The welcome
The minute I step out of the taxi in the Elysian's courtyard entrance, I know I am in for a refreshingly different hotel experience: a doorwoman in a black suit whisks my suitcases out of the car and says "Welcome, Ms Gannon." (Clever - she must have checked my baggage tags.) At reception, Nadim, who checks me in, tells me he was born in Dubai. He walks me through the restaurant and spa options and suggests the Chicago Tribune for my newspaper. He then shows me to my room, and when another woman arrives with my suitcases, she politely turns down my tip: "It's not necessary," she says. "It's our service."
I later find out that everyone in the hotel refuses tips, although service charges are included in the spa and restaurants. What a revelation: how relaxing it is not to fumble around for bills in a foreign currency every five minutes. Similarly, wireless and local calls are free.
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The neighbourhood
The Elysian is in the well-heeled Gold Coast neighbourhood at the north end of the Magnificent Mile, aka Michigan Avenue. Most of the Magnificent Mile's shopping destinations are within walking distance: Marc Jacobs is located in the hotel, while stores such as Barneys New York and Prada are a block away. And while you'll find plenty of restaurants and cafes to choose from, Millennium Park, the new heart of Chicago, is a short taxi ride away.
The service
Everyone I encounter at the Elysian, from the people opening doors to the reception staff, from the IT fixers to the waiters, from the concierge to the spa attendants, are chatty and familiar. "Got it," is an expression I hear a lot over the phone. "Yay!" the concierge claps. But they are all also very serious about service. Everything is executed with clockwork precision. Room service arrives precisely when promised (25 minutes); a technician shows up with a spare laptop when I can't get wireless on my iPad just in case he can't fix the problem (he does); and not only does the front desk call local grocery stores to track down Vienna beef wieners, a Chicago staple, a gift for my friend, but the hotel's courtesy Lexus also whisks me away to buy them.
The room
The decor is modern yet classically elegant, with taupe walls and white and black furnishings, and a bed with 460-thread-count Italian linen so comfortable I forget I exist when I fall asleep. My executive suite has a terrace and a gas fireplace, although I'm told most of the 188 rooms do. There's a large flatscreen television in the living room and bedroom, as well as another backlit one behind the bathroom mirror. The fancy all-on/off switches actually work. A Bowers & Wilkins iPod dock provides higher-than-usual sound quality in the bedroom.
The food
For breakfast in my room I order a granola parfait with organic whole milk yogurt and home-made fruit preserves (US$10; Dh37), freshly squeezed grapefruit juice ($7; Dh26) and French press coffee ($7; Dh26). Unexpectedly for a "healthy" breakfast, the granola is freshly crunchy and the fruit is bursting with flavour. Again, I opt for room service for dinner in front of my gas fireplace, choosing a thin-crusted, rich, cheesy pizza called tarte flambée ($19; Dh70). Balsan, the main restaurant, offers a three-course "Sunday supper" ($29; Dh107). On the Sunday I'm there, the menu consists of wood-oven roasted beets and hiramasa crudo (sashimi) for an appetiser; chicken fricassee, potato risotto, creamed spinach and paella, all served in little pots, for the main, and Meyer lemon sorbet cups with poppy-seed shortbread for dessert. RIA, the seafood restaurant, just received two Michelin gold stars; unfortunately it's closed on Sunday.
The scene
Although the bar and restaurants at the weekend are packed with well-dressed revellers engaged in exuberant banter, most of the guests who quietly come and go are stylish yet discreet: think dot-com business travellers, mothers/daughters out shopping and beautiful couples.
Loved
The little details are a delight: the room has a freshly stocked ice drawer, magazines such as Vanity Fair and smart stationery cards labelled "Before I forget". And then there is the hotel's decor, by the Chicago firm Simeone Deary. The lobby feels like an art gallery, all white marble punctuated by modern Grecian busts and a painting that bursts with jade green behind the front desk, lit by a chandelier inspired by a Chanel brooch. Lastly, the cosy gas fireplace on a cold Chicago day makes it hard to ever leave.
Hated
The Elysian makes itself bulletproof when it comes to criticism. My only regret was not being able to get a private Pilates session at the last minute on the weekend.
The verdict
The brains and money behind this brand hope to expand; I'll follow the Elysian around the world, if it stays true to its artistic design and simple-yet-efficient service philosophy.
The bottom line
Double rooms cost from $456 (Dh1,675) per night, including taxes.The Elysian, 11 East Walton, Chicago (www.elysianhotels.com; 800 500 8511).
mgannon@thenational.ae
Blonde
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Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Water waste
In the UAE’s arid climate, small shrubs, bushes and flower beds usually require about six litres of water per square metre, daily. That increases to 12 litres per square metre a day for small trees, and 300 litres for palm trees.
Horticulturists suggest the best time for watering is before 8am or after 6pm, when water won't be dried up by the sun.
A global report published by the Water Resources Institute in August, ranked the UAE 10th out of 164 nations where water supplies are most stretched.
The Emirates is the world’s third largest per capita water consumer after the US and Canada.
THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The biog
Age: 46
Number of Children: Four
Hobby: Reading history books
Loves: Sports
Pari
Produced by: Clean Slate Films (Anushka Sharma, Karnesh Sharma) & KriArj Entertainment
Director: Prosit Roy
Starring: Anushka Sharma, Parambrata Chattopadhyay, Ritabhari Chakraborty, Rajat Kapoor, Mansi Multani
Three stars
Test
Director: S Sashikanth
Cast: Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, R Madhavan
Star rating: 2/5
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
End of free parking
- paid-for parking will be rolled across Abu Dhabi island on August 18
- drivers will have three working weeks leeway before fines are issued
- areas that are currently free to park - around Sheikh Zayed Bridge, Maqta Bridge, Mussaffah Bridge and the Corniche - will now require a ticket
- villa residents will need a permit to park outside their home. One vehicle is Dh800 and a second is Dh1,200.
- The penalty for failing to pay for a ticket after 10 minutes will be Dh200
- Parking on a patch of sand will incur a fine of Dh300
23-man shortlist for next six Hall of Fame inductees
Tony Adams, David Beckham, Dennis Bergkamp, Sol Campbell, Eric Cantona, Andrew Cole, Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba, Les Ferdinand, Rio Ferdinand, Robbie Fowler, Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Frank Lampard, Matt Le Tissier, Michael Owen, Peter Schmeichel, Paul Scholes, John Terry, Robin van Persie, Nemanja Vidic, Patrick Viera, Ian Wright.
How to tell if your child is being bullied at school
Sudden change in behaviour or displays higher levels of stress or anxiety
Shows signs of depression or isolation
Ability to sleep well diminishes
Academic performance begins to deteriorate
Changes in eating habits
Struggles to concentrate
Refuses to go to school
Behaviour changes and is aggressive towards siblings
Begins to use language they do not normally use
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Opening weekend Premier League fixtures
Weekend of August 10-13
Arsenal v Manchester City
Bournemouth v Cardiff City
Fulham v Crystal Palace
Huddersfield Town v Chelsea
Liverpool v West Ham United
Manchester United v Leicester City
Newcastle United v Tottenham Hotspur
Southampton v Burnley
Watford v Brighton & Hove Albion
Wolverhampton Wanderers v Everton
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.
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.
Recycle Reuse Repurpose
New central waste facility on site at expo Dubai South area to handle estimated 173 tonne of waste generated daily by millions of visitors
Recyclables such as plastic, paper, glass will be collected from bins on the expo site and taken to the new expo Central Waste Facility on site
Organic waste will be processed at the new onsite Central Waste Facility, treated and converted into compost to be re-used to green the expo area
Of 173 tonnes of waste daily, an estimated 39 per cent will be recyclables, 48 per cent organic waste and 13 per cent general waste.
About 147 tonnes will be recycled and converted to new products at another existing facility in Ras Al Khor
Recycling at Ras Al Khor unit:
Plastic items to be converted to plastic bags and recycled
Paper pulp moulded products such as cup carriers, egg trays, seed pots, and food packaging trays
Glass waste into bowls, lights, candle holders, serving trays and coasters
Aim is for 85 per cent of waste from the site to be diverted from landfill
