The welcome
My car stops in front of the hotel’s huge revolving doors and I’m shepherded inside in record time. In the lobby, I stop long enough to get a brief impression of the soaring ceilings, Korean-influenced decor and a shimmering crystal installation before being whisked upstairs. Check-in, conducted in my room, takes five minutes.
The neighbourhood
Sitting amid nine hectares of private land atop a hill, north of the River Han, The Shilla is a flat, brown building that looks more impressive than that sounds. It’s the grand old dame of the city – built in 1979, it was stripped down and completely refurbished about two years ago, but the facade has remained unchanged. One side of the property is lined by Seoul Fortress, a 600-year-old stone wall. Myeong-dong, a popular shopping district, is a short walk away.
The room
I’m booked into an executive grand deluxe room on the 18th floor with west-facing windows that offer a lofty view of Mount Namsan, on which N Seoul Tower sits like a pointy hat. The room is done up in stylish wood panelling and expensive upholstery. There’s a living area, desk, widescreen TV and a big bathroom with Molton Brown products and a deep tub set under a window. The bed is gargantuan, with light bedding and cloudlike pillows stuffed with Hungarian goosedown.
The service
Lightning fast. Every member of staff seems to have a Bluetooth device in their ear, and goes about business – fetching travel adaptors and wiping up spills – in the most unobtrusive way.
The scene
The Shilla brand – named after one of Korea’s three ancient kingdoms – is native to the country, and is popular among staycationing young families who equate it with luxury, rest and relaxation. But despite the number of small children present, the atmosphere remains hushed and exclusive. There are a good number of businessmen and a few Japanese and Chinese tourists. The 20th-floor executive lounge, which looks more like somebody’s tasteful living room, is a great place enjoy the city lights in the evening. Guerlain Spa and the immaculate sauna are a big draw, especially in the winter.
The food
I eat my meals in the ground-floor The Parkview, one of six restaurants in the hotel, which does an excellent breakfast (59,000 South Korean won [Dh193]). It’s buffet-style, but the stations are set far apart, so there’s no crowding. I eat a bowl of delicious Vietnamese noodle soup topped with tofu, sprouts and a dash of chilli oil, prepared in front of me, plus fresh dim sum and giant local pears – snow-white, crisp and juicy.
Dinner (105,000 won [Dh334]), again a buffet, is a more-elaborate affair, and I try the crab leg and lobster tail, delicately rolled sushi, barbecued spare rib, slices of persimmon and frozen yogurt piped into a cup out of a Softy machine.
Loved
The USB ports hidden in the bedside-table drawers, the dreamy bed and the luxurious bathrobe.
Hated
The lack of an ironing board in the room. The spacious wardrobe could easily accommodate one.
The verdict
Discreet luxury and pampering the Korean way.
The bottom line
Executive grand deluxe rooms at The Shilla (www.shillahotels.com) cost from 978,000 won (Dh3,206) per night, including taxes and access to the executive lounge, but not including breakfast.
This review was done at the invitation of the hotel.
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
THE BIO
Favourite place to go to in the UAE: The desert sand dunes, just after some rain
Who inspires you: Anybody with new and smart ideas, challenging questions, an open mind and a positive attitude
Where would you like to retire: Most probably in my home country, Hungary, but with frequent returns to the UAE
Favorite book: A book by Transilvanian author, Albert Wass, entitled ‘Sword and Reap’ (Kard es Kasza) - not really known internationally
Favourite subjects in school: Mathematics and science
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
THE SPECS
Engine: Four-cylinder 2.5-litre
Transmission: Seven-speed auto
Power: 165hp
Torque: 241Nm
Price: Dh99,900 to Dh134,000
On sale: now
Habib El Qalb
Assi Al Hallani
(Rotana)
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
Points about the fast fashion industry Celine Hajjar wants everyone to know
- Fast fashion is responsible for up to 10 per cent of global carbon emissions
- Fast fashion is responsible for 24 per cent of the world's insecticides
- Synthetic fibres that make up the average garment can take hundreds of years to biodegrade
- Fast fashion labour workers make 80 per cent less than the required salary to live
- 27 million fast fashion workers worldwide suffer from work-related illnesses and diseases
- Hundreds of thousands of fast fashion labourers work without rights or protection and 80 per cent of them are women
Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
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Political flags or banners
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Bikes, skateboards or scooters
