Jennifer Aniston will star in the series adaptation of Jennette McCurdy’s bestselling memoir, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.”
The book, published in 2022, details McCurdy’s time as a child actor on Nickelodeon and her fraught relationship with her mother, who died in 2013. The 10-episode Apple TV+ dramedy “will center on the codependent relationship between an 18-year-old actress in a hit kid’s show and her narcissistic mother who relishes in her identity as ‘a starlet’s mother,’” per the logline. Aniston will play the mother.
McCurdy, who starred in Nickelodeon’s “iCarly” and “Sam & Cat,” is writing, executive producing and showrunning the Apple TV+ series with Ari Katcher, best known for “Ramy.” Aniston, who currently stars in the Apple TV+ series “The Morning Show” alongside Reese Witherspoon, is also an executive producer.
“I’m Glad My Mom Died” spent more than 80 weeks on the New York Times Best Sellers list and sold 3 million-plus copies.
In addition to chronicling her troubled relationship with her mom, McCurdy describes her experience with a man she calls “the Creator.” She alleges that he pressured her to drink while underage and gave her massages, and that Nickelodeon offered her hush money to not talk about her experiences. Notably, McCurdy did not return for the “iCarly” reboot in 2021.
The 2024 docuseries “Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV” detailed the alleged abuse and discrimination behind some of Nickelodeon’s most beloved shows, such as “All That,” “The Amanda Show” and “iCarly,” including at the hands of prolific TV creator Dan Schneider.
Aniston will return for Season 4 of “The Morning Show” on Sept. 17. She was nominated for an Emmy last year for her role as Alex Levy in the show.
Pokémon GO is celebrating its anniversary, and you’re invited to the 9th Anniversary Party from July 1 at 10:00 a.m. to July 6, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. local time! New costumed Pokémon debut, and there will be unique bonuses each day of the event. Ivysaur and Venusaur came dressed to the nines with party hats. Trainers might also find Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin—if they’re lucky, they may even encounter a Shiny one! Trainers might also find 9, 99, or even more Gimmighoul Coins when they spin a PokéStop with a Golden Lure Module.
The fun doesn’t stop there. Event bonuses include an increased chance to become Lucky Friends, an increased chance to get Lucky Pokémon in trades, and friendship levels increasing faster than usual. PokéStops may turn gold without a Golden Lure Module, and Trainers will have an increased chance of encountering Shiny Pikachu wearing a cake hat and Shiny Eevee wearing a party hat from raids.
The party keeps going—check out these event bonuses for certain days of the event.
July 1 at 10:00 a.m. to July 3, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time: 1/2 Egg Hatch Distance
July 3 at 10:00 a.m. to July 5, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time: 2× XP for catching Pokémon
July 5 at 10:00 a.m. to July 6, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. local time: 2× Stardust for catching Pokémon
The following Pokémon will be partying—er, appearing—more frequently in the wild.
Bulbasaur wearing a party hat
Charmander wearing a party hat
Squirtle wearing a party hat
If you’re lucky, you may even encounter a Shiny one!
The following Pokémon will appear in one-star raids, and they might just be Shiny.
Event-themed Field Research tasks will be available throughout the entire event period, so don your party hats and get ready to research! Completing Field Research tasks can earn you items and encounters with event-themed Pokémon—including Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin.
Both free and paid Timed Research opportunities will be available. Free Timed Research rewards include XP, Stardust, and encounters with event-themed Pokémon, including Bulbasaur wearing a party hat, Wobbuffet wearing a party hat, Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin, and more!
Paid Timed Research is available for US$1.99 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), and rewards include a Super Incubator, a Max Mushroom, an encounter with Gimmighoul holding a 9th anniversary coin, and more! The rewards for Timed Research expire, so be sure you complete the tasks and claim your rewards before Sunday, July 6, 2025, at 8:00 p.m. local time.
If you want a party favor for a friend, you can purchase and gift tickets to any of your Pokémon GO friends that you’re Great Friends or higher with.
