| The Chancery Rosewood is the talk of hoteliers here in London and I used to visit Finnish-American Eero Saarinen's US Embassy building in the 1990s, on behalf of the Bank of England. We drank in the basement bar with Embassy staff & US Marines would come to tell you when it was time to leave. I have visited the TWA Hotel at JFK, Eero Saarinen was also the architect for this, and was stunned by that magnificent building. There is an August 2022 post about that. Bentley Perfection As soon as I saw the long wheelbase Bentley waiting in the Barbican to collect me, I knew I was in for a very special stay. Talking to driver Andrei on the journey confirmed this. A Very Happy Welcome from Familiar Faces I was welcomed to the 144 suite David Chipperfield redesigned The Chancery Rosewood at 24 - 31 Grosvenor Square by Nicole & Conor, who I knew from Pan Pacific, London, and my Butler Lidia. The grand ceremonial staircase, and hotel lobby, are very impressive. Checked-in in my Stunning Suite Butler Lidia undertook an in suite check-in, while pouring me a glass of Pol Roger champagne. Does life get much better than that. There was a special cocktail for Issy too, as well as a vest made for him out of the green patterned fabric the hotel's pyjamas (which cost US$1,100) are made from. The pattern includes an eagle motif and an 18 Century map of Grosvenor Square. The Weekend Financial Times & New York Times were all waiting for me. My initials were not just on the pillow but on the suite key card and a bathroom towel too. Loved the smell of the 'Never Go Alone' bath products in my huge marble bathroom and the fact they were made in Somerset. GSQ: A Delicatessen with Outside Seating Overlooking Grosvenor Square Lunch was a Reuben sandwich sitting outside in the hotel's delicatessen GSQ. Delicious but difficult to eat in a dignified manner. The dressing on the side salad was mouth-wateringly good. |     |
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 Hair by Gino at Truefitt & Hill; tie from Hermes; shirt from Turnbull & Asser; suit from Ede & Ravenscroft and experience from the Bank of England; Bermuda; Qatar; Cyprus; Cayman Islands & at Citi I am proud to be able to announce that in July 2022 I joined the Board of Jordan International Bank Plc. As an Independent Non-Executive Director, I Chair this UK bank's Audit Committee & also sit on their Risk Committee.
I view this as a great honour and a chance to fully utilise the experience I gained at the Bank of England; in Bermuda; Qatar; Cyprus; Cayman Islands and at Citi. Next week I head to Panama; Colombia & New York. In Bogota I will stay at Four Seasons and in New York at Four Seasons, Downtown and Mandarin Oriental, Manhattan.  A combination of the refined taste of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser & the David Collins Studio mean Mandarin Oriental, Msheireb, Doha is a jewel of a hotel.
My stay blew my mind but I tried to do too much. I managed to meet a number of former colleagues, and important contacts, but there was no time to see Saif Al Thani, who I used to mentor. As I had to tell him, next time. Still miss my butler Fiona; treasure my Mandarin Oriental yukata (Japanese robe); ate the best 'club floor food' of my life in the MO Club and cannot compliment hotel Manager Thomas enough. We first met at Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok and he is a consummate hotel professional. It was also an honour to, finally, meet GM Martin. Lastly I HAVE to thank Chef Jonas for my personalised raspberry sorbet. A '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) better than perfect stay. Hope the photos below explain this from the balloons in my Maybach; to the rose petals & Media Room in my suite; nitrogen frozen fruit treats by the pool; my face on the ice cream tubs and a farewell like no other. Tips: order the a la carte dumplings at breakfast; make sure you can use the MO Club and visit AmBAR & Gelato.  I felt very privileged to be staying at Four Seasons, Doha, as Qatar prepared to host the 2022 World Cup.
