Arrivals & Departures Weekly Travel News & Views 7 October 2025

TOP OF ITS GAME

The world’s tallest hotel opens in Dubai on November 15. Rising 82 floors and topping out at 377m, Ciel Dubai Marina, below, has an elegant “eye of the needle” top with the world’s highest infinity swimming pool. Part of IHG’s Vignette Collection, the hotel also promises high standards of decor and service. It has 1004 rooms and suites, all with floor-to-ceiling glass windows which give views of Palm Jumeirah, the Arabian Gulf and Dubai’s skyline.

It will be managed by The First Group Hospitality, and CEO Rob Burns says: “The all-hotel tower will redefine upper-upscale hospitality, blending innovation, luxury and creativity through its striking design, world-class amenities and breathtaking vistas.”

I was quite recently in Dubai Marina, and it has transformed into a high-quality visitors’ hub. But the hotel is also near the JBR beachfront and Bluewaters — home to landmarks such as The Walk and Ain Dubai, the world’s tallest observation wheel.

Ciel will have a spa on the 61st floor. cieldubai.com

There have been several big hotel openings in Dubai this year, including Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, a superyacht-inspired property with 386 rooms and suites, which opened in March.

Mandarin Oriental Downtown Dubai, with 259 rooms and suites in the Wasl Tower, is scheduled to open in October, and Zuha Resort Villas on the World Islands is due for final completion by the end of this year.

THE NEW LUXURY

Tour company G Adventures and National Geographic Expeditions have created a new lifestyle premium travel collection called Signature. The focus is on education, community, culture and access. (And attentive readers might remember that we picked that theme as “the new luxury” in our last Luxury Traveller magazine.)

G Adventures and National Geographic Expeditions have worked together for more than a decade but this is a new venture “into the high-end travel market”, says an insider.

Bookings open in January 2026 and the first departures will be in January 2027. A spokesperson says: “Travellers seeking more than traditional ‘luxury’ will now have the opportunity to experience destinations through a National Geographic lens and unique immersive approach to exploration, with a greater focus on socially conscious experiences that benefit local communities.”

Signature will launch with 29 trips, in destinations including South Africa, Vietnam, Japan, Central Asia, Peru and Jordan. They will each feature world-leading experts, and behind-the-scenes access to museums, historic sites or dining. The spokesperson says: “The new Signature trips emphasise purpose, strengthening communities and giving back, representing a shift beyond a traditional luxury travel experience.” gadventures.com

THE POINTY END

A regular reader writes: “Travel brings joy to my wife and I and we try to do so yearly. It would be great to fly at the pointy end of the plane. However, our budget doesn’t allow such luxury.” And so he asks about premium economy and buying the middle seat in economy.

The answers are:

Emirates now has a good premium economy out of Perth.

With Qantas, you can “purchase an extra seat” — which could be the middle seat in a row of three. You’d need to make the booking with Qantas Customer Service by calling 13 13 13. Or ask a travel agent for help.

One other suggestion is to look at the cost of business class with Malaysia Airlines. As I write this, for May next year, I am looking at a business class fare from Perth to London at $3299 — $7195 return. malaysiaairlines.com

JAPAN’S BLOOMING

Japan is surely at its best in sakura — cherry blossom season. The forecast for 2026 is for an early start to the season, with blooms in late March and full bloom from late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto. To be more specific, some locals have predicted that first blooms will be seen in Tokyo around March 21 to 23 and full bloom will be March 27 to 31. Kyoto is just a little later, with first bloom around March 26 to 29 and full bloom around April 4 to 6.

And I am seeing availability on a number of tours, so this is the time to plan and book.

THREE INTO ONE

Darwin Airport Resorts (Australia’s first airport resort) has a big upgrading program under way — with new villas and executive suites, refurbishment of existing rooms, and the launch of a new Californian “boho-style” poolside restaurant. Darwin Airport Resorts is owned by Airport Development Group and managed by Accor, Australia’s biggest hotel operator. ADG has invested $41 million to integrate three hotels (Novotel, Mercure and ibis) into one resort destination. The three hotels will be linked around a centralised area that includes a 65m lagoon-style pool. And that will be one of the biggest hotel pools in Australia.

Eight new Rapid Creek Villas have been constructed — three two-bedroom and five one-bedroom villas.

As part of a full refurbishment in the Novotel, there are five new executive suites.

“Boho” is short for bohemian, and shorthand for a free-spirited lifestyle and eclectic nature.

STROLL IN SUBI

There’s a new series of guided walks in Subiaco. Sponsored by the City of Subiaco, they aim to show off the suburb’s high street, public art and events. Local tour operator Oh Hey WA, with the support of See Subiaco, will run the tours from October 2025 to May 2026.

The series starts on Friday, October 17, with the Subi Art Walk, offering a guided stroll to murals, Postal Walk (a pedestrian-focused area) and to a free outdoor jazz concert.

On Saturday, October 25, there’s a “Walk to UnWined”, which is an art walk that ends at the UnWined Subiaco food and wine festival.

There will also be a family-focused “Spookiaco” Halloween tour on Saturday, November 1.

In November and December, there are Festive Sundowner tours. ohheywa.com.au

LIFE’S A TAPESTRY

And as for me ... I was pleased to take some of my “Jackets of the World” along to a meeting of the WA Quilters Association on Wednesday, having been invited to their AGM meeting by vice-president Anne Trigg. The quilters meet at Alexander Park Craft House, Menora. I hand-sew textiles onto denim jackets — one jacket for each country. I have many more than 70, at last count. I am just a home hand sewer (NOT in the league of the quilters) but each jacket has its story. In Kenya, a handful of women started a textile business, which has now grown to employ more than 200 women, and support a school and pay teachers. We tell our stories of the world in many ways.

Big W has a good, 42-piece mini sewing kit which, I think, is ideal for travel. For $5, it includes scissors, tape measure, needle threader, seam ripper, six thread spools, pins, fasteners, buttons and more in a storage pouch. There’s everything that might be needed for “quick-fix solutions”. bigw.com.au

Why is a needle and thread so funny? Because it has the fabric in stitches.