Ladies Wot Lounge

5am...here starts a day in the life of the Jetset. Monday morning redeyes, train and taxi transfers, airport security, airplanes, hotels. Now and again, albeit an exception rather than a norm, there is a chance to step outside and visit the latest stamp in your passport but, in general, it's pretty much always on the go.

So, it's no surprise that a Jetset a lounge is her (and his) castle. Just as we seek out the perfect hotel retreat overnight, the lure of the airline lounge one of the most important pitstops of the travelling day.

Growing to Gold is a status symbol of comfort, moreso than standing. Every tier-step of airline loyalty takes you closer to the next level of elite that allows you, even if only for an hour before flying, to catch up yet simultaneously unwind, far from the maddening crowd.

Soft seating, mood lighting, working wifi, snacks and soft drinks, not so soft drinks, champagne and freshly cooked meals - this is the baseline standard. The magic ingredient, the beauty of silence.

Shhhhh...listen to it, pure unadulterated quietude.

Like everything, there are some that go the extra mile. Even the elite has a wish list - reach Gold Elite status with Etihad Airways and upgrade to First Class lounging in international hubs, silver service fine dining, cigar rooms, sleeping pods, Apple TV and private Six Senses Spa.

A makeover for Cathay Pacific in Hong Kong has added champagne bars and fine dining, with personal cabanas to The Wing First Class Lounge. Minimalist chic and a new level of luxury.

Boutique bliss decorates the London British Airways Galleries Lounge - spacious common rooms with seat side power supplies, coffee bars, water bars, wine bars and the chandeliered Champagne Gold Bar. A luxurious Elemis day spa caters to any deep relaxation and pamper you might just need to top up your downtime.

Lounging jewels for London Heathrow and JFK with Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse - expect all the design and funk you know Virgin to offer, and more. Bose music stations from Jacobsen styled egg chairs, deli bars and champagne bars, virtual gaming and in-lounge salons and Cowshed spas.

A life in the skies is busy, bustling, brilliant.

But every jetset go, needs a solace to jet set slow.

'Til next time, Pandora

Photos: Pandora Skies, Virgin Atlantic, Cathay Pacific

A View to a KL

This might cause some confrontation, and I don't mean to offend, but I'm afraid to say that my visit to Kuala Lumpur underwhelmed me. I had visited Singapore first, some time prior, so I might have had a heightened expectation to get more of the same from KL. I didn't.

KL left me wanting more. Not more from excitement, but more from the 'Is this it?' perspective. I mean, it was good, it just wasn't great. 

KL Tower was tired, unkempt. Even the poor donkeys forced to trek people at the entrance were ready to roll over and sleep. The markets were too much on the wrong side of knock-off for my liking, historic landmarks were a check the box off the map, but lacked presence. Even the Royal Palace was sleepy. It was like I had found the Marmite of Asia.

I needed some bling. Some pizzazz to turn my tourist glass to half-full. Cue Petronas Towers. Cue all it's sky scraping shininess and shoppingness. Now we were talking. I'm usually a creature of culture and prefer a little heritage to complement my love of über modernity but, being blatantly honest, this was the one thing that impressed me in KL.

As luck would have it, my now half-full glass was practically overflowing with Petronas, courtesy of a stay in the KL Traders Hotel. Deluxe Tower living, bang opposite Petronas themselves, it's like KL could sense this was my sweet spot and decided to bathe me in it. 

And bathe I did, right on the top floor cocktail bar swimming pool. Trust me, sipping martinis to a backdrop like this is something you will not forget. Food, service, comfort, design - Traders KL has all the standards you expect from the Shangri-la group, but definitely leads the way for the Traders hotel portfolio.

Day 2 needed more than bling. I was thirsty for culture and escaped the city in search of some real Malaysia, to Bata Caves. This is a must-see if you are in the city. Climb to the temples in the caves, find your inner sanctum, you might even play with some mean cobra snakes. It's that eclectic.

So, I'm glad I visited KL, but it's a one off for me. I will never forget sleeping eye to eye with Petronas. The rest, I possibly shall.

'Til next time, Pandora

Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur City Centre, KL
Photos: Pandora Skies

My Singapore Fling

For years I flew long-haul to Asia with Singapore Airways. It's fabulous, more than fabulous - their economy is pretty special, to start with, but their business class is like having your front room in the skies. These seats are big enough for two, you know the kind for canoodling in the back row of the cinema? ( ....do people canoodle anymore?)

