The Grosvenor House Hotel London

Spend your London getaway right in the heart of historic Park Lane at the Grosvenor House Hotel. This iconic gem combines unique style with top-notch service to create storybook memories in one of the world’s most beautiful cities.

Rooms mesh contemporary design with luxury fittings and deluxe amenities giving a traditional and classic London feel. The newly refurbished suites unveil chic décor, elegant marble bathrooms and offer incredible views of the infamous Hyde Park.

Enjoy the finest cuts of meat at JW Steakhouse, sip an evening cocktail at the recently at the Park Room or explore a variety of other dining options like the infamous afternoon tea.As one of London’s leading bourbon specialists you can also finding yourself indulging in a couple of drams at The Bourbon Bar, one for the connoisseurs or just those who like to try something new.

The list continues, having already covered the meat-eaters dream we turn our attention to the sea – as you can treat yourself to fresh seafood as well as seasonal produce at the Richard Corrigan award-winning Corrigan’s Mayfair, or start your morning off with a specialty coffee at Park Lane Market. The options are truly endless and there really is something for everyone to indulge in.

While food does sit at the epicenter of this central delight, as does an award-winning cocktail list, embodying some of Britain’s most iconic spirits. Imbibe delights such as Black Cow and Blackdown Distillery are just two of the spirits that add a unique local charm to the mix and trust me when I tell you you’ll experience one of the best Violet Martini’s you’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. The newly installed Red Bar ads a beautiful contemporary feel to this highly regarded and bespoke gem.

The Grosvenor House has the looks, the location, and the amenities—what’s not to love about this local favorite?

Address: 86-90 Park Lane, London W1K 7TN
Telephone: +44 20 74996363
Website

Hotel Esencia, Cancún

It started with a blank canvas, an empty white page, a bare wall. Then came lines, words, walls and windows as the masters try to create a work of art – a piece, a story, a hotel that makes a statement.

When art collector and entrepreneur Kevin Wendle purchased the Hotel Esencia in 2014 he added eleven new accommodations and edited the design of the twenty-nine existing bedrooms and suites back to a nearly blank canvas. The surfaces shine a pure white that mirrors the way the hot sun overexposes the famed sand beaches of the Xpu Ha region of Mexico. The deep brown wood edges the doors and walls like the frame of a finished work. Wooden accent pieces are arranged around the room in a manner both aesthetic and functional. Spots of color create artistic splatters in the form of flower arrangements, unique local art pieces and abstract designs on pillows and duvets.

Fifty minutes south of the tourist section of Cancún, opposite the island of Cozumel, the Hotel Esencia sits on the eastern tip of the Yucatán Peninsula as the pinnacle of unpretentious refinement and luxury. From the private white sand beaches to the open yoga studio to its varied restaurants and bars, the hotel’s offerings reflect the cool yet classy vibe of the décor. Hotel Esencia’s Mistura restaurant serves up an authentic Mexican gastronomic experience through its use of seafood dishes and specialties from the grill whereas BeefBar Esencia offers a selection of exceptional meat cuts from Australian Black Onyx and Wx Wagyu beef, and Certified Japanese Kobe beef.

The lush green jungle and crystal blue Caribbean create the perfect backdrop for the newly expanded Hotel Esencia. The doors of the central hotel open to the garden paths that meander along the coast and through the trees, connecting the jungle and beach rooms and suites to the spa, gym, restaurants and bars. The hotel works in conjunction with nature from the minimally invasive construction techniques of the new structures to the locally sourced food featured on the many food and drink menus.

Hotel Esencia offers a variety of accommodations from single rooms to three bedroom villas either nestled under the canopy of trees or along the white sand beach. Guests are provided even more options when it comes to refreshments and activities. From fine dining at Mistura to the juice bar that transforms into a cocktail lounge as the sun makes its way access the sky, Hotel Esencia strives to provide traditional favorites with a global flare and offers an array of dishes to please a variety of appetites and provide guests the energy they need to enjoy the hotel’s many amusements. Within twenty minutes of the hotel are the Robert Trent Jones 27-hole golf course and the Mayan ruins of Tulum, or guests can experience the local wildlife by snorkeling the reef just outside the hotel or by hitting the swanky nightclubs on the Riviera.

