Italy 2026: A Renaissance
Italy remains the undisputed heart of the Nota Bene map—our favourite corner of the world.
Eight Unmissable UNESCO World Heritage Sites
UNESCO World Heritage Sites with stunning natural landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and opportunities for adventurous exploration.
A European Summer
As we enter May, thoughts turn to the long European summer and where best to bask in its highlights well into September. This is the perfect time of year to get creative with journey planning.
Granada, Andalucia & Madrid
An ancient city of Moorish architecture, dominated by the Alhambra Palace, Granada sits in all its splendour beneath Andalucia’s Sierra Nevada mountains.
Japan
For many, Japan is a world unknown, where futuristic buildings and leading-edge design meet bamboo forests, volcanic islands and geisha adorned in intricately handwoven kimonos and oshiroi white powder.
Botswana
Botswana offers one of the most private and spectacular safari experiences in Africa. Few places on Earth possess such contiguous pristine wilderness, untrodden by tourists and so uniquely preserved.
Greece
Mykonos is the ultimate party island with its up-tempo beach clubs, super prime villas, and lively restaurant scene, whereas smaller Antiparos, popular with the art crowd who have built some beautiful villas on the island, is quieter and lower in profile. In the eastern Aegean, the Dodecanese islands hug the Turkish Riviera coastline, …
INSIDE: Colombia
A megadiverse country (yes, this is an official term) is one with extraordinarily rich biodiversity, particularly as a haven for endemic species. In conservation terms, these are treasure troves of abundant nature and traditional knowledge.
The World’s Most Exclusive Non-Ski Ski Resort
And she might not be the only “appalling skier” to fall in love with the world’s most exclusive non-ski ski resort. Gstaad is just as alluring for those who never take to the slopes. The names of those who’ve visited read like a list of Oscar’s invitees. From Elizabeth Taylor, Sophia Loren and Roger Moore, …
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INSIDE: The French Alps
Welcome to our first edition of “INSIDE:”, a monthly communication where we’ll pick a destination and provide you with some context, comparison and Nota Bene opinion.
The Magic of Fall
This week we are on the Côte d’Azur, as high season reaches its crescendo and the summer crowds bask in one of the world’s most glamorous destinations.
The World’s Greatest River Expeditions
Long before the invention of engines, people travelled by water, and whether trading or exploring, boats have enabled us to access the remotest corners of the earth.
Unusual Summer Destinations
While many flock to Europe for the inimitable summer energy of the Greek Islands…
Costa Smeralda Is Making a Comeback
Once upon a time, Sardinia was an unassuming, mountainous island, west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia and immediately south of the French island of Corsica.
Happy Thanksgiving
I’d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving 2022.
The Highlights of Japan, Nota Bene Style
For many of us, Japan represents a parallel universe of cultural remoteness and a window into a different world.
Comporta
Crossing the Ponte 25 de Abril from Lisbon, sailing boats bob along the Tagus estuary in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean.
The Amalfi Coast: Where Pictures Speak Louder Than Words
Few destinations photograph quite as majestically as Italy.
Ibiza
Ibiza is one of the most polarising, yet strangely unifying, destinations in the world. Assouline published a book entitled “Ibiza Bohemia” in homage to its free-spirited residents who remain on-island year-round.
We know where: the Greek islands
Our strapline is ‘We know where’ and to know where involves constantly travelling with a discerning eye. We do the legwork, experiencing and contextualising, so our clients can reap the rewards.
The flavour of Italy
As we contemplate how travels in 2021 might play out, our taste buds are alerted to our favourite culinary destinations.
Swiss Ski Resorts
A country synonymous with every level of skiing affords dramatic mountain ranges, world-class hotels and luxurious chalets in iconic resorts such as St Moritz, Gstaad, Zetrmat. It has always been popular with the glamorous and illustrious.
Mexico’s Caribbean & the Yucatan
Mexico is one of the countries most accessible for leisure travel while the Covid-19 pandemic continues. The Caribbean side of the Yucatán Peninsula features a long coastline between Cancún and Tulum.
South Africa
Staying at a lodge in the Kruger National Park makes for a perfect three-night safari experience.
Cairngorms National Park
If one destination is a must for 2020 it has to be the Cairngorms National Park in the Scottish Highlands.
