GREAT EXPECTATIONS

On my way up, I was of course anticipating a beautiful hotel typical of
the Aman group. And perhaps more so in this case, as the bar to impress guests is certainly higher in Tokyo, the city with the most number of “Aman junkies” in the world.

“I was completely unprepared for the cavernous space of light, 30 meters high, that awaited me once the elevator doors opened. Talk about making first impressions count.”

Tokyo is also ground zero for design and technology pushed to the limit. So the pressure was definitely laid thick on Aman to come up with a Tokyo property that would dazzle. Moreover, it had to do so in a most subtle way — if this is even possible. After all, most of its jaded guests have already stayed in amazing hotels all over the world.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

THE LOBBY OF AMAN TOKYO

I was one of these jaded guests and these were my lofty expectations. However, surprise greeted me upon arrival. I’ve stayed everywhere wonderful, but I was completely unprepared for the cavernous space of light, 30 meters high, that awaited me once the elevator doors opened. This was the lobby. Talk about making first impressions count.

Quite unlike any other hotel lobby in Tokyo, this is literally the equivalent of eight floors of space and soft bright light that deliberately extends one’s vision all the way to the top.

WHAT TO DO WITH WASHI PAPER

Then the designers covered the walls of about six of these floors in textured “washi” paper. They stretched these on a wooden shoji frame to resemble a traditional Japanese paper lantern. This gave the lobby an aura of unearthliness appropriate for a hotel so high up.

Meanwhile, at eye level, a calm pool of water lay at the center of attention. This was located somewhere between polished wood, rough grey stone, two Zen rock gardens and a mammoth arrangement of fragile ikebana-inspired greenery.

Then there were the views to take your breath away if you still had any left. I saw the breadth and width of the Tokyo skyline before me. This certainly made for a good combination of earth, sky, and, of course, luxury.

THE PERFECT FIT

Admittedly, this truly 21st century hotel is not for everyone. However minimalists and enthusiasts for Japanese design will immediately appreciate its aesthetics. It is stark, crisp and so seamless. Like a simple but perfectly cut little black designer dress.

READ ABOUT THE AMANEMU IN ISE

At least, this is how I felt, checking in one recent Sunday to happily call Aman Tokyo my home for four days. I was already sufficiently enamored at the outset. Nevertheless, this hotel grows on you and ends up fitting your lifestyle. By the end of my stay, I most definitely would have stayed four months or four years instead of four days — had my credit card allowed this.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Up in the air in Tokyo appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

To escape the heat in Tokyo, we decided to spend a few days in Hakone, favorite summer destination of many Japanese. For this mini break, I booked a corner suite at the Hyatt Regency Hakone. This modern resort hotel is very popular as a weekend retreat. Many people love its clean lines and warm interiors.

At the same time, the hotel team is enthusiastic and friendly. So it’s a nice break, especially during the pandemic, to stay at this hotel with a cheerful and yet relaxing atmosphere. The team is even dressed in matching blue and white shirts, emphasizing further the resort feeling.

THE HOTEL IS FULL

Apparently, many people had the same idea. The Hyatt Regency Hakone is booked to safe capacity and everyone is enjoying the cooler climate. When we arrived, afternoon tea was in progress in the lounge. I peeked into the lounge and there were happy faces everywhere. Observing my keen interest in the lounge, the bell boy said: “We also host drinks for guests in the lounge every evening.”

Not too many hotels offer complimentary drinks every night to guests, but this is a tradition at the Hyatt Regency Hakone. Regular guests look forward to having a glass of wine, on the house, before they go on to dinner.

CORNER SUITE WITH A VIEW AT THE HYATT REGENCY HAKONE

Our suite was in the annex, which is where the spa and the hot springs also are located. It was a large corner suite with a most innovative design to further maximize space and utility.

Also, this hotel has a main building and two annex buildings. One of the annex buildings has Japanese style rooms. This building also has the rooms that guests with dogs can book. Yes, the Hyatt Regency Hakone actually has dog-friendly rooms.

For one thing, the bedroom is enclosed completely in smokey glass with sliding doors that open onto the living room. This allows for a free and easy flow through the suite, while also keeping privacy. You can sleep cocooned in comfort in the evening and open the entire room up to views of trees in the day.

