One of the best things about staying in a luxury hotel is experiencing the in-house restaurant, of which there may be several. It's part of the overall experience and the test of one of the key elements of a fine hotel, to indulge in the excellent food, wine and service all under the one roof. Then follows the satisfying pleasure of heading back to your suite to luxuriate for a rest, nap or long night of sleep.

It was a long time ago that Hong Kong was known as “The Pearl of the Orient”. Now, it is referred to as the rather unglamorous “Asia’s World City”. 2018 certainly feels like a very long time ago. That was the last time I set foot in the city, one that holds many wonderful memories through some pivotal times in my life over the past two decades.

I’ve always been intrigued about how a hotel categorizes its available rooms. Through my years of travel, I have begun to see patterns emerging that are as much about marketing as they are about the actual physical spaces themselves.

Travel addiction is a terrible thing. Withdrawals from it are just as bad as with any other addiction. I feel it right now to my very core. Of late, I have had to calm down and get used to spending all of my time at home base, with no travel plans in the coming months. Of course, this has been essential, unavoidable…and rather unbearable.

We live in an age where fast pace is the norm. Blink and you’ll miss it, is the urgent moniker of today. This especially applies to Marketing. Technology and our limited attention spans are both a marketers dream and their enemy.

The element of surprise is always welcome in my travels. It can be found in many experiences and is one of the things that makes travel so alluring and addictive.

Since I began this journal, my eyes and ears have been open to trends and habits that have become commonplace in the wide world of hospitality. My curiosity is constantly piqued, and there have been some common threads appearing that have fooled many people for years.

It’s fascinating to watch the latest trends in the ever exploding hotel scene. As more and more hotels squeeze into the emerging category between mid-range and luxury, but still fall into a five-star model, there are many tricks up a brands sleeve to lure a new and curious market.

It’s rare that I’m taken by complete surprise by my choice of accommodation. Certainly, many times I have been disappointed, where my abode has not lived up to its reputation, but rarely has it been the other extreme - so vastly better than I expected. Boy, it sure has on this latest trip to Tasmania. 

The plunge pool is perhaps the greatest asset to top luxury resorts. Everyone loves the privacy is entails, the luxe factor it presents.