italian edition 2

ISSUE NO. 02 2015 THE FOOD & BEVERAGE ISSUE

I N T E R N A T I O N A L . C O M

Italia

ISSN 2421-3543

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Editor-in-chief Ivo Alfonso Nardella

Contributors Italy: Claudio Bonomi, Rossella De Stefano, Andrea Mongilardi, Maria Artiaco, Patrizia Cavallotti, Elisabetta Delfini, Flavia Fresia, Francesca Maffei

International: Sarah Andrews (editor-in-chief Hotelier International.com), Eric Witham (art director), Stephen Kelman (designer), Abigail Blasi, Nick Dall, Boyd Farrow, Ethan Gelber, Ron Gluckman, Anja Mutic, David Nikel, Cheryl-Anne Sturken, Suzanne Wales

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Registration Court of Milan no. 35, January 22nd, 1994 R.O.C. no. 24344, March 11th, 2014. ISSN 2421-3543

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Issue no. 2 APRIL - MAY 2015

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INSIDEISSUE NO.02 THE FOOD & BEVERAGE ISSUE - 2015

VOICE WITH THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ................................................................. 07

CONCIERGE A HOTELIER’S HELP DESK ........................................................ 08

Q&A WITH PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLA In conversation with the “Accidental” Spanish power couple of food and design ................................................................. 22

Q&A WITH ARCHITECT MARCO PIVA Food&beverage areas horizons in the words of one of the most talented professionals in architecture and interior design ................. 30

Q&A WITH SAM BAKHSHANDEHPOUR In conversation with the man running one of the world’s mostinnovative (and certainly the sexiest) hospitality companies .................................. 38

Q&A WITH COFFEE EXPERT TIM WENDELBOE Advice from a former world champion barista about serving coffee in hotels ........ 47

Q&A WITH CHEF JULIEN ROYER Talking with the force behind Singapore’s Jaan restaurant ................................... 54

THE BEST:Garden Restaurants ............................................................................................ 60Afternoon Teas .................................................................................................... 72Gourmet Shops ................................................................................................... 84

PROFILES:

ROME CAVALIERI WALDORF ASTORIAOverlooking the Eternal city this luxury hotel offers exclusive f&b experiences ..... 96

BARCELONA’S HOTEL PRAKTIK BAKERY Bringing the affordable luxury of freshly baked bread to guests ......................... 104

LAKE GARDA’S A VILLA FELTRINELLI Executive chef Stefano Baiocco talks about his unique cuisine ......................... 108

PHUKET’S INIALA BEACH HOUSETiny boutique hotel with a huge culinary presence ............................................. 116

JOHANNESBURG’S SAXON HOTELHow an already exceptional hotel upped its game by employing a top chef ....... 126

ABSTRACT/RIASSUNTOOur Italian guide to/La nostra guida italiana a The Food&Beverage issue .......... 136

LAST LOOK ..................................................................................................... 144

NEXT ISSUE .................................................................................................... 146

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THE QUESTIONHOTELIER INTERNATIONAL’S WRITERS ANSWER THE QUESTION,

‘WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE HOTEL BREAKFAST?’

ANJA MUTIĆ I st i l l remember the most elaborate breakfast at the Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok — the riverside sett ing and the spread were equally impressive.Anja featured ‘Q&A with Jason Pomeranc’ and other Concierge stories for this issue.

NICK DALLThis would have to be at Tanda Tula Safari Camp in South Afr ica’s T imbavati Game Reserve. Their bush breakfast is as good as any you’d get in a regular kitchen, except it’s cooked over open f ires and served on camping tables under a large Jackal Berry tree in

the middle of the Afr ican savannah. As you eat, giraffes, hornbil ls and vervet monkeys watch on. And the next morning you’l l get the same breakfast under another tree with a different cast of onlookers. Nick featured ‘Johannesburg’s Saxon Hotel for this issue.

RON GLUCKMANAmong many wonderful breakfasts, one that stands out is being hauled into trees above the Soneva Fushi (Koh Kood, Thai land) and served by waiters f lying in by zip l ine bearing scrumptious treats. Ron featured ‘Phuket’s Iniala Hotel for this issue.

DAVID NIKELThe charming Paskins Hotel in Brighton, where everything on the menu is organic, sourced from local Sussex farms and cooked to order. During my week-long stay I enjoyed everything from the outstanding smoked bacon, to fresh f ish, to creamy porridge served with whisky.

David featured ‘Q&A with Coffee Expert Tim Wndelboe’ for this issue.

CHERYL-ANNE STURKENHands down the best breakfast I’ve ever had was at the Raff les Beij ing, which rol ls out a dai ly buffet spread of European and Chinese specialt ies. The fresh blueberry scones are to die for. Cheryl-Anne featured ‘Tree Huggers’ for this issue.

BOYD FARROWThe Plaza, New York. Jet lagged and starving at 6.30am, I scoffed everything on the buffet table in the Palm Court under the watchful eyes of otherwise unoccupied 20 staff members. Staggering out, I walked smack into the CEO I had forgotten I was meeting for breakfast. Turning

on my heels, I escorted him back into the room, where I was obligated to order a whole second breakfast. Not one of the Plaza staff raised an eyebrow. Boyd featured ‘Q&A with Sam Bakhshandehpour’ for this issue

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If the best teacher is experience, then a close second is gleaning from the experience of others. So for this ‘Food and Beverage’ issue of Hotelier International, we’ve gathered gourmet experts from across the globe to share their insights and advice.

From Norway, coffee guru T im Wendelboe shares the secrets of making perfect espresso. From Thailand, Spanish chef Eneko Atxa talks about why a 3-star-Michel in chef loves working in a t iny boutique hotel on the other side of the world. From Berl in, designer Patricia Urquiola tel ls us how she created ‘two souls’ for Das Stue’s signature restaurant. And from Singapore, 32-year-old chef Jul ien Royer talks about the chal lenges of making a storied restaurant his own. You’l l also f ind American ideas about beer tourism and the next big trends in hotel bars, a Chinese

take on extreme locavore-ism, a Johannesburg hotel’s story on the steps it took to become a cul inary leading l ight, and other art icles showcasing imitation-worthy hospital ity trends.

From café lobbies and breakfast buffets to nightclubs and rooftop terraces, hotel F&B venues are as endlessly varied as the hotels that operate them. But no matter what your hotel is serving, we hope that you’l l f ind inspir ing ideas in these pages. If you do, we’d love to hear about it. Join our conversation by writ ing to me at editor@hotel ierinternational.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Meanwhile, a toast to al l the fabulous chefs, baristas, designers and diners featured in this issue. It’s been great fun hearing your stories and learning from your experiences. Cheers!

S I N C E R E LY,

SARAH ANDREWS — EDITOR-IN-CHIEF — [email protected]

VOICE


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ISSUE NO.02 2015 A HOTELIER’S HELP DESK

CONCIERGEABUZZ: NEW APPROACHES TO HOTEL BEEHIVESBY ANJA MUTIC

Beehives kept at hotels have been abuzz for a few years, but now properties are heading beyond harvested honey served at breakfast. At the Hilton Chicago/Oak Brook Hills Resort & Conference Center, executive chef Sean Curry focuses on the sustainability aspect of beekeeping. This spring, he is installing 10 beehives throughout the hotel’s 150-acre Audubon-certified Cooperative Sanctuary. While honey will headline the chef’s signature modern farm cuisine, by-products will also be used, like wax for candles and a honeycomb display for banquet functions.

“Taking care of bees allows them to take care of us,” says chef Curry, who also plans to hold educational seminars on the benefits of beekeeping in local schools.

In London, guests of St Ermins Hotel – where more than 300,000 buckfast bees reside in three custom-built hives on its third-floor terrace – can learn the basics of beekeeping with the “Bees in the Burbs” taster workshop, led by the hotel’s bee guru (£25 per person for a 2.5-hour workshop, with a honey cocktail in the Caxton Bar).

To raise awareness about the dwindling bee population and help sustain it, the 500-room Radisson Blu Mall of America is collaborating with the University of Minnesota’s Bee Squad.

“We will have ‘bee-customised’ rooms looking out onto the hives, with pictures of honey and the colonies, colouring books for the kids, as well as honey amenities,” says executive chef Paul Lynch of FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Bar, who is spearheading this endeavor.

Hotels are even starting to brand their own honey. With a thriving 200-colony operation spread over the resort, Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic produces several hundred gallons of polyfloral PUNTACANA Forest Honey, used in dishes, cocktails and spa treatments on site and sold at other locations in the country.

Honey is also starting to make its debut in hotel spa treatments. At its on-site Guerlain Spa, the Waldorf Astoria

New York offers “Milk, Haute Honey and Rooftop Herb Manicure and Pedicure”, a roof-to-spa concept that utilises ingredients from the hotel’s 20th-floor rooftop beehives and garden, including the honey from its own six apiaries.

California’s 500-acre Carmel Valley Ranch, with an apiary that is home to 60,000 Italian honey bees, offers a signature beekeeping experience ($60 per adult) with a resident lavender farmer and beekeeper who takes guests into the apiary (in beekeeping suits) where they taste honey straight from the hives.

In Georgetown, beekeeping goes beyond serving BeeTinis, the signature cocktail at Fairmont Washington, D.C. The hotel supports the DC Public Schools’ Junior Beekeepers initiative, plus this spring it is adding a pollinator bee hotel, a collection of nesting materials designed to attract, support and protect native, lost and solitary bees, to its collection of rooftop honeybee hives.


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AT YOUR SERVICE: CHEFS TABLES WITH A TWIST

To keep guests’ interest high, chef’s tables have been reinventing the wheel and adding a twist to the dining experience. At Hotel Monte Mulini in Croatia’s seaside town of Rovinj on the Istrian peninsula, an area highly acclaimed for its gastronomy, diners can doodle on the walls of the Wine Vault restaurant’s Chef Table, which has an eat-all-you-can policy (up to 25 courses). Chef Tomislav Gretic doesn’t work with preset menus but uses fresh ingredients to create uncommon combinations such as foie gras with black lentils and seabass with duck crackl ings.

El San Juan Resort & Casino in Puerto Rico recently debuted its Chef’s Studio, where guests dine inside a former walk-in freezer converted into a minimalist dining room with an oversized white marble table and eight curved chairs. The chef personally presents each course, such as pan-seared duck breast with port wine sauce and blueberry mojito.

Burritt Room + Tavern at the Mystic Hotel by Charl ie Palmer in San Francisco recently unvei led BR + Table, a chef’s table experience featuring handcrafted plateware and l inens as well as a custom-fabricated table and chairs. Executive Chef Luke Knox creates customized mult i-course menus, showcasing dishes l ike local Dungeness crab with chestnut, red kuri squash and Asian pear.

Interactive chef’s tables have been on the r ise. At One Square in Edinburgh, in the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa, f ive-to-seven-course bespoke

dinners are served behind the scenes to four diners who can interact with the chefs at work while they savour authentic Scottish dishes l ike marinated highland venison with pickled baby vegetables.

A hands- on epicurean experience is avai lable at the newly renovated chef’s table in Terra at Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado Santa Fe. “Our guests receive a one-on-one cooking lesson and true sense of what it’s l ike working in a resort kitchen alongside our talented team,” says chef Cooper, who is renowned for his inventive take on contemporary American dishes l ike date-crusted venison with sun chokes and quinoa. The four-hour session featuring up to 12 courses is avai lable for two to 10 guests, who are each paired with a chef to prepare a course. They don an apron to dice, sl ice, sautée and cal l out orders before dining on the custom-built table with a hand-selected granite slab. - AM


FOR OVER 100 YEARS, MASERATI HAS BEEN PERFECTING THE ART OF AUTOMOBILE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE, PRODUCING SOME OF THE WORLD’S MOST HIGHLY ACCLAIMED EXAMPLES FOR A VERY DISCERNING CLIENTELE. TODAY THE FRUITS OF ITS ENDEAVOURS ARE CLEARLY DISPLAYED IN ITS CURRENT RANGE: THE GHIBLI, QUATTROPORTE, GRANTURISMO AND GRANCABRIO. IN THESE INSPIRATIONAL CARS ARE FOUND THE PERFECT BLEND OF BREATHTAKING STYLING, GROUNDBREAKING INNOVATION, PRODIGIOUS PERFORMANCE AND SUMPTUOUS LUXURY – EACH ONE HANDCRAFTED AND PERSONALISED WITH PASSION FOR A NEW GENERATION OF EQUALLY DEMANDING CUSTOMERS.

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EAT AND RUN: FOOD-FOCUSED GUEST EXPERIENCES

As guests increasingly look for unusual experiences, it has become vital to add a twist to tour and dining options. Hotels have started to rol l food and activit ies into one experience, a new take on eating out.

At White Barn Inn in Maine, executive chef Jonathan Cartwright devised a way to combine his two loves – cycl ing and lobster. With the hotel’s chef-led “Crustacean Crawl,” guests can see Kennebunkport by bike and try local lobster dishes en route.

Participants learn to select the perfect lobster, sample the best of crustacean creations at the chef’s favorite eateries and wrap up with a mult i-course lobster dinner at the inn’s restaurant.

For nature-loving guests, Aloft Ashevi l le Downtown in North Carol ina teamed up with No Taste Like Home, a local forage-to-table tour company, for a one-night package that takes guests out to gather wild mushrooms and edible plants and then savour their own pick of the day at one of Ashevi l le’s top restaurants.

Hands-on activit ies paired with food samplings have recently debuted at Farmhouse Inn in Cali fornia’s Sonoma County. The standout among these “Farmhouse Expedit ions” is herb picking at the Inn’s gardens, fol lowed by a tour of Dry Creek Peach & Produce while sipping on white peach Bell inis, then chef-led instruction on making peach-basi l jam and f inal ly a farm lunch featuring fresh peaches and wine.

A more adrenal ine-f i l led food

tour has been spearheaded by São Paulo’s Hotel Unique in partnership with Green Mobil i ty — a cycl ing jaunt of the city’s gastronomy scene on Caloi hybrid bikes. Guests take to two wheels on food-focused it ineraries, such as sampling tradit ional Brazi l ian treats l ike pasteis and fresh sugarcane juice in the food markets, or exploring the Japanese restaurant scene of Liberdade neighborhood.

Portugal’s Conrad Algarve takes guests to the water – board a traditional fishing boat for a clam-picking excursion on Rio Formosa lagoon, followed by a meal showcasing those very clams. - AM

LIMITED TIME ONLY: THE BEST CHEF RESIDENCY PROGRAMMESBY SUZANNE WALES

Whilst there are good arguments for consistency, variety can be the spice of l i fe. This is the driver of a new wave of ‘Chef in Residence’ programmes, where a noted chef checks into the kitchen to offer their signature cuisine for a l imited t ime only.

Urso is a new luxury boutique hotel in Madrid. Together with an agency that special ises pop up concepts, they created ‘The Table by…’, a calendar of six national chefs, both established and rising, who repl icate their own restaurants in Urso’s dining room. Everything is changed, the décor and of course the menu, for a period of one month.

For Restaurante 7, a chic eatery that is part of a r iad deep in the Fez medina, the focus of their Chefs in Residence programme is cultural exchange. Chefs, which have so far included Jerome Waag of the legendary Chez Panisse and

Analise Gregory (ex-Quay, Sydney) come for longer periods, immersing themselves in this ancient city’s r ich cul inary heritage and plentiful food markets.

“These chefs are evolving tradit ional Moroccan cuisine, but in a way that is respectful and true to its origins,” says Tara Stevens, co-founder and manager of the project.

Mini chef residency projects can also have success. In the past year, The Connaught jetted in über-chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana for a one-night only showstopper. (Reportedly the hotel is Bottura’s favourite London haunt, which may have helped seal the deal). And in August 2014 Barcelona’s Hotel Arts turned Japanese for a week when chef Ricardo Sanz from Kabuki popped up, converting Frank’s Bar to a gourmet sushi counter.


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ON TAP: CATERING TO CRAFT BEER TOURISM

People increasingly travel for the craft beer movement around the United States, which has led to a spike in beer tourism. To enhance the guest experience, hoteliers have responded by partnering with local breweries to provide a variety of beer-focused experiences, from in-house tastings to brewery tours.

At Burlington’s Hotel Vermont, a beer concierge helps guests gain access to Vermont’s world-class beer scene. The best beer in Vermont is brewed in small batches with very l imited distribution, making it diff icult to find, so for visitors a beer concierge comes in handy. The hotel offers a two-night experience, “Hops and Malts: Hotel Vermont’s Craft Brew Tour”, which includes a concierge-guided tour of local breweries, transportation and lunch.

