by James Balston | Nov 9, 2015 | Architecture, Contemporary, Designers & Architects, Spas
The Parthenon in Athens is quite possibly the single most influential, and therefore important building, in western civilisation. Without this great Greek original, the buildings of the Roman Empire wouldn’t have been possible, and without that, there would have... 
by James Balston | Jun 4, 2014 | Architecture, Bars, Bathrooms, Bedrooms, Cityscape, Hotels, Restaurants, Spas, Travel
Thanks to overbooking on the part of a certain budget airline, I nearly didn’t make it to Amsterdam, to shoot the wonderful new Waldorf Astoria. Getting there involved a dash from Gatwick to City airport to catch another flight instead. Once there, I had my... 
by James Balston | Jun 17, 2013 | Architecture, Bars, Cityscape, Hotels, Restaurants, Spas, Travel
That was the memorable title of a 1969 film in which a tour guide, played by Ian McShane, herds a coachload of American tourists around 9 European countries in 18 days. Hardly a holiday, the schedule required the poor travellers to be up at the crack of dawn each day,... 
by James Balston | Dec 18, 2009 | Hotels, Spas
I don’t need any excuse to go to the Cotswolds, so it’s always a treat to be asked to shoot a country house hotel there. The village of Barnsley is everything one would expect from a Cotswold village: picturesque stone cottages huddled around a pretty...