Castlemartyr Resort & Spa

My suspicions are always aroused when I read uniformly gushing comments on a hotel’s guest review page. Reality invariably belies hyperbole, and my cynical belief that these comments are carefully cherry-picked is more often than not confirmed. Prior to my visit to Castlemartyr Resort, ensconced in the countryside of Co. Cork, I was thus highly dubious; the hotel’s guest review page is positively eulogistic. How can a country hotel in Ireland be the avowed ‘favourite hotel in the world’ of so many guests? The answer became apparent during my stay.

Attentive service is a given in any luxury hotel worthy of its label, but the team at Castlemartyr is unfailingly attentive, and at times intimate, without ever being intrusive or sycophantic. Upon arrival we were greeted by Dermot at reception in the manner of long lost relatives, who whisked us straight into an impressive Georgian ballroom (the main lounge) for some drinks whilst our room was being made ready (we had arrived at the crack of dawn, on a Ryanair flight on which most of the passengers seemed inebriated – probably the most practical way to blot out the whole dismal exercise of getting from Stansted to Cork at six in the morning). On another occasion, as my sister and I were in the lobby, asking for recommendations for woodland walking routes, we were proffered bottles of sun cream (something it had not occurred to us to pack, it being Ireland, in April, for heaven’s sake!) by the friendly receptionist. Nearly all the staff appeared to be accomplished conversationalists, to the extent that we wondered whether that forms part of their employment criteria. Upon my expression of interest in one of the hotel’s magnificent Rococo ceilings, the waiter (Gunther) delivered a fascinating discourse on the contrast between early and late Baroque styles.

The hotel itself is a study in artful architectural amalgamation. The main part of the hotel is a Georgian mansion, which is adjoined by an evocatively dilapidated thirteenth century castle on one side, and a sympathetically proportioned contemporary wing on the other, housing guest rooms and the superb spa, pool and fitness centre. Despite their juxtaposing epochs, the three buildings blend beautifully, and are set, majestically, in front of a sprawling Irish meadow with grazing horses and delightful little Kerry bog ponies, flanked by a large meandering river. The hotel management might have been shooting a brochure photo when I arrived – a jogger was setting out across the parkland, a couple were returning from a bike ride (the hotel have a number of bikes for guests to use, free of charge), and some children were petting the ponies by the swan lake.

Thoughtfully, the reception desk is off to side of the pillared hallway, so you still get the sense of walking into a private country house. Check-in complete, we were shown to our ground floor suite. I was quite taken aback by the size – the room was truly gigantic, without even taking into account the separate hallway, capacious dressing room and outdoor hedged courtyard. As you’d expect from a luxury countryside hotel, the room had all the mod cons – safe, minibar, elegant tea and coffee set, and good signage, including very clear instructions on how to use the touch screen control panel embedded in the bedside table (sparing me the usual embarrassing baffled Operator call for help closing the electric curtains). The piece de resistance, however, was the bathroom. It was the size, first, that made us gasp (there were separate offshoot for the loo and shower from the main, hexagonal, marble clad room, and then the little details that sprang out – the provision of two hairdryers in the separate, facing sinks, the neck pillow in the bath, and the heated floor in the toilet.

If you’re staying for just one night you’ve got a tough decision to make because there’s so much to do at the hotel. The surrounding wooded parkland offers cycling, walking, and golf, and if the weather puts a wet blanket on outdoor activities, there’s plenty to do inside. The aforementioned spa offers a very comprehensive menu (from which I sampled the deep tissue manage and Anne Semonin Miracle Eyes treatment - both sublime), and the spa complex also houses a swimming pool, steam room and sauna, plus a gym and studio offering fitness classes.

If that all sounds too energetic, the hotel houses a wonderful pair of restaurants – the more formal Bell Tower, and the more casual Knights Bar. The food in both is superb. Breakfast was a sizeable buffet, including a pleasing variety of local produce – yogurt from the dairy farm down the road, and homemade muesli (a secret hotel formula). Dinner was faultless; the particular highlight for me was the doughnut perched on poached pineapple and pepper sorbet, which was a mouthwatering work of art.

All told, Castlemartyr excels across the board. My misgivings about the impossibly radiant reviews were utterly confounded. Those who describe this as their favourite hotel in the world have impeccable taste.


