By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
A continent fit to burst with things to do and see, Africa is a place of sheer diversity, both culturally and geographically. From the chance to see awe-inspiring landscapes and majestic animals to the opportunity to sample the very best African wines, music and arts at festivals and events, there is no more exciting, varied and striking place to visit with friends, family or as a solo traveller.
Spanning over 30 million square kilometres, Africa is almost three times bigger than Europe. It is close to impossible to hold in your mind at once just a fraction of some of the most incredible places to visit in Africa. From Cape Town to Marrakech, the Atlas Mountains to Nairobi, the multiplicity of possible experiences is hugely exciting. This week, I’m delving into some of the hottest spots for tourism on the continent, in the hope of demonstrating quite how much there is to explore beyond safaris and all-inclusive hotels.
Cape Town
Cape Town is the capital of South Africa and the site of some of Africa’s most luxurious travel experiences. Known as a hub for wine connoisseurs, there is an unrivalled selection of vineyards offering tastings and tours (some involving a horseback ride through the winelands). The city’s cultural life is also thriving now the District Six Museum, the Iziko Museums and The Heart of Cape Town Museum have all reopened post-pandemic. Keeping active travellers entertained is easy, too. Some great ideas include climbing table mountain, exploring the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens (above) or surfing in Muizenberg.
Marrakech
A glowing mosaic of palaces, souks, gardens and mosques, the Moroccan city of Marrakech is a jewel in the African continent. A melting pot of European, Arabian and Berber influences, its cultural hotspots each demand attention. Its labyrinthine marketplaces provide a shopping experience unlike any other for jewellery, spices and pottery, a stark contrast to the tranquillity of its walled gardens and shaded courtyards. The Jardin Majorelle is just one example of such an oasis, a botanical garden filled with different cacti against the iconic blue walls of French painter, Jacques Majorelle’s Cubist home. Nearby is the Yves Saint Laurent Museum, named for the fashion designer and dedicated to his work.
Atlas Mountains
From Marrakech, visitors can embark on a journey to the Atlas Mountains in the Maghreb region, travelling in a comfortable, air-conditioned 4×4 or atop a camel for a more authentic experience. Explore traditional Berber villages, waterfalls, valleys, and depending on when you visit, swathes of wildflowers or snow-capped mountains. One particularly beautiful place to aim for is the ksar, or fortified village, of Ait Ben Haddou (above), an 11th-century, UNESCO World Heritage-listed mudbrick building that was used as a resting place on the trans-Saharan caravan routes. The Ouzoud waterfalls and the decorated buildings of Ouarzazate are also worth the journey.
Nairobi
Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, takes its name from the Maasai term, Enkare Nyirobi, which translates to ‘the place of cool waters,’ signifying the intersection of the Nairobi and Tana rivers with the city. Beyond the confines of the capital, which is home to three million people and is one of the biggest in Africa, Nairobi is surrounded by over 100 kilometres of plains and forests that comprise its National Park, the only one to border a major metropolitan city. Luxury spas and hotels abound, as do opportunities to get up close with some of the rarest wildlife in the world.
Cairo
An iconic symbol of ancient life, power and influence, Cairo is the deeply storied capital of Egypt. Fed by the Nile and punctuated by Giza’s great pyramids, the city wears its history on its vast plains and in its tightly wound streets. Its cultural influences are many and can be seen in Islamic Cairo’s (known also as Historic Cairo or Medieval Cairo) domed and voluptuous urban landscape. Landmarks include Al-Azhar Mosque (above), the site of the world’s most prestigious university for Islamic education and Coptic Cairo, the home of the Babylon Fortress, the Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum, which houses the largest collection of Coptic Christian antiquities in the world.
