The avid expansion of Four Seasons hotels and resorts around the globe and all sorts of spicy pre-opening or renovating news never fail to entertain my set of hotel junkies and hoteliers. Some of the most extraordinary accommodation experiences in the previous decades utter certain acclaimed Four Seasons resorts. My fondness hardly wanes for the scenic Four Seasons Sayan by John Heah in central Bali and the idyllic Lanna paradise Four Seasons Chiangmai.

Wintertime in Taipei has never been too harsh, yet I always desire a Siamese sojourn and yearn for the Indochinese sunshine and inspirational exoticism before the winter solstice. The languorous riverside of the Chao Phraya always summons me back. Literature by Swain and Duras has been my best travel company as I lounge in the afternoon with the view of all the vessels painting the vibrant city daily.

Since the very beginning of the year, as the pandemic finally reaches a benign new chapter and threatens no longer the right of mobility, the waterfront of Hong Kong and the riverside of Bangkok have lured me back for business and amical sojourns. The whispers at my usual trotter tete-a-tete often breathe names of the grandiose and the grande-dames whenever I return from my dash.   

In 1972, Italian jewelry brand Bulgari created a set of brooches featuring Mount Fuji and pine trees, seemingly destined for a connection with Japan. This April, amidst the blooming cherry blossoms, the Bulgari Hotel is officially opened. It stands tall in a modern skyscraper behind the historic Tokyo Station, overlooking the cityscape and distant Mount Fuji. The hotel not only brings Italian craftsmanship but also cleverly combines Japanese aesthetic elements, radiating a subtle and restrained brilliance. Together with the cuisine by three-Michelin-starred Italian chef Niko Romito, one can immerse himself in a dazzling moment, enjoying the best of Tokyo without leaving the hotel.