Tea time?
When not enjoying Champagne, the Sybaritic Single prefers tea. It can be his favourite butterfly pea flower tea or the rare blend of rose buds, white tea and raspberries by Alain Ducasse. It’s aromatic and clean, without being too perfumed. Luxury hotels remember that he is a true tea aficionado and always send their finest teas and a selection of honeys to his room ahead of arrival. His favourite blends are at The Peninsula Hong Kong and Le Royal Monceau, Raffles, Paris, where he also appreciates a selection of three types of honey in his room.
There are several luxury hotels these days which believe that a Nespresso machine is all their guests need during the stay and forget to place a proper tea set. However, having the right tea leaves in the room is essential, says the Sybaritic Single. Ideally, in a Lotusier tea humidor. After all, it is the world’s most consumed beverage – not counting water, which has no equal.
At The Ritz-Carlton Bahrain, recently, he was pleased to find a fully stocked, modern tea set waiting in the room. His only disappointment, however, was the actual tea: it was the most basic, totally uninspiring Lipton Yellow Label. The Sybaritic Single tried hard to remember where he had seen such tea last. Some prole-shop? The nasty teabag was definitely not something he would expect to be offered at a luxury hotel. What was the name of that dapper Italian tea tailor at Harrods?
