It’s not all business, and after a long week we all deserve a little R&R. So if you’re lucky enough to find yourself in London, and you have your beloved pooch with you, we have something extra special for you to do this weekend… how about a spot of (doggy) afternoon tea?
The Egerton House Hotel is already a certified female-friendly hotel (and a Maiden Voyage favourite!) so it seemed only fitting that we send our London ambassador, Yvonne Reay-Scott, and her pug Poppy to try the mouthwatering pet-friendly menu.
As the London Ambassador for Maiden Voyage, I am often asked to recommend venues to our members. When the Red Carnation Hotels Group invited me to bring my pug, Poppy to try a dog-friendly Afternoon Tea at their Egerton House Hotel in Knightsbridge, I jumped at the chance. It was the perfect little treat to share with my canine companion and the location couldn’t be better: on the doorstep of Harrods, the perfect shopping pit-stop. The power of a good cup of tea and cake is timeless, and being able to enjoy it with my dog, who is very much a member of our family, is marvellous.
Exterior
The hotel has an intimate, quaint, quintessentially English feel and we were made to feel so very welcome on arrival. Poppy was delighted with the VIP welcome she received on arrival in reception and the warm greeting from the waiting staff in the drawing room where afternoon tea was being served.
I took a traditional English Afternoon Tea and was offered a wide selection of teas and herbal infusions. The afternoon tea finger sandwiches, scones and cakes were presented elegantly on tripod stands and a similar tripod for the doggy tea offering.
Poppy enjoyed a feast of homemade chicken and beef meatloaf, biscuits and delicious banana and carrot ice-cream which I was delighted to note was gluten free (in common with many other dogs, Poppy is gluten intolerant). The waiter looking after us even dabbed her “ice-cream moustache” off with a napkin – how’s that for 5-star service! Offerings on both stands were wonderfully fresh and delicious and so very beautifully presented – almost too pretty to eat!
So if you are in the area or fancy a little trip out with your four-legged friend – do go along and try this out for yourselves. I have given it a 5 star rating: excellent value and service, and delightful food in a divinely elegant setting.
I guarantee you will have a beau-TEA-ful experience!
Would you and your dog love a trip out for afternoon tea? To find out more about Doggy Afternoon Tea, as well as other pet-friendly services Egerton House Hotel offers, click here.
Don’t have a pooch to pamper? That’s not a problem! Check out the range of afternoon teas on offer. We guarantee there will be one for you! Click here to choose your ideal afternoon tea.
Check out our review of a night at the Egerton House Hotel: read it here.
Further Reading
A business trip can be tricky enough – but what about in another country and another culture? For the latest installment in our Doing Business In… series, Gabriela Castro-Fontoura – Maiden Voyage ambassador for Montevideo, Uruguay – shares her wisdom for business travel to Latin America.
Latin America is a vast region that covers countries in South America (such as Uruguay, where I live, but also Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Chile, to name a few), Central America (think of El Salvador, Panama and Costa Rica, for example) and North America (Mexico). There are 600 million people and 20 countries in the region, so how do you cover business travel across Latin America?
Bad news first: it isn’t cheap. Unless you’re in the US, travelling from any other part of the world to Latin America will be expensive. And travelling within Latin America is not cheap either.
Also, bear in mind the distances. Flying from Buenos Aires (Argentina) to Mexico City can take 12 hours. I’ve been on a very long 9-hour flight from Panama to Montevideo that left me exhausted.
Talking about exhaustion: keep hydrated. Particularly if you’re not used to altitude. Cities like Bogota and La Paz can be a challenge. Check the weather, too, as it can be very hot in some places while there’s snow in others!
If you’re debating what to wear, keep it simple and discrete. The usual Western (European) business attire is your safest bet: blouse/shirt and trousers/not-too-short skirt with flats or heels.
In most countries people will greet with one kiss on the right cheek (two kisses in most of Brazil, starting on the right), though shaking hands might also be accepted. We’re fairly tactile people so expect the odd pat on the back or even a hug if you know your contacts well enough.
Remember that there are 20 counties in the region and while some have the highest murder rates in the world, some are extremely safe. So check your destination carefully. There are no issues regarding women travelling on their own, but usual common sense applies. What I also recommend is that you check your vaccinations well in advance; I’ve been asked for my yellow fever certificate a few times (in the north of South America and Central America).
Travelling on business within Latin America will almost unavoidably mean flying. There are hardly any trains and I wouldn’t personally choose coaches while on business. There are lots of regional airlines that you can trust, such as LATAM Airlines, Avianca, Gol, Copa, Aerolineas Argentinas, and there are also airlines such as Amaszonas, BQB and Azul for certain routes that can prove handy. Expect regional flights to be quite expensive (I was recently quoted USD 500 for a Montevideo to Rio de Janeiro return flight…) and infrequent, but they might surprise you with their service. Always get official airport taxis, too.
20 countries means (almost) 20 different currencies, so be prepared. We’re getting there with using credit and debit cards, but they’re not always accepted, particularly at corner shops (when you’re painfully thirsty at 3000m above sea level, been there!) and taxis. Most countries don’t take foreign currency (Ecuador and Panama use the US dollar).
You’ll find the usual international hotel chains in Latin America, which I find are good for the first time you visit a city. Check with a local contact whether a certain location is convenient or not. In huge cities such as Sao Paulo, Mexico City or Bogota, landing on the wrong side of the city might result in a 2-3 hour commute!
With respect to language, Brazilians speak Portuguese and the rest of us speak Spanish. Some business people will speak pretty good English but don’t expect everyone to be fluent, so come prepared with translated marketing materials. Videos that you can show on your tablet are also pretty good to overcome the language barrier.
