Travel Media Highlights 7.6.18 by C&R PR

Travel Media Highlights

Contact: Pieter Ruig Office: 310.664.8844 Email: pieter@candrpr.com

COAST MAGAZINE VOLUME 27 ISSUE 6

Loving

Nature

JULY 2018

PROTECT + RESTORE + ENJOY

J U L Y 2 018

G R E AT

E S C A P E

Far Away and

A TIMELESS SPORT CONVERGES

WITH NATURE AT PARK HYATT AVIARA RESORT, GOLF CLUB AND SPA IN CARLSBAD.

BY JENN TANAKA

The protected ecological space is home to

olf great Arnold Palmer once said,

nesting areas and mudflats, to salt marshes

“Concentration comes out of a

and southern arroyo willow riparian forest.

combination of confidence and hunger.”

It’s a place where striped mullet swim and

When the legend designed the undulating

great egrets hunt. It is where nature and

golf course at Park Hyatt Aviara, did he

mankind converge.

know his creation would leave an indelible

For two decades, Kevin Kienast has

mark on coastal Southern California? Did

spent countless hours maintaining and

he realize this place would lure people from

preserving Palmer’s legacy. Kienast oversees

around the globe to discover the hidden

Aviara’s sprawling grounds, working hard

beauty of Carlsbad?

to enhance the property. Plant by plant,

When Palmer envisioned this golf

tree by tree, flower by flower, he slowly

course, how many hours did he spend

transforms the landscape. Yet it is Keinast’s

considering the natural marvel that abuts

ongoing work at the Batiquitos Lagoon that

it: the Batiquitos Lagoon Ecological Reserve?

inspires others.

Golfer Christie Kerr at the LPGA Kia Classic at Park Hyatt Aviara

J U L Y 2 018 :: C O A S T

G R E AT

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GOLF TIP SHEET EAT: A stone’s throw from the fairway sits Aviara’s award-winning Argyle Steakhouse. Platters of sizzling Japanese wagyu popped up on almost every table. “It’s like butter,” moaned one woman dining nearby. The A5-grade beef raised in Miyazaki prefecture needed no additional sauces or finishes. But, let me be honest: If you have savored one sublimely fatty slice of wagyu, then you might as well sample something else. Opt instead for another divine cut of American-raised beef by Kuroushi Farms in Oregon. Then, finish it with one of chef William Griggs’ incredible accoutrements – a crunchy truffle butter crust, a savory Baja barbecue spice rub, or a rich cognac and green peppercorn sauce. For diners in the know, you must order: the Argyle Potato Tots. Don’t let the name fool you; these crunchy bites are no mere Tater Tots. They are comfort food overload in the best way. Pillows of creamy mashed potato and cheese are enveloped in a crispy deep-fried exterior.

C O A S T :: J U L Y 2 018

GO: Each March, LPGA, Kia Motors and NBC’s Golf Channel swarm Carlsbad to take over the Park Hyatt Aviara Golf Club for the Kia Classic. The resort buzzes with excitement. Film crews and sportscasters mingle with guests at the bar. Late-night fun includes VIP events such as an exclusive wine dinner at Argyle Steakhouse perched on a balcony overlooking the course followed by a raucous round of glow-in-the-dark golf. (Yes, it’s as fun and as crazy as it sounds.) DO: For elite attendees, the invite-only “Inside the Ropes” access is hands down the best way to watch the LPGA tournament. Make your arrangements early since only a few guests are allowed to walk on the green just a few feet behind the pros.

For generations, indigenous wildlife and ocean birds found sanctuary in the lagoon. But decades of development had eroded the waterway’s original landscape. Forever altered by the construction of Pacific Coast Highway followed by Interstate 5, the Batiquitos Lagoon became a forgotten wasteland. By 1983, contamination had left the waterway barely hospitabile for wildlife. Then a group of local conservationists urged what’s now the Department of Fish and Wildlife to preserve the Batiquitos Lagoon. Cleanup crews stepped in, environmentalists collected water samples, volunteers donated their time. It was a new beginning for the lagoon. When Palmer unveiled Aviara Golf Club in 1997, the Batiquitos Lagoon was a part of his vision. Now caretakers such as Keinast organize annual cleanups and

The resort’s outdoor space provides the ideal locale for afternoon yoga on the lawn. Nature and wellness combine at Park Hyatt Aviara’s spa. A series of treatments are enhanced with dining options intended to rejuvenate the mind and body.

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educational tours to keep the preservation efforts alive. Since Hyatt took over management of the property from Four Seasons in 2010, the resort introduced environmentally friendly experiences such as hosted nature walks and botanical tours. Local wildlife experts and researchers educate the resort’s guests and the surrounding community about the Batiquitos living ecosystem. “We just want to be good neighbors,” says Kienast. “It’s about knowing that we’re all doing our part. That we are a part of something much bigger.” As home to the only Arnold Palmerdesigned course in San Diego County, Park Hyatt Aviara boasts a unique point of view. Through its fairways and greens, the resort channels Palmer’s poetic outlook on the world. The space captures many things – past and present, success and failure, nature’s battle with modernity, overcoming our own inner struggles. It all converges here. ■

In March, the LPGA Kia Classic tournament takes over the greens at Park Hyatt Aviara Resort, Golf Club & Spa. Stay connected. The adult and family pools feature solar-powered charging stations.

C O A S T :: J U L Y 2 018

APRIL/MAY 2018 » L AGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

PALATE

PLEASERS DIG INTO LAGUNA’S LATEST DINING NEWS

IN PU RS U I T O F S TY LE

AB O VE PA R

UP YOUR G AM E

MENSWEAR FOR EVERY OCCASION, FROM WORK TO THE WEEKEND

LOCAL GOLF COURSES, THE LATEST TECH AND FASHION FOR THE GREENS

BOOST YOUR STYLE, WORKOUT, DRINK CHOICE AND MORE

W ES T- SI D E WONDERS A leeward locale, Ko Olina offers a peaceful Hawaiian retreat and fun adventures for adult travelers and families alike. By Katherine Duncan and Sharon Stello

Outrigger canoe rides depart from a man-made lagoon in Ko Olina.

GETTING THERE Reaching this destination is about to become even easier as Hawaiian Airlines is adding daily, nonstop

LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

flights from Long Beach Airport to Honolulu starting June 1, when a new executive chef also begins overseeing the airline’s in-flight menus; Lee Anne Wong, known for both regional dishes and global fusion creations, is chef and owner of Koko Head Cafe in Honolulu. Until then, the only nonstop flights in the region depart from Los Angeles International Airport. A recent flight was quick and comfortable, offering a taste of the islands with treats from Honolulu Cookie Co. and beer available from Maui Brewing Co. Notably, the airline operates

Airbus A330 planes from LA to Honolulu with lie-flat seat options in premium cabin areas. And TV screens on the back of each seat allow passengers to immerse themselves in videos about Hawaiian culture and sightseeing spots or listen to traditional music; other movies may be watched for a fee. New this year, health and wellness videos are also offered with stretching and breathing techniques to ease into a calm state of mind. And, just before arrival, a complimentary tropical rum punch is served (to those 21 and over) to toast the start of our vacation.

COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA

estled on Oahu’s west side, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki, is the resort community of Ko Olina, which means “a place of joy.” It’s easy to see why this moniker was chosen: The peaceful area is perfect for relaxing near the calm water in four man-made lagoons or setting off on adventures to find your bliss.

C U LTURA L EX PL ORATI ON

TOP AND BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA; BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF KAHUMANA FARM

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, the area’s most recent addition, opened in May 2016, extending a warm welcome to guests. Hawaiian culture is incorporated in the 370-room luxury resort from the moment you arrive: A giant wooden racing canoe, which dates back to 1902 and belonged to Hawaiian Prince Kuhio, sits in the lobby on loan from the Bishop Museum in Honolulu. And workshops on making flower leis and shell earrings, weaving bracelets and learning to hula dance and play ukulele are offered throughout the week. STAY There’s no mistaking that we’re in Hawaiian paradise. The property’s grounds are graced with lush landscaping, waterfalls and bright-colored koi fish in meandering creeks and ponds. Meanwhile, four swimming pools offer an abundance of options for guests to take a dip. Two are familyfriendly, including a circular one that the restaurants curve around. Here for a girls’ trip, my friend and I opt for the adults-only infinity pool with a private cabana just steps away, complete with food and drink service and breathtaking ocean views, which only get better at sunset. A rooftop lap pool provides another vantage point from the fifth floor of Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre. While the pool looks inviting, I opt for a massage inside the spa, which incorporates local plants and tropical oils in its treatments for an authentic experience. Afterward, wanting to extend the feeling of tranquility, I head to the Zen garden for a catnap soothed by a gentle breeze amid bamboo and other greenery. Later, back in our room, I open the sliding glass door to enjoy the sounds of the surf beyond my ocean-view balcony. The space is the perfect mix of comfort and refinement, so it’s tempting to stay, but many adventures await. PLAY The resort offers both outrigger canoe rides and stand-up paddleboards to try out on the manmade lagoon, which the property shares with neighboring Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa. Paddleboarding is on my bucket list, so I’m eager to give it a go on the lagoon’s placid water. To start, my friend and I paddle while kneeling on our boards. Slowly, I find my balance and make my way to a standing position, although I’m teetering and tottering. It’s harder than it looks to stay upright. I often see guys gliding along the water off Laguna Beach’s coast and they make it appear so easy. But balancing is difficult. I topple over several times into the water and haul

Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina offers paddleboarding (top), cultural experiences like ukulele lessons (bottom left) and suggests tours of Kahumana Farm (bottom right), which provides some produce for the resort’s restaurants.

myself back onto the board, determined to make it across the lagoon. Keeping a wide stance with knees slightly bent and feet closer to the nose of the board seems to work best. I continue paddling and, although my arms are tired, I finally reach the opposite shore. After taking a moment to celebrate, it’s time to paddle back and we trade our boards for drinks in the cabana. On another day, my friend and I set out for an early morning hike to Kaena Point, the westernmost tip of the island. Hiking along the coastal route, the scenery is stunning—beaches with turquoise water lapping on one side and verdant hills, which are much more lush than normal due to lots of rainfall this year. The wide path, an old dirt road and former railroad bed, is mostly flat and easy to navigate on the 5-mile round trip. Upon reaching the nature reserve, we’re treated to views of large albatross birds waddling around; they’re not shy and get close enough for great photos. We make sure to stay on the trail to avoid damaging native

plants and these seabirds’ nests. Venturing a bit farther, we’re lucky enough to see an endangered monk seal lazing about on the sand. After snapping a few more pictures of the seal and the scenic coastline, we make our way back to the car. But before returning to the resort, we stop for a tour at Kahumana Farm, which grows organic produce for many local restaurants—including Monkeypod, a great off-property restaurant in Ko Olina with live music on the patio—in addition to its own on-site cafe. The farm also provides work and housing for homeless individuals and families as well as vocational training for adults with developmental disabilities. In this nurturing community, everyone supports one another while also cultivating fresh fruits and vegetables in a scenic spot below the hills. Dedicated to sustainable agriculture, the farm uses aquaponics and raises chickens, but also grows crops like salad greens, carrots, broccoli and fennel. For visiting urbanites, it’s a great opportunity to see where our food comes from.

LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE

Counterclockwise from top left: Kaena Point; monk seal; phyllocrusted butterfish and If Can, Can cocktail at Mina’s Fish House

LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

fried rice. Mina’s signature lobster pot pie as well as steak and shellfish also abound. For dessert, try some local flavor with the Waiola coconut meringue featuring rum caramel, coconut chantilly and pineapple sorbet, or be tempted by the Hawaiian chocolate pudding with caramelized banana and black sesame. And, don’t leave before having a drink at the bar: specifically the If Can, Can. This tasty tropical concoction is made with your choice of liquor mixed with lilikoi and pineapple juice, orange curacao, orgeat and lime, but the best part is the charming presentation as it’s served in a Spam can with a colorful umbrella. The playful drink is perfect for a final cheers to end the trip and start planning a return visit. —Sharon Stello

O H A NA MAGIC

Next door to the Four Seasons is Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, which combines the welcoming spirit of aloha with Disney magic for an ideal home away from home for families. Situated on 21 oceanfront acres, the property celebrates island life in everything from the decor to the menus. STAY The architecture itself honors local culture, as the design reflects the Hawaiian theory of living with the “aina” (land). Aulani is also home to one of the world’s largest private collections of

contemporary Hawaiian art, with more than 50 eye-catching pieces on display throughout. That’s not to say that you will forget you’re at a Disney resort, though. Mickey and friends wander the grounds bringing smiles to guests young and old and, if you look closely, you might notice little outlines of everyone’s favorite mouse incorporated with Hawaiian symbols in the wallpaper, or stitched into the tropical pattern on the guest room bedding. The overall atmosphere is distinctly Hawaiian, but with dashes of Disney creatively woven throughout. Most important, though, is the cheerful sense of “ohana” (family) that’s exuded from both guests and resort staff. Aulani offers a range of experiences for all ages. Even the sprawling pool area has something for everyone, from a splash zone that’s perfect for pint-size guests to the adults-only infinity pool, and numerous aquatic adventures in between that families can enjoy together. Out of the water, children will love making new friends at Aunty’s Beach House, the 5,200-squarefoot supervised activity club for guests ages 3 to 12. The space includes a variety of toys, materials for arts and crafts, costumes for dress-up, a Disney movie room, a large backyard with playground equipment and much more, plus counselor-led experiences like storytelling and dance lessons. Meanwhile, parents can enjoy the resort’s fullservice Laniwai spa, an island-inspired paradise.

BOTTOM LEFT: BRAM REUSEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ALL OTHERS: COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA

DINE Some of those ingredients surely make it to our plates for dinner that night at Michael Mina’s Fish House, the new, oceanfront restaurant that debuted this past winter at the Four Seasons and utilizes produce from Kahumana Farm. While the resort also offers Noe, an Italian restaurant, and La Hiki Kitchen, which serves a bounty of breakfast favorites in a morning buffet, Mina’s Fish House is undoubtedly the signature dining spot. Notably, Mina, a James Beard Award winner, is the same chef behind Bourbon Steak, which recently opened at Monarch Beach Resort in Dana Point. For Mina, who has a house on Oahu, establishing a restaurant in Hawaii was a longtime dream. Working with fresh seafood at a fish house, he says, allows the flexibility to play with many flavors and different types of cultural cuisines. And this is evident in the menu and each tantalizing bite. For appetizers, the ahi tartare is a perfect way to start the meal: light and refreshing but packed with flavor from the ancho chili and habanero sesame oil combined with garlic, mint, pine nut and Asian pear. And the abalone spaghetti with caviar and yuzu butter is also delicious, not to mention beautifully presented in a large, pearly abalone shell. When the entrees come out, they continue to impress: Tender and delectable, the black garlic and miso black cod is something to truly savor with shishito peppers, nori emulsion and garlic

VALUABLE

COUPONS INSIDE

OPINION

A thirsty nation eyes Great Lakes

May 27, 2018 startribune.com

Leaders meet to salvage summit

SPORTS

SCIENCE

Lake trout make epic comeback

14-galaxy pileup in outer space

SU NDAY

TRAVEL

Find a slower pace in Bordeaux

INSIDE

MINNESOTA

Galleon treasure worth $17 billion

By LIBOR JANY and JEFF HARGARTEN • Star Tribune

The use of force by Minneapolis police has plunged 50 percent in the last decade, signaling a broad shift away from the “warrior” mentality that favors aggressive policing to reduce crime. Police used force about 22 times for every 10,000 police calls last year, the lowest per capita rate since at least 2008, according to a Star Tribune analysis of publicly available department statistics. The overall force rate is half of what it was 10 years ago — about 46 per 10,000 calls — when the department was dogged by criticism that some officers brutalized minorities following several high-profile episodes, including one in which SWAT officers mistakenly raided a North Side house while searching for evidence of illegal activity. Commander Todd Sauvageau, who runs the department’s training program, said growing awareness about the connection between mental health and crime is likely a factor, while also pointing to training that teaches cops to

SEOUL – North Korean

Grand View workers Collin Heidmann, left, Grant Madison and Renee Schroeder cleaned lounges for holiday guests.

Lodging, activities change with visitors’ expectations Story by JIM BUCHTA • Photos by ANTHONY SOUFFLÉ • Star Tribune staff

See SUMMIT on A8 Ø

A groundskeeper cleared sidewalks to help put Grand View Lodge in tip-top shape.

For decades, the family resorts of northern Minnesota held a simple appeal during the long days of summer: crisp, clean air, a place to cast a line and time untethered. In an era of digital hyper-connectedness, to-theminute scheduling and growing competition, that’s not nearly enough for some weekenders. As the summer vacation season kicks off this weekend, resorts across the state are transforming themselves to stay competitive. “The more you can offer, the better off you are,” says Bob Cote, a third-generation owner of one of Minnesota’s oldest and largest resorts, Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake near Nisswa. Today, more and more overnighters at Grand View and other Minnesota resorts are seeking activity-filled getaways — bike rides, beach yoga, wine tastings and the like. The Cote Family Cos. are spending $30 million to update Grand View, their nearby children’s sleepaway camps and a dude ranch they own in Arizona. At Grand View, that

See FORCE on A10 Ø

35 years on, no stopping lakeside feud By JOHN REINAN john.reinan@startribune.com

See RESORTS on A11 Ø

No HQ, but Amazon growing rapidly in MSP By KAVITA KUMAR • kavita.kumar@startribune.com

Just four years ago, Amazon had no physical presence in Minnesota. Then came an 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Shakopee, along with a smaller nearby sorting center. A delivery station in Eagan. A Prime Now hub in an industrial park in Minneapolis. And, most recently, a new and expanding tech office in the trendy North Loop. “It’s growing at an incredibly fast rate based on an incredibly large amount of volume it’s

72°

Some say stats don’t tell full story of encounters.

Associated Press

The North Korean leader may not only want, but need, a deal with the United States. A8

96°

Blazing sunshine; a hot holiday weekend! B16

Police use of force declining in Mpls.

RESORTS REDEFINE FAMILY VACATION

By KIM TONG-HYUNG

Kim’s possible goals

PAGES

WORLD

St. Paul feeling left out in transit

Korea’s Kim and Moon held a surprise meeting at border truce village.

leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in met for the second time in a month on Saturday, holding a surprise summit at a border truce village to discuss Kim’s potential meeting with President Donald Trump, Moon’s office said. Kim and Moon met hours after South Korea expressed relief over revived talks for a summit between Trump and Kim following a whirlwind 24 hours that saw Trump cancel the highly anticipated meeting before saying it’s potentially back on. The quickly arranged meeting seemed to show Kim’s urgency to secure a summit with Trump, which may provide his best shot at saving his economy from crushing sanctions and win security assurances in a region surrounded by enemies, analysts say. On Saturday, White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said a U.S. team will leave for Singapore as scheduled “to prepare should the summit take place.” It remains unclear whether Kim would ever agree to fully abandon his nuclear arsenal in return. Moon has insisted Kim can be persuaded to abandon his nuclear facilities, materials and bombs in a verifiable and irreversible way in exchange for credible security and

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doing,” said Thomas Paulson, a Minneapolis investment analyst who has followed Amazon for more than a decade. While the Twin Cities did not make the list of finalists for Amazon’s highly sought-after second headquarters, with up to 50,000 high-paying corporate jobs, the company’s local operations are growing quickly and now employ more than 2,300 people. Amazon continues to rapidly expand its infrastructure in See AMAZON on A11 Ø

ANTHONY SOUFFLÉ • anthony.souffle@startribune.com

Mohamedamin Budul packed an order at the Amazon fulfillment center in Shakopee.

ONAMIA, MINN. – The makeshift road along Mazomanie Point feels more like a cowpath than the entrance to an exclusive Lake Mille Lacs enclave. Muddy, rutted and rockstrewn, it winds along the peninsula’s shore, with Cove Bay on one side and a swamp on the other, twisting and turning with barely room in places for a single vehicle to squeeze between the trees. It hardly seems like something that could inspire a bitter, decadeslong feud among neighbors, one that involves sabotage, sheriff ’s deputies and hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees. Yet this little track through the woods has done just that, sparking a heated and passionate dispute on an issue that infuriates many Minnesotans: eminent domain, or the taking of private property by the government.

See LAND on A10 Ø

TISSOT chrono XL. AVAILABLE AT US.TISSOTSHOP.COM AND SELECT WATCH AND JEWELRY STORES NATIONWIDE

More of what matters to Minnesota. All day. Every day.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: 612-673-4343 or go to startribune.com/subscribe

STAR TRIBUNE Minneapolis, St. Paul MN • Volume XXXVII • No. 53 • May 27, 2018 ONLINE: startribune.com • NEWS TIPS: 612-673-4414 • COMMENTS: 612-673-4000

S TA R T R I B U N E • A11

S U N DAY, M AY 2 7 , 2 0 1 8

A new rental property being built at Grand View Lodge offers the latest in decor and amenities.

