1. Who are you?
I’m Michael Bonadies, President and CEO of 21c Museum Hotel. For most of my career I was a partner in New York City’s Myriad Restaurant Group (Nobu, Tribeca Grill, et al) and while that was an amazing experience, becoming involved with 21c is the best career move I’ve made. I can’t begin to describe how exciting and rewarding it is to be part of a groundbreaking new hospitality concept that demonstrates every day that art drives commerce as well as enriches our lives.

2. What do you like about what you do?
I love that each and every day I get to make people happy, putting a smile on their faces — the very reason why I got into the hospitality business in the first place. But I must confess that I also gain great satisfaction from the fact that:

1. My three sons think 21c is really cool.
2. I have the terrific and supportive partners.
3. Our guests, once they visit, become fiercely loyal fans who want to share 21c with all their friends and business associates.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
Absolutely nothing, I’m having too much fun.

4. Please tell us about hotel and your aims with it!
21c Museum Hotel is located in Louisville, Kentucky, the home of the Kentucky Derby, Muhammad Ali and bourbon whiskey. 21c Museum Hotel was founded in 2006 by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, philanthropists and art patrons who had a vision for using art to help spark the revitalization of Louisville’s downtown. As a result, art is not simply decoration at 21c—it is the heart and soul of the experience. Contemporary art—by living artists—is around every corner at 21c—in the elevators, courtyards, hallways, public restrooms, roofs, floors and in our Proof on Main restaurant and bar. At 21c, art is an unexpected encounter, a new idea and often a starting point for a lively conversation…and when the art is combined with our unique marriage of warm, accessible luxury and authentic Southern hospitality, it creates a winning combination and a compelling reason to visit Louisville.

As a brand, we have announced plans for future 21c’s in Austin, Texas and Cincinnati, Ohio. We are currently looking at other urban locations where we can make a difference by demonstrating through the experience of 21c that art drives commerce and brings vitality and energy back to the urban cores, helping to make them once again places where people want to live, work, and play.

5. Are you working with blogs, and if yes, what is your favorite blog?
Chef Michael Paley of our restaurant Proof on Main has a blog (blog-proof.tumblr.com) that documents, primarily through photos, his exploration of Italian inspired cuisine using local and regional ingredients as well as the breath and wealth of product he receives from local farms and artisanal producers. Summer is a great time to check out his blog and see all the beautiful heirloom vegetables that the farmers deliver to him.

Here are a three of my favorite blogs:
The New York Times Style Magazine – www.nytimes.com/pages/t-magazine/
Bourbon Blog - www.bourbonblog.com
Unhappy Hipsters – www.unhappyhipsters.com

6. What are your top 3 hotel experiences and why?

Tower 23 in San Diego, California
Tower 23 is a small, hip hotel right on the beach in the heart of Pacific Beach, a funky surfing community. The hotel offers great views over the Pacific Ocean, comfortable rooms and a very cool, modern design. The sunsets were unforgettable.

Hermitage Hotel, Nashville, Tennessee
This grand hotel opened in 1910 and has been lovingly restored to its original grandeur—it’s a trip back in time with outstanding service and heartfelt hospitality. I will always remember the sight, on waking early one morning, of all the just polished cowboy boots lining the hallway as they sat outside the rooms of their recording star owners.

Delano Hotel, Miami Beach
The hedonism of South Beach married to the professional service of a stunning hotel. How can a New Yorker fleeing the snows of January not fall in love with this hotel.

7. What are your top 3 hotel food/restaurant experiences and why?
L’Express, Montreal, Canada—the best steak tartare I’ve ever had at Montreal’s most charming bistro.
Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar, East Village, NYC—this tiny, husband-and-wife-run restaurant not only has the best Italian wine list in the city but also some of the warmest service as well.
Black’s Barbeque, Lockhart, Texas—the finest barbequed brisket and ribs in Texas!

8. What are your top 3 things for guests to do at 21c?
Explore the art—it’s everywhere—and pet a red penguin.
Try a bourbon whiskey that you’ve never tasted before.
Visit the men’s room, no matter what sex you are.