Castlemartyr Resort

Rooms at Castlemartyr Resort start from £95 per person per night, based on two adults sharing a deluxe room. Quote Law and More on booking and you will receive a welcome drink on arrival and 15% discount on spa treatments.

To book call 00353 214 21 9000 or visit www.castlemartyrresort.ie

Welcome

Welcome to my inaugural blog!

Coquine

You have to be impressed when a restaurant is full, midweek, in the midst of a mini-typhoon, and it is particularly impressive in this bit of London. At the west end of the Old Brompton Road restaurants are a penny a dozen, yet Coquine was properly heaving, its chi-chi banquettes lending a particular feeling of cosiness – even intimacy – thanks to their proximity. We spent the latter part of our evening giving menu tips to our neighbours, which created a nice sense of conviviality.

I had the miso cod (£11.75), which was fresh enough to give that unerring impression of silk, and so perfectly cooked that its flakes slid apart like a masterclass in the physical universe. It was a triumph. I said to the waiter (and I never do this), 'That was just delicious,’ and she replied with a suave yet thoughtful, 'Thanks, we’ve been working on it for a long time.’ Like it was physics, or an Arctic seed bank. Everybody in here seems very invested, and I mean that in therapy-speak, not as in a small-business development loan. My pal T had the scallops (£8), which looked a tiny bit prissy, perhaps, like a starter for a wedding, but were delicious once you speared into them, soft, classy, with a nice saffron-y topnote.

I carried on with the guinea fowl (£16.50), on a bed of spinach, but not in a fussy way, and a generous side-cloud of mashed potato. It tasted pretty good, too, the bacon it was wrapped in lending a nice extra flavor and succulence. T had the lobster burger (£14). It was discreetly sweetish, and subtly intense, which gave me to think, again, 'This fish is very fresh.’ You think that should be a given, for fish, in a restaurant, which you’ve actually paid for. Normally, I would sooner bank on the chef being able to translate the Iliad.

For pud we shared the flash fried Oreos (£6). You have T to thank for this discovery; I thought it sounded weird and wanted plain ice cream (what am I, 12?).

It was incredible from top to bottom: the crunchy biscuit interior had fully retained its crunchiness, whereas I often find fried confectionary claggy (the last time I had a deep-fried Boost in Edinburgh I felt distinctly sick afterwards, although this may well have been alcohol-related). Anyway, the fried cookies were profoundly delicious, as if the chef had reinvented not just the biscuit genre but also the Oreo. The filling had a wonderful consistency of molten creaminess. It tasted very distinctly doughnuty, and yet utterly right and proper, as if this biscuit had always been a pudding, as if only an idiot would eat it bereft of batter. Two blobs of coffee icecream laced with crushed Oreo cookie completed the triumph. By the end I totally loved it in there. And, three days on, I have considered the gastropub prices for the quite superior cooking and ambiance and I love it yet more. So it can’t just have been a sugar high.

Maldives: Island Hideaway

Of the hundred or so luxurious little lily-pads ceaselessly vying with one another to offer the most indulgent experience in the Maldives, Island Hideaway is undoubtedly a contender for top spot.

Only 43 exclusive villas dot Dhonakulhi; at Island Hideaway luxury doesn't just mean endless cold towels, ten types of pillow and personal butler service – it's about having lots of space, too. On the map the atoll's slivers of low-lying sand look like bones in an X-ray, enclosing a crescent-shaped lagoon. In the south of the atoll lies its greatest secret – Hanimaadhoo, an airport served by scheduled flights from Malé. Just as in the Caribbean, where it invariably pays to fly on to the lesser-known islands, so in the Maldives it is worth going the extra few hundred miles if seeking seclusion.

As well as fabulous diving, waters pulsating with baby turtles and the thrill of getting far away from the rest of the world, there is the opportunity to cycle around part of the lowest, flattest country on Earth (the highest point in the Maldives is only 8ft above sea level), bliss for the softie cyclist. Every guest is given a robust bike, and it's an utter delight to ride through the sun-dappled palms, glimpsing geckos, watching the fish from the jetties, then perhaps heading off to the superlative spa, Mandara (where I experienced a fabulous Balinese massage), or to eat divine food with mouthwatering views at either Matheefaru or Gaafushi restaurants.

