Destinations of the World News - September 2011

September 2011

SPAS OF JORDAN

Ancient rituals meet new luxe

24 HOURS…BEIRUT The city that never sleeps

LET THERE BE WATER

H20 maestro Mark Fuller gets his hands wet

Made in Milan Fashion aficionados flock to Milan Fashion Week every year, but many are so focused on the catwalk they miss out on the real star of the show – Italy’s style capital

FAMILY LUXURY

Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa

HOW TO SPEND IT Indulgent travel inspiration

SUITE DREAMS Geneva’s crown jewel

The Golden Age has returned Located on the beachfront of the West Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, this majestic resort is stunning in every detail. Marvel at the magnificient Ottoman inspired decor, savour an array of international flavours at our restaurants, unwind in elegant guest rooms where your every need is met, or simply refresh mind, body and soul in one of the region’s largest and most sophisticated spas and Turkish hammams, Talise Ottoman Spa.

For more information and bookings please contact Jumeirah Zabeel Saray on Tel: +971 4 453 0000, visit www.jumeirahzabeelsaray.com or call your travel professional.

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September 2011

On the cover 44 Made in Milan

Fashion and hospitality are the cogs that make Milan’s economy tick, says Alice Haine

52 Jordanian indulgence

Home of the world’s oldest natural spas, Jordan has plenty to offer, says Caroline Eden

60 Beirut: 24 hours

Modern Beirut moves at a break-neck pace Joe Mortimer tells us how to keep up

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Age-old custom Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II shopping arcade, completed in 1877, exemplifies the city’s fashion ties

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September 2011

70 In the news 18 Retrospective Cartier International Polo Day, England 20 Europe BMW delivers first Olympic vehicles to London 22 Middle East & Africa Africa attracts major hotel investment 26 Asia & Oceania China unveils luxury carrier vessel hotel 30 Americas Gen Y’s spending power influences new luxury hotels 34 Trends New travel and tourism concepts making the news 40 Interview Mark Fuller has spent a lifetime getting his hands wet

Insider 62 Diary Out and about this month? Don’t miss these events

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64 Spend it The best itineraries from the world’s top travel companies 68 Debut Hot hotels, chic boutiques and exclusive resorts 70 Suite dreams Inside the Presidential Suite at Four Seasons Geneva 72 Review Five-star hospitality with SWISS International Airlines 74 On the road Sometimes we’d rather keep our feet on the ground 76 Family luxe Gemma Greenwood takes the family Down Under 78 Connoisseur Mary Gostelow finds her way around Cape Town 80 Album Tom Hudson and Ed Olver, founders of British Polo Day 82 Final Word Captain Christian Magnusson, Emirates Airline dotwnews.com

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Letter from the Editor This monTh The fashion eliTe will congregate in four of the world’s fashion capitals – milan, new York, Paris and london – to see the unveiling of the 2012 Spring/Summer range from the industry’s top designers. For each of the cities, the Fashion Weeks are an opportunity to throw the flashiest parties, secure the most lucrative sponsorship deals and charge the most exorbitant hotel rates.

We chose to focus on milan as our September cover story not only because it is the heart and soul of the world’s fashion industry, but because as the smallest of the four cities, the impact of fashion week on the local economy is more acutely felt. The event literally takes over the city, with hotels and restaurants booked up months in advance, and everything from public spaces to local trams advertising the next big event.

But with leggy models drawing focus on the catwalk, there is little time for visitors to admire the real star of the show, which is the city of Milan itself – a magnificent example of italian style at its most timeless. Read Alice Haine’s full story on page 44.

Back in the Middle East, we take a look at the burgeoning spa scene in Jordan, which is attracting a new wave of spa aficionados. Home of the Dead sea – the lowest point on earth and site of one of the earliest spa complexes in recorded history – and the ancient city of Petra, Jordan now boasts a raft of high-end spas that use natural products such as the mineral-rich Dead Sea mud in their treatments.

From top-end operators like Six Senses, which runs the Evason Ma’In Resort, to more authentic-style spas like Taybet Zaman in Petra, Jordan’s reputation as a must-visit destination for rejuvenation and wellness is finally maturing. Read Caroline Eden’s take on the best spas Jordan has to offer on page 52.

I’m pleased to introduce several new sections in this issue which we hope will become regulars in Destinations of the World News. First up is our new ‘24 hours...’ section. When we travel for business, we often don’t have long to enjoy the cities we visit - it’s often a jam-packed schedule that leaves us little time to explore, and we end up wishing we had a bit more time to see just the bare necessities. With that in mind, we are putting together a series of short city guides packed with our recommended itineraries of what we would do if we had 24 hours.

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We start off this month with Beirut – a city that never sleeps.

Read about what to see, eat and explore in one day and night in the ‘Paris of the middle east’ on page 60.

There are some times when jetting off for a long holiday just isn’t possible, which is why we have introduced a motoring section to showcase the best new cars and motorcycles on the market, guaranteed to make any road trip a pleasure. We have some stunning new models from Bugatti and mercedes in the first instalment of ‘On the road’ on page 74.

As I write this letter I’m enjoying the view from the window of a First Great Western Railway train from London Paddington to Truro in Cornwall – deep in the countryside of England’s stunning southwest. The scenery I’m rattling through is the landscape that has inspired poets and artists for centuries – rolling green hills bathed in late evening August sunlight, peaceful rivers that meander across fields and valleys, and quaint little villages that all look like they belong on the front of a postcard.

We usually look abroad for travel inspiration, but I note now that it’s all too easy to take your own native country for granted. Today I have remembered that England really is a green and pleasant land, and I for one will be exploring more of it in the future.

Happy travels,

Joe Mortimer Editor joe@dotwnews.com

four seasons Beirut Stylish rooftop bars like this one at Four Seasons are typical of modern Beirut.

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Contributors September 2011, Issue 63

Alice Haine

Alice has been writing for newspapers and magazines for the last 13 years. She has been editor of the weekend edition of the UAE’s Emirates Business 24/7, assistant editor of Emirates Today and a features writer for The People and Bella magazine in the UK. Alice has lived in eight countries around the world and is now based in Dubai, where she specialises in writing about travel and lifestyle. Alice recently travelled to Milan for an in-depth look at Milan Fashion Week. Don’t miss her story on page 44.

Caroline Eden

Caroline Eden is a writer and author specialising in spas, luxury hotels and adventure travel.

She contributes to international titles including The National, ELLE, Geographical and Asian Art Newspaper, and is currently writing a book about Mumbai. A fan of long dusty roads, mountains, good wine and Asia’s mega-cities, she finds refuge in bookshops, spas and chic pit-stops. This month she checked out Jordan’s unique spa scene. Read her round-up of the best scrubs, rubs and muds in the Dead Sea and beyond on page 52.

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 Main: iStockphoto, Background: Photolibrary

Gemma Greenwood

Gemma Greenwood is a freelance travel journalist and editorial consultant who recently gave up a full-time position in Dubai to take care of her firstborn daughter back home in Essex in the UK. Far from putting an end to her travels, being a mum appears to be opening up new doors for Gemma and her daughter, who seems to be catching the travel bug just like her mum. Last month the family set off for the Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa in Australia. Find out how they got on in our family luxury column on page 76.

Caitlin Cheadle

Deputy editor Caitlin Cheadle packed her things and left her native Vancouver nearly three years ago, after catching the travel bug while backpacking through Europe. Although she misses the wide-open spaces, mountains and fresh air of Canada, she’s happy to stay in Dubai as long as she can travel frequently - which she does. Caitlin recently enjoyed the royal treatment in the Presidential Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, Geneva. Thankfully she found time to write about the experience - read about it on page 70.

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International Commercial Representations Destinations of the World News’ network of international advertising sales and editorial representatives are based in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. Destinations of the World News is published monthly by WNN Limited and distributed globally to the world’s premier airport lounges, our subscriber network and a select number of five-star hotels in the UAE. The title Destinations of the World News is a registered trademark and the publisher reserves all rights.

All material in Destinations of the World News is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and articles reflect the personal opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the publisher. Destinations of the World News is not responsible for omissions or errors that result from misrepresentation of information to the publisher. Advertisers assume all liability for their advertising content. All rights of the owner and the producer of this conceptual development and artwork design are reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be imitated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of WNN Limited.

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DOTW News is printed by J G Cassoulides & Sons Ltd, Nicosia, Cyprus and Al Nisr Publishing, Dubai, UAE

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he hounds are released to much fanfare at the Cartier International Polo Day 2011 at Guards Polo Club, Windsor Great Park in Egham, England, in association with Hurlingham Polo Association.

One of the world’s largest and most highprofile polo spectator events, the day begins for most at 11am with the Golden Jubilee Trophy match, featuring England’s young up-and-coming players and getting guests in the mood for the main event of the day, the afternoon match for the Coronation Cup. However, as stated by the Guards Polo Club itself, the Cartier International Polo Day is “so

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much more than polo”. Indeed for many this annual summer event is just as much about the social scene, if not more so.

Celebrities and VIPs from the world of stage, film, literature, arts and fashion are wined and dined over a gourmet lunch, this year prepared by renowned chef Anton Mosimann. Between matches guests can mingle in the Retail Village, where everything from champagne to luxury cars is on offer.

After the final match and Presentation Ceremony in the evening, spectators gather at the infamous Chinawhite afterparty in London to celebrate into the early morning hours.

Sectiony title Retrospective

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09.11 News

Berlin: the future looks bright The city of Berlin commemorated the 50th anniversary of the building of the Berlin Wall last month, a barrier that divided the city in two for some 28 years.

Eager to cull the exodus of East Berliners to the Allied-controlled western half of the city, the Socialist Unity Party authorities in the east began erecting a barbed wire fence across the city on August 13, 1961.

Several years later the Berlin Wall was a 160-kilometre long concrete barrier laden with metal fences, tank traps and watch towers overlooking “death strips” where anyone who tried to cross would be shot.

Communities and families were divided overnight, and those unlucky enough to be on the eastern side of the wall faced almost three decades of oppression. In a memorial service last month, the people of Berlin and Germany’s leading politicians came together to remember the victims of these dark times at the Berlin Wall Memorial.

In the 22 years since the Berlin Wall came down, Berlin has seen one of the most successful renaissances in modern history, and the city is now a major European tourism destination. In the first

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six months of this year, Berlin saw more than 900,000 visitors, which is already more than it saw in the whole of 2010.

Berlin’s mayor and senator of commerce, technology and women Harald Wolf highlighted the importance of the city’s strong tourism economy and the role it has played in the regeneration of the city: “Berlin has established itself during the past years with an excellent team

therefore, important not to rest on one’s laurels but to hold on to the ball in order to advance tourism in the city.”

Growth of the city’s tourism industry is set to continue into 2012, with the opening of the new Berlin Brandenburg Willy Brand (BER) airport, and a series of commemorative events celebrating the history and culture of Berlin, including the 125 year anniversary of the Kur-

“In the 22 years since the Berlin Wall came down, Berlin has seen one of the greatest renaissances in modern history, and is now a major tourism destination” at the top of the European tourism metropolises,” he said at Berlin’s Tourism Day 2011, organised by the city’s tourism board, VisitBerlin.

“Tourism has become a key sector which has a positive impact on all areas of economic development thanks to its extraordinary image effect. In this context it needs to be stressed that without tourist attractions no metropolis is able to engage in an effective medium- and longterm locational development. It is,

furstendamm, West Berlin’s grand boulevard. Until October, the street will be transformed into an open-air exhibition, featuring 125 exhibits telling 125 stories celebrating the boulevard’s turbulent history.

Other events this month include the Berlin Music Week, which includes the famous Club night, in which 40 of Berlin’s top clubs open their doors to the public, and the Berlin Festival, held on the airfields of Tempelhof Airport.

Europe

News

Mary says...

The latest in luxury travel

BMW pedals into London BMw has handed over the first of many vehicles pledged to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) for the 2012 Olympics, as part of its ‘Tier One’ sponsorship of the event – a bicycle.

The German carmaker will supply more than 4,000 vehicles for the London 2012 games, which commence July 27, plus 400 bicycles.

“Everybody will be travelling to the Games by foot, bicycle or public transport wherever possible, and the

LOCOG team will be no exception to this,” said David Stubbs, head of sustainability for LOCOG. “It is rather fitting therefore that the first vehicle we accept for the 2012 fleet is a bike.”

BMW will also supply “highly efficient diesel-powered cars” that meet LOCOG’s “extremely challenging target of 120g/km of CO2”, said BMW global sales and marketing director Ian Robertson.

LOCOG has ordered a fleet of environmentally friendly vehicles for the Games,

which will include models from across the BMW Group portfolio, including low-emission BMW 320d and 520d EfficientDynamics Saloons, 200 electric MINI Es and BMW 1 Series Active Es, and the first ever appearance on British roads of BMW Hybrid cars.

A range of BMW motorcycles will also be used for operational support of road and mountain biking events, and the innovative electricityassisted bicycle, the Pedelec, will be debuted next year.

IN FOCUS

Visiting London? Kate Middleton’s stunning wedding dress, created by Alexander McQueen designer Sarah Burton, is on show at Buckingham Palace, now through October 3rd, 2011. Palace tours must be prebooked, www.royalcollection.org.uk Keep-fit enthusiasts will be fascinated by W London Leicester Square’s bespoke bicycles, for free use by guests until the end of October. Bikes have been designed by Ron Arad, Natasha Law (sister of Jude) and fashion supremo Alice Temperley, and they are being auctioned on Facebook in aid of the Elton John Aids Foundation.

Warsaw’s Chopin Museum is so futuristically interactive that even the tonedeaf are enthralled: any other museum, worldwide, seems old-fashioned and two-dimensional. You use a personalised sensor card to follow Chopin’s journeys around Europe, or to swipe pages, iPad style, to listen to any work you want, www.chopin.museum. Afterwards, head five minutes away to the Art Deco Café Bristol, in Le Royal Méridien Bristol, for an espresso with a much-praised Florentine biscuit.

Jewellery time. In its home base, Rio de Janeiro, one of the biggest H. Stern stores is at Copacabana Palace. The store can arrange a chauffeured visit to H. Stern headquarters, to see stones being graded, cut and mounted – and you can have one-to-one consultations for special commissions.

