May 2011
EXCLUSIVE
THE KNIGHT’S TALE
Sir Rocco Forte shares his secrets
NEW SINGAPORE
Business meets pleasure
ELITE TRAVEL GOLF CUP
Behind the scenes at our exclusive event
ST. MORITZ THRILLS
Style on the slopes in Switzerland
Surrender to the
Seychelles Idyllic beaches, stunning sunsets and long, lazy afternoons in the Indian Ocean paradise
HISTORIC HOTELS The Peninsula, Hong Kong
SPEND IT
Journey of a lifetime
SUITE DREAMS Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
two private islands one premier destination - maldives
Opening first quarter of 2011, Jumeirah Dhevanafushi and Jumeirah Vittaveli are two exceptional private island resorts set amidst the azure waters of the Maldives. Each with their own distinct character, these gorgeous hideaways will be complemented by the unparalleled standards of luxury and service synonymous with the Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts brand. A must for the discerning traveller in search for an exotic and refined retreat. STAY DIFFERENT™
jumeirah.com/maldives dUBai london new YorK aBU dHaBi al ain dUBai FranKFUrt KUwait maldives mallorCa - Coming soon
The Golden Age has returned Located on the beachfront of the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, this majestic resort is stunning in every detail. Marvel at the magnificient Ottoman inspired decor, savour an array of international flavours at our restaurants, unwind in elegant guest rooms where your every need is met, or simply refresh mind, body and soul in one of the region’s largest and most sophisticated spas and Turkish hammams, Talise Ottoman Spa.
For more information and bookings please contact Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Tel: +971 4 453 0000, visit www.jumeirahzabeelsaray.com or call your travel professional.
Redefine your boundaries
UAE
I
BAHRAIN
I
EGYPT
I
OMAN
I
JORDAN
SALES I SERVICE I BROKERAGE I CHARTER I MARINA MANAGEMENT I MARINE PRODUCTS ART Marine LLC I T+971 50 554 6954 I sales@artmarine.net I www.artmarine.net
From yacht sales through to destination marinas and beyond.. we’ve got you covered.
ISLAND OPUS - SEYCHELLES Desires quenched. Twenty-eight cutting-edge hilltop residences amid giant granite boulders, thoughtfully integrated with nature, on an untouched island. Each one organically sculptured for space and privacy. The new expression of luxury. Zil Pasyon - Seychelles. Yours to own.
For your private appointment: +971 50 551 5211 zilpasyon@wnnlimited.com
www.zilpasyon.com
Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort and Spa
Banyan Tree Seychelles, Mahé island
Maia Luxury Resort & Spa, Mahé, Anse Louis, Seychelles
FOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT
WWW.DOTW.COM Real-time online booking confirmation for over 80,000 ground services in more than 1,200 cities. Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.* * FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ONLY.
Raffles Praslin Seychelles
Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
ferrariworldabudhabi.com Delivered by Aldar
IT’S YOUR TURN TO DISCOVER ITALY
From the magic of the Amalfi Coast to the last spoonful of gelato, there’s no better way to bring the beauty of Italy to life for your clients, than to experience it. The region’s premiere entertainment centre has opened its doors with over 20 Ferrari inspired rides and attractions in the world’s largest indoor theme park. Any visit to the U. A.E. wouldn’t be complete without a day at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. Email sales@farahleisure.com for more information
Contents May 2011
On the cover 54 Spirit of the Seychelles Finding your own piece of paradise in
the Seychelles is easy - saying goodbye is less so, discovers Caitlin Cheadle
64 New Singapore With two new integrated resorts wowing
visitors, Singapore’s tourism scene is attracting a new kind of traveller
72 Thrills in St. Moritz From Prada to paragliding, Nicci Perides
finds something for everyone in Switzerland’s coolest resort destination
80 Elite Travel Golf Cup 2011 Destinations of the World News and InterContinental Dubai Festival City’s exclusive inaugural event
72 St. Moritz: snow limit Style, fun and winter sports; there’s something for everyone at Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains
dotwnews.com
May 2011
15
Contents May 2011
114 In the news 24 Retrospective Rory McIlroy at the US Masters 28 Europe Eurostar sets its sights on short-haul business travellers 30 Middle East & Africa Melissa Reid joins forces with Rotana 34 Asia & Oceania Japan catastrophe has knock-on effect 38 Americas Donald Trump set to launch presidential campaign
48 92
42 Trends New travel and tourism concepts causing a stir 48 Interview Sir Rocco Forte on business and keeping healthy
Insider 92 Historic hotels The Peninsula Hong Kong
104
96 Diary Out and about this month? Don’t miss these events 98 Spend it The latest itineraries from the world’s top travel firms 102 Debut Keeping tabs on the latest hotel openings around the world 104 Suite dreams The Chedi Chiang Mai and Jumeirah Zabeel Saray 114 Review Ultimate indulgence at Hotel Sacher Wien in Austria 110 Connoisseur Mary Gostelow goes colonial with Oberoi in India 112 Album James Lohan and Tamara Heber-Percy, aka Mr. & Mrs. Smith 114 Final Word Max Bulley, Yachting Manager, Porto Montenegro dotwnews.com
May 2011
17
Letter from the Editor You can’t lead with Your feet on the desk proclaims the title of Marriott Lodging International president and managing director Edwin D. Fuller’s new book, which landed on my desk last month. The central themes of the publication – the first literary venture for the hotel industry stalwart – are building relationships, breaking down barriers and delivering profits, something Fuller has spent most of his 39-year hospitality career doing. Successfully. And what are the secrets to building relationships and breaking down barriers? Easy, he says. Jump on a plane, shake some hands and listen to what people have to say: your employees, your business partners, your investors and your friends. “If you’re on the other side of a computer, I’m missing 90 percent of the conversation,” he said when we met in Dubai. As I sit down to write this month’s message, I wonder if the same is true of travel writing, and all other forms of journalism for that matter. Our job is to describe countries, cities, resorts and experiences in a way that makes you lust for more and go and see those places for yourself. But there is only so much one can say with allegory and beautiful pictures - like Fuller says, you need to meet those places face to face, breathe the air and listen to their stories if you hope to understand them. We’re not the only ones out there spreading the word and promoting travel. In Dubai this month, the Arabian Travel Market returns, bringing together leading travel companies from around the world – hotel groups, tourism boards, airlines, etc – to talk about and showcase the latest products on the market and the newest destinations that will soon grace the pages of magazines like this one. To celebrate the occasion, we’ve got a bumper issue packed full of ideas for your next trip, starting with our cover story on the Seychelles. Our deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle drew the short straw and had to shoulder the responsibility of visiting the sun-drenched archipelago. She stayed at three of the Seychelles’ top resorts and enjoyed a short but sweet taste of Seychellois life for herself (page 54). I was in Singapore in February for a quick stop-off en route to Thailand, but found time to check out the two major developments that are reshaping the face of Singapore’s image as a travel destination.
20
May 2011
dotwnews.com
The dramatic Marina Bay Sands and the family-friendly Resorts World Sentosa have given wings to the city-state’s nascent luxury and family tourism scenes, adding plenty of luxurious options to Singapore’s vibrant business sector (page 64). Meanwhile, online editor Nicci Perides was in rather chilly St. Moritz to find out why Europe’s coolest ski destination is attracting a new flock of adrenaline-crazed visitors (page 72). I was also lucky enough to talk to a man whose achievements in the hotel industry were worthy of recognition by the Queen of England, who knighted him in 1994. Sir Rocco Forte is now the proud owner of a stunning collection of 13 luxury hotels and has had his fair share of life-changing travel experiences (page 48). Need any more inspiration to pack your bags and get on that flight? Ed Fuller is big on practicing what he preaches. In almost four decades working at Marriott, the man clocked up more than 10 million frequent flier miles, a feat that earned him the right to have his name painted underneath the pilot’s window on a United Airlines Boeing 747. So what else did he achieve through his incessant travelling, besides a sizeable expense account? Since he joined Marriott the company has expanded from 16 hotels to more than 400 hotels in 73 countries, and since he stepped into his current role in 1994, gross annual sales have increased from US$325 million to $7 billion. Impressed? Then book the ticket, take the ride – who knows what you might learn. Happy travels.
Joe Mortimer Editor joe@dotwnews.com
New Singapore The dazzling Marina Bay Sands and ArtScience Museum are the new face of Singapore
Contributors May 2011, Issue 59
Joe Mortimer
Destinations of the World News editor Joe Mortimer is an obsessive traveller and foodie. When he’s not travelling for work, he can usually be found flashpacking his way around somewhere with limited BlackBerry reception: island-hopping in Thailand, trekking in Nepal, or exploring the remote beaches of the UAE. On a recent trip to Singapore, he discovered a city whose personality had been transformed by the arrival of two new integrated resorts: Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa. Read his story on page 64.
Caitlin Cheadle
Deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle packed her things and left her native Vancouver nearly three years ago, after catching the travel bug while backpacking through Europe. Although she misses the wide-open spaces, mountains and fresh air of her Canadian roots, she’s happy to stay in Dubai as long as she can travel frequently - which she does. This month she explored tranquil island life in the Seychelles. Read her account of its beautiful beaches, Creole hospitality and outstanding luxury properties in our cover story on page 54.
Nicci Perides
Nicci Perides has worked for several travel titles in the UK and has often found herself in sticky situations, all in the name of journalism: hiking a live volcano spewing lava in the dark in Guatemala, or being chased by elephants in Burkino Faso while camping. She has now swapped her tent for fivestar hotels and joined DOTWNews.com to explore the more luxurious side of travel. Last month, Nicci went to St. Moritz to find out how Europe’s winter style capital is luring more than just ski scene jet-setters. Read her story on page 72.
Mary Gostelow
Mary Gostelow is one of the world’s most prolific travellers and an authority on all things luxury. Mary says she spends at least 300 days a year on the road, but we think it’s probably nearer to 360. She is editor-at-large of WOW.travel, the online magazine of kiwicollection.com, and founder and owner of the Gostelow Report, plus a regular contributor to Destinations of the World News. This month, Mary explores Oberoi’s royal palaces in India on page 110 and shares the latest luxury news in her column, Mary Says, on page 29.
22
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Publisher Anna Zhukov anna@dotwnews.com Senior Editor Andy Round andy@dotwnews.com Editor Joe Mortimer joe@dotwnews.com Deputy Editor Caitlin Cheadle caitlin@dotwnews.com Assistant Online Editor Nicci Perides nicci@dotwnews.com Assistant Sales Manager Andrea Tsiachtsiri andrea@dotwnews.com Art Director Fami Bakkar fami@wnnlimited.com Multimedia Director Salimah Hirji salimah@wnnlimited.com Multimedia Executive Vandita Gaurang vandita@wnnlimited.com United Kingdom Sales Representative David Hammond david@dotwnews.com Circulation department circulate@dotwnews.com Cover image Seychelles - courtesy of Zil Pasyon
International Commercial Representations Destinations of the World News’ network of international advertising sales and editorial representatives are based in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. Destinations of the World News is published monthly by WNN Limited and distributed globally to the world’s premier airport lounges, our subscriber network and a select number of five-star hotels in the UAE. The title Destinations of the World News is a registered trademark and the publisher reserves all rights. All material in Destinations of the World News is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and articles reflect the personal opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the publisher. Destinations of the World News is not responsible for omissions or errors that result from misrepresentation of information to the publisher. Advertisers assume all liability for their advertising content. All rights of the owner and the producer of this conceptual development and artwork design are reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be imitated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of WNN Limited. Principal Offices WNN Limited, Reuters Building 1, Office 106, Dubai Media City, PO Box 500661, Dubai, UAE Tel +971 4 3910680 Fax +971 4 3910688 WNN limited, 31 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, PO Box 51234, zip 3503, Limassol, Cyprus To subscribe to Destinations of the World News at an annual rate of $99 visit the website at www.dotwnews.com and hit SUBSCRIBE. Images used in Destinations of the World News are provided by Gallo Images/Getty Images/Corbis/iStockphoto unless stated otherwise. DOTW News is printed by J G Cassoulides & Sons Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus and Al Nisr Publishing, Dubai, UAE
Published by
Sectiony title Retrospective
W
onderkid Rory McIlroy, 21, celebrates a triumphant swing at the 75th annual US Masters Tournament, which took place April 7-10 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, USA. Hailing from Northern Ireland, the young golf pro had an unfortunate turn of fate on the final round of the tournament, when he lost his four-shot lead over his close friend Charl Schwartzel, 26, who went on to take home the coveted green jacket. Ever the professional, Rory, or ‘Rors’, as he is affectionately known, later posted on his Twitter page, “Found it tough going but you have to lose before you can win. This day will make me stronger in the end.” Meanwhile Schwartzel, having just won his maiden Major with a 66 and a 14-under par total of 274, had nothing but kind words for his competitor, saying, “Golf is a really funny game, one moment you’re on top of it and the next it bites you. But Rory is such a phenomenal player he is going to win a Major sometime.” The US Masters is one of the biggest tournaments in professional golf as it is the first major championship to kick off the PGA Tour season. The invitation-only tournament is played on the smallest field of any championship, and competitors play against one another for US$8 million, plus a green sports jacket that has become symbolic of the event. This year saw golf legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus open the first day of the tournament with ceremonial tee shots.
dotwnews.com
May 2011
25
Nilesat Frequency: 11843 Mhz
“Fashion, Lu x u r y, L ifestyle”
05.11 News
eurostar eyes short-haul business EuropEan train operator Eurostar has launched a raft of upgrades and new services to its Business Premier cabins, in a bid to encourage more passengers to try its premium services and to entice new customers to travel around Europe with Eurostar. Since the deregulation of the European rail travel market and the company’s transition from joint venture firm to a single entity last year, Eurostar has revealed ambitious plans to increase its influence across Europe by targeting more passengers from Germany and the Netherlands for journeys across the UK, regional France and Belgium, and to win market share for short-haul European travel from low-cost carriers. Eurostar rolled out a new corporate identity last month to reflect its ambitious plans and the start of a “new phase for the business”, according to commercial director Nick Mercer. “Since services launched 16 years ago, Eurostar has had a profound impact on the people and economies on both sides of the Channel,” he said.
28
May 2011
dotwnews.com
“Over the next few years, new trains, new destinations and new product offerings will help deliver our ambition to be the most loved travel experience in Europe.” The company also introduced a new menu designed by Michelinstar chef Alain Roux, featuring exclusive gourmet dishes made from quality ingredients sourced from the UK, France and Belgium.
Eurostar is also expected to launch a mobile app for iPhone and Android that will allow passengers to book their tickets any time, anywhere, and offer them easier checkin procedures with mobile ticketing. Business Premier passengers will also be able to book taxis from onboard the trains, expanding the service that is currently available in Eurostar’s business lounges.
“Over the next few years, new trains, new destinations and new product offerings will help deliver our ambition to be the most loved travel experience in Europe” The gourmet addition and image overhaul are some of several new initiatives the company has introduced to beef up its business class product, in a bid to compete with European low-cost airlines. The company is investing in the redevelopment and upgrade of its business lounge at Brussels Midi station, which will double the capacity of the existing lounge.
Eurostar became a unified, standalone business last year, following its successful first 16 years as a joint venture. The company operates an intra-European high-speed train service between London’s St. Pancras Station and Brussels Midi Station, via Paris’ Gare du Nord. To date Eurostar has transported more than 115 million passengers since it was launched in 1994.
Europe
News
mary SayS...
The latest in luxury travel European private jet travel made easy lufthanSa Private Jet, Europe’s first commercial airline to launch a private jet division, has teamed up with NetJets Europe to cater to soaring demand for private aviation services. The partnership will increase the number of jets available to Lufthansa Private Jet customers and reduce the lead-time necessary to make a booking to just 10 hours before the requested flight departure, providing a more flexible service. The company currently operates a fixed-price system
depending on the category of jet required and the destinations served. A typical flight of up to an hour on a short route such as Munich to Milan in a Hawker 400 XP, which seats seven passengers, starts from US$8,174. The Hawker has a range of up to 2,161 kilometres, which makes it suitable for all inter-Europe travel. For longer flights, the Cessna Citation XLS can transport seven passengers up to 3,305 kilometres. The largest aircraft in the fleet is the Gulfstream G550, which
can seat up to 14 passengers and fly for up to 11,911 kilometres, making it ideal for trans-Atlantic and other intercontinental routes. Customers can also book optional extras such as a limousine service to and from their aircraft in any destination, or, on mid- to large-size jets on longer routes, a flight attendant for in-flight food and beverage service. Lufthansa Private Jet has also revealed plans to expand its business into the Middle East and the United States later this year.
IN FOCUS
Some years ago I crossed Lake Titicaca in Peru on the Yavari, a boat built in England in 1861 at the Thames Ironworks – founders of West Ham United Football Club, known as ‘The Hammers’ – and carried, in 2,766 parts, overland from the coastal town of Arica to the lake. Although she is now moored on Puno, Peru, you can overnight in this beauty. The General Manager is Captain Giselle Guldentops, the first certified female Master’s Ticket holder in Peru. Christopher Norton, GM/RVP Four Seasons George V, Paris, heads the company’s spas worldwide. Working with Megan Larsen, Founding CEO of Sodashi, he has created a marvellous new Tropical Magnolia range – as near to chemical-free as is scientifically possible. A signature anti-jetlag treatment comes with Pilates-type stretching. Of the retail products, I really like the Tropical Magnolia Body Exfoliant, containing real mother-of-pearl powder. Every evening at 6pm, a bottle of Möet is sabred open with a sword at St Regis Bangkok, which just opened on April 1, and the Decanter lounge has a wine club for connoisseurs. I love the 15th floor outside-terrace infinity pool, surrounded by lifesize silver cherubs and frangipani trees. As you swim your 75-ft laps, you appear to be cantilevered out, over Rajadamri Road to Bangkok Royal Sport Club. Obiká mozzarella bars take Italian fast food to a new level. Find them from Los Angeles to Europe to Tokyo (Grand Hyatt Tokyo), though as yet Obiká is not in the Middle East. The fresh-andhealthy bars are the brainchild of Silvio Ursini, who pushed Bulgari (for whom he has worked for years), on from jewellery to hotels.
Virgin launches extreme submarine Having crossed the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in a hot air balloon and launched the world’s first sub-orbital commercial spaceline, Sir Richard Branson has turned his attention to a new frontier. In his latest venture, he and four other adventurers will pilot the one-man Virgin Oceanic submarine to the deepest parts of the world’s five oceans. Explorer Chris Welsh (pictured with Branson) will pilot the vessel to the bottom of the Mariana Trench in the Pacific, the lowest point on the planet, later this year. Branson himself will tackle the Puerto Rico Trench in the Atlantic next year.
