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F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 £4.30

FORWARD THINKING How technology will transform our trips in the decades ahead

EASY RIDER Why Calgary scores high for quality of life

HOT WHEELS The best new cars hitting the roads this year

WAKING UP IN

LONDON

The capital’s latest openings reviewed

PLUS Chengdu • New UK trains • Sustainability • Chicago

A R R I V E R E A DY F O R B U S I N E S S

With more seats, free Wi-Fi and power at every seat, travel time needn’t be wasted time.

Book your business trip at GWR.com

Advertising based on an increase of over 10% in train seats on long distance, intercity services in May 2019 compared to the same period in 2018. Correct as of 18 June 2019. Selected routes only. Visit GWR.com for full terms and conditions.

CONTENTS

FEBRUARY 2020

REGULARS 12

UPFRONT

The latest travel news from around the globe 24

INBOX

Your letters and online forum posts 60

4 HOURS IN...

CHICAGO A whistle-stop tour of the Windy City 72

OPINION

The growth of wellness hospitality; posing questions to our undercover pilot 98

FROM THE ARCHIVE Dubai International’s expansion since 1988

FEATURES

ON THE COVER

56

LO N D O N ’ S L AT E S T

Sichuan’s capital attracts both tourists and tech giants

We review the capital’s newest hotels, from revamped classics to fashionable new-builds

THE CHANGING FACE OF CHENGDU

63

TRACK CHANGES

We round up ten new trains entering UK service 76

IN FINE FORM

A report from our recent reader event at London’s Bupa Cromwell Hospital 78

84

42

92 94

businesstraveller.com

RODEO RIDE Cowboys, arts and culinary hotspots in captivating Calgary

48

THE FUTURE IN FOCUS How technology is likely to revolutionise travel in the decades to come

FEBRUARY 2020

COVER IMAGE: SOFITEL LONDON ST JAMES

Donating air miles to charity

The capital’s latest openings reviewed

3

90

TRIED AND TESTED HOTELS

SMART TRAVELLER

WAKING UP IN

LONDON

TUDOR REIGNS

92

96

PLUS Chengdu • New UK trains • Sustainability • Chicago

The watch brand’s Black Bay model in its various guises

Delta Air Lines B767-400ER business class, London-New York

Moxy Times Square, New York; Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center

HOT WHEELS The best new cars hitting the roads this year

This year will see a host of impressive new cars hit the market, including a number of electric models

News and stats on what hotels, airlines, airports and rail firms are doing to help us travel more sustainably

TRIED AND TESTED FLIGHT

EASY RIDER Why Calgary scores high for qual ty of life

POWER SURGE

68 RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER

90

FORWARD THINKING How technology will transform our trips in the decades ahead

28

NEW THIS MONTH:

THE REPORT

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WELCOME

W

elcome to the February issue of Business Traveller. It is our first issue of the new decade and so an appropriate time to introduce a new section to the magazine – Responsible Traveller. Turn to page 68 and you’ll find a selection of news, facts, figures and recommendations gathered over the past month, all with either a sustainability slant or publicising the various efforts of travel suppliers to make a positive difference.

Too often, the discussion about climate change and travel comes down to a binary choice of whether anyone should travel or not, which is unhelpful when our jobs depend on travel (as does world commerce). When it comes to mitigating the effects of that travel, some airlines are offsetting domestic flights and most carriers offer the option of voluntarily doing so, yet as our recent online poll indicates (see businesstraveller.com/polls), a substantial majority of readers are not intending to offset their flights this coming year, nor perhaps for many years ahead. Their reasons are many, and will be investigated in future issues.

For now, I would assure you that we are committed to writing more about the benefits of travel, and the costs and the steps companies are taking in response to a complex and developing situation.

We also hope to make a few, well researched – and backed by science – recommendations ourselves.

I’d welcome your feedback at talktous@businesstraveller.com

4

Tom Otley Editorial director

IN THIS ISSUE

RESPONSIBLE TRAVELLER

A round-up of the ten most noteworthy new trains on the UK’s railway.

(Page 63)

Hotels, airlines, ships and trains are taking urgent action to go carbon neutral. What can you do?

(Page 68)

FEBRUARY 2020

REINVENTING THE WHEEL

Some ingenious new cars are on the road, from high-tech hybrids to upgraded classics.

(Page 78)

HOW TUDOR ROSE

The watch brand’s Black Bay collection has been an integral part of its renaissance.

(Page 84) businesstraveller.com

ILLUSTRATION: BENJAMIN SOUTHAN

ROLLING ALONG

CONTRIBUTORS

ALEX MCWHIRTER

N AT B A R N E S

Alex has more than 50 years’ experience in the business travel industry, including 40 years as Business Traveller’s consumer champion. In this issue he lists the most notewothy new rolling stock traversing the UK’s railway tracks – from LNER’s Azumas to Hull Trains’ Paragons, Greater Anglia’s Flirts, and the hugely welcomed CAFs now replacing the outdated Pacers; page 63.

Nat has been driving cars and writing about them for more than 25 years. A member of the World Car of the Year jury, for this issue he rounds up ten of the best cars being launched in 2020, including the much-anticipated new Land Rover Defender and Porsche’s Taycan, its first fully electric sports car.

Read what else caught his eye on page 78.

6

DEREK PICOT

Chris is digital editor for QP Magazine, the UK’s leading watch title, and a contributor to several other publications. For his regular column in Business Traveller, this month he takes a look at Rolex’s little brother, Tudor. It’s a fascinating brand that has enjoyed a huge revival over the past decade, thanks to its Black Bay collection, inspired by the dive watches of the 1960s and 1970s; page 84.

Veteran hotelier Derek has worked in senior positions on five continents, most recently as regional vicepresident for Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts in Europe.

He now consults for hotel owners and luxury developers, advising on design and trends in hospitality. In his regular column this month he looks at research that suggests the keys to a long life have been found. Turn to page 72 to find out what they are.

FEBRUARY 2020

BENJAMIN SOUTHAN

CHRIS HALL

businesstraveller.com

A new perspective can make all the difference

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For more than 60 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and senior executives solve their greatest challenges. Today, more than 23,000 members in 20 countries rely on Vistage.

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SPECIAL OFFER Managing director Julian Gregory Group publisher Rania Apthorpe

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EDITORIAL Editorial director Tom Otley Managing editor Michelle Harbi Online editor Mark Caswell Art director Annie Harris Consumer editor Alex McWhirter Staff writers Hannah Brandler, Jenni Reid Contributors Becky Ambury, Nat Barnes, Mary Cooch, Chris Hall, Derek Picot, Crystal Reid ADVERTISING Head of sales Chris Davies Head of luxury and lifestyle Edith Collins Creative solutions sales manager Andy Gibson ADMINISTRATION Circulation and production manager Jamie Halling Events officer Holly Khorsand Marketing executive Kirsty Clark

8

F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 0 £4.30

FORWARD THINKING How technology will transform our trips in the decades ahead

EASY RIDER Why Calgary scores high for quality of life

HOT WHEELS The best new cars hitting the roads this year

PLUS Chengdu • New UK trains • Sustainability • Chicago

WAKING UP IN

LONDON

The capital’s latest openings reviewed

CONTACT Editorial tel +44 (0)20 7821 2700 Email editorial@businesstraveller.com Twitter.com/@btuk Facebook.com/businesstraveller Instagram @businesstravelleruk Advertising tel +44 (0)20 7821 2729 Email advertising@businesstraveller.com SUBSCRIPTIONS Tel +44 (0)844 477 0943 Email jhalling@businesstraveller.com Annual subscriptions Save 5% on a two-year subscription; 10% on a three-year subscription UK and Republic of Ireland One year, £42.95; two years, £81.60; three years, £115.90 Continental Europe One year, £65.65; two years, £124.70; three years, £177.20 Middle East/Rest of World One year, £78.75; two years, £149.65; three years, £212.65

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Audited average circulation, per issue, January-December 2018: 69,544 copies. The magazine is independent of all commercial interests within the travel industry.

Unsolicited manuscripts will not be accepted for publication. The opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publishers, who cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions.

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations In the US, Business Traveler is published at 11 Ryerson Place, 201 Pompton Plains, New Jersey 07444, tel +1 973 839 6200, fax +1 973 839 4390. In Germany, Business Traveller is published at Schulstrasse 34, 80634 Munich, tel +49 891 3014 3215, fax +49 891 3014 3211. In Poland, Business Traveller is published at 16 Tamka Str, apt 4, 00-349 Warsaw, tel +48 22 455 38 14. In Denmark, Business Traveller is published at Mariendalsvej 28, 2000 Frederiksberg, Copenhagen, tel +45 3311 4413, fax +45 3311 4414. In Hungary, Business Traveller is published at 1074 Budapest, Munkas utca 9, Budapest, tel +36 1266 5853. In Hong Kong, Business Traveller Asia-Pacific and China are published at 2408 24/F Dominion Centre, 43-59 Queen’s Road East, Wan Chai, tel +852 2594 9300, fax +852 2519 6846.

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Visit businesstraveller.com/btavios FEBRUARY 2020

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A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

A NEW LEVEL of LUXURY

Known for its stores in the UK, US and Japan, Bamford supplies the in-room amenities for Swire Hotels. Amenity bags have larger cotton eye masks and Bamford’s Botanic hand and body lotion, hydrating face mist and lip cream, while washrooms also feature products from the brand.

TASTE THE DIFFERENCE

Cathay Pacific’s leading business class has been upgraded even further

G

etting a good night’s sleep and arriving refreshed is crucial to a successful and enjoyable trip. Recognising this, Cathay Pacific has introduced new mattresses, bedding, slippers and amenity kits in business class in partnership with UK luxury brand Bamford.

The new bedding for long-haul and regional flights includes a larger 400 thread-count pillow with a 100 per cent cotton pillowcase. There is also a two-piece duvet with 100 per cent cotton and a luxurious mattress topper for all long-haul flights (Europe, North America, Australia/New Zealand and the Middle East). A lightweight blanket is provided on regional flights.

Cathay Pacific believes that to eat well is to travel well. In response to feedback it has introduced a new hospitality-led concept, meaning you are cared for by designated crew members at key times, with a greater focus on engagement. A new à la carte menu has been launched with crew conducting one-on-one discussions about dishes, giving you greater flexibility to customise your experience. Most courses are handdelivered, creating a quieter environment.

A new range of “Hong Kong Flavours” is inspired by the dynamic food culture and vibrant heritage of Cathay Pacific’s home.

A lighter express meal is also available, as is a selection of any-time dishes and snacks on longer flights to North America and Europe, including the signature burger and popular soup noodles.

A new breakfast order card allows you to pre-select prior to sleeping, maximising your rest. Meal pre-selection is available for long-haul business class customers departing Hong Kong. cathaypacific.com

UPFRONT

BRUCEBLOCK/ISTOCK

US carriers unveil new airport tech AMERICAN AIRLINES IS NOW OFFERING real-time

BA adds Portland route BRITISH AIRWAYS HAS ANNOUNCED its latest nonstop transatlantic route will be London Heathrow-Portland. The five-times weekly B787-8 service will operate year-round from June 1. Last year the carrier launched a summer route to Charleston and a year-round service to Pittsburgh.

12

THE MAYFAIR TOWNHOUSE TO OPEN THIS AUTUMN ICONIC LUXURY HOTELS has announced plans for its fifth UK property, to be located within a set of seven listed Georgian buildings formerly home to the Hilton London Green Park.

The 172-room Mayfair Townhouse is due to open on Half Moon Street, close to Green Park Tube station, in September.

The Hilton closed in September 2018. The property is being refurbished with new features, including Penthouse and Garden suites (pictured), the Dandy Bar, and event spaces.

Iconic Luxury Hotels’ four other properties are Cliveden House in Berkshire, Chewton Glen in Hampshire, the Lygon Arms in the Cotswolds and London’s 11 Cadogan Gardens.

See page 28 for our new London hotel review special.

FEBRUARY 2020

IAG’s Willie Walsh to retire

translation across 29 languages at its Admirals Club lounges at Los Angeles International. The service – powered by Google Assistant’s interpreter mode technology – was announced at CES, the world’s largest consumer electronics show.

AA said it would be used to assist customers “only when a multilingual team member is not available”.

Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has announced plans for a trial at Detroit allowing travellers to view different content from the same information screen at the same time, without the use of special glasses. About 100 passengers who opt in will scan their boarding pass and select their preferred language; they will then be presented with personalised messages as they pass the screen.

INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES GROUP (IAG) has confirmed that

Willie Walsh is to step down from his role as chief executive next month, ahead of his retirement at the end of June. Walsh will be replaced by IAG member Iberia’s current chief executive, Luis Gallego, on March 26.

Walsh was previously chief executive of Aer Lingus before taking the helm at British Airways, where he served as chief executive from 2005 to 2010. He oversaw the merger of BA and Iberia before becoming IAG’s chief executive when it was formed in 2011. businesstraveller.com

Don’t keep your head in the clouds.

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https://tripactions.com/uk/carbon

UPFRONT

DELTA AT DAXING

Anantara and NH Collection to expand in Europe 14

NH HOTEL GROUP has announced plans to add eight high-end European properties to its portfolio. The hotels – previously operated by the Boscolo Collection – will be rebranded under the Anantara Hotels and Resorts and NH Collection brands following an extensive renovation. They include the Palazzo Naiadi in Rome, Bellini Hotel in Venice, New York Palace Hotel in Budapest and the Carlo IV Hotel in Prague (pictured below).

2020 CAREER PATH Linkedin has revealed this year’s top 15 emerging jobs in the UK Artificial intelligence specialist Data protection officer Robotics engineer Site reliability engineer Customer success specialist User researcher Data scientist Sales development representative Cloud engineer Cybersecurity specialist Platform engineer Full stack engineer Enterprise account executive Dev-ops engineer

DELTA AIR LINES IS SET to be the first US carrier to move its Beijing operations to the new Daxing airport next month, joining its Skyteam partner China Eastern.

Delta flies daily from the Chinese capital to Seattle and Detroit.

British Airways has also relocated to Daxing. In January it announced a new joint partnership with China Southern that will see the airlines add more codeshares and cooperate on scheduling, pricing and customer service.

IHG GETS PERSONAL INTERCONTINENTAL HOTELS GROUP

has launched a “digital entertainment solution” providing a range of in-room services via personal devices. IHG Studio enables guests to stream content to the in-room TV, access the TV remote in the IHG Rewards Club app, make service requests, arrange late check-out, review room charges and order room service.

JOIN BUSINESS TRAVELLER AT TWO EXCLUSIVE CULINARY EVENTS IN MARCH KICK OFF MARCH WITH A FINE DINING EXPERIENCE at Michelin-

starred chef Adam Byatt’s restaurant Charlie’s in Mayfair on March 9. The restaurant at Brown’s Hotel celebrates British culinary heritage with contemporary flair, while embracing a bygone era of service. The evening will begin with a champagne and canapé reception at 6.30pm, followed by a dinner paired with wines.

On March 31, Business Traveller will host an evening with Theo Randall at the Intercontinental London Park Lane. Join us for a drinks reception at 6.30pm followed by a cooking demo by Randall and a food tasting. Theo’s passion for Italian fare took him from Chez Panisse in California to head chef at the River Café, before opening his restaurant at the Intercontinental London Park Lane in 2006.

The Business Traveller team looks forward to meeting you at both events. To book tickets, visit businesstravellerevents.com

Content designer Source: Linkedin 2020 Emerging Jobs Report UK FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

UPFRONT

AIR MILE S

COLD COMFORT THE ARCTIC BATH HOTEL AND SPA opened last month in Sweden,

with views of the northern lights and freezing winter temperatures. Six detached cabins float on the Lule River (or sit atop ice, depending on the time of year), and a further six land cabins are elevated on poles – all 12 feature floor-to-ceiling windows. Architects Bertil Harstrom and Johan Kauppi pay homage to the former practice of transporting timber via the river, with the main building resembling logs jammed in rapids.

Scandi-chic interiors include pine-clad walls and sustainable materials.

There’s also a restaurant and bar, and a spa specialising in cold baths. arcticbath.se

ALICE MORRISON

is a Scottish adventurer, author and TV presenter.

We caught up with her before her 2,000km trek across the Sahara.

MOST REWARDING EXPERIENCE?

ANDERS BLOMQVIST

16

Sign of the time LUXURY ITALIAN WATCHMAKER Panerai has launched a collection of special edition 44mm Luminor Sealand watches in tribute to the Chinese Zodiac. This tradition began in 2009 but culminates this year to mark the end of the 12-year cycle on which Chinese astrology is based. Dedicated to the Year of the Rat, the model is hand-engraved by master craftsmen using the sparsello technique, which is used to make incisions. These are then inlaid with gold threads and hammered to fill the recesses – a process that takes 50 hours for each watch. The semi-matt calf golden strap has beige stitching, and there's an additional black rubber strap. £20,100; panerai.com FEBRUARY 2020

Running across the finish line of the Everest Trail Race, a six-day ultramarathon with about 15,000 metres of climbing.

I moved my whole life into the mountains to train and had to transform myself mentally and physically.

HOW HAS CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTED YOUR TRAVELS?

WHAT ABOUT DANGEROUS SPECIES?

The Sahara is home to the deathstalker scorpion and horned viper, so I will carry anti-venom and wear high-ankle boots. Never turn over a stone with your hand – scorpions live under them, so use your feet.

IS IT HARD TO SETTLE BACK INTO REALITY?

Yes, that is one of the few drawbacks. Adventuring is addictive and going cold turkey is a nightmare.

Last year I became the first woman to walk the 1,500km Draa River in Morocco. The last few hundred kilometres were over barren land that had previously been able to support nomads with their camels and flocks.

Now, it is completely dried out. For days, I walked across a landscape burned to nothing.

IS IT DIFFICULT TO TRAVEL WITH EQUIPMENT?

HOW DO YOU STAY SAFE?

INDISPENSABLE TRAVEL GADGETS?

I always take a guide if I’m travelling in a new place in the mountains or desert.

Both types of terrain are easy to get lost in or to slip and break something, and if you are on your own that can be disastrous. I carry basic first aid, a thermal blanket, a phone, walking poles, a whistle and a mirror for signalling.

It can be – especially with Swiss army knives and fuel tablets. However, I prefer that the airlines are strict and keep us safe.

DREAM DESTINATIONS?

Scuba diving in Sudan and adventuring in Saudi Arabia.

A tiny Esbit stove and titanium cup.

IFE PICK?

The Morning Show on Apple TV Plus. The characters are very recognisable – I used to work in TV news.

Visit businesstraveller.com for the full interview businesstraveller.com

Studio Room, Iconic View, Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London

UK LARGE HOTEL GROUP OF THE YEAR Book a stay at one of the award-winning Park Plaza hotels and experience the authentic service, elegant design and vibrant atmosphere that you would expect from the AA’s Large Hotel Group of the Year.

Feel the authentic parkplaza.com

UPFRONT

FLIGHT NEWS

NEW ROUTE: D H A K A

Who’s going up and who’s going down in the world of aviation

ASCENT UNITED is to fly daily between San Francisco and Dublin from June 5, using a B787-8. It will compete with Aer Lingus on the route.

18

MATT CROCKETT; SALVADOR CAMPILLO ALBA/ISTOCK

EGYPTAIR will launch a Cairo-Dublin service on the same date, Ireland’s first direct scheduled route to Egypt.

Four-times weekly flights will be operated by a two-class A320 neo.

LAST MONTH MANCHESTER AIRPORT welcomed back Biman Bangladesh Airlines,

the flag carrier of Bangladesh. The airline, which operated a Dhaka-Manchester-New York service until 2012, has introduced a three-times weekly service from Manchester to the Bangladeshi capital. The ten-hour flight is operated by a two-class B787 Dreamliner and routes via the eastern city of Sylhet on its return from Manchester. More than 55,000 people a year travel from the airport’s catchment area to Dhaka and Sylhet, and Manchester hopes that the route will strengthen trade and tourism as well as benefit the 70,000-strong Bangladeshi community living in Greater Manchester.

