City Guides

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” – Aldous Huxley

March Check Ins: Thawing Out The Last Of Winter in Greater China

Nicholas Ng

March places these cities into a workable band where Chengdu holds steady at temperatures that allow full days on foot around Taikoo Li and Chunxi Road without fatigue, while Lijiang’s elevation drops temperatures enough for cold mornings and evenings that change how the day is paced. Shenzhen remains dry, making movement between Futian and Nanshan predictable, and Hong Kong sits in a period where tables at restaurants and seats at bars can still be secured without extended lead time. The day becomes linear rather than fragmented, moving from late morning coffee into lunch districts, returning for a reset, then heading back out for dinner and bars without needing to account for long transit gaps. These hotels work because they remove distance, manage access, and reduce dependence on transport, allowing time to be spent on food and neighbourhoods rather than logistics. Continue reading →

Seoul City Guide: Fire, Fermentation And Precision In The Glass

Nicholas Ng

Seoul’s reputation travels globally through choreography, cinema and glass towers, yet the city’s credibility is built far more quietly through what it cooks and what it pours. Rustic broth houses and charcoal grills operate with the same seriousness as Michelin starred tasting counters, while a bar scene of genuine regional weight balances technical precision with restraint. The range appears wide, but the governing logic is singular, because whether seated at a gukbap table at noon or a cocktail counter in Gangnam at midnight, Seoul rewards calibration over spectacle. Continue reading →

February Check Ins: Warm Cities and Considered Retreats

Nicholas Ng

February carries a transitional mood. In much of Asia, the air is dry and temperate, skies are clearer, and the rush of year end travel has settled into a more deliberate pace. Travellers at this point in the calendar are not chasing spectacle. They are seeking recalibration. Cooler mornings and mild evenings encourage longer meals, slower spa rituals and suites that function as working sanctuaries rather than display pieces. Psychologically, this is a month for reset. Energy is rebuilding, routines are stabilising, and comfort matters in practical ways. Good bedding, efficient service, restorative treatments and well run dining rooms become the difference between movement and recovery. February travel rewards hotels that understand rhythm. Not noise, not novelty, but properties that know how to host quietly and well. Continue reading →

Florence City Guide: Where Renaissance Meets Top 500 Bars

Nicholas Ng

Florence is often reduced to a checklist of Renaissance landmarks and leather markets, but that framing flattens the city into souvenir and surface. What Florence rewards is not enthusiasm, but judgement, and the ability to recognise proportion when it presents itself. It does not compete on scale, nor does it attempt to overwhelm. For travellers who already understand heritage, Florence reveals itself through continuity rather than spectacle, through the quiet alignment between art and appetite. That became particularly clear during our visit for the Top 500 Bars 2025 awards ceremony, when the city absorbed the global drinks industry without altering its own cadence. Continue reading →

January Check Ins: Hotels Chosen for Comfort and Recovery

Nicholas Ng

January is when travel decisions become less about novelty and more about how well a hotel supports the body after long flights, packed itineraries, and heavy eating. Cooler temperatures across North and Southeast Asia change the rhythm of travel, making sleep quality, spa access, and dependable dining far more valuable than rooftop drama or trend-driven concepts. Hanoi and Xiamen settle into dry, crisp conditions, Bengaluru becomes comfortably mild, Bangkok is at its most breathable, Shenzhen loses its humidity, and Osaka’s winter chill sharpens the need for proper recovery. These picks reflect that shift, favouring hotels where comfort is engineered deliberately and where food, drink, and wellness justify staying in rather than pushing out. Continue reading →

London City Guide: Exploring London from Mayfair to Shoreditch

Nicholas Ng

They say if you run out of things to do in London you’re not doing London right. London is often described as a city of excess, but that framing collapses its complexity into volume. What London actually rewards is not appetite, but judgement, and the ability to read the city through more than one lens at a time. For travellers who already understand luxury, London does not reveal itself through endless choice or spectacle, but through contrast, between polish and process, inheritance and authorship, rooms built to endure and rooms still being shaped. Seeing London properly requires holding these opposing ideas together, moving between them with intent rather than choosing one at the expense of the other. Continue reading →

Shanghai City Guide: An Insider’s Guide To China’s Most Cosmopolitan City

Nicholas Ng
Shanghai Skyline

Shanghai continues to evolve as a culinary metropolis, where global luxury collides with regional heritage. The city’s food scene reflects its layered identity: old-school Shanghainese, experimental bistros, coastal Chinese cuisines, and ambitious fine dining projects from international heavyweights. From lanehouse eateries in Jing’an District, the Former French Concession, to skyline-facing hotel restaurants in Pudong, this is a city best explored through its plates and pours. Continue reading →

A Culinary Retreat at Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau

Nicholas Ng

Grand Lisboa Palace Resort Macau is a destination that defines hospitality through design, dining, and detail. Spanning three individually styled towers—Grand Lisboa Palace Macau, THE KARL LAGERFELD, and Palazzo Versace Macau—the property presents an immersive experience that blends high fashion, curated gastronomy, and access to Macau’s slower, more cultural side. Whether it’s a kappo-style omakase or a fashion-branded suite, every element is designed with clear intent. This is a resort that doesn’t just house experiences—it orchestrates them. Continue reading →

Seoul City Guide: Michelin-Stars and Hidden Bars

Nicholas Ng
Where to Stay | Seoul City Guide | Food For Thought

Seoul, where ancient palaces overlook futuristic skyscrapers, offers a vibrant blend of tradition and modern luxury. The culinary landscape ranges from Michelin-starred temples of gastronomy to humble street stalls serving age-old recipes. Speakeasy bars and wine lounges thrive amid dynamic nightlife, marrying Korean ingredients with global mixology trends. Accommodations span century-old hospitality reborn in modern splendour to chic lifestyle hotels. This guide showcases authentic Seoul—highlighting local heritage, flavours, and design, steering clear of typical tourist traps, inviting discerning travellers to experience the city’s true essence. Continue reading →

Nick Picks: 5 of the Best Quiet Luxury Hotel Experiences in Malaysia for 2024

Nicholas Ng
One&Only Desaru

When I travel, I’m not just looking for a place to rest my head. For me, it’s about finding spaces that tell a story, places that feel as though they were made just for me. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of staying in some extraordinary hotels, but these five stand out as my personal picks for 2024. These are the places I’ve experienced myself, where quiet luxury, impeccable service, and thoughtful details came together to create something truly unforgettable. Continue reading →