By mary GoStelow
dotwnews.com
May 2011
29
News
Middle East & Africa
MONTH IN NUMBERS
231,100
Number of cruise ship passengers who arrived in Muscat’s Port Sultan Qaboos in the July 2010 to June 2011 cruise season. The record year marks a 72 percent increase on the previous season. Meanwhile IATA data shows that some 2.08 million passengers arrived at Muscat International Airport in 2010 – 13 percent more than the previous year.
$136m
Value of on-site sales reported at the Dubai International Boat Show. Exhibitors at the event, which was attended by 750 international companies and more than 26,000 visitors, said they expected the figure to double as a result of postevent sales.
216
The number of rooms at the new Mövenpick Hotel Deira, the first five-star hotel to open in Dubai’s historic Deira district for more than a decade. The hotel features three restaurants and is located 15 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
1,400m
Planned height of the future Kingdom Tower, which is being built in the Saudi Arabian city of Jeddah at a cost of some US$30 billion. Designed by American architecture company Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, the tower will become the tallest building in the world when it is complete.
$102m
Cost of a new airport under construction in Mozambique to promote more tourism and foreign investment to the port city of Nacala.
30
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Rotana teams up with Melissa Reid UAE-based hotel management company Rotana Hotels has become the latest chain to adopt an international brand ambassador. Rotana has teamed up with British golfer Melissa Reid, who was Europe’s top-ranked amateur when she turned pro in 2007 and is considered by many to be the best young female British golfer on the circuit. The perks of celebrity ambassador tie-ups are mutually beneficial, with Rotana securing a long-term sponsorship deal and Reid knowing that she won’t be without a place to stay while travelling in the Middle East. “I consider myself very lucky to be able to call Rotana hotels my second home and I’m proud to associate myself with such a hotel brand that is expanding across the region,” said Reid. “Customers all over the world will recognise the Rotana branding as I will be carrying it with me when playing internationally.” For Rotana, the tie-up also aligns the brand with the sport, for which the UAE is becoming well-known. “As a regional hotel chain, we are interested in promoting our destinations and properties, especially in the United Arab Emirates, to golfing enthusiasts,” said Omer Kaddouri, chief operating officer, Rotana.
“Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah, where Rotana manages 28 properties, offer some of the best golf courses in the world and the association with Melissa will certainly help us promote that.” Rotana’s announcement followed shortly after fellow UAE-based hotel chain Jumeirah renewed a three-year sponsorship deal with pro golfer Rory McIlroy in December last year. The young PGA hopeful was appointed Jumeirah’s Global Ambassador in September 2007. “The results so far have been good for both of us and they are going to get even better,” said McIlroy on renewing the contract last year.
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group’s extensive brand ambassador programme is probably the world’s most well-known, with 20 international celebrities including Liam Neeson, Helen Mirren, Vanessa Mae and Lance Armstrong appearing on the company’s multi-million dollar ‘She’s/he’s a Fan’ campaign, which rolled out in 2000 and continues to this day. Recent additions to the campaign, which features images of the stars with the catch line ‘She’s/he’s a Fan,’ include Harry Connick Jr and Chinese singer Sa Ding Ding, who will help to raise the brand’s profile among Chinese guests.
Middle East & Africa
IN FOCUS
News
US advises against Syria travel
The American government has issued a travel warning to its citizens advising against all travel to Syria, following continued unrest across the country and violent clashes between security forces and protesters. President Bashar al-Assad is trying to retain control despite widespread public demand for governmental reform. The warning advised against all travel to the coastal city of Latakia and the southern city of Daraa, and advised extreme caution in other cities like Damascus and Aleppo.
Yachts Marina opens at Emirates Palace
Abu Dhabi’s luxurious Emirates Palace has celebrated the opening of Yachts Marina, a new 167-berth marina adjoining the property. Launched as a joint venture between Emirates Palace and marina operators ART Marine, Yachts Marina can cater to vessels between 12 and 60 metres and promises the last word in luxury yachting services. The new facility is surrounded by landscaped gardens and overlooks the waters of the Arabian Gulf.
Wyndham rolls out Planet Hollywood Hotels
Wyndham Hotel Group has revealed plans to launch three new Planet Hollywood hotels in Qatar, Panama and China, following a partnership with Planet Hollywood last year, which grants the company exclusive rights to franchise Planet Hollywood Hotels and provide management services globally. Planet Hollywood Hotel Entertainment City in Doha will feature 300 guest rooms, a restaurant, café, lounge, meeting facilities, fitness centre, spa and swimming pool and is scheduled to open in 2014.
32
May 2011
dotwnews.com
World’s largest Rolls-Royce showroom opens in Abu Dhabi Already famed for immense oil wealth, a thirst for the preservation of culture and its environmental credentials, the UAE capital has just become home to the largest Rolls-Royce showroom in the world. The luxury car maker’s CEO, Torsten Müller-Ötvös (above), and a number of other senior Rolls-Royce executives visited Abu Dhabi for the opening of Abu Dhabi Motors’ 894-square-metre Umm Al Nar Showroom. Abu Dhabi Motors is the biggestselling dealer of Rolls-Royce vehicles in the Middle East and one of the top five dealers in the world.
Superbus gains momentum in UAE Never one to shy away from innovative transport concepts, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is talking with the creators of an electric “Superbus” that could reduce the commute time between Dubai and UAE capital Abu Dhabi to just 30 minutes. The 16-door luxury vehicle will be capable of carrying 23 passengers at speeds of up to 250 kph and is powered by batteries. The futuristic concept was created by former chief aerodynamicist at the BMW Williams Formula One team, Antonia Terzi, and Dutch astronaut Professor Wubbo Ockels. The prototype vehicle was unveiled in Dubai last month, and Dubai transport authorities are in
talks with the designers to see how the new concept car could be used. “It’s a brilliant idea,” RTA director of marketing and corporate communications Peyman Younes Parham told daily newspaper The National. “It’s not something we could use as a public transportation vehicle, but it seems like a great sort of driver for tourism here, to make the stay of
tourists more enjoyable so they can do more things in town.” The RTA said the Superbus could be operated along a dedicated highway adjacent to the existing road linking the two Emirates. Initial plans suggest the Superbus would collect individual passengers (who would book their journey online) from their points of origin, before joining the dedicated highspeed lane on the Dubai/Abu Dhabi road for the short journey, and then rejoin the normal road network before delivering passengers to their destinations. The futuristic new vehicle is made from a high-tech mix of aluminium, carbon fibre, fibreglass and polycarbonate, and weighs 9,500kg.
News
Asia & Oceania
“There will be no tour groups heading to Japan before June or even later.” Xu Daoming, general manager of the marketing department of China Travel Service.
“We’ve come a full circle, [Sir] Richard and I. Who would’ve thought my mentor would be serving as a flight attendant on AirAsia? I’ve got my razor ready, and I can’t wait to shave his hairy legs!” AirAsia CEO Dato’ Sri Dr. Tony Fernandes comments on Sir Richard Branson’s penalty for losing a wager made at the Bahrain Grand Prix 2010.
“3D technology offers a stunning new perspective to traditional 2D rugby coverage. You really do feel as if you’re in the front row of the stadium. It’s an experience that’s as close as you’ll get to being at the live match.” 3DLive director Ronel Schodt on plans to broadcast the Rugby World Cup 2011 live in 3D from New Zealand.
34
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Final bow Grand Prince Hotel Akasaka will act as a temporary shelter for Fukushima evacuees until it is demolished in July
Knock-on effect in Japan Japan’s tourism industry continues to suffer the after-effects of the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami, as many would-be tourists are cancelling their planned trips to the country. Meanwhile Sendai International Airport reopened in April, one month after it was severely damaged by the tsunami. Many flight routes to and from the hardesthit areas of Japan remain cancelled or have been reduced in frequency, and airlines have continued to update their flight schedules in accordance with recovery efforts and the fluctuating situation at the Fukushima Daiichi power station. But the dire situation of Japan’s tourism industry most likely won’t improve any time soon. Prince Hotels group, which was suffering from overcapacity before the disasters, reported in April that 90 percent of reservations by foreign visitors at its 44 hotels across the country had been cancelled. Meanwhile the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, one of the most famous hotels in Japan, revealed that occupancy in April was half the usual amount for this time of year. Many hotels are now offering substantial discounts on rates to entice visitors to make last-minute travel plans. The majority of Japan’s tourists come from mainland China and Taiwan, and now travel companies in Taiwan have begun looking to the offshore Okinawa and Yaeyama islands, which have been largely unaffected by the disasters, to draw in visitors.
Star Cruises, the world’s third largest cruise line, has announced that it will set up a cruise terminal in Taiwan for its SuperStar Aquarius vessel, to promote routes from Taiwan to the Japanese islands. Andy Lew, general manager of Star Cruises’ Taiwan branch, said, “We can build on the success of our Taiwan-Okinawa route during this difficult time.” Currently there are over 100 tour agencies in Taiwan that rely on Japanbound packages, which have lost around US$270 million due to cancellations.
“Many flight routes to and from the hardest-hit areas of Japan remain cancelled or have been reduced in frequency” In reality, the situation is not as threatening as many tourists have perceived. Radiation levels in Tokyo have never reached harmful levels, and the British Foreign Office lifted its advisory against non-essential travel to Japan in April; at press time it was expected many other governments would soon follow. However a large part of any country’s appeal to tourists relies on its apparent level of safety, and despite the facts, at this point it remains to be seen whether travellers can move on from the harrowing images of Japan that have flashed across TV and computer screens since the disasters struck.
News
Asia & Oceania
New in Melbourne
IN FOCUS
Two of Melbourne’s top luxury properties have recently undergone renovations to beef up their presence in the luxury market. The Langham Melbourne has opened its new Terrace Rooms, featuring 50-square-metre terraces, the largest private terraces available in Melbourne, as extensions to the hotel’s existing Deluxe River Rooms. The Melbourne Marriott has unveiled a US$10 million refurbishment to its 166 rooms and 19 suites, including the addition of 42-inch flat-screen LCD TVs, instant high-speed wireless internet and iPod docking stations to each room.
Viceroy Bali upgrades
The Viceroy Bali hotel, one of the Leading Small Hotels of the World, will be adding a group of new villas in July. “The new villas represent a fairly significant new direction with clean lines and a vibrant design that is simple and elegant, each with a commodious space that includes a living room with sectional sofa, oversized king bed, espresso machine, 47-inch TV, iPod docking station and of course each with a private pool and outdoor sheltered pavilion,” said general manager Anthony Syrowarka. The hotel has also announced a new tennis facility and valley-side yoga pavilion, set to open in November 2011.
China flight
In line with China’s surge in demand for domestic air travel, China Southern Airlines and Heibei Airlines have each placed orders for 10 E-190 planes from Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer, in a deal which includes an option to purchase 15 additional aircraft. China is Brazil’s most substantial trading partner and foreign investor, and Embraer had been looking to tap into China’s growing market, lobbying for rights to produce the E-jet series - narrow-body planes that can hold up to 100 passengers - in China.
36
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Golden opportunity Models pose in front of a gold-plated Infiniti at a jewellery show in Nianjing, China. By 2020 China is expected to be the world’s largest luxury goods market, accounting for an estimated 44 percent of sales worldwide, due to its burgeoning middle class. As the average household income continues to rise, Chinese citizens are enjoying an increasingly high-end lifestyle, and luxury goods companies are moving in rapidly as they predict China will account for over half their global growth in the next 10 years.
Big spenders: Chinese set for more international travel Chinese tourists are expected to spend an estimated US$55 billion overseas in 2011, according to the Chinese Tourism Academy’s Annual Report of China’s Outbound Tourism Development 2011, securing an outbound tourism growth of 13 percent over the previous year. This figure was boosted by China’s rapidly appreciating currency, which stands out in the world’s recovering economic market. In April, the yuan rose to 6.5401 per US Dollar, meaning that in terms of central parity it has risen more than 1.2 percent against the US Dollar this year alone, and that Chinese tourists will find cheaper foreign goods and services overseas.
The influx of tourists and spending overseas will not only help the economies of countries who receive large numbers of Chinese visitors, but also China’s own travel firms that rely on overseas travel. Since 2009, mainland Chinese travellers have been the fourth biggest spenders among tourists, followed by tourists from Germany, the US and the UK. Ma Yiliang, a researcher at the academy’s international development institute, said, “ The main reason for this ranking is that mainland tourists prefer to shop during their trips.” According to the Academy’s survey of more than 2000 tourists in
six major cities last year, 26.85 percent said they spend more money on shopping than on food, hotel rooms or other expenses. The survey also showed that 76 percent of the money mainland tourists spent in Hong Kong in 2010 was allocated to shopping, while 63 percent of money spent in Macau, and 50 percent spent in Taiwan went to shopping. The CTA recorded 57.39 million Chinese tourists had travelled overseas in 2010, bringing in a total of US$48 billion to overseas destinations. With 100 million people expected to travel overseas by 2020, China is now the largest native population of tourists in Asia.
News
Americas
Expert territory
Aman resorts will be introducing guided tours lead by experts at its US properties, to take visitors into areas that are generally not accessible to the public. An expert biologist at Amangani Wyoming will lead guests on expeditions in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley, dubbed America’s Serengeti, to view bears, wolves, bison, deer and antelope. At Amangiri, Utah, a local Navajo guide will lead guests into the Mystery Valley, a little-known area featuring ancient ruins, cliff dwellings, rock art and box canyons.
Donald Trump for US President?
America on top
Despite recording a decline in tourist visits in 2010, the US remained the world’s largest tourism destination, according to the United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Last year America recorded 78.95 million arrivals, with France coming in second at 60.88 million arrivals.
Set sail for Florida
Visitors to Key West, Florida will now be able to board the 72-year-old, 130-foot schooner Western Union - which originally served the Western Union Telegraph Company as a cablerepairing ship - for day sails, sunset cruises and charters. Refurbishment of the ship, believed to be the world’s only surviving sailing cable ship, was spearheaded by a local organisation, the Schooner Western Union Preservation Society, which was formed to ensure the ship would remain home-ported in Key West.
Central American boom
According to data from the Tourism Ministries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, the number of foreign visitors to Central America increased by 10.8 percent in 2010, compared to the previous year.
38
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Deal-maker Trump will announce his political intentions in June
Hotel tycoon Donald Trump’s recent political movements have led many to believe he is taking the first steps toward campaigning for US presidential candidacy. Though he has announced that he will not make his political intentions clear until June, in April Trump spoke at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington DC, where many potential candidates deliver speeches prior to launching a campaign. He has also made a point of verbally attacking his potential rival, President Barack Obama, in public. Amongst the accusations he’s thrown at Obama, he has launched a search for the president’s birth certificate, in order to prove that Obama is not actually an American citizen, calling his presidency “the biggest scam in American history”.
He has also remarked that Obama is not a “deal-maker,” and that what America needs in the face of its current economic state is a deal-maker. It’s thought that if Trump does run for president, he will run for the conservative Republicans.
Recent polls have mostly indicated that Trump is a favourite among the other potential Republican candidates, with his popularity second only to Mike Huckabee. Trump currently owns Trump International Hotels in Chicago,
“Recent polls have mostly indicated that Trump is a favourite among the other potential Republican candidates, with his popularity second only to Mike Huckabee” A number of online betting sites have begun running polls debating whether or not Trump will run for presidency, which political party he will run for, and whether he will use his famous slogan “You’re fired!”, from his reality TV show The Apprentice, in his campaign.
Las Vegas, New York and Waikiki, with hotels in Toronto, Canada and Panama City, Panama scheduled to open this year. Hotels in Aberdeen, Scotland; Cap Cana, Dominican Republic; Dubai, UAE; and New Orleans, Louisiana have been planned to open in the future.
News
Americas
More Miami vice
IN FOCUS
If you’re visiting Miami, beware the ‘B-Girl’, short for ‘Bar Girl’. This dangerous creature trolls nightspots and uses her mystical powers to lure unsuspecting males into shady South Beach private clubs, where she continues to ply them with exorbitantly priced drinks until they are barely able to stand, often using forceful tactics to obtain a signature on the bill at the end of the night. A recent FBI crackdown has lead to 17 people being charged in connection with the scam, which targets male tourists, selected based on indicators of personal wealth such as expensive watches, clothing and shoes. At least 88 victims have been identified so far, with total losses reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. The private clubs aren’t open to the public
and carry exotic names like Caviar Bar and Tangia Club. If victims refuse to pay their bill, club operators threaten to call local police, citing a Florida law that requires bar and restaurant patrons to pay a disputed bill and take it up with the credit card company afterwards. All 17 suspects that have been identified are now being held in custody and face charges of wire fraud, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. The suspects are a mix of club operators and ‘B-Girls’, mostly hailing from Latvia and Estonia. US Attorney Wilfred Ferrer said, “This scheme preyed on our tourists and gave our tourism industry a black eye. We are pleased to have put this ring out of operation.”
Rapper’s delight Kanye West performs the closing show at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. The three-day music extravaganza attracts some 75,000 visitors per day to the Empire Polo Fields in California’s Coachella Valley. There is a substantial celebrity turnout, and ticketholders generally buy passes for all three days and camp out on the huge outdoor festival grounds.
the mONth IN NUmberS
$7.1 million
The amount of money being allocated to Tourism Calgary to fund the city of Calgary’s ambition to become the ‘cultural capital of Canada’ by 2012.
40
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Eight
The age of passenger Spencer Sheahan, who was patted down by a TSA agent before boarding a flight to Disneyland with his family.
8.3 million
The number of visitors to New Orleans in 2010, a 10.7 percent increase over 2009 and the first time arrivals have reached 8 million since before Hurricane Katrina.
Trends
Destinations: go global europe
Haute cuisine
if you’re in europe this summer and looking for somewhere different to eat out, look up and check out the Cube. the brainchild of electrolux and architects Park associati, this 140-square-metre cube will be located on the top of europe’s most famous landmarks, moving to a different city every month. effectively it’s a portable restaurant that can be moved by helicopter from place to place. at the time of going to press it was perched on top of Brussels’ famous Cinquantenaire landmark. the concept acts as a chance for electrolux to promote their super duper kitchen stuff, but more importantly for diners it offers a highly desirable place to eat out – if you can afford dinner at Us$290 a head.