I N - F L I G H T E N T E R TA I N M E N T Our tips to make time fly by

READ: The Genius of Women: From Overlooked to Changing the World, Janice Kaplan Released on February 18, this book celebrates female masterminds of the past and present who have triumphed against the odds. Kaplan explores a range of fields, from music to robotics, and interviews Nobel Prize winner Frances Arnold and AI expert Fei-Fei Li. Dutton, £20 FEBRUARY 2020

LISTEN: No Such Thing As A Fish This weekly podcast hosted by BBC’s QI researchers discusses quirky facts. Learn about why we get motion sickness, the invention of ball pits and selfpricking porcupines. Free to download on BBC Sounds.

ETIHAD AIRWAYS has joined EASYJET’S connections service, Worldwide. It means customers can book their whole journey through the Easyjet website for connecting flights between 68 European cities and Abu Dhabi via ten European airports served by Etihad.

Russia’s URAL AIRLINES has launched four-times weekly flights between London Stansted and Moscow Domodedovo, operated by two-class A320 aircraft.

DESCENT

WATCH: James May: Our Man in Japan Taking a break from The Grand Tour, May heads to Japan for three months. The six-part documentary sees him participate in the sport of snowball throwing and crafting samurai swords.

Free to download on Amazon Prime.

FLYBE’S future appeared uncertain after the airline – which was acquired by a Virgin Atlantic-led consortium last year – requested government support. A rescue package was being discussed as we went to press.

The grounding of Boeing’s B737 Max has been extended. AIR CANADA, WESTJET and SOUTHWEST have removed it from their schedules until April, and AMERICAN AIRLINES and UNITED until June. businesstraveller.com

TIME OUT

LONG-HAUL: SAN FRANCISCO BEER WEEK, FEBRUARY 7-16 Breweries and venues exhibit a diverse selection of craft beers during this ten-day event, with activities that include food pairings, comedy nights and cycling tours of the neighbourhood.

Prices vary for each event. sfbeerweek.org

Our pick of events around the world

UPFRONT

IT’S ALL GOING ON IN GALWAY

IRELAND’S WEST COAST city of Galway is the 2020 European Capital of Culture, along with Rijeka in Croatia, with a jam-packed programme kicking off this month. Events will focus on migration, landscape and language, celebrating both Irish history and that of Europe – a nod to the 24 per cent of Galway City’s population born outside of Ireland. Highlights will include the green illumination of the Connemara mountains on St Patrick’s Day, and concerts by transatlantic stars. galway2020.ie

20

JAN WINDSZUS/BERLINALE 2010; RMN-GRAND PALAIS (MUSÉE NATIONAL PICASSO-PARIS) / MARINE BECK-COPPOLA. SUCCESSION PICASSO/DACS 2019

SHORT-HAUL : BERLINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL, FEBRUARY 20-MARCH 1 The 70th edition of the annual cinematic event takes place across Berlin, with screenings of 400 films including the international premiere of Matteo Garrone’s Pinocchio. New this year is the Encounters competition, promoting daring works from independent filmmakers. Tickets go on sale on February 17, but look out for free events in the Audi Berlinale Lounge. berlinale.de

LOST IN TRANSLATION Idioms from around the world that have us scratching our heads. This month, it’s a Czech expression.

Phrase:

Chodit kolem horke kase Literally: To walk around hot porridge Meaning: To beat around the bush Origin: We’re not sure about the origin, but it seems that porridge can be traded for any food of a mashed consistency.

We’ll be on the look-out for other versions.

DOMESTIC: PICASSO AND PAPER, LONDON, UNTIL APRIL 13 The Royal Academy is holding the largest exhibition devoted to Picasso’s paper art, showcasing more than 300 works which range from collages to sculptures and etchings.

Highlights include Femmes à Leur Toilette (1937-38), exhibited in the UK for the first time in more than half a century, and cubist sculpture Violin (1912). Tickets from £18. royalacademy.org.uk

FEBRUARY 2020

Virgin territory ORIGINALLY FOUNDED by conservationist Laurance Rockefeller in 1964,

the Rosewood Little Dix Bay reopened last month in the British Virgin Islands after a four-year renovation (the work was about 90 per cent complete in 2017 only for Hurricane Irma to delay the opening). The resort’s 77 rooms and suites have been reimagined by New York-based design team Meyer Davis and are nestled in gardens beside a crescent beach.

The property also has two beach houses and a hillside villa, three dining venues, a bar specialising in aged and rare rums, a spa, two pools and six tennis courts. Winter sun awaits. rosewoodhotels.com businesstraveller.com

Simplify your schedule Direct trains from London Victoria to Gatwick Airport

Buy online at gatwickexpress.com and save 10%* *

Terms and Conditions apply

UPFRONT

THE BIG PICTURE

MIKHAIL KAPYCHKA/BRITISH ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY

22

Patterns in nature This year’s Capturing Ecology photography competition, run by the British Ecological Society, saw more than 5,700 submissions from 2,000 photographers. Mikhail Kapychka’s painting-like image Autumn Texture was the competition’s overall runner-up and depicts a birch forest in fall, located in the Mogilev region of Belarus. The competition called on photographers, international ecologists and students to capture the beautiful flora and fauna across the globe, with images judged by a panel of six ecologists and award-winning wildlife photographers. The six categories included: Up Close and Personal, Dynamic Ecosystems, Individuals and Populations, People and Nature, Ecology in Action, and The Art of Ecology. Catch a peek at the winning images at a free exhibition in Ulster Museum in Belfast from February 11. britishecologicalsociety.org

FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

EAST MEETS WEST INTRODUCING EW LUXURY FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS CABINS ANA, Japan’s largest 5-Star airline*, have collaborated with famed Japanese architect Kengo Kuma and British designers Acumen to create new First Class ‘THE Suite’ and Business Class ‘THE Room’, debuting on the direct daily London – Tokyo route.

Inspired by Japanese heritage and British design, the new luxury cabins are each complete with a private door, large 4K monitor and specially crafted dining facilities.

‘THE Room’ also now offers double the seat width compared to previous Business Class seats, creating unrivalled space in harmony with ANA’s award winning 5-Star service — connecting you in comfort to over 50 destinations across Japan and beyond.

We Are Japan. ana.co.uk

*

#WeAreJapan

By passenger numbers across all Japanese carriers

INBOX YOUR LETTERS

costs during your wait at Heathrow, please send us receipts so we can check what can be reimbursed.

Moreover, you would be able to obtain a full refund of your tickets. It is impossible to erase what has happened but we hope you will give us the opportunity to regain your confidence.

Star letter STAND BY FOR CONFUSION

24

At check-in at Heathrow for a journey to Cape Town via Zurich [with Swiss] I was advised I was on a long standby list (number 12 on a list of 26) for the second leg and could not be guaranteed a seat.

The clerk said I could talk to the ticketing desk to request a refund, re-routing or compensation. The desk said I would have to be denied boarding in Zurich before they could assist. As I had no Schengen visa, I said I would rather get a refund or rebook than risk being stuck at Zurich.

They repeated that “this was not policy”, despite the initial clerk saying I should be eligible for a refund or re-routing at least. A supervisor said the flight was not oversold but that a large section of seats had been blocked out for a reason unknown to her. She said: “If you are denied boarding we will look after you.” I chose not to fly. Insisting a passenger risk denial of boarding in a transit airport for which they hold no visa is irresponsible. The flight was booked as a single trip and the passenger should be accommodated accordingly.

Later that day, I phoned Swiss. The agent couldn’t help as I had booked via a travel agent. When my travel agent phoned Swiss, they denied overselling or that I was on standby – an outright lie. I still have no clarity on whether my refund claim will be dealt with.

Name and address supplied SWISS REPLIES: We can imagine how disappointing this short-notice change of your plans must have been. We apologise and regret that our representatives failed to give you clear information. Based on Regulation EC261/2004, we can offer compensation of £512. If you incurred

PRIORITY RULES

STAR PRIZE This month’s Star Letter winner will receive a threenight stay for two guests including breakfast at Asia Gardens Hotel and Thai Spa in Alicante (asiagardens.es).

Prize is subject to availability.

For your chance to win, email us at talktous@ businesstraveller. com and include your full postal address and daytime telephone number. We reserve the right to edit letters.

I purchased two return British Airways tickets from Heathrow to New York Newark in World Traveller Plus on the way out and First on the return, three months before departure. BA contacted me 27 days before departure to indicate that the flight to Newark was cancelled for “operational” reasons.

When rebooking, I asked if I could use my Avios to upgrade the outbound flight to Club World. I did not mind using Gold Priority Reward to do so, which can be used up to 30 days before travel. As the cancellation was less than 30 days before departure, I asked if BA could waive the rule but the duty manager said this was not possible. I reminded her of my 28-year Executive Club membership, that I was a Gold customer for life and that I mainly fly in premium cabins. She would not accept my request.

I can never say never to flying BA, but Star Alliance carriers better recognise my loyalty. Perhaps this may remind BA that its decision to maximise revenues for that flight has long-term ramifications.

Russ Shaw, London BRITISH AIRWAYS REPLIES: Gold members have access to Gold Priority Reward so if they can’t find availability for their chosen cabin or flight, they have the option of using Avios to secure a seat of their choice. We’re sorry we fell below expectations. Gold Priority Reward is available to customers providing it’s 30 days or more in advance.

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Asian luxury in Alicante, Spain Winner 2020: Best Hotel with Spa in Europe and the Mediterranean for the prestigious Condé Nast Johansens Guide.

ASIAGARDENS.ES FEBRUARY 2020

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INBOX YOUR COMMENTS

Join the debate READERS SHARE FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/FORUM be easier to “do a KLM” and give a cheese sandwich to everyone.

VEGGIE OPTIONS ON BOARD ➜ BEYBRIT

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With more people adopting plant-based diets, I’m always surprised how airlines don’t get it right. Air China managed to serve me the same identical hot dish four times in three flights (yes, twice on one flight). But as vegetarianism isn’t rampant in China, I didn’t expect anything transcendental. The main problems I repeatedly have with VLML (vegetarian lacto-ovo meals) across airlines from all parts of the globe are: Q The bread is never the same as the non-veggies, and they always serve margarine (not butter); Q Salad is rarely served with dressing; Q Dessert is always fruit salad; Q Treats are never choccie bars or biscuits, more likely to be boxes of raisins, and cheese is never served; Q There’s never a choice of main course and it’s mostly inappropriate to service time (I often get dinner when everyone else gets breakfast).

Has anyone had better experiences?

I travel economy or premium economy, thanks to employer policies, so please don’t tell me that the business class options are better.

➜ LUGANOPIRATE I just did four legs with Austrian Airlines and every meal was vegetarian. Even in the lounge there was no meat option. I’m a meat eater, dislike vegetables (having been force-fed them as a child) and wanted nothing more than a nice pair of wienerli (Vienna sausage), which they used to have in the lounge, with sweet mustard and a roll. No such luck!

➜ BEYBRIT Just more proof that airlines and food are rarely a winning combo. If they were all short-haul sectors then it may FEBRUARY 2020

➜ CANUCKLAD

➜ MARKIVJ I’m veggie and request the Hindu-veg option on most flights (I fly business and economy). The only time I have a problem is if the food contains egg or gelatine. Most US carriers combine vegetarian and vegan, so their food is a problem. My favourite Hindu veg meal is from British Airways.

Long ago I was a supervisor for an in-flight catering company at Edinburgh airport. I recall being asked to organise, at late notice, a vegan lunch for a Sabena business class customer. There was no spec for such a request, but I double➜ GREGD75 checked with the caterer In the past three years A slice of beef just that she knew what she flying Aeromexico, the about hid the slab was doing – “Of course I vegetarian option has of ham, all topped know; I’m not an idiot,“ never changed. For dinner, she said. At the next you get rice with broccoli off with a healthy quality meeting, the meal and for breakfast a couple chicken fillet was the subject of great of tortillas filled with concern and humour in canned mushrooms – equal measure. Visualise a disappointing every time. vegan roll with vegan butter, vegan And you can’t order a cheese with crackers, a vegan cake, and veggie meal when booking a main plate adorned with boiled – you must phone and speak jerseys, built into a tiered to a rep. You’d think there salad with shredded carrots, could be a more user-friendly etc. To finish it off she had way to handle it. Or maybe even plonked on… a lovely slice of allow frequent flyers to set default beef that just about hid the meal requests. For shorter international slab of ham, all topped off flights there is a sandwich – always ham with a healthy chicken fillet! Safe to say, and cheese; never a veggie option. the passenger was not impressed when they removed the lid somewhere over ➜ GOLD-2K the North Sea. I pre-order the Asian vegetarian option, which is always good on BA. I had one on a Delta US domestic flight last week ➜ MARKCYMRU and it was surprisingly good. But I was If you can, fly Air India. The default meal surprised there was no vegetarian option option [on domestic flights] is VLML. I on a recent BA First afternoon flight. The order vegan which is more hit and miss. sandwiches were either red meat or Stick to Indian food; you’ll be delighted. chicken. I ended up with a cheese plate and fruit left over from lunch service. BT ➜ MARTYNSINCLAIR I don’t eat meat and prefer a veggie diet.

I am constantly amazed by the Cathay Pacific food offering on my regular Hong Kong-Bangkok-Hong Kong route.

Generally out of three mains, it is beef/ SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES beef/pork or chicken. Sometimes there ON OUR FORUM is a fish dish. I know you can order BUSINESSTRAVELLER.COM/ special meals but usually there is a FORUM veggie option. businesstraveller.com

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

London Stansted Airport on future business travel expectations

RISING TO THE CHALLENGE

S

ituated in a growing catchment in the UK Innovation Corridor (UKIC), demand for business travel is high at London Stansted Airport, with over half of all UK searches for key longhaul destinations including New York and Beijing originating from within its large and affluent catchment area of 25 million people. Facilitating passenger connections and business links between the UK and the rest of Europe, the airport offers more direct destinations across Europe than any other UK airport with over 200 destinations across Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. With this fast-growing community of professionals using London Stansted, it is easy to see how the airport is well-placed to understand the ever-changing needs of today’s business travellers.

PASSENGER STREAMLINING

London Stansted Airport is investing in new technologies and facilities to vastly improve the business passenger experience.

FastTrack Plus is a new premium service that provides a quick and seamless journey through the airport. Created with business travellers in mind, FastTrack Plus offers customers the most efficient route through the airport, offering a dedicated lane straight to the security check point and the quickest route to the Departure Lounge, allowing customers to by-pass the shops

BEST FOR BUSINESS

and save valuable time to respond to work emails or relax in the Escape Lounge ahead of the flight.

HIGH-TECH SERVICE

There is a growing demand for sophisticated and high-tech business travel solutions from those who regularly travel for work. This demand is being met – a great example of this is the new interlining technology which London Stansted Airport will be introducing this year to enable passengers to have a completely seamless transfer.

This will cut out the need for multilateral airline agreements and could enable a passenger flying from Cork on Ryanair to connect via Stansted airport onto an Emirates flight to Dubai. This technology will provide welcome relief for any business traveller looking to get from A to B with as little stress as possible.

London Stansted’s terminal and runway capacity and continued investment in passenger experiences is enabling future growth and the airport expects to serve 43 million annual passengers in the coming years.

Boasting unrivalled access to the region’s network of businesses, academic institutions and financial firms alongside exceptional proximity to the City of London, the UK Innovation Corridor accounts for more patents-per-head than technology capital Silicon Valley and is one of the fastest growing regions in the UK. With significant untapped demand for long-haul business travel, the UKIC also offers an attractive prospect for carriers – one that is unserved by any other major airport.

London Stansted is committed to creating better experiences and delivering excellence for its business traveller community.

Unlock sustainable growth in the UK’s fastest-growing region. Download our report at stanstedairport.co.uk/ G2Greport

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FEBRUARY 2020

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HOTELS

London’s latest The Business Traveller team check into the capital’s newest openings and revamps

THE BILTMORE MAYFAIR

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BELOW: King Grand Premier with View room; the Betterment

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NIALL CLUTTON

The Biltmore opened after an 18-month closure and £60 million refurbishment that transformed the former Millennium Grosvenor Square into only the second of Hilton’s new luxury hotel brand, LXR. It joins the Habtoor Palace Dubai (the former St Regis), with a third property also now open in Anguilla.

The hotel has two entrances, one on Grosvenor Square and the other around the back on Adam’s Row, where valet parking is available and from where the event facilities can be accessed directly. The property is in a rough T-shape, with the top of the T facing on to the square. It looks very luxurious, with a liveried doorman waiting to welcome you in. From the main reception you can see the entrance to the Pine Bar, plus the Tea Lounge and the Betterment restaurant and bar.

The 307 rooms (including 57 suites) are set over seven floors and are in three main colour schemes – blue, green and rust red. All feature pale block flooring and a décor of neutral opulence, with natural, hessian-style wallpaper, painted wood panelling and Chinese-style etched mirrors. There are 17 categories at present (I was told these may be reduced to make booking simpler), which range from the 22 sqm Double Deluxe room to the 160 sqm Presidential suite. Some suites on the eighth floor are duplex.

The large sash windows of our 43 sqm King Grand Premier with View room overlooked Grosvenor Square. It had a wooden-framed super-king bed, a sitting area with a brown velvet, art deco-style sofa, and a desk with power and USB points.

A curved cabinet housed a minibar, Nespresso machine and kettle. The marble bathroom had a tub, a power shower, a Japanese-style toilet and Penhaligon’s amenities.

The Betterment is by Jason Atherton, who is in charge of all of the hotel’s food and beverage, including banqueting and room service. The restaurant is excellent – quite a stark space in terms of design, but the food is top notch. The Pine Bar offers more than 100 whiskies, and the Tea Lounge is a relaxing spot that we used after our meal.

The Biltmore has one of the best hotel gyms I’ve seen in central London – large and with great technology, such as an exercise room with a TV wall where exercise classes are beamed through for you to join in. The meeting facilities are extensive and include a 500 sqm ballroom that seats 320 people for dinner.

VERDICT The refurbishment has upgraded the hotel to a new standard, and the food and beverage help it to stand out from some strong competition, as does the service.

Highly recommended. Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £465 for a Double Deluxe room. → thebiltmoremayfair.com

FEBRUARY 2020

HOTELS

with the Met crest on them and blue veneered nightstands (another reference to the police). Some have wall-mounted bottle openers in the shape of a moustache or wardrobes concealed behind book-clad doors.

Bathrooms feature art deco detailing and amenities from the Scottish Fine Soaps Company.

For a relatively small property, there is a wide choice of food and drink options. The Yard restaurant, under Robin Gill, serves excellent modern British cuisine, while the 40 Elephants bar is named after a 19th-century gang of female robbers and has a cocktail menu inspired by William Terrington’s Cooling Cups and Dainty Drinks, dating back to 1869 and believed to be the oldest book on British cocktails. The service in both is great.

There’s also speakeasy-style whisky bar Sibin, and the Indian-inspired Parlour tea lounge.

The hotel has a well-equipped basement gym, although there isn’t a spa. Also on the lower level is a meetings area called Grace and Favour.

GREAT SCOTLAND YARD HOTEL Open since December, this five-star property is the first of Hyatt’s Unbound Collection in the UK, joining five others in Europe. While it is in a central location just off Whitehall and only two minutes from Trafalgar Square, it is off the main roads so is quiet and feels like a secret find.

Behind the attractive, if not outstanding, façade of Edwardian red brick and Portland stone, the building’s history has been used to create a whole design theme. Until 1890 it was the HQ of the London

Metropolitan Police and so there are references to everyone from Sherlock Holmes to the Kray twins.

From 1910 it housed the British Army Recruitment Office and Royal Military Police, and more recently it was used by the Ministry of Defence.

