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The regular Raffle Prizes donated by vendors and members of the Pullip collector community. A free raffle ticket was included in the premium gift bags and additional one could be purchased, too.
Pants and shoes donated by I think it was dragonlady/Aint That Cunnin.
You can check out all the sponsors here: www.puddlestyle.com/sponsors/current-sponsors/
Approaching the legendary Raffles Hotel of Singapore. (now from Wikipaedia:) Raffles Hotel is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, and one of the world's most famous hotels. It was established by Syed Mohamed Alsagoff as the first modern building with electricity in Singapore. Opened in 1887, it was named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, it is known for its luxurious accommodation and superb restaurants. The hotel houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum and Victorian-style theatre.(end quote from Wikipaedia) (Oct. 2009)
© yohanes.budiyanto, 2014
HISTORY
Park Hyatt is a curated collection of some of the world's finest luxury hotels; and also the top tier brand inside the Hyatt Hotel's portfolio. Each hotel within the collection is unique, contemporary and extraordinary; which is why collectively it is my #1 all time favorite brand (The Four Seasons does not score too high on my list).
The very first Park Hyatt in Europe was The Hyatt Carlton Tower in London (circa 1982) and Hotel Villa Magna in Madrid (circa 1990). Both are not part of the group now, with the former being rebranded as Jumeirah in 2001, and the latter became an independent hotel following its renovation in 2007. Park Hyatt Hamburg later opened in 1997 at the historic Levantehaus; and the Ararat Park Hyatt in Moscow followed soon after in 2002. It was not until the opening of the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome at Rue de la Paix in August 2002 that the brand finally has its official European flagship hotel. Designed by Ed Tuttle, -who is renowned for his work at the Amanresorts; the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome is one of only 4 distinguished hotels in Paris to be inaugurated with a "Palace" distinction category in May 2011 (The Ritz and de Crillon are not even on the list, and Four Seasons George V was only inducted four months later after a massive $30 million renovation).
Park Hyatt went from strength to strength after Paris with the opening of the palatial, Ed Tuttle-designed Park Hyatt Milan in 2003 at an historic building circa 1870, formerly a Bank Headquarter.
LOCATION
Soaring majestically at Via Tommaso Grossi 1, Park Hyatt Milan is located at the city's most enviable location, with the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II just a (Travertine) stone's throw away. Personally, this is the best location for all tourists and business travelers as within a radius of one kilometer, you get the quintessential Milan. Any visitors would appreciate its proximity next to the massive Duomo, -the fifth largest cathedral in the world, which took six centuries to complete; and the legendary Opera House La Scala and its piazza, adjacent to the Galleria.
Milan is a shopper's paradise, and Park Hyatt is conveniently located next to the shops at the iconic Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Prada has a very strong presence here as its heart lies within the historic store at a prominent corner of the Octagon, which is the first store that Mario Prada opened back in 1913. The brand reached another historic milestone by acquiring a second store right at the opposite, which was formerly the home of Ronald (McDonald's) for 20 years. Ditched by the City of Milan as the landlord of the Galleria, Ronald later sued for a ridiculous €24 million in damages when his old contract expired and was prevented from renewing. Louis Vuitton, Giorgio Armani, Gucci and Tods have presence within the Galleria, and soon will be joined by Versace (with a Museum) at a prominent space by the Octagon, formerly of the Bernasconi.
Milan's iconic department store, La Rinescente (owned by the giant Central Group of Thailand) is located next to the Duomo; and is blessed with a beautiful rooftop terrace and restaurants facing the majestic spires of the Cathedral. Rival Excelsior Milano nearby at Galleria del Corso spans an area of 4000 sqm over 7 floors, and was completely renovated by one of the world's most famous French starchitect, Jean Nouvel. It features a Laduree shop on the ground floor; and a defining food store on the Mezzanine and basement, aptly named Eat's, which hosts international guest chefs regularly. Further away within a kilometer of pleasant walking distance lies the epicenter of Milan's fashion scene at Via Monte Napoleone, where most of the world's luxury fashion brands have a flagship presence.