By contrast, in Hong Kong I have always found that Regina Wong, in Thomas Wong Jewellery in Sheraton Hong Kong’s arcade, always seems to have exactly what I want, although she cleverly shows, first, the most unsuitable pieces, keeping what is ‘just right’ to the last.

While many things in this world are getting smaller, superyachts, it seems, are getting bigger. This is the Sunreef 114 CHE – a 34m sloop-rigged catamaran that’s the largest of its kind in the world, and the second largest sailing multihull. Crafted in the Sunreef shipyard in Gdansk, Poland, the high-performance streamlined vessel can reach speeds of up to 20 knots and can accommodate seven guests and five crew members. CHE is available for private charters from Sunreef Yachts Charter. www.sunreef-yachts.com

Mary gostelow

dotwnews.com

September 2011

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News

Middle East & Africa

Africa in the spotlight A shortage of infrastructure, vast geographical distances, and a lack of investor confidence has traditionally held Africa back from major tourism developments, but with a collective GDP of US$1.6 trillion in 2008 and an economy ranked as one of the fastest growing in the world, it looks likely that 2012 could be a boom year for the continent.

Rapid growth of the telecom, banking, retail and construction sectors across Africa over the last decade have seen a sharp rise in demand for hotels and accommodation and today there are some 190 hotels in the pipeline across the continent, totalling some 37,000 rooms.

In a June 2011 report, the McKinsey Global Institute said the return on foreign investment in Africa is higher than any other developing market in the world.

The fact that the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) saw a return of almost 22 percent a year on its African private equity portfolio from 2000 to March 2010, higher than for any other emerging market’s region, supports these findings.

There is more positive news from the World Travel Organisation (WTO), which recently forecast that foreign tourism to Africa would increase by more than 50 percent by 2020.

In light of the optimistic outlook, Bench Events is launching the 2011 Hotel Investment Conference in Africa (HICA), which will take place in Casablanca from September 26-27, providing investors with an overview of the opportunities in the region and a platform for networking and forging new partnerships.

African growth Recent developments like the Cape Town Stadium have helped boost Africa’s booming tourism sector

Significant developments are already underway in Morocco, where several international hospitality operators have partnered with local firms on major projects.

Monte-Carlo SBM is currently working with developer Aerium Atlas Management on the $195.5m Jawhar Resort, Spa and Private Residences in Marrakech, while Rocco Forte Hotels is launching the 90-suite Assoufid Resort in a partnership with North Africa Holding

Company. Meanwhile Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces is set to launch the Taj Palace Marrakech later this year.

In Egypt, Rocco Forte Hotels is set to reopen the renovated Shepheard Hotel in Cairo with The Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH) in 2013, and Dubai’s Jumeirah Group is developing the Jumeirah Gamsha Bay Resort in Egypt, a luxury 250-room hotel on the mixed-use development of Palm Gamsha.

Elsewhere in Africa, Sofitel is opening a 200-room luxury hotel and golf resort on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea; Sol Melia is working on a five-star resort in Zanzibar; Hilton has announced a 195-room Hilton N’Djamena in Chad; and Rezidor Hotel Group is set to open its seventh hotel in Nigeria – Park Inn Lagos, Apapa – with additional properties planned for Ethiopia, Zambia, Rwanda and Mozambique.

the month in numbers

1.4 million

Number of wildebeest estimated to migrate across Africa during the Great Wildebeest Migration. The animals are usually accompanied by some 360,000 Thomson’s Gazelle, 191,000 Zebra and 12,000 Eland.

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6000 BC

Date the earliest settlers populated Erbil in Northern Iraq, which will soon house a 200-room Marriott hotel and a 75-unit deluxe Marriott Executive Apartments – part of the mixed-use Empire World project.

US$1.93 billion

Amount of cash travel and tourism will inject into the Omani economy in 2011, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC). Luxury developments like The Wave will see further growth in future years.

News

Middle East & Africa

Techno oasis

IN FOCUS

There was a time when the best you could hope for when stranded in the Empty Quarter of Abu Dhabi was an oasis with a patch of wet sand to roll around in. Nowadays, Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara, a five-star oasis in the rolling sand dunes of Liwa, offers guests the use of an iPad throughout their stay, to make tedious tasks like booking spa treatments or ordering from room service even easier. You can even buy items from the souk or send special requests to the concierge.

Towering ambition

Not content with being the 26th richest person in the world and the nephew of Saudi’s King Abdullah, billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has revealed plans to build the world’s tallest tower. The Kingdom Tower will soar one kilometre into the Jeddah skyline, overtaking Dubai’s Burj Khalifa as the world’s tallest, and will house a hotel, apartments, luxury condos and offices when it is complete.

The Adrian Smith & Gordon Gill Architecture project will be built

by Alwaleed’s Kingdom Holding at a cost of US$1.2bn.

Emirates First Class Emirates Airline has spared no expense with its second dedicated First Class Lounge in Dubai International Airport’s Terminal 3. The 1,058sqm facility features Italian marble flooring, high-quality European leather, and gold-plated Rolex wall clocks from Geneva. First class passengers flying from the 14 departure gates at the Terminal’s Concourse 1 will enjoy shower facilities, wireless connectivity, workstations, business centre, two dining areas and a range of comfortable seating. Just in case that’s not enough, the lounge also has its own water feature and a collection of contemporary artwork.

AUH makes flying virtually pain-free

UAE to launch new domestic airline

Abu Dhabi International Airport’s new website – www. abudhabiairport.ae – is a refreshingly innovative platform for passengers flying out of Abu Dhabi. New features such as the “Passenger Guide” tab allow users to personalise their experience, whether flying out or connecting at AUH – just enter your flight details and up pops helpful info such as the location of your nearest shops, restaurants, banks, ATMs and your departure gate. The site also features real-time arrival and departure information, plus up-to-the-minute transfer updates for those taking connecting flights. Now, if only all airports would follow suit.

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As if two hugely successful legacy carriers and two regional low cost airlines wasn’t enough, the UAE is set to launch its first domestic airline.

Eastern Express, a partnership between Al Hajjar Aviation and Abulhoul Aviation, will operate flights from the UAE capital Abu Dhabi to the northern emirate of Fujairah, marking the first time scheduled domestic flights have been available between the emirates of the UAE. “This has been worked on for almost two and a half years now,” Alex de Vos, CEO and president of Al Hajjar Aviation told UAE newspaper Gulf News.

“It’s obviously a condition of market environment here and what we’ve seen is that the economic situation

Coming soon Flights from Abu Dhabi to the neighbouring emirates

in the country and in the world is strengthening again, so it would make it a better time now than a year ago.”

Services will start with two daily flights from Fujairah to Abu Dhabi on a turboprop aircraft, but it is hoped that will increase to three daily flights. The airline is expected to expand its network to other regional destinations in the future.

The flight between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi will take around 40 minutes, knocking a substantial amount of time off the three-hour drive.

However cynics point out that by the time passengers have passed through security checks and customers procedures at either end of the flight, the overall travel time between the emirates will be about the same.

News

Asia & Oceania

China to outspend US in luxury travel

In June, a think tank of 15 leaders from various luxury travel sectors met at the ILTM Asia (International Luxury Travel Market) Leaders Forum to discuss the changing climate of luxury travel. Among their conclusions, the panel agreed that China will immediately surpass the US in travel expenditure, both domestically and internationally.

Top cops

If you’re planning a holiday in the Philippines, rest assured you’ll feel safe. The Philippines’ Department of Tourism has completed the first phase of its Tourism Oriented Police for Community Order and Protection (TOP COP) programme, featuring a Tourist Police force trained in areas like customer relations, police matters, crisis management and first aid.

Officers will be deployed in tourist-frequented areas such as Manila, Boracay Island, and Puerto Princesca City.

New heights With regular seaplane flights in operation, Sri Lanka will now be easier to explore

High flying

A holiday in the archipelago of the Maldives can get off to a slow start if you have to fly from Male International Airport to your final destination. Kuramathi Island Resort has opened its own lounge, featuring sunloungers, dedicated staff to assist with booking restaurants, excursions and spa treatments in advance, WiFi, snacks and beverages, so that guests can start their holiday that much sooner.

Budding landscape

Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, adjacent to the Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort, will comprise 101 hectares at three waterfront sites. The first phase, opening June 2012, will be 54 hectares and will include two conservatories displaying plants from the Mediterranean and tropical montane regions, horticultural themed gardens and events and dining spaces.

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Sri Lanka gets accessible If you’ve ever travelled to Sri Lanka (and we highly recommend you do), you’ll know that it’s host to fabulous luxury boutique hotels, gorgeous natural scenery, delicious cuisine and friendly, charming people. It’s also, unfortunately, not very easy to get around once your flight lands.

Roads are narrow and windy, people drive in a way that makes seatbelts an absolute necessity (it’s not advisable to rent a car and attempt to drive yourself), and maps are confusing and often incorrect. It’s also time-consuming, with the average drive time from Colombo Airport to the tea plantations of Nuwara Eliya running about six hours – which, if you are on a week-long holiday, is not welcome news.

But now it’s possible to get to your final destination in a matter of minutes, thanks to a new fleet of

seaplanes operating flights to popular destinations such as Kandy, Koggala, Nuwara Eliya, and Dikwella on a daily basis, and to Bentota three times a week. Plans to extend the service to Jafna and surfing hotspot

that plagued the country for over 25 years, has seen remarkable growth in the luxury tourism sector, with luxury boutique properties finding their way onto its picturesque shores and lush mountains over the

Closer to heaven Boutique hotels like Maya in the remote area of Tangalle will benefit from the new service

Arugam Bay on the east coast are currently in development as well.

Sri Lanka, which has only recently opened up as a tourist destination after the end of a civil war

past few years, and big-name properties set to open in the coming years, including Anantara in Bentota, and Shangri-La hotels in Hambantota (2013) and Colombo (2014).

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

Asia & Oceania

China’s most innovative luxury hotel

IN FOCUS

The latest luxury hotel in China features panoramic ocean views, elaborate décor, and, not surprisingly, it’ll cost you. But for good reason – it’s housed in an old Soviet aircraft carrier, the Kiev, billed as ‘China’s first aircraft carrier hotel’ (we weren’t aware of any other existing aircraft carrier hotels, but there you have it).

China’s rising economic power has spurred the country to flex its military muscles, much to the concern of Western nations. And while it may be showing that it’s a force to be reckoned with by recently putting its first aircraft carrier, the Varyag – also formerly part of the Soviet fleet – to sea trials, there is growing public interest in the Kiev.

“It’s been reported owners spent nearly 100m yuan (US$9.6 million) transforming the aircraft carrier into a luxury hotel” Prices to stay onboard the floating hotel have yet to be finalised, but they surely won’t be cheap. According to the South China Morning Post, its owners spent nearly 100m yuan (US $9.6 million) to transform the vessel into a luxury hotel. One of the five Presidential Suites features a white, circular bed, silver lame drapes and a cowskin rug, while another photo shows a luxurious king-size bed accented by silk pillows, and surrounded by chocolatehued velvet sofas and gold damask patterned wallpaper.

Paris Hilton, US socialite and heiress, waves to fans as she arrives at the SM Megamall in Manila, the Philippines, to open the fourth outpost of her Paris Hilton Handbags & Accessories line of stores. Hilton told the crowd, “I will be back very soon ‘cos I love it here. I’ve had the best time.” However, she is planning to return not to flog more handbags, but to open the Azure Urban Resort Residences, a resort-inspired residential development in the southern part of Manila that features a man-made beach.

“I will personally help design The Azure Beach Club, creating a unique and special place that will bring happiness to many people. I am excited for people to experience it,” she said.

the mONth IN NUmberS

2,484

The number of Porsche models delivered to China from January to July 2011, an almost fivefold increase over the same period last year. The most popular model in terms of sales was the Porsche Cayenne.

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10/2011

The scheduled opening date for the new St Regis Tianjin. The 276-room hotel is located in the Heping district along the picturesque Hai River, home to many of Northern China’s historic and natural attractions.

US$570 million

The selling price of the Carlyle Hotel in Manhattan, NY, plus four other luxury hotels owned by Maritz, Wolff & Co and Rosewood Corp., recently purchased by the family of Hong Kong billionaire Cheng Yu-tung.

News

Americas

Good move

A new maritime passenger line called Jean Ferry Service will soon offer travellers regular transportation between the Caribbean islands of Dominica, Martinique, and St Lucia for lower prices than are currently available. President of the Dominica Hotel and Tourism Association Simon Walsh said, “some of the limitations we are having in appealing to the French market [of tourists] has been accessibility. With this new ferry system, let us hope that we are taking a step in the right direction.”

Generation Y spurs new luxury hotels

Road to air

Majorly exciting news if you have your pilot’s license (and a sizeable bank account), the first car/plane is now available for purchase. Innovative company Terrafugia has launched The Transition, which can travel by road or air, thanks to its specially designed tires and foldable wings, designed and perfected over the last five years by MITtrained engineers. According to the company’s website, the “anticipated base price” is US$279,000. We expect to see Brangelina enjoying a ride in the aircraft sometime soon.

Romantic relaxation

Caribbean-based Sandals Resorts, which feature a wide range of destination wedding and honeymoon packages, is now offering special couples’ honeymoon and wedding preparation spa treatments and wedding photography packages.

Living on the edge

The latest attraction to hit Canada, the Edgewalk at Toronto’s CN Tower allows visitors to walk the outside of the circumference of Canada’s tallest building, 1,168 feet above the ground.

Edgewalkers are hooked up to harnesses for the stroll along a grated metal ledge and are encouraged to lean out over the streets below to pose for photos.

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Young and frivolous Gen Y is a top target for hotel brands, as is evident by the new brands coming on the market

W, Aloft, Edition, Indigo – what do these hotel brands have in common? Well, quite frankly, they’re achingly hip and trendy, and aimed at a luxury traveller who’s cooler than anyone born before 1975 or after 1995 – namely, Gen Y. The W and Aloft hotels are part of Starwood’s portfolio, while Indigo is the brainchild of IHG Hotels, and the new Edition brand, which currently has locations in Waikiki, Hawaii and Istanbul, Turkey, is the latest from Marriott, currently looking to attract a newer, younger clientele after taking a hit during the recession.

