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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 •

Mediterranean Wisdom for Living Well

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...

Reimagined Suites at Jumeirah Capri Palace

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...

A Secret Sanctuary: Al Bahar Villas

Resting by the waters of the Arabian Gulf, Jumeirah Beach Hotel and its distinctive wave-like design have been a cherished part of Dubai’s coastline since its debut in 1997. For generations, its villas have served as a secluded retreat for families, nestled within a vibrant coastal landscape. In recent months, an elegant renovation has breathed new life into their design, creating an even deeper sense of escape.
 
As you wander along pathways bathed in soft sunlight, a feeling of discovery takes...

Recent Articles

Explore a curated collection of my latest stories.

Rocco Forte Hotels •

Mediterranean Wisdom for Living Well

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...

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...
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...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

Our new opening in Sicily

In an unspoilt, sunny corner of southeastern Sicily, Noto is a Baroque masterpiece. Framed by rolling hills and the blue Mediterranean, this UNESCO World Heritage Town was rebuilt in radiant style after the devastating earthquake of 1693. Honey-hued palazzi and ornate churches now rise from the landscape like echoes of a bygone era. In this captivating setting, Rocco Forte Hotels will unveil Palazzo Castelluccio, a meticulously restored 18th-century residence that offers an intimate connection t...

A Food Lover’s Paradise

Amid the Maldivian archipelago, Jumeirah Olhahali Island emerges - a sanctuary of sunlit skies, swaying palms, and the languorous rhythm of island living. Here, the air carries the faint tang of salt and the warmth of tropical breezes, while evenings unfold in the rich palette of sunset - deep oranges, pastel pinks, and dusky purples.
 

The island’s bounty is its heartbeat: plump, sun-ripened fruit and vegetables; the catch of the day, brought ashore by local fishermen; and the vibrant flavours...

An Essential Guide to Jumeirah Mallorca

Mallorca, a Spanish island cocooned by turquoise waters, is a place shaped by contrasts. The rugged peaks of the UNESCO-listed Tramuntana Mountains stand sentinel over groves of olive trees and fragrant citrus orchards, while the coastline gives way to quiet coves and humming harbours. This is a place where centuries-old traditions merge with the easy rhythm of coastal living. High above the picturesque Port de Sóller, Jumeirah Mallorca feels like an extension of the landscape - a retreat that r...

The Majlis, a Meeting of Minds

As dusk settles over the desert, the first stars emerge in the vast Arabian sky. Weary travellers, drawn from distant lands, gather in the soft glow of the majlis. Inside, a gentle murmur of voices harmonises with the rhythmic pouring of gahwa Arabic coffee infused with the spiced warmth of cardamom. It is a place where the rustle of robes, the flicker of firelight, and the aroma of tradition create a sanctuary for connection. Beyond being a physical space, the majlis is a timeless tradition: a...

The story of Olhahali

In the heart of the Indian Ocean, where turquoise waves cradle unspoiled stretches of sand, Olhahali Island emerges like a quiet secret. A place where sunlit skies meet coral gardens beneath the water's surface, and the rhythms of life have been shaped by the sea for centuries. Here, the Maldivian spirit drifts in every breeze, carrying the scent of salt and frangipani, along with traces of ancient traditions and the delicate harmony between community and nature. Once a bustling hub for fisherme...
Rocco Forte Hotels •

A Set-Jetting Journey for Families

A spellbinding tale in London
London has long been the stage for unforgettable adventures. Begin at King’s Cross Station, where Platform 9¾ and its disappearing luggage trolley invite fans into the wizarding world of Harry Potter.
Continue to Paddington Station, where a small bear from darkest Peru arrived with a suitcase and a love for marmalade sandwiches. Follow his path to Portobello Road, a kaleidoscope of antique stalls and pastel-coloured shopfronts that still echo Paddington’s wide-eyed...
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