SUNDAY IN THE CITY
Episode 3
With Daniel Bee
Communications strategist and hotel owner,
London / Marrakesh / Los Angeles
The first time I went to Cannes, Daniel Bee had called me
to interpret for Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy.
He grew up in Scotland, and never really stopped moving:
London, Los Angeles, Marrakesh, depending on the season.
A BAFTA member, Daniel has represented John Oliver,
Colin Firth, Andrew Lloyd Webber, among others.
In a 2025 BBC interview, he reflected on thirty years
navigating the dark arts of publicity,
from UK tabloid battles in the nineties
to today's algorithmic reputation management.
Some of his best work will never be seen.
Which city took you the longest to understand?
Venice and Amsterdam, pre-Google Maps: all those canals, all those twists and turns. Then I visited and bought a house in the old medina in Fes. That is off the scale confusing. But the iPhone burst that bubble a while ago.
Where do you go when you need to disappear for a while?
Amsterdam. It's such an elegant, solid, cohesive place. Great public transport, everyone minding their own business, and bicycles rule the world. It's calming for the soul. The perfect amount of culture, architecture, café life, and a matter-of-fact approach to life and style.
Which city disappointed you at first,
and why did you return anyway?
Berlin. I have never really found the pot of gold there yet, despite three visits. It is showered with such promise, such culture, such underground energy. But it just always feels cold.
When someone you care about is going through
a difficult time, where do you send them?
Venice. It's like a somersault theme park for the eyes and soul. You cannot help but feel that greater civilisations are in the rear-view mirror. You forget yourself and absorb.
Which city makes you want to be more elegant?
The obvious ones: Paris, Milan.
And the best tweed shops of Edinburgh.
An address you would share
with someone you are attracted to?
London will always have Bar Italia on Frith Street.
It's home.
SUNDAY IN THE CITY is a series I created for PARTANT.
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Emmanuel Denizot for PARTANT