TRAVEL NOTES
New palatial property in Marrakesh
The Oetker Collection – which includes Le Bristol in Paris and the du Cap Eden Roc on the Cote d’Azur – is to unveil a deeply seductive new property, Le Palais Namaskar. Set in 50,000 sq m of Balinese-inspired scented gardens and designed by Philippe Starck protégée Imaad Rahmouni, the 41 room hotel promises divine tranquility in a location outside of the hubbub of the medina. Namaskar will offer its own private jet service from Casablanca Airport. www.palaisnamaskar.com
Palace Hotel Tokyo
Tokyo has no shortage of posh hotels, but the inflow of business travellers continues apace and it looks like there’s room for more. Scheduled to open in May following a complete renovation, The Palace Hotel is set in front of the historic Edo Castle, next to Tokyo’s Imperial Palace in the financial district of Marunouchi. The hotel offers the first Evian Resort spa in Japan, complete with hot baths and treatments, as well as a pool and fitness room and is aiming for a constellation of Michelin stars throughout its restaurants. Opens 17 May, www.palacehotelstokyo.com
Five star manners for Gatwick
London’s dreariest airport taking lessons from the city’s most esteemed five-star hotel on how to treat its passengers? Far-fetched but true: Gatwick Airport last week announced a new scheme that sees The Goring, a favourite of Margaret Thatcher and Kate Middleton, coaching Gatwick’s customer-facing staff on how to serve “all” passengers. Gatwick’s concierge staff, porters, team leaders and information and passenger assistants are first in line for the honour. I wonder if I’ll notice a difference in two weeks when I fly from Gatwick.