24 hours in new york - cathay...
TRANSCRIPT
MAGAZINE OF THE MARCO POLO CLUB
QUARTER 20111
BATHING BEAUTIESSPRING IN, SOAK UP
24 HOURS IN NEW YORK
BEST BITES OF THE BIG APPLE
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FEATURES ON THE WING
03 MESSAGE FROM THE CLUB
04 EXPLORE HONG KONG Outdoor dining, riders
with a cause, heritage
building and top hats
10 EXPLORE THE WORLD Haneda’s new terminal,
botanical art, skydiving
and Melbourne dining
14 WHAT’S ON Hong Kong Sevens,
writers’ festivals and
motor sports
16 CHOICE Leather can be hard
or soft, and ages with
patina. What a hide!
DEPARTMENTS
18 EXPERT ADVICE So what makes a super-
yacht super? And how
super does your bank
balance need to be?
24 PERSPECTIVE Thermal baths have
always been hot for
health. The best places
to take the plunge
30 24 HOURS It’s a helluva town,
says the song and our
guide to New York
packs a punch
like a good
Manhattan
38 TRAVEL Fukuoka is one of the
most liveable cities in
the world and also one
of the greenest
46 INSIDE CX Cathay Pacific’s
sustainable
development
51 CX NEWS New services, more
flights and a Mandarin
hotline for Taiwan
14
The Club is published by Cathay Pacific Loyalty Programmes Ltd. (CPLP)
Cathay Pacific – The Marco Polo Club, PO Box 1024, Tsuen Wan Post
Office, Hong Kong. Tel +852 2747 5500 Fax +852 2537 9900. No part
of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission
of CPLP Ltd. All rights reserved. Copyright 2011 by CPLP Ltd. Opinions
in The Club are the writers’ and not necessarily endorsed by CPLP Ltd.
Manuscripts, photographs, drawings and other materials will not be
returned unless they are accompanied by a self-addressed envelope
and appropriate international postal coupons. The Club cannot be held
responsible for unsolicited material.
EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARDGrace Poon Mun Wong Ella Young Eleanor Wu
PUBLISHED BY ACP MAGAZINES ASIA LIMITEDUnit 604-5, 6/F, 625 King’s Road, Quarry Bay, Hong KongTel +852 3921 7000 Fax +852 3921 7099 Website www.acpmagazines.com.hk Email [email protected]
ADVERTISING ENQUIRIESASIAN IN-FLIGHT MEDIA LIMITEDManaging Director Peter Jeffery +852 2850 4013 [email protected] Kong, Advertisement Director (Cathay Pacific) Teresa Ngai +852 3106 8133 [email protected]
Printer: Paramount Printing Company Limited
30
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Suva town,
ong and our
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able cities in
and also one
eenest
S ASIA LIMITEDad, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong2 3921 7099 s.com.hk Email [email protected]
2 THE CLUB
CO N TE N T S
16
We recently announced
some exciting innova-
tions that will take place
from 2011.
I hope you have heard about our new
Business Class seats, which will take to
the skies from March 2011. The new seats
offer both privacy and openness, with a
wing-back chair that provides a private
cocoon carefully designed to provide an
ideal space in which to sleep, dine, work,
read, watch TV or simply relax. They are
angled to give a perfect window view, are
ideal for those travelling with a compan-
ion and quickly convert into a bed that is
one of the longest and widest provided
on any commercial airline.
The first aircraft with the new Business
Class product will be an Airbus A330-300,
planned to enter service on some of the
flights on the Sydney route in March. The
seats will roll out rapidly and by February
2013 all 30 Boeing B777-300ERs and 20
long-haul Airbus A330-300s in the fleet
are expected to have the new product.
Cathay Pacific’s new uniform, once again
created by Hong Kong designer Eddie Lau,
will be worn by all cabin crew, airport staff
and other customer-facing employees from
the third quarter of 2011.
This year Cathay Pacific will add two
new routes to the network – a four-times-
weekly service to Abu Dhabi in the United
Arab Emirates, commencing on 2 June
and operated by an Airbus A330-300, and
a daily flight to Chicago in the United
States, commencing on 1 September
and operated by a Boeing B777-300ER.
With the launch of these two new serv-
ices, Cathay Pacific will serve a total of 50
online passenger destinations.
A new The Club magazine will be
launched from the next issue. All members
of The Marco Polo Club will receive an
e-magazine that has been specially
designed in the latest e-magazine format.
It may be read from many devices,
including ipads, and we hope that you
enjoy this richer, expanded and more
environmentally friendly format.
Finally, our Chief Executive, Tony Tyler,
will leave the airline to become Director-
General and Chief Executive of the
International Air Transport Association
(IATA). Tony’s last day with the airline will
be 31 March, 2011. John Slosar, our current
Chief Operating Officer, will succeed Tony
as Chief Executive. Ivan Chu, will become
Chief Operating Officer from 31 March.
Thank you again for all your support
and best wishes for a successful,
prosperous and happy Year of the Rabbit.
Kung Hei Fat Choy!
Innovations for a new yearKatie Rowen, Manager The Marco Polo Club
3 THE CLUB
M E SSAG E FROM TH E CLUB
Drink in the view Outdoor dining in Hong
Kong gets a big addition
with the opening of the
Hooray Bar & Restaurant
in the World Trade Centre
(WTC) in Causeway Bay.
The JC Group claims the
180-seater harbour-side
terrace, which serves
Japanese and Italian
cuisines, is the biggest
alfresco area in Hong
Kong. The group has
opened two other outlets
in the WTC, Teppanyaki
Kaiko and Carousel Fine
Cake and Pastries.
www.jcgroup.hk
HONG KONG
Cast artHong Kong sculptor Jim Racine
has a studio and foundry on an
old pig farm in the New Ter-
ritories, which he describes as
“surrounded by humid monkeys,
bananas and exotic entropy”.
The award-winning artist is now
Alfresco Hong Kong: Dine
on Japanese and Italian
cuisines under the stars at
Hooray Bar & Restaurant
History lessonsThe former North Kowloon
Magistracy building in Sham
Shui Po has been transformed
into a school for cutting-edge
graphic arts and media. Some
of the structure’s original fea-
tures have been retained. SCAD
(Savannah College of Art and
Design), which also has cam-
puses in the United States
and France, has a policy of
preserving historic buildings.
www.scad.edu
Enter the bronze age
in the New Territories
Preserving Hong
Kong history is not
a hard cell at SCAD
offering foundry courses, from
mould-making to bronze cast-
ing. Tuition over four Saturdays
takes participants through the
process of producing a hand-
sized sculpture in bronze.
www.jim-racine.com
4 THE CLUB
E XPLO R E
Road warrior
Morgan Parker
rides for charity
The new Ritz-Carlton,
Hong Kong is a site to see
Ph
oto
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ture
: Jim
Rac
ine.
SC
AD
: Ch
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D
Rooms with a viewThe Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong opens in March and claims to be the
world’s tallest hotel, on floors 102-118 of the International Commerce
Centre, the tallest building in Hong Kong. The 312 guest rooms all
boast spectacular city and harbour views. Six dining venues including
a Chinese and Italian restaurant will offer top-level eating. Even the
spa ESPA offers pampering with floor-to-ceiling windows.
www.ritzcarlton.com
Riders with a causeA motorcyclist will leave Hong
Kong on 1 March on an extra-
ordinary mission – to travel
20,000 kilometres through 10
countries to Australia. Along
the way, Morgan Parker will
raise money and awareness
for charities in each country he
visits. Parker and his team set up
Wheel2Wheel as a non-profit
organisation to highlight smaller
charities tackling critical issues.
Beneficiaries include Clean Air
Network in Hong Kong, Child’s
Dream in Laos and New Hope in
Cambodia. Riding a BMW F800GS
on-road/offroad motorbike for
100 consecutive days, the epic
expedition will be carbon neutral
with Wheel2Wheel off-setting all
emissions created. Cathay Pacific is
happy to sponsor Wheel2Wheel.
www.wheel2wheel.tv/home.php
5 THE CLUB
Brew masterPierre Cadoret operates the Typhoon Brewery from a small shop-front
in Mui Wo. At present he brews just one beer, a British-style bitter
called T8 that is distributed to a few Hong Kong outlets, but aims to
broaden the local beer culture.
www.typhoonbrewery.com.hk Ph
oto
. Pie
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Cad
ore
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Fine wine is on the
menu in Hong Kong
Wine openingHong Kong’s reputation as the
fine wine centre of Asia was fur-
ther enhanced by the opening
of a new Asian headquarters for
Acker Merrall & Condit, America’s
oldest fine wine merchant and
the world’s largest wine auction
house. To mark the opening of
its showrooms and offices in The
Centrium building in Wyndham
Street, Acker Merrall & Condit
held its 12th Hong Kong sale
with an offering of nearly 1,000
lots of fine and rare wines that
fetched HKD61.2 million.
www.ackerasia.com
Raise a
glass to
a local ale
Terms and conditions
10 working days in advance.
trial and day office platinum package will be
at the member’s own
expense and shall be
paid directly to Regus at
the time of check-out.
Receive a 20% discount from Avis in Hong Kong
Enjoy a 25% discount on day office platinum packages
From 16 February to 15 May 2011,
members of The Marco Polo Club who
rent a vehicle for one day or more with
Avis in Hong Kong will receive a 20%
discount on the best available rate. This
offer covers all car groups, including
luxury cars.
Please quote your Avis Worldwide
Discount number when making
a reservation and present your
Marco Polo Club membership card
at the Avis rental location.
Green members: K305400
Silver members: K305500
Gold members: K305600
Diamond members: K305700
From 16 February to 15 May 2011, you’ll
receive a 25% discount on day office
platinum packages at all Regus Centres
in Hong Kong. You can also enjoy a
1-day free trial in a shared office before
you buy, which includes office space, an
Internet connection and self-service tea,
coffee and water.
For locations or enquires about day
office packages, or to book your 1-day
free trial, call Regus direct and quote
your Marco Polo Club membership
number.