In New Hampshire, the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel has a beer master on staff.

“The main draw of a hotel having a beer master is to promote the growth of an exciting industry. New England, for example, is becoming a hotbed of activity for craft beer. New Hampshire has nearly 40 breweries, Maine has 60 breweries and Massachusetts and Vermont are heavily growing,” says the Sheraton’s beer master, former beer blogger and enthusiast Brian Aldrych. His mission is twofold – he supplies guests with information on the beer scene in the immediate drive-able area and curates the hotel’s selection of local beers.

Beer tourism is also on the rise in San Diego. At The US Grant Hotel,

sommelier, mixologist and cicerone Jeff Josenhans off icial ly started brewing the Grant Gri l l ’s signature Imperial Manhattan Rye Red, in col laboration with the local Mission Brewery. This imperial red ale is infused with cigar-smoked Luxardo cherries and then aged in Grant Gri l l ’s US Centennial Manhattan seasoned barrels for four to f ive months.

The San Diego Marriott Gaslamp Quarter pays a nod to the booming local craft beer scene (San Diego County now has over 50 breweries) by offering a “Brew Diego” package that takes guests to beer hotspots in San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter.

The craft beer movement continues to grow in Chicago. In response, the JW Marriott Chicago and Lagunitas Brewing

Company have created a “Lagunitas Beercation” package, featuring a selection of Lagunitas craft brews and complimentary transportation via Uber to and from the 300,000-square foot brewery for a tour and tasting.

In Florida, a new “Craft Beer Trai l” is soon to be unvei led at the elegant LEED-certi f ied Sandpearl Resort in Clearwater Beach. This private car service to 14 local breweries wil l include a map with suggestions for exploring the trai l at leisure.

Beer headlines in spa treatments, too. In addit ion to its “Tap the Local Brewery” package, Kimpton’s Lorien Hotel & Spa in Alexandria, Virginia offers a Gentlemen’s Beer Beard Facial at the on-site spa, using a Monumental IPA to kick up the shine. - AM

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POP-UP DINING: UNEXPECTED GOURMET EXPERIENCES

Hotels have upped the ante by offering themed food experiences in offbeat locations, from beachside and riverside pop-ups, to bl indfolded dinners served in bal lrooms.

In September, Four Seasons Denver launched an experiential dinner series called “EDGE Undercover”, each held at an undisclosed location within the hotel’s 45 stories. At the inaugural water-themed dinner, synchronized swimmers performed in the hotel’s pool and amuse-bouches were served to blindfolded guests. The fire-themed dinner in January had 20 guests over for an 8-course dinner in a private condo on the 38th floor, featuring a “flash mob”

salsa dancing couple and firefighter servers. Details are sti l l under wraps for the next event, slated for April.

Beachside pop-ups are also on the r ise. The Landings St. Lucia, an al l-suite Caribbean vi l la resort, recently launched Callaloo, a pop-up beach restaurant which features farm-to-table island fare such as braised curry goat with cinnamon. In Turks & Caicos, the f ive-star Grace Bay Club offers themed pop-up dining on the beach every winter; this year it was Biere et Boules (Beer and Balls) inspired by global meatbal ls.

“We l ike to have fun with these oceanfront pop-up concepts, while at the same time offering guests a unique cul inary experience by taking a new twist on the tapas trend,” said chef Wolfgang von Wieser.

At the RiverPlace Hotel’s Three Degrees restaurant in Portland, Oregon, the pop-up is r iverside on the Wil lamette. From May through October chef Thomas Dunklin runs a 10-seat counter with monthly thematic menus, l ike ‘Tacos & Tequila’ and ‘BBQ, Bourbon and Beer’.

Once a month, a tal l communal

dining table with highboy stools pops up in the middle of the Two E Bar/Lounge at The Pierre, a Taj Hotel in New York. The brainchi ld of the hotel’s two executive chefs, Chefs Social Club’ serves up to 14 personally presented courses to 12 diners; the experience lasts up to 4 hours.

Guests of Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives are in for a weekly surprise brought to them by chef Martin Davies, who throws themed dinners in different locations, kept secret unti l the morning of. Pop-ups have included black & white movie night on the beach with a street-food-inspired menu and Mediterranean fare served in the wine cel lar to bl indfolded guests.

Mandarin Oriental has also jumped on the pop-up wagon. The New York property just ran a three-night cul inary pop-up showcasing the creative cuisine of three-Michel in-starred Basque Chef Eneko Atxa at Restaurant Asiate.

Over in Tokyo, Mandarin Oriental recently hosted René Redzepi of Noma fame in its signature restaurant, where he prepared lunch and dinner using locally sourced Japanese ingredients. - AM

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RAISING THE BAR: HOTELIER JASON POMERANC TALKS ABOUT NEW TRENDS IN HOTEL BARS

As co-founder and creative director of the acclaimed Thompson Hotels for 12 years, hospital ity innovator Jason Pomeranc developed, rebranded and renovated more than 13 hotels throughout North America and the UK. In 2013, he and his partners sold their interests in the brand, and in 2014 they co-founded SIXTY Hotels, an innovative brand of six luxury l i festyle lodgings in New York City, Los Angeles, Miami (debuting spring 2015) and Montreal (opening in 2016).

“I bel ieve there’s a movement away from overly aggressive nightl i fe in hotel culture. For a period of t ime, nightl i fe control led the preface of hotels in the global capitals, but there’s been pushback. Guests now want to be social ly engaged and they want a qual itat ive social experience that’s more subdued and sophisticated.

The f irst trend I foresee is the focus on quality, be

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i t through the cocktai l l ist, the bar menu, the aesthetic, service culture, uniforms, music… It’s al l gett ing much more purposeful. Some new hotels have underwritten their f inancing based on the idea of disproportionate revenue numbers in the bar culture, and they became beholden and somewhat enslaved to volume. This new trend wil l shift the hotel bar scene back to qual ity rather than volume, so you’l l see smaller venues rather than one very large venue.

Also, cocktai l culture is going to get even stronger, and there wil l be a revived emphasis on wine, with more approachable wine l ists. You’l l see entertainment change, with a shift toward classical bar culture that integrates l ive music. So while the DJ culture wil l st i l l st ick, there wil l be more jazz programing, catering to people seeking a more sophisticated experience – more piano, saxophone, etc.

Another thing: you’l l see the layout and the design aesthetic of hotel bars become much more residential in vibe, with smaller clusters of comfortable seating groups, modeled after private members clubs. People work and social ize in a different way these days, it’s not just about l iqueur and nightl i fe. So hotel bars and lounges wil l start to offer a whole day experience. It’s essential ly a move toward the European culture of café-bars. We’l l also see a r ise in more thematic experiences, l ike t iki bars and karaoke bars, very specif ic concepts that are trying to stand out in a very crowded marketplace.” - AM

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SPOTLIGHT ON CHAMPAGNE: CREATIVE IDEAS FOR BOOSTING BUBBLY SALES

The hotel scene is bubbling up, with properties around the world finding creative ways to spotlight champagne. In September, the Lobby Lounge of the Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto debuted its striking Champagne Wall.

“I wanted to create a sense of excitement and energy around

champagne,” says Mark Moffatt, the hotel’s award-winning sommelier, who curated the ‘C’ Wall’s selection. It features prominent labels and rare champagnes such as the 1998 Henriot Cuvée des Enchanteleurs. By-the-glass offering is available, and the Lobby Lounge menu complements the champagne list.

Another Canada hotel unveiled its new champagne bar in October: The iconic Ritz-Carlton Montreal now houses Canada’s first Dom Pérignon Champagne Bar in its Palm Court, a sleek hotspot in downtown Montreal where the menu features both Rosé & Brut Dom Pérignon by the glass and bottle.

Some of the world’s hard-to-find vintages are available at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, selected by Director of Wine Kim Wood. The recently updated Lobby Bar menu showcases an extensive variety of Special Club champagnes; bottomless Rosé is served with weekend brunch at the Bardot Brasserie, with

James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina at the helm.

At St. Regis Princevi l le Resort in Kauai, guests can partake in a ceremonial champagne sabering every day at sunset and sign up for the Al i’ i Lavender Champagne Scrub at the on-site Halele’a Spa.

To infuse its interiors with a signature scent of champagne and caviar, Trump International Hotel & Tower in Toronto has partnered with Brampton-based Nose Knows Design, an olfactive branding studio that special ises in custom scent creation.

Europe isn’t staying behind on the champagne craze: Balthazar at Hotel d’Angleterre in Copenhagen, Denmark’s f irst and only champagne bar, has 160 types of bubbly served from the bottle or mixed into drinks l ike the walnut-f lavored Tax Free Cocktai l , with the bar’s signature champagne syrup. - AM


ADV_Host_220x285mm.indd 1 19/05/15 16.41

http://host.fieramilano.it/en

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TREE HUGGERS: INDOOR TREES MAKE A STRIKING STATEMENTBY CHERYL-ANNE STURKEN

When it comes to creating that sought-after outdoor dining spot, why not do the reverse and bring the outdoors inside? All it takes is some well-placed trees and a bit of design whimsy.

At the 280-room Barceló Milan, the Spanish hotel company’s f irst entrant into the Ital ian city of fashion and design, diners are immediately transported to a wintery birch forest. The wallpaper on one entire wall of the hotel’s ultra-modern restaurant is actual ly a reproduced photo of a birch

forest by well-known Ital ian photographer Maurizio Marcato. The opposite wall is decorated with intertwining real birch branches and towering tree trunks, making the forest-dining i l lusion even more surreal.

Skies may be grey and wet in Dublin, but diners at Sophie’s, inside Dublin’s newest boutique hotel, the 52-room Hotel Dean, can imagine they are sitt ing terrace-side on the Greek Isles, soaking up the sun, as they take in the restaurant’s 360-degree view of the city, while dining under massive, ancient l ive ol ive trees.

Leave it to Four Seasons to get in early on the whole tree-themed dining concept. At the chain’s luxury New York City stalwart, the 368-room Four Seasons Hotel, diners at The Garden restaurant can grab a table between the enormous tree trunks of Afr ican acacia trees, while they nosh on the l ikes of house specialt ies such as lemon ricotta hotcake and seared ahi tuna burger. Surely, this is the spot responsible for sowing the seeds of countless dreamed-about Afr ican safari travels.

CONCIERGE


http://www.costagroup.net

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Q&A PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLA

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PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLA

AN INTERVIEW BY: BOYD FARROW

Q&A WITH


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PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLA IN CONVERSATION WITH THE

“ACCIDENTAL” SPANISH POWER COUPLE OF FOOD AND DESIGN

23


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Paco Perez is possibly the world’s hottest chef right now—the protege of Ferran Adrià, whose restaurant el Bulli put Spanish molecular gastronomy on the world map, and a winner of two Michelin stars for his own Miramar restaurant and hotel in northeastern Spain. Patricia Urquiola, meanwhile, is one of the world’s most in-demand designers and architects, with the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Barcelona under her belt and a roster of clients including Alessi, B&B Italia, Flos, Foscarini and Kartell clamouring for her attention. Last year these two Spaniards found themselves accidentally collaborating on Das Stue, an ambitious venture to turn a former landmark Danish embassy building in Berlin into a high-end hotel. What they created turned out to be not just the city’s—but one of Europe’s—coolest hotels.

Hotelier International: Paco, why did you choose Berlin as the place to open your first restaurant outside Spain? And why did you choose to open it inside a hotel?

Paco Perez: It was not as if I were sitt ing down being asked to choose between lots of different projects. This unique project happened to be offered to me, and several factors appealed about it. Berl in is a great, open, cosmopolitan city, with a recent history, and it wil l continue making an important gastronomic contribution. A city l ike this deserves diversity, and I think a project of this magnitude deserves to have a typical Iberian restaurant at its forefront!

HI: Patricia, what was your overall design mission for Das Stue and what was the look you were attempting to create? Did you want Spanish flourishes?

Patricia Urquiola: Actual ly it was coincidence that Paco and I are both from Spain. I was interested in creating something very Berl in-centric, seeing the Siegessäule column from your room and at the same time being in contact with nature — the park facing the hotel, away from traff ic. At the same time it’s a sort of l iv ing room, a meeting place for guests and local people. I also wanted to respect the identity of the space, the historical element of the bui lding. I’ve tr ied to respect the original marble stone of the façade and the atr ium, using wood, travert ine


25


stone, resins, micro concrete, opaque ti les and copper, jaquard texti le and custom design. Some of the original parquet has been restored.

HI: Paco, solely from a chef’s perspective, how important is the design of the restaurant and bar areas to the food on the menu?

PP: It is always important that the design end should express the emotional level displayed in the restaurant. In short, a restaurant should always be l ike a great perfume set in a beautiful bott le that is more beautiful than itself. Whatever warmth and emotion you can convey or express in a space—whatever makes people feel at home ult imately—is what ends up defining design. Ult imately the most important thing for any restaurant

OUR CREATIONS ARE SIMPLE, BUT NEVER SIMPLISTIC,

AND THEY ARE PREPARED ACCORDING TO THE RULES OF

HONEST CRAFTSMANSHIP



A RESTAURANT SHOULD ALWAYS BE LIKE A GREAT PERFUME SET IN A

BEAUTIFUL BOTTLE THAT IS MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN ITSELF. WHATEVER

WARMTH AND EMOTION YOU CAN CONVEY OR EXPRESS IN A SPACE—WHATEVER MAKES PEOPLE FEEL AT HOME ULTIMATELY—IS WHAT ENDS

UP DEFINING DESIGN


Q&A PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLAQ&A PACO PEREZ & PATRICIA URQUIOLA


28


is to capture the whole essence of the food and transmit that inside whatever space you have.

HI: Your restaurant here, Cinco, is already legendary for its 25-course avant-garde tasting menus. How would you define your cuisine?

PP: To me al l cooking should be consistent, creative, humble and hard-working, with good, simple ingredients at its core. I l ike experimenting with different tastes, textures and aromas. I think that our creations are simple, but never simplist ic, and they are prepared according to the rules of honest craftsmanship. Menus are written plainly, and there are no gimmicks or extravagant f lourishes.

HI: Your kitchen is visible from the eating area—a bit of theatricality which is quite unusual for Berlin. Why was this important to you?

PP: The open kitchen is definitely part of a more comprehensive concept of an experience that people can enjoy in this space. It is also to let people not only see what we create but also how we do it .

HI: Patricia, can you tell us how the aspects of the food techniques must have inspired you as much as the location and history?

PU: I think the hotel’s design highl ight is the personalisation of each of the different areas. The signature restaurant has two souls, one part which is more joyful, l ike a big chef’s table, looking at

the kitchen and protected by a cei l ing of Tom Dixon’s hanging copper lamps and copper kett les. This accentuates the f ine dining experience of the restaurant, part icularly Paco’s avant-garde cuisine. In a second part, slatted walls and skyl ights frame a more casual, al l-day dining experience with a soft glow. But then the private dining room overlooking the park is decorated with animal sculptures, which l inks the room to the hotel’s surroundings too.

Author Bio: Boyd Farrow is a business writer

and editor who divides his t ime between

London and Berl in. Farrow has written about

the hospital ity sector for various international

publications, including CNBC Business, the

monthly magazine he edited unti l 2012, and

he reviews hotels for several magazines in

the US and Europe.


http://www.leonardipasabahce.it

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Q&A MARCO PIVA

AN INTERVIEW BY: FLAVIA FRESIA

30

Q&A WITH ARCHITECT

MARCO PIVA

TALKING WITH AN ARCHISTAR ABOUT THE ROLE OF F&B AREAS INSIDE HOTELS WHICH ARE BECOMING ALWAYS MORE ACCESSIBLE AND WITHOUT BARRIERS

030_37_intervista_marco_piva.indd 30 14/05/15 17:30

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Q&A MARCO PIVA

3131


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Q&A MARCO PIVA

Marco Piva is an Ital ian architect and interior designer. Born in Milan, he graduated in architecture from the Polytechnic University of Milan. In 1990 he opened Studio Marco Piva (www.studiomarcopiva.com), with activit ies ranging from large architectural projects for tourist faci l i t ies, to interior design, masterplan and industrial design. His work includes more than 20 hotel projects both in Italy and abroad.