Food-wise, Park Hyatt is surrounded by some of the city's best restaurants. For a start, it boasts its very own Michelin Restaurant, called VUN (Milanese dialect for One) where Chef Andrea Aprea works his magic serving excellent fine dining Italian dishes. Another One Michelin nearby, Trussardi alla Scala, is one of the city's best and most famous restaurant, located on the first floor of the flagship Trussardi store right beside La Scala. Arguably one of the world's most critically acclaimed Italian Chef, Carlo Cracco has a flagship 2 Michelin restaurant two blocks away from the Park Hyatt near the Duomo, and was formerly a joint venture with the Stoppani family that owns the legendary Peck Delicatessen in Milan. In 2012, Cracco was inducted as a member of Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel. I even ordered in-flight meals created by Cracco on my way to Italy on board Singapore Airlines First Class.
Back to the Galleria, Biffi Cafe is one of the oldest restaurants in Milan, having been founded in 1867 by Paolo Biffi, a pastry Chef to the Monarch. Savini (circa 1884) is another institution right beside the Louis Vuitton and has been attracting celebrities and artists, which includes Maria Callas, Luchino Visconti, Charlie Chaplin, Rainier III, Prince of Monaco & Grace Kelly, Frank Sinatra, Ava Gardner, and Henry Ford to name a few. Savini has The Gallery of Taste on its first floor, selling every imaginable fine foods from oil, sauces, truffle to candies and coffees. It even has an ice cream parlour on the ground floor, which I adore very much. Gelato is one of the luxuries I indulged daily in Italy. There are a few popular Gelato shops nearby Park Hyatt, including Grom, and Cioccolati Italiani just behind the Galleria whose store drew the most incredible crowd I've ever seen in a Gelato shop, so much that I left the queue on the many repeat visits during the whole week. I settled for nearby Savini instead.
One of the best kept secrets within the Galleria is a beautiful store housing the Rizzoli Bookstore. The discreet entrance hides a two storey worth of collections, including some English books and a large section of magazines. My favourite place within the Galleria? The Gucci Cafe under the glass atrium, which serves excellent coffee, amazing pies and mouthwatering cakes.
ROOMS:
Ed Tuttle created dramatic spaces at the Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome; and he casts similar magic at Park Hyatt Milan, although in a complete different atmosphere. Clad predominantly in Travertine limestone (in fact, throughout the whole building), there is a very strong sense of place that is quintessentially Italian; and the contemporary decor adds to its air of understated and timeless luxury.
At 38m2, entry level Park Room is spacious by European standard with large fluffy beds, comfortable custom-made two seater sofa and armchair, and a giant work desk made out of Travertine limestone. Most rooms have small windows, but Ed Tuttle managed to decorate in such a clever way through framing and layering that transform the window into an object d'art. Series of rectangular mirrors are hung when the spaces have a large proportion of blank walls, which creates an illusion of multiple windows, and it reflects the lights throughout the rooms.
Bathrooms take a centrestage at Park Hyatt Milan, and are all generously proportioned. Similar to Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, the bathrooms are swathed in acres of soothing beige, but accentuated with the striking pattern of Travertine at Milan. The standalone bathtub becomes the focal point of the bathroom; and the adjoining shower compartment is so spacious that it features a bench for pure relaxation; which are all an Ed Tuttle trademark. Each bathroom has an adjoining walk-in wardrobe and external window, which collectively makes the overall space appears large. There is a separate WC compartment with a bidet. Interestingly, the mini-bar is placed just under the sink; and are electronically operated, meaning any slight movement to the bottles will resulted in an automatic charge to the bill on check-out. Blaise Mautin amenities has unique scents at each of the several Park Hyatt, including Paris and Dubai; but Milan stocks amenities by Laura Tonatto (paraben free).
My courtyard facing Suite is generous with spacious, open-plan living area, fully equipped with three seater sofa; Loewe LCD TV; Lavazza coffee machine; sizeable dual sinks and wardrobe areas on its bathroom; Italian wines and snacks and beautiful views toward the courtyard. High-speed internet access is complimentary throughout and worked well.
