europe

Europe's Richest Man Building Scotland's Most Expensive Mansion

Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal is building the most expensive mansion ever erected in Scotland, next to the famed Gleneagles golf resort in Auchterarder, Perthshire. The London-based tycoon, Europe's richest man and the fifth richest man in the world with a fortune of $28.7 billion, is spending a record $23 million on the posh estate, including the $6 million mansion he tore down to make way for his new luxury fortress. His lavish private palace in London is reckoned to be the city's most expensive as well. Costs on the Perthshire project soared after Mittal decided some of the finished weren't up to standard, Scotland's Daily Record reports.

At one point he demanded a $125,000 bathroom be torn out and done over. "We are all very aware that Lakshmi Mittal has bought the property and he has been very particular about the specifications," one neighbor told the paper. "He has flown in several times and I have spoken to his wife, who seemed very down to earth. I get the impression she is more likely to use the facilities up here than her husband. I think their priority is getting it perfect." The six-bedroom main residence will have furnishings by Ralph Lauren, a state-of-the-art entertainment system, two kitchens and staff quarters among other amenities.

Tags: billionaire, estates, Europe, Gleneagles, India, Lakshmi Mittal, London, mansion, Perthshire, real estate, Scotland, UK, wealth, worlds most expensive

The Classicist: Paradise Lost - 40 Years of Cafe Society

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books, The Classicist, Wealth

In the 1920s, '30s, '40s and '50s the so-called Café Society in Europe drew together aristocrats, millionaires, artists, authors, couturiers, choreographers and musicians in a "glittering world of fashion and frivolity, opulence and ostentation", notes Thierry Coudert in his ultra-stylish new book, Café Society: Socialites, Patrons and Artists 1920 to 1960 from Flammarion. Those decades were the "apotheosis of an era that was to have a profound influence on the history of taste" Coudert writes, with the likes of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Lady Diana Cooper, Diana Vreeland, Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Cecil Beaton setting the tone and deciding which artists, designers, and musicians were in vogue. The cover of the book (above) depicts heiress Barbara Hutton, then the Countess von Reventlow, at a tennis match in 1940, while Yves Saint Laurent, Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and many more make cameos in the impressive volume.

Gallery: Cafe Society

Tags: Aristocrats, art, artists, books, Café Society, Cafe Society, coffee table books, Diana Vreeland, Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Duke of Windsor, Europe, fashion, France, Noel Coward, socialites, society, style, wealth, Yves Saint Laurent

Continue reading “The Classicist: Paradise Lost - 40 Years of Cafe Society”

Luxury Train Travel From Paris to Istanbul Aboard the Venice Simplon-Orient Express

by Carrie Coolidge (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Luxury Train Travel Through Europe on the Venice Simplon-Orient Express.

In little more than a century, the Orient Express has become perhaps the most celebrated train ever to grace a set of tracks, earning top billing in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and films inspired by the book. It's no surprise, then, that the latest incarnation---the Venice-Simplon Orient Express---has earned a Luxist Awards' nominee in the Best International Summer Vacation category.

The first direct Orient Express from Paris to Istanbul rattled down the tracks in 1889 after years of earlier editions dominated by treacherous transfers in the middle of the route. Bookended by two world wars, the roaring 1920s and 1930s saw the Express ferrying hordes of Europe's most glamorous citizens across the continent. But the middle of the century brought many changes in the world of transportation, and by the dawn of the new millennium, old-fashioned cars had been largely replaced by high-speed trains like the TGV.

Thanks to the privately-operated Venice-Simplon Orient Express, however, the tradition continues. Only one such train runs from Paris to Istanbul per year, but the itinerary is well worth the wait. Start in the City of Lights and watch as the French countryside fades away in the twilight. You'll wake up in Hungary, disembarking for an overnight stay in Budapest and a tour of the city the following day. As the train chugs east, you'll spend another night onboard before another urban jaunt, this time to Bucharest. City turns to countryside as you traverse Bulgaria, terminating in Istanbul.

The six-night trip offers ample time to enjoy the luxurious amenities of the Orient Express---champagne poured by white-gloved hands, opulently appointed cabins-while taking in the sights and sounds of Europe. Rooms range from $4,680 to $14,290, based on double occupancy. And unlike the original Orient Express, this one doesn't require any uncomfortable transfers via horse-drawn carriage.

Vote for the International Summer Vacation destination that you think is the best of breed. The winner will be announced on September 1st.