Look up as you enter and you’ll see a sculpture of a deconstructed clock with the time stopped at 6 o’clock, which apparently is the time that author Lewis Carroll was interviewed here as a suspect in the Jack the Ripper case. Down some stairs are comfy sofas and one of more than 600 artworks in the hotel – a large piece by Nicola Green made up of silhouettes of people whose lives have been touched by or passed through the British criminal justice system.

Glass cabinets in the lobby house a police helmet, old truncheon and whistles, as well as a barrister’s wig and mug shots of criminals from yesteryear. It’s interesting in a bizarre sort of way.

FEBRUARY 2020

The 152 rooms are on five floors, with more than a dozen categories, all gathered around a courtyard and offering a variety of views. Few are large; entry-level King rooms are 16 sqm and have good-quality furnishings, a neutral colour palette and quirky design, including doors

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Entrance to the 40 Elephants bar; hotel exterior; lobby seating; King Courtyard View room

VERDICT This is a superb five-star

luxury hotel with staff who provide attentive service, a lovely choice of bars and a must-visit restaurant.

Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from → £330 for a King room. hyatt.com businesstraveller.com

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HOTELS

THE STANDARD LONDON

DAVID CLEVELAND; TIM CHARLES

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Hip US brand The Standard opened its first overseas outpost in King’s Cross last July. It has hotels in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, and has since launched in the Maldives.

The hotel is housed in the former Camden Town Hall Annexe – a 1974 Brutalist office block opposite the St Pancras Renaissance hotel on Euston Road, although the entrance is on Argyle Street. It is steps from King’s Cross St Pancras and St Pancras International stations. The retro curves of its concrete façade are a striking sight. Three floors have been built on while a scarlet pill-shaped external lift to Decimo restaurant on the top (tenth) level has been added.

The bold, colourful interiors pay homage to the seventies period. At the heart of the ground-floor public area is the Library Lounge, a goodlooking, low-lit space with slouchy leather sofas and tables that attract laptop-wielding types by day and cocktail drinkers by night. This is the site of the former Camden Council Library, and the in-house librarian has clearly had fun sourcing books for the shelves, which are compiled under categories such as “Order” and “Chaos”, “Hope” and “Darkness”, and “Adult relationships”. You’ll find Sounds Studio here, too, a recording booth that hosts weekly live music, DJ sets and talks.

The 266 rooms and suites are in 11 categories, starting with 13 sqm Singles, 19-26 sqm Cosy Cores (windowless but well designed) and 16-19 sqm Queen’s Standards. The top categories are on the eighth and ninth floors and include King’s Terrace (28-37 sqm, with outdoor baths) and the 68 sqm Suite Terraces, which have a further 62-64 sqm of outdoor space with superb views. These floors feature light wood accents, while most other categories have red, blue and purple colour schemes and bed throws by Wallace Sewell, designer of the Tube seat fabric.

FEBRUARY 2020

All have brown robes, Italian bedlinen, well-stocked minibars, Bang and Olufsen speakers, and desks or tables to work at. Guests in higher categories can avail of Stutterheim raincoats and turndown service.

The bed in my fifth-floor King’s Superior (33-37 sqm) was placed in the centre of the room, looking out at the neo-gothic St Pancras Renaissance, with bay window seating for enjoying the view. The open-plan bathroom had a walk-in shower and freestanding tub. Curves featured heavily in the design, reflecting the façade, and the soundproofing was excellent.

Food and drink is a big focus.

All-day restaurant Isla and Double Standard bar are both led by executive chef Adam Rawson. The former serves an à la carte breakfast and seasonal British coastal cuisine, and has an outdoor terrace (with an original Banksy). The latter is a lively spot serving craft beers, cocktails, pub fare and “NYC dive bar food”.

Decimo, led by Michelin-starred chef Peter Sanchez-Iglesias, cooks up live-fire Spanish and Mexican dishes in a large, glamorous space on the tenth floor with fabulous 360-degree views, partially obscured by swishing macramé curtains. We had a great meal here, trying sweet, smoky marinated red peppers presented tartare-style (£5), punchy crab and jalapeno aguachile (£22) and beautifully cooked monkfish (£18).

The atmosphere was warm and social, and the service, as throughout the property, was friendly and helpful.

FROM TOP: Decimo; Queen of Queens room; Library Lounge

The gym has Technogym kit and Peloton bikes (a spare bike can be put in eighth- and ninth-floor rooms).

VERDICT Fantastic to look at and fun to stay in, this is an excellent addition to the London hotel scene, and a good stopover for business travellers catching the Eurostar. Michelle Harbi PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £225 for a Cosy Core room. standardhotels.com/london businesstraveller.com

SOFITEL LONDON ST JAMES Located on the corner of Pall Mall and Waterloo Place, the Sofitel has been open since 2002, when the Grade II-listed building was converted from a bank. It is now moving towards a refurbishment of all of its rooms (suites are yet to come)

by Pierre-Yves Rochon, who originally designed them. The public areas are grand yet understated, and the staff extremely friendly and professional.

The room count is now 183 (it was originally 166), with entry-level Classics being 23 sqm. There are six floors, and the soundproofing is remarkable. Rochon has gone for “a bold British design scheme that recalls the creative, dynamic feel of the 1960s and 1970s” with “striking colours, modern pop art pieces and whimsical accents and accessories”.

There are three colour schemes, green, red or blue. Distinctive chairs are mixed with art deco pieces, which is quite ambitious, while the bathrooms, corridors and public areas are traditional. I think the hotel should get full marks for not treading the same path as other luxury hotels, but I’m not sure all of these different influences gel.

All rooms have Smeg kettles, Nespresso machines, Roberts radio alarm clocks, very comfortable beds and good work tables. Bathrooms are very high end with Hermes toiletries.

Previously called Balcon, the restaurant is now Wild Honey St James, an evolution of Anthony Demetre’s now-closed Wild Honey in Mayfair. It’s very good – the food is tasty, in good-sized portions and with an imaginative mix of ingredients and influences. My English seabass, wild mushrooms, white beans, cobnuts and thyme and lemon (£35) was delicious.

The bar is an attractive place with a wide choice of wines and cocktails.

The Rose Lounge is very pink, and presumably an exercise in kitsch, with a harpist playing while people had afternoon tea and drinks. businesstraveller.com

33 FROM TOP: Wild Honey St James; Luxury Premium room; Sofitel entrance

TREEHOUSE LONDON

The meeting space can be accessed by a separate door next to the hotel, as can the two-floor spa (there is no pool). The small gym looks a little like an afterthought but is stylishly lit.

VERDICT A sumptuous renovation, but it is the service and the bar and restaurant that really makes the hotel stand out from the crowd. Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £308 for a Superior room. sofitelstjames.com

Open since November, this property is operated by SH Hotels and Resorts, which also has the 1 Hotels and Baccarat Hotels brands. Treehouse London is the first of its kind, and “has been designed to appeal to the child in all of us… playful, curious, rustic and nostalgic, inspired by simple joys”. It’s on Langham Place, across the street from the BBC and just north of Oxford Circus.

For me, checking in here was a blast from the past, since this was the hotel I stayed in for my first visit to London in the early 1980s. I can’t remember what brand it was back then, but most recently it has been the Saint George’s hotel. On the ground floor you walk through Backyard, a coffee shop, then take the lift to the 15th floor for reception and for Madera, the hotel’s → bar and restaurant.

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HOTELS

SIMON BROWN PHOTOGRAPHY

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The hotel is very eco-friendly, down to the recycled wood used in the furnishings and room keys.

It has a composting and recycling programme and is reducing single-use plastics. On each corridor is an oldstyle copper tap where filtered water is available – each room has a glass bottle to fill up.

The ceilings look like rough concrete but, in fact, these are a rendering, as are the plaster walls.

There’s an emphasis on whimsy and nostalgia in the design – on hooks by the lifts were a bright yellow hat and mackintosh, as if Paddington Bear had just left them there.

The 95 rooms, which include 12 suites, are on floors nine to 14 and range from 23 sqm Lookout Kings to 40 sqm suites. They have long, thin desks of recycled wood (or made to look that way), and many have window cushions for enjoying the view, which from the front, overlooking All Souls Place, is stunning. Each room has a coffee machine, organic cotton bedlinen and refillable own-brand toiletries. Other touches include yellow cuckoo clocks, “lucky” giant eight balls, piggy banks and, in some rooms, record players.

The shower was large and powerful.

The myriad lights allow you to enjoy the view in the evening but it was a bit of an effort when going to bed, since I couldn’t find the master switch.

Fine-dining Mexican restaurant Madera uses organic ingredients and has a “farm-to-glass” mixology programme. The food is delicious, with a huge choice and an excellent vegetarian and vegan menu. The service was very assured. Even breakfast has a Mexican theme, although English items are also available. There are a couple of meeting rooms, while on the 16th floor is a rooftop bar and terrace called the Nest, with 360-degree views of central London plus a tandem swing set, blankets and a DJ booth disguised as a treehouse fort.

There is no gym, although the hotel has arranged rates at nearby club Frame Fitzrovia.

FEBRUARY 2020

VERDICT A real find – quirky yet

well run, with the right focus on environmental issues and design without it getting in the way of being a great place to stay in an unbeatable West End location. Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £238 for a Lookout King room. treehousehotels.com

THE PRINCE AKATOKI LONDON These seven adjoining Georgian townhouses on Great Cumberland Place near Marble Arch originally opened as the Arch London hotel in 2010. It reopened as the Prince Akatoki London in September last year after being taken over by Japan’s Prince Hotels and Resorts and converted to the group’s new luxury brand following a complete refurbishment. It is a member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

While the layout of the Arch has been largely retained, the property has been transformed and the Japanese influence is instantly noticeable.

Bursting into the lobby on a cold December night, I was met by a flickering gas fire, a subtle eucalyptus scent and a smiling member of staff, who quickly handed me a glass of hot

FROM TOP: Studio suite, rooftop bar and lobby at Treehouse London

sparkling sake. I thought the blondewood reception desks, wooden lamps and screens, warm lighting and grey vases with simple branch decorations looked lovely.

There are 82 rooms, from 21 sqm Superiors to 58 sqm suites, all featuring yoga mats, desks, Nespresso machines, Japanese teapots with fresh chamomile, Bluetooth speakers/ alarms, and traditional yukata robes that are laid out at turndown. → businesstraveller.com

THE YOUNGEST FLEET * IN THE WORLD * Among airl nes es w an active flee eeet m e th than an 100 00 aircra t, according to Fligh h lo obal d ta, ta a as a of Occ be berr 2019.

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THE HOXTON SOUTHWARK

Higher floors have a nice view of the surrounding rooftops.

I said “wow” out loud when I walked into my 44 sqm Studio suite – partly because I hadn’t realised how far the townhouses extended, but also because I loved the minimalist design. Everything was there that you would normally find in a hotel room, and yet it felt different in subtle ways – the clean lines of the furniture, all of which was slightly raised up from the floor and some of which looked as Scandinavian as it did Japanese; the floating side tables with a pink box for the TV remote; the simple artwork subtly referencing Mount Fuji; and the soft lighting that made the whole room almost glow. There was a very nice bathroom (although this had not been renovated) with Malin and Goetz toiletries, plus a kitchenette and small patio.

The two food and drink venues are Tokii, a Japanese restaurant, and the Malt, a Japanese-style bar. I had

BEN CARPENTER PHOTOGRAPHY

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FEBRUARY 2020

an excellent meal at Tokii. It’s trendy and upmarket, but neither quality is overbearing. A plate of five sashimi (£17) was fresh and delicious, and the small dishes we tried – crispy quail eggs with mustard mayo (£4) and ox cheek croquettes (£9) – were decadent and flavoursome. The drinks menu is extensive, with dozens of Japanese whiskies. The lower ground floor has a gym and meeting room.

VERDICT The refurbishment of the property is gorgeous and the restaurant and bar are excellent. It would be suitable for business, thanks to the central location and good wifi, but extra touches made my weekday stay feel like a special occasion – the delicious sake on arrival, changing into my yukata after a bath, and being sent on my way with a scented flannel and smoothie. Jenni Reid PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £258 for a Superior room. theprinceakatokilondon.com

After French and US expansion over the past three years, the Hoxton returned to home turf in September with its third property in the capital.

It’s on Blackfriars Road, two minutes’ walk from Southwark tube station.

Stepping into the 14-storey newbuild felt particularly inviting on a chilly December late afternoon, with its glowing lighting and warm buzz.

The ground-floor public area is open

ABOVE: Deluxe room at the Prince Akatoki BELOW: The hotel’s Sanctuary public space

plan, with reception ahead to the left, all-day restaurant Albie on the far left, a bar on the right, and further seating for relaxing and working in the middle. There’s also a street-side terrace. Black steel-framed windows let in plenty of light while lots of greenery, exposed brick and framed art creates an organic, relaxed feel.

Staff are welcoming and keen to help.

The hotel is doing well at attracting the local community to this space – there was a nice hum of activity with people eating, socialising or tapping on laptops. A mezzanine bar works as an overflow area for drinks or one-toones when downstairs is busy.

The 192 rooms are on floors one to six (the Hoxton’s new co-working space, Working From, opens this month on levels seven to 12). The categories are Shoebox (average size 15 sqm), Snug (16 sqm), Cosy (17-21 sqm), Roomy (21-26 sqm) and Biggy (35 sqm) – the first three of which businesstraveller.com

HOTELS

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Hoxton’s Biggy category, lobby bar and Seabird restaurant

ROBERT RIEGER

businesstraveller.com

it claims is London’s longest oyster list. It’s a great-looking space with an open kitchen, raw bar and super views from the covered outdoor terrace.

Small plates such as octopus roll with padron peppers and sobrasada aioli in a brioche bun (£14.50) were excellent, and our main for two, New Haven whole John Dory (£58), was grilled perfectly and had a zesty mojo verde.

The Apartment event space has six attractive rooms and a communal Pantry area. Guests can use the Bankside Fit Hub gym for £10, or the Thames is nearby for a South Bank jog.

VERDICT A good-value, stylish and buzzy hotel that boasts well thoughtout rooms and a great top-floor restaurant. Michelle Harbi PRICE Internet rates for a midweek stay in March started from £160 for a Shoebox room. Note that bookings are paid for upfront and are nonrefundable, although they can be amended for a £20 fee. thehoxton.com

BELOW: One of the Stratford’s roof terraces

Managed by the Manhattan Loft Corporation, which redeveloped the St Pancras Renaissance hotel in King’s Cross, the Stratford is an ambitious new-build that opened in July. A 145room hotel occupies the first seven of its 42 floors, with 248 furnished loft apartments taking up the rest.

Located adjacent to Stratford International station – from where a high-speed Javelin takes you to St Pancras International in six minutes and the DLR allows easy access to London City airport – the 143 metrehigh double-cantilevered tower offers great city views and overlooks Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Floors seven, 25 and 36 have roof terraces cut out from the building.

Revolving entrance doors take you into the all-day Stratford Brasserie, an impressive triple-height restaurant and bar that acts as the lobby, providing a lively introduction. Paul Cocksedge’s monochrome sculpture, Murmuration, hangs from the ceiling.

The seven room categories range from 23 sqm Standard to the 65 sqm Manhattan Studio, all with floor-toceiling windows. Large rooms and above have lounge areas. The stone→ clad bathrooms have rainshowers

LUKE HAYES

have queen beds and the other two super-kings. Comfortable and well designed to maximise space, they combine industrial-chic exposed brick, concrete ceilings and brass light fittings with softer touches such as deep-ruby velvet headboards, pale green wooden panelling and floral tapestry cushions.

All have wooden floors, a table to work at, 42-inch TVs, Roberts digital radios, handheld steamers, tea and coffee, and fridges (you can buy drinks from reception). A free breakfast bag with orange juice, a pastry from St John Bakery and an apple is provided.

Bathrooms have decent walk-in showers and the Hoxton’s Blank refillable toiletries. My third-floor room was peaceful with a pleasant view taking in high rises, a pub, tennis courts and the top of the London Eye. Albie serves an à la carte breakfast and an all-day menu inspired by the French and Italian Riviera. Seabird is a seafood restaurant that offers what

THE STRATFORD

FEBRUARY 2020

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JAN BALDWIN; RICH STAPLETON

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and Ren toiletries, with Studios also having tubs.

The interiors, by Space Copenhagen, are Scandi-chic, with pastel colours and timber elements.

Gold accents jazz up the handcrafted oak desk, bed frame and light fixtures.

The comfortable bed has a grey curved headboard and a soft Italian woven throw. There are plenty of USB ports and plug sockets, and the TV has Sky Entertainment and Google Chromecast. Along with a well-stocked minibar, there’s a Dualit coffee machine (Studios have Nespresso machines) and East India Company tea.

Stratford Brasserie serves seasonal European dishes from its open kitchen, plus an à la carte breakfast.

Guests can choose from classic burgers and steaks, and replace starters with a selection of snacks – I recommend the Romero pepper with anchovies and salsa verde on charred sourdough (£5).

Next to the brasserie is an alpinelike lounge area with an open fire and soaring ceilings. The Mezzanine lounge overlooks this space but is discreetly hidden behind a curtain near check-in, giving it an air of exclusivity. Purple lighting on the FEBRUARY 2020

stairs sets the tone, preparing you for a night of cocktails and DJ sets.

On the seventh floor is fine-dining restaurant Allegra, which has a fashionable bar and terrace, referred to as the Sky Terrace, with fantastic views of the London skyline. There are four meeting rooms and a 24-hour gym offering various classes.

VERDICT This is a great designoriented luxury addition to up-andcoming Stratford, which is set to blossom over the next few years with the arrival of Crossrail and outposts of the V&A and Sadler’s Wells.

Hannah Brandler PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £174 for a Standard room. thestratford.com

ABOVE: The Stratford’s Manhattan Studio LEFT: Allegra restaurant

of Holmes-inspired collector’s items, artworks and antiques, but it has all been done tastefully and complements the modern furniture and furnishings from leading design studios, including Tom Dixon and Danish company Muuto.

The property is an amalgamation of four Georgian buildings, resulting in lots of rooms throughout the ground floor where you can relax, admire the scenery and look for “clues” that have been dotted around.

No two guestrooms are exactly the same, but the inventory is divided into eight categories, from Cosy (15-18 sqm) and Superior (18-21 sqm) to the Townhouse Loft Suites, which offer 50 sqm of living space across two floors, with roll-top baths and record players.

HOLMES HOTEL LONDON This hotel is part of Park Plaza Hotels and Resorts, which is one of the brands of the Radisson Hotel Group and has eight properties in London.

Previously known as the Sherlock Holmes hotel, following a recent refurbishment it has been renamed Holmes Hotel London, retaining its link to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s fictional private detective and Baker Street resident. It’s located a couple of minutes’ walk from Baker Street station, with the main entrance on Chiltern Street.

Any preconceptions I might have had about themed hotels were quickly assuaged when I stepped into the stylish reception area, where staff were sitting behind low desks, and I was offered a refreshing cucumber and mint tea. Yes, the hotel is full businesstraveller.com

HOTELS

My Heritage Deluxe room (21-25 sqm) had high ceilings and large windows overlooking Baker Street.

It also had a desk, a digital radio, Nespresso machine, plush grey robes and Gilchrist and Soames amenities.

Décor was bright and minimal, with light wood flooring and splashes of yellow. The furnishings felt high-end.

New all-day restaurant and bar Kitchen at Holmes is a homely space with its own entrance. My Scottish scallop starter was refreshing with a good mix of sweet and savoury flavours, while my king crab salad was packed with juicy chunks of crab, crunchy sweetcorn and a hint of tabasco. Signature cocktails include Sherlock’s Pipe, served in a pipe-shaped glass and containing Talisker, Johnnie Walker Black,

smoked Martini Rubino, Campari, and Pimento Dram liqueur. There are three meeting spaces and a stylish gym called Piggy Doyle’s.