For US$4.99 (or the equivalent pricing tier in your local currency), you can pick up a Masterwork Research story, Wish Granted, which leads to an encounter with Shiny Jirachi. Ticket holders who open Pokémon GO at any point during the ninth anniversary event will gain access to the Masterwork Research story, which they can then complete at any time.
If you have already obtained the Masterwork Research story Wish Granted, you will not be able to purchase it again. However, Trainers who purchase this Masterwork Research story or have previously received the Masterwork Research: Wish Granted can enjoy the following bonuses for the duration of the event.
Afro House titan, Black Coffee, has returned to Hï Ibiza for the 8th year, reaffirming his status as one of the island’s most powerful musical forces. We went along to investigate the magic behind the world’s number-one club’s very first resident – a title he’s carried with consistent class, curation, and cultural influence since the club opened its doors – to find out what tunes are burning up his dancefloor this summer.
Paying homage to Lazarus in the club room next door, Black Coffee announced his arrival in a blizzard of gold confetti, unleashing this hypnotic blend of tribal percussion, floaty melodic lines, and ethereal vocals. Meera’s remix transforms Lazarus’s original into a shamanic groove — cinematic, immersive, and deeply transportive.
Like Dat (Ape Drums Remix) | MAAURA & Danidane | Klub Record
Ape Drums injects this one with a pulsing buzz-saw lead and a high-octane swagger. The hook, “like dat, like dat” — loops like a mantra while razor-sharp percussion keeps the momentum. It’s stripped back, percussive, and built for late-night chaos, it absolutely lit up the crowd!
Innerbloom (Imad & Denis Louvra Remix) | Rufus Du Sol | Sweat It Out!
A personal favourite, and easily one of the most recognisable moments of the night. The Imad & Dennis Louvra remix delivered a delicate yet driving rework, lush pads, stripped-back grooves, and just the right emotional pull. Familiar, hands in the air, yet refreshing, it gave the dancefloor a collective goosebump-inducing and euphoric moment as the iconic lead synth swept the room.
Riviera | OBESTÄLLT| Sven Records
A slice of feel-good euphoria, Riviera rolls in with bouncy piano chords, a punchy kick, and irresistible groove. Strings glide in and build up with perfect timing, adding a lift without losing the track’s dancefloor focus. It’s crisp, confident, and got bodies moving, a no-frills, feel-good house cut with serious replay value.
Trippy Yeah | Jimi Jules & Black Coffee| Innervisions
Another late-night groover with a hypnotic edge. Trippy Yeah moves with intent, led by a gritty sawtooth synth and stripped-back percussion. A staple of many of Black Coffee’s sets, the drop doesn’t explode, but subtly distorts and deepens, pulling you further into the track’s atmosphere.
Yamore (FNX Omar Remix) | MoBlack, Salif Keïta, Cesária Évora, Benja (NL), Franc Fala | MoBlack Records
FNX Omar’s remix transforms the original into a spacious and immersive soundscape, blending shimmering textures with evolving melodies and precise, rhythmic loops. The track balances a bittersweet mood with reflective tones, inviting listeners into a deeply emotional and meditative experience. Pulsing basslines and dynamic shifts carry the mix forward, creating a powerful yet intimate journey for those of us knee-deep in the groove.
If you need your annual fix of Black Coffee’s magic, scroll down to find out who will be joining him for the remainder of this season.
Take a soupçon of identity crisis, a pinch of perfectionism, a scoop of burnout and mix thoroughly with a large measure of fraternal grief and sear over a hot grill and voilà! You have The Bear, a perfectly blended drama about a chef on the edge, driven by relentless ambition and exacting standards as he turns his family’s humble sandwich shop into a fine-dining restaurant.
This intoxicating family drama was eaten up by critics and audiences alike in 2022, its first season garnering a rare perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, the subsequent two reaching scores of 99% and 89% respectively. It’s certainly a hard act to follow for season four.