Rwanda: natural beauty, wildlife and luxury lodges.
We believe Rwanda deserves a place on your shortlist of destinations to explore in 2020, offering a stimulating mix of adventure, luxury, history and, best of all, varied and verdant landscapes. Things are looking up for Rwanda, whose President, Paul Kagame, is making great strides in uniting his people and turning the fortunes of his …
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Which side of Lake Como?
The western shore of Italy’s most celebrated and arguably most beautiful lake, is generally considered the superior one.
Rome
Hotel de la Ville located on via Sistina is Rocco Forte’s latest opening in the heart of Rome, close to the top of the Spanish Steps.
Tuscany
In The Maremma, the sound of cicadas singing in the trees above the pool house is the only sound interfering with the absolute peace and stillness of this remote part of Italy’s idyllic countryside.
Saint-Tropez
Long-time Saint-Tropez resident Brigitte Bardot recently referred to Pampelonne as having lost its soul. In some ways she may be correct.
Sicily: Sometimes nick-named God’s Kitchen
Sicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean, is rich in culture, fine wines and a distinctive cusine. It is also one of our favourite European destinations, especially off season.
Vier Jahreszeiten, an impressive grande dame in affluent Hamburg
In overall terms, Germany’s cities are hardly over-endowed with either luxury or boutique hotel accommodation. Yet, in Hamburg, the grande-dame Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahretseiten bucks this trend and can rival many world-class properties in terms of comfort, atmosphere and service.
The Season
The great and the good love to frequent London’s finest hotels, dine at its most fashionable restaurants and attend key opening parties such as the Monday preview of the Chelsea Flower Show.
Luxury should not be afraid of simplicity
In a remote corner of southwest Spain, between Cádiz and Ronda, a two-hundred-acre private estate with a working farm epitomises one of our favourite phrases – luxury should not be afraid of simplicity.
April 2019 Edition
Welcome to April and springtime. In this monthly newsletter we take an overview of London, hoping to inspire you for the months ahead.
MOCA, a highlight of Bangkok
It may not be a fixture on the annual art calendar but travellers to Bangkok should not miss a visit to MOCA, the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Italy
Italy is a land blessed with an exceptionally long and interesting coastline, three major beautiful lakes, the majestic and craggy Dolomite mountains, historic cities, inviting towns and villages and gorgeous offshore islands.
Bangkok – A great hotel can make a city
Can a great hotel provide a good enough reason to love a city? Can it be enough to compel us to visit in the first place or to return time and time again?
Our latest discovery: Cambodia’s Southern Cardamom National Park
The Orient always fascinates, with its culture, religious beliefs and ceremonies. Little compares with the spectacle of Angkor Wat, Siem Reap.
A year of travel for contemporary art
Many of Nota Bene Global’s clients are art collectors and some are gallerists. They travel throughout the year in pursuit of the most exciting contemporary art.
February 2019 Edition
February also means Valentine’s Day and romance. Where better to celebrate it than somewhere romantic, such as in the mountains, on a tropical beach…
Four Seasons at the Surf Club, Florida
The slick, minimalist Richard Meier-designed Four Seasons Hotel & Residences, 9011 Collins Avenue, is invariably referred to as being in Miami Beach but is actually in Surfside, Dade County, closer to Bal Harbour than Miami Beach.
Miami
It’s no longer all about South Beach with its images of roller-bladers, fitness aficionados, the Versace mansion and a host of rebranded Art Deco-style boutique hotels.
December 2018 Edition
Welcome to the final month of the year. The season of goodwill is upon us, winter is officially here, days are short and festivities are gaining momentum.
Naples, Italy’s most under-rated city
How often have we by-passed the historic city of Naples, leaving its airport in the seedy Capodichino area to the north-east of the city, en route for either Capri or the Amalfi Coast?
There is something in the New York air…
Admittedly it’s not beautiful in comparison with elegant, soigné Paris, nor does it have the historic magnificence of London or the grandeur of ancient Rome.
The Okavango Delta
As we flew above the Kalahari, its parched, desert landscape soon gave way to pods of green foliage resembling islets, some dotted with stately palms.
Africa never fails to excite the senses
October means that fall is here, the season when our thoughts focus on travel to far-flung continents and new adventures.
