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Dreaming of sunshine, sea views and a relaxing escape to Greece? Here’s your chance to win a fabulous three-night break at the beautiful Rodos Princess Beach Resort & Spa, courtesy of H Hotels Collection.
Set on the stunning island of Rhodes, this inviting resort is the perfect place to switch off and enjoy a taste of Mediterranean bliss. And with your stay on an all-inclusive basis, you can relax knowing that everything is taken care of, leaving you free to make the most of your getaway.
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Full Terms and conditions apply:
The prize is a three-night stay for 2 people at Rodos Princess Beach Resort & Spa on an all-inclusive basis. The stay can be redeemed for visits between October–November 2026, April–May 2027 and October–November 2027, subject to availability. The prize is non-transferable and there is no cash alternative. The prize does not include flights, car hire, transfers from airport to hotel, phone calls, travel insurance or any other expenses incurred.
A hotel with a plethora of wow factors, and housed in a glorious Grade II-listed 19th-century Victorian red-brick building, the Andaz London Liverpool Street hotel stands strikingly apart amid Liverpool Street’s post-war brutalism and bold contemporary architecture.
Andaz London exterior
Occupying a prominent corner plot beside iconic Liverpool Street station — at the junction of Liverpool Street and Bishopsgate — it sits within the Square Mile, London’s financial heart, and moments from the creative energy of Shoreditch and Spitalfields.
I felt compelled to stop and stare a while on the opposite side of the road to relish its splendid six-storey stature and its incredible symmetrical façades, tall sash windows set deep within arched frames, its tall red brick chimneys and gabled pavilions.
Eventually, I stepped through the revolving doors and was awed all over again by the lobby’s unexpectedly colourful, playful designs. Within moments, I was warmly welcomed, offered a drink, and soon shown to my room on the fourth floor.
Incredibly, when the lift doors opened, the visual shift was astonishing — from vivid colours of the lobby to a restrained palette of grey and white. Rooms are arranged around a six-storey glass-domed Rotunda Lobby, flooding the interior with natural light. I was led down the a corridor of various grey hues toward my room.
Who For
Style and convenience reign at Andaz London without the Mayfair/Knightsbridge price tag and would appeal to those who admire creative flair. It’s steps away from Liverpool Street station, probably London’s best-connected hub: direct Stansted trains, Elizabeth Line to Heathrow in ~35 minutes, and Underground lines everywhere.
Plus it’s close to the Tower of London, Spitalfields Market, Tower Bridge, St Paul’s, Tate Modern and plenty of other interesting places to explore.
Accommodation
There are 267 rooms at Andaz, with high ceilings and decked out in calming grey. My room 428, a spacious king room, had a view over Liverpool Street station and the busy comings and goings. Amazingly, the room remained peaceful and quiet all night long.
My bedroom
There’s plenty of storage behind black wardrobe doors, a writing table topped with plum-hued leather. The large comfy bed is flanked by a grey chaise-long at one end and a tan coloured headboard on the other. I really appreciated the ample plug points.
There’s also a huge 55 inch flat-screen TV, a complimentary mini bar with non-alcoholic drinks and a Nespresso coffee machine.
My bathroom
The en-suite with its walk-in shower has striking black and white tiles and came with spare toothbrushes and Byredo Eleventh Hour toiletries.
Food & Drink
There are several dining options. Miyako, the gastronomic Japanese option, was closed but looked like something I’d come back for. Rakes Parlour, reached from reception, is a place to get nibbles with a tipple in a colourful space.
Rakes Parlour
This leads to Rakes Cafe Bar, also accessible from Bishopsgate. It’s a fine bar menu, but the highlight is its incredible cocktails.
Rakes Bar
A menu of signature cocktails comes with a curated playlist for each of them.
I enjoyed “Afterbeats” with Desi Daru Mango Vodka, Chilli and Elderflower. I watched as a bubble was placed on top of my drink, which then burst into a plume of smoke, a moment of entertaining theatre. After a few sips, I scanned the barcode attached to the glass, and was heady enough to sway to the Punjabi music that streamed from Spotify into my earbuds.
There’s also a pub. The Lady Abercorn pub looks as authentic in decor as any you may have seen, all packed into a single room.
Lady Abercorn pub
I took both dinner and breakfast at Eastway Brasserie. The all-day menu offers burgers, king prawn and crayfish fettuccine, and slow-braised beef. I went for the salmon fillet.
Breakfast was interesting. As well as a full English breakfast, eggs as you like them, and various pastries, there were offerings from local businesses; for instance, bagels from nearby Brick Lane and honey from Bermondsey Street Bees.
Facilities
There’s a 24-hour gym with Peloton bikes, treadmills, weights and a place for yoga. A steam room and spa treatment rooms are available too. The area is rife with interesting things to see, so the hotel rents out Brompton cycles too.
The hotel’s highlights
Vino & Vibes – 5pm wine and nibbles
Between 5pm and 6pm there’s a complimentary canapés and wine hour (Vino & Vibes) free for guests. I got my glass of white and squirrelled myself away in a cosy corner to enjoy a natter with others who have done the same. There’s also a coffee machine so anyone can help themselves throughout the day. Vino & Vibes, is on every day at 5pm, and extends to two hours on Friday with a live DJ performance.
