Destinations of the World News- October 2011

october 2011

MILLIONAIRE CITY Dare to dream in Hamburg

HISTORIC HOTELS Le Bristol: France’s first Palace

24 HOURS: NEW YORK One quick bite of the Big Apple

On Barbados time Let the locals set the pace in Barbados, where Caribbean charm and tropical scenery make the perfect island escape

CONNOISSEUR

Our luxury guru hits Hong Kong

INTERVIEW

Embassy Club’s Mark Fuller

SUITE DREAMS

Imperial Suite at Sofitel JBR

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

A Hotel As legendAry As st Petersburg Itself 1911 On St Isaac’s Square, in booming Imperial St Petersburg, the fashionable architect Fyodor Lidval is fitting out new building that will be his masterpiece a luxury hotel. Every modern convenience is being installed: telephone lines, automated vacuuming system, steam-driven central heating, guest lifts‌ This is the Russia of Nicholas II, and money is no object.

2011 The illustrious Hotel Astoria has never rested on its laurels. We have welcomed Romanovs, Rasputin and regal ballerinas, but we wear our history lightly. Now, when we talk about being well connected it is more likely in reference to the high-speed Internet in our rooms. We call it the art of simple luxury.

tHe Art of sImPle luxury In key destInAtIons Brussells n Berlin n Frankfurt n Munich n Florence n Rome n ST. Petersburg n Geneva n Edinburgh n London n Manchester n Prague n Sicily COMING SOON: Abu Dhabi n Jeddah n Marrakech n Cairo

Hotel Astoria, St. Isaacs Square, 39 Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg 190000, Russia Tel: +7 812 4945757 Fax: +7 812 4945059 n astoria@roccofortehotels.com n www.roccofortehotels.com

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Contents October 2011

On the cover 44 Barbados beat

Husband and wife team Kathy Newbern and J.S. Fletcher find luxury living meets Caribbean spirit in Barbados

52 Millionaire city

Hamburg’s multi-billion Euro regeneration project is just one reason it’s Germany’s richest city, says James Brennan

62 Historic hotels

Le Bristol was the first Paris hotel awarded ‘Palace’ status and remains one of the best in town, says Amanda MacKenzie

66 New York: 24 hours

One day is hardly enough to see the Big Apple, says Caitlin Cheadle, but these insights will help

62 Parisian flair The Georgian facade of Le Bristol remains largely unchanged since it was built

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October 2011

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Contents

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October 2011

PHOTO: Amanresorts

72 In the news 20 Retrospective Vintage cars and outfits at Goodwood Revival 22 Europe Swarovski Innsbruck reopens with more sparkle than ever 24 Middle East & Africa Qatar named world’s safest country 28 Asia & Oceania Afghanistan welcomes intrepid visitors 32 Americas Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island open for business 36 Trends New travel and tourism concepts making the news 42 Interview Embassy’s Mark Fuller knows how to throw a party

Insider 70 Diary Out and about this month? Don’t miss these events

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72 Spend it Once-in-a-lifetime luxury travel experiences 76 Debut New hot hotels, chic boutiques and exclusive resorts 78 Suite dreams The stylish Imperial Suite at Sofitel JBR in Dubai 80 Review Nicci Perides has her head in the clouds at At.mosphere 82 On the road Sometimes wheels are better than wings 84 Column Dorothy Waldman on why it’s essential to get some sun 86 Connoisseur Mary Gostelow samples the high life in Hong Kong 88 Album Chef Richard Sandoval has searched the world for fine flavour 90 Final Word Chris Stafford, founder of King’s Cup Elephant Polo dotwnews.com

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Letter from the Editor As the ArAbiAn summer drAws to An end, cities across the middle east are springing to life, emerging from their mid-year hibernation and preparing for the new season of glamorous parties, long-awaited openings and star-studded gala events under warm, starry Arabian nights.

In dubai, Louboutins are being polished, Logsdail suits pressed and expensive looking bottles put on ice, all ready for the flashbulbs at the must-attend events taking place all over town in the next few months.

Until recently, doomsday merchants were rhapsodising about the end of Dubai’s days in the spotlight – the inevitable popping of its inflated economic bubble – but visitors today will see a different picture; the Dubai renaissance seems to be well underway.

And there’s much reason to celebrate. Hard times may have slowed down Dubai’s once unstoppable growth, but elsewhere in the region, they proved a catalyst for change, and the Arab spring that has emerged in the wake of fallen dictators has put the world’s spotlight on the Middle East once again.

It’s not the only part of the world going through something of a revival. This month’s cover story is about the Caribbean island jewel of barbados – the dream getaway for starry-eyed honeymoon couples and the international jet set of the booming 1980s.

Today it attracts a more refined visitor – world-class golf courses and luxury resorts blend Caribbean charm with five-star hospitality, giving visitors a taste of the old West Indies with all the creature comforts of a luxury travel destination. Authors Kathy Newbern and J.S. Fletcher revisited the island and found there is no escaping the customs left behind by the English settlers; cricket and high tea are still popular afternoon pastimes. Read their story on page 44.

In Europe, the German city of hamburg is undergoing a multi-billion Euro regeneration project that gives further justification to its nickname – City of millionaires. Already established as Germany’s financial and media hub, Hamburg is attracting top chefs, designers and artists from around the world, drawn to the prospect of big-spending and energetic German youth, an increasing number of tourists, and developments like the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, the flagship building of the HafenCity regeneration project, which is attracting plenty of international attention.

James Brennan, who wrote this month’s story on Hamburg, is also a chairperson on the san Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants Academy, and an authority on all things gastronomical. He was overwhelmed by the 11 michelin stars lining the banks of the River Elbe. Read all about it on page 52.

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Destinations of the World News deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle took a small detour on her way back from Vancouver last month to find out what’s new in new York and embarked on a whirlwind tour of the fashionable boutiques and most talked-about eateries the city’s trendiest quarters have to offer. Areas that were once well and truly off the tourist radar are now hubs of creativity, attracting locals and visitors by the busload, forcing the city’s other hotspots to up their game. Read her suggestions for the top things to see and do in the big Apple on page 66.

Back in Dubai, the hospitality scene is undergoing its own regeneration project, and few people could be better suited to talk about the world of high-end entertainment than mark Fuller, the man behind the Embassy Club in London – a hangout for rock stars, Hollywood actors, models, and anyone else lucky enough to find themselves on the guestlist. This month will see the opening of embassy dubai, a new venture in Grosvenor House hotel’s new Tower Two that promises first-class hospitality for the Middle East’s elite. We caught up with Mark on a recent visit to find out how he plans to translate London-style excess into Dubaifriendly chic. Read the interview on page 42.

Autumn may be unfolding all over Europe and the US, but in the Middle East, the Arab Spring continues to breathe new life and optimism into the region. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Happy travels. n

Joe Mortimer Editor joe@dotwnews.com

elbphilharmonie hamburg The flagship building of the HafenCity regeneration project is an angular modern structure on the original foundations of the old Kaispeicher warehouse

Contributors October 2011, Issue 64

James Brennan

James Brennan is a food and travel writer based in the Middle East. Recently, his tales of eating snake in Bangkok and cruising around the Gulf have appeared in publications such as Esquire and The Sunday Times. He also represents the Middle East & North Africa region for the San Pellegrino World’s 50 Best Restaurants. This month, James takes us inside the German city of Hamburg to find out why ‘Millionaires’ City, as it is fondly known, is the residence of choice for Germany’s movers and shakers. Read his account on page 52.

Dorothy Waldman

As a native Texan who spent summers fishing and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, Dorothy Waldman has enjoyed most of the oceans and seas around the world. Minus her Stetson, she now travels and writes about exotic ports of call, architecture, lifestyle and business. Dorothy relocated from Dubai to Istanbul last year and loves her new life on the crossroads of Asia and Europe. An avid sun worshipper, she recently discovered the health benefits of a daily spot of sunbathing. She shares her findings on page 84.

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 Sales Manager Karla Toledo karla@dotwnews.com Assistant Sales Manager Andrea Tsiachtsiri andrea@dotwnews.com Art Director Kris Karacinski kris@dotwnews.com Multimedia Director Salimah Hirji salimah@wnnlimited.com Advertising Art Director Fami Bakkar fami@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 The Green Monkey at Sandy Lane - Barbados

Caitlin Cheadle

Deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle packed her things and left her native Vancouver three years ago after catching the travel bug while backpacking through Europe. Although she misses the mountains and fresh air of Canada, she’s happy to stay in Dubai as long as she can travel frequently. This month Caitlin made time for a brief side-trip to New York (page 66) on her way back from Vancouver before heading back to Dubai to review the Sofitel JBR’s Imperial Suite (page 78) and interviewing Embassy Dubai creator Mark Fuller (page 42).

Kathy Newbern and J.S. Fletcher

Kathy Newbern and J.S. Fletcher are an awardwinning husband and wife team based in North Carolina, who’ve travelled the globe since 1994, writing about luxury destinations, romantic getaways, cruising and spas. Between them they have climbed the Great Wall of China and Cape Horn, climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge and been inside a Pyramid burial chamber. They also operate YourSpaReport.com and YourNovel.com, where readers can star in their own personalised romance novel. Read their story on Barbados on page 44.

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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.

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Published by

That’s the problem when you’ve got it; you never really know what it is. Certainly, being chauffeur driven from door to door by our complimentary limo service has star quality.

Whizzing through our Private Security Channel at Heathrow in minutes into our award-winning Clubhouse definitely adds a certain something. Perhaps it’s our business class seat that transforms itself into one of the longest fully flat beds in the sky that makes our Upper Class really stand out from the crowd. Or maybe it’s simply that you get all of this, but at a business class fare. Discover more at virginatlantic.com/experience Your airline’s either got it or it hasn’t.

Is it the limo at both ends?

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Is it the fully flat bed?

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Sectiony title Retrospective

G

PHOTO: John Colley

entlemen, start your engines. Vintage cars line up at the starting grid at the 2011 Goodwood Revival, an annual celebration of the world of motorsports. The Goodwood Revival, which takes place in Goodwood, England, is a three-day festival of speed celebrating all things vintage.

Grand Prix cars from the 50s and 60s, plus a collection of other sports cars from the Revival period (1948-66) are showcased at the event, along with big-name celebrities from the world of motor racing such as Sir Stirling Moss, one of the world’s greatest racing drivers.

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The Goodwood Revival Market and High Street area are home to more than 100 vendors selling vintage fashion and goods from the Revival era, with high street fashion names of the period like Kenwood, DeLonghi, Biba and Vivien of Holloway on display, plus contemporary names like the Ministry of Britishness, Vanilla Vintage, Browne & Daughters and Laura Kashden. There’s even a period-style Tesco supermarket. Ladies Day sees prizes of champagne and flowers awarded to the best-dressed women by a panel of judges, and 2011 featured the first best-dressed men contest.

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May 2011

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PHOTO: Klaus Vyhnalek

10.11 News

swarovski Innsbruck sparkles

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Other crystal creations set to dazzle visitors include the Mirrored Wall, the Crystal Stairs and the stunning Cascade chandelier, which tumbles from the centre of the stairwell like a crystal waterfall.

There’s also a Swarovski bar to whet your appetite for shopping, with cocktails and award-winning wines from Swarovski owner Gernot Langes Swarovski’s Argentinean winery, Bodega Norton.

Despite the modern products and artwork inside, the building still

retains its old charm. The store was formerly home of Die Goldene Rose guesthouse, and in the chic all-white interior, the original granite columns supporting the upper floors have been left bare and the outside features a white-washed colonade, maintaining a sense of history in the sensory crystal world.

Swarovski is currently present in more than 120 countries, employs some 23,000 members of staff and reported a turnover of EUR2.06 billion ($2.8bn) in 2010.

PHOTO: Klaus Vyhnalek

The postcard-perfect Austrian town of Innsbruck is gleaming even brighter following the reopening of Swarovski Innsbruck – the worldrenowned crystal-maker’s new flagship store.

The Swarovski headquarters is located in the heart of the city’s old town, a stone’s thrown from Innsbruck’s Goldenes Dachi (Golden Roof), and has long been a tourist attraction in its own right.

Fo l l o w i n g a E U R 8 . 5 m (US$11.6m) refurbishment by renowned architects Hanno Schlögl & Daniel Süß (Schlögl & Süß Architects), Swarovski Innsbruck has been transformed into a dynamic mixed-use destination store, featuring one of the world’s largest Swarovski boutiques, a museum detailing the history of the company and the town, and stunning modern crystal art installations.

The entrance to the historical site is filled with a three-part series of artworks by Tyrolean artist Thomas Feuerstein called Im Facettenreich (In the Realm of Many Facets) and elsewhere, Austrian light artist Erwin Redl’s Crystal Matrix installation is the centrepiece of the Crystal Wonder room.

Europe

News

Mary says...

The latest in luxury travel

Private jets at your fingertips UK-based private jet charter firm Air Partner has launched the world’s first multi-lingual real-time iPhone app, allowing users to book their private jets at the touch of a button from anywhere in the world.

Users can search for available aircraft based on their route, the number of passengers and the dates of travel.

The search results display the estimated cost of the booking in a choice of 36 currencies, as well as the flight time and images and other details about the aircraft, which

range from very light jets seating four passengers to heavy jets seating 16.

“Our app is comprehensive, appealing, and fast and easy to use,” said David Macdonald, director of sales for Air Partner Private Jets.

“It’s the global private jet concierge in your pocket, the perfect travel tool that will get you to where you need to be, day or night, wherever you are and whenever you want to fly. Users can be assured of receiving a personal service as soon as they forward a flight

request to our experienced and efficient charter teams,” he added.

The free app is available in English, French, Russian, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese and can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store.

Air Partner holds a Royal Warrant from HM Queen Elizabeth II as Supplier of Aircraft Charter, and organises private aviation services for industry, commerce, governments and individual use on an international scale.

IN FOCUS

For visitors to Cape Town, the latest craze for all ages – even grandparents, apparently – is shark cage diving. Put simply, you gear up in full wet suit and snorkel. You sail out in a 12-metre Dive Cat deep-sea cabin cruiser, and offshore you climb into a five-man wire cage, lowered overboard. Great White sharks, attracted by raw meat, become your extremely close neighbours.

Antwerp may be diamond centre of the world – but it also has the biggest-ever collection of dockside cranes, part of its stunning new tower-like Museum Aan de Stroom (MAS for short). The designer is B-architecten.

I love boutiques.com. The Googleowned site lets you access dozens of online designer stores, including Victoria Beckham, Michael Kors, Alexander McQueen, Temperley London and Tod’s.

Some of the best design in Mumbai is found in the Moschino store in the Taj Mahal Palace. The boutique is run by Charu Sachdev, an Intellectual Law MA who also runs Kitsch (father Ashok Sachdev heads Sachdev Group ASG).

Flying out of London Heathrow? Anyone can now be a VIP. A one-off charge of GBP1,800 (US$2,890) allows one to six people access to the exclusive Windsor Suite, which allows privacy, special escort and chauffeured transport to your plane in a BMW 7-series. heathrowbyinvitation.com Olive oil is a must for food and health.

LA Organic is a Spanish brand, formerly named after owner-banker Pedro Gómez de Baeza’s home, La Amarilla de Ronda. But designer Philippe Starck said change the name, and sell it in yellow Quink-ink-like bottles.

