You may believe that enough space in this magazine is devoted to awards already. But may I venture to suggest that IR magazine has finally – after ten years – initiated a truly meaningful standard of excellence?
Yes, it’s MM’s ‘Best of Everything’ list, prepared for you, the traveling executive, from my personal notes, with an eye to making your road trips more pleasurable. Don’t expect sponsorships or speeches; save the tuxes and toasts. Just savor these tidbits as your reward for all you endure out on the road.
Best hotel: The Peninsula Hong Kong
The hotel was gussied up to the height of its colonial splendor to celebrate its 75th anniversary last year. Rooms are quietly elegant, service is unrivaled, the view from the pool across the bay is breathtaking – and post-Sars rates make it temporarily affordable.
Runners-up: the Hotel Rialto in Warsaw and the Witchery in Edinburgh – perhaps the most idiosyncratic hotel in Europe.
Best restaurant: La Cascade at Sheen Falls Lodge, Kenmare, Ireland
Chef Chris Farrell serves up a cappuccino of Jerusalem artichoke, pan-seared foie gras and banana puree; fried fillet of red mullet with a bouillabaisse sauce; and roast apple with figs. Walk it off beside the bubbling falls or up the hill at the historic Kenmare Cemetery.
Runner-up: sinful sushi at Zuma in Knightsbridge, London.
Best newspapers for corp-execs: The New York Times
Despite recent journalistic lapses, this publication remains the best newspaper in the world. The Wall Street Journal’s slant is all-too-conservative for me while the Times’ writing is unparalleled. Read the Financial Times for an international perspective and, if you’re an Anglophile, the original version of the Week, published in London, will fill you in on Tony vs Gordon and the latest royal scandal.
Best new political movement: Anti-Americanism
Because there’s nothing like adversity – nay, downright hostility – to cause reflection and spark debate. There are downsides for Yanks, however, including sharper-than-normal retorts in French cafés. Oh, and icy cocktail conversation just about everywhere. But after years of closeted disdain, it’s good to have all the cards on the table. The result might well be a stronger European Union – and that would be a plus for all.
Best tech advance: The Sony Cybershot 5.0 Megapixels digital camera
You just can’t take a bad photograph with this piece of equipment. Over half the photos in Infonet’s 2003 annual report were taken with it, giving professional sharpshooters a run for their money.
Best fashion forward trend: Metrosexuality
Straight men no longer have to hide in pleated pants, button-down collars or sports jerseys. It’s okay to be fashionable and savvy without being automatically pigeon-holed. Say goodbye to tennis shoes, bad haircuts and beer bellies; and hello to yoga, facials and a smattering of non-football conversation at the metrosexuals’ dinner parties.
Best bargain, period: China
Stay at the Beijing Ritz-Carlton for less than $200 a night. Avail yourself of the most progressive city in mainland China before everyone else does. Hone your bargaining skills at the Silk Market – cashmere sweaters for $20 and designer dress socks for $1 a pair. Or try the Antiquities Market, where you can get a piece of Chinese history from the Song Dynasty – for a song.
Hippest financial capital: London
Move over New York – it’s time to give it up for this shagadelic city. The skyline of the City has been enhanced with a phallic new building – much to Prince Charles’s homophobic disdain (though one hardly understands this, given the circumstances) – sell-side analysts can be sell-side analysts without shame, and there are sections of this town that really never sleep.
Best advice: No matter where you travel, you can’t leave yourself behind
So make sure you like the one you’re leaving with because you’ll be with him or her all along. Oh, and keep an open mind – people aren’t always their nationalities.
