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Reynolds Lake Oconee has a unique cadence all its own. The private waterfront community is home to stunning real estate, world-class amenities, and thousands of engaged Members. Just east of Atlanta, Reynolds boasts an inspiring mix of clubs and restaurants, and one of the only lakefront Ritz-Carlton® resorts in the world, all surrounded by miles of coastline and everything from hiking to biking, pickleball to golf on six championship courses. Here, pastimes become passions, and neighbors quickly become lifelong friends.
BOOK YOUR LIFESTYLE VISIT to experience our community firsthand. Stays include golf, boat rental and a private real estate tour, with preferred rates in a cottage or at The Ritz-Carlton®, starting at $349/night.
REYNOLDSLAKEOCONEE.COM/LUXURY • (866) 590.5170
When you live at Baja’s first luxury marina, your yacht is on the doorstep and the Marina Village is steps away: shops, Nancy Silverton’s Mozza, the Chiki Club and other delights are your neighbors. Best of all, you’ll come home to where your heart is—your very own perch on the water at Four Seasons Residences or Casa Blake.
ANTARCTICA / PATAGONIA + THE FALKLANDS / SOUTH AMERICA / CARIBBEAN / TRANSOCEANIC
MEDITERRANEAN / NORTHERN EUROPE / ICELAND + GREENLAND / ARCTIC
At Atlas, we have set a new course for expedition cruise travel, curated for spirited explorers, led by expert guides, and enhanced by a genuine and caring crew who share a desire to connect with people, places, and our cherished natural world.
Guided by seasonal migrations, our luxury yachts slip quietly into some of the world’s most pristine, almost out-of-reach places. From bold adventures in the Arctic and Antarctica to Cultural and Epicurean Expeditions year-round, travelers return to the yachts to savor moments well-lived among new friends in a relaxed, après expedition atmosphere.
Begin exploring at AtlasOceanVoyages.com
ATLAS ALWAYS INCLUDED: Expedition Guides + Enriching Experiences, Cultural Immersion, Unlimited Wines + Spirits, L’OCCITANE Amenities, Gratuities and more
38 THE FRONT PAGES WHAT’S WHAT
From art exhibits and hotel openings to adventure and travel experiences.
48 WATCHES
GREEN MACHINES
Shades of grass and moss are the envy of style this spring/summer season.
60
THE LUXURY LOOK RULE THE ROAD TRIP
A sporty SUV and designer luggage duo that are made for adventure.
72 AUTOMOTIVE THE NEW EVS
The breadth of the ultra-lux electric vehicle market continues to broaden with new models.
66 TECH
THE AGE OF AI GADGETS
Artificial Intelligence is embedded into the latest consumer electronics.
80 DESIGN
PURE AS WATER
Healthier living trends continue to fuel the boutique water industry, as evidenced by home water cellars.
56 JEWELRY SKY’S THE LIMIT
Nothing is static when it comes to the latest diamond and gold adornments.
68 GOLF TECH SHARPSHOOTERS
From clubs to carts, here are the 10 most impressive finds discovered at the PGA Show.
82 ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
LET THE SUN SHINE IN Sunlit, multifunctional spaces aren’t just for plants anymore.
90
FURNISHINGS
HEARTS OF STONE
Innovative furnishings cut from mesmerizing pieces of natural rock and marble.
118
CULINARY TRAVEL LONDON CALLING
The restaurant scene is booming at new hotels and around the British capital.
93
FURNISHINGS
DRAMA QUEENS
Lighting in the home gets sulky and theatrical with moody effects.
132
OCEAN TRAVEL
SAILING CELTIC SEAS
A Gaelic odyssey aboard the Seabourn Venture expedition ship.
96 FASHION
CALIFORNIA SAVOIR FAIRE
A touch of French style on display in San Diego.
136 TRAVEL
THE CHOCOLATE ISLANDS
São Tomé and Príncipe make one of the smallest, most biodiverse countries in Africa.
110
CULINARY TRAVEL
TASTE OF ADVENTURE
Fine dining is taking an experiential spin in wonderfully wild destinations.
142 UNTOLD TRAVEL
BORA BORA
A cultural fusion is creating French experiences in French Polynesia for Americans.
146 TRAVEL
TROPICAL QUICK TRIPS
From Los Cabos to St. Barth, venture to these new or reimagined tropical resorts for true barefoot elegance.
180 ART
A MOBILE MUSEUM AT SEA
A new bridge to the art world is a catamaran.
156
WELLNESS TRAVEL
HAWAII’S LANAI ISLAND
A healthy path to living longer awaits wellness seekers at two secluded Four Seasons properties.
162
SPORTS TRAVEL BEST BIKE TRIPS FOR ALL
The bicycle-touring scene is seeing a slew of new and unexpected experiences.
170
SPORTS TRAVEL THE SECRET TO VIP GOLF EXPERIENCES
Standout luxury hotels are offering a turnkey golf concierge program.
186
REAL ESTATE SOUVENIR REAL ESTATE
On vacation could be the best time to buy.
192
ARTIST PROFILE COLOR MY WORLD
British abstract artist NAT BOWEN brings color to life layer by layer.
202
THE LAST PAGES WHAT’S NEXT
From fun shops and coffee-table books to new restaurants, bars, and spirits.
Every professional artist has that singular moment—the one where a first commission comes through and a door that has the potential to change everything opens. “It’s magic thinking back to it,” says abstract artist Nat Bowen. After spending her twenties trying on a series of careers that never seemed to fully support her innate artistic sensibilities, Bowen was asked to create a piece of art for a luxury property developer.
“I think so many people get a fear of putting that first stroke on a canvas. There’s a: what if I mess it up voice. But I was like: ‘Right, OK. Let’s get some resin. Let’s get a paint brush. And let’s see what happens.’” Until 3 a.m. and then back at 7 o’clock in the morning, the self-taught artist spiraled obsessively into the work. “I could see in my mind this painting I wanted to create. And it was like: ‘How can I get what’s in here onto the canvas?’”
In the years since, Bowen’s hand-painted works of resin have found a global audience and a series of luxury collaborators that are bringing her vivid, pigment-saturated vision into the sculpture and design worlds. This month’s cover art, ARTURA AURA, is inspired by a collaboration with British automotive manufacturer McLaren, in which Bowen was asked to paint the Artura supercar. “The aesthetics of the car, the colors—there was so much that was aligned with me,” she says.
In the canvas painting, displayed with the car in the ME Dubai hotel in 2022, Bowen references many of the statement colors McLaren is best known for: Vermillion red, Lantana purple, and the signature McLaren orange. Bowen’s high-impact work with high-impact colors was ultimately met with a high-impact experience. “I had the opportunity to drive the Artura at top speed at the Autodrome in Dubai,” says Bowen. “It was thrilling.”
LUXURY MAGAZINE’s profile of Nat Bowen begins on page 192.
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Popular culture, Los Angeles architecture, and street art are the favorite subjects of Pop Artist Ed Ruscha, known for using strong colors and big graphics. Ed Ruscha / Now Then covers his entire 60-year career—his first comprehensive, cross-media retrospective in over 20 years. Through October 6 at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. lacma.org
Dynamic, abstract mobiles and lesser-known stabiles are on view at Calder: In Motion through August 4 at the Seattle Art Museum. Ranging from miniature to the truly monumental, the lot includes notable works such as Gamma (1947), Bougainvillier (1947), and Toile d’araignée (1965). seattleartmuseum.org
From comic-book blondes to speech bubbles and Ben-Day dots, Pop Artist Roy Lichtenstein’s visual signature is unmistakable. Roy Lichtenstein: A Centennial Exhibition through July 14 in Albertina, Vienna, features 90 works from museums around the world and includes early paintings from the 1960s. albertina.at
Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980
period of dramatic political, economic, and social change in Latin America. See how some designers of home environments found inspiration in centuries-old indigenous craft traditions, while others looked to the latest industrial processes. This exhibit features modern domestic design— furniture, appliances, textiles, and ceramics. moma.org
Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion shows approximately 250 garments and accessories from the Costume Institute’s permanent collection that span 400 years of fashion history—from a 17thcentury Elizabethan-era bodice to legends such as Christian Dior and Elsa Schiaparelli and 21st-century designers Phillip Lim and Stella McCartney. On until September 2 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. metmuseum.org
On Pennsylvania-born, French Impressionist Mary Cassatt (1844–1926), Mary Cassatt at Work shows the artist in the Parisian world she inhabited.
Crafting Modernity: Design in Latin America, 1940–1980, at the Museum of Modern Art though September 22, focuses on a
Cassatt painted the realities of gender and labor in her work, depicting traditionally feminine activities such as
reading, embroidering, and bathing children. From May 18 to September 8 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. philamuseum.org
The first major retrospective of Pritzker Prize–winning, Chinese-born American architect I. M. Pei (1917–2019). I.M. Pei: Life Is Architecture opens June 29 at the M+ in Hong Kong, featuring original drawings, videos, architectural models, photographs, and other archival documenting his highprofile projects such as the glass pyramid at the Louvre in Paris, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, and the East Building of the National Gallery in Washington, D.C. mplus.org.hk
Origami remains a fascinating art form. Hands on Origami opens the doors to a world
of paper folding and shows examples of its endless expressions, genres, and meanings. Through September 29 at the Museum for Papirkunst (Paper Museum) in Denmark. museumforpapirkunst.dk
Georgia O’Keeffe: My New Yorks highlights the artist’s years in New York (the 1920s and early 1930s), when she explored the city with paintbrush in hand. Streetlevel compositions capture the city’s monumental skyscrapers and bird’s eye–view urban landscapes look down from her 30th-floor apartment in the (then) newly built Shelton Hotel. From June 2 to September 22 at the Art Institute of Chicago. artic.edu
ANTICIPATED MUSEUM OPENINGS
The idea for Femmes Artistes du Musée de Mougins (FAMM) on France’s Côte d’Azur started when Christian Levett was working at the Paris office of a New Jersey–based hedge fund. Frequenting the Louvre, Musée d’Orsay, and Picasso Museum, he became a passionate and compulsive collector—most recently of female Abstract Expressionists Lee Krasner, Helen Frankenthaler, and Elaine de Kooning. Opens June 21. famm.com
The Reinhard Ernst Museum in Wiesbaden, Germany, displays the contemporary collection of German industrialist Ernst in a Fumihiko Maki–designed building. Nearly 1,000 works of abstract German postwar art, Japanese avant-garde art, and American Abstract Expressionists (Richard Diebenkorn, Helen Frankenthaler, Robert Motherwell, Frank Stella). Opening June 2024. museum-reinhard-ernst.de
Individual rooms in the immersive Maria Callas Museum in Athens, Greece, capture the ambiance of the famed Greek soprano’s three most famous operas (Norma, Tosca, and La Traviata) accompanied by Callas’ expressive and distinctive voice. Costumes from the diva’s most famous roles are on display. mariacallasmuseum.gr
Ireland: Dromoland Castle in County Clare unveils a five-bedroom lodge set on the estate’s 18-hole golf course. Private putting green and the feel of staying in a classic Irish country house; personal chef available upon request. Access to all the hotel’s amenities, including bikes, rowboats, and the spa.
From $6,000/night; dromoland.ie Vermont: Who doesn’t love a tree house? Twin Farms in Barnard debuts eight tree-house accommodations with private decks at eye level with branches and birds. From $2,800/ three nights; twinfarms.com Italy: Borgo dei Conti Resort in the still largely undiscovered Umbrian countryside opens in summer after a massive renovation. Try the cooking classes, forest bathing, and visiting the
open-air cinema in the belvedere. From $650, including breakfast; borgodeicontiresort.com British Virgin Islands: Peter Island Resort will open this fall after a six-plus-year renovation. Still charmingly intimate (52 beachfront rooms, suites, and villas). New infinity pool overlooking Deadman’s Beach and a yacht club and a marina that can now accommodate 200-foot superyachts. From $1,000; peterisland.com New Mexico: Four Seasons Resort Rancho Encantado in Santa Fe has completed a multimillion-dollar reno of all 65 casitas. The pueblo-inspired design on 60-plus acres in the Sangre de Christo foothills features custom-made furniture, indigenous art, and up-to-the-minute tech. From $1,455; fourseasons.com
Leonor Fini, Les Etrangères, 1968 The Reinhard Ernst Museum Macbeth from La Scala Borgo dei Conti Resort Courtesy Images Clockwise From Bottom Left: Rendering: Borgo dei Conti Resort; FAMM/ADAGP/Riccardo Gasperoni; Maria Callas Museum/Pietro
Rocco Forte Hotels has created a modern-day Grand Tour, taking passengers from Scotland to Sicily by firstclass train car. Stops along the way include an exclusive visit to the Vatican, Munich for weisswurst and museums, a London tour by MINI Cooper, plus Edinburgh, Brussels, Berlin, Florence, Rome, and Palermo. From $8,515/person/16 nights; roccofortehotels.com
Spend five days learning how to make French-inspired food—from scratch, without recipes—in the kitchen of Julia Child’s Provençal home, La Pitchoune. Stay here and swim in a saltwater pool with custom mosaic tiles in intimate groups of up to 10. From $15,000/week; lapeetch.com
A Cookoon Club membership grants you access to dinners in private Parisian homes with chefs and sommeliers who cut their culinary chops in the city’s famous Michelin-starred and five-star restaurants. Locations include a historic Haussmann flat, art-filled digs in Place Vendôme, and a contemporary with Eiffel Tower views. Also on offer: wine tasting and cooking classes. $1,200/year; cookoon.club
Two new packages from British travel outfitter Red Savannah: Follow in the footsteps of Coco Chanel (from $10,350/person/ eight days), from Normandy (where she was born) to Paris to the French Riviera, where she holidayed during the 1920s and ’30s. Includes a special stop
in Grasse (France’s fragrance capital), where Chanel’s celebrated fragrances are still made. Or follow Winston Churchill (from $7,819/person/ seven days) through England to visit Bletchley Park, tour Blenheim Palace, and see the Cabinet War Rooms. Special stops include some of Churchill’s favorite purveyors (cigars, Savile Row suits, and Pol Roger Champagne). redsavannah.com
At Shinta Mani Mustang, A Bensley Collection, in Nepal, guests are offered an allinclusive, five-night adventure package that includes exploring picturesque villages, Buddhist monasteries, and Nepal’s stunning mountain and desert terrain. High-ceilinged rooms feature floor-to-ceiling views of the Nilgiri Mountains and guests access private wellness consultations with local Amchi (traditional healers) whose recommendations are incorporated into your spa treatments. Private charter from Kathmandu. From $1,800/night/person; shintamani.com
In its 10th season, the Danish period drama Badehotellet (Seaside Hotel) has a cult-like following worldwide. You can
seemingly travel back in time by booking a seaside hotel yourself, as many still exist in Denmark (visitdenmark. com). The 36-room Svinkløv Badehotel (from $250; svinkloev-badehotel.dk)—owned by Chef Kenneth Toft-Hansen (winner of the prestigious Bocuse d’Or award) and his wife, Louise—has a slate-blueand-white color palette and tall, sash windows to catch the stiff sea breeze. Brøndums Hotel
(from $225; broendums-hotel.dk) is in the once-remote harbor town of Skagen. Hans Christian Andersen stayed here and Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen) wrote much of Out of Africa while staying here. Ruth’s Hotel (from $360, including breakfast; ruths-hotel.dk), also in Skagen, has been welcoming guests since 1904 with whitewashed walls, red tile roofs, and a seafood-centric restaurant. Hotel Hornbækhus (from $235; hornbaekhus.com) was built
in 1904 and has 36 en suite rooms decorated in colorful, Danish-modern furniture. Open year-round. Hygge in winter.
Jabulani Safari elephant lodge in Kruger National Park’s Kapama Private Game
Reserve operates six villas (each with a plunge pool), morning and evening safari drives, and hot-air balloon rides over nature reserves and wildlife estates. HERD headquarters and the firstin-Africa baby elephant orphanage are located on the grounds. From $1,000/person/ night; jabulanisafari.com
North Coast 500: The scenic road begins and ends in Inverness, hugging the most northerly coast over rocky cliffs in the British mainland. The surrounding purple-tinged moorlands are dotted with sheep and shaggy Highland cattle, sea caves hide among underground waterfalls, and there are more than a dozen links courses. Visit the Glenmorangie Distillery
for a tour and tasting, and then stay at nearby Glenmorangie House (from $500; glenmorangie.com), with six en suite, stagand-tartan bedrooms and cottages. Tour the 16thcentury Castle of Mey that looks over to the remote and wind-swept Orkney Islands before checking into The Granary Lodge (from $360, includes breakfast; castleofmey.org.uk), just 10 rooms in countrymanor style. Another lodging option is 18-room The Torridon (from $623, including a full Scottish breakfast; thetorridon. com), a Victorian-era hunting lodge turned resort surrounded by mountains overlooking the water.
Ride the Up Norway Arctic Circle Express Train to access areas inaccessible by road. Expect boutique hotel overnights, views of massive glaciers, hiking trails along waterfalls, fjord cruises, and the ethereal celestial ballet of the northern lights. From
$4,495/person/12 days; upnorway.com
Cruise to the Geographic North Pole with Abercrombie & Kent aboard
Ponant’s new icebreaker Le Commandant Charcot
Explore the marginal ice zone, home to seals, whales, seabirds, and the elusive polar bear. Kayak or take an invigorating polar plunge.
Celebrate with Champagne when the ship reaches 90° North latitude/0° longitude— the northernmost point on Earth. $47,995/person/18 days; abercrombiekent.com
Jabulani Safari
There’s something to be said for choosing a hotel that’s been in business 100 years. A hospitable sense of warmth and welcome begins when your Gleneagles driver meets you at the Edinburgh Airport or Gleneagles station. The Scottish resort’s staff of nearly 1,000 serves 233 elegantly restored rooms and suites, plus nine bars and restaurants, three golf courses, and 850 acres—ample space to enjoy riding horses, shooting clay pigeons, interacting with falcons, fishing for salmon, playing croquet on the front lawn, or just sitting, single malt in hand, admiring the surrounding heather-covered hills. Its rolling golf courses are highly ranked—especially the 1919 James Braid–designed King’s Course, with its punishing rough holes with wittily foreboding names like Wee Bogie, and watercolor views of the Ochil Hills and the peaks of Ben Vorlich. Yet “only about 12 percent of our guests come here to golf,” says Conor O’Leary, Gleneagles
charismatic and welcoming managing director. He notes that most country pursuits available to guests are native to the area.
Restaurant Andrew Fairlie (one of only two restaurants in Scotland with the coveted twoMichelin-star rating) is hidden behind a discreet private entrance inside the hotel. The produce served is grown from a “secret” Victorian walled garden planted with heirloom varieties and the beef, wild game, and fish come from sustainable sources. Try the home-smoked Scottish lobster, wild mushroom and truffle ravioli, roast filet of stone bass with Genevoise sauce, and finish the meal with a Grand Marnier soufflé. Wines from Gleneagles’ 17,000-bottle cellar.
Don’t miss the Centenary Afternoon Tea (from $83/person, Friday–Monday). Menus include sweet and savory treats inspired by the Roaring Twenties, such as terrine with caviar, smoked lobster sandwiches, and the very Scottish Tunnock’s Tea Cakes. Be sure
to take home a commemorative tin of the hotel’s special tea blend.
To usher in the next chapter of Gleneagles’ storied history, the hotel is hosting a lavish lobster-and-Champagne gala: the One Hundred Year Ball. Dress will range from black-tie to traditional, 9-yard ancestral tartans complete with formal sporran and kilt hose. Saturday, September 7, 2024. Tickets are available at gleneagles.com
Even if you are not able to make it to Scotland for the festivities, you can experience the hotel’s glamorous history in the pages of Gleneagles: The Glorious Playground
The slip-cased coffee-table book explores Gleneagles’ archives through high times and wartime, looking both at the romance behind its famed front doors and to its future— another 100 years. $115; rizzoliusa.com
Designed in 1923 as a showpiece for the Moroccan Railway Company, La Mamounia (the name means “safe haven” in Arabic) remains the undisputed grande dame of Marrakech. This was a bolt-hole for Charlie Chaplin and Winston Churchill and also where Alfred Hitchcock shot The Man Who Knew Too Much. More recently, Werner Herzog filmed Queen of the Desert here. Other famous guests include Nicole Kidman, Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, Sharon Stone, Kate Winslet, as well as princes, presidents, and fashion icons.
Outside the walls: the chaotic commerce of the historic medina and the famous Jemaa el-Fnaa. Inside: elaborately tiled walls, lacquered wood furnishings, silk-draped ceilings, marble fountains, and 37 acres of orange-blossom-andjasmine-scented gardens. Set in the gardens and fringed by palm trees, the huge pool (7,000
square feet) is decorated with exquisite Murano glass tiles. The former royal estate retains an aristocratically exclusive feel and is consistently listed as one of the 50 Best Hotels in the World.
Leading up to La Mamounia’s 100th celebrations, Paris-based design firm Jouin Manku was chosen for the centenary renovation. Their assignment? To redesign, refresh, and repurpose while retaining the character of the original. The Centenary Chandelier—known as the Jewel of the Grande Dame—is the focal point of the main lobby and pays tribute to traditional Berber jewelry. In addition to an underground wine bar, access two restaurants helmed by acclaimed chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten and a “temple of sugar” by leading pastry chef Pierre Hermé. Le Club guests nosh on Moroccan tapas while sipping specialty cocktails shaken by the
expert bar team. DJs on weekends mix electro beats and Asia-inspired sounds. In contrast, the calm of the spa carries an Arabian Nights ambiance. Reinvigorating and relaxing massages and hammam experiences can be paired with facials and other body treatments using Valmont’s Swiss antiaging expertise, including the l’Elixir des Glaciers range of products.
The rooms (there are 135 rooms, 65 suites, six signature suites, and three riads) have marble bathrooms and many have terraces overlooking the gardens, out to the Koutoubia Mosque and over the rooftops of the Red City. The typically Moroccan riads (each centered around a private pool) have three bedrooms and three baths, plus separate entrances for privacy and security. From $707; riads from $9,665; mamounia.com
The Ranch Malibu health retreat has opened an East Coast outpost near Tuxedo Park, New York. On 200-plus forested acres, The Ranch Hudson Valley offers guests a four- or five-day program or a four-day weekend reset. Core elements of The Ranch’s highly structured program carry over, including hiking, fitness classes, strength training, yoga, deep-tissue massage, nap time, and organic, plant-powered meals. Restorative amenities include an infrared sauna and Kneipp pool for water treatments. In a dining room overlooking the lake and gardens, guests eat plant-based takes on classic comfort foods like spinach-and-zucchini lasagna, gluten-free pizzas, and hearty portobello steaks. Diagnostic testing at home before the trip can uncover imbalances at the root of persistent symptoms such as pain, weight management challenges, sleep issues, digestive problems, low energy, fatigue, mood fluctuations, and brain fog. It also establishes a personalized and streamlined nutrition and
lifestyle program that ensures your progress at The Ranch and when you go home. From $3,275/person for four days and $5,675/person for five days, allinclusive; theranchlife.com
The Hamptons’ first destination spa and wellness retreat, Shou Sugi Ban House (above) is regularly voted one of the Top Destination Spa Resorts in the United States. The resort reimagines wellness as a personal journey, focusing on self-care with morning yoga and afternoon hikes along the sand dunes. Spa facilities have plunge pools, infrared saunas, dry saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, experience showers, and ice fountains. Plus, you can try hydrotherapy treatments
and take classes in gut health. New Moon sound journeys are a monthly ritual. Lighting is designed around circadian rhythms to encourage a good night’s sleep. The market-fresh culinary program was designed in collaboration with Chef Mads Refslund, co-founder of three-Michelin-starred Noma. A thoughtful selection of wines (many available by the glass) includes biodynamic, organic, and locally sourced options. From $795/night; shousugibanhouse.com
Experience an ultra-luxe spa at sea aboard the Seven Seas Grandeur, Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ newest ship (launched late 2023). The ship’s Serene Spa & Wellness debuts an indulgent treatment menu that merges classic techniques with luxury ingredients sourced from around the world, such as Australian eucalyptus, African birch bark, Nordic peat (a natural mud from Finland), and frangipani flowers from the South Pacific. Two new treatments—Hot Mineral Body Boost and PoulticePowered Muscle Release—use
therapeutic energy from an amber-and-quartz-crystal bed. For something even more New Age, there’s the Zero Gravity Wellness Massage. Regent Seven Seas says the treatment is exactly what’s needed to release tension from every muscle group. Spa-goers can relax before or after their treatments in the multisensory aromatherapy steam room, chill room, and infrared sauna. Outside, three whirlpools and a lounge area provide contemplative ocean views in the fresh sea air. The Tahitian Hydration Ritual was created exclusively for those staying in the palatial, 4,443-square-foot Regent Suite and can be enjoyed in the suite’s private spa. On land, Serene Spa & Wellness Tours enhance wellness through restorative shore excursions where guests can, for example, soak in mineral-rich thermal springs in Rome or practice their warrior pose in a yoga class overlooking the ancient buildings and winding streets of Taormina (Sicily). Choose among 15 different all-suite, all-balcony accommodations. From $4,115 to $81,320/person; rssc.com
Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa, Andorra (sporthotels.ad) Family-owned, sportswellness hotel in Spain at the same altitude as Courcheval in France; all suites with mountain views. UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa, Brazil (uxua. com) Helicopter to this secluded Trancoso property, a UNESCO site. White-and-wood casas. VIDA Spa and Lab launched in 2019. Mixologist for juices and tea blends. The Hotel Maria, Helsinki, Finland (hotelmaria.fi) Old-world charm in four historic buildings (117 rooms with fireplaces and balconies), opened December 2023. Nordic-centric fitness and wellness center (there’s a wellness concierge) that features a traditional Finnish sauna and unique steam room (with reclining loungers), Jacuzzi, and plunge pools. Sensei Porcupine Creek, Rancho Mirage, California (sensei.com) A 230-acre desert wellness
retreat with 22 rooms, casitas, and villas; healthy cuisine from Sensei by Nobu. Rest & Recovery Program focuses on sleep and stress management. Lagoon-style pool. Maroma, a Belmond Hotel, Riviera Maya, Mexico (belmond.com) In a jungle-fringed beach location, the 30,000-square-foot spa has meditation, movement, and yoga workshops; healing rituals inspired by ancient practices.
A new collab with Guerlain offers honeybased treatments from the Abeille Royale collection. Euphoria Retreat, Mystras, Greece (euphoriaretreat.com) Holistic destination spa (2.5 hours from Athens) blends advanced science with ancient wisdom. Massage therapies, signature bodywork, and healthful Mediterranean food. Each of the 45 rooms and suites has handmade mattresses and healingherb bath products. Stays from two to 21 days.
Farasha Farmhouse, near Marrakech, Morocco (farashafarmhouse.com) Once the atelier of French painter Patrice Arnaud, the bohemianstyle home was acquired by French-Irish couple Fred and Rosena Charmoy in 2021. The dynamic year-round program includes hormone workshops, sessions with the United Kingdom’s leading hypnotherapist, and consultations with a top facialist and acupuncturist from Paris. Wellness hikes into the nearby mountains with a farmer/naturalist. Botanic Sanctuary Antwerp, Belgium (botanicantwerp.be) In a historic, 15th-century monastery, this newly opened spa is one of the largest city spas in Europe. Expect a unique blend of traditional European medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, and ancient monastic medicine. The health club and spa are tucked away in the gardens. —Irene Rawlings
Sport Hotel Hermitage & Spa Maroma Sensei Porcupine Creek Botanic Sanctuary Farasha Farmhouse Euphoria Retreat Courtesy Images Clockwise
As Bravo Whisky Golf’s bespoke expeditions prove, the most memorable— and meaningful—golf journeys offer much more than hard-to-get tee times.