The first ten minutes of The Bear’s pilot episode thrillingly defined what was to come in high-octane style and scene-setting detail. The first season delivered a clever mix of authentic dialogue and setting, relatable family dysfunction and dynamic production style.
Showstopping scenes of stressful kitchen heat were served up alongside a delectable range of new and established talent in the form of Jeremy Allen White (Carmy), Ebon Moss-Bachrach (Richie), Ayo Edebiri (Sydney) and Oliver Platt (Cicero/Uncle Jimmy).
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In charge is showrunner Christopher Storer, who came up with the concept after being inspired by his friend’s father Chris Zucchero, the owner of Chicago sandwich joint Mr Beef.
With his professional chef sister also serving as a consultant, Storer succeeded in creating a deliciously authentic and intensely real drama. Buoyed along the way by 21 Emmys and five Golden Globes, Storer also watched his cast ascend, the tortured-soul performance of White garnering particular praise.
Testing the parameters of a long-running show, Storer focused in on the entire cast of characters and their backstories, a successful tactic used by shows such as Orange is the New Black to keep the drama – largely confined to a kitchen set – fresh.
Pulling in Hollywood die-hards Oliver Platt and Jamie Lee Curtis for familial tough-love roles further enriched the mix, often using a non-chronological timeframe to go back to moments of family turbulence and tension. This made for three-dimensional characters and enabled evolution around difficult themes such as the aftermath of suicide and generational trauma.
The Bear has come a long way in three seasons, starting with a spit and sawdust establishment serving up the lunchtime beef sandwiches for its working customers.
Carmy’s experience and longing for the high-end restaurant of his dreams hurtled forward in season two, as he sent his core crew off in different directions to hone their skills and help form his vision. A restaurant trying to win success but plagued with challenges, there were exhausting familial tensions embedded in every episode of season three.
Several themes play out in The Bear: love, family, loyalty, community and purpose. The relationship between Carmy and cousin Richie (not a real cousin, but a term of endearment) is key to linking past and future. Richie provides some of the highlights of comedy and pathos as he spits truth bombs, most frequently at talented sous-chef Syd.
It is Syd who follows Carmy’s aspirations for gastronomic perfection but can’t abide the lack of order or the intense highs and lows that inevitably go hand in hand with his talent. And this is one central question to consider for the latest series: just how long will the audience remain loyal to Carmy and his endless quest for artistry in a high-failure rate industry?
It’s all in the sauce
Storer begins season four with a ghost. Carmy and his dead brother Mikey (Jon Berthal) banter in a seven-minute scene, with Carmy ultimately confiding the dream of a restaurant as Mikey watches him make tomato sauce (“too much garlic”). The tomatoes resonate: Mikey left behind money hidden in tomato cans that ended up saving Carmy’s sanity and his dream of a proper restaurant.
Just as oranges represent death to Frances Ford Coppola, Storer uses tomatoes to underscore themes; here they symbolise familial loyalty and history, a solid base to a meal, a core ingredient. Mikey was one of the core ingredients in Carmy’s life, and now he’s gone.
Ayo Edebiri as Sydney Carmy’s second in command who’s trying to counter the highs and lows of The Bear’s kitchen. Album / Alamy
Carmy awakens to a rerun of Groundhog Day on late-night TV and fittingly, we too are back – same dish, now more seasoned and enriched with its core ingredients and ready to serve up a big bowlful of family, love, ambition, strife and grief.
The episode furthers the theme of loyalty as the restaurant receives The Tribune’s review – the cliffhanger of the season three finale. Naturally, Storer doesn’t let up – the food critic highlights “dissonance” and Carmy is back in emotional chaos, with Syd urging him to lighten up and lose the misery.
In truth, this series could do with adding some more humour in the mix; the teasing and frivolous banter of season one has got somewhat lost in the seasons that followed.
