AssoulinePublishing

A Peek Inside the Plaza Hotel in New York (with Video)

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Video

The Plaza Hotel recently reopened the newly renovated Palm Court.

Luxist recently sat down with Shane Krige, general manager of New York's famous Plaza Hotel, to discuss (see video below) and view the newly renovated landmark building across from New York's Central Park.

The hotel, which will celebrate its 103rd anniversary in October, underwent a complete restoration which cost more than $450 million. Every guest room was completely renovated and provide elegant accomodations inspired by the richly decorative style of Louis XV. Every guest bathroom is finished with inlaid earth stone mosaics in floral motifs and 24-carat gold plated faucets and accessories.

The Royal Plaza Suite, as seen in the video, is a magnificient three-bedroom, three-bathroom suite accessed by private elevator and located in a private area of the hotel overlooking Fifth Avenue and Central Park South. The exquisitely designed living room features a grand piano while the gracious dining room seats up to 12 guests. There's even a wood-paneled library stocked with titles hand-selected by Prosper Assouline, the founder of Assouline, the luxury book publisher. The state-of-the-art kitchen outfitted with Viking appliances is ideal for guests who travel with a personal chef.

As part of the restoration, the Palm Court was returned to its original design not seen for years. Its newly launched afternoon tea service is not to be missed. Known as the heart and soul of The Plaza, the Palm Court is a vast landmark space bordered by mirrored doors, fleur-de-peche marble columns and crowned with a domed yellow-and-green skylight. The $6.5 million restoration included the re-creation of the original 1,800 square foot stained-glass lay light that dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. The airy, romantic space within the legendary hotel is nothing short of breathtaking.

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Assouline Launches Spain Destination Guide

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Chefs often know more than just where to get a good meal, they are connoisseurs of life. So it makes sense that the Luxury Collection Destination Guides from Assouline and the Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts include a passage and recipe from a celebrated chef. The second issue of the destination guide is being released this month. The Spain guide features celebrated chef José Andrés unlocking the secrets of his country. The Spain guide provides tips including where to find the best Spanish bullfighting costume designer or the best Flamenco school. Spain is also the location of four of the Luxury Collection properties.

As we mentioned earlier this year, other chefs in the guide include Mario Batali for Italy, Francis Mallmann for Argentina and Charlie Palmer for the U.S. There are a total of six guides photographed by the Luxury Collection's Global Explorer Andréa Fazzari and packaged in a vintage inspired travel box. In addition to being available in guest rooms worldwide, these Destination Guides will also be offered as a complete set of six in a unique gift box at Assouline Boutiques in Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York, as well as at www.luxurycollection.com/assouline and other major retail stores for $140.

Tags: assouline, AssoulinePublishing, destination guide, Luxury Collection, Travel Guides

New Assouline Book Celebrates Tommy Hilfiger

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books, Men's Style

Tommy Hilfiger gets the Assouline treatment in a new luxury book that celebrates both the man and the brand. The new luxury book takes a look at 25 years of Hilfiger fashion. The special edition from Assouline's Ultimate Collection uses a photo-album format to capture the essence of a designer and his all-American style.

"This book is a culmination of my life's work, sharing some of my innermost thoughts throughout the years," said Tommy Hilfiger. "The Tommy Hilfiger brand has existed for 25 years, but I've been designing all my life. This book is the equivalent of me telling a friend about my family, how I got to where I am today, and where I want to go from here. My hope is that everyone has as much fun reading it as I did making it."

The book measures 14 x 17 inches and has144 pages with more than 200 illustrations, 65 of which are tipped in by hand. The book comes in a linen clamshell presentation box with an embroidered flag logo with gold stitching. It is a limited edition of 1,000 and each one sells for $550.

Tags: assouline, AssoulinePublishing, coffee table book, coffee table books, luxury books, Tommy Hilfiger

Assouline: Designer Chic at the Plaza

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Books, Luxury Shopping

Tucked away on the mezzanine level of New York's Plaza Hotel is a beauty of a boutique. Assouline,best-known for superb coffee table books that you actually want to read not just admire, is a treasure trove of art, design, fashion, and photography books. If you have ever wondered how Ralph Lauren, Donna Karen, and some 100 other top American designers live, new this fall from Assouline is American Fashion Designers at Home by Rima Suqi. Another stellar publication for fashionistas who yearn or own one of the best Swiss timepieces is Piaget by Franco Cologni. He documents why this Swiss watch company has maintained its pre-eminence since its founding in 1874.

Gallery: Assouline at The Plaza

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Fancy Color Diamond Book Explores The World Of Rare Colored Diamonds

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Books

The last few years have seen the prices of colored diamonds hit new highs. These rare beauties get their full due in the Fancy Color Diamond Book a new publication from Assouline. The book is a 231-page book that combines the lush imagery of a coffee-table book with solid information on the world of colored stones. It serves as a reference both for professionals and interested consumers. The book is written by Eden Rachminov, one of the world experts on fancy color diamonds and a third generation diamantaire. He began the project as a service to his clients and spent two and a half years to write and research the book.

The Fancy Color Diamond Book explores the full range of fancy colors of diamonds discussing issues of grading, clarity and the role of fluorescence in determining the value of fancy color diamonds.The book includes a Fancy Color Diamond Value Scale Comparison and is full of beautiful photographs and illustrations. It sells for $220.

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