Beattitude Edtion 19

beattitude EDITION 19

A Bespoke Hotels publication. Because it's better to be bespoke.

INSIDE THE KING OF KING STREET Gotham takes the crown

FROM ABERDEEN TO BOURNEMOUTH

From the East of England to the West of Wales

INTERNATIONAL HOTELS Feel at home abroad

PLUS

BESPOKE NEWS AND SPECTACULAR VIEWS issue 19

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CONTENTS

ALL PHOTOS © THE BESPOKE HOTELS GROUP UNLESS STATED

in this issue 05

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© INTERNATIONAL OPERA FOUNDATION

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bewelcome

We’re bespoke and proud of it

beloved, befriend, bespoke

There are over 100 Bespoke Hotels across the UK. Come and have a peek inside some of our favourites

wedding bells

We have a proposal for you

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music to my ears

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directory

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bespoke international

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meet and greet

Bespoke Hotels launches an exciting series of concerts featuring some of the most talented young singers from the world of international opera. In partnership with Rhinegold Media & Events and the International Opera Awards Foundation

Our full porfolio of hotels A selection of our international hotels is featured here, but keep your eyes on our website because we’re growing all the time Meet some of our hotel managers

Front cover image: Hotel Gotham, Manchester

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SAVE UP TO 25%!

SUBCRIBE TO OPERA NOW Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of opera with Opera Now magazine.

Each issue is filled with news, celebrity interviews, travel articles and reviews of performances from across the globe. >> see page 25 

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Discover your Bรถsendorfer at:

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Coach House Pianos 878 Carmarthen Road Swansea SA5 8HR

Forsyth Brothers Ltd 126 Deansgate Manchester M3 2GR

Markson Pianos Ltd 7 - 8 Chester Court Albany St, London NW1 4BU

Yamaha Music London 152-160 Wardour Street Soho, London W1F 8YA

01792 584 584

0161 956 2052

0207 935 8682

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FROM THE EDITOR

bewelcome

beattitude

Off the peg? Never. Run of the mill? No thanks.

Generic? You cannot be serious. We’re bespoke, and proud of it.

BEST OF THE BEST The spectacular Hotel Gotham opened in 2015 to widespread media attention, described as a ‘retro newcomer – part Gatsby, part Grand Budapest, all Gotham’. The 60-bedroom, luxury, 5-star hotel at the Edwin Lutyens designed 100 King Street has already become one of Manchester’s must-do attractions and was crowned Outstanding New Hotel in the prestigious Independent Hotel Show Awards. Read more about Hotel Gotham on page 6.

Editor: Giles White Design: Rebecca Ward Murphy Production Controller: James Taggart Advertising Sales: Christopher Moon-Little Produced for Bespoke Hotels

by Rhinegold Publishing Ltd

Printed and distributed by Polestar Wheatons, Hennock Road North, Marsh Barton, Exeter, Devon EX2 8RP Bespoke Hotels Ltd Bespoke House, 5 Bankside, Crosfield Street, Warrington WA1 1UP t: +44 (0)843 357 5555 f: +44 (0)843 357 5556 w: bespokehotels.com e: info@bespokehotels.com © Copyright 2016 Bespoke Hotels

THE HALLMARK OF A GREAT PARTNERSHIP We’re delighted to welcome Hallmark Hotels to the Bespoke group.

With 28 hotels this new Bespoke Collection expands our coverage into a number of major cities. Hallmark Hotels have state-of-the-art function, meeting and conference rooms, and many have modern spa and leisure facilities, making these hotels particularly popular for celebrations and business events.

FIND YOUR WAY ROUND THE WORLD With more than 170 hotels worldwide, there’s a Bespoke Hotel out there for you. The easiest way to find it is via bespokehotels.com – our website is designed to help you search by place, name, hotel type or by facilities (spa, golf club, function rooms, for example).

PRIVILEGE HAS ITS MEMBERSHIP The Bespoke Privilege Card means it’s better to belong.

Sign up for all the best offers.

GILES WHITE, EDITOR

If you’d like to become a Bespoke Privilege Card holder, just go to: bespokehotels.com/privilegecard

Can we be friends?

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Lady Dolores Didsbury.

Just one of the many characters that you’ll meet in the corridors of Hotel Gotham.

Just don’t mention her affair with Charlie Chorlton!

got to go to

GOTHAM

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MANCHESTER

Manchester’s most spectacular hotel.

Set in one of the city’s grandest, listed buildings, Hotel Gotham opened in 2015. The Art Deco building, designed by Edwin Lutyens and referenced in Pevsner’s Architectural Guide, has always been known as the ‘King of King Street’. The 5-star Hotel Gotham is rapidly acquiring a similar reputation.

There are 55 bedrooms and five Inner Sanctum suites at Hotel Gotham

The Guardian called it ‘glitzy, ambitious and unapologetically opulent’. The Financial Times celebrated the ‘60 lavishly decorated bedrooms’, while The Times praised its ‘striking look’ and Time Out declared that ‘Hotel Gotham could well return the building to its former status as king’. And the judges at the Independent Hotel Show Awards all nodded appreciatively, before crowning it Outstanding New Hotel.

UNITED BEHIND MANCHESTER

Honey – the restaurant on the 6th floor of Hotel Gotham serves expertly-prepared British cuisine

Club Brass. A VIP speakeasy and members club on the 7th floor with wondrous views of the city

Dynamic Manchester is always evolving

Manchester is one of the UK’s liveliest cities with shopping, night clubs, music venues, bars, restaurants and museums, not to mention two premiership football clubs.

