Recently in Experts Category

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

Visitors to Tianjin now have a choice of Sheraton Tianjin Hotel or the brand new Westin Tianjin. The new Westin Tianjin is located in the Wue Da Dao area, an old British Concession area. The hotel forms part of a mixed use development on Nanjing Road in the center of the city with The Emperor Place retail shopping mall and corporate offices. The lobby features a 16 meter high ceiling while the 275 guest rooms and suites provide the perfect retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city. Rooms feature Westin's signature Heavenly Beds, Herman Miller furnishings, giant LCD TV's and iPod docking stations. Look towards the heavens through a glass roof over the indoor 25 meter heated swimming pool.

While it may not be a household name, the city of Tianjin is the sixth largest in the People's Republic of China and was the host of the football portion of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  The 120 kilometer journey from Beijing takes just 29 minutes at speeds up to 350KM/HR on the Beijing-Tianjin Intercity Railway at a cost of just RMB58 each way (approximately $9 US). The city is a key manufacturing hub for China and home to many multi-national companies and is one of the biggest sea ports in the world.  Besides being an industrial city, Tianjin has many old concession areas.

My tip: be sure to visit the Tianjin Eye, a 120 meter high Ferris Wheel, uniquely built over the Chihai Bridge. It's a spectacular way to view this exciting Chinese destination.

Peter Foreman is the Director of Sales & Marketing at Le Méridien Kuala Lumpur and thelobby.com's expert on Asia.

When I was living in Langkawi, I started to purchase Royal Selangor photo frames as a memento of my stay in Malaysia.  I did not know a great deal about the history of pewter or Royal Selangor until a recent visit to the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre. Thank goodness that visiting friends force you to do a few touristy activities!

Founded in 1885, Royal Selangor is the world's foremost name in quality pewter goods.  The company employs more than 600 skilled craftsmen & women today.  Their pewter is made of tin, copper and antimony, but unlike the olden days, pewter today does not contain lead. The brand, originally known as Selangor Pewter, changed its name in 1992 to Royal Selangor to reflect its royal endorsement by His Royal Highness.
 
Your tour begins with an overview on the history of pewter in Malaysia.  Despite modern technology, every piece of Royal Selangor is still handcrafted.  During your tour of the factory floor, you will have the opportunity to test your skills with the professionals in areas such as hammering the perfect patterns onto the products that I was sure were machine produced, as well as soldering, polishing and engraving.
 
The School of Hard Knocks is a half-hour workshop where you can produce your very own piece of pewter, complete with your engraved initials, using just a few simple tools such as a hammer, mallet and wooden mould.  After polishing your new pewter dish, it's yours to take home with your certificate.  The class costs just RM50 (US$15)/person. Of course, at the end of the tour you can simply relax in the café or head for some retail therapy. With over a thousand different pieces available, you'll have a whole new appreciation for the time and effort that goes into each piece of Royal Selangor pewter. 

Jeremy McCarthy is the Director of Global Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and thelobby.com's expert on everything spa. Over the past few weeks, he has been sharing stories from his recent trip to Hawaii, where he visited Heavenly Spas across the islands.

The lobby of the new St. Regis Princeville Resort on the island of Kauai is breathtakingly beautiful, but it pales in comparison to the views outside the window. Wall-to-wall windows overlook Hanalei Bay and Mount Makana (also known as "Bali Hai"). The lobby bar features seating on an outdoor deck for enjoying the view and offers memorable concoctions of both tropical and traditional cocktails.

Jeremy McCarthy is the Director of Global Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and thelobby.com's expert on everything spa. Over the past few weeks, he has been sharing stories from his recent trip to Hawaii, where he visited Heavenly Spas across the islands.

About 12 years ago, I lived in Hawaii and first learned how to surf on the island of Maui. At that time, the only person I knew of who was doing stand-up paddleboarding was Laird Hamilton, the famous big wave surfer who was always looking for new ways to conquer the ocean's energy. The sport has come a long way since then and now stand-up paddle surfers can be seen along the beaches of all of Hawaii's islands. I tried it in front of the Sheraton Waikiki and I have to say it is harder than it looks. Getting balanced on the board takes some getting used to. But once you get the feel for it, stand-up paddleboarding can be very peaceful and zen-like, almost giving you the experience of walking on water.

Jeremy McCarthy is the Director of Global Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and thelobby.com's expert on everything spa. Over the past few weeks, he has been sharing stories from his recent trip to Hawaii, where he visited Heavenly Spas across the islands.

I would suggest doing the "Surf and Spa" package while at The Westin Moana Surfrider Resort. Okay, technically this package doesn't really exist (yet), but I can't think of a better way to spend the day in Oahu than taking an early morning surfing or paddleboard lesson on Waikiki beach and then having a relaxing massage and spa day at the Heavenly Spa. The couples' suites in the spa have incredible views of the surfing so you may be able to pick up some additional pointers on your surfing technique while soaking in the tub or having your massage.

Jeremy McCarthy is the Director of Global Development and Operations for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and thelobby.com's expert on everything spa. Over the past few weeks, he has been sharing stories from his recent trip to Hawaii, where he visited Heavenly Spas across the islands.

When I think of Hawaii, I think of surfing the clear blue waves crashing gently onto soft white sand beaches. Or hiking through bamboo forests to reach crystalline pools under soothing waterfalls. But at Waikiki, one of the biggest attractions is the world class shopping on Kalakaua Avenue. Personally, I'm not much of a shopper, but I did do some "window shopping" by watching the hustle and bustle of the busy street from the window of my elliptical trainer in the well-placed Westin Workout gym at the Westin Moana Surfrider Resort.