VERDICT For Sherlock fans, this hotel is a treasure trove of artwork and memorabilia, but even if you’re not, Holmes Hotel London is a stylish, well thought-out property with an excellent restaurant and bar.

A great choice if you’re looking for a Marylebone base. Mark Caswell PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £289 for a Cosy Double Room. holmeshotel.com businesstraveller.com

ABOVE: Wilde Superior Studio

ABOVE LEFT: Holmes Hotel reception area ABOVE RIGHT: The bar at Kitchen at Holmes LEFT: Studio suite

WILDE APARTHOTEL

BY STAYCITY COVENT GARDEN Dublin-based Staycity has a portfolio of nearly 3,000 apartments across the UK and Europe with more in the pipeline. It offers hotel rooms, studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments across its Staycity Aparthotels and premium Wilde Aparthotels by Staycity brands. Most have kitchens/kitchenettes, dining and sitting areas, free wifi, guest laundry and weekly housekeeping.

Many offer car parking, gyms, guest lounges and Staycafés selling breakfast, light lunch, and all-day snacks and drinks. Wilde Aparthotel in Covent Garden was the first of the Wilde properties to open, in 2018. It has since been joined by aparthotels in Edinburgh and Berlin.

The entrance is off the Strand on Adam Street, although some rooms have views on to the Strand. I had checked in beforehand so should have been able to use the touchscreen to get my key, but there was a problem with the system that was quickly sorted out by the receptionist. Subject to availability, the hotel offers free early check-in and late check-out if you book direct; otherwise it costs £10 per hour.

The 106 rooms range from Wilde Sleep Zone Studios (14 sqm), which are in the basement

and have no windows, to 22 sqm studio apartments. My Wilde Studio (18 sqm) had a wooden floor and a raised Hypnos bed with three drawers, which were good for storage and housed a safe and ironing board. There was a 43-inch smart TV, free wifi, and a bedside panel for the lights and blackout blind. One unit had a large folddown desk with plug points, and two wooden chairs were folded up beneath some hangers. The small kitchenette had an electric hob, a fridge, a dishwasher and a Smeg toaster and kettle. There was a Grohe rainshower in the bathroom.

There is no restaurant, but the hotel has an arrangement with nearby American steakhouse Smith and Wollensky to serve breakfast (£15).

There is a room service menu but supermarkets are nearby for buying food. The hotel can arrange day passes at a local gym and has started a running club for guests and local businesses, with a double circuit around St James Park of about 5km.

VERDICT This was excellent value for money for a quietly luxurious stay in a great central location. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and really added to the overall experience, making this a welcoming home from home. Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £215 for a Wilde Sleep Zone Studio → room. staycity.com FEBRUARY 2020

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HOTELS

Z COVENT GARDEN

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Budget chain Z Hotels has ten properties in London plus more in Bath, Glasgow and Liverpool. It was set up by ex-Thistle Hotels chief executive Bev King and his business partners, and their knowledge of what works and what doesn’t means the hotels are a pleasure to stay at.

This property opened in November 2018, and is behind a red-brick façade in the centre of Covent Garden. After having difficulty finding the entrance and eventually having to phone to find out (it’s through some iron gates just off Bedford Street – if it is late at night, ring the bell by the side), I was checked in quickly. Each evening free wine and cheese are served from 5pm to 8pm – I arrived after this but was offered a complimentary glass. Drinks are also available for purchase. The café offers an extensive continental buffet breakfast from 6.30am (£7.50, or £9.50 with a hot item).

The 113 rooms have dark wood floors, white walls and synthetic suede headboards that continue along the side wall by the bed, important as the size of the rooms (from 8 sqm) means one side of the bed is against the wall – which requires some athleticism if there are two of you in the room.

Free filtered water is supplied in glass bottles, although the bathrooms (shower-only) still have single-use plastics for the combined shower and hair gel. Each room has tea and coffee facilities, a bedside panel for the blackout blinds and lights, and a 49-inch TV through which you can stream your own content via the fast and free wifi. There isn’t a wardrobe but there are plenty of hangers.

Soundproofing is very good. There are 12 family rooms (12 sqm) with bunk beds for children.

VERDICT Another excellent addition to the Z portfolio. They are great value with friendly service. Tom Otley PRICE Internet rates for a (nonrefundable) midweek stay in March started from £155 for a Z Inside Double room. thezhotels.com FEBRUARY 2020

HUB BY PREMIER INN LONDON CITY BANK Premier Inn launched its innovative brand Hub by Premier Inn in 2013, promising “the most high-tech and space-efficient rooms currently available in the UK”, with compact rooms up to 30 per cent cheaper than a comparable Premier Inn property in central London.

There are now eight Hubs in London’s zones 1 and 2, and three in Edinburgh. A 110-room Soho hotel is due to open in the spring.

This property opened in August last year on St Swithin’s Lane, a few minutes’ walk from Bank and Cannon Street stations. The small lobby has a self-service kiosk and a check-in desk manned by staff who also run the adjacent café-bar. A media wall features rolling news and London Underground updates.

There is a choice of Standard (11 sqm), Standard Twin (14 sqm) and Bigger (17 sqm) rooms, as well as Accessible. Bigger rooms have king beds and more space, but otherwise there’s not much difference. Décor is simple, light and bright, with a feature wall showing a map of London, and blackout blinds. Premier Inn has

ABOVE: Z Inside Double room; the Z café

BELOW: Hub by Premier Inn Bigger room; the lobby and café-bar

thought carefully about how to use the limited space to maximise storage.

There is plenty of room under the bed for cases, plus a narrow hanging space by a full-length mirror, and coat hooks. At the end of the bed is a ledge where items can be left, and a small desk slides out from here for use with the armchair. Wifi is free and there were plenty of plugs and USB ports.

An ironing board can be delivered.

The bathroom was modern with a powerful shower.

The Lounge café-bar serves a buffet breakfast (£6) that includes hot and cold items, plus tea, coffee and juice.

The main menu offers chicken or vegetable curry with rice (£6.99).

VERDICT A great location for business travellers looking for access to the City of London. Rooms are compact but well equipped in terms of technology, with a good shower and a comfortable bed. Mark Caswell PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from £150 for a Standard room, with the Bigger category costing £5 more. premierinn.com BT

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DISCOVER MORE: with the airline that flies to more countries than any other

MALAYSIA

PHOTOS CALGARY STAMPEDE

WORDS JENNI REID

Calgary ’s summer Stampede attracts a million visitors, but there’s more to this Canadian city than cowboys and oil

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RODEO RIDE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bareback horse riding, chuckwagon racing, celebrating indigenous culture and wearing traditional dress are all part of the Stampede FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

D E S T I N AT I O N S

C

algary has been given a few monikers in its time, with Cowtown and Stampede City among the most common. For much of the year, walking the Alberta city’s neat grid of streets between skyscrapers in shades of beige and grey, the Rocky Mountains just about visible on the horizon, there’s little evidence of the rustic identity those names suggest.

Each July, however, it is put firmly on show for a huge rodeo that attracts more than one million visitors. The ten-day Calgary Stampede takes place at a site near the Elbow River, with a funfair and concerts alongside televised events, including chuckwagon racing, which involves thoroughbred horses and covered wagons hurtling around a track. There are also displays of bucking bull and bareback horse riding, and “steer wrestling”, in which riders chase a young cow and attempt to bind its legs in the quickest time.

The event consumes the entire city.

Those not clad in cowboy hat and boots or traditional indigenous dress look out of place. Hay bales and cattle skulls decorate every restaurant and bar. Waiting at a crossroads, it’s no surprise to see dozens of people pass in horse-drawn wagons rather than cars.

As a visiting Brit, it’s an entertaining experience. There are impressive and, at times, bemusing sights – crowds roaring as dogs jump through hoops into a giant ball pit; the tension of the national sheepdog herding finals; men sliding into the mud while grasping a bull by the horns. But you also can’t fail to be struck by the sense of orderliness and civility around town, even as people line the streets in the summer sun drinking.

A VIEW FROM ABOVE

This city of 1.4 million people might commonly be used by tourists as a gateway to the Rockies, but there’s plenty to see even outside of the July Stampede. The 191-metre Calgary Tower has kept a watchful eye over the surrounding plains and mountains since 1968, and on a clear day the → view is stunning. It’s a good place to businesstraveller.com

FEBRUARY 2020

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ISTOCK: OSARIEME EWEKA; ISTOCK: JEFFREY WHYTE

D E S T I N AT I O N S

ABOVE AND LEFT: The new Calgary Central Library, which houses half a million books

Calgary was judged to be the world’s fifthmost liveable city last year

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orient yourself, especially if you pick up the audio guide. Look out for the Saddledome stadium, home of the Calgary Flames hockey team; the confluence of the Bow and Elbow rivers at Fort Calgary, where the city’s first buildings were erected; and the Canadian Pacific Railway, which crosses Canada from Vancouver in the west to Montréal in the east. In the distance is the ski tower from which Eddie the Eagle jumped at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Next to the tower, the excellent Glenbow Museum tells the history of Calgary from the lives of indigenous FEBRUARY 2020

people and their displacement by settlers, through to the arrival of the railway in 1883 and its growth as a centre of agriculture and commerce, to the discovery of oil in 1914. It also puts on brilliantly curated exhibitions.

You exit on to Stephen Avenue, where lovely sandstone buildings house lively bars, shops and restaurants. On sunny days the activity spills outside, with live music. The weather is notoriously changeable – in summer it’s often balmy, while in winter the average temperature is -11°C. The newest star on the cultural scene is the Calgary Central Library.

Designed by Norwegian architects Snohetta, the building artfully curves at the bottom to create both public areas and room for a light railway. Inside is a performance space, café, sculptures and nearly half a million books. The library is a few steps from the music museum at Studio Bell, which houses the Canadian Music Hall of Fame (inductees include Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Shania Twain).

The dining scene has also evolved.

Food writer Carmen Cheng says when she moved here in 2003 the choice of restaurants was fairly limited.

Chefs such as Connie DeSousa, John Jackson and Roy Oh elevated the options, although the economic downturn sparked by the oil price drop in 2014 hindered growth. Many small businesses now co-share spaces – for example, famed pizza outlet Noble Pie and beer taproom Eighty-Eight Brewing Company share premises on Portland Street. (See panel, overleaf, for Cheng’s recommendations.)

GROWTH IN CHOICE

The city saw eight million visitors in 2018, contributing CA$2 billion (£1.1 billion) to the local economy, according to Tourism Calgary. Set to boost numbers further is the expansion of the BMO Centre on the grounds of the Stampede. The convention venue is undergoing a CA$500 million (£290 million) refurbishment that will double its size, making it the secondlargest centre of its kind in Canada.

Hotel room supply rose 6.8 per cent to 3.7 million last year. New options include the biggest-ever businesstraveller.com

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Residence Inn by Marriott, which opened in March 2019 in the Beltline District with 390 rooms (for a review visit businesstraveller.com), the Alt Hotel from Le Germain Hotels, and a Hyatt Place at Calgary airport, located 17km from the city centre.

Passenger numbers at the airport have increased significantly since a new terminal opened in 2016. Another boost came last year through the growth of Westjet. The Calgary-based airline was launched as a low-cost carrier providing regional connections but in 2019 took delivery of three B787-9s with economy, premium businesstraveller.com

economy and business class cabins. The aircraft have been flying to destinations including Gatwick, Paris and Dublin (Gatwick-Calgary goes daily on April 14 – read our premium economy review at businesstraveller.com).

Air Canada flies daily to Calgary from Heathrow, or you can connect via Canada’s east coast with low-cost carrier Air Transat.

TOP SCORER

Calgary is Canada’s fourth-largest city but tops several cross-country rankings, including income and spend per capita, and population

ABOVE: Summer on Stephen Avenue during the Stampede

growth. It was judged to be the world’s fifth-most liveable city by the Economist Intelligence Unit last year, beating Vancouver in sixth place and Toronto in seventh. With 100 points marking the study’s version of “ideal”, Calgary scored a perfect 100 for stability, healthcare, education and infrastructure, brought down to a 97.5 average only by its score of 90 for culture and environment.

Yet for all this, in some ways it is in the midst of a winter of discontent. At the time of writing, the Conference Board of Canada had predicted that the combined GDP of Calgary and → FEBRUARY 2020

ISTOCK: JEFFREY WHYTE; OEB

D E S T I N AT I O N S

WHERE TO EAT

Food writer Carmen Cheng recommends a “breakfast poutine” (pictured below) at OEB Breakfast Co (eatoeb.com), which adds items such as lobster or pork belly to the quintessentially Canadian dish of fries, gravy and cheese curds. Or try Sidewalk Citizen (sidewalkcitizenbakery.com), a popular bakery that also serves Israeli-inspired meals. For lunch, she suggests the good value of steakhouse Charcut (charcut.com).

For dinner, a stand-out option is Bar Von Der Fels (barvonderfels.com), a wine bar with a seasonal menu renowned for its hasselback potatoes with brown butter sauce, and crab with white truffle shavings. Follow Cheng’s recommendations on Instagram: @foodkarmablog

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Edmonton, Alberta’s second-biggest city, would contract by 0.4 per cent in 2019. This is being blamed on weak investment levels, a downturn in construction and the impact of oil production quotas, local newspaper Calgary Herald reports.

OIL HEARTLANDS

Canada is the world’s fourth-largest oil-producing nation (behind the US, Russia and Saudi Arabia), but if Alberta were a country, it would rank fifth on its own. Following the oil price drop, Alberta’s unemployment rate soared to more than 9 per cent in 2017. There are signs of improvement, with that figure now down to about 7 per cent. Financial services company ATB Financial is predicting GDP growth of 0.9 per cent in 2020 and 2.1 per cent in 2021.

Despite economic diversification into tech, financial services and clean energy, this is still very much an oil FEBRUARY 2020

town. Of more than 200 corporate head offices in Calgary, over twothirds are in the energy and oil field services sectors. “I heart oil” can be seen on T-shirts and bumper stickers.

The national government under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been walking a tricky line. Trudeau promotes tackling climate change and protecting indigenous people while approving projects such as the Trans Mountain oil pipeline, which has been heavily criticised. Although his Liberal Party formed a minority government last October, all but one of Alberta’s 34 parliamentary seats went to the Conservative party.

There is now a movement calling for “Wexit”, or Western independence from the rest of Canada. According to the BBC, Alberta contributes billions a year to a federal tax pool but has not received a payment since 1965 and there was no financial help forthcoming for the province

ABOVE LEFT: Public art in the financial district

after the 2014 economic downturn.

Some Wexiteers accuse the eastern provinces of treating Alberta with a “colonialist mindset”, benefiting from its resources while failing to address its concerns. There have been calls for lower taxes and less regulation and, while still a fringe movement, there are signs of an impact. Torontobased tech company Wattpad cited Western separatism and cuts to Alberta’s tax credits for tech companies in its decision to choose Halifax, Nova Scotia, over Calgary for its second HQ. Still, for the most part Calgary is beloved by its locals. In a 2018 city survey, 83 per cent of respondents said their quality of life was “good”.

Residents I spoke to extolled the thriving artisan markets, arts scene and hiking opportunities. But there’s more than mountains to this compact, friendly city. Visitors who linger are likely to be pleasantly surprised. BT businesstraveller.com

500 years of reconnecting

Havana and Varadero, where the magic begins

#IBEROSTAR500LAHABANA

I B E RO STA R G R A N D PAC KA R D

I B E RO STA R S E L EC T I O N VA R A D E RO

What better occasion to enjoy Cuba than on Havana’s 500th anniversary?

Celebrate it with us and don’t miss out on an visit to Varadero. Have a wonderful experience this winter, spending your vacation at Iberostar hotels in Cuba. Relax at our “Spa Sensations”, savour the best Cuban cuisine in an elegant and sophisticated ambience or relax on some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

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THE

FUTURE IN FOCUS FEBRUARY 2020

In the decades to come, travel will be transformed by technology and environmental concerns. Here are some of the ideas that may shape our future travels

businesstraveller.com

CLEAR VISION

AI BEDS AND SMART MIRRORS

Hotel operations software company Guestline predicts the widespread integration of glass walls that can double as voice-controlled TVs or become digital wallpaper.

Bathrooms will also be clad in glass, although a simple voice command will make them opaque when you’re looking for privacy.

Smart mirrors will be installed in hotels of the future, according to Yotel. It surveyed 2,000 UK travellers and 72 per cent said they expected hotels to have hyper-integrated walls with interactive mirrors by 2050.

Respondents also said they expected AI-assisted beds that morph to fit the sleeper’s body shape and sense sleep cycles, and retract when not in use.

81%

of UK travellers told Yotel they expect augmented reality in hotels by 2050 to talk with friends and family

COOPER CARRY ARCHITECTS

GOING UP IN THE WORLD Students Ruslan Mannapov and Airat Zaidullin won the student category of 2019’s Radical Innovation Design Award for Hospitality for their “Rooftop Hotel Gardens” design – metallic and glass modules allowing additional rooms with great skyline views.

MOBILE HOTELS The first consideration for every property you book is its location, but what if the hotel could move to where you really wanted it? Cooper Carry Architects won 2019’s Radical Innovation Design Award for Hospitality for its “Connectic” concept (pictured above and left). The octahedral structure can be installed anywhere – for example, for temporary use in a park or green space, attached to an existing building or filling a space between buildings. businesstraveller.com

62%

of consumers said automated recognition using biometrics and facial recognition would enhance their experience, including locking and unlocking their hotel rooms juniperresearch.com

BIOMETRICS AND VOICE ACTIVATION You’ll pay for your hotel using fingerprints, iris scans and facial recognition, as well as unlock room doors, according to Oracle Hospitality’s report Hotel 2025.

Sound scary? Well, Yotel asked travellers what they envisioned in hotels in 2050 and 88 per cent favoured facial recognition for room access. Voice commands are expected to regulate lighting, air con and heating in hotel rooms, according to Guestline, and smart showers will detect the optimal temperature by registering the heat levels from a guest’s touch.

FEBRUARY 2020

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AERODYNAMICS

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The “Flying V” (above) is a prototype being funded by KLM and developed by a Dutch university. Its aerodynamic shape reduces fuel burn by 20 per cent compared with an A350 and the passenger cabins, cargo hold and fuel tanks are located in its wings, which fit within existing gate infrastructure. KLM says the design would “improve passenger experience, from the seating layout in the wings, to the design of the seats and bathrooms”.

Airbus recently trialled wing tips that flap in the wind (right).

They are designed to move like an albatross’s wings to minimise the effects of turbulence.

SEAT DESIGN

EVTOLS

Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing aircraft are all-electric and companies such as Volocopter (pictured), Lilium, Uber and Airbus are developing models. They could revolutionise urban mobility, although regulatory approval will depend on safety considerations and how people react to them flying low overhead.

FEBRUARY 2020

The growth of premium economy may see new types of seat emerge. The design pictured on the right, by UK firm Universal Movement, folds to create two firm “wings” on both sides that add privacy and allow you to rest your head.

Can business class get any better? Mike Crump, brand experience director at Acumen Design Associates, believes aircraft interiors could become more flexible, with options for dual dining, double beds, family areas and work spaces, breaking down class structures.

The biggest changes are likely to be in technology – for example, facial recognition syncing your IFE to your personal accounts and adjusting your comfort preferences, and immersive experiences provided via OLED screens. businesstraveller.com

GOING ELECTRIC

Electric aircraft are coming, but their capabilities depend on the development of batteries. There are more than 170 companies working on electric and hybrid aircraft projects, from Airbus and Boeing to start-ups such as Wright Electric.

Rolls-Royce is working on the fastest-ever all-electric aircraft (right), set to fly this year, and has teamed up with Airbus and Siemens on the E-Fan X, a two-megawatt, hybrid-electric engine for commercial aircraft due to debut in 2021.

