Bardessono

Ma(i)sonry in Napa Valley: Wine Tasting with an Artistic Twist

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wine

Ma(i)sonry in Napa Valley for Wine Tasting

Walk through the door at Ma(i)sonry and you won't find the usual faux-Italian or French décor that typifies tasting rooms in Yountville, Calif. Instead, you'll discover a space haunted by gold-plated skulls, abstract sculpture and giant chrome contraptions that look like the ancestors of the modern spotlight.

A steam-punk aesthetic pervades the century-old stone house, converted in 2007 to a tasting room that doubles as an exhibition space. Various mammalian vertebrae and reclaimed metal sculptures hang from exposed beams and dot the wooden shelves, an ambiance that could be the brainchild of Georgia O'Keefe and Damien Hirst, had they lived together on a 19^th Century farm.

Gallery: Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley

All of this makes for a fascinating place to taste wines from the 14 small local producers whom Ma(i)sonry represents. Check in at the front desk and head upstairs to one of the quirky rooms in the back. Pass a stack of disembodied men's shirt collars under a specimen glass and ease yourself into a worn leather armchair. Before ordering your first glass of wine, drink up the trinkets: a wooden humidor with a Cuban flag carved in to the cover, a paper bird sculpture made from shavings of Dostoevsky's House of the Dead.

Ma(i)sonry's menu includes an array of both pre-selected and customizable flights from nearby wineries. On a rainy Wednesday, the Collector's Flight ($40) is a sampling of four wines highlighted by the 2004 Husic Vineyards Cabernet, chocolatey with hints of nutmeg and raspberry jam, and the 2006 Rivera Cabernet, tannic and tinted with a taste of blackberries and green tea. All are part of a run of 1,000 cases or less.

Have as many glasses as you like – Ma(i)sonry is a mere five-minute walk from a firmament of Michelin-spangled restaurants (Bistro Jeanty, Bouchon, Redd, and the French Laundry) as well as the posh eco-lodge Bardessono (which was nominated for a Luxist Award for Best Green Spa in March).

Tags: awards-main, bardessono, California, luxist-awards, Maisonry, Napa Valley, wine, wine tasting, wines, yountville

A Visit to The Bardessono in California's Wine Country

by Zack O'Malley Greenburg (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

As with most resorts, the first thing you'll notice at Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., is the lobby. But this one's a bit different from the usual. Swaths of plants grow on strings running from the floor to the ceiling, nourished by nothing but the air. A sepia sculpture made from recycled newspaper hangs on a parallel wall. Those might be unusual touches at a normal hotel, but in the Napa Valley's premier eco-lodge, it's par for the course.

Founded in February of 2009, Bardessono, which was a Luxist Awards' nominee for best green spa in March, boasts the largest renewable power system of any hotel in North America. Over 900 photovoltaic panels convert the sun's energy into 260,000 kilowatt hours annually; unused output is sold back to the grid. The resort is heated and cooled by a network of 82 geothermal wells that stretch 300 feet below the grape vines out front. Motion sensors control lights and shades in each of the 62 rooms, ensuring that nearly nothing goes to waste. Along those lines, you won't find plastic bags in the hotel's wastepaper baskets, and filtered water is served in reusable glass jugs instead of bottles. Even the bathroom toiletries come in big, refillable bottles instead of the disposable (and easily pilfered) airline-safe containers.

Gallery: More from the Bardessono

Bardessono's dining room keeps with the resort's "deep green" mission statement. The delicious, heavily organic menu draws from local farms and fisheries; most of the wines hail from nearby vineyards as well. Like the guest rooms, which are free of the rugs, bedspreads and curtains deemed unnecessary by the green police, the dining room is somewhat spare. The only flourishes are a wispy, LED-lit chandelier and a magnificent long wood table made from a reclaimed tree trunk. A few paintings – or eco-friendly art installments – would be a welcome addition.

