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Bo Derek Chosen As Billionaire's Date For Vienna Opera Ball

Austrian billionaire Richard Lugner has a nearly 20-year-old tradition of flying in a date for the Vienna Opera Ball. Each year he chooses a celebrity date to accompany him to the event. Last year the guest was supposed to be Lindsay Lohan but she missed her flight and was unable to attend.

This year the 78-year-old businessman has chosen the lovely Bo Derek as his date. The Austrian Independent reports that Lugner, who manages Vienna's Lugner City shopping center, said that Derek was his third choice and that two other stars had canceled before he signed her. Previous Lugner dates have included Sophia Loren, Carmen Electra, Paris Hilton and Pamela Anderson. The ball takes place on March 3.

Tags: austria, bo derek, richard lugner, vienna, vienna opera ball

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Aurelio Lech Wins Editors' Choice Award for Best in Winter Travel (with video)

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Hotel Aurelio Lech wins the Editors' Choice Award for Best in Winter Travel from Luxist.

Aurelio Lech, the quaint boutique hotel nestled in the exclusive resort of Lech am Arlberg, is the winner of Luxist's Editors' Choice Award for Best in Winter Travel.

The hotel is located in Lech am Arlberg, in the Lech and Zürs area. One of Europe's finest skiing destinations, the area offers the glamour and glitz of Milan or Paris in the setting of a quaint mountain town. Packed with top-notch restaurants, stellar scenery and copious entertainment opportunities, the area dates back to the fourteenth century. Like many ski resorts in Austria – as opposed to ones in France and Switzerland – Lech and Zürs offers a slightly younger, more laid-back atmosphere.

Though the Aurelio Lech is located in an longtime ski village, it is new, only opening in December 2008. The hotel is well-equipped and provides all the sophistication and comforts of a world-class hotel, from its gorgeous spa to the lovely indoor swimming pool where guests can relax after a hard day on the slopes.

Gallery: More from Hotel Aurelio

Tags: aurelio lech, Austria, awards-main, lech and zurs, Lech Ski School, luxist-awards, ski, ski hotels, ski resorts, winners-editors-choice, winners-winter-travel

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Viennese Wine - A Tasting With Fritz Wieninger

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Last month in Vienna, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Fritz Wieninger, president of WIENWEIN and owner and operator of Weingut Wieninger, one of the most successful and popular Austrian wineries.

Before you go judging, Austrian wine may not be what you think. Austrian wines have had years of unjustified bad press due to lies (poor or sweetened wines falsely labeled "Austria") and a general different approach to the marketing and distribution of their wines. At one time, wine in Austria was far cheaper and more common than water -- and to this day, you'll be surprised by how many Austrian restaurants only serve wine they've made themselves. They don't even advertise it; it's normal.

There are vineyards within the city limits of Vienna -- in fact, there are quite a few of them. Viennese wine has a distinct flavor and rich history; its reputation and commercialization are only now catching up to its quality. Fritz Wieninger and WIENWEIN are leading the pack of vintners who are bringing Viennese wine to the international market with a newfound confidence. I did my best to learn as much as I possibly could from him about Viennese wine. And by that, I mean I drank a lot of wine with him. But first, we went on a tour of his Vienna facilities.

Gallery: Tour of Weingut Wieninger

Tags: Austria, Vienna, Weingut, Wieninger, WIENWEIN, Wine

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Mühlbauer Hats - Vienna's Must-See Hat Shop

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Luxury Travel & Hotels

Green riding hat adorned with pins and tassels

Without knowing it, you may have already seen a Mühlbauer hat. They've been worn by celebrities from Brad Pitt to Yoko Ono, and for good reason: they are gorgeous and remarkably well-made. Mühlbauer has 12 locations worldwide and can be purchased at Project No. 8 in Brooklyn and Fred Segal Hats in Santa Monica (that's it for the USA), but it all started in Vienna.

The company began in 1903 with a millinery and small hat shop in Floridsdorf, a suburb of Vienna. Today, fourth generation Mühlbauer, Klaus Mühlbauer, runs the company -- and he and his sister Marlies design all the collections, which are hand-made right in Vienna. The craftsmanship is of extraordinarily elite quality, making it a treat just to try on the hats. Also, if you can't afford to purchase one for yourself, you can pick up a classic Viennese hat pin for under 20 euros, which they make in charmingly quaint styles like fish and flowers with "Austria"-emblazoned ribbons.

