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The Classicist: St. Regis Bahia Beach Brings True Luxury to Puerto Rico

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist

Last spring we previewed the luxe private residences at the St. Regis' beautiful new Bahia Beach property in Puerto Rico. Now the accompanying exclusive resort, the prestigious brand's first Caribbean hotel, is officially open bringing world-class luxury to the island. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico brings St. Regis' signature bespoke services to the stunning 483-acre beachfront enclave, located on a former coconut plantation nestled between the majestic El Yunque rainforest and the Espiritu Santo River. The property's ultra-luxe amenities include St. Regis' legendary Butler Service, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurant Fern, a 10,000 square foot Remède Spa, and an ocean-front golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. as well as the Caribbean's first certified Gold Audubon Signature Sanctuary.

Designed by acclaimed architecture firm Hill Glazier in a graceful plantation style that harmoniously blends in with the glorious landscape of towering palms and tropical flowers, the resort boasts 139 luxuriously appointed guest rooms including 35 suites with private terraces offering spectacular ocean views, as well as 25 private St. Regis Estate Homes. The elegant, inviting interiors feature custom-designed furniture and spacious marble baths in addition to Pratesi linens and high-tech amenities such as high-speed wireless internet, 40-inch LCD televisions, additional TVs ingeniously integrated into the bathroom mirrors and an iPod docking station. The resort's signature Butler and Private Dining services ensure you'll never want for anything. The beachside swimming pool compound features Seagrapes, a casual bar and restaurant, private cabanas and more incredible ocean views.

Gallery: St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico

Tags: Audubon, Bahia Beach, beach, Caribbean, golf, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, library, luxury hotels, Puerto Rico, resort, restaurants, Spa, St. Regis, St. Regis Bahia Beach, suites

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The Classicist: Movie Star Style at the Beverly Wilshire's New $25,000-Per-Night Penthouse

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Luxury Travel & Hotels, The Classicist, Architecture & Design

Following a recently completed $40 million facelift, Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel has just unveiled its newly renovated Penthouse and Presidential Suite for the ultimate in movie star style. The Penthouse, beginning at $25,000 per night, is the largest hotel suite in Los Angeles and now one of the world's most expensive as well. L.A.-based architectural firm Barry Design Associates transformed the historic suites into modern, sophisticated spaces. They even throw in a Porsche. The Beverly Wilshire is a true piece of Hollywood history; the Italian Renaissance-style stone and marble building was completed in 1928 when the city had fewer than 18,000 residents, and its grand suites have played host to many of movieland's most famous faces over the decades.

The three-bedroom Penthouse offers guests 5,000 square feet of space. Positioned on the private top floor of the hotel's Beverly Wing it features floor-to-ceiling windows, high ceilings and a wrap around balcony with sweeping views of downtown L.A. and the Hollywood Hills. An entry way welcomes guests with marble mosaic flooring and Swarovski crystal chandeliers, while a dining room offers seating for 12 people adjacent to a state-of-the-art designer kitchen with Michelangelo marble countertops and Miele appliances. The elegant master bedroom is highlighted by an antique mirror and silver leaf detailed bed frame along with huge walk-in closet finished in stained oak. The master bath is fitted with glass tiles, exotic stones, a marble soaking tub, dual steam and rain shower contains a light and music system. There's also a media room for private screenings of your latest blockbuster.

Gallery: Beverly Wilshire Reborn

The two-bedroom Presidential Suite offers 4,000 square feet of space, entered through a spectacular grand foyer (above) with Corinthian columns and intricate crown molding designed when the Hotel first opened over 80 years ago. Located on the eighth floor of the hotel's original Wilshire Wing, it features sweeping views of the Hollywood Hills and has been graced by numerous celebrities, legends and dignitaries over the years. The suite comes complete with its own living room and library as well, while the master bath is fitted with a soaking tub, steam shower for two and integrated televisions in the mirrors above the black lacquer vanity counters. [continued]

