Signature Luxury Travel & Style

Design is present in every aspect of our lives, whether we realise it or not. Good design not only enhances functionality, but also adds beauty and aesthetics to our everyday lives. And it’s particularly poignant in the travel industry. Think about c

Soneva has finally thrown open the doors to its ultra-bespoke 14-villa resort in the Maldives’ Haa Dhaalu Atoll. Designed to meld into the pristine environment and accessible only via seaplane or speedboat, Soneva Secret’s beach and overwater villas

Cutting-edge technology and eco-conscious design come together at Six Senses Svart, a new off-grid development in the pristine wilderness of northern Norway. The self-sustainable property will be the first energy-positive project from the luxury hote

In November 2023, Mount Nelson, A Belmond Hotel, hosted its second Confections x Collections event, a showcase of leading South and West African designers specialising in slow and considered fashion. The spellbinding five-day program set within the g

Floating in the centre of Udaipur’s Pichola Lake, Taj Lake Palace was once the royal residence of the Maharaja of Mewar. Globally recognised for its striking Rajasthani architecture, this 18th-century hewn-marble structure is a spectacular arrangemen

Set on a private peninsula that overlooks a lagoon, this resort is like stepping into a little slice of the Maldives. These are Emirates’ first overwater villas, and each has been built with sustainable wood and recycled fabrics and plastics, with ca

Humour and mateship might be the core of the Australian spirit, but resilience, resourcefulness and endurance define our cultural identity. Four years ago, South Australia’s Kangaroo Island was decimated by fire and the loss of wildlife and natural b

In a couple of years, fashion giant Louis Vuitton will open its first branded hotel on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Meanwhile, style aficionados can stay in hotels carrying the imprimatur of designers and luxury houses including Giorgio Armani, Versa

Extraordinary buildings are like extraordinary people; they have the power to enchant and inspire, as well as leave their indelible mark on the world. And today’s visionary architects are defying convention with their daring designs, creating modern

Everything old is new again at Regent Hong Kong. Fresh from a major multimillion-dollar transformation – the most extensive and expensive in its 44-year history – this iconic urban sanctuary on the Kowloon side of Victoria Harbour is reclaiming its l

Architecture and interior design directly influence the human psyche. Recent studies have found the built environments in which we work, rest and socialise directly impact our wellbeing, with particular colours, textures, lighting and art proven to r

A striking exterior was long considered the height of airport design; however, recent years have seen elements of biophilic and residential interior styling infiltrate the airport aesthetic. In response to the luxury traveller’s expectation that beau

There is something distinctly charming about travelling by rail. Perhaps it’s the spontaneity of mingling with fellow bon vivants while watching contoured valleys unfurl beneath an apricot sky, or the dreamy sensation of falling asleep to the train’s

Interior designer to the stars Martyn Lawrence Bullard has styled homes for everyone from the Kardashians and Cher to Elton John. But it’s re-creating luxe homes-away-from-home within the world’s best hotels that sends the 56-year-old’s creative juic

An African safari delivers more than a traditional vacation and the Okavango Delta is more than a typical safari. It can provide a change to the state of mind through an immersion into another world, like being wrapped in a wildlife documentary. Part

India is the kind of place that delivers a sensual slap in the face the minute you step off the plane. The heat, smells, colours and constant chatter envelop you, sinking into your clothes, your skin and your hair; lingering as a constant reminder of

The snowy slopes of British Columbia create endless possibilities for skiers and snowboarders with a number of world-class ski resorts that cater to all levels, have excellent accommodation, and a range of activities to enjoy once the lifts have stop

There is a bit of Hollywood about Aspen. A buzz in the air, a sense of anticipation, a real ‘lights, camera, action’ vibe. Fairy lights add a sense of wonder to the town’s streets, boutiques feature racks of designer winter gear with eye-wateringly h

The fire is snap-crackle-popping and sending out a curling warmth to thaw frosty fingers and noses. I sip my On-Piste Toddy (Willie’s Honey Moonshine, honey, lemon and house-brewed tea), and admire the interior of my lunch stop while waiting for my e

There’s nothing so exhilarating as skiing in dumping powder. Fat snowflakes dusting your jacket and settling over the ski runs like thick mascarpone, filling any imperfections in the terrain. And then there’s the anticipation of skiing the deep powde

I huff and puff my way up the hill to the lookout, high above Queenstown. Shuffling to the edge, I gasp when I see a beautiful town spread out on the far shore of Lake Wakatipu below. The narrow lake cuts a swathe between the landscape of snow-topped