The biggest markets for such aircraft would likely be short-haul airlines and private aviation. Easyjet says it wants to fly routes such as London-Amsterdam with electric planes by 2027, although critics say this is overly optimistic.

Long-haul electric flights are a distant prospect. As Airbus’s chief technology officer, Grazia Vittadini, points out, batteries that are 30 times more efficient and “energy-dense” than they are today could still only fly an A320 one-fifth of its current range with half of its payload.

Biofuels will account for

20%

of aviation fuel demand by 2040 The International Energy Agency

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THE NEW SUPERSONIC

The US Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration say they are “taking steps to advance the development of civil supersonic aircraft”. Boeing has partnered with US manufacturer Aerion to develop a plane (see artist’s impression above) that would fly at Mach 1.4 (approximately 1,600km per hour). Meanwhile, Boom Supersonic is building a Mach 2.2 aircraft that it hopes to fly by mid-2020, and Lockheed Martin has a contract with NASA to build a “low boom” demonstration aircraft.

The number of annual air passengers will double to

8.2 billion

over the next 20 years (IATA) businesstraveller.com

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CHRISTOPHER JOHNSON/FENTRESS

STREAMLINED SECURITY

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AIRPORT DESIGN

CHECK-IN AND BAG-DROP

Entries to the annual Fentress Global Challenge, an airport design competition for young architects, provide a glimpse into how different the airports of the future could look. The winning 2019 design by Daoru Wang shows a “drive-through airport”, with aircraft moving through phases in a line and the terminal facilities in a skyscraper rather than sprawling at ground level. Another design by Christopher Johnson (pictured above) sees an aircraft drivethrough process take place underneath the terminal.

IT provider SITA predicts the end of airport check-in desks, which will be replaced entirely with online checkin and self-service points, with passengers updated on every stage of the journey – boarding, flight changes, bag movements – via their mobile phones.

SITA says that in the future remote bag drop-off and collection will be offered at multiple points in the journey, such as at a train station, car park or coffee shop. These will be connected to high-speed conveyor belts and tracked throughout the journey. More services will enable pick-up or delivery to homes and hotels.

A new generation of sophisticated security scanners is emerging that will eliminate the necessity for liquids to be put in plastic bags or shoes to be removed. Combined with facial recognition, such devices will transform how travellers pass through security. In the near future, security measures could simply involve an escalator ride through various face and body scanners, or may even be carried out on public transport en route to the airport.

ROBOTS Already answering queries at airports including Heathrow, robot assistants will become more sophisticated. They will park cars (as the above model from Stanley Robotics already does), drive passengers to their gate through facial recognition, and solve complex issues.

BETTER BIOMETRICS Biometrics are well under way to revolutionising how we navigate the airport. As well as getting you through check-in, security and boarding without a passport or boarding pass, facial recognition will likely be used to let adverts target passengers based on age, gender or mood, provide lounge access, and as payment for shopping.

HYPERLOOP MOVEMENT British Airways’ report BA 2119: Flight of the Future suggests airports, and even aircraft, may be integrated with a hyperloop-style transit system (pictured), with travellers transported in modules from craft to craft. Check-in, food, drink, IFE selection and visa checks could be carried out within the hyperloop (a proposed high-speed mode of transport moving passengers via electric propulsion through a low-pressure tube).

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Grand Palladium Garden Beach Resort & Spa Grand Palladium Sicilia Resort & Spa

Sicily, Italy

TO WHAT YOU WEREN’T EXPECTING Immersed in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, there lies a mystifying island with turquoise coves named Sicily, where culture and gastronomy are the main attractions. Sicily will surprise anyone that explores its picturesque architecture and volcanic landscapes. Whether you’re looking to discover all the beauty that the island has to offer or to simply relax on the beach, in the pool or at Zentropia Palladium Spa & Wellness, the only thing you’ll have to worry about at the new Grand Palladium Hotels & Resorts in Sicily is enjoying yourself.

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TR AVEL TRENDS

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

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Visited everywhere? Soon you’ll be able to leave the stratosphere with the launch (pun intended) of space hotels. Elon Musk’s Space X Starship (pictured) aims to fly its first private passenger around the Moon in 2023, and Virgin Galactic is still marketing its £200,000 flights aboard its Space Ship Two for take-off this year.

The Gateway Foundation’s Von Braun Rotating Space Station plans to start hotel operations in 2025, with stays costing an eight-figure sum. The station will produce varying levels of gravity by adjusting the rate of rotation – so you can experience weightlessness but also have your feet on solid ground when dining or exercising.

Orion Span will also join the era of commercial space with the modular Aurora Station. Activities here include growing food while in orbit and the opportunity to experience zero gravity. The luxury hotel will launch 12-day trips starting at US$9.5 million per person in 2022 and is now accepting deposits, so get saving.

VIRTUAL WORLDS

2030

FEBRUARY 2020

ISTOCK: AKSONOV

The year that the Von Braun Rotating Space Station expects to have 500 people living in orbit and 200 tourists per week, totalling over 10,000 people annually

Virtual reality will become commonplace in hospitality and work environments. Sensory equipment means hotel rooms will be able to provide whatever view you desire – a beach or a city, depending on your mood – or you could have a staycation, escaping reality via a headset. Meetings will take place in a virtual reality workplace to reduce a company’s carbon footprint, manufacturers will use VR to allow people to test-drive an experience, and airlines will provide onboard immersive experiences. businesstraveller.com

TRANSLATION TECHNOLOGY

BJARKE INGELS GROUP

Once technology takes over, will we need to learn languages? Apps and devices can already translate in real time and, according to Ericsson Consumer Lab’s 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2030: The Internet of Senses, some 70 per cent of consumers expect to have earphones that automatically and flawlessly translate languages by 2030. In the far future, humans might even be microchipped, with the brain receiving instant translations, or maybe we’ll be able to mind-read, doing away with words altogether.

Over 60%

of the world’s population will live in cities in ten years’ time World Economic Forum

FLOATING CITIES

ISTOCK: LAREMENKO

With 90 per cent of the world’s largest cities exposed to rising seas by 2050, Oceanix has designed the first sustainable floating city (above) for 10,000 residents. The flood- and stormproof habitat of six neighbourhoods is located around a protected central habitat, with communal farming.

Buildings made from locally sourced materials can be moved to more suitable locations when weather demands. At the same time, we’ll also dig deeper. In Samsung’s KX50: The Future in Focus report, Professor Dale Russell predicts the arrival of earthscrapers (inverted skyscrapers) to save space in ever more crowded metropolises. BT

DRIVERLESS ROOMS

Design studio Aprilli has designed an “autonomous travel suite” (right) that blurs driverless transport with a hotel room – the car has sleep, work and bathroom facilities so you can be productive on your journey. Aprilli views it as a competitive option to air and rail travel, as it removes the need for a secondary means of transportation. The suites are designed to be able to dock on to existing infrastructure at a hotel, giving guests access to public facilities including dining areas, gyms and meeting rooms. businesstraveller.com

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D E S T I N AT I O N S

Best known as the home of pandas, the business scene in the Sichuan capital is anything but black and white

WORDS CRYSTAL REID

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irst inhabited more than 4,000 years ago in the 18th to tenth centuries BC, Chengdu is an ancient city with modern means. The capital of China’s southwestern Sichuan province, its glass-fronted skyscrapers loom large beyond the sweeping eaves of a regenerated old town, while multi-lane highways stretch long and straight in contrast to the milky-green, meandering Jin River.

Surrounded by the fertile lands of the Sichuan Plain and overlooked by the Tibetan Plateau, Chengdu has long been dubbed the “Land of Abundance” thanks to the bountiful vegetables, meat and fish produced here. Now, as one of the most important economic hubs in China, it is business opportunities that are growing fast and sustaining this city of around 16 million people.

FEBRUARY 2020

In recent years, Chengdu has benefited from a flurry of domestic and international investment thanks to President Xi Jinping’s signature One Belt One Road initiative, which seeks to reopen trade routes along the ancient Silk Road and spread economic growth towards the “wild west” of China. City officials found that this plan dovetailed nicely with already established policies of the Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, ultimately resulting in speedy development, local innovation and international interest.

Today, the business landscape is typified by the IT back offices and R&D centres of global giants such as Siemens, Nokia, SAP, IBM, Volkswagen and Apple alongside smaller boutique tech firms and start-ups. Some 41,000 new companies were registered in 2018 as Chengdu’s GDP reached a whopping 1.5 trillion yuan (£167 billion), rising businesstraveller.com

THE CHANGING FACE OF CHENGD U

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INTERNATIONAL OUTLOOK

With a strategic position at the start of the so-called Southern Silk Road, which connected Sichuan province to South Asia more than 2,000 years ago, Chengdu has a long legacy of trade with the wider world. As China seeks to attract overseas talent in the realms of technology, science, healthcare and innovation, local policies have focused on drawing in foreign business and expertise.

Despite still having a relatively small expat population businesstraveller.com

(about 17,000 people compared with 100,000 in Beijing and 200,000 in Shanghai), some 285 Fortune 500 companies had a presence in the city by the end of 2018, with foreign trade volume increasing by more than 26 per cent from a year earlier to 498 billion yuan (£55.5 billion).

Chengdu is now ranked 71st in the world in terms of international outlook (up 27 places since 2017), according to the Globalisation and World Cities Research Network.

Silicon Valley-style facilities abound in the Tianfu New Area, which opened its green gates to innovative businesses in 2011 as part of the Chengdu Pilot Free Trade Zone.

Dotted around a patchwork of lakes, cycling tracks and open spaces are dozens of HQs, incubators and co-working spaces adorned with entrepreneurial statements like → “Imagine” and “Accelerate” alongside Steve Jobs and FEBRUARY 2020

HONGLOUWAWA/HUNG-CHUNG_CHIH/ISTOCK

by 8 per cent year-on-year, 1.4 per cent higher than the national average. Newer foreign start-ups are snapping at the heels of homegrown success stories such as Chengdu gaming firm Tap4Fun, beautifying phone app Camera360, and Huochebang, known as the Uber of trucking.

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Einstein quotes. Benefits for companies working here and in the adjacent Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone include huge tax cuts, free or heavily subsidised rent, and even multimilliondollar grants for “extremely outstanding” projects. There are specialist buildings staffed by foreigners to help new-intown professionals to untangle the web of available perks.

Hoping to help budding business owners get, and stay, ahead of the game is Allen Sanchez, who founded the Chengdu branch of Le Wagon – a global bootcamp franchise aimed at fostering skills in the technology and start-up scene – in the Chengdu Hi-Tech Zone in 2017.

Sanchez registered Le Wagon Chengdu as a Wholly Foreign Owned Enterprise in less than three months, taking advantage of a virtual address and a policy that did away with the need for liquid capital.

Since then, the programme has seen 64 students graduate from its nine-week courses, and two companies, both providing WeChat development services to foreign businesses, founded thereafter. At least half of those signing up for the courses – which cost 36,000 yuan (£4,000) in Chengdu as opposed to 44,000 yuan (£4,900) in Le Wagon’s Shenzhen and Shanghai locations – come from outside the city. “Generally these people are interested in seeing a different side of China and not just the big eastcoast cities,” Sanchez says. “Chengdu is exciting and growing fast and they want a more authentic China experience.”

FOREIGN INTEREST

FEBRUARY 2020

FROM TOP: Tianfu Square; a fish hotpot

businesstraveller.com

CHUYU/XIJAN/ISTOCK

While the cost of starting up, salaries and living are much lower than in cities along the east coast, it’s not always plain sailing for new companies looking to get off the ground. Ronnie Kuppens, managing partner of Maxxelli Consulting, which helps businesses relocate to Chengdu, says he has seen many smaller ventures fail because local competition is fierce and incentives are largely focused on global players in high-tech and innovation industries.

“The majority of normal companies don’t get any benefits, and even for those that do, the margins are small and the market changes quickly,” he says. “It’s hard to compete with multinational and Chinese companies that have more access to cheap capital and can do things a lot faster and cheaper than you. To really succeed here, foreign companies need to focus on the Chinese middle class and have a unique selling point that can’t be copied.”

Sanchez admits that a dearth of local talent means it’s still easier for foreign firms to set up in the first-tier cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, but says that the local government is working hard to attract overseas-educated Chinese with targeted policies and a low cost of living.

According to a Linkedin report in June 2018, Beijing and Shanghai are rapidly losing their dominant position in attracting overseas returnees in the face of growth in second-tier cities, Chengdu and Hangzhou in particular.

“The government is doing a lot and it’s working. I’m seeing more and more people coming back [who are] from Chengdu,” Sanchez says.

Anita Lai is testament to this trend. Having pursued ABOVE FROM LEFT: Canopy by Hilton; further education in the US and Europe, she moved back Hilton Chengdu home and last year established She Leads, a mentorship Chenghua programme for both local and foreign women. For only 799 yuan (£89) per person to cover basic materials, new mothers, middle managers and fellow overseas returnees are matched with female mentors with decades of experience in a range of sectors. Lai has witnessed mentees make huge professional strides during the three-month programme, but says that the city as a whole still has a way to go before it reaches the Western standard of professionalism ‘Busy is good for that she is trying to nurture. the economy and While attractive to many, Chengdu’s famous work-life balance – it is consistently people are happy. voted the happiest city in China – often I never hear locals manifests itself in bad punctuality and poor complaining’ efficiency, Lai admits, creating headaches for ambitious start-ups. “Chengdu is developing fast, but coming from abroad I see it’s not quite there yet,” she says. “There are a lot of entrepreneurs here and that doesn’t always chime well with the city’s laid-back lifestyle.”

TOURIST DRAW

This easygoing reputation has, however, served it well in other sectors, proving a big draw for tourists. With its panda breeding base, UNESCO recognition as a city of gastronomy and reputation as a party hub, Chengdu welcomes an estimated 100 million tourists a year, making it one of the most visited cities in the country. Chengdu Shuangliu International airport leads its counterparts in central and western China by serving more than 355 cities, 118 of which are international (Air China flies nonstop to Heathrow). Having become the first city businesstraveller.com

in western China to introduce a 144-hour visa-free scheme and with the opening of a second airport slated for 2021, this sector is only expected to grow further.

Niccolo Chengdu hotel in Chun Xi Road business district has seen its proportion of leisure guests rise from 57 to 65 per cent since it opened in 2015, with the W, the Hilton Chengdu Chenghua and Canopy by Hilton all opening in 2019. “Chengdu continues to aggressively promote the city both domestically and internationally and it remains a popular choice driven by the food, pandas and relaxed nature of the Chengdunese people,” says Michael Ganster, general manager of Niccolo Chengdu.

Canadian Jordan Porter founded Chengdu Food Tours in 2015 after falling in love with the city on a study programme. While his English-language tours have grown in popularity thanks to the increase in foreign tourists, the restaurant scene has evolved from one characterised by family-run “fly eateries” (because the patrons buzz in and out like flies) to one of rapid gentrification.

Along the city’s hippest streets, Shamao Jie and Tangba Jie, nostalgia reigns supreme. Hole-in-the-wall restaurants serving up jia chang cai (homestyle cooking) have been pushed out by novelty hotpot joints designed to look like old-school Chengdu in a clean, bright, Instagram-friendly way. But while some traditional eateries may be literally losing ground in terms of high-value real estate, Porter doesn’t see much local resistance. “Chengdu is benefiting from all the attention,” he says. “Busy is good for the economy and people are happy. I never hear locals complaining.”

As far as Lai is concerned, such rapid development is the main reason people are drawn to Chengdu. Companies – both local and foreign – that can adapt and thrive in a fast-changing, highly competitive market may just find themselves perfectly placed. “You can see changes every day,” she says. “Those who seize the opportunities as the city is developing can really make things happen.” BT FEBRUARY 2020

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WORDS JENNI REID

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Chicago West Loop Art, markets and gourmet goodies abound in this former industrial district

FEBRUARY 2020

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UNION STATION

Chicago’s central Loop district contains many of the city’s bestknown sites, and there is some buzzing nightlife to be found to its north. But the West Loop – a former industrial district that has spent the past decade building a trendy reputation – offers some great restaurants and bars, as well as small businesses and a community feel.

Begin at Union Station, in the area’s southeast corner. The Beaux Arts structure was designed by Daniel Burnham, the architect behind New York’s Flatiron Building, and opened in 1925. Its exterior is made from Indiana limestone but it’s the interior that is most impressive, with dark oak benches sitting on an expansive marble floor, surrounded by imposing classical-style columns

and statues, all covered by a 67-metre long, barrel-vaulted skylight.

Owner Amtrak is spending tens of millions of dollars on refreshing the building, two-thirds of which is not currently accessible to the public. So far that has included recarpeting the staircase that features in 1987 movie The Untouchables and refurbishing former lounges. Outside, it is planning a new green public space and entrance on the western side. Rail and architecture buffs can book a one-hour tour (US$20). chicagounionstation.com

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KAVI GUPTA GALLERY

Walk north up Jefferson Street, past the imposing Presidential Towers, and turn left on to Washington Boulevard. Pop into the Kavi Gupta Gallery, run by the eponymous gallerist, who also has an outpost in

Berlin. Open Tuesday to Saturday, it hosts a range of temporary exhibitions, generally showcasing emerging or mid-career artists, as well as permanent galleries. Until September, you can catch Better Nights by Mickalene Thomas, an immersive experience based on the New Jersey-set play Put a Little Sugar in My Bowl, as well as a curated selection of work by artists of colour.

According to the gallery website, Chicago-born Gupta was “one of the first to see opportunity in West Loop” in the late 1990s, when the neighbourhood was known for struggling industry, abandoned buildings and drug use. He has another gallery in a refurbished warehouse on nearby Elizabeth Street, which has shorter opening hours but can be visited by appointment. kavigupta.com businesstraveller.com

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ANTWON MCMULLEN/GNAGEL/ISTOCK; ANTWON MCMULLEN/SHUTTERSTOCK

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WEST RANDOLPH STREET

Head one block north for a stroll along West Randolph Street, the red-brick buildings of which house buzzing restaurants and bars. The likes of Google and Linkedin have set up bases in West Loop, and halfway down West Randolph you’ll spot “Hamburger University” – the global HQ of McDonald’s, where you can pick up items from its global menus.

If that’s not your thing, grab a coffee from La Colombe (lacolombe.com), which roasts its beans in the Chicago suburbs, try a pale ale at Haymarket pub (haymarketbeer.com), or a glass of red at City Winery (citywinery.com), which produces its own bottles with grapes from California and Oregon.

Scandi-inspired restaurant Elske (elskerestaurant.com) has a Michelin star, while Little Goat is an businesstraveller.com

upmarket take on the American diner (littlegoatchicago.com). Or try Lou Malnati’s (loumalnatis.com) for deep-dish pizza with a buttery base.

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OPEN BOOKS

A block north, on West Lake Street, you’ll find the friendly team behind Open Books, a shop that is also a non-profit social venture. It runs free reading sessions and creative writing clubs for young people and delivers thousands of books each week to schools in the city. The West Loop store stocks more than 50,000 new and used books, with squishy leather sofas and armchairs to retreat to – a good pitstop if you’re starting to get sore feet. open-books.org

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FULTON MARKET

Follow the elevated train line west towards West Fulton Market and

the streets around it. This was oonce the meatpacking district (look out for some colourful graffiti depiccting this), but today it is being whollly transformed by gentrification. Former F market buildings with ageing exxteriors are being gutted to house glass-ffronted shops, offices, bars and restauraants, and new buildings are on their way that will raise the height of its skyline. s It’s an interesting area for a wander w and, if you’re not already sated from your trip to West Randolph Strreet, has a wealth of food and drink venues. One hotspot is the rooftop restaurant and bar at the Hoxton hotel (thehoxton.com), opened by the London-based chain in April 2019.

