Mstyle #3

T HE MELIÁ HOTELS I NTE RN ATI ONA L L I FE S TYL E M AGAZIN E

S T Y L E

60 YEARS OF HOSPITALITY

GRAN MELIÁ DE MAR MALLORCA ON YOUR MIND. JOAN PUNYET MIRÓ THE GUARDIAN OF ART. GRAN MELIÁ CONTEMPORARY LUXURY AROUND THE WORLD. MARTÍN BERASATEGUI HAUTE CUISINE IN THE CARIBBEAN. INNSIDE NEW YORK NOMAD A JEWEL IN THE HEART OF MANHATTAN. BERLIN THE COOLEST CITY. FALL IN LOVE WITH ZANZIBAR. NEW DESTINATION RIO DE JANEIRO.

Everything happens in happiness

All of us who work in Cappuccino should be able to explain what lies behind what we do, to define the experience in a sentence.

At the end that’s what matters, for that is why we are all here, and why our customers exist.

I work in Cappuccino.

www.grupocappuccino.com

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IBIZA | MALLORCA | MENORCA | BALI

FOR THESE HOTELS AND OTHER DESTINATIONS, CONTACT YOUR TRAVEL AGENT OR VISIT MELIA.COM

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EDITORIAL

O

ur 2016 Spring-Summer MStyle is a very special issue that celebrates a very special occasion: our 60th

Anniversary. Sixty years ago, my father, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, founded our company in Palma de Mallorca, a city that is proud to still be home to the headquarters of our company – today a powerful multinational group.

We have preserved our roots, our strong sense of family, our leadership and our values – but everything else has changed.

Throughout these six decades, the history of international tourism has been written and Meliá Hotels International has had a pioneering and leading role in it: first, heading the development of the hotel sector in both the Balearic and Canary Islands, as well as on the Spanish coast, and later, bridging oceans to further tourism in destinations like Bali, the Dominican Republic, Mexico and Cuba, among others.

Today we have over 375 hotels, almost 100,000 rooms in 42 countries, and we employ more than 42,000 people. We are the 17th biggest hotel company in the world, and the third biggest in Europe. In addition, for the third year in a row, we were chosen as the tourism company with the best corporate reputation. We are proud that we have achieved it while respecting the principles of responsible tourism, fostering sustainable development of the communities in which we operate, and creating long-term value both for our clients and suppliers.

This is why I am proud to accompany you on this tour to some of our most exciting destinations: the ever-beautiful Caribbean, the big cities of Germany and of course, New York. We will also take you to the places where our leadership was forged many decades ago on the island of Mallorca, and that today is still one of the most sought-after destinations in the world.

Mallorca has it all: it is a centuries-old cradle of art and a cultural melting pot. In this issue – and together with the grandson of the genius Joan Miró – we visit the most authentic and exclusive places to see art in Mallorca, an island that is also a natural and holiday paradise. Be the first to discover the “new face” of one of the island’s best hotels, the Gran Meliá de Mar, which we had the honour of visiting with the stunning top-model Verónica Blume. And in another archipelago, the Canary Islands, we will see the launch of a new campaign for our Gran Meliá luxury brand at the spectacular Gran Meliá Palacio de Isora resort.

Meliá continues to grow because we want to be wherever you – our guests – are. We thus thank you for your loyalty and invite you to keep growing with us.

STYLE

Gabriel Escarrer Jaume Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Meliá Hotels International

9

THE MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

S T Y L E MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS VICE PRESIDENT,

María Umbert GLOBAL BRAND STRATEGY & MARKETING VICE PRESIDENT,

Anthony Cortizas CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER,

Ana Rubio CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS & CSR EXECUTIVE,

Gracia Vasco, Paula Mansilla PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER,

Pepa Olmedo CORPORATE BRAND & MARKETING SERVICES DIRECTOR,

Enric D’Abadal GLOBAL BRAND MARKETING MANAGER

Alba Bustamante CORPORATE BRAND & MARKETING SERVICES MANAGER,

Mario Tirado GLOBAL PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT PUBLISHED BY EDICIONES CONDÉ-NAST S.A. MANAGING EDITOR

Sandra del Río ART & DESIGN DIRECTOR

Vital R. García Tardón EDITORIAL OFFICE

Rosa Marqués (DEPUTY EDITOR) Andrea Morán (PHOTO EDITOR AND FEATURE PRODUCTION) Andrés Acosta (FASHION EDITOR) CONTRIBUTORS

Alex del Río, Nils Preston Schlebusch, Marcela Cabal, Javier Saguillo, Sergio Martínez, Helena Sánchez.

FEATURE WRITERS: Gema Monroy, Sara Morillo, Arantxa Neyra, Ángel Bermejo, Germán Aranda, Javier Zori del Amo, Héctor Llanos, Bettina Dubcovsky, Julia Pérez.

ILUSTRATORS: Jaime Martínez, Jorge Arranz.

TRANSLATOR: Paloma Gil COPY EDITORS: Monique Fuller.

PHOTO ASSISTANT: Elisa Colonques.

PHOTOGRAPHERS:

RESEARCH

Reyes Domínguez (DIRECTOR) Irene Rodríguez, Eva Vergarechea.

PRODUCTION

Francisco Morote (DIRECTOR) Rosa Vicente, Juan Ignacio Bocos, Fernando Bohúa.

PHOTO LAB: Espacio y Punto. PRINTING: Rotocobrhi y AGS. BINDING: Felipe Méndez CATALOGUE No. M-17889-2015 Ediciones Condé Nast S.A. is in no way responsible for any opinion expressed in the features as these are the sole responsibility of their respective authors.

Slippers at the recently opened INNSIDE New York NoMad, in Manhattan. Singular architecture and cuttingedge design imbue INNSIDE

by Meliá hotels with a personality of their own.

THE MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

N o . 3 S P R IN G / S U MM E R 2 0 1 6

CONTENTS

S T Y L E

COVER PHOTO: In a delightful cove at the Gran Meliá de Mar, in Mallorca, top model Verónica Blume wears a swimsuit by Eres and sunglasses by Gucci.

Photography: Alex del Río Styling: Andrés Acosta

52

HOSPITALITY IN GERMANY

in Germany – where we already have 33.

International group.

64

146

THE OBSERVATORY

To mark the 10th Anniversary of the

and is now turning 60. We interview

ME Madrid, artist Rafafans will hold an

Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, the doyen

exhibition at the hotel.

74

18

IN THE FIRST PERSON

Actor Anthony Quinn’s son is our guest in this anniversary issue

20

NEW DESTINATIONS

de Janeiro and in cultural Manchester.

32

A PASSION FOR GOLF

of Tenerife.

us on a tour of the refurbished

152

Gran Meliá de Mar hotel in Mallorca.

Deeply traditional cuisine by chef Marga

86

FOOD & BEVERAGE

Coll, at the Gran Meliá de Mar. ART

Joan Punyet Miró tells us why the island

154

of Mallorca is a haven for artists.

Can you enjoy a healthy lifestyle

98

BALANCE BY MELIÁ

when you are away from home? At our TRENDY

Exclusive! The new campaign for the

The Meliá group lands in colourful Rio

151

A paradise for golf lovers on the island FASHION

Top model Verónica Blume accompanies

SO COOL

THE ME ART SCENE

Meliá Hotels International is in top form

hotels around the world.

Cruisewear for him and her.

THE GOOD LIFE

The latest news from the Meliá Hotels

of a company that today has over 375

14

145

We highlight our company’s best hotels

hotels, you can.

Gran Meliá hotels. Truly contemporary

156

luxury.

The most prestigious company in the

116

AWARDS

Spanish tourist sector.

GOURMET

Martín Berasategui is the chef at the

158

Passion restaurants at the Paradisus

Generating shared value, an essential

Resorts & Spa hotels.

approach for the Meliá group.

The Meliá Berlin is located in a strategic

122

160

place in one of Europe’s fashionable cities.

A perfect wedding plan is relaxing on a

We celebrate joint collaborations and

heavenly island: Zanzibar.

growth with our partners.

The largest concentration of art

132

162

per square metre requires more than

In the heart of Manhattan, the new

The new Meliá Yangon, in Myanmar’s

a one-day visit.

INNSIDE New York NoMad opens.

capital, opens its doors in 2016.

CHILDREN & TEENAGERS

Family holidays and fun for all.

40 48

IN THE CITY

MUSEUM ISLAND

SWEET & SUITE

THE JEWEL

SUSTAINABILITY

OUR PARTNERS

NEXT DESTINATION

“We have been in a leading position for over six decades, and today we are stronger than ever precisely because we’ve never stopped reinventing ourselves and changing. ” Gabriel Escarrer Juliá (Page 70)

www.teka.com

SO COOL

1

MAN

DEEP BLUE

Take note of our fashion and beauty must-haves for a truly stylish dip into the ocean.

2

3

4

1. SAILOR-STYLE T-SHIRT,

by Massimo Dutti.

2. BLUE NYLON HOODED JACKET, by Fay.

3. SUNGLASSES,

by Marc Jacobs.

4.TOPSIDERS IN BLUE,WHITE AND ORANGE, by Tod’s.

5.‘AGUA DE LOEWE ÉL’ evokes the freshness of spring water.

6. FLORAL PRINT SWIMMING T RUNKS, by Massimo Dutti.

PRODUCTION: ANDRÉS ACOSTA PHOTOGRAPHY: OLGA MORENO

5 6

SO COOL

1

WOMAN

2 3 4 5

1. BLUE SUNGLASSES,

by Max Mara.

2. BLUE HAT,

by Hermès.

6

3. CORAL-COLOURED SWIMSUIT,

by Eres.

4. SILK SCARF WITH MARINE PRINT,

by Hermès.

7 LOVE BOAT

This season, look seductive with delicate accessories, perfect for enjoying the sun’s caresses while cruising.

5. PENDANT ‘PI CHINOIS’,

by Dinh Van.

6. YELLOW RUBBER SANDALS WITH CRYSTALS,

by L.K. Bennett.

7. ‘PARADISO AZURRO’,

by Roberto Cavalli, inspired by the sun’s golden reflections on the Mediterranean’s blue waters at dawn.

IN THE FIRST PERSON

I WOULD SCULPT HANDS AS A WELCOME SYMBOL Art is something live. It never stops

PHOTO: ERIC MARTIN; WWW.LETSMEDIA.ES

evolving. Although all

Lorenzo Quinn: The son of legendary actor Anthony Quinn and Iolanda Addolori, he was born in Rome and will soon celebrate his 50th birthday. He is devoted to creating art for fields such as sculpture, the cinema and jewellery from his home in Barcelona (lorenzoquinn.com; @lorenzoquinnartist).

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18

London or Dubai... But here, there is something called quality of life.

I consider my travels to be an important source of

novel things deserve

inspiration for my work. Moving about in different

attention, artists must

settings stimulates my creativity. Muses appear in

focus on what they

everyday situations, unexpectedly: while watching a

want to tell the world,

film, reading a newspaper, during a conversation... My

on communicating

sculptures are nourished by all of that. When you are

universal values and

far from your own environment, you are more disposed

emotions – a language

to perceiving other messages. In recent decades, the

that everybody can

art world has conquered new territories. Big private

understand. This is

companies are doing a great job to promote art. They

why, for me, hands

are like the patrons of the past. In this sense, Meliá

are fetish objects:

Hoteles is doing a magnificent job. Frankly, a space with

expressive because their

art conveys a unique calmness: a feeling of peace that

gestures are universal.

contributes to the concept of luxury. When travelling, I

They are the vehicles

seek comfort and some time for myself. For me, that is

of a global language. In

exclusivity. We are living in times when disconnecting

the past, artists were

between one meeting and the next is necessary.

political messengers

In my opinion, art, like food, is a vehicle to get to

for the royal courts.

know the planet and I believe in the power it has. My

Today, we are more

creations try to communicate universal ideas. However,

individualistic and

art influences many people’s views. When I start to

want to express our

speak about art, the person I am addressing often

own messages. The

says they are not connoisseurs in the field. I stop them

21st century has put

right away and say, “When you go to a restaurant, you

platforms such as

may not be a chef, but you enjoy the food. When you

the Internet into the

stay at a hotel, you enjoy the place even though you

hands of artists and on which they can publicise their

have not been trained as an architect, or as an interior

work. But, given the large amount of information, it is

designer. It is the same with art. If an artwork conveys

essential to learn how to filter. My international career

a feeling, that’s enough for you to give an opinion.”

has taken me to Asia, America and a good part of

People are afraid to say, “I like it”, or “I don’t like it”,

Europe. I am about to turn 50 yet I consider myself to be

when referring to an artwork”. Many art dealers have

a young artist. I still have much to say and learn. Now,

tried to claim an exclusive right to these opinions.

I am preparing the launch of my range of jewellery:

Hotel spaces in particular are essential for establishing

they will be wearable sculptures. My next exhibitions

bridges between museums and the public. Throughout

will take me to London, the Arab Emirates, Shanghai,

my years in Spain, I have stayed in hundreds of Meliá

Miami and Ibiza. However, my home and my family are

hotels: in the Canary Islands, Marbella, Barcelona,

in Spain. I settled down here because this is the place

Madrid, Santiago de Compostela... Furthermore, I was

that I most like in the world. It could have been Miami,

given the opportunity to exhibit my work at the Meliá Royal Tanau (Baqueira). If I had to create an art piece for Meliá, I would draw inspiration from encounters, friendship, serenity... After all, travellers seek a home away from home. That is why I would sculpt hands as a welcome symbol.

˜

www.leds-c4.com

Invisible series by GROK

NEW DESTINATION

RIO DE JANEIRO

GLAMOUR IN THE RAINFOREST The emerging ‘glamour’ of the São Conrado neighbourhood – that also has the largest golf club in the city – is largely due to the reopening of the old National Hotel that was designed by Niemeyer.

The Gran Meliá National Rio will open its doors to coincide with the inauguration of the Rio Olympic Games.

I

n the ‘70s and ‘80s, the iconic

National Hotel was home to the city’s film festival and welcomed stars like Charles Aznavour, Chet Baker and Chuck Berry, as well as the legendary Brazilian soul singer Tim Maia. A benchmark of glamour in the city since it was opened in 1972, it was regarded as the most modern building of the time in Latin America. Located in the

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20

elegant yet still wild district of São

TEXT: GERMÁN ARANDA / PHOTOS: AGE / CORBIS / GETTY

Left, view of the exclusive São Conrado district on a 2-km beach and surrounded by the city’s largest golf course.

Below, a surfer about to enjoy the high waves of this beach, with the famous Pedra Bonita in the background.

Opposite, an aerial view of Pedra Bonita which is – along with the mountains of Pão de Açúcar and Morro Dois Irmãos – part of the Tijuca National Park.

Conrado, it combined the chic air of

each side of São Conrado.

a quiet and affluent neighbourhood

Surfing the huge waves of the beach

with the tropical exuberance of a

that borders the neighbourhood,

lush rainforest filled with unruly

drinking coconut water, eating

tropical ficus trees, rosewood trees

tapioca at the stalls along the

and banana plantations... as well

promenade, skating or cycling on

as some of the best beaches in the

the bike path (recently connected to

region like the small Joatinga cove,

the Ipanema district via Niemeyer

a very well-kept secret.

Avenue with its spectacular views)

Nestled between two rocky hills –

are popular leisure activities in the

Pedra Bonita and Pedra de Gávea

city – and in São Conrado, you can

– that look as if they have been

also spend the afternoon admiring

sculpted by a cubist, the region offers luxury without the crowds of tourists of Ipanema and without the kitschiness of Barra da Tijuca: wealthy neighbourhoods flanking

STYLE

21

jewellery at the iconic Brazilian firm H. Stern or delving in the most emblematic brands of Rio’s colourful fashion, including Maria Filô, Farm, Sacada and Osklen. All of them combine sophistication and tropical lightness: lots of colour, not much fabric, and practically no formality for the warm climate of a truly laid-back city

whose essential and iconic footwear

avant-garde cuisine –, the Italian

for every social class are Havaianas

pizzeria Alessandro and Federico (Fashion Mall, tel. +55 21 2422-0582),

flip-flops.

STYLE

22

All these items of clothing can be

district’s benchmark eatery is the CT

Pobre Juan and its meat dishes with

found at the Fashion Mall shopping

Brasserie (Fashion Mall; tel. +55 21

an Argentinian accent (Fashion Mall,

centre, one of the city’s symbols

3322 1440; ctbrasserie.com.br), one

tel. +55 (21) 3324-5381; pobrejuan.

since the ‘80s, and where you

of French chef Claude Troisgros’s

com.br), or the popular but elegant

can also enjoy the best food. The

franchises, the most renowned in

food served at Gula Gula (Fashion

the city. However, the Eñe restaurant (Ave. Pref. Mendes de Morais, 222; tel. +55 21 3322-6561) owned by twin brothers Sergio and Javier Torres – champions of Spanish

Clockwise from top to bottom, white gold and diamond ‘Halley’ ring

by Brazilian firm H. Stern, from its Génesis collection; Areia Rose Gold flip-flops by classic Brazilian brand Havaianas; steak and soufflé potatoes at the Pobre Juan restaurant that specialises in meat; entrance of the Mall where the restaurants are located; Porcini with risotto and rocket at the CT Brasserie, and the wood-fired oven at Pobre Juan.

