13 minute read
THE BEAR NECESSITIES
WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD
The new Teddy Bear Butler service with afternoon tea at the redesigned London Marriott Park Lane keeps kids and parents sweet whether you are travelling to the city for business or leisure
ABOVE: A decadent picnic for young guests and their Hamleys bears W ith the lines between business and leisure travel becoming increasingly blurred and ‘workcations’ incorporating family time rising in popularity, hotels are adapting.
At London Marriott Park Lane, which has been a favourite with GCC travellers for many years, thanks to its prime location, high quality accommodation and warm hospitality, the guest experience team has introduced a family friendly concept guaranteed to keep the kids happy – and therefore, their parents too.
The hotel has launched a Teddy Bear Butler service in partnership with world-renowned toy emporium Hamleys, offering young guests the chance to handpick their own British bear and then share a splendid picnic with their furry friend in their room or suite.
We were invited to try the experience with our 11-yearold daughter and nine-year-old son and it went down a treat. Here’s how it works.
THE ARRIVAL
London Marriott Park Lane is very well located in the heart of the city’s West End – opposite Marble Arch and Hyde Park and on the corner of London’s most visited retail strip, Oxford Street. This is one of many reasons that Gulf business travellers and their families choose the property as their base when visiting. Its personalised service, coupled with its residential ambiance, also appeal. As you step into the lobby of this Grade II listed property, leaving behind London’s busy shopping streets, there is an air of calm and sophistication, but it’s welcoming too, and you feel as if you have entered your own private residence. Staff are friendly and eager to please.
At check-in, welcome drinks were provided to all the family – Champagne for the adults, juice for the kids. At this point, our children were offered a Teddy Bear Menu featuring 11 themed bears. Our daughter opted for the ballerina-style Princess, while our son went for a great British favourite – the Beefeater, of Tower of London fame. We were then shown to our suite.
THE SUITE
We stayed in a generously sized one-bedroom Marble Arch Suite, one of the property’s family suites, which are priced from £1,520 (US$2,058) a night. Recently refurbished, the décor was modern but cosy. The suite featured a large bedroom with en-suite bathroom featuring a walk-in shower, bathtub, Japanese-style toilet with a heated set, and plenty of luxurious amenities, plus robes and slippers, as well as ample wardrobe space with a mini bar and tea/ coffee-making facilities; a hallway with a separate guest toilet; and a large lounge with dining table and chairs, sofa
with coffee table and a fabulous chaise lounge by a large window overlooking the famous arch and bustling Oxford Street. During turndown the sofa is turned into a bed for one or two young guests.
THE BEAR BUTLER AND PICNIC
A few minutes after settling into our suite, the Bear Butler arrived with Princess and Beefeater, so faces were beaming. The butler presented a handwritten card carrying an inspirational message on behalf of each bear, which was a nice personalised touch. The lounge was then transformed into a picnic area, complete with a hamper packed with bear-shaped sandwiches, sweets, cakes, fruit skewers, plus humous with veggie sticks for dipping. There were gingerbread biscuits for the kids to decorate too, with icing provided. Juices were on tap. They were delighted – and so were the bears. For the adults, some welcome bubbles, complemented with cheese, crackers and fruit, were greatly appreciated. Following a few hours of afternoon indulgence, we popped across the road to take a walk in Hyde Park to get some fresh air and burn a few calories. Shopping was next – the proximity to Oxford Street is really very convenient.
The Teddy Bear Butler experience also includes mini robes and slippers for the kids, as well as bathroom toiletries and rubber ducks. At night, the hotel’s signature teddy turndown service includes a warm glass of milk and cookies while a selection of classic bear books is available for bedtime stories.
The Teddy Bear Butler service in partnership with Hamleys is complimentary to all families when booking a suite direct. For families staying in another room category, the package is available to purchase for an additional £40 ($54) per child.
Hamleys on nearby Regent Street is also offering exclusive in-store experiences for guests staying at London Marriott Hotel Park Lane. Families can explore the shop’s seven floors before its doors officially open to the general public for £500 ($677) minimum spend or take a one-hour VIP tour of the store, learning about the toys and how they have changed over the past 259 years, which includes a small takeaway gift and is priced at £35 ($47) per person.
