Few urban phenomena capture the contradictions of contemporary city life as clearly as the modern Christmas market. Branded as cosy, convivial and tradition-laden, winter events such as Winter in Antwerp (Winter in Antwerpen) attract hundreds of thousands of visitors, fill hotel rooms and dominate city-centre calendars for weeks on end. Yet behind the fairy lights…
Tag: Hotel
Antwerp hoteliers see strong year-end but brace for difficult 2026 as average room rates come under pressure
Hotels in the city of Antwerp in Belgium are looking back on a successful year-end. December 2025 proved to be an excellent month, with occupancy 8% higher than in the same period last year. Overall, however, 2025 was only an average year, and 2026 is expected to be challenging.
2026: Invisible?
August 2025. While staying at the Radisson Collection Astorija in Vilnius in Lithuania, we want to order something from the breakfast menu. But the table next to us, populated by a ‘very present’ group of eight or ten people gets priority. They’re treated as being important.
SOUTH KOREA 2024 | Impressions and observations
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
SOUTH KOREA | Five days in Seoul
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
HOTEL REVIEW | Scandic Front in Copenhagen
I turned 44 in June. I have this tradition – when possible – of not being in Belgium for my birthday. From Sweden in 2013 to the Châteaux of the Loire Valley in 2014, Lake Orta in 2015, Rome in 2016, London in 2018, North Carolina and Virginia in 2019, England in 2022, and Rotterdam…
REVIEW | Sofitel Rome Villa Borghese
March 2025. We’re embarking on a train trip to Sicily. We fly from Brussels Airport to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport with ITA Airways. Then we take an Intercity Notte sleeper train by Trenitalia from Roma Termini Railway Station across Italy to Syracuse. Yes, the train is loaded on a ferry to cross the…
REVIEW | Blue Sea Beach affiliated by Melia
As is usual my boyfriend and I gift a holiday as a birthday gift to each other. In 2025 Sam was early by gifting my ‘present’ trip to Crete in May as in late September we would be off to Japan..
HOW TO | Hotel saunas in South Korea
Autumn 2024. Ten years after my first trip to Seoul in 2014, I am returning to the Republic of Korea, better known as South Korea. Not solo this time, but with Oriol, who has never been to Korea. On the itinerary: flying with Qatar Airways to Incheon via Doha, the capital Seoul, the historic city…
REVIEW | NH Palermo
March 2025. We’re embarking on a train trip to Sicily. We fly from Brussels Airport to Leonardo da Vinci Rome Fiumicino Airport with ITA Airways. Then we take an Intercity Notte sleeper train by Trenitalia from Roma Termini Railway Station across Italy to Syracuse. Yes, the train is loaded on a ferry to cross the…