ø RESORTS from A1

includes several $1 millionplus cottages, Japanese soaking tubs and an activities center that includes a bocce ball stadium and pickleball court. The expansion, the largest in the state, is a sign of changing times for the state’s resorts, which are competing with private short-term rentals and overbooked family schedules. The number of resorts in the state peaked around 3,000 in the 1970s but has shrunk to fewer than 800. “We’re always looking to innovate and figure how to bring new experiences to our guests,” said Abbey Pieper, whose grandfather started Madden’s on Gull Lake 89 years ago. Madden’s, which was pummeled by a 2015 summer storm, recently went through a $13 million renovation. And to attract a new generation with higher expectations, it just opened two new restaurants. One features a chef from South Africa and gets fresh fish flown in several times a week. In addition to the resort’s non-

Grounds keeper Jim Kostreba planted flowers in the boxes lining the walkway to the beach at Grand View Lodge.

Susan Norlander, an esthetician and nail technician, helped a client choose a nail color in the resort’s spa.

RESORTS TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE JONESES stop golf activities, there’s a water-skiing school and a training program for those who want to fly seaplanes. “People want to do something they don’t do at home,” said Pieper, who now runs the resort with her brother. At Eddy’s Resort, a longtime fishing camp on Lake Mille Lacs known mostly for its guided fishing launches, a new owner has built several more modern cabins, and a revamped gastropub-style restaurant serves gourmet flatbreads and craft cocktails. “They’re working hard to really keep up with the expectations of their guests,” said Dan McElroy, president and CEO of Hospitality Minnesota. Pat Simmons, a researcher at Explore Minnesota who tracks vacation trends across the state, said one of the most notable shifts in the industry

has to do with complicated family schedules. He said that because families are more likely to have two parents working and kids in sports, finding time to commit to a week away is sometimes impossible. So resorts that offer hotel-style lodging and short-term private rentals are attracting more guests. “The resorts that have maintained their viability tend to be the ones that have kept themselves up to date in various ways,” he said. Towering hotels, gambling Some of the biggest resort expansions underway are happening at places McElroy calls “vertical resorts.” These are typically hotels that offer gambling in areas that were once resort hot spots. Treasure Island Resort in Red Wing has a new hotel tower with 200plus units. At Star Lake in Otter

Tail County, the White Earth band of Ojibwe has long been planning a hotel, marina and small casino. At Cote Family Cos., new Chief Executive Thomas Juliano tracks the growing competition, including private rentals on websites like Airbnb and VRBO. “Airbnb is not going anywhere,” Juliano said. “Grand View’s amenities help us differentiate ourselves.” Juliano was recently hired to shepherd expansions at Grand View and the company’s other properties. He’s worked with several upscale hotels in Vail, Colo., and Hawaii and knows that offering travelers the kinds of activities you can’t get at most private rentals gives the company a competitive advantage. Regular guest Kim Holm said she and her husband drive Up North every chance they get, often with their two chil-

dren and five grandchildren. They stay in a house they bought but have enrolled in a rental program. Though the “cabin” has a full-service modern kitchen, Holm said they rarely cook because there are so many dining options on site. And her grandkids are so stimulated after a day on Jet Skis, banana boats and bikes, there’s never a chance of getting bored. “My grandkids would rather go to Grand View than to Disney World,” said Holm, who first stayed at Grand View Lodge 30 years ago. Grand View has one edge few others can claim: a spot on the National Register of Historic Places. As the 102-yearold business enters its second century, the resort’s log lodge still looks plucked from an Adirondack camp. Soon it will add Fairway Pines, a cluster of 20 Crafts-

man-style houses that are being professionally designed with golf course views, an outdoor pool and a 100-yard putting course. Prices start at $500,000. There are also 21 new fourbedroom “garden cottages that will cost $1 million or more. The Cote family is also upgrading its Camp Lincoln, which is getting an all new indoor rec center that includes a cardio room and indoor basketball court. And at the family’s Tanque Verde dude ranch in Tucson, Ariz., a new 40,000-square-foot event barn will overlook the Saguaro National Park and Rincon Mountains. Bob Cote, whose formal role with his family company is chairman of the board, said that even as private rental ventures grow, there’s still a deep well of people who want more than just a cabin by the lake. “The question is, can you do that and continue to make money?” he said. “Some can and some can’t.” Jim Buchta • 612-673-7376

Amazon’s local footprint is big and getting bigger ø AMAZON from A1

Photos by ANTHONY SOUFFLÉ • anthony.souffle@startribune.com

Packages traveled down a conveyor belt before receiving a shipping label at Amazon’s fulfillment center in Shakopee.

While robotics plays a big role in Amazon’s fulfillment center, at least four humans will still touch a package before it goes out the door, company officials say. Amazon EDEN Fulfillment PRAIRIE Center 101

E. 4th St. Eag Canterbury le C Park ree kB lvd . 169

SHAKOPEE Source: maps4news.com HERE

Canterbury Rd. S.

which ones are emptiest, not by product category. The system tells packers which box best fits a product and spits out exactly the right amount of packing tape to fit that size box. Russell said the robots have cut down on the amount of walking employees have to do and also created new opportunities for people in the company. “This technology has allowed us to create some new

ll Rd. S.

shows a picture and description of the item and which shelf to find it on. He grabs it, scans it to verify it’s the right item, and places it into one of several yellow totes lined up to his right. He hustles back and forth from pod to tote, pod to tote. “It’s a good workout,” said the 26-year-old Bloomington resident, adding that he’s lost 40 pounds since he started the job nine months ago. He had just moved back home after living abroad and his insurance was about to expire when he saw an ad on TV that the fulfillment center was hiring with starting wages around $15 an hour and benefits. Two days later, he was hired. He said workers are encouraged to go as fast as they can while being safe and doing it right. The average picker handles about 400 items an hour, he said, and the team is encouraged to meet that goal. His record? “Seven hundred eighty-five,” he said without blinking. The robots are one of many ways Amazon has brought more efficiency and speed to its network. In the North Loop, Amazon has about 150 tech workers working on new transportation technology, delivery services and its fastgrowing cloud-computing division. Among the projects the group has worked on are Amazon lockers, which provide a way for customers to pick up their online orders in shopping malls, grocery stores and other retail locations. The company said a few weeks ago that it will add an additional 200 jobs at the North Loop office, where it takes up almost half of the seven-story T3 building. That same week, Amazon also announced it would add thousands of jobs at tech hubs in Boston and Vancouver. That’s on top of the 45,000 jobs Amazon already has at its Seattle headquarters — and up to 50,000 more coming to the city that lands its second corporate campus. In Shakopee, the fulfillment center is built around optimization at every step in the process. Items are randomly stored in pods based on

Mar s cha

major metro areas around the country as it works to get closer to where consumers live and to more quickly and cheaply dispatch packages to them. The company had 563,100 workers at last count and is adding more at upward of 60 percent a year. It has surpassed big employers like Minneapolis-based Target Corp., which has 345,000 people, and Paulson believes Amazon could have more than a million people in its ranks by 2020. “It’s mind-blowing,” he said. “I don’t know how their HR is doing it.” Many of those workers are in one of Amazon’s 175 fulfillment centers worldwide, such as the one in Shakopee. The facility, which opened in July 2016, is in operation around the clock with about 2,000 workers who work 10-hour shifts four days a week. Dubbed “MSP1” — the company names its warehouses using the code for the nearest airport — the operation is one of only 25 in Amazon’s network that use a cutting-edge robotics platform. Behind a chain-link fence, thousands of circular orange robots that resemble Roomba vacuums have millions of square feet to cruise over four floors, scurrying like mice shuffling among stacks in a library. The aisles are full of pods — nine-level shelving units stocked with coffee filters, phone chargers, and hundreds of thousands of other products Amazon customers might purchase. The facility can send packages anywhere around the United States, but mostly ships to addresses around the Upper Midwest. When an order comes in, a robot is directed to the closest pod that has that item, lifts the whole unit slightly off the ground, and then transports it, moving about 3 miles per hour, to one of dozens of picking stations. “One of the cool things here is that just like Minneapolis, which has freeways and highways, we have high trafficked kind of roadways,” said John Russell, director of operations. At the picking stations, workers like Evan Collins glance up at a screen that

jobs that didn’t exist before,” he said. “These roles are more skilled and require different levels of training.” Among those new roles, he said, are “amnesty floor monitors,” whose job is to pick up products if they fall out of a pod. These workers use Kindles to create a virtual pathway to get to the items and block robotics traffic along the route. Other retailers including Richfield-based Best Buy and Target are also testing ways to bring more automation and robotics into their distribution centers as they look to become faster and more efficient to better compete with Amazon. Casey Carl, Target’s former chief innovation officer, said he expects of lot of big retailers to invest in this area. “Robotics plus humans — that’s going to be the answer for at least the next several years,” he said. “They’re replacing and displacing certain jobs and routines, but they’re also creating a lot of other ones.” While robotics plays a big role in Amazon’s fulfillment center, at least four humans will still touch a package before it goes out the door,

Russell said. In addition to the picking stations, there are areas where employees stock the pods full of products coming in from vendors or other Amazon facilities. There are packing areas where workers place the items in boxes. And there are people who load the trucks. Some trucks head to Amazon’s sorting center a few miles away where packages are separated by ZIP code and then to the closest Postal Service office to help speed up deliveries. Same-day delivery orders head to the delivery station in Eagan from which packages are sent out in vans to customers’ doorsteps. Amazon’s deliveries within an hour or two are handled from the Prime Now hub in Minneapolis where drivers, who work on an arrangement similar to Uber and Lyft, stream in and out throughout the day to pick up orders. On the walls in many of Amazon’s buildings, from the fulfillment center to the Prime Now hub, are the same words to encourage workers in large letters: “Work Hard. Have Fun. Make History.” Kavita Kumar • 612-673-4113

EDITED BY LESLEY McKENZIE WRITTEN BY MARGARET KEARNS

Pick Your Paradise

FIND YOUR PERFECT STATE OF ALOHA

FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA

Travel - opener

You can’t really go wrong when plotting a trip to the jasmine blossom-scented archipelago of Hawaii—the very word elicits a contended exhale. But each of the major

A cabana at the adults-only infinity pool at FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA.

islands offers its own unique magic, suited to varied types of travelers. Here, a miniguide to our favorites, from the Big Island to Kauai.

NOVEMBER 2017 C 83

THE JET-SETTER

will also arrange for everything, from a once-in-a-lifetime flight aboard a World War II warbird to a diving trip off a private yacht and a helicopter tour around the island. From $625; fourseasons.com/oahu.

THE HONEYMOONERS

The MAUNA LANI SPA outdoor hale.

