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check-in4Wellness centre at Hotel Francia& Quirinale, Montecatini Terme,Tuscany, ItalyThe cultural riches of Florence, Lucca andPisa are all within easy day-tripping reachof Montecatini Terme – but the really bigdraw of this Tuscan resort is its mineral-richthermal springs. Their fame dates back toRoman times and they’re reputed to possesshealing powers that can help with a rangeof health problems. Hotel Francia &Quirinale, just a short stroll from the town’sbaths, makes the perfect base for taking thewaters, after which you can retreat to thehotel’s own wellness centre, where theservices on offer range from hot stonemassages to Ayurvedic treatments.travelling in styleaccessoriesP3 headphonesBowers & Wilkins – These new headphonesare the ideal travel companion for anyonewho demands great sound on the go. Theirfoldable design makes them compactenough to carry easily, and the memoryfoam cushion and ultra-light acousticfabric on the ear pad mean they deliver onthe comfort front, too. Available in blackor white, they also come with a choice ofcable leads, making them compatible withiPhones®, all other mobile phones and MP3players. www.bowers-wilkins.comQuinton Leather SatchelTusting – Tusting takes the finest leathers andconverts them into desirable items, designedto endure. Made from basket-weave-printcalf leather and trimmed with strong darktan bridle for contrast and strength, thisdistinctive satchel ispetite enoughto be smart,but roomyenough totake an A4pad or glossymagazines.www.tusting.co.ukMaya Spa at The Zuri White SandsGoa Resort & Casino, Goa, IndiaThe ancient holistic discipline of Ayurveda,designed to heal body, mind and soul, ismuch in evidence at Maya Spa, where themenu offers more than 50 health and beautytreatments. Signature therapies includeMukhalepam, a traditional Ayurvedic herbalfacial that cleanses, hydrates and refreshesthe skin, and Maya Cure, in which hotbundles of herbs and a combination ofmassage techniques relieve tense muscles.All treatments start with a traditionalwelcoming foot ritual, and afterwards youcan relax in the steam room, sauna orJacuzzi, or head straight for the beautyparlour, where the services range fromeyebrow threading and leg waxing to hairironing and saree draping.5Eye maskHolistic Silk – Put some style into yourin-flight snoozing, with one of the newseason’s eye masks from Holistic Silk. Theycome in a range of patterns, including funkyanimal prints and bright tropical flowerdesigns, all made from the finest, softestcotton and velvet and filled with lavenderto soothe the spirits and scent the air.Adjusting the ties for perfect comfort willtotally block out the cabin lights and allowyou to drift off to sleep until it’s time to land.www.holisticsilk.comLOCAL FLAVOURHive talkingJo Hemesley, Corporate Senior SalesManager at Lancaster London, talks aboutthe buzz she gets from being a memberof the hotel’s beekeeping teamWe’ve had bees on the roof of LancasterLondon for three years now. We’d allheard about bee populations being underthreat, and thought that introducing somerooftop hives could have a positive effecton our environment.There are 10 hives, each containing around50,000 bees. The bees can fly for up toabout three miles from home, but the hotelis right on the doorstep of Hyde Park, sothat’s where they feed mostly. They forageon whatever nectar is available, whichchanges throughout the year, but a lot ofit comes from the pollen of the lime treesin the park.On average, each colony produces around14kg of honey each summer. It’s a lovelyhoney, very pale, clear and runny, with a realcitrusy zing to it. We don’t sell it, but we givejars as gifts to some of our clients and usethe rest in our restaurants. The porridge onthe breakfast menu in Island Grill is servedwith honey from the hotel hives.There are four of us in the beekeepingteam, and we all do it in addition to ourother roles in the hotel. As well as myself,there’s Darren Marshall (Island Head Chef),Jeff Tonks (Engineer) and Jo Cope (EventsSales Associate). The hives need to beinspected once a week and we take it inturns. Quite a lot of the guestrooms lookout over the bees and it’s funny to see thesurprise on people’s faces if they see usthere in our white boiler suits and veils!You’d be surprised how many rooftophives there are in London.They’re on top of Fortnum& Mason on Piccadilly,Ted Baker’s head officein Camden, the NationalMagazine Company inSoho, the Royal FestivalHall, Mishcon de Reyain the City and plentyof other places.Everyone in the hotel is reallyenthusiastic about the bees.We have a staff football team, whoseplayers wear a black-and-yellow stripedkit and are called the Lancaster Bees.And last year we organised the first-everLondon Honey Show in the hotel, invitinglocal beekeepers to enter their honeysin various competition categories. It wasa great success, so we’re repeating it againthis year (8 October 2012), but scaling itup to attract even more beekeepersand visitors.volume thirteen q Summit 19