Hotel Healthy Eating

A Week Away used to mean indulgence and relaxation, enjoying all the good things about life, the weather and of course the sumptuous food in the hotel restaurant. Not anymore. Although the stress relieving aspects of a week away are still there hotels are introducing new tasty, healthy eating programs in their restaurants.
We are all becoming increasingly aware of the nutritional content of our food and the importance of healthy eating as well as an active lifestyle. Hotels have realised this and have got onboard with encouraging their guests to eat healthily. Hyatt is one of the large luxury hotel chains heading the campaign to get healthy options onto hotel menus.
Hyatt and others following their example are working towards implementing these changes and by 2016 a reduction in the calorie, salt and sugar content of meals should be achieved. Hotel restaurants will be offering portion-controlled, nutritional options on their menus which mean that a week away does not have to mean a break from the diet.

However does this mean a general increase in price for smaller portions? The aim is to provide at least two healthy meal options that are equivalent or lower in price than the other options available. It is questionable whether this is possible, as we all know organic and quality produce costs more!

The introduction of healthier options is not only good news for the diet and our waistlines but also for the environment. As well as providing balanced healthy food for the diners, hotel restaurants aim to source their ingredients in an ethical and sustainable way that benefits the environment and the farmers such as “cage free eggs, all natural beef and sustainable seafood”. Sounds delicious!



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La Mamounia – Palace of Bliss

Recently MSE’s Managing Director Nina Johnson-Bennett visited Marrakech on a much anticipated short break from the grim rain and cold English weather. While there Nina graced the luxury hotel, La Mamounia with her presence. She received a wonderful Morrocan welcome and began her 6 days of bliss and a tailor-made stay in the Mamounia Palace, located a 5 minute walk from the tranquil Khatabia gardens, the hubbub of the souk and El Fnaa Square.
Jacques Garcia’s stunningingly designed hotel recounts its mythical history as a palace with 17 acre gardens given by an 18th century Sultan’s as a gift to his son whilst creating an overall atmosphere of grandeur . An air of royalty pervades the opulent gardens, chic and sweeping décor, well laid out bedrooms, and five star amenities. The fact that every detail was considered created a deluxe environment that you never wanted to leave. It is no surprise that the myriad of celebrities and dignitaries, including Winston Churchill who stayed at the hotel on many occasions, visit each year and keep coming back.

The nature gardens and swimming pool were a beautiful place to relax during the day, the addition of colourful birds singing emphasised the calm serenity of the hotel.

The pool restaurant served the most amazing hot and cold buffet with an expanse of salads, grilled meat, sweets and, if you have room, a fantastic cheese board. Don’t expect to be able to eat dinner the same day!

Lunch was regularly taken on the Italian terrace which offered mouth watering salads and tasty sandwiches, then back to the pool for coffee and a siesta.

The Moroccan restaurant prepared and served traditional Moroccan dishes with a contemporary flair and each meal was enjoyed with a huge choice of delicious local wines. The service was ‘par excellence’ by people who really enjoyed their work and made you feel genuinely welcome.

Nina comments: “The time we spent there left us pampered, relaxed and wanting to return as soon as we could!”



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Concept Hotels

Recently it has been announced that plans for a hotel and leisure facility to be built in Dubai that is half submerged in the water and the rest towering above sea level is taking shape.

Amazingly, this is not the first of its kind. The Poseidon is a luxury underwater hotel and resort in the waters of the South Pacific Ocean surrounding Fiji. It offers panoramic ocean views from the clear acrylic pods that also serve as luxuriously decorated rooms. 

However this is not the only incredible and seemingly unfeasible idea for a hotel. The Ice Hotel in Swedish Lapland is an awe inspiring structure of ice and snow, the extreme architecture has to be rebuilt each winter. Their website advices on how to dress and sleep in the freezing temperatures, and with the possibility of seeing the northern lights the experience is once in a lifetime. 

From spectacular to the surreal, a French hotel is offering its guest the experience of living like a rodent in its Hamster hotel...

 

Think you have seen it all? Check out this list of unusual and creative hotels, from the prison hotel in Germany to a sand hotel in Dorset (can’t quite believe that one!) there are some unfathomable and certainly interesting concepts!

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Voluntourism

Part of a travelling experience can be volunteering and contributing to ongoing projects and charities in countries that may be poverty stricken, without educational institutions or clean water. Voluntourists can get involved in many projects from providing medical aid or helping to clean up an area that has been affected by natural disasters.

The basis of voluntourism is good intentioned; it is even a dream of many people to visit a beautiful, new country and make a difference while they are there. However it must be done responsibly and address the actual issues rather than thinking building something pretty will bring the real changes needed.

