At Ease

MARY GOSTELOW

Travel journalist on the go, single hand-baggage in tow, Mary Gostelow is most at ease in a room with a view  (plenty of sockets and free WIFI), and coming back to a homemade meal.

My perfect getaway is finding the best parking spot, a seat in the British Airways lounge with a free socket, and the plane taking off on time.

The perfect hotel has plenty of sockets, instant free WIFI and really good bathroom lighting.

The site that inspires me most is a beautiful view, particularly with water (of course windows in my room open).

When it comes to clothes, it’s hand-baggage only, even for three weeks (and that includes all work-out gear), one of everything and versatility.

The music I listen to is on the classical and opera channels on British Airways.

The last film I watched...I only ever see the first ten minutes of them before falling asleep.

On my bedside table are Sleeping with the Enemy: Coco Chanel, Nazi Agent by Hal Vaughan, The Economist, Saturday Financial Times Life & Arts section (for Vanessa Freedman, not Tyler Brûle).

My perfect meal is the first meal back home after a trip: quickly-seared, lightly-smoked salmon prepared by my favourite chef in the world, aka my husband.

My secret pleasure is speaking to him at least once a day, wherever in the world.

My role model is my boss on the Sunday Telegraph, its founding editor Donald McLachlan, who can concentrate one hundred percent first on the Prime Minister and then on the Beatles, whilst always prepared for all future meetings (and he gave back, more than he got).

The memory I would rather forget is the only time my father was coming to hear me speak professionally, to a group of 13-year-old schoolgirls. I left my visuals behind and had to keep them amused for an hour.

Mary Gostelow is arguably the world's most travelling businesswoman.  She is away at least 300 nights a year (90 per cent of which are one-night-stands, different hotel a night).  Inter alia, she produces the definitive monthly market intelligence newsletter, Gostelow Report. She is also editor of www.girlahead.com and international advisor to www.kiwicollection.com.  She has regular columns in Best In Travel, Destinations of the World News, Elite Traveler and Elite Traveler Asia. She does Gostelow Reports Live from ILTM in both Cannes and Shanghai.

You can contact Mary Gostelow on gostelow@aol.com or gostelow@kiwicollection.com