‘Overal waar Raffles een hotel opent, streeft het ernaar dat dit het beste hotel op die locatie is’, vertelt conciërge Emile van Raffles London in The OWO.

Mijn conclusie na een nachtje in ‘The Old War Office’? Mogelijk zijn ze daarin geslaagd in de Britse hoofdstad.

Dit enorme oogverblindende pand met 120 kamers, geopend als een Raffles hotel in september 2023, tot de nok toe gevuld met spannende geschiedenis, de service is onberispelijk en, zoals mijn videobeelden laten zien, zijn gasten genesteld in grandeur en verfijnde luxe, op een perfecte locatie – tegenover Horse Guards Parade en de officiële ingang naar Buckingham Palace.

Het trapeziumvormige gebouw werd gebouwd in Edwardiaanse barokstijl en werd in 1906 geopend als oorlogskantoor.

Het was tot 1964 het centrum van het bestuur van het Britse leger en bevatte 1.100 kamers; 4 km aan gangen; 22 liften; 25 miljoen stenen; 26.000 ton Portlandsteen; 50 hectare pleisterwerk; 6.000 meter aan decoratieve gietijzeren roosters geïnstalleerd rond gangen en gangen om telefoon- en beldraden te bevatten; en 18.000 vierkante meter Romeinse kubusmozaïek en terrazzovloeren.

Het gebouw was de plek waar MI5 en MI6 werden ontworpen en hoewel het niet als hoofdkwartier fungeerde, was het een dagelijkse werkplek voor spionnen, waaronder James Bond-auteur Ian Fleming, een contactpersoon voor de geheime inlichtingendiensten tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog.

Dit was waar de chef van de keizerlijke generale staf, Alan Brooke, Sir Winston Churchill hielp bij het beheersen van de geallieerde overwinning op Hitler.

Tijdens een fascinerende hotelrondleiding met Emile leerde ik meer over het boeiende verleden van het pand – en kreeg ik een voorproefje van enkele van de meest prestigieuze suites.

Inclusief misschien wel de bovenste kamer: de Haldane Suite. Prijs voor de nacht? Tussen £25.000 ($31.000) en £27.000 ($34.000), is mij verteld.

En wat krijg je daarvoor? Iets adembenemends.

De suite is vernoemd naar Sir Richard Burdon Haldane (30 juli 1856 – augustus 1928), die tussen 1905 en 1912 minister van Oorlog was en die hielp bij de oprichting van de Royal Flying Corps, MI5 en MI6.

De ruimte werd gebruikt door hem en daaropvolgende regeringsfiguren van grote betekenis.

De altijd minzame Emile legde uit dat vier ex-premiers – David Lloyd George, HH Asquith, Winston Churchill en Anthony Eden – de kamer zouden hebben bezet, samen met Herbert Horatio Kitchener (die de ‘Your Country Needs You’-campagne bedacht) en John Profumo, die in 1963 centraal stond in het eerste moderne seksschandaal.

Hij gebruikte clandestien de privélift van het kantoor om zijn minnares, het 19-jarige model Christine Keeler, binnen te halen.

De kamer bestaat nu uit twee weelderige slaapkamers aan weerszijden van een prachtige, statige woonkamer, met meubilair dat past bij een Edwardiaans paleis, decoratieve plafonds van 12,5 meter hoog, eiken lambrisering en grote ramen met uitzicht op Whitehall.

De privélift werd echter verwijderd.

Ik werd ook getoond in de Granville Suite, genoemd naar Winston Churchills favoriete spion, Christine Granville. Het kost ongeveer £17.000 ($21.500) per nacht en beschikt over een ensuite die een Hollywood-film waardig is, met douches en toiletten achter ondoorzichtige schermen in ‘cabines’ met pilaren en een juweel van een vrijstaand bad aan het uiteinde.

Emile leidde ons naar een van de twee oorspronkelijke kelderverdiepingen waar een telefooncentrale was geïnstalleerd die in werking kon treden bij een kernaanval – en onderweg wees hij op de originele gietijzeren roosters en vloeren in de gangen.

We eindigden waar we begonnen waren, bij de adembenemend grote marmeren trap van het hotel.

De staf van Winston Churchill stond in de rij om hem dagelijkse briefings te geven, waarbij de staatsman bovenaan stond, buiten wat nu de Haldane Suite is.

