So, why the name – voco Hotel and Spa Winchester? voco loosely translates from the Latin for an invitation and a coming together. And no, that isn’t a typo. voco, doesn’t want a capital letter. It’s as as much a state of mind as a hotel.  A unique contemporary name, free of grammar protocols and stuffy pretension.

voco Hotel and Spa Winchester has location, location and more location going for it. Set amongst the green hills of the South Down National Park, this 131-bedroom hotel is within minutes of historic Winchester. Once the capital of Wessex and then England; instrumental in the birth of a nation. 

In October 2023, voco reopened after an eight month and £2m refurbishment. The Holiday Inn had a personality makeover and was reborn as voco Hotel and Spa, a stylish destination for relaxation and me-time. Work too, if you really must.

The welcome

Two staff await at reception to quickly check us in. All they need is a surname to locate our booking and confirm our restaurant booking. Then we’re on our way and in the lift. 

Entering our room, a welcoming message on the 50-inch television encourages us, as if we need it, to relax. 

The room

In keeping with voco style, there’s a “come on in and feel at home” vibe to our Premium Room, which has calming grey/blue paintwork. Those light and soothing colours, with a sea-spray flourish of white, are picked up in the deep pile carpets. All cooled effectively, in humid mid-summer, by delicious air-conditioning. 

It’s a spacious, relaxing room with strategically placed ceiling spotlights and a modernist standard lamp which aspires to angle-poise status, all deferring to a king-size bed. Thoughtful design provides a long desk for working with a large oval mirror so that it multi-tasks as a dressing table too. There is an extensive beverage tray, plus a Nespresso coffee-maker with a choice of capsules. 

There is an extensive beverage tray, plus a Nespresso coffee-maker with a choice of capsules. 

The bathroom

A thoughtful design touch is that controls are placed mid-bath so that you set the right temperature before setting foot under the shower. It’s also a deep bath for more indulgent me-time. White towels and dressing gowns are high-end, pristine and fluffy. Antipodes Fig and Feijoa toiletries provide caressing pure, natural and vegan skincare.

The facilities

Kitchen 21 is named after the now legendary 21-inch pizzas that are the signature dish of the open plan kitchens.

Wood texture walls, terracotta planters, green banquettes and tan chairs combine to give a reassuringly natural feel to a light restaurant where tables are well-spaced. 

As well as the core menu of steaks, burgers, chicken and salads, a seasonal menu – think seabass, vegan Thai curry, garlic and lemon pork chop – brings variety for the large numbers of regular diners staying on business.

 Amongst the starters, a watercress soup gives a nod to Britain’s watercress capital, that’s Alresford, which is a mere 10 minutes drive away.  A black pudding scotch egg, yolk warm and runny, on a bed of piccalilli with roquette, shows impressive creativity. As does a Colado Mess for pud, tropically replacing traditional strawberries with pineapple and adding coconut ice-cream. A dish that’s a metaphor for voco’s attitude. 

No surprise then that breakfast is virtually whatever you want it to be, grazing from the buffet or cooked to order. 

There’s more indulgence and me-time at the ANA Spa, where it’s advisable to book in advance. Along with a sense of wellbeing and calm, the spa delivers a Himalayan Salt Sauna, Sensory Shower, Crystal Steam Room and Bubbly Foot Spa. 

Treadmills, bikes, ergo, free-weights, medicine balls and even space to spread out the yoga mats – the exceptionally well-equipped gym has it all. 

The location

Minutes off the M3, heading south from London to Southampton, voco is within striking distance of the south coast, the New Forest and all of Winchester’s attractions.

Take a walking tour of Winchester to learn about the power of the Itchen as a working river, once powering 22 local mills, and to be given the “Wayfarer’s Dole”, a tiny cup of ale and a morsel of bread at the charitable Hospital of St Cross.

Or follow in the steps of poet John Keats whose walk from Cathedral to river to College is said to have inspired his to “Autumn Ode”.

Steam-tinged memories of The Railway Children are rekindled at the Alresford station on the Watercress Line. A railway that until its closure in 1973 was the first leg of a journey that transported watercress to the nation. Now its cafe, platforms and the signalman’s vegetable patch nostalgically recall another era.

The pretty town of Alresford with cafe and pub tables spilling onto the pavement, hanging baskets and a plethora of independent shop is perhaps one of the most attractive of the market towns around Winchester.

Many events are leading up to the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth on 16th December 2025. Literary pilgrims head to her gravestone at Winchester Cathedral and the Jane Austen House Museum at Chawston. 

Other nice touches

Throughout, three birds bring significant artwork to the decor. A chatty and friendly welcome is shown by the finch. Quieter, calmer owls represent in/room down time and flamingos, in public areas, reflect guests’ social instincts 

LED lighting, timers for air-con and heating, and bedding made from 100% recycled materials, all help voco on its eco-friendly journey to sustainability.

Refreshed daily, the mini-bar includes cans of Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, lager and Coca-Cola. 

The cost

From £250.00 per Premium room including breakfast for two people sharing the room.

The best bit

The bar and lounge areas are modern, sophisticated, buzzy and inviting; whether it be for a morning latte or an evening mojito, whether it be for socialising around the comfy sofas, reading in one of the secluded armchairs or working at a high-level desk.

Decor is intriguing, with local touches, and blends contemporary with cosy.

The final verdict

voco, still no capital letter, is “reliably different” as its credo promises. Upscale but not stuffy. Comfortable but classy. Quality without pretension. A cozy sanctuary but sociable too. 

voco is an irresistible concept not just for Winchester but one that is spreading across continents from Ho Chi Minh City through Dubai to California.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by voco Hotel and Spa Winchester.

The JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa opened up in 2019 and has been a solid contender among the luxury properties in the archipelago. Yet six years later we wanted to know if it’s still on top of their game cause the competition in fierce and new resorts are popping up faster than ever before. Being branded as a family friendly resort we felt this was the perfect occasion to test it out.

So following our stay at Le Méridien Maldives we flew onwards to the beautiful JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa. To be clear, this is not the new JW Marriott Maldives Kaafu Atoll Island Resort which equally looks impressive yet is still on our ‘to do’ list.

The welcome

From the moment the doors of your seaplane open, it feels like you’re stepping into a James Bond movie and everyone on the island heard about your arrival. Truly a wonderful welcome by a small army of employees that clearly have unlocked the secret of being happy at work cause you couldn’t wipe the smile of their face, even if you tried.

The room

We stayed in a duplex beach pool villa. A mouth full but so is the villa. Tons of space, 2 bedrooms, an upper level which is like a tv-room that can double as an extra bedroom in case your husband snores or your wife is nagging about why it took this long before coming over here.

From the moment you walk in you’ll notice the practicality of the villa. A massive dressing where you can easily store all your luggage, high ceilings, 3 bathrooms (there are never enough if you stay as a family of 4), loads of windows to take in the verdant gardens and pool surrounding the villa and a big garden with multiple seating arrangements just to make sure you and everyone else in your family finds their own favourite spot in the sun.

The direct beach access is of course ideal but to be fair, it is equally fun just to hang around your own private pool and chill out in the privacy of your own garden.

The bathroom

The bathrooms are bathing in natural light and all the little toiletries you might think of are at your disposal, thoughtfully presented in eco-friendly packaging. Bathrobes for everyone, slippers for inside, slippers for outside, the list goes on and on but suffice to say that everything is well taken care of.

The facilities

As with many luxury resorts in the Maldives, there is a plethora of facilities on the island, starting off with the kids-and teens club. Already splitting the two is a great way to make everyone happy. See, my youngest is 6 and my oldest is 11. While the first one loves group games and all that jazz, my oldest feels he’s too cool for that and rather hangs out between the PS5 and the air hockey table. Both clubs are really welcoming and it allowed us as parents to increase our own free time significantly.

It’s not hard to crack the code of a good kids club, cause it always comes down to the staff working with the kids in order to keep them entertained and engaged. Still too many resorts keep thinking that an overload of toys and space will keep any child happy, but luckily JW Marriott Maldives got it right over here.

This is actually one of the largest kids clubs in the Maldives with up to 100 activities a week. Add to that a massive pirate ship in the garden, right next to the pool and you have the perfect combo.

So what does a middle-aged couple do when they get some kids-free time on a tropical island? Indeed….first stop is the spa! Spa by JW is ideal for couples featuring 6 couple’s treatment rooms and even a whole deluxe treatment suite. Of course went for the latter, I mean who wouldn’t?! And to be fair, it was the most impressive treatment suite I’ve seen and experienced in the Maldives with a plunge pool, glorious views outside, experience showers, relaxation area,….not to mention the massage itself which was perfectly executed.

Next stop? The wine room! JW Marriott Maldives truly has an impressive wine collection with over 300 labels which in a remote location as this, isn’t a given. Lots of choice from both the old and new world. We even found wines from the South African wine estate where we got married, so you can already guess which one we picked.