What really sets Island Hideaway apart, however, is its ability to provide guests with unique experiences given its geographical location and incredibly high staff to guest ratio.  A common concern felt by those contemplating a week or more in the Maldives is the supposed lack of ‘culture’ on offer. Given Dhonakulhi’s proximity to the historic Utheem Island, however, this is not an issue. Whilst visitors to other resorts might slap on sunscreen and settle in hammocks with their Stieg Larsson-loaded Kindles, we take a boat from the jetty to the historic Utheem Island. Shakeeb, my butler, seems thrilled to show off his home turf. The villages are neat and clean, shaded by breadfruit and mango trees with single-storey houses built from coral with corrugated iron roofs. Following recent elections, many are painted with the colours of competing parties. Everybody smiles and waves at the mad Englishwoman out in the midday sun.  The island houses Utheem Palace, where the distinguished hero of the Maldivian independence movement, Mohammed Thakurufaan, lived in the 16th century. The palace in which he resided is well preserved; the interior of the palace provides a fascinating insight into Maldivian life. It is also possible to visit Thakurufaan Memorial Centre, which houses a library with an impressive collection of books about the history of Maldives and religion.

Other unforgettable experiences included lunch at the Sandbank, the most secluded spot on the eastern tip of the island, and a sunset fishing trip during which I actually caught supper – a gigantic grouper fish.

Perhaps the best aspect of my stay at Island Hideaway was a sense that the service was to a great extent intuitive. Favourite condiments mysteriously found their way to my table before they were requested, and preferred beverages were always placed in the cool boxes on excursions.  Much of this is thanks to the wonderful butler service; Shakeeb was extremely attentive and unfailingly good-humoured, in spite of my multifarious requests; I might not have sent for lobster Thermidor at four in the morning (as a previous guest purportedly did), but I still classify myself as a demanding guest.    

For paradise with a twist, look no further.

 

Maldives: Lily Beach Resort and Spa

It's 6.45am in South Ari Atoll and a spotted eagle ray is gliding nonchalantly past the jetty at Lily Beach Resort & Spa. Its wings flap gently in the warm, shallow waters that are so clear they seem to magnify the peaceful garden of delights below. Here comes a parrotfish in a fetching psychedelic number, bowling along on its dawn patrol. And there's a posse of snappily striped angelfish, hurrying by as if just back from an all-night party.

Spared the worst ravages of the bleaching that has dulled the coral in other parts of the Maldives, the seabed here is bejewelled with flashes of blue, green and purple. As the sun gains strength, the lagoon surrounding me fills with an immense calm. It is 82F (28C) and you know it's going to be another classic day of clear blue skies, sensational snorkelling trips, siestas on the daybed, then dinner overlooking the beach with rows of candles decorating the sand.

So far, so very high-end Maldives – except that down here on Huvahendhoo (the islands of the Maldives are so enchantingly named I can't help wondering if Edward Lear got here first), one of the southernmost atolls in this 500-mile island chain, the holiday experience is refreshingly different. Some islands are so small you can walk round them in five minutes; others proffer ridiculously OTT amenities such as an underwater restaurant, pretentious afternoon teas and wine cellars with bottles costing up to £38,000. Invariably there is a niggling fear that a week in the Maldives, however much you are in love, could well leave you feeling trapped, bored and overcharged.

But not here. Lily Beach is unique in that it is the only premium all-inclusive island in the Maldives. Every guest is placed on the Platinum Plan, which is astonishingly comprehensive;  nothing requires a signature (from the cigarettes to the mini bar bill), and every activity you can think of - tennis, gym, non-motorised watersports and snorkelling is all free.

The buffets at Lily Maa restaurant are superb, with quality ingredients throughout, from the fresh fruit juices to the prime cheeses. For variety, there are two barbecue nights with exotic meats, such as ostrich and kangaroo, alongside the freshly-caught lobster and tiger prawns. Also included in the Platinum Plan is one evening meal at the sensational Sino-Indian restaurant, Tamarind. In addition, the resort’s three bars act as outlets for snacks at other times of the day, as well as a constant source of liquid refreshment. The Vibes bar at the eastern tip of the island does disco or live music twice a week until the last person is helped back to their room.

