Author: Charlotte Gill

The world’s most famous hotels

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The Savoy, London
Located on London’s historic Strand in the heart of Westminster, the Savoy first opened its prestigious doors to the public in 1889 and has been a British cultural icon ever since. The original building was built by impresario Richard D’Oyly Carte, reputedly with the profits from his Gilbert and Sullivan operas and was in fact built on a plot of land next to the Savoy theatre that had been earmarked to house an electricity generator.

The state-of-the-art building was upon completion the first luxury hotel in Britain to feature electric lights and lifts, as well as bathrooms fitted with constant hot running water. Continuing its innovating trend to this day, a £220m refurbishment between 2007 and 2010 turned the hotel in one of the world’s greenest, with a combined heating system that has reduced its reliance on the national grid by up to 50 percent.

Legendary first manager Cesar Ritz is accredited with setting the high standards that drew high-profile clientele from royalty, the rich and famous and later even war-time leader Winston Churchill’s cabinet dinners from time to time. Subsequently, the Savoy has been host to more than a few lavish parties. For instance, in 1905 American millionaire George A. Kessler hosted a ‘Gondola Party’ where the central courtyard was made watertight and flooded to a depth of four feet, while two dozen guests dined in an enormous gondola. After dinner, it is said that Enrico Caruso sang, and a baby elephant brought in a five-foot birthday cake.

Later during the 20th Century, the Savoy became the staple place to stay for the rich and famous and well as some of the world’s greatest giants in the fields of art, music and literature from Marylyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplain to the Beatles and John Wayne. Bob Dylan also shot his innovative music video, the first of its kind, for the song ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ in an alleyway behind the hotel.

The full grandeur of the Savoy is still available to guests today and the hotel is currently run by the Fairmont group, offering 268 rooms with panoramic views of the River Thames and the city.

Hôtel Ritz, Paris
Founded in 1898, Hôtel Ritz overlooks the famous Place Vendôme in Paris, which was originally laid out as a monument to the armies of Louis XIV in 1702 and is considered today to be a classical masterpiece. The building in its current form was adapted by architect Charles Mewès, although the original façade was designed by royal architect Jules Hardouin Mansart. Today, the famous Imperial Suite is officially designated as a national monument by the French government.

The hotel shares somewhat of a sordid history with its English counterpart, the Savoy, as it was opened as collaboration between famous Savoy manager, the ubiquitous Cesar Ritz and chef Auguste Escoffier. Both would both later be dismissed from the London hotel after being implicated in the disappearance of £3,400 (£290,000 in today’s money) of liquor and spirits.

They subsequently went on to found the Ritz with the financial aid of Alexandre Marnier-Lapostoll, who ironically had created the now famous Grand Marnier liqueur years earlier. Upon its completion, and much like the Savoy, the Ritz claimed to be the first hotel in Europe to offer an en-suite bathroom, telephone and electricity in each room.

Several of its suites are named in honour of famous guests of the hotel, including Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway, who lived at the hotel for years and was once quoted; “When in Paris the only reason not to stay at the Ritz is if you can’t afford it”. Guest can still visit the famous Ernest Hemingway Bar today and his 1926 novel, The Sun Also Rises, also features scenes from within the hotel. The Ritz also proudly remembers Marcel Proust as a regular guest and was host to the filming of Love in the Afternoon, starring Audrey Hepburn in 1957.

No stranger to tragedy, the dark days of the Second World War and the German occupation saw the hotel taken over as the local headquarters of the Luftwaffe and its chief commander Hermann Goring as a lavish spoil of war. It was also the Ritz’s Imperial Suite that Diana, Princess of Wales and Dodi Al-Fayed, whose father Mohammed purchased the hotel for £20m in 1979, dined in before their fatal car accident on August 31st 1997.

Today Hôtel Ritz still offers is uber-exclusive five-star service, considered by many to be the finest hotel accommodation in the world. A jewel in the crown of Paris, the Ritz has firmly cemented itself in the fabric of the nation, and indeed the world.

Chelsea Hotel, New York
‘I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel’, goes the famous Leonard Cohen lyric, and his philanderings with Janis Joplin are but a drop in the ocean for what is probably one of the most famous hotel in world for actors, musicians, artists and writers. Perhaps not as grand as its counterparts across the pond, the Chelsea Hotel more than compensates for this as a shining beacon of cultural heritage in the 20th Century.

Located in the trendy Chelsea district of New York, the 12-storey red-brick building was built between 1883 and 1885, opening as one of the city’s first private apartment cooperatives and becoming the tallest in New York upon completion. The distinct ornate iron balconies on the building set it apart from others in the city, while the magnificent grand staircase was created in the Victorian Gothic style. After financial stress caused the cooperative to close, the building re-opened as a hotel in 1905.

The Chelsea Hotel is famous for its long-term residents, who have, (to name but a few) included the likes of Dylan Thomas, Arthur C Clarke, who wrote 2011: A Space Odyssey there, William Burroughs, Leonard Cohen, Tom Waits, Stanley Kubrick, Jean-Paul Sartre, Charles Bukowski, Dennis Hopper, Jimi Hendrix, Andy Warhol and even survivors of the Titanic disaster as the hotel is close to Pier 54, where the ill-fated ship was due to dock.

The list of famous names and famous works that have resided in these star-studded walls is simply too long to attempt to list; safe to say that the building oozes the musty aura of counter-culture creativity like none other. In fact , the Chelsea Hotel is considered one of the top ten most haunted in the world – and with its legendary events, not to mention the deaths of Nancy Sprungen and Dylan Thomas, whose last words were said to have been “I’ve had eighteen straight whiskeys, and I think that’s a record!” There are numerous stories concerning ghostly entities in the hotel, in particular from room 100, where footsteps and the sound of a couple arguing loudly have repeatedly been heard despite it being empty.