The Big Island is known for its varied terrain— from black volcanic rock to lush rainforest—and the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel & Bungalows, set on a white, sandy beach, promises environs that live up to your vision of tropical paradise (and unabashed newlywed bliss). Highlights include a freestanding spa envisioned by Sylvia Sepielli and in-demand local designer Gina Willman, regional cuisine at the CanoeHouse restaurant, and the property’s luxurious 2,700-square-foot oceanfront bungalows (with an additional 1,300 square feet of private exterior space), outfitted with private pools, spas and outdoor grills. Rooms from $419; maunalani.com.

ISLAND Life What’s better than visiting Hawaii? Living there, of course, at least parttime. As demand for high-end second homes continues to climb—especially on the Big Island—developers are answering with new and expanded luxury residential communities. Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel, a property on the Kohala Coast’s worldclass Hapuna Beach, will convert one of its towers from

Travel - turn THE FAMILY

The GRAND WAILEA Wailea Canyon Activity Pool includes nine slides.

The Grand Wailea—a Waldorf Astoria resort and oceanfront mainstay—offers activities for the entire family in a prime, perennially sunny location on the island. Activities abound: from The Rock, the 20,000-squarefoot complex that houses the resort’s kids club, Camp Grande, to the 25,700-square-foot Wailea Canyon Activity Pool, replete with waterslides, rapids, rope swings, caves, a lazy river and a sand beach. Don’t miss the Fishpipe, a 90-second water ride that spins thrill seekers inside a rotating barrel, akin to a mile-long slide. From $495; grandwailea.com.

THE COUNTRY-CLUBBER Feel right at home renting a custom modern residence in the private club community at Lodge at Kukui’ula, whose abundant amenities include golf and tennis, dining at Umeke Kitchen + Bar, picnicking on the area’s lush 10-acre farm, and recreation and relaxation at Hi’ilani Spa + Fitness (the signature Seven-Step Wet Ritual, complete with plunge pool, is a must). Rooms from $750, with a three-night minimum stay required; lodgeatkukuiula.com. C 84 NOVEMBER 2017

A view of the REES JONES GOLF COURSE at KOHANAIKI.

guest rooms to oceanfront condominiums as the Hapuna Beach Residences at Mauna Kea Resort, inviting 60 families to stay in residences ranging in size from one to four bedrooms, priced from about $1.6 million to $7 million. Pre-sales begin in January 2018. maunakealiving.com. Kohanaiki, the Big Island’s newest high-design luxury residential community, encompasses 450 acres along the Kona Coast, and is set to offer the most unique resort amenities in the islands (read: a 67,000-squarefoot clubhouse that features, among other draws, a movie theater and a bowling alley). Devel- From above: A SHAY ZAKopment continues; designed current prices range custom hale. HAPUNA BEACH from about $3 million to $22 million. kohanaiki.com.

The PLANTATION HOUSE at LODGE AT KUKUI’ULA.

RESIDENCES AT MAUNA KEA RESORT.

FOUR SEASONS: FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA. MAUNA LANI: MAUNA LANI BAY HOTEL & BUNGALOWS. GRAND WAILEA: GRAND WAILEA. KUKUI’ULA: KUKUI’ULA. KOHANAIKI: KOHANAIKI.

The penthouse suite terrace at Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina.

Featuring a casually elegant design by de Reus Architects and Philpotts Interiors— one of Hawaii’s most beloved design firms— Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko Olina, a five-star resort that opened in May 2016, is Oahu’s most hotly tipped luxury destination in decades. Its defining elements include the four-level Naupaka Spa & Wellness Centre and a Michael Mina-helmed Fish House restaurant. The over-the-top concierge service

YOUR JOURNEY BEGINS WITH US

MAY | JUNE 2018

Well Traveled

Poolside bliss: Massages at one of Banyan Tree Phuket’s Spa Sanctuary villas.

Thailand Says Relax The overachiever’s guide to slowing down on a tropical spa retreat. BY AMY CASSELL 78

HE BEAUTY OF TRAVEL OFTEN LIES IN THE REALIZATIONS

that come with miles logged. We discover things about ourselves that we wouldn’t learn at home. My latest epiphany: I’ll never be a type A wellness seeker. The setting for this revelation is Phuket, the 222-square-mile island (Thailand’s largest) beloved by partyers and peace seekers alike. Beyond its rowdy beach bars and sacred Buddhist temples, there’s no shortage of

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Well Traveled

On the Sanctuary Wellbeing menu: Multiple yoga classes.

gorgeous retreats, tucked into lushly landscaped coastal complexes with open-air yoga pavilions, juice bars, and pristine sunset perches. One of the originals is Banyan Tree Phuket, a 175-villa escape opened in 1994 on the island’s quiet northwest coast. I’m excited to try the resort’s new Sanctuary Wellbeing program, available to guests staying in the Spa Sanctuary, a serene hideout away from the main resort, comprising 12 spacious villas with oversize private plunge pools, steam showers, and “floating” bedrooms surrounded by lotus ponds. Guests work with one of Banyan Tree’s well-being consultants to create their own personalized retreats, consisting of fitness classes, healthy-living workshops, and mindful, distinctive-to-Phuket experiences – plus daily Thai massages. My consultant, Elizabeth, arrives as I’m settling into my villa, wandering around in a blissful, jet-lag-induced haze, deciding whether my first float should be in the pool or the showstopper of a soaking tub in my private garden courtyard. Elizabeth guides me through a one-page questionnaire to help determine my plan for the next four days. She asks what my goal is while I’m here: Do I want to be free, light, fit, or open? I want to be all of them, I think. She shows me Banyan Tree’s wellness holy grail, a calendar of 50 different weekly activities. She recommends Slow

Stretch – a nice way to ease into my stay – plus Posture Alignment and a Hearty Recipes cooking class. I tell her Ocean Breath sounds interesting too. Oh, and Thai Boxing Basics. And what is Conscious Grounding? I collect my feel-good, selfimprovement experiences with abandon. If this is mindfulness academy, I’m gunning for “most likely to succeed.” There’s no time for pool or tub before I’m

off to my first session, the private posture alignment. A trainer assesses my spinal health and declares it OK, with the exception of my slightly rounded shoulders, a trait my mom will also gladly point out. She spends the next 45 minutes guiding me through exercises I can do at home to help. At the end, I ask her if I passed or failed, and she laughs without answering. I rush past the pool area and on to my stretch session in the gym, wondering why three other guests are in here when it’s so nice outside. But I’m also one of these people. The next morning, I head to Bang Tao Beach – a public stretch of sand across a twolane street from Banyan Tree – for a guided meditation session, during which I struggle to disconnect while simultaneously mastering proper abdominal breathing. Then it’s cooking class at the Watercourt restaurant overlooking the resort’s lagoon, where I’m certain the chef notices my poor knife skills, and I accidentally get a bit of red chili in my eye. A woman breezes by outside on her loaner bike, surely headed for the beach. I miss my villa. My restorative getaway is stressing me out. I’m falling into the same habit I’ve come here to take a break from: overcommitting myself in an attempt to do it all. Sure, everyone has their own speed on these types of

READY, SET, FEEL GOOD

Stay as busy – or relaxed – as you’d like at these spa resorts.

Guests in the Spa Sanctuary villas at Banyan Tree Phuket choose between unlimited massages (administered in their villa’s open-air sala) or access to the new Sanctuary Wellbeing program. Everyone gets fresh juice shots in the morning, afternoon tea, and nightly inroom sleep rituals.

Spa Sanctuary villas from $849, including breakfast daily and one complimentary lunch or dinner for two. Get sweaty in a circuit-training class or find inner peace on your own while journaling and skygazing at the 496room La Cantera Resort & Spa in San

Antonio. Options are vast at dinner too: The resort’s nine restaurants include Tex-Mex at Primero Cantina and classic fine dining at Signature. Doubles from $240, including breakfast daily and a $100 resort credit. Tuscany’s 128-room Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort

neighbors geothermal springs dating to the eighth century BC. Soak when you want, or enroll in a multiday beauty, physiological, or weight-loss program that incorporates the waters into medical and holistic treatments. Doubles from $362, including breakfast daily and a $100 hotel credit.

V I RT U O S O L I F E

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TIP “Phuket is full of happy people and great beaches, resorts, golf, and yoga. Have your resort arrange a boat tour to Phang Nga Bay – cruising past the karst islands is a beautiful way to spend a day.”

AMY CASSELL

– Anne Crawford, Virtuoso travel advisor, Dana Point, California

trips, but I’ve unintentionally merged into the wellness fast lane. When Elizabeth checks in, I mention that I’ve felt a little busy. But this is the joy of Banyan Tree’s program: freedom and flexibility. The resort designed it to be approachable and unintimidating, helpful but not clinical. Changing your mind is not a trip ruiner, and schedules can easily be adjusted with a day’s notice. Halfway through your time here, if you decide you

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want to be more “free” than “fit,” have at it. I make it a point to pass the rest of my stay at a slightly more leisurely pace. I laze on my villa’s daybed, taking swim breaks in between chapters of my book. I hit the spa, spread out across 20 private garden pavilions, for a 90-minute massage. During dinner at Saffron, Banyan Tree’s signature Thai restaurant, I skip the “healthy” menu suggestions and order pad thai and a glass of pinot gris. I stick with the program too: I lie back and let a trainer ply my limbs like an accordion during a Thai-style superstretch session, and I sign up for an inspiring early-morning almsgiving ceremony with a group of local monks. Some travelers want that go-go-go schedule, but there’s no way everyone interested in a retreat like this fits into the same standard box. Wellness is subjective, and it’s all right to opt for the ocean over the elliptical machine. You can slow down and still leave feeling mindful. No matter which you choose, you’re – most likely – going to succeed.

Bang Tao Beach, the setting for Banyan Tree’s Ocean Breath meditation session.

4/5/18 10:31 AM

APRIL/MAY 2018 » L AGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

PALATE

PLEASERS DIG INTO LAGUNA’S LATEST DINING NEWS

IN PU RS U I T O F S TY LE

AB O VE PA R

UP YOUR G AM E

MENSWEAR FOR EVERY OCCASION, FROM WORK TO THE WEEKEND

LOCAL GOLF COURSES, THE LATEST TECH AND FASHION FOR THE GREENS

BOOST YOUR STYLE, WORKOUT, DRINK CHOICE AND MORE

W ES T- SI D E WONDERS A leeward locale, Ko Olina offers a peaceful Hawaiian retreat and fun adventures for adult travelers and families alike. By Katherine Duncan and Sharon Stello

Outrigger canoe rides depart from a man-made lagoon in Ko Olina.