Anyway, fly with Singapore Airlines, then prepare to relish in the joy of Changi Airport. Every cinema surround sound, sunflower garden, coy karp, designer shopping, helter-skelter slided square inch of it. It's insanely good. So, if this is the airport, surely the city is something else?

Everybody should visit Singapore. It's like the Gattaca of airport hub destinations. Clean streets bustling with a palette of fast moving, everyone from everywhere people. For the tourist, there's a dabble of history but a wealth (I really mean wealthy) of new, shiny, designer everything. You don't need long to explore it, but it's a weekend trip really worth doing.

All the big hotels are there, of course, but I went with my heart, for boutique. An all-inclusive boutique, a relatively new concept, well located at the start of the shopping Mecca of Orchard Road. The Quincy is qool - rooms are tiny, but only at the compromise of a free minibar, sky high infinity pool, all inclusive meals and bar service, and a decor full of bling, even in the bathrooms. Being honest, a weekend in Singapore is not designed for bed time.

The core of the modern sight-seeing is by the Marina - you must take the ride to the top of Marina Bay Sands Hotel, these are the best views over the city to lunch in awe. Even better if you swim life on the edge at their incredible infinity pool.

On the ground - Lamborghini, Maserati, Ferrari...take your pick, four-wheeled affluence topped only by the F1 pits beside it.

Connected to the Marina Bay Sands is an infinity of illustrious designer shopping with waterfalls and waterways, and you must explore the amazing Louis Vuitton Island Maison - whether you go there by bridge, boat to the jetty, or travelator, is up to you. Just practise your Wow face.

From the other side of the bay, the stunning Fullerton Hotel is great for cocktails or tea, and you can catch the original Merlion statue. Stay to 8pm, you even get the Marina Sands music and light show (it's no Hong Kong harbour, but it's cool).

By now, it's time for some serious history making. Pull up a stool, these are the chic seats. Action your best raised eyebrow and indulge, and it is a wonderful indulgence, in the real thing Singapore Sling, at Raffles Hotel. There are select places around the world where I have a moment...this was one, a moment you will savour forever.

By night, make 2 stops - chinese street food on Smith Street, and hunt down the fried stingray. Seriously, where have you been all my life? Then hit Clarke Quay - clubs, pubs, music, shops....it's a bit ex-pat, but it's where the night is.

I'm not a lover of theme parks, but if it's your thing then a trip to Sentosa is short and you get a full on fix of proper built up American fun-time, with proper flinstone-esque rebuilds of the Merlion and beach huts.....I did it, I'm not proud of it, but at least I can pass it on.

So, my 48 hour Singapore fling is a secret, no more. Tourist adultery, shopping adultery...trust me, you'll find how the sin got into Singapore.

'Til next time, Pandora

Quincy Hotel, 22 Mt Elizabeth, Singapore
Photos: Pandora Skies, www.stayfareast.com

Swan Break - A Night at The Sofitel

If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, the chances are it's a duck. That's how I feel about airport hotels. Same experience, same disappointment, same 'Wish I wasn't there'. Quack, quack.

It's the footfall, the transience, the somewhere to lay your head for the night mentality that puts me off. In general, I try to avoid airport hotels. I'm happy to travel in and out of the nearest city to stay elsewhere, even if it is the same name over the door. I guess I have a more in-depth relationship with a hotel - so many nights away, a hotel for me is an extension of my home. I don't want to feel like I am at summer camp.

But, there are times where they are a must. Last flight in, first flight out and, dare I say it, somewhere to lay your head for the few hours in between.

And so unfolded my Friday...I took the proverbial bull by the horns and booked to stay at the Sofitel, at Heathrow's Terminal 5. Covered walkway, convenience, click, done. And breathe...and wait for the quack....

No quack came. The Sofitel was not such an ugly duckling. This was no ordinary covered walkway - it was a catwalk, lined with pictures of luxury cars and surrounded in a fresh scent of jasmine, or lily of the valley or something opium-esque that had a lure like the poppy field that captured Dorothy on the yellow brick road.

Through to the upper lobby, a glow of blue LED lights guides you through modern statues and down escalators to reception, more art and fabulous chandeliers.

I'm a sucker for a chandelier. Sofitel, you had me at Hello.