WINTER GARDEN IN HAKONE

The most interesting feature of this suite is perhaps the winter garden. Few hotels have such a feature in their rooms, after all. Here, the suite bar and a dining table are placed on a pretty terrace completely enclosed by windows and glass.

The windows all open up so you can enjoy fresh air on a fine day — and most days in Hakone are fine. The air is pure and clean so it’s wonderful to be able to open the windows.

I also love the bathroom, which is connected to a spacious dressing room and double sink area. It has a large bathing area and a deep Whirlpool jacuzzi tub that’s perfect for soaking.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

WELLNESS RETREAT IN THE MOUNTAINS

Very nicely, too, the hotel has provided a proper yoga mat and yoga DVDs in the dressing room. So guests who want to do their own mini wellness retreat while staying at the Hyatt Regency Hakone can do yoga in their suite while enjoying the beautiful view of greenery.

Read more about the best hotels in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Last of summer holidays in Hakone appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

Hokkaido is an outdoors destination all year round. Visitors go skiing during the long winter and then hike and bike the rest of the year. As most of the activities are outdoors, many dining options are also outside. Everyone in these parts loves going on picnics or sitting on benches in parks with a snack.

WHERE TO GO FOR BARBECUE IN HOKKAIDO

Meanwhile, families who visit Hokkaido never leave without having at least one barbecue dinner. It’s the quintessential Hokkaido experience, to hold a barbecue under the stars.

Of course, we were part of the majority who were keen to experience a summer evening barbecue dinner at the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio Hotel in Hokkaido. This is quite famous all over Japan because the ingredients from Hokkaido are considered the best quality of food. Then there’s the fact that the weather in the summer is just amazing. You want to sit outdoors all night long.

DINNER AT THE KIRORO TRIBUTE PORTFOLIO

The Kiroro Tribute Portfolio offers a summer evening barbecue on the terrace of the hotel. It’s very popular among guests and locals, so bookings are required in advance. The hotel team sets up tables in a circle around the fountain, with a large tent in the middle. Lounge music or live music plays all night and there’s a chill vibe all around.

The team sets up a barbecue station for each group, So on every table there is a table-top barbecue grill that’s fired and ready to cook. It holds just enough cooking bricks for about three hours so guests can relax and cook and eat at leisure.

THE BEST INGREDIENTS IN JAPAN

Several trays of food come with the standard package, and it’s really a lot of food. There are assorted cuts of pork, beef and lamp. Then we also had a lot seafood. We had giant shrimps and scallops, and sliced squid. Plus bread to roast and even onigiri.

Of course, there are also vegetables for grilling like tomatoes and asparagus, and traditional Hokkaido food like corn. Dessert is also roasted on the grill, just like everything else.

DESSERT ON THE BARBECUE

Towards the end of dinner, the waitstaff brings a package wrapped in foil. “Place that on the grill and it’ll be ready to eat in a few minutes,” our waiter told us, with a smile. We did as we were told. The result was a delicious mash of warmed up marshmallows, bananas with brown sugar and some crumbled cookies. It was so good that I wouldn’t have minded getting seconds.

THE BEST GRILLED CHEESE

Aside from the dinner package, there’s also an a la carte menu. We ordered a Hokkaido Camembert cheese for roasting from this menu just to try what it was like. It arrived with slices of bread and toast. Again, we were told to place the Camembert cheese on the grill for a few minutes.

When we finally opened it up, it was warm, soft and gooey. Perfect for spreading on toasts for an appetizer. Who would have thought that grilled Camembert cheese could be so delicious?

READ ABOUT A ROMANTIC NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

Just as we were enjoying dessert, there was a commotion at the other end of the Kiroro Tribute Portfolio. It turned out that the fireworks were about to start, so many people were on their way to the field to watch. Of course we joined the crowds to watch. So in this sense, we actually had two desserts.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Fiery dinner under the stars appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

In the summer, Tokyo residents love visiting the famous gardens of Chinzanso. It’s the perfect summer treat, to dine in one of the restaurants and then to take a walk in the gardens.

Chinzanso has many lovely restaurants. But summer is synonymous with the Mokushundo restaurant in the garden. This dining venue is well-known for its teppanyaki set courses and its kaiseki cuisine that is cooked in a beautiful antique iron kettle.

