FOR BUSINESS: Business travelling is a nightmare and totally disorientating.
I usually end up in a Hilton by default - you know what you're in for, but they're soulless. I never feel at home. You want a hotel where there is a calmness and a level of organisation. One that fits the bill is myhotel bloomsbury, an oasis of calm in London. All the bedrooms are individual - quite small but well appointed. It has a lovely library and free coffee and cakes.
You're not putting your hand in your pocket every five minutes, as tipping is banned. There are lots of small details, carefully thought through, which make it a relaxing experience. I recommended it to a Japanese businessperson I met travelling on Eurostar and got an e-mail back saying that it had been their favourite thing about London.
FOR PLEASURE: When you're skiing, what you want more than anything in your hotel is a big bathroom. That is why I love Le Melezin, an Amanresorts hotel in the French skiing village of Courchevel. It's beautifully designed and sumptuous - a real luxury hotel. I believe the future of hotel design lies in concentrating on the bathrooms rather than just having these little boxes.
You need a room, a bed, a desk area and bathroom that you can swing a large towel in. After a hard day's skiing, all I want is to come back to a room with a decent proper big bath. Lying in the bath reading the newspaper or watching TV is a luxury not usually feasible in hotels, but that is the future.
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