Diners at one of London’s most exclusive addresses will be immersed in even more sumptuous surroundings with the opening of the new Bentley Room at private dining club Mosimann’s. The private dining room’s largely neutral colour scheme is lit up with accents of racing green and deep purple, and enlivened with images from the UK’s top car designer on the walls, while the leather padded door bears the hand-stitched Bentley logo. “Bentley is at the heart of Mosimann’s and the room reflects what members enjoy about their private dining club in Belgravia. It is warm, cosseted and positively oozes with charm,” said managing director Mark Mosimann.

Mary Gostelow

dotwnews.com

October 2011

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News

Middle East & Africa

Yas Island waterpark

Developers of Abu Dhabi’s Yas Island have revealed details of a new state-of-the-art waterpark based on Emirati culture and heritage and built in the style of a traditional Emirati town. The park will be themed around the story of “The Lost Pearl”, which chronicles the adventures of a young Emirati girl on a quest to find a missing pearl and promises more than 40 rides and other attractions in the 15-hectare site. The waterpark is set to open on Yas Island in late 2012.

Water of life

The UAE capital Abu Dhabi is hosting an exhibition entitled Water: H2O=Life, highlighting the challenges of sustainable water management and its role in establishing civilisations. In conjunction with the American Museum of Natural History, the exhibition will run at the Qasr al Hosn Exhibition Center in Abu Dhabi until January 15, 2012.

The UAE is one of the world’s largest consumers of water on a per capita basis.

Your towels, sir?

Soon to open St. Regis Doha has recruited 40 professional butlers to wait on guests hand and foot for the duration of their stay, taking care of everything from restaurant reservations and pressing suits to unpacking suitcases and running errands.

Travellers staying in the hotel will be able to page their butler from their room at any time of day, or even e-mail them from other locations with their requests. The new hotel is set to open later this year.

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Lowest risk Qatar’s geographical location and ability to cope with catastrophe make it safe from disaster

Qatar named as world’s safest country Qatar has been named as the world’s safest country, according to the findings of the United Nations World Risk Report 2011, beating the 172 other countries on the list.

The Arabian emirate had the lowest WorldRiskIndex, which determines the extent to which countries are vulnerable to disaster according to criteria in categories including susceptibility to disasters, exposure, vulnerability, coping capabilities and adaptive capabilities.

“Extreme natural events do not necessarily cause disasters, because risk not only depends on the hazard, but is very much determined by social and economic factors,” explained PD Dr Jörn Birkmann, the scientific head of the WorldRiskIndex project at the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNUEHS), which created the index on

behalf of Bündnis Entwicklung Hilft (Alliance Development Works).

Qatar was deemed to be relatively safe from natural disasters and fully prepared to cope with any catastrophe that should come its way. Saudi Arabia was third on the list and Bahrain was fifth.

“The WorldRiskReport shows the need to focus in the future more on disaster risk reduction than just on humanitarian aid after an extreme event,” said Peter Mucke, managing director of Alliance Development Works – an alliance of German development and relief agencies pro-

“Extreme natural events do not necessarily cause disasters, because risk not only depends on the hazard, but is very much determined by social and economic factors” Despite political turmoil in the first half of 2011, Egypt was placed eleventh on the list.

At the other end of the scale, the Pacific island state of Vanuatu was named as the country most at risk, due to its vulnerability to natural disaster and lack of coping capabilities.

viding aid in the aftermath of major disasters and in emergencies.

“The comprehensive analyses allow us to better detect threats and to identify the needs more precisely, as well as to place political demands similarly in affected countries and donor countries.”

Middle East & Africa

IN FOCUS

News

“We already have a vision for what the tourism and hospitality industry should look like in the short- and longterm.”

“Our coral islands will remain the pride of the Seychelles.

They will be the most soughtafter tourism destinations...we have ensured that the natural environment and beauty of our idyllic islands have been protected.”

Glenny Savy, CEO of the Seychelles’ Island Development Company highlights the importance of nature to the Seychelles’ tourism economy.

“The decision would have had a very negative effect on the tourism sector.”

An Egyptian Tourism Ministry spokesperson on the government’s decision to revoke plans to introduce visa regulations requiring tourists to obtain a visa before travelling to the country. Early last month, officials said nationals from the US, Europe, Australia, the GCC, Africa, Latin America and Asia would have to apply for a visa before visiting.

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PHOTO: Hideaways Club

Syrian Minister of Tourism H.E. Lamia Assi on partnering with V. Five Continents Hospitality Group, which plans to open two new hotels in Syria in the next two years.

Hideaways Club has launched its first City Collection property in the Middle East, adding an exclusive apartment in Dubai’s The Address Downtown – home to 626 luxury residential units and 196 guest rooms and suites – to its portfolio. The two-bedroom apartment boasts stunning views over the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. The City Collection currently gives members access to 17 two- and three-bedroom luxury apartments in some of the world’s most dazzling cities, including London, New York, Miami and Singapore. www.thehideawaysclub.com/city

West Africa attracts major investment Ghana and Gambia have been tipped as the next West African nations likely to make a major impact on the continent’s tourism scene, in terms of their appeal to potential investors and visitors.

Ghana’s economy fared well during the recession. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) the direct contribution of travel and tourism to GDP is increasing by 4.5 percent per year, and will account for 2.6 percent of the country’s total earnings by 2021.

Further investment in the sector is good news for the Ghanaian people too: tourism currently supports 319,000 jobs, and is expected to account for 3.6 percent of total investment in Ghana by 2021.

Gambia has also been noted as a high-yielding investment opportunity: travel and tourism currently accounts for a huge 12 percent of the nation’s GDP; the World Bank

Untapped potential Ghana’s strong economy is winning global attention

recently allocated US$3million to support the sector; and the Gambian government is planning a $100,000 tourism marketing campaign, making Gambia an attractive destination for hotel companies.

“West Africa illuminates the substantial opportunities for investment funds seeking significant returns, by virtue of the fact that the region encapsulates every aspect of the infrastructural challenges faced by the African continent,” said Paul

Ansah, vice president, international hotel development (Africa) for Marriott International and The RitzCarlton Hotel Company, speaking at the Hotel Investment Conference Africa (HICA), which was organised in Casablanca, Morocco, by Bench Events last month.

“Remarkable economic growth projections, combined with imbalances in the demand/supply/quality dynamic, make West Africa a prime target for hotel investment.”

Asia & Oceania

Tours in Myanmar

Asian travel company Travel Indochina has announced it will be launching new nine-day and 13-day tours to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), beginning in January and operating throughout 2012. The nine-day ‘highlights of Burma’ itinerary will cover Yangon, Bagan, Mandalay and the Inle Lake, while the 13-day “Burma Revealed” tour will also include visits to the Pindaya Caves, Kalaw and a trek through the Pak-oh villages.

PHOTO: Caitlin Cheadle

News

Cambodian spa

Rampha Spa, designated ‘Cambodia’s first truly local day spa’, has officially opened in the heart of the historical city of Siem Reap on Sangkat Svay Dangkum Road. Offering a range of new and old therapies from the east and west, the contemporary spa features eight treatment beds and three private treatment rooms ideal for individuals, couples and groups.

Life in Laos

Amantaka resort in Luang Prabang, Laos is inviting its guests to spend a morning exploring the Living Rice farm in the countryside near Amantaka, surrounded by mountains and rice paddy fields. Here they can submerse themselves in the natural beauty and experience the life of a Lao farmer, participating in activities like planting rice and working the fields with buffalo.

Indochina by bicycle

SpiceRoads Cycle Tours has launched a new multi-country 14-day bicycle tour, taking riders through three UNESCO World Heritage sites from Vietnam to Cambodia. With the first departure scheduled for January 8, 2012, the tour will begin in Hoi An, taking riders through the central highlands and the Pleiku coffee-growing region before crossing the border into Cambodia. The trip ends with a tour through the Angkor Temple complex in Siem Reap.

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Animal instinct A group of 25 sports-minded elephants participated in the tournament

Hua Hin welcomes the return of King’s Cup Elephant Polo 2011 AnAntArA’s King’s Cup Elephant Polo tournament, now in its 10th consecutive year, returned to the seaside resort town of Hua Hin on the south coast of Thailand, its place of conception, last month after a brief three-year stint in Chiang Rai, in the North of Thailand.

This year the tournament, which raises funds to assist in helping street elephants, welcomed former New Zealand All Blacks star Charles Riechelmann as well as Princess Anna Wallerstein & Princess Joanna Wallerstein of Germany.

After a week of highly competitive matches, plus plenty of off-pitch entertainment including Anantara Hua Hin’s elegant Black et Noir

soiree, the Audemars Piguet team beat the King Power team and were declared the winners of the King’s Cup Elephant Polo 2011 in a nail-biting final day of play that was nearly rained out and had to be reverted to a sudden-death shoot-out.

mountains, watching the matches from the VIP marquee while sipping lemongrass, chili and kaffir limeinfused cocktails. In the evenings, guests and polo aficionados congregated in the resort’s Player’s Lounge, to enjoy nightly live entertainment.

“The annual event is attracting a more glamorous crowd each year, and we can see why” The very civilised event saw players, international media and society types mingling on the sidelines of the well-groomed polo pitch, backed by tropical landscapes and green

The annual event is attracting a more glamorous crowd every year and we can see why: an ideal location, great people and a whole lot of fun – and all for a good cause.

News

Asia & Oceania

IN FOCUS

“The launch of Avani serves as a two edged sword in Minor’s expansion rollout. The refreshing new brand carves a dynamically different pathway for our group by offering a unique hotel concept, as well as adding to our successful global growth.”

Dillip Rajakarier, CEO of Minor Hotel Group, talks about the latest brand in their portfolio, Avani, with its first property scheduled to open in Sri Lanka in late 2011.

“The phone rang. Was everything OK? Yes, thank you. It rang again: would I like a drink?

No. And again: was I going out tomorrow, would I like protection – a man with a gun?

No, thank you.

Then a woman rang insisting she come and dance for me.”

Poet Benjamin Zephaniah says his worst hotel stay experience was in Karachi, Pakistan.

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Ship shape Opening this month at Resorts World Sentosa, the Maritime Experiential Museum & Aquarium, (MEMA) is housed in an iconic steel and glass ship hull at the Resorts World Sentosa waterfront. The museum will contain the Jewel of Muscat, a replica of a 9th century Arab dhow that was given as a gift to the government and the people of the Republic of Singapore by the Sultanate of Oman. There will be interactive exhibits, children’s workshops, and exploration tours onboard life-size historical replicas of ships.

Fancy a holiday in Afghanistan?

Prior to the Russian invasion of 1979, Afghanistan was a popular travel destination, offering stunning natural landscapes and rich historic sights. After the Taliban takeover and subsequent American military invasion in 2001, tourism in the country ceased to exist.

But travellers are starting to return to the war-ravaged country, thanks to a number of tour operators organising group trips and bespoke itineraries.

With the withdrawal of military troops from Afghanistan happening over the next two years, steps are being taken to lure travellers back, such as the recent re-opening of the 24,580-foot Mt. Noshaq.

However because Afghanistan lacks a developed infrastructure, visitors will have to be flexible regarding standards of accommodation. In cities like Kabul, there are Western-style hotel brands that cater to international business.

nine-day tour that begins and ends in Kabul, with stops in some of the country’s most spectacular sites.

The itinerary includes Bamiyan, known for the two huge Buddha statues that were destroyed by the Taliban; the picturesque Band-e

“With the withdrawal of military troops over the next two years, steps are being taken to lure travellers back” Canadian tour operator Bestway Tours & Safaris, which got its start by taking tourists along the Silk Road in 1974, ventures to Afghanistan this autumn with a

Amir lakes and the Koh-i-Baba mountain range; Mazar-i-Sharif, with its famous shrines and Muslim and Hellenistic archaeological sites; and the ancient city of Balkh.

News

Americas

TSA’s childfriendly screening

A new project was recently launched by TSA (Transportation Security Administration) at Denver International Airport to ensure the safety and enjoyment of children during the security screening process of flying. Screeners have been instructed to talk to children, give them stickers, and use hand puppets to entertain them as they go through the metal detector. If a second screening is necessary, children will be asked to stand on special mats with cartoons of cats and dinosaurs, and a hand wand dressed to look like a fuzzy caterpillar will be used to screen them.

Necker Island still open for business

Bolivia: no cars

All motorised vehicles including public transportation were taken off the streets for one day last month, as the country held its first “National Day of the Pedestrian”, removing two million cars from nine cities. Bolivia’s government says it wants to raise awareness of the environment, despite coming under fire over plans to build a highway through the Amazon rainforest.

Norwegian Cruise Line revisits Jamaica

Back on Norwegian Cruise Lines’ itinerary as of this month is Ocho Rios, Jamaica, which was discontinued as a port of call in 2007. A spokesperson said the reason for bringing it back was simply a high volume of consumer demand.

Fly by night

If you’re a fan of quirky hotels, you might want to plan a holiday in Manuel Antonia, Costa Rica, where you can stay in a renovated Boeing 727, for the meagre price of US$400 per night. This gets you two bedrooms with private baths, plus panoramic ocean views from the plane and the deck built onto its side. Visit home rental site airbnb.com.

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Come one, come all The white beaches and azure waters of Necker Island are the same as ever following the fire

After a rogue bolt of lightning struck Sir Richard Branson’s Great House mansion on his private Caribbean island resort, Necker, on August 22, all that remained was the charred frame of what was once an idyllic holiday home frequented by the wealthy and well-known.

Virgin Limited Edition recently confirmed that the luxurious island getaway will remain open while the Great House is rebuilt, catering for slightly smaller groups, who can rent out the newly refurbished six Bali houses as well as Sir Richard Branson’s private home Temple House, and his 105-ft luxury catamaran Necker Belle.

But of course, leave it to Sir Richard to make the best of a bad situation. The unfortunate incident was splashed all over the papers, generating plenty of sympathy from the public, which was only fuelled further when Sir Richard’s account of the disaster was backed up by Oscar-winning actress Kate Winslet, who happened to be staying at the resort with her two

children when the disaster struck.

She later wrote her account of that fateful night in an exclusive deal with Hello! magazine, saying, “It’s hard to put into words how terrifying this was. I know it sounds like a movie, but nobody was about to shout, ‘Cut!’”

her up into her arms and got them out of the house as fast as possible,” he later told Hello! magazine.

The redevelopment project will have a few obstacles to overcome, one of which will be rebuilding the Great House in time for Holly Branson’s wedding on November

“Virgin Limited Edition recently confirmed that the luxurious island getaway will remain open while the Great House is rebuilt” Sir Richard’s daughter Holly, 29, who was set to marry her longtime boyfriend Freddie Andrews on the property next month in a lavish ceremony, and his 25-year-old son Sam were both staying at the resort when the incident occurred, and both scrambled to get guests out of the burning building and to safety.

But according to Sir Richard, Ms. Winslet was quite the heroine herself: “It was Kate who carried my mother out of the house. She swept

20, which is allegedly going ahead as planned thanks to a speedy operation. Another priority will be keeping guests happy as the renovations take place.

Virgin Limited Edition has insisted that the resort will be back to its former glory in no time, and that the Great House will be better than ever, promising the new design will retain its signature Balinese style, but with “a couple of new and innovative twists”.

Savour the moments of a lifetime

A tropical haven blessed with abundant flora and fauna, perfect for a tranquil getaway.

Welcome to a soul-fulfilling retreat.

