Events at The Ritz-Carlton

by Annie Scott on


This past weekend, I had the extreme pleasure of attending the annual Insurance Advisory Council meeting at the Ritz-Carlton in Rose Hall, Jamaica. The Ritz-Carlton hosts a yearly visit with meeting planners who work with insurance giants (no one from AIG to my knowledge; that scandal was left to the St. Regis) to find out the needs of their group and, of course, to show off what they can do a little in hopes that it will encourage the planners to book their hotels for those big company getaways. They meet with groups from other industries, as well.

I recently wrote about the Meetings Within Reach package which is offering businesses very competitive prices. Corporate annual meetings and large groups account for a huge slice of the Ritz-Carlton occupancy pie, and it was no surprise to find that they really know how to do it right. Over the course of a couple of days of meals, activities, late night pool parties and a fair amount of rum, I found myself bonding with this group of people I didn’t otherwise know, learning about not just their work, but their lives and how they react in different situations.

For example, rather than playing hippy-dippy trust exercises, the Ritz-Carlton offers your group a chance to check out the local zip-line, paint a local orphanage, and showers you with elaborate parties including music, dancing, fortune-telling and more.

Of course, as always, it’s the little things that make Ritz-Carlton hotels special — and especially luxurious. Check out the gallery to see what your company’s annual meeting could look like.
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May Day: Festivities around the world

by Brenda Yun on

May 1 is May day, and here in Hawaii it’s called Lei Day. Most of the islands’ schools are off today, and surfers will likely be in the water (as the first legitimate south swell of the summer season is here). You will find me and most of the Oahu’s daytime party goers celebrating Lei Day in Kapiolani Park, on the eastern end of Waikiki. There, between 9-5, will be a lei making contest, good old fashioned hula and musical performances, as well as plenty of food and locally made gifts.

Lei Day is all about giving and receiving aloha — and wearing leis that are one of eight colors, each representing one of Hawaii’s eight major islands. At Barack Obama’s (and my) alma mater, Punahou School, there is a grand Holoku pageant that features a royal court and lots of Hawaiian music and Polynesian dancing.

In other parts of the world, May Day means something rather different:

  • In England and other parts of Europe, a Queen of the May is crowned, and there is dancing around a maypole to celebrate the first day of summer.
  • My students tell me that only in Zurich (but not in other cities in Switzerland), there right-wing groups riot in the streets.
  • In other countries such as Greece and Australia, today is International Workers’ Day, kind of like the U.S.’s Labor Day (in early September)
  • Finally, in (post-)Communist countries like China and Russia, there are formal parades in the streets to celebrate the people’s earnest work.

However you celebrate today, I hope you receive a little “aloha.” Welcome to summer!

Best. Airplane food. Ever.

by Annie Scott on


So, remember the Airplane Food vs. Army Food Gadling challenge, where you had to try and guess which photos were of airplane food and which were of army food? I totally failed. It was 50/50 and I totally failed.

Well, on a related note, Lufthansa has teamed up with The Ritz-Carlton to bring you the best airplane food ever. How do I know this? I tried it at their party on Monday.

The Ritz-Carlton and Lufthansa held a fete in downtown NYC on Monday, just hours after the outrageous Air Force One photo op disaster. Everyone had calmed down and was ready to tuck into a glass of wine and, surprisingly, airplane food.

The night was catered by none other than the Ritz-Carlton chefs who were called upon to create Lufthansa’s new First and Business Class menus. I spoke with chef Andres Jimenez (above, center, photo by Atom Lark), the executive chef from the Ritz-Carlton Denver, about how much like a cooking show challenge the assignment was! Keeping the ingredients fresh, making sure they taste right at high altitudes, being able to mass produce them well, and staying in budget were all concerns. And what to serve? “It’s not really the place to take a risk,” he said. “They want something that will appeal to everyone.”