London’s Most Fabulous New Hotel Openings 
By Amira Hashish
London is bouncing back with a flurry of new and recently opened hotels to get excited about. From design-driven boutiques to super luxe statement properties, there are plenty of places to inspire staycations and vacations in the capital. Here is a guide to the rooms worth booking…
NOW OPEN
Beaverbrook Townhouse
Joining its beloved Surrey sibling, Beaverbrook Town House is the debut London outpost from the Beaverbrook brand. The heritage hotel occupies two masterfully revamped Georgian townhouses, originally commissioned by Charles Sloane Cadogan, 1st Earl Cadogan, at the end of the 18th century. Surveying the leafy-green, Grade-II-listed Cadogan Gardens opposite, Beaverbrook Town House has a prime perch. Inside the hotel are 14 theatrical suites, art and antiques galore, a contemporary Japanese restaurant and a pretty, perfumed garden. Interiors are courtesy of Beaverbrook’s design duo: advertising mogul and Beaverbrook’s Creative Director Sir Frank Lowe alongside Nicola Harding, whose previous triumphs include The Garden House at Beaverbrook in Surrey, beaverbrooktownhouse.co.uk.
NoMad London
In the heart of Covent Garden, opposite The Royal Opera House, NoMad London takes residence in the Grade II-listed building previously known as The Bow Street Magistrates’ Court and Police Station. This is the New York based hospitality brand Sydell Group’s most intimate property with 91 rooms centred around dining and drinking spaces. The NoMad Restaurant is housed in a lush, light-filled atrium evocative of an Edwardian greenhouse. Side Hustle is a British pub with a decidedly New York sensibility. A menu of sharing plates is paired with an agave-based list of spirits created by legendary mixologist Leo Robitschek. Head to The Library for a living room vibe; coffee and cocktails are set amidst a thoughtful collection of books, thenomadhotel.com.
Mondrian Shoreditch
Following a major overhaul and complete redesign by award-winning London interior design studio, Goddard Littlefair Mondrian opened the doors of its Shoreditch residence. A chic and playful addition to East London’s creative and cultural hub, it is full of surprises. On the lower ground, is BIBO by world-famous chef Dani García. The Spanish kitchen serves tapas with courtyard seats, marking Garcia’s first restaurant in London. A new all-day café and cocktail bar Christina’s Shoreditch is the place to keep it casual. Look out for artistic pop-ups and live performances in The Screening Room, a private room and bar. There is even a co-working space and a rooftop pool and restaurant which is home to The Curtain Club; a fabulous spot for letting your hair down and soaking up the ambience. The food is sumptuous, cocktails are flowing and you can’t beat that City skyline backdrop, sbe.com.
Page8
It may not be the most recent opening but after launching just before the pandemic, Page8 deserves its moment in the spotlight. Overlooking the National Portrait Gallery, this Trafalgar Square hotel couldn’t be better located for travellers who want to be in the thick of the action. Its cool and calm interiors give it a slick urban retreat feel. Central to the hotel is Page Common, a communal space where collaboration is encouraged and accompanied by an excellent caffeine dose thanks to a partnership with Assembly Coffee. Freshly baked pastries and brunch are on the menu and there is an extensive events programme too, pagehotels.com.
The Londoner
After eight years and a £300 million investment, The Londoner is finally making its mark on Leicester Square. It’s a big number in every sense with 350 rooms designed by Yabu Pushelberg, six concept eateries, two private screening rooms, an expansive ballroom and a huge wellbeing floor with a pool, spa, nail and hair salon, a spa-bar and a gym. It calls itself ‘a super boutique hotel’ and lives up to its name, thelondoner.com.
The Lost Poet
A contemporary interpretation of a traditional guesthouse, this four-bedroom townhouse is on Number 6 Portobello Road in the centre of Notting Hill. Inspired by the needs of the modern discerning traveller, the ‘small is beautiful, hands-off’ approach offers guests access to this eclectic neighbourhood in a way they have never had before. The project comes from the team at Cubic Studios, a local property design studio, and is a poetic love letter to the area. Its creativity and dynamism come to life in its individually designed rooms and intimate welcome area, thelostpoet.co.uk.
