Tomorrow’s News

Summer 2023

Raffles Hotel London Opens Its Doors at London’s Famous Old War Office

One of Britain’s most historically significant buildings will open its doors to the public this summer, as the Old War Office plays host to Raffles London. It’s a new landmark not only for the British capital’s hospitality scene, but for a hotel group whose Singaporean outpost, established in 1887—and named after the city-state’s founder, Sir Stamford Raffles—is recognized for inventing the Singapore Sling cocktail.

Few London landmarks are as storied as the grand OWO, located on the city’s Whitehall thoroughfare. It was here that British wartime PM Winston Churchill and other influential politicians and military leaders shaped the world’s future. What’s more, the 117-year-old building inspired Ian Fleming to pen the James Bond novels after the author worked there as a key liaison officer between the OWO and Britain’s Naval Intelligence Service.

Guests wishing to soak up a slice of history can choose between 120 rooms and suites and 85 uniquely branded residences (available to buy), some of which are situated in the building’s most storied corners—including the former offices of Churchill, as well as those of David Lloyd George and John Profumo, who was recently portrayed in the BBC political-scandal drama The Trial of Christine Keeler.

Elsewhere, the 760,000-square-foot building features a worldclass spa and fitness space and 11 destination restaurants and bars— one of which is on the hotel’s roof, commanding unforgettable views over Buckingham Palace and the Mall. VVIP guests— visiting government delegations, celebrities, Private World readers and the like—can reserve nine interconnected rooms on the first floor, across a scopious 5,382 square feet.

Commissioned by the Hinduja Group, the restoration of the Grade II–listed building was undertaken by hundreds of artisanal craftspeople, with a special brief to preserve certain historical elements such as the mosaic floors, oak paneling and chandeliers. These include famed architect Thierry Despont, known for his work at LA’s Getty Center and the Statue of Liberty.

“We have a worldclass team to oversee the opening, in whose hands I’m confident that the Raffles experience of London, for our residents, guests and visitors alike, will be unforgettable,” says Raffles and Orient Express CEO Stephen Alden.

Scenic’s New East Antarctica and Ross Sea Voyages Set Sail

It’s hard to know what the explorers Dr. Douglas Mawson, Robert Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton— traversing through the elements on dog-pulled sledges toward the South Pole on a grueling expedition that ran from 1914 to 1917—would have thought if they had seen the majestic Eclipse II cruising through the Antarctic scenery. Now you can follow in their footsteps from the comfort of your cabin.

Eclipse II, Scenic Ocean Cruises’ latest “discovery yacht,” boasts spacious suites and a butler service as well as the 5,900-squarefoot Senses Spa and 10 unsurpassed dining experiences. And, from next year, a limited number of guests per season will be able to board Scenic Eclipse II and traverse previously unexplored and unavailable routes, in the process taking in landscapes teeming with seabirds, penguins, whales and seals. A visit to the Mawson’s Huts complex at Cape Denison, in the far eastern sector of the Australian Antarctic Territory, is also on the agenda.

“Scenic Eclipse II will be the newest and most modern luxury expedition ship operating in remote East Antarctica and the Ross Sea region, setting the benchmark in providing once-in-alifetime journeys for our guests,” explains Claudius Docekal, vice president of Scenic’s Ocean Deployment. “As we remain the only ships to offer an abundance of exploration on Zodiac, helicopter, submarine, kayak and stand-up paddleboard, guests will enjoy exclusive experiences such as exploring the McMurdo Dry Valleys, a landscape that has been compared to the surface of Mars and is only accessible by helicopter.”

JUNE 2023

Pharrell Williams Launches His First Louis Vuitton Collection During Men’s Fashion Week in Paris

More than 180 years after the eponymous founder of Louis Vuitton, aged 13, walked 400 miles from Anchay to the French capital to seek his fortune, the brand is striding purposefully into a new chapter.