Tags: Awards-Main, best international summer destination, Europe, Istanbul, Luxist-Awards, Orient-Exress, Train, Venice, Venice Simplon Orient-Express

Look for the Berlin Wall to Rise in New Orleans at IPCPR

by Tom Johansmeyer (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cigars

The cigar industry's major annual convention occurs in New Orleans next week, and there are plenty of new products being announced. From lifestyle brand Hammer + Sickle, which includes both vodka and cigars, look for the "Berlin Wall" to be introduced.

Celebrating the twenty-first anniversary of the fall of communism in Europe, the Berlin Wall cigar is rich, flavorful and medium-bodied, according to a statement by the company. It will be packaged in a handmade marble box, said to be a first for the cigar industry. The cigar will deliver "a complex and powerful interplay of wood, spice and leather flavors with an earthiness reminiscent of pre-embargo era Cuban offerings."

According to Eric Hanson, Chairman of Klin Spirits, "As a company, we would not be here without the fall of the Berlin Wall and the way it significantly transformed U.S. – Russian political and industrial relations," stated Eric P. Hanson, Chairman of Klin Spirits.

[photo and video courtesy of Cigar Reader]

Tags: berlin wall, cigar, cigars, europe, lifestyle, lifestyles, vodka, vodkas

An Homage to Edward Hopper

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Art, Books

To accompany a major new European traveling exhibition at the Palazzo Reale in Milan, Fondazione Roma Museo in Rome and Fondation de l'Hermitage in Lausanne, Skira has released a massive new monograph on famed American artist Edward Hopper. Illustrated with over 150 oils, watercolors, etchings, and drawings with critical comments on their formal and technical characteristics, topics include Hopper's European travels and his love of movies that influenced his work in various ways, his early work as an illustrator and printmaker, and his process of drawing versus painting. Among the artworks included are Cape Cod Sunset, Second Story Sunlight (shown on the book's cover, above) and several self-portraits from the Whitney Museum of American Art; the famous Morning Sun from the Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio, and a number of lesser-known watercolors and oils from Hopper's journeys to Paris. Also included are essays by several noted scholars, and an extensive chronology and bibliography.

Tags: American art, art, coffee table books, Edward Hopper, Europe, exhibition, museum, painter, painting, Whitney Museum of American Art

Dom Pérignon Limited Edition Warhol Bottles [video]

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits, Wine, Art, Video

Famed French champagne house Dom Pérignon is paying tribute to the late, great Andy Warhol with a limited edition series of bottles designed in Pop Art colors echoing the artist's famous silkscreens. Created for Dom Pérignon by the Design Laboratory at London's Central Saint Martin's School of Art & Design, the bottles come in three neon hues (blue, red and yellow) and contain Dom Pérignon's exclusive new 2002 Vintage champagne, which will not be released to the public until the fall. The limited edition bottles will be available worldwide beginning October 15th for $150 apiece. When served in certain exclusive venues they come accompanied by special ice buckets that bathe the contents in color to match, along with champagne glasses featuring a silkscreen-style version of Dom Pérignon's signature shield.

[Glamuva via BornRich]

Tags: Andy Warhol, champagne, Dom Pérignon, Dom Perignon, Europe, limited edition

Ultimate Drives Launches Supercar Tours of Europe

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Cars & Autos

Taking a jaunt though Europe just got a hell of a lot more exciting thanks to Ultimate Drives, a new supercar touring outfit. The company offers a high-octane tour to Switzerland's swank St. Moritz and the neighboring Engadine region, which also takes in the stunning Stelvio pass and crosses the border into Italy. Prices for the tour start at about $1,800 per person, including equally stylish off-road accommodation. The eye-popping autos to choose from include a trio of Ferraris – the F430 Spider, California (above) and 599 GTB – as well as the Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Bentley Continental GTC and Maserati GranCabrio. Starting in July, the Ferrari 458 Italia and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG will also be available for speed junkies. The round trip includes over six hours of driving, as well as lunch en route and a trek to one of the region's famed glaciers. More budget-conscious enthusiasts who still like to put their foot down can opt to do the tour in a BMW or Jaguar instead.

