I met Patrick at The Jumeirah Hotel when I shot a set of headshots for them a year or so ago. We got on like a house on fire, gossiping all day, sharing our love of food and fitness and generally forgetting we were actually working. I did also manage to produce some good shots for them though, so when Patrick moved to The Wellesley Knightsbridge and was given the role of organising a day of photography for them to launch some new amenities and services within the hotel, he asked me to do the shoot.
We started by getting a shot of the butler in casual attire to illustrate their new service “The Running Butler”, an exclusive offering with the objective of raising awareness of the hotel’s personalised (complimentary) butler service. They wanted to show off the proximity of the hotel to London’s Hyde Park, as well as Green Park and St Jame’s Park – all close by. Ideally we would have had a model ‘runner’ for the shoot, but it wasn’t possible to get one. However once we found a nice running spot in the park, I was able to wait just a short while before a real one ran past and caught him on camera.
The Butler service will also include them running a lovely hot bath for guests, and such delights as your room laid out with champagne and chocolate dipped strawberries to replenish you after a hard run (no one said this was a health spa!). There were also a few other lovely amenities to capture, as well as a stunning new dish to be added to the menu – a creative take on cannelloni. We finished off by shooting the stunning afternoon tea display, flower themed for summer, in the elegant Jazz Lounge and some portraits.
No sooner had I put my camera away, look what my lovely clients got up to……….(phone snap)……still it’s important to taste what your serving to your customers, one could argue…
If you want to book Afternoon Tea at The Wellesley, visit their Jazz Lounge, Cigar Room or dine or stay there, you can visit their website here: www.thewellesley.co.uk