Business Traveller Middle East - November 2022

Billions around the world will be glued to their TVs as the FIFA World Cup unfolds this month in Qatar. For the very lucky few who will be travelling to the country to root for their favourite team, we’ve compiled a guide with everything they need to know. From the Hayya Card to fan festivals and from entry regulations to accommodation options, we’ve explained it all (pg20).

Elsewhere, we’ve tracked the development of Porto Montenegro. It is located in a country which has an appealing citizenship-by-investment programme. e Balkan state has become a hotspot for investments in its tourism and real estate sectors (pg34).

Another piece that we’re excited to bring you in this edition is our chat with Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels. Minor Hotels was predominantly an Asian-focused group but is now expanding globally. Equally, it’s taking some of its European-centric acquisitions and rolling them out in Asia and the Middle

East. is cross-pollination of the hospitality industry across geographies is an exciting trend and Rajakarier is bringing all his experience to bear on it (pg16).

Finally, we’ve kept up the World Cup hype with an exclusive interview with Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe. Hublot is the O cial Timekeeper for the tournament and has unveiled a limited-edition smartwatch to keep track of every second of every match (pg48). Hublot has previously collaborated with footballers such as Pelé, Kylian Mbappe, Gareth Southgate and Luis Figo, among many others. Football is an integral part of the watchmaker – as it is for so many of us. Enjoy the matches, enjoy the issue.

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Varun Godinho, Editor

The Hub of Business Aviation

ACCOR OPENS FAIRMONT TAZI PALACE TANGIER IN MOROCCO

QATAR-BASED KATARA HOSPITALITY has partnered with Accor on a new Fairmont Tazi Palace Tangier property in Morocco. The historical palace features 133 rooms and suites, a spa, multiple restaurants and bars, as well as conference rooms and banquet spaces. The hotel is located in the heart of the upscale residential Boubana area, and is a short distance from the city centre and the Corniche, as well as a 20-minute drive from the airport. The palace showcases Arab-Andalusian architecture, combining ancient and modern design that pay tribute to Moroccan traditions.

New Jumeirah resort coming to Bahrain

JUMEIRAH GROUP, a member of Dubai Holding, will open a new resort in Bahrain this month. e Jumeirah Gulf of Bahrain Resort and Spa will feature 196 rooms and suites, as well as a sprawling 11-bedroom Gulf Summer House located directly on the beach. e property includes eight signature dining options. Its leisure and recreation facilities meanwhile include Jumeirah’s Talise Spa, a femaleonly spa facility, couple treatment rooms, an indoor pool, gym, tennis courts and a 36-seater cinema too.

The Ned debuts in Doha

HOTEL AND PRIVATE members’ brand, The Ned, is the latest in a series of high-end properties opening in Qatar ahead of the World Cup. The 90-room property features seven restaurants including Cecconi’s and Electric Diner, as well as a health club and spa, fitness centre and a 30-metre outdoor pool. The Ned Doha is housed within a building originally designed by Lebanese architect William Sednaoui, which was previously home to the former Ministry of the Interior. The property also features a collection of over 150 works of art curated by the co-founders of Mathqaf, a platform for art and culture from West Asia and North Africa.

TRAVELLERS REVEAL THE PROS OF TRAVEL FOR WORK

say the main benefit is meeting new people

say it provides an opportunity to do new and more enriching work

say it o ers informal time with colleagues to build relationships

say it provides an opportunity to take part in higher profile work

say it raises their profile in the organisation

say it allows them to do work they might not otherwise have done

say it provides an opportunity to spend individual facetime with important people in an organisation

World Travel

survey conducted by Opinium,

ETIHAD AIRWAYS UNVEILS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH ARMANI/CASA

ETIHAD AIRWAYS has partnered with Armani/Casa on a collection which has been designed by Giorgio Armani. Starting December 2022, the products from the new Etihad and Armani/Casa collaboration known as ‘ e Constellation Collection’ and inspired by the stars will debut across select aircra from the UAE national carrier’s eet. e Constellation Collection includes a new dining service which features ceramics, glassware, cutlery and serving ware, as well as premium textiles for a revamped in ight experience in its business class cabins. Sustainability is front and centre with the new collection. Etihad says that the material used has reduced equipment weight by up to 10 per cent, resulting in less fuel burn and fewer emissions by its aircra .

NEW CEO APPOINTED AT ETIHAD

Antonoaldo Neves has been appointed as the group chief executive o icer of Etihad Aviation Group, replacing Tony Douglas who served in that role since January 2018. Neves was formerly the CEO and board member of TAP, the national airline of Portugal. Prior to TAP, he was the president of Azul Airlines in Brazil, and led the company to an IPO on the NYSE. Last month, the Supreme Council for Financial and Economic A airs transferred full ownership of Etihad Aviation Group to ADQ, the Abu Dhabi-based investment and holding company.

Ennismore

SALAMAIR WILL BECOME the first carrier to operate direct scheduled flights between Oman and Prague when it commences services on the route this month. Starting November 4, the carrier will operate one weekly direct flight each from two cities in Oman – Muscat and Salalah – to Prague. Its non-stop flight to Prague departs every Friday from Muscat and every Wednesday from Salalah. The Czech Republic is the carrier’s second destination in Europe. The airline commenced operations in 2017 and currently operates a fleet of A320neo and A321neo aircraft.

HOTEL DEVELOPMENT , the Neom hospitality division, has inked a deal with Ennismore as its inaugural hotel partner. e deal will see two of Ennismore’s brands – 25 Hours Hotels and Morgans Originals – open properties in Trojena, Neom’s mountain tourism destination that features a ski village. e 25 Hours property has an in-house cinema, a farm-to-table restaurant, a bike workshop with co-working spaces, as well as a roo op restaurant with a pool. e Morgans Originals hotel will meanwhile feature four dining outlets, a 2,000 sqm spa and bathhouse, in addition to an architecturally striking ski slope roof.

EMIRATES: INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT PICKS

There are 45 Academy Award-winning films, 5,000 channels of on-demand entertainment, over 1,500 movies and 1,500 hours of TV to choose from. Here’s what you shouldn’t miss

ELIZABETH: A PORTRAIT IN PARTS

This documentary chronicles the life of Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-reigning British monarch who passed away in September. She was also the longest-serving female head of state in history.

ELVIS

The Baz Luhrmanndirected biographical musical drama is a must-watch for fans of The King of Rock and Roll. Also on the IFE in Emirates are six films starring Elvis.

THE BEATLES AND INDIA

The documentary uses rare archival footage. photographs, eyewitness accounts and expert commentary to explain the creative influence of the Asian country on the British band.

TOP GUN: MAVERICK

Over three-andhalf-decades since the original release, Tom Cruise makes a roaring comeback in this adrenalin-fuelled blockbuster. The movie is believed to have grossed over US$1.45 billion at the box o ice.

WTTC ANNOUNCES SPEAKERS FOR UPCOMING GLOBAL SUMMIT IN RIYADH

Germany records surge in GCC citizen visits over H1 2022

THE WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM COUNCIL (WTTC) will organise the 22nd edition of its Global Summit from November 28-December 1 at the King Abdul Aziz International Conference Centre in Riyadh. Held under the theme of ‘Travel for a Better Future’, the speakers at the event include Anthony Capuano, CEO, Marriott International; Paul Gri iths, CEO, Dubai International Airports; Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO, Hilton; and Jerry Inzerillo, group CEO, Diriyah Gate Development Authority, among others. Government o icials addressing the gathering include Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy; Ahmed Al Khateeb, the kingdom’s Minister of Tourism, and Princess Haifa Al Saud, its Vice Minister of Tourism.

THE GERMAN NATIONAL TOURIST BOARD has said that the country recorded a staggering 318 per cent increase in overnight stays from GCC nationals in the rst six months of 2022. e six GCC countries include UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman and Qatar. GCC nationals accounted for over 335,000 stays in H1 2022, compared to just under 81,000 in 2021. Even though this year’s numbers are impressive, Germany has yet to recover to its pre-pandemic gures. e latest 2022 numbers are still 36.7 per cent lower compared to the corresponding period of 2019.

Emirates agrees codeshare with Batik Air

EMIRATES has activated a codeshare with Batik Air, a member carrier of the Lion Air Group. e codeshare will allow its passengers access to 25 Indonesian points on a single ticket and with one baggage policy. Emirates has placed its code on eight routes operated by Batik Air via Jakarta to Balikpapan, Denpasar, Medan, Manado, Padang, Surakarta, Surabaya and Makassar. In addition, via an interline agreement, Emirates customers can also access 17 more domestic Indonesian points via Jakarta and Denpasar, to cities such as Praya, Semarang and Sorong, among others. Emirates currently has codeshare agreements with 26 airline partners and two rail companies, as well as 110 interline partnerships worldwide.

1 Marriott to acquire City Express brand

Marriott International will acquire the City Express brand portfolio in a US$100 million deal which will make it “the largest hotel [chain] in the Caribbean and Latin America.”

The City Express portfolio currently comprises 152 hotels with 17,356 rooms in 75 cities across Mexico and Latin America.

2 Capacity cuts at Amsterdam Schiphol to continue into 2023

Airlines have been asked to further cut passenger numbers at Amsterdam Schipol this winter. The capacity cuts at the airport will continue into 2023. Schiphol said that the move had been made “after consulting with airlines, which are not happy about it”.

3 Hyatt grows portfolio in Germany

Hyatt will significantly expand its portfolio across Germany as well as Central and Eastern Europe, following an “exclusive collaboration agreement” with the family-run Lindner Hotels. The group is expected to add more than 30 hotels, and 5,500 rooms, across seven European countries.

4 Emirates expands services to South Africa

Emirates will ramp up its services to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban. From December, it will add two additional flights to Durban, operate a double daily service to Cape Town starting February, and introduce thricedaily flights to Johannesburg starting March next year.

5 Wizz Air Abu Dhabi to start ying to Ankara Wizz Air Abu Dhabi will launch direct services to Türkiye’s capital of Ankara early next year. Starting January 19, 2023, it will commence thrice weekly flights to Ankara every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. One-way fares on the ultra-low-cost carrier are priced starting at Dhs149.

6 Air Arabia Abu Dhabi to launch ights to Moscow

Starting November 18, Air Arabia Abu Dhabi will launch a new route between the capitals of the UAE and Russia. The service to Moscow Domodedovo will operate with a frequency of five weekly flights, and will be its 27th destination. The airline has a fleet of eight new Airbus A320 aircraft.

7 Mandarin Oriental to open in Chengdu’s Tianfu business district

Mandarin Oriental’s latest property in China will be located in Tianfu New Area to the south of Chengdu. Scheduled to open in 2028, the 267-room Mandarin Oriental Tianfu, Chengdu will feature four restaurants, an indoor swimming pool and a spa.

8 Flydubai to increase frequency to Maldives

Flydubai will launch a new daily service to Gan International airport on February 4, 2023. With the start of the new service to Gan, the carrier will increase its Maldives frequency to 28 weekly flights. Apart from Gan, it already flies to Velana International airport in the Maldivian capital of Male.

9 Virgin Atlantic drops Hong Kong route

Virgin Atlantic is axing its route from London Heathrow to Hong Kong after almost 30 years of operations. Virgin says that the decision to cancel the route will allow it to increase frequencies in “other key markets from the summer 2023 schedule”. It will also close its o ice in Hong Kong.

10 Intercontinental Sydney completes multi-milliondollar renovation

IHG Hotels and Resorts has completed a $120 million renovation of the Intercontinental Sydney. Located in Sydney’s heritage-listed Treasury building of 1851, the 509-key hotel has undergone an extensive redesign across the entire property.

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray introduces new farm-to-table concept in Dubai

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai has launched Arcadia, an interactive experience that integrates its onsite urban hydroponic farm and a new dining concept. e farm is spread across a total of 55 sqm and can harvest up to 250kg of more than 30 varieties of leafy greens and herbs per month. Guests will receive the fresh produce served directly to their table at all of the resort’s signature restaurants.

Jumeirah says that the hydroponic farm reduces water consumption by up to 90 per cent as no soil is required for farming. By building it onsite, the carbon footprint generated by transportation for distribution is also signi cantly reduced. “We’re happy to have launched our own hydroponic farm onsite as it will allow us to minimise waste and ensure a greener and responsible sourcing for organic produce, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable future for the industry. Additionally, growing produce on the property will open up the opportunity to inform and engage guests in responsible production and consumption, while also bringing a new dimension to our culinary o ering,” says Mark Hehir, general manager of Jumeirah Zabeel Saray.

Set amidst greenery and organic herb garden beds, Arcadia will feature an outdoor countrystyle kitchen and will host culinary events including a chef’s table, cooking classes, as well as the presentation of bespoke dishes and signature menus.

ARABIAN TRAVEL MARKET CHOOSES ‘WORKING TOWARDS NET ZERO’ AS THEME FOR 2023 EDITION

The annual travel and tourism trade event, Arabian Travel Market (ATM), has chosen ‘Working Towards Net Zero’ as its o icial theme for next year’s event. The 2023 edition will be held at the Dubai World Trade Centre from May 1-4. RX (Reed Exhibitions), the organiser of ATM, will mark the 30th edition of the event by unveiling a dedicated sustainability pledge and announcing 30 long-term goals as ATM works towards net zero in line with the RX Global pledge. According to a World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) report, travel and tourism accounts for between 8-11 per cent of the world’s emissions, thereby making the theme all the more relevant for the ATM.

THE MIDDLE EAST’S FIRST CARBONNEUTRAL AIRPORT UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN SAUDI ARABIA’S RED SEA PROJECT

The recently-rebranded Red Sea Global has signed a SAR1 billion agreement appointing Daa International as the operator of the upcoming Red Sea International (RSI) airport in Saudi Arabia. Powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, the facility is expected to become the region’s firstever carbon-neutral airport. It is being readied to receive its first guests early next year. RSI is a regenerative airport designed by Foster + Partners and will be able to serve an estimated one million domestic and international tourists per year by 2030 – at a peak of 900 travellers per hour.