[via JustLuxe]

Tags: Aston Martin, Bentley, BMW, Europe, Ferrari, Ferrari 458 Italia, Italy, Jaguar, Maserati, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, St. Moritz, supercar, Switzerland, Zurich

Silversea's New Gourmet Cruises

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Silversea Cruises has four luxury ships prowling the Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Baltic Seas on tours of seven to 12 days to 60 different ports. To offer cruise-goers a little more to do on shore, Silversea has assembled international culinary excursions that include learning how to make pesto at Zeffirino's in Portofino whip up tapas in Barcelona and croissants in Cannes, and learning the delicate secrets of olive oil and winemaking in Portoferraio and Elba Island. And those are only a few of the bewildering array of shore excursions at the 300 ports that Silversea serves. If you can't choose one, perhaps opt for Silvesea's 119-day Spirit of Discovery world cruise instead and do them all...

Source

Tags: adriatic sea, baltic sea, black sea, cruise, euripe, europe, mediterranean, silversea, silversea cruises

Infiniti Europe presents FX Limited Edition

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Opportunity knocks but once. Or so the saying goes. But that might need some revision, because Infiniti has come around again with another opportunity for those who missed theirs to buy the FX Millionaire Edition.

Like the Millionaire, the FX Limited Edition can be ordered in scratch-resistant Obsidian Black or White Moonlight paint. It features a host of special touches inside and out, from the dark graphite trim and 21" turbine-shaped rims to the Alcantara and carbon fiber trim on the interior. It comes with all the options. Only 100 will be made, and they'll only be available in Europe.

Fortunately for European customers, the pricing is significantly more attractive – about $46,000 more attractive, in the case of the range-topping, V8-engined FX50S Limited Edition, which sells for £62,035, with the V6-powered FX37S Limited Edition coming in at a more attainable £55,855.

Gallery: Infiniti FX Limited Edition

Source

Tags: europe, infiniti, infiniti europe, infiniti fx, infiniti fx limited edition, InfinitiEurope, InfinitiFx, InfinitiFxLimitedEdition, limited edition, LimitedEdition, special edition, SpecialEdition

New $175 Million Verdura Resort Opening in Sicily

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The new $175 million Verdura Golf & Spa Resort on the southern coast of Sicily from the Rocco Forte Collection opening August 1 will be the only luxury resort in the Mediterranean offering a five-star experience across golf, hotel, dining and spa facilities. The Collection's 13th property features 203 ocean view rooms and suites, each with a private terrace overlooking 1.2 miles of private coastline, two championship golf courses, six tennis courts, a 43,000-sq.-ft. spa, fitness and yoga center, four restaurants, 55 private villas, a conference center, ballroom, open-air amphitheater and helipad.

To celebrate its much-anticipated opening of the 570-acre beachfront resort, Verdura is offering guests visiting between August 1 and December 31 complimentary benefits including green fees for unlimited golf play on its three world-class courses, dinner every evening at any of its four superb restaurants and thalassotherapy spa treatments as well as a 50% discount on a second family room. Starting rates for a three-night stay range from $1,399 for a December visit to $2,967 for a visit in August.

Tags: beach, Europe, golf, hotels, Italy, Mediterranean, resort, Rocco Forte Collection, RoccoForteCollection, Sicily, spa, Verdura Golf Spa Resort, VerduraGolfSpaResort

All Aboard for Paris and Brussels by Train

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Even though train travel in Europe isn't quite as romantic in reality as it is in fantasy, there's stil something so wonderfully retro about traveling between storied cities via rail. (A first-class Eurail pass will get you to more than 20 countries, in a surprising amount of comfort and style, depending on the train.)

If you're looking for a reason to squeeze in a trip to Europe this summer (and maybe grab some frites), the Brussels Marriott Hotel and the Marriott Rive Gauche in Paris are offering a summer package from now until the end of 2009. Stay two nights at each property at 139 € per night for a double room with breakfast. (From Thursday through Sunday or Friday through Monday.) This summer, the Eurostar is also offering a special between the two cities on its Leisure Select class starting at $119 one way, which includes a 3-course meal and wine.

Tags: brussels, europe, paris, train

Magritte Museum Package at Belgian Luxury Hotel

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Art

The Rocco Forte Collection of boutique European luxury hotels is celebrating Belgium's new René Magritte Museum with a special package at their five-star Hotel Amigo (above) in Brussels. The museum, opening in June, will contain 170 works by the Belgian Surrealist master. The Amigo features copies of Magritte paintings and design elements throughout. Its Magritte Suite is an elegant series of rooms with amazing city views. In addition to tickets to the new museum, a Magritte book, and other perks, the Magritte Museum package includes a special dinner at the hotel's excellent Ristorante Bocconi.