Today the future of the hotel remains uncertain after its sale in May 2011 to real-estate developer Joseph Chetrit for $80m. All but a few of the permanent residents have left, although there are still a few hanging on despite repeated attempts to completely redevelop the building. The Chelsea Hotel is however still open for film shoots and monthly tours are available.

Catching the souks and the surf

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The dichotomy of Marrakech, Morocco’s second largest city and capital of the mid-south western economic region, is startlingly apparent. You would be forgiven for attending a business meeting in the modern city, known as Gueliz by the locals, and never even happening upon the old fortified city called the medina.

Making the short trip by ‘petit taxi’ – or horse- drawn carriage if you are feeling a little more extravagant – is a must though. The modern city of Marrakech may well have everything you need for a brief visit: luxury hotels, high street shopping, even a McDonald’s, but it lacks the unique charm of the medina. Step over the threshold of the ancient city ramparts and you are transported into another world. Gone are the tree-lined pavements, expensive cars and high-rise apartment blocks.

The medina is an intricate network of alleyways, each one lined with market stalls overflowing onto the street with their produce. The souk here pays homage to commerce, and is the largest in Morocco. Over the years it has gradually divided itself into different sections offering everything from woollen jumpers and zebra skin carpets to brass tea sets and colourful crockery. Of particular interest will be the leather souk, where, with only a basic understanding of the bartering system required, almost any leather item you can think of can be purchased for a snip of the price it would be back home.

The pace of life in the souk appears to move at a hundred miles an hour from daybreak until well after nightfall. The alleyways act as the arteries of the medina, sending bicycles, motorbikes, an occasional donkey and even the odd mini-van, up and down impossibly narrow passages, with over a million locals on foot going about their daily business, skipping in and out of the traffic.

If the souk alleyways are the city’s arteries, then the heart of Marrakech is the central square, the Djemaa el-Fna. Recognised for its cultural significance as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the square is said to be one of the busiest in the world. Whether you are a tourist or a local, it seems no one’s day in Marrakech is complete without traversing the square for a cursory glance at the goings on. The intrigue and mystique of the square are due in part to its ability to evolve each day, like a blossoming flower, from a transport crossroads and key access point to the medina by day, into Marrakech’s principle source of night life when the sun goes down. The snake charmers and potion sellers disperse to make way for a hundred small restaurants that set up in impossibly quick time and offer one of the freshest and most reasonably priced dining experiences in the city.

After a bite to eat, it is essential you wander the square and experience the variety of entertainment on offer in exchange for only a few Dirhams. Storytellers draw large excitable groups of young men, while cross-dressing belly dancers and dentist’s booths displaying jars of teeth will draw the gaze of even the most reserved traveller. The Djemaa el-Fna remains an extraordinary open-air theatre long into the night, eventually recoiling in the early hours, ready to blossom again in the morning.

Essaouira
If you have a few extra days to kill before you need to rush back to the office, you might want to escape the mania of Marrakech that can prove a little overpowering after a day or two. A good way to achieve this is to book a four-hour coach trip to Essaouira on the Atlantic coast.

In a similar vein to Marrakech, the best of this coastal fishing town can be found within the fortified city walls, where the hustle and bustle of the medina is reminiscent of, but far less oppressive than, Marrakech. In fact, after a few days of shopping the souks of Marrakech, Essaouira’s streets will feel positively quiet in comparison. Nonetheless, the option to escape from it all and take in the awesome expanse of the Atlantic Ocean is always a stone’s throw away here. The impressive sea bastion Skala de la Ville is the best place to get a lung full of fresh sea air. On a stormy day one could sit for hours and watch the powerful waves crash against the rocky cliffs, safe in the knowledge that the » imperious city ramparts, complete with a collection of 18th and 19th century European brass cannons, have you well protected.

No trip to Essaouira is complete without venturing to its fishing port, which remains a hive of activity throughout the day. Dusk is the best time for tourists to take a glimpse, as traders frantically complete deals to sell the last of their daily haul. The fishermen seem happy to share their boat yard, as they cheerfully invite you to muck-in and help push the last of the boats up the port ramps for the night. At this time, the port becomes a photographer’s paradise, as row upon row of vividly coloured boats line up alongside each other, proudly displaying their individual names in bright yellow paint. After getting creative with your camera, you will no doubt want to refuel and unsurprisingly, some of the finest restaurants in Essaouira are seafood establishments. Make sure you choose wisely however, as the restaurants that line the entrance to the port are more expensive, and often serve smaller portions than their less conspicuous neighbours.

Tagazout
After experiencing two of Morocco’s most culturally immersive cities, the last thing on your mind will be cutting short your trip and returning home. Continue your Moroccan adventure further south, at the surfing mecca of Tagazout. A world away from manic medinas, this quaint fishing village is very laid-back indeed. The locals are the antithesis of the frantic folk in Marrakech, and a few days spent here will wash away any of the stresses associated with busy city life.

The village can be reached from Essaouira by public bus, but be warned that the trip takes longer than it should on paper, and a grand taxi could be a better choice for the time-conscious traveller. Due to its location further south of Essaouira, Tagazout leaves behind the sometimes-unbearable winds and benefits from a few extra degrees in temperature. The beaches that run up and down the coast either side of the village are truly stunning and rarely busy. For the most part, the sand is a pleasant golden brown and the seawater clean. Be warned though, litter on the beaches is a problem here, and can be off-putting to travellers used to the comparatively spotless beaches of Europe.

The passing surf trade provides the main income for the villagers; Tagazout’s main street is lined with a string of restaurants offering a remarkably similar menu. The village itself can provide simple amenities, but if you are looking to stock up on supplies for a weeklong stay, or even just an ATM machine, a journey to Agadir further south is essential.

Accommodation is also quite basic for the most part. Other than a number of hostel-like surf houses that offer full board and surf safaris during the day, the only other option is a self-catered apartment. The traditional riads of Essaouira and Marrakech are not in evidence in this sleepy coastal village, and based on the extensive development work being undertaken, it seems that the all-encompassing luxury hotel complexes are only a few years off completion.

