LUX March 2015

LUX A MONTHLY GLIMPSE INTO THE WORLD OF THE GLAMOROUS

Exp 10 Speed 6 The Future of Design & Performance Bentley Motors gave the world a glimpse of the future direction of luxury and performance when it unveiled the impressive new EXP 10 Speed 6 at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show.

Gin Genie With summer just around the corner, and a good gin high on many people’s lists of quintesential warm-weather tipples, we take a closer look at a few of the quality brands that you can expect to be winging their way to a garden party near you this year.

The Peak of Relaxation Bodysgallen Hall provides the perfect escape to the beautiful Welsh countryside overlooking scenic views of the Snowdonia Mountains.

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explore taste retreats

6. High-End Hainan 10. A Night on Ice 14. Aurora Inspiring Luxury 20. Vineyard 22. French Fancy

26. Belgraves 30. Palais Amani 32. The Headland 36. My Heart Belongs to Hartwell 38. Join the Gentry 40. Heaven is a Place on Earth 42. Skiing with the Jet-Set

pampering drive

48. Find Your Paradise 50. The Peak of Relaxation 54. Thermae Bath Spa 56. Perfect Manors

62. The Future of Design and Performance 66. A Different Beast 68. Cadillac

jewels tipple

72. Need for Speed

tech

76. Gin Genie 78. Dram Good

82. How to Buy a Private Home Cinema LUX - March 2015 3

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High-End Hainan The Park Hyatt Sanya is a luxurious escape on the idyllic “Hawaii of China”

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Explore - High-End Hainan

Hainan Island occupies an area roughly the size of Belgium on China’s southernmost tip. Widely known as “the Hawaii of China,” its perfect palm-fringed beaches are a far cry from the bustle of the nation’s major cities.

Situated on a stunning inlet at Sanya, on Hainan’s southern shore, and featuring a private lake and white-sand beach, Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort combines the luxury of privacy and exclusivity with accessibility, being a mere three-mile drive from Yalong Bay, the island’s most popular tourist destination.

Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort was created by the award-winning Belgian architect, Jean-Michel Gathy of the renowned design-consultancy firm, Denniston.

The strikingly modernist development comprises six standalone, arch-shaped buildings designed to allow chi, the traditional Chinese notion of energy, to flow unhindered between ocean and mountains. Set amid the lush landscape next to the beautiful Nan Hu Lake, the placement of every building and internal space has been carefully considered to maximize guests’ enjoyment of the breathtaking view. The six buildings are linked by wide walkways and are decorated with paintings and sculptures to create a tranquil and rarefied art-walk experience.

Designed to replicate the feeling of living in a private mansion by the sea, the sophisticated, elegant interiors are residential in style with a subtle Chinese sensibility. As in private homes, the spaces are wholly flexible. Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort features 207 luxurious guestrooms, including 26 suites and 17 villas. At almost 700 square feet, the standard rooms are among the largest on the island, and almost all of the guestrooms enjoy unadulterated views of the South China Sea. Drinking and Dining The ethos of the international culinary team at Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort is to offer a range of authentic Chinese and Western dishes that incorporate ingredients of the highest quality, sourced locally wherever possible. In keeping with the residential concept and ambience of a resort setting, guests are welcome to order from the menu or request bespoke dishes as relaxed and freely as they might do at home. The culinary team is primed to create unique and memorable dining experiences for guests, whether it is a champagne breakfast on the beach, a family barbecue in the villa, or a sunset supper on a yacht.

There are eight main drinking and dining venues: Dining Room, Cellar, Pool House, Pool Bar, Bath House, Library, Terrace and Tea House, following the notion of rooms within a large residence. At each establishment, guests can order from the menus of any of the other dining venues.

Dining Room is the main residential-style dining space offering Chinese cuisine focusing on seafood and steaks. Cellar is a cozy extension of the Dining Room, offering private dining in an intimate setting.

Next to Cellar, in a traditional Chinese-style building topped with ceramic-roof tiles, is Tea House. The impressive, light-filled space, featuring a mezzanine floor and a 30-foot high ceiling strung with myriad birdcages, will serve a premium selection of Chinese teas, an afternoon tea menu, and regional Chinese cuisine.

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Explore - High-End Hainan

Guests can also enjoy Western and Chinese comfort food such as pizza, burgers or chilled noodles, either at Pool House, Pool Bar, or Bath House alongside the pools. Library and Terrace are also great choices for guests who want to relax and read a good book – or take in the ocean views – while sipping on a cold drink or a premium cocktail.

Meetings and Events Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort aims to be the most desirable, upscale event venue in Hainan. The hotel features eight unique, residential-style event venues, ranging from 450 square feet to over 3,600 square feet. All venues feature an abundance of natural light, outdoor terraces and state-of-the-art audio-visual equipment and lighting.

Chamber is the largest indoor event space, measuring just over 3,600 square feet and comprising three separate spaces: a reception area, an open kitchen and a main dining area. Equally unique is Gallery, a long, 3,100 square foot space with paintings and sculptures decorating both sides to resemble an art gallery. The Salons are perfect for smaller, more intimate events. The almost 1,700 square foot Grand Salon with its 36-foot ceiling height and walls lined with wooden lattice, is an ideal venue for a wedding or gala dinner. The 6,500 square foot lawn in front of Pool House is ideal for atmospheric outdoor events.

Recreation and Activities The recreation team has spent years researching and testing activities to offer guests the most unique and memorable activities during their time at Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort. Five separate pools – a 375 square foot pool, a children’s pool, a family pool, a spa pool and an indoor pool – are available to suit all types of swimmers. While at Camp Hyatt, kids and young adults will be both entertained and educated with activities like cooking classes and eco-activities by availing themselves of the latest toys and video games or simply by reading or resting in the “silent room.”

With a focus on local culture, as well as marine and environmental education, the resort offers myriad outdoor activity options for all ages, include hiking, golfing and stargazing, along with tours to nearby attractions such as Butterfly Valley, Nanshan Temple, Yazhou Ancient City and the Ganzaling Nature Reserve. Water sports enthusiasts will be thrilled with Baifu (Fortune) Bay – a private bay right next to Sunny Bay – renowned for offering some of the best diving conditions in China, as well as being an ideal spot for boating and kayaking.

The Spa at Park Hyatt Sanya Sunny Bay Resort is due to open in late 2015. Located by the lake and accessed by buggy, the spacious, light-filled spa will be built in a traditional Chinese style and will feature a main, two-story building and eight freestanding villas around an open-air courtyard. The semi open-air villas will each include a couple’s treatment room, a private foot treatment room, a freestanding tub, a shower, a walk-in wardrobe and an oversized daybed. Meanwhile, the main spa building will feature four additional treatment rooms; three foottreatment rooms, a TCM consultancy chamber and a lounge on the first floor. The floor below features a gym, a yoga studio and an outdoor infinity pool. Benefit-driven treatments will be carefully conceived to incorporate proven traditional Chinese practices, as well as the very latest in international spa techniques.

For more information, visit www.sanya.park.hyatt.com LUX - March 2015 9

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Explore - A Night on Ice

In Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, 200 km north of the Arctic Circle, lies an astonishing structure: the ICEHOTEL, the world’s first and largest hotel built from snow and ice.

ICEHOTEL covers 5,500 square meters and is constructed from 1,000 tonnes of Torne River ice and 30,000 tons of “snice”, a mixture of snow and ice that strengthens the structure. Around 100 people are involved in the construction of ICEHOTEL, half of which are artists especially invited to design particular areas of the hotel. The construction is a yearround process. Between March and April, 5,000 tons of ice is harvested from the Torne River and kept in cold storage during spring and summer. Construction takes place in November and December and the entire ICEHOTEL is then open between December and mid-April, when everything begins to slowly melt and return to the Torne River.

Photographer: Martin Smedsén

The ice in the Torne is unique of its kind - thanks to it being free of pollutants, and a gentle but steady pace of the stream, the ice that you find just off the bank by ICEHOTEL is as clear as crystal. Each block has a unique history and texture something that can never be found in artificially- produced ice.

Breaking the Ice Most people who visit ICEHOTEL stay one night in cold accommodation and one or more nights in the hotel’s warm accommodation.

Photographer: Markus Alatalo

When arriving to Jukkasjärvi and ICEHOTEL, guests are checked in at a separate desk in a building adjacent to ICEHOTEL. This building is exclusive for guests staying in the cold accommodation and works as a convenience hub – there is no storage or plumbing inside ICEHOTEL except for in the deluxe suites, so all these facilities are housed in here. There is also a sauna and a relaxation area with a roaring fire and hot lingonberry juice on tap. This area is staffed and open 24 hours. The receptionist helps with warm outer clothing and shows the guests around the building.

An ICEHOTEL guide holds a “survival course” in the evening, for guests staying the night in the hotel. The introduction includes the guide informing guests on how to dress appropriately and how to make the bed with the Arctic sleeping bags. The sleeping bags are made for temperatures as low as -25° C (-13° F), but the temperature inside the hotel never drops below -5° C (23° F), so they are more than sufficient to keep guests warm.

Beautifully carved by hand, the ICEHOTEL’s Art Suites are all individually designed and created by hand-picked artists from around the world and a wide range of disciplines. Perhaps you’ll stay in a room created by a French architect, or Swedish industrial designers, or a Spanish wood sculptor.

Photographer: Christopher Hauser

The Northern Lights Room is an artistic celebration of the Aurora Borealis in ice and light.

Ice Rooms are comfortably furnished with furniture made from ice, while in the simple but spacious Snow Rooms you’ll get a good night’s sleep in -5°C. Or for something a bit special (as if sleeping in a hotel built from snow were not special enough already) why not go for the Deluxe Suite; furnished with a large bed and seating area made of ice and snow, it also boasts an ensuite sauna and toilet.

There are no doors to the art suites, snow and ice rooms, so in the morning, a member of staff draws the curtain that covers the doorway and wakes the guests up with hot lingonberry juice in bed.

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Ice Hotel Marknadsv채gen 63 981 91 Jukkasj채rvi Sweden +46 980 668 00 www.icehotel.com

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Explore - A Night on Ice

When checking out or moving into warm accommodation, guests are given a diploma stating the date and temperature inside and outside ICEHOTEL on the night that they stayed there.

The ICEHOTEL’s warm accommodation includes a number of room types. Arctic Hotel Chalets have two separate bedrooms – one single and one double room. These chalets feature a double bed, living room with refrigerator, electric water kettle, microwave oven, TV and telephone. There’s of course a bathroom with shower and WC. Kaamos Hotel Rooms are airy and bright double rooms, with modern Scandinavian interior design. These rooms have double beds (dividable in selected rooms), bathroom with shower and WC, TV, telephone, microwave oven and electric water kettle.

The Nordic Hotel Chalets feature two separate bedrooms, one with dividable double bed and another with bunk beds. There’s a living room with refrigerator, electric water kettle, microwave oven, TV and telephone, as well as a bathroom with shower and WC. All warm rooms have wireless internet.

Photographer: Martin Smedsén

Melt-in-the-Mouth ICEHOTEL offers something for all appetites and moods – a fine gourmet restaurant as well as places with a more homely feeling.

You can visit ICEHOTEL Restaurant, the traditional homestead restaurant Hembygsgården, the Lounge or the Porch.

Although none of the restaurants are made of ice (hot food and ice tables do not make for a happy union), several dishes on the “ice menu” are served on plates made of the crystal clear ice from the Torne River.

And of course there’s the famous ICEBAR BY ICEHOTEL. Visiting ICEBAR is something you should do at least once in your life. Sip on a delicious cocktail or have a glass of champagne – obviously, the glasses are made entirely out of ice. Dance on a floor made of snow and do some late night mingling with visitors from near and far that have all travelled to this little bar by the Torne River.

Photographer: Martin Smedsén

Having an Ice Time Snowmobiling is one of the most popular activities at ICEHOTEL, whether you’ve ever seen a snowmobile or not. Each snowmobile tour begins with a brief introduction, and by default you sit two people on one snowmobile. If you’d like to drive your own, you can add that as a supplement when booking.

