Interview with Ana-Belmond Miraflores Lima :
Number of Passengers:
Ana Lucia Felices – Belmond Miraflores Park – Lima
Where would you go for a great meal on your day off?
I love restaurants that focus on the food and don’t overcomplicate things. Quality ingredients combined with good cooking techniques often result in excellent food and Isolina (Barranco) and La Mar (Miraflores) are perfect examples of this. I love the simplicity, the quality and the buzz you feel in these places.
What is it about this city/place that inspires you?
Over the last decade, Lima has transformed into a culinary powerhouse, with a food scène introducing exciting new ingredients sourced from the Amazon to the Andes. When you have been travelling, people often ask you which places you have seen and which sights you have visited. Lima is the only city in the world where the first question is: “where have you eaten?”. It inspires me to look at food as a form of art and consider how Belmond can best express this in the hotel. Limeños look at food for experiences, not only nourishment.
If you had only a few hours here what could you not miss?
A walk through Barranco, a district that is known as the Soho of Lima and that hosts a vibrant art and fashion scene. Barranco is full of renowned art galleries, charming boutiques and coffee shops known for some of the best brews in the country. Wherever you turn, you can see colonial mansions once owned by Lima’s elite. After exploring, you can go for traditional ceviche in La Mar or Mercado or come to our hotel restaurant Tragaluz for some of the freshest most innovative seafood dishes in town…
Tell us something about the hotel that not many people know?
Due to our location, we have the most spectacular views overlooking the coastline and in 2016 we received an award for being the world’s most romantic resort. We can now offer wedding ceremonies on our pool deck on 11th floor, overlooking the beach, lush gardens below and you can marry as the sun set behind the Pacific Ocean
What is the most unusual request you ever received from a guest. How did you make it happen for them?
In the 10 months that I have been here, I have faced some very specific requests but nothing has come close to the unusual ones I used to receive while working in the Middle East
What is your favourite time of year to visit the hotel and why?
November to February during the Lima summer. The sun is out, the views are even more spectacular, you can feel the summer vibe throughout the city, the surfers dominate the ocean and the park in front of the hotel transforms into a social spot for families and friends to mix and mingle
Which of the otherBelmond hotels would you love to visit or work in?
I was lucky enough to have lived and worked in four countries for Belmond and visited a lot of our stunning properties. The ones that are currently on top of my bucket list are Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel (Brazil) and Belmond Andean Explorer (Peru), the newest addition to the collection and the first luxury sleepover train in South America. One day, I would love to work in Italy
How has the hotel changed since you began and what improvements have you seen?
I wanted to give the hotel a more personal approach and the fact that our guest feedback scores have improved over the last 10 months are an indicator that we have managed to do exactly that. We are actively working on promoting our F&B outlets to the local market, resulting in a growing market share from outside guests versus guests of the hotel and also helping promote our links with the art and food scene in Lima which will appeal to the international globetrotter.
What makes you most proud about the hotel?
The team that I work with on a daily basis is skilled and dedicated. You can´t train somebody to be service minded, it’s either in your blood or not. I have helped build and find a team that is committed to providing exceptional experiences and I’m very proud of that!
Interview with Sean-Belmond Safaris :
Number of Passengers:
Sean Clark – Belmond Safaris
What is your favourite time of year in the bush?
My favourite time in the year has to be what we classify as Shoulder Season, the months of April-June, and the reason is because the bush is alive with activity after recent rains in Botswana and is looking lush and green. The temperature is also amazing as it’s a nice mixture between the hot summer days and the cool winter days. From a wildlife perspective the predators thrive as they start to blend with their surroundings, making for exceptional game viewing, and in addition, the impala rams are in full rut which is quite a spectacle to behold. Overall this time of year is incredible to be up in the wilds of Botswana.
Do you prefer sunrise or sunset, why?
My preference is definitely sunrise. Most people would assume that sunset gets all the accolades for the incredible colours it generates, but at the break of dawn there is something breathtakingly special about the peace an tranquility that one is consumed with. As the dew drops from the leaves and the birds start to chirp, watching the sun rise over the African horizon with a steaming cup of coffee in ones hand is a moment that few will ever forget.
What inspires you the most about living in the bush? (maybe we need to change this to ‘what inspires you most about being in the bush?’
I’ve always said, the bush is the place that is unseen to the worries of the world. It is your sanctity, your ‘happy place’ and no matter what is going on in your life or in the rest of the world, the bush is that place that makes everything seem alright. You are consumed by the real essence of life…peace, harmony and incredible creativity. When one takes the time to stop and be silent, that’s when the bush truly makes it mark and becomes that one place in the world where all else seems to not matter.