So why is targeting a youthful clientele, specifically those currently between the ages of 36 and 16, so important in the luxury market? Well, for one thing, Gen Y is the largest generation in the US, surpassing the baby boomers and making up roughly 30% of the current population. They also have the greatest consumer confidence of any other demographic cohort in the US – generally speaking, they

seek to live ‘the good life’. Luxury is important to them, and it defines who they are. Research indicates they are still the biggest spenders in the US, despite the fact that they are the age group to have been hit the hardest by the recession in terms of unemployment.

According to the Financial Times lexicon, Gen Y “is seen as reliant

overcome with the new and individualistic rather than the timehonoured traditional style of historic brands such as Ritz-Carlton and St Regis.

This shift in target clientele has also spurred chains to offer their customers a more instant, personable level of service in a more electronically-geared environment.

“It’s rare to find a room in a five-star these days that doesn’t have an iPod docking station and, increasingly, a flatscreen TV in the bathroom” on new media and digital technology with short attention spans.

They expect entertaining and fastpaced information and are assumed to be self-centred, demanding, and hard to integrate into teams”.

This trend toward modern, fastpaced and somewhat over the top is set to continue as long-established luxury hotel chains scramble to find their place in a society that is

It’s rare to find a room in a five-star these days that doesn’t have an iPod docking station and, increasingly, a flat-screen TV in the bathroom (heaven forbid one should be away from a TV longer than a few minutes), and floor concierges or personal butlers are now becoming an expected criteria in most topend properties. We think these are changes we can all embrace.

Banyan Tree Madivaru “Delivering an unforgettable experience of ultimate privacy and luxury�

Tel: +960 664 6655 n Fax: +960 664 3843 n email:reservations-madivaru@banyantree.com AA. Ethere Madivaru, North Ari Atoll, Republic of Maldives www.banyantree.com

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“I’m also going to visit the plane spotters who hang out near the airport. I hear it’s a pretty tight-knit group and I will try to win their hearts over. I’ve been told in order to do that I’ll need aviator sunglasses, a Dodge minivan, binoculars and a mustache.”

IN FOCUS

Jaeger Mah, winner of the contest, ‘live at YVR’, in which entrants competed for a chance to spend 80 days and nights at Vancouver International Airport, says he has additional duties to uphold during his stay.

“The future of transportation security will be gathering intelligence technologically while people are moving at the speed of life, not beginning at a point where passengers are queued up, delayed, stripped down and probed.”

Ed Daly, director of intelligencewatch operations for iJet, on the future of airport security operations in the US.

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High hopes The cable car of the Complexo Alemao favelas glides silently over the hills in northern Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The cable car is a part of the Rio de Janeiro favela ‘pacification’ programme, in an effort by the government to clean up Rio’s slums in time for the 2016 Olympics. Six months ago, government forces drove out the drug lords that ruled the favelas, and the areas are now patrolled 24 hours a day by the military. Residents say the cable car, which spans over 3.5 km and links 14 communities via six stops, is making a difference to their quality of life, allowing them to integrate into other areas of Rio outside the favelas.

Toronto flaunts its new luxury image DOTW NEWS recently visited Canada’s financial capital, Toronto, having last graced its streets over eight years ago, and we can say with complete honesty that we were very impressed. The city has come a long way since 2003, with new initiatives to attract a higher-end kind of traveller already in place and further developments on the way.

While the pretty, ocean-side city of Vancouver and the rustic FrenchCanadian city of Montreal have long been the darlings of Canada’s tourism market, it’s clear Toronto is ready for a slice of the proverbial pie. One of the first steps the city required to attract new visitors was an upgrade in the luxury hotel department, a venture that is now in full swing.

We stayed at the brand-new RitzCarlton, Toronto, tucked away from the maddening crowd of Queen

Skyscraper city The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto is one of several new five-star hotels

Street near the city’s iconic CN Tower. The hotel is a blend of minimalist chic and modern Canadian artwork that makes use of indigenous natural resources throughout, including walnut panelling, sleek sculptures of Canadian wildlife, and bronze maple leaves encased in marble flooring.

Set to open soon are the ShangriLa Hotel, Toronto (2012) and the Trump International Hotel and Tower Toronto (late 2011), both located in the city’s bustling financial district. “Toronto is a sleeper city,” Trump International Hotels COO Jim Petrus explained to DOTW News.

“It’s been there a long time, but it’s only now that people are realising its potential as both a financial capital and a tourist attraction.”

Add to this a thriving culinary scene, great high-end and vintage shopping and plenty of opportunities for day-trips, whether it’s a yacht cruise on Lake Ontario or a winetasting tour at the vineyards in the leafy hills surrounding the pretty town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and it’s easy to see why this Canadian city is becoming a hot ticket in the North American travel market.

FRENCH & ORIENTAL… SO YOU

SOFITEL CAIRO EL GEZIRAH BEHIND EVERY PLACE IS A RAISON D’ÊTRE. SOFITEL CAIRO EL GEZIRAH, A FRENCH CONTEMPORARY AND ELEGANT HOTEL WITH AN ORIENTAL INSPIRATION, OFFERS 433 LUXURIOUS ROOMS AND SUITES, INTERNATIONAL RESTAURANTS, AND A STUNNING OUTDOOR SWIMMING POOL OVERLOOKING THE NILE TO PROVIDE YOU WITH CONVIVIALITY AND COMFORT. AT SOFITEL, YOU WILL EXPERIENCE BOTH FRENCH & ORIENTAL AMBIANCE FULL OF RICH CONTEMPORARY DÉCORS AND THE SURROUNDINGS OF A 5-STAR HOTEL. EXPERIENCE THE TRUE LUXURY AT SOFITEL CAIRO EL GEZIRAH 3 EL THAWRA COUNCIL STREET - ZAMALEK - CAIRO - EGYPT TEL: (+202) 273 73737 - FAX: (+202) 273 63640 H5307@SOFITEL.COM - WWW.SOFITEL.COM

Trends

SKY-HIGH INNOVATIONS Let them eat cake

So how do you think an airline could add value or incentivise new business among the poor downtrodden travelling classes? Lower prices? Upgrades?

Perhaps throw in a free flight? Or provide free cake? Of course, the answer is free cake. In the cut-throat world of airline competition it’s dog eat dog, so you’ve got to find an edge over your rivals. So British Midland International – better known as BMI – is offering free cake for passengers on flights within the UK and Ireland in Flexible Economy between 10am and noon, and 1.30 and 5pm. Sweet.

Bomb-proof bags

We’d like to pretend we understand the new bomb-proof bags being researched by Sheffield University in the UK, but frankly we don’t. It’s something to do with internal elastomeric coating, fluid that stiffens in explosions, changing orientations and…we give in. The important thing is that these bags could soon be coming to an aircraft hold near you. The university has tested the fabric using an explosion similar to that which destroyed Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie in 1988 and the results have been very positive, apparently. The aim is to use this fabric to pack hold luggage in such a way that a major blast could be contained. The product could be on sale in less than two years.

Novel approach

Heathrow Airport is bringing novelist Tony Parsons into its terminals to find inspiration for his first collection of short stories. The author of best-selling Man And Boy will prowl the airport looking for inspiration for Departures: Seven Stories from Heathrow. “It’s an incredible opportunity to live at Heathrow and write about the people whose lives are touched by it,” the novelist said. Around 5,000 books will be given away to passengers before it goes on sale. In 2009 the airport employed philosopher Alain de Botton.

Several chapters of his book A Week At The Airport: A Heathrow Diary were jotted down in Terminal Five.

Best bar none?

Aircraft designers have been having big fun with the giant space offered to them on the huge A380. There’ve been showers and double beds for example, but none of their innovations comes close our favourite at Destinations of the World News. Instead of pointy-end passengers having to rely on the whim of in-flight staff for their beverage of choice, a special manned bar in first class and two open bars in business are to be installed. Yep – two open bars in business. Now in this day and age we are all responsible adults, probably all in positions of responsibility, too. We all know our limits don’t we? Really, what could possibly go wrong?

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Photo: Airbus SAS

Trends

GLOBAL trendS S Pa i n

Give your plant a break

If your yucca’s feeling yucky or your orchid’s feeling awful, send them off on holiday. A new hotel for plants has opened in the Madrid shopping centre of Isla Azul. Thanks to a team of professional botanists, all guests at Hotel Para Plantas get personal attention from water and pruning to spraying and irrigation. There are live webcams as well, of course, for owners who miss their favourite flowering friend and want to check their status online. The service is 100 percent free in return for registering your details on the shopping mall’s customer base. Go on, give the plant a break. And get unsolicited emails in return.

UK

Canine comfort

Dogs today, eh? Don’t know they’re born. In my day a can of Pedigree Chum and a brisk walk around the block was enough to put a spring in any pet princess. Not now. Today there are dog concierge companies such as the newly launched Chien Bleu in the UK that bills itself as the only “travel specialist devoted to fine accommodations for dogs”.

Featured hotels include the likes of London’s Milestone Hotel that has custom-made bedding, room service steak and even Cumberland sausage treats. Chien Bleu says only the highest calibre canine accommodation is considered.

Mexico

Pipe dream reality

Long, long ago on these very pages we featured the wonderful dasparkhotel, a German hotel concept built from giant old pipes.

Well, this month we are delighted to reveal a similar concept in Mexico.

The Tubohotel in Morelos features converted old giant concrete pipes stacked on top of each other. Each of the ‘tubes’ can be reached by ladder and accommodates two at the budget-blasting price of just US$42.

Certainly beats staying in a hostel. We also liked the hotel’s colourful appeal to “give us a call Young Jedi, and a Tubo assistant will help you find your way in a chaotic world”.

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Holland

Mini-bar in a box

The difficulty with many mini-bars – as far as hoteliers are concerned – is the fact that they can be an expensive concept. Sadly, not everyone is as honest as devoted disciples of Destinations of World News when they check into their shiny new suite and instantly consider replacing bottle contents with water or black tea. The solution, dear harassed hotelier, is to remove all those old fridges and sell guests a minibarbox (see above). This brainchild of Dutch company HBMEO is a pre-packed assortment box of selected drinks that guests can buy for themselves. Apparently the concept is big in Maastricht…

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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title

IN US$1 for eight hours’ travel Need to travel from Omaha in Nebraska to Chicago soon? Take a Megabus. The eight-hour-40-minute trip is US$1 with the coach company if you travel before the 17th of this month.

Security check, check-up A US Travel Association survey reveals 45 percent of respondents would pay a fee of “up to US$150” for a background check that would allow them to race through airport security unhindered. So the US Transportation Security is introducing a pilot scheme to test the idea.

Full body scanner paparazzi

Heartbreak hotel

S

o how’s this for a new hotel concept? You and your wife/husband check into a hotel on Friday night as man and wife. And on Sunday you check out as divorcees.

When happily married Destinations of the World News stumbled upon this concept, we nearly choked on our favourite chocolate digestive. In fact, we were so convinced it was a publicity stunt, we had to call.

“No, it’s real,” laughs Jim Halfens, commercial director of www.divorcehotel.com, a company based in Holland. “It’s a successful formula to end a marriage in an efficient way. Divorces are just so messy these days. So what we offer is the opportunity to divorce within three days in five-star luxury.”

For EUR 2,500 (US$3,595) divorcehotel.com provides financial consultants, lawyers and – good grief – child psychologists for the little ones. Each partner is booked into a separate luxury hotel and over the course of a weekend the details of divorce are hashed out. You get your own room, and you don’t have to eat with your partner.

And this is a deadly serious business arrangement with the clock running. Halfens says the process has to be highly efficient because the papers have to be before a judge at the start of the week and the divorce detail has to be completed in a weekend.

“Divorce is always an unpleasant experience, we can’t do anything about that, but why go through divorce proceedings in an uncomfortable office when you could relax in comfort in a hotel,” he says. “A hotel is also ideal as a base because there are meeting rooms for specialists. Most of our clients are very, very busy people who have very little time and they tend to like comfort. ” Halfens says that in Holland, more than one in three marriages end in divorce and far from being a cynical marketing exercise, the company simply spotted a gap in the market. Then, fuelled by “Dutch pragmatism and a reputation for mediation”, the company set up shop, bringing together lawyers, unhappy couples and hotels.

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“Many couples may start out amicably when they agree to separate,” he says “but the minute their lawyers, accountants and business associates get involved, tensions start to mount, costs begin to increase and the emotional heartbreak becomes crippling. The stress is enormous, your work, your family, everything suffers. We aim to cut through all that heartbreak.”

Seven couples have used the company’s service so far, but “many more” have approached Halfens for advice. “It’s sad but these people just want to get on with living their lives.”

“The concept can only work with those who are mutually prepared to divorce quickly,” he adds. “We can’t help couples who spend the whole day fighting in the hotel. We carry out an assessment first to see if the process can work before proceeding.

“People don’t just arrive on the Friday without any warning and then leave on the Monday. During the pre-assessment we ask critical questions and couples must do some homework before checking in. Often at this stage we find that the process doesn’t work and these people take the traditional route – several months of negotiation. And misery.”

Halfens says the company is now looking into expanding into other countries where the legislation allows a similar model and says lawyers in Germany and the UK have already expressed an interest.

This is like the reverse of getting married in Vegas overnight. “Both divorcehotel.com and getting married in Vegas provide something quickly that traditionally takes time, but we are deadly serious about what we do. Most couples see our service as an amicable way to end a relationship.”

“I can’t give any examples because obviously cases are confidential, however we have had instances of couples who see the process as very positive and end the weekend with a champagne toast.”

So we now know exactly where to go for a quick divorce, but one last question remained: when did the company launch? “Valentine’s Day.” Of course. n

Could it happen? Leaked photographs of celebs from their airport security body scans? X17online thinks so. The site recently posted pictures of George Clooney being scanned at LAX.

Home comforts We like an initiative by Beijing International Airport that will send home anything that was confiscated at security.

The price is US$16 for items weighing less than 3kg. We look forward to receiving our souvenir samurai sword soon.

OUT Nicely matured A must-pack travel list from Silvertraveladvisor.com for the over 50s: wet wipes, for cleaning wine stains; walking stick, for jumping queues; haemorrhoid cream, for concealing bags under eyes; compass to “find way home again”; and passport in case of ID checks in clubs.

Freak show We like Air New Zealand’s ads and safety videos. But we are creeped out by the airline’s viral videos featuring ‘spokespuppet’ Rico. Backed with more innuendo than a 1970s medallion-wearing ‘Lothario’, the newest one features Lindsay Lohan. What was she thinking?