Water Villa from reef edge

Water Villa plunge pool

Lunch by the beach

The Reception

The Spirit Bar at night

Lily Maa main restaurant

Sunset Water Suite bathroom

A spa treatment or two at the purpose built, over-water Tamara Spa is very much to be recommended.  Gazing at the shimmering sealife through Perspex as my masseuse manipulated my muscles was an unutterably sublime experience.  Other unmissable experiences  (included as part of the Platinum Plan) are the sunset fishing trip and excursions to both an uninhabited island (Theluveligaa), and a fishing village, Dhangethi, which has a rich cultural centre and some decent shops, some of whose names are entertainingly direct. One is called Local Veg, another, Shawl and Hijab.

This being a southeastern atoll, the diving is excellent. There are world renowned thilas and channels to the north and south of the island. In the summer months mantas are frequently seen nearby. Whale sharks are seen year round on the very southern tip of the atoll, sometimes coming up past Lily Beach on the east side. Despite the portentous nomenclature, both the rays and sharks present no risk to humans.
 
The Deluxe Water Villas and Sunset Water Suites make snorkelling access particularly easy - just a few steps down and a short drift to the reef drop-off. This is glorious, and surprisingly uncommon despite the number of water bungalows in the Maldives. All the rooms are replete with Nespresso machines, jacuzzi baths and large LCD flat screen satellite televisions with DVD players, ipod docks and wifi internet connection. The rooms share close similarity in style, materials and fittings but differ in size and location. The Beach Villas come in pairs, six of which are inter-connected for family use. Families are welcomed and there is both an outdoor play area and two indoor rooms, well-stocked with toys for guided games and entertainment for children under 12.  

All told, Lily Beach is an unreservedly recommended ultra-refined, yet refreshingly relaxed resort.

Kuoni (01306 747008 or www.kuoni.co.uk)offers 7 nights on all inclusive basis at the 5-star Lily Beach Resort &Spa at Huvahendhoo, in a beach villa, including flights with British Airwaysfrom London Gatwick and group transfers in resort. Price for 2011 from £2,386per person based on two sharing. To book please quote: MV1113 (From price validfor departure September 2011)

 

 

Lily Beach

 

Aqua Bar & Pool

 

The Vibe swimming pools

 

Lagoon Villas

 

Beach Villa outside

 

Beach on the north side

 

 

Badrutt's Palace, St Moritz

After a day spent skiing off-piste, dodging rock outcrops and crevasses, and convinced that I was going to die, upon entering Palace Wellness, the Spa at Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, I was pretty sure that I had, in fact, gone to heaven. Following a tripartite, 50 million  CHF redevelopment , executed between 2008 and 2010, the Wellness area has been seriously spruced up. During the first phase, the resort’s magnificent, 6 metre deep oval pool and Wet Zone, including ice and mist rooms, in addition to two saunas and a tropical rainforest shower was upgraded, and in the second and third, a new restaurant was built in the spa, along with new treatment and changing rooms, a fitness centre and a Kids’ Club.  As Martha Wiedemann, overseer of the redevelopment programme, explains: ‘ it is important to me that the beautiful surroundings of the Engadin valley flow into every part of the wellness area. Local purchases, plenty of natural light and local building materials characterize the look of the renovation.” In this vein, the hotel has returned to using white spruce, a local Grisons evergreen, for the wood paneling, the granite used originates from the quarry on the San Bernadino Pass located near St. Moritz, the treatment rooms are named after flowers from the Engadin region and the treatment menu  uses exclusively organic product lines such as Anika Organic Luxury, Intraceuticals, Shodeea and La Biosthetique.

The spa is a cross between clinical and cosy, with soothing music, water features and a particularly well-laid out relaxation zone. There is no tedious formality or dress code. The sign outside the mixed sauna area wasn’t so much a suggestion as an imperative to strip off (yikes! and even with blokes about). Thank heavens for the ladies-only area. I slid butt-naked into the aroma grotto, a scented Tardis-like chamber with a giant crystal in it, and tried to relax before my ‘Aroma Plastmark Mental Active’ treatment .

