Behind the scenes: hierarchy of needs

By Kerry Hayes, photography Nic Baleta

* Don’t forget to enter our competition to win a gorgeous meal at the Maslow Hotel’s Lacuna Bistro! Read on, answer our easy questions, and you could be our lucky winner to dine in style! *

I love beautiful things and beautiful places, so when we set up a photoshoot at Sun International’s recently launched Maslow Hotel in Sandton, I was in my element. The shoot was for my Ed’s Letter and our Meet Our Team pages (where we introduce you to the wonderful people working behind the magazine that we put together), and my anticipation at spending some time in the gorgeous interiors was almost tangible.

A little bit of background info on the Maslow…

The four-star hotel opened in January 2013, after a major rejuvenation and restoration of both interiors and exteriors. The pivot of the hotel is its
corporate orientation, which aims to meet the complete needs of the business traveller in terms of conference space, supporting gourmet and accommodation facilities, and tailor-made service to ensure that guests have everything they need, as they need it. 281 guest rooms enfold a landscaped garden including pool and terraced seating, and the Lacuna bistro (headed by Chef Dalla Orr) and bar, which offer both “high street food” and down-to-earth pub fare, with a stunning selection of domestic and international draught and bottled beer and a select South African wine list. Has anyone stayed at the Maslow – what was your experience? #MaslowShoot_Maslow

When arriving at an elegant venue such as this, one has to do so in style – and how much more stylish can one get than the Bentley Continental GT V8? The powerful four-litre V8 soared into the hotel’s parking area, and staff and guests parted like the Red Sea as she cruised to a stop, ready to pose against the glimmering silver backdrop of the Maslow. The two partnered well, I thought, as sinuous lines and sleek exteriors paused for the clicks of the camera.

I wish that I had had more time to spend with this GT as I stole a few extra minutes to marvel at the interiors while photographer Nic Baleta repositioned the lighting. To quote the most apt description by Bentley themselves: “Traditional crafts of wood, leather and knurled metal are expressed in a crisp and modern design language to capture the sporting, youthful spirit of the V8.” A magnificent language indeed, and a quiet dialogue between myself and the GT – as I expressed my appreciation for the infotainment system (that encompasses an eight-channel, eight-speaker system, with 15GB of storage for music; touch-screen navigation system; and more, that I just don’t have space to write about!) – promised that we would spend a bit more quality time together in the near future. Where would you take the Bentley Continental GT V8 if you had her for a day? #MaslowShoot_Bentley

That done, we moved indoors to pose in the beautiful frames of our selected photoshoot spots. I was joined at this shoot by my deputy editor, Trisha Harinath; feature writers Hasmita Amtha and Justine Olivier; and marketing assistant Melba Ndlovu. Don’t you think they all look stunning?#MaslowShoot_team

While the ladies paused and posed, I jetted off upstairs to a gorgeous suite with VO5’s hairstylist Luna, and account representative Carlien. I felt like a celebrity while I nestled in the cosy Maslow guest robe, and Luna worked her magic with a combination of VO5 Mega Hold and Firm Hold (yup, I have very stubborn hair), to create two lovely and different styles for my Ed’s Note shots. What do you think of my ’dos? #MaslowShoot_VO5

Hair done, it was time to don the gorgeous outfits sponsored by Tiger of Sweden. These were carefully selected with season in mind – as we shoot for a few issues on the same day. The gorgeous oriental print blue dress called Clotilda S, and white Meka for summer moving into Autumn; and the warmer navy Meka and more corporate grey Meka with Odina 3 blazer for winter. Prancing around a four-star hotel looking glamorous does wonders for the soul, and I do think that Tiger of Sweden knows how to make one look glamorous. Which outfit do you like the best? #MaslowShoot_Editor

Believe it or not, prepping for and doing a photoshoot is actually very tiring, and at the end of the day (as wonderful and fun as it was), I was ready to sit back and relax in the quiet ambience of the luxurious patio, with my pot of Earl Grey tea, enjoying the sunset across the Sandton skyline.

With thanks to Imperial Collection (Bentley), Sun International Maslow Hotel, Tiger of Sweden & VO5

Win a delectable dinner at the Maslow’s Lacuna Bistro, valued at R650! Take your better half, of spoil yourself…all you have to do is the following (unfortunately only Gauteng-based readers can win this dinner – but we’d love to hear everyone’s comments and feedback!):

1. Answer these two easy questions in the comments section below: