Welcome to Miami…

Martha Valdivia is Hotel Business Director for the Americas, based in Splendia’s Miami office.  Sunshine, soft sand beaches, fabulous restaurants, exclusive shops and a world-renowned nightlife… Martha welcomes us to Miami!

Describe Miami in three words?

Vibrant. Diverse. Enticing.

What do you like best about living in Miami?

By far, my favourite thing about this city is the diversity and the passion by which people live their lives here. On any given day, I’m in contact with people from at least five nationalities and each one will share a part of their culture with me. It’s a perfect melting pot where cultures mix and many times merge into what is considered Miami’s true essence – no-one is a foreigner here, everyone belongs.

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The Timeless Glamour of Hotel Bars

The movies have a lot to answer for. From Pretty Woman to Lost In Translation – some of our most treasured pieces of cinema feature a memorable hotel bar scene.  Would Dustin Hoffman have been so seduced by Mrs. Robinson if their first rendezvous in The Graduate hadn’t been at The Taft Hotel? Up on the silver screen, the hotel bar is full of timeless romance and a delicious sense of the clandestine – it’s where the action is. It is also where you can rely on a mean cocktail and the swift efficiency of good old-fashioned service.

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The Big Apple: An Insider’s Guide

New York is one of those cities everyone should visit in their lifetime… Brought up in Queens, NY, Kevin Lee is IT Project Manager in Splendia‘s Barcelona office. We asked him to give us some recommendations on his favourite places to go in this incredible city.

Describe New York in three words.

Energy, bagels, Yankees.

Which is your favourite area of New York and why?

Washington Square Park is a great place to kill some time. Soak up the sun, strum a few chords on the guitar, read a book… Stanley Kubrik used to hang out there playing chess! The anti-conformist vibe is a great break from the city’s crazy rhythm and chaos. It’s close to Greenwich village too, which is great for boutique restaurants and shops. I can easily lose myself for hours wandering the curving streets.

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Churros

What is it?

Churros is a traditional sweet Spanish dessert or snack made from fried dough, often referred to as a Spanish doughnut.

Origins

Centuries ago the first churros were made by Spanish shepherds high up in the mountains, as fresh baked goods were impossible to come by. Travellers living in the hills created a churros paste, which they fried in a pan over an open fire, and it soon became their daily staple food.

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