King Street itself is the city’s designer shopping zone with boutiques such as Hermès, Whistles, Emporio Armani, Agent Provocateur, Mulberry, Thomas Pink, Reiss and Crombie. www.bespokehotels.com

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THE COTS W OLDS

england’s most iconic rural destination The Cotswolds, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, is 800 square miles of pictureperfect villages, nature reserves and ancient monuments. It’s the setting for some wildly eccentric events such as the Cooper’s Hill cheese-rolling, more conventionally enjoyable pastimes such as cycling, walking and eating scones, and three wonderful Bespoke Hotels – the Noel Arms, Cotswold House and Stonehouse Court, two of them featured in this edition of beattitude.

NOEL ARMS Charles II stayed here during the English Civil War, but things are a bit more relaxed these days. The Noel Arms is a traditional Inn with rooms in a beautiful location on the Cotswold Way that is perfect for keen walkers. Put your feet up in front of the log fire in the bar, read the papers and treat yourself to a homemade cake in the excellent coffee shop.

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The Noel Arms was a winner in the 2015 PetsPyjamas Travel Awards. Well behaved dogs are always welcome!

} 28 bedrooms } Restaurant } Bar, conservatory, coffee shop

DON’T LEAVE THE COTSWOLDS WITHOUT: } visiting at least one of these

villages: Chipping Campden, Bourton-on-the-Water, Burford } walking or cycling part of The Cotswold Way National Trail } taking your binoculars to Birdland Park } picnicking at Kilkenny Viewpoint and Nature Reserve 8

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THE COTS W OLDS

COTSWOLD HOUSE HOTEL & SPA A lovely townhouse hotel and spa just over the road from the Noel Arms in Chipping Campden. The fact that under 18s aren’t allowed in the awardwinning spa is all the hint you need that this is a place for grown-ups to get away for a sophisticated, revitalizing break.

Book the Hot Tub Cottage for indulgence beyond the call of duty. Walk, eat, drink, repeat.

Top of the range is the Hot Tub suite, featuring a living room with open log fire and “ secluded outside area with hot tub. All rooms overlook the beautiful hotel gardens or historical Chipping Campden. Daily Telegraph

} } } }

28 bedrooms Two restaurants Terrace bar and gardens Spa, pool, treatment rooms

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Be yourself.

Book a ‘prickly pear and sugar cane facial’ at the multi award-winning Cotswold House Spa. issue 19

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LONDON

the city that has it all THE BERMONDSEY SQUARE HOTEL

Bermondsey is one of London’s most vibrant, creative areas and this 4-star hotel features an all-day dining lounge, spectacular loft suites with views of the City and chic design to match the trendy ‘village’ in which it is located.

The hotel is close to famous attractions such as Tower Bridge, Tate Modern and Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre.

The Bermondsey Square Hotel’s hot tub overlooking London

My Bloomsbury

My Bloomsbury

MY BLOOMSBURY

Bloomsbury’s history of writers, philosophers and artists makes it one of London’s most iconic locations.

You’ll find a welcoming, laid-back and comfortable hub at My Bloomsbury, with chic bedrooms, contemporary design, comfortable hot-desks and fine gastronomy. Soho, Oxford Street and Covent Garden are within walking distance as are Euston and King’s Cross stations.

The stunning 210th suite at My Chelsea

My Chelsea

MY CHELSEA

This urban retreat is so cosmopolitan and alluring, you won’t want to leave. But with Sloane Square, the Royal Court Theatre, the Victoria & Albert Museum and the King’s Road all just a short stroll away you can’t hide away for ever.

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LONDON

LA SUITE WEST, HYDE PARK

Anouska Hempel, creator of La Suite West, is ranked one of the world’s top 100 interior designers and architects. So you won't be surprised to find individually-crafted, fourposter beds and black rubber chairs set off by whitewashed rooms and marble bathrooms in the design icon’s latest creation.

There are 80 bedrooms, a gymnasium, a stunning private terrace and the acclaimed vegan restaurant, RAW.

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One of the ‘best afternoon teas in London – guilt-free goodness’, according to Condé Nast Traveller magazine, is at La Suite West, ‘a well-kept secret on a quiet street lined with white-fronted townhouses not far from Hyde Park’ Sunset in Hyde Park

At 38%, London has one of the highest proportions of green space of all the world’s major cities, compared to New York at 14% and Paris at 10%. No wonder people love to stay here – you have all the shops, museums, theatres and attractions combined with many of the world’s greatest parks and green spaces. www.bespokehotels.com

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HOME COUNTIES

THE LODGE HOTEL, PUTNEY

A great base for exploring all parts of London while staying in perennially popular Putney – close to the Thames and some of the capital’s best boutiques.

The Hide & Seed restaurant offers fine dining and a stylish, welcoming atmosphere.

COULSDON MANOR, SURREY

Coulsdon Manor is an old manor house 15 miles from the centre of London, with a great golf course, squash, sauna and steam-room. Set off for central London, or relax here on the Terrace Bar or Orangery Restaurant.

Fine dining at Hide & Seed, the Lodge Hotel, Putney

LIFEHOUSE SPA & HOTEL, ESSEX

Admit it … you’ve wondered why that nice couple over there brought the kids. Lifehouse has a minimum age for guests of 16. As the old saying doesn’t go: ‘Children should be seen (in photographs) and heard about (occasionally), but not brought away when you’re trying to completely and utterly chill out’.

Coulsdon Manor

Love life and live well at Lifehouse Spa & Hotel in Essex

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it’s better to be bespoke

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SOUTH COAST

go on tour, stay on tour How about a Bespoke tour of England's beautiful South Coast? Start in bohemian Brighton at My Hotel. Get waylaid at the Wessex and by the beaches of Bournemouth. Next stop, a delightful diversion to Dorset and finally lug your luggage to the Lugger in Portloe.