Andaz London has its own Masonic Temple, looking gloriously Grecian in marble, leather thrones and a Zodiac gold ceiling. This hidden gem dates back to 1912 and was uncovered right here at the then Great Eastern Hotel in the 1990s. This century-old room features 12 types of Italian marble, mahogany-panelled thrones and a zodiac-adorned ceiling.
It’s often the backdrop of special performances and has been used in film. I hear Lady Gaga even used it for a photoshoot Ask at reception to take a peek.
What’s Nearby
Andaz London Liverpool Street hotel has put together an A-Z list of what you must check out so ask for more info. In the meantime, Liverpool Street station is steps away, making it easy to get around on the Elizabeth Line. Close by are Borough Market, a foodie haven, Brick Lane, famous for its bagels and curry houses, Old Spitalfields Market full of vintage fashion, crafts and food stores and trendy Shoreditch, famous for its street art. There are green spaces too such as St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate Gardens, Finsbury Circus Gardens, Aldgate Square and Elder Gardens.
Verdict: Andaz London Liverpool Street offers exceptional service, colourful, arty decor, various eateries, a small spa and a location close to plenty of places worth exploring nearby. A big thumbs up for this beautiful London hotel.
It’s that time when we’re all thinking about our next ski holiday. Here are resorts with major changes, improvements and expansions – somewhere you may not have heard of… and the ultimate ski getaway!
Deer Valley, Utah, USA
Heading down to the waterfront at Deer Valley
The Hail Peak Express chairlift opens this season, adding skiing to a whole new area in this fast-moving Utah resort – since December 2024 it has more than doubled in size.
Seven new runs and massive panoramas from Hail Peak expand the East Village area, which started life a couple of seasons ago with its Grand Hyatt hotel and continued last season with seven new lifts – six chairlifts and the East Village Express gondola. Hail Peak, topping out at 7,585ft, is Deer Valley’s closest skiing to Jordanelle Reservoir, a massive lake meandering amid the mountains, giving superb waterfront views.
And it’s not over yet… for the 27/28 season there will be the food hall and shops of East Village Lodge as the base grows to a contemporary lakeside resort with eight upmarket hotels, 30-plus cafes and restaurants and more than 40 boutique shops.
A new and growing connected area in the beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Dolomites. The 3 Zinnen – three peaks – are stunningly craggy, pale coloured mountains, and over the past few years five ski areas have been linked, now combining 115km of piste.
Sesto (home of tennis star Jannik Sinner) is at the heart of things in the main area spanning the three peaks, with 2,225m high point Monte Elmo, plus 2,000m Crossa Rossa and 2,100m Steirgarten. Off to one side is more skiing, Val Comelico, soon to be connected by more gondolas. San Candido is 10 minutes along the valley by free shuttle with its own 22km ski area (night skiing and tobogganing twice a week), Dobbiaco, with a couple of lifts, cross-country tracks and a Michelin-starred restaurant, is a little farther on a free shuttle train while Niederdorf is one more stop along, close to the little family/beginners area of Braies.
The Giro delle Cime is a 35km ski tour, linked almost all the way by modern gondolas (and a couple of shuttle buses). Nice hotels and lots of family slopes that have yet to attract the crowds. This season the area is being sold by Inghams, Crystal and others.
Residence Capella looms over the slopes and village of Avoriaz
This groundbreaking resort, high on a snowy plateau, a world of contemporary buildings, many like individual works of art, celebrates its 60th anniversary.
It was a Sixties dream that came true, timber and organic design meeting the future, car-free streets served by horse-drawn taxi sleighs. There are 650km of slopes on the Portes du Soleil ski area, stretching from Les Gets (itself celebrating its 90th birthday with events and a new beginners snowpark) through the traditional town of Morzine and across the Swiss border to pretty Chatel.
This season Avoriaz promises a season-long series of concerts, events and parties – although keeping them close to its chest until nearer the time! Meanwhile, one of the original developers, Pierre & Vacances, has revamped one of its earliest properties, ski-in, ski-out Residence Capella. Its 143 apartments – panoramic views of mountains and village from their balconies – have been reimagined, as have the public areas and there’s a new south-facing indoor swimming pool with lofty timbered ceiling and its own fabulous views.
Verbier’s new Telemix lift, featuring both chairs and gondola cabins
A long-awaited lift expanding the area means you can travel without taking your skis off, finally lifts off this winter.
The Esserts–Savoleyres Telemix, both chairlift and gondola, runs from Esserts in the open, sunny Carrefour area on the edge of town up to the Savoleyres ridge, a journey that’s previously involved a bus hop and a 1970 four-seat cable car.
The connection means that the area becomes much more part of the main arena and the runs over to the cheerful, great-value satellite village of La Tzoumaz are a destination themselves rather than, for so long, just a way to head home. A new run from Les Ruinettes, near the top of the main Medran gondola to Savoleyres further integrates the two sections.