Storer ramps up the tension, setting several ticking clocks in place: chiefly Uncle Jimmy’s notice period for the business to turn a profit is literally installed on a digital clock in the kitchen. Then Syd’s headhunter calls, offering her desired autonomy and an exit strategy from the chaos.
And Carmy raises the stakes with an intention to gain a Michelin star. Thus a heroic journey is set in place for the whole cast, with future battles both internal and external laid out.
There’s too much going on at this feast and the feeling of being stuffed full of story is tangible by the end of the first episode. Still, with a season lining up more emotional turbulence steered by White, more celebrity cameos (Brie Larson and Rob Reiner are lined up) and the excellent cinematography and performances that we have come to expect, Storer stirs his secret sauce.
The Bear still offers an entertaining and enticing proposition, bingeable and mostly satisfying.
The event has become a popular part of Liverpool’s annual party calendar
Liverpool’s annual Pride celebrations are back on after a charity stepped in to run the event, which was cancelled last month amid financial pressures.
Original organisers LCR Pride Foundation said it was “with great sadness” the 26 July party and parade would not go ahead due to rising costs and difficulty securing funding.
Sahir House, the city’s oldest LGBTQ+ charity, now said it had “stepped up” to run the event after widespread disappointment.
“Thanks to the passion, determination and sheer graft of local artists, activists, organisations and allies, we’ve turned things around to make Pride happen,” the charity said.
“This year, we’re proudly calling it Liverpool’s Pride – with an apostrophe and an ‘s’ – because this Pride belongs to all of us.
“It’s Liverpool’s moment to come together, celebrate loudly, protest proudly, and reclaim our Pride with love, resilience and joy.”
‘Organisational challenges’
In a statement on its website, LCR Pride Foundation said it had “listened to the community” and was “pausing to take a breath” and let another group step in to take things forward after a “myriad” of stumbling blocks with this year’s event planning.
At the time the event was cancelled, it said: “In recent months the charity has faced significant financial and organisational challenges, which have impacted timescales and resulted in it reverting to an almost entirely volunteer-led operation.
“This, combined with rising costs and difficulty securing national and local funding, has made it impossible to bring Pride in Liverpool to the city this year.
“We are devastated we will not be able to march together this year, at a time when coming together to stand in solidarity, protest and celebration is needed more than ever, and we understand how difficult this will be for our community.”
The singer cried while thanking the crowd for “always being there” for her before closing out the set with “Firework”
Less than two weeks before Katy Perry kicked off the Lifetimes Tour, the singer was relentlessly criticized for taking an 11-minute trip into suborbital space, where she attempted to reveal the tour setlist. Still, she powered through the criticism while completing the first North American leg of the tour. In June, she headed to Australia for a 15-date run that concluded with an emotional address to the crowd as she weathers an entirely different hardship: her split from Orlando Bloom.
“Thank you for always being there for me, Australia. It means the world,” Perry said at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, her voice slightly cracking. After blinking away the tears, she added, “Now let’s sing ‘Firework.’”
The moment seemed reminiscent of a scene in her 2012 documentary Part of Me, when she broke down backstage over the dissolution of her marriage to then-husband Russell Brand. Given the option to cancel the show or put her best foot forward, Perry put on a smile and emerged from the stage to perform “Teenage Dream.”
Reports of Perry’s split from Bloom surfaced last week. Days later, it was reported that the couple ended their engagement after nine years together. Neither have publicly addressed the breakup, which was confirmed by People and first reported by TMZ. Perry and Bloom briefly split in 2017, but reunited one year later. They announced their engagement in 2019. In August 2020, the couple welcomed their daughter, Daisy Dove.
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People reported that Perry and Bloom’s relationship had been “breaking down the last couple of months and isn’t looking good,” after the singer was “stressed” about the reception of her album 143. “Perry seems aware of her unmoored state on 143, but that doesn’t stop her from trying to reclaim the cultural spot that she had in in the late ‘00s and early ‘10s through tricks — cheap if hooky affirmations, broad appeals to the male gaze — that worked back then,” Rolling Stone wrote in a review of the record.
