Luxury Hoteliers Magazine 3rd Quarter 2018 | Page 41

Shark Tales Deep Blue Divers at Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives encountered a rare visitor recently, a juvenile whale shark. The Laamu Atoll is home to some of the most majestic marine megafaunas including manta rays and turtles, but a juvenile white shark is a rarity and actually a rather docile creature, feeding on plankton. A relief when it measures 13 feet! Whale sharks have distinguishable speckled spots next to their gills, unique to each shark like a fingerprint, which assists researchers to study their migratory patterns. Westin Partners with goop Westin Hotels & Resorts, well known for their wellness offerings, and goop, a modern lifestyle brand started by Gwyneth Paltrow in 2008 will premiere a curated fitness program at select Westin hotels this summer. The program will offer locals and guests alike access to workouts and post-class wellness talks with Tracy Anderson, one of goop’s premier fitness instructors, along with a refreshment menu, health and beauty giveaways and more. G.Sport Sessions will feature a 45 minute class followed by a nourishing reception by Westin Fresh by The Juicery, a post-workout Q&A and a goop gift bag, including items from the new G. Sport athletic wear line. The weekend package will extend the experience with the Westin’s Sleep Well Lavender Balm, their White Tea Scented Candle, a branded S’Well water bottle, fresh cut botanicals, healthy snacks and a bathroom filled with goop skincare and accompaniments. Bees, Bears, and Chocolate Fairmont Whistler’s Executive Pastry Chef Anup Chaubal has created his third signature chocolate, Honeybear Blonde Chocolate with Château rooftop honey, for World Chocolate Day July 7. The chocolate is comprised of 35% cacao and created from subtle sweet white chocolate with a silky-smooth texture and strong milky caramel taste and notes of saltiness. The chef has combined it with B.C. blueberries, almonds toasted in Executive Chef Isabel Chung’s rooftop honey, and bee pollen. The combination of the ingredients is significant since both almonds and blueberries rely on honeybees to pollinate and grow. “We know that pollination by bees is necessary to grow food but so many people don’t realize the direct impact it has on ingredients like blueberries and cherries. And almonds, for example, rely 100 percent on honeybees for pollination,” said Chef Chaubal. Executive Chef Chung added, “It’s frightening to think that our children and grandchildren may not have the fruit and vegetables we know and love if bees continue to disappear at the rate they are.” ILHA 41