The Beverly Wilshire is celebrating Pretty Woman’s 25th anniversary with a range of premium packages. Courtesy Beverly Wilshire
The Beverly Wilshire is celebrating Pretty Woman’s 25th anniversary with a range of premium packages. Courtesy Beverly Wilshire

The Hollywood high life: a Pretty Woman-themed trip to Los Angeles



Mo Gannon

I am having what you might call a Beverly Hills problem. Standing outside the ­Beverly Wilshire hotel, under the striped awnings of the stately stone facade that anchors Rodeo Drive, my friend and I are waiting for the courtesy car to chauffeur us around like the wannabe celebrity poseurs that we are – lunch at The Ivy, shopping at Fred ­Segal – when our Los Angeles dream is almost punctured by a flat tyre for our intended ride.

“Normally, in the daytime, we use the Mercedes, but the Mercedes has a flat, so we’re riding in style,” the driver informs us, ushering us into its replacement – a Rolls-Royce Ghost.

Now this we can roll with. So we do, right on time to make our coveted lunch reservation, pulling up to a white picket fence that surrounds the terrace of The Ivy, where celebrities are known to graze (I do rather like its grilled vegetable salad, a Gwyneth Paltrow fave, even if it is US$30 [Dh110]).

After a shopping expedition on Melrose Avenue, I think we’re pushing our luck to call for a ride back home in the Rolls, but we’re staying at the Four ­Seasons, where even impossible requests seem to be granted with ease. When the driver returns to pick us up, our hands full with shopping bags and red-chilli lattes, I’m tempted to blurt out a quote from the movie Pretty Woman in directing him back to the hotel: “Rodeo Drive, baby.”

We’re in Los Angeles for the weekend to celebrate the 25th anniversary of that very movie, in which Julia Roberts shot to fame as Vivian, a modern-day Cinderella swept off her feet in her thigh-high boots by the silver-­fox charms of the wealthy businessman Edward, played by Richard Gere.

The movie was set at the ­Wilshire, at the time a Regent hotel, but the Four Seasons, which took over the management not long after, is marking the silver anniversary this year with everything from spa packages to a princess-priced weekend in the presidential suite.

In its lobby, there’s a display of movie memorabilia and a replica of the necklace Edward gives Vivian, designed by Jason of Beverly Hills for the occasion, half a million dollars of white diamonds, natural rubellites and white gold. Next to it, there’s an iPad photo booth set up so you can take a selfie and send it by email in a “Pretty Woman ­Experience” frame.

“It’s amazing the impact the movie has had,” says Audrey Slade, the hotel’s PR director, revealing that among the guests keen to visit for the anniversary is a man planning to propose.

Just like in the movie, the hotel staff know how to make the average girl feel like a star. Within a few hours of arriving, I’ve lunched like the boys in ­Entourage at The Blvd, the hotel’s art-deco restaurant with a patio perfect for people-­watching; been offered a “transformation” in the on-site salon of the celebrity hairstylist Lea Journo; and had my nails done at the hotel’s Nail Bar next to a Beverly Hills housewife with a white ­Maltese dog in her lap, while Pretty ­Woman plays in the background (the results of my manicure, easily the best I’ve ever had, last two weeks).

The concierge works the phones to get us a last-minute reservation to The Ivy and complimentary spots on spin bikes across the street at the cultlike SoulCycle: “Inspiration. Transformation. Celebration. DONE,” our registration email promises.

After sweating it out in a candlelit studio among the Beverly Hills bods while the neck-snapping instructor shouts inspiration at us over pumping club music, we recuperate in the much calmer surrounds of the Wilshire’s Old Hollywood-style pool terrace, small but lush with gardened ­alcoves, modelled after the one in Sophia Loren’s ­Mediterranean villa.

Once we’ve had enough of swanning around in style, we trade Beverly Hills flash for ­Hollywood trash. ­Universal Studios’ theme park has a new “grand finale” to its studio tour, the Fast & Furious – ­Supercharged ride, which attracts us because of its Abu Dhabi connection. (Furious 7 was partly filmed in Abu ­Dhabi, as was Star Wars: The Force ­Awakens, which has its world premiere in LA on Monday.)

We take the new Nighttime ­Studio Tour, which in the summer is the perfect time to watch the sun go down over the ­Hollywood Hills while touring the backlot on an open tram. “You guys are going to see our studio in a completely different light,” the guide tells us. “True movie magic often takes place only at night.”