Tegenwoordig zorgt de trap ervoor dat de lobby van Raffles London, naar ieders maatstaven, een van de meest indrukwekkende ter wereld is, waarbij de Instagram-lokkende uitstraling wordt versterkt door een kroonluchter van Murano-glas in opdracht van het hotel.

Let wel, de allure van Instagram-baiting wacht om elke hoek.

Bezoek het zwembad, dat een ruimte in beslag neemt binnen de drie extra kelderverdiepingen die Raffles heeft gegraven, en je zult waarschijnlijk net zoveel tijd besteden aan het maken van foto’s als aan het zwemmen. Het is geweldig.

Onze ‘ministeriële suite’-slaapkamer, met zijn gedempte weelde, is ook een lust voor het oog.

Het heeft een marmeren badkamer waar ik niet alleen van droom, maar ook die van alle anderen, en uitzicht op de Household Cavalry die aan de overkant in de aandacht staat.

We dineerden ‘s avonds en voor het ontbijt in Saison, de voormalige militaire bibliotheek van WO met een glazen plafond die nu een weelderig restaurant van opmerkelijk kaliber is, geleid door de Argentijns-Italiaanse voedselwizard Mauro Colagreco.

Tijdens het diner was de pompoenravioli verrukkelijk, de wijnen per glas prachtig en de service geleverd met militaire precisie.

De normen bleven indrukwekkend hoog in de ochtend, met een attent en bruisend ontbijtteam dat ‘de beste Eggs Benedict’ bezorgde die mijn partner ooit had geproefd, pap met amandelvlokken waar elke inwoner van Schotland tevreden mee zou zijn, en eersteklas gebak.

De koffie wordt ook ten zeerste aanbevolen, waarbij Louis Roeder Champagne een optie is voor iedereen die het feest al vroeg op gang wil brengen.

We lieten onze tassen achter in het hotel terwijl we de Household Calvary-paarden aan de overkant ontmoetten en de National Portrait Gallery verkenden, een paar minuten lopen naar het noorden.

Toen we terugkwamen, begroette elk personeelslid dat we in de lobby passeerden ons met een vrolijk ‘welkom terug’.

Prins William had de week vóór ons verblijf het hotel bezocht voor een liefdadigheidsevenement.

Hij zou natuurlijk een koninklijke behandeling hebben gekregen, maar elke gast is een royalty bij Raffles London in The OWO.

Wat een plek.

In de strijd om de hotels in de hoofdstad heeft deze voormalige bijenkorf van militaire activiteit een verwoestend salvo gelanceerd.

Another blini for your caviar, ma’am?’ I am asked as we sail above the snow-capped mountains of Iceland and I take a seat on my wide throne, finished in Italian cream leather and walnut.

Around me, my fellow guests, all smartly dressed and brimming with excitement, sip perfectly chilled Dom Perignon champagne vintage 2013 (which costs more than £200 a bottle) as they get to know each other.

We’re aboard Abercrombie & Kent’s private jet, flying in extreme style from Reykjavik, Iceland, to Portland, Oregon.

The company takes small groups of wealthy travelers around the world on trips costing up to £156,605 ($200,000) for up to 26 days.

These types of private jet tours have become increasingly popular since the pandemic and are now offered by several luxury travel companies, including hotel groups Aman and Four Seasons. I taste it for one trip.

As they traverse the world, guests are treated to three-course meals prepared by private chefs, reclining chairs, soft slippers and duvets, Briggs & Riley toiletries packed with L’Occitane goodies, iPads stocked with newly released films, a traveling ‘bell boy’ responsible for the luggage and a photographer ready to capture every moment. There’s even a doctor on board for the duration of the trip, for ultimate peace of mind.

The Abercrombie & Kent aircraft is a reconfigured and customized Boeing 757. Such aircraft usually carry around 200 passengers. But this one only has 48 handmade, business class-style seats, which massage the occupant in different positions and lie flat at the click of a button.

I’m assigned 9A, a window seat with absolutely everything I need within easy reach: almost as soon as I notice my phone’s battery is running low, I find a charger in a side pocket; when the cabin chatter increases as I go to sleep, I find a pair of Bose noise-canceling headphones above my head; The moment I get hungry or need a refill, a cabin crew member comes over and places something on the wide walnut table in front of me.

The ratio of guests to cabin crew is 1:7 and the staff wear navy blue skirt suits, corsages and broad smiles.