Too much honesty In the wake of the Arab Spring uprisings, Tunisia’s tourism has been hit hard. But ‘humorous’ taglines on the new ad campaign such as “they say in Tunisia some people get heavy handed treatment” under an image of a woman getting a massage seem a little too much...

Hotel snore patrols Snore patrols are being trialled at Crowne Plaza hotels in the UK. The patrol will listen out for “offensive noises” and knock on the door of guests who are too loud. We reckon that’s a job that’s going to be flooded with volunteers.

People

IntervIew Mark fuller

A

s the lights come up and the first strains of Andrea Bocelli’s Con te Partirò float over Dubai Fountain, a hush gathers over the audience and the show begins. Neck hairs stand on end as jets of water shoot 240 feet into the air and dance with astonishing precision to the music.

The magnificent creation is the work of Mark Fuller’s WET Design, the company responsible for the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas and a significant number of equally impressive projects across the globe. Blending his passion for H20 with complex scientific principles, not to mention a penchant for the dramatic, Fuller and his team have become pioneers in the world of water technology, setting the benchmark for water-in-motion projects everywhere.

How did you end up in this unique business?

I was working for the Walt Disney Company in the special effects department, creating special effects for their theme parks – Epcot Center at Disneyland. For the most part water fountains at that time were fairly traditional. I took the work that I had done in my college thesis, in which you take the water molecules that move in a stream of water and make them move exactly parallel at exactly the same speed, sort of like a water laser beam. It produces a stream of water that looks like a frozen piece of glass.

We did that at the Epcot Center, and it became wildly popular. After that I said, ‘Wow, nobody’s doing much of this’, so we decided to start our own company.

Let there be water The man behind the awe-inspiring Dubai Fountain and the Bellagio Fountains in Las Vegas, Mark Fuller knows how to make jaws drop Interview: Caitlin Cheadle

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Do you have a lot of competition now?

There’s certainly been a tremendous rise in the popularity of water features in luxury properties. When we started the company, one of the biggest obstacles was that we would have to convince the developer to consider putting a water fountain in the middle of a hotel or a park or a mixed-use development. It wasn’t very common. Now it’s hard to think of a hotel or casino that doesn’t have a water feature of some sort and we kind of influenced that. There are a lot of other companies doing similar things, but I don’t really think of them as competitors per se, because we have a very different approach.

So you were basically the trendsetters in terms of water features?

Well, put it this way: I look at my iPhone, and I think about how three years ago there wasn’t a mobile phone that had this interactive screen, and it was so innovative at the time. Now it’s become a staple of mobile phones.

Arabian spectacle Dubai Fountain dances to the strains of Andrea Bocelli and Emirati artist Hussein Al Jasmi

“Now it’s hard to think of a hotel or casino that doesn’t have a water feature of some sort, and we kind of influenced that” You’ve done several world-renowned projects like the Bellagio Fountains and the Dubai Fountain, which are acclaimed as the best in the business.

What kind of budgets do you have to play with when you take on projects like those?

The budgets vary greatly. The Bellagio was a multi-million dollar project that took years, but we also do small things that take less time.

At the end of the day, the clients are running a business, so we need to come up with something that is a smart investment for our clients.

Can you explain some of the innovative designs that you’ve come up with and how they’ve changed the business forever?

One of the first innovations that is so ubiquitous now is the idea of the fountains that come out of little holes in the ground. The very first one we did was in Dallas, Texas. It may be everywhere now, but it was radical at the time.

With the Dubai Fountain, the jets that come out and ‘dance’ are controlled by underwater robots, and their movements were developed by a choreographer.

Several very talented choreographers work on our team, and sometimes we bring in someone from outside, like Aaron Cash, choreographer of High School Musical, who has won several Emmys. He did the choreography for the fountain at the Bellagio, and he said, ‘I can get the same kind of movement from your water jets as I can from a person – whether it be comedy or a dramatic moment’. In order to make it a really emotional experience, it has to be a sophisticated movement.

How much energy is used to power these megafountains?

We’ve done a tremendous amount of innovation in energy saving. The Bellagio is a good example. There are these streams of water that are blasted into the sky with the use of compressed air. That uses about 20 percent of the energy that would be used to create the same fountain if you were to use traditional pumps. And the lighting that we use, particularly if you watch the Dubai Fountain, all those lights use an incredible amount of energy, but we developed the technology to switch each light off for a split second, which saves a great amount of energy and money. We really pride ourselves in being leaders in that aspect.

Focal point Dubai Fountain sits below the world’s tallest building - the Burj Khalifa

What new innovations will you be incorporating into your newest projects?

In Salt Lake city, Utah, it gets very cold in the winter. We are doing several fountains there, which I can’t really tell you much about, but they are opening next March. They will be the most popular water features in the world. When all the other fountains in the city are turned off because it’s too cold, they will be alive and glowing. We’re also working on our first large-scale floating fountain off the coast of Mexico, which can accommodate the tides in the ocean.

What is your favourite project?

I have a tremendous fondness for the Dubai Fountain, or the Lincoln Center fountain in New York City. Every project has a history, and when I go and see our fountains I find myself

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People WET Design Snapshots of Dubai Fountain (top), Bellagio Fountains (middle) and the lobby fountain in Burj al Arab (bottom)

Water world Powerful jets shoot water 50 storeys into the air

“As the world becomes more virtual, it creates a kind of hunger for nature. Technology is not a real thing; we need to be closer to real elements, like water and fire” not watching the fountains but turning around and watching the people watching them. I’m glad that the things we spend our lives working to perfect are bringing pleasure to people.

What is it about water that makes people feel like they are in luxurious surroundings?

Great question. It’s twofold. Firstly I believe that as creatures and as human beings, we’re drawn to nature. We’re made up of 80 percent water – we need it to survive – and a great part of our amusement and entertainment comes from hanging around various watering holes, like going to the beach or spending the day by the pool. Interestingly enough, as the world becomes more and more virtual, as the experiences we have are not real experiences but synthesised ones, I think we crave that contact with the things that are real, and there isn’t anything much more real than water. As the world becomes more virtual, it creates a kind of hunger for nature. Technology is not a real thing; we need to be closer to real elements, like water and fire.

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Do you have any personal favourite destinations you like to travel to?

I have favourite places in many parts of the world. There are some wonderful small hotels in northern Thailand. I love the hotels in Dubai, but I never stay in the same one; I like to mix it up. The Palace is great, so is The Address Downtown. I find it’s less about the hotel, and more about the staff and the attention to detail. Some hotels really get it, and sometimes you can stay in a beautiful hotel and it’s not the experience you would hope because of the service. I really think Dubai is one of the best places in terms of service; the staff are very well-trained. They have a great attention to their guests’ experience.

Do you think you’ll ever see water features in first class cabins on aircraft?

I think there are probably better ways of using fuel than to carry water back and forth, so we’ll keep our designs on the ground for now. n To see more of Mark Fuller’s designs visit www.wetdesign.com

Precision jets McNamara Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport

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

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Huvafen Fushi, Maldives

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MILAN

Italy’s style capital is descended upon by a lineup of designers, fashionistas, models, and media twice a year during Milan Fashion Week, booking up top hotels and restaurants months before the first designer heel hits the catwalk. But with all the flashbulbs and film reserved for the runways, how does the city itself benefit?

WORDS: Alice Haine

Luxe

Milan

here is a buzz of excitement as the fashion industry’s most important personalities wait for the show to begin. Necks decorated with the finest jewellery and designer scarves crane to make sure they have the best view of the catwalk.

Buyers, the press and fashionistas whisper to each other as they try and identify the celebrity names seated in the coveted front row, and the wall of photographers camped at the front of the runway re-check their equipment to ensure they capture that iconic catwalk moment. This scene will be replayed over and over again at this month’s Spring/Summer Milan Fashion Week, a style extravaganza that kicks off on September 21 and will see this Italian financial hub engulfed in a sea of fabric and glamour.

Twice a year the revered leaders of the fashion pack descend on the four style capitals of the world– New York, London, Paris and Milan – to cast their critical eyes over the clothes, hair and makeup the rest of us will be wearing in six months’ time.

It’s an event that can transform any city, but in Milan, by far the smallest of the four locations – which attracted fashion lovers and buyers from 37 countries to its February Autumn/Winter week to see shows from 66 labels including fashion giants Gucci, Prada and Fendi – its impact is more noticeable.

“Shop windows are dressed up, you see more limousines in the Golden Quadrant as the celebrities go shopping and the shop assistants are friendlier, because they don’t know if you are a journalist, an international stylist or tourist at that time of year,” says Celia Abernethy, founder of the fashion, tourism and lifestyle portal Milanostyle.com.

46 September 2011 com

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But while the stylish visitors hit the streets trying to outclass each other with their increasingly wacky and up-to-theminute fashions, the city need only sit back and reap the benefits.

Because with almost every luxury hotel fully-booked, and restaurants and

“LFW brings international buyers and press to London, and this alone generates in the region of £100m (US$164m), contributing over £20m ($32.77m) to the London economy,” says Groves.

“Fashion directly contributes nearly £21 billion (US$34.4bn) to the UK economy.

In the know Fashionistas and the media flock to Milan twice a year for a heads-up on next season’s hottest designs

Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

nightspots scheduled to host a plethora of invite-only afterparties, the financial rewards of being considered a fashion capital are endless – not only for Milan, but for Italy itself.

“It’s hugely beneficial to the country’s tourism and profile because despite the attempts of many other countries to launch fashion weeks, there are still only the ‘Big Four’ – London, Paris, New York and Milan,” says Andrew Groves, fashion course director at London’s Westminster University. “This is because they offer everything that the press and buyers want from fashion; other fashion weeks are poor substitutes.

“Every country or city wants to be a ‘cool’ place for people to visit, but few achieve this. While one can buy the same designer clothes throughout Italy, Milan is where you would go as a tourist and visitor, as this is where all the flagship stores and big-name boutiques are.”

Groves estimates that as well as raising Milan’s profile, a typical fashion week can boost the city’s coffers by GBP20 million (US$32.77m) or more.

Fashion sense Cultural exhibitions and social events around the show draw thousands of visitors each year

The in crowd Who’s-who events like main sponsor Mercedes Benz’s Fashion Club are a big draw for designers

Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

WWW.PAULSMI TH.CO.UK

Milan

Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

Luxe

“Where one might go to see the new ideas in London, Milan is where the fashion editors will be spending their time and money on the latest handbag from Prada or Bottega Veneta” Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

Style in the city The city is taken over by Milan Fashion Week twice a year

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“It also has an indirect economic impact, encouraging spending in other industries of over £16 billion (US$26.2bn).

That equals a total impact of £37 billion (US$60.6).

And the figures for New York, Paris and Milan would be in a similar region.”

Such an economic boost could not come at a better time for the city that sits in a nation surrounded by countries still deeply troubled by the global financial fallout. And though the fortunes of the region’s fashion industry have experienced an exceptional turnaround in 2010 – the Prada group’s 2010 sales topped its target of EUR2.72 billion (US$1.9bn) and the Gucci Group’s sales went up by 12.2 percent – it is still not one to rest on its stylish laurels, particularly as Milan’s economy and that of Italy itself rely so heavily on the manufacturing side of the luxury fashion industry.

“This is a crucial sector for our economy,” says Milan mayor Letizia Moratti. “It’s a particularly dynamic sector, with 15,000 companies in Milan and its surrounding areas. In 2010 alone, 342 Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

Are you in?

Fashionistas, VIPs and celebs fight tooth and nail for invitations to the top fashion parties

On the catwalk Front-row seats are reserved for the biggest names in the fashion industry

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textile or fashion businesses were created in Milan.”

This is key for Milan Fashion Week because the fashion pack’s main reason for going is to source the best manufacturers to make their designs, as the city is generally acknowledged as the home of the world’s bestmade clothes.

“All four fashion weeks have a different personality, which is also indicative of their national identity,” says Groves. “London is where buyers come to see the latest avant garde ideas, that may be in a completely new direction, which is iconoclastic compared to the other fashion capitals.

“New York is where one goes to see high volume, wearable luxe fashion; Paris is where ones goes to see the highest level of craftsmanship and refinement of the art of couture and fashion.

And Milan plays with ideas of good and bad taste, with a refinement of materials and manufacturing. Where one might go to see the new ideas in London, Milan is where the fashion editors will be spending their time and money on the latest handbag from Prada or Bottega Veneta.”

And the trends don’t just stay on the catwalk. Where this high-calibre crowd choose to sleep is just as important as the clothes they are seen in.

Among the luxury design hotels of choice are the Hotel Bulgari – an 18thcentury Palazzo that was once a monastery, which offers an unpacking service to ensure every fashionista’s wardrobe is kept in tip-top condition – and the Four Seasons Hotel Milan, a former convent now considered the most luxurious hotel in Milan, which boasts a prime location between via Montenapoleone and via della Spiga, the two most exclusive designer shopping streets in Italy.

But getting a room in these luxury hangouts is something that needs to be planned in advance – most are fully booked well ahead of this month’s event.

“The hotel is almost fully committed. But we don’t actually do any special activities, as the clients are busy attending the shows and do not spend much time within the hotel,” says Mohamed Abou Doh, sales manager for the Four Seasons’ Middle Eastern market.

Guests pay EUR830 (US$1,360) for an average room at the 118-room hotel, and enjoy the luxury of a fully staffed hotel, as no one is allowed to take leave during the fashion weeks.

While the Four Seasons may be the hotel of choice in Milan, in New York the preferred place for the stylish to

Bold and Beautiful Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, one of Europe’s oldest shopping centres

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Luxe

Milan

THe GOlDeN BOOk

Bulgari Milano

+39 (02) 805 222 bulgarihotels.com

Four Seasons Milano +39 (02) 77 088

Media frenzy International media look for any opportunity to snap the stars

Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

fourseasons.com/milan

lay their heads is the $490-per-night Bowery Hotel, with its gothic castle +39 (02) 8821 1234 meets British country manor style. milan.park.hyatt.com In London, the hip like to stay in the $440-a-night One Aldwych Hotel, Sheraton Diana with its 400-piece art collection and Majestic chlorine-free swimming pool with +39 (02) 205 81 underwater music. And in Paris they starwoodhotels.com check straight into the $570-a-night Hotel Costes – a legendary den of opuThe Westin Palace lence that takes the word ‘excess’ +39 (02) 633 61 to new levels. starwoodhotels.com The exclusivity that comes with Carlton Hotel the hotels spills out into the fashion Baglioni shows themselves, and the glamorous +39 (02) 77 077 afterparties that litter the cities’ most baglionihotels.com exclusive restaurants and nightspots.

