Tibet

The St. Regis Lhasa, Tibet: Designing the Luxury East/West Experience at 12,000 Feet

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, By Design

My colleague, Deidre Woollard, wrote in Luxist about opening of The St. Regis Lhasa Tibet in November, 2010. It is now receiving significant attention for its original architectural design that merges traditional Tibetan elements with signature St. Regis amenities into a luxury hotel literally on top of the world.

At 12,000 feet above sea level, it is one of the highest luxury hotels in the world, with unimpeded views of the Himalayas and Lhasa Valley. The resort was designed from the ground up with sustainable features including solar panels, locally-sourced produce and herbs for the resort's three signature restaurants, as well as an underground water recycling system.

The eight-acre-resort complex is inspired by the nearby world-famous Sera Monastery, built in 1419, a place of great architectural and spiritual significance to this region. The Sera Monastery developed over the centuries as a place of scholarly learning, and trained hundreds of scholars, many of whom have attained fame in the Buddhist nations. There are still nunneries and hermitages on the property, and is still home to famous Tibetan Monk debates about Buddhist sacred texts.

"The Sera Monastery is beautiful, dramatic and lively, and very much what I wanted to capture about Tibetan culture," said Jean-Michel Gathy, Principal Designer of Denniston International Architects, and the architect, interior and hardscape designer for the St. Regis Lhasa. "And, while the monastery is an immense place," he continues, " I appreciated how they have created many intimate spaces and courtyards. It was an excellent model for introducing the St Regis brand to this region."

Similar to the natural beauty of the surrounding Himalayas, the resort is surrounded on all sides by high pale gray walls made from stone, and landscaped with poplar and willow trees. The buildings have exteriors of stone with dark shale/tile pagoda-style roofs, an homage to the ancient Buddhist culture that surrounds the resort. There are three main complexes with buildings that house 150 guest rooms, 12 villas and suites, and a Presidential Suite. In addition, the resort features The Decanter Wine Bar and The Iridium Spa.

Tags: Barhkor area of Lhasa, Christian de Laubaudere, Denniston International Architects, Drepung Monastery, Heavenly Lake Namtso, Iridium Spa, Iridium Spa St. Regis, Jean-Michel Gathy, Jokhang Temple, Lhasa Tibet, Norbulingka, Potala palace, Sera Monastery, St. Regis Lhasa Resort, Tibet, Tibetan Buddhism Lhasa

Continue reading “The St. Regis Lhasa, Tibet: Designing the Luxury East/West Experience at 12,000 Feet”

St. Regis Opens First Luxury Hotel In Tibet

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Tibet's first luxury hotel is set to open for guests on November 15. The St. Regis Lhasa provides luxury at high altitudes while staying on the "Roof of the World." The St. Regis Lhasa Resort offers refined luxury within easy access of Potala Palace and Norbulingka, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Jokhang Temple. The once isolated enclave ruled by Tibetan Buddhist monks has changed greatly since the Chinese took over. There are now regular flights to the area and a high speed train service from central Qinghai province to Tibet. The Independent reports that the amount of visitors to Tibet has risen dramatically, up during the first nine months of 2010 to 5.8 million, which is 23 percent more than the same period last year.

The hotel has 150 rooms and villas and 12 suites including a Presidential Suite. The hotel also has restaurants, bars, an Iridium Spa and meeting space. Rooms have plasma televisions, marble bathrooms and high-speed Internet access. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort will be a green hotel using solar energy and underground water. It also operates a fleet of high-efficiency hybrid and turbo-diesel vehicles.

There are several different restaurants and lounges: Social - an all-day dining restaurant offering a wide selection of international cuisine; Si Zi Kang is a gastronomic Tibetan restaurant; Yan Ting Chinese Restaurant specializing in Cantonese and Sichuanese cuisine; the Tea Room, offering different blends of local and imported teas, and serving vintage teas aged from 10-25 years and Decanter by Haut-Brisson, a wine and cigar bar. The spa offers traditional Tibetan herbal treatments and ensures absolute soothing relief from altitude stress. Guests can choose to immerse themselves the gold-leaf immersion pool, or partake in Yoga or Pilates in the Meditation Garden. Rates start around $300 per night.

Tags: lhasa, st regis, st regis lhasa, tibet

Tibet House Announces Eighth Annual Benefit Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Events, Big Givers

Tibet House US has announced its eighth annual benefit auction to be held December 6th, 2010 at Christie's in New York City. A portion of the proceeds will go towards supporting many of the important projects and programs spawned by the Tibet House in their mission of displaying and maintaining the ancient traditions of the Tibetan civilization. This year the Tibet House has pledged to give another portion of the proceeds to the Tibetan Children's Village, an educational community for Tibetan children in exile.