GETTING THERE Reaching this destination is about to become even easier as Hawaiian Airlines is adding daily, nonstop

LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA

C U LTURA L EX PL ORATI ON

TOP AND BOTTOM LEFT: COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA; BOTTOM RIGHT: COURTESY OF KAHUMANA FARM

LAGUNA BEACH MAGAZINE

Counterclockwise from top left: Kaena Point; monk seal; phyllocrusted butterfish and If Can, Can cocktail at Mina’s Fish House

LAGUNABEACHMAGAZINE.COM

O H A NA MAGIC

BOTTOM LEFT: BRAM REUSEN/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM; ALL OTHERS: COURTESY OF FOUR SEASONS RESORT OAHU AT KO OLINA

UK £10.00 US $16.99 AUS $16.99 CDN $17.99 DKK 125.00 FR €14.50 DE €14.90 ITA €14.50 JPN ¥2000 SGP $28.50 ES €14.00 CHF 18.90 AED 85.00

MAY 2018

*THE STUFF THAT REFINES YOU

Tricks and treats Ssssscary monsters, design demons and a nonagenarian icon

Next stop Salone All aboard for our bumper Milan Preview

Go east The rise of the post-Soviets

Super natural The digital sublime of Studio Drift

Future factories How making is moving on

Double dishes from the Campana brothers

Travel

Scene setter ORIGIN GRILL & BAR, SINGAPORE

The latest outfit to join the impeccable stable of eateries at Singapore’s Shangri-La Hotel is Origin, which occupies the ground floor spot vacated by the iconic Nadaman. Designed by A Work of Substance, the space unfolds as a series of set-pieces. Just off the coppery-arched foyer is the bar, a moody blue cavern offering a cocktail menu spiked with jackfruit marmalade, torch ginger flowers, bamboo leaves and osthmanthus fortified wine. In the main room, furnished like an old-fashioned train station platform with hand-stitched Tripolina leather chairs and globe lamps, chef Heidi Flanagan grills snow-aged Niigata wagyu, Fremantle octopus and Lombok lobsters on the charcoal and wood oven. DW Shangri-La Hotel, 22 Orange Grove Road, Singapore, tel: 65.6213 4595, shangri-la.com

Hollywood treasure LA PEER HOTEL, LOS ANGELES

The Kimpton hotel group’s latest property has opened in West Hollywood’s Design District, cleaving close to the brand’s MO for opening in buzzy quarters. Icelandicborn designer Gulla Jónsdóttir has meshed a European sensibility with a strong sense of place. As such, a white topography artwork of the LA landscape dominates the entrance, while a poolside installation by local graffiti artist Retna sits alongside Gaudi tiles from Barcelona. Guest rooms feature muted grey and beige tones, white oak herringbone floors and giant soaking tubs, where bubbles and champagne can be waiting after dinner at the hotel’s modern trattoria Viale dei Romani. Carole Dixon 627 North La Peer Drive, West Hollywood, California, US, tel: 1.213 296 3038, lapeerhotel.com. Rates: from $448

High impact

Photography: Chris Cypert, Laure Joliet, Fernando Guerra

THE CATUÇABA HIDEAWAY, SÃO PAULO

Located on a 12,000-acre farming estate and set high on a bluff swathed in brush, The Catuçaba revels in its isolation. Using responsibly sourced Amazon hardwoods, Studio MK27 has fashioned an elongated floating platform of expansive timber decks, bedrooms and cosy spaces furnished with locally-accented rugs, blue window shutters, textiles and clay bricks. Eucalyptus twig screens cast mesmerising shadows and provide cross-breezes during summer, while chillier nights can be whiled away in a copper bathtub or by ceramic wood-burning stoves. Days can be spent on horseback trails with strapping gauchos, doing laps in rock pools, or eating platters of grass-fed steaks in local village restaurants. DW São Luíz do Paraitinga, São Paulo, tel: 41.41 520 60 46, offgridhideaways.com. Rates: from $750

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26 MARCH 2018

THE COURTYARD LOUNGE AT THE LA PEER HOTEL

GUSTAVO DUDAMEL / LINDSEY ADELMAN / MLK STUDIO HERMÃ&#x2C6;S / PATRICK PAINTER / GEORGE ESQUIVEL FROGTOWN / FREDERICK FISHER / JUST ONE EYE

Lisa Boone / Photography by Lisa Romerein

WEHO

ROCKS

HOTEL

LA PEER

The

Text by

KIMPTON PLANTS ITS FLAG IN THE DESIGN DISTRICT WITH A GLAM NEW DESTINATION THAT CELEBRATES LOS ANGELES STYLE magine the quintessential contemporary Los Angeles hotel, and it might look something like the new Kimpton La Peer. From the street, the elegant building’s clean lines and tile-clad façade evoke the classic Art Deco designs of Southern California architect Stiles O. Clements, who designed the Wiltern Theater and the Eastern Columbia Building. Yet inside, an undulating wall-mounted topographical map of Los Angeles behind a sensuous liquid-metal reception desk gives the hotel a distinctive contemporary character. Add site-specific works by Los Angeles artists Tanya Aguiniga, Guerin Swing, Elena Manferdini and Retna, and you have a destination hotel whose every thoughtful detail seems to say “Welcome to L.A.”

Opposite: Elizabeth Moule of Moule & Polyzoides Architects worked with architect and designer Gulla Jonsdottir to create Kimpton’s new La Peer Hotel in West Hollywood. This page: For the lobby lounge, Jonsdottir selected sofas from Saba Italia, lighting by Italamp and side tables by Zanotta, Baxter, Skram and the Phillips Collection. She designed the custom rug and chandelier.

Left: A custom sofa anchors one end of the lobby lounge; to the left is a Smock lounge chair by Moroso. The circular sconce is by Henge; custom chairs and table by Jonsdottir. Below left: a sitting area in the lobby lounge. Right: Another custom sofa in the lounge is paired with Baxter tables and custom chairs; leather tiles accent the curved ceiling. Jonsdottir created sculptural panels to define the lobby spaces without sealing them off. Far right: The elevators are hand-painted by Japanese artist Kahori Maki. Below: Jonsdottir designed the metal reception desk and the topographical map of Los Angeles that enhances the wall.

For the past three years Los Angeles-based architect Gulla Jonsdottir has been overseeing the interior design of the 105room hotel, which opened in January. Located on a narrow tree-lined street nestled between Santa Monica Boulevard and Melrose Avenue, the ground-up project is one of few hotels in West Hollywood’s Design District. Eager to “resonate to the pulse” of neighbors and prominent Los Angeles designers such as Martyn Lawrence Bullard, Kelly Wearstler and Commune, Jonsdottir says she wanted to create a hotel “where art, music, fashion, poetry, film and architecture intertwine within a context of spatial harmony.” For Jonsdottir, no detail is too small to overlook. Indeed, she designed the striking reception desk and the three-dimensional map of Los Angeles on the wall behind it. A Poliform sofa and chairs invite guests to linger before being transport-

ed in elevators swathed in hand-painted wallcoverings by Japanese graphic artist Kahori Maki. (Her work also graces the ceilings of the first-floor restrooms). In the lobby, Richard Serra-like concrete sculptures create privacy and separate the sun-drenched lounge area from the hotel entrance. A designer who loves to play with texture, Jonsdottir installed leather tiles on the curvaceous walls and ceiling of the lounge to “hug you in.” Leather furnishings from Baxter and Moroso and clubby sofas and ottomans from Saba Italia encourage guests to sit down, work or enjoy something from the neighboring bar. Sculptural side tables by Zanotta, Skram and the Phillips Collection impart an organic feel, and a variety of lighting—from

Henge sconces to Foscarini and Italamp pieces to a custom chandelier—casts a warm glow. Mixed in among the artworks are coffee-table books on fashion, art and architecture hand-picked by Jonsdottir; lacquered-aluminum wire planters by Point 1920 and custom tables and rugs by Jonsdottir round out the space. If it feels residential, that’s intentional. “I wanted the hotel to feel like a home in the Hollywood Hills,” says Jonsdottir.

In an effort to highlight the work of the neighborhood’s world-class design community, Jonsdottir chose furnishings and accessories from Mass Beverly, Niche Beverly, Poltrona Frau, H. D. Buttercup and floral designer Eric Buterbaugh, among others. But the creative details don’t stop there. In the

She wanted to create a hotel “where art, music, fashion, poetry, film and architecture intertwine.”

breezeway leading out to the pool, a neon artwork by Christopher Wilcox is mounted on exposed board-form concrete across from a poetry wall that Jonsdottir calls Trapped Love. There Wilcox has mounted discarded love letters from the 1930s in encased plastic. For Jonsdottir, art is her ultimate inspiration. “I always put art first,” she says. “I want people to feel the energy of the art.” Walls of glass open from the lobby to a pool and the outdoor bar and lounge areas. Green Gaudi tiles from Spain adorn the wall behind the bar, while crustacean-like pendants illuminate the walnut bartop. At night, lanterns suspended from olive trees create a warm glow in an intimate courtyard. For contrast, a collaborative graffiti wall installation between Guerin Swing and the street artist Retna offers a counterpoint to the elegant furnishings by Roda, Kettal, Branca and Roberti Rattan. At the far end of the lobby, chef Casey Lane’s Viale dei Romani restaurant (designed by Katie Dahl of Parts and Labor Design) has the feel of a Parisian café, with blue tile and cozy mustard-colored velvet banquettes.

More surprises await in the guest rooms, where room numbers are designed to look like price tags (a nod to the Pacific Design Center and other design showrooms nearby), and a gold Jeff Koons balloon rabbit sits on every bedside table. The palette in the rooms is neutral, but the details are strong: Pale custom tiles in geometric patterns line the walls of the bathrooms; freestanding bathtubs are obscured behind frosted glass; geometric pendant lights designed by Jonsdottir add an architectural element. “Our strategic goal at the Kimpton La Peer is simple,” says general manager Nick Rimedio. “We want to become an anchor of the Design District, L.A.’s most walkable neighborhood, where visitors and residents alike experience the sense of an oasis, a haven that feels like home.” That haven is actually a contemporary take on other vernacular courtyard buildings in Hollywood and West Hollywood. “It draws on some wonderful veins of architecture that were present in California in the 1920s and 1930s,” says the building’s architect, Elizabeth Moule, of Pasadena-based Moule & Polyzoides. “There are a lot beautiful courtyard and middle-density buildings in Hollywood. It’s a long tradition we wanted to continue.”

And while some hotels feel like a busy airport the minute you pull up, the La Peer exudes a sense of repose. “A lot of luxury is based upon privacy and quiet,” says Moule. “We wanted it to be a very concentrated and immersive experience. We wanted people to know when they wake up in the morning that they are in L.A.” Adds Jonsdottir: “When you walk in, you know it’s not New York.”

