Notes from the road
Destination guides, hotel openings and honest travel advice — written by the assessors and specialists who visit the properties we list.
What makes a hotel worth the journey
Our assessors stay in roughly forty properties a year and reject most of them. Here is the standard they are measuring against — and why a marble lobby has almost nothing to do with it.
Latest articles
New writing every fortnight.
Dubai beyond the Marina
The creek-side neighbourhoods, the desert camps worth the drive, and the four hotels we send people to when they want the city rather than the postcard.
Paris in the off-season
February is the city's best-kept secret: half the queues, better tables, and rates that make the Left Bank suddenly reasonable.
Overwater villas: what to ask before you book
Lagoon depth, reef access, sunrise or sunset orientation. The five questions that separate a good Maldives booking from an expensive disappointment.
A first-timer's guide to ryokan etiquette
Onsen protocol, when to wear the yukata, and why dinner is served at the time it is served. Small things that make the stay considerably better.
Six openings we are watching this year
A restored palazzo in Puglia, a cliff-edge lodge in Patagonia, and four more properties currently going through assessment.
How to actually read a cancellation policy
Free cancellation, partially refundable, non-refundable — what each really commits you to, and the timezone detail that catches people out.
Get the Journal by email
One edition a fortnight: new guides, properties we have just accepted, and rates worth knowing about. Unsubscribe whenever.
By subscribing you agree to our Privacy Policy.