Reviewed: Celebrity Equinox cruise ship

You might spot that this is a bit different from my usual accommodation reviews, being as that it’s a cruise ship rather than a hotel. But when you think about it, what is a ship really other than a massive floating hotel? Albeit more like a mega-resort with 1400 rooms, 10 restaurants, five bars and its own theatre.

Reviewed: Valluga Hotel, St Anton

With four of us travelling together on our European rail trip this summer, it made sense to rent an apartment instead of booking two hotel rooms when we were in a city for a few days. But as we only had a couple of nights in St Anton – and one was my mum’s birthday – we decided to splash out on a bit of luxury in the lovely Valluga Hotel.

Reviewed: Riad Capaldi, Marrakech medina

As I mentioned before, I do love a good Moroccan riad, so after experiencing a modern version in Essaouira, it was time to get traditional in Marrakech. The only problem was picking which one – the city’s medina has something like 1000 different riads scattered across it.

Reviewed: Riad Dar Maya, Essaouira

A riad is the classic place to stay if you’re visiting Morocco. In these traditional buildings the rooms face inwards onto a central courtyard with a roof terrace up above. But although the structure might be fairly standard, they come in all shapes and sizes, from simple to ultra-luxe.

Reviewed: Packing cubes for the suitcase traveller

Packing cubes are one of those things that seem to feature in almost every packing tips article – with a whole line of converts preaching about how they have revolutionised the way they pack for their travels.

Reviewed: The Osprey Cyber 26L Daysack

Ten years ago my travel packing list was a bit simpler. I went around the world with no mobile phone and a camera that took two AA batteries. No adapter plugs, no chargers and no wires taking up space in my rucksack.

Reviewed: Old Pear Tree Barn, North Cornwall

Rather than jetting off somewhere exotic post-wedding, we decided a week of rest and recovery nearer to home would be a good plan (plus I’m still struggling with the big honeymoon question). Somewhere peaceful where we could laze around among beautiful countryside would be perfect – like Cornwall.

Reviewed: A night behind bars at the Malmaison Oxford

Unless I decide to take up a life of crime, a stay at the Malmaison in Oxford is hopefully the only way I’ll ever spend a night behind bars. And in this unique hotel you get a lot more luxury now than the last people who got locked up here.

Reviewed: My top southwest USA road trip stays

Sometimes a long-distance road trip can pass by in a blur – early mornings, long driving days, dinner at a roadside diner, then crashing out in a roadside motel before starting it all again the next day.

Reviewed: O Bar O Cabins, Durango

When you’re doing a road trip, each different destination and hotel can merge into each other as you’re constantly moving from place to place. So when I was planning my southwest USA route I wanted to make sure we had a few longer stays where we could stay put and unwind for a while.

Reviewed: Gallery Hostel, Porto

Being as my trip to Porto was to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of my round-the-world trip, it was only right that I would be back staying in a hostel for the first time in almost as many years.

Reviewed: Scallywags, Gili Trawangan

If you’re done with hostels but want something more interesting and less pricey than a big chain hotel, there are some places that you can struggle to find somewhere good to stay, but Bali wasn’t one of them.

Reviewed: Balam Bali Villa, near Ubud

The next hotel in my new Reviewed series of good-value, individual accommodation with a touch of luxury on a budget is Balam Bali Villa, in the countryside outside of Ubud. This inland area is a patchwork of rice paddies, palm trees and temples surrounding the city of Ubud.

Reviewed: Bali Hotel Pearl, Legian

This is the first of a new Reviewed series, where I share some of the best and most interesting accommodation I’ve found in on my travels. You won’t find any five-star chain hotels here, but instead I look for hidden gems which are good value, individual and give a touch of luxury on a budget.