Jenny Southan 1 HOTEL CENTRAL PARK NEW YORK
1 HOTELS IS AN ‘ECO LUXURY’ BRAND LAUNCHED LAST YEAR, and so far it has one property in Miami and one in New York. The Central Park hotel was unveiled last August, and is on the corner of Avenue of the Americas and West 58th Street, a two-minute walk from Central Park. An electric Tesla car for free rides within a 15-block radius is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
ROOMS: Modern, functional but also environmentally sensitive. High-tech and paperless, they feature triple-filtered tap water, organic cotton sheets, supremely comfy hemp- blended Keetsa mattresses, minibars stocked with agave soda and coconut water, and yoga mats. Newspapers are available in digital format via Press Reader, and the air-conditioning, lighting and 47-in Samsung TV can be controlled by Nexus
smartphone. Room service can also be ordered via the device – select your meal and it will be
left outside your door in a brown paper bag. Wifi is free. There are 229 rooms and suites in ten categories – entry- level Alcove Queens start from 20sqm, going up to 111sqm for the Greenhouse suite. My City King room looked on to skyscrapers but also offered a glimpse of Central Park. The Breccia Capraia marble bathroom had a walk-in shower. RESTAURANTS & BARS: Jams restaurant and bar is a cavernous, convivial space serving modern Californian cuisine. There being no buffet, I ordered an à la carte breakfast
1,414 Avenue of the Americas • Tel: +1 212 703 2001 •
1hotels.com
of Mexican-inspired chilaquiles – tortilla chips in a rich tomato salsa roja with fried eggs, guacamole and queso fresco. It was an enormous portion, so justified the US$17. MEETINGS & EVENTS: There is a chunky timber communal table on the second floor, as well as two iPad terminals. The Great Lawn room, for up to 75 delegates, features exposed brickwork and city views. There are also two offices, each seating eight. LEISURE: The smart gym overlooks the street and has Peloton bikes, weights,
medicine balls and Freemotion running and cross-trainer machines. Otherwise, just head for Central Park. VERDICT: Apart from the fact that this is a trendsetting eco-luxury property with gorgeous interior design, it really is an excellent business hotel. Everything is set up for convenience, peace and wellbeing, with environments you feel happy to spend time working in. The staff are very welcoming, without the formality you get at more traditional five-star hotels. Highly recommended.
Clement Huang SINGAPORE AIRLINES/A350-900 DELIVERY FLIGHT
SINGAPORE AIRLINES HAS OFFICIALLY TAKEN DELIVERY of its first Airbus A350-900. The Star Alliance member has a further 66 on order, and expects to take delivery of a further ten this year with seven more to follow by mid-2017. This flight was from Toulouse to Singapore and, as it was a delivery flight, we are not reporting on the usual service and food details.
CABINS: SIA has equipped its first A350-900 with a three-class configuration with 42 seats in business, 24 in premium economy and 187 in economy. Business class seats are arranged in a four-abreast, 1-2-1 configuration and split across two cabins. Seat dimensions are identical to those on the B777-300ER, with 28-in of width and a pitch of 55in, and the product itself can be turned into a full-flat bed. In-seat amenities include an 18-in LCD screen with touch-screen controller, vanity mirror, a ‘business panel’ consisting of a full suite of connectivity ports, stowage space and reading light. In-flight wifi is also available, with the A350 debuting a faster connectivity service by Panasonic. SIA will be pioneering the ‘Companion App’ feature on its A350. Available across
118 BBT MAY/JUNE 2016
all three cabins, the new mobile app enables passengers to choose their in-flight entertainment (IFE) content prior to the flight. AIRCRAFT: Airbus claims a 25 per cent fuel improvement in efficiency for the A350 compared to other aircraft types of this size. In terms of passenger comfort, there is higher humidity onboard, equivalent to that found at an altitude of only 6,000 feet (compared to 8,000ft on older generation aircraft), which is thought to reduce jetlag symptoms. THE FLIGHT: SIA offers some of the widest premium seats in the industry, and its new business class product continues to uphold these standards. Each seat in business class comes with a large, soft cushion that acts as a comfortable
lumbar support. I found the IFE touch- screen interface intuitive and easy to use. The tray table is large and sturdy, perfect if you want to get some work done. A flight attendant helped me to flip over the seat, and laid the duvet and pillow provided on the bed. I slept peacefully for a good five hours, waking up two hours out from Singapore. The quiet A350 cabin and mood lighting certainly helped with the sleep quality throughout the flight. Breakfast orders were taken at 08:20 local time, and we landed in Singapore Changi Airport to a traditional water cannon salute. VERDICT: SIA has always been renowned for its excellent cabin products and service. It now has a state-of-the-art new aircraft type to boot, and looks set to usher in a new level of air travel for discerning travellers.
BUYINGBUSINESSTRAVEL.COM
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