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Below, view of the Gran Meliá National Rio building, one of the emblems of Rio’s luxurious district of São Conrado.This soaring, dark grey cylindrical tower on the seafront was designed by the late architect Niemeyer (right), and its interior was renovated by Meliá Hotels International.

Below right, another view of the majestic outline of the building.

Mall) complete a culinary range

partner on many of his projects,

Together, they created insuperable

that equals that of the city’s most

they designed the hotel’s wonderful

masterpieces.

traditional neighbourhoods.

garden. Marx, born in São Paulo in

The façade of the Gran Meliá

1909 and who died in 1994 in Rio de

National Rio will remain almost

NIEMEYER’S INDELIBLE

Janeiro, also designed the garden

intact to respect the original that

HALLMARK

for the Crystal Square in Brasilia,

was admired by everyone for

It was Niemeyer’s father, engineer

the Botanical Garden in Maracaibo,

years – from 1972 to 1995, when the

Conrado Jacó de Niemeyer (owner of

Venezuela, and the Aterro de

hotel was closed. The soaring dark

many properties in the region where

Flamengo park and the Copacabana

grey cylindrical tower standing

the old National Hotel – today’s

promenade, both in Rio de Janeiro.

majestically by the sea on São

Gran Meliá National Rio – is located) who had the São Conrado church to be built in 1903; the district would eventually be named after him. And it was his son – the Brazilian architect par excellence – who designed and brought to life one of the biggest icons of this spectacular district.

Together with artist and naturalist Roberto Burle Marx, Niemeyer’s

GRAN MELIÁ NATIONAL HOTEL RIO Declared Architectural Heritage of the city, the building that will be home to the Gran Meliá National Rio is a true Brazilian icon that will open in August this year, coinciding with the Rio Olympic Games. Meliá Hotels International’s most universal luxury brand thus establishes itself on the most emblematic coast of Rio de Janeiro. Its 413 apartments, including two Presidential and 50 Executive suites, as well as a convention centre accommodating 2,800 people and a theatre seating up to 1,400 spectators, will still keep the spirit with which it was founded: a space where James Brown, B. B. King and Liza Minnelli once performed.The hotel will have a restaurant serving avantgarde cuisine, modern bars in the lobby and on the roof, and a 12,000-square metre Convention and Events Centre that can accommodate over 4,000 people (www.melia.com).

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WWW.SOLANDECABRAS.COM

@SOLAN_DE_CABRAS FACEBOOK.COM/SOLANDECABRAS

FOLLOW US AT:

So wherever you go you will always have Solan de Cabras to hand, to enjoy water that is more than water.

Left, Rio’s Aterro do Flamengo park.

Below, the outside and inside of the futuristic Museu do Amanhã designed by architect Santiago Calatrava; a science museum that is part of the port recovery project.

Conrado beach will still be one of the unmistakable hallmarks of this opulent Rio neighbourhood. Today, part of the Historical Heritage of the city, the building’s interior is undergoing a major refurbishment.

The new Gran Meliá National Rio will have larger suites; this will reduce the number of rooms from 520 to 413 over its 33 floors (fewer than the 55 planned in the original design). Another new development is the 10-storey 30,000-square metre building that will stand where the old convention centre was. Its entrance will be presided over by a sculpture of a mermaid created by renowned Brazilian artist Alfredo Cieschiatti – another restored artwork.

Oscar Niemeyer, who died in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro – the same city where he was born 105 years before, in 1907 – is one of the world’s most famous Brazilians, one of the most renowned architects in the history of the 20th and 21st centuries, and winner of the Pritzker Prize in 1988.

Most of Brasilia’s iconic buildings were designed by him: the Alvorada

the greatest exponents of modern

Games has brought a boost to the

Palace – official residence of Brazil’s

architecture, and was a great

city with new squares, parks and

President – and the Planalto

admirer of Le Corbusier, his French

museums and has led to important

Palace – where all Presidential

contemporary.

improvements to the city’s public transport system thanks to the

offices are located – as well as the

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26

National Parliament, and even

‘CIDADE MARAVILHOSA’

expansion of its underground and

Brasilia’s Cathedral. In addition,

AND OLYMPIC IN 2016

the construction of a new tramline.

he also designed other well-

Between the 5th and 21st August

The revitalisation of the port area,

known buildings, such as the UN

2016, more than 10,500 sportspeople

now reopened to visitors, has given

headquarters in New York and the

from 206 countries will meet at the

back to the people of Rio public

Ibirapuera Auditorium in São Paulo.

first Olympic Games to be held in

places such as the historic Praça

An ardent lover of the curvilinear

South America: the Rio de Janeiro

Mauá, built in 1910 and that – after

and championing a concept of

Olympic Games (www.rio2016.

four years of work – now brings the

architecture devoted to the popular

com). Three hundred and six medals

sea closer to the citizens again. And

classes and that would help mitigate

will be competed for over 17 days

still on this square, museums like

inequalities, Niemeyer is one of

that will include two new events,

the MAR, the Museu do Arte do Rio

namely the return of golf after 112

(museudeartedorio.org.br) and the

years and of rugby after 92 years.

Museu do Amanhã (Praça Mauá, 1;

The sites will be located in four areas

museudoamanha.org.br) by Spanish

of the city: Deodoro, Maracaná,

architect Santiago Calatrava put the

Copacabana and Barra. The Olympic

finishing touch to the project.

˜

CHASE YOUR DREAMS Find your happiness

\ D E S T I N AT I O N S B Y C L U B M E L I Ăƒ

The world is yours to discover For Information US & Canada: 1-866-344-7686 | CLUBMELIA.COM

NEW DESTINATION

MANCHESTER’S

LATEST REVOLUTION A rejuvenating whirlwind based on culture, art and football has turned the rusty British industrial city into a vibrantly exciting city filled with contemporary attractions.

I

top of their lungs before matches.

cranes have been replaced by iconic

they discarded the tourism metaphor

But today it is unrecognisable even

modern constructions that infuse

of it being a “trip back in time”.

for the very Mancunians who take

the whole district with modernity

Contrary to many big European

part in, and are proud of, all this

and liveliness. The Imperial War

cities, here the past, remnants of it

innovative process. If more than two

Museum North, aside from housing

and its ruins are not what attract

centuries ago its climate and its canals

part of a big collection on Britain’s

visitors or the most curious minds.

made this city the first industrialised

past wars, is the inspiring beacon

Fifteen years back, all the information

place in the world, today creativity

that immortalises, thanks to its

given about this city was limited

and reinvention are the stars of this

design, innovative movements.

to experiencing the rough football

fresh start.

A characteristic shared by the

t’s been years since in Manchester

atmosphere first-hand, and to visiting STYLE

28

the pubs where fans shouted at the

This catharsis comes in the shape of buildings, cultural programmes and new walking tours. On Salford Quays, the docks do no longer harbour the feverish activity of the port that once was the third biggest in the country. Today, containers and

neighbouring The Lowry, where cinema, theatre and shopping

share glorious time under the

– enables us to enjoy the best aspect

same roof. But the comprehensive

of the city’s two splendid eras while

transformation undergone by the

enjoying paintings by Hockney, Van

magnificent canal with the arrival of

Gogh and Turner.

the new millennium was only the

The next step in this definitive revolution took place behind the

its old industrial surname to become

Rochdale canal and the railways

a focus of art and leisure. The

that connect two of Manchester’s

refurbishment of The Whitworth Art

most central stations: Deansgate

Gallery –combining Jacobean brick

and Oxford Road. Before crossing

with contemporary minimalist lines

the famous railway viaduct, a sign

TEXT: JAVIER ZORI DEL AMO / PHOTOS: ALAN WILLIAMS, GETTY

beginning. The rest of the city buried

Below, white art galleries in Home, the city’s newest cultural centre.

Left, Barton Arcade, a shopping mall with an array of boutiques.

Opposite, Salford Quays, the most modern area, and The Lowry in the background.

THE ‘HOME’ FOR NEW ART It is barely one year old, but this new cultural centre is already a trending topic for Mancunians. Emerging from the fusion of two cultural projects that are iconic in this city, namely the Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company, all forms of creative expression converge at Home.

This wonderful cultural compendium is made up of two theatres, five cinemas and an art gallery with a common philosophy: giving voice to the most exciting talents from Manchester and from the entire planet.A reason to fall in love with it, along with the surrounding climate it generates, which has already captivated thousands of curious visitors who feel at home here for a few hours.

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on the red bricks welcomes visitors

House. At the same time, life in

to the new area of First Street. It is

the city follows the pace marked

an invitation to open your mind

by its most recognisable emblems:

and explore a hotel that, according

Manchester United and Manchester

to Mr. Adam Munday, General

City. The rivalry and sporting might

Manager of the Innside Manchester

of both football teams are not only a magnet for their fans, but also for

Hotel, is “definitely the new cool kid in Manchester”, and its central

where a new “place to be” –essential

fans from all over the world who

location and the new neighbours

for understanding Manchester’s

want to inhale the incomparable

both account for its success. The

evolution – opens every week.

ambience of its stadiums. In addition,

first great travel companion on

Left, the two crests of a traditional Manchester derby: Manchester United and Manchester City.

All these brand-new developments

the teams are immortalised at the

this adventure is the HOME

coexist with the city’s essence

new site of the National Football

multidisciplinary centre that labelled

without disturbing each other. The

Museum: a brand new “temple” with

this area as trendy, talented and

city’s inhabitants and customs have

a huge collection of football boots,

inspiring. The first British hotel of

served not only as the foundation for

lucky charms and objects related

the Innside by Meliá brand together

development, but its people also feel

to the king of sports, as well as its

with its Street on First restaurant

reverence towards legendary creative

connection to pop culture. Here, the

make an attractive duet that draws

spaces such as the impressive Royal

show is not over when the referee

attention to a new neighbourhood

Exchange Theatre and the Opera

blows the final whistle.

INNSIDE MANCHESTER HOTEL

˜

The flood of new developments with which Manchester has been able to change its path finds the perfect standard-bearer in this hotel thanks to its modern and casual character.

Offering a number of innovative services, this first hotel of the Innside by Meliá brand in England perfectly combines its central location with an international cuisine by chef David Spanner that reinterprets Mediterranean and Asian flavours. In addition to the comfort and design of its 208 rooms, all of them with king size beds, this establishment delights its guests with such things as a DJ at breakfast time, the local beer that comes out of the taps of its bars and even Wilson, the pink pit bull that is its mascot (www.melia.com).

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Clockwise, an example of the contemporary twist of the Mediterranean dishes served at the hotel’s restaurant; exterior view of the building, and right, an Innside Twin room.

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CHILDREN & TEENAGERS

holidays PARAD ISIUS

FOR EVERYONE

When it comes to travelling with children, accommodation is key – as important, or more so, than the destination itself: What do you choose, a hotel, a resort, an apartment...?

Paradisus resorts not only offer the best of each option, but they have also taken things a step further by creating the figure of the Family Concierge.

O

ne of the latest global travel trends is an

when designing their facilities and have added extra

increase in the range of the kind of family trips that can be

ones, either in the hotel’s rooms or in their common areas.

taken with children. The possibilities and potential of this

But nobody – so far – has developed this as extensively

niche in the sector are now being developed by hotels,

as the Paradisus resorts: some of the most luxurious

resorts, airlines, etc. And with good reason. For families,

all-inclusive hotels in the world that – at their hotels in

the wellbeing of their children is a decisive factor when

Mexico and the Dominican Republic – in addition to

it comes to packing a suitcase and choosing a destination.

superb architecture and five-star cuisine (see our feature

Increasingly aware of this, and in order to attract this

on Martin Berasategui), offer a Family Concierge service.

public, cities are now eager to obtain Family Tourism

This exclusive service meets all the family’s needs – those

certifications:

which are obvious, as well as more specific ones. Visible

restaurants

have

designed

children’s

menus and play areas; and hotels listen carefully to what STYLE

32

and invisible.

fathers, mothers, siblings and grandparents have to say.

According to Connie Lacroes, Regional Marketing

Some of them have even taken children into account

Director for Meliá Hotels International in America, this is a completely new way of addressing the (increasingly more varied) requirements of 21st-century families. “Many hotels have concierges, but our Family Concierges, in addition to having had special training at

Text: ARANTXA NEYRA

our Amsterdam school, are also qualified to understand

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Left, Kids’ Club at the Paradisus Punta Cana resort. Top left, the children’s area at the Spa at the Paradisus Cancun spa resort.

Opposite above, the Kids’ Pool at the Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa hotel; below, a family playing on the beach.

the specific needs of every family member. They ensure

in Mexico, who believes that one of the keys to success is to

that the children have fun, but also that the parents can

establish special bonds with each of the family members,

relax and fully enjoy their holidays, and they help them

defines her work: “We try to surprise each and every

in many ways by booking restaurants, activities and

family member, taking advantage of every interaction and

treatments at the YHI Spa.”

every detail to connect emotionally with them and thus

“They are professionals who are highly focused on customer care, often trained in social matters, passionate STYLE

34

guarantee service that surpasses their expectations and creates unique and memorable moments”.

about cultural diversity and the environment, and fluent in

The difference is noticeable right from the very

several languages.” This is how Olga, a Family Concierge

moment that the family checks in at the special family welcome desk in the Family Concierge hall. Here is where work ends and the holidays start for everyone.

In the meantime, the Family Concierge unpacks and puts their things away, leaving everything ready in the family suites. A number of amenities also await them –

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ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN (5-13 YEARS OLD) Although the Family Concierge service is designed for all kinds of families, those with younger children – from 5 to 13 – are likely to benefit the most from it because they can also enjoy the services and programmes of the Kids’ Zone. These are daily activities at no additional cost and they vary depending on the hotel and season. In Mexico, for Clockwise, children’s section in the common areas at the Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Esmeralda hotel; kids’ playground; and a Family Concierge telling a story to one of the younger guests..

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not only for the adults, but also on a small-scale too…

example, there might be football matches,

bathrobes, slippers, pillows, shampoo, toothbrushes and

snorkelling lessons, biscuit-making

toothpaste. Also, on request, there are videogames and

classes, or games (drawing or handicraft

consoles (PS2™, XBox 360™ and Wii™), bottle warmers,

competitions) during the week. In the

cots, safety socket covers, etc. Everything is designed just

afternoons, for instance, there might be

for them – even a mini bar with chocolate, fruit juice and

a spa treatment for the girls at the YHI

snacks, and a turndown service that includes biscuits

Spa kids, or even “social” events like a

and milk. Families are given a walkie-talkie so they can

pirate or Caribbean party, a mini disco or

contact their Concierge 24/7, and there is also Concierge

watching a film… However, it is not just

service by the swimming pool and at the exclusive beach

they who have lots of fun: their parents

area; thanks to this, parents do not have to worry about

can follow suit with belly-dancing lessons,

anything as every morning they will find a beach bag

tequila tastings, or a massage workshop.

containing all they need for a day at the beach or pool (a cap, T-shirt, water wings, sunscreen lotion, etc.).

Moreover, both children and teenagers can socialise and take part in activities that are appropriate for their ages thanks to the hotel’s different programmes. These

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vary according to the season but they are always related to nature, sports or learning about the local culture – essential values of our brand’s philosophy. Day-to-day work for a Family Concierge consists precisely of this, explains Olga, “getting the place ready, preparing the day’s activities and offering a variety of recommended options to our guests for their daily plans, taking into account the weather, family typology (age, tastes, preferences) and special events.”

“Children want surprises,” she adds, “the excitement of receiving a little gift from their Concierge every day, being Below, a group of teenagers enjoying an underwater activity organised by the Paradisus Playa del Carmen La Perla hotel on the Mayan Riviera.

Right, wall climbing for teenagers at the Paradisus Punta Cana resort.

told a wonderful story, finding treasure or enjoying a fun swim… all this keeps them excited, eager and attentive.

Parents love to see their children enjoy the experience to the fullest, while they, too, can relax and even enjoy a little romance while the children are having fun.” It therefore comes as no surprise that, when the time comes to check out, families often ask Olga (and many other Concierges) to go back home with them.

