Luxist http://www.luxist.com Luxist. http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.luxist.com/media/feedlogo.gif Luxist http://www.luxist.com prods@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Producers) support@weblogsinc.com (Weblogs, Inc. Web Support) en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. View our terms of service here: http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/ Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/ <![CDATA[Experience Sophisticated South Africa with Kensington Tours]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/15/experience-sophisticated-south-africa-with-kensington-tours/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/15/experience-sophisticated-south-africa-with-kensington-tours/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/15/experience-sophisticated-south-africa-with-kensington-tours/#comments Lion in Kruger National Park, South Africa
Tour operator Kensington is offering a deal on its "Sophisticated South Africa" package. For $8,995 per person, a savings of about $5,000 off the regular price, visit Cape Town for four nights, and then head on to Kruger National Park for another four, where your accommodations will be at the incomparable Singita properties, the adjoining Singita Sweni or Lebombo.

These properties spare no luxury while also keeping you mindful of your location which is smack in the middle of wild African nature -- you're asked to never go to your room at night without a watchman, and staff will keep a watchful eye out to to make sure mischievous vervet monkeys don't snatch away your mid-day snack. (When I stayed at Singita Sweni a couple of years ago, on a visit arranged through Premier Tours, I received my most favorite answer to a question I posed to a bell man, ever: "oh yes, just last week, two lions killed an impala near the pool.")

Kensington's specially priced deal is based on double occupancy. The offer is good January 15th - May 31st, 2010 and August 1st - December 15th, 2010.

Gallery: Singita Sweni Safari in Kruger National Park

Singita Sweni Safari in Kruger Park - Encounter with a LionElephant in Kruger National Park Giraffe ZebrasCrocodile

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Experience Sophisticated South Africa with Kensington Tours originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> capetownkrugernationalparksafarisouth africaSouthAfrica Alison Wellner Sun, 15 Nov 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Imported Rosé Continues its Roll ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/imported-rose-continues-its-roll/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/imported-rose-continues-its-roll/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/imported-rose-continues-its-roll/#comments photo of rose wine

I've always liked rosé, but up until a few years ago, its resemblance to wine coolers made people who weren't wine-confident feel uncertain about whether ordering it would make quite the right impression.

No more. Rosé seemed to be everywhere this past summer, and now The CIVP/Provence Wine Council has released statistics that adds weight to that perception. From mid September 2008 to mid September 2009, U.S. retail sales of imported rosé wines priced $12 and above grew 11 times faster by volume than total table wine sales.

The CIVP/Provence Wine Council is extra happy about this, first, because France accounts for more than a quarter of worldwide rosé wine by volume, and Provence is the leading rosé producing region in that country, and second, because consumers appear to be buying more expensive bottles. Sales of imported rosé wines at the $12 level and above grew by 28.4%, seven times faster than the 3.7% increase for total table wine dollar sales in the past year.

(Oh and in case you're wondering, CIVP stands for the Conseil Interprofessionnel des Vins de Provence, which is loosely French for "Provence Wine Council".)

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Imported Rosé Continues its Roll originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> rosewine Alison Wellner Sat, 14 Nov 2009 14:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Wake Up (Early) Wherever You Are, Ski in Park City Free that Afternoon]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/wake-up-early-wherever-you-are-ski-in-park-city-free-that-aft/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/wake-up-early-wherever-you-are-ski-in-park-city-free-that-aft/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/11/14/wake-up-early-wherever-you-are-ski-in-park-city-free-that-aft/#comments Skiing in Park City, Utah

One of the advantages that Park City, Utah has over other Western ski destinations is its convenience -- it lies 35 major highway minutes east of Salt Lake City's airport. So if your desire to ski exceeds the time you have available to devote to the slopes, you don't have to lose an entire day to transportation: wake up at dark-thirty almost anywhere in the United States and catch a flight into Salt Lake and board your chair lift by the afternoon.

To sweeten the deal, you don't even have to buy a lift ticket on your first day. The Quick START Vacation program allows you to convert your boarding pass into a lift ticket at Deer Valley Resort, The Canyons Resort, or Park City Mountain Resort. You need to register in advance online for a voucher, which you present along with your boarding pass, a non-Utah driver's license or other official state identification at the ticket window.

Make sure you read all the rules and regulations on the website, since there's no flexibility in these requirements. Like, if you're a person who shuns printing boarding passes at home and relies on your PDA for check-in, you're going to need to change your ways to get this deal. And if the airline wants to keep your boarding pass, you're going to need to put up a fight.

As you'd expect there are also black out dates: you're not going to get this deal over Christmas week (December 25th, 2009 to January 2nd, 2010) or from Valentine's Day weekend through March 27th, 2010.

There are more Park City deals and promotions to be had, and I'm particularly keen on is a package offered by The Sky Lodge which is throwing in a complimentary breakfast and a 50 minute spa treatment with each night's stay November 26th to April 13th, 2010. The spa treatment deal is especially nice since the Sky Lodge's Amara spa offers all of its massage and body treatment clients a soak in traditional wooden Japanese tubs called Ofuro baths. Per Japanese tradition, you shower before entering the tub, which is filled with piping hot water I'll admit that the soak made me a little nauseous when I visited this past summer (when it was nearing an unusually sultry 85 degrees outside) but it would definitely be just the thing after a day on the slopes. Once again, there are blackout dates during peak periods, so from December 26, 2009 - January 2, 2010, January 21 - 31, 2010 and February 10 - 15, 2010, you'll be paying for your own spa treatment and breakfast.


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Wake Up (Early) Wherever You Are, Ski in Park City Free that Afternoon originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hoteldealspark cityParkCityskiingsnowsnowboardingutah Alison Wellner Sat, 14 Nov 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[L'Auberge de Sedona Completes First Phase of Renovation]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/lauberge-de-sedona-completes-first-phase-of-renovation/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/lauberge-de-sedona-completes-first-phase-of-renovation/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/lauberge-de-sedona-completes-first-phase-of-renovation/#comments
I visited L'Auberge de Sedona very early in 2009, when this long-time favorite retreat in Arizona's long-time favorite retreat town was just in the beginning phases of an extensive, $25 million renovation. This property now has 64 rooms (up from 56), between its cozy lodge and its private cottages set near wooded Oak Creek. The older cottages were given comprehensive face-lifts designed to reduce the separation between indoors and out -- there are bigger windows, expanded decks and totally private outdoor showers, the 13 new cottages include "spa cottages", designed with jacuzzi tubs.

The second phase of renovations are set to end in April 2010, and will include the addition of eighteen new cottages, set up on the hill overlooking the existing property. These cottages will have a view of Sedona's famous red rocks -- just about the only key feature that this property has lacked in its 25 year history.


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L'Auberge de Sedona Completes First Phase of Renovation originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> arizonahotellaubergerenovationsedona Alison Wellner Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[New Boutique Hotel Opens in Cartagena ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/new-boutique-hotel-opens-in-cartagena/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/new-boutique-hotel-opens-in-cartagena/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/30/new-boutique-hotel-opens-in-cartagena/#comments
Yesterday, while browsing at the incomparable Idelwild, a travel book store in New York's Union Square, I learned that the store is having trouble keeping South American guide books in stock -- the weather starts to get super nice down around those parts just as North American weather takes a nose dive.

If you're looking for a good South American destination to aim for, try Cartagena -- which has been called the next Buenos Aires. There's a new place to stay, too: The Tcherassi, a boutique hotel owned and designed by Latin fashion designer Silvia Tcherassi. She restored and renovated a 250 year old colonial mansion in the heart of the old city for the project, creating a hotel with just seven rooms, each named after a fabric she works with. The result seems a decidedly happy marriage of the old with sleek contemporary lines. (The roof pool is pictured here, see the gallery below for other images.) If The Tcherassi lives up to its promise, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see it become a regular on hot design hotel lists.

Gallery: The Tcherassi Hotel in Cartagena

Tcherassi Hotel Front Door Tcherassi Hotel ReceptionPool and GardenEntrance to Hotel Tcherassi Restaurant VERAThe Mouselline room (550 sq feet)

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New Boutique Hotel Opens in Cartagena originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> boutique hotelBoutiqueHotelcartagenahotelsouthamericawintertravelwintertravel-pedia Alison Wellner Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Baden Baden Museum Celebrates Five Years & One Millionth Visitor ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/29/baden-baden-museum-celebrates-five-years-and-one-millionth-visitor/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/29/baden-baden-museum-celebrates-five-years-and-one-millionth-visitor/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/29/baden-baden-museum-celebrates-five-years-and-one-millionth-visitor/#comments
Five years ago, contemporary art collector Frieder Burda opened a museum right in the heart of Baden Baden, Germany. As one of the world's original resort towns, tradition tends to trumps trendiness in Baden Baden, and this museum, in a building designed by Richard Meier, and the modern and contemporary art exhibits on offer, definitely set tongues a-wagging in town. When I visited this past Spring, the Burda museum was in the midst of an atypical show of 18th century art, including seven giant tapestries. I'd assumed that regular museum goers might be upset about the turn away from contemporary art, but was assured by a local that response was more like relief.