When were you first attracted to wildlife and understanding nature?
Personally, it happened to me at a young age, my father was incredibly conservation minded so the family spent most holidays in the nature. I was then fortunate to live in two different wildlife reserves growing up in my teenage years and I think I was incredibly blessed to have these sorts of surroundings that really rounded my perspective of the world. Having said that, I meet many people each year that are equally as captivated by nature and wildlife whether it was from a young age or when they were adults, and I think it becomes a desire that is born in you to keep returning. It also, I feel, instils great values of cohabitation, nurturing and being at peace with oneself when you surrounded by natural wonders.
What makes Belmond safaris so unique?
Undoubtedly the places Belmond have decided to operate in makes us so unique. In Botswana, our three Belmond Safari lodges are situated in three incredibly diverse eco-systems that bring to the fore the best wildlife experiences and allow our guests to be consumed by the essence of a wildlife experience in its authentic form. This is not only true in Botswana but in every part of the world that Belmond operates in, they stay true to the essence of the environment whilst opening doors to experiences that are truly unique and memorable.
Interview with Eva-Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice :
Number of Passengers:
Eva Mazi, Belmond Hotel Cipriani, Venice
- Where would you go for a great meal on your day off?
Out of the city Route, if I chose to visit the magical Lagoon I would say Antica Dogana close to Tre Porti. Unique tables facing the water for a fantastic sunset over Burano. Good to disappear from the crowd. Local (the name suggests they source the best local ingredients from farmers and fisherman in the surrounding of venice): young owner Luca (who already managed the successful Pensione Wildner) creates a modern Venetian cuisine in a nice environment.Offers fine dining in contemporary and stylish settings.
Ambience bright and airy. For younger guests who are interested in a culinary trip into modern cusine based on old recepies.
- What is it about this city/place that inspires you?
Venice is a magical place that doesn’t need any presentation. Every corner of this town is of inspiration and the arrival at Belmond Hotel Cipriani represents one of the most incredible moments that needs to be lived at least once in a lifetime.
- If you had only a few hours here what could you not miss?
At Belmond Hotel Cipriani every year we try to invent new activities to let our guests enjoy Venice and the surroundings getting to know the real soul of this places. The only way to do that is getting directly in touch with the locals. For this reason, for example, together with a local fisherman our guests will learn the authentic secrets of catching “caparossoli” (a type of local clams) and have a drink on a disappearing island in front of the best sunset the Lagoon can offer. Or when all other museums are closed I can organize a special boat for you that will lead you to Querini Stampalia museum that opens its door exclusively to us. You will get to know the special secrets of more than 40.000 books and manuscripts preserved into this magnificent 700 year-old library. But if this is not enough we will lead you toward the discovery of the Vineyards of Venice, a cultural heritage to protect and get to know up close. On the Island of Sant’Erasmo the French family Thoulouze produces the wine Orto. Here Michel, an authentic character, welcomes our guests in a fire engine red Ape Car, almost as if he were a next door neighbour. Michel is anything but an ordinary man, and his love for this little patch of lagoon must have been very strong, so much so that it made him move to these parts and invest in the recovery of soils that he prepared for vineyards by first planting barley and oats. A glass of Michel’s wine in his company is a priceless experience.
These are just a few examples of what we love to recommend and organize for our guests.
- Tell us something about the hotel that not many people know?
Every day you have something new and amazing to discover at Belmond Hotel Cipriani. As soon as you enter the main door you will discover something you would have never expected: the gardens. They are widely considered among the city’s great oases, and this year they are poised to include a verdant treasure that is more than just a pretty face. Expert permaculture farmer Michele Savorgnano has reclaimed a plot of land bordering the Casanova Gardens and transformed it into a biodiverse vegetable garden. It regularly supplies the hotel’s Michelin-star Oro, with a wealth of produce ranging from tomatoes, apricots, plums, artichokes, hibiscus and salad leaves to 15 varieties of basil. Starting from this year a new synergistic vegetable patch will be developed within our hotel grounds.
At our hotel, you can enjoy the best sunset overlooking St Mark’s Square dining on the terrace at the Cips’ Club with the delicacies of Chef Roberto Gatto.
Another thing that can for sure surprise you is that you can have a cocktail that has been especially created by a famous star while our Head Barman Walter Bolzonella tells you all the secrets behind the cocktail and in which occasion it has been created.
2017 is going to be full of news for our guests and for this reason, they will find a new culinary boutique where to buy the local specialties they die for!
And what about our pool? We not only have the biggest pool in town, this season the hotel’s Olympic-size swimming pool will be adorned by the works of the Venetian artist Marco Rizzo, known for his striking and surreal monochrome photographs depicting Venice underwater. Guests taking a dip will be given goggles in order to view the unique masterpieces.