˜

ACTIVITIES FOR TEENAGERS Teenagers are the hardest challenge for the sector, and also for Family Concierges. The main goal of the Teen Club is “to try to keep them away from the screens of their mobiles or tablets and offer them memorable experiences at the resort.” To do this, the team specialists have devised programmes which include a very wide range of activities: sports such as beach football, climbing, beach volleyball, or snorkelling – but also others that are similar to the activities for adults but are tailor-made for them, such as DJ lessons or evening parties. In addition, each hotel has specific plans, such as those organised at the hotels in Mexico during the turtle-nesting season and which encourage respect for STYLE

the environment.

w w w.ro s a g re s .c o m

BER

IN THE CITY

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CONNECTION

There is a great hustle and bustle on Friedrichstrasse Avenue and on The building, semicircular in shape, seems to want to bend in

Text: HÉCTOR LLANOS Photos: AGE / FOTOTECA 9X12

LIN

Panoramic view of Berlin and the River Spree, presided over by the Meliá Berlin.

A fun way of enjoying the city is to take a boat ride when the weather is good.

this street is the Meliá group’s most emblematic hotel in Berlin. every direction to take in every single detail of what is happening around it.

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A Right, view of the Meliá Berlin and the River Spree, from the corner of Friedrichstraße and Am Weidendamm, very close to the Brandenburg Gate, the Museum Island and Alexanderplatz.

Below, the Friedrichstadt-Palast, an iconic theatre of Berlin’s nightlife.

Below right, Checkpoint Charlie, the most famous of all bordercrossings along the Berlin Wall between 1945 and 1990.

Opposite, commercial buildings on the famous Friedrichstrasse.

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few metres to the north of the street,

fated years when a wall split its heart in two. Halfway

the spirit of the cabaret of the ‘20s is still alive in the most

between these two places it is difficult not to stop at

modern and exciting way possible in the musical shows

the restaurants, the elegant shopping centres (such as

at the Friedrichstadt-Palast. When night falls, the façade

Quartier 206 and its boutiques) or the modern cafés whose

of this theatre is a spectacle of light which is just a taste

superb interior design and beautiful magazines are your

of the endless stimuli that are to be found inside. If you

best breakfast accessories. The variety of window displays

look southwards instead, you will find yourself face to

could not be greater: from Rolex to Zara; from McDonalds

face with History. Check Point Charlie reminds us of that

to the nearby Ganymed Brasserie, a place where you can

border point where Berlin shed its skin during those ill-

enjoy oysters, good wine and the best Franco-German

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Left, Berlin’s neoclassical cathedral, built in the early 20th century and whose main entrance opens onto the Lustgarten, a park near the Museum Island; on the right, the iconic Fernsehturm television tower (365 m), close to Alexanderplatz.

Below, the Café am Neuen See, by one of the small lakes in the Tiergarten, and below left, the Berlin sculpture in the centre of Tauentzienstrasse.

BRIGHT DAYS When the weather is good, Berlin is the brightest city in Europe.The longer its days are –almost 20 hours – the

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cuisine, while boats glide by just a few metres away on

War and it did not open its doors

shorter its days seem.There is not

the River Spree. Also nearby is “the Museum Island”

again until just a few years ago. In

enough time for so much: endless parks

(Museumsinsel) – a sort of cultural Disneyland. Several

addition to being a relevant museum

and lakes, the best nighttime techno

different worlds are concentrated in a few square metres.

of ancient history, with thousands of

temples and a rich cultural offering.

The Neues Museum attracts thousands of tourists every

objects that reconstruct our past, it is

Among other possible fun plans to

year and people were eager to visit it, as it had been

also home to Queen Nefertiti, whose

highlight are: the Pictoplasma design

closed for seven decades. In 1997, British architect David

coveted bust is the main attraction

festival (April), Berlin Fashion Week

Chipperfield was commissioned to reconstruct the

of the entire island. Dazzling Greek

(July), the Beer Festival (August)

building which was destroyed during the Second World

and Oriental art can be seen at the

and Art Week (September).

Pergamon

Museum;

19th-century

painting is housed behind the neoclassical façade of Berlin’s Old National Gallery, while the best sculpture in the world can be seen at the Bode Museum. Although the Tiergarten is the best-known park and is located a

few steps from the Meliá, there are many reasons to explore the city’s other green spaces. Even with regard to this, Berlin offers an endless choice: the multicultural, laid-back and somewhat fun-loving Görlitzer Park; the bucolic Viktoria Park in the Kreuzberg district; the family-friendly Volkspark Friedrichshain and the Tempelhof, an old airport that represents to perfection the spirit of Berliners. When planes stopped landing here, an immense empty area, almost in the city centre, fell into disuse. Instead of building apartment blocks or a shopping centre on the plot, the citizens campaigned for this open area to be left practically intact for them to take advantage of it in the shape of the huge common garden which it has become. While some people skate, others have their own vegetable garden and others attend an open-air concert. Here, like in the rest of the city, there is room for everything and for everybody.

˜

MELIÁ BERLIN One of the major attractions of the Meliá on the Friedrichstrasse is its location, right in the heart of the city’s shopping street and only a few steps away from the most important museums in the country.

Few places in the German capital city can compare to this hotel to nourish both body and soul: its Meliá Tapas Bar restaurant is also a refuge for many expats in Berlin who regularly go there to spend an evening while far from Spain and enjoy the flavours of their homeland. Its 364 rooms (with different suites and also rooms that offer the exclusive The Level service) are fitted out in warm colours and wood, and many of them have views STYLE

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of the River Spree (melia.com).

Top left, terrace of the Café Madrid restaurant at the Meliá Berlin that serves international cuisine; centre, interior of the Meliá Tapas Bar, and below, façade of the Meliá Berlin.

CONTEMPORARY RESORTS AND URBAN HOTELS

FOR MORE INFORMATION MELIA.COM .

CABO

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MALLORCA

MILAN

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LONDON

CARACAS (2017)

DUBAI (2017)

IN THE CITY

MUSEUM ISLAND (MUSEUMINSEL) The Meliá Berlin hotel is a perfect base from which to come and go every time you feel like visiting Museum Island, home to five unique museums, as well as the Cathedral and the Lutsgarten.

S

et in a stunningly beautiful

spot bordered by the Spree River,

it reflects the evolution of modern

the architectural and cultural

museum design that goes back over a

ensemble of Museum Island has

century. Visit its emblematic highlights

gradually become, since it was first

from this nearby hotel.

opened in 1830, the world’s largest STYLE

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the age of Enlightenment and its ideals,

concentration of culture per square

1 MELIÁ BERLIN

mile. Its museums are home to such

(www.melia.com)

gems as the Pergamon Altar, the

It is impossible to enjoy so many

bust of Nefertiti and the Ishtar Gate.

artworks in a leisurely way in just one

In addition, as the origins of this

day, but the Meliá Berlin is so close

ensemble of museums dates back to

to Museum Island that, at the end

ILLUSTRATION: JAIME MARTINEZ / PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

of each day (most museums open

offers activities for children, it is

from 10.00 to 18.00), you can have

one of the least visited of the Island.

a snack at the famous Meliá Tapas

The building, however, giving the

Bar, with live music on Tuesdays and

impression of a gigantic ship above

Thursdays from 21.00.

the waterline (above left), is the

2 BODE MUSEUM

best known of the whole ensemble.

In the summer, both visitors and

(www.smb.museum)

Berliners cross to the bank opposite

Even though this museum houses a

the museum to enjoy the views. It

great collection of sculptures, gems

was built between 1887 and 1904 by

of Byzantine art, an impressive

architect Ernst Eberhard, although it

numismatic collection, and also

was renovated later.

Left, the new equestrian statue “The Monument", on one side of the Old National Gallery.

Opposite, the Bode Museum – like a ship above the waterline.

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Above, The Darmstadt Madonna by Hans Holbein the Younger (at the Bode Museum until May), and Man Yawning in a Train Compartment by German painter Adolph von Menzel at the National Gallery.

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3 PERGAMON MUSEUM

However, other masterpieces, such

5 OLD NATIONAL GALLERY

(www.smb.museum)

as the Ishtar Gate, the Market Gate of

(www.smb.museum.com)

It comes as no surprise that this

Miletus, and the Museum of Islamic

A construction that drew inspiration

is Berlin’s most visited museum:

Art can still be enjoyed.

from the Acropolis in Athens, this

housing three museums, it was

building was erected between

specifically built to exhibit artworks

4 NEUES MUSEUM

from the ancient civilisations of

(www.smb.museum)

from the German Classicism and

Greece and Rome, Mesopotamia,

The “crown jewel” here is the famous

Romanticism movements, the

and from others in the Near East, as

bust of Nefertiti, but its Papyrus

Biedermeier movement, as well as

well as Islamic art. The room with

Collection is also impressive. Built in

Impressionist and contemporary art.

the Altar of Zeus from Pergamon

1841, destroyed during the Second

– one of its biggest treasures – is

World War, and rebuilt by renowned

6 BERLINER DOM

now closed due to restoration and

1867 and 1876. It houses artworks

architect David Chipperfield (it took

(www.berlinerdom.de)

expansion work currently

no less than ten years to complete

In the 19th century, members of

underway at

it), it specialises in Ancient Egypt,

the Hohenzollern dynasty decided

Late Prehistory and Prehistory.

to build this Evangelical Cathedral

A project is being implemented

whose greenish dome can be seen

to connect the Ancient Museum

from almost everywhere in the

(Pergamon), the Neues Museum and

city. Construction was started by

the Bode Museum via a so-called

order of King Frederick William IV

“Archaeological Promenade”.

of Prussia, but during the Second

the museum.

World War it suffered extensive

Palace; scheduled to open in 2018,

9 MÄRKISCHES MUSEUM

damage and it was not until 1990

it will house a modern conference

(www.stadtmuseum.de)

that the GDR began to restore it.

centre and the Humboldt-Forum.

You cannot leave Berlin without

Apart from its chapels and the

encountering its past in the shape

pantheon, the views over the Mitte

8 STADMUSEUM

district from the dome – 270 steps

(www.stadtmuseum.de)

the iconic Berlin Wall can be found

up – are a must-see.

This impressive building was

in this museum, whose motto

designed by Heinrich Strack and

is “This is Berlin!” It also houses

completed in 1876 to hold one

automatophones – old mechanical

Measuring 225 by 175 metres, this

of the most beautiful collections

musical instruments – and, for

square was the site of the Royal

of paintings and sculptures

children, it has an interactive section

Palace and was located in East Berlin

of the century. The famous

with animal sounds. This walk traces

– which is why it was named Marx-

Prinzessinnengruppe, a statue

the remains of the first settlement

Engels Platz after the Second World

of the two Princesses Louise and

in Berlin all the way to the

War. The German parliament has

Frederika, is among its masterpieces,

present and takes in the only

recently decided to rebuild the Royal

as is the painting Das Balkonzimmer

surviving original piece

by Adolph von Menzel, and

from the Quadriga atop

masterpieces by Manet, Monet,

the Brandenburg Gate

Renoir, David Friedrich, Cézanne,

– the horse’s head

Rodin, Feuerbach, Böcklin, Hans von

from Schadow’s

Marées, Liebermann and Corinth.

sculptural group.

7 SCHLOSSPLATZ

of a wall. Original fragments of

˜

Above these lines, the Brustportraits der Kaiserlichen Familie chromolithograph, and the bust of Nefertiti, by Thutmose (1330 BCE), both at the Neues Museum.

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IN THE CITY

MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL

SEVEN GERMAN STUNNERS Almost thirty Meliá Hotels International hotels grace Germany’s interesting landscape.The chain’s most emblematic hotels combine design, gastronomy and a strategic location, three essential ingredients to ensure a successful trip (whether for leisure or business).

Text: HÉCTOR LLANOS

1 O

ne of the big cities in Germany that offers a thousand attractions a minute is, of

course, Frankfurt. Despite the fact that the city has a clear financial slant, it offers plenty of topquality restaurants and shops. The INNSIDE FRANKFURT EUROTHEUM, in one of the most emblematic skyscrapers, has 74 spacious, bright designer apartments with kitchenettes and an innovative automated system for the comfort of its guests. Above the 20th floor, natural light floods into the rooms through the STYLE

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large windows, and at night you are invited to sleep in the company of the city’s lights. Located near the former headquarters of the European Central Bank (ECB), it is also close to the Old Opera House and Zeil, the main shopping area.

From top to bottom, view of the heart of the city and the skyscraper housing the Innside Frankfurt Eurotheum hotel; the entrance to the hotel and interior of a Premium apartment, and views from the Lounge & Bar on the 22nd floor.

2

W

ith good access to Munich’s airport and business district, the INNSIDE MÜNCHEN PARKSTADT

SCHWABING is aimed at businesspeople. Those who stay

here highlight the quality of the service offered and how functional the hotel is, yet, all this is not at odds with the unabashed hedonism that its guests can enjoy. Designed by renowned architect Helmut Jahn, all of the modern, diverse rooms reflect the spirit of the neighbourhood of Schwabing where the hotel is located. With many Art Nouveau buildings – Jugendstil in German – this is known as the artists’ district, and many painters, musicians, and writers live here and have turned the place into the epicentre of a bohemian lifestyle.

In its squares, once crossed by Vassily Kandinsky and frozen in time in some of his paintings, you feel a leisurely euphoria that is caught between modernity and nostalgia. A place that is close by and that deserves a visit is the Englischer Garten.

From top to bottom, the entrance to the hotel in the fashionable district of Shwabing; interior and terrace where the hotel offers its magnificent breakfast buffet; façade of the building, designed by Helmut Jahn, and Innside Deluxe room.

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From top to bottom, panoramic view of Dusseldorf ’s docks on the Rhine; view of the Colorium skyscraper which houses the Innside Düsseldorf Hafen designer hotel, an icon of the new cultural district of Medienhafen; the hotel’s reception area; the Skylounge Bar; and a Premium room.

3

S

ometimes, there is nothing more relaxing than letting your eyes wander over the stimulating calmness of a

port. The INNSIDE DÜSSELDORF HAFEN is a designer

hotel located in the Colorium Tower, a 62-metre-high building that presides over the German city’s most innovative district.

From high above, you can admire the Medienhafen area.

Just as mesmerising is its exterior, with an impressive and colourful façade made up of two glass panels designed

by English architect William Allen Alsop. In the modern rooms, in contrast, a classic black and white combination prevails. Visit THE VIEW Skylounge & Bar for an unbeatable view of the city’s skyline. Not far from the work of another widely acclaimed architect, Frank Gehry, this hotel and this neighbourhood are two good reasons that show why Düsseldorf is one of the country’s fashionable cities.

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WHERE YOU WANT TO BE

Indulge in the world’s most luxurious beachfront all-inclusive resorts. Enjoy 5-star dining, lavish accommodation, world-class YHI SPA and impeccable service. Discover our ROYAL SERVICE, an exclusive area for Adults Only and our FAMILY CONCIERGE, a VIP experience for families.

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WEB OFICIAL

W

ood is one of the defining materials of the MELIÁ DÜSSELDORF and predominates both in its common spaces and in the 200-plus

4

spacious rooms of this hotel. It is located right in the heart of a city area that

is perpetually in fashion, the “Königsallee”, dubbed Kö because the Germans – uncharacteristically one would think – love to daringly shorten the names of the squares, avenues and districts that they cherish. Although it is ideal for business trips, with restaurants such as Aqua and the Purple-Lounge which are perfect for work dinners, this hotel is so versatile that it is the ideal choice for those who want a getaway that focuses more on wellness. Its facilities include two saunas, an ice fountain, a steam bath and a sensorial shower space. It has all been designed to guarantee its guests the relaxation they need. It is impossible not to leave fresher than ever when you check out.

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From top to bottom, general view of the lobby; façade of the building next to Germany’s oldest public gardens; the Purple Lounge bar on the ground floor; interior of a junior suite; a detail of the Yhi Wellness; and a view of the Aqua Bar Mediterranean restaurant.

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T

he straight lines of the INNSIDE DRESDEN are in

5

perfect contrast with the nearby dome of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), a breathtaking construction that is only a few steps away. The unforgettable panoramic view that can be enjoyed from the hotel’s Twist cocktail bar is only matched by the views from the Augustusbrücke Bridge, also very close by. One of its attractions is the extraordinarily varied breakfast buffet served here. Those who have a very sweet tooth and refined palates become regular customers. The city’s geographical location is an extra attraction as it is halfway between Berlin and Prague (approximately two hours from each). They may be two of the most attractive cities in Europe today but Dresden is not far behind. The beauty of the historical centre of Saxony’s capital is still an undiscovered gem.

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From top to bottom, the Innside Dresden hotel, close to the Contemporary Art Museum right in the historic centre; the breakfast buffet (also served on the terrace in summer); interior of a Deluxe room; and wellness area with treatments and massages.

MALLORCA

|

C O STA D E L S O L | TAGA Z H O U T B AY *

6

I

n the summer of 2014, the INNSIDE WOLFSBURG opened its doors. It is a must-visit for all car lovers and those who work in

the automotive industry. The hotel is right next door to an important spot in the city, the Autostadt, from which the present and past of the industry can be discovered. There is an industrial slant to both the design and interior design of its spacious rooms where straight lines and sober colours prevail in what is still a warm ambience. But you do not need to leave the building in order to enjoy your visit. The gourmet food of its restaurant, its outdoor terrace and the sky bar are three great places for relaxing – but interestingly, it is from the sauna where one of the best panoramic views of the city can be had. Last but not least, the gym and fitness areas have been equipped with the latest technology. And all of this is very close to the Aller River, a peaceful haven in Wolfsburg.