Holland
ireland
Picnic butlers
Facebook fun?
as if there weren’t enough good reasons to visit amsterdam, along comes the wonderful Butler for Hire concept. You decide to have a picnic with some friends, but can’t be bothered with the organisation, buying, cooking, finding a nice spot in the park, laying out the blanket etc, so you call BFH, who does everything. For just Us$43.5 per person your butler gets all those chicken legs, rugs and cold cuts and then clears up afterwards. Brilliant. Check out butlerforhire.nl.
so, it’s check a national stereotype time. What do you imagine when you think about clichés about ireland and the irish? oK, got those images in your head? now compile a Facebook game incorporating potato farmers, blarney cutishness, pub owners and getting blitzed on st. Paddy’s Day. Wishful thinking or just a clever marketing ploy by tourism ireland? it’s the latter. Called ireland town, it’s a Farmville replicant, but you can win a four-day trip to the emerald isle if you play. and you will, won’t you?
world
Holiday help
Remember the bad old days when you had to go into a travel agency to book your holiday? no, we don’t either, but we do like the pre-web nostalgia of not spending hours on comparison sites and having someone do the organisation for us. enter HolidayCrowd.com, a cunning concept that invites folk to outline the trip they would like to take and then allows competing travel agents to make offers for their business. the service is free to travellers and there’s a three percent commission charged to travel agents. HolidayCrowd.com verifies agents to check they are legitimate.
Ta i wa n
Germany
Story with twist
Fact or fiction
there is nothing that Destinations of the World News likes better than to put its feet up in a business lounge with a nice fat blockbuster on our Kindle. so, we were delighted to read all about a new e-library concept for travellers at taiwan taoyuan international. Unfortunately it’s a good news/bad news kind of story. the good news? there are 400 books to download in english or Chinese that can be rented and enjoyed at the airport. the bad news is there are only 30 Kindles available that can be used to read the books. secondly, the e-books cannot be taken away or downloaded into travellers’ devices. 42
May 2011
dotwnews.com
another month, another alternative city guide. in april we were singing the praises of Whai Whai, a mobile application offering guides to italian cities. now there is storytude, an app for iPhone and android that uses fictional stories to unlock the secrets of German hotspots such as Berlin and Munich. in addition to more traditional information such as a guide to graffiti in Berlin or the ‘best of Hamburg’, the application downloads thrillers, horror stories and romances that are designed to lead visitors through streets in an immersive way using fictional characters in real life settings. apparently developers Mobile Melting are looking for contributors.
Trends
HOT Your towels, sir? Linen Technology Tracking has designed a waterproof radio-frequency tag that’s being sown into towels and robes. An alarm is triggered if the item is removed from the hotel, in a bid to reduce theft. And granny comes too Eurocamp says bookings from extended family groups (that’s including the gramps) are up 325 percent in the past two years. In-flight duty free shop Korean Air has been showing off its new duty-free shop at the Hamburg show, which will be available to passengers onboard the airline’s A380s.
AmericA
Muscle madness
The last time Destinations of the World News hired a car in the States, it was a forgettable thing from a forgettable rental company with ambitions to remain completely unremarkable. We should have gone to Hertz. The company has just introduced their Adrenaline Collection, designed to quicken pulses and lighten wallets. Gladly. The collection boasts classic US muscle cars including Dodge Challengers, Chevy Camaros and Mustangs. There is also a Fun Collection of convertibles and Jeeps – and they all start from about US$150 a day. But what price a little nostalgia excitement?
Sin City stripped bare Wired magazine is organising holidays that go behind the scenes of Vegas including trips with a casino security expert, firing the latest guns with LV’s Police Department and how to count cards with an expert. Price: just US$9,500.
cAribbeAn
In-flight heist
OK, this is going to be a film scene any day now. A thief managed to smash his way into a plane’s cargo hold through a toilet by pretending to be ill for 45 minutes. The reason? There was US$1.74 million in cash on the flight from Guadeloupe and Saint Martin. He escaped with $253,000 by asking for an ambulance when they landed and dodged security checks.
UK
Seat of yearning AmericA
Mob rule
Who said crime doesn’t pay? The latest attraction to open in Las Vegas is the Mob Experience Museum. Opened by Godfather star James Caan and Sopranos actor Frank Vincent, the exhibition at the Tropicana features, according to publicity, the “largest collection of authentic memorabilia, photos and videos of organised crime ever assembled”. The attraction is designed to tell the story of the rise and fall of crime families in Sin City and neither glorifies or vilifies the Mob, the organisers say. One of the most popular exhibits features a game where “visitors can end up whacked” if they make the wrong choices. 44
May 2011
dotwnews.com
In-flight entertainment is evolving at a blistering pace. British company Contour Aerospace and Factorydesign have come up with the ‘Not For Wimps’ concept seat. Showcased at Hamburg’s Aircraft Interiors Expo, it boasts a bucket seat, docking station for gaming devices, a noise-cancelling bubble and inbuilt speakers. Manufacturers say that its ultra lightweight design will save fuel and appeal to ‘adventurous’ airlines interested in something fresh for business class. Watch this air space.
NOT Amazon tourist ban Village elders in Nazareth in Colombia have banned tourists from visiting because they leave rubbish and don’t respect local traditions. Sleeping air traffic control Investigations are underway at Reagan National Airport in Virginia after allegations that two aircraft landed without clearance because an air traffic controller was asleep. Tours fit for a princess Royal tours are available around Berkshire in the UK, charting the places where Kate Middleton, now wife of Prince William, grew up. Apparently the butcher’s shop is a highlight. Taxing hotel stay Depressing hotel trend of the month, a ‘Crunch Time’ package at New York’s Duane Street Hotel for people filling in their US returns. The package includes a one-night stay, unlimited coffee and a copy of Taxes for Dummies.
W Retreat and Spa, Maldives
Four Seasons Resort, Kuda Huraa
Jumeirah Vittaveli
Baros Maldives
Hilton Maldives Iru Fushi Resort & Spa
FOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT
WWW.DOTW.COM Real-time online booking confirmation for over 80,000 ground services in more than 1,200 cities. Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.* * FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ONLY.
Huvafen Fushi, Maldives
Trends
AIRLINE Scents of place
There are millions of souvenirs you can bring from a destination, but what about bottling up its smell? Scent of Departure will be available in duty-free shops and promises to provide the essence of a city. Each 50ml bottle boasts the airport’s three-letter code. VIE, for example, says it evokes Vienna by summing up “a walk from the peaceful Danube to the Palace garden of Belvedere”.
Havana good time
Blimey, it’s true. Cuba is rapidly opening up to Americans. After decades of blockades and refused passports, eight more US airports have now become departure points for chartered flights to Castro’s treasure island in addition to Miami, LAX and NYC. As big fans of Cuba, we were concerned that the next step would be Big Macs and GAP stores on the hallowed faded streets of Havana, but that might still be some time away. In line with permissions and promises made by President Obama and Congress, Americans can only fly to Cuba if they can prove to be part of a religious, cultural or educational group.
Security spellbound by witch
You couldn’t make it up. An airport security employee is sacked for being a witch and casting spells. Here are the facts: Carole Smith is a Wicca – a follower of pagan religions, and proudly calls herself a witch. She was employed as security officer at Albany International. Co-worker Mary Bagnoli accused of her of putting spells on her car heater, causing it to malfunction. A supervisor puts them in for mediation counselling. Employees are then accused of harassing the witch. Then it goes to court. There’s confusion. Now it’s at appeal. We can’t wait for the outcome.
Shape up…
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: we’d give a lot to be in on the marketing meetings at Air New Zealand. From body-painted staff to advertise fare transparency to rugby stars helping out with safety videos and ‘cougar town’ pastiches to encourage younger travellers, ANZ has proved constantly risqué and consistently entertaining. Now comes their latest safety video. It’s in the form of a 1980s keepfit class complete with illuminated shorts, leg warmers (obviously) and more headbands than a Dire Straits music video. It’s loud, brash and even features the airline’s CEO Rob Fyfe, and it’s miles better than those animated this-is-how-you-fastena-seatbelt shorts. 46
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Bespoke lounge shoes
Virgin Atlantic’s Upper Class clubhouse has many male-friendly toys, including a hot tub, Atari games and a free salon. The latest addition comes in the form of bespoke shoes, an old-school idea using cutting edge technology. Feet are scanned using a 360˚ digital process, and passengers can then choose the shoe style, colour, sole and material they want. Passengers can even add their name to the sole and their flight number. Sadly, the concept – a tie-up between Finland’s Left Shoe Company and VA – only lasted a month and finished in April, but we’re thinking it’s only a matter of time before other customised services start sneaking their way into an airport lounge near you.
Real-life film stars
YouTube and those dastardly mobile phone video facilities have made wannabe film directors of us all. Now you might think life is too short to watch — let alone create — a dreamy HD sequence of a transatlantic flight, but we beg to differ. Passenger Nate Bolt wove together 2,500 photos on an Air France trip from San Francisco to Paris and it’s wonderful. The video features stunning shots of the Northern Lights, snow-covered tundra and night/day wake-up magic. But it’s not as good as Canadian Max Graham, who filmed 100 hours of footage around the world as he moved from one gig to another. Google it.
Interview
PROFILE Sir rocco Forte
The knight’s tale After the hostile takeover of the Forte Group in 1995, Sir Rocco Forte was left with a family fortune of US$529 million. Today, he is the proud owner of a small but exquisite collection of 13 luxury hotels in Europe, and very soon, the Middle East
S
ir Rocco Forte is very much the lord of his manor. The only male heir to a family fortune valued in 2008 at US$733 million and the brother of five sisters, Sir Rocco followed his father, Lord Charles Forte, into the hospitality business and took the reins as CEO of the Forte Group in 1992. Knighted in 1994 for his services to the hospitality industry, Sir Rocco was then faced with a hostile takeover bid, which ended when the Forte Group was taken over for $6.2 billion in 1996, leaving the Forte family with $529 million in spare change. He established The Rocco Forte Collection shortly after and quickly acquired two landmark properties in the UK – The Balmoral in Edinburgh and Brown’s Hotel in London – which were refurbished by his sister, Olga Polizzi, who joined the firm as director of design. The group now includes 13 hotels around Europe and is about to open its first hotel in the Middle East in Abu Dhabi, in late 2011. Today, Sir Rocco is every bit the titled British millionaire; he refers to each of his hotels in the loving and possessive tones of a proud father, and didn’t mind sharing his thoughts on everything from knighthood to fitness with DOTW News.
On being knighted I was the same man before as I am now. Recognition is nice in all of its forms and it was particularly nice to be recognised in this way. It’s also good for the company that you represent. It does open doors sometimes. Travelling overseas, there is a lot of interest in British titles, so it creates an aura and somehow in the eyes of others it makes you a little bit more important. I would say the only thing that has changed for me is that now, when I wake up in the morning, I wake up next to a Lady!
On following in his father’s footsteps I have learned so many lessons it’s difficult to pin-point one. My father’s integrity was very important, both in terms of the way he did business and the way he treated people. He is someone who always had time for people. His overall drive, his determination and his refusal to take no for an answer and find a way to do something when everybody else said it would be impossible – that’s very important and I try to be a little bit like that as well.
48
May 2011
dotwnews.com
On working with his sister There are only pros in this case and no cons. One of the nicest things about having this business is that I am working closely with Olga, whereas in the last organisation, it was so big that I very rarely interacted with her. Now she is very much an important part of the business. I probably get more involved now than I did in the early days, as I have clearer views about the decoration of hotels than I did then. It was thanks to her that we embarked on the route of having a very strong design focus on our hotels, which was what gave us a bit of an advantage in the early days. We are very alike in many ways and I don’t think we have ever really disagreed on anything since we’ve been in business together.
On his athletic achievements I have always been quite sporty. I got a “Blue” for fencing at Oxford, where I competed in the Varsity match for each of the three years I was there. I was university sabre champion and I was verging on joining the British team when I gave it up, which was a mistake. I ran marathons in the 80s when it was first fashionable and I did eight years of London Marathons. Ten years ago I took up triathlons. I trained very hard and I’ve done four World Championships. I did Ironman in Klagenfurt six years ago, where I came second in my category and won the over-50s chief executive race. For the last year and a half I haven’t done much, but I’m hoping to start getting back into hard training again.
On maintaining an active lifestyle I think being fit is quite important; it gives you more energy and enables you to work long hours and be more effective. If you do a sport competitively it forces you into a discipline of training, and it makes you want to work to get fitter than you otherwise would. Of course it can take over; when I did the Ironman, I found the training was too hard. With my results at Klagenfurt I qualified for the next event in Hawaii, but I didn’t do it because it meant another three months of training and it was interfering with my work – and that must come first.
On finding a work/life balance I am not a great believer in work/lifestyle balance. If you are running a business or holding down an important job, that has to be your priority. You try to fit everything else in around it as best you can. That’s what I do. If I train, I have to get up earlier in the morning than I would otherwise, but obviously the benefits are there and at the end of the day, that is why you do it. But this idea that there are only so many hours a day you can work, or should be allowed to work, is completely and utterly ridiculous. If something needs to be done, you do it.
Healthy body, health mind Sir Rocco has competed in Ironman Austria and taken part in the World Triathlon Championships four times
“This idea that there are only so many hours a day you can work or be allowed to work is completely and utterly ridiculous. If something needs to be done, you do it” On the financial crisis
On running hotels
I have never known a recession like this where sales collapsed almost overnight. Initially sales fell 40 percent compared with the previous year. Then it settled down at around 20 percent less. There is very high operational gearing in hotels, so you lose off the top line and it goes straight down to the bottom. Whatever you save on costs is not going to make up for it, so we went through quite a difficult six months. Things have come back very quickly in the luxury sector. This last 12 months we are 12.5 percent up on the previous year, and that trend is continuing.
I’m privileged in that I get involved in every aspect. I’m involved in looking for the building sites, and then in the planning of the hotel and how it’s going to function, and finally setting it up and the day-to-day running. I get to interact with customers much more than I was able to in the past – customers in the sense of guests who I meet when I am in the hotels, but also the businesses that deliver business to me, which I never did before.
On luxury tourism in Europe Generally in Europe the luxury market is strong again. We are in a number of cities and Germany is particularly strong. The slowest has been Russia and our hotel in Prague, in which the recovery started much later – it really didn’t start until last year, whereas everywhere else it started in the latter part of the previous year.
On visiting his hotels I like going into the hotels – it’s like going into a lot of different homes that belong to me. I get a great buzz out of that. Last week I was sitting in the restaurant in the garden of the hotel in Rome, and it was busy and buzzing and obviously a very successful business. I thought back to 11 years ago, when there was nothing there, and felt a certain satisfaction at having made something like that happen.
dotwnews.com
May 2011
49
Interview
On celebrating the good times The key is to not to get complacent, which is very easy to do. You have to look at the things you couldn’t have afforded to do when the business was struggling and plan to do them. When things are difficult you tend to look internally at the business, rather than looking outside and seeing what the opportunities are and how you can grow the business.
On expansion Hopefully my company will get bigger – maybe up to 30 or 40 hotels. There would be a slightly different way of doing business, but it would still be of a size where I could get involved and have an influence. There are some target destinations in Europe that I want to infiltrate, and that’s where we will have a lot of focus. I’d like to be in New York as well. For the time being that would be the only place in the States I would like to go. We have a huge customer base from the States; 25 percent of our business comes from there. Americans are the best luxury customers for hotels in the world by far.
On moving into the Middle East We have signed management contracts for five hotels in the Middle East: Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Marrakech, Cairo and Luxor. The opportunity came and we took it. People came to me and said: ‘Will you manage my hotel?’ That’s how it happened. With the old Trusthouse Forte Group, we had a lot of hotels in the region so I am quite familiar with it. We have a big customer base out there that come to our European hotels, so having a big visibility and presence out there is good for our European hotels as well.
On Verdura Golf & Spa Resort It’s a baby and I have seen it grow. The golf courses there are fantastic – there are two championship golf courses designed by Kyle Phillips, who is one of the best modern architects around. When you’ve built it yourself, you look at the golf course in a slightly different way. Even if it weren’t my place I would recommend Verdura.
On travel indulgences Sometimes on flights I do a bit of reading which I wouldn’t otherwise have time for. I’m not a great sightseer. When I go on holiday I like to have a rest, so I like to be in one place and I like to enjoy the things that I can do there. I play golf – actually I’m getting back into it now, so I get very fixated on that and I spend my time trying to get better. My in-laws have a very nice house in Tuscany, south of Pisa, and it’s great cycling country. I have a bicycle there and I spend quite a lot of time cycling. I am active but also resting and doing things I would not be able to do if I were working.
50
May 2011
dotwnews.com
“When I go on holiday I like to have a rest, so I like to be in one place and I like to enjoy the things that I can do there” On leisure travel
On dogs
Actually when I’m not travelling for business I like to stay put, much to my wife’s annoyance. She always wants to go on trips and I have to say, ‘Look, I’ve been travelling for the last few weeks non-stop and I’d like to have a bit of time at home.’
We are not dog-friendly as a company, which actually puts off a certain section of clientele. We don’t allow people to take dogs into their rooms or even into the restaurants. We will walk their dogs for them while they are in the restaurant, but we won’t allow them in the hotel.
On children at hotels
On retirement
We are very child-friendly. Obviously there are some people who don’t want screaming children running around the place and disturbing them but then hopefully one can control that as well. But at Verdura for example, it’s so spread out that if you want to be at peace you never need to see a child, even if there are plenty there.
No. Not at all. I think they’ll take me out in a box.
To read the full interview with Sir Rocco Forte and hear about the latest expansion plans, please visit dotwnews.com. Visit www.roccofortecollection.com to view the Rocco Forte Hotels collection.
