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Hello, I'm Gemma

I'm a writer and editor with a love for bringing the world of luxury hospitality and travel to life through words. With experience writing for some of the industry’s most renowned brands, I craft stories that inspire, engage, and transport.

Featured Articles

A Walk in the Wild

The first light creeps over Zululand’s savannah bushveld, brushing the grasslands in pale gold. The air is still sharp with night’s chill, yet the horizon begins to soften. Somewhere, a francolin calls out, and the rustle of a distant antelope breaks the silence. A mug of hot coffee warms Truman Ndlovu’s hands as he scans the horizon - not out of duty, but instinct. Twenty years ago, he began walking this soil as a young guide in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; now, as Reserve General Manager of Ju...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

The Mediterranean Diet

Along the Mediterranean, food is intrinsic to daily life. Mornings begin with fishermen hauling in their catch, while market stalls brim with sun-ripened produce. Meals unfold slowly, often outdoors, with dishes meant to be shared. No rush, no excess - just ingredients at their peak, prepared simply and enjoyed in good company.
This way of eating is not dictated by trends but by tradition. Passed down through generations, it is a time-honoured approach to nourishment.
The Mediterranean diet is i...

An essential guide to Jumeirah Bali

Bali’s story is intertwined with the influence of the Majapahit Empire - a Hindu-Javanese dynasty from the neighbouring island of Java, whose legacy lives on in the island’s architecture and culture. Perched along the cliffs of Uluwatu, Jumeirah Bali sits quietly in the coveted Pecatu region. Surrounded by tropical greenery and lapped by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, the all-villa resort is a place where time slows to a peaceful pace, inviting guests to pause and rediscover their inner-ba...

Recent Articles

The Legacy of Fire

Tens of thousands of years ago, across the vast bushveld of KwaZulu-Natal, night would fall and the land would come alive - cicadas, frogs, the furtive steps of predators, a jackal’s distant cry. Above, the Milky Way spilled light across the sky. And then - an ember glowed. A tiny orange spark, alive and flickering in the dark.
 
In those earliest nights, people learned to coax fire from friction. Two sticks pressed together, spun until heat sparked life. In that moment, humanity crossed a thres...

Where Worlds Meet

Bali has long drawn those in search of balance. The island’s culture evolved through centuries of exchange - Hindu, Buddhist, and local traditions merging into a way of life that values harmony over hierarchy, presence over pace. At its heart lies Tri Hita Karana, the belief that wellbeing rests on three relationships: harmony with the divine, harmony among people, and harmony with nature. It’s a philosophy that informs daily life, from the way homes are built to face the island’s mountains and...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

Little readers, big city

A surreal adventure in Brussels
Magritte’s Marvelous Hat by D.B. Johnson offers a whimsical introduction to Brussels’ surrealist legacy. In this playful tale, René Magritte discovers a hat that sparks his creativity, but when removed, his ideas drift away like balloons. It’s a light-hearted metaphor for inspiration and a charming way to introduce children to one of Belgium’s most famous artists. 
In the city, his presence is easy to spot, from the treasures of the Magritte Museum to Bar Magritte...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

A Romantic Weekend in Rome

Rome has been the backdrop to affairs of the heart for millennia – emperors, poets, painters, all drawn to its beauty. With its charming cobbled streets, Baroque fountains and golden piazzas, the city seems simply designed for passion. After all, you can’t spell romance without Rome. From its lofty vantage point above the Spanish Steps, Hotel de la Ville has presided over many a love story since the 18th century, making it the perfect place to begin your own.
Start on Aventine Hill, just a leisu...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

Made in Italy

“Fashion is anthropology, the sociology of the imaginary. The past guides the future.” 
With these words, Massimiliano Giornetti defines fashion as something larger than just clothing - more a cultural expression that evolves through history and imagination. As Director of Polimoda - the city’s flagship fashion school - and former Creative Director of Salvatore Ferragamo, the Italian fashion leader stands at the intersection of heritage and innovation.  And Florence -  long celebrated as the bir...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

Pet Friendly Stays - Our Canine Concierge

For many, dogs are part of the family, and their place is with us - even when we travel. In some of Europe’s most beautiful cities, our hotels extend a warm welcome to your four-legged friends, with thoughtful touches in-room, friendly spaces to ‘paws’ together, and a concierge ready with tips for the best local walks. From shaded parks to riverside trails and neighbourhood cafés that set out water bowls at the door, every detail is designed to make them feel as at home as you do.
In Mayfair, Br...

