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The UK offers some of the most popular and enriching holiday destinations in the entire world. Staying at the standard chain hotels can give one a terrible sense of sameness. Boutique hotels are an excellent way for visitors to experience a place not just as a dot on a map, but as a destination full of different sights, sounds, and ways of living.

Here we’ll share with you five of the UK’s best topsecret hotels the tourists usually miss.

*Thirty Two, Cotswolds
Located in Cheltenham, Thirty Two is a slice of historical elegance in a beautiful natural setting. This five-star B&B is owned by a pair of former Londoners who run an interior design firm from the location, and it shows. All four rooms are elegantly decorated and immerse the guests in modern style combined with historical charm.

*Baglioni Hotel, London
Holidaymakers with a passion for culture will fall in love with Balioni’s continental elegance and world-class service. Each of the 66 themed rooms are styled around music, history, and art. Baglioni offers a unique retreat for its guests close to the vibrant life and culture of London, making it one of the UK’s most stylish topsecret hotels.

*41, London
This is by far one of the most stylish boutique establishments in London, and perhaps in the UK. While no two rooms in 41 are the same, they all have the consistent “black and white” theme carried out in each room in a unique way. Their theme is “no request is too big, and no detail is too small.” It shows. Rooms feature modern conveniences such as iPod docks, and elegant luxuries such as scented candles and full fireplaces.

*Carlton Riverside, Powys, Wales
Far from the bright lights and bustle of London, Carlton Riverside is the “Restaurant with Rooms” in Llanwrtyd Wells, Wales, the UK’s smallest town. This retreat offers a welcome getaway in the Welsh countryside combined with five star dining. Activities abound and the full staff at Carlton Riverside are more than willing to help guests with all the arrangements.

*Craigadam, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland
This retreat gives its visitors excellent access to fishing and other sporting holidays in the beautiful Scottish countryside. Most of the rooms are situated around a beautiful courtyard and each room has its own charms and surprising attention to detail. All this makes Craigadam one of Scotland’s most elegant boutique hotels.

Looking for some thrills this winter? Ever considered ski-jumping? Before you do, you’d better take a look at our ski-jumping guide. Then you can decide for yourself whether you really want to take part or would rather watch the professionals show you how it’s done.

Lake Placid ski-jump, USA

 

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Lake Placid in New York hosted the Winter Olympics in 1980. Its ski-jump looks more than a little out-of-place set against a backdrop of pine forests and mountains and the view from the top affords the jumper a panoramic appreciation of the surrounding countryside – though we reckon the view would be the last thing on your mind once you’re up that high a preparing to jump. 

Ski-jump world record

This is longest ski-jump ever recorded – a record 239 metres set by Bjorn Einar Romoren in Planica, Slovenia in March 2005. The distance he travels is the equivalent of about two and a half football pitches and just as you think he has to land he just keeps going… and going… and going. Probably the closest any man has felt to flying like a bird.

Empire Stadium ski-jump, Vancouver

 
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This shot shows the incredible height and scale of ski-jumps – not to mention just what a triumph of engineering these structures are. This one was only temporary – build to host the three-day Centennial Ski Jump Tournament at Vancouver’s Empire Stadium in 1958. This stadium hit the heights again in 1964 when the Beatles played to a full-house.

Ski-jump bird’s-eye-view – Planica, Slovenia

This is the same ski-jump in Slovenia where Bjorn Einar Romoren set his world record of 239 metres. The ski-jumper is a local – Milan Živic – and although he’s not in the same class as Romoren, you really get a sense of the speed, exhilaration and peculiar calm that must get professional ski-jumpers out of bed in the morning. The distance? 159 metres.

Holmenkoller ski-jump, Norway

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The Holmenkoller ski-jump near Oslo is one of the world’s most iconic ski-jumps. The tower stands at over 60 metres and looks out over stands that hold over 50,000 people – that’s more than the capacity of every Premier League football stadium except Old Trafford and the Emirates Stadium. More than a million tourists visit the ski-jump each year, mainly for the incredible views of Oslo.

When ski-jumping goes wrong – Zakopane, Poland

Those of a squeamish disposition, please watch with your hands held close to your face, ready to cover your eyes. His name is Jan Mazoch and don’t worry, he survived this jump and is actually back competing again now – you have to admire his bravery because so heavy is this fall it’s amazing that he’s still able to walk.

And finally… a ski-jump with a difference, Japan

 

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At first glance this looks like a terrifyingly steep ski-jump – it’s not, it’s a toilet specially designed for a number of ski resorts in Japan (where else)

Any international traveler knows how exciting it can be to walk down the main street of a massive mega-city. From the Far East to North America, there are some stunning examples of city skylines and panoramic views around, and thousands of different ways to view them.

We’ve had a look at some of the world’s biggest and most impressive cities, and come up with what we think is the definitive Top 10 list of city skylines. Sit back, check ‘em out, and enjoy the view.

