| Etihad Airways Business Class I flew from Amman, Jordan to Bangkok in Etihad Airways Business Class via Abu Dhabi. While I cannot say enough good things about the new Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi, the Business Class product in the air was disappointing. A large chunk of plastic in my breakfast on the first flight, premixed cocktails on the second flight were too sweet; poor choice of film/ TV programmes and Armani/ Casa pillows & blankets had an unpleasantly synthetic feel. The Qatar Airways Qsuite product is far superior. Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok. A Bangkok Legend & One of the World's Best Hotels From my greeting at the airport, to my white liveried driver & the lemongrass scented cold towels in the Series 7 BMW, I quickly remembered why I love & admire this historic hotel so much. The Elegant Captain Andersen Suite I spent my 5 night stay in The Captain Andersen Suite. Hans Niels Andersen created the building that opened as the Oriental Hotel in 1887. The refurbishment of Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok meant even the guest bathroom in my suite had a Toto Japanese toilet. The carpet in the bedroom of suite evidenced the extraordinary quality of the materials used in the refurbishment. My only issue was most of one wall in the bedroom being a mirror but maybe it will encourage me to drop some weight. An Iconic Pool The hotel's green & gold pool is one of my favourite hotel pools. Jeffrey, who leads the pool staff team, came to hold my hand on my first morning. I felt emotional and all this confirmed to me that this is a remarkable hotel and I am far from an ordinary customer. Mayuree, Director of Guest Relations, & I have had so many poignant conversations by that pool over the last 10 years. An Astonishing Stay From my one-on-one meeting with GM Anthony; to witnessing Her Majesty the Queen of Thailand visiting Her Majesty the Queen of Malaysia at the hotel; to my fascinating chat with Florian, Director of Rooms; to Chef Gaggan Anand's mind-blowing 22 course immersive food, light & sound show; to fireworks during my dinner at 'Blue by Alain Ducasse' in 'Icon Siam'; to meeting charming Peninsula, Bangkok MD Masahisa; to spending time with Sean from Lotus Arts de Vivre in The Bamboo Bar; to Kenny Ng taking me out to lunch, there were too many unbelievable highs on this stay. With us losing two more guys from my year at Shrewsbury School to heart attacks this year, I was glad to meet with Charlie Thomson in Dubai and help Rob Clover with his move to Qatar too on my 'Epic Trip'. I am sure the photos below will evidence why Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok is one of the best hotels in the world and also convince you it rates another unprecedented '8 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) score, despite some MO profile issues. My post about my 2018 stay explained I did not want Perrier water in my suite or cumbersome cribs. Perrier water was also an issue during my Chinese New Year stay at the Hong Kong Mandarin Oriental & became a point of humour during my stay at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid. Providing Veuve Clicquot champagne & tubes of bath products that can be taken away mitigated these issues. Tips: order a room service breakfast during your stay. Treasure my 'RS MOBKK' gift Chao; use the hotel's drivers & asked the butler service to repair items & bubble wrap items for travel. I guarantee you will be impressed. |     |
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Mandarin Oriental, New York - One of the World's Great Hotels - New York, USA - January 20248/2/2024
Charismatic GM Thomas Carreras & Four Seasons, New York, Downtown - New York, USA - January 20247/2/2024  On this trip I not only met Thomas but had the honour of meeting Russky too. Although I decided to stay in Manhattan on this trip, I had to see GM Thomas Carreras at Four Seasons, New York, Downtown.
I was so glad I made this trip. Chatting to the front desk staff, while waiting, reminded me of the quality of this hotel. Veuve Clicquot Champagne & Wolfgang Puck Food The bar was very busy but a special table had been reserved for us and we drank Veuve Clicquot champagne and snacked on Wolfgang Puck food, while chatting. We both agreed Chef Elliott Grover at 45 Park Lane is a rising star. Simon Casson came up in conversation and the next day his new role as CEO of Corinthia Hotels was announced. Meeting Thomas would always be a '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) experience but drinking Veuve Clicquot with him, with Russky with us, was even more special.
