Hotels
With a smart urban-industrial look and some very reasonable room rates, Room007 Ventura is a hostel that won't be a secret for very long. Secret, 007, geddit? No? Please yourselves. Anyway, the black and white of Bond's evening wear looks to have...
Eating Out
The interwoven fronds of wood that rest above diners at Ikibana are a beautiful representation of the fusion between Japanese and Brazilian cuisines that the Barcelona restaurant is serving up. Not a natural marriage on paper, one shy and reserved,...
Eating Out
When you're setting up a business, it makes perfect sense to choose a product that takes loads of fun testing to perfect. There can't be many better ones to exhaustively refine than ice-cream, especially in the sunny climes of Barcelona (maybe...
Hotels
Great strides have been made in the last couple of years to crack the seemingly tough nut of providing hotel quality accommodation at hostel prices, with a proliferation of “design hostels” popping up in major cities. An investment banker...
Hotels
George Orwell had an informed and interesting take on the Spanish attitude to orderly organisation; his time fighting the right-wing General Franco as a volunteer in the ranks of one of the opposing socialist militia groups left him with an...
Lifestyle
Pharmacies are generally grim places to visit, with their super-white, sterile interiors, and people generally feel like crap trying not to cough on each other as they wait for their prescriptions. De Los Austrias Pharmacy, Madrid, is turning that...
Hotels
Barcelona has always been an important city, from the time it was a fort for Roman soldiers, and in the Gothic Quarter you can still find many examples of architecture from across the ages. But it was the arrival of visionary architect Antoni Gaudí...
Hotels
The Hotel Maria Cristina – A Luxury Collection Hotel, has quite a heritage. Built in the Belle Époque, named after and inaugurated by Spain's Queen Consort, host to the annual San Sebastian International Film Festival and the stars that attended;...
Bars & Nightlife
Whenever I see the word Soprano, I have to resist running for the Sopranos box-set, or it’s another three days before anyone sees me. And speaking of boxes, there’s plenty on show in this pizzeria/bar in Gavà, Barcelona. These days it seems if...
Bars & Nightlife
Combining three of things we like most in life – buildings, beer and Barcelona – we were pre-disposed to liking architect Jean Nouvel’s re-working of an old brewery before we’d even seen it, and we’re happy to report he’s served up a...
Hotels
I think it probably accurate to say that San Sebastián is not well known for its luxury accommodation, or contemporary hotels. If you said its gastronomy or The International Film Festival then you'd perhaps be closer to the mark. That's why, on...
Eating Out
Prepare yourself: everything you thought you knew about ice cream means nothing. Even those ridiculously good Italian gelaterie? Forget 'em - waste of time... for Jordi Roca, the youngest of the three brothers behind El Celler de Can Roca (the...
City Notes
“A masterclass in conceptuality,” a hotel that “takes you on a fuzzy trip of vague recollection,” and “a paradise of inimitable escapism.” That’s what we said about Port de Sóller’s impressive Bikini Island & Mountain Hotel three...
City Notes
Hidden in the quiet heart of rural Spain, La Torre del Visco Hotel offers unrivalled luxury and adventures walking in a shepherd’s footsteps across the ancient Aragonese landscape that once inspired Picasso… In the early 20th century,...
City Notes
The world’s first StandardX hotel has opened in Fitzroy, Melbourne, the offshoot of the renowned global The Standard hotels, officially touted as the brand’s “rebellious younger sibling” with an offering of “intuitive hospitality without...
Stuff Crush
See captivating, never-before-published photographs of 1970s and '80s USA cultural hotspots including New York City, San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Miami Beach and more in Street Walker, a new publication from revered street photographer and...
Dispatches
In this particular era of swift life, it has been more and more crucial to be able to dispatch flowers quickly and in a convenient manner. The essay here presents some of the options open to those in the need of prompt flower delivery, making sure...
Dispatches
Architecture firms LOCAL and PIR2 have completed works on a sustainable activity park for clients Vestland County Council and Etne Municipality. Named Skakkeringen, the park is part of Vestland County’s endeavour to transform "innovative...
Dispatches
Milan, Italy’s fashion and financial capital, is a city that effortlessly combines history, culture, and modern luxury. From its world-renowned fashion scene and architectural marvels to exquisite cuisine and vibrant nightlife, Milan is a...
Dispatches
Spam calls are some of the most annoying things that we deal with in today's world. They can be constant, and answering a spam call might even result in serious issues if you are targeted by a scammer. While it may be tempting to try to enact spam...