gs review magazine

GSREVIEWGracious living in contextH o t e l s & R e s o r t s

BellevueThe Hotel Bellevue reborn - a stunningnew five star bolthole for Dubrovnik

Art at the palaceThe Dubrovnik Palace Hotel's unique

collection of contemporary Croatian art

Outstanding serviceTennis aces Ivan Ljubicic and Mario

Ancic won the Davis Cup for Croatia

Fit for purposeTransatlantic oarsman Rob Eustace

trained at Wren's Club in Windsor

Family fizzCharles Philipponnat's family has been making champagne

near Epernay since 1522

Property swapConsider Croatia...for a holiday home,

an investment property or a change of life

Breathtaking

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G S R e v i e w 3

WELCOME

The magazine reflects the bi-polar natureof the Anglo-Croatian enterprise Ifounded more than ten years ago,when I bought Sir Christopher

Wren’s House Hotel in Windsor and theGrand Hotel Bonavia in Rijeka. Croatia hascome a long way since then and, as so oftenhappens, economic revival and sporting successhave gone hand in hand. As a sportsman, I rejoicedin Croatia’s Davis Cup victory in December and in thesuccesses of world champion skier Janica Kostelic, whobrought a record 4th Winter Olympic gold medal back fromTurin. I won’t tempt fate by mentioning football.

In tourism, Croatia’s beautiful Adriatic coast is all the rage. The year has seen prestigious awards for ourhotels in Dubrovnik, where our Adriatic Luxury Hotelsportfolio is firmly established as market leader. TheDubrovnik Palace won two World Travel Awards, and the Excelsior was on the Sunday Times list of ‘hot hotels’in the Mediterranean; not forgetting the Kompas – the best in its category on the Adriatic in Croatia’s Tourism Flower awards.

To pursue the sporting metaphor, rebuilding the Dubrovnik Palace was a marathon for us. But the achievement was immense, and once we got our breath backwe moved on to the next challenge. Now we are ready tocelebrate the transformation of the Hotel Bellevue in to astunning new five-star hotel worthy of its magnificent setting.I hope you can find time to visit this remarkable property.

Croatia’s success owes much to its rich cultural life.Dubrovnik is not merely a collection of pretty views and old stones, but a vibrant art city where we are proud to be patrons of the arts through our hotel investment projects and festival sponsorship.

The same is true for our English base in Windsor, whereSir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel & Spa, and my offices,look out on two familiar images of English heritage: theRiver Thames, and Windsor Castle. At Windsor we haveplayed our part in the celebrations for the Queen’s 80thbirthday, popping many corks and ‘sabraging’ others tosalute a monarch who commands the reverence of hersubjects and the respect of an admiring world.

If you are reading this in one of our hotels, I wish you an enjoyable and relaxing stay. And if you have yet tosample GS Hotels & Resorts hospitality, I hope this magazinewhets your appetite to do so. Whichever of our beautifulhotels you visit, I am sure you will find a comfortable bedand a warm welcome.

Dobro dosli u novo izdanje casopisa ‘GS Review’. Nadam se da ce casopis obogatiti Vas boravak kod nas,

bilo poslovni ili privatni, te Vas uspjesno upoznati sljudima i lokacijama koji cine GS Hotels & Resorts.

Casopis odrazava bipolarnu prirodu englesko-hrvatskekompanije utemeljene prije vise od desetljeca, kada samkupio Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel u Windsoru i

Grand Hotel Bonaviju u Rijeci. Hrvatska je odondaprevalila velik put, a kako to cesto biva, ozivljavanje

gospodarstva i sportski uspjesi isli su ruku pod ruku. Buduci dasam i sam sportas, proslog sam prosinca uzivao u pobjedi Hrvatske u

Davis Cupu, kao i u uspjesima najbolje skijasice svijeta, Janice Kostelic,koja se s Olimpijskih igara u Torinu vratila s rekordnim cetvrtim zlatnimodlicjem. Nogomet necu spominjati, da ga ga ne ureknem.

Turisticki gledano, prelijepa jadranska obala je u vrhu popularnosti.Ove smo godine osvojili prestizne nagrade za nase hotele uDubrovniku, u kojem Jadranski luksuzni hoteli cvrsto drze vodecemjesto na trzistu. Hotel Dubrovnik Palace je osvojio dvije prestiznenagrade World Travel Awards, dok se Excelsior nasao na ljestvicinajatraktivnijih hotela na Sredozemlju prema listi Sunday Timesa. Ne smijemo zaboraviti ni Hotel Kompas, koji je u Hrvatskoj primionagradu Turisticki cvijet kao najbolji hotel u svojoj kategoriji na Jadranu.

Da nastavim sa sportskim metaforama, obnova hotela DubrovnikPalace za nas je bio maraton, no ostvarili smo izuzetno postignuce. Cim smo dosli do daha, presli smo na sljedeci izazov. Sada smospremni proslaviti preobrazbu Hotela Bellevue u velicanstveni hotel spet zvjezdica, dostojan svog prekrasnog okruzenja. Nadam se da ceteuspjeti naci vremena i obici ovo izuzetno zdanje.

Hrvatska dobar dio uspjeha duguje svom bogatom kulturnom zivotu.Dubrovnik nije samo hrpa prekrasnih pogleda i drevnog kamenja, nego zivumjetnicki grad u kojem smo mi pokrovitelji umjetnosti kroz projektenasih hotela i sponzoriranje festivala. Isto vrijedi i za nasu englesku bazu uWindsoru, gdje Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel & Spa i moji uredigledaju na dva poznata prizora iz engleske bastine: rijeku Temzu i dvoracWindsor. U Windsoru smo odigrali veliku ulogu u proslavi kraljicinogosamdesetog ro–dendana, otvaranjem mnogih boca pjenusca i nazdravljajucivladarici koja uziva duboko postovanje svojih podanika iz citavog svijeta.

Ako ovo citate u nekom od nasih hotela zelim Vam ugodan boravak.Ukoliko jos dosad niste odsjeli u nekom od hotela iz grupacije GSHotels & Resorts, nadam se da ce vas ovaj casopis potaknuti na to.Svaki je nas hotel jedinstven po svojoj ljepoti i u svakom ce Vasdocekati udoban krevet i topla dobrodoslica.

…to a new edition of GS Review. I hope you find it an entertaining and stimulating

introduction to the people and places that make GS Hotels & Resorts.

GORAN STROKCHAIRMAN & CEO, GS HOTELS & RESORTS

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National Service 8 Former refugee Ivan Ljubicic and ‘Baby Goran’ Mario Ancic won the Davis Cup for Croatia

Strok’s Frocks 76Gharani Strok’s latest collection marks a new departure...towards the dark side

Island Escape 32Rob McKelvie swaps the buzz ofDubrovnik for the tranquillity of theElafiti Islands

Shooting Dubrovnik 62The Daily Telegraph Fashion QueenHilary Alexander came to Dubrovnikfor a fashion shoot

Hot Property 66Rupert Dawnay bought the house of his dreams on a Dalmatian island, and put his mouth where his money is – running a property-finding agency for foreign investors

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76Swing, Swing 74TogetherDorney Lake, Eton hosts the WorldRowing Championships this summer, in a rehearsal for London 2012

GS Friends 82 Who, where, when ….

Midnight Scrambler 50 With stars such as Mick Jagger to caterfor, The Dubrovnik Palace’s kitchen hasto be open all hours, says head chefTomislav Gretic

GS News 6The latest news from GS Hotels &Resorts in England and Croatia

4 G s R e v i e w

CONTENTS

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GS REVIEW IS PUBLISHED BY GS HOTELS AND RESORTS,THAMES STREET, WINDSOR, BERKSHIRE SL4 1QB.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. ©GS HOTELS AND RESORTS 2006

GSREVIEWGracious living in contextH o t e l s & R e s o r t s

BellevueThe Hotel Bellevue reborn - a stunningnew five star bolthole for Dubrovnik

Art at the palaceThe Dubrovnik Palace Hotel's unique

collection of contemporary Croatian art

Outstanding serviceTennis aces Ivan Ljubicic and Mario

Ancic won the Davis Cup for Croatia

Fit for purposeTransatlantic oarsman Rob Eustace

trained at Wren's Club in Windsor

Family fizzCharles Philipponnat's family has been making champagne

near Epernay since 1522

Property swapConsider Croatia...for a holiday home,

an investment property or a change of life

Breathtaking

Power Dresser 16 Marijana Marinovic meets Brioni’s CEO Umberto Angeloni, the world’smost exclusive tailor

Dalmatian Dash 36A vintage Volvo drives rally driver Paul Bloxidge round the bend, fromOpatija to Ljubljana, via Split

Violin Virtuosi 54Janine Jansen and Julian Rachlin are the most glamorous couple inclassical music

Fizzy Business 28Charles Philipponnat’s family hasbeen making wine in Champagnesince 1522

Beau Sabreur 46 What’s a sword for, if not to openchampagne bottles? Adam Ruck masters the noble art of sabrage

Taplow, Bucks 58 David Allsop gets under the skin of a very English village

Palace Collection 12Renata Strok has filled the DubrovnikPalace with works by her favouriteCroatian artists

Breathtaking 24Bellevue Dubrovnik’s stunning new 5-star hotelsits on a cliff, and it rocks

Grand Old Lady 40The Grand Hotel Bonavia in Rijekacelebrates its 130th birthday this year

Windsor En Fete 80 Diana Bentley meets Windsor Festival Director Martin Denny

Transatlantic Trainer 70Wren’s Club in Windsor was the perfectplace to prepare businessman RobEustace for rowing across the Atlantic,says trainer Kyle Andrews

Branding Croatia 44Goran Strok’s year has seen him sing the praises of Croatia to the King ofSaudi Arabia and the DiscoveryChannel’s global audience 20

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Cover: Detail from untitled painting by

Edo Murtic (Hotel Dubrovnik

Palace). Photo: Zoran Marinovic

Publisher: Goran Strok

Managing Editor: Nikolina Vicelic

Editor: Adam Ruck

Design: 71degrees: www.71degrees.com

Picture Editor: Zoran Marinovic

Editorial Danijela Mihalic, James Farrow,

Assistants: Lovro Baldini, Zrinka Marinovic

Contributors: David Allsop, Diana Bentley,

Marija Bikic, Marijana Marinovic,

Minty Clinch, Paul Bloxidge,

Paulina Peko, Rob McKelvie,

Rupert Dawnay

Photographers: Bozidar Vukicevic, Ivan Bura,

Miho Skvrce, Nenad Stanic,

Petar Jurica, Tonci Plazibat,

Zoran Marinovic, archive of

Adriatic Luxury Hotels and

Wren’s Hotel Group

Advertising: Lovro Baldani,

Email: [email protected],

Tel: 00 385 20 430 500 (Croatia)

Enquiries: [email protected]

[email protected]

GS_review_2006.qxd 28/6/06 1:19 pm

6 G s R e v i e w

NEWSGSNEWSNEWSNEWSNE

Dubrovnik Palacewins ‘Travel Oscars’

Dick Cheneyin Dubrovnik“Thank you so much…we hopewe can come and enjoy thislovely hotel and this wonderfulcountry for a longer time” wroteLynne and Dick Cheney in thevisitors' book of the DubrovnikPalace Hotel after the US VicePresidential couple stayed at theALH property on May 6/7 2006.

Vice President Cheney was in Dubrovnik for a meetingwith Adriatic Charter countries(aspiring NATO membersCroatia, Macedonia andAlbania) on May 7 at the HotelExcelsior. The Vice Presidentmet Croatian President Mesicat the Dubrovnik Palace Hoteland Prime Minister Sanader atthe Nautica restaurant.

Throughout the VicePresidential visit the hotel’sactivities continued as normal,despite heavy security. On the evening of May 6 theDubrovnik Palace hosted twowedding receptions and morethan 1000 guests.

Local artat TaplowTaplow-born painter SusieLipman, whose delightful locallandscapes illustrate the featureon the Buckinghamshire villagein this issue of GS Review, isdisplaying her work at TaplowHouse Hotel this summer. “I’mselecting a group of framedpaintings for one of the hotel’sreception rooms,” says MissLipman, “and will have mountedworks and limited edition printsfor sale in the lobby. I hope mywork will inspire guests to goout and explore the local area,and remind them of anenjoyable stay in Taplow.” SusieLipman’s gallery Oberon Art isat 67 High Street, Burnham,Bucks. Tel: 01628 600500.www.oberonart.co.uk

Hotel Kompas - Beston the AdriaticThe 115-room Hotel Kompas,Dubrovnik won the TourismFlower - Quality for Croatia2005 Award for the best 3-starhotel on the Adriatic, awardedby Croatian Television, theCroatian Chamber of Economyand the Croatian Association ofHoteliers. The presentationceremony was held on 21September 2005 in Opatija andwas broadcast live on CroatianTelevision’s Channel 1.The award came in the categorywhich had the largest numberof nominees. Hotel Excelsiorwon second place in the 4 and5-star hotel category of theTourism Flower awards.

Hotel Excelsior on SundayTimes Hot Hotels List

The UK’s most influential Sunday newspaper The SundayTimes included the Hotel Excelsior among the eleven hottesthotels in the Mediterranean this spring. The Excelsior is theonly Croatian hotel on the list, published on February 5th.The others are in Italy, France, Portugal, Greece, Turkey,Sardinia, Corsica and Mallorca.

At the 12th WorldTravel Awards –described by TheWall Street Journal

as ‘the travel industry’sequivalent of the Oscars’ - the Dubrovnik Palace Hotelwon two prestigious awards:Croatia’s Leading Hotel andCroatia’s Leading Spa Resort.

The awards ceremony washeld at the Royal Opera Housein London on 13th November2005 and was broadcast liveon BBC. The awards werepresented to GS Hotels &Resorts Chairman GoranStrok. The World TravelAwards are decided by a pollof more than 150,000 travelagents, tour operators andtravel buyers, and are regardedby tourism professionals as thebest endorsement any travelproduct could receive.

For the 13th World TravelAwards ceremony, to be heldin the Turks & Caicos Islandsin September 2006, the

Dubrovnik Palace Hotel is thefirst Croatian hotel to benominated in the category ofEurope's Leading Resort, incompetition with 19 luxuryhotels in Spain, Italy, France,

Greece and other countries.The Dubrovnik Palace hasonce again been nominated inthe categories of Croatia’sLeading Hotel and Croatia’sLeading Spa Resort.

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G S R e v i e w 7

NEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSNEWSWhere in the world was Matt Lauer?The Today Show, NBC’spopular morning news and talk show watched by millionsacross the United States,broadcast live from Dubrovnikon November 11th 2005, underthe headline 'Where in theWorld is Matt Lauer?' During aglobe-trotting week when he also visited Easter Island, Panama, Innsbruck andShanghai, host Matt Lauer visited the Adriaticresort and reported live from six differentlocations in and around the city, which he

described as ‘the new Riviera’. After an interview with GoranStrok, GS Hotels & ResortsChairman, which wasbroadcast live from a motoryacht, Lauer reported from the Stradun where he wasjoined by a crowd of American

tourists and Croatian actor Goran Visnjic. The show also featured the Mayor of Dubrovnik,Dubravka Suica, and theatre director MisoMihocevic. The broadcast was seen by more than 7 million viewers.

The life story and globe-trottinglifestyle of GS Hotels & ResortsChairman Goran Strok was thesubject of a documentaryprogramme made by ITNFactual, the documentary branchof London-based ITN news, forthe Discovery Channel's globalaudience. ‘Europe’s Richest' wasa business and lifestyle series often 60 minute episodes lookingat the stories of some of Europe's

richest entrepreneurs. The onlyCroat portrayed in the series,Goran Strok was chosen“because he is a pioneer intransforming the Croatian

tourism industry,” said producerSuemay Oram. “The aim was totell an inspirational story on howhe made his dreams come trueafter a successful transition fromthe world of sport into business.”Filming took place in Novemberin Windsor and Dubrovnik, andthe programme was broadcast inFebruary, in a prime time slotacross Europe, Russia, TheMiddle East and the US.

Goran Strok profiled on Discovery Channel

After backing a hatful of winners at Windsor Racecourse, splash out on an alfresco dinner on Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel & Spa’s Riverside terrace. A live saxophonist will perform onMonday evenings this summer, to coincide with evening racing at Windsor. The new terrace menuoffers fresh and light summer dishes specially conceived for outdoor consumption. Sir ChristopherWren’s House Hotel & Spa: 01753 442422. Race information: www.windsor-racecourse.co.uk

Sir Christopher Wren’sHouse Hotel & Spa’swedding and eventsexecutive Angela

Farrow has arranged over 300weddings in her four yearswith Wren’s Hotels, and hadher own to organise in March.

“Getting married has givenme a new insight into theorganisation and excitement of the event,” she says.“Every wedding couple isunique and I love hearing their ideas and visions.”

Following the example ofCharles and Camilla, Windsoris a fashionable place to tie theknot, and Sir ChristopherWren’s House Hotel & Spalays on a brilliant townwedding beneath the walls of Windsor Castle.

For a country housewedding Taplow House Hotelfits the bill perfectly. French-windowed reception roomsopen on to a beautiful parkand lawns that cry out for amarquee and the classic whitewedding. Whether you chooseWindsor or Taplow, Heathrowis only 15 minutes away, foroverseas guests and an easyhoneymoon getaway.

Visit the new Wren’s Hotelswedding website: www.countryhousewedding.co.uk

Sax underthe stars

Such aperfectday…

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8 G s R e v i e w

Croatia tennis – Davis Cup

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The Davis Cup fits awkwardly inthe money-spinning world ofmodern tennis. With onlynational pride at stake, many

players regard it as a distraction from theircrowded schedule of tournaments and therace for ranking points. Federer ducked theevent this year, claiming he needed a rest.Hewitt found an excuse too, while Henmanannounced in early 2005 that he had playedhis last match for his country.

The Croats take a different view: playing

for their country still means something to

them. Goran Ivanisevic set the example of

sporting patriotism over a long and

illustrious Davis Cup career. After his

retirement Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic

picked up the torch. These two brought the

Davis Cup to Croatia.

The final against Slovakia was played out

in Bratislava in front of a crowd of only

4,000 spectators, but Croatia’s team captain

Niki Pilic was in no doubt about the

importance of the event, which he described

as his personal Mount Everest. Pilic had

previously led the German team to Davis

Cup victory in 1988, ’89 and ’93. “This is

quite different,” he said afterwards. "What's

important is winning with my own people.

For us it's an historic moment. Just because

some nations are bigger, it doesn't mean they

are better than we are.”

IVAN LJUBICIC

Croatia’s number one player

was born in March 1979 at a

small village near Banja Luka,

now in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

When Bosnian Serb forces began "cleansing"

the area of Moslems and Croats in 1992 the

Ljubicic family fled to Rijeka. With several

other refugee tennis players, Ivan accepted

an invitation to live and train at a club near

Turin, but remained committed to playing

for Croatia and won the national junior

championships in Rijeka in 1995.

In 1997 he made contact with Riccardo

Patti, who remains his coach, and began his

slow climb up the world rankings.

Marriage may cause some

athletes to take their eye

off the ball, but it did

no harm to Ivan

Ljubicic who tied the

knot with his girlfriend

Aida in Monte Carlo in

November 2004 and went

on to enjoy his best season to

date, winning two ATP titles

and more indoor matches than

any other player; and finishing in

the world's Top 10 for the first time.

His 2005 Davis Cup record - 7-1 in

singles, 4-0 in doubles - was the

foundation for Croatia’s success and is the

best since John McEnroe went 12-0 in 1982.

Ivan’s most impressive performance was

in the first round, when he won all three

points in Croatia's 3-2 victory over USA in

Los Angeles, defeating Agassi in the opening

rubber and Roddick in five sets to clinch the

tie. In between, Ljubicic and Ancic had

beaten the world's top doubles team, the

Bryan twins, on an outdoor court that had

been chosen to suit the Americans’ game.