Photographer: Martin Smedsén

For those preferring transport of the four-legged variety, driving your own team of huskies through the pristine landscape is a wonderful way of experiencing Lapland. Experience the dreamlike sensation of being close to everything – animals, snow and nature – with yourself in the centre of it all. ICEHOTEL cooperates with Fjellborg Arctic Journeys, who, having bred, trained, raced and travelled with sled dogs for over twenty years, know how to arrange adventures above the ordinary, without compromising quality, safety and comfort.

Or why not let yourself be guided into the magical world of ice sculpting? Using only Torne River ice, which is soft and easy to work with, even for the beginner, the ICEHOTEL’s artists show you how to create beautiful sub-zero works of art.

Photographer: MINI

And don’t forget that, in the northern hemisphere, in the so-called Aurora oval, the majestic Northern Lights can be seen almost every clear night. As a matter of fact, this might be the best place in the world to see the Northern lights.

The white snow reflects a heavenly light show – glittering stars, a full moon and the magical, mystical Northern Lights.

The ICEHOTEL offers horseback, dog sled and snowmobile excursions to witness one of nature’s truly inspiring spectacles.

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Aurora InspiringLuxury Lucky souls discovering the luxuriously comfortable Hotel Rangรก in Iceland have just possibly found the finest way on Earth to enjoy the majestic Northern Lights.

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Explore - Aurora Inspiring Luxury

Located between the towns of Hella and Hvolsvöllur on the south coast and just off the Icelandic ring road, the Hotel Rangá is about a two hour drive from Keflavik Airport and little over an hour east of Reykjavik. Largely a remote country almost by definition, it is easy to get a sense of heading towards the back of beyond as you make your trip.

Such feelings are soon spirited away as the Hotel Rangá, surrounded by the ubiquitous panoramic scenery, comes into view. A luxuriously comfortable countryside hotel built in a traditional log-cabin style, it already has a reputation for the high quality of its food, accommodation and customer service.

Frequented by high net-worth individuals and discerning honeymooners, the fact that is also favoured by many Icelanders is testament to the prestige offered.

Also ideal for ground-shaking business leader meetings, the hotel offers 51 non-smoking rooms. Well-appointed and with a real sense of cosy luxury, there are 24 standard rooms, 20 deluxe rooms and seven suites – each one individually tailored for each continent of the world.

A World of Luxury The standard rooms at Hotel Rangá provide guests with a choice of either a queen sized bed (5 rooms) and 19 rooms with twin beds.

Nearly all are equipped with Jacuzzis and have views over the East Rangá River or the famous volcano Mt. Hekla.

Deluxe rooms offer even more luxury and higher levels of comfort. Three rooms are equipped with twin beds while the other 17 have king-sized beds. All offer 26m² of luxurious spaciousness. The rooms face the river, Mt. Hekla or the outdoor Jacuzzis.

The suites at Hotel Rangá are all individually themed in keeping with each of the seven continents. Providing guests with the ultimate in hotel comfort and relaxation, staying here is simply entering a world of luxury.

The size of the suites range from the truly impressive 40m² to the staggeringly large 74m².

Designed with the latest décor and fixtures and furnishings, each item has been carefully sourced from the continents they represent.

The Junior Suites allow you to stay in Asia, Australia, North America or South America while the Master Suites offer you Africa and Antarctica. The Royal Suite is a European affair.

The food at Hotel Rangá is as stunning as the rooms and the surrounds. Located right next to the salmon-stocked-like-sardines East Rangá river, it is unsurprising that many ‘Rekis’ make the hour long trip for dinner on frequent occasions. Offering a la Carte, lunch and bar menus, along with a true connoisseurs wine list, the restaurant and bar area is wonderful for relaxing with friends.

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Explore - Aurora Inspiring Luxury

the traditional culinary delights of the Mediterranean, it is all about predominantly local, fresh and high quality ingredients. With its European and Scandinavian gourmet Christmas Buffet enjoying world renown, visitors staying at the hotel in November and December have an extra treat to look forward to.

Light Up Your Life with the Aurora Borealis With its impressive location Hotel Rangá is perfect to discover everything this constantly shifting land has to offer. Whether exploring the highlands, the glaciers or the nature reserves, the volcanoes, black sandy beaches or magnificent waterfalls, this is an ideal base.

It is very likely that you are planning your Iceland trip to witness the Aurora Borealis of course and for that, the Hotel Rangá is perfect.

Though the Northern Lights do descend south more frequently with the Sun being in a period of turmoil at the moment, you can never experience the sheer thrill of seeing them this far north.

It is quite simply inspirational, with few people left unaffected by the beauty and intrigue of the cascading blues, purples, yellows, reds, greens and every colour in between. Without any interruption from light pollution, when skies are clear above the hotel, it would be hard to find a better location. For the real experience head here in the winter and, perhaps, take a cool drink to one of those outdoor Jacuzzis. If it is late though, there is no need to worry. The hotel offers a wake-up service so you do not miss the light show.

Though the Aurora Borealis are the highlight of many an Icelandic trip there is so much more to do. Stargazing at Hotel Rangá is another joy with those clear skies still beautifully lit up even if the Northern Lights are not playing with the atmosphere. To take even more from the experience, you may want to head to the exciting new Hotel Rangá Astronomical Observatory, complete with roll-off roof and two high quality computerized telescopes.

During the day Iceland is quite simply the best adult playground in the world, with the hotel able to organise ‘Super Jeep’ tours, ATV motorbikes, cave exploration in Iceland, dog sledding, glacier tours and so much more.

With less adventurous activities such as bird watching, golf, whale watching and cultural tours also available, a must-do is the trip to the Eyjafjallajökull Erupts visitor centre, to really get the lowdown on the volcano that disrupted thousands of flights back in 2010.

No matter the reason for your visit though, Iceland and the Hotel Rangá will make the perfect destination. Just do not get put off by Hrammur, the towering 10-foot tall polar bear in the hotel reception.

For more info and reservations...

Tel: +354 487 5700 Email: hotelranga@hotelranga.is Web: www.hotelranga.is

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where gastronomes and wine lovers indulge.

Summer Tasting Menu Cream of asparagus velouté, white balsamic gel Bordeaux Blanc, Clarendelle, Bordeaux, France 2011 vs.

Morlet Family Vineyard, Proportion Doree, Knights Valley CA, 2008 Guinea fowl and parsley terrine, orange, chicory, almonds Mondolin, Riesling, Monterey, CA, 2012 Lyme Bay monkfish, green and white asparagus, fennel Bourgogne, Chardonnay, Pierre Bouree, Burgundy, France, 2011 vs. Ferrar-Carano, Chardonnay, Sonoma County, CA 2012 South Coast brill, girolles, rocket, chicken jus Bourgogne Rouge, Le Vieux Quartier, Pinot Noir, Burgundy, France, 2010 vs. Waterstone Pinot Noir, Los Carneros, CA, 2011 Corn fed Tidenham duck breast, spring carrot, wild rice Haut Medoc, Hau Medoc de Giscours, Bordeaux, France, 2004 vs. Notre Vin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cuvee de l’Etrier, Napa Valley, CA, 2007 White chocolate and passion fruit terrine, exotic purée, coconut Coteaux du Layon St Lambert, Domaine Ogereau, Loire Valley, France, 2012 English rhubarb savarin, poached in thyme, hazelnut cream Tattinger, Nocturne, Sec, Champagne, France, NV vs.

Schramsberg, Cremant, Demi-Sec, Napa Valley, CA, 2008

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Taste - Vineyard

Nestled in the heart of the West Berkshire countryside, a short distance from Stockcross and just an hour from London is the perfect Californian hideaway. Originally an 18th Century hunting lodge, today The Vineyard serves as a wine lover’s sanctuary.

For food and wine lovers alike, The Vineyard is perfect for R&R and indulgence. Each room is named after an iconic wine from around the world and if you’re really lucky you will stay in one the top-six suites that are named after the owner’s (Sir Peter Michael) wines; La Carrière, Mon Plaisir, Les Pavots, Point Rouge, Belle Cote and L’Après Midi. Luxurious and contemporary, all of the rooms have been furnished to the highest standard. Plump pillows, crisp linens, Italian marble and balconies with breathtakingly good views – you’re sure to get a good night’s sleep.

To put it plainly, the hotel’s ethos is wine wine wine and at its heart is the Judgement of Paris. The Judgment of Paris was a wine competition held in Paris on 24 May 1976, which ultimately transformed the world’s view of Californian wines. British wine merchant, Stephen Spurrier arranged a wine tasting for some of the leading French tasters, whereby he offered two comparable wines, one produced in France and the other California.

The tasting was blind and the wines identities were concealed. As you can probably guess, the unthinkable happened and the Californian wines came out trumps!

Not restricted to new world alone, the hotel celebrates both new and old world wines. The cellar is one of the most renowned in the country and holds over 30,000 bottles, including the award-winning estate wines of the owner, Sir Peter Michael. Sir Peter Michael is a wine farmer who produces some of the finest estate wines in Knights Valley, Sonoma. His growing philosophy may be modelled on French tradition but it is infused with modern influence.

During our stay we enjoyed the infamous Judgement Tasting Summer Menu, where the Head Sommelier gave us the chance to compete in our own mini version of the Judgement of Paris!

If you’re thinking of making a visit then the tasting menu should be high on your agenda! Though our taste buds are a far cry from expert, with a bit off guesswork we actually did quite well and the experience was a fantastic way to spend our evening.

At The Vineyard even the spa takes on the wine theme!

Hailed as the champagne of spas The Vineyard Spa is the perfect place for a spirit-lifting experience. As one of the most highly-rated day spas in the UK, (awarded “5 Bubbles” by the Good Spa Guide”) they offer a complete escape to an oasis of tranquillity.

It’s certainly true what they say…the best company wine can keep is food, and neither disappoints at The Vineyard. Special enough for special events, The Vineyard makes a unique venue for weddings, corporate events, romantic weekends and all important time out with the family. It’s part of Sir Peter Michael’s mission, to spread the Californian love of service, generosity and world beating wines and as the hotel’s tagline promotes, customers come to eat, sleep and drink wine.

Stockcross, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 8JU 01635 898415 reception@the-vineyard.co.uk www.the-vineyard.co.uk LUX - March 2015 21

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Taste - French Fancy

LUX had a culinary treat this month as we were invited to dine in L’Escargot, London’s oldest French restaurant.

Buried in the heart of Soho, L’Escargot’s home is a beautiful, 300 year old Georgian townhouse.

Established in 1927 it’s not only the oldest, but widely recognised as one of the best French restaurants in the capital.

Now, as you might have guessed from the name, this is a seriously good place to come and enjoy snails.

Whether you’re a seasoned foodie, or a complete novice, they come highly recommended.

That said, it’s more than just snails – much more in fact. The menu, which adapts to the seasons, has a full range of bourgeois French delights, including the classics, Moules Mariniere, Coq au Vin, Chateaubriand and so forth.

With three of us dining and all willing to share, we had a great opportunity to sample a good portion of the menu.

Each course and each item was individually exquisite, not to mention polished off in full by myself and my fellow diners. By the time the desert menus were rolled out we had been suitably fed and watered and really had little room for further indulgence. However, our lovely waitress expertly detailed the deserts reeling off her top three choices and made it very hard for us to say no! She was right, her top three were to die for!

As you would also expect of any French restaurant, especially one that boldly claims to be the oldest and the best, there is also an extensive wine list that doesn’t disappoint. We found a firm favourite with the Loire Valley Sancerre, Domaine Gérard Millet, 2013 but there were plenty of opportunities for those less stuck in their ways.

French Fancy L’Escargot, in Soho, London, has been serving its famous Snails Extraordinaire to discerning partons for nearly 90 years. But there’s much more to this celebrated French eatery, as we recently discovered.

After dinner, and with a good bottle of wine still to enjoy we relocated to the Salon Vert, a dramatic room with a stunning 18th Century ceiling, large windows, and importantly, comfortable chairs perfect for sinking into following the indulgent meal we had just enjoyed. It would be the perfect room for an intimate private dinner or cocktail reception if you’re looking for a reason to celebrate.

The restaurant’s convenient location makes it a great option for theatre-goers. Unusually, L’Escargot allows guests to eat two courses pre-theatre, followed by dessert and coffee after theatre – a great way to spread the evening out, and something that’s definitely worth remembering. Pre-theatre and post theatre dining is clearly popular and the menu choices are wide.

