One of the best things about staying in a luxury hotel is experiencing the in-house restaurant, of which there may be several…

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”.

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.

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.