Is luxury about froufrou finery or is it, as my friend Bradley Bordis suggests, a transcendent experience? I think it’s about space – a larger physical reality than usual; about mental space knowing that we are well taken care of and, to quote The Ritz London, about the details.
Here is my list of luxury details based on our trip to Europe:
Best Hotel for Meeting a Long Lost Brother
The magic of Jean-Pierre meeting Jean-Claude for the first time (half brother from his father’s previous marriage) aside, the staff at Hotel D’Angleterre in Geneva made all the difference. We arrived later at the hotel than expected (taxis weren’t available from the station due to the festival and increased traffic at the promenade at Lac Laman over which the hotel looks and so we had to walk… ) and concierge Bruno not only cleared a place for our meeting but played the important role of host to brothers meeting for the first time.
The tapestries in the sitting room will forever be the backdrop of reunited family photos. We both agreed that we also liked the décor of room here best. www.redcarnation.com
Best Room With A View
Well suite, actually. The Dogaressa Suite of Palazzo Vendramin at Hotel Cipriani (with the biggest swimming pool and only clay tennis court in Venice) has a view over the Grand Canal onwards to San Marco through its four picture windows, each framed by an onion-dome silhouette that is unrivalled. This was also the largest suite we stayed in, far bigger even than my apartment in Sea Point. If you can’t manage accommodation here, be sure to book lunch or dinner at Cip’s Club (less formal) or Fortuny Restaurants. The Fritto Misto (deep fried mixed seafood) and calf’s liver are highly recommended. Drink a Bellini (invented by Mr Cipriani Snr or the newer Buone Notte (in honour of George Clooney.)
http://www.hotelcipriani.com/web/ocip/ocip_c4b3_dogaressa.jsp
Best linen
The Ritz Paris’ apricot linen is the softest and silkiest we slept in. The towels also felt the most luxurious.
www.ritzparis.com
Best Hotel Head
Dr Natale Rusconi. I’ve not yet met a hotel chief with more gravitas, grace, poise and humility than Hotel Cipriani’s Dr Rusconi. Long past retirement age, he still stands to greet guests. In the hour we enjoyed cocktails together, he showed himself as a man with an eye on every detail of his hotel and also an eye on the future beyond him and how it may shape his classic hotel. It was a privilege to meet him.
Best free bubbly in the room
Hotel 41 in London offered us Verve Clicquot Champagne. Both the Ritz London and Paris had Ritz branded champers and every other hotel had a wonderful welcome but I enjoyed the VC best.
Best Pool
Villa San Michele. The Cipriani Hotel’s pool is a strong contender here (far larger and more special given the paucity of space on Giudecca Island) but Villa San Michele’s, at the highest point of the hotel with only woods above it, takes this prize for its position and views of Florence below. Although dramatically ornate, I didn’t enjoy the pools below ground at either The Ritz Paris or George V and feared geographic proximity to Paris’ sewers.
www.villasanmichele.com
Most Romantic Place In The World
Sunset over Florence from Vila San Michele loggia restaurant. Sublime. The food was equally fabulous.
Best Food
The Fat Duck, Bray. The costliest meal I’ve enjoyed but given the education and utter dramatic deliciousness, not expensive. This is haute cuisine, the derivative of which I’ve noticed at The Showroom and Ginja. Sounds of the Sea – a sound and culinary experience impressed me the most. www.fatduck.co.uk
Best Breakfast
Four Seasons George V. From a low seat for my newspaper, chef’s selection of jams of the day, the definitive croissant, salted and non-salted butter, impeccable service, beautiful cruets – absolute perfection in every way.
www.georgevparis.com
Best Eggs
Hotel d’Angleterre’s impossibly creamy scrambled eggs.
Best Hotel Staff
Four Seasons George V. From the porters who quipped that our luggage (red and blue) was the colour of the French flag to the staff who answered the phone for room service, I was aware of the highest level of service.
Best Hotel Car
The Ritz London’s 2006 Rolls Royce Phantom (painted Ritz blue).
Best Bar
Rivoli at The Ritz London. A relative newcomer, the Rivoli bar is art-deco splendour complete with Lalique panels saved from Orient Express carriages. Cocktails R225 each.
Best Afternoon Tea
The St Regis Grand Hotel Rome. With tea at The Ritz London and on board The British Pullman at its heels, the key to the St Regis’ success is smaller scones, better sandwiches and the opportunity to order it a la carte (R250) rather than served at certain hours.
www.stregis.com/rome
Best Pastry
An armadillo shaped, phylo pastry wound with an almond custard centre at Villa San Michele that crunched and crackled as I bit into it.
Best Bathroom
Villa San Michele. Aside from its gargantuan proportions, I loved having vanities on either side of the bathroom rather than next to each other and also preferred having individual luggage cupboards (large open spaces with hanging space) that allowed our cases to remain open) rather than wardrobes.
Best brush with celebrity
Sitting at a table next to Mr Jim Sherwood (head honco of Orient Express Hotels) while having dinner at Cip’s Club was a thrill as was brushing past Natalie Portman in London outside Fortnum’s.
Best Dressed
While most of the grand hotels prefer guests elegantly attired, The Ritz London has a jacket and tie policy which adds formality to our increasingly casual lives.
Best Grand Suite
The Westin Excelsior in Rome’s cupola suite (on two levels) probably takes first prize but the suite I’d most like to stay in is The Chanel Suite at The Ritz Paris where Coco lived and is now available for hire. The Royal Suite in William Kent House (the newest addition to The Ritz London) is very special for its oval-shaped bedroom (behind a hidden door and up a few stairs) where Lady Wimborne once lived. (Cesar Ritz famously tried to buy the building to incorporate into the hotel and as a retort the Lord said he wanted to buy the Ritz so that he could extend his garden…)
Best Shower
“41” London. We loved the rain-spout shower high in the ceiling and the ledge on which to sit.
Best Bathroom Hotel Amenities
Penhaligon’s Blenheim Bouquet. Loved having it at Hotel d’Angleterre, “41”, and Villa San Michele. La Praire at The Ritz Paris was fabulous while Bulgari’s Green Tea range, although deliciously fragrant, is too easily available at hotels. I did like Floris at The Ritz London.
Biggest misguided extravagance
Asking the concierge at Villa San to post home some items that could no longer fit into my luggage. It cost R1700. I should rather have bought a bigger bag.
Best thing about BA’s Heathrow Lounge
Being able to enjoy a sit-down meal before flying. I was very impressed with the quality of food available – I had mixed salads and cold cuts before having a delicious bowl of pasta which meant I could go directly to sleep on the plane (Traveller Plus has much more legroom – and my row 11 seat meant nothing in front of my legs as far as they could stretch) so I arrived in Cape Town as fresh as a pansy.
www.ba.com
Most Unexpectedly Useful Thing In A Hotel Drawer
Sticky tape, paper clips and post-it notes at “41” and Hotel d’Angleterre.
www.redcarnation.com
Best Hotel PR Person
The Ritz London’s Gerrie Pitt for her gentle approach. Granted many other PR folk were on leave during my stay but even my email correspondence leading up to our visit to The Ritz London impressed me.
Best Hotel Gym
Four Seasons George V. Loved the leather padded walls, and the spa-like rest area in the bathrooms.
Hotel We Most Want To Return To?
Villa San Michele for a holiday or to George V on business.