Call +248 383 500 n email: seychelles@banyantree.com n PO BOX 208, Anse Aux Pins, Mahe Island, Republic of Seychelles

News

Americas

Land of the free, home of the strange

Jim Petrus COO, Trump International Hotels dUring a recent trip to New York, Destinations of the World News had the pleasure of a sit-down with Jim Petrus, who heads Donald Trump’s rapidly expanding Trump International Hotels, for a chat about the luxury industry’s evolution during the recession and what’s next for Trump Hotels.

Have luxury hotels taken less of a hit during the recession?

5 minutes with...

WeirdeSt food festival award has to go to the West Virginia Roadkill Cookoff, which took place last month in the town of Marlington.

“With all the twisty, turny roads up here in the mountains, there’s a lot of roadkill,” Gail Hyer, marketing specialist for the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau told MSNBC News.

Not to worry, the dishes that are cooked up for visitors don’t actually need to be made from roadkill, they just feature ingredients that could be found by the side of the road, such as raccoons, possum and deer.

Last year’s event attracted over 18,000 visitors, who each paid a fee of US$2 to enter, which allowed them to taste the various creature cuisines on offer and to vote for the People’s Choice Awards for the best dish.

There were also arts and crafts, live entertainment, a 5km possum run, and a roadkill rodeo.

It seems Americans sure do love their wacky festivals. Consider visiting the States during the summer to experience the most outrageous, including the Summer Redneck Games in East Dublin, Georgia, in which you can partake in such delightful pastimes as the Mud-pit Belly Flop, the Hubcap Hurl, Bobbing for Pig’s Feet, watermelon seed spitting contests, and the Armpit Serenade. And the trophy? Made out of crushed Bud beer cans, naturally.

Last but not least, the World Cow Chip Throwing Championships in the county of Beaver, Oklahoma deserves a mention. Simply put, a cow chip is a piece of dried cow dung, and competitors take turns to determine who can throw it the furthest. The week leading up to the event includes chili cook-offs, arts and crafts, and stock car racing.

I think the recession has recast the way that things are priced, not necessarily changed the buying habits, or changed the level of expectation. The truth is that it’s a supply and demand type industry, and when there’s a dip in the economy, the industry always readjusts its pricing to make sure they don’t lose the market share.

Why did you choose Panama as your first international location for a hotel?

Panama is a vibrant, metropolitan area – you would think you’re in Miami or even Manhattan – there is that kind of density there.

The Panama Canal is being expanded; it will take until 2014 for the expansion to come to fruition. They’re putting US$5.5 billion into the expansion, which causes a ripple in the economy, and it’s a free trade zone. There are a lot of great things happening in Panama, and there’s a lot of hotel development there.

is there a gap in its luxury hotel market?

There are a couple of boutique hotels in Panama City, but no real major brand names, so we’re the first ones really to jump into that market from the luxury sector.

Why was it important for you to open a hotel in toronto?

It’s a financial centre – the number-three financial centre in North America. There’s a very strong employee base, about 4.1 million people that work in the Toronto market, and about 1.8 million that have college-plus degrees. It’s a very educated population. The financial situation in Canada in general is very stable. And there’s really been a void in new luxury products there. It’s a really neat city. It’s a sleeper city; a lot of people haven’t discovered Toronto.

With so many rooms available in new York, how do you differentiate from the other luxury brands?

Ultimately you want to see everyone do well in the marketplace, even your competition.

We have a department that is focused on profiling people, understanding preferences – likes and dislikes. We do this before they check in. We have a questionnaire, but a lot of it is intuitiveness, such as when a guest asks for a certain kind of newspaper, that goes into the profile.

What does the future hold for your longawaited property in dubai?

I was there prior to the exodus, and I think it’s a great destination – our project there has been suspended. I think when the economic climate changes, we’re going to be back into the Dubai development mode.

-To read the full interview with Jim Petrus, log onto www.dotwnews.com.

the month in numbers

8.4%

The reduction in C02 emissions by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts since 2006, nearly the half-way point of its plan to reduce C02 emissions by 20% by 2013.

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60

The number of properties Hilton Hotels & Resorts plans to have completed in Latin America by 2013. Currently there are 45 Hilton properties in the region.

US$875,000

The starting price to own a luxury condominium or private residence at the Trump International Hotel & Tower Toronto, which opens next month.

Taj Exotica Resort and Spa, Maldives South Male Atoll

Angsana Velavaru, South Nilandhe Atoll (Dhaalu Atoll), Maldives

Jumeirah Vittaveli, Maldives

Angsana Ihuru North Malé Atoll Maldives

Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru Island, North Malé Atoll

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

QUIRKY ACCOMMODATION Hot on the heels of last month’s divorce hotel, we bring you the sequel: Berlin-based company Die Liebeskuemmerer. Establishing itself as Germany’s premier one-stop shop for the newly single, in addition to some jolly nice hotel accommodation, the company promises psychologists, psychotherapists, styling coaches, nutritionists and even fitness coaches.

Between six and eight people are catered to at one time to “build a community for sharing and strengthening”. The holidays can last from four to seven days and take place in “uplifting properties” in the mountains, by the sea or in wellness retreats. Prices start from EUR1,450 (US$2,0546) for four nights and are open to everyone, whatever age or background.

PHOTO: Hotel Gut Klostermuehle

Heartbreak hotel

Clear thinking

Premium Bond

Unbelievably, it’s been almost 50 years since Ursula Andress shimmied out of the azure sea and asked James Bond (a very young Sean Connery) in Dr No, “Are you looking for shells too?” To which the world’s most famous spy replied, “No, just looking.”

Yes, a golden anniversary is the perfect time to revisit the Bond franchise, and that can only mean one place – the famous GoldenEye resort in Jamaica. Why? Well, not only was this the house that Ian Fleming had built in the 1940s, it’s also where he lived while bashing out 2,000 words a day to write the 13 James Bond novels.

These days it’s owned by Chris Blackwell, the man who worked as a location scout on Dr No (which was also filmed in Jamaica) and who started Island Records, the music label responsible for bringing legendary artists Bob Marley and U2 to the masses.

Rooms in the Ian Fleming villa are just US$2,500 a night. Go on then Mr Bond, you know you want to.

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PHOTO: www.bubbletree.fr/ Pierre Stéphane

We were a bit slow off the mark hearing about this concept, but goodness gracious when we saw the Bubble Hotel we wanted to stay. The transparent brainchild of über designer Pierre Stephane Dumas, the hotel features super modernist foamy furniture contained in giant bubbles. “The aim is to get people as close to nature as possible without having to compromise on luxury,” says the Frenchman. “Enjoying a wonderful night under the stars or seeing the sun rise is not something that people really experience any more, so I designed this shelter to be completely clear but with the comfort of a luxury suite.” Prices for a night start at US$800. Alternatively you can buy your own bubble for just US$10,000.

Spaced out

Tired of the usual five-star accommodation? Need a little space when you go on holiday?

Then why not try a couple of nights in the commercial space station, a hotel concept launched by the Russian government in August this year. Scheduled to open by 2016, the hotel will orbit the Earth just 217 miles up and will have accommodation for seven guests in four cabins. In addition to transfers and [space] flights, a fiveday stay is expected to cost in the region of US$150,000. Guests can choose from vertical or horizontal beds, and showers are sealed to stop water droplets getting into the circuitry. “[The hotel] will be comfortable inside,” a spokesman has been awkwardly quoted, before unnecessarily adding: “The hotel is aimed at wealthy individuals.”

WWW.PAULSMI TH.CO.UK

Trends

GLObAL trendS

amerIca

Destinations of the World News is not ashamed to admit that it has occasionally hopped on a hop-onhop-off bus to get a quick overview of a new city. So we are intrigued to hear about the latest New York experience – The Ride. We’ve not tried it yet, but it promises performers, actors, super-sized vehicles, massive windows, multi-media video and audio, external speakers and exterior lighting “to help everyone on the street become part of the performance”. Even better, the seating is stadium-style, with passengers all facing the coach windows. Nice!

PHOTO: Copyright NYC & Company

Big Apple’s core attraction

North Pole

Frozen assets

hoNduras

Depth charge

s Pa I N

Making waves

For Destinations of the World News, Spain inevitably means paella, paladores and rioja but, incredibly, for some people, it actually means activity. More astonishingly, in a London double-decker bus. We were amused to see the launch of the Surf Road Experience, which takes surfers to Spain’s top surf spots along the northwest coast from Vigo aboard one of London’s finest. The company offers surf instruction, good waves and good times. If we surfed, we’d definitely be on board (geddit?)

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PHOTO: surfroadexperience.com

Fancy looking at sharks from the porthole of a submarine? Of course you do. Incredible-adventures.com is offering US$5,600 five-day trips to view six-metre-long six-gill sharks which live at depths of up to a kilometre off the coast of the Honduran island of Roatán. The submarine can dive to a depth of 915 metres and has, reassuringly, three days of emergency support. There are a couple of things to consider, however, especially if you are claustrophobic: the dive is at night, and you have to spend up to eight hours in the sub.

We’ve always had a thing about Quark Expeditions. Maybe it’s their trips to Antarctica or the Arctic islands that whets our travel whistle.

Anyway, we’re in love with their 2012 special offer to the North Pole aboard the world’s largest nuclear-powered icebreaker, 50 Years of Victory. There are two 15-day departures (June 25 and July 6) priced at between US$22,790 and US$33,490.

The Victory will crush ice up to three metres thick to get you to the hallowed Pole and you can take helicopter trips to enjoy its progress from the air.

Trends

Wardrobe master A bespoke US company offers the perfect solution for when space becomes the final frontier in your wardrobe

IN

W

hen you’re a billionaire global nomad zipping between New York, London and Dubai, often spending weeks in each, the last thing you want to worry about is whether your couture is going to get crumpled or your Savile Row duds ripped. It’s not always easy transferring a season’s worth of collections from continent to continent, even if you do have decent-sized storage on your private jet.

Fret not dear fashionista. At least in New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas or Tokyo, help is at hand, and it comes in the form of an ingenious idea that offers completely unlimited wardrobe space. That’s right, completely unlimited.

Thanks to US company Garde Robe Online you could basically duplicate the wardrobe you keep in London (or Dubai for that matter) and then give it to this innovative firm to do the rest. Alternatively, buy a complete new wardrobe designed just for New York.

The way the concept works is simplicity itself: rather than letting your clothes clutter your wardrobes at home or panicking over designer-wear crumple zones in arrival lounges, let Garde Robe empty your apartment/ mansion/villa of all those limited edition dresses and bespoke shoes, photograph them for their digital database and catalogue each item.

The company then whisks them away to be stored in ‘cotton garment bags’, ‘acid-free tissue’ or ‘breathable archive boxes’ in a very fashionable loft space that is completely climate-controlled, extensively insured and packed to the rafters with high-tech security.

Then before you arrive at your destination, you search across your newly formed online database of clothes, shoes and accessories, ask for them to be delivered to your hotel at a certain time and voila! When you arrive in your suite, your clothes are waiting for you in all their freshly-pressed glory.

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Pain sans pain Next time you’re in Paris and in desperate need of a baguette, check out the city’s new range of vending machines dispensing your favourite daily bread.

Dress to impress

Adam Gilvar, president of the company, says that many of his clients store their off-season wardrobes with Garde Robe because space is at such a premium in New York. He knows what he’s talking about. It was a similar domestic storage dilemma that prompted him to set up his business.

“I used to store my off-season clothing at the dry cleaners, but I often lost track of what was stored and what was in the closet at home,” he says. “I also wasn’t comfortable with my wife’s delicate outfits and expensive evening wear being stored in less than desirable conditions in a warehouse somewhere. Garde Robe was born out of sheer necessity.”

Of course the service is not simply limited to jetsetting fashionistas and the Hollywood A-list. Harassed trans-Atlantic executives who don’t need the hassle of airports, lost luggage and extra baggage to handle are also heavy users of the Garde Robe service.

The company has also diversified into cleaning and repair as well as professional ‘customised’ advice on wardrobe organisation and efficiency in addition to luggage-packing services. In both cases professional clothes experts will visit your home and show you how to get the most out of your wardrobe/travel trunk.

Should you need them, there are herds of professional Garde Robe image consultants, personal shoppers and stylists constantly on hand, who can’t wait to get their finely manicured fingers on your new look should you ever arrive in town in a dishevelled hurry.

Prices for Garde Robe’s services start from just US$350 a month, featuring one ‘rack’ of 50 garments, a large ‘canvas breathable box’ for accessories and 10 shoe boxes, but there is actually no limit to the amount of clothes, bags and shoes you can store with the company.

“Garde Robe is much more than simply a storage facility,” says Gilvar. “Essentially, it is similar to having a personal wardrobe valet, only more affordable and technologically advanced. Imagine travelling without packing or unpacking, lugging heavy suitcases or waiting in over-crowded baggage areas.”

Yes imagine. You may never have to use a room service laundry again. What a relief. n

So how does Lufthansa celebrate Oktoberfest? By outfitting attendants in traditional German dress on flights to Munich. Let’s hope there’s not too much lederhosen.

Gaza’s first five-star Gaza’s first (and only) five-star hotel has just opened. No tourists allowed and it’s next door to a Hamas training camp, but al-Mashtal is taking guests.

Cold comfort Good old Virgin, they’re giving away lollies – ‘Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers’ – on economy flights from Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow to the US, Caribbean and Tokyo.

OUT Fee to view American Airlines are charging fees for premium seats (window or aisle) that are closer to the front of economy class. Not the front, just ‘closer’ to it.

BA fragrance If it’s true, we can’t believe it. According to Jaunt magazine, BA is launching a ‘signature brand scent’. Smell of seatbelt and armrest?

Full of hot air?

Bloon is the latest operator on the intergalactic block offering a sub-orbital device that will take people into space by 2013. No rockets or planes, just a big balloon.

Trump that Donald Trump’s new jet is a refitted Boeing 757 with seats/beds for 43 passengers and, of course, gold-plated seatbelts, plus sinks and pillows featuring the Trump family crest.

People

IntervIew Mark fuller

It’s only rock ‘n’ roll… (but I like it) His little black book is full of A-list names, his former business partners include bad-boy chef Marco Pierre White and if he’s not in one of his clubs, you can probably find him backstage with Iron Maiden. Yes, Mark Fuller has a reputation to maintain.

This month he’s bringing London’s exclusive Embassy Club to Dubai’s Grosvenor House Hotel, and we can’t wait Interview: Caitlin Cheadle 42

October 2011

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W

ithin the first five minutes of meeting Mark Fuller, it’s apparent the renowned hospitality boss could give a master class at the School of Charm. As we sit down to chat about the soon-to-open Embassy Club Dubai in Grosvenor House Hotel’s brand-new Tower Two, he immediately begins asking me questions about myself. That charm is probably why Mark is where he is today, sitting pretty at the top of a successful hospitality empire that includes London’s Embassy Club and the Sanctum Soho Hotel. Quite simply, he knows how to make people feel good, and he insists he wouldn’t be where he is today without the combination of chance encounters and good social etiquette.

You’ve had several interesting careers. What have you learned from them and how did they lead to what you are doing today?