Family business Sir Rocco’s sister Olga Polizzi is director of design for Rocco Forte Hotels
54
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Seychelles
Indulge
Seduced by the
SeychelleS You’re meant to fall in love before visiting the Seychelles, but if you’re lucky enough to have the island paradise all to yourself, you’ll inevitably embark on your very own love affair with the bejewelled archipelago WORDS: Caitlin Cheadle
dotwnews.com
May 2011
55
Indulge
Seychelles
T
ouching down at Seychelles International Airport on Mahe Island, the first thing I am struck by is the sheer brilliance of the colours: a kaleidoscope of gemstone hues is spread out before me; emerald green mountains are backed by tanzanite skies, and the Indian Ocean, which begins as a deep sapphire blue and gradually turns to azure and finally a crystal clear turquoise as it reaches the shore, holds my eyes captive. It’s more beautiful than any postcard could ever depict. Even the sand seems to gleam in the sun, illuminating the sea so that its coral reefs are visible from the sky. After making my way through the tiny airport, I’m sitting in the back of an SUV, winding up steep, narrow roads bordered by lush tropical vegetation, so thick and wild it conjures up images of prehistoric jungles. Gazing back as we climb higher and higher, my driver snaps me out of my beauty-induced trance: ‘This is Victoria, our Capital. It’s closed today because it’s Sunday – everything is closed.” Victoria takes all of five minutes to drive through, and the streets are deserted, but it’s wonderfully quaint. A mishmash of shops, apartment buildings, churches, bars and beautiful old colonial structures line the streets. There is one cinema, and there are two traffic lights – the only ones you’ll find in the whole of the Seychelles islands. On Saturdays, or Market Days, it’s quite the opposite. Locals and tourists crowd the streets, flitting from the produce stalls to the fish markets, to the artisan stands that line the main drive, Francis Rachel Street. But that’s another story. Right now, it’s 7.30am, and it looks like a ghost town. Occasionally we encounter a brightly painted car, always verging on run-down, its driver tapping
PHOTO: Raymond Sahuquet - STB
Blue Lagoon A hive of marine life inhabits the coral reefs below crystal clear waters
56
May 2011
dotwnews.com
the horn merrily or waving as it overtakes us on the narrow two-lane road. “Ah, everyone knows each other in the Seychelles,” my driver explains. “It’s a very small place. We only have two traffic lights!” This is something I will hear more than a few times during my week-long stay, and every Seychellois, as the locals are called, tells me about the quaint nature of their island nation with a true sense of pride. I hear the distant peal of church bells ringing through the hills as we reach the jetty, where I’m about to climb aboard a boat for my first of three stays in the Seychelles: Silhouette Island.
Wilderness tamed After a 40-minute journey we reach Silhouette’s shores. I’m staying at the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa, the only resort on the island, which has been here for five years but was only taken over by Hilton in February. The relationship between Labriz and Silhouette Island is symbiotic in theory: in return for transforming the island into a resort, Labriz supports the local community, providing electricity and water for its 130 residents, as well as funding the small primary school and medical centre.
The resort itself comprises 111 ocean and garden villas. Guests are transported by golf buggy, and there are seven restaurants and bars, a reception area and a main pool, all connected by trails. Don’t expect much privacy at Labriz – the villas are fairly close to each other – but inside you’ll find luxurious beds, mod-cons like WiFi and a flat-screen TV, and spacious wall-to-wall windowed bathrooms with a tub for two, indoor and outdoor showers, L’Occitane products and ‘his and hers’ sinks. The real draw at Labriz resort is Silhouette Island itself. The beaches are beautiful and rustic in a way that makes you feel like Robinson Crusoe, and it doesn’t take long to get lost in the untamed wilderness. Book a nature walk to get a glimpse of the raw beauty on the uninhabited side of the island, where beaches are empty and backed by jagged granite rock formations. Our guide, Junny, delighted the group with his knowledge of Silhouette’s flora and fauna – and his coconut-cracking skills. There is nothing quite like sitting in the powder-soft sand, sipping sun-warmed coconut juice straight from the shell, before scraping the sweet coconut flesh off with your teeth.
“A mishmash of shops, apartment buildings, churches, bars and beautiful old colonial structures line the streets of Victoria. There is one cinema, and there are two traffic lights – the only ones you’ll find in the whole of the Seychelles islands”
Sunset soak The ultimate romantic bath at MAIA Luxury Resort & Spa
Labriz also houses a Tortoise Sanctuary, where children squeal with excitement when they spot the prehistoric-looking creatures ambling across the grounds. The Creole restaurant, Grann Kaz, holds an impressive history that dates back to the first inhabitants of the island. It’s set in a beautiful French Colonial plantation house, once the home of the island’s settler, Mr. Henri Dauban. The Dauban family is still highly regarded by locals here; any resident of Silhouette knows the history of the house, and Mr. Dauban is even buried on the island. The white-pillared mausoleum that houses his remains is carefully preserved, situated amongst the palm trees on a peaceful patch of earth under the granite cliffs. After two days spent exploring Silhouette and relaxing on its beaches, I arrive back on Mahe, and as soon as I step onto the dock of the jetty, I’m greeted by a handsome young man in a crisp white shirt and slacks. ‘Hi, I’m Andre,’ he says. ‘Welcome back to Mahe.’
Beautiful viewing MAIA’s 30 ocean-facing villas overlook the stunning bay of Anse Louis
58
May 2011
dotwnews.com
“While it’s easy to spend all your time gazing at the horizon from your luxury resort or soaking up the sun on the beach, make sure you spare some time to get acquainted with the locals, and to experience the true spirit of the Seychelles”
Private paradise In the driver’s seat of the waiting black SUV is David, also crisply uniformed and the owner of one of the biggest, warmest smiles I have ever seen. Andre and David are escorting me to MAIA Luxury Resort & Spa, and they gamely answer my barrage of questions as we make our way back up the winding roads, into the hills to the other side of the island. Back on the coast, my anticipation builds as I spot several thatch-roofed villas perched on the cliffs ahead. “Is that MAIA?” I ask. They nod in affirmation and look at one another like two kids in possession of a juicy secret. A short while later we pull off the road into a lush gardened landscape. “Welcome home,” my escorts say as we enter through the gates. Check-in is quick and painless. I am lead from the car to a buggy and taken to a carved wooden gate, Villa 205, flanked across the cliffs overlooking the ocean and surrounded by frangipani trees, ensuring maximum privacy.
GM Frederic Vidal later explains: “I wanted to ensure that every guest can swim and bathe naked outdoors if they choose, without having to worry about being seen by anyone.” An outdoor infinity pool faces the ocean, and the villa’s crowning glory has to be the outdoor bathtub, set within a shallow infinity pool just outside the bedroom/bathroom. Next to the pool are an open-plan dining area and kitchen, where my personal butler, Nady, greets me with a warm smile. Off the kitchen is a deck with sunloungers and showers, and from this a staircase leads down to a secluded beach. I mention that I’d like to try horse riding on the beach. “Certainly, I will arrange it for you,” says Nady. “Would you like to try a spa treatment when you return?” Yes please. “And can I set up a bath for you so you can watch the sunset when you get back from the spa?” Oh yes please. “The chef will be coming round at 7.30 to prepare your dinner.” Okay, if you insist. I could get used to this.
Drinks at dusk Kannel Bar at the Four Seasons Seychelles is the perfect spot for after-dinner cocktails
When I return from horse riding, I’m whisked away to the spa for the Maia Signature Massage, 60 minutes of gentle kneading with amber oil, administered by a skilled Indonesian therapist, perfect for my aching muscles and sun- and saltwater-drenched skin. Back in my villa, as the sun begins to dip behind the cliffs, I step into the frangipani-scented suds of my Maia Signature bath, open the chilled bottle of champagne that has been placed on the edge of the tub, and take in the spectacular view. It doesn’t get much better than this. My next two days at MAIA follow a similar vein. Needs and desires are anticipated and met with the utmost charm. The service is stupendous, and the setting breathtakingly beautiful. Every last detail has been executed brilliantly, from the design of each villa to its amenities (I especially loved the outdoor surround sound system, complete with an iPod loaded with playlists based on the brief description I’d given of my preferred music genres).
Seychelles
When I mention that I would like Japanese cuisine while sitting down to dinner at Tec-Tec restaurant, out come plates of fresh local tuna sashimi, grilled red snapper on a bed of wilted spinach and the best sorbet I’ve ever tasted – made at the resort, of course. “There is no menu at MAIA. Guests come to the restaurant when they like, or they stay in their villa, and we prepare what they want. We have chefs that can prepare Creole, Asian, Mediterranean and French cuisine,” Vidal explains. Later, in the outdoor bar, I select a Cohiba No. 5 from the well-stocked humidor and indulge in MAIA’s homemade chocolates as I gaze at the canopy of stars overhead. The next morning we charter a yacht and head to Coco Island, a renowned snorkelling spot. We gear up and plunge below the surface: I’ve never seen so many fish, giant schools of them in every colour. I glide above the coral reefs, observing the flurry of activity in the underwater ecosystem below.
Indulge
“There is nothing quite like sitting in the powder-soft sand, sipping fresh sunwarmed coconut juice straight from the shell, before scraping the sweet coconut meat off with your teeth”
dotwnews.com
May 2011
59
Indulge
Seychelles
Back aboard the yacht, we pop a bottle of champagne and make our way to Praslin Island’s tiny beachside restaurant, Bonbon Plume, where plates of fresh grilled prawns, lobster and red snapper are brought to the table. Then out comes the nougat coco, a wonderfully sweet, crunchy coconut concoction, topped with vanilla ice cream. I sit back and indulge – just another day in the Seychelles.
Families welcome A 15-minute drive from MAIA is the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles, one of the newer properties on Mahe. Though the Seychelles is well-known to honeymooners, new lovers and couples celebrating milestone anniversaries, the Four Seasons Seychelles is the place to bring the family, whether you’ve got young ones or teenagers. There is a kid’s club, which operates daily from 8am until 5pm – leaving plenty of time for parents to get reacquainted, visit the spa or simply relax in the sun without interruption – and complimentary water sports mean parents can either join their children for a fun family activity, or let hard-to-please teenagers get on with their own snorkelling or kayaking. I step into Villa 105, perched high on the granite cliffs, surrounded by greenery, and I immediately clock the infinity pool, outdoor shower and thatch-roof covered daybed, all overlooking the aquamarine waters of the serene Baie Lazare. It’s not quite as secluded as MAIA, but there are still plenty of opportunities for couples to get romantic. ZEZ restaurant (European and Middle Eastern cuisine, plus a separate sushi bar) and Kannel Bar (Creole cuisine) both tend to fill up with families at mealtimes, but couples can opt for in-villa dining if they’re not in the mood to contend with the screams of children while gazing into each other’s eyes. The hill-top Spa is the
PHOTO: Gerard Larose - STB
Beach idyll Weather-worn rocks shape the beaches and sheltered coves in the Seychelles
60
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Panoramic pleasures Beautiful views greet guests at every turn at the Four Seasons Resort Seychelles
perfect spot for a little alone time, offering couples’ massages in its individual treatment rooms overlooking the ocean. Back in your villa, the sunken double bath, framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, beckons at sunset – complimentary bath salts are an added indulgence. While it’s easy to spend all your time gazing at the horizon from your luxury resort or soaking up the sun on the beach, make sure you spare some time to get acquainted with the locals and to experience the true spirit of the Seychelles. On my final day I venture back to Victoria. It’s Saturday, and the streets are swarming with the hustle and bustle of the markets. People call out to each other as they pass on the street, shouting a quirky blend of Creole and English: “Que deal?!” They exclaim, which, I’m told is literally the French ‘que’ (what) and the English ‘deal’, so essentially, “What’s the deal?” in Seychellois slang.
The cinema is showing The Green Hornet, and children crowd outside, hoping to get their hands on a matinee ticket. The artisan shops display beautiful, abstract paintings in bold hues; mostly adaptations of the artwork that has become synonymous with the Seychelles, made popular by painter Michael Adams. Adams is British by birth but was born in Malaysia and later moved to Uganda, where he became a professor at the University of Uganda. He moved to the Seychelles in 1972 with his wife Heather, after ruthless Ugandan dictator Idi Amin murdered several of their friends. I have the pleasure of visiting him at his house, a wonderfully chaotic collection of his paintings filling every spare corner. I ask him why he chose the Seychelles as his new home. “It’s simply magical,” he says. “When you leave the Seychelles, you take a piece of it with you in your heart.” I couldn’t agree more.
01
02
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
Seychelles
Indulge
The ultimate Seychelles resorts The seven most heavenly properties, plus two we can’t wait to see once they open
01
MAIA Seychelles
02
Four Seasons Seychelles
03
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa
A truly unique property, MAIA Seychelles offers its guests unparalleled tailored service, gorgeous natural surroundings and 30 exquisitely designed and decorated private oceanview villas which will make you feel right at home. Stay here and you most likely won’t encounter the other guests on the resort’s immaculate foliagecovered grounds, even when it’s fully booked, as most tend to stay in their villas. If you do want to venture out, there are plenty of activities including yacht trips, horse riding and snorkelling. The ‘whatever you like, whenever you like’ philosophy makes each and every guest feel like royalty – this is the ultimate honeymoon destination.
Four Seasons hotels are highly regarded for their beautiful locations and excellent service, and this resort is no different. Sixty-seven ocean-view villas and suites flank the granite slopes leading to the beaches of Baie Lazare, a wide, secluded bay where guests can kayak, snorkel and swim. This is one of the best options for families thanks to the daily kid’s club and the residential suites, with up to five bedrooms. The Spa, located at the highest point of the property, offers breathtaking views from its relaxation area and treatment rooms. Try the Rainforest Facial, which stimulates the lymphatic system and leaves you looking revitalised and beautiful.
www.maia.com.sc
www.fourseasons.com/seychelles
www1.hilton.com
04
05
06
Desroches Island
Banyan Tree Seychelles
Located on Silhouette Island, the third largest in the Seychelles and a 40-minute ferry ride or 15-minute helicopter ride from the main island of Mahe, this property’s best feature is its outdoor surroundings, full of granite rock formations, sandy beaches and historic Colonial charm. The property’s 111 beach and garden villas are luxurious and comfortable, and a pool and bar area is centrally located if you want to mingle. Walking trails lead from the villas to the resort’s various restaurants, serving either Japanese, Italian or Creole cuisine, then on to the spa, set amongst thick tropical forest.
North Island Seychelles
This private island resort, located within the dense jungles of Desroches Island, features 20 luxurious Beach Suites, 23 Luxury Beach Villas, four one-bedroom Beach Villas, and one 750-square-metre Presidential Suite, each located a few metres from the beach. Guests are transported by buggy and can partake in fishing, snorkelling, scuba diving and even surfing, and unwind at Le Ve Loutier Creole restaurant, Ghost Crab grill and pizzeria or Takamaka beach bar. Unique to the smaller islands of the Seychelles, Desroches has just launched their Luxury Beach Retreats, also available for sale. For more information, log on to the website.
Located in Intendance Bay on the main island of Mahe, 60 colonial-style private pool villas are scattered throughout the lush grounds, leading to an expansive sand and rock beach. The Banyan Tree Seychelles was voted one of the Top 10 Honeymoon Hotels worldwide in 2009 by The World’s Best Hotels, and is a popular venue for weddings as well. There are 11 dining and bar venues, ranging from casual to fine dining, and the signature Banyan Tree spa, comprised of eight luxurious treatment pavilions nestled on a hillside jungle with panoramic ocean views, offers Asian-inspired therapies and beauty treatments with a focus on holistic wellbeing.
One of the most talked-about of the Seychelles’ private island properties, this exclusive eco conservation resort has only 11 guest villas, each measuring 450 square metres, all located on North Island’s pristine beaches, ensuring maximum privacy. The island’s vegetable and herb gardens are used by the on-site chefs to prepare the health-focused menu, and spa treatments that are tailor-made to your needs and administered in-villa by specially trained therapists also make use of local ingredients. Guests can explore the island by buggy, kayak, mountain bike or boat, and a fully operational dive school in on hand as well.
www.desroches-island.com
www.banyantree.com/en/seychelles
www.north-island.com
OPENING SOON…
OPENING SOON…
08
09
07
Fregate Island
Seychelles Kempinski Resort
Round Island
A 20-minute flight from Mahe, this beautiful island contains seven beaches bordered by granite rock formations and lush tropical vegetation. An exclusive collection of 16 ocean-view villas, plus one Presidential Villa, each with private infinity pool, daybed and Jacuzzi, are scattered throughout the island. The Rock Spa, located on a cliff-top plateau, offers panoramic views, and guests can enjoy water sports including windsurfing and fishing. The conservation-oriented property places an emphasis on island-grown ingredients, and its Island Dining Experiences concept allows guests to choose a dining venue anywhere on the island.
Set to hold their soft opening in September 2011, the Seychelles Kempinski is located at Baie Lazare on the main island of Mahe, in an area rich with lush botanical gardens and a long stretch of white sandy beach, with the backdrop of the mountains adding to its serene setting. The resort will feature 173 rooms and suites, most of which will be ocean-facing. Culinary options will include an all-day dining restaurant and beach bar, and there will be a fully operational kid’s club, tennis courts, six spa treatment pavilions, plus a casino, and banqueting and conference facilities for up to 200 people.
Set to open in mid-2011, the resort is spread out across the whole of Round Island, which sits in the middle of the Seychelles National Marine Park and is surrounded by the islands of Mahe, Saint Anne, Moyenne and Cerf. The property comprises 10 spacious Colonialstyle chalets, nestled amongst the trees and vegetation that lines the beaches along the five-acre granitic island. A restaurant serving Creole, European and Asian fare will also serve a wide range of wines and cocktails, plus cigars, or guests can opt for in-villa or beach dining. The Lifestyle Spa will focus on holistic practices and treatments to encourage wellbeing and relaxation.
www.fregate.com
www.kempinski.com
www.round-island.net/
dotwnews.com
May 2011
63
64
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Singapore
City
New SiNgapore The opening of Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa in Singapore last year was a turning point for the city’s tourism scene, but you’ll need more than a one-night stopover to make the most of them WORDS: Joe Mortimer
Marina Bay Sands The 57-floor hotel towers over Marina Bay
dotwnews.com
May 2011
65
City
Singapore
I
n January 2007, I sat in a cool meeting room at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore with a handful of other suited journalists from around the world, when senior representatives from the Singapore Tourism Board, the Las Vegas Sands Corporation and Resorts World Sentosa unveiled plans for two visionary projects that would change the face of Singapore’s tourism scene. The first and most eye-catching project was Marina Bay Sands, a three-tower citadel that would rise from the reclaimed land of Marina Bay and tower above the city, with a 57th-floor rooftop SkyPark laid across the top. The second ground-breaking development was Resorts World by Sentosa – a collection of theme parks, themed hotels and family-friendly attractions and restaurants that would appeal to the as-yet untapped family tourism market. Up to this point, Singapore built its appeal on its reputation as a business hub, where deals could be negotiated efficiently and professionally in plush surroundings in the vibrant heart of New Asia. It always had the trappings of a luxury destination – world-class restaurants, five-star hotels and conference and meeting facilities, plus a lively nightlife and a handful of local culture thrown in for good measure – but there was little to appeal to non-business travellers for anything more than a stop-off en route to other parts of Asia. These “integrated resorts” as they were known, were designed to symbolise the rebirth of Singapore as a well-rounded tourism destination where families, couples, businessmen and the odd card sharp could come to work, rest and play. Four years later, sitting in a Club Premier Suite at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia, Singapore, I’m looking across Marina Bay at what has swiftly become one of the most recognisable and photographed buildings in Southeast Asia. At 55 floors plus a 340-metre SkyPark on top, the US$8 billion Marina Bay Sands dominates the skyline. Rumour has it you could fit four Boeing 747s on the roof, but it hasn’t actually been tested and doing so might upset some of the sunbathers, who enjoy panoramic views of the city from a 150-metre infinity pool. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, who said his creation was inspired by a deck of cards (and later approved by a team of feng shui masters), the three towers contain 2,561 hotel rooms and a 111,000-square-metre convention centre that can hold events for up to 45,000 people.