Tags: Beverly Wilshire, California, celebrity, Four Seasons, Hollywood, Hollywood Hills, hotel suites, hotels, library, Los Angeles, luxury hotel, marble, movie stars, penthouse, Porsche, Porsche Panamera, presidential suite, Swarovski, worlds most expensive

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EXCLUSIVE: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's Ten Essential Luxuries, Part II

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Luxury Cars & Autos, Books, Men's Style, 10 Luxuries

On Tuesday we brought you Part I of posh publisher Prosper Assouline's ten essential luxuries. Luxist readers will be familiar with the beautiful and stylish books published by his luxe imprint Assouline; perhaps less so with the man who founded and runs the company. A master of savoir faire, Prosper Assouline is known for merging the modern and the classical in publishing and creative design. Picking up where we left off the other day regarding the evolution of Assouline into luxury brand whose medium is culture, the company established retail positions first in Bergdorf Goodman, and then at ten Saks Fifth Avenue stores, as well as Celux (Tokyo), A Editores (Mexico City), Lane Crawford (Hong Kong), Harvey Nichols (Dubai), Holt Renfrew (Toronto), Librissime (Montreal), Sotheby's (New York), Teatro Verde (Toronto), and Zai (Qatar). The desire to showcase the concept of 'books as gifts' has led to the creation of a full retail program of strategic partnerships to open Assouline branded corners around the world.

As part of Assouline's positioning as a luxury brand, the first standalone Assouline boutique opened in Paris on Place Saint Germain des Prés in 2005. Conceived as a contemporary library, the boutique features the complete collection of books and luxury products. Assouline created the other items around the books, such as Book scented candles, a leather Coach designed library, and a variety of slipcased products and limited edition volumes. Also featured is the Goyard trunk, designed by Prosper Assouline with Goyard as a means to capture the nostalgia of traveling with books. Another one of Prosper's designs is the Assouline Library, a handcrafted bookcase featuring 150 books on style released in 2004 that has was an immediate sensation. Click through to the gallery to see Part II of Prosper's 10 essential luxuries, from hats and yachts to bars and cars, and find out what makes them a must.

EARLIER: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's Ten Essential Luxuries, Part I

Gallery: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's 10 Luxuries, Part II

Gallery: Posh Publisher Prosper Assouline's 10 Luxuries, Part I

Tags: Bergdorf Goodman, books, Goyard, Jaguar, library, Magnum Yachts, Paris, Saks Fifth Avenue, Tag Heuer

The Classicist: Historic Hudson River Astor Estate Restored to Its Former Glory

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, The Classicist

Marienruh, a historic fieldstone colonial revival country estate built for heiress Alice Astor, the daughter of John Jacob Astor IV and sister of Vincent Astor, and her Russian aristocrat husband Prince Serge Obolensky in 1926 is being restored to its former glory by its new owners. The gracious mansion, situated on 100 scenic acres given to Alice by her brother overlooking the Hudson River in Rhinebeck, New York, was constructed for the glamorous couple by renowned architect Mott B. Schmidt. It had been on the market for $8.5 million up until last summer when unnamed buyers purchased the property, which had been in institutional use for some time, and set about renovating it – a pleasing reversal in an age where many fine old mansions are being put to less dignified uses, often destroying their souls in the process.

After Alice Astor's death the mansion was used over the years as a Christian youth camp, a home for unwed mothers, a drug rehab center and an events space. Over the decades the house was stripped of nearly all its original details, including fireplace mantels, lighting fixtures, hardware and even the copper gutters. The restoration work is being done extremely carefully, overseen by New York architect-designer Robert Couturier. A few upgrades are of course necessary, and new greenhouses are being installed. One of the wings will now house an elegant two-story tall library. As architectural historian Mark Alan Hewitt notes in The Architecture of Mott B. Schmidt (Rizzoli, 1991), Marienruh's block-with-dependencies design was inspired by two influential 18th century American mansions: Montpelier (1751) in Laurel, Maryland, and the the Hammond-Harwood House (1773-4) in Annapolis, MD.