They’re not as dissimilar as you’d think. I started off in the photographic industry; one of the first things I ever did was develop the engagement pictures of Prince Charles and Diana for Lord Snowdon, and from there I jumped into music management. Lord Snowdon’s assistant suggested I meet someone from a band. That band

member suggested I meet someone from a club that was struggling. The club person suggested I meet a banker who would lend me the money to buy the club, then I bought the restaurant in the club, and I was in a partnership with Marco Pierre White for some time. I met him through the lead singer of another band. Looking after bands gives you insight into nightclubs, and I got to travel all over the world. And then you evolve, you grow up – food becomes an important part of going out, rather than just partying.

But all the careers I’ve been involved in have been based on a social aspect, and kind of just evolved naturally. It was really about making contacts.

Embassy Club in London is very ‘rock ‘n’ roll’. Will Embassy Club Dubai be similar?

Without a doubt. Rock ‘n’ roll is a way of life.

It doesn’t mean you’ve got to be thrashing out to heavy metal. I call it a lifestyle, not a music style. This year alone I’ve worked with artists like Rod Stewart, the Black Eyed Peas, obviously Iron Maiden because my partners manage them, The Chemical Brothers, Pulp, Bon Jovi, The Killers. They’re not all rock ‘n’ roll musicians, but there is a lifestyle they lead that is very rock ‘n’ roll.

What do you mean by ‘worked with’?

We do lots of backstage activity. My partner manages Iron Maiden, so I get to look after the boys every now and again. In other words, feed them, drink them, and put them to bed.

Have you always had that drive to succeed?

Definitely. My parents divorced when I was 15 and my father is really big on education. He was the principal of several colleges in the UK. I was doing very well in school and then he tried to make me go to his college, but I went to another one at 15 and discovered long hair and beer and girls. It was fantastic and I didn’t notice that I wasn’t actually doing any work. I failed every single exam. I could probably have made a lot more money had I done better, but the reality is that I wouldn’t have had half as much fun, and you’re a long time dead.

There isn’t really the same sort of celebrity culture in Dubai as there is in London. How will that affect Embassy Club Dubai?

I don’t necessarily think London’s got the celebrity thing right. The terrible thing that the UK unleashed on the world was Big Brother and I’m a Celebrity: Get Me Out of Here. Everyone appears to be famous for five minutes, and it’s not important. It’s only them who think it’s important. I think the UK just went crazy. The reality star culture that’s been created is that these guys now turn up and they want everything for free – they live in a goldfish bowl.

Do celebrities get things for free when they ask?

Yeah, but I decline. I’ve never in my entire life paid for a celebrity to come through my door.

I don’t mind giving people who are a friend of mine a drink, one to one, because that’s what people do. I’ve never given a hotel room away.

I would say that the opening of Embassy Club Dubai will probably be my last big opening party because this is a big celebration of a great opening in a great hotel, and ultimately a launch party still means something in Dubai. In London it means a bunch of people coming out who you’re never going to see again – and it’s a waste of money and a waste of time and a waste of everyone’s ego. [Mark’s phone rings and he excuses himself for a moment. It’s Alexandra Burke’s manager, enquiring about her coming to Dubai for a holiday and a visit to Embassy.]

What do you do when a VIP guest acts unruly?

I try to not let those people through the door.

I’ve been in this business a very long time and you can generally spot unruly people from a

mile away. We are a bit specific about the kind of clientele we go for. In general, I’m pretty well-known in the West End, and, although it sounds a bit vacuous, it’s somewhat of a privilege to be able to come in to my clubs, so people tend not to abuse that. But sometimes you do get bad behaviour.

Any celebrities on your black list?

There’s a couple. It’s about respect as well, not to me but to the other customers, and there are a couple of people I wouldn’t invite back.

The majority are reality stars who are just so, so full of themselves. I shall not name the person, but a certain Big Brother star decided that they were very keen to be photographed outside my premises in London, and when the paparazzi weren’t that interested, she revealed part of her body. When she tried to come back in I barred her immediately.

ous once I did the TV. I did a series in 2000 for BBC2 called Recipe for Success. It was about Sugar Reef [Mark’s first supper club venture, with former business partner Marco Pierre White], and the biggest clients for Sugar Reef at the time were the Beckhams, the Spice Girls, Robbie Williams, George Michael. And they were all very nice, but I’m not that impressed with celebrity. So we did this TV show for the six months leading up to the opening of Embassy Club. All of a sudden there was an extra squeeze and an extra kiss, and a ‘Maaaaark’ when they came in, and it hasn’t stopped since. But I want people to come because they like the place.

Is it difficult to get off the celebrity treadmill ?

If you fall off, you’re done. I don’t want to be a reality star. I turned down two reality shows, and I turned down a documentary this summer.

“It’s very poor for a hotel to maximise publicity, because sometimes people aren’t there with their wife or husband. Privacy is everything” Embassy London is a VIP/members-only club – will it be the same in Dubai?

Here’s the interesting thing: London is changing. The world is changing. London is rethinking itself. There are a lot of clubs in Dubai that focus on the partying and less on the food, and Embassy has more of a focus on food. It’s not accessible to a bunch of kids, it’s going to have a focus on great food and ambience. And I’m really pleased about that, because that’s what I see as the future of London – a focus on social etiquette. It’s a club where like-minded people will come to eat and drink. And having a members’ only club means people are not going to come by all the time just to pop in. It’s glamorous, but it’s still accessible.

What encompasses VIP service to you?

I think everybody should be treated as a VIP. Those who want to be treated as different people shouldn’t bother coming out. They should stay at home with their maids and butlers. We want to treat everyone like a rock star. It’s very poor for a hotel to maximise publicity, because sometimes people aren’t there with their wife or husband. Privacy is everything.

When did it change from you showing these celebrities to their tables to being invited to join?

It happened quite quickly. It was instantane-

Any memorable moments from your career?

Most recently Jessica Lowndes from 90210 – her and I hurtling down a motorway at a hundred miles an hour in Portugal because we’d missed a plane. Opening the Sanctum Hotel was extraordinary. Opening the Embassy in London, standing there without any promises at all, and seeing the likes of Madonna and the Beckhams walk through was incredible. One of my other greatest moments was Live Aid. I remember standing there at 3:00 in the morning, necking bottles of wine with Bob Geldof.

So what can we expect for Embassy Club Dubai?

It really will be one of the must-do things here.

If you go to Dubai you’ve got to have dinner at Embassy and watch the sun set over the Palm.

The worst part of any night out is getting in a cab, which is where the hotel comes in – The Sanctum in Soho and the Grosvenor House in Dubai – you can come for the weekend and you never have to leave.

Does this mean you’ll be visiting Dubai often?

You’ll never not see me at one of my venues, which means you’re going to be seeing a lot more of me in Dubai. n Read the full interview with Mark Fuller at wwwdotwnews.com dotwnews.com

October 2011

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Escape

Barbados

On

BARBADOS time

The islands of the Caribbean don’t come much more visitor-friendly than Barbados, where tropical beaches and world-class golf courses plus some of the world’s best diving create the perfect island escape WORDS: Kathy M. Newbern and J.S. Fletcher

dotwnews.com

October 2011

45

Escape

Barbados

“Barbados, the easternmost of the Caribbean islands, enjoys a dual personality of Caribbean friendliness and British propriety in a setting that’s pure tropics”

N

o matter where we stop on our first island tour of Barbados, we find groups huddled over radios – from patrons and sellers in a colourfully run-down rum shop to a group of taxi drivers under the far-reaching shade of a giant banyan tree. All are tuned to a contentious cricket match in its second day of play.

Barbados, the easternmost of the Caribbean islands, enjoys a dual personality of Caribbean friendliness and British propriety in a setting that’s pure tropics, with near-perfect temperatures year-round.

Afternoon tea is still served in the finer hotels like Sandy Lane, you can pick up a Piaget watch in The Royal Shop, and you drive your rental car on the left side of the road. The capital, Bridgetown, has a Trafalgar Square with a statue of Lord Nelson that pre-dates its London counterpart. School children wear uniforms; magistrates sport white wigs. The island is nicknamed “Little England.”

Beaches come in wild and mild varieties. Head to the western side of the island for the warm, calm Caribbean Sea and palm-lined, sandy beaches that are postcard-perfect. One of them, Crane Beach, was rated one of the best

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10 beaches in the world by 80s show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.

For dramatic coastline views reminiscent of Scotland, check out the eastern side, where cold Atlantic waters pound the shore. It’s here that our Adventureland Safari Tour — in a canary-yellow 4x4 — stops on a hill overlooking Bathsheba, a hot spot for local and international surfers. This is a great vantage point to photograph the huge boulders that dot the shore, some of which appear to be precariously perched in the surf’s edge, waiting for a wave to topple them.

We hear the story of how one man, devastated by unrequited love, rode his horse off the edge of the island’s highest cliff and crashed into the sea below, killing himself and his horse.

Before we can pile back into the Land Rover, a local thrusts a cute baby green monkey in our arms for photos and tips.

This species that originated in West Africa has populated Barbados for 75 generations, so this little one no doubt has relatives all over the island. Earlier, we spotted a family of them in the trees around our resort.

We head through the heart of the island, past sugar cane plantations along rutted roads lined with lush greenery

Sandy Lane Barbados’ most exclusive resort, Sandy Lane offers Caribbean hospitality at its finest

West Indies Colourful buildings outside the capital, Bridgetown

and into tiny scattered villages dotted with simple, chattel houses. These moveable pastel-coloured homes were taken apart and rolled on rounded stones from one location to the next.

In one village, our tour guide notes, “When you spot a church, just look around, and within a block, you’ll see a ‘rhum’ shop.” Our stop at one of the latter results in sampling a potent brew, drawing laughs from the locals at our throat-burning reaction.

“Modern-day visitors to Barbados have Portuguese sailor Pedro a Campo to thank. He discovered the island in 1536, naming it Los Barbados, “the bearded ones,” for the banyan trees that grew in shaggy formations on the island’s shores.”

Escape

Barbados

PHOTO: Barbados Tourism Authority

Rum o’clock The Mount Gay Rum factory has been producing high-quality rum since 1703

Crane Beach Voted among the 10 best beaches in the world by US show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous

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Evidence (and samples) of one of Barbados’ most famous exports can be found at the Mount Gay Rum Factory, a brand that’s been around for 300 years and is still made in Barbados. The label still features an outline of the pearshaped island that’s 21 miles long by 14 miles wide. The thick, sweet smell of sugar cane hangs in the air in and around the factory.

A cold Banks Beer is a good way to wash down the authentic Bajan cuisine at Oistins Fish Market in between dances on a Friday or Saturday night.

Go for the flying fish — a favourite with the Bajans (Barbadians) — or try jug-jug (guinea corn and green peas) or cou cou (a popular corn meal and okra dish).

At Folkestone Marine Park, we snorkel in the Recreational Zone, leisurely following an underwater trail with markers picturing fish likely to be spotted. A sunken, 365-foot freighter helps stabilise an artificial reef, drawing marine life and human visitors from all over.

We continue this beach day at a spot we discovered on our first visit to Barbados (on a cruise ship many years earlier). Snorkelling at shore’s edge, we collect pieces of beach glass – remains of broken bottles in hues of brown, green, white and blue, worn smooth by waves and sand. Our mesh dive bag full and heavy, we walk over to Colony Beach Club for a late seaside lunch.

Barbados has a healthy population of hawksbill and leatherback turtles, now protected after previous over-fishing.

During our stay at Cobbler’s Cove, a Relais and Chateaux property, we share a special moment with the local fauna when we walk into the water from the resort’s beach and happen upon a group of turtles, which we swim with before a boat full of tourists arrives.

CARIBBEAN GREENS Nearly anything you can think to do on, or under, the water, Barbados has. Water skiing, parasailing, wind- and kitesurfing, kayaking, glass-bottom boat rides, catamaran cruising, deep sea fishing – even a submarine tour.

But for some, it’s what Barbados offers on land that’s the draw. “We certainly have a lot of golfers coming through,” says GM Robert Logan at exclusive, fivestar Sandy Lane, home to three courses: the Old Nine, Country Club and the world-renowned Green Monkey.

Green Monkey play is limited not only to Sandy Lane guests but to the number of players – a mere 16 are permitted per day. “We only allow four tee times a day from 8:30-9:30. We maintain the course the rest of the day, just grooming it so it stays in pristine condition.” Green Monkey winds through rock quarry walls (stone from here was used in original construction) and overlooks the ocean.

“It’s a challenging course with very long tees to play off. They like to play the Green Monkey because they feel they have the course to themselves”

Escape

Barbados

PHOTO: Barbados Tourism Authority

Caribbean greens Guests at Sandy Lane have access to three world-class golf courses

Aqua adventure The calm waters around Barbados are a water-sports enthusiast’s dream

PHOTO: Barbados Tourism Authority

All that jazz Caribbean colour at the Barbados Food & Wine & Rum Festival

“It’s a challenging course with very long tees to play off,” says Logan. “They like to play the Green Monkey because they feel they have the course to themselves. We’ve got great caddies — they’re more like instructors. They just make the experience incredible.”

When Logan says you have to stay at the resort to play this course, he’s not kidding. One top-rated pro who called upon arriving on the island to schedule a tee time was denied.

Other opportunities on Barbados to tee up include Barbados Golf Club, the island’s first championship public course; Royal Westmoreland Golf & Country Club, designed by Robert Trent Jones II; Rockley Golf Club at all-inclusive Club Rockley Resort; Almond Beach Club Resort, a par-three, nine-hole; and the new Apes Hill Club.

The island has also earned a reputation as a culinary destination. A good time to test that is at the annual Barbados Food & Wine & Rum Festival — this year from November 18-21. But the island’s biggest festival, Crop Over, dates to the 1780s and celebrates the successful end of the sugar cane season.

the golden book Barbados Tourism Authority

The House

Crystal Cove Hotel

visitbarbados.org

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Sandy Lane

Colony Club Hotel

Turtle Beach Resort

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Cobblers Cove

Tamarind

Coral Reef Club

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Modern-day visitors to Barbados have Portuguese sailor Pedro a Campo to thank.

He discovered the island in 1536, naming it Los Barbados, “the bearded ones,” for the banyan trees that grew in shaggy formations on the island’s shores. Because of a papal decree in 1493, he assumed it lay within the realm granted to Spain and didn’t claim it for Portugal. In the early 1600s, English explorers settled it and English rule lasted 350 or so years.

Today’s Barbados is an independent country within the British Commonwealth. Visitors from the UK comprise about 55 percent of arrivals, while another 20 percent come from the United States, with the remaining contingency coming from central Europe, Canada and the rest of the world.

According to Robert Logan at Sandy Lane, “There’s no bad time to visit Barbados, only seasonal changes.

When Europe is cold and gray it is the perfect time for them to come down here – December, January, February and March. What’s nice about Barbados is enjoying a little bit of culture and history. There’s tremendous diversity on a small island.” n

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Hamburg

PHOTO: Roberto Hegeler

City

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Millionaire City Germany’s financial and media hub is already a magnet for the rich and powerful, but a far-sighted regeneration project and bags full of local talent make it a hotbed of creativity for residents and visitors alike WORDS: James Brennan

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Hamburg

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PHOTO: Herzog & de Meuron

I

Elbphilharmonie The flagship building of the HafenCity regeneration project is built on the foundations of the former Kaispeicher warehouse

PHOTO: Herzog & de Meuron

f, as the saying goes, money comes to money, then it’s little wonder Hamburg’s luxury tourism sector is growing apace.

