Yes, as the title suggests, I crossed over a major milestone on Google Maps this week — 100 million views! This is my top-performing platform by a significant margin. The origin story comes from visiting restaurants and other venues, often near the launch or opening of a property. I was using such a limited number of my photos on social media, and then I discovered Google Maps. Over the past five years, I’ve been able to contribute to different businesses in a meaningful way, beyond other traditional networks.
On Instagram, we scroll and forget. I find that Google Maps attracts an audience that is intent on visiting an establishment, and novice (!) images are what people want to see (my top photo has 4.5 million views and is a relatively basic restaurant interior shot). While difficult to prove ROI, I know that my photos contribute to the greater hospitality community, and I’m looking forward to my next milestone.
Landing back from my memorable trip to the Raffles Qatar and meeting Enrico Crippa (see all highlights here and an additional property tour here), I was straight into K9 and had a busy week in Dubai.
On Tuesday, I swung by the Address Sky View for a facial, which was prep for the Fast Company Creativity awards on Wednesday night. On Friday, with a last-minute day off from work from Hubs, we decided to revisit Venus, a long-time favorite and the perfect place for a lazy afternoon. Did we see former Liverpool captain Steven Gerard while we were there (thus making Eric’s dreams come true)? We did. #invited
Links, please.
A follow-up to my EuroCave piece with Danijela. Instagram
Read all about my visit to Skin Laundry. d-Journal
The Bib Gourmands in Dubai expand by 3 well-deserving restaurants! Michelin
Michelin in spaaaace…! (Thanks, Liam!) CNN
Interested to see how this business model works out for Dominique Crenn. Robb Report
Why do American diners have limited palates for textures? NYT
Why you shouldn’t buy your produce at Trader Joe’s. Delish
Looking for high-quality, royalty-free images and videos? Look no further than Shutterstock. #sponsored
Nespresso x Hublot. Tasting Table
How am I only finding out about this account? Twitter
Excellent use of ketchup technology. The Takeout
A lot of talented chefs coming our way. Bloomberg
Why do these beans look so good? Heyday
What did the first cruise ship look like? Messy Nessy Chic
What would a world look like post-alcohol? (Thanks, Ian!) Esquire
Jumping on the Wes Anderson trend. AD
For those REALLY into logistics. Banboring
Productive things to do on Sunday. The Everygirl
Do you remember mashed potatoes in a martini glass? Eater
10/10 would try Churro KitKats. Tasting Table
Should you bring your whole self to work? Marie Claire
This weekend? Bookers Brunch at Jun’s — we are very excited.
Next week? Michelin awards!!! Will I see you on Tuesday night? I’m hearing rumors of interesting invites, some people I expected to see that I won’t be seeing, and a visit from a chef who likes Dinner… Much like many of you, I’ll be tuning into the press conference during the day (and cheering loudly at my screen — hopefully, the chefs and their teams can hear me from the Springs!).
On Friday, I’ll go to be on DXB Today to talk about all things Michelin, and then we’re off to Abu Dhabi for a return trip to Emirates Palace the same day — really looking forward to visiting Talea and Hakkasan again!
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C.