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Always take your own spare Ethernet cable with you because most hotels now have ports for broadband but either run out of cables or other guests have broken them. Otherwise you will have to go out and find one and pay through the nose or lose valuable time. Also wise to carry a couple of spare USB memory sticks to back up data in case of laptop failure.
If you spill something down your suit on the first day, then Burlington’s in the mall at the Taj Mahal Hotel will make you a very reasonable tailor-made suit overnight.
Taj Mahal Hotel www.tajhotels.com
Indigo Colaba: +91 22 5636 8999
The new place for doing business is the Bandra Kurla Complex; the Grand Hyatt is five minutes away and is very good, with an Italian restaurant that serves excellent pizza. The area’s a bit grungy but the hotel has its own ten-acre plot and once inside it has everything you’d want – including faxes in the rooms and Wi-Fi.
London benefits from a host of world-class museums. The UK benefits from free access to most museums so you can pop in whenever you want, however, you may also want to arrange to have your corporate event there to provide entertainment at the same time.
It's a little-known fact but if you are a BMI gold card holder, and are flying on Virgin Atlantic (any class) out of London Heathrow, you are able to use their award-winning Virgin Atlantic clubhouse. The clubhouse is world-renowned with a beauty therapist, hairdressers, full bar and restaurant and games area. Those who want to bring in a guest may look at the virginholidays website where guest passes can be purchased for £60.
Those who are familiar with Hong Kong will know that the city is split across two key areas. Kowloon is attached to the mainland and whilst it benefits from all the colour and charm that Hong Kong has to offer, it isn't as convenient for business as Hong Kong Island. When you are in Hong Kong for business, it's best to stay on Hong Kong Island and you will be close to the business district. Taxis are easy to come by but you may find yourself commuting more quickly by MTR, tram or even walking.
Hong Kong Island
In Hong Kong, like elsewhere in Asia, business cards are treated with unusual respect. Always present and receive a business card with two hands. When presenting your card, ensure your name reads 'right way up' to the receiver. Upon receiving a business card, look at it first rather than immediately stashing it away - and it is always helpful to show some kind of excitement at seeing whatever is written thereon. After this, the business card may be put away, but never in your back trouser pocket!
Hong Kong benefits from one of the world's most competitive mobile telephone markets. Whilst handsets are generally more expensive than elsewhere, sim cards are exceptionally good value.
A GBP10 sim card should provide you with more than enough credit for a short stay in Hong Kong and allows you to keep in touch with locals and fellow travellers. Sim cards are available at local convenience stores and are easy to use with dual-language instructions.
Convenience stores
If you are doing business in Dubai, particularly anything legal, patience is the key. Tea will be served regardless of deadlines and fairly lengthy requests after the health of family members and mutual acquaintances will follow thereafter. My tip is follow the maxim 'less haste, more speed.' Observe your hosts' order of proceedings and the goodwill engendered will ultimately be to your benefit.
Hospitality is taken very seriously and if at all possible accept invitations to dinner if given. Most of all, enjoy the different way of doing business, engage in the sometimes convoluted process and the subtle verbal games and learn that there is another way of doing things.
My tip for a hotel is the Marriot in Deira. Away from the glitz so that you can concentrate but close enough to everything that you want, first class business facilities and a rooftop pool. The best restaurants are the Sphinx at the Pyramids and Shabestani Iranian restaurant at the Hyatt.
Oriental, seafood restaurant at the Grand Hyatt in Deira. The restaurant location and setting are ideal for meetings, the staff are quietly efficient and knowledgeable about the food, they have a great selection of wines while the signature dish, Pepper Crab, is truly outstanding.
Grand Hyatt, Deira
If you’ve got a substantial budget, this is where you should be staying. The service is impeccable and they have a team of administrative assistants in the business centre that will take dictation, research things for you, organise your diary – in fact, anything you might need while in the city can be sorted out from this hotel. You also get to use their amazing spa facilities, which cover the top two floors of the building.
If you’re after old-world charm, I can strongly recommend The Peninsula or the Four Seasons. The Peninsula is located in the middle of Chicago’s magnificent mile of department stores and designer boutiques, has a fabulously grand lobby and is home to Shanghai Terrace – arguably Chicago’s finest Chinese restaurant. The lobby lounge is lit by twenty-foot-high windows, and the bar, in contrast, is intimate and low-lit, with a roaring fireplace and a surprisingly hip crowd. Despite its excessively grand décor, I’ve always found it very difficult to leave the Four Seasons – the CEO hotel of choice. The service is friendly, super-competent and never intrusive; the views spectacular – of the Michigans (Avenue and Lake); and the pampering genuinely top-notch.
The New American food at Seasons is delicious and you can easily lose a week at the extraordinary spa and pool. Every bit as impressive as its New York sibling, the Chicago Seasons happens to be cheaper, too.
The Peninsula Chicago 108 East Superior Street (at North Michigan Avenue), Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA Tel: (1-312) 337 2888Fax: (1-312) 751 2888 chicago.peninsula.com
Four Seasons120 East Delaware Place, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. 60611-1428 Tel: 1 (312) 280-8800 Fax: 1 (312) 280-1748
Website: fourseasons.com/chicagofs
The Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue is a remarkable homage to consumerism. With four enormous malls and a host of favourite designers – from Gucci to Prada and Levi’s to Ralph Lauren – it’s the ultimate “one-stop-shop”: you can find the perfect birthday, anniversary or Christmas presents here. And there’s shopping outside the Mile, too – in the shape of some fabulous little specialist boutiques. Try Sam & Willy’s for everything a dog could want; or the H.I.M men’s clothing boutique; or Unique So Chique Tea & Chocolat for a glittering array of bath and body products, cards and stationery.
BMI fly direct to Chicago from Manchester. Don't forget regional airports when flying abroad - when you take into account heavier congestion around the London airports, it may prove to be quicker to fly from the regions.
It is quicker and cheaper to prebook a town car or limo to get from the airport to downtown. Some taxi drivers charge up to $80 while a town car costs only $55.
Nightstar limos is a good one. www.nightstarlimo.com
As well as news and interviews, The Bulletin has a great listings section, which reviews restaurants and bars and tells you what’s going on in the city.
At the Nanxincang branch of Da Dong Roast Duck they have 22 private rooms, making it a great restaurant to do business – it is also the best Peking duck in Beijing. You have to reserve, though, because it is a popular place and the queues can be horrendous.
Most other countries wouldn’t dream of mixing business with karaoke, but in China it is almost de rigeur to spend at least one night with the microphone – it will up your kudos if you are seen to be a sport. Partyworld is a massive chain, and will give you the full-on karaoke experience, including free food – they also have private rooms, if you’re feeling a bit shy.
There are two very good hotels on Financial Street in the new business district. The Ritz-Carlton is in a modern glass building and has only recently opened, it has everything you’d expect from the brand and is exceptionally clean and new. There is a pool in it with a projection screen that shows films and there are also TVs in the bathrooms. The hotel can also send a car to pick you up from the airport. The other good hotel here is the Intercontinental, which was the first hotel in this area – although still quite new. The service is impeccable and there is free internet.
Finding a tailor to make you a custom suit in Beijing can be a bit tricky if you don't know where you are looking in this vast metropolis. This can be particularly challenging if you have 'Western' measurements so can't buy off the shelf. The best place to go is Gong Ti Bei Lu market right by 'Workers' Stadium'. There you will be able to find various stores catering for your needs. Expect to pay around USD100 a suit.
Ask your hotel to write the address in Chinese - otherwise your taxi driver won't find it!
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