He has received numerous awards and combines his activity with teaching posit ions at universit ies and design institutes.

Hotelier International: What is the role of food&beverage area inside hotels?Marco Piva: There is an increasing awareness that f&b is a central element in generating interaction not only

between the hotel and his resident guests, but also with the public and its surroundings. Therefore, hotels are becoming more accessible, and their f&b offer is evolving. In the past hotels functioned mainly as closed systems, with a revolving door as a gate between interior microcosm and exterior world. Now this separation is disappearing.

HI: How do you incorporate this


33

Q&A MARCO PIVA

approach into your projects?MP: I always try and open up the ground f loor to the surrounding envinronment, urban or otherwise, and doors, windows and glass walls function not as barriers but as f i l ters that connect inside and outside world. In this space I put one or more f&b area, in relation with other functional spaces such as reception, lounge or meeting spaces. In hotels that are open, dynamic systems, the

f&b offer has to be dynamic too. This means paying attention to the quality of the food served, with a diverse and ever-changing offer, but also to the sett ing and atmosphere in which the food is served. Food topics are trendy, people ask for qual ity, safety, authentic f lavours. They also want to have a pleasant experience, not just when they eat in an elegant gourmet restaurant but also in a simpler eating context.

HI: What are the elements that help building this excellence, from the architect and interior designer point of view?MP: Tables, tableware, different types of seating, fabrics, materials and textures, dynamic l ighting, music, sounds, even the staff uniforms. The architect and interior designer have two main jobs when designing f&b areas: take care of the functional elements, in

TODAY GUESTS WANT TO HAVE A PLEASANT EXPERIENCE NOT JUST

WHEN THEY EAT IN A GOURMET OR TOP LEVEL RESTAURANT

BUT ALSO IN A SIMPLER EATING CONTEXT


34

Q&A MARCO PIVA

order to have an eff icient working and serving layout, and create a space that generates emotions for the guests.

HI: How do you design the public and f&b areas of a hotel?MP: I always think of a hotel as a theatre stage. After al l , the guest arr ives at hotel ready to play a part: he has chosen clothes that say something about him, meets people, interacts. I always try and provide him with a scenography. It’s an ever-changing, never-boring set: I l ike variety, I play with l ights to change the mood of the place during the day, with shades to let in or exclude dayl ight, with table and seating heights to engage the guest in an active role: where do I sit, on the low sofa or on the high stool? In an quiet corner or in


35

Q&A MARCO PIVA

COOKING STRATEGIESMarco Piva is an amateur cook and regularly publishes his recipes in antologies of Designers’ cookbooks. He cooks with a designer’s approach. “I l ike the process of cooking: choosing ingredients, pairing the colours, cutting the food, selecting the right implements, deciding the sequence, cooking and presenting the food. In other words, study of the concept, project, execution”. His cooking also influences his work, and Marco Piva is currently working on a new concept of home kitchen.


36

Q&A MARCO PIVA

the mid of the bustle? and so on. Room service too should be a pleasant eating experience and in designing rooms I take care to provide imaginative tables and desks.

HI: How important is location?MP: The physical environment and the peculiarit ies of the local culture cannot be ignored. The hotel is part of the travel experience and its décor has to incorporate colours, atmospheres, sounds. It has to bui ld a relationship with the location.

HI: Can you describe how you traslate all this in your projects?MP: The Una Hotel Bologna is a busines hotel just in front of the main rai lway station. We radical ly restructured the

the mid of the bustle? And so on. Room service too should be a pleasant eating experience and in designing rooms I take care to provide imaginative tables and desks.

HI: How important is location?MP: The physical environment and the peculiarit ies of the local culture cannot be ignored. The hotel is part of the travel experience and its décor has to incorporate colours, atmospheres, sounds. It has to bui ld a relationship with the location.

HI: Can you make an example of how you translate this philosophy in practice? MP: The Una Hotel Bologna is a busines hotel just in front of the main rai lway station. We radical ly restructured the existing bui lding, actively connecting the bui lding with the urban exterior. The bronze façade, for example, is a large dynamic backdrop opening on to the station square. At night, different coloured l ights animate the façade and create a visual interest for passersby. At ground level, transparent

I ALWAYS THINK OF A HOTEL AS A THEATRE STAGE.

AFTER ALL GUESTS ARRIVE AT HOTEL READY TO PLAY A PART


37

Q&A MARCO PIVA

glass walls envelope hal l and mezzanine. The curvi l inear bar counter is visible from the sidewalk and invites people in. Another restaurant, more intimate and secluded, faces the courtyard.

HI: Another example?MP: In Cagliari, the main city of Sardinia, part of an off ice bui lding has been converted into the T Hotel. The exterior is rather sedate, but as the bui lding faces the main theatre, we have used theatrical effects throughout, from colours, l ight and l ighting, materials and f inishes, to the huge circular bar counter. Water is another theme, with pools that are inspired by the salt lakes along the coast, and with islands where people can sit and eat food with a strong local f lavour. The hotel also exhibits art works and theatre costumes, and has become a sort of dynamic museum, part of the cultural scene of the city.

HI: What is your latest project?MP: The Excelsior Hotel Gall ia in Milan, bui lt in 1932, has

been total ly renovated and it reopened early in 2015. It is a very complex project, 32,000 sqm occupying a whole block facing the main rai lway station, which was bui lt in the same years and with which it has a strong styl ist ic continuity. We have painstakingly restored the art deco building, and have grafted on to it a contemporary extension which visual ly relates to the new soaring business distr ict nearby. The inspiration for the unif ied interior design solution is modernism, with its ideas of movement, speed, and the use of glass, steel, other metals, innovative materials. We have used al l these materials in a contemporary way, with l ight playing on textures. Our goal, create a strong emotional impact, a “wow” effect. And the design concept revolves around the idea of arr ival, of the hotel as a gate that enables to enter into a city, its culture, its l i festyle. There f&b offer is extensive, with a lounge bar in the tradit ion of the Gall ia original bar, a restaurant on the ground f loor, a wine cel lar. On the seventh f loor, there’s a signature destination restaurant and a rooftop bar lounge, with views over the refurbished station square and easi ly accessible to outside guests.


Q&A SAM BAKHSHANDEHPOUR

SAM BAKHSHANDEHPOUR

IN CONVERSATION WITH THE MAN RUNNING ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST

INNOVATIVE (AND CERTAINLY THE SEXIEST) HOSPITALITY COMPANIES

Q&A WITH

AN INTERVIEW BY: BOYD FARROW

38




SAM BAKHSHANDEHPOUR

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40


THE MORE YOU STAY, PLAY, DINE AND DRINK, THE BETTER WE GET TO KNOW YOU, AND THE BETTER

YOUR EXPERIENCE WILL BE


41


SLS is a hotel brand launched by entrepreneur Sam Nazarian which claims to have taken tradit ional f ive-star service and luxury and injected elements of creativity and community. It won’t be a huge shock to learn that the l i festyle company—whose mission statement is to “del iver a guest experience that seamlessly del ivers service, style and fun”—currently operates in Beverly Hil ls, South Beach, and Las Vegas. Later this year it wi l l open a hotel in New York, and has openings planned for several international destinations from Bahamas and Beij ing. This is part of a signif icant expansion by SLS’s parent company SBE — a f lourishing hospital ity, real estate and entertainment venture whose hand-selected partners include designer Phil ippe Starck, photographer Matthew Rolston, and top chefs José Andrés, Katsuya Uechi and Danny Elmaleh). While the hotels undoubtedly attract the fashionable set, they’re also attracting accolades for the high standard of

their hospital ity—particularly their restaurants. SBE president and chief executive Sam Bakhshandehpour says that behind the gl itz there is actual ly a lot of grit.

Hotelier International: Your hotels have become incredibly popular with a surprisingly wide demographic. What do you attribute this success to?

Sam Bakhshandehpour: There are so many factors that come into play, but it’s real ly al l about the people and our culture. We are so lucky to have such incredibly talented and dedicated teams that care deeply about service, style and constantly elevating the experience. This culture extends outside the venues making SBE synonymous with orchestrating uncompromising l i festyle experiences and creating a diverse portfol io of award-winning hotels, residences, restaurants and nightl i fe venues. We attr ibute these successes to impeccable service,

imaginative properties, outstanding cuisine, forward-thinking design, entrepreneurial spir it, and unique style.

HI: Now that you have shaken up the hospitality sector in some key American cities, what is more important—strong branding or the ability to keep evolving? And do you ever worry that the consolidation of a strong overall company brand could undermine the cachet or personality of individual properties?

SB: It’s always a balance and they’re real ly one in the same. A strong brand is one that evolves and adapts over t ime. SLS Hotels for example is a great example of a brand that evolved over the past decade, and that’s due in large part to the communit ies in which the hotels reside. The SLS Hotels in Beverly Hil ls, Vegas, South Beach and the Bahamas are very different, yet connected by a distinct brand DNA that unites them al l.


42



43


HI: How do you ensure that the culinary and design aspects of your hotels work so well together? That is a really difficult trick to pull off, yet you do it over and over again.

SB: Since we develop, design and operate our hotels we’re able to maintain the synergies between all aspects of a

property. Whether its a collection of iconic restaurants under one roof or a playful indoor-outdoor environment, there’s a seamless alignment that allows the guest experience to be very unique to an SBE property. It’s inclusive and ensures a guest has unlimited access to everything we offer on property and everything we offer beyond the four walls.

HI: Is ‘The CODE’, your new membership scheme, about strengthening a sense of community among your guests? How do you see this concept evolving?

SB: That’s exactly what it’s al l about. The CODE is a true l i festyle platform that adapts to our guests’ preferences and


44


over t ime offers them highly customised experiences, from preferred room rates, to access to exclusive off-menu food and cocktai l i tems, to birthday month dining credit. It’s not about tel l ing our guests what they can do, it’s about lett ing our guests communicate to us what they want to do. We feel that’s a powerful notion. The more you stay, play, dine and drink, the better we get to know you, and the better your experience wil l be.

HI: How do you keep harmony in your business team—from celebrities to celebrity chefs, there must be a few big egos in play. Are there plans to widen your circle of designers and chefs?

SB: That’s the culture of SBE! We embrace al l the diversity of everyone involved and let it fuel our creativity and innovation. It feels far more l ike a family than a corporate environment. And l ike any great family, there are chal lenges,

but ult imately those chal lenges lead to something powerful. Yes, there are many chefs and designers we’d love to work with, and you’l l see that coming to fruit ion in the coming months.

HI: How can a hotelier possibly make a splash in New York now? What new restaurant and nightlife concepts are you going to bring the Big Apple? Specifically, what are you going to be doing on the rooftop of the SLS New York—which is the biggest battleground for statement hotels in the city these days?

SB: We have strategically tapped into the distinctive taste of our New York clientele, who are both discerning and elevated, allowing us to carefully curate the SBE experience to this particular market. This is a city that values many of the ingredients that have brought SBE great success in other markets, including brand exclusivity, high-end nightlife venues, and chef-driven F&B experiences.

That said, our goal in New York is similar to our approach in any new market we enter, and that is to provide the very best guest experience possible. I f we del iver upon that, then the wows wil l come. We’re sti l l keeping the detai ls of the property under wraps, but you can expect to see some very enticing col laborations.

HI: I notice you have plans to open hotels in the Bahamas soon, and there is even talk of a hotel for the Beijing style set. Are there plans for European openings, or do you think your sensibilities are too American, too razzmatazz for European cities?

SB: Actual ly, we’re targeting a number of markets worldwide and a few in Europe, including London. So watch this space!


45



http://www.artmenu.it

Q&A TIM WENDELBOE

TIM WENDELBOEADVICE FROM A FORMER WORLD CHAMPION BARISTA

ABOUT SERVING COFFEE IN HOTELS

AN INTERVIEW BY: DAVID NIKEL

Q&A WITH COFFEE EXPERT

47


Q&A TIM WENDELBOE

48


Q&A TIM WENDELBOE

YOU CAN NEVER MAKE GOOD COFFEE WITH BAD INGREDIENTS,

BUT IT IS VERY EASY TO RUIN GOOD INGREDIENTS WITH

IMPROPER BREWING

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50

Q&A TIM WENDELBOE

Tim Wendelboe is a Norwegian barista and winner of both the World Barista Championship and World Cup Tasters Championship. He now runs a revered espresso bar, training centre and micro roastery in Oslo, as well as a series of farms in Colombia. His company supplies espresso to Trondheim’s Scandic Nidelven Hotel, winner of Norway’s best breakfast for nine consecutive years.

Hotelier International: What’s good in coffee right now?

Tim Wendelboe: Although espresso, latte and cappuccino remain popular, black filter coffee is enjoying a renaissance. We welcome a lot of coffee tourists to Oslo from all around the world

because of the reputation of our filters.There has been a huge industry

focus on improving quality for over 10 years, so access to qual ity beans has increased dramatical ly. Also, more experienced baristas mean a black coffee is tastier than ever before.

HI: What should hoteliers know about coffee?

TW: Any two coffees can be wildly different. Take t ime to learn about the basics of coffee growing and brewing. There are many different varieties and origins that make every coffee taste unique. The style of roasting and the freshness of the beans wil l determine a lot of the f inal taste.

HI: So what’s the secret?

TW: You can never make good coffee with bad ingredients, but it is very easy to ruin good ingredients with improper brewing. The basics are real ly simple. You need quality coffee beans, clean soft water, clean brewing equipment and a grinder. Consistency in measurements and brewing methods is important, so use 65 grams of coffee per l i tre of water, and adjust the grinder unti l the coffee is not too bitter yet not watery and sour.

HI: What’s the optimum workflow for a busy kitchen.

TW: Espresso wil l always be fresh but can be a nightmare logistical ly, so I


51

Q&A TIM WENDELBOE


Q&A TIM WENDELBOE

52

recommend f i l ter coffee. The worst coffee is one that has been standing for hours on a hotplate, so treat your brewed coffee as a fresh product that should be consumed within an hour of brewing. Implement dai ly routines to clean the brewer’s f i l ter holder and al l f lasks and carafes, as dirty equipment gives a harsh taste to any coffee.

HI: Any specific recommendations?

TW: I would love to see a hotel serve a refreshing cup of Kenyan coffee in the morning and a more ful l bodied Colombian coffee after dinner. The

focus should be on the actual coffee ingredients and not so much whether it is an espresso or f i l ter.

HI: Can coffee be matched with food?

TW: You can pair coffee with various cakes and l iquors. I prefer drinking a qual ity rum with my coffee and for chocolate cake I real ly l ike a fruity coffee from Kenya or Honduras on the side. You would be surprised how well some cheeses go with coffee too. It can be an excel lent pair ing.

HI: How about in-room facilities?

TW: The dream scenario would be to have a small coffee grinder, portioned out bags with coffee beans, and a manual brewing method such as a Hario V60, French press or similar.

Author bio: David Nikel is a Brit ish freelance

journal ist l iv ing in Trondheim, Norway, since

2011. He writes about technology and travel

around Northern Europe, and runs a popular

blog ( l i feinnorway.net) about his experience

among Norwegians.


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JULIEN ROYER


Q&A JULIEN ROYER

JULIEN ROYER

TALKING WITH THE FORCE BEHIND SINGAPORE’S JAAN RESTAURANT

ABOUT ‘ARTISANAL CUISINE’, SERVING FRENCH-INSPIRED DISHES IN ASIA, AND THE CHALLENGES OF BEING

A YOUNG HEAD CHEF

AN INTERVIEW BY: RON GLUCKMAN

Q&A WITH CHEF

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Q&A JULIEN ROYERQ&A JULIEN ROYER

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Q&A JULIEN ROYER

When Jul ien Royer took over JAAN, the sky-high restaurant on the 70th story of Singapore’s Swissotel The Stamford, expectations were equally lofty. The intimate, upscale French restaurant had already gained widespread acclaim under Taiwanese chef Andre Cheng, who left to open his own celebrated Restaurant Andre in Singapore in 2010.

Royer brought an impressive resume, having worked under Michel in-starred chefs

Michel Bras and Bernard Andrieux, as well as the renowned Jean Georges Vongerichten. But he was young; he’s only 32 now. Sti l l , his craft has been forged over generations. He comes from a long l ine of farmers in

France’s Cantal, and learned cooking the old-fashioned way, from his mother and grandmother.

