Innehållsförteckning för May 2023 från Business Traveller

LUFTHANSA HAS UNVEILED two new lounges at Berlin Brandenburg airport. The Senator and Business lounges are located at the north pier of Terminal 1 close to gate B20. The Senator facility is brand new, while the Business lounge has undergone a refurbishment programme. The Senator lounge features a steam fireplace, as well as a new digital art concept, enabling guests to individually contribute to the artwork via an app. Meanwhile the Business lounge features a new TV club where guests can enjoy “classical music, concert broadcasts and films”, as well as “a wall of books” provided by the teNeues publishing house.…

UPFRONT SWISS HAS REOPENED its non-Schengen lounge at Zurich airport following refurbishment. The 650 sqm space is located in the airport's transfer zone, in the D Gates area of Terminal 1. The carrier said that the decor of the lounge was “in harmony with the ‘SWISS Senses’ design” which will also be rolled out across its new long-haul cabins from 2025. Facilities include seating for up to 160 guests, a bistro focusing on “fresh, healthy and varied cuisine”, a work area with three workstations, a rest zone and showers. The lounge is open daily from 0530 to 2200 for SWISS business and first class customers, Senator and HON Circle members, and business class passengers travelling with Star Alliance carriers.…

UPFRONT WHSMITH HAS OPENED the first two stores under its concept curi.o.city brand at Gatwick airport. The outlets, which are situated in the North and South Terminals, offer “souvenirs and giftable products”, from independent British brands including Biscuiteers, Cambridge Gin, East London Liquor Co and Grind. Brand partnerships include ZSL London Zoo, Kew Gardens, the Natural History Museum and the V&A Museum, and the stores also carry licensed products from franchises including Harry Potter and Paddington Bear. WHSmith has been gradually revamping its UK airport presence, having won the tender to operate 18 former Dixons Travel stores back in 2021.…

SUSTAINABLE TRAVELLER WITH WORLD BIKE DAY taking place on June 3, there's still time to invest in a more sustainable vehicle. Maeving is the UK's first and largest electric motorcycle brand, which provides stylish low-powered e-motorbikes, ideal for zipping to and from business meetings or commuting to the office. Made in Britain, the bikes pay homage to the nation's motorcycling heritage, drawing inspiration from the Board Tracker era of the 1920s through to the Café Racer era of the later 50s and 60s. Plus, you don't need to fret about finding an EV charger, as the removable battery can be charged in three and a half hours from any domestic plug socket. The Maeving RM1 has a top speed of 45mph and a range of up to 80 miles. A…

MARRIOTT'S THE GRITTI PALACE, a Luxury Collection Hotel in Venice has partnered with non-profit organisation Save Venice to preserve the ‘Room of Four Doors’ in Palazzo Ducale. The organisation is dedicated to preserving Venice's historical architecture and is funding the conservation of the room's ornate decorative ceiling, which features frescoes by Jacopo Tintoretto, along with its doors. The hotel is supporting the project by financing the preservation of the Door to the Senate and contributing to the conservation of the ceiling. Works are set to commence this spring, and hotel guests can take part in Save Venice's behind-the-scenes tours of a selection of conservation projects and recent restoration projects around the city.…

LUXURY TRAVEL Strike up a conversation with a family member, friend or colleague and it's likely that your view of luxury travel will differ. For some, it may be ostentatious hotel rooms dripping with bling. For others, it may be the peace and quiet found in a cabin in the woods. Does luxury mean Michelin-starred dining in the city or a rustic meal with a bedouin tribe? Noexpense-spared shopping trips or a chance to rebuild coral reefs? According to Lauren Alba, VP of global marketing and communications at Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), a collection of five-star independent hotels across the globe, “luxury is in the eye of the beholder”. Not only is individual preference at play, but luxury is also shaped by circumstance. The pandemic prompted a reassessment…

BACKGROUND All Nippon Airways’ (ANA) route from Tokyo Narita to Singapore Changi is operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft configured with 246 seats across three cabins: business, premium economy and economy. ANA also flies a 215-seat Boeing 787 aircraft. Since 2019, all visitors need to complete an electronic SG Arrival Card up to three days before entry, which includes uploading vaccination certificates and travel details. CHECK-IN From Tokyo Station the excellent Narita Express takes 53 minutes. I arrived at 1600 for the 1820 departure. ANA operates from Terminal 1, with check-in for business class passengers in Section C (many escalators up from the Narita Express arrival). There were lots of manned desks on one side, with a self bag drop on the other side. Everything was quick and trouble-free,…