Short-lived, I suppose, since the Burda museum returned to its modern and contemporary art mission. Still horizons have been stretched, five years have passed, and more than a million visitors have passed through the museum's door, Now until November 8th, the museum is exhibiting "Blue Rider" movement paintings, which were first exhibited in early 20th century Munich. (These paintings are usually at the Lenbachhaus in Munich, which is now under renovation. See a few of the works on display in the gallery below.) Next up, starting on November 21st, is an exhibit of the work of German artist Georg Baselitz. The artist himself is involved in the curation of the exhibit, which will be shared with Baden Baden's museum Staatliche Kunsthalle. The Burda will exhibit Baselitz paintings, the Staatliche Kunsthalle will exhibit Baseltiz's sculpture.

Gallery: The Frieder Burda Museum in Baden Baden

Crowds line up at Museum Frieder BrudaA modern museum in a traditional parkDramatic Burda Museum at NightBurda Museum Exterior Interior of Museum Burda

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Baden Baden Museum Celebrates Five Years & One Millionth Visitor originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> contemporary artContemporaryArtgermanymuseummuseumsrichardmeier Alison Wellner Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Avoid Currency Fluctuation at The Capital Hotel in London ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/28/avoid-currency-fluctuation-at-the-capital-hotel-in-london/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/28/avoid-currency-fluctuation-at-the-capital-hotel-in-london/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/28/avoid-currency-fluctuation-at-the-capital-hotel-in-london/#comments
I've visited London a few times over the past couple of years, and my visits have ranged from being a bit on the pricey side to being punishingly expensive: when it took just shy of two dollars to buy a pound, I thought twice about shelling out for the Tube. At eight bucks a go, my irrational version of travel budgeting had me figuring I'd rather spend the additional money on a taxi. (Hey, I'm a writer, not an accountant.)

Avoid all of the currency calculations when you book "The Capital Idea" package at London's Capital Hotel, in Knightsbridge. The hotel has just announced fixed-dollar rates for 2010, which includes, among other things, full breakfast, luxury chauffeured car to and from Heathrow, London City Airport or the Eurostar Terminal. The package is for three nights, singles to junior suites from $1,199 to $2,530, with additional nights from $320 to $550.

Take your savings and spend them at nearby Harrods. At least that's what I'd do.

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Avoid Currency Fluctuation at The Capital Hotel in London originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> currencyhotelhotelslondon Alison Wellner Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Introducing Silversea's New Boat: Silver Spirit ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/27/introducing-silverseas-new-boat-silver-spirit/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/27/introducing-silverseas-new-boat-silver-spirit/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/27/introducing-silverseas-new-boat-silver-spirit/#comments Silversea Cruises

I've been known to rant a bit about the experience of traveling on a large cruise ship -- basically, they strike me as floating shopping malls/theme parks, neither of which I'd ever choose to spend time on.

Even if I'm surrounded by open ocean, which I happen to adore.

But I put smaller ships in a different category, more like a communal yacht, so I was pleased to learn that Silversea, the small ship cruise ship line, plans to launch a new vessel on December 23rd. I was even more pleased when I found out that the new ship, the Silver Spirit, sports a fabulous Art Deco design, and, among its six restaurants, includes one that offers a slow food concept. Check out the gallery for some interior views.

The boat is all-suite, the suites are larger than any the line has offered to date, including two flatscreen televisions, a pillow menu, Carrera marble bathrooms, and a butler assigned to each suite. The maiden crossing from Lisbon to Fort Lauderdale is sold out, but consider signing on for the 91-day inaugural cruise around the Americas departing January 21, 2010, which includes the Christening party and VIP tickets to Rio's Carnival.

Gallery: Silversea's New Boat: Silver Spirit

Pool DeckReception/Lobby Area The Restaurant Seishin RestaurantLe Champagne Restaurant

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Introducing Silversea's New Boat: Silver Spirit originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> crucruisecruise linecruise shipCruiseLinecruisesCruiseShipsilverseawinter-travel-main Alison Wellner Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Contemporary Art in Champagne Country]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/26/contemporary-art-in-champagne-country/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/26/contemporary-art-in-champagne-country/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/26/contemporary-art-in-champagne-country/#comments Photo of Domaine Pommery estate
You can argue that a perfect glass of champagne is an artistic experience in its own right, but if you're the sort who likes to mix the bubbly with art, head to Reims, France, and the estate of Domaine Pommery. There, an exhibit by French artist Bertrand Lavier is well underway.

Don't expect paintings, or sculptures, or anything like a traditional art show -- instead, Lavier placed objects throughout the estate's underground cellars, and paired each with a lighting scheme designed by theater lighting designer Gèrald Karlikow, as well as music selected by Peter Szendy. Among the objects on display: palm trees, a replica of the French flag that waves under the Arc de Triomphe (bathed in pink light and is set to music by Philip Glass), a red Ferrari. This is Domaine Pommery's sixth annual contemporary art exhibit, and it runs through March 30th.


Gallery: Domaine Pommery's 2009 Exhibit

Pommery Estate Traditional Setting for Contemporary Art Dramatic spaces at Domaine PommeryInside Domaine PommeryFrench Flag Exhibit

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Contemporary Art in Champagne Country originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> artchampagnedomaine pommeryDomainePommeryfrancetravel Alison Wellner Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Qantas Business Class on Sale ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/23/qantas-business-class-on-sale/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/23/qantas-business-class-on-sale/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/23/qantas-business-class-on-sale/#comments
One good definition of hell: flying 16+ hours in coach. And it's antipodean opposite: flying that long in Qantas business class, which I did a couple of years ago, LAX to Auckland. Not only was I totally comfy in my near lie-flat seat with privacy screen, not only did I totally dig the mood lighting that changed as the trip went on (meant, I think to bring the body clock into some semblance of sync), but I boarded the plane with a bad cold, and I disembarked without it.

Okay, I can't credit the flight with that, per se, but I can almost promise you I wouldn't have been in any kind of reasonable condition had I flown the distance in economy.

From now until October 29th, 2009, you can get into the Qantas business class cabin to Sydney and Brisbane from LAX or SFO for $4,439, and fares from New York (JFK) starting at $4,943. (Travel from 330 days on from the reservation date.) That's about 40% off the regular fair, so if you know you've got travel Down Under up coming in 2010, this is a deal you won't want to miss.

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Qantas Business Class on Sale originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> business classbusinessclassbusinessclassflightqantastraveltravel dealsTravelDeals Alison Wellner Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Insider's Guide to Montreal: 12 Ways to Do the City Right]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/22/insiders-guide-to-montreal-12-ways-to-do-the-city-right/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/22/insiders-guide-to-montreal-12-ways-to-do-the-city-right/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/22/insiders-guide-to-montreal-12-ways-to-do-the-city-right/#comments

Montreal is a fantastic destination, but like any city, it can be hard for a visitor to get to know. To that end, Tourisme Montreal has engaged five in-the-know locals to basically blanket social media from Facebook, to Twitter, to blogs, sharing all of their knowledge about their city -- and answering questions from travelers in town. Katerine Rollet is one of these insiders, and she recently selected these 12 can't-miss experiences in Montreal for Luxist.

1- Go for tea at the St. James Hotel. This chic boutique hotel is where the likes of the Rolling Stones and Madonna stay when they're in town, and the tea at newly renovated restaurant XO is a a great way to experience a proper British tea with a modern twist. UPDATED: The St. James no longer serves afternoon tea, but the new Salon XO is worth a visit.
2- Experience the spa at Place D'armes -- one of the best places in town for a mani-pedi, not to mention one of the few places in Montreal to experience a hammam, or Turkish bath. Wrap up with a drink on the terrace.
3- For men: at Québec's own Phillipe Dubuc -- the place for a man to fill his closet with stylish, business appropriate clothing with an edge.
4- For women: fill your suitcase at Montreal's achingly stylish, unfailingly feminine Marie Saint Pierre.
5- For everyone: visit Oglivy, a lovely shopping mall filled with charming boutiques, great book stores, stationary shops, international designers and more.
6- For the shopping-shy: Engage the style hounds at Les Effrontes to have your own guided tour of Montreal's up and coming designer's ateliers.
7- Dine at Joe Beef, on raw bar and steak in up-and-coming neighborhood Little Burgundy ("Petite Bourgogne") .
8- Or, hit Toque -- widely considered one of the best meals you can have in Montreal. Try the tasting menu.
9- Or reserve the chef's table at Europea, and dine in the kitchen of charismatic Chef Jérôme Ferrer. 10- After dinner drinks: check out Hotel St Paul's bar for cocktails with Montreal's chicest.
11- Sweet treats: visit Point G for waffles, artisanal ice cream, and most importantly, macarons.
12- Brunch the next day: La Cantine in the Plateau neighborhood, for a traditional Québec brunch revisited.

Gallery: Insider's Montreal

Hotel St. James Hotel St. James LobbyHotel St. James Executive SuitePlace d'armes LobbyPlace d'armes Rainspa

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Insider's Guide to Montreal: 12 Ways to Do the City Right originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> diningfashionhotelsmacaronsmontrealwintertravel-pedia Alison Wellner Thu, 22 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[4 Fabulous Hotels That Keep it Green ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/15/4-fabulous-hotels-that-keep-it-green/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/15/4-fabulous-hotels-that-keep-it-green/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/15/4-fabulous-hotels-that-keep-it-green/#comments
I have to confess that I have a lot of cynicism about hotels and their efforts to help the environment. There's hardly a hotel that I visit that doesn't give me the opportunity to save the earth by opting not to have my sheets and towels replaced, which does indeed save on water and detergent, but, I know it also saves the hotel serious dollars. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against win-win situations, I'm just not getting too many green good vibes if doing less laundry is the only earth-friendly step that a hotel takes.