The Lifetimes Tour will resume in North America on July 10 with a show in Denver. The tour is scheduled to run through early December. Perry will perform in South America, Europe, and Asia for a total of 89 shows.
Necaxa’s got next. Welcome to Wrexham spinoff series Necaxa, which follows the Liga MX’s Club Necaxa, has a release date. The spinoff is premiering Aug. 7 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on FXX, with episodes available to stream the next day on Hulu and available on Disney+ internationally.
Necaxa will release two episodes each Thursday for the first three weeks of its (TV) season. The subsequent four episodes will roll out one per week each Thursday until the season finale on Thursday, Sept. 18.
In Necaxa, which hails from FX and Disney+ Latin America, Eva Longoria “sets out to reignite the soul of one of Mexico’s oldest and most storied football clubs, Club Necaxa — enlisting the help of fellow owners Rob Mac and Ryan Reynolds, fresh off their headline-making revival of Wrexham AFC,” the logline reads.
Wait, who the hell is this Rob Mac fella? Why, it’s the international businessman formerly known as Rob McElhenney (It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia), of course! The actor and producer recently filed to legally change his name to Rob Mac. It’s easier to pronounce, he explained, especially for those whose first language is not English. As far as we can tell, Tuesday’s Necaxa press release doubles as the world’s official introduction to Rob Mac.
It was an ongoing problem, Mac said, and it’s been a bit of an inside joke among the Wrexham boys (the owners, but perhaps also the soccer team).
In 2023, Reynolds created a musical video for McElhenney’s birthday in which he taught people how to pronounce the name with the help of some famous faces, including Kaitlin Olson, McElhenney’s wife and Sunny co-star.
“Sure, he’s got a pretty face that people know they know,” Reynolds sang. “They think they recognize him from his big-time TV show. But despite the accolades, despite the load of fame, one thing that they do not know is how to say his name.”
The lyrics go on to explain that the name rhymes with “tackle penny.”
“It’s McElhenney, it’s McElhenney, while ways to massacre and mispronounce it there are many. It’s McElhenney, it’s McElhenney, if there was doubt, now there won’t be any. It’s McElhenney!” the song continued.
For her part, Olson previously said the couple’s two young sons were still getting used to the idea: “The kids are really not happy about it, because they have that last name. And so do I, legally!”
So… Kait Mac?
Rob McElhenney with Kaitlin Olson.
JC Olivera/Variety/Getty Images
OK, back to Necaxa, which FX and Disney+ Latin America further describe as “a gripping bilingual docuseries chronicling a turbulent, transformational time marked by staff shake-ups, career-defining injuries and the relentless grit of a football team determined to defy expectations and deliver hope to its city of Aguascalientes, Mexico. Once a powerhouse in Mexican football, Club Necaxa has spent decades navigating instability including relocations and near-constant reinvention. Though its legacy has flickered in and out of the national spotlight, a passionate core of diehard supporters continues to believe, clinging to the dream that their beloved ‘Rayos’ will one day rise again.”
There’s more, but you get the picture — it’s Welcome to Wrexham, just below our southern border (and well beyond Wales’ borders).
Necaxa is executive produced by Eva Longoria, Cris Abrego, Rachelle Mendez, Nicholas Frenkel, Jackie Cohn, George Dewey, Rob Mac, Ryan Reynolds, Alex Fumero and Diana E. Gonzales. The series is produced by Hyphenate Media Group, More Better Productions, Maximum Effort and 3 Arts Entertainment.
The hotels below are among the most expensive in their cities, a collection of places around the world known for robust food and hospitality scenes. But this page is not just about eye-popping penthouse suites and butler service. The hotels here command nightly rates well into the thousands, and at this level, the infinity pools and MICHELIN-Starred restaurants practically come standard. What’s more interesting is just how differently luxury manifests from place to place.