Opposite above: The pool area features a variety of outdoor brands: Roberti Rattan lounge chairs and daybed; T&J Vestor Bubble Gold pendants and Niche Orbita pendants; Orson director chairs by Roda; Point 1920 chairs and planters; an Ethimo Swing sofa; and Paola Lenti pillows. Opposite below: Jonsdottir furnished the bar area with custom barstools and pendants.

Below left: In the outdoor lounge area, Branca Shell lounge chairs surround a Hocuspocus coffee table by Swisspearl. A Roda rocking chair sits by a Zanotta Teti side table. The olive tree is hung with T&J Vestor lanterns, and T&J Vestor pillows soften built-in benches on the far wall. A site-specific work by the Los Angeles artists Retina and Guerin Swing enlivens the space.

Below: Noted chef Casey Lane’s new restaurant, Vitale dei Romani—designed by Katie Dahl of Parts and Labor Design— is adjacent to the hotel’s lobby lounge.

This page: Jonsdottir designed custom beds, pendants and tables for the guest rooms. A Jeff Koons, balloon rabbit sits on the side table.

Below left: Architect and designer Gulla Jonsdottir, who worked on the La Peer Hotel project with Kimpton for three years.

Below: A sitting area in a guest suite is furnished with a Moroso chair, a Nevo pendant by Arturo Alvarez and a Phillips Collection side table.

Above: Other guest rooms feature string art by Tanya Aguiniga and custom lamps and chairs. Right: The baths are fitted with free-standing Americh tubs, Waterworks fixtures and custom tile. A frosted-glass panel separates the bath from the guest room.

“Our strategic goal at the Kimpton La Peer is simple— we want to become an anchor of the Design District.” Kimpton La Peer Hotel 627 N. La Peer Drive, West Hollywood lapeerhotel.com, 855.239.4324

345 N. MAPLE DRIVE, STE. 310, BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210

15 TH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

@LACMAGA Z I N E M O D E R N L U X U R Y. C O M

ANA DE ARMAS

SPACE | HOTEL S

STAYCATION…

All I Ever Wanted With LA’s explosion of chic new hotels, there’s no better time for Industry insiders to sneak out of the house for a little plush stay-and-play. BY KATHRYN ROMEYN

ne might look at Greater Los Angeles’ spate of gorgeously designed, well-placed hotel openings (see: Figueroa, Freehand and NoMad in DTLA; Everly and Dream in Hollywood) as merely another draw for out-of-towners. But then one would be missing the silver(-screen) lining. These sceney luxury bolt-holes, opening their doors in rapid-fire succession from Downtown to Malibu— and West Hollywood in between, of course—may actually be best suited for locals to enjoy. The LA staycation of today is not merely about getting away from one’s own house to sleep in an even better bed that comes with room service. It’s about settling into the vibe of a place, enjoying the decor, soaking up the ambience and, perhaps most importantly, relishing a taste of some of the best cuisine and design in the city. Four new openings, in particular, stand out as the spots for H’wood types to spend the night right now.

78 LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL

M O D E R N L U X U R Y. C O M

The perfect place to stay after a long day at the studio? The swank-glam Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills channels the likes of Bob Iger and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

SPACE | HOTEL S

...continued

Amenities/Perks: La Peer—with 105 guest rooms and suites, including a fourth-floor penthouse with all one-of-a-kind artwork, and a 4,000-square-foot rooftop terrace—reflects its surroundings in the heart of WeHo’s Design District, mixing materials such as boardformed concrete and leather for the walls and featuring art from the designer’s friends beside six-foot custom light sconces. (In another artistic collaboration, chef Casey Lane’s trattoria Viale dei Romani rocks the hotel.) The pool lounge and patio bar will be a scene for intimate cocktails backdropped by a vertical garden wall lit by hanging lanterns in olive trees. In keeping with its fit neighborhood, JadeYoga mats will grace each room, and guests can awaken with meditation from the custom Yoga Wake Up app or work out with renowned trainer Marco Reed, who’s overseeing all fitness classes and offering diet and meal planning, too. Plus, there’s inroom bottle service, custom picnic baskets for room service, and a bath menu with butler service—probably not on offer at home.

From top: Robert De Niro’s Nobu Ryokan in Malibu is a star-worthy destination for Hollywood types who prefer not to be seen; Kimpton La Peer Hotel balances the young, sceney vibe of WeHo with the exclusivity of a private estate.

627 N. La Peer Drive, West Hollywood, 855.239.4324, lapeerhotel.com

NOBU RYOKAN PERFECT FOR: MOVIE STARS Why: Since April, the debut Nobu Ryokan hotel (from Larry Ellison, with Oscar winner Robert De Niro as a co-founder and producer Meir Teper as principal) has been where A-listers feel comfortable strolling around in their kimonos and bikinis, away from prying eyes, as the intimate 16-room beachfront retreat is strictly off-limits to nonguests. “Ryokan is the place you come to not be seen,” says General Manager Janelle Eng, adding that about 90 percent of the guests “come here to recoup and rejuvenate—pretty much sleep or do nothing—out of the public eye or worry.” Amenities/Perks: A transformation of the ’50s-era Casa Malibu, this first Nobu Ryokan property (more are planned for exotic destinations and major cities) exudes the feeling of omotenashi, the Japanese art of hospitality, transporting guests far from Hollywood and reel/real life. The minimalist aesthetic of the East and the cool elegance of the California coast dictated TAL Studio’s interior design, which includes such highlights as teak soaking tubs, skylights, indoor/outdoor fireplaces and Italian linens. Of course, there are charging stations for the Teslas that arrive en masse, exclusive access to Carbon Beach (aka Billionaires’ Beach), entrée to Malibu Racquet Club and, most excitingly, (nearly) instant access to owner and executive chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s famously fine fish, either next door at the restaurant or in your plush feather bed. As it should be. 22752 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu, noburyokanmalibu.com

80 LOS ANGELES CONFIDENTIAL

M O D E R N L U X U R Y. C O M

ROBERT DE NIRO PHOTO BY ERIK PENDZICH/REX SHUTTERSTOCK VIA ZUMA PRESS; JULIA ROBERTS PHOTO COURTESY OF PRENSA INTERNACIONAL VIA ZUMA WIRE; NOBU RYOKAN HOTEL PHOTO COURTESY OF NOBU RYOKAN; KIMPTON LA PEER HOTEL PHOTO COURTESY OF KIMPTON LA PEER HOTEL

KIMPTON LA PEER HOTEL PERFECT FOR: YOUNG FILM EXECS Why: Opening in late November, “La Peer Hotel will feel more like a West Hollywood private estate than a hotel, capturing the essence of the Design District’s effortless style and relaxed cool,” says general manager Nick Rimedio. Award-winning Icelandic designer Gulla Jónsdóttir conceived the sleek, ultracreative, modern yet lush design. “There is always something happening in our lobby living room and backyard, where power meetings can transition seamlessly into evening cocktails with friends.”

2017

OUR BEEN-THERE, SLEPT-THERE GUIDE TO THE 75 BEST NEW H TELS AND RESORTS

Turn and open the page for all of the winners...followed by reviews and photos that’ll have you booking rooms now.

lettering by DIR K FOWLER

Condé Nast Traveler / 05.17

WHERE Y U’LL FIND

A NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

CARIBBEAN & MEXICO

UNITED STATES & CANADA

1. 11 Howard, New York, N.Y. 2. Ace Hotel New Orleans, La. 3. Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa, Ariz. 4. The Beekman, A Thompson Hotel, New York, N.Y. 5. Brentwood, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. 6. Casa Grande at Vermejo Park Ranch, N.M. 7. Casa Laguna Hotel & Spa, Laguna Beach, Calif. 8. The Dewberry Charleston, S.C. 9. EAST, Miami, Fla. 10. Four Seasons Resort Lanai, Hawaii

Condé Nast Traveler / 05.17

11. Greydon House, Nantucket, Mass. 12. Hotel Saint George, Marfa, Tex. 13. Hôtel William Gray, Montreal, Canada 14. Malibu Beach Inn, Calif. 15. The Peninsula Chicago, Ill. 16. The Robey, Chicago, Ill. 17. Scribner’s Catskill Lodge, Hunter, N.Y. 18. SingleThread Farm-Restaurant-Inn, Sonoma, Calif. 19. Taylor River Lodge, Crested Butte, Colo. 20. Thompson Nashville, Tenn. 21. Thompson Seattle, Wash. 22. Timber Cove Resort, Sonoma, Calif.

23. Chablé Resort, Yucatán, Mexico 24. Hotel Le Toiny, St. Barts 25. Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa, St. Barts 26. Mar Adentro, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico 27. The Other Side, Bahamas 28. The Shore Club Turks and Caicos 29. Villa Marie SaintBarth, St. Barts 30. Zemi Beach House, Anguilla

22 18 14

CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA 31. Atemporal-Hotelito in Lima, Peru 32. Nekupe Sporting Resort and Retreat, Nandaime, Nicaragua

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN

ABOUT NEXT YEAR This is the first time London did not have a single property on our Hot List. Expect it to come back in a big way (we’re already gaga for The Ned).

ASIA

THI NK SM A LL More than half of the hotels on the list this year have fewer than 50 rooms.

68 66 63

57 55

800

Years in age of the ikeniwa (pond garden) at the Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto.

ARABIAN SEA

70 64 65 71

73 56 61

72 69

INDIAN OCEAN

86 Number of times our smallest hotels (28 Kothi, L’Hôtel Marrakech, SingleThread, Thanda Island) could fit into our largest (Jumeirah Al Naseem), based on room count (5:430).

