#teainspired: the Dilmah Real High Tea Global Challenge
17-8-2015
The Sri Lankan tea brand Dilmah organizes the Real High Tea Challenge since 2007. This challenge is a contemporary approach of – and a quest for – the ultimate high tea.
#teainspired By Dilmah
The tea brand Dilmah, whose name is composed of the names of the two sons (Dilhan and Malik) of the owner Merrill J. Fernando, is known in almost 100 countries around the world for its quality. The tea industry has been revived by companies like Dilmah, through innovation, quality and freshness. Earlier we wrote about initiatives of this progressive tea brand which always seems to strike the right tone and push the right buttons to reach their targeted audience. Late 2014 they organized the first School of Tea in the Netherlands for example.
The Global Real High Tea Challenge in Sri Lanka
In recent years the Dilmah Real High Tea Challenge was organized in fourteen different countries. The culinary top of those countries were challenged to explore, understand and apply the product tea and its gastronomic options. They were challenged to use the ingredient tea (Tea Inspired Cuisine) and match it with food (Tea Pairing). The composed dishes were combined with pure tea, cocktails and tea mocktails (Tea Mixology). The winners of the local Real High Tea Challenge have qualified for the final, that took place last month in Sri Lanka.
The global High Tea Challenge is won by…
The team from the Museum Art Hotel of New Zealand won this culinary challenge with the innovative high tea theme: ‘The Meeting of the Senses.’ A high tea with integrated taste, smell, touch and sound. The Dutch Restaurant Vermeer also managed to do well, they won a gold medal and received an award for the most ‘tea inspired dish’.
The Dutch Challenge
In 2013 Dilmah Netherlands organized the first edition. This was won by the team of the InterContinental Amstel Hotel Amsterdam. The second Dutch edition in 2014 of the Real High Tea Challenge was won by Restaurant Vermeer in Amsterdam. Both teams represented the Netherlands at the international competition.
Mini Fashion Bar by Pimkie
14-8-2015
The Banks Hotel in Antwerp has the first Mini Fashion Bar from fashion brand Pimkie. Pimkie has adopted the mini-bar concept to bring its latest collection of clothing and accessories to the woman.
Mini Fashion Bar in Hotel Banks
The fashion brand aims at fashionistas who forgot to bring some garments. In their little ‘Mini Fashion Bar’ several items from the Pimkie collection are available, for example a raincoat, comfortable shoes and sunglasses. The collection is depending on the location, the weather and events. The Mini Fashion Bar is integrated in the closet of the hotel room, guests can fit and ask for other sizes via the dedicated fashion concierge. You can pay when checking out. There are plans for Mini Fashion Bars in hotels in Milan, Barcelona, Berlin and Paris.
We have already seen great initiatives of stores or brands teaming up with hotels, like for example Room Shopping at the Dylon hotel. Room Shopping is a co-creation by the hotel and www.9straatjesonline.com. Where guests have the opportunity to browse online through the range of 40 boutiques in the streets. We’re curious whether guests will appreciate and use this extra service of Pimkie and the hotels.
Why don’t we have a Cheese Bar in the Netherlands?
13-8-2015
Why don’t we have a cheese bar in the Netherlands? The Poncelet Cheese Bar, with locations in Madrid and Barcelona, is a great example. The restaurant serves great dishes with all kind of cheeses.
The interior of Poncelet Cheese Bar in Barcelona
Located in the Hotel Meliá Sarriá, the Cheese Bar has a total of 400 square meters on the ground floor of the hotel. And like in Madrid it is a great meeting point for cheese lovers to enjoy a high gastronomic level. In the library you can scroll through some great books about cheese. Design atelier Estudi{H}ac created a unique interior using a lot of wood, marble, copper, green elements like a fabulous vertical garden and colorful wooden sticks at the ceiling. The 400 square meter is filled with a cocktail bar, the main cheese bar, a library, a community table and a big cheese pantry, filled with great cheeses. Check the website of the Design Atelier for great pictures of the interior.
On the menu of Poncelet
We’ve visited the Cheese Bar with a company of six, giving us the possibility to try a couple of starters, like the croquettes made with cow cheese Valtellina, matured goat cheese or sheep cheese blue cheese Arribes. The coca Q & Q (Quatro Quesos), the manchego bonbons and the coolant potato and mimolette cheese tasted delicious as well. The wild mushroom risotto with Sbrinz cheese and the false gnocchi’s with Zamorano cheese and the Prey Iberian meatloaf where our favorites amongst the main dishes. The Cheese Bar also serves fondues and raclettes. You can even have dinner at the Cheese Bar with people who don’t fancy cheese, a couple of dishes have the – no cheese for me – sign. The prices range from 13 to 23 euro per dish.
Why don’t we have a Dutch Cheese Bar?
We think that a cheese bar could be a popular spot in touristic areas in the Netherlands as well. Amongst others you could serve cheese ‘kroketten’ (croquettes), our tosti’s (melted cheese sandwich) and Dutch cheese on our healthy ‘boterham’ (bread) during lunch time. We’re sure that a great chef will be able to create dishes at the same gastronomic level while using our Dutch Cheeses.
