Feadship’s latest yacht concept asks an unusually domestic question: where does everyone naturally gather? At 115 metres, HIVE has plenty of room to accommodate the answer, but its interest lies in how that space would be used. Unveiled during the Monaco Yacht Show on 24 September 2026, HIVE is the Dutch builder’s largest concept design to date. Studio De Voogt, led on the project by senior designer Jan Schaffers, began with an imagined family of four and built the proposal around their lives. The result includes an underwater lounge, a garden library and a spectacular pool. Yet the central idea is more relatable than any of those facilities: giving people somewhere to come together without requiring them to spend the entire day doing the same thing. A shared space across four decks At HIVE’s centre is an open volume spanning four decks, with a main-deck space that could serve as a saloon, stage or auditorium. Terraces open on either side, while curved staircases connect the levels above. It is a compelling response to the challenge of entertaining at this scale. A large room can be impressive and still feel strangely underused. Give it several purposes and it has a reason to change through the day. We can see the appeal of a family gathering that turns into a performance or a talk, rather than everyone disappearing into separate lounges. Equally important are the smaller places around the main space: a successful social room needs somewhere to step away from it. A library with a garden, and a view beneath the water The proposal includes a circular glazed library opening onto a secluded garden, a two-storey beach lounge with waterside dining for at least 24, and a 20-metre pool on the owner’s deck that extends indoors. The quieter invitation is the library. Among all the options a yacht of this size can provide, somewhere to sit with a book remains one of the most appealing. A garden gives that room a different atmosphere from the surrounding sea. HIVE also proposes an underwater lounge and an observation lounge with a retractable glass roof. Together, they suggest two very different ways to spend an unhurried evening: looking below the surface or up into the night. Those spaces would make the setting part of the entertainment. The question becomes less what to add to the itinerary and more how to enjoy where the yacht already is. How close is HIVE to becoming a real yacht? Feadship presents HIVE as a concept, developed with its naval architects and engineers. It is not an announced delivery or a vessel available to charter. The builder specifies a proposed electrical system combining HVO-capable generators, fuel cells and a 5 MWh battery bank. These are design specifications, rather than independently demonstrated performance results for a completed yacht. That distinction leaves room to appreciate the ambition without confusing a proposal with a finished product. The value of a concept is partly in the questions it makes a future owner ask. The luxury of choosing your own pace HIVE is especially interesting as a study in how to share a holiday. Some guests want activity and company; others want somewhere quiet until dinner. A generous boat is only useful if its arrangement allows those preferences to coexist. There is an appealing generosity in designing for both. The underwater lounge will attract attention, but the more lasting idea may be the freedom to gather, separate and return without anyone having to organise the whole day. For all its extraordinary dimensions, that is a recognisable ambition for a home at sea.

Come aboard with us. The Life of Luxury was invited to spend a day on Explora Journeys’ EXPLORA III during its maiden sailing, and we expected to leave talking about the suites, the spa and the pools. We did. But a conversation about the onboard Rolex boutique gave us another reason to look twice. According to Explora’s PR team, some guests are choosing their sailing with the Rolex boutique in mind, heading there on their first day to secure an appointment. The team described the selection as a particular draw. A holiday planned partly around the possibility of buying a watch: that is quite an addition to the usual itinerary. It is an intriguing proposition, especially aboard a ship that feels so much like a beautifully designed hotel. There is somewhere lovely to spend the hours around the appointment, from a private terrace to a poolside bar. The watch may start the conversation, but the rest of EXPLORA III gives it plenty of competition. Rolex appointments on EXPLORA III: why it pays to enquire early Explora Journeys confirms that EXPLORA I and EXPLORA III have official Rolex boutiques, available exclusively to its guests. The boutiques are staffed by hosts trained by Rolex, offering advice to those enquiring as well as buying. This is a dedicated retail appointment within the holiday. Travel + Leisure reported that all 27 Rolex appointments on a four-day EXPLORA III preview sailing were taken within hours. That gives some substance to the idea of making the boutique an early stop after boarding. If a visit matters to you, ask Explora how appointments are arranged for your sailing and enquire promptly on arrival. The experience reported on one preview voyage does not establish a booking policy for every departure. Can you buy a Rolex on an Explora Journeys cruise? The official boutiques offer guests the opportunity to purchase Rolex watches. Securing an appointment, however, is different from securing a particular reference. For anyone tempted, our approach would be to choose a journey you would enjoy in its own right, then explore the boutique as part of it. Ask about current availability and the purchase process directly; neither the cabin fare nor an appointment is a promise that your preferred watch will be waiting. There is still something rather appealing about the setting. A conversation about watches can sit alongside a long lunch and an afternoon by the water. It also helps explain why the retail offering feels relevant here: EXPLORA III is designed around the kind of day you might build at a favourite five-star hotel. And that was our strongest impression of the ship itself. The interiors have the warmth and polish we look for in a favourite city address. At moments, we could imagine ourselves in London or Rome; elsewhere, the pools and open-air spaces have the feel of a five-star resort. Then the view reminds you that this particular hotel can take its guests somewhere entirely new. Inside EXPLORA III: a floating hotel with the sea outside What we loved was the sense of intimacy. With 461 ocean-front suites, EXPLORA III is hardly a tiny vessel, but it feels manageable and personal. Its appeal is in the places to settle into: a comfortable room, a shaded corner, a poolside bar. The double-height lobby sets an ambitious design brief, bringing together Perlato di Sicilia and