THE LUGGER The Lugger in Portloe is surrounded by cliffs and headland and a terrace area with magnificent sea views.

The Financial Times told its readers, ‘For traditional Cornish charm and a waterside location, The Lugger is hard to beat’. And the Daily Telegraph called ‘Storm watching at the Lugger’ one of the UK’s 10 best ways to make the most of winter nights’.

The Lugger in Portloe: 'hard to beat' according to the Financial Times

The view of the sea from The Lugger

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What set the Lugger apart was the special treatment we received from staff. The Daily Mail 14

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The very freshest of seafood

A deluxe room with a sea view

The Hideaway is The Lugger’s self-catering cottage for those who want a bit more space and freedom with all the benefits of a hotel and two AA Rosette restaurant next door. And the Lookout is a double-bedroom in a converted boathouse next to the main hotel with breath-taking views of the coast.

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SOUTH COAST

THE GROSVENOR ARMS The Grosvenor Arms is the heart-beat of the market town of Shaftesbury. This ancient coaching inn with some very modern standards of comfort has 16 stylish bedrooms, restaurant, courtyard and private dining rooms.

Above and below: laid back luxury at The Grosvenor Arms in Shaftesbury

Condé Nast Traveller’s correspondent was wowed by The Grosvenor Arms’ ‘elegant, colonnaded building, the laidback luxury, seriously cosy bar, bathrooms with deep roll-top bath, superb dishes, delicious fresh breads and the best farmhouse butter I have ever tasted.’

One of the brightly furnished bedrooms at My Brighton

MY BRIGHTON ‘Brightly furnished rooms designed along Feng Shui lines ... My Brighton is the place to stay if you’re seeking Brighton’s boho scene ... the buzzy Merkaba cocktail bar is popular with locals. Next door is one of Brighton’s best curry venues.

Expert Rating 9/10’ The Daily Telegraph Travel The leisure club at The Wessex Hotel

THE WESSEX HOTEL, BOURNEMOUTH The 109-bedroom Wessex Hotel is on the West Cliff, just five minutes’ walk from the centre of Bournemouth, with its award-winning Blue Flag beaches, fantastic restaurants, bars and family attractions.

The Hotel has its own leisure club, indoor and outdoor swimming pool, gymnasium and beauty treatment rooms. www.bespokehotels.com

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NORTH & NORTH EAST

I want to BE a part of it THE GEORGE NEAR DARLINGTON The George is a restored coaching inn by the River Tees on the border of Yorkshire and County Durham. It has 30 bedrooms – many with river views – beautiful gardens, roaring log-fires and locally-sourced food on the menu.

More unexpectedly, The George also has an amazing ballroom with a sweeping staircase that wedding couples just love.

The George, Piercebridge. Beautiful views of the Yorkshire and Durham border

THE HUMBER ROYAL HOTEL The Humber Royal in North East Lincolnshire is a popular hotel for weddings, meetings and other functions and, overlooking Grimsby Golf Club, it’s a great place for a golf weekend.

At The Humber Royal, both the restaurant ... and the bedrooms are light and airy The award-winning New Leaf Spa at Clumber Park

CLUMBER PARK HOTEL AND SPA Clumber Park Hotel and Spa is on the edge of the beautiful Sherwood Forest, and within a short drive of Nottingham.

More than anything, Clumber is a destination in its own right with an award-winning spa, gym, restaurant and its own ‘inn’.

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L I V E AT H O M E

ium Pr e m – Live r for yea one

, 9 5 1 â‚Ź

The perfect gift for opera lovers the world around: A whole year of Vienna State Opera, live in your home! 45 evenings of opera and ballet with all the big stars, time zone shifted to your own personal prime time. Enjoy state of the art picture and sound quality, and treat your friends and family to a premium subscription! More information and booking at www.staatsoperlive.com

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NORTH WEST

The Chester Grosvenor 150 years young

2015 marked the 150th anniversary of the 5-star Chester Grosvenor – more than a hotel, it is a veritable institution in this historic English city.

Amongst this Bespoke Hotel’s awards are five red AA stars, one of Expedia’s best hotels, Condé Nast readers’ choice, Decanter Restaurant of the Year, Pride of Britain Hotel of the Year, and – one of The Chester Grosvenor’s proudest achievements – a Michelin star that has been held continuously since 1990.

The amazingly relaxing Thermal Suite

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Michelin star food at the Chester Grosvenor

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68 bedrooms and 12 suites Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor, Michelin star restaurant The Arkle bar and lounge and La Brasserie Famous afternoon teas Luxury spa with treatment rooms, sauna, steam-room and gym Conference and wedding venue for up to 350

Simon Radley at the Chester Grosvenor was voted winner ‘Best Hotel Restaurant’, in the European Hospitality Awards.

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NORTH WEST

WINDERMERE HYDRO, BOWNESS In a beautiful position overlooking Bowness and Lake Windermere, the Windermere Hydro is a popular venue with families and for all kinds of private events, meetings and weddings. Bedrooms include singles, twins, doubles and triples.

Windemere Hydro in the Lake District

Bright and breezy. The bar at The Samlesbury Hotel in Lancashire

Afternoon tea at Samlesbury

SAMLESBURY HOTEL, NEAR PRESTON Conveniently located close to Junction 31 on the M6, the hotel is equally popular with business-people and families visiting Blackpool. Merchants Bar and Grill is open all day for breakfasts, morning coffee, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner.