The principal reason to come to this part of Morocco is for the great surfing available, and the waves really are remarkable at times. Renowned surf breaks such as Killer Point, La Source and Anka Point continue to attract some of the best surfers from around the world during the autumn months. Lessons for the less experienced are available in abundance, and surf trips leave the village every day in seach of the right swell.

Where to escape business in South Africa

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

There are sunsets and then there are sunsets. But in my mind not much can beat lounging high up on a secluded deck overlooking the African bush, enjoying a sumptuous picnic dinner and local wines, as you watch the sun set beyond the wandering herds on the Savannah.

Spend a luxurious night up there and you’ll enjoy the sunrise too, looking out over the huge swathes of land that is the magnificent country of South Africa. Washed by the Atlantic and Indian oceans, South Africa is truly a paradise of natural history and so much more.

Whether camping out in the wilds is your thing or you’d rather enjoy the ultimate luxury while experiencing your African safari, the Kruger National Park has it all. The park has a selection of luxury private lodges where you won’t only be spoiled by excellent game viewing, but also by superb cuisine, world-class service and choice South African wines, and even pampering massages and reflexology.

A luxury Kruger safari doesn’t come cheap, but it’s worth every penny. The last thing you’ll be thinking about is money as you swim in the cool water of the pool or relax after a game drive in your lavish tent that’s a thousand miles from your memories of family camping trips as a kid.

All this and wildlife too! In the south of the park, towards the Sabie and Crocodile rivers you can hope to see the best of African flora and fauna such as the Big Five – herds of elephants, lions, leopards, rhinos, and buffalo wallowing in the refreshing water – as well as cheetah and many others. Meanwhile the northern part of the park is often referred as the birding paradise.

After a safari there’s nothing like getting back to civilisation, and the cosmopolitan city of Cape Town is the ideal spot. Filled with a wonderful selection of restaurants and an incredible array of local museums and galleries, there’s plenty to do even when the rain season hits the city.

No trip to Cape Town would be complete without a visit to its most famous landmark, Table Mountain. The cable car to the top is great fun and offers stunning views of the city, but nothing beats hiking the three kilometre trail uphill to the top of this dramatic sandstone plateau that dominates the metropolitan skyline with its distinctive shape that inspired many a myth and legend. The downhill’s a lot easier if you catch the last cable car back!

Having reached the end of the African continent, it would be wrong not to go all the way down to the Cape of Good Hope. Wander among the unique flora and fauna of the world-famous nature reserve, smile at the goofy penguin colony at Boulders, and look out to where oceans meet. Getting in the water can be a little hairy, but a cage dive allows you to get up close and personal to the great white in its own environment without ending up shark food.

Another good thing about Cape Town is that it’s just a stone’s throw from South Africa’s world-famous Cape Winelands around Stellenbosch, Paarl and Franschhoek. Drive three-quarters of an hour northeast to some of the most majestic scenery in the country where you can check out art galleries, stay at winery lodges and blend olive oil amid the vineyard scattered hills and mountains.

Heading out along the southern coast on a tour of the famous Garden Route will have you winding your way up a narrow stretch of South Africa’s eastern coast, pressed against the Indian Ocean by a protective line of rugged purple hued granite and sandstone mountains – the Langeberge (long mountains) and the Outeniqua Mountains. And even if your navigation skills leave something to be desired, the Garden Route is foolproof so there’s little chance of getting lost along the way from Mossel Bay to Port Elizabeth, leaving you plenty of chance to enjoy the ever-changing colours of the imposing mountains, scenic passes, rivers, vineyards and orchards, as well as the multitude of attractions.

A week exploring the Garden Route at a leisurely pace offers an unforgettable adventure. In season (July to December), you can simply sit on a bench and watch whales frolic from one of the most spectacular vantage points in the world at Walker Bay, then head off to be mesmerised by beautiful beaches and pristine forests, visit the Cango Caves and ogle the ostriches.

With all the diversity South Africa has to offer travellers, it’s been aptly nicknamed the Rainbow Nation. Its spectacular and varied land and its friendly people never fail to captivate those who venture this far south.

The New York High Line

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

There is an exciting sense of the unconventional, something perhaps even mischievous about walking along the 1.6km-long High Line in Lower Manhattan. Maybe it’s the anarchic pieces of artwork that seem to spring unannounced from many of the industrial structure’s crevices, the spontaneous guerrilla-style gardening or just the fact that you would never usually square up to mottled brick buildings and classy glass condos from such a vantage point. The High Line is an exciting green belt of land that defies gravity and the ciy’s often restrictive grid system to weave amongst the metropolis as a bold symbol of urban regeneration that it seems only a city like New York could achieve with such grace.

The structure of the High Line began life as an elevated freight rail road called the West Side Line, for which construction began in 1925. The line fell into disuse and subsequent disrepair in the 1980s and while much was removed or demolished, the section from West 12th Street, in the Meatpacking District, up to 30th Street, through the neighbourhood of Chelsea to the West Side Yard, remained like a rusty splinter in the side of the city. Yet just as the area was reborn from industrial decay to become a trendy artists’ haven, it only seems fitting that it is this structure –such brazen folly– that ignites everyday banality into something so inspiring.

It was in 1999 that neighbourhood residents Robert Hammond and Joshua David created the community group Friends of the High Line, and thus the idea of turning the old railway structure into an elevated ‘greenway’, was born. Indeed, as architect of the project James Corner explained, the space had to integrate seamlessly – yet spontaneously – into the surrounding buildings. “The High Line had its own mythology long before we came along. In particular, the ‘Friends of the High Line’ were instrumental in creating this distinct image around the High Line – they established an aura that projected an idea that this was in fact a post-industrial artifact maintaining a sense of melancholy and other-worldliness”, he said.