ROOM TO BOOK:
Corner entry level rooms and Junior Suites are smaller, but brighter. Request for a corner Park Room on the corner of Via Tommaso Grossi and Via Silvio Pellico for a glimpse of the Galleria. The lower level rooms could be quite dark and has non-descript views towards the adjacent buildings, so request for higher floor to see the sky. Third and fifth floor has considerable smaller windows, while Second and Fourth floor has larger and taller windows. Suites facing the inner courtyard are very quiet and some are larger.
For the ultimate in style and pampering, book yourself one of the 6 top floor suites that come with its own private terrace, including The Terrace, Diplomatic and the 270m2 Presidential Suite. The 95m2, courtyard-facing Spa Suite is a one-of-a-kind, featuring a personal Spa Room complete with whirlpool bath; steam and rain shower; and a fitness corner with treadmill and weights.
DINING:
Restaurant VUN is the only restaurant at the hotel, and is awarded with One Michelin Star. Talented young Chef Andrea Aprea creates simple and honest Italian dishes; but all are cooked to perfection and beautifully presented. I am a HUGE fan of Italian food, -so much that I am sure I was an Italian in the past life; and yet I found the fine dining Italian food in their native soil to be abit underwhelming to my liking and expectation. Pasta in Italy is cooked al dente, which means it is abit hard. I prefer it to be cooked a little longer for a softer texture. The same goes with the risotto. I had a hard time chewing a bowl of Michelin rated risotto at Trussardi alla Scala. While it is nice and delicious, but my jaws became a little sour after the bowl finished.
Fusion fine-dining Italian seems not to work well for me either. Personally, Italian food is best when it is at its simplest and original form, highlighting the freshness and original flavor of its ingredients. Those humble food I got typically from the streets are actually very, very good. In contrast, the most lavish meal I had at 8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo Bombana, Hong Kong, -the only 3 Michelin Italian restaurant outside Italy, by Chef Umberto Bombana was actually a bit flat for me. Generally, I had more orgasmic feast at a top level French fine dining, -say L'atelier de Joel Robuchon-, than a top Italian fine dining. But this is personal.
It is interesting to note that Park Hyatt Milan's Club Sandwich is probably as famous as the Duomo itself. It was billed as the best Club Sandwich in the world by Tyler Brûlé of Monocle Magazine in 2008. While the taste does not let you down, and the portion is as gigantic as the Duomo, I personally do not think it is the best.
LEISURE:
Leisure facilities at the Park Hyatt Milan is housed within the basement's Spa area. The focal point of the facility is the small but luxurious whirlpool made out of 250,000 gold mosaics, similar to the pool at The Bvlgari Hotel Milano. The whirlpool is unisex, but serviced by separate change rooms according to gender, each with steam room and aromatherapy showers. There is also a private Spa Room for couples, complete with two beds and Turkish bath for the ultimate pampering.
X-FACTOR:
Anish Kapoor's masterpiece "Untitled 2013", which replaced Lucio Fontana's Medusa at the iconic La Cupola Lobby Lounge; Ed Tuttle-designed, Travertine clad rooms and bathrooms; The Terrace Suites on the top floor with glimpse over Duomo spires; One Michelin Star Restaurant VUN; Whirlpool with gold mosaics at The Spa; La Cupola and its Club Sandwich; and the perfect location by the Galleria and Duomo.
SERVICE:
The French are notoriously snotty, -so rude that their government had to issue a Manual to tone down their act towards tourists-, but otherwise classy; yet I found the Italian hospitality could sometimes be rather hostile, even at many of its top hotels and restaurants. Some even made the French seems friendly. In fact, I actually had better service in Paris and enjoyed it more than Italy in general. With the current economic crisis facing Europe, I think it is imperative to understand how to properly treat the customers and tourists as the income generator.
Fortunately, service was attentive, personalized and world class at the Park Hyatt. Check-in was swift and staff personally escorted to the suite. Most staffs had great attitude with matching great look, and aimed to please. Similarly, staffs at Restaurant VUN was exemplary. The only hotel whose service was better than the Park Hyatt during the Italian trip was the Bvlgari Hotel Milano, which ranks among the best I've ever experienced. I have stayed at all three Bvlgari (Milan, London and Bali) and all its restaurants (including Tokyo), and they all blew me away. Service at both London and Milan were both phenomenal. Unfortunately, I could not say the same for Armani Milano, as it was quite disappointing.
