Since Mandarin Oriental Mayfair’s GM Hemal Jain was away working the world the very able Austrian Helmut Roessler, above, was in charge of this art-with-an-edge hotel.

Hospitality in India carries personalised thoughtfulness way beyond par, as exemplified at Taj Santacruz in Bombay.

ABC, the beginning of the alphabet. And in this case, the Annual Business Conference, 16 -18 June at Taj Cidade de Goa Horizon, for well over 500 corporate and on-property leaders of IHCL.

Dubai-based Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi spurned support from movie legend father Suresh Oberoi to start with nothing. At 16 he was DJing, which led to radio, which led to television, which led to movies.

There were no seated meals at Taj’s hugely successful ABC Annual Business Conference. Breakfasts were wherever, whenever. Lunches were buffets, stand at waist-height tables or sit in the courtyard.

As the Sybaritic Single devours his tin of Petrossian caviar, he embraces all sorts of luxury hotel collaborations which in 2026 feel terribly ordinary.

The Reuben brothers must have been delighted when they found the former Central Bank of Italy building on Parliament Square.

This is the hotel that Danilo Zucchetti has made. He's put his stamp on it since he arrived two years ago.

It's always exhilarating – or does one say amazing or like a dream? - to be back at Minerva, Orient Express, Rome, Arsenale's first grand hotel.