But getting into an event is virtually COMING SOON impossible for the average fashion fan.

Armani Hotel Milano “If it is easy to get in then you +39 (02) 8883 8381 have got into a really rubbish show,” armanihotels.com says Groves. “One favourite trick for students is to turn up with an ironing board under their arm and claim they need to be backstage. I have seen this work in Milan, Paris and London.”

And the reason the average punter Old meets new can’t get in is because the seats are Billboards publicise reserved for the pop stars, Hollywood the Autumn/Winter sirens and aspiring models who have fashion week outside already fought hand, tooth and nail to the Duomo Cathedral earlier this year get their seat at the show.

Park Hyatt Milan

Photo: Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI)

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“The fashion industry has a very clear way of letting you know if you matter or not. You’re either front row, or you’re nothing. In fact row A isn’t even the front row any more, with designers having rows AA, and even AAA, so more people feel special. Though there is nothing worse than turning up with a ticket saying row A and thinking you are front row, only to find yourself in the Siberian hinterland of three rows back – social death.

the table, or an invite to one of the ‘in’ parties, the Milanese are happy to simply watch the elaborate spectacle taking place around them.

“You do see people outside VIP parties trying to see celebrities, but for the most part they are young people and tourists. The mature Milanese haven’t got time for such things,” says Milanostyle. com’s Abernethy, who also dismisses the notion that the fashion weeks are the most important events on Milan’s

“The fashion industry has a very clear way of letting you know if you matter or not. You’re either front row, or you’re nothing” “And no show starts until Suzy Menkes from the International Herald Tribune has arrived and sat front row. I have been to shows in Milan where guests had stood outside smoking as the shows were running late, to then suddenly spot Ms Menkes arrive and all run in and sit down as they knew the show would start once she was inside.”

But while the haves and the have-nots fight it out to get their seat at the top of

annual calendar. After all, it is a city that is also famous for being the 10th most important business and finance capital in Europe and home to one of the world’s best football teams.

“Milan hosts a number of expos and events. The fashion season is fun, but it’s not the most frequented. The International Home Show and furniture fair probably bring in more visitors to the city,” adds Abernethy.

But while the fashion weeks are a big draw for visitors, it is an insular crowd whose only motivation for being there is to see the fashion, rather than the local tourist sites.

“They stay strictly to the shows, restaurant openings, happening boutiques or latest clubs. Schedules are planned out weeks in advance via the invitations to all these events. Besides, if you are wearing the latest and highest shoes you really don’t want to be walking anywhere that isn’t red carpeted,” says Groves.

While the fashionistas do not directly boost the local tourism industry with a trip to the colossal Gothic cathedral, the Duomo or Leonardo da Vinci’s breathtaking Last Supper, in the Santa Maria delle Grazie, their presence in the city puts Milan on the tourist trail. In raising the city’s profile as a luxury designer shopping destination, it attracts tourists who are not only interested in high-end fashion but also the iconic style location these leading labels are housed in. n

Indulge

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Jordan

September 2011

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Nature Nurture

Jordan’s burgeoning spa scene is driven by a flawless combination of abundant natural resources, international expertise and a spa history that dates back to Cleopatra’s rule WORDS: Caroline Eden

J

ordan may be best known for its abundance of archaeological and cultural treasures, but it also harbours another, more luxurious delight – a burgeoning spa scene.

With its long history of healing waters, mineral-rich mud and hammams, the country’s appeal as a centre of healing is in the midst of a resurgence, harking back to the days when Cleopatra ordered cosmetic factories and resorts to be built along its shores.

The Dead Sea has always remained an important destination for those in search of healing waters and natural therapies, and new hotels and spa resorts are capitalising on Jordan’s reputation as a centre of health and wellness.

Many of the chic four- and five-star hotels that have sprung up around Aqaba, the Dead Sea and Petra, not to mention the capital Amman, offer world-class spa journeys and treatments in super smart surroundings.

This trend is attracting a whole new group of visitors – jet-setting spa goers who are keen to be buffed, polished and massaged to new heights of rejuvenation in blissful five-star comfort.

By blending first-rate hotel spas with resorts and the odd independent stand-alone, the country is now on the international travel radar as a genuine destination of choice for spa aficionados.

Here we highlight a few of the very best places to indulge in comfort and style.

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Indulge

Jordan

AMMAN The capital and the country’s largest city, which lies in close proximity to the Dead Sea, is fast becoming a spa destination in its own right. Offering a variety of different cutting-edge spa journeys and time-honoured therapies at many of its high-end hotels, Amman makes the perfect place to begin or conclude a desert adventure.

The Four Seasons brand is well known for its excellent hotel spas, and Four Seasons Amman, located in the business district, is no exception. At this chic spa space, therapists offer the best in indigenous Jordanian rituals, which make the most of natural sea salts and minerals, aromatherapy oils and botanicals. Special mud treatments are a must, as is the relaxing ‘Spa Prestige’ treatment, which begins with a scalp massage and exfoliation and ends with an indulgent massage using ‘body milk’. With its hilltop setting affording excellent views, royal treatment service and oodles of fresh flowers, Four Seasons Amman is one of the country’s most peaceful sanctuaries.

Grand Hyatt Amman, located in the heart of the city’s smart business district, Jabal Amman, is a striking and celebrated hotel graced with an enormous antique staircase and elegant decor. The property has a much-acclaimed spa on-site, Club Olympus, which offers guests a host of international treatments, some of which have been directly inspired by the local surroundings.

Here guests will find nourishing Dead Sea mud wraps and facials on the menu, which make use of local marine products as well as hot stone therapies. Health nuts will appreciate the fitness centre, which incorporates a well-equipped gymnasium, free weights, cross trainers and treadmills.

Both of these hotels make excellent bases for adventures further afield – it is possible to visit Petra on a day-trip or the graeco-roman city of Jerash, which is less than an hour’s drive away, and the Dead Sea is a 30-minute drive by car.

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Amman comforts Grand Hyatt Amman’s Club Olympus Spa (top) and the indoor pool at InterContinental Amman (inset) Dead Sea secrets Six Senses Evason Ma’In Hot Springs is carved out of the rock face 260m below sea level

THE DEAD SEA The Dead Sea is Mother Nature’s spa – a vast expanse of healing water packed full of healing ingredients. The lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea offers a rich cocktail of salts and minerals, supplying the beauty and spa industries worldwide with some of its finest ingredients.

A 30-minute drive from the Dead Sea and wonderfully isolated in the hills, Six Senses Evason Ma’In Hot Springs is, without a doubt, one of the region’s very best wellness destinations. Pure pampering is the aim here, and trained therapists administer a range of treatments that focus on the therapeutic properties of the local mineral-rich waters.

The Six Senses Spa sits immediately under a hot spring waterfall that cascades into the main pool, which alone makes for an unforgettably relaxing experience. Top treatments include the ‘Sensory Journey’, a signature Six Senses treatment in which two therapists administer a facial, body massage, footbath and a stress relieving scalp massage – an ideal treat for weary souls.

Anantara Spa at the chic five-star Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea is the largest in the Middle East, making it a must-visit for any serious spa-lover. To really benefit from the natural spa treatments on offer, it pays to go for the Dead Sea Rejuvenating Mud Facial. Combining black mud mask, geranium and pure honey, this treatment purifies and nourishes the skin and leaves all who experience it feeling fresh as a daisy.

Alternatively, try the unusual ‘Wind and Sand Arabian Massage’, based on an ancient ritual used by Bedouin travellers. The treatment consists of movements inspired by the shifting of desert sands and is blissfully soothing. Covering 10,000sqm, and with 20 treatment rooms, this spa has something for everyone and comes with the seamless service guests expect of Anantara.

Indulge

Jordan

Night swimming Enjoy the jacuzzi at Kempinski Aqaba under the warm night air of the Red Sea

AQABA – RED SEA The Red Sea and white sand beaches of Aqaba offer visitors a wealth of spa and recreational experiences. For the energetic, there is jet-skiing, kayaking, swimming, world-class diving and camel safaris, and for slower-paced enjoyment there is luxurious yachting, spa therapies and private hideaway dinners on the beach. Culture vultures are also well catered for, as Aqaba makes a convenient base for day-trips to UNESCO World Heritage site Wadi Rum. Since opening in 2009, Kempinski Hotel Aqaba has raised the stakes of the luxury hotel experience in the local area, offering guests a 24-hour butler service, ‘Panoramic Rooms’ with wraparound views of the Red Sea, a multi-layered pool with a swish swim-up bar, and a private white sand beach. One of the very best features of this impressive hotel though, is the spa.

Here, many of the treatments are not only inspired by local traditions and treatments but are also seasonal. In the winter, guests can undergo a restorative ‘Winter Fleece Wrap’ which eases stiff joints using thermal clay, and in the summer, a ‘Pearl Scrub,’ which prepares the skin perfectly for a summer tanning session. Creative and instinctive, this spa is unsurpassed in the local area.

Also with fantastic views of the Gulf of Aqaba is the InterContinental Aqaba, within easy walking distance of the city centre and all of its historical charms – including Mamluk Fort, which was once a Crusader castle. The Spa here is the InterFit Spa, which is immediately relaxing with its candle-lit Oriental ambiance. As with all the best spas in Jordan, Dead Sea nutrients, with their ability to heal and rejuvenate, are incorporated into the treatments; try a Dead Sea Salts Scrub and Natural Mud Wrap with Dry Floatation to see why. The Swedish massage here is particularly good, and there is also a hydrotherapy bath, Jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and juice bar, making this spa a great all-round experience.

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Red Sea breezes Kempinski Aqaba on the shores of the Red Sea is designed for unwinding

Red Sea panorama InterContinental Aqaba is one of the newest five-star hotels to hit Jordan’s shores

“With its long history of healing waters, mud products and hammams, the country’s appeal as a centre of healing is in the midst of a resurgence”

Indulge

Jordan

Petra panorama Movenpick Petra’s Al Ghadeer roof garden is a great place to unwind

PETRA Jordan’s premier sightseeing destination, the rose-red city of Petra offers wilderness Hammam retreats in nearby villages and revitalising massages at the Movenpick resort. Both are ideal for those who want to stay as close as possible to one of the world’s greatest wonders.

The award-winning Taybet Zaman, located 10 kilometres from Petra, is a uniquely authentic hideaway. Deserted in the 1960s, the resort now offers travellers a special insight into traditional Jordanian ways of life. The old village houses have been neatly converted by the local community into 105 comfortable guest rooms, while off of the old village streets is a swimming pool and an Ottomanstyle bath, where excellent spa rejuvenation massages are on offer – perfect after a long hot day of sightseeing. Unique to anywhere else, this resort not only offers comfort but also supports the local community and is keeping alive traditional arts and crafts.

For a no less impressive experience, stay at the Movenpick Resort Petra, which appears to have leapt off of the pages of Arabian Nights. There’s not a spa as such, but a Wellness Centre with an outdoor pool, steam bath, fully-equipped gym and a fantastic, well-stocked library full of books about Jordan and Petra. The Al Ghadeer Roof Garden, with its elegant columns, fountain and seating areas, is the spot to come for well-deserved sundowners, with live music in the background.

Staying here means that the wonders of Petra are literally on the doorstep, which makes for an enchanted, and frankly unbeatable, stay. n

THE GolDEn booK Evason Ma’In Hot Springs

+962 5 324 5500

www.sixsenses.com/Evason-Ma-In

Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea +962 5 365 8888

www.kempinski.com/deadsea

Four Seasons Amman +962 (6) 550 5555

www.fourseasons.com/amman

Grand Hyatt Amman +962 6 465 1234

www.amman.grand.hyatt.com

Kempinski Hotel Aqaba +962 3 209 0888

www.kempinski.com/aqaba

InterContinental Aqaba +962 3 209 2222 Movenpick Petra A rejuvenating steam room is perfect after a dusty day at Petra

www.ichotelsgroup.com

Movenpick Resort Petra +962 3 215 71 11

www.movenpick-petra.com

Taybet Zaman

+962 3 215 0111 www.jordantourismresorts.com

“The lowest point on earth, the Dead Sea offers a rich cocktail of salts and minerals, supplying the beauty and spa industries worldwide with some of its finest ingredients”

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24 hours

Beirut

NIGHT & DAY

Beirut Souks Local labels and international brands are packed into the brand new complex

Modern Beirut is awake all hours, which is a good thing for visitors who want a taste of the city Words & photos: Joe Mortimer

08:00 Arrive first thing in the morning and check in at the Four Seasons Beirut (www. fourseasons.com/beirut T: + 961 (1) 761 000).

Take a moment to admire the stylish black and gold lobby, the luxurious suite and the sweeping Mediterranean views, then head straight out.

10:00 Ask the unfathomably helpful concierge for a map and head for Beirut Corniche, where you’ll enjoy views of the Med on one side and Mount Lebanon behind the city. Look out for the bullet holes in the trunks of the palm trees. Walk all the way to Raouche and take a few photos of Pigeon Rocks – ask a boatman to take you around them if you’re feeling intrepid. (www.lebanon-tourism.gov.lb)

16:30 For more shopping treats and something unique to take home, head to the colourful Quartier des Artes (www.solidere.com/saifi/ saifi.html) – or Saifi Village as it is officially known – and peer through the windows of the independent designer boutiques, art galleries, antique shops and trendy coffee shops, set in a cluster of new and restored old buildings.

Faith in humanity Mohammad al-Amin Mosque and Saint George Maronite Cathedral stand side by side

17:30 Walk back via Martyrs Square, staging ground for the city’s political demonstrations in wilder times, and peer at the bullet-hole ridden Martyrs’ Statue. Keep going past the Mohammad al-Amin Mosque and the Saint George Maronite Cathedral, back through Beirut Souks – a second chance to pick up any must-haves.

