Hidden Gems at Hotel Stays

Experiences, Lifestyle, Perks, Rituals, Tips Aga

To get the ultimate value out of hotel stays, all you need is to keep your eyes open for what amenities are on offer and just go for them! I’ve had many exquisite experiences throughout my hotel stay career, but I want to mention the top of the top here. My most exceptional four experiences I found completely by chance. Every single one was a nice reminder of the abundance of opportunities around you if you are keen to try. These experiences totally made my day and I felt that I was really taking advantage of what was on offer but many people miss out on.

The first experience is the value of a valet car park (which I covered in my other article), another was a sensational swimming pool at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, the third was a phenomenal yoga session at the Mandarin Oriental The Landmark in Hong Kong and finally I had an epic Sense Spa experience at The Rosewood in London.

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Airport Convenience

Deals, Tips, Travel Tom

Arriving at the airport after a long-haul flight is the final hurdle you need to jump in any journey. Airports, especially the big hub airports like London Heathrow, Dubai, Hong Kong and New York’s JFK, can be large confusing affairs that can take time to navigate through with lots of walking and, more often than not, lots of queueing.

It is not uncommon to spend upwards of three hours upon arriving at the gate to leaving due to the terminal layout and queueing for immigration. That’s three hours less towards your business meeting, holiday or spending time with family and friends. In this day and age of common long-haul travel we’ve come to accept these delays as being part of the journey. A journey that turns a seven hour flight into a 10 hour trip.

So how can we avoid this? Surely there are options out there to make our lives easier? As it turns out, there are.

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The Art of Delegating

Lifestyle, Tips Aga

If I could give a few tips to my younger self, the list would start with these:

  • Drink more water
  • Go for a facial and a massage once a month
  • Hire people to help out with your daily routine

The first two are, I think, fairly self-explanatory! However I want to elaborate on the third point…

I used to think that it’s more beneficial if I clean my own house, cook my own food, work in my garden and organise trips myself. In this way I can control how things are done and can ensure they are done exactly how I want it. If you have stable income such as through a full-time job, it is a great way to save some money. However the situation is drastically different if you have a side business, or you are a full-time entrepreneur working on your own thing where your time is, quite literally, money.

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Following the Oyster Trail

Deals, Experiences, Fine Dining, Food & Drink Aga

Discomfort Zone on a Plate

For years, oysters to me were in too much of a discomfort zone for my palate to actually try them with an open mind. It was not only their slimy appearance but also the largely misunderstood way of eating them. I believed that you were supposed to slurp them down without chewing. I used to think, “What was the point?” I like my taste buds to enjoy the intricacies of my food, of the memories that taste evokes. I love learning about new flavours and experiencing new combinations of heat, acid, salt and fat. Slurping without chewing oysters offered none of that. To me, it was just a strange experience with a weird texture sliding down my throat. No, thank you!

And it’s not like I hadn’t given oysters a chance before. I had ordered them, or had them part of a tasting menu in decent restaurants around the world. What turned out to be red flags was that these restaurants only ever had one kind of oyster, and far from specialised in them.

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Top Shelf for Bottom Dollar

Alcohol, Experiences, Food & Drink, Home Tom

For those of us who enjoy a tipple every once in a while, appreciating a well made cocktail, a delicious wine or a smooth vodka is what it’s all about. Like any of the finer things in life, understanding the craft and the story behind what you’re enjoying only adds to the whole experience. Combine that with watching an expert create or select your drink means you can concentrate on the taste and the flavour of your chosen drop.

There are many amazing venues that will serve phenomenal cocktails often with creative themes and unique presentation. Top restaurants will always have a sommelier who will absolutely nail the wine pairing with your meal elevating both food and drink. Many small batch craft distilleries are creating some stunning spirits, especially around gin and vodka, often found at top and exclusive bars. However all of this comes with a price – quite literally.

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