Meanwhile the Rocco Forte Collection just opened their 12th and newest property in Prague, The Augustine. Located in Prague's Mal Strana district in the heart of the city's rich cultural center, a short walk from the majestic Prague Castle, the Wallenstein Gardens and the famous Charles Bridge, the 101-bedroom hotel was created from a set of seven buildings. Many of of them are historically significant, including the 13th-century Augustinian St. Thomas Monastery for which the hotel is named.

Tags: Belgium, Brussels, Europe, Hotel Amigo, HotelAmigo, hotels, Magritte, museums, Prague, Rene Magritte, ReneMagritte, Rocco Forte, Rocco Forte Collection, RoccoForte, RoccoForteCollection

European Union Extends U.S. Wine Restrictions

by Laura Malesich (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

After twenty years of grappling over the trade agreement between winemakers in Europe and the U.S., 2005 marked the beginning of a somewhat peaceful understanding between the two markets -- with a few conditions. At that time the words 'Champagne', 'Burgundy', 'Port' and 'Sherry' were no longer allowed to be used in America. Just this past month the EU added another restriction to American winemakers' verbage. Wines bearing these words on their labels will no longer be sold in Europe:

'chateau', 'classic', 'clos', 'cream', 'crusted/crusting', 'fine', 'late bottled vintage', 'noble', 'ruby', 'superior', 'sur lie', 'tawny', 'vintage' or 'vintage character.'

Bureaucracy at its finest. I certainly understand protecting rights to regions but not simple words with more than a location's name at heart.

Source

Tags: american wine, AmericanWine, EU, europe, wine label, wine labels, wine language, WineLabel, WineLabels, WineLanguage

Ritz-Carlton Berlin Special Package Celebrates Fall of the Wall

by Lisa Palladino (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

The Ritz-Carlton Berlin is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall with a special "The Wall" travel deal, good through December 29, 2009. The package includes one night in a superior room, an upscale breakfast, a ticket to the Berlin Wall Museum and a souvenir piece of the toppled wall. Other amenities are a piccolo bottle of the famous Rotkäppchen sparkling wine and a pack of Zetti sweet crunchy chocolate chips, both of which are well-known former GDR brands that went on to conquer the West , as well as a DVD of the film Good Bye Lenin!, which received nominations for the Golden Globe and Academy Awards. Upon arrival, guests are greeted with a "Gorbachev Cocktail."

Guests can book special city tours separately, such as the "Trabi-Safari," in which visitors can go sightseeing in a Trabant, a car produced in what was formerly East Germany. There also is a guided tour along the traces of the former border, either on foot or by bike. The package is priced at about $335 for a single room or $385 for a double room. To make reservations, call 800-241-3333, e-mail berlin.reservation@ritzcarlton.com or visit www.ritzcarlton.com.

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Tags: Berlin, Berlin Wall, BerlinWall, europe, Germany, journeys, Ritz, Ritz-Carlton, travel

The French Protest Proposed Stricter Wine Rules

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Wine

Big changes seems to be afoot for the wine industry in France. A suggested amendment to the public health bill 'article 24' would outlaw all 'free alcoholic drinks with the intention of promotion.' This would put an end to free wine tastings in France, the famous en primeur barrel tastings in Bordeaux and the internationally-attended Vinexpo wine exhibition and all other activities involving wine tasting would have to be paid for by the tasters. Article 24, if approved, could be set in place by January 2009. There is also currently a ban on wine advertising on the internet in France and proposed tax increases on wine (wine ads are banned on television and print ads cannot show people drinking wine, beer or liquor).

As you might imagine, the wine industry is up in arms over this. Demonstrators recently took to the streets of the wine producing areas such as Bordeaux, Sancerre, and Cognac in protest. The largest demonstration took place in Bordeaux where the signs listing the names of the wine growing appellations were covered with the word "censure."

Anti-alcoholism groups and the French Health Ministry are concerned about the rise of binge drinking among French teenagers and the government has proposed raising the legal age for buying alcohol to 18 from 16. It may seem startling to some in the U.S. but in Europe, children often learn about wine at the family dinner table. The wine industry though feels that wine is not the problem and that curtailing the industry strikes at the very core of French tradition and industry. It bears noting that France's President Nicolas Sarkozy is a known teetotaler.

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Tags: bordeaux, europe, france, wine