While listening to a tour video on the overhead screen narrated by The Tonight Show’s Jimmy ­Fallon, we roll past movie and television sets, from the Bates motel in Psycho to Desperate Housewives’ Wisteria Lane.

The last stop is Supercharged, which Universal filmed with the cast of one of its most-successful movies ever: I was expecting something more like Ferrari World’s Formula Rossa, but we don’t even get off the tram. It pulls into a garage, where we’re surrounded by a wraparound screen and put on 3-D glasses: for 10 minutes, we’re immersed in life-size film imagery of Vin Diesel and co, plus special effects involving a car chase and fiery gun battle on an LA freeway, the tram lurching as if we’re part of it. Not bad, for a simulation, but definitely not a ride.

The next morning, we’re back in Hollywood on the Walk of Fame waiting for a more unvarnished tour. From our hotel room window overlooking ­Rodeo Drive, we’ve been ­watching the red TMZ Celebrity Tour buses frequently cruise by on star-spotting missions, and we’re curious to see things from the other side.

Our tour guide is Danica, a dead ringer for Drew Barrymore who appears on the irreverent celebrity news/gossip show: if a star is spotted, she’s ready to roll her camera and send it back to the newsroom. (TMZ’s website has footage of celebrities spotted on the tour, including some who’ve even boarded the bus.)

Danica welcomes us on board the “celebrity safari”, apologising for the downmarket vibe of Hollywood Boulevard outside the Dolby Theatre, where the Oscars are held. “Looks so different, right? It’s so less glamorous than what you see on TV.”

She asks who people want to see. “Ellen,” someone shouts. “Channing Tatum – shirtless,” says another. And the inevitable: “Kim Kardashian.”

As we drive down Sunset ­Boulevard in our open-air bus, Danica highlights some infamous spots, from the corner where Hugh Grant “nearly murdered” his movie career to the Chateau Marmont hotel where John Belushi died. She also gives us the stargazing lowdown: BOA Steakhouse (yes, there’s one in Abu Dhabi) is one of the best. “We send our cameras there every night.”

As the bus enters Beverly Hills, Danica points out celebrity plastic-surgery clinics and hair salons, telling us to watch “rich people in their natural habitat”.

“I have a lot of luck spotting celebrities here,” she says, but it’s an uneventful Sunday morning, and we escape back to our habitat of the Beverly Wilshire and “Rodeo Drive, baby”.

mgannon@thenational.ae

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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Crops that could be introduced to the UAE

1: Quinoa 

2. Bathua 

3. Amaranth 

4. Pearl and finger millet 

5. Sorghum

Results

Stage 7:

1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29

2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time

3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious

4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep

5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM

General Classification:

1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28

2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35

3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02

4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42

5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45

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.”

Vidaamuyarchi

Director: Magizh Thirumeni

Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra

Rating: 4/5

 

What is Genes in Space?

Genes in Space is an annual competition first launched by the UAE Space Agency, The National and Boeing in 2015.

It challenges school pupils to design experiments to be conducted in space and it aims to encourage future talent for the UAE’s fledgling space industry. It is the first of its kind in the UAE and, as well as encouraging talent, it also aims to raise interest and awareness among the general population about space exploration. 

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

England v South Africa Test series:

First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs

Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs

Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31

Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8

How to avoid crypto fraud
  • Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
  • Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
  • Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
  • Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
  • Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
  • Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
  • Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
  • Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
  • Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
  • Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
 
 
Sweet%20Tooth
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If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to apply for a drone permit
  • Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
  • Fly it within visual line of sight
  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
  • Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
The biog

Title: General Practitioner with a speciality in cardiology

Previous jobs: Worked in well-known hospitals Jaslok and Breach Candy in Mumbai, India

Education: Medical degree from the Government Medical College in Nagpur

How it all began: opened his first clinic in Ajman in 1993

Family: a 90-year-old mother, wife and two daughters

Remembers a time when medicines from India were purchased per kilo

The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

 

 

More from Armen Sarkissian
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8

Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm

Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Price: from Dh850,000

On sale: now

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
About Krews

Founder: Ahmed Al Qubaisi

Based: Abu Dhabi

Founded: January 2019

Number of employees: 10

Sector: Technology/Social media 

Funding to date: Estimated $300,000 from Hub71 in-kind support

 

Take Me Apart

Kelela

(Warp)

Other workplace saving schemes
  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.