TEPPANYAKI AT MOKUSHUNDO

The teppanyaki course is especially popular because Mokushundo has private teppan tables for each group. Moreover, each cooking slab is very special. The slabs are lava stones that have been brought down from Mount Fuji. They are supposed to impart a special flavor and energy to the food.

STAYCATION AT CHINZANSO

It was at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan, when we checked into Chinzanso for a staycation. And as this massive hotel complex is so comfortable, we decided to simply stay in and try out all the restaurants.

Interestingly, it seems that many Tokyo residents had similar plans. Arriving at the hotel, we were quite surprised to find so many people waiting to check-in in spite of the pandemic. Or perhaps, they’re opting for a staycation at Chinzanso because it’s a safe hotel to stay in during the pandemic.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

COVID-19 SAFETY PROTOCOLS

The hotel follows a strict protocol for ensuring that guests and hotel staff are kept as safe as possible. This includes temperature checks and mandatory masks at the hotel entrance and at every restaurant. So once you’re inside Chinzanso, you feel safe and relaxed.

Mokushundo too was full of diners. Every table was occupied and second seatings were being arranged. We had a 6 PM reservation and so many families were already in the middle of their dinners when we walked in. When we walked out two hours later, there were still groups of diners waiting outside in the garden for their tables.

FAVORITE JAPANESE RESTAURANT

Mokushundo is a great favorite of many Tokyo families. In fact, this traditional Japanese restaurant has been operating for such a long time that generations of Japanese families have grown up coming here for weekend meals and celebrations.

As the restaurant is famous for its stone-grilled kaiseki dinners, we ordered the seafood course. A lady in a kimono brought most of the ingredients for the meal to the table. Then she proceeded to cook every course in front of us. So practically every dish was prepared in front of us and we enjoyed these piping hot.

FOOD INSPIRED BY SUMMER

The appetizers were works of art. Every tray arrived showing off a balance of colors and design inspired by summer. The lady first brought the cold appetizers. Then she proceeded to prepare the hot dishes as we ate.

The piece de resistance was a half lobster, still in its shell, cooked right at the table. Then came the traditional Japanese bowl of rice accompanied by pickles and miso soup.

However, this time there was a nice twist. My rice bowl had flecks of oxtail and colorful crunchy decoration. Just as I was about to it eat as is, the lady in the kimono cautioned: “Please pour some of the tea from this teapot into the rice before eating.”

Japanese call this mixture of rice and tea “o-chazuke.” It’s incredibly good.

TWO DESSERTS IN A ROW

We had ice cream for dessert. A traditional Japanese restaurant usually serves fresh fruits or a small sweet at the end of the meal. We were also given this option, but we decided to have the home-made ice cream of Chinzanso instead.

Then came a second dessert after dinner. We walked back to our hotel through the gardens. Instead of taking the normal walking route, we climbed up a hill and were rewarded with the view of a most beautiful pagoda, all lit up amidst the dramatic darkness of the gardens.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Teppanyaki in a beautiful garden in Tokyo appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

The joys of renting a holiday villa with a housekeeper and a caterer should never be underestimated. It’s nice to go to somewhere new for an adventure, while basing yourself in a lovely house. However, having meals prepared every day by a professional team, who will also clean up afterwards, enables everyone to truly relax.

RENTING A VILLA IN HOKKAIDO

We booked the Chalet Mizunara of Elite Havens Luxury Villa Rentals and Management at the end of our two-week stay in Hokkaido amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s a lovely four-bedroom house in the area of Hirafu, which is popular among tourists.

The villa comes with housekeeping services and prepared meals are offered as an option, which we gladly took. So every day, we had the delicious task of choosing what we wanted for breakfast and dinner from a wide variety offered by the Niseko Gourmet Catering company.

WHERE TO EAT HOKKAIDO CRAB

Upon arrival, for instance, we suddenly were inspired to eat crab. Hokkaido is famous for its crab, after all. So I messaged the Elite Havens team: “Can we hire a chef to prepare Hokkaido crab for us for dinner on our first night?”