A bespoke U.K. and northern Europe golf expedition with Bravo Whisky Golf will assuredly include rounds on iconic and celebrated courses, the likes of which include Royal Dornoch, Sunningdale, Royal County Down, North Berwick, and Lofoten Links, among others. But this isn’t what distinguishes the golf-focused, experiential travel company from other private tour operators. Instead, that distinction is rooted in all of the adventures and activities that the company’s clientele will enjoy away from the course.
“Our stated aim from the outset was to be a breath of fresh air,” says Bravo Whisky Golf’s Co-Founder and Principal Neil Scott Johnson who created the company in 2018 largely because, as he explains, the private golf travel industry “had become stale, process-driven, and distinctly unimaginative.” To counteract that trend— and, more importantly, to fill that perceived void—Johnson and his team tap into their collective “black book of connections,” as he calls them, to curate trips that marry a client’s passion for golf with their enthusiasm and interest in other areas and facets of life.
Given that each journey is personalized, the cost of such a getaway can vary significantly. That said, threeday expeditions start around $19,000/ person based on a group size of four to eight travelers. “The key for Bravo Whisky Golf is authentically building relationships
with amazing people who are willing to connect with our guests on a personal level and share their culture, heritage, or craftsmanship,” Johnson says.
Those experiences might be rooted in elements of connoisseurship, such as having the chance to fill your personal whisky cask on a remote island distillery. They could be adrenaline-inducing, with the opportunity to drive an open-top British race car through the Scottish Highlands. Or they might be more demure—touring an award-winning garden with a member of the Scottish aristocracy, for example. Or they could be strenuous, physical challenges, such as scaling a Scottish Munro alongside the youngest woman to climb Everest from two sides.
In addition to memorable experiences, a Bravo Whisky Golf expedition often includes private chartered flights and, in some cases, helicopter transfers, all of which are necessary given the remote destinations on the itinerary. For some journeys, those private flights can provide more than 24 hours of travel savings. And while such travel is both luxurious and convenient, it’s far from the compelling aspect of a Bravo Whisky Golf trip. For clients, the real takeaway is genuine exposure to a far-flung locale.
“We introduce them,” Johnson says, “to authentic places and people that reveal the true essence of a destination.” bravowhiskygolf.com —Shaun Tolson
Built in 1738, department store Boswells in Oxford, England, has been reimagined as a 101room hotel called The Store Oxford. Some rooms have bold Art Deco furniture, others have an English-garden look. Order “untraditionally British” fare such as chicken tikka masala pie in the restaurant; the rooftop bar hosts oyster-and-Champagne pop-ups. Go for Oskia-brand facials, yoga, and sound baths in the spa. From $365, including breakfast; thestoreoxford.com
Pemako Punakha, the first highend Bhutanese-owned property in this stunning Bhutan valley, is built in the wooden, slopingroofed Bhutanese vernacular style. Stay in one of 21 hillside, fully tented structures, each with a private, heated pool, and dine in the homestyle Bhutanese restaurant. The Lotus Realm Spa applies Sowa-Rigpa Bhutanese medicinal therapies. From $1,690, including breakfast and dinner; pemakohotels.com
The Reserve is a private-club concept in Madeira, Portugal, with 40 sea-facing rooms and suites on the top floors of sister hotel Savoy Palace. Guests enjoy the Savoy Palace’s four
swimming pools and Laurea Spa, and share a concierge for arranging sailboat “escapes” and wine tastings and picnics in local vineyards. Teams of dedicated Guest Experience Personal Assistants ensure a seamless stay. From $765; savoysignature.com
There’s a new place in Newport, Rhode Island, that fits right in among the 18th- and 19thcentury waterfront buildings. Gardiner House, a boutique hotel opened last November with 21 rooms and suites, embodies elegance with chintz, chinoiserie, and rattan decor inspired by the Gilded Age summer “cottages” for which Newport is known. From $725; gardinerhouse.com
A 19th-century Southern Gothic mansion across from the 30acre Forsyth Park in Savannah, Georgia, has been artfully transformed into Hotel Bardo Savannah, now with 50 suites (some with private gardens and direct pool access), restaurant Saint Bibiana (the Patron Saint of Hangovers) serving coastal Italian cuisine, and Camp Bardo, which will offer a creative and fun hangout for kids. From $450; staybardo.com
The palace-like Palacio Arriluce Hotel (built in 1912) in northern Spain’s Basque Country has 49 newly renovated rooms and a restaurant helmed by awardwinning Basque chef Beñat Ormaetxea. Play croquet on the hotel’s championship court or visit the Frank Gehry–designed Guggenheim Museum Bilbao or the lesser-known Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. From $515; palacioarrilucehotel.com
Old-school luxury paired with authentic, French Riviera style, AREV Saint-Tropez is set among fragrant gardens, a fiveminute walk from the town’s historic quarter and magical waterfront. Guests enjoy 43 rooms decorated in restful toiles and playful stripes in
dreamy blues and sunny yellows. Sip frozen rosé by the pool. From $1,520; arevcollection.com
Enjoy villas, vineyards, centuriesold olive groves, and a six-cabin yacht to cruise the Adriatic and the Mediterranean while making your home base Stanzia Baracija Located on Croatia’s Istria peninsula, the property offers wine tastings at the family’s Clai Winery, horseback riding, truffle hunting, and fishing. On-site perks: the farm-fresh restaurant and butler service. From $28,190/ week/full buyout for six people; baracija.hr
On a private peninsula, the 294room Maxx Royal Resort Bodrum in Türkiye sits in a fragrant pine forest along the Aegean Sea. Try any of seven restaurants, all with farm-to-fork menus, and Scorpios beach club (a bohemian-chic concept) to take full advantage of Bodrum’s vibrant beach scene. maxxroyal.com u —I.R.
Shades of grass and moss on dials and straps are the envy of style this season.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY JONATHAN POZNIAKMARKET EDITOR PAUL
FREDERICKHUBLOT Big Bang Unico Green
Saxen 42mm, $116,000; hublot.com
OMEGA
JAEGER-LECOULTRE Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds, $10,600; jaeger-lecoultre.com
De Ville Prestige 34mm, $4,900; omegawatches.com
BREITLING Chronograph
Automatic 36mm Victoria Beckham, $5,600; breitling.com
GIRARD-PERREGAUX Laureato Evergreen 42mm, $14,300; girard-perregaux.com
ZENITH Chronomaster Sport 41mm, $13,400; zenith-watches.com
JACOB
SPINELLI KILCOLLIN Alix Platinum Pavé stacked ring with diamonds, $31,000; spinellikilcollin.com
From chained rings to spinning bracelets, nothing is static when it comes to the latest diamond and gold adornments.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JONATHAN POZNIAK MARKET EDITOR PAUL FREDERICKALI WEISS JEWELRY Diamond Bar earrings in 14-karat gold with long hanging chains, $1,100; aliweissjewelry.com
GUZEMA Chain ring in 18-karat gold with diamonds, $4,280; guzema.com
ASHAHA Snake Bracelet in 14-karat gold with diamonds and beryl, $12,695; ashaha.com
MISAHARA Icy Chain ring in 14karat gold with diamonds, $3,300; misahara.com
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS Palmyre earrings in 18-karat gold with diamonds, $189,000; vancleefarpels.com
Not every memorable summer excursion requires a plane ticket. The open road awaits, and this sporty SUV and designer luggage duo are made for adventure.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANKIE BATISTA STYLING BY CHRISTIAN STROBLEHollywood makes it easy to romanticize the road trip.
Over the years we’ve seen both extremes: You can rule the day behind the wheel of a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, à la Ferris Bueller. Or slog across the country in a tank-like station wagon, as the Griswolds did in National Lampoon’s Vacation. While the California Spyder looks good and drives even better, it’s made for joy rides more than the multiday journey. Enter the Aston Martin DBX707. Not only is the British automaker’s latest model a spacious and luxuriously appointed SUV, but it also delivers supercar performance—the kind that would catch the attention of a discerning Mr. Bueller.
The DBX707 features five adaptive drive modes (including one off-road setting), which renders it ready for anything the urban jungle or rural wilderness can throw its way. In the right context, the Sports+ mode elicits hoots and howls worthy of an episode of The Dukes of Hazzard. The rear wheels have room
to slide, which means experienced drivers can let the four-door rocket ship drift in and out of turns. On the other hand, you will have just as much fun in GT mode, as the iron grip of the vehicle’s all-wheel drive allows for nimble maneuvers both in the city and on country roads.
Inside, the SUV’s body-hugging racing seats make extended drives a pleasurable experience, while heated and ventilated backseats offer copious amounts of legroom for passengers to stretch out. Carbon-fiber accents bring a sportiness to the cabin that mirrors the twin-turbo V8 engine’s performance capabilities. The interior is exceptionally quiet, which makes for an ideal environment to enjoy the 800-watt sound system that is outfitted with 14 speakers.
Visually, the DBX707 is without equal, flaunting distinctive lines and a sporty tail that convey both the vehicle’s superior power and distinguish it from other highperformance SUVs. It also offers more than 22 cubic feet of storage space (with the rear
seats in their upright position), making it ideal for long getaways.
Complementing the luxurious look and feel of the DBX707 is the Rimowa Cabin Twist Suitcase ($1,650). With its German design and engineering, this weekendsized, hard-shell bag is desirable for both its timeless aesthetic and its top-of-the-line craftsmanship. Made from high-quality anodized aluminum and accented with color-matched leather handles, locks, and seal, the suitcase conforms to most commercial airlines’ carry-on luggage dimensions and it pairs perfectly with the Rimowa Personal Aluminum Cross Body Bag ($1,600). Like its larger counterpart, this vessel sports a hard shell with color-matched details. Inside, it offers two compartments for personal belongings, a zippered pocket, and three card slots. It’s also designed for versatility, as it can be worn over the shoulder, across the body, or carried as an almost-indestructible clutch. Bon voyage!
—Shaun Tolson
PROENZA SCHOULER top, $1,090; proenzaschouler.com
KHAITE pants, $1,080; khaite.com
SAINT LAURENT shoes, $945; ysl.com
PIANEGONDA earrings, $345; usa. pianegonda.com
ALEXIS BITTAR necklace, $425, and ring, $155; alexisbittar.com
ALEXANDER MCQUEEN bracelets, price upon request; alexandermcqueen.com
CARTIER ring, $3,700; cartier.com
RIMOWA Cabin Twist Suitcase, $1,650, and Personal Aluminum Cross Body Bag, $1,600; rimowa.com
4
The Age of AI Gadgets Begins TECH
Artificial intelligence is embedded into a range of devices introduced at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show, making them smarter than ever.
BY FRANK VIZARD
One rising area of broad concern is the monitoring of seniors. A clever solution comes from French startup Zoe Care, which makes a plug-in fall detector. Zoe Care uses AI to analyze variations in home Wi-Fi signals to precisely identify a person’s movement and send alerts to a mobile app, eliminating the need for seniors to remember to wear monitors. Information is embedded on the device and the only output is an alert message to caregivers. The fall detector is expected to be available by the end of 2024 with a subscription of around $25–$30/month; zoe.care
If Alexa or Siri morphed into a mannequin head sitting on your kitchen counter, you can imagine Wehead. Its purpose is to facilitate more natural conversations between you and your AI assistant, and, oddly, it does. Instead of showing a face on one screen like a FaceTime call, Wehead parses the image among five carefully arranged screens atop a motorized neck. Wehead GPT tech facilitates real-time back-and-forth discussion with the video-real assistant, allowing users to vocalize ideas, receive meaningful feedback, and make eye contact. You can also use the device to project yourself, friends, and family during phone conversations. From $4,950, plus $200/month subscription. wehead.com
The use of AI to monitor health and wellness isn’t just for humans. Minitailz Smart Pet Tracker uses AI to track biometric data in dogs to monitor cardio-pulmonary data, stress, aging, and pathologies collected from a wearable tag. Using GPS, the device also tracks locations and the daily activities of these pets, and the reports are presented to pet owners using conversational generative AI. Now you’ll know what that barking was all about. $100, plus subscription fees; petcare invoxia.com
Among a range of new AI tech built into Samsung Galaxy mobile phones is the ability to break language barriers. Live Translate offers real-time voice and text translations of phone calls within a native app that keeps conversations private, and its Chat Assist feature suggests appropriate conversational tones across 13 supported languages and 17 dialects. Other AI features include Circle to Search, which allows you to draw a circle around anything on the phone’s screen and initiate a query for more information. The photo-enhancing Generative Edit function allows AI to fill in parts of an image background when a subject is moved from the original image, and the resulting image is reality-checked with a watermark, as is its metadata. Similarly, Instant Slo-Mo generates extra frames based on movements for a smoother, more detailed look. For text-based projects, Note Assist generates instant summaries and Transcript Assist transcribes, translates, and summarizes voice recordings. Users can disable the online processing of data for AI features, but be advised that not every bit of AI processing is done on the phone itself; some rely on connection to the cloud. From $800; samsung.com
AI is mostly thought of in connection with communication tools, but when applied to televisions, it boosts overall picture quality. As exemplified by the Samsung Neo QLED 8K line, AI sharpens low-resolution content and corrects distortions of balls in sporting events, for example. Some improvements are more subtle, such as adding detail to fast-moving scenes to make them appear more lifelike and three-dimensional. Also included is an AI-driven dialogue booster that separates voices from mixed audio for better conversation comprehension. From $2,600; samsung.com
The Psync Camera Genie S camera uses AI to label objects and people within its view and then convert what it sees into a short description that can be sent as a text message alert. While a standard home security motion detection camera will note movement, the ViewSay feature, available via a monthly subscription, will send a more precise text like “a man in a green sweater is at your front door holding a box,” for example. Highresolution images are stored on the device and are keyword searchable. Genie S also has a speaker and microphone, which allows for walkie-talkie style communication from a smartphone app to kids or seniors in another room. The Genie S is cute in a WALL-E sort of way in that it folds up into a Rubik’s Cube–sized box when not in use. $40; psynclabs.com
The navigational assists that AI offers to cyclists are apparent in a new e-bike from Urtopia. Riders can converse with an onboard AI to receive route guidance, descriptions of points of interest, coaching tips, and entertaining conversation thanks to ChatGPT connectivity. An intelligent ring monitors heart rate data to inform the e-bike’s motor assist system when extra assistance is required. Autonomous connectivity is embedded in the handlebar-mounted system so a smartphone isn’t required. The e-bike also receives overthe-air (OTA) software updates. From $1,500; newurtopia.com
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the healthiest of them all? Like the fabled looking glass in the fairy tale Snow White, the NuraLogix Anura MagicMirror sees you. But instead of beauty, the standalone, 21.5-inch screen is interested in your health. After 30 seconds, using Transdermal Optical Imaging technology and AI processing to assess facial blood flow patterns, the mirror tracks over 100 health parameters—including high blood pressure and cardiac risks, diseases like diabetes, and mental health issues such as stress. The idea is to deploy MagicMirror at places like gyms and clinics for easy access. nuralogix.ai u
The 10 most impressive finds at the PGA Show.
BY SHAUN TOLSON
The Mizuno ST-Max 230 Fairway Wood features an expanded Cortech Chamber positioned close to the clubface, which allows the face to flex and return energy to the ball, improving ball speeds on shots hit almost anywhere on the face. A speed bevel at the leading edge promotes better turf interaction and the face itself is crafted from forged titanium called TiLFS, which means it’s lighter, stronger, and faster than previous generations. Thus, golfers can trust the club to deliver increased distance and higherlaunching shots, not to mention more forgiveness thanks to its larger club head. $300; mizunogolf.com
Inspired by the way a Ping Anser putter stays perfectly on plane when tour pros occasionally turn it sideways and putt with the toe, company founder Nakul Sood created the Incred Golf RFB Putter, a patented, center-shafted, face-down club that’s designed with the weight positioned forward (in front of the shaft), which allows it to act like a natural pendulum. The placement of that weight also keeps a player’s hands slightly ahead of the putter head, replicating the benefits of a forward press without requiring golfers to adjust their technique. From $400; incred.golf
As its name suggests, the Cobra Darkspeed LS Driver is defined by a highly aerodynamic design. Instead of just the crown, the entire clubhead is streamlined, giving it a bullet-like appearance and making it as aerodynamic as possible at all positions during the swing—not just when the clubface is square to the target. The club features a titaniumcast power bridge positioned so the center of gravity is low (for reduced spin) and as far forward as possible (for speed). $550; cobragolf.com
Performance sunglass lenses for golf are nothing new, but Uswing Sunglasses differentiate themselves for being fashionforward. They’re designed to focus golfers’ vision and keep them calm through a specialized grayish-green tint similar to that of the glasses worn by airplane pilots. Uswing’s glasses utilize an anti-collision polycarbonate material, offer UV400 protection, and block out the majority of distracting blue light. They also weigh only 21 grams, which means they’ll never interfere with your swing.
From $400; uswingeyewear.com
When Bushnell launched its Pro X3 rangefinder in the fall of 2022, the laser-aided device stood out for its “elements” setting that could provide adjusted distances that not only accounted for changes in elevation but also utilized a pressure sensor to incorporate altitude, temperature, and barometric pressure. The latest update to that device brings in one more natural element. When users connect the Bushnell Pro X3+ to the company’s mobile app, the device displays wind speed and direction gathered from the closest weather station to the course. Even more impressive, those wind measurements are updated every minute. $600; bushnellgolf.com
Many amateurs struggle to bring their better swings from the driving range onto the course, and often don’t know how their swings change while they’re playing. The GameTraX 360 provides the data to explain all of that. Incorporating SkyGolf’s new SuperTags—sensors that attach to the butt end of every club—as well as the brand’s SkyCaddie rangefinder, the app-driven product automatically tracks club data for every swing on the course, allowing golfers to not only track their shots from tee to green but to understand where and how certain swings broke down. skygolf.com
The latest prototype simulator from South Korea’s Golf VX doesn’t yet have a name, but it’s certain to attract attention when it launches in the United States later this year. Featuring a swing plate powered by eight independent motors, the forthcoming simulator can contort its hitting mat into more than 19,000 different positions, better replicating the uneven terrain of a real golf course. The future model also features an overhead projector that displays all the measurable data from the previous swing and shot onto the mat in front of the golfer, making it easy to analyze the metrics of the last shot in preparation for the next one. Over $50,000; golfvx.com
The lightweight, three-wheeled Alphard Golf CyberCart is revolutionizing the pushcart industry. Thanks to motors located in the wheels, the electrified CyberCart can fold down into a compact size for easy storage and transport to and from the course—something other motorized carts cannot do. It features a 36-hole plug and play battery with USB-C charging port and a fully directional remote control with LCD display. Best of all, the CyberCart is Bluetooth enabled for Alphard’s app and compatible with accessories like Alphard’s Sidekick and Tether Follow Sensor, which allow the cart to follow you on the course without a remote. $1,299; alphardgolf.com
The handiwork of Dylan Horowitz, a 20-year-old collegiate golfer who created a makeshift version of the device when he was 16, the Kavooa Pro training aid allows golfers to work on key areas of the golf swing, fixing common mistakes along the way. Atop an adjustable tripod base, two lateral arms can be positioned in several unique ways to help you in stabilizing the head through your swing to minimize lateral movement (and improve ball striking) and—the most common flaw—correcting transitions so you don’t come “over the top” as you start your downswing. $130; kavooagolf.com u
The breadth of the ultra-lux electric vehicle market continues to broaden, as showcased by this latest group of cutting-edge models.
BY BRETT BERKThe future of vehicles has arrived, and, despite newsworthy headlines about solarpowered or flying cars, the consensus is in.
It’s electric. Batterypowered cars increased their market share in America by nearly 50 percent last year, making them the fastest-growing segment in the automotive category. Over 1 million vehicles sold last year were electric.
Intriguingly, adoption rates are highest in the luxury market. At the higher end, fully electric vehicles (EVs) accounted for one-third of all luxury car sales in 2023. According to a recent McKinsey study, EVs should “account for at least 50 to 60 percent of the luxury segment by 2030,” doing so “whilst achieving the highest profit margins.” The study credits this rapid and intense growth to luxury consumers’ desire for driving performance, standout design, innovation,
sustainability, and exclusivity.
In order to meet the needs of this clamoring and rapidly expanding segment, a number of luxury automakers have promised electrification of their entire vehicle lineups by the end of this decade. Yet within this commitment, each automaker is approaching their electrification strategy differently, pushing into the technological and societal unknowns of what lies ahead via a path that exemplifies their brand values.
The results are best demonstrated via manufacturers’ initial top-tier offerings, which combine the best of their engineering work, technological breakthroughs, design innovations, and performance capabilities. The following suite of luxury vehicles from venerable manufacturers (even the youngest of them is more than 100 years old) represent a host of compelling body styles and a variety of approaches in committing to electrification.
Rolls-Royces are known for three things: opulence, effortless thrust, and silent operation. Until now, some of these characteristics counteracted others. Case in point, in order to acquire the proper grunt, hefty and cacophonous 12-cylinder engines were included, requiring hundreds of pounds of sound-deadening insulation. With electrification, this contradictory paradigm vanishes.
Not only does the big battery pack under the floor of the marque’s first allelectric production car, the Spectre, provide prodigious torque and whisper-quiet propulsion, it also acts as its own road noise isolator—making the big coupe one of the world’s quietest vehicles.
“Our objective in creating Spectre was
to maintain the consistency of the luxury experience our owners expect,” says Gerry Spahn, head of communications for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars North America.
“Our clientele wants to enjoy the quality of workmanship improved through technology. What was most exciting was our ability to enhance the silent and powerfully smooth ‘magic carpet ride’ that Rolls-Royce is known for.”
The Spectre, with its electric power train, is expected to bring new customers into the brand, those seeking the advancements of battery power combined with the tradition of Rolls-Royce’s old-world build quality, tailoring, and marquetry. “About four in 10 Spectre commissions we have come from clients who are totally new to the brand,”
Spahn says. “While each of them has their own motivation, the one common reason they had not commissioned a Rolls-Royce before was the desire to have an electric vehicle. Spectre delivers on the EV proposition in the ultimate Rolls-Royce manner.”
Spectre pushes the envelope in other ways as well, particularly in the realm of delight. Rolls had already developed its Starlight Headliner, a feature incorporating a literal constellation of thousands of blinking and even shooting LED pinpoints on the interior’s roof. With Spectre, it introduced a similar effect on the door panels. One drive reveals the fact that electric power and RollsRoyce are a combination that’s meant to be. EV Range: 291 miles. From $422,750; rolls-roycemotorcars.com
The seventh generation of BMW’s flagship Seven Series takes an interesting approach to power train distinction. To provide customers flexibility in choosing the motivator that best suits them, it offers the 7 in just one body style—a massive sedan— but allows the choice between internal combustion, plug-in hybrid, or fully electric.
“We believe the luxury vehicle experience, from both a design and tactile perspective, should carry over regardless of the power train chosen,” says BMW luxury class product specialist Alex Dabrowski. “A customer can design a 7 Series in precisely the same way, gas or electric, and one wouldn’t spot any difference between the two without pressing the start/stop button.”
BMW does this for good reason. It believes, according to Dabrowski, that “customers in the luxury space still want the creature comforts of an ultra-premium vehicle—lavish seating, the latest technology, and top-tier driving dynamics—without making any compromises simply because they chose a particular power train.”
Having experienced both gas and electric versions of the 7 Series, we can say with certainty that we would choose the battery-powered version. Not only is the M70 more potent than its gas-powered rival (650 hp vs. 536 hp) and quicker (0–60 in 3.5 seconds vs. 4.1), it’s also a more fun, more dynamic drive. And, without an
engine or exhaust system, it’s quieter, which may be the ultimate luxury.
The i7 also features an almost avantgarde use of materials, with faceted, backlit crystalline trim on the gear shift, infotainment knob, and power seat controls, as well along the length of the dash. The Executive Lounge package spoils occupants of the two back seats—massaging, poweradjustable thrones with padded headrests. Overhead, an available 31-inch screen folds down for immersive, theater-like viewing. And the glass sunroof is wired with starlike LEDs for a near celestial experience. It’s more coddling, and more dynamic, than any 7 before. EV Range: 291 miles. From $169,495; bmwusa.com
BMW i 7 M70The Celestiq is a long, low, bubble-backed four-door hatch that looks like nothing else on the road. It promises speed and agility, with around 600 hp, all-wheel drive, and a rear-wheel steering system that shrinks its significant scale from the driver’s seat. Which is good, since it’s as long as an Escalade.
Each Celestiq will be hand-built and eminently customizable. Customers garner the in-person help of a design concierge located near Detroit at Cadillac House at Vanderbilt on the grounds of the General Motors Technical Center, a National Historic Landmark designed by famed mid-century architect Eero Saarinen. Here, clients choose from a nearly infinite range
of exterior and interior colors, materials, and trim bits, with the goal of inciting owners to go bold and make the car their own.
“The Celestiq reestablishes the iconic brand as the Standard of the World,” says John Roth, vice president of global Cadillac, referring to the marque’s 20th-century advertising catchphrase, when it was a global leader in design and innovation.
Roth explains the impetus behind Celestiq: “The EV consumer and ‘traditional’ luxury consumer are merging,” he says.
“Early EV adopters were willing to sacrifice on the luxury front to get the EV technology they desired. But more recent luxury customers considering their first
EV are no longer willing to make those sacrifices in the name of technology. They expect their EVs to carry the same level of luxury as the internal combustion vehicle they’re coming from.”
Cadillac is taking a gamble on a midsix-figure electric flagship but is counting on research that shows the EV audience is more affluent and more likely to seek out the latest fashion trends in their quest for attention-getting style. And, perhaps most importantly, they’re more open to trying automotive brands they’ve not previously owned. Celestiq certainly meets those needs. EV Range: 300-plus miles. From $340,000; cadillac.com
The Mercedes-Benz G-Wagon is instantly recognizable. Its rectilinear style has remained virtually unchanged during the SUV’s 45-year run. So, when creating the first all-electric G, Mercedes took a different approach than it has in electrifying its other long-lived vehicle lines, such as the S-Class luxury sedan or GLE luxury SUV.
While those models have a separate EV analogue, with a completely different body under the brand’s EQ moniker, the battery-powered G looks almost exactly like its gas-powered sibling. It even maintains the internal combustion G’s nomenclature, simply adding a distinctive number.
“I could ask today, how many customers in the luxury segment know exactly what kind of engine they have?” says MercedesBenz Chief Technical Officer Markus Schäfer. “Yes, there are customers who know I want a V8. I want a V12. But so many customers if asked, what engine do you have in a car, they would say the model number—it’s a 200, it’s a 300, it’s a 400.” So long as it has the proper style and gets them around with the proper alacrity, they are happy.