AUSTRALIA

AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST

NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN

EUROPE 33. Casa Bonay, Barcelona, Spain 34. Ha(a)ïtza, Pyla-sur-Mer, France 35. Hôtel Panache, Paris, France 36. Hôtel Saint-Marc, Paris, France 37. Il Sereno, Lake Como, Italy 38. Killiehuntly Farmhouse & Cottage, Scotland 39. La Granja Ibiza, Spain 40. Le Saint, Paris, France 41. Masseria Le Carrube, Ostuni, Italy 42. Nolinski Paris, France 43. Palazzo Venart, Venice, Italy 44. Palé Hall, Gwynedd, Wales 45. The PIG at Combe, Devon, England 46. Ritz Paris, France 47. Roch Hôtel & Spa, Paris, France 48. Sikelia, Pantelleria, Italy 49. Soho House Barcelona, Spain 50. Villa La Coste, Provence, France 51. Villa Pliniana, Lake Como, Italy

52. Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort, Nizwa, Oman 53. andBeyond Matetsi River Lodge, Zimbabwe 54. Banyan Tree Tamouda Bay, Fnideq, Morocco 55. Four Seasons Hotel Abu Dhabi at Al Maryah Island, U.A.E. 56. The Highlands, Ngorongoro, Tanzania 57. Jumeirah Al Naseem, Dubai, U.A.E. 58. Leeu Estates, Franschhoek, South Africa 59. L’Hôtel Marrakech, Morocco 60. Sofitel Tamuda Bay Beach and Spa Hotel, M’diq, Morocco 61. Thanda Island, Tanzania

ASIA 62. 28 Kothi, Jaipur, India 63. Amanemu, Shima, Japan 64. Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, Sri Lanka 65. Chena Huts, Sri Lanka 66. Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, Japan 67. Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll, Maldives 68. Hoshinoya Tokyo, Japan 69. Katamama, Bali, Indonesia

THE H T 75 70. KK Beach, Habaraduwa, Sri Lanka 71. Santani Wellness Resort & Spa, Kandy District, Sri Lanka 72. Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Seychelles 73. The St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Maldives 74. Villa Mahabhirom, Chiang Mai, Thailand

AUSTRALIA & THE SOUTH PACIFIC 75. Helena Bay Lodge, Northland, New Zealand

Condé Nast Traveler / 05.17

BY THE

locals, Photograph by Casey Dunn/courtesy of Hotel Saint George

BUT WITH YOU IN MIND

It’s almost a given that a hotel will make some claim of localism (we don’t think stocking the minibar with regional craft beer really counts). These properties, however, are implementing more considered collaborations that actually resonate with the guests.

Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa

Those colorful oil canvases and ceramic mugs you’re sipping coﬀee from (even the staﬀ’s name tags and bracelets) come from the 81-year-old art collective Cattle Track, down the road.

Casa Bonay, Barcelona

The 67-room hotel taps into new-wave Catalan design with yak’s-wool bedcovers

T LIST

loomed in neighboring Terrassa and prints by designer Clara Arnús.

Hotel Saint George, Marfa (below)

The Marfa Book Company, a 21-year-old local institution, moved into the hotel lobby where it shares space with paintings by Texan Jeﬀ Elrod.

Hôtel William Gray, Montreal

Savvy Quebecois know the most buttery croissants come from Café Olimpico, whose latest outpost is next to the lobby.

Thompson Nashville

You’ll need jeans in this town. And the in-room fittings with homegrown brand Imogene + Willie will make it impossible to shop for denim at a store ever again.

few things are more divine than an outdoor massage, shrouded by palms in the garden at sikelia, the first luxury resort on sicily’s pantelleria island. Condé Nast Traveler / 05.17

0517-TR-HLMY14

HOLIDAY SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2017

LATIMES.COM/HOME

Gift Guide

Sarah Wilkins For The Times

GIFT IDEAS • PARTY PLANNING • HOLIDAY RECIPES • AND MORE

L AT I M E S . C O M

S U N DAY, N OVE M B E R 5 , 2 017

S23

GIFTS FOR THE WELL-TRAVELED

Abran Rubiner Beverly Wilshire

Glamping, L.A. style Camp in a chandelier-adorned 16-foot-wide, 10-foot-tall tent on the Beverly Wilshire’s Veranda Suite’s balcony. That’s rooftop glamping — Beverly Hills style. Add-ons include gold-leafed campfire s’mores. From $3,500. It can be booked only by calling the hotel directly: (310) 275-5200. fourseasons.com

FOR THE ROAMERS

Out-there suggestions for the people who are always on the go go go Castle escape

Wilderness retreat

Kilkea Castle, opening in 2018, offers a two-night stay in the 800year-old castle that includes two breakfasts, one dinner at Hermione’s Restaurant, a round of golf and a full day of trout fishing on the River Greese. $540 per person. kilkeacastle.ie

Since 1932, families have sought the healing waters at Capon Springs Resort in the West Virginia wilderness. Meals are included and kids run free at the familyowned-and-operated resort two hours outside Washington, D.C. From $108 per night per adult, $50 per night per child. caponsprings.net

Touch typing to go This lightweight, rugged pocketsized folding Bluetooth keyboard from iClever features a touchpad and can pair with up to three smart devices simultaneously. $49.99. iclever.com

Upgrade your seat Washable NiceSeats easily stretch over plane or train seats (first class to coach) to stylishly protect travelers from germs left behind by previous passengers. $40. niceseats.net

Gift wrap a trip to London

Stay healthy on the road

Embark on a Bond-like London Escape: Rosewood’s three-night Aston Martin Discovery experience transports guests, via private helicopter, to Aston Martin’s Gaydon headquarters to create a custom DB11 V12 coupe — that you get to keep, of course — and enjoy a performance training session. $256,200. rosewoodhotels.com

A healthful probiotic supplement designed by a gastroenterologist, Dr. Roshini Raj, with three probiotic strains, Vitamin C and ceramides (a protective skin lipid). $39. tula.com

Age-defying sunscreen

Cruise Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Coral Expeditions’ four-night Northern Reef itinerary includes all meals and stops at Lizard Island, Cooktown and the Ribbon Reefs in a cozy setting. (There’s a 44-passenger maximum.) $1,699 per person. coralexpeditions.com

Oru Kayak

Packable boat The Beach LT from Oru Kayak quickly unfolds from a large suitcase into a 12-foot kayak. Weight: 26 pounds. $1,299. orukayak.com

The ultimate gift card

Take a hike

One gift card, three luxury Hawaiian hotels: Prince Resorts Hawaii gift cards are good at Mauna Kea Beach and Hapuna Beach Prince on the Big Island and Prince Waikiki on Oahu. Starting at $25. shop.princeresortshawaii.com

Osprey’s lightweight 30-liter Tempest (for women) or 33-liter Talon (for men) backpack offers multiple pockets, a comfy hip belt and an AirScape back panel for breathability. $140. ospreypacks.com

Watch your weight Delsey’s Cruise Lite Softside 25inch Spinner Suiter Trolley features an overweight indicator in the side handle to alert you if a bag exceeds 50 pounds. $180. shop.delsey.com

Power, and light Power Practical’s Pronto is a 10,000 mAh USB battery with two 2.4A (12W) outputs and a built-in LED lantern. $39.99. powerpractical.com

Steady shooting Olloclip’s Filmer’s Kit provides 5 iPhone lenses (including for the 7/7+ and 8/8+), an articulated grip for smoother video and an Incase protective shell. $200. olloclip.com

Hanging habitat Combine a water-resistant hammock with a 5-foot diameter treehouse, and you have the spacious easy-to-assemble TreePod Cabana. Its transparent mesh walls make it a breezy place to relax. $225. mytreepod.com

Stuff it Thule’s 22-inch, 7-pound Subterra carry-on has a unique compression panel that ratchets down to help stow more. $280. thule.com

— Terry Gardener

Room for everything The Everyday bag’s FlexFold dividers help the backpack multitask from photo shoots to the office. From cameras to a 15-inch laptop, it has room for almost anything. $260. peakdesign.com

Stylish carry-all The eye-catching Birdie Bag glides from gym to plane or train with a ventilated shoe compartment and interior pockets for a laptop, a water bottle and more. $198. jemmabag.com

Sip and go Matador’s HydroLite Packable Filtration Backpack has a 2-liter HydraPak reservoir and a Sawyer mini in-line filter to provide clean drinking water no matter where you are. $190. matadorup.com

Compression socks Sockwell socks feature a merino wool blend that offer firm or moderate therapeutic graduated compression to help protect travelers from blood clots on a long flight. $24.99. sockwell.us.com

Stem Cellular CC Cream is an 30-SPF sunscreen made with certified organic ingredients. Available in five shades, it offers sun protection, color correction and is said to reduce the appearance of fine lines. $39. juicebeauty.com

Eco-friendly jacket Columbia’s women’s and men’s Outdry EX Eco insulated jacket packs thermal and waterproof protection in a jacket made from 100% recycled material. $200. columbia.com

RESO RTS | H O M E S | TR AVE L | A DV E NTU RE

AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2017

AN ART-INSPIRED GETAWAY IN

ARIZONA

Finding rest, relaxation, and rejuvenation in Scottsdale.

BY AMALIA MCGIBBON

66 | G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S

At the center of the resort, the guest house is an elegant expression of mid-century modern architecture and serves as a social gathering place for guests and locals. The design, from Delawie Architects, includes floor-to-ceiling glass walls to highlight the inviting indoor restaurant and lounge spaces. The exteriorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s expansive patio and fire pits encourage guests to sit and socialize, while the interiors reflect a mix of modern classics and midcentury interpretations.

G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S | 67

he weather forecast said 105˚ in Scottsdale. Yikes!, I thought, I’m a California girl, born and raised, and ‘temperate’ is all I know. What wardrobe do you pack for that kind of heat? How do you emotionally prepare?? There was no need to fret, I soon learned; the recently opened Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa has everything covered. The resort is situated on 23 acres of sweeping desert landscape at the base of Camelback Mountain. I’ve always thought that one of the markers of a truly great property is its ability to take the hand that Mother Nature dealt it—be it green slopes or red rocks, rolling fog or shimmering heat—and convince you there’s no better environ for a vacation. Andaz Scottsdale manages this feat with remarkable aplomb. All of the resort’s carefully curated comforts flatter and elevate its desert locale: from the flip-flops (instead of slippers) placed next to the bathrobes in each room, to the complimentary frozen drink served poolside every day at noon, to the massage menu featuring essential Sonoran oils, and the flawless landscaping that mixes 50-foot pine trees with giant cacti and desert wildflowers. There is no real lobby or front desk at Andaz Scottsdale; travelers check in via iPad while sipping homemade iced tea in the resort’s “Guest House.” The 201 bungalow-style guest rooms and suites— ranging in size from 350 to 1,800-square-feet—are grouped in 68 | G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S

clusters of four to six units connected by meandering pathways and communal courtyards with firepits. It reminds me of an artists’ colony, and indeed the resort’s midcentury design is the result of a collaboration with many talented painters, ceramicists, photographers, fiber artists, and textile designers. Spacious rooms draw inspiration from the 1950’s desert art scene with an eclectic mix of bright colors, folk art, and cultural patterns. They feature skylights, beamed ceilings, sliding barn doors, and front terraces with colorfully cushioned “banco” seating. The resort’s glass-walled restaurant, Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen, serves locally sourced, shareable plates from Executive Chef Adam Sheff. There’s no official breakfast, lunch, or dinner hour—you can order whatever you want, whenever you want. The all-day New American menu features locally-inspired delicacies like the Blue Corn Short Stack with orange-poppyseed custard and rye whiskey syrup, and Whole Trout a la Plancha with a pecan romesco sauce. You can also pull up a stool at the restaurant bar to munch on snacks like lamb jerky, lavender almonds, or blistered shishito peppers, alongside craft cocktails like the Diamondback Fizz with Olmeca Altos tequila, grapefruit, lime, and jalapeno agave. Then, of course, there’s the on-site “Palo Verde Spa & Apothecary,” a place where nature and grace intertwine. The 12,000square-foot spa features four indoor and three outdoor treatment rooms, outdoor hydrotherapy pools, a nail and hair salon, eucalyptus

A glass box display kitchen (opposite) featuring innovative use of plancha cooking techniques puts Executive Chef Adam Sheffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creations on full display. Your introduction to the Andaz experience begins when you enter the guest house (left), Andazâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fresh answer to the hotel lobby. It feels like the inviting living room of a good friend, albeit one with fabulous taste in art and furniture. The spectacular Turquoise Pool (below) is a perfect spot to soak up both the sun and the scene.