It is undeniable that voluntourism is a great initiative; it inspires a charitable work ethic, encourages people to give back and provides resources to vital projects worldwide. It is also crucial for promoting sustainability, increased awareness of our planet and the consequences of our actions. However exploitation is not unheard of in the regions where the work is supposed to be of benefit to the people; fraudulent behaviour such as keeping orphanages in terrible conditions purposefully to attract more charitable visitors even though they have more than enough funds to improve conditions for the children . This puts vulnerable people at risk and can even exacerbate the exiting problems.
The most important result of voluntourism is that the receiving community is involved in initiatives and developments that are crucially necessary. It may not always be obvious and speaking directly to the people it will effect is a very important step in providing sustainable giving. For example funding to train teachers and to purchase school equipment might be more important than building an oversized and unneeded commercial school in a village of 500 people.

Volunteer abroad sensibly is the message. Do research into the country, culture and the history before jetting off to gain an understanding of how social and cultural factors influence poverty. Fundamentally travellers need to be made aware of the short- and long-term implications involved with voluntourism.


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Rebranding: Trials and Tribulations

Recently Facebook have faced animosity towards their new changes, the time line has been met with the most unfavourable reaction yet. Past changes have been disagreeable however they were eventually accepted by the social networking community. This time the heat is being felt.

Are changes, in particular rebranding, always a good idea?

The following examples suggest that sometimes listening to the public is the best idea for your brand.

Even giants like coca cola can make dire mistakes. Coke launched New Coke in 1985 to combat Pepsi’s latest campaign and the fear that Pepsi would over take them in the market. The CEO changed the formula of coke and this disastrous decision was short lived, after three months Coke Classic was reintroduced, outselling Pepsi.

Gap similarly made a mistake that had its customers tweeting with rage. The clothing brand didn’t predict such an adverse reaction when it changed its logo to simple black lettering on a white background and a small blue square in the right hand corner. The new logo was pulled only a few days after the launch and the disgruntled public won.

Not all rebranding results in outrage and a swift U-turn. When the chocolate bar Marathon Americanised its name to Snickers in 1990 it was a move that made sense as Snickers was its global name. The name change didn’t diminish UK sales, and the chocolate bar was recently named the all time best-selling chocolate bar in the world, quite a title.

A brand new palindrome was bought to our attention when Norwich Union rebranded itself as Aviva in 2008. This change was smooth due to it already being known as Aviva in overseas markets. The renaming was a success after a wide-reaching advertising campaign featuring celebrities who had changed their names before they were famous and polls following the name change also suggested it had boosted brand recognition.

There are many more examples in the vaults of bad business decisions, can you recall any other disastrous changes or rebranding?

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The Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment

We are all preparing ourselves for the exciting summer ahead with both the Olympics and the Queen’s diamond jubilee celebrations to look forward to.

There are many events and visits planned for the long weekend in June that will celebrate the monarch’s 60th year on the throne. This includes the Epsom Derby and the Thames Pageant consisting of 1000 boats and the royal barge which will make quite a sight on the Thames, on 3rd June. However the sight we are anticipating the most at MSE is the royal procession on 5th June.

The Royal Household Cavalry are going through extensive training in preparation for the celebrations and have recently had a dress rehearsal. 116 men and horses of the mounted regiment will travel alongside the Queen through London starting at Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace; ablaze with colour and pageantry. There are some impressive and amusing characters in the parade this year with one of the ‘mane’ events being Thomas the kissing horse who will affectionately kiss you if you offer him his favourite minty treats. Amongst the other playful equines is a moustachioed horse with the rank of Major, another who likes to shake hooves with visitors and other talented individuals that can sweep the floor and bed themselves down in their own stables.

To learn more about the history and role of the household cavalry why not visit the museum for an interesting and fun day out.

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Easter and all the rest

The Easter break is soon upon us and with the news that airlines will be under-staffed there is panic and concern over severe delays for those travelling on the busy bank holiday weekend. It is questionable whether going away for a long weekend is really the best thing. However it doesn’t seem to have deterred the thousands hitting the road, tracks and the skies this Easter.
Today Heathrow and other airports have expressed concerns over UK Border Agency Staff shortages which will in turn cause delays for passengers. With 200,000 people expected to pass through Gatwick and 370,000 departing from Heathrow, the increase in demand over these busy periods will put extra strain on travel operators.

Forecasted snow, airline gridlock, strikes, rail closures and busy bank-holiday roads; is it just scaremongering? It is certainly a terrifying prospect for the long weekend as half the country travel from one end to the other in order to visit family and friends or make the most of a few extra days off.

The weather reports are not helping matters. The horror at what might happen over Easter if it snows and the effect this will have on travel is immeasurable. The snow that has already hit Scotland and North- East England causing road closures and power cuts in 40,000 homes, is reportedly heading south. The fact that the country experienced the hottest recorded days of March only a week ago makes it all seem slightly mad.

The only way to avoid the inevitable jams and delays, miserable weather and irate passengers is to stay at home and enjoy a quiet relaxing break. There are plenty of other activities to engage in over Easter; why not visit a city farm, take a stroll to Hampstead Heath, finish that book you’ve been reading for the past 3 months….

What ever it is you plan to do here are some excellent tips in keeping the stress of Easter break to a minimum.

Have a wonderful Holiday!



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