As chef de cuisine at JAAN, he offers an exquisite mix of authentic French fare with ample fr i l ls at Singapore’s top-of-the-world table. He was named Rising Chef Of The Year at the World Gourmet Summit’s Awards of Excel lence 2012, and was “One to Watch” at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2013. JAAN ranked 17th at Asia’s 50 Best in 2014 and also made the World’s Best Restaurant l ist 2014, both from S. Pel legrino and Acqua Panna.

Hotelier International: How would you describe JAAN and your approach to cooking?

Julien Royer: JAAN is an intimate 40-seat modern French restaurant, where we focus on cooking simple and elegant dishes, using the best ingredients from around the globe, and where we take pride on sourcing from small-scale and art isan producers. The cooking style has evolved sl ightly since I joined, from something extremely clean and prist ine in terms of f lavors, to a l i tt le more straight-forward and product driven. As a young chef, JAAN has helped me to experiment, define and sharpen my style.

HI: You followed others at JAAN, like celebrated chef Andre Chiang. What was it like to take over, while still in your 20s?


58

Q&A JULIEN ROYER

JR: The chal lenge as a young chef is to del iver in ‘your own’ style and please every single guest on a dai ly basis. Plus bui lding a team that compliments your ideas and philosophy. My right hand and sous chef in command Kirk Westaway has been here over three years, also my Junior sous chef Levin Lau. They are the core of my team. It took us a few months of very hard work and dedication to get the place buzzing again. Today we have reached a level of business and have a number of regular and very loyal guests l ike never before.

HI: You are part of the Artisanal Cuisine Movement. Explain how it relates to JAAN?

JR: It’s not really a cooking trend or ‘movement’, but more a global way to think about our job, starting from the farming and sourcing, to the preparation/cooking, till the dish is actually served in front of the guest. We give priority to good production, using organic eggs, line-caught and wild fish, for example, organic fruits and vegetables from precise sources, premium oils or vinegars, selected spices and herbs. We love to work with passionate people who,

like us, put a lot of pride and dedication into their products. We love to showcase their products in our menus and to be able to explain this to our guests.

HI: What issues do you have sourcing ingredients?

JR: We have an excel lent sourcing process, so we don’t have many chal lenges to be honest. Even though Singapore is a small place with l i tt le produce, we sti l l have access to many amazing and beautiful products from around the world.

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IS REALLY TO BE ABLE TO GROW AS A TEAM AND TO MAINTAIN

CONSISTENCY AND TOP QUALITY ON DAILY


59

Q&A JULIEN ROYER

HI: What about other challenges, like adapting to local tastes and expectations?

JR: The biggest chal lenge is real ly to be able to grow as a team and to maintain consistency and top quality on dai ly basis. As a chef, of course, we must adapt the way we cook to the place where we are. I wouldn’t try to open a laksa (signature Singapore-Malay curry) shop in my hometown in Auvergne!

HI: You have won many awards, such as Rising Chef and One to Watch. What is the value of these awards,

and what challenges do they add?

JR: Al l those awards are of course a great recognit ion of our very hard work, but they are especial ly for my team, who work real ly hard on dai ly basis to del iver the best we possibly can. I always say the best award for any restaurant is to be ful l every single day. So far, in that regard, we are very fortunate.

Author Bio: Based in Asia for two decades,

journal ist Ron Gluckman contributes to

Time, Travel & Leisure, Forbes, the Wall

Street Journal, New York Times, Discovery,

Town and Country and CondeNast Traveler.


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THE BEST GARDEN RESTAURANTS

“SHOW ME YOUR GARDEN AND I WILL TELL YOU WHAT YOU ARE.” THE POET LAUREATE ALFRED AUSTIN WAS RIGHT IN STATING THAT OUR CHOICE OF FLOWERS, FOLIAGE AND

LANDSCAPING TELLS AS MUCH ABOUT OUR PERSONALITIES AS ANY INTERIOR ENVIRONMENT. EVEN IF IT’S ONLY FEASIBLE

IN THE SUMMER MONTHS, PROVIDING MEMORABLE MEAL SERVICES IN A NATURAL, GREEN AMBIANCE IS AN EXPERIENCE YOUR GUESTS WON’T FORGET. HERE ARE SOME HOTELS THAT

DO IT PARTICULARLY WELL

BY: SUZANNE WALES

THE BEST:GARDEN

RESTAURANTS


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The opening of Bulgari Hotel in 2004 offered a unique opportunity to rediscover one of

Milan’s important historical gardens. The site was once the orchard and vegetable garden

of a monastery but was divided into smaller plots over the years and left to decl ine. The

restoration project (carried out by the noted landscape architect Sophie Agata Ambroise)

aimed to reclaim the formal Milanese-Lombardy character of the garden, as well as

providing a unique outdoor sett ing for guests.

Landscaping and tree and shrub placement sought to create a series of exterior ‘rooms’.

Guests journey through the undulating layout to the Dom Pérignon Bar (an outdoor

lounge for private parties) at the edge of the garden. Meanwhile, the hotel’s I l Ristorante

restaurant has four terraces, each with a different ‘personality’, from large potted laurels

to ancient chestnut trees and camell ias, ensuring colors and blooms are on show no

matter what the season.

BULGARI HOTELMILAN, ITALY

www.bulgarihotels.com



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Al Fresco is the outdoor restaurant of Four Seasons Florence, one of the two Italian hotels owned

by the luxury Canadian group. It is the only one - out of a total of 3 - completely situated in the

open air, available just in summertime from June to September and with a maximum capacity

of 80 seats. Despite being located in the old-fashioned Gherardesca Garden, this restaurant is

characterized by a very informal atmosphere, offering the typical menu of a Tuscan trattoria both

for lunch and dinner. The required dress code is casual, given also the fact that the restaurant

is next to the pool, and cool air is guaranteed even in the hottest days of the year. Al Fresco is

appreciated by families too, who find a relaxing and friendly context where children can have

a sandwich, a pizza or an ice cream. Thanks to its green surroundings, this outdoor space is

frequently employed also for special events, such as the so-called “romantic dining experiences”

under the garden’s weeping beech tree. F.M.

FOUR SEASONSFLORENCE, ITALY

www.fourseasons.com/florence

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Have you have ever dreamed of making yourself at home in a Renaissance villa, with staff ready to

attend to your every whim? If so, you only have to check into Il Salviatino hotel in Fiesole, a 15th

century hilltop villa surrounded by a beautiful garden and with spectacular views of Florence. Here

there are no receptionists, instead guests are welcomed by a “service ambassador” with a drink on

the terrace or in the library before being taken to a private tour of the place and then shown to their

suite. The philosophy of this luxury hotel is to offer personalized service, tailor-made around the

requirements of each guest in order to make them feel at home. This includes the f&b experience.

There is a restaurant and there’s a menu, but guests can decide when, where and what to eat.

Staff is on hand to organize (for a small supplement) a candle-lit dinner in a corner of the garden

or a picnic in another.

There’s no problem if someone sleeps late and asks for breakfast at lunchtime. And speaking of

breakfast, there’s no buffet, only table service, but guests can choose and pick from a personalized

tray featuring both classic items and specialties from their countries of origin. F.F.

IL SALVIATINO FLORENCE, ITALY

www.salviatino.com

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On Hamburg’s periphery, the elegant Hotel Louis C Jacob is situated between the Elbchaussee,

the city’s most verdant boulevard, and the Elbe, the mighty r iver that has shaped its history

and culture. The f ive-star hotel, original ly a restaurant with simple lodgings, was started by

Frenchman Daniel Louis Jacques, who was a keen landscape gardener.

The hotel’s famous Lime Tree Terrace garden restaurant looks out over the Elbe River. The

impressionist Max Liebermann was a regular guest, and he profusely painted the shimmering

l ime trees set against the wide expanse of water (one painting is in the hotel itself, another

is in Hamburg’s Art Museum). The Lime Tree Terrace became the place for upper class

Haseantics to spend their summer evenings, or to welcome ships arr iving into Hamburg’s

mighty port. The Lime Tree Terrace has changed l itt le over the decades. Weather permitt ing,

food from the hotel’s award-winning restaurant can be served here on summer evenings,

and during the day it’s a fashionable spot for coffee and cake. Tradit ion is kept al ive every

t ime the Queen Mary I I gl ides into town, when the hotel’s historic cannon is f ired and the

staff wave white sheets out the windows.

HOTEL LOUIS C JACOBHAMBURG, GERMANY


hotel-jacob.de


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The Winter Garden at the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky is an oasis in the middle of

Amsterdam. The space, which has always been considered the heart of this grand

hotel, was designed in 1879 in glorious bel le epoque style with a steel arches and

wrought-iron pi l lars supporting a glass roof. It became a social hub of the city and

various royal birthdays were celebrated here. Today the winter garden has lost l i tt le

of its grandeur. Breakfasts and buffet lunches are served amongst the potted palms,

and it’s regularly used for special events. The space is much loved by locals, and

on any given day the Winter Garden’s cl ientele, from well-heeled bankers to young

creatives, ref lects the l iberal, cosmopolitan nature of Amsterdam itself.

NH GRAND HOTEL KRASNAPOLSKY

AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS


www.nh-hotels.com


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The fact that George and Amal Clooney chose to t ie the knot in the Aman Canal Grande

should give you an idea of the level of grandeur and exclusivity of this luxury hotel. The

palazzo, which overlooks the Canal Grande in the city’s San Polo distr ict, once belonged

to a r ich Greek family. They entrusted the interior to Michelangelo Guggenheim, a leading

exponent of the extravagant Venetian rococo style, and acquired two adjacent townhouses,

which they had demolished. The land was then converted into private gardens. Aman

Resorts spent years converting the mansion into a 24-room boutique hotel, which opened

in 2014. The precious period detai l ing was ful ly restored and equipped with furniture and

f itt ings of the f inest Ital ian design. Tempting guests outside are the Garden Terrace (the

threshold of the hotel for guests arr iving by boat) and the Private Garden, which offers

walking access to San Polo. Both offer f ive-star fresco dining during the summer months.

AMAN CANAL GRANDEVENICE, ITALY


www.amanresorts.com


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ANNA RUSSELL, THE 7TH DUCHESS OF BEDFORD, IS WIDELY ACKNOWLEDGED AS BEING THE INSTIGATOR OF TEATIME. IN THE EARLY 1800S, IT WAS CUSTOMARY TO ONLY HAVE TWO MEALS A

DAY – BREAKFAST AND DINNER. TO SUBDUE AFTERNOON HUNGER PANGS SHE ORDERED TEA AND SNACKS TO BE TAKEN HER

BEDROOM, SPAWNING A RITUAL THAT HAS ENDURED OVER TIME AND CONTINENTS.

WHILST OFTEN PERCEIVED AS A STUFFY, MATRONLY AFFAIR, AFTERNOON TEA CAN (AND IS) ENJOYED BY A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE; BUSINESSMEN, MUM’S GIVING KIDS A POST-SCHOOL

TREAT AND LATE LUNCHERS. FOR A HOTEL PROPRIETOR WHOSE INVESTS IN THE EXPERIENCE, IT’S A WONDERFUL WAY TO SEDUCE

NEW CLIENTELE WITH SWEET TREATS AND STELLAR SERVICE

BY: SUZANNE WALES

THE BEST:AFTERNOON

TEAS

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One of the most captivating hotels to open in London in the recent past, the Ham Yard Hotel

has been conceived as an exclusive micro-vi l lage. The U-shaped site, once a decadent jazz

club in the heart of Soho, sports a clutch of special ity shops, a theatre and even a genuine

Americana bowling al ley along with its 91 rooms and 24 apartments. The Ham Yard is

part of the Firmdale Group, which is part ly owned by Kit Kemp, an interior designer and

the creative mind behind the hotels’ signature boho-luxe décor, which features bursts of

vibrant colours and a studied juxtaposit ion of varied texti les and artefacts. Firmdale Hotels

have a fashionable fol lowing but are committed to providing tradit ional afternoon tea in al l

their hotels. At the Ham Yard, it can be taken any t ime of the day, either in the restaurant,

bar area, l ibrary or the hotel’s evocative drawing room.

HAM YARD HOTELLONDON, UNITED KINGDOM

THE BEST AFTERNOON TEAS

www.firmdalehotels.com


We general ly think of Afternoon Tea as an Anglo-Saxon ritual. But many luxury hotels in

Paris also host high tea French style, often swapping scones for del icate macaroons and

strong-bodied ‘Brit ish’ tea for fragrant herbal infusions. The Hotel Daniel oozes Right Bank

charm; this is a chic townhouse of 19 rooms wrapped in swathes of damask and si lk, hand-

printed wallpapers and plump period furniture. The hotel prides itself on offering ‘gastro

moments’ to their guests — al l-day breakfasts, weekend brunches and French high tea,

al l of which can be enjoyed in the hotel’s stunning public areas. Served on old- fashioned

tiered platters, cakes are supplied by award-winning pastry makers from La Pâtisserie

des Rêves, whilst loose leaf blends come from Mariage Frères, a fashionable maison de

thé chain. An hourglass forms part of the table sett ing, and guests are instructed on the

optimum infusion t ime for their chosen blend.

HOTEL DANIELPARIS, FRANCE


www.hoteldanielparis.com


High Tea is perhaps not the sort of experience most visitors would seek in coffee-producing

Africa. Yet the Belmond Mount Nelson, a f ive-star luxury resort at the base of Table

Mountain in Cape Town, has a decidedly English heritage. Opened in 1899, some of its

f irst guests arr ived on an el ite Brit ish l iner, and early fans of the hotel included Sir Winston

Churchi l l and Arthur Conan Doyle (who reportedly held séances in his room). Guests

wanted afternoon tea, and Mount Nelson obliged with al l the tr immings —scones and

clotted cream, f inger sandwiches and a strong, loose-leaf blend. The tradit ion continues

today and has a surprisingly diverse fol lowing, from young travel lers to elderly city doyens.

Under the Afr ican sun, they can enjoy it outside in the Mount Nelson’s exquisite gardens,

served by genti le staff well versed in the subtle r ituals of high tea.

BELMOND MOUNT NELSONCAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA


www.belmond.com


Tea fields and ancient temples surround the luxury Amanfayun retreat in Hangzhou. Here

tea drinking is a ceremonious experience. The resort’s Tea House is situated in a separate

building, which like the accommodations, has been reconstructed from the remains of

a centuries-old vil lage. It is run by the venerable Ms Pang Ying, an acknowledged food

consultant and expert on local teas and their significance within Chinese lifestyle and culture.

She believes that tea, l ike wine, can be ‘paired’ with food. She personally sources a large

selection of varieties from all over China. They can be taken alone or served with the Tea

House’s simple, traditional dishes, which change daily according to local market produce.

Regular customers can keep their own tea sets in handcrafted wooden boxes that form

part of the Tea House’s exquisite interior (designed by Ms Pang Ying’s husband) and casual

visitors can take away small envelopes of their favourite blends to savour back home.

AMANFAYUNHANGZHOU, CHINA

www.amanresorts.com



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Books and tea often come together, at least according to the English tradition, and this is true also

abroad, as for example in the Eternal City. The Library Room - Tea & Chocolate Delights located in

the Gran Melià Rome Hotel, however, has been created not only to this end. Open daily from 3 PM,

summer season excluded, this versatile space adds to classic teas such as Breakfast, Darjeeling,

Ceylon O.P. and Earl Grey, the more refined Goût Russe Douchka, Coquelicot Gourmand, Yunnan

Vert, Jasmine and Taiping Houkui. Moreover, children and adults who dislike caffeine can enjoy

tannin-free Rooibos infusion. The Library Room offers a selection of delicacies such as mini

sandwiches, hot buttered scones, strawberry and cream jam, homemade patisserie and Pommery

Brut Apanage champagne degustation, and its main partner is the maître chocolatier Guido

Gobino - awarded by the London Academy of Chocolate. Lastly, the tearoom features an amazing

view on the resort and on the main attractions of Rome, like the Vatican. F.M.

GRAN MELIÀ VILLA AGRIPPINAROME, ITALY

www.melia.com

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THE BEST TEA ROOMS

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THE BEST TEA ROOMS

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Situated in Sri Lanka’s mountainous tea-growing region, Tea Trai ls is perhaps the

ult imate destination for chai af icionados. The resort consists of a handful of luxury

bungalows on a working tea estate ( it belongs to the tea producers Dilmah). Along with

hiking and trekking, guests can immerse themselves in the craft of tea production, a

process that has changed l itt le over the last century. Given al l this, afternoon tea at

Tea Trai ls takes on a special signif icance. Fifteen varieties of tea are offered ( including

Moroccan mint tea) along with scones, cakes and cucumber sandwiches. It can be

served on the expansive lawns of the estate, against the stunning backdrop of lush

plantations that were pivotal in making tea the universal beverage it is today.