Sahara Noir marble, cascading Venini chandeliers and a curved, asymmetrical staircase. Those details belong as comfortably in a design-led hotel as they do at sea. The atmosphere, for us, is a world away from the conventional cruise-ship image. EXPLORA III suites: every room has private outdoor space The rooms were a particular highlight. Some felt quite compact to us, but the interiors are lovely: cosy, carefully put together and somewhere we could happily retreat from the activity elsewhere on board. There is real value in having a private place that feels like an escape in its own right. Every suite has a private terrace. That changes the experience considerably, extending the room outdoors and giving each guest their own space beside the sea. Floor-to-ceiling windows reinforce the connection even when the doors are closed. Accommodation ranges from Ocean Suites to Penthouses and Residences. At the most elaborate end, a new Owner’s Residence designed by Patricia Urquiola spans 315 square metres, with furniture from names including Cassina and Moroso, a private steam room and an outdoor whirlpool. It is a very different proposition from the smaller suites, but the emphasis on residential design runs throughout. Pools, sunshine and somewhere to linger For a ship that feels this intimate, the choice of pools is one of its biggest attractions. The facilities described in the launch details include the Conservatory’s 14.7-metre pool, three heated outdoor swimming pools and a separate hydrotherapy pool in the spa, alongside five heated whirlpools. The Conservatory’s retractable glass roof allows it to work in changing weather. The adults-only Helios Pool & Bar, positioned forward, offers panoramic views and the promise of an unhurried stretch in the sunshine. Private cabanas and expanded shaded areas provide alternatives when being directly in the sun loses its appeal. This is where the floating-hotel idea makes particular sense to us. The attraction is being able to shape a day around a pool, a book and somewhere comfortable to sit, with the sea always close. Inside the Ocean Wellness spa Ocean Wellness is especially interesting. The 726-square-metre space brings spa, wellness and fitness facilities together on Deck 5, with a hydrotherapy pool, Finnish sauna, steam room, salt cave, experience showers and heated marble loungers. There is also a Sava Sound Pod, which the brand describes as using low-frequency sound for relaxation, plus Technogym equipment, reformer Pilates equipment and a private training studio. These are facilities to explore on a longer stay; our day aboard was an introduction, rather than a test of the treatment menu. Outside, the fitness offering extends to a running track and sports facilities including a full-size padel court. Whether the plan is to move more or simply slow down, there is plenty of choice. A floating hotel with room for dinner The dining line-up includes Sakura, Med Yacht Club, Fil Rouge and Marble & Co. Grill, alongside new concepts such as the Mediterranean-inspired Shore Club on 11. The Chef’s Table centres on live preparation and presentation, while The Cellar offers guided exploration of wine. Our visit left us wanting the time to settle into that rhythm properly. A day is enough to appreciate the design and the breadth of the facilities; it is not enough to experience every restaurant or judge an entire voyage. What we can say is that EXPLORA III felt like a hotel we would want to stay in—with a rather extraordinary advantage outside every window. The Life of Luxury visited by invitation. This first-person feature reflects a day aboard. Explore accommodation and itineraries on the official EXPLORA III website.

A timber village, generous terraces and interiors imagined around a writer and a musician: ASerra brings a deeply personal vision of life in Alentejo to Portugal’s next luxury address. The most intriguing detail in Philippe Starck’s new Portuguese retreat is a note on a desk. In the story he created to guide its design, a writer and a musician have left their home, with books and instruments offering clues to their lives. The note tells visitors where to find them: in the village below. That imagined journey provides the starting point for ASerra, a planned hotel and residential estate in the hills of Serra de Grândola, near Melides. Its 22 private villas and 25 hotel suites will be connected by a shared world of cafés, creative spaces, gardens and places to gather. For prospective owners, the promise extends beyond a beautifully furnished second home: there is a whole village to become part of. Why Philippe Starck chose Melides Starck’s attachment to Portugal predates the project. Having first visited more than a decade ago, he established a second home in Alentejo, drawn to its cork forests, lagoons and Atlantic landscape. In an interview with Wallpaper*, he describes that initial encounter as “love at first sight”. ASerra turns that personal connection into a place others can inhabit. The development is led by Larfa Properties, with Starck shaping the interiors, architecture by Lisbon-based Atelier AAVV and landscape design by Filipa Cardoso de Menezes of FC Arquitectura Paisagista. The distinction matters: this is a collaboration with local practices, with the buildings and grounds conceived in relation to the terrain. The ambition is for the estate to sit comfortably among the hills and vegetation, allowing the setting to remain its most compelling feature. A timber village at the heart of the estate The project’s social centre will be a contemporary interpretation of an aldeia, or Portuguese village. Timber buildings at the foot of the slope will line a raised main street, creating a route between the places residents and guests might use throughout the day. Plans include a restaurant connected to a vegetable garden, a grand café with a market-style shop, an art studio and a swimming pool. Painting, pottery, sculpture, drawing and cooking workshops will give visitors reasons to stay beyond lunch or a swim. It is an appealing idea for a second home. Privacy is valuable, but so is somewhere to wander to without arranging a car or planning an entire outing. At ASerra, the village is intended to provide that everyday point of connection: a coffee, a class, a conversation, then the walk back home. Inside the 22 private villas Above the village, the villas take a more sculptural form. Starck’s concept places intimate, enveloping interiors inside concrete shells, using terracotta, reddish woods, natural leather, planting and touches of gold to bring warmth to the spaces. He has compared the homes to cabins aboard a ship or yacht. The reference suggests a particular kind of comfort: considered interiors in which materials, furnishings and personal objects carry as much weight as the view. The fictional writer and musician offer another clue to the