DESIGN HOTELS
www.designhotels.com
If it’s exceptional design you want to be surrounded by then Design Hotels is where it’s at. All hotels are rated according to their interiors, but there’s way more on offer including a shop full of high concept collector's editions of books and even herbal liqueur, a club with networking events aplenty, special hotel offers, and just to top it all off endless videos of aspirational destinations worldwide.
TABLET
www.tablethotels.com
Highly esteemed founders Laurent Vernhes and Michael Davis have made it their mission to quite literally go to the ends of the Earth content wise with the ethos behind Tablet Hotels. Top notch design, seriously hip contributors, the world’s best boutique and luxury hotels, with an editorial slant that goes way beyond your average travel site. Check, check and check.
HOTEL CHATTER
www.hotelchatter.com
Whilst the design of this site might not be quite as snazzy as the previous two, it’s a resource that’s worth its weight in gold, why? Because without all the tinkering you’ll get up close and personal with the reality hotels may not want you to see. Users upload images of their trips and believe us – there’s no photoshopping, lighting or trickery involved. Sister site Jaunted is also well worth a look with its no holds barred editorial on the mechanics of travel itself.
THE CULTURE TRIP
www.theculturetrip.com
If local recommendations are what you’re after, then this is the site to peruse leading up to that all important holiday. A self proclaimed ‘One stop website’ for the discerning traveller, there’s just so much incisive content, you’ll need a holiday just to get through it all.
INSIDE THE TRAVEL LAB
www.insidethetravellab.com
If luxury travel is your ticket, but with a healthy dose of awareness, then you’ll relish this offering from Abigail King who left the medical profession to become a full-time nomad exploring the globe. Her blog is a testament to her vision of insight and discovery, we particularly love the ‘Make me Smile’ section, which does exactly what it says on the tin.
GOGOBOT
www.gogobot.com
Gogobot and its accompanying app are nothing if not trust travel companions here at The GWG, the comprehensive list of destinations is balanced with a great blog (don’t miss the Blogs We Love section – a seriously well curated list), but perhaps the most addictive USP is the Postcards facility - create your own with your most memorable images and upload them to the site or keep them for posterity.
SECRET LONDON
www.secret-london.co.uk
Intent on staying in London? No one would blame you. Take this rare opportunity to discover some hidden locations with the aid of Kieran Meeke (formerly travel editor of Metro), the extraordinarily detailed guide he’s created is quite literally a doorway to an entirely new relationship with our beloved capital.
GREEN TRAVELLER
www.greentraveller.co.uk
If green travel is your top priority then this is the guide that shouts ‘eco friendly’ from the rooftops. Whether you want to minimise your carbon footprint, research sustainable holiday options or just look into some areas of outstanding beauty, it’s all here.
GRUMPY TRAVELLER
www.grumpytraveller.com
This seriously stylish addition from traveller David Whitley, is an online magazine with a difference: he’s an experienced travel writer for one, with a column in the UK edition of National Geographic Traveller (not to mention a writer for a myriad of other broadsheets), but it’s his self proclaimed ‘moaning’ about the negative sides of travel that has us hooked, though don’t let that fool you, there’s tons more to enjoy such as city guides, photography and reviews.
AIR B’N’B
www.airbnb.co.uk
Looking for a place to stay but want to eschew the usual hotels in favour of a more personal visit to a top destination? Then head to the site that turns the homes of the globe into hotels ready and waiting to accost you with hospitality in over 34,000 cities and 192 countries, and don’t worry – security is top notch.
This isn’t of course the first time we’ve written about travel here at The GWG, the list to some degree is endless; check out our previous features for additional tips:
Booking family holidays, Holiday bits and bobs, best online travel guides, Alternative holidays, Booking a villa, best bed and breakfasts, campers and glampers, and planning a day out.
July 2013