P A R T N E R O F F E R S
Telephone: +852 2882 2927Website: www.avis.com.hk
Telephone: +852 3071 2948 Email: [email protected] Website: www.regus.hk
Terms and conditions
and conditions apply.
6 THE CLUB
Heads upHatwoman in Central offers millinery
designs by Stephen Jones and Philip
Treacy from London, Marie Mercié from
Paris, Helen Kaminski from Sydney and
local Hong Kong designer, Jaycow. “We’re
the only serious hat shop in Hong Kong,”
explains founder Elizabeth Bradley. “So our
customers range from performers wanting
headwear for the stage, film or TV, to peo-
ple needing a hat for a special occasion like
the Melbourne Cup or a wedding, to those
who want an everyday hat for sun protec-
tion or warmth. We aim to carry a wide
range of beautiful headwear to fit most
occasions, whether formal or casual.”
www.hatwoman.hk
Brim with
mystery in an
elegant hat
Stellar performers on a plateNew stars in the third Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau
Sun Tung Lok
Chinese
Hong Kong’s only new three-
starred restaurant. About
80 percent of the menu is
Cantonese cuisine.
www.suntunglok.com.hk
Cuisine Cuisine at The Mira
Cantonese
Stylish contemporary décor and
the menu has modern twists.
www.themirahotel.com
8 1/2 Otto e Mezzo
Italian contemporary
Chic urban design and sophisti-
cated Italian cooking. Don’t miss
the homemade pasta.
www.otto-e-mezzo.com
Café Gray Deluxe
European contemporary
Super-cool restaurant and bar at
The Upper House hotel.
www.cafegrayhk.com
Din Tai Fung (Causeway Bay)
Shanghainese
The perfect xiao long bao every
time from this new branch.
www.dintaifung.com.tw/en
Fu Ho (Tsim Sha Tsui)
Cantonese
Well-established, comfortable
restaurant popular with regulars.
4th floor, Miramar Shopping
Centre, 132 Nathan Road, Tsim
Sha Tsui.
+ 852 2736 2228
Hin Ho Curry (Shau Kei Wan)
Indian
North Indian cuisine with a
tandoor in the front window.
Café Gray Deluxe
(above) and Cuisine
Cuisine at The Mira
(above left), which
serves pan-fried
turnip cake (left)
80 percent of t
Cantonese c
www.sunt
Shop 11, East Way Tower, 59-99
Main Street East, Shau Kei Wan.
+852 2560 1268
Hoi King Heen
Cantonese
Elegant décor in a basement
with authentic Cantonese food.
www.hongkong.intercontinental.
com
Lei Bistro
Chinese
Good value, healthy cuisine from
Northern and Southern China.
www.leibistro.com
Mist
Japanese
Minimalist design and a modern
makeover of classics like ramen.
www.mist.com.hk
Nanhai No.1
Chinese contemporary
Maritime theme, great views and
modern Chinese/Cantonese.
www.elite-concepts.com
One Dim Sum
Dim sum
Only seats 40, so the queues
form for traditional dim sum.
15 Playing Field Road, Mong Kok.
+852 2789 2280
Tim Ho Wan (Sham Shui Po)
Dim sum
Prepare to queue for reasonably
priced, carefully prepared dim sum.
9-11 Fuk Wing Street, Sham Shui Po.
+852 2788 1226
E XPLO R E
Old and new arrivalsWhen Tokyo’s Haneda Airport reopened to international
flights towards the end of 2010, it unveiled a mix of
contemporary architecture and Edo-era fittings. While
the building has soaring roofs and the latest check-in
technology, the shops and eating areas step back in time
with a recreated village street and a kabuki-style theatre.
Rail connection to Shinagawa takes just 13 minutes.
Cathay Pacific flies to Haneda Airport twice a day.
www.tokyo-airport-bldg.co.jp/en
Vintage silksParis fashion director Charlotte Bialas stumbled
upon a collection of vintage silk prints from the 1960s
and ’70s in London. “It was the chance to do some-
thing I had long dreamed of – design and work with
exclusive fabrics that avoided mass production,” she
says. Bialas has opened a chic atelier in Paris’ Marais
district, with a collection of dresses in beautiful silk
fabrics. The archives of Hollywood costume design-
ers, silk houses in Italy’s Como region and kimono
silks from Japan are other sources for her work.
Charlotte Bialas, 5 Rue Debelleyme, Paris, +33 1 574 06910
Natural talentMarianne North was a traveller,
explorer and prolific artist with
a deep interest in plants. In 1871
she travelled to the United States,
Canada and Jamaica and later
Flowers of Datura and Humming Birds, Brazil
Take the silk
road to Paris
THE WORLD
Brazil, where she completed 100
paintings of plants, animals and
landscapes. She later visited Japan,
Sarawak, Java and Sri Lanka, all the
time painting. After exhibiting her
art in London she offered to build
a gallery at Kew Gardens to house
them, which opened in 1882.
In 2008, Kew started to renovate
the building, along with 833 of
her paintings, and the gallery
reopened in late 2010.
www.kew.org/library/illus.html
10 THE CLUB
E XPLO R E
Modern and
traditional designs
sit side by side at
Haneda Airport
The folding
plug is ideal
for travellers
Learn how to
hunt with eagles
in Mongolia
Ph
oto
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Bright sparkBritain’s three-point power plug, in use in many countries
around the world, is a cumbersome legacy that once
scratched the computer of Min-Kyu Choi, a South Korean
design student at the Royal College of Art London. He
pondered why the thinnest computers were powered by
the thickest plug and devised one that folded flat, took
considerably less space (10 millimetres thick) and still
complied with British standard regulations. His plug won
the newly graduated MA student the Brit Insurance
Design award 2010 held in the Design Museum London.
www.minkyu.co.uk
Amazing journeyBritish luxury house Alfred
Dunhill has teamed with niche
travel company Black Tomato to
recreate the journey of Clement
Court, a founding director of
Alfred Dunhill’s Paris subsidiary,
who in 1930 travelled to Japan
via Russia, Mongolia and Korea
to source lacquer goods.
The recreated itinerary on a
trans-Siberian train includes
going behind the scenes at the
Lido Cabaret in Paris; breaking
the speed of sound in an L-39
fighter jet in Moscow; learning
the skill of hunting with eagles
in Ulan Bator; and an introduc-
tion to the ancient Samurai
codes in Kyoto.
www.blacktomato.co.uk/dunhill
11 THE CLUB
Spanish flavourHong Kong-based restaurant
group Aqua celebrates its 10th
anniversary with the opening
of Spanish eatery Agua in Nali
Patio in Beijing’s Sanlitun district.
Restaurants, cafés and delicates-
sens cluster around this upscale
environment close to The Oppo-
site House hotel. Aqua now has
20 outlets, including a restaurant
in London and in Hong Kong’s
Hullett House boutique hotel.
Singaporean dishes are
brought to book
Jordi Valles serves up tasty tapas at Agua
Kakiemon elephants from
17th-century Japan
Doctor’s ordersLeslie Tay’s fanatical
devotion to the pur-
suit of the perfect
chicken rice and
other dishes for
his blog ieati-
shootipost gets
in the way of
his day job as a Singapore
doctor. The medical connection
is responsible for the title of his
new book The End of Char Kway
Teow and Other Hawker Mysteries,
as he fears that the delicious lard-
laden dish constitutes a health
hazard. “I may
not be able to eat
a char kway teow
worth of calories in my retire-
ment years,” he laments. His blog
is a trusty guide to the pick of
Singapore’s many hawker stalls,
restaurants and suppliers.
http://ieatishootipost.sg
In Beijing, Agua’s contemporary
Spanish cuisine is devised by
Executive Chef Jordi Valles.
www.aqua.com.hk
History lessonsPresented on BBC radio by British Musuem Director
Neil MacGregor, A History of the World in 100 Objects
deals with the development of human endeavour
through objects ranging from an Egyptian mummy to
credit cards and a solar-powered lamp, all from
the museum’s collection. A book of the
series has been produced and is a
beautiful object in itself.
www.bbc.co.uk
12 the club
EXPLORE
Take the fallFeeling adventurous? try skydiving with thai Sky Adventures in Pattaya, the only full-time skydiving facility in Asia. Jack “harry” Sparrow is thai Sky’s Direc-tor of Flight Operations and an experienced jumper. the easiest and safest way to skydive is in a tandem jump attached to an instructor using a parachute for two. After a training course and a 20-minute flight, you reach 13,000 feet and jump, free-falling for about 60 seconds until the parachute opens. www.thaiskyadventures.com
Clean sweep: rooms at Hyatt hotels are treated to help
allergy sufferers
Enjoy a Bellini and more at the Venetian-style Merchant restaurant
Breathe easyAllergy sufferers of the world,
rejoice. Hyatt hotels in North
America offers hypo-allergenic
rooms in all 125 full-service
properties. For an extra USD20 to
USD30 a night, guests can stay in
rooms that have been subjected
to a six-step process that reduces
air-borne particles and minimizes
the presence of potential irritants.
Mattress and pillow fillings are
hypo-allergenic.
www.hyatt.com
Melbourne feastsChef Guy Grossi, who is best
known for the historic Grossi
Florentino, has opened the
Venetian-style Merchant in the
forecourt of the Rialto Towers
in Melbourne’s financial district.
Expect exceptional Bellinis
(they originated in Venice)
made with Grossi prosecco.
Hare & Grace is in a heritage-
listed bluestone former butter
factory next to the Rialto Towers
with interior design by edgy
designer, recycler and artist Joost
Bakker. The seasonal menus
are market-driven with quality
produce simply prepared.
A former wool-storage facility
in Melbourne’s transformed
Docklands area, The Woolshed
Pub has a revitalised dining area
thanks to chef Donovan Cooke,
who is now turning his atten-
tions to The Atlantic restaurant
at the Crown casino and enter-
tainment complex.