The High Line was finally completed for public use in 2009 and has since become one of those hidden gems that residents of cosmopolitan metropolises love to flock to for a few moments of escapism, or simply for a more interesting commute to work. Today the innovative space continues to be used for performance pieces, art exhibitions and cultural events and has been attributed with spurring somewhat of a renaissance in the area, with 30 new building projects springing up in its midst and crime in the area at an all-time low.

www.thehighline.org

Morocco’s business reform

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The new government which takes over after parliamentary elections in Morocco may push through reforms to attract more private investment in the economy, but it is unlikely to have the will to fix troubled state finances.

The elections in November last year could provide Morocco’s most representative government to date, giving it a fresh chance to address deep-rooted economic problems. Under changes approved in a July referendum, King Mohammed will hand over some powers to elected officials while keeping a decisive say in strategic decisions.

Instead of the king, it will be the prime minister who names the heads of strategic state-run firms, such as the phosphate monopoly, the central bank and the national airline, as well as senior bureaucrats in ministries. The king will still vet these appointments but it is hoped that the new system will produce more coherent economic policy-making.

The change of government comes at a difficult time for the economy. Gross domestic product growth is running at an annual rate above four percent but that is not enough to bring down an unemployment rate of around nine percent, and the eurozone debt crisis could hit Morocco hard. The European Union is Morocco’s biggest source of foreign investment, providing tourists and remittances from some two million Moroccan expatriates who live there, especially France.

The International Monetary Fund has spoken of the challenges facing Morocco, “including the uncertain economic outlook in Europe and the region, the need for fiscal consolidation in the face of large popular demands, and the urgency to implement an ambitious agenda to boost employment and inclusive growth”. Credit rating agency Standard & Poor’s said Morocco faced high risks because its economy was imbalanced in some areas and credit quality was uneven.

The private sector
The Justice and Development Party (PJD), a party of moderate Islamists which won the most seats in the elections and will lead the next government, says it wants to streamline regulations and bureaucratic procedures to attract greater involvement by private investors in big development projects.
Such projects include an extension of Tangier port, a national highway construction plan and electrification of villages. Lahcen Daodi, the PJD’s second-in-command and one of its economic experts, said that private sector involvement was needed because the state did not have the resources to finance the extensive infrastructure projects on its own.

“You will see that the contribution of partnerships between the private and the public sectors to the financing of development projects will increase,” said Industry and Trade Minister Ahmed Reda Chami, from the Socialist Union of People’s Forces (USFP). Since the PJD did well in the polls, it plans to form a ruling coalition with the USFP and two other opposition parties.

There appears to be agreement in principle across most political parties on making it easier for the private sector to operate. The Coalition for Democracy, which groups eight parties competing against the PJD, also says it wants legal and bureaucratic reforms to reassure investors. Morocco “needs to tidy up the business climate”, said Coalition official Lahcen Haddad, noting that Moroccan courts took 500 days on average to solve a typical commercial dispute. Another broad area of agreement among the parties is the need to crack down on corruption.”Corruption costs the economy 15bn dirhams ($1.8bn) per year or two percent of our GDP. The budget deficit is expected to stand at 4 percent of GDP in 2012,” said the PJD’s Daodi.

The new parliament is expected to give more powers to the country’s anti-corruption watchdog and anti-trust authority to initiate investigations into improper behaviour. The agencies’ heads have been appointed by the king but will report to the new government.

Difficult decisions ahead
Some of the parties’ goals may be contradictory, however. Many of the parties say they are considering levying a percentage of the turnover of telecommunications firms and profits at banks, and increasing the tax on cement, to raise cash for a 2bn dirham fund to address the needs of 8.5 million destitute Moroccans. Depending on their size, such levies could alarm the private sector. And some reforms which parliament pushes are likely to run into stiff opposition. For example, politicians across the spectrum agree that reforming Morocco’s bloated and inefficient judiciary is vital to improving the business climate, but this will require taking on entrenched and powerful interests. “There are some people (in the judiciary) who benefit from the current situation,” said the coalition’s spokesman Haddad.

Other reforms may be too controversial for parliament to tackle. Haddad said making it easier and cheaper for companies to lay off workers when necessary was key to improving the business climate, but would be the most difficult reform to achieve. Trade unions may strongly oppose it through their representatives in parliament.

Similarly, tax reform is on the cards of many political parties; both the PJD and the Coalition propose raising income tax on high-earning Moroccans while lowering it for the middle class. But the parties acknowledge big tax hikes for the rich could hurt the economy’s savings rate, so there appears to be limited room for such reform.

The trickiest issue of all, which parliament looks unlikely to address decisively, is the government’s social spending. In response to this year’s uprisings in the Arab world, the government has tried to buy stability by boosting its subsidies in areas such as food and fuel; such spending has risen to an estimated 5.5 percent of GDP from an initially budgeted 2.1 percent. The IMF reckons that will raise this year’s budget deficit to 5.7 percent of GDP, the highest in a decade.

Financing a high budget deficit may become more complicated because Moroccan banks “are already highly leveraged” and their lending to the government could hurt liquidity elsewhere in the economy, said Liz Martins, senior economist at HSBC Bank Middle East.

Aid from international donors, mostly from the European Union, “cannot be relied upon, and external bond markets are likely to demand high yields amid what is happening in the euro zone,” she added. But cutting subsidies would be a controversial and risky act for the new parliament; parties worry they could lose public support just as political reforms are giving them more room to compete for power. The parties’ platforms include many steps that would actually increase government spending, such as ensuring better healthcare and raising the minimum wage.

There is a broad consensus on the need to cut the budget deficit to four percent by 2013 and three percent by 2016 at the latest, but for now, many parties are exploring opportunities for efficiency savings and changes to employment policy in the public sector rather than major cuts in public spending.Reforming subsidies “will have to be considered for the long term”, said Haddad.