From top to bottom, the hotel’s lobby; interior of the Ven restaurant, open for lunch and dinner;The View Skylounge bar, on the fifth floor of the Innside Wolfsburg; views of the Autostadt automobile museum and the Phaeno Science Centre from The View bar.

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Coca-Cola, the red disk and the contour bottle are trademarks of The Coca-Cola Company.

T

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he new INNSIDE AACHEN will

open next May. It is very centrally

located next to Aachen cathedral – the oldest in Northern Europe. It is also close to the Couven Museum, a threestorey building where interior design from the 18th and19th centuries can be appreciated; Rococo and Napoleonic Empire style under the same roof. The hotel embodies the city’s personality – sophisticated and contemporary despite being surrounded by history. The interior design of its rooms is thus stylish and the lighting has been designed to perfection. The hotel guarantees services that are always a step ahead such as its modern fitness facilities and its bar, which has a spacious terrace to enjoy when the weather is good.

This destination is also exceptional for its proximity to Belgium and the Netherlands, affording an opportunity for short getaways where you can visit several countries in a single trip.

˜ From top to bottom, the Innside Aachen hotel’s contemporary and practical interior design; The View restaurant bar, on the sixth floor; and an Innside Premium room.

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“Mere access to the courthouse doors does not by itself assure a proper functioning of the adversary process�

Judge Thurgood Marshall (1908-1993)

The Observatory MELIÁ HOTELS INTERNATIONAL

A START UP THAT IS TURNING

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Going from 34 rooms at the Altair hotel in Mallorca to the 100,000 rooms that Meliá Hotels International now has all over the world, has (only) taken a span of 60 years; almost 22,000 days of wine and roses; successes and awards, but also dark days, crises and changes to which the Group has adapted and, something which is even better, has anticipated.There has been only one path to get here without forgoing the Group’s leading position in the sector: a clear vision of the company’s goals and, of course, constant reinvention. And this is something that its founder and President, Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, can do like nobody else.

Text: ARANTXA NEYRA

Opposite, a view of Palma’s seafront promenade from the old Victoria hotel (1940's).

Below, the terrace of the Gran Meliá Victoria in Palma, as it is today.

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I

t was in Silicon Valley where, in the late 20th

century, in the wake of a number of massive entrepreneurial successes enjoyed by some talented and enlightened gurus that the word startup was coined. Perhaps the English term appeared thanks to them, but the truth is that in the mid ‘50s, another man in his twenties, not exactly from the West Coast in the US but from a little village on the island of Mallorca, took his first steps in a similar way: improvising based on market moves, learning on the job, fighting back and coping with falls… His name was Gabriel Escarrer, and he encountered the same problems: uncertain environs and sceptical investors in the face of a number of business projects that were too daring for the day; he used the same work methodology – trial and error, trial and error – and had the same weapons – sound business sense, curiosity and talent – to successfully face the challenge. He himself explained his expansion policy years later: “At that time, I had no defined strategies or specific objectives in mind but, rather, I improvised and learned my lessons from

1

my wise choices and my mistakes. What I knew for sure is what I wanted to achieve and how I wanted to do it: Below, a photo of President Gabriel Escarrer when he began his career as a hotelier at the age of 21.

I was convinced that our industrial activity should be established and kept going with an industrial calling.”

Just like many great 20th-century entrepreneurs, Gabriel Escarrer had no specific business training, but he more than offset that with his huge ambition, an ironclad determination and a very keen nose for business. In addition, he had extraordinary emotional intelligence – which, throughout his career and to this day, has been one of the main strengths of this innate winner. At 17, thanks to having learnt languages at an

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early age, he started working for Thomas

confidence and perseverance won the day; with a small

Cook – a company that was slowly being

loan from his parents and the influence of his parish priest,

set up in Mallorca –and it was on a three-

Escarrer managed to rent the Altair hotel in the Mallorcan

month training course that he attended

neighbourhood of Son Armadans. It had 34 rooms, and

in London, where, besides perfecting

this was where he – like a good “startupper”– had to be

his English, he acquired his excellent

a one-man-band and do everything, even welcoming the

negotiation skills.

guests who paid what was then a ridiculously high rate

There he discovered an immense and eager

of 34 pesetas per person for full board. Its name, Altair –

holiday market, and realised Mallorca’s immense potential

the name of one of the brightest stars in the sky – was a

for tourism: its sun, its beaches and its competitive prices.

portent of things to come. It was simply the first step in

It was 1956. He was 21 years old but to banks and investors

the creation of a huge empire.

all that sounded like a young man’s dream. But his

But an empire is not built in just a couple of days and much has happened since then. After managing a small group of hotels in the Balearic Islands, the first incursion outside Mallorca came with the purchase of the San Antonio Hotel in the port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, in 1978. This was the beginning of the Group’s specialisation

1. An old postcard of the Altair hotel from the early days of tourism.

2. The wonderful location of the old Victoria hotel.

3. Meliá Hotels International group’s President and founder, Gabriel Escarrer, in 1970.

5 6

2

3 4

in the holiday hotel niche on mainland Spain as well

Meliá is still one of the most successful hotels in Nusa Dua,

as in the Balearic and Canary Islands – and this was

but back then it was a virtually unexplored destination

also why the name of the hotel chain (formerly Hoteles

with no other hotel complex (it was one of the first hotels

Mallorquines) was changed to Sol. In 1984, when Sol acquired 32 hotels from HOTASA (a chain owned by Ruiz Mateos

7

in Southeast Asia). The passing of time and subsequent development in the area have shown that it was not a whimsical decision.

until then), it made its debut in the urban

The following years witnessed dramatic

segment; and, in 1985, when Spain joined the

growth: in addition to establishing itself in all

European Union, the acquisition of the Meliá

the major European capitals, Meliá was one of

hotel chain brought about a true opportunity

the pioneers in opening today’s iconic holiday

for the expansion of a company that was

destinations in Latin America and the Spanish-

already a leader in Spain. Nevertheless,

speaking Caribbean: places such as Mexico, the

Escarrer would surprise the world again with the company’s first international launch, which, oddly enough, took place far from the old continent – in Bali in fact – and in that very same year, 1985. Today, the Bali

4. View of Madrid’s classic Gran Meliá Fénix hotel.

5. 70s holiday atmosphere at Sol S’Argamassa hotel.

6. A moment during the President’s visit to the Meliá Bali The Garden Villas hotel.

7. An ad for another of the company’s emblematic hotels, the Príncipe Sol in Torremolinos.

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Sophistication and luxury are in the DNA of some of the company’s brands.

Right, the group’s President at the Gran Meliá de Mar hotel.

Opposite, Sol Katmandú Park & Resort.

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Dominican Republic and Cuba, where it is still the most

he always recalls, having one of the best global teams in

important international hotel chain. In 1996, the company

the industry.

was listed on the Stock Exchange and welcomed the

For Gabriel Escarrer and his family, Meliá Hotels

second generation of the Escarrer family to the business;

International is much more than a business project: it is a

the current Managing Director and Vice President is

project closely linked to the values of the family itself. This

Gabriel Escarrer Jr. Next, this Spanish company undertook

is why it has always had a long-term vision and means it

the opening of so-called emerging new destinations in

can give good stability to its shareholders, while working

the Middle East and North Africa, the English-speaking

hard to achieve the highest professional standards in

Caribbean and the United States. Another objective is, of

management and corporative governance.

course, to continue its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region

With a clear tendency towards internationalisation,

where the potential and scope are endless, and where

Meliá Hotels International today has more than 370

the Group has tripled its portfolio over the past three last

hotels in 41 countries and 100,000 rooms, and is the hotel

years, and expects to double it in the next three.

chain with the highest number of beds in holiday hotels

However, the story of Meliá Hotels International (the

in the world. This diversification has run parallel to the

name it has had since 2011 – the year when its new

globalisation phenomenon favoured by the Internet and

corporative brand was presented along with an in-depth

has been one of the Group’s major levers for withstanding

cultural, strategic and organisational transformation

the economic crises that periodically affect certain

process) was not always smooth sailing; economic crises,

markets, emerging all the stronger for them. In addition

a more and more rapidly changing environment, the

to being in a leading position, it has become an agent of

decline of some of the company’s iconic destinations,

transformation for the world of tourism, and its strength

and uncontrollable external factors such as outbreaks of

is such that it is able to singlehandedly build a destination.

epidemics, natural disasters, political or economic crises,

However, success has not gone to its head – neither

etc. have affected it on several occasions. But they have

the company’s nor that of its founder. And Meliá Hotels

never shaken its foundations thanks to Escarrer’s major

International, now with somewhat more employees than

weapons: his superb response capacity and his ability to

before (almost 42,000) and operating on all five continents,

rise from the ashes time and time again, in addition to, as

still has its headquarters in Mallorca and still is, in a way, the family-run company it once was. Gabriel therefore calls it “the family”, and at home is how its employees feel, as many of them have been there their entire working lives (his secretary, for instance, was with him for almost half a century, until her recent retirement).

For Escarrer, “staff and guests, always treated with the

as Meliá Hotels and Innside by Meliá, with Sol and Tryp

utmost professionalism, are our most important assets”,

being most emblematic brands in the mid-range segment

and perhaps this is why it has been chosen as one of

of holiday and urban hotels, respectively. In addition

the most attractive companies to work for, and whose

to its brand innovation, the Group has never stopped

employees are the most involved. Maybe that is also

developing new concepts and segments that combine the

why new talent and internal promotion are given such

attributes of urban business hotels with lifestyle elements

importance.

for travellers who want to enjoy the leisure activities of a city. For all travellers in search of this experience – the

GOING FOR A FURTHER 60 YEARS

numbers are increasing – Meliá is leading a new segment

Throughout its history, Meliá has been able to anticipate

of hotels that it has dubbed bleisure thanks to the fusion

what new travellers want… and what they will want. In

of “business + leisure”: a hybrid of business hotels and

this sense, its latest lines of action have been the creation

leisure hotels whose demand is constantly on the rise in

of a new approach to holidaying with a novel lifestyle

Europe, and is the most prevalent in most Asian cities.

concept at the Sol brand resorts (SOL House, Sol Beach

In recent years, the Group has developed a macro project that in a way has involved a “return to its origins”: the Calviá Beach project to renovate and reposition the mature destination of Magaluf, in Mallorca. This is where Gabriel Escarrer built and operated his first big holiday hotels, and although the destination is somewhat deteriorated, the Group believes it has huge potential and is determined to grant it a second lease of life. The company has not hesitated investing over €130 million to date in order to, along with its partners, reverse the fate of this important holiday spot. Today Magaluf has the support of local institutions and of a large number of companies that have followed in Meliá’s footsteps, and in two years’ time. Over the past four years the Group has invested heavily in order to transform the destination

House and Sol Katmandú), which is transforming the

and has successfully attracted International investors and

segment of beach hotels or resorts and attracting the

leisure brands. Thanks to its repositioning, it will boast to

interest of strategic partners such as Starwood Capital

the world a totally renovated look. 2016 is a year to blow

Funds and Avenue Capital, London Regional, etc.,

out the candles, celebrate and also go on working. It will be

who have joined forces with Meliá to strengthen this

the year when a new Strategic Plan will be presented. This

process, thus multiplying the scope, pace and positive

Plan will guide the Group until 2018, and will continue to

impact represented by these changes in many mature

focus on international expansion, consolidating its brands

travel destinations on many Spanish – and in general,

and leadership, especially in the resorts segment and in

Mediterranean – coasts.

digitalisation – which is a true key to competition in the

Meliá Hotels International was also a pioneer in the

tourist industry of both today and the future – listening to

creation and development of a powerful portfolio of

the world’s heartbeats: trial and error, trial and error all the

differentiated hotel brands targeted at a range of guest

time… on and on for another 60 years. Cheers!

profiles that today – with the globalisation of travel and new emerging generations like millennials – are wiser and more selective than ever: in the Premium or luxury segment, are the Paradisus Resorts, ME by Meliá and Gran Meliá brands, and in the upscale segment, are brands such

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The Observatory / I N T E RV I E W

GABRIEL ESCARRER CHAIRMAN AND FOUNDER

“ Among my wisest decisions are having surrounded myself with a great team and, of course, having dared to take the leap abroad ”

N

ow 80, he is still active although it is his son

You love your homeland, but after having seen virtually

Gabriel, Vice Chairman and Chief Executive

the entire world, do you still think that Mallorca is the best

Officer, who runs most of the Group’s day-to-

place on earth… or almost?

day executive operations. Gaining excellence, opening up

Mallorca is a marvellous place in a marvellous part of

new markets... A passion for the business is what drives

our planet – the Mediterranean – and I think that this is

its founder, inspiring him to get up each morning and

a universally accepted fact. Every visitor who comes here

offer his valuable experience to this company that today

falls in love with Mallorca and shares this feeling, and

operates all over the world. His career is unimpeachable

this is why it is a land of leaders of the tourism industry.

and inspiring. His business, a largely family project that

You were one of the pioneers of the hospitality

has been guided by this man’s personality and strength,

industry.Would you choose this line of business again,

has now turned sixty.

if you began anew?

Tourism back then was a brand-new industry – “a You were born in Porreres, a small village in Mallorca.

What memories do you have of your boyhood there?

emergence in Mallorca was a sort of an eye-opener for

Did you already have any particular aspirations or an

me as I quickly saw the potential that the hotel business

entrepreneurial interest when you were a child?

could have, accommodating all those people who

I was born in Porreres, which is at the heart of a

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stack-free industry”, as we pioneers dubbed it. Its

wanted to visit us. If I had to begin anew from scratch,

thriving agricultural and wine-producing region. Yet I

I would devote myself to hospitality again as this is my

was very fortunate, as my parents moved to Palma when

true passion – even beyond my business interests. Proof

I was 4 years old, settling in the well-known district of

of this is that our family has never been tempted to sell

El Terreno which, at that time, was a suburban residential

the company: we consider it a lifelong, family project,

area where the most important hotels in Palma were

and we are “hoteliers at heart”.

located. I guess that this fact, together with the chance

Looking back, which were your wisest decisions?

I had to work for a travel agency, influenced my decision

Among my wisest decisions are having surrounded

to devote myself to tourism.

myself with a great team and, of course, having dared to take the leap abroad – before our competitors – and start our internationalisation: this has been the strongest engine for growth, and a live-saver for us during difficult times. Needless to say, the acquisition of Hotasa and

Text: MARÍA UMBERT Photos: ALEX DEL RIO

Meliá were also wise decisions as this allowed us to

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The Observatory I N T E RV I E W

“ In a 60-year career, there have been quite a few difficult times.

The hardest were the sleepless nights when I had to work out how to pay our employees, but I can proudly say that not a single time during these 60 years have we failed to do so ” add over 70 hotels to our portfolio in just one year, thus becoming a major chain.

What specific thing do you remember as being

Certainly, being listed provided us with financial strength – but above all, it offers us

out in the business, and what do you think has been

reliability, transparency and professionalism,

improved since then?

which otherwise would have taken us much longer to achieve. If you consider the Group’s

everything still needed to be done; there was room for

path from 1996 you’ll see that the outcome has

growth and for showing our own creativity and worth.

been very positive.

But, in fact, a lot was lacking as we had a poorly trained workforce, spoke few, if any, other languages, and, in general, did not have a clear vision for planned and

What have been your most difficult times as a businessman?

In a 60-year career, there have been quite a few

sustainable growth. Time has revealed the importance of

difficult times. The hardest were the sleepless

sustainable development and the positive influence we

nights when I had to work out how to pay our

can exert on destinations and their communities.

employees, but I can proudly say that not a single

In your opinion, what is the major strength of a familyrun company?

A family-run company draws upon the family’s

time during these 60 years have we failed to do so.

It still affects me when I remember those years of serious crises in Spain – like the crisis of the ‘90s,

principles and values, and this is why it is always closer

and of course, the years when we touched bottom, from

and kinder to people, and usually more responsible.

2008 to 2014, when Spanish hotels were going through

Generally speaking, this project is not only economic,

a terrible time. Fortunately, we were able to capitalise on

but it focuses more on a long-term vision as well as on

a new set of contingency and savings strategies and this

something very current today but which nobody

enabled us to minimise a reduction in staff.

talked about back then when we were starting out: the

Your exceptional determination and perseverance are

creation of shared value; that the assets – employment,

widely known, as are your negotiating skills.We have been

image, etc. – generated by the company are shared

told how you managed to rent your first hotel when you

with the whole community.

were a 21-year-old youngster.Would you say that these

Having been in business for 60 years – and in top form – what do you feel is the key to such outstanding health and longevity?