The resort's strongest point is its integrated spa services. Though there's a dedicated spa near the communal pool and hot tub, each guest room is designed to accommodate two massage tables and two masseurs. Call ahead to book a couple's massage and watch as your room is transformed into a miniature spa, complete with tea lights and soothing music piped in from Sirius Satellite Radio's unlikely spa channel. Bardessono's massage therapists will customize your treatment no matter how specific (they proved adept at soothing this writer's keyboard-addled wrists). When they're done, they'll leave you to luxuriate on the massage table as long as you like.

Bardessono guests don't have to worry about staying sober enough to drive – the resort is less than ten minutes by foot from fine restaurants including the French Laundry, the only establishment in the area to earn Michelin's coveted three star rating. Don't forget to check out one of the nearby tasting rooms, especially the new and funky Ma(i)sonry. Bardessono also offers a bike shop where guests can rent cycles for free.

As a Napa Valley connoisseur might say, Bardessono is a little young. Barely a year old, there are still trees that need to grow taller and walls that perhaps need more adornment. But the amenities and design elements are there – like a fine wine, Bardessono will only get better with age. In the meantime, guests can enjoy a fine spa and resort on a clean environmental conscience.

Tags: Bardessono, eco-friendly, hotels, luxist-awards, luxury hotels, napa valley, spa, spas, yountville

Nominees for Best in Spas

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Best Day Spa
The first nominee has 20 locations around the world, its own line of take-home products and an attitude almost as refreshing as its spa treatments while the second nominee is a luxurious spa ensconced in a sumptuous hotel located in one of the most splendid cities in the world. The third nominee is widely recognized for revolutionizing the day spa, while stepping into the fourth us reminiscent of a sixteenth century Mediterranean villa, albeit in San Diego. The final nominee offers body treatments and skincare with techniques borrowed from European and Asian tradition with sweeping views of the Hong Kong Harbor.

Bliss
Dior Institute at the Plaza Athénée
Exhale
The Spa at The Grand del Mar
Peninsula Spa by Espa

Best Green Spa
The first nominee is a Napa Valley retreat that opened a year ago while the second, also in the California wine country takes green to a whole new level. The third nominee is in Australia, nestled in the middle of the world's oldest living rain forest, while the fourth is located more than 500 miles off the coast of East Africa, making it one of the world's most exclusive and secluded spas. The final nominee is located in Hawaii and is powered almost entirely by the energy soaked up by solar panels that adorn the roofs of nearly all of its structures.

Bardessono
Calistoga Ranch
Daintree Eco Lodge & Spa
Frégate Island Private
Sullivan Estate & SPA Retreat

Best Extended Stay Spa
The first nominee is the recipient of countless awards and accolades for its innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care while the second offers different site-specific perks at each of its five locations. The third nominee offers all-inclusive stays that include airfare and is located in the mountains of Arizona. The fourth nominee dates back over 80 years and is located in a charming historic town 35 miles south of Santa Barbara and the final nominee is the original destination fitness resort and spa.

Canyon Ranch
Golden Door Spas
Miraval
Ojai Valley Inn & Spa
Rancho La Puerta

Best Men's Spa

The first nominee offers the best of ancient Asian relaxation techniques while the second is "comfortable and stylish" and "reassuringly masculine." The third nominee has earned the title of "El Primer Spa Masculino" in its native Buenos Aires. The fourth nominee has styled itself as a destination for a new generation of men and the final nominee, which is based in Chicago, has a distinct masculine feel to it, thanks to exposed brick walls, rich wood trim and a beer-stocked refrigerator.

Chuan Body and Soul
Gentlemen's Tonic
Markus for Men
Nickel Spa
Sir Spa

Best International Spa

The first nominee offers results-oriented programs and is located on the island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The second nominee was built in the 17th century by Ferdinando I de' Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the Tuscan countryside while the third nominee is the only treetop spa in Polynesia. The fourth has long been a favorite retreat for Hollywood celebrities and savvy travelers alike since it originally opened in 1956. The final nominee is in Costa Rica amidst a lush rain forest setting complete with a thermal mineral river and a volcano.

