Even by the standards of an emirate that shows all the constructional restraint of a toddler with a trunk of Lego, Dubai is in turbocharge mode. Eminent hotel groups are flooding in as superhotels spring up on man-made islands. Yet for all Dubai’s veneration of the new, decades of innovation have left a legacy of eye-catching and, in some cases, surprisingly affordable sanctuaries in which to bed down, whether you’re based in Burj Khalifa-dominated Downtown, the buzzing Marina or amid the sugary sands of Jumeirah Beach and the Palm. Throughout it all, the hospitality ecosystem seems to hum with a customer-is-king efficiency.

Having never been to Italy before, I was very excited to see what its capital city had to offer – and it certainly didn’t disappoint. After leaving rainy England and landing in Rome’s significantly su

INDIA / CHRISTMAS MARKETS / WINTER HIKING / LETTER FROM AMERICA

Gazing out over Dubai’s skyline, an eclectic array of megalithic skyscrapers jutting through the clouds, it’s so hard to imagine that this mega-city began as a sleepy fishing village. One of seven emi

NEPAL IS FAMED FOR ITS HIGH-ALTITUDE TREKKING ROUTES, DRAWING ADVENTURERS TO SCALE THE SOARING PEAKS OF EVEREST AND ANNAPURNA — BUT FOR THOSE SEEKING A DEEPER CONNECTION TO LOCAL LIFE, HOMESTAYS INVITE VISITORS INTO THE FAMILY FOLD

A change of scenery can be restorative at any time of year, but it can be particularly uplifting during the dreary winter months. Come Christmas, decadent hotels exude warmth on even the frostiest of