ETROP GRANGE HOTEL, CHESHIRE Etrop Grange, close to the M56 with easy access into Manchester, is popular for meetings, events and weddings with capacity for up to 200 delegates. The Grange Bar & Grill is open all day for snacks, coffees, afternoon tea and à la carte meals.

A popular wedding venue in Cheshire. Etrop Grange

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WEDDINGS

wedding bells?

(we’d like to propose to you too)

W

hen you book your wedding and a week’s holiday at a participating Bespoke Hotel, the first and last nights of your honeymoon are on us.

DO YOU ACCEPT OUR PROPOSAL? Whatever your occasion, be it a civil partnership, an intimate affair or an exclusive-use event we’ll make your dream come true.

From start to finish you’ll be looked after by your own dedicated Wedding Planner. On the day itself, you’ll experience a wonderfully warm ambience backed up by exquisite food and attentive service.

At Bespoke, we believe every wedding should be unique.

Check out our wedding venues: bespokehotels.com/weddings

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The stunning staircase at the Cotswold House Hotel and Spa Arrive in style at Hotel Gotham, Manchester

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Thank you to all your staff who worked hard to make our wedding party such a success. The room looked fabulous and the food was gorgeous.

A special thank you for setting up the tables and cake. All your staff were helpful and efficient and made our party and stay a great success.

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BESPOKE OPERA WEEKENDS

music to my ears

B

espoke Hotels invite you to join us for an exciting new series of concerts that celebrate the classics of opera and song. Bespoke Opera Weekends will take place in some of our most historic and beautiful properties around Britain, which have been specially selected to reflect the style and glamour of the opera world.

Starting in September 2016, each weekend event will feature two recitals of superb songs and arias, held on Friday and Saturday evenings. We will be presenting some of the finest young operatic talent from around the world, supported by the International Opera Awards Foundation.

The concerts will be devised and introduced by a team of experts from Opera Now magazine, with specially chosen themes inspired by each venue’s location and history, making every evening of music a unique experience. There will be opportunities to meet the artists and discover more about the extraordinary world of opera.

Treat yourself to the ultimate weekend away from it all.

Relax and unwind during the day in beautiful surroundings with world-class leisure facilities. And experience all the passion and drama of opera each evening, in the company of talented young singers who are tipped to be the great names of the future.

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Stunning soprano Oksana Sliubyk will be performing at an opera weekend in 2017 Why not book into a suite at the Chester Grosvenor to make the most of the opera evening

A spa treatment at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel

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chefs are better when they’re

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BESPOKE OPERA WEEKENDS

september 2016 THE HALLMARK HOTEL BOURNEMOUTH CARLTON Friday 23 to Sunday 25 The venue

High on Bournemouth’s East Cliff, with stunning sea views, swimming pools and an award-winning restaurant, the Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth Carlton is a south-coast landmark and a stylish weekend destination.

The hotel has enjoyed a fascinating history. Built in the late 19th century as a private house called Brumstath, in 1934 it became the only privately owned 5-star hotel in Europe. A decade later, Generals Eisenhower and Montgomery stayed here to discuss operational tactics for the Normandy landings.

Then, in the immediate aftermath of the war, the hotel was used to house GI brides: 213 wives and 224 children sailed in the Queen Mary to their new lives in America.

Restored and refurbished after the war, the hotel soon built up a formidable international reputation, and was favourite of Queen Elizabeth II’s great aunts, Princess Helena Victoria and Princess Marie Louise.

The singers

NAZAN FIKRET SOPRANO

British-born Nazan is of mixed Irish and Turkish origins. She trained at the Guildhall, where she obtained first class honours with distinction in her masters. She was the winner of the 2012 English Song and Susan Longfield competitions, and this year won a prestigious Making Music Award for Young Concert Artists. She has a growing presence on the operatic stage, including regular work with Welsh National Opera. Her plans include appearances in Jonathan Dove’s Pinocchio at the Cambridge Philharmonic Society, as well as concerts all over the UK for Making Music.

ALEX OTTERBURN BARITONE

Alex began singing while studying economics at Manchester University. Last year, he gained a distinction in his masters at the Royal Academy of Music. He made his international debut at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw Handel’s Giulio Cesare. His work includes seasons with Grange Park Opera, Opera Ireland and the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival in Germany, as well as lecture recitals with Opera Prelude at the Cadogan Hall. Recent debuts include Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin and Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

The music

A visit to Bournemouth is all about the seaside, and opera composers have always been fascinated by the sea, from Mozart’s Idomeneo to Bizet’s Pearl Fishers, from Gilbert & Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance to Benjamin Britten’s Peter Grimes. Our concerts in the Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth Carlton’s Causerie Suite this weekend include a maritime theme and much more besides, with classic songs and arias from Handel and Mozart to Verdi and Tchaikovsky.

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BESPOKE OPERA WEEKENDS

october 2016 COTSWOLD HOUSE HOTEL Friday 7 to Sunday 9 The venue

The Regency ashlar-faced manor, Cotswold House, became a hotel in the late 1930s. Throughout its history, the house has been host to an array of eccentric characters including Mrs Wallace and her collection of Irish wolfhounds, who is said to haunt the manor (in a friendly sort of way). The house was once the home of the 1940s Hollywood actor Sir Charles Aubrey Smith, and in its days as a hotel, it has played host to Joan Hickson, (better known to millions of viewers as Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple).

Charlecote House, the adjoining property, was purchased as part of an expansion in the 1960s.