Isn’t all this simply amazing and unexpected? I already told you too much… just come and visit us… the best is yet to come.
- What is the most unusual request you ever received from a guest? How did you make it happen for them?
Every day that I’m asked unusual questions and to solve sudden, unexpected problems. I remember one day a gentleman came, it was just 15 minutes before getting married. He had forgotten to bring his belt with. He asked me to go and buy one. I knew I did not have enough time to do it. The only solution I had, for this reason, I decided to lend him my personal belt… and he got married on time and with his trousers on!
Another thing that happened along the years was a very unusual situation. A nice lady lost his wedding ring in the lagoon in front of our Belmond Hotel Cipriani. She was desperate (and his fiancé even more!). We had no choice, we needed to help them finding it. And with the help of a divers team we managed to do it. The researches lasted 2 long days… but I will never forget the eyes full of joy of this kind lady when I delivered her ring back.
- What is your favourite time of year to visit the hotel and why?
For sure I would say May. This is the month when nature comes to life again and express her most beautiful side in our gardens.
Tanzanian Sojourn :
Number of Passengers:
Excitement built as I left the office one grey Friday lunchtime. I was off to Africa, in search of game, of foreign cultures and of space, a type of space that you simply can’t find in the dark congestion of central London. Terminal 4 at Heathrow presented its usual chaotic self but the foreboding of a 15 hour journey to Tanzania via the Middle East was tempered by the promise of the rarefied air of Qatar Airways business class. It’s always a treat to board the A380 and head for the top deck where a bar and a flat-bed await ready to soften the flying experience.
It was 14 hours later when I found myself at the tiny airport in Arusha, Northern Tanzania, on the last leg of my journey and just 200 mil
es from the border of the infamous Serengeti. Serengeti, meaning ‘endless plains’ is home to one of the largest concentrations of game in the world and covers over 12,000 square miles. Fortunately for us, we had arrived at the very beginning of the Great Migration.
Our charming guide-come-driver from the Four Seasons greeted us at Seronera airstrip with ice cold champagne, snacks and boundless smiles and enthusiasm. Our adventure was about to begin and even as we drove out of the airport grounds we were greeted by a herd of buffalo, feeding lazily on the scrubland.
Four Seasons, famed around the world as a brand dedicated to service, reopened the lodge in 2012 with just 60 rooms and a handful of suites and villas. Our room, bedecked with its own infinity-edged swimming pool and extensive balcony looked out over the vast plains; unspoilt and untouched. It’s a special feeling arriving somewhere new and pulling back the curtains on the first morning, unsure of what is about to greet you. That morning treated us to families of elephants slowly meandering past our terrace towards the local waterhole, ebullient warthogs darting between their legs.
And so to the main attraction; safari. We were fortunate enough on several occasions to have a game vehicle to ourselves so our guide Jacob was able to tailor our drives to ensure we were searching out the animals we wanted to see most. Highlights included visits to a nearby hippo pool, a rare sighting of an elegant cheetah relaxing in the short grass as well as witnessing a pack of 30 lions stalking a several thousand strong herd of wildebeest, the only thing missing was Attenborough’s dulcet tones. I’m always amazed at just how quickly you become caught up with the almost soap-opera-esque lives of families of animals.
Afternoons were spent around the pool, enjoying the African sunshine (as well as the spoils of the bar) whilst watching ever present herds of elephant, gazelle, buffalo, wildebeest and zebra visit the watering hole directly in front of the hotel’s main infinity pool.
In the evenings enthusiastic manager Martin was always on hand to ensure we were having a great time and we split our meals between the two dining options; Boma – a traditional thatched round house serving interesting African specialities and the international al fresco restaurant surrounding the pool. Food, although not exceptional, was certainly of a good standard considering where we were.
So what are my thoughts on the trip? This was my second time in Tanzania (having previously attained the summit of Kilimanjaro in 2014) and I was once again struck with the warmth and generosity of the Tanzanian people. The staff at the lodge were fantastic and were able to pre-empt many of my requests. It is certainly a family friendly property and delivers a lite version of safari with safari departures much later in the morning than traditional (allowing for longer lie ins) and more of a resort feeling that other safari lodges I have been to. We had opted for the all-inclusive package at the hotel, which I would totally recommend (if not already included in your safari experience).
This safari experience whilst on reflection was perhaps not as rich or immersive as I have seen in the past was nonetheless exhilarating and I still came away feeling as though I had played some small part in a never ending nature documentary. And of course lodge itself played an integral part in forming those fond memories that will stay with me for some time to come.
