Best Hotels

Jameel Lalani is the senior partner of Lalani & Co., the London based artisan, small batch tea company.
-  Where did you grow up and what was your childhood like?
I grew up and still live in Pinner, North London. I had a very happy childhood. 
 - Where did you study?
I went to St Martin’s in Northwood, then Haberdashers' Aske's Boys' School, a public school in North London, and then to Magdelen College, Oxford University, to read Biochemistry. I left Oxford after my first year. 
- How did you get your business started?

We arrived at Dulles airport on Virgin Atlantic's new Airbus 380. It was Friday, late afternoon, and we had less than 48 hours to see Washington DC.  Our hotel, The Liaison Capitol, was welcoming, the rooms a good size and the staff helpful – the service was great all weekend. The hotel is located right by the Capitol Building so our first excursion was to see that renowned centre of political intrigue by night. It was beautifully lit and imposing and we could see stretched before us the Mall, which is where we were heading on Saturday to walk all 21/2 miles of it.

Kicking Horse: A resort that lives up to its name.
No helicopters are needed to ski over 30,000 vertical feet a day by any social skier whose nerves hold firm.  as he or she will enjoy of the most challenging skiing they will probably ever experience.  There are some 85 ‘chutes’ in Kicking Horse, I would use the more appropriate word ‘drops’ for most runs.  Most of these runs are largely accessed by a single summit gondola lift, a shorter chair ‘Stairway to Heaven’ opens up further breathtaking runs, lift queues are rare.  

Bentley presented their new fragrance for men, Azure, at the Langham Hotel London last night. It was a great evening and I was feeling pretty dapper, having just been groomed by the celebrated and charming Brent Pankhurst. Pankhursts is the most refined barber in London, providing iconic 60's British luxury and style.

On Sunday 2 February Sunborn Gibraltar was escorted to her permanent home in Ocean Village Marina. Accompanied by flat calm seas and bright sunshine, a crowd gathered to witness the arrival of this game-changing yacht hotel.

“Have you cruised before?” Four words, one question on a constant loop inside the mind, even now we’ve been back in the UK long enough to celebrate Christmas and New Year, and recover from both.
For two first time shipmates the answer was simple enough, ensuring the constant repetition never became too painful. “No”, we would respond, and then wait, either for genuinely useful advice or another verbal love letter about how this is the finest thing to happen to international travel since the birth of international travel.

Whistler sets a standard that many other ski resorts have to match; right up there with Aspen and some European resorts but for very different reasons. The main concern for many is the flight; eleven hours but you do not lose skiing time as it is overnight and you are chasing the sun outbound.  Passing through Vancouver airport is quick and the transfer is less than two hours to Whistler, the roads are good and it’s worth keeping awake for the stunning scenery.  

As ever, in the wake of 12 months passing we’re left with little to do other than reflect on what’s been, and look to the future. The latter of the two appealing more given the rather generous UK Box Office release schedule cinemagoers are now faced with.

International Excellence interviewes Scott Morrow, CEO of Luxury Link, the luxury travel site.
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Clinton, Tennessee, a small town of 3,000 residents at the foothills of the Smokey Mountains.
How did you start in the industry?

 
Needless to say that one night in Paris is never enough, but one night is all that I had time for.
It started with a train journey, and I'm sure you've all sampled the delights of the Eurostar, but in case you've missed out during the last nine years, then I suggest you give it a try. It really is the only way to get to Paris - so very simple and easy, turn up at London St Pancras, settle yourself comfortably into your seat, and a meal and a few drinks later there you are in the centre of Paris.