The industry must get serious about decarbonisation... collaboration between governments, corporates and the aviation sector, which increases SAF supply and availability at airports, helps pave the way for broader adoption”

Cassie Mackie, vice president of Procurement and Supply Chain at Etihad Airways

MONTH

Minor Hotels has begun taking its predominantly Asia-focused

to markets around the world

STRIDES

The ai-headquartered Minor Hotels has become a major hospitality player within the Asia Paci c region. More recently, it has expanded into markets further a eld including the Middle East, Europe and even South America. Minor currently has around 530 operational properties globally totalling approximately 76,000 keys. ere are eight brands that it operates, with Anantara being its agship o ering. “We have an owner’s mindset because that’s how the company started and it’s that owner mindset that makes us di erent compared to any of the other larger brands,” says Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International and CEO of Minor Hotels. at mindset has also resulted in a series of smart buys such as the 2016 deal to acquire Tivoli Hotels and Resorts to make in-roads into Europe and Latin America; the acquisition of UK-based Corbin and King (recently rebranded as e Wolseley Hospitality Group) to strengthen Minor’s F&B portfolio; and a mega EUR2.3 billion deal for a 94.1 per cent stake in the Madrid-headquartered NH Hotel Group in 2018 which has an established presence within Europe.

While Minor has been previously focused on Asia, Europe is increasingly

popping up on its radar mainly across its Anantara and Avani brands. Last year, it announced the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome, and more recently the Anantara Royal Vila Viçosa as its second Anantara in Portugal, as well as an Anantara Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky Amsterdam property in the Netherlands. “ is year we will have eight Anantaras in Europe. We already have Anantaras in Portugal and Spain, Rome and Budapest, and we have one in Nice opening this year and another Antara opening in

THIS SPREAD: Rendering of the beach front aerial view at Bilaj Al Jazayer Bahrain

TOP RIGHT: Dillip Rajakarier

RIGHT: The Plaza Doha By Anantara

the Amalfi Coast, as well as Dublin. Hopefully, we should be launching about eight Avanis next year in Europe as well. Today, we have one Avani [in Europe],” reveals Rajakarier. Its expansion plans go the other way too – from the West to the East – as is the case with its NH brands. The NH Collection Chiang Mai Ping River which was announced in March this year will become NH Collection’s debut property in Asia when it opens in Q1 2023. Coming before that will be the 533-key NH Dubai The Palm which is expected to open soon. “NH is very strong in Europe. For us to bring a European brand to the Middle East is great because now, since we acquired NH, we see a lot of our

MINOR HOTELS

Middle Eastern guests travelling to their hotels in Europe, and we have a lot of Europeans who are connected to that brand and will be travelling to Dubai as well,” notes Rajakarier.

The Middle East is a market that is on the rise for Minor. Within the UAE itself, it has over a dozen properties including the Anantara Downtown Dubai which opened earlier this year – its third Anantara in the emirate – which was formerly the Oberoi Dubai.

Rajakarier confirms that apart from the recent hotel openings in Dubai, Minor will also bring its F&B portfolio from The Wolseley Group, specifically Colbert from Sloane Square in Knightsbridge, to Dubai.

Overall, within the Middle East, Minor has close to 30 hotels. “We’ve signed two hotels in Saudi – one of them is in Diriyah Gate, and the other will be announced soon. Saudi is going to be a key market for us and hopefully we’ll see Wolseley both in Riyadh and Jeddah. [We will also see the openings of] Anantara, Avani and NH in Saudi. As for Qatar, we are already there with Anantara on Banana Island. We have our Tivoli, Oaks and Avani brands in Qatar. We’re launching an NH Collection in Doha. Qatar, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi, and Oman are the regions we are targeting. We have some hotels coming up in Bahrain too,” says Rajakarier. The Bahrain properties scheduled to open in 2024 include Avani Bilaj Al Jazayer Bahrain Resort and Tivoli Bilaj Al Jazayer Bahrain Resort which will be part of Bilaj Al Jazayer – a new waterfront mixed-use masterplan owned by Edamah which is the real estate arm of Mumtalakat, Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund.

FINDING OPPORTUNITIES

In as much as the Middle East is being built as a strong destination market, Rajakarier is only all too aware of this market’s strength as a source for Minor’s properties worldwide. He cites the example of Thailand which was traditionally dominated by visits from China, but had to

Night view rendering of NH Collection Doha Oasis Hotel

by

find an alternative source market given the continuing restrictions on travel in China. Those visitors are being offset by a renewed interest in Thailand by Saudi nationals. “Saudis are now coming to Thailand and they stay for long, are high spenders and enjoy the resort in terms of F&B and spa offerings. They’re coming for medical tourism or for hotel breaks with families, and they take some of our residences and villas. Will this demand last? I think it will. And if China opens up next year, we will see another surge of visitors when the Chinese start to travel,” he says.

Rather than being intimidated by what continues to be a difficult situation with regards to both domestic and international tourism in China due to the pandemic, Minor has pushed ahead with deals to solidify its presence in the country. Last year, it signed an MoU with Funyard Hotels and Resorts which is a member of the Country Garden Core Business Alliance to expand in China. “We signed a joint venture with one of the largest developers in China called Country Garden. Funyard Hotel came to us as they want to become a

global brand. They wanted some of our brands [too] so we created a joint venture. We’ve already signed about 12 hotels across our NH, Anantara and Avani brands which will launch in China,” observes Rajakarier.

While work on growing its China portfolio is on in earnest, offsetting markets like the Maldives – prepandemic, Chinese tourists accounted for around 20 per cent of the total visits at Minor properties in the Maldives – has meant that Minor has focused on attracting visitors from markets such as the US, South America, Russia, and the Middle East to the Maldives.

As a result, Maldives had one of its best years on record with over 1.3 million visitors in 2021. Still, the pandemic has also had a telling effect on the hospitality business and Rajakarier states that one of the most significant dents has been on the industry’s ability to attract human talent, many

of whom left over the early months of the pandemic. “Our biggest challenge is the pool of human talent which has significantly reduced. The demand is there and so there is a war on talent. For example, we are unable to keep some of our restaurants in London open seven days a week because we don’t have the human talent and so we open the restaurant five days a week, and with restricted hours,” says Rajakarier.

He maintains that as a company, Minor remains “opportunistic” and open to building its portfolio of brands and signing up new properties. But its expansion will be measured. “We’re not going to flood the market with Anantaras and Avanis. We will only pick and choose the locations and the brands we bring to those locations to make sure that we can actually deliver to our owners. That’s why I always say we have an owner’s mindset when we look at our business. We have a pipeline of around eight hotels within the Middle East, and around 35-40 planned globally over the next three years – and we haven’t counted China in that basket.”

ABOVE: The lobby at the Najd Boutique Hotel

We have a pipeline of around 35-40 hotels planned globally over the next three years

With the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 slated to begin this month, here’s your ultimate guide to all you need to know if you are attending one of the world’s biggest sporting events

THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

WORDS VARUN GODINHO

Getting to Qatar

By Air

As Qatar hosts the World Cup, 1.3 million fans are expected to visit the country for the mega event. While the Hamad International airport (HIA) is its main airport, the country has also opened the old Doha International airport to accommodate the surge in visitors.

Passengers arriving at HIA can take the Red line which will lead straight into central Doha from the T1 Metro Station in the airport.

Passengers arriving at Doha International can take the metro’s Gold line from the National Museum Metro Station, which is located 800m from the airport arrival terminal, straight into central Doha. ere’s also a shuttle bus from the airport that operates every 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, to Souq Waqif Bus Hub South.

Match day Shuttle ights: Apart from the regular scheduled services for the World Cup, there are special Match Day Shuttle ights which are dedicated for football fans that will y them in on the day of their match and return them to their departure airport on the same day a er they watch their match. ese ights will operate from Dubai, Jeddah, Kuwait City, Muscat and Riyadh. e airlines that have teamed up with Qatar Airways for this include ydubai, Kuwait Airways, Oman Air and Saudia. Flydubai will o er 60 special match day shuttle ights daily from Dubai World Central, whereas Kuwait will operate 20 ights, Oman Air has scheduled 48 special daily ights from Muscat and Saudia will operate 40 daily ights from Riyadh and Jeddah. A typical return shuttle ight from Dubai to Doha costs around US$258 for an economy class seat. Boarding on these ights will be restricted for Hayya Card holders.

TOP: Hamad International airport

ABOVE: Lusail City

By Land

Special rules will go into e ect from November 1 until December 23 at the Abu Samra Border Crossing between Saudi Arabia and Qatar. All Qatari citizens, residents and GCC nationals with a Qatari ID can enter the country through the broader crossing without needing to possess a Hayya Card, but will need to be travelling within a vehicle with a Qatari number plate. Enter using you own car: Fans who wish to enter the country using their

own vehicles, must obtain a vehicle entry permit via the Hayya platform. A mandatory requirement to obtain the permit is to show a minimum of ve nights con rmed accommodation for the driver of the vehicle. Also, the vehicle must have a minimum of three people within it and a maximum of six. e cost of the permit is QAR5,000. Park and ride: For fans entering for a maximum of 24 hours to attend a match, they can drive to the border and park their cars in a dedicated zone. Although parking is free for 24 hours, a fee of QAR1,000 will be charged for the next 24 hours and the vehicle will be towed a er 48 hours. Fans have to pre-book their parking slot via the Hayya app prior to their arrival.

From the parking lot at the Abu Samra checkpoint, they can travel in Qatari buses to Doha Central Station in Al Messila which is approximately 90km from there. Alternatively, the buses can take them 2km from the border crossing to the ‘Friends Meet and Greet’ point.

COVID-19 ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR INCOMING TRAVELLERS

■ Visitors are no longer required to undergo a PCR or Rapid Antigen test prior to travelling to Qatar.

■ Citizens and residents also do not require to undergo a Rapid Antigen or PCR test within 24 hours of their arrival in the country.

■ It is mandatory however for individuals entering a healthcare facility in Qatar to display their Covid-19 status via the Ehteraz app.

The Hayya Card

It’s an absolute must-have for all fans visiting Qatar to watch a match. It doubles up as a fan ID, a visa granting entry to the country, allows entry to the stadiums on match days and gives you free access to public transport too. e Hayya Card requirements will be in e ect from November 1 until January 23, and can be applied for online (hayya.qatar2022.qa)

A match ticket and con rmed accommodation (if you are going to be in the country for more than 24 hours) are required to be validated through the portal to secure the card.

Recently, the government also introduced a new Hayya with me (1+3) feature that allows international Hayya Card holders to invite up to three non-ticketed fans to enter the country. e primary Hayya Card holder must be at least 18, and each applicant travelling with the Hayya Card holder will need to pay a fee of QAR500 (not applicable for childen under the age of 12).

Travel incentives for Hayya Card holders in GCC countries: In Saudi Arabia, holders of the Hayya Card can apply for a new visa online that will allow them a 60-day stay in Saudi beginning 10 days before the tournament. Oman meanwhile has begun free multiple-entry 60-day visas for Hayya Card holders. e UAE charges a one-time fee of Dhs100 for a multiple entry visit visa and allows a stay of up to 90 days starting from the date of issuance of the visa

Metros

Transport within Qatar

Buses, taxis, metro, ride-hailing services (Uber and Careem), trams and rent-a-car are some of the options you can use to get around Doha during your stay in the city.

Trams

ere are three tram systems that you must be aware of :

■ Lusail Tram (Saturday- ursday 6am-3am; Friday 9am-3am) connects to the metro via Legtai ya Station (Red Line)

■ Education City Tram operates as a park and ride for matches hosted by Education City Stadium.

■ Msheireb Tram connects Msheireb Metro Station to popular tourist spots located within Msheireb Downtown Doha.

e metro system has three lines – Gold, Green and Red – with services operating every three minutes from Saturdayursday 6am-3am; Friday 9am-3am. Hayya Card holders can access the metro line for free from November 10-December 23.

e interchange lines are at Al Bidda (to switch between the Red and Green lines) and Msheireb (where you can change between any of the three lines).

ere are free metrolink buses that operate on routes within 2-5km of stations for last-mile connectivity in the city, and some stations have dedicated car parks too.

Taxis

e turquoise Karwa taxis are metered and operate round-the-clock. ese can be pre-booked via Hayya to Qatar 2022 app, Karwa Taxi app or by calling (+974) 800 8294 or (+974) 4458 8888. Careem and Uber are also available to book.

Rent a car

You can nd options for several car rental agents at the arrivals terminal in the airport itself. If you are driving with a non-Qatari licence, remember that you must be at least 25 and should have held a licence for a minimum of 12 months.

Women first

Alijarah Limousines o ers a Pink Limousine service, which upon request allows women riders to receive a female taxi or limousine driver.

Msheireb Tram

Doha Metro

Accommodation options in Qatar

Hotels, tents, fan villages, cruise ships and holiday homes are all options for visiting fans.

Bookings for these can be secured via the o cial portal by the government: qatar2022.qa/book

Fan villages

Caravan accommodation, cabinstyle and casual camping options are available at the fan villages. e main fan village sites include: Qetaifan Island North, Cabins Free Zone, Al Khor, Cabins Rawdat Al Jahhaniya, Za ran, Caravan City and Heenat Salma Farm. Most fan villages are served by a complimentary shuttle bus service from the closest metro over the course of the tournament.

Prices: Approximately QAR400QAR7,300 per night.

