It's that time again, another instalment in the long-running James Bond franchise. The release of Quantum of Solace brings with it an unavoidable brevity of magazine articles, TV interviews and newspaper supplements, so I'll try not to bore you with the same tired clichés you have no doubt heard, read and watched a few hundred times by now. 007 saturation has made this article difficult to write - what else is there to say about the style of James Bond, that hasn't been said before? How many times can one person read the same article about 'The Glamorous World of 007', without attempting to gain a license to kill themselves?

Well, for good reason; it's nigh-impossible to overstate the impact and continuing influence the world of James Bond has on contemporary high-end design. In fact, a few direct comparisons can be drawn between the 007 brand and the super-rich names in the high-end of hospitality; a successful franchise, in any walk or life, holds a reputation that endures, and it's astounding to consider that the Bond franchise has been 'contemporary' for over 50 years; and, much like a few great hotels I could name, every time that franchise has been deemed out of date or irrelevant, it's always managed to stay one step ahead of the competition.

The public loves James Bond's world. And they want in on it. To the average cinema goer (the man or woman whose custom you may-well be attempting to lure) buying a ticket to see a Bond movie is like getting access to 6-star penthouse suite (with fewer explosions, hopefully). For those 2 hours, the unobtainable is obtainable and the impossible becomes possible.

And the visiting international community see this as definitively British.

Hold on a second, really? Definitively British? If I owned a hotel, I'd begin to panic. Firstly, let's look at 007, himself - James Bond is a half-Swiss, German-born secret Agent, who spends very little of his time on our shores, the excitement, glamour and romance take place elsewhere. In fact, in Ian Fleming's novels, the vast majority of Bond's time in London is spent behind a desk, bored and desperate for action. And secondly, let's look at what, in the way of location, has the UK got to offer a tourist looking for a James Bond-like experience (and there are many)?

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Let's face it, it's somewhat hard to imagine any Bond-loving tourist successfully re-enacting their fantasies here; even the most active imagination would find it difficult to envision Honey Ryder emerging from clear waters and onto golden sands, on an overcast August bank holiday in Weston. And I can't recall Bond ever galloping after a fleeing villain, in a high-octane Donkey chase through Blackpool. How can you possibly begin to fulfil the dreams of those looking to live the life of 007, if only for a few days, after they've seen 'Mr Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang' travel to 6 sexy, mysterious and exciting locales in Quantum of Solace?

Well, you needn't do a thing. The Bond films are inherently British. At every level, Britain is a melting pot of refined tastes; our national drink, our favourite dish and our own Monarch are all, in some way, products of foreign lands. You may not be able to provide tropical weather, palm trees and perfect beaches, but what the British hospitality industry does provide is an international and consistently contemporary flavour in it's architecture, design and services. Nobody does it better. 007 should stay here more often.

Inserts for advertisers to run within the feature:

Gadgets

2006's Casino Royale set a new, gritty and realistic tone for 007. Out went (thankfully) the invisible-car-silliness of 2002's Die Another Day, and in came the practicality and feasibility of Bond's earlier gizmos. Quantum of Solace continues this theme, with the film-makers again placing the emphasis on real-world products. An item that would easily find a place in the James Bond-world of today, is the Mirror TV. Both practical and stylish, a Mirror TV can save space and provide a touch of technological glamour to any suite.

Architecture

It goes without saying that a Bond film wouldn't be a Bond film without ambitious, visually arresting architectural designs. While it may not be feasible or cost effective to build a volcano lair/lounge for your guests, glass installations can be used to add a contemporary twist to a dated design.

Mirrors

A beautifully designed mirror is a key element to providing a high-end look in any suite. From The Man with the Golden Gun's deadly house of mirrors, in which Roger Moore's Bond is pitted against Christopher Lee's thrice-nippled, super-assassin Scaramanga; to a key scene in Casino Royale, in which Bond dons his tux for the first time, mirrors play a surprisingly large role in the production design of the films.

A few notes on this article

• The names of the companies advertising in this feature have been removed
• As you can probably guess from reading the article, I know the sum total of Jack and Shit about design and architecture in the hospitality industry; because of this, I was initially quite proud of the way the article turned out, until I re-read it and realised I hadn't actually said anything. Essentially, all I do here is shit on Britain for a bit, then quickly say "it's all right, really". Exactly how most conversations about Britain go, then. Still, the editor and advertisers were happy.
• Despite promising to avoid clichés, I can count at least 982. The article is only 750 words long.
• A little story relating to the above. In the original draft of this article, I made reference to a French and Saunders sketch, in which they play co-editors of a Hello!-type magazine as they lazily decide to entitle an article, based around Timothy Dalton, 'Premium Bond'. I removed it, and submitted the article without a title.
• A little clarification on the above. I, by no means, wish to insinuate the editors at GS are lazy. Far from it, in fact. I'll always appreciate the opportunity they gave me and have nothing but great memories from working there. I wish them every success in the future. Anyway, I used 'Nobody Does It Better", FFS.
• Is it me, or does the article read a little bit right-wing?
• Does a Vindaloo really count as a 'refined taste'?
• This is the full, proof-read version. An edited, 600-word version appeared in the magazine.