FAMILY FRIENDLY
In addition to the picnic experience, there were two factors that made family time fun and easy at London Marriott Park Lane. Firstly, the indoor pool, which is open from 6am to 11pm daily, and part of The Club at Park Lane, gives the kids plenty of splash time while parents can take a dip or relax on the lounge beds. There’s a steam room by the pool too. Secondly, access to the executive lounge provides flexibility and choice, with hot and cold drinks available around the clock and at dinner time, the choice of small hot meals and snacks such as slices of pizza and chicken curry, as well as salads, mezze and more. Breakfast was served here too, with a small buffet offering fruit, cereals, yogurts, meats, and cheeses, and an a la carte menu with plenty of hot options, from a full English to pancakes, and everything in between. Casual and with plenty of seating, this is an ideal option for families. If you do fancy something a little more formal, the hotel plays host to Lanes of London, one of Mayfair’s most popular restaurants, serving British fare for breakfast, lunch and dinner, evening cocktails and of course, a traditional English afternoon tea.
FOR THE ADULTS
The Club at Park Lane also features a gym with cardio and strength training equipment, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, plus a spa, with bespoke massages and treatments by AromaWorks available from 8.30am to 10pm. Business facilities include three meeting rooms with natural daylight.
THE VERDICT
If you are travelling to London for work, leisure, or both, London Marriott Park Lane, a luxurious boutique hotel, is the perfect base camp, offering all you need under one roof or in close proximity. From spacious accommodation, flexible dining options and family friendly services and facilities, to world-class shopping and Royal Parks on the doorstep, it’s a home from home. London’s major business districts are only a short tube, cab, or Uber ride away, and many embassies are situated in Mayfair, within walking distance of the property. It’s ideal for a ‘workcation’ or business trip with a family stay tagged on. If you do bring the kids, the Teddy Bear Butler service is must. Visit marriott.com
CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE:
London Marriott Park Lane is located on the corner of Park Lane and Oxford Street; The elegant residentialstyle lobby; The indoor pool offers fun for all the family
Ask the Pilot
Pilots are returning from furlough, but they haven’t been idle. Frequent retesting and training has ensured they are ready to fly
OUR ANONYMOUS PILOT REVEALS THE SECRETS OF THE COCKPIT
Because of the pandemic, many pilots will not have flown a real aircraft for a considerable time. When they do, they will rely both on their initial training, and subsequent flight simulator hours. The sophistication and realism of these simulators is such that the authorities allow them to be used both for training and for keeping our skills up to date, but if you are wondering about those skills in general, it might be of interest to take you through the process of becoming a pilot and then, once qualified, what you do to stay current.
There are three routes into flying a commercial aircraft: self-sponsored, airline sponsored or from the military. The licence we aspire to gain is an Air Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL), and if self-funding it will set you back far in excess of £100,000. Many years ago I was fortunate enough to be accepted by the British Airways cadet pilot scheme, and this fully funded my training with the obligation at the end to accept a job with BA if it had a vacancy. Such a scheme does not exist today and when such places are offered now, which is rare, it is usually part-sponsorship and a sacrifice in salary to pay the remaining costs over several years. As you can imagine, competition for these places is fierce!
NOVICE TO FIRST OFFICER The training itself is carried out at an approved flying college; in my case it was BAe Flying College at Prestwick in Scotland. The course was residential and took 18 months, consisting of flying single-engine and twin-engined light aircraft as well as an intensive ground school course. After passing flying and written exam tests I left with my commercial licence. Even though I had a commercial licence, I now had to learn to fly the aircraft that BA assigned me for my first job as a pilot, which involved learning all the technical details of the aircraft you are to fly. This was followed by training in the simulator and then learning to fly that particular type of aircraft and how to deal with system failures and handling emergencies. This next stage takes two to four months. Another subject you have to learn is something called ‘standard operating procedures’ which detail how we operate so that we know what each other is doing and when. Finally, the time comes when you fly as a fully qualified first officer. The captain sits in the left seat and the first officer in the right. The stripes on their jacket or shoulder indicate rank, so four stripes for captain, three for senior first officer and two for first officer.