We have been in a leading position for over six

traits also contributed to the acquisition of hotel chains which everybody coveted, such as Hotasa and Meliá?

Well, I cannot say how I negotiated those agreements, but I can say that I have always been a man of my word,

decades, and today we are stronger than ever precisely

and this, together with my perseverance and that I am

because we’ve never stopped reinventing ourselves and

fortunate enough to be able to empathise with others, is,

changing as when most recently, in 2011, we launched a

I believe an instrumental factor in why people trust me.

process of cultural, organisational, strategic and digital

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Exchange again, as you did in 1996?

particularly positive from the years when you were starting

There is no doubt that it was an advantage that

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Would you list your company on the Stock

It’s always been said that you are worshipped at your

transformation to become the leader that we want to keep

Cancun hotels after keeping on the entire staff when

on being in the 21st century.

the Meliá Turquesa hotel was completely destroyed by Hurricane Wilma. Does the Group follow this example when it comes to corporate social responsibility?

It is true that, a lot of years ago, in Bali we learned that, in order to grow in emerging countries, we need to be in harmony and balance with the local people – with

Gabriel Escarrer Juliá, Chairman and founder of Meliá Hotels International, at his desk. Next to him, his son Gabriel Escarrer Jaume,Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

communities – in such a way that hotels can generate

working abroad. Mind you, it is very important to be aware

wealth for everyone, in other words, shared value. We

of one’s own limits – personally, I have always tried to offset

applied this approach to our new destinations that we

my weaknesses by having a great team. The key to this is

opened in the Caribbean, and the truth is, the people

delegating while never losing control of the company.

have generously repaid us for this commitment to them.

You have always said that tourism is the only industry

Today corporate social responsibility is widespread and

able to achieve a brotherhood among peoples, go beyond

practically compulsory, but I can say that for us, Bali –

borders, and at the same time promote social welfare.

even though it was 30 years ago – was a great lesson

Despite this, is there any destination where you would

and made us sort of pioneers in this field.

never want to open a hotel?

If you had to choose only three moments of your career, which would they be?

That is absolutely true as many countries have escaped isolation or poverty and have become more

The agreement to rent my first hotel, at the age of

modern thanks to tourism. In order for a destination to

21; our acquisition of the Meliá chain in 1985; and our

be attractive for us, it is important that it fulfils a series

listing on the Stock Exchange, together with the second

of requirements, including, in addition to offering

generation of the family joining the company.

beauty and experiences, other aspects such as security

You always explain that you didn’t have access to much

(both physical and legal), a good human rights record,

formal business education: rather, you were a self-taught

accessibility, infrastructure, etc. In addition, our calling

businessman.What do you consider more important for

is to continue to open up destinations and be present

being successful in business: education or personality?

wherever our clients are, anywhere in the world.

I have always considered that a businessman is both born and made, that is to say, even though innate qualities like tenacity, intuition and a passion for one’s activity are very important, I always recommend getting experience both locally and in the international arena, travelling and

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FASHION

GRAN MELIÁ DE MAR

A

TOP destination

SERENITY, QUIETNESS, NATURE AND PRIVACY. ENTER THE RELAXING AND INTIMATE WORLD OF THE REFURBISHED GRAN MELIÁ DE MAR HOTEL. ACCOMPANIED BY TOP MODEL VERÓNICA BLUME, WE TAKE A DEEP BREATH OF THE MEDITERRANEAN BREEZE OF THIS WONDERFUL SPOT IN ILLETAS, IN PALMA DE MALLORCA. STYLE

Styling: ANDRÉS ACOSTA. Photos fashion: ALEX DEL RÍO. Make-up and hair: RAMÓN RÍOS.

THE TIME IS NOW It is time to forget everything and unwind.

Enjoy every moment. On the wooden staircase,Verónica wears a jumpsuit by Bottega Veneta, sandals by Manolo Blahnik and sunglasses by Jimmy Choo.

SEA BREEZE Opposite, by the sea, with an exclusive cove surrounded by pinewoods.This is the world of the Gran Meliá de Mar. Lying on the sand of the hotel’s private cove,Verónica wears a black swimsuit by Eres and sunglasses

by Gucci.

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THE SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF THE SEA, ITS EXCLUSIVE COVE AND MAGNIFICENT GARDENS SEEN FROM THE HOTEL TERRACE MAKE FOR AN INTIMATE CONNECTION WITH NATURE. STAYING IN ONE OF THE GRAN MELIÁ DE MAR’S ROOMS OR SUITES IS TO IMMERSE YOURSELF IN A UNIQUE WORLD OF SERENITY WHERE EVEN THE SMALLEST DETAIL CONTRIBUTES TO A RELAXING REST.

ABSOLUTE RELAXATION In the rooms or suites, from the elegant lines of the furniture, the savvy lighting and the materials, to a perfect combination of colours and a pillow menu, everything has been designed to offer guests a modern experience of luxury. In one of the suites,Ver贸nica wears patterned silk trousers and jacket by Adriana Iglesias.

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WHEN EVERYTHING IS PERFECT Less than 10 minutes from Palma de Mallorca, the hotel is surrounded by pinewoods and has direct access to the sea.Watch stunning sunsets from its Bali beds. On the terrace of her room, the model wears a floral silk dress, by Adriana Iglesias, sandals

by Manolo Blahnik and earrings by Rabat.

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THE HOTEL OFFERS SENSORIAL EXPERIENCES, FROM THE SPA BY CLARINS WITH UNIQUE TREATMENTS AND RITUALS, TO ITS TWO SWIMMING POOLS (ONE OF THEM A SKYPOOL), CARESSED BY THE MEDITERRANEAN BREEZE. ENJOY AN APERITIF OR TRY THE MEDITERRANEAN FOOD AT ITS RESTAURANTS, A GREAT COCKTAIL OR SOME OTHER DELICIOUS TREAT.

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HARMONY AND BALANCE Yoga, meditation and relaxation in the garden. Find all sorts of healthy things to do. Enjoy fabulous food as well.The wonderful natural setting of the Gran Meli谩 de Mar inspires a connection with nature. In the hotel gardens,Ver贸nica does yoga in a black jumpsuit by Oysho.

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READY TO GO Five minutes from Puerto Portals and with easy access to the historic heart of Palma, its shops and boutiques,Verónica is ready to leave the hotel. In the lobby, the model wears a silk jacket and shorts in nude, by Emporio Armani.

Sandals are by Manolo Blahnik and the pink gold bracelets and pendant are by Rabat.

ARCHITECTURAL ICON Opposite, the model at the hotel. Designed in the ‘60s by famous architect José Antonio Coderch, the Gran Meliá de Mar is one of the most emblematic hotels in Mallorca.White lace dress, by Ermanno Scervino.

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INTERVIEW WITH

VERÓNICA BLUME Born in the Black Forest to a Uruguayan mother and a German father who grew up in Argentina, top model Verónica Blume is a free spirit with piercing blue catlike eyes. Barcelona has been her home for some years now and she has worked for Chanel,Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, posing for great photographers such as Richard Avedon, who photographed her for the Pirelli Calendar.Today, she combines her roles as mother and model with yoga.

By ANDRÉS ACOSTA.

Travel must be part of every international top model’s DNA. What does travelling mean to Verónica Blume?

Travelling has been with me since I was a child as I moved from country to country – and from continent to continent – several times. Despite loving stability, travelling is part of me. It is an inner rhythm that I feel I need. It gives me the opportunity to look at things from a new angle, enabling me to objectively recognise and appreciate my life. Travelling opens my mind and connects me to the world. It inspires me and imagine my life without travel.

An unforgettable travel experience…?

When I was 22 I discovered the STYLE

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wonderful art of travelling for

PHOTO: ALEX DEL RIO.

nurtures my senses. In fact, I can’t

pleasure. As a model, you don’t

eat, it’s worth taking your favourite

that had been brewing for a long

usually get to know anything beyond

essentials with you. But above all, as

time and I was just waiting for the

the hotel and the location where

you are on a trip, relax and be open

right time and place. Last year, all the

the photos are shot, so it´s a very

to new flavours and rituals.

conditions came together to embark

different experience. My first trip that was just for pleasure was to the islands in southern Thailand. That

What are the essential items in Verónica Blume’s suitcase?

I like to take a bit of home with

on this personal project. The truth is, it’s a daily learning curve that has completely changed my life,

was truly love at first sight. The

me wherever I go, so I usually travel

making it more real, enriching it with

landscape, culture, food, the pace

with some incense and my yoga kit.

direct contact with people. A yoga

of the islands… I was on the brink

Another essential is a very large scarf

centre is a place where people go to

of never returning. Reality took the

or sarong that can be used either as

in search of ways to relax, improve

better of me, but I visited Thailand

a blanket on the plane, a shawl on

their relationship with themselves

again and Indonesia too, several

cooler nights, or a sarong at the beach.

and with the world. It’s a beautiful

times, on long and wonderful trip.

Just knowing that it is all still there enriches my life here. I can’t wait to escape again!

What about a dream trip yet to

We are in Mallorca. Did you know the island?

I know the island, and I love it.

I am a lover of the Mediterranean, its waters, its pine trees and the

mission, and is what most fulfils me.

What would you say if you invited us to come to Barcelona to visit The Garage?

I think that everybody should

contrasts of its landscapes. Years ago,

do yoga, but I don’t like to impose

India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos... A

I spent a weekend on the beach in

things on anybody, and I don’t try

trip of discovery with lots of yoga, of

Formentor, and it was magical. Car

to convince others, either. I believe

complete connection. I still have to

trips inland also surprised me and I

that the right time eventually comes

find the time to totally break away

enjoyed them a lot.

to each person. The Garage is an

be taken?

and submerge myself into that trip

What do you keep in mind when

urban oasis, a space that breathes

that I’ve dreamt about so many

it comes to choosing a hotel for

beauty and peace; we are very

times. I know that I´ll do it some

your holidays?

meticulous about our classes and

day. The perfect moment will come

Its location, so that I can move

the individuality of each pupil is

but, for the time being, I really enjoy

around the area conveniently. I

respected. It is in Poble Sec, at the

dreaming about it.

usually choose hotels that are far from

foot of the Montjuic hill – a still

the crowds. I love extremely remote

undiscovered area of Barcelona that

meditation are some of your daily

hotels for very short getaways. In the

has preserved the essence of a city

disciplines. Is it easy sticking to

summer, I love waking up by the sea

which has become very touristy in

them when you travel?

and having immediate access to the

recent years. A visit to The Garage

A healthy diet, yoga and

beach. Beyond that, I really enjoy any

can soon become a complete

healthily, yoga and meditation are no

surprise I might find when I arrive

experience, much more than a single

longer an intention but part of your

at a hotel and start to explore its

yoga session.

life, it is easy to find the time and

surroundings.

It’s not easy at all. But when eating

food to suit you. Anyway, I’m not super strict about it and I believe that

What do you think are the highlights of the Gran Meliá de Mar?

Have you got a new project that you would like to share with us?

I can say that I love sharing and

Its surroundings – which are

these days I write a great deal. My

magical when you wake up –, the

blog veronicablume.com is up and

Any tips for travellers…?

views of the blue Mediterranean

working and I am getting ready to

If you do yoga and don’t want to

from my room, and the intimate

write longer pieces. Soon I’ll tell you

private cove.

more about it.

trying other things, every now and again, enriches one’s travels.

miss out on it because of a slippery carpet or floor in your hotel room,

We want to know much more

take a yoga travel mat with you, or

about The Garage by Verónica

try non-slip gloves and socks! For

Blume.What has this new

me, they were an amazing discovery!

adventure meant for you?

If you are very strict about what you

The Garage was a dream of mine

˜

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ART

JOAN PUNYET MIRÓ

“Mallorca brings together different SENSIBILITIES”

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Opposite, Joan Punyet at La Lonja. Miró was interested in the light of this space, and in its stark, open and silent atmosphere.

Top international expert on Joan Miró, Jon Punyet Miró, the artist’s grandson, grew up in Mallorca and has always loved art, accepting it as a day-to-day part of life as he played among the paintings and canvases in his grandfather’s studio. Ever since he was a child, he saw the visionary images of the brilliant artist as a philosophy of life.

He accompanies us on a visit to a series of places that are key to the history, architecture and art that this ‘Island of Calm’ breathes.

J

oan Miró, Miquel Barceló, Anglada Camarasa, Juan

de Saridakis, Tito Cittadini, and today Ben Jakober, Yannick Vu and Rebecca Horn have chosen to put down roots in Mallorca, just like the writers Gertrude Stein, Robert Graves and Camilo José Cela; actor Errol Flyn, Korean composer Eatkay Ahn and singer Annie Lennox. You can never have enough of the ‘Island of Calm’. Joan Punyet Miró, grandson of the great Catalan painter, and the man who is responsible for Miró’s great legacy reaching the rest of the world, was born in Palma de Mallorca and, while he is not an artist, also chose to live on the island and see his children Lucía and Lucas grow up there.

As a young man he lived for five years in New York where he trained at the Galerie Lelong, at the MoMA, and then got a degree in Art History. However, despite the brilliant career that was ahead of him, he decided to return to his Mediterranean paradise. For him, loving art in Mallorca was almost like breathing. “You are immersed in an ancient culture that has had all kinds of influences: Talayotic, Byzantine, Greek, Roman, Islamic, Gothic, Baroque… Two thousand years of history can only leave a very deep imprint on your life,” he explains. The truth is, although he grew up among canvases and painting, as a child he knew nothing about art and he learned to view life by absorbing it via a special sensibility. “Now I

Text: BETTINA DUBCOVSKY Photos: ALEX DEL RIO

realise that I can better understand many things thanks

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to my childhood. Being a boy with no formal education in art, with no classical studies, without having ever gone to art school, and having a very naïf, primitive and innocent freedom gave me absolute independence.

For me, at the age of 10, going into my grandfather’s studio and discovering a wonderful world of colour, geometric shapes, forms and splashes imbued in me something that then entered my bloodstream, entered my very spirit and soul, but I was so close to it that I couldn’t see it. Thanks to what I saw day after day, and looking at Miró while he was painting, I came to understand what his work was about. By then he was already 85. 85 years of being a destructive painter, an iconoclast, a Dadaist, a surrealist who had an unquenchable desire to put an end to everything academic. He was convinced that he needed to ‘assassinate’ painting. He always insisted that

them are gallerists, artists or collectors. “An intercontinental

all art has been decaying since the time of the cavemen.”

country has been created here: the Independent Republic

In a way, and since Joan Punyet was a child, he absorbed

of Mallorca, somewhere that is unique in the world, where

that vision that was rebellious, iconoclastic and destructive

there is a coming together of different feelings, different

and which was part of the creative strength of an elderly

cultures that have converged in this Mediterranean place

man: a man close to death who had finally achieved

that has encouraged cultural, musical, poetic, pictorial,

the freedom he had longed for so much throughout his

sculptorial and photographic creations which have

life. It is no accident that his grandson is a world-class

resulted in internationally famous artists,” says Joan, and

expert on Miró’s work, and no coincidence that he is an

adds: “Mallorca brings together different sensibilities.”

unconditional lover of art. In relation to its size – and without mentioning its many cultural centres – the island

Joan Punyet Miró knows all the artistic places on the

galleries per square metre. “Here, there is an earthly force

island very well. But, as a first-class guide, he takes us on

that is ensconced in a creative halo, a force that embodies

a tour of the great historical monuments that have been

a Mediterranean light and its poetry, with nights whose

converted into havens of art. We start at the Fundació

skies are unique thanks to the clear views of the Milky

Pilar i Joan Miró, a building designed by Rafael Moneo in

Way and shooting stars which give a spectacular depth to

which Joan Miró’s workshops still remain just as the artist

the night. And then there is all this Nature, the music of

left them. Son Boter is a typical, yet singular, 18th-century

the blackbirds’ song, the shepherd who gathers his flock,

Mallorcan building with a studio that was designed by

and the wonderful cuisine of Mallorca with its vegetables

Josep Lluís Sert for Miró – and that was donated by the

that allow you to communicate in

artist and his wife to the City Council

a natural way with the earth itself,

of Palma during his lifetime.

making you feel like a note in the

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EMBLEMATIC PLACES

is the region in Spain with the greatest number of art

FUNDACIÓ PILAR I JOAN MIRÓ

musical score of Mallorcan life. It is

A MALLORCA: This is one of the few

a mystical fusion,” explains Punyet,

museums that offers the possibility of

who is moved by all this. Here, there

appreciating the creative atmosphere

are people from China, Switzerland,

of this artist thanks to a direct glimpse

Brazil, Morocco, Japan, Germany,

of the workshops where Joan Miró

America and Latin America; many of

worked from 1956 until his death in 1983. These workshops enable us to see his workplace and reconstruct his creative process while looking at his paintings, work objects and tools.

“It is a constellation with examples

In the photos, several details and spaces at the Fundaci贸 Pilar i Joan Mir贸 where visitors can see the workshops and also the tools that Joan Mir贸 used from 1956 until he died in 1983.

