Senza dipendere da intermediari – spiegano dal quartier generale della compagnia – il team di Emirates ha costruito relazioni dirette con alcuni dei più preziosi chateaux e vigneti del mondo per scegliere accuratamente e accertarsi sui vini serviti a bordo. «Per noi il vino è esperienza. I nostri clienti vogliono gustare vino a bordo come se stessero in un ristorante di lusso» dice Tim Clark, presidente Emirates airline.
La compagnia ha attualmente oltre 1,2 milioni di bottiglie di vini ad invecchiare nella sua cantina in Burgundy (Francia). Alcuni di questi saranno pronti per il consumo solo tra un decennio.
«Di certo è un grande investimento ma il vino e lo champagne sono sempre stati un aspetto importante del nostro servizio a bordo, per cui preferiamo lavorare a lungo termine. È parte del nostro rigoroso processo di pianificazione, proprio perché sappiamo quanto sarà grande la nostra flotta e dove voleranno questi aerei, sappiamo anche che i vini che serviremo tra quattro anni in ogni classe di ogni singola rotta» aggiunge Clark.
I vini italiani giocano un ruolo importante: con 24 varietà servite a bordo, i vini della penisola sono secondi nella lista dei più serviti. Basti pensare che – da gennaio 2013 a ottobre 2014 _ 15,491 bottiglie sono state servite in First class mentre 125,701 bottiglie sono state servite in business class.

Tra i vini top italiani spiccano marchi d’eccellenza mondiale come Antinori, Felluga, Biondi Santi, Planeta, Nardi, Barone Ricasoli e tanti altri.

Emirates airline conta oltre 8,3 milioni di membri Skywards in tutto il mondo, vola verso 147 destinazioni in 84 paesi, opera 231 wide-body Airbus e Boeing, è leader del settore con 56 aeromobili A380 ed ha ordini per altri 286 aeromobili, per un valore di circa 138 miliardi di dollari.

Di Vincenzo Chierchia tratto da Ilsole24ore.com

There’s nothing better than, well, being on vacation in the first place — and then looking out of your hotel room’s window to a gorgeous view. We’ve seen plenty of beautiful sights on our travels, and we’ve taken in some of the most breathtaking views we’ve ever seen in Florence, a city characterized by red rooftops, cobblestone streets, and distant rolling hills. Check out some of the most bellissimo views we’ve seen in the Italian city.

Hotel Palazzo Dal Borgo Aprile
Florence, Italy

Hotel Palazzo Dal Borgo Aprile is a family-run hotel in a Renaissance building. Rooms are decorated in traditional Florentine style with canopy beds and rich upholstery, and street-side rooms on the upper floors offer fantastic views over the rooftops of central Florence, including this view from the Superior Room.

Hotel Berchielli
Florence, Italy

It’s the hotel’s location that makes it a good value: It’s literally steps from the Ponte Vecchio and in the heart of Florence’s best concentration of museums, shopping, and restaurants, giving it stunning views.

Hotel Loggiato Dei Serviti
Florence, Italy

The hotel’s location on the Piazza della Santissima Annunziata puts it close to many tourist sights, as well as helping give it some of the best views. Different rooms come equipped with dramatic views of the Piazza, like the Superior Room.

Grand Hotel Baglioni
Florence, Italy

Housed in the former residences of the Bertolini princes, the Grand Hotel Baglioni lives up to the grand image painted by Florence’s past. Both Terrazza Brunelleschi restaurant and the rooftop garden offer stunning views of Florence.

Grand Hotel Minerva
Florence, Italy

If asked to picture a postcard version of Florence, the views from the Grand Hotel Minerva are most likely what would come to mind. The lovely rooftop pool and terrace offer up some of the most picturesque views in the city, and many rooms have balconies offering similarly excellent outlooks (most balconies have great views of the Santa Maria Novella Plaza, and those on higher floors have spectacular views of Florence’s skyline).

Hotel Kraft
Florence, Italy

This 77-room hotel sits in a quiet locale that’s a bit removed from Florence’s main attractions. A major draw is the rooftop terrace with a small, seasonal pool and bar that overlooks the Tuscan hillsides.

Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo
Florence, Italy

This intimate, family-run boutique is ideal for those seeking an authentic stay in Florence within easy reach of tourist sights. Built centuries ago as the home of a Florentine merchant family, this property was inherited through marriage by the Niccolinis in 1891. They have kept its historic charm intact, having preserved the wood-beamed ceilings and frescoed walls. Many have large windows that feature stunning views of the iconic Duomo cathedral across the street, including the Suite Duomo.

Following in the footsteps of Richard Gere and other notables, Salvatore Ferragamo has been named the Relais & Chateaux official ambassador. Ferragamo, whose grandfather is the world-famous shoe designer, has owned and operated Il Borro, a vineyard and property accommodating 160 guests in Tuscany, for the last 12 years, and he has always been a fan of Relais & Chateaux. As ambassador, Ferragamo will travel all over the world promoting the brand.

“The personality of every property is very individualistic,”he told HotelChatter in an exclusive interview. “They emphasize great attention to service, and the common denominator is the great attention to the quality of the food at the properties.”

Il Borro is one of the newest properties added to the line-up, including 21 in Europe, 8 in the Americas, 5 in Africa, 1 in Asia and 1 in Oceania. Ferragamo, whose wine label, Il Borro is distributed in 40 states in the U.S., said he’s honored by his new title and inclusion of his agro-tourism property in the 2013 Relais & Chateaux guide.

The company president, Jaume Tapies, said the new properties in the line-up have set some records. “Our new hotel in Peru is the highest hotel in the world at 3800 meters,” he told the crowd. “And our new hotel in Fiji is the smallest of all of our properties with only one room – well, three rooms — in one house. You can expect real privacy at this destination.”

By: Hotelchatter.com
Photos: Angela Pham/BFAnyc.com