Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Room service (part 1)
The creme de la creme of exciting openings provide an epic opportunity for those with very deep pockets to stay in a super-luxe property in the Palace of Versailles, near Paris.
Airelles Chateau de Versailles, Le Grand Controle, is the first hotel inside the supremely opulent French royal residence and guests get the chance to live like Sun King Louis XIV or Marie Antoinette (hopefully minus the edgy demise).
Plus there’s exclusive private access to the palace and grounds minus the crowds. Expect to pay more than £1,100 a night, mes amis. airelles.com
We’d also like to get on board Kruger Shalati in South Africa. It’s a restored 24-carriage vintage train that’s been converted into a 24-room upscale glass-walled hotel, housed permanently on a bridge over the Sabie River.
Guests can relax on the hot tub terrace and view the wildlife, including leopards, in the world-class game park. Sundowners optional. From £792. krugershalati.com
The Faroe Islands have just welcomed their first international hotel – a Hilton in the capital Torshavn.
With a turf roof and a minimalist stylish Scandi design, it’s in a spectacular destination that’s only a short flight from the UK but feels a world away. From £82. hilton.com
Bubble travel
This has been a year of abstinence and 2021 will hopefully see us all travelling again, perhaps in a small group. Insight Vacations and Trafalgar have launched “Bring your own bubble” private group tours. There are 250 trips to choose from and groups include a maximum of 12 people.
For example, a new nine-day Country Roads of Andalucia with Insight Vacations featuring stops at Malaga, Ronda, Jerez and Seville, as well as touring national parks, starts from £2,853pp. insightvacations.com