Nejmeh Square The recently rebuilt downtown area

The Roof: luxury lifstyle on the rooftop terrace at Four Seasons Hotel Beirut

Arabian spectacle

12:00 For the best views, head to Aquarius Pool Bar on the 17th floor of Raouche Arjaan by Rotana (www.rotana.com T: +961 (1) 781 111), where you can enjoy a shawarma and a mocktail to keep you going for the afternoon.

18:30 Make sure you’re back at Four Seasons Beirut in time for sundowners on The Roof the 26th floor open-air lounge and pool area, where the city’s beautiful people warm up for a night on the town with cocktails and DJ sets.

00:00 Make your way to nearby Gemmayze, a ragged enclave containing some of the city’s best bars. It’s war-torn chic, with bars spilling out onto narrow cobbled streets, but the atmosphere is electric.

14:00 After lunch take a taxi to the Beirut Souks (www.solidere.com/beirut-souks) and wander the covered alleyways of the city’s brand new shopping district. Browse through international luxury brands and local designers in more than 128,000sqm of open bazaar-style retail.

21:30 Things don’t kick off until late in Beirut, so ease your way into the evening with dinner at Abdel Wahab (www.ghiaholding.com T: +961 (1) 200550/1). It’s one of Beirut’s most popular restaurants, so have the concierge call ahead and reserve a table on the wonderful rooftop. If you want something a little more polished, try Indigo on the Roof at Le Gray Beirut (www. campbellgrayhotels.com T: +971 (1) 972 000 or indigo@legray.com), where you can enjoy some of the best views in town while you choose from Beirut’s most extensive wine list.

02:00 If you’re still awake, head to one of the city’s clubs, which literally go on all night. BO18 (www.bo18.com) is an industrial style club with an enormous ceiling that opens up onto the starry Beirut sky throughout the evening.

15:30 Walk to pedestrianised Nejmeh Square and enjoy a shisha and a coffee at one of the open-air cafes that line the street leading to the Beirut Clock Tower, with its giant Rolex clock face. (www.rolex.com)

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05:00 Dawn will be on its way, and you should be too. There’s just enough time to grab a shower and take one of the hotel’s luxurious BMW limousines to Rafic Hariri Airport. (www.beirutairport.gov.lb)

Stay Four Seasons Beirut T: +961 (1) 761 000 www.fourseasons. com/beirut

Le Gray T: +961 (1) 971 111 www.campbellgrayhotels.com

Raouche Arjaan

by Rotana T: +961 (1) 781 111 www.rotana.com

Winning Moves, Winning Strategies

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The Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference brings together over 400 Investors, Developers, Operators, Advisors and Government Officials to network and explore opportunities within the region.

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Shouldn’t You Be There?

17-19 OC TO BE R 2011, R ADISSON ROYA L HOT EL, MO S COW

REGISTER NOW! www.russia-cisconference.com or call +44 (0)1462 490609 CO N F E R E N C E HO S TS

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ACCOR Avielen AG AZIMUT Hotels Company Best Western Cushman & Wakefield Deloitte DLA Piper Hilton Worldwide Hyatt International IHG Interstate Management Services Inc. Marriott International, Inc Orient-Express Hotels Salans Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc WATG Woods Bagot Sponsors confirmed as of 16 June 2011

Diary 09.11 Mid-Autumn Lantern Celebration September 4 – 13 Hong Kong

In homage to the harvest moon, families and friends throughout China will celebrate the MidAutumn Festival, a blend of ancient Chinese fable, hand-crafted lanterns, food and fun. In Hong Kong, there are lantern carnivals set up around the city, as well as plenty of opportunities to learn about Chinese culture. A must-see is the three-day fire dragon dance in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay. www.discoverhongkong.com

Rugby World Cup 2011 September 9 – October 23 New Zealand

This year the Rugby World Cup 2011’s host country, New Zealand, is pulling out all the stops for this epic six-week sporting event, which sees the top nations from around the world competing for the coveted World Cup. The REAL New Zealand Festival will take place during the entire duration of the World Cup, offering visitors a unique way to experience the country. From Whangarei to Invercargill, there will be events revolving around arts, music, cuisine, fashion and New Zealand’s history and culture, so there’s something for everyone. www.rugbyworldcup.com

Oktoberfest

September 17 – October 3 Munich, Germany

On opening day on September 17 at approximately 12 noon, join the Lord Mayor of Munich in the Schottenhamel tent for the official opening of the weeks-long celebration of one of Germany’s most beloved exports: beer. After the first keg has been tapped, all guests are invited to their first sip of beer, and the party continues until closing day on October 3. Expect a feel-good crowd, carnivals and rides, concerts and performances, and a lot of sausages and sauerkraut. There are no tickets required to participate, and admission to the beer tents is free. www.oktoberfest.de/en 62

September 2011

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September

What’s on

Spring Racing Carnival

September 17 – November 20 Melbourne, Australia

Photo: SDP

This 50-day event combines some of the best thoroughbred racing action with a spectacular party scene that takes over Melbourne for the duration. Each of Melbourne’s country clubs offers its own unique race day, providing guests with their choice of venues and race types. There are plenty of activities to accompany the races, such as fashion shows, luxury hosted lunches and dinners, plus concerts and enviable prizes for best-dressed racegoers. The event is gaining more momentum with each passing year and now sees guests attending from all over the world, including celebrities. www.springracingcarnival.com.au

New York Fashion Week

September 8 - 15 New York City, USA

Certainly the biggest fashion week event in the US and one of the most highly-anticipated in the world, New York Fashion Week Spring/ Summer 2011 will see all the top designer labels showcasing their latest collections in elaborate shows staged for industry insiders, media and celebrities. One of the buzziest times of year for the iconic city, this is a great time to visit. In the daytime Bryant Park is jammed with photographers, models and society ladies, and at night the bars, restaurants and nightclubs are alive with afterparties. www.mbfashionweek.com

Festes de la Merces

September 22 – 25 Barcelona, Spain

This annual event is held in honour of the patron saint le Merce (the Virgin of Mercy). Usually there are up to 500 events taking place in and around Barcelona during the festival. The Correfoc (the procession of the fire-breathing dragons) takes place on the Via Laietana after dark, when people dress up as dragons, devils and other monsters and march the streets, scaring people with noisemakers, sparklers and firecrackers. The Gigantes (the giant parade) is when giant figures of kings and queens, nobles and saints dance and march on the streets, accompanied by live music. In the Gothic quarter, at the Placa de Sant Jaume, the tradition of building human towers, or Castellers, is one of the most popular events. Thousands gather here to watch as competing teams attempt to build the tallest human pyramid. www.bcn.cat/ dotwnews.com

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Spend it

Itineraries

Spend it

Cruising in Indonesia, unwinding in the Maldives, or enjoying exclusive access to the PGA Grand Slam – here are our favourite ways to splurge this month

Go wild in Costa Rica Wild Guanabana – the Middle East’s first carbon neutral adventure travel company – is celebrating its UAE launch with several itineraries for intrepid travellers looking for a holiday with a kick. The company’s ‘Adrenaline Addicts Anonymous – Costa Rica’ journey is a nine- to 14-day adventure that takes you from Caribbean beaches to lush tropical interiors. Spend two weeks racing down white water rivers, trekking in the cloud forests, rappelling down jungle waterfalls, hiking up volcanoes and learning to surf in the frothy waters of the Caribbean. Every day promises a new experience, with itineraries that combine adrenaline filled adventures with rest days and plenty of opportunities to get up close and personal with Costa Rica’s rich flora and fauna. Wild Guanabana offsets all carbon emissions from flights and activities (in this case 4.22 tonnes of CO2 equivalent) and supports local companies and communities.

Cost: US$3,200 including accommodation, meals, activities and park fees. Excludes international flights.

From: January-April and June-August 2012.

Book: getmeonaplane@wildguanabana.com www.wildguanabana.com

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Adventure awaits Eco-friendly Wild Guanabana offers high-adrenaline holidays

Indonesian Odyssey Boutique cruise company The Yachts of Seabourn has introduced a number of new itineraries across its fleet of six luxurious cruise ships for its new 2012-2013 Cruise Collection brochure.

Our favourite is the 10-day Indonesian Odyssey aboard the Seabourn Odyssey, which makes its way slowly from Bali to Singapore on March 15, 2013. Embark in Denpassar on the island of Bali, then set off on a Southeast Asian adventure through the islands of the Indonesian archipelago, starting with Bali’s neighbour Lombok, then on to Java and the lesser-known Karimunjawa Islands. Here you will enjoy caviar in the surf served by the ship’s crew and a day of water sports in the waters of the Java Sea, before setting off back to Java for a day tour of the ancient temple of Borobudur. Enjoy the facilities onboard the Seabourn Odyssey on the two-day journey across the South China Sea. If you like your cruises a little longer, the ship’s next departure leaves Singapore for Dubai on March 25.

Cost: US$8,480 per person for the Penthouse Suite, based on double occupancy.

From: March 15, 2013. www.seabourn.com

Itineraries

Spend it

Magic in the Maldives

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

Set sail for Southeast Asia Embark on an Indonesian Odyssey with The Yachts of Seabourn

Tantalising Thailand Anyone familiar with Thailand knows that you always leave wanting more, so Anantara is offering guests the chance to stay at two of its stunning properties on two of Thailand’s most beautiful islands with one fantastic package. Start off with three luxurious nights at Anantara Lawana Koh Samui Resort and Spa, situated at the quiet northern end of popular Chaweng Beach. The excitement of the town is not far away, but from the private tranquil surroundings of Anantara Lawana, you’ll feel like you’re on your own private island paradise. Transfer by speedboat to Koh Phangan and check into one of the 44 villas and suites at Rasananda Phangan Island Resort and Spa, which all come with private plunge pool. Enjoy pure indulgence at the romantic hideaway, with Anantara spa treatments and freshly prepared Thai cuisine, served at one of the resort’s restaurants or in your private villa. Wine connoisseurs will love Koh Phangan’s only seaview wine cellar. If all that’s not enough, why not charter the 20m yacht for a day and explore the nearby islands.

Cost: From US$592 per night, based on six nights – three at each property. Includes daily buffet breakfast.

From: Now until December 20, 2011. www.anantara.com

As the name suggests, Taj Exotica Resort & Spa promises the kind of experience dreams are made of. The romantic private island resort in the Maldives is covered with tropical foliage and surrounded by the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. Your visit starts with a 15-minute speedboat transfer from Malé to the thin strip of land in the South Male Atoll, where pristine white beaches and a butler will greet you before escorting you to your private Premium Beach Villa.

The 82sqm villa features an oversized plunge pool, set in its own 111sqm outdoor area, with sunbeds on a private veranda, tropical outdoor shower, private walled garden, plus direct access to the lagoon and a private beach. Days on the island are spent enjoying water sports options – diving, snorkelling, kayaking, windsurfing and dolphin-watching to name a few – or doing absolutely nothing at all, either on the beach, in your villa, at the pool, or in the Jiva Grand Spa, where an extensive list of indulgent treatments awaits.

Cost: Premium Beach Villas start from US$1,500 per night including non-motorised water sports, one sunset cruise and airport transfers.

From: Until December 23, 2011.

Book: exotica.maldives@tajhotels.com www.tajhotels.com/maldives

Island vista Views across the Gulf of Thailand from Anantara Lawana

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Spend it

Itineraries

Fresh air guaranteed There’s nothing like fresh mountain air to clear away the post-summer cobwebs, especially in the Alpine air of the southern Swiss town of Ascona. Fresh from a three-month summer hibernation that saw extensive renovations throughout, Tschuggen Grand Hotel Arosa is reopening its doors with a raft of tempting offers and new “24-carat” features. Inspired by the surrounding Arosa mountains and their alpine-forested slopes, the new Carlo Rampazzi interiors are designed to infuse the open space with the atmosphere of the region, with a colour palette made up of natural tones with strong red, green and yellow accents. Highlights of the new interiors are the Tschuggen Bar – a 1950s-style cocktail bar with an antique bar and spacious fireplace – and a new gentlemen’s club-style Cigar Lounge, with comfy armchairs and walls incorporating real tobacco leaves. La Collina restaurant now features tasteful leather-upholstered chairs in yellow, plus wall mirrors in the shape of trees. Book in for four nights and enjoy complimentary benefits including a guided hiking tour around the town’s nearby lakes, followed by a soothing treatment in Tschuggen’s luxurious spa.

Alternatively, book three nights before December 31 and you’ll get an additional room for two children up to the age of 12.

Cost: From US$1,547 for four nights’ accommodation, including hiking tour and spa treatments.

From: September 1 to October 15, 2011.

Book: info@tschuggen.ch www.tschuggenhotelgroup.ch

Run for the hills Tschuggen Grand Hotel Arosa is set in the green hills of Ascona

Inside the Ropes

Bermudan getaway The pink sand beach of Mandarin Oriental’s Elbow Beach

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The 2011 golf season will soon be coming to an end, and what better way to celebrate than with VIP passes to the 2011/12 PGA Grand Slam of Golf at the Port Royal Golf Course in Bermuda on October 18 and 19? Elbow Beach Bermuda, a Mandarin Oriental property set in 50 acres of lush manicured gardens that gently slope down to its private pink sand beach, has come up with an “Inside the Ropes” package, offering guest exclusive access to the golfing action combined with five-star accommodation. Guests will receive access to the Trophy Club for the duration of the two-day event, as well as the VIP tent on the 18th green and clubhouse patio, and a number of exclusive roped-off viewing locations, for up close and personal views of their favourite players. Guests will also be invited to the Champions Celebration on 18 October, which will include an hour-long presentation and a banquet with the players. Finish off an amazing event with your own round of golf on the Robert Trent Jones Sr-designed Port Royal Golf Course.

Cost: US$6,840 for two people for four nights in a Premier Ocean View Room with daily breakfast.

From: October 17 to 21, 2011 Book: ebbda-reservations@mohg.com www.mandarinoriental.com/bermuda

If we said weekend hotel break.

Do you think, yes, yes, yes, yes, YES! YES

NO

TURN THE PAGE NOW! ‌then this is your new favourite spot.

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

The difference is you!

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

DEBUT

Trump Ocean Club International Hotel Panama City, Panama

The latest property in the Trump Hotel Collection, the US$430 million Trump Ocean Club International Hotel and Tower has opened its doors on Panama City’s picturesque waterfront.