TEA TRAILSSRI LANKA


www.teatrails.com


THE BEST HOTEL SHOPS ARE AN EXTENSION OF THEIR HOTEL’S BRAND, A SHOWCASE OF UNIQUE ITEMS OR A DRAW CARD FOR

CASUAL VISITORS. GOURMET FOOD IS THE PERFECT WAY TO ATTRACT NEW CUSTOMERS AND MAKE OLD ONES REMEMBER

YOU WITH DELICIOUS TAKE HOMES.

BY: SUZANNE WALES

THE BEST:GOURMET

SHOPS

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When a venue receives a customer-choice award two years running, it’s a safe bet it’s

doing something right. Sidewalk is situated on the mezzanine level of the Hyatt Regency

Delhi and affords views of both the pool and the hotel’s lush gardens. In 2012 and 2013 it

won the ‘Best Confectionary’ category in the T imes Food Awards, which are hosted by the

hugely popular T imes City restaurant and nightl i fe web portal. Sidewalk brings a touch of

European café culture to downtown Delhi. Customers can eat in or take away, and many

loyal cl ients pick up house-baked breads, pastries, cakes and chocolates on their way

home from work. The aromas of Sidewalk’s baked goods f i l l this corner of the 558-room

hotel, enticing both guests and visitors to try something different.

SIDEWALK, HYATT REGENCYDELHI, INDIA

www.delhi.regency.hyatt.com

THE BEST GOURMET SHOPS

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Superb cuisine is one the trademarks of Spain’s Basque Country (per capita, there are more

Michel in stars scattered here than anywhere else) and eating well is high on the l ist of visitor

experiences. The Hotel Maria Crist ina, San Sebastián’s grande dame, has astutely opened

a smart gourmet shop in its ornate lobby. A wide range of foodstuffs and wines from the

Basque lands (both French and Spanish) and beyond is on sale. There are brightly packaged

conservas (t inned or bottled f ish and vegetables) specialty salt from the Balearics, Valencian

r ice and the best jamón from Extremadura. Locally made table l inens and designer kitchen

gadgets are also to be found, as are cookbooks on Spanish cuisine. The shop is managed

by San Sebastián Food, a local company that provides high-quality tours and experiences

in the city. In the near future, a state-of-the-art cookery school wil l open in the hotel’s

basement, consolidating the Maria Crist ina as a gourmet destination.

SAN SEBASTIAN GOURMET SHOP,HOTEL MARIA CRISTINA

SAN SEBASTIAN, SPAIN


www.hotel-mariacristina.com


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labottegadeiportici.com is the gourmet shop of the 4 stars luxury Hotel I Portici, a historic building

in the core of Bologna. Despite being located just 2 doors away from the main entrance of the

hotel, the shop has its own identity based on one distinctive product, the famous tortellini.

The shop sells either fresh handmade pasta, to be cooked at home, or take-away dishes, as a

demonstration that street food does not only mean low cost food but even high quality cuisine.

While waiting for their order to be processed, guests can watch every step of the preparation, even

though the pasta actually comes from the 1 star Michelin restaurant of the nearby hotel.

The buy-&-eat package features a robust paper cup and a spoonfork to eat tortellini with broth

while having a walk in the town center.

The “express tortellini” concept merges the genuine Italian tradition with the handiness of a fast

food. Moreover, on www.labottegadeiportici.com the hotel guests or the web surfers can purchase

a box with 5 kg of tortellini and 1.6 l of meat broth for 70 euro.

I PORTICIBOLOGNA, ITALY

www.iporticihotel.com

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Once a ranch, then an experimental farm and cultural hub for New Mexican art ists, Los

Poblanos is an eco-chic resort in the state’s stunning North Val ley. Guests stay in the

original ranch houses surrounded by lush gardens and Los Poblanos’ organic and lavender

farms. Produce from both play a large role in the charming Farm Shop, along with unique,

handcrafted items sourced from the area’s famous art isan community. Lavender is used in

a range of l ip salves, soaps and other spa products, al l tradit ional ly made and packaged.

Los Poblano’s cooks also produce lavender-scented gourmet salt and herb mixes, caramels

and granola. Organic balsamic vinegar honey, chi l l ies, hand-printed table l inen, gardening

tools and the same knives the Los Poblanos chefs use in the kitchen complement the

shop’s farm-to-table ethos. For those that can’t make it to New Mexico, merchandise can

be purchased on-l ine on Los Poblanos own website.

FARM SHOP, LOS POBLANOS

ALBUQUERQUE, USA


www.lospoblanos.com


Ritz Carlton expanded its partnership with the French ‘Picasso of Pastry’ Pierre Hermé with

a new boutique in their Hong Kong hotel. This lobby-level retai l counter favours a r icher,

more textured décor than Hermé’s minimalist stand-alone shops and is in keeping with the

artful, ‘hand-made’ ambiance of the hotel. It entices guests with his signature macaroon and

chocolate creations and ‘ l imited edit ions’ that appear throughout the year. Gift ing takes a

special focus; hampers designed by the French designer de jour Patrick Jouin, and cult jams

and jel l ies by Christ ine Ferber are also on sale. Superior room guests get to taste Hermé’s

confections on arrival, where a plate of candy-coloured macaroons awaits in every room.

PIERRE HERMÉ, THE RITZ CARLTON

HONG KONG, CHINA


www.ritzcarlton.com/hongkong


The Gourmet Shop at Tokyo’s Hotel Mandarin Oriental has been recently re-designed, and

the result is a sophisticated gastro boutique not aesthetical ly unl ike a f ine jewellery shop.

The overhaul, which involved a complete re-branding from logo to uniforms and packaging,

is the work of the prol i f ic chef and interior designer Shinichiro Ogata, perhaps best known

as creator of the elegant, eco-fr iendly Wasara range of disposable tableware. The vision

for the shop and café was to make it not just an added attraction for the hotel’s guests,

but also a meeting place for the community of workers in the Nihonbashi Mitsui Tower,

the Cesar Pel l i-designed skyscraper where the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo is situated. With

a focus on sweet treats and chocolates, the Gourmet Shop’s pastry chefs have devised a

clever way to keep customers coming with both morning and afternoon specialt ies. From

7.30 to 10.30 am, La Babka, a twisted sweet pastry f i l led with chocolate is sold, whilst

post-lunch sees the appearance of Ma Pomme, a baked apple cream pastry.

GOURMET SHOP, MANDARIN ORIENTAL

TOKYO, JAPAN


www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo


https://www.refin.it

9696

LA PERGOLA BY HEINZ BECK IS THE ONLY 3 MICHELIN STAR

RESTAURANT IN ROME AND THE JEWEL IN THE CROWN OF THIS UNIQUE

RESORT. HERE F&B FACILITIES ARE FLEXIBLE AND DIVERSE

BY: FLAVIA FRESIA

ROME CAVALIERI WALDORF ASTORIA HOTELS&RESORTS

PROFILES ROME CAVALIERI

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9797

La Pergola restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the Rome Caval ieri, the f irst hotel in Europe of the Waldorf Astoria Hotels&Resorts brand. Headed by chef Heinz Beck, it is the only three-Michel in star restaurant in Rome as well as the only three-Michel in star hotel restaurant in Italy. German-born and Ital ian by adoption, Beck is one of Europe’s top chefs, at La Pergola since 1994. His modern Mediterranean-style cuisine blends Ital ian inspiration with f lavours from al l over the world. As a young boy Beck dreamed of becoming a painter. As a cook, he has an art ist’s eye for composit ion and a well-discipl ined creativity, as well as a modern nutrit ional approach. For him, less is more: few ingredients, cooked with the latest techniques and f inely balanced to enhance their subtlest f lavours. At the same time, his dishes are also l ight and nutrit ious, as one of the chef’s chief objects is to provide guests with a tasty, inspirational and at the same time healthy gourmet cuisine. His care for the cl ient’s wellness is such that on his menus there’s a QR code that wil l bring up a l ist of ingredients and al lergens.



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“Fagottel l i La Pergola” is one of his signature dishes. Created 15 years ago and sti l l on the menu, it is his personal take on “carbonara”. Top chef Heinz Beck turns the classic Roman recipe upside down and f i l ls raviol i- l ike pasta parcels with a sauce made of egg and pecorino cheese.

La Pergola is open f ive nights a week for dinner only and a 9 course tasting menu costs 220 euro. Guests can choose from a wine l ist with 3,500 labels, and the wine cel lar stores about 60,000 bottles, stocked and looked after by head sommelier Marco Reitano.

There’s also a water menu, with waters from al l around Italy, and a sigar lounge. Service is impeccable, orchestrated by restaurant manager Simone Pinol i. And the sett ing is magnif icent: La Pergola is on the top f loor of the Rome Caval ieri, i tself sitt ing high on a hi l l overlooking Rome. The view encompasses al l the city. Inside, the restaurant is f i l led with art and antiques, as is the whole Rome Caval ieri, which boasts a r ich col lection of pictures by ancient and modern masters, Gobelin and Beauvais tapestries, French period furniture. A pictorial cycle by Giambattista T iepolo takes pride of place in the lobby.

La Pergola is the crowning glory of the Rome Caval ieri and affords an over-the-top dining experience, but this most luxurious of hotels has much more to offer. An urban resort set amid a six hectares Mediterranean park, it has 370 rooms, a 2,200 sqm spa, three outdoor pools, 8,700 sqm of meeting and conference space with a 1,600 sqm ballroom hung with 17th Century tapestries. On average, the hotel hosts 300 to 400 functions a year, attended by anything

from a few dozens to more than 2,000 people. The Rome Cavalieri is also a favourite wedding location and as of Apri l , 34 weddings have already been booked for 2015, with 200 to 1,500 guests.

The hotel f&b department is under the responsibi l i ty of f&b manager Paolo Lenci. La Pergola operates as a separate entity, with 20 cooks and 20 something wait ing staff. The hotel itself has a main kitchen and two satel l i te ones. Executive chef Franco Verucci has a team of 45 cooks, with a sous chef responsible for banqueting operations.

F&b faci l i t ies are diverse and f lexible. “In the summer the hotel has a predominantly leisure cl ientele, and operates as a veritable resort. During the winter we have more meetings”, explains Lenci.

Restaurant L’Uliveto is open almost no-stop from 7 am to 11 pm. Its day begins with a sumptous buffet breakfast, with an extensive selection of freshly baked croissants, brioches and cakes, bread and rol ls, cold cuts, smoked f ish, eggs, fruits and so on, so that guests can compose their owm continental, American or Scandinavian breakfast.

A chef is on hand to prepare sandwiches to order, and there is corner dedicated to people with special diets as well as a Japanese breakfast corner. A Chinese corner is also avai lable on demand. Around 11 am the restaurant closes to get ready for lunch, with a different mood and set-up. For dinner the change of atmosphere is complete: elegantly laid tables, l ive music and, in warm weather, al fresco dining at candle-l it tables on the poolside terrace. “One of our strong points is our Musical Sunday brunch - says Lenci -, with


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a wide and diverse array of food, carving, wok and sushi station manned by our cooks, l ive music. It is very popular with hotel guests and Romans al ike”.

The T iepolo Lounge&Terrace, in the main hotel lobby and spi l l ing on to the terrace in fair weather, is a coffee lounge animated al l day long, serving breakfasts, l ight lunches and English-style afternoon tea. In the evenings, l ive music sets the r ight mood for cocktai ls and after dinners. “We serve more and more food in the lounge, as the general trend is to eat also in lounge bar areas”, reveals Lenci.

In the park there’s a pool bar and, during the summer, a Chalet restaurant with its own kitchen. “Every year we study a new theme for the Chalet and change the décor accordingly - says Lenci -. Usually, a chef from one of the hotels in our company comes to cook from 4 to 6 weeks. In 2014, for the Footbal l World Cup we decorated the Chalet as a footbal l pitch, with green f loor, white l ines, tables placed to ref lect teams’ init ial posit ions, and big screens to fol low the games. In 2015 we are thinking of a family-oriented concept, with a circus theme and l ive entertainment”.

The Imperial Club is an exclusive space provided for guests staying in certain types of rooms. Located on the seventh f loor, it serves breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, l ight dinner and after dinner.

Room service is one of the defining elements of a

luxury hotel. At the Rome Caval ieri the menu is modulated to satisfy different needs 24/7. And there are six different VIP set-ups, in varying degrees of luxury, to welcome guests into their rooms. “We try and put a lot of original ity in our set-ups, to surprise our guests”, says Lenci.

Last but not least, the human factor. The Rome Cavalieri is acclaimed for its excel lent and consistent service. “Our staff is trained to provide an impeccable service at al l t imes”, concludes Paolo Lenci.

THE MENU IS MODULATED TO SATISFY DIFFERENT NEEDS

24/7. AND THERE ARE SIX DIFFERENT VIP SET-UPS TO WELCOME GUESTS


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ROME CAVALIERI WALDORF ASTORIA HOTELS&RESORTS

Address: via Cadlolo 101, 00136 Rome, Italy Phone: +39 06 35091

Web: www.romecavalieri.comGeneral manager: Alessandro Maurizio Cabella

F&B manager: Paolo LenciChef La Pergola restaurant: Heinz Beck

Ecxecutive chef Rome Caval ieri: Franco VerucciRooms: 370, including 25 Suite

(80 to 450 smq, all with private balcony)Rates: from € 249, breakfast excluded

F&B faci l i t ies: La Pergola restaurant, 3 Michelin stars; L’Uliveto; Tiepolo Lounge; Pool bar; Chalet restaurant (summertime only)

Conference center: 8,700 sqm;Salone dei Caval ieri bal lroom: 2,100 sqm

Fitness & spa faci l iet ies: Cavalieri Grand Spa Club, 2,200 smq

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BARCELONA’SHOTEL PRAKTIK

BAKERYSLICE OF LIFE: BRINGING THE ‘AFFORDABLE LUXURY’ OF

FRESHLY BAKED BREAD TO GUESTS AND LOCALS

BY: SUZANNE WALES

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PROFILES BARCELONA’S HOTEL PRAKTIK BAKERY


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Hotel lobbies can be sophisticated showcases for art col lecions, careful ly orchestrated meeting areas, hip cafés, or high-tech work spaces. But for pure sensorial pleasure, it’s hard to beat a lobby that is also a working gourmet bakery. With its novel marriage of boutique hotel and local bakery (the successful Forn Baluard), the new Praktik Bakery Hotel has created an enticing space that appeals to guests and passersby al ike.

Praktik is a mini-group of smart, mid-range hotels that have three establishments in Barcelona and one in Madrid. The interiors of al l four were designed by Rosa Lazaro Violán, the Barcelona-based interiorista de jour whose work is typif ied by combining modern and antique elements into sophisticated sett ings that pay homage to late- and mid-19th century European styles.

Situated in a converted cl inic in the 19th-century Eixample neighborhood, where works of Gaudí and other modernista architects were bui lt on the distr ict’s dist inctive chamfered sidewalks, Praktik Bakery’s design was inspired

by Northern Europe. The 74 bedrooms, although on the small side, have received an optimum treatment of space. Guests actual ly enter through the industrial, art-deco-inspired bathrooms, and the sleeping areas have been simply adorned with white cotton texti les, painted brickwork and bright yel low feature walls. As lovely and practical as they are, it’s the bakery-lobby of the hotel that holds the most interest.

Barcelona’s dai ly bread has done a 360-degree turn over the past few years. Before then, it was diff icult to get anything beyond the ubiquitous Spanish barra (baguette). Recently, art isan bread shops have prol i ferated, offering breads and pastries using organic f lours, seeds, fruit and other ingredients that are more associated with the heavy, hearty bread tradit ions of Scandinavia. Some observers attr ibute the success of upmarket bread as being an ‘affordable luxury’ in Spain’s cash-strapped times.

Run by second-generation bread maker Anna Bellsolà, Forn Baluard has its only other outlet in the working-class



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seaside distr ict of Barceloneta. The bakery quickly garnered a foodie cult fol lowing. One of Praktik’s co-owners was a fan, and he invited Bellsolà to open a branch of Forn Baluard in his new hotel.

