The gal loves nothing better than cycling around Amsterdam (above, one of the free-to-guests bikes at Hotel de L’Europe). As was shared in the invitation-only Almont Global webinar yesterday, this fiercely independent luxury hotel shows that creativity excites luxury travellers, and everyone benefits. The hotel re-opened two months ago, since when its all-drive beds business has attracted the 30-55 year age group, staying two nights. GM Edward Leenders cleverly invited MENDO super-books to move in, and take over an existing library room. Working with local design duo Nicemakers, he has also added a stunning flower boutique, Wunderkammer, and there is another restaurant, a trattoria called Graziella.
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Prague’s Centre for Architecture and Metropolitan Planning is trying to challenge through its newly launched lecture and film series, City to City. For the next two months it will hold weekly talks by designers from the likes of Tokyo, Copenhagen and Paris. These will then be followed by a film, set in the corresponding city: Godzilla, The Danish Girland Midnight in Paris (pictured) will all be screened in the coming weeks.
By using pop culture and the silver screen as a way to frame a discussion about architecture, more people beyond the professional world are likely to join in. It’s a clever move by the centre and one that similar design organisations would be wise to copy. Here’s hoping that it will inspire residents to become advocates for good architecture and good design too.
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As Almont Global’s first webinar, THE NEW LOOK FOR GLOBAL TRAVEL, showed yesterday, some destinations are doing a great marketing job. Co-presenter Richard Barnes shared his Top-10 list of exciting and realistic initiatives. The list culminated in #1, Thailand. Why? International visitors contribute some US$64 billion to the Thai economy annually but foreign arrivals could tumble by 65% in 2020 because of the pandemic. ‘The government has therefore issued domestic stimulus packages worth 22.4 billion baht (US$718 million), Named ‘We Travel Together’ and ‘Moral Support’, they will boost domestic travel via subsidized flights, car rental fees, and bus fares, plus hotel accommodations, food, and facilities. The subsidies are available to October 2020 and will also include funding to support domestic trips for more than 1 million healthcare workers and volunteers from sub-district hospitals.’