Presentation is a difficult issue on an airplane, too. Senior Vice President of Product and Brand Management for the Ritz-Carlton added that there’s the whole problem of gravity. “You could arrange these dishes perfectly, but then when the airplane takes off, they’re all sliding to the back of the cooler at 45 degrees.” I asked Chef Jimenez if they train the staff on presentation. “We trained the staff who trains the staff,” he said and smiled.

Everyone seemed quite proud of what the chefs had come up with, and as they recreated it for us there in the Financial District at the three level loft home of Barry Appelman (who I understand is the father of AOL Instant Messenger and the buddy list — and thusly the grandfather of Facebook and Twitter) and Ildiko Sragli, I think we were all very, very impressed.

Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman of the Executive Board and Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa German Airlines was one of the first to take the microphone from the cool post-mod cover band and welcome the guests. “Life is too short to eat bad food, and life is too short to drink bad wine.”

For pictures of Mayrhuber and also Simon Cooper, President and Chief Operating Officef of The Ritz-Carlton, as well as pictures of the food, the guests, and one amazing apartment, click through the gallery (photos by Atom Lark).
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Is There Trouble in Hawaiian Paradise?

by Brenda Yun on

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal might just be over-exaggerating the tourist slump that is taking place here on the Hawaiian islands. As the article puts it, “dozens of pool chairs and canopied cabanas sat empty… restaurants had plenty of free tables… In town, “50% Off!” signs hung in the windows of many souvenir shops.” I’m pretty sure this can be the case if you’re walking around anywhere on the Big Island on a Saturday afternoon because people aren’t interested in relaxing by a pool, eating at a restaurant, or shopping. I would hope they are doing more productive things like visiting the Volcano National Park, enjoying one of the island’s many gorgeous black sand beaches, or hiking around waterfalls near Hilo.

Although I don’t want to believe the article’s proclamation, “There’s trouble in Polynesian paradise,” I’m sure the tourist industry is feeling some effects from a poor economy and the closure of ATA and Aloha Airlines – two of Hawaii’s biggest airline carriers – earlier this year. My own observations of the state of Hawaii’s tourism is far more optimistic and maybe even idealistic. I like to believe that vacationers are taking advantage of some of the great money-saving deals and discounts on accommodations and travel packages. If there’s a silver lining to a cloud, it’s that this state, my home, has always been a paradise and will remain so to many visitors in the coming year.

The WSJ article does point out that the neighbor islands – namely Maui and the Big Island – are being hit the hardest right now. If it’s any indication on my island of residence, Oahu, a decrease in tourists remains to be seen. If tourists are willing to make it out to Honolulu and stay in Waikiki, a good portion of them would make the journey to at least one outer island during even a week-long visit to the islands.

Additionally, the winter time sees an increase of vacationers to the islands to witness some of the state’s most popular events, like the Triple Crown of Surfing (on the North Shore of Oahu, Nov. 12 – Dec. 20), the Honolulu Marathon (on Oahu, Dec. 14), the Maui Whale Festival (on Maui, February), the Waimea Town Celebration (on Kauai, Feb. 20-2), and the Merrie Monarch Festival (on the Big Island, April 12-18).

Obscure Holiday in the US is a Big Deal in Spain

by Josh Lew on

Try to keep your excitement under control: Columbus Day is coming. While post office employees and history buffs have been waiting, this holiday will pass unnoticed for most people. That is, unless they try to go to the post office or local library, most of which will be closed in memory of Christopher Columbus, first white guy to set foot in the Americas (sorry Leif Ericson, but you didn’t write it down).

But the U.S. is not the only nation that celebrates Columbus Day. So does Spain. Only they don’t call it Columbus Day. It carries the grand title: Dia de la Hispanidad. The day features parades and celebrations of Spanish culture. The Spanish and Portuguese-speaking Americas and Spain’s Iberian kin Portugal get in on the party this year with a celebration of Iberian and American culture called VivAmérica. There are festivals of art and film, concerts and lectures, and little or no mention of the bloody history of the colonization of South and Central America. Most of the festivities will take place in Madrid. The events run until October 12th. Parades also take place in some US cities with large Spanish-speaking populations.

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