Not only is it convenient, but also extremely reasonably-priced for the quality of the food.

All in all, L’Escargot is a little bit of serenity in chaotic Soho, and we shall most definitely return.

48 Greek Street, Soho, London W1D 4EF Tel: 020 7439 7474 www.lescargotrestaurant.co.uk

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Belgraves A Thompson Hotel

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Retreats - Belgraves

Belgravia is an area of London truly in a class of its own; home to luxurious properties, renowned classical architecture and white stucco residences, it is one of the wealthiest districts in the world. Manhattan-born Thompson hotel group chose wisely when it selected Belgravia - no stranger to high-end hospitality – for its latest and only transatlantic location.

Belgraves, A Thompson Hotel opened in February 2012 and is located on Chesham Place. The sumptuous hotel boasts 85 exquisite rooms and suites, an outdoor terrace and a gym. It also features a restaurant and bar.

Describing itself as ‘Britannia, meet Bohemia’, they are pretty close to the mark. The hotel has all of the feel of a luxury New York loft, but benefits from the added charm that comes from the carefully thought out British design – thanks to Tara Bernerd & Partners.

Location-wise the hotel is perfectly positioned. The serene neighbourhood might have you fooled but Belgravia is less than 2 miles away from the City and the hotel provides the perfect base for exploring Knightsbridge, Kings Road Chelsea, Pimlico, and Westminster, furthermore some of London’s finest tourist attractions are a mere stone’s throw, from Buckingham Palace to Hyde Park.

The rooms are stylish and bold. With king-size beds, marble bathrooms, LCD flat-screen TVs, iHome docking stations and free WIFI; whether you are there for business or pleasure, Thompson has thought of everything.

With so many fine restaurants and bars within easy reach, Belgraves had a lot to live up to if it were to persuade its guests to dine and relax in the hotel. This mission has certainly been accomplished with much thanks owed to Sophie Michell.

Michell is the executive chef who has taken the helm of Pont St. Restaurant.

Her menu paves the way for an eclectic range of dishes, from crudo, small plates and salads to fresh seafood prepared a la plancha. Specialities include sea urchin, chili and garlic spaghetti with bottarga shavings; baked spiced Cornish crab with jalapeno hollandaise and sourdough croutes; poached sea trout with oyster mayonnaise; and Gloucester Old Spot pork chop with celeriac gratin, apple jelly.

Located on the mezzanine is the hotel bar and as you would expect, the cocktail menu is a solid one. The bar area is relaxed, offering intimate as well as comfortable seating areas, bold artworks and stacked bookshelves. The Bar

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Retreats - Belgraves

features an adjoining smoking Terrace popular among guests and local residents alike.

Art is integral part of the hotel and in conjunction with A Space For Art, Belgraves, A Thompson Hotel presents its latest art initiative – ‘The Window @ Belgraves’ – a Guest Curator Programme whereby London’s leading galleries and art management companies will showcase conversational pieces from the some of the World’s most exciting, emerging and established talent. Selected artwork will feature throughout the hotel’s eclectic public spaces including the mezzanine bar, lobby, Pont St. restaurant and terrace. Works will be displayed at Belgraves on a four month rotational basis, with one lead piece taking centre stage in ‘The Window’ – a unique viewing space situated on the ground floor of the hotel which overlooks Belgravia’s Chesham Place.

With spring well and truly underway you may be interested to learn a little more about Belgraves’ Urban Picnic, the hotel invites its guests on an urban food adventure to uncover all that is great and gritty about London; perfect for a leisurely afternoon discovering a local side of the city.

Modernising the quintessential springtime activity, Belgraves’ Urban Picnic puts a spin on alfresco dining, ditching the traditional wicker baskets and cucumber sandwiches in favour of a mouth-watering menu freshly prepared by Executive Chef Sophie Michell. Guests will indulge in an eclectic spread, including saffron and buttermilk chicken skewers, strawberry and pink peppercorn tarts and refreshing Kamm and Sons spritz cocktails.

Should you select the hotel for business, you nor your guests will be disappointed.

Belgraves takes London meeting and event space to an entirely new level in sumptuously appointed, high-profile settings with the discreet atmosphere of a private club. The hotel offers exemplary surroundings for book launches, press events and breakfast meetings, cocktail receptions and corporate events.

If you are in London for business, or if you’re planning a weekend break, Acquisition International highly recommends a visit to Belgraves, A Thompson Hotel. In fact, we look forward to visiting the hotel’s US siblings… www.thompsonhotels.com/hotels/london Rooms are priced from £309 + vat for a King Superior

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Palais Amani Fez, Morocco

Breaks include The ‘From Medina to Plate’ Cuisine with an upgrade a three night stay in a classic room full day Medina on arrival (subject to availability), a hop, a traworks g bakin a , class tour with cookery e 6 course ditional Hammam Duo, a Grande Final ccan breakfast. gastronomic dinner and daily Moro 0 based €150 from d price is age pack This on two sharing for three nights.

B&B is priced from £150 per night sharing.

based on two

Miter, Oued www.palaisamani.com 12 Derb el cco Zhoune, Fes Medina, 30000, Moro

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Retreats - Palais Amani

This month Acquisition International had the pleasure of going to stay at the Palais Amani in Fez, Morocco. The Palais Amani is a boutique style Riad nestled neatly in the walls of the city’s largest Medina, Fes el Bali. Fes el Bali is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s largest car-free urban areas.

We were met on arrival at Saïss Airport and made our way on a scenic if not slightly chaotic journey into town. Upon arrival at the wall of the Medina (and not where we expected to be dropped off!) we shuffled out of the car and were met by two of the hotel’s porters. They promptly picked up our over-packed luggage and indicated for us to follow them as they took off through a narrow entrance to a cobbled street of the Medina.

Following like sheep, we rushed to keep up and after a short walk we reached the imposing entrance to the Palais Amani. Two elaborately carved wooden doors opened up to us and we were welcomed into what felt like another world. Juxtaposed to the hustle and bustle of the Medina streets, the Palais Amani was beautiful, delicate and serene.

From the minute of our arrival we were made to feel at home; from the hotel’s staff to its owners – we were welcomed like old friends.

Sitting with our new friends in the citrus tree filled courtyard, over a cup of Moroccan Mint Tea (which became a staple in our daily routine) we were introduced to the hotel and its recent history, including the full three and a half year renovation its current owners had lovingly treated it to. Every inch of the hotel’s design has been carefully planned; from the intricately placed Moroccan zellige tiles to the striking antique style Moroccan lanterns and traditional carpets. The renovation has been done in impeccable taste.

Having been familiarised with our new surroundings we were shown to our room, an Exceptional Suite on the first floor of the inward facing Riad. This extensive suite had a master bedroom, dressing area, central salon and extra single bedroom, perfect to fit the three of us! The bathroom was spacious and luxurious with a twin head rain style shower and twin basins.

During our 3 days we enjoyed every inch of the hotel and what it had to offer; from the restaurant to the roof top bar to the spa.

There was no shortage of food in Fez; any self-proclaimed foodie should place Morocco at the top of their list when choosing the next destination! What’s more, the Palais Amani provides a perfect base to start the journey into Moroccan cuisine.

Each morning we came down to the dining terrace to enjoy a traditional Moroccan breakfast, in the evening we had the choice of the à la carte menu or a three course set menu d’hôtes, and whenever it took our fancy there was a superb selection of tapas (perfect to enjoy on the rooftop terrace). The hotel is also renowned for its daylong cookery course, ‘From Medina to Plate’.

‘From Medina to Plate’ was the perfect way to experience the real Fez. We fought the crowds to find the plumpest chicken in the market, stopped in at local eateries that would never have been found without the expert guidance of our chef and tour guide, selected the freshest ingredients, and to top it all off, we learnt how to transform them into a delicious dish when we arrived back at the hotel.

The Palais Amani has a separate kitchen on the first floor of the building and it’s the perfect place to teach novices the skills required to create a Moroccan masterpiece!

The head chef rounded us up and patiently demonstrated - over a two hour lesson how to cook an authentic chicken tagine with a smoked aubergine salad and following on, a fresh orange salad seasoned with some of Fez’s most favoured ingredients. The best part of the day came when the oven timer went off and we got to sit down on the terrace to enjoy the fruits of our culinary efforts! The day was rounded off with a lovely gift from our head chef, a Palais Amani apron, a mini basket of spices and a detailed recipe sheet – perfectly preparing us to recreate our new dish at home.

Our final treat for the weekend was a trip to Les Bains Amani to enjoy a traditional hammam (that said, I tend to believe that this was more luxurious than most!). Every inch of our bodies was scrubbed, massaged and bathed. We left not only more relaxed, but better friends than we were when we entered!

Absolutely nothing was left to chance at the Palais Amani, our every whim was catered for and our experience of Fez was a fine one because of it. If you are in Morocco for business, or if you’re planning a weekend break, Acquisition International highly recommends a visit to the Palais Amani.

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Retreats - The Headland

Surrounded by the raw beauty of the Cornish coast on three sides, the views are breathtaking. Wild Atlantic rollers pound the shore, while high above this dramatic landscape a set of red brick towers survey the golden sands, marram grass and rocks dividing land and sea.

This is the Headland – a place steeped in history and tradition, and one of the finest hotels in southern England.

Behind the imposing facade, the Victorian grandeur continues. The Headland’s public areas offer an almost overwhelming choice of places to sit, relax and enjoy a bite from the hotel’s award-winning menu.

The Fistral Suite has an open fire and views across the grounds, Fistral Beach and the sea beyond – and, perhaps most importantly, close proximity to the bar – making it an ideal spot for intimate lunches and dinner parties.

The Ballroom still boasts its original wooden, coilsprung floor where at least 300 guests can waltz gracefully through the night. During the day, it doubles as a lounge, with lots of comfy sofas. Like the rest of the hotel, it’s been lovingly preserved.

Guest rooms include soaring four-poster or canopied beds and a freestanding bath as well as modern touches such as a large flat screen TV. The Headland’s 4-star main building is just the beginning, though.

In the hotel’s grounds, overlooking the ocean, are 40, 5-star self-catering holiday cottages. A cosy space in a winter storm, or cool respite on a sizzling summer’s day, these cottages – which come with one, two or three bedrooms – are quite possibly the last word in luxury beachside accommodation.

As soon as you catch a glimpse of these beautifully-appointed cottages you imagine yourself walking hand-in-hand along the sandy coves before popping a bottle of Champagne and watching the sunset from your private balcony.

Many of the cottages have a sea view (one, “Mariners 2” enjoys spectacular 270˚ coastal views from its living area on the towering fourth floor), others a “sea glimpse.” All have a four poster bed made up with feather duvet and pillows, as well as a dining area and well-equipped kitchen. Some cottages also boast sheltered gardens and balconies.

And of course, if you need them, all the facilities afforded by a luxury hotel are just a stone’s throw away.

One thing you certainly wouldn’t want to miss is the hotel’s acclaimed spa. With six beautifully designed treatment rooms – one with a stylish oversized hydrotherapy bath – there are a wide range of treatments, all of which will make your busy urban life seem but a distant memory.

Perhaps the most intriguing treatment on offer is “The Dreaming.” According to the hotel, this treatment developed from a desire to reconnect the mind and spirit with the body by creating an incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating treatment which will release tension and send guests into a dream-like state where their immune system is boosted.

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Retreats - The Headland

Using gentle flowing movements using organic oils and balms from head to toe and incorporating a hand and foot pamper, full body massage and scrub, head massage and facial. The skin of the face and body is cleansed, invigorated, restored and nourished. Tired muscles are eased and energised, and all the body systems are rebalanced and rejuvenated.

Guests can also enjoy a fully equipped state of the art gym and leisure area with a pool, sauna, stream room, jacuzzi and aromatherapy showers.

All its mod-cons aside, the Headland is a place steeped in history – and the hotels’ past was in fact a somewhat turbulent one.

When building work commenced there was immediate opposition from the local fishermen, who claimed the hotel was being built on common land they had used to dry their nets for generations.