I was led into the Paradisea Massage room, a candle-lit boudoir in which I encountered a bed, quite unlike any massage bed that I had experienced before; a heated water bed, with integrated sound system. Apparently the ergonomic design helps to rebalance the mind and body. It did just that.

Karin, my therapist, was a dream. Soothing, assured manner? Check. Firm, dexterous hands? Check. Experience? She has a decade’s worth. The treatment included a foot massage with arnica milk, then a soak in a “Honey-Swiss stone pine bath”' (more stoic disrobing.) After pouring in aromatic honey and pine oils, Karin disappeared and I was left to loofah myself with the bits of orange shavings that bobbed about.

The stone pine is something of a miracle tree; prolonged whiffs of the bark are thought to slow down your heartbeat and boost circulation. Nicely woozy, I was primed for my back massage with the Oil of Life, aka marmot oil (from an Alpine rodent), a local cure for aching muscles, rheumatism and skin complaints. Seems that the Alps are overrun with the critters. Every autumn a number are culled and the oil is extracted and bottled. Whatever qualms I had (none, actually) melted away under Karin’s expert ministrations. This was a proper, medicinal pummelling and bliss to my knotty shoulders and stiff spine.

Other bonuses in the Wellness Area include free fitness classes for guests, a medical centre, with a team of doctors, and opportunities to participate in adventure sports, golf or hiking

Badrutt’s Palace Hotel www.badruttspalace.com +41 (0)81 837 1100 offers treatments from CHF 30 and standard double rooms are available from CHF 365 per room per night.

Moolis

Moolis has been open just over a month and its lassis already have a cult following.  ‘Our regulars come in twice, three times a day,’ smiles Mathew Chandy, one of the co-founders of Frith Street’s newest restaurant, ‘they say they’re addicted’.  It is not just the drinks menu that has a loyal fan base.  The core offering – the eponymous mooli – has met with approbation from AA Gill to Alan Yau.  So what exactly is a mooli? Sameer Singh, Chandy’s old college mate –turned-business partner describes it as a ‘light roti, made in-house and fresh off Moolita, our unique bread machine from Texas, hand-rolled together with our range of warm fillings.’ What differentiates a mooli from a regular wrap is first the nature of the bread (fresh, wholemeal and absolutely preservative-free), and second the eclectic range of fillings (Keralan beef, cumin potato and asparagus, grated paneer, Goan pork), mingled with zesty salsas and chutneys. Chandy and Singh drew on inspiration from their travels (trips to the palace of the Nawab of Lucknow, where the Indian kati roll was first created, and the Malabar Coast of India, where the Indian-Syrian Christians invented their unique Keralan beef), in order to create a range of different moolis that they hoped would cater to all possible tastes – meaty, vegan, spicy, delicately flavoured.

There are only five different moolis currently available (in regular or mini form), but the compactness of the menu belies its complexity. Even my demanding dining companions, at polar opposites of the culinary spectrum; one a born and bred vegetarian, the other a committed carnivore, both commended its breadth and balance. As a wanton omnivore, I happily sampled each mooli on offer, and went back for seconds of the beef (though it was hard toss-up between that and the pork).

To keep the concept clean, Chandy and Singh have sagaciously decided to keep the menu streamlined, at least at the outset. We were treated to future putative menu additions, however, including a spicy tomato soup and a truly divine dhaal. There are also plans afoot to introduce goat to the mooli posse next month. For the sweet-toothed, there is a also a wide selection;  cardamom, rosewater and mango puds, and white and dark chocolate varieties of brownie. We each had a kulfi – essentially a grown up Mini Milk. The vegetarian found the mango version too creamy, but the carnivore and I were extremely keen on our pistachio and malai flavours.

Moolis is fully licensed, which means that it is able to straddle the day-to-evening shift in clientele particularly effectively.  They seek to appeal to the local office worker and the passerby on a night out, and their offering is broad enough to meet this challenge. The great thing about the mooli is that, in addition to the wonderful taste, it is also remarkably easy to eat on the go, making it a fantastically versatile product in terms of both consumer appeal and use. This adaptability will certainly prove useful when Singh and Chandy eventually (as they hope to) expand the franchise further afield in the City and Canary Wharf.  Meanwhile, go and visit them in Soho to see a future Pret in the making.