The 70-storey property, at 932 feet, is the tallest building in Latin America and features 369 rooms, including 47 suites, 37 elevators, a spa, a marina, beachside pool, a casino, an island with private beach, and a 4,200 square metre convention centre. In addition to the hotel, private residences are available to own, ranging from US$250,000 to $1 million. Inside, the hotel is sleek and modern. Rooms feature freestanding bathtubs, a palette of neutral, earthy tones and large floor-to-ceiling windows for viewing Panama’s enchanting skyline.

JW Marriott Hotel Ankara Marriott’s first property in Turkey rises 24 floors above the capital

Trump Ocean Club Luxury living in the heart of Panama’s financial district

JW Marriott Hotel Ankara Ankara, Turkey

The first of Marriott’s JW properties in Turkey, JW Marriott Hotel Ankara is a 24-storey, 413-room glass tower that rises above the vibrant capital city. Rooms feature marble baths and deep soaking tubs, 300-thread count Turkish linens, and in-room technology such as 40-inch LED TVs. To dine guests can choose from JW Steakhouse, the brand’s sig68

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nature restaurant; Fires & Flavors, serving Turkish and International fare; or Sky Vue Lounge and Terrace on the 22nd floor, with a large selection of beverages and cocktails and nightly modern jazz entertainment. Karma Spa Wellness & Fitness boasts indoor and outdoor pools, its main draw being the authentic Turkish Hammam, including a VIP spa area with private hammam.

Hot hotels | chic boutiques | exclusive resorts

Sofitel Guangzhou Sunrich Guangzhou, China

Located in the heart of Guangzhou’s financial district, Tianhe, this elegant five-star property boasts 493 rooms and suites, each done in a tasteful contemporary blend of Asian and Parisian décor, a theme that extends throughout the rest of the hotel. Five bars and restaurants include Robata Bar & Grill, a steakhouse and Japanese Izakaya eatery; Le Chinois, featuring Cantonese cuisine; 8 Faubourg, an elegant bar that resembles a Parisian apartment; and Mar-Tea-Ni, where guests can enjoy pastries along with the services of a tea sommelier. The So SPA features L’Occitane products, and the So FIT fitness area contains an indoor pool with a sub-aquatic music broadcaster.

Sofitel Guangzhou French flair in the heart of Guangzhou’s financial district

Jaipur Marriott Hotel Rajasthan, India

In the heart of the bustling city of Jaipur in the state of Rajasthan, the Jaipur Marriott Hotel caters to business and leisure travellers, with sleek interiors featuring earthy tones, cascading water fixtures and Rajasthani artwork throughout, plus 43,000 square feet of meeting space and seven food and beverage outlets including a multi-level nightclub. The Quan Spa offers a variety of relax-

ing treatments, a state of the art fitness club and separate adult and kids’ pools. Before the hotel opened to the public last month it served as the official hospitality partner for the home team at the exclusive Indian Premier League cricket tournament, hosting various gatherings in its two ballrooms, nine break-away venues and expansive lawns.

Jaipur Marriott Hotel Rajasthani artwork is found throughout this inner-city haven

Makepeace Island Noosa, Australia

Virgin boss Sir Richard Branson has thrown open the doors to his multi-million dollar luxury retreat in Noosa, Australia. The secluded 10-hectare heart-shaped Makepeace Island sits in the middle of a river and is a 10-minute boat ride from Noosa’s bustling Hastings Street, which contains bars, shops and restaurants. The private island retreat was originally developed for the use of Virgin Blue staff. The resort can be booked by up to 22 guests at a time, who will have access to a two-storey open-air Balinese wantilan, a 500,000 litre lagoon pool, bar, tennis court, spa facilities and lush oriental gardens. Three private bures offer guests a private place to relax away from the main wantilan, and feature volcanic boulder bathtubs, private terraces overlooking the river, and furniture sourced from Bali and Java. dotwnews.com

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Geneva’s

crown jewel

Dine in style The lavish Pierre-Yves Rochondesigned interiors of Il Lago restaurant are fit for a king

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Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Suite dreams

Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva blends modern loft-style luxury with historic opulence, says Caitlin Cheadle, who spent a night in the Presidential Suite

G

eneva is a place where efficiency reigns supreme, but not at the cost of beauty. Reaching the heart of the financial capital of Switzerland doesn’t require a treacherous journey through miles of suburb. The downtown area, which borders the turquoise waters of Lake Geneva, is only a 15-minute scenic drive from the airport, all the more pleasant when you’re sitting in the back of a chauffeured limousine on your way to the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva, which also happens to be the oldest hotel in the city, originally opened in 1834.

Pulling up to the resplendent building among a crowd of Bentleys, Porsches and Rolls-Royces, several smiling, uniformed staff greet me by name and usher me into a marble-floored lobby with enormous, ornate flower arrangements and walls of robin’s egg-blue trimmed with gold. I’m checked in painlessly while being escorted to the brand new sixth-floor loft suites, which were completed just weeks before my arrival.

Presidential Suite 614 is a sight to behold, awash in shades of cream and royal blue, with light oak hardwood floors, rich abstract paintings and plenty of natural light flooding in through six arch-framed windows, each of which showcases its own idyllic scene: Lake Geneva’s stunning 459-foot Jet d’Eau fountain, the St. Pierre Cathedral and downtown Geneva, backed by the peaks of Mont Saleve and Mont Blanc.

But it’s the added extras that make this suite truly special. Every last detail has been thought through so that guests will feel completely at home. There are two remote-control fireplaces, and in the bathroom, you can soak away your stresses in either the gorgeous limestoneencased double bath, or the generous rain shower, which has its own hammam steam function, activated with the push of a button.

Opposite the bath, embedded within the mirror that backs a marble double sink, is a screen which I only noticed because of the remote control placed beside it. Press the power button and an interactive navigation menu materialises, which you can scroll through to select movies, watch TV or choose bath-time music from a range of playlists.

My knowledgeable and charming waiter recommends a crisp Viognier to accompany my starter of scallops with braised chestnuts, which also pairs nicely with the lobster risotto.

A delicate sea bass with artichokes has me rethinking my sceptical stance on the ‘foam’ revolution – it’s light, airy and adds just a hint of savoury to the sweet flesh of the fish.

“It’s the added extras that make this suite truly special. Every last detail has been thought through so that guests will feel completely at home” If you’re having trouble figuring out how to use the suite’s techie tools, or if you just want some advice about what to see and do in Geneva, each floor has a designated concierge at your disposal.

Mine is up to my suite within minutes of my calling to ask how to work the TV mirror, and he chats about what I should see in the city as he helps me open a bottle of champagne.

When it’s time to head to dinner, I call to ask that the bottle be taken to the restaurant, where I find it waiting for me in an ice bucket at my table on the terrace of Il Lago, the hotel’s exquisite Italian restaurant.

As I take in the views of Lake Geneva, the unseasonably cool weather forces me to retreat into Il Lago’s interior, an elegant salute to the hotel’s heritage, adorned with ornately framed artwork, frescoes, chandeliers, and prim french bergere chairs. It’s no surprise when I’m told the decor is the work of Pierre-Yves Rochon, who is also responsible for the Four Seasons Georges V in Paris. As I take a seat and note the classical music playing over the hushed conversations of fellow diners, I can’t help but feel like royalty.

I sample a glass of Muscato Rosé before my dessert arrives, and the meal’s grand finale is the dessert cart, wheeled out with my afterdinner coffee. I feel utterly spoiled as the waiter places one of each delicacy lightly on my plate: calissons, nougat, macaroons, and an assortment of chocolates and truffles.

Later, as I catch up on some reading next to the fireplace, the room is blanketed in silence.

This is the kind of suite that will suit any season, but its fur stoles, cosy interior and views would make it the perfect winter hideaway – I make a note to return in the new year. By then, the brand-new rooftop spa will be open. n

The important bit What: Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues Geneva, 33 Quai des Bergues, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland Cost: the Presidential Suite starts from US$7,600 per night Web: www.fourseasons.com/geneva

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Review

Swiss Airlines

Precision timing SWISS International Airlines offers a five-star experience at 37,000 feet, says Nicci Perides

S

witzerland is synonymous with superb service, a knack for divine chocolates and great cheeses. So it makes sense that any product coming from the Swiss should honour the same traditions.

SWISS International Airlines has been quietly but confidently conquering the world in recent years. The relatively new airline was formed in 2002, shortly after the financial crash and the embarrassing news of bankruptcy for its predecessor SwissAir, Switzerland’s former flag carrier.

The story of SWISS International Airlines is one of rags to riches, and although it had a fairly humble start in life, today it stands as the Skytrax 2011 World Airline Awards ‘Best Airline in Western Europe’, and was awarded Best Airline for Europe and Best Airline and Business Class on North and South America flights

by Business Traveller Awards 2010.

The route network stands at an impressive 72 destinations worldwide, with over half located in Europe, which is why it was my airline of choice to travel on a multi-stop trip through Europe from the Middle East.

Arriving at Dubai International Airport at 11.30pm is never a fun

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prospect – the airport is almost always busy – however there is of course the haven of the business class lounge to look forward to.

After swiftly checking in, I retire to the lounge for a light dinner and a last-minute check of my e-mails, then make my way to the gate.

The staff welcome me onboard the Business Class Cabin of the LX243 from Dubai to Zurich, and I immediately settle into the seat and check the essentials for a cosy night sleep above the clouds. Firstly, a flat bed. Check. Next, suitable earplugs, socks and eye mask. Check, check and check – all presented in a tidy overnight washbag. The blanket is big enough to cover me and each seat is divided and suitably private.

The crew ensure I have everything I need prior to take-off.

The clean, cold towel is exactly what I need to wipe away the sticky night that was Dubai (33 degrees at 01:30am) and a glass of bubbly prior to take-off is the final check before I settle down for the night.

The seats are extremely comfortable even in sitting mode.

The in-flight screens are large enough that you don’t have to squint, even when you are lying horizontal. I start the massage function in my chair and soon after

take-off I set the bed to sleep mode and hand in my breakfast card. I feel like I’m in a hotel.

I awake the next morning as breakfast is being prepared. The service is personal, so you eat when you want. The hostess flips out the table, covers it with a white linen tablecloth and serves fresh juice, tea and a continental breakfast.

To my delight the culinary expertise of top Swiss chefs has extended to the in-flight dining, as has my favourite cheese – Le Gruyère. I shouldn’t be surprised by the exquisite service onboard – Switzerland it home to some of the world’s top hotel schools.

We are at the gate before long and disembark in good time – that’s Swiss precision timing, I guess.

The next leg of my trip leaves me with four hours to kill in Zurich airport. The airport is well equipped for passengers with a long transit, and the Business Lounge is a great place for a spot of R&R between flights.

I have a jam-packed schedule ahead, so I opt for a shower. The facilities are great and the concierge provides everything you need, including towels and a hairdryer.

The lounge is huge and incorporates the longest bar in Zurich. The lunch menu includes a hearty lasagne, as well as a selection of snacks to keep you going, including some rather lovely Swiss chocolates.

I arrive at the gate, hop on the plane and two hours later arrive in Madrid. I feel relaxed and refreshed, perfectly ready to face the day in Spain.

The important bit What: SWISS International Airlines Cost: Round-trip Business Class flights from Dubai to Zurich start from AED 12,010 (US$3,270) from September 1 Contact: www.swiss.com

ON THE ROAD Koenigsegg Agera

Engine: 5 litre V8 twin-turbo V8 BHP: 940 0-100kmh: 3.1secs Origin: Sweden Cost: US$1.5m

www.koenigsegg.com

When the Koenigsegg Agera was revealed at the Geneva Motor Show this year, mouths fell agape and wallets ached. The US$1.5m hypercar is quite simply every boy’s dream, with top speeds of 440kph. Its environmentally friendly cousin - the Agera R - runs on biofuel and is even faster.

“I absolutely love it.

The most exciting supercar on earth, bar none.”

Bill Thomas, Top Gear magazine

Motoring

Mercedes E63 AMG

Engine: AMG 5.5-litre V8 biturbo BHP: 525 0-100kmh: 4.3 secs Origin: Germany Cost: US$119,540

www.mercedes-benz.com Described by Mercedes-Benz as a the ‘businessman’s dirty little secret’ and a wolf in sheep’s clothing, the new E63 AMG’s cool executive exterior hides a wild 5.5litre V8 biturbo engine under the bonnet. Just aim the Mercedes emblem in the direction you’re going and hit the gas.

Bugatti “L’Or Blanc”

Harley V-Rod

Engine: 1250 cc Revolution® BHP: 122 hp @ 8,250 rpm Available: 2012 Origin: US Cost: US$21,000

www.harley-davidson.com

Harley’s 10th anniversary tribute to the original V-Rod street dragster features a Brilliant Silver Pearl body with extra chrome and polished surfaces on its monstrous 1250 cc Revolution® engine, exhaust and speed screen. Go on, tame the beast.

Engine: Quad-turbocharged 8.0-litre W16 BHP: 987 0-100kmh: 2.7secs Origin: France Cost: US$ 2.37 m

www.bugatti.com Bugatti and Königliche PorzellanManufatur Berlin have teamed up to create, the Bugatti Veyron “L’Or Blanc”, the first ever car to feature ceramic trim. It’s a thing of beauty – a must-have for motoring aficionados with a cool US$2.37m to spare.

On the road

KING OF NYC The lifespan of an average New York taxicab is around three to five years. After half a decade on the job, the beasts of burden are usually retired and sold for scrap.

It’s an ignoble ending for such an industrious vehicle.

The iconic yellow sedan taxicabs are as important to the city’s identity as the Statue of Liberty.

They have starred in hundreds of Hollywood high-speed chases, taken dozens of teary-eyed heroines home, and helped plenty of leading men to the airport just in time. The streets are awash with more than 13,000 of them.

But as 2011 starts to wind down, so does the present era of the New York taxicab. Over the next few years, the Ford Stretch Crown Victoria, the current car of choice for the New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC), which regulates the City’s taxi business, will be phased out to make room for the latest incarnation of the ultimate taxi – the Nissan NV200 minicab.

The battery-powered NV200 promises enhanced safety features and comfort, plus gadgets such as built-in charging stations, and as soon as the NV200 hits the streets at the end of 2013, operators buying new vehicles or replacing old ones will have no choice but to purchase the US$29,000 Nissan.

