ITB Asia charts a new course with bold focus on experiential travel: New Experience Pavilion with Tripadvisor Launching in 2026. The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will also extend strategic support across ITB Asia, further strengthening its position as Asia’s premier B2B travel trade show. These partnerships form a key part of ITB Asia’s renewed vision, spotlighting innovation, immersive travel experiences, and future-focused content for the global travel industry.

Early this month, Carpe Diem Beach Club celebrated the highly anticipated return of its signature series, La Dolce Vita Sundays, with a spectacular relaunch event on 5 October at Phuket’s Bangtao Beach.

The four-star Mallory Court Hotel & Spa was built at the turn of the 20th century in the pretty spa town of Leamington Spa, just east of Stratford-upon-Avon. The property was family-owned until 1976, after which it joined the Eden Hotel Collection of hotels as a lovely dog-friendly country house hotel.

The main hotel, surrounded by manicured gardens and fields, has recently undergone a major refurbishment while retaining the romantic style of the Elizabethan period with mullioned windows and gables.

Accommodation

The hotel has 43 rooms. Nineteen bedrooms are in the main house are all individually decorated, although in keeping with the style of a country house. Eight are dog-friendly.

My bedroom, the Sulgrave, was spacious and decorated in muted shades of grey and green. Poppy, my dog, had a large comfy pillow-style dog bed waiting for her, together with pooh bags and a packet of treats. A bathrobe and slippers, as well as a Nespresso machine and pods, are provided.

My bay window had a table and chairs providing views onto an exquisite, manicured herb and vegetable garden. Enormous pears and ripe apples were still on the trees when I visited. Fresh apples are placed in the room and bowls of apples are everywhere.

In the bathroom, decorated with art deco style mirrors, the soaps and creams are by Templespa. A bonus is the QR code, which, when scanned, allows guests to enjoy a selection of international newspapers and magazines during their stay.

Also in the grounds is their corporate 12-bedroom Knights Suite with one accessible room.

Food and Drink

Meals are served in the recently opened Warwick Restaurant, named after the nearby historic town. Under the guidance of Chef Stu Deeley, winner of Master Chef: The Professionals in 2019, the panelled restaurant is divided by an alcove to create a cosy atmosphere. Diners have a choice of two menus: a 5-course tasting menu £105 with the option of wine pairing, £59, or six wines, £75. There is also the option of a three-course à la carte menu for £90.

Dishes are seasonal, using ingredients from the hotel’s kitchen gardens. Our tasting menu started with hot and cold canapes. Each course was a work of art, with small portions beautifully presented.

Dogs aren’t allowed in the restaurant, so for breakfast, a table was set up in the alcove overlooking the rose garden so Poppy could join me.

The hotel’s casual and less expensive pan-Asian restaurant Sencha, is in Orchard House. The menu includes small bites such as Korean wings £11 and Gyoza £9, with large plates that include blackened cod £25.

Facilities

In the grounds, Orchard House is home to their Elan Spa. Guests who come specifically for the spa can stay here in one of the 12 stylish bedrooms, although dogs aren’t allowed in this area. It does, however, have a room completely accessible with a low bed and a fully adapted wet room, accessed by a lift.

The spa includes a gym, as well as an indoor swimming pool, sauna and steam room. Outside a heated whirlpool which, while relaxing in the warm waters, has views of the countryside and gardens. Outside, too, is an authentic sauna housed in a wooden structure.

The top floor is reserved for the Elan Spa beauty rooms. I enjoyed their 55-minute signature body massage which left me so relaxed that all I wanted to do was go back to my room and relax!

The 10 acres of gardens were designed by Percy Morley to encourage bees and other wildlife to forage. At the bottom of the kitchen garden, hidden away, is a polytunnel and outside space.

Children from the local school are encouraged to plant vegetables, carrots, when I was there, which, when grown, they can come back and pick. Tours of the gardens can be arranged with the concierge. Guests don special attire to discover the Estate’s bees. The honey is sold at the reception. Booking in advance is advisable for both activities.

Ample free car parking is available on site.

How Much

Doubles from £212 per night. Mallory Court Hotel & Spa guarantees the hotel’s best available online price if the booking is made directly with them. www.Mallory.co.uk Tel. 01926330214 

What’s Nearby

The hotel is on the outskirts of the spa town of Leamington, which is great for shopping. Car enthusiasts will want to visit the British Motor Museum in Gaydon, while nearby historical places include both Warwick and Kenilworth Castles.

Horse riding, shooting and a high-tech indoor golf venue are also close by.

Verdict: Mallory Court is an elegant, friendly country house hotel cleverly designed to create an intimate environment, surrounded by beautiful, manicured gardens and fields. Eating in The Warwick is a gourmet experience, and the Elan Spa’s signature massage was subliminal!

