Feuiletton 360 — The Letter
Dear Friends of The Most Famous Hotels in the World, Dear Readers, By Lisa Augustin (for a change) Time flies, only my father takes slow boats and sends letters via surface postal services. Yesterday an envelope arr...
Entries tagged with: Hong Kong
Feuilleton 337
1939 Dinner menu from The Peninsula Maybe it was the exquisite cheesecake I had for tea this afternoon. At 4.30, to be precise (as you know, formal Afternoon Tea follows strict rules. Five o’clock tea, for example, sta...
The Most Famous Hotels in the World Jury Meeting 2018/December
Excerpt of the Minutes of the Meeting of the Jury (London, December 2018) Do we Brexit or not? For 33 years the minutes of our organisation were typed at Pall Mall, London. Last December we held our regular jury meeting at our historical conference ...
1932: Flying from Europe to Asia
The last stop before Bangkok was Rangoon. After flying over dense jungle, the mountains gave way to flat irrigated paddy rice fields and soon Don Muang, Bangkok’s airport, was reached. In March 1924 the British formed Imperial Airways (the for...
Borer, Peter Camille
The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels Ltd. The Peninsula Group Appointed to the Board as an executive director in April 2004. A graduate of the Lausanne Hotel School, Switzerland, he joined the group in 1981, enjoying senior roles in the Hong Kong and Ban...
Grand Oriental Palace Hotel
Andreas Augustin Hotelnamen haben einen besonderen Klang. Manche versprechen weltweit Qualität, andere erreichten als Solitäre globalen Ruf und wurden zum Synonym für die Destination, an der man sie findet. Manche sind schlicht irref&...
Kadoorie, Sir Michael
The Hon. Sir Michael Kadoorie GBS, LLD, Officier dans l'Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres Commandeur de l'Ordre de Léopold II. Michael Kadorrie was appointed a director in 1964 and ele...
Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong
A video from Mandarin Oriental Dream Wonderland — this time a most realistic affair — pre checking in a very special client.
Metropole Hanoi: bunker discovered
Unearthing History by Andreas Augustin Oh people of the shelter what a gift you've given me, To smile at me and quietly let me share your agony, And I can only bow in utter humbleness and ask, Forgiveness and forgiveness for the things we'...
Raffles Singapore — A Literary Journey
For 3 years I lived at Raffles in Singapore. First I occupied Suite 114 on the ground floor of the Palm Court. Followed by Room 336. Finally, for over two years, Suite 254. By Andreas Augustin In 1986, Raffles Hotel in Singapore was one of th...
Scent of a Woman
Author Andreas Augustin visits a good old friend. Once called one of the “Maidens of the East”, today one of the Grand Old Ladies of South East Asia. The Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok keeps its reign as the most famous hotel of Thailand, b...
The Cover Artists
Valerie Marie O’Neill (1929–2010) To commemorate the centenary of The Oriental Hotel in Bangkok, Melbourne born Valerie Marie O’Neill was commissioned to do a painting of the original hotel from a surviving postcard. This painting...
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Mandarin Oriental Savoy Zurich (former Savoy Baur en Ville)
Johannes Baur, born in Austria in 1795, was a visionary entrepreneur who profoundly shaped Zurich’s hospitality industry. In 1837, at the age...Read More
Raffles Hotel
The historic building (top, slide to the right): The "new" Raffles main building in 1899. It opened on 18 November 1899, featuring the all new...Read More
The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok
Since decades “The Oriental”, as it is affectionately known by travellers from all over the globe, leads the lists of most...Read More
Half Moon
In 1952, a group of wealthy individuals including Donald Deskey, the fabled designer (among his works the Radio City Music Hall); Harvey Firestone,...Read More
Mount Kenya Safari Club
You don your safari gear during the day, but you always dress for dinner. Because Mount Kenya Safari Club Nanyuki is an exclusive retreat. High on...Read More