The PJD appears to be focusing on ways to pay for the subsidies rather than on reducing them. Daodi said that his party would raise half the funds needed, or 20bn dirhams, as early as in 2012 from a range of higher taxation, such as an increase in value added tax on luxury products and a tax on barren land.

Green conferences in Amsterdam

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

Socially responsible enterprise is a hot topic in Europe currently and is subsequently coming to prominence in the convention industry. Add up the effects of air miles, car kilometres, kilos of paper, furnishings and promotional materials, and let’s not forget the half eaten buffets. Being ‘greener’, having a more responsible and sober approach does not have to be hard.

Amsterdam RAI is Europe’s leader in the exhibition and convention industry, and has high ambitions in the field of socially responsible enterprise. Its intention is to be the most sustainable convention centre in Europe by 2013. At the moment there are plenty of options for organising and holding a congress or meeting in a socially responsible manner from start to finish. Our clients are also increasingly looking for sustainable locations or wish to organise a sustainable event. For example, Amsterdam RAI has set up a step-by-step plan with tips for organising sustainable events. This tool enables organisers and exhibitors to make an event as sustainable as possible.

Sustainable catering
The sustainability policy is also expressed in Amsterdam RAI’s catering from the sustainable coffee it serves – some 1.5 million cups annually – to waste processing and the training of young cooks as part of a regional catering concept ‘Hartverwarmend Amsterdam’ [Heartwarming Amsterdam]. The coffee selected to be Amsterdam RAI’s standard since 2011 is Tierra Intenso from Lavazza. This makes the RAI the first convention centre in Europe to serve this 100 percent sustainable coffee to all its guests.

‘Hartverwarmend’ Amsterdam
Amsterdam RAI’s kitchen consciously decided to use, where possible, regional products with added value and to remove vulnerable ingredients from its standard menus. The choices in this concept differ, but the products always provide added value to the region or society in general. Care farms for psychiatric day care or education, small local farms, urban greenhouses and cheese farms from the local area are suppliers, but also inspirations. This supports and utilises vulnerable products from our urbanised surroundings which are fabulous, unusual, local and seasonal. Amsterdam RAI has already received various certificates. For instance, it has been awarded the ‘Zuiderzeezilver’ certificate which indicates that Amsterdam RAI guarantees the use of sustainably caught freshwater fish such as pikeperch. If packaging and disposables have to be used, then biodegradable and natural materials such as bamboo, coconut or palm leaves are utilised whenever possible.

Greenest convention centre
Amsterdam RAI is the greenest convention centre in Europe and has been awarded two important certificates in this respect: the Gouden Green Key [Gold Green Key] and the international Silver Earth Check certificate (formerly referred to as Green Globe). In June 2009 Amsterdam RAI won the Sustainable Initiative of the Year Award for its socially responsible enterprise policy at the international AEO Excellence Awards. The company’s social involvement is evident from the sponsoring of good causes, such as AMREF Flying Doctors and the Dutch EMMA Children’s Hospital. Amsterdam RAI has also been awarded the ISO-14001 certificate. It is the first convention centre in the Netherlands to achieve this internationally accepted standard for environmental management systems. ISO-14001 assists companies in meeting environmental regulations and laws, and reducing their impact on the environment. Achieving ISO-14001 accreditation is entirely in line with Amsterdam RAI’s high CSR ambitions.

110 years event experience
Besides the sustainable policy, there are a whole host of other reasons for organising an event in Amsterdam RAI. With 110 years of experience in organising and hosting events, Amsterdam RAI is one of Europe’s most attractive and innovative exhibition complexes. It hosts over 50 national and international conferences, 70 (trade) exhibitions, events and over 1,000 smaller conferences, meetings, presentations and other gatherings a year.

The convention centre has recently been upgraded and restyled. The fully air-conditioned RAI complex covers a total exhibition area of 87,000sq m (936,460sq ft). All the eleven halls are conveniently interconnected, with state-of-the-art IT Infrastructure. The congress centre comprises 48 congress and conference rooms with a capacity up to 1,750 people. In addition, the state-of-the-art ballroom offers event space of up to 1,883sq m (20,268sq ft). When more capacity is needed, the exhibitions halls can be fitted out as fully fledged conference halls. The staff speak many languages and they are dedicated to making your event a success.

Location, location, location
The success of Amsterdam RAI is in part due to its excellent location: the largest exhibition and convention centre in the Netherlands is just eight minutes from Schiphol Airport and Amsterdam city centre. Amsterdam RAI’s location means that it can be reached inside a day from across Europe. The airport, the hotels and downtown Amsterdam are all nearby. The convention centre is located just south of Amsterdam’s centre. Just a few minutes from the city centre, Amsterdam RAI is easy to reach by car or public transport and has ample parking facilities inside and outside the venue.

As Amsterdam is a surprisingly compact city with excellent public transport, travelling around is quick and easy. Amsterdam is the ideal place for planning an extra informal meeting with your colleagues. What about arranging to meet up in one of the 51 museums, many of them within walking distance of the city centre? Or in one of the 25 beautiful old courtyards, 1,215 pavement cafés or 55 theatres. After a busy day you might appreciate a relaxing stroll back to one of the 350 excellent hotels to take your mind off things.

For more information please visit www.rai.nl

The Kinetica Art Fair, London 2012

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

Living artwork, creations that come to life and experiential installations will be on show for the remarkable Kinetica Art Fair 2012; the UK’s only art fair dedicated to kinetic, robotic, sound, light and time-based art. The vibrant event, now in its fourth year, is also one of the major opportunities to see and buy kinetic art in the world, where leading artists and galleries from around the globe will exhibit work that blends science, technology, nature and new media to create astonishing and often breathtaking creations.