The electric G does all of this, even with G’s typical off-road prowess, through the use of unique, two-speed electric motors
that mimic the boulder-crawling, low-range gearing of the traditional G. And, despite its big and well-protected battery pack in the undercarriage, it has the same massive ground clearance, and can even wade in deeper depths than a gasser G.
Not that many G drivers take their vehicles off road. They are drawn to the car’s luxury and unique style, and are rather agnostic about power train. They simply want the best one. “This is an amazing icon,” Schäfer says. “But we have to keep it fresh. And we are keeping it fresh.” EV Range: around 240 miles. From $150,000, estimated; mbusa.com
Iconic Italian automaker Maserati is best known for sporting grand touring cars, the kind of elegant two-doors just large enough to carry a pair of people and their luggage on a long weekend trip. Unlike the purer, rip-roaring sports cars of neighboring brands like Ferrari or Lamborghini, Maseratis have always had a louche and sumptuous elegance.
This electric offering carries on that tradition. “Maserati has always been and remains synonymous with luxury, even in the new electric age. We will continue to stand for performance, luxury, design, and distinctive Italian style, always with
the customer at the center,” says Kelly MacDonald, head of Maserati North America. “Electrification just allows us to push these tenets further.”
This is no understatement. The spectacularly handsome GranTurismo Folgore is essentially a gas-powered GranTurismo, with the engine replaced by batteries. But with 818 hp, compared to its petrol-burning brother’s 542, it is able to gallop from 0–60 a full second quicker, hitting that mark in just 2.7 seconds.
The famed Maserati exhaust bark may be missing, but nothing else is in the way of speed, handling, technology, or sybaritic
pleasure. “As a brand, we are being strategic about how we launch electrification globally,” MacDonald says. “Our plan allows for a dual path over the next few years, which will offer our customers the choice between full internal combustion or EV variants on our new vehicles. Remaining flexible and learning from the market and consumer adoption rates is the best path to success for us in the near term.”
Time behind the wheel of both gas and electric models reveals two cars with distinct personalities that achieve the same results. And the thrust of the electric version is so potent and distinct, we didn’t even miss the mellifluous engine note. maserati.com
While so-called legacy automakers attempt to convert their fleets and factories to meet the needs of our electrified future, several EV startups have begun to establish themselves in the luxury market—so much so that they are now rolling out second or third generations of new vehicles.
Lucid Gravity
The Lucid Air sedan is not only as handsome and distinctive-looking as a decidedly chill but sumptuous West Coast idiom, it holds the distinction of being the EV with the longest available range in the American market—over 500 miles on a single charge. Credit the automaker’s proprietary motors and charging architecture, derived from years of providing underpinnings for the all-electric Formula E racing series. Now, the California-based automaker has revealed its second model, and it’s aimed at the core of the luxury EV market. A three-row SUV, the Gravity shares some design cues with its four-door sibling, including a sneering futuristic countenance, a glass roof, and simple, usable tech. But with three rows of seating, fold-flat rear seats, and special event seating in the front trunk, it offers tremendous space for people and their stuff. Of course, its diminished trucky aerodynamics, and higher and heavier body, reduce its top driving range to 440 miles. From $80,000, estimated; lucidmotors.com
Rivian R3X
Rivian is another California EV startup with impressive initial offerings: the handsomely angular R1T truck and R1S SUV. Both host clever features such as a key integrated into a smartphone app, updates sent via Wi-Fi that provide new capabilities to the vehicles’ software-based architecture, and storage that makes the most of the packaging advantages offered by electric vehicles, including spacious front trunks and a weatherproof spare tire compartment with integrated drain plug for tailgating. Its forthcoming R2 will be a smaller, far more affordable SUV. But it’s the sporty, diminutive, Italian-esque R3X that has hearts racing. Opting for the larger battery pack and Tri-Motor configuration (two motors drive the rear wheels and one drives the fronts) and with it being relatively lightweight for an EV, we expect blistering acceleration, 300 miles of range, and sure-footed, all-wheel drive capabilities. And while it will maintain Rivian’s well-earned reputation for innovation, the model will attempt to disseminate that to a broader, more mass-market audience than its larger and pricier predecessors. From $45,000, estimated; rivian.com
Polestar 5
Volvo’s upscale EV spinoff has turned heads since its first vehicle, the muscular Polestar 1, appeared on the market in 2019. The Scandinavian modern vehicles that Polestar has released since then—the hatchback Polestar 2, and the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 SUVs—have been compelling, but not as thrilling design-wise. That changes with its latest offering, the Polestar 5. Based on the stunning 2020 Polestar Precept concept, this fastback four-door takes the aerodynamic teardrop shape to futuristic extremes, with a low and pointy nose, a swooping cabin, and athletically squared-off rear fenders ending in a blunted tail. Inside, the latest in sustainable materials: seating surfaces and trim pieces made from recycled flax, cork, and plastic. It’s 300-plus miles of range, nearly 900 hp, all-wheel drive option, and six-figure starting price all seem aimed at valiant competitors like the Porsche Taycan, Audi e-tron GT, and Mercedes-AMG EQS. From $100,000, estimated; polestar.com u
Lucid Gravity Rivian R3X Polestar 5 Courtesy Images,
The best meal you’ve ever enjoyed probably had as much to do with the place and the people as the food. Some of our grandest affairs have no crystal, silver or white gloves. But there are oyster knives, hot sauce and views like this. Here in the Lowcountry, luxury isn’t always defined by starched cotton and silver.
The best meal you’ve ever enjoyed probably had as much to do with the place and the people as the food. Some of our grandest affairs have no crystal, silver or white gloves. But there are oyster knives, hot sauce and views like this. Here in the Lowcountry, luxury isn’t always defined by starched cotton and silver.
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Healthier living trends continue to fuel the boutique water industry; these luxurious water cellars show just how far it’s come.
BY JORGE S. ARANGO
I“can go to a dinner party where everyone is talking about their 1945 Bordeaux, but I bring a bottle of water that’s 4,000 years old, and guess what they remember more?” says Michael Mascha of Texasbased Fine Waters. Four-thousand-yearold water has been thawed from chunks of glaciers that break off and would have melted in the ocean, except that it’s bottled by smallbatch producers who take pride in bringing a pristinely natural product to those whose palates appreciate it. “What creates the price point,” he says, “is where the water originates. Good water comes from remote places.”
Mascha works with restaurateurs on their water offerings and, in 2008, established the Fine Water Society, which convenes about 100 global bottlers each year who retail waters priced from $2 a bottle to hundreds of dollars.
Those who bottle it consider themselves stewards of those sources and are not in it for the money. They are protecting and preserving their sources instead of draining them, as some industrial bottlers have begun to do.
Fine Waters offers a water sommelier certification, which is how Mascha met Jonathan Primeau, founder of Montreal-based CellArt. Primeau has created ultra-luxurious, custom wine cellars for years and has imbibed a lot of fabulous wines. But, like Mascha and many others, “I was starting to reduce my consumption of alcohol to live a healthier lifestyle.” He happened upon Fine Waters’ sommelier program and became one of Mascha’s most eager students.
The two teamed up to educate the many oenophiles Primeau has serviced over the years, now building them water cellars, often
adjacent to their wine cellars. “A wine cellar is very exclusive,” Primeau says. “It’s locked and no one can get to it. The water space is inclusive, open to all, including children.”
Storing fine waters shares many of the same requirements: no direct UV light, cool temperatures, low vibration.
Primeau and Mascha are ahead of a tsunami that is gaining momentum. It is their mission to teach people what really good natural water is. For instance, it may surprise people to discover that most of the water we buy is not natural; it’s tap water that is filtered and, often, infused with minerals it doesn’t naturally contain. (The Fine Waters website is a fascinating repository for water history.)
True connoisseurs learn to distinguish between these waters and artesian, spring, and glacial waters. finewaters.com; cellart.com u
Originally places to keep plants over winter, today’s conservatories, solariums, winter gardens, and orangeries are sunlit, multifunctional spaces.
BY JORGE S. ARANGONEW DELHI
Architecture and Design: Jean-Louis Deniot, deniot.com
Square Feet: 1,057
Uses: Breakfast room, afternoon lounging, high tea, evening cocktails
“Winter gardens are one of my favorite rooms,” says Parisian designer Jean-Louis Deniot. “There is never anything more beautiful than nature. It’s natural that the room that references it most is always going to be the most appealing.” For this New Delhi version in the first ground-up estate project of his career, Deniot deftly employed his elegant signature mix of high and low. “The clients were initially quite appalled that
I would cover most of the Indian marble floor with a rustic jute carpet,” he recalls. “Ultimately, they understood the appeal of all elements and how they reference nature within the context of a grand room.” Likewise, the room’s textures “range from raw brushed oak up to ebony high gloss.”
The mirror-backed trellis contributes to the idea of making the room feel endless, says Deniot, “like the feeling of being outside.”
Architecture: Arthur Rolland Kelly (1878–1959)
Design: Ward + Gray, wardandgray.com
Square Feet: About 350
Uses: An all-purpose, indoor-outdoor room for lounging, dining, and entertaining
Hancock Park, an exclusive LA enclave developed in the 1920s, has been home to, among others, Nat King Cole, Lou Rawls, Melanie Griffith, Antonio Banderas, and Jake and Maggie Gyllenhaal. “It has almost an East Coast sort of feel,” says designer Staver Gray, who was hired to freshen the interiors of this Normandy-style house with co-principal Christie Ward. “The houses are all different styles. Our clients were East Coast transplants, so it felt perfect.” The residence had been designed in the 1930s by
prominent area architect Arthur Rolland Kelly, with this conservatory, located between the family room and the kitchen and leading to the yard and pool, likely added later. Ward + Gray painted over the beige trim with a green that complements the shutters. Furnishings mix antique finds (a massive leaf chandelier, ottomans, and a coffee table) with newer pieces such as the dining table, which they painted with a limewash to look old. “We want it to have an authentic feel of old English country greenhouses,” says Ward.
LOS ANGELESArchitecture: Marion Sims Wyeth (original 1920s home) and Pandula Architects, 561.818.0473
Design: Jayne Design Studio, jaynedesignstudio.com
Square Feet: About 500
Uses: Mostly as a pool house, though also a place to gather throughout the day and during inclement weather for lounging, light meals, and games
Built in the 1920s by Marion Sims Wyeth—famous for Mar-a-Lago and Shangri La (Doris Duke’s Hawaii estate)— this mansion on the Intracoastal Waterway is known as Vita Serena. Preservationist Gene Pandula and Thomas Jayne’s refurbishment picks up on local references without being slavish to period elements. The pecky cypress ceiling, for instance, is a quintessentially Southern material, but also, says Jayne, “provides a visual connector to all the openings, and the gray gave us
shade and shadow.” The space appears quite casual, but also contains artworks by Pablo Picasso (a figurative vase), Richard Serra (a sculpture at left), and a screen on which the art collector owners project video works. It also holds modernist wooden lounge chairs by early-20th-century French designer René Gabriel and 1970s Ralph Lauren banana leaf chairs at the round table. The room, says Jayne, “proves you can have nice things in a coastal environment without it being heavy or pretentious.”
PALM BEACH, FLORIDA
Architecture: Dougherty and Gardner (closed in the 1930s)
Design: Thomas Guy Interiors, thomasguyinteriors.com
Square Feet: About 400
Uses: Breakfast room, tea room, game room, entertaining space
The historic Krause-Burton House, a 9,600-square-foot Roman Revival pile anchoring nine acres on Lake Charles’s tony Shell Beach Drive, was built in 1925 by lumber baron and explorer Rudolph Krause Sr. “Most Southern homes on the water have coast-facing rooms, where you could get out of the sun and catch a breeze,” says Lance Thomas of Thomas Guy Interiors, whose in-laws owned the manse before he redesigned and sold it to the current occupants. Krause outfitted the former orangery with a green-and-
white marble checkered floor, trellis trim (originally white), an ornate fireplace (one of 11), and French doors opening onto “a full-on formal garden,” Thomas explains. “Our aesthetic is traditional with a bite.” Hence, Louis-style plum velvet-upholstered fauteuils, card table chairs dressed in a graphic floral broadcasting “a Hollywood edge,” and an extravagantly carved and gilded 18th-century mirror. Though fresh and contemporary, it still connects with Louisiana’s Francophile aesthetic predilections.
LAKE CHARLES, LOUISIANA
Architecture: Harrison Design, harrisondesign.com
Design: Beth Webb, bethwebb.com
Square Feet: About 180
Uses: Intimate dinners, teas, occasional laptop work
When Harrison Design had one office in Atlanta with only about 13 employees, they designed this elegant, Gothic-style solarium. The firm has since grown to maintain more than 100 staff with six offices in five states. But, says Managing Partner Rick Hatch, “This is a room that has been mimicked in numerous houses.” It’s easy to see why. It was built for an English manor house in the Buckhead neighborhood. Interior designer Beth Webb, who worked with Harrison, observes:
“The room was modeled after the iconic conservatory at the Biltmore House designed by Richard M. Hunt and built between 1889 and 1895 in Asheville, North Carolina, for George Vanderbilt.” Its most spectacular feature is an octagonal glass ceiling framed, like the Biltmore’s, with mahogany, and supported on hand-carved trusses and finials. Arched doorways fitted with mahogany doors open onto a lush garden. Floors are French terra-cotta. Perfect, Webb says, for a “client very involved with The Garden Club of America.”
Architecture: Lowell Custom Homes, lowellcustomhomes.com, with Conservatory Craftsmen, conservatorycraftsmen.com
Design: Homeowner
Square Feet: About 450
Uses: Breakfast room, cocktail lounge, sitting area
Jim Hewitt, principal of Conservatory Craftsmen, explains that this is a true orangery because the load-bearing is on the exterior of the structure. What’s most interesting, though, is the various, ingenious sleights of hand we cannot see. The biggest challenge was siting. “It was built on the inside corner of the house, so all roofs drained to this location,” he says. “We designed gutters that carry water down and out the scuppers.” The interior
soffits cleverly conceal these from view. “They carry massive amounts of water, snow, and ice in winter, so we heat the space with a coil that runs 66 degrees.” Another surprise? Simulated divided lights. The glass is plate, but because “the mahogany muntins are applied on both the interior and exterior of the glass,” it looks like they are individual panes. Inside, the floors are bamboo under the owner’s impressive collection of tropical plants. u
LAKE GENEVA, WISCONSIN
Innovative furnishings cut from mesmerizing pieces of natural rock and marble.
BY JORGE S. ARANGO
With her Breton Cube side tables for SolidNature, Danish designer Birgitte Due Madsen draws on an iconic pattern from the world of fashion: the Breton stripe. Available in various sizes and on wheels for easy mobility, they are crafted from offcuts from larger slabs of onyx, various marbles, and travertine as a way to utilize what would normally be waste. From $6,550; solidnature.com
Owner Mike White of Swell Studio, based in the Hudson Valley, New York, was inspired by architectural elements on a sourcing trip to Italy. The result is the Onna Drum, a two-level side table carved from Breccia Pernice marble leftover from other projects and set on a white oak base. Size and finish are customizable. $7,640–$8,620; swellstudio.us
In the hands of Turkish architect and designer Arda Yeniay, stone becomes a fluid undulation. His Eternity dining tables for STUDIOTWENTYSEVEN
come signed and numbered in stainless steel, creamy travertine limestone, and dramatic Toros Black marble (limited edition of 12 each). Price upon request; studiotwentyseven.com
Patricia Urquiola unearths the raw beauty of petrified lava in her Cenote washbasin for Agape. The round countertop vessel, and another freestanding pedestal version, come in two sizes and can be glazed and polished on the inside in natural and dark clay colors, creamy white, or blue, depending on the exterior. Price upon request; agapedesign.it
Nina Magon’s Megalith Collection of lighting for Studio M consists of backlit pendants, multi pendants, and sconces made from stone panels in Spanish alabaster, pink rose jade, white onyx, and the stunning Striae Arya (shown). Choose from a variety of armature finishes: gunmetal, natural aged brass, or brushed bronze. $4,950, as shown; studiomlighting.com
Sculptor David Allen of Stone Point Studio creates a fascinating tension between motion and stasis, primarily using the granite common to his home state of Maine. The rock is cut, assembled, and polished into kinetic sculptures that spin, balance on pinheads, or hang in trees, gently swaying in the breeze. Pricing varies; stonepointstudio.com
Roberto Lazzeroni designed the Infinitamente limitededition marble table for Poltrona Frau, which comes in either a simple oval top or a longer, staggered double-oval top, its components joined by a polished, stainless steel blade. They are comprised of a Nero Marquina marble base, onto which is laid glossy Bianco Levigliani marble. $46,000–$75,000; poltronafrau.com
Stone Forest’s Facet bathtubs are carved from blocks of either antique gray limestone or Noce basalt and feature smooth interiors and faceted exteriors that require three weeks to complete. The untraditional shape has squared edges to accommodate soaps, loofahs, and other bath accouterments. $28,000; stoneforest.com
Ligne Roset released its Biscotto tables, which join contrasting marble varieties in one streamlined form. A high table pairs white Estremoz and beige Brecha Maritima, while the low model conjoins gray Ruivina and beige Brecha Maritima. All are sanded, polished, and have a water-repellent seal. $1,930, high table, $2,315, low table; ligne-roset.com
Giancarlo Bosio’s Area trays for Giorgetti keep things simple to better highlight the gorgeous graining of gold Calacatta, red Lepanto, gray Orobico, Nero Marquina (black), and green Alpi marbles. Slim squares and rectangles with rounded corners, surrounded by a shallow lip, are effortlessly luxurious. From $1,245; giorgettimeda.com
henge07.com
Lighting gets sulky and theatrical, casting moody effects onto walls, floors, and ceilings.
BY JORGE S. ARANGO
Tom Dixon’s portable Melt Cone lamps look like irregular blown glass globes atop a metal cone. But the globe is actually polycarbonate that comes in gold, silver, black, and copper finishes. They use battery-powered LEDs that can get up to 10 hours of use before recharging. From $305; tomdixon.net
Cono, by Enzo Catellani for Catellani & Smith, is not exactly task lighting. Rather, it is a long, sleek work of art made of an attenuated metal cone that is hand-painted in bright blue on the outside and covered in gold leaf on its irregularly textured interior. It casts cone-shaped pools of light from both ends onto the ceiling and floor. From $3,010; catellanismith.com
Candlelight is always dramatic. Swiss-German artist Rolf Sachs worked with the legendary Porzellan Manufaktur Nymphenburg on a limitededition set of bisque porcelain candlesticks aptly called Berührung, which means “touch,” and which intentionally highlights the mark of the artist’s hand. From $865; nymphenburg.com
Inspired by Art Deco architecture, Frédéric Malphettes’ Tower collection of pendant lights for Designheure features a central column and a series of stacked shades at different intervals. They measure from about 60 to 100 inches and filter their interior light through customizable fabrics and the lacquered central core. $1,040–$2,760; designheure.com
New York glass artist Carolyn Cartwright of eponymous studio Cartwright New York believes you should have your own sunset. Enter her Solé sconce, a disc of rose champagne bollocine (“bubbles”) glass that’s hot-gilded with pure gold on both the exterior disc and the interior diffuser, creating a subtly glamorous reflectivity. From $4,475; cartwrightny.com
Marcantonio’s whimsical, branch-like Aira floor lamp for Horm debuted pretty creatively. It was introduced in a limited edition, with bases in blue sodalite, Iranian pink onyx, Azul Macaubas, and other rare stones (there are just a few left at $8,600 each). A production line in either Carrara or Nero Marquina marble bases followed. From $3,240; horm.it
A Lasvit collaboration with Czech design studio LLEV, the Symbioosa floor and table lamps not only take inspiration from mycelia (aka mushrooms), but incorporates fungi in production. Glass is blown into a mold made of mycelia, which gives the shade its organic texture. It can be set to emit either yellow or white dimmable light. $4,080–$5,240; lasvit.com
Ex-dancer Matthew Fisher of M. Fisher named his Elegy Collection for the last movement of Balanchine’s ballet Serenade. Its softly glowing white stone lantern, suspended between oxidized bronze or pumiced silver rods, evokes oil lamps of ancient classical cultures, appearing almost ritualistic. $14,900, as shown; mfisher-elegy.com
The Spring floor lamp for Diesel Living with Lodes is, essentially, no more than a line in space. And therein lies its minimalist poetry. Embedded in its single metal rod, which bends back on itself creating a spring-like circle at its base, is an LED strip that projects a surprising 2700k lumens onto whatever wall you point it. $2,230; lodes.com
Ensō in Japanese calligraphy is a symbol of completeness and enlightenment. It is the inspiration for Enzo Catellani’s namesake sculptural lamp for Catellani & Smith. Appearing as a three-dimensional brushstroke in a deep, Yves Klein blue, this award-winning design is illuminated from behind by a wireless LED source. From $3,225; catellanismith.com
Joe, by Belgian ceramist Anita Le Grelle, is part of a line of new lamps for Serax, with which she has enjoyed a decade-long collaboration. Inspired by mushrooms, it is also vaguely reminiscent of designs from the 1960s. When illuminated, Joe emanates a glow in both shade and lamp, which is made of fine, translucent bone china in two sizes. $214–$242; serax.com u
ZIMMERMANN dress, $2,950, and shoes, $395; zimmermann.com
A touch of French style elegantly intertwines with the transforming health spa that is Cal-a-Vie in San Diego County.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY FRANKIE BATISTA STYLING BY CHRISTIAN STROBLEShot on location at Cal-a-Vie Health Spa (cal-a-vie.com) in Vista, California. The 300-acre hilltop property features a windmill to heat the pool, a 17th-century chapel imported from France and reconstructed as a meditation center, and European antiques throughout. Its wellness and longevity programs are a must for anyone looking to escape on a healthy retreat. For more information check out LM’s 2024 Wellness Guide at luxurymagazine.com.
On her:
CHLOE top, $2,490, and skirt, $3,900; chloe.com
TIFFANY & CO. earrings, $7,200; tiffany.com
On him:
DOLCE & GABBANA jacket, $2,895, tank, $395, and pants, $1,095; dolcegabbana.com
CELINE sweater, $1,950; celine.com
Giorgio Armani pants, $1,495, and belt, $425; armani.com
On her:
RALPH LAUREN dress, $3,990; ralphlauren.com
PIANEGONDA earrings, $480; pianegonda.com
On him:
RALPH LAUREN suit, $1,998, shirt, $168, and tie, $125; ralphlauren.com
DRIES VAN NOTEN shoes, $515; driesvannoten.com
BRIONI dress, price upon request; brioni.com
TIFFANY & CO. earrings, $7,200, short necklace, $62,000, long necklace, $26,000, and bracelets, $7,300 and $27,000; tiffany.com
DRIES VAN NOTEN polo, $265, and pants, $780; driesvannoten.com
OLIVER PEOPLES sunglasses, $398; oliverpeoples.com
GUCCI dress, $1,700; gucci.com
THE ROW shoes, $750; therow.com
EUGENIA KIM hat, $275; eugeniakim.com
LINDA FARROW sunglasses, $540; us.lindafarrow.com
GRAFF earrings, bracelet, and ring, prices upon request; graff.com
OMEGA watch, $3,200; omegawatches.com
BERLUTI shirt, $1,000; berluti.com
TOM FORD swim trunks, $520; tomfordfashion.com
STRAIT THE LABEL
bikini top, $90; straitthelabel.com
MATTEAU pants, $460; matteau-store.com
JANESSA LEONÉ hat, $287; janessaleone.com
TIFFANY & CO. earrings, $7,200; tiffany.com
BLISS LAU ring, $4,950; blisslau.com
DRIES VAN NOTEN suit, $2,315; driesvannoten.com
BROOKS BROTHERS shirt, $198; brooksbrothers.com
RALPH LAUREN tie, $235; ralphlauren.com
On her: ZIMMERMANN dress, $1,100; zimmermann.com
VAN CLEEF & ARPELS earrings, $3,050, and necklace, $22,200; vancleefarpels.com
On him:
ZEGNA shirt, $2,100; zegna.com
From a culinary safari in South Africa to a haute cuisine trek in the Andes, fine dining is taking an experiential spin in wonderfully wild destinations.
BY BRUCE WALLINIf you stop at a popular watering hole on the way to dinner at Klein Jan, don’t get out for a drink. The happy-hour crowd at this particular joint in South Africa’s Tswalu Kalahari reserve can get a bit wild. Your driver, a seasoned safari guide, might pause at the water to point out zebras and black-maned lions before continuing the journey to your final destination: a remote restaurant unlike anything else on Earth.
Klein Jan is the creation of Michelinstarred chef Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, who was raised on a farm in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province. For those enthralled with his concept, the thrill has only begun. From the Arctic Circle in Norway to the high Andes in Peru, a growing number of adventurous, out-of-theway culinary experiences are cropping up around the globe. More than just meals, these sensory journeys are expanding the notion of what a restaurant can be—and bringing world-class dining to some of the planet’s most wildly beautiful environments.
Klein Jan
Northern Cape, South Africa
Nothing about the safari experience at Tswalu Kalahari is typical. Adventures through the reserve entail everything from walking with wild dogs on the hunt to studying baby cheetahs with a big-cat biologist. Game drives reveal brown hyenas, pangolins, and other elusive creatures—all in a setting so vast and vividly beautiful that it seems you’ve stumbled upon an Africa from another time. And yet, perhaps no experience at Tswalu is as unexpected as a meal at Klein Jan.
Chef Jan Hendrik’s restaurant is set in and around a century-old farmhouse, one of only a handful of structures in the 281,700-acre reserve (larger than the city of Dallas). Guests staying at one of Tswalu’s three luxury lodges go by safari vehicle to the farmhouse, where their “culinary safari” begins. “The Kalahari is a journey,” says Jan Hendrik. “And that’s exactly what Klein Jan is.”
Diners begin with small bites and cocktails on the farmhouse’s front porch or around an antique wooden dining table
inside. Then, they proceed to the backyard, where a nondescript water tank becomes a portal, opening to a spiral staircase that leads some 15 feet below the Kalahari sands. At the base, an intricately arranged root cellar stretches out with vaulted ceilings, stone floors, and wooden shelves brimming with fresh produce, cheeses, and bottled preserves.
Sampling the seasonally driven delicacies in the cellar is followed by a walk to the cheese-tasting room, anchored by a vintage stove formerly owned by Jan Hendrik’s grandmother. From here, the group enters a sleek dining space that would be right at home in Cape Town or Manhattan. Windows open to the Kalahari outside, and the remainder of the feast unfolds as the Southern sky fills with stars.
The trajectory of the meal reflects the journey of Jan Hendrik, who received his Michelin star—the first by a South African chef—for his Restaurant Jan in Nice, France. He and his executive chef at Klein Jan, Marnus Scholly, spent two years researching the ingredients and culinary traditions of
the Kalahari before opening in 2021. “The Northern Cape surprised us tremendously with pistachios, saffron, camel milk, dried fruits,” Jan Hendrik says.
Klein Jan’s menu focuses on the region’s plant-based bounty, from dates and Kalahari truffles to branches and leaves. Throughout the meal, local staff members—most of whom had never worked in a restaurant before, and many of whom had never eaten in a restaurant before—walk guests through what they are about to experience and why. The elaborate orchestration seems implausible in such a remote setting, but it all comes together in a meal that is memorable both for its multifaceted experience and for the quality and creativity of the cuisine.
“To tick those senses of eating and tasting things that you would never have thought even existed,” Jan Hendrik says, “that’s pretty spectacular.”
The drive back to your lodge—in an open-side vehicle, with the stars above and the sounds of the nighttime bush all around—is no less remarkable. tswalu.com
The Le Crot Alpage experience begins with a hike by headlamp up a snowcovered trail, through a high alpine forest known to be populated by wolves. Any feelings of discomfort—numb fingers, shortness of breath, fright at the sound of a snapping branch—are a small price to pay for what awaits you at this century-old sheepherder’s hut.
Set in the backcountry outside the French village of Le Miroir, Le Crot Alpage is open to guests staying at one of two chalets operated by the extreme luxury adventure company Eleven. The chalets’ guides, gourmet chefs, and other staff cater to visitors who, in winter, can ski at nearby resorts like Val d’Isère and Tignes. Summers mean electric mountain biking, canyoneering, river rafting, and hiking through the Tarentaise Valley and beyond.
No matter the season, a dinner at the alpage—about 45 minutes by foot, snowshoe, or ski from the chalets—is in
order. Entering the hut (which has no electricity), guests will likely find a crackling blaze in the fireplace and a smaller flame smoldering beneath a fondue pot. This being France, the cheese is fresh from a farmer who lives just down the road and is paired with precisely the right local wine.
The evening will include surprises (parlor games, a costume party perhaps) and a progressive dining experience that involves descending into a candlelit cellar for a multicourse feast courtesy of Chef Philippe Paillargue. In an impressive display of strength and efficiency, Paillargue makes the trek to the hut a few hours in advance of the group, hauling all the evening’s ingredients on his back.
One thing Chef Paillargue does not carry, but will inevitably coax you to sample, is the hut’s resident jeroboam of génépi. A local staple, the herbal liqueur is sure to warm you up for the long walk back to your chalet. elevenexperience.com
Chef Virgilio Martínez’s Lima flagship, Central, ranked No. 1 among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2023. That honor owes much to the fact that Martínez and his wife and business partner, Chef Pía León, are masters at crafting multisensory stories about their home country of Peru. Now at MIL, their lunch-only outpost located 11,500 feet above sea level in the Sacred Valley, they’ve created a one-of-akind culinary journey through the country’s Andean culture.
The MIL Immersion experience is a half-day, $620-per-person adventure through Incan history and Andean cuisine—one in which you visit the communities that contribute every element of the eight-course tasting menu. The day starts at 9:30 a.m. with a trip to the terraced ruins of Moray, which some believe
to be an early Incan farming experiment. Next, you head to the fields to meet vegetable farmers, traverse the hillsides with a botanist, visit Mater—MIL’s gastronomy research lab that collaborates with local artisans—and then sample a variety of spirits and other beverages made with indigenous ingredients. Your final stop, at 12:15 p.m., is lunch at MIL restaurant.
Locally made wooden vessels and textiles adorn the tables at MIL, where the eight courses might incorporate native potatoes, maize, alpaca, and chocolates handcrafted from native Cusqueñan cacao. The pace of the meal is intentionally deliberate, encouraging you to slow down and absorb not just the flavors you are tasting but the high-Andes traditions and ecosystems that made them possible. milcentro.pe
Svalbard, Norway
Hidden high above the Arctic Circle, at one of Europe’s northernmost points, Norway’s Isfjord Radio Adventure Hotel is reachable by boat in summer and dog sled or snowmobile in winter. Though far from the nearest man-made road, the 22-room outpost sits along a wildlife corridor popular with the region’s 3,500 roving polar bears—a presence that requires guests to be accompanied by armed guards when outside.
Visitors who make the trek to the hotel, set in a former radio station from 1933, can come across polar bears and other members of Svalbard’s “Big 5” (walrus, Arctic foxes, blue whales, and reindeer) on hiking, boating, snowmobiling, and dog-sledding excursions. The adventure continues at night with meals that have made Isfjord Radio, like an Arctic
version of a French auberge, a destination for its food alone.
The restaurant’s menu is largely dictated by whatever local anglers, trappers, and foragers— many of the restaurant staff among them—can find. You might savor wild mushrooms from the tundra, dried seaweed collected from the Arctic Sea, freshly caught cod and Arctic char, and smoked seal, ptarmigan, reindeer, and other game procured by the last three traditional hunters and trappers still living in Svalbard. Preserving methods such as curing, smoking, drying, and pickling are also essential to Isfjord Radio’s larder, as they have been to generations of inhabitants in this extreme environment at the top of the world. basecampexplorer.com
Foodie fantasies memorable for the meal as well as the boondoggle.
Kai Waho (kaiwaho.co.nz) means “outdoor food” in Māori, but this dining adventure in Taupō, on New Zealand’s North Island, is no picnic. Led by local chef and gatherer Tom Loughlin, participants head by helicopter or 4x4 to the Māori lands of Tamau Pa, where they hike, swim in a river, forage for ingredients, and help prepare a traditional feast. A master storyteller, Loughlin regales guests with tales about Māori culture and Tamau Pa’s pristine wilderness throughout the many stages of a highly memorable meal.
Pairing wine with wildlife conservation, the Wild Food Adventures from Armenia’s 2492 tour company (2492.travel) dive into the country’s wilderness regions and culinary traditions. The Winemaker’s Table: Areni Cliffs experience begins with a 4x4 journey through the Arpa Protected Landscape in the Caucasus. Upon arrival, you can enjoy cocktails and small bites atop a cliff overlooking the 13th-century Noravank monastery and mountains and valleys where the endangered bezoar goat roams. A park ranger is on hand to teach you about the nearly 40 mammal species and 190 bird species in the area while you enjoy a meal made from seasonal ingredients and served with local wines. A portion of the proceeds from the meal goes to the Caucasus Nature Fund in support of the Arpa Protected Landscape’s conservation work.
Outstanding in the Field (outstandinginthefield.com) is something of a pioneer in experiential outdoor dining. Founded in 1999, the organization arranges large communal meals in out-of-the-way places, from an oyster farm on the Puget Sound to a mango orchard in Ghana. The concept revolves around tasting food where it’s from, with long tables set and served in locations that are as scenic as they are bountiful. Among the many gatherings over the years—in all 50 states and more than 25 countries— recent events include a seafood feast on a hidden beach in La Paz, Mexico, and a date-driven meal on a ranch outside of Palm Springs, Calif. u
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Hotel openings are booming in the British capital and its restaurant scene is more vibrant than ever. Legendary fashion editor, globetrotter, and tastemaker Glenda Bailey details the best stays and dinner reservations to book for your next visit.
Courtesy Images
From Top: The Peninsula Hotels/Will Pryce; The Beaumont/ZAC and ZAC.
Opposite, Courtesy Images Clockwise
Rosewood London
Among palatial mansions in buzzy Holborn, this is the choice hotel when doing business in the city and for discerning travelers desiring modern amenities. Rosewood’s elegance and playful side show through with an ever-changing art collection, appealing to its creative clientele. Its finest asset offers what few London hotels can deliver: space. The 262 rooms, along with
45 unique suites and a grand manor house with its own postcode, are all huge. This year the property celebrates its 10th anniversary under the impressive leadership of the dashing and charming Michael Bonsor, a driving force behind the hotel’s joie de vivre and soon-to-be the managing director of Mayfair’s upcoming The Chancery Rosewood (opening 2025).
Its Holborn location and discreet drive-in courtyard entrance attract celebrities, especially during frequent press junkets hosted here for movie premieres. Stars like Will Smith, Guy Ritchie, and Drake are ushered in quickly and attentively through the private entrance. Popular too with high-profile editors and fashionistas, its lobby can look like a Condé Nast convention.
At the Scarfes Bar, inspired by its namesake, renowned illustrator Gerald Scarfe, a loyal following comes in regularly. Expect a queue. Over the past 10 years the establishment has earned award upon award for inventing innovative cocktails such as Spring Lady (No. 3 gin, St-Germain, long pepper and acacia hydrosol, jasmine muyu) and Bee-Stung (Naked Malt, peated ginger, nettle and espelette, vetiver honey).
At the British brasserie Holborn Dining Room, Scotch eggs and pies are the specialties. Of the latter, order the chicken with chestnut mushroom, leek fondue, and tarragon and you will not be disappointed. The good news (or the bad news, depending on your viewpoint) is that the menu includes a calorie count for each dish. For those who have a hungry eye and healthy appetite, the Masterful Art Afternoon Tea presents food as works of art. Pastry Chef Mark Perkins is the worthy winner of a Best Contemporary Tea Award for his menu of pastries inspired by David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash, Banksy’s Girl with Balloon, and Andy Warhol’s Campbell’s Soup Cans, complete with a silver can top made of chocolate. rosewoodhotels.com
Courtesy Images,Clockwise
From Top: Rosewood/Durston Saylor (2); Rosewood/John Carey. Opposite
The hottest and coolest hotel in London. In the heart of Mayfair on Grosvenor Square, this Edwardian manor was reimagined by former Blakes hotel owner Navid Mirtorabi and business partner Jamie Reuben. With six suites and 25 rooms, including a Mews House, the spaces measure small but are ravishingly and richly decorated by Natalia Miyar; their opulent colors and prints have a cocooning effect. They pay homage to 18thcentury France and are quite ideal for liaisons, dangerous and/or romantic. From the front desk staff to the unobtrusive butlers, service is friendly and efficient (strange how those words rarely appear together in a hotel review).
Sitting in the bar can feel like you have been to the Frieze art fair, busy with alluring, modern British people and food. The restaurant, a delightful, Wedgwood blue dining room, runs under the guidance of Executive Chef Alan Christie and specializes in quality ingredients simply prepared. The global clientele that it attracts may have a high sequin count, but it doesn’t outshine the food. the22.london
When you drive up toward the traffic-heavy Hyde Park corner in the hotel’s 1935 Rolls-Royce Phantom, you would be forgiven for querying about the hotel entrance and if your stay was going to be noisy. The car whisks around the corner to a discreet courtyard entrance and you glide into an oasis of calm as all your fears evaporate. For those who are familiar with Peninsula Hotels around the world, you will know they are consistently consistent. The hotel opened in September in the heart of Belgravia, so close to Buckingham Palace Gardens that it is said that King Charles II personally reviewed the building plans. The floor-toceiling soundproof windows offer grandstand views of the Wellington Arch and the weekday Parade of the Household Cavalry. London’s first billion-pound hotel, the Peninsula has just 190 exquisitely styled rooms and suites designed by the legendary
Peter Marino. Expect lots of leather in the serene surroundings, showcasing elegant craftsmanship that whispers style and comfort. It is quiet luxury at its best.
The service is impeccable and the impressive art displayed in the lobby and guest accommodations comes from the Royal Drawing School, bringing warmth and individuality to these spaces.
Everything is designed on feng shui principles and the Peninsula’s signature amenities do not disappoint. The nail drying bar is tucked away in the walk-in closets and the magnifying mirrors are perched in the perfect place for makeup applications so you can be seen in the best light. The Do Not Disturb sign is automatically illuminated when you enter the onyx-clad bathroom and to avoid further unwanted interruptions, parcel deliveries are squirreled away into the built-in delivery mailbox.
This is a destination for the international set that means business and also loves to linger. An elevator in the style of a hot-air balloon effortlessly levitates to the Brooklands rooftop bar and restaurant, inspired by the fast-living Roaring Twenties era of motor racing and aviation. The rush of the London skyline is breathtaking while you order a martini. Later, flick the switch under your seat and the waiter reappears to replenish your drinks. For fine dining, Brooklands by Claude Bosi is overseen by the Michelin-starred chef and you won’t soon forget dining under an enormous silver Concorde suspended from the ceiling. Venture down to the basement level to the heady Little Blue cocktail bar and Canton Blue restaurant, where the interiors are festooned in sumptuous ceramics and the Cantonese food attracts a loyal, local following. peninsula.com
Why do so many Americans stay at The Stafford? Could it be its excellent location, comparable rates, old-school charm, recently renovated rooms (many of them decorated in William Morris fabric), or the bar—which is called, well, The American Bar? The Stafford is exceptional, as it doesn’t have a scene (apart from the bar). It is quiet and cozy.
The American Bar is an institution for sociable types and takes its cocktails seriously. Overseen by Benoit Provost, whose encyclopedic knowledge of Negronis and not-so-old-fashioned old-fashioneds is legendary. If you are feeling peckish try a Texas Twinkie (baby peppers stuffed with pork, beef, and raclette cheese) or peanutbutter-and-jelly donuts. With an interior reminiscent of New York’s old 21 Club (caps and scarves suspended from the rafters), it has bags of easy charm. It also has the extra benefit of outside seating, should the British weather allow. The Game Bird restaurant, under the direction of Michelin-starred-chef Lisa Goodwin-Allen from Northcote, offers modern British comfort food with a new take on traditional favorites. This is the sort of restaurant that can brag about its trolley offerings. The menu includes Devon-dressed crab with hot English crumpets followed by the steak-and-ale steamed suet pudding. If you have room, try the tonka and strawberry trifle. The crepes Suzette flamed tableside are guaranteed to set your heart on fire. This is not the place to show off your new trainers. The atmosphere is sophisticated but not stuffy and the service, relaxed and attentive. thestaffordlondon.com
Stepping inside feels like being the guest star in an episode of Agatha Christie - Hercule Poiret: The First Cases
The building, featuring 72 rooms and 29 suites and studios, occupies a quiet street in Mayfair where it opened in 2014. The brilliant hoteliers Jeremy King and Chris Corbin created a lavish and gracious place to relax, reminiscent of the Gilded Age. Now privately owned and independently run, the hotel undertook a gentle renovation on the direction of the late French architect and designer Thierry Despont. The handpicked selection of prewar books and original paintings in the suites reflect the cultured taste of the hotel guests.
An eclectic mix comes here, from “bright young things” to illustrious, old-school boys with a mutual respect for business and glamour. The Colony Grill Room offers a deliciously decadent and delightfully oldfashioned evening of fun. Order the classic Dover sole, steaks, or monkfish Wellington. The bespoke sundaes or bananas Foster prepared tableside is theater on a plate. Whether conducting a business meeting, a brief encounter, or an affair to remember, Le Magritte Bar is the chic and prudent place to rendezvous. With its tastefully chosen collection of early-20th-century paintings and photographs, it is a slice of Art Deco heaven. Anyone for a lobster roll, accompanied by an Attempting the Impossible 1928 (gin, vodka, Italicus, Manzana Verde, lemon juice, tea, honey bitters)? It is a cocktail that, like the bar, lives up to its dazzling reputation. thebeaumont.com
Bicester Village defies fast fashion as a mecca for designer excess goods.
Luxury fashion should be about quality no matter what season a garment or accessory was created for, and it is unsustainable and unfashionable to buy and wear only items from the current season’s collection. Personal style develops from putting together a wardrobe over time that reflects how you want to present yourself to the world. “Buy less, buy better” is analogous to the virtues of making sustainable choices, and it is important to buy quality pieces you will love forever. Fashion should be timely and timeless. Shopping is a sport.
Identifying the key pieces to buy that will retain and even increase in value is an art, especially as the prices of designer resale goods continue to rise. Luxury items from brands like Dior, YSL, Gucci, Prada, Loewe, and Bottega Veneta can command high prices at auction. Consider your purchase as a potential investment. Therefore, it will be no surprise to see a former fashion magazine editor traipsing off to Oxford, rather than Oxford Street, for the opportunity to buy quality items from the designers you love for up to 60 percent off their original price and help save them from ever-increasing landfills.
Around 98 percent of the goods at Bicester Village (pronounced like “bister”) are from last season’s collection, although a connoisseur will spot some much older pieces. They are supplied by the brands’ excess product or new designs made from similar materials. Bicester Village ( thebicestercollection.com ) can best be described as a fashion treasure hunt. It opened in 1995 with 150 fashion brands congregated in a pleasant, open-air setting in the English countryside. Popular with fashionistas and families, it attracts over 6 million visitors each year. (Before COVID it lured almost as many Chinese tourists as Buckingham Palace.) Even the Princess of Wales was spotted there buying pajamas for Prince George. Here, some of my favorites at this ultimate one-stop shop. —G.B.
Bamford This beautifully curated line will shower you with sustainable toiletries, clothes, and home wares. I left clutching a cashmere cable sweater, linen tablecloth, and my favorite geranium body wash. Stella McCartney You can find the most adorable children’s clothing here. It would have been rude of me to leave behind the dress for my goddaughter’s daughter, plus baby’s first pair of jeans. YSL Anthony Vaccarello has done a masterful job, so be sure to check it out. I found a zodiac necklace that had been impossible to track down in the city stores. Loro Piana This brand has its own scarf specialist. I recommend you seek her advice, and she will reward you by conjuring items that are not on display. Three scarves later and feeling very pleased with myself, I finally retreated from the store. Loewe If you are looking for unusual accessories, this is the place to go. On a previous shopping trip, I was thrilled to discover three shell necklaces that had previously escaped me (I tried hunting them down the season that they were created.) I bought all three, which made me extremely popular with my friends. This time I
delved into the drawers to discover a leather flower strap perfect for my friend who is forever losing her sunglasses. The piece can be converted into a necklace. Celine The fashion house can do no wrong can do no wrong, whether it be older, sought-after Phoebe Philo pieces or Hedi Slimane modern classics. Stone Island As it was a bitterly cold day, it only seemed appropriate that my husband treated himself to a navy cardigan jacket. Valentino Every special occasion I find myself reaching for my Valentino treasures. I wear them often and with pride, even though many are now considered vintage. These precious pieces transcend seasonal dressing. They are the ultimate “buy now, love forever” purchase. Dior Make sure you make an appointment to avoid the queue. Here I was thwarted by another savvy customer who already had her hands on an exquisite scarf. Instead of wrestling her to the ground, I had to gracefully admit defeat. Samsonite One last dash to buy a suitcase to carry all my purchases home to New York. Feeling smug and having the satisfaction of a good day’s shopping: Time and money well spent.
Ideal times to visit Bicester Village are when the city stores have finished their sales, as that is when Bicester stores will replenish their stock. Getting there is easy from London. It takes about an hour to drive and valet parking can be arranged. The train takes 47 minutes and stops right outside the village.
Book ahead to ensure you have a date and time for popular store visits and avoid the queue. You can book a VIP shopping experience at The Apartment in the village, where your personal shopper greets you with handpicked pieces.
The Apartment is chic and welcoming with a well-curated art collection. Drinks and snacks are available throughout the day. To investigate further discounts, pop into the visitor’s center when you arrive. A hands-free shopping service can be arranged, which will pick up your purchases from each boutique and store them until you are ready to collect.
For those whose Louboutins feel like lead and need a rest after a hard morning’s shopping, there are many restaurants and eateries to choose from. Cecconi’s does a roaring trade in their delicious artisanal pizzas and pastas, plus burrata, peas, and broad beans, and the San Daniele ham and melon. The truffle, four-cheese pizza or the penne pomodoro go down a storm. There is also British comfort food available, provided by a fish-and-chip van and a farm shop restaurant and café.
To stay nearby, look up Estelle Manor Eynsham (estellemanor .com), a hotel and private club set on 3,000 acres of beautiful parkland and gardens. The breathtaking, grade two–listed, neo-Jacobean hall was transformed by Roman and Williams and the Ennismore Design Studio. There are 108 uniquely designed rooms and suites in the Grand Manor House, stables, and a walled garden. Rooms are furnished with opulent vintage furnishings juxtaposed with 20th-century pieces. Dried flowers are thoughtfully used throughout as a deliberate nod to sustainability.
Staying at Estelle Manor is like being invited to a country house party; you feel the relaxed grandeur of the Gilded Age. The 400 staff are gracious and discreet. Places to eat include a Chinese restaurant and a brasserie in the Orangery and terrace for sunny mornings. The food is delicious, and the tasteful decor makes you want to linger, especially when you sit next to the enormous hearth with a roaring fire. Estelle is the sister of the Maison Estelle private club based in London.
If you prefer staying in the Cotswolds, the new RH England, The Gallery at the Historic Aynho Park (rh.com) is set in a spectacular 73-acre estate. The house was built in 1615 and then was expanded and refurbished in the 19th century by the architect Sir John Soanes. It offers 60 rooms furnished by Restoration Hardware, alongside antiques and rare artworks.
Local Attractions
Blenheim Palace and Gardens
Woodstock (blenheimpalace .com) is a grade one–listed Baroque Palace in the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Don’t miss his velvet, ruby red all-in-one that he wore to win the war.
There is often a contemporary art installation on display in the staterooms. Currently through July 30, there is an Icons of British Fashion exhibition Kelmscott Manor (kelmscottmanor.org.uk) in Lechlade is the country home of William Morris, the father of the Arts and Craft movement.
RH England
Across the Pond: The Village Vibe Will Soon Continue in New York
Belmont Park Village is coming to New York and opening in fall 2024, outside of Manhattan. It is the 12th Village in the Bicester Collection and the first in North America. It takes 30 minutes by train from Grand Central to Elmont station on the Long Island Rail Road.
Southeast Asian cuisine in London has evolved to an elevated status. Here, the restaurants to book on your next visit.
BY TANVI CHHEDAIt’s been a journey. There were the curry houses of decades ago, then the white-tableclothed establishments serving predominantly North Indian spreads. Now this latest avatar: Diverse, regional cooking that celebrates obscure corners of the subcontinent and is presented with love and humility, rather than superlatives and fanfare. “London is such an incredible city for eating out, and it’s only getting better,” says Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef in London to earn a Michelin star (for Tamarind in 2001).
“Championing lesser-known dishes from the Indian subcontinent is something I’m very proud to focus on.”
Kochhar earned a second star in 2007 and is now chef-owner at Kanishka in Marylebone, his third of seven restaurants. Chef-owner Huzefa Sajawal of Fatt Pundit shopped for and cooked with his grandmother growing up in Mumbai. Today his restaurant delectably melds Indian and Chinese flavors, a fusion cuisine dating back to the late 18th century when the Hakka people of Guangdong arrived in Kolkata. Ravinder Bhogal, chef-owner at cheery Jikoni, draws inspiration from all over the globe, including East Africa, where she spent her early childhood. Experience these restaurants firsthand and you’ll notice a laser focus on seasonality, an immense sense of community, and that experimentation is heartily encouraged. It’s also the attention to detail. Chef Avinash Shashidhara of Pahli Hill, a finalist on last year’s Great British Menu , describes his current post with enormous sincerity. “Pahli Hill is my second home. The menu is made up of dishes that draw inspiration from my upbringing in Bangalore and most of our recipes have been handed down by family or friends,” he says. “We make all of our spice mixes, ghee, and pickles in-house.”
Notorious for its long queues, this restaurant chain first brought Bombay’s disappearing Irani café culture to the United Kingdom in 2010. Today it’s a bona fide culinary phenomenon, with seven locations in London, including a months-old Battersea outpost. The common thread among the locations: street food–inspired fare served in a nostalgic atmosphere. Printed as a newspaper broadsheet, the lengthy menu offers Mumbai icons such as appetizers vada pav (a deep-fried potato fritter, drizzled with chutneys and tucked between a pillowy bun), chili cheese toast, and pav bhaji (a spicy vegetable mash, stewed in copious amounts
of butter, and also eaten with buns). The next course could be 24-hour-cooked black daal and steamed rice. Then there are the endless cocktails as well as roseand cardamom-infused lassi, and the refreshing and tart kala khatta sharbat (a Bombay staple sold by pushcart vendors on hot days).
Dishoom also does brisk business at breakfast: its date-and-banana porridge and bacon naan roll are favorites. Best of all, for every meal served at a Dishoom location, the restaurant chain provides a meal to a child in the United Kingdom or India through charity partnerships. So far, it has donated 20 million meals. dishoom.com
Having grown up in Kolkata, India, husband-and-wife duo Harneet Baweja and Devina Seth wanted to create a place to showcase their family recipes, passed down through generations, and thus, this Spitalfields restaurant was born. Since debuting its first pint-sized location in 2015, the team, which includes ex-Tamarind chef Nirmal Save, have gone on to open a sprawling, glass-clad space overlooking the Tower Bridge, with another in Soho. The no-nonsense name references the heady spice mix of lentils, chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida that is incorporated into several dishes and ground in-house daily. (Individual families throughout India, especially South India, will proudly blend their own unique
formulation of gunpowder.) The restaurant’s menu emphasizes sharing small plates, which is not seen as often at Indian eateries. Less creamy gravies and naan bread on the menu shine with dishes such as rasam ke bomb (a bite of lentil crisp followed by a shot-style sip of tomato-tamarind soup), mustard-laced broccoli, and Chettinad pulled duck served with uttapam rice crepes, which have all helped earn its Michelin Bib Gourmand status. The French bean pakoras (almost like crispy green bean fries) are addictive and the cocktails are well-matched to the bold flavors. Up next: a Notting Hill restaurant called Empire Empire, drawing inspiration from India’s disco years in the late 1970s. gunpowderrestaurants.com
For New Delhi–based hospitality veterans Rahul Khanna and Kabir Suri, food is about community. This is the ethos they bring to their Fitzrovia eatery, which is their first London venture, opened during the early days of the pandemic. The restaurant gets its name from a coastal north Mumbai enclave where block-style apartment buildings foster a sense of community among residents with neighbors of different backgrounds and religions sharing their own regional flavors and culinary traditions with one another. At London’s Pahli Hill, there’s a modern twist to hearty, homestyle dishes from across the
Indian subcontinent. There’s hara kebab—fried patties with greens, potatoes, and peas, accompanied by tamarind chutney. The Scottish crab sukka with Mangalore buns, a favorite of Head Chef Avinash Shashidhara, balances sweetness with warmth and heat thanks to fennel and ginger. Also popular: the Orkney scallops with chickpeas, coconut, and curry leaves. For dessert, the alphonso cheesecake, when in season, is a must. Two venues in one, the restaurant has a sister basement bar, Bandra Bhai, where cocktails flow and the live music plays on until midnight.
pahlihillbandrabhai.com
A much-beloved cuisine across the Indian subcontinent, spicy Indo-Chinese dishes are the specialty of this Covent Garden spot, which recently opened after the success of its sister in Soho. Born when Chinese immigrants from Canton and Guangdong settled in Kolkata, India, and later Mumbai, this unique diaspora cuisine marries Indian spices such as garam masala and cardamom with Chinese fare. Dig into steamed momo dumplings stuffed
with mushroom and spring onions; purple and white cauliflower “popcorn” with garlic; and Bombay-style prawns made with Szechuan chilies. Don’t miss the vegetarian Manchurian, originally created at Mumbai’s China Garden restaurant. It features shredded vegetable croquettes in a lip-smacking, soy-based gravy of shallots and coriander. The restaurant’s design tells a story too, with Victorian floor tiles, dark wood furnishings, colorful Hindi
language signs, as well as antique finds such as blue-and-white porcelain plates and castiron teapots referencing India’s colonial era. As for drinks, it’s a tough choice between The Hakka Garden (peach, passion fruit, bergamot), which is a nod to the Hakka people from Guangdong, who grew fruits in their gardens, and the White Tiger (Hapusa Himalayan Gin, made from juniper berries grown in the Himalayas bordering Nepal). fattpundit.co.uk
It’s the colorful, cheery interior— thanks to loads of bright, blockprinted textiles—that hits the eye first as you step into this cozy Marylebone newcomer. There are lampshades made from saris; a wall hanging from Kazakhstan; and dozens and dozens of plants. Of Indian heritage, chef-owner Ravinder Bhogal arrived to London from Nairobi at the age of 7, which explains the thoughtprovoking name Jikoni, which means “kitchen” in Swahili. The menu is not strictly Indian but rather draws inspiration from across Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa. (Bhogal bills it a “No Borders” kitchen and very much stands by that notion.)