9. What are your top 3 things for visitors to do in Louisville?
Catch a race at Churchill Downs preferably the Kentucky Derby.
Visit the Muhammad Ali Center, a museum dedicated to the life and career of the world’s most famous boxer.
The Urban Bourbon Trail is definitely worth checking out. Grab a passport and start at Proof on Main before setting out to discover the other bars and restaurants in Louisville that each offer over 50 bourbons.

10. Other comments?
I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to explore the Ring Hotel blog as well as the hotel’s website. As a result, I’m considering a trip to Vienna and a stay at the hotel at the end of May and am seeking recommendations on what to do, what to see and where to eat at that time of year.

The 2 topics for the YHA 2010 are:

1. Back to basics : how to improve customer satisfaction and service levels?
2. Online hotel reviews : do reviews influence hotel revenue and how will the hotel manage this?

The Young Hotelier Award is an initiative of the GMC (General Managers Council) of the leading hotels in Vienna and powered by JohnsonDiversey.

The presentations for the YHA 2010 will be held at the hosting hotel Le Meridien on March 10^th, 2010. More information on the history of YHA, the event itself as well as the partners of YHA can be found on the newly established website www.younghotelier.at

1. Who are you?

2. What do you like about what you do?
The best part was inventing the hotel, the constructions and interior design. It has become an exciting mix of design and classic furniture and modern lighting. Now that we are open, we like giving our guests a very warm welcome in our small, highly personal 4 star hotel.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
Everything is exiting. We opened The Pincoffs Hotel on the first of March 2008. For us this is a brand new life. Before this my wife and I were journalist at the daily newspaper Algemeen Dagblad for almost two decades.

4. Please tell us about your hotel and your aims with it?
Our place is a small luxury hotel, 4 star rated, with a highly personal service and an informal atmosphere. We give our guests a warm welcome. Trying to please them is our main goal. We want them to leave our building completely satisfied and with a smile. We love to give our guests good directions to discover their Rotterdam.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, what is your favourite blog?
We have our own blog connected to our website www.hotelpincoffs.com, but we are not working with different blogs on our site. It’s a matter of time. Your blog is superb. Maybe we have to link this one first.

6. Your TOP 3 hotel experiences
Raffles Singapore, Pera Palace Istanbul, Inglaterra Havana Cuba

7. Your TOP 3 destination experiences
Bunaken & Togian Islands Indonesia
Kenia & Zanzibar (Tanzania)
Traveling through Australia

8. Your TOP 3 food and/or beverage experiences
‘t Molentje/ Danny Horseele, Zeebrugge, Belgium
George Blanc, Vonnas, France
Oud Sluis, Sergio Herman, Sluis, the Netherlands

9. Can you offer possible readers 3 things they absolutely need to do/visit/see when visiting your city?
Take a walk along the riverfront.
Visit restaurant Parkheuvel.
Get an impression of the world harbour by boat trip (if you have time) or take a quick ride with the Water Taxi (if you are running out of time) from our place to Hotel New York or the SS Rotterdam (former cruise ship, opening September 2009).

10. Any comments you want to share with us?
Rotterdam is a relatively new city, but it is vibrating. When you are visiting Holland or Amsterdam please try to take a day or two to see the architectural city Rotterdam. And of course we are happy to welcome you in our hotel.

1. Who are you?

2. What do you like about what you do?
Materialize visions and making people happy.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
The need to have my mobile-phone switched on all the time.

4. Please tell us about your hotel and your aims with it?
Hotel Q! is an extraordinary design-hotel with an extraordinary staff that will easily meet extraordinary wishes.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, what is your favourite blog?
Am I working with blogs? Well, we had “New Kids On The Block” as guests, does that count?

6. Your TOP 3 hotel experiences
Gramercy Park Hotel, New York – The Outpost Lodge, South Africa – Alila Villas Hadahaa, Maldives

7. Your TOP 3 destination experiences
South Africa, Yukon, Italy

8. Your TOP 3 food and/or beverage experiences
my mother’s cooking, authentic Italian cuisine in the Tuscany-area teamed with red wine.

9. Can you offer possible readers 3 things they absolutely need to do/visit/see when visiting your city?
Only 3 out of at least 1.468?!? Sorry, you must be kidding me.