Production of the much-loved Ford Stretch Crown Victoria has already ground to a halt, and Ford has closed down the Canadian factory that builds them, marking the end of an era for the iconic machine. It’s all in the name of progress, but somehow I can’t imagine the NV200 appearing in a high-speed chase through the streets of the Big Apple.

JOE MORTIMER

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Column

Home from home MKempinski Hotel Gravenbruch is set in 100 acres of leafy parkland

Family Luxury

Baby goes bush at Emirates’ Oz resort Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa proves a luxury haven for all the family

T Gemma Greenwood Luxury travel aficionado and full-time mum

“The resort is tucked away in a valley that’s nestled on the border between two national parks” 76

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op-end boutique resorts are not always known for their child-friendly credentials, with many intent on attracting either the ‘DINKs’ (double income, no kids) or the ‘Silver Surfers’ – the rather inappropriate name for the spritely 50-plus segment who are spending their savings in a frenzy now the kids have flown the nest.

My husband and I fit into neither category, now that we have our daughter in tow, but we had a feeling we’d be made welcome at Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Australia, which is run by the hospitable folks at Emirates – and we were right.

The resort, as the name suggests, is tucked away in a valley that’s nestled on the border between two national parks.

After a two-and-a-half hour scenic drive through the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, we arrived at the understated gated resort entrance, where a fourwheel drive awaited to take us to our accommodation. It was fully kitted out with a car seat for Baby G. So far so good, I thought.

The up-market ‘digs’ blend into the landscape – 4,000 acres of lush green Aussie bushland – such is Emirates’ commitment to sustainable projects that conserve the local environment.

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Anyone who has visited the group’s former Al Maha property in Dubai (now run by Starwood) will immediately recognise that Wolgan Valley, as one would expect, is the Australian version.

Our Heritage Suite was more like a private lodge, comprising a large lounge with comfy chairs and sofas, a bedroom with a four-poster bed (with a large dressing room attached) and a sizeable bathroom with a glass-roofed rain shower. Did I mention the verandah overlooking the plains and the sundeck adjacent to the lap pool?

Emirates says the suites are “ideal for single guests, or couples looking for luxurious surroundings on a romantic break”, but it was also suitable for a family thanks to the huge amount of space and the amenities provided.

Hotel cots for infants are often far from state-of-the-art, but Wolgan Valley surprised us with a brand new travel crib that had been made up with top-quality baby linen, fit for a princess.

Our daughter was also made to feel welcome in the main restaurant – the Wolgan Dining Room – where highchairs were readily available. I expected looks of disdain from couples who wanted to dine in peace, but instead, most guests cooed at Baby G while my husband and I tucked into our

six-course degustation meal. She was on her best behaviour though, and quite happily ‘people-watched’ as we gorged.

In fact Baby G seemed to relish the fresh air, natural surroundings, temperate climate and facilities, such as the in-suite lap pool provided at Wolgan Valley. She also liked the friendly staff, particularly the chef who prepared a freshly squeezed juice from local fruits for her.

For families with older kids there are plenty of activities to keep them occupied – educational nature walks, 4X4 tours, mountain biking, horse riding and other sports – but the excellent service and facilities mean it’s just as suitable for younger visitors.

A trip to Wolgan Valley is a must for anyone visiting Sydney. It’s a chance for an R&R getaway, a gourmet weekend break, an eco holiday or a soft adventure trip – take your pick.

tHe Golden booK Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa +61 2 6350 1800 www.wolganvalley.com

Room with a view Stunning views from the Presidential Suite at Taj Cape Town

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

T Mary Gostelow

CAPE TOWN

Lifestyle and luxury commentator

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aj Cape Town can claim what must surely be the only presidential suite with an outdoor, rooftop fireplace on its private terrace. The 176-room hotel, which opened in 2010, is a conversion of the Reserve Bank of South Africa, right opposite Parliament. The 194sqm Tata Suite has two ensuite bedrooms, one of which has a bathroom with twoperson steam shower and an infinity bathtub, a white sculpture set in its own, marble-surround soakaway, and the ‘tap’ is merely a hole in the ceiling, through which the water pours.

The Suite also has its own glass-walled rooftop eyrie. Climb up and use its office, or its private gym, or to take in an amazing view of nearby Table Mountain.

At night, the highlight is a real wood fire laid and lit on the eyrie’s private terrace. Sit around the fire, enjoying a glass of South African wine – perhaps Strandveld, from Africa’s most southern winery – and savour the moment.

Taj Cape Town, run by GM Michael Pownall, is full of experiences. The ground floor flows from columned lobby lounge, once the banking hall and now an all-time tea and coffee connoisseurs’ gathering place, to a Cigar Lounge with South African brandies. Bombay Brasserie, a chandeliered beauty that is sibling to the London original, offers such Indian delicacies as tandoori salmon with bishop’s weed and cottage cheese dumpling with green pea curry, and it is full nightly. I love the hotel’s 15-metre lap pool, one of South Africa’s few indoor pools, and the adjacent Technogym. www.tajhotels.com The top-floor gym of the four-floor Cape Grace, on West Quay of Victoria & Albert Waterfront, is also Technogym.

The relaxation room of its adjacent spa can be used for private dining and I am told at least two – successful – proposal dinners have been held here, at a table for two looking across the harbour to Table Bay.

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GM Nigel Pace runs this 122-room hotel like a private club. A flower trolley, used by the hotel’s florist, greets you outside the entrance. Inside, a bevy of young personal assistants greet you rather than a front desk. Every upper floor is different: exit the lift on the second floor to be greeted by a wall of authentic book cupboards. Room 210, a 500sq ft Superior looking over the water, is eggshell-blue calm, with handpainted drapes. Local designers Kathi and Klaudia Weixelbaumer also have a sense of humour; some of the clear crystal chandeliers in public areas are decorated with plates and other white china bits.

Local chef Malika van Reenan, a confidante of England’s Heston Blumenthal, produces some of the best food in South Africa – try her homemade tagliatelle with grilled aubergine cubes and tomato sauce topped with toasted pine nuts and parmesan. There is an outdoor pool, you can rent a yacht, and BMW 7 Series chauffeur service is free within a 12-mile radius of the hotel. www.capegrace.com Doyenne in this hotel trio, the 1899-vintage Mount Nelson (‘The Nellie’) looks gorgeous, and behaves eternally young thanks to a considerable facelift. Arrive in a hotel hybrid, turn off Orange Street through a pristine white-white entrance with at least a dozen classical columns, purr up a 150-yard brick drive, and you feel like a lord of the manor. The sprawling pink-exterior 286-room hotel, complete with white wedding cake highlighting, is set in seven acres of gently-sloping gardens.

There is history galore, with original interior panelling and hundreds of bits of memorabilia, but it is also 21st-century. I love room 218, in the main building. Its soft pigeon blue colouring, high-speed free WiFi and organic toiletries, plus a garden view, are very calming. The 24-hour business centre has four stations, and it’s free to use. Planet Restaurant pairs original columns with a back-lit wine bottle-walled private dining alcove, and it even offers an all-vegan menu if you must.

The lobby lounge afternoon tea is a help-yourself affair, from a 12-foot table groaning with men’s-size sandwiches through to ladylike one-bite macaroons.

GM Sandro Fabris is the motivator of The Nellie’s eternal youth and style (his front desk girls wear black suits with pearls). Still on his to-do list, he says, are a French brasserie and upgraded fitness facility. Many guests love the outdoor pool or running outside, down the drive and taking the pedestrian-only Parliament Road to Parliament and the city’s business centre. www.orient-express.com Mount Nelson Hotel Striking 21st-century style in 1899-vintage “The Nellie”

THE NEW PERFUME

tom Hudson & ed olver Founders of British Polo Day worldwide

I

n 2009, Tom Hudson was asked by his alma mater Eton College to create an annual social event for Old Etonian expats living in the Middle East. Wanting to base it on a sporting event, yet retain a social emphasis, he decided polo fit the bill perfectly. Tom’s university friend and adjutant of the Household Cavalry in the British Army, Ed Olver, then brought in the British Army Polo Team, and the British Polo Day (www.britishpoloday.com) was born: a celebration of the heritage, history and style of this quintessentially British sport.

Now a firm fixture in Dubai’s sporting and social calendar, and attracting celebrities, VIPs, royalty (HRH Prince Harry of Wales and HRH Prince Rashid of Jordan have competed) and polo aficionados from around the world, other countries are keen to host their own British Polo Day, and Tom and Ed are in the process of going global, with upcoming British Polo Days taking place in Beijing (September), Singapore (November), Jodhpur (December), Thailand (February), South Africa (April), Rome (June), and of course Dubai (March) and England (July).

“Sir Winston Churchill once famously said, ‘A polo handicap is a passport to the world’”, says Tom. “Nowadays, you don’t need to actually play polo to be able to experience it, and polo destination holidays are on the increase.”

Here Tom (above left) and Ed (above right) discuss the greatest polo venues across the globe with Destinations of the World News.

England, UK On July 2nd, 400 VIP guests were treated to a day of polo on the grounds of Lord and Lady Lloyd Webber’s Berkshire Estate, Watership Down, competing for the coveted British Polo Day Charity Cup in support of Sentebale and Tusk Trust, Prince Harry and The Duke of Cambridge’s respective charities. HRH Prince Harry of Wales and HRH Prince Rashid of Jordan competed (above) at this now-annual event.

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Beijing, China

Jodhpur, India

Polo was a popular royal pastime for many centuries in China. The polo stick appears on royal coats of arms in China, and the game was part of the court life in the golden age of Chinese classical culture under Ming-Hung, the Radiant Emperor.

Polo virtually died out in the mid19th century but is now undergoing a huge revival, with many wealthy residents taking up the sport and clubs popping up all over China. The most picturesque club in our view is the Sunny Times Polo Club (above).

In 1889 Sir Pratap Singh, Maharaja of Jodhpur, invited Col. Stuart Beatson of the Bengal Lancers to help him raise the Jodhpur Lancers, who in turn brought with him polo in its modern form as a splendid substitute for war: the blood-rushing charges, the all-or-nothing riding-off, the frantic change of horses…. The Jodhpur Polo club sits in the grounds of the Umaid Bhawan Palace (above) and next to the glorious 17th-century Mehrangarh Fort, where Liz Hurley got married.

September 2011

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“Sir Winston Churchill once said, ‘A polo handicap is a passport to the world’. Nowadays you don’t need to actually play polo to experience it”

Album

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

Thailand

Kurland, South Africa

Dubai, UAE

Thailand has always carried a romantic royal allure, and is now becoming known to the travelling elite for its superb polo platforms. The climate results in the most exceptional pitches. Polo was first played in Thailand by English sportsmen from Penang as a royal command performance before King Rama XII of the Chakri dynasty. Later, the first polo club under royal patronage was established, and today, Royal patronage is still enjoyed by The Thai Polo and Equestrian Club (above).

British cavalry regiments garrisoned in the Eastern Cape in the late 19th century and brought the game to South Africa, with the country’s first recorded polo tournament taking place at King William’s Town in 1885. Nowadays there are a number of stunning polo estates, including the Kurland Polo Estate (above), near the picturesque beach resorts of Plettenberg Bay in the heart of the Garden Route. Here you can stay at the award-winning Kurland Hotel, a five-star small luxury hotel.

Although Polo is said to have begun millennia ago in Persia, the modern game is relatively new to Dubai.

However, as the progressive Emirate has demonstrated, when it wants to do something, it doesn’t hold back, and Dubai now probably has as many polo fields per capita as anywhere in the world. Under the patronage of local families, polo is thriving and there are a number of international tournaments. At British Polo Day Dubai, we like to get things started with a round of camel polo (above). dotwnews.com

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FInAl WORD

The captain’s log How long have you been an Emirates pilot?

What is the most extreme weather condition you have had to fly in?

I’ve been with Emirates for over seven years now, having enjoyed a long career with Scandinavian Airlines before coming to Dubai.

I fly the Airbus 330 and 340.

I remember a flight on a particularly cold and dark night at Chicago O’Hare with strong winds, icy runways and drifting snow the size of swallows, which really challenged our skills.

How does the life of a real pilot stand up to the Hollywood version?

Captain Christian Magnusson Emirates Airline

Well, the real world normally offers less drama and perhaps a bit less glamour than the Hollywood version, but we do fly real airplanes, and meet real people under real conditions, so I think the reality stands up well in comparison.

What is the most bizarre in-flight experience you have had?

During a flight to Bangkok we were cruising over Uzbekistan when all four pilots in the cockpit thought for a brief moment that we might have seen an UFO. It turned out that we had witnessed the re-entry of the Russian MIR space station, which created a high velocity fireball across our lateral path – it was a great moment.

Do you think the day will come when planes are pilotless?

Well, the technology is available today for pilotless flights, but I believe we are still decades away from such a step, mainly due to reliability and flexibility issues where man still outperforms machine.

Why must seatbacks and armrests be in the upright position for takeoff and landing?

The take-off and landing phases are the most critical, so impact protection, situational awareness and availability/access to emergency exits are all aspects in need of priority; hence the rather strict rules.

Which is the most stunning destination to approach from the air?

I would rate Innsbruck in Austria, Funchal on Madeira and the old Kai Tak Hong Kong airport as quite spectacular cities to arrive in.

Which passport stamp are you most proud of?

As a Swedish citizen I don’t get as many passport stamps nowadays, but I have a late-1980s stamp from the Soviet Union that is quite fancy.

What do pilots do for the duration of a long-haul flight?

We regularly communicate with Air Traffic Control, update our contingency plans and try to manage all resources in an optimum way. If it’s a long flight, which requires time for controlled rest, we can read a bit or solve a Sudoku puzzle.

Which new Emirates destination are you looking forward to visiting?

I think that Rio de Janeiro and St. Petersburg will be great places to visit as they are coming on line within the next few months. Then, of course, I hope for a direct flight to Stockholm (above) eventually. n

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 and a gift box from Shiffa Dubai Skin Care*. The destination featured in our August 2011 competition was the Taj Mahal in Agra, India.

This month’s winner is Tina Flores, from Dubai, UAE. *This competition is open to residents of the Middle East and North Africa. The closing date is September 22, 2011. Entrants with the correct answer will be entered into a prize draw. The winner will be announced in the October issue of Destinations of the World News and on dotwnews.com

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Let the footsteps of the past inspire the legacies of tomorrow.

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