The event always attracts high profile supporters. This year's Honorary Chair Committee includes Christy Turlington Burns & Ed Burns, Donna Karan, Yoko Ono Lennon, Sandra & Eric Ripert, Martin Scorsese, Trudie Styler & Sting, Uma Thurman, and Arden Wohl. The auction features some tempting offerings such as a $10,000 shopping-spree at Donna Karan's Urban Zen store; a Precision Bass guitar autographed by Sting; two VIP tickets to see His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the 2010 Newark Peacemaking Summit; a cooking class personally conducted by Chef Eric Ripert for ten people at Le Bernardin or in the winner's home, and an opportunity to join the Chef behind the scenes on one of his TV appearances; a private jet to the destination of your choice; memorabilia from Mick Jagger, John Lennon, Jim Morrison, Martin Scorsese and others. You can also bid on exotic travel adventures, contemporary art and photography as well as jewelry and a large selection of Tibetan antique and ceremonial objects, rugs, tangka paintings, statues and more. Pre-bidding on select items starts November 19 on Charity Buzz http://www.charitybuzz.com/auctions/tibethouse. Tickets to the cocktail reception and auction start at $175 and can be ordered online.

Tags: christies, christies auction house, tibet, tibet house

Mark Memorial Day in a Different Way at the Rubin Art Museum

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Events, Art

Memorial Day is the only national US holiday that focuses squarely on death -- remembering fallen members of the armed forces, to be exact, and many people will visit cemeteries and memorials this weekend in their honor.

If that's not quite your brand of vodka, might I suggest that you mark the holiday by visiting the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City? The museum is running a provocative exhibit called Remember that You Will Die, which upon reflection seems just right for such a holiday.

The RMA focuses on Himalayan art, and it's one of the city's newer museums -- it opened its doors in Chelsea in 2004. Remember that You Will Die exhibits 84 works of art and artifacts on the theme of death and the afterlife, gathering works from the East (Tibet) and the West, medieval and early Renaissance Europe along with one contemporary work, a video by American artist Bill Viola. I visited yesterday found a Tibetan apron made of bone and an English physician's walking stick topped with a skull pommel from circa 18th century to be particularly compelling.

Tags: art, death, memorial day, museum, museums, RubinArtMuseum, tibet

Continue reading “Mark Memorial Day in a Different Way at the Rubin Art Museum”

Shokay, Wrap Yourself In Yak

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Shokay is a knitwear brand with a unique story. It uses the soft fibers combed from Tibetan yaks to create blankets, scarves, earmuffs and other accessories as well as yarn for sale. Shokay is a social enterprise based in China that sources directly from Tibetan herders, enabling them to earn a long-term sustainable living. The yak fibers are processed in the Hei Ma He Village of of Qinghai Province in Western China and Shokay also works with knitters in Chong Ming Island off Shanghai.

The founders include Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government graduates who were inspired to create the business after traveling in the western Chinese provinces of Yunnan and Gansu. True to the school, the brand now also sells a line of Harvard scarves and beanies through the Harvard Shop.

The hand-knit throw shown at right has border stitching around the edges and features a chain of the auspicious Tibetan Knot of Eternity along the vertical length. It sells for $950.

Tags: china, shokay, social enterprises, SocialEnterprises, tibet, yak fiber, YakFiber

Tibet House US Benefit Auction at Christie's

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions, Events, Charity

The 7th annual Tibet House US Benefit auction is taking place on November 18th at Christie's Auction House in New York City. The event is aimed at promoting and preserving Tibetan culture. Proceeds from the auction will be divided to sustain the Tibet House and another organization with like-minded initiatives. Some funds will support projects and programs spawned by the Tibet House in their mission of displaying and maintaining the ancient traditions of the Tibetan civilization. The event will also donate to Tibetan Children's Village an integrated educational community for destitute Tibetan children in exile located in Dharamsala, India. The fundraiser will also benefit the Tibetan Community of New York and New Jersey.

Items to be auctioned off include a package of four VIP concert tickets and a meet and greet backstage with Sting, internships at Rolling Stone and US Weekly, a private journey for two to Bhutan with guest accommodations, a luxury yacht cruise for seven to the Bahamas with a week long stay in a private house on the beach, lunch at the Four Seasons restaurant in New York City with Uma and Robert Thurman, shopping and lunch with Donna Karan at her store, John Lennon, Martin Scorsese, and Miles Davis memorabilia, a one-week stay in a villa on the French Riviera, contemporary art and photographs from Annie Leibovitz, Patti Smith, Ed Ruscha, Donald Baechler, and more. TIckets to the event are $225 per person with VIP tickets that include a preview and private reception available for $500.