66
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Singapore chic Trendy bars and clubs are everywhere in Marina Bay
“You won’t get much change from a SG$50 note when you buy two drinks at the bar, but the price comes with the best open-air views in town”
At the base, Safdie’s lotus flower-shaped ArtScience Museum – described as “The welcoming hand of Singapore” by Las Vegas Sands Corporation chairman Sheldon Adelson – provides the city with 200,000 square feet of exhibition space in 21 galleries in the 10 petals (or fingers, depending on your preference) of the building. The roof forms a giant upended umbrella shape, which catches rainwater and channels it through a hole in the centre of the building, creating a 35-metre waterfall. The water is then used in the energy-efficient building’s plumbing. Up on the roof, the über-trendy rooftop restaurant and bar Ku Dé Ta became an overnight success when it opened last year, providing high-flyers with a new watering hole perched above the city. You won’t get much change from a SG$50 note when you buy a couple of drinks at the bar, but the price comes with the best open-air panoramic views in town, and you get a 10 percent discount if you’re heading to or from a show at the resort’s Sands Theatre or the Grand Theatre. Back on ground level, the lower floors are home to The Shoppes, a top-end mall that features the usual line-up of international and home grown luxury brands, plus a star-studded line-up of international celebrity chefs. Gourmets are spoilt for choice, with seven celebrity names calling The Shoppes home: CUT by Wolfgang Puck (contemporary steak-
Singapore
City
Living in the moment The skyscrapers of Marina Bay are the symbols of modern Singapore
“Sentosa Island has always been there... it is only in the last few decades that the government saw its value as a holiday resort destination; a sort of Asian Martha’s Vineyard for the Disney generation” house); db Bistro Moderne (Daniel Boulud’s traditional French bistro with contemporary American flavours); Guy Savoy (French fine dining); Osteria and Pizzeria Mozza (Mario Batali’s classic Italian and posh pizza respectively); SANTI (the late, great Santi Santamaria’s Mediterranean and Spanish Catalan cuisine); Sky on 57 (Justin Quek’s modern take on classic Asian and Singaporean cuisine); and Waku Ghin (Tetsuya Wakuda’s European-based, Japanese-influenced cuisine). The main draw for many is the casino, a 500-table, 1,600-slot-machine mega-venue that attracts 25,000 visitors a day and single-handedly accounts for 0.8 percent of Singapore’s entire GDP. Locals and Permanent Residents pay a US$100 entry levy, or $2,000 for an annual pass. With so much under one (very large) roof, it’s hard to find time to leave and see the rest of Singapore. As I stood at a table on the terrace outside Ku Dé Ta, nursing the most expensive bottle of beer I had ever purchased, I pondered the fact that there are probably people who don’t leave the hotel for the duration of their stay in Singapore.
And why not? You have everything you need on the doorstep, and that’s surely the point of an integrated resort. But if gourmet dining, luxury shopping and sky-high swimming are not your scene, you could always hop in a taxi and check into a resort hotel on an idyllic Southeast Asian island just 15 minutes down the road.
Sentosa Island Sentosa Island has always been there, floating idly just off the southern coast of Singapore. It served as the British army’s garrison during World War II – the last bastion of defence against the advancing Japanese forces – but it is only in the last few decades that the government saw Sentosa’s value as a holiday resort destination; a sort of Asian Martha’s Vineyard for the Disney generation. Several hotel chains leapt at the opportunity to partner with local developers and built luxury resorts and golf courses on the island, but it wasn’t until Resorts World, the corporation behind Genting Highlands in Malaysia, came to the table that it took shape as a full-service integrated resort.
Now that it is almost complete, Resorts World Sentosa is every child’s dream, not to mention a coop for parents who want a luxurious resort on the doorstep of an island-sized family entertainment zone. Hotels like Capella Sentosa, Amara Sanctuary Resort Sentosa and Shangri-La’s Rasa Sentosa Resort offer five-star boutique and resort accommodation, complete with spas and golf courses, a few minutes’ walk from the children’s entertainment. Resorts World Sentosa includes a Universal Studios Singapore, featuring 18 unique moviethemed rides, Jurassic Park the Lost World, and a full-size Far Far Away castle (from the film Shrek), and of course, another huge casino, plus a roll call of top restaurants from regional talent and international food chains at FestivalWalk. The latest to open is the Seafood Republic – a collection of four of Singapore’s top high-end seafood restaurants. The theme park resort is surrounded by a bevy of other attractions targeted at youngsters that are equally appealing to big kids. At the highest point on the island, Imbiah Lookout is home to the largest of Singapore’s
dotwnews.com
May 2011
67
City
Singapore
Sentosa Island Singapore’s very own tropical paradise
“The island has a tropical feel, and when you’re sat next to a rustic thatched hut at nighttime, it’s hard to imagine that you’re just a few kilometres away from downtown Singapore”
68
May 2011
dotwnews.com
famous Merlion statues, and the Tiger Sky Tower, where visitors are elevated 131 metres in the air for the best views of Sentosa, and the smaller islands to the south. Other attractions include Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom, Sentosa 4D Magix, MegaZip Adventure Park, Images of Singapore, the Sentosa Nature Discovery Centre, Underwater World Singapore and Dolphin Lagoon. On the south of the island, the coastline has been divided up into a handful of different beaches, each with their own personalities. Tanjong Beach is a secluded spot at the eastern end of the island, perfect for romantic sunset walks and quiet beach time without kids or partygoers to interrupt. Further to the east is Sentosa Cove – an exclusive collection of 2,500 upmarket residential units. Palawan Beach is a quiet, family-friendly spot where visitors can find the southernmost point of continental Asia, which is reached by a suspension bridge, as well as the Animal and Bird Encounters area, where youngsters can get up close and personal with all manner of beast, from primates to insects.
At the western end, hemmed in by ShangriLa’s Rasa Sentosa Resort, Siloso Beach is home to a lively sprawl of bars and restaurants, adult activities like volleyball and The Flying Trapeze, and the Azzura Beach Club – an upmarket hangout for Singapore’s rich and beautiful. This is the party beach, where beachside “shacks” with names like Bikini Bar and Café del Mar attract a mixture of young holidaymakers and local residents. Singaporeans tend to stay away during the week, but for many, weekends at Sentosa are as good as taking a mini-break abroad. The island has a tropical feel, and when you’re sat next to a thatched hut at nighttime, with your feet in the sand and thousands of lights twinkling from the ships off the coast in the distance, it’s hard to imagine that you’re just a few kilometres away from downtown Singapore. All this glitz and glam comes at a price though, and you can expect to pay 10 times as much for a cocktail on the beach on Sentosa than most other Southeast Asian islands, but then again you’re paying for the privilege of being a 30-minute drive from an international airport, five minutes from a theme park and 15 minutes from a luxury shopping mall. Or to put it another way, if you are in town for business, you can be on the beach before you’ve had time to check your Blackberry for e-mails you missed during your meetings. With these two integrated resorts now up and running, it’s a testament to Singapore’s variety and wider appeal (and the good work done by the Singapore Tourism Board and its hip new website, www.yoursingapore.com) that people do still bother to explore the rest of the city. Even if you do base yourself on Sentosa, it’s just a short (and often entertaining) cab ride away from some of the classic sights you might have experienced on a stopover, which are well worth taking the time to revisit. No first-time trip to the city is complete without a visit to one of Singapore’s famous hawker centres (Lau Pa Sat near the new Fullerton One hotel in Marina Bay wins my vote), where you can pick up a bowl of noodles for around $4, and shoppers can’t leave until they have walked down the 2.2-kilometre shopping paradise along Orchard Road. Shopping and more food await in colourful China Town and Little India, and you can check out Singapore’s new gastro-café/delhi scene at Dempsey Hill, where trendy brands like Jones the Grocer and Culina and the latest must-try restaurant The Disgruntled Chef have set up shop. For seafood, head to the East Coast Road, where a busy cluster of world-class restaurants compete for space. Walk it off at the Botanical Gardens while you plan your next move and if in doubt, head to Raffles Hotel Singapore and ponder some more over a Singapore Sling in the Long Bar, where the cocktail was invented.
R
RIL NO ER! T NA EGIS t O 5 D ER ORE 1 IPO OU R D A BEF REE EN Y E R TER A F WH S VE I OD GI RE ECE N-IP R D OT W N A ED OT QU
E FF
P hA
CHANGING CHANGING GEARS GEARS
2 0 11 30 April – 2 May 2011
30 April - 2 May 2011 Madinat Jumeirah Dubai United Arab Emirates
CONFERENCE PATRON
Why attend AHIC 2011? Network with the decision makers and leaders in hotel investment in MENA Hear from MENA’s leading financiers Get the latest news on the geopolitical landscape from the region’s experts Learn from top level industry experts and government officials
HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
Build on your existing relationships and form new ones through AHIC’s many and varied networking opportunities
Chairman, Dubai Airports President, Dubai Department for Civil Aviation Chairman and CEO, Emirates
A SELECTION OF 2011 SPEAKERS
Dr Henry Azzam
Tarik Nabulsi
Anass Alami
Nasser Al Nowais
Gerald Lawless
Wael Al Lawati
Chairman, MENA
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
Director General
Chairman
Executive Chairman
Chief Executive Officer
Caisse de Dépôt et de Gestion, Morocco (CDG)
Rotana
Jumeirah Group
Omran
Deutsche Bank
ELAF Group of Companies
PLATINUM SPONSORS
For more information and to register visit
www.arabianconference.com
ORGANISED BY:
Demystifying Africa – the next frontier
-th September
Africa – With Change Comes Opportunity… Over the last few years, there has been considerable growth throughout Africa driven by governments diversifying from a mineral-based economy. With tourism at the heart, providing jobs for local communities, Africa offers a wealth of investment opportunities and many international hotel brands are opening hotels throughout the continent. Join HICA in Morocco and find out what the changing landscape means for the investment community, where the potential hotspots lie and what the prospects are.
Speakers and Programme HICA in Morocco will present a line up of world class speakers. A selection of confirmed participants includes: •
HE Yassir Zenagui, Minister of Tourism and Handicraft, Kingdom of Morocco – listen to how Morocco is changing the face of tourism.
•
Yann Caillere, Deputy CEO EMEA Sofitel Worldwide, Accor – how Accor is making such a success of their African pipeline.
•
Ed Fuller, President and Managing Director, Marriott International – global operators diving into Africa.
•
Bill Heinecke, Chairman and CEO, Minor International Plc – the ‘Richard Branson’ of Thailand and how he survives and succeeds on obstacles confronting growth.
•
Omar Kabbaj, Owner, Hyatt Regency Casablanca – the host of HICA and hear from an owner’s perspective.
•
Nenad Pacek, President and Co-founder, CEEMEA Group – one of the world’s leading authorities on emerging markets and listen to what they are advising business leaders on opportunities in Africa.
•
Chris Luebkeman, Director, Global Foresight + Innovation, Arup – a global design and engineering firm and a leading creative force behind many of the world’s most innovative projects and structures. Hear how they are transforming Africa?
•
Otto J. Stehlik, Chairman, Protea Hotels – how Protea has succeeded to become the dominant player.
Hyatt Regency Casablanca, Morocco Platinum Sponsors Accor Corinthia Hotels Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels Marriott Gold Sponsors Actif Invest ALHIF Alliances Anantara France Horwath HTL H Partners Hyatt Interedec Madaëf Starwood Hotels and Resorts T Capital Tourism & Leisure W Hospitality Group Supporters ANIT Ecole Hoteliere Lausanne World Travel & Tourism Council
HOSTED BY:
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
HICA is a ground breaking event for Africa. For Morocco to attract this calibre of conference, will help support and deliver our vision for tourism in the region. For the rest of Africa it will help build a better appreciation of the potential within the continent. HE YASSIR ZENAGUI, MINISTER OF TOURISM AND HANDICRAFT, KINGDOM OF MOROCCO
For further information on HICA visit www.africa-conference.com Or for sponsorship enquiries, please contact: Matthew Weihs on + () or matthew.weihs@benchevents.com
www.africa-conference.com
+971 4 343 5506
Ice cool From skiing to designer shopping, there’s something for everyone in St. Moritz
72
May 2011
dotwnews.com
St. Moritz
Indulge
Thrills wiTh frills Scratch the gold-plated surface of St. Moritz and discover a laid-back adventure tourism destination that rolls along at whatever pace you want it to WORDS: Nicci Perides
dotwnews.com
May 2011
73
Indulge
St. Moritz
Hard-hitters The town’s lake is transformed into a polo pitch once a year
I
’m starting to believe that people who travel to St. Moritz are as much adrenaline-junkies as they are darlings of the old money world, but it’s so easy to disguise it in the shroud of elegance and sophistication that surrounds the town. I casually stroll over the famous frozen Lake St. Moritz, when Sara, my guide, stops me and points to a thick crack in the ice below. “Better hurry up, we don’t want it breaking,” she laughs. Lake St. Moritz – 44 metres in depth – generally freezes in late December and thaws around April. Although you’re not officially allowed to walk on it, locals say that as soon as you see the benches that are currently dotted around the frozen lake being taken away for the summer, you know it’s time to walk around the lake rather than over it. However, there are no marshals or attendants telling you when it’s safe. “Just step out and hope for the best; we don’t even think about it now,” Sara says, as I look on incredulously. Life here is centred around the lake. In winter, tourism in St. Moritz depends on it freezing – and staying frozen – since it is the venue where the city holds events such as the St. Moritz Polo World Cup and the White Turf horse races. The lake also serves as the landing strip for the paragliders who throw themselves off Corviglia, one of the highest peaks near St. Moritz, attached only to a kite. It’s little wonder I should find St. Moritz to be a thrill-seekers paradise, considering one of the most dangerous winter sports was invented here: bobsleighing. Today the lake is under a thin layer of freezing fog and the temperature is an icy minus eight degrees. The lake is the central point of the town, where one can see a panorama of purest white mountains, alpine forest, and the picturesque village of St. Moritz. The town’s five luxurious five-star hotels sit proudly nestled in the landscape; Badrutt’s Palace Hotel immediately pulls focus. The belleepoque hotel was officially opened in 1896, and is rumoured to have given Alfred Hitchcock inspiration for his 1960s classic film The Birds. To escape the morning temperatures of St. Moritz, we decide it’s best to wait for the sun to emerge from behind the mountains before setting off, and indulge instead in a hot chocolate in Badrutt’s. The hotel has an Old World charm; the inside is reminiscent of an old church, which is exactly what it used to be. Touring dignitaries would offer gifts, and remains of other churches (which were later incorporated into the architecture) were thought of as good luck.
74
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Powder chic St. Moritz is home to some of the best-dressed snowseekers on the planet
Indulge
St. Moritz
Snow palace Kempinski Grand Hotel des Bains is nestled in an alpine forest
I sit down in the ‘Lounge of St. Moritz’ as the lounge at Badrutt’s is lovingly nicknamed, and look out over the lake below. The view is simply stunning. The lake glistens like a diamond encrusted in the frozen landscape, and the snow-capped mountains dominate the skyline. To understand St. Moritz’ story, you need to understand that of Badrutt’s: “Badrutt’s invented winter tourism in the Alps,” says Eva Reinecke, public relations manager at the hotel. ‘Quite a claim,’ I think to myself as she continues: “The hotel’s first owner, Mr. Johannes Badrutt, wanted to prove that winter in St. Moritz was just as pretty – if not more so – than it is in the summer, so he proceeded to make a bet with his English guests. He challenged them to come and enjoy St. Moritz in the winter and if they didn’t have a good time, their entire stay would be complimentary. “Well, the guests enjoyed their time so much that they stayed from December to April, and the winter season was born. The five gentleman guests were very well-connected members of the English aristocracy and their part of the deal was to rave about their time here to all their friends. They did, and St. Moritz became a winter destination almost overnight.” St. Moritz, pre-Mr. Badrutt, was a summer hotspot where wealthy guests would come and enjoy the mineral water and make use of the destination as a spa. The mineral water is thought to possess a cleansing power to keep the body and mind young, and the city still boasts an impressive number of spas and health resorts that attract visitors in pursuit of wellness breaks or convalescence from around the world.
76
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Adrenaline rush Extreme sports are becoming as popular as skiing in St. Moritz
“The view is simply stunning. The lake glistens like a diamond encrusted in the frozen landscape, and the snow-capped mountains dominate the skyline”
As the years progressed and winter tourism became increasingly popular here, Johannes Badrutt’s predecessor, his son Casper, wasn’t happy resting on his father’s laurels. He noticed that the latest craze of flying through the streets of St. Moritz on a sled was leading to too many pedestrian/sled collisions, so he took it upon himself to put an end to this and built the world’s first custom-made halfpipe bobsleigh run. Today the run is used for many international competitions, including the Winter Olympics and the skeleton run (a race using a sled that has no breaks or steering). Tourists can also hurtle down one of the icy shoots accompanied by professionals if they choose to. The death-defying 4.2-kilometre Cresta Run has a vertical drop of 700 metres that soars from the top of the Muottas Muragl, north of St. Moritz, back down into the valley.
Lying on the north Aegean coast, Imaret is an intimate luxurious hospitality property, located within the homonymous historical monument. Built in 1817 right in the middle of the historical district of Kavala, in northern Greece, Imaret is an unexpected oasis of tranquility and superior service. The monument is a rare example in Europe, a masterpiece of late Ottoman architecture. The variate of decoration, the quality of the delicate structures, the interaction between indoors and open space the adaptability of the functional structures, create an original complex of high aesthetic and cultural value.