VERDICT:
Park Hyatt Milan is a truly stunning property in the best location. It is the perfect hotel for first timer in Milan due to its proximity to some of the city's most famous landmarks and best shopping/dining. Rooms and suites are spacious; and although they probably could not compete with the sheer luxury at the Bvlgari or Armani, they are very charming and extremely comfortable. It lacked a proper pool, and the spa area is quite small, otherwise it would be perfect. I would definitely return again because the location is perfect and service was exceptional; but my #1 favorite hotel in Milan is the Bvlgari. I am actually eyeing passionately (and patiently) for the Excelsior Hotel Gallia for quite some time already as it is owned by Katara, which has The Peninsula Paris and Raffles Le Royal Monceau Paris under its belt. Let's see how it measures up once it is opened late this year.
PERSONAL RATING:
1. Room: 90
2. Bathroom: 95
3. Bed: 95
4. Service: 90
5. In-room Tech: 85
6. In-room Amenities: 90
7. Architecture & Design: 95
8. Food: 90
9. View: 80
10. Pool: N/A
11. Wellness: 80
12. Location: 100
13. Value: 95
Overall: 90.41
My #1 ALL TIME FAVORITE HOTEL
Landmark Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong: 95.38
PARK HYATT MILAN
at The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II
Via Tommaso Grossi 1, Milan
General Manager: Gorka Bergareche
Executive Chef (VUN): Andrea Aprea
Interior Designer: Ed Tuttle
Hotel Opening Date: 15 October 2003
Total Rooms & Suites: 106 Rooms (including 74 Park and Park Deluxe Rooms)
Total Suites: 32 Suites (including 5 Prestige; 4 Terrace; 3 Park Executive & 16 Junior Suites
Signature Suites: 155m2 Diplomatic Suite; 95m2 Spa Suite)
Top Suites: Imperial Suite (255m2) and Presidential Suite (270m2)
Bathroom Amenities: Laura Tonatto
Restaurants: Restaurant VUN (1 Michelin Star): Italian Fine Dining
Bars and Lounges: La Cupola Lobby Lounge, The Park Bar & The Dehors
Meeting & Banquets: 96m2 Sala Duomo (100 guests), and 3 Boardrooms (up to 35 guests)
Health & Leisure: 24 hours fitness centre & The Spa with a Private Spa Room & Mosaic Whirlpool
milan.park.hyatt.com
Over the decade, I have stayed at many of the Park Hyatt hotels worldwide, including Beijing, Busan, Dubai, Hamburg, Melbourne, Milan, Paris, Saigon, Seoul, Shanghai, Sydney, Tokyo, and Zurich
Sandy Lane St. James, Barbados, West Indies
Barbados was under English rule from 1625 until its independence in 1966, one of the few islands in the West Indies that was not bounced from one foreign power to another. Barbados is known as the Little England of the Caribbean. The island is 166 square miles, 21 miles long and 14 miles wide. Barbados was named by Portuguese mariners as the land of bearded fig trees. The Portuguese sailors thought the gnarled, aerial roots of the fig trees looked like beards - thus it was charted in 1536 as Los Barbados or the Bearded Ones.
When the first British arrived in 1627 at present day Holetown, there were no indigenous Arawak around whatsoever. Originally covered by dense forests of bearded fig trees, the island was cleared for use in giant sugar plantations and was known as "Britain's Sugar Bowl". Some 26 forts, the remains of which are now sightseeing attractions, protected the plantations from pirates who roamed the Caribbean Sea.
Barbados has averaged about 8.7 hours of bright sunshine each day throughout a typical year. There is no rainy season. A temperature in the high 80's is considered unusually high. Barbados ocean water temperatures are deliciously warm 79-84 degrees F all year round. Barbados is approximately 1,200 miles from Miami, 2,100 miles from New York City and 300 miles from Venezuela.