Botanical is the revamped
iteration of the Botanical Hotel
in South Yarra, one of Mel-
bourne’s first gastro-pubs when
it was first transformed some
20 years ago. Food is steered by
one of Australia’s most influen-
tial chefs, Cheong Liew, whose
finely produced menus gave an
Asian edge to Adelaide Hilton’s
The Grange for 14 years.
http://merchantov.com
www.hareandgrace.com
www.woolshedpub.com.au
www.thebotanical.com.auPhot
os. E
leph
ants
: the
Tru
stee
s of
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sh M
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13 the club
Seated Olmec figure
from Veracruz,
Mexico, c. 1200-900BC
SPRINGEVENTS
FEBRUARY19 February-8 May
Olmec: Colossal Masterworks of Ancient Mexicode Young Fine Arts Mus-
eums of San Francisco
The mysterious Central
American Olmec, the
oldest civilisation in the
Americas, created huge
head sculptures.
http://deyoung.famsf.org
28 February-6 March
WTA Malaysia Open 2011Kuala Lumpur
Tennis pros Zheng Jie
and Chan Yung-jan will
defend their doubles
titles at the USD220,000
Malaysian tournament.
www.wtatour.com
MARCH4-19 March
Shanghai Inter-national Literary Festival 2011Shanghai
Visiting writers include
biographer of Pearl Buck,
Hilary Spurling, and Peter
Hessler, author of three
books on modern China.
www.m-restaurantgroup.com/
mbund/literary-festival.html
8-18 March
The Hong Kong International Literary Festival 2011Hong Kong
Former British Poet
Laureate Sir Andrew
Motion is among the A-Z
of writers heading for
Hong Kong. Brick Lane
14 THE CLUB
WHAT ’S ON
25-27 March
Cathay Pacific/Credit Suisse Hong Kong Sevens 2011Hong Kong
Samoa narrowly beat New Zealand by three points
in a cliff-hanger final of the 2010 Hong Kong Sevens.
Both sides will again be up against the world’s best
rugby sevens teams. Join the action on and off-field.
www.hksevens.com
Floating in it at the
Hainan Rendez-Vous
English caption
xxxxxxx xxx
xxxx Samoa celebrate
their win last year
Ph
oto
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– C
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Me
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Pri
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igit
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isio
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ett
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Pri
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Co
llect
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Ch
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Rac
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Pavonia by Lord
Frederic Leighton
at the V&A
T H E R O A D A H E A D
author Monica Ali and
British Jamaican Rastafar-
ian dub-poet Benjamin
Zephaniah bookend
the writers.
www.festival.org.hk
11-20 March
Hong Kong Flower Show 2011Victoria Park, Hong Kong
Primula is the theme
bloom for this year’s
flower show. The name
comes from the Latin
word for first – these
colourful flowers are
among the first to open
in spring.
www.lcsd.gov.hk/green/
hkfs/2011
APRIL 1-4 April
Hainan Rendez-Vous 2011Hainan
Want to buy a super
yacht or a business jet?
Head to this showcase
of the luxury industry in
Asia to splash out.
http://hainanrendezvous.
com/en/
2 April-17 July
The Cult of Beauty: The Aesthetic Movement 1860-1900V&A, London
The look that influenced
design, fashion and art.
www.vam.ac.uk
7-10 April
The Masters Augusta National Golf
Club, Augusta, Georgia
Big hitters aim to take
home the biggest
golfing trophy of all.
www.masters.com
16 April-15 May
Irises Nezu Museum, Tokyo
Ogata Korin’s iconic iris
screen paintings, separated
by the Pacific Ocean, are
reunited for this show.
www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en
MAY4 May-31 July
Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York
A retrospective of the late
British fashion designer.
www.metmuseum.org
11-15 May
Auckland Writers and Readers FestivalAuckland
Writers head down under.
www.writersfestival.co.nz
24-27 March: Formula 1
Australian Grand Prix, Melbourne
www.grandprix.com.au
1-10 April: Seoul Motor Show
http://seoulmotorshow.auto-fairs.com
8-10 April: 2011 Formula 1 Petronas
Malaysia Grand Prix, Kuala Lumpur
www.malaysiangp.com.my/node/1/4
15-17 April: 2011 Formula 1
UBS Chinese Grand Prix, Shanghai
www.formula1.com
21-28 April: Auto Shanghai 2011
http://autoshanghai.auto-fairs.com
22 April-1 May: New York
International Auto Show
www.autoshowny.com
15 May: FIM Road Racing World
Championship Grand Prix
Le Mans, France,
www.motogp.com/en
The primula,
a harbinger
of the spring
.nezu muse.or.jp/en www.writersfestival.co.nz
rne
21-28 April: Auto Shanghai 2011
15 THE CLUB
L FOR LEATHER
MulberryThe Tudor measuring tape in
plum drummed patent leather is
only one-inch in diameter. Keep
it in your bag and you will never
get a wrong size again.
www.mulberry.com
Louis Vuitton Take note! This sleek brass Doc
ballpoint pen with rhodium
finish is covered with fine goat
leather and secured with 25
rhodium staples.
www.louisvuitton.com
Shanghai TangThis leather pouch with the
Shanghai Tang star is ideal for
holding a passport and board-
ing passes. Purchase inflight
from Discover the Shop or
preflight order online.
www.cathaypacific.com/dutyfree
AspreyFine-grained saddle leather in purple, cinnamon
or biscuit is used in these stud boxes from Asprey,
which was founded in 1781 originally as a silk-print-
ing business but later became a stationer. The stud
boxes are an extension of Asprey’s early speciality
of providing fine dressing cases for travelling
on the newly developed railways.
www.asprey.com
Leather can be tanned to be hard or soft and, over the centuries, its uses have
ranged from protective armour to the most supple gloves. It is durable and
flexible and quality leather pieces often become family heirlooms.
16 THE CLUB
CH O I CE
y.comy
eal for
board-
ht
e
Ph
oto
. Pe
n: B
run
o A
sse
lot
– L
ou
is V
uit
ton
Ph
oto
. Pe
n: B
run
o A
sse
lot
– L
ou
is V
uit
ton
Smythson Your iPhone will be snug in this
smart calf-leather case with
a crocodile design and stud
fastening. It has an eject feature
for easy retrieval. Smythson will
also personalise the case with
gold-stamped lettering.
www.smythson.com
Bottega VenetaThe woven leather – intrecciato – of Bottega
Veneta is instantly recognisable. The Empire
Intrecciato Nappa iPad Case has the
traditional craftsmanship and the soft
durable case will keep your tablet safe.
www.bottegaveneta.com
Linley Linley bills itself as “furniture and
interiors of exceptional quality”
and in 2010 celebrated its 25th
anniversary. This red leather tray
is emblematic of the brand’s
understated taste and quality.
www.davidlinley.com
Tod’s You’ve got the butter-soft
Tod’s loafers with the nubbed
driving heel, so now complete
the look with these braided
leather bracelets with a polished
metal hook closure.
www.tods.com
17 THE CLUB
.da d ey.co
SupermodelsBY COLIN DAWSON
Fitted with everything from helipads to swimming pools, the world’s most luxurious yachts are anything but plain sailing
18 THE CLUB
Owning a superyacht is the ultimate
sign of having made it – a gleam-
ing, sleek symbol of wealth, beauty,
luxury and power. But what exactly
is a superyacht? In the early days of
the industry it was a pleasure craft
of more than 24 metres in length.
But as the sector has grown, and the ways in which yachts
are built and crewed has changed, the size has increased to a
generally accepted starting point of 30 metres. This can be a
sail or motor vessel, private or chartered. Currently, there are
approximately 4,550 yachts measuring more than 30 metres
either afloat or in construction and about 80 percent of these
are motor vessels with an average size of 46 metres. Most
yachts are individually owned although there are a few that
are in syndicate ownership.
An estimated 97 percent are owned by self-made entrepre-
neurs – people who have worked incredibly hard to achieve
their positions and most of whom continue to do so. A
46-metre yacht will cost about EUR20 million (about HKD204
million) and, with an average annual running expense of at
least 10 to 15 percent, can cost about EUR40,000 to EUR60,000
a week to operate. Obviously costs vary depending on how
owners look after the yacht and crew and the cost of a vessel
rises exponentially by volume rather than by length.
Don’t buy a superyacht if you want to save money – they
are expensive toys. If you are in a position to purchase be
prepared to spend lots of money. Renowned sailor Sir Robin
Knox-Johnston once described sailing as standing in a cold
shower while ripping up 10-pound notes – and he was talk-
ing about much smaller yachts used a long time ago when
costs were lower. The 10 to 15 percent maintenance cost is
The 41-metre Ocean Pearl
superyacht was designed by
architect Sir Norman Foster
E XPE R T ADV I CE
19 THE CLUB
THE TOP BUILDERS COME FROM GERMANY,
THE NETHERLANDS, THE US AND ITALY
an important factor to remember – this is 10 percent of the
new purchase price, not the second-hand price.
At 163.5 metres, Eclipse, delivered at the end of 2010 to
Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, is the largest yacht
in the world. One of several large yachts he owns, the final
cost was estimated to be about EUR800 million. For this vessel
Abramovich has 70 crew to look after him, two helipads, an
array of water craft including a mini submarine, two swim-
ming pools and a number of jacuzzis to keep the owner and
guests happy. The yacht has 24 guest cabins, which means
everyone on board will be extremely well looked after.
While Eclipse may be the world’s largest yacht, many others
are special in other ways. Probably the most beautiful are the
J-Class yachts with their long overhangs and elegant lines.
Between 35 and 45 metres in length, these sailing boats were
borne from the “Universal Rule” in 1930 which, for the first
time, efficiently controlled the size for yachts competing in
the America’s Cup. Ten were built and three originals survive.
Recently there has been a growing interest in these magnifi-
cent vessels and there are now 11 J-Class yachts that comply
with the original rule laid down, though these have been
amended slightly to accommodate modern requirements.
The top 10 builders in terms of length are from Germany,
The Netherlands, the United States and Italy. Buyers tend
to look to these countries for their experience, quality and
ability to deliver on time and within budget. However, other
countries have proven themselves more than capable and in
the Asia-Pacific region New Zealand leads the field. Australia,
Taiwan and Mainland China are building yachts to order for
owners looking farther afield for value for money.
