Virtuoso Life - March/April 2018 - 84
Dossier The View from Here From shores to skyscrapers, Philippe Zuber wants to see it all. Your job? President and COO, One&Only Resorts. City you call home? Dubai (1). One&Only announced a major brand evolution in 2017, splitting its portfolio into beach, nature, and urban resorts, plus private homes. What locations are on your radar for expansion? We would love to get into Asia and are bullish on Europe, having recently announced new properties in Greece and Montenegro. Where would we most likely find you vacationing - a beach, city, or nature resort? I need them all! At a nature resort I connect with an undiscovered location and have oncein-a-lifetime experiences; the beach - at a place like the Maldives' One&Only Reethi Rah (2) - is a yearly must to recharge the batteries and spend time with family; and urban resorts give me the chance to check out the soul of a city. 1. "My three essential Dubai experiences: a Burj Khalifa visit, lunch at One&Only The Palm's 101 Dining Lounge and Marina, and a sunset drive into the desert." 2. The first thing you do when you check into a hotel room ... I always open the curtains and windows and check out the view. ... and your must-have hotel amenities? A display of red berries, plenty of water, and organic toiletries. Also, please mute the television. 3. A favorite souvenir you've acquired on your travels? I enjoy collecting art, especially statues, so I try to buy some whenever I can. My latest purchase is from Bangkok: It's a seventeenthcentury wooden dragon (4). Your dream in-flight meal? A tuna poke bowl or bibimbap. 84 V I RT U O S O L I F E 4. (PHILIPPE ZUBER) KEVIN J. MIYAZAKI/GROOMING BY SONG LOPEZ, (TOKYO) XAVIER ARNAU/GETTY IMAGES, (DUBAI) TOBIASJO/GETTY IMAGES A city you have yet to visit that's on your list? I can't wait to experience Tokyo (3) with my wife and two boys. We're all foodies, and it's the city to be in for that.