Hotel Esencia’s crowning achievement is that it presents its guests with not only a blank canvas but also the tools and freedom to shape the holiday of their dreams.

Address: Carretera Cancún – Tulum km 265, Xpu-Ha, Quintana Roo 77750 Mexico
Telephone: + 52 984 873 4830
Website

Tasting Port in the Douro

Port. Or Port wine, as the Portuguese call it. A drink that is so quintessentially British, some people even presume it comes from the UK.  Colin Hampden-White visits the Douro to discover some of the Port region’s finest offerings.

Some will say that when visiting the Douro, Taylor’s is a must; others that the place not to be missed is Quinta do Noval.  There is a third: Quinta da Romaneira owned by Christian Seely of Noval fame, but has only been under his tenure for ten years. Recently, I spent some time in the Douro and visited the three port houses, uniquely different in their history and outlook.

 Quinta da Romaneira is not far from Noval; in fact Christian could see the estate as he worked at Noval and had in mind one day to acquire the estate. Ten years ago he managed this.  The estate boasts an exclusive hotel where the likes of Brangelina have stayed.  This idyll is also now Christian’s home and the estate thrives under his command.

 Quinta da Romaneira stretches for about two miles along the river Douro with 400 hectares of land, of which 300 hectares are grade A vineyards. Much of the land is now planted, but there is still ample space for expansion. As well as the production of traditional port, fabulous red wines have also been created over the last ten years, alongside a crisp white and a wonderfully balance, aromatic and delicate rosé.

 Back in Porto, I was welcomed through the doors of Villa de Gaia on the opposite bank of the river from Porto, for a sojourn at the Yeatman Hotel. It’s a recently-built hotel that feels as if the city had specially reserved just the right space for it, overlooking the river with a magnificent view of the Unesco protected old town of Porto.

 The hotel makes a fantastic base for visiting the Douro offering the only Michelin star restaurant in Porto, a luxurious spa, conference facilities and space to land your helicopter.  Try the revolving bed in the Bacchus suite so you can switch between TV and magnificent view.  between TV and magnificent view. This hotel is all about wine; each bedroom is sponsored and themed by a winery or port house and corridors educate guests about cork production and the history of wine in the Douro. The cellars (which can be visited) have an extensive list of Portuguese wines alongside other old and new world wines.

 An old-fashioned train ride is the best way to experience the spectacular views of the Douro, following the river, winding up the valley, a new view around every corner. Traditional white villages nestle among the vines or are poised on the shore edge as if about to take a dip.

 Passing through tiny stations with their colourful tiles Quinta Vargellas had its own station where I was greeted by Alistair and Gillyane Robertson, 4th generation of the Taylor’s family, we walked up the cobbled roads to the Quinta. Quinta Vargellas is a country home for the Robertsons who return at harvest, hosting lucky guests and immersing them in the world of port. A folly, built for Alistair and Jilly’s 40th wedding anniversary, overlooks all the differing types of planting style of vines - traditional walled terraces, mound terraces and linear arrangements. These patterns in the hillside start to give the idea of how much love and care is put into the land to create the ports. Watching the sun go down over the vines with a glass of Chip Dry Taylor’s white port mixed with tonic and a little mint was the perfect journey’s end.

Port comes in many differing styles; Ruby is a blend of vintages,  LBV (late bottled vintage) is kept in barrel longer than vintage port before bottling to create a port which can be drunk immediately.  Tawnies are aged even longer in barrel and released after 10, 20, 30 and 40 years. The single vintage expression of a Tawny is known as a Colheita and can be much older than the aged expressions. Finally there is vintage port; this can be a blend of various Quintas (or farms) giving an overall house expression such as Taylor’s Vintage Port, or can be released as single Quinta vintage ports, such as Quinta Vergellas for Taylor’s, or Quinta do Noval, a single estate owned by AXA Milliseme.

Supper on the terrace, to the rhythm of the cicadas, was all about port.  From vibrant and refreshing gaspatcho soup, subtly enhanced by a dash of white port, to delicate fruit pudding with 20 year-old Tawny; cheese was accompanied by a rare 1991 Quinta Vargellas vintage port.

 As though attending a late-night party, we joined harvest workers in the lagard, reminiscent of a small, shallow swimming pool, to tread the grapes.  Purple-stained legs danced to tunes from an organ. To round the night off, we sat by the pool with 20 year-old Tawnies from both Taylors and Fonseca to appreciate the differing house styles.