10. Any comments you want to share with us?
Visit Berlin, take your time, enjoy the rushing and calm down at the Q!

1. Who are you?

2. What do you like about what you do?
I love the creative part of my job and the satisfaction seeing people on the street wearing my designs. As all designs are made by myself with a lot of passion and dedication it’s simply a great feeling when people appreciate your style.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?
Everything that has to do with uncreative issues like administration …

4. Please tell us about your company Cassida and your future goals?
CASSIDA stands for „metal helmet“ in Latin and is the number one Newcomer Label in the Luxury fashion business. The background and inspiration of the designs is the glory and glamour of the ancient roman empire. The excellent unique style and a perfect combination of multiple colors, extravagant prints, applications and glitters satify already a wide range of several celebrities as Johnny Depp, Rihanna, Elle MacPherson, Samantha Ronson, Jessica Alba, Sabrina Setlur and Eva K. Anderson.
My future goal is to establish Cassida as a leading fashion company in the worldwide luxury fashion business. Further I’d like to open Cassida flagship stores in Los Angeles, New York and Milano. Concerning the flagship store for Vienna we are already negotiating with possible partners.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, what is your favourite blog?
Actually we support several fashion blog writers of whom we think that they are doing a professional job. One of them is: www.iloveteedesign.com
Of course we are running our own blog as well at: www.myspace.com/cassidafashion
Outside the fashion business we appreciate the Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton www.perezhilton.com

6. Your experiences with the overall fashion industry?
So far it’s a 100% positive experience. Most of the people involved are doing a very professional job and the majority is very open minded. The only negative thing I’m experiencing is that most labels are only interested in maximising their profits by following trends and gathering inspirations from other designers. From my point of view it’s essential to set trends, not to follow them. In that case you will be always be second and to be honest I hate it to be second…;-)

7. Tell us about your favourite fashion articles or designers
Actually I know several designers personally, but I have to admit that I’m not looking at their collections in order to avoid any influences on my personal style. Considering the Top designers my absolute favourite is Tom Ford, as he is the only designer who created really timeless collections.

8. Any comments you want to share with us?
First of all I want to thank all readers of your Blog for reading this interview and I wish all of them, that they can live their dreams like I live mine. Further I can only say, that we have started to book the “The Ring” for all our international customers coming to Vienna as your hotel is the number one place to stay in Vienna.

1. Who are you?
Enzo IACONIS General Manager of the Hotel de Vigny, a charming Boutique Hotel of 27 rooms & 11 suites just off the Champs Elysées in Paris- Member of the “Relais & Châteaux” Association.

2. What do you like about what you do?
Creativity, availability to listen, meet guests and make them feel at home – Make sure they are always satisfied during their stay and become regular guests – anticipate their requirements – that’s where dedicated team work plays an important key role.
Travelling throughout the world to find potential guests and extending the business.

3. What don’t you like about what you do?

• When we cannot satisfy a specific guest’s requirement,
• That I cannot always be personally available at all times with my staff to attend all the Hotel operations,
• When we cannot take a booking at the restaurant because it is full.

4. Please tell us about your hotel and your aims with it?
The Hotel de Vigny is a Luxury Boutique Hotel centrally located off the Champs Elysées & the most prestigious monuments in the heart of the 8th District. Our aim is an incentive to constantly improve the quality and standards of the hotel to satisfy guests’ requirements – also to promote the Baretto Restaurant which is very popular amongst politicians, business people or show biz who appreciate meeting in a discreet and cosy Art Deco Atmosphere and enjoy Chef Patrick Marteau’s both inventive and traditional food. Promote the musical evenings enchanting guests with the harpist’s magical music. In a word make the Hotel de Vigny: the Relais & Châteaux Hotel to stay in Paris.

