By Shereen Shabnam

I seem to continually say Turkey is always a good idea because of the beauty of every city I have visited every year over the past two decades but this nature blessed country continues to surprise me with more adventure and enthralls me every hour I spend there. After a few days in downtown Izmir and falling in love with the food, the people and the shopping in the bazaars, I headed to Cesme in the summer, a resort town that is both breathtaking and charming.

While having an afternoon meal at the Boyalik Beach Cesme that offered an amazing array of fresh and beautifully prepared dishes, we experienced pure tranquility in the green manicured grounds and uninterrupted views of the blue ocean.

At Boyalik Beach Hotel & Spa, you can focus on rejuvenation and renewal, or take advantage of the sports and leisure facilities. Here you can spend a holiday sipping your tea and coffee outdoors or enjoy the wireless in the peaceful environment of your room with a stylish five-star hotel which is what I normally do as a workaholic.

The hotel has standard and family rooms as well as suites. As an Islander I naturally prefer sea views and Boyalik Beach Cesme has plenty of sea view rooms with Sat TV, complimentary tea and coffee, 24 hours room service, wireless internet, exclusive bath kits, magnifying mirror, mini bar and hair dryer.

Boyalık Beach Hotel & Spa is the ideal place to combine business and pleasure and has fully equipped meeting rooms. If you feel like going out, I highly recommend visiting Cesme’s bustling markets, crystal clear sea, clean beaches and dive and sailing centres, picturesque bays, healing thermal resources and sports activities.

Çesme is one of the most ideal places for surfing and our visit to the Alaçatı Surf Paradise gave us insights into the local passion of the sea among the youth and adults. Seeing teenagers enjoying the surfing made me wish I had a few more days in Cesme as my daughter was keen on trying some water sports. I suggest at least three days to get a good feel of the towns and beaches.

Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort

By Shereen Shabnam 

Set in the Eternal City on the grounds of a 15 acre park, Rome, the spectacular Rome Cavalieri, A Waldorf Astoria Resort offers guests a home overlooking the best parts of the Vatican City. I spent a few days exploring the majestic hotel and its spa recently and left rested and relaxed for my next adventure.

Being a lover of art, I have been sponsoring the art perspective event every two months held in a five star hotel in Dubai over the year and hence, very familiar with the trend of merging the art world with the hospitality world but seeing the seeing the scale of art at Rome Cavalieri left me mesmerised. The hotel is home to over 1,200 beautiful artworks from well-known artists like Andy Warhol, Giovanni Battista and period pieces of artefacts, tapestries and furniture.

Recently, the hotel introduced a series of complimentary luxury experiences for guests who book to stay a number of days in one of the hotel’s suites this year. They can take part in a series of inimitable local activities focusing on art, culture and cuisine, with each experience offered to vary depending on the suite chosen and time of year.

Whether it’s learning to make authentic Italian sandals with an authentic, family-run Italian shoemaker, private tours of the Vatican Gardens, the Pope’s summer Residence or the gardens of Castel Gandolfo or culinary journeys in the city, Rome Cavalieri’s Suite Experiences promise a memorable stay.

Food lovers will enjoy a private culinary tour and two-way transfer to Mercato Trionfale in the Prati neighbourhood, a market frequented by locals. The tour features six venues with over 20 different food and wine tastings. Here, guests can sample local culinary delights including truffles and 30 year aged balsamic vinegar, artisanal gelateria from Fatamorgana, homemade pasta with D.O.C.G. Vermentino wine at an award-winning restaurant, caviar and foie gras topped pizzas at Pizzarium, Rome’s number one pizzeria. It also includes a visit to Paciotti, the number one gourmet food shop in Rome, offering over 200 types of cheeses and 100 types of meats.

Guests staying in the top suites can enjoy the private use of a professional photographer to accompany them on their day around the Eternal City. Guests will receive a professional photoshoot in both Rome and the hotel, with a Mercedes at their disposal throughout the day. To cherish those memories, guests will receive an elegantly presented box with a USB drive and photo print outs, which will be directly delivered to them after their stay.

My favourite experience naturally would be staying in the Vista and Corner Suites and enjoy a luxury picnic in the hotel’s verdant parkland, accompanied with a butler as well as a private yoga session in the park and an 80-minute massage.

The spa experience in Rome Cavalieri was an amazing escape to a tranquil oasis with Roman baths, fitness centre and reputed products to indulge in. I opted for massage and once I saw the La Prairie products, I wished I had booked a facial too but had to catch my flight back to Dubai.

Overall, the Rome Cavalieri was a surreal experience. The building was designed by one of the most important architects of the period, Ugo Luccichenti, assisted by E. Pifferi and A. Ressa, with contribution from two superstar architects of the ‘60’s, Franco Albini and Pierluigi Nervi.

Ever since its opening in 1963, the hotel is known for the highest level of comfort attracting famous personalities and fifty years on, the Rome Cavalieri continues to move with the times, exceeding the expectations of the most demanding international travelers and living up to its name as an icon in the world of luxury hospitality. I certainly felt extremely special throughout my stay and would love to return with family one day to relive the experience and of course to make their spa my second home for at least a week.