With the increasing advancement and development of a scientific and technological culture, it is only natural that many contemporary artists have crossed the plateau from ‘fine art disciplines’ into ‘multi-disciplinary new media’ with artworks that utilise and warp technology itself, to explore, nurture and comment on our evolutionary processes. Emerging from a cultural need to showcase and provide a platform for contemporary artists working in these new media, as well as to re-present significant pieces from our recent past, Kinetica focuses on work that essentially makes suggestions and contributions towards human evolution including alternative insight and reaction to scientific and universal exploration.

Work from Kinetica Art Fair’s new artists scheme, Oxygen, will also be on sale. Oxygen provides a new showcase for a diverse range of work from emerging artists from across contemporary kinetic, electronic and new media art and offers their work for sale.

Time and transformation
Time, transformation and energy, is the theme for this year’s exhibition and events programme. The year 2012 is an auspicious year in the Mayan calendar that marks 21 December 2012 as the end of a 5,000 year old era and a time of change. Time, transformation and energy are tenants of kinetic art. They are also fundamental parts of human life and existence. The ancient, yet supremely accurate Maya had a distinct relationship with the solar system. The connections between space, science, nature, astrology and the artistic interpretations of time, transformation and energy will be explored throughout the feature exhibition.

Tickets start at £12 and work on sale ranges in price from £40 – £35,000 – so there’s plenty for all wallet sizes. A full programme of talks, groundbreaking performances and special events will also take place.

About Kinetic Art
Kinetic art is art that has a life of its own. It was pioneered by world-famous artists including Maholy Nagy, Jean Tinguely, Marcel Duchamp and Alexander Calder during the 1900s. The earliest attempt to incorporate kinetics in an artwork was Moholy-Nagy’s Space-Light Modulator, a sculpture producing moving shadows made at the Bauhaus between 1922 and 1930 and certain Constructivist works including Marcel Duchamp’s Rotary Glass Plate and Rotary Demisphere (Precision Optics), and Alexander Calder’s motorised sculptures from the 1930s.

The expression kinetic art was used from the mid-1950s onward. It referred to an international trend followed by artists such as Soto, Takis, Agam and Schoffer. Some Kinetic artists also worked in the field of Op Art. Their works were influenced by a modernist aesthetic and could be made with contemporary materials (e.g., aluminium, plastic, neon). Most kinetic works were moving geometric compositions. In Italy artists belonging to Gruppo N, founded in Padua in 1959 (including Biasi, Costa and Massironi, among others), carried out experiments with light, projections and reflections associated with movement, time and space.

The members of the French group GRAV, which included Le Parc, Morellet and Sobrino and was established in the 1960s in Paris, created optical and kinetic environments that disturbed and interfered with meanings and relations to space.

The term kineticism broadened the concept of Kinetic Art to all artistic works involving movement. It applies to all those artists today who work with any kind of movement in relation to space, time, energy and matter.

Modern contemporary kinetic and electronic artworks utilise and warp technology itself, to explore, nurture and comment on our evolutionary processes and challenge scientific and universal exploration.

About the venue
The 2012 Kinetica Art Fair will be held at Ambika P3, a magnificent 14,000sq ft triple height subterranean space in central London, converted from the vast former concrete construction hall for the University of Westminster’s School of Engineering. Built in the 1960s, its dramatic and impressive scale and many retained industrial features offer an unprecedented environment for the exhibition of multi-disciplinary and performative art on show. It is conveniently located below ground opposite Baker Street Tube Station on Marylebone Road.

For more information about tickets, purchases and the exhibitors, please visit:
www.kinetica-museum.org

Luxury apartments in Vienna

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

Twenty-six elegantly furnished apartments with Concierge Service, sized 31–59sq m are waiting to be discovered at Boarding House OrchideenPark, the exclusive apartment estate in Vienna’s finest district.

Demand for premium rental housing with hotel-like services looks set to continue to increase sharply. Future housing will have to take on stronger individual identities. For example, the composition of home areas for entertainment, residence, and relaxation is very important. Consumer behavior will depend more on the little things. Working people with busy schedules increasingly seek help in their day-to-day chores, such as dry-cleaning pick-up, room service etc. What better idea than to have a concierge in your apartment building? The first impression counts and that certainly will become more and more the case in the future – the home’s atmosphere must begin at the front door and be immediately convincing.

Boarding House OrchideenPark in Vienna offers elegantly furnished apartments with a concierge service for short or long-term stays. This is a compelling alternative to a traditional hotel stay. Usually, hotel rooms make you feel crowded for lack of space and storage. However, the apartments at Boarding House OrchideenPark are equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, living room, DVD Player, TV-set and a yard for you to enjoy a relaxing breakfast. Do your laundry, cook a meal, and invite guests to your apartment. Plenty of natural light, premium oak parquet floors, as well as real Carrara marble in the bathroom render a classy atmosphere. Here, you truly are home away from home and boarding House OrchideenPark is perfect for business travellers and visitors alike.

When you first enter the OrchideenPark lobby, the concierge team will welcome you to a new world and help you with whatever you may need. The team serves as your messenger, deals with officials on your behalf and contacts service providers with your requests. The concierge team also has the expertise to help you get what you want with ticket reservation, restaurant recommendations, dry cleaning services and more. So far, this kind of personalised service has only been available at top-class hotels – at Boarding House OrchideenPark you actually live as if you were at home on holiday.

The on-site Fitness Studio is the ideal athletic counterpoint to your everyday life as well as the sauna and the spa. The outdoor pool awaits you in summer.

Boarding House OrchideenPark is located in the quiet residential area “Döbling” of Vienna. Various well-known destinations can be reached on daytrips, like the wine village Grinzing, as well as the recreational value obtained at the “Vienna Woods”. The estate is surrounded with excellent public transport connections such as metro (line to the City Center), tram and various buses.

Experience five-star treatment with personal flair at a convincing price. Rates start at f59 per apartment and night, at a minimum stay of 30 nights, including amenities like gas, water, electricity, heat, change of bedding and cleaning once a week.