Marienruh is next to photographer Annie Leibovitz's 220-acre spread which had been listed for sale at $11 million as part of her debt restructuring imbroglio. David Bowie and his wife Iman have reportedly considered buying it; other celebrities with property in the area include Liam Neeson, Gwyneth Paltrow, financier George Soros, hotelier Andre Balazs, and Rolling Stone magazine founder Jann Wenner. Leibovitz's property including some stone barns was once part of Alice's father John Jacob Astor IV's 3,500-acre estate Ferncliff; another remnant of that once glorious demesne is the beautiful Astor Courts, designed by Stanford White as a playhouse for Ferncliff with an indoor pool and tennis court, which was was an Estate of the Day last fall with an asking price of $12 million.

Gallery: Marienruh

Tags: Annie Leibovitz, architect, architecture, Astor, Astor family, Astors, country house, David Bowie, estate, Gwyneth Paltrow, historic houses, Hudson River, library, mansion, Maryland, Mott B. Schmidt, New York, restoration, Rhinebeck, Stanford White

Gourmet Magazine's Archive Finds A New Home

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Books

Gourmet magazine may be gone but its library lives on. The NY Times reports that the 3,500 cookbooks in Gourmet magazine's research library will become a key part of the impressive Food and Cookery Collection at the Fales Library of New York University. According to the Times article cookbook author Rozanne Gold gave N.Y.U. $14,000 to buy the books from Conde Nast. The wide-ranging Gourmet collection will arrive at Fales next week in some 500 boxes.

Fales already has about 20,000 volumes about food, with 1,500 titles from before the 20th century. The collection includes books and manuscripts documenting food with a particular emphasis on New York City. The Fales Library is open to all NYU students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, researchers, and scholars from other institutions throughout the US and abroad but appointments are necessary for researchers looking to consult archival and manuscript materials. Private scholars and others need to make appointments to use both print and archival collection. The Fales Library operates on a closed stack system which means that books are retrieved for patrons who read them in the reading room but the books do not circulate outside of the library.

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Tags: cookbooks, cooking, fales library, FalesLibrary, gourmet magazine, GourmetMagazine, library, research

The Classicist: The Best of Luxe Books

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Estates, Yachts & Sailing, Books, The Classicist, Wealth

For your reading and viewing pleasure we present the second in a series looking back at highlights from the first year of The Classicist, the weekly column devoted to timeless style, enduring elegance, and true, built-to-last luxury as opposed to mere extravagance. For our second installment we sum up the best in luxe books, featuring our favorite subjects ranging from high equestrian style to classic architecture, historic estates, high society, jetsetters, megayachts and more. No truly luxurious library is complete without these volumes.

Gallery: Best of the Best: Books 2009

1. Equestrian Style: Home Design, Couture, and Collections from the Eclectic to the Elegant by Vicky Moon (Clarkson Potter)

Moon divides her volume into different facts of the equestrian experience: In the Field, On the Farm, At the Track, In the Ring, On the Move, and Down the Road, focusing on all facets of horsiness and everything that goes along with it. The emphasis is on authenticity, not affectation; she notes all that's really required is a "basic love of horses" but opines that actually riding them gives one a much stronger connection. True equestrian style, she writes, is "more than a feisty, wet Jack Russell terrier, a pair of Wellington boots and a tweed jacket. It goes beyond hanging a hunting print in the dining room wall to actually leaping over a stone wall on your favorite hunter. An unspoken equestrian philosophy surpasses wearing an Hermes scarf; it celebrates riding over jumps in an Hermes saddle."

Gallery: Equestrian Style

Racing tropy from Bonhams Sporting Sale.

2. The Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills by Jeffrey Hyland (Rizzoli)

A meticulously researched and lavishly illustrated history of 50 magnificent estates in three world-famous enclaves of the ultra-wealthy - Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, and Holmby Hills - this is a definitive history of the area's most famous estates, "the architecturally spectacular homes and lavish grounds that have been home to countless celebrities and the world's richest families for almost a century." Aside from the purely visual pleasure of the photographs both old and new, Hyland explains the history and architectural importance of each estate, and tells the fascinating stories of the many famed owners, from their "passionate involvement in the design of these costly properties, to their intrigues, triumphs, calamities, and romances."