But cheaper is not always better and emerging markets
often have their own challenges, sets of rules and standards
that may differ from the more traditional centres. The levels
The 55-metre
Adele, cruising
off French
Polynesia,
displays the
classic lines
of the J-Class
yachts
Ph
oto
. Ro
lls-R
oyc
e a
nd
bo
ats:
Ph
oto
libra
ry
20 THE CLUB
E XPE R T ADV I CE
of quality in superyacht construction require highly skilled
labour and while traditional craftsmen are becoming rarer
in the West, Asia has an abundance of people with the skills
to craft wood and modern materials into stunning vessels,
either new or restored. Both Thailand and Malaysia have such
craft traditions.
The recently relaunched Cariad, a 36-metre sailing yacht
originally built in 1896, now resides in Singapore, having
been restored to perfection in Thailand. Its European insur-
ers described it as “probably one of the most beautiful yachts
we insure” and certainly the craftsmanship that has gone into
the restoration matches any found elsewhere.
Of course, you don’t have to buy a yacht to enjoy its
Ocean Emerald
(above), another
Sir Norman
Foster-designed
vessel, hits the
high seas
Built in 1896,
the Cariad
(left) has been
restored to
perfection
21 THE CLUB
luxuries. It is advisable to charter first to gain a full understand-
ing of what you require. Some people spend years chartering
different yachts for several weeks at a time before deciding on
their ideal choice. Charter costs vary considerably depending
on the yacht, whether it’s high or low season and the location.
Specialist brokers will assist you with arranging a charter but
expect to pay anything upwards of EUR80,000 a week for a
30-metre yacht to more than EUR800,000 for yachts longer
than 75 metres. Added to this basic cost are consumables,
fuel, taxes, mooring fees and communication expenses, which
are about 30 percent of the charter fee.
Then there is a tip. Obviously this is discretionary but a
Berth right:
Superyachts
must be at least
24 metres long
Investors are
advised to
charter before
making a
purchase
22 THE CLUB
E XPE R T ADV I CE
AUSTRALIA AND THAILAND HAVE BECOME
PREMIER SAILING
DESTINATIONS
Inner beauty:
the lounge of a
vessel crafted
by leading
boat-builders
Sunseeker
minimum of 10 percent on top of the charter fee should be
set aside for the crew.
The Mediterranean and Caribbean are traditional cruising
grounds. However, full marinas and overcrowded cruising areas
coupled with more adventurous owners, improved communi-
cations and self-sufficiency means that more of these beautiful
yachts are sailing in the Asia-Pacific region. The America’s Cups in
New Zealand in 2000 and 2003 did a lot to promote the Pacific as
a cruising and build-and-service destination for superyachts.
Since then, the Pacific islands, Australia and Thailand have
become the premier destinations for yachting enthusiasts
who want to cruise in unspoilt, pristine waters. Indonesia is
working hard to overcome regulatory issues and once it does
it will reap the rewards of looking after these spectacular craft
in its many islands. Singapore has set itself up as a major hub
for visiting yachts with substantial support from the govern-
ment, which realises the economic and social benefits of
welcoming such craft to its waters.
For many years Hong Kong has led the way for yachting
in Asia and probably has more locally-owned pleasure craft
than anywhere else in Southeast Asia. This includes super-
yachts – 29 vessels more than 30 metres long are currently
registered in Hong Kong and a number of others are regis-
tered elsewhere that are classed as visiting yachts. While Hong
Kong is not yet as advanced as other places when it comes
to handling visiting superyachts, travellers can sail there and
spend time enjoying its amazing coastline and city centre.
Hong Kong has 263 islands, most of which are uninhabited
and have stunning rock formations and beaches. There are
hundreds of bays in which to anchor, from more populated
areas to completely deserted spots. One of the most beau-
tiful is Double Haven which is described as being akin to a
Scottish loch, but warmer!
Whatever the yacht, Asia Pacific can provide stunning
cruising, cuisine and levels of service that surpass anywhere
in the world. Ph
oto
s. B
oat
exh
ibit
ion
: Oli
Scar
ff –
Ge
tty
Imag
es.
Be
rth
ed
bo
ats:
Sci
en
ce F
acti
on
Je
we
ls/G
ett
y Im
age
s. In
teri
or:
R. S
ton
eh
ou
se –
Cam
era
Pre
ss/I
mag
ine
Ch
ina
23 THE CLUB
Bathingbeauties
BY SALLY HOWARD
From ancient times to the present, people all over the world have understood the benefits of natural thermal waters
Balneotherapy, or the practice of bathing
in mineral spring water for the preven-
tion of disease and to improve health,
can be traced back to the Bronze Age
– although there is evidence that early
humans congregated at hot springs
600,000 years ago. In the early 18th
century, science turned its attention
to the healing powers of thermal and mineral waters. Notably
in Europe, where spa-going was a blossoming fad, and Japan, a
country with more than 12,300 volcanic hot springs. A century
later, much of the world was in pursuit of the celebrated “water
cure”. Each summer, thousands of city dwellers in Europe and
Northern America boarded steam trains and converged on
spa resorts for their summer holiday.
Over the years many claims have been made about the
healing properties of mineral waters. Balneotherapy is now
known for its applications in stress relief and combating
asthma, heart, liver and kidney problems and digestive dis-
orders. In particular, sources rich in sodium and magnesium
have been determined beneficial in the treatment of heart
disease, arthritis and skin problems.
Each country has its own individual parameters for what
constitutes “therapeutic waters”. In Japan, where thermal
springs, or onsen, attract more than 100 million visitors each
year, a spring is therapeutic if its waters flow at 25 degrees
Celsius or above and contain a minimum level of dissolved
solids, carbon dioxide, iron and aluminium.
Thermal tourism is a boom sector, especially in countries with
lots of thermal springs – notably those in the Pacific Ring of Fire, or
the volcanic belt that takes in Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, New
Zealand and parts of Russia, the United States and Canada. Water
in these volcanically active regions may have come into contact
with magma (molten rock) and reached a level of heat sufficient to
boil. Thermal springs in non-volcanic areas such as Bath are heated
by water that percolates deep into the earth’s crust.
Here are some of the best places to soothe tired limbs,
muscles and skin complaints, and raise the spirits.
Ph
oto
. Ala
my/
Arg
usP
ho
to
Indoor pool at
Friedrichsbad
in Baden-Baden
PARATUNKA, RUSSIA
The waters: Thirty pools filled with mineral and thermal
waters with differing temperatures and mineral character-
istics. Nizhne-Paratunskie spring is the most popular, with
alkaline waters of weak mineralisation and silicon acid as the
active ingredient. Its waters are beneficial in the treatment of
nasopharynx and bronchial disorders, arthritis, joint problems
and for post-operative recovery.
The setting: The creased green hills of the Paratunka river
valley. One of the great pleasures of the region is bathing in
the Paratunka Zone, a system of warmed mineral springs that
flow into Utinoe Lake (Duck Lake). The lake’s silt muds also
have medicinal properties.
Stay: Antarius hotel The least Soviet-style of the local hotels.
Built in Paratunka in 2005 with all the sanatorium mod-cons,
including an on-site thermal pool and massage rooms.
+7 914 789 1000, www.kamchatintour.ru
HOKKAIDO, JAPAN
The waters: Fourteen different therapeutic waters bubble
up from Japan’s “hot spring island”: rich in sulphur, salt and iron
25 THE CLUB
PE R SPEC TIV E
Ph
oto
s. B
ath
, Bri
tain
: Ed
mu
nd
Su
mn
er-
The
rmae
Bat
h S
pa.
Par
atu
nka
: Ala
my/
Arg
usP
ho
to
Rooftop pool
of the Thermae
Bath Spa, Bath
(top left)
Outdoor hot
natural spring
in deep snow
in Russia’s
Paratunka
district (above)
TATTAPANI, INDIA
The waters: Hot sulphurous springs that attract pilgrims
from across South Asia and are feted, in particular, for their
beneficial effect on rheumatism and muscular pains. The
stones surrounding the springs are also hot, and are used
for therapeutic stone massages.
The setting: A peaceful village at 650-metre elevation in
Himachal Pradesh. The springs are considered holy. See them
while they last as they are prone to flooding (the last in 2000).
It is predicted that the springs will not outlast the decade.
Stay: Hotel Hot Spring Therme & Spa
+91 1907 230763, www.hotelhotspring.com
BATH, BRITAIN
The waters: Spring water bubbling up through limestone
from bedrock beneath this august old spa town reaches
and varying in colour, depending on mineral characteristics,
from milky white to deep red. The waters of the spectacular
Jigokudani, or “Hell Valley”, are the highest quality. You can
even see snow monkeys enjoying a dunk.
The setting: The northern Japanese island of Hokkaido is
draped with mountain ranges and volcanic plateaus. Many
of Japan’s national parks are located on Hokkaido, pleasantly
bucolic with its paddy fields, gleaming lakes, waterfalls and
interior wilderness.
Stay: Kuramure Set in the hot-spring valley of Otaru Asari-
gawa, a slick style modernist-design hotel in the Japanese
warehouse style, its 19 guest suites offer private hot-spring
bathing and exceptional dining, especially of Hokkaido sea-
food. Each room has a private bath that can open to the
outdoors – a piquant contrast in winter.
+81 134 515151, www.kuramure.com
26 THE CLUB
PE R SPEC TIV E
a pleasurable 46 degrees Celsius and is rich in therapeutic
minerals. Its waters were enjoyed by Celts, Romans and Euro-
pean society for centuries (including the United Kingdom’s
Queen Anne, who went there in 1703 in an attempt to cure
her edema.)
The setting: The pleasant town of Bath became a World Her-
itage site in 1987 and is famed for its fine Georgian architecture.
Thermae Bath Spa, an ultra-modern public bathing complex,
opened in 2006 (in a restored Georgian building) and offers
hot-spring baths, aromatic steam rooms and an open-air
rooftop pool with spectacular views across the skyline of
Bath. www.thermaebathspa.com
Stay: The Royal Crescent Hotel An elegant five-star her-
itage hotel in the centre of Bath’s attractions, and one of
Europe’s 18th-century architectural masterpieces.