In January 1946, at the end of WWII, Ronald Tree visited Barbados to stay at Sir Edward Cunard's (of the famous shipping family) home Glitter Bay. Ronald Tree, was the grandson of Marshal Field the Chicago department store scion and son of Lambert Tree who served as the Ambassador to Belgium. Ronnie Tree served in the British Parliament for 15 years. Tree was captivated by the island and within twelve months he had bought a piece of coastal land at Porters and built a magnificent home, Heron Bay. Less than ten years later, as the number of his visitors to Heron Bay escalated beyond capacity, he began to realize the enormous potential of Barbados as an exclusive tourist destination. Tree decided to buy the Sandy Lane sugar estate and factory on the St. James coast to build a hotel on what was a 1,000 feet beach front and build a golf course on the remaining land. Thus it was that Tree with a syndicate of wealthy friends designed and built Sandy Lane, a resort that opened in 1961. Beyond the resort, Tree took an interest in Barbados and its problems as it moved from a British dependency to independence in 1966. The British have left their mark on Barbados. The language is English, the sport is cricket, you drive on the left and the island has the highest literacy rate in the Caribbean.
The Sandy Lane Hotel was built of coral stone and surrounded by 380 acres of gardens. It faced a mile long sandy beach and offered billiards and a nine hole golf course - Rockley Beach Golf Club (green fee $2.50). Service and cuisine were carefully directed by a team imported from London's Claridges Hotel. When the 53-room hotel opened in 1961, Sandy Lane was considered the ultimate in Caribbean resorts. It was an elegant, exquisitely appointed and incredibly expensive jet setter's getaway spot. The opening rate was $45-50 per day for two including breakfast and dinner. In 1964 the green fee at Sandy Lane Golf Club was $3.25 per person per day. Caddies were available for 80 cents per round. Nicholas Behard, formerly of Claridge's, was the Sandy Lane manager in early 60's. Later Behard ran the Intercontinental Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand. Henry C. Petteys was the Manager also in the mid-60's. Petteys was manager of the Black Point Inn in Maine in the 70's.
Sandy Lane architects were "Happy" Robertson Ward and locally Jimmy Walker. Happy Ward's resort projects were designed to harmonize with their settings and were known for their use of coral stone and other natural materials. Robertson earlier designed the Mill Reef Club in Antigua, the Samanna in St. Martin and the Cotton Bay Club in Eleuthera. Said Ward of his design for the neo-Palladian style hotel, "I put myself in the position of a well-educated English gentleman of the late 18th century going to the West Indies to build a Great House."
The Sandy Lane Hotel legal owner was West Coast Development LTD and had a Canadian director, James A. Gairdner, a Toronto investment dealer. By 1963 Ronald Tree and West Coast Ltd were selling plots on the 378-acre Sandy Lane Estate for residential retirement or holiday homes. The sites at Sandy Lane were selling at $6,000 to $12,000 per acre in 1963. In the 60's everyone who was anyone came to stay. Aristotle Onassis, Maria Callas, Claudette Colbert, Greta Garbo. David Niven dreamed up cocktails at the bar, and Elton John once adhered to the New Year's Eve black-tie rule by wearing a bow tie as a garter. Other regulars included Sidney Poitier, Mick Jagger, Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth II, and Frank Sinatra.
Ronald Tree sold the Sandy Lane Hotel in 1967 to Trust Houses which owned many of England's oldest and most famous hotels, including Brown's, The Cavendish, the Hyde Park Hotel, and the Grosvenor House. By 1970 Trust Houses had merged with Carmine Monforte, later known as Charles Forte. Forte started with a chain of ice cream shops and was the first to contract for food service at Heathrow Airport in 1955. By the mid-60's he purchase three of the finest hotels in Paris, the George V, Plaza Athenee, and Hotel de la Tremoille. Trust Houses became Trusthouse Forte (THF), then the largest hotel company in the world. Sandy Lane was a special favorite of Trusthouse Forte head Lord Forte, who frequented it often. Guy Macpherson was from 1971-74 the general manager at Sandy Lane Hotel. He later moved to Trust House Forte at its London headquarters.
In 1996 Granada plc was successful with its hostile takeover of THF. In 1997 Granada sold the Sandy Lane for approximately US $50 million to five Irish businessmen, including J. P. McManus, Dermot Desmond and John Magnier. The new owners are affectionately known as the "Coolmore mafia" - Coolmore is where they stable their race horses in Ireland. Dermot Desmond is the chairman of the board.