Boarding House OrchideenPark – Temporary Living
Püchlgasse 1A-1D
1190 Vienna, Austria
Phone: +43/1/236 29 88 10
concierge@orchideenpark.at
www.ig-boardinghouse.at

Timeless quality

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

Hotel Antiq lies in the heart of the historial centre of Ljubljana, capital of Slovenia. On the subject of history, guests will find the great influence of the past on Antiq Hotel is certainly surprising. One might even claim that it gave the hotel an inner spirit, one that cannot be overlooked.

In the times of Roman Empire, Emona (modern Ljubljana) was a key strategic settlement. At that time and on the exact spot where Hotel Antiq stands today, there was a military metal crafting workshop. We know how time can be fatal to almost every material; however the four stones survived 2,000 years and are a proof of the existence of the building in Roman times. Today, the hotel personnel carefully look after those four artefacts and proudly show them off to guests.

Later during the Middle Ages, the site hosted a small carpenter shop, which was actually a milestone for Hotel Antiq. When deciding about the hotel’s renovation, its owners were so impressed by the varied history of Ljubljana that they decided they would incorporate this into the hotel’s design. Today, every piece of furniture in Hotel Antiq is Bidermayer-styled, all pictures have gilded borders and all curtains reflect its ancient luxury. These features mean that Hotel Antiq features top among lists of boutique hotels globally, being also the first such hotel in Ljublijana.

That being said, Hotel Antiq offers a remarkable hotel experience one will hardly forget. On top of that, the hotel surprises with a unique service where one can step into the shoes of a 16th-century craftsman by booking the so-called ‘middle age’ rooms. (The hotel suggests that interested guests contact the 24-hour hotel reception prior to booking middle age rooms for more information about this service).

The hotel offers 16 rooms, just below Ljubljana castle clock, where guests can enjoy peace and quiet after a long business schedule. At the same time, it is only a breath away from everything that makes Ljubljana so special – Plecnik architecture, Triple Bridge, Dragon Bridge, the Castle, main market, Sunday flea markets and huge range of fine restaurants.

Antiq Hotel also offers a unique boutique business room equipped according to the clients’ preferences. This offers space to small groups for group work, conferences, catering, business breakfasts and dinners as well as customised coffee breaks and all equipment needed for presentations, business breakfasts and meetings of up to 20 people.

Not one to simpy offer just bed and breakfast, the hotel offers so much more and welcomes guests every season with special packages designed for both business and pleasure. Antiq Hotel is an excellent choice for those ready to treat their senses to an unforgettable experience. With a wide selection of local foods and wines, you can even offer your loved one a ‘Night to Remember’ in a special suite with a sunny terrace.

Good service is provided with a friendly smile and helpful staff are always on hand to provide information so you can be sure of your very own slice of boutique hospitality.

Antiq Hotel d.o.o.
Gornji Trg 3
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
Tel:00386 1 421 35 60
Fax:00386 1 421 35 65
Email contact: info@antiqhotel.eu

Crowning moments

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

The Crowne Plaza Bratislava is a well-established property, centrally located on the edge of the Old Town and opposite the Presidential Palace. The hotel takes pride in representing the young, upcoming city of Bratislava, and is located only 35 minutes from Vienna Airport and just minutes away from Bratislava Airport.

The 224 guest rooms, including 15 suites, boast every comfort and guarantee an unforgettable visit. All rooms and suites are fully equipped with the latest technology and free high-speed internet access. The Crowne Plaza Bratislava offers you superb facilities that combine the benefits of an exclusive club with the all-round hospitality of a deluxe business hotel. The Club Floor can be found on the top floor of the hotel. The Club rooms and facilities are designed with comfort and relaxation in mind, but when it is time to catch up on some work, no effort has been spared to ensure that all the required facilities are close at hand.

The Crowne Plaza has launched the Sleep Advantage programme with new beds and bed linen, and advice from Dr Chris Idzikowski – an expert on sleep and the Director of the Edinburgh Sleep Centre. The hotel will do everything possible to make sure you get a good night’s sleep. In designated quiet zones, no housekeeping or engineering activities are carried out from 9pm to 10am. The hotel guarantees a wake-up call within five minutes of your requested time, or your room is free. The hotel also offers This Works aromatherapy essential oils. These include a roll-on Breathe In product made with frankincense and eucalyptus, and a Deep Calm pillow spray with lavender and chamomile.

Dining at the Crowne Plaza Bratislava is an unforgettable experience. Try the international specialties with a local touch in Fresh! or have a coffee with a delicious dessert at the Plaza Bar. Fresh! restaurant offers great dishes made from the freshest ingredients; all the herbs and some vegetables are grown at the hotel’s garden located at the ground floor terrace in the middle of the hotel so guests are able to see just how fresh the ingredients are. Enjoy a quiet breakfast and watch as the Old Town awakens around you – or have a great Sunday brunch with a delicious variety of breakfast and lunch menu items. The lobby area and Plaza Bar are always busy with people chatting and light streaming through the large windows.

For guests that like to explore something different, the hotel offers a wide range of hand-rolled cigars and a hand-picked selection of whiskey and cognac brands at the Cigar Lounge. The 17 event rooms hold more than 1,200sq m of meeting space and are appropriate for every kind of meeting, conference or reception. The Crowne Plaza Bratislava is the perfect meeting place where hospitality and professionalism work side-by-side with contemporary standards and sophisticated technology.

The meeting rooms offer many possibilities to organise events of any size and include a ballroom with the capacity for 350 people theatre-style. Most meeting rooms have daylight and can be connected and adjusted according to your preference. The Bratislava Boardroom has a unique concept: it is a large, panelled room with a circular boardroom table and traditional chairs. Besides the working area, there is also a chill-out area with comfortable chairs and coffee tables in the same room to ensure the meeting is self-contained. The Crowne Plaza Bratislava offers a great stay in the centre of Bratislava – the heart of Europe.