 

10.  Toronto, Canada

Featuring the tallest freestanding building in North America, Toronto has one of the world’s most impressive skylines and certainly one of the most impressive in North America. Standing at 553 meters, the CN Tower is the city’s architectural centerpiece. Best viewed from the shore of Lake Ontario, the city is home to over 2,000 buildings over 90 meters in height.

 

9.      Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok’s skyline isn’t quite the ultra-planned cityscape that many expect, but the eclectic collection of buildings make it one of the most interesting and varied skylines around. Incredibly spread out, this mega-metropolis of over 12 million people barely seems to have a city center. Mega-tall buildings are spread for miles throughout the cities many central districts, shopping areas, and finance zones.

Around Lumpini Park, Bangkok’s version of Central Park, the buildings are modern, shiny, and impressive. Venture further out of the CBD and you might be able to see one of Bangkok’s many ghost towers – deserted tower shells left standing after the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis.

 

8.      Singapore, Singapore

Singapore’s skyline is the antithesis of Southeast Asian city planning; incredibly well designed and uber-specifically planned. Home of one of the world’s busiest ports, Singapore is a trading and finance center that’s established itself as one of the most affluent and economically strong centers in Asia.

Despite a 280 meter building limit, three of Singapore’s buildings measure exactly 280 meters. Best viewed from the DHL Balloon, the world’s largest tethered helium balloon, Singapore’s skyline is one of the most impressive in the world.

 

7.      Frankfurt, Germany

Europe is sorely underrepresented when it comes to high-rise architecture. With strict building codes governing most European cities, finding one that has a real big city feel can be difficult. London has some fascinating buildings, but lacks the density and spread to crack the top 10 list.

 Frankfurt is different. With over 10 buildings topping 150 meters, the city is Germany’s finance and transportation hub. Although lacking Europe’s current tallest building (a title which Moscow holds), Frankfurt has more skyscrapers than any other city in Europe.

 

6.      Sydney, Australia

Home to the world’s most beautiful natural harbor, Sydney is one of the most photogenic cities on the planet. Although lacking the ultra-tall buildings of Asia’s super-cities or its North American rivals, Sydney is home to so many architecturally stunning building’s that it’s difficult not to appreciate it.

From the 305 meter Sydney Tower to the panoramic harbor views on offer almost everywhere, Sydney is a great city for urban photography. Take a walk around Darling Harbor, enjoy the harbor-side restaurants, and look back at the CBD skyline.

 

5.      Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The smallest city on our list in terms of population, Kuala Lumpur has a remarkably impressive skyline for a city that’s home to under 2 million people. Boasting the world’s tallest twin buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers, along with the 421 meter tall KL Tower, Kuala Lumpur is a city photographer’s dream city.

Taking in the skyline is simple, thanks to KL’s transit system. Walk along Bukit Bintang and take in the many colonial buildings, modern skyscrapers and exotic street stalls.

 

4.      Tokyo, Japan

As the largest metropolitan area in the world, Tokyo is home to thousands of stunning buildings. From the Tokyo Tower communications building to the Rainbow Bridge, a transportation bridge spanning northern Tokyo Bay, the city is packed with recognizable buildings.

Shinjuku, Tokyo’s shopping and administrative center, is home to some of Japan’s most impressive buildings, and also the world’s busiest train station. While neighboring ward Shibuya is renowned as Tokyo’s nightlife center, Shinjuki certainly isn’t short on stunning restaurants, bars, and tourist attractions.

 

3.      Chicago, United States

Home to the tallest building in the United States, Chicago is considered the home of the modern skyscraper. To be honest, it’s not hard to see why. From the stunning lakeside panoramic views to the incredible amount of classical buildings that dot the city, Chicago is one of the most photogenic and recognizable skylines in the world.

While it’s no longer home to North America’s tallest tower (Toronto wins that award), Chicago is on track to have America’s tallest freestanding building, the Chicago Spire. Standing at 610 meters, this superstructure is currently on hold until construction markets improve.

 

2.      Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong has more residents living above the 14^th floor than any other city on earth. Thanks to limited city space, construction in Hong Kong is focused on going up, up, up, and open spaces are secondary to maximized construction height. Home to over 7,500 skyscrapers, Hong Kong has more super-tall buildings than any other city on earth.

Want to enjoy Hong Kong’s stunning harbor and cityscape? Head up to the top of Victoria Peak and look back at the city. At night, the entire skyline lights up with spotlights, lasers and LED lighting projecting building images into the night sky.

 

1.      New York City, United States

It’s not home to the world’s tallest buildings. It’s not home to the most skyscrapers. It’s not even home to the world’s best harbor. That doesn’t matter. While other city skylines win when it comes to sheer size, New York City wins when it comes to density, style, and recognizability. Having played home to thousands of films (which makes sense, since LA doesn’t have much of a panoramic skyline), New York is home to the most recognizable skyline in the world.

What makes New York’s skyline so impressive is the age and style of it. While most cities boast super-tall new buildings, the five of the ten tallest structures in New York’s skyline all predate World War II.