Tip when you visit Barcelona: Poncelet Cheese Bar, Avinguda de Sarria 50, Barcelona
Solving the sunbed race during peak season with the ‘sunbreaker’
24-7-2015
One of the biggest irritations in the summer: claiming sunbeds! Other guests have already claimed all the sunbeds by placing their towel on it. This ‘Sunbed Race’ starts very early in the morning at most resorts during peak season. The sunbreaker is nothing more or less than a parking disc for sunbeds. Hotel owners can offer a sunbreaker with every sunbed to take away some of the frustrations on the subject!
A sunbed race is difficult to avoid.
The only way to avoid this is to provide enough sunbeds for all guests and enough space for all the sun beds. Because otherwise your guests will lay down their towel on the sunbeds at the best spot! At most hotels a sunbed race is inevitable, especially during peak season. Hotel owners who deal with those irritations on a daily base could start to use the ‘sunbreaker’ by entrepreneur Theo van den Dungen. Your guests can set the ‘sunbreaker’ at the moment they leave their sunbed. When they come back within the hour they can use their sunbed again, when they come back later, other guests may take the sunbed. Create a system around it, like for example have the belonging of the old guest handed to the pool attendant. The system is still somewhat susceptible to fraud but as hotel owner you’re showing that you at least try to avoid irritations. It’s possible to personalize the sunbreaker.
These catamaran hotel rooms would be great on our Dutch lakes.
22-7-2015
Design studio Salt & Water from Serbia created this floating hotel where guests can drift off in a private catamaran. At the waterfront guest find a reception and a restaurant.
Catamaran hotel rooms
The catamaran hotel recently won the Millennium Yacht Design Award. The project is developed with the aim to promote tourism on inland waters in Serbia that offer wonderful examples of untouched nature. When passing through the central floating construction, guests are reaching pathways which are connected to the apartment catamarans. Each hotel room is actually an innovatively designed catamaran which can be easily separated from the dock and navigated, allowing guests to choose the perfect location for their vacation by themselves. The catamaran hotel rooms consists of a salon, a galley, a bathroom, a hall with storage space and a sleeping area (above the salon). Each hotel room can accommodate 2-4 persons, thanks to the possibility of converting the salon into a double bed. From the beach platform it is easy to access the water.
On the Dutch lakes?
We think that a catamaran hotel like this from design studio Salt & Water would be an asset on our Dutch lakes as well! What do you think? Check the article on the website of the Daily Mail for more details and great pictures.
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is part of Bad RagARTz
21-7-2015
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is part of Bad RagARTz. Many sculptures from the exhibition are to be found in and around the hotel.
The Swiss town of Bad Ragaz is called Bad RagARTz from May 9 to November 1, 2015, this because they house Europe’s largest outdoor sculpture exhibition. The park of Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is one of the centers of the exhibition. If you want to know more about the sculpture exhibition BadRagARTz you can check the images in Google. Many enthusiasts have put beautiful pictures on the web.
Pillars of the Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
Grand Resort Bad Ragaz has an extensive park where a lot of sculptures are exhibited during BadRagARTz.. During the exhibition they show sculptures of international artists from 13 different countries including works by David Bill, Robert Indermaur, Igor Mitoraj, Werner Pokorny and Sophia Vari. The columns in front of one of the hotels are part of the exhibition. A beautiful way to display a column series! They also have a number of sculptures placed in the hotel, for example around the central staircase and in the entrance.
About Grand Resort Bad Ragaz
The Resort is member of ‘Leading Hotels of the World’ and ‘Leading Spa’s of the World and is situated in Bad Ragaz, Switserland. Grand Resort Bad Ragaz is just four miles from the Tamina Gorge, where the physician and alchemist Paracelsus documented the healing powers of the Bad Ragaz spring water in the 16th century. The Grand Resort comprised of two hotels: Grand Hotel Quellenhof & Spa Suites and Grand Hotel Hof Ragaz. The resort has a wellness centre of 12.800-square-meter spa, one of the largest in Europe. The hotel also offers rooms with medical care where you can recover from surgery or an injury.
#ParkthatPhone in your Mobile Parking Lot
14-7-2015
A Mobile Parking Lot: a semi new non-tech invention to spice up your meeting room! At Mobileparkinglot.tumblr.com you can download different designs, all free of charge. Great initiative by Christiano Neves and Fernando Barbella.
It might be because of my grey hair but I’m always looking for either my wallet, keys or my phone! When it takes a long time to find any of these items, I always think that I have to create a spot to leave them. That’s just what Mobile Parking Lot did! They created a gimmick to freely spice up your meeting room. No more phone distractions, just ask your meeting partners in a humorous way to park their phone in your Mobile Parking Lot.