Cruise ships

e brand-new LNG-powered MSC World Europa will be docked at Doha’s Grand Cruise Terminal, as will the MSC Poesia. From ocean-view and balcony cabins to luxurious suites, these cruise ships will o er several onboard dining and entertainment options, spa and swimming pool access, movie screens, sports arenas and more.

Prices: Cabins onboard the vestar MSC World Europa start at QAR1,240 a night, whereas they begin at QAR640 onboard the fourstar MSC Poesia vessel.

Hotels

While the city has witnessed several stunning properties come to life just ahead of the World Cup – not least the landmark destination of the Katara Towers which house the new Ra es and Fairmont properties in Doha – most of the city’s luxury hotels have been booked by visiting o cial delegations, teams and in some cases big corporates who are hosting their top

clients. ere are still hotels that you can book via the o cial accommodation portal, but some are already sold out. Expect rooms to become more readily available over the course of the tournament as teams are knocked out.

Prices: Approximately QAR550 for three-star properties.

Apartment and Villas

With options of studios going all the way up to ve bedrooms, there are serviced apartment and villas with housekeeping services, complimentary wi , fully equipped kitchens and bathroom amenities. However, some properties have a minimum mandatory booking of three nights.

Prices: It ranges from approximately QAR300 for a studio apartment to QAR3,450 for a ve-bedroom villa that can host upto 10 guests.

Holiday homes

Along the lines of apartment and villas, there are privately managed holiday homes too, many of which are located in prime locations within the city, and are fully-furnished as well as o er concierge services and a host of onsite facilities.

Prices: ese start at approximately QAR787 for a property located around 30km from Doha to QAR50,000 for a four-bedroom penthouse located on e Pearl Island in the city

Out and about

For fans descending on Qatar for the World Cup, it’s one big party. With a slew of entertainment events planned, the country is going to ensure that it stays that way right through the tournament. One of the biggest attractions is the FIFA Fan Festival which will be held at Al Bidda Park. Located between West Bay area and Souq Waqif marketplace (and within walking distance of e White Palace and Al Bidda metro stations), the open-air venue will feature live broadcast of the matches, concerts by international artists, several culinary experiences as well as physical and digital gaming stations across the space.

e FIFA Fan Festival will also be held at six international locations: Dubai, London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Seoul.

Back in Doha, apart from the FIFA Fan Festival, MDLBEAST has organised the Aravia music festival at Al Wakra from November 20 December 19. Tickets start at QAR199, and superstar DJs and performers – from David Guetta and Amr Diab to Fatboy Slim and Steve Aoki – will take to the stage.

Shopping Head straight to Place Vendöme Qatar in Doha for a one-stop destination for all your luxury shopping requirements. Some of the world’s biggest haute couture, jewellery and watchmaking brands are all present in this extravagant mall.

Art and Culture

“We expect the total tally of visitors for the year to amount to 2.5-3 million. With this influx of visitors, we anticipate that the GDP contribution of the tourism sector will reach 6-9 per cent.

“The FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has certainly accelerated the pace of development of some of the country’s tourism o erings, but the growth of the sector will extend well beyond the World Cup. Our tourism strategy will place Qatar as the fastest growing destination in the region as we seek to attract six million visitors a year by 2030, tripling our current numbers. This will be accomplished by varied e orts across leisure, business and sports tourism.

“Our strategy for growth is underpinned by extensive research that has allowed us to identify 15 source markets and six demand spaces that present a distinct cross between Qatar’s natural assets and unique features.”

Qatar has spectacular art and culture o erings. Richard Serra’s East-West/ West-East sculpture in the Brouq natural reserve is a must-visit attraction. Qatar’s Museum of Islamic Art recently reopened too. e galleries have been redesigned with over 1,000 new pieces on display as well as multi-sensory applications and interactive displays. e architecturally stunning US$434 million National Museum of Qatar designed by architect Jean Nouvel is a 40,000 sqm attraction located on the edge of Doha Corniche. If you are heading out into the desert, visit the Khor Al Adaid locally known as the Inland Sea a UNESCO World Heritage Site and

one of only three places in the world where the sand dunes meet the sea.

If its sports you want to stick to, the 3-2-1 Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum located within the Khalifa International Stadium pays homage to sports as diverse as F1, baseball, bobsleigh, boxing, tennis and, of course, football.

Katara Cultural Village meanwhile will host festivals, concerts, exhibitions, and other events between November 18-December 18. e organisers said that the events will cover 300 activities and will see 22 countries participate in them

For a rounded view of what to do and a calendar of events across the city, download the Visit Qatar app.

Berthold Trenkel, COO of Qatar Tourism

ABOVE:

ELEVATOR

ELE TOR PITCH

Connected to The Avenues, the country’s largest retail, entertainment and lifestyle destination, Waldorf Astoria Kuwait made its official debut in August this year.

Just a 15-minute drive from Kuwait International airport, the property’s prime location offers guests convenient access to local attractions such as the Kuwait Opera House, Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Cultural Centre, and the Grand Mosque.

Our contemporary elegant facilities, sophisticated interior design, inspiring collection of artworks, and world-class dining venues make Waldorf Astoria Kuwait the ideal place to stay.

Inspired by the original Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Kuwait property is designed to embody luxury by Dubai-based architecture firm LW Design Group, making it a venue for both business and leisure. The interiors reflect a sense of contemporary elegance with classic Waldorf Astoria elements included such as The Clock and Peacock Alley.

Guests in the Ikaros Club rooms, Ikaros Club suites, Presidential suites or the Royal suite have access to The Ikaros Club. The Ikaros Club offers exclusive dining experiences including breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner

and complimentary beverages. Club members enjoy private check-in/ check-out, a complimentary selection of international newspapers and magazines, a personalised concierge to provide travel assistance and help manage bookings and reservations across the city, as well as access to The Library, business centre and a private meeting room.

Waldorf Astoria Kuwait offers a range of culinary options, from fine dining and romantic dinners in our cabanas, to poolside refreshments and freshly-brewed coffee in our cosy café. Most notably, Roka is a robatayaki restaurant concept rooted in Japan’s fishing culture of cooking the catch

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The lobby at the Waldorf Astoria Kuwait; King Ikaros Grand Premier One Bedroom suite; Kemal Sirtikirmizi

on boats using charcoal and sharing it with other fishermen. Meanwhile, Ava will offer a relaxed experience with authentic Mediterranean fare using seasonal ingredients. In this laid-back yet stylish venue, expect the best of the French Riviera, the south of Italy, and the Greek Islands.

Guests are also invited to take a much-needed break and indulge in calming treatments offered at the Waldorf Astoria Spa. Allowing guests to fully relax and rejuvenate, we offer separate male and female spa areas, with private arrival and consultation lounges, as well as eight treatment rooms. The Suite provides private changing and bathroom facilities, a double treatment zone with the therapy performed on warmed water pillows or warmed quartz crystal for maximum relaxation, a lounging zone, a private hammam and a steam room. We also have three private relaxation rooms where guests can take advantage of our Idyllic Ambience Experience by Amra, alpha sphere sensory or pendulum motion relaxation experiences.

Owned by Mabanee, Waldorf Astoria Kuwait is an unrivalled destination for prestige and luxury. We look forward to welcoming you on your next trip to Kuwait.

Business Traveller Middle East gives Kemal Sirtikirmizi, general manager of Waldorf Astoria Kuwait, five minutes to pitch his property to prospective guests

“Inspired by the original Waldorf Astoria in New York, the Kuwait property is designed to embody luxury”

AIR MILES

WITH

AIR MILES

Naomi Heaton

Naomi Heaton is the CEO and founder of UK-based e Other House which is delivering a fresh twist on traditional hospitality o erings, with plans to expand into the Middle East as well

WORDS VARUN GODINHO

How did the idea for The Other House arise? e idea for it came from observing the rapidly changing needs of today’s travellers. Blurring the lines between hotels, long-stay private rentals and serviced apartments, it combines the exibility of apartment-style living, with hotel-style service and access to a private club.

It is for any length of stay – whether a night or a year – and is all about providing great experiences. e Other House re ects the onset of slow travel, as people combine work with leisure and corporates become more responsible about travel.

How many properties do you currently have and what are your expansion plans?

We opened up our rst Residents Club in South Kensington in July 2022 and have already acquired sites in Covent Garden and Belgravia. We aim to open ve or six properties within prime central London,

RIGHT: Naomi Heaton

BELOW: Images from The Other House in London

and then expand internationally. Major business and cultural hubs are within our sights – Dubai, New York, Singapore and European capitals are all likely candidates.

Which was the last hotel you stayed at that left a lasting impression? I recently stayed at Six Senses Ibiza and had a truly wonderful experience. Completely rooted in the local culture, it celebrated so much of what the Balearics have become synonymous with – bohemian design, laid-back service, incredible seafood and arresting sea views.

How often do you travel in the year and are there any peculiar travel rituals you follow? You will normally nd me in London, but I travel several times a year for business

abroad. For vacations, I love to experience diverse cultures and scenery – from Kerala to Patagonia. It may not be a ritual as such, but I prefer to sit by myself on an aeroplane, even when travelling with a group. Keeping such a busy schedule, it’s a rare chance to be on my own and play catch-up on emails and the like.

What is the most rewarding travel experience you’ve had? I would put Rajasthan on top of my list. e colour, vibrancy and cacophony coupled with staying in the most amazing palaces in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur was an experience never to be forgotten.

What’s the one experience you’d rather forget? Earlier this year, we did a quick-paced trip to ve European cities. On the second leg, the airline lost my luggage. With three more stops to go, there was only what I had in my handbag to accompany me.

What are the three things that you always pack in your suitcase? Leather trousers, high-heeled boots and my passport. You can get anywhere with all three.

How do you spend your air miles? I would love to say on tickets to somewhere frivolous and fun, but the next big air miles purchase will be on tickets for a PR tour of New York. America is a big market for e Other House, given our location in central London.

What is your choice of in-flight entertainment? I prefer night ights and so I try to sleep. If there is time for in- ight entertainment, then it will be enjoying some of the classic lms or catching up on new releases.

Just who is your concierge?

DEREK PICOT

A

M any might be surprised that before the First World War some doormen and hall porters in London and Paris paid hotels for their jobs. Their living was made exclusively from tips and commissions. Taxi drivers paid doormen for introductions to fares, and hall porters who booked restaurants for clients were passed envelopes of cash from grateful proprietors. All went profitably for hotel owners who saved the wage bill, while their uniformed staff benefited from the largesse of others. Then came the recession of the Twenties when the first waves of austerity obliged more socially progressive employers to start paying a wage to their frontline staff.

This coincided with the arrival of the term ‘concierge’ – a new concept. The word had a more common usage as that of a caretaker and is a contraction from the French ‘Comte des Cierges’, the Count of the Candles, the man originally responsible for cleaning and lighting châteaus. Paris hoteliers separated porters from front hall guest service and in 1929 also created Les Clefs d’Or – the global organisation of concierges, membership of which requires five years’ proven experience and vetting. However, an aversion in London to any continental term meant that while the new role was understood, hotels such as The Savoy and The Ritz were reticent to jettison the term ‘hall porter’. Instead luxury hoteliers called the new department ‘The Enquiry Desk’ with enquiry clerks handling all guests’ requests and hall porters only handling luggage and the front door activity. The wage offered was still meagre and personnel in both positions were expected to make a large part of their living from tips, commission and any other opportunity that came their way.

This led to uniformed staff making some shrewd moves. For example, when black-andwhite televisions were in most rooms, one enterprising Enquiry Desk bought several colour televisions to rent out to guests and made a good profit until the general manager found out.

THE GOOD OLD DAYS

By the 1980s a good hotel concierge could be making three times his salary in other income, and it was a great life. New restaurant openings always sent an invitation to the man with the Golden Keys (the insignia of Les Clefs D’Or). Limousine companies might offer an occasional complimentary airport transfer when holiday trips beckoned, and theatres were always keen to promote their latest productions with free tickets. Best of all, commissions came in untaxed cash envelopes.

While these arrangements suited some owners, the concept of a business within a business was not acceptable to the auditors of publicly owned hotel chains. They argued that while customers expected the very best service, the profit from all these activities should surely be for the benefit of the stakeholders and properly recorded in the accounts. What if a concierge made some dreadful error? What if the vastly over-priced tickets for an event turned out to be forgeries? Who would pay compensation to the client? The liability was with the employer and not the employee. It had to stop.

Consequently, most large hotels decided to swallow the cost and started paying their concierges a proper wage, keeping the commissions for themselves. All transactions had to go onto guest bills and the hotel expected to receive properly recorded contracts with suppliers, together with the subsequent income. Human nature being what it is, this arrangement was not, of course, watertight, so a new development occurred – the independent concierge.

In 2006 The Wall Street Journal reported that hotels in the US were adopting a ‘secret agenda’. They were getting rid of the concierge, reducing the wage bill and entirely outsourcing to specialist agencies.

Expedia rented 76 desks in hotels across the US and other companies followed suit. It was intended that customer service would appear seamless, as outsourced staff wore hotel uniform. However, such was the success that some firms started opening desks in other locations, such as shopping malls, and movie theatres. It soon became clear that some companies were also favouring selected suppliers that paid better commissions.

Then some properties with an outsourced concierge service began to route calls from clients to centralised call centres.

This has not gone down well with Les Clefs D’Or which says the development has led to a degradation of standards. Business travellers take heed. If you are seeking advice, look for the Golden Keys emblem and make sure the concierge actually works for the hotel.

Hotels got rid of the concierge, reduced the wage bill and entirely outsourced to specialist agencies

brief history of concierge services explains why staff behind the desk may not always be what they seem

IN THE SP TLIGHT

With the World Cup just weeks away, all eyes are on the Middle East. Simon Leigh , managing director for Premier Inn across the Middle East and North Africa, explains how he and his team are warming up for the biggest sporting event the region has ever staged

The Middle East is already firmly established as a leading destination for events and attractions, including world-class sporting extravaganzas such as cycling’s UAE Tour, a wealth of golf tournaments, horseracing’s US$30.5 million Dubai World Cup and the upcoming FIFA World Cup in Qatar too.