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of the art of Mallorca in its entirety as here we hold exhibitions by local artists, put on music, concerts, poetry readings… In addition, it is a chance to enjoy the pleasure of working in the engraving and lithography workshops that Joan Miró himself left so that artists from all over the world could work here in them.”

“The magic of this foundation is that we are creating a Miró triangle that embraces the

“This is a 16th-century fortified building and, back then,

Foundation, and now, the new Miró Museum in Mont-

as it was an important Mediterranean outpost, it was a

roig – 10 kilometres from Tarragona – that will open in

defensive place – in fact, it was an army school. It went on

early 2017. This will be the first self-sustaining ecological

to have different civilian uses until they finally decided to

museum with apicultural activities and where we’ll make

create a modern museum of contemporary art that opened

our own oil, wine and bread. Children will see horses,

its doors in 2004. The construction is a very interesting

dogs, sheep, cats, ducks, hens and donkeys, and will

contrast of concrete, glass and iron that harmonise with

also camp under the stars in order to understand Miró’s

the old stone walls. Furthermore, the views of the Bay

constellations. It will have a garden with 13 sculptures by

of Palma from its terrace are exceptional. Outstanding

Miró and paintings and original drawings on permanent

exhibitions have been held here such as those by Jaume

loan from the Miró family. This museum will not be at all

Plensa, Joan Miró, Andy Warhol, Mapplethorpe and

elitist, and will be open to people of all ages.”

García-Alix, among many others.”

LA LONJA: Dating back to between 1426 and 1448,

Mallorcan sculptor Guillem Sagrera was commissioned to build a place that was suitable for the work and needs of merchants. It was originally the site of the Guild of Merchants; today, it is used to hold exhibitions.

“It is a unique example of civic Gothic architecture and, for Miró, it was a place where he would come to contemplate its bare interior space with its Solomonic spiral columns that merge with the vaults and look like palm trees, endowing the place with life. Miró was also impressed by the light coming through the ogee windows into that stark, open space and silent interior. Although it was a civic building, it had the magic of Cabrera’s great organic conception of Gothic architecture. I love it – it is one of the most beautiful buildings in Palma, and very good exhibitions are held here by contemporary artists such as Christian Boltanski, Rebecca Horn, Jan Fabre and Fabrizio Plessi.”

ES BALUARD: Es Baluard Museu d'Art Modern i

Contemporani de Palma is located within the Sant Pere STYLE

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surrounded the city of Palma until the early 20th century.

Fundació Pilar i Joan Miró a Mallorca, Barcelona’s Miró

bastion – a part of the walled Renaissance enclosure that

Different views of Palma’s Es Baluard Museu d’Art Modern i Contemporani. Located in a 16th-century fortified building which was once a defensive stronghold, it has breathtaking views of the Bay of Palma from its terrace.

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EL CASAL SOLLERIC: This is a three-storied

Mallorcan house right in the city centre, built between 1763 and 1775 in line with the island’s architectural tradition and has both Italian and French Baroque decorative details. In 1985 it was inaugurated as a Cultural Centre and today, in addition to exhibitions, it organises dances, film screenings, and more, all year round.

“Located in the heart of Palma, on the Paseo del Born, it is an 18th-century Baroque house and is the only example of an important nobleman’s house. It has magnificent entrance courtyards – very typical of houses at that time – but it is special because of its uniform, open shape that is so different from the architectural mish-mash that can be seen in many houses in the city that was the result of expansions and modifications carried out in Palma over the centuries – for instance, in 1956, they decided to divert the river and turn it into a pedestrian path. This large building with a five-arched loggia is unique and thanks to the different types of activities held here, it is a lively place that offers people many different ways to enjoy themselves.”

THE CATHEDRAL: La Seu, as the Mallorcans

call it, or the Cathedral of Light, is on a site

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that was formerly a mosque and was located facing the

1300 and 1311, Bellver Castle is a Mallorcan Gothic style

Royal Palace. Construction started in 1229 and lasted for

fortress whose name comes from Old Catalan bell veer

three centuries. Perched on the city’s Parc de la Mar, it is

– meaning “beautiful view”. It is about three kilometres

one of the tallest Gothic buildings in Europe. In the early

from the city of Palma de Mallorca, on a hill 112 metres

20th century, the Catalan modernist architect Antoni

above sea level, in an area surrounded by woods and

Gaudí made some changes to it. In 1931, it was declared a

has views of the city as well as the port, the Tramuntana

Historical-Artistic Monument.

Range and the Mallorcan region of Pla.

“The greatest example of Mallorca’s 14th-century

“Used for military purposes, its high location made it an

Gothic architecture, with two singular rose windows

unbeatable vantage point for controlling threats both from

(one of them the biggest Gothic rose window in the

the land and the sea. It was also designed to be a palace-

world) through which twice a year – in February and in

fortress in which rulers could take refuge when in danger.

November – the light is projected through them to create

In 1717, it was transformed into a prison and then, in 1821,

a perfect “8”; people come from all over the world to take

it was the island’s mint for a time. It is the only architectural

photographs of that magical moment. With its 61 large

example of a military fortress with a circular floor plan.

windows it is a true wonder, as are all the buttresses, the

There are drawings of Bellver Castle and its woods done

fabulously sculpted gargoyles, and the mural by Miquel

by my grandfather in 1906. They are sketches by a young,

Barceló in one of the side chapels.”

11-year-old Miró who was then beginning to work with

BELLVER CASTLE: Built as a Royal residence between

pastels. He also did some drawings of the Molinar area and that is how he spent his time when he stayed with his maternal grandparents in Mallorca. Visiting the castle transports you to the past and it is an extremely peaceful place. Thanks to the many cultural and leisure activities that are regularly held here, it is very lively all year round.”

˜

Left, view of the façade of the Cathedral of Palma, one of the tallest Gothic buildings in the world.

Below, a mobile by Calder in the S’Hort del Rei gardens; and Jónica, a sculpture with an inscription

by Cavafy, also in S’Hort del Rei. Opposite, Joan Miró’s grandson on a street in Palma, next to a sculpture by his grandfather.

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ART

NEWARTISTIC

HOTSPOTS

P

alma de Mallorca has

XAVIER FIOL (Sant Jaume 23)

always welcomed art and celebrates

works to promote the newest trends

it via different events throughout

in contemporary art. Founded in

this year. The Nit de L’Art, in

1989, it also organises concerts,

September, is one of them. Nobody

conferences and round tables.

sleeps, all the art galleries and

It recently opened a “branch” in

centres in the old heart of the Ciutat

Madrid. It represents artists such as

hold exhibitions all night long. Art

Cecilia Paredes, Joan Fontcuberta

Palma Brunch, in April, is a tour

and Tim Ayres, among many others.

organised by associations of art

Below, a space at the La Caja Blanca Gallery that specialises in contemporary artists, including Atsuko Nakamura, Mitos Colom and Newsha Tavakolian.

galleries and centres that invites

Located in a 17th-century palace,

visitors to an aperitif while they

the PELAIRES CULTURAL

enjoy these shows. All this will be

CENTRE (Can Verí 3) – opened

interspersed with activities in the

by Their Majesties the King and

streets, performances, concerts…

Queen of Spain in 1990 – has two

Finally, PalmaPhoto, in June and

large exhibition rooms, one on the

July, is a magnificent festival of

ground floor and the other in the

contemporary photography that

most elegant part of the palace. The

embraces all styles.

three storeys of the Pelaires Projects

While each place on the island has

contemporary exhibition space have

its own art galleries – and indeed all

been designed to showcase work by

deserve to be visited – the Ciutat is

new artists, innovative projects and

home to some of the most important.

experimental forms of expression.

Some of its artists are Antoni Socias, Miguel Angel Campano and Rebecca Horn.

ABA Art (Plaza Porta de Santa Catalina 21) This platform for promoting young talent was opened in 2004 and since then has revolved around current events, how society evolves, creativity and STYLE

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thought, and has been a meeting point for artists, collectors and art lovers. They not only curate exhibitions but also act as a patron, producing pieces by artists that are expressly made for specific places.

Left, ABA Art, a platform for creations by young artists. In the photo, Because of Love,

by Christine Schmidt and Felix Eckhardt.

Below, exhibition space at the Pelaires Cultural Centre housed in a 17th-century palace.

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Above, exhibition by Sylvie Fleury at the Horrach MoyĂ gallery in Plaza Atarazanas. Located in the town centre in a 19th-century traditional Mallorcan house, it also has its own restaurant.

On the right, spiral staircase at La Caja Blanca and, top right, artworks at the Louis 21 gallery.

garde spirit. Located in the central Plaza Atarazanas, it is today an exhibition room with a restaurant.

Here you can see work by Agustí Torres, Joana Vasconcelos and Susy Gómez, among others. The art gallery’s philosophy is based on the exchange of ideas and concepts among artists.

LOUIS 21 (Carrer de Sant Martí 1) Opened in 2011, this small exhibition space works to explore new exhibition and production formats. It also promotes interaction between artists and gallerists, between exhibition spaces and their public. Devoted to promoting new artists, it highlights innovation and talent via an approach that is open to experimentation – to artwork that challenges pre-existing spaces by exploring new perceptive possibilities. They work with Alejandro Leonhardt, Bel Fullana and Rafa Forteza, among other artists.

Among its artists are Katharina

LA CAJA BLANCA (Can Verí 9)

LLUC FLUXÀ PROJECTES

Pfeil, Joan Costa and María Gil

This art gallery centres on

D’ ART (Plaça Cavalleria 4)

Ulldemolins.

contemporary and emerging artists.

Although it was closed for

Based in Palma de Mallorca, it

10 years, it reopened its doors in

KEWENIG (Sant Feliu s/n)

has an office in London and its

2011 thanks to a love of art, adding

In the Sant Feliu chapel, one of

programmes focus on monographic

‘Projectes d’ art’ to its previous

the oldest in Palma (13th century),

exhibitions – chiefly new projects

name in order to introduce a novel

this art gallery focuses on both

in Spain. In addition, it has an

concept of an exhibition space

young and well-known, acclaimed

International Residency Programme

with no commercial raison d’être.

artists. Originally based in Berlin,

for Art Research and Production,

They design and create exhibition

it represents artists such as Pedro

work from which is also shown at

projects that, after being shown at

Cabrita Reis, Bernardí Roig and

the gallery before going on tour

Lluc Fluxà Espai H. C., can be sold

Jannis Kounellis. The place is

internationally. Its artists include

and exhibited at other art galleries

stunning and has two beautiful

Atsuko Nakamura, Mitos Colom

and centres. They also organise

entrances – one Renaissance and a

and Newsha Tavakolian.

conferences, concerts and video screenings.

Gothic entrance on another side.

HORRACH MOYÀ (Catalunya 4) This traditional 19th-century Mallorcan country house (a Mallorcan casal) preserves the décor from the past but has an avant-

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Photographer: JAVIER SAGUILLO. Production: ANA BADENES. Stylist: ANTONIA PAYERAS. Make-up & Hair: LAURA SARABIA. Stylist’s assistant: JORGE PARRA. Photographer ’s assistant: ANDRÉS LÓPEZ.

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The model wears a dress by Evelyn Martínez, earrings and bracelet by Anton Heunis, and peep toe shoes by Sacha London.

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The Gran Meliá Fénix invites you to immerse yourself in the elegant heart of Madrid, the Salamanca District, in a hotel where Cary Grant and Rita Hayworth have stayed.The Gran Meliá Palacio de los Duques hotel (opening next June) is the ideal hotel from which to stroll around the historical centre and imbue oneself with Madrid’s Habsburg past. She wears a skirt

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200 Coco Beach Río Grande PUERTO RICO Tel: +787 809 1770 Email: gran.melia.puerto.rico@melia.com

GRAN MELIÁ CARACAS

Av. Casanova, Urb. Bello Monte Caracas 1050 VENEZUELA Tel: +58 212 7628111 E-mail: gran.melia.caracas@melia.com

GR AN MELIÁ BI NTAN Future opening

G R A N M E L I Á R O M E V IL LA A G R IP P I NA Via del Gianicolo, 3 Roma 00165 · ITALY Tel: +39 06 925901 E-mail: gran.melia.rome@melia.com

GRAN MELI Á RÍO Opening soon

GRAN MELIÁ JAKARTA

Jalan H.R. Rasuna Said Kav X-0 - Kuningan Jakarta INDONESIA 12950 Tel: +62 21 5268080 E-mail: gran.melia.jakarta@melia.com

G R AN MELIÁ VICTORIA MALLORCA

Avenida Joan Miró, 21 07014 Palma de Mallorca SPAIN Tel: +34 971 732 542 E-mail: gran.melia.victoria@melia.com

G R A N M E L I Á DE M A R

Paseo de Illetas, 7 Illetas, Mallorca SPAIN 07184 Tel: +34 971 402 511 E-mail: melia.de.mar@melia.com

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GOURMET

PASSION RESTAURANT BY

Martín Berasategui

Gastronomic Caribbean When the hotel chain recruited Spaniard Martín Berasategui – one of the best chefs in the world – to run the Martín Berasategui ‘Passion’ restaurants at their Paradisus hotels, they knew they were on to a good thing. Today Martín tells us about the secret to his success.

Interview: JULIA PÉREZ

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PHOTO: SERGIO MARTÍNEZ

M

artín Berasategui’s reputation has grown year

become the most prestigious and distinguished consultant

by year. Not quickly, but at a steady pace, becoming

on Spanish cuisine. He is a giant with ten restaurants that

the Spanish chef with the most Michelin stars. He

work at top speed; and nine consultancies, plus the parent

has accumulated seven: three at home, for his Lasarte

venue of Lasarte that now operates in the Caribbean hand

restaurant in the Basque Country; two for Lasarte at the

in hand with another giant, the Meliá group – a successful

Hotel Condes de Barcelona; and two more for the MB in

partnership. His cuisine is a meticulous one, replete

Tenerife’s Abama hotel. His ability to head kitchens and

with ingredients that create unexpected harmonies, a

create teams has been the trump card that he has played to

product of his portentous palate: precision in cooking times, technical mastery, aesthetic fulfilment, respect for produce and taste, work and imagination. And all this to make people happy. Berasategui knows more about this than anybody and he told us about it at the latest edition of Madrid Fusión.

who eats “at Everyone one of my Paradisus

restaurants knows part of Martín Berasategui’s work as a chef.

”

Above, Hogfish snapper with edible scales, served with wheat semolina, cuttlefish and soybean sprouts, one of the dishes by chef Martín Berasategui at the Passion restaurants at the Meliá Hotels International’s Paradisus resorts.

Below, one of the Passion by Martín Berasategui restaurants at the Paradisus Playa del Carmen hotel, La Perla resort.

Opposite, Martín Berasategui, one of the world’s best chefs.

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What do the Martin Berasategui ‘Passion’ restaurants serve – is it the same food as at your Lasarte restaurant?

We have transmitted our cooking philosophy and our way of making things to the four restaurants we have. Bringing it to the Caribbean, yet respecting each country’s idiosyncrasies is something I took on as a fascinating challenge. Diners can enjoy Martín Berasategui’s most emblematic food that includes the specific local characteristics of each area.

What produce would you never use at one of these restaurants, and what has surprised you?

I don’t know what I would never use, but as we are located on coastal areas, what I most use are local fish and seafood, which are fantastic. I also use very Mexican ingredients such as tomatoes, certain kinds of chilli to add a particular zing, cheese, sometimes mole, and of course, local fruit, etc.

What does Martín Berasategui’s cuisine offer the Paradisus Resorts restaurants? And what does Paradisus offer the Martín Berasategui group?

If you want a partnership to be successful, a number of elements need to converge, such as having clear principles of excellence, very high quality standards and a calling to offer good food. Being able to differentiate these is essential for running projects such as ours in a market that is ever more competitive, as is achieving customer satisfaction and loyalty. These are objectives that we have pursued from the very beginning and I believe that we are achieving them. Martín provides its entire know-how, avant-garde ideas, as well as luxury,

embodies the local produce and the culinary legacy

which contribute to preserving and enhancing the area’s

that we find most interesting in each place. I feel that

historical tradition. The hotel directors considered that

this element is very important; geography conditions

as I am the chef with the most Michelin stars in Spain –

people’s palates, and I see that as something positive. We

seven – and they are familiar with how I work, they saw

all have our own roots in our taste memories, and I like

it as a guarantee of the prestige and quality that they

to recognise the place where I am via the kind of food

were looking for. Paradisus has offered me one of the

that is prepared there. I don’t like to eat the same things

most interesting projects of my life. Above all, we both

everywhere.

agree that teamwork and a good rapport at work are the two most important factors.

All the Martin Berasategui ‘Passion’ restaurants have a common thread, but all of them are different, each has its own personality. How have you achieved this?