Although his coach is Italian

and his fitness trainer

a Spaniard,

Winning the Davis Cup in December was the proudest sporting

moment in Croatia’s fifteen year history. A new postage stamp

commemorated the great victory, and on a special public holiday

there was dancing in the street to honour returning heroes Ivan

Ljubicic and Mario Ancic.

Servicenational

G S R e v i e w 9

GS_review_2006.qxd 28/6/06 10:51 am

representing his country brings out the

best in Ljubicic. With Ancic he won a

bronze medal for doubles at the 2004

Athens Olympics, and Ivan recalls this

as a key moment in his career.

“This was my first big result,” he says.

“An Olympic medal means something to

everyone, not just tennis fans. You get a

medal for your country, not yourself.”

Although Ljubicic’s Grand Slam record

is not as good as his Davis Cup form, he

has made a strong start to 2006, reaching

his first Grand Slam quarter final in

Melbourne. At Roland Garros he went one

round better, losing a close semi-final to

Rafael Nadal on unstoppable form.

In other tour events, Ljubicic has lost

consistently to only one player: World

Number 1 Roger Federer, who has beaten

him in four finals in the last 18 months.

"I don't feel I am doing something

wrong,” Ljubicic says with a smile.

“At Indian Wells I played one of the best

matches of my life ... and lost. It's not

something I worry about at night. He is

the best player in the world at the moment

- maybe in the history of tennis. So to lose

to him in close matches, for me, it's good."

Success on the tennis tour can have

unexpected consequences. One morning

last year Ljubicic opened his locker to find

the French player Michael Llodra staring

out him, naked. “What the hell are you

doing here?’ asked a surprised Ljubicic.

"I'm trying to focus for my match and get

positive energy from you,” Llodra replied.

“You're winning a lot of matches this year."

MARIO ANCIC

Mario Ancic made his Davis

Cup debut as a 15-year-old

in 1999, played in the 2000

Olympics, and hit the

headlines in 2002 when he won his debut

match on Centre Court at Wimbledon,

beating Roger Federer in four sets.

The English tabloids immediately

dubbed Ancic ‘Baby Goran’, after 2001

Wimbledon Champion Goran Ivanisevic,

and the similarities are irresistible.

Like Pilic before them, both players were

born in Split. They weigh the same, and a

mere 2cm separates them in height -

Ivanisevic is 1.93m, Ancic 1.95m (6ft 5).

Just as Pilic had nurtured the talent of

the young Ivanisevic - housing, feeding

and coaching him in Munich as a teenager

- Ancic practised with Goran from the age

of 10 and even acted as ballboy for his

hero during a Davis Cup tie. Small

wonder that the Ancic serve, albeit not

left-handed, is reminiscent of the

devastating Ivanisevic delivery.

Ancic found himself matched against

home favourite Tim Henman in the

quarter final round of Wimbledon 2004.

After a long-distance pep talk from

Ivanisevic, who had ended the Englishman’s

hopes in the semi final three years earlier,

Ancic silenced the partisan crowd by

despatching Henman in straight sets.

That semi-final remains his best grand slam

result to date, but no one will be surprised

if Baby Goran’s strong grass court game

takes him further before long.

In the 2005 Davis Cup Ancic’s most

important successes were in doubles.

But when Dominik Hrbaty upset the form

book to beat Ljubicic and level the final at

2-2, the pressure of scoring the winning

point fell to Ancic alone. As a top 25 player

he was the strong favourite against Michal

Mertinak, a doubles specialist ranked

outside the top 150. But Ancic had not

won a live singles match in the Davis Cup

all year, so there were demons to subdue.

“It was good pressure,” Ancic said

afterwards. “You could be a hero, or the

10 G s R e v i e w


Making a good fist of it. Ljubicic and Ancic carried Croatia to victory in the Davis Cup, leaving team members Ivo Karlovic and Goran Ivanisevic (pictured opposite, top right, with captain Niki Pilic) on the sideline.

“What's important is winning with my own people.Just because some nations are bigger, it doesn'tmean they are better than we are.” Niki Pilic

GS_review_2006.qxd 28/6/06 10:52 am

G S R e v i e w 11

other way around." After an edgy first set

he chose the path of glory, taking control

of the match to win in straight sets.

If Ljubicic was the architect-in-chief of

Croatia’s success in 2005, Ancic was the

hero of February’s victory over Austria in

the first round defence of the title at Graz.

Two days running, in singles and doubles,

the Croatian recovered from two sets down

to win. The Ancic half-volley winner that

saved a virtual match point to Austria at 5-5

in the third set of the doubles match had

Austrian captain Thomas Muster shaking

his head in disbelief. “I’ve spent eight and

a half hours watching Ancic this weekend,”

said Muster, “and got nothing out of it.”

From Graz, the team mates headed

straight for Marseille. Seeded 2nd and 6th

in the Open 13 tournament, they found

themselves on opposites sides of the net

one round earlier than last year, when

Ljubicic won a close encounter. This time

it was Ancic who won the last point – a

maiden victory over his Davis Cup captain.

“It's tough to play a friend, especially

when he’s the best player in the world,

behind Federer,” said Ancic. GS

The Next Davis Cup Captain?

Goran Ivanisevic (inset, left) came out of retirement at 34 to be

included in the squad for the Davis Cup final, and made no secret

of his readiness to play in the doubles. But Pilic (inset, right) stayed

loyal to his successful doubles team, and Ivanisevic had to watch

from the sideline as Ancic and Ljubicic carried their country to their

first Davis Cup title. "The only time I have been happier was when

I won Wimbledon," whispered Ivanisevic, hoarse from three days of shouting. "I place the Davis

Cup a close second behind my Wimbledon title – the perfect way to finish my tennis life."

Croatia had been hoping for more from its iconic sporting hero. With Pilic retired after

five years in the captain’s chair, Goran the Inspirational was the obvious choice to replace

him. "Goran is a great rock of support for us all," said Ancic, in tribute to his idol.

While Ivanisevic pondered his decision, Ljubicic had to stand in as playing captain for

Croatia’s first round match against Austria in February. “It was strange at the beginning,”

he said afterwards. “I was sitting on the bench with Mario during the first rubber, and not

having been there before I didn't know what to say.” After supporting Ancic through a four

hour marathon, Ljubicic made short work of the Austrian second string.

Croatia’s next opponents were the clay-court specialists of Argentina, on a fast indoor

court in Zagreb. The tie had the makings of a replay of the previous week’s Nasdaq-100

tournament in Miami where Ljubicic beat two Argentine Davis Cup players, Augustin

Calleri and World Number 3 David Nalbandian – who had himself beaten Ancic in an

earlier round. But Ancic injured his back in practice and home advantage was not enough

to keep Croatia’s defence of the title alive, despite two more singles wins for Ljubicic,

including a repeat demolition of Nalbandian. When Sasa Tuksar shook hands with Juan

Ignacio Chela after losing the deciding fifth rubber in four close sets, Ljubicic stood down

as captain. “I want Ivanisevic to do it,” he said wearily. “All the players want him.”


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12 G s R e v i e w

Dubrovnik Palace Hotel

Artistsat the palace

By Renata Strok

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G S R e v i e w 13

EDO MURTIC 1921 – 2005

Until he left us last year at the age of 83,Edo was the towering figure on the artscene in Croatia and we’re lucky to haveone of his last great works – the bigpainting near the fireplace, overlooking thesea. There’s another huge canvas in therestaurant, six metres across. He lovedworking on that scale.

I love the optimism and boldness of his wild, anarchic style. It always strikes me as boyish and I would say to him: ‘how is my little boy today?’ which heliked. Murtic had a rich and adventurouslife and he was a marvellous story teller. Icould listen to him for hours talking about

his experiences with the Partisans. He had this wonderful gift of

spontaneity, and could paint a huge canvasin a few hours. Lots of other artists tried tocopy him, but none succeeded. They triedtoo hard, while for Edo it was effortless.Nobody had so much confidence in colour!

I think for him the canvas was analternate space – his paintings have nobeginning and no end. I hate likeablepaintings and these are challenging – theymake you think. And they’re exciting – infact they give me the butterflies: the morebutterflies, the better. If he wanted to knowwhat I thought of something, Edo wouldsay: “Renata, how many butterflies today?”

DUSAN (DUSKO) DZAMONJA b 1928

My favourite sculptor! What Murticachieves on canvas, Dzamonja does insculpture. Winner of the prestigiousRembrandt prize in 1977, he is anothervery powerful personality, but much morecontrolled than Edo: always neat and wellorganised. His sculptures are very plastic,and I find them quite moving. They inviteyou in, which may be why his iron tapestryworks so well at the entrance to the hotel.We also have a superb Dzamonja sculpturein the lobby. If you like it, you shoulddefinitely visit his sculpture park at Vrsar inIstria - an extraordinary experience.

Djamonja works a lot with iron chain,

First time visitors to the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel may wonder if they have strayed into the local museum of modern art by mistake. Renata Strok - artist, art critic and interior designer – has assembled a remarkable collection of works by more than forty leading Croatian artists. Don’t expect it all to be easy viewing. “I hate likeable paintings,” says Mrs Strok.


By Dusan Dzamonja

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sections of wood and long rusty nails,which he loves to collect from shipyards –as he would say “beautifully rusted”. And he loves the spherical form. I thinkthe sphere is his favourite muse.

JAGODA BUIC b 1930

With Murtic and Dzamonja, Jagoda is thethird great pillar of that generation ofcontemporary Croatian artists. Of courseyou have to be careful how you place thethree pillars in relation to each other - theyare so strong they can easily swallow eachother up. Here we have a beautiful 18thcentury table between Jagoda and Murtic. It keeps them apart quite effectively!

Jagoda is everywhere in the hotel, butperhaps the most arresting works are themonumental vibrant tapestries in theReception area and Congress Hall. Theyare all very macho, manly works. Youwould have no idea they were by a woman.

GORANKA VRUS MURTIC b 1937

Let’s not forget Mrs Murtic, who is apainter in her own right, and a very goodone! I love this little woman with her huge canvases, like the ones we have inReception and in the Restaurant.

“I can’t paint on a small canvas,” she once said to me; “far too restrictive!” She is very impulsive and can go a bit wild,like her husband although not quite in thesame way. And she is another rather machoartist, like Jagoda. So here we have thesetwo great ladies demonstrating the strengthof women artists in Croatia.

MILA STROK 1916 - 2002

What a complete contrast! We must have at least 15 works by my husband’smother Mila Strok, such a feminineartist. Her works are all surrealism andsentiment - outpourings of the purestsoul. She was a very spiritual person andquite isolated in many ways, locked inher solitude. This comes out in herworks, which are full of sadness,nostalgia and lyricism.

ARMANO JERICEVIC b 1964

This young conceptual artist is presenteverywhere in the Dubrovnik Palace -acrylics on canvas, arty lamps andornaments, all very avant garde.

Armano qualified as a dentist, then gaveup at the age of 35 and took himself off toMarrakesh, New York ... all over.

He is completely self-taught and I’venoticed that he always catches the eye ofother artists, which is the best sign. Mythree pillars came and they all said ‘Mmm,interesting – who is this?’ - just like HenryMoore did when he first saw Dzamonja’swork. Definitely a rising star of Croatian art.

ROMANA MILUTIN-FABRIS b 1941

Romana is a very well-known artist fromDubrovnik, and a former beauty queen -Miss Yugoslavia 1959, a beautiful person,inside and out! She did paintings andtapestries for the Dubrovnik Palace andthe Hotel Excelsior before the War, so I’m delighted that we have her in thenew Palace – ten canvases in fact. For methey are a breath of fresh air: bright, andas light as a snowflake. Like Romanaherself, they fill me with happiness andpositive energy, and her femininitystretches across every canvas. GS

The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel’s art collection is the subject of a limited editionmonograph, Art in Palace, by Croatianartist and publisher Fedor Dzamonja. For more information about this book, e-mail: [email protected]

For Edo Murtic the canvas was an alternatespace – his paintings have no beginning and noend. I hate likeable paintings and these arechallenging – they make you think.

Likeable paintings? Works by (clockwise from the centre) Armano Jericevic, Edo Murtic andGoranka Murtic. Below right: the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel’s art collection is the subject of amonograph by Fedor Dzamonja.

By

Edo

Mur

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Fashion: Brioni

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Fashion: Brioni

Controller

“The Brioni suit is not a fashion item,” insists Umberto Angeloni, CEO ofthe world’s most exclusive tailor. GS Review’s Marijana Marinovic met theman in the power suit at Brioni HQ on Milan’s Via Gesu, which is notfashionable - Heaven forbid! – but a thoroughfare of timeless elegance.

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Fashion: Brioni

“Our only secret is quality,” says Umberto Angeloni.The cost of a tailor-made Brioni suit, which can takeup to six months to complete, may exceed 20,000 euros.Suits bought off the peg cost 3000 – 5000 euros.

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Fashion: Brioni

What do Kofi Annan, John Wayne and James Bond have incommon? Correct: it’s theirtailor. The Brioni suit has been a

symbol of elegance for more than sixty years,since Nazareno Fonticoli and Gaetano Saviniopened the Atelier Brioni in Rome in 1945.Fonticoli was a native of Penne, near Pescara, andthis small town remains the centre of production.

Never say factory: at Brioni, every part of every suit is made by hand, with a little help fromthe sewing machine. On average, 32 hours ofwork go in to each suit, of which 18 hours arespent on the jacket alone. Brioni Roman Style, asthe …. facility is known, manufactures 200 jacketsa day. Every suit goes through 186 productionstages and 42 ironings.

Inside Brioni Roman Style, our first impressionis how quiet it is: hardly what we expect of aroom where hundreds of manual workers arehard at it. The only sounds are the whirr ofsewing machines and the hiss of steam from theirons. This may be because Brioni employeesneed to concentrate hard. The fabrics are soexpensive, nobody wants to make a mistake.Even the buttonholes are hand sewn, and eachone takes 12 minutes of close stitching. The topbuttonhole is embroidered inside and out, for the

back of it may be visible if the jacket is wornunbuttoned. This hole requires 15 minutes.

Fabrics are kept in special storage facilitiesand meticulously examined for weaving errorsbefore cutting. The cuts used for VIP clientssuch as Pierce Brosnan or Luciano Pavarottihave separate storage rooms of their own.Brioni’s 600 VIP customers receive their suitsvacuum-packed. They can visit a Brioni shopanywhere in the world for their fitting.

Only the most important customers areinvited to Brioni’s Milan headquarters for afitting. Here they are seated in a luxuriousshow-room and treated to the finest cognac andcigars while their measurements are taken.Brioni applies its philosophy - “Only The Best”- to all aspects of life. At Brioni, quality is not amanagement technique. It is a creed, aphilosophy, and a mission.

“Our clients recognize the value of a productthat combines tradition, craftsmanship andstyle”, says 53-year old Umberto Angeloni.

The exclusivity of the Brioni power suit mayhave something to do with its price. Suitsbought off the peg in one of Brioni’s 25boutiques or 400 sales points cost 3000 - 5000euros. The cost of a tailor-made suit, which cantake up to six months to complete, may exceed

VIP customers such as Henry Fonda(above) and Clark Gable (facing page,bottom right) are invited to Brioni’sMilan headquarters for a fitting, andtreated to cognac and cigars.

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Fashion: Brioni

20,000 euros. There are 40,000 patterns tochoose from, including one with 24-carat goldstitching. Brioni carries more than 200 modelsin 19 different sizes, including short, extrashort, long, extra long, regular, extra large.There are 22,800 possible variations of size.

Brioni’s demanding clients have led to thecreation of many ingenious optional extras:an elastic strip to attach to the waist line andkeep the shirt in place; a special buttonholefor flowers; extra pockets for passport andpen, anti-sweating patches to apply to thesleeve, and a ‘keeper’ to hide the belt buckle.

Named after a small group of Croatianislands, the Brioni brand owes its presenceon the Croatian market to Goran Strok, aloyal customer and incurable fan. The firstboutique opened at the Hotel Excelsior inDubrovnik in 2004, the second in thecentre of Zagreb in November 2005.

“Brioni suits are intended for men ofpower, self confidence and high repute,”says Umberto Angeloni, “such as those whofrequented the ultra-chic Brioni islands inthe pre-War era. As the name links us toCroatia, it is only logical that we shouldhave shops in Zagreb and Dubrovnik”.

The main difference between the twoboutiques, Angeloni explains, is that theDubrovnik outlet is seasonal, like those inCapri, Portofino, Porto Cervo andMarbella, resorts that Angeloni rates on apar with Dubrovnik for cosmopolitan

glamour. Both boutiques offer men’sclothes, because more space is needed fordisplaying the women’s line. The nameBrioni has been associated with men’s suitsfor 60 years, whereas the women’s brandwas launched only five years ago.

Angeloni inconversationMarijana Marinovic began byasking Umberto Angeloni themost basic business question:

Who buys Brioni suits? Politicians, kings, aristocrats, businessmen,actors …. anyone with sophisticated taste.

What can you tell us about your celebrity customers?As you would expect, our client list isconfidential, but I can tell you without givingtoo much away – or exaggerating - that oursuits are worn by two dozen world leaders.Clients who have gone public as Brioniwearers include Nelson Mandela, KofiAnnan, Gerhard Schroder, President Clinton,Prince Andrew, Luciano Pavarotti and DonaldTrump. Not forgetting Clark Gable, JohnWayne, Rock Hudson, Richard Burton…

Labour of love. Each Brioni suit goesthrough 186 production stages andtakes 32 hours of work. There are40,000 patterns to choose from.

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Fashion: Brioni

What about 007? Quite right: we made the suits for PierceBrosnan in all the films where he playedBond – and that meant 80 suits forGoldeneye alone! The new Bond, DanielCraig, will also be wearing our suits andsporting the Brioni dinner jacket. To me,James Bond is a perfect fit for the Brionisuit: a person of charisma, a style icon, theembodiment of an English gentleman andan international jet setter - adored bywomen and admired by men.

How have you preserved theexclusivity of your fashion house?We are careful not to stray from theidentity to which our customers areaccustomed. Many brands havesuccumbed to mass productionin their desire to expand in to asmany markets possible. They puttheir names to hotels andrestaurants and make watches,perfumes, furniture and homeaccessories, all of which mustbe produced quickly inorder to sell. Likethe product, thename Brioni wasbuilt to last. Werefuse to makeanything in a hurry.

How do you keep up with fashion? Our only secret is quality. Fashion istemporary and short-lived, quality isunwavering and timeless. Fashion trends for men are based on a business look, and since quality is of the utmost importance to us, we do not change from one year to the next. Over the years our method of productionhas remained the same: 70 per cent of thesuit is cut and sewn by hand, 30 per centwith the help of a sewing machine. We train our tailors at a special centre inPenne, next to the Brioni Roman Style plant.

After four years at the Brioni school, aman is a Leonardo da Vinci among

tailors - the best of the best. Heknows how to make every part ofthe suit by hand. Another thing

that makes us unique: everythingis manufactured in Italy, and

we insist on only the best materials.

Michelangelo's worksare masterpiecesbecause he made them

but, had he not usedmarble from

Carrara, theywould not beas beautiful.

What fabrics are used to make Brioni suits?Until two years ago, Brioni was the onlymanufacturer using escorial, a unique typeof wool that does not wrinkle. However, asmen prefer comfort, we also use soft wool, cashmere and silk.

How much fabric goes in to one suit?Usually about three and a half metres, but if the customer has the proportions ofa sumo wrestler …. as much as eightmetres may be needed.

What is the fundamental ingredient of elegance in men’s fashion? The three-piece suit is timeless andfunctional. It is worn by determined andconfident men, men of the ‘old school’ who respect tradition, know what theywant in life and how to achieve it. Theindividual’s style is expressed throughaccessories, and Brioni has much to offerhere: handkerchiefs, cuff-links, ties, bow-ties, gloves, belts, canes….