These, and hundreds of other sports, cultural and music events held each year, are key in reinforcing the region’s position as a leading tourist hub and in further boosting the success of its ever-growing tourism and hospitality sectors.

The figures speak for themselves. According to industry data, 600,000 hotel rooms are under construction or at a planning stage in the Middle East to meet growing tourist demand. In the UAE, the room inventory –currently around 200,000 – is set to grow by 48,000 by 2030, with more than 75 per cent of that expansion in Dubai. Nearly 2,500 rooms were

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Premier Inn Ibn Battuta Mall; The lobby of Premier Inn Doha Education City; Simon Leigh

launched in Dubai in the first half of 2022, including 219 at our latest property, Premier Inn Barsha Heights.

The past year has been a great success for Premier Inn, which, despite the pandemic’s challenges, continued to trade brilliantly. It ended the financial year profitably and exceeded business targets – a reflection of the popularity of its brand coupled with the UAE’s fast and effective response to the pandemic.

Now, with all eyes on the Middle East for the World Cup, we’re seizing the opportunity to make Premier Inn synonymous with all things football, with a raft of new amenities, attractions and offerings at our 11 hotels in Qatar and the UAE. And what better way to kick things off than by bringing John Barnes, the legendary England and Liverpool player, to Dubai to experience a warm welcome and experience the best of British hospitality at Premier Inn. We were honoured to have Barnes onside.

With the World Cup coinciding with the peak travel season, we’re preparing for an influx of guests in Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi, where our hotels will be a hive of activity in terms of both overnight visitors and guests watching the games at our food

and beverage outlets. While the event itself is in Qatar, the UAE will be a key hub for fans – be they ticket holders travelling to Doha on shuttle flights or tourists and residents using the country as a base to soak up the atmosphere.

In Qatar, our teams are ready to tackle what will be one of our busiestever periods. At Premier Inn Doha Education City – located just minutes from the 40,000-capacity Education City Stadium – we’re putting the final touches to a new expansive outdoor terrace where guests can expect bigscreen action, great F&B deals and a superb atmosphere. Across town at the licenced Premier Inn Doha Airport Hotel, we’ve turned part of the restaurant into a football-themed fan zone, with a special World Cup menu created by our recentlyappointed cluster head chef.

In the UAE, our nine hotels are going all out to ensure guests enjoy a fantastic football experience, and we are ready to welcome global visitors for overnight stays and football viewing at the ever-popular Mr Toad’s and Lounge One outlets. With conveniently-located city and airport hotels, we believe Premier Inn is top of the league this winter –and beyond.

HAUL LONG

LOW COST

WORDS ALEX MCWHIRTER

ne of the mysteries of flying long distance at lowcost is why some routes do better than others.

Why, for example, are transatlantic routes from Europe more suited to low-cost airlines than routes to Asia and Australasia?

First, some history. Low-cost transatlantic flying has been around for decades. In the 1970s I worked in the travel trade and sold many seats on what were then branded as ‘quasischeduled charter airlines’. These were numerous. Most operated between the UK and North America. Indeed, transatlantic low-cost flying can trace its history as far back as 1948 when Iceland’s Loftleidir (the forerunner of today’s Icelandair) launched transatlantic flights.

Because IATA rules at that time ensured one airline did not undercut

another, Loftleidir circumvented IATA’s rules by not joining IATA and flying out of Luxembourg (via Reykjavik) to the US. Services expanded in the 1960s and 1970s with larger prop-aircraft, later followed by DC-8 jets. Travellers based outside Luxembourg were taken there by bus from a number of European cities to join the flight.

But it was in 1977 when scheduled low-cost transatlantic travel really came of age thanks to Sir Freddie Laker and his Skytrain. One-way tickets London Gatwick to New York JFK were sold for £59. At the time this was considered an unbelievable fare and readers must remember that in 1977 there were no taxes/fees/ charges to inflate the final price.

Since Laker’s days, a multitude of low-cost airlines has entered the transatlantic route. Almost all have failed, yet the voluminous EuropeNorth America market does not prevent newcomers from having a go.

Witness Norse Atlantic and Iceland’s budget carrier, Play. So why is Asia and, say, Australia so different for low-cost out of Europe? The simple answer is that it is because when flying to North America airlines route across the Atlantic, so it is not necessary to negotiate with a multitude of nations to secure overflying rights and pay navigational fees.

OVERFLYING FEES

Another factor is aircraft utilisation. A return flight to Asia or Australia takes up far more flying hours than a transatlantic service. Consider that a flight departing London for Sydney on a Sunday evening would not arrive back until Thursday morning.

Yes, there can be shorter routings to Asia when overflying Russia. Overflying Russia means airlines must pay royalty fees which inflates prices. (Russia did not sign the Chicago agreement for ‘freedoms of the air’ so it can choose which airlines can transit its territory.)

That brought about the downfall of Norwegian long-haul when it sought, initially, to operate between Scandinavia and North East Asia via Russia. The concept was sound. At that time all air fares between Europe, Scandinavia and destinations in China, Japan and South Korea were on the high side. But Norwegian’s negotiations with Russia failed. Why?

That’s a secret, but analysts believe it was because Norwegian was unable to strike a suitable deal. It might have

What are the obstacles to cheaper tickets on longer routes? O

BELOW: Sir Freddie Laker’s Skytrain kicked off low-cost transatlantic air travel

amounted to a couple of hundred US dollars per passenger based on flying a round-trip. By the time these payments were incorporated into the final price a low-cost carrier wouldn’t have been able to offer much saving to travellers. Hence Norwegian turned its attention to the liberal transatlantic market.

Another crucial factor with Asia is the number of ‘sixth-freedom’ carriers operating en route. These are mainly Gulf national airlines which not only offer a variety of service points at both ends, but price keenly with full-service included.

For example, if you were a member of the Malaysian community in Glasgow or Manchester would you want to travel to Gatwick just to board Air Asia X’s flight? The costs of travelling south, higher still if accommodation were needed, would swallow any savings. Surely it’s simpler, faster and doubtless less expensive to fly with a Gulf carrier from a local airport?

A CAUTIONARY TALE

It meant that after several years of serving London and Paris, Air Asia X retreated from Europe in 2012. I remember reporting that, on some days, the Gulf carriers undercut Air Asia X on price. At the time Azran Osman-Rani, chief executive of Air Asia X, blamed his airline’s withdrawal from Europe on high fuel costs and the UK’s Air Passenger Duty. Only later did group chief executive Tony Fernandes admit it was also competition from Gulf carriers.

Osman-Rani said the “sweet spot” (for fuel consumption) was a flight lasting around eight hours. This one factor gives the Gulf airlines a priceless advantage because most flights are around this time limit. It’s interesting that now Air Asia X plans a return to Europe later this year, it will operate Kuala Lumpur-DubaiLondon Gatwick rather than nonstop as before. (However, whether this route does start is a moot point as the launch date is getting close.)

Although conducted in 2017, an interview by Business Traveller’s editorial director Tom Otley with Peter Bellew, then chief executive of Malaysia Airlines, is as relevant today as it was five years ago. Bellew maintained that the threat from longhaul, low-cost carriers was overstated and a rise in the price of oil would cause them difficulty.

“All I ever read about is low-cost long-haul, but worldwide, what is it – 40 or 50 aircraft out of an overall widebody fleet of probably 4,000 or 5,000?” he said, pointing out low-cost long-haul only worked when the price of oil was low. “The economics don’t make sense,” he added.

BELOW: Air Asia X retreated from Europe in 2012 but recently announced a return to European flights later this year

it’s not essential to route over Russia to reach destinations such as Bangkok and Singapore. Bangkok was a logical choice as Norwegian operated out of Scandinavia and its nationals like South East Asia, especially during the winter months. Norwegian also started LondonSingapore but this route was soon axed. As for Bangkok… well, the route was suspended at the time of the pandemic and has not restarted.

Next came Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier Scoot, which launched London-Bangkok-Singapore but, again, flights were later axed.

However Scoot’s other services from Berlin and Athens to Singapore

“Air Asia [X] is the biggest of them all,” Bellew said, “And it has some 26 planes and it never made any money until last year when oil was at historic lows and Malaysia Airlines was on its knees and hadn’t done any marketing for 12 months.”

Roll forward to 2022 and in the intervening years Air Asia X was grounded during the pandemic, severely curtailing any expansion. Only now is it poised to restart operations.

Norwegian saw some success on the transatlantic route, but thought it would try South East Asia since

continue to operate (at the time of writing) on a limited basis.

Finally, we are discussing the long-haul market out of Europe. The situation may vary in other parts of the world but the message for long-haul low-cost is that only certain routes will work, and it is unlikely to make up a big part of the market. As Bellew said, even on transatlantic routes from Europe to the US, “It’s a tiny fraction of all the seats across the Atlantic… and it’s probably servicing customers the other airlines don’t want. On long-haul with oil prices at the normal medium level you need 25 or 30 people upfront paying business fares. The economics of the planes don’t work out otherwise.”

‘You need 25 or 30 people paying business fares. The economics don’t work otherwise’

Porto Montenegro is fast emerging as one of Europe’s most sought-after destinations for tourism and real estate investments, and is also particularly appealing to savvy yacht-owners

WORDS GEMMA GREENWOOD

Montenegro is a small European country with a big secret that only the world’s ‘in-the-know’ travellers, investors and boat owners are privy to. is relatively unknown country, at the heart of an area of outstanding natural beauty, encompassing land, lakes, and the sea, is home to Porto Montenegro, a premier yachting hub and waterfront community that introduces a new and unique dimension to the Mediterranean lifestyle – the aspirational Balkan Riviera way.

It’s an enclave that has been cra ed over the past 16 years since the tiny republic of Montenegro – an unspoiled beauty spot on the Adriatic with a 295km of coastline, 117 beaches, ve national parks and four World Heritage Sites, including the Bay of Kotor – emerged as a sovereign state, when just over 55 per cent of its population opted for independence. e vote heralded the end of the former Union of Serbia and Montenegro – itself created only three years earlier out of the remnant of the former Yugoslavia. With independence established, a man with unbridled ambition for what could be achieved in Montenegro, embarked on an adventure.

Peter Munk, a Hungarian-born Canadian entrepreneur and business magnate had a vision to transform a former Communist-era naval complex located in the UNESCOprotected Bay of Kotor, near the coastal town of Tivat, into a waterfront destination and a superyacht hub like no other – and he succeeded.

Today, Porto Montenegro o ers world-class facilities, including a picturesque 460-berth superyacht marina, the ve-star Regent Porto Montenegro Hotel and premium residences, more than 300 apartments, as well as international fashion boutiques and a vibrant dining scene. Acquired by Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) in 2016, this luxury lifestyle destination continues to expand, with just 40 per cent of the masterplan currently complete.

Of the ve neighbourhoods mapped out, work is already underway on two of those under the current 10-year development programme, so the best is arguably yet to come.

The clientele

To date, Porto Montenegro has attracted discerning travellers and investors, including those seeking citizenship by investment, as well as yacht owners – those seeking lesscrowded alternatives to iconic Mediterranean destinations such as Monaco, whether they are anchoring for a few days or in it for the long-haul, opting to homeport their superyachts in this admittedly idyllic location.

Porto Montenegro has global appeal, particularly popular with those already familiar with Montenegro, including high-net-worth individuals from the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, and Russia. However, business from Western Europe, the US, Canada, the UK, including the Channel Islands, as well as Australia is picking up and with ICD ownership getting the word out in the UAE and wider GCC markets, it’s piquing the interest of the region’s nationals and resident expats.

MONTENEGRO

FILE

Population: 633,000

Area: 13,812 sq km

Major languages: Montenegrin and Serbian, but English is widely spoken

Capital: Podgorica

Currency: Euro

Climate: The coast enjoys a temperate Mediterranean climate characterised by warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters. The hottest month is July (30-35°C) and in the winter temperatures level out at 5-9°C. The mountains see lower temperatures and frequent snowfall.

How to get there: Tivat, as well as the capital Podgorica, are well connected to major gateways across Europe, including Turkey.

Visa requirements and updates: gov.me

Covid-19 entry requirements: None

Citizenship by Investment (CBI): montenegrocbi.com

General information: portomontenegro.com

35

With the UAE and the government of Montenegro establishing diplomatic relations in 2008, MontenegrinEmirati cooperation is substantial, encompassing investment infrastructure, real estate, tourism, agriculture and energy, primarily renewable energy.

UAE nationals, as well as residents of many other countries, can visit Montenegro for up to 90 days without a visa, as long as they have a valid travel document, while connectivity between the UAE and Montenegro is facilitated by seasonal air services operated by ydubai.

While Porto Montenegro is primarily deemed a highend tourism destination and an attractive proposition for real estate investors, the development is evolving into a community of like-minded individuals, including remote workers and entrepreneurs, and anecdotal evidence suggests some UAE-based expats have made the switch from the desert to the Balkan ords, according to Danilo Kalezic, Porto Montenegro’s senior manager for PR, Communications and Events.

It’s easy to see why. e current Porto Montenegro set-up is not dissimilar to Dubai, with its high-end shopping and dining, pristine environment, ve-star hotel and residences, attractive apartments with leisure

facilities on tap, and community amenities that include the Knightsbridge School International (a day and boarding school for boys and girls aged 3-18 years) and the Blue Room, a club where residents congregate for social and sporting occasions. With an outdoor café, lawn games, archery, laser clay shooting, ping pong, table football, video games and a golf simulator, it’s a go-to venue for families too.