In fairness, it's often hard for a guest to tell what a hotel is doing for the environment, because most of the heavy lifting comes behind the scenes -- in the hotel's construction, energy supplies and so on. Here are a few fabulous properties that are also doing right by the planet, in ways you might not recognize.
  • The Nines in Portland, Oregon. In the renovation of this hotel from its previous life as a department store, 90 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling. In addition, housekeeping employs green cleaning products and the hotel gets 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources including wind power and carbon offsets.
  • The Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek, Colorado: This hotel just received Silver LEED certification, and it's saving energy in a variety of ways, including a building control system that allows the front desk to adjust the temperature in guest rooms so unoccupied rooms aren't heated or cooled unnecessarily. The hotel also donated a 5 acre zone along the Eagle river as a permanent public open space.
  • The Ritz Carlton Highlands, North Lake Tahoe: This soon-to-open hotel was built with environmental factors in mind, from careful site planning designed to spare as many trees as possible, to the introduction of underground parking, which reduces the use of asphalt, allowing snow melt and rain to return to the water table. What's more, Northstar Resort, which the Ritz is a part of, is the first ski resort to be entirely LEED certified.
  • Harbor View, Martha's Vineyard. One of the most luxurious places to stay on Martha's Vineyard also has a serious commitment to the environment, from its use of low-flow plumbing, to energy efficient appliances, to an active recycling program that includes replacing the distribution of plastic water bottles with reusable water bottles and water stations.

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4 Fabulous Hotels That Keep it Green originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> blogactiondaygreengreen hotelsGreenHotelsharbor viewHarborViewhotelsmarthas vineyardMarthasVineyardnines hotelNinesHotelritz carltonRitzCarltonwestin hotelWestinHotel Alison Wellner Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The History of Girly Drinks at Raffles Hotels ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/09/the-history-of-girly-drinks-at-raffles-hotels/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/09/the-history-of-girly-drinks-at-raffles-hotels/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/09/the-history-of-girly-drinks-at-raffles-hotels/#comments

Plenty of hotels serve up unusual cocktails, but Raffles hotels have a unique claim on cocktail history: sometime in the 1900s, in its Singapore Hotel, bartender Ngiam Tong Boon created a gin-based cocktail named Singapore Sling, in a hue of proper pink designed to appeal to the hotel's female British clientele.

Or so the story goes, there's debate about whether it was originally called a "Singapore Sling" -- in browsing around today, I found reference to a "Straits Sling" and also a "Gin Sling", neither of which have the same ring. There's also question about whether the original recipe is the one in use today -- for more on this, check out "Dr. Cocktail" Ted Haigh's treatise on the subject in Mixologist: The Journal of the American Cocktail, which goes into depth on the subject. Either way, the Singapore Sling served by thousands at Raffles Singapore today is worth trying at home, see the recipe below.

Also in the East, at Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, the signature drink is a "Femme Fatale". This drink is named after Jacqueline Kennedy, who apparently left a lipstick- stained cocktail glass at the Elephant Bar during her 1967 visit, which was only discovered during the hotel's restoration. (Questions arise: how did they know that it was her glass? And of all the descriptions of Jackie O, is "femme fatale" the first that leaps to mind?) Either way, this is another drink designed to appeal to the ladies.


Raffles "Femme Fatale"
7.5 ml Crème de Fraise
Dash of cognac
Top with Champagne

Serve in a champagne flute with a garnish of rose.



Raffles Singapore Sling

30 ml Gin
15 ml Heering Cherry Brandy
120 ml Pineapple Juice
15 ml Lime Juice
7.5 ml Cointreau
7.5 ml Dom Benedictine
10 ml Grenadine
A Dash of Angostura Bitters
Garnish with a slice of Pineapple and Cherry

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The History of Girly Drinks at Raffles Hotels originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cambodiacocktail recipesCocktailRecipescocktailsrafflessingapore Alison Wellner Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA["Pink Slip Getaways" at Rabbit Hill Inn Extended Through 2010]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/pink-slip-getaways-at-rabbit-hill-inn-extended-through-2010/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/pink-slip-getaways-at-rabbit-hill-inn-extended-through-2010/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/pink-slip-getaways-at-rabbit-hill-inn-extended-through-2010/#comments
I was having lunch with the colleague the other day, discussing the latest round of media layoffs. We both agreed that given a healthy savings account, the most sensible way to deal with a job loss in this economy is to wait it out, and the best way to do that is to travel.

Of course the economy wouldn't be in this mess in the first place if we all had healthy savings accounts, and so if you find yourself without a job and with a sadly diminished travel budget, the lovely Rabbit Hill Inn in Lower Waterford, Vermont has good news: its popular "Pink Slip Getaway" contest, which will go on hiatus for Fall foliage season, will continue through April 2010. Send your job loss story -- one page or less -- to Rabbit Hill by the new deadline of January 15th, 2010, and make it a good one. If your story is among the one a month selected, you'll get a two night stay with breakfast, one dinner and a rabbit's foot for good luck.

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"Pink Slip Getaways" at Rabbit Hill Inn Extended Through 2010 originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bedandbreakfasteconomic crisisEconomicCrisiseconomyvermont Alison Wellner Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Feng Shui and Floating Hotels in West Sweden ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/feng-shui-and-floating-hotels-in-west-sweden/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/feng-shui-and-floating-hotels-in-west-sweden/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/08/feng-shui-and-floating-hotels-in-west-sweden/#comments Picture of Avalon Hotel with Pool
For most Americans, a visit to Sweden = a visit to Stockholm. It may be time to add another city to that equation: Gothenburg (or Göteborg in Swedish). Ever since Ryan Air started flying to Gothenburg just about eight years ago, this smallish city has developed an alternative-indie vibe, fueled by a large student population, emerging creative chefs and a lively music scene.

Gothenburg was also the port city that many Swedes departed from when they left for the United States, but if you're reversing this mission, you needn't worry that breaking new ground as a U.S. traveler will mean you'll need to rough it at night, whether you're choosing to stay in town or head out a bit to explore the coast line.

In the city center, stay at Avalon. Look up when you arrive so you catch the flash of blue that is the rooftop swimming pool. (Hopefully no one's in it, as this isn't the most flattering view of most bodies.) This design-conscious hotel is built around the principles of feng shui, which means that you'll find fountains, wind chimes, and rounded edges inside -- the right angles between the carpet and the wall in the hallway, for instance, are lined with what looks like koosh-ball pelt. I'm not sure if my chi was improved by spending the night there, but I certainly had a good night's sleep.

Outside the city, it's worth making the 90 minute excursion to Salt & Sill on the island of Klädesholmen. This town has seen its fortunes rise and fall with the herring trade (sill is herring in Swedish) and the hotel's 23 rooms are literally built on the tides. You cross a small bridge to reach the rooms, which are built on pontoons. When it's calm outside, the structure feels no different from one that's built on solid ground, but on the day I visited, it was a bit stormy. I'd actually forgotten that the hotel was floating on the water, and when the room started gently rocking, I almost called for a doctor.

The rooms here are cleverly and economically designed -- in fact, rather like you're staying on a very nice boat. The rooms are a seaworthy palette of grays and whites, with typically Scandinavian shots of color in the bedding and the artwork, and creative uses of sea-weathered wood and bright tile. I particularly liked the pre-programmed custom lighting schemes, which at the press of a button gives you bright light for packing, task lights for reading, or soft, ambience which highlight the art and leaves the rest of the room in soft shadows. There's also a seriously cool floating sauna on the property.

Gallery: Feng Shui and Floating Hotels in West Sweden

Salt & Sill Floating Hotel Salt & Sill's Guest RoomExterior at Salt & SillSalt & Sill's Floating SaunaSalt & Sill's Restaurant Serves Local Seafood

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Feng Shui and Floating Hotels in West Sweden originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hotelscandinaviasweden Alison Wellner Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Visit Kosterhavet, Sweden's First Marine National Park ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/05/visit-kosterhavet-swedens-first-marine-national-park/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/05/visit-kosterhavet-swedens-first-marine-national-park/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/05/visit-kosterhavet-swedens-first-marine-national-park/#comments

If you're in the been-there, done-that traveler club, here's something to add to your next itinerary: Kosterhavet, Sweden's first national marine park, has just opened. It's about 175 square miles, most of it open ocean, home to some 600 marine species. The park's northern water boundary is shared with Norway, and in fact Kosterhavet National Park runs right into Norway's new marine national park, Ytre Hvaler, which opened at the same time. Together, both parks encompass about 300 square miles.

Kosterhavet gets its name for the land that it surrounds, the Koster Islands, which are themselves a nature reserve. North Koster and South Koster are so close together that they really feel like one island, and together they're the westernmost settled area in Sweden. They're also ridiculously charming -- near the water, they're just what you'd picture a small Scandinavian fishing village to look like, and towards the center, it's all rolling countryside ripe for hiking and cycling, dotted with red-roofed houses.

But of course, the main event is what's below the surface. The water separating Koster Islands from Sweden's main land is actually a fjord, which achieves such a depth that it's home to deep sea species. Kosterhavet also includes Sweden's only cold-water coral reef, which makes for excellent cold-water scuba diving -- the rocky coast also means that there are also a number of shipwrecks to check out beneath the waves. Above the water, a sea kayak is the way to go --- take a look at Sweden's largest population of seals, and from a respectful distance, admire nesting areas for Arctic terns.