The Carlton Tower Jumeirah
The Carlton Tower Jumeirah in Knightsbridge recently splashed out on the most extensive transformation in its history at a cool £100 million. Every corner of the 17-storey building has been redesigned and rejuvenated. Guest rooms are by 1508 London who set about making rooms that felt airy and tranquil. Al Mare restaurant is serving up contemporary Italian cuisine. The renovations continue with an innovative new health club The Peak and new treatment rooms at the Talise Spa, set across three floors. The hotel will be the home of London’s largest indoor swimming pool, flooded with natural light and breathtaking views across the capital, jumeirah.com.
Inhabit Queen’s Gardens
With wellbeing and sustainability at its heart, Inhabit is a young hotel brand on a mission to create restorative, environmentally and socially conscious places to stay in the city. Its first property on Southwick Street, Paddington opened in 2019, and its second London property is due to open nearby on Queen’s Gardens, Bayswater in March. Within a crescent of 19th century townhouses, there will be a wellness area with a Peloton bike, two GAIA treatment rooms and yoga studio on the lower ground floor. A tranquil library offers a quiet retreat on the ground floor, together with the plant-centric meat-free restaurant, inhabithotels.com.
COMING SOON
The Twenty Two
A new hotel with an all-day public restaurant and a private members’ club, by Navid Mirtorabi and Jamie Reuben, will be opening on the historic Grosvenor Square in Mayfair this spring. Set within an Edwardian Manor at (you guessed it) number 22 Grosvenor Square, the interiors are led by award-winning luxury designer Natalia Miyar and her practice, based between London and Miami. Marking her first hotel project, each room and public space has been decorated in an opulent yet welcoming style. Think rich textured fabrics, elegantly embroidered silks, lavish velvets and bespoke wallpapers – a modern interpretation of classic maximalism. It pays homage to the grandeur and legacy of the building with original architectural features, including double height ceilings, restored within some of the guest bedrooms and suites, the22.london.
Hotel AMANO Covent Garden
A new boutique lifestyle hotel opening in spring that promises to bring the cool and vibrant energy of Berlin to the heart of London. On Drury Lane, this new kid on the block is the first international destination from Berlin-based hotelier The AMANO Group which currently has eight hotels in Berlin, one in Munich and one in Düsseldorf. Proudly extrovert, the hotels are renowned for their distinctive design and immersive drinks and dining experiences. Formerly a 1980s office building known as Drury House, the hotel will also open a basement bar, restaurant, sky bar and rooftop terrace with DJs spinning music on weekends. Expect dark moody tones from Woods Bagot, the lead architect and interior designer behind the style, amanogroup.de.
Raffles London at The OWO
London’s first Raffles address is set to come to fruition late this year. Raffles London at The OWO will be a grand dame in the landmark Grade II-listed former Old War Office on Whitehall. The building once frequented by Britain’s most famous statesmen and spies, from Winston Churchill to Ian Fleming, will be open to the public for the first time having undergone a monumental transformation. It will comprise 120 rooms and suites alongside 85 unique branded residences, 11 restaurants and bars including a rooftop restaurant and bar with panoramic views across Whitehall, The Mall and on to Buckingham Palace as well as an extensive wellness space featuring world leading spa and fitness partners, raffles.com.
The Other House
Combining home comforts and apartment-style living with hotel services, residents can stay for a day or a year at this new concept with properties in Covent Garden and South Kensington. Think hotel meets private members club. Kitted out with bold colours such as sage green and red, teal blue or perylene green, and layered with velvets, British tweed and wool, it is an eclectic mix of Vivienne Westwood meets Alexander McQueen, otherhouse.com.
Chateau Denmark
One for the rock stars. Inspired by Denmark Street’s music heritage, Chateau Denmark “brings together creative expression and fine architectural detail to present something fierce,” according to its founders. This is a major undertaking just off Tottenham Court road. Spread across 16 buildings with session rooms, apartments and an underground gig venue this is going to be a mega new offering for central London, chateaudenmark.com.
Broadwick Soho
This summer will see the long-anticipated opening of this independent luxury hotel. Details are under wraps but it will be the first London hotel designed by king of maximalism Martin Brudnizki who is responsible for Annabel’s, The Coral Room at The Bloomsbury and Sexy Fish. Expect cosy opulence with 57 bedrooms, broadwicksoho.com.