atmosphere. Books, scores and instruments introduce the idea of a home already rich with interests and habits. Local artists and craftspeople are also expected to contribute, giving the finished interiors detail beyond the architecture itself. Owners will have access to hotel services including concierge, housekeeping and maintenance, alongside dining, wellness and shared facilities. An optional rental programme is planned for periods when they are away. A boutique hotel with room to linger The hotel is intended to feel equally generous. Its 25 independent suites are planned with 70 sq m of interior space and 90 sq m terraces; 12 will have private pools. A communal pool, indoor-outdoor bar and restaurant will provide further places to spend the day. Across the estate, the proposed facilities include a spa, yoga shala, children’s garden and tennis, padel and pétanque courts. For guests considering a shorter stay, this gives ASerra an identity of its own as a hotel destination. For owners, it means a choice between time at home and the services and activities nearby. When will ASerra open? The hotel is scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2028, with the villas being offered off-plan. Reported starting prices are US$6 million; current euro pricing, availability and the services included with each residence should be confirmed with the developer. Much remains to be realised, but the concept has a clear appeal. ASerra imagines a Portuguese home with enough privacy to settle into your own routines—and a village down the hill when you feel like company.

At a reported starting price of US$437,500, this Alaska holiday demands a little explanation. A private expedition yacht is only the beginning. There is also a helicopter-accessed chalet above a glacier, reserved entirely for your party. EYOS’s From Sea to Summit: Ultimate Alaska combines seven nights aboard Hanse Explorer with three or four nights at Sheldon Chalet in Denali National Park. Available from summer 2027, the bespoke experience takes travellers from Southeast Alaska’s fjords to a mountain retreat perched at around 6,000 feet. The US$437,500 figure is a reported package starting price, not a per-person rate; the final itinerary and inclusions need to be confirmed with EYOS. It is a formidable sum, even in the world of private travel. So what does an Alaskan escape at this level actually involve? The answer is a journey with two very different addresses: a yacht that can move between wildlife-rich waterways, and a five-bedroom chalet that gives you a reason to stay put. The mountain stay can come before or after the voyage. Either way, this is quite a departure from booking a room with a view. Inside Hanse Explorer: EYOS’s Alaska expedition yacht Hanse Explorer measures 47.76 metres and accommodates up to 12 guests across seven staterooms, with a crew of 15. EYOS describes an ice-classed yacht equipped for expeditions, with Zodiac tenders and a dive centre. The creature comforts are reassuringly present: a saloon and dining room with large windows, an aft deck for meals outdoors, a sauna and a Jacuzzi. The owner’s cabin also opens onto a secluded deck. But this is a particularly appealing proposition for travellers who want to get off the yacht. The tenders make it possible to approach the coastline on a more intimate scale, while the expedition team shapes activities around local conditions. That distinction changes what to pack—and what to expect. Think curiosity and layers, with room in the day for weather to influence the plan. The most memorable hour may not be the one scheduled most neatly in advance. Seven nights in Southeast Alaska: the proposed route The sample voyage begins and ends in Juneau. The Inian Islands bring opportunities to see Steller sea lions, sea otters and bald eagles; around Hoonah and Icy Strait, the focus shifts to humpbacks. At Pavlof Harbor, guided walks follow the salmon stream in search of brown bears. Later days explore Admiralty, Baranof and Chichagof, with kayaking, rainforest walks and possible hot-spring visits. Tracy Arm and the Fords Terror Wilderness Area provide the glacier finale, including South Sawyer Glacier. EYOS also highlights opportunities to learn about Tlingit heritage and meet local artisans. What appeals to us is the changing scale of the experience. A fjord seen from the deck is one thing; a sheltered inlet explored by kayak is another. The route offers room for both, with the expedition team adapting activities to conditions. Wildlife sightings and individual visits remain possibilities, rather than appointments. The cabins: space for families and friends The upper-deck master cabin measures approximately 45 square metres and has a private lounge area. The six remaining en-suite cabins are around 17 square metres each, with double or twin arrangements. This flexibility is useful for friends travelling together or families organising a mixed-age group. We would discuss the sleeping arrangements early, along with how active everyone wants the days to be. The pleasure of chartering privately is having room to build a holiday around the people coming, including those who would happily trade an excursion for a quiet afternoon watching the coastline. Explore EYOS’s official Ultimate Alaska itinerary. Sheldon Chalet: a private buyout above the Ruth Glacier Sheldon Chalet sits at around 6,000 feet in the Don Sheldon Amphitheater, above the Ruth Glacier in Denali National Park. Helicopter access is part of the extraordinary sense of separation. The chalet has five bedrooms for up to ten guests, supported by a chef, concierge and guides. Its communal spaces include a dining table crafted from Alaskan birch, a fireside gathering area and a library nook. There are two full bathrooms: an important detail for a group planning a private stay, and a reminder that this is an intimate shared house. The new EYOS offering includes a three- or four-day chalet buyout. The attraction is easy to understand. After the changing scenery of a voyage, the mountain stay offers a different rhythm: settle in, look out and resist the urge to turn every hour into an achievement. Planning an EYOS Ultimate Alaska holiday The yacht and chalet have different capacities. Hanse Explorer can host 12, while Sheldon Chalet accommodates ten. A party intending to share the entire experience should build its guest list around the smaller property and discuss arrangements directly with the operator. Summer dates also deserve to be chosen for the experience they actually offer. This is a wilderness journey, so weather, transfers and wildlife encounters cannot be treated as guaranteed appointments. Flexibility belongs in the itinerary from the beginning. For British travellers, we would also leave enough room around international travel and onward connections to avoid turning the start of an exceptional holiday into a race. little.