+44 1225 823333, www.royalcrescent.co.uk
BADEN-BADEN, GERMANY
The waters: The town has 23 hot springs and the water
bubbles up from some 2,000 metres below ground and has
a surface temperature of 68 degrees Celsius. It is estimated
that about 800,000 litres of thermal water pass through the
town’s spas and fountains each day. One of Baden-Baden’s main
attractions is that the salty-tasting water is odourless, a distinct
improvement on the sulphurous smell that some mineral waters
emit. The claims made for the waters verge on miraculous, with
treatments for disorders ranging from spinal problems and
arthritis to rheumatism and respiratory tract illnesses.
The setting: Baden-Baden (literally “to bathe”) has been
attracting thermal tourists since the Romans discovered its
hot springs 2,000 years ago. Set in the Black Forest region of
Germany and famed for its scenic beauty, the peak of the
resort town’s popularity was during the 19th century when its
The bath house
at Kuramure
in Hokkaido
opens on to
a stream
27 THE CLUB
elaborate spas were visited by crowned heads, writers (Tolstoy,
Dostoyevsky) and composers (Berlioz, Brahms). Friedrichsbad
(www.roemisch-irisches-bad.de) was built in 1877 and you can
still bathe under the frescoed ceilings of this historic temple
dedicated to taking the waters.
Stay: Hotel Belle Epoque A 19th-century Neo-Renaissance
villa. Each of the 20 rooms and suites is themed and decorated
in different styles, from Empire or Louis XV to Biedermeier
or Victorian.
+49 7221 300660, www.hotel-belle-epoque.de
ROTORUA, NEW ZEALAND
The waters: Lakeside Rotorua is the geothermal capital of
New Zealand and has hot springs scattered around the region.
Bathers generally have the choice of acidic or alkaline waters
from hot mineral springs. The alkaline water, which contains
sodium silicate, is usually clearer with a softer feel. A pervasive
smell of hydrogen sulphide gas is a by-product of the geo-
thermal activity. Maori warriors bathed their wounds in the
mud baths and the curative effects are still offered to those
wanting to get down and dirty.
The setting: While Rotorua bristles with geysers, hissing
steam from vents, boiling mud pools and fumaroles, all lega-
cies of the volcanic activity, bathing in the thermal pools need
not be an extreme adventure. The range of bathing runs the
gamut from affordable family activities to exclusive, pampering
treatments. The Polynesian Spa (www.polynesianspa.co.nz)
offers private and group pools and spa pampering.
Stay: Treetops Lodge & Estate One of several luxury lodges
near Rotorua, secluded Treetops Lodge offers luxury accom-
modation, fine food, trout fishing and wildlife viewing.
+64 7 333 2066, www.treetops.co.nz Ph
oto
s. T
aip
ei:
Hip
po
Ph
oto
Wulai hot
springs,
Taipei
TAIPEI, TAIWAN
The waters: The environs of Taipei are scattered with hot
springs, which vary from the clear, odourless and 60-degree
Celsius waters of Wulai to Xin Beitou’s bathwater-warm sul-
phuric springs and “Hell Valley”, a natural sulphur hot spring
where the temperature can reach boiling point.
The setting: Wulai is a happy escape from the big city of
Taipei. Here you can relax and enjoy Atayal aboriginal cul-
ture and hospitality amid the lakes with mountains. In Xin
Beitou, a number of Japanese colonial-era bathhouses add
to the ambience.
Stay: Spring Park Urai Spa & Resort With Nanshi Creek
as its backdrop, this five-star accommodation in Wulai is
fitted out in natural materials and boasts hot-spring baths
in each room.
+886 2 2661 6555, www.springparkhotel.com.tw
28 THE CLUB
PE R SPEC TIV E
24
New YorkHOURS
Soar above Manhattan by helicopter, admire a breathtaking collection of art, and wine, dine and party in the city that never sleeps
BY A ARON PE A SLE Y
Enjoy the view over
Manhattan and
beyond on a tour with
Liberty Helicopters
10am
IF EVER a city were designed for round-
the-clock action, it’s New York. The Big
Apple has endured highs and lows, bulls
and bears, yet it never ceases to awe
with its diversity, indefatigable attitude
and penchant for reinvention. Why not
start at the top by reserving the city’s
most lavish suite, the extravagant Ty
Warner Penthouse, which sits 52 floors
above the city. A joint project between
businessman and owner Ty Warner,
designer Peter Marino and acclaimed
architect I.M. Pei, the penthouse covers
the entire top floor of the Four Seasons
Hotel and is one of the most expensive
suites in North America. Arrive by pri-
vate elevator and explore the spectacu-
larly lavish nine-room suite, which has
seven-metre-high ceilings, cantilevered
glass balconies, a laundry list of opulent
extras and 360-degree panoramas of
the city. From this perch, Central Park –
and indeed the rest of the city – appears
to be yours for the taking.
11am
WITH ITS mix of independent retail-
ers, mass-market stores and boutiques,
New York is one of the world’s premier
shopping Shangri-Las. Overflowing
with covetable jewellery, European Ph
oto
: AC
P S
ynd
icat
ion
31 THE CLUB
24 H O U R S
fashions and hard-to-find homewares,
Bergdorf Goodman, housed in the
former Cornelius Vanderbilt mansion,
offers arguably the city’s most recher-
ché experience. Call ahead to arrange
for a personal stylist who will pre-edit a
selection of the season’s current looks.
For a pit stop, the store’s Kelly Wearstler-
designed BG Restaurant overlooking
Central Park is ideal for a mid-morning
pick-me-up or quick snack.
12pm
MUSEUM MILE, the city’s stylish prom-
enade bordering Central Park, beckons
with its unrivalled cultural attractions,
including the Guggenheim, The
Neue Galerie and The Cooper-Hewitt,
National Design Museum. Yet the Met –
The Metropolitan Museum of Art –
is the most spectacular, and over-
whelming, of them all. Cut the queue
and arrange for a guided private tour,
expertly customised by the museum’s
tour department and lecturers. Itiner-
aries can be tailored to any taste and
range from the standard highlights to
highly curated themes – from medi-
cine in art to the history of American
architecture. Finish the tour with a visit
to the museum’s spectacular rooftop
garden or request a visit to the mem-
ber’s-only Trustees Dining Room.
1:30pm
THEY SAY THAT only a madman would
choose to drive in Manhattan, yet why
wait for a cab if you’re short on time.
Reserve a Bentley Continental GT and
driver from Gotham Dream Cars for the
afternoon. Even if you’re stuck in traffic
you’ll be in the lap of luxury.
2pm
THE THREE-MARTINI lunch may have
been jettisoned, but power dining
The American
Wing of the
Metropolitan
Museum of Art
The Ty Warner
Penthouse at the
Four Seasons
Hotel New York
32 THE CLUB
24 H O U R S
and individualise their meal. The same
bespoke feel applies to the wine list;
oenophiles will be impressed by the
heavy leather-bound list. Otherwise,
simply allow first-rate sommelier John
Ragan to guide you.
4pm
WITH MORE costume changes than a
Busby Berkeley musical, New York has
an unwavering appetite for the new.
The latest project to ignite popular
imagination is the Diller Scofidio +
Shop for
designer
clothing,
jewellery and
homewares
at Bergdorf
Goodman
remains an enduring staple of the city.
Reserve a table at Eleven Madison Park,
which has been a fine-dining institu-
tion since its debut in 1998 and has
a four-star rating from The New York
Times. Here, in one of Manhattan’s most
handsome dining rooms, power dining
doesn’t have to be about surf and turf
and USD35 Cobb salads. Under Execu-
tive Chef Daniel Humm the restaurant
has attracted a whole new following,
with its conceptual, experimental menu
that highlights seasonal ingredients
and allows diners to collaborate on Ph
oto
. Me
t Ja
ckie
We
isb
erg
– A
mb
ien
t Im
age
s. S
tore
: Ala
my/
Arg
usP
ho
to
Terms and conditions
Enjoy exciting benefits at the Mandarin Oriental, New York
From 16 February to 15 May 2011, book and stay at the
Mandarin Oriental, New York in a Hudson River View
Room for three consecutive nights – and you’ll receive
the third night free, plus exciting benefits, including:
View Room
upon arrival
For reservation, please contact the hotel directly.
Telephone: +1 212 805 8814
Email: [email protected]
P A R T N E R O F F E R
33 THE CLUB
Renfro-designed High Line, an auda-
cious new public park fashioned from
a defunct railway line. Elevated several
stories above street level, it weaves
between a series of neighbourhoods
offering fascinating views into revamped
industrial buildings, art-gallery pre-
cincts and hip hangouts. Have your
driver deliver you to the southernmost
entrance at Gansevoort Street and beat
a path past the brutalist-chic Standard
Hotel to the park’s northern end, which
features art installations, ample seating
and wild flower fields. Afterwards, drop
in to Jeffrey, which has the city’s best
collection of men and women’s fash-
ions south of midtown. Make sure you
have your credit card handy – you’ll
need it if you decide to splurge. The
mini-department store is particularly
well known for its vast shoe selection.
6pm
IS IT cocktail hour yet? That quintes-
sential American invention is elevated
to a high art at the King Cole Bar in The
St. Regis New York, a “society
club” cloistered within
the gilded-age hotel
made famous by
the Astor family. Not
much has changed
since their heyday when the hotel was
created in accordance with the luxury,
amenities and ambience befitting a
robber baron. While the King Cole, so
named because of the stately Maxfield
Parrish mural that hangs over the splen-
did bar, is famed for its Bloody Mary, it
also serves up one of the city’s mean-
est dry martinis. As you are in-house,
drop into the new Thornwillow bou-
tique, home to a bespoke stationer, fine
books and other literary objects. What
better New York souvenir could you find
than a set of bespoke stationery or a
hand-bound first edition? Thornwillow
founder Luke Ives Pontifell also looks
after the hotel’s original John Jacob
Astor library, which holds more than
3,000 books preserved behind glass.