Four Seasons Downtown New York - My Best Stay There  EVER! - New York, USA - September 202222/9/2022
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.  Spot the second bottle of Veuve Clicquot for this bath experience. My stay at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz, Madrid was overshadowed by receiving the news that we had lost Bermuda legend, & close friend, Marcia Woolridge-Allwood. However, think Marcia would have loved to see the photos below and hear about my breathtaking suite with Veuve Clicquot on ice; my Dom Perignon experience with General Manager superstar Greg; a rose head bath prepared by Head Butler Claudia & her consummate professional butler team; Eugenie at the white marble & chanderliered pool; so many varieties of water, after my 'Perrier complaint' at the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong; my photo on the water bottles; the bar staff who knew me from Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park; the butler team's help with my packing of fragile items from Four Seasons, Madrid etc
Last week I was honoured to be invited to a key Mandarin Oriental party in London. At that we talked about the issues over merging the iconic Ritz, Madrid with Mandarin Oriental. My stay illustrated this is still a work in progress but will be worth it. Hope the photos below evidence all that has already been achieved. A Far Better COVID-19 Christmas 2020 Than We Expected - Shrewsbury, England - December 202028/12/2020  My beautiful niece meets Eric, the Steiff sloth; a Shropshire family Christmas calls for Tanners Wines' champagne; & my mother's expertly cooked roast goose Christmas lunch. Despite London moving to Tier 4, we managed to have another very special family Shropshire Christmas.
With fine wines chosen by dad; mum's legendary cooking and my niece there, it could not have gone any better. I gave a Chanel gift to mum; Tanners Wines & Fortnums gifts to my brother & father; a Steiff gift to my charming niece and my godson loves his Swiss Army Knife, with his name engraved on the blade. I gave some of my best gifts this year. I received Veuve Clicquot champagne; The Glenlivet whisky; Silent Pool gin; Paul Smith socks; The White Company sleep products; Elton John's new book; a personalised mug from a friend in Qatar that I treasure; an umbrella that is a piece of art from Mandarin Oriental, Hyde Park etc. So happy with all my beautiful/ thoughtful gifts too. Hope the photos below illustrate how lucky I feel to have such outstanding friends & a one-off family.  I think my charming & beautiful niece has my eyes. This photo was taken after we went to see the leaping salmon on the River Severn in Shrewsbury. October 2020 was the month when my friend Will Lyons, The Sunday Times wine critic, featured my photo in The Sunday Times Wine Club blog and my Yayoi Kusama designed La Grande Dame 2012 Veuve Clicquot arrived & it looked even more spectacular than I had hoped for.
However, it was also the month of my niece's 10th birthday & I am even more proud of the job we did making that so special and to ensure her half-term was full of fun, despite her mum having to be in Moscow & her dad in Dublin. A special mention has to go to Kerry Jones at Bloom for Budding Artists in Shrewsbury for her Yayoi Kusama inspired Halloween pumpkin prints workshop. I took it as a fortuitous omen that this was being run! Despite two trips to Shropshire to support family, ladened down with Hamleys and Fortnum & Mason gifts, I did manage to try the London 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' experience in Harrods. The room is exquisitely decorated and the staff better than in New York but the food disappointing, compared with my scrambled eggs with truffles in Manhattan. It did not help that, as the first booking of the day (10am), I had to wait outside in the cold rain for the doors of The Tiffany Blue Box Cafe at Harrods to open at 10am. I also bought Lebanese wine again in October and would encourage people do what they can support that beleaguered country. At the same, I did all I could to promote The Market Hall Shrewsbury, with its high quality fresh local produce. Before 'Lockdown 2' was announced I also managed to squeeze in a delightful afternoon tea at The Wolseley, with one of my most legendary hotel contacts; a sublime Gordon Ramsay Sunday lunch at The Savoy Grill; & collect more superb Dorchester hotel flowers from designer florist Philip Hammond. While collecting the latter, I was able to have long chats with Robert (GM of The Dorchester) and John (GM of 45 Park Lane). All this means I am now 'ready' for the next 4 weeks without visiting a hotel. With England now in COVID-19 'Lockdown 2', & the results of the US Election still uncertain, hope my photos from last month below help to raise everyone's spirits a little. Good luck to us all!  When I received this personalised Veuve Clicquot signature arrow tin with its iridescent lid, I felt confident about my 2020 birthday. The original plan was to stay at the new Four Seasons in Madrid to celebrate, I know their General Manager from New York & Hong Kong and so it would have been an exceptional trip.