Crowne Plaza Bratislava, Hodzovo namestie 2
816 25 Bratislava, Slovakia
Tel: +421 2 5934 8111
Fax: +421 2 5443 3265
e-mail: btsha.reservations@ihg.com
www.crowne-plaza.sk; www.ihg.com

A privileged position

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

D-Hotel Maris will welcome its first guests in spring 2012 after a complete renovation – and with an absolutely amazing experience for guests. The resort is a paradise where the Aegean Sea meets the Mediterranean, surrounded by luscious pine forests, small islands and bronze volcanic mountains. D-Hotel Maris offers some of the best views in Turkey. Its 156,000sq m grounds are located in a unique reservation area of the beautiful Datça Peninsula, situated high on the hillside with breathtaking vistas of a crystal clear sea and five beautiful and natural beaches that have been awarded with Blue Flag status.

The new hotel design was completed by Singapore firm SCDA Architects together with Turkish architect firm MIDEK, and combines exotic elements of the East and the modernity of the West by adding interesting elements with minimalistic style. The bed & breakfast resort offers guests 200 luxurious and elegant guest rooms with a choice of impressive views – spectacular sea view or calm and unobstructed mountain view, suites, one Presidential Suite and a Villa. All rooms were specially designed for the ultimate escape and relaxation, whilst most rooms feature a bathtub and balcony overlooking the sea or nearby mountains.

Guests booking suites will experience the Executive Club Lounge access. Executive Club Lounge is a spacious private Lounge on the eighth floor, offering the best views of the bay combining privacy, personalised attention, dedicated vacation concierge services, and food and beverage presentations throughout the day.

Dining options with a calm, refined atmosphere and personalised service, include the Breakfast restaurant, two a la carte restaurants serving Aegean cuisine, Ottoman Asian cuisine and a Beach restaurant, where innovative menus are prepared with creativity and the highest standards of culinary art.

Seven bars are located around the resort area, serving guests refreshing cocktails, and entertaining them with live music or DJ performance during evening hours.

The resort carries the area’s best water sport facilities like water skiing, wakeboard, sailing school with the ability to issue International sailing licenses, and Diving center.

For those guests who love spa, D-Hotel Maris has a surprise. In the heart of this stunning resort lies an oasis of peace and tranquility. The spa, designed by ESPA, is the ideal escape from the stresses and strains of everyday life, helping to relax, inwind and rejuvenate. Indulgent treatment suites provide a heaven of relaxation, where expert therapists perform specialised facials and targeted body treatments, using award-winning ESPA products.

D-Hotel Maris also owns a private helicopter which is available for airport transfers and air excursions, two motor yachts and custom-made 100 ft sailing yacht. All are available for rent.

The resort is 130km from Dalaman International airport, 155km from Bodrum International airport and just 35km from the city of Marmaris.

D-Hotel Maris
P.O. Box 119, Datça Yolu Hisarönü Mevkii
Marmaris/Muˆgla 48700 Turkey
Tel + 90 252 441 2000
Fax + 90 252 436 9228
E-Mail:info@dhotel.com.tr
Website: www.dhotel.com.tr

Just the ticket

Posted on by Charlotte Gill

When organising a professional meeting at Disneyland Paris – Business Solutions, a team dedicated to professional clients, will follow you step by step for a unique and unforgettable experience. The Business Solutions team can help you develop an exclusive event to help your business reach its potential, bring staff up to speed with your latest innovations, create productive engagement during an exhibition or sales force incentivisation and ideal conditions for good business and educational impacts.

Whatever your group size, take advantage of Disney’s expertise and you’ll experience leading service quality and memorable moments every time. On site you will find all the facilities you need – and there’s no need to plan transfers as any venue can be reached by foot.

Up to 23,500sq m of meeting space is available, including two conference centres, 95 meeting rooms and three event venues for up to 4,000 delegates. These areas have been specially designed to meet professional needs and include state-of-the-art technical equipment for sound, lighting, video and telecommunications and high-speed Wi-Fi access.

During the day, you may thank or federate your teams by taking part in team building activities. You can choose from Trappers Team, Anahita adventures, Speedboats challenge, Ecolympics, Raid Disney, adventures, treasure hunts in the fabulous settings of the Disney Parks, Murder Parties, 27-hole golf games and much more. Whether the activities are fun, sporty, artistic or environmental, your participants will live unique moments that will cement their team spirit lastingly.

Later if you’re looking for an original and innovatve networking place, why not privatise one of the two theme parks exclusively for dinner? With unlimited access to selected attractions, innovative and flexible catering options as well as special entertainment tailored to your wish, your participants will enjoy a memorable evening.

From 50 participants onwards, the possibilities are unlimited and include, among others, an elegant dinner in the African jungle, a Western feast in the heart of the American Wild West or a gala evening in the splendour and glamour of Hollywood.

Catering and dining are essential in the organisation of an event. You can choose from specially conceived menus that include French, international and creative cuisine. The chefs go along with clients throughout the day, from breakfast to dinner, including of course coffee breaks and cocktails.

Access to the venue is unrivalled thanks to a daily direct Eurostar service from London St Pancras in two hours and 35 minutes. From Paris you may reach Disneyland Paris in 35 minutes by RER, and the park is ten minutes from Charles de Gaulle airport via TGV.

The Disney advantages
Easy access: Ideally located 35 mins from Paris and its two international airports with onsite Eurostar/TGV/RER stations
An all-in-one venue: Optimisation of time and budget, everything can be reached by foot
Meeting and leisure facilities: Two convention centres – 23,500sq m of flexible meeting space,
8,200 rooms distributed over 14 hotels and two Theme Parks for evening events from 50 persons upwards
Disney Service Quality: Over 200 professionals at your service, 97 percent of customers satisfied

For more information, contact :
Marion Rudloff
marion.rudloff@disney.com
0208 222 1378
www.disneylandparis-business.com