It used to be the War Office, where Churchill masterminded victory over Hitler and spies held secret meetings. Here’s why it’s now Britain’s most incredible hotel… with a video sneak peek inside its top £27k-a-night suite

‘Wherever Raffles opens a hotel, it aims for it to be the best property in that location,’ concierge Emile at Raffles London at The OWO told me. My conclusion after spending a night in ‘The Old War Office’? They may well have succeeded in the UK capital. This vast dazzling 120-room property, which opened as … Read more

Opinion | Shanghai in the 1930s brought to life through enchanting conversations with Billie Gill, a former fixture of the Chinese city’s literary scene

Years passed, and eventually two enjoyable days were spent together in Switzerland, in 2002, with her younger son, Ian, then writing a memoir of his mother, recently published as Searching for Billie. The cover of “China to Me” by Emily Hahn. Fascinating conversations ensued; two particular memories stand out – a long drive followed by … Read more

Far, far away from the tourist trail: Inside the spectacular abandoned citadel in an otherworldly landscape that could be mistaken for Star Wars planet Tatooine

Visitors could be forgiven for thinking it’s a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. For the abandoned citadel of Guermassa in Tunisia sits in an otherworldly landscape redolent of the environs of Star Wars’ Tatooine. This is not a coincidence: nearby Tataouine city – the capital of the Tataouine Governate – provided the … Read more

Colorado’s Amache historic site now America’s newest national park

Amache National Historic Site in southeastern Colorado is officially America’s newest national park, the National Park Service announced Thursday. Amache, located one mile outside of Granada, was one of 10 incarceration sites used to detain thousands of Japanese-Americans during World War II. The town of Granada acquired and donated the land needed to establish the … Read more

Beauty of the Baltics: With its opera, exotic cakes and love of Churchill, Lithuania’s Vilnius is a delight

Thank goodness for a -5c winter’s day. The frost and snow don’t just emphasise the ethereal beauty of the winding lanes of Vilnius, the pale, painted 18th and 19th century buildings and skyline of exquisite cupolas and spires, but also give a hint of its dark history. Only a few decades ago, someone living here, … Read more

Park service comments on uncertain future of Calif. coastal ‘landmark’

A full moon illuminates the S.S. Point Reyes shipwreck near Point Reyes National Seashore. Matt Dirksen/Getty Images The Instagram-famous Inverness shipwreck near Point Reyes has turned more into a wreck than a ship following destructive high tides on Tomales Bay over the past several days. Though it’s not clear when exactly the S.S. Point Reyes lost … Read more

Lost for decades, groundbreaking theme park resurfaces in California

A painted carousel by Keith Haring at “Luna Luna: Forgotten Fantasy.” Julie Tremaine It sounds like a fairy tale. Once upon a time, in the faraway land of Hamburg, a group of contemporary artists came together to build an artistic wonderland, an amusement park to entertain families and change perceptions about fine art. It was a … Read more

Calif. community Altadena outside LA fights to protect ‘oldest large-scale Christmas lighting’ tradition

The California community of Altadena was about to start an annual countdown it has done 101 times.  At the heart of this community is Christmas Tree Lane, where a row of 138-year-old deodar cedars was waiting to begin glimmering with strung-up bulbs. Advertisement Article continues below this ad At the Dec. 9 event, the light … Read more

Border crisis presents another national security risk – Boston Herald

It is good that the FBI brought finally down a U.S. ambassador who had been a career-long spy for Cuba. But did it need 40 years to do it? Because that is how long alleged spy Manuel Rocha, 73, of Miami, a veteran State Department official and former U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, had been secretly … Read more