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that has its own identity, linked to the land – food that

Do you think that partnerships between great chefs and large hotel chains strengthen the image of the Spanish tourism industry outside our borders?

I think that any partnership, if it makes sense and is based on meticulousness, loyalty and hard work, is always positive.

How did your relationship with Meliá start? Large hotel chains are notorious for not being very interested in gastronomy…

This was not something I planned, it came up out of the blue, a common friend introduced us, and I was given the chance of heading this project with Paradisus

Above, Rockfish fillet on a seafood velouté served with crunchy yolk spheres.

Left, Braised chunks of sirloin with truffled gnocchi, Swiss chard stalk smoothie served with Parmesan purée, Brussels sprouts and sautéed wild mushrooms.

Opposite, one of the tables at the Passion restaurant at the Paradisus Punta Cana resort.

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If you want a partnership to be successful, “ a number of elements need to converge, such as having clear principles of excellence, very high quality standards and a calling to offer good food.

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Above, Chocolate soufflĂŠ with smoked whisky ice-cream, cocoa tuile and chocolate crumble, an iconic dessert at the Passion by MartĂ­n Berasategui restaurant.

Below, a view of the restaurant at the Paradisus Palma Real Golf & Spa resort, in the Dominican Republic.

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“

At each of my restaurants I aspire to create a cuisine that has its own identity, linked to the land – food that embodies the local produce and the culinary legacy that we find most interesting in each place.

”

at the Lasarte kitchen organising the day’s work with the heads of each section of the kitchen, developing new ideas in our creative lab, dealing with many other matters related with this profession that come up on a daily basis. I work like this nonstop until late in the day – around midnight or 1 in the morning – when our kitchen is left ready and spotlessly clean for the following day. And it is like that every day – fortunately, with new challenges and projects for the future. I surround myself with teams that I trust completely and which work as if they were my right and left arms. Most of them are young people who have held leading positions in the kitchen of my Lasarte restaurant, and who understand my discipline, my philosophy and my style to perfection.

I have known them for a long time, and I know what I can expect from them. I always choose the ones who are the most qualified and I try to get them to implement a way of working that is very similar to mine and inspired by what I stand for.

How many times a year do you visit your restaurants, and what is your mission on these visits?

I try to go there at least twice a year but in general I go more often, in particular just when we change our menus at the beginning of each new season. But the most important thing is being in contact with them all on an almost daily basis via some kind of technology, which is a great boon.

PHOTO: SERGIO MARTÍNEZ

Are chefs cultural ambassadors? Do you think that diners

hotels, the idea for which I found fascinating. It was an offer I couldn’t refuse, I am extremely pleased with the experience: it is working wonderfully.

Do you have other projects with Meliá Hotels International?

Our intention and commitment is to open a

who eat at Paradisus end up knowing a bit more about Spanish cuisine and our products?

I believe that chefs are only chefs but, with a lot of work and effort, we have achieved recognition, both in our country and abroad. Everyone who eats at one of my Paradisus restaurants knows part of Martín Berasategui’s work as a chef.

Professionally speaking, you have reached the top, but what is it that you’ve never done until now and you’d like to do?

I believe that I haven’t left anything undone. I always say that I am only sorry that my father did not live long

restaurant at most of their Caribbean hotels, so there

enough to witness my career. I am a very curious man,

will be further international openings in the future. For

and every day I set myself new personal and professional

the time being, we have four restaurants and others are

challenges, but the main one is always to keep on

already under way.

improving and maintaining the level of excellence that

How does a chef as renowned as you are manage to organise yourself and take care of all these businesses? Is it difficult to create teams?

I get up very early and go out for a walk. I like doing this before the start of each working day – it helps me concentrate. At 9 or 9:30, I am already with my team

we demand of ourselves.

˜

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ABSOLUTE RELAXATION ON THE

Island

SWEET & SUITE

ZANZIBAR

SPICE

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Text: ÁNGEL MARTÍNEZ BERMEJO Photos: ALEX DEL RIO / MELIÁ

An African paradise on the east coast, a semiautonomous region of Tanzania, the Zanzibar archipelago has deservedly won its place in the romantic imaginary.

Can you imagine a safari in Tanzania and then a romantic retreat in a wonderful hotel, the MeliĂĄ Zanzibar?

Wouldn’t that be the perfect honeymoon?

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Right, a three-room villa (270 m²) with a private infinity swimming pool and a terrace with views of the Indian Ocean.

Below, the Jetty Tapas Lounge, opened from 5 pm to 1 am.

Below right, Balinese beds at the Gabi Beach Club, 1 km from the hotel’s main foyer (golf carts go out to the beach every 15 minutes).

Opposite, excursions on dhows, traditional fishing boats.

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ne of the great dream trips is a safari in a

before returning to your usual daily life is called Meliá

land such as Tanzania (which is a concentration of the

Zanzibar, and it is in Zanzibar, on Tanzania’s coast. When

essence of Africa: the savannah, ethnic groups, lakes,

looking out of the large window of one of the wonderful

volcanoes and beaches, besides the best national parks for

hotel villas, when the sun looks within reach as it rises

spotting the big five). For an adventurous and romantic

over the horizon, body and mind are in harmony, relaxed,

honeymoon, it is incomparable. But perfection lies in

and your partner and you share that same feeling of

details: the safari should be a private one, and the hotel

immense bliss, just like the Indian Ocean stretching out

for post-safari relaxation should be designed to restore

before your eyes.

strength (and for love). That paradise where you can relax

The sea looks, at this time in the morning, like a spectacle of lights. It lights up, and you feel like going out to walk by the sea and feel the start of the day on this famous Spice Island.

The only difficult decision you will have to make in this tropical paradise will be whether to stay in one of

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the seven Romance Pavilions perched on the hotel’s cliff

stay, including a romantic photo session at different places

(just like eagles in your cosy love nest); or to stay in one

in the hotel, if you request it).

of its exclusive villas with gardens, private swimming

Gabi’s private beach, located in the upper part of the

pool and butler… and be discreetly pampered. And then,

property, where the Meliá Zanzibar stands, is a true

follow the country’s official motto, Hakuna Matata [Don’t

wonder. Protected by a barrier reef, it is scattered with

worry], and let yourself be carried away by the experience

romantic Balinese beds on which to indulge all your senses.

of total and absolute relaxation offered by this hotel

The beauty of the island, with its beaches and its

(this smoothness is possible thanks to a team who have

overgrown interior, the smell of spices, its ancient

designed everything, down to the smallest detail of your

history… everything comes together to make Zanzibar that mythically -named place that always seemed to be beyond the deserts and seas. It is that island of legend that still waits the traveller at the end of the road. Its history evokes the annals of mysterious Africa. For centuries, Oman’s sultans built their palaces and fortresses in Stone

EXCURSIONS AROUND THE ISLAND As soon as you go out onto the road, you discover the remains of the ancient cultures that populated Zanzibar, such as the Maruhubi Palace, built by a sultan for his harem, or the Persian Baths of Kidichi, located on the highest spot on the island.There are also fishing villages where time seems to have stopped. In the island’s interior, cocoa bean and spice fields alternate with impressive giant baobabs.A perfect and delightfully charming culinary getaway is the restaurant The Rock (therockrestaurantzanzibar.com), on a tiny islet west of Zanzibar that is reached by boat — when the tide is high — from the beautiful Michanwi Pingwe beach.

The colours of the sea and the sensations felt at this restaurant-hut atop a rock will induce you and your partner to dream.

Try its delicious pastas with seafood.

From top to bottom, giant red snappers; enjoying a glass of South African white wine at The Rock restaurant, on a tiny islet west of Zanzibar; and huts on Gabi Beach, the hotel’s private beach.

Opposite, a view of The Rock restaurant.

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Left, the Sultan’s Palace, one of the historical buildings on Stone Town’s seafront.

Below, the House of Wonders, a ceremonial palace built in 1883.

Below left, children playing with Farouque Abdela, a local designer who carries out humanitarian work on the island.

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Above these lines, exterior view of the Grand Suite at the Meliá Zanzibar hotel (172 m²), some of which include The Level Service, like higher category rooms.

Town — the capital’s old centre — and its fame reached all

Zanzibar ’s Stone Town is one of the best examples of

the way to faraway lands because of the merchants who

a Swahili coastal city (a culture and a language spread

made landfall at its port. For a long time, these sultans

all along Africa’s Indian Ocean coastline, and which

dominated the clove trade, one of the world’s most

brings together elements from Arabia, Persia, India,

coveted spices, and later, the slave trade.

Europe and Africa). This ensemble — a UNESCO World

Zanzibar also has its place in the world of lovers of

Heritage site — is made up of thousands of buildings

exploration. Here people such as Livingstone, Burton,

with historic and artistic value. Enjoy wandering along

Speke, Grant and many others started their journeys

its narrow streets — in such a maze, you can only

towards Africa’s unknown heart. So much so that when

wander — observing the details of the houses, with their

Jules Verne imagined the adventure of flying across the continent and he started writing Five Weeks in a Balloon, its leading characters began their trip in Zanzibar. Another curious fact is that singer Freddie Mercury, whose real name was Farrokh Bulsara, was born there.

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View of one of the seven Romance Pavilions – exquisite rooms perched on the cliff – the perfect place to enjoy your honeymoon.

Below, view from a terrace; a room’s romantic evening atmosphere.

Opposite, infinity swimming pool of one of the villas, and below, ocean breeze on the Jetty Tapas Lounge.

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jutting balconies and magnificent carved wood doors,

of the sails of the dhows — the traditional boats that for

with exquisite engravings shaped like flowers and fish,

centuries dominated the routes of the Indian Ocean.

intertwined stalks and chains: the best examples of the

They are, once again, returning back home. It is an image

art of the Swahili civilisation. On these streets you will

that has been repeated for centuries and is immutable

see daily life, children’s games, carpenters at work and

and beautiful.

small shops filled with treasures; and from the terraces

In Zanzibar, days are spent strolling in Stone Town

of some of its houses, converted into rooftop restaurants,

(don’t miss the sunsets from the Forodhani Gardens),

the views stretch out all the way to the port. From there,

excursions around the island (see the box on page 130)

you can spot, on the horizon, the triangular silhouettes

and enjoying the facilities of the Meliá Zanzibar. “When I see couples lit by the moonlight, the stars and the candles, sitting at a romantic table by the sea, I am sure that we are part of an unforgettable experience,” comments the hotel’s general manager, Nicolas Konig. What more could you ask for?

˜

MELIÁ ZANZIBAR This exclusive all-inclusive five-star resort is on Zanzibar’s northeast coast, located in a 16-hectare property with its own private beach, Gabi Beach: 300 metres of white sand (here you will be able to enjoy all kinds of water sports).The hotel has rooms, suites and private villas with swimming pool, garden and butler. But the new Romance Pavilions built on the hotel cliff in coconut wood and with impressive views of the ocean are designed for a honeymoon. In the gardens of this resort — the biggest on the island — you can see many species of the native fauna and flora.

However, if you want total relaxation, try the different packages for couples offered by the Spa Anantara; treatments and rituals that use mostly local products. End your day with a romantic dinner by the sea remembering your African adventures; the Jetty Tapas Lounge restaurant is the most beautiful in the resort and is literally in the Indian Ocean, you get there by boat from the quay.“If, on top of that, there is a full moon rising over the sea, the experience is memorable”, says Nicolas Konig, the hotel director (www.melia.com).

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From the new Innside New York NoMad, the panoramic views stretch up to the Financial District, with the Freedom Tower surging from Ground Zero.

INNSIDE NEW YORK NOMAD

Go west, Manhattan, go west Text: GEMA MONROY Photos: PRESTON SCHLEBUSCH

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PHOTOS: MARLEY WHITE / JULIENNESCHAER.

If you are reading these pages at the new INNSIDE New York NoMad, take the magazine with you to the High Line – the green corridor that you can see from your window – or when exploring the places we recommend you visit in the Chelsea and NoMad neighbourhoods.

And, if you have never been to New York, now you know where to go.

ew York is often regarded as a capricious

post-industrial bank of the Hudson River in Chelsea,

city whose tastes change all too often. However, it is

beyond the old railway that has been turned into the

undeniable that it knows better than any other city about

elevated High Line Park. The opening here in May 2015

what is in at any given moment. Recently, the focus has

of the long-awaited new Whitney Museum – a building

been on what they call the New West Side – located

by Renzo Piano and that faces the river – simply confirms

between the up-and-coming NoMad neighbourhood –

Chelsea’s prominence (and that of the nearby Meatpacking

around Madison Square Park and the Flatiron, and the

District) on the contemporary art and architecture scene.

It is not the only renowned establishment from the city’s Upper East Side that has moved to this district: Barneys department store – an icon of the elegant shopping of Madison Avenue and its solid economy – returns to the place where it was founded in 1923 on 17th Street and 7th

The new Whitney Museum is a building

by Renzo Piano located in front of the Hudson River, in Chelsea.

Opposite, the green corridor of High Line and, below, another view of High Line old tracks reconverted into an elevated park.

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PHOTO: GILES ASHFORD.

On the right, highprofile chef Scott Conant, one of the culinary highlights of the INNSIDE New York NoMad at Impero Caffè.

Opposite, a terrace in Madison Square Garden.

A FOODIE DESTINATION Scott Conant likes food with soul, and this is what he embodies in his dishes by pouring his soul into them.The owner of several Italian restaurants in New York and Las Vegas, and of a Culinary Suite in a SoHo loft, he is among the most acclaimed American chefs, a very popular face on television as a judge at cooking competitions, and the author of several books. Now he will be cooking at the new INNSIDE New York NoMad at Impero Caffè, whose Italian recipes will focus in particular on homemade pastas and starters. Conant has arrived in an

Avenue. The new five-floor store will also have a Freds

area that is dynamic from a culinary point of view and in which he already has

restaurant. Ten streets up, in the heart of the New West

his favourite places.

Side, the new INNSIDE New York NoMad is a witness,

NoMad at the NoMad (1170 Broadway and 28th St.):“I am fascinated by the

and also an agent, of everything that happens in the

elegance and passion of this restaurant. Daniel Humm and his team prepare

area – which is, in fact, quite a lot. “The hotel hopes to

some of the best food in the world right in this district.The service is absolutely

energise all the dynamism and creativity that surrounds

exquisite and the waiters are kind and friendly.

us,” explains Andrew Tilley, the hotel’s General Manager.

Sweetgreen (1164 Broadway, between 27th and 28th St.; sweetgreen.com).

“We will collaborate with the nearby Fashion Technology

“Casual, to eat in or to take away. Sweetgreen will conquer the world.”

Institute, and we want to do the same with the art galleries

The John Dory Oyster Bar (1196 Broadway and E 29th St.; thejohndory.com)

and centres in the area. The hotel will be involved in

“Perfect for having an aperitif, a light dinner and a cocktail. I think it is an essential

the social life of the neighbourhood.” Its Impero Caffè

place in the district.April Bloomfield and Ken Friedman are unstoppable.”

restaurant, headed by chef Scott Conant, will certainly

Hill Country NYC (30 W 26th St., between Broadway and 6th Ave.; hillcountry.

further enliven the area’s culinary scene.

com) “Their basement space for concerts is fabulous.The place is perfect for

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overshadowed by the neon lights of Midtown and

relaxing and having a drink, and they prepare the best barbecues in the city.

Upstairs is ideal for families with children.”

Lupulo (835 Avenue of the Americas; lupulonyc.com) “I love Aldea, George Mendes’s other restaurant, so I was very glad when I learned that he was opening this more casual place.And it was a wonderful experience! It’s really lively and offers traditional food that reflects his family’s Portuguese soul.You can almost touch his heart!”

PHOTO: GETTYIMAGES.

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PHOTO: WILL STEACY.

PHOTOS: GABRIELE STABILE.

RENDERING: PIERS INC / HEATHERWICK STUDIO

Right, artificial island Pier 55, a project devoted to art, culture and leisure, with lawns, gardens and an amphitheatre.

Below, the Flatiron building in the emerging NoMad district; and interior of the Momofuku Nishi restaurant, owned by famous chef David Chang, and one of its dishes – clams with crisp noodles.

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Downtown’s trendy fashions. However, people all over

million. Or, on the adjoining street, the two towers of the

New York now have their personal shopping haunts in

Jardim development – by Brazilian architect Isay Weinfeld

NoMad, go to the Flatiron District to have something to eat

– whose roof gardens are almost tropical. Meanwhile, on

and drink, to Chelsea to see an exhibition, to chef David

the Hudson River, at 15th Street and the Chelsea Market,

Chang’s new Momofuku Nishi for dinner, while they

a structure made of shipping containers is being built that

dream of having an apartment in one of the new buildings

will house more restaurants, shops and modern offices.

facing the river and designed by some famous architect.