Dig into chickpea chips with Bengali chutney; kale chaat with yogurt; and paneer gnudi with winter greens and preserved lemon. Diners are also big fans of the brunch fare: sweet corn pancakes with jalapeño relish and kuku paka, a coconut-based curry from East Africa. Absolutely order the Kenyan chai no matter what time of day. At a time when no self-respecting restaurant would be without a cookbook, Bhogal has penned Jikoni: Proudly Inauthentic Recipes From an Immigrant Kitchen. And should you care for some breezy, blocked printed table linens yourself, they are for sale at the restaurant. jikonilondon.com
Chef Atul Kochhar is no stranger to the Indian food scene in the United Kingdom. After earning his first Michelin star, he went on to open his own restaurant, Benares. He’s now at the helm of Kanishka, named for a powerful secondcentury Kushan dynasty emperor who converted to and widely spread Buddhism. The elevated Pan-Indian menu at this Mayfair restaurant, entered through a gorgeous carved wooden door along quiet Maddox Street, shines a light on outlier regions of India including Assam, Meghalaya, and Nagaland, while also priding itself on attention to detail, seasonality, and a sense of intrigue. Opt for the multicourse tasting menu and
sample nadru ki chaat (lotusstem kebabs with tamarind and cranberry chutneys); crab bonda (fritters with grilled corn and apple salad); and tandoor khumb (clay oven–cooked hen and woods mushrooms with peanut-andsesame gravy). For the sweet finish: chai-spiked crème brûlée. The restaurant’s sommelier is on hand to pair dishes with wine or whisky—the latter in honor of India’s most popular spirit. Also currently on offer: a tasting menu called Michelin-Starred Four Hands Experience, created in collaboration with fellow Michelinstarred chefs and friends who join forces with Chef Kochhar in the kitchen. kanishkarestaurant.co.uk u
A Gaelic odyssey aboard the Seabourn Venture expedition ship yields a fresh perspective of the islands around Ireland and Scotland.
BY FRANK VIZARDIreland and Scotland may not be the most exotic of destinations, but a voyage around the seas between and around the two countries offers a Celtic point of view not so easily found with a landbound perspective. Whether it’s appreciated from the expedition ship’s deck or experienced from a sea-level vantage point aboard a rubber Zodiac, a 14-day Lands of the Celts odyssey aboard the Seabourn Venture (seabourn.com) is a looking glass into the Celtic culture that links the different shores. Sometimes those connections find expression in a glass of a different sort, imbibed along the way with a wistful Celtic eye toward what might have been and what yet may be. These are islands of a sometimes-contradictory duality where seeing clearly is one thing and where not seeing may be just as well.
Simply put, the Seabourn Venture is a five-star hotel at sea with top-notch restaurants included. Compared to other cruise ship behemoths, the green-hulled Seabourn Venture is deliberately small, being the company’s first purpose-built expedition ship with room for 264 passengers housed in 132 veranda-equipped luxury suites for constant sea views. The idea is to go places larger ships can’t—that the hull is rated as PC6 Polar Class indicates the ship’s ambitious intentions. With the exception
of larger ports, expect to get on and off the ship via zippy Zodiac rubber boats. Also on board is a pair of mini submarines that puts underwater adventures on the agenda, although their use is limited by local regulations and conditions. (Currents in the Irish Sea, for example, are too strong and fast to allow for the deployment of the six-passenger submersibles.) A key attribute of every journey is a large expedition staff with impressive scientific credentials and a catching enthusiasm for the outdoors. The Venture launched in 2022 and a sister ship, the Pursuit, launched in 2023.
For its Land of the Celts voyage, the Seabourn Venture slips south out of London around the corner and along the bottom of old England. The familiar becomes remote among the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles beyond Land’s End. On Tresco (tresco.co.uk)—one of the five inhabited islands among the 145 scattered about and said to be the mountaintops of a long-lost submerged realm—is the remarkable Tresco Abbey Garden. The site is seemingly a repository of the world’s plants, thanks to a unique microclimate that hosts 20,000 plants. It’s also a haven for red squirrels at the losing end of a deadly feud with their brown squirrel cousins.
Catching the maritime eye is the Valhalla Museum, with its collection of 30 figureheads recovered from shipwrecks
that have sunk around the Isles of Scilly. Navigation hereabouts is never a certainty. With the exception of Tresco, the Isles of Scilly are Crown lands belonging to the Duchy of Cornwall and thence to the ultimate landlord king of England. Beyond the Isles of Scilly, heading north past highly trafficked Celtic Wales into the heart of the Irish Sea, are lands where the ruler of longer reverence is Manannán mac Lir, an ancient Celtic sea god for whom it’s often said the Isle of Man is named. He’s considered a prankster and the joke is on Zodiac tourers who spy puffins on the cliffs of the Calf of Man, a small nearby island, only to realize they’re fakes meant to lure real ones into nesting. (Only the humans are fooled.) The Isle of Man is a self-governing dependency of the British Crown with an eye-catching triskelion flag featuring three connected armored legs on a red background (their motto: “Whithersoever you throw it, it shall stand.”) that dates to the 13th century when Manx rule included islands to the north. The Manx Museum (manxnationalheritage .im) in the capital of Douglas presents an informative display of the island’s Viking and Celtic (Gaelic) history as well as the story behind the tailless Manx cat. The local beer is good as well, best enjoyed after a long walk along the seaside promenade.
A daylong landing in Dublin in the Republic of Ireland is a visit to the capital
of Celtic aspirations that vary in amplitude according to surrounding currents. A key tour on offer is a visit to the Museum of Irish Literature (moli.ie), where the 1922, Aegean-blue first edition of Ulysses by author James Joyce, regarded now as perhaps the most influential writer of the 20th century, is accorded a reverence usually reserved for inspirational texts like the Bible. (Ulysses follows the structure of Homer’s Greek sea epic, The Odyssey.) The flavor of Joyce’s novel also can be captured at the nearby Davy Byrnes pub (davybyrnes.com) that still features the gorgonzola sandwich mentioned in Ulysses and can be consumed with a glass of Burgundy (according to the text) or with a more local option such as a creamy-thick, black pint of Guinness. Either way, the last line of the book may be rapturously borrowed in a new context: “Yes I said yes I will Yes.”
From Dublin, the Seabourn Venture glides up through the narrow North Channel out of the Irish Sea to the city of Glasgow on the western shores of Scotland, another great manifestation of Celtic culture. Ship visits are necessarily brief, so each stop is like a morsel consumed from a large Gaelic tray of delicacies. The Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum (glasgowlife.org.uk) in Glasgow is a marvelous, castle-sized cabinet of curios whose cleverly chaotic collection includes a bust of William Wallace of Braveheart fame vying for attention with a life-sized stuffed elephant closely overflown by a Spitfire fighter from World War II. In some respects, the holdings of Kelvingrove reflect the Celts themselves. This diverse group of people encompass a fluid, shifting identity that often focuses on the value of individual objects produced locally over a broader, structured aesthetic that nonetheless floats faintly, tangibly, and recognizably through Celtic time and space.
A Zodiac landing on the tiny island of Iona in the Inner Hebrides gives you a feel for how St. Columba arrived from Ireland in a small boat in 563 A.D. to found a monastery that became the cradle of a Celtic
brand of Christianity. Monkish scholars produced works over the ensuing years, such as the illuminated Book of Kells, now prominently displayed at Trinity College in Dublin. Iona also may be the origin of the famous Celtic cross with a ring around the intersection and is the burial site for scores of early Scottish and Irish kings as well as a few from Norway, along with the more local rulers of the blue-painted Picts and the Dalriada.
The wild landscape blurs reality and imagination, and it doesn’t take much to hear a bagpipe on the wind.
One of the most influential islands in the area, visited via a Zodiac boat from the Seabourn Venture, is an uninhabited one. Staffa is home to puffins, seals, and Fingal’s Cave, a stunning natural structure of massive basalt columns with near-pilgrimage status that inspired Mendelssohn’s Hebrides classical music overture and is noted in popular literature, including Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth. The name Fingal is likely a variant of Finn McCool (Fionn mac Cumhaill), a mythological Celtic hero who led a band of warriors called the Fianna (a name that appears in modern times in connection with the Fenians associated with Irish nationalism).
The old Kingdom of the Isles still feels like it’s at the edge of the world, despite the modern trappings (and a distillery) of Tobermory on the island of Mull and windy Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, most famous for a chess set left behind by Vikings and the warmth of its Harris Tweed clothing. The weather in the Outer Hebrides is variable at best and as can happen at sea,
planned Zodiac excursions to small islands called Lunga and Shiant are called off. They’re for the birds anyhow.
Sailing further north brings place names both Celtic and Viking in origin, testimony to the latter’s enduring influence throughout the region’s history. Ullapool is a charming village in the northwest Scottish Highlands named for its original Norse settlers that harbors a very active outdoors scene for hiking nearby mountains like Knockan Crag (nature.scot) or cycling around ancient Pictish forts.
History becomes ethereal the farther north one travels. On the Orkney Islands, a walk around the giant standing stones of the Ring of Brodgar (historicenvironment .scot) is to experience a hint of old beliefs dating to the Neolithic period of around 2400 BC. Set in a natural amphitheater surrounded by low-lying hills and two bodies of water, the evocative Ring of Brodgar appears to be linked to similar sites in the Orkneys along astronomical lines, generating new interest in the once-fringe study of archaeoastronomy. Originally consisting of 60 stones, 36 still survive. Some scholars now think structures like the Ring of Brodgar (named for a local Viking settlement) were the starting point for megalithic monuments like the more famous Stonehenge far to the south.
Meanwhile, Seabourn Venture has found its Celtic and social footing with an onboard pub night (that needs extended hours!) featuring local brews and spirits, musical talent from Dublin, and another evening focused on local Scottish cuisine (haggis not included). A voyage like this might be served well by an organized (call it educational) sampling of the many varieties of Irish and Scottish whiskies and the clear distinctions among them.
Aye then, sit and ponder over a dram what might have been if King Robert de Bruce had succeeded centuries ago in uniting Scotland and Ireland under one Celtic banner. “Yes I said yes I will Yes.” Homer’s got nothing on Joyce. u
Ship visits are necessarily brief, so each stop is like a morsel consumed from a large Gaelic tray of delicacies.
Together São Tomé and Príncipe make one of the smallest, most biodiverse countries in Africa. It’s taken 14 years and a $100 million investment for the sister islands to write their latest chapter, and now they are ready to welcome the world.
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY
JONATHAN POZNIAK
The place where bitter and sweet meet is an obsession. For these are “The Chocolate Islands,” where the power of the soft, creamy melt fuels São Tomé and Príncipe—a two-island nation straddling the equator that was at one time the largest cocoa producer in the world. This century-old industry has since come back to life, and the arrival of bold new ventures in ecotourism means they’re finally reclaiming that title.
Landing on the island of Príncipe gives you the sense of just how far to the edge of Africa you’ve come. The mountains here are steep, the jungles are deep, and the winds have blown you into another world. At first glance, this is Africa at its most ideal; a mysterious fairytale of tropical perfection that grown-ups told you didn’t exist. The forest teems with life: 1,000 ancient specimens coexist in a showcase of diversity in its most purposeful sense, as if to look at us humans and say, let us show you how it’s done
This isn’t the Africa you know from safari brochures or developing nations fundraisers. This protected jewel of an island, in its remoteness, lies 120 miles from the jungles of Gabon to the east, the chaos of Nigeria to the north, and a world away from every safari tent and beach resort you have ever known. If you mention Príncipe to your friends, it’s a guarantee they will have no idea what you are talking about.
The Portuguese discovered São Tomé and Príncipe in the late 1400s, establishing the islands as a trading post between Portugal and the rest of Africa. Some of the earliest settlers were Portuguese prisoners and Jewish children, who were forcibly separated from their parents at the hands of the king.
As the nation became Africa’s top sugar exporter, the sheer number of workers needed for production turned the island into a slave trading post between the African mainland and Brazil.
By the 1800s, the sugar industry fell into decline, as the climate became too humid for the sugar to properly dry. Yet rich volcanic soil and year-round hot conditions were well suited to cacao and coffee farming. By the early 1900s, São Tomé had become the world’s largest producer of cacao.
The plantations were large, like villages unto themselves, with hospitals, housing, and cocoa production facilities. Cacao farming, historically, was very tough not just on laborers, but on the land itself, due to aggressive agricultural practices that didn’t keep the future in mind. When the islands gained independence from Portugal in 1975, plantation managers went back home and the cacao industry burned out. Of late, the farms and colonial architecture have been given a new lease on life, thanks to the man who rediscovered Príncipe.
Enter Mark Shuttleworth, the South African tech entrepreneur and astronaut who fell in love with the place just over a decade ago. At that time, there was as much poverty as potential and Shuttleworth had a vision. In 2010 he founded HBD Príncipe, an ecotourism and agroforestry group named after the abbreviation for “Here Be Dragons,” a phrase used by early explorers marking uncharted territory.
For island residents versed in farming, fishing, and forestry, tourism was an uncharted challenge, but one that gave new purpose to their knowledge. Shuttleworth’s $100 million investment has succeeded, creating four eco-resorts that employ more than 600 locals and operate to protect the island’s incomparable nature—saving it from being deforested for a proposed 2,500-acre palm oil plantation. Working in collaboration with the local government, HBD achieved another major victory in 2012, earning UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status for the entire island and designating its southern half as protected wilderness.
Before transiting onward to Príncipe, spend a few days in Portugal’s capital for a clearer picture of São Tomé’s origins of discovery. History comes alive at the AlmaLusa Hotels (almalusahotels.com), a collection of three high-end boutique properties that take hospitality to another level. Guests are given old-school room keys and the staff acts like a personal concierge curating experiences to the city’s best hidden gems.
The AlmaLusa Baixa/Chiado (from $150) is the impeccably restored former Lisbon arsenal building, with giant stone slab floors in the lobby and fossils found during the building’s restoration. The newly opened AlmaLusa Alfama (from $195), a waterfront building that traces its roots back to the 12th century, straddles the Arco das Portas do Mar, the Roman-era stone archway marking the official gateway into the ancient city. The AlmaLusa Comporta’s (from $160) earthy elegance offers a variety of beachy suites, located a 1.5-hour drive from Lisbon, and a short walk from one of the most stunning beaches on the Alentejo coast.
This transition from darkness to light began with Bom Bom (opening in September), a laidback beach bungalow resort he acquired in 2011, alongside two plantations and the northern beaches. By 2017, Roça Sundy, two impeccably restored plantation houses, and Sundy Praia, their luxury tented, beachside villas, were opened. Two years later, the chocolate factory was restored, adding a new palate of flavors to tantalize guests. The fresh fish caught right off these beaches and the vegetables grown right up the hill define a taste of these islands.
During a period of intense poverty in the ’90s, locals turned to the forest to use and rediscover the flavors and medicines of their ancestors. Today, guides disappear into the thick woods and emerge minutes later with mangungo (an odd-looking red fruit with seeds used as a natural sweetener) and ossame (a delightfully sour condiment). Roça Sundy’s farm grows peppers, vanilla, coffee, bananas, and cacao, and the wild forest yields more exotic flavors if you dare.
Thanks to HBD’s agroforestry approach to farming, cacao trees now flourish in the rainforest, sequestering carbon, avoiding deforestation, and providing more biodiversity than traditional monoculture. Cacao farming lies in many families’ bloodlines, and this new approach transforms the physical demands of years past into a future they can take pride in. Blending old techniques with new ones, HBD chocolatiers have successfully launched their “tree-to-bar,” single-origin chocolate. Príncipe never had an indigenous population and despite a dark and winding history, its story has been rewritten. To tell it now, it’s a tale of inspiring resilience, embracing what the natural world provides, and healing history with time and intention. Walking down a dark beach under the stars with distant flashes of lightning from a nearby storm, hundreds of nocturnal crabs scatter around your feet. Wildlife guides hand out tiny red flashlights and lead you farther into the dark to witness giant sea turtles laying their eggs on shore. In the darkest of night, no matter what your past has held, you can always birth something new before returning out to sea. Only 1 out of 1,000 sea turtles survive. On Príncipe you feel like one of the lucky few. hbdprincipe.com
LISBON LAYOVER
While São Tomé and Príncipe may look remote on a map, TAP Air Portugal offers easy connections from many North American cities to Lisbon.
Their new Airbus A321Neo takes you to São Tomé (six hours from Lisbon) in comfort with lie-flat business-class seats. flytap.com
After landing in São Tomé, the Omali lodge (from $205, breakfast included) is close to the airport and a day trip around the island is a must.
STP Airways runs a quick, 45-minute hopper flight to Príncipe. stpairways.st
Príncipe’s three luxury properties:
Roça Sundy (from $500, half board plus activities) spreads across two historic plantation houses with 15 beautifully appointed rooms.
At Sundy Praia (from $1,240, half board plus activities), stay among the collection of 15 beachside, tented eco-villas.
The 17 beach bungalows at Bom Bom ($620, half board) will reopen in September. u
The Paris 2024 Olympic Games are not just taking place in the City of Light. The new surfing competition will be held at the most iconic swell in the Polynesian islands, the wave at Teahupo’o, legendarily one of the deadliest in the world. Teahupo’o is a village on the island of Tahiti, and anyone planning to visit it to watch the Games there should also plan a stay at The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, where a cultural fusion is creating French experiences in French Polynesia for an American clientele.
BY DEBORAH FRANK Photo Credits Courtesy St. Regis
The Islands of Tahiti are just eight hours by air from California, on the same side of the International Date Line as North America, and in the same time zone as Hawaii. Fly Air Tahiti Nui from Los Angeles to Papeete, Tahiti. The airline celebrated its 25th anniversary last year and launched nonstop service to Tahiti from Seattle, offering the only direct flights connecting the Pacific Northwest with the South Pacific. Flying business class immerses you in the identity, culture, and passion of the Tahitian islands as soon as you step onboard. The menu reflects the diverse French terroir wines and offers a selection of Polynesian-inspired dishes, such as shrimps and pea puree with coconut cream sauce and caramelized pineapple with aloe vera.
The Pacific Ocean archipelago of French Polynesia is renowned for its breathtaking natural beauty and vibrant Polynesian culture.
Despite their French affiliation, the islands have retained a distinct identity shaped by traditions and customs. Striking this balance between French influence and local authenticity is both an art and a necessity. From the language spoken on the streets to the flavors found in local cuisine, this cultural blend permeates every aspect of island life. To embrace it allows for a richer, more immersive experience that celebrates the unique identity of the region.
At The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, elements of both French and Polynesian cultures manifest themselves not just in the beautiful decor of the resort’s 90 rooms that include large overwater bungalows, but also through the dining venues, local artisans, conservation initiatives, and various activities at sea and on land.
Food is sourced locally, helping to support island businesses. At Lagoon, the property’s signature fine dining restaurant, the overwater 727 bar is the perfect spot to enjoy a sunset cocktail. Bam Boo features sushi and sashimi prepared with fresh-caught fish and seafood, in addition to a variety of wok and teppanyaki dishes. And the Italian restaurant, Far Niente, complements its traditional dishes with a sommelier’s choice of regional wines. The all-day dining spot, Te Pahu, reflects classic Tahitian dishes in an open-air setting
and features a weekly Polynesian show on Wednesday evenings put on by local dancers and musicians. Take a boat shuttle from The St. Regis’ main dock to its base on the main island. Then grab a taxi to La Villa Mahana where French chef Damien Rinaldi-Dovio is serving a Mediterranean and Polynesian fusion menu in an elegant stone villa with one of the most romantic ambiances in the region.
Ask The St. Regis concierge to make your reservations way in advance, as the restaurant has only eight tables.
Hanging on walls throughout The St. Regis are canvases by recently deceased French local artist Alain Despert, who was probably best known for his 1990 “Absolut Despert” vodka ad campaign. Another French artist transplant, Jean-Pierre Frey, has a popular waterfront gallery and workshop on the main island where he creates affordable prints of his original paintings inspired by the colors of the surrounding lagoon. His work is a unique collage of maps, photos, inks, and watercolors with texture from the marble powder he mixes into his acrylics. Both artists represent French Polynesia in unique, one-ofa-kind collectibles.
The St. Regis’ Natura Ora (Tahitian for “living nature”) initiative was created to preserve and protect the local community, the environment, and to practice more responsible consumption. Coral planting at its lagoonarium, with its 120 species of fish, is one of the efforts instituted to protect marine life and promote biodiversity. Guests can participate in the coral reforestation program, accompanying a marine specialist to string
small pieces of coral throughout the lagoon. As a reward for their efforts, they receive a certificate with the numbered coral so they can follow its growth online for years to come.
The Spa at The St. Regis Bora Bora is located across a bridge on its own private island in the lagoonarium. Here, guests can enjoy a treatment outdoors or in one of five indoor rooms. In addition to the requisite steam room and sauna, it features one of the best relaxation lounges anywhere for its views of Mount Otemanu and outdoor chaises that overlook the swimmable, mile-long lagoon. Polynesian-inspired services use Miri oil from the local medicinal Miri plant along with antiaging products from Paris-based skincare brand Sothys.
A hiking excursion to the top of a mountain on Bora Bora with Polynesia-born guide and storyteller Django Edwards is exercise and a history lesson in one. Edwards’ detailed knowledge of his heritage is as impressive as his traditional wood flute playing through his nostril. The small family business, Bora Bora Cultural & Lagoon Tours, founded by Polynesia native Nariihau Taruoura, gives guests who book an excursion real exposure to local life.
As Taruoura steers the outrigger canoe with his foot while playing a ukulele, he skillfully navigates to an area for snorkeling among reef sharks, followed by a lunch of fresh salads, fruits, and grilled meat and fish skewers served at picnic tables under swaying palm trees on his family motu (the islets of lime and white sand surrounding Bora Bora’s central island). It’s an unforgettable immersion into life in the South Pacific, and the perfect complement to a St. Regis stay. From $1,000/night; marriott.com u
From Los Cabos to St. Barth, venture to these new or reimagined tropical resorts in nearby coastal Mexico and the Caribbean, each a singular study in barefoot elegance.
BY PAUL RUBIOThe sea meets the desert on the Puerto Los Cabos coastline where Zadún, the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Mexico, sits on 20 landscaped acres overlooking the Sea of Cortez. With 113 guest rooms, suites, and villas, many with private pools and terraces, the dramatic property is an unparalleled combination of nature, design, and artisanship, featuring unique experiences and individualized service. Tosoani, or personal attendants, customize each guest’s stay with everything from tequila tastings to bonfires on the beach.
Four dining venues serve up a variety of gastronomic choices, such as Mexican street food and catch-of-the-day fare. An agave bar specializes in handcrafted cocktails and at El Barrio, an open-air restaurant with views of the pool and the beach beyond, mariachi bands play while regional cuisine, such as Oaxaca’s numerous moles and corn dishes, is served. A menu of South American influences focused on grilled food is a highlight at the beautifully designed signature restaurant HUMO.
But it’s the 30,000-square-foot Spa Alkemia that stands out most. In addition to a modern interpretation of the
traditional Mexican temazcal healing hut and the Savasana Sound Room (where a vibrational floor helps to create a state of deep meditation) is one of the largest hydrotherapy pools in Baja. A 24-hour gym features a 26-meter lap pool and feels private with plenty of personal space, even when at capacity. Beyond the many wellness treatments are the Ambassadors of the Environment experiences, such as birdwatching, which is a proven stress-relief activity. Led by a naturalist guide, guests can discover more than 100 bird species, four of which are endemic.
It’s a stunning resort with the charming, traditional, yet modern, town center of San José del Cabo a 15-minute drive away. Behind its charming Spanish architecture are sophisticated art galleries, shops, and restaurants serving all types of fusion cuisine. One not to miss is the art district’s SAGE restaurant (sagebaja.com) with its shrimp ceviche in coconut and leche de tigre milk. Its Argentinian chef creates Baja California Sur dishes with Spanish, French, and Argentinian influences to be enjoyed with great music and a lively scene. ritzcarlton.com —Deborah
Frank
Along Mexico’s Pacific coast within a biodiverse, skyscraping rainforest reminiscent of Costa Rica, One&Only Mandarina consummates a love affair between ultra-luxury and raw nature. A total of 105 villas and treehouses stretch across 80 acres of towering higuera trees and palms, intentionally positioned to amplify breathtaking scenes of flora and sea. The stilted, glass-fronted treehouses, for example, evoke a sensation of being one with the forest canopy while floating over the crashing waves. An outward-facing design fosters a continuous bond with
nature from all angles within an open-plan suite, which further peaks on the outdoor terrace, equipped with a dining area, daybeds, and an infinity plunge pool.
Paved pathways—accessible on foot or by golf cart—wind through the mountainous terrain leading to worldclass amenities that also capitalize on the dramatic backdrops. Cloaked in dense foliage, the One&Only Spa emerges like a lost pre-Hispanic world of wellness as six domed treatment rooms and a traditional temazcal rise through the thicket. At a lower clearing, uncover Mandarina Polo
& Equestrian Club, a hub for embarking on jungle-to-ocean trails by horseback, taking polo classes, or simply watching the Sport of Kings from the sidelines.
Four noteworthy restaurants and bars dot the property, the highlight of which is Carao, a contemporary Mexican concept by award-winning chef Enrique Olvera (of Pujol fame) perched at one of Mandarina’s highest points. Five infinity pools rival for the limelight: one in the spa, one at the beach, and another three defying gravity, cantilevered over the treetops and the ocean currents below. oneandonlyresorts.com
In between St. John and St. Thomas on an island all its own, Lovango Resort & Beach Club is an exercise in unpretentious private-island luxury. The first new build in the United States Virgin Islands in over 30 years brings a small collection of eco-chic wooden treehouses, explorer-style tented rooms, ocean-view cottages, and a three-bedroom private villa. Together they rise along the island’s northern slope, separated by dense foliage and overlooking pristine Congo Cay, a towering granitic nature preserve enveloped in topaz and emerald waters. Clever room designs capitalize on views of your surroundings by granting unobstructed vistas from the likes
of outdoor sunken living rooms, daybeds under canvas, and outdoor showers.
Explore the 45-acre Lovango Cay and reap the riches of its natural beauty as well as the fun-in-the-sun enticements defining its southern half. From the Treetops Lounge (where breakfast is served) or along hiking trails dotting the island, anticipate inspiring bird’s-eye views of multiple US and British Virgin Islands in a single panorama. On serene Crescent Beach, watch pelicans dive-bomb for a fresh catch and keep an eye out for dolphins or sea turtles that may surface. (Alternatively, don on a mask and snorkel and partake in the action.) Socialize, and soak in the
scene at Lovango’s Beach Club, where a 70-foot infinity pool, chaise lounges, and oceanfront cabanas await. Sip on smoked pineapple rum old-fashioneds, and feast on Caribbean lobster schnitzel at the waterfront café.