What are your best markets? Our main markets are the US, whichaccounts for 30% of our sales, Italy (25%) and Germany (10%). But we sell our products all over the world – wherever business is done. GS

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BellevueBreathtaking

Dubrovnik gains a stylish new 5-star address this summer with the re-opening of the Hotel Bellevue. A haven of seclusion and discreet luxury,the Bellevue sets a new benchmark for Croatian leisure properties.

Dubrovnik knows to expect somethinga bit different from us, and wehaven’t disappointed them,” saysRenata Strok, who has directed the

design aspects of the project. Visitors whoremember the Bellevue of old will find the hotelchanged in almost every detail, save for thespectacular clifftop setting 30 metres aboveMiramare Bay, a secluded sandy cove between theold town of Dubrovnik and the Lapad peninsula.In strolling distance of the gates of the old town,it is a location that deserves an exceptionalproperty. As of Summer 2006, it has one.

The new hotel has 93 rooms, including 80luxury rooms, 12 suites and 1 presidentialsuite; a spa, fitness centre and a magnificentindoor pool. There are bars and restaurantsboth in the hotel itself and at sea level, on theBellevue’s private beach.

“Our objective has been to create a truehaven,” says Mrs Strok; “somewhere to soothethe soul and stimulate the senses, offering anescape from the busy city.” This vision ofblissful sanctuary may not be easy to reconcilewith Renata Strok’s definition of the style of

the new Bellevue as ‘ethno-techno-rock’, which sounds rather noisy.

She can explain, however. “Ethno, because we like to use local materials, show offlocal craftsmanship and give a flavour ofCroatian culture through the works of art ondisplay and the decorative style of the hotel.”Those cushions are locally stitched, thosepaintings by Croatian artists ….

Techno speaks for itself: the hotel is absolutely state of the art, with ‘smart room’technology throughout. “And you’re right: rock … is for rock and roll,” says Renata. “The Bellevue will attract a young and dynamicclientele of high achievers, and we want themto walk in and think ... ‘all right...!’”

Naturally the Bellevue invites comparisonwith the Dubrovnik Palace, which has hadplaudits and international awards heaped uponit in the two years since it opened. But inreality the two concepts are quite different.The Bellevue is much smaller, for a start. Andthe Dubrovnik Palace always had to be acompromise in the sense that it serves bothbusiness and leisure clients, whereas the

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Hotel Bellevue

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Bellevue is a leisure hotel for Dubrovnik’smost discerning and affluent visitors.

“The point about an urban business hotel isthat guests stay for no more than a night ortwo,” explains Mrs Strok. “You can get awaywith a trendy concept – the Hip Hotel thing -and make it work. Here, people will stay for aweek and need surroundings they can livewith. A more natural style is essential, and amood of serenity is what we are aiming for.Anything too gimmicky will not work – theywill soon tire of it.”

“This will not be a shiny hotel,” promises MrsStrok. Olive wood, grey granite and other mattstone surfaces set the keynote of textures that arenatural and restful to the eye and touch. TheReception area is dominated by a panoramicwindow overlooking the sea. “The trend inhotels of this kind is to make the lobby in tosomething resembling a stage set,” says MrsStrok; “designed to impress with colourfullighting and objects everywhere. This was notfor us – we felt a more functional space wasrequired. That is not to say it should not beaesthetically pleasing – far from it. But the

reception is an area you pass through and inthis case look through … out to sea.”

To set foot in the Bellevue is to leave theoutside world behind. Mrs Strok likens theexperience to being on board ship, and this ideaof escapism runs through her design concept forthe hotel. “Looking out from Reception, youcan’t see the city,” she says; “just the sea and amonastery on the rocks visible on the extremeright. The setting is really dramatic, on top of a30-metre cliff. You look straight out, andstraight down to the small sandy beach.”

It goes without saying that no design schemeof Renata Strok’s comes without remarkableworks of art. Here, on the wall behind therough olive-wood reception desk, a speciallycommissioned work by Croatia’s leadingsculptor Dusko Dzamonja confronts the visitorand demands a reaction. On the opposite sideof the room, the fronds of a palm tree rise upfrom the floor below.

Bedrooms at the Bellevue revisit the sailingtheme, with simple furniture and woodenfloors such as might be found on a stylish butunderstated yacht. The balconies have a clear

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Dubrovnik

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Hotel Bellevue

glass balustrade, so there is nothing, absolutelynothing, to block the view.

Rooms are further adorned with lithographsand pastels by two top Croatian artists: FedorDzamonja, son of the sculptor, himself adistinguished photographer and painter; andZeljko Senecic, a painter, architect and stagedesigner. Bathrooms are uncluttered, functionaland comfortable, tiled in light travertina marble.

The bar is a cosy and intimate space, with thebottom half of the African palm tree that visitorswill have encountered in reception. “Wethought the bare tree trunk, althoughsculpturally interesting, might be a little stark,”says Mrs Strok. A cluster of bushy young palmsplanted around the base of the tree soften theeffect. As befits a relaxing holiday hotel, thedecor and atmosphere of the bar and restaurant

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Dubrovnik

are essentially casual, with white linen lanternsand table cloths. The outstanding food served inthe hotel’s a la carte restaurant speaks for itself.

It was one of the more problematicconditions of the permit to redevelop theBellevue that the stone fabric of an old villa onthe site had to be preserved. In the context ofthe creation of a new luxury hotel, this calledfor an imaginative solution, and one was found:the façade of the villa complete with front doorand shutters makes a decorative partition wallbetween the restaurant and its kitchen.

From one temple of self indulgence toanother: silence prevails in the Bellevue’srestful wellness centre. Here and in the fitnessarea, decorative elements are spare. A skinnedtree stained white, standing alone like apetrified pillar … a scattering of antique urnsonce used as storage jars for olive oil …..

But the indoor pool is an extraordinary

creation, with the living rock of the cliff asone wall and the other all glass - a window onthe Adriatic. It is in fact an indoor infinitypool, suspended twenty metres above the sea.Swimming is believing.

At sea level, served by the hotel’s private liftor a rough cliff path - described by Renata Strokas “somewhat goatish” - the hotel has a coffeebar and taverna beside the sheltered water.About half of the small bay is the Bellevue’sprivate beach – a small corner of paradise in theAdriatic jewel that is Dubrovnik. GS

Hotel BellevuePera Cingrije 7, 20000 DubrovnikCroatia. Tel: 00385 20330 000Fax: 0038520330100e-mail: [email protected]

Location

Dubrovnik Old City 800m

Airport 20km

Accommodation

◆ 80 rooms

◆ 12 suites

◆ 1 presidential suite

◆ All rooms and suites are sea-facing, with bathroom, interactive TV, internet connection, air conditioning,mini bar, direct dial telephone, safe. Most of the rooms and suites have balconies

◆ A la carte restaurant

◆ Beach taverna

◆ Aperitif bar

◆ Beach bar

◆ 24 hour room service

◆ Private beach

◆ Wellness centre with sauna

◆ Fitness club

◆ Indoor swimming pool

◆ Jogging path

◆ Hairdresser

◆ Shops

◆ Underground garage

Ground handling agent Adriatic Luxury Services organises airport transfers by car, bus or boat;plane hire; limousine service; dailysightseeing and special interest activities directly from the hotel

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Champagne Philipponnat

Charles Philipponnat trotsbriskly up the steps to survey the heart of his empire, the Clos des Goisses

vineyard overlooking a canal off the RiverMarne. To consumers who know littlemore about champagne than the fact thatthey like to drink a lot of it, this narrowbank looks agriculturally challengingcompared with the handsome vineyardsthat stretch towards wide horizons on the rolling hills behind.

“Not at all,” says Charles. Here inChampagne, steep, south facing and chalkyis the ideal blueprint for a warm, well-drained terroir where the vine can flourish.

Clos des Goisses is an exceptional single-vineyard champagne, and it is the steepsouth-facing slope where we are standingthat gives the wine its indelible flavour. A further five hectares of more gently

pitched east-facing vines provide exceptionalblending flexibility. The cooler the year, thegreater the percentage of grapes from thesteep slope; the warmer it is, the greater therole played by the rest of the vineyard.

Charles pauses to inspect the neatcorduroy of trellised rows, two thirds PinotNoir, one third Chardonnay, all immaculatelypruned for the coming of spring.

His family has been making wine in thisarea since 1522, but Maison Philipponnatcame into being in 1910 when Charles’sgrandfather Auguste and great uncle Pierremoved from neighbouring Ay to Mareuil.Twenty five years later, Pierre seized thechance to add to his existing vineyards bybuying the Clos des Goisses from thebankrupt Duke of Montebello.

Back at Maison Philipponnat, ahandsome pink building on Mareuil’s mainstreet, Charles shows off the sparkling new

Smaller champagne houses make better wine than the giants ofthe industry, Charles Philipponnat tells Minty Clinch. “Dealing in thousands rather than millions of bottles means I can givemy wines a personal touch.”

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winery he installed in 2003. After pressing,the three base wines are put in ceiling-highsteel vats. Oak plays its part too, withstorage in large barrels adding complexityto the wines, albeit at the expense offreshness. “Some prefer one and some theother”, says Charles, “just as some preferblondes and others brunettes”. Once thewines are blended, a key task that Charlesshares with his cellarer, they are bottledand fermented for a second time in the18th century cellars below the winery.

When grandfather died in World War 1,great uncle Pierre and his descendants tookover Philipponnat and ran it until 1997.When the last of them departed, the ailingbusiness fell in to the hands of the BoizelChanoine champagne group. They werequick to revive the family connection byhiring Charles, who had worked for Moet& Chandon in France and Argentina as

CEO and President. “Obviously they likedmy name”, he says, “but my face fitted aswell because I had the legal and commercialbackground to turn the business around.”

In six years he has done exactly that,establishing Philipponnat as a successfulmedium sized champagne house. Business is

as nicely balanced as the wine. France takes40% of production, and Britain, whichleads the world in champagne consumption,has now joined the traditional exportmarkets, Italy and Germany.

Philipponnat’s output of 600,000 bottles

a year is small fry compared with Moet’s30 million, but Charles believes thatsmaller houses have the chance to developwines with a more distinctive personality.“I have total control which is essentialbecause making good champagne requirespatience and hard work”, he explains.

“It takes ten years for a house to producea worthwhile wine and thirty to develop a superior one. Dealing in thousandsrather than millions means I can give mywines a personal touch”.

Champagne production dates back to

“I have total control which is essential. It takes ten years to produce a worthwhilewine, and thirty to develop a superior one.”

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the late 17th century when Dom Perignon,the Benedictine Abbot of Hautvillers,developed the second fermentation processthat put the sparkle into champagne. Morethan three centuries later, the methods ofproduction remain highly labour intensive,with all pruning, trellising and harvestingdone by hand. Once the wine is in thecellars, the ‘remueurs’ (riddlers) take over,giving the 500,000 bottles stored on site adaily twizzle to control the sedimentation.

Charles is a hands-on president,overseeing all phases of production withexpertise and exuberance. In the tastingroom he plunges in to negotiation with alocal barrel salesman who has arrivedbearing samples of oak and unappetisingclear fluid, apparently aged in the wood.A lively discussion follows as they inspectthe wood and taste the liquid. To buy ornot to buy? Charles clearly enjoys the cutand thrust of commerce.

He also enjoys his daily intake of

champagne, popping corks withenthusiasm. At home with his Corsicanwife and four children, he admits to the occasional glass of red, but onPhilipponnat territory it has to bechampagne with everything: blanquette deveau, pot au feu, oysters, scallops, clams,mushrooms, cheese … if white wine isappropriate, let it be champagne. One ofthe few exclusions from his long list ofsuitable dishes to eat with champagne isany kind of pudding. “If you insist, drinkSec or Demi-Sec,” he says sternly. “Brut

with pudding is an English abomination!” In food and wine alike, Charles

Philipponnat looks for intensity, varietyand the ability to surprise. He finds it hard to pick favourites but when pressedfor his Desert Island Drink settles for 1964Clos des Goisses - in magnum, of course,although there are few left. And after hisLast Supper? He can think of no finer endthan that of the Duke of Clarence:drowning in a barrel of wine. GS

Our thanks to P&O Ferries: (08705 20 20 20; www.POferries.com): and the hotelRoyal Champagne, Champillon (+33 3 2652 87 11; www.royalchampagne.com) forassistance researching this feature.

Champagne Philipponnat, 13 rue duPont, 51160 Mareuil-sur-Aÿ, France. Tel: + 33(0) 3.26.56.93.00;www.champagnephilipponnat.com

UK Agent: Fortitude Wines. Tel: 0208760 0800; info@fortitude wines.com


Clos des Goisses, 1992: 65%Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay,all grown in Clos des Goissesand aged 10 years in the

bottle. 1992 was a relatively soft vintage,extremely classical. 12,000 bottles, though the vineyard averages 15,000. Thewine is impressively fresh after 14 years,ripe and profound, with a stewed fruitflavour and a long finish. You can drink itwith almost anything including red meatstews, though it’s best with game, withblack truffle and mushroom sauces. It isrobust enough to balance a little fat, forexample pan-fried goose liver.

Réserve Millésimée 1999: 65% PinotNoir, 35% Chardonnay. The young fruit

has transformed to create secondary andtertiary aromas. 1999 was a subtle year,producing a soft and delicate vintage of20,000 bottles, though we can make up to40,000. Because it is aged on the lees, thewine is smoky, with elements of spicedfruit and leather. The Pinot Noir gives ita zing that goes well with poached lobster,roast chicken, or goose or veal withchanterelle sauce.

Grand Blanc 1991: 100%Chardonnay. The use of only chardonnaygrapes makes anutty, ripe and spicywine that goes wellwith curry and dry

cheeses made with cow’s milk, such asgruyereand emmental.

Royal Reserve: 40-50% Pinot Noir, 30-35% Chardonnay, 15-25%Pinot Meunier. This is our top-sellingnon-vintage champagne: 400,000 bottlesa year and 70% of our sales. Intensefresh taste, fruity and surprisinglydense. We harvest our own grapes late

and ask our suppliers to do the same,to create greater complexity.

Royal Reserve makes an excellent aperitif. It also goes

well with seafood, whitemeat, charcuterie and

light cheeses.

Charles Philipponnat’s Tasting Notes

Shaken not stirred. The remueur (right) gives each bottle a daily twizzle to control the sedimentation

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RESIDENZENSCHLOSS VELDEN

A LEGEND AWAKES...

In the park of the legendary Schloss Velden, located at the western shore of Lake Wörthersee,

in southern Austria, a luxury resort is being built and is already making headlines all over

Europe. The romantic palace is being upgraded to the standards of an international five star plus

luxury hotel. This will include a spacious spa facility, a gourmet restaurant and an exquisite beach

club and marina available to future owners of the private residences. For detailed information

on this exceptional real estate project as well as for all sales information about your

“own personal residence,” contact: Stiller & Hohla Immobilientreuhänder (Exclusive

Affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates), Tel. +43 (0)662/6585-100. Be there when

“a legend awakes …”

www.residenzenschlossvelden.com

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Elafiti Islands

Elafitiescape to

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Croatia

Tired of the dusty sightseeingtrail? Then hop on a ferry andswap sophisticated Dubrovnikfor the simple life of the ElafitiIslands. Rob McKelvie playsRobinson Crusoe.

With 1,185 to choose from itcan be difficult to decidewhich Croatian islands tovisit. From Dubrovnik the

choice is easy, with the lovely necklace of theElafiti Islands beckoning just a short boat ridefrom the city. Each island has its owncharacter and charm, but the Elafiti are unitedin their beauty and the escape they offer fromthe bustle of life in the fashionable resort city.

From the tiny island of Daksa, less than1km from the port of Dubrovnik, the smallarchipelago extends north towards thePeljeSac Peninsula, a rugged promontoryrenowned for its excellent wine.

The Elafiti were once part of the powerfulRepublic of Ragusa (the old name forDubrovnik), which held sway over a vast areaof the Adriatic from the mighty walls of Stonin the north to present-day Montenegro inthe south. In their heyday the islands werebusy trading hubs, but their prosperity andimportance fell away when Napoleon tookcontrol of the Republic. The islands sank intoa state of slumber that today’s visitors findblissfully relaxing.

Only Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan areinhabited, and they have yet to feel theimpact of noticeable tourist development. For all but the most determined escapists,these three islands are the most rewarding tovisit as they have a sprinkling of facilities,including seasonal summer restaurantsoffering fresher than fresh local seafood. P

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Elafiti Islands

After Dubrovnik’s rich diet of historyand culture the Elafiti don’t ask us toengage the brain. Praise be, there is almostnothing to see! Even the most dedicatedsightseers soon slip into the lotus-eatingway of life, where the simple pleasures takeover. Stroll along the island footpaths,enjoying the scents of rosemary and sage;take a dip in some of the cleanest seawaterin Europe. And that’s about it.

The Elafiti are more or less car-free.You won't even need a bicycle, as theislands are small enough to explore onfoot. Kolocep, Lopud and Sipan are allconnected to Dubrovnik by ferry and tourboats, but they remain off the main touristcircuit and rarely seem busy. And when thelast ferry of the day leaves, the islands slipback from their diurnal state of sleepyenchantment, to sleep.

KolocepThe smallest of the inhabited Elafiti islands and the closest to Dubrovnik has apopulation of around 150 and a surface areaof only 2.6 sq km. It was once favoured byDubrovnik's aristocracy, who had theirweekend retreats here. There are two smallvillages connected by a short walking trail:Donje Celo, where the ferry comes in, andGornje Celo. Donje Celo's old stone housesnestle around a sandy beach, muchappreciated by the citizens of Dubrovnik.

From Gornje Celo you can branch out onthe paths that meander off into the patchypine forest that covers the rest of the island.Kolocep is popular with snorkellers as thereis a coral reef offshore, but you won’t findany shops or hire outlets, so bring your ownsnorkelling gear. Clothing is optional in themore secluded bathing places.

LopudIts current population of around 220may only be a fraction of what it oncewas when it was the seat of Ragusa'spower on the islands, but Lopud stillboasts reminders of its grand past,including two ruined forts that gazesternly out over the Adriatic. The villageof Lopud overlooks an attractive beachand has a number of fine houses built forthe island’s wealthy ship owners.

In its heyday there were more than 20churches on the island, but traces of onlya few remain. You can still visit the oldFranciscan monastery, which overlooksthe bay where the ferry comes in. Its

Dolce far niente. Even the most dedicatedsightseers slip into the lotus eating way of lifeon the Elafiti Islands.

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Croatia

church, Our Lady of the Cave, hasinteresting altar paintings that depictboth religious and pastoral themes.

Lopud's other big attraction is the palatialhome of Miho Pracat, the archipelago’smost famous son. The commercial activitiesof this powerful 16th century shippingmagnate helped to swell the Republic’scoffers, as well as his own, earning him thehonour of a commemorative bust in theatrium of the Rector’s Palace in Dubrovnik.If there are doubts about the exact source ofPracat’s initial wealth - some say he robbedthe Cathedral treasury - don't mention aword of it on the Elafiti.

Recalling the days when Pracat's shipsbrought home exotic bounty from theirvoyages, the surrounding park has aninteresting collection of flora, withbamboo and cacti joining Lopud's morefamiliar décor of palm trees and pines. It is worth continuing up the hill to thefortress ruins that crown the heights ofLopud. The view out over the island andthe Adriatic is as fine as any in the Elafiti.

From the village a track cuts throughpalm groves between the island’s twolandmark hills to emerge at Sunj, one of

the best places to swim in the archipelago;there are two simple restaurants here insummer. As well as its pine-fringed beach,Sunj boasts a little church full ofinteresting works of art. The island's 11km coastline has many other sandycoves, offering the chance to get awayfrom other people and relax insurroundings of perfect tranquillity.