The Art of The Mocktail

There was a time when mocktails were an afterthought - an obligatory menu inclusion for the non-drinker. But the tide has shifted. No longer a mere complement to the menu, these carefully crafted beverages have emerged as standalone expressions of creativity, mood, and memory.
 
At their best, mocktails capture a moment. They offer a taste of time and place - be it a golden-hour pause on the beach, a quiet interlude between spa treatments, or a sunlit lunch by the sea. They are no longer defined...

A Journey Through Jumeirah Thanda Island

Off the coast of southern Tanzania, where the mainland fades and the sea deepens into turquoise, Jumeirah Thanda Island appears - a private island encircled by colourful coral reefs and warmed by the equatorial sun. Powdery sands melt into clear shallows. Palms sway above winding trails. The air is tinged with salt, and time loosens its grip, answering only to the tides.
 

This is barefoot living at its most effortless - slow days, sun-kissed skin, and the rare freedom of having an entire priva...

Wildlife Spotting with Jumeirah

There’s something magnetic about places where nature leads. The charge in the air before a lion emerges through golden grass, the thrill of swimming beside a whale shark in the open waters, or the delicate imprint of turtle tracks woven into dawn-lit sand. Across Jumeirah’s most elemental retreats, these moments unfold not by chance, but by nature’s rhythm. Season shapes everything: the timing of migrations, nesting patterns, coral blooms, and wild births. To stand in the right place at the righ...

The Mediterranean Menu

Across southern Italy and the Balearic islands, where the Mediterranean feels most alive, food is inseparable from daily life. Mornings begin with fishermen hauling in the day’s catch, and a walk to the local market reveals stalls heavy with sun-ripened produce. Meals are unhurried. Often shared. Always shaped by the season.
 
This is the essence of the Mediterranean diet: intuitive rather than prescriptive. Rooted in fresh fish, legumes, herbs, vegetables, fruit, and good olive oil, it follows...

A Family's Guide to Jumeirah Al Qasr

From the moment families turn onto the palm-lined avenue of Jumeirah Al Qasr, a sense of anticipation begins to stir. Children press against the windows, pointing excitedly as golden horses appear one by one along the driveway and rising from the arrival fountain. These statues are not mere decoration; they are a tribute to heritage. Each showcases a poised stance, capturing the spirit, strength, and unique personality of these magnificent stallions and mares. Symbols of nobility, strength, and...

London's Storied Streets

There are few locations in London quite as well placed as Jumeirah Carlton Tower. Overlooking the leafy calm of Cadogan Gardens, the hotel sits between Knightsbridge and Chelsea - where manicured squares meet designer flagships, and rows of Georgian red-brick homes give the neighbourhood its timeless charm. It’s a good season to stay local, when long days, blooming gardens, and alfresco dining make exploring on foot all the more appealing. For those staying at Jumeirah Carlton Tower, there’s ple...

A Return to the Shore

As summer eases into September, Dubai exhales into its favourite season. The heat softens, cooler breezes return, and the shoreline once again becomes a gathering place. It’s this kind of weather that makes eating outdoors irresistible: sun dappled terraces, chilled drinks beading in the gentle warmth, and the sea for company.

Celebrating this sweet spot of the year, Jumeirah’s signature beachfront restaurants reopen, returning to their golden stretch of coastline. From the sun-lit islands of G...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

The Sicilian Secret to Ageing Well

High in Sicily’s Sicani Mountains, where olive trees twist with age and the clear air affords panoramas over Monte Pellegrino, is the little-known town of Caltabellotta. Perched on the hillside like a sentinel, its stone houses and church façades overlook valleys of almond trees and wild fennel. Here, long life is not planned or pursued - it’s simply a natural outcome of living in tune with the land and seasons. 
It’s within this landscape that scientists have recently found something extraordin...