If or when private island life becomes a bit too insular, hop on one of Lovango’s complimentary water shuttles for active and gastronomic pursuits off-island. For example, Honeymoon Beach, St. John’s most prized swath of picture-perfect white sand is a quick five minutes away by boat, while the famed restaurants of Cruz Bay are accessible via a 10-minute ferry that runs regularly, day and night. lovangovi.com
Among the Mayan Riviera’s wealth of resorts, this 124-room beachfront property is a top, new tropical hideaway and a bold departure from St. Regis’ predictable, stately fare. Built on the land claimed as the celestial birthplace of the Mayans, this sprawling resort honors its ancient astronomical roots with a fascinating, multi-circular design by Edmonds International, which speaks to planetary alignment with the Mayan calendar. A series of curvaceous, low-rise, stark white buildings hover over a sea of bright green mangroves, connected by wooden walkways and ending at the Caribbean Sea.
A common theme is the luxury of space. The smallest guest rooms measure a generous 592 square feet, in which bedrooms channel Mayan-inspired minimalism (think ceramic light pendants and walnut, wood-carved headboards based on traditional Mayan patterns) countered by deliciously over-thetop bathrooms with green marble double sinks and hanging mirrors. Wide-open expanses abound beyond, fringed by resort-style trappings such as multiple swimming pools, myriad restaurants, a beach club, and countless spaces to simply relax in the surrounding natural splendor. marriott.com
Secluded at the far easterly tip of Virgin Gorda and accessible exclusively by boat or helicopter, Oil Nut Bay lures with a daily rhythm that seamlessly blends resort living and yacht culture. Since the first units were etched into the mountainous, cactus-speckled terrain over 11 years ago, the 400-acre private peninsula has flourished into a resort community of 52 ocean homes, villas, and suites, each unique yet cohesive by design. Among the most popular in Oil Nut Bay’s rental program is the Cliff Penthouse Suite, a 1,334-squarefoot, stone-and-glass marvel perched
atop a rocky precipice. Its retractable doors dissolve the boundaries between the wraparound terrace and interior living space, lending to endless sea vistas.
Guests and homeowners alike enjoy resort-style amenities, including an upcoming overwater spa, a cutting-edge wellness center, tennis and pickleball courts, and The Beach Club. Here, an open-air restaurant, tiered swimming pools, and lush palm trees border a tranquil lagoon, serving as a hub for watersports adventures ranging from kayaking and snorkeling to more exhilarating activities like sea bobbing,
wing foiling, and sea turtle tagging with a marine biologist.
Over at the Marina Village, a buzzing, 101-slip marina has enshrined Oil Nut Bay into Caribbean yacht culture. Guests can overnight their watercraft, while visitors can dock and dine at sushi-centric Nova Restaurant, a preferred haunt of the BVI yachting elite. The marina also facilitates chartered day trips to explore neighboring islands and sights, including the famed beach bars of Jost Van Dyke, the pink-sand beaches of Anegada, and the iconic Baths of Virgin Gorda. oilnutbay.com
OIL NUT BAY, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDSA five-year reimagination yields Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf Saint-Barth, a resort that breathes new life into one of the island’s oldest hotels. Dating back to the 1970s, the property has emerged as a beacon of contemporary coastal luxury. The location on the hillside above Gustavia’s port doles out panoramic views of St. Barth’s yacht-studded capital and allows for convenient, walking-distance access to the island’s top restaurants, boutiques, and nightlife hot spots. Renowned French interior designers Gilles & Boissier (of
Baccarat Hotel New York fame) infuse Le Carl Gustaf with a blend of sophisticated retro-chic across its 21 bungalows and suites. French colonial elements of opulent dark woods and marble are enlivened by vibrant pops of color, from lime green, palm-frond-print headboards to canary yellow throw pillows. Each unit boasts a spacious private terrace to enjoy the backdrop of postcard-perfect Gustavia.
Though the hotel doesn’t reside directly on the water, the sparkle of Shell Beach is a brief three-minute walk downhill.
Here, guests discover Le Carl Gustaf’s expanse of fine white sand and crystalclear waters, along with its premier dining destination, Shellona. The venue balances robust Caribbean and Mediterranean flavors, underscored by dishes such as the St. Barth–style fish carpaccio with a zesty passion fruit and green chili sauce. As night falls, guests can indulge in al fresco dining at the property’s hilltop restaurant, Beef Bar—the latest outpost of the wildly popular, meat-forward European concept. hotelsbarriere.com
Find this adults-only hideaway sheltered on 48 acres of undulating jungle and untouched beaches in Mexico’s Riviera Nayarit. The biophilic design by Luxury Frontiers (a firm renowned for showstopping tented camps across the world) ensures the Mexican iteration of comfort under canvas maximizes immersion in the surrounding forestmeets-the sea grandeur. In each of 15 hillside, butterfly-inspired tents, custom furnishings by Mexican artisans nurture a nature-inspired aesthetic. Like the greats of the African safari circuit, this tented camp blurs the lines between the outdoors and in, promising an uninterrupted connection
with the sights and soundtracks of nature from every nook—from the open-air living room to the private plunge pool to the soaking tub that overlooks the jungle.
In such a setting, it’s tempting to follow a simple plan: relax, room service, repeat. However, Naviva’s campus is intended for exploring and enjoying.
Sprinkled throughout the forest and along the water are amenities like a multilevel swimming pool, oceanfront firepits, spa pods, and an open-air “jungle gym,” where weights are made of stone and dip stands from branches. At restaurant
Copal Cocina, Chef Sofía Mojica and her all-star team present the best in Mexican
and international cuisine over a “no menu” concept. Extensive programming allows guests to partake in myriad daily experiences rooted in movement, gastronomy, mind, and body. You could kick off the day with an adrenaline-inducing boxing class outdoors, spend an afternoon with Chef Mojica perfecting the art (and taste) of ceviche, and later unwind over an instructor-led sunset gratitude meditation or shamanic sound healing. Thanks to an all-inclusive policy in which such activities, food, drink (including alcohol), and even spa are bundled into the nightly rate, possible pursuits are endless—and available at your leisure. fourseasons.com
Courtesy Four Seasons Resort (4). Opposite: Courtesy Hôtel Barrière Le Carl Gustaf
Opened in 2014, Cheval Blanc St-Barth epitomizes St. Barth style and refinement. Now, in a new phase of its illustrious journey, the revered establishment expands beyond its original 42-room maison to include 19 additional rooms and a fivebedroom residence, collectively bound through a comprehensive revamp by acclaimed French interior designer Jacques Grange. With a deliberate focus on simplicity, the rooms and suites feature distressed wood and bone-white furnishings, allowing the vibrant colors of Flamands Bay and native flora to serve as living artworks through expansive windows and floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Tropical prints on soft furnishings, indigenous art, and Moroccan-inspired accents such as zellige mosaics further enhance the exotic elegance of the spaces.
At the beachfront, guests are invited to embrace the idyllic ambiance of Flamands Beach, where they can bask in the sun, enjoy Champagne, and partake in people watching under the shade of ivory parasols at the full-service beach. Just steps away, two sleek swimming pools, adorned with taupe sun loungers, offer respite from the bustling beach scene. On-site, culinary delights await at two distinguished restaurants: the casual Le Cabane restaurant, beloved for languid lunches of light coastal cuisine overlooking the ocean blues, and La Case, a refined evening destination helmed by French celebrity chef Jean Imbert, offering an interpretive showcase of Caribbean flavors. chevalblanc.com
CHEVAL BLANC ST-BARTHDedicating four years to a style-heavy reinvention and integration into the esteemed Rosewood portfolio, Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth today stands as a refined evolution of its former self. While preserving its adored Caribbean aesthetic, the 66-room property enhanced many of its colorful gingerbread cottages with private pools. Inside, renowned interior designer Luis Pons creates a residential feel where high design meets approachability, often highlighted by the likes of four-poster beds, brightly painted wooden headboards, and cabinetry fashioned after vintage luggage pieces. The most significant changes to the 18-acre property are the surfeit of new amenities fitting for St. Barth’s largest resort. Paramount among these is enclave Beach House Saint Barth, featuring a Mediterranean-inspired restaurant with three distinct seating areas, the vibrant Bar Mélangé, and a beachfront infinity pool with unparalleled vistas of Grand Cul de Sac’s azure waters. The property’s transformation also includes the addition of a Rosewood Explorers kids’ club and a complex housing Sense, Rosewood’s signature spa, complete with a state-of-the-art gymnasium, an ice room, an adults-only pool, and multiple treatment rooms framed by tranquil reflection ponds. rosewoodhotels.com
Thanks to increased airlift by Tradewind Aviation, the islands of Virgin Gorda and St. Barth are easily reached with speedy connections in Puerto Rico. Island-hopping on Tradewind’s modern fleet of Pilatus PC-12s clocks in around one hour between San Juan and St. Barth, while service between San Juan and Virgin Gorda links the two in 45 short minutes. Flight schedules are often timed according to arrivals and departures from feeder markets in and out of San Juan, making the entire process of reaching tropical paradise a quick and painless one. flytradewind.com u
Discover additional wellness offerings worldwide in LM’s 2024 Wellness Guide at luxurymagazine.com
A healthy path to living longer awaits on Hawaii’s Lanai.
BY DEBORAH FRANKIn the heart of the Pacific Ocean lies a secluded haven for wellness seekers, where the lush greenery of rolling hills meets the azure waters of the Hawaiian coast. The 90,000-acre island of Lanai possesses a cool, misty microclimate in its mountains and warm, tropical heat by its sandy beaches. This duality proved the perfect place to build two distinct Four Seasons properties, the tranquil Sensei Lanai nestled above and Four Seasons Resort Lanai, an oasis below.
The adults-only Sensei Lanai offers its guests a transformative journey toward holistic wellbeing, guided by the principles of the Sensei Way: movement, nourishment, and rest. Together they form the cornerstone of Sensei Lanai’s wellness philosophy. Integrating evidence-based practices with luxurious amenities and surroundings, the 96-room, 24-acre resort addresses the needs of the whole being. Every detail is meticulously designed to foster relaxation and rejuvenation, providing a sanctuary for the mind, body, and spirit. As one Sensei practitioner put it, “Everything we do here is with intention, right down to the colors of the decor, the textures that you feel, the artistic way that the path around the property is constructed.”
In fact, even the foot stones in the ever-evolving gardens with their otherworldly plants that look like they were stolen from the set of Avatar have reason to be where they are placed. You must be conscious of where you’re stepping. You can’t check out mentally. And if you walk around barefoot, you will feel different textures under your feet, different levels of heat coming through the rock. The purpose is to invite you to be present in the moment and invoke your senses. Strolling among the flowers in bloom you smell numerous scents like jasmine and lily. You see a variety of orchids growing on the palm trees by the garden bar and out toward the back of the property. Here, the different level of peace you encounter, the energy, and gravitational force are undeniable.
The journey, however, begins before you arrive. Guests are invited to complete a pre-arrival questionnaire, providing insights into their health and wellness routines, preferences, and intentions for their stay. This information serves as the foundation for crafting personalized itineraries and wellness plans tailored to each guest’s needs and goals. The Sensei Guided Experience (from $1,435/night) is a structured fiveday program, where guests work closely with Sensei Guides and experienced practitioners, many of whom have worked with Olympic-level and Ironman athletes and are masters of their craft in performance-minded training, sports medicine, rehabilitation, and physical therapy, to name a few. Their goal is to make your stay as seamless as possible. So, for example, if you hold your tension in your neck, they will note it so when you have a spa service, your therapist already knows about it.
The Sensei-recommended, fiveday itinerary provides a healthy mix of structure and free time to balance play with purpose. Whether you’re into meditation or massage, 4.9-mile trail hikes or short walks, it’s all about the practice that’s right for you. Your day doesn’t have to be scheduled or dictated by workouts. There’s no pressure to
constantly be active or get to a certain point. The philosophy is to just let it go, and it will happen, albeit with some help from science: Health metrics based on blood pressure, body composition, and a functional-movement screening to look at how your body moves. They also use mindset biomarkers and different breathing exercises to discover which one is most effective for you. When you leave, you’ll receive a Guide to Growth report that contains notes, takeaways, and wellness data collected during your stay.
Of course, you may explore on your own the variety of programs available on property and throughout the island. Soak in one of the semiprivate onsen pools hidden in the botanical sculpture garden. Try archery as well as horseback riding, sailing, golfing, tennis, and shooting sporting clays. Go on a self-guided art tour of the highly curated indoor and outdoor installations that rival any museum. For an intense physical challenge, head to the Lanai Adventure Park, a playground for experimenting with stress in a real-world environment. Spa treatments are blissful experiences held in 1,000-square-foot private spa hales (Hawaiian for “house”) with an infrared sauna, a steam room, indoor and outdoor showers, a plunge pool, and more. Any hunger pangs are instantly satisfied at the Sensei by Nobu restaurant with a menu of world-renowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s classics and dishes based on Sensei’s nutritional philosophy created in partnership with co-founder Dr. David Agus.
Since you’ve traveled this far, it’s worth booking extra nights at Four Seasons Resort Lanai, where standing on the beach facing the ocean, a little path to the left leads to the edge of a ledge to view the sunrise and, depending on the time of year, a pod of spinner dolphins resting in the bay or whales passing through the channel. It’s the final bit of stress relief before heading home. fourseasons.com
Among Four Seasons Resort Lanai’s favorite offerings is a diving expedition enhanced by learning the art of spotting elusive octopi.
The day octopus (Octopus cyanea) is a relatively shy creature, inhabiting reefs and sea floors at depths ranging to nearly 500 feet. Divers around Lanai rejoice when they spot a tako (as octopi are known in Hawaii), since the intelligent creatures are thought to represent compassion and reverence. Spotting one while diving is an art; octopi are masters of camouflage, instantly changing the color and texture of their skin to match their surroundings.
To increase your chances of seeing one while at Four Seasons Resort Lanai, book your trip with Divemaster Kristin Belew, known as the Octopus Whisperer. Belew is a marine biologist with more than 15 years of diving experience and one of the captains of the Lana’i 1, the Four Seasons’ luxury dive boat. After a quick safety briefing, four-person dive groups motor off with Belew to one of the dozens of dive sites in the crystal-clear waters around Lanai. In addition to pointing out the myriad colorful tropical fish, the gentle and
stately sea turtles, or even one of the local reef sharks, Belew has a nearmagical ability to spot the tako as it wanders the reef, using its mesmerizing whirl of tentacles to move about. Follow her lead underwater and watch for her hand signal (one fist on top of the other hand’s wiggling fingers) to let you know there’s an octopus nearby.
Divemaster Belew takes the time to ensure each diver has an experience tailored to their skill and interests. A highlight of the trip involves following Belew into one of the two Cathedrals on Lanai, caverns formed millions of years ago by lava tubes, with natural skylights that allow sunlight to shine down through the waters. Multiple entrances make these caves easy to access, with moray eels, parrotfish, and other creatures swimming by the entrance. Rare black coral hangs like a chandelier from the top of one chamber, while colorful sponges and corals line the walls. As you exit through the lava tubes, watch for lobsters hiding in
the crevices and bandit angelfish swimming around you. If you’re lucky, you can catch a ride through the tube and get “shot” out by the surface waves. Outside the Cathedrals, watch for manta rays, dolphins, and small cleaner fish picking out parasites from the jaws of larger fish.
The Lana’i 1, a 49-foot catamaran, has comfortable daybeds forward, freshwater showers to rinse off postdive, and a spacious stern section customized to hold all the dive gear. Speaking of gear, the Lana’i 1 boasts thoroughly modern equipment; you’ll be wearing Scubapro Glide buoyancy compensators with built-in weights (no external weight belts), integrated spare regulators, and dive computers. (Your divemaster will monitor your air consumption for additional safety.)
Dive certification programs are also available, including Open Water Diver, Advanced Open Water Diver, and Nitrox (Enriched Air) certification. u
—David Bertan
The bicycle-touring scene has shifted into high gear with a slew of new and unexpected experiences.
BY LARRY OLMSTEDOne of literature’s greatest travelers, Ernest Hemingway wrote evocative descriptions of exotic landscapes from the green hills of Africa to the vastness of the American West. The Pulitzer Prize winner gave a simple explanation for his vivid geographic recall: “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best … you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.”
When you drive, by the time you turn your head to see something that caught your eye, it’s gone. On foot you can take it all in, but you don’t cover much ground. Traveling by bicycle remains a happy medium, the means by which you see a mix of towns and
countryside in a single day and make stops with ease, whether it be for Italian gelato or French wine. You exercise enough to feel good about the indulgences, and, with the right outfitter, if it rains or the hill gets too steep, you have refuge in the support van.
George Butterfield, credited with inventing the entire luxury guided cycling trips category in 1966, coined the perfect motto for his company, Butterfield & Robinson: “Slow Down to See the World.”
Cycling vacations have never been more popular nor offerings more plentiful. A pandemic-induced spike in fitness and cycling intersected with the ongoing trend of experiential travel, and the recent advent of motor-assisted e-bikes was fuel on the fire. E-bikes allow less-avid spouses to keep
up with their partners, grandparents to join multigenerational trips, and occasional cyclists to tackle big mountain passes. In just the past three years, they have become standard options from every major tour company.
All top-tier tour operators include a cycling guide and on-route van support, use superior lodgings, manage luggage transport, invest in high-quality bike fleets, and arrange special meals and access for city or attraction tours along the way. Most offer both scheduled, small group departures as well as the option of making any trip private for your party. All are expanding destination offerings and reporting record bookings, with something for every taste. Here, a short list of the best.
Most full-service bike tours offer multiple daily ride options, but these usually top out in the low 40-mile range. While more than enough for casual riders, this distance is on the low side for avid cyclists. DuVine is the top tour operator with something for every ability, and its DuVine’s Challenge collection (Level 4) includes five Journey trips with roughly twice the daily mileage and elevation of their Level 3 tours, including the classic Tour de France ascents, such as the infamous Alpe d’Huez. The marquee offering is the Italian Coast-to-Coast Journey, across the width of the country, but there are also Journeys across the Alps in France and Switzerland, through Italy’s Dolomites, and across France’s Pyrenees. It’s a lot of time in the saddle, but all are supported in the same white-glove style as DuVine’s easier trips, and the company is renowned for its culinary emphasis, especially wine, with deep-dive tastings and pairings. From $4,600/person; duvine.com
Every major bike tour operator has trips to Tuscany, and with good reason—it’s the most popular spot and often the first place cyclists think to go on these kinds of trips. The hill towns, the countryside, the wine region, the food— it’s all amazing, and because cycling is such a popular sport in Italy, drivers are skilled, patient, and friendly. There are several excellent, white-glove companies in this space, but across the board, Butterfield & Robinson is the most luxurious. The company excels at deluxe accommodations, food, route planning, and support, has high-caliber guides, and focuses on special experiences along the way, such as VIP tours of wineries and museums, often not open to the public. B&R’s top choice is Super Tuscan, starting in Florence and staying at Relais & Châteaux’s Borgo San Felice, and the stunning Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco. butterfield.com
Racers eat to ride, but many leisure travelers ride to eat. Every top operator has great food with local flair, often including Michelin-starred stops, insider home-cooked meals, and winery visits. But Tourissimo , an Italy specialist, puts on four or five trips each year led by top-tier guest chefs, such as the James Beard Award–winner and TV star Mary Sue Milliken and James Beard Award–winner Jody Adams. The Chef Bike Tours are heavily regionally focused, in places like Sardinia, Sicily, Puglia, and Italy’s gourmet epicenter, Emilia Romagna. They include classes, demos, and lots of special meals. DuVine also has a deep culinary emphasis and puts on a couple of Chef on Wheels trips each year, in Italy and the United States, as well as specialty focused trips built around harvest season and truffles. tourissimo.travel
All the top, classic biking hot spots are in wine country, a close second is Burgundy, and B&R has dedicated local offices in both (George Butterfield lives in Burgundy, where he has his own vineyards). The gold standard tour is Burgundy Wine Country Biking. But oddly the company does not operate scheduled trips in America’s top destination: California wine country. Backroads , the nation’s oldest active travel specialist (1979) has the most options here, with multiple wine country trips of varied difficulty and length. backroads.com
Clockwise
From Top Left: Courtesy Butterfield & Robinson/Rosapaola Lucibelli; Courtesy DuVine/Gwen Kidera; Courtesy Backroads/Russell Grange; iStock (2).
Opposite Page, Courtesy Images
A hot trend has been using boats instead of hotels, which many travelers love because of the two-in-one vacation concept and the fact that you unpack only once, without constantly changing hotels. Most top companies now offer European river cruise trips, but none more than Backroads, which takes the concept global and uses top luxury lines like AmaWaterways. Backroads’ river destinations include Bordeaux, Portugal’s Douro River, the Rhine, Holland and Belgium, a Danube trip that cycles through five countries, the Mekong (Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos), and the historic, epic Seine River Cruise from Paris to Normandy, including Versailles and private tours of World War II sites. DuVine explores niches that competitors don’t offer, and some of its very best trips use sailboats and yachts. These offer the same one-stop lodging appeal while visiting islands that are not otherwise accessible. The stars are a trio of trips in Türkiye and Greece, based out of the Turkish beach resort Bodrum on chartered gulets—spacious wooden yachts, around 90 feet for six couples. No other North American company offers cycling trips in these lightly visited but gorgeous destinations, and they are a prime choice for boat lovers or anyone looking for something different. The star is the Croatian Isles Yacht + Bike Tour.
For several years, the fastest-growing segment of cycling has been gravel grinding: riding heavier-duty road bikes with beefier tires on dirt and gravel roads. The main appeal is greatly reduced auto traffic, while getting farther into nature, and while it’s more physically demanding because of increased rolling resistance, it is not technical like mountain biking. The world’s most famous gravel riding is on the Strade Bianche, or “white roads” of Tuscany. This is a fast-emerging pilgrimage, and currently Tourissimo is the top Italy specialist. DuVine has released a detailed, guided itinerary (also offered as a private tour). Gray & Co. does custom trips here and has been doing a lot based out of ranches in Montana and Wyoming, plus has seen an uptick in exotic gravel-centric destinations such as Iceland. Thomson Bike Tours , best known as the official premium tour operator of the Tour de France, also does a scheduled group Tuscany trip. But gravel riding is becoming wildly popular in bucolic spots around the world, such as Vermont, where more than half the state’s mileage of roadways remains unpaved. No top company has jumped into this category more than Thomson, with gravel trips in many destinations including Scotland, Iceland, Spain, Bali, Morocco, and Portugal. thomsonbiketours.com
Gray & Co . is the only company to ever win Travel + Leisure ’s Best Tour Operator in the World without offering any tours—at least not offthe-rack. They have no scheduled departures and do nothing but bespoke, one-off trips for high-networth clients, including frequent, repeat customers with preferences for travel by private jet. As founder Cari Gray puts it simply, “No one else does what we do, period.” Staff-to-guest ratios are the highest in the business and every activity, hotel, and meal is highly curated. Group interests are foremost in trip planning—one participant might cycle all day while another rides for half and then meets with an artist, astronomer, historian, chef, or bird-watcher to pursue their individual passion. Gray’s clientele have typically done all the standard itineraries and are looking for the best of the road less traveled. She is an expert on hidden-gem cycling hot spots such as Mallorca, Colombia, and Argentina, and very high on riding in South Africa—which can be easily combined with a luxury safari. Other favorites include Scotland, Japan, and New Zealand/Australia, but she has run active travel trips even to places unknown for sweat or exertion, including St. Barth. From $4,000/ person/day; grayandco.ca
Few cyclists bring their own bikes, but many bring shoes and pedals. The new Shimano S-Phyre RC903 may be the best road shoe ever made. The BOA Fit System and new dials make for fast on and off, precise all-around fit, and it is light, breathable, and efficient. $450; ride.shimano.com
Sometimes it rains. No brand is more famous for keeping athletes dry than Gore-Tex and they have their own line of high-performance cycling gear, Gorewear
The ultralight, breathable, waterproof ShakeDry shell is all you need to pack for men (C5) or women (C7). $300–$350; gorewear.com
Norway’s Sweet Protection is the industry leader in safety gear for cycling, skiing, and action sports, and its Outrider is comfy, light, ventilated, and includes third-party safety technology MIPS, which reduces force in impact. MIPS is not standard on most helmets, but it should be. $170; sweetprotection.com
The lightest way to prep for changing temperatures on a bike is with removable arm and leg warmers, which turn any jersey or short into a long-sleeve model. Pearl Izumi Elite Arm & Leg Warmers are stretchy, warm, unisex, and unlike most, water resistant. $40–$60; pearlizumi.com
Padded bike shorts are the one must-have accessory, and Sweden’s Craft makes excellent ones. The Endur is made for men and women with four-way stretch and ergonomic pads, and also comes in bib versions. $75–$150; craftsports.us
Another must-have accessory for multiple days of riding is the Pearl Izumi Elite Road Glovesand. The legendary cycling company Pearl Izumi makes the timetested Elite Gel in both men’s and women’s models. $38; pearlizumi.com
Studies have found a flashing rear light can significantly reduce bike/car accidents, and the Topeak RedLite Mini USB is small, bright, highly portable, and easy to affix to any bag or seat post. $40; topeak.com
The Garmin Edge 1040 Solar Bike Computer by the GPS leader with the best bike computers on the market comes complete with full-color screens and maps featuring turn-by-turn directions. Most top tour companies can download their daily routes to your Garmin, and the new solar version of the best-selling Edge works even if you forget to charge it overnight, up to 100 hours supplemented by the sun. $750; garmin.com
After your helmet, this is the biggest safety essential in cycling. The Garmin Varia RVR315 Rearview Radar attaches to your saddle bag, seat post, or jersey pocket and warns you of cars approaching from behind. The device works best with a Garmin Edge computer but can also be paired with a smartphone. $200; garmin.com u
There are thousands of golf resorts around the world where you can “stay and play,” but much rarer is the standout luxury hotel that offers a turnkey golf concierge program. At these special places, you can enjoy the best white-glove service, accommodations, and cuisine, along with easy access and transportation to the best golf the region has to offer—in many cases, private or exclusive courses that you can only play by staying at this one place. For those who appreciate great golf, luxury, and creature comforts, golf concierge packages are one of the bestkept secrets in travel, offering the best of both worlds. Here, four standout examples.
BY LARRY OLMSTED
Punta Espada, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course
San
Boutique resort Rancho Valencia with just 49 private casitas, each with a patio and fireplace, along with three more lavish private residences, has long been one of the nation’s most acclaimed and awarded escapes; it has been ranked Southern California’s best tennis resort by Tennis Magazine for more than 15 years.
Its unique golf offerings, however, are far less well-known—though no less impressive. Concierge staff at Rancho Valencia routinely arranges golf for guests, including door-to-door chauffeured transportation, at nearby hot spots such as coveted Torrey Pines, a famed PGA Tour and US Open venue that is one of the most difficult public courses in the nation to get on. In addition, Rancho Valencia offers guests special rates at Aviara Golf Club and La Costa Resort, as well as highly exclusive “member for a day” access to several completely private
clubs. Hotel guests enjoy exclusive rates and reciprocal billing privileges at the Aviara Golf Club, Del Mar Country Club, and The Farms Golf Club, ranked one of the 50 Top Clubs in the United States by Golf Digest. Aviara and The Farms are both within 25 minutes of the resort, and Rancho Valencia may be the only hotel in the country that does not have a golf course but does have a high-end fleet of rental sets and current bags from Callaway Golf, complimentary for all area rounds.
For 2024, the hotel launched the Golfer’s Paradise Package, which pairs two nights in its top-tier lodging (one of the three private residences) with three days of golf at The Farms, Del Mar Country Club, Aviara, or Torrey Pines (which requires a longer lead time), including all transportation. ranchovalencia.com
Torrey Pines Golf Course via Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa
Diego, California
At boutique hotel Eden Roc all 65 freestanding accommodations, ranging from cottage suites to larger villas, come with their own pools, and some are right on the beach. The hotel is within the Cap Cana resort community and sits immediately next to Punta Espada, a Jack Nicklaus Signature course with eight oceanfront holes that many consider the finest of his several hundred designs worldwide. Punta Espada is ranked the second-best course in the Caribbean by Golf Magazine and in the top 20 for all of North America.
You can take the golf cart included with your villa right over to the course, but the Dominican Republic has—by far—the best slate of high-quality courses of any nation in the Caribbean, and to expand options for traveling golfers, in 2023 the Eden Roc introduced the region’s first “golf butler.” This allows visitors to play day after day, including
the three best courses in the country, and butlers book tee times, organize door-to-door transportation and club rentals, schedule private instruction, and even pack snacks or book meals. The golf butler experience with included transportation is offered to three area courses beyond Punta Espada, including the 27-hole La Cana Golf Club and the Corales Golf Course, both located at the Punta Cana Resort and Club. Corales, a Tom Fazio design, is the third-highest ranked course in the golf-rich Dominican Republic, and another Golf Magazine North American Top 100. But the big prize is the legendary Teeth of the Dog at Casa de Campo, Pete Dye’s crowning achievement with seven jaw-dropping holes that are more in than on the ocean. Golf Magazine ranks The Teeth of the Dog No. 1 in the entire Caribbean and Top 10 in North America. edenroccapcana.com
Beachfront Bungalow Villas at Eden Roc Cap CanaWhen Asia’s Anantara brand came to Ireland, it arrived with a splash, in the form of a sleek and ultra-contemporary new 187-room hotel with a lavish rooftop bar on the waterfront in Grand Canal Square. Beloved Irish celebrity chef Gareth Mullins was brought in to run all the food service, and Anantara, famous for its spas, quickly nabbed Dublin Spa of the Year from Irish Tatler.
But it was General Manager Michael Davern, coming off stints at three world-class golf resorts—the K Club in Ireland, Sandy Lane in Barbados, and Fancourt in South Africa—who immediately implemented the golf concierge program at the city hotel, in a city full of great golf. This combines the best of a world-class golf trip and urban vacation, and the main partner is the Royal Dublin Golf Club, a true Irish links course located on Bull Island in Dublin Bay, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
Opened in 1885, it is Ireland’s second-oldest club, and a stunner. The Quintessential Irish Whisky & Golf experience includes a roundtrip chauffeur, golf with a VIP personal greeting, course and club orientation, and a unique “19th hole” back at the hotel, following the round with a private tasting of a trio of special Irish whiskies alongside caviar at the rooftop bar with 360-degree views.
There are lots of other choices they can arrange as well, and Davern firmly believes in “Dublin as a golf destination, staying with us and playing Royal Dublin, Portmarnock, The Island, St. Anne’s—some of the best links courses in the world without leaving the city!” Portmarnock cracks Golf Magazine’s Top 60 courses in the entire world and is sixth best in all of Ireland and Northern Ireland by Golfweek, which also puts the Island, a famously wellknown “hidden gem,” at 11th. anantara.com
Royal Dublin Golf Club
With no members, extremely limited play, perennially perfect conditions, and the highest greens fees in the nation, Shadow Creek is solidly at the top of many golf fans’ bucket lists. Golf Digest ranks it fifth for America’s 100 Greatest Public Courses. Golfweek puts it at No. 13, and every critic rates it the best in Las Vegas—and all of Nevada. But it is also the most private of any public course, with a fraction of the play its highly ranked peers such as Pebble Beach or Pinehurst No. 2 get, and many golfers see no one outside their group the entire round. The $1,250 greens fees include things included nowhere else, such as round-trip limo rides to the course (you’re not allowed to drive yourself), a caddie, and a cart, the latter customized with a stocked complimentary cooler under the seat.
It’s widely believed that the Tom Fazio–designed stunner was the most expensive
course ever built when it debuted, and the only people who can pay to play (or get comped as casino high rollers) are guests of one of the hotels in the portfolio of courseowner MGM Resorts. There are more than a handful of options, including Nomad, Delano, Vdara, Aria, and Bellagio, all the way up to the Skylofts at MGM Grand and Sky Suites at Aria. Or, there’s the company’s most exclusive offering: the Mansion at MGM Grand, a surreal, hidden, ultra-luxe gem where Tiger Woods has been known to rest his head when in town.
In addition to Shadow Creek, MGM Resorts offers turnkey golf concierge services for guests of all its hotels at four other top courses with partners Las Vegas Paiute Golf Resort and DragonRidge Country Club.
Considered the premier “pure golf” facility in the area, the Paiute Golf Resort sits on Native American–owned land just outside
the city, carved from the desert with nothing else in sight—no casinos, no hotels, no homes—just a fabulous clubhouse, nature, and three acclaimed 18-hole layouts by Pete Dye, the most awarded golf architect in history. The signature course is The Wolf, infamously challenging and the longest in Nevada, stretching to 7,604 yards, with a true island green par-3 homage to the original invented by Dye at TPC Sawgrass. DragonRidge, on the other hand, is famous for the way iconic sections of the Las Vegas skyline are framed behind several greens. It’s in the desert but you know it’s Vegas, and it is a completely private club that was designed by desert specialist Jay Morrish and named one of the nation’s best new private clubs by Golf Digest when it opened in 2001.
Other than a membership, staying at an MGM property is the only way to play here.
mgmresorts.com u
These alluring golf memberships offer exclusive playing privileges across entire networks of private clubs.
BY SHAUN TOLSONTo be dormie in golf is a good thing, so long as you’re the one who is up in the match, since it means you’re ahead by as many holes as remain to be played. In other words, not only are you winning, you’re also guaranteed not to lose. Another surewin proposition is the Dormie Network (dormienetwork.com), a portfolio of six private golf clubs (with a seventh on the way)—all available via a single membership. The network was founded in 2018 by Zach Peed, a savvy entrepreneur, former collegiate golfer, and, most importantly, a discerning golf enthusiast who saw a deficiency in the private golf marketplace. He observed that even though some prestigious clubs excelled at certain things—exceptional on-course experiences and high-quality golf, for example—very few delivered equally highquality member experiences across the entire spectrum of club life. He also recognized that the most discerning and affluent golfers often supplemented their home club membership with memberships at several national clubs. It only made sense that there would be demand for a network of private, national golf clubs. When Peed discovered that such a network didn’t exist, he set out to build it himself, starting with the acquisition of ArborLinks in Nebraska. The purchase of Ballyhack Golf Club in Virginia, Briggs Ranch Golf Club in San Antonio, and the Dormie Club in North Carolina soon followed. Across four years, Peed purchased six golf clubs, the last of which was Hidden Creek in New Jersey.
Currently, a seventh club, GrayBull in Nebraska, is under construction and scheduled to open later this year. Looking ahead, the network has plans for steady growth; it’s possible that future additions will be similarly built from the ground up, since Dormie Network has exacting requirements
for the properties that it brings into the fold. “We’re fishing from a very small pond,” says Chris Graham, Dormie Network’s chief hospitality officer, who explains that quality golf comes first, but it must also offer room to expand and flexibility to build accommodations and other amenities. “It’s often difficult to find high-quality golf with land not developed around it. We’re built on three pillars: a pure golf experience, wellappointed accommodations, and a focus on food and beverage with inspired cuisine.”
Most clubs within the network feature around 15 four-bedroom cottages, so only 60 members can utilize the club at any one time. That creates an intimate stay, which Dormie Network is committed to pairing with a distinct experience.
“They’re all going to feel different because, aesthetically, the terrain is different,” Graham says of each club. “Everything looks different. We allow our food and beverage teams to really go [in the direction of] more regionally inspired cuisine.” Hidden Creek, just east of Atlantic City, for example, leans heavily on coastal influences and seafood, whereas menus at ArborLinks in Nebraska emphasize farms and ranches with steakhouse-inspired fare.
Graham acknowledges that the majority of Dormie Network members live more than 100 miles away from the network’s nearest club, thus belonging to at least one other private club where they play most of their golf. When they’re staying at a Dormie Network club, members are either escaping their daily lives or wining and dining corporate VIPs. “Either you’re on vacation or you’re there entertaining business clients,” Graham says. “You want to have a hell of a time and we’re there to provide it.”
While Dormie Network has created a unique membership model for exclusive golf, other entities offer accessibility to a slew of private clubs, too. Their models are just structured differently.
Clockwise from top left: Dormie Network’s ArborLinks in Nebraska; Ballyhack Golf Club in Virginia; a typical steak lunch at ArborLinks; the interior of the ArborLinks Owners Cottage; and Hole 11 at Victoria National in Indiana.
The notoriety of the TPC Network (tpc .com) has everything to do with the prestigious golf clubs that flaunt the TPC badge and—in many cases—host an annual championship on the PGA Tour. After all, the network was created by the PGA Tour back in the 1980s, and more than half of the clubs within it are owned or managed by the Tour (the remaining clubs are licensed TPC properties).
As alluring experiences are concerned, a round on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass, host of The Players Championship and home to the world’s most famous island green, is high atop most avid golfers’ bucket lists. A round played on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, the yearly venue of the WM Phoenix Open, is desired for many of the same reasons. And then there’s TPC Harding Park, a recent host of the PGA Championship and a scenic gem punctuated by towering Monterey cypress trees and views across the Bay Area’s Lake Merced.
Depending on the TPC club, initiation fees range from about $12,500 up to as much as $125,000, and annual dues typically start just under $10,000 and peak at about $16,000. All full-golf memberships include entry into
the TPC Network’s reciprocal program, TPC Passport, which offers full-golf members six visits per year to each of the other 29 clubs within the TPC Network, about half of which are private (the remaining clubs operate as high-end resorts). Additionally, reciprocal access exists at 30 golf resorts across Europe and Asia that are affiliated with the DP World Tour. For playing privileges at private clubs, TPC Passport members are only charged a cart fee; when golfers book tee times at any of the TPC resort properties, they’re offered a 20-percent discount.
“People are pleasantly surprised to realize that we’ve got a little bit of everything,” says Victor Aliprando, senior vice president of tour operations for the PGA Tour. And while he acknowledges that the TPC Passport program is straightforward—even though it serves as an exclusive service only for booking tee times—the PGA Tour is always brainstorming how the program can evolve. “We think it would be pretty exciting to offer golf trips to different parts of the world or even different types of experiences, whether it’s wine tours or ski trips,” he says. “But we haven’t gotten there yet.”
Much like the TPC Network, Invited Clubs (invitedclubs.com), formerly known as ClubCorp, has managed a reciprocity program for decades. Now called XLife, the program is an optional, incrementally priced add-on for members of an Invited club, which offers different tiers of access based upon the level of club that a member joins.
Membership in the most elite level of clubs (what Invited calls its Premier Collection) includes full-member access at 160 clubs within the company’s network, as well as playing privileges at another 250 clubs around the world for a nominal cart fee.
The top level of XLife also offers members a 50-percent discount on food and beverages at their home club and a 25-percent discount at most other clubs within the network.
As Invited CEO David Pillsbury likes to say, the program is akin to “reciprocity on steroids.” The most surprising thing, in his opinion, is how secretive the program seems to be. “When it comes to reciprocity, we are the Cadillac that nobody knows about,” he declares. “I’m amazed at how little this is talked about because it’s such a powerful benefit, especially to Premier members.”
Invited plans to begin organizing exclusive events at some of the 42 total Premier-level clubs, which will only be accessible to those top-level XLife members.
“It’s just going to add more value,” Pillsbury says, “and more allure.” u
When Frédéric Jousset wanted to build a bridge to the art world, he built a boat instead.
BY BROOKE MAZUREK
Exposition Immersive at the Louvre: Courtesy ArtExplorer/Elisa von Brockdorff (2); Courtesy
ArtExplorer/Benoit Linero (2).
With about 60 percent of the world’s population living within 60 minutes from the shore, Jousset perceived the ocean as the great connector.
In 2019, at the age of 49, tech entrepreneur Frédéric Jousset journeyed from France to the Himalayas to climb Mount Everest—“The Holy Mother,” as it’s known in Tibet. In the scheme of archetypal journeys that could have unfolded with a man ascending a ginormous mountain into the sky, Jousset’s ranks up there. He reached the 29,000-foot summit, saw his purpose through a new lens, returned to Paris, and changed his life. “I had my epiphany,” he says.
For 15 years, Jousset had been a patron of the arts. After selling shares of his company Webhelp in 2005, he became a board member of the Louvre and Beaux-Arts de Paris. “I sponsored initiatives related to access, I built a website for disabled people and children, I sponsored conferences and brought mediators to hospitals and prisons,” he says. But all along the way, he began to piece together a greater macro-level problem.
“I came to realize that culture is a bit like religion in a sense. Unless it’s passed on to you by your family environment, it’s quite seldom that spontaneously at the age of 40 or 50, you turn up to a museum or an opera or a theater.” In Western Europe, only a fraction of the population had access to cultural institutions, and that population mostly resided in big cities. Sure, 200 years of economic growth and public policy had brought access to housing, education, and health care. “But art? Something that makes better people, makes society more creative, and gives people a chance to look at the
world differently? To me this was, and is, an urgent cause.”
On Everest, Jousset saw that he could spend the rest of his life as another sponsor or gala attendee, another name on a museum wing. Or he could fully leave his company and apply what he’d learned from the business world—“the efficiency, the technology, the measurement, the KPIs”—to a charity that would change the world’s access to art in provocative ways. “I thought: If people don’t come to museums or the opera or the cinema, we should be knocking at their
doors wherever they live, make it eventful, and make it free,” he says.
Six months later, Art Explora Foundation (artexplora.org) was born.
Committed to making art a borderless experience that is accessible for all, the organization began with the launch of two mobile museums housed inside two massive long-haul trucks in 2020. The trucks arrived in suburbs and remote villages where children, teens, and adults of all ages were able to experience exhibitions developed in partnership with the Tate in London and
Paris’ Centre Pompidou. With 60,000 visitors per year, per truck, the effort was a rapid and resounding success. “It was confirmation that this idea of mobility was a good one,” says Jousset. And with that confirmation, there quickly arose another thought: Why not try a boat?
With about 60 percent of the world’s population living within 60 minutes from the shore, Jousset perceived the ocean as the great connector. He envisioned marinas filled with free festivals surrounding the exhibitions. Plus, superyachts were like magnets. “Thousands of people will come to the harbors of St. Tropez and look at these superyachts from a distance, even if they can’t come on board.” An environmentally friendly superyacht that was open to the public for free? “I was sure there would be hours of queues.”
By design standards, the ArtExplorer, which officially set sail in March, is exquisite. Creatively helmed by Axel de Beaufort, who is perhaps best known for overseeing some of Hermès’ most remarkable luxury projects, the 154-foot-long vessel is the world’s largest sailing catamaran. It’s also a floating museum. Apart from the interior and exterior designs, which blend timeless elegance with sleek modernity, the aluminum-bodied vessel also seamlessly incorporates sustainability into its profile. There is woodwork that curves and glows in the light, and creamy boucle textures. There’s also 700 square feet of solar panels on the deckhouse and a fully automated, all-carbon sail plan that allows the catamaran to reach between 11 and 13 knots, even in low-wind conditions.
“I’m a big believer that cats are the future of the superyacht industry,” says Jousset, an avid sailor, noting that clashes over private jets have begun spilling into the world of superyachts. “The cat brings the space and luxury of the superyacht; it’s just a more efficient way of sailing.” The hulls are thinner, allowing it to move faster with less fuel consumption. It also brings guests closer to the water. “It’s not like you’re in a building on the fifth floor looking out at the sea from the balcony.” You’re moving right there with it. You become a part of the current itself.
To envision the world’s first floating museum is one thing. But to actually realize the seed dream into existence is another—and it wasn’t without its challenges. Most superyachts will accommodate up to 12 people, but the ArtExplorer needed to welcome 2,000 people per day, while offering a fully immersive exhibition experience complete with 4K LED screens and state-of-the-art audio equipment. There were handicap accessibilities, harbor configurations, and the enormous heat generated by all the equipment to take into account—all while keeping the design within a superyacht-level paradigm of luxury.
If it sounds ambitious, it is. The son of an entrepreneurial father and a mother who was the chief curator at the Centre Pompidou at Beaubourg, Jousset remembers famous designers from the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s coming by his family’s home to show sketches of prototypes that would eventually find their way into exhibitions. “Witnessing this creativity in motion was, for me, really fascinating.” He describes his father, someone Jousset always saw as far more brilliant than himself, “as more a man of ideas than of action. And when your dad has achieved a lot, but not everything, you think: ‘I can go the extra mile … and I should.’”
At present, ArtExplorer is completing a 15-port tour throughout the Mediterranean, where the public is invited to experience Présentes, an exhibition in collaboration with the Louvre that highlights female figures in Mediterranean civilizations. Starting this summer, however, ArtExplorer can also be privately chartered through Fraser Yachts for approximately $259,000 a week.
Although the floating museum is partially financed through subsidies, it’s the private chartering structure that helps financially sustain ArtExplorer’s mission. In other words, guests who set sail on the six-bedroom supercat are helping to bring this first exhibition, and future ones, all over the globe. Jousset dreams of Africa, of crossing the Atlantic to the United States, and then sailing to Central America and down to Brazil. There are no limits, he insists. “The boat will definitely go everywhere.” u
On vacation could be the best time to buy, especially if you are purchasing the very villa in which you are staying.
BY IRENE RAWLINGSBuying a vacation home while vacationing is not a new trend, but the trend did surge during the height of the pandemic, when many discovered they could work from any place in the world that had a high-speed internet connection. Working from a beloved vacation property provided both privacy and serenity, and made “a day at the office” seem a little less like real work.
Buying and working from what would previously have been considered, essentially, a vacation home shows little sign of abating.
MichaelAltneu, vice president of Coldwell
Banker Global Luxury, says, “With fewer high-end listings to choose from this year, a desire for instant gratification and a general aversion for renovations, we’re seeing affluent buyers more likely to adopt a ‘move-inand-enjoy-now’ approach in 2024. This can certainly translate to buyers being eager to buy the very homes that they’re currently enjoying their vacations in.”
Beyond the investment potential (a home can generate short-term rental income while also appreciating and providing tax benefits), owning a second home in a beloved locale can be a place to create new traditions, take a
spontaneous weekend getaway, and visit year after year to relax without having to plan or deal with the unexpected.
Mauricio Umansky, CEO and founder of international, high-profile brokerage firm The Agency, says, “We’ve observed a significant uptick in demand from second- or third-home buyers who are captivated by a lifestyle experience while vacationing. Many of our clients express interest in purchasing properties they’ve enjoyed during their vacations, seeking to recreate that exclusive and luxurious atmosphere as a part of their own real estate portfolio.”
According to The Agency, the try-before-you-buy trend has become a significant driving force in the luxury real estate market, particularly in desirable and sought-after locations. Discerning buyers are increasingly opting to experience the lifestyle firsthand through short-term rentals, allowing them to immerse themselves in the ambiance, amenities, and overall experience of a location before committing to a long-term investment.
Kiplinger Personal Finance advises this: If you’re considering a place that you’ve visited only as a vacationer, keep in mind that owning a home there comes with a different set of concerns—from maintenance and security to financing and taxes.
Marbella in the Costa del Sol is considered the most popular holiday destination in Spain. Leif Orthmann and Kristoffer Enger, managing partners of The Agency Marbella, are seeing the try-before-you-buy concept gain momentum. “It’s a trend that not only boosts the rental market but also leads to more informed and satisfied property purchases,” they say, adding that they have also observed vacationers, especially those renting luxury villas, express an interest in purchasing those very properties as their second or third home.
Kukui’ula (kukuiula.com), on Kauai’s southern coast, is a 1,010-acre community of ocean-view homesites, custom homes, a clubhouse, tennis and pickleball courts, a saltwater pool, and a Tom Weiskopf–designed golf course. Suzanne Harding of Kukui’ula Realty Group says that prospective buyers often stay in one of the property’s bungalows, cottages, or villas to get a feel for the lifestyle.
In Aspen, Colorado, Carrie Wells, a luxury agent at Coldwell Banker, says, “People come here and fall in love with the scenery, the culture, and the active lifestyle … motivating them to find a property to buy during their stay.” She is currently working with a client who is trying to decide between two areas in the Roaring Fork Valley. “They’ve rented in one area and this summer they’re planning to rent in a different spot, which will help them decide what is best for their family and lifestyle,” she says.
Catering to a category of active, affluent rentersby-choice, Heatherwood’s newly built Heritage Spy Ring Residential Community on New York’s Long Island offers a Tyler Rae–designed, PGA-quality nine-hole course, tennis and pickleball courts, a well-equipped fitness center, a private fitness studio, and physical therapy rooms. From $7,000 per month for a three-bedroom; heatherwood.com
Courtesy Images,
From Top: The Agency; Coldwell Banker/Draper White; Kukuiʻula.
Opposite: Courtesy
Known as word-of-mouth listings, off-market sales have always existed in the ultra-high-end market. Blue-chip properties, often with price tags of more than $10 million, are made known to a small number of influential realtors. Now this hushhush approach has spread to lower price points— especially in the most desirable second-home markets where, quite often, demand outpaces supply. Ian Gengos of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Baja Real Estate says, “It’s always worth making a strategic offer on a property you like if you go through the appropriate channels. That said, you may not always be successful because vacation rentals are quite strong income properties for homeowners.”
South Florida’s real estate market is thriving— from Miami to the Palm Beaches. “Off-market sales are common in constrained inventory markets like Florida’s, which are also influenced by ultra-wealthy buyers’ habits. When a buyer desires a property that’s not actively listed, it’s important for me to have an ear to the ground for all potential upscale homes across South Florida’s various markets,” says Jonathan Postma, Florida-based luxury agent at Coldwell Banker.
Mallorca, the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands, is a booming vacation home market known for its year-round sunshine, white-sand beaches, yacht harbors, and, in Palma, lively bars and large-scale clubs. “A large percentage of the sales on this island are off market. The larger transactions in particular … as many owners listing with larger price tags tend to prefer off-market strategies,” says Alby Euesden, managing partner of The Agency Mallorca.
“The exclusivity and privacy associated with off-market sales has become a strategic avenue for us to meet the unique demands of our clients and provide them with a tailored, personalized real estate experience. Leveraging our extensive network and taking a discrete approach enables us to facilitate these off-market deals, ensuring that our clients can acquire their dream vacation homes with the utmost confidentiality,” says The Agency’s Umansky.
Highly desired new residences in choice vacation locations.
PARK ELM AT CENTURY PLAZA , Los Angeles
Sited along Avenue of the Stars and part of the newly reimagined Century Plaza master plan (6 acres of retail and dining), these 263 light-filled residences include six full-floor, two-story penthouses. The two sleek, glass Park Elm towers are the tallest residential towers (44 stories) on the Westside of Los Angeles. Huge windows frame city views. Marble baths.
Amenities: A guard gate and full-time valet, doorperson, and concierge; business center and screening room; Pilates reformers, a fitness center, and a yoga studio; steam and sauna in men’s and women’s locker rooms. Near Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. From $1.8 million; parkelmcenturyplaza.com
Courtesy Park Elm at Century Plaza. Opposite, Courtesy Images From Top: Coldwell Banker; The Agency
Twenty-eight half- or full-floor homes measuring from 2,550 to 3,990 square feet, these open-concept residences feature huge windows and private terraces. Ocean, Intracoastal, and golf-course views. In the kitchen: professional-grade appliances and quartz countertops. Full-size laundry rooms. Primary bedroom suites with walk-in closets and spa-inspired baths.
Amenities: Monitored entry and a full-time doorman. Underground air-conditioned and dehumidified parking. Fitness center with outdoor turf lanes, an infrared sauna, and a plunge pool. The rooftop includes a private pool, cabanas, a firepit, and an outdoor catering kitchen with a grill. Membership opportunities to the exclusive golf and beach club, The Boca Raton. From $2.5 million; glasshouseboca.com
Austin, Texas
Ten residences at about 4,600 square feet occupy the upper two levels of a fivestory Herzog & de Meuron–designed project with natural light, exposed wood, and the extensive use of organic materials sourced from Texas, Mexico, and the Southwest. Residences prioritize indooroutdoor living: Each has its own private terrace and cocktail pool.
Amenities: Spanning an entire city block in Austin’s Clarksville neighborhood, the restaurant-shop-hotel development is organized around shaded colonnades and planted courtyards. Residents have access to the hotel pool, bar, and gym in addition to a private members club and Sixth&Blanco’s Spa & Bathhouse. From $10 million; sixthandblanco.com
London
In a beautifully restored 1908 Edwardian building in an ultra-posh location just off Kensington High Street are 45 studio, one-, two-, and threebedroom residences, plus two penthouses. Views look out across the city’s skyline and each space is different—some have fireplaces, others have balconies or private gardens. All feature custom kitchens and en suite bathrooms.
Amenities: A coveted RBKC parking permit, 24-hour concierge service, and a specially designed Pelotonequipped gym. Priority concierge services for restaurants and services from nearby Harrods. Walking distance to Royal Albert Hall, Kensington Gardens, and Hyde Park. From $1.6 million for a one bedroom; allenhouse.co.uk
Turks and Caicos Islands
Debuting in early 2026, these 73 modern residences—from spacious studios to the 6,411-square-foot, four-bedroom penthouse—are right on the white-sand Grace Bay Beach. The majority have ocean-view terraces, and the penthouses have rooftop terraces with outdoor kitchens and plunge pools. Freestanding soaking tubs and rain showers in porcelain-tiled bathrooms.
Amenities: A wide variety of activities and services can be arranged by Andaz, which has three restaurants, a garden yoga studio, tennis and pickleball courts, and a full-service, indoor-outdoor spa. Direct access to shore snorkeling at Bight Reef (aka Coral Gardens) and the services of global explorer, eco-ambassador, and Providenciales native Mario Rigby, who customizes excursions to the island’s lesser-known natural habitats. From $1.75 million; turksandcaicosresidences.com
Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Located in what has been a choice playground for celebrities for six decades and is the setting for several Bond films, including Casino Royale, these 67 fully furnished residences, managed by Four Seasons, are expected to open in 2027. Beachfront buildings with floor-to-ceiling windows and shaded verandas. Two- to four-bedroom residences with cool rattan-and-white decor. Penthouses and five-bedroom beach villas have private pools.
Amenities: Four Seasons standards, including a private, oceanfront swimming pool with cabanas and a clubhouse; indoor and outdoor spa treatment rooms; a wine cellar and rum room; and a beachfront restaurant and bar. Seamless property management and rental program. From $6.5 million; theoceanclubresidences.com u
Courtesy Images, Clockwise From Bottom Left: Sixth & Blanco (2); Allen House; Andaz Turks & Caicos; Four Seasons.