Time Out recently opened a 4,645 sqm food hall (timeoutmarket.com/ chicago), or channel your inner child at Punch Bowl Social’s vintage arcade (punchbowlsocial.com). BT

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FEBRUARY 2020

London Paddington to Heathrow Central

in just 15 minutes

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Heathrow Express is the fastest and most convenient way to travel between London Paddington and Heathrow Central. With comfortable seats, plenty of luggage space and complimentary Wi-Fi, the non-stop journey takes 15 minutes* to Terminals 2 & 3 with an extra 6 minutes to Terminal 5. There is a free transfer service to Terminal 4.

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*Based on journey to Terminals 2 & 3.

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Get there sooner

RAIL

We round up ten of the most noteworthy new rolling stock entering service on UK train lines

WORDS ALEX MCWHIRTER

Track changes

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ever before have we seen so many new trains enter service on the UK’s railways.

It means politicians can no longer complain about a lack of rail investment in the country, especially in the north, where so much cash has been provided for new rolling stock (see “All change”, September 2019 issue).

However, some readers will lament the fact that most of the new trains have been manufactured overseas by firms such as Germany’s Siemens, Spain’s CAF or Switzerland’s Stadler.

While it is true that Hitachi has a factory in the north-east, a few of its IEP trains (or their parts) have come from Italy (Hitachi has a plant at Pistoia) and Japan.

Here are ten of the most important and interesting new trains now entering service. Note that we did not include the Elizabeth Line in the south-east as it will not open fully for at least a couple of years.

businesstraveller.com

GWR’S IETS ▼

GWR has branded its Hitachi trains as Intercity Express Trains (IET) and these are already in service across its mainline network from London Paddington to Wales and the West Country. The superior acceleration of the IET has enabled GWR to improve mainline services with faster journeys since December. gwr.com

LNER’S AZUMAS ▲

Clever publicity by LNER (London and North Eastern Railway) means most rail users know Azuma trains.

They are part of the IEP (Intercity Express Programme) manufactured

by Hitachi and already in service with GWR. The trains’ advantage lies in bi-mode capability enabling them to run on non-electrified lines. Azuma trains now run on the entire LNER network from Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Inverness down the ECML (East Coast Main Line) to London King’s Cross. lner.co.uk

→ FEBRUARY 2020

RAIL

CALEDONIAN SLEEPER ▲

TRANSPENNINE EXPRESS’S NOVAS ▼ Transpennine Express has introduced a £500 million fleet of 44 Nova trains.

There are three variants of Nova trainsets – electric, bi-mode and diesel-powered. Some come from Hitachi (IEP variants), others from CAF. These are a significant upgrade in terms of comfort and capacity compared with the existing multiple units. They are being introduced progressively across the train operating company’s network, which includes routes linking Liverpool and Manchester to Glasgow, Newcastle and Edinburgh, and services across the Pennines. tpexpress.co.uk

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HULL TRAINS’ PARAGONS ▲

Hull Trains now has bi-mode Hitachi IEPs, which are branded Paragon and are being introduced to replace its unreliable 180s or Adelantes. The open access operator runs services between Hull and King’s Cross several times a day. The Paragon trains (which have variations in their internal layout and technical configurations) entered service only a few weeks after delivery from Hitachi – fast by rail industry standards. hulltrains.co.uk FEBRUARY 2020

After a number of technical failures last year, there have been fewer recent issues with Caledonian Sleeper’s new rolling stock. The CAF coaches offer night train passengers modern amenities, with showers and en suite toilets in the top accommodation. The trains operate six nights a week from London Euston to Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Fort William and Inverness. By moving the Sleeper upmarket, it is targeting the corporate and luxury leisure market. sleeper.scot

GREATER ANGLIA’S FLIRTS ▲

Greater Anglia took a bold decision when opting for 38 swish and sophisticated bi-mode trainsets from Stadler. Called Flirt (Fast, Light and Intercity Regional Train), so far they operate local routes in Norfolk and Suffolk but in the future will run on the Stansted Express and mainline services linking Norwich to London Liverpool Street. Flirts are articulated – rare for UK rail – and users have praised their comfort and refinement. → greateranglia.co.uk businesstraveller.com

Business Direct

Book rail travel across Great Britain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with no booking fee.

Get in touch for more information www.southwesternrailway.com/sme business.travel@SWRailway.com 0203 872 2226

RAIL

THAMESLINK’S SIEMENS TRAINS ▼

SCOTRAIL’S HITACHI 385S ▼

Scotrail has taken delivery of 70 Hitachi 385 electric multiple units which speed frequently between Edinburgh and Glasgow, usually taking 40 to 50 minutes.

It also operates services in the Central Belt. As a teenager, my trips over this line on diesel trains took well over an hour and were far less frequent. scotrail.co.uk

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SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY’S AVENTRAS ▲

Thameslink’s huge order of Siemens units – a total of 1,140 carriages – has led to increases in speed and badly needed extra capacity. Siemens says it is the largest order that it has ever received from the UK. Thameslink operates vital services for commuters and air passengers, running between Bedford and Brighton via central London and some mainline stations, in particular St Pancras International.

It also connects Luton and Gatwick airports and its services extend into Kent and up the ECML to Peterborough and Cambridge. thameslinkrailway.com BT

South Western Railway has ordered a fleet of new 701 Aventra trains for its suburban and outer London routes, covering many of the UK’s most affluent areas. Capable of reaching speeds of 100mph, they will be equipped with modern amenities. These trains are coming from Bombardier’s Derby plant and a few are currently under test for service entry later this year. southwesternrailway.com

NORTHERN’S CAFS ▶

Pacer trains (basically a bus on steel wheels) are finally being replaced in the north. Some politicians complain about a lack of rail investment in the north to score points, but the Pacers will all be gone in a matter of months. Northern has ordered a 101-strong fleet of conventional CAF multiple units to replace the Pacers operating in the northwest and Yorkshire. northernrailway.co.uk FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

Shift down to neutral Carbon efficiency, offsetting and alternative methods of heating are all playing a part in the journey to carbon-neutral travel

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SWITZERLAND’S TSCHUGGEN HOTEL GROUP is aiming for guests to have carbon-neutral stays. As well as achieving the maximum reduction of CO2 emissions possible from its buildings, the goal is for CO2neutrality from check-in to check-out and the offsetting of unavoidable emissions by financing two climate protection projects: the rehabilitation of wetlands at Tourbières des Ponts-deMartel in Neuchâtel, and the Virunga mountain gorilla project in the Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda.

One property, the Valsana Hotel and Apartments in Arosa, has 40 rooms and nine apartments, which run on an ice battery in the basement.

Ovens are being replaced so they don’t burn wood, a Tesla vehicle is used for hotel transfers, soap is recycled (no, you don’t have to use a previous guest’s), and electricity is generated exclusively from alpine hydropower.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Balcony at Valsana Hotel and Apartments; Tschuggen Grand Hotel’s mountain railway; a room at Valsana

FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

OFFSETTING 1 AIR FRANCE

is offsetting carbon emissions on all flights within mainland France through participation in environmental projects.

2 B R I T I S H A I R WAY S Customers flying within the UK on flights operated by BA now have the carbon emissions from their flights offset.

SAS HAS IT WRAPPED UP Some form of plastic is often necessary on board aircraft owing to food safety requirements. SAS has launched a new packaging cube for delivering food to passengers in economy class which is made of FSC-approved paper with a coating manufactured from organic, plant-based plastic.

The plant-based plastic cutlery is made from vegetable oil, which is processed by natural fermentation and micro-organisms, and is compostable. They are wrapped in paper napkins made from recycled material and, instead of putting a wet wipe in each cube, these will now be available on request. By May the new cutlery will be found in every food packaging cube.

3 E A SYJ E T SLOW UP TAKE

16%

of readers are intending to offset flights this coming year (see business traveller.com/polls)

says it is offsetting the carbon emissions from the fuel used on all of its domestic and international flights.

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JETBLUE From July the US low-cost carrier will offset the CO2 emissions from all of its US domestic flights.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

Day to day, we forget that if the billions of years of life on Earth were scaled to a 24-hour day, our settled civilisations began about a fifth of a second ago US environmentalist Bill McKibben, Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out?

A QUICK CUPPA? THESE EDIBLE BISCOTTI COFFEE CUPS are being trialled in Air New Zealand’s lounges in Auckland and on some select trans-Tasman flights. The cup is made by familyrun business Twiice from wheat flour, sugar, egg, vanilla essence and natural vanilla flavour. Twiice says the cup is leakproof and will “stay crisp at least as long as it takes to drink the coffee, and longer”, although it hasn’t developed a biscuit lid for the cup. Niki Chave, Air New Zealand customer experience manager for in-flight, says that the airline will work with Twiice and other partners to explore scaling options that could make it a viable long-term product for the carrier. (Note that the cups contain gluten and may also contain traces of dairy, soy, tree nuts, peanuts and sesame seeds.) businesstraveller.com

FEBRUARY 2020

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RE SP ONSIBLE TR AVELLER

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ECO READS Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? Author Bill McKibben wrote The End of Nature more than 30 years ago.

Now, after a lifetime of activism, this is his sobering assessment of the existential threat we now face.

McKibben hasn’t given up hope (he was co-founder of environmental pressure group 350.org), but he is clear that politics has been corrupted and politicians continue to fail to act. Headline, £9.99

TREES FOR TRAINS EUROSTAR IS PLANTING A TREE for every train service that it operates across its routes. The rail operator has partnered with the Woodland Trust, Reforest Action and Trees for All to plant 20,000 additional trees annually in woodlands across its markets of the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

Eurostar has already begun to remove single-use plastics from its services. In November last year it operated its first plastic-free train between London and Paris. The train featured new wooden cutlery, recyclable cans of water, glass wine bottles, paper-based coffee cups and eco-friendly food packaging.

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There is No Planet B Feeding the world, climate change, biodiversity, antibiotics, plastics… what are the effects of our actions, and what can we do about it? Mike BernersLee has the facts and figures, and advice on what we might do. This is a practical guide that offers the individual guidance as it details first steps, yet doesn’t pretend to be the last word. Highly recommended.

Cambridge University Press, £9.99

The Chrysalids Time for some fiction. John Wyndham is best known for his book The Day of the Triffids, but this dystopian novel of 1955 is even better. It is set in a postapocalyptic world where “The Tribulation” forever ended the way of life of the “Old People” (who, it is rumoured, were even able to fly). The story of David Strorm’s coming of age and what he learns about his society will grip you from first page to last. Penguin Classics, £8.99

FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

H I LT O N C L E A N S U P

Nordic explorer HYBRID-POWERED CRUISE SHIP the MS Fridtjof Nansen is completing its sea trials with a series of short pre-inaugural voyages in UK waters. Departing from London (March 7), Liverpool (March 12) and Portsmouth (March 17), the five-night trips will explore the south coast, visiting the Isles of Scilly, Fowey, Isle of Man and Dartmouth, before the ship returns to Norway, with the summer of 2020 being spent exploring Greenland and Iceland.

The ship takes about 500 guests and facilities include a fully-equipped Science Centre, observation decks, an infinity pool, panoramic sauna, wellness centre, three restaurants, bars and an Explorer Lounge. More than half of cabins have private balconies.

It is the second hybrid-powered ship from expedition cruise company Hurtigruten, which celebrated its 125th anniversary by banning all single-use plastics and is completely rebuilding existing ships to run on a combination of large battery packs, liquefied natural gas (LNG) and biogas (LBG), produced from organic waste such as dead fish. hurtigruten.co.uk

businesstraveller.com

AIRPORTS

FROM THE GROUND UP 1 GLASGOW

HILTON’S UK TEAM has announced a soap recycling programme that it says will divert 64 tonnes of waste from landfill each year. The group has expanded its partnership with Clean the World so that soap bars from Hilton’s UK hotels (plus 17 countries in continental Europe) are being sent to Clean the World’s recycling facility in Amsterdam. Once there, they are cleaned and repurposed into 700,000 new bars each year, which will be sent to communities in need. Hilton said that these would especially be in countries with a high death rate owing to pneumonia and cholera. According to the NGO, five million partially used soap bars are thrown away in hotels around the world every day. Hilton says its eventual goal is to recycle 100 per cent of its leftover soap bars.

has introduced a fleet of electric buses that serves its terminal and long-stay car park, replacing the previous dieselpowered vehicles.

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BIRMINGHAM has followed suit with six 7900e single-deck buses running a free passenger service across all landside routes. The buses are quieter, have USB charging points and can provide location-based updates for passengers.

3 LO N D O N S TA N S T E D has begun trialling fully compostable bags for passengers carrying liquids in their hand luggage. The airport says that it currently gets through 11 million bags per year. The new bags have been approved by the Department for Transport and Civil Aviation Authority. Passengers will have the option of using regular plastic bags but will be encouraged to reuse them in the future.

FEBRUARY 2020

OPINION

Live long and prosper Want to enjoy a healthy, lengthy life? Head for the Sardinian hills – or, failing that, choose hotels that keep your wellbeing in mind DEREK PICOT A HOTELIER FOR MORE THAN 30 YE ARS A N D A U T H O R O F H O T E L R E S E R VAT I O N S

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FEBRUARY 2020

CHECK IN, CHILL OUT But how do you find the missing ingredient?

A community of like-minded people who share your values? There are several hotels and resorts that are encouraging travellers to believe that they will meet others who share their wellness values if they visit. Six Senses is one such brand, while individual properties include Samujana Villas in Koh Samui, which takes particular care to note guest preferences for diet, exercise and the desire to reconnect with themselves.

According to Mia Kyricos, senior-vice president and global head of wellbeing at Hyatt, her company has grasped the challenge and developed a wellbeing mantra that is truly global: Feel, Fuel, Function. The “feel” is your emotional equilibrium; “fuel” is what it proposes you eat through its programme “Food. Thoughtfully Sourced.

Carefully Served”; and “function” relates to how you move or behave at work or leisure.

This is being rolled out wherever a property can deliver these components effectively.

Kyricos reckons the wellbeing economy is worth US$4.2 trillion. She says research recently released by the Global Wellness Institute shows that “wellness tourism” is growing twice as fast as global tourism, and that wellness tourists spend 50-180 per cent more per trip than the average guest.

So there we have it – business travellers who want to live longer will have to spend more to do it. When you’re out and about, make sure you stop off to buy ethically sourced local food, before perhaps attending a spinning class or buying a course of meditative yoga with like-minded people.

Or maybe just throw away your career, invest in a mountainside flock of sheep and lead a more peaceful, stress-free life. BT businesstraveller.com

BENJAMIN SOUTHAN

ow long do business eat a diet as suggested in Genesis – fruit, travellers live in comparison seeds, plants and perhaps a little fish. They with Sardinian shepherds? have a full day of rest on the Sabbath that Perhaps not a question that might involve a healthy family activity such pops into your head that as hill walking, and they are socially engaged often, but an enlightening one nonetheless with their community. that National Geographic fellow and author Similarly, those shepherds in Sardinia Dan Buettner addressed when speaking who make it past 100 live in hillside villages about wellness at the International Luxury and eat a vegetable-based Mediterranean Travel Market in Cannes in late 2018. diet with little meat. They focus on family He and his team had spent three years and village life ahead of ambition. So lots of analysing the world’s Blue Zones – regions exercise walking up the hills and plenty of where people live much longer than average fibre. These centenarians acknowledge that (so he claims). The term stress-free lives may not have first appeared in the 2005 made them rich, but they are National Geographic cover outliving global capitalists.

Kyricos reckons story “The secrets of a Anna Bjurstam, founding the wellbeing long life” and was used to board member of the Global economy is worth describe areas where Wellness Summit, agrees, homo sapiens were advocating a lifestyle that US$4.2 trillion outliving their neighbours. prioritises sleep, fitness and According to his research, good diet. She is imploring stressed business people hoteliers to embrace what is can potentially add up to ten years to their described as “emotional predicted life span if they begin to adopt hospitality”. She would like certain practices. proprietors who are interested in the wellbeing of business KEYS TO LONG LIFE travellers to sell that proposition So what are these practices? to make sure there is a clear message What is the elixir for the right from check-in to check-out. road-weary traveller? And What does that mean, exactly? Use the why am I giving away this secret without stairs and not the lift? Avoid the burgers? first getting your bank details? Well, the Don’t amble in the corridor, run? key lies in three distinct areas that Apparently not. It’s a call to those in the unsurprisingly include diet and exercise but hospitality industry to consider what more also include fellowship – or, rather, with and more of its clientele want – namely, to whom and how you choose to live your life. live longer. And to help them achieve this, The only Blue Zone in the US that management should provide the right Buettner identified is Loma Linda, backdrop for customers – offering vegan California, where a group of Seventh-day choices, a decent gym and a guide to the Adventists live. Their creed ensures that they best walks in the vicinity, for example.

â??

The event is very good for all sorts of levels of experience and good for career progression in terms of broadening your knowledge. A must for all travel and procurement buyers PETER QUINN, PURCHASING MANAGER, SOPRA STERIA LTD

Use code BTUK20

OPINION

Ask the pilot Our undercover captain reveals what goes on in the cockpit

How has the job changed since you started?

to enter the flight deck since 9/11, pilots being able to work longer hours, and much stricter controls on the consumption of alcohol before reporting to fly (the limit is almost zero).

When I began flying commercially 27 years ago, it was a different world. First, most aircraft were what we would describe as “clockwork”, meaning the flight instruments How much of a flight is were predominantly dials, onboard spent on autopilot? computers were basic, the aircraft systems At present, all take-offs are manually flown. for pressurisation, fuel, air conditioning and Depending on aircraft type, the autopilot so on were manually controlled, navigation may be engaged at approximately 500 feet. was by radio beacons and gyroscopes and It will then remain engaged to about the autopilot was relatively basic.

1,000 feet before landing, depending on Nowadays, all of the flight data is displayed weather conditions. If it is a low cloud base on TV screens, the computers are more it could be later or if it is sophisticated (but less windy, and in particular a powerful than your tablet), Over time the crosswind, it could be earlier aircraft systems are pilot’s role has to allow the pilot to adjust automatically controlled, to manual flight. If the navigation is by GPS and become less about weather is foggy for landing the autopilots are so manually flying then the aircraft must accurate they can land the auto-land and the autopilot aircraft exactly on the the aircraft will be disconnected once centre line of the runway. the aircraft has decelerated Most airlines have also on the runway. installed what could be termed a “spy on the The autopilots are so good flight deck”, which is a system that records now that, depending on any event or deviation outside aircraft type, there is no of a set of parameters defined requirement to see the runway by the airline. This is designed before landing; the problem is to enhance safety, or to stop finding your way once on the ground. pilots having fun! I think it’s Not all aircraft have the capability to true to say that, over time, the auto-land if the fog is really dense so in this pilot’s role has become less about manually case they would need to wait for an flying the aircraft and more about improvement in conditions. programming computers and managing Having said all that, as pilots we do enjoy systems and people. flying the aircraft. If weather conditions are Other changes over the years include the favourable, the air traffic environment not ban on smoking, no visitors other than crew businesstraveller.com

too busy and we are familiar with the airport and surroundings then we may manually fly below 10,000 feet.

Is most flying boring?

Short-haul flying, no. Long haul, yes. The latter can involve flights of up to 14 hours in duration. Depending on the length there may be two, three or four pilots to ensure that each has the opportunity to have a break and remain alert when flying the aircraft. However, we still end up sat at the controls for anything up to about eight hours. During that time we need to monitor what the aircraft is doing, manage the navigation, deal with any problems that might arise, check weather for nearby airfields should we need to divert, and talk to air traffic control. Even after all of these duties there is still considerable time left. So what do we do the rest of the time? Well, we eat our meals, read the newspaper, put the world to rights, stretch our legs and enjoy the amazing view. Fear not, though, we are still actively monitoring the flight.

Do you check your bags or store them up front?