Gallery: Sweden's Kosterhavet Park and the Koster Islands

View of Koster Island from Valfjäll, a scenic view point on South KosterSmall scale and managed fishing are still permitted in Kosterhavets Distance view of two restored lighthousesTranquil View of KosterhavetsView from North Koster to South Koster Island

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Visit Kosterhavet, Sweden's First Marine National Park originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> animalsnorwayparksscandinaviascubascubadivingsnorkelingsweden Alison Wellner Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Lorien Hotel Offers Social Media Detox Package]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/03/lorien-hotel-offers-social-media-detox-package/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/03/lorien-hotel-offers-social-media-detox-package/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/10/03/lorien-hotel-offers-social-media-detox-package/#comments

Here's a fun one: The Lorien Hotel (managed by Kimpton) in Alexandria, Virginia, is offering a Social Media Detox package, designed to get you off of Facebook, Twitter and any other network that you're currently addicted to, and out into the world of human interaction.

While I was at first imagining that they'd borrowed some cellphone jamming technology from their not-so-far-off US intelligence neighbors -- was this relatively new hotel built with a Faraday cage in its structure? -- it turns out that the Lorien is relying on more of a carrot than stick approach.

The Social Media Detox package includes various incentives to step away from the internet, including a 10 minute chair massage at the hotel's spa, a $20 credit to BRABO or BRABO Tasting Room just next to the hotel for appetizers and drinks with friends. (Suggested cocktail: "The Face to Face", which is Belvedere vodka, pear puree, apple juice, lime juice and fresh rosemary.) There's also a push to get you out into the real world: you'll also receive a walking map of town, or if you prefer, they'll let you borrow a bicycle, gratis, and give you a route map. At night, the package includes an item off the hotel's "Dream Service" menu -- if you're traveling alone, you could select the teddy bear, who will be happy to hear your whispered, otherwise wasted, witty status updates.

(Since you'll still probably be pacing all night long, I'd go ahead and book the Presidential Suite, which has a 550 square foot private terrace overlooking Old Town Alexandria, and runs about $550 a night.)

It's not all teddy bears and sunshine, however. You'll only get the package's $25 certificate towards a future stay at the hotel if you prove "non-activity" on Facebook or Twitter, which you do via print out from an in-room computer or cellphone.

Clever, huh? Personally, as a frequent traveler, I think I'd feel much more stressed out not being able to be in contact with my friends and family on Facebook -- since it's replaced email communication for so many people, I wonder what the response would be if a hotel decided to offer a package contingent on not emailing or calling home? (In fact, there are programs like that: Outward Bound and the National Outdoor Leadership School, although they don't include massages and cocktails.) On the other hand, I'm sure I could be persuaded to let Twitter go for a few days. Especially if I got a teddy bear.

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Lorien Hotel Offers Social Media Detox Package originally appeared on Luxist on Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> facebookhotelssocialnetworkingtwittertwitterholic Alison Wellner Sat, 03 Oct 2009 10:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The Right Way to Mix Cars and Cocktails ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/24/the-right-way-to-mix-cars-and-cocktails/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/24/the-right-way-to-mix-cars-and-cocktails/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/24/the-right-way-to-mix-cars-and-cocktails/#comments
Last week, Domaine Select Wine Estates hosted a party at New York's Classic Car Club as part of the launch of its Classic & Vintage Artisanal Spirits line. The line includes small-batch spirits, both imported and domestic, among them Armagnac Castarede from France, and one brand that I was particularly excited to sample, Tuthilltown's Hudson Valley, New York bourbon, whiskeys and apple vodka.

For the event, brand ambassadors The Tippling Brothers created cocktails that were inspired by a hot car. The tables were set up near their four-wheeled inspiration, a Bentley GTC, a 1965 Shelby Cobra replica, 1957 Porsche and a 2006 Lamborhgini Gallardo, among other cars -- each carefully watched by an attendant who almost never stopped rubbing the exterior with a chamois. (Here, one attendant take a very short break in a 1966 Ford Mustang Fastback.)

I just received the recipes for the cocktails, all of which were quite tasty, but my two favorites were both inspired by a Ferrari F430 -- which, sadly, didn't make an appearance at the event. Try these at home, but nowhere near whatever car is in your garage, please! And check out the photo gallery for more recipes.

Eve's Cup

1 oz G'Vine Floraison (A wonderfully floral French gin, must try straight up first.)
1 oz Averna
4 leaves of mint
Half a sprig of rosemary
tonic
1 barspoon chopped apples
Rosemary and apple garnish

Guerillas in Manhattan

2 oz Tuthilltown 4 Grain Bourbon
.75 oz sweet vermouth
.5 oz Orgeat
.25 oz fresh tangerine
2 slices fresh banana
2 dashes angostura
Garnish with brandied cherry

Gallery: Classic & Vintage Spirits Launch

The Classic & Vintage Spirits Artisanal Spirits Launch Party in NY2006 Lamborhgini Gallardo 1965 Shelby Cobra (Replica) 2007 Bentley GTC

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The Right Way to Mix Cars and Cocktails originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> carsspirits Alison Wellner Thu, 24 Sep 2009 14:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Luxuriate in Literary London ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/luxuriate-in-literary-london/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/luxuriate-in-literary-london/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/luxuriate-in-literary-london/#comments

London is definitely one of the great literary cities of the world -- just check out this London Literary Trail map -- and now the bookish fun doesn't have to stop when you return to your hotel at night. The Radisson Edwardian Bloomsbury Street Hotel , which completed renovations earlier this year, has launched a Book of the Month club -- read the book while you're in the hotel, or take it home with you.

September's book? The Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, Walker Classics Edition. All right, so it ain't Virgina Woolf but I've always been a sucker for rather twisted fairy tales. Book one of the hotel's suites, which come equipped with a bathtub at the foot of the bed for convenient reading, as well as an egg-shaped swing -- and float away in many ways.

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Luxuriate in Literary London originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bookslondonradissonsuites Alison Wellner Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Ritz Carlton Highlands in Lake Tahoe Opening December 9th, 2009]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/ritz-carlton-highlands-in-lake-tahoe-opening-december-9th-2009/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/ritz-carlton-highlands-in-lake-tahoe-opening-december-9th-2009/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/23/ritz-carlton-highlands-in-lake-tahoe-opening-december-9th-2009/#comments
It was under construction when I visited last winter, but I have it on good authority that the Ritz Carlton Highlands in North Lake Tahoe will open on December 9th, and what's more -- there's still availability over Christmas week. (Yes, I know we've not yet celebrated Columbus Day, but, for that peak week, Dan Sherman spokesperson of Ski.com has told me repeatedly that it's never too soon to secure your accommodations.)

The hotel, which is a series of linked pavilions, will have 170 guest rooms, 16 suites, each room with a gas fireplace. A gondola connects you to the bustling and lively Northstar village. The hotel's design, handled by Hornberger + Worstell, is meant to be a contemporary take on traditional great mountain lodges, like Oregon's Timberline Lodge. It was also designed to blend into the hillside, and to that end, the site was not clear-cut --- landmark trees were tagged, and worked around.

Gallery: Ritz Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe

Ritz Carlton Highlands Setting Ritz Carlton Highlands Exterior Front RenderingRitz Carlton Highlands Skiing AccessRitz Carlton Highlands - Gondola RenderingRitz Carlton Highlands Guest Room


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Ritz Carlton Highlands in Lake Tahoe Opening December 9th, 2009 originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hotelsritz-carltonskiing Alison Wellner Wed, 23 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/18/celebrating-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/18/celebrating-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/18/celebrating-the-fall-of-the-berlin-wall/#comments Berlin Wall Memorial, Potsdamer Platz, Berlin Germany

It's been 20 years since the fall of The Berlin Wall, and the city's been celebrating all year, with special events, exhibits and hotel packages. I was in Berlin a few months ago, and even then, the energy around the anniversary was palpable -- strolling the sites defined by where the wall once stood, bristling with energy, it's hard to imagine the city divided. Potsdamer Platz, for example, was a barren urban wasteland and is now home to a moving temporary exhibit. And of course there are plenty of museum exhibits and memorials. (A list of special exhibitions here.)

Since we're now entering the anniversary of the season of unrest that led to the wall's euphoric end, on November 9th, 1989, this is the time to go relive one of the last century's landmark historic events, in a city with uniquely troubled modern history. The Westin Grand Berlin is offering a package that includes the opportunity to take hammer and chisel to a portion of the wall that the hotel has artfully (if a bit jarringly) placed right in front of its portico. This cushy hotel is convenient to the Brandenburg Gate and to other Wall memorials.

Gallery: Fall of the Berlin Wall, 20th Anniversary

A Piece of the Wall at Berlin's Westin Grand Break Off Your Own Piece of the Berlin Wall at the WestinCheckpoint Charlie Grafitti on the Berlin WallThe Brandenburg Gate, Once Sealed Behind the Berlin Wall

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Celebrating the Fall of the Berlin Wall originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> berlinberlin wallBerlinWallhistoryhoteldealswestinwestinhotels Alison Wellner Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Book Lovers Delight at the Fairmont Scottsdale ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/16/book-lovers-delight-at-the-fairmont-scottsdale/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/16/book-lovers-delight-at-the-fairmont-scottsdale/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/16/book-lovers-delight-at-the-fairmont-scottsdale/#comments Fairmont Scottsdale

The Fairmont Scottsdale has declared this "The Season of Personal Discovery", and happily for people who love books, much of the personal discovery comes from what amounts to a super-mega book club meeting: weekends centered around books in different genres, that include panel discussions, Q&As and several opportunities to rub elbows with the authors themselves over dinner and cocktails.