“When he approached me with the idea, I thought, well this is something different, so why not!” says Bellsolà.

Forn Baluard at the Praktik Bakery is not a mere ‘hotel shop’. A large swathe of the public area has been f itted out with a ful l working kitchen – storage vats, mixing machines, trol leys and an enormous wood–fired oven custom made in Barcelona by one of the few art isans who sti l l make them (mainly for bakeries in France and Belgium). The kitchen activity, manned by four bakers, is in ful l view from behind a sound-proofed, glass partit ion in the lobby and behind the glass-fronted lower façade. With a front row seat of the oven, passersby wil l be able to see the loaves and pastries coming out directly from its cast iron door.

Back inside, the lobby-café, which brims with

Scandinavian style peppered with soft Mediterranean texti les and ti les, is adjacent to the kitchen. The space wil l be the exclusive domain of the hotel’s guests during breakfast service (7.30-10.30am), after which it wil l be open to the public and wholly managed by Forn Baluard. The front entrance serves as the retai l outlet and is dominated by a long display counter for the breads and pastries. Guests check in in a small section on the far end.

This layout ful ly integrates the bakery into the realm of the hotel (and vice versa) and makes it clear to guests and customers al ike that Forn Baluard is an integral part of its offering and identity.

It also guarantees a constant f low of people in the lobby and focuses the space as the heart and soul of the hotel. Not only wil l i t be constantly f i l led with the invit ing aroma of freshly baked bread, but it wi l l provide cul inary theatrics from the display kitchen and act as an informal café for locals and travel lers. Natural ly, guests wil l be able to sit



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down and have a coffee or something to eat whilst they are wait ing for check in to be f inal ised or a taxi to the airport.

There is no reason to think that this concept wouldn’t work between partnerships of large chains, yet perhaps the most unique and appealing aspect of Praktik Bakery is the happy marriage of two small, local businesses with similar phi losophies.

“The f irst t ime I put a sl ice of Forn Baluard’s bread in my mouth I thought, ‘Can bread sti l l taste l ike this?’ It brought back memories of my chi ldhood.” says Magaly Jul ien, the Praktik Bakery’s hotel director. “Baluard knows how to spoil their customers, and they take a lot of pride in their product – it’s not a fast food service. This is exactly what we want to do in the hotel, we want our customers to feel l ike they are in their family home.”

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Suzanne Wales is an Austral ian writer,

consultant and media professional based in Barcelona. Special ised

in the luxury travel and l i festyle sector, her writ ing appears in

publications l ike Wallpaper*, Vogue, Concierge.com and The

Austral ian Newspaper. She is also the author of a plethora of f irst-

edit ion travel and design books on Barcelona.


HOTEL PRAKTIK BAKERY

Address: Carrer Provença, 279, 08037 Barcelona, SpainPhone: (+34) 93 488 00 61

Web: www.hotelpraktikbakery.comRooms: 74

Manager: Magaly JulienRack Rate for a Standard Room: Rates Begin at €90


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LAKE GARDA’S

THE VILLA’S CHEF STEFANO BAIOCCO BRINGS A WEALTH OF

EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH MASTER CHEFS IN ITALY AND

FRANCE. HIS COOKING STYLE IS NEAT, CLEAN AND ELEGANT

BY: FLAVIA FRESIA

GRAND HOTEL A VILLA

FELTRINELLI

PROFILES GRAND HOTEL A VILLA FELTRINELLI

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Grand Hotel a Vi l la Feltr inel l i has indeed al l the charm and the quality of service of a grand, old palace hotel. So its ful l name is justif ied, though its scale is rather that of a boutique hotel: only 21 suites. Built in neo-Gothic style at the end of the 19th century, this stately home enjoys a waterfront posit ion on Lake Garda, and is surrounded by a park planted with citrus trees, magnolias, cypresses and ol ive groves.

In 1997 the di lapidated vi l la was bought by Bob Burns, the American hotel ier who had co-founded the Regent International Hotels chain. He painstakinly restored and transformed it into a small luxury hospital ity heaven, blending heritage, simple elegance, comfort and top-notch service. The hotel opened in 2001 and was immediately acclaimed as an epitome of sophisticated hospital ity.

In order to make guests feel as i f they where staying in a private home, its restaurant was open only to residents; it had no à la carte or tasting menus, and the food changed every day. However, though standards were very high, after a t ime the restaurant concept appeared a bit dated.

“We had an enormous potential, but we needed to make order in our offer”, admits Stefano Baiocco, since 2004 executive chef of Vi l la Feltr inel l i . When in 2007 Mr Burns sold the hotel to a Russian company, the t ime was ripe for a change. The new owners confirmed al l senior management,

giving them “carte blanche” to run the hotel. Hospital ity standards were and remain as impeccable as ever. But Stefano Baiocco, together with general manager Markus Odermatt and f&b manager Peter Eisendle, immediately started reorganizing the f&b offer. “Our f irst goal was to entice our in-house guests back into our restaurant, as they were increasingly dining out”, says Baiocco. “The second was to open the restaurant to outside guests and aim for a Michel in star”. They succeeded on both fronts: on average guests stay three to four nights at Vi l la Feltr inel l i and now they dine in two or three nights. And in 2008 arrived the f irst Michel in star, fol lowed by a second in 2013.

Stefano Baiocco is an energetic and passionate chef with the r ight resumé to meet the chal lenge. Born in 1973, he had worked in a str ing of 3 star establ ishments before landing at Vi l la Feltr inel l i : three years at Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence, a year at the Alain Ducasse in Paris, another at Pierre Gagnaire. Back in Italy, Stefano worked three years as sous chef to Pino Lavarra at Palazzo Sasso in Ravel lo, a luxury resort on the Amalf i coast.

He has a number of stages under his belt, including three months spent at El Bul l i , and every winter, when the hotel is closed, he sti l l looks for fresh experience: “I’m very curious, i f a restaurant intr igues me, dining there is not


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enough, I have to work in its kitchens for a while”, he says.“I always describe my cooking as neat and clean to

the palate. The f inal dish has only a few components, easi ly recognizable, though the single component may have been worked in a complex way with the latest cooking techniques”. He uses l i tt le fat, but prefers to add f lavour through herbs and spices. “One of my passions - he confesses - is using fresh herbs and f lowers, which I grow myself”.

Brief aside: at Vi l la Feltr inel l i there’s no separate vegetable garden, but the chef is al lotted a number of beds and borders ful ly integrated in the design of the park. He decides with the landscape gardner what edible f lowers or vegetables to grow in a specif ic patch, with an eye to the aesthetic effect of the whole. Baiocco also has a small glasshouse at his disposal. Altogether, he grows about 150 types of herbs and vegetables. And he uses al l of them. His most famous dish is “Una semplice insalata” (A simple salad), an ever-changing composit ion featuring a single leaf of most of the herbs at their best at any given t ime of the year, dressed with a few drops of almond oi l. “This dish is not on the menu. We prepare a small quantity of salad every day and offer it to those of our guests we think wil l appreciate it. We serve it as a sort of palate cleanser, just before the dessert - explains the chef -. I cal l i t a democratic salad, as

al l herbs are equal. It is also anarchical, for it affords an ever-changing experience, as no two mouthfuls are the same”.

Although Baiocco has a number of trusted local suppliers, he is not a fan of the so cal led “Km 0 movement”. “I was born in Ancona, on the Adriatic coast, and seafood is part of my heritage. Also, I l ike to bring back ingredients and ideas from my travels. I want to be free to put what I want into my dishes”.

At Vi l la Feltr inel l i there’s only one restaurant, used for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In nice weather meals are also served under a gazebo in the garden or at the poolside. Fourteen people work in the kitchen, and every cook is trained to take care indifferently of breakfast, lunch and dinner, providing always the same level of qual ity. There are two service teams, though, one for breakfast and lunch, the other for dinner, when the dining room puts on its two Michel in-star suit.

The dinner à la carte menu changes every season and offers a choice of f ive entrées, f ive pasta dishes, f ive f ish, f ive meat and f ive desserts. The two tasting menus are composed dai ly by the chef and are priced respectively 120 euro (4 main courses and a couple of amuse bouche and pre dessert) and 180 euro (6 courses plus extras).

Outside guests are welcome, though residents have



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THE DINNER À LA CARTE CHANGES EVERY SEASON AND

OFFERS A CHOICE OF FIVE ENTRÉES, FIVE PASTA DISHES, FIVE MEAT

DISHES, FIVE FISH DISHES AND FIVE DESSERTS

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the priority. “We don’t ask in-house guests to book a table, therefore every night we assume that al l of them wil l dine in and accordingly we only accept bookings from a small number of outside guests. This pol icy may leave us with some empty tables at the end of the day, but it is a price we gladly pay to maintain our hospital ity style”, says Baiocco.

Lunch is a simpler affair, with a few Ital ian classics, salads, pasta and risotto. Excel lence is ensured by top quality ingredients perfectly cooked and presented. For instance, the Caprese salad is made with two types of tomatoes, different types of basi l leaves, and an outstanding mozzarel la. By the way, items from the lunch menu may be served at dinner i f an in-house guests asks for it. Just as there’s no f ixed breakfast t ime, and it is always possible to get an omelette and a freshly centri fuged juice. Evening aperit i f is a r itual at Vi l la Feltr inel l i , and Baiocco’s team is responsible for snacks and canapés.


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GRAND HOTEL A VILLA FELTRINELLIAddress: Via Rimembranza, 38/40,

25084 Gargnano (Bs), ItalyTelephone: +39 (0)365 798000Web: www.villafeltrinelli.com

General manager: Markus OdermattExecutive chef: Stefano Baiocco

Food&Beverage manager: Peter EisendleOpen: from 17 April to 11 October 2015

Rooms: 21 suitesRoom rates: min. 1,080 - max. 5,000 euro per night,

breakfast includedDinner prices: 95-180 euro per person (wine and

beverage excluded)


PHUKET’S

TINY BOUTIQUE HOTEL WITH A HUGE CULINARY PRESENCE

BY: RON GLUCKMAN

INIALA BEACHHOUSE

PROFILES PHUKET’S INIALA BEACH HOUSE

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Although there are many luxurious resorts on the Thai island of Phuket, Iniala Beach House made a huge splash when it opened in December 2013. British entrepreneur Mark Weingard spent a fortune on his first property, an exquisite 10-suite boutique beach resort. Each room is the work of a different renowned designer and is fi l led with custom art and furnishings. The kid’s club, he justif iably proclaims, “may be the best in the world.”

So, when he envisioned a signature restaurant, Weingard set the bar equally sky-high. He lured Eneko Atxa, the youngest chef to ever win three Michelin stars in Spain, to Phuket to open Aziamendi, an unquestioned coup. Thailand has claimed few restaurants with a single star, and typically celebrity chefs cook in Bangkok at big international hotels.

At his first venture outside Spain, Atxa offers his unique take on Basque-ronomy (with Thai twists), delivered with the

same impeccable service and ambience. The architecture is stunning (richly golden wood, undulating panels reflecting the waves of the Andaman Sea, meters away) and the service is pampering, led by a team that includes sommelier Fabien Etienne (formerly at Capital Hotel London and Hotel du Palais in Biarritz). Bringing such a feted chef to a small beach resort in Phuket is more than a culinary triumph for Iniala. It also proves that perceived limits on fine dining needn’t apply, even to small hotels in distant locations, especially when the goals and passion are shared by all the partners.

“With hotels, in my experience, they typically say ‘here is how we do things. This is how it must be’,” says Atxa. In contrast, Iniala offered total artistic freedom. “Everything is complementary, l ike two different places that fit together.”

Weingard wooed the celebrated chef from outside Bilbao for years. He was bowled over by Atxa’s landmark


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Basque restaurant, Azurmendi, which ranked 26th on the 2014 “World’s 50 Best Restaurants” by S. Pellegrino and Acqua Panna. With on-site gardens and a greenhouse, it also won the world’s most sustainable restaurant award. More than the accolades, Weingard knew Atxa’s passion and presentation were a perfect fit.

Initially, though, Atxa declined the invitation. “I l iked Mark and what he wanted to do,” he says, “but at the time, I was focused on getting my third Michelin star.”

After that achievement, his partner in the kitchen, Alex Burger, took him to Thailand in 2007. Atxa, 37, grows animated describing everything: the cauldron of flavor infusing a Thai soup, his first sample of morning glory. “I just couldn’t believe it — the roadside chicken rotisserie, the gril led pork,” he recalls. “And the aromas, wow!”

Sufficiently inspired, Atxa and Burger traveled widely on

an eating tour of Thailand. As the idea of the restaurant took shape, they began exploring sources for produce. To Atxa, the kitchen isn’t where food is created, it’s the culmination of a journey beginning with fields and farmers. In Spain, he became famous for showcasing regional products, and his rooftop gardens offered tours and samples for guests.

Creating a similar atmosphere in Phuket was challenging. “We recognized coming into this project it would be very different,” says Burger, who now oversees the Thai venue and is in constant contact with Atxa. “We had to think hard about what would work and what wouldn’t.”

Aziamendi highlights local delicacies, like edible flowers. Axta’s favorite morning glory is tucked in the ravioli. “When we make the menu, we have to think, what is available in Thailand? We try to do as much with local food and flavor as possible,” he says, emphasizing such techniques as grill ing, a Thai tradition.



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Chefs were also locally groomed. “For me, the most important things in a chef are attitude and a passion to learn,” says Burger, who oversaw most of the recruiting. Thai staff received months of training in Spain.

The result is an exquisite restaurant offering a menu unique to Phuket. There are two tasting menus. ‘Inspire’ offers delicacies l ike Pigeon with Duxelles and Caulif lower, and Oyster with Sea Foam, for $200 per person. ‘Roots’ ($150 per person) is more reflective of Spain, with Anchovy Mille Feuil le, Mojito in Bon Bon, and Oxtail Ravioli with Garbanzos.

Dining is a delight that lasts for hours, each dish detailed by attentive staff. The culinary experience begins in the garden, exactly l ike in Spain. Cherry tomatoes with hibiscus infusion nest among bonsai trees. Guests gobble other picnic treats, then are invited into the kitchen for Aziamendi’s trademark truffled egg.

Atxa says the entire experience is designed to challenge

perceptions of a typical high-end restaurant. This makes it a great match for Iniala, a boutique resort where luxury is communicated not only in design and comfort, but through unique spaces and effusive staff.

Many questioned whether a three-star restaurant suited a small resort. “It’s all about the total guest experience,” notes Atxa, who says Aziamendi and Iniala are both equally committed to the highest standards. “This really could be a model for other boutique hotels,” he says. “You can deliver high quality. You just need people who have the same vision and passion.”

Author Bio: Ron Gluckman has been covering Asia for two decades,

contributing to Time, Travel & Leisure, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal,

the New York Times, Discovery, Town and Country and Conde Nast

Traveler.

PERCEIVED LIMITS ON FINE DINING NEEDN’T APPLY, EVEN TO SMALL HOTELS IN

DISTANT LOCATIONS


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PROFILES PHUKET’S INIALA BEACH HOUSE PROFILES PHUKET’S INIALA BEACH HOUSE


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INIALA BEACH HOUSE

Web: www.iniala.comTelephone: +66 (0)76 451 456

Address: 40/14 Moo 6, Khok Kioi, 82140, Phuket, Thailand

General Manager: Mr. Wayne MilgateOwner: Mark Weingard, via Iniala Natai Ltd.

Rack rate for a double room: Suites start at USD 2967.50/nightNumber of rooms: 10 rooms in total



PROFILES JOHANNESBURG’S SAXON HOTEL

JOHANNESBURG’S

HOW AN ALREADY EXCEPTIONAL HOTEL UPPED ITS GAME BY

EMPLOYING A TOP CHEF TO OVERHAUL F&B OFFERINGS

BY: NICK DALL

SAXONHOTEL

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After opening in 2003, the Saxon quickly establ ished itself as Afr ica’s most exclusive address. It regularly won awards for its rooms, service and sommeliers, but its food – in spite of being very good – wasn’t geared for winning competit ions. This al l changed in 2012, when David Higgs was brought on board as Executive Chef.

“We wanted our food and our restaurants to be as talked-about as our wines and sommeliers,” explains operations manager Sybrandt Windell, “And we knew David was the man for the job.”

Higgs immediately saw what needed to change. “If you include banquets and special events, the hotel was serving as many as 19 different menus from one single kitchen. It’s hard to produce exceptional food in conditions like that,” he says.