It depends on the length of trip. Small suitcases and holdalls can be stored on the flight deck, otherwise they will need to be checked in. Generally speaking, long-haul trips can be up to two weeks long and will necessitate a larger bag, whereas short-haul ones are typically just a few days so a holdall will suffice. BT FEBRUARY 2020

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READER EVENT

WORDS HANNAH BRANDLER LEFT: Business Traveller’s Tom Otley RIGHT: Guest speaker Lord Evans

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IN FINE FORM Our readers convened in November for expert advice from health professionals IN NOVEMBER, WE HELD A READERS’ EVENING at London’s Bupa Cromwell Hospital for guests to hear from leading consultant physicians on men’s health.

The event was hosted by Business Traveller editorial director Tom Otley, who was joined by staff writer Hannah Brandler and events officer Holly Khorsand.

Readers were welcomed into the hospital’s luxury Royal Suite, designed for patients to recuperate following consultations and procedures, with three spacious rooms large enough to cater for families and friends as well.

Guests mingled over drinks and a buffet of healthy salads and quiches, while exchanging stories of recent travels and experiences of healthcare. Readers were FEBRUARY 2020

then seated for a series of informative talks, introduced by guest speaker Lord Evans of Watford, who spoke about his experiences of beating cancer, ending with an amusing poem of thanks to the staff who helped him through the difficult time.

Speakers included Christopher Ogden (left), consultant uro-oncologist and pioneer of robotic surgery in the UK, and Dr Nick Plowman (above), consultant in radiotherapy and medical oncology. Ogden began his speech by advising readers to prioritise their mental health up until the age of 50 and thereafter to seek health screenings for cardiovascular disease and cancers of the prostate and colon.

Dr Plowman then shared fascinating news about recent innovations in cancer businesstraveller.com

Readers were advised to prioritise mental health until the age of 50 and thereafter seek health screenings

diagnosis and the wealth of treatment options available.

Tom Otley concluded this part of the evening with a fittingly travel-themed anecdote about racing from the airport to his recent Bupa health check, which we covered in our September issue (see “Body of evidence”, businesstraveller.com/tag/health). Guests were then free to indulge in more food, drink and chat with their fellow travellers.

The next Business Traveller readers’ event is a fine-dining experience at Charlie’s at Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair on March 9. To register your interest and find out more about future events, visit businesstravellerevents.com BT businesstraveller.com

FEBRUARY 2020

POWER SURGE From supercars to superminis and reborn classics to high-tech saloons, 2020 will see a huge array of new cars vying for your attention

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FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

CARS

WORDS NAT BARNE S LAND ROVER DEFENDER Price: from £45,240 On sale: spring

It’s been a long time coming, but the new Land Rover Defender is finally here. Sure to please and anger car enthusiasts in equal measure, the new Defender isn’t an exact replacement for the previous model, for the simple reason that the market has moved away from that farming essential of yesteryear.

All Defenders will boast plenty of off-road ability and practicality along with easily recognisable styling cues. Also, there will still be Commercial versions for those after a workhorse. The longer 110 will arrive first, with the shorter 90 threedoor version following soon after.

Four accessory packs and 170 individual accessories mean you can build your own bespoke Defender, exactly how you want it. Mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions will join the range soon. We can’t wait to get behind the wheel.

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PORSCHE TAYCAN

Price: from £115,858 On sale: now

Porsche has fully embraced battery power with this new Taycan, its first fully electric sports car. A four-door saloon, the Taycan initially comes in Turbo or Turbo S forms (indicating their power levels) with a marginally less powerful 4S model due later in the year.

The immediacy of electric power combined with the Taycan’s fourwheel drive system means that its performance is at hypercar levels – the Turbo S covers the traditional 0-60mph sprint in only 2.8 seconds with a fully-charged range of 414km. Better yet, the Taycan handles beautifully and, despite the new technology, still feels like a Porsche, too. This year’s World Performance Car? We certainly wouldn’t bet against it. businesstraveller.com

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Land Rover Defender; Porsche Taycan; Vauxhall Corsa

VAUXHALL CORSA

Price: from £15,550 On sale: now

The Vauxhall Corsa has been one of the UK’s favourite superminis since 1993 and this fifth-generation model looks set to cement that position. Smarter and sleeker than its predecessor, it packs more equipment and technology than ever, along with greater interior space. Crucially, just as with its Peugeot 208 sister car, for

the first time you’ll be able to buy your baby Vauxhall as an electric version in the form of the Corsa-e.

Its 50 kWh battery gives a 330km range on a full charge, meaning you can buy exactly the same car with a choice of petrol or diesel engines or an electric motor. If the Corsa isn’t shortlisted for next year’s World Car of the Year awards in the best Urban Car category, we’ll → eat our fedoras.

FEBRUARY 2020

CARS

KIA SOUL EV

Golf-sized five-door hatchback that will initially be available in a First Edition guise, priced at just under £40,000, before the more affordable main range follows soon after. It will come with three battery options – 45 kWh, 58 kWh and 78 kWh – that will offer ranges of 205km, 261km and 550km respectively. Don’t be surprised if the ID3 outstrips sales of the ubiquitous Golf before long.

Price: £33,795 On sale: March

Slowly but surely, Kia and sister company Hyundai are becoming forces to be reckoned with in the electric and hybrid market. As well as the existing Niro range, Kia will add to its electric line-up with this funky Soul EV in the spring. With a 450km range from its 64 kWh battery, the Soul EV will be available in a single high specification that includes a tenspeaker Harman Kardon stereo. Not only is the Soul’s range based on realworld driving, but at a fast charging point it can get an 80 per cent charge in only 75 minutes. We love its boxy looks and, together with its electric credentials, think it could easily develop a cult following in 2020.

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FERRARI ROMA

Price: est from £190,000 On sale: summer

JEEP RENEGADE HYBRID Price: est from £34,000 On sale: June/July

For a company renowned for its tough, back-to-basics image, Jeep is about to switch things up in 2020.

First is this new plug-in hybrid version of its baby Renegade, which will be swiftly followed by a hybrid Compass and then a hybrid version of the butch Wrangler 4x4. Details are sketchy at present but the Renegade will feature a 1.3-litre turbo-petrol engine alongside an electric motor to produce around 220bhp with an electric-only range of 50km and a 0-60mph time of seven seconds.

With impressive emissions below 50g/km, it seems that this Renegade and other forthcoming hybrid models may be about to catapult Jeep into the future.

FEBRUARY 2020

VOLKSWAGEN ID3

Price: est from £30,000 On sale: summer

Volkswagen will introduce the eighthgeneration Golf into showrooms this year but most eyes are sure to be on this ID3. It’s the first of VW’s allelectric ID family, which will quickly grow with a compact SUV that is likely to be unveiled in spring and go on sale later in the year. This ID3 is a

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Kia Soul EV; Ferrari Roma; Volkswagen ID3; Jeep Renegade Hybrid

A new Ferrari always gets the heart racing a little faster and this gorgeous new Roma is no different. Yes, it may look a little familiar to some of the most recent cars to come out of the Aston Martin stable, but the new Roma is little short of stunning to our eyes. Ferrari refers to the Roma as a “sports car that you can use every day”, which essentially means the same 3.8-litre twin-turbo engine as the Ferrari 488 with an eye-watering 611bhp, but in a rather more comfortable and less extreme package.

There are digital displays for both the driver and front passenger, and while Ferrari calls it a two-plus seater, the reality is the rear seats are all but unusable. If you don’t already have your name on the waiting list, don’t expect to take delivery until at → least 2021. businesstraveller.com

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

The jewel of Tenerife, and one of Europe's best-kept secrets

INTRODUCING LOS JARDINES DE ABAMA Q For more information on this limited opportunity, please visit abamahotelresort.com or call +34 922 126 011

T

ucked away on the southwest coast of Tenerife in the Canary Islands lies Abama, a luxury resort that is one of Europe’s best-kept secrets. Abama’s 400 acres are a haven of tranquillity and calm, where Michelin dining, a Dave Thomas golf course and The Ritz-Carlton, Abama hotel come together to form an exclusive ocean paradise.

Los Jardines de Abama represent a true “home from home” in this dream location.

The luxurious residential apartments offer spectacular views and first class service and facilities, as well as a wonderful yearround climate and hassle-free ownership.

TURNKEY LUXURY LIVING The 48 Los Jardines de Abama luxury apartments have been designed by renowned studio, Coderch Urbanismo y Arquitectura, with exceptional attention to detail and craftsmanship, offering inviting and refined interiors. Their prime hillside

position ensures panoramic views and absolute privacy for each apartment.

Thanks to the varied layouts of the spacious apartments, ranging from garden apartments overlooking the subtropical landscape of the resort and across to the island of La Gomera, to duplex apartments with spacious terraces and ocean views, Los Jardines de Abama cater to all tastes.

A HOME WITH FIVE-STAR SERVICE When not relaxing and enjoying the views from the comfort of their new home, owners of Los Jardines de Abama can make the most of the superb facilities on offer throughout the wider Abama Resort.

The apartments lie in the heart of the resort and are within easy reach of the vibrant Abama Plaza, with its Owners’ Club, restaurant, deli, fitness centre and swimming pools. A stroll through the beautifully landscaped grounds will lead owners to Abama’s peaceful beach.

Activity-seeking residents, meanwhile, can join the tennis academy, book watersports sessions or play a round or two at Abama’s world-leading golf courses.

Alongside the five-star hotel service, owners of Los Jardines de Abama will automatically become members of the Abama Prestige Owners’ Club and the exchange programme in collaboration with The Registry Collection, with membership fees paid by Abama for the first two years.

Through the exchange programme, owners can exchange weeks in Abama for weeks in 240 other luxury destinations worldwide.

Los Jardines de Abama have been designed to offer a truly carefree second home and an unparalleled lifestyle in one of Europe’s leading five-star resorts.

CARS

FROM TOP: Ford Mustang Mach-E; Volvo XC40 P8 Recharge; Mercedes EQS

will launch a fully electric model every year to fulfil its aim of half of its global sales being battery-powered by 2025. That will certainly be possible if they’re half as impressive as this XC40 looks on paper. Its 78 kWh battery effectively gives it 408 bhp with a 0-60mph time of only 4.7 seconds and a fully charged range of 400km.

It’s not cheap for a small SUV, but it looks to be worth it.

MERCEDES EQS

Price: est from £75,000 On sale: December

FORD MUSTANG MACH-E Price: est from £40,000 On sale: late 2020 82

The name might be familiar but the car certainly won’t be. The emotive Mustang is known for its big-engined muscle car roots but the new Mach-E couldn’t be more different. For starters, it’s an SUV rather than a sports car and, second, it’s allelectric, so you can forget about the usual deep-noted V8 engine under your right foot. The Mach-E will be available with two battery options, either 75 kWh or 99 kWh, rear- or four-wheel drive and a fully-charged range of either 450km or 595km respectively. Also notable is its lack of traditional door handles – just buttons on the side to open the front and rear doors. You’ll also be able to open them with an electronic key on your phone.

The Mercedes S-Class has long been considered one of the best and most refined luxury saloons in the world. The next-generation S-Class, due in showrooms in late 2020 and based heavily on this EQS concept, will only build on that reputation.

As the flagship of Mercedes’ new EQ electric range of models (three will be launched in 2020 alone), the EQS gets a 100 kWh battery with a fully-charged range of about 692km. It will also underline its green credentials with a roof lining made from recycled ocean waste plastic, artificial leather for the seats, and other trim made from recycled plastic bottles. The new benchmark for luxury motoring and sustainability is here. BT

VOLVO XC40 P8 RECHARGE Price: est from £50,000 On sale: autumn/winter

Volvo is pushing ahead with its electrified model range with all of the new plug-in hybrid and all-electric models getting the “Recharge” name from now on. The XC40 P8 Recharge will be the Swedish firm’s first allelectric car when it arrives late in 2020. Over the next five years, Volvo FEBRUARY 2020

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ON THE WEB TRAVEL NEWS, REVIEWS & COMMENT

Get the bigger picture Discover new and exclusive content online at businesstraveller.com TRIED & TESTED

Reviews of flights, hotels and airport lounges in expanded coverage online UNITED AIRLINES B767-300 POLARIS BUSINESS CLASS, CHICAGO-LONDON “I am a big fan of this seat design. The dark blue and grey on the seat look sophisticated, as do the white marble-effect side board and soft light fixture...

One thing I immediately noticed was the welldesigned tray in a nice black finish.”

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WORDS CHRIS HALL

TUDOR REIGNS 84

Tudor ’s Black Bay watch has been at the heart of the brand’s renaissance over the past decade

FEBRUARY 2020

businesstraveller.com

WATC H E S

F

or the past decade Tudor has been moving into an extremely enviable position. In the main, its offerings sit at the very narrow centre of the Venn diagram where good looks, value for money and Swiss pedigree intersect, and it has established itself as not only a powerful rival to the likes of Tag Heuer but as the darling of a new collector scene.

Tudor as a brand has been around since 1946, created

by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf, who had registered the name 20 years earlier and saw it as a more affordable alternative to his all-conquering sports watches.

The reason it bears this evocative name is twofold: Wilsdorf was a complete Anglophile – Rolex, after all, was founded in the UK – and was obsessed with the symmetry and marketing power of five-letter names.

(It’s fair to say that, prescient as he was, he had not foreseen a time when it would have to compete in search engine rankings with Henry VII and his descendants.)

Like most watch brands, it enjoyed a heyday in the 1960s and ’70s but, to cut the story extremely short, by the 2000s Tudor was in the doldrums; its watches unremarkable and uncompetitive. A complete overhaul was initiated, and it burst back into life in 2010.

At the heart of this revival is a watch that has come to represent Tudor’s renewed fortunes – the Black Bay (first released in 2012). Inspired by the dive watches of the sixties and seventies, it is an amalgam of vintage flavours rather than a recreation of one watch, and despite its blocky outline and 200-metre water resistance, underwater performance is secondary to its appealing looks, a point emphasised by its focus on colourful bezels and rich, gilt-edged details. Priced between £1,890 and £5,240, to date there have been 20 variations, spanning various sizes and materials and incorporating chronograph and GMT functions, and it is no understatement to say that, in a way, the Black Bay is the brand, and vice-versa.

DEEP DIVE

Last year, Tudor did something unusual: it released a Black Bay that quite a lot of people didn’t like, or at least didn’t understand, and that, moreover, unlike every other Black Bay, was not destined to become a bestseller. Called the P01 (£2,990), it is a curious thing, characterised by the huge volume of its case, specifically the two plates at the top and bottom of the dial that lap over the rotating bezel. The top one hides a hinged mechanism that lets it lift up, releasing the bezel to rotate freely; press it back in place and it clamps down, locking the bezel in position.

It hails from a prototype that Tudor produced for the US Navy in the mid-1960s; back then, a dive watch was an essential tool, and the rotating bezels were necessary for divers to track how long they had been submerged.

ABOVE AND MAIN PICTURE: The P01 recreates a prototype made for the US Navy

Knocking the bezel out of place could mean a fatal overestimate of remaining oxygen reserves, so a watch that could mitigate against this risk was the goal.

Ultimately, the US opted for a more traditional design, but the prototypes and sketches would remain in Tudor’s archive until the brand’s lead designer, Ander Ugarte, unearthed them a few years ago. Released at the Baselworld trade show in March 2019, it confused and intrigued in equal measure, the oversized lugs and case making it challenging for the smaller-wristed and the overall aesthetic departing from the conventionally proportioned Black Bay. The Spanish-born Ugarte, who I recently met at Tudor’s HQ in Geneva, revealed that the watch wasn’t an instant hit when he presented it to the company either, but, describing it as a watch that you have to “discover”, he persuaded them that with eight years of successful Black Bays under its belt, Tudor could afford to do something a bit more experimental.

The P01 is a faithful recreation of the original prototype and while not a limited edition, is likely never to exist in vast quantities (Tudor makes every watch according to retailer demand). In declaring the model its most important watch of 2019, Tudor sent a strong signal that, while it may be the brand of David Beckham and Lady Gaga, it also wants to be the brand of watch geeks for whom a connection to rare military prototypes that never even got made is everything one needs in a watch.

Managing this duality will be crucial as the brand continues to evolve, and, even though I am much fonder of my own Black Bay than its oddball cousin, I’m glad both are given the chance to exist. BT FEBRUARY 2020

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BUSINE S S TR AVELLER PROMOTION

LONDON BAOZIINN LONDON BRIDGE

B U SI N E S S T R AV E L L E R

RESTAURANT GUIDE

Aw Away A w yo way on nb business u s in n e s s and a an n d hungry h u ng g ry gry y for fo r fo something s o m e th h in ng g new? n ne ew w? w ? Try T Tr y on o one n e of o f th these hese rrelaxed, re llaxxe x d, d co c convi on n viiv viial ia l restaurants rre es stta u urra an ntts s

CHINESE

Set in the heart of London Bridge, BaoziInn redefines the Cantonese dining experience.

Be dazzled by creative twists on traditional dishes and flawless presentation.

Using the finest ingredients, the menu offers exquisite roast meats paired with delicate pancakes and honeydew melon. Other delicacies include tender lamp chops with crispy cumin seeds, and sweet and sour pork with fresh fruit. Aside from dining, cocktails can be enjoyed from the upstairs bar, and the space is an excellent choice for any occasion.

Q 34-36 Southwark St, London SE1 1TU +44 (0)20 8037 5875 info@baoziinn.com baoziinn.com

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LONDON

LONDON

BURGER & LOBSTER

CHARCO CHARCO

Burger & Lobster focuses its energy on making two products the absolute best they can be without any other distractions.

The restaurant is obsessed with refining techniques, BURGER & specialising in the LOBSTER simplicity of the mono-product offering in fascinating locations around the world. It crafts prime burgers and only serves wild, fresh Atlantic lobsters. Working tirelessly with the families that catch its lobsters and farm its cattle, Burger & Lobster makes sure it gets the best quality and cared-for ingredients.

Q hello@burgerandlobster.com burgerandlobster.com

FEBRUARY 2020

Charco Charco is a Japanese Yakiniku (BBQ) and sushi bar, located between Russell Square and Holborn. The decor is modern and sleek with cherry blossom trees climbing the ceilings, which are adorned with classic JAPANESE lanterns. Wooden tables each have their own personalised grill, with curved-back wooden chairs and leather booths. As the name suggests, Charco Charco provides an authentic yakiniku dining experience where guests share premium cooked meats over a charcoal grill while sipping on sake and frosty cold beers.

Q 83-93 Southampton Row, London WC1B 4HD +44 (0)20 7580 4621 reservation@charcocharco.com charcocharco.com

businesstraveller.com

BIRMINGHAM

CHINESE

TATTU

Contemporary Chinese restaurant Tattu occupies a charming space within the historic building, The Grand.

The 150-cover, split-level venue explores the Chinese philosophy of Yin Yang. The ground floor bar and semiprivate dining area, inspired by Yang, overlook the lower ground floor Yin dining space and cherry blossom canopy. The Chineseinspired cuisine combines traditional ingredients with new ideas and techniques. The result is a distinctive menu featuring delicate dim sum and delicious sharing plates ■ 18 Barwick Street, Birmingham B3 2NT +44 (0)121 236 5556 birmingham@tattu.co.uk tattu.co.uk ; @tatturestaurant

EDINBURGH

SCOTTISH

CANNONBALL RESTAURANT & BAR

The best Scottish food is served against an iconic backdrop, with stunning views of the Edinburgh skyline and neighbouring Edinburgh Castle.

The restaurant’s menu showcases Scotland’s artisan suppliers, featuring oysters, seasonal Scottish game and Scotch beef from Inverurie. Haggis cannonballs and fish and chips are not to be missed. The Cannonball Bar serves over 120 Scotch whiskies and is a firm favourite for locals and visitors from further afield. Traditional afternoon tea is also served daily.