Gallery: Legendary Estates of Beverly Hills

3. Great Estates: The Lifestyles & Homes of American Magnates by William G. Scheller (Universe)

This oversized, lavishly illustrated volume celebrates the history of 40 of America's true barons of business, from the 1700s through this year's Forbes list, and opens the door into their private palaces along the way. Great Estates follows the "restless careers of our most brilliant and driven merchants, industrialists, and financiers as they mastered a new economic world of textiles, railroads, oil, and steel." Men of great fortune erected massive monuments to their success, inclduing Henry Clay Frick's Manhattan mansion, now a magnificent museum; William Randolph Hearst's San Simeon in California, aka Hearst Castle; and one of our personal favorites, railroad magnate Jay Gould's gothic castle on the Hudson River, Lyndhurst and more.

Gallery: Magnates' Great Estates

Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum (former Carnegie Mansion)

4. Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts from teNeues

In the rarefied world of mega yachts, the ultimate achievement is to have one designed by a certain Norwegian genius named Espen Oeino. The world's top star in naval architecture, Oeino's megabucks creations "combine the precision of fine machinery with indulgent finishes and the high-end amenities of a palace." When German luxury publisher teNeues opted to focus a volume in its amazing Luxury Toys series to the world's greatest yachts, it was quickly decided to dedicated the entire book to Oeino. The book showcases 20 of his stellar creations, including Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's 413-ft. Octopus, the 8th largest yacht in the world and the second largest superyacht that is not owned by a head of state.

Gallery: Luxury Toys: Mega Yachts

Continued after the jump.

Tags: architecture, Assouline, Beverly Hills, BeverlyHills, equestrian, high society, HighSociety, library, mansions, megayachts, Rizzoli, San Simeon, SanSimeon, Stanford White, StanfordWhite, teNeues, yacht

Continue reading “The Classicist: The Best of Luxe Books”

Antwerp's Beautiful Reading Room

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

There's only just over a week left for easy access to one of Antwerp's more hidden treasures: the Nottebohm Room. This reading room is in what used to be the City Library, recently renamed the Hendrick Conscience Library (or Erfgoedbibliotheek Hendrik Conscience in Flemish), for its location on Conscienceplein in the city center.

The Nottebohm Room is everything you'd imagine a traditional reading room should be, all dark wood paneling, inviting desks, and two stories of books that will bring a respectful hush over any book lover. The library's collection dates back to 1481, and includes more than a million books, with 6,000 rare books, folios and other priceless book-related artifacts, including a delicately calligraphed and illuminated history of Rome written by Eutropius . In the early 20th century, the Nottebohm Room was the gathering place for Antwerp's literati -- you can see some more pictures of it here, although the page is in Flemish.

It's my understanding that the Nottebohm Room isn't open to the public regularly, but it's currently hosting an intimate exhibit of modern hand printed books called "Mooi Marginaal", and the contrast between these modern and often whimsical works, along with the nostalgic presence of the entire sweep of publishing history is a fine reason to fit this in when you visit this jewel of a city in Flanders. The exhibit is on until June 14th, Tuesday through Sunday, and admission is free.

Tags: antwerp, antwerpbelgium, belgium, books, libraries, library, rare books, RareBooks

Nostradamus Auction

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Auctions

Know of any reclusive millionaires with an end-of-the-world obsession? If so, perhaps they might want to be aware of the auction of the Nostradamus Library of the late Daniel Ruzo held by Swann Galleries in New York. On April 23 auction, Swann will auction off the 16th to 18th century books from the Nostradamus Library, which features an admirable selection of early editions of books and prints relating to the 16th century astrologer and seer. Ruzo, a Peruvian attorney and Nostradamus scholar possessed the only known copies of the earliest extant editions including the only copy of the earliest surviving prognostication by Nostradamus which is estimated to sell for $1,500-2,500. Offerings from the library also include books by contemporary imitators, interpreters, and critics of his predictions, and related work.

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Tags: auction, books, library, nostradamus

Levenger's Library Treasures

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Levenger has always catered to readers with their catalog of lapdesks, book bags and shelves. Now they've gone straight to the libraries for inspiration. Their Library Treasures include desk lamps similar to those used in the New York Public Library, a bag used to deliver books to the Boston Library and the simply charming library steps which are a reproduction of ones in use by the Library Company of Philadelphia, which Benjamin Franklin founded in 1731. Prices range from $28 to $498 for the line.

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Tags: books, levenger, library

Wud Bookcase

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Shelving units do not normally take center stage in any room. In offices, the focus is on the desk and even in libraries, the focus is on the books, not the bookcases. This compartmentalized bookcase, designed and manufactured by Wud, deserves to be at the center of attention. It looks a bit like a Tetris construction, although the way that it is sectioned makes it extremely useful for storing many things, in addition to books. The unit has a drop-down desk, two large filing cabinets and several closed cabinets. It can be made of cherry, maple or walnut and measures 94"l x 22" x 96". Price: $8,500.

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Tags: bookcase, bookshelf, cherry, hardwood, library, office, walnut, wud

Eisenhower's Library For Sale

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor, Auctions

I've mentioned the amazing auctions held by Red Baron Antiques before. The latest one, which will take place on November 11 and 12 in Atlanta offers the usual display of antiques such as a massive bronze sculpture of Apollo and his winged chariot and a 60-foot-long wrought iron and stone fence and stained glass windows. One of the most fascinating pieces is former President Dwight D. Eisenhower's library from Boulevard Lundy in Reims, France where he lived in 1945 at the end of WWII in Europe. President Eisenhower used this room as his office and worked on the treaty of unconditional surrender within these walls. The oak paneled library is carved in high relief and has panels which open to reveal shelves. There is also a rouge marble veined mantel with fluted columns that sits under a large beveled mirror. If you've got the money and the space you can bring history into your own home.

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Tags: antiques, auction, eisenhower, library, red baron, world war ii

Step

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

In movies, the library shelves always seem to reach from floor-to-ceiling in 25-foot tall rooms and people need to use huge, rolling ladders to move around and locate the book they want. While most homes don't have a library system that is that daunting, floor-to-ceiling shelves are not uncommon and a small ladder or step is not a bad idea. Designed by by Konstantin Grcic, Step is a lightweight set of library steps, about 5-ft. high, that is safe and adds something of a distinguished look to even a simple library. There is a book rest at the top, so you can flip though volumes without climbing up and down. Price: £345 ($645).

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Tags: ladder, library, office, shelf, shelves, step, steps, study

Assouline Venice Special Edition Book

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Decor

Assouline's special edition of In the Spirit of Venice by Alexis Gregory is a two-book set printed on thick cotton paper with golden edges, wrapped with soft fabric and contained in a luxurious velvet box. Gregory's book is a reminiscence of the famed city as seen through the eyes of a bon vivant with the love of telling tales of the history and characters of the city. Like all of Assouline's collections, the presentation is as important as the words. You can pick up the ordinary version for under $30 but this deluxe version will run you $300.

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Tags: art books, assouline, book, coffee table books, library, publisher, special edition, venice

Love Sells Nirvana's Music

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Courtney Love, the rock singer and widow of Kurt Cobain, has sold 25 percent of Nirvana's music library to Primary Wave Music Publishing. Though their entire catalog does not have an exact monetary value, Courtney reportedly banked $50 million for the sale of the rights. Love has closely guarded the rights to the 98% of the band's library since she inherited it upon the death of her husband, the Nirvana front man, in 1994. His former band-mates own a mere 2% of the collection, including some of the band's most famous works, like Smells like Teen Spirit.

In and out of rehab, as well as prison, for the past several years, it is likely that she decided to sell this share of Nirvana's music to cover some of her legal costs, since her money problems are well known, though she said she found managing her entire estate "overwhelming."

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Tags: catalog, courtney love, estate, kurt cobain, library, music, music catalogue, music library, musicians, nirvana, publishing, rock, rockers

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