SipanHilly Sipan is the largest of the Elafiti and one of the least developed of allCroatia's inhabited islands. Ferries fromDubrovnik ease into Sipanska Luka, anattractive little palm-fringed village thatbasks idly in the Adriatic sun. There islittle to see and do here beyond exploringamong the old buildings and relaxing onthe small sandy beach.

Crossing the island from Sipanska Luka to the still smaller village of Sudurad is a delightful scenic ramble of some 7kmthrough olive groves, vineyards and overthe pine-clad hills of Sipan. Mini-busessometimes run the route across theSipanska valley and there are bicycles for hire in summer.

In Sudurad the crumbling former palace of 16th century Ragusan shipowner ViceStjepovic sports two towers that stand proudly among the ruins.

Better preserved is another 16th-centurybuilding, St Mary's Church, out on its owna few kilometres from the village. Likemuch of the Elafiti, it seems to be fightinga half-hearted battle against theencroaching vegetation. GS

As part of the powerful republic of Ragusa(Dubrovnik), the Elafiti islands were busy tradinghubs in their heyday, but their importancedeclined once Napoleon took control

Ferries run regularly fromDubrovnik's main port of Gruz toKolocep, Lopud and Sipan. It takesaround 30 minutes to reach Kolocep,50 minutes to Lopud and 1 hour 30 minutes to get to Sipan. Thefrequency varies from one ferry aday during winter to four a day insummer. As well as scheduled ferries,a variety of tourist boats also flit outto the islands at the height ofsummer, some combining visits to allthree islands in a day’s excursion.

GETTING THERE

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Classic Car Rally

the dalmatian

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Classic Car Rally

An armada of sixty classic sports cars assembled on the sea front at Opatija for the start of the 17th Classic Marathon rally on September 11th 2005. The Dalmatian Dashoffered a taste of the pleasures of old-fashioned motoring, reports Volvo driver Paul Bloxidge, a regular Classic Marathon competitor.

The Dalmatian Dash, as the 2005Classic Marathon was dashinglyif not altogether accuratelynamed, took us on a six-day

tour of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia &Herzegovina, using sections the route ofthe famously gruelling Sofia-Liege rallyfrom the 1960s.

In previous years we had done theDolomites, the Pyrenees and the Alps. The2004 Classic Marathon in Norway - theViking Raid - won an international awardfor the best historic rally of the year.

Tackling the Balkans was certainly a boldstep for the organisers Jeremy Dickson and

our ‘route master’ Keith Baud, who did animmense amount of work on research tripsbefore the event. The journey to Opatijameant that many people decided to shiptheir cars, as I did, or use the Germanmotorail service to Rijeka, rather than driveout. This all adds to the cost of anexpensive sport, but it was definitely worthit. The driving was superb.

Five rally stages took us from Opatija toZagreb, Sarajevo, Split, back up the coastto Opatija again, and finally over themountains to Ljubljana, where we did ourlast day’s driving. On the way we passedmany eloquent wartime landmarks: sniper’s

alley in Sarajevo, the Holiday Inn wherethe BBC stayed, and the bridge in Mostar,which is now a tourist attraction.

The scenery was wonderful throughout,but most of the time on a rally you’re goingso fast you have no idea where you’ve beenat the end of the day. The usual routine isnot terribly complicated: drive from 0830in the morning to 0730 in the evening,then spend half and hour under the cartrying to make sure it will work in themorning, then have dinner, drink too much and go to bed.

My impressions of Slovenia are of a veryalpine country, as neat and tidy as Austria.

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In Croatia, the beautiful women ofOpatija – a second Monte Carlo on theAdriatic – made a profound impression onmany of my fellow competitors. The seaviews were nice too, as we came downfrom the mountains towards Split and sawthe Adriatic like a mirror below.

But my lasting memory of Croatia is thefriendliness of the local people, and theirlevel of interest in our rally. We would bedoing a manoeuvres test in a carpark in front of a crowd ofhundreds of cheering spectators.This is not something we haveexperienced before, and it makesfor a great atmosphere. Thescenic climax of the rally wasundoubtedly the drive overSlovenia’s highest pass, theVrsic (1612m), between Bovecand Kranjska Gora – anamazing stretch of road with26 hairpins on the way up,22 coming down.

From a rallying point ofview, the whole area wasa delight. The roads areempty and underused –it was like rediscovering thepleasures of motoring in

Britain 30 years ago. It is part of thechallenge of these rallies that the roads arenot closed, and you never know what’sround the next corner – it could be atractor, a steam roller or a group of cyclists.But a lot of western European routes arenow too busy for enjoyable rally driving.The Dalmatian Dash gave us plenty ofexciting mountain driving - we must havedone at least 300 miles on loose gravel.

The maps were a slight problem:they often marked roads that

weren’t there, and failed to showgood ones that were. In one placethey marked an airport on the

wrong side of the road.Luckily we had no serious

incidents, although there was anarrow escape when an AustinHealey 3000 T-boned a bollardon a mountain hairpin, with abig fresh air drop beckoning.Somehow he carried on, andfinished the rally.

The field was 60 carsdating from the 1920s tothe 1970s. In theory1974 is the cut-off date,but there are always afew younger cars.

A 1977 Rolls Royce Silver ShadowConvertible had the misfortune to overheatafter an hour of the first day and had to beshipped back to UK. It must have beenterribly galling for the owners, but to theircredit they hired a car and followed therally in what is known as the Hertz class.

There are two categories of competition– Masters, and Clubman’s, which followsan easier route with less arduous times tobe met. Within each category there arevarious classes, depending on the age andsize of vehicle. My rally car is a VolvoAmazon 123 GT which I bought as a boxof bits and a rust wrap. Virtually nothing in it is original.

The Volvo served us well on theDalmatian Dash. Our only problem was thefuel pump: the car kept feeling as though itwas running out of petrol. I knew it wasn’t,so we gave the pump a kick and carried on.It cost us 20 valuable seconds though.

I bought the Volvo in preparation for aproper endurance event such as Peking toParis or London to Cape Town. I also havea fixed head Jaguar XK 140 which Istripped down for rallying; and a 1975Porsche 911 which is gorgeous – the idealcar, in my opinion. Porsches are always thefastest in the rallies and in our class - under

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Classic Car Rally

“… in Croatia it was the friendliness of the peopleand their interest in the rally that stood out.We’d be doing a manoeuvres test in a car park in front of hundreds of spectators. This is notsomething we’ve experienced before.”

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Classic Car Rally

2 litres, post 1965 - I’m often racing against Porsches.

I entered the rally with my son James, anexcellent navigator. This is my way ofpulling rank: the way I see it, I spend agesputting the cars together and mendingthem, so I want to be the one that bendsthem. And I do love the driving …...

So James does the navigating, which callsfor quick mental arithmetic and presence ofmind when you’re driving against the clock,to the split second.

A key element of the day-to-day challengeis the Regularity test. For a section of theroute, often as long as 40km and usually onroads that are difficult to drive and navigate,competitors are required to maintain exactaverage speeds. This average is not constant:for example, we might be required to drive the first 6.8km at an average of49kph, then maintain 52kph until 12.3km… and so on. Marshals at two or more

secret checkpoints along the way time us as we go past, and penalise us by the secondif we are early or late.

‘Regularity’ success depends on anaccurate distance recorder (measuring to1/100th of a km), stopwatches, andspeed/distance/time tables. All that, and findthe correct route and drive it. Imaginetrying to maintain a 52kph average through29 snowy hairpins in a 50 year-old car atnight, and you get an idea of the challenge.

When everything is going well you needto be alert and have a certain agility ofmind to do the sums. When things startgoing wrong, you need mechanical abilityas well, although the organisers providesweep crews who follow the rally andspend all night getting cars back in shape.While we’re eating dinner and drinkingwine, they’re underneath a pre-War Bentley,trying to mend the springs.

These crews are the unsung heroes of the

event – amazingly good at what I call bushmechanics: improvising repairs and gettingthe local blacksmiths to weld and forge newparts over night.

Winning doesn’t alter the price of bread:the results are purely for gratification. But of course there are fierce rivalries, andcoming up against the same people yearafter year adds to the fun.

Without doubt, the sporting highlightof our rally was a trial on a figure of eighttrack at Logatec in Slovenia. Our mainrival, a recognised hotshoe, was a fastercar than us and at the half way stage wewere level. I said to James ‘there’s no waywe can beat them,’ but then our rivalsmade a mistake and collected a fivesecond penalty. James said: “Look here,dad, if we take it easy and pace ourselves,we can win this.”

“We haven’t come all this way to take iteasy ...” I replied, possibly in more colourfullanguage. The red mist descended, and weended up beating our rivals even withoutthe penalty, and won our class. GS

Which hole does the oil go in? Rally drivers need mechanical ability and mental agility as well as driving and navigation skills. Bottom right: Paul Bloxidge and son James with their Volvo at the end of the Dalmatian Dash in Ljubljana.

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Grand Hotel Bonavia 1876 - 2006

Bonavia

The Grand Hotel Bonavia has been an institution in Rijekasince the age of gas lanterns and sailing ships. Its beginnings goback to the Trattoria A La Buona Via, and outstanding foodremains a cornerstone of the hotel’s reputation.

The Grand Hotel Bonavia stands at the heart of Rijeka,Croatia’s second city andleading sea port, and enjoys a

place of honour in the history of Croatiantourism. Since it opened more than acentury ago, generations of satisfiedcustomers have returned to this grand old lady of Adriatic hotels, secure in theexpectation of a warm welcome, excellentfood and professional service.

The hotel has its origins in the goldenage of Rijeka, a trading port ideally placedto participate in the industrial revolution,close to the heart of Europe. UnderAustro-Hungarian control, the city grewrapidly during the fourth quarter of the19th century and became one of Europe’sleading business and cultural centres.

This growth followed the creation ofimportant rail connections in the early1870s: Rijeka was linked to Vienna andBudapest via Ljubljana and Zagreb in1873, and to Trieste the following year.

The port of Rijeka was also growingrapidly, and saw the installation of the firstoil refinery in the region. Shippingcompanies were established, banks madetheir appearance, and an electric tramlinetraversed the entire city, which boasted 9cinemas and 22 consulates.

Rijeka was also well known for its‘moretto’ gold jewellery, which was indemand across Europe. Craftsmen such asRollandi and Gigante founded successful

businesses supplying the royal court inVienna and winning prizes at theExposition Universelle in Paris.

This enterprising city of travellersand traders naturally emerged as anearly centre of the hospitality business, with lodges, inns and restaurantsfor visitors from allcorners of the world.There were taverns forsailors where thetraditional game of “morajaponeze” was played. Atthe dawn of the 20thcentury Rijeka had 20 hotelsand 65,000 inhabitants, whilethe country's capital Zagreb had only three hotels for itspopulation of 75,000.

One of these twenty hotels was the Nacional, which had been founded in 1876 with a simpletrattoria, ‘A la Buona Via,’ openingsoon after. This restaurant quicklywon a reputation throughout Istria forgood food and hospitality.

The precursor to today’s Bonavia was a spacious three-floor residential buildingconstructed by Ignacio Bonetic in 1885 and later converted into a hotel. The firstthorough reconstruction of the hotel wascarried out in the 1930s. The facade wasstripped of decoration, a layer of stone wasadded to the ground floor and two more

stories were addedto the three existing ones.The Bonavia had central heating inits rooms, a telephone at the reception anda lift. Electric lighting had been in placesince the turn of the century.

In 1952 the Bonavia had 64 rooms and97 beds. A six-story structure was added tothe building in 1959, greatly increasing itscapacity. This work, in a striking

Brava

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G S R e v i e w 41


avant garde style by the design team of Lucic, Franlic and Sulowski, wassupposed to take two years to complete,but it was not until April 27th 1965 thatthe new Bonavia welcomed its first guests,with the bar and ground floor stillunfinished. This was the only hotelbuilding or rebuilding activity carried outin Rijeka between 1945 and 1998.

After more than a century of successfuloperation, the Bonavia was purchased in

1995 from its many shareholders byGoran Strok, a Croatian businessmanbased in Britain. The Bonavia was his firsthotel acquisition, followed by other capitalinvestments in Great Britain andDubrovnik, which recovered from thewar-torn 1990s to enjoy economic revivaland a renaissance in its tourism.

More than three decades after its lastmajor renovation, Goran Strok launched athorough reconstruction of the Grand

Hotel Bonavia in 1998. A total of 10million euros was invested in the hotel’sreconstruction - one of the largest recentinvestments in the heart of Rijeka.

When it was re-launched in 2000, theBonavia set a new benchmark for businesshotels in Croatia, with accommodation ofthe highest quality, three multi-functionalconference halls and a level of service thatis widely acknowledged to exceed its four-star category. High standards are a matterof professional pride to all members ofstaff, who are the body and spirit of thehotel. Stylish throughout, with elegant

Long gone are the days of gas lamps, carriages and crinolines, but some things never change. The Bonavia is still a focusfor the public life of the city.

Habsburg hub. Rijeka was a town of traders and travellers and had 20 hotels at the end of the 19th century, compared with Zagreb’s three.

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42 G s R e v i e w

furniture and original paintings, the hotel has 114 bedrooms, 6 suites and a presidentialsuite named after Rijeka’s most famous son,the pre-industrial entrepreneur Ljudevit Adamic (1766 – 1828).

True to its past, the Bonavia remainsdedicated to excellent gastronomy. As thehotel’s head chef likes to remind his team:“the Bonavia has been famous not only forcaviar, salmon and lobster. At least as manydistinguished guests have joined the queue forour turnip and beans with ribs.”

The Bonavia’s regulars are gourmets who know that the experience is not completeif they have not tasted the scampi, or the

home-made green pasta with prosciutto andmushrooms. The Bonavia’s Black Forest andSacher cakes are every bit as good as theViennese originals, or better. The hotel’s world-class gastronomy was confirmed when Pope JohnPaul II visited Croatia in 2003: all meals for thechurch dignitaries were prepared at the Bonavia.

More than a century on, the Bonaviawelcomes a new generation of travellers.Although it has a long history, facilities andstandards are under continual review, to keep

up with the pace of technological innovationin the hotel industry and the changingdemands of international business travellers.

Long gone are the days of gas lanterns,crinolines and carriages, when sailing shipstransported wine and oil between Adriatic and Mediterranean ports.

The Rijeka of today may have little incommon with the town of 1876, but somethings never change. The Grand Hotel Bonavia remains an institution at the heartof the city’s life: a place for feasting anddancing and intimate tete a tete dinners; aplace where people meet, fall in love, getmarried and have fun. Vivat Bonavia! GS

VIP VISITORS

The Grand Hotel Bonavia has welcomedroyalty, statesmen and celebrities from manycountries and walks of life in its 130 yearhistory. Staff members are trained to respectthe privacy of their guests above all else, buttreasure their memories of visiting stars suchas Tom Selleck, Ottavio Missoni, NatassiaKinsky, Peter Falk, Kirk Douglas, Belinda Lee,George Scott and Ali MacGraw.


Doing the business. Relaunched in 2000, theBonavia set a new benchmarkfor business hotels in Croatia.

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Goran Strok...in conversation

Croatia is no longer a secret,”says GS Hotels & ResortsChairman Goran Strok. “Itsbeauty, the islands, celebrity

visitors … we read about it everywhere.But what people sometimes fail to grasp isthis: as far as the business of tourism isconcerned, Croatia is an emerging country.This is where we have been able to leadthe way, thanks to our English connectionsand my broader experience internationally.The task is to upgrade everything to crèmede la crème quality, and bring the tastes ofthe world to Dubrovnik and Croatia.

“So if you ask me, am I proud of whatwe have done in Dubrovnik, the answer isyes. I can’t think of a better way ofdescribing that achievement than thecomments of the EBRD (European Bankfor Reconstruction and Development) andIFC (International Finance Corporation)when they came to visit us in Dubrovnik:that we have created the Croatian brand.

“This is what I spend much of my timedoing: selling Croatia, by inviting andhosting statesmen, celebrities andbusinessmen; by doing TV interviews topromote Croatia to American viewers; byintroducing the Mayor of Dubrovnik to theQueen in Windsor, or – in my daughterVanja’s case - persuading the fashion editorof the Daily Telegraph to come toDubrovnik for a major fashion shoot..”

Goran Strok’s expertise and high mediaprofile make him an eloquent spokesmanfor his native country. In November, whenNBC’s Today Show broadcast live fromDubrovnik, he was Matt Lauer’s firstinterviewee and explained his love of the city to an audience of 7 millionviewers across America. In February theDiscovery Channel broadcast an in-depthprofile of Strok in its ‘Europe’s Richest’documentary series, describing the GS Hotels & Resorts Chairman as 'a

pioneer in transforming the Croatiantourism industry’.

Of course, it is not all front-of-stageactivity. “In Dubrovnik we are setting upthe Adriatic Luxury Hotels Academy,” saysStrok. “Visiting professors from Lausanne,Paris and other international hotel schoolswill lead courses for local trainees,” Strokexplains. “Another priority is staffaccommodation. When I have built flatsfor our managers in Dubrovnik, I think mymission there will be complete!”

US Vice President Dick Cheney’s visit to the Dubrovnik Palace and HotelExcelsior in May 2006 brought morefront-page exposure to the jewel of theAdriatic. Naturally, Goran Strok waspresent to extend a personal welcome tothe Vice Presidential couple, who stayed at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel and by their own admission fell in love withDubrovnik, the hotel and the works of art in its Presidential Suite.

There had been fewer fanfares when aleading member of the Saudi royal family –HRH Prince Mitab bin Abdullah binAbdulaziz – stayed at the Dubrovnik Palacewith his family in 2005, but Goran Stroksingles this out as one of the mostrewarding experiences of his career.

“If you’ve visited Dubrovnik in summer,you will guess that they were not our onlyVIP guests. Far from it - at one stage wehad Prince Mitab and the King of Jordan,who came for a meeting with the Presidentof Croatia; and John Malkovich who hasfamily roots in the Adriatic and was herefor ten days on holiday, relaxing andexploring with his family, and, like somany other visitors, house hunting.

“It is gratifying that so many and such

Cheerleader for Croatian tourism, accidental diplomat, absenteegrandfather. “I do it out of passion for my country,” says theindefatigable GS Hotels & Resorts Chairman Goran Strok.“It’s my way of bringing something back.”

“

Palace Guests. Goran Strok’s recent VIP guests in Dubrovnik have included John Malkovich (below, left), Vice President Dick Cheney and Michael Palin (below right). In February he visitedSaudi Arabia and met the King (opposite, cutting from Al-Jazirah 16/2/2006)

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G S R e v i e w 45

diverse people of distinction are captivatedby Dubrovnik. And we in turn could notbut be impressed by the Saudi family, whobehaved with the utmost respect foreveryone, from the President of Croatia to the waiter in the restaurant.

“One day when we were talking, Prince Mitab received a call on his mobile phoneand, after a shortconversation, apologisedprofusely to me: ‘it wasmy father (the King),wanting to know whatCroatia is like. I told him it is beautiful: a country of green mountainssurrounded by the sea.’

“At a meeting we arranged,Prince Mitab told President Mesiche liked Dubrovnik so much, hehad decided to spread the wordaround and send Saudis on holiday here.‘From now on it won’t be Sicily orSardinia, but Dubrovnik,’ he said.

“At the end of his visit Prince Mitab

invited me to Saudi Arabia with my family and, charmingly, my best friend. It was not the easiest timing for usbut I sensed that this was no casualinvitation, so I went with Renata and my

best friend from school.“Seeing Saudi life was

an eye opener for me. Farfrom the closed world weexpected to find, we metonly kind and hospitablepeople, their faith andculture intertwined in themost impressive way. To us outsiders, their way of life seemed remarkablywell integrated.