Pick your genre. If you're a self-help addict (and no one will judge you for that), try Living Your Best Life, September 25th-27th, which will make you likable, fit, sexy, and a music expert. Or the Ultimate Girls Getaway Weekend, October 9th-11th, which will help you lose weight, and develop an expertise in wine, social media, and your own soul. If fiction is where your heart lies, For the Love of Books,October 2nd-4th, features Anita Diamant, Lisa See and Debra Dean, while Literary Stew, brings in Ridley Pearson, Dave Barry and Scott Turow. Check out the rest of the schedule here.

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Book Lovers Delight at the Fairmont Scottsdale originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> booksfairmonthoteldealsnovelsscottsdaleselfhelp Alison Wellner Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA["Road Show" Package at Litchfield Hill's Rock Hall]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/15/road-show-package-at-litchfield-hills-rock-hall/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/15/road-show-package-at-litchfield-hills-rock-hall/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/15/road-show-package-at-litchfield-hills-rock-hall/#comments
It's promising to be an early foliage this year in New England -- the leaves are already starting to turn -- so it's the perfect time to take advantage of a special at Rock Hall, an Addison Mizner designed bed and breakfast in Colebrook, Connecticut.

The "Road Show" package includes a horse-drawn carriage ride, during which you can toast the landscape with a split of champagne, a 25% discount for dinner at charming restaurant Pastorale in Lakeville, CT, and a second night's stay at the B&B at half-price. (Weekend rates $480-$600/night.) The special runs through November 25th, 2009.

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"Road Show" Package at Litchfield Hill's Rock Hall originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bedandbreakfastbedandbreakfastshoteldealsnew englandNewEngland Alison Wellner Tue, 15 Sep 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The 1980s Redux at LAN Club in Shanghai ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/14/the-1980s-redux-at-lan-club-in-shanghai/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/14/the-1980s-redux-at-lan-club-in-shanghai/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/14/the-1980s-redux-at-lan-club-in-shanghai/#comments Photo of La Terrace at LAN Club Shanghai

Shanghai's Bund, which runs along the river and divides the city's former international section (with its old world architecture) from Pudong, with its intergalactic hyper-futuristic architecture, isn't a place for subtlety. This divide makes it a place for big statements, particularly of the fashionable variety, which is why this is where you find the city's big name restaurants (Jean Georges, M on the Bund), major international designers and so on. And it made it an entirely logical neighborhood for Chinese restaurateurs South Beauty Group to select for the Shanghai edition of the LAN Club, following on the 2006 success of its Beijing launch, which was designed by Phillipe Starck.

LAN Shanghai, designed by Patrick Gilles and Dorothee Boissier. opened in a historic building just off the Bund last summer, and it's not about subtlety, no, not even a little bit. Its four floors that put me in mind of the clubs that I used to encounter as a teenager in 1980s New York: an adult version of a theme park. There's a dance club, and several bars, and each floor is home to a different restaurants or, if you will, dining concepts, and they've changed a bit since opening. What was once a Chinese restaurant on the first floor has become O-Supper Club, which is doing a Chinese/Tapas fusion. (This sounds more interesting than it tastes); the French restaurant on the fourth floor had a new name, Papillion, named for the 400 butterfly specimens displayed on its walls. And that's not to forget a seafood restaurant, adorned with an aquarium of living jelly fish, an atrium-like space with a wall of plants, and a full floor of VIP private dining rooms, because in a crowded country, it's luxurious to go to a restaurant to be seen and then have total privacy.

One of these rooms, the Art and Banquet Hall, is meant to accommodate a group, and it is genuinely, no-gimmicks impressive: it was designed around the Liu Ziaodong painting, Migrants of the Three Gorges. It's some 30 feet in width, and was, for a time, the most costly work by a contemporary Chinese artist sold at auction. But favorite space was "La Terrace", the lounge on the roof, which opened this past July. It's view of Pudong and the Bund isn't unobstructed, but I rather liked the Shanghai peep show effect, which was enhanced by the pimp-my-ride lit tables.

Gallery: LAN Club Shanghai

LAN Club ShanghaiLAN Club Shanghai Entrance LAN Club Shanghai CorridorLAN Club Shanghai StaircaseLAN Club Shanghai Nightclub

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The 1980s Redux at LAN Club in Shanghai originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> beijingchinaclubentertainment-awardsphillipe starckPhillipeStarckshanghai Alison Wellner Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The Nines Hotel and The Question of Design Moxie ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/08/the-nines-hotel-and-the-question-of-design-moxie/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/08/the-nines-hotel-and-the-question-of-design-moxie/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/08/the-nines-hotel-and-the-question-of-design-moxie/#comments

The night before I stayed at the Nines, in Portland, Oregon, I spent the night at the White House in Yakima, a bed and breakfast. It's actually a couple of bedrooms that are available to let on the second floor of the White House Café, which serves an amazingly delicious breakfast. But the rooms themselves weren't to my personal taste -- an exuberant bride/doily/doll meets shabby chic theme. I know that many people, particularly those who, say, enjoy weddings (I don't) would be charmed, but that's the chance you take when you stay at a B&B -- you are really immersed in a particular taste.

I've also had the experience of staying in a smaller hotel that was more to my taste, but my travel companion was non-plussed by it -- I'm thinking of Le Quartier Français in Franschoek, South Africa, where the Four Quarters suite is a cream and brown palette punched up with accents of bright hot orange and pink. I loved it, although I could see why it wouldn't be for everyone. Human variability in taste is why most hotels resort to the kind of utter blandness that has you calling the front desk in the morning to find out what city you're in.

So when I walked into the Nines -- a 331 room Starwood-owned hotel occupying the top floors of the former Meier & Frank department store in downtown Portland -- and one that's known for its distinctive interiors, I was really thinking about décor and what a challenge it is for a large hotel, to create rooms with some consistency that have a distinct yet relatively universally appealing personality.

Check out the photo gallery and let me know what you think, but I think the Nines manages to strike the right balance. The décor is described as "nostalgic modern", and the rooms are done out in rich brown, charcoal gray, creamy white and a Tiffany turquoise. There are a few fun frou-frou touches -- a beaded light fixture, for instance -- but nothing that should make a buttoned up business man feel uncomfortable (I assume, not being a business man or a man for that matter.) It also felt very Portland-elegant to me, if I were going to an affair in PDX, I'd hit a vintage shop over a department store. Beyond that, there's also a good sense of the local community, as the hotel commissioned some 400 original art pieces to display throughout the hotel, a library on the hotel's main level is stocked with a selection of books from Powell's, Portland's incredibly amazing book store, and Urban Farmer, the hotel's restaurant, works with local purveyors.

Gallery: The Nines in Portland

The Nines entranceAtrium, Viewed from AboveLobby Seating AreaLobby Seating Area - DetailLobby Seating Area - Detail

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The Nines Hotel and The Question of Design Moxie originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> bed and breakfastBedAndBreakfasthotelsportlandportland oregonPortlandOregonsouthafricastarwood Alison Wellner Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Learn to Ski or Board in North Lake Tahoe this Winter ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/07/learn-to-ski-or-board-in-north-lake-tahoe-this-winter/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/07/learn-to-ski-or-board-in-north-lake-tahoe-this-winter/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/07/learn-to-ski-or-board-in-north-lake-tahoe-this-winter/#comments

Well, I might as well confess: I am not grace personified on the slopes. Forget snowboarding, my goal is (and has been) to navigate a green slope all by myself before I turn 40. If you're similarly situated -- and glare at impossibly skilled children as they schuss past you -- make your plans to visit North Lake Tahoe this winter. On December 12th-13th, it's the 10th Annual Learn to Ski and Board Weekend. It's a bargain at $25, and includes all-day beginner lift ticket, group lesson and gear rental at the area's nine resorts, including Alpine Meadows, Boreal Mountain Resort, Diamond Peak, Granlibakken, Homewood Mountain Resort, Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, Northstar-at-Tahoe, Squaw Valley USA and Sugar Bowl.

I had my annual ski lesson -- yes, only one a year, which may be why I've yet to really learn -- in South Lake Tahoe this year, at Heavenly, which was worth it for the view and the excellent lunch on the top and the itsy-bit of progress I made. If you need more incentive to visit the area this year, a new Ritz Carlton will be opening up at Northstar this season.

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Learn to Ski or Board in North Lake Tahoe this Winter originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> ritz carltonritz-carltonRitzCarltonskiingtahoe Alison Wellner Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Luxury Travel to Scotland: Affected by Lockerbie Bomber's Release?]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/04/luxury-travel-to-scotland-affected-by-lockerbie-bombers-releas/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/04/luxury-travel-to-scotland-affected-by-lockerbie-bombers-releas/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/09/04/luxury-travel-to-scotland-affected-by-lockerbie-bombers-releas/#comments Alladale House Scotland

Last week, I was planning to write about Dream Escape, an exclusive luxury travel outfit that organizes completely customized tours of Scotland. (Says David Tobin, owner: "many companies offer "bespoke" travel, but I've gone the route of "couture". We start from scratch around what our client's want, whether it's a two-day trip for two people, or a six day trip for 200.") Even if you're arriving in Scotland without Tobin's incredibly hands-on service, which includes a UK cellphone pre-programmed, and should you desire, a photographer, or even a genealogist among other essentials, I've long maintained that Scotland is one of the best destinations to truly feel like you're a Master of the Universe.