Famously, the city is home to around 1,500 millionaires, which is more than any other German city can boast. Yet an increasing number of affluent visitors are attracted to Hamburg each year – many with a taste of the high life at the top of their itinerary.

The Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, its full title, has long been associated with wealth and commercial success. As a port city on the River Elbe, it has thrived ever since the Middle Ages, when it became a part of the Hanseatic League, a northern European and Baltic trading alliance. Today it is the second busiest port in Europe, and the St Pauli and Altona districts still retain an edgy docklands feel – the infamous Reeperbhan red light district throbs with neon grubbiness – its bars and clubs offering cheap thrills for homesick sailors and curious tourists alike.

But Hamburg is also a powerful media hub and key financial centre. Google has its German headquarters here, as do many publishing houses and television production companies. The newspapers Der Spiegel and Die Zeit are produced in the city. Hamburg has a youthful, energetic and spirited atmosphere that attracts young professionals, hungry entrepreneurs and monied moguls, all looking for a slice of the action.

For all of Hamburg’s cutting-edge urban vibrancy, much of the city’s highend tourist offerings are geared towards softer, more opulent surroundings. The Blohm + Voss shipyards and old harbour may still echo with ancient tales of sailors’ brawls and hardships of life at sea, but these days you’re far more likely to hear the horn of a luxury cruise liner than a sea shanty. A new cruise terminal in Altona has opened the harbour up to some of the world’s biggest and best liners. One of them, Celebrity Silhouette, was recently launched in the city. At 122,000 tonnes and 315 metres long, the US$822m cruise ship is the largest ever to be officially named in Germany.

Yet there are larger, more impressive edifices taking shape at the edge of the Elbe. The Elbphilharmonie Hamburg is the flagship building of the ongoing HafenCity regeneration project, which is radically transforming the harbour area.

When finished, its primary function will be as a concert hall and opera house, but it will also contain a hotel, apartments, bars and restaurants.

Architect Pierre de Meuron has described it as: “...a vertical city within a city, in which different urban functions come together.” Using the former Kaispeicher warehouse as a foundation, the completed structure will be a towering landmark of red brickwork and shimmering glass panels, which has been described as a ‘cultural lighthouse‘ for the city.

Elbphilharmonie The Grand Hall of the Elbphilharmonie will seat 2,150 guests when complete

It’s set for completion in 2012, while the rest of the HafenCity development won’t be finished until 2025. At 157 hectares, the sprawling site is the largest inner-city development in Europe, and will become an exciting urban community with office and residential space, shops, bars, restaurants and leisure facilities. Yet according to the project’s bosses, it hasn’t been designed with tourists in mind.

“HafenCity will offer no tourism attractions in the true sense of the word – no artificial tourist world separated from the urban social community,” says Susanne Bühler, head of communications for the project. “It is not the main idea of HafenCity to create a specific hub for tourists. But nevertheless, it is an important magnet for tourism in Hamburg and attracts people from all over the world. Visitors merge into the exciting everyday life of HafenCity – mixing with residents and office workers – and get to feel its maritime and urban atmosphere right up close.”

The project is only half-finished, yet around 1,700 people already live in HafenCity and visitor numbers are rising all the time. It isn’t so much a build-

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Hamburg

PHOTO: Christian Spahrbier

City

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Warehouse city The Speicherstadt is being fully restored as part of the ongoing HafenCity project

“Using the former Kaispeicher warehouse as a foundation, the completed structure will be a towering landmark of red brickwork and shimmering glass panels, which has been described as a ‘cultural lighthouse’ for the city”

Old meets new New buildings now dot the old Docklands area

PHOTO: Ottmar Heinze

it-and-they-will-come philosophy that underpins the development, but rather an appreciation that people will come while it’s being built. “There is this kind of ‘construction site’ tourism, which can be seen as a temporary phenomenon,” says Bühler. “Many people see it as a unique opportunity to experience for themselves how a completely new part of town takes shape.”

Touring building sites is all well and good, but for most people it’s unlikely to trump touring retail units – an area in which Hamburg is exceptionally blessed. For over a hundred years, Mönckebergstrasse has been the city’s main shopping thoroughfare, its many side-roads offering all manner of galleries, antique shops and specialist boutiques. Neuer Wall is where the big international designer brands hang out, not to mention home-grown institutions such as the house of Unger and Sönnichsen the jewellers. But in the city where Karl Lagerfeld was born, there’s plenty of local young talent in the Schanzenviertel, Karolinenviertel, St Georg and Ottensen districts, all hotbeds of individual creativity.

People come to Hamburg to spend, and spend big, but it’s not all about money. “Hamburg does not deliberately position itself as a luxury destination,” says Johanna Brons of Hamburg Tourismus. “Tourists are not attracted by the fact that Hamburg is a so-called

‘city of millionaires’ – nevertheless, they are attracted by what Hamburg offers in all aspects of luxury.” Either way, tourist numbers are up from around 4.1 million overnight stays in 2001, to 8.95 million in 2010, an increase of 88 percent.

Perhaps part of Hamburg’s appeal lies in its seemingly effortless balance of luxury and history. Many of the city’s historical buildings have been incorporated into the tourist landscape.

On Mönckebergstrasse, Park Hyatt

Hamburg occupies the historic Levantehaus building. Built in 1912, it was the headquarters of the German Levante Line shipping company, and remains a striking example of Hanseatic architecture, which now also incorporates a shopping arcade, nightclubs and cafes.

Towering over the city in the fashionable Sternschanze district is another of the city’s historical landmarks, which has found a new lease of life thanks to tourism. The imposing water tower was

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Hamburg

PHoto: Kai-uwe Gundlach

City

built in 1910 by the architect Wilhelm Schwarz, and is one of 46 water towers built between 1890 and 1930. The tower was decommissioned in 1961, but by 2007 it was renovated and reopened as the Mövenpick hotel, a first-class property with 226 rooms and 17 floors, which overlooks Sternschanzen Park less than a mile northwest of the centre.

“The conversion of the old water tower into the Mövenpick Hotel preserved an industrial landmark in Hamburg,” says Susanna Struck, a senior manager at the Mövenpick. She describes Sternschanze as a ‘trendy’ and ‘multicoloured’ district, which is beginning to attract greater numbers of tourists. “And of course it is a selling point to stay in a historical landmark for all kinds of guests. The composition of historical structure and modern design makes this building so unique.”

The Mövenpick’s well-appointed rooms offer sweeping views of the city, as well as all the trappings of comfort you’d expect from a modern hotel. Yet the communal spaces retain the feel of the old brick building, right down to the roughly rendered walls and the ambient trickle of water. The industrial and historical theme continues over at HafenCity, but whereas the Mövenpick can draw on bricks and mortar for inspiration, the newly opened 25 Hours Hotel HafenCity calls on Hamburg’s rich maritime storytelling culture.

With 170 cabin-style suites, 25 Hours is a contemporary re-imagining of a sailors’ club, crammed from stern to bow with quirky flourishes such as a rooftop sauna, an old shipping container, 1960s

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Designer Hamburg Elegant shopping malls are crammed with designer shops and boutiques

Five restaurants not to miss Landhaus scherrer

Chef Heinz Wehmann and his team celebrate Landhaus Scherrer’s 35th anniversary with a special menu of gourmet German and international cuisine until the end of October.

This former brewery has won its Michelin star with classic dishes such as roasted deer with braised beef ragout and gratin of white halibut with saffron. elbchaussee 130, Hamburg, +49 (0)40 88 01 011 www.landhausscherrer.de

restaurant Calla

The flagship restaurant of the grand Steigenburger Hotel, Calla fuses modern European cuisine with Asian flavours to great effect.

Chef Michael Winkle’s creations are elegant and understated, much like the smooth white and cream decor, which is offset by the dramatic views of the Alster waterways. steigenburger Hotel, Heiligengeistbrucke 4, Hamburg www.steigenberger.com

Haerlin

With a Michelin star to its name, an elegant interior and fine views across Hamburg’s Inner Alster lake, Haerlin is one of the most celebrated venues in the city. But it’s the food of head chef Christoph Ruffers that attracts people from near and far. His French

Brazilian furniture and a communal Vinyl Room replete with decks and records. The boutique concept is based on 25 stories gathered from seamen in clubs around Hamburg. Each tale is told in a logbook left in every room, yet the narrative, spirit and message of each story is reflected in the curious objects, artwork and design of the property.

and Mediterranean dishes are contemporary and inventive without straying too far from their classical roots.

Fairmont Hotel vier Jahreszeiten City, neuer Jungfemstieg 9-14, Hamburg www.fairmont.com/hamburg

old Commercial room

One of Hamburg’s best loved traditional restaurants, the Old Commercial room has been serving north German cuisine to sailors since 1643. It’s the spiritual home of the hearty Hamburg dish labskaus, which is a delicious medley of mashed potato, corned beef, pickles, herring and fried egg. englische Planke 10, Hamburg, +49 (0)40 366 319 www.oldcommercialroom.de

Bullerei

Hamburg loves its celebrity chefs, and Tim Mälzer is about as famous as a German TV cook can get. His restaurant occupies a former meat warehouse, and is blessed with all the roughly rendered walls and graffiti splashes you’d expect in the trendy Sternschanze district. The high-end brasserie food is as pared down as the decor, but exquisitely flavourful and finished.

Lagerstrasse 34b, Hamburg, +49 (0)40 3344 2110 www.bullerei.com

Think stormy passages, far-flung adventures and dockside capers, and you’ll capture not only the essence of this cheeky hotel, but of Hamburg itself. The city of millionaires still has enough rough edges to keep it exciting. Only these days, more people are enjoying the bristling energy of Germany’s “Gateway to the world” with a side order of opulence. n

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Le Bristol Historic Hotels

Hotel le Bristol is France’s first official ‘Palace’ hotel, and the last remaining Parisian luxury hotel under European ownership. Amanda MacKenzie explains why it still stands out among the five-star competition

W

hen the French president Nicolas Sarkozy chose to celebrate his 2007 political victory at one of Paris’ newer deluxe hotels, the French media were quick to dub him ‘the bling-bling’ president. Arguably, he’d have been better off at Le Bristol – this is a hotel whose reputation for discreet luxury is so well established that it hardly registers on the media’s bling-o-meter. And it would have been handy for the office, too, barely five minutes’ stroll from the Élysée Palace.

In May this year, Le Bristol acquired a further tier of prestige when it became the first Paris hotel to be granted official ‘Palace’ status. Under France’s new hotel ranking system, that makes it one of only eight hotels in the country whose offering is recognised as being over and above five stars. That it was selected, where other hotly-tipped contenders were not, should tell you a thing or two about Hotel Le Bristol. Its elegant façade promises the kind of hospitality that tends to turn guests into habitués. It is, you might say, an insider’s hotel.

Dazzling entrance In a city that has more than its fair share of historic hotels, Le Bristol is something of a stripling. The original building, the Vogüé Palace, was home to an 18th century countess, while the hotel’s Winter Restaurant was built as a theatre for an eccentric Second Empire dandy, the Count of Castellane. But it wasn’t until 1925

that the Bristol opened its doors as a “travellers’ hotel”, under the ownership of Hippolyte Jammet. Named after the Count of Bristol, an 18th century aristocrat who never compromised on creature comforts, Jammet’s new hotel set its cap at the class of well-heeled, sophisticated globetrotters drawn to the French capital during the roaring ‘20s.

PresseD into service War interrupted the glittering years. As France fell, Le Bristol was the only hotel in Paris fitted with an in-house gas shelter. In 1940, a deal was struck with the American embassy and the hotel became the official residence of all remaining US citizens in the city. One low-profile guest was a Jewish architect whose designs still grace

“Everything here is based on quality and authenticity.

All our paintings are original, all our drapes are stitched by hand. We seek out products for their craftsmanship. We are a made-to-measure hotel... something that hardly exists anymore” Shortly afterwards, an auction of the Louvre’s reserve of treasures allowed the hotel to enrich its decor with a significant number of old masters and fine Gobelins tapestries. By now, the great and the glamorous were flocking to Le Bristol, among them Charlie Chaplin, Orson Welles, Rita Hayworth, Grace Kelly, Ava Gardner and Marilyn Monroe. It’s only natural then that Josephine Baker would later choose the Bristol to celebrate the 50 years since she first sashayed onto the Parisian stage, throwing a lavish headline-making party.

the wrought iron elevator cage in the lobby, the hotel’s staff having assiduously ‘mislaid’ his details so he could escape deportation. When at last it was the Nazis’ turn to withdraw, the hotel continued its role of neutrality, requisitioned to house German womenfolk.

in witH tHe new In 1978, the Jammet family bowed out of the business, selling the hotel to Rudolf A. Oetker, a German industrialist best known for his activities in the food sector. Successive

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Historic Hotels

Le Bristol

French delicacy The Bristol’s interior honours Paris’ rich history

“When you are at Le Bristol, you are in France” improvements followed: the pool, the formal garden (vast, by Parisian standards), and the gastronomic brasserie coming later.

Five years ago, anticipating a new wave of luxury rivals on the Paris hotel scene, the Oetker family bought and converted an adjacent building. The resulting Matignon Wing created 25 more bedrooms and suites, as well as paving the way for a further three-year programme of enhancements. All this, allied with the hotel’s strong identity and values, contributed towards this year’s official ‘Palace’ award. The label is up for renewal in five years’ time.

“The Palace label wasn’t necessary once; it has become so,” explains Didier le Calvez, Le Bristol’s general manager and CEO since 2010.

“In visitor terms, Paris is a city blessed by the gods and the [luxury] market is growing exponentially – but it is also highly competitive. We’d reached the point where any hotel could call itself a Palace. The new label has created a real distinction, a challenge for anyone who wants to go beyond five stars.”

No room for complacency, then. This year sees the complete transformation of the summer restaurant, the refurbishment of some 50 rooms and suites and, the pièce de résistance, the opening of a new spa more than twice the size of the previous one.

Thoughtfully, the facility also includes a children’s space, so parents can float to and from treatments, secure in the knowledge that their youngsters are supervised and stimulated.

Tea in the garden completes the ritual.

The Hotel Bristol is now the only Parisian Palace to remain under European ownership.

Indeed, in its 86-year career, it has only ever been owned by two families, and always with a strong continuity of vision. “Don’t come to the Bristol expecting to find a switch to tell you

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when to shave,” warns le Calvez. “Every Palace has a soul, a precise idea of what constitutes a hotel de luxe. Our idea of luxury isn’t about ostentation. We’re part of the grand hotel tradition that sets out to recreate the space you live in, make you feel at home, at the same time as accenting our [French] culture. Everything here is based on quality and authenticity. All our paintings are original, all our drapes are stitched by hand. We seek out products for their craftsmanship. We are a made-to-measure hotel... something that hardly exists anymore.”

The French Touch It’s a quirk of history that Le Bristol was named after an Englishman. In truth, it would be hard to find anything more quintessentially French.

The fine fabrics that dress the bedrooms?

French, almost all of them, hand-picked by Maja Oetker, a confirmed Francophile. The huge new spa? Not Balinese or Thai but... French. The restaurant? Take it as read – and with a clientele that’s 80 percent French. It’s all part of the Bristol ethos.

“If we had a three-star restaurant that failed to attract a largely local clientele, I wouldn’t feel comfortable; for me it wouldn’t be credible,” says le Calvez. “When you are at Le Bristol, you are in France. It really is a Franco-Français Palace, from the moment you step inside.”

