With its stunning view of Lake Geneva, the Beau-Rivage, in Geneva has attracted actors from Roger Moore to Angelina Jolie, and played host to political luminaries like Kofi Annan, Charles de Gaulle and the Dalai Lama. Political history has been made here, too: In 1898, the Empress “Sisi” of Austria was stabbed to death by an anarchist at the Beau-Rivage. Nearly a hundred years later, in 1987, the German politician Uwe Barschel was discovered dead here, in a bathtub. Family-run for generations, the hotel is impressive not just for its size, but also for its discretion. Now, director Jacques Mayer uses interviews, archival film and rarely seen photographs to vividly chronicle some of the most fateful years of the Beau-Rivage.
Category Archives: Hospitality
Dining: Opening Up New Restaurants In London
The coronavirus pandemic has been catastrophic for the hospitality industry and the delay to the June 21 unlocking has led to more uncertainty. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan and food critic Tim Hayward meet Harts Group, the business behind Soho institution Quo Vadis and tapas chain Barrafina, as it opens a new Soho branch of its El Pastor taquerias
Views: Top Luxury Hotels From Around The World
A selection to top luxury hotels around the world.
Top 10 – video chapters: 0:00 Introduction 0:15 &Beyond Mwemba Island, Zanzibar 2:07 Belmond Hotel Caruso, Italy 4:43 Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman 8:00 Royal Malewane, South Africa 11:01 Aman Sveti Stefan, Montenegro 13:48 Soneva Fushi, Maldives 18:35 Time + Tide Miavana, Madagascar 21:36 Soneva Kiri, Thailand 23:36 North Island, Seychelles 26:14 Soneva Jani, Maldives
Tiny Home Living: 24 Hours In A ‘Getaway Cabin Rental’
Getaway, a Brooklyn-based startup, offers the experience of a tiny home, but only for as many nights as you’re willing to pay for.
Vacation Views: ‘Miramar Boutique Hotel, Corsica’
Perfectly located between Ajaccio and Bonifacio in the region of Propriano-Sartene-Campomoro, the Miramar Corsica, surrounded by a two-acre garden, is only minutes away from the unspoiled sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Southern Corsica, its charming villages and fishing harbors.
Corsica, a mountainous Mediterranean island, presents a mix of stylish coastal towns, dense forest and craggy peaks (Monte Cinto is the highest). Nearly half the island falls within a park whose hiking trails include the challenging GR 20. Its beaches range from busy Pietracorbara to remote Saleccia and Rondinara. It’s been part of France since 1768, but retains a distinct Italian culture.
Travel & Leisure: The Top 15 Island Paradises (Video)
The top 15 Island Paradises in the world:
- Necker Island – British Virgin Islands
- Niyama Islands – Maldives
- North Island – Seychelles
- Turtle Island – Fiji
- Denis Island – Seychelles
- Tsarabanjina Island – Madagascar
- Fernando de Noronha – Brazil
- Lord Howe Island – Australia
- Teti’aora Island – French Polynesia
- Voavah Island – Maldives
- Bawah Reserve – Indonesia
- COMO Parrot Cay – Turks & Caicos Islands
- Velaa Island – Maldives
- Pamalican Island – Philippines
- Laucala Island – Fiji
Business Customs: ‘Why Do Americans Tip?’ (Video)
Tipping is a quintessential American custom. In the U.S. consumers tip for services ranging from baggage handlers at the airport to housekeepers at hotels. But according to some analysts, tipping has created an environment where restaurant servers are subjected to sexual harassment and low pay.
About 70% of tipped workers in the restaurant industry are women and about 45% are people of color. In a recent study by One Fair Wage and UC Berkeley’s Food Labor Research Center over 78% of restaurant workers reported witnessing hostile behavior from customers who were asked to follow Covid-19 safety protocols, more than 40% noticed a change in the frequency of unwanted sexual comments from customers and 83% said their tips had declined during the pandemic.
