Yes, we know it is a Hallmark Holiday, but it’s also the perfect time to indulge in some romantic R&R and spoil your better half with something a little more original than a hastily bought, overpriced bouquet of red roses. Boring. Instead, why not gift one of our sleek and sexy box sets with all those cities you plan to visit together?
What’s in your little Black box? Ours is full of surprises and we let you decide!
To help you plan your mini break or major vacation, we’ve put together five hotels guaranteed to light your beloved’s fire, from palm-fringed hideaway to Venetian palazzo. And it couldn’t be easier, just a few clicks away online at the LUXE City Guides Hotel & Villa Booking Site.
Ludicrously beautiful, atmospheric and fascinating...
Ciao bello, has it been a week already? Time again for another bit of LUXE City Guides advice for all you far flung seasoned travelers – and where to this time? How about Venice, for all you love birds; the home of canals, gondolas, gorgeous architecture and one of Europe’s most romantic sites. Bask in the glory of this masterpiece of a city as it churns out wonderful artwork like nobody’s business. Literally.
For more of the LUXE team’s travel pics, “Like” us on Facebook, and get clicking in this album. TTFN!
Farm chic
Thanks to the Venice Biennale, from now until November, La Serenissima is crammed with even more crowds, as cool creative types jostle with the usual coachload legions. It seems everyone, from the beautiful to the less so, are scrambling for a taste of Mara’s seafood at 1-Michelin-starred Da Fiore, and the VVIPs can’t get enough of the special white-gloved service they receive at Harry’s Bar, while you get ignored. It doesn’t have to be that way however, as those in-the-know slip away by boat to nearby foodie getaways like Venissa and Locanda Cipriani, for sumptuous meals, wine and idyllic lagoon living.
Say ciao to bella Londra
Calling all belloccios e belloccias!
Fasten your seat belts, LUXE has some molto exciting news for all the Italian-speaking leggy lovelies out there. We’ve teamed up with publishers Guido Tommasi Editore to bring you 20 Italian editions of our super-svelte concertina city guides. From Parigi to Pechino, we’ve got you covered with the best restaurants, shops, bars and spas and none of the faff, all in Italiano.
Chin Chin Lab's nitro ice cream - just like magic
It’s hot, you’re on holiday, darling little Apple is going into meltdown, you have a headache, you need a quick fix and there’s no kiddy valium at hand. Time to turn to one of life’s simplest pleasures – ice cream, or gelato if you’re feeling Continental, guaranteed to soothe and satisfy both young and old. From good ol’ fashioned ice cream trucks serving brand new flavours to the latest laboratories and their whiz-bang liquid nitro confections, here’s our pick of five places for a deliciously cooling tongue tango.
Mirrors, mirrors on the wall at Palazzina Grassi [image courtesy of Design Hotels]
That annual mask and costume hell, the Venice Carnival, has almost whirled its way through for another year, leaving a momentary calm when locals reclaim the city before the next wave of the leezure suited arrive in spring. Sure, it’s still rather parky in February and several shops and restaurants will be closed, but the beauty and joy of a deserted Piazza San Marco is worth the trip alone, and though it’s been slow coming, there are now more stylish hotels than ever to bed down in La Serenissima, including Philippe Starck’s first foray into Italian hotels via the whimsical Palazzina Grassi.
Hey, where is everyone?
Italian cities shut down on Sundays like a celeb in rehab, which can leave you kicking your heels or cursing your timing. Even in visitor-drenched Venice, you can find yourself at a loose end and desperate to get away from the milling legions. But fret not, we’ve put together a bunch of our favourite things so now you’ll always know what to do in La Serenissima on domenica…
Marriage saviour
We know you’re a busy jetsetter, but bring back another last-minute duty free keychain or inflatable Tokyo Tower, and you might have a marriage to save. Luckily, we’ve hunted high and scoured low for five perfectly stylish gifts for you to bring back from afar that put the ooh in souvenir and the aah in ‘darling, I missed you’. They won’t break the bank and they won’t be going out in the garbage along with your belongings…
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