Four years have passed since President Sarkozy came to power and France is already feverishly gearing up to next year’s elections.

In Le Bristol’s elegant, chandeliered lobby, the atmosphere is genteel, faintly clubbish. Close to the centre of power, this is a recognised oasis of neutrality, where politicians and pundits of the left and right can mingle and rub shoulders amicably, far from the cut and thrust of the political stage. n

Facts and Figures 1925 Hôtel le Bristol is opened by Hippolyte Jammet, son of a famous Parisian restaurant owner.

1940 The hotel signs an agreement with the US embassy to become the official residence for all American citizens in Paris.

1978 The Bristol becomes part of the Oetker Collection, joining Brenner’s Park in Baden Baden, Cap Eden-Roc in Antibes and the Château Saint Martin & Spa. 2009 The 114 Faubourg restaurant opens under the management of three-star chef Eric Frechon. A massive renovation programme is launched, at a cost of EUR100 million (US$145m).

2011 Le Bristol is granted official Palace status by the French Ministry of Tourism.

87 The current number of suites offered at the Bristol, the most provided by any hotel in Paris.

In their blood The Jammet family, founders of Hotel Bristol

THE NEW PERFUME

24 hours

New York

Night & dAY You’ll barely scratch the surface of the Big Apple in 24 hours, but if you’ve got your wits about you, a brief stay in NYC is a breeze

Words: Caitlin Cheadle 08.00 Arrive at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark airport (all are roughly equal distance from central Manhattan) and either take a taxi (from around US$50) or one of the Airlink shuttle buses for a mere US$15 (goairlinkshuttle.com). Buses depart every 15 minutes from each airport and drop you at several convenient Manhattan stops, including Bryant Park and Grand Central Station.

09.30 Arrive at the Mandarin Oriental New York (212-805-8800, mandarinoriental. com) and enter through the discreet revolving door, where an elevator will whisk you up to the 35th floor. Step into the circular, marblefloored lobby and take in the panoramic views over Central Park from the full-length windows at the adjacent MO Bar as you check in.

10.00 Admire the sweeping views of the New York skyline and Central Park from your elegant Park View Suite on the 40th floor. A quick shower, change and a coffee, then it’s out for some sightseeing.

10.30 Start in Central Park, a five-minute walk from the hotel. Take the path that leads just off Columbus Circle and depending on the season, you’ll come across the ice rink (winter) or carnival (summer). It’s a great place for a photo – the skyscrapers towering over the treetops provide a quintessential New York City snapshot.

11.00 You could spend hours getting lost among the pathways that wind past Central Park’s picturesque ponds, bridges and gazebos, but because your time is limited, exit near the famous Plaza hotel, and make your way along 5th Avenue for a spot of windowshopping. Make a quick stop at Times Square for another iconic NYC snapshot, and move on.

12.00 Grab a taxi and head to NoLita (North of Little Italy), crammed with cool cafes, chic eateries, tiny bars, and some of the best boutique and vintage shops in the city. Head to Mott, Elizabeth and Mulberry streets and pop into Resurrection (217 Mott Street, resurrectionvintage.com) for mint-condition designer duds from decades past, and New & Almost New (17A Mott Street, newandalmostnew.com), where charming owner Maggie Chan sources one-off designer pieces for a fraction of the original price.

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Take a seat Sip inventive cocktails at the speakeasy-style Mulberry Project in Little Italy

13.00 For lunch, head to Public (publicnyc.com) a Michelin-starred eatery whose nondescript concrete exterior belies the sleek hardwood floors, white linens and skylights within. Grab one of the mini ‘eraser’ soaps in the washroom and one of the yellow pencils from the front desk as souvenirs.

15.00 Hail a cab and make your way to Highline Park in the Meatpacking district (thehighline.org), an elevated railway line that has been converted into a public park/walkway lined with trees, benches, cafes and some of Manhattan’s best views of the Hudson River.

17.00 End your stroll with a drink underneath the Highline at The Standard hotel’s (standardhotels.com) al fresco Beer Garden, decked out with ping-pong and picnic tables.

19.00 Start your evening at the Mandarin Oriental’s intimate 35th-floor MO Bar, where you’ll be in the company of society ladies – and one of the best views of the city.

21.00 Arrive at Mulberry Project in Little Italy (mulberryproject.com). This is a spot you’ll need to charm your way into, or be ‘on the list’. Dine on lobster rolls, roasted beetroot salad and pan-seared wild turbot with cauliflower puree. Try one of the inventive cocktails, such as the gentleman’s daiquiri (gin, maraschino liquor, cucumber, citrus and rosewater).

23.30 Grab a cab to The Jane hotel in the West Village (thejanenyc.com). The first-floor

Where to be seen Mandarin Oriental’s MO Bar boasts unbeatable views over Central Park

bar hints at something off the pages of The Great Gatsby, with its leather-upholstered furniture, chandeliers, potted palms and towering ceilings, plus a very stylish crowd.

02.00 If you’re not ready to call it a night, squeeze into the candle-lit tables at Employees Only in the West Village (employeesonlynyc.com) for parmesan fries with truffle aioli and spicy shrimp.

03.30 Back at the Mandarin Oriental, crawl into the welcoming duvets of your king-size bed for a good night’s sleep.

08.00 Ask the concierge to order you a taxi – you’ll be deserving of an easy transfer to the airport. n

Stay Mandarin Oriental New York 80 Columbus Circle at 60th Street, New York, New York 212 805 8800 www.mandarinoriental.com/newyork

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Visit Media One Hotel and experience a hip new lifestyle with modern rooms, vibrant dining outlets and an eclectic scene.

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Media One Hotel, PO Box 121818, Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates T +971 4 427 1000 F +971 4 427 1001 E cu@mediaonehotel.com W www.mediaonehotel.com

Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta

Oct 1 – 9, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Billed as the ‘world’s premiere balloon event’, this is the largest hot air balloon festival in the world, taking place over nine days and featuring over 750 balloons of all shapes, sizes and colours. What started off in 1972 as an attempt to beat England’s world record of largest gathering of balloons (19) ended up failing when bad weather forced cancellations and only 13 could be launched. Today the International Balloon Fiesta is one of the most photographed events in the world, attracting spectators from across the globe. www.balloonfiesta.com

PHOTO: Raymond Watt

Diary 10.11

PHOTO: Linda Nylind for Frieze

Freize Art Fair

October 13 – 16, Regent’s Park, London

A showcase of new and established artists, this annual art fair attracts around 60,000 visitors, including big-name artists, art collectors and art dealers from across the globe. Over 170 galleries from around the world will be exhibiting, and there are specially commissioned artists’ projects, a talks programme and an artist-led education schedule. www.friezeartfair.com

Halloween

Oct 31, worldwide

The annual celebration, which gets its name from the original ‘All Hallow’s Eve’, has its roots in paganism, but has evolved into a rather interpretive holiday that involves trick-or-treating (going from house to house asking for a ‘trick or treat’, usually candy), attending costume parties, carving pumpkins into jack-o-lanterns, and watching scary movies. One of the best places for adults to celebrate is Manhattan, NYC. The streets fill up with partygoers in costumes as they hop from restaurant to bar to nightclub for the various Halloween costume parties on offer. www.halloweennyc.com

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October

What’s on

Eurochocolate Perugia

October 14 – 23, Perugia, Italy

Every year the historic streets and squares of Perugia in Umbria are overtaken by expositions of chocolate, open-air demonstrations and of course countless tasting sessions. During the week there are shows and chocolate-themed parties, and skilled craftsmen create enormous chocolate sculptures, which are destroyed in the final days of the festival and handed out to all the visitors.

It’s not just sweets that are on offer: cocoa is used to create inventive contemporary cuisine, which visitors are invited to sample. This is a must for any foodie, and the beautiful landscapes of Italy’s Umbrian region are the icing on the chocolate cake, so to speak. www.eurochocolate.com

Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival

Oct 27 – 30, Hong Kong

This annual event partners gourmet food exhibitions from the world’s top culinary experts with award-winning wines, live music and entertainment set against the cosmopolitan backdrop of Victoria Harbour, on Hong Kong’s Kowloon Waterfront Promenade. Voted one of the top 10 international food and wine festivals

by Forbes Traveler, the three-day Wine & Dine Festival offers guests over 200 booths to sample food and wine from, plus a lively atmosphere to kick off the Hong Kong Wine & Dine Month, which goes on until November 30. www.discoverhongkong.com/ wineanddine

Stratford upon Avon Music Festival October 15 – 22, Stratford upon Avon, England

This week-long event sees world-class musical performances from top international classical, folk and jazz musicians happening throughout the beautiful county of Stratford-upon-Avon in the rural Warwickshire countryside, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. There is an impressive daily lineup of concerts happening in historic venues such as the Holy Trinity Church and the Shakespeare Theatre. Stratford-upon-Avon is also within an hour’s drive of the shires of Oxfordshire, Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, as well as the beautiful Blenheim Palace and the Cotswolds, so day-trips are an option when you’re not watching the concerts. www.stratfordmusicfestival.com

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Spend it

Itineraries

White desert Follow in the footsteps of the world’s most intrepid adventurers in Antarctica

Pharaohs and pyramids There couldn’t be a better time to visit Egypt – after the February revolution that toppled former president Hosni Mubarak, the nation is back on its feet and open for business. This 14-day land and river trip is part of Abercrombie & Kent’s Connoisseur Series, and gives guests the chance to see some of Egypt’s awe-inspiring monuments and visit some of its more hidden wonders in an experience-packed itinerary. Start off in Cairo, with a visit to the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx, followed by an early-morning guidedtour of the famed Egyptian Museum of Antiquities before it opens to the public, and admire the world’s largest collection of Egyptian artefacts.

Embark on a seven-night cruise down the Nile on A&K’s Sun Boat III, stopping off to explore sites at Abu Simbel, Aswan and the Valley of the Kings, plus lesser-known temples of Abydos and Hathor at Denderah.

Cost: from US$8,280 per person based on two people sharing, or take the Royal Suite on the Sun Boat III from $13,570. Internal flights from $630. Excludes international flights.

From: 15 departures until December 2012. www.abercrombiekent.com

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Nile adventures Cruise down the Nile in complete luxury with A&K

Romance at Zighy Bay Tucked away in the Hajar Mountains of Oman’s Musandam Peninsula, Six Senses Hideaway Zighy Bay has everything a couple needs for a perfect romantic escape. Zighy Bay’s villas, each with its own private pool, ooze authentic ‘barasti’ charm, and the resort’s “Villa for Romance” package comes loaded with indulgent extras guaranteed to set the tone for a romantic weekend away. Book for a minimum of two nights and enjoy a ‘Wonders of Oman’ spa treatment at the Six Senses Spa, a three-course set menu courtesy of the chef at signature restaurant Dining on the Sand and daily breakfast next to the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. If the endless self-indulgence sounds a little too much, don’t forget your arrival will be an adrenaline-packed experience you will never forget. Choose to arrive in style by paragliding into the resort from the mountains above, or opt for the microlight experience, where an instructor will take you high above the resort and the beaches below.

Cost: from US$2,200 for the two-night package, subject to 8.4 percent service charges and nine percent tax.

From: now until December 20, 2011. www.sixsenses.com/SixSensesZighyBay

Itineraries

Spend it

The white desert

Spend it Luxury abounds this month, with five-star voyages to the Antarctic, Egypt, Thailand, Oman and the US, plus an around-the-world private jet adventure

This is one of those real once-in-a-lifetime trips, the sort of thing that inevitably induces a “one day…” moment of daydreaming.

Imagine waking up each morning and peering outside to see an uninterrupted desert of snow and ice stretching on as far as the eye can see. Imagine sharing that wilderness with Emperor Penguins and a small handful of other intrepid visitors who have signed up for the most luxurious trip the Antarctic has ever seen. Quintessentially Aviation and Quintessentially Escape have teamed up to create the ultimate luxury Antarctic expedition. Fly in a luxuriously appointed private Boeing 727 from Cape Town to the Antarctic Peninsula, where you’ll “check-in” to an ecological camp above a 200-foot icefall complete with all the home comforts you would expect from a topend expedition. Once you have made yourself at home, take your pick from the adventures on offer – abseil down ice cliffs, ski down virgin slopes, picnic on distant summits and visit the neighbours – the local 6,000-strong Emperor Penguin colony. Cap it off with a short flight to the Geographic South Pole to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen’s discovery of the South Pole in 1911.

Cost: EUR 37,400 (US$52,490).

From: November 22-30, November 30-December 7, December 7-14.

Book: charter@quintessentiallyaviation.com / tim. wace@quintessentiallyescape.com. www.quintessentially.com

*All prices are subject to change. Please contact the listed companies for further information.

Six Senses Zighy Bay Private villas offer complete privacy for the ultimate romantic break

Around the world in 22 days There are few things in the world that symbolise luxury travel like private jets and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. Combine the two on an aroundthe-world expedition and you have an unforgettable travel experience that allows you to savour the very best the world has to offer. Starting in Los Angeles, set off on a VIP-configured Boeing 757 for a 22-day voyage around the world, staying at the height of luxury in Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts in each of the destinations on the itinerary. Touch down in exotic locales including Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island, Bora Bora in French Polynesia, Ayers Rock and Sydney in Australia, the enchanted island of Bali in Indonesia, Chiang Mai in Thailand, the Taj Mahal and Mumbai in colourful India, the Pyramids and Sphinx in Cairo, Egypt and London, UK. The luxury jet features leather seating, on-board library and AV-system, and a team of chefs, engineers, luggage handlers and pilots. Experts will accompany the group throughout the journey, providing in-flight lectures.

Cost: from AED 250,000 ($68,000).

From: October 29 - November 19, 2012.

Book: johnkailath@omeir.ae or call +9712 611 8611.

From: 15 departures until December 2012. www.fourseasons.com

Four Seasons Chiang Mai One of many luxurious stops on the 22-day journey

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Itineraries

Best of both worlds Tourist dollars always go further in Thailand, but this outrageous offer from two of the country’s finest hotels is too good to be true. Bangkok’s iconic all-suite lebua hotel has teamed up with Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve to offer a twin destination package that will tick all your boxes.

Start off with two nights in a one-bedroom Tower Club Riverview suite at lebua, where you’ll enjoy private limo transfers, three-course chef’s menu at Mezzaluna and romantic sunset champagne at the famous rooftop Sky Bar, which has the best views of Bangkok in the city.

Then head down to Krabi on the picture-perfect Andaman Sea and check into a luxury Resort Pavillion at Phulay Bay – the first of Ritz-Carlton’s uber-luxury Reserve properties. Spend two days exploring the islands off the coast or simply basking in the luxurious surroundings, but don’t miss out on the other complimentary perks. At your leisure, the resort’s long tail boat will whisk you to Hong Island for a romantic picnic on a day of your choosing; enjoy sundowners on the first night with a signature Phulatiny Cocktail at the Sunset Bar Chomtawan; and indulge in a 50-minute treatment at the resident ESPA. Cost: from $1,880 including two nights at Tower Club at lebua in Bangkok and two nights at Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Krabi. Room upgrades and optional extras available. Excludes all flights. For more information please see websites below.

