Just landed

Businesstraveller.com compiles stories from the lighter side of business travel. This week: Easyjet, Swissotel, Hesperia Hotels, Garde Robe and Robert de Niro.

Pull the udder one

Passengers on Easyjet’s inaugural flight from London Luton to Jersey were met by an unexpected guest at arrivals – a bright orange Jersey cow. Sounds like a mooving experience for all concerned, although we at businesstraveller.com haven’t herd of anything like this before, and can’t help feeling Easyjet was milking the whole occasion.

Something in the air

Swissotel Hotels & Resorts has created a signature scent at its hotels designed to offer guests “recognition value via the olafactory senses”. Un.wind with the wind will await guests as they enter the hotel, and is infused with “tones of alpine flowers, real gentiane, sleek blond woods and a touch of wild red berries”. Will the hotel chain enjoy the sweet smell of success, or are guests going to turn their noses up at the idea?

Pretty in pink

Hesperia Hotels has launched The Pink Room, bedrooms designed specifically for female guests. The chain is donating €1 per stay to the Spanish Association Against Breast Cancer, with room features including a pink bathrobe, women’s magazine, and a cooling gel eye-mask in the minibar. Should be enough to leave female guests tickled pink by their stay.

Baggage handling

Luxury wardrobe storage and valet service Garde Robe has launched its latest offering in Tokyo. Well-heeled business travellers can browse images of their stored outfits online at garderobejapan.com, select items for cleaning or delivery to their hotel, or have a suitcase of clothes and toiletries packed on their behalf. If only they could do the actual travelling for us too and be done with it.

You lookin' at my hotel?

Hollywood legend Robert de Niro has opened a luxury hotel in New York’s Tribeca district. The 88-room Greenwich Hotel has features including hand-loomed Tibetan rugs and terracotta floors, an Italian restaurant and Japanese spa. With rooms starting from US$625 per night, you can expect celebs, sports stars and other Goodfellas to be among the guests.

Report by Mark Caswell