Cape Cod is somewhere I have wanted to go for years. With endless beaches, quaint towns, historic lighthouses and oyster bars – I had built the Massachusetts peninsula up in my mind to be something of an idyllic Kennedy-approved escape. I was going to “summer” like American royalty.
So, with this the lucky year, I packed an endless array of blue and white garments, and threw a cable knit jumper over my shoulders to check into the Chatham Inn, a Relais & Chateaux hotel in the postcard-perfect town it shares a name with.
The history
The hotel certainly does have a history. Like many buildings in Cape Cod, outside there is a plaque recounting its story in brief. This particular house was built as a travellers home for retired sailors in 1830. Since, it has been the headquarters for a Norfolk Hunting Club before running as an inn since 1898. In the early 20th century, the first in-house restaurant was opened, offering dinners from $1.25. It has been open at the Chatham Inn since the mid-2010s.
Today, it retains its charm with a deck complete with rocking chairs, a white picket fence and a fire pit stocked patio.
The welcome
The hotel had a warm feel from the moment we pulled in and left our rental car in the gravel car park at the back. A team member was there to greet my partner and I, take our names and whisk our luggage away with no questions. As the hotel is relatively small (with just 19 rooms) staff gave the impression of knowing each guest personally – a name goes much further than a reservation number.
Inside, we were greeted with a welcome drink made of cranberry juice and sparkling water – cranberries, I learn, are an important Cape Cod export – and the front-of-house team member gave us a passionate rundown of everything we could do in Chatham and nearby.
The room
We checked into room 17 in the premiere fireplace category with views of the hotel’s front garden and town’s Main Street.
It was summer when we arrived, so we had no need for our fireplace, but I did enjoy the novelty of having it. The decor is neutral and stone-toned, and the room has high ceilings and exposed beams. There is nothing kitsch about the room – don’t check in expecting a beach house replica. The hotel has a confident high-end feel.
The bathroom has a spacious bath with a built-in shower and is kitted out with Bulgari toiletries. I particularly liked the addition of face wipes and a darker cloth for make-up removal.
I loved that we were told our room number before we arrived, so we were able to see images of the exact space we would be staying in – not just its bracket. A small but significant touch in the booking process and a perk of staying in a boutique inn.
The food
The hotel is home to Cuvee, described as “probably the best restaurant between Chatham and Boston”. With one of the finest restaurants on the Cape at our disposal, making a reservation was essential.
The menu changes frequently, but we opted for the four courses for $185, adding on a shared cheese course for $18. The food was presented spectacularly, with a firm focus on seafood. The Chatham hake nigiri was my highlight – a superbly fresh piece of fish, balanced with light and bright Japanese flavours. The strip loin steak main was tender and cooked to perfection, presented with an endive and cranberry salad.
A white tablecloth establishment, with a cocktail dress code, this felt like a place people travel to (from near and far) to mark special occasions. The staff were friendly without being overbearing, keen to speak enthusiastically about the story behind the dishes, and then ready to give us space to enjoy them.
Next door is a small wine bar, which was a nice place to sit and unwind in peace and quiet at the end of the day. Each day an afternoon snack was left out in the lobby, which was a nice touch – cookies and a cup of tea are always welcome.
The breakfast scene
Breakfast is served in Cuvee. After a morning amuse bouche of cinnamon cookies, there is an a la carte menu to choose from. The selection includes options such as a cream cheese and smoked salmon bagel, an omelette and steel cut oats. There is no buffet selection, but the staff are generous (and quick) with their coffee pours, and offer up fresh juices and morning wellness shots.
The neighbourhood
Dining options apart, there are very few facilities at the hotel. However, its strength is its location. It is on Chatham’s Main Street, so endless boutique shops, independent restaurants and atmospheric bars are a short walk away, as is the rugged Cape Cod coast line.
On our first afternoon at the hotel we walked around the town and along its beaches for hours. The nearby Lighthouse Beach was a highlight − the blue skies and still sea views never got old. Many dollars were spent on various pieces of Cape Cod merchandise on Main Street, and many lobster rolls were eaten at local restaurants − the Chatham Pier Fish Market was a highlight for a casual lunch and some seal spotting.
We hired a car – recommended for easy transport while on Cape Cod and as the most straightforward way to get there – and throughout our stay enjoyed a few day trips, including a boat to nearby Nantucket and drive up to Provincetown at the northern tip of the peninsula.
Family friendly factor
The hotel caters to adults, with a policy of no children under the age of 12.
Accessibility and sustainability
As a small inn, there are no elevators but there is a wheelchair ramp that leads into the lobby, to the ground floor rooms and into Cuvee.
Staff recommend room one to guests who use wheelchairs, as it is located on the ground floor with a walk-in shower. However there are no handles within the bathroom facilities.
Service dogs, with service papers, leads and vests are welcome at the hotel.
The service
The staff at the hotel were warm, accommodating and very friendly throughout. They were quick with recommendations about nearby hotels and restaurants, and with lots of day trip suggestions. Guests also leave with a small pot of Chatham sea salt, which is a lovely memento.
Value for money
Rooms start at $708 per night. Check in is from 4pm and check out is by 11am.
Travel to Chatham from the UAE via direct flights to Boston with both Etihad Airways and Emirates. A drive from Boston Logan International Airport to Chatham is about two hours, traffic depending.
This review was conducted at the invitation of the hotel and reflects hotel standards during this time. Services may change in the future
MATCH INFO
Tottenham Hotspur 3 (Son 1', Kane 8' & 16') West Ham United 3 (Balbuena 82', Sanchez og 85', Lanzini 90' 4)
Man of the match Harry Kane
MATCH INFO
FA Cup fifth round
Chelsea v Manchester United, Monday, 11.30pm (UAE), BeIN Sports
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
The biog
Hobby: "It is not really a hobby but I am very curious person. I love reading and spend hours on research."
Favourite author: Malcom Gladwell
Favourite travel destination: "Antigua in the Caribbean because I have emotional attachment to it. It is where I got married."
RESULTS
Cagliari 5-2 Fiorentina
Udinese 0-0 SPAL
Sampdoria 0-0 Atalanta
Lazio 4-2 Lecce
Parma 2-0 Roma
Juventus 1-0 AC Milan
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
Ziina users can donate to relief efforts in Beirut
Ziina users will be able to use the app to help relief efforts in Beirut, which has been left reeling after an August blast caused an estimated $15 billion in damage and left thousands homeless. Ziina has partnered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to raise money for the Lebanese capital, co-founder Faisal Toukan says. “As of October 1, the UNHCR has the first certified badge on Ziina and is automatically part of user's top friends' list during this campaign. Users can now donate any amount to the Beirut relief with two clicks. The money raised will go towards rebuilding houses for the families that were impacted by the explosion.”
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 480hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 570Nm from 2,300-5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 10.4L/100km
Price: from Dh547,600
On sale: now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