There's something about Scotland's mix of castles, golf, whiskey, landscape and royal history that feels to me like getting wrapped in a cloak of wealth, power and prestige. Just one example, Royal Yacht Britannia -- decommissioned from royal use since 1997, now a tourist attraction in Edinburgh. Everyone can visit it for a tour, but once can arrange private access to the state apartments for events and be served to exacting royal protocol, which includes measuring the distance between cutlery with a ruler, among other measures designed to make anyone of royal descent or aspiration feel comfy. (For instance, sailors were made to use hand signals rather than shouting, to preserve royal tranquility. Effectively, apparently, since Her Majesty stated: "Britannia is the one place where I can truly relax".)

Dream Escape can arrange access to the Royal Yacht -- and to an endless number of luxey Scottish attractions, see the gallery for more -- but as I sat down to write about it last week, Scotland, made international headlines for its release of the only man convicted of the bombing of Pan Am 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, Abdel Basset Ali al-Megrahi, who returned to Libya as a hero. I've heard talk of boycotting Scottish travel, and whiskey -- and it just felt strange to write enthusiastically about Scotland without addressing all this directly.

So yesterday, I chatted with David Tobin to see how it was affecting his business, considering that he brings anywhere between 100 and 300 visitors to Scotland each year. His answer, in a nutshell: not at all. "We haven't seen a downturn or have clients change their plans or anything like that," he says. "My clients want to go somewhere because they want to go, and they're suitably educated to understand that this is a murky area, surrounding [al-Megrahi's] release. This won't change my client's perception of Scotland, they love the country, but not necessarily the politicians." He doesn't expect any cancellations of bookings in the future.

Of course, Tobin's company is small, and very high end at that -- and it remains to be seen whether Scottish tourism as a whole will be affected by the bomber's release. Do you think luxury tourism to Scotland will be affected by current politics? Should it?

Gallery: Dream Escape Scotland

Night at Corrour Lodge, Modern Scottish CastleLuxury Suite at The Witchery in EdinburghOffroading at GleneaglesNot Your Average Rental CarAlladale Wilderness Lodge

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Luxury Travel to Scotland: Affected by Lockerbie Bomber's Release? originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> boycottcontroversyscotlandtouryacht Alison Wellner Fri, 04 Sep 2009 07:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Chocolate High Tea in Cape Town ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/26/chocolate-high-tea-in-cape-town/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/26/chocolate-high-tea-in-cape-town/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/26/chocolate-high-tea-in-cape-town/#comments

Although traditionalists may not approve of the way the term "high tea" is bandied about these days -- it used to mean an elaborate early dinner, with meat -- who could really disapprove of The Table Bay Hotel's interpretation: a celebration of chocolate?

From 2:30 to 5:30 pm each day, dive into all things chocolate, from white chocolate madeleines with candied lime zest to rum chocolate truffles. You could have all this chocolate with tea, which costs 160 Rand (about $20), but why not throw tradition totally to the wind and pair it with a glass of champagne? (240 Rand.) And if you love chocolate so much that you feel like you'd just like to be immersed in it, the hotel's Camelot Spa is offering a 75 minute treatment which includes body scrubs of cocoa and sugar, vanilla massage, a cocoa mask, ending with a glass of hot chocolate. The Chocolate Delight spa special runs through the end of August.

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Chocolate High Tea in Cape Town originally appeared on Luxist on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> cape townCapeTownchocolatesouth africaSouthAfrica Alison Wellner Wed, 26 Aug 2009 10:03:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[A Spa a Man Can Love?]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/25/a-spa-a-man-can-love/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/25/a-spa-a-man-can-love/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/25/a-spa-a-man-can-love/#comments
We all know that spas don't tend to be man caves. There's nothing macho about walking around in a soft fluffy robe, about sipping water infused with cucumbers or citrus, or contemplating the condition of your pores. Spa cuisine is also not something that's designed to appeal to a strapping appetite -- you can't score any swagger points by eating steamed veggies. And that's before you get to yoga, meditation, and aerobics classes -- all wonderful activities, but not something a guy's guy is going to brag much about.

John and Ginny Lopis, owners of The Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, Pennsylvania and spa industry veterans, knew this too, and so when they opened their own spa, about 90 minutes from New York City, they decided to purposefully make it a place where a guy would feel comfortable. This comes through in the décor of the common areas, which, true to its name, is lodge-inspired, with a bit of a feel of a traditional study thrown in too -- there's lots of wood, metal and rich cozy upholstery. This also comes across in the range of activities available -- the spa is set on 75 wooded acres, and it has its own lake, so activities include hiking, mountain biking, kayaking -- and there's a golf course right across the street. What's more, the food that's served here is certainly in the genre of spa cuisine -- healthy, lower fat, calorie conscious -- but it's not about deprivation: there's a full wine list, for instance, desserts, chocolate and treats. Ginny Lopis jokes that they think of it as a five-star ashram.

When you walk through into the spa wing, you're in more familiar territory, but it's new-age light and bright, but still, nothing aggressively pink or feminine anywhere -- except maybe in the treatments, for instance, the Lavender Garden Dream, which is a polish, wrap and fully body massage or Chamomile Flowers, a body polish and moisturizer.

Even with all of this man-bait in place, the clientele is, as you'd expect, mostly women. When I visited a few weeks ago, I noticed many mother-daughter, girlfriend getaway types of spa-goers -- but I also spotted more than handful of men, holding up their half of a vacationing couple. The menfolk were a bit furtive, and not much evidence during the day, as I took a class called "Breathe and Change Your Life", stretched in yoga, and jogged in the woods. But early one morning, as I watched knots of women striding with great purpose on the spa's fitness trail, creating flashes of neon lime and bright pink power-walking through the trees, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted one guy, going off to fish in the lake, his pole over his shoulder.

Gallery: Man Spa: The Lodge at Woodloch

Living Room at the Lodge at WoodlochEntrance to Spa WingArchitectural Detail, Lodge at WoodlochLodge at Woodloch ExteriorLodge at Woodloch at Night

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A Spa a Man Can Love? originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> menspa Alison Wellner Tue, 25 Aug 2009 16:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[3 Ways to Do Park City in Summer: In the Air, Through the Woods, and Under Water]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/3-ways-to-do-park-city-in-summer-in-the-air-through-the-woods/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/3-ways-to-do-park-city-in-summer-in-the-air-through-the-woods/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/3-ways-to-do-park-city-in-summer-in-the-air-through-the-woods/#comments Photo of freestyle skiing at Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah

There's something about being at a former Olympic venue that makes me want to don performance fabrics and start to push my limits. (With the admiring crowds humming the tune from Chariots of Fire in unison, as slow, grudging clapping builds into a thunderous applause.) This is mere fantasy , as my lack of coordination at most activities is near legendary, or at least, known by people who know me.

But should you have the desire to transform your surely-more coordinated self into something of a athlete, or just learn a new activity, the summer season in Park City, Utah, site of the 2002 Winter Games, is a great place to make it happen.


1 - Into the Air: Freestyle Skiing
It's a little strange to watch a person in skis shoot up into the air, execute mind-boggling flips and tricks and then land in a swimming pool, but that's the set-up at the Utah Olympic Park. And because anyone who's belly-flopped knows that landing in water can hurt, the pool is set up with special air jets that break up the surface tension and make for a softer landing. First, make sure you take in the Flying Aces Aerial show to see how the pros do it. Then, you can sign up to learn to perform these tricks yourself. There are organized camps for kids, but adult lessons can also be arranged.

You can also take a tour of the Nordic ski jump venue -- this is the tallest of its kind in the world -- and peer down from the top and just imagine yourself careening down that thing on skis. You can get some of the sensation by taking a zipline down the K120 ski jump hill. This is billed as the steepest zipline in the world, and you reach speeds of up to 50 m.p.h., which filled me with adrenaline for at least a couple of hours.


2- Through the Woods: Mountain Biking
Deer Valley has 55 miles of mountain biking trails, ranked from "easier" to "expert only", which you access via a chair lift ride. But even the "easier" trails are challenging, so the best bet here is to sign up for a private lesson or a clinic.

Another option for the more nerdy intellectual types is to ride the same chair lift and go for a three-hour guided history hike, which focuses on the mining history of the area. When Park City first became a ski destination, skiers were brought to the top of the slope via an underground mining trolley, and often came out covered with soot.

3- Under the Water: Scuba Diving
It's true, one doesn't often think of the mountains as a great place to learn to scuba dive. But the Homestead Resort has the Homestead Crater, a limestone rock hollowed out by melting snow and filled by water bubbling up from below. The water is warm -- 90 to 96 degrees -- and it's 55 feet deep, making Midway, Utah, the only warm-water diving destination in the continental United States.

None of these activities lighting your torch? Check out the gallery for a few more ideas.