BACKGROUND The Fontenay opened in 2018 as a new luxury landmark in Hamburg, with sculptural architecture designed by Jan Störmer. The property is a a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. WHERE IS IT? Perched on the banks of Lake Alster near some of Hamburg's most sophisticated neighbourhoods. Dammtor station is a ten-minute walk away. WHAT'S IT LIKE? A grand circular driveway, lined with Porsches and BMWs, makes for an impressive entrance. Inside, the aesthetic is extremely elegant. The lobby immediately announces the hotel's luxury credentials, with a number of private check-in desks with chairs so guests can be checked in comfortably. ROOMS The hotel features 130 rooms and suites. I stayed in a spacious Fontenay Deluxe room that was immaculately dressed in neutral tones, with light wood…

SMART TRAVELLER Over the last three years the aviation industry has experienced turmoil, with Covid-19 and travel restrictions grounding airlines’ fleets worldwide, which led to huge bailouts and several carriers going out of business. Pent-up demand and gaps in the market resulted in opportunities for new airlines to emerge, only for the war in Ukraine, the closure of Russian airspace and soaring fuel costs to put several spanners in the works. Nonetheless, the list of potential start-up carriers continues to grow, and here we round up some of the contenders. As we have learnt with the airline industry, nothing is ever certain and some of these carriers may never see the light of day. This print feature is correct at the time of writing, but we will keep the online…

DELTA HAS RESUMED FLIGHTS between New York JFK and Gatwick for the first time in 15 years. The US carrier is now operating a daily service between the two airports, with an evening departure from JFK (2335), and a&ernoon flights from Gatwick (1410). Delta last served the route in 2008, and has not flown to Gatwick since 2012 when it moved its Atlanta flights to Heathrow. The service joins the airline's existing flights from JFK to Edinburgh and London Heathrow. The resumption also coincides with the 45th anniversary of the airline's first flights between the US and UK.…

EASTERN AIRWAYS HAS LAUNCHED three routes to Paris Orly in conjunction with Air France. The regional UK carrier, which is headquartered in Lincolnshire, is now flying daily from East Midlands, Southampton and Cardiff to France's second busiest airport. As part of the agreement customers are able to interline onto Air France services at Paris Orly, and a full codeshare agreement is set to launch later this year. There are currently no other flights from Paris Orly to any of the three destinations – easyJet serves the airport from Bristol and Manchester, while Vueling operates flights from Birmingham and Gatwick.…

WHITBREAD HAS OPENED THE LATEST London property under its hub by Premier Inn brand. The 180-room hub by Premier Inn Clerkenwell is located on the site of a former car park on Farringdon Road, as part of a wider mixed-use development offering retail and office space. It is the 12th hub property in London and 15th nationwide, with a further four hotels currently under development in the capital, including sites in Marylebone and on the Strand. Features of the brand include Standard “compact” rooms (about half the space of a standard Premier Inn room, although “Bigger rooms” are also available), with technology including smart TVs, ensuite shower rooms, pull out desks and free wifi.…

LOOKING FOR AN ECO-FRIENDLY PAD? Then check into 1 Hotel Mayfair, which is set to open this summer on the corner of Berkeley Street and Piccadilly in London. The 181-room property will be housed within the former Holiday Inn London Mayfair, which closed in early 2020, and is being billed by 1 Hotels, which is part of SH Hotels & Resorts, as “London's very first mission-driven sustainable luxury hotel”. Features will include the ground-floor Dovetale restaurant by award-winning chef Tom Sellers, as well as an adjacent cocktail bar, coffee shop, fitness centre and Bamford Wellness Spa. Sustainable elements include living moss walls in guest rooms, timber flooring from fallen trees, reclaimed metal floor tiles and solar panels, and specially commissioned artwork by marine-plastic artist Steve McPherson.…

