South-coast style
Two Georgian town houses have been transformed into Brighton 's latest chic hotel. Drakes, on Marine Parade, has 20 rooms, including circular suites with champagne buckets and free-standing baths with sea views. There's a members-only bar and a restaurant created by the proprietor and head chef of renowned local eaterie The Gingerman. Opens August.
From £120 per night; 01273 696934, drakesofbrighton.co.uk.
Highland ferry
A new ferry crossing to Skye allows for some whale, dolphin and porpoise spotting en route. The most northerly of the crossings to Skye, the new 75-minute Spirit of Skye passenger ferry from Gairloch to Portree passes the magnificent Torridon mountains on the mainland, the Cuillin hills and the Kilt Rock waterfall on Skye, and the Old Man of Storr rock formations. It also offers afternoon or evening cruises around Gairloch. New bus services from Inverness and Ullapool have been introduced to link up with the ferry.
Adult £10; child £7.50 one way; overtheseatoskye.com.
Square fair
A Gardeners' Fair in Bedford Square, London, where experts will be on hand to give tips is the highlight of next weekend's Open Garden Squares Weekend (June 12 and 13). A host of events and kids activities will be on offer at more than 80 private garden squares.
£5 adult (children under 12 free) for entry into all participating gardens, available from the information desk at John Lewis, Oxford Street, the Britain and London Visitor Centre, 1 Regent Street, and C Rassell garden centre, 80 Earls Court.
Taste of the Garonne
The Bordeaux Fête Le Vin takes place July 1-4. A €10 pass (purchased from the main entrance) gives you a book of 10 tasting vouchers which can be redeemed at whichever stall takes your fancy. The festival covers over 12 hectares of exhibits and stalls showcasing regional wines on the Garonne waterfront.
A three-bedroom villa with pool in the village of St Quentin Le Baron, 10km north of St Emilion, costs £1,070 for a week, including return ferry crossing for up to five; available through French Life (08701 972001, frenchlife.co.uk).
Manhattan revamp
The former Doral Park Avenue hotel (pictured left) near Grand Central Station, New York , has been reborn as 70 Park Avenue after a makeover by Manhattan-based designer Jeffrey Bilhuber. The revamped property has a new bar and restaurant and 205 rooms, including 14 with two-person Jacuzzi baths and a two-bedroom, 17th-floor penthouse suite with wrap-around balcony. Opens August.
Rooms from $229; 00800 546 78660, 70parkave.com, kimptongroup.com.