A painting with a €30 million upper estimate hardly needs help attracting attention. Yet the most interesting way into Claude Monet’s Iris may be to look past the price. The late canvas is heading to Sotheby’s in Paris on 22 October 2026 as part of Le Temps Retrouvé: The Schlumberger Collection. Its estimate is €22 million to €30 million, placing it at the centre of an auction that brings a remarkable private collection into view. There is the familiar auction-season intrigue: a famous name, a major work and the possibility of a dramatic evening in the saleroom. There is also a quieter story about who recognised the importance of these paintings before their standing seemed so secure. What is Monet’s Iris? Sotheby’s dates Iris to circa 1924–25, near the end of Monet’s life. The oil on canvas measures 159.6 by 180 centimetres, giving the flowers a scale far removed from a small decorative still life. That size is worth pausing over. On a phone screen, almost every painting becomes a rectangle of similar dimensions. In a room, this one demands a different encounter. It is broad enough to occupy your field of vision rather than sit politely within it. The catalogue records a line of ownership from the artist’s estate to his son Michel Monet, then Galerie Katia Granoff and the Schlumberger collection. Those names provide the route into a story that extends beyond the artist himself. The women who saw something worth keeping Dealer Katia Granoff and collector Jeanne Schlumberger helped champion Monet’s late work at a time when it did not enjoy the unquestioned admiration it attracts today. Granoff acquired works from Michel Monet with Schlumberger’s financial support, and the women divided the paintings between them. Their judgement now forms part of the interest surrounding the collection’s appearance at auction. It is a useful corrective to the idea that great art moves smoothly from studio to universal acclaim. Collections are built through decisions: what to look at again, whose judgement to trust and when to follow a conviction that others have not yet adopted. We tend to celebrate those decisions once a market has vindicated them. The more revealing moment is earlier, when conviction carries some uncertainty. That is what makes the Granoff–Schlumberger connection so engaging. Jeanne Schlumberger and Katia Granoff / Anonymous photographer. Courtesy of the Schlumberger Family Archives There is more than one Monet to watch The Schlumberger sale also includes Saule pleureur ou L’Arbre de feu, estimated at €9 million to €12 million, alongside further Monets and works by artists including Cézanne, Bonnard and Camille Claudel. Seeing the sale as a collection, rather than simply the backdrop to its most expensive lot, offers a richer way to approach it. What did its owners want to live with? Which works speak to one another? What kind of eye does the group reveal? Those questions remain interesting whether or not you have any intention of bidding. An auction catalogue can be an invitation to look more closely, rather than merely a list of prices. What the estimate actually means The €22–30 million range is Sotheby’s pre-sale estimate for Iris, not a confirmed result. The auction has yet to take place, and the eventual amount paid will depend on bidding and applicable charges. For now, the most rewarding response is to spend a little longer with the work. Look at its scale, consider its late date and follow the ownership history back beyond the forthcoming sale. The price will produce its own story in October. The decisions that kept this painting in a collection for decades are already worth our attention.