The Nogueira winery is Taylor’s main winery in the Douro and is just 45 minutes’ drive from any of the quintas from which they receive grapes to ensure perfect conditions for vinification.  It’s next to Quinta da Roêda of Croft, another Taylor’s brand, acquired in 2001. Much work has been accomplished in the vineyards since Taylor’s ownership; close inspection of the vines at Quinta da Roêda showed how the differing grape varieties need discrete positioning and spacing.  This creates a lattice of green across the hills which is like no other wine region.

 Croft has improved a great deal.  David Guimaraens, the great-great-great grandson of the founder of Fonseca, Manuel Pedro, has been the head winemaker since 1994.  An inveterate story-teller; he oversees the winemaking and blending for all four Taylor Fladgate Port houses.  He’s most proud of making the Croft 2003 as the conditions were difficult to control and the year very hot, yet he managed to produce a wonderful wine.

A most memorable of tasting at Taylor’s office included not only the complete range of ports from three of the houses owned by Taylors, but also some very old colheitas from the newly acquired Kohn port house. Incredibly rich and complex, these dated back to 1863 and showed how good port of that age can be. The tasting concluded with the magnificent and other-worldly Taylor’s Scion Tawny from 1855.  It has everything from zesty orange peel to deep dark bitter chocolate and a massive range of dried fruits including prunes, figs and dates.  This is not just an interesting old wine, but a hedonist’s dream, creamy in texture, balanced beautifully with the acidity, leaving the palate clean and eager for more.

Porto is littered with port lodges; each port house has a lodge where the wine is stored in huge vats before shipping and Taylor’s is one of the most impressive with vats varying in size from a few hundred litres to 100,000 litres. Here we had lunch with the present CEO Adrian Bridge whose wife, Natasha, is the 5th generation of the family.

The second half of my trip took a very different turn. From the huge warehouses of Taylors to a single quinta estate of Quinta do Noval. Sitting amongst the vines a few miles outside Pinhoa in the heart of the Douro, the quinta nestles on an outcrop overlooking the Pinhoa and Douro rivers.

Quinta do Noval is owned by AXA millesimes, an offshoot of the French insurance company, which also owns Pichon-Baron in Bordeaux. The quinta has been sympathetically restored and modernised.  It’s tasting room overlooks vats of the new wine but the buildings retain a romantic feel: picturesque tiles line the dining room walls, narrow passageways with stained glass between the buildings lead to the vines, it all feels like a bygone era.

Only 200 - 300 cases a year are produced of legendary vintage Noval National, created from non-grafted pre-pheloxora vines grown on a tiny 2 hectare plot next to the quinta. Chatting with Christian Seeley, MD of of Axa Millesimes, at a tasting in London of Nacional vintages dating back to 1963 confirmed this amazing estate on the itinerary.  The tiny Nacional plot even has its own pigs to provide fertiliser, and when individual vines eventually die, the same variety vines are planted back into the ground to keep the plot free of grafted vines. The rows are tended by a mule and his human companion; mechanisation can not penetrate here.

Quinta do Noval has a Ruby port which has been re-branded as Noval Black, aimed at introducing port to a younger market.  They also produce excellent 10 – 40 year old tawny ports, a 2000 Colheita, LBV 2007 and the new vintage port of 2011, the final port showing again how good the vintage ports of 2011 are. The 2011 vintage is so good that individual house styles are easily distinguishable, that of Quinta do Noval being lush, juicy and red fruit style in its youth.

For dinner the quinta’s table wines were served with the cook’s speciality of goat, before a delicious 1976 Colheita and finally a 1994 Noval National, this last wine has such purity and density of fruit, balance and elegant you’ll never want the bottle to end.

The next day I spent in the vineyards with my host Catia, learning about the viticulture of the estate and meeting some of the harvest workers. There was rain forecast and the best of the grapes where hurriedly being harvested before this crop damaging event took place.

In the afternoon a visit to the warehouse showed the wines ageing in old wood, which is simply meant as a vessel for the wine as it ages. As we wound through the barrels and vats we met José Gouveia who at 84 years old was still mending vats having worked on the estate for well over sixty years. Far from tired, he was engrossed in his work, his face animated as he kept the precious liquid safe in their surroundings. 