8pm
HIGHTAIL IT to the helipad. One of
the best ways to acquaint yourself
with this traffic-choked city is a quick
twilight helicopter tour. Climb aboard
one of Liberty Helicopter’s deluxe
Eurocopters for a spectacular, whirl-
wind tour, encompassing the city’s five
boroughs and many iconic sights. The
tour commences on the Hudson River
and moves northwards, offering surreal
views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island
and the financial district. As you move
uptown, you’ll have unparalleled views
of Manhattan’s scraper-filled skyline,
Central Park and the George Washing-
ton Bridge. Keep your eyes peeled for
some of the city’s newest sights: the
rapidly rising Freedom Tower, Frank
Gehry’s stunning new Beekman Tower
and the West Side’s High Line Park.
9pm
DINE LIKE a rock star at The Lion. This
West Village restaurant, set in a historic
townhouse, is home to the city’s coolest
cats. With its clubbish ambience it has
become the celebrity-studded successor
Try to claim this
on expenses:
The Zillion
Dollar Lobster
Frittata at
Norma’s
Ph
oto
s. H
ote
l: C
har
ly K
urz
- la
if/Im
agin
eC
hin
a
34 THE CLUB
24 H O U R S
to the Waverly Inn. It’s no surprise that
they share the same chef, John DeLucie,
who serves the kind of luxurious com-
fort food – such as lamb porterhouse
and lobster pot pie – that New Yorkers
have always loved. Arrive fashionably
late for your table, which, far from the
social Siberia of the tavern room, is
situated on the roped-off mezzanine.
While the mirror-clad room, decked out
in art works by Warhol, Basquiat and
photographer David LaChapelle, seems
designed for the see and be seen, the
mezzanine, with its private balcony and
elite clientele, is a much more civilised
Order a cocktail
and admire the
Old King Cole
mural (above)
at The St. Regis
New York
The Standard
Hotel lies near
the northern
end of the
High Line, an
old railway line
transformed
into a park
Enjoy a stay at selected Marriott and Renaissance properties and a complimentary room upgrade
From 16 February to 15 May 2011, stay at participating
Marriott® Hotels & Resorts and Renaissance® Hotels at
the Best Available Rate – and you’ll receive a
complimentary upgrade to Concierge Level at time of
reservation, plus access to the Concierge Lounge for
each night of your stay.
Participating hotels:
To take advantage of this offer, please quote
promotion code “W4M” and your Marco Polo Club
membership number when making a reservation, and
present your Marco Polo Club membership card at
check-in.
Telephone: 800 968 328 (Hong Kong) Email: [email protected] Website: www.marriott.com
P A R T N E R O F F E R
35 THE CLUB
Balthazar Bakery
+1 212 965 1785www.balthazarbakery.comBergdorf Goodman
754 5th Avenue +1 212 753 7300 www.bergdorfgoodman.comBluebird Coffee Shop
+1 212 260 1879www.bluebirdcoffeeshop.comDia: Beacon
+1 845 440 0100www.diabeacon.org/sites/main/beaconEleven Madison Park
+1 212 889 0905www.elevenmadisonpark.comFour Seasons Hotel
New York
+1 212 758 5700www.fourseasons.com/newyorkfs/
Gotham Dream Cars
+1 212 957 4400www.gothamdreamcars.comJean-Georges
Vongerichten
www.jean-georges.com Jeffrey
+1 212 206 1272www.jeffreynewyork.comLiberty Helicopters
+1 800 542 9933www.libertyhelicopter.comNorma’s
+1 212 245 5000www.parkermeridien.com/normas.htm Stormking
+1 845 534 3115www.stormking.org The High Line
www.thehighline.org
The Lion
+1 212 353 8400www.thelionnyc.com The Metropolitan
Museum of Art
Tours: +1 212 570 3711www.metmuseum.org The St. Regis New York
+1 212 753 4500www.stregisnewyork.comThornwillow Press
+1 845 569 8883www.thornwillow.comTop of the Standard
+1 212 645 4646www.standardhotels.com/new-york-city
affair. If you call ahead the restaurant
can even arrange for a string quartet
to accompany your meal.
12:30am till late
THE CITY that never sleeps deserves a
nightclub that’s equally raucous. Here,
18 floors above the Meatpacking Dis-
trict, lies the ultra-exclusive nocturnal
refuge Top of the Standard. Dark wood,
gilded chairs, leather banquettes and
floor-to-ceiling windows create the
backdrop for the city’s hottest nightlife.
This is a late-night kind of place where
you’re likely to bump into anyone from
Madonna to Damien Hirst. Order a bot-
tle of extremely expensive Champagne
and kick back and admire the view
before the dancing starts.
9am
RISE AND SHINE for a brisk walk around
Central Park, the best way to ease the
effects of that second bottle of Krug.
After that it’s an easy walk to the Le
Parker Meridien Hotel, home to one of
the city’s fabled breakfast spots. Why
not go out in style by ordering what
Norma’s calls the Zillion Dollar Lobster
Frittata, a USD1,000 Spanish omelette
with 10 ounces of Sevruga caviar. On
the menu the restaurant has thought-
fully prefaced the dish with the caveat:
“Norma dares you to expense this.”
Only in New York.
Dinner is
served at
The Lion
Ph
oto
s. T
he
Lio
n: T
om
Wh
ite
for T
he
Ne
w Y
ork
Tim
es.
36 THE CLUB
24 H O U R S
Elio LopezAccount ManagerCathay Pacific, New York
Apart from the Empire State and Chrysler buildings,
the architectural must-sees are the new additions
such as the Bank of America Tower at Bryant Park,
the New York Times Building in front of the Port
Authority and Cooper Union’s New Academic
Building around Cooper Square. All of these reflect
the latest sustainable architectural design ideas.
Visit Brooklyn’s DUMBO district (Down Under
the Manhattan Bridge Overpass), one of New York
City’s premier arts districts, to shop for art and design
objects and the picture-perfect views of the Brook-
lyn and Manhattan bridges and the city skyline.
Walk around Chinatown, Little Italy, Noho, and
Soho to experience the great diversity of cultures,
people, clothes, food, entertainment and architec-
ture that make New York the capital of the world.
The renovated Lincoln Center for the Performing
Arts is the home of world-class opera, ballet and
music performances and notable for the innovative
re-imagining of public spaces.
The Nolita neighborhood is worth a visit for
avant-garde fashion, design furniture, jewellery,
hip restaurants and watching beautiful people.
Two marble lions mark the entrance to the New
York Public Library, a Beaux Arts masterpiece and
a National Historic Landmark.
Grand Central Station is the city’s front door for
millions of commuters and the grande dame of
railroad stations across the country.
For a change of pace, visit Central Park – just
walk, run, bike or sit on a bench and contemplate
all the beautiful surroundings that make this green
space so special. Do not miss the Boathouse area,
the Bethesda Fountain and the Belvedere Castle.
For a day trip, visit the Dia: Beacon museum (one
hour’s drive from Manhattan/Metro-North train
to Beacon from Grand Central), which houses a
world-class collection of art from the 1960s to the
present. Storm King Art Center, widely known as
one of the world’s outstanding outdoor sculpture
parks, is located across the Hudson River in the
town of Mountainville.
Being a foodie, it is actually very hard for me to
name a favourite restaurant in a city like New York
that has so many options. However, Jean-Georges
Vongerichten is among my favourite chefs with
his contemporary French and Thai fusion cuisine
that makes locals and visitors go culinary-palate
insane with his great creations in his eight-plus
restaurants in the city.
For a great cup of coffee, try Bluebird Coffee
Shop – it has the best coffee beans in town and
great cappuccinos. And don’t miss the madeleines
at the Balthazar Bakery in Soho.
Terms and conditions
Enjoy 20% discount with Hertz in the US
From 16 February to 15 May 2011, members of
The Marco Polo Club who rent a car with Hertz at
participating locations in the US will receive a 20%
discount on Affordable Rates for rentals of two
days or more.
To enjoy this offer, simply make your reservation with
the Hertz Reservation Centre at least 24 hours prior to
your departure and quote PC#153016 with
CDP#1039946 (Green), 44130 (Silver), 226006 (Gold) or
membership card at the rental counter when picking
up your car.
Telephone: +852 2525 2838Email: [email protected]: www.hertz.com
P A R T N E R O F F E R
37 THE CLUB
Lab for agreen future
BY JULIAN RYALL
Fukuoka is not only one of the most liveable cities in the world, but it has pioneered technology that has advanced its green credentials
T R AV E L
38 THE CLUB
Central Park,
also called “Grin
Grin Park”, on
Island City in
Hakata Bay
was designed
by innovative
architect
Toyo Ito
39 THE CLUB
For years, Fukuoka was widely known as the
closest city that Japan had to Venice. It might
not have enjoyed the splendid architecture,
piazzas or the Basilica San Marco of the Italian
city, but the people of the largest metropolis
on Kyushu, Japan’s most southerly main island,
prided themselves on the carefully maintained
network of rivers that emptied into the grace-
ful curve of Hakata Bay and gave Fukuoka its blue credentials.
Today, however, the capital of Kyushu is forging a new identity
for itself as green complements the blue.
Not satisfied with pioneering a method of semi-aerobic
landfill known the world over as “The Fukuoka Method”, the
city has gone on to implement some highly exacting rubbish-
segregating standards for both homes and businesses. And
it has ambitious plans to turn itself into the world’s first city
to be powered by hydrogen, a project that is under way and
will eventually evolve into a “corridor” of homes and busi-
nesses linking Fukuoka with the larger cities of Osaka, Nagoya
and, eventually, the mammoth Tokyo, some 900 kilometres
to the east.
All that and yet Fukuoka is still regarded as the most pleas-
ant place to live in Japan and among the best in the world. In
its annual quality of life survey in July 2010, Britain’s Monocle
magazine ranked Fukuoka the 14th “most liveable” city on the
planet, thanks in part to its air connections with the rest of
Asia, its low crime rate, sub-tropical climate, excellent public
transport services and cultural opportunities.
City authorities also received high marks for subsidising local
residents who want to install solar-energy systems in their
homes to the tune of USD1.2 million. Elsewhere, funds have
been invested in the creation of green spaces throughout the
ACROS
Fukuoka
Building has
become a
symbol of the
city’s green
movement
Ph
oto
s. P
revi
ou
s p
age
: Ph
oto
libra
ry. A
CR
OS:
Em
ilio
AM
BA
SZ,
Arc
hit
ect
, Ho
no
rary
Fe
llow
, Am
eri
can
Inst
itu
te o
f Arc
hit
ect
s (H
on
. FA
IA)
40 THE CLUB
urban area and revamping its parks, with special emphasis on
the area around the port district in Hakata Ward.