My preconceived ideas subsided. I'm not sure if there is a use of white noise, but there certainly wasn't crowd noise, nor overnight bar revellers, nor standing room only lobby space. This was as sleek as an inter-city Sofitel, right through to fresh decor of the bedrooms. 

Ok, they missed the homeliness of flowers or a personal touch but they were roomy, muted colours, had leather lounge seats and cool technology. The bathrooms were spacious, with fluffy towels and robes, walk-in monsoon showers and luxury toiletries from The White Company. Early start or not, this was well invested sleep.

Room service and breakfast in Vivre - great food and incredibly friendly service. Somewhere to lay your head? Well, you might just want to plan an extra day before you fly out again. Sofitel quacks the mould. The airport hotel has finally spread its wings and grown into a beautiful swan.

'Til next time, Pandora

Sofitel, Terminal 5, London Heathrow Airport, London
Photos: Pandora Skies and Sofitel

She Came, She Warsaw, She Conquered...

I love travelling. And I love travelling to new places. But, sometimes, in the busy pace of work you simply check your blackberry, board the plane and land without any expectations, without time to research or plan. It's work, after all.

So, I didn't expect to find what I did on my first time trip to Poland. I don't know why, but I just imagined it to be like other countries in Eastern Europe - obvious traces of history, crumbles and cracks of tumultuous times, a palette of grey and a peppering of Ladas on roads that are gradually opening up to a new pop of high-rise and recognised hotel chains. Don't get me wrong, Budapest, Prague, Belgrade...all amazing cities, each with their own print impression but, to that point, I just expected Warsaw to follow suit.

I didn't expect the flash modernity of steel and glass at Chopin Airport. I didn't expect the American diners en route to the city, nor the fully fitted credit card paying taxis. I didn't expect the a neon, almost skyscraper, skyline that silently screamed Welcome to Modern Warsaw. Rightly or wrongly, I didn't expect this, and I was impressed.

And it got better. Driving towards my hotel for the evening, the Marriott twinkled like a a telescopic view into space, it's 40 storey black box sparkling with LED lights. Inside, an atrium lobby of chandeliers, escalators, suits and international accents that made it very clear this was a place to do business.

Upgraded to the 36th floor, the view. A view to wow at - overlooking Warsaw's stunning Palace of Culture, standing tall and proudly imposing beside the bubble-like curvature of modern architecture of the the Złote Tarasyall mall. So wonderful, I couldn't draw my drapes, and it serenaded me to sleep like a lullaby and awakened me the next morning with sunrise. 

My visit was brief. Long enough to have sky-high cocktails from the 49th floor Panorama bar, overlooking this amazing city, have breakfast and spend a day working with locals in the office. Too short to remember my 3 words of taxi-taught Polish, sample local cuisine and really get under the skin of the city. Or, for that matter, to try my luck in the Marriott integrated casino!

So I shall return, for certain, and explore more of Poland. If you manage to visit first, I highly recommend the Marriott (be sure to ask for height, the views are worth it).

'Til next time, Pandora


Marriott Hotel Warsaw - Al. Jerozolimskie 65/79 · Warsaw, 00-697 Poland
Photos: Pandora Skies and Marriott Hotels

All Things Bright and Bloomsbury....(and a bedroom very small)

I have blogged in the past about my "Search for Design Intervention" on my regular hotel planning around the world. So my somewhat hymnal introduction to my stay in London this week seems appropriate to carry on this theme and, indeed, testament that sometimes the retreat for sleep is not always heavenly.

My usual forward planning got turned on its head in London, this week, as I was obliged to cancel my perfect pillow plans, last minute, to relocate to my clients' abode. Their hotel was, in fact, MyHotel. Which is ironic, given it was not my first choice but, yes, last-minute booking found me a room at MyHotel Bloomsbury (award winning 4 star boutique, according to their website).

My experience at MyHotel was a game of two halves. An episode of Upstairs, Downstairs in reverse. An uber-modern Downton Abbey, of sorts, but with the lower quarters much more pleasing than life above ground floor.

Now, arriving late to the party rarely guarantees you the best seat in the house, so I have to be humbly opinionated about being assigned a tiny room, given I booked just hours before arrival. But there is small, and there is bijou. I was in the latter, the sense of space not helped by frosted windows, turquoise walls and dark magenta bedding accessories.