Newspaper reports from the time show that one night a group of disgruntled seamen pulled down the hotel’s foundation walls, burned the scaffolding and threw the foreman’s hut into the sea. The Newquay Riots, as they were dubbed by the press, resulted in several men being fined and all building work grinding to a halt. Two hundred unemployed miners from the nearby town of Redruth were recruited because the locals were unwilling to return to the site, and as the new workers arrived in Newquay, traction engines equipped with steam hoses were used to keep the resentful natives at bay.

The hotel was eventually finished, however, and to the highest standards: a DC generator was installed in a remote underground chamber; there were two bathrooms for gentlemen and two for ladies on each floor; every bedroom had a fire place, hot and cold running water, electric light, and an electric service bell – all of which were considered luxuries out of the reach of most ordinary people at the time.

Among the hotel’s famous guests was none other than the future King Edward VIII. The then Prince of Wales arrived at the Headland to convalesce after suffering from mumps whilst training at the Royal Naval College in nearby Dartmouth.

During the Second World War, the building was requisitioned and became a Royal Air Force hospital – a part of its history that has given rise to numerous alleged spooky happenings inside the hotel. Guests (possibly fresh from a few post-dinner drinks in the Terrace bar) have reported seeing the ghosts of men in uniforms walking around the corridors late at night.

The hotel may also be familiar to anyone who visited a cinema back in 1990 – much of the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl’s The Witches was shot on location in the Headland Hotel (named “Hotel Excelsior” in the film.)

Rowan Atkinson played the hotel manager. During a break from filming, he managed to flood the hotel by leaving his bath taps turned on.

Thankfully, the hotel has now completely dried out – and now it’s waiting for you to write your own history.

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My heart belongs toHartwell

Whilst staying at this beautifully restored 18th-century stately home, I left something behind, my heart‌

Hartwell Summer Dinner Menu Smoked goats cheese fondant with roasted hazelnuts, apple and raspberry Pan fried mackerel with sultana and almond dressing, caramelised cauliflower puree Pea and asparagus risotto with crispy Aylesbury duck and chorizo, peashoots xxx Pan fried monkfish fillets with ratatouille vegetables, polenta flavoured with basil and pine nuts, red wine and balsamic fish sauce Ballotine of chicken with rosti potato, pancetta lardo ns, sweetcorn, runner beans and chicken jus Tartlet of caramelised onions, tomato and mozzarella cheese, smoked aubergine puree and balsamic reduction xxx Passionfruit and mango chiboust with compressed exotic fruits and coconut ice cream Iced strawberry parfait with mint marshmallow, strawberry salad and Pimms sorbet Hartwell honey pannacotta with poached raspberries and tonka bean ice cream Contact Hartwell House, Hotel, Restaurant and Spa, Oxford Road, Near Aylesbury Buckinghamshire, HP17 8NR Tel: +44 (1296) 747444 Fax: +44 (1296) 747450 info@hartwell-house.com www.hartwell-house.com

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Retreats - My Heart Belongs to Hartwell

Built in the early seventeenth century for the Hampden family, the Hartwell house has both Jacobean and Georgian features with outstanding decorative plaster-work and panelling. Its fine elegant reception and dining rooms create the ambience of a great country house.

This stately home, located just a short drive from London, was once lived in by exiled King of France Louis XVIII and his court for five years, has still kept its royal edge, offering luxurious accommodation, fine dining and wine, fit for any current king and queen.

The hotels’ 46 magnificent rooms are furnished with antiques and hung with paintings. Its elegant drawing and dining rooms provide the ideal setting in which to enjoy the delicious food and fine wines. This hotel is perfect for any special occasion and really leaves you longing for more.

Mixing business with pleasure…

Across the courtyard from the main house, a technology hub called Hartwell Court can be found. Formerly a coach house Hartwell Court has been restored and extended to provide excellent conference and meeting facilities in the Hartwell Rooms. The Hotel has not only kept its original charm but addressed the need for business and conferencing facilities, whether it’s a team building exercise, a strategy day or an important meeting with clients - Hartwell Court really does allow you to mix business with pleasure.

Keeping the Magic alive…

Hartwell Spa is situated close to the Hartwell Rooms and Hartwell Court, about 100 yards from the main house. An essential part of a visit to Hartwell House is the opportunity to relax and enjoy the pleasures of the Spa. Swim in the warm clear water of the inviting pool lined with blue mosaic tiles, relax in the steam room, sauna and the bubbling waters of the whirlpool bath. Let’s not forget the all-weather hydrotherapy Hot Tub located on the spa sun terrace, it’s a perfect place to kick back, relax and unwind after a hectic week.

Award winning fine dinning With perfect views, history, and elegance and of course the modern touches that we can’t live without (internet and the much loved hot tub) – this hotel is for sure as special as it comes with an added bonus of an award winning restaurant.

The gastronomic experience at Hartwell House really does put the cheery on the cake or indeed the jewel in the Hartwell crown. Awarded 2 AA Rosettes, Hartwell House offers a range of unique dishes to suit every taste, combining the very best of local produces and seasonal offerings. Every course is prepared to perfection under the watchful eye of our Head Chef Daniel Richardson.

Daniel Richardson bio.

Born in Northamptonshire in 1971, Daniel has been living in Aylesbury and joined the team at Hartwell House as Chef Tournant in 1994.

He was quickly promoted and on 1st January 2000 was appointed as Head Chef. While ensuring the smooth running of four kitchens at Hartwell, Daniel’s has consistently raised the standards of food served in the restaurant, private parties and the Spa Café & Bar to levels of excellence recognised through many accolades, including 2 AA Rosettes for Hartwell’s restaurant. His ambition is to continue to lead his team to exceed expectations and enhance Hartwell House’s already excellent reputation.

Daniel places great importance on the belief that locally sourced and home grown food is the best and only food to serve. Working closely with a network of local farmers he sources the finest fresh, reliably grown and reared ingredients with low carbon footprint to be used in his menus wherever possible.

Prior to joining Hartwell House, Daniel worked as Chef de Partie at Le Meridian Hotel, Piccadilly London, including the Michelin starred Oak Room restaurant, and also at the 3 Michelin starred restaurant ‘Le Gavroche’ in London.

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Join theGentry Middlethorpe Hall, in York, offers flawless service, fine dining and a genuine sense of history and tradition, all in a beautifully-preserved, three centuries-old country residence.

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Retreats - Join the Gentry

Located within the historic city of York, Middlethorpe Hall is a country house built in 1699 of mellow red brick with limestone dressings, for a wealthy businessman from Sheffield. In the 1980s it was bought and reopened as a luxury hotel, restaurant and spa.

The restoration, conservation and conversion into a country house hotel has clearly been carried out to exacting and historically accurate standards.

The building, which stands in 20 acres of grounds, has been elegantly decorated in an 18th century style. The large entrance hall features a stunning oak staircase and chequered marble floors. The public rooms are furnished with antiques and fine paintings and look out over the sweeping lawns and parkland. The resulting impression is that of a well-kept, well-furnished private manor house, rather than a 29-bedroom hotel.

The 20 acres of manicured gardens and parkland which surround Middlethorpe Hall are also the result of a transformation – from a rose bed and nettles to a parterre that now includes a fragrant rose garden, intriguing walled garden and romantic meadow which leads to a lake surrounded by beautiful specimen trees. There is also a ha-ha wall (a wall, popular in the 17th and 18th Century on country estates of the landed gentry, designed to be invisible from the house, ensuring a clear view across the estate.)

Today, Middlethorpe Hall is renowned for its imaginative cuisine and its panelled dining rooms which overlook the manicured gardens. The gardens surrounding Middlethorpe have also been extensively restored and replanted. What remains of the previous garden includes a tall cedar al Lebanon on the main lawn, a mature red oak in the spring garden, a Turkey oak giving shade to the south east of the house a line of beech trees on the west boundary, as well as a specimen sycamore and lime trees.

Guests can relax before candlelit tables in the panelled dining rooms and enjoy antiques reflecting the tastes of several centuries. The dining room is an oasis of calm, where guests leisurely dine overlooking the magnificent view of the gardens and parkland. Nicholas Evans’ superb cuisine has won many accolades over the years.

The hotel also boasts a health and fitness Spa built behind the handsome façade of two listed Edwardian cottages. This offers guests a range of facilities, from Decléor, ESPA and Jessica treatments with trained therapists, to a swimming pool, sauna and gymnasium.

Middlethorpe Hall exudes a comfortable, luxurious atmosphere – and the hotel’s individual guest rooms and cottage suites are no exception.

The twenty-nine comfortable and fully equipped bedrooms, each decorated individually, are located both in the house and in the attractively restored 18th century courtyard next to it. There are several room types ranging from single rooms to a deluxe suite in the main house. Ten of the rooms are in the main house, seventeen in the 18th century classical courtyard, as well as a garden suite and two cottage suites in an adjacent cottage.

Ten bedrooms and suites are located in the historic main house. Situated on the first and second floors, and accessible by a lift, they are characterized by very high ceilings, large sash windows overlooking the south lawn or the beech avenue.

Inside the main house, the best rooms are the four-poster bedrooms. These two spacious four-poster rooms overlook the south lawn, and both have a king-size bed and are furnished with antiques and fine paintings as well as more modern amenities.

There are also two suites in the main house, one of which is the Duke of York Suite, named after the stay of His Royal Highness Prince Andrew. Decorated with antiques and fine paintings, it includes a fireplace, living room and a “coronet” king-size bed.

There’s plenty to do in the surrounding area, too. Horse racing fans are certainly well catered-for – Middlethorpe Hall overlooks the famous York racecourse.

The city of York, a short distance from Middlethorpe Hall, is one of Britain’s most historic cities, and is still surrounded by its medieval city walls, which enclose some of the most splendid urban architecture in the British Isles, including York Minster cathedral, the medieval street of the Shambles, the castle and a vast number of other fascinating buildings and museums.

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Heaven is a place onEarth and you can find it at the Belmond Hotel Cipriani

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Retreats - Heaven is a Place on Earth

Venice, the water city is renowned for its architecture and history, famed for its beauty and culture and awarded for its cuisine. Visting Venice is not just about ticking boxes, it’s all about enjoying its intoxicating magic and reveling in what can only as described as one of the most romantic places on Earth.

On most occasions travelling from the destination airport to your holiday location can be rather dull and somewhat an inconvenience but in Venice the only way to travel is by boat, a 1920s speed boat, with a Bellini. As you swerve through the waves of the lagoon, the history of this city captures your mind body & soul, you really do understand why these multicolored buildings, interconnecting bridges and canals have served as muse to many a playwright over the years.

On the tip of Giudecca Island, the Belmond Hotel Cipriani, is located, this luxury hotel commands unrivalled views of the lagoon and Doge’s Palace. Steeped in Venetian style, it is known for interiors decorated in exquisite local artefacts, classic cuisine with an innovative twist and the most fabulous swimming pool in the city.

The iconic Belmond Hotel Cipriani, the preferred hotel of the social elite sits beside the Venetian lagoon looking out towards St Mark’s Square and consists of 39 Rooms in total, all with a view die for.

The is much to do in Venice, from sightseeing to visiting the theatre, eating & drinking and of course seeing the city’s famous canal network by gondola. But at the end of long busy day, a relaxing rest at the Ciprinai is the only thing left to do on the itinerary. As the sun sets on the horizon, head for the Belmond Hotel Cipriani’s Gabbiano Bar located by the pool and order a mouth-watering cocktail…Heaven.

Venice is not only famed for its beauty but also its cuisine, the hotel’s restaurant Oro, headed by Davide Bisetto, the first Italian chef to be awarded two Michelin stars in France is a must and the only place you can enjoy Venetian Gastronomy.

With ‘Enoteca, La Via Della Sete’, boasting a wine collection of over 1,000 select labels coupled with the finest Italian ingredients, Bisetto has reinterpreted the historic Venetian hotel’s gastronomic tradition with his acclaimed culinary creativity. Signature dishes include ‘Red Prawn and Spider Crab au Naturel with Pink Grapefruit Aspic, Citrus, Sant’Erasmus Cucumber Sorbet and Bloody Mary Water’ and ‘Sea Bass Drenched in Marostica Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a Garden of Lagoon Vegetables’.

Belmond Hotel Cipriani Giudecca 10, 30133 Venice, Italy Tel: +39 041 240 801 Email: info.cip@belmond.com Reservations: 0845 0772 222

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Skiing with the Jet Set

We take a look some of the private jet crowd’s favourite holiday skiing destinations in the US and Europe.

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Retreats - Skiing with the Jet-Set

In many cases, the most popular winter holiday regions with the rich and famous are located away from traditional travel routes, and cannot be reached easily by car, train or even commercial flights.

That’s where private jets come in. And for the jet set, beautiful, and often remote, ski holiday destinations like Aspen and Vail, Colorado; Laax, Switzerland; Chamonix, France; and Zakopane, Poland are among their top picks when they want to hit the pistes.

“There is a reason many of these holiday destinations are considered jet set hideaways,” says Adam Johnson, Head of Global Sales at NetJets, the private business jet charter and aircraft management company, “NetJets makes it easy and convenient for people to reach their destination quickly and comfortably by travelling privately. We have the ability to take off and land at airports in close proximity to skiing areas, saving our customers much valued time.

When travelling, for instance, with NetJets from Northern Germany to St. Moritz in Switzerland, the travel time is about 90 minutes. If one scheduled a flight to Zurich and continued their travels to St. Moritz by train, they would travel for at least five hours.”

Verbier, Switzerland

Zakopane, Poland

NetJets has compiled a selection of the most popular winter sports regions in Europe and the US – and all of them are easy to reach by private jet…

Verbier, Switzerland: It’s all about looking great on the slopes in Verbier, a resort that attracts snow fans for the fantastic off-piste conditions. After a day on the slopes, the only place to be seen in Verbier for après ski is the W Hotel. Perched at 1,500 metres, W Verbier is perfectly situated only steps away from the main gondola, offering direct ski-in/ski-out access to over 400km of ski and hiking terrain all year around.

Crans-Montana, Switzerland: Crans-Montana is a popular jet set holiday destination in summer as well as in winter. Prince William and former French President Sarkozy have been spotted there. Fans of Telemark skiing – the original way of skiing, which uses equipment similar to crosscountry skiing, the ski bindings having the ski boot attached only at the toe – get their money’s worth on Telemark Day, 30 December 2014. The easiest way to reach Crans-Montana in Valais canton is via Sion Airport.

Laax, Switzerland: In the Swiss municipality of Laax, everything is about design. The skiing area, where snow is guaranteed, banks on exclusive styles: the ski lifts were designed by Porsche and one of the city’s landmarks is “rocksresort”, a design hotel consisting of eight massive quartzite cubes. Altenrhein Airport is located only a stone’s throw from Laax, which can be reached via autobahn A13.

Kitzbühel, Austria

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy: The winter sports region in Northern Italy is probably the only skiing area in the Alps which gives its name to a famous car model: in the 1960s, the legendary “Ford Cortina” car conveyed a particular elegancy and exclusiveness. Today, the area is still a popular destination for the rich and famous. Moreover, the best winter sports athletes meet in Cortina d’Ampezzo every year for World Cup races. The easiest way to reach the region is via Bolzano Airport.

Les Trois Vallées, France: With more than 180 ski lifts and ski slopes totalling more than 600 kilometres, “Les Trois Vallées” is considered the world’s largest skiing area. The “three valleys” are famous for their comfortable wooden chalets. Some celebrities even own one, for instance Harry Potter star Emma Watson. The closest airport is Chambery-Savoie.

Chamonix, France: The spectacular panorama view of Mont Blanc massif even impresses celebrities like Kylie Minogue and Penelope Cruz.

Chamonix, situated at the bottom of the Alps’ highest mountain, is a chic holiday destination with a legendary view and also hosts the “FIS Night Slalom” on 2 and 3 January 2015. Chamonix is also the 2015 “Alpine town of the year” (www.alpenstaedte.org). Geneva Airport is the ideal starting point for travels to Mont Blanc.

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Retreats - Skiing with the Jet-Set

Zakopane, Poland: Zakopane in Southern Poland is known for being the country’s winter sports capital and for its own “Zakopane style”: wooden buildings featuring Art Nouveau elements can be found all over the city.

The “World Snow Day” on 18 January 2015 includes many winter sports activities aiming at families with children and teenagers. The closest airport is Poprad in Slovakia.

Kitzbühel, Austria: From 20 to 25 January 2015, the Hahnenkamm Race will be held on the legendary “Streiff” downhill course. This race (www. hahnenkamm.com) is considered one of the most important society events in Austria besides the Vienna Opera Ball. As one of the most dangerous racecourses in the world, it attracts thousands of winter sports fans every year. Kitzbühel can easily be reached by car from Innsbruck Airport, from which there are only a couple of scheduled flights every week.

St. Moritz, Switzerland: The famous skiing area St. Moritz, located in Eastern Switzerland, is not only well-known for its many kilometres of ski slopes. Every year at the end of January, the “St. Moritz Polo World Cup on Snow” (www.snowpolo-stmoritz.com) takes place on the frozen Lake St. Moritz. In February, the “White Turf” horse race takes place (www. whiteturf.ch). High society travels to these events from around the world.

Samedan Airport is situated only a few kilometres away from St. Moritz.

Kranjska Gora, Slovenia: Kranjska Gora, located in the Julian Alps in the North-West of Slovenia, is probably one of the favourite places of Ted Ligety. The American alpine ski racer already won the giant slalom race in the Alpine skiing World Cup five times there, including last season. In March 2015, he will defend his title among the best skiers at the Vitranc Cup (www.pokal-vitranc.com). Arrival via Klagenfurt Airport in Austria is recommended.

Aspen, Colorado: A world-class destination with outdoor adventures from skiing to biking, with a flair for arts and culture. Aspen is a unique diamond situated in a remote area of the Rocky Mountains’ Sawatch Range and Elk Mountains, along the Roaring Fork River. Aspen is known for being the Rocky Mountains playground of the rich and famous. The X Games will be held in Aspen January 22-25, 2015 at the base of Buttermilk Mountain.

Vail, Colorado: The Vail Ski Resort celebrated its 50th anniversary on Dec. 15, 2012. It is the second largest single mountain ski resort in the United States, featuring seven bowls. Most of the mountain is wide open terrain with trails of all types, from cruising runs from most Front Side and Blue Sky Basin lifts, to the wide open Back Bowls, glades, chutes, and moguls in the Northwoods area, cornices in Blue Sky Basin, and much more.

Vail, Colorado

Big Sky/Bozeman, Montana

Park City, Utah: Park City boasts three world-class resorts, which consistently rank high in the annual SKI Magazine Reader Survey. Park City Mountain Resort, Deer Valley Resort and Canyons Resort combine for over 9,000 acres of terrain and are all located within minutes of each other. Park City hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics. Park City is also home of the renowned Sundance Film Festival, attracting the who’s who of the entertainment industry to the mountain town.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming: Jackson Hole is a valley located in the western part of the US state of Wyoming, near Idaho. Jackson Hole is known in the US for its relatively steep terrain and its vertical drop is one of North America’s highest, at 1,262 metres (4,140 feet). It has become home to many of the world’s best free skiers as the terrain is considered to be some of the most challenging in North America. The 2013/14 ski season at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort featured over 500 inches of snow, the second snowiest February on record.

Big Sky/Bozeman, Montana: Big Sky Resort is a 5,800-acre (23 km²) ski resort located in southwestern Montana in Madison County, an hour south of Bozeman via USHighway 191 in Big Sky, Montana. The resort was the vision of NBC News anchorman Chet Huntley, a Montana native.

At 11,166 feet it’s easy to see Lone Peak’s appeal and it boasts runs up to six miles long and glades and bowls covered in 400+ inches of annual snowfall.

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Find YourParadise the Sarojin, Khao Lak, Thailand

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Pampering - Find Your Paradise

Set in lush tropical gardens and bordering a secluded white sandy beach, the Sarojin, in idyllic Khao Lak, Thailand, is a supremely peaceful and refined resort.

Khao Lak is a series of sleepy villages on the Andaman coast of southern Thailand. Nestled within this beautiful and peaceful community – which is mercifully free of any nightlife – is the Sarojin resort.

The Sarojin features 56 luxurious guest residences, each privately accessed and situated in seven separate two storey buildings. Careful design allows abundant space and privacy to blend harmoniously with nature.

There are several distinct room types. Beautifully ensconced amongst the gardens, each Garden Residence exemplifies peace, serenity and harmony. The twenty-eight one-bedroom residences are situated in a garden setting on the ground floor of each building, complete with an outdoor Thai sala (a small open pavilion) and garden terrace.

Private and tucked into a peaceful garden setting on the ground floor corner of each building, the Pool Residences are exemplars of blissful living. The fourteen one-bedroom suites are complete with pool, sala, sun garden and terrace.

Truly luxurious and extremely spacious, more than just a place to rest your head, the Sarojin Suites are a home away from home. The fourteen one-bedroom suites are privately situated on the upper floor and offer a luxurious amount of living space with separate bedroom and lounge areas and complete with outdoor relaxation pool and garden sun terrace with magnificent garden views.

Finally, the two-bedroom residence combines a connecting garden and pool residence, offering plenty of living space along with access to a pool. This residence is perfectly suited for a larger family, providing privacy when required between the bedrooms and separate entrance doors.

When it comes to dinner time at the Sarojin, ingredients are fresh, chefs are passionate and tables are set in extraordinary locations.

At the Sarojin there are no restrictions and guests are encouraged to dine wherever they wish around the resort. Whether it’s a romantic candlelit dinner next to a jungle waterfall or on a private sand isle, a gourmet picnic breakfast on a secluded white sand beach, or a private dinner in a pool island pavilion or in your own sala, the Sarojin’s staff will make it happen for you.

Gourmands may also be interested in the Sarojin’s range of innovative cooking classes. It starts with a trip to a local market with your chef to learn about local produce and alternatives available in your home country. You taste and select ingredients before returning to the hotel kitchen to cook a delicious lunch, under the watchful eyes of your chef and perhaps while enjoying a glass of wine.

For adventurous types, there are plenty of opportunities to explore the idyllic surrounding areas. A team of personal guides and the resorts “imagineer” – the ultimate personal concierge – delight in creating tailor made experiences and offer a wide variety of private and unique excursions into the surrounding areas of outstanding beauty and an opportunity to glimpse into authentic Thai life.

You can cruise on a luxury boat, take a dive trip around the aweinspiring Similan islands, canoe through secluded sea caves or enjoy a personal jungle adventure, complete with champagne.

Alternatively, swim with elephants, discover mangrove fishing villages by traditional pleat boat or explore temples at sunrise.

If all that sounds a bit too strenuous, head down to the Pathways spa, a secluded haven that lulls its guests with sounds of the Andaman Sea and a wide range of treatments.

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The Peak of Relaxation Bodysgallen Hall provides the perfect escape to the beautiful Welsh countryside overlooking scenic views of the Snowdonia Mountains.

Pampering - The Peak of Relaxation

Bodysgallen Hall is situated about 2 miles south from Llandudno, a beautiful town off the North Wales coast. It is surrounded by over 200 acres of beautiful gardens and wooded parkland, and has magnificent views of Snowdonia and Conwy Castle.

Whatever time of year, it is the perfect setting for a relaxing and enjoyable getaway.

North Wales itself is a land of inspiration, of stunning landscape and beautiful coastline, of unique charm and ancient legend. It remains as one of the last unspoiled areas of Europe. From the moment you cross the border, you know that you are in another country with its own language, culture and way of life. Wales welcomes you to a magical country that boasts a heritage as rich as its landscape.

There’s so much to see and do in North Wales it’s not just a place to visit, it’s a place to explore, discover and re-visit time and time again.

Specifically there are four main areas worth exploring: the mountains and coasts of Snowdonia, the North Wales Borderlands in the north east, the beautiful Isle of Anglesey, and the bustling North Wales Coastal Resorts.

Bodysgallen’s dining experience is equally as picturesque. The Dining Room overlooks the gardens, within which guests can enjoy imaginative food prepared from the best and freshest local produce, awarded in June 2014 3 AA Rosettes.

Another restaurant at the hotel is a bistro called 1620, named after the oldest build-date of the Main Hall. Imaginative food is prepared by the award-winning chef using fresh local produce whenever available.

Added to their dining achievements is that they have been recognised as one of the best places for Sunday Lunch in the United Kingdom by The Observer. They also provide rooms for private dining to accommodate your special events, while room service can be delivered to your individual bedroom or suite. Your meal won’t be complete without a glass of fine wine, and Bodysgallen Hall’s restaurant maintains an extensive wine cellar sure to contain the perfect wine to satisfy your palate.

When starting off the day, they offer a wide variety of breakfast options to suit your individual needs and tastes, and a traditional Welsh breakfast is included in their hotel published tariff and break rates.

Nothing adds to their relaxing atmosphere more than the building itself. The hotel is situated in a 17th century house that has been skilfully and sympathetically restored by Historic House Hotels Limited since 1980, and given to the National Trust in 2008. Two of the finest rooms are the large entrance hall and first floor drawing room both with oak panelling, splendid fireplaces and stone mullioned windows. They are furnished with antiques and fine pictures.

As for the grounds, they stand in over 200 acres of its own parkland to the south of Llandudno with, spectacular views of Snowdonia and Conwy Castle.

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parterre of box hedges filled with sweet-scented herbs, a rockery with a cascade, a walled rose garden, and several follies.

There are fifteen extremely comfortable bedrooms in the hotel, each individually decorated, including four ‘Principal Suites’. There are also 16 cottages situated in the grounds, with picturesque names like Pineapple Lodge, Castle View and Gingerbread House that provide self-contained accommodation for guests preferring a greater degree of privacy.

It’s a hotel that also provides designated access for all. The former stable block adjacent to the hotel, now known as the Wynn Rooms, has been converted into rooms for meetings and private dining, ideal for conferences, cocktail parties, wedding civil ceremonies/partnerships and other important occasions.

A short walk through the garden brings you to Bodysgallen’s Health and Fitness Spa, which has been converted from the original stone built farm.

It contains a large swimming pool, spa bath, steam room, sauna, relaxation room and club room where meals and drinks are served. The superb gymnasium has all the latest equipment and fully qualified fitness instructors are on duty. The Spa also has five beauty treatment rooms with qualified therapists providing the latest treatments using Anne Sémonin (exclusive to Bodysgallen in Wales) and Decléor, and is able to advise clients on the treatments which they will find most beneficial. There is a programme of health and beauty days and half days, and a range of products are available for sale.

Hotel guests have unlimited use of the Spa during their stay at Bodysgallen Hall, and there are cottages suites situated in the immediate vicinity for those who would like to be close to the Spa. Other activities include play croquet in the gardens, there are several golf courses near the hotel, and riding can be arranged nearby.

The main attraction to Bodysgallen is its historical location. Castles at Conwy, Caernarfon, Harlech and Beaumaris are within easy reach. National Trust properties at Plas Newydd on Anglesey, Penrhyn Castle and the beautiful gardens at Bodnant are a “must”, and so are Betws y Coed and the spectacular Swallow Falls. With so much to see, Bodysgallen is a place you won’t not get tired of after one visit, and will want to come back to explore even more.

At Blaenau Ffestiniog, you can visit relics of the Industrial Revolution at preserved slate quarries and ride on the narrow gauge steam railway that served them. The Victorian resort of Llandudno is about a mile away and a drive round the Great Orme provides magnificent views of the North Wales coastline and the Isle of Anglesey.

But for many visitors the best part of being in North Wales is just driving along secluded lanes and narrow mountain roads, leaving the car to explore footpaths and bridleways, and discover some of the most attractive scenery in Europe. www.bodysgallen.com LUX - March 2015 53

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Thermae Bath Spa Bath

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Pampering - Thermae Bath Spa

This month Acquisition International was lucky enough to sample the delights of the Thermae Bath Spa, Britain’s only natural thermal spa, located in the historic city of Bath.

Positioned in the heart of the city, Thermae Bath Spa offers a quintessential mix of old and new. The contemporary design sits beautifully against the striking back drop of historic Spa buildings.

The facilities The facilities at the spa are truly first rate. Tempted by the beautiful images we had seen of the open-air pool we headed straight to the rooftop. Exaggerated by the cold crisp day, the naturally warm, mineral-rich waters offered a spectacular location to enjoy the views of the City of Bath and surrounding hills; beautiful both during the day and at dusk.

Next we headed back inside to the Minerva Bath, named after the Roman Goddess of Health & Wisdom, this is the largest of the thermal baths. This is the perfect place for unwinding as the thermal waters are complemented by an invigorating massage jet and whirlpool.

Before stopping for lunch we went up to the Aroma Steam Rooms; here we found a variety of pods each of which is infused with a different aromatic essence in its soothing vapours. Perfect for a spot of relaxation and for clearing the mind.

Last but certainly not least is the Cross Bath, which was perhaps one of our favourite features! It is a separate building located at the front of the spa with its own open-air thermal bath and changing facilities. Fed by its own natural spring, this beautiful, intimate area can be enjoyed by individuals or hired as a unique venue for the exclusive use of a group up to 12 people.

The lunch Having sampled the pools we sat down in our robes to a leisurely lunch in the Springs Café Restaurant. The seasonal fresh menu offers a perfect balance between indulgence and healthy eating and each dish that we enjoyed was of the highest quality.

The interior surroundings of the restaurant were once again stunning, combining Georgian architecture with classic, contemporary style.

The treatments There are over 40 treatments and packages to choose from, which provides a perfect excuse to re-visit the spa time after time! We selected ‘Time for Two’, one of the specialists packages offered by the spa, perfect for couples and friends looking to enjoy the experience together.

It began with a Kraxen Stove, a traditional Alpine Hay Chamber. Unlike anything either of us had experienced in the past, the natural herbs in the hay are released through a stove, gently radiating the back and shoulders in an innovative and warming way. It was the perfect first treatment as not only did it relax and prepare our muscles, it also provided a really nice social environment where we could chat freely.

After enjoying a herbal tea in the relaxation area we then moved on for our next treatment, the Couples Traditional Massage. The masseurs warmly greeted us in the waiting area and took us into the treatment room to discuss the treatment. We both felt that they really took into account our individual needs and tailored the treatment to suit, which was really beneficial. The products used were of great quality and following an hour-long full body massage, we emerged feeling relaxed and refreshed.

Lastly we had the pleasure of enjoying a Hot Stones Pedicure. When I entered the treatment room the therapist once again discussed my individual needs and tailored the treatment to me. What followed was a 50 minute long cleansing, exfoliation and massage using hot stones. My nails and cuticles were treated, no nail varnish was added and finally a cooling foot mask was applied, leaving my feet feeling rejuvenated and refreshed.

Conclusion There’s no shortage of spas to choose from in the Bath area but the Thermae Bath Spa is an absolute must for anyone visiting the city. We will certainly be back soon!

Fast Facts: • These are Britain’s only natural thermal waters • The natural thermal springs in Bath were first discovered

by Prince Bladud around 863BC, who was cured from his skin disease after bathing in the waters. The waters were then enjoyed by the Celts, Romans, Saxons and Georgians and are the constant thread throughout the history of Bath.

• The actual source of the waters remains a mystery. It was believed that the source was in the Mendip Hills 30 miles to the south of Bath but more recent findings suggest that the rainwater enters through the carboniferous limestone closer to the City and the Avon Valley • The thermal waters contain over 42 different minerals, the most concentrated being sulphate, calcium & chloride.

• The thermal water in all four baths at Thermae is the optimum bathing temperature of approximately 33.5°C (92°F).

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Perfect Manors Inspired by the “grand manor” lifestyle of America’s Gilded Age, the St. Regis Aspen Resort, at the base of Aspen Mountain, is an opulent, yet homely, base for enjoying everything the region has to offer – both on and off the piste.

St. Regis Aspen Resort Address: 315 East Dean Street Aspen, Colorado 81611 Tel: +1 970 920 3300 Web: www.stregisaspen.com

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An uncompromising base for arbiters of fine food and wine and connoisseurs of culture and adventure seekers, the St. Regis Aspen Resort delivers a benchmark of personalised service and attention to detail amidst the relaxed spirit of the majestic Rocky Mountains.

Inspired by the “grand manor” lifestyle of the late 19th century’s Gilded Age, when Americans who achieved wealth celebrated it as never before, the imposing red-brick building, which first opened its doors in 1992, underwent in 2011 a US$40m redesign to refresh its guest rooms and public spaces.

The hotel today boasts comfortable, well- appointed guest rooms and suites, fine dining options at the fabulous restaurant or Shadow Mountain Lounge, Remède Spa, over 20,000 square feet of function space and a variety of seasonal activities for all ages year-round.

There’s a rich sense of heritage that you’ll recognise in each and every detail of your stay. Cherished traditions such as fresh flowers, afternoon tea service and midnight supper are carried out as flawlessly today as they were a century ago. Likewise, the art of sabering a bottle of champagne – using a ceremonial sword to break the entire neck away from the bottle, leaving only the base of the bottle open and ready to pour – is still practiced, and cognac and hand-rolled cigars remain an after dinner staple.

Ideally located at the base of Aspen Mountain, The St. Regis Aspen Resort is situated between the mountain’s two primary base ski lifts and within walking distance to all of Aspen’s shops, restaurants and entertainment.

The hotel is just 10 minutes from Aspen’s airport and offers convenient access to all four ski areas as well as area golf courses.

In addition to the 179 Guest Rooms there are five Junior Suites, 17 One-Bedroom Suites, two Loft Suites and three Presidential Suites. Suites also include the St. Regis Signature Butler Service to assist with packing and unpacking, laundry service, shoe shines, and many other services available 24 hours a day.

For dog lovers, the hotel offers canine-friendly rooms, for a US$100 flat fee. The St. Regis Pet Program also includes in-room pet beds, dog walking service and more.

Furthermore, the St. Regis Residence Club, Aspen offers 25 two- and three-bedroom luxury fractional ownership residences.

Guest rooms, which range from around US$450 for a standard Guest Room to around US$3,650 for the Presidential Suite, include marble bathrooms featuring double vanities, hair dryer, scale and telephone, a 40-inch flatscreen TV, Individual heating and air conditioning controls and High-speed broadband and WIFI access in all guest rooms, as well as a Bose stereo CD & AM/FM clock radio.

It’s a luxurious environment that, after a strenuous day on the slopes, will make you want to simply slip into one of the Frette bathrobes and pamper yourself with the complimentary Laboratoire Remède skin and hair care amenities.

The hotel offers complete concierge services, a ski valet service, twice-daily housekeeping service including evening turndown service, complimentary morning coffee service and newspaper, complimentary aspen airport transfers, 24-hour room service, valet parking and a fullyequipped business centre offering 24-hour service.

The hotel is proud to be youngster-friendly, with the fantastic Children’s Recognition Program, which includes an “Adventure Backpack” with gifts, child-sized bathrobes, children’s concierge and more.

Flavours of Colorado The St. Regis has an extensive menu of food and drinks that are sure to excite your culinary palate. The hotel’s Executive Chef carefully selects seasonal ingredients that complement the seasons and bring forth the natural flavours of Colorado.

Chefs Club by FOOD & WINE at The St. Regis Aspen Resort, the flagship restaurant under the Chefs Club USA brand, brings the FOOD & WINE LUX - March 2015 57

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brand to life through their signature Best New Chefs awards platform honouring the country’s most promising up-and-coming chefs. Each year, FOOD & WINE selects from their coveted list of Best New Chefs to consult and curate new menu items in collaboration with the culinary team at the restaurant to create an epicurean experience beyond expectation.

FOOD & WINE Executive Wine Editor Ray Isle oversees the wine program, while Beverage Director Anthony Bohlinger creates the hotel’s innovative cocktail program.

There’s also the Shadow Mountain Lounge, which welcomes you with a roaring fireplace and custom designed furnishings influenced by the historic aspen area culture with a contemporary attitude.

Whether relaxing by the fire, hosting friends, or cozying up to loved ones, the Shadow Mountain Lounge offers cocktails, aperitifs, wines and a selection of domestic and imported beers. It’s the perfect place to partake of a nightcap, enjoy a sweet treat, or indulge in that most American of pastimes: roasting s’mores.

Treat yourself The Remède Spa at the St. Regis Aspen Resort, which was ranked as the #1 Hotel Spa in the World by Travel & Leisure Magazine, is open seven days a week and features a wide range of treatments, including aromatherapy, body treatments, chromatherapy, energy work and facials.

The spa also features an innovative new spa treatment: Farm-to-MassageTable (FTMT). A twist on the already popular Farm-to-Table concept, FTMT uses locally-sourced and natural ingredients to fully seduce all the senses in a multi-dimensional five course spa experience.

FTMT allows the guest to taste what they’ve smelled, sensed and seen; to treat one’s body as a palate and to be scrubbed, massaged and fed. All of this may sound a bit pretentious, but take it from us: FTMT is a truly unique experience.

Or why not get in touch with your surroundings with the evocatively-named Rocky Mountain Ritual. Created to exfoliate, smooth, and hydrate, this full body treatment starts with an invigorating exfoliation and soothing aromatherapy bath. Your body is then enveloped in a warm hydrating cream while you enjoy a foot and scalp treatment. The treatment concludes with a 30-minute massage using a warm moisturiser.

For some, Remède Spa is a state of relaxation and complete serenity; for others it is the essence of reviving and rejuvenating. However you look at it, individual attention, personal service and signature touches are just steps from your door.

Getting out and about If you’re in Aspen, then you’ve probably come with one thing in mind: hitting the area’s renowned ski slopes. But there’s plenty more to do besides carving up the pistes.

The St. Regis Aspen Resort is home to Aspen Outfitting, the city’s most knowledgeable and attentive guide service since 1969. Guests have full access to a selection of privately guided activities in the Aspen area, including, in winter, snowmobiling, snowshoe tours, winter fly fishing, ice skating, dog sledding and shotgun shooting.

And there’s no reason to stop having fun just because the snow’s melted.

When summer rolls around, there’s tennis, fly fishing, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, horseback riding, hiking, hot air ballooning, paragliding, clay target shooting, rock climbing and off-road jeep tours.

If you’d rather stay around the hotel, the St. Regis boasts an amazing heated outdoor swimming pool, complete with sundeck and three heated outdoor spas. During the summer season, lunch is served poolside.

And if it all gets a bit too much, why not sneak off to the Astor Library, a warm and inviting place to curl up by the fire and get lost in a good book, meet friends for pre or post-dinner cocktails or just relax and take in the scenery of the mountains.

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Exp 10 Speed 6 The Future of Design and Performance

Bentley Motors gave the world a glimpse of the future direction of luxury and performance when it unveiled the impressive new EXP 10 Speed 6 at the 2015 Geneva International Motor Show.

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Drive - Exp 10 Speed 6 – The Future of Design and Performance

The EXP 10 Speed 6 concept is a British interpretation of a high performance two seater sportscar using modern automotive design, highly skilled handcrafting, the finest materials and advanced performance technology.

From the racing success of the company’s early years to the international motorsport success of today, ‘speed’ is part of Bentley’s DNA. This inspiration is expressed throughout the EXP 10 Speed 6, where iconic Bentley design cues are fused with progressive craftsmanship techniques and modern technologies.

Copper elements are used as accents to both exterior and interior features to highlight the performance hybrid potential of the concept’s advanced new powertrain. Performance goals including top speed are set to challenge competitors and define a new segment benchmark.

Wolfgang Dürheimer, chairman and chief executive of Bentley Motors, comments: “EXP 10 Speed 6 is one vision for Bentley’s future – a powerful, exquisite and individual concept. The showcar has the potential to be the new pinnacle luxury two-seat sports car. It offers thrilling, driver-oriented performance, complete with trademark modern Bentley luxury and effortlessness.

It could be a future model line, alongside the Continental GT and redefining the pinnacle of another market sector, and the styling of the EXP 10 Speed 6 could influence the expansion of the Bentley family. This is not just a new sports car concept – but the potential Bentley sports car – a bold vision for a brand with a bold future.”

Unmistakably Bentley The exterior design of EXP 10 Speed 6 is an expression of muscular, athletic surfaces inspired by the aerodynamic shapes of aircraft fuselages and wings. The ethos of the design was to develop contemporary interpretations of Bentley styling cues, which have been brought together with beauty and precision. The result is a coupe of clean, modern surfaces whilst remaining unmistakably Bentley.

Creating exciting contemporary ideas from classic starting points is evident across the car, from the new interpretation of the iconic Bentley matrix grille and four-round headlamps to the paint colour – a deeper, richer and heavily metallic version of British Racing Green. The principles of established Bentley luxury have been applied in new and invigorating ways that use the latest technologies and techniques.

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Drive - Exp 10 Speed 6 – The Future of Design and Performance

and wide rear shape with a long C-post, the exterior styling hints at high speed potential of the car.

Every exterior material and each individual detail is designed to modern Bentley style. Cuttingedge 3D metal printing technology has allowed the grille mesh, exhausts, door handles and side vents to be delivered with micro-scale design detail precision. The iconic Bentley mesh grille, for example, is no longer a flat plane of latticework but includes varying depth with a complex 3D geometry only visible when viewed at an angle.

Bentley’s renowned quilted leather has inspired three dimensional texture to the precision glass of the headlamps.

These exterior elements come together to present a Bentley for the next generation – lean, toned and exquisitely precise, designed around new evolutions of the design elements that unite all Bentleys – past, present and future.

Performance-Orientated Luxury The inspiration for the interior comes from the continuous line that runs around the cabin, driving through the console and into two symmetrical wings before flowing into the door and looping back into the console armrest. Two elegant quilted sports seats are positioned either side of the narrow centre console which houses exquisite driver controls and a highly intuitive 12” touch screen.

These features combine futuristic technology seamlessly with progressive Bentley craftsmanship.

Each detail has taken core Bentley interior DNA principles and moved them forwards. For example, the classic and purposeful Bentley knurled surface is a feature throughout the controls of the car, but now created using steel and copper together to create a two-metal 3D texture.

Continuing the fusion of traditional materials and contemporary design statements, the doors of EXP 10 Speed 6 feature 3D quilting, milled directly in to solid straight-grain cherry wood. Each resulting diamond is finished with a copper centre.

The centre console integrates digital information with tactile controls via a curved touch screen housed in an aluminium frame. The fascia instruments deploy from a flat position into the drivers view as the car is started using the floating “B” button integrated in to a non-symmetrical gear lever finished in aluminium, copper and cherry wood. A mechanical rev counter and digital display combine to provide the perfect balance of modern driver information and analogue beauty.

The rear interior space is divided into two compartments designed to house a specifically designed four-piece luggage set. Like the rest of the interior, the rear has been trimmed by the master craftsmen at Bentley in the highest quality Poltrona Frau leather.

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Drive - A Different Beast

With its new 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat, Dodge is racing to the front line of the horsepower wars and giving its owners full-on bragging rights at the drag strip The Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, which will start arriving in dealerships in the third quarter of 2014, is, quite simply, the fastest muscle car ever made.

“The new 2015 Dodge Challenger raises the bar to a level some of us never thought we’d see,” says Tim Kuniskis, president and CEO, Dodge and SRT Brands. “With the new Challenger SRT Hellcat, we’re reaching deep into our history and bringing back the notion from the muscle car era of the street and strip dual-purpose car.”

The fastest muscle car ever (proof of its drag strip credentials can be seen in its National Hot Rod Association-certified quarter-mile elapsed time of 11.2 seconds at 125mph, or just 10.8 seconds at 126mph when fitted with drag radials) is also the most powerful muscle car ever, thanks to the Challenger SRT’s HEMI Hellcat engine, which delivers an unprecedented 707 horsepower and 650 lb.-ft. of torque.

“Not only can Challenger run 10 seconds on the drag strip, but you can also fit your family and drive cross country. This new 2015 Dodge Challenger is the ultimate GT muscle car,” says Kuniskis.

A Different

Beast

In addition to the awe-inspiring 707 horsepower of the new Hellcat HEMI, the new Challenger has been redesigned and totally re-engineered to be the most true-to-form muscle coupe on the market, with performance-enhancing technologies inside and out. That includes the new TorqueFlite eight-speed automatic transmission or six-speed manual and an all-new interior inspired by the classic 1971 Challenger.

Pricing for the Hellcat-equipped Challenger has not been announced. But we can probably expect the Challenger to fall somewhere between its nearest rivals, Ford’s $55,000 Shelby Mustang and Chevy’s $72,000 Camaro Z/28.

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Cadillac World Thorium Concept

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Drive - Cadillac

Acquisitional International presents to you what is meant to be the future of the automotive industry Cadillac World Thorium Fuel Concept or Cadillac WTF in short.

Designed some five years ago by the imaginative digital designer Loren Kulesus, the project has since been picking up steam on the world wide web.

Its breath-taking exterior is the first thing that catches one’s eye; standard tyres have been completely replaced with six individual mini-wheels, with each tyre powered by its own induction motor. That’s 24 wheels in total. Further the lack of any doors whatsoever gives it an awesome spaceship look and even that’s not the most innovative thing about it.

The Cadillac WTF is planned to be the first automobile to run on one of the densest elements known to mankind named thorium. The naturally radioactive element, which is also three to four times more abundant than uranium, would be used to power a laser placed on the back of the car, which would then heat water, creating steam that would then give thrust to a small turbine and propel the car.

Scientists have already estimated that it would take only eight grams of thorium to power the vehicle for around 300,000 miles.

The initial idea behind the vehicle was to produce a car that would last as long as 100 years without maintenance. Commenting on the idea, Loren Kulesus pointed out that the vehicle would require some minor tyre adjustments every five years or so, however no material would need to be added or subtracted.

Although it is very likely the vehicle will undergo many more evolutionary changes, there has already been some speculation around its price tag. Your guess is probably as good as ours at this point in time. However, the outlook is that it will be significantly cheaper than filling your car with petrol for a 100 years let’s say some 50-70 years from now.

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Need for Speed

Jewels - Need for Speed

Strikingly reminiscent of the awesome designs and fascinating engines that distinguish iconic luxury cars, Concord launches a racy new iteration of its powerfully masculine 47mm diameter C1 Chronograph Drawing a proud parallel with the aesthetics and high-tech design of the supreme automobiles from which it takes its inspiration, the Concord C1 Chronograph Gold’s trademark octagonal counters gleam richly from the depths of a dial made of deep black carbon fiber - a material prized in car construction for its lightweight, strong and resilient characteristics. The association is further extended by the black ceramic octagonal sub-bezel, dial accents and chronograph pushers which evoke the ceramic brakes on racing cars. A durable, rubberized black alligator strap adds a signature nod to tough rubber tires and the historic circuits on which they perform.

Water resistant to 200 meters for those more inclined to aquatic adventures, the new Concord C1 Chronograph Gold guarantees absolute accuracy with three chronograph sub-dials: 60-seconds, 30-minute and 12-hour counters. Hour, minute and sweep seconds functions and date window at 3 o’clock complete a display evocative of gleaming mag wheels and flawless ergonomics. An automatic movement with a 48-hour power reserve in a precious 18K 5N rose gold case powers this dynamic machine that incorporates fine mechanical precision with high-end materials, strong, aggressive design and cutting-edge technology. The new Concord C1 Chronograph Gold.

Are YOU fast enough?

For more information, visit www.concord.ch

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2014 Copperstone Capital.

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Copperstone Capital is an investment management firm founded in 2009 with offices in Moscow, Russia and London, United Kingdom.

We manage wealth for high net worth individuals and institutions through various hedge fund strategies.

16 Sadovnicheskaya Street, Moscow, 115035, Russia T +7 495 988 0010 F +7 495 951 1410 www.copperstonecapital.com

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GinGenie With summer just around the corner, and a good gin high on many people’s lists of quintesential warm-weather tipples, we take a closer look at a few of the quality brands that you can expect to be winging their way to a garden party near you this year.

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Tipple - Gin Genie

2. Boxer Gin If you’re looking for a classic London dry gin, you won’t get much better than Boxer. This delicate tipple provides an intricate blend of finely balanced flavours, including elements of fresh juniper as well as lemon, orange and bergamot. This extra dry mixture is set against a background of rich, woody spice and aromatic floral notes.