Higgs earmarked what was at the t ime the owner’s suite as the ideal location for a f ine dining restaurant – and the owner did not object to making the changes. What used to be the bathroom was transformed into a kitchen, and the bedroom was turned into an intimate dining area. And so the signature restaurant Five Hundred was born.

“We would never have won al l those awards if we’d stuck with a central kitchen,” agrees Windell, “Five Hundred is only open f ive nights a week and it caters for a maximum of 35 guests in an evening. It’s got a two-month wait ing l ist. It’s not your average hotel restaurant.”

The Saxon’s recent cul inary tr iumphs have certainly made Public Relations Manager Candice Turner’s job a lot easier. “The cul inary journey at our hotel is a large part of


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our marketing and PR campaigns, and we have seen a great inf lux of ‘foodie’ travel lers from al l areas of the globe, al l seeking out the opportunity to not only experience the f iner points of our hospital ity, but to embark on a truly unique cul inary journey with David and his team. Guests from as far af ield as Japan have travel led here to dine at Five Hundred and to meet David.”

The immense popularity of Five Hundred does bring its own chal lenges, the most obvious being the long wait ing l ist for reservations. Hotel guests are encouraged to make their restaurant bookings at the same time as their room reservations, although one or two tables are usual ly kept aside for ‘emergencies’. “We try to make sure that al l of our hotel guests get a chance to dine at Five Hundred, without

putt ing too much pressure on them, of course. Our menu is very experiential and avant-garde, and we do appreciate that it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea,” Higgs says.

Restaurants l ike Five Hundred are fantastic for creating hype and enhancing a hotel’s reputation, but every hotel also needs a larger, more mainstream restaurant. To this end Higgs motivated hotel management to rename the main restaurant Qunu (after Mandela’s birthplace) and to make its décor and ambience more casual. Its kitchen was equipped to produce excel lent gri l led meats – ever-popular in Johannesburg.

Higgs also made a concerted effort to bring ‘restaurant thinking’ to the entire F&B operation. “In tradit ional hotels menus are printed in advance and if something’s not sel l ing it can take six months to change the menu.” The Saxon’s


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menus are now printed in house, and they can be changed on the day if something’s not sel l ing or some produce isn’t avai lable.

Higgs is a f irm bel iever that the success of any restaurant can be put down to a large, loyal base of regular cl ients. Embracing the residents of Johannesburg has reaped rewards; Higgs estimates that about two-thirds of the patrons in both Five Hundred and Qunu are not guests at the hotel.

Interestingly, Higgs also emphasises the importance of knowing when not to make changes. “The Saxon has always employed exceptional sommeliers who know their wines as well as they know their regular guests, so I left the beverage offering virtually unchanged.” The conference and banqueting options were already renowned for their flexibility — “Anything is possible at the Saxon,” observes Windell. Now, the addition of world-class cuisine to the hotel repertoire has seen more and more companies move their year-end functions to the Saxon.

Johannesburg is the capital of South Afr ica, but for a long t ime it has lagged behind Cape Town when it comes to f ine dining. Higgs, a passionate newcomer to the city, is committed to changing this. The Saxon has set itself a clear goal of making the San Pellegrino ‘World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ l ist, and only a fool would bet against them achieving this.

Author Bio: Nick Dall is a ful l-t ime journal ist based in

Cape Town. The single theme which pervades almost of al l

of his work is travel. He has been published extensively:

www.nickdall.co.za


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SAXON HOTEL, VILLAS AND SPA

Web: www.saxon.co.zaTelephone: 27 (0)11 292 6000

Address: 36 Saxon Road, Johannesburg, South Africa

General Manager: George CohenRoom Rates: from R4950 a night

Number of rooms: 53

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Si chiama Al Fresco ed è lo spet-tacolare garden restaurant del Four Se-asons di Firenze, resort urbano a cinque stel le situato a pochi passi dalla Galleria degli Uff izi e dal Duomo (72 camere, 44 suite). È immerso nello splendido Giar-dino della Gherardesca, circondato da maestosi alberi secolari, tra la piscina e la spa. L’ideale per un pasto informale, secondo le tradizioni toscane e con in-gredienti genuini, senza rinunciare al la qualità. L’atmosfera è ri lassata e convi-

viale, perfetta per gli ospiti che posso-no sorseggiare del buon vino o un drink con gli amici, o prendere un gelato con i bambini. Aperto da giugno a settembre, ha una capacità di 80 coperti. L’offerta ristorativa del Four Seasons di Firenze comprende anche I l Palagio, locale in-signito di una stel la Michelin situato al piano terra del Palazzo della Gherarde-sca. Anche in questo caso, quando i l tempo lo consente, è possibile pranzare o cenare all’aperto, grazie al la terrazza

sulla quale si aprono le grandi portefine-stre del r istorante. Infine una terza op-zione è rappresentata da La Magnolia, r istorante al piano terra del Conventino che offre un ambiente intimo in cui gl i ospiti che soggiornano in questa parte dell’hotel possono assaporare la prima colazione. Come al r istorante I l Palagio, anche qui i l menu è à la carte con nu-merose opzioni, da dolci appena sfor-nati a special ità a base di uova, pesce affumicato e salumi. Dieci posti sono all’aperto. In versione “dehors” anche la proposta dell’Atrium Bar dove degusta-re cocktail, pasti leggeri e tè pomeridia-ni (testo in inglese a pag. 62). F.M.

AL FRESCO IN UN GARDEN URBANO

USCITA N.02 2015 I PRINCIPALI CONTENUTI IN ITALIANO

ABSTRACT

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Marco Piva è un architetto e interior design ital iano, nato a Milano e laureato in architettura al Politecnico di Mila-no. Nel 1990 ha aperto lo Studio Marco Piva, realizzando più di 20 progetti di alberghi in Ital ia e al l’estero.

Hotelier International: Qual è il ruolo dell’area food&be-verage negli hotel?Marco Piva: È sempre più evidente che i l food&beverage è fondamentale per creare interazione non solo tra l’hotel e i suoi ospiti, ma anche con i l pubblico e l’ambiente circostan-te. In passato gli hotel funzionavano soprattutto come sistemi chiusi, con una porta girevole come barriera tra microcosmo interno ed esterno. Ora questa separazione sta sparendo.

HI: Come incorpora questa filosofia nei suoi progetti?MP: II pianoterra è sempre aperto all’ambiente urbano e le porte, le finestre e le pareti vetrate hanno la funzione non di barriere ma di filtri che collegano il mondo interno con quello esterno. Negli hotel che sono sistemi aperti dinamici, anche l’offerta f&b deve essere dinamica. Ciò significa prestare attenzione alla qualità del cibo, ma anche alla cornice e all’atmosfera in cui è servito. Le persone chiedono qualità, sicurezza, sapori autentici e deside-rano anche un’esperienza piacevole, non solo quando cenano in un locale gourmet, ma anche in un contesto più ordinario.

HI: Come traduce tutto ciò nei suoi progetti?MP: Un esempio è l’Una Hotel Bologna, struttura a voca-zione business di fronte al la stazione centrale. Qui abbiamo radicalmente ristrutturato l’edif icio esistente, collegandolo al l’esterno urbano. La facciata rivestita in bronzo è un gran-de scenario dinamico che si apre sulla piazza della stazione. A pianoterra le vetrate avvolgono la hall e i l mezzanino e i l banco ovale del bar è visibi le dal marciapiede. Un altro risto-rante, più appartato, si affaccia sul corti le. Essendo vicini al la stazione, abbiamo realizzato per le stanze i l tema del viaggio.

HI: Un altro esempio?MP: A Cagliari parte di un edif icio per uff ici è stata convertita nel T Hotel. La costruzione si affaccia sul teatro principale e abbiamo usato ovunque effetti teatral i: colori, giochi di luce, material i e f initure f ino all’enorme banco circolare del bar. Un altro tema è l’acqua, con piscine ispirate ai laghi salati lungo la costa e con isole dove le persone possono sedersi e gu-stare piatti dal forte sapore locale.

HI: Il suo progetto più recente?MP: L’Excelsior Hotel Gallia a Milano, costruito nel 1932, è sta-to completamente rinnovato e riaperto all’inizio del 2015. Un progetto molto complesso: 32.000 mq che occupano un intero isolato di fronte alla Stazione Centrale, costruita nello stesso periodo e con la quale ha una forte continuità stilistica. All’edi-ficio Art Déco accuratamente restaurato è stata collegata un’a-la contemporanea che si riallaccia al nuovo centro degli affari poco distante. Il concetto di design è ispirato all’arrivo, all’hotel come porta di ingresso alla città. Qui l’offerta f&b è ampia, con un lounge bar nella tradizione del bar originale, un ristorante a pianterreno, la cantina. Al settimo piano si trova il Signature De-stination Restaurant e un lounge bar sulla terrazza con vista sulla piazza della stazione (testo in inglese a pag 30).

Q&A MARCO PIVAL’ARCHITETTO MILANESE SVELA IL SUO ULTIMO GRANDE PROGETTO IL RINNOVO DELLO STORICO EXCELSIOR HOTEL GALLIA DI MILANO

Lo Studio Marco Piva lavora in Italia co-me all’estero in progetti di masterplan, architettura, interior e industrial design. Tra i progetti di interior design più recenti l’Excelsior Hotel Gallia di Milano, l’Ananta-ra Hotel di Dubai, il Laguna Terminal di Me-stre, l’Hotel Mirage a Kazan (Fed. Russa).

INTERVISTA DI: FLAVIA FRESIA

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VILLA CON VISTA, AMBASSADOR E WEDDING PLANNER

BOUTIQUE DEL TORTELLINOL’albergo I Portici Hotel Bologna completa la sua acco-

glienza con un progetto di cultura culinaria: labottegadeiportici.com. Un luogo fisico e digitale che diffonde il buon gusto e l’estetica della pasta fresca. Il tortellino di Bologna come scelta di un prodotto che collega l’arte alla cucina e la tradizione all’i-dentità della città. In pratica si tratta di una vetrina aperta sulla strada, sotto i portici di Bologna, nel polmone verde del Par-co del Pincio e all’interno del suggestivo palazzo ottocentesco che ospita l’hotel. Dunque una vera e propria bottega dedicata alle paste fresche della tradizione bolognese, tagliatelle all’uo-vo e tortellini, preparati a vista quotidianamente dalle sfogline.

Ma non ci sono tortellini senza un grande brodo di carne, così alla Bottega è possibile anche acquistare il classico brodo, accuratamente filtrato, pastorizzato e confezionato in sacchetti sottovuoto (il servizio take away è molto efficiente e accurato). Un luogo che, come premesso,si propone anche come spazio web dove è possibile acquistare on line i prodotti tipici.

Da segnalare che l’albergo vanta Il Ristorante i Portici, inaugurato nel 2008 e insignito di una stella Michelin, punta su una cucina di grande creatività e attenta alle materie prime di qualità che porta la firma dello chef Agostino Iacobucci. Il

I l Salviatino si trova in una mae-stosa vi l la del XV secolo perfettamente restaurata che sorge sui pendii di Fie-sole, con un’ammaliante vista su Firen-ze e sul sinuoso paesaggio toscano. Gli ospit i non sono accolt i da una recep-

tion in sti le tradizionale, ma da un “ser-vice ambassador” con un drink servito sul la magnif ica terrazza o in bibl ioteca.

La f i losofia di questa struttura lu-xury si basa sul la personalizzazione del servizio che deve essere davvero “cu-

ristorante è ollocato all’interno del Teatro Eden, antico caffè chantant del 1899 e riportato agli antichi splendori grazie al recupero degli affreschi in stile Liberty.

La carta dei vini, a cura del maitre e sommelier Nicola Cuccato, offre una selezione delle migliori etichette provenienti da Italia, Francia e Germania. Il ristorante, con 40 coperti, è aperto solo la sera e osserva, come giorni di chiusura, la dome-nica e il lunedì. Altro punto di degustazione la Terrazza Bistrot collocata al secondo piano della struttura alberghiera bologne-se (testo in inglese a pag. 88). F.M.

cito” come un abito intorno ai bisogni del l’ospite. Incluso una f&b experience unica e fuori del l’ordinario. C’è un ri-storante e c’è ovviamente un menu, ma gl i ospit i possono decidere l iberamen-te quando, dove e cosa mangiare. Lo staff, dietro i l pagamento di un piccolo supplemento, è pronto a organizzare in tempi ultrarapidi una cena a lume di candela nel la zona giardino o un picnic rurale. Non c’è inoltre nessun proble-ma se un ospite decide, ad esempio, di dormire f ino a tardi o andareo a colazio-ne al l ’ora di pranzo. Riguardo i l servizio breakfast in particolare non è prevista la tradizionale proposta a buffet, ma viene servito al tavolo un ricco plateau di special it i tà t ipiche dei Paesi d’origine degli ospit i . Un’attenzione non comune.

I l Salviatino è una location ap-prezzata anche per eventi e matrimoni (testo in inglese a pag.64). F.F.

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Tim Wendelboe è un barman norvegese, vincitore del Campionato mondiale dei baristi e del World Cup Tasters Championship. Attualmente gestisce un espresso bar a Oslo che è al lo stesso tempo anche un training center e una micro-torrefazione. La sua società fornisce l’espresso allo Scandic Nidelven Hotel di Trondheim, vincitore della migliore prima colazione in Norvegia per 9 anni consecutivi.

Hotelier International: Quali sono le ultime novità dal mondo del caffè?Tim Wendelboe: Anche se l’espresso, le preparazioni a base latte e i l cappuccino restano popolari, i l caffè f i ltro sta viven-do una rinascita. Ad esempio, a Oslo arrivano turisti da tutto i l mondo attratti dalla reputazione delle nostre preparazioni f i ltro. E negli ult imi 10 anni c’è stato un enorme impegno da parte dell’ industria per migliorare la qualità dell’offerta.

HI: Cosa gli albergatori dovrebbero assolutamente co-noscere sul caffè? TW: Due caffè possono essere assolutamente diversi. È ne-cessario conoscere le basi sulla coltivazione e la preparazio-ne del caffè. Bisogna sapere che esistono specie e origini diverse che rendono i l gusto di ogni caffè unico. Inoltre lo sti le di torrefazione e la freschezza dei chicchi incidono note-

volmente sul r isultato f inale in tazzina.

HI: Qual è il segreto di un buon caffè?TW: Innanzittutto è impossibile fare un buon caffè con ingre-dienti cattivi, ma è molto facile rovinare dei buoni ingredienti con una preparazione inadeguata. Le basi sono molto sempli-ci: grani di qualità, acqua dolce, apparecchio pulito e un ma-cinacaffè eff iciente. È importante trovare l’equil ibrio tra misu-re e metodi di preparazione, quindi vanno usati 65 g di caffè per l itro d’acqua, regolando la macinatura f ino a ottenere un caffè non eccessivamente amaro e neppure acquoso e acido.

HI: La cucina di un albergo che lavora solitamente con ritmi frenetici come può gestire il servizio caffè? TW: L’espresso deve essere sempre preparato al momento, ma può diventare un incubo logisticamente, quindi racco-mando i l caffè f i ltro. I l peggior caffè è quello che è rimasto per ore su una piastra, quindi va trattato come un prodotto fresco da consumare al massimo entro un’ora dalla prepara-zione. Inoltre si deve prendere l’abitudine di pulire ogni giorno i l porta f i ltro, tutte le caraffe e i bricchi.

HI: Qualche raccomandazione in più? TW: Suggerirei di servire una tazza di caffè di origine keniana alla mattina e una di caffè colombiano dal gusto più corposo per i l dopo pranzo. Occorre concentrarsi sugli ingredienti più che sul fatto che si tratti di un espresso o di un caffè f i ltro.

HI: Si può abbinare il caffè al cibo?TW: Il caffè è perfetto con diversi dolci e liquori. Io lo preferisco abbinato a un rum di qualità, mentre con una torta al cioccolato mi piace degustare una miscela fruttata del Kenya o dell’Hon-duras. Altro abbinamento top e poco conosciuto è con alcuni formaggi (testo in inglese a pag.47).

Q&A TIM WENDELBOEDALLA NOVERGIA UN CAMPIONE MICROTORREFATTORE

FA L’ELOGIO DEL CAFFÈ FILTRO. PERFETTO PER I “TEMPI” DELL’HOTEL

Tim Wendelboe ha costruito sul caffè un piccolo impero: basta dare un’occhiata al suo incredibile sito (timwendelboe.no) per rendersi conto della ramificazione delle at-tività del campione norvegese: dalla torre-fazione alla consulenza fino a corsi profes-sionali per barman e cultori della materia.

