Cruise control
River cruising is one of the fastest-growing areas in the travel industry, and also one of the more sustainable ways to see the world. Ama Waterways has been improving its fleet's environmental impact for 15 years, with ships fitted with energy-saving LED lights and insulated windows, along with a system that uses membrane technology to filter and recycle wastewater. Its eight-day river cruise along the Danube includes flights to Budapest from Dublin, departing October 20th, returning from Munich, 20kg baggage per person, return port transfers, seven nights twin share, full board, daily pre-dinner cocktail hour and daily excursions, from €1,599 per person if booked before August 31st. amawaterways.co.uk
Pride of place
The Seoíd Spa at Dunboyne Castle Hotel has won the 2019 Luxury Hotel Spa Award. Voted best spa in northern Europe, the hotel has been recognised internationally in the awards voted for by guests, travellers, and industry experts alike. To experience the spa and its award-winning treatments for yourself, book into the Co Meath four-star at dunboynecastlehotel.com.
Move over minis
The InterContinental Hotels Group has committed to installing full-sized bathroom amenities across 843,000 rooms around the world by 2021, in a bid to reduce plastic waste. The American company, which owns the Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, InterContinental, Six Senses, and Kimpton hotels, currently uses an average of 200 million bathroom miniatures each year. They follow in the footsteps of Marriott International and Peninsula, which have pledged to remove plastic straws from all its hotels by the end of this year.
Terrarium treats
The Dalloway Terrace restaurant at London's five-star Bloomsbury Hotel has undergone a seasonal makeover and is offering a special experience for diners from now until autumn. The indoor-outdoor hotspot in Fitzrovia has partnered with Ramsbury Estate, maker of Ramsbury gin and vodka, to create The Dalloway Summer Estate, a floral installation of silk daisies, cosmos, larkspur, delphiniums, and foliage, with embellishments of vibrant coral quince blossom.
While you marvel at the setting, sample a selection of botanical cocktails which have been created to complement the terrace's new look along with bespoke gin and tonics, which guests can garnish with fresh produce from the Ramsbury Estate. Drinks are complemented by a seasonal food menu featuring ingredients sourced from the English countryside, including honey-roasted beetroot salad, warm artichoke salad, wild mushroom risotto, and shallot and thyme tarte Tatin. dallowayterrace.com