Hotel Imaret Th. Poulidou 30-32 | Kavala | Greece | T +30 251 0620 151 | F +30 251 0620 156 http://www.imaret.gr | info@imaret.gr
Indulge
St. Moritz
“St. Moritz has a little something for everyone, whether you want to throw yourself down a mountain at 80mph, or you’d prefer to take a horse-drawn carriage at night into the woods” This one is for pros only, but you can jump on the legendary 1.6-km Olympic run to get your icy high-speed kicks. When the sun begins to peep over the mountains, it’s time to continue my tour of the village. It really is amazing that even though the snow is thick on the ground, the warmth from the sun, bringing it up to a bearable zero degrees, makes all the difference. St. Moritz has a reputation as a playground for the rich and famous; the frivolities of the moneyed and beautiful often make headline news in magazines such as OK!. Eva from Badrutt’s explains that even though she works in the hotel, she usually only finds out which famous faces were in the village by reading the celebrity magazines. Outside the hotel, the picturesque cobblestone street is lined with Louis Vuitton, Prada and a catalogue of other designer shops where typical St. Moritz visitors buy the latest seasonal designs without batting an eye at the price. I pop into one and, out of curiosity, ask the attendant who has been her most famous customer. She merely smiles and indicates her lips are sealed. The village has just over 5,000 inhabitants, but this swells to over 35,000 when ‘the season’ kicks off in the winter months. The town doesn’t feel crowded though, and I am assured that queuing for ski lifts isn’t the done thing in the Engadin Valley. Some people would describe St. Moritz as a place that gives money a bad name, or as a show-off town, but to me, it is charming. Not Zermatt charming, but still breathtakingly beautiful, and it leaves me wanting more. I try to imagine the colours in the summer when the snow melts, the lake comes alive again and the trees awaken, and I can see this as a whole new summer experience. St. Moritz has a little something for everyone, whether you want to throw yourself down a mountain at 80mph, or you’d prefer to take a horse-drawn carriage at night into the woods. It’s a place where anything goes – you dictate the pace and the village will keep up. Maybe that is why it’s one of the most luxurious holiday spots in Europe.
78
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Grand dame Badrutt’s Palace Hotel is where it all began in September 1864
Stay: Hotel Kempinski St. Moritz Located in St. Moritz Bad, it is the only hotel in the village that offers its guests the chance to ski right into the property. The hotel is situated south of Lake St. Moritz and right at the source of the Mauritius spring. The luxurious 184-room hotel has a lot to offer, whether you’re skiing or just enjoying the scenery. Best Restaurant: Lej de Staz The only way to reach this secluded, traditional restaurant is via horse and cart. The romantic trip through the woods, passing howling wolves under moonlight wrapped in sheep skin, is a truly memorable experience, and the menu – prepared in-house and ordered for you – is exquisite; however be open-minded: we started with hay soup, yes, soup made from hay – it was delicious. Best experience: paragliding over St. Moritz Your adventure starts 2,486 metres above sea level. Strapped to a professional glider, a kite and a pair of skis, you launch yourself off the mountain and glide peacefully through the Upper Engadin Lake Plateau Valley, across the Alps, over St. Moritz village and land on the frozen Lake St. Moritz.
Picture perfect Fog covers Lake St. Moritz in the early morning light
ELitE travEL goLf cup More than 60 business leaders took part in the Elite Travel Golf Cup, by exclusive invitation of Destinations of the World News and InterContinental Dubai Festival City PHOTOS: Thomas Moorcroft
80
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Elite Travel Golf Cup
J
ust as the UAE’s prime golfing season looked like it was about to wind down for the summer, Destinations of the World News and InterContinental Dubai Festival City joined forces to launch the Elite Travel Golf Cup – an invitation-only golf tournament held at Al Badia Golf Club, which was attended by some of the region’s most influential golfers. More than 60 immaculately-dressed players from the UAE’s business community arrived at stunning Al Badia on a sunny Thursday afternoon for a high-profile meet and greet with Destinations of the World News and InterContinental Dubai Festival City executives, as well as management and professionals from the golf club, before everyone teamed up for a shotgun start. The guests enjoyed a friendly Texas Scramble tournament, where pros played alongside less experienced golfers and everyone had time to mingle and enjoy the refreshments as they worked their way around the manicured 18-hole par-72 championship course. Five hours later, the buggies trickled back in, and a jolly assortment of golfers compared notes over aprèsgolf refreshments before a star-studded prize-giving ceremony and evening barbecue. International visitors included 1990s pop superstar Haddaway, who happened to be in town, and British pro golfer Lord Ted Innes-Ker. Esteemed members of the UAE’s business community included Azzan Al Ghurair, Moshe Kolhi, Keith Fernandez and Ara Nakhnikian. The gleaming Elite Travel Golf Cup (pictured below) was handed over to the winning team for the first time in its history, and more trophies were handed over to the winners of the ‘nearest the pin’ and the ‘longest drive’ competitions. Runners up walked away with some top of the range Ping golf clubs and Titleist gear, courtesy of ProSports International. The first place trophy, engraved with the names of the winning team, will remain in the trophy cabinet at Al Badia Golf Club until the next instalment of the Elite Travel Golf Cup, which is scheduled to take place on March 22, 2012. To express your interest in participating, please log on to www.dotwnews.com
dotwnews.com
May 2011
81
Elite Travel Golf Cup
From left Mansour Khodjasteh, Al Aqili Furnishings Lord Ted Innes-Ker
82
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Clockwise from top left David Barlow Haddaway Azzan Al Ghurair, Al Ghurair Group Chris Turlik, International Pairs
dotwnews.com
May 2011
83
Elite Travel Golf Cup
Clockwise from top left Michael Sim, Emirates Golf Club Dean Rolfe, PricewaterhouseCoopers Tehzun Sura, Crystal Gallery Anna Zhukov, Destinations of the World News
84
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Elite Travel Golf Cup
Clockwise from top left Stuart Cassidy, IFA Hotels & Resorts Gurbax Singh, AGMC BMW Rosie Riederer Haddaway Satnam Kaur-Singh
86
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Elite Travel Golf Cup
Clockwise from top left Tom Lord, InterContinental Dubai Festival City Ben Cummings, WSM Sponsorship Mark Bryant Patrick Wimble, InterContinental Hotels Group
88
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Elite Travel Golf Cup Clockwise from top left Mansour Khodjasteh, Al Aqili Furnishing Moshe Kohli Mike Tracey, ADNEC General Kohli
To view the entire photo collection, please visit www.dotwnews.com
90
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Historic hotels
The Peninsula
Your keys, sir? A page boy holds a box of keys for The Pen’s fleet of Rolls-Royce limousines
92
May 2011
dotwnews.com
‘The Pen’ on paper Tracing the history of Hong Kong through the hotel affectionately known as ‘The Pen’ WORDS: Hedley Smith
T
he Brits have long been fond of a good “cuppa”, and in the early 19th Century they relied heavily on tea exports from China. Meanwhile, in the Chinese market there was demand for British goods such as luxury timepieces, but this alone was not profitable enough to sufficiently line the pockets of international businessmen. To supplement this shortfall in trade, British merchants brought illegal opium from Bengal into China to sell to smugglers, and drug trafficking and dependency boomed. When Britain’s movers and shakers saw the vast potential for profiteering in China in the late 1880s, they demanded merchant access to the entire country, duty-free imports and legalisation of the opium trade. China refused and the ensuing conflict became part of what is now known as The Opium Wars. With the help of its allies, the British Empire defeated China’s Qing dynasty and set up a colony in Hong Kong in 1841, which spread to include Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories under a lease forced upon the Chinese government in 1897. With colonisation came legal opium and technological advancements: rickshaws were overtaken by
The Peninsula Hong Kong The addition of the new tower in 1994 gave the hotel its present-day appearance
trams, train stations were built, and upgraded ports accommodated luxury ferries and ocean liners. Old Hong Kong was disappearing and a new era of Western wardrobes, opium dens and hedonistic tourism took hold. The World of Suzie Wong, depicted in the iconic book and film, had arrived.
A five-star garrison Started by two brothers of Jewish-Iraqi descent, The Peninsula hotel was a family business. Ellis Kadoorie settled in Shanghai in 1880, while his elder brother Elly set himself up in business in Hong Kong. Over the next two decades, the Kadoories made their fortunes in banking, rubber plantations, electric power utilities and real estate, gaining a major sharehold in Hong Kong Hotels Limited. By the time Ellis was knighted in 1917 for his charitable contributions, Hong Kong Hotels’ portfolio boasted several properties, including the famous Majestic in Shanghai, but it was The Peninsula that would become the jewel in the family crown. With the arrival of boat-loads of high society in Hong Kong, demand for five-star accommodation arose, and so did the plan to build “the finest hotel east of Suez”.
Historic hotels
The Peninsula
Set to be at the forefront of luxury tourism, The Peninsula was completed in 1926, built on reclaimed land in an area that was once 50 metres offshore. The decade, however, proved to be a period of political unrest in Hong Kong, with numerous strikes and disturbances; the British outpost also had to be protected from threats by outside forces, including China and Japan, and a permanent military garrison was called for. While one was being built nearby in northern Kowloon, The Peninsula was requisitioned by the military to serve as emergency accommodation between 1926 and 1928 – as such the hotel’s first ever guests were soldiers, the beginning of its illustrious history.
Blue skies ahead After more stable conditions returned, and the Sham Shui Po Barracks were finally completed, The Peninsula was renovated and opened to the paying public for the first time on December 11, 1928. It marked the end of a year that had seen much “blue-sky” thinking across the globe in the literal sense, as pioneers took to the air. The first ever east-to-west transatlantic aeroplane flight had travelled from Ireland to Canada, and US pilot Charles Lindbergh had received the Medal of Honor for his flight from New York to Paris. It was an era when ‘explorer’ was an accepted job title and the air was suddenly filled not only with possibility, but also with people. An unprecedented period of audacious travel ensued. Exotic destinations previously difficult to reach became easily accessible via modern modes of transport, including Clipper aircraft, which could land on water and were referred to as ‘flying boats’. Pan American Airways launched the first transpacific commercial Clipper service in 1935. Journeying through the skies was no longer the domain of superheroes – mere mortals could partake (at a price) and the elite took their partying further than ever before. The first Clipper to arrive in Hong Kong carried Mr. Trippe, the president of Pan American Airways, and his wife. They landed in October 1936, on a mission to seek out new routes in Asia, and were met by a crowd of 4,000 cheering spectators. Mr. and Mrs. Trippe spent the night at The Peninsula and the bond between the Clipper and The Pen was formed. To this day, the top-floor meeting room of the hotel remains a shrine to the machine and the golden age of aviation, housing cherished plane parts, vintage posters and other memorabilia.
The new Kowloon Previously a sleepy backwater overshadowed by Hong Kong Island across the harbour, Kowloon was transformed into a focal point of the international social scene as The Pen pulled in the crowds. Several Hollywood stars of the 30s, including Charlie Chaplin and Paulette Goddard, stayed here and it rapidly became one of Hong Kong’s most popular venues for balls.
94
May 2011
dotwnews.com
The Salisbury Room Wining and dining is a formal affair, harking back to the glamorous 1920s
THE PENINSULA IN NUMBERS 1928: British military take over The Peninsula before it has a chance to open. 1928: The Pen finally opens to the public, labelled “the finest hotel east of Suez”. 1941: On Christmas Night Hong Kong is formally surrendered to invading Japanese forces in Room 336 at The Peninsula. The Japanese Occupation lasts until August 1945, during which time the hotel is renamed the Toa (meaning East Asia). 1988: 3,000 revellers gather at the hotel to celebrate The Pen’s 60th birthday. 1994: The Peninsula’s tower extension is unveiled, adding another 130 guestrooms, a heliport, the Philippe Starck-designed Felix rooftop restaurant and an Orlando Diaz-Azcuydesigned spa. 1997: Britain hands Hong Kong back to China as its 100-year lease expires.
Fashionistas of the day would book in to the Beten’s Beauty Salon for a permanent wave, which cost the princessly sum of HK$7. Retail therapy could be found at the Peninsula Arcade, lined with designer boutiques, and late-afternoon tea dances were a highlight of the weekends, with cream cakes, a live band and dancing, all for just 50 cents. During this time the hotel seated single and married women separately to avoid any potentially embarrassing approaches from single men, such was the reputation of Kowloon. The seemingly non-stop party at The Pen was finally interrupted when WWII darkened its doors. The formal surrender of Hong Kong to Japan took place by candlelight in room 336 on Christmas Night, 1941. The Japanese Occupation lasted until August 1945, during which time The Pen remained in use but was renamed the Toa (East Asia). The name never sat well and as soon as the war was over, the hotel reopened under its former title and was restored to its former glory.
Onwards and upwards The predominantly peaceful latter half of the 20th Century brought increasing numbers of residents and air passengers to the region; to make space, Kowloon was extensively redeveloped. Few original buildings remain, but The Peninsula managed to stand her ground, despite more land reclamation and the development of some less-than-popular buildings in front of her. A 30-storey tower was added in 1994, housing another 130 guestrooms, a heliport, a Philippe Starck-designed rooftop restaurant and a spa, but the painstaking preservation of The Pen’s old rooms retained their charm. The addition of the tower afforded views of the water that had been blocked out by new harbour-side developments. Another flourish in the booming 90s – a decade marked by Britain relinquishing its 100year lease on Hong Kong – was the acquisition of the world’s largest fleet of Rolls-Royces, used to transport guests to and from the airport in style. In a city with little affection for nostalgia, and where very few colonial relics have been preserved, The Peninsula stands as an enduring link to Hong Kong’s past that can never be replaced.
This five-star luxury hotel is ideal for visiting both Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Centrally located between both international airports, Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel offers the best of both worlds. The hotel has 396 rooms and suites, some of which are 3-way interconnecting and ideal for families. With a choice of 8 restaurants and bars and a full selection of facilities at your disposal, you have all you need for an enjoyable stay. Shopping is available at the adjacent Ibn Battuta Mall and the beaches of the Palm Jumeirah are just minutes away. To find out more or to make a reservation, please contact the hotel directly on: +971 4 444 00 00, hotel.dubai.ibnbattuta@moevenpick.com or contact your travel agent. Call toll free from: the UAE 800 4934, Bahrain 8000 1991, KSA 800 124 2929 and Qatar 800 2001.
Ibn Battuta Gate Hotel Operated by Mรถvenpick Hotels & Resorts
www.moevenpick-hotels.com
A world of wonder and luxury.
Diary 05.11
02
01
Arabian Travel Market May 2 – 5, Dubai, UAE
The most highly anticipated event of the year for travel and tourism professionals in the Middle East, the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) is a chance for companies to showcase their destinations, properties, tourism attractions and new flight routes at the largest travel exhibition in the region. Over 1,200 exhibitors will be present, and there will be travel-related seminars, debates and workshops to boot. Destinations of the World News will be holding a debate on whether or not children should be welcomed in luxury hotels – obviously we’ll be representing both sides of the argument fairly. On the final day of the event, Consumer Day, the public will be invited to view properties from around the world. For those on the industry side of the conference, each day tends to wind down with a selection of parties hosted by Dubai’s best hotels. 96
May 2011
dotwnews.com
02
Kentucky Derby
May 7, Louisville, Kentucky, USA
The annual Kentucky Derby, the most high-profile horse racing event in the US, caps off the two week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. These days the event is all about glamour, big hats, celebrity sightings, and mint juleps - and of course there’s the actual race, in which the owner of the winning horse is awarded US$2 million. Legal bets are placed at the track, and the event attracts nearly 155,000 fans, who come to witness what has been dubbed ‘the most exciting two minutes in sports’, thanks to the running time of the race, which sees three-year-old thoroughbreds competing. The Infield, or general admission grounds, is where families gather for games of Frisbee and parties. Millionaire’s Row, by contrast, refers to the expensive box seats that line the front row, where dapper gents in linen suits and ladies in hats love to show off.
03
Open Italian Tennis Championships
May 7 – 15, Rome, Italy
The Open Italian Tennis Championships, or Internazionali BNL d’Italia as they are also known, features the best players of the Foro Italico in Rome, plus the top-ranking international players like Federer, Nadal and Venus and Serena Williams competing on clay courts (one of the only three ATP World Tour Masters to be held on clay). Held after the four Grand Slam Tournaments, this is one of the most significant tennis tournaments in the world, as well as one of the most glamorous stops on the ATP World Tour, thanks to the gorgeous backdrop of Rome, which provides plenty of opportunities for shopping, fabulous meals and leisure activities when you’re not taking in the tennis. There will also be shows and events as well as some celebrity musical performances for a dose of star appeal.
May
01
03
05
04
04
What’s on
Cannes Film Festival
May 11 – 22, Cannes, France
Film veteran Robert De Niro will be president of the jury this year, for the annual private film festival that attracts film bosses and stars, journalists and fans from around the world. The prestigious event will take place at the usual venue, The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, and although you have to have accreditation to get into the actual awards ceremony, those who love a little star-gazing will have a great time hanging out at the French resort, as celebrities take over the place during the week-long event and can be seen strolling the streets, dining at expensive restaurants and hanging out in Cannes’ hippest bars. Even if you have no interest in the film festival or the stars, it’s still a great time to go – the whole of Cannes is alive with buzz and excitement – though we must warn that you’ll pay through the nose for a hotel.
05
Indy 500
May 29, Indianapolis, USA
Held over the Memorial Day weekend at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indy 500 is one of the most significant motor sports events in the world and has been billed as ‘the Greatest Spectacle in Racing’, usually attracting around 400,000 spectators. The first Indy 500 took place in 1911 at the same venue as today, and has many long-standing traditions. Today it’s lovingly dubbed, ‘The Greatest Spectacle in Tailgating’ (for non-American readers, tailgating involves parking your truck or RV outside the venue, or in this case inside the venue, and partying before and after a big event). So if you love watching fast cars go round a track over and over, and partying with thousands on a giant parking lot, this one’s for you. However, there is also the much more civilised Indy 500 Celebration of Automobiles Dinner on May 14, for a mere US$200 per head.