The flat pack furniture was trying to be minimalist, maybe had seen better days, but I was grateful at least for the oversized bed - it may well have eaten up precious floor square footage, but it was the only thing making my corner feel welcoming and less claustrophobic. And, credit where credit is due, I had an insanely good night's rest.

Decor in hallways and, from what I see on the website, in the other rooms has better married the use of bold colour block. Perhaps this is where the boutique awards were granted. For me, the use of bright and bold seemed to contradict the efforts to create a hotel-zen and my personal room experience felt more youth hostel than boutique, bed excepted. 

Let's go downstairs. The zen feng-shui is more aligned. There is a buzz that is young and vibrant, the lobby area has a dotcom feel about it. Buddha statues, fish tanks and super bright sweetie dishes decorate an open plan reception that is sandwiched between Gail's Artisan Bakery and Gails Kitchen, both an integration of MyHotel Bloomsbury dining facilities. Compact, too, but ample. There is also a clever remote working, non-corporate, concept here with meeting and office space that attracts the office denim wearing, no tie type. Laid back and lovely.

This is good. Ochre leather banquettes provide a laptop free zone to chill over the newspapers. Cool loungerino music adds a daytime vibe and mellows by night. Cocktail shaking, good food, glossy mags and a a stylish blend of rustic wood with barstool and wire framed chairs. Design here works, and dining is good (seriously, breakfast practically transports you to Provence).

So, am i a budding fan of MyHotel Bloomsbury? I might not quite extend to a blooming marvellous, but there is a blossom of positivity. My advice - book early and bag a big (bigger) room. Oh, and have the Danish for breakfast, Gail knows how to magic the perfect pastries.

'Til next time, Pandora

Photos: pandora skies and myhotels Bloomsbury 

In Bed with a Bard - To Chic, or not to Chic...

....that is the question. Although, perhaps a somewhat rhetorical one. I mean, when have I been known to de-chic when it comes to a hotel retreat! You only ever need one Ibis experience to teach you the lesson that less is definitely not more, when it comes to home comforts.

This week my travels took me to Stratford-upon-Avon. Home of Shakespeare, quaint and crooked houses and a plethora of quintessential English touist-pulling magnetic charm - more tea rooms than you could dunk a custard cream in, more curiosity shops than there is curiousness, more English pubs and eateries than you could have time to eat in.

Soaked in heritage and literary delight, it would be very easy for such history to over-indulge with street upon street of postcard perfect Ye Olde Inns, grandmotherly dressed in candle wicked bedsteads and dusty relics claiming to be from the hands if Horrick. And these there are. But Stratford has style... 

Set just opposite the stunning Royal Shakespeare Company sits the Arden Hotel, endorsed by the theatre and a perfect soliloquy of modern chic betwixt the heritage of listed buildings.

So, unsurprisingly, like the call of Juliette to Romeo, I met my first love of Stratford sleep - a luxurious boutique retreat, roll top bath, giant plump bed and an apothecary of designer L'Occitane pamper miniatures, at The Arden Hotel.

A member of the Small Luxry Hotel collective, I didn't expect this to disappoint but the Arden wooed me and seduced me. So enamoured, I let it kiss on this first date and unashamedly I stayed the night. Calm decor in yellows and greys in the lobby, classic English hallways that are a labyrinth to rooms that are sanctuaries of a Midsummer Night's Dream.

At the Arden you are not a number, every room is named after a tree and I was personally escorted to my upgraded Mulberry room. A palette of apple and plum, enriched with brocades and velvets dressing crisp hotel white cotton, all overlooking the Avon River and serenaded to the sound of English countryside church bells.

Elsewhere in the hotel, sprial staircases and hidden doorways. Chesterfield tea lounges, breakfast overlooking the RSC.
A beautiful retreat, wonderful service, a true escape to the classic English countryside. I will be back to Stratford, and I will definitely be back to the Arden.

To sleep, perchance to dream.....

'Til next time, Pandora

Photos: Pandora Skies

The Arden Hotel, Waterside, Stratford-upon-Avon

www.theardenhotelstratford.com / www.slh.com

A Rather Royal Affair - Lunching at The Goring

It's not every day your little sister pulls the ultimate trump card by getting an invite to Buckingham Palace to receive an MBE. So it seemed appropriate that my return to blogging (and, with it, a surrender to sibling rivalry) should at least mark an adequately special occasion, not least when it's hosted in the only hotel of Royal Warrant in the UK, a post-Palace luncheon at London's prestigious Goring.