Since then the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has halted travel, closed hotels, restaurants, gyms etc and changed our lives. I am now in Shrewsbury in Shropshire helping my parents with their self-isolation. My birthday will, therefore, be a small family affair. Today is my 'Birthday Eve' and so I have decided to post some photos to cheer us all up. Stay safe, healthy & positive all at this difficult time & hope the photos below make you smile too. My awesome mum will ensure I have a '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) birthday tomorrow.  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.  My niece was just as happy on Boxing Day and her UK grandma & grandpa love spending time with her. The sheer joy on my sweet niece's face, when she opened my LO.L. Surprise gift from Hamleys, summed up Christmas in Shropshire for me. A relaxed, happy & perfect family gathering.
We were so luck my niece travelled from Moscow to spend Christmas with us, before heading to Finland for the Russian Orthodox Christmas with her Russian family. Mum loved my Chanel and Fortnum & Mason gifts and cooked her usual legendary fish pie on Christmas Eve and sublime roast goose Christmas lunch. My brother prepared a feast for lunch on Boxing Day, I treasured my thoughtful gifts and things could not have gone any better. Hope the photos below evidence why Christmas was such an outstanding '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) family event.  www.sifrew.com with awesome Jackie in the Jeff Leatham Christmas igloo at The Four Seasons George V; Veuve Clicquot champagne at the Mandarin Oriental, Paris; the elegant bar at Hotel Plaza Athenee; and charming Mandarin Oriental, Paris GM Philippe. The French strikes did not prevent www.sifrew.com having a spectacular time experiencing Paris at Christmas.
At the Four Seasons George V Jeff Leatham's Christmas decorations were even more dazzling/ opulent than I expected. I was sad to hear Jackie will be retiring next year but this will present another good excuse to visit Paris. At the Mandarin Oriental, Paris I drank Veuve Clicquot champagne with charismatic GM Philippe and then delightful Emilie showed me the spectacular four bedroom The Parisian Apartment. It was interesting to see a piece of Zhuang Hong Yi art in the lobby of this hotel. His work is currently featured at 45 Park Lane. At the Hotel Plaza Athenee, Paris Dorchester Collection's charming Louise treated me like a VVVIP. It was interesting that my very dry Grey Goose martini there was better than at the Four Seasons George V. I also drank Perrier Fine Bulles for the first time and was fascinated to see a Lego model of the hotel in their exquisite lobby, Lego is the Christmas theme for The Savoy in London. Hope the photos below give you a taste of how stylish Christmas in Paris is & why it was a '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) experience.
 Yes, that is a magnum of 'free' Veuve Clicquot & the Easter Bunny did know my name! Thanks, in the main, to Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane for an unbelievable Easter 2019 in London.
From the Four Seasons doormen wishing me happy birthday, to the 'free' magnum of Veuve Clicquot, to the Easter Bunny knowning my name and the Easter Egg desserts being to die for, an Easter Sunday that could not have been better. However, I must also mention a drink with John at 45 Park Lane/the 45 Park Lane candle he gave me with a sumptuously luxuriant smell and my chats with Andre & Alex at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square on Easter Monday. Hope the photos below help you to understand why it was such a special weekend. A '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) 50th birthday continued a little longer with a sublime Easter weekend. A 50th Birthday Year Like No Other, So Many More Dreams Come True in Japan etc - March 201913/3/2019  Sorry for the silence but the last few weeks have left me speechless (in the best way).