Some bridal campaigns make you want the dress. Graff’s latest may have you considering the ring, the earrings and a ceremony somewhere on the French Riviera before you have reached the end of the images. Photographed by Nicolas Kantor at Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, the 2026 campaign follows Stella Hanan and Parker Van Noord through a romantic story of proposal and celebration. Graff provides the diamonds; the setting supplies a very persuasive argument for taking the wedding abroad. The more useful invitation, however, is to look closely at the jewellery. Beyond the Riviera fantasy, this is a chance to consider how different settings change the character of an engagement ring—and how the rest of a bridal look might follow. Three settings, three different effects The campaign brings together Graff’s Promise, Icon and Flame designs, as reported in Haute Living’s coverage of the launch. These are established settings presented through a new campaign, rather than three entirely new ring collections. Promise uses side stones to frame the central diamond. Icon introduces a halo, while Flame pairs its centre stone with a pavé diamond band. Even without comparing carat weights, there is plenty to consider in those differences. A ring can read as a defined three-stone composition, an illuminated outline or a central diamond with a finer trail of sparkle along the finger. The silhouette should be part of the decision from the start. Why we would begin with the setting Graff’s Promise pear-shaped engagement ring in platinum, for example, places a pear-shaped centre between matching pear-shaped side stones. It is an appealing arrangement for someone who likes a ring with a clear direction and a little breadth across the finger. We would try it alongside a halo and a simpler solitaire-style design before making assumptions about which photograph best represents our taste. A close-up image removes much of the context. On the hand, proportion, height and the relationship with a wedding band all become more noticeable. It is worth taking time with those details, rather than allowing the largest stone to settle the question immediately. A name with a history The settings also connect to significant stones in the house’s past. Promise takes its name from the Lesotho Promise, a 603-carat rough diamond discovered in 2006. Icon refers to the 90.97-carat Graff Icon, while Flame recalls the 100-carat pear-shaped Graff Flame. These histories add another layer to the campaign. They explain the names, but they should not distract from the much more personal question of which finished ring you would enjoy wearing every day. Our preference is to let the history deepen an attachment once the design has caught your eye. A romantic purchase still needs to feel right when the appointment is over and ordinary life resumes. The jewels beyond the proposal As The Jewels Club reports, the campaign also includes wedding bands and pieces from Butterfly, Tilda’s Bow, Laurence Graff Signature and Classic Graff. For bridal styling, we would choose a focal point before assembling the rest. An elaborate neckline might need very little around the neck. A clean dress could give a necklace more room, while an updo can make earrings the natural starting point. It is also worth imagining those jewels away from the ceremony. Which would you wear to an anniversary dinner? Which would feel natural with a simple shirt? That exercise can make an overwhelming selection much more personal. Graff’s Riviera setting is a lovely place to begin the daydream. The best choice is the piece you can imagine taking home.

Bordeaux has never been short of opinions about Bordeaux. There are châteaux to champion, vintages to debate and classifications that can turn a perfectly civil dinner into a surprisingly spirited evening. Now Michelin has pulled up a chair. The guide has introduced its grape awards to the region, applying its familiar talent for making a small symbol carry enormous weight to the business of wine. For anyone who has ever stared at a restaurant wine list and quietly wished for a translator, the appeal is obvious. But an estate rating raises a rather different question from a restaurant recommendation: what, exactly, does it tell you about the bottle in front of you? What are Michelin’s Bordeaux grape awards? Michelin’s Bordeaux selection, unveiled on 7 September 2026, covers 84 estates. Nine received three grapes, the highest distinction. The system follows the guide’s first regional wine selection in Burgundy earlier in the summer. These are awards for producers, assessed across their work and vintages, rather than scores for individual bottles. One grape denotes a very good producer, two an excellent producer and three an exceptional producer. Michelin considers agronomy, technical mastery, identity, balance and consistency. That distinction is worth remembering before reaching for the credit card. A grape beside an estate’s name is not a tasting note for its 2016, nor a promise that every wine carrying its label will suit your palate. Which Bordeaux estates received three grapes? The nine are Château Léoville Las Cases, Château Lafite Rothschild, Château Montrose, Petrus, Château La Conseillante, Château Lafleur, Château Cheval Blanc, Château Figeac and Château d’Yquem. Even for readers who follow wine only intermittently, several names will be familiar. The list offers an introduction to the guide’s view of excellence; it should not become a shopping checklist that overlooks everything outside it. Château Cheval Blanc was one of the nine to recieve three grapes Why the wine world is debating the ratings The friction is part of the story. There has been a mixed reception, including questions about the assessment process and the usefulness of judging producers without the vintage-by-vintage specificity familiar to wine collectors. There is an understandable tension here. A simple rating is useful precisely because it removes complexity. Wine enthusiasts often value the complexity: the difference between years, individual vineyards, styles and the point at which a bottle is opened. Both positions can coexist. A newcomer may welcome a clear route into a daunting region. Someone who already knows the estates may want to inspect how the conclusion was reached. Neither needs to abandon their own taste because a new guide has arrived. How we would use the list Start with curiosity rather than deference. If an estate catches your eye, ask a good independent merchant about the specific wine, its vintage and when they would drink it. Give them your budget and describe bottles you have enjoyed before. That conversation can be more useful than ordering the grandest name you recognise. At a restaurant, the same principle applies. Ask the sommelier what makes their particular bottle interesting, whether it is ready to drink and what else offers a similar experience. There is no obligation to turn dinner into an examination. The most appealing outcome would be a guide that encourages readers to explore beyond their usual choices. The least appealing would be another reason to feel that wine requires permission from an expert. Michelin has given Bordeaux a fresh talking point. By all means use its grapes to begin the conversation. Then let the wine have a say.