In New York, the most expensive hotels are where celebrities hide away in a fantasy version of Old New York. In Madrid, they’re the palaces once exclusive to nobility. And in Tokyo, top dollar buys you either a room in a sleek, hyper-modern skyscraper or a historic, distinctly Japanese mansion.
The prices below are approximate, based on mid-week rates in peak season. Visit in the off-season for excellent deals. But even if you never stay the night, the hotels below are home to some of their city’s best restaurants, bars and lounges — places that define a city’s highest aspirations, where history has unfolded and watershed moments have played out for centuries.
And yes, they also have some truly outlandish amenities. That said, this list kicks off in Dubai.
DUBAI
At One&Only One Za’abeel, a 120-meter infinity pool connects two skyscapers.
In Dubai, an idea of what the luxury hotel market may look like in the year 3000. By then, perhaps every hotel will be hosted in giant glass, H-shaped buildings like the One&Only One Za’abeel (from $800/night) or in shining, sailboat-like buildings on the water like the Burj Al Arab (from $1900/night).
Besides the outlandish architecture, both exemplify another feature of Dubai’s top of the top hotels: outrageous suites. At the One & Only, the penthouse comes with a private cinema and private infinity lap pool (from $20,000/night). At the Burj Al Arab, expect multiple rotating beds, amenities like hair driers and lamp shades made of actual gold, and bathrooms with full-size Jacuzzis in the presidential duplex suite (from $40,000/night).
Expect cutting-edge design and almost-unlimited amenities at every hotel at this level in Dubai.
NEW YORK CITY
A Garden Suite Terrace at the Lowell — set on an unassuming block on the ritzy and residential Upper East Side.
Here’s what to expect at New York City’s most expensive hotels: celebrities. Yes, you’ll find the well‑heeled, the rich and the famous at any hotel on this list, anywhere in the world. But a hotel like the Lowell (from $1,400/night), recently host to Michelle Obama, and the Carlyle (from $1,400/night) aren’t the shiny objects grubbed at by just any a‑lister. These are the quiet, apartment‑like residences where guests pay primarily for the elegance and discretion of what feels like Old New York in the most romantic vision of the word.
Granted, there are plenty of flashier haunts in our Complete Guide to New York City at this price level. Shall we list them? Here are two: the Mark (from $1,000/night) — unofficial second venue of the MET Gala — and the Robert De Niro‑owned Greenwich Hotel (from $1,200/night).
MADRID
This Royal Suite at the Mandarin Oriental Madrid is located in a turret of the Belle Époque palace.
Many of the best luxury hotels in Madrid were once actual palaces. Splurge here and you’re in for design details like the Italian marble fireplaces and Persian rugs of the French-style neoclassical residence once home to a duke, at Santo Mauro hotel, or the expansive, refurbished gardens at Rosewood Villa Magna (both from $1,000/night), a tribute to the original aristocratic residence that stood here — and recreated with the same flora that once thrived on its grounds.
And while the gold and silver leaves that drip down from the lobby ceiling at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz (from $1,200/night) feel regal, even though this particular Belle Époque landmark was purpose built as a luxury hotel in 1910, that may be because the hotel was built with the explicit encouragement of King Alfonso XIII. The highest end of the hotel scene in Madrid, then, is all about history: places to sip a cocktail in residences once frequented by counts and countesses.
PARIS
The Cheval Blanc Paris — set in a remade Art Deco apartment store, directly overlooking the Seine.
What do you get at the most expensive hotels in Paris? Largely, a palace. But these are not the historic palaces of Madrid — at least, not by definition. France, nearly alone among nations, grants an official, government‑backed title for hotels they judge the very best.
To gain the formal, prestigious designation of “palace” from the French Ministry of Tourism, hotels must first meet basic criteria like the inclusion of a spa, a multilingual staff and concierge service onsite. 12 of the 31 palace hotels in France are in Paris, and they represent some of the highest in luxury in the country.
