travelog

Paris, London & New York - December 2019 to January 2020

17/2/2020

It was awesome to finally meet energetic GM Susanne at Mandarin Oriental New York & Director of Guest Relations Mark there was a joy to chat with.

Sorry for my silence but I have been very busy with Banking Consultant related issues.

I have constructive feedback for Virgin Atlantic Upper Class re: the large inflexible dining table that is part of their new A350 configuration and the surrender of Four Seasons control to Wolfgang Puck over the CUT bar at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown.

At the same time I must highlight the Grant Achatz truffle cocktail sent to my Central Park view 49th floor suite at Mandarin Oriental New York; the truffle cheeses, with grated fresh black & white truffles and Bresaola air-dried, salted beef from Uruguay to welcome me at my Hudson suite at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown Town and chilled bottles of Veuve Clicquot champagne at both hotels.

Also need to thank Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park for the roast duck congee breakfast, being added to their menu the following week, to celebrate Chinese New Year in London.

Will upload photos re: all this when I have more time but feel free to ask me about all this, when you see me.

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LVMH, Mandarin Oriental, Dorchester Collection & Four Seasons - London, UK - June/July 2019

4/7/2019

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Over the last few months, other than a weekend in Berlin to celebrate the 50th birthday of some awesome friends of mine, & two weekends in Shropshire, to help dad with his new laptop & attend his birthday party, I have been helping the London based sister of Lord Foley (who I met in Bangkok) with a London focused luxury project.

During the course of this I have been stunned by the help and support I have received from friends at LVMH, Mandarin Oriental, Dorchester Collection & Four Seasons.

At the same time I have been working on my future as a Banking Consultant & I have been approached about roles.

This email, from a friend at LVMH, who I met while working in Cayman Islands, made my day.

I first met Mandarin Oriental GM Amanda in Bangkok & always adore our meetings.

I first met 45 Park Lane GM John when I was working in Qatar. On this occasion he asked me to try their new proposed shower gel.

Four Seasons @ Park Lane GM Lynn is always a perfect source of useful practical advice.

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Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park is Back & Better Than Ever - London, UK - May 2019

16/5/2019

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Remarkable GM Amanda, my stunning breakfast view of Hyde Park and the Plaza Hotel, New York Merrythought teddy bear that got me think about my London - New York Concorde flight.

I have settled back into my London life. Personal training with Bart at Virgin Active, Barbican and enjoying my swims there.

I am living in my redecorated Barbican place again, with its Dorchester Hotel bed, personalised Frette sheets from Harrods, new Ligne Roset table from Heal's etc. Just the 'Four Seasons at Park Lane' window boxes to recreate again.

Since I moved back to London Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park has officially reopened. I visited on the day this occurred. On that, notable, occasion I met Rodolphe & Marco in the Mandarin Bar and was served a divine truffle gin martini that was not yet on the menu. Legendary GM Amanda also came for an inspiring chat.

On my second visit I brought one of my unbelievable friends from Shropshire and got to try more cocktails and snacks being developed for the menu and was presented with a Mandarin Oriental teddy bear, MO tie pin and MO key ring, to add to my MO clufflinks from Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur.

On my latest visit I decided to try their Hyde Park breakfast with Moet champagne, a choice of truffles or caviar and a spectacular view of Hyde Park. Breakfast ended up being better than I could possibly have imagined. Even the bellhops on the lobby stairs greeted me by name, the gorgeous dining room is so bright and impressive, the other guests as refined as I found before the deeply unfortunate fire and Amanda and her staff (eg Silvia the House Manager) seem reinvigorated/improved, what a contrast with when The Savoy in London reopened.

Hope the photos below help you to understand why it was such a special day.

A '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) hotel, with '7 teddy' staff and a '7 teddy' champagne/truffle breakfast.

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An Epic Return to the UK - September 2018

16/9/2018

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Finding a Rolls-Royce on my return from Cayman Islands turned what could have been a fraught experience into a pleasure.

Flying American Airlines First Class, & staying at The Dorchester, meant I had to return from Cayman Islands to find a Rolls-Royce.

The Dorchester helped me celebrate by giving me one of their gorgeous Dorchester suites again, hotel legend Amanda Hyndman met with me, I (finally) met Four Seasons' Lynn Brutman, Dorchester butlers repacked my luggage beautifully and some of my best friends from my 10 years in Qatar joined me for drinks.

🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻(7 out of 5 ‘teddies’) - no return to the UK could have been better. I must thank Robert, Janice & Emily at The Dorchester, John at 45 Park Lane, Lynn & Irene at Four Seasons at Park Lane & Amanda Hyndman at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park for all they did to make my welcome back to the UK so special.

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Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London: Class You Cannot Buy - London, UK - April 2018

30/4/2018

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Gwyn from The Going, Issy and Robert (named after the new Dorchester GM I had met that morning) in The Rosebery Lounge.

This 'Celebrity Fan' stayed at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London before its recent refurbishment and was eager to see what the over GBP85MN spent had achieved.

Marie (the hotel's PR Director) and Ines were kind enough to give me a tour and even arranged a complimentary lunch in Bar Boulud. I have eaten there before & also in Daniel Boulud's New York places.

The refurbishment is stunning, with all the attention to detail and additional light but it was my fellow dinners in Bar Boulud that evidenced the class/caliber of this London institution of a 5 star hotel. The 'great & the good' of Bermuda always stayed there during the 6 years when I lived, and worked, in Bermuda.

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the luxury travel blog

Paris, London & New York - December 2019 to January 2020

LVMH, Mandarin Oriental, Dorchester Collection & Four Seasons - London, UK - June/July 2019

Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park is Back & Better Than Ever - London, UK - May 2019

An Epic Return to the UK - September 2018

Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London: Class You Cannot Buy - London, UK - April 2018

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