From: now until December 2012 (blackout dates are in effect between December 23, 2011 until January 8, 2012). www.lebua.com / reserve.ritzcarlton.com

On top of the world The sky’s the limit at lebua’s famous Sky Bar

PHOTO: Amanresorts

Zen and the art of skiing

White wilderness Tame the great outdoors at Amangili in Wyoming

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Unlike many of Aman Resorts’ stunning properties, Amangani isn’t the type of place you visit just for a nice relaxing break. The resort is nestled in the foothills of Wyoming’s Jackson Hole – a vast wilderness with endless options for active travellers including some of the most challenging downhill skiing in North America.

This winter, former US ski team member Kristen Ulmer invites guests to join her ‘Ski to live’ programme, which promises to “introduce Zen aspects to winter sports”. The four-night programme combines on-slope ski and snowboarding lessons on the nearby alpine Teton Village slopes with “mindset training, with the aim of bringing greater awareness, consciousness and enjoyment to daily life”. It sounds intense, but if your interest in spiritual health is as keen as your interest in carving wicked turns on virgin powder, this luxurious treat is a must.

Cost: from US$2,450 per person, based on two sharing. Includes four nights’ accommodation in a suite, daily breakfast, three days on the mountain with Kristen Ulmer, a three-day ski pass, private ski guides and airport transfers. Subject to 20 percent tax and service charge. Suitable for intermediate to expert skiers. More information available on website.

From: course runs from March 1-5, 2012. www.amanresorts.com

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park

Sheraton The Park Lane Hotel

Jumeirah Carlton Tower

Houses of Parliament, River Thames, London

The Langham, London

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The Savoy, London

DEBUT

Jumeirah Frankfurt Frankfurt, Germany

Located in the heart of Germany’s financial capital, within walking distance of the Zeil shopping street, the prestigious ‘Goethestrasse’ district, the financial district and within five minutes of the Frankfurt exhibition centre, the Jumeirah Frankfurt is part of the reconstructed historic PalaisQuartier complex. The 218 guest rooms and suites come in a colour palette of walnut, honey and nutmeg, with top-of-the line Bose sound systems and 42-inch LCD TVs. Dining options include the Super Potato-designed Max on One, serving German and Austrian cuisine, Ember Lounge & Bar, and all-day Parisian bistro Le Petit Palais. Jumeirah’s signature spa, Talise, features two saunas, seven treatment rooms and tailormade treatments designed to relieve the stresses of long-haul flights.

Young and old Jumeirah Frankfurt is connected to the historic PalaisQuartier complex

Italian job Melia Genoa is housed in a refurbished 1920s-era building

Melia Genoa Genoa, Italy

Located in the heart of the city of Genoa at Via Corsica, the newest addition to the Melia Hotels International portfolio inhabits a refurbished 1920s-era building, formerly known as the Bentley Hotel. Melia Genoa’s 99 rooms include an 80 square metre Presidential Suite with panoramic terrace, providing breathtaking views from its outdoor Jacuzzi. An à la 76

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carte restaurant and lounge bar offer traditional Italian cuisine, and a wide selection of regional wines. Guests will also enjoy a Wellness Club with swimming pool, Turkish bath, whirlpool bath and a fitness area. For business travellers there are spacious facilities for events, functions and business meetings, equipped with the latest technology to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Hot hotels | chic boutiques | exclusive resorts

Kempinski Grand & Ixir Hotel Bahrain City Centre Manama, Bahrain

Located 15 minutes from the Bahrain International Airport, this 460-room, twin-towered hotel will keep both business and leisure travellers happy, with eight restaurants and bars, an outdoor pool and spa with hammam, beauty salon, fully equipped fitness centre, and over 1,200 square metres of function space, suitable for events, conferences and meetings. Located in the heart of the city, both the contemporarystyle Grand Tower and traditional-style Ixir Tower provide direct access to Bahrain City Centre, with over 300 shops, Whahoo! indoor water park, Magic Planet arcade, and a 20-cinema complex.

The hotel is also within a short drive of several historic sites, making this an ideal stay whatever your reason for travelling.

Radisson Royal Hotel

Sri Lanka boutique Evening light falls on the pool at Maya hotel in Tangalle

Dubai, UAE

This 471-room skyscraper on the bustling Sheikh Zayed Road in the heart of Dubai includes 96 suites of between 61 and 273 square metres, all with views over Sheikh Zayed Road or towards Jumeirah Beach on the opposite side. An all-day dining restaurant, three specialty restaurants, a lobby lounge and pool bar give guests plenty of City escape Radisson Royal: a calming retreat on Dubai’s Sheikh Zayed Road

options to dine, and a nightclub will round out the property nicely. When it comes to leisure, a peaceful Zen Spa, fitness centre, and exclusive rooftop pool are available. For functions, the hotel features eight meeting rooms and a spacious ballroom that can accommodate up to 300 guests.

Maya Tangalle, Sri Lanka

This stylish boutique hotel comprises five suites in a restored Sri Lankan Manor House dating back to the late 19th century, with interiors by famed designer Niki Fairchild. Set within a rich landscape of tropical gardens and coconut trees and surrounded by rice paddy fields, Maya has easy access to local attractions such as the Udawalawe wild elephant park, the Kalametiya bird sanctuary and the beaches of the south coast. The recently introduced Sri Lankan Air Taxi to Dikkwella makes it easy and convenient to get to its tucked-away location from Colombo International Airport. Once there you can arrange night safaris to Rekawa beach to observe the endangered sea turtles nesting, and some of the best whale and dolphin spotting in the world can be found beyond nearby Dondra. dotwnews.com

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Suite Dreams

Sofitel JBR

Space to rest Sofitel JBR’s vast Imperial Suite overlooking Dubai’s seaside Jumeirah Beach Walk makes for the perfect weekend getaway, discovers Caitlin Cheadle

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I

f cities had taglines, Dubai’s would surely be ‘size does matter’. Home to a long list of world’s largest, world’s tallest and world’s most extravagant, this is a city where keeping up with the Joneses is woven into the fabric of day-to-day life.

So it’s only right that hotels in Dubai should follow suit. Walking into the Sofitel JBR’s 32nd-floor two-bedroom Imperial Suite, which rises above the bustling seaside Jumeirah Beach Walk, it’s abundantly clear size matters to the French luxury hotel brand, too. The lounge area contains a set of velvet-upholstered sofas and chairs set around a mahogany coffee table and facing a 42-inch LG flatscreen TV. To the right is a stately dining table with eight chairs and a kitchenette/minibar concealed behind the adjacent door. The entire ocean-facing wall of the Imperial Suite, extending along the lounge and into the bedrooms, showcases impressive views of the Persian Gulf and Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah via floor-to-ceiling windows; a terrace leading off the living/lounge area decked out in wicker furniture provides the perfect spot to enjoy a romantic meal.

The décor is contemporary Arabic – a colour palette of burnt orange, gold, burgundy and mahogany is rich but not eccentric, the centrepiece being an opulent tiered chandelier emerging boldly from an indented seashellshaped ceiling embossing in the lounge.

To the left of the dining area is the master bedroom, its washroom containing one of the largest bathtubs I’ve seen to date – the circular Jacuzzi tub is easily separated from the adjoining bedroom and its views to the sea via two sliding mahogany doors.

To the left of the lounge is the guest bedroom, with two double beds and another double bath behind the adjoining bathroom’s sliding doors.

Both master and guest bathrooms contain separate stand-alone rain showers, and both bedrooms feature 42-inch flatscreen TVs opposite the beds.

Normally on entering a hotel room I’m there just long enough to put my bags down before setting out to explore wherever it is I’ve just arrived, but since Dubai is my home, I feel it is my journalistic duty to relax and take some time to research the suite. I kick off my shoes

title

The important bit

Bed, bath and beyond The master bedroom/bathroom, with a luxurious jacuzzi tub concealed behind sliding doors

and recline on one of the three plush sofas, helping myself to the plate of welcome snacks that has been laid out in anticipation of my arrival: asparagus wrapped in smoked salmon, goat’s cheese and pesto-encrusted grapes, grilled courgette and gluten-free mini toasts with smoked salmon spread, plus fresh juices.

I do believe the complimentary fruit bowl contained every conceivable variety known to man, and since everything in the minibar is complimentary to guests of the Imperial Suite (excluding alcohol), I help myself to a chilled lemonade from the fridge in the kitchenette.

Sectiony

What: Sofitel JBR, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Marina, Dubai, UAE Cost: the Imperial Suite starts from US$4,083 per night Web: www.sofitel.com

Well, what to do next but test the hotel facilities? And so I pry myself from the sofa and head downstairs to the third-floor outdoor infinity pool, overlooking the ocean and JBR Walk. The pool attendants are quick to set me up with towels and help me move my sunlounger to the appropriate sun-worshipping angle, and I settle in with a good book, tapping my foot to the chillout tunes that play out over the pool bar’s speakers. At sundown, a girlfriend meets me for strawberry daiquiris beside the pool, which has filled up with a mix of couples on holiday as well as a few local Dubai residents

indulging in a sunset shisha session. I head upstairs and flop down on the sofas, enjoying my languid post-sunbathing state as I peruse the in-room dining menu and order the grilled chicken with mushrooms and tomato. My dinner is promptly delivered by a butler, piping hot and perfectly seasoned – not in the least bit overcooked as can often be the case with hotel room service.

When it’s time to retire to bed, I have a look at the pillow menu, but on testing the current option I find they are perfect as is and drift immediately into a deep sleep. My wake-up call stirs me at 10am, and I enquire whether I can still order room service for breakfast. Not a problem, I am told, and so I begin my day with eggs, sautéed mushrooms and tomatoes, fresh fruit and a basket of gluten-free bread along with a hot cappuccino. The room service at Sofitel JBR definitely gets the thumbs-up: both my breakfast and dinner were delivered hot within 30 minutes of ordering. After breakfast it’s off to the pool once more for some sunbathing bliss before I check out. I should holiday in Dubai more often. n

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Review

At.mosphere

On top of the world There’s a lot more to the world’s highest restaurant than the view, says Nicci Perides

D

ubai is a city of world’s biggests – it contains the largest shopping mall, the tallest building, and of course, now, the highest restaurant in the world.

Since At.mosphere opened in January this year, it has whipped the media into a veritable frenzy.

It seems everyone is scrambling to book a place at this iconic finedining restaurant.

Located two thirds of the way up the Burj Khalifa, the restaurant is just over 1,350 feet above sea level. The entrance is hidden underground, and once you have navigated through four tiers of security you are whisked to the 122nd floor in one smooth motion via the private express elevator – very James Bond. Before we’ve set foot in the restaurant, the staff already have my colleague and I feeling like royalty.

The hostess escorts us to the table, seats us and leaves us to ponder the menu. Our initial fears that the restaurant would be pretentious melt away as we settle into in an unfussy, sophisticated and welcoming environment.

Now, not to belittle the view, which is of course spectacular, but this is not the reason to visit At.mosphere – ‘At The Top’ (the observation deck two floors above) is the place to gaze at the view.

No, At.mosphere is surprisingly all about the food – and perhaps being able to claim, ‘I’ve dined at the highest restaurant in the world.’

We order drinks to sip while browsing the menu – a Kir Royale for my colleague and I choose the Grapefruit Champagne Martini.

I take this opportunity to scour the decor – sleek lacquered mahogany panelling and blood-red contemporary paintings adorn the walls. The emphasis is on opulence.

The floor-to-ceiling-windows allow for an uninterrupted view of Dubai’s skyscrapers and beyond, far out into the desert in one direction

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and towards the Persian Gulf on the other. On the opposite side of the restaurant, the open kitchen allows us to see the chefs preparing the food.

Strict safety regulations at the Burj Khalifa mean that gas cannot be used on the high floors, so instead the chefs use a Josper – an old-fashioned Spanish charcoal oven that gives everything a BBQ element– and the food takes inspiration from Creole cooking.

We are given a choice between the set menu and the à la carte.

Our server is more than patient as we take our time to order, waffling between an array of tempting options before I settle on a starter of light green pea soup, while my colleague chooses the langoustines.

The service is speedy and flawless, and we even find ourselves asking for a break between courses.

For mains, I order the tenderloin steak, which simply melts in the mouth, to echo the words of my colleague, who goes for the lobster.

The verdict? The meat, which has mostly been removed from the shell, is tender and perfectly cooked. Sides of roast potatoes and mushrooms are spot-on, and my colleague polishes them off with glee when I can’t finish.

Desserts arrive and we tuck into a selection of sorbets and a sizeable cheese plate. To wash it down we ask for two glasses of Muscato, the perfect sweet companion to the sharp cheeses. Coffees are superb and arrive with a plate of chocolates and a smooth-as-silk chocolate mousse for each of us.

We had been so engulfed in conversation, soaking up the elegant atmosphere and enjoying the faultless food that when we finally decide to leave, the restaurant is almost empty – it had somehow got to midnight. We had spent over four hours here without any unwelcome intrusion from the waiting staff, a true testament to personal service at its best. n

The important bit What: At.mosphere Where: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Web: www.atmosphereburjkhalifa.com

ON THE ROAD Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase

Engine: V12 twin-turbo BHP: 563 0-100kph: 4.9 sec Origin: UK Cost: from US$327,000

You’ll probably want a driver to take the wheel of the new Rolls-Royce Ghost Extended Wheelbase, if only so that you can enjoy the additional 170mm of luxurious interior space at the rear. With design features such as sumptuous

“Performance is astonishing and the difference in driving dynamics almost imperceptible” Helmut Riedl, engineering director, Rolls-Royce

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leather lounge seats, wireless internet, 9.2-inch LCD screens, 600-Watt music system with 16 speakers, plus USB and auxiliary inputs, the handbuilt Ghost guarantees that every journey is enjoyed at the pinnacle of luxury.

“It is a model of outstanding design and unrivalled luxury” Torsten Müller-Ötvös, CEO, Rolls-Royce

Motoring

Bentley Continental GTC Engine: 6.0-litre, twinturbocharged W12 BHP: 567 0-100kph: 4.8sec Origin: England Cost: US$212,800

Bentley’s all-new second generation Continental GTC made a graceful entrance at the International Automobile Exhibition (IAA) in Frankfurt last month. The luxury convertible features a bolder look, with aluminium front wings and optional 21-inch wheels, plus a luxurious handcrafted cabin.

2012 Mustang Boss 302 Engine: 5.0-litre DOHC V8 BHP: 444 0-100kph: 4.7 secs (4.2 in the Laguna Seca) Origin: US Cost: $49,649

Forget about fuel economy. Don’t even stop to think about the emissions. This is the Boss. It’s bigger, faster and twice as brutal as any Mustang that has come before.

The 2012 Boss 302 and the even higher performance Laguna Seca model promise to be the quickest production Mustangs ever built. And it’s street-legal. Who is the boss?

You are.

Porsche 911 Carrera S Engine: 3.8 litre boxer BHP: 400 0-100kph: 4.3 secs (4.1 with the Sport Plus button engaged) Origin: Germany Cost: US$127,000

Like a fine wine, the Porsche 911 Carrera only seems to improve with age. This 48-year-old vintage continues to delight, this time with a 100mm longer wheelbase and reduced height, putting you even closer to the road. Uncork 3.8 litres of Germany’s finest engineering, hit the Sports Plus button and enjoy.

On the road

ON YER BIKE The rows of bright blue bicycles that occupy strategic street corners in the centre of London, one of Mayor Boris Johnston’s environmentally friendly initiatives, are proving a hit among locals.

