" You probably have a reservation in the name of Bond, James Bond "Throughout his career, the most famous of secret agents has more than once introduced himself in this way at the reception desk of a major hotel. In keeping with the glamour of his character, 007 travels the world of palacesthe legendary Peninsula in Hong Kong and Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok in The Man with the Golden Gun at the prestigious Danieli of Venice in Moonraker.
In his various guises, the British spy has set up camp in some of the world's finest resorts, including the Ocean Club in Nassau, New Caledonia. Casino Royale or in select hotels in the Alpine resorts, including the Miramonti Majestic in Cortina d'Ampezzo in For your eyes only. In his quest, he ran on the verdigris roof of the Atlantic Hotel in Hamburg in Tomorrow never diesinfiltrated the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, lair of the mysterious Octopussy.
Among all these dream hotels, there are a few false pretenses however, such as the luxurious Grand Hotel Europe in St Petersburg, where Pierce Brosnan enters GoldenEye. A hotel that never opened its doors in the Russian metropolis, since it was in fact another prestigious hotel in London: the Langham Hotel, decked out in a Russian flag for the filming.
As a privileged servant of the luxury hotel industry, James Bond has put all these establishments on the map, inspiring millions of fans to visit them. This no doubt includes many business travellers who, on their missions, might dream of following in the footsteps of their favourite hero. However, apart from a few senior executives, it is far, far from certain that their company will give them permission to do so. For the most famous of secret agents has never really gone without. To mark the release of Dying can wait in 2021, travel management specialist Travel Perk had some fun evaluating the size of its expense accounts for each of its missions. A very instructive control of expenditure...
For the last one, for example Dying can wait007's travel budget came to £7,896, with a bottle of Château l'Angelus at £1,524, a flight from London to Sapporo at £4,662, a Heineken at £5 and a flight from Bari to Montego Bay in Jamaica at £318. Si non e vero, e bene trovato: in any case, all 25 of his missions cost the British taxpayer £132,931, including £5,000 spent on alcohol alone, courtesy of Bollinger and Martini.
To give a '007' flavour to a trip to London, business travellers can always go to the Dukes Hotel, in the heart of Mayfair. Author Ian Fleming was a regular at the bar there, finding inspiration for his legendary 'shaken, not stirred' line. Always known for its Dukes Martini, the hotel offers a more affordable alternative for business travellers to combine their passion for cinema with the demands of their company's wallet.
Corporate events can also provide an opportunity to get together in the footsteps of Mr Bond. The Miramonti Majestic, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, for example, has the the Italian resort's largest convention centre, pretty much in its original state. In Switzerland, the Burgenstock hotel, overlooking Lake Lucerne, played host to the film crews of Goldfinger for a month in 1964. Since then, under the impetus of investor Katara Hospitality, it has been transformed into a vast resort with four hotels and 383 rooms. Dedicated to relaxation with a 10,000 m² spa and 10 bars and restaurants, the establishment also boasts a conference centre of over 2,000 m², with its vast Ballroom overlooking the lake and... a cinema as its focal point.
However, if there is one hotel where the James Bond atmosphere is at its climaxthe Grandhotel Pupp in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, whose neo-baroque façade will live long in the memory of anyone who has seen it. Casino Royale. A centuries-old resort ideally suited to conferences and business meetings, with a casino and, as a highlight, a prestigious ballroom that can accommodate 700 people on the ground floor and over 350 more on the balcony.
Finally, for far-flung incentives, companies can also head for the Bahamas, to the Ocean Club, a prestigious 107-room resort lying on the edge of a paradise beach and offering 2,000 m² of meeting space. Opened in 1962 and now managed by Four Seasons, the hotel has twice played host to James Bond, first as Sean Connery in Operation Thunderboltand Daniel Craig in Casino Royale. An idyllic setting surrounded by 14 hectares of gardens and French-style lawns, where participants will find a host of sporting activities to suit their tastes, from golf to scuba diving, before ending the evening at the Martini Bar & Lounge. " James Bond-approved" as advertised on the Four Seasons website. Or a casino night.