With Porto Montenegro just 3km from Tivat’s international airport, it’s easy to pop to other European destinations and to connect to longer-haul locations.

is little enclave is safe too, and with a stunning outlook featuring a harbour showcasing superyachts and the sun glistening on the Bay of Kotor, surrounded by mountainous terrain popular for hiking, dotted with villages and churches. What’s not to love?

Expats, encompassing more than 40 nationalities, live harmoniously with Montenegrins. Although locals had reservations about Porto Montenegro when Munk’s idea rst become a reality, the economic prosperity the development has delivered to the country quickly changed their minds.

The community impact

To date, €800 million has been invested in Porto Montenegro, with €12 million pumped into public infrastructure investment and more than €170 million paid out to Montenegrin suppliers.

With around three million visitors ocking to Porto Montenegro each year, total destination spend reached €87.15 million in 2019, including retail, while the cumulative aggregate growth rate of tourist overnight stays in Tivat from 2010 to 2020 hit 17.73 per cent.

Crucially, Porto Montenegro has created more than 2,000 direct and indirect jobs, which will double over the next 10 years, with 80 per cent of the workforce sourced locally and all talent o ered training and upskilling opportunities.

e nautical-related tourists the development attracts contribute approximately €9.08 million to the economy per year, with some income set aside for community enrichment initiatives ranging from sponsorships and community sports programmes to the preservation of historical points of interest and investment in cultural and performing arts events promoting local and international talent.

And there’s much more to come, with a further €750 million of planned investment, including €28 million in public infrastructure alone. Porto Montenegro has completely transformed the coastal area, creating a hub for international yachting for entrepreneurs and for new inward and local business investment contributing to making Montenegro one of the fastest-growing economies in the Balkans and the second-fastest-growing travel and tourism economy in the world. e growth is re ected in the exponential rise in property prices, reaching 60 per cent since 2012.

Our vision is to complete Porto Montenegro as the premier boating and super yachting hub in the Mediterranean

–Porto Montenegro managing director, David Margason

The Porto Montenegro masterplan

Upon completion, Porto Montenegro will feature ve separate but interconnected neighbourhoods, designed to incrementally grow and broaden the destination’s o ering. ey include the current neighbourhood, South Village, which provides “classic and elegant waterfront living, dining and shopping”, with more than 50 boutique stores, three boutique business club o ce facilities, 400-plus private apartments, Regent Hotel and Venezia Residences

Porto Montenegro with its 129 managed Regent Pool Club Residences across its Aqua and Baia buildings, as well as 50 apartments in its newest Elena Residences building, all overlooking Porto Montenegro’s 460-berth superyacht marina.

OPPOSITE PAGE FROM

TOP: Montenegro’s stunning coastline; Porto Montenegro is a growing community with a luxury lifestyle

BELOW: Boka Place will be home to a Siro hotel and residences

e second neighbourhood, already under development and due for completion by 2024, is the urban village of Boka Place. It will introduce a ve-star health and wellness lifestyle concept hotel and tness hub, Siro, the brainchild of Kerzner International, the hospitality giant known for creating and operating One&Only Resorts, Atlantis Resorts and Residences, and its upcoming Rare Finds hospitality and entertainment destinations, which will include current resorts such as Dubai’s well-known Bab Al Shams and its new Siro hubs.

A third neighbourhood, Synchro, is already home to an established multi-event space that is fast becoming the area’s cultural, sporting and entertainment hub, playing

host to music performances and fashion shows with an unusual and dramatic backdrop – the former naval base, complete with a submarine – reminding visitors of the port’s nautical past.

In the future, Synchro, featuring the existing Porto Montenegro Yacht Club, will expand to include a luxury beachside hotel and spa, and a major events and entertainment centre. e yacht club, which currently o ers sailing tuition, hosts regattas, and features a tennis club, beach gym and numerous indoor and outdoor event spaces, opened the doors to Buddha-Bar Beach in May by the world-renowned lifestyle concept already established in locations including Venice, Crete, Mykonos and Mexico. Its focal point is a spectacular 68m in nity pool, plus a restaurant and shisha lounge with Bay of Kotor views.

Neighbourhood number four, North Village, will transform the existing sports and tennis centre of the former naval dockyard and is planned as a tennis-centric village for sporting breaks with the capacity to host small tournaments. It is complemented by residences, retail outlets and eateries. Meanwhile, neighbourhood ve, Park Gardens, is planned as a resort-style oasis with homes set amongst a “dense jungle landscape and a winding network of swimmable waterways”.

“Our vision is to complete Porto Montenegro as the premier boating and super yachting hub in the Mediterranean and to reinvent waterfront living with a diverse collection of eclectic but integrated

ABOVE: Current real estate investment opportunities are available in Boka Place

BELOW: Kotor Bay

neighbourhoods,” explains Porto Montenegro managing director David Margason. He describes the development as “a year-round destination designed for modern lifestyles supporting a balance of live, work and play”, one that will ultimately o er residents, tourists and locals “new experiences and unexpected adventures that help feed their imagination and enrich their mind, body and soul”.

The Mediterranean’s largest full-service marina

Porto Montenegro is also the home of the world’s rst platinum-rated marina, which o ers state-of-the-art facilities, exible berthing packages, the aforementioned Porto Montenegro Yacht Club, year-round crew club activities and the added bene t of tax-free fuel. e marina has a current capacity of 460 berths and can accommodate yachts of up to 250m in length, with further plans under development to expand its o ering in phases to up to 850 berths of which 315 will be designed speci cally for superyachts.

e expanded marina, in combination with the planned Adriatic 42 superyacht repair facility, will establish Porto Montenegro as the largest full-service marina in the Mediterranean. Adriatic 42, set to be operational by the end of the year, meets the growing demand for service and homeport facilities in the Adriatic, and will be able to cater to any vessel in the current global superyacht eet.

The investment opportunity

To date, more than 450 residences have been sold in Montenegro, with buyers split between permanent residents, investors who use the properties for personal use only and owners who rent them to third parties, according to Kalezic.

Current real estate investment opportunities are available in Boka Place, featuring the rst agship Siro, the immersive hotel lifestyle experience with tness and wellness as a focal point. Siro will feature 96 hotel rooms and 144 hotel-managed residences, as well as 69 private residences managed by M Residences Rental Management Service. e hotel-managed residences – housed within the buildings of Mistral, Ostro, and Sirocco – can be secured by buyers through single or multiple investments from the new Kerzner-Managed Residence portfolio to meet the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) minimum investment threshold.

Residents of Mistral, Ostro and Sirocco will bene t from access to Siro’s hotel concierge services, the roo op pool and bar and full access to all health and wellness facilities, including an innovative tness club, recovery lab, dedicated space for yoga and meditation, swimming pools, nutrition-led dining, revitalisation treatment rooms, an infrared sauna, otation tank, cryotherapy room, meditation hideaway and recovery lab.

Homeowners will also have the long-term bene t of participating in the Siro rental pool programme. Twentysix per cent of the portfolio available within the rst building ( ea) is reserved or sold, and the nal building, Alba, is due to be released soon. Prices start from €250,000 for studio apartments, while penthouse price is provided on request.

Citizenship by Investment

To be considered for Montenegrin citizenship via the CBI programme, applicants are required to invest at least

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

Porto Montenegro, the Bay of Kotor and the surrounding region o er plenty of sightseeing opportunities and activities. The highlights include:

BOKA BAY BOAT TOUR: There’s no better way to experience the beauty of the Bay of Kotor than stepping aboard a boat for a private guided tour. Porto Montenegro o ers this experience and many local companies provide the option of exploring the bay by speedboat, sailing boat and even submarine. Popular stop-o points include Kotor classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979, as well as Our Lady of the Rocks, an artificial island with a church, both manmade by sailors from the small coastal town Perast and Kotor in 1630. On my tour, a culinary highlight was Conte (hotelconte. me), a hotel with an exceptional waterside restaurant, located in Perast, a popular tourist destination. Try catch of the day, grilled and filleted tableside, complemented with salads and vegetables, as well as fresh bread accompanied by a large selection of Montenegrin and Italian speciality olive oils. Conte serves up traditional dishes with a modern twist and where possible, uses local ingredients, with produce highlights including fish, seafood, zucchini and tomatoes.

SAILING EXPERIENCE: If you can’t get enough of the bay, sailing lessons are available at the Porto Montenegro Yacht Club. I tried a J70 sailing experience, with my capable instructor setting us sail for some twoand-a-half hours. It wasn’t too strenuous and there was a light breeze, which made this a pleasant and relaxing experience, taking in the bay’s sights and highlights. The winds can pick up and if so, you will get wet, so be prepared. The club o ers individual lessons and courses for children and adults.

BLUE CAVE: The largest sea cave on the Luštica Peninsula that stretches into the Bay of Kotor, the Blue Cave takes its name from the uniquely iridescent colour of its waters. Visitors can tour the cave by speedboat, taking time out to swim or snorkel in its crystal-clear depths.

LOVĆEN NATIONAL PARK: Covering the central region of Mount Lovćen to its highest peak 1,749m above Boka Bay, this verdant national park spans more than 62 sq km. Densely forested on its lower slopes, the park is a rich natural biosphere that is home to at least 1,158 plant species. Bisected by forest trails and dotted with katuns, the old summer settlements used by cattle breeders, the park is a popular with hikers.

MONTENEGRO

WHERE TO STAY

PORTO MONTENEGRO is currently home to one hotel, the Regent Porto Montenegro, operated by IHG Hotels and Resorts. The five-storey, terracotta-roofed building, with a Venetian Renaissance-inspired design, blended with traditions of local architecture and a nautical theme, features 175 rooms and one-to-three-bedroom suites across three wings – Venezia, Aqua and Baia.

THE ROOMS: Designed to create the feeling of being on board a luxury ship, the rooms feature a king bed with dark wooden furnishings, and small nautical touches in the décor, including blue tones and boatshaped items. My room was exceptionally comfortable with a sofa, dressing table and a balcony overlooking the pool and the marina.

DINING: There are five restaurants, bars and lounges. Murano, with indoor and outdoor seating, was particularly impressive, both at breakfast (the best egg-white omelette I’ve ever tasted) and dinner (sea bass and tuna dishes are recommended). With outdoor seating overlooking the harbour, dining here is a leisurely a air and best experienced at sunset. O ering its own take on regional Adriatic cuisine, fresh seafood prepared with locally sourced organic herbs is the menu’s focal point. Other options include Gourmet Corner, serving bespoke sandwiches and patisserie items; the Pool Bar, for indulgent bites and cocktails; the Onyx Bar and Garden by Beluga – the spot for a pre-dinner aperitif or nightcap; and the Library Bar which has an open fireplace in winter.

LEISURE FACILITIES: The Regent Spa has a fitness room, three treatment rooms, a shower, sauna, steam room, Turkish hammam and a nail salon, plus three outdoor pools. One lap pool is located at the hotel, while guests have access to the glamorous pool podium at the new Regent Pool Club Residences, with two large pools (one for adults and one for families), cabanas and residences. There are two other pools at other residences not accessible to hotel guests.

MEETING FACILITIES: The hotel’s first-floor function space includes the Ballroom Teodo with its pool deck, Salon Boka, a foyer and the Regent Lounge. Ballroom Teodo can seat up to 200 people and has the advantage of natural daylight streaming through grand French windows that frame an extraordinary view of the marina and the Adriatic Sea.

€450,000 in real estate within one of the governmentapproved developments and make a €200,000 contribution to the Montenegrin government’s development and innovation funds. Many buyers are taking advantage of the CBI programme, which has now been extended until the end of 2022, as well as the opportunity to participate in the Siro rental pool programme.

In recent years, the number of unit sales are three times higher in Porto Montenegro than in the traditional investment spots of Spain and Portugal, according to Dream Estates Croatia and Montenegro (Savills Croatia and Montenegro), and this is expected to increase further with new high-end developments being launched and major infrastructure projects such as a new highway connecting the coast and Podgorica to towns on the north such as Kolasin, and the expansion of ski facilities underway.

Porto Montenegro remains an attractive opportunity for investors for its stable political and economic climate and ease of reach as it’s only three hours or less by air from main European cities. ree international airports, Tivat, Podgorica (the capital) and Dubrovnik (in neighbouring Croatia), provide welcome ights from all over the world.

Montenegro is popular for its investor-friendly economy with competitive personal, corporate, and capital gains tax rates ranging from 9-15 per cent. e country – which adopted the Euro as its currency in 2002 – imposes no foreign exchange controls, and is a signatory to taxation treaties with more than 40 countries.

e CBI programme also grants owners a Montenegrin passport, which allows freedom of movement for the main applicant and their family across 124 countries, including the Schengen area, Russia, and Turkey. e country’s recent accession to NATO and impending EU candidacy suggests Montenegro’s ongoing government commitment to both internal and international security and stability. If all goes according to plan, with EU accession due to be completed by 2025 if the republic has its way, Montenegrin passport holders will be eligible for additional bene ts too.

WORDS HANNAH BRANDLER

Members clubs have departed from their 17th century origin as gentlemen’s clubs. For one, they are no longer reserved for men, while stuffy dress codes have largely disappeared. What’s remained, however, are the networking opportunities, expensive fees and exclusivity.

While the past two years have seen such clubs either shuttered or pivoting to virtual formats due to the Covid-19 pandemic, interest is now booming for the industry. Here we look at the new concepts emerging in the wake of the pandemic, the international reach of such clubs and the criteria to join.