The upcoming collection for Spring and Summer is called "Hello Josefine" in honor of the youngest addition to the Mühlbauer family, Klaus' daughter. We got a sneak peek at some of the upcoming styles and had a ball browsing around in the Vienna Mühlbauer location at Seilergasse 10 in the 1st district.

Gallery: Favorites at Mühlbauer Hats

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board and Cool Capitals, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: austria, hat, hat shop, hats, Mühlbauer, milliner, millinery, Muhlbauer, vienna

A Tour of the Vienna State Opera House

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Unappreciated in the architects' time. Imagine.

The Vienna State Opera House is surely one of the grandest and most beloved structures in the entire world, but it wasn't always so well appreciated.

Architects Eduard van der Nüll (1812-1868) and August Sicard von Sicardsburg (1813-1868) were the winners of the contest to design the new Opera House on "The Ring" (Ringstrasse) in 1858 with the motto "Fais ce que dois, advient que pourra," which is French for "Do what you must, come what may." Unfortunately, the Viennese were not very impressed with what they did. Many thought the staircase wasn't grand enough (or high enough) or that the style was too romantic. Also, the Ringstrasse was raised by a meter right in front of the House during its construction, leading naysayers to liken it to a "sunken box." Van der Nüll reportedly killed himself due to the criticism, and Von Sicardsburg, who had lived with him, died shortly after of a heart attack. Neither lived to see its opening day in 1869 -- which was the premiere of Mozart's Don Giovanni.

Over a hundred years later, following wars and restorations, ballets and operas are still performed nightly in the astonishing space to sold-out houses, and the Opera Ball is the most important ball of the Vienna Ball Season. I cannot imagine a better home for the ornate and awe-inspiring building than Vienna, where culture is king. In May, June, September and October, about 120 live performances are actually projected onto an enormous wall in the square outside the opera house -- free for everyone to enjoy.

Van der Nüll and Von Sicardsburg were woefully under-appreciated in their own time, so let's take a moment to appreciate their work now:

Gallery: The Vienna State Opera House

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: austria, ballet, opera, opera house, vienna

$700,000 Austrian Emperor's Chimney Piece Heads Sotheby's Sale

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions, Art

Looking for a unique item to add a regal flourish to your interior decor? An extremely rare, important and well-preserved neo-Gothic terracotta chimney piece commissioned for Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia and King of Hungary, in the late 19th century, is being offered for sale during Sotheby's' Origines, Architecture & Heritage, Decoration and Garden Statuary auction in Paris on March 31. The incredible 8.5-ft. tall piece, built to surround a kingly fireplace at one of the imperial Hapsburg family palaces and bearing the emperor's coat of arms, is expected to fetch up to $700,000. Two knights standing on Corinthian columns flank the mantelpiece, which also bears the Emperor's motto Viribus Unitis, "With united forces."

Tags: antiques, antiquities, architecture, Austria, bohemia, chimney piece, emperor, fireplace, franz Joseph I, Hapsburg, hungary, palace, royalty, Sothebys, sothebys auction paris, terracotta

The $15,000 Platinum Bentley Sunglasses

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Men's Style

At the Geneva Motor Show Bentley just unveiled a new line of limited edition sunglasses created in collaboration with Austrian eyewear manufacturer Estede. Working with the famed British marque's design teams in Crewe, England, the Estede for Bentley collection features precious metals - silver palladium, 18 carat gold and, most exclusive of all, platinum, which Estede claims has never before been used in eyewear - and innovative surface treatments mirroring Bentley's quilted leather upholstery. Available in two different sizes, the aviator-style shades will be offered in a presentation box containing interchangeable lenses for varying activities. Each pair will be individually numbered and can also be engraved with owner's name and / or Bentley model number. Prices will range from about $1,900 for the silver palladium version and $5,500 for the 18 carat gold all the way up to $15,000 for the platinum model.

Tags: Austria, Bentley, Estede, eyewear, Geneva Motor Show, GenevaMotorShow, platinum, precious metal, PreciousMetal, sunglasses, UK

A Peek Inside the Historic Hotel Imperial, Vienna

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's a rare treat to stay in a hotel that looks and feels like a palace. Such is the case with Hotel Imperial in Vienna.