5. Are you working with blogs and if yes, what is your favourite blog?
Not at the moment.

6. Your TOP 3 hotel experiences:
Le Plaza Athenee (Paris), The Milestones Hotel (London) and La Posta Vecchia (Italia)

7. Your TOP 3 destination experiences:
New York, Saint Petersburg, Venice

8. Your TOP 3 food and/or beverage experiences:
in Paris: Apicius, Arpege, Hotel Meurice Restaurant, Ducasse Restaurant at the Plaza Athenee

9. Can you offer possible readers 3 things they absolutely need to do/visit/see when visiting your city?
Eiffel Tower, Montmartre – Museums: Louvre, Orsay, Museum of Modern Art, Pompidou Art Galleries, Antique Dealers – exhibitions

10. Any comments you want to share with us?
The Relais & Châteaux is a Worldwide Association but each hotel is unique

The Hôtel de Vigny is part of the prestigious ‘Relais & Chateaux’ chain. It is located in the elegant 8th district of Paris just 50 meters away from the Champs-Elysées and the Arc de Triomphe.

The requirements for the young hoteliers attending this event, are, that they don’t work within a management position and that they are younger than 25. This year’s event counted 14 motivated ‘young hoteliers’ who all had to answer this year’s theme-question:

“How should a green hotel look like, and how to bring it alive?”

Presenting their point of view, in English, took place in Imperial hotel on the 26th of February.

Thomas Eder, Barbara Eckmann (Winner) and Martin Fuehrer

In the jury, who had a long day judging all the presentations, director of Wien Tourismus Norbert Kettner, Manpower-manager Katharina Münchmeyer, Johnson Diversey director Martin Führer, hotel owner Michaela Reiterer, Hilton Vienna Plaza director Michael Reinhardt, Christophe Bergen from Cornell University and consultant for the hotel project Hotel im Palais Schwarzenberg and chairperson Thomas Eder of the GMC were represented.
Johnson Diversey is the main sponsor of the event, who also realised the first price which is a summer-course at the Cornell University in Brussel or nearby New York. Not only was the course sponsored, but the flight and accommodation as well.

Manpower organised two days of training in presentation skills for the young hoteliers. These training days took place in November, where the young hoteliers were trained and prepared in giving presentations.

On the 26th of February the event took place in Imperial hotel and already started at 08:00 hours in the morning, with the first candidate. On the next day, the 27th of February, the winner of this event was announced and a small after-party was organised. This took place in the Imperial hotel as well. The young hotelier, who answered the theme question the best and convinced the jury of her presentation skills, was Barbara Eckmann of Le Meridien. She won the summer-course at the renowned Cornell University, including the flight and accommodation worth of around € 4.000.

Second best was Caroline Winter of InterContinental Wien, who won a course at the Chamber of Commerce, worth of € 500. A difficult decision for the jury was the third place, on which two Young Hotelier Award candidates ended. Thorben Thiemann of the Radisson SAS Palais Hotel and Angelique Piquer representing Grand Hotel Wien and The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel.

So what exactly is a green hotel?

Green travel is based on travelers who consider the environment whilst they are traveling, and try to waste or disturb the environment as less as possible. A green hotel considers the environment and community as well, as in taking responsibility for the impacts of the hotel’s activities. Taking this responsibility can be done in many ways, for example with energy efficient lighting, installing solar panels to win alternative energy, offering the guests a linen program, making use of biological and regional products in the kitchen, using chemical free cleaning solutions or only treating your guests with natural spa products. These are not the only solutions, but some general examples, as there are hunderds of solutions to implement when taking responsibility.

Why are hotels taking the responsibility?

The main advantage for companies to take the responsibility is creating a win-win situation. When implementing ‘green’ solutions, the environment will benefit, but the company as well. Some of the main advantage for these companies could be; improving their financial position by decreasing costs, improvement of brand image, increase of guest loyalty and more satisfied and motivated employees. Besides the win-win situation which is created, more and more companies are forced into taking the responsibility, due to the increase of costs of resources, the overall opinion about the climate change, and governmental institutions and other organisations developing new rules and regulations for companies and hotels to follow, in consideration for our environment.

