Travel Notes...

SUPER-CRUISER

WHAT makes a cruise ship six-star? The new six-star ocean-faring yacht by Scenic Luxury Cruises & Tours has two helicopters, a submarine, a 450 sq m spa, and indoor and outdoor spa baths — plus its polar ice class rating means it can plough through freezing waters of the Arctic and Antarctic. Climb aboard the maiden voyage in August 2018.

scenic.co.uk

COMING UP TOP

THE winners of TripAdvisor’s 2016 Travellers’ Choice awards, announced this week, prove that great service doesn’t have to blow the budget. Five of the UK’s best bargain hotels also made it into the top service category, including the Elm Tree Hotel in North Wales, which charges from £37.50 per person per night.

TIME FOR TEE

A NEW Caribbean resort has taken the title of having the most oceanside golf holes in the Western Hemisphere. The clifftop Amanera hotel in the Dominican Republic is set in more than 2,000 acres of jungle and overlooks the Playa Grande Beach. Rooms from £1,161 per night.

amanera.com

HOTEL SOCIALISM

LONDON’S Green Rooms is a notfor-profit hotel for the arts world. Due to open in May, the Art Deco building in Wood Green is being fitted by Soho House designers. Anyone can book (doubles from £45 and dorm beds from £18). greenrooms.london

WARM WELCOME

WITH our grey skies and biting winds, you might think sunshine would top British holidaymakers’ wish lists. But a friendly welcome was the most important factor to 85 per cent of 11,000 people asked by the Croatian National Tourist Board, while sunny weather is in the shade, at number six.

croatia.hr/en-GB

GLOBAL WIFI

THE new G2 gadget from GlocalMe offers cheap internet anywhere in the world. The device creates a secure wifi hotspot that charges local rates. Up to 20 devices can get online at one time. It’s about to launch on Amazon for £199.

glocalme.com