Due to the wear of over 30 years and several structural problems, the jet setter resort playground of the 60's was demolished then rebuilt and expanded, in the same neo-Palladian style as the original, complete with its white coral stone rotunda - albeit larger and even more luxurious. At the peak of construction, 1,400 people from 40 countries worked on the site. In March 2001 the hotel reopened.
The new Sandy Lane modus operandi was to spare no expense in the drive to be unrivaled. General Manager Colm Hannon was quoted - "The budget went out the window very early in the project." During the 3 year closure the old building was knocked down and then put back up, right down to the rusticated archways and distinctive roofline cornices - but with a level of luxury intended to put Sandy Lane on a par with the world's, not just the Caribbean's, top resorts. Dermot Desmond cherry-picked the world's top hotels and resorts for ideas. Taking a cue from a hotel in Dubai he had tunnels dug beneath the buildings for the housekeeping and room-service carts so guests wouldn't see (or hear) them trundling down the halls. He went through mock-up room after mock-up room. Sandy Lane has perhaps the most beautiful and luxurious guest rooms in the Caribbean. Desmond had to be sold on the spa--it wasn't part of the original plan--but when he bought in, he did so in characteristic fashion: "Build the best spa in the Caribbean," he told interior designer Fiona Thompson. Thompson (principal with Richmond International) was also the lead interior designer for the Moscow Four Seasons, Shangri-La Singapore and the Langham in London. Desmond built the largest spa in the Caribbean, a 47,000-square-foot building with a Las Vegasy faux waterfall in front that flows into the 7,500-square-foot resort pool. When the hotel re-opened in 2001 it was said up to 50% of the passengers on the Concorde flights from London were transported to the Sandy Lane. The Concorde's last flight to Barbados was on November 17th 2003.
The plan to cover the costs of the 112-room resort was to sell 110 vacant lots surrounding the resort and golf courses with price tags of around US $3 million each. The sites would include membership in the Tom Fazio-designed private golf club, the Green Monkey. US $25 million went into the Green Monkey's construction. Carved out of an abandoned coral quarry and flanked by mature mahogany trees, the Green Monkey is all about dramatic changes in elevation. The ninth hole par five has a 100-foot drop to the green on your third shot. The super exclusive Green Monkey golf course has a separate apparel line that can only be purchased after completion of a round of golf at $450 each. The course is named from one of Barbados’ most famous residents - the green monkey. The green monkey was initially brought over to Barbados as a pet from regions of West Africa during the slave trade over 350 years ago. Many monkeys then escaped or were released and became ‘naturalized’ in Barbados.
The original 18-hole course built in 1961 was reduced in size to a nine-hole layout known as The Old Nine and nicknamed "Tough Augusta." The par-36 course is known for its postage-stamp greens and tight tree-lined fairways. Part of the reclaimed original course was then reshaped into the new Country Club Course, an 18-hole Tom Fazio track that, unlike the Green Monkey, welcomes the general public. The 7,060 yard Country Club Course incorporates five lakes and grand vistas of the turquoise Caribbean. It is said you could steer the Queen Mary through the ultra wide fairways. This is resort golf so the intention is to make guests happy about golf. The scorecard cleverly names each of the five tee blocks: Ability, 7060 yards; Hope, 6542 yards; Humility, 6107 yards; Respect, 5661 yards and Reality, 5089.
On October 5, 2004, golfer Tiger Woods married his Swedish fiancée Elin Nordegren on Sandy Lane's Green Monkey golf course. The rock group Hootie and the Blowfish performed under a tent located on the course. Woods and Dermot Desmond are friends - Desmond paid at auction in 2000 $1.5 million just to get Woods to sign a flag from Pebble Beach where he won the U.S. Open. On a side-note the Sandy Lane owners ( Coolmore) purchased a 2 year old colt at auction in 2006 for $16 million. They named the horse Green Monkey, after their golf course. At the time Green Monkey was the most expensive thoroughbred racehorse ever purchased. The horse retired with total earnings of $10,440 and was euthanized at the age of 14.