As it was short notice, the chefs of Niseko Gourmet were already all booked for catering jobs at other villas. However, Therese of the Elite Havens team replied: “We can’t send any of our chefs as they’ve all got other jobs that night. But we can send over Hokkaido crab and seafood for shabu shabu. We’ll bring it over and set everything up. How does that sound?”

It sounded perfect. So we arrived at the villa mid-afternoon and at 6 PM, the Niseko Gourmet team was at the Mizunara Chalet to set the table and prepare the food. All we had to do was sit and eat. And, of course, it was delicious.

READ ABOUT THE VILLA WITH A VIEW IN NISEKO

CHICKEN RICE FOR BREAKFAST

That same night, before leaving us, Annie from Niseko Gourmet asked me: “What would you like for breakfast?”

I replied, on a sudden inspiration: “Chicken rice, please!”

This is one of the choices on offer for breakfast and it happens to be one of my favorite foods in the world.

Well, when we woke up the next day, Annie was already busy in the kitchen preparing our chicken rice breakfast. She brought all the ingredients in a large box and made our food from scratch.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

WHAT’S COOKING IN THE KITCHEN

Before going out on a short walk around Hirafu, I peeked at what she was cooking. Chicken was boiling in a large pot and fragrant rice was already in the rice cooker. There was even roast pork in the oven as an extra dish.

When we returned to Mizunara Chalet, our breakfast was ready. It was brunch, really. And it was among the best chicken rice I’ve ever tasted. As for renting a holiday villa with delicious food prepared for you every day, well, that is true luxury as far as I’m concerned.

Read more about the best hotels and resorts in Japan in Travelife Magazine.

The post Food at your command appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

On holiday for two weeks in beautiful Hokkaido, we ended our stay with several days at the Chalet Mizunara of Elite Havens Luxury Villa Rentals and Management. Located in a quiet street of vacation homes in Lower Hirafu, it’s a lovely four bedroom house that’s ever so relaxing.

ABOUT CHALET MIZUNARA IN NISEKO OF ELITE HAVENS

Meanwhile, the Chalet Mizunara is an attractive contemporary house. It’s all concrete, polished wood and steel so it has an industrial but warm feel. Most guests reportedly like it immediately. We certainly did.

In the summer, guests can enjoy views of greenery from the terraces and big picture windows. Meanwhile, in the winter, when the big tree behind the house sheds its leaves, guests are treated to a majestic view of Mount Yotei. As far as residents in Niseko are concerned, this is the million yen view that separates premium properties from ordinary ones.

A HOUSE DESIGNED FOR SNOW

From the outside, the villa looks like a simple box-like structure. The kind you’d expect to see in Niseko. Because of its extreme winter climate, the walls are thick for heat insulation and these have the added bonus of being cool in the summer. Meanwhile, the overall shape of the house is functional for heavy snowfall.

LAYOUT OF CHALET MIZUNARA

However, when you enter, it is anything but simple. For one thing, every living space is on a different level. There are two bedrooms and utility rooms on the ground floor, and guests usually enter from a double door entrance on the first floor.

From the entrance foyer, it’s a flight of stairs up to the living room and the first terrace. Then there’s a sitting area with book shelves and a fireplace two steps up. Meanwhile, the kitchen and the long dining table are on another level.

HOUSE WITH A VIEW OF MOUNT YOTEI

Two ensuite master bedrooms occupy the top floor and share a massive terrace with the best views of Mount Yotei in the winter. Each has a spacious bathroom with a deep built-in bathtub that’s a cross between a Japanese-style soaking tub and an oversized Western-style bathtub.

The design throughout Chalet Mizunara is stylish and yet practical. Everything has muted colors and clean lines so the effect is quite relaxing.

THESE CATERERS WILL COOK FOR YOU IN NISEKO

WHAT TO LOOK FOR WHEN RENTING A VILLA IN HOKKAIDO

It’s also constructed to house large families comfortably. For one thing, there are enough bathrooms for everyone. This feature should not be underestimated by holiday makers when choosing the best villa to book in Niseko. In general, bathrooms are always in short supply when everyone is in a rush to head for the ski slopes at the same time.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BATHROOMS

The situation is especially acute in Japanese-style homes. The idea of ensuite bathrooms plus extra bathrooms for the common areas is very much a Western concept so please make sure to ask about the number of bathrooms when renting.