The Barclays Cycle Hire Scheme, managed by Transport for London and launched in July 2010, allows visitors and Londoners to hire a bicycle for as little as US$1.60 per day. The bicycles are available from stands across Central London and can be paid for by cash or selected credit or debit cards. After a day’s use, the bikes can be returned to any stand in the city. A journey from Canary Wharf to Liverpool Street takes around 26 minutes.

The scheme has been so popular, plans to expand it have already been approved; when the cycle hire network is expanded into East London in 2012, it will cover 65 square kilometres and feature a total of 2,700 docking points.

“For as little as 12 pence a day, users will soon be able to use our bikes to cross a huge swathe of our city, and it will mean that by 2012 we’ll be able to invite the entire world to join London’s cycling revolution,” said an enthusiastic Johnson when the expansion plan was revealed.

But for London’s cabbies, the bikes are yet another menace that is driving business out onto the streets. “The new system has left us losing a lot of short journeys.

There is nothing we can do about it but I don’t think it’s a good idea,” said Gary Jones, a London black cab driver from Blackheath. , The scheme seems to be working out for the sponsors though: Barclays just extended its sponsorship of the programme – for which it receives naming and branding rights – for an extra three years up until 2018, pledging an additional GBP25 million ($39.3m). For many visitors, the bikes have provided a new way to experience the city, and for locals, they offer an alternative means of transport that is both cost effective and a source of good exercise.

JOE MORTIMER

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October 2011

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Column

Winter sun

Escape to warmer climes this winter Time in the sun is not just an indulgence, but a necessity for good health

T Dorothy Waldman Sun worshipper, travel writer and novelist

hink you can’t afford the time to lounge on the beach, zip through the waves on a jet ski or snorkel in crystal clear waters this winter? The reality is that for optimum health, you can’t afford not to spend some quality time at the seaside.

Soaking up the sun’s rays is the best way for your body to generate its quota of vitamin D, which will help promote good health throughout the year.

Vitamin D is not really a vitamin at all. It acts more like a hormone, transmitting messages to cells in virtually every organ of the body. If the cells do not receive these messages, they may not function properly, potentially causing problems. It’s long been known that a vitamin D deficiency causes the bone disorder rickets in children, and recent studies indicate that it may also be a major factor in osteoporosis.

Beyond bone health, recent studies indicate that a vitamin D deficiency is associated with a long litany of other serious conditions including many forms of cancers.

To help protect yourself, try to get an adequate dose of vitamin D, which is synthesized in the skin when it is hit by the ultraviolet light in sunlight. And, of course, enjoying the sun is one of the reasons you go to the beach.

The exact amount of this miracle vitamin necessary for good health is currently under debate. Guidelines suggest 600 International Units (IUs) per day for those up to age 70 and 800 IUs after that. Many experts, including Michael Holick, Md, Phd. of Boston University, claim this is insufficient and recommend at least 1000 IUs daily.

this allows your skin to produce the amounts that are vital for good health.

“If you are wearing a bikini and not covering yourself totally with a sun block, then you are getting your full dose. I am not advising people to stay in the sun and get burnt. Most people will not burn in the 15-20 minutes necessary for good health.”

“By following these recommendations while you are at the beach, you will get an adequate amount of vitamin D” Vitamin D is found naturally in oily fish such as mackerel, sardines and anchovies, and butter. Many dairy products such as milk are enriched with the vitamin, however, regulations banning supplements added to food in the EU and UK may limit these sources.

“You would need to eat 500 egg yolks, 30 fillets of salmon or seven tablespoons of cod liver oil a day, if you could stomach it,” says British nutritionist Natalie Gillan, Phd. to get 1000 IUs of vitamin D. “Or you can spend 20 minutes in the sun to generate the same amount.”

“Being by the sea allows you to expose yourself to the sun’s rays,” she says, and

In order to soak up the good rays and avoid getting burned, Dr. Gillian advises using a sunscreen that does not block the UV-B rays, which are the type that are needed to produce vitamin D. UV-B/ UV-A sunscreens of a factor of 15-30 should be used after the first 15 minutes to protect the skin from wrinkles and sun-related cancers. Higher factors only offer minimal additional protection, Gillan adds.

By following these recommendations while you are at the beach, you will get an adequate amount of vitamin D plus some extra. Your body will store the excess for up to four months, to use when you’re cooped up in the office.* n

*Destinations of the World News does not recommend spending prolonged periods of time in the sun without suitable sunblock.

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Connoisseur An insider’s guide to the most luxurious hotels in the world

S Mary Gostelow

HONG KONG

(Kowloon)

Lifestyle and luxury commentator

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tay anywhere on or above the waterfront on the Kowloon (mainland) side of Hong Kong, and you’ll find the unique nightly adrenalin burst takes place at precisely 8pm. For the next 13 minutes, you look across at the amazing light show put on by 43 buildings across on Central, the hub of the island’s business centre. There are green laser lines criss-crossing the sky and there are skyscrapers that turn their facets into electric wonderlands of pattern.

One magical way of seeing all this is from the water – take the 7.30pm Aqua Luna junk, sailing for a 45-minute memorable route from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island and back.

At InterContinental Hotel Hong Kong, glass walls in the majority of its 514 rooms look out over the water.

Third-floor rooms are handy for the 24-hour gym, with its Technogym equipment, and the I-Spa and octagonal outdoor pool, which is surrounded by inner-lit, four-foot high red ‘candles’.

The nearby glass-sided hot and icy-cold tubs allow you to look out over the water during the evening light show.

Whichever room you book, it is well worth buying a daily membership to the mezzanine club lounge for food service that is way above industry par (evening cocktails include unlimited Moët). This is where, during meetings time, top business networking takes place.

As is inevitable with a stylish French GM (Jean-Jacque Reibel), you have a range of dining options, including Michelin-starred Chinese, Alain Ducasse and Nobu. My own favourite remains the eternally memorable Steak House, where regulars simply go for the salad bar – and perhaps an Australian wagyu.

The meat is served with 15 mustards and 11 designer knives, your choice, and the red apron-clad sommelier is happy to help with his recommendations for the ideal wine to accompany it. www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com

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Life in technicolour W Hong Kong has one of the highest outdoor pools in the world

Two new hotels are conveniently located right above Kowloon Station for direct Airport Express connectivity. The 393-room W Hotel Hong Kong (pictured above), run by cheery Swede Krister Svensson, is as wild, wacky and wonderful as you would expect from the W Hotels brand. You soar up to the lobby in a glass-walled elevator with under-lit blue floor and emerge in a living room area with check-in ‘desks’, a lifesize horse made of tailors’ dummy sheets and, in the distance, the working electronic ticker in the bar, which dictates the price of a martini.

Upper floor elevator lobbies are black, with shelves of white china ‘books’, and open books give door numbers. WOW Suite 3611 has a typically-W 10-foot black desk, an outline-only four-post bed, and incredible 36th-floor views over most of Hong Kong.

One heads, pretty quickly, even further up, to the 76th-floor pool. As you swim 45-foot laps in the omnipresent wind, you marvel at being in what is surely the highest outdoor pool in the world. The Sweat gym (also Technogym) on the 72nd floor seems to be almost grounded by comparison. As W aficionados know, the spa is Bliss, literally. Try a Fatgirlslim detoxifying treatment with dry brushing.

You also know you can expect jolly good, fun food here at an all-day Kitchen restaurant, decorated rather like a Mad Hatter’s Teaparty, and at Sing Yin restaurant, especially for weekend morning unlimited dim sum. www.whotelhongkong.org The 312-room Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong (pictured below), also directly above Kowloon Station, is, at 118 floors, the world’s tallest hotel. Much to my surprise, looking out of the big windows in suite 11,225, on the 112th floor, the height was only disturbing when clouds obscured views below. Otherwise, everything ‘down there’ is so miniscule that one feels almost detached from the reality of it all.

The top floor has an indoor/outdoor Ozone Asian Tapas bar, the terrace flanked by three-metre high safety walls. The 24-hour Technogym and 20-metre pool are also up there – the latter has a working fireplace, and one end wall and the ceiling have full-area LCD screens.

Dining in Tosca (102nd floor) was memorable. With GM Mark DeCocinis, I looked out through double-height windows at the night sky, or in at the floor-standing turquoise fountain or up to the upper-floor Chocolate Library gallery, for after-meal pralines. Tall glass-walled wine shelves hold some of the 6,000-bottle collection.

With chef Vittorio Lucariello’s perfect, simple spaghetti pomodori, for instance, a sommelier chose a Banfi 2004 Brunello di Montalcino.

Choose any room that gives you access to the 24-hour Club Lounge, on the 116th floor, and choose to make time, somehow, to explore the retail options in the mall that connects both the W Hotel and the Ritz, and the airport express and subway system. www.ritzcarlton.com ■

RICHARD SANDOVAL Michelin-star chef and founder of a string of successful restaurants, including Dubai’s latest upscale nightspot, Toro Toro

spent travelling the world opening restaurants and sourcing the best ingredients, there are few people who know more about the world of food.

Here, the master chef shares some of his top foodie cities and restaurants around the world.

PHOTO: Fiamma Piaceutini

C

hef Richard Sandoval is a man of many talents. When he opened Maya restaurant in New York City in 1997, he revolutionised Mexican food, opening the world’s eyes to the potential of a cuisine that is rarely associated with topend eateries or fine dining. By preserving the principles he learned from his grandmother growing up in Mexico – the use of fresh, authentic ingredients to create vibrant flavours – he gave birth to a new era of Mexican cuisine that is now being embraced by young chefs across the world.

In his latest venture, Toro Toro, in Dubai’s Grosvenor House Tower Two, Sandoval has turned his hand to Latin American cuisine. He and his team travelled across South America compiling a menu that showcases some of the best dishes from across South America, and he now hopes to do the same for Latin American cuisine as he did for Mexican 20 years ago. With an entire career

Mexico City, Mexico Mexico City has always had a special place in my heart. Mexican cuisine has really come into its own over the past five years. These days the next generation of chefs in Mexico City are really creating cutting-edge food, which is transforming the culinary landscape. It’s a real melting pot, and there are some young and very talented chefs working in some fantastic restaurants and combining influences from across the country. Two of my favourites are Pujol (pictured) by chef Enrique Olvera and Paxia by chef Danielle Oviada.

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Dubai, UAE

Las Vegas, USA

Over the last few years, Dubai has grown to become a culinary destination in its own right. Many of the world’s top chefs now have restaurants there, and some of my personal favourites include Nobu, Zuma and of course the world famous Buddha Bar. I have just opened my second restaurant in Dubai, a pan Latin American concept called Toro Toro (pictured) at Grosvenor House. Each time I visit, I’m pleased to see that the quality and diversity of cuisine keeps going from strength to strength.

Las Vegas has grown to become a fantastic food destination. Music and entertainment-wise, it offers some of the best shows and clubs in the world, and food-wise, it attracts some of the best talent. I’ve worked with some fantastic chefs in Las Vegas and everything that happens there is completely over the top.

My restaurant, T&T (pictured), is a modern Mexican restaurant with a rock’n’roll edge. As far as design, creativity and talent goes, there really isn’t another city like it.

October 2011

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“The next generation of chefs in Mexico City are really creating cuttingedge food, which is transforming the culinary landscape”

Album

PHOTO: Fiamma Piaceutini

Royal ties HRH Prince Harry of Wales and HRH Price Rashid of Jordan played at British Polo Day UK

PHOTO: Copyright NYC & Company

Lima, Peru

New York City, USA

Los Angeles, USA

Lima is at the forefront of the culinary world in Latin America. The city has a strong Asian community, and as such you will find lots of chefs fusing together traditional South American food with Asian flavours.

The quality of fish is very good in Lima, and one of my favourite places has to be a restaurant called Mayta (pictured), from promising young chef Jaime Pesaque. He is very creative and the food is delicious. Also try Bravo Restobar in San Isidro, from chef Christian Bravo.

New York is one of my favourite cities. It’s incredibly diverse and cosmopolitan. What I love about the city is the variety of cuisine on offer. Just take French fare for example: New York has everything from quaint little back-street bistros to some of the most incredible five-star restaurants.

There is just so much talent in New York, and talent creates competition, which in turn forces everyone to be at the top of their game. If you visit, I suggest you to check out Momofuku, which has several outlets in town.

LA is another great foodie destination. As well as the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, the city also has some excellent restaurants, such as one of my personal favourites, The Bazaar (pictured), which was created by the extremely talented Spanish chef José Andrés. These days, most of the world’s top chefs have restaurants in LA and you’ll find some delicious ‘farm to table’ cuisine, which uses the best in fresh and organic ingredients to create food that is bursting with flavour.

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FiNAl WORD

PHOTO: Caitlin Cheadle

Leading the herd Chris Stafford Founder of King’s Cup Elephant Polo and co-founder of Anantara Hotels, Resorts & Spas

How did the King’s Cup Elephant Polo get started?

Describe the atmosphere at the King’s Cup.

What high-profile visitors have you hosted at the event?

Elephants have lived on the streets of Thailand for too long – we needed to do something about this.

They are finally disappearing from the streets as we find other livelihoods for them and their mahouts.

The event is necessary because the elephant is one of the sacred symbols of Thai culture and society.

It is jovial fun, it is competitive but also very bonding in a special way – some players have been doing this for 30 years – we are really a big family with great rivalries and friendships – this is life at its best.

We are carefree, but we care a lot about our sport, our elephants and our mahouts.

We have had many famous All Blacks team members, we have had the Wallabies before, the French National Polo Team, Keanu Reeves tested our elephants on a short visit to Hua Hin back in 2003. Next year I am expecting some special teams to join – we have had some inquiries from the royal family of Tonga.

What are the differences between regular polo and elephant polo?

What is the most memorable moment from your elephant polo career?

The polo is returning to its home in Hua Hin after three years in Chiang Rai. Why did you relocate?

Being on an elephant in Nepal and seeing the Himalayas clear as daylight behind 5,000 spectators on a sunny morning – I realised in that moment how lucky I was to be doing something so special. The feeling was very powerful.

Hua Hin is stronger for the event commercially – we raise much more money for the elephants in Hua Hin and gain stronger support from sponsors. Chiang Rai is too far from Bangkok to be a success.

What is in store for next year’s event?

Elephants are so intuitive and love playing; they are very similar to us in many ways – they hate losing.

Sometimes they push each other out of the way in a boisterous but friendly manner. They like to win, that is for sure! n

Anyone can play elephant polo – that is the beauty of this game.

Elephant polo is tactically more interesting than horse polo and just as big an adrenaline rush. Although slower, there are many more elements at play here.

What is the best part of the event for you each year?

For me it is being on that elephant and enjoying the thrill of playing and muddling among the elephants, trying to find a way through. This and the great friendships I have made over the last 10 years.

I think King’s Cup 2012 will see new teams from China, Japan and Russia participating. Maybe a team of Russian Kozaks will make their debut here, too.

Are the elephants competitive?

Competition...

WHERE IN THE WORLD? Think you can identify the location in the photo? Visit www.dotwnews.com and click Competition to enter. The winner will receive a 12-month subscription to Destinations of the World News worth US$99*.

The destination featured in our September 2011 competition was Ayers Rock in Australia. This month’s winner is Nehal Mansukh Gadhavi , from Sharjah, UAE. *This competition is open to residents of the Middle East and North Africa. The closing date is October 24, 2011. Entrants with the correct answer will be entered into a prize draw. The winner will be announced in the November issue of Destinations of the World News and on dotwnews.com.

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