Businesstraveller.com compiles this week’s stories from the lighter side of business travel.
Bottle beautiful
Bombay Sapphire is to display five handcrafted crystal gin bottles at major airports around the world. The first terminal to see one of the US$200,000 Revelation bottles will be the forthcoming Heathrow T5, with the jewel-encrusted bottle staying at the airport for two months, before being transported to its owner. And they say diamonds are forever.I luv u 2
Over three quarters of business travellers tell their partners “I love you” more frequently when they are away on business trips, according to a survey by Crowne Plaza hotels. The poll also reveals that a quarter of Londoners send “saucy” text messages while in business meetings – presumably not along the lines of “Did you remember the tomato ketchup darling?”.
Terminal troubles
In scenes reminiscent of Tom Hank’s movie The Terminal, a homeless chef has spent the last four years living at Gatwick airport. Anthony Delaney has been banned from the airport where he has been eating, sleeping and showering since he lost his job as a chef in 2004. Maybe Gordon Ramsay should solve both problems by offering him a job at his new T5 restaurant.
Hotel heroics
The Dolce International hotel group has launched an “action hero” team-building programme at its La Hulpe Brussels property. Delegates are set the task of “saving the world in a two-hour ‘sensory centric’ activity”, where they must discover the components of a “universal serum”. What ever happened to brainstorming over a platter of cucumber sandwiches?
Dominoes and daiquiris
The Langham Hotel on London’s Regent Street is now running Dominoes and Daiquiris evenings at its refurbished Artesian Bar. For £40, two people can enjoy a couple of cocktails each, a sharing platter, and the use of a domino set for the evening. Rumours the hotel is also considering a Backgammon and Bitter soirée are unfounded.
By Mark Caswell