There are also enough nooks and crannies at Chalet Mizunara so that every guest can find some peace and quiet without others getting in the way. I suppose this is the beauty of the multi-level construction.

READ ABOUT THE BEST NEW HOTEL IN SPAIN

Again, this feature is especially vital for villa rentals in Hokkaido in the winter. You see, amidst the extreme cold of Hokkaido, you’re basically confined to your villa unless you are out skiing or doing adventure sports.

Meanwhile, the Chalet Mizunara is perfect in the summer. You can open all the windows and terrace doors to allow in the breeze, and everywhere you look is a fresh green. The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming and every day is just wonderful.

Read more about the best places to stay in Hokkaido in Travelife Magazine.

The post Villa with a view to rent in Niseko appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

So there we were in one of the most beautiful palaces in the world, in incredible India, living a Travelife. It’s called the Taj Falaknuma Palace, and we visited just a few months after it had opened. Every day was full of interesting things to do. After visiting the atelier of the most famous designer in Hyderabad on one day, the concierge was waiting for us in the lobby upon our return.

“May I suggest having the Taj Falaknuma Palace afternoon tea?” He said. “We usually have this in the Jade Room. But since it’s such a fine afternoon, we can set it up in the terrace. You will have the place all to yourselves.”

Home of the richest man in the world

That sounded like a wonderful idea. The Taj Falaknuma Palace, situated 2000 feet above the city of Hyderabad, is one of the most understated but luxurious palace hotels in the world. At one point in history, it was the home of the richest man in the world. This was the Nizam of Hyderabad, and his wealth was the stuff that legends are made of.

The hotel was acquired by the Taj Hotels from the descendants of the Nizam himself. The company then undertook a painstaking renovation of the palace, with inputs from a relative of the Nizam himself. The renovation work reportedly took ten years.

The elegant life in Hyderabad

Of course we had to have afternoon tea with champagne and everything possible. I definitely wanted to savour the genteel life from the terrace of the former home of the richest man in the world — scones, finger sandwiches, India delicacies, tiny cakes and all.

The Jade Room of the Taj Falaknuma Palace

Meanwhile, the Jade Room is one of the fabled rooms of the palace. Decorated mainly in a pale emerald green and full of antiques and jade objets d’art, it is simply beautiful. It’s my favorite room in the hotel, with its Belgian-cut chandeliers. So afternoon tea here is one of the highlights of a stay at the Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad. In fact, it’s the most famous place to have tea in Hyderabad.

However, we decided to follow the suggestion of the concierge and have our afternoon tea on the terrace. So we never did get to have our afternoon tea in the Jade Room.

Nevertheless it was wonderful just the same. The afternoon passed very pleasantly, enjoying champagne and a tray of sweet and savoury treats, with a view of the greenery and the city below. I certainly felt like a guest in the home of someone once called the richest man in the world.

Read more stories about traveling around India in Travelife Magazine.

The post Afternoon tea at the home of the richest man in the world appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

It is often said that the true beauty of picturesque Kyoto lies in the minute details that are often unnoticed by eyes that are untrained to appreciate modest aesthetics. Nowhere is this more evident than at Tawaraya, Japan’s most famous ryokan (traditional inn), right in the heart of the city and one that has been welcoming travelers for over three hundred years

STAYING IN A JAPANESE RYOKAN

As with everything at the Tawaraya, there is nothing so obvious or uncouth as a registration procedure upon arrival. There are 19 rooms here but somehow the 77-plus staff – yes, that’s a ratio of almost 4 staff members per room – knew who we were and which room we had booked. At the main entrance, before heading for our room, we took off our shoes and promptly forgot about them for the next 15 hours.

Kyoto itself is very richly steeped in the past, and it has one of the most closed and conservative societies in Japan. But a stay at the Tawaraya is like a temporary gate pass into this society, and entering the inn is literally akin to completely leaving today’s world behind.

From the brightness of the afternoon – most guests at Japanese inns do arrive before sunset to relax and have a bath before dinner – you suddenly find yourself in a dark maze of corridors and rooms, with a glimpse of greenery or of a pocket garden every now and then.

