Latest news with #luxuryspa
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Nicole Kidman is slammed for being 'out of touch' as she reveals her top five places to go in Sydney and recommends outrageously overpriced treatment
has been slammed for 'being out of touch' after revealing her top five places to visit in Australia. The Aussie actress, 57, revealed the places she finds 'comfort and ease' when she visits Sydney during an interview with The New York Times. Her favourite places to visit include the Royal Botanic Garden, The Art Gallery of NSW, day spa Venustus, Harry's Café de Wheels and The Harbor Pools. However, many have criticised Nicole for suggesting a Six Hand Body Massage at luxurious day spa Venustus, which starts from $1059. 'Thanks Nicole for recommending a spa where, for a mere [starting at] $687.00 [USD], I can get a massage,' one person joked. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. 'Nicole, I never knew we were so similar. Maybe we can hang out sometime!' another sarcastically wrote. The Six Hand Body Massage involves three specialised therapists massaging together in sync. During the interview, Nicole explained: 'They just know how to take care of people, and their treatments are amazing, especially after a long flight.' 'A massage at Venustus will have you ready to go to take on the city.' Nicole and her husband Keith Urban regularly travel to Sydney, where they own a penthouse in the luxurious Latitude Building in Sydney's Milsons Point. They purchased two penthouses in the building and then combined them to make a mega-apartment. They went on to buy four more apartments in the same building. The celeb couple first bought a 420sqm pad on the 21st floor in 2009 for close to $6 million according to newspaper reports. Three years later, they bought the slightly smaller 380sqm apartment next door with better views of the harbour for a reported $7 million. In 2011, they also splashed out $2.68 million on a 19th floor apartment, which the Oscar-winner initially used as her home office. The Hollywood stars also own an idyllic farmhouse called Bunya Hill in the Southern Highlands village of Sutton Forrest which they bought in 2008 for $6.5million. Set on a sprawling 45-hectares featuring herds of cattle and alpaca, the Georgian mansion boasts a traditional wide sandstone verandah. Since buying the property, Keith and Nicole installed an 18m swimming pool, new gym, full-sized tennis court and 250m grass mounds around the perimeter to block out prying eyes.
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Travel + Leisure
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Travel + Leisure
This British Country Garden Estate Is Less Than an Hour From London—and Is a Favorite of Meghan Markle's
Few places can rival the traffic jams you find in central London. Truly, the bumper-to-bumper roadways around commuting time could easily drive someone to madness. On a recent journey to the British city, I was in one such jam—only this time I didn't have a care in the world. Because in under an hour, I'd be in a place where the flowers bloom, the lawn is sprawling, and fresh air abounds. In early spring of 2025, I made my way to the UK on a girls' trip, specifically to the Cliveden House, a five-star luxury spa retreat in Berkshire, England, which we heard about after Meghan Markle stayed there with her mother the night before her wedding. However, it's not just the Duchess' stay that makes this place special. It's also its 350-year history and its surprising proximity to the center of London that make it utterly magical. For those who love historical British drama, there are both salacious and sophisticated components to the mansion's storied past, like a high-profile affair involving a conservative member of Parliament, a 19-year-old dancer, and a Russian spy that led to a major government scandal in the 1960s. The current house was built in 1851 after the original manor from 1666 and its replacement in 1824 were destroyed in fires. It's a spot so grand that it's hosted every British monarch from George I onward, and to honor its lineage of important guests, Cliveden House's 47 rooms are each named for one. First home to British nobility and then New York's version of royalty, the Astor family, Cliveden House (pronounced "Cliffden" after the cliffs on which it's built) relishes in romantic charm, similar to Bridgerton filming locations and Downtown Abbey' s famous Highclere Castle, which happens to be about an hour away (Cliveden was even mentioned in Downton Abbey once). It's as easy to imagine the glamorous parties that once took place here, with notable visitors like Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin, as it is to enjoy the present-day glamour. Inundated with rich materials and rugs, buttery gold trimming, imposing bookshelves, antique furniture, crystal chandeliers, oil paintings, and lush patterned drapes, the ornate rooms drip in English country chicness, transporting you somewhere that feels centuries away from where you came. Take in the garden views while enjoying afternoon tea. Overlooking a formal parterre garden, 376 acres of National Trust gardens, and the River Thames, the views from the perches at the back of the mansion are showstopping. Look out while sitting windowside at the old library bar, Aperol spritz in hand, for the perfect vacation moment. From the hotel, guests can walk down to the riverbank on a tree-shaded path or by a long staircase carved into the gently sloping hill. But the best way Cliveden House helps guests enjoy the River Thames is via special boat trips and picnics, which can be arranged at your convenience. There are a few vintage boats to choose from, depending on the size of your group, and you have several menu options, including afternoon tea, Champagne and light bites, or a more robust meal to bring with you on your ride. You can charter the boats for an hour up to a whole day—the longer trips taking you for more extensive sightseeing or even to a nearby town, like Henley or Windsor. Sail down the River Thames on one of their vintage boats. My group chose to idly cruise down the River Thames on the 33-foot Belmont, a restored 1930s slipper with glossy wood paneling, for a very happy hour before dinner at the hotel's upscale Cliveden Dining Room. On the boat ride, we had a clear view of Cliveden House atop its high vantage point, making it the only thing popping out above the dense green tree line. This experience was, especially to three Americans, authentically quaint and unexpectedly secluded. We had the stretch of the River Thames almost exclusively to ourselves, getting a quiet reprieve, which was unusual for three city dwellers. This was our collective favorite part of the weekend, merging many of Cliveden House's best attributes: living history, picturesque landscape, and British leisure culture. While we stayed overnight, Cliveden House is a go-to day trip for people in the London area or for a pampering stopover for those coming to or from Heathrow, which is only about 20 minutes away by car. Featuring an outdoor pool and two hot tubs (a rarity in the U.K.), Cliveden's spa is a dreamy place nestled behind rustic brick walls to lounge on a balmy Saturday or Sunday. The outdoor swimming pool at the Cliveden Spa. Inside the home's window-lined spa, which opened in 2017, treatments are offered in the light-hued, tranquil space, where there's also an indoor pool and Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna, and gym. The spa is open to both day and hotel guests and also offers a membership plan. Other activities offered on site include tennis courts, afternoon high tea, fitness classes, country sports, falconry, and, of course, exploring the expansive grounds dotted with sculptures and ornate fountains. Whether you have a day or an entire weekend for a fit-for-British-royalty countryside experience, Cliveden House is easy to access by car or train, with the nearest stops at Taplow and Burnham, and well worth the short journey for what feels like a far-away escape.