In many jobs once the initial training is complete, that’s it; you are let loose with little or no further training or testing required. This is not true as a pilot. Every six months we have to go into the simulator and pass a test to re-validate our licence, which involves an assessment of flying skills and how you handle aircraft system failures and emergencies.
Additionally, once a year you have to complete a technical questionnaire as well as pass a strict medical examination (every six months if over 60). Finally, every two years an examiner will observe you on a flight to make sure you reach the required standard. Failure to meet the necessary standard in any of these tests results in withdrawal of your licence, and the requirement for further training and retesting.
BECOMING A CAPTAIN The time spent as first officer depends on the airline and is a factor of experience in terms of hours flown and how well you have performed in all the various tests so far in your career. If deemed suitable to be captain you are then required to complete an intensive course of one to two months’ duration with, as you may have guessed, various tests along the way. What I have just described is the process from absolute beginner to commercial airline captain. Additional requirements arise if you are absent from flying for a period of time. In this case, in order to keep your licence current, you will need to go in to the simulator and complete a minimum of three take-offs, approaches and landings, usually every 90 days. This is what has been happening to pilots during the pandemic so that when the airlines need them they are ready to go.
I hope after reading this article that you will feel reassured that the two pilots in the cockpit are trained to the highest standards, and frequently retested and checked so they can safely transport you on your much awaited return to travel.
The UAE CT explained
Hanan Abboud, Partner, M&A & International Tax, PwC, explains the implications of the UAE’s recently announced federal corporate tax (CT)
On January 31, 2022, the UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced the introduction of a federal corporate tax (CT) in the UAE that will be effective for financial years starting on or after June 1, 2023.
The UAE CT will be applicable across all emirates and will apply to all business and commercial activities alike, except for the extraction of natural resources, which will continue to be subject to emiratelevel taxation.
For businesses with an income of up to AED 375,000, the UAE CT rate will be zero per cent. For incomes above AED 375,000 the rate will be nine per cent, although there is some indication that there will be a different tax rate for large multinationals.
Free zone businesses will be within the scope of UAE CT and required to register and file a CT return but will continue to benefit from CT holidays/zero per cent taxation if they comply with all regulatory requirements and do not conduct business in mainland UAE.
CT will be payable on the accounting net profit reported in the financial statements of the business, with minimal exceptions and adjustments. Tax losses incurred from the CT effective date can be carried forward to offset taxable income in future financial periods. The Federal Tax Authority will be responsible for the administration, collection, and enforcement of CT.
No UAE CT will apply to: ■ Employment income, income from real estate, income from savings, investment returns and other income earned by individuals in their personal capacity that is not attributable to a UAE trade or business. ■ Dividends, capital gains and other investment returns earned by foreign investors.
Exemption from UAE CT will be available for: ■ Capital gains and dividends earned from qualifying shareholdings. ■ Qualifying intra-group transactions and restructurings.
Hanan Abboud, Partner, M&A & International Tax, PwC, says: “The introduction of UAE CT will have an impact on the tax and compliance costs of most UAE businesses. Businesses will require clear identification of the tax implications and available optimisation/mitigation strategies, and any required changes to their corporate structure, operating model(s), finance/tax function, reporting systems, legal agreements, and TP policies to ensure compliance with the new UAE CT regime. It is important that businesses evaluate the impact of the introduction of UAE CT early on and proactively plan for a smooth implementation.
“With a nine per cent statutory tax rate and exemptions and reliefs (that we understand will be based on international best practice) the UAE CT regime should remain one of the most competitive in the world. The UAE will also continue to offer the most competitive CT regime in the region, with Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Qatar imposing CT at rates between 10 per cent to 35 per cent (Bahrain currently does not have a broad-based CT regime). The key features of the proposed UAE CT regime such as a zero per cent CT for small businesses and startups, exemptions for UAE based headquarters and international business hubs, no taxation on foreign direct investment, no taxation on personal income, and a minimal compliance burden for businesses should strengthen the UAE’s position as a global hub for business and investment and a leading international financial centre.” pwc.com