At Cheval Blanc Paris (from $2,600/night), set in the remade Art Deco department store La Samaritaine, the 7,000‑square‑foot Quintessence Suite has its own swimming pool (from $55,000/night). At The Peninsula Paris (from $1,700/night), a fleet of stylish sedans includes a 1934 Rolls‑Royce Phantom II to whisk guests to the opera or a VIP tour of Versailles.
LONDON
The lobby at Claridge’s — a quintessential example of the posh standards at London’s most luxurious hotels.
No city in the world does formal luxury quite like London. And no neighborhood in London does it quite like Mayfair. Here, you’ll find the kind of world-class service deployed by a place like Brown’s Hotel (from $900/night), where doormen in top hats have been escorting guests inside the hotel’s Georgian townhouses since 1837.
The Ritz, Claridge’s and the Connaught (all from $1,000/night) have more than a century to their names as well, each a Mayfair icon at the highest end of posh London. At Claridge’s, members of the royal family waited out World War II. At the Three MICHELIN Key Connaught, a Three MICHELIN Star restaurant awaits guests as well, a fitting meal to caper a day of butler service and treatments at the Aman Spa.
TOKYO
The Janu Suite — with a clear-eyed view of Tokyo Tower.
The luxury hotel scene in Tokyo is one of the more difficult to fit in a single box. That’s not just because these hotels are physically massive. The spare-no-expense skyscrapers typical of many an Asian metropolis — like the Bvlgari Hotel (from $2,000/night) and its 400‑square‑meter signature Bvlgari Suite (from $30,000/night) filled with gold lamps and unspeakable views, or JANU Tokyo (from $1,500/night), its massive suites offering private balconies for guests who can pull themselves away from the 4,000‑square‑meter wellness complex — are undoubtedly here.
But here too are spots like the Palace Hotel (from $1,000/night) and the Trunk (from $1,200/night), more uniquely Japanese hotels with an aesthetic that resembles an ultra‑luxurious private residence in a privileged corner of the city rather than a giant tower of sleek and divine perks.
BANGKOK
One of two pools at the Mandarin Oriental — outdoor spaces come standard at Bangkok’s luxury hotels.
The most distinctive splurge in Bangkok is the Mandarin Oriental (from $1,000/night). Here it’s not just the kings and queens who formed the guest list of this late 19th‑century hotel — it is where Joseph Conrad, Somerset Maugham, Noël Coward and so many famous British writers stayed at the peak of the colonial era in Southeast Asia.
Paired with such illustrious history and sumptuous nods to the past is the cutting‑edge luxury defined by the Mandarin Oriental brand, and which justifies its inclusion at the very top of so many hotel scenes around the world — things like Star dining, an award‑winning spa and an endless list of amenities.
Many of Bangkok’s hotels in or around this price range have another excellent perk: outdoor space and private gardens.
CHICAGO
The Langham is one of many top brands operating in Downtown Chicago.
In Chicago, as with many of the world’s “second” cities, you can find some of the most world-renowned brands, operating at their typical standards of excellence, at prices significantly more reasonable than their counterparts in places like Paris, London or New York.
At the Pendry (from $500/night), a sleek and dignified style appears behind the architectural‑masterwork facade that is the 1929 Art Deco Carbide & Carbon Building. The Langham (from $600/night), similarly, puts its excellent spa, lounge and state‑of‑the‑art rooms within an architectural masterpiece — this one by modernist icon Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
HONG KONG
The hyper-luxury Peninsula brand began in Hong Kong.
It makes sense that in Hong Kong, the massive, high-end luxury hotels reign supreme at the top of the market. The Peninsula (from $500/night) makes several appearances on this list, after all, and the brand’s illustrious story began here in Hong Kong — long considered one of the best city hotels in the world, with its massive, gilded lobby and staffers so attentive you can forget that in the real world you’re actually expected to fend for yourself.