Elizabethan in origin, the house was given an ashlar stone face in the 1740s, but its essential character remains. Extensive restoration and refurbishment has brought back the taste and elegance of the house in its 18th-century heyday. Today, Cotswold House Hotel combines award-winning comfort and worldclass cuisine with a luxurious spa in the picturesque heart of Chipping Camden.

The singers

ALEX HAIGH TENOR

Having read Music and Drama at Hull University, Alex completed his Masters in Vocal Performance at TrinityLaban with distinction, and then joined English National Opera’s OperaWorks. Since then, he has sung with several opera companies in the UK, most notably Grange Park Opera in Hampshire. He is a member of the a capella quintet Apollo5, who perform across the globe, reaching over 20,000 children a year through their music education programmes.

Alex is a beneficiary of the Opera Prelude Singers Friends Fund, and is fortunate enough to have been awarded an Opera Awards Foundation Bursary for the year 2015-16. Away from singing, he is a patron of The Chilterns Centre, a charity providing respite care for severely disabled children.

PHOEBE HAINES MEZZO SOPRANO

Phoebe Haines studied at Cambridge University and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, where she is now a Fellow. She is also an Opera Works trainee at the English National Opera. In 2014, she became a Britten-Pears Young Artist, a Concordia Foundation Artist, an Iford Arts Young Artist, and a Salzburg Festival Young Artist. Last summer, she made her debut at the Salzburg Festival in Austria in Richard Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier.

Phoebe is a great champion of modern music, appearing with the Centre for Contemporary Opera in New York and at the Tête à Tête festival in London.

The music

Our concerts in the Montrose Suite will include the quintessentially English sounds of Gilbert and Sullivan favourites from the Savoy Opera. Our young singers will also be exploring the romance of the countryside, extolling the birds, bees, flowers and trees in song, as well as intensifying the mood with passionate duets for mezzo and tenor from the French and Italian opera repertoire.

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UP !

VE % SA 25 TO

Immerse yourself in the vibrant world of opera... with Opera Now

Opera Now is a stunning, glossy magazine offering readers a unique and all-encompassing perspective on the international opera scene.

Each issue includes: » celebrity interviews & behind-the-scenes features » worldwide opera performance listings » reviews of performances from across the globe » expert contributions from leading opera journalists, including Robert Thicknesse, Michael White and Jessica Duchen » exclusive competitions for tickets, CDs, DVDs and luxury items

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BESPOKE OPERA WEEKENDS

november 2016 THE CHESTER GROSVENOR HOTEL Friday 18 to Sunday 20 The venue

With its elegant, half-timbered façade and its opulent interior, the five-star Grosvenor Hotel is an historic Grade II listed landmark at the heart of Roman Chester, standing alongside the iconic Eastgate clock.

Dating from 1865, the building is owned by the Duke of Westminster and features 68 guest rooms, including 12 suites, a fitness centre and spa and a Michelin-starred restaurant. Enjoy a weekend of luxurious living, haute-cuisine and the finest music in one of Britain’s most historic towns.

The singers

KEZIA BIENEK MEZZO SOPRANO

Kezia trained at the Brit School for Performing Arts in Gloucestershire from the age of 16, before moving to the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London as an undergraduate. She has just completed the opera course at the Royal College of Music and last summer sang in her first season with the Glyndebourne Festival chorus.

Kezia has had professional engagements at the Wexford Festival in Ireland and with English Touring Opera, and has covered the role of Carmen for Scottish Opera. She was awarded a bursary from the International Opera Awards for two years running.

ED BALLARD BARITONE

Born in London, Ed began singing as a chorister at the Temple Church and was awarded a choral scholarship to Clare College Choir and Kings College Cambridge, where he read History. He was a featured soloist in the 2009 BBC television broadcast of Carols from Kings.

Ed has recently graduated from the Royal Academy of Music, where he was the recipient of four prizes and awards. He sang the title role in Massenet’s opera Werther for English Touring Opera’s autumn 2015 tour, following which one critic wrote: ‘It’s worth the entire ticket price just to hear Ed Ballard’s magnificently sustained, sensitive, near-insane Werther.’

The music

Chester is brimming over with history, from its ancient city walls and its splendid Cathedral to its magnificent Roman Amphitheatre, the largest in Britain, dating from the 1st century ad. Our Bespoke Opera concerts will tap into Chester’s Ancient Roman heritage with music from Bellini’s Norma, one of Maria Callas’s most famous roles, which tells of the doomed love affair between the high-priestess of the Druids and a Roman consul. We will feature songs and arias that celebrate Chester’s long-standing association with the animal world, with its famous zoo, its falconry and its superb racecourse, the Roodee, dating back to the early 16th century.

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BESPOKE OPERA WEEKENDS

our musical partners The International Opera Awards Foundation was established in 2012 by businessman Harry Hyman, founder of the annual International Opera Awards. The aim of both the Awards and the Foundation is to educate, enlighten and inform the public about opera, as well as to offer financial and career support to a new generation of talent entering the opera profession.

Bursaries are given annually across a wide range of skills, from singers, conductors and pianists to directors and designers. In 2015, 11 young artists from Britain, Turkey, New Zealand, Australia, Portugal, Hungary and South Africa were awarded bursaries. In addition, the UK’s National Opera Studio, one of the world’s foremost professional training grounds for young singers, was awarded an institutional grant.

Since it was established, the International Opera Awards Foundation has awarded around 45 bursaries to aspiring opera professionals, enabling them to complete their studies and launch promising careers.

All of the talented young artists appearing in the Bespoke Hotels Opera Nights series, which starts in autumn 2016, receive ongoing support from the Foundation.