City elders are also considering a plan to introduce a car-
sharing scheme and are experimenting with renting out
Mitsubishi i-MiEV electric vehicles for free to registered mem-
bers of the public in order to promote awareness of the need
to reduce emissions of carbon dioxide.
The need to be green has been seized upon by many resi-
dents of Fukuoka, where the early stages of the Hydrogen Town
Scheme – known as the Hy-Life Project – are under way.
“I always take my own bag when I go shopping so I don’t
have to use a plastic bag and, of course, I never use disposable
chopsticks, even in a restaurant,” says Tomoko Tatsukawa, 52,
a housewife who lives in neighbouring Itosima city. “I also
pick up rubbish that other people have dropped whenever
I go out for a walk.”
Tatsukawa and her family of four are participating in the
Hydrogen Town Scheme. “I have always been interested in
taking care of the environment and I thought I might be able
to contribute something myself.
“Having our home powered by hydrogen is no different
from using electricity and the change has not been inconven-
ient at all,” she says. “I am really happy to think that what we
are doing is contributing to reducing emissions of CO₂.”
Hanging
gardens in
the Canal City
Hakata complex
Ph
oto
s. H
ang
ing
Gar
de
ns:
To
ny
McN
ico
l
Terms and conditions
Enjoy complimentary Airport Express tickets on packages to Fukuoka
Members of The Marco Polo Club who book any
3-day/2-night Fukuoka package from Cathay Pacific
Holidays will receive two complimentary Airport
Express tickets. Package prices start from HKD3,799
and include:
Round-trip Economy Class or Business Class flight
between Hong Kong and Fukuoka on Dragonair
Accommodation for 2 consecutive nights at
selected hotels
Daily breakfast at selected hotels
Travel insurance
You’ll enjoy the convenience of Dragonair direct flights
– and a choice of hotels in Fukuoka, Nagasaki or
relaxing onsen resorts in Beppu and Yufuin.
For reservations, please contact Cathay Holidays Limited:
Telephone: +852 2747 4388Website: www.cxholidays.com
P A R T N E R O F F E R
41 THE CLUB
The Hy-Life Project is a collaboration between the prefec-
ture, a number of city authorities, private companies, research
institutes and universities, with the National Institute for
Advanced Industrial Science and Technology establishing
one of the most advanced hydrogen research and develop-
ment centres in the world on the local campus of Kyushu
University, which is acting as the centre for all research into
the use of hydrogen energy.
The first home-use fuel cell was installed in October 2008
and the concept is remarkably simple. Homes are supplied
with hydrogen to generate electricity that is then used to
power lights and heat water. In parallel, a network of hydrogen
filling stations is being established so drivers can top up their
hydrogen-powered cars, such as Honda’s FCX Clarity.
Hydrogen is already being supplied to some homes.
Japan’s largest steel-maker, for example, makes hydrogen
as a by-product and had previously simply burned it off as
HOME GENERATORS REDUCE CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSIONS
BY ABOUT 30 PERCENT
Kunihiro
Tonegawa with
the hydrogen
power
generator
outside his
Maebaru home
42 THE CLUB
T R AV E L
waste. Nippon Steel now pipes it to properties in Fukuoka and
the first car-filling stations in nearby Kitakyushu City.
The plan is for a network of more than 5,000 filling stations
to be operational by 2030, with some auto-industry analysts
estimating that as many as 15 million hydrogen-powered cars
may be on Japan’s roads by that time.
For individual properties, Nippon Oil and Saibu Gas Energy
are installing miniaturised hydrogen generators known as
fuel-cell stacks that are small enough to stand unobtrusively
in a back garden. Efforts are under way to make the units
even more compact, enabling them to be sited on apart-
ment balconies.
The generators produce hydrogen through a chemical
reaction between natural gas and water. The aim is to pro-
duce hydrogen from water without the need for natural gas
at all. Through the reaction between hydrogen and oxygen,
sufficient energy is produced to power about 60 percent of the
average family home’s needs. After that, households need to
use the mains electricity again. The designers of the scheme
hope to increase the efficiency of the system and, eventually,
provide all the power that a home needs from the fuel cells.
According to the operators’ calculations, the home genera-
tors reduce both energy consumption and carbon dioxide
emissions by about 30 percent.
Community groups in Fukuoka volunteer to separate
household rubbish into items that are burnable and others –
Misakigaoka
residential area
of Maebaru
City, known as
Hydrogen Town
Ph
oto
s. P
ow
er
ge
ne
rato
r, H
ydro
ge
n T
ow
n: R
ob
ert
Gilh
oo
ly
Terms and conditions
Enjoy a complimentary room upgrade and more
From 16 February to 15 May 2011, stay at Grand Hyatt
Fukuoka at the Hyatt Daily Rate for a minimum of two
consecutive nights – and you’ll enjoy exciting benefits,
including:
Complimentary upgrade to a Club Room upon
reservation
A 10% discount on food and beverage at hotel
restaurants and bars
Grand Hyatt Fukuoka is located in the heart of
Fukuoka city, adjacent to the entertainment and
business district. The hotel is part of Canal City Hakata,
a multi-purpose complex featuring cinemas, a
performing arts theatre, and some 150 restaurants and
shops.
To enjoy this offer, quote your membership number
and promotion code “MP734” when making your
reservation, and present your membership card upon
check-in.
Telephone: +81 92 282 1234Email: [email protected]: fukuoka.grand.hyatt.com
P A R T N E R O F F E R
43 THE CLUB
such as glass, plastics or metal – that can be recycled. They
also prowl the beaches on the outskirts of the city to collect
washed-up rubbish.
A flier distributed by the Fukuoka City Environmental
Bureau encourages residents to follow “The 3 R’s”: reducing
the amount of waste they produce; reusing things they might
otherwise throw away; and recycling everything from old
newspapers to bottles, beer cans and the plastic trays for
food used by supermarkets.
The city has also introduced a system whereby household
waste is collected late at night, partly because unsightly rubbish
THE CITY’S ENTIRE GREEN MOVEMENT CAN TRACE
ITS ROOTS BACK TO ‘THE FUKUOKA METHOD’
Fukuoka residents can
rent a Mitsubishi i-MiEV
to gain awareness of
carbon emissions Ph
oto
s. P
ow
er
stat
ion
: Jiji
Pre
ss/P
AN
A. S
ho
pp
ing
bag
: Ge
tty
Imag
es
44 THE CLUB
T R AV E L
is not then left lying around the city during daylight hours but
also to prevent rubbish trucks getting stuck in traffic jams and
emitting unnecessary CO₂.
Retailers have taken to the green ethos, with the Canal City
Hakata complex of stores, a cinema, outdoor cafés and a hotel
designed by Jon Jerde to have a canal running through it. The
ACROS Fukuoka Building was dreamed up by Emilio Ambasz
as a stepped emporium that also houses the city’s symphony
hall and has wide terraces that cascade onto the levels below,
reducing temperatures in the hot summer months.
The latest major project is the construction of Island City.
As the name suggests, a 400-hectare patch of reclaimed land
in Hakata Bay will be home to businesses and homes when it
is completed. Other municipal initiatives include “eco-town”
projects in neighbouring Kitakyushu and Omuta City, the
recycling of crushed waste from cars and the creation of
the Fukuoka Research Centre for Recycling Systems. But
the city’s entire green movement can trace its roots back to
“The Fukuoka Method”.
In 1966, Fukuoka University began research into landfill
technology to improve the quality of the liquid that
leaches from the waste. In the following years,
working with the city, it was learned that
more air within the landfill not only
enhanced the decomposition proc-
ess and quickly stabilised the waste
thanks to improved activity by
microbes, but that it also reduced
Fukuoka’s photovoltaic
power station is one of
the largest run by a local
government in Japan
(above)
Local shoppers avoid
using plastic bags (left)
45 THE CLUB
the amount of methane, hydrogen sulphide and other gases
that can build up.
The first semi-aerobic landfill development was tested in
1975 and produced less than 50 percent of the greenhouse
gases emitted by a conventional landfill. The model was
subsequently adopted across Japan and in towns in China,
Malaysia, Vietnam and Samoa.
Along with the baseball team – the much-loved Hawks –
the 1.5 million residents of Fukuoka are proud of their place
in green history and most have no desire to swap this peace-
ful and compact city for the bright lights of Tokyo or Osaka.
Where else, they ask, does life get this good?
“When I have free time, I like to go bird-watching along the
coast, at the place where the Japanese islands are across the
straits from the Korean Peninsula,” says Takeo Tashiro, 51, who
has lived in the city for the past 30 years. “You can see many
kinds of migratory birds there in the spring and autumn, but
I also get a sense of our role in the world there.”
The path tosustainabilityCathay Pacific has travelled a long way in its journey towards sustainable development, considering environmental, social and economic aspects of the business
Cathay Pacific is a global airline with thousands
of employees across the world and carries mil-
lions of passengers each year. Accounting in
Cathay Pacific goes beyond profit-and-loss
statements and financial reports. Economic
performance is measured alongside the com-
pany’s environmental impacts and relationship with customers,
staff and local communities in which the business operates.
“For a long time, we have been undertaking community
initiatives, continuing to improving our relationship with staff,
and managing our environmental impacts – all these are
great on their own – but they were operating in isolation with
the commercial side of the business,” says Quince Chong,
Cathay Pacific Director Corporate Affairs.
“In order to be a sustainable business that yields financial
benefits in the longer term, we must have the three pillars
of sustainability firmly integrated into our business model –
economic development of the business, social responsibility,
and minimisation of our environmental footprint.”
Our new Sustainable Development Policy, launched in 2010,
was based on the view that sustaining economic growth without
harming the planet or exhausting its resources, while improving
the quality of our current and future generations, is important.