Gallery: Park City Utah - Summer Sports

Park City Utah in Summer Nordic Jump at Utah Olympic ParkZipline at Utah Olympic ParkFreestyle Jumping at Utah Olympic ParkFroth Pool = Softer Landing for Freestyle Jumps at Utah Olympic Park

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3 Ways to Do Park City in Summer: In the Air, Through the Woods, and Under Water originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> freestylemountainbikingpark cityParkCityscubascubadivingskiing Alison Wellner Mon, 10 Aug 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Adrenaline Thrills Without the Audience in Kauai]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/adrenaline-thrills-without-the-audience-in-kauai/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/adrenaline-thrills-without-the-audience-in-kauai/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/10/adrenaline-thrills-without-the-audience-in-kauai/#comments

The great thing about visiting an island like Kauai is that so much of it isn't easily accessible -- if you really want to get to the most stunning parts of the island, you're going to need to engage a guide. And for most people, engaging a guide means heading out with a group of strangers. This doesn't work out so well in the new movie A Perfect Getaway set on Kauai -- but of course, that horror flick is fiction. Although it's not fiction to say that one definition of luxury travel is being able to avoid what most people have to do on a holiday -- and that a luxury traveler's definition of horror could just be a lack of privacy.

Luckily, there's a way around such difficulties. Outfitters Kauai, on Poipu Beach, offers a host of adventures taking you to the parts of Kauai that make you feel like you've entered into a computer simulation of the most beautiful place on Earth. (Like, for instance, a sea kayak of the Na Pali coast.) These are group trips, but, when country music star/actress Reba visited Kauai last Fall, and decided she wanted to zipline through the island's tropical forest and waterfalls, she did the only sensible thing: she bought out the whole tour that day. Rick Haviland, owner of Outfitters Kauai, says that most of his excursions accommodate 13 people at a maximum, so if you purchase every single slot, no stranger can join you and your hand-selected group. A Na Pali sea kayak, for instance, will cost around $3,000, before taxes and guide gratuity.

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Adrenaline Thrills Without the Audience in Kauai originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hawaiikauaimoviesreba mcentireRebaMcentiretravel Alison Wellner Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Newport's Cliff Walk Controversy ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/09/newports-cliff-walk-controversy/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/09/newports-cliff-walk-controversy/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/09/newports-cliff-walk-controversy/#comments photo of Newport's Cliff Walk

Newport's Cliff Walk is a 3.5 mile stretch along the Atlantic Ocean, a public right-of-way carved out of some 64 private properties -- properties that certainly have to be among the priciest in the Northeast. It's one of the oldest public walks in the country, mentioned by name in the Rhode Island Constitution, and its preservation has been a concern to Newporters for decades -- Claus Von Bulow, for instance, chaired the Cliff walk Commission in the 1970s.

Now, the Cliff Walk -- or, at least, the City of Newport, the State of Rhode Island and the Preservation Society of Newport County, owner of the Breakers mansion, whose grounds the path crosses -- is the target of a lawsuit before the Rhode Island Supreme Court, according to a story in The Providence Journal by reporter Mike Stanton.

The argument: it's hard for tourists to determine where the path-proper ends, and dangerously unstable rocky terrain begins. That's what happened nine summers ago to one honeymooning tourist, Simcha Berman, then 23. He was walking along the path with his new wife when they took a few steps towards the ocean to get a better look at the waves. The path gave way beneath him, Berman fell on to the rocks below, and is now a quadriplegic. It's not the first major incident on the Cliff Walk either, Stanton's article cites two deaths in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and the newspaper's blog reports that just last summer, an Indiana woman fell from the path to serious injuries.

The court will decide whether Berman is entitled to millions, and the question is, what, if anything should be done to the Cliff Walk to prevent such accidents from occurring? Should the walk be fenced off? It's easy to see how that would really interfere with the experience of the ocean vista. Or is this a case of tourists simply not using common sense? (That seems to be the take of the Providence Journal, given the headline: Visitors to Newport Often Put Themselves at Risk.)

When I visited Newport a couple of weeks ago, I did spot a warning sign near the Breakers. It first concerned itself with making sure that tourists properly respected the rights of the the property owners, but then, it clearly stated "this trail has rugged terrain and can be difficult to pass." Although, I have to say, this particular sign didn't say anything about the potential for serious injury or even death on the walk. Perhaps it's implied, but a stroll along the Cliff Walk certainly didn't seem like anything too frightening, even on that particular moody, foggy gray day.

One of Newport's grand Cliff Walk estates, Hopedene is on the market for $19.5 million. Pictures are below.

Gallery: Hopedene

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Newport's Cliff Walk Controversy originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> clausvonbulowlawsuitnewport Alison Wellner Sun, 09 Aug 2009 10:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[V.I.P Package at Providence Film Festival]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/02/v-i-p-package-at-providence-film-festival/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/02/v-i-p-package-at-providence-film-festival/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/02/v-i-p-package-at-providence-film-festival/#comments Providence is quite the artsy town, what with the Rhode Island School of Design, the creative foment that is Brown University, not to mention all the culinary talent coming out of Johnson & Wales University.

So it's no wonder that the Rhode Island Film Festival, which goes off August 4th - August 9th, 2009, is quite a good one.The festival, now in its 13th year, shows 175 films and videos, and its philosophy is wide open -- it will show work of any type in any subject matter. It's one of the 63 film festivals in the world that's a qualifying festival in the Short Films category for the Academy Awards.

The deadline's been extended for the festival's V.I.P. Package, which costs $1,200 and includes access to everything, from exclusive parties, premiers, and even workshops. If you have an inner film geek, the included Working in Animation workshop with actor John Ratzenberger could be a thrill. And if you have an even geekier inner geek, you can watch William Shatner receive an award for Humanitarian of the Year for his philanthropy to the American Tinnitus Association, among other charities.

The package also includes two nights in the seriously cool Providence Renaissance Hotel, which was built as a Masonic Temple in 1929, and counts as one of the state's largest restoration projects.

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V.I.P Package at Providence Film Festival originally appeared on Luxist on Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> filmfilm festivalFilmFestivalprovidencerhode islandRhodeIsland Alison Wellner Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Update: Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Uniform Controversy]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/update-air-tahitis-balenciaga-uniform-controversy/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/update-air-tahitis-balenciaga-uniform-controversy/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/update-air-tahitis-balenciaga-uniform-controversy/#comments air tahiti
Last week, I told you about Air Tahiti's new designer crew uniforms. While I was more concerned about mid-air wardrobe change logistics, and noted only in passing that the new togs didn't look so-very-Balenciaga to me, Jeffries Blackerby of The Moment was right on it. He reports that the outfits were designed by Balenciaga Uniforms, which is a division of a company that apparently has absolutely nothing to do with the design sensibility of Nicolas Ghesquière, Balenciaga's creative director. Blackerby advises Air Tahiti: "let's not get all excited", presumably about being associated with Balenciaga.

Now, let's take a step back. Blackberby is right to point out that Balenciaga Uniforms, which handled the design of Air Tahiti's new uniforms, is owned by a French company called Creation & Image. (Wheras the fashion house Balenciaga is owned by PPR, which also owns Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and many others.)

But licensing of a designer's name is what makes the fashion world go 'round -- should you need a little brush-up on how this works, here's a nice article from the New York Times (and of course The Moment is a New York Times' blog) concerning Vera Wang. I'll grant that some designers retain more control than seems to be the case at Balenciaga Uniform -- which is apparently absolutely none. (And that's despite the smoking gun that some commenters at The Moment think they've discovered when they point out that Nicolas Ghesquière apparently once worked in the uniform division -- an amusing, if meaningless, sidenote, absent any evidence that Ghesquière is keeping a loving and attentive eye on all the rungs of the ladder he's climbed.)

Still, I submit that Air Tahiti should get every bit as excited as it wants over its Balenciaga uniforms. If we're only going to allow purchasers to take credit for the designer items that they buy that are not made by license, the licensing business ceases to have all value, and really -- do we think our economy can take that? Leaving aside world economic well-being, for the more important fashion issue, I agree with a point that Danica Lo made over at The Haute List: Designers need to keep more control over their name.



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Update: Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Uniform Controversy originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> airlinesbalenciagalicensingtahitiuniforms Alison Wellner Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[The Quest for Porcelain White Skin ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/the-quest-for-porcelain-white-skin/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/the-quest-for-porcelain-white-skin/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/30/the-quest-for-porcelain-white-skin/#comments photo of a woman with a parasol in shanghai
I was just in Newport, Rhode Island, although I didn't see that much of it, because on the night of my arrival, I ate what turned out to be a very bad lobster indeed. (Public service announcement: if you're eating lobster, nay, any shellfish, and you detect even the slightest hint of ammonia, put down the fork, leave the table, and immediately procure saltines and electrolyte-enhanced fluids.)

Anyway, maybe it was because I was tinged green, but for the moments when I crawled out of my very comfortable hotel (the Hotel Viking, book a room in the newly renovated wing), I couldn't help but noticed how very white everyone was. Well, rich-people-in-summer-white, which is to say, bronze.

When I was in Shanghai last month, I was reminded that the Western obsession with toasting is not shared worldwide.

In China, which certainly has its own ethnic tensions, but not (as I'm aware of) those relating to the amount of melanin in the skin, the obsession is looking as white as possible, as you can see in the colorful parade of parasols everywhere, what I can only describe as "forearm cozies" - handmade fabric coverings protecting the skin from the elbow to the wrist -- and for bicycle riders, what looks like a welding mask. (Although I think this is also to ward off projectiles.)