An MBE. Let's face it, it needed to be followed by something of Royal importance. A club sandwich in the Slug and Lettuce was just not going to cut this one. And, if the Goring is good enough for pre-nuptial breakfast for Kate Middleton, then I expect it to be more than respectable for the newly anointed MBE and her hoi poloi.

The Goring did not disappoint. In fact, it pleasantly surprised. By surprised I mean accommodating, amiable, relaxed, personal. Don't get me wrong, I didn't expect to have a bad experience, I just expected the afternoon to be one to mind your p's and q's, extend your pinkie, most definitely not slurp your soup. Service was as impeccable as you would imagine from a locale of royal appointment, but never imposing.

Friendliness exuded at every point. The steady flow of fascinators and long tail coats passing through reception suggested the Goring was indeed a popular choice, post-Palce. Each of us was met by a super efficient concierge who exchanged jackets for a rather flamboyant woven key tassel with our cloakroom number. I liked this decadence.

Escorted to the bar, we had an hour before lunch, and were settled fireside in opulent yellow and grey toned brocade sofas, accessorised in leopard. The bar had a gentlemans club feel to it - pinstripe suits with bright socks, gingerly swirling brandy. But it was softened with politeness and smiles. Hors d'oeuvres were served with drinks. Homemade sugar-dusted garibaldis for the parents' tea and savoury snacks for the wine drinkers with queen olives as plump as the luxurious velvet upholstery I had now nestled into.

Soon our server accompanied us to the restaurant, a beautiful breath of fresh air and bright light, very English in style and the perfect setting for informal, but special lunch. Admittedly service was rather slow, but then again, who is in a hurry, when you are dining under the sparkle of Swarovski chandeliers?

Lunch was divine. It needs little more to describe it than that, if I'm honest - beautifully presented, I indulged in smoked salmon and lobster omelette to start, followed by grilled sardines and a good old bread and butter pudding to top up the calorie count. Some would say that was suffice, but nobody around the table could ignore the pure chocolate heaven of the petit-fours with coffee.

An wonderful treat, an amazing day. Definitely fit for a princess, most definitely a blogging sibling MBE.

'Til next time, Pandora.

The Goring, Beeston Place, London SW1W 0JW, www.thegoring.com
Pictures: Pandora Skies, The Goring Hotel

Blogging in Heels.....The Next Chapter

It's true what they say, that time flies. But, if the adage of it flying when you're having fun stands true, then my number one hobby for the last 24 months has been long hours, endless email and a small but growing chasm in my social life. Admittedly there have been triple-digit flights and world-wide travel behind the whirlwind schedule and, I will confess, that has become the one part of my non-stop life that is not up for negotiation. Not quite yet. That part really is fun.

Yes, it's nearing on 2 years since I last blogged. I don't profess to be a expert, indeed the world has continued to spin rather successfully without my blogging rambles, but it's hard not to jump on the Internet bandwagon of opinion when you spend more than 75% of your day in cyberspace.

I mean, how else has the world become an overnight foodie, travel guru, photographer...? I'm just glad surgery remains a human and certified intervention, otherwise I'm sure we would be curing the world with the secret recipes of our great, great grandmothers!

A life in the skies and sleeping more often in hotels than in my own bed, I am one of many who spends more time chatting, tweeting and voyeuring in a virtual capacity than I manage in a human capacity. Come to think if it, I'm a prime candidate to begin the space colony for Richard Branson (*puts reminder in Blackberry to update CV and call).

My circle of (best) friends have expanded into the penthouse of the Twitterverse and, oddly, we have a lot in common. Home, family, human friends in a 20-mile radius of my postcode du jour - these are rare and precious times that I look forward to and cherish. In between, there is a lot of fun. It's time share this again.

So, after much persuasion, I am back blogging (the heels, if honest, have never come off). The next chapter from Pandora Skies will be less about my musings around the world and more about diffusing what I get to enjoy. I shall keep it brief, share with you what I see and do....and, if you find yourself anywhere I have been, then you'll have a good head start on enjoying it as much as I have.

I will work a little backwards as I move forwards, merge the old with new.
It's good to be back, enjoy the ride.

'Til next time, Pandora