Drinks are great but what about the food options? Well, I’m happy to report that none of us even remotely remembered what is was to feel hungry when we left the resort as the food is consistently of very high quality. There are 5 different restaurants ranging from Italian and Thai to international and Japanese. Each of them offering a wide range of food options, and for the kids there’s equally an adjusted menu in each outlet which is much appreciated as a parent and often overlooked by competitors. My favourite was Hashi, the Japanese restaurant. I instantly felt like I was back in the streets of Tokyo, trying out all kinds of yummy dishes.

An honourable mention goes to Kaashi, the Thai restaurant. Not only because of the outdoor kitchen that reminded me of the countless open kitchens in Bangkok, but mainly because of the design of the restaurant. It’s located on stilts in between the trees, with small suspension bridges in between, making it feel like you are in a true jungle restaurant several feet up.

One culinary experience I haven’t talked about yet is the newest addition Riha. Imagine a sunken dining and kitchen area on the beach where you go on a culinary 8-course journey through India. Thanks to the centuries of trading between the Maldives and India, this experience is one not to be missed. I would suggest making reservations on time cause seating is very limited.

And did I mention the floating breakfast which looked more like a floating marketplace due to the amount of food that was presented? It didn’t even fit on the floating device, resulting in our whole outdoor area being covered in the most yummy breakfast spread I’ve seen in a very long time.

Let’s talk about how you can try to leave at least of few of all these gathered calories on the island. There’s a gym with stunning views over the lagoon and we saw an abundance of marine life swimming right underneath it. Same goes for the yoga deck which is located nearby and where you can practice your downward facing dog in the morning while the sun gently rises on the horizon. If you can gather a few friends, or want to cheat and bribe the teens in the teens club, you can show your soccer skills on the field which is located right behind the kids club. And of course you’ll also find all possible water-sports available if you’re tired of playing on land.

All of this makes you thirsty isn’t it? Luckily there’s this cool JW Garden where you, accompanied by the in-house mixologist, can forage your own ingredients to create your personal cocktail (or cocktail for the kids). I really liked this garden to glass concept, and it’s a fun activity for the whole family which eventually ends up with a cocktail in your hand. That’s a win-win in my books!

The location

The JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa is located in the Shaviyani Atoll, about a 55-min flight with the seaplane from Malé. It’s a bit further than most of the other resorts which you fly to BUT….because it is a little bit more remote, it also feels a little bit more tropical island. Let me explain.

Most resorts in and around Malé have planes flying over and ships crossing your horizon all day long. I don’t mind that, but many people do. However, if you go somewhere a bit more remote like this resort, you’ll have endless views with hardly any ships passing through, and the only planes you’ll hear and see are the seaplanes dropping or picking up guest which is maximum a handful of times a day.

One final bonus of its location is the fact that you get a slightly longer flight on one of the Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) aircraft, allowing you to soak in some of the most stunning scenery on the planet for free. And you get to experience what is probably the only airline in the world whee the pilots rock up in shorts and slippers.

Other nice touches

Another advantage of the more remote location is the fact that you can go on excursions where few other people come. For example, we went line fishing with the local staff on a dhow near a deserted island in the late afternoon. Literally just 20-30 minutes out, dropping anchor and starting to fish with some good camaraderie and banter among everyone. Experiencing this in such a remote location is not always a given but here it’s relatively easy to do.

Best part of it all? Whatever we caught would be brought to the chefs on the island and they would prepare it for us as dinner or lunch, depending on your preference. My son got lucky and as a lover of Japanese cuisine he had the best sashimi for dinner and lunch thanks to his massive catch, putting me to shame in front of everyone.

Cost

Surprisingly the cost for staying at this luxury resort in the Maldives starts from around 470 USD per night for a 1 bedroom beach pool villa. Of course, taxes, fees and transfers still need to be added (and they do add up), but for that price you get a solid product in one of the most high-end destinations in the world.

Our 2 bedroom duplex beach pool villa start from around 700 USD per night without the taxes, fees and transfers. Of course being a Marriott Bonvoy property you can book a night here from as low as 79.000 points which in my opinion is a steal!

The best bit

The people…. no question about it. An experience I will cherish was the one during our final evening where we organised a traditional Malaafaiy beach dinner and all of a sudden a dozen of staff members came to bring our Maldivian feast but stick around to sing and make music under the beautiful night sky. Simply amazing and an absolute treat for the whole family.

The final verdict

While there is a new JW Marriott resort just opened up, the original one is still shining bright with tons of activities, very spacious and well-appointed villas and a thriving culinary scene. Very family friendly but perfectly suitable for couples too.

Disclosure: Our stay was sponsored by JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa.