What’s New

“Bringing you the finest places around the world is what we love to do here at Upscale Living magazine. In keeping with this tradition, we are focusing on introducing you to new kids on the block or accommodation establishments with a re-looked lease on life. Grab your travel diary as you want to get to these places as soon as possible!”

| BY HELÉNE RAMACKERS

CHENOT PALACE WEGGIS LAKE LUCERNE, SWITZERLAND

Bringing the science behind wellness to Lake Lucerne, Switzerland, the world-renowned Chenot Group announced the opening of their most advanced wellness retreat yet on June 11th, 2020, Chenot Palace Weggis.

Spanning 5,000 sq. meters, the spa at Chenot Palace Weggis is a full-service integrated medical retreat that epitomizes holistic wellness at its pinnacle. Offering a 360° approach with state-of-the-art diagnostics, a complete range of advanced medical screenings, and bespoke treatments complimented by a curated nutrition plan as part of the Chenot Diet, programs are carefully integrated in a holistic and systematic manner known as the Chenot Method®.

Dr. George Gaitanos, Scientific Director and Chief Operating Officer of Chenot Group, comments “We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new flagship property in Weggis, Switzerland. The hard work, scientific research, and dedication that has gone into perfecting the famed Chenot Method® over the years are worth it to be able to offer guests a complete reset of body and mind in one of the most beautiful destinations in the world.”

The vision of Chenot is to unlock human potential by increasing mental and physical performance at any age. There are three signature programs on offer, each with a targeted approach and promise of world-class results. Guests will have exclusive access to leading scientific technology, world-class doctors, and the comfort of a luxury hotel setting, all designed for the sole purpose of complete mental and physical renewal through recovering energy, strengthening resilience to stress, and improving metabolism.

Experienced practitioners in every area of wellness will also be on hand to aid guests on their journey, including specialists from internal, preventative and anti-aging medicine, sports medicine, traditional Chinese healing, and medical aesthetics. All programs begin with in-depth medical and nutritional consultations along with state-of-the-art diagnostics. The advanced medical screening tests of the Chenot Method® are focused primarily on understanding the individual and their current status of health and wellness, measured through ‘Chenot Lifestyle Biomarkers ®’.

In addition, Chenot Palace Weggis offers the most comprehensive facilities in the Chenot portfolio. These include a world-class metabolic and sports laboratory, an in-house blood analysis laboratory, a whole-body cryochamber at -110C, antigravity technologies, an altitude chamber, a 21 meter indoor swimming pool and four ‘Chenot Rooms with Sleeping Technology’, which create a natural sleeping environment and optimize rest through lighting and acoustics.

LOIRE VALLEY LODGES

ESVRES, FRANCE

With 18 luxurious treehouse lodges, each designed by a different contemporary artist, the Loire Valley Lodges boast privacy in an incredible setting, deep within 750 acres of forest. Located just a quick drive away from some of the region’s most iconic chateaus, such as Château de Chenonceau and Château d’Amboise, the lodges offer guests a unique opportunity to fully immerse in nature, while enjoying the comforts of a top hotel.

Each lodge offers full amenities and high-end contemporary design, with 375-square-feet of living space and a 270-squarefoot terrace that includes a private spa. Offering a full-on digital detox, there’s no WiFi or TVs in the Lodges.

The design of each lodge is entirely unique: the Lucien is dedicated to Serge Gainsbourg, with a turntable available to play the artist’s music; one lodge is dedicated to the colorful sixties; the Uzume, designed by Jacques Bosser, is decked in black and white; the Nude lodge, designed by Gilles Ballini, is stripped down to its raw form, made up of wood and leather; the Ekalogic, designed by Argentino-Swedish artist Eka Acosta, plays with light and color, using inspirations from some local inhabitants - the deer and woodcock.

The spa treatments include a “forest massage” created exclusively for the Loire Valley Lodges by Anne-Sophie Dufeutrelle, with a focus on rebalancing energy. Their forest massages can be given either inside the guests’ lodge or on the terrace. All their massages incorporate natural elements from the trees, plants, flowers, and even the essences of the forest.

In addition to the lodges, a renovated farmhouse (known as the “main house”) offers a pool, bar & lounge space, restaurant, and room service, as well as WiFi connection. The bar area is a welcoming gathering space, featuring a living room with a fireplace, with a number of signature cocktails, wine, and fresh fruit juice at the ready. The restaurant, with chefHippolyte Delcher at the helm, will offer seasonal cuisine, sourcing products, and ingredients from local suppliers. Guests can enjoy meals on the terrace by the pool or inside the restaurant.

In addition to the art present in the design of the lodges themselves, the vast grounds feature a number of contemporary art sculptures, creating a veritable outdoor museum. Artworks include a 13-foot high “Giant Lost Dog” by the artist Aurele, a massive “Great Deer” by the Garreau brothers, and a life-size cow painted in multi-color camouflage.

https://loirevalleylodges.com/ en/home/

MISAVA SAFARI CAMP

KLASERIE DRIFT, HOEDSPRUIT

Luxury has been given a new name at Klaserie Drift, on the banks of the Klaserie River in Mpumalanga, and that name is Misava, which means Earth. Klaserie Drift owners and founders have opened Misava Safari Camp to the world, having breathed new life into one the original and oldest camps in the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve.

This site was first purchased in 1936 by Edwin Crookes before the reserve was even formally established in 1969. This pristine land stayed in the family for six decades until 1997, when it was acquired by the current owners, who have fiercely preserved its history.

Travelers now enjoy serene luxury in five opulent units, overlooking the wilderness and river, and passing wildlife and birdlife. Three of the site’s original rondavels have been carefully converted to sumptuous fivestar rooms. Two additional villas were built from the ground up, as premium accommodation for honeymooners, romantic getaways, and travelers in search of ultimate luxury in the bush.

Each suite has received a native Shangaan name, after the five elements: Misava (Earth), Mati (Water), Moya (Air), Kwetsima (Spirit), and Ndzilo (Fire). Decorated in quintessential Klaserie Drift splendor and simple charm, the suites are equipped with modern conveniences and comforts. These include air conditioning and ceiling fans, kingsize beds, TVs with full DSTV bouquet, luxury amenities and turn-down service, private decks overlooking the wilderness, and, of course, free WiFi for on-thespot Instagramming.

A close-knit team with a family feel the Klaserie Drift team deliver a warm, personalized safari to travelers in search of a soulful African getaway. Misava Safari Camp is a small boutique lodge, offering exclusivity and a fivestar experience to a maximum of ten guests at a time. The 60 000-hectare Klaserie Private National Park is the expansive home to no more than five commercial lodge groups, which guarantees guests undisturbed enjoyment of the best animal sightings, low vehicle density, and personal attention.

The transformation of Misava Safari Camp has been a personal event for those who live and work at Klaserie Drift. The owners, a married couple, took a hands-on approach to the project with Adriaan Maarschalk, a qualified architect, taking charge of the architectural plans for the old rondavels and the new villas. Meanwhile, almost all the paintings in the lodge and in the suites are the artworks of co-owner and artist, Mariette Maarschalk, each offering a window into her deep love of Africa.

https://klaseriedrift.co.za/misava-camp/

HAVANA CLUB ICONICA

| BY KEVIN PILLEY

“Havana Club 1519” was created to mark the 500 th birthday of the city of Havana last November.

Havana Club has an extensive selection of prestige rums which form part of its “Iconica” luxury collection including Havana Club Añejo 15 Años, Havana Club Tributo, Havana Club Unión and Havana Club Máximo Extra Añejo. The collection showcases the high quality and varieties in style of Cuban rums.

A very rare bottle of Havana Club 1519 sold for £5,200 at a recent online auction in London which raised more than £5,000 for the Distillers’ Livery Company Emergency Appeal in support of The Drinks Trust” which is helping those facing unemployment and hardship in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The prestigious Havana Club 1519 was one of 138 exclusive bottles donated by distillers and individuals for the auction where 15% commission on top of the hammer price of each sale was donated to the appeal. The sought-after auction lot was one of 500 bottles released globally to mark Havana’s 500 th birthday.

The case included a certificate of authenticity written by Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler, Historian of Havana City, and signed by the four masters who created Havana Club 1519. This included Havana Club’s Cuban rum master Juan Carlos González. The donation was part of Havana Club’s wider international support programme for the bar industry. “The Drinks Trust” was founded in 1886 as “The Benevolent.”

Also now available is the limited-edition, ultra-prestige rum Havana Club Tributo 2020, which marks the 5 th anniversary of the Tributo Collection. The Tributo Collection , which first appeared in 2016, is a series of annual limited editions created with the finest aged rum reserves to pay tribute to the unrivalled excellence in Cuban Rum production whilst also showcasing the variety and richness in flavour, colours and aromas within authentic Cuban rum.

To create Tributo 2020, Asbel Morales, Master of Cuban rum, hand-selected a small quantity of exquisite rum reserves from previous Tributo releases which had been kept and re-aged, and then blended them with a unique rum drawn from an extraordinary batch of 100 exclusive casks that have not been sold commercially. . Each bottle is numbered, and each box is personalised with the signature of the Havana Club Master of Cuban rum as a guarantee of quality and excellence.

Havana Club Tributo 2020 is available in over 20 markets, at an RRP of €400/ $450 per 70cl bottle. 