The Super Pier will have a park on top of it and, so rumour

Over the next months, projects like the first residential

goes, a spa by André Balazs. Farther up, an artificial island

development by Zara Hadid will open at 520 28th Street

is being designed – Pier 55 – devoted to art, culture and

– a building of flowing glass curves with large outdoor

leisure, and will have lawns, gardens and an amphitheatre.

spaces and with prices ranging between $5 and $50

The man behind this ambitious plan is multi-millionaire Barry Diller, who is also one of the founders of High Line and is designer Diane von Furstenberg’s husband. And, in a couple of years, at a disused terminal on Pier 57, chef Anthony Bourdain will open a gigantic food market that aspires to become Manhattan’s La Boquería.

PHOTOS: KATE GLICKSBERG / FOTOTECA 9X12

The interior of the Chelsea Market (9th and 15th Streets) is an interesting revamp of an old factory and today brims with fruit, flowers, artisan stands‌ Initiatives like this have managed to renovate the Meatpacking district and make it fashionable.

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Above, a photo of The Chancellor Robert R Livingston Masonic Library of Grand Lodge (71 W 23rd St.; nymasoniclibrary. org), one of the most interesting museums in New York’s NoMad district; a detail of Madison Square Park.

Right, the Museum of Mathematics (11 East 26th St.; momath.org).

Opposite, interior of the Blue Smoke restaurant, that has a cosy jazz club on the ground floor (concerts and dinners included in the price); barman at the Flatiron Lounge, and restaurant La Birreria at the foodie “marketplace” Eataly.

The transformation was kicked off with the planting of trees and flowers. In Chelsea, the good times began

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where hardly a day goes by without a market, or a concert, a culinary show or some cultural event being held.

with the green corridor of High Line – an original park

First came a handful of forward-looking businessmen

that has taken advantage of the abandoned tracks of an

and creative pioneers, a couple of designers, a daring

old elevated railway. It was started in the neighbouring

chef, a cocktail bar, a five-star hotel with attitude, then

Meatpacking District in 2009, and was completed in 2014 at

another one… Its nightclubs with views began to host

34th Street. In the case of NoMad and the Flatiron District,

the most coveted parties. Soon more shops, boutiques,

the transformation consisted of the rehabilitation, in 2001,

showrooms, museums, art galleries, cafés with expert

of Madison Square Park – the district’s social centre –

baristas and signature muffins emerged, as well as offices, more hotels, restaurants... (See the A Foodie Destination box). Even the iconic Rizzoli bookstore, which had been close to Central Park on 57th Street until a few months ago, has moved to the St. James building on 26th Street and Broadway. The showrooms of major interior design

PHOTOS: KATE GLICKSBERG.

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Views from the INNSIDE New York NoMad, located very near New York’s most famous sights, including the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, the iconic Flatiron, Madison Square Park and Times Square.

Below, The spire and cupola of the Metropolitan Life Building, very close to Madison Square Garden.

firms and architecture studios can all be found here: Jung Lee, Marimeko, Sicis, and Moooi, and Porcelanosa which is in the historic Commodore Criterion building renovated by Sir Norman Foster.

NoMad and the Flatiron District have become the latest foodie destinations, with Eataly as the most visible address: chef Mario Batali’s mega store, devoted to artisanal Italian food, houses multiple restaurants, wine bars and a rooftop bar where you can enjoy a glass of craft beer and views of the ever-changing city.

Returning to the river, just where the High Line ends, the city is growing at a speed five times greater that the rest of Manhattan. Here the biggest urban development in the history of the city is being built: Hudson Yards, a mini-town of 120 hectares that will have 16 skyscrapers, 20,000 homes, a school, hotels, hundreds of shops, parks and a cultural centre to rival – on this side of the city – the Lincoln Center. It already has a subway stop on Line 7: 34th-Hudson Yards, the first new subway station to open in the Big Apple in 25 years. In Manhattan’s New West STYLE

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Side, the greatest transformation has yet to come.

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INNSIDE NEW YORK NOMAD From the new INNSIDE New York NoMad, the uninterrupted panoramic views stretch all the way to the Financial District, with Freedom Tower emerging from Ground Zero.

A quite unusual vantage point in Manhattan – as are the balconies of the Premium rooms and the suites’ three-level terraces.To the west are the Hudson River and the New Jersey coast. Midtown skyscrapers are to the north: the Empire State Building, the Rockefeller Center... and also Madison Square Garden and Penn Station.The fashion district of NoMad, High Line Park, the Meatpacking District, the West Village... all of them are a pleasant walk away.A versatile hotel that reflects New York one hundred per cent – even though the staff is Spanish-speaking – it has been designed to change its atmosphere and personality according to the day of the week and the season of the year.The idea is that a designer, a family with children, a company executive or a couple, in other words anyone, can feel equally at home here.The bar, that has no partition, is part of the foyer and will have a cocktail bar and a craft brewery. On the first floor, Impero Caffè, the restaurant of celebrated young chef Scott Conant, will be much talked about. In summer, there will be a terrace to enjoy, and in the inner courtyard open-air Pilates classes will be offered (www.melia.com).

Above, interior of an Innside Deluxe room with a fully-equipped bathroom and all kinds of details designed for the comfort of guests.

Left, view of the hotel lobby and, below, the lobby bar.

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WORK. PLAY. LIVE. BE INNSPIRED

Work. Play. Live. Where personal excellence meets a metropolitan mood, your experience will surpass the tired and traditional that has come before. Welcome to a new era of professional lifestyle. We’ve created a place to change the rhythm, blending business and pleasure in tune with your personal tempo.

Electric locations, specialist executive guest service and sleek style collides for experiences beyond the ordinary.

Be INNSPIRED. BERLIN · BREMEN · DRESDEN · DÜSSELDORF · FRANKFURT · MADRID · MANCHESTER · MUNICH · NEW YORK · PALMA · WOLFSBURG Call 0808 234 82 71 or surf melia.com

• THE ME ART SCENE • FOOD & BEVERAGE CONCEPTS • A PASSION FOR GOLF • BALANCE BY MELIÁ • AWARDS & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS • SUSTAINABLE COMMITMENT • OUR PARTNERS

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THE ME ART SCENE

ME BY MELIÁ PARTNERS SPANISH ARTIST RAFAFANS

ME

by Meliá, the hotel brand

based on design and innovation, has surrounded itself with the best artists from the worlds of music, fashion, photography and design to shape the experiences that will connect with guests. Its most recent partnership is with Rafafans, the well-known Spanish art director and in artist, whose unique creations are fresh, surreal

Above, the Roof Terrace at the ME Madrid, that is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and artist Rafafans, from Murcia (Spain), who has been involved in projects in New York, Shanghai, France, Sweden, the United Kingdom, Argentina and Peru, where he lives today.

Right, the hotel’s façade in Plaza de Santa Ana.

and organic and use the medium of collage. He also searches for new formats and combines different techniques such as mural painting, painting, videos, etc. As the artist says, “My collaboration with the ME by Meliá brand came about in a natural way and is certainly a platform for communication that allows me to experiment with new formats. The hotel world has evolved a great deal in recent years and guests now demand that

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brands offer them something new

Clockwise, works by Rafafans: Ultracolor, Burbujas, Eneka and, on the left, the artist’s work that is permanently exhibited in the hotel lobby.

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THE ME ART SCENE

PHOTOS: HELENA SÁNCHEZ.

Projection of an artwork by Rafafans during the presentation of the artist’s work at the ME Madrid to mark the hotel’s 10th anniversary.

Right, a piece by the artist at the party that was spiced up by DJ Silvia Bianchi.

that connects with their lifestyle.

This can be applied both to the very experience of staying at the hotel and to the language used by brands to connect with their customers via every kinds of communication channel. Furthermore, this year the ME Madrid hotel celebrates its 10th anniversary – it is also, therefore, the ME by Meliá’s anniversary, as this was the first hotel to open under this brand and that today has seven establishments, to which the ME Miami will soon be added. Rafafans’s work will be permanently exhibited at the hotel. This partnership will continue throughout 2016 with new work that will be created at the ME STYLE

Miami next spring.

HERE COMES THE

IBIZA

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MENORCA

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MALLORCA

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WELCOME to SOL BEACH HOUSE Naturally chic destinations to free your mind and feed your soul.

Grown-ups only.

making your holidays fresh sol-hotels.com

A Member of

BALI

A PASSION FOR GOLF

BETWEEN THE OCEAN AND THE MOUNTAIN

S

ome destinations are perfect

for playing golf, such as this one in the north of the island of Tenerife.

It offers spring weather all year round, wonderful views of the Teide, and accommodation on a gorgeous country estate with colonial architecture and rooms overlooking the Buenavista Golf course designed

by Severiano Ballesteros and only one km away. Its 6,019 metre, par 72, 18-hole course offers spectacular views of both the ocean and the mountain (it has six 3, 4 and 5-par holes of which the closest to the coast are the most stunning, as are the lakes at holes 9 and 18 that are linked by a waterfall).

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Views of the Buenavista Golf course on the north side of the island of Tenerife. Designed by golfer Severiano Ballesteros, it has 18 holes as well as lakes; its 6,000 square metre expanse is dotted with native plants. Nearby is the Casa Club (the Clubhouse) and the Meliรก Hacienda del Conde Spa, Golf & Resort hotel, in the traditional colonial style of the Canary Islands.

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FOOD & BEVERAGE SIGNATURE CUISINE AT THE GRAN MELIÁ DE MAR

W

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ell-known Mallorcan chef

and pine nuts, served with quinoa

Marga Coll heads the kitchen at

sautéed with vegetables, and her

Arrels by Marga Coll, the gourmet

aubergines stuffed with porc negre

restaurant at the Gran Meliá

with roasted tomato sauce are true

de Mar hotel. All of her dishes

statements of intent. To complete

combine fresh, quality produce

the dining experience, the Arrels

and ingredients with traditional

restaurant offers a varied range of

Mallorcan recipes plus a few

Mallorcan wines that pair perfectly

signature touches. Her stew of

with the local produce. Choose

squid stuffed with tentacles, raisins

between two tasting menus: the short menu and the long menu, or, opt to order dishes individually (price, €42 for the short, five-dish tasting menu; drinks not included; tel. +34 971 40 25 11).

From top to bottom, chef Marga Coll at the restaurant Arrels, by the Mediterranean Sea.

Stew of squid stuffed with tentacles, raisins and pine nuts, served with quinoa sautéed with vegetables; aubergines stuffed

with porc negre and a dessert of sweet fritters stuffed with pastry cream.

BALANCE BY MELIÁ

Above, healthy, varied food for a good breakfast.

Right, buffet at The Level; breakfast at the Meliá White House's The Level, and fruit juices and yoghurts at the group’s hotels.

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QUALITY OF LIFE ALSO WHENYOU ARE AWAY

T

here are an increasing number of people who also

want to lead a healthy life when they are away from home. Meliรก Hotels & Resorts wants to help its guests to enjoy a healthier life by offering its Balance by Meliรก programme. Its hotels offer 7 different breakfasts to start the day; all of them accompanied by nutritional information and the benefits of each product. Aside from the healthy dishes served at the restaurants, this programme also offers a number of innovative sports activities. There are also new natural welcome amenities included in the room, and alternative coffee breaks so that meetings are not only a success, but also healthy.

Meliรก Hotels & Resorts has carefully designed all the menus at its establishments, also offering healthy choices as well as giving diners the nutritional information of each dish.

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AWARDS

THE GRAN MELIÁ PALACIO DE ISORA, A SUSTAINABLE RESORT

E

nvironmental conservation, the

promotion of cultural and traditional

the hotel’s good management and

values of the communities in

commitment to everything related

which it operates, and sustainable

to the environment, society and

economic development are some

culture. In addition, the hotel is also

of the values and principles of the

required to continually improve

sustainability policy of the Gran

in these three areas. Considered to

Meliá Palacio de Isora which has

be one of the most exclusive holiday

again received an award, this time

resorts in the world, the hotel

at the 2nd edition of Re-Think Hotel

has also received several awards

whose panel of judges is made up of

from the reputed magazine

professionals from the construction

Condé Nast Traveler, whose readers

and tourism industries, and experts

voted it the Best Resort in Spain,

in energy efficiency and marketing.

recognising its excellence and quality

The hotel has both EarthCheck

from the very day it opened.

and Travelife sustainable tourism STYLE

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by third, independent parties, of

certifications which are a guarantee

Enjoy a new

Lifestyle

Experience a new way of life Club Melia is the vacation membership designed to satisfy your curiosity and indulge your sense.

Journey to breathtaking destinations near and far.

Members enjoy traveling with confidence, knowing that the luxuries of home awaits them around the world.

With Club Melia waking up to new experiences year after year is a way of life.

For Information US & Canada: 1-866-344-7686

| CLUBMELIA.COM

SUSTAINABILITY 60YEARS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY

“A

commitment to the environment, the

dissemination of local culture, and a contribution to cultural and social integration, have always been among Meliá Hotels International’s essential values,” claims Lourdes Ripoll, Deputy Manager to the CEO & CSR Vice President, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary celebration of this hotel chain, whose strategy for its commitment to responsibility and sustainability was clear from the outset.

According to Ripoll, for a hotel to be able to put in place these kinds of responsible initiatives, its strategy “should meet two requirements: the generation of a positive impact on economic and social growth, and a reduction of any negative impact that the operation itself may have.” There can thus be quite a number of impacts: people or communities that effectively benefit from an initiative, reduction of real energy consumption thanks to quantifiable investment, social cash flow, employment created, etc. All of them, says Ripoll, accompanied by “measures that should be considered an essential part of the strategy.” The concept of “generating shared value regardless of the hotel’s size” involves “daring to develop high-impact projects in the medium term.” In addition, it requires “a great deal of thought and real commitment on the part of companies.”

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The garden at the Meliá Salinas hotel in Lanzarote has more than 300 plants from different countries that are watered using a unique system.

To stay at a Meliรก is to explore new feelings, a mix of sensations that can only be expressed with new words. Welcome to a world of new feelings, created by you.

#onlyinmelia

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OUR PARTNERS FREIXENET ICE,THE BRAND’S NEW CAVA Freixenet’s oenologists have created a special cava, Freixenet Ice, made from classic grape varieties xarelo, macabeo and parellada and with a little chardonnay. It can be used as a mixer to enhance the taste of a cocktail and they recommend serving it in a wide glass, with ice and creatively decorated.

This cava has fine, elegant bubbles, an aroma of white flowers and fruit, and it is creamy, intense and sweet on the palate, with a long aftertaste. Famous mixologist Javier de las Muelas, creator and owner of the Dry Martini cocktail bar in Barcelona, has designed a number of exclusive cocktails with Freixenet ICE: one is Summer Ice, made with St.-Germain and strips of cucumber, and is a floral cocktail that is perfectly balanced and delicate, with fresh and very natural flavours and aroma. Another of his creations is Freixenet Spice on Ice, made with peach liqueur, ginger and a slice of grapefruit. Attractive and sophisticated, this is a very fresh cocktail with citric notes, and with a touch of irreverent, elegant ginger.

AVIS & MELIÁ, EXCLUSIVE PARTNERS CELEBRATING IN 2016 Avis, the world’s leading car rental company and an exclusive partner of Meliá, this year commemorates the golden jubilee of its arrival in Spain.

2016 is also the year which marks the 60th anniversary of Meliá Hotels International. Since the partnership started in 1967, every guest of the group is afforded special advantages when renting any of the vehicles from the wide range of cars that Avis offers. Not only do they give excellent discounts, promotions and additional services, but you also get Meliá Rewards which can be redeemed for days of car rental.

In turn, all of Avis’s clients can take advantage of Meliá’s various hotel locations and by simply asking at the STYLE

reception area of our establishments can hire any kind of service with this top car rental company. Why not enjoy one of Avis’s best and latest services launched during this very special year? Avis Select Series is the company’s most exclusive range and is available to you now thanks to the exclusive partnership between Meliá and Avis. From the luxury BMW 4 Series to the fast, sporty and simply cool Peugeot RCZ, you are guaranteed the car you choose.

YANGON

JORGE ARRANZ

NEXT DESTINATION

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The former capital of Myanmar (Burma) is receiving an increasing number of business travellers from emerging countries in Southeast Asia, but also other visitors interested in seeing the City of 2,000 Pagodas located on the Gulf of Martaban.This bustling capital is a picturesque blend of colonial British, Indian, Burmese, Chinese and Buddhist elements, and the new Meliรก Yangon will open its doors in 2016.

This five-star hotel will be located on the shores of the Inya Lake, a residential area of the city that is home to most foreign embassies.The hotel will have 429 rooms and a wide range of restaurants.

EXCLUSIVELY FOR MELIĂ CUSTOMERS Enjoy your Avis discount code CODE: N464105 THROUGH THE WEBSITE: www.avis.es RESERVATIONS: 902 135 531 Avis owns over 5.500 offices in 165 countries. A global coverage that offers you the experience, guarantee and quality of Avis wherever you are.

Join Avis Preferrred for free and enjoy exclusive advantages for members: www.avis.es/preferred-es