During the evening, the weather closed in and by the morning the rain was coming down hard. Even in these adverse conditions the hills of the Douro have a mystical feel as hillsides disappear behind clouds, reappearing looking like great whales breaking the surface. The sound of the rain drumming on the vine leaves has the same enchantment as sitting under a tropical forest canopy in a storm. I could have stayed there quite happily, letting time do its stuff, waiting for the next great vintage to emerge.

The Wellesley Knightsbridge Hotel

For the past seven years, The Wellesley Knightsbridge Hotel in London has offered its guests a sanctuary decorated by classic adornments with chic and modern twist. Its extravagance and classic décor has wowed London’s elite since first opening its doors back in 2012. The Wellesley features beautiful rooms and amenities worthy of high praise, with attractions like live jazz music, a world class cigar selection, dedicated Rolls Royce chauffeur service for guests and (of course) the best of the best in customer service. It is no wonder that the Wellesley has catapulted itself into the stratosphere of luxury lodging.

Amongst all of these remarkable attractions however, there is one in particular that we are particularly enamoured with: their awe-inspiring crystal bar. This breathtaking lounge area features a marvellous 1920’s décor style. The speakeasy type of atmosphere, coupled with an impressive crystal display of some of the finest spirits this world has seen, makes for a awe-inspiring lounge area that calls for pure celebration.

Address: 11 Knightsbridge, London  SW1X 7LY United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 20 7235 3535
Website

Duane Street Hotel

Families, professionals and lone travellers alike will be enticed by the sophistication and worldliness offered by the extraordinary eats and comforting beds at the Duane Street Hotel. This hotel is part of The Independent Collection; a cluster of boutique establishments in residential neighbourhoods that deliver guests an authentic experience in whichever city they are visiting.

With 43 rooms, a grab-and-go breakfast station and a delicious restaurant featuring Indian flavours, the Duane Street Hotel appeals to both international guests and locals looking for respite from their busy lives. Young lodgers will delight in the complimentary iPad service. With two delicious restaurants and an in-room mini-bar, guests will be grateful for the gym passes at Equinox, located right across the street. Bicycles are available for loan giving you easy access to Tribeca, which was a hot spot for artists in the 1960s and ‘70s and is now one of the most desired addresses in New York. With each suite equipped with eleven-foot ceilings, hardwood floors and oversized windows however, it may be hard to tear yourself away from your room.

Address: 130 Duane Street New York, New York 10013
Telephone: 212 964 4600 
Website

Sofitel London: A Ten Year Reunion

Colin Hampden-White revisits Sofitel for a rather special anniversary.

Ten years ago, I stayed in a fabulous hotel in central London, with my new wife Caroline. We had wed that day in the beautiful Westminster Abbey and partied until the early hours at the House of Lords, so to stay a stone’s throw away in St James’ in absolute comfort was perfect. We arrived very late and slept well. The stay was perfect for the occasion, but it didn’t give us time to enjoy what the hotel had to offer, so for our tenth anniversary we organised to go back and do exactly that.

We arrived early in the afternoon to check in. Like the day after our wedding, the weather was glorious, and we wanted to walk around St James’. The Sofitel is perfectly placed for everything the west end has to offer. Being a short walk to the theatres on Shaftsbury avenue, the bars and clubs of Soho, the bars and private clubs of Pall Mall, and of course, the shops. It would have been remiss of us if we hadn’t taken a browse around Fortnum and Mason and perused the shelves at Berry Bros and Rudd. With more time there are the numerous galleries to visit including the Royal academy on Piccadilly. 

Having built up a thirst, we came back to the hotel to relax in our room before experiencing the cocktails and the bar. The bar is sophisticated without being pretentious as so many London hotel cocktail bars have a tendency to be. The cocktails are easily explained and have a clear theme which is both entertaining and informative. This year’s theme is music, and the menu arrived like a CD case with the “playlist” inside.

We delved straight in with a Marley inspired “Catch the Fire”, and a Candle in the Wind inspired “Lady D”. The first being a rum based cocktail served up in a Caribbean style bottle which had elements of a sour cocktail balanced by some sweet fruity rum. Lady D being a long style drink including Rhubarb Vodka and liqueurs, Pothecary gin, homemade macaroon and cassis syrup, rose water and Angostura bitters. It was refreshing and floral with lots going on on the flavour front.