06
06
Monaco Grand Prix
May 26 – 29, Monaco, France
The Monaco Grand Prix, which is the most high-profile of all the Formula One races, also has one of the most difficult tracks, due to the races being held on the streets of Monte Carlo, providing many tight corners and tricky elevations. It’s a lot more glamorous than the Indy 500, with celebrities, royals and the wealthy and well-known flocking to Monaco every year to indulge in the parties, casinos, yacht excursions and high-flying lifestyle so closely tied to the event. If you are planning on attending the races and you haven’t booked a hotel yet, we hope you have a friend with a place there – hotels are usually fully booked during the Monaco Grand Prix six months in advance, and prices skyrocket as well. As far as hospitality goes, Monaco’s Grand Prix takes the cake, thanks to stunning settings, yacht viewing and famous faces. dotwnews.com
May 2011
97
Spend it
This month we bring you six incredible luxury itineraries and one exclusive chance to guarantee a reservation at London’s most coveted new restaurant
Aegean indulgence
Classic Cuba
Award-winning boutique cruise line Seabourn is about to welcome its third luxury cruise liner, the Seabourn Quest, due to kick off her life of voyages with a summer season plying the waters of the Aegean Sea. We like the sound of a seven-day itinerary through the Greek Isles to Istanbul; set off from the port town of Piraeus, and spend the next five days visiting some of Greece’s most stunning islands. Start off in Mylos, a picturesque Greek isle with whitewashed windmills and serene azure coves, then set sail for sacred Patmos. Make land in Rhodes, and spend the day exploring the cobbled streets, the bustling bazaar and the Palace of the Grand Masters. Get lost in beautiful blue Mykonos, then sail to Kusadasi in Turkey, where you can haggle over a new carpet or just enjoy the views. Spend the next morning in lively Lesvos before the final journey to Istanbul, which straddles Asia and Europe along the famed Bosphorus. Cost: from US$7,296. From: departures throughout the summer. www.seabourn.com
Cuba. The very name conjures up images of grizzled men smoking freshly rolled cigars, ancient American cars rolling down cobbled streets and packed dance halls blaring the sounds of the Buena Vista Social Club, not to mention the odd wide-eyed revolutionary or two. Cox & Kings has put together a 10-night overland tour that gets right to the heart of Cuban culture and history, from the faded colonial architecture of Havana and Trinidad to the tobacco and coffee plantations of Viñales and the historic town of Santa Clara. In the capital, take a walking tour of Old Havana and a panoramic tour of the city in a classic American car, visit Revolution Square, the rum museum and Hemingway’s house, then visit El Floridita (home of the daiquiri) before watching a performance by the legendary Buena Vista Social Club or Cabaret Parisien. With both the Castro brothers nearing retirement, Cuba is on the eve of a new chapter, so seize the opportunity and enjoy the charms of old Cuba while you can. Cost: from US$5,588 per person including Upper Class Virgin Atlantic flights from London. From: departures on July 24 and November 13, 2011. www.coxandkings.co.uk
98
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Itineraries
Spend it
Journey of a lifetime This is the one we’ve all been waiting for; the biggest and most obscenely luxurious and epic voyage ever conceived. This is the adventure of a lifetime. Inspired by National Geographic Traveler magazine’s ‘50 Places of a Lifetime’ list, National Geographic Expeditions has put together a 24-day itinerary that hops between 13 of the world’s greatest sights. Join National Geographic Traveler’s editor-in-chief Keith Bellows on a journey across six continents, experiencing some of the great wonders of the world from the comfort of a specially outfitted private Boeing 757. Highlights include exploring the Amazon rainforest with a local shaman, walking along the Great Wall of China, exploring the Forbidden City in Beijing, watching the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti, cruising along the Bosphorus and meeting the tribes of Papua New Guinea. You’ll also get to explore the Lost City of Petra, the South Pacific paradise of the Cook Islands and the coast of Vietnam. Need we say more? Cost: from US$63,950 per person based on double occupancy. From: October 8-31, 2011. www.nationalgeographicexpeditions.com *All prices are subject to change. Please contact the listed companies for further information.
Highlights of Jordan It’s easy to short-change yourself on a visit to Jordan. The ancient Kingdom might be small, but there is so much to see that anything less than a week is nowhere near enough. Enter Abercrombie&Kent, whose 11-night ‘Highlights of Jordan’ group tour takes in all of the major sights. Squeezed in between Europe and the Middle East, Jordan is blessed with a Mediterranean climate and stunning geography, and its confined borders mean it’s easy to get around. Start off at the Roman ruins at Jerash, where ancient columns, paved streets and a huge amphitheatre have survived for centuries in impeccable condition. Travel south and visit the mosaics of Madaba and the crusader castle of Kerak, then stroll in the Dana Nature Reserve before continuing south to the UNESCO Heritage Site at Petra – recently voted one of the ‘New Wonders of the World’. Explore the vast deserts of Wadi Rum, and then finish up with a dip and a healing mud treatment at the Dead Sea, before returning to the capital, Amman. Cost: from US$3,448 per person, excluding flights. From: September 2011. www.abercrombiekent.co.uk
dotwnews.com
May 2011
99
Spend it
Itineraries
Dinner by Heston When the telephone lines opened for bookings at new restaurant Dinner by Heston Blumenthal at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park London on a cold January morning, the phones didn’t stop ringing until the lines were closed. In the nine hours in between, the restaurant received more than 9,000 reservations and was booked out for the next six months. Not bad for a day’s work. Dinner is gastro chef Heston Blumenthal’s first venture outside the village of Bray in Berkshire, where he opened his hugely successful Fat Duck in 1995. Not even regular guests at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park are guaranteed a reservation, so the hotel has come up with the ‘Suite Gourmet Package’, which gets you a table for two, plus a night in a Deluxe Park Suite and US$405 to spend in the restaurant. They also throw in a Full English breakfast the next morning and a signed copy of the chef’s cook book. Cost: US$2,839 plus taxes. From: now. www.mandarinoriental.com/london
Jet away with Empire Aviation Private aviation is an indulgence usually reserved for CEOs and company presidents, but Dubai-based Empire Aviation Group has teamed up with world-class hotel companies to create a selection of bespoke holiday options that will bring the glamour back into the package holiday. Offers include luxurious breaks at selected properties from five-star hotel brands and feature private jet flights. Empire has a range of private jet options to suit any group and can fly to private jet terminals anywhere in the world – for a price. Our favourite package is a six-night stay in a two-bedroom villa at the stunning Bulgari Hotels & Resorts Bali (pictured left), with private jet flights in and out of paradise. Other hotel partners working with Empire include The May Fair in London, Taj Hotels and Resorts Rambagh Palace Jaipur and Anahita The Resort – Mauritius. Cost: US$38,700 per person based on four passengers flying from Dubai. Please enquire about rates for smaller or larger groups. From: tailor-made. www.empire.aero/lifestyle.php
Yachting at Eden Roc If you haven’t had a chance to see the new-look Hotel Eden Roc in Ascona, with its brand-new marina and spa, now is most definitely the time. Situated on the shores of the picture-perfect Lake Maggiore in Switzerland, the hotel has emerged from its winter hibernation to bask in the warmth of Ticino spring with a selection of offers. Our pick of the bunch is the ‘Yachting Deluxe’ package. Head down to the new Eden Roc Marina and meet the skipper of the luxurious Riva Tropicana yacht, before setting off on a three-hour cruise around the lake. Explore some of the most picturesque inlets and bask in the Ascona countryside, or take the helm and set your own course. Just make sure you’re back at Eden Roc in time for dinner at one of the hotel’s four outstanding restaurants; Eden Roc, La Brezza, La Casetta and Eden Roc Marina. Cost: from US$1,366 per person. From: until June 23. www.edenroc.ch/en
100
May 2011
dotwnews.com
One Event, Unlimited Destinations Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre
Register now for Arabian Travel Market 2011
The Leading Travel Exhibition for the Middle East Region Register now for the opportunity to meet over 2,000 exhibitors from more than 60 destinations. Establish new business prospects, meet key contacts and discover developments that are driving the travel industry today.
Features include: n Educational Seminar Programme n Industry Debates n Social Events n Careers Day – Thursday 5th May n Travel Agents Day – Thursday 5th May n Consumer Day – Thursday 5th May
Official Airline
Official Hotel
Official Ground Handler
Discover solutions to improve your future... Register as a visitor at www.arabiantravelmarket.com/DOTWN For all other queries, contact the Arabian Travel Market Customer Service Helpline: E: arabian.helpline@reedexpo.co.uk
www.arabiantravelmarket.com
DEBUT Hotel Chocolat St. Lucia St. Lucia, West Indies
Hotel Chocolat chocolatiers, which has shops in London and New York, has recently opened its first actual hotel, in St. Lucia, the West Indies, offering stunning views of the twin Piton Mountains. Six cocoa cottages at 450 square feet each are situated in a courtyard surrounding an old Royal Poincianas tree. Four have views of Petit Piton mountain and two feature courtyard views and oasis water features. The hotel’s villas stand at 750 sq ft each, with open verandahs showcasing mountain views and outdoor ‘forest showers’. Hotel Chocolat sits on 140 acres of lush cocoa groves with hiking trails, and it’s just a short drive away from the beaches, where you can go diving, sailing, and kayaking. At night, Boucan restaurant and bar comes alive with music and a lively atmosphere – sip fresh mojitos made with the local St. Lucian Rum. Natural beauty Didier Gomez-designed Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa
Sofitel Essaouira Mogador Golf & Spa Essaouira, Morocco
Sofitel Luxury Hotels has opened its seventh property in Morocco, surrounded by a 600 hectare forest, natural sand dunes and a pristine beach in the heart of Essaouira. The hotel’s 147 bedrooms and suites, and 28 villas with private swimming pools, are designed to blend in with the natural surroundings, accented by bold colours and exotic wood finishes courtesy of interior design firm Didier Gomez. Golf lovers will appreciate the Gary Player 18-hole Mogador golf course plus an additional 18-hole course set to open by the end of the year. Five F&B outposts include Kasbah Cafe, featuring traditional tajine dishes, Atlantic, serving up fresh local seafood, plus lighter fare at Tea Lounge, Tiki So cocktail bar and Le Gary Player Lounge. Easy luxury The Oberoi, Gurgaon is conveniently located
The Oberoi, Gurgaon Gurgaon, New Delhi, India
Located 15 minutes from the Indira Gandhi International Airport, the Oberoi, Gurgaon offers a serene haven in the prime business and shopping district of Gurgaon in New Delhi. Landscaped gardens surround the property, and 202 luxurious guestrooms and suites, complete with private heated pools, are the ultimate way to unwind after a day in the bustling city. Arrive in style from the airport in a Rolls-Royce or BMW limousine, and during your stay you’ll be in trusted hands thanks to 24-hour butler service for each guest. Amaranta restaurant offers fresh Indian seafood, and threesixtyone all-day dining’s teakwood decks are the perfect spot to sit outside and dine on Italian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Live music is the soundtrack at The Piano Bar, where vintage wines, signature martinis, mojitos and margaritas are mixed fresh, and the city’s first cigar lounge offers a wide selection of hand-rolled Cuban cigars. 102
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Keeping you abreast of the latest luxury hotel openings
Banyan Tree Macau Macau
Macau’s first five-star all-suite urban resort is located in the heart of Cotai city in the new US$1.9 billion integrated resort, Galaxy Macau, just 15 minutes from Macau International Airport. Every one of its 246 suites features private indoor relaxation pools and panoramic views of the city. Ten Pool Villas will also feature air-conditioned cabanas with sliding glass doors opening onto a private garden on the Beach Resort Deck. A split-level Presidential Suite will feature two bedrooms, a dining room and kitchen. The design pays tribute to the Orient, with high ceilings and opulent furnishings, and the hotel will of course include an award-winning Banyan Tree Spa, with 21 treatment rooms offering signature beauty, health and wellness treatments.
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong Hong Kong
Sleek Mövenpick Sentosa’s Contemporary wing
The highest hotel in the world, The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong occupies top floors 102 to 118 of the International Commerce Centre, providing stunning views of Victoria Harbour and the HK skyline. All 312 guest rooms offer harbour and city views and feature WiFi, iPod docking stations, flat screen TVs and blu-ray DVD players. Tin Lung Heen serves refined Cantonese cuisine, Tosca’s speciality is Southern Italian cuisine and features an open kitchen, and the sleek The Lounge & Bar features crystal firepits. There is also a chocolatethemed lounge, The Chocolate Library, on the 103rd floor, and Ozone, located on the 118th floor, is a stylish restaurant and bar serving contemporary Asian tapas, signature cocktails and wines, and boasts the world’s highest al fresco terrace. To unwind at great heights, the Ritz-Carlton Spa by ESPA is on the 116th floor.
Mövenpick Heritage Hotel Sentosa Sentosa Island, Singapore
Mövenpick Hotels and Resorts has announced the soft opening of its first property in Singapore, located in the heart of Sentosa Island. The five-star hotel is spread over two separate wings: the Heritage wing, a Colonial structure from the 1940s, and the new Contemporary wing, featuring modern architecture and interiors by Japanese design firm Super Potato. The Contemporary wing opens this month, featuring 105 well-appointed Deluxe Rooms, 19 Onsen Suites with outdoor Japanese-style hot tubs, three Executive Suites and two Penthouse Suites with private rooftop pools. All rooms are equipped with high-speed Internet access with WiFi and LCD flat-screen TVs. Dining options include the Library lounge, serving snacks and refreshments, and Tea Lounge serves breakfast and international cuisine inside a glass-covered link bridge that spans the two wings of the hotel. The Heritage wing of the hotel is set to open at the end of 2011.
New heights The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong is the highest hotel in the world
dotwnews.com
May 2011
103
Northern lights The Chedi Chiang Mai offers an inner-city idyll in Thailand’s laid-back hill country, says Joe Mortimer
Colonial charm The Restaurant is housed in the old British Consulate
P
eople describe Chiang Mai as a laidback town in the northern foothills of the country, where the pace of life is slow and visitors easily slip into a calm routine of visiting temples and trekking during the day, and enjoying some of the best cuisine in Thailand in the evenings. That may be so if you’re comparing it to frantic Bangkok. But for most people, the city is still a bustling regional capital, where tuk tuks scream through the streets, market vendors shout their wares throughout the night, and Muay Thai fighters holler as they rain blows on their opponents. It’s a noisy, brilliant place. Fortunately, there is a place where you can be near enough to the heart of the action to feel you’re not missing out on anything, yet secluded enough to feel like you’re a million miles away.
104
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Built around a colonial building that once housed the British Consulate, The Chedi Chiang Mai is a minimalist’s fantasy in a prime spot of river-side real estate to the east of the Old Town on the banks of the Mae Ping River. The former British Consulate, which dates from 1913, was abandoned for several years before it was taken over by present owners Pacific Assets. The property went through a two-year redevelopment before it was reopened by GHM as The Chedi in July 2005. The original building is now the focal point, home to The Restaurant and The Terrace Bar & Cigar Lounge. I checked into Chedi Club Suite 32, a 105-square-metre open-plan studio apartment overlooking the spacious grounds of the hotel and the river somewhere in the distance, tucked away behind the main building.
The Chedi, Chiang Mai Suite dreams
The important bit What: The Chedi, Chiang Mai Location: 123 Charoen Prathet Road, Chiang Mai, Thailand Cost: from US$688 per night Web: www.ghmhotels.com
Terra firma The manicured gardens and pool overlook the Mae Ping
I had some trouble adjusting – I had gone from the humid, bustling street-scene outside, to a cool colonial white and brown reception area, to an ultra-trendy New York loft apartment in the space of about five minutes. Where was I? The interiors are chic contemporary Thai, courtesy of Kerry Hill Architects. Enter through your private porch to a giant square doorway, into a spacious suite with floor-to-ceiling windows running the length of the far side, and a balcony big enough to host a Thai cooking class. Welcome treats and decorations are intrinsic parts of the design – each suite comes with a platter of plump and waxy rose apples and a flourish of green bamboo shoots, a theme continued throughout the hotel. The blood-red tiled bathroom can be separated from the rest of the suite by dividers, but for the more voyeuristic,
“If the humidity is too much to bear, relax on your in-suite daybed and order from the in-room dining menu” bath time can be enjoyed along with sweeping views of the river and rooftop spa terrace. The amenities are exclusive to The Chedi and come in earthenware pots. Complimentary WiFi is standard, as is a Bose sound system and intelligent lighting and curtain controls. Club Suite guests also enjoy two-way limousine transfers, private
check-in in the Club Lounge (plus evening cocktails and canapés) or in their suite, and complimentary laundry service. If the humidity (or the mosquitoes) are too much to bear, relax on the in-suite daybed and order from the in-room dining menu, or visit The Spa and indulge in a Chedi Jade Massage, where two therapists will soothe away aches and pains and lull you into a hypnotic state. For sundowners, there are few places I have ever felt more like an intrepid colonial gent than on the first floor of The Terrace Bar, where the architecture remains true to its original style, and the ambiance casts a spell over anyone inside. When the sun goes down, the dark wooden beams of the old consulate are illuminated by flickering candlelight and in the distance, the twinkling lights on the far bank of the Mae Ping.
dotwnews.com
May 2011
105
Suite dreams
Jumeirah Zabeel Saray
The important bit What: Jumeirah Zabeel Saray Location: The Palm Jumeirah, Crescent Road (West), Dubai Cost: from US$1,198 per night Web: jumeirah.com
106
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Ottoman conquest Indulge in the royal treatment with a stay in an Imperial Suite at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, where classic Ottoman style delights
T
he Ottoman Turks liked their palaces lavish and opulent. The traditional Ottoman-style architecture that makes up the exterior of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray is subtle and refined; beige arches and vaulted balconies are broken up with horizontal brushes of darker lines and rooftop domes, and the sandstone façade of the grand entrance is reached via a black and white marble pathway, lined by flowerbeds. The great dome in the lobby is decorated with beautiful hand-painted frescoes (think of Istanbul’s Blue Mosque on a slightly smaller scale), and the interior architecture is as refined and grandiose as you would expect from a classical Ottoman Palace. The elaborate chandeliers, oversized gold pillars and intricate freestanding candelabras induce the requisite “wow” on arrival, and provide a warm welcome fit for a king. Throughout the downstairs public areas, walls are adorned with Turkish art and murals, a theme that continues all the way from the lobby up to the Imperial floor, whose long, wide corridor is like a quiet wing of a museum. As you walk the corridor, the eyes of Sultans and Grand Viziers of days gone by peer down at you from works of art on the walls, and the floor is dappled in sunlight streaming in from glass-topped domes that run the length of the corridor. I stayed in room 604, one of 10 Imperial One-Bedroom Suites on the sixth floor of the hotel. Inside, a rich and spacious abode is draped in warm silks and fabrics inspired by the Ottoman palaces of old: gold walls with ornate trimmings, tasselled burgundy cushions scattered on the huge divan, and heavy pistachio curtains. The royal splendour of the room belies the technology within. All the electronic features of the suite are controlled with the Cicso telephone system beside the bed, which allows you to open or close the curtains, turn up the air conditioning and dim the lights. You can also activate the ‘do not disturb’ sign, set your wake-up call or order in-room dining. There are 42-inch Samsung flat-screens in the bedroom and living room, plus an iPod docking station at the bedside, so you can make the most of the hotel’s wide selection of international TV stations – from the comfort of the vast sumptuous divan of course – or listen to your own music while you plan your next move.