Getting ready for the winter season on Mustique
A gated community for the privileged is how many people think of Mustique. To an extent, this is correct. Even as you descend onto the immaculate airport strip, with its perfectly maintained tarmac, and arrive at the tiny arrivals hall it feels, shall we say, somewhat elitist.
Country House Hotel
If you are seeking the most exceptional, luxurious accommodation outside London, with top cuisine, in a gorgeous bucolic setting, we think we may have found what you are looking for. It promises to be the UK’s finest new country house hotel.
An exceptional Kenyan safari lodge
The great migration has finally arrived in Kenya. This exhilarating annual spectacle, when thousands of wildebeest cross the Mara river, is now underway.
August 2018 Edition
Welcome to the month of August. High summer is over and it won’t be long before August Bank Holiday in the UK and Labor Day in the US are upon us.
The Salento: The tip of Italy’s heel
The heel of Italy is a relatively well-kept secret. There is little in the way of inspiring scenery or architecture on the drive south from Bari to the pretty little port of Savelletri.
July 2018 Edition
Provence is basking in full 30 degree sunshine, the skies of the Aegean are vibrant blue, days are long, nights are warm and drawing in late.
A taste of Provence
There are beautiful hilltop towns and villages, rolling countryside, vineyards and gorgeous vistas. This is Provence.
The inside track on Mykonos 2018
Just back from Mykonos with the latest and best from the Aegean’s favourite jet set island
Our favourite places to stay and indulge over the holiday season in London
When it comes to London, the choice of hotels is truly impressive. Most of the big names are represented, each with their devotees. Maybourne, Dorchester, Firmdale, Four Seasons, Bulgari, Mandarin Oriental, Shangri-la et al. are all in London, with more to come next year.
Zeitz MOCAA
The Museum of Contemporary African Art, otherwise known as Zeitz MOCAA, has finally arrived in Cape Town. It is, by far, the most exciting part of the otherwise underwhelming V&A Waterfront with its shopping malls, average restaurants, lacklustre hotels and waterways reminiscent of London’s Docklands.
A highlight of a stay in Lima…
Lima, city on the ocean and capital of Peru, has a unique charm of its own with a very impressive food culture.
Arguably the finest private house in Africa
Located in the verdant highlands of Laikipia, amongst rolling hills clothed in wild olive and cedar trees and, on a clear day, views of Mount Kenya in the distance…
Venice
Though its obvious charms may be historical – its campaniles, campos, cathedrals and canals, its frankly faded grandeur – there’s a contemporary side…
Côte d’Azur
You may think you’ve been there and done that, but in our opinion the Côte d’Azur can be a place of inexhaustible pleasures. As far as we’re concerned, its appeal endures, because when you do it the right way it’s a place that makes you feel good.
Ritz Paris: The world’s finest hotel?
There’s a certain elegance about white flowers, especially white roses and hydrangeas set against topiary. Designer Jean Mus has created a beautiful new formal garden for Ritz Paris along one side of the gallery of boutiques. It is a triumph in urban landscape.
Lake Como’s latest hotel opening…
Of the classics, there is Grand Hotel Tremezzo, facing Bellagio in one of the finest (dual aspect) locations on the lake; or the fabled Villa d’Este at Cernobbio closer to Milan, across from the main town of Como.
Haute Attitude: Double-Edged Sword Or Secret Weapon?
French fashion icon Coco Chanel once famously uttered: “I don’t care what you think about me – I don’t think about you at all.” In that one succinct phrase, she encapsulated the essence of that infamous French insouciance which – whether admired or despised – has become the country’s calling card the world over.
Carnival in Winter or Summer Climes: The Ultimate Valentine’s Getaway
We love Venice full stop, but there is something particularly ravishing about La Serenissima in winter.
Petersham Nurseries
The Cafe, which takes its name from the gorgeously merchandised nurseries through which you enter, comprises an arboured courtyard with several greenhouses surrounded by plants and trees…
Italy’s finest hotel
Grand Hotel à Villa Feltrinelli, to give it its full name, was originally the private home of Bob Burns, founder of Regent Hotels. As the story goes, Bob purchased the derelict villa on Lake Garda (headquarters of Mussolini during World War II) in 1997 and set about restoring it at huge cost.