TRAVEL NOTES
London’s helipad hotel
Take that, Claridges. The new Hotel Verta in Battersea (of all places) comes with a helipad for those who don’t want to deal with traffic. The 70-room Von Essen hotel is located within the London Heliport complex, and is the first of its type in Europe. Aside from the Bond-style arrival possibilities, there’s a spa and good food too. Rooms from £175; hotelverta.com.
Private skiing in Arosa
Eager skiers in Arosa for the first Saturday of the season should stay at the Tschuggen Grand, where the nearby slopes will be reserved for exclusive use by guests on that day. There’s also a giant slalom; a race dinner that night and a jazz brunch the next day. 27 November: two nights from £363, www.tschuggen.ch.
Luxury hotel opens in Laos
The much-hyped new Alila Luang Prabang opened this week, featuring 23 spacious villas, many with private pools and fireplaces, a spa and a traditional Laotian restaurant and cooking school. Built on a heritage site, it preserves existing colonial buildings as distinctive resort features alongside complementary new structures. www.alilahotels.com/luangprabang.