Bom dia Rio. Contributed by feature editor Jens Hoffmann Do you know where beach related jobs generate three billion dollars a year? It is a big country — bigger than Australia, and far too large to try to cover in one visit — so we’ve designed a special itinerary that takes in the best of it. Brazil is worth a visit and belongs on your bucketlist. Do you know Rio? Hang loose beach style, next to the beach the right hotel is the amazingly positioned…Continue Reading “Cities we love: Rio de Janeiro”

Contributed by our correspondent and influencer Jens Hoffmann First of all, it was joy to be in New Orleans.I love this city. Start with the history, the luxury hotel was opened in 1893, later on the hotel was purchased by a group of investors and renamed »The Roosevelt Hotel« (in honor of late former president Theodore Roosevelt) in 1923. In 1965 it was acquired by Fairmont Hotels. The Grand Hotel, has over 500 rooms, of which 125 are luxury suites, some named for celebrities who…Continue Reading “Hotels we love: The Waldorf Astoria “The Roosevelt” in New Orleans”

Contributed by reporter and influencer Jens Hoffmann The Lobby at Mandarin Oriental, BKK is like a puzzle. The heart of the hotel, is a destination in itself. The Lobby has played host to royal guests and international visitors – their favourite spot to see and be seen. Somerset Maugham used his hotel room as a hospital when he came down with malaria. John Le Carré wrote much of “The Honourable Schoolboy” in one of the suites. And Noël Coward would spend hours gazing down at…Continue Reading “Sawasdee, Thailand – The Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok”

Perfect elegance – Skopelos on the Sporades The charms of Skopelos “Mamma Mia Island”, a perfect location to get married? Yes! Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann I love the Mamma Mia “ABBA” movie. Here’s the plot. A beautiful girl named Sofie is getting married to a British guy on Skopelos. Both of them are dewy with youth. The girl has secretly invited three men from her mom’s past, each of whom may be her biological father. Hilarity ensues. That’s about it, a perfect (ABBA)…Continue Reading “Islands we love: Mamma Mia Island – Skopelos (Greece)”

Travel the globe. Today Dominican Republic Contributed by feature reporter and influencer Jens Hoffmann Santo Domingo was 1498 founded by Bartholome Columbus, the brother of Christoph Columbus, it was the first seat of the Spanish colonial rule in the New World. Its the capital and largest city in the Dominican Republic. The 5-star InterContinental Real in Santo Domingo, was my hideaway on time. Location, Location, Location. Placed in the business area, not far away from the old town. Even the president of the Dominican Republic…Continue Reading “Cities we love: Santo Domingo in Dominican Republic”

Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann The luxury Grand Hotel D’Angkor hotel offers personalized pampering at the award-winning Raffles Spa, as well as an array of fine dining choices, from exotic Khmer cuisine at the Restaurant Le Grand to the Elephant Bar where fine wine, champagne and cocktails, including the signature Airavata is served. For a one-of-a-kind dining experience, opt for private dining at one of the magnificent temples of Angkor. Worth to try. Spread over 15 acres of beautifully landscaped French gardens, Raffles Grand…Continue Reading “Hotels we love: Grand Hotel D’Angkor by Raffles in Cambodia”

Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann Photos: Anke Sademann We stayed in “The Yeatman”, a legendary luxury wine hotel with views of the UNESCO World Heritage city and the Douro river. The hotel delights its guests with an impressive location; a terraced site on the slope of a hill on the banks of the river Duoro. Wow! The hotel has numerous references to its great history in the heart of “Vila Nova de Gaia” next to the ancient ‘lodges’ where Port houses have aged their…Continue Reading “Hotels we love: The Yeatman in Porto”

Sawasdee, Bangkok is joy. Contributed by reporter Jens Hoffmann The CEO Deepak Ohri took a unique approach to the service sector which taps into a deeper level of exchange with guests by creating emotional connections. The Dome at lebua is an impressive collection of iconic restaurants atop lebua’s Bangkok properties, with view is breathtaking. In the restaurants you can enjoy cuisine that attracts epicures from around the world: Sirocco, Breeze, two-Michelin-star Mezzaluna, Sky, Flute, Alfresco 64, lebua No. 3, Pink, and Chef’s Table. We tried…Continue Reading “Fine dining in Bangkok – Hotel Lebua”

Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann To Besancon by TGV with over 330 kilometers per hour. Wow. The capital of Franche-Comté enchants with small streets, colorful half-timbered houses and typical French charm on the loop of the Doubs river. Besançon is considered the “watchmaking capital”. After breakfast we walked up to the world-famous citadel. The citadel is 364 meters above sea level. 25 buildings from different eras and three museums on the site. Louis XIV gave Besancon an important role in defending the border with…Continue Reading “Franche-Comte, mon amour! Besancon & Belfort in France”

Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann The subject of the research trip was the Dutch artist Vincent van Gogh, one of the most famous painters in the world. Vincent van Gogh was born on March 30, 1853 in Zundert, a municipality in the province of Noord-Brabant in the Netherlands. He came from a religious family, his father was a Protestant minister. Van Gogh had an eventful life and suffered from psychological problems. There are many myths about him. In our memories are the cut ear…Continue Reading “The footsteps of Vincent van Gogh in Drenthe (Netherlands)”

Tunis – the city of fashion Contributed by feature reporter Jens Hoffmann Tunis, Europe’s outpost on the African continent is an intermediate world and a joyful place. I went there for the “Fashion Week Tunis”. Truly a discovery, a city between Europe and Africa that embraces all cultures and makes travelers happy. Tunis, the capital of Tunisia, has been offering fashion fashion for eleven years, a fashion spectacle in the old amphitheater of Kathargo. A city I Love; I was there not only for fashion,…Continue Reading “Tunis – City of fashion”

The Palace is old-fashioned, elegant and right on Ipanema Beach. When you walk through the doors, it’s like you’ve stepped back into the 1920s, it’s one of my favourite hotels ever. Great style, fun, probably the most beautiful girls. In Rio it has been welcoming the rich and famous since its Art Deco doors swung open in 1923. Marlene Dietrich was their, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers danced here and the Rolling Stones tuned up in its grand salon before their concert on the beach….Continue Reading “Hotels we love – Belmond Copacabana Palace in Rio de Janeiro”