As the Olympics take over Paris, the hospitality scene is expanding in the city — and beyond — with a handful of new hotel openings worth bookmarking for a visit once the crowds have died down. Le Grand Hôtel Cayré opened in the Seventh Arrondissement earlier this month with 123 rooms, all with handcrafted wooden beds and mustard yellow velvet chairs, some with balconies and views of the Sacre Coeur or Eiffel Tower. In Carry-le-Rouet, a seaside village outside of Marseille, L’Hôtel Bleu’s design follows its name with 44 harbor-view rooms decorated in shades of blue. The property’s restaurant offers three seafood-heavy, Mediterranean-inspired tasting menus, while a private cinema room can be reserved when the weather calls for some indoor time. Further east toward Cannes, in the commune of Mougins, Hôtel Le Mas Candille was recently redesigned by the architect and decorator Hugo Toro, whose hand-painted patterns appear on the curtains and carpets in the 46 rooms. Its Glow House spa has four treatment rooms, each with its own terrace, and a private swimming pool overlooking Provence. In Nice’s old town, Hôtel du Couvent opened last month within a 17th-century convent surrounded by two-and-a-half acres of gardens. The former nuns’ herbal shop has been revived and now offers personalized remedies, some made from herbs grown on the property. There’s also a bathing area with pools of varying temperatures inspired by the nearby Roman baths.
Interested in a second passport? Get ready to pay hundreds of thousands.
27.07.2024 - 10:02 / insider.com
Global citizenship firm Henley & Partners has experienced a major uptick in Americans seeking secondary passports.
The increase started around the pandemic, but uncertainty over political tension and a rise in antisemitism have led application numbers to continually grow, a spokesperson for the firm told Business Insider.
While most people wouldn't decline a backup option in another country, the process of obtaining a secondary passport can be quite complicated — and expensive.
Business Insider spoke to Judi Galst, who manages Henley & Partners' New York office, about the general steps required to get a secondary passport.
The specific requirements vary by country, Galst said. Here's what you should keep in mind.
Galst said it's important to consider how fast you need the passport.
If you're planning ahead for a retirement home, you might be OK with waiting a few years. But, for example, if you're concerned about the presidential election turnout, you might want a more immediate backup option.
"The Caribbean is going to be your fastest path," Galst said. "Right now, we usually see approvals in a country like Antigua somewhere between four to six months after we submit the application."
Other programs, like Portugal, have a backlog of applicants and could take up to two years.
Galst said another important consideration is the applicant's intention. Those looking for full access to country benefits and lifelong natural rights would want citizenship. If not, a residency could work. Residencies allow you to live in the country of residence up to 12 months a year. But it usually comes with conditions or requirements to maintain the residence and it has to be renewed.
Countries like Spain are slow for citizenship approval, but have a relatively quick path to residence through investment, Galst said. Applications for Spain residence by investment are approved in about 20 business days after submission, she said.
Galst said many programs will require that the client open a bank account in the country where they are applying for residence. You may also have to obtain a tax ID number, which can be a complex process, she said.
Clients may also need to provide FBI and police reports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, bank statements, a copy of Social Security cards, driver's licenses, passports, bank reference letters, professional reference letters, or résumés. The requirements vary depending on the country.
Galst said certain documents also require an apostille, which is a specific type of certification that permits a document created in one country to be used in another country.
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Once you complete the paperwork, Galst said applicants sometimes have to provide medical records, do HIV
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