What makes Boxer unique is that it works exceedingly well when mixed with tonic, remaining clear even when heavily diluted. When drunk neat or as a gin martini, the softness and luxurious texture of Boxer are most apparent and provide a welcome antidote to some of the sharper varieties out there.

3. Bathtub Gin

1. Sacred Gin Sacred is a gin that’s simply one its kind. Founded by husband and wife Ian Hart and Hillary Whitney, the couple were the only two people involved in the company up until recently having hired their first member of staff. This seemingly small workforce demonstrates that Sacred is a gin primarily focused on quality and not quantity.

Despite the small amount number of personnel, Sacred have quickly built up a loyal and enthusiastic following. Sacred Gin received a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2013 and Sacred Gin and Sacred Coriander Gin took first and second prizes respectively as the best gins with tonic Craft Distillers Association. It is also a particular favourite of Alessandro Palazzi, manager of the legendary Dukes Bar, where James Bond creator Ian Fleming coined the immortal phrase: “Shaken not stirred”.

Sacred Gin can be found in retail outlets such as Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Selfridges and many independent wine merchants dotted around the country. Although they have been approached on many occasions, they are both adamant that they will never be sold at supply supermarkets or large chains. They export – albeit very small quantities to the US, Japan, Taiwan, Australia and Europe and can be found in some of the best bars and restaurants in the UK, such as Nobu, Chiltern Firehouse and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons.

With such a diverse range of gin being made in London, what separates Sacred Microdistellery from the rest of the pack is that it distils its spirits under a vacuum in glassware. Sacred take gin-making to the laboratory, where each botanical includes organic fresh cut citrus. In comparison to more traditional methods, this process gives it a fresher and more flavourful taste.

This unique process is combined with a secret recipe, which we can only speculate is what gives it its creamy and luxurious taste. While a lot of gins can be quite sharp, Sacred has a certain smoothness that makes it a top quality gin.

A truly innovative example, Bathtub Gin combines traditional gin making methods with modern science.

It is the brainchild of the enigmatic Professor Cornelius Ampleforth, and is produced through the traditional method of cold compounding (or, in layman’s terms, ‘infusing’), combined with miles and miles of additional botanicals, spirits, bubbling beakers, glass vials, and bottles.

We don’t pretend to understand any of this but what we do know is that it all results in a drink that combines the warmth of a traditional gin with a bold modern flavour, displaying hints of juniper, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.

4. SW4 London Dry Gin What makes SW4 so unique? In short, it’s all about the botanicals - a distinctive blend of 12 of them, to be precise - which combine to give this London dry gin a refreshing feel and fullness.

The rich fruity flavour is down to the inclusdion of citrus fruits - specifically orange and lemon peel - while the addition of nutmeg and almond add an unmistakable savoury touch to the mix.

5. G’Vine France is famous for its high quality spirits and G’Vine gin is no exception. While most gin is made from grain, G’Vine take advantage of the blooming French vineyards to create an exceptionally sweet variety.

Combined with their unique us of the vine flower, G’Vine use juniper berries, green cardamom and ginger roots.

These ingredients combine to create a smooth and sophisticated gin that makes it ideal for the perfect summer G&T.

6. Leopold’s American Small Batch Gin While most gins are made by simultaneously distilling juniper and other botanicals within the same still, Leopold’s American Small Batch Gin add a little something extra to the process to create a flavour all of its own.

Their method sees them distil each botanical: juniper, coriander, pummelos, orris root, Valencia oranges separately to bring out only the purest flavours and aromas that are blended together to achieve a softer, brighter spirit.

Among its accolades include being named “Best American Gin” by The Wall Street Journal as well as receiving a Gold Medal in the International World Spirits Competition 2013.

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Dram Good Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion or simply settling in beside the fire after a hard week at the office, make a toast with some of the world’s finest whiskies.

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Tipple - Dram Good

The Macallan Whisky Maker’s Edition How much: £89.99 This smooth and dry malt of the month is layered with fruit and spice. Its mahogany colour comes from Macallans’ traditional use of European oak casks.

Glenmorangie Dornoch How much: £59.99 Glenmorangie’ s hallmark elegant citrus and floral notes are woven into this dram with a hint of distant sweet aromatic smoke and rich, nutty notes. To raise awareness for the conservation of the Dornoch Firth, Glenmorangie has partnered with the Marine Conservation Society to preserve this precious waterway by making a donation each time a bottle is sold.

Aultmore 21 YO 1 litre £54.99 & Aultmore 21-YearsOld 70cl How much: £125 The Aultmore distillery’s water filters down through the misty, mysterious area called the ‘Foggie Moss’ to create this rare Speyside malt. Aultmore is rated top-class and is a dram sought after for its gentle grassy notes.

Brora 40 Year Old Single Malt Whisky How much: £6,995 Only 160 bottles have ever been produced of this, the first ever 40-year-old bottling from the longclosed distillery of Brora in Sutherland, Scotland.

Taken at natural cask strength from a single cask distilled a generation ago, the fine pale gold malt in this exquisite crystal decanter is a proud and rare survivor of another age. Notes: Soft, smoky and unctuous, with a gently rising honey and fruity sharpness which is quickly offset by savoury, slightly medicinal and musky notes with hints of menthol slowly developing into the intense sweet aroma of dried fruits.

Johnnie Walker & Sons Signature Blend McLaren Edition How much: £35,000 Jenson Button and Johnnie Walker have created a whisky so rare, only 25 bottles are available in the world. The John Walker & Sons Signature Blend, McLaren Mercedes Edition bottle is encased in carbon-fibre and suede-leather and comes with an action-packed two-day VIP experience as well as an actual wheel nut used on Button’s car during the 2011 season.

Top Tips for Whisky Drinking Whisky connoisseur and World Duty Free ambassador, Miss Whisky, shares her top tips on drinking and tasting whiskies: • New to whisky? Try a single grain style like Haig Club. It’s lighter, more delicate, and easily sippable • Spend time with whisky: admire it, smell it, sip it slowly. Let its flavours wash over you. You’ll feel less burn and enjoy it more • Too much burn? Add a splash of water to your whisky. Take some water with a dram like Glenfiddich Select Cask, and let the water open up the notes to revel new, subtle flavours • Try whisky with food. Pair Glenmorangie Dornoch with sticky toffee pudding or Mortlach Special Strength with high quality milk chocolate LUX - March 2015 79

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Tech - How to Buy a Private Home Cinema

British-based tabloid newspaper The Daily Mail recently reported that a new and modern mansion is ready to be occupied in Weybridge, Surrey, UK. Said to be the ultimate family home, the developers expect it to attract high levels of attention thanks to the quality it offers.

Comprising two wings, eight bedrooms, a 1,700 bottle fine wine cellar and an entertainment space for up to 200 guests, Furze Croft is a beautiful home. Complete with indoor and outdoor pool, customised bar, marble floors throughout and 1.74 acres of garden, the next owner will certainly enjoy living, entertaining and relaxing here.

For many though, the real attraction will be the private cinema which awaits its new family next to that impressively stocked wine cellar.

How to Buy…

a Private Home Cinema You’re probably used to gett ing the best seat in the hou se, the best view and an alto unrivalled and privileged exp gether erience. Whether you’re jetti ng to New York, enjoying a in Theatreland or lapping up show the Formula One circuit and circus in Monaco; you’re use having it your way - always. d to The same is probably true of your private residences, whe enjoy the best furnishings, ente re you rtainment systems and, natu rally, the prime location.

There is one thing which you may not have thought of incl uding though– the private cine Perhaps it is time to change ma. your mind and head for the movies?

Located on the ground floor, it is reminiscent of the small independent and boutique cinemas that are such gems to come across when in London, New York or Sydney. With wood-panelling and tiered seating for your guests, (not all 200 though! – 4 – 20 seats is the accepted standard), this most intimate of personal cinemas truly is the space in which to catch the classics, Hollywood blockbusters or even the morning newspaper review from BBC World News.

Once the preserve of Hollywood directors and producers, these personal film screening rooms are a step up from the private hire cinemas around the country too. This is your space to use as you wish, to watch the films you want, when you want. It is quite easily the best seat in the house - with the possible exception of your Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman of course.

So How Do You Get the Best Seat?

Buying a brand new house with an inbuilt cinema may be one way to live a little like Steven Spielberg or Danny Boyle. It is not the only way however, with a number of dedicated companies able to design and install a cinema or multimedia room to meet your exacting needs with a bespoke product you’ll never tire of.

The first thing you need to do is contact a private cinema or home theatre manufacturer/provider. They have the expertise, experience and knowledge to ensure that you get the layout which is perfect for your space and will sit comfortably in your home in regards to design and construction. A state-of-the-art personal theatre is a heavy thing, with reclining cinema seats, expensive and heavy audio/visual (AV) equipment, air-con, lighting and any of the exciting options you would like to tailor into the space.

They will work with you to decide on the décor too, no matter how individual your taste. Home cinemas can be designed to suit any theme – from something classical; harking back to times past, something contemporary with a twist or, perhaps, something a little different. Take a look at three of the best for just how far you can go.

It really is all about the seat Though the décor and design of the room is very much the fun element, allowing you to let your imagination run away with you, the most important aspect is probably the seat. You need to be comfortable when watching a movie of course. Fortunately, there are many designs and designers available – from classic leather recliners, curved love seats or multi-seating

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Three of the best 1.

An amazing space to watch those sci-fi and creepy movies, this home theatre in Connecticut came in for $2m (apx ÂŁ1.2m). Complete with batmobile, batsuits, 180 degree screen, gargoyles, elevator, and ubiquitous bat symbols aplenty. It even has biometric access and secret tunnel to exit.

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Tech - How to Buy a Private Home Cinema

straight or curved rows. Completely bespoke seating can also be designed.

Cinema seats not only come in a range of sizes and shapes but the materials and colours can also be matched perfectly, even with a standard set-up. With options such as cup holders, trims, mobile device stands et al to select from, you can really make sure you’re sitting comfortably.

No. It is not all about the seat As much as the seats within your cinema are essential to get right, the really important aspect is the selection of the AV equipment you choose to power your movies with. Today, you can replicate the full four-dimensional experience that the biggest cinemas provide, with professional grade 4K ultra high resolution projectors and fibre optic lighting, 3D capable diagonal circuit IMAX screens, DVD/Bluray megachangers multi-channel surround sound) speakers, subwoofers and amplifier.

Naturally, that is a lot of kit and as such, you will also need a commercial grade heating and ventilation system in all probability.

Spending time getting this bit exactly right and connecting it to your central house systems perfectly is important. If this aspect does not succeed your much lauded home cinema will not succeed. Not so much Avatar as John Carter.

Depending on the design of your private cinema, the length of the build could be anything from days and weeks to months. A combination room including a home cinema, bar and “ready room” based on a Star Trek design took six months to build for example.

It’s about the movies – of course!

Now you have the best space to watch your favourite films and TV programmes, perhaos you would like to go one step further. It is possible to watch certain cinema releases at home - in the very same day that they are launched. BT has teamed up with Curzon cinemas to offer a limited range of new releases to their BT TV customers for example. However, more excitingly is the prospect of having your very own premiere of Hollywood’s latest blockbusters.

That is exactly what Prima Cinema and Universal Studios are offering. Having installed the digital box from Prima and suitable system, you can be watching the very latest box office smash for just $500 a viewing (£300).

One of the greatest films of all time, it is only fitting that the sets of the 1999 hit film The Titanic have been the inspiration for a private cinema. Resplendent with a starry night sky and with a motorised bookcase giving access to a private bar, it is turn of the century luxury personified in the heart of Tennessee.

2.

There are a few conditions you have to ensure you comply with such as your home cinema not having any more than 25 seats. Accessing your chosen movie is the very epitome of cool too, with the digital box integrated with a secure fingerprint reader to validate your identity. You will also be entered into the “Bel-Air Circuit”. An exclusive club of people able to see theatrical releases at home, it boasts such luminaries as Ari Emanuel, George Clooney, and Seth MacFarlane.

The Prima service is presently up and running in a number of states in the US, including California and New York. With Florida also on the list, your residences the other side of the pond could soon be hosting lavish premiere parties for your friends. However, it is unclear when Prima will get the authorisation to extend its service to UK shores.

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