in Hampshire for a treat with sublime food and an excellent spa.
For a city break, nothing beats London. I’m a born and bred Londoner but we recently relocated our family to Somerset so I’m really enjoying being a tourist in London again. I come up every week and (although I love my kids) I am revelling in child-free time in the city with zero domestic responsibilities to indulge at favourite hotels, restaurants, theatres and gigs.
If I had just two nights abroad, I’d visit Morocco. It’s incredibly accessible, yet it feels like you're transported to a faraway land with a completely different culture, thanks to its bustling souks, amazing artisans and rooftop restaurants overlooking the Atlas Mountains. It’s a visual and sensory feast that I find truly inspiring. I recently stayed at Rosemary, a chic new riad in the medina, where nearly everything is handmade by its owners, the founders of the art studio LRNCE. I’m also eager to stay at Jasper Conran’s new villa-hotel, Villa Mabrouka in Tangier, which looks divine and seems perfect for a two-day getaway. Plus, I’ve been drooling over photos of Sterreokopje in South Africa since it opened – I’d happily travel the distance to soak up its beauty and dive into its wellness activities for a few days.
If I had to live at a hotel, I’d choose Broadwick Soho in London. It’s designed by Martin Brudnizki, and it’s pure joy. It’s a great example of a truly independent hotel where the charisma of its owners (who are very fun and imaginative) trickles down into every element of the guest experience.
I lived in New York as a child in the 80s. We had a picture-perfect weekend cottage in a Long Island village called Bellport, where we’d spend weekends and long, hot summers. I remember my mother bundling us into the car every Friday to pick up my dad from the train, with water skis and an Eski on the roof. We’d then glide across the sea in our boat, with my dad water-skiing behind to shake off the week, and set up a beach picnic as the sun began to set over the water.
I always travel with Paravel luggage, which is made from recycled plastic bottles. Its Aviator Carry-On Plus is a revelation as it’s roomy enough to pack generously for a week. I fly with lots of layers – usually a cashmere shawl from Madeleine Thompson and a Hayley Menzies cardigan. I also bring destination-appropriate clothes like my favourite Isabel Marant sundress that wraps up into nothing and makes me feel chic on arrival. Elizabeth Arden’s Eight Hour Cream is always in my hand luggage.
For the beach I bring kaftans and sarongs that I’ve collected on my travels, breezy sundresses by Paolita or Emporio Sirenuse, straw hats and beach bags from YoSuzi and YSL cat-eye sunnies. In the evenings, I’ll wear bright colours and prints from La DoubleJ and FARM Rio or a Zimmermann mini dress paired with Ancient Greek sandals and a Neeson clutch from Anya Hindmarch. Swimwear is always Hunza G.
I’m looking forward to heading to Kamalaya in Thailand for a much-needed nervous system reset. It’s the most nourishing wellness sanctuary on the island of Koh Samui, which I first visited about 15 years ago and credit for setting me on a path of self-exploration and spiritual practice. After that, I’m taking the family to the beautiful, family-owned Hacienda San Rafae near Seville for May half-term – it’s a favourite for all of us. Then in August, we’re chartering a catamaran to sail around Croatia for an island-hopping adventure with three generations of the Birds.
There are so many places on my bucket list. India, Bhutan, Namibia, Colombia and Mexico – the list goes on. It’s challenging to travel as far as I used to with young kids but now that they’re seven and three, they’re becoming much more adventurous. I can’t wait to take them on some truly mind-expanding adventures, like an African safari or a trip to India.
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