Hybrid hotels

Luxury hotels have begun to cross over into the private sphere, incorporating exclusive members clubs into their projects to draw in both travellers and locals seeking a social space. For the duration of their stay, hotel guests get the privilege of becoming members – a way to trial the benefits. In the US, Aman Resorts has debuted a club at its recently opened property Aman New York, with the members-only space on the 14th and 15th floors featuring a

cigar lounge and private wine library. Members also get access to all hotel facilities and priority reservations at its restaurants and jazz club.

The West Coast, meanwhile, has seen the launch of the six-storey 8,826 sqm members club and hotel The Aster in Los Angeles. The club is from Salt Hotels, whose portfolio includes Hotel Greystone in Miami Beach and Hutton Brickyards in New York. “We identified a gap in the market where people were looking for a members club offering with the same standard of service as the world’s leading boutique luxury hotels,” a spokesperson tells me. The club includes 35 all-suite hotel rooms, each with workspaces and lounges, and facilities including a swimming pool, restaurants, a screening room, cabaret lounge and recording studio – it’s Hollywood, after all.

A number of exciting new concepts are meanwhile also being launched in London. Lifestyle brand The Other House, which blends apartmentstyle living with club facilities, opened its first ‘Residents Club’ in South Kensington in July. “The idea of coming to stay somewhere where you also have exclusive club facilities is immensely motivating and interesting,” founder and co-owner Naomi Heaton tells me. The club is set across 11 Victorian townhouses and has over 200 fully fitted apartments (known as Club Flats) which are available for both short- and long-stay guests. It also has an all-day street café, a cocktail bar and a wellness area. The idea was inspired by Heaton’s experience in the property world, where she noticed a growing interest in long-stay hotels. “The original concept was to blur the lines and smash everything together so that we provided a sense of apartment-style living with access to hotel services and also a private club facility.” The Other House is also highly modern, with an app that allows guests to check-in, access the room, book services, and even check how much energy the property

‘We provide a sense of apartment-style living with access to hotel services and a private club facility’

PRIVATE CLUBS

is consuming. “Luxury is being in control,” Heaton adds.

Another new arrival in the English capital is The Twenty Two, located in a Grade II-listed Edwardian building on Grosvenor Square in Mayfair. The property combines a 31-room boutique hotel, inspired by 18th century classical French interiors, with a members club across the ground and lower ground floor.

Recovery time

As with the rest of the hospitality industry, the members club sector was hit hard by the pandemic. Fewer people were travelling, meetings and events pivoted to virtual formats, and the public was advised to reduce social contacts rather than grow them – a huge setback for an industry reliant on the draw of networking.

To survive, many members clubs transitioned to virtual benefits to retain annual dues, allowed members

to freeze memberships or promised them credit to spend once the clubs reopened. Clubs under development also had a turbulent time. “From a construction point of view, it has been a tumultuous two years. Covid had a significant impact on the cost of materials, shortage of labour and delivery times. Timelines are also never reliable now,” says Heaton. The Aster also had its opening delayed by a few months due to supply chain issues. “I think it’s something we will all have to live with for the next year at least, coupled with expenses increasing as a result,” says a spokesperson, adding that staffing remains a challenge.

That said, now that we have entered the post-pandemic era, the demand is arguably greater than

ABOVE LEFT:

An artist’s rendering of The Core Club’s new location on Fifth Avenue, New York

ABOVE RIGHT:

An artist’s rendering of the speakeasy at The Core Club, New York

BELOW LEFT: The lobby at The Twenty Two, London

BELOW RIGHT: A room at The Twenty Two, London

ever for members clubs. For those that can afford it, it’s a luxurious way to re-enter the social and working world, and rebuild connections in the wake of the pandemic. The clubs offer a retreat from a monotonous home office and an opportunity to socialise again in a safe, private, and professional setting – one that has a home-away-from-home feeling.

“Our focus on experiences, slow travel and tech have become more apposite now than when we were delivering the concept. The idea of a club that is multi-purpose is really taking off,” explains Heaton.

The Other House is also addressing the exodus from city centres and the rise in remote working, marketing itself as a sort of pied-à-terre – hence the brand’s name. Guests can rely on the club to store their belongings if they leave for a trip, and the club won’t lose out on revenue as it can re-market the flat. Some 45 per cent of its members will be transient, staying for approximately 14 days, with a further 25 per cent staying for two weeks to three months and the remaining 30 per cent for three months or longer. “That will change the atmosphere completely of The Other House. When I go into a hotel, it feels like a revolving door. We want a more welcoming, environment.”

Country clubs such as Gleneagles in Scotland’s Perth have also created a kind of pied-àterre in the city

A members club is a luxurious way to re-enter the working world and rebuild connections

centre, with the golfing retreat’s first boutique hotel in Edinburgh. The 33-room Gleneagles Townhouse is in the city’s former Bank of Scotland on St Andrew Square and includes a members club with exclusive spaces such as a lounge with all-day dining, a snug and sitting rooms with a terrace and help-yourself pantry, and a wellness space and gym located in the former vault.

“Gleneagles is approaching its centenary in 2024. We had not [yet] taken it further than Perthshire but it’s the right time to take the brand a bit further. A lot of customers use Edinburgh for international travel,” says Conor O’Leary, managing director at The Gleneagles Hotel. The country estate benefited from the surge in staycations during the pandemic, owing to its outdoor space and ability to navigate restrictions.

“We had a good regular base and picked up a lot of new guests. There’s been a great opportunity to showcase to many new guests and talk to them about the Edinburgh property,” adds O’Leary. It helps that members of Gleneagles Townhouse are offered a 30 per cent discount on rooms at the country estate.

International reach

For those clubs just starting out, the Soho House brand may be a form of inspiration. Since its debut on London’s Greek Street in 1995, it has expanded to 35 outposts globally, and attracts trend-setters and digital nomads with its rooftop pools, screening rooms and celebrity events. Parent company Membership Collective Group (MCG), which also owns The Ned in London and New York, reported that the total number of members across its brands reached 171,927 in the first quarter of the year, a 44.3 per cent increase yearover-year, with a waiting list of 79,000 – an all-time high. Importantly, the retention rates have returned to pre-Covid levels.

One of the main benefits of membership for business travellers

ABOVE: The library at The Ned NoMad, New York

is the reciprocal advantages when you travel abroad. Many clubs either have partnerships with international clubs, allowing members to use a private space rather than working from cramped hotel rooms, or their very own outposts abroad.

The Core Club is a good example of both the former and latter. While it currently only has one site in New York, members have access to a network of nine partner clubs around the world for up to three visits per year, which include Home House and the Arts Club in London.

The brand is also undergoing an expansion driven by its international membership. “We are celebrating internationalism. Our community is from all over the world,” says Jennie Enterprise, the club’s founder and chairman whose last name is a sign of her ambition.

The original club will move into a new site this month in New York’s former Coca-Cola Building, followed by a Milan palazzo venue in December, and a club within the Transamerica Pyramid building in San Francisco in 2023. Each of these will also have accommodation given the international make-up of its members. Core will also move into markets including London, Paris, Miami, Madrid, Lisbon and Amsterdam in the future. “Members can really conduct the business of their lives at Core,” summarises Enterprise.

The Aster also has partnerships with nine clubs around the world in locations such as Toronto, Reykjavik and Barcelona, with several more partnerships pending in cities including London, New York and Singapore. Members receive a discount of 30 per cent at other

‘Our community is from all over the world. Members can conduct the business of their lives at Core’

TOP: The Note Burning Room at Gleneagles Townhouse

PRIVATE CLUBS

WHAT IT COSTS

Core Membership: US$15,000 annually

Joining fee: US$15,000

Concessions: US$18,000 for a couple.

Gleneagles Townhouse

Membership: £2,200 annually

Joining fee: £350

Concessions: Half price for those under the age of 33.

Soho House

Membership: £2,000-£2,500 annually in the UK for the ‘Every House’ membership Joining fee: £500 in London, Brighton and Babington House.

Concessions: Under 27 membership costs £950-£1,150 with a £300 joining fee in certain locations.

The Aster

Membership: US$3,600 annually

Joining fee: None

Concession: None

The Other House

Membership: £1,500 annually

Joining fee: £350 Concession: None

The Twenty Two

Membership: £1,500 annually

Joining fee: £500-£1,000

Concession: Half-price for those aged 32 and under, no joining fee.

BELOW LEFT: The screening room at The Aster, Los Angeles

BELOW RIGHT: The pool at The Aster, Los Angeles

BOTTOM: A suite at The Aster, Los Angeles

Salt Hotels, and the brand says it wants to grow its portfolio, though no locations have been named yet.

Meanwhile, The Other House is set to open a club in Covent Garden, followed by further properties in central London. “London is a fantastic global destination and if you develop the brand here then you have the springboard to move elsewhere. We are looking at destinations where we would attract a leisure traveller and also a business traveller,” says Heaton who expects the brand to launch in various European cities as well as New York, Singapore, India and the Middle East, offering its members preferential access when they eventually open.

MCG’s rapidly expanding Soho House, meanwhile, is on track to open nine venues this year, including recent openings in Nashville, Brighton and Los Angeles, followed by eight to ten annually from 2023 onwards – its aim is to beat its previous membership goal by 25 per cent this year.

Critical criteria

The trouble is how does the average Joe, or Joanne, become a member?

In the past members clubs have been about status, privilege, and contacts.

“I don’t want to belong to any club that would accept me as one of its members,” goes the famous Groucho Marx saying, epitomising the appeal of exclusivity in these clubs. Memberships are limited and the vetting process is robust.

When quizzed on membership criteria, exclusive clubs invariably give an inclusive answer – something along the lines of accepting applicants from a variety of backgrounds who share their values. The high fees, however, may price out many of these individuals, though a number of clubs offer concessions for younger members – see box above left.

Some clubs also scout for members, proactively searching for people who are doing impressive things in the world. Our advice? Make sure your CV is cracking and we’ll see you there – even if we’re plus ones.

Hublot is the Official Timekeeper for the upcoming FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. In an exclusive interview, Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe explains the goals of that partnership

VARUN

Over 3.5 billion people watched the 2018 FIFA World Cup – that’s roughly half a billion more than the viewership for the Olympics last year Football has an outsized global universal appeal and the quadrennial World Cup is the very pinnacle of the sport.

Back in 2006, Hublot became the first luxury brand to enter the world of football. Hublot started close to home when it partnered with the Swiss national football team in 2006 – all

60 members of the squad had a Big Bang ASF limited edition strapped on before they left to participate in that year’s World Cup in Germany.

Thereafter, the Swiss watchmaking brand made rapid inroads into the sport. It teamed up with the UEFA Euro in 2008 and then hit the jackpot when it kept time for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. It repeated that feat in Brazil in 2014 and in Russia four years later. Now, at the 2022 edition this month in Qatar, Hublot will be the Official Timekeeper of the tournament for the fourth consecutive occasion.

“The world of football is a key pillar for our brand and we value the partnerships we have with the different tournaments, clubs and players. Hublot loves football, and naturally, the FIFA World Cup is an event we are very proud of partnering with,” Hublot CEO Ricardo Guadalupe told Business Traveller Middle East recently in an exclusive interview.

Hublot’s participation in the World Cup became a great marketing tool

when at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, it took the bland rectangle digital board that displays substitutes and extra time, and redesigned it to resemble the familiar porthole shape of one of its most famous watches. “Hublot’s iconic Big Bang is present on the field and on television screens all over the world with the referee board that takes the same shape as the Big Bang watch,” notes Guadalupe.

But four World Cups in, Hublot is taking their partnership with the mega tournament to the next level this year.

“We are also the official supplier of the referee’s watches. There is a Big Bang e that has been exclusively made for the referees and was designed together with FIFA to help the work of the referees by being connected to VAR and goal-line technology,” reveals Guadalupe of a special timepiece that will be handed to each of the 129 referees appointed to officiate at this year’s competition in Qatar.

While those referees will have access to that special-edition timepiece, there is a version of Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, limited to 1,000 pieces, which is now available to the public.

The Gen3 Connected watch has a newly-designed football app and a high-definition screen that’s larger than the previous connected model from the watchmaker which debuted two years ago.

With the World Cup as its raison dêtre, the new Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 watch will display player profiles and team compositions 15 minutes prior to each match. At the start of the game, the watch enters “match mode” and activates a “timeline”.

The outer edge of the dial will consist of a scale split into five sections, indicating the first and second halves, additional time permitted in each half, as well as half time. When a player scores a goal, the timepiece will display an animation that includes a mention of the player’s name, while a football symbol will appear at the precise minute

HUBLOT

OPPOSITE PAGE: Hublot Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with limited-edition straps

BELOW: Hublot Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

BOTTOM: Ricardo Guadalupe

mark on the scale to indicate the time at which the goal was scored. The same thing happens if there is a yellow card, a red card or even a penalty.

If a match goes beyond normal time, the display of the timepiece will automatically switch into extra time mode, and will again change up the display automatically into shootout mode if the match progresses to penalties. Each penalty is recorded by a football with a green or red outline –the colour indicates whether or not the attempt was successful. A final “match period animation” then shows when the game concludes and displays the resulting score. During a game, the wearer can use the crown to scroll around the dial and replay any event that coincided with that specific time. The first generation of the connected watch was released at the time of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia and four years on, this third-generation model features a 44mm case in micro-blasted and polished black ceramic and black titanium. A Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 4100 processor powers the watch which features the Google Wear OS 3.

THE WORLD OF HUBLOT

Apart from the tournament itself, Hublot has over the years onboarded top-tier personalities from football and brought them on as ambassadors for the brand. These include the likes of Pelé, Luis Figo, Gareth Southgate and Kylian Mbappe, among scores of others.

Hublot’s well-laid strategy with picking ambassadors goes beyond football. Examples include landing a spot on Floyd Mayweather Jr’s shorts during his Conor McGregor fight as well as signing Novak Djokovic as an ambassador last year. Guadalupe is unambiguous about the sports personalities that Hublot partners with. “We have many partners across sports: football, tennis, skiing, golf, athletics, sailing, polo and baseball. We partner with leading athletes in different sports that each share a common trait: they are unique and different, and they most importantly appreciate and understand Hublot.