■ 356 Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE +44 (0)131 225 1550 cannonball@contini.com contini.com/cannonball

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BERLIN RESTAURANT EINSUNTERNULL

FINE DINING

BARCELONA ROIG ROBÍ

CATALAN

Michelin-starred Einsunternull is one of Berlin’s top restaurants. The cosmopolitan venue in Germany’s capital city has a variety of multicultural influences, both in its kitchen philosophy and overall concept. Together, chef de cuisine Silvio Pfeufer and sommelier Ivo Ebert have set out to answer the eternally unresolved question “What is Berlin?” on a culinary level.

The gourmet seven-course menu can be enjoyed alongside an outstanding wine selection or with a homemade, refined non-alcoholic beverage accompaniment.

Running for over 37 years, this restaurant is already a classic in Barcelona. Roig Robí has inherited the flavours of traditional Catalan cuisine but revised and updated them to adjust to current tastes. The restaurant serves seasonal products, which include fresh fish and seafood, veal from the Pyrenees, lamb from the Esgueva valley and Iberian pork from Huelva. Truffles, mushrooms and asparagus are bought directly from the collector or producer. The restaurant’s indoor garden terrace is undoubtedly an oasis in the centre of Barcelona, just minutes from the city’s La Pedrera building.

■ Hannoversche Straße 1, 10115 Berlin +49 (0)30 27 57 78 10 kontakt@einsunternull.com einsunternull.com

■ Sèneca 20, 08006 Barcelona +34 932 189 222 roigrobi@roigrobi.com roigrobi.com

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eport TRIED AND TESTED Delta Air Lines B767-400ER business class

TRIED AND TESTED Moxy Times Square, New York

TRIED AND TESTED Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center

SMART TRAVELLER How to donate miles to charity

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TRIED AND TESTED FLIGHT

Delta Air Lines B767-400ER business class LONDON-NEW YORK

B A C K G R O U N D Delta Air Lines launched

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its new Delta One business class in 2017 on the A350. The retrofitting of several aircraft types has meant there are significant differences between the new seats depending on which model you are on. It has taken a while for the aircraft operating routes such as London Heathrow to be fitted, but this is now happening, including on the B767-400ER.

C H E C K - I N I was on flight DL2, leaving Heathrow on a Sunday at 1030 and arriving in New York JFK at 1330, a flight of some eight hours. Delta, like its partner Virgin Atlantic, departs from Terminal 3, Zone A. I collected my boarding pass and took the lift up to the dedicated security, where there was no queue.

T H E L O U N G E The Virgin Clubhouse was fairly busy but I had no issue finding a seat.

Flights are called in the lounge but I left with time to spare so I could get settled early.

B O A R D I N G There was no queue at the Sky Priority line at Gate 17, and priority boarding commenced a few minutes later.

T H E S E A T This Delta One seat differs from that on the A350 by not having a sliding door, but it does have higher sides and a privacy divider between the middle seats. It is a hybrid of the Vantage XL and an earlier Vantage model by Thompson Aero (read about seat types at businesstraveller. com/features/business-class-seat-guide).

FEBRUARY 2020

There are 34 seats in a 1-2-1 (A, B-C, D) configuration, with direct aisle access.

They are staggered so that seats 1A and 1D are close to the aisle, while 2A and 2D are nearer the window with the side table protecting them from the aisle.

While the seat does not have a sliding door like the A350, it has higher sides and a privacy divider between middle seats At the seat was a Tumi amenity pack and good noise-cancelling headphones. Userfriendly seat controls are located in the side table. For a seat with limited personal space, there’s quite a bit of storage, but none can be used for take-off or landing.

Once airborne there is the side table plus two areas where you can store items.

The seat is narrow. Before take-off I was typing with my laptop positioned on my

lap, and my elbows were jammed against my sides to be able to do so. That said, it is very private. My seat, 1C, had a large panel between it and the adjacent seat. I would have had to sit up very straight to talk to my neighbour, and could move the barrier if we were travelling together.

B E S T S E A T If alone, pick a seat near the window (in even rows – 2A and 2D and so on). If you are with someone, go for the centre seats in odd rows (1B and 1C, etc).

Service is from the front so if you want to sleep, sit in the back half as you are less likely to be disturbed. On a day flight, pick the front as you get served first.

T H E F L I G H T Once on board we were offered water, champagne, orange juice or a mimosa, and coats were hung. We took off on time but, as with some previous Delta flights, the seatbelt sign took an age to be turned off. Since there was no turbulence, passengers ignored it. businesstraveller.com

bed but there was no mattress cover, and it is tight around the shoulders – if you are well built, you may be uncomfortable.

A R R I V A L When I awoke, there was an announcement that there would be some moderate turbulence going into New York so all service would be suspended.

Safety is paramount, of course, but it did mean a slightly anticlimactic end to the flight – the seatbelt sign was on for the last 90 minutes and we sat waiting for turbulence that never came. We arrived into JFK 15 minutes early and then had a 15-minute wait for the airbridge to be fixed. Unlike my most recent Terminal 4 experience, when immigration took two hours, I was through within two minutes.

V E R D I C T This is a very recognisable

The meal began with a trio of starters (you got all three) – poached ginger lemongrass shrimp with lobster mayonnaise, fennel salad and pomegranate seeds; little gem salad with parmesan crostini and Caesar dressing; and tomato basil soup with dill crème fraîche.

The mains (which I had already been invited to choose from via email) were grilled beef tenderloin with potato gratin, onions, port wine sauce and blanched radishes, with béarnaise sauce; spinach and cheese-stuffed chicken breast with baby carrots, duck fat potatoes, oyster mushrooms and port wine sauce; fried salmon with Vizcaina sauce, leek cake, cherry tomato and broccolini; or fresh mozzarella and spinach panciotti with roasted romanesco and zucchini. I’d opted for the pasta, which was tepid. A choice of desserts and fine cheeses was offered and, mid-flight, warm chocolate chip cookies.

The wines were Canard-Duchêne Brut Cuvée Léonie Champagne; Chateau Ste. businesstraveller.com

Michelle “Mimi” Chardonnay, Washington State; Banfi Principessa Gavia Gavi DOCG, Piedmont, Italy; Broken Earth Estate Merlot, Paso Robles, California, 2014; and Pertinace Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piedmont, Italy, 2017. To begin with, attendants offered passengers a cranberry bourbon cocktail made with Woodford Reserve.

The B767-400ER has been refitted across all cabins and has a new IFE system called Delta Studio (with an 18-inch touchscreen in business) and wifi. Many people had problems with it so Delta had to reset the entire aircraft system, which meant an interruption of about five to seven minutes.

In addition, my handset didn’t work, and wifi coverage was spotty – the airline says you can watch hundreds of movies for free

business class seat (you will see versions of it on airlines as diverse as Aer Lingus, Malaysia Airlines and Swiss) and provides a fully-flat bed, direct aisle access and privacy. Service was a little interrupted but very friendly and helpful, and the new IFE system and wifi will be a definite improvement once the glitches have been ironed out. Tom Otley

BEST FOR A good fully-flat bed and privacy

C O N F I G U R A T I O N 1-2-1

SE AT WIDTH 20 inches

SE AT RECLINE

The IFE system and wifi will be a definite improvement once the glitches have been ironed out

180 degrees

BED LENGTH 77 inches

F L I G H T D U R A T I O N Eight hours

on Delta Studio but this didn’t work. The wifi price for the whole flight was US$28.95, with one- and three-hour options.

Service was good, and when I asked for earplugs so I could sleep (there were none in my kit) the attendant offered me the ones from her pack as the spares were at the rear of the aircraft. I had no problem sleeping for a couple of hours. On the return night flight, the seat was comfortable as a

PRICE Internet rates for a return business class B767-400ER flight from London Heathrow to New York JFK in March ranged between £5,229 and £11,292 depending on flexibility

C O N T A C T delta.com

FEBRUARY 2020

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TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL

Moxy Times Square, New York B A C K G R O U N D Marriott International introduced its Moxy Hotels brand in 2014.

There are now nearly 50 of them, with 100 more in the pipeline. Built in 1907 as a 1,885-bed, single-room hotel, this property was converted into offices before opening as Moxy Times Square in 2017.

W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? Very trendy. Check-

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in is via a series of kiosks, although there are staff to complete traditional check-in as well. The lifts are controlled by a screen with a number of preselects, so you choose “restaurants” or “rooms” and then, if the latter, you specify which floor, touch your card and are directed to a particular elevator. It works well once you’ve got the hang of it and minimises queues. There’s lots of quirky artwork, polished concrete floors, distressed brick walls and exposed pipework in the ceilings. A barber is located at the rear of reception.

W H E R E I S I T ? 485 Seventh Avenue, on West 36th Street. It’s close to Times Square, and from here you can take the subway pretty much anywhere, including New York JFK from Times Square-42nd Street (it takes about an hour).

R O O M S The 612 rooms come in many shapes and sizes, even within the various categories, which start at Double (14 sqm) and move up through Queen (18 sqm) and

then rooms with twin beds, bunks, family rooms and suites. All have been designed by the Yabu Pushelberg agency and are attractive and witty. To make the most of limited space, they have wall-mounted folding tables and chairs, and under-bed storage. My Corner King (18 sqm) had the double bed right next to the wall but great views along West 36th Street. It didn’t have

There’s lots of quirky artwork, polished concrete floors, distressed brick walls and exposed pipework a kettle, but did have two hairdryers. I have no idea why. The shower worked well and the blackout curtains and lights were easy to operate. One thing to note, though – this isn’t a quiet hotel. You are right in the centre of town, and if it’s a night when the rooftop bar is going or if you are close to the second-floor Bar Moxy then you will hear some noise. In 2018 the hotel spent US$1 million on further soundproofing for external-facing rooms and this has been very effective. Earplugs are also available.

The beds are comfortable with 300-thread count Egyptian cotton linens. A 43-inch TV allows you to stream your own content, wifi is fast and free and there are lots of USB ports and power outlets.

F O O D A N D D R I N K I’ve previously eaten at Legersea restaurant, a great seafood brasserie with sharing plates that has a FEBRUARY 2020

nice buzz without being too loud. This time I tried Bar Moxy, which has a much shorter menu but is fine for filling up before bed, and also serves breakfast. The service was excellent. On the top floor is the Magic Hour, a fashionable rooftop bar and dining venue. The previous occasion I visited, Heidi Klum was hosting her Halloween party there. Lastly, there’s the street-level Egghead, which serves breakfast to go.

M E E T I N G S Bar Moxy has several areas that people seem to use as unofficial coworking space. There are two studio rooms that can be used informally or booked, and a third one where, Tuesday to Thursday, Jon Boy, a high-end tattooist, is in residence charging about US$1,000 per hour. He has to be booked many months in advance.

L E I S U R E There’s a decent 24-hour gym.

V E R D I C T A fun and friendly hotel in the heart of Manhattan. The design of the rooms makes up for their diminutive size.

For a short stay, it’s hard to beat. Tom Otley

BEST FOR Its central location and bars and restaurants so vibrant you’ll have to make an effort to leave the hotel

DON’T MISS A meal at Legersea, and then a late-night drink at the Magic Hour rooftop bar

PRICE Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in March started from US$349 for a Double room

CONTACT 485 Seventh Avenue (at 36th Street); tel + 1 212 967 6699; marriott.com businesstraveller.com

A D V E R T I S E M E N T F E AT U R E

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Developed in Sweden, these 100% tobaccofree nicotine pouches are both convenient and discreet – offering smokers or vapers an alternative nicotine product for when it’s not possible to find a smoking area. Whether that’s in a meeting or en route, the pocket-sized cans are easily slipped into hand luggage or your back pack, ready to be used anytime, anywhere. Simply pop one of the small, soft nicotine pouches under your top or bottom lip, which can be used for up to one hour. What’s more, there are two different flavours available, Mint and Bergamot Wildberry, and two varying strengths, 6mg and 9mg. Each can includes 20 tobacco-free pouches and has an RRP of £6.50.

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TRIED AND TESTED HOTEL

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center

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W H A T ’ S I T L I K E ? A towering glass structure with a light beam reaching into the clouds above, the building is immediately striking. Entering from North 19th Street, there’s a concierge on the left, Vernick Fish restaurant ahead and, on the right, three glass and steel lifts. These have only two destinations, the 57th and 60th levels, and whisk you to the top-floor lobby in 60 seconds – one second per floor.

Guests can’t help but gaze at the scenery no matter how many times they’ve taken the trip. Stepping out, the panoramic views make for a memorable welcome, especially at dusk, when the grid system below lights up and the horizon shimmers in the golden sunset. The disadvantage is that you have to go via the 60th floor to reach your room or the street. The grand lobby has polished black marble onyx floors and extravagant

Stepping out of the lift into the 60th-floor lobby, the panoramic views make for a memorable welcome floral arrangements. Most of the interiors and furnishings were designed by Norman Foster. Check-in was quick and easy, although I was quite taken aback by the US$600 room deposit for my time there.

W H E R E I S I T ? In Center City at 19th and Arch Streets, around the corner from the parade of museums on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Philadelphia International airport is a 20-minute drive.

R O O M S The hotel has 219 rooms and suites across six categories, starting with Premier Cityscape rooms (33-38 sqm). All FEBRUARY 2020

have spectacular floorto-ceiling views and contemporary design, with a neutral colour palette brightened

by Brian Eno’s digital artwork Philadelphia Dorian, created for the BEST FOR hotel and displayed on Unobstructed sunrise and the huge 65-inch TVs. sunset views of Philadelphia Wifi is free, as is a library of more than 50,000 DON’T MISS films and shows through Swimming right up to the Comcast’s X1 In-room jaw-dropping edge of the Video Experience. There’s 136,000-litre infinity pool a well-stocked minibar, a Nespresso coffee PRICE machine and a kettle Internet rates for a flexible with Rishi tea. midweek stay in March My 50th-floor Grand started from US$540 for a Cityscape room (115-129 Premier Cityscape room sqm) had a comfortable king bed, a chaise longue CONTACT and a marble-clad One North 19th Street; bathroom. Next to the tel +1 215 419 5000; bed were USB and plug fourseasons.com/ sockets, plus controls for philadelphia the lights, curtains and blackout blinds. Opening the blinds remotely from my bed immediately put a smile on my and endless city views. The silky raw tuna face, especially since I was blessed with noodles with avocado, radish and a ginger blue skies (or pink sunrises thanks to jet and chilli oil dressing (US$20) was divine. lag). The room was so inviting that I would An à la carte breakfast is also served here. have been tempted to hibernate had I not had a jam-packed programme of meetings.

B U S I N E S S There is 1,450 sqm of event space, including two fifth-floor ballrooms and two venues on the 59th level.

F O O D A N D D R I N K Vernick Fish, the seafood restaurant run by award-winning chef Greg Vernick, served a tasty spicy L E I S U R E The 57th floor has a gym and a tuna tartare (US$16) and grilled sea bass spa specialising in crystal treatments. The with broccoli in a tomato sauce (US$32). highlight is the infinity pool, which spills on JG Sky High is a stylish bar on the to the Philadelphia grid system below.

60th floor. From here, you descend a wide staircase to the 59th floor, flanked by black V E R D I C T This is a brilliant addition stone “water walls”, to reach Jean-Georges to Philadelphia’s hotel scene. Service is Philadelphia, which serves Frenchfaultless and the various dining options are American cuisine by Michelin-starred chef delicious. I could have stayed in my room Jean-Georges Vongerichten. It’s a triplefor hours, transfixed by its incredible vistas. height space with soaring glass ceilings Hannah Brandler KYLE HUFF

B A C K G R O U N D Open since August last year, the Four Seasons is housed on the top 12 floors of the 60-storey, Foster and Partners-designed Comcast Technology Center, Philadelphia’s tallest building. The offices of US broadcaster Comcast occupy the rest of the tower.

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How to...

donate miles to charity

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iles (or points) are a perk of frequent travel and can be redeemed on future flights, upgrades, experiences, merchandise, car hire, accommodation and so on.

But sometimes it’s hard to spend them – air tickets may be restricted by time and destination, for instance. Rather than waste them, here are some schemes that allow miles to be donated to partnered charities.

AIR FRANCE-KLM Flying Blue lists 18 charities to which its members may donate miles, including the French Red Cross, WWF and Aviation Sans Frontières, which provides air transport during humanitarian crises. flyingblue.com

AMERICAN AIRLINES AAdvantage focuses on three types of charitable organisations – those that work to support social good, well-being or heroes.

A minimum of 1,000 miles is required, although members with fewer than this can donate their entire balance. aa.com

AUSTRIAN AIRLINES, LUFTHANSA AND SWISS Miles and More has partnered with two aid organisations – Help Alliance, which FEBRUARY 2020

promotes nutrition, health and hygiene, and My Climate, for certified climate protection projects. You can either make a free donation, which is then allocated to the project most in need, or support a specific cause. miles-and-more.com

CATHAY PACIFIC, CATHAY DRAGON Flyers who earn Asia Miles can donate to five charities including Unicef HK, Oxfam Hong Kong and Hong Kong Red Cross.

Miles can also be contributed to carbon offset programme Fly Greener. asiamiles.com

DELTA AIR LINES Through Sky Miles, travellers can donate to 26 charities, which you can browse by region. In Europe they include Unicef, Habitat for Humanity and Make a Wish International, and up to five charities can be processed in one transaction. delta.com

EMIRATES Organisations for Skywards members to donate to include the Emirates Airline Foundation, Sightsavers, Dubai Cares and Care International. emirates.com

ETIHAD AIRWAYS Etihad Guest sponsors charities such as the UN Refugee Agency, the Fred Hollows Foundation

and Climate Care. Since the initiative began in 2007, more than 200 million miles have been donated. etihadguest.com

FINNAIR Finnair Plus members can give to one of eight partnered charities, which include UN Women and Cancer Foundation: Pink Ribbon. finnair.com

GARUDA INDONESIA Using Garuda Miles, members can support education charities including Indonesia Mengajar and Balas Budi Guru – plus the Sedekah Umroh programme, which helps underprivileged Indonesian Muslims to perform an Islamic pilgrimage. garudamiles.com

JAPAN AIRLINES JAL Mileage Bank members can donate to a number of campaigns carried out by its charity partners, which include disaster relief and environmental conservation. jap.co.jp

JETBLUE The True Blue scheme gives members an option to contribute a minimum of 500 points to one of 18 organisations, including the American Red Cross, Carbonfund.org and Concern Worldwide. jetblue.com

SINGAPORE AIRLINES Krisflyer works with Make a Wish Singapore to grant the wishes of children with lifethreatening illnesses. A minimum of 1,000 miles is required per donation, and a maximum of 100,000 can be donated per transaction. singaporeair.com

SOUTHWEST AIRLINES The US airline’s Rapid Rewards scheme enables donations of miles to All Hands and Hearts, which addresses the needs of communities affected by natural disasters, and Dream Foundation, which helps terminally ill adults. southwest.com

UNITED Mileage Plus has 20 charity partners and runs campaigns.

Members can donate a minimum of 1,000 miles to a campaign; if it doesn’t reach its goal within 28 days, the points are returned. unitedmileageplus.com

VIRGIN ATLANTIC Flying Club partners with WE (formerly Free the Children), which empowers people in rural international communities to break free of the cycle of poverty. Members can donate a minimum of 2,000 miles to fly volunteers to help efforts. virgin-atlantic.com BT businesstraveller.com

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of milestones. I er it will mark 60 ye t opened with a inal and compacted-sand runway on a salt flat in the desert, capable of handling aircraft up to the size of a Douglas In 2020 it will also be years since the airport g first a has t found Emira ; opened a new concours increased its capacity fro 10 million annual passen to 23 million. That final figure seems miniscule by today’s standards, as it approaches the 90 million mark. Between 1960 and 2011 the airport FEBRUARY 2020

illion arriv ked its ec nd airpor

rs are sti uccess, its traffi ld’s busi nal trave ssengers Emirates, which has cemented a reputation for competitive

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Unless you have a 3M™ Privacy Filter.

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Search 3M Privacy for more information or to request a sample to trial. *Ponemon Institute, “Public Spaces Interview Study,” 2017, sponsored by 3M.