The forgotten pleasure of staying at a real 5 star hotel

I used to spend lots of time in 5 star hotels when I was working as a consultant and having engagements in Brazil, India, Portugal, etc.. I remember having stayed in amazing hotels as the Marriott at Copacabana, Oberoi in Delhi, Janelas Verdes in Lisbon, to name a few. But obviously after being a consultant and then a Telecom Executive I did become an entrepreneur. Even if I travel lots and lots and I do stay at nice hotels but not usually at really nice hotels.
Last week as we did travel together with a mission from the Spanish Foreign trade institute and we were put in the Four Seasons Hotel in Cairo. WOW I have forgotten the pleasure of staying at such hotels. It is not about the room or the location, as this may sometimes be as good as the places I do stay these days. It was about the little details. It was about the packaging of the shirt they bring you from the dry cleaning, about then bringing you pineapple slices on the pool, about the team at the entrance getting you a taxi, explaining them were to go precisely, taking their license plate and making sure the air con was working, etc... I would never try to make the value equation work if those extra touches make up for the huge price you would normally pay but I can say that while you are there you are transported to a different world and that world is an oasis on its own and when we live at the speed we do, that oasis is sometimes all you need at that particular moment

If you are in Cairo and you have the chance to be at the Four Seasons The First Residence please do stay (BTW their Thai restaurant is excellent and really good value for money, I truly recommend it)

An amazing restaurant in Salamanca where you will not imagine, A gas station on an industrial park!!!

wowwww, this is all I have to say!! Just kidding but what can I say after what we experienced in Salamanca. We had a meeting with our (mmCHANNEL´s) strategic partner Unkasoft in Salamanca where we have been before several times. Last time we did eat at the Hotel Montalvo, within the industrial park with the same name. We have a very good "menu del dia" deal so no complaints. However Hugo Lanchares did promise that next time we will have a very nice lunch and I know he is a person who does enjoy food and wine
So last week when Tony told us to folllow him and we parked outside a gas station (Repsol) within the industrial park (just 5 minutes from Unkasoft headquarters) I was a bit surprised. We did enter through the gas station (whom for those who don´t know are nothing very fancy to say the least) and come up through the stairs and then we open the door. Surprise surprise :-)

An amazing and well decorated room, modern, clean, well designed. With a room for kids to play and very spacious. Shelves with books (on cooking, salamanca region, restaurants of Spain,..). On the table every details was perfectly designed (cutlery, colours (combining browns, whites and blacks), very original chargers (stone ones) and make you feel in front of a delightful experience to come
the food was excellent. Carlos (the chef) prepared a menu for us, that being very well priced, had an aperitive, 2 entrees, main (choice of meat or fish) and 2 desserts. Everything was great. Plates where very well decorated and presented, original combination of flavours and forms (squid cut like corn pieces on a cookie base with ink and pesto, caneloni of ox tail ("rabo de toro"), salmon hamburger (I can´t wait to try to cook the recipe at home)
Carlos did come at the end of the lunch and chat with us which just added that little detail to finished up an amazing experience we had at his restaurant. The bill arrived and we could just think on when we will be coming back

Carlos Barco Restaurante
Poligono industrial Montalvo III C/ Segunda N. 9 (Encima de la gasolinera repsol)
Carbajosa de la Sagrada (Salamanca)37188
Phone number: + 34 923197884
SPAIN


Link to Carlos Barco restaurant web site

Link to a blogger from Salamanca with lots of details on Carlos and his restaurant

Spain cathedrals

I was with Andrea in Salamanca and looking at the amazing cathedral there she asked me is Salamanca one of the most impressive cathedrals in Spain? How would you rate it?

That make me thing for a while about how will I classify the amazing cathedrals in Spain (which I believe I have had the opportunity to see many of them if not all)
So obviously this is my ranking which I am sure many of you will have a different one or a very different one, however I hope it helps those looking for some guidance

Tier 1 - The most beautiful, well known or just the "standards"
Leon, Burgos, Seville and Santiago

Tier 2 - Well known, tons of admirers and for many tier 1 in many cases
Salamanca (old and new), Oviedo, Toledo, Zaragoza, Palma de Mallorca

Tier 3 - Interesting, different, lesser known but fascinating anyhow -
Segovia, Cuenca, Zamora, Avila, Barcelona, Palencia, Malaga, Cordoba

Tier 4 - Not in the capitals but as beautiful and special
Jaca, Santo Domingo de Silos, Astorga, Burgo de Osma, Siguenza