A classy way to sail the seas

This is the life! 'Cyan' is a 160-ft yacht, owned by 3 families together, and it has recently undergone a serious transformation. As well as all of the interiors of the yacht being re-done, by designer Nina Seirafi, an enclosed gym has also been added to the top deck of the boat! The interiors were ripped out and redecorated in a consistent style throughout - with African-inspired touches - and Seirafi has used various woods for ceilings, units, tables, etc. to keep a very sophisticated, elegant theme (reflecting the cost of the yacht!). "My style is maximum quality and minimum pretense,” she says in an interview with 'Architectural Digest'. “That’s what I aim for. Pretense and glamour are very different. I love glamour, but unpretentious glamour.” I'm not sure to what extent this yacht could be referred to as 'unpretentious'(?!), but it's still amazing to look at nonetheless!

Viva las vegas!

"Speechless" is probably the best word I can think of to describe how I felt on entering the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. On my travels around the States last summer, I was lucky enough to spend a few nights in the gambling capital and can't emphasize enough how 'surreal' the whole experience seemed! Along the strip of hotels you've got everything from dancing fountains, theme parks inside hotels, gymnastics shows....right up to being dangled 866ft above the ground on a ride above the Stratosphere hotel....I can safely say there's something for everyone!

While some (e.g. my mum) argue that the whole experience of Vegas is "tacky" and "over-the-top", I felt awe-inspired throughout my stay. The Venetian Hotel is just one of the hotels that I wandered around in, nearly mouth-open. Having visited Italy several times myself, I was amazed by the accuracy of the decor and the Italian atmosphere that has been produced in the hotel - the most famous attraction being the indoor gondola rides available for tourists (which - embarrassingly - come with a free singing gondolier!). In all honesty, I can see why people may feel that the whole experience is "tacky" and it may not be everyone's ideal holiday - however, I'd still say that it should be up near the top of the 'do-before-you-die' list....simply for the overwhelming grandeur that can be found in every corner.