Some yacht concepts invite you to imagine a better sunlounger. Sinot’s latest asks you to reconsider the entire day: a tennis match before lunch, an afternoon in the spa and enough space to host friends without surrendering every corner of the boat to the party. Fusion is the Dutch studio’s new 118-metre trimaran concept, and the number that deserves as much attention as its length is its 30-metre width. Three hulls give the proposal a broad footprint, opening up possibilities that feel closer to planning a private resort than rearranging a conventional yacht. It remains a concept. The pleasure, for now, lies in seeing what a designer does when given such an unusually generous canvas. Why Fusion’s three hulls matter Sinot’s published design proposes 3,340 square metres of exterior deck space. Its layout separates places to retreat from places to gather, with an owner’s residence and eight further guest rooms, each of the latter opening onto a private loggia. The interesting idea is the distribution of that space. A large yacht can still feel socially demanding if every route leads back to the same lounge. Here, the proposal allows for different kinds of company—and different degrees of escape. For an owner travelling with several generations, that could be the real luxury: the freedom to spend a morning differently, then reconvene for dinner. Square metres become meaningful when they make a day less negotiated. A tennis court where you might expect another terrace The forward Playdeck is designed to accommodate a full-size tennis court and other activities, with alternative uses including events and helicopter operations. Elsewhere, the upper deck combines an 18-seat dining table with a glass-bottomed swimming pool; a separate spa occupies 300 square metres. Those are attention-grabbing facilities. Yet the more persuasive design question is whether they would encourage people to linger on board. A court suggests routine as much as spectacle: something to do between destinations, rather than another object to photograph. The same goes for the pool. Put swimming beside dining and outdoor seating and the deck has the ingredients of a whole afternoon, without requiring everyone to share the same activity. The quieter rooms deserve a look Sinot specifies travertine and natural woods in the owner’s residence, alongside a private 100-square-metre terrace. The guest interiors bring together stone, smoked glass, timber and woven textiles. That material mix gives the project a residential direction. We would be just as interested in how these spaces handle a rainy morning with a book as a glamorous evening at anchor. A yacht intended for extended stays has to be convincing when nobody is entertaining. The terraces are especially appealing in that respect. Private outdoor space changes the character of a bedroom, making it somewhere to spend time rather than simply return to at night. A concept, not a yacht you can charter Coverage of Fusion’s unveiling describes it as Sinot’s bid for the largest full-length trimaran superyacht concept. That carefully qualified claim should not be confused with a record for an existing vessel. There is no maiden voyage to book in the material reviewed for this feature. Proposed facilities, layouts and dimensions belong to the design stage. Still, the project is worth following for more than its scale. Fusion makes a compelling case for width as a source of comfort, privacy and choice. The tennis court will attract the headlines. The chance to find a quiet corner while everyone else plays may prove the more desirable feature.

The singer’s former Silver Shadow has acquired a second identity, pairing British luxury with an electric drivetrain. A car once owned by Johnny Cash is back in the spotlight, and its famous former owner is only half the story. His 1970 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow is reportedly being offered for sale after a conversion that placed Tesla technology beneath its traditional bodywork. The long-wheelbase saloon was originally a gift from ABC Television in recognition of The Johnny Cash Show. Cash kept it until the mid-1980s; it later passed to Vice co-founder Shane Smith. Robb Report’s account of the sale says the asking price is available on request. A celebrity connection can make a familiar model collectible. Here, the engineering gives prospective owners a second question to consider: how much of a classic’s character lives in the way it looks, and how much lives beneath the bonnet? How the Silver Shadow became electric The conversion was undertaken by Oregon-based specialist SHIFT EV. In its account of the project, the company describes a car with around 130,000 miles and mechanical problems that called for a substantial overhaul. Instead, the owner commissioned an extensive Tesla Model S transplant. A 75kWh battery was fitted beneath the Rolls-Royce, while the work extended beyond propulsion to systems including electric steering, braking and climate control. SHIFT EV says test drives began in autumn 2019. Preserving the appearance mattered. The conversion retained the car’s recognisable exterior and cabin, with the Tesla displays placed in the boot. This is an unusually discreet way to bring a very different technology into an older car. A classic with two histories There is an appealing tension in the result. The Silver Shadow’s formal proportions belong to an earlier age of luxury motoring; its electric operation belongs to another. The modification invites a different kind of ownership from keeping a car entirely as it left the factory. Purists may prefer an original engine. Other collectors may be drawn to the possibility of using a familiar design in a new way. Neither preference can be settled by a famous name on the history file. The electric transformation is itself established history: Car and Driver reported on it in August 2020. The current news is the reported sale, rather than a newly completed conversion. What is known about the sale? No public asking price has been disclosed in the sale report, so there is no verified sterling figure to quote. Availability and the car’s present condition would need confirmation from the seller. For a collector, the interest lies in that unusual combination of music provenance, British design and later reinvention. Cash’s former Rolls-Royce carries the story of its first life while offering a distinctly different prospect for its next.