“Among manymemories that we

will treasure from our Saudivisit we saw a camel race and the

most beautiful thoroughbred stables I haveseen. But the ceremonial highlight of thevisit was my meeting with the King, towhom I delivered a formal letter fromPresident Mesic. For a businessman,

this was a fascinating insight in to thediplomatic process.”

Another visitor to the Dubrovnik Palacewas the Mayor of Ohrid in Macedonia.“He too was impressed by what we havedone,” says Goran Strok. “I was able tovisit Ohrid and had useful meetings withthe Prime Minister of Montenegro and the President of Macedonia.

“Whether our investment hopes cometo fruition or not, put Ohrid on yourmust-visit list: it’s stunning - a fascinatingold town on a mountain lake, full ofhistoric interest, with amphitheatres,monasteries and icons; and perfect foroutdoor holidays of diving, biking, hiking and fishing. The trout is superb,and you won’t find clearer spring wateranywhere. Ohrid is only 40 minutes byplane from Dubrovnik - in the old dayspeople used to combine the twodestinations in a classic two-centreitinerary, a week in each.

“Make no mistake, Ohrid needs to beput back on the map, as does Montenegro.And we mean to do it!” GS

Flyingthe flag

for brand Croatia

Goran Strok...in conversation

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Sabrage

The noble art of sabrage – decapitating a champagne bottle with a sword - came toWindsor in October. GS Review Editor Adam Ruck joined the ranks of Sabreurs.

headsOffwith their

Adelegation of high-rankingofficers of the prestigiousinternational Confrérie duSabre d’Or (Brotherhood of

the Golden Sabre) came to SirChristopher Wren’s House Hotel onOctober 7th for a Sabrage dinner. Whilea piper played on the hotel’s riversideterrace, elegant ladies in long dressessipped champagne and admired thesword play of their dashing escorts.Novices performed their first sabrage,experienced Sabreurs won promotion toChevalier status, and as many fizzybottles were drained as decapitated.

“Vous avez fait le geste … geste quivous ouvre les portes de notre confrérie!”solemnly intoned the Order’s UKAmbassadeur Julian White – a winemerchant in real life - before dubbingeach new Sabreur with a tap of the sword on each shoulder.

The Confrérie du Sabre d’Or is dedicatedto sabrage, an impressive party trick that ismuch less difficult than it looks and servesno purpose at all, beyond than that ofbringing people together for a party andpromoting the consumption of champagne– noble objectives, indeed. “It’s a bit of funreally,” says Julian White, “and a goodexcuse to recycle somechampagne bottles.”What better way tolaunch a party on anote of spectacularcelebration?

Sir ChristopherWren’s House Hotel

had been welcomed in to the fold of theConfrérie as an official Caveau deSabrage four months before, incelebration of the hotel group’s tenthanniversary. Goran Strok, founder andChairman of GS Hotels & Resorts,became the first Sabreur and waspresented with a sabre by Chevalier-Councillor Clare Logue.

The hotel’s Food and BeverageManager Barry Skinley was the newCaveau’s Maître-Sabreur, ready to offersabrage to hotel guests. The ceremonygoes down particularly well at weddingreceptions, where the bridal couple canperform a joint sabrage before attackingthe wedding cake with the sabre. With its grandiloquent language andknights in flowing cloaks andextravagant plumed hats, the Confrériedu Sabre d’Or sounds like something out of a Dan Brown novel. Surely, itsorigins must stretch back to theCrusades or beyond?

Enthusiasts tell us that sabrage came into fashion in the Napoleonic age, whenswashbuckling cavalry officers came backfrom the wars with an appetite for thehigh life and a flair for grandioseexhibitionism. But the Confrérie itself is

exactly twenty years old. It wasfounded by a small group of

champagne enthusiastsincluding Jean-Claude

Jalloux, the owner/chef of a small

gastronomicauberge, La Grange

aux Loups, near Chantilly in Picardy, aregion better known for horses andaerated cream than champagne and swordplay. M Jalloux is now the supreme head,or Grand Maitre, of the Order.

To the surprise and delight of itsfounders the Confrérie du Sabre d’Orcaught on, and now has more than20,000 members who get together andenjoy joyous sabrage moments in Caveauxde Sabrage all over the world, from NewYork to Bora Bora and Bali, via SirChristopher Wren’s House in Windsor.

Like the flamboyant and gratuitousgesture of Sabrage itself, joining theConfrérie is an easy way to impress yourfriends. All you have to do is pay a smallfee, knock the head off a bottle, andyou’re in. Have another go, and you may win promotion from humbleSabreur, tout court, to Chevalier Sabreur,with more diplomas to pin on the wall.How good is that?

The Confrérie du Sabre d’OrThe Order’s initiation ceremony is theintronisation (investiture) as a Sabreur.This is performed at a Caveau by itsMaître-Sabreur. The new Sabreur paysthe sabrage fee, plus the price of thebottle of champagne, and after asuccessful sabrage receives not only thecontents of the bottle but also acertificate, a diploma, a copy of theConfrérie's Rules and an invitation tojoin the Confrérie Club.

“Nobly, you separated the cork fromthe bottle that imprisons the precious

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G S R e v i e w 47

Sabrage

“Why, then … the world's mine oyster, which I with sword will open.” (Shakespeare, Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, Scene II).

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48 G s R e v i e w

Sabrage

Sabrage is surprisingly easy. All youneed is the heavy sabre that isgathering rust in your kitchen knifeblock, and a good action akin to a

one-handed backhand slice at tennis. Thelong, heavy sabre gives the best results, butif you don’t have one handy when a bottleof champagne needs opening, your heaviestkitchen knife will do. Use the blunt side ofthe blade for sabrage.

Take a chilled bottle of champagne andhold it with the thumb of the hand youdon't write with in the recessed base of thebottle. Your fingers will cradle theunderside of the bottle.

Gently remove the foil - all of it, not justthe cork part. With the cork pointed in asafe direction, gently remove the wire cage.Assuming the bottle has been chilled andnot shaken, the cork will stay in.

Using the hand you write with, slide thenail of your thumb around the top of thebottle's neck, just below the area where thewire cage was attached. This part is calledthe annulus. You are looking for the bottle'sseam. There are always two to a bottle,though some are hard to find.

Where the seam meets the annulus is theweakest spot of the bottle. It is so weak, infact, that with experience a skilled Sabreurcan perform the task with a butter-knife oreven the foot of a champagne glass

Now turn the bottle so that this weakspot is facing you on top. This is the spotwhere you will make contact with the blade

Hold the sabre and place its blade on theshoulder of the bottle. The bottle should beabout two thirds of the blade away

from the handle. Be sure that the angle of the bottle is such

that the fluid is just short of touching thebase of the cork in the bottle. A lesser anglewill cause spillage, and a greater angle willmake the sliding of the blade less natural.

The action is critical to successfulsabrage. It is not strength or force that isrequired, but momentum and follow-through: you need to maintain the motionbeyond the point of impact. If you stop themotion at the annulus you risk cracking the

bottle along its length or chipping the rim.Do not hesitate, and do not use your wristin the action – all the motion is from theelbow. Simply slide the blade along thebottle's neck as though the point of impactlay beyond the cork. Not too hard -imagine the motion of waving away an unwelcome insect.Et voila - Santé! GS

(Thanks to Maitre Sabreur Eric Benn of The Bubble Lounge, New York).

nectar slumbering within.” Sabreurs canseek preferment to the rank of Chevalier ata Chapître where they will perform sabragein front of an assembled crowd, be investedas a Chevalier of the Order by the Grand-Maître or the Ambassadeur, and receive theregalia and certificates. Dinner, dancing andfurther novice sabrage follow.

After five years as a Chevalier, a membercan become an Officier by performingsabrage on a Magnum of Champagne at aChapître in the presence of the Grand-Maître. After five years as an Officier, amember can become a Commandeur byperforming sabrage on a Jeroboam ofChampagne at a Chapître.

For more information about Sabrage and the Confrérie du Sabre d’Or, visit:www.confreriedusabredor.com

The art of sabrage – step by step

Sabrage - Do’s and Don’tsDon’t point the cork of a bottle at a valued person,animal or object. If you are in the habit of openingchampagne in the normal way, this ought to be secondnature. It may be more to the point to say: watch whatyou do with the sabre on your backswing. You don’twant to behead the dahlias or cut down a chandelier.

Never attempt to sabre a bottle that has not been properly chilled (between 35 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit is right) or a bottle thathas been shaken. Only Formula One drivers shake champagne. It leads to wastage.

Never hit the bottle with the sabre: the trick is to slide the sabre along the neck ofthe bottle. After sabrage, the top of the bottle and the cork are likely to be sharp, andmust be handled with care. Drinking form the bottle is not advisable.

French and British made champagne bottles are the best for sabrage. Any genuinechampagne should be fine, but beware bottles that do not conform to the typical shape: they may crack or break in the wrong spot.

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For more information, please contact Ink Publishing Ltd

Tel: +44 (0) 207 613 8779 Fax: +44 (0) 207 613 8778 email: [email protected]

Travel the world with CNNSubscribe online at www.cnntraveller.com

MAY-JUNE 2006

T R A V E L T H E W O R L D W I T H C N N

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HEART OFSILVER

Past, present and future in Bolivia

WET AND DRYIs time running out forthe Neusiedler See?

SECRETS OFTHE SPIRITSA parallel worldin Casablanca

GOOD TASTEDubai enjoys aculinary boom

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50 G s R e v i e w


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G S R e v i e w 51


SweetPresidential

Sculptor, painter, culinary magician...the head chef at the Dubrovnik Palacebelieves it takes a large helping of love,spiced with a seasoning of art, to be a good cook. Marija Bikic admires the manycreative talents of Tomislav Gretic.

The 33-year old head chef of the Dubrovnik PalaceHotel is a master chef of the new generation.“Although my first ambition was to be a sculptor, mylove of cooking goes back to my childhood,” says

Tomislav Gretic. “My parents were both outstanding cooks.” His first job was in the Hotel Laguna in Zagreb, then aged

19 he applied for the lowliest job in the kitchen of the newlyopened Sheraton, and got it. “The head chef was German, and for the first time that I learned about diversity in tastes andcolours, and the basics of serving and decorating. Mediterraneandishes were ‘in’ at that time and he encouraged us to develop ourindividuality. I remember cooking with combinations of meat and fruit, such as beef with a sauce of fruits from the forest.”

It was while working at the Sheraton that Tomo had the chanceto combine his talents – sculpting and cooking – for the first time.In preparation for a great banquet to celebrate the christening ofthe Habsburg prince in the Croatian National Theatre, he madeice sculptures to accompany the culinary masterpieces.

From Zagreb, Sheraton offered a transfer to Dubai. “Arriving atthe airport was serious culture shock,” remembers Tomo. “I barelysurvived the first week, but ended up staying three years.” Headvanced rapidly and helped develop and launch one of the mostfamous restaurants in Dubai: Azia de Cuba. After three years,Tomo returned to Zagreb and took a six-month career break.

The next step in his career was a luxury Swiss chateau-hotel, thePh

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‘If you’re notcareful, food caneasily destroy thetaste of a complexwine ... Sometimes we would work on a menu for a month’

Dolder Grand in Zurich, which featureson every list of the world’s top hotels. He worked under Walter Doubmeyer, one of the world’s leading experts onFrench Bordeaux, and learned to adapt hisdishes to complement the famous wines. “If you’re not careful, food can easilydestroy the taste of a complex wine,” saysTomo. “Sometimes we would work on amenu for a month. Dinner at the Doldercould cost as much 8000 kunas.”

Working at the Dolder Grand brought Tomo into contact with celebritiesof all descriptions - rock stars, actors,aristocrats, presidents. “They all had theirfoibles, and you never knew what toexpect,” he says. “Tina Turner is down toearth in her behaviour and has simpletastes – she likes light meals such as fishand shrimps.” Mick Jagger was friendlyand appreciative and ordered roast duckand pheasant for dinner...“at two in themorning!” Tomo and a team of chefs were on 24 hour standby when BillClinton visited for a presentation of his book. True to his heritage, Clintonordered hamburgers.

It was not always so easy. The endlessdemands of one superstar singer, whose name Tomo refuses to mention, included

hand-made cornflakes. “Can’t you guess who?” he challenges.

After swapping Swiss elegance forSheraton’s business clientele in Egypt,Tomo’s next move was to Dubrovnik.“When I set foot on the Stradun with my girlfriend, who is also a cook, we fell in love all over again - withDubrovnik! We accepted withouthesitation and we’re delighted to be here, working with such a dynamic young team at the Dubrovnik Palace.”

This artist-chef who loves to unwind by immersing himself in hisfavourite hobbies – photography, painting and sculpture - has only oneregret. A 16 hour working day leaves no time for his other muses. GS

Preparation: Cut the tenderloin in to 4 steaks of 200g,season with spices and grill to taste. Put the pears in apreheated oven (200C). Chop the tomatoes in cubes andcook in a large pan in olive oil. Remove from heat, addpine nuts and finely chopped basil. After 20 minutes takethe pears out of the oven, slice horizontally and pour thetomato sauce over the slices. Bring the tenderloin andpears together, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and serve.

Beef tenderloin in tomato sauce (serves four)

800g beef tenderloin 400g pears 250g tomatoes 50g basil 10g pine nuts 10ml balsamic vinegar olive oil, salt and pepper

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54 G s R e v i e w

Julian Rachlin & Friends Chamber Music Festival. Dubrovnik, August 29th – September 2nd 2006

Liketo play

would you

Classical music’s most glamorouscouple met at a music festivalin Norway in August 2002."I saw this shy, pretty girl, and

moved in straight away,” says JulianRachlin. “Three days after that festival, myDubrovnik event was on, so I invited her toplay in the last concert. The BrahmsQuartet became a Brahms Quintet.”

If Rachlin’s was the bigger name then, 28 year-old Janine Jansen has since caughtup, helped in no small part by Decca’sshameless pin-up marketing of her talent.Her performance of Mendelssohn’s ViolinConcerto at the opening night of the BBCProms in the Albert Hall last July had thecritics drooling. And her ChamberEnsemble recording of Vivaldi’s FourSeasons has been one of the hits of the year,more than 75% of its sales going to the i-Pod generation of classical downloaders.

Jansen is an established star in her nativeHolland, winning a gold disc for her CDsales and appearing in glossy magazines asoften as classical music ones. She even has achamber music festival of her own, atUtrecht in December.

Chamber music comes naturally to one

who grew up in a family of musicians. "My grandfather conducted the church choir,my father was his organist, and I was singingin the choir before I could read,” says Jansen.At home there was music all the time, withharpsichords, a piano and an organ filling thehouse. “My elder brother played the cello,and I wanted to play it too, but the familyneeded someone on a different instrument. I soon knew it was going to be the violin, but that didn't stop me doing normal things,like playing soccer with the boys."

When she presented her Vivaldi FourSeasons at London’s Wigmore Hall lastautumn, it was no surprise that her fatherand brother were playing in the band. Aswas Julian Rachlin, supporting her on viola.

In Dubrovnik Janine Jansen is content toplay second fiddle. This is Julian’s show. Aswell as the usual programme of concerts inthe Rector’s Palace and a free concert in theJesuit Church donated by Rachlin to thepeople of Dubrovnik, this year’s festivalwill include a concert at the DubrovnikPalace Hotel on August 31st.

The image of a normal girl who enjoyedplaying soccer with the boys may give abetter clue to Janine Jansen’s down-to-earth

personality than soft-focus publicity images.And it gives the couple common interestsbeyond music. Lithuanian-born Rachlin,who has lived in Vienna since he was achild, is a self-confessed sports fanatic whovalues his friendships with Austrian starssuch as Nikki Lauda and former tennischampion Thomas Muster.

“Lots of artists are football fans,” saysRachlin, who has made no secret of hishopes to play a guest star role when Austriahosts Euro 2008. “You only have to think of Domingo, Carreras and Pavarotti. Thereare obvious parallels between sport andmusic - we’re all in the performancebusiness. I have had interesting discussionsabout training with Muster, and there aresimilarities between our approach.”

Julian Rachlin’s favourite preparation fora big concert tour is to play for an audienceof invited guests at his friend Bela Koreny’sBroadway Bar in Vienna. “It’s very cramped and smoky in there - a muchtougher environment than a concert hall,”he says; “and I get more nervous. If itworks there, it will be fine in concert!”

Julian and Janine insist that theirrelationship is unclouded by professional

Janine Jansen and Julian Rachlin have been described as the Posh and Becks of the violin world. The violin virtuosi enjoy the chance to spend a week together in Dubrovnik at the end of summer.

at my festival?

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G S R e v i e w 55

Julian Rachlin & Friends

Jan

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Jan

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56 G s R e v i e w

Julian Rachlin & Friends

competition. "It just isn’t an issue,” saysJansen. “We're both very passionate anddirect in our playing, but we playdifferently. Julian has more vibrato: hisplaying is more Romantic.”

The couple seem happily unaffected by their rock-star status. "Perhaps we canhelp get away from the idea of classicalmusic being stiff and self-important,” says Rachlin. “By simply playing the music we love, we can create a new way to communicate with audiences."

Like many other professional couples, theirgreatest problem is finding time to devote toeach other. "We try to play together as muchas possible,” says Jansen. “If I'm not working,I fly to see his concerts and he flies to seemine. It costs a fortune in flights."

When their busy careers take them inopposite directions, at least Julian Rachlin andJanine Jansen can look forward to their latesummer week in Dubrovnik. It brings themtogether, and it takes them back to 2002, whena Brahms Quartet became a Quintet. GS

For programme details and tickets for the Julian Rachlin & Friends Festival, visit:www.julianrachlin.com and www.agevent.biz

PRAISE FOR JULIAN RACHLIN

“Drop everything and book a ticket to seeJulian Rachlin. This phenomenal youngviolinist is the type of player who comesaround once in a generation, and shouldnot be missed.” The Australian

“Each lilting semi-quaver sounded deeplyfelt, heart and fingers conjuring up thatwarm, old-fashioned Russian fire from hiswonderful instrument. But the musical linestill flowed, virtuosity gently restrained bygood sense.” The Times

“The greater the virtuosity demanded by Tchaikovsky, the clearerbecomes the sound. The first movementwas so brilliantly performed that theaudience could not hold back theirimmediate applause.” Main-Echo

PRAISE FOR JANINE JANSEN

"One of the most wonderful andharmonious talents I have come across.” Vladimir Ashkenazy

“Decca would like you to pick up theJansen for her sex appeal, or so suggestthe photos in the shamelessly provocativeCD booklet. But close your eyes andVivaldi’s four chestnuts, played with just a few terrific friends who share ataste for period style mixed withRomantic exuberance, are a completemusical joy for even the jaded.”Los Angeles Times

“A magically skittish performance ofMendelssohn's Violin Concerto. How did Jansen dare to play so very quietly inthis huge arena? Risky, but captivating.” The Financial Times

“Her interpretations seem to flow asnaturally from the heart of the music aswater from a spring.” The Times

“The only things that surpass the Dutchviolinist Janine Jansen's beauty are hermusical skills” The Observer

“Each lilting semi-quaver sounded deeply felt, heartand fingers conjuring up that old-fashionedRussian fire from his wonderful instrument. But the musical line still flowed….” The Times

SIR ROGER BACK FOR MORE

UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Sir Roger Moore returns to Dubrovnik this summer toparticipate in the Julian Rachlin & Friends Chamber Music Festival. Last year the actor whomade his name playing super-sleuths Simon Templar (The Saint) and James Bondparticipated as narrator in The Carnival of Animals by Saint-Saëns in a concert donated byJulian Rachlin to UNICEF. This year Sir Roger will narrate another popular masterpiece ofmusic for children, Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf, in the Rector’s Palace at 9pm onSaturday 2nd September. The former Bond has worked for UNICEF since he was introducedto the charity by his friend Audrey Hepburn in the early 1990s and uses his visits to Croatiato raise awareness and funds for UNICEF’s activities there.

