There was a really, really hilarious moment at this year's annual Luxury Bloc, held as always in Prague. This is the seventh annual event and, is it possible to say it? It was better than ever. Okay.

There were just over a hundred invited travel advisors from 14 countries at the 2026 Luxury Bloc in Prague, organized, as always, by Gabriela Markova, with the strong support of the event's co-founder, her husband Petr Marek, and her growing team. Her business is growing, indeed.

Its first year has passed, and it's excellent to see how Fairmont Golden in Prague is maturing. It's no longer a fledgling, wondering what its place is.

Fairmont Golden Prague’s suite 727 is a long rectangular space overlooking the hotel’s beautiful garden, which is sunken about ten feet down from the road which borders the Vitava River.

Mandarin Oriental Prague’s new GM John Kitchens arrived back in Prague four months ago from Dubai. He already knew a lot about the Czech capial and its environs from backpacking as a student (oh, what a background this hotelier has).

Monica Eisen is a rare luxury GM. The Spanish boss of Four Seasons Prague is female with two young children

Girlahead returned to The Augustine, which has been Luxury Collection for some years. Now it's operating white-labeled for, come early 2027, it emerges as a glorious refurbished and renovated Kempinski. Yes, it's now owned by Kempinski.

Summer in Dubai is humid and boiling, however there’s nothing a silver champagne bucket can’t fix.

To New York. New York, the center of the universe, the hum and the noise, and the cheeriness, and the cars looping their way around, jerking up and down, thanks to bumps in the road, and ceaseless trying to get somewhere very fast.