So we passed through tatami mat rooms and carpeted corridors adorned with antique cabinets and tables on our way to our room on the first floor. This room – it had a foyer, a small outer room with a study table and a main room that functioned as living room, dining room and bedroom – looked out onto a small walled garden with maple trees and grounds carpeted in moss.

WHERE TO GO IN KYOTO

Tawaraya is about a 15-minute taxi ride from Kyoto Station. We chose to stay here, amidst a myriad of options in one of Japan’s most-visited cities, partly because of its proximity to Kyoto’s historic Nishiki market and the enclaves of culture around it, where artists, art dealers and food enthusiasts congregate. It’s the perfect spot for discovering the soul of Kyoto on foot.

“This street is home to three famous ryokan,” our taxi driver told us, as we passed Nishiki market and entered a narrow one-way street lined with a combination of old shop houses and modern buildings converted into art galleries, chic stores and trendy cafes. And soon we stopped in front of a wooden compound of structures with a simple entrance that first curved right before making a sharp left into the entrance proper, raised one step above the ground.

From the outside, it looked more like the well-appointed home of a samurai family in the olden days than a famous inn in 2012. However, a simple and unobtrusive sign confirmed we had reached our destination. Then, like clockwork, as soon as we got out of our taxi, a team of two men and a lady in a kimono appeared to welcome us to our “home” in Kyoto

FAMOUS GUESTS OF TAWARAYA

This was not luxury as we knew it. The room was adequate but in no language could this ever be called large. It was barely furnished and practically unadorned, save for a simple vase of flowers and an old screen on a faded wall. In fact, with a quick glance, I could immediately discern corners and surfaces that were slightly fraying at the edges.

But it is precisely this feeling of old fashioned Japan – a patina that just cannot be created or faked – that has prompted connoisseurs of Japanese culture to place Tawaraya at the very top of their destination lists for centuries. Japanese aristocrats, relatives of the imperial family, and even the heroes of the 19th century Meiji Restoration all used the Tawaraya as their base when visiting Kyoto from Tokyo.

Japanese aristocrats, relatives of the imperial family, and even the heroes of the 19th century Meiji Restoration all used the Tawaraya as their base when visiting Kyoto from Tokyo.

Ordinary Japanese who understand the value of the highly prized Japanese sense of wabi sabi (roughly translated as an appreciation of faded simplicity), too, choose a stay at Tawaraya as one of the experiences of a lifetime.

Tawaraya is well known the world over as well, for its hospitality and cuisine. Its roster of guests reads like a lesson in history, and it includes the French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre, the British suspense novelist Alfred Hitchcock, composer Leonard Bernstein and actor Marlon Brando.

Meanwhile, Apple founder Steve Jobs reportedly loved the Tawaraya experience so much that he stayed here several times. On his last visit, just several months before his death, he took his son to the Tawaraya for a final family-bonding trip to Japan.

Apple founder Steve Jobs reportedly loved the Tawaraya experience so much that he stayed here several times. On his last visit, just several months before his death, he took his son to the Tawaraya for a final family-bonding trip to Japan.

REAL KYOTO FOOD

Many ryokan in Kyoto offer the Japan experience, but few can truly offer both a pedigreed experience and an exceptional Kyoto dinner in the way that Tawaraya can. This inn has been in the same family for over 300 years, and its mistress is the 11th generation innkeeper.

Meanwhile, in true Kyoto fashion, the multi-course kaiseki dinner consists of dish after dish of local vegetables and tofu, supplemented by seasonal fish from western Japan. It ends with a plate of the choicest of seasonal fruit. For this stay, for example, we were each served one large and juicy fig that had been lightly stewed in sugar and spices.

After dinner, it was time to turn the dining room into a bedroom, and this just could not happen with two attendants and two guests in the room at the same time. We were therefore encouraged to explore the public spaces of the ryokan while the attendants undertook the mundane task of preparing the beds.

AFTER DINNER ENTERTAINMENT

For this “escape” we had three modest options: a small rooftop terrace for moon-viewing, with comfortable chairs and pots of tea; a tiny library on the second floor with several corners to park one’s self momentarily; or an even tinier reading space on the ground floor that offered a sliver of a view of an indoor garden.

