When the first Ace opened in Seattle in 1999, it changed the way people thought about hotels. You could do boutique in a way that was neighbourly, working with local creatives to establish, not just rooms, but environments.
That extends to the London iteration, launched in 2013, where the apartment-style rooms have classic Ace touches, like maps and sketches by local artists, turntables and records, vintage furniture, custom Revo radios and even guitars.
Located in the historic Shoreditch neighbourhood; you’ll find galleries, theatres, restaurants, bars, fashion, and home of the Brick Lane market; bustling with vendors, bric a brac, food and street artists from around the world.
Back at the hotel after a day of exploring, there’s a cafe and gallery in the lobby space, and a ‘celestial’ subterranean bar with live music and DJs every night.
Introducing the Crazy Rider Xtreme, hailing from the next gen of zip-lines. Located in Ourimbah State Forest at TreeTops Adventure Park, a one-hour drive from Sydney, this ride combines the thrills of a roller-coaster with the flying sensation of a zip-line. Creating the structure wasn’t an easy feat – 2000 hours were spent on development and the ride took a staggering 5000 hours to build – but, by gosh, it was worth it.
At one-kilometre long, the Crazy Rider Xtreme is among the longest zip-lines in the world and during your five-minute ride you’ll zigzag your way through the trees, conquering 40 twists and turns and three 360-degree loops. If that isn’t enough, they’ve also thrown in a 540-degree whorl. Not sure your stomach is up to the extremity of Xtreme? Try the Crazy Rider Pioneer, a six-storey-high, 90-second ride with 10 twists along the way.
It may be one of the most uninhabitable places on the planet. Following the publication of John Henry Marsh’s 1944 book on the shipwreck of the Dunedin Star, it’s been called the Skeleton Coast, but the Bushmen of Namibia refer to this part of the world as the land God made in anger.
Moody, isolated and strangely beautiful, the 500-kilometre-long Skeleton Coast National Park stretches along the Atlantic Coast from Kunene River in the north to the Ugab River in the south, showcasing plains, mountains and shifting dunes.
Explore this remote coast on a nine-day 4WD excursion with Karibu Safaris. Departing Windhoek, you’ll walk to hidden waterfalls, go wild camping on beaches, visit wrecks and old mines, and keep eyes peeled for desert elephants, herds of oryx and springboks, brown hyenas, black rhinos, fur seals and rare desert lions.
Beer, holograms and history – these are the ingredients that make the Smithwick’s Experience a must-do brewery tour.
The multi-sensory and interactive experience takes visitors on a journey through the story of the famous ruby red ale, exploring its place in one of the country’s coolest destination cities, Kilkenny.
Starting in a candle-lit cavern – it re-creates the atmosphere of the centuries-old St Francis Abbey Brewery that inspired John Smithwick – the tour uses a cool array of technology to illuminate the story of Smithwick’s creamy pints, from right up to the present day.
The 300-year-old brewing process is brought to life through installations and plenty of tactile experiences introducing you to the smells, tastes and textures of the raw materials involved in creating the perfect pint of ale.
Like any good brewery tour the trip ends with a pint of the good stuff, where you’ll raise a glass to the celebrated Smithwick family.
Located in Dublin City Centre, in the historic Liberties, the Teeling Whiskey Co is the only operational distillery in the city and the first of its kind to open its doors in more than 125 years. Here, you can experience the sound, smell and feel of a whiskey distillery.
Teeling Whiskey, which has produced award-winning single grain, single malt and small batch drops, has only been open to the public since June 2015. The city’s only operational distillery is an unmissable destination for all whiskey fans, although if you’re not yet a lover of the amber liquid this is the perfect place to start your education.
Offering a selection of tours, including the Teeling Small Batch & Seasonal Whiskey Cocktail tasting, the Teeling Trinity Tasting and the Teeling Single Malt tasting, visitors can get up close and personal with all the aspects of the famed Irish whiskey-making process.
Imagine spending days on a heavenly beach overlooking the Indian Ocean and nights in a suite designed by the late Geoffrey Bawa, Sri Lanka’s most famous architect. You can have all that and more at Anantara Kalutara, located on a secluded stretch of sand at the mouth of the Kalu River.
The spacious, contemporary rooms come in a number of sizes, and many have views of the ocean or lagoon. Go all out and book one of the villas with private plunge pool if you’re looking for a little seclusion.
There is plenty around the resort to keep guests amused, including two pools, four restaurants and bars and the Anantara Spa, but there are also a number of excursions that can be booked. Join one of the chefs at the local market before taking a hands-on class in cooking a Sri Lankan specialty, tour historic Galle City, go whale watching at Mirissa or visit one of the country’s famous tea plantations.
Mention Palm Springs and most people think of swimming pools and the city’s proximity to music festival behemoth, Coachella. But there’s lots more to do out here than soak up the rays in an itty-bitty bikini or rave out in the desert.
An excellent way to burn a few hours is to rent an ATV and tear up some of the mountainous sand dunes that loom just outside the city (it’s on private land, so you don’t even need a license). These four-wheelers are fun, fast and just about anyone can do it.
Normally, looking through a kaleidoscope is like dabbling with LSD. Now imagine just how trippy it would be to stand inside one of these playgrounds of light and mirrors. Located at the exquisite Emerson Resort & Spa in Mount Tremper, New York, just a couple of hours outside of NYC, is the world’s largest kaleidoscope.
In a space that’s 17 metres high and about 12 metres across, visitors can feel the immersion in a multimedia show with moving images and a thumping soundtrack. Built in the silo of an old farm, it’s big enough for you to plaster yourself across the floor and lose yourself in the experience.
You might not think you’d discover a real gourmet treat in a tiny Irish beach town, but creamy gold awaits those who venture to Strandhill in County Sligo. The folks at seaside Mammy Johnston’s have been making gelato for three generations and now its chief ice-cream churner, Neil Byrne, has struck gold in the home of gelato.
At Italy’s Sigep Rimini trade show, which brings artisan bakers, gelato makers and coffee connoisseurs together, he picked up an award for the best honeycomb-flavoured gelato. Seems like these two countries share more than just the first letter of their names.
Few experiences make us cry: the death of a loved one, a Budweiser commercial during the Super Bowl, and Will Horowitz’s Pops Pastrami sandwich. The recipe, an updated version of his grandfather’s original concoction, includes house-smoked pastrami, buttermilk-cured pickles and a healthy dose of fresh dill, along with some extra napkins to wipe up your tears of happiness, I mean, your mouth.
You’ll find this delicacy at the East Village delicatessen, Harry & Ida’s Meat and Supply Co, and if you feel the need to weep a little longer in the privacy of your hotel or home, they sell pastrami by the pound, too.
The sandwich tastes even better served with a slice of history.
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