This historic property, now part of Starwood's The Luxury Collection, has been serving as host to dignitaries, queens and emperors since its doors opened in 1873. It was commissioned by the Duke of Württemberg for his wife, but, as the legend goes, she didn't like it (something about it not having a garden). Fortunately, the magnificent building was purchased by the enterprising Horace, Ritter von Landau, who wisely decided to turn it into a hotel. The breathtaking, expansive lobby on the ground floor originally served as stables for guests' horses, and in World War II, it was occupied by the Russians, who made it their headquarters until returning it in 1955. The staff famously hid 150 of the hotel's fabulous Persian rugs -- one by one -- in a Viennese bank to keep them safe during the occupation.

Hotel Imperial has naturally undergone several renovations; the most recent was a 10 million euro project in 2000 which converted the hotel's upper floors, once offices and servants' quarters, into additional rooms. The 138 guestrooms now feature flat screen televisions, electronic key access and beautiful amenities from fresh flowers in the unique living rooms to spacious marble bathrooms stocked with Bulgari products. It is the only hotel in all of Austria which offers butler service.

There are a number of reasons to stay at the Hotel Imperial, ranging from its excellent Ringstrassen location to the charm of each room being different, and the appeal of knowing that great composers premiering their work at the State Opera House down the street, as well as dukes, princesses, kings and presidents have slept, perhaps, in your very room. I'd tell you who, but one can really only name drop when the list isn't very long. I've got a Word document seven pages long in front of me, and the names are in small type.

If you don't have the opportunity to stay in Hotel Imperial, it is worth your time to visit the first-rate dining room for dinner, or even the ground floor cafe for lunch -- be sure and get a signature Imperial Torte and the Imperial Coffee Melange. Who knows, you may catch sight of an important visiting celebrity.

Gallery: A Peek Inside The Hotel Imperial, Vienna

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: Austria, Hotel, Hotel Imperial, HotelImperial, starwood, the luxury collection, TheLuxuryCollection, Vienna

Thursday Nights at Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Art

One thing you mustn't miss in Vienna is the Museum of Fine Arts. The building is so astonishing, one assumes it was originally a palace of some kind -- but the Viennese were wise and appreciative of art; the building was built to house the great many collected (and stolen) masterpieces of the Austrian Empire. Their wisdom continues today: they have a delightful Thursday night program for both tourists and locals to enjoy the art and each other.

Thursday nights at Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts are catered by Gerstner, one of Austria's finest caterers (and perhaps one of the world's). Purchase a 48 euro ticket in advance to gain admission to both the museum and a roped off area in the center of the museum where you can feast on appetizer and dessert buffets, as well as be served your choice of delicious entree. Drinks are not included, but plenty are available, from spirits to Viennese wine, and the staff is attentive and friendly. The best part of all this is that you can dine at your leisure from 6:30 to 10:00 PM and visit the various exhibits between courses.

Have a bowl of bisque and a glass of champagne, visit the Bruegels, munch on a Caprese salad, visit the Raphaels, order a bottle of red and a delicious filet, go see the Rubens, choose a few little desserts, then see more by Velazquez, Dürer, Titian, Tintoretto and others. Doesn't that sound like the best way to spend a Thursday evening? Personally, I'd have trouble topping that.

Visit the Kunsthistorisches Museum website for more information on the Gerstner Art & Delight Evening Buffet.

Gallery: Kunsthistorisches Museum - Vienna's Museum of Fine Arts

My visit to Vienna was sponsored by the Vienna Tourist Board, but the opinions expressed in the article are 100% my own.

Tags: Austria, Gerstner, Kunsthistorisches, museum, Vienna

The Sacher Torte

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

The Sacher Torte is a legendary Viennese treasure. This delicious chocolate treat, served at the Hotel Sacher, has been enjoyed, imitated and even served as the subject of much debate.

The Sachertorte is comprised of layers of chocolate cake and apricot jam encased in a rich dark chocolate icing and served with whipped cream. I wasn't going to bother with such a simple confection, but a friend in Vienna told me that it had blown her expectations away and so, one night after a ballet at the State Opera and some sausage from the famed sausage stand nearby, I made my way across the street to the Hotel Sacher to try it.