With Covid-19 leaving millions to do essential work for low pay there have been renewed calls for a $15 minimum wage and the elimination of the tipped minimum wage — the base salary for many restaurant workers. Forty three states, including Georgia, North Carolina and Texas, have a tipped minimum wage for workers who in some cases are paid as little as $2.13 an hour by their employer.
But many in the full-service restaurant industry oppose the proposed changes, saying they would lead to higher menu prices and fewer hours for workers. According to the National Restaurant Association, the pandemic has already enacted a devastating toll on the industry, wiping out 2.5 million restaurant jobs and more than 110,000 eating and drinking establishments in 2020 alone. Watch the above video to find out what the $15 minimum wage and the elimination of the tipped minimum wage would mean for restaurants and their employees.
Vacation Views: ‘Waldorf Astoria Resort – Maldives Ithaafushi’ (Video)
Nestled among white sands and crystal blue waters, this elegant Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi resort is a 40-minute yacht journey from Velana International Airport. Discover indulgent choices from 11 celebrated dining venues, a world-class lifestyle spa sanctuary, and a plethora of activities for all generations. Experience True Waldorf Astoria Service personalized to your every wish.
Set in a tropical paradise, the resort and the beach, reef and overwater villas span across three islands with a wealth of luxuries and experiences:
• 119 beach, reef and overwater villas with private pool, including the Ithaafushi Private Island
• 11 dining venues and bars including Terra, an elevated treetop restaurant, and The Ledge by Dave Pynt
• World-class lifestyle spa and wellness sanctuary
• A myriad of adventure and watersports activities
Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is a small archipelagic state in South Asia, situated in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometres from the Asian continent’s mainland.
Inside Views: Sweden’s Luxurious ‘ICEHOTEL’
Located in Sweden stands the world’s most luxurious ice hotel, made from two and a half thousand tonne blocks of pure ice. From beds to bars, artists carve the ice to form the interior of the hotel. But the hotel only stays standing for 4 months a year before it begins to melt away to nothing… Experience a spectacular aerial journey across Sweden with Europe From Above; stop by the restoration of Stockholm Palace, a frozen winter wonderland and a record-breaking wooden skyscraper.
Travel & Hotel Books: ‘Great Escapes Greece’
Greece is the land of gods and scholars as well as the birthplace of democracy and Western philosophy. Completely surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea, it is also one of the most popular vacation destinations—and has much more to offer than just the blue and white islands of the Cyclades.
A voyage to the most beautiful hotels in Greece
Greece’s ancient art and culture form the cradle of Western civilization—numerous monuments and museums tell to this day of the country’s rich history. Greece is unique also by virtue of its breathtaking landscapes, the hospitality of its inhabitants, and its fabulous hotels, making it the dream destination of many travelers. The fresh and healthy cuisine, the crystal clear sea, and the canvas-worthy sunsets do the rest—a trip to Greece is pure delight.
Angelika Taschen travels from the mountains of Macedonia in the north to the Peloponnese with its mythical places like Corinth, Sparta, and Olympia, and to the larger and smaller groups of islands in the south. She opens the doors to some of the country’s most extraordinary hotels, including Imaret in Kavala, located in a former Ottoman complex; Tainaron Blue Retreat in a secluded former defense tower in the Mani; and The Windmill, a converted windmill on the island of Kimolos in the Cyclades. She invites readers to discover legendary luxury hotels, like Eagles Palace in Halkidiki or Poseidonion Grand Hotel on Spetses, and takes them to enchanting B&Bs like Guesthouse Mazaraki in Mystras or Mèlisses on Andros, run by food blogger Allegra Pomilio.
Along her itinerary, she visits hotels on well-known picturesque islands—such as the Mystique on Santorini and the Soho Roc House on Mykonos—but also accommodations in remote places like the Mediterraneo on the island of Kastelorizo, which lies in the very southeast of Greece off the Turkish coast. In addition she shows interesting architectural and design concepts, such as The Rou Estate hotel village, a historic, carefully restored hamlet on Corfu; the minimalist Olea All Suite Hotel on Zakynthos; and Ammos on Crete, where no two pieces of furniture are alike and new eccentric pieces are added every year.
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