Matt Morley - Brand Management and Strategic Marketing - Luxury hotels, branded real estate and master planned destinations

Viceroy Hotel & Residences Miami

matt — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:23:10 +0000

The Viceroy brand was one that had been on my radar for a while and it was only a matter of time before I finally made it to one of their properties. Their Brickell Key location in Miami might suggest more of a business orientation but in fact there is a bigger game in play here, namely a mixed-use residential complex with serviced residences, hotel rooms, outdoor pool and lounge area, restaurant, cafe and one of America’s finest spas.

It’s a pleasingly cohesive whole, held together by a prominent yet unobtrusive Viceroy brand that delivers on service, collateral and fit-out standards. The hotel rooms are impressive, with more space, high-spec finishings and a sumptuous, faintly Art Deco aesthetic. Far better value for money than the cramped and often noisy offerings in South Beach… And did I mention all those facilities included in the room price?

In particular, the all-white, Philippe Starck Studio designed spa area features a water-themed relaxation zone with double-height ceilings, candelabra, a faux library, various plunge pools and views out over Miami’s turquoise waterways. Several studio rooms host yoga and spinning classes, while the spacious fitness area is pitch-perfect for serious workout with more of those panoramic 15th floor views.

The Spotted Pig, NYC

matt — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 08:54:18 +0000

New York is not short of serious eateries where provenance and presentation are high on the kitchen’s priority list, but the Spotted Pig stood out on a recent culinary tour of the city. It’s honest, unpretentious approach is right out of the UK’s gastro-pub rule book but in true Big Apple style it comes with a side of of panache that makes a visit, well, fun. Wacky waitrons, decor that should know better and a bloody mary to wake the dead; throw in a moreish interpretation of fish’n'chips and a monumental vegetable soup and you’ve got one of NYC’s top foodie joints, bar none.

Hike from the Njegos Mausoleum

matt — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:10:59 +0000

Location: Lovcen National Park, Montenegro
Descent: 30mins (hiking)
Ascent: 30mins (hiking)
Terrain: heavy-going rocky paths through deep forests
Total Distance: 3.2km/2miles
Notes: If you are visiting the Njegos Mausoleum in the Lovcen National Park you may as well make the most of it and explore some of the surrounding area by foot, it really is like a deserted world up there with only faint signs of human life in winter. This is an easy 1hr hike with some steep sections so probably for intermediate hikers only.

Lovcen mausoleum along the ivanova korita path

Vrmac and Sveti Ilija trail run

matt — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 10:00:02 +0000

This is a 13km/8mile trail run that is fairly easy to find from Domja Lastva in Tivat, has very few junctions to send you in the wrong direction and takes you right up to the highest point around for a spectacular view of the Kotor valley and the Boka Bay from Sveti Ilija.

I had to turn back around 500m from the Vrmac summit due to cows in the road – the border collie doesn’t socialise so well with them.

We were also chased by a herd of inquisitive mountain goats on the way back who were protecting their young, so the return journey from my particular trail map is not advised. Just follow the same track down as you take up. We had to go a long way off-piste in the end to escape the irate invaders.

Location: Tivat, Montenegro
Ascent: 1hr (running)
Descent: 1hr (running but with a massive detour)
Terrain: rocky but solid paths large enough for a 4×4 to pass along, good for picking up the pace
Total Distance: 13km
Notes: take a camera and stop for a few minutes of quiet reflection at the top of the Sveti Ilija remains.

Gornja lastva to Vrmac and sveti ilija

Find trail maps for California and beyond

Corum Ti-bridge Power Reserve watch review

matt — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:22:25 +0000

This is my November 2011 watch column from Business Day South Africa’s WANTED magazine, the FT How To Spend It for affluent South Africans.

Wanted magazine watch special

matt — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 20:08:43 +0000

Business Day South Africa’s WANTED magazine publishes an annual watch special in collaboration with the Financial Times UK’s version the month before. Here are my articles from the South African version, released in October 2011.

Bogdasici trail run

matt — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:36:56 +0000

The Bogdasici trail takes you through several deserted farmsteads and has a tough upper section where it disintegrates into a slow clamber through bushes. It eventually connects with a section of the Gornja Lastva road, which was much easier going. Sadly there weren’t more openings through the trees as by that stage there was a decent elevation over the valley below and the views were amazing.

Location: Tivat, Montenegro
Ascent: 45mins (running) 1hr30 (hiking)
Descent: 20mins (running) 40mins (hiking)
Elevation: 360m
Terrain: rocky paths with a tree canopy
Total Distance: 5.5km (but just keep going along the Gornja Lastva road if you want to extend it)
Difficulty: easy lower section, very tough upper section
Notes: wear long trousers if you can, I came back bloodied, scraped but smiling

Bogdasici trail

Find trail maps for California and beyond

My Zenith Defy Elite Classic

matt — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 07:46:35 +0000

I bought this Zenith Defy Elite Classic in stainless steel on 01.03.2009 from LVMH Watches after wearing a black IWC Aquatimer for 18months and growing a little weary of its perfectly neat appearance. I was spending a lot of time with Russians for work and I needed something a little meatier, a little more aggressive. The Zenith Defy range was just that and after looking at the El Primero version (larger case size, exposed movement on the dial) I settled on the 43mm Classic version.

It has a guilloche’ dial, brushed stainless steel case with 15-minute markers on the bezel, a power reserve at 9 o’clock and a date aperture at 3 o’clock. The rubber strap has a pattern that recalls the guilloche’ on the dial and although the watch is chunky, it is still fairly modest in size so works well as a sports watch or smart/casual watch. There is now a small scratch over the 60 on the bezel, otherwise it is still in excellent condition.

It came with a 3-year warranty and it has behaved impeccably ever since i bought it.

Dior Haute Couture watch review

matt — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 05:53:09 +0000

This is my July 2011 watch column in Business Day South Africa’s Wanted magazine, part of the Financial Times/Pearson group. Read here.

Porto Montenegro concept store

matt — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:08:25 +0000

One of my first tasks as Brand Manager at Porto Montenegro was to conceptualize and create our very own concept store as a way of building deeper relationships with our client base. Playing to Montenegro’s strengths, I sourced local suppliers of wild & organic jams, honeys, herbal teas and olive oils that we then packaged up ourselves to ensure a premium finish.

Unibrand in Belgrade were responsible for answering my creative brief on the brand identity, which was then rolled out into signage, labels and packaging. They also took my brand name and added the clever tag line to make it “AM/PM Anytime”.

Ping Pong design studio in Belgrade were brought in to create a humble luxury interior space using lots of natural materials and plenty of nautical references. They handmade our wooden tables, benches and chairs, as well as the A-frame blueboard and the beach-hut style wooden panels lining the walls.

Other products in-store are a bespoke AM/PM handmade Grafovid linen notebook from Belgrade, nautical maps of Kotor Bay, photos of the region by photographers Tim Hall (UK) and Stevan Kordic (Montenegro), books on Montenegro and sailing in the Adriatic, traditional and contemporary Balkan music, branded Porto Montenegro products and much more.

Finally, I added in a hospitality element to help drive traffic through the store. We serve our very own jams with thick local yoghurt or freshly baked bread in the mornings alongside freshly squeezed orange juice, homemade lemonade, our AM/PM herbal teas and ILLY coffee.