annual gathering of those interested in the hospitality sector in the Arabian Penninsula. Opening reception at the Madinat Jumeirah was like out of a fantasy land. not as lavash as last year, but equally wonderful. fascinating to consider the future of the city state. who will ever live in all of the tall buildings? what willhappen when energy costs three times as much? how long will the green grass last?

Service really something. a different reality set between the slowly rolling wavlets and a clogged four-lane highway thru what was once desert. drip-feed irrigation is changing the face of Dubai's sand...for now. The room is the confluence of what one would expect from Arabic Design and an international hotel clientele. I wonder from where all the water comes for the rain showers? 28l per minute is quite an amount that could be reused to water the extensive plantings.

Arriving at any property in the wee hours of the moring is a good test of their robustness and dedication to guest services. My check-in was seemless. Assigned to Room 020. an 'ocean/lagoon' view of floodlit palms. I did not like the floodlighting, but the huge terrace was nice. I tried to get another room that had a real ocean view, but it was not to be. I was advised to hold on to what i had. It ended up being a good choice. The balcony did have something of a view, but the best was that it was towards the ocean end of the building so that i could take a few strolls in the evening to the pool/beach area. nothing going on there, but peace and quiet.

there are actually four or five proteries linked together in one resort. each has a special aspect and has access to the others. a shopping/dining souk experience sits in the middle. lots to do and see and i would go back.

Everyone has a choice Michael Dell identifies three key areas in this rallying cry for greener technology. He calls for simplicity, creativity and partnerships and urges customers to choose products that will have least environmental impact during their lifecycle.

Financial Times, 18 April 2007, 1082 Words, en

room 206
what a wonderful suprise! Chester is one of the only cities left in Europe with an intact Roman wall. It has a fantastic intact centre which seems to have every architectural style in one main street. The Grosvener is an island of elegance; an island of serenity in an unbelievable vibrant Victorian main street in the heart of Chester. It is quite pricy, but really worth it.

i would go back in an instant!

room 2235
wow. one of the most elegant hotels that i have stayed in. the pool was a worth the 15 minutes that i spent on the last day before rushing off to the Airport. this was the host hotel of the WTTC summit. and it did the hospitality industry proud....except for the room noise. there is the old residence of a cocoa baron and then the new addition. this second bit is a perfect example of an 'almost' good design. the proportions of the rooms are a bit off - too cramped for what one pays AND the worst is the lack of accoustical isolation. You can actually hear the flick of a light switch [in addition to pretty much everything else] in room next door. it is a real pity since the service and staff were FABULOUS. a pity that the architects/builders did not get it OR that the developer decicded to skimp on the wrong stuff.

i would definatly go back, but insist on being in the original residence.