Going private in the Maldives, at long last March 24, 2011 For years, the Indian Ocean’s most exquisite islands, the Maldives, have been solely the preserve of hotels. Now, they’ve begun to open up to foreign buyers, thanks to new laws introduced by the pro-enterprise President Mohamed Nasheed. Before Nasheed, elected two years ago, leaseholds were too short to attract European buyers – but they have [...]
From banker to barman: the man behind Boujis February 13, 2011 CHUCKLING at Prince Harry falling out of a nightclub just wouldn’t be the same if the club wasn’t a club like Boujis. Its reputation for exclusivity and A-list guests make it the ideal setting for high-class drama. Matt Hermer, the owner and entrepreneur behind the bar, however, is not as starry eyed about the place. [...]
The ex-butcher who knows how to cut it fine January 24, 2011 HAVING started his career in a butcher’s shop in Wolverhampton, Ranjit Singh Boparan has a lifetime of experience in food firms – and knows how to cut things fine. Boparan’s £342m bid for Northern came two hours after the Takeover Panel’s original deadline of 5pm on Friday, after he negotiated a last-minute extension with the [...]
Savoy Hotel is a unique London treat February 6, 2011 IT was with much trepidation that we turned off the Strand into the short lane towards the Savoy’s entrance, the only road in Britain where one drives on the right. It all looked familiar: the landmark Art Deco sign, the shiny Rolls-Royces, the uniformed staff. But as soon as we climbed out of our car, [...]
FORCES, FOOD AND FINANCE February 10, 2011 YESTERDAY at the Square Mile Salute fundraising banquet, Boris Johnson said: “There are three things I want to share my appreciation for tonight, one – my appreciation for the armed forces, two – for Britain’s financial services and three – food.” The audience of the City’s finest chuckled while a fleet of waiters sailed round [...]
THE PARTY’S OVER FOR TCHENGUIZ BROTHERS March 9, 2011 THEY came, they saw, they conquered – and then the Tchenguiz brothers were arrested by the Serious Fraud Office yesterday morning in connection with the collapse of the Kaupthing Icelandic bank. The dramatic raid at the property developers’ Mayfair HQ has been the talk of the MIPIM property fair at Cannes, where the brothers were [...]
The Cloud wi-fi network is target for Sky January 25, 2011 SKY is on the brink of snapping up wi-fi hotspot provider The Cloud in a deal analysts say could be worth around £100m. Sky is desperate to compete with rival BT, which offers its subscribers free access to its Openzone wireless network covering most of the country. The Cloud has around 22,000 hotspots across the [...]
Why Marrakech is now the fashionable place to relax February 27, 2011 WANDER into Marrakech’s famous souk and you can find all manner of unctions, ointments and powders intended to cure ills, sooth skin, clear airways and put a spring in your step. Among alley after alley of cloth and leather merchants, pottery shops, brass vendors, blacksmiths, and hawkers of every kind of tat, are spice stalls [...]
Mitchells & Butlers chairman John Lovering to resign January 23, 2011 JOHN Lovering is set to step down as chairman of the pubs group Mitchells & Butlers this week, a year after taking over following an investor-led board battle. Lovering, the former chairman of retailer Debenhams, has told the board he wants to leave as soon as a successor is found, because he feels he has [...]
In deep water: learning to dive off the coast of Malta April 10, 2011 AS I floated through the open hatchway into the ship’s galley, the scene appeared frozen in time. Seaweed waved gracefully about the cupboards and a spotted fish darted in and out of the abandoned cooker. A stream of bubbles poured from my dive buddy’s regulator as he laughingly grabbed the ship’s wheel and gave a [...]