Montreux

Annie Scott's Incredible Journeys in 2010

This year, I am thankful and fortunate to have traveled to 16 countries for my work with Luxist, AOL Travel and Gadling, including Austria, Belgium, Dominican Republic, Barbados, England, Scotland, Switzerland, France, Aruba, Curacao, Spain, Zambia, Mexico, Italy, South Africa and within the United States. Some trips were press trips, and others were my own adventures, like my honeymoon in Florence. Each trip had its own merits, but, as this is Luxist, a year-end roundup of the most luxurious places I was lucky enough to visit is called for.

Here are the top five most lavish and thrilling experiences I had in 2010, where I stayed, and a little more information about each of the trips. Perhaps you'll be inspired to take one of these journeys yourself in 2011!

Tags: Abercrombie Kent, Annie Scott, cannes, Lausanne, luxury travel, Montreux, Montreux Jazz Festival, Oscar de la Renta, Punta Cana, Sanctuary Retreats, Swiss Riviera, Vienna, Zambia

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The Magic of Montreux and the Swiss Riviera

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Swiss Riviera is undeniably one of the most beautiful parts of the world. Whether you stay in the five-star Beau-Rivage Palace or shack up for a more reasonable price at a UNESCO World Heritage Site winery (like this one), the landscape alone will soothe your soul and inspire your mind. One particular gem along the glistening string of Lake Geneva towns is Montreux.

You may have heard of Montreux in relation Hemingway's A Farewell to Arms (it served as a safe-haven for Catherine Barkley and Lt. Frederic Henry) or the Montreux Jazz Festival, an annual event curated by Claude Nobs which has featured nearly every great artist of the last 44 years (that's how long it's been running), from Aretha Franklin to Prince, from Miles Davis to the Black Eyed Peas. Though no longer focused specifically on jazz, but more on popular music of the times, the festival has become one of the most prestigious in Europe -- this year, they are operating with a 22 million Swiss Franc budget (about $20,992,356) -- and you can be sure the performers don't mind spending time on Lake Geneva (above).

Tags: beauty, Bill Gates, caux, lausanne, lavaux, montreux, swiss riviera, switzerland

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Fairmont Le Montreux Palace Unveils Multimillion-Dollar Revamp

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

Switzerland's legendary Fairmont Le Montreux Palace (above), originally built in 1906, will unveil a multimillion-dollar renovation by noted interior designer Fiona Thompson next month, including a new suite fashioned in honor of flamboyant Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The luxurious Beaux-Arts hotel, which overlooks the French Alps and is located on the shores of Lake Geneva, is introducing a contemporary new redesign of its guest rooms, Brasserie and public spaces, including the Freddie Mercury Suite. Mercury was a Montreux resident and frequent guest of the hotel, as were such luminaries as Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Lord Byron, Leo Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, and Vladimir Nabokov.

The 235-room luxury resort offers 190 elegantly-appointed rooms and 45 suites and junior suites, 12 conference and meeting rooms, and the 21,000 square foot Willow Stream Spa in addition to the resort's renovated Brasserie, a new lobby lounge and bar, and the famous Harry's New York bar. Elegant and timeless, the guest rooms at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace contrast traditional and contemporary new design elements with breathtaking views of Lake Geneva. Color palettes are light and airy set against a series of colorful photographic prints throughout the rooms, representing the reflective qualities of water.

Tags: Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, FairmontLeMontreuxPalace, Freddie Mercury, FreddieMercury, Geneva, hotel, Montreux, spa, Switzerland, Vladimir Nabokov, VladimirNabokov