From a fragrant bath full of orchids, looking out at the Petronas Twin Towers, in my suite at Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur; to seeing a spectacular Kabuki performance in Tokyo with the astonishing friend who produced the English translation you were reading; to staying at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi, the smallest city Four Seasons in the world & my 'final promise' to Mr Sharp, where an exquisite specially created kimono wearing teddy bear was presented to me; to travelling on the 200 mile per hour Shinkansen ('Bullet Train'), a dream since my 'Blue Peter days'; to drinking rare Four Seasons sake & being given a bottle of sake from Kyoto's oldest sake maker personally labelled for my 50th birthday; to playing 'Tea House games' with a Maiko (an apprentice Geiko/Geisha) at Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, now have Ichihiro's 'calling card sticker' stuck to the back of my iPhone Xs; to eating Peking Duck sushi & drinking 40 year old Glenfraclas Scotch whisky exclusive to Ritz-Carlton Osaka; and drink Veuve Clicquot champagne on the Imperial Floors of the indomitable Imperial Hotel Tokyo. This blog, my hotel contacts and my unparalleled friends have made March 2019 one of the best months of my life. To think I, once, did not want to live past 30! So many photos & video clips to show people and stories to tell. Must focus on the logistics of my move back to The Barbican in London next and 'restarting' my life there. A '7 teddies' (🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻) 50th birthday year culminates on 29/30 March 2019 at my phenomenal parents' historic home in Shrewsbury and then at Four Seasons Hotel London at Ten Trinity Square & Le Pont del la Tour overlooking the river Thames. Cannot wait to welcome guests based in Sweden, Uruguay etc  This LVMH Brand Ambassador will be spending Chinese New Year 2019 in Hong Kong, finally staying at the legendary Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong.
I will also have breakfast in the Blue Bar at Four Seasons, Hong Kong. That Four Seasons has a very special place in my heart. I will be flying Business Class with Cathy Pacific and so am looking forward to eating at the Noodle Bar in The Wing again. Toasting the 'Year of the Earth Pig' with Veuve Clicquot in Hong Kong will be another '7 teddy' experience & dream come true!
 A Michelin Star Chef from Mandarin Oriental Milan cooked for me; I was served vintage Veuve Clicquot wherever I wanted it; the hotel is an architectural masterpiece & this Brand Ambassador has never been treated better.
Issy's new Taiwanese outfit is a masterstroke, my 'I'm a FAN' business cards with a QR code taking you straight to the #travelblog www.sifrew.com site are winners and Manager Frances & her team are all exceptional. 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻(7 out of 5 ‘teddies’) - a '7 teddy' experience without any doubt that has left me speechless. People must stay at Mandarin Oriental Taipei!  The sitting room of my Westminster Suite with the Veuve Clicquot chilling and afternoon tea in the background. I was nervous about staying at Four Seasons at Park Lane so soon after legendary GM John had left. However, Manager Mali ensured it was another memorable stay in opulent surroundings with exemplary Four Seasons staff.
It was just a pity I did not get to meet new GM Lynn, as she was not yet in place. However, I did leave a #travelblog www.sifrew.com. baseball cap for her. Four Seasons at Park Lane remains one of the best Four Seasons in the group and a hotel Mr Sharp can still be justly proud of.  I came back after work on my birthday to find all this. My friends are the best. I am so lucky that one of my best friends from Berlin, and her son, were willing to fly 16 hours to Cayman Islands to help me celebrate by 2018 birthday.
The week they were here was a dream with us seeing a baby turtle and stingray from Seven Mile Beach on their first evening; lots of Veuve Clicquot; incredible birthday gifts; champagne from Kimpton Seafire Resort & Spa; a stunning new member of the 'gang' from Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman; and my friend making me Eggs Benedict at home. Hope the photos below do some justice to the awesome week I had with these special people. 🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻🐻(7 out of 5 ‘teddies’) - a '7 teddies' birthday in Cayman Islands, without any doubt. |
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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