Businesstraveller.com brings you stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: Ritz-Carlton, Etihad Airways, Mandarin Oriental, Eos and British Airways.
Guest appearance
The Ritz-Carlton hotel group has launched a series of short films designed to “contemporise” the brand and broaden the chain’s appeal among young professionals and families. The films will be shown on in-room TV sets and at ritzcarltonfilms.com, and include “Heads or Tails”, a story of one-upmanship between two competitive guests. Maybe they were just arguing over who gets the pillow chocolate?
Gaelic games
Etihad Airways is to sponsor this year’s All-Ireland Senior Hurling Champioships. The carrier, which started flying from Dublin to Abu Dhabi last year, has signed a two-year deal to sponsor the competition, which dates back to 1887. Rumours that Etihad is to enter a cabin-crew team under the moniker “United Arab Eiremirates” are unfounded.
Eye’d like one of those
Luxury hotel-chain Mandarin Oriental is offering free cashmere eye masks to guests staying in its top suites at the Hyde Park and New York properties. Created by women’s fashion label Donna Karan, guests can also visit the designer’s boutique store on Conduit Street in London to pick up a matching pair of slippers – just don’t turn up in your bathrobe.
What’s in a name?
When is an airline not an airline? When it’s an “unairline” of course. All-business class carrier Eos has dropped “Airlines” from its name, and is repositioning itself as a lifestyle brand, with the launch of Eos Class magazine, and a new tagline: “uncrowded, uncompromising, unairline.” Eos is hoping the strategy will attract ’undreds of new passengers.
Taste the difference
Tickets for the Taste of London Festival sponsored by British Airways are now on sale. The event features over 140 top-end food and drink exhibitors including the Dorchester Grill Room, Le Gavroche, China Tang, Orient Express, Theo Randall... and Sainsbury’s. So even if posh nosh isn't your thing, at least you'll be able to do your weekly shopping.
By Mark Caswell