INTERVISTA DI: DAVID NIKEL

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AL GOURMET SHOP DOVE LE TORTE SONO VERI GIOIELLI

UNA PASTICCERIA FRANCESE NEL CUORE DI HONG KONGTutti al Ritz-Carlton! Quello di Hong Kong, naturalmen-

te, dove gl i ospit i fanno letteralmente la coda per entrare nel la boutique interna di Pierre Hermé, r ibattezzato i l “Picas-so del la pasticceria” e acquistare i suoi squisit i macarons. I l

I l Gourmet Shop del Mandarin Oriental di Tokyo, di re-cente r iprogettato, è una sofist icata boutique gastronomica non diversa sotto i l profi lo estetico e di presentazione dei prodotti da una gioiel ler ia.

La r iprogettazione, che ha visto un completo re-bran-ding di tutto l’apparato di comunicazione, dal logo al le uni-formi f ino al packaging, è opera del prol i f ico chef e interior designer Shinichiro Ogata, forse meglio noto come creatore del l’elegante l inea ecologica di stovigl ie monouso Wasara.

L’intenzione era di rendere lo shop non solo un’ulte-riore attratt iva per gl i ospit i del l’hotel, ma anche un luogo di incontro per chi lavora al Mitsui Torre Nihonbashi, i l gratta-cielo del Mandarin Oriental Tokyo progettato da Cesar Pel l i . I pasticceri del Gourmet Shop hanno inoltre ideato un modo intel l igente per att irare cl ienti con le loro special ità.

La mattina viene venduta La Babka, un rotolo di pasta dolce r ipieno di cioccolata, mentre dopo pranzo fa la sua comparsa Ma Pomme, una torta di mele in sti le francese cotta al forno. C’è anche una proposta salata composta da sandwich di ispirazione internazionale in grado di soddisfare qualsiasi t ipo di palato. Da segnalare che lo shop, posizio-

bancone del la boutique posizionato al lo stesso l ivel lo del la lobby favorisce infatt i un f lusso continuo di cl ienti, molt i dei qual i esterni (al piano superiore si trova la sala da tè).

Molte r ichieste anche le preparazioni al cioccolato f ir-mate da Hermé che come i macaron sono entrate nel le clas-sif ica del le referenze più vendute dal la boutique del l’albergo di Hong Kong.

Collocato al l ’ interno di un grattacielo che troneggia sopra i l porto maritt imo di Victoria, i l Ritz-Carlton vanta 5 r istoranti, i l bar Ozone, considerato i l più “alto” del mondo (a 490 metri sopra i l l ivel lo del mare), e 312 lussuose came-re con connessione Wi-Fi gratuita ubicate a grande altezza, dal piano 102esimo al 118esimo. Tra i r istoranti si segnala i l Tosca (cucina ital iana) e i l T in Lung Heen (cucina cinese), entrambi posizionati a un piano inferiore a quel lo del la recep-tion che è col locata al 102esimo piano.

Head chef del Tosca è dal 2013 Pino Lavarra, di ori-gini pugliesi, che ha conquistato la raff inata e cosmopolita cl ientela del Ritz-Carlton con una cucina a base d’ingredien-ti tradizional i r ivisitati in chiave contemporanea. Molto for-t i, ovviamente, l’ inf luenza del le tradizioni cul inarie del sud del l’ Ital ia (testo in inglese a pag.92).

nato a l ivel lo strada, ha anche uno spazio esterno, un vero e proprio dehors dove gl i ospit i possono sostare a sorseggiare una bevanda calda o un drink. I l Mandarin Oriental di Tokyo conta 157 camere e 21 suite ed è uno dei meeting point più di tendenza del la capitale (testo in inglese a pag. 94).

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Quando i l francese Ju-l ien Royer ha r i levato i l r isto-rante Jaan al settantesimo piano del lo Swissotel The Stamford di Singapore, le aspettative erano molto alte. I l r istorante intimo e raff ina-to aveva già r iscosso ampi consensi con lo chef di origi-ne taiwanese André Chiang. Aspettative confermate. L’ar-r ivo di Royer ha infatt i fatto bri l lare di nuova luce i l locale di Singapore. E i r iconosci-menti sono arrivati quasi su-bito: ad esempio, quest’an-no lo Jaan si è classif icato al l ’undicesimo posto tra i 50 migl iori r istoranti asiatici st i lata da Acqua S. Pel legrino e Acqua Panna.

Hotelier International: Innanzittutto, come descrivereb-be lo Jaan e il suo approccio alla cucina?Julien Royer: Lo Jaan è un ristorante intimo e moderno con solo 40 coperti. Qui prepariamo piatt i semplici e raff inati con i migl iori ingredienti da tutto i l mondo e siamo orgogliosi di r i fornirci da piccoli produttori art igianal i. In cucina, lo sti le si è leggermente evoluto, perché partendo da qualcosa di estremamente semplice ho aggiunto qualcosa dal gusto più deciso. Come chef giovane lo Jaan mi ha sicuramente aiuta-to a sperimentare, a definire e ad aff inare i l mio sti le.

HI: È arrivato allo Jaan rimpiazzando uno chef famoso come André Chiang, che effetto le ha fatto?JR: La sf ida per uno chef giovane è esprimersi con i l “pro-prio” sti le e soddisfare tutt i i giorni l ’ospite che ha di fron-te. Inoltre è importante costruire un team che condivida in pieno idee e f i losofia. I l mio braccio destro e secondo Kirk Westaway è qui da più di tre anni come i l mio secondo chef junior Levin Lau. Sono loro l’anima del mio team. C’è voluto qualche mese di duro lavoro per r i lanciare i l locale e oggi i l numero di cl ienti fedel i ha raggiunto un l ivel lo mai visto.

HI: Lei fa parte del Movi-mento Artigianale della Cucina. Come si correla questo impegno allo Jaan?JR: Per la verità non è un movimento vero e proprio, ma piuttosto un approccio globale al lavoro di cucina, partendo dal la produzione al la preparazione e cottu-ra, f inché i l piatto non viene servito al l ’ospite. Diamo la priorità ai fornitori di qual i-tà approvvigionandoci, ad esempio, di uova biologiche, pesce selvaggi, spezie e aro-mi selezionati ecc. Amiamo collaborare con persone en-tusiaste che, come noi, met-

tono molto orgoglio e impegno in tutto quel lo che fanno.

HI: Cosa ci racconta delle sue altre sfide. Ad esempio quella di adeguarsi ai gusti e alle aspettative locali?JR: La vera sf ida consiste nel l’essere in grado di crescere come team e di mantenere sempre una coerenza di st i le e una qual ità eccel lente. Come chef è necessario ovviamente adeguarsi al lo scenario in cui lavora. Non aprirei un negozio di laksa (curry di Singapore) nel la mia città natale di Auver-gne in Francia!

HI: Che valore attribuisce ai premi che ha ricevuto?JR: Sono un grande riconoscimento, soprattutto per i l mio team che lavora sodo. Ripeto sempre che i l migl ior premio è essere sempre pieni di ospit i (testo in inglese a pag.54).

Q&A JULIEN ROYERSPERIMENTARE SENZA RINUNCIARE AL PROPRIO STILE.

È QUESTA LA FILOSOFIA DEL TOP CHEF DELLO JAAN DI SINGAPORE

Julien Royer, francese di Auvergne, proviene da una famiglia di agricol-tori. Sin da giovanissimo si appas-siona di cucina, andando a scuola da maestri come Michel Bras e Bernard Andrieux. Attualmente è chef de cui-sine allo Jaan di Singapore.

INTERVISTA DI: RON GLUCKMAN

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UN PALAZZO CON OASI GREEN SUL CANAL GRANDE

GIARDINO SEGRETO IN STILE URBAN

I l fatto che George Clooney e Amal Alamuddin abbiano scelto di festeggiare i l proprio matrimonio al l ’Aman Canal Grande Venice dà l’ idea del l ivel lo di grandeur e di esclusività del l’hotel.

È ospitato tra le mura di Palazzo Padadopoli (Sestriere San Polo a Venezia), costruito nel XVI secolo dal l’architetto Giacomo De Grigi, ed è stato inaugurato nel 2014.

L’inaugurazione del Bulgari Hotel di Milano avvenuta nel 2004 ha consen-tito di r iscoprire uno dei giardini storici del capoluogo lombardo, che un tempo era l’orto di un monastero. I l r iprist ino (ad opera del noto architetto paesag-gista Sophie Agata Ambroise) è stato f inal izzato a r idare al giardino i l carattere formale mi-lanese-lombardo e a offr ire agl i ospit i del l’albergo una struttura esterna esclusiva.

I l giardino offre infat-t i spazi ideal i per meeting ed eventi privati, ognuno dei qual i con una capienza di 50 perso-ne. Alberi e arbusti creano una successione di camere a cielo aperto che si susseguono in un

A questa piccola e unica struttura di charme (24 sui-te), vi si accede sol itamente in barca direttamente dal Canal Grande, percorrendo una scal inata che porta al piano nobile, i l secondo (questa è la zona giorno principale del la struttura), dove si trova la reception e la dining room, con numerose sale dedicate al relax e i l bar. I l decor del piano nobile, aff i-data agl i inizi del Novecento dai proprietari a Michelangelo Guggenheim, importante esponente del lo sti le Neo-Rinasci-mentale e delRococò, è uno degli esempi più signif icativi di questi st i l i presenti nel la città lagunare.

L’hotel, pur preservando la bel lezza originale, è stato completamente restaurato con un intervento di t ipo conser-vativo e dotato di raff inati mobil i e arredi di design esclusiva-mente ital iano. Al l’esterno si trovano i l “garden terrace” (per gl i ospit i che arrivano in barca) e i l “private garden”, uno dei pochissimi giardini privati del la città caratterizzato da una rigogliosa f ioritura di gl icine, gelsomini, piante rampicanti e alberi da mandarino cinese. È questo anche i l luogo del la Ja-panese Dinning Experience f irmata dal lo chef Naoki Okumura che porta a Venezia, dal suo ristorante Okumura di Kyoto, i l meglio del la cucina orientale.Aman Canal Grande Venice fa parte del gruppo Aman Resorts che conta 25 proprietà nel mondo. L’apertura a Venezia è la quarta nel Mediterraneo (testo in inglese a pag. 70).

unico percorso, con quattro l ievi terraz-zamenti di cui tre seminati ad erba.

Ad esempio, lo spazio I Vimini accoglie sedici al lori ad alberel lo siste-mati in grandi vasi, ed è posto proprio di fronte al l ’area r istorante.

Situato nel l’area più segreta del giardino, i l Dom Pérignon Lounge Bar è celato da un’alta siepe di faggio ros-so che si apre e r ivela un salotto ac-cogliente e mondano, perfettamente indicato per feste private. Offre ai cul-tori del lo Champagne la possibi l i tà di degustare le col lezioni Dom Pérignon Blanc e Dom Pérignon Rosé abbinate al le raff inate proposte f inger food del lo

chef Andrea Ferrero. Da segnalare anche un

ult imo “ambiente” particolar-mente attraente e praticamente unico a Milano denominato Le isole di Ghiaia: cinque “salott i-ni” protett i da platani al levati a ombrel lo, sui cui tronchi s’ar-rampicano gl icini bianchi, com-pongono uno spazio magico per un evento privato f ino a un massimo 50 persone (testo in inglese a pag. 60).

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SLS è un marchio alberghiero lanciato dal l’ imprenditore Sam Nazarian che propone i l servizio e i l lusso tradi-zional i dei cinque stel le con un tocco di creatività. La società opera attualmen-te a Beverly Hil ls, South Beach e Las Vegas. Entro f ine anno aprirà un hotel a New York e ha in programma aper-ture in diverse destinazioni internazio-nal i, dal le Bahamas a Pechino. Questo r ientra nel piano di espansione di SBE, società madre di SLS, che comprende hotel lerie, immobil iare e entertainment, con la partecipazione di partner sele-zionati come i l designer Phil ippe Starck o come importanti top chef. Un elemen-to di attrazione degli hotel SLS è pro-prio lo standard elevato in particolare dei r istoranti. Ne parl iamo con Sam Bakhshandehpour, presidente e ammi-nistratore delegato di SBE.

Hotelier International: A cosa attri-buisce il successo dei vostri hotel? Sam Bakhshandehpour: I fattori che contribuiscono sono molt i, ma in real-tà si tratta unicamente del le persone e del la nostra cultura. A un servizio im-peccabile abbiniamo capacità di imma-ginazione, una cucina eccel lente e un design al l ’avanguardia. I l tutto suppor-tato da un forte spir ito imprenditoriale e da uno sti le esclusivo.

HI: Come riuscite a garantire la per-fetta sinergia tra aspetti culinari e di design?SB: Ci occupiamo direttamente del la real izzazione, del design e del la condu-zione dei nostri hotel e questo ci per-mette di mantenere le sinergie tra tutt i gl i aspetti di una proprietà. Sia che si tratt i di r istoranti iconici r iunit i sotto un unico tetto o di un ambiente interno o esterno, esiste sempre un’omogeneità

Q&A SAM BAKHSHANDEHPOURLUSSO, GUEST ESPERIENCE, DESIGN E CUCINA, GLI INGREDIENTI CHE RENDONO UNICA UNA STRUTTURA. NE PARLA L’AD DEL GRUPPO SBE

che consente al l ’ospite di godere un’e-sperienza esclusiva.

HI: Come riuscite a mantenere l’ar-monia nel vostro team con grandi ego in gioco? Intendete ampliare la vostra cerchia di designer e di chef?SB: Questa è la cultura che caratterizza i l nostro gruppo. Accettiamo la diversi-tà di tutt i gl i attori coinvolt i : ciò stimola la nostra creatività e l’ innovazione. Più che un ambiente aziendale noi siamo come una famigl ia e proprio come in ogni grande famigl ia esiste una serie di sf ide che permettono di ottenere r isul-tati importanti. Riguardo al la seconda domanda rispondo col dire che ci sono molt i chef e designer con cui intendia-mo collaborare nei prossimi mesi.

HI: Quali nuovi concetti di ristoranti e di entertainment intendete lancia-re a New York? SB: I l nostro obiett ivo a New York è si-mile a quel lo in qualsiasi nuovo mercato che approcciamo, cioè offr ire al l ’ospite la migl iore esperienza possibi le (testo in inglese a pag. 38).

Sam Bakhshan-dehpour è presi-dente e ammini-stratore delegato di SBE, gruppo proprietario del marchio SLS. Le strutture ricettive della collection SLS hanno crea-to un nuovo pa-radigma a l ivello globale nel campo dell’ospitalità lu-xury.

INTERVISTA DI: BOYD FARROW

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LAST LOOKDexter Moren Associates, one of London’s leading hotel

and leisure design studios, usual ly works on glamorous projects—the Shangri-La Hotel at The Shard, for instance. But with The Edible Hotel, it has come up with a far loft ier concept. A f ive-star showcase for sustainable urban l iving, the company has imagined a hotel that features open-plan lobby space and reception areas, and kitchen and bar areas with an edible wall and aquarium at its heart. Yes, that’s r ight—an edible wall. Incorporating hydroponics and aquaponics—the two vert ical farming technologies du jour— the wall would be several storeys high and produce enough food to subsidise two-thirds of the hotel’s meals. In step with the trend of making lobbies the social hubs of hotels, the design of the Edible Hotel also features an open-kitchen, from where guests and locals would be served with fresh, hotel-grown and local ly sourced produce. It is envisaged that chefs would design menus around ingredients from the edible wall. The hotel would also have a roof garden, where food could be grown in more tradit ional ways.

The whole concept was created to i l lustrate how hotels of the future may deal with sourcing food both on-site and local ly within a densely populated environment. At the very least, they’l l be able to put fresh mint on the pi l lows.

BY: BOYD FARROW

THE EDIBLE HOTEL

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Apre un Ristorantenel tuo Albergo.

SURGITAL S.p.A. - 48017 Lavezzola (Ra) - Emilia Romagna - Italy - tel. + 39 0545 80328 - fax +39 0545 80121 - www.surgital.com

Fiordiprimi Hotel 0-24.Il piatto sempre pronto per l’hotel.

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italian edition 2

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