During the flight, conversations flow as quickly as the bubbles. “On these trips, we become like one big family,” said Ann Epting, A&K’s senior vice president of private jet travel. It may sound cheesy, but it’s true.

As we cross Canada’s deep blue lakes, white linen cloths are laid on our tables and we are treated to chicken Caesar salads, followed by honey-lime glazed Arctic char with lobster sauce and a caramel-chocolate mousse pudding with crumbled brownies.

I’ve had worse meals at Michelin star restaurants and can’t quite believe what I’m tasting at 35,000 feet.

The extensive and unlimited drinks menu includes negronis and espresso martinis, campari, martini, cognac and bottles of red and white wine that would cost over £100 at your local restaurant.

The eight hours fly by in a ridiculously luxurious haze, and before we know it the plane lands in Portland. I have never been so unhappy getting off a plane.

Once we disembark, the plane is cleaned and replenished, ready for the lucky guests who will continue on a 25-day Wildlife Safari tour, visiting eight countries and making stops to spot snow monkeys in Japan, bears in Malaysia, Bengal tigers in India, lemurs in Madagascar and gorillas in Uganda – all while wrapped in luxury.

They will be in the air for a total of 55 hours. A comparable route via commercial flights would take 117 hours, plus 77 additional stops. A trip on any other tour between Cebu in the Philippines and Sandakan in Malaysia usually takes 19 hours plus two stops; A&K’s private jet does it in 40 minutes.

Passengers never have to queue and are guided through private terminals with immigration cards pre-filled by staff.

Hotel stops, meanwhile, are made at the world’s top brands, including The Peninsular, Shangri-La and Ritz-Carlton.

If the plane lands somewhere outside the luxury hotel aisle, A&K books a three- or four-star hotel and converts it to a five-star hotel. They train staff (or bring in their own), replace furniture, bedding and mattresses, paint walls and add artwork.

For this all-inclusive odyssey, you’ll be asked to pay £139,670 pp ($176,000). Demand is high and almost 40 percent of customers return for their second, third or even ninth trip.

When guests spend what some people pay for a house, expectations are obviously very high. Does the staff ever say ‘no’ to guests? “No,” comes Ann’s quick response, a wry smile spreading across her face. “Honestly, we do everything we can to meet our guests’ needs, and ‘no’ isn’t really in our vocabulary. There was one time a couple asked for eight feather pillows in every hotel room, so we made sure that happened.”

Then there was the woman who brought nine suitcases and presented seven pages of dietary requirements; the veterinarian who wanted to eat a pig’s head in the remote Philippines; the man who proposed after being airlifted to Everest base camp, then asked if the staff would arrange his wedding a few days later – which of course they did in Sicily.

So, is it worth it? If you have the money, absolutely. But it is also dangerous. Fly around the world like this and you might never want to take a normal commercial flight again.

BEFORE finding basketball fame, Milwaukee Bucks player Damian Lillard scored on love when he met his college sweetheart.

Here’s everything you need to know about Kay’La Hanson, the NBA star’s longtime love before he filed for divorce.

2

Who is Damian Lillard’s estranged wife, Kay’La Hanson?

Kay’La Hanson was born on November 9, 1991 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

She graduated from Legacy High School in 2010.

Hanson began her educational career studying nursing at Webster State University in Utah, where she met Damian Lillard.

She subsequently worked in healthcare for six years.

Now Hanson owns her own nail company DIPPED in Oregon.

If Willamette Week According to reports, Lillard filed for divorce from Hanson in Clackamas County Circuit Court on October 2, 2023.

The filing cites “irreconcilable differences” between the former couple that “caused the irreparable breakdown of their marriage,” the newspaper said.

Basketball star Lillard’s divorce filing comes less than a week after he was traded from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks.

In February 2024, Lillard opened up Sports illustrated about how his life had turned out since he left Portland.

He said: “My whole life was perfectly arranged right there. It was a great situation. So it’s a lot to leave that alone.”

“It’s definitely lonely because I’m such a family man. My life is my family,” he explained.

“I’m doing well because I’m an adult. But it’s definitely lonely. I’m filled up by those people.”

When did Damian Lillard and Kay’La Hanson start dating?

The two started dating during their college years at Weber State.

In February 2020, Lillard proposed to his then-girlfriend during All-Star weekend in Chicago, Illinois.

Kay’La and Damian tied the knot in a private ceremony on September 5, 2021.