There’s little doubt its iconic monogrammed luggage will remain a core part of the French house’s repertoire for the foreseeable future— but the announcement of musician, producer, songwriter, philanthropist, fashion designer and entrepreneur Pharrell Williams as men’s creative director, back in February, represented a big leap into uncharted territory.

It’s the second time a Black American designer has held this position at the French luxury house, with Williams taking the reins from Virgil Abloh, who died in November 2021. The appointment is a clear milestone in the merging of the traditional menswear and streetwear sectors and represents a blueprint for how the LVMH group— which enjoyed record revenues of over $83 billion in 2022—plans to broaden the brand’s horizons.

In a statement regarding the appointment, Louis Vuitton described Williams as a “visionary whose creative universes expand from music to art and to fashion. The way in which he breaks boundaries across the various worlds he explores aligns with Louis Vuitton’s status as a cultural maison, reinforcing its values of innovation, pioneer spirit and entrepreneurship.”

SPRING 2025

67 Pall Mall Opens a Club in the Wine Capital of Burgundy

67 Pall Mall’s flagship London establishment claims to offer the most extensive wine list in the British capital, as well as dining experiences and management services for members’ storage and trading requirements. Its Singapore outlet, which opened in February 2022 in the 15,000-square-foot Shaw Centre penthouse in the heart of Orchard Road, has the largest and most expansive wine list in Southeast Asia (5,000 wines, 1,000 available by the glass).

The more recently opened Verbier establishment—nestled high in the mountains above the vineyards of the Valais wine region, around 50 minutes’ drive from the regional Sion airport—offers a 500-strong by-theglass list, including a unique library of mature vintages celebrating Switzerland’s finest and global producers, as well as fine dining conceived by former Le Comptoir Robuchon chef Dario Avenca and a tireless concierge service.

Now, 67 Pall Mall is converting a rustic neo-classical building in the center of Burgundy’s winemaking scene in Beaune, which lies between Lyon and Dijon. Hôtel Moyne-Blandin— a private residence built in the 1780s—is set to be converted into a space that will incorporate a public bar à vin and restaurant, with the listed upper floors reserved for members of the club.

Expect a gastronomic as well as oenological experience at an establishment that lies at the epicenter of Beaune’s epicurean quarter: The club’s founder, Grant Ashton, promises that the kitchen will offer “a lighter, modern style of Burgundian cuisine, as always with wine at the heart of the offering.”

MID-2026 Orient Express Takes the Golden Age of Travel to the Seas

Around 140 years after the Orient Express first pulled out of Paris, the luxury train company is taking on a new journey of discovery—with the launch of the world’s largest sailing yacht.

The 2,370-footlong Orient Express Silenseas, a partnership between Accor and luxury shipbuilder Chantiers de l’Atlantique, will offer 54 suites, including a 15,230-square-foot presidential suite with a 5,700-square-foot private terrace. Its streamlined hull is inspired by 1930s cruise ships while its interior opulence takes cues from the golden age of the French Riviera, with decor to be designed by renowned architect Maxime d’Angeac.

Sailing the Mediterranean Riviera during the summer months—including Portofino, Capri and Saint-Tropez—the yacht will cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean islands for the winter. This transcontinental experience will be enhanced by two swimming pools, spa treatments, meditation sessions and stopover explorations focused on discovering cultural treasures. Guests can also take in shows in the onboard amphitheater or, if they’re feeling inspired, make their own music in the private recording studio.

As well as raising the mast on a new level of luxury sea travel, Silenseas will also address some of the negative environmental impacts associated with cruising. It will be propelled by a revolutionary design system known as SolidSail, whereby three rigid sails each with a surface area of 16,145 square feet combine with a state-of-the-art engine run on liquefied natural gas.

“With Orient Express Silenseas, we’re beginning a new chapter in our history taking the experience and excellence of luxury travel and transposing it onto the world’s most beautiful seas,” says Accor CEO Sébastien Bazin. “Innovation is at the heart of this ultramodern ship that will revolutionize the maritime world with new technology to meet today’s sustainability challenges. It is a boat designed to make dreams a reality.”