The Peninsula Suite (from $18,000/night) has its own grand piano, private gym and gallery‑level artworks to go with one in a million panoramic views. There is a Four Seasons and Rosewood (both from $800/night) here as well, but an underrated boutique luxury scene, too. The Upper House (from $400/night) is a skyscraper with just over a hundred rooms and design by the renowned Andre Fu, who, for that matter, did the design on K11 Artus (from $600/night) as well — a residential‑style hotel with the same kind of amenities (personal shoppers, limo service, infinity pool) you might expect from the highest‑luxury outfits.
Hero image: Peak maximalism in the lobby of the soaring Burj Al Arab Jumeirah in Dubai
Written by Mitchell Friedman
Based in New York City, Mitchell Friedman is the Global Hotel Editor of The MICHELIN Guide.
Just hours before his accident, Lotus had taken up an option on Donnelly to drive for them the following season with Jordan, Tyrrell and Arrows vying for his signature.
However, the crash meant he barely scratched the surface of what would have been a lucrative contract.
Donnelly had competed against, and often beaten, the likes of Damon Hill, David Coulthard, and Eddie Irvine in the junior ranks, but had to watch their careers grow while his own F1 dreams came to an end.
He added the death of Ayrton Senna at Imola in 1994 was the moment he knew it was time to halt his pursuit.
The pair were friends after racing through the junior categories together, and Senna, who stopped at the scene of Donnelly’s accident and visited him in hospital, had even offered financial support in his recovery.
“Ayrton had his millions made and he was a three-time world champion, but he had nobody to leave it to.
“He had no offspring, no wife. I thought, I’ve died three times, I’m still involved in the sport I love and had a young son at the time, so I just let it go.”
Donnelly is still involved in the sport he loves, just in a different capacity. He was a drivers’ steward for Formula 1, and still competes in the national racing and runs his own Martin Donnelly Academy in Norfolk.
“Time is a healer and you adjust your way of life.
“I have three great kids and I’m still involved in motorsport. Life goes on.”
Some Pakistani actors’ Instagram accounts are now accessible in India, while others remain blocked following the Pahalgam attack
Mumbai: Several Pakistani celebrities’ Instagram accounts, including those of Mawra Hocane, Saba Qamar, Ahad Raza Mir, Yumna Zaidi, and Danish Taimoor, are now accessible in India, according to social media users.
However, profiles of other prominent Pakistani personalities such as Fawad Khan, Mahira Khan, Hania Aamir, and Atif Aslam remain “unavailable” for Indian users.
Ban followed after Pahalgam attack
To refresh public memory, access to the Instagram accounts of Pakistani celebrities was restricted in India following the Pahalgam terror attack on 22 April, which tragically claimed the lives of at least 26 civilians, primarily Hindu tourists.
The responsibility for the attack was claimed by The Resistance Front (TRF), a known affiliate of the Pakistan-based, UN-designated terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
India responded with Operation Sindoor
In response to the Pahalgam attack, the Indian Armed Forces launched Operation Sindoor, targeting nine terrorist infrastructure locations across Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK). The operation escalated tensions across the Line of Control (LoC), creating a near war-like situation.
Mawra Hocane’s Bollywood debut and fallout
Mawra Hocane, who made her Bollywood debut in 2016 with the film ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’ opposite Harshvardhan Rane, was later removed from the proposed sequel of the film.
Reacting to this, actor Harshvardhan Rane issued a statement on his official Instagram account, clarifying that he would not associate with the project if the previous cast was retained.
“While I am grateful for the experience, however, as things stand, and after reading the direct comments made about my country, I have made a decision to respectfully decline to be a part of ‘Sanam Teri Kasam’ part 2 if there is any possibility of the previous cast being repeated,” Rane stated.
Diljit Dosanjh also faces backlash
Meanwhile, Punjabi actor and singer Diljit Dosanjh has come under public criticism for collaborating with Pakistani actress Hania Aamir in the film ‘Sardaar Ji 3’. The film has not been released in India amidst the ongoing diplomatic and cultural row.
IANS inputs
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