Our team of travel experts can put together bespoke itineraries, including tours, hotel and restaurant reservations and entertainment bookings tailored to your interests. Talk to your lifestyle manager to find out more about any of the below or for travel ideas across the globe.
Stockholm, Sweden
The film release of Stieg Larsson’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will no doubt draw fans in search of Stockholm’s dark and grimy side, but they’ll be disappointed – this is one of Europe’s most beautiful city break destinations. A jigsaw of 14 islands connected by 57 bridges, the self-styled capital of Scandinavia has carved a very distinct identity over the past two decades and its burgeoning arts and culinary scene rivals Paris and Berlin.
Come springtime, the long days allow plenty of time to get under the city’s skin. Start by navigating the maze of the old town’s cobbled alleyways before browsing the bohemian boutiques and art galleries on the island of Södermalm and sipping sundowners in the upscale Östermalm district.
Muscat, Oman
At the beginning of the millennium, Dubai was attracting attention with extraordinary man-made islands and Abu Dhabi was hot on its heels with a new Formula One racetrack. Now it’s Muscat’s turn to bask in the limelight.
In 2006 the Bait Al Baranda museum kick-started Oman’s cultural renaissance and it has been accelerating at pace ever since. The Royal Opera House opened its doors last year, with the Mariinsky Ballet and Plácido Domingo booked for the impressive opening season.
It remains an enchanting and ancient city, with few skyscrapers piercing the year-round blue skies. Muscat means ‘anchorage’ and the sea continues to be an important part of city life,bringing tourists on cruise ships into the historic port and, most recently, the golden coastline has become the focus of world-class resorts.
Beirut, Lebanon
Thanks to years of political calm, the nocturnal, fast-expanding Middle Eastern city is cultivating a design district and new hotels. This year the renovation of the country’s first contemporary art museum will also be completed. And none of this is going unnoticed, with a record number of travellers visiting last year and even more expected in 2012.
That’s not to say it’s overrun with tourists, assures lifestyle concierge’s travel expert, Rob Arrow: ‘Spend the evening in one of the bars in the hip Gemmayzeh district and you’ll be surrounded by the city’s young, vibrant crowd of artists and designers, while on the streets lined with Ottoman-style town houses in Saifi Village, locals pop into designer boutiques and sip coffee on terraces.’
Darwin, Australia
Emerging from the shadows of Sydney and Melbourne, the gateway to Australia's last frontier of untouched wilderness has become a major cultural and social hub, undergoing tasteful architectural rejuvenation since severe bombing during World War II and Cyclone Tracy razed the city to the ground.
Today, the tropical metropolis boasts a new waterfront precinct and sunset markets at Mindil Beach, while in the busy centre pop-up galleries sell aboriginal art for a fraction of the price of their east coast counterparts.
The city’s connection with the indigenous communities is strong, and the multi-arts festival and Indigenous Music Awards that take place in August are viewed as the most forward-thinking of their kind in the country. This is a must on every Australian itinerary.
London, UK
The capital is pulling out all the stops this year, with the East End being illuminated by the Olympic flame and the rest of the city rolling out the red carpet and bunting for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. With river pageants, street parties, concerts and every sporting event imaginable, you can guarantee that London is going to put on quite a show in 2012.
In the art world, galleries are building on 2011’s success, with Picasso’s works on display at the Tate Britain and Damien Hirst and Edvard Munch’s masterpieces on show at the Tate Modern. There’s going to be no stopping the culinary scene, either. Our Restaurants team have reported a lot of exciting new openings, including the Ivy Café and Sushisamba at the top of the Heron Tower. Call a lifestyle manager to arrange your visit.
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