http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog Pages of travel tales gathered from visits to hotels, hammams, beaches, boutiques, bars and everything luxurious in between Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:00:54 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-a-historical-road-trip-through-andalusia-spain/19446 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-a-historical-road-trip-through-andalusia-spain/19446#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:45:59 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=19446 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-a-historical-road-trip-through-andalusia-spain/19446/feed 0 I can’t say I knew much about Andalusia, or more officially, the Autonomous Community of Andalusia; at best I would answer ‘flamenco and horses’ if asked what the region was known for. Sparked by a recent conversation, I was curious what it really had to offer, so I embarked on a road trip. I didn’t [...] 006703-16-Roof-terrace http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-lunching-at-andaz-liverpool-street/19331 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-lunching-at-andaz-liverpool-street/19331#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 16:00:10 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=19331 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-lunching-at-andaz-liverpool-street/19331/feed 0 With five lounges and bars and another five restaurants to choose from it’s not easy to decide where to dine at Andaz Liverpool Street. Their choices include a seafood restaurant, a brasserie, Japanese cuisine and British fine dining. With the New Year’s resolution to eat more healthy food in 2012 still fresh in my mind, [...] 006060-08-Catch-Restaurant http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-hot-air-ballons-and-a-cave-hotel-in-cappadocia-and-other-turkish-delights/19228 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-hot-air-ballons-and-a-cave-hotel-in-cappadocia-and-other-turkish-delights/19228#comments Tue, 24 Jan 2012 16:00:33 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=19228 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-hot-air-ballons-and-a-cave-hotel-in-cappadocia-and-other-turkish-delights/19228/feed 0 Our Daniel Szelényi, Kiwi Expert, shares his love for Istanbul (including where to eat, sleep, spa and sightsee there), but also tips us off to some other luxurious Turkish locales worth exploring. Wherever you look these days, Istanbul is being lauded as the coolest, hippest, most exciting, diverse, trendiest, up-and-coming destination; it was most recently voted “Best [...] Sunrise 2 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/new-years-travel-resolutions-5-greatest-gyms-for-getting-fit-in-2012/18975 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/new-years-travel-resolutions-5-greatest-gyms-for-getting-fit-in-2012/18975#comments Thu, 12 Jan 2012 23:33:26 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=18975 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/new-years-travel-resolutions-5-greatest-gyms-for-getting-fit-in-2012/18975/feed 0 All those who pack running shoes and yoga pants but rarely use them, raise your hand. Thankfully, this is the internet, so no one has to know your secret. But 2012 is going to be different, right? Daniel Szelényi, one of Kiwi’s fittest and finest, shares his top five tried-and-tested in-hotel fitness facilities. 1. The [...] Four-Seasons_Lisbon_Rooftop-Gym http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-picking-the-best-breakfast-in-mauritius/17607 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-picking-the-best-breakfast-in-mauritius/17607#comments Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:31:30 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=17607 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-picking-the-best-breakfast-in-mauritius/17607/feed 0 After years of skipping a substantial morning meal and instead having only coffee and cookies in the office, I rediscovered the beauty of breakfast. If you are similarly inclined and happen to be planning a trip to the isle of Mauritius, here’s the scoop on Mauritian room service breakfasts (and the rooms’ views) to help [...] 003522-05-royal-palm-beach http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-hotel-away-from-home/17360 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-hotel-away-from-home/17360#comments Sat, 01 Oct 2011 21:30:23 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=17360 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/destination-dispatches-hotel-away-from-home/17360/feed 1 I can’t recall just how many hoteliers have explained the unique factor of their hotel being that it’s “a home away from home” for guests. I have heard this so often I am at a point of questioning this argument… … don’t some people stay at hotels because they don’t want to be at home? [...] 002856-01-garden-sitting-area http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-llama-trek-riverboat-brunch-and-lake-by-harley/17209 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-llama-trek-riverboat-brunch-and-lake-by-harley/17209#comments Sun, 25 Sep 2011 22:23:36 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=17209 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/trip-tips-llama-trek-riverboat-brunch-and-lake-by-harley/17209/feed 1 I know what you (probably) didn’t do this summer, but you should have. Good thing there’s still a couple weeks left for you to have one of these three last hurrahs. 1. Llama trekking in the Austrian Alps Explore the Lech mountain region’s 350 kilometers of hiking trails in the company of some wooly companions. [...] IMG_3394 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-new-old-fairmont-hotel-vier-jahreszeiten-hamburg/13512 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-new-old-fairmont-hotel-vier-jahreszeiten-hamburg/13512#comments Wed, 02 Mar 2011 17:03:53 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=13512 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-new-old-fairmont-hotel-vier-jahreszeiten-hamburg/13512/feed 1 Is it old or is it new? The Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Hamburg is both and it’s beautiful. Dating back to 1897, this Grande Dame of Hanseatic hospitality presents itself in immaculate condition. One reason for that is that General Manager Ingo Peters is extremely attentive to the property’s maintenance, the other reason is that [...] 002718-04-exterior http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-27th-st-moritz-polo-world-cup-2011-on-snow/13327 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-27th-st-moritz-polo-world-cup-2011-on-snow/13327#comments Mon, 21 Feb 2011 19:27:49 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=13327 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/the-27th-st-moritz-polo-world-cup-2011-on-snow/13327/feed 2 Polo, snow, bubbly and beautiful people… St. Moritz, here I come. The Event Who could resist an invite to watch the 27th St. Moritz Polo World Cup – on snow? So off I went to the elegant village in the Swiss Alps, located 1800 meters above sea level, ready for an action-packed weekend in one [...] Polo http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/lute-suites-recipe-for-a-big-bang/9503 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/lute-suites-recipe-for-a-big-bang/9503#comments Mon, 16 Aug 2010 17:46:30 +0000 Daniel Szelényi /blog/?p=9503 http://www.kiwicollection.com/blog/lute-suites-recipe-for-a-big-bang/9503/feed 2 I’ve slept in water towers, chateaus, tree houses and tents, so a hotel that used to be a gunpowder factory sounded promising. Just 20 minutes outside of Amsterdam, in the idyllic village of Ouderkerk an de Amstel, Peter Lute created Lute Suites. A haven for culinary connoisseurs and design aficionados, the property rests on the [...] lute-suites_4475_01-loft-blog