Introducing Our Reimagined Urquiola Suites

For centuries, Capri has been a muse - an island where light, colour, and movement create a living canvas. Here, sky and sea stretch endlessly in shifting blues, while the Tyrrhenian sun bathes cliffs and terracotta rooftops in gold. Bougainvillaea spills over stone walls, its fuchsia petals vivid against whitewashed villas, and the air is fragrant with the scent of sun-ripened lemons.
 
It is this natural splendour, intertwined with Capri’s architectural traditions, that has inspired Patricia U...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

Wild swimming escapes in Europe

There’s a certain clarity that comes from swimming in the open air. Whether in the stillness of a moorland reservoir, the salty waves of a sunlit beach, or a shaded city river, wild swimming reconnects us to something elemental. Close to our hotels, these wild swims lie within easy reach, beautifully unfiltered, yet just far enough to feel like a world apart.
No matter the destination, our concierge teams can arrange everything from private transfers to fluffy robes and towels, or even picnic ba...

A Journey Through Jumeirah Thanda Safari

Dawn rises slowly over the bushveld, casting soft light across rolling hills and winding valleys. The land stretches in gentle undulations, shrouded in khaki tones and alive with movement. Rivers weave through the landscape, and the air is cool, laced with the scent of dry earth and wild grasses.  Somewhere in the distance, a fish eagle calls. This is South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal - a land that moves to its own rhythm: patient, ancient, alive.
 
At its heart lies Jumeirah Thanda Safari, a private...

Guardians of the Sea

There’s a quiet reverence that comes when we stand at the edge of the sea. A sense that something vast and vital lies beyond the horizon, and beneath the surface. Across Jumeirah’s waterfront sanctuaries, this profound connection with the water is not just felt but protected. Through coral nurseries, turtle rehabilitation, and guided learning, guests are invited to witness and join the delicate work of conservation.
 
From the windswept coastal dunes of Abu Dhabi to the wild reefs of Tanzania, t...

Dreaming of the Water

There’s an unspoken pull towards the sea – something timeless, instinctive, and deeply restorative. Long before science revealed the calming effects of water, we felt it intuitively. The gentle rhythm of waves, the mystery of hidden coral gardens, the quiet stillness of an early morning swim – all speak to a sense of peace found only at the water’s edge.

Across Jumeirah’s coastal retreats, the ocean isn’t just a setting, it’s an essential part of the experience. From the sun-drenched cliffs of...

A Journey Through Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab

Shaped by connection, Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab evokes the spirit of a modern majlis - a place where cultures meet, ideas are exchanged, and stories unfold in an atmosphere of intimacy. Inspired by the Arabian tradition of gathering, it is a destination designed for those who seek meaning in the moments they share, the spaces they inhabit, and the journeys they take.
 
Set along Dubai’s most exclusive stretch of coastline, the resort completes Jumeirah’s nautical trilogy, standing beside the sail o...

A Love Letter To Africa

Africa reveals itself slowly - a land where the rhythms of life are guided by the sun's ascent and nature's call. Its vastness is defined by contrasts: flat plains that reach toward the horizon, dense bushveld alive with movement, and coastlines shaped by the ocean’s pulse. As the cradle of humankind, it holds an enduring allure, awakening something primal in all who wander here.

For the first time, Jumeirah weaves itself into Africa’s story, inviting guests to experience the continent’s spiri...

Mother-Daughter Getaways in Europe

In a world that always seems in a hurry, where daily routines tug us in different directions and time slips quietly away, the bond between mother and daughter grounds us and is something to be nurtured.
 
At Jumeirah, we understand that time together is a rare luxury, and that some of life's most meaningful conversations happen in the simple moments – a shared sunrise, a lingering lunch, or a leisurely walk through a storied city. Across our European retreats, from the historic charm of London t...

A Life in Motion

"Growing up in a family that prioritised well-being and fitness instilled in me a deep appreciation for movement, discipline, and overall health," explains Rashed Alowais, a valued lifetime member.

For Rashed, J Club is more than just a fitness centre - “it has become my second home.” Located at Jumeirah Beach Hotel and along the winding waterways of Madinat Jumeirah at Jumeirah Mina Al Salam, this is where his lifelong journey toward health began. He was 13 when he first stepped inside, follo...
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