Australians lap up luxury on a small scale

AUSTRALIANS are enthusiastic about boutique luxury hotels.

Penthouse suite in the Lanson Place Hotel, Hong Kong, a popular stay for Australians.

AUSTRALIANS, it seems, have a penchant for small hotels. The London-based chief executive of the hotel group Small Luxury Hotels of the World recently told WISH that Australia is one of the top source markets for the group and we have one of the highest average room rate spends. The 23-year-old group has more than 520 member hotels in 70 countries with an average hotel size of 50 rooms. Member hotels must apply to be part of SLH and, says Kerr, the group accepts only 5 per cent of applicants. “Firstly, the hotel must be the best hotel in the area,” says Kerr. “It must be independent and also reflect the local culture and surroundings. Then, of course, it must also offer an exceptional level of service.” The Lanson Place Hotel in Hong Kong has been the most popular hotel for Australians for the past three years. So far this year coming in at No 2 is Le Pavillon des Lettres in Paris and The Capital Hotel & Apartments in London at No 3. slh.com

What’s not to Leica?

A TRIP deserves to be documented and a smartphone camera, no matter how good, just doesn’t cut it sometimes. And a big DSLR is, well, big and cumbersome. At WISH we’re very taken with this Leica T camera which has been designed in partnership with Audi Design. The camera is compact and made from a single block of aluminium. From $2300. leica-camera.com

Ducasse on the menu

LONDON’S vibrant hotel scene continues to heat up with the opening of the Rivea restaurant by Alain Ducasse at the Bulgari Hotel. The concept is based on Ducasse’s informal restaurant of the same name in St Tropez. The menu of small plates is inspired by Mediterranean dishes from France and Italy with an emphasis on classic flavours from ingredients sourced mainly from the British Isles. The new restaurant replaces Il Ristorante in the basement of the Knightbridge hotel, which opened in 2012. Damien Leroux, who has spent more than 10 years under the tutelage of Ducasse in Provence and Monaco, is the new restaurant’s head chef. In keeping with the chic Italian minimalism of the rest of the Bulgari hotel, the interior of Rivea has been designed by Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel and Partners.

Smooth operator

Lovely muted colours of mint and mocha create a soothing atmosphere at Etihad Airways’ new first and business-class lounge in Sydney. Leather seating is arranged in cosy alcoves to provide a sense of privacy among the hubbub, while a colourful family room well-stocked with toys - a first in this competitive field - will keep junior jetsetters happy. Cutting the ribbon at the official launch last month, chief executive James Hogan said the quality of the fit-out reflected the Abu Dhabi-based airline’s commitment to Australia. “We wouldn’t invest in a lounge such as this if we weren’t here for the long road. And next year Melbourne will have a lounge also.” Later this year, the rapidly expanding 10-year-old airline adds Perth to its coverage of 100 cities, as turnover grows to $US7.4 billion from just $US300 million eight years ago.