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Visit www.americanexpress.hr or www.americanexpress.com

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Taplow

The Thames between Taplow and Maidenhead; Boulter’s Lock.

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Taplow

Before you set off for the historicBuckinghamshire village of Taplow, a wordof advice. Allow plenty of time. The firstsignpost will send you on an extensive tour

of the outskirts of Burnham. Having passed quaintly-named Hag Hill Lane and a few clueless intersections,you will find yourself back where you started.

Now try again, aiming for a slender green spire justvisible across a landscape of low paddock fencesbehind which sleek horses graze idly. After a copse ofsturdy beech trees and a barrier of white kissing gates,luck and perseverance may bring you to the heart of

the most charming village in the Thames Valley.It’s not that the good people of Taplow are

unwelcoming. But if they have set out to discourage coachloads of tourists by uprooting a few signposts, who can blame them?

Mathew Griffin, general manager at SirChristopher Wren’s House Hotel & Spa in nearbyWindsor, was born in Taplow and acknowledges itsindependent spirit. "It’s extraordinary to find thisisland of English village life between Slough andMaidenhead,” he says. “Turn off the A4, drive upthe lane that leads past Taplow House Hotel to the

Country villages are hard to find in the busy M4 corridor. Tucked awaybetween Maidenhead and Slough, Taplow is more elusive than most, butrepays the efforts of discovery. David Allsop finds Buddhists in the statelyhome, nudity in the village hall and barn dancing on the green.

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ForeverEngland

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Taplow

village, and you could be in the depths ofSomerset. It’s as though the villagers havebuilt a wall around Taplow. To get an ideaof what it would be like if they hadn’t,look at Burnham, which has beencompletely swallowed up by Slough."

One of the chief wall-builders is EvaLipman, a Taplow resident of nearly 40years and stalwart of the Hitcham andTaplow Preservation Society, whosemembers are always on the look-out for development schemes to thwart. Her artist daughter Susie has a gallery on Burnham High Street.

“Thanks to my mother and her friends,Taplow has hardly changed since I was achild,” says Susie, who finds inspiration inthe landscapes of her childhood. The feteis the same every year, with tombolas andgum-boot throwing competitions, and onthe Saturday nearest to June 21st Taplowlets its hair down for the midsummer barndance, with burger stalls and men withloudhailers enjoining revellers to find apartner and dosey-do.

Why are Taplovians so averse to the encroachment of the modern age?Susie Lipman knows the answer: “it’sbecause so many of them commute toLondon. They want to return to thecountryside, not suburbia.”

Taplow is proud of its history. The name is thought to derive from ‘Taeppa’, a Saxon chieftain whose burial mound inthe grounds of Taplow Court was openedin 1883 and proved to be the mostspectacular Saxon find in Britain until the discovery of Sutton Hoo in 1939.

Some of the items unearthed - jewels,arms, and a pair of glass ‘claw beakers’ -can be seen in the British Museum.

Why Taplow? The magnificent viewfrom the top of the barrow, commanding abroad sweep of the Thames, answers thequestion. From here, the rulers could lookout over their people. A nearby memorialcross marks the site of early Christianbaptisms by St Birinus, in Bapsey Pond.

Taplow’s great houses provide acommentary on English life, past andpresent. Taplow Court, a multi-gabledexample of the Jacobean-revival/FrenchGothic style, is now the UK headquarters

of SGI-UK, a lay Buddhist charitableorganisation. The house is open to thepublic on Sundays, and the grounds areusually open to strollers.

Once the seat of the Earls of Orkney,Taplow Court later became the home ofLord Desborough – otherwise known asWilliam Henry Grenfell, master of animpressive range of sporting disciplinesincluding rowing, fencing, tennis, cricketand mountaineering. His eldest son wasthe war poet Julian Grenfell who died inaction in 1915.

Not far away stands Nashdom, asplendid riverside villa built for PrincessAlexis Dolgorouki in the early 1900s. The Princess, plain Miss Wilson before she married her Russian prince,commissioned Edwin Lutyens to build ahouse for weekend river parties in asetting suitable for exiled royalty. After the Princess died in 1919 Nashdombecame a Benedictine monastery and ahome for nurses from the Canadian RedCross Memorial Hospital located in the

Princess DolgoroukicommissionedLutyens to build avilla for weekendriver parties in asetting suitable forexiled royalty …

60 G s R e v i e w

Waking the dead. Excavating the burial mound of Saxon chieftain Taeppa in the grounds of Taplow Court (below) unearthed a wealth of archeological treasures

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G S R e v i e w 61

Taplow

grounds of nearby Cliveden. It has nowbeen converted into apartments.

Taplow House, a turreted Georgianmansion that was a gift from King James I to the Governor of Virginia andboasts the finest tulip trees in England,and Cliveden, one of England’s grandeststately homes, compete for Taplow’squality hotel business.

Formerly the home of Lord and LadyAstor, Cliveden will forever be associatedwith one of the great political scandals theBritish love so much. For it was aroundthe swimming pool at Cliveden in 1961that the late John Profumo, Secretary ofState for War, met the 19 year old‘showgirl’ Christine Keeler, who was also‘dating’ a Russian attaché at the time.Cliveden accepts that it cannot escape itspast and describes itself as ‘dedicated tothe pursuit of pleasure, power and politicsfor over 300 years’.

Modern buildings also have their place in Taplow, whose residents may have been alarmed when an architectnamed Eric Lyons turned up in the mid1960s and announced plans to build oneof his fashionable ‘Span’ developments.Fortunately Lyons knew what he wasdoing, and Cedar Chase is a fine exampleof his skill at blending modern homes into an historical setting.

On Taplow’s southern perimeter,Brunel’s railway bridge over the Thames,built in 1838, was among the Victorianengineer’s most notable achievements. Itsbrick arches are the widest and flattest inthe world, with a span of 128 feet for arise of just 24 feet.

For all that it exudes an air ofdetermined tranquillity, vigorous sportinglife also burgeons in Taplow. There is anactive sailing club on Taplow Lake, TaplowUnited is a force to be reckoned with inthe East Berks League, and most summerweekends Taplow Cricket Club –established in 1850 – plays on its originalground opposite Taplow Court. This isvillage cricket as it has always been played –with passion, pain, beer and laughter, in aquintessential English setting of longshadows on a tree-lined oval. The club’sfounder members are commemorated in thesimple wooden pavilion. Skindle, Simmond,Tubb, Briginshaw …. stout yeomen all.

Mill Lane leads down to the river via asteep footpath where children bring their

toboggans in winter. The Jubilee Riverflood defence scheme is a creation of themid 1990s. This wetland habitat teemswith wildlife, encouraged by bird boxes,bat roosts and otter holts along the riverbank. On the other side of a pedestrianbridge, past the New Taplow Mill, theboathouse of the Maidenhead SteamNavigation Company has luxury riverboatsavailable for exploration of the Thamesbetween Henley and Windsor.

Taplow’s most unexpected attractionadorns the walls of its modest village hall.A huge mural painting, 42 feet long by 7feet high, celebrates more than 1000 yearsof local history in colourful andentertaining detail. Taplow resident SheilaHorton spent about 800 hours painting itover three years in the early 1990s.

Scale, she explains, has been altered to fit the sweeping nature of the granddesign. “I decided to paint it rather like atapestry, carrying the scenes and events andcharacters around the room on every wall.”

Nothing has been omitted. That nobleprofile is Julian Grenfell, with a poignant

couplet or two; there is Windsor Castle onfire …. and Terry Wogan doing the honoursat the midsummer ox roast … a game ofcricket …. and, inevitably, two middle-agedmen and much younger women cavortingnaked on the lawns of Cliveden.

You won’t find a more colourfulevocation of the rich eccentricities ofEnglish village life. In fact, you may noteven find this one. GS

Susie Lipman’s work is on display atOberon Art, 67 High Street, Burnham,Bucks. Tel: 01628 600500. Signed gicleeprints and original paintings are availablefor sale. www.oberonart.co.uk

A painted tapestry. Sheila Horton’s murals inTaplow Village Hall took the local artist threeyears, and 800 hours’ work, to complete.

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Fashion: Hilary Alexander

passiona

for fashion

You don’t have to be rich to be fashionable, says The DailyTelegraph’s Fashion Editor Hilary Alexander.

Leading British fashion writer HilaryAlexander visited Dubrovnik to shoota series of fashion stories for TheDaily Telegraph last autumn. A

renaissance garden in Trsteno and some of themost beautiful Dubrovnik palaces were anenchanting backdrop for fashion editorial, shetold Paulina Peko during her stay at theDubrovnik Palace Hotel.

“I had read about Croatia’s natural beautyand culture in the press at home,” says HilaryAlexander. “I loved the sound of the islands andDubrovnik, and it’s a corner of the world whichI had never set foot in before. Then I startedtalking to Vanja Strok (of fashion designersGharani Strok) about Croatia and Dubrovnik.Her enthusiasm was infectious, and when sheoffered to arrange accommodation at theDubrovnik Palace, that settled it.

“Everything Vanja told me about Dubrovnikwas true – and more! The weather has beenwonderful and I think the old town centre is oneof the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. The streetsare clean, and their white stones as brilliant as thebuildings in the old town, where the architectureis quite wonderful. And, better still, there are noMcDonald's or Coca Cola signs anywhere. Whata relief! It’s rare to find a city whose history hasbeen so well preserved. Let’s hope Dubrovnik can

safeguard its heritage and not squandereverything in the stampede for development.”

During her stay Hilary shot five fashionstories with photographer John Swannell, modelSarah Thielmans, make-up artist Tony James andfashion assistant Natasha Cowan. Each story hada different theme: sheepskin designs based onthe autumn/winter 2005 Gharani Strokcollection; supermarket fashion; a farm story,full of tweed outfits, shot in Konavle; and avelvet-themed story shot in Trsteno.

“Fashion is big news these days,” she says. “Ihave been working at the Daily Telegraph for twodecades, the last 12 years as fashion editor. In thattime I have become a fashion addict and fashionhas become the fourth largest industry in Britain,worth £13 billion a year. So it’s not just escapism,or frothy irrelevance. It’s serious business.”

Hilary is a fashion stylist as well as an editorand critic, and brings equal passion to both jobs.

“I love being a stylist because I adore clothesand fashion creations,” she explains, ”but at thesame time I am also passionate about writing,and I think that’s what brings my fashionwriting to life.”

Relaxing off duty after five days on thefashion shoot, Hilary Alexander is wearing anantique silver necklace and a newly acquiredchandelier earring dangling from one ear. She

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adores old jewelry, particularly ethnic pieces,and chooses clothes in a similar style. Herfavourite fashion designers are John Gallianoand Dries Van Noten.

Hilary has been voted Fashion Journalist ofthe Year twice in the last five years. The awardis decided by fashion industry professionals andtheir recognition has been all the moresatisfying to her, considering that her editorial isnot published in a glossy fashion magazine, buta daily newspaper.

Hilary’s reputation is such that her take on thelatest fashion show can shape the future of youngdesigners trying to enter the fickle fashion scene.Preparing the styling for her fashion spreads, shelikes to mix expensive designer clothes withmuch more modest items from departmentstores. It’s what she calls ‘fast fashion’.

“In the last 20 years, fashion has beendemocratized,” she says. “The industry used tobe controlled by a few big-name designers whodecided on the look and the colours for thenext season. Today you can buy clothes thatlook like designer clothes, but are inexpensive,and I love that. Why should designer clothes be reserved for the rich? Fashion should be for everyone.

“A lot of department stores offer what I havecalled fast fashion, because the clothes can beproduced quickly. If the newest look on thefashion scene is, for example, military jackets,they can call up their factory for copies ofmilitary jackets, and these will be on the shelfinside a month. Everyone can feel they arefashionable and trendy, and as a fashion addict Iam all for that.

“Of course it’s good to have designers whoinspire us and create the best designs. All of usdream about driving a Ferrari, but most of usdrive mass-produced cars.”

Hilary Alexander has already offered herprescriptions for the season. After a velvetwinter, with Russian style details such asCossack hats and military jackets, spring andsummer will bring feminine dresses and widebelts that accentuate the waistline. “The waist is in, hips are out!” she says. GS

64 G s R e v i e w

Fashion: Hilary Alexander

Ready, aim, fire. Against a variety of backgrounds in andaround Dubrovnik, Hilary Alexander shot five fashion stories in her five day visit

“Why should designer clothes be reserved for therich? Department stores offer what I call fastfashion. If the newest look is military jackets andCossack hats they can call up their factory andthese will be on the shelf inside a month.”

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66 G s R e v i e w

Croatia Property

My wife calls the office inour house in Hvar theDream Room. I’m not sureif she is referring to the

view from my desk – out over the sea anda belt of dark green islands - or the factthat I spend too much time daydreamingwhen I ought to be working. If you ask me,the house itself is a dream come true.

From an elevated position, Villa Marchilooks out over the port of Hvar, on theDalmatian island of the same name,famous for its wine and lavender. Frommy office window, the appeal of Croatia isobvious and irresistible: magnificentscenery, a crystal clear sea, and thewonderful Mediterranean climate. Who could ask for more?

But there is more: the Croatians arefriendly and welcoming; their food ishealthy and full of regional variation; andproperty prices are …. if not quite as lowas they were, still cheap by comparisonwith rival Mediterranean boltholes or theplace we used to call home. Whether you are looking for a new life, a holidayhome or a pension plan, Croatia offersremarkable value.

Our decision to swap the riverside charmsof East Molesey for a Dalmatian island wasmade easier by the fact that my wife comesfrom Hvar. My own knowledge extendedno further than Dubrovnik until the warbrought Croatia to our TV screens.

In the immediate aftermath of the war,Croatia could hardly give its propertyaway. The ‘market’ was barely

recognisable as such and estate agentswere few and far between. If a foreignerwanted to buy a house, the only way wasby word of mouth: you would put theword out, and in due course a local would come up with something.

Whatever the price was, it was sure tobe low. Hands were shaken and somemonths later, after signing a contract on asingle sheet of paper, you would handover your Deutsche Marks and takeownership of your property.

Now Croatia’s secret is out. Confidence

has returned and desirable sections of thecoast are in the grip of a property boom.

If prices in the country as a whole havemore than doubled over the last few years,in some areas the rise has been greater.

Dubrovnik is the most expensivelocation: property in the old towncommands up to 4,500 euros per sqmetre. Hvar is one of the most popular

Rupert Dawnay and his wife Katia Zaninovic did not hesitate when they had the chance tobuy the house of their dreams on the Dalmatian island of Hvar. The refugees from leafySurrey now run a property-finding agency for overseas investors.

hProperty

t

Property swap. Rupert Dawnay and familyexchanged the riverside charms of East Moleseyfor the Villa Marchi (below) in the fashionableisland town of Hvar (opposite).

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Dalmatian islands and property here can sell for as much as 3,500 euros per sq metre. The other main area ofinvestment interest is Istria, especially thetriangle of Porec, Umag and Motovun.Prices here are a little lower than inprime locations in Dalmatia, perhapsreflecting the shorter summer and lessinviting winter climate.

Istria and Opatija are easily accessibleoverland from western Europe andaccordingly popular with Austrians,Germans, French and North Italians.Dalmatia and the islands are the greatfavourites of the British, with their love ofthe sea and sailing; and more Italians, whoarrive by ferry from their Adriatic ports.

The islands are inviting in summer, andmost are well served by ferries and touristexcursion boats. Outside the seasonconnections are less frequent; reachingyour destination can take a day or more.

The silver lining to this cloud is theunhurried pace of life that the islandersenjoy out of season. Even a fashionableisland such as Hvar has been spared thedevelopment boom that has gripped someparts of the mainland coast. Of Croatia’smore than 1000 islands, the only two withcommercial airports are Brac and Krk,which is linked by a bridge to themainland near Rijeka.

The arrival of the low-cost carriers isthis year’s big news, with EasyJet nowflying to and from Split and Rijeka, andWizz to and from Split and Zagreb. Thelikely impact of this is a hotly debatedtopic: will the arrival of unruly visitorstake Croatian tourism down market? Itwill certainly fuel the property market, byimproving Croatia’s accessibility to homeowners and house hunters.

With prices rising fast, everyone wants aslice of the action and there are property

Croatia Property

“From my office window the appeal of Croatia isirresistible. Magnificent scenery, a crystal clearsea and the wonderful Mediterranean climate.Who could ask for more?”

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specialists at every café table. In Splitalone, there were more than 90 registeredestate agents last year, and double thatnumber of unregistered operators.

In a young market, standards ofprofessional conduct are erratic, to say theleast. Con artists sell land and houses thatare not theirs, and double-sell properties.Another common practice is for buyer andvendor to use the same lawyer, whichraises obvious problems of conflictinginterest. These pitfalls make it all the more important to deal with a reputableagent and a good lawyer, both workingonly for you in the transaction.

Unfortunately, as in the UK, there are

no qualifications needed to set up as anestate agent. Choosing a d.o.o. - limitedcompany - is no guarantee but doessuggest a serious business not a fly-by-night operation. Ask around and use theinternet to benefit as much as possiblefrom the experience of other buyers.

Many investors dream of owning atraditional old stonehouse perched on acoastal hillside withpanoramic views ofthe Adriatic andsunsets to die for. Or ahouse by the water,with a rocky mooring

for the family dinghy and waves lappingat the doorstep.

The complications that come with anold house include making sure theownership is properly registered; gettingpermission for building works; findingbuilders and knowing how much yourinvestment will be when all the works aredone. Buying a modern house orapartment is the easier option, but eventhis may not be as simple as it sounds.Has the house been legally built?

Unless you buy a new property, thechances are it will need refurbishment orat least redecoration. The problems ofdealing with builders are universal: inCroatia as in the UK or (I suspect)anywhere else, the experience is neverless than difficult and can be a nightmare.

It is true that in Croatia there arebuilders who when asked for a quote replythat they’ll let you know the cost when the

work is finished. But things are changingfast, as smart builders adapt to thedemands of the market. Choose a companythat seems well-organised, is registered andhas specialists in all aspects of the workrequired. The jack-of-all-trades one-manband is much more likely to let you down,however tempting his quote.

If dealing with builders can befrustrating, the intricacies of

Croatian bureaucracy are allbut unfathomable to the

outsider. Suffice it tosay that dealing withofficialdom is not

always asstraightforward as

one might hope. Like building work itself,

completing the formalities of aproperty transaction seems to take

for ever. Buyers and sellers oftenexchange contracts subject to sorting out

Buying a Croatian property is an experience rich in hurdles: more marathon steeplechasethan sprint ... have patience, and there is everychance of a happy outcome.

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Croatia Property

CROATIAN PROPERTY INVESTMENT

The extras: Estate agents’ fees: 2% - 4% of the purchase price. Stamp duty: 5%. Lawyers’ fees: around 1%. Don’t forget: incidentalssuch as translation and setting up a company to buy the property.

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Croatia Property

the paperwork in the fullness of time. To point the finger at lawyers might

seem foolhardy, but reports of under thetable dealings are not uncommon. This isnot to say you should go armed with fatbrown envelopes: there are good lawyersaround, and some firms that specialise inhandling property matters for foreignersoperate in a direct and proper manner.

The difficulty is in finding such firms, and this is where the consultancy I have founded aims to be of service.Balustrade Estates is a property findingagency and a single point of contact foroutside investors, offering impartialadvice and expert guidance in thecomplex and time consuming process ofsearching, negotiating and seeing anacquisition through to completion.