Bösendorfer is among the oldest and most renowned piano makers in the world, producing instruments with a distinctively dark, rich sound.

Established by Ignaz Bösendorfer in Vienna in 1828, the firm was appointed official piano maker to the Austrian Emperor in 1839. Its fortunes were carried across Europe by the legendary composer and piano virtuoso Franz Liszt, an early champion of the instrument.

Famous musicians who have owned and played Bösendorfers range from Brahms, Wagner, Herbert von Karajan and Plácido Domingo to Frank Sinatra, Michael Jackson and Sting.

Since 2008, the company has been wholly owned by Yahama. www.bespokehotels.com

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Opera Now magazine was founded in 1989 and is today the UK’s leading publication on opera. With more than 30 critics and correspondents around the globe, it offers a unique, all-encompassing perspective on international opera through a lively and colourful mix of news, opinion, celebrity interviews and travel features. The magazine is produced monthly by Rhinegold Publishing, and Ashutosh Khandekar, curator of Bespoke Opera Nights, has been Editor since 1997.

Want to subscribe to Opera Now? See page 25 issue 19

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Stonefield Castle The Olde Bell My Brighton The Chester Grosvenor The Lugger Cotswold House Hotel & Spa BridgeHouse The Grosvenor Arms Rick’s Tigerlily Lifehouse Spa & Hotel Columba Hotel The New Ellington My Bloomsbury My Chelsea La Suite West The Bermondsey Square Hotel Hotel Gotham Newton Hotel

befriend

Cantley House Hotel Thames Riviera Hotel The Wessex Bournemouth Carnoustie Golf Hotel Stonehouse Court Hotel The Noel Arms Ennerdale Country House The George Hotel Piercebridge East Horton Golf Club Marwell Western Isles Hotel Windermere Hydro Humber Royal Hotel Etrop Grange Clumber Park Hotel & Spa Lamphey Court Hotel & Spa Samlesbury Hotel The Lodge Hotel Tulloch Castle Dillington House Stone House Hotel Rutland Arms Hotel Coulsdon Manor Hotel & Golf Club The Bridge Hotel The Talbot Ripley The Park Hotel Guyers House Hotel

Hallmark

BW Hallmark Hotel Llyndir Hall BW Halllmark Hotel Queen BW Hallmark Hotel Westminster BW Hallmark Hotel Alicia BW Hallmark Inn Feathers BW Hallmark Inn Willow Bank BW Hallmark Hotel Leyland BW Hallmark Hotel Fir Grove Hallmark Hotel Aberdeen Airport Hallmark Hotel Irvine Hallmark Hotel Birmingham Strathallan Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth West Cliff Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth Carlton Hallmark Hotel Bournemouth East Cliff Hallmark Hotel Cambridge Hallmark Hotel Carlisle

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BEDROOMS

PET FRIENDLY

GOLF

SPA TREATMENTS

POOL

WEDDINGS

HOTEL NAME & COLLECTION beloved

CONFERENCE & BANQUETING

BESPOKE DIRECTORY

LOCATION

POSTCODE

Argyll, Scotland Berkshire Brighton Chester Cornwall Cotswolds Dorset Dorset Edinburgh, Scotland Edinburgh, Scotland Essex Inverness, Scotland Leeds London London London London Manchester Nairn-Shire, Scotland

PA29 6YJ 140  32 SL6 5LX 150   48 BN1 1GE 20  79 CH1 1LT 350    80 TR2 5RD 45    22 GL55 6AN 85     28 DT8 3AY 30   13 SP7 8JA 60   16 EH2 1HL 10 EH2 4JN 33 CO16 0JD 80    89 IV3 5NF 60   76 LS1 2EY 30  34 WC1B 3HD  82 SW3 3QX

50 W2 3JN  80 SE1 3UN 120   80 M60 8HG 100   60 IV12 4RX 450   56

Berkshire Berkshire Bournemouth Carnoustie, Scotland Cotswolds Cotswolds Cumbria Darlington Hampshire Hampshire Isle of Mull, Scotland Lake District Lincolnshire Manchester Nottinghamshire Pembrokeshire, Wales Preston Putney, London Ross-Shire, Scotland Somerset Staffordshire Suffolk Surrey Surrey Surrey Teddington, London Wiltshire

RG40 5QG SL6 8DW BH2 5EU DD7 7JE GL10 3RA GL55 6AT CA23 3DT DL2 3SW SO50 7EA SO21 1JY PA75 6PR LA23 3BA DN34 4LX M90 4EG S80 3PA SA71 5NT PR5 0UL SW15 2RN IV15 9ND TA19 9DT ST15 0BQ CB8 8NB CR5 2LL KT16 8JZ GU23 6BB TW11 OAB SN13 0PS

150    36 170  52 400     109 350     85 150   36 45    28 300   30 150   30 240   0 200    66 200   26 200   78 450  58 200   64 200     73 50     39 160   80 90  60 120   20 160  40 150    50 60  46 200    37 120  51 120   43 170 43 70  37

Chester Chester Chester Liverpool Liverpool Manchester Preston Warrington Aberdeen, Scotland Ayrshire, Scotland Birmingham Bournemouth Bournemouth Bournemouth Cambridge Carlisle

LL12 0AY CH1 3AH CH1 3AF L17 3AA L3 5TF M14 6AF PR25 4JX WA4 2LD AB21 7DW KA11 4LD B16 9RY BH2 5JS BH1 3DN BH1 3AN CB23 8EU CA1 1QY

160 250 80 200 200 100 200 300 400 280 170 250 250 200 300 220

                         

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 48  218  75  41  81  116  93  52  212  128  135  83  76  67  136  70

