Melissa – you might not want to relocate to the Maldives permanently, but you could always take a bit of the Indian Ocean ethos home with you.

On my last trip I met Mohamed Faruhaadh, Housekeeper at Baros Maldives, and he shared with me his tips to give my bedroom a Maldivian makeover in the style of the Baros resort, after I raved about the great night’s sleep I had there.

He said “Choose soothing colours and warm tones to ground you, then add colourful accents with flowers and cushions. Check lighting is soft, and complement with candles. Keep a small collection of essential oils at home – starting with lavender – so you have one for every mood. And before going to sleep, wind down with relaxing music and a cup of mint tea.” I know you’re not usually a quiet-night-in kind of girl, with underwater nightclubs being more your thing, but it might just remind you of your Maldivian paradise.

When you go back to sample the club, can I suggest you spend some time in Asia en route home?

I’m just back from a whirlwind trip to Bangkok, Beijing and Singapore and let me tell you, there are some cracking properties here to check out.

Talking of a great night’s sleep – the beds at the Hansar Bangkok are like sleeping on a cloud.

I would recommend you visit Singapore, staying at the super Naumi hotel in the heart of the city. Check out the amazing rooftop views from the hotel before cycling the length of the beach – the perfect way to work up an appetite before heading to the famous Raffles for their famous brunch. I seem to remember you have an old pal there too, what was her name?

From Singapore you can take the train to Bangkok– and check out our new hotel there, the Siam, set to open this summer. I had a sneak peek and it’s going to be fantastic. One of the slickest arrivals on the Bangkok scene, its suites are huge and super stylish.

And if you have time on your tour of Asia, head toBeijing to see another brand new hotel, the Éclat Beijing, also pinned to open this summer and part of the architecturally striking Parkview Green in the Chaoyang district.

For a taste of traditional China, you could also stay at the tranquil Han’s Royal Garden Hotel.

This boutique hotel will offer an amazing personal packing service courtesy of its excellent butlers – making heading home or to your next destination a breeze. I’m sure my Russian friend Stacey at the hotel would love to take you cycling around the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square!

Just a thought – it would be right up your street.

PK

Thanks for the heads up Paul, about Niyama and about mum! I have been a bad daughter recently so thought I would splash out on a belated Mother’s Day treat and after days of wandering around the sandy souks, a tropical paradise sounds perfect.

I’ve decided to make this trip even more special by flying the only way a true travelista should – on a Solairus Aviation private jet! They are absolutely wonderful with luxury leather interiors, a gorgeous bathroom, plenty of space for my Louis Vuitton cases and state-of-the-art technology to make even the longest flights fly by.

We leave in 2 days and I’m already counting down the hours till mum and I can jump on board without the hassle of airport queues and delayed flights – bliss! I’ve also been reading up about Niyama on the new SLH iPad app and just discovered about the floating restaurant, art studio and 24 hour spa! This really is going to be a trip of a lifetime – don’t I have a very lucky mummy?!

Can’t wait to tell you all about it… watch this space!

I’m so glad you chose to visit La Sultana Marrakech, Morocco is one of my all-time favourite destinations and I know how much you crave your Vitamin D. I hope you and Serena sampled plenty of their amazing traditional Moroccan food, the head chef is a good friend of mine and his tagines are legendary!

Another one of my favourite spots if you’re still on the hunt for sun is the wonderful Maldives.

There’s always something new and exciting happening, word on the street is that the new Niyama is now open!

Apparently it’s a real showstopper with the world’s first underwater nightclub – now that’s not really my scene anymore, not since disco balls and flares went out of style.

I think it needs someone with some young blood to check it out and why not take your lovely mother? She’s been moping around Harrods for days since you left!

After all my glowing praise for UK hotels recently, I’ll admit it: I’m dying for some proper sunshine! OK, this perky spring weather has been a total treat, but it’s still rather nippy out – a recent Melissa Odabash bikini-clad outing on the roof terrace lasted approximately 15 minutes before more layers were called for!

From my position under my cashmere, I got to thinking…where to go for spring sunshine? Somewhere I’ve always heard is best to visit in the spring is the buzzing shopper’s paradise of Marrakech. It’s the ideal time to explore the souks and night markets when the weather is pleasant without being stiflingly sticky, and still warm enough to catch the rays by your hotel pool.

La Sultana Marrakech is without doubt reputedly one of the most stunning places to stay in Marrakech.

A collection of five riads in the heart of the Kasbah, there’s an exotic ambiance – think hanging gardens, fountains, high vaulted ceilings decorated in precious woods, marble and copper, sumptuous fabrics, ornate tiles and views of theAtlas Mountains from the roof terrace.

There’s a gorgeous hammam, excellent Moroccan-Mediterranean dining and tranquil swimming pool for when the heady excitement of the world just outside the walls gets too much. It totally caught my eye when browsing on the SLH App and before I knew it I was booked in for 4 nights next week with my New York-based friend Serena remember her? – she needs to escape NYC for a while after a particularly raucous 5^th avenue dinner party ended with her sloshing a bottle of Napa’s finest Pinot Noir over the host’s pristine and entirely white apartment.

Not that you need any further reason to visit than this divine hotel – but The House in Marrakech is also well worth checking out…I’ve been ogling this lovely blog full of beautiful images of daily life, architecture and home décor in Marrakech for a while now – simply gorgeous!

MV