AVIATION According to market research form GlobalData, there is currently US$700 billion worth of airport construction projects underway around the world. The Asia-Pacific region claims the highest levels of development, with US$240 billion worth of projects, followed by the Middle East and Africa (US$200 billion), the Americas (US$150 billion) and Europe (US$130 billion). Here we look at some major airport upgrades around the globe. John F. Kennedy International airport, JFK New York's biggest airport is undergoing a huge revamp totalling US$19 billion that will create four main terminals with a north and south hub. The first changes were unveiled last year, with British Airways moving into a revamped Terminal 8 alongside American Airlines and launching the co-branded Bridge Bar in the Greenwich Lounge (see businesstraveller.com). T8 will eventually host eight…

We crept forward in the pitch-black, using our hands to trace the Buddha beads running along the wall. I was in the womb of the Zuigu-bosatsu (the mother of Buddha), otherwise known as the tunnel of Tainai-meguri, preparing to make my wish to the Zuigo stone. The journey through the darkened temple corridor represents a form of spiritual rebirth. While perhaps not advisable for claustrophobics, the sensory deprivation can be a meditative experience. By focusing on my footsteps, I found my mind was freed of clutter. When we finally exited the tunnel and escaped the darkness, we had apparently gained an enlightened state. This spiritual journey takes place at the UNESCO World Heritage Kiyomizudera temple. Many of Kyoto's 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines boast this status, but this…

LEISURE TRAVEL T he Canaries are a popular holiday destination for tourists seeking the year-round sun. Closer to the African mainland than the Iberian peninsula, northern Europeans head to this Spanish island group to escape the bleak midwinter. The islands could market themselves as Macaronesia. After all, they belong to it, along with the Azores, Cape Verde, and Madeira archipelagos. Instead, the Canary Islands have reinvented themselves and are now home to high-end hotels, fine dining options, and boutique activities. Move over, Basque Country. Watch your back, Catalonia. The Canary Islands have a new emerging culinary reputation and are garnering some serious interest from Michelin restaurant inspectors. That's in addition to the idyllic white sand beaches, banana plantations, and quaint towns with cobbled streets. The four most popular isles are Fuerteventura,…

BACK GROUND The hotel previously operated under the Doubletree by Hilton brand, but underwent a multimillion pound refurbishment and reopened as part of Hilton's Curio Collection in 2021. WHERE IS IT? Right in the heart of the action. London landmarks such as the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey are within walking distance, while MI5 is directly in front, and the MI6 headquarters lies just across the River Thames. The closest underground station is Pimlico on the Victoria Line, a seven-minute walk away. WHAT'S IT LIKE Rows of bowler hats in the entrance window nod to a spy theme from the offset. The spacious lobby is served by three check-in desks, which were all in use during my mid-afternoon arrival (check in starts at 3pm), but I didn't…

BACKGROUND The 40-room boutique hotel is located on the site of a former military barracks, housed in two conserved colonial buildings that date back to 1904. These blocks served as a British artillery outpost during the Second World War. The hotel opened in 2019 and is part of the Far East Hospitality group, which has 26 properties in Singapore. WHERE IS IT? On Sentosa, an island resort off the city-state's southern coast. The hotel is located on Gunner Lane in the Palawan area within beautifully manicured grounds. Singapore's central business district is a 12-minute drive away and Changi airport is a 25-minute drive by taxi. WHAT'S IT LIKE? The hotel has a calming ambience, in part owing to the design, which favours open-air spaces and symmetry. In the Living Room,…

LONDON CITY HAS BECOME the first major airport in the UK to relax rules on liquids in hand luggage, following the full implementation of new generation CT scanners at security. Restrictions limiting passengers to carrying liquids no more than 100ml in size have been in place since August 2006, but the new technology means those departing LCY no longer need to remove electronic devices or liquids at security, and can carry up to two litres of liquid in hand luggage. LCY added that the new technology can process 30 per cent more passengers per hour. In December last year the Department for Transport confirmed an end to the “tiny toiletries” rule by 2024, with all major airports required to replace existing 2D screening technology with more advanced CT security scanners…