The big day featured celebrity guests such as rappers Common and Snoop Dogg, as well as some of Lillard’s former teammates, including Evan Turner and Tim Frazier.

Lillard’s mentor, former Blazers assistant David Vanterpool, was also in attendance.

The star’s mother, Gina Johnson, shared videos on her Instagram from the star-studded wedding reception.

2

Do Damian Lillard and Kay’La Hanson have children?

Lillard and Hanson share three children.

The former couple welcomed their first child, Damian Jr., in March 2018.

In January 2021, Hanson gave birth to twins, a son, Kalii Laheen Lillard, and a daughter, Kali Emma Lillard.

Although their names are spelled the same, they are pronounced differently.

Kali is pronounced Callie, while Kalii is pronounced kuh-lee.

Lillard said on his Instagram page at the time, “Just call me Daddy Dame from now on.”

By Jessica Green for Mailonline

Published: 06:35 EST, February 15, 2024 | Updated: 09:52 EST, February 15, 2024

By Connie Rusk for Mailonline

Published: 10:52 EST, February 13, 2024 | Updated: 11:08 EST, February 13, 2024

By Melody Fletcher

Published: 03:58 EST, February 10, 2024 | Updated: 05:12 EST, February 10, 2024

Four bolts appear to be missing from the door plug that blew out of a Boeing 737 MAX during an Alaska Airlines flight last month, investigators said Tuesday.

The National Transportation Safety Board's preliminary report on the incident provided the clearest evidence yet that a significant manufacturing defect led to the near-tragedy.

The blowout of Flight 1282 on January 5, as the plane took off from Portland, Oregon, left a gaping hole in the side of the plane and led to extensive federal investigations into Boeing's manufacturing process.

The new report found that four retaining bolts intended to prevent vertical movement of the door plug were missing, and suggests that Boeing workers failed to replace them after removing the plug for repairs during installation.

The damage patterns observed in the door plug and airframe indicated that the four bolts were not in place at the time of the incident, allowing the plug to separate from the stop pads.

Investigators also analyzed work records from Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems, the subcontractor that manufactured the plane's fuselage and the door plug in question.

Records show the affected fuselage arrived at Boeing's Renton, Washington, plant for assembly on August 31, 2023.

On September 1, 2023, a work order was created that noted five damaged rivets just in front of the door plug.

Records and photos show that repairing the damaged rivets required removing the door plug, which involved removing the two vertical motion safety bolts and the two upper guide rail bolts.

After the work was completed, the door was replaced by Boeing workers, who apparently failed to replace the four crucial bolts.

A photo after the repair showed three of the bolts missing, according to the report. The location of the fourth bolt cannot be seen in the photo.

The NTSB said it conducted a full investigation from the time the plane left the Boeing factory to the time of the accident, and found no evidence that the door plug was opened after it left the Boeing facility.

However, the NTSB notes that the findings are preliminary and the investigation is ongoing.

The NTSB's statement on a probable cause for the accident comes at the end of an investigation that could last a year or more.

“Whatever final conclusions are reached, Boeing is responsible for what happened,” CEO David Calhoun said in a statement.

'An event like this should not happen on an aircraft leaving our factory. We just have to do better for our customers and their passengers.”

Spirit AeroSystems said it was reviewing the preliminary NTSB report and working with Boeing and regulators “to continuously improve our processes and meet the highest standards of safety, quality and reliability.”

Investigators said they were still trying to determine who allowed the Boeing crew to open and reinstall the door plug during installation.

Safety experts say the accident could have been catastrophic if the Alaska plane had reached cruising altitude.

The decompression in the cabin after the blowout would have been much stronger, and passengers and flight attendants might have been walking around instead of being strapped to their seats.

The incident has raised questions about the quality of production at Boeing, starting with the deadly crashes of two Max 8 jets in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating whether Boeing and its suppliers followed proper safety procedures when producing parts for the Max.

The FAA has banned Boeing from accelerating production of 737s until the agency is satisfied with the quality problems.

FAA Administrator Michael Whitaker said Tuesday that “the current system is not working” and told lawmakers he would discuss safety issues with airline CEOs, according to Reuters.

He reiterated the need for greater oversight of Boeing and its main supplier Spirit AeroSystems, which makes the 737 fuselage.

“I certainly agree that the current system is not working because it is not producing safe aircraft,” Whitaker said during a House hearing. 'So we have to change that.'