February, 2009 New York, NY – Today, Steele Travel announces the details of their Life Ball 2009 travel experience. Steele Travel has been selected as the exclusive North American tour operator in providing access to the Life Ball, Europe’s, and quite possibly, the world’s most extravagant HIV and AIDS benefit held annually in Vienna, Austria. Celebrating the beauty of life and the diversity of world cultures, Life Ball reinvents the great Viennese Ball tradition with glamorous, outlandish performances and inspirational speeches. It attracts huge interest in the media and is broadcast live on Austrian National TV prime time, with delayed airing in Germany. To date the Life Ball has raised over € 10.5 million. It is the only AIDS charity event to take place in a government building. In 2008, the event raised € 1.4 million in one single night.

Steele Travelers will be treated to a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience when joining the Life Ball Experience. On May 14, 2009, passengers meet at JFK’s international airport to board their private VIP chartered Austrian Airlines jet bound for Vienna. This plane has been reconfigured to offer each passenger extra space along with business class cuisine and service for all on board. The Life Ball party plane is exclusively reserved for celebrities and members of the press. However, Steele Travel has received a limited number of seats on this plane available for sale to the public.

Once in Vienna, Steele Travelers are welcomed via red carpet service and are whisked off to The Ring, Vienna’s Casual Luxury Hotel (www.theringhotel.com) for two nights, the official hotel partner of Steele Luxury Travel for the Life Ball 2009. Over the course of the weekend, Vienna’s city hall is transformed into a themed setting of water, Life Ball’s theme for 2009. In the previous years each Life Ball presented itself thematically very different. This year though the team surrounding Gery Keszler, the creator of The Life Ball, decided to develop a concept valid for the next four years – “The four Elements of Life Ball:” – starting with the 17th Life Ball on May 16th, 2009 and concluding with the 20th edition, the jubilee ball in 2012. In the centre of the artistic implementation are the elements water, earth, air and fire. Powerful archaic symbols but still enormously progressive in their value. The audience can expect a vast number of opulent surprises – a grand part of the opening ceremony production of the coming Life Ball will happen on, by and in water. This way the show in front of Vienna’s City Hall strongly emphasises the elemental force of water and its central value for life itself. The opening’s grand finale is a glittering fashion show – so far Donatella Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano, Vivienne Westwood, Roberto Cavalli, Gianfranco Ferré, Missoni, Moschino, Agent Provocateur among others have presented their creations at the Life Ball.

The rare and hard-to-obtain Life Ball tickets are included with each package purchase. On Sunday, May 17, passengers will once again board the luxury Austrian Airlines jetliner headed back to New York. Steele Travel is offering this package at an all-inclusive price of €1,999 per person. A pre-departure orientation dinner will be held at New York’s famous Paris Commune restaurant one week before departure for all Life Ball participants.

Dane Steele Green, President and CEO of Steele Luxury Travel, says “We are extremely honored to have been offered the opportunity to work exclusively with The Life Ball. Not only is this an event of a lifetime to attend; participants are simultaneously supporting a great cause. We are thrilled to be able to bring the Life Ball closer to our US customers. Proceeds from this trip will partially go to The Life Ball to support their cause and efforts.”

The Life Ball is organized by AIDS LIFE, an independent non-profit organization, created with the objective to raise money to support people in areas of the world most affected by HIV and AIDS. In 2008, a record result of 1.4 million US-Dollars was raised. In 2007 an additional 1 million US-Dollars was generated at the Dinner Gala with Bill Clinton the night before Life Ball 2007. Half of the raised funds go to national relief projects and half go to international organizations in support of HIV/AIDS treatment, research and prevention.

Steele Luxury Travel is a new travel concept designed to offer an alternative to traditional vacationing. Steele Travelers experience the ultimate in first-class lodging, excursions, and exclusive event access. Steele’s gay friendly travel packages for 2009 include a sailing through Sardinia and Corsica aboard an 18-passenger 125-foot mega sail yacht, a visit to Istanbul and Bodrum in Turkey, the Mykonos Island Villa Escape where a compound made of up 3 villas becomes home to 21 Steele Travelers. Other destinations include a November trip to Buenos Aires and Punta del Este as well as a trip through South Africa over New Year’s 2010. Steele Luxury Travel will pamper you with amenities and services beyond first class. Live Your Indulgence.

For more information on the Life Ball or to make your reservation, visit www.SteeleTravel.com/lifeball.html or call 646-688-2274.