1 Hotel Mayfair
The North American stalwart which champions sustainability will debut its UK brand flagship in the heart of Mayfair overlooking Green Park. Alongside rooms across nine storeys, there will be a farm-to-table restaurant with garden seating and a bespoke fitness and wellness centre, 1hotels.com.
Follow @thedesigneditor and @clubrapport for more travel inspiration.
London Design Week Trends
By Anya Cooklin-Lofting
From Sunday 13th to Friday 18th March, the Design Centre Chelsea Harbour opened its doors once again to hoards of interior designers, home renovators and the media to celebrate its loyal brands’ new spring/summer collections for London Design Week 2022. The annual event is a hub for designers to sample new fabrics, wallcoverings, furniture and accessories, supplemented with a talks and events programme that allows visitors access to the top designers of our time. Some of the showrooms at the Design Centre also offer interactive sessions like block printing at Morris & Co. or watercolour painting at Cole & Son, to engage their customers and ignite a passion for craft and making.
Every year, the organisers forecast trends for the year ahead based on the creative direction of the collections and designers. This year, the spring/summer trends are hugely varied, completely compelling, and at once timeless and of the moment. From Bridgerton-esque pastel passementerie to Avant-Garde abstraction in the style of Sonia Delaunay, all signs point to personality-laden spaces filled with colour and texture with a sense of reserved grandeur. Here is a run-down of the themes and motifs the London Design Week experts are seeing for 2022…
Fondant Fancy
According to London Design Week, the Fondant Fancy trend is less stuffy and starched than delightful, sweet and frothy. Tones of classical confectionary abound, evoking sorbet, macarons, tiered wedding cakes and patisserie. The trend is defined by furniture inspired by 18th-century boudoirs with frills, thoughtful details and floral upholstery. Accents of fringing, piping and tassels are integral to this look, giving each cushion, vase, lamp or rug a touch of regal glamour.
New Shoots
Not unlike Fondant Fancy, this trend relies on vintage charm with a nature-inspired twist. With delicately rendered pattern repeats available as wallcoverings and fabrics, many design brands have turned to botany and the English countryside for a feeling of freshness in their new collections. Interestingly, London Design Week believes that this more domestic approach diverges from the lush, tropical designs like banana leaves and palm trees that were popular before the pandemic. This could be indicative of the way we all came to value our local parks and gardens more than ever while international travel was halted.
Brighton Pavillion
Inspired by the south coast’s Regency pleasure palace, this trend is theatrical and expressive – perfect for those who entertain at home. Chinoiserie, golden accents, Eastern-inspired prints and rich, jewel tones coalesce to bring a refined sense of occasion to the home, from wall hangings to rugs, lighting to wallpapers.
Sonia
Early 20th-century artist, Sonia Delaunay, is the figurehead of this trend and who, 100 years on, is still making an impact in design. The artist is best known for her bold, abstract paintings and for the costumes she designed for the Ballets Russes, a French ballet company that, despite the name, never performed in Russia. For London Design Week, her relevance to the modern design landscape is clear: the energy and speed of modern life, from street lighting to modern dance, is captured in today’s fabric, wallpaper, tile and flooring designers, who are incorporating her expression of vitality in their new collections.
Mystic Garden
Described by London Design Week as “hippy and trippy,” this melange of vibrant colours, Indian inspired block-printed fabrics and papers and psychedelic upholstery is a real treat for the eyes. In the tradition of the Hippy Trail of the 1960s, mandala-style motifs, stylised florals and warping stripes comprise this trend that has maintained its appeal 60 years on.
Stitch & Weave
Sustainable materials like grasses and some woods have been a mainstay in interiors for a few years, especially with the rise of handcraft and more rustic finishes. This trend draws on the skills of artisans around the world using weaving and stitching techniques to create unique, eco-friendly, affordable and stylish homeware for contemporary living. A mainstay of this trend is rattan, which can be grown and harvested within two years, compared to some hardwoods that can take up to 30 years to fulfil the same demands. All kinds of furniture can be made with rattan, from chairs and trunks to headboards and coffee tables.