The post Mallory Court Hotel & Spa review, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire appeared first on The Travel Magazine.

The recent boom in international hotels opening in Tashkent is a very tangible sign of Uzbekistan’s growing popularity as a tourism destination. Though Tashkent is less famous than the country’s photogenic UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Samarkand, Bukhara, and Khiva, this big, bold capital city has a strong claim to be the commercial and political hub of Central Asia. The brand new, 5* Swisshotel Tashkent has been designed with the needs of business traveller in mind, but architecture, food, and shop-loving tourists will also find plenty nearby.  

Who for

Swisshotel Tashkent is primarily a business hotel, easily accessible and offering a consistent standard of service that will be familiar and welcome to Accor customers accustomed to checking in to Swisshotels from Amsterdam to Singapore. General Manager Dmitry Karpov aims to “fuse Swiss precision with Uzbek warmth.” If you value organisation, efficiency, and attention to detail, without losing sight of the generous hospitality culture of Uzbekistan, this is the hotel for you.

Accommodation

There are 182 rooms and suites at Swisshotel Tashkent, all within one glass-clad landmark building. Regardless of the category you choose, all the rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, a balcony or terrace, and double or king size beds. The rooms are a generous size, too: even the smallest, the Swiss Advantage King Room, is 35m2, so there is ample space to work or relax after a day of sightseeing or meetings.

Decor-wise, everything is white or natural shades, so the look is as peaceful on your eyes as the fine cotton linens and bath towels are soft on your skin. The large windows allow in plenty of the glorious Uzbek sunshine, but if it all gets too bright or you’d like a little more privacy, you can tone it down with floaty drapes or the full blackout curtains. Each room has independent temperature controls – essential in Tashkent’s hot summer months – so you can adjust the heating or AC just as you like it.

In all Swisshotel bathrooms you will find shampoo, conditioner, and similar products made by the Swiss brand Purovel. The essential oils come from alpine plants, and the packaging is made from recyclable and biodegradable materials, a small part of the hotel chain’s commitment to environmental sustainability. 

Food and drink

Swisshotel Tashkent has a strong food and beverage offering, as is immediately apparent as you approach the check-in desk and are offered a cold, fresh drink. The buffet breakfast is served daily until 10.30 (11.00 at weekends) and includes both national and international favourites, so you can dip your toe – or should that be tongue? – into local cuisine with dishes like kasha (buckwheat porridge) and syrniki (cottage cheese pancakes). The main restaurant, Saffron, continues to serve multicuisine menus throughout the day, and in fine weather you can take a table on the outdoor terrace. 

The Swisshotel Tashkent’s two bars are a lesson in contrasts, in style as well as menu. At the stylish Silk Bar, you can often enjoy a signature cocktail to the soundtrack of a live band, or build up your mixology skills with a masterclass led by the bartender. Over at the Pürovel Spa Bar, meanwhile, life is moving a little slower, a little quieter. Here, the focus is on nutrition and wellbeing: opt for a herbal tea or a smoothie before your yoga class.

Although not within the hotel, one of Tashkent’s best food venues is just on the opposite side of the street. Food Mall is a lively evening venue which stays open as late as 03.00. The bar serves craft beer and cocktails, and the frequently changing combination of stands serve a wide selection of fresh, invariably tasty global cuisines. 

Facilities

The fitness and wellness offering at Swisshotel Tashkent is second to none in the city. The indoor heated swimming pool is open daily until 22.00; the fitness centre has all the usual machines plus parkour equipment; and in the spa there is a sauna, jacuzzi, and Turkish steam bath, as well as treatment rooms. 

How much?

Rooms start from $160 per night.

CHECK AVAILABILITY

What’s nearby?

Swisshotel Tashkent is centrally located in Tashkent, very close to the State Museum of Arts. Staying at the hotel, you are within easy walking distance of Amir Temur Square, overlooked by the iconic Brutalist masterpiece / monstrosity which is Hotel Uzbekistan; the State Museum of the Timurids; and also Alisher Navoi Theatre, home to Uzbekistan’s national ballet and opera companies.

Other major attractions, such as the Museum of Applied Arts, Chorsu Bazaar, and the soon-to-open Centre of Islamic Civilisation, are all accessible by Tashkent Metro or a short, cheap taxi ride.

VERDICT: At Swisshotel Tashkent, you can have a 5* hospitality experience at 4* prices. It offers exceptional value for money.

 

You may also like: Lotte City Hotel Tashkent Palace

The post Swisshotel Hotel Review, Tashkent, Uzbekistan appeared first on The Travel Magazine.