Photos courtesy of RM Auctions

The RM Classic Auction in Monaco on 1 May is a date to put in your agenda – if you’re a lover of sublime classic cars…

A day to make your eyes weep, the Spring Classics of Monaco auction will bring together around 100 of the finest cars in the world, ranging from exquisitely restored models from the early years of motoring right up to recent releases. While most cars on offer from the 1980s and upwards are either super-fast or ultra-luxurious, it is the legendary sports cars and limousines of the immediate pre-war and post-war periods that will attract most attention. Read the rest of this entry »

On one of the 115 islands that make up the archipelago nation of the Seychelles lays a resort that is quite different from your usual luxury retreat.

These days, there is no shortage of luxury destinations catering to every whim and desire of a well-heeled clientele. Some have cultural interest, some history or design, while most are simply luxurious, but how many of these places really have heart?

North Island, a tropical island resort within the Indian Ocean nation of Seychelles, is in many ways a typical luxury getaway of the kind one would find in the Maldives or Polynesia, and yet this sumptuously styled mini resort is different. The eleven guest villas and health spa are elegant, opulent and leave nothing to be desired in terms of comfort, luxury and service, and yet they are merely the by-product of a conservation process that has seen the indigenous fauna and flora of this little tropical island regenerated. Read the rest of this entry »

Marbella has many luxurious five-star hotels, but for a very exacting – and often famous – clientele there is something even more exclusive.

Already a five-star icon of Marbella, and one of its original luxury hotels, the Gran Melía Don Pepe also offers a trio of penthouse Presidential Suites that are the pinnacle of comfort and elegance.

Inaugurated by Prince Albert of Monaco, they represent the finest accommodation short of owning your own multi-million penthouse or villa overlooking the sea. Décor and trimmings are refined and opulent, as you may expect, with the suites consisting of a living area in the style of a luxurious apartment, and one or two bedroom suites, depending upon your preference. Read the rest of this entry »

Well, we were. After a good but long, hot summer we were ready for a little break – one that would take us away from crowds, traffic jams and the stresses of work. A lot of people, including those that fly down to Spain for their holidays, say they want to get away from the rat-race, only to end up in a different kind of one. Perhaps it’s the advantage we have in living here that we can firstly call Marbella crowded and stressful, and secondly find our way to beautiful out-of-the-way spots within a few hours of our own doorstep.

Normally, beach holidays are not our thing. In fact, most holidays will see us soaking up a little culture and excitement in a major city or alternatively heading into the mountains for a weekend retreat from modern life. After a summer of dodging the heat, however, the idea of lazing on the beach sounded just right, and where better to do it than the sandy shores of Spain’s southern Atlantic coastline. Read the rest of this entry »

The jeep has come a long way from the simple utility vehicle it once was. The original army jeep, and the early commercial models that followed it, may have been crude and devoid of any comfort, but it was meant to be a workhorse that could go anywhere, not a luxury car. This very clear division of labour was shattered in 1970 with the introduction of the Range Rover. Every bit as revolutionary as the original American Jeep, it was the first to combine luxury and true off-road capability.

For years, the Range Rover stood alone as the ‘Rolls Royce of four-wheel drives’, while the likes of Toyota, Fiat and even Mercedes continued to build conventional, truck-like jeeps. That is, until the early 90s, when a more pampered clientele made the switch and turned the humble jeep into a must-have status symbol. Manufacturers quickly responded to the executives and housewives who had embraced all-wheel drive, and started producing off-roads that were comfortable, opulent and above all, easy to drive. Read the rest of this entry »