The street layout of New York is largely rectangular and geometric, but Chinatown’s Doyers Street is a throwback to the pre-grid-system city. Running one block, it’s a narrow, kinked street with a sha

It’s 30 years since daily Eurostar services began whisking visitors to Belgium’s capital — and the city known for Tintin and beer is still full of surprises

Stretching across two continents separated by the Bosphorus Strait, this ancient Silk Road city was once the capital of both the Christian Byzantine and Islamic Ottoman empires. Crumbling hammams rub shoulders with striking contemporary buildings, while the call to prayer from Hagia Sophia mosque can be heard from the 15th-century Grand Bazaar, as well as Michelin-starred restaurants. Istanbul is sewn together by a series of storied districts, which results in a varied hotel scene. Relive the Ottoman heyday in a Sultanahmet townhouse; book a boutique stay fuelled by cafes and galleries in Karaköy; or check in among the designer stores of Nişantaşı.

Stucco-fronted townhouses, ornate Victorian mansions and flower-festooned mews line this affluent west London neighbourhood, giving off cinematic splendour at every turn. Kensington has long been reno

A new generation in this storied Chinese megacity is eschewing the fast-paced lifestyles of their parents and embracing fun, freedom and living life to the full — and Shanghai is adapting in interesting ways

This week’s dream: the Waldorf Astoria glitters again ...