Capri Palace Hotel & Spa
Fonteverde Natural Spa Resort
Marù Spa at Bora Bora Lagoon Resort & Spa
One&Only Palmilla
Tabacón Resort

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World's Best Spas

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

Nominations have been received and vetted for the best-of-breed in day spas, green spas, extended stay spas, men's spas and international spa retreats. The Luxist Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Spas will be awarded based on your voting.

Vote for what you believe is the best of breed for each of these categories. The Readers' Choice Awards for Best in Spas will be announced on April 1st.

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Bardessono: Green Healing in the California Wine Country

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spas

For those who'd like to ensure that personal relaxation doesn't have an adverse effect on the environment, Luxist's best green spa nominees offer the best of both worlds. The freshly minted Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., is one of the top options.

Founded in February of 2009, Bardessono is the product of a wealth of time and experience that belies its young age. The Napa Valley retreat was conceived by Phil Sherburne, a former Seattle city planner and son of organic dairy farmers. Now a conscientious developer, Sherburne brought Seattle architect Ron Mitchell on board to design the sustainable 62-room hotel. The resort practices green building and operating practices. It is heated and cooled by underground geothermal heating and cooling system. The hotel is powered almost entirely by its 940 rooftop solar panels.

Gallery: More from the Bardessono

Every room at Bardessono is designed as an environment-friendly personal spa, from the locally sourced stone and salvaged woods to the organic food, bedding and even cleaning supplies. Spa Suites offer an open living space and generous amounts of natural light with a luxurious bathroom, gas fireplace and a private courtyard. The custom bathroom, designed to double as a private spa, features a concealed massage table, a soaking tub, separate shower, and double vanity. The Spa Therapy Center offers rooms for couples' massages and facials. The saunas are equipped with a far-infrared sauna for the ultimate purification.

Specific in-room massages range from the 60-minute Vinotherapie Massage ($125), where your skin will be rejuvenated with organic Chardonnay grape seed oil, to the 120-minute Soothing Warm Stone Massage ($280), complete with river-worn stones applied by an experienced therapist. What better way to relax body, mind and conscience.

To use the words of a Luxist reader: "The resort is beautiful, the accommodations outstanding and the personnel very professional---and it is all green!"

Cast your vote for your favorite spa until March 31st. Winners will be announced on April 1.

Tags: awards-main, Bardessono, best green spa, green spa, luxist-awards, spa, spa-main

Top Ten Hotel Openings of 2009

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Hotels shutting their glass and filigree doors or going into some form of financial distress could have made more of this year's new than new openings; still, the quantity and quality of newly available suites to call your own felt just as stellar as in better years past. Sure, we didn't get the J line of hotels (yet), but we did get the Bardessono -- and 82 geothermal wells and hand-loomed Coyuchi linens are probably as good as anything Jay Z had to offer. Whittled to just ten, with the help of our friends over at TabletHotels.com, in no particular order here are Luxist's top openings of 2009...

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New Green Luxury Hotel Opens Today

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

A four-acre family home and vineyard is being billed as "America's greenest hotel." The Bardessono, a 62-room hotel, 92-seat restaurant and spa opens in Yountville, California today. The plans for the Napa Valley hotel have been in progress for 11 years, when the Bardessono family began their journey to turn family vineyard into a hotel. The family worked with Seattle developer Phil Sherburne to create a hotel that they hope will be awarded the platinum rating from the LEED Green Building Rating System. The 62-room hotel also includes a restaurant featuring locally sourced food and beverages and green spa that uses organic products.A rooftop pool includes private cabanas.

Salvaged wood was used for the project and two geothermal wells provide heat and cooling as well as hot water. Solar panels produce power and exterior Venetian blinds are automatically controlled to adjust to the sun. Other green features include low-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets, drought-resistant landscaping and organically-sourced linens and cleaning supplies. Rates start around $500 a night.

[via The Weekly Calistogan]

Source

Tags: bardessono, green, hotel, luxury, yountville