New galleries, a reimagined roof garden and views across Central Park will transform the museum’s modern and contemporary art experience. For anyone who builds a New York trip around its museums, there is a future opening worth keeping in mind. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has broken ground on the Tang Wing, its ambitious new home for modern and contemporary art, with completion planned for 2030. Designed by Frida Escobedo, the project promises to change the rhythm of a visit as well as the spaces in which art is displayed. There will be larger galleries, new connections between collections and places to step outside above Central Park. Escobedo is the first woman to design a new wing for the museum, according to The Met’s project overview. What is changing at The Met? The five-storey building will occupy the existing wing’s footprint. Around 126,000 sq ft of space will accommodate the project overall, with nearly 70,000 sq ft devoted to galleries for modern and contemporary art. Those numbers describe only part of the ambition. The museum wants visitors to find connections between recent work and the wider collection, rather than experience contemporary art as a separate destination at the end of a long walk. In the design unveiled by The Met, a limestone screen filters daylight across the exterior. Inside, galleries vary in height and scale, giving intimate works and larger installations different settings. The architecture offers a sequence of changing spaces, allowing the building to respond to the art. A new perspective on Central Park The outdoor spaces are likely to be a particular draw. The Cantor Roof Garden is to move to the fourth-floor terrace and grow to almost 10,000 sq ft. A further terrace above will add another place to pause, with landscaping by Thomas Woltz’s practice, Nelson Byrd Woltz. Together with windows overlooking the park and Manhattan skyline, these spaces bring the city into the visit. The appeal is easy to imagine: moving from a gallery into daylight, taking in the park, then returning to the collection with a little more time and attention. For British visitors who know Escobedo through her 2018 Serpentine Pavilion in London, the commission offers a chance to see her work at a very different scale. When will the Tang Wing open? The museum is targeting 2030. Its fundraising total of US$670 million covers construction and a substantial contribution towards an operating endowment; it should not be read simply as a building price. The Cantor Roof Garden is currently closed, although modern and contemporary works continue to appear elsewhere in the museum. Travellers planning a visit before the new wing opens can check The Met’s current exhibitions and visitor information. The Tang Wing also sits within a broader programme of renewal. The museum’s redevelopment plans include galleries for ancient West Asia and Cyprus scheduled for 2027, following the reopening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing in 2025. New York’s great cultural addresses rarely stand still; this one is preparing for a particularly substantial next chapter.

A £500 million investment programme sets the stage for a more practical chapter in the British supercar maker’s story. A McLaren has long demanded a particular sort of occasion. The prospect of the brand’s first SUV suggests something different: a car that could be chosen for the journey with family or friends, rather than the drive taken alone. McLaren has confirmed plans to enter the SUV market as part of a £500 million investment in its UK engineering and manufacturing operations. Reuters reports that the programme includes a new British assembly plant and development of the company’s own engines and transmissions. For prospective owners, the significance is straightforward. Greater practicality could make a McLaren relevant to more of their lives. Why an SUV matters for McLaren The commercial logic is familiar from other luxury marques. An additional pair of doors and space for passengers can extend a performance brand’s appeal to households that would struggle to justify a two-seater as their regular car. In its report on the announcement, The Guardian describes the opportunity to reach Formula One fans with families. That is an interesting audience for a marque whose appeal can be much wider than the group able to accommodate one of its existing cars. The challenge will be preserving the sense of occasion. A successful McLaren SUV would need to feel desirable on its own terms, with a character that makes the badge meaningful beyond outright acceleration. What has been confirmed? The investment establishes the industrial direction. Alongside the proposed new assembly facility, McLaren intends to expand existing operations at Woking and its composites centre in South Yorkshire. Car and Driver’s coverage also identifies in-house powertrain development as a major part of the plan, beginning with two new engines and transmissions. Those are substantial commitments. They point to a broader change in how the company develops and builds future vehicles, with the SUV forming part of that next phase. When will the McLaren SUV arrive? Reporting has suggested an arrival around 2028, but there is no firm customer delivery date or published UK price in the material reviewed. Details circulating about a V8 hybrid, five seats and all-wheel drive remain reported expectations rather than a final specification. That distinction matters while the vehicle is still taking shape. McLaren has confirmed the direction; buyers are still waiting to see the finished proposition. For the brand, the opportunity is to make performance fit a more ordinary day. The prospect of loading luggage, taking passengers and still looking forward to the road ahead is a compelling one. Whether McLaren can translate its particular driving appeal into that format will be the real story when the car arrives.