British abstract artist NAT BOWEN brings color to life layer by layer.
BY BROOKE MAZUREKIt was French poet Victor Hugo who wrote, “Wide horizons lead the soul to broad ideas.”
For most of her adult life, abstract artist Nat Bowen looked out to high-rise buildings, cloudy skies, and dark palettes. “I hadn’t ever thought about leaving,” she says of her life in London. “I was born in England, and the mindset was: ‘I’m gonna stay in England.’”
Then the pandemic happened.
It was winter and depressing and in the midst of all the constriction and restriction, the lockdowns and holdups, Bowen’s husband
was offered a job in Dubai. “I thought, ‘You know what? Let’s try it,’” she recalls.
She’d been there before, after all. She’d felt the Arabian heat, experienced the color, the beauty, the almost otherworldly, canyou-top-this architecture in a desert mecca known for the finest hotel rooms money can buy. But what Bowen hadn’t anticipated was the horizon. The completely boundless one she now finds herself face-to-face with each morning and evening.
“Every day, I’m in awe,” she says, peering out the window. “Where we are now, I get to look onto the sea and see as far to the horizon
as possible. I watch the sun set—this big, glowing, neon ball in my favorite color, and every day I’m like ... ahhh, charge me up!” Her arms are wide open and you can hear it in her voice, a horizon expanded—words spoken with the animated, almost breathless quality that happens when someone falls in love anew with the world and its possibilities. You can also see it in Bowen’s work.
Her art is vibrant and alive, prismatic and textural. In her large-scale resin pieces, colors and geometric shapes bend and refract into one another, as if speaking a secret language the human eye is absorbed into.
Bowen identifies as a chromologist, someone immersed in the psychology of color, and at times she employs hues so saturated they look edible. There are glaciated blues and also unthawable ones, the kind that evoke the electric blue raspberry color of a pack of Gushers fruit snacks. To look at her epoxy resin piece Blush is to feel as though you’ve awoken inside the belly of an orchid. You think, “Who knew pink could be this pink?”
But a great deal of Bowen’s expertise also lies in her understanding of balance. Beside her brighter shades, she sometimes employs a muted pastel or a smokey earth tone— outlier colors that you eventually realize are carrying more weight than initially perceived. They anchor and brighten the bigger picture, and in doing so, convey a subtle yet potent message that the sum total is far greater than the individual. One shade leads to another.
The interplay mirrors Bowen’s own artistic path. There was no art school, no traditional teachers, and no waiting for a door from the insular contemporary art world to open to her. Art has been in the doing. Bowen learned how to make and sell artwork by using her hands and drawing from an eclectic palette of experiences spanning her work in the fashion industry and property development. Hers is the story of someone who has quit and changed jobs over and over again, someone in constant dialogue with what it means to live an aligned life, to see a main highway and look toward hills where there are no roads or paths. She’s carved her own while wearing the brightest neon Alexander Wang blouse you could possibly find.
What’s something people wouldn’t know about Dubai unless they lived there?
I think there’s this misconception that it’s all blingbling and parties. There’s definitely that, but it’s so peaceful and family oriented. We’ve had a baby who just turned 1 and this place is so much more set up for families and children than back home.
Peoples’ mindsets are also super positive. Here, it’s like the land of opportunity. People really think big, and for creative minds that’s a great quality. It’s “dream big, and then go even bigger.”
What are you currently working on?
There’s a beach club project that’s been the biggest I’ve done so far. It’s opening on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Part of the project is the CHROMABLOX®, which is the first sculpture I’ve done and the first thing I’ve done outside. Part of the challenge has been figuring out how I can get those intense, vibrant colors to withstand the elements here. It’s just been a lot of development, which I’ve loved. I’ve gone from paintings to now thinking: “OK, how can we take my ideas even bigger?”
You also did a collaboration with British automotive brand McLaren in Dubai.
The design director [in England] discovered me on Instagram and loved what I was doing. He felt like there was a synergy with our brands, so I went to their [headquarters], and I don’t know if you’ve ever been, but it’s almost like a spaceship that landed in the British countryside. It’s this James Bond kind of place that you can’t take photos of. He and I were talking about doing something together and literally after that meeting, COVID popped its head up and it just didn’t materialize. I moved to Dubai and the marketing director here said, “Oh, I love what you do, let’s do something here!” That was in October and by the end of February I had an exhibition with them. In Dubai, it’s like, “Let’s do it! And let’s do it now!” It all happened super quick, and it really put me on the map here.
What’s your creative process like?
My studio is at home, which is really good because my work is a very slow process. I paint layer upon layer with resin, which is a two-part mix. So you mix it up, it starts to have a chemical reaction, and then you’ve got a certain amount of working time with it, maybe 45 minutes at most, before it starts to cure. So I mix it, I pigment it, and then I paint it all freehand with a paintbrush. It’s very physical. It’s almost like dancing while you’re painting. And then you’ve got this downtime, where it needs to cure for a few hours before you can go back in to do the next layer. And I just love it. It’s my meditation, it’s my exercise, it’s everything for me. All you really want in life is freedom to live how you want to live, and to get to the point in life where you can wake up in the morning and go about your day in the way you’re choosing.
“I paint layer upon layer with resin. I mix it, I pigment it, and then I paint it all freehand with a paintbrush. It’s very physical, almost like dancing while you’re painting.”All images courtesy Nat Bowen. Opposite: Iain Duff
How did you discover resin? It’s such a unique medium.
It’s the only medium I’ve ever painted with. It brings colors to life in a way that no other medium quite does. It allows me to have transparency with the colors as well, so the layers build on top of each other—which is what gives the depth. There’s also a viscosity to it, a thickness to each layer. I love that when you’re walking past a painting, you get the reflection of the light and it’s almost like the piece is alive. There’s movement.
Where do you source the pigment?
I started out using only synthetic pigments and then I started looking into natural, precious, or rare pigments. I’ve got a blue piece that has the purest lapis lazuli from Afghanistan and
Egyptian blue from Babylon times. There was a piece called Black Diamond, which was the first one I sold when I moved to Dubai, that has 1,000 carats of black diamond set in the center of it. I also sourced and painted 4.6-billion-year-old meteorite dust into it. And there’s a piece I’ve just done for a collector in Burgundy, the wine region in France. There was a yellow ochre pigment that I sourced from when the region was known for its mining. When pieces are commissioned, I try to do storytelling with the elements.
Is there a pigment you haven’t worked with that you’d love to get your hands on?
Dust from the moon. I want to paint a moon piece. But then, in saying that, there’s something so sacred about the moon. I shouldn’t be taking from it.
You’re known as the “Queen of Color.” How do you feel about black?
I think black gets a hard time. It’s one of those colors that people are like, “It’s depressing, it’s associated with death, it’s morbid.” For me, black is power, strength, independence. It’s all in how you use it, I think. A lot of the pieces where I incorporate black tend to be more circular to soften the color—so it’s almost like you’re falling into the middle of the painting. Deep, dark water. Even in my colorful pieces, you’ll often find black. It’s grounding. There are certain high-energy colors like yellows that are quite intense for your eye and brain to process. So when you’ve got colors like that, you need balance.
When in your life did you realize there was this connection with color?
My mum says always. I was born in the ’80s but grew up in the ’90s. And for me, the ’90s were a bit like the ’70s in terms of colors. I remember lime green and orange, and all of these colors being such a thing. I used to paint my nails, every nail a different color. I changed the color on the walls of my bedroom I don’t know how many times. I just wanted to express myself through color. My language is color and it comes out in my art; it comes out in what I wear.
What was your journey to becoming an artist like?
It wasn’t a traditional one. I went to a very academic secondary school, and I’d been pushed down this more academic path—not by my parents, but by the school. My mum was a design teacher, and I remember she came home one day with this book of courses offered at Newcastle [University]. I didn’t know what I wanted to do and she said, “What about fashion?”
As early as I can remember, I was always making things—whether it was painting or drawing. My grandmother taught me how to sew. And I was like, “I can’t go and do fashion, I don’t know what I’m doing.” And my mum said, “You know what you’re doing.”
I ended up completing a two-year college course in fashion, and then went to the
“I
never want to feel like I’m at the finish line or I’ve reached the peak. It’s like, ‘No, no, no—there’s a whole lot more in here that needs to come out!’”
London College of Fashion. It moved me from the Midlands to London. After that, I went into a design role, but it wasn’t the right path for me. Though I didn’t know what I wanted to do, I was always fearless with trying things. So I quit. I went into fashion buying and that wasn’t right for me either. I’d modeled since I was a teenager, so I did that for a bit, which was great. I got to work with different creative teams and it gave me that freedom.
I basically spent my twenties really working out who I was, and what I wanted to do. And it was a gift, in a sense. I think so often people go down this path of, “You go to university and you get a job, work your way up a ladder, and get stuck in something you didn’t intend to get stuck in.”
I eventually ended up in a job for a property developer, and I didn’t work there very long, but it gave me this insight into the world of luxury and how people designed beautiful, contemporary spaces. I quit to start painting. But because I’d made some good connections within that world, they said, “We need some artworks for one of our show homes. We’ll commission you to do some pieces.”
It made me get set up quite quickly in a professional sense. It was like, “OK, let’s get a proper studio, let’s really go for this, and let’s really try to make the thing I love. Let’s get some resin, let’s get a paintbrush, and let’s see what happens.”
With being self-taught, is there still someone you consider to be your great teacher? As cliché as it sounds, it would be my mum. I’ve always seen both my mum and dad work with their hands. We’re all very practical. If something’s broken, give it to me and I’ll fix it. There’s an entrepreneurial aspect to my personality as well. I consider myself a businesswoman. I’m self-represented, and my mum’s mum did several jobs. She was a hairdresser, a caretaker, all of these different things throughout her lifetime, and I take inspiration from her. I think people always think as an artist you shouldn’t talk about the commercial or the marketing side of things. You’re supposed to be this tortured soul in your studio, and it’s like, “No, I have to think about that!” For me to continue doing what I do, I have to make money or else I can’t do it.
What do you reference for business insight?
I love listening to Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO podcast. It’s really interesting to hear about these businesspeoples’ journeys. So often they haven’t gone down a traditional path. I find it really inspiring. There are a lot of people who would say, “Wow, Nat. You’ve done it! You’re killing it, you’re smashing it!”
And I’m like, “I haven’t done it! I’ve just got going!” I never want to feel like I’m at the finish line or I’ve reached the peak. It’s like, “No, no, no—there’s a whole lot more in here that needs to come out!” u
Take top-shelf sips along on your next outdoor adventure with the Lookout Mountain Portable Field Bar, a handsome, walnut-and-brass trunk that holds six full-sized bottles and all the glasses and accouterments to keep the party going. Handmade in Franklin, Tennessee. $8,000; hartmannfinefurniture.com
Beautifully designed and thoughtfully executed grill tools have ergonomic handles and are hand-hammered for extra strength for use over an open flame or in the kitchen. Hand-forged at family-owned Sea Island Forge in St. Simons Island, Georgia. $80–$150 apiece, $550 for the set in a waxed canvas roll for storage; seaislandforge.com
In Paris, professional museum and culture guide Anya Firestone designs and hosts private, tailored “cou-tours” that include going backstage at the opera, attending the Musée
d’Orsay and Louvre when closed to the public, experiencing private couture houses such as Schiaparelli and jewelry houses such as Chaumet, and attending her unique-themed soirees hosted in private homes. From $2,800/day/one or two people; maisonfirestone.com
East London Cloth, a fabric showroom on Vyner Street (the historic cobbled street on Regent’s Canal in East London), is the go-to for household linens, textiles, fabrics, and a wide range of passementerie. eastlondoncloth.co.uk
“Storytelling and folklore go hand in hand with fishing,” says Jeff Wanat, owner of North Carolina–based Trollgadda Each handmade lure (wooden body, metal lips, glass eyes) is tuned, weighted, and balanced for fishing, but is equally beautiful outside the tackle box and presented on a shelf as collectible decor. $45–$140; trollgadda.com
One&Only and Mara Hoffman have teamed up for an exclusive swimwear capsule collection (marahoffman .com) that uses sustainable materials and features a bold tropical pattern. At select resort boutiques and online.
This Mini Citroën DS 1:43 car model ($70; shop rosewoodhotels.com ) is embossed with the logo of Paris grande dame Hôtel de Crillon, A Rosewood Hotel. Find sensual and sultry scents within the Fragrance Trio Trunk ($410; themaker .com) at The Maker Hotel in Hudson, New York. The Aman yoga mat ($480; shop .aman.com) is made with sustainable cork and comes with a logo strap and pouch.
Italy’s Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como has a specialedition tote bag ($635; senseoflake.com) in the hotel’s easily recognizable orange hue. Cotton pajamas
($315; shop.claridges .co.uk) were designed with an embroidered crest for Claridge’s London. Luxe doggie beds (from $250; shop.dorchestercollection .com) are available from The Beverly Hills Hotel. Scotland’s The Fife Arms gift shop (curated by Manuela Wirth) presents hand-blown crystal decanters (from $1,500; thefifearms.com) topped with a sterling stag’s head.
From Rocco Forte Hotels, Irene Forte Skincare (from $100; ireneforteskincare.com) offers “the Mediterranean diet for skin.” For better sleep, Kempinski Hotels suggests their Lavender Spelt Chaff Pillow ($140; kempinskiboutique.com).
The Blackberry Farm collection now carries holistic practitioner and teacher Tammy Fender’s plantbased skincare ($240/kit; blackberryfarmshop.com ).
Slow Food, Fast Cars: Casa Maria Luigia—Stories and Recipes features exquisite food, interiors, and landscapes from Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore’s restored 18th-century guest house in the Italian countryside (near Bottura’s globally celebrated, three-Michelin-star Osteria Francescana in Modena). $60; phaidon.com
Founded in Geneva in 1839, Patek Philippe (one of the last family-owned Swiss watchmakers) has created fewer than 1 million timepieces. That’s the annual production of many other fine watchmakers. Patek Philippe: The Impossible Collection, a hand-bound volume of hand-tipped color plates, spotlights rare timepieces and offers insights from prominent collectors. $1,200; assouline.com
Star Style: Interiors of Martyn Lawrence Bullard is a rare glimpse into the private homes of an array of glitterati (Cher, the Kardashians, Tommy Hilfiger, Elton John) decorated in Bullard’s signature style—sensational, sophisticated, luxurious, and often unabashedly outré. $75; vendome.com
Zaytinya: Delicious Mediterranean Dishes from Greece, Türkiye, and Lebanon by celebrated chef José Andrés includes 150 recipes from Zaytinya, his Bib Gourmand–awarded Washington, D.C. restaurant. Among the favorites included: hünkar beğendi, a savory Turkish lamb and eggplant dish; carrot fritters with pistachio sauce; and honeydipped Greek cookies. $45; harpercollins.com
The ekphrasis series from David Zwirner Books includes a bundle of 27 art-related monographs. Included: My Friend Van Gogh by Émile Bernard and Any Day Now: Toward a Black Aesthetic by Larry Neal. The release is part of gallerist David Zwirner’s ongoing effort to publish new and surprising writing about visual culture. $405; davidzwirnerbooks.com
20,000 Steps Around the World: Great Hikes, Walks, Routes, and Rambles covers a wide range of hikes from pastoral strolls to strenuous mountain trails to multiday treks along medieval pilgrimage routes. Organized into 50 main itineraries with detailed terrain and route guides, maps, expert descriptions, and not-to-be-missed sites known only to locals. $40; rizzoliusa.com
Residing with Nature: The Houses of KAA
Design covers a series of personal environments by architects Grant Kirkpatrick and Duan Tran that were each dramatically sited to enhance views, take advantage of natural light, and provide a dynamic connection to nature and the outdoors. $65; rizzoliusa.com
After 16 years at the original Tribeca cocktail bar, restaurateurs Akiva Elstein and Matt Abramcyk brought the downtown energy up to Rockefeller Center with Smith & Mills. The space is centered around a handsome, oblong bar encircled with lush velvet banquettes. The menu offers a large selection of raw bar
favorites: oysters, crudo, clams, and a seafood plateau.
Mains include shrimp scampi, fisherman’s stew, and roasted chicken. Martinis, cosmos, and dozens of wines by the glass. smithandmills.com
A glamorous, ’20s-style cocktail and oyster bar off the lobby of the Evelyn Hotel, The Tusk Bar is known for seafood-focused
dishes from chefs Jeremiah Stone and Fabian Von Hauske, who promise: “a warm welcome, well-made drinks, freshly shucked oysters, and good time.”
A nice list of wines combines selections from heralded makers as well as ready-to-be-discovered ones. thetuskbar.com
In the center of Slovakia’s Old Town of Bratislava, The Mirror
Bar reflects the city’s history and bohemian spirit. Bar manager Peter Marcina and his staff create innovative cocktails creatively presented in custom-made cups and glassware. Garnished with unique botanical arrangements, the handmade bowls and 3D-printed biodegradable cups carry subtle herbal fragrances. mirrorbarcarlton.com
Several of New England’s grande dame hotels and inns are newly refreshed and offering a summer’s worth of chef-driven experiences. Kennebunkport, Maine’s White Barn Inn hosts traditional, family-style lobster bakes. The Mayflower Inn & Spa (in charming Washington, Connecticut) offers seasonal, hyper-local omakase experiences. The Vanderbilt (a historic mansion in Newport, Rhode Island) hosts oyster shucking and tasting experiences, pairing briny bivalves with classic martinis or smoky single malts. aubergeresorts.com
Reopened in time for the Paris Olympics: Taken over by the Paris Society (led by the charismatic Laurent de Gourcuff), the legendary Maxim’s (maxims-de-paris .com), a Paris landmark since 1893, is
back from a major refresh of its glamorous Art Nouveau interiors. The restaurant still features classic French fare such as duck foie gras terrine and Henry IV–style roasted chicken. Tour d’Argent (tourdargent.com), opened in 1582, reopened late last year after an 18-month renovation. The Seinefacing dining room looks out on Notre Dame and Ile Saint-Louis and its signature pressed duck remains a big draw, as does the 300,000-bottle wine cave. Save room for the crepes prepared tableside. Another notable redesign: Le Chalet des Îsles (chalet-des-iles.com), on a small island in the middle of the Bois de Boulogne. Book the restaurant’s La Table du Potager—a five-course, plant-based tasting menu served outdoors in the restaurant’s expansive flower and vegetable gardens.
Smith & Mills The Tusk Bar White Barn Inn
Jazz Bar
Manhattan offers a unique variation on the British tradition of high tea. Afternoon tea in the cozy, speakeasy-like space features jazz and “tipsy tea” cocktails with splashes of gin, tequila, bourbon, or vodka added to green tea, chai, and the like. Enjoy savory finger
sandwiches and sweet treats while a songstress belts out P-era tunes. winniesnyc.com
The Book Tower is a 38-story, neoclassical building designed during Detroit’s Gilded Age. Among recent, $300-million-plus renovations was the addition of Bar Rotunda, an all-day café and wine bar with the look and feel of venerable hotel bars of early
The Wine Cellar at The Lanesborough in London is organizing a series of intimate, 12-person, immersive wine-and-food dinners. The first was a collaboration with Dom Pérignon Champagne—four courses paired with glasses of rare vintages. The food is quintessentially British—Coronation crab, roast Orkney scallops, beef Wellington, rack of lamb. Post-dinner, imbibe rare Cognac (some dating back to 1770) from The Lanesborough’s liquid library. From $475/person; oetkercollection.com
A farm, restaurant, and guesthouse set within the grounds of historic Château de Saint-Vrain (famously the home of Madame du Barry, the last mistress of King Louis XV), is just 25 miles from Paris but feels worlds away. Australian chefs James Henry and Shaun Kelly transformed the castle’s stables into a light-filled, fresh produce–centric restaurant called Le Doyenné. Hyper-
20th-century Paris. The marblearched space is canopied by a grand, 100-year-old glass dome. The drinks program is by Natasha David and Jeremy Oertel of NYC’s Death & Co. barrotunda.com
The Prohibition-era (1928) Starlight Room is reborn atop the Beacon Grand Hotel at San Francisco’s Union Square.
seasonal menus reflect that morning’s harvest. Meat, dairy, and wines come from suppliers who share the same agricultural ideals. Rooms (there are just 11) include breakfast. From $285; ledoyennerestaurant.com
An Expedition Dining experience in Norway starts with a boat trip from the picture-postcard town of Rosendal. Then it’s hors d’oeuvres at chef Anika Madsen’s rustic-chic boathouse on the island of Snilstveitøy. From there you go to the jetty of Iris, a floating restaurant-and-art-installation inside a stainless-steel orb called Salmon Eye, for an 18-course tasting menu. Maybe handdived scallops, juniper-smoked mussels, and reindeer tartare with a rose-and-quince sorbet to finish. Fjords, mountains, and waterfalls provide the backdrop along the way. From $360; restaurantiris.no
Starlite, with its legendary views of the city sprawling below, was designed by Alice Crumeyrolle (previously of Ken Fulk Inc.), and hosts nightly vinyl DJ sets. Simple menu (hot fried chicken bun, baked oysters); classic drinks with a twist (a rum-based riff on a sidecar, called a “cable car,” that arrives enveloped in “Muir Woods–scented” fog). beacongrand.com
Winnie’s
at the Refinery Hotel in Midtown
The Mirror Bar Starlite
Mezcal Bendito introduces a collection of three artisanal mezcals, including two distinct tobalás. Crafted in Puebla, Mexico, by a female master mezcalera from 100-percent organic and sustainably grown agave plants. Presented in etched-glass bottles with hummingbird-shaped glass stoppers. From $80, $110–$140 for the tobalás; benditomito.com
The 21-year-old blended Scotch Royal Salute has big malty and heavy oak notes and a smoky finish. Launched in 1953 in tribute to Queen
Elizabeth II on her Coronation Day, the brand is steeped in tradition and aged for a minimum of 21 years. $220; royalsalute.com
A sipping spirit made with estate-grown Louisiana sugarcane, Oxbow Estate Rum has developed a cult-like following. Three choice varieties: White Rum, Barrel-aged Straight Rum, and the rare Rhum Louisiane (made from freshpressed cane juice fermented within hours of harvest before being pot-distilled in small batches). Tours and tastings offered at the distillery in Baton Rouge. $23–$50; oxbowrumdistillery.com
Try flower-scented jams and jellies ($19)—like honeysuckle, wild violet, and rose geranium— from Stone Hollow Farmstead in Harpersville, Alabama. Also, dill blossom and nasturtiumflavored vinegars ($24) are local favorites. Ships nationwide. stonehollowfarmstead.com
Courage & Conviction PX
Sherry Single Cask, a field-to-
bottle product of Virginia Distillery Co., could compete with the best of Islay and is worthy of a spot on any high-class bar cart. Tours and tastings available at the distillery in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. $130; vadistillery.com
Bacon aficionados will flip for the D’Artagnan Bacon Sampler: applewood-smoked and hickorysmoked pork bacon and duck bacon. Humanely raised on small farms. $36; dartagnan.com
The Sanders Ice Cream Sundae Gift Box includes favorites from the iconic Detroit ice cream shop (established 1875), famous for its Bumpy Cake, sea salt caramels, and hot fudge toppings. $52; sanderscandy.com
The Greenbrier Resort’s famous peach dessert
Kidpreneurs Zach and Zoë (along with their parents, Kam and Summer Johnson) launched Zach & Zoë Sweet Bee Farm—doing everything from keeping bees to harvesting to bottling and selling the 100-percent raw honey in varieties such as wildflower, buckwheat, or goldenrod. Infused honeys include cardamom and matcha. Available at NYC’s Chelsea Market or shipped nationwide. From $22; zachandzoe.co
Williams Sonoma teamed up with Amirah Kassem’s Sohobased bakery for its exclusive Flour Shop Rainbow Explosion Cake Kit, making it easy to whip up your own version of the Instagram-famous dessert. $60; williams-sonoma.com
Regulars rave about The Greenbrier Resort’s famous peach dessert. Now, the popular peaches are available from the hotel’s shop in a huge, old-fashioned tin. Ships nationally (overnight). $50; store greenbrier.com
A new version of the Luxury Card App is available!
The latest improvements make it easy and convenient to manage your account on-the-go. You now have access to integrated account servicing: view your account balance, available credit and recent transactions; make or schedule a payment; and more. Two-factor authentication and biometric security like Face ID ensure the utmost security when you log in. Stay current and connected with the latest Luxury Card App.
The (mostly) seafood-centric Point Seven on two airy dining levels (interior design inspired by the ocean) in New York’s iconic MetLife Building—next to Grand Central Station—is a welcome stop for Metro North commuters heading to Westchester, Connecticut, and the Hudson Valley. On a recent visit, small plates included grilled octopus and steamed Long Island mussels. Large plates: grilled swordfish, surf and turf, bodacious seafood towers. pointsevennyc.com
Israeli chef Sagi Azrouel runs the kitchen at NINA, a new 162-seat restaurant in Brooklyn that marks his New York debut after spending a decade as a private chef to some of the world’s most sophisticated and health-conscious clients. Modern Mediterranean menu staples here are smoked eggplant carpaccio, tahini fish kebabs, traditional meat stews, warm challah, and toasted pine nut hummus. The pasta and bread are all homemade. A small, thoughtful wine list is featured. ninanewyork.com
What’s cooler than eating a fresh-made lunch (or dinner) on a specially designed, double-decker bus while slowly driving past the top sites in London or Paris?
Aboard Bustronome, chefs cook in a mini kitchen on the lower level—preparing dishes like tuna tartare or marinated salmon with ponzu sauce and classic panna cotta for dessert. Generous pours of paired wines. bustronome.com
Chef George Mendes, a New Englander with a Portuguese heritage, opens Amar, a dining spot on the 17th floor of the tony new Raffles Boston in Back Bay (with panoramic Charles River views). Bursting-with-taste Portuguese dishes blend with the city’s seafaring heritage. Maybe Maine lobster with fermented-and-grilled fennel, salt cod with scrambled eggs, or arroz di mariscos (a medley of shellfish in a saucy rice— like paella but not). A nice selection of Portuguese wines, including Soalheiro vinho verde. rafflesboston.com
classic, Southern fish-camp recipes. The small kitchen delivers fresh fish and shrimp, perfectly cooked. You can’t go wrong with breaded or battered catfish and a side of fried pork rinds or collard greens. goodhotfish.com
With checkerboard terrazzo floors, deep-red wall paneling, pink planters, 1950s-inspired custom seating, and an open kitchen, Bouvier at the Hoxton has opened in Vienna. New York restaurant Wildair collaborates on the food, including light lunch bites such as chicken Milanese, tuna belly focaccia, and Niçoise salad. Choose among heartier dishes for dinner: le grand gougère or spareribs and steak au poivre with frites. An extensive wine list showcases natural wine from across the globe, including well-loved Austrian labels. thehoxton.com u
—Irene Rawlings
Created by James Beard Award semi-finalist Ashleigh Shanti, the simple, counterservice Good Hot Fish in Asheville, North Carolina, pays homage to
Caribbean fish stew at Point Seven Bustronome
Bouvier at the Hoxton