Oh my god.

Though the Sachertorte is normally served as a slice of cake, you can get a mini version -- I recommend this as it can't be good for you, but I have to say, I probably could have eaten not only a slice, but the entire cake. There is something magical about the flavor. I don't know what to tell you, other than that it is somehow transcendentally greater than the sum of its parts.

Gallery: The Original Sacher Torte - and a Peek Inside Demel

Tags: austria, chocolate, Demel, dessert, hotel sacher, HotelSacher, sacher, sacher torte, SacherTorte, vienna

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How to Eat Tafelspitz

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels

If you should find yourself in Austria and served a generous, yet rustic meal of Tafelspitz, you'll need to know what to do. Look no further than Luxist; we've got you covered.

Tafelspitz is a traditional Austrian meal meaning "tip [of meat] for the table." Big copper pots of beef, bones and vegetables (all together) are typically served. They are still simmering, so it's important to eat your meal correctly and in order.

The first step of eating Tafelspitz is the soup. Ladle a generous helping of the hot broth into the soup bowl you've been given. Enjoy -- those Austrian noodles are especially tasty.

Next, ladle out a bone. This is not for the delicate. Bone marrow has only recently become popular in the United States, but is a time-honored traditional food in many European countries. Chunks of bone will be in your Tafelspitz pot, and you are to scoop them out and eat the gelatinous marrow inside. Spread the marrow on slices of bread. According to my Viennese friends, it's a fatty, yet nutritious food, comparable to the fatty-yet-nutritious values of avocado. I ate it prepared this way myself and can report it's very tasty -- just don't let the texture ruin your experience.

Tags: austria, bone marrow, BoneMarrow, dining, tafelspitz, vienna

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Attending a Ball in Vienna

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events

Though the art of social dance is a tradition forgotten by many, in Vienna, ball season is alive and well.

Every year, more than 300 grand balls are held. Ladies and gentlemen in gowns and black tie assemble to waltz, see, and be seen in some of Austria's finest venues, including the Imperial Palace. I had the pleasure of attending once such ball this year, The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, held annually at said location with a guest list of over 5,000.

The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, like most balls in Vienna, is open to the public. Just as every child in Vienna is taught social dance as a school requirement, every single person in Austria is eligible to attend most balls, simply by buying a ticket. Table seating and drinks come at an additional cost, as do carriage rides, fabulous dresses and other associated expenditures, but in Vienna, you'd be a fool not to attend at least one of these important societal gatherings each year -- and if you're a tourist, it's an experience you will never, never forget.

A typical ball evening begins with dinner, as one must prep for a late night of dancing. Then, most guests head to the ball venue around 7:30 PM to see the opening ceremony -- though I'm told "professional" ball goers, or people who've been attending several balls per week for years, tend to skip the ceremony and arrive at 11 or so when the real "party" starts. Depending on which ball it is, the ceremony may be less or more lavish. The Coffeehouse Owners' Ball included not only singing, dancing, and speeches by dignitaries and, of course, coffeehouse owners, but a presentation by Austria's most accomplished debutantes, who must apply and audition for a coveted debut slot at one of the larger balls.

Once the ceremonies are completed, the ball begins. At the Coffeehouse Owners' Ball, Professor Thomas Schäfer-Elmayer, Austria's etiquette expert, announces "Alles walzer!" or "Everyone waltz!" -- and that they do.

Tags: Austria, Ball, Dancing, Elmayer, Vienna, Viennese, viennese waltz, VienneseWaltz, Waltz

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J & L Lobmeyr - A Chandelier Emporium Suspended in Time

by Annie Scott (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Video

If you love chandeliers, you must absolutely add Vienna to your list of places to visit. The imperial style of architecture and palatial interior designs include unfathomable chandeliers everywhere from the Vienna State Opera House to restaurants and even shopping centers.

One landmark not to miss is the legendary J&L Lobmeyr shop. J&L Lobmeyr is a family business with a rich heritage over 100 years old. The shop was built in 1895 and is the last "originally kept" shop remaining in Vienna. Watch the video and look at the design to see what that means. The style of the sales floor is quite purposefully open; Lobmeyr was and is a place for the wealthy to see each other and be seen. More privacy is available upstairs for the shyer clientele.

