Originally Posted by LarkSFO

I do not want to see a dog in any establishment, much less one where they are preparing, serving, and selling food that I will be eating.

Originally Posted by Pausanias

I know my humour is sometimes misunderstood, but when I said to steer clear of Korea I meant . . .

well, you know the story I'm sure, about the couple who arrived at a Korean restaurant with their beloved pet pooch, parked it with the staff, enjoyed their meal, asked for their bill and their pooch and . . . well, the pooch was part of the bill.

Originally Posted by MikeFromTokyo

There are restaurants in Japan that are marketed specifically as dog friendly! Hyatt Regency Hakone even has a resident dog, and rooms designed to accommodate dogs along with their owners.

Personally, I am more likely to have a problem with the type of guest who would object to the presence of well behaved children, or pets (where appropriate), than I would be to have a problem with children or pets themselves.

Originally Posted by LarkSFO

However, food stores, or restaurants that do not publicize that they will allow owners to bring their animals, are places that I do not want to nor expect to see an owner bring their pet.

Originally Posted by Pausanias

I know my humour is sometimes misunderstood, but when I said to steer clear of Korea I meant . . .

well, you know the story I'm sure, about the couple who arrived at a Korean restaurant with their beloved pet pooch, parked it with the staff, enjoyed their meal, asked for their bill and their pooch and . . . well, the pooch was part of the bill.

Originally Posted by Tellerwaescher

In another thread a user complained about the "mediocre crowd" at the Ritz Carlton Berlin due to the comparatively cheap rates. This raises the question about the characteristics of a mediocre crowd at luxury hotels. What kind of guests do you expect at luxury hotels? ... Does the quality of guests matter at all while staying at a luxury hotel?

Originally Posted by mike_la_jolla

Well. OK. Dressed EXACTLY like this:



I was thrown out of the Savoy restaurant and bar.
This is normal attire in high tech and I wouldn't call this 'slovenly'.
I'll defer to your fashion judgement and just stay elsewhere in London.

Originally Posted by SeamasterLux

Given the fact that I recently posted a review of the MO Tokyo, I thought I'd publish here my review of the FS London written on the blog to which I'm contributing to Parisian Gentleman.

WHERE TO STAY IN LONDON AND SARTORIAL TIDBITS

By Paul Lux


I am a man of many passions.
Some say it’s impossible to reach perfection in an area of life if your attention is split between so many different interests as mine is…but this is how I am. However, there are two particular subjects that I especially like to write about: elegant menswear and luxury hotels, or as I like to call them, Suites and Suits.

Someone once asked me to name the key aspects to look for when finding a good hotel. In answering the question, the immediate thoughts that came to me as deal makers or breakers included:

• a very comfortable bed,
• extraordinary service, and
• a place that feels like home (or better than home–yes it is possible).

A list on what makes a great hotel could be never-ending, but these are the three main things that kept circulating in my head.
As for that other universe called ‘ menswear ‘, the criteria list for a good suit can differ according to whom you talk to, although I can show you what my personal list looks like:
(1) Nice construction/ cut
(2) Fine Fabric

Still, this list is a terrible shortcut.
The feel of the fit of the suit on my body (if that makes any sense) and the emotion that is created when wearing the suit is what ends up counting the most to me. For example, I’ve been asked why I considered Camps de Luca to be one of the greatest tailors on earth. Put simply, I feel powerful when I put on a Camps suit. How can this be? I have no clue as to why, but it is simply the case. But let us not get carried away. We are not here to overplay the nuances of menswear and travels, but rather to relay some useful working information.

LONDON
Traveling is one of life’s greatest gifts. One gets to see the world, discover new cultures, meet new people and live in a whole new place, if only for a short time.
I have several friends who tell me all about the joy of backpacking and how adventurous it is. While I totally respect their hobby, this way of traveling is simply not for me. I want a place that feels as comfortable, or more comfortable than home–and room service on speed dial makes me feel even better. And the better the overall service, the happier I get.
While growing up, my father was kind enough to bring me along to visit countries that I normally would never have set foot in such as Indonesia, Thailand, Canada, and the French Caribbean, amongst several others.
For this first piece, we’ll not travel far from my home country, as we will be heading north of France and across the pond to the city of London.
London is my second home. I’ve probably travelled there at least 50 times and cannot fathom visiting London less than twice or three times a year. I simply love the atmosphere, the cosmopolitan crowd, the parks and architecture, the Brits themselves, the theatre scene, the Royal Albert Hall, Harrod’s, Savile Row, Cecconi’s (which happens to be one of my all time favourite Italian restaurants and a mere 5 meters away from Anderson & Sheppard), the shopping arcades and certainly just as importantly…the hotels.
London has a great number of fabulous luxury properties in very different styles.
For those who fancy classic style, head to:

• The Claridge’s
• The Lanesborough (currently under renovation)
• The Berkeley
• The Ritz
• The Landmark
• The Langham, or
• The Mandarin Oriental.

If modernity is your cup of tea, opt for:

• The Connaught
• The Halkin
• The Bulgari
• The Rosewood
• The Soho
• The Hotel 41
• The Milestone hotel or,
• The Four Seasons Park Lane.

...

When to go: Anytime is perfect though my favourite time to visit is in December, which may be the most magical period to stay in London, given the exquisite taste of the British when it comes to decorating for Christmas.
Stopping by Harrod’s at this time of year is a must. Avoid December if you have issues with crowds though, as it can feel like you are in Tokyo instead of London during this time of year. And if it happens to snow, then you will feel like you’re in a place that is made for fairytales. June happens to be my favourite Spring/Summer period to visit as it normally doesn’t rain that much. The temperature varies between 20 C and 25 C and provides the perfect opportunity to take a stroll in one of London’s numerous parks.
In case your mind drifts towards seeing leggy Brit women in summer…women wearing ultra-short skirts and dresses can be seen year round regardless of the weather as Brit women seem to have little regard to how temperature relates to women’s wear.





What to wear: A sport coat in flannel, cashmere or wool in the winter or silk and linen in the summer, tassel loafers, cashmere turtlenecks, a nice dinner jacket while having a drink at the bar at midnight before heading to the casino Les Ambassadeurs which is just in front of the hotel.

Originally Posted by SeamasterLux

What to wear: A sport coat in flannel, cashmere or wool in the winter or silk and linen in the summer, tassel loafers, cashmere turtlenecks, a nice dinner jacket while having a drink at the bar at midnight before heading to the casino Les Ambassadeurs which is just in front of the hotel.

Originally Posted by Tellerwaescher

In another thread a user complained about the "mediocre crowd" at the Ritz Carlton Berlin due to the comparatively cheap rates. This raises the question about the characteristics of a mediocre crowd at luxury hotels.

What kind of guests do you expect at luxury hotels? And is the quality of guests dependent on the price? Does the quality of guests matter at all while staying at a luxury hotel?

Originally Posted by Raffles

Don't believe you! Are you seriously saying that you see no difference between sitting on a beach with slim, rich, expensively bejewelled, clearly very wealthy young women (and men) walking past compared to sitting on a beach with overweight, tattooed and generally dowdy fellow guests?

Originally Posted by RichardInSF

The tattoo thing is exceptionally common in Japan at pools and onsen. It springs from an older era where tattoos were believed to characterize yakuza (gangsters). I suppose the same is true in Korea.

Although this tradition among Yakuza has apparently gone away to a significant extent, the custom survives -- but not as a class marker, it is an occupation marker. Many places these days allow smaller tattoos if covered by a bandage.