Why it matters: Portland has been struggling.

Portland used to be known as one of the most desirable places to live in the United States. But in recent years the city has struggled with widespread street use of fentanyl, which has led to an increase in homeless encampments and crime.

As many other U.S. cities have recovered from the pandemic, the fentanyl crisis has hampered the city's recovery.

A number of major retailers, such as REIhave closed stores in Portland, while hundreds of people die every year from fentanyl overdoses, often in tents or on sidewalks.

The emergency declaration is part of a broader plan announced late last year by Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to curb public drug use and crime in Portland and restore a sense of safety to workers and visitors.

In an executive order Tuesday, Governor Kotek cited the “economic and reputational harm” the fentanyl problem was inflicting on Portland and the state.

“Our country and our state have never seen such a fatally addictive drug, and they are all grappling with how to respond,” the governor said in a statement.

Background: Oregon decriminalized most public drug use in 2020.

The emergency declaration seeks to address a common criticism among Oregon taxpayers: Millions of dollars are spent on homelessness and addiction issues, but the resources don't always reach people effectively.

State officials said a “command center” would be set up in downtown Portland, where several state, city and county agencies would coordinate their responses to the fentanyl problem. The command center is also designed to collect and analyze data and identify any “gaps” in the government's response.

Many cities are struggling with the consequences of fentanyl. In Oregon, the problem was accelerated by a law passed in 2020 that decriminalized the use of so-called hard drugs, including methamphetamine and fentanyl, not just marijuana, which was already legal in Oregon and many other states. When Measure 110 passed, it was celebrated as a first-in-the-nation law, an effort to recognize drug addiction as a health problem and not a crime.

By Pranav Harish for Daily Mail Australia

Published: 11:26 PM EST, January 29, 2024 | Updated: 01:03 EST, January 30, 2024

The storms and freezing temperatures affected everything from air travel to NFL playoff games, and resulted in the deaths of several people across the country.

Arctic freeze: Much of the United States of America (USA) continues to suffer severe cold wave conditions as the Arctic Freeze/Arctic Blast continues to devastate vast swaths of the country with sub-zero temperatures.

According to the AP, “Dangerously cold temperatures affected much of the Rockies, Great Plains and the Midwest on Tuesday, with wind chills below minus 30 degrees (minus 34.4 degrees Celsius) in many parts of the central U.S.” .

It also reported that more than 85,000 U.S. homes and businesses were without power Tuesday morning, with the majority in Oregon following widespread power outages that began Saturday. Meanwhile, Portland General Electric warned that the threat of freezing rain on Tuesday could slow recovery efforts and transportation officials urged residents to avoid travel as roads were expected to be dangerously slippery with ice covering trees and power lines. could become heavier, causing them to sag. fall.

The bad weather has also affected studies, as classes were canceled Tuesday for students in Portland and other major cities including Chicago, home to the nation's fourth-largest public school district, Denver, Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas .

The storms and freezing temperatures affected everything from air travel to NFL playoff games to the Iowa presidential caucuses, and resulted in the deaths of several people across the country.

At least four people in the Portland area died, including two people from suspected hypothermia. Another man was killed after a tree fell on his home and a woman died in a fire that spread from an open fire stove after a tree fell on a camper.

In Wisconsin, the deaths of three homeless people in the Milwaukee area were under investigation, with hypothermia as the likely cause, officials said.

Freezing rain and sleet were expected to continue in parts of the South East until Tuesday morning. Winter storm warnings were in effect for Lawrence, Limestone and Madison counties in Alabama and Franklin County in Tennessee, southeastern Arkansas, northeastern Louisiana and much of north-central and southwestern Mississippi.

On Monday night, temperatures dropped as low as 10 degrees (minus 12.2 C) in Olive Branch, Mississippi, and Jackson, Tennessee.

Air travelers across the country faced delays and cancellations. The flight tracking service FlightAware reported about 2,900 cancellations in, to or from the United States on Monday.

The National Weather Service said Monday that wind chills are expected to raise temperatures from the northern Rockies to northern Kansas and Iowa by 30 degrees below zero, while Arctic storms have left at least four dead and cut electricity to tens of thousands in the Northwest have disabled and caused snow. south and hit the Northeast with snowstorms forcing the postponement of the Pittsburgh Steelers vs. NFL playoff game. Buffalo Bills in blood-curdling Buffalo, New York.

(With AP inputs)