We met with owner Andreas Rath (a 6th generation descendant of the original Lobmeyrs who runs the store with his two cousins), who explained that Lobmeyr's chandeliers are restored and/or created in a workshop just ten minutes away. The artists make a point of creating the chandeliers in the same way they were made in their originating time period. A Baroque chandelier, for example, will be made as it was during the Baroque era. Lobmeyr's is the last workshop in the world doing several of these procedures (such as old-style gilding), as this often involves dangerous chemical poisons. "We have several skilled people, and one unskilled one," joked Rath.

Tags: Austria, chandelier, chandeliers, JL Lobmeyr, JlLobmeyr, Lobmeyr, Vienna

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Austrian Billionaire Pays $150,000 for a Date with Lindsay Lohan

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Celebrity Shopping

Austrian billionaire Richard Lugner is continuing his 19 year old tradition of buying a celebrity date to one of Austria's premier social events, the Vienna Opera Ball, and this year the lucky lady will be none other than Lindsay Lohan. Lugner is a 77 year old divorced father of three that apparently gets a kick out of paying for bombshell celebrity escorts -- in years past he's had the likes of Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson, and Sophia Loren on his arm for the event. This year Lohan was his second choice, after British actress Katie Price became unavailable, and rumors suggest she's turning out to be a high-maintenance date as she's refusing to choose a gown ahead of time and Lugner is going to be partly responsible for making sure she doesn't drink during the event (including having all the liquor removed from the mini-bar in her hotel room).

Source

Tags: austria, lindsay lohan, LindsayLohan, richard lugner, RichardLugner, vienna

Readers' Choice Winners for Best in Winter Travel

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Votes have been cast for Best Ski Hotel, Best International Ski Destination, Best Caribbean Cruise Line, Best City Hotel and Best Luxury Family Winter Destination. The Luxist Readers' Choice Award Winners are all leaders in their respective fields.

Best Ski Hotel
Aurelio Lech, Austria's most luxurious ski and spa lodge, nestled in the exclusive resort of Lech am Arlberg, is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best Ski Hotel. Aurelio Lech, which opened in December 2008, provides all the sophistication and comforts of a world-class hotel combined with the ambiance and elegance of a private residence. Each of its nineteen bedrooms and suites were individually designed and offer cozy, chic and extremely luxurious amenities. The resort's 14 deluxe double rooms and five suites and junior suites all offer views of the snowy slopes. The resort offers two spas, including the Spa at Aurelio Lech which is a holistic day spa with exclusive treatments, a modern fitness center complete with the latest equipment and a personal coach, several indoor pools including an activity pool, an extensive thermal suite and a tranquil meditation center where guests relax in front of an open fire. The Ski Spa has a herbal sauna, aroma vapor bath, cooling-off pool, blossom bath, adventure showers, Jacuzzi, Techno-Gym equipment and treatment rooms. At 23 meters in length, one of the resort's two swimming pools is the largest and deepest swimming pool in Lech.

Best International Ski Destination
Lech and Zürs in Austria is the winner of the Readers' Choice Award for Best International Ski Destination. One of Europe's finest skiing locations, Lech and Zürs offers the glamour and glitz of Milan or Paris in the setting of a quaint mountain town. Packed with top-notch restaurants, stellar scenery and copious entertainment opportunities, it is made up of the neighboring hamlets Lech am Arlberg and Zürs. Lech and Zürs dates back to the fourteenth century. Like many ski resorts in Austria – as opposed to ones in France and Switzerland – Lech and Zürs offers a slightly younger, more laid-back atmosphere. It is established as one of the world's greatest ski resorts and a snowy playground for Europe's rich and famous. Renowned for its five month guaranteed snow season, glamour and quality skiing, attractions include outdoor performances like "Viva Verdi: The Magic of Arias in the Alpine Landscape," a riveting performance of light, fire and passion enacted on a unique outdoor stage setting consisting of several hundred cubic meters of snow and ice with an impressive natural backdrop.

Tags: aurelio lech, AurelioLech, Austria, awards-main, Caribbean cruises, CaribbeanCruises, lech and zurs, LechAndZurs, luxist-awards, ski resorts, SkiResorts, wintertravel-awards, wintertravel-main

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