Space Cowboy

Having settled in, we had our second pair, a “Space Cowboy” with gin and absinthe in the mix and Jamiroquai shaped horns emblazoned on the froth, and a “Losing my Wings” after REM. Both well balanced with the REM cocktail being particularly decedent using Woodford Reserve, homemade dried fruit honey, cinnamon and citrus infused Madagascar vanilla liqueur, lime juice, Abbott’s bitters, rhubarb bitters and egg white.

Having thought we had found the best on the list, our bartender suggested we try “Drunk In Love”, which seems wholly appropriate, so we gleefully accepted the suggestion, and we were so glad we did. Inspired by Beyoncé, it was thick and creamy with Rémy Martin 1738, Coconut milk, salted caramel syrup, roasted pineapple syrup, lemon juice and a vanilla foam. It was hedonistic and warmingly alcoholic but never out of balance.

Drunk on Love

Feeling all warm a fuzzy we moved to the Balcon restaurant. With a good look at the menu and our courses decided upon we had another choice to make on the wine. The sommelier made it so hard to choose, so we decided to have a different glass of wine each to try one another’s. So with our first courses of Foie gras ballotine, sourdough, fig, pomegranate, Marcona almonds and Beef tartare, burnt onion egg yolk, balsamic potato crisps, we had a glasses of Gewurztraminer, Cave de Hunawihr, vin d’Alsace, and France Viognier, “Les vignes d’à côté”, Yves Cuilleron, Rhone Valley, France. Both went well with the dishes, and each respectively even better with their correct partners.

For the main course we had a bottle of Rauzan Segla 1998 breathing, and we matched it with Whole lemon sole meunière, pea purée, shallots and capers and one of the best shepherds pies I’ve had. 

Made at the table the desserts were not just a spectacle, but a flavour filled moment of guilty pleasure. Sweet, hot caramelised fruit with crepe or sorbet, and a heady dash of spirit was a real treat. These desserts being classics concocted in a different age, are still wonderful today and thank god they have been brought back to fine dining.

An evening at the Sofitel is a complete experience, there is no need to go out to a cocktail bar, find a fine dining restaurant elsewhere, and al the end of the night one simply has to ascend to your room and slumber in a hugely comfortable bed, only to wake to fresh coffee, a homemade breakfast and approach the day feeling well looked after and revitalised.

By Colin Hampden-White

Devonshire Club

SUSD, a creative real estate consultancy, brought a new meaning to desk-to-drinks when they launched the Devonshire Club. The Club is designed as a two-floor space to be used for doing work or grabbing drinks. The area boasts three distinctly different bars, two lounge areas, and one eatery full of fresh, delicious foods.

After working hard and imbibing, guests can relax in rented bedrooms. Single and family accommodations are available, with over 68 amiable choices.  Complete with sprawling Apple TVs, high-speed WIFI, and Hypnos beds, these luxurious rooms can be utilized by members and non-members alike. The Devonshire Club is built in the heart of London, next to both the financial district and trendy nightlife neighborhoods, so there is plenty for club-goers to do if they can tear themselves away from the superb amenities.

Address: 5 Devonshire Square, London, EC2M 4YD
Telephone: 020 3750 4545
Website

Brunello Bar at Baglioni

Chef Alberto Rossetti has a deep love and appreciation for pastas and risottos ingrained in him by his mother’s cooking back in Parma, Italy. Now he wants to share that love with the rest of the world at the reopened Brunello Bar & Restaurant at the Baglioni Hotel in London. With a gorgeous view of the Kensington Gardens chef Rossetti wants to bring simple and sophisticated dishes to the hotel.

The lunch menu is more informal fare featuring classic Italian dishes while the dinner menu is more sophisticated with more contemporary variations on the classics. Lobster risotto, tuna steak with sesame seeds and peppers, and pumpkin veloute are all among Rossetti’s signature dishes. 

Afternoon tea is available daily between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM and features a fantastic selection of herbal and traditional teas, accompanied by delicious savoury dishes or a selection of cakes and pastries such as the famous “Sicilian cannoli with ricotta” and “Neapolitan sfogliatelle”.