Buying a Croatian property is anexperience rich in hurdles: more marathonsteeplechase than sprint. Enter in to it with

your eyes and ears open, have patience, andthere is every chance of a happy outcome.Croatia is everything you could want of asecond home, and more. This wonderfulcountry will generously repay any hard workrequired to establish a base there. GS

BALUSTRADE ESTATES: The complete

service for property investment in Croatia

Founded by an Anglo-Croatian couplewith 28 years’ professional experiencehaving worked with leading internationalestate agents Hamptons International,Balustrade Estates is a property findingconsultancy and one-stop support agencyfor investors in Croatian real estate,offering impartial advice, professionalexpertise and local knowledge. Guidingand working exclusively for the buyer, we take no fee from any other party and therefore have no conflict of interest.After finding your dream home in

Croatia, we help with all stages and allaspects of the purchase:

◆ Preliminary consultation re location,pricing etc

◆ Advice on legal aspects of propertyinvestment

◆ Finding appropriate properties

◆ Reporting on ownership and title ofshort-listed properties

◆ Negotiating with vendor/estate agent

◆ Liaising with legal representative andmonitoring progress

◆ Reporting regularly through to completion

◆ Sourcing architects, buildingcontractors and craftsmen

◆ Property management and letting

Contact Rupert Dawnay atBalustrade Estates: 00 385 989561810;www.balustrade-estates.net

If anything, I would say that themarket in Zagreb is stronger thanthe seaside, in the sense that it ismuch more soundly based. Asking

prices may not be quite as high as inplaces like Dubrovnik, but demand isstrong, prices are rising and everythingthat is built is sold. The problem on the coast is this: on the one hand,foreigners expect cheap property in thefront row beside the sea; on the otherhand, local people are askingunrealistically high prices.

So there is a great gap - a lot of interest, but not much activity. Thenewspapers are full of this paranoia that the coast of Croatia is being sold out to foreigners, but I tell people not to worry: it's not true!"

Ozana was founded by AnaMarija'sfather Aco Veljic 15 years ago, in theearly days of a free market. Based inZagreb, the agency handles property

lettings and sales throughout Croatia, and specialises in luxury residences andoffices for diplomats, internationalagencies and business leaders in Zagreb.Tel: + 385 (0)1 4684703 Fax: + 385 (0)1 4684752 e-mail: [email protected]: www.ozana.hr

The View from ZagrebAnaMarija Veljic handles property sales in Zagreb for Ozana,

one of Croatia's leading estate agencies.

“

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Wren’s Club

Awesomeoarsman

Rob Eustace and Peter Williamsleft La Gomera in the Canarieson November 27th 2005, andreached English Harbour,

Antigua on February 6th 2006, after 68days 1 hour and 3 minutes at sea. Theydidn’t win the 2005 Atlantic Rowing Race: against the likes of double-goldOlympian James Cracknell they werenever likely to. But they did it.

If the gruelling 2,550 mile Atlanticcrossing was a formidable challenge for 42year-old Managing Director Rob Eustace,who had never lifted an oar in his life, itwas an equally unusual assignment forWren’s Club fitness trainer Kyle Andrews,who helped Rob prepare for the world’sultimate nautical challenge.

“It was the girls who got us together,”says Kyle. “My wife Donna, who works ina salon in Windsor, was colouring Rob’swife Jo’s hair – it must have been lastApril - and they got chatting …”

We may imagine the conversation,filling the time while Mrs Eustace’s foil-wrapped tresses absorbed new lustre.

Jo: “so, what is it that your Kyle does...?” Donna: “He’s a personal trainer.” Jo: “That’s interesting - my husband

announced the other day that he’s goingto row across the Atlantic …”

Donna: “You’re not serious! Who doeshe think he is - Christopher Columbus?”

Jo: “I know. The thing is, my Rob isn’tlike other blokes. When he says he’s goingto do something stupid, you can’t rely on

him to come to his senses in the morning.” So Donna and Jo got Kyle and Rob

together, and put the message across that ifRob was to go, he needed to take a morescientific approach to his preparation. Infact, he needed professional help.

Kyle Andrews takes up the story. “Robwas training, when he had time,” he says,“but he was losing weight fast and that’swhat Jo was concerned about. That, and hisrather blasé approach to an extraordinarilyambitious enterprise - ‘don’t worry, I’m a fitguy … army background … etc’.

When training for an endurance event,Kyle explains, people encounter differentproblems, depending on their personality.Boredom is often the greatest danger.

“I had to think about adding variety to

Wren’s Club fitness trainer Kyle Andrews spent much of 2005 training a middle-agedbusinessman to row across the Atlantic. This year he trained himself for a first London

Marathon. GS Review caught up with him between circuits.

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Wren’s Club

Rob’s training programme, to keep himinterested for six months. It’s a lonelybusiness, running, cycling and rowing on your own.” Rob and his transatlanticteam mate Peter Williams lived too farapart to train together.

In fact Rob’s greatest problem was notboredom, but simply finding the time totrain. “He’s an incredibly busy guy,” saysKyle, “often working an 11-hour day, with children to fit in to what little leisuretime he has left. Rob would often findhimself getting to midnight and realisinghe hadn’t done any training. So he wouldsit on the rowing machine for two hoursin the middle of the night. There was areal danger of burn-out.”

The trainer devised a special programme

of circuits at Wren’s Club. “It’s the perfectenvironment for personal training,” hesays, “ because of the excellent equipmentand the fact that it’s quite an exclusiveclub, and relatively quiet during the week.So we were able to work on the flowingone-hour circuit that I felt he needed –building up momentum progressively, andkeeping it going without any breaks. Youcan’t achieve that in many health clubs.”

Physically, the priority was to work onRob’s muscle flexibility and his posture,and build up the strength of his chest. “We worked on this with a range ofexercises - flyers, pullovers, and chestpresses with a core stability ball. It’s allquite standard stuff, but Rob wasn’t doingany of it on his own.

“I also encouraged Rob to have sportsmassages at least twice a week. It was animportant way to reduce the risk of injurywhile training. This meant he could trainmore frequently and achieve more.”

In September Rob was ready for theWindsor half marathon and finished in animpressive 1 hour 41 minutes. “He didreally well,” says Kyle, who came in fiveminutes ahead of his client.

The issue of weight loss would not goaway. “It was difficult to get Rob to eatenough,” says Kyle. “He would burn about1400 calories in a 90 minute rowing sessionand literally would not have enough time toreplace all those calories.”

Kyle was a chemical engineer before heturned to fitness training, and took a close

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72 G s R e v i e w

interest in Rob’s diet from the start. “There’snothing sinister about it,” he says. “Basicallywe used protein shakes such as Maximuscle,a powder you add to milk or juice.”

In early November, Kyle Andrews wasin the crowd that waved Rob and Peter offfrom the riverside quay at Sir ChristopherWren’s House Hotel & Spa, at the officiallaunch of the Mark III International team.“I thought they looked a bit wobbly and Ihad my doubts,” he says. Over the nextthree months, Rob Eustace and PeterWilliams proved the doubters wrong. All that training had paid off.

Training for the Marathon

Wren’s Club manager Lee Willock andtrainer Kyle Andrews raised more than£2500 for charity in the LondonMarathon on April 23rd. “The furthest Ihad ever run before was 18 miles,”Andrews said afterwards, “so it was nosurprise when I ‘hit the wall’ at 19. Afterthat it was just a case of somehowstruggling on to the end.” This he didsuccessfully, finishing four minutes inside

his target of three and a half hours.Marathon running presents a quite

different challenge from endurancerowing, and training has to reflect that.“For a marathon you need a pair of legs, astrong core, cardio-vascular fitness and awill to succeed,” says Kyle Andrews. “No upper body strength is needed - fromthe hips up, it’s all dead weight. So a keypart of my training has been to loseweight: the less I have to carry, the better.Every time your heel hits the ground, theimpact on your hip and through your legis about three times your body weight.

“Like so many people, I have an oldknee injury from football, which marathonrunning is bound to aggravate. So a lot ofmy training is not running but non-impactcardio-vascular exercise: the cross-trainermachine in Wren’s Club and cycling. Thisreduces the risk of injury while training,and reduces the impact of training, so thatI can train more. Most people run toosoon. I advise them to lose weight first.”

One other word of professionaladvice. “Have your gait properly analysed.

Sportsfeet of Maidenhead do it and makea special insert for your trainers.It’s not cheap, but definitely a goodinvestment. And there are discounts forWren’s Club members.” GS

Wren’s Club at Sir Christopher Wren’sHouse Hotel & Spa, Windsor. Tel: 01753864186 or visit: www.sirchristopherwren.co.uk/membership.htm

Atlantic Rowing Race 2007

The next Atlantic Rowing Race startsfrom La Gomera, Canary Islands inNovember 2007 and will finishapproximately 55 - 60 days later inAntigua, West Indies. For moreinformation about the race contact theorganisers: Woodvale Events,Pridhamsleigh Farm, Nr Ashburton,Buckfastleigh, Devon TQ13 7JJ. Tel: +44 (0) 1364 644432. Fax: +44 (0)1364 644 232 e-mail:[email protected] or visit:www.woodvale-events.com

The 25th Windsor Half Marathon

takes place on 24th September 2006.There will be a special anniversarycelebration and awards presentation inNovember at Windsor Castle with HRHPrince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh.The Women's 8km Race will be held onSaturday, September 23rd. Visit:www.runwindsor.com

SportsFeet UK 52B Queen Street,Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 1HY. Tel: 01628 778512 or visit:www.sportsfeetuk.co.uk

Transatlantic Triumph. Broadcaster Ben Fogle and double gold Olympian James Cracknell were the first pair to finish the 2005 Atlantic Rowing Race (in 49 days, 19 hours, 8 minutes) but had to settle for fourth place.

“For a marathon you need a pair of legs, a strong core and a will to succeed. From the hips up, it’s all dead weight.”

Wren’s Club

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Was the Battle of Waterloo,as the Duke of Wellingtonprobably never claimed,really won on the playing

fields of Eton? Perhaps not: the Duke wasan idle and dreamy boy who took no partin organised sport in his teenage years asan Eton schoolboy in the 1780s. Be that asit may, many a battle for world supremacywill be won, and lost, at Eton this summer,when more than 1000 athletes come toDorney Lake for the World RowingChampionships in late August.

Dorney successfully hosted the Rowing World Cup in May 2005,attracting a crowd of 7,000 and aEuropean TV audience of more than 8million for the final day. Dorney will alsobe the setting for the rowing and flat-water canoeing events in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Dorney Lake is a 400 acre site owned by Eton College. Its creation was thebrainchild of a group of Eton Collegeteachers in the 1960s, who felt that a

special 'still water' rowing course would offer useful advantages over theThames with its currents, traffic andvarying widths. Forty years on, theirdream has become reality: a year-roundfacility offering safe rowing in all

weathers. After many years of planningdiscussions and consultations, constructionbegan in 1996. The Boathouse was openedin June 2000 by Kate Hoey, Minister forSport & The Arts.

The original aim of constructing a high-quality rowing course for EtonCollege pupils has been far exceeded.Dorney Lake is acclaimed as one of thefinest facilities of its kind in the world andhas various added attractions: a park,arboretum and nature conservation area; a fully-equipped gym for training andindoor rowing, and access for allcommunity sectors. GS

For tickets to the World Rowing Championships, visit: www.wrc2006.comor telephone: 0870 272 1872.

Bladeon the feather

“Jolly boating weather,And a hay harvest breeze,Blade on the feather,Shade off the trees,Swing swing together,With your bodies betweenyour knees”

a day at the races

Make your visit to the World Rowing Championships(20th – 27th August) a special occasion with the help ofTaplow House Hotel. After a full English breakfast atthe hotel, we will shuttle you to Dorney Lake and supplya lavish picnic lunch. At the end of the day return byshuttle to the hotel, where champagne and strawberrieswill be on the table. £60.00 per person. Taplow HouseHotel, Berry Hill, Taplow SL6 0DA. Tel: 01628 670056.

Eton, 20th - 27th August 2006

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World Rowing Championships:

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76 G s R e v i e w

Fashion: Gharani Strok

Fashion designers Vanja Strok and NargessGharani never needed careers advice. As schoolfriends they knew exactly what they would bedoing – making sexy frocks for women of allages. “But we’re more comfortable in T-shirtsand jeans,” they tell Paulina Peko.

Vanja Strok and Nargess Gharani have made theirfriendship and shared love of fashion the springboardfor a successful business partnership. Their designs havewon critical acclaim since they took London Fashion

Week by storm in September 2001, and icons such as Madonna,Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Kylie Minogue, Scarlett Johannsen,Angelina Jolie and Liv Tyler demand Gharani Strok for theirappearances at jet-set events and on the covers of glossy magazines.

The two friends have lost none of the creative passion that firedthe early days of their collaboration. Its origins go back more thantwo decades, to the day when Nargess - Iranian-born, black haired -found out that there was a new girl with curly hair at her school inSurrey: Vanja, a Croatian brunette. They said fond farewells whenNargess left school, only to meet again at art college, where theybecame inseparable friends. They had so much in common ... above all, an eye for beautiful things and a love of fashion.

“There is no clear-cut division of labour between us,” saysNargess, the natural spokeswoman of the two. “We complementeach other in every phase of the work. We both pick the fabrics anddecide which colours we'll use for the collection. I know it soundsimprobable, but designing the clothes together is not a difficultprocess: we have the same taste!

“One of us selects the material and colour, the other approves or (occasionally!) disapproves, then we both start drawing. Whenthe designs are finished we put them on the table and choose theshortlist. Neither of us could say this dress is "mine", the other is"hers": we create, improve and finalise everything together.”

“Being able to trust each other completely is essential inbusiness,” says Vanja. “Nargess and I grew up together, we were in the same class at school, fell in love and had our children at thesame time. Even when we go shopping separately, we end upbuying the same clothes!”

Gharani Strok collections are full of breezy, sexy designs of subtlesensuality. Dresses were the foundation stone of their fashion brand,

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two’scompany

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and still play a big part in every collection. “The dress is a must-have in every

woman's wardrobe,” says Nargess,“although we don't wear them muchourselves. Not being party girls, we spendmore time in jeans and T-shirts.”

Since their debut at London FashionWeek in 2001, Gharani Strok’s reputationhas grown with every collection, and thelabel seems to be everywhere now: on thestreet, in magazines, on TV, at socialgatherings and in the wardrobes of fashion-conscious celebrities.

After making their name with signature bright rainbow-coloured prints,Gharani Strok’s Autumn/Winter 2006Collection, presented at London FashionWeek in February, marked a change ofdirection … towards the dark side.Chocolate, slate grey and black was themuted palette of a bad-girl fashion visioninspired by Bonnie & Clyde and PattiHearst, icons of Sixties rebellion.

“We design wearable clothes for allwomen,” says Nargess. “We’re proud ofthe fact that our clients vary in age from

14 to nearly eighty.” This age range mayyet expand. With children of their own,Vanja and Nargess do not rule out thepossibility of launching junior GharaniStrok lines. In fact, after branching out into shoes, jewellery, maternity clothes and aninteriors line, there is no telling where their creative interests will lead next. “Ourinteriors line was hand made,” says Vanja,whose mother Renata is a talented interiordesigner. “All the fringed pillow cases, bedthrows and blankets were hand-stitched.”

Vanja and Nargess have launchedGharani Strok boutiques in Zagreb andDubrovnik, and now sell their fashion linesin shops and sales points around the world.They may have only just started on theircareer path, but already they have come along way together since they hatched thefirst plans for the glamorous fashion housethey would build.

In a letter she wrote to Vanja as aschoolgirl, Nargess prophesied that one day they would run a successful businesstogether. The example of these two youngand beautiful women shows that withenough determination and hard work,dreams really can come true. GS


AUTUMN/WINTER 2006

“Tulip skirts are everywhere thisseason but never sexier than here”

“Gharani Strok has a skill forreinvention - neither getting bogged down in seasonal trends, nor ever getting them wrong. It's the one you can always show off about owning.”

SPRING/SUMMER 2006

“Miss Moneypenny sex appeal takesover from the trend for pretty, eye-grabbing prints, disco ball sparkles and sophisticated hippy chick styles…”

“inky prints on mini kimonos wereunmistakably Strok sexy. The GharaniStrok girl will be the one leaving theboys agog in her wake next summer”

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What the press say

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Windsor Festival: September 19th – October 1st 2006

Windsor’s timbered inns andcobbled streets, its cozyhouses and emeraldsurrounds, form the

charming setting for that spirited rompthrough romantic and marital intrigue,`The Merry Wives of Windsor.’ Written atthe personal command of Queen Elizabeth,it was the only play Shakespeare set incontemporary England, and it continues todelight audiences more than four hundredyears after its first performance.

Visiting Windsor’s late summer festival of music and the performance arts, we maydetect the same zestful spirit living onbeside the Thames. This year’s Festivalcelebrates a landmark birthday of anotherlong serving Queen Elizabeth.

The Windsor Festival began life in 1969with Yehudi Menuhin and Ian Hunter asArtistic Advisors and has since attractedartists from around the world. Attendancenumbers have soared recently, the festivalattracting 13,000 visitors last year. “That’s a fourfold increase in the last four years,which is tremendous,” says Martin Denny,who has been Festival Director since 2001.“We’ve got a wonderful set of venues, agreat supportive audience and Windsor iswell known because of its associations.”

The Festival’s success is also a tribute tothe Director’s efforts to assemble abeguiling range of events. “Our coreprogramme is classical music and literaturebut it’s becoming increasingly broad withstreet music, films, comedy, opera and jazz

Windsor's late summerfestival of music and the arts

attracts international starperformers and has seen a

fourfold increase in visitorsin the last four years.

Diana Bentley meets FestivalDirector Martin Denny.

FestivalHigh-Performance

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The Festival is aided by more than 100volunteers who carry out a range of jobsfrom stewarding attendees to catering for theartists. Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel& Spa in Windsor hosts the Literary Luncheach year. “We’re lucky to be in this town,with all its history and artistic traditions,”says Christian Devaux, UK OperationsDirector for Wren’s Hotels. “But most of thetime we take it for granted. We love beingpart of the Festival. In our busy lives it’s agreat opportunity for all of us to pause andconnect with our cultural surroundings.”

This year the theme of the Festival is the80th birthday of Her Majesty The Queen.Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Master of theQueen’s Music, and Poet Laureate AndrewMotion have been co-commissioned to

The Heritage Walks have provedespecially popular and more are planned thisyear. Hester Davenport, author of `Writersin Windsor’ and chair of the local historygroup, last year guided the Literary HeritageWalk which traced the links betweenWindsor and such luminaries as Chaucer,Shakespeare and Dickens. “Shakespearemust have known Windsor well,” she says,“because the Merry Wives is full of localreferences.” The Garter Inn referred to inthe play is now the Heart & Garter oppositeWindsor Castle. Dickens once stayed there.

The great Victorian novelist also fell inlove with the Queen and visited Windsorwhen she married. “It caused him muchtorment - or so he said at the time,” saysHester Davenport. This year, inspired by thecelebrations for the Queen’s 80th birthday,the local author is leading a walk based oncurious incidents that have occurred in thetown in the last 80 years.

Denny scours the world for talent for his Festival, but has no favourite events. ‘I enjoy everything!’ he says, withgenuine enthusiasm. GS

The Windsor Festival 2006. Tuesday 19th September to Sunday 1stOctober. Telephone: 01753 714364 or visit: www.windsorfestival.com

Windsor Festival

“He capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth,he writes verses, he speaks holiday, he smellsApril and May.” (Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act 3, Scene 2)

Wonderful venues. Access to the Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Parkand Cumberland Lodge adds to the appeal of the Festival. Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel(below) hosts a literary lunch

included,” says Denny, a local resident andformer chorister of St. George’s Chapel. As well as classical concerts, last year’s Festivalhad Michael Palin talking about his journeysaround the world, a lunch with traveller AlanWhicker, a tour of some of Windsor’s 50 pubs,a story telling session with children’s authorLynne Chapman and a talk about the last daysof King Henry VIII. Not to mention HeritageWalks along the Thames in the footsteps offamous characters associated with the river, awalk around Eton College and anotherexploring Wartime Windsor...