“We never choose to work with an ambassador because of their style or their image. Very often our ambassadors are first our clients. We believe that individuals who love our watches will always be the best ambassadors. Choosing the right ambassador is a process that takes time and we first develop a relationship with them before signing. It’s important that the partnership is genuine and comes from a real appreciation of Hublot and our world.”

As far as partnerships go, Hublot has extended them from the sports arena into the art world too having collaborated with several artists including the likes of Richard Orlinski, Takashi Murakami and Marc Ferrero.

“It’s been over 10 years since we began collaborating with unique artists with whom we have also developed new watch collections. Our partnerships are always long-term, and we like to work hand-in-hand with artists to expand our product range and offer exciting releases.

Of course, we will continue to develop unique watches with the Hublot Loves Art family,” notes Guadalupe.

For the upcoming World Cup, Hublot merged art with football by teaming up with Lebanese fashion designer Mira Mikati. Mikati collaborated with 15 of Hublot’s ambassadors and friends of the brand to design one-off footballs with each of them. Each football consists of hand-drawn and painted designs with a message or theme that is specific to the person with whom it was designed. The 15 football personalities include: Pelé, Kylian Mbappé, Laure Boulleau, Marcel Desailly, Didier Deschamps, Luis Figo, Ada Hegerberg, Roberto Martinez, Alex Morgan, Jose Mourinho, Alexia Putellas, Hervé Renard, Xherdan Shaqiri, Gareth Southgate and David Trezeguet.

The official version of the Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has a burgundy dial and a black and burgundy-lined leather strap – the burgundy pays tribute to Qatar’s flag. Should you wish to root for a specific team, Hublot will make available dial and strap colours in any of the 32 participating countries. There will also be special limited-edition straps designed by Mikati.

During a recent presentation of the watch, Guadalupe added that this year, Hublot will also deep-dive into the metaverse with its Hublot Loves Football campaign. Details of that campaign will be revealed imminently, but what we’ve learnt thus far is that there will be a virtual stadium with 90,000 digital avatars inside. The design of the stadium will be inspired by Hublot’s Art of Fusion concept and its Big Bang watch. Those who enter that virtual stadium can access this year’s Hublot Loves Football campaign through different experiences across the space. “Technology is incredibly important for the luxury client experience and Hublot is very involved with developing exciting launches in the Web3 world,” says Guadalupe. Reiterating the brand’s commitment to technology, Guadalupe adds, “For several years already, all Hublot watches are sold with an e-warranty which is backed by the Aura

blockchain.” In further support of its Web3 ambitions, in April this year, Hublot launched two NFTs with Japanese artist Takashi Murakami and also a Big Bang Unico Ledger that comes packaged with a crypto wallet.

In the non-virtual world, Hublot’s physical presence in the Middle East meanwhile has been one of its most successful worldwide. Its Dubai Mall boutique has on previous occasions been the single highestselling boutique in the world for the watchmaker. “We have 16 Hublot boutiques in the Middle East, so this is a very important market for us. We have three boutiques in the UAE and already five boutiques in Saudi Arabia. We plan to grow our presence in Saudi and foresee opening around three boutiques in the next three-five years,” says Guadalupe. Last month, Hublot and Al Majed Group announced the opening of the new Hublot Doha Vendôme Mall Boutique that spans over 200 sqm.

But alongside its growth plans, creating artificial scarcity is not part of the agenda. In most cases, when you set out to buy a Hublot you end up getting the one you desire. Making sure it stays that way, Guadalupe is expanding the brand’s production. “The Hublot manufacture is in Nyon, Switzerland. We are preparing to expand our headquarters with an additional building so that we can have greater infrastructure and develop our brand even further, focusing on new materials, research and development, and new movements.”

And Hublot

itself

participation in the

by

Cup.

suggest that five billion people will view this year’s World Cup. The return on investment for Hublot by the end of the tournament when the referee blows the final whistle, one hand strapped with a Big Bang e FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, will be incalculable.

& STYLING AMY SESSIONS

e rise of athleisure

Redefining

RETAIL

A visit to a few key Bicester Collection villages spread across Europe demonstrates how the concept is adding a fresh twist to the traditional shopping experience

Can shopping be transformed into a curated experience in itself, rather than just the act of purchasing? at’s what Bicester Collection aims to do with its 11 dedicated shopping outlets –each referred to as a Village – around the world. e Bicester Collection operates in a communityfocused setting in popular locations worldwide including London, Dublin, Madrid, Frankfurt, Munich, Milan and Barcelona. Signi cantly, the rst US village is set to open in the second half of 2024.

According to e Bicester Collection, in June 2022, the MENA region represented 9.3 per cent of its tracked sales.

ere was a particularly strong presence among MENA customers at its La Vallée Village in Paris, where they accounted for 15.7 per cent of its sales. e region also represented 22 per cent of total Tax-Free Sales (TFS), with a stronger presence in Bicester London and La Vallée villages, with 26 per cent and 21 per cent of total TFS respectively.

All the villages across the world have VIP services such as Personal Shopping Suites, member events, and e Apartment which is an invite-only private space that’s

ABOVE: A boutique in Wertheim Village in Frankfurt

TOP OF THE PAGE: The Apartment at La Roca Village in Barcelona

beautifully decorated. Guests who avail of this service can enjoy hands-free shopping, as well as a selection of beverages before they begin their shopping spree. Furthermore, Bicester has also partnered with airlines including Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad whereby shoppers can receive one mile on their respective airline loyalty programmes for every Euro or Pound spent at the villages.

Bicester Village London is easily accessible from Marylebone station. As an added advantage to Middle East visitors making their way to the villages, train announcements are made in English as well as Arabic. Bicester Collection’s UK agship – the rst village to have opened in the collection – is reportedly among the most visited destinations in the country. Visitors from the MENA region accounted for 12.1 per cent of its sales in June.

Over to Dublin, the Kildare Village located just outside the capital of Ireland has trademark warm Irish hospitality.

From Dublin, it’s around 45 minutes by car. In March, the village added three new Personal Shopping Suites designed by David Thomas. The shopping experience in this village is overseen by Clara Halpin, the deputy director of Personal Shopping, who is also a personal stylist.

Into continental Europe, Las Rozas Village in Madrid is set beside the Sierra Norte Mountains, a short distance from the Spanish capital, and offers quaint tranquillity with vibrant and colourful Spanish-style buildings. In June, visitors from Morocco – the fifth biggest source market of visitors to Las Rozas – drove sales at the destination by 2.5 per cent compared to May. Its concierge service has Arabicspeaking members too. Saudi nationals were the sixth biggest customer base, by nationality, that visited Las Rozas.

At Las Rozas, expect VIP services ranging from personal styling to private appointments at the boutiques and access to The Apartment which has artwork by Gaudi. Private transport can also be arranged to transfer guests from the village to their hotels.

Spain currently has two Bicester Collection outlets. Apart from Las Rozas in Madrid, La Roca is located in Barcelona. In June 2022, the top ten nationalities that visited La Roca included Saudis at number four, Moroccans at number five, Egyptians at number seven, and Emiratis at number ten. You’ll find a number of Spanish brands here ranging from Adolfo Domínguez, Barça Store and Bimba Y Lola to Unode50. MENA visitors accounted for 10.5 per cent of its total sales in June.

Meanwhile, the Wertheim Village in Frankfurt is quaint and cosy with narrower shopping streets compared to the other villages. The Franconian style of buildings makes

RETAIL

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ingolstadt Village in Munich; Bicester Village London; Art at Las Rozas Village in Madrid; The Personal Shopping Suite at Kildare Village in Dublin; The Apartment at Fidenza Village in Italy

Wertheim an idyllic shopping destination, with a noteworthy street art campaign. It features artworks by Australian artist Karan Singh spread throughout the village. Open since 2003, it has 110 boutiques with a sizeable offering of German brands including Aigner, Babor, Birkenstock, Dorothee Schumacher and Zwilling, among others.

As is the case with Spain, Germany too has two Bicester Collection villages. The experience at Ingolstadt Village in Munich has a different vibe compared to the other villages in that it feels far more relaxed. Here, you’ll find offerings from German brands including Boss, MCM, Philipp Plein and Porsche Design. The Apartment at Ingolstadt Village is located on the second floor and decorated in a rich colour palette. On the same floor is an area devoted to personal styling where stylists are brought in to help guests customise and plan their shopping requirements.

If you still have time to explore further villages in Europe, head to Fidenza Village which opened in 2003. Set between Milan and Bologna, the village sits on the A1 Autostrada, a key highway that runs to the south of the country. The design of the village takes inspiration from Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi, and you will therefore see the architecture in various boutiques inspired by his theatrical stages. Expect a great assortment of proper Italian brands in this village including Loro Piana, Versace and Jimmy Choo.

The Apartment at Fidenza is decorated in rich colours, with velvet fabrics and leopard print rugs. From Fidenza Village, you can also book packages to visit surrounding areas as well as book a stay at The Antico Borgo di Tabiano Castello, a castle that dates back to over 1,000 years.

With the relaxation of travel rules over the last few months, the Bicester Collection has received an increasing number of visitors from the Middle East. This has led to several villages in its European collection expanding and customising their offerings to cater to clients from the region. Every village has a different personality and positioning to it, thereby ensuring that there are truly unique shopping experiences to be found every time anyone visits a Bicester village.

Anantara Downtown Dubai

BACKGROUND There have been a couple of big rebranding exercises across hotels in the Downtown area – last year, the Renaissance Downtown Hotel was rebranded as a St. Regis outpost, and prior to that the Steigenberger Hotel Business Bay was reflagged as the Pullman Downtown Dubai. More recently, in July this year, Minor Hotels confirmed that it was taking over The Oberoi in Business Bay and applying its flagship Anantara branding to it.

WHERE IS IT? This property is Minor Hotel’s third Anantara in the emirate and is located within walking distance of the Business Bay metro station as well as Executive Towers. Unlike its other two more leisure-focused Anantaras in Dubai which are located on the Palm Jumeirah and the World Islands, this hotel is in the citycentre and signals the intent of Anantara to capitalise on the business traveller segment.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The lobby hasn’t changed dramatically from its Oberoi avatar – the entire hotel will undergo an extensive refurbishment to make its design more in line with the Anantara proposition in Q2 next year. There are two restaurants – Kimura-ya and Punjab Grill – at one end of the lobby, and a lobby lounge that’s open 24 hours at the other end of the floor. Check-in was quick and we were soon ushered to the lifts which connect the 27 floors of the property.

ROOMS We stayed at the Deluxe Burj Khalifa View room on the 15th floor which allowed great views of the Downtown area. Our spacious room featured a large-form abstract artwork over the couch, a writing desk placed against the full-length glass walls, a flatscreen TV, and a king-size bed. A connecting room includes a walk-in wardrobe, a separate shower cubicle and a soak tub too – there are direct views of the Burj Khalifa as you plunge into the tub.

There are 252 rooms and suites in the hotel with the top-of-the-line Presidential suite featuring a plunge pool in the balcony and a private dining room too.

The hotel located in the citycentre is Anantara’s way of appealing to business travellers

FOOD AND DRINK The flagship restaurant is the all-day dining Nine7One with a menu that has a mix of Mediterranean and Indian food, as well as quick bites such as pizzas, sandwiches and burgers. The seafood marinara pizza, chicken schnitzel and butter chicken were among the highlights. A lavish bu et breakfast is served every morning within the restaurant with a special ‘Taste of Siam’ corner paying homage to Anantara’s roots. For a special evening out, pre-book the ‘Dining by Design’ experience – a private alfresco dining experience is set up poolside with a red carpet leading to it, dedicated waitsta assigned exclusively to you, a full-service décor of the table, music and a special menu selected for the meal.

BUSINESS There’s a Grand Hall on level one that accommodates up to 550 people. On the 26th floor of the property are 10 meeting rooms for smaller gatherings. The computer centre is accessible 24 hours a day. The property also has a large courtyard and expansive poolside area which can be converted into an events space.

LEISURE The well-equipped gym is open throughout the day and the temperaturecontrolled outdoor pool is open from sunrise to sunset. The spa is operational daily from 11am-8pm, and includes four single rooms and two couple treatment rooms. Additionally, there’s an IV therapy room located near the spa which is operated by Drypskin.

VERDICT Anantara has made a great transition from a leisure-first positioning in Dubai, to a now more business-focused proposition that still delivers all the luxury you’d expect from an Anantara resort.

Varun Godinho

BEST FOR

Convenient central location in the city

DON’T MISS

The Dining by Design experience which needs to be pre-booked

PRICE

Internet rates for a Deluxe Burj Khalifa View room for a weekday in November start from Dhs1,440 per night

CONTACT

Business Bay, Dubai; +971 4 444 1444; anantara.com/downtown-dubai

BACKGROUND Corinthia Hotels was founded by the Pisani family of Malta in 1962. Corinthia London was originally built as the Metropole Hotel and opened in 1885. Due to its location near Westminster and Whitehall, it was taken over by the government during both world wars. Following an extensive renovation, it opened under the Corinthia brand in 2011. Corinthia Hotels is also part of the Global Hotel Alliance.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? It is elegant and sophisticated with a very pleasant aesthetic and an upbeat atmosphere. Upon entering the lobby, there was a bench surrounded by a beautiful floral display. There was also a small kiosk next to the front desk o ering guests complimentary packets of seeds, shortbread and fudge – a nice touch of storytelling for a sense of place. Check-in was extremely welcoming, friendly and e icient. The sta were professional, chatty, intuitive and eager to help.