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BEDROOMS

PET FRIENDLY

GOLF

SPA TREATMENTS

POOL

WEDDINGS

CONFERENCE & BANQUETING

BESPOKE DIRECTORY

HOTEL NAME & COLLECTION

LOCATION

POSTCODE

Hallmark Hotel Chigwell Prince Regent Hallmark Hotel Croydon Aerodrome Hallmark Hotel Derby Midland Hallmark Inn Derby Hallmark Hotel Derby Mickleover Court Hallmark Hotel Glasgow Hallmark Hotel Gloucester Hallmark Hotel Hull Hallmark Hotel Manchester Airport Hallmark Hotel The Welcombe Hallmark Hotel Flitwick Manor Hallmark Hotel Stourport Manor

Chigwell, London Croydon Derby Derby Derbyshire Glasgow, Scotland Gloucester Hull Manchester Stratford-upon-Avon Woburn Worcestershire

IG8 8AE CR9 4LT DE1 2SQ DE1 2SL DE3 0XX G3 8AZ GL4 6EA HU14 3LG SK9 3LD CV37 0NR MK45 1AE DY13 9JA

Kintore Arms Hotel Huntly Arms Arrochar Hotel Regent Hotel Royal Hotel Thurso Highlander Hotel Kings Arms Hotel Dunollie Hotel Kyle Hotel Caledonian Hotel

Aberdeenshire, Scotland Aberdeenshire, Scotland Argyll, Scotland Argyll, Scotland Caithness, Scotland Inverness-Shire, Scotland Isle of Skye, Scotland Isle of Skye, Scotland Lochalsh, Scotland Ross-Shire, Scotland

AB51 3QJ 150   27 AB34 5HS 120   50 G83 7AU  76 PA34 5PZ 100   83 KW14 8EH 200 103 PH20 1AY 150   85 IV41 8PH 81 IV49 9AE 300   84 IV40 8AB 50  30 IV26 2UG 100   83

Master Builders The Marquis at Alkham The Bull & Swan The William Cecil The Methuen Arms

Hampshire Kent Lincolnshire Lincolnshire Wiltshire

SO42 7XB 25   26 CT15 7DF 25  10 PE9 2LJ  7 PE9 2LJ 120   28 SN13 0HB 70  28

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350 200 150 60 200 160 180 200 500 250 60 400

 61    110   102   87     99     141   95    95     88      78   18    68

Memphis Hotel Fountainhead Gibbs Glade Cottage Lanchid 19 Palazzo Belmonte Spice Fort Pearl Palace Andersen Hotel Castlemartyr Resort Xëliter Vista Mare Villa Mangiacane Mariner’s Lodge & Marina Mount Hartman Bay Estate Peppermint Peppermint Jake’s Treasure Beach Rocky’s Boutique Resort Gran Hotel Son Net Reads Vagabond Hotel Trinity Art Hotel Château Eza Le A I Pretti Resort Maloja Palace Bells at Killcare Poovar Island Resort

Amsterdam, Holland 65 78 Andalusia, Spain    4 Barbados  4 Budapest, Hungary 80 48 Castellabate, Italy 150    20 Cochin, India  27 Cochin, India 120  30 Copenhagen, Denmark 73 County Cork, Ireland      40 Dominican Republic  85 Florence, Italy    28 Florida, USA

30 Grenada    12 Gurgaon, India 200  60 Jaipur, India 225  60 Jamaica    35 Ko Samui, Thailand    50 Majorca, Spain 120    31 Majorca, Spain 40    23 Miami, USA  45 New Delhi, India

15 Nice, France 20  11 Paris, France  25 Sicily, Italy  16 Switzerland 700   85 Sydney, Australia 60   25 Trivandrum, India 250    78

Staying Cool Barcelona Staying Cool Birmingham Staying Cool Manchester

Barcelona, Spain Birmingham B2 4PA Manchester M15 4QU

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BESPOKE INTERNATIONAL

globe-trotting the bespoke way Night-time Budapest on the banks of the River Danube

You can find a Bespoke Hotel in Australia, Barbados, Denmark, Dubai, France, Grenada, Hungary, India, Italy, Jamaica, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, USA. We take a look at a selection from our international portfolio.

Designer bathroom at Lanchid 19

BUDAPEST: LANCHID 19 DESIGN HOTEL This 4-star boutique hotel, in the centre of Budapest, next to the World Heritage listed Buda Royal Castle, has 45 unique bedrooms and three suites with panoramic views. It’s a fascinating contemporary building in a neighbourhood of predominantly 19th century architecture with wonderful views over the River Danube.

SWITZERLAND: MALOJA PALACE

Maloja Palace, 10 miles from St. Moritz

This exclusive resort is in the heart of the Swiss Alps, ten miles from St. Moritz. Built in 1884 in neo-renaissance style, it offers an alluring combination of nature, relaxation and outdoor sport all-year round, including sailing, rowing, mountain biking, tennis and football.

There’s a ballroom, spa and cinema room and magnificent views of Lake Sils and the Engadine mountains.

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Rediscover ... the magic of flying with private jet travel Bespoke partner, MondeAir, provides a wide range of executive aircraft for the European and Trans-Atlantic market, flying out of all the main UK and European airports with access to more than 2,000 municipal airports worldwide not served by mainstream airlines.

When you charter a private jet from MondeAir the experience is built around you, from the ground up. Leave the crowds and stress of commercial airports behind you. Your personal flight crew will manage every detail of your flight.

Take control.

Be productive.

Rest and relax.

Demand the best.

