There are few hotels that elicit luxury and impeccability like the Ritz-Carlton. The name alone conjures up visions of glamour and sophistication, but these are not necessarily traits that business travellers will prioritise.
So it was with the scrutinous eye of a fastidious businessperson that I stepped through the brand’s Washington DC property in the upscale West End neighbourhood of the city.
With 300 rooms in total, 32 of which are suites, this hotel has welcomed the likes of Henry Kissinger, Tony Blair and Aung San Suu Kyi.
But whether you are an important diplomat or lowly journalist, every traveller requires good service, a convenient location and a comfortable bed, and the Ritz provide them without fault.
Business travellers in particular require speedy and no-fuss internet connectivity, a desk, prompt travel services and a handy meeting spot. Those from the Middle East also require hotels to meet certain cultural expectations, be it dietary requirements or a bidet in the lavatory.
Executives will then appreciate the discreet and helpful staff at the Ritz Washington.
The bed was glorious and the pillow, monogrammed with the guest’s initials was a nice touch, particularly for guests who like to go to bed feeling important.
The one-bed suites are spacious, with a separate lounge room and bedroom and a beautiful leather-topped desk to get those business memos worked on. The bathroom is exceptional in size and filled with Asprey amenities. There are two lavatories, both lacking a bidet though.
One major gripe was the absence of free internet in the rooms, although it is free in the lobby, which is a great place to hold meetings. The sockets in the room are compatible only with US plugs, so converters are a necessity.
The walls were disappointingly thin. I heard at length one guest’s conversation with his personal assistant. I wasn’t sure whether he was in the room next door or above me, but I knew when his flight was departing and where his next meeting was taking place.
The executive club was also a letdown. In true American fashion, there was no shortage of cookies and chocolates, but there was less variety when it came to the meals. The in-room dining menu was better and the service prompt and well presented.
For local transport links, the hotel is within walking distance of the “Foggy Bottom” metro station and taxis wait outside the hotel at all times of the day.
Overall the Ritz-Carlton provides a discreet and understated level of luxury for the executive traveller.
q&a details matter to VIP guests
Kate MacInnis, area director of diplomatic and international sales at Ritz-Carlton Washington DC discusses the hotel’s services.
How do you cater to guests from the Middle East?
We have everything available from Qurans to prayer mats. We have fruit displays customised to include dates; we have Arabic newspapers and a whole array of Arabic [TV] channels. We make them feel at home and we are sensitive to cultural news. We have chefs to cook the cuisines and staff who speak the language. We try to create a home away from home by anticipating everything. Myself and the diplomatic coordinator ask for all the preferences particularly if it is someone high-level and try to gather everything as far ahead as possible. We do our research, understand the culture and have the books on protocol.
How does this hotel differ from other Ritz-Carltons?
Every hotel tries to offer things that are indicative of their locations. All the candles that burn in the lobby here are sakura. That’s what Washington DC is famous for, we have a whole festival for the cherry blossom. Every day we serve in the lobby a [president’s favourite cookie, be it Lincoln’s lemon drop, Michelle Obama’s oatmeal. We have white chocolate Washington monuments.
Your location has enabled this hotel to welcome some influential guests, is there a guest book?
We have a guest book which we started 13 years ago and we’ve been collecting all the signatures of VIPs and dignitaries. It has some amazing signatures from Yasser Arafat, Hosni Mubarak to Margaret Thatcher.
thamid@thenational.ae
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Election pledges on migration
CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections"
SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom"
The Orwell Prize for Political Writing
Twelve books were longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing. The non-fiction works cover various themes from education, gender bias, and the environment to surveillance and political power. Some of the books that made it to the non-fiction longlist include:
- Appeasing Hitler: Chamberlain, Churchill and the Road to War by Tim Bouverie
- Some Kids I Taught and What They Taught Me by Kate Clanchy
- Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
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Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
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AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs: Hyundai Ionic Hybrid
Price, base: Dh117,000 (estimate)
Engine: 1.6L four-cylinder, with 1.56kWh battery
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 105hp (engine), plus 43.5hp (battery)
Torque: 147Nm (engine), plus 170Nm (battery)
Fuel economy, combined: 3.4L / 100km
The%20specs
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2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
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