This Four Seasons has a very special place in my heart. I moved to Qatar in 2005, just as it was opening and got to know Four Seasons legend Simon Casson, its first GM. The Pierre-Yves Rochon refurbishment has lightened & refreshed the whole look and Hermes bath products are a welcome change. However, the refurbishment is not yet complete & so a detailed account is not appropriate. I would like to thank Milos for looking after my friends & me so well, including refreshing my Veuve Clicquot champagne and GM Shadi for our fascinating chat. I have sent the hotel some suggestions (eg reintroduce frozen grapes at the pool) and hope to stay again, after the Libary Bar & Cigar Lounge has reopened. Hope the photos below explain why this was a '6 teddy' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) stay, despite the on-going refurbishment. Tips:- this is a resort hotel & so your sleep may be disturbed by music. If the lights from the new fire prevention systems cause problems, alert the hotel, they can do something to reduce this problem.  Real champagne & this food on a less than one hour flight. Cannot recommend 'flydubai' enough. My Burj Khalifa host in Dubai warned me not to expect much from flydubai Business Class on this short flight. I was thrilled to find that, for once, he was wrong.
The journey to Dubai World Central ('DWC')/ Al Maktoum International Airport is longer but was a dream in my Tesla Model X with Falcon Wing doors. Check-in was COVID-19 stressful but, armed with perfect advice from Natallia at Four Seasons, Doha, it ended up being fine. The 'flydubai' Business Class lounge at DWC was spacious with hot food, 'free' alcoholic drinks and spotlessly clean. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines at Schipol to note. On the short flight the crew could not have been more helpful. Even helping me plug my iPhone 12 Pro into the power, without me having to ask. With real champagne and delicious snacks, the flight was too short. At Hamad International Airport Immigration in Doha I had problems with the Iris Recognition again. After similar problems arriving in Dubai, I started wonder if the comments that my eyes being blue/ too small was an issue could be right. The Four Seasons, Doha BMW was waiting for me at the other end and it all worked like clockwork. Hope the photos below help to justify why this was a true '6 teddy' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) experience that I would strongly recommend. Tip:- get good COVID-19 advice before travelling and then stick to this, if challenged. April 2022 & The Promise of New Possibilities to Build a Brighter Future - London/ Shrewsbury28/4/2022  Veuve Clicquot managed to trademark the 'yellow' colour Pantone 137c used since 1877 & I am proud to have a mug commemorating this and their 250th Anniversary. I have completed my contract with Citi and am now on a break. I intend to use the next few months to help mum more and visit friends in Dubai, Doha & Panama.
So excited that I will get to stay on the 70th Floor of the Burj Khalifa.; in a suite at the refurbished Four Seasons, Doha & at the new Mandarin Oriental, Doha. Just as in Madrid, I will be able to compare the Four Seasons & Mandarin offerings. April 2022 has been quite a month. I have eaten the best Easter Egg of my life at The Ivy, West Street. It was filled with creamy passion fruit & served on a Kataif nest. My Veuve Clicquot breakfast at 'The Sunny Side Up Cafe' pop-up was memorable too. Chef Andi (Andrea) Oliver's Waffles with spiced maple syrup were delicious and hearing Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin's reinterpretation of The Beatles song 'Good Day Sunshine', celebrating #SolaireCulture, was inspiring. Hope you enjoy the photos below & I am looking forward to some more '7 teddy' experiences over the new few months.  The brunch at this hotel is regarded as one of the best in Qatar & was even better on this stay. I lived in Qatar for more than 9 years & was a 'founding' member of the Doha Four Seasons' spa. I, therefore, had to make this hotel, & seeing my incredible Qatar based friends, part of my GCC Tour.
I was so glad I did. It was a perfect way to 'close my relationship with Qatar'. |
The AuthorsSi Frew has lived in the UK, Bermuda, Qatar, Cyprus & the Cayman Islands. During this time he met Whoopi Goldberg (in Claridge's), Mike Tyson (in the Concorde Lounge at JFK) , Gordon Ramsay (in the Doha Four Seasons), Chris Eubanks (in The Dorchester), Cherie Blair (in Bermuda & again in the Doha Four Seasons) etc. There are funny stories attached to all these interactions, feel free to ask Si about them when you meet him. Archives
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