WHERE IS IT? It is located on the corner of Northumberland Avenue and Whitehall Place, close to London’s Embankment, Trafalgar Square and both 10 Downing Street as well as Buckingham Palace. Covent Garden and the theatre district are close too. The nearest London Underground station is Embankment (a two-minute walk).

ROOMS I stayed in a delightful Garden suite, one of the recently refurbished

king bed, a walk-in wardrobe, and a bathroom with a tub, a walk-in shower, and sumptuous ESPA amenities.

Afternoon tea

PRICE

Internet rates for a weeknight in November for a Deluxe room start from £1,200 and £2,350 for a Garden suite

CONTACT

Whitehall Place, London SW1A 2BD; +44 20 7930 8181; corinthia.com

accommodations on the third floor overlooking the courtyard. Tastefully decorated in neutrals and greens with plenty of windows, modern artwork adorns the walls and interesting co ee table books are waiting to be browsed. More than a suite, it was a mini residence. The lounge o ered a large sofa, co ee table, armchair, and table and chairs, plus a huge well-stocked mini bar. It’s ideal for a family or even a place to entertain a few guests. The bedroom featured a luxurious

FOOD AND DRINK With sunlight streaming through the giant windows and a glorious bu et spoiling you for choice with continental delights, complemented by fresh brews and an à la carte menu for cooked dishes, breakfast needs to be a leisurely a air at the Corinthia London. So, if you are staying for business, get up a little earlier to make the most of the experience at The Northall. The hotel is also famous for its afternoon tea, served at The Crystal Moon Lounge, located at the centre of the hotel near the lobby and illuminated by a 1,001-crystal chandelier. At Kerridge’s Bar and Grill, renowned Michelinstarred chef Tom Kerridge has created a menu of classic British dishes, but with his own signature twist.

The leisure facilities are outstanding for a central London hotel

BUSINESS Impress clients with a gastronomic experience in the Private Dining Room at Kerridge’s Bar & Grill, set around a custom-made table and with a personal chef on hand (up to 16 guests) or at The Northall (up to 18 guests) with a predinner champagne reception area available. There are multiple high-end meetings and events venues available with packages o ered for groups including complimentary room nights and spa access too.

LEISURE The leisure facilities are outstanding for a central London hotel, comprising an award-winning ESPA Life at Corinthia spa spanning four levels. In addition to treatment rooms, it o ers a heated indoor pool, thermal pools, sauna, steam room and fitness centre. This is a destination for indulgence. The gym was very well kitted out and the SMEG fridge was stocked up with cartons of water, coconut water (my personal favourite), cold towels, and individually wrapped protein bites.

VERDICT If you stay here for business, it would be criminal not to stay for the weekend to enjoy top-notch dining and wellness facilities. Plus, London’s finest attractions are on your doorstep. Gemma Greenwood

BEST FOR A weekend break or client event

DON’T MISS

Corinthia London

Four Seasons Hotel Montreal

The ground-floor space has a gallery-like feel – I didn’t want to sit on the white marble stools in case they were an installation.

The doormen were very welcoming. I was o ered a carton of Four Seasons-branded water and guided to the gold lifts around the corner to reach the third-floor lobby.

The hotel’s sumptuous pink and grey interiors, designed by Paris-based firm Gilles and Boissier in collaboration with Philip Hazan, have a brighter feel than the dark exterior. The lobby features a glitzy installation of bottles of Ruinart Champagne.

Check-in is from 3pm but my room was not ready, so I was o ered a complimentary drink in the adjoining bar. Check-out is at noon and you can leave bags at reception.

My One King Bed Premier Carré Doré room was beautiful and well-designed for working. Unfortunately, it was a connecting room and my neighbours were noisy.

BACKGROUND The hotel initially opened in 2019, marking the debut of the group in the city. It closed in September 2020 due to the pandemic and reopened in May 2021.

WHERE IS IT? On Rue de la Montagne in Downtown Montreal. It is within the Golden Square Mile district, where the city’s bourgeoisie resided in the late 19th century (hence the name). The hotel is connected to the Holt Renfrew Ogilvy luxury department store on the third floor.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Designed by Lemay in collaboration with Sid Lee Architecture, the 17-storey glass-walled black building stands out on a sunny day in Montreal. The exterior gets the brand’s luxury touch with gold lines, while cut-out sections add an abstract element to the angular structure.

ROOMS On floors nine and higher, there is an open-air atrium featuring the ethereal white and gold floral installation, Contemplation by designer Pascale Girardin – 90 aluminium floral suspensions cascade from the 18th floor down to the ninth.

The 169 rooms and suites are located on floors 6-12 and have floor-to-ceiling windows, o ering views of the city (including the Leonard Cohen mural on the façade of a nearby high-rise). The categories include Superior and Deluxe (both 38-44 sqm), Deluxe Carré Doré (37-44 sqm), Premier and Premier Carré Doré (both 42-52 sqm).

Recommended is the silky black cod with lime on a bed of potatoes and edamame

The design is sophisticated, with rosepink velvet furnishings, plenty of marble, and bronze and gold accents. Rooms have fourposter beds and a table for work and dining, but premier rooms also come with a chaise longue and a bathroom with a freestanding tub and mirrored gold screenlike doors that open onto the bedroom. Amenities across all rooms include wifi, robes and slippers, luxury Byredo bath products, a safe, minibar, kettle and Lavazza co ee machine. There are plenty of USB and plug sockets, along with buttons to adjust the lighting and open/close the curtains. An in-room tablet can be used to contact sta or for 24-hour room service.

FOOD AND DRINK The third floor is home to both Marcus Lounge and Bar, and the separate Marcus Restaurant and Terrace, named after chef Marcus Samuelsson and designed by Atelier Zébulon Perron.

The lively restaurant has monochrome flooring, brass accents and wicker seating. As I studied the menu, towers of seafood appeared on neighbouring tables. The menu is split into sea, harvest and land sections. Recommended is the silky black cod with lime on a bed of potatoes and edamame, alongside fiery rapini with crunchy garlic, chilli oil and lemon.

MEETINGS

The fifth floor has 1,096 sqm of events space including a ballroom and the west-facing Belvedere terrace.

LEISURE

The first floor has a spa with eight treatment rooms, and the sixth floor has a 24-hour gym, heated indoor pool, sauna and steam room.

VERDICT

The Four Seasons Montreal lives up to its excellent reputation with its sophisticated design, bustling dining outlets and top-class service. Hannah Brandler

BEST FOR

Exceptional service and sleek design

DON’T MISS

Seafood towers and signature cocktails at Marcus Restaurant and Terrace

PRICE

Internet rates for a flexible midweek stay in November starts from CAD845 for a Deluxe Carré Doré room

CONTACT

1440 Rue de la Montagne, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Z5; +1 (514) 843-2500; fourseasons.com/montreal

Brown JLM Mamilla, Jerusalem

BACKGROUND One of the Brown group’s most recent openings, this boutique property is in the heart of West Jerusalem and represents a new wave of trendy hotels popping up around the country, with Brown at the helm.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? Cosy and hip, it embodies the essence of Jerusalem – a place where the old meets the new. Every detail has been well considered from the classic furniture with Art Deco touches to the bright colours dotted between the neutral hues. Set in a restored 19th-century building, the hotel is made from the characteristic Jerusalem stone and oozes character, style and charm.

WHERE IS IT? Just a short walk from the old city and the famous Machane Yehuda food market, it is within easy reach of everything one could wish for in the city. It’s also a short drive to Yad Vashem, the hilltop holocaust memorial. The hotel, set on a single-lane quiet side street, overlooks Independence Park and is very close to great shopping spots in all directions, located between the cute alleyways and boutiques of Nahalat Shiva and the more mainstream shops found in the Mamilla complex. The tram is also around the corner and o ers public transport access to areas across the city.

ROOMS There are 46 rooms across five categories at the hotel. I stayed in the Classic room with a French balcony. It was decorated beautifully with stone-tiled floors and a homey rug as well as funky photo art of iconic Jerusalem scenes. Though small (two suitcases took up nearly all the floor space) it is manageable for a short stay. If you’re a light sleeper, it’s best to bring earplugs as there is music playing until late from both the rooftop lounge above and the restaurant below.

BEST FOR

Location – for someone new to the city, it’s safe and compared to other such central locations very peaceful too

DON’T MISS

Breakfast is a traditionally Israeli a air with a range of diverse dishes such as classic shakshouka, cheesecake and fresh local fruits. It’s worth waking up early for

PRICE

Internet prices for a Classic room with a French balcony for a weeknight in November start from US$320

CONTACT

41 Hillel Street, Jerusalem 9418105, Israel; +972 3-974-7045; brownhotels.com/jlm

FOOD AND DRINK

Guests can enjoy fine dining at Ruhan restaurant located on the ground floor, courtesy of renowned Israeli chef Uriel Kimchi. Hotel guests can avail of a discount at the restaurant. You can also head to the rooftop dining and lounge area (also catered by Ruhan) for a good view of the city. The rooftop bar is quintessentially Brown – colourful designs are intermingled into the greened urban space, with great music creating fun vibes late into the night.

Cosy and hip, it embodies the essence of Jerusalem – a place where the old meets the new

BUSINESS The wifi connection in the hotel is very good and there is a small desk in the room to work, if needed. Alternatively, the Ruhan restaurant is a great place to work out of too.

LEISURE Guests can enjoy some downtime at the property’s spa. The double treatment suite includes a private spa bath that needs to be pre-booked. There’s a rooftop infinity pool and an outdoor hot tub as well.

VERDICT The hotel does feel expensive considering it doesn’t have many facilities such as a fitness centre that you might expect at its price point (roughly US$300 per night). But the hotel very much makes up for that price in its location, the warmth of its sta and its overall boutique experience. Melanie Swan

Waldorf Astoria Washington DC

sits on the ground level and was the living quarters for the postmaster of the then post o ice. Set over three levels, it has two bedrooms and a private gym.

FOOD AND DRINK Peacock Alley with its deep blue chairs with gold accents and impressive chandelier with its lights turned down low makes for an overall relaxing space. It has breakfast, all-day dining, cocktail and wine menus. Try the Postman’s Burger served with aged white cheddar or the smoked salmon pizza. But if it’s seafood you are after, visit the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa restaurant which o ers an Omakase menu. If you’d rather just stay in your room, the hotel’s in-room dining is provided for by Peacock Alley.

BACKGROUND Set in a historic Classical Revival style building in the US capital, the Waldorf Astoria has taken residence in the Old Post O ice and Clock Tower. In 2013, The Trump Organization obtained a lease contract and turned it into The Trump International Hotel Washington DC. Earlier this year, that hotel was sold to Hilton for US$375 million, the most a DC hotel has sold for, and it was rebranded into a Waldorf Astoria property.

WHAT’S IT LIKE? The outside edifice is magnificent. As you enter the lobby, you pass through a dark wood-lined entrance and you can see metal braces that criss-cross the ceiling which are part of the original structure. In the lobby, you will also find Peacock Alley, the hotel’s premier restaurant. The hotel contains an original spiral staircase that was installed by the postmaster general who didn’t take well to elevators.

LOCATION The hotel is centrally located and surrounded by prestigious government buildings, as well as key sites of American history. Located in the heart of the downtown

area, the hotel sits diagonally across from the FBI headquarters, and close to the US Department of Justice. The White House is a short metro ride away. The United States Capitol building, the Lincoln Memorial and the World War II Memorial are all nearby too.

BUSINESS The Lincoln Library and the Franklin Study make for intimate business events. There are also nine event rooms located above The Ballroom. The columnfree Ballroom can hold up to 1, 300 people and is the largest ballroom in the city.

LEISURE The gym is located on the ground floor of the hotel. The Waldorf Astoria Spa at 9,290 sqm has six treatment rooms. Treatments range from massages to skin therapies. A Signature Massage starts at US$225 while the 90-minute Hot Stone Massage costs US$335.

BEST FOR

A stay in a historical site

DON’T MISS

ROOMS There are 263 rooms and 35 suites at the Waldorf Astoria DC. The Deluxe King Bed Guestroom is up to 32 sqm and includes double vanities. The Bi-Level Loft with a Library is 80 sqm and features an iron spiral staircase that leads to a gallery of historic photographs of DC. The 151 sqm Capitol One Bedroom suite overlooks Pennsylvania Avenue. The Franklin One suite and Presidential suite both meanwhile include large dining tables that seat eight. The Waldorf Townhouse Two Bedroom Bi Level

The spa experience PRICE

Internet prices for a King Bed Guestroom on a weekday in November start from US$625, and $5,980 for a Capital One Bedroom suite

CONTACT

1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004; +1 202-695-1100; hilton.com

VERDICT With a grand ambience in the lobby, a spectacular ballroom, wellappointed rooms and great dining options, you don’t want to miss this hotel if you are staying in Washington.

Allyson Portee

The Waldorf Astoria has taken residence in the Old Post

O ce and Clock Tower

Marking milestones – Emirates

On October 25, 1985, the red carpet was laid out in Dubai as Emirates operated its first flights to Karachi and Mumbai. It used a Boeing 737 and an Airbus 300 B4 wet-leased from Pakistan International Airlines.

Preparations for those flights began a year prior when in 1984, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the then UAE Minister of Defence and member of Dubai’s royal family, asked Sir Maurice Flanagan, the managing director of dnata at the time, to study the prospect of starting an airline. Flanagan was tasked with launching the airline in five months and with US$10 million in seed funding. He was reportedly told that the airline had to “look good, be good, and make money”.

Thirty-seven years on, Emirates has grown into a world-class carrier and diligently stuck to that brief. It expects to return to profitability this financial year, having recently invested Dhs7.9 billion in enhancing its capabilities, according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and chief executive of Emirates Airline and Group. Onwards and upwards.