Check Out When You Die: Varanasi’s Death Hotel

Where is the best place in the world to die? According to Hindus, dying in the sacred city of Varanasi brings liberation –mukti– no matter your faith or religious denomination. If someone needs a place to stay before embarking on their final journey, they’ll find it in Mukti Bhawan, Varanasi’s “Death Hotel”. Varanasi is one…

My Brazilian World Cup Cabana

So today is the day when everyone is about to lose their sh*t because the World Cup is starting. Personally, I’m a little less enthusiastic about football, but never one to miss out on a good vibe. Football fever is rising among us, but of course, the tournament’s host nation is about to spread some irresistible…

A Buried “Daytime Hotel” rediscovered in all its Art Nouveau Splendour

It was built to provide a moment of rest and rejuvenation for citizens going about their day in the big city; a temporary home away from home for travellers arriving in Milan to find their feet. Welcome to “L’Albergo Diurno Metropolitano”, which literally translates to the Daytime Metropolitan Hotel. Situated beneath Piazzale Venezia in Milan, indeed, it…

Cruising with Agatha Christie on the Last Steamship of the Nile

The passage up the Blue Nile has always been both a physical experience and an allegorical tale. Thousands of years after pharaohs were ferried to the afterlife on golden barges, the steamboat began transporting mesmerised 19th century tourists past their temples in search of something otherworldly. This graceful journey up the river, passing ancient pyramids and…

Just an Abandoned Igloo Hotel

As if Alaska wasn’t already wonderfully creepy enough (a minimum of zero hours of sunlight in winter= perfect for vampires), it’s also home to an abandoned igloo hotel. Located 20 miles from the nearest town of Cantwell (population: 222), along the George Parks Highway, this unexpected four-story structure has become a bit of a road-side…

Postcards from the Old Miramar Hotel, a Crumbling Relic of Venezuela’s Ritzy Riviera

The Miramar Hotel is falling down. Its voluptuous domes and towering spires have crashed to the ground, its red roof tiles have been slipping and the classically-moulded plaster on its walls reduced to dust. This once awe-inspiring piece of architecture lies prostrate, with its dismembered limbs on display in the breeze of the balmy seaside…

Overnight at Harry Potter University

If you ever find yourself in Oxford, England in search of a bed for the night, you might consider booking a room at the student dorm accommodation of Christ Church College, University of Oxford for a real-life Harry Potter experience. The university not only provides accommodation over the summer months, but your stay comes with an all…

All Aboard the Ghost Ship Hotel of Koh Chang

While most sun-seekers are happy sipping cocktails on a beach while relaxing on holiday, you’re more likely find me trekking through the overgrowth in my flip flops looking for an abandoned site, courtesy of an internet tip-off, determination and a bit of explorer’s luck. Now, if I could just get myself a ticket to the island of Koh Chang in Thailand…

Shoot & Stay: Turn your Vacation into a Photoshoot

While the rest of us might go straight to AirBnB as soon as we schedule our vacation days in search of accommodation, there’s a well-kept little secret of industry insiders that you might not have considered… JJ Locations is a boutique location agency based out of Shoreditch, London, that scouts some of the most interesting,…

Living in the Art Deco Ruins of the Grande Hotel, Africa

When it opened its doors in 1955, the Grande Hotel in Beira, colonial Mozambique was touted as the largest and most luxurious hotel in Africa. The art deco style palace with uninterrupted views of the Indian Ocean boasted 116 rooms and an Olympic sized swimming pool for its VIP guests. But by the 1970s, having…