From short-range light jets to transatlantic capability, Monde Air’s fleet can serve every requirement for passengers, for cargo and for medical purposes.

Give yourself a competitive edge in business. Give yourself the holiday experience of a lifetime. Monde Air offers a truly personal service dedicated to delivering luxury and efficiency in executive aviation.

MondeAir is based at Luton Airport, one of the UK’s busiest aviation hubs and is operational 24 hours a day, providing HS125 and Challenger jets amongst others and matching personal and corporate requirements to exactly the right aircraft.

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BESPOKE INTERNATIONAL

GRENADA: MOUNT HARTMAN BAY ESTATE This luxury boutique hotel on Grenada, one of the Caribbean’s most unspoilt and beautiful tropical islands, is just about the perfect wedding and honeymoon venue. There are stunning suites, an infinity pool overlooking the bay and Mount Hartman’s very own private beach.

Passion fruit, coconuts, water melons, papaya, mangoes, callaloo, dasheen and almonds are just some of the fruits and vegetables grown on the Estate and served in the restaurant.

With just 12 suites exclusivity is guaranteed

The private beach at Mount Hartman Bay Estate

“

A yacht glides into the silky expanse of bay, cradled by the wooded headland of a nature reserve. Manicured lawns slope down to a pool. We explored languid beaches and the lush tropical hinterland dotted with waterfalls. It is all straight out of James Bond – just as fantastical, futuristic and fabulous.

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ITALY: PALAZZO BELMONTE This Mediterranean hideaway comprises the Palazzo Belmonte, Edoardo’s House, Villa Belmonte and Villa Sirena – a variety of accommodation including hotel rooms and villas that can be rented exclusively.

There is a swimming pool, private beach and amazing gardens, not to mention near-guaranteed sunshine south of Naples. For a family holiday or an escape with a group of friends, you won’t find a more idyllic setting.

Palazzo Belmonte overlooking the Mediterranean

“

Life is a languid affair here. Breakfast is taken at a civilised hour at the edge of the pool and the rest of the day is given up to the garden or the private sandy beach.

Both lunch and dinner can be enjoyed on the lovely belvedere with spectacular views out to sea. THE GUARDIAN

INDIA: PEPPERMINT HOTELS Both Peppermint Jaipur and Peppermint Gurgaon West have 60 bedrooms, swimming pool, gymnasium, meeting rooms and a variety of eateries.

The sub-continent is one of the world’s great destinations – full of colour, vibrancy and variety.

But sometimes it’s good to know what to expect, and these Peppermint Hotels are unique in value, service and attention to design detail in India.

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EDITOR’S PICK

the be all, and end all Hot hotels. Beautiful bedrooms. Perfect places. There are many things that make a great hotel, but they’re nothing without our magnificent managers.

We asked them to sum up what makes their hotel bespoke.

KEVIN STAINES, NEWTON HOTEL Kevin reckons it’s the hotel’s two ‘heilan coos’ (that’s Highland cows to you and me) and the fact that Charlie Chaplin used to take over the second floor of the Newton Hotel every summer with his family.

RICHARD HARTLEY, THE LUGGER

‘You can’t get fish much fresher than this’, says Richard Hartley of The Lugger in Cornwall.

‘This boat is right outside our kitchen door!’

JEFF WARD, HOTEL GOTHAM

Hotel Gotham is in the old bank building at 100 King Street, Manchester. ‘Payment in gold bullion always acceptable,’ says general manager Jeff Ward, pictured right proving the point.

RICHARD GROVE, CHESTER GROSVENOR

‘The Chester Grosvenor is all about champagne and shopping in style!’ says the Hotel’s general manager Richard Grove.

GORDON MACKINTOSH, CARNOUSTIE

Timing is everything at the Carnoustie Golf Hotel and 34

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Spa which features the world’s biggest Rolex clock.

ANNE MACDONALD, STONEFIELD ‘You don’t have to be a king to enjoy our castle,’ says Anne MacDonald, of Bespoke’s Stonefield Castle in Western Scotland.

CHRIS GEAR, NOEL ARMS

Richard Hartley of The Lugger

Chris Gear, manager of the Noel Arms, helped raise £480 for local charities during the Rugby World Cup – typical of this cozy coaching inn which is very much part of the Cotswolds community.

JEFF HODGSON, THE GEORGE

The famous grandfather clock that sits in the bar, says Jeff Hodgson. Henry Clay Work wrote a famous poem about it in 1876 (which you can read on the Bespoke website). The clock in the poem rang eerie alarm to let the family know that their grandfather – who diligently wound it each week – was close to death. When grandfather died, the clock stopped too. ‘It’s a lovely poem and beautiful piece of furniture,’ says Jeff, ‘but no longer much good for telling the time!’

Jeff Ward of Hotel Gotham

Richard Grove of the Chester Grosvenor

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23/12/2015 08:38

Official Fuel Consumption Figures for the Range Rover Evoque Convertible Range in mpg (l/100km): Urban 24.8 (11.4) – 42.2 (6.7) Extra Urban 40.4 (7.0) – 55.4 (5.1), Combined 32.9 (8.6) – 49.6 (5.7). CO2 emissions g/km: 201 – 149.

The figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer’s tests in accordance with EU legislation. A vehicle’s actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only. The model pictured is a New Range Rover Evoque Convertible HSE Dynamic Auto with optional Phoenix Orange premium metallic paint (£600) and Black Design Pack (£2,000) at an on the road price of £50,100.

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03/12/2015 15:09 10:02 22/12/2015

Trident_ redefined.

THE NEW

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ENGLISH HEART

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22/12/2015 14:56 16/11/2015 12:29