Your Mobile Parking Lot
Mobile Parking Lot gets rid of device distractions during the day and ensures that all eyes are on you during a meeting. Christiano Neves and Fernando Barbella created this non-tech device while they worked and lived in London. They believe that the success of meetings is determined by actively being involved in the meeting without being distracted by mobile phones. To overcome this distraction problem, they created the Mobile Parking Lot, where all mobile phones should be parked before a meeting. #ParkthatPhone at the door and get your mind focused. You can download them for free and start using them at the office, a meeting room or at home, like I will! ^Marjolein
Local touch
6-7-2015
Restaurant Joelia at the Hilton Rotterdam has incorporated a local touch of ‘Rotterdam’ in their restaurant and in their menu.
Local touch
Those who visit horecatrends.com on a regular basis know that I like to share distinctive details and small welcoming gestures. Last week I had dinner at restaurant Joelia, where Mario de Ridder is the chef. The interior of Joelia has had a lot of attention in many magazines with its striking design. My eyes immediately fell on the original placemats at the bar and the back of the bill afterwards. The reference to the Coolsingel in the Monopoly game is a nice local touch to this cosmopolitan concept.
Also a local touch on the menu
In his menu Mario de Ridder (former owner of the Zwethheul**) also added a local touch: ‘Colors or Rotterdam’. And although I have some ties with the city, I must confess that I had no idea of the colors of the city. That seems to be green and white, which was reflected in a delicious fish entree. And if you have the possibility to eat at Joelia’s at least try the ‘uitsmijter Joelia’, it’s so delicious! As listed on the website, Mario offers his guests an experience of top-gastronomy in all its facets. You can enjoy the Joelia’s Bites in the food corner or sitting at the bar, enjoy an aperitif in the wine cellar or experience Mario’s talent at the chef’s table or in the restaurant. We will be back, Rotterdam has a new top-level restaurant which we certainly recommend! ^Marjolein
Aspire healthy fat burner at the terrace
24-6-2015
The Aspire soda is a fat burner for everyone that wants a healthy alternative at the terrace.
In general the number of refreshing healthy drinks at a terrace can be counted on one hand. Most soft drinks are loaded with sugar and plain water will soon bore you after a few glasses.
Aspire is a healthy alternative
Recently, there are several terraces that serve a soft drink that is sugar free, contains no calories and even promises to burn body fat. It’s ‘Aspire’, a lightly carbonated canned refreshing drink. The drink contains caffeine and is available in the flavors ‘Cranberry’ and ‘Apple with Acai’. The ingredients increase the metabolism, suppress appetite and the drink claims to accelerate weight loss. For the desired effect the producer recommends drinking two cans per day for two weeks, and to combine the drink with a healthy lifestyle (of course).
Ingredients
With ingredients like guarana (energy), caffeine (energy), green tea extract (increase the immune system), L-carnitine (to stimulate body fat burning) and taurine you will buy yourself a booster and body fat burner that does not cause a sugar dip afterwards. It certainly complements the range of beverages at most of the terraces nowadays, not the least because it tastes nice! The drink is already sold at Hampshire Hotels, SportCity, Mövenpick, Healthcity and Corpus. Have you spotted it somewhere else?
Van der Valk Tiel glass room design winner
17-6-2015
AGC and Van der Valk have announced that architect Jasper Spigt from domainarchitecture has won the glass room design competition. The challenge was to show the versatility of glass as a material. In his design Spigt organizes the different functions of the hotel room with a single, folded glass wall.
Inspiration: co-creation around the glass hotel room
AGC Flat Glass Netherlands has taken the initiative to create an “AGC room” at the new Van der Valk hotel in Tiel. With the intention to be able to show their glass in practice, to interested customers. This idea was developed into a design contest for a glass room. A form of collaboration where everyone benefits: AGC, Van der Valk and the winning architect. They created media value for all parties and a lot of attention on social media. Inspiration for other entrepreneurs who want to put their products in the spotlights.
Van der Valk Tiel
In his design ‘Through the Looking Glass’, architect Jasper Spigt of domainarchitecture designed a glass wall from one piece for the hotel room. This wall has various functions in every section of the room, varying from transparent, matt, energizing, reflected, with lighting or art in it. In one section a wall of matt glass separates the sitting area from the bathroom, a bit further it expands like a ‘sky’ round the bed.
As the winner of the design competition Spigt receives a cash prize of € 2000,-. AGC Glass and Van der Valk hotel room strive to finish the glass room at the end of this year.
Runner-up: Colorize your stay
Runner-up is the design ‘Colorize your stay’ by Kees Marcelis Studio Arnhem (Kees Marcelis, Judith Westgeest and Frank ten Westereind) in collaboration with Alverre Techni Glass. In this design, colored and folded glass walls are placed behind each other to organize the space of the room.
A total of seventy designs were submitted. Next to the winner and the runner up there were also two honorable mentions, Arcade and Cocon.
Jury
The multidisciplinary jury for the competition consisted out of Elfi van der Valk (owner and general manager from Van der Valk Hotel Tiel), Judith Kaart (marketing manager AGC Flat Glass Netherlands), Rob Seuntiëns (interior architect at Dutch Concept) and Michiel van Raay (editor Architectenweb).