AIR FRANCE AND KLM have quietly introduced new charges for business class customers wishing to select their seat in advance of check-in. The Advance Seat Reservation policy, which already applies in economy, is now being applied to long-haul Business Standard tickets. Customers wishing to select their seat must pay between €70 and €90 to do so, or wait until the check-in window opens to select a seat free of charge. Note that the charge will not be levied to those booking Business Flex tickets, nor to Flying Blue Silver, Gold and Platinum members and selected corporate customers. The fee will also not initially apply to those flying to or from North America.…

AEGEAN AIRLINES HAS LAUNCHED routes from Birmingham and Bristol to the Greek capital, adding to existing UK destinations including Edinburgh, Gatwick (seasonal), Heathrow and Manchester. The Greek airline is returning to Birmingham after a gap of five years, with a twice-weekly service operating on Tuesdays and Fridays. The airline has also launched twice-weekly flights between Athens and Bristol, operating on Mondays and Fridays. The carrier will also launch seasonal flights between Athens and Newcastle this summer.…

TAP AIR PORTUGAL HAS LAUNCHED an inflight menu for business class passengers on long-haul flights. The carrier has collaborated with The Art of Tasting Portugal for this ‘Local Stars‘ initiative, where chefs highlight specialties from different Portuguese regions. Each chef has created a menu featuring a “star ingredient” from the region, with the menu rotating every two months until April 2025. From May-June, Azorean chef Cláudio Pontes will serve up a menu showcasing São Jorge cheese. Later in the year there will be menus representing cuisines from the Algarve, Madeira, Viseu and Bragança. Portuguese company CateringPor is providing support on sustainability methods, sourcing produce from local suppliers and promoting Portugal's regional economies.…

THE HÔTEL DU CAP-EDEN-ROC is upping the ante on the Côte d'Azur with the launch of the Dior Spa Eden-Roc just in time for the 76th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, taking place from May 16-27. Set on a clifftop overlooking the southern tip of Cap d'Antibes, the hotel now includes a designer spa in its beautiful grounds, featuring three individual and one double treatment room with distinct designs – from a gazebo facing a rose garden to a cosy cabana redecorated in striped fabric and Toile de Jouy in shades of sage green and white. Further facilities include an onyx affusion shower room for hydrotherapy treatments; an ice fountain to stimulate and boost blood circulation after a session in the sauna or hammam; and a dedicated Iyashi Dôme…

LOOKING FOR A LONDON STAYCATION? Private members club Home House is opening up its 23 rooms and suites to non-members, giving them full access to its opulent facilities. This Georgian townhouse in Marylebone was originally the residence of Lady Home and renowned for its lavish parties. Today it's the perfect place to unwind in one of the glorious lounges, dine in style, or enjoy the spa. To celebrate Lady Home's hedonistic lifestyle, Home House has launched a London Dry Gin, scented with botanicals inspired by her travels including Spanish saffron, Macedonian juniper and English rose. While currently exclusive to club members, you'll get the chance to try the award-winning tipple as a guest. Non-members rates start from £322 per night for a Club Room (reservations@homehouse.co.uk).…

DESTINATION Clusters of skyscrapers rise from the centre of Frankfurt am Main, proudly signalling the city's position as Germany's economic hub. While the number of high-rise buildings may pale in comparison to the likes of New York City (there's currently about 40 that stretch past the 100-metre mark), their presence has nonetheless earned the nickname “Mainhatten”. In fact, of Germany's 15 highest buildings only one is not located in Frankfurt, the tallest being the 56-storey, 300-metre tall Commerzbank Tower. There are plenty more towering edifices to come. Eight new skyscrapers that will soar well over 100 and 200 metres are currently in development. A major site of interest is a collection of four skyscrapers in the heart of the financial district, dubbed FOUR Frankfurt, which will form a new city…

BACKGROUND Mövenpick's first beach resort in the UAE opened its doors last year in Ras Al Khaimah. We recently checked into the property, and it didn't fail to impress. The resort has two buildings connected by a suspended bridge and the impressive architecture instantly caught our attention. WHERE IS IT? The resort is located on the man-made Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah. It's a 50-minute drive from Dubai International airport, and is close to other properties including DoubleTree by Hilton Resort & Spa Marjan Island and Rixos Bab Al Bahr. WHAT'S IT LIKE? The hotel sets an immediate tone for an ‘island’ feel, with a strong emphasis on nature. The entrance hallway leads to the lobby on the right, which is adorned with grey walls, soothing hues and…