World’s most welcoming countries
International hospitality from Iceland to Bosnia
A bi-weekly round-up of new hotels and hideaways, treks and tours.
On 28 August, the Four Seasons Hotel Pudong opens in Shanghai, joining the Four Seasons Hotel Ghangzhou as the brand’s fifth and sixth properties in China. The hotel is in the tower-filled Pudong area, across the Huangpu River from the famous Bund, in the Lujiazu business district. The 187 rooms and 15 suites are sleekly modern with Art Deco touches, and the Guerlain spa, which opens in late September, features an indoor pool on the 41st floor, six treatment rooms and a “brine inhalation” room where you breathe in salt air.
On 1 August the century-old La Playa Carmel on California’s Central Coast reopened its doors after an extensive renovation, with new bathrooms and new decor for all 75 rooms. The historic property, arranged around a central lawn and pool area overlooking the Pacific Ocean, is just two blocks from the Carmel town centre and close to Pebble Beach and Monterey Bay.
The 270-room Marti Istanbul Hotel opened to guests on 15 July (the restaurants and spa will open in September) in Istanbul’s Taksim neighbourhood, the urban heart of the city, close to the Hagia Sophia and Topkapi Palace. Turkish artists hand-painted the walls with intricate Ottoman designs and the bathrooms have hammam-style basins. Atop the hotel on the 11th floor are the spa and a terrace with panoramic views of the city.
The wave of Brooklyn hotel openings continues with the 75-room Hotel BPM debuting on 8 August deep in the borough’s Sunset Park neighbourhood. Positioned as a “music hotel”, it is the brainchild of DJ Bijal, and guests should expect experimental neon lighting and a club-like atmosphere at night and on weekends.
Fans of New Nordic cuisine, take note: the eighth annual Copenhagen Cooking festival runs 24 August to 2 September, featuring top Danish and Scandinavian chefs, including Rene Redzepi, head chef at Noma, awarded best restaurant in the world two years running. Events include Nordic Taste, where the public can taste various raw and foraged ingredients along with dishes from restaurants such as Ralae, and the Taste of Copenhagen event, where the city’s eateries (including Noma) serve up deep discounts.
Business trip: Denver 
Four apps encourage smarter detours 
Are the French really arrogant? 
Navigating Laos’ treacherous roads 
Our favourite images of the week 
Top 10 North American gardens 
A salty offering to Polish saints 
Cuba, the Caribbean’s wild island 
A night at Paris’ museums 
Alfresco flicks with a twist in NYC 
Walk with the locals in Mumbai 
Berlin’s Carnival of Cultures 
Mini guide to culture in Seville 
Love, war and Philly cheesesteak 
Save time and money at Disney 
El Salvador rises from the ashes 
On the road: Kanda Festival, Japan 
Living in... historical cities 