Latin America is historically a Christian region, particularly Catholic. There are more liberal and more conservative countries but most won’t be terribly used to dealing with people from other religions, particularly Muslims, so if you have any specific religious needs you need to be very upfront and clear about them.
You’ll also find that, particularly as a woman, you’ll get asked a lot of personal questions right away: age, marital status, kids, you name it. This is bizarre for someone not used to it (took me 4 years to get used to it after returning from 13 years in the UK) and you can disclose as much as you want, and when you’ve had enough, just smile and say something like “wow, that’s a lot of questions!”. I find that usually works. Latin Americans in general have a very good sense of humour. Regional passions include football, food, family and music, which are all great ice-breakers.
Travelling to and across Latin America on business can be truly memorable and I hope you have a wonderful experience. If in doubt, just ask! We’re very sociable people and you’ll always find that your local contacts will want you to be safe and will be very hospitable – we feel very proud of our region and we want you to have the best possible experience!
Gabriela is the Maiden Voyage ambassador for Montevideo, Uruguay – read her city guide here.
Gabriela is the Director of Sunny Sky Solutions, a Uruguay-based (but Yorkshire-born!) international trade consultancy specialising in supporting British businesses across Latin America, with services such as market research, distributor recruitment, market visits, training and more.
Further Reading
Can a sense of ‘work-life balance’ really improve your wellbeing? Chartered Psychologist and founder of Creating Sona, Dr Lucy Rattrie, reflects on the meaning of work-life balance, and the difference it can make to the challenges of business travel. She tests out her own methods while in Hong Kong, and shares a few pointers from her personal workbook.
Work-life balance… or is it life-work balance?
I spent a recent flight to Hong Kong, wide awake, contemplating this. What does balance mean? How do you achieve it? Is it a double-edged sword? I love the glamour of Hong Kong trips. I love the travel, the exploration.
But I also love coming home to routine.
Indeed, business travel brings challenges that interfere with your energy, engagement and effectiveness, whether that’s through family, routine, health, how you feel day in day out, decision making, the way you view yourself, or what you are doing.
If managed properly however, it can be a wonderfully positive experience, creating down time, flexibility, a chance to think (all those flights…) and a perfect opportunity to open yourself up to new experiences.
For me, it’s all about holistic balance between the body, mind, heart and soul – that’s peak physical condition, a positive mind-set, happy heart and living each day with passion. It’s about personal balance in a world of 24/7 action, jet lag, time zones, balancing those spinning plates, eating well, iron-man training, and making sure my prescribed fun at triathlon club is in there.
I spent the return trip working through each of these four key areas, feeling invigorated with all the strategies and actions I could use to create lasting change and maintain that balance – my personal happiness and success workbook!
Let me share some pointers from my personal workbook:
1.When I arrived in Hong Kong, I decided my number 1 priority was to get my health in order after the long flight – essential to be able to do my job, the whole purpose of the trip! I generally know what works for me, but I am also aware it needs revising and fine tuning from time to time, so tried new things (around nutrition, sleep, and activity) to give me the energy needed to make a good impression. Fine-tuning, revising and practising ways to feel good in your body is important.
2. I find working in different cultures, especially somewhere like Hong Kong, interesting, challenging and inspiring all at the same time. I am there to give it my full attention; after all, that’s half of the work-life balance thing! We are faced with millions of decisions each day and it’s about choosing the best ones. For me, this trip was about being switched on when I needed to be, achieving success, then switched off when I wanted to be. I spent an evening eating dinner alone (a healthy one, of course!) reflecting in my personal workbook how I could make that happen and be most effective in these situations.
3. I love soaking up the vibe of a different place and as I was really focused on my training, took myself running along Lantau and the Hong Kong trail. What a wonderful thing to do before my working day kicked off, running with a beautiful view as the sun comes up! It can be a bit daunting being a woman in a different place, so safety is paramount and I am guilty of sticking to the gym as a result. I promised myself that, in the future, I won’t do the usual flitter between airports, offices and hotels, instead turning it into my own personal adventure – now that’s a true experience to keep me engaged in life and work! Find what will make you smile and create a lasting memory in the bank of life-work balance. It’s about applying the right strategy to find your personal adventure within each trip – finding happiness.
4. I also found this trip was so hectic that I was struggling to find ‘me time’. On my last day, I hiked to the top of Sunset Peak and sat in the evening sun for 15 minutes. The round trip was only 3 hours, but perfect timing before my overnight flight back. It was also good to get my legs moving and inhale some fresh air before the cabin pressure! Just because I was travelling for business, didn’t mean I would sacrifice myself, and I realised how important ‘me time’ is. I then gave attention to my personal workbook to make sure I am effective when I need to be and have the right plan in place, creating the right habits.
What can you do?
The most successful people are happy; energised, engaged and effective. They work on themselves, improve self-awareness, have self-management strategies, balance to their lives, and a personal wellness plan that boosts them through the four stages of travel. I coach professionals who travel for work to feel healthy, happy and energised and am offering a free consultation.
Find your way to work-life balance today. Let’s start creating your personal workbook for success!
Dr Lucy Rattrie is a Chartered Psychologist and Wellness Coach, with a Ph.D. on engagement, burnout and wellbeing of global mobility and business travellers. She believes in the power of psychological strength in enabling people to achieve success in all areas of their lives and work. As a researcher and practitioner of positive psychology, who has blended her work with lifestyle medicine, she recognises the crucial impact employee wellness has on performance. As a specialist in improving wellness for professionals who travel, she provides 1-1 and group coaching with two programmes: Recovery and Thrive, both helping people live stress-free, calm, balanced, connected, with strong mental, emotional, physical health and energy. She can be contacted directly on lucy@creatingsona.com or via www.creatingsona.com.