Height of luxury

Follow in the footsteps of royalty and A-list stars by staying in Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire (about an hour from London). It has just re-opened its doors after having been transformed into a luxury five-star hotel complete with 18-hole golf course. The palatial grade-one listed mansion is set in 1,000 acres of parkland and gardens, created by the famous landscape designer Capability Brown. Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh spent part of their honeymoon here in 1947 and their bedroom, the Queen Elizabeth Suite, is now one of the hotel’s most impressive rooms. Hugh Grant also famously hid in a cupboard here, for a scene from the film Four Weddings and a Funeral.

The Mansion, Luton Hoo Park, Luton, Bedfordshire, tel: +44 (0)1582 698 888; www.elitehotels.co.uk

Pillow talk

Sick of spending a fortune on lacklustre hotels during stopovers? Behold the no-frills accommodation revolution. The Yotel (www.yotel.com) at Gatwick Airport, London, offers accommodation that can best be described as a cross between a pod on a first-class flight and a room in a Japanese capsule hotel; minimum stay is four hours.

Plans have also just been announced to open a Pillow talk similar hotel at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport next year.

If you’d rather not stay at the airport, or don’t fancy squeezing into a confined space, then Etap Hotels (www.etaphotel.com) has just opened some funky accommodation in Leeds and Glasgow. Falling somewhere between a budget inn and an independent B&B, their comfortable, clean rooms are on offer from £32 per room.

STYLE DU VIN Stylish but simple, contemporary and yet classic: the Hotel du Vin chain opens its new hotel in York (one hour from Leeds) this month. Hotel du Vin & Bistro, 89 The Mount, York, tel: +44 (0) 845 365 4438; www.hotelduvin.com

Opening this month in Moscow, the Enigma WEL Hotel, (105064 Staraya Basmannaya 12b11, http://wel-hotels.com) is centrally located and housed in a 19th-century mansion. This stylish boutique hotel has 88 rooms designed along the themes of air, mountain, grass, earth and ice.

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One for the road

A recent overhaul of the west London fish restaurant One-0-One has given chef Pascal Proyart’s cooking a new lease of life. He’s kept the fish and seafood dishes as the backbone, as it were, of the menu which has been split into sections called ‘low tide’, ‘high tide’ and ‘the sea and earth’. This translates into classics such as Tsarkaya oysters with shallot vinegar or more inventive marriages, such as pan-seared langoustine with duck foie gras and a duck consommé poured over it. There are more innovative conceptions, and as they are designed to be smaller, sharing plates, diners get to try three dishes on average. But do leave space for the fabulous cheese trolley. It may hit the spot for intimate dining and families alike, but the new bar area will work as a destination in itself as much as a pre-dinner area.

One-O-One, Sheraton Park Tower Hotel, 101 William Street, London, tel: +44 (0)20 7290 7101; www.oneoonerestaurant.com

THIS BEACH RESTAURANT in Barbados offers exquisite cuisine to an über-stylish clientèle. Order an apéritif at the cocktail menu while you drool over the menu. Dishes include lobster and prawn salad with papaya salsa, and sweet potato mash with lime salsa. Stroll along the moonlit beach and paddle in the sea after dessert.
Lone Star, Mount Standfast, St James, Barbados, tel: +1 246 419 0599; www.thelonestar.com

The spirit of local ingredients
Set in a converted Greek Orthodox Church in Glasgow, this bold brasserie oozes individuality and intimacy. Descend the wrought-iron staircase to the restaurant and relax in a leather armchair. Once through to the brasserie, choose from the authentic and original Scotch cuisine: Loch Fyne mussels, Scottish beef or grilled langoustines.
Malmaison Brasserie, 278 West George Street, Strathclyde, Glasgow.Tel: +44 (0)141 5 72 1000 www.malmaison-glasgow.com