Luxury hotels are reimagining their high-end offerings as palatial cruise ships, and the movement isn’t dying down anytime soon. With numerous hotel brands planning expansion and an escalating interest in yachting from new-to-cruise clients, a future

When a cruise ship goes into dry dock, especially after a change of ownership, there can be a few teething issues. This isn’t so as we board Crystal Serenity. Returning to the seas in August 2023, after A&K Travel Group purchased Crystal Cruises in 2

The Southern Ocean bends to Ultramarine’s bow as we glide alongside A23a, the world’s largest iceberg. It’s so unfathomably massive it looks like land. At 3,900 square kilometres, it’s five times the size of New York City, its chiselled escarpments s

Wandering the Hinterdorf of Zermatt, it’s easy to become lost. Not geographically, this ancient slice of one of Europe’s most famous alpine towns (Hinterdorf meaning ‘rear village’) consists of around 30 buildings in a compact labyrinth, jostling for

A flurry of letters arrive in our palatial Queens Grill Penthouse Suite delivered to us by our butler, Abraham. One from the ship’s captain, Stephen Howarth, welcoming us aboard, another from the concierge offering personalised stationery to commemor

Like the Louvre in Paris, the Uffizi in Florence and the Guggenheim in New York, the new Seven Seas Grandeur has been designed to house masterpieces. An undoubted highlight of this stunning six million dollar, 1,600-piece onboard collection is the in

As one, the white-gloved waiters raise the silver cloches to reveal our main courses with a flourish, as the handsome, tuxedoed opera singer reaches a thrilling crescendo that could shatter the impressive crystal chandeliers above us. Tauck’s exclusi

Our ship executes two perfect pirouettes affording guests a jaw-dropping 360-degree view of Milford Sound, the jewel in the crown of New Zealand’s South Island fjords. This is the final stop on Celebrity Edge’s inaugural journey of its Antipodean sea

Traverse 40 countries across six continents, enjoy 14 overnight stays, visit 73 UNESCO World Heritage Sites and choose from 480 shore excursions onboard Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ 2027 World Cruise. The record-breaking voyage aboard Seven Seas Splend

The finalists and winners of Signature Luxury Travel & Style’s fifth annual Luxury Cruise Awards were revealed on 30 November 2023. Maritime opulence and excellence of service were celebrated in style in the Yallamundi Rooms at Sydney Opera House. Ei

Until the noughties, Amazon Basin fare was a culinary metaphor for the divide between the haves of Peru’s relatively affluent coastal capital, Lima, and the have-nots of the isolated Indigenous communities in its wild interior, which accounts for 60

Crystal Cruises has returned to the seas following the multimillion-dollar refurbishments of its ships, Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony. With sophisticated new suites, a butler service, theatre productions, new shore excursions by Abercrombie &

Set amid the rolling hills of Coldstream, Oakridge Wines tantalises with a truly farm-to-table experience just an hour’s drive or 20-minute helicopter flight from Melbourne’s CBD. As you approach, the vineyards stretch out before you like a patchwork

Neil Perry is one of Australia’s most celebrated chefs, setting new standards in culinary excellence at venues such as Rockpool, Margaret, Spice Temple and Rosetta. In this new cookbook, Perry reveals how to re-create his rich dishes and contemporary

Hidden away behind a wooden door on Melbourne’s Flinders Lane is Akaiito. With bluestone walls, black marble and granite floors, the restaurant boasts a dramatic aesthetic centred around a twisting red overhead installation. According to Japanese myt

Until quite recently, many consumers probably associated Italian luxury menswear brand Ermenegildo Zegna with the traditional tailoring worn by bankers, lawyers, business high-fliers and politicians. One prominent example of the latter was former tre

I would hope that every year, the movers and shakers of Switzerland’s high-end, multi-billion-dollar watch industry get together and raise a toast to the late, great watch designer Gerald Genta. It’s safe to say that Genta’s bold visions and out-of-t

Chilling in Paris one year I decided to swap the shop-till-you-drop mindset for something more ascetic. I would seek out The One Thing: a memento as vibrant, luxe and creative as the City of Light itself. An Hermès scarf, or carré. I’d been staying i

The automotive industry is undergoing its greatest upheaval since 1908 when the simplicity of Henry Ford’s mass-produced Model T cemented the future for internal combustion-engined (ICE) cars over the struggling alternatives of steam and electric veh

The Casa el Faro, which translates as ‘light house’, sits high on a stone mass looking over the exclusive Maravilla resort and out to the Sea of Cortez. Working with a celebrated Mexico City–based architect, we built and designed this home for one of