A Hong Kong harbour landmark takes the crown, while three London institutions and an Oxfordshire country retreat give British travellers plenty to celebrate. The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 ranking has arrived, with Rosewood Hong Kong named the world’s best hotel for the second year running. For readers closer to home, there is another reason to pay attention: four UK properties have secured places in the top 50. Claridge’s leads the British contingent at No.13, followed by Raffles London at The OWO at No.28, Estelle Manor at No.43 and The Connaught at No.49. Together, they offer an appealing choice between a London weekend and a countryside escape, without requiring a long-haul flight. Why Rosewood Hong Kong is the world’s best hotel At No.1, Rosewood Hong Kong makes a persuasive case for planning a city break around the hotel itself. Set beside Victoria Harbour, it combines 413 rooms and suites with interiors by Tony Chi, an extensive art collection and 11 restaurants and bars. Even its entry-level rooms measure 53 square metres. That generosity continues in marble bathrooms with separate baths and twin walk-in showers, while materials such as tweed and timber give the interiors a residential character. There is enough here to fill the hours between exploring the city: Indian cooking at Chaat, a drink at Darkside, treatments at Asaya and a swim in the 25-metre infinity pool. The hotel’s official website has the latest accommodation and dining details. The four UK hotels in the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026 No.13: Claridge’s, London The highest-ranked British hotel is also one of the capital’s most recognisable addresses. Claridge’s has welcomed guests since 1856, and its Art Deco public spaces remain part of the appeal of checking into Mayfair. Yet the attraction goes beyond the familiar frontage and famous name. Its Japanese-inspired spa and individually conceived suites give the hotel a contemporary life alongside its history. For a celebratory London stay, that combination of occasion and comfort is precisely the point. No.28: Raffles London at The OWO On Whitehall, Raffles London at The OWO offers a different kind of grandeur. The former Old War Office has been converted into a hotel whose historic architecture remains central to the experience, from its imposing staircase to suites associated with the building’s former occupants. Dining is a substantial part of its draw, with restaurants from Mauro Colagreco and Japanese-inspired Kioku by Endo among the options. For an evening with a little intrigue, the subterranean Spy Bar supplies a suitably atmospheric setting. No.43: Estelle Manor, Oxfordshire The UK’s countryside entry is Estelle Manor, near Witney. Set within an 85-acre estate, the 108-room hotel combines a restored Jacobean Revival manor with interiors that favour rich fabrics, contemporary art and a distinctly sociable atmosphere. Its Roman-inspired bathhouse is a major part of the attraction, alongside swimming, padel and woodland walks. Non-members can stay at the hotel, making this an option for those who want the atmosphere of a country club as part of a weekend away. No.49: The Connaught, London Completing the British quartet, The Connaught brings the focus back to Mayfair. Food and drink are compelling reasons to visit, with Hélène Darroze’s three-Michelin-starred restaurant and the Connaught Bar’s celebrated martini trolley under the same roof. The art collection adds another dimension, with works by figures including Barbara Hepworth and Louise Bourgeois. It is a hotel that can shape an entire London evening, even for those who are not checking in. The World’s 50 Best Hotels 2026: the full list All 50 hotels, in order, from the official 2026 ranking are: 1. Rosewood Hong Kong — Hong Kong 2. Capella Bangkok — Bangkok 3. Four Seasons Bangkok at Chao Phraya River — Bangkok 4. Atlantis The Royal — Dubai 5. Passalacqua — Lake Como 6. Rosewood São Paulo — São Paulo 7. Mandarin Oriental Qianmen — Beijing 8. Upper House Hong Kong — Hong Kong 9. Chablé Yucatán — Chocholá 10. Mandarin Oriental Bangkok — Bangkok 11. Aman Tokyo — Tokyo 12. Four Seasons Firenze — Florence 13. Claridge’s — London 14. Hôtel de Crillon — Paris 15. Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab — Dubai 16. Capella Sydney — Sydney 17. Raffles Singapore — Singapore 18. Casa Maria Luigia — Modena 19. Le Bristol — Paris 20. Cheval Blanc Paris — Paris 21. Desa Potato Head — Bali 22. San Ysidro Ranch — Santa Barbara 23. One&Only Mandarina — Riviera Nayarit 24. Bulgari Tokyo — Tokyo 25. Las Ventanas al Paraíso — Los Cabos 26. Royal Mansour — Marrakech 27. Four Seasons Astir Palace — Athens 28. Raffles London at The OWO — London 29. Copacabana Palace — Rio de Janeiro 30. The Taj Mahal Palace — Mumbai 31. The Peninsula Istanbul — Istanbul 32. Bulgari Roma — Rome 33. Patina Osaka — Osaka 34. Mount Nelson — Cape Town 35. Nihi Sumba — Sumba Island 36. Badrutt’s Palace — St. Moritz 37. Park Hyatt Kyoto — Kyoto 38. Hôtel du Couvent — Nice 39. Portrait Milano — Milan 40. Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo — Monaco 41. Plaza Athénée — Paris 42. Hotel Sacher Vienna — Vienna 43. Estelle Manor — Witney 44. Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc — Antibes 45. Amangiri — Canyon Point 46. The Peninsula Hong Kong — Hong Kong 47. Maroma — Riviera Maya 48. Aman Nai Lert — Bangkok 49. The Connaught — London 50. San Domenico Palace — Taormina Two Italian stays worth building a trip around At No.5, Passalacqua is also named the Best Hotel in Europe and receives the 2026 Best Boutique Hotel award. With just 24 rooms across its Lake Como estate, it offers a markedly intimate proposition: terraced gardens, individually designed interiors and the atmosphere of an elaborate private home. For travellers choosing their next Italian escape, the small scale is as interesting as the ranking. This is a place to linger over the setting, with rooms spread between the main villa, former stables and a lakeside house. Further south, Modena’s Casa Maria Luigia enters at No.18 and takes the Highest New Entry award. Created by Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore, the country estate brings contemporary art, music and food into the same intimate setting. Dining at Francescana at Maria Luigia and Al Gatto Verde makes it especially relevant to anyone who plans a holiday around the table. The appeal is the chance to spend longer within that culinary world, with the hotel itself becoming part of the reason for travelling. Which hotel should go on your shortlist? The useful question is what you want from the stay. Rosewood Hong Kong lends itself to a hotel-led city break; the London entries offer three distinct settings for a special weekend; Estelle Manor brings the emphasis to the countryside. For Italy, Passalacqua and Casa Maria Luigia suggest two very different itineraries—one shaped by the lake, the other by food. Let the ranking introduce an address, then look closely at room categories, restaurant availability and any separately charged experiences before booking. A place on the list is a starting point; the right stay still depends on how you want to spend your time.