But the lion’s share of praise has to be reserved for the bathroom, where a sunken marble Turkish bath (easily big enough for four to bathe comfortably) takes pride of place opposite the hammered copper ‘his and hers’ sinks, which sit under an enormous ceiling-height mirror embossed with circular Turkish designs. Although it’s huge, the vast tub fills quickly thanks to a high-pressure sluice-style tap. There’s ample space on the edge of the tub for platters of dates or Turkish Delight for the perfect bathtime indulgence. Amenities come from UK-based Asprey London’s Purple Water range, and there’s a walk-in rain shower. There’s plenty of wardrobe space for long stays, separated from the rest of the living room with a hand-carved latticed trellis. The king-sized bed has a soft golden headboard set underneath more intricate metal-work, which forms a dome overhead, creating the ultimate regal slumber spot for aspiring sultans and sultanas. Another highlight is the balcony, which seems to take up a substantial proportion of the suite’s 94 square metres. Stretching from the living room across to the bedroom, the sixth floorbalcony allows for great views across the fronds and trunk of The Palm Jumeirah to the east, plus the hotel’s expansive grounds below.
Palatial abode Exterior architecture reflects classic Ottoman style
Signature dining at Lalezar is classic Turkish Anatolian cuisine given the fine dining treatment. The result is entirely unexpected; the menu is unlike anything I have seen in Dubai and definitely warrants a second visit. Classic Turkish dishes are served on bone white china with innovative side dishes; contemporary presentations of classic ingredients. If Suleiman the Magnificent had enjoyed food as good as this, he probably would have spent more time at home instead of building his enormous empire. Imperium is a gorgeous banquet-hall style restaurant serving international food with a French twist. The lunchtime sitting offers buffet-style starters and desserts, plus à la carte mains, served in the lush interior dining room or the sea-facing terrace. At weekends, breakfast is served either at Imperium or the signature Indian restaurant Amala. Arrive early if you want a table on the terrace. If the kids tire of the enormous 59-metre pool and expansive beach (complete with beach butler service) that overlooks the calm waters of The Palm, guests in the Imperial Suites receive complimentary day passes for Wild Wadi waterpark – Dubai’s original family friendly oasis – 15 minutes down the road.
“If Suleiman the Magnificent had enjoyed food as good as this, he probably would have spent more time at home instead of building his empire” Fit for a sultan The Imperial One-Bedroom Suite is draped in rich silks and soft furnishings
dotwnews.com
May 2011
107
Review
Hotel Sacher Wien
Sweet like chocolate Nicci Perides indulges in a chocolate pampering at the legendary Hotel Sacher Wien
I
t’s no secret that when visiting the Austrian capital of Vienna, people (or should I say, I) simply melt at the very mention of the Sacher Torte, a chocolate cake that was created in 1832 and then gradually perfected bit by bit over the last 179 years. The Sacher Torte is a rich chocolate sponge cake with a fruity apricot jam filling made originally for aristocracy. Franz Sacher, the chef behind the creation, developed the recipe while working as an apprentice in the Courts of Prince Metternich in Austria. The story goes that one dinnertime, when the Chef de Cuisine had called in ill, apprentice Sacher was asked to create a dessert so delicious it would please even the hardest of critics. The Sacher Torte was born and immediately received rave reviews. Franz Sacher became an overnight success with his cake. As the years went by, Franz’ son Eduard decided to capitalise on his father’s fame. Already working in the hospitality industry, he bought a very sought-after address in Vienna – the building opposite the Opera House – and turned it into a hotel.
108
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Hotel Sacher Wien (Vienna) became the most distinguished hotel in the city, with visiting aristocracy often making it their home away from home. As per young Eduard’s instructions, the cake was only sold in his hotel from that moment on, and the recipe was kept secret and prepared only in the hotel’s kitchen. Today the Sacher still holds the same values, but with a few added extras. Like all traditional hotels, a little diversification is always needed to survive in a competitive marketplace, so when the Gurtler family bought the hotel in the 1930s, change was inevitable. The cake was already famous worldwide, but to push the product even further the Gurtlers developed a spa to incorporate other chocolatey experiences. The Sacher Spa was developed on the third floor of the hotel for use by guests and locals; the feeling was that everyone should be able to pamper themselves once in a while. The spa has a fully equipped gym, a wet area (sauna/ steamroom) and a tantalising range of relaxing chocolate and non-chocolate treatments to choose from.
I’m happy to admit that I often like to indulge in the odd chocolate bar, chocolate cake or biscuit, so when I arrived at The Sacher Spa, fresh off the airplane and in need of a little R&R, I simply couldn’t resist the ‘Hot Chocolate Ceremony Treatment’. “It uses the same cocoa beans that go into the Sacher Torte,” the spa receptionist told me when I arrived. The Sacher Spa is unique not only because there are very few spas in Vienna, but also because very close attention has been paid to the entire sensory experience guests receive. The decor is relaxing in its neutral hues, highlighted with touches of greens and browns; soft music gently plays in the background and a light chocolate fragrance wafts throughout. The treatment began with a detoxifyng chocolate body scrub, which is designed to awaken the senses and remove dead skin. Once this was washed off, a thick layer of chocolate body moisturising cream was applied, followed by a soothing full-body Swedish massage. The smell was divine and it took all of my will power to stop myself
from sneaking a quick taste of the organic product. (Ed’s note – we think Nicci probably did have a quick taste of the organic product.) My therapist explained that chocolate is rich in iron, magnesium and vitamins, so it helps prevent premature ageing and helps stimulate blood circulation around the body. When the bliss came to an end, I dressed in a Sacher Spa robe and slippers, took a seat in the relaxation area, drank the herbal tea I was offered and listened to the serene music playing out across the spa. The 40-minute treatment left my skin silky smooth, and in a somewhat euphoric state, my love affair with chocolate had reached new heights. I left the spa and casually wandered into the hotel shop that sells the Sacher Torte and muttered quietly to the man behind the till, “I’ll take them all.”
The important bit What: The Sacher Spa Location: Hotel Sacher Wien, Vienna, Austria Cost: Treatments from US$173
THE NEW PERFUME
Oberoi Udaiviläs Live like a Maharana in Udaipur
Connoisseur ‘V
iläs’ means royal abode, and PRS (Biki) Oberoi, scion of that eponymous group of luxury hotels, resorts and Nile boats, is understandably proud of his four ‘Viläs’ properties in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. You are greeted by male staff wearing local turbans; all, except at Udaipur, wear waist-length ‘tails’. Typically superlative, Oberoi service is perhaps even more anticipatory than in cities, where travellers are in-and-out. Viläs stays are generally two nights, and butlers are lightning fast at picking up guests’ idiosyncrasies. All Viläs have WiFi, spas and gyms, lots of healthy eating, and Chinkara house wines, from Biki Oberoi’s daughter Natasha’s vineyard. In Udaipur, Udaiviläs occupies 30 sloping acres at Lake Pichola’s west end, where Maharanas (kingly maharajas) of the Mewar region set off on hunting trips. The rambling creamcoloured stone building seems to go in and out of hillsides and trees and turn back on itself. Its exterior includes scores of cupolas (ghummats), some pumpkin-shaped Mughal domes and others Mewari, like spike-handled cloches on tables on four long legs. All 87 rooms look out at the lake, or at spacious grassed courtyards. The Cullinan Suite, one of four with completely private heated 40-foot pools, comes with an outdoor sala and, in its salon, a jharokha – a window-seat, cantilevered to give more space. Take a boat trip and visit local sites such as the 16th century City Palace. There, visit the historic car collection of the current Maharana of Udaipur, HH Arvind Singh Mewar. His 24 classics include a 1930 grey Rolls-Royce, its rear a three-bench open truck to transport the local cricket team. Back at Udaivilas, where the GM is Jan Tibaldi, dine year-round on the Chandni Terrace (charcoal burners are brought for warmth). Rajviläs, on 32 flat, manicured acres in Jaipur, is run by characterful Frenchman Vincent Guironnet. There are monkeys, and over 40 bird
110
May 2011
dotwnews.com
Mary Gostelow
Lifestyle and luxury commentator
“Your roof canopy has little goldspotted pictures of tigers and trees; you have a fourposter bed, ten-foot long tabledesk, a freestanding roll-top tub and Moët in the minibar”
An insider’s view of the world’s most luxurious hotels varieties (including peacocks), a 260-year-old Shiva temple and 71 keys, some of which are 450 square-foot tents with full mod-cons. Villa-lovers will probably opt for number 114, in a cluster of three leading off a small central courtyard guarded by a lifesize sandstone sculpture of a decidedly rotund maharaja with an oversize moustache. Villa 114 has its own 45-foot C-shaped blue-tiled heated pool. Rajviläs hosts twice-daily aarti (a hindi worship ritual) ceremonies, twice-daily complimentary yoga classes, and daily hour-long local history classes. Dining might be outside in the Surya Mahal courtyard, which has live entertainment with such traditional instruments as the sitar, the plucked Israj, tabla drums and four-string tambura (all are described, sensibly, on the printed menu). Back home, your bed is turned down, a card tells you tomorrow’s weather and on a fresh green leaf is inscribed, in gold, ‘good night’. Continue on, courtesy Avis, for whom Oberoi has the Indian concession. It is about four hours’ memorable drive on to Vanyaviläs, next to Ranthambore National Park, open October through June. Its 20 acres of cultivated bushland contain 25 super-comfy 800 sq ft tents, managed by GM Tapan Piplani. Inside, your roof canopy, supported by 12-foot poles, has little gold-spotted pictures of tigers and trees; you have a four-poster bed, ten-foot long table-desk, a freestanding roll-top tub and Moët in the minibar. Wake at 5.30am – good continental breakfast provided – so you’re in Ranthambore National Park when it opens at 6.30am. Although best known for tigers, there is a myriad of other animals, plus over 200 species of birds. After five hours’ safari-bumping, you deserve a sizeable brunch, and, after a nap, perhaps the spa’s three-hour Safari Sanctuary, with thermal mud wrap. Expect evening educational talks, and a postprandial bonfire encourages story-telling. Finally, to Uttar Pradesh, to Agra – and to the 106-room Amarviläs, where the GM is Nigel Badminton. You’ll want to spend every minute gazing at the Taj Mahal, a mere 600 yards away. Every room faces its 273-ft dome, but an all-time favourite is suite 527, named for legendary hotelier Robert (Bob) Burns. There are silver-framed photos of him, with his namesake George Burns, and Marlene Dietrich. An oval bathtub by your terrace allows yet more viewing of the dome. Ideally, you want to tour the Taj in the early morning from Monday to Thursday, before the crowds arrive: it is closed Fridays, and weekends are crush time. Spend the day relaxing, or taking a private yoga lesson with ‘The Professor’, worth his weight in gold when it comes to understanding your liver and lungs. Cocktails are typically on an outside terrace watching classical dancers performing atop a pavilion at the far end of the pool. If you choose the Indian fine-dining restaurant, you have live flute accompaniment. You feel part of Indian culture.
ALBUM: Mr. & Mrs. sMith
James Lohan, CEO and Tamara Heber-Percy, CTO
I
t’s true what they say: there’s a silver lining to every cloud. When James Lohan and Tamara HeberPercy booked into a luxury hotel in 2003 for a romantic getaway and were underwhelmed by their experience, they were spurred on to help couples plan the perfect romantic weekend. Soon after they published their first guidebook, and were pleasantly surprised when sales exceeded their expectations.
“A year after we published the first UK/Ireland guidebook, we visited one of the remote Scottish hotels we had featured, and discovered that we had brought them around 95 percent of their business,” says Lohan. “That’s when we decided to set up our own booking service online.” Today mrandmrssmith. com, a luxury travel website specialising in dream romantic holidays, is one of the most
popular travel websites in the business, thanks to a painstakingly thorough selection process. The couple, who are now married, have travelled all over the world, visiting exotic faraway beaches, bustling cities and everywhere in between so they can recommend only the very best hotels to their clients. Here they share their top six destinations around the world with DOTW News.
Read the full interview with James and Tamara at dotwnews.com
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia offers lots of luxe-forless choices, and gives you the option to go flash-packing in style. Try offthe-tourist-trail hideaways such as Bon Ton Resort on the island of Langkawi, Malaysia, where you can stay in a stilted wooden house on a former coconut plantation from US$159 a night. Or try hip, homely Viroth’s in Siem Reap, Cambodia, from $100 a night. A haven of designer minimalism, this relaxed bolthole offers rooftop massages, outdoor dining and a tropical pool – the perfect place to plan your Angkor Wat adventures.
112
Berlin, Germany
Brazil
Thanks to a cutting-edge modern art scene, Berlin will be attracting trendhunters in droves. It’s the perfect Euro city for intrepid travellers and history buffs, and a fantastic place to seek out artists, trendsetters and local-culture experts. Soho House’s industrial-chic boutique hotel, with its buzzing bistro, pampering spa, private cinema and terrace bar in the bleeding-edge Mitte district, is the address for globe-roving cool-hunters who want to combine powerbrunching with decadent downtime.
Brazil has always been known for its breathtaking scenery and Carnival spirit, but the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Rio are going to attract even more attention. For the perfect city-plus-ecobeach break, spend a night or two at Starck-styled Fasano in one of Rio’s coolest districts. With a glass exterior, a white marble rooftop pool, and its own private beach, it radiates glitz. Then head down the coast to laidback boho hotspot Trancoso in Bahia – hedonism central for jet-setters.
May 2011
dotwnews.com
“A haven of designer minimalism, Viroth’s hotel in Cambodia offers rooftop massages, outdoor dining and a tropical pool – the perfect place to plan your Angkor Wat adventures”
Album
Tasmania, Australia
England, UK
New England, USA
For pristine beaches and blissful treks, hotfoot it to the Freycinet Peninsula in Tasmania and admire the curving sands and cerulean waters of Wineglass Bay. Check in at Saffire, a stingray-shaped spa hotel across the bay from the rugged Hazard mountains. Spend a day or two in the laidback historic harbour Hobart en route, and enjoy wining and dining in the island’s capital with a stay at The Henry Jones Art Hotel, a onetime jam factory turned contemporary gallery, museum and crashpad.
England’s Home Counties and their close neighbours are undergoing a renaissance, with a new breed of country-house hotels springing up among the fields and forests. These stately escapes blend a sense of tradition with a contemporary sensibility. In Hampshire’s New Forest, the buzz is all about Lime Wood; once a mediaeval hunting lodge, now extensively remodelled into a truly 21st-century countryside retreat, with Michelin-starred dining, spa, and fabulous family facilities.
As the Home Counties are to London, New England is to New York – a peaceful pastoral pocket to escape to when city life gets too frenetic. The scenery of areas such as the Berkshires or Litchfield Hills is a landscape-painter’s fantasy, especially in autumn, when the leaves turn gold and glorious. It’s the perfect setting for a weekend escape. Refined Italian-style palazzo Wheatleigh near Lenox ticks all the boxes for glamour and grandeur, with a beautiful deepblue pool in its rolling green grounds.
Visit mrandmrssmith.com for more information and to book these properties
dotwnews.com
May 2011
113
Final word
The ultimate port of call Do you see any obstacles in terms of Montenegro becoming a major yachting destination?
Max Bulley, Yachting Manager, Porto Montenegro
How did you get to where you are? I grew up in the South of France, where I was a passionate sailor. I was always around superyachts, and then I started selling them. I flew to Montenegro and fell in love with the beauty of the area, the location and the team, so I decided to move and start working there.
Will Montenegro become a major world yachting destination? It’s in a very central spot; you’re at the foot of Croatia, then you can go straight across to Italy or down to Greece. You’re only a day’s sail away from Sardinia, Monaco, St. Tropez. It’s in a central position for cruising.
On the contrary. I think the rest of Europe, and the world, are helping us due to the complicated tax systems. It’s more complicated to own a yacht in the rest of the world. In Montenegro it’s very easy to own or charter a yacht. There is tax- and duty-free fuel, which we can offer to private and commercial yachts, and there is only seven percent tax on marine-related goods, which is important when it comes to the berths and the services required for the yachts.
What is your top yachting spot other than Montenegro? I like to go to St. Tropez in September, during the off-season. You can find those elements in Montenegro in the high season – it’s all about the lifestyle. You can go clubbing, you can go sailing, everything is there, but it’s not too crowded. I like that vibe.
Who lives in Montenegro? It’s very mixed. On the marina side they could be from anywhere because they’re always travelling. On the residential side we have British investors, Russian investors, Canadians, Swiss, Germans, Italians. The main shareholder, Peter Munk, is Canadian; he’s the biggest gold miner in the world. He’s the founder of Barrick Gold, and he spends about two months a year on his yacht – he’s very involved. Also the Rothschild family and investors from [luxury brand group] LVMH. They all share a passion for yachting, so you can imagine the standards are very high, from the design to the service levels.
What is a typical day like for you? In the summer I’ll wake up, go rowing in the yacht club, then have a swim, then I’ll greet my clients in the marina, show them the product, take them for lunch onboard, perhaps cruise to one of the nearby
villages or islands, come back in the afternoon, have a drink on the terrace – it’s very lifestyle-focused. Everything we do is geared toward the yachting lifestyle. We live with the water.
What is the best part about living in Porto Montenegro? Being on the water, travelling the world, promoting the destination and the project. I’m a passionate yachtsman so I get to cruise and meet the big owners and industry leaders, which is really special for me. Also the interaction – there are two things that make it so great: the nature and the people. It offers something very unique – everyone is enjoying that hip, laidback lifestyle. It’s a secret garden. You enter the fjord on a superyacht, or on a jet or plane, and the first impression is so powerful; the nature and the lifestyle. To read the full interview, please visit dotwnews.com
Competition... WHERE IN THE WORLD? Think you can identify the location in the photo? If you do, e-mail your answer to competition@dotwnews.com and put Where in the world? in the subject line. Each month, the winner will receive a 12-month subscription to Destinations of the World News worth US$99. The destination featured in our April 2011 competition was the Esplanade in Singapore. This month’s winner is Crispin Pinto from Dubai.
114
May 2011
dotwnews.com