From the policy, the Sustainable Development Strategy was
developed with extensive consultation with all the departments
and subsidiaries of the company. They contributed hugely to
identification of the priorities for practical implementation.
“We are such a large organisation: the fact that we carry 25
million passengers a year, operate thousands of flights and
have more than 25,000 staff within the group not only reflects
the scale of our operations but also our potential impacts on
sustainability,” says Quince.
“So we asked ourselves, ‘How do we minimise these impacts?’
Firstly, we came up with the five ‘Strategic Areas’ that are most
important to us: how we operate our flights; how we interact
with our customers; investing in the communities and the
people that we serve; managing our infrastructure; as well as
working with our supply chain.” Ph
oto
. Qu
ince
Ch
on
g: T
imo
thy
O’R
ou
rke
Cathay Pacific’s
Sustainable
Development
Report now
includes topics
such as the
Cathay Pacific
fleet (top);
its community
programmes
(centre); and
staff (bottom)
46 THE CLUB
INSIDE C X
We are committed to consulting each important sector of
our stakeholders at least once every two years, and in order
to carry this out systematically we have developed an initial
five-year Stakeholder Engagement Strategy since 2007. This
stakeholder focus is reflected in the way the Sustainable Devel-
opment Strategy has evolved.
For instance, customers and staff have played important
roles in the implementation of this strategy. The FLY greener
programme, which started in 2007, by which passengers can
offset the carbon emissions of their flights, came about when
customers requested a way to mitigate their carbon footprint.
“The customer is key in advancing our agenda. They know that
they still need to travel by air – it is something that you cannot
eliminate altogether. So they suggested the idea of offsetting
their carbon emissions with us while they fly.
“We also engage with our corporate customers on this. Almost
all of the Swire Group companies have offset their business
travel with Cathay Pacific over the past three years.”
Quince also says that a number of other corporations are
interested in partnering with Cathay Pacific’s FLY greener pro-
gramme. “What is really telling is that we are not hard-selling
this programme. They are actually coming to us saying they
are very interested. We are currently in discussion with our
corporate clients who would like to be involved with offsetting
their emissions with us. They are especially keen about the
Guangdong [hydropower] project on our offset portfolio. The
Quince Chong,
Cathay Pacific
Director
Corporate Affairs
47 THE CLUB
THE MESSAGE IS SPREAD TO STAFF IN OUTPORTS
After use,
plastic cups
are collected
for recycling
(above)
Cathay Pacific
and Dragonair
fleet emissions
(above left)
Hong Kong-based companies see the connection – it is geo-
graphically near and therefore their staff can relate to it.”
Cathay Pacific staff initiate and are involved in many commu-
nity projects, which is another important aspect of our strategy.
“The size and diversity of the staff is our greatest asset,” says
Quince. “We have colleagues of different nationalities from all
over the world, in both our overseas and Hong Kong offices.
If you look at our 8,000-strong flight-attendant community in
Hong Kong, the makeup is about 50 percent Hong-Kong Chi-
nese and 50 percent from other places in Asia, possessing the
wide range of language skills that is required of our service.”
The corporate volunteering team, “CX Volunteers”, was set up
in 2007 and now about 700 staff regularly take part in activities,
from smaller projects meeting the needs of local communities
to flagship youth programmes. These include beach clean-ups;
visits to underprivileged families; English on Air, a programme
that encourages local students to practice their spoken English
with staff; and I Can Fly, an educational programme combining
social service with aviation know-how for youth.
Staff are encouraged to suggest how offices can be more
environmentally friendly. Ideas included reducing energy con-
sumption by switching off lights and computers after work
hours or when not required and recycling inflight waste.
“Our flight attendants are very efficient and they are keen to
participate in environmental initiatives. They help segregate
aluminium cans and plastic cups onboard flights. Back on the
ground, the catering company then collects these materials
and sends them off for recycling.
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
‘000tonnes
0
45
90
135
180
225
270
315
360
grammesCO2
1998 1999total CO2 emissions grammes/RTK
grammes/ATK
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007* 2008* 2009*+
Incorporates Dragonair *Include testing & training flights +
Global CO2 Emissions–Cathay Pacific and Dragonair Fleet
INSIDE C X
48 THE CLUB
Meal tray
cutlery and
dishes are
sorted after a
flight (above)
“We started this practice more than five years ago. Initially,
it was met with some cynicism from staff who worried that
this would add to the workload, but now everybody sees the
benefits. I think that this is proof that having a dialogue with
your colleagues, listening to them and acting on their feedback
is the most effective way to get them on board.”
Beyond customers and staff, the government, non-govern-
mental organisations, our suppliers and green groups were also
involved in the stakeholder engagement dialogue.
“We are serious about feedback from our stakeholders,” says
Quince, “which contributed significantly to our Sustainable
Development Strategy. Our action plan was devised based on
some of the programmes and activities that they believe would
help us advance the agenda on Sustainable Development.”
An example is the Supplier Code of Conduct. Cathay Pacific
developed its own code and is one of the few airlines to have
such a policy. “It has been three years since we launched this
code and we are continuously refining it and engaging with
our suppliers to try to influence or encourage them to be more
sustainable in their practices,” says Quince.
The environmental message is also spread to staff in outports
around the world. Sustainable development topics often appear
at staff forums, regional business conferences and talks by the
airline’s own Environmental Affairs Department. Quince says the
team of five from this department, headed by Mark Watson, is
the catalyst in advancing this agenda, implanting the mindset
among staff of considering sustainable development when
business decisions are being made, wherever they are.
All departments and outports have an environmental cham-
pion who disseminates information to colleagues. Outports are
also encouraged to get involved with local programmes that
are in line with the initiatives at the headquarters in Hong Kong.
For instance, the Cathay Pacific team in the United States has
tailored the I Can Fly programme for younger children there.
49 THE CLUB
“WE SEE IMPROVEMENT ON OUR FUEL EFFICIENCY”
Sustainable development progress is measured in several ways.
“We have data to track our carbon emissions over the past 12
years, and are pleased to see a total efficiency improvement of
8.4 percent since 1998,” says Quince.
In the next decade, the International Air Transport Association,
which represents the aviation industry, has set a target of 1.5
percent improvement on carbon emissions year-on-year from
2009 to 2020. Apart from reporting on carbon-emissions data,
Cathay Pacific also checks environmental and social perform-
ance data such as water use, waste materials and staff training.
“Cathay Pacific’s corporate reporting process has evolved from
the initial approach of focusing purely on environmental issues
in the mid-1990s to the scope being widened to include Cor-
porate Social Responsibility activities since 2006,” says Quince.
“Continuing our commitment to transparency and account-
ability, the scope of the Sustainable Development Report since
2009 is even more comprehensive.”
Cathay Pacific’s reports in 2008 and 2009 both achieved Global
Reporting Initiative (GRI) A+ ratings. This is an indication of the
improving comprehensiveness, materiality and transparency
of the airline’s reporting. The airline was also included on the
prestigious FTSE4Good Index and is listed as one of the top 30
companies in the Hong Kong Hang Seng Corporate Sustain-
ability Index.
Quince says the award-winning Sustainable Development
Reports and all the previous reports are the result of a 15-year
journey, where Cathay Pacific has taken passengers, staff and the
community on board along the way towards sustainability.
A hydroelectric
project in
Guangdong
Province
(far right)
offsets carbon
emissions as
part of the
FLY greener
programme
The scheme has
increased crop
yields (right)
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50 THE CLUB
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Flight increases to New York and TorontoCathay Pacific strengthens its services to two key destinations in North America –
New York and Toronto – in line with continued strong demand. Three flights a
week will be added to New York from 27 March to 1 May, making four flights a
day from 2 May. From 1 May, two more flights a week will be added to Toronto,
resulting in a twice-daily service.
It is all aimed at providing greater scheduling choice and flexibility, allowing you
to plan your travel with ease. For details, visit www.cathaypacific.com
New services to Chicago and Abu DhabiCathay Pacific will launch flights to Chicago and Abu Dhabi this year.
Services to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE),
will begin on 2 June with four flights a week leaving Hong Kong, on
Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays.
The Chicago services will be launched on 1 September. The daily
service will provide you with greater connectivity between the
Midwestern United States and Hong Kong and the rest of Asia.
For details, visit www.cathaypacific.com
HOTELSHilton Worldwide Hilton® Hotels and Resorts
Waldorf Astoria Hotels & Resorts™Hyatt Hotels & Resorts™
Langham Hotels InternationalMandarin Oriental Hotel GroupMarriott® International
Marriott® Hotels & Resorts
Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide
Westin Hotels & Resorts®Swire HotelsThe Peninsula Hotels
CAR RENTALAvisHertz
LIFESTYLEBLT SteakMing CourtNicholini’s Prince RestaurantT’ang CourtTokoroCathay Holidays LimitedCHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Salvatore FerragamoCathay Pacific Inflight Sales Programme – Discover the ShopDragonair Inflight Sales Programme – EmporiumPonti Wine CellarsRegusTravelex
CLUB PARTNERS : For exclusive Club partner offers, please visit the member’s area of www.cathaypacific.com
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51 THE CLUB
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For all partner offers, prices quoted are subject to change without prior notice. Peak season surcharges apply. Advance reservation is required. Rooms and offers are subject to availability.
Blackout dates apply. Offer cannot be used in conjunction with any other promotional offer or membership benefit.
Toll-free Mandarin hotline is now available in TaiwanIn addition to our toll-free hotline number that members
of The Marco Polo Club can call from anywhere in the
world, we have recently added a toll-free number for
Taiwan. Mandarin-speaking members in Taiwan can
now call the dedicated hotline 00801 856618 from any
fixed-line phone, pay phone or mobile phone (except
via mobile carrier KG Telecom). Service hours are 8am
to 11pm, Monday to Saturday, including public holidays.
Members can also
call +800 2747 5500,
the toll-free world-
wide service hotline
number, for other
languages service.Toll-free
hotline
for Taiwan
New flights
to Chicago
Toll-free Mandarin-
language hotline
for Taiwan
THE VEIL OF TIME
How museums
present the past
HISTORY LESSONS
Corporate archives
1QUARTER 2011