There are Festival venues in the towncentre and throughout the the RoyalBorough. “We try to open up local places likethe Royal Chapel, Windsor Great Park andCumberland Lodge,” says Martin Denny.

create a new music and choral work tocelebrate the Queen’s birthday. After its first performance at St. George’s Chapel,Windsor Castle on Sunday April 23rd, it will be repeated on Wednesday September27th at an evening concert.

Musicians appearing this year includethe trumpeter Alison Balsom whom Dennydescribes as a `rising star,’ and pianistDanny Driver. “Lord (Douglas) Hurdwill talk about the Queen’s Prime Ministers – ten have served during her reign so far - and we’re taking aspects ofher life and reflecting on them. ActorRichard E Grant will talk about making his first film and journalist and broadcasterKate Adie will be speaking about hercareer,’ Denny reports.

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Friends of GS

From Dubrovnik to Windsor, GS Hotels &

Resorts properties are a social focus and a

stage for the great, the good and the glamorous.

We thank you all for your support and look

forward to seeing you again soon.

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5 Lord Taylor of Blackburn (President of GS Hotels & Resorts),Renata Strok, Former USAmbassador William Montgomery(ALH Board Member), GuntherStriedinger (CEO, Hypo Alpe AdriaBank) and Goran Strok (Chairman,GS Hotels & Resorts) at the RoyalOpera House in London for WorldTravel Awards Ceremony.

6 Croatian president Stjepan Mesic with King Abdullah II ofJordan and Goran Strok at theDubrovnik Palace Hotel.

11 Croatian tennis player IvanLjubicic with his wife Aida at the Grand Hotel Bonavia.

12 Croatian jazz legend BoskoPetrovic with Renata Strok at the Hotel Excelsior.

1 Sir Roger Moore with Croatian artist Jagoda Buicand Goran Strok at the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

2 John Malkovich and his wife Nicoletta with Goran Strok at Vala Beach, Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

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Friends of GS

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9 Croatian Prime Minister IvoSanader with Grand HotelBonavia staff.

10 Croatian actor Rade Serbedzijawith singer Tereza Kesovija.

16 Croatian actor Goran Visnjicwith Goran Strok in the Old Cityof Dubrovnik.

17 Michael Palin with Goran Strokat the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

18 Goran Strok, Sir Roger Mooreand violinist Julian Rachlin atthe Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

13 Goran Strok meeting the Kingof Saudi Arabia.

14 Croatian President StjepanMesic with HRH Saudi PrinceMitab bin Abdullah bin Aziz.

15 Daily Telegraph Fashion EditorHilary Alexander at the SunsetBar, Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

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3 Fashion Designer Vanja Strokwith her husband ChristianDevaux, director of Wren’sHotel Group with their sonOrlando at the Gharani Strokopening in Zagreb.

4 Celebration dinner at theDower House, Windsor: ALH and Wren’s Hotels teams with journalists.

7 US Vice President Dick Cheney and his wife Lynnewith Goran Strok at Dubrovnik Palace Hotel.

8 Certificate of appreciationfrom the White House to theDubrovnik Palace Hotel forsupport during the stay ofVice President Dick Cheney.

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Two exquisite portfolios, one unique hotel company...

Hotels full of character, elegance and comfort in historic locations of

outstanding beauty in England and Croatia

P o r t f o l i o

C R O A T I AE N G L A N D

www.gshotelsresorts.com

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Sheltering beneath the ramparts ofWindsor Castle, Sir Christopher Wren’sHouse enjoys a setting of remarkablebeauty overlooking the River Thames at

Eton Bridge. Once the family home of thefamous British architect Sir Christopher Wren,the hotel holds a unique place in EnglishHeritage. It is conveniently located forHeathrow, central London and all theattractions of the Thames Valley, includingLegoland and Royal Windsor Racecourse. Thehotel has been meticulously restored and offersguests every comfort and outstanding service ina quiet town-centre location. Strok’s Restaurantand Martini Bar offers a fine dining experiencein a romantic riverside setting, best appreciatedover an al fresco dinner on a fine summerevening on the hotel’s champagne terrace.Meeting rooms offer state of the art facilities

for the business traveller. Wren’s Club, thehotel’s superb fitness and health facility, is aplace to exercise, relax and be pampered. Atthe heart of Royal Windsor, Sir ChristopherWren’s House Hotel and Spa is the perfectchoice for business or pleasure.

Address: Thames Street, Windsor,Berkshire, SL4 1PXEmail: [email protected]: www.sirchristopherwren.co.ukReservations: 00 44 (0)1753 442421Fax: 00 44 (0) 1753 442490Location: London Heathrow 15 mins,London Gatwick 1 hr, Central London 45mins by rail, road via M3, M4 or M25No of Rooms: 96 bedrooms, including9 suites and 5 apartmentsRates: standard double room Inc breakfast,VAT from £135 per room per nightConferences: 7 rooms, individual roomcapacities from 8 to 100Weddings: 3 rooms licensed for civilceremonies from 8 to 100Parking: many public car parks within2 minutes walk of hotelSpecial Features: al fresco riversidedining & champagne bar, Wren’s Clubfitness, beauty and spa

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN’S HOUSE HOTEL & SPAW I N D S O R , E N G L A N D

An Elegant Grade II listed town house overlooking the RiverThames and in walking distance of Windsor Castle.

THE FACTS

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Aformer 17th century coaching innwith a colourful and varied history,today’s Christopher is a newlyrefurbished boutique hotel of

clean and simple design.The building has been enhanced by

contemporary interior design using naturalmaterials and organic colour schemes.

The Christopher is situated in a primeposition on the main street of Eton, a beautifuland historic village linked to Windsor by apedestrian bridge over the River Thames.

Local attractions including Eton College andWindsor Castle are in walking distance of thehotel. Slightly further a field lie leisureattractions such as Legoland and RoyalWindsor Racecourse.

Guests can relax in the security of theChristopher’s stylish bar and enjoy a wide

choice of drinks. All Christopher guests can take full advantage of the facilities of Sir Christopher Wren’s House Hotel and Spa, including Strok’s Restaurant and complimentary use of Wren’s Club’sfitness centre and spa.

THE CHRISTOPHER E T O N , B E R K S H I R E

A boutique hotel of comfort and style on historic Eton High Streetand within a short walk of the centre of Royal Windsor.

THE FACTS

Address: High Street, Eton, Windsor,Berkshire, SL4 6AN

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.thechristopher.co.uk

Reservations: 00 44 (0)1753 852359

Fax: 00 44 (0)1753 830914

Location: London Heathrow, 15 mins,London Gatwick 1 hr, Central London 45mins by rail, road via M3, M4 or M25

No of Rooms: 33 bedrooms, including 3 junior suites

Rates: standard double room Incbreakfast, VAT from £100 per room per night

Parking: Private car park

Special Features: Use of Strok’sRestaurant and Wren’s Club spa at SirChristopher Wren’s House Hotel & Spa

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On the edge of one of the loveliestold villages in the Thames Valley,Taplow House stands withinbeautiful grounds that offer rare

seclusion in this busy part of England wherespace is at a premium. Bedrooms and suites are individually furnished and decorated tooffer the period charm and great comfort of aBritish country house.

Superb function rooms, an excellentrestaurant and state of the art businessamenities add to the hotel’s versatility and allmembers of staff pride themselves on achievinga high level of attentive yet discreet service.

Situated in a locality famous for themagnificent forest of Burnham Beeches, Taplow is proud of its own great trees. Theseinclude Europe’s oldest and largest tulip tree,planted by Elizabeth I. The grounds remain

essentially unchanged from their original designcreated by celebrated gardener Springall, andprovide a haven of tranquillity for visitors.

TAPLOW HOUSE HOTEL & RESTAURANTT A P L O W , B U C K I N G H A M S H I R E

A stunning Georgian retreat set in six acres of beautiful gardens and boasting Europe’s finest tulip trees.

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THE FACTS

Address: Berry Hill, Taplow,Buckinghamshire, SL6 ODAEmail:[email protected]: www.taplowhouse.comReservations: 00 44 (0)1628 670056Fax: 00 44 (0)1628 773625Location: London Heathrow 15 mins,London Gatwick 1 hr, Central London 40 mins by rail, road via M4 or M40No of Rooms: 32 bedrooms, including2 four posters and 3 suitesRates: standard double room Inc breakfast,VAT from £100 per room per nightConferences: 7 rooms, individual roomcapacities from 10 to 100Weddings: 2 rooms licensed for civil ceremonies Parking: Private, secured car parkingup to 100 carsSpecial Features: grounds ideal forcorporate events, open air entertainment,marquees and summer gatherings

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EXCELSIOR HOTEL & SPAD U B R O V N I K , C R O A T I A

Croatia’s pre-eminent hotel, in a privileged location withuninterrupted views of the historic walled city of Dubrovnik, theisland of Lokrum and the sparkling Mediterranean.

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The Excelsior has long beenacknowledged as Croatia’s finesthotel. Superb facilities, an unrivalledlocation and excellent service make

the Excelsior the perfect place to stay inDubrovnik. Built in 1913 and completelyrenovated in 1998 all 146 bedrooms and 18suites provide guests with every modern amenity.Spacious terraces with a stunning view of cityand sea form part of the overall experience in asetting that is both intimate and fashionablyMediterranean. Dining is always a memorableexperience at the Excelsior, with a rich choice ofDalmatian and international cuisine in theelegant Zagreb restaurant. The Taverna is a moreinformal restaurant with a reputation for thebest food on the Dalmatian coast.

Whether you prefer swimming in the hotel’s

magnificent pool or meeting in the state of theart conference centre, the Excelsior will meet theneeds of today’s discerning leisure or businesstraveller. Hotel of the Year 2004 on the AdriaticCoast as announced by Croatian EconomicChamber and Croatian National Television.

Listed among the eleven hottest hotels in theMediterranean for 2006 by the UK's leadingweekly newspaper, The Sunday Times.

THE FACTS

Address: Frana Supila 12, 20000Dubrovnik, CroatiaEmail: [email protected] Website: www.hotel-excelsior.hrReservations: 00 385 20 353 353Fax: 00 385 20 414-214Location: Dubrovnik Airport 20 mins, Split Airport 3.5 hrs, ZagrebAirport 50 mins flight No of Rooms: 164 rooms including18 suitesRates: standard double room incbreakfast, VAT Eur 209 – 319Conferences: 5 multi functional rooms,capacity from 15 to 500Weddings: 1 room licensed for civilceremonies Parking: Private car parkSpecial Features: large indoor poolwith jaccuzi and whirlpools, steam bath,sea bathing terrace, prime locationminutes from the old city

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Situated a short drive from the historicOld City of Dubrovnik, The DubrovnikPalace Hotel, Conference Centre and Spawas opened by the President of Croatia in

2004. Its reconstruction by GS Hotels & Resortshas been the largest tourism project in Croatia inthe last thirty years. No expense has been spared toprovide the best in luxury accommodation, food ofthe highest quality and state of the art amenities.

At the destination known as the Jewel of theAdriatic, the Dubrovnik Palace is the newbenchmark property. Surrounded by pinewoods,the hotel offers seclusion, shade and a coolingbreeze in summer, and enjoys magnificent viewsof the Mediterranean. The property is set directlyon the water’s edge and offers excellent seabathing and scuba diving directly from the hotel.

Great food in a wide range of styles is servedin the hotel’s three restaurants, and there is a bar

for every mood. With its own nightclub, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis centre and anoutstanding spa, the Palace is a fully-fledged and self-contained holiday resort. Internationalbusiness travellers will find the Palace equippedwith all the latest communications andconference facilities, to anticipate their needs and guarantee an effective and relaxing stay. The hotel works equally well as a base forexploring Croatia’s beautiful Dalmatian coast.

The Dubrovnik Palace Hotel has won the“Tourism Oscar”, the prestigious 2005 WorldTravel Awards, in two categories: Croatia’sLeading Hotel and Croatia’s Leading SPA Resort.In 2006 the Dubrovnik Palace Hotel wasnominated for three prestigious World TravelAwards in the categories of Europe's LeadingResort, Croatia’s Leading Hotel and Croatia’sLeading Spa Resort.

DUBROVNIK PALACE HOTEL, CONFERENCE CENTRE & SPAD U B R O V N I K , C R O A T I A

Croatia’s finest resort hotel, conference centre and spa, withmagnificent panoramic views of the Adriatic.

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THE FACTS

Address: Masarykov put 20 – 20000Dubrovnik, Croatia


Website: www.dubrovnikpalace.hr

Reservations: 00 385 20 430 000

Fax: 00 385 20 430 100

Location: Airport 30 minutes, Old City10 minutes, 30 minutes by boat

No of Rooms: 308 rooms including 36 apartments and suites

Rates: standard double room inc.Breakfast, VAT Eur 159 – 317

Conferences: 10 multi functionalrooms up to 1000 attendees

Parking: Private car park and garage

Special Features: Hotel beach, 3outdoor pools, 1 indoor pool, divingcentre, spa and beauty centre, tenniscourts, 4 restaurants, 4 bars andadditional 3 conference bars, night club,children club, hairdresser, gallery, shops

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Although primarily used for summerholidays, the Kompas has much tooffer throughout the year and is anideal base for exploring the

beautiful city of Dubrovnik and its surroundingarea. The hotel is open all year and offersmodern facilities, a high level of service and atraditional welcoming atmosphere. Its locationis ideal for sea bathing and relaxing in the sun,and the hotel is well equipped for smallbusiness meetings and seminars.

The Kompas is well known for its finecuisine and the warmth of its hospitality. Itoffers the best national and international dishesin a choice of two restaurants and terraces.

Regular guests at the Kompas enjoy leisurelyafternoons by the open-air swimming pool andswim in the clear Adriatic from the beach, only

a minute’s walk from the hotel. In the cool ofthe evening, take a gentle stroll around the bayon the lovely promenade.

The Hotel Kompas has won the 2005 TourismFlower - Quality for Croatia Award for best 3-star hotel in Croatia, awarded by the CroatianAssociation of Hoteliers, Croatian Television and the Croatian Chamber of Economy.

HOTEL KOMPASD U B R O V N I K , C R O A T I A

Situated on the Lapad bay and overlooking the crystal blue AdriaticSea, the Kompas is the perfect base for a relaxing and enjoyableholiday in Dubrovnik.

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THE FACTS

Address: Setaliste kralja Zvonimira 56,20 000 Dubrovnik, Croatia


Website: www.hotel-kompas.hr

Reservations: 00 385 20 352 000

Fax: 00 385 20 435 877

Location: Airport 25 mins, old town 10mins by car, 25 mins by foot

No of Rooms: 115 rooms

Rates: standard double room inc.Breakfast, VAT from Eur 80 – 190

Weddings: 1 room licensed for civilceremonies, wedding packages

Parking: Private garage

Special Features: Beach, indoor &outdoor pool, 2 restaurants, café barand bistro, gym, sauna, jacuzzi,massage and games rooms

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Ahaven of seclusion and discreetluxury, the Bellevue enjoys aspectacular clifftop setting 30metres above Miramare Bay, a sandy

cove between the old town of Dubrovnik andthe Lapad peninsula. The breathtaking sea view is the hotel’s design concept: a panoramicwindow dominates the reception area, and bedrooms have balconies with clear glassbalustrades to make the most of the view.

A showcase for local materials, art andcraftsmanship, the hotel has ‘smart room’technology throughout, a spa and fitnesscentre, and an extraordinary indoor horizonpool suspended between the cliff face and aglass wall 20 metres above the sea. As well asthe hotel’s aperitif bar and gourmet restaurant,

there is a beach bar and taverna at sea level served by private lift. About half of thebay is the Bellevue’s private beach – a smallcorner of paradise in the Adriatic jewel that is Dubrovnik.

HOTEL BELLEVUED U B R O V N I K , C R O A T I A

Dubrovnik gains a stunning new 5-star address with the re-openingof the Hotel Bellevue in Summer 2006. Step inside, and leave the outside world behind.

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THE FACTS

Address: Pera Cingrije 7, 20000Dubrovnik, Croatia


Website: www.hotel-bellevue.hr

Reservations: 00385 20330 000

Fax: 00385 20330 100

Location: Airport 20km, Dubrovnik Old City 800m

No of Rooms: 80 rooms, 12 suites and 1 presidential suite

Rates: standard double inc breakfastand VAT from Eur 300 - 360

Parking: underground garage

Special Features: indoor pool, private beach and taverna, spa andwellness centre, private excursions/airport transfers through Adriatic Luxury Services

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Commanding a place of honour in the traditions of Croatianhospitality, the Grand Hotel Bonavia overlooks the centre of

Rijeka, an international trading port now best known for its Lent Carnival celebrations,which are among the biggest and mostcolourful in the world.

At the heart of the commercial and financial districts of the city, the Bonavia is anoutstandingly elegant and well equippedbusiness hotel that welcomes new visitors andbusiness travellers to one of the world’s mostbeautiful and fascinating countries.

Highly reputed for more than a century,the Bonavia's restaurant offers exquisitedishes of international and national cuisine aswell as local specialties and is also wellknown for the elegant wedding ceremonies

and professional catering services it provides.The Bonavia is proud to be one of the first

hotels in Croatia to offer guests unlimitedfree broadband internet access in every roomand in all public lounges.

The Bonavia has its own Jazz Club and isonly ten minutes drive from the palaces andgracious promenades of Opatija, the mostelegant resort on Croatia’s Adriatic Coast.

GRAND HOTEL BONAVIAR I J E K A , C R O A T I A

A city hotel of international standing at the centre of the Adriatic portof Rijeka, only a few minutes from the elegant coastal resort of Opatija.

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THE FACTS

Address: Dolac 4, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia


Website: www.bonavia.hr

Reservations: 00 385 51 357 100

Fax: 00 385 51 330 243

Location: Rijeka Airport 25 mins, Zagreb 1hr 45mins, Trieste (Italy) 1hr 30mins, Ljubljana 2 hrs

No of Rooms: 121 rooms

Rates: standard double room inc.Breakfast, VAT from Eur 150 - 195

Conferences: 3 rooms, individual roomcapacities from 16 to 260

Weddings: 1 room licensed for civil ceremonies

Parking: Private car park and garage

Special Features: Outstandingrestaurant, al fresco terrace, café bar

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Adriatic Luxury Services was foundedin 2002 to offer luxury transferservices (by land, air and sea) as apart of the leading hotel company

in Croatia, Adriatic Luxury Hotels. As international interest in Croatia has grown,

ALS has expanded the scope of its operation. It is now one of the leading incoming touroperators in Croatia, specialised in serving theluxury market. Covering all the most importantCroatian resorts, ALS works with a selection ofhand-picked properties and service suppliers.

ALS also offers expert travel advice andorganises excursions and tailor made touringitineraries combining the most interesting placesin Croatia, the best hotels and restaurants andconvenient travel arrangements. The agency’stop priority is to offer personalised and effectiveservice at all times.

ADRIATIC LUXURY SERVICESD U B R O V N I K , C R O A T I A

Croatia’s only Destination Management Company, based in Zagreb and Dubrovnik and covering all Croatia.

Address: Kardinala Stepinca 21, 20000 Dubrovnik, Croatia


Website: www.als.hr

Telephone: 00 385 20 437 288

Fax: 00 385 20 437 283

Services we provide:

◆ The finest hotels in Croatia

◆ Transfers, excursions and specialinterest travel products

◆ Conference, meeting, incentive visits

◆ Exhibition and special events

◆ The most exclusive BMW luxury cars

◆ Flight only

◆ Complete travel solutions and packages

◆ Itinerary planning

THE FACTS

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