Gallery: Tibet House Auction

SNEAK PREVIEW OF THE TIBET HOUSE US BENEFIT CONCERT AT CARNEGIE HALL

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Tags: christies, dalai lama, DalaiLama, fundraiser, new york city, NewYorkCity, robert thurman, RobertThurman, sting, tibet, tibet house, TibetHouse, uma thurman, UmaThurman

Bejeweled Tibetan Skull Camera

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Okay, this thing creeps me out. Totally. And I don't really understand why somebody would take a real human skull and convert it into a camera, but this guy did it with the blessing of a Tibetan Lama.

On the inside it's two individual and separate cameras that each "see" out of pinholes in the eyes, creating three dimensional (and very spooky looking) photos. On the exterior the skull is adorned with various precious metals, stones, and gems (diamonds, rubies, sapphires, and opals), along with other interesting tidbits like sand and blood.

Interesting? Yes. Creative? Yes. A camera I want to use? No.

Via Bornrich

Gallery: Tibetan Skull Camera

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Tags: camera, skull, tibet, tibetan

Tibet Luxury Train Faces Slowdown

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's not looking to be a good week for train lovers. Yesterday, I mentioned that GrandLuxe Rail Journeys was shutting down their luxury train operations. Now the AFP brings news that the planned "five-star" train from Beijing to Tibet won't be starting service in September as had been reported back in March. A reason for the delay wasn't given nor was a new date for the launch provided. Speculation is that there was a delay in the delivery of the train's carriages. But the AFP also notes that government figures show that the number of tourists visiting Tibet in the first half of 2008 fell by about 70 percent over last year after the violent riots in March. In a clampdown on the area, Beijing barred all tourists from going to Tibet until the end of April and didn't allow foreign visitors back in until the end of June.

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Tags: china, tibet, trains

Classic Rug Introduces Luxe Collection

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Classic Rug Collection has just introduced its "Luxe Collection," a series of Eastern-inspired rugs hand-knotted from fine silks and featuring patterns borrowed from the graphic pasts of Morocco, Tibet and Nepal. Classic Rug has been known to provide custom decor to discerning interior designers and is perhaps best known for its collection of Gee's Bend inspired rugs, which were formerly on exhibit at the Whitney Museum and will be part of a special exhibit this September at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Note: Classic Rug Collection founder Barbara Barran also has a reputation for her commitment to eradicate child labor in the carpet industry.)

The Luxe Collection is primarily available by special order, although Classic Rug has teamed with 66Degrees.com to offer its limited edition Bargello rug through August 2008. The four by six foot piece inspired by 13th Century Florentine design is crafted from silk and pashmina in Nepal. I love this juxtaposition of age-old pattern from one part of the world and age-old technique from another. The Bargello rug sells for $4,400.

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Tags: barbara barran, BarbaraBarran, classic rug collection, ClassicRugCollection, gees bend quilts, GeesBendQuilts, luxe collection, LuxeCollection, morocco, nepal, rugs, tibet

China Plans Luxury Train Ride To Tibet

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

China already has a train line to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa but now they are planning to create, according to the AFP, "the most luxurious train in the world." The new train will have 12 passenger cars, two dining cars and a sightseeing car. The passenger cars will have four small suites (108 square feet) decorated like a five-star hotel with a double bed, living room and bathroom area. The five-day journey from Beijing will cost over $5,000 and will leave every eight days. The new luxury trains will start running September 1.

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Tags: beiing, china, lhasa, tibet, train

Starwood Hotels to Open St. Regis Resort in Lhasa

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

If a trip to Tibet is in your future you're not alone -- due to recent upgrades the area is currently experiencing a dramatic increase in international interest and tourism. As a result, Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide is planning to open a St. Regis Resort in Lhasa, which will be the first of its kind to open in the area in over a decade. Scheduled to start hosting guests in 2010, the 169 bed luxury hotel will offer the same services guests of the St. Regis New York have become accustomed to, including the famous English-trained butlers who will quietly and efficiently anticipate your every need and personalize your experience around the clock.

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Tags: butler, China, Lhasa, luxury hotel, LuxuryHotel, St Regis, St Regis Resort, StRegis, StRegisResort, Tibet, travel

China to Tibet Railroad Set To Open This Summer

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Trekking Tibet will soon take on a new luxury slant. In July the first train of the new Qinghai-Tibet railway will whisk take passengers from Beijing to Lhasa in 48 hours. The tourist trains will include viewing cars. The train is aimed at those who have always wanted to see Tibet but were wary of the arduous nature of the journey. The train will include oxygen bars to help travelers adjust to the higher altitude. The new train is expected to increase tourism in a major way and developers are working on improving tourist facilities along the railroad.

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Tags: china, locomotive, railroad, tibet, tourism, train

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