Issue 21 2012.pdf - New Zealand Corporate Traveller Magazine

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��THE LATEST TRAVEL � DESIGN � TRENDS
The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong Takes
Private Dining to New Heights
TO CRAFT A DISTINCTIVE dining experience like no other, the Executive Chef at The
Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, Peter Find, has created an exclusive Chef’s Table adventure
for guests to explore and engage their senses.
“The idea of a Chef’s Table is to present guests with an insider’s pass to the world of
cooking. Guests will be able to see and experience the work and secret that goes into
fabricating the dishes we served,” said Find. “Everything is personalised. The menu is
tailor-made by me and my team after a thorough consultation with the guest. Through
the dishes that we prepared, we hope to share with the guests our passion for and the
refi nement of the culinary arts.”
Available for a maximum of eight guests, the personalised menu can be of eight to twelve
courses. To add to the enjoyment, the sommelier at the hotel can recommend wines to
pair with the specifi c menu featured.
The exclusive experience includes Find and his selected team of chefs (minimum three)
attending only to that table throughout the evening. Every dish will be served with detailed
explanations on the ingredients and the cooking method. Guests are welcomed to ask
questions and share feedback with the chefs. It is an interactive dining exploration.
Located on the 102nd fl oor at 420m 2 above sea level, the Chef’s Table is a private
dining room with separate sofa area and a spectacular harbour view. It features an open
kitchen that offers a front row view for the guests. The ambiance is intimate with the use
of soft lighting and rich burgundy red furniture and fi ttings.
Bookings must be made at least two weeks in advance. For reservations and enquiries:
email restaurantreservation.hk@ritzcarlton.com
GOOD-BYE 3 P.M. CHECK-IN,
HELLO YOUR24
TURNING AN ANCIENT HOTEL convention on its head, Starwood Hotels is for the fi rst
time ever abolishing the industry’s long-standing 3:00 p.m. check-in time and giving
its most frequent travellers control of their own arrival and departure time. Your24 lets
Members choose their own 24-hour check-in and checkout time. For example, a guest
who checks in at 10 p.m. won’t have to checkout until 10 p.m. on their day of departure.
The Your24 programme is offered to SPG Members who spend 75+ nights at Starwood
hotels annually.
8 nzcorporatetraveller ISSUE 21
COMO HOTELS &
RESORTS OPENS UMA
PUNAKHA IN BHUTAN
COMO HOTELS AND RESORTS will open a sister lodge
to its Uma Paro property in Bhutan to create a new twocentre
opportunity for those seeking cultural discovery
and physical adventure in this remote Himalayan region.
The intimate, 11-room Uma Punakha, a new lodge opening
September 2012, will give guests the opportunity to
explore the enigmatic kingdom of Bhutan at a deeper
level while enjoying the same understated luxury they
have come to appreciate at Uma Paro.
The hotel is situated on a hillside in the verdant Punakha
Valley a 5 hour drive from Paro. This new pairing opens
up the country yet further to COMO guests who seek to
combine the company’s luxury hotel at Paro with Uma’s
trekking itineraries.
Punakha is one of the most precious valleys to the
Bhutanese for it sequesters two of the country’s great
historical attractions: the Temple of the Divine Madman, a
14th century fertility temple dedicated to the Tibetan
Buddhist Saint Drukpa Kuenley, and the Punakha Dzong,
a fortress temple and one of the Kingdom’s administrative
centres where the current King Jigme Khesar Namgyel
Wangchuk and his bride Jetsun Pema were recently
married. Uma Punakha therefore offers a gateway to
this important cultural region, as well as opportunities for
white-water rafting, hiking and cycling under the expert
supervision of Uma’s qualifi ed English-speaking guides.
As to the lodge itself, the location towards the head of
the valley is exceptionally peaceful and an ideal place to
practice yoga. Steep vehicular access to Uma Punakha
is rewarded with bird’s eye views. Bright green terraced
fi elds spread out below, graduating down towards a
dramatic bend in the river, the Mo Chu. Comprised of pale
blue glacial waters, the Mo Chu (female river) joins the Po
Chu (male river) a few miles downstream, the confl uence
marked by the Punakha Dzong. Only a few localstyle
houses are in the viewshed, along with spreading
jacaranda trees and orchards laden with apples. Visit
como.bz