You can now ski the edge of the world as leading adventure cruise company AE Expeditions opens up the far reaches of the planet with sailings that have ski calls on six or more days.
The number depends on itinerary, weather and sea conditions. The ski touring excursions take in desolate peaks, runs down to gleaming bays, seeing icebergs, maybe a breaching whale, possibly passing penguins.
Early voyages have taken in 700m Mt Tennant on Ronge Island and mainland Mt Hoegh, an 800m run down to the glacial fjord of Andvord Bay. Skiing is optional, so plenty of other sightseeing and land excursions, including snowshoeing and kayaking. Cruises sail from Ushuaia, in Argentina, the world’s southernmost city, on AE Expeditions’ cutting edge,130-guest ships.
The 13-day Across the Antarctic Circle cruise on Sylvia Earle, with one-night pre-cruise hotel stay, departing November 13, 2026, starts at £23,335pp, cruise only but with £375 air credit. That might be a bit soon but the 21-day South Georgia, Falklands and Antarctic Odyssey, on Greg Mortimer, departs October 25, 2027, from £24,941. And 12-day Spirit of Antarctica, on Douglas Mawson, departs November 12, 2027, from £14, 548, then 13-day Across the Arctic Circle, on Sylvia Earle, departs November 24, 2027, from £16,703. Prices include food, drinks and all excursions and Zodiac cruises.
Skiing (or snowboarding) costs £1,074 for the trip. There’s equipment on board although bringing your own is recommended, and participants need to be able to tackle black runs and off-piste. It brings a new meaning to cruising down the slopes!
If one thing this year’s Celebrity Traitors has done besides bringing pure joy into my evenings, is that it has piqued my curiosity about the cast’s interior design choices. After having had a little snoop around this year’s celebrities’ homes, I’ve been impressed by Rob Beckett’s contemporary teal kitchen – and interior design pros say this colour choice suits both modern and period homes. Rich colour palettes have been a standout of this year’s kitchen trends, and Rob’s teal kitchen is a brilliant example of how you can take a darker shade and make it look fresh and modern.
Paired with exposed stone and wood cabinetry, Rob’s combination of texture and colour is a masterclass example for anyone struggling to come up with contemporary kitchen ideas. Experts say this design is ahead of the curve for 2027’s kitchen trends. Here’s why.
Not only has blue been a huge colour trend this year, but it also makes for a beautiful kitchen colour scheme. This is because teal is a versatile shade that largely suits any space, and combined with natural wood and stone, it becomes a grounding blue kitchen idea.
‘Teal is doing the heavy lifting in a kitchen like this, and the stone and wood either side of it are what stop it becoming a novelty,’ comments Cassie Jones, brand manager at Masterclass Kitchens
‘Stone gives you a cool, hard surface that holds the colour in check, and wood puts back the warmth the stone takes out. That triangle is why the room reads as considered rather than bold for the sake of it. Take the wood away, and it turns cold. Take the stone away, and the teal has nothing to push against.’
Cassie also points out that Rob’s kitchen is a good example of what a ‘contemporary kitchen’ looks like in 2026.
‘It is a good example of where contemporary kitchens have got to, which is not quite the same as being a contemporary kitchen in the old sense,’ she says.
‘Contemporary used to mean flat, handleless and grey. Now it means a mid-tone colour on the cabinetry, natural materials used honestly, and texture doing the job gloss used to do. Five years ago this would have been called a statement kitchen. Today it sits closer to the middle of the market than the edge of it.’
What’s more, Rob’s kitchen has serious trend potential in 2027. If you’re looking to renovate your current kitchen, it’s a good example to look to if you want a space that remains on trend over the next few years.
‘I really like the combination of teal, natural wood and stone. The teal brings depth and personality, while the wood adds warmth and the stone gives the space a more refined, premium feel. The combination of textures with darker, warmer colours is the predicted trend for 2027 interior design, so Rob is ahead of the curve,’ says Lucy Darke, senior designer at Nolte Kitchens.
Teal is also a great choice for a blue kitchen, if you’re struggling to choose between airy blue shades or going bold with a dark navy kitchen. It offers the drama of a deeper shade, but retains a balanced feel that is often found with lighter tones.
‘Teal is one of the better colour choices you can make, because it sits between blue and green and borrows the calm of one and the warmth of the other. That is why it ages better than a flat navy or a strong green, and why it works in both period and modern homes, which very few strong colours manage,’ concludes Cassie.
‘The thing I would advise against is scale. Teal belongs low and central, on an island, a run of base units or a set of tall cabinets, with a neutral above it. Run it across the wall units as well, and you lose the light at eye level, and a kitchen that felt rich in the brochure feels heavy by the second winter. The colour is almost never the problem. How much of it there usually is.’
Get the look
Dulux
Dulux Teal Voyage Matt Wall & Ceiling Emulsion Paint, 30ml Tester Pot
Le Creuset
Le Creuset Classic Salt & Pepper Mills, Set of 2, Teal
Dunelm
Montreal 12 Piece Dinner Set
Teal is a bold choice, but in Rob’s kitchen, it really pays off. Would you try it?