Henry’s Luxury Travel Blog
Artful Irish
The Merrion is rated by TripAdvisor as Dublin’s number one hotel. It has an excellent art collection so it’s no surprise it has commissioned these arresting works as part of a hotel history book, enshrining images of the original owners of the townhouses which now house the hotel. The designers have used wallpapers and other artistic features taken from each of the houses to create meaningful backdrops for the portraits. I love these chaps.
| Illustrators: Anna and Elana Balbusso | Artistic Director: Oonagh Young | Design Firm: DesignHQ |
Great Barrier Reef charter
‘MY Flying Fish’ is part of the Northern Escape Collection. What better way to scuba dive or breath Whiskey fumes with your ‘besties’?
New Hotel in Hobart, Tasmania
New hotel, ‘MOSS’, joins Henry Jones Hotel (same architects) in the historic Salamanca area of the city. As with the The Merrion (above) it has risen from the restoration of several convict built buildings, resulting in a terrific looking hostelry. All that’s missing is a Rolling Stone!
Three beautiful tented camps in Asia by renowned architect/designer, Bill Bensley
Iconic designer/architect Bill Bensley has created an amazing hotel portfolio, much of it tented. He ‘is convinced that hotels should inspire guests’, so he challenges normal thinking. Here are three of his stunning works in Asia you should check out. They are definitely my preferred camping style.
The Legacy of Another Very Clever Chap
Kerry Hill died in 2008, leaving an astounding legacy of hotel design. COMO in central Perth is a restored historic building.
All 48 suites project a sense of serenity, evident, of course, in most of his clever minimalistic designs.
In Japan, his design of Amanemu draws heavily on the cultural heritage of the country. This installation won the 2017 International Architectural Awards. Easy to see why.
Somehow people and suitcases would spoil this visual perfection.
Bula! Some Fiji Observations.
Having been in the Fiji tourist business for upwards of 20 years, I have the following observations. There are a number of decent large ‘chain’ hotels in the area known as Denarau Island. The attraction here is large golf course they use for international events. To experience the ‘real’ Fiji you need to skip to an island. In a ‘no kids’ zone we recommend Tokoriki which has been long owned by an Australian who had the rights to import ‘Chuppa Chups’ to Australia. Suck on that.
Further afield, in the northern part of Fiji is Nukubati. It’s owned by an Australian couple, who have the unique clothing label, ‘Joe Bananas’, from whence Elton John and other stars have purchased jackets. The resort is generally a more isolated experience with only seven couples. It is one of only sixteen hotels in the world to be inducted into TripAdvisor’s ‘Hall of Fame’, and it boasts an expansive reef. Apart from diving you can catch great fish if that is your whim, or just quaff Kava and chill. Well that’s about all you can do after downing a heap of Kava. Ask any Fijian!
Castaway is the Fijian island of choice if you have kids. Apart for a large pool there is a very sandy beach with ‘Noosa-like’ calm water. Book an ocean-side family ‘bure’ (‘boo-ray’).
Fly fishing in NZ
Grant and Deb Alley cut their teeth at the high-end Blanket Bay Lodge, before managing my resort in Fiji. After the business sold they bought a fly-fishing establishment in the north Island of New Zealand near Take Taupo. Grant continues his passion as a fishing guide and Deb has expanded the catering side of the operation with a cafe. Their ‘sea-change’ is called Creel Tackle House and the best accommodation nearby is RIVER BIRCHES. The motels are ‘pretty ordinary’ according to authority. The area has plenty of activities other than fishing – especially great hikes. (That’s not Grant with the “fush” – it’s a suitably proud tourist he guided.)
Also in NZ – Over The Top Helicopters (Queenstown)
Champagne on a glacier, heli-ski or heli-fly-fish with this lot. The proprietor, “Choppy” is a great operator with some hero machines.
Two Great Hotels in Spain
‘Finca Serina’ on Mallorca is situated on 40 hectares of Cypresses, Olives and vineyards. No guests under 14. A branch office, perhaps? It’s a new SLH member hotel.
‘Cuatre Finques’ is a real favourite of our family. A small country inn about 1hr 20min drive south of Valencia in Xalo (“halo”). Or closer to Alicante if you fly and get a transfer car. It’s owned by Pep, a young Spaniard and his Scottish wife, Nicky. She was a meteorologist so can tell you what the day will be like (sunny). Anyway they are the neatest couple and the joint is/was reasonably priced. I suggest you visit in heat when you can take advantage of the pool. Pep makes a great Paella and if you like cooking you can impersonate Rick Stein in the family kitchen.
Your Blogger, Henry.
All arms 2019 heavily armed in 1955
Henry Crawford was one of the pioneers of Australian TV drama, producing over 600 hours of popular dramas and miniseries. He produced three of the four most watched dramas on Australian TV in the 20th century, with ‘A TOWN LIKE ALICE’, winning an Emmy. In 1987 he landed on a remote beach in Fiji and with a business partner built the resort, Vatulele. He ran this exclusive hideaway for 20 years during which time it was a member of Relais and Chateaux and later of Small Luxury Hotels of the World. Vatulele was named SMALL LUXURY HOTELS, ‘Hotel of the Year’ in 2000. He sold the resort in 2007, after serving several years on the SLH International Board, representing hotels throughout the Asia/Pacific region. Before user-friendly software advances Henry blogged about luxury lodges and hotels whilst running a B&B in a historic colonial building near Queenstown NZ.
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