Continue reading The Quest for Porcelain White Skin

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The Quest for Porcelain White Skin originally appeared on Luxist on Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> chinacosmeticsnewportshanghaitanningwhitener Alison Wellner Thu, 30 Jul 2009 15:02:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Live a Luxurious Ranch Lifestyle at Maytag Mountain Ranch in Colorado ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/live-a-luxurious-ranch-lifestyle-at-maytag-mountain-ranch-in-col/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/live-a-luxurious-ranch-lifestyle-at-maytag-mountain-ranch-in-col/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/live-a-luxurious-ranch-lifestyle-at-maytag-mountain-ranch-in-col/#comments photo of maytag ranch, colorado
You can always buy a ranch fill your closet with Western togs, but if the Old West has always captured your imagination, you can take it one step further and buy a homestead at Maytag Mountain Ranch in Hillside, Colorado.

This working cattle ranch, a project of slow food advocate Russ Maytag, is set on 3,000 acres at the foot of Colorado's Sangre de Cristo Mountains, and 100 acre homesteads are for sale. Purchase one of the 14 lots still available -- priced from $879,000 to $1.5 million -- and you also get a 1/27th ownership share of the still-operating cattle ranch, which raises certified organic produce and livestock. The income from the ranch provides income for the housing association, plus, your kitchen will be stocked with your very own dairy, grass-fed beef and produce, and if you want, you can even participate in the ranching. (And if you don't, you can leave it to the ranch staff.) Owners get one month's use of the association's two guest cabins, as well as access to a "Cookhouse", or a clubhouse, which is available for hanging out and parties.

And what would a homestead be without a horse? If you don't have your own, the Ranch Association owns six, and there's room to board your own steeds on site.


Gallery: Maytag Ranch, Colorado

Maytag Ranch EntryMaytag RanchCookhouse, ExteriorCookhouse Dining Room Cookhouse Interior

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Live a Luxurious Ranch Lifestyle at Maytag Mountain Ranch in Colorado originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> coloradoranchranch for saleRanchForSaleslow foodSlowFood Alison Wellner Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Design with a Conscience at The Sky Lodge in Park City]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/design-with-a-conscience-at-the-sky-lodge-in-park-city/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/design-with-a-conscience-at-the-sky-lodge-in-park-city/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/28/design-with-a-conscience-at-the-sky-lodge-in-park-city/#comments 3formUSA's Ithema Screen

I was already loving the look of The Sky Lodge, a boutique five-star condo hotel in Park City, Utah, before I spotted these really cool screen-style doors that divides the bathroom from one of the three bedrooms in the penthouse suite. It turns out that those screens have a very interesting story, and it made me love the property even more.

But first let me back up and say that Sky Lodge's penthouse is where I'd want to a host a party during Sundance, since it's got 2,736 square feet inside, and almost as much -- 2,600 feet -- outside in the form of an enormous wrap-around deck with views of the mountains and Park City, all easily enjoyed from the hot tub. (Check it out in the gallery.) I'll further digress and say that while this suite runs approximately $5,000 a night during the winter season, if you visit during the summer, you can get this three bedroom suite for around $1,500 a night.

Back to the doors: they're made from an opaque ecoresin, into which is embedded beads and coiled copper wire. It turns out that these are "Ithemba", a product of 3form USA's "Full Circle" program, which attempts to marry environmental consciousness with social awareness to create beautiful design products. The beads and woven copper are created by South African women who are impacted with HIV, they recieve training in business skills, job skills training, marketing assistance while they're earning a living by maintaining traditional crafts. "Ithemba" means hope in Xosi. Just knowing this made me enjoy my time in Sky Lodge's Amatsu spa all the more.

If you're not in the market for a screen or a door, check out the cuff bracelet in the gallery below, which you can order here.

Gallery: Sky Lodge Park City Penthouse

Sky Lodge in Park City Sky Lodge Penthouse: Gotta Have a Baby GrandPenthouse Kitchen/BarSky Lodge Penthouse KitchenSky Lodge: Penthouse Open Floor Plan

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Design with a Conscience at The Sky Lodge in Park City originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> designhivhotelpark cityParkCitypenthousesouth africaSouthAfricaspa Alison Wellner Tue, 28 Jul 2009 09:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Maui's New Adults-Only Pool]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/27/mauis-new-adults-only-pool/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/27/mauis-new-adults-only-pool/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/27/mauis-new-adults-only-pool/#comments New Serenity Pool at Maui Four Seasons

It was under construction when I visited this past February, but The Four Seasons Maui at Wailea has just opened a major new feature at the resort: a new infinity-edge saltwater pool, surrounded by a 4,100 square foot terrace -- all of it ocean front, with views of Lanai and West Maui Mountains.

They're calling it the Serenity Pool, and that's because it's adults only (over 21) so no irritating splish-splash-marco-polo-ing from the wee ones. (Kids can use the other lovely pool that's not that far away.)

The new Serenity Pool has underwater music, four bubble loungers, two hot tubs, and a walk-up and swim-up bar. You can arrange for massages and facials pool side.

There are also six 160 square foot cabanas available for daily rental, with internet access, ceiling fans, couches, chaise lounges, flat screen HDTVs. And for the workaholics among us, the cabanas also offer WiFi and wired internet access. There's also a laptop safe if you feel ready to put down the computer and take a dip.

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Maui's New Adults-Only Pool originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> hotelsmauiswimming poolSwimmingPool Alison Wellner Mon, 27 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Mid-Air Wardrobe Switch ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/24/air-tahitis-balenciaga-mid-air-wardrobe-switch/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/24/air-tahitis-balenciaga-mid-air-wardrobe-switch/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/24/air-tahitis-balenciaga-mid-air-wardrobe-switch/#comments Picture of Air Tahiti Nui's New Crew Uniforms While Delta is still catching heat for offering its newly-designed flight attendant uniforms -- a red sexy Richard Tyler wrap around dress -- in sizes 18 and lower, Air Tahiti Nui is also tinkering with crew uniforms.

The airline commissioned Balenciaga to design new uniforms in honor of its 10th anniversary. There are twenty new uniform styles in total, including those for pilots and ground personnel. One is a more traditional flight attendant outfit, a suit or suit-like affair, rendered in a solid ocean blue and a lighter "lagoon" blue, sort of an aqua. It's pretty, if not envelope-pushing (and I'm not completely sure I see the Balenciaga look to it) but the good news you only see it when you're boarded and de-planing, in-flight, because sometime after take-off the cabin crew does a take-off of their own -- they slip into something more comfortable.

Women can choose between a "porotu" or "pretty girl" dress, which is long and tight fitting, or on days when they're presumably feeling less svelte, a "mamaru'au" or a grandmother dress, which is long and flowy -- that's what's pictured here. Male attendants change into a short-sleeved Tahitian shirt. Sexy, grandmotherly, or male, the collection is all tropical colored and with floral accents.

Now, I'm all for everything being lovely down to the smallest detail, but I've sat through enough in-flight safety demonstrations to be able to do them myself, or at the least to mumble along: Flight attendants are here for your safety first, you are required to comply with crew member instructions... We're used to seeing authority figures in uniform, that's partially why they wear them in the first place. I wonder how seriously people will take a crew member's instructions when they're wearing an outfit more typically worn to a cocktail party (in the case of Delta) or at a beach picnic (in the case of Air Tahiti). And who's minding the cabin during the wardrobe change? Will auto-pilot bring me my champagne?

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Air Tahiti's Balenciaga Mid-Air Wardrobe Switch originally appeared on Luxist on Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> airlinesdeltatahitiuniforms Alison Wellner Fri, 24 Jul 2009 15:01:00 EST Luxist <![CDATA[Vacation with the Obamas on Martha's Vineyard ]]> http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/20/vacation-with-the-obamas-on-marthas-vineyard/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/20/vacation-with-the-obamas-on-marthas-vineyard/ http://www.luxist.com/2009/07/20/vacation-with-the-obamas-on-marthas-vineyard/#comments Picture of Martha's Vineyard

Okay, so you're probably not going to get anywhere near the Obamas on their planned August getaway to Martha's Vineyard, as the Boston Globe reports, but it's hard to imagine a nicer place to be in late summer.

No word yet on where the Obamas will be staying while on the Vineyard, but a good pick for presidential accommodations could be the newly renovated Harbor View Hotel in Edgartown. (Sidenote: I visited last September, and on a sunset cruise of the harbor on the hotel's restored center-console wooden boat Stardust, spotted Walter Cronkite's house, and Walter reading in his living room. R.I.P.)

Besides its many large suites and private cottages for staff, the Harbor View has liberal street cred, since the owner, Scout Capital Real Estate, has a focus on sustainability. It's replacing single-use plastic bottles with reusable bottles and installing water stations throughout the property, for example, using solar heat for its pool, and during the renovation, donated furnishings, cabinetry, appliances to Habitat for Humanity, among other charities.

Scout's also got a nifty sustainability laboratory property on Esther Island off Nantucket where it's playing with other green technologies that might have use at its hotel properties, which includes generating all of its own electricity through a combination of solar panels and a power-generating wind turbine. Of course, wind turbines have been something of a political third-rail in these parts, so probably best for Obama not to mention that during his stay.

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Vacation with the Obamas on Martha's Vineyard originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]> greenmarthasvineyardobamawalter cronkiteWalterCronkite Alison Wellner Mon, 20 Jul 2009 08:01:00 EST Luxist