We visited all three in search of trivia and clues about the people who had spent their nights in this historical house, and were rewarded with an autobiography of the actress Lauren Bacall that she had dedicated and signed during her stay.

We returned to our room after about half an hour to find everything laid out for us. There were two Japanese-style beddings on the floor – Tawaraya is famous for its mattress, made from the floss of 10,000 silk cocoons, and its comforters, which are reportedly made from feathers plucked from the breasts of live geese – and enough hot tea and cold water to last the night. Again, everything was comfortable but nothing was superfluous.

A JAPANESE BREAKFAST

In the morning, our room attendant knocked on the door exactly at 730 AM, as agreed upon, to begin the preparations for breakfast. The breakfast at the Tawaraya is something of a conversation topic among lovers of the good life in Japan because the rice and the boiled tofu they serve to “nudge the stomach awake” are supposed to be among the best in Japan.

The rice served at Tawaraya is from this year’s harvest, straight from the fields of Kyoto itself, while the tofu is reportedly delivered early every morning by a dedicated supplier who has been doing so for centuries.

We were at the center of old Kyoto but, ironically, we’d hardly known it. At the end of our stay, we realized that our expectations of luxury and space had been drastically scaled down even if, unfortunately, the room rates did not exactly follow suit.

By then, we’d spent over fifteen hours in a rather confined space, during which time – in a cramped city of over 1.5 million people – we’d heard almost nothing but the chirping of the crickets, the graceful shuffling of feet, and, yes, one ambulance passing nearby.

This was the center of old Kyoto but, ironically, we’d hardly known it, even if we’d not been unaware of it even for a minute. At the end of our stay, we realized that our expectations of luxury and space had been drastically scaled down even if, unfortunately, the room rates did not exactly follow suit. But once we had adjusted to the hefty bill coupled with the minuteness of everything, we were completely enchanted by the Tawaraya experience.

The post Beauty in simplicity at Tawaraya appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.

Sofitel recently worked with global marketing research company IPSOS to conduct this global in-depth survey. They wanted to understand the habits and preferences of guests. In particular, what women want to see and experience in hotels. The survey found that 86% of female travelers wanted a hospitality program designed specifically for women.

As a result, MGallery by Sofitel established Inspired by Her. This new program focuses on what women want when they are traveling.

WHAT WOMEN WANT

73% of women surveyed said they often forget to pack an essential item. Then, they don’t realise they’ve left it behind until they get to the hotel. As a result, all MGallery hotels now offer emergency kits. These kits include complimentary beauty items, makeup remover, nail polish remover, hair ties and pins. They also contain moisturizer, sunscreen, and stockings.

Women also want quality hairdryers and good bathroom lighting when staying at a hotel. So now, all MGallery hotels in the Pacific now have quality hairdryers and makeup mirrors.

HEALTHY MENU & SIGNATURE COCKTAILS

As part of the Inspired by Her program, MGallery hotels in Australia have also added light and healthy menu items in their restaurants. In fact, several dishes have been created specifically around inspiring women.

Signature cocktails have also been created with floral creations, champagne and fruit. Also, on request, a staff member will deliver a specially brewed tea in an elegant teapot to the room.

The global survey also found out that wellbeing experiences tops the list of ‘Memorable Moments‘ women want to have. Meanwhile the feminine touches women like in a hotel are fresh flowers, fragrance, quality bedding and materials, and attention to service detail.

 ABOUT MGALLERY BY SOFITEL

MGallery by Sofitel has over 90 boutique hotels around the world. Each MGallery tells a unique story inspired by the destination. MGallery hotels are places where guests can discover the best the world can offer. Well-known properties in the MGallery collection include Hotel Molitor Paris, INK Hotel Amsterdam, Queens Hotel Cheltenham in England, Santa Teresa Hotel Rio de Janeiro, Hotel Lindrum Melbourne in Australia, Muse Bangkok Langsuan in Thailand, and Hotel des Arts Saigon in Vietnam.

MGallery is part of AccorHotels, a leading travel and lifestyle group with over 4,300 hotels, resorts and residences, along with some 10,000 of the finest private homes around the globe.

The post What Women Want, according to a Sofitel survey appeared first on TRAVELIFE Magazine.