Colm Hannon was the General Manager at Sandy Lane for 8 1/2 years starting in 1996. Hannon ran the property as it went through the 3 year closure and re-opening. Hannon is a graduate of Shannon College of Hotel Management in Ireland. Sandy Lane's co-owner, JP McManus, moved Hannon to the West Coast of Ireland to be the CEO of Adare Manor, a five star castle hotel and golf course.
Michael Pownall named Chief Executive of the Sandy Lane Hotel & Golf Resort in 2005. Michael Pownall graduated in 1983 from the Blackpool Hotel School. In 2008 Pownall opened the five star Taj Hotel in Cape Town, South Africa before co-founding PMR Hospitality Partners in 2016, which operates 5 propertes in South Africa.
Robert Logan was Sandy Lane's general manager from 2008-2012. He previously was General Manager of Raffles Hotel, Singapore and currently is the General Manager for the One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos, Mexico,
Randall Wilkie was named the new General Manager of Sandy Lane Barbados in 2012. Previously his was General Manager at Cobblers Cove Hotel in Barbados. Wilkie maintains a staff of around 700 for the 113 rooms.
Photos and text by Dick Johnson, February 2020.
richardlloydjohnson@hotmail.com
Considered to be one of the ten most famous hotels in the world, Raffles Singapore opened in 1887, it is a National Monument.
The Raffles Hotel, a Singapore landmark, was opened in 1887, but was completely renovated between 1987 and 1991. The famous Long Bar, which I remember being on the ground floor, was moved upstairs to the back of the hotel, and now has a much shorter bar. The bar, home to the Singapore Sling (about $20 US there), is now just a tourist trap, but the renovated hotel and site is beautiful. Too bad that 99% of us can't afford to stay there.
Fly to the Stars Christmas tree with Guerlian display at the walkway of Raffles City Singapore for the Christmas Festival 2022.
We had afternoon tea at Raffles, with some other friends of my parents' here. Raffles is the British dude who is considered the founder of Singapore. The hotel named for him is ultraswank and old-school colonial. It's really quite pretty--everything is white (I imagine pasty Brits sweating it out in the Raffles lounges in times past).
This is the "for residents only" part of Raffles--where the rooms are.
Minolta Riva Zoom 75w
Kodak Gold 200
Opened in 1887, Raffles Hotel was named after Singapore’s founder Sir Stamford Raffles and was established by Syed Mohamed Alsagoff as the first modern building with electricity in Singapore.
Winner: Congratulations to Ezzestan! I have Flickr mailed you for your contact info! Wishing everyone a creative week! :)
Here's a Holiday Weekend RAK ATC, all you have to do to be entered is tell me a new art technique you are wanting to learn/try.
Winner will be chosen randomly.
Open to international too.
Thanks for looking, friends - Wishing you all a peaceful, relaxing weekend! :)
Raffles Hotel opened in an old bungalow facing the beach on 1st December 1887 and expanded steadily during its first few decades under the Armenian Sarkies brothers, so that by the 1920s, it was known as the historic hotel of Singapore. It survived the deaths of all the Sarkies family, bankruptcy during the Great Depression, the Japanese Occupation (1942-5) and "modernisation" during the 1950s.
Raffles Hotel (Chinese: 莱佛士酒店) is a colonial-style hotel in Singapore, dating from 1887, and named after Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles. Managed by Raffles International, it is known for its luxurious accommodation and superb restaurants. The hotel houses a tropical garden courtyard, museum and Victorian-style theatre.
Name: Raffles's malkoha (male)
Scientific: Rhinortha chlorophaea
Malay: Cenuk Kecil / Cenuk Kerak
Family: Cuculidae
IUCN Red List (v3.1, 2016): Least Concern
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Once visited Raffles hotel in Singapore. Didn't actually stay there, just dropped in to check it out. Very white.
Susan Wright and Lolita Wolf with a raffle prize donated by sex educators Dorian Solot and Marshall Miller.
Photo by James.
The Dominican Nuns of Dunedin applied to hold a raffle of art works on 16 June 1912.
The aim was to help raise funds for a new convent. Permission was granted and the art works were duly raffled at a bazaar held at Sacred Heart School in North East Valley. Local police reported that “everything passed off without a dispute of any kind.”
Shown here is the police report on the event.
ACGO 8333 IA1/1206/[35]
collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search#/?q=24800779
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