A Spanish Winter in Vietnam: Celebrate the Season at Villa Le Corail
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
The island of Phu Quoc may be topping travel charts, but Vietnam’s famously long coastline offers many other extraordinary destinations for winter escapes. The latest addition is Villa Le Corail, a Gran Meliá Hotel – the first resort in Asia from the luxury Spanish brand. With December bringing a significant drop in rainfall compared to November, the weather is ideal for both beachside relaxation and tropical exploration.
The enchanting all-suite, all-villa resort is the epitome of Mediterranean chic. Choose a suite to bask in sunshine on a private terrace or opt for a villa with its own pool for the ultimate indulgence, complete with premium toiletries from Carner Barcelona, butler service, a curated bath ritual, bedtime tea, ironing and complimentary non-alcoholic minibar replenishment. The largest villas, with four bedrooms and two swimming pools, are perfect for extended family stays, and offer such delightful add-ons as floating breakfast, private BBQ and romantic poolside dinners.
As in Spain, dining is at the heart of the experience, overseen by Marcos Morán, Gastronomic Director and fifth-generation chef. Holder of one Michelin Star and three Repsol Soles, Morán has received Spain’s National Gastronomy Award and was named “Chef de l’Avenir” by the International Gastronomy Academy. Under his guidance, the resort’s culinary options include a sun-drenched Spanish restaurant, elegant Japanese dining, international all-day fare, and two poolside venues serving everything from cocktails to afternoon tea.
Children enjoy their own adventures at the Wanderlust Kids’ Club with daily activities, while adults can unwind at Song Spa, the serene onsen or the resort’s tranquil swimming pool. With three calm beaches and activities like kayaking, paddleboarding, bodyboarding, snorkelling and beach volleyball, there’s never a dull moment. Nearby, there are ancient Champa ruins to explore, natural hot springs to unwind in and Na Trang’s excellent shopping.
Book the special Christmas & New Year offer, available from 1 December 2025 to 4 January 2026 on melia.com, and enjoy early check-in, late check-out, room upgrades, plus 15% off dining and 20% off spa treatments.
For bookings, visit Villa Le Corail Gran Meliá Hotel, paradise in Vietnam | Melia.com.
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
The Global Countdown: Four Definitive Stages
As the year’s final hours approach, the world’s great metropolises transform into vast, illuminated theaters of celebration. Clocking from the early pyrotechnics of the Southern Hemisphere to the midnight neon of the West, these four destinations remain the essential stages for a global New Year. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ Sydney: The First Spark Sydney holds the prestige of being among the first to ignite the global festivities. The harbor becomes a shimmering arena as world-renowned pyrotechnics cascade from the Harbour Bridge, reflecting off the iconic sails of the Opera House in a masterclass of maritime scale. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ Bangkok: The River of Light Along the Chao Phraya, Bangkok’s historic waterway serves as a majestic backdrop for the countdown. From the city’s soaring rooftop lounges to the traditional riverfront, the skyline erupts in a synchronized dance of light that blends ancient temple silhouettes with a high-octane festive energy. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ London: A Thames-Side Tradition When Big Ben strikes twelve, the South Bank becomes the focal point of European celebration. The London Eye frames a breathtaking display of color reflected in the dark waters of the Thames, while the city’s historic streets and grand ballrooms hum with timeless British charm. ━━━━━━━━━━━━👇━━━━━━━━━━━━ New York: The World’s Crossroads Few experiences rival the kinetic electricity of Times Square. As the crystal ball descends, a blizzard of confetti falls upon a global crowd in a moment of collective optimism. It remains the quintessential urban ritual—a high-energy finale at the center of the world.
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
Celebrate the Festive Magic of Paris at Printemps
As winter arrives, the City of Light transforms into a glowing wonderland of sparkling boulevards, stylish decorations, and warm seasonal charm. The atmosphere is so unique from dazzling illuminations to cosy Christmas markets, Paris captures the spirit of celebration like nowhere else — and at the heart of this magical atmosphere stands the iconic Printemps Haussmann. Founded in 1865, Printemps has long been a symbol of Parisian elegance and innovation. Created with the ambition to offer something fresh, beautiful, and accessible, the department store soon became a pioneer in modern retail. It introduced fixed pricing, seasonal sales, and artistic window displays that would later become legendary Christmas attractions. Its magnificent Art Nouveau architecture — complete with historic domes and ornate facades — has been admired for generations and officially recognised as part of France’s cultural heritage. Today, Printemps remains one of Paris’s most beloved shopping destinations, attracting visitors from all over the world. During the festive period, the store comes alive with enchanting window displays, exclusive collections, and the joyful energy that defines Paris in winter. Whether you’re searching for the perfect holiday gift, refreshing your wardrobe, or simply immersing yourself in the city’s festive charm, Printemps offers an unforgettable experience. Festive Promotion (15 Nov 2025 – 15 Jan 2026) Shop till you drop with our VIP Invitation and receive exclusive rewards when you, • Spend €800 or more → Receive a small makeup pouch (valued at €18) or a stylish cap (valued at €25) • Spend €1,200 or more → Receive a laptop sleeve (valued at €35) • Spend €2,000 or more → Receive a large bag (valued at €69) A perfect bonus treat — whether as a Parisian keepsake or a thoughtful gift for someone special. This holiday season, let Printemps be your gateway to the magic of Paris. Discover the traditions, the beauty, and the joy of celebrating in one of the world’s most enchanting cities.
By LIFESTYLE+TRAVEL
The Siam Celebrates Three Michelin Keys with riverside staycation experiences for Thai residents
The Siam has been recognised with three Michelin Keys in the Michelin Guide Thailand 2025, the highest hotel distinction in the guide, marking this family-owned Bangkok riverside property as one of the top luxury hotels in Thailand. The Michelin Guide draws attention to the intimate scale of the Bill Bensley–designed Art Deco boutique hotel that comprises just 38 suites and villas, and the generous size of the accommodation, where the entry-level suite spans some 80 square metres. To celebrate this remarkable achievement, The Siam invites Thai residents to indulge in a luxurious staycation with two specially curated packages with rates starting from THB 22,500. The packages are available for booking until 31 December 2025 and valid for stays through 30 September 2026. Riverside Sanctuary starts from THB 22,500++ per night in a Siam Suite, including breakfast for two persons. The package features a 90-minute Opium Spa ritual for two and a THB 2,000 dining credit for a riverfront dinner or afternoon tea. Heritage Villa Indulgence starts from THB 43,100++ per night in a Pool Villa, including breakfast for two persons. Guests will enjoy a private three-course in-villa dinner with sommelier pairing, a 60–90-minute couples’ wellness session featuring yoga, meditation, or Reiki, and a THB 4,000 dining and spa credit. Both packages are available exclusively for Thailand residents. The Siam is owned by the Sukosol family, a multi-generational group of musicians and entertainers who have also built the Sukosol Hotels group, which includes The Siam Collection. Located on a tranquil stretch of the Chao Phraya River, The Siam’s offerings include Chon Thai Restaurant, housed in a traditional teak building and the Muay Thai kickboxing gym. The hotel also features a private pier where guests can enjoy cocktails by the water and cruise aboard The Siam’s exclusive shuttle boat, the only service among riverside hotels that allows guests to stop anywhere along the route between the hotel and Sathorn Pier, including ICONSIAM, Wat Arun, and other renowned landmarks.