G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S | 69

70 | G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S

Located on 23 acres in Paradise Valley, less than two miles north of Old Town Scottsdale, the mid-century inspired resort features 201 bungalow-style guestrooms and suites. Rooms feature state-of-the-art technology and entertainment, as well as private terraces, including some with outdoor showers.

steam rooms, outdoor relaxation lounges and an exclusive private pool for guests. Guest favorites include the Sonoran Scrub, a customized body scrub using desert salts, agave infused sugar and ultra-fine mesquite buffing grains; and the Cactus Couture, a luxurious mani-pedi combo using a prickly pear exfoliating scrub and rich shea butter cream. It would seem that Andaz Scottsdale has been designed to encourage the laziest of vacations, but there are treasures to behold if you venture off-site. Visit the Cattle Track Arts Compound, a collective of working artists less than a mile from the resort and one of Scottsdale’s best-kept secrets. Originally built in the 1930s, the complex is currently home to six full-time residents and 35 working artists. Andaz Scottsdale has an artistin-residence program that allows resort guests to interact with these painters, dancers, photographers, and even blacksmiths—so be sure to inquire about the interactive workshops on offer. I also highly recommend a visit to the nearby Taliesin West, Frank Lloyd Wright’s muchloved winter home and architectural laboratory. With its low-pitched roofs, overhanging eaves, and open floorplan, the inspiring site is a prime example of Wright’s “Prairie Style” architecture. Take the 90-minute guided tour for a peek into the dramatic Living Room, the Cabaret Theater, and Wright’s living quarters. Old Town Scottsdale has its own charms too, with art galleries, boutique shops, and a trendy restaurant scene. Definitely book a table at FnB Restaurant, where Chef Charleen Badman, a James Beard award semifinalist in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017, cooks globally-accented food that showcases the best of Arizona’s abundant farming and agricultural community. I particularly enjoyed the Pink Grouper with green olive relish, fennel, and grapefruit, and the Soft Scrambled Duck Eggs with hedgehog mushrooms and cultured butter toast. FnB’s adjoining eight-seater bar highlights a different growing region every month and is a favorite among wine lovers. If you’re in the mood for something a bit more rambunctious, head down the road to Counter Intuitive, an intimate cocktail lounge, which changes its theme—i.e., décor, food, and drinks—several times a year. Andaz Scottsdale was recently recognized on Condé Nast Traveler’s 2017 “Hot List” (one of just 22 properties in the U.S.) and for good reason: the turquoise pool, the casita-inspired bungalows, the jagged mountains, and the endless sky all make it a seriously special destination. Nightly room rates are seasonally based, starting at $399 per night during peak season. Suite pricing starts at $2,500 during peak season. www.andazscottsdale.com ◆ G E N T R Y D E S T I N AT I O N S | 71

J U LY 2 0 17

“Paris is a cinematographer’s dream. No city is more dazzling in the sunshine or, better still, lit up at night.” T H R E E P E R F E C T D A Y S P A R I S P. 3 2

H E A R T O N YO U R S L E E V E

THE HEMI Q& A: AL GORE

1- 5 - O C A N A D A

How wearable tech will change dating forever P. 2 0

The former vice president returns with ‘An Inconvenient Sequel ’ P. 4 6

150 reasons to celebrate our northern neighbor’s sesquicentennial P. 5 3

Guest Room as Gallery

Arizona’s Andaz Scottsdale Resort and Spa, which opened in December, has partnered with the nearby Cattle Track Arts Compound, an 80-year-old collective of jewelers, potters, blacksmiths, and other artisans. Guests can tour artist studios, create their own works, or simply soak in original artworks, seen everywhere from wall art to restaurant dishware to staff name tags. Here, a look at a few of the hotel’s contributing artists. —SOPHIA DEMBLING art

The keycard sleeves feature a two-dimensional version of Hanger 10, a sculpture made by Matt Magee from cut-up detergent bottles. Magee says the original work, which can be found in the Girard House suite, “is meant to be seen as a kind of diagram, each color and shape referencing the next.”

Donny Osmond of The Osmonds smonds in Mulan (1998)

Donnie Wahlberg of New Kids on the t Block in Band d of Brothers rothers (2001) 001)

Justin Timberlake of *NSync in Black Snake Moan (2006)

Chance Phillips used needle felting—a craft in which a barbed needle is poked repeatedly through wool fibers—to create World So Full, an installation of colorful fabric balls near the hotel’s entrance. She says of her whimsical felted dolls, which are sold in the gift shop, “I often start with something in mind, and the little guy just takes on his own personality and turns out entirely different.”

Much of the dishware at Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen is the work of ceramicist Mary Van Dusen, a retired teacher and tennis pro. The resort’s style inspired her to move away from her normal earth tones and into pure, bright colors, which, she says, “released a lot of creative juices.” Mark McDowell, a former oil painter who now works primarily with colored pencils, created a sketch of Scottsdale landmark Camelback Mountain as seen from the resort. The image is used on employee name tags and on sketch pads sold in the gift shop. Santo Press, the studio of printer Brent Bond, created much of the art on property, such as Bond’s Bounce series and Koryn Woodward Wasson’s Pear of Thieves I, a linocut of prickly pears. Each room has a copy of Janet Towbin’s etching and collage Kaleidoscope. “I digitally manipulated Kaleidoscope in various color stylings,” Towbin says, “to complement the color palette of the gorgeous midcentury fabrics at Andaz.”

COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. (STYLES); BUENA VISTA PICTURES/COURTESY EVERETT COLLECTION (MULAN); HBO/PHOTOFEST (WAHLBERG); PARAMOUNT CLASSICS/BRUCE TALAMON/PHOTOFEST (TIMBERLAKE); DON RIDDLE (FELT BALLS, DISHWARE); MATT MAGEE (HANGER 10); SCOTT JOHNSON (BRENT BOND)

This month, One Direction member Harry Styles makes his acting debut in Christopher Nolan’s World War II movie Dunkirk. But he’s not the first boy bander to get into uniform for a role. (JULY 21)

July 2017

KFR: CAN YOU ADD A TOUCH MORE BLOND IN HER ROOTS SO THE ‘P’ AND ‘S’ BECOMES A LITTLE MORE LEGIBLE

Keegan-Michael Key Gets Serious

French Revolutions

Cycling a stage of the Tour de France

Tasty Stays

The world’s most delicious new hotels

+Sneakers

and spritzes for summer

The World’s Most Delicious New Hotels Forget Provence and Tuscany. From Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands, the British countryside is emerging as Europe’s most exciting rural foodie getaway.

Courtesy of the Dewberry Charleston; Shu!erstock (key)

The World’s Most Delicious New Hotels

Hotel dining used to mean room-service club sandwiches and limp iceberg lettuce salads at the brightly lit lobby bar. Not anymore. Now, the best meals to be had on the road—from Berlin to Brooklyn—are an elevator ride away.

July 2017 ! ! "#

FOR A LESSON IN ARIZONA AGRICULTURE The Andaz

the biggest grower of lettuce in the United States. Or that Arizona produces almost as In December, chef Adam Sheff debuted much dairy as Vermont. Or there’s the pecan Weft & Warp Art Bar + Kitchen at the story. Housing developments really started stunning new Andaz resort in Scottsdale, in Arizona in the ’50s and ’60s because air Arizona, introducing visitors and locals conditioning became a reality for residences, alike to contemporary Sonoran cuisine, and all the little trees they would put in the which sees him topping trout with pecan housing developments were pecan trees. romesco, pairing watermelon with tangy Now, there’s an industry around it. At first, goat cheese, and making venison, duck, it was overwhelming. There are so many and quail jerky. Here, he shares his shock ingredients, and there’s so much history, and at discovering Arizona’s bounty. there’s no single narrative to follow. It took me a few months of taking all of that in. Andaz “I came here from New York, and my impresis very much about telling stories—it’s about sion on the way out here was, “It’s Arizona. being true to your place. I felt like that was There’s nothing but desert. What am I a great thing to do with the food, as well. actually going to cook with?” So Contemporary Sonoran gives it I did a lot of research and talked a sense of place; it puts it someto a lot of people, and I realized where physically, and that gives that I had been lied to my whole you the chance to tell the story Above: the buttercrunch life about what was actually out of what the farmers are doing salad at Weft & Warp, here. I could go on and on about and the history of Arizona, which made with local lettuce what I found out that’s incredibly and radishes and topped has to do with the culture and with trout roe CARPENTER surprising, like how Arizona is the food.” —ELLEN-CARPENTER Rush Jagoe (oysters); Don Riddle (salad)

SCOTTSDALE﹐-ARIZONA

For Drinks That Pop Catahoula Hotel | NEW-ORLEANS

On a quiet street in NOLA’s Central Business District, the 35-room Catahoula Hotel— housed in an 1845 Creole townhouse—is transporting guests from the heart of the city to Peru. While its Pisco Bar offers an array of classic cocktails highlighting its namesake liquor (think pisco sours and pisco punch), the menu’s “Just for Fun” section includes elaborate concoctions like the A Huevo (pictured), which features passionfruit, blended eggs, and the jambu flower, an Amazonian bloom that will make your tastebuds tingle like you’ve just swallowed a mouthful of Pop Rocks. —LV July 2017 ! ! "#

Discover

Dior Homme, Franck Dubarry, Glenmorangie, Bentley

Influence

Jack Penrod, Nayla Hayek, Roberta Naas

Top 100 suites WHETHER YOU VALUE MAGNIFICENT VIEWS OR A PRIVATE BEACH, A REMOTE LODGE OR A CITY SPA, THE ELITE TRAVELER COLLECTION HAS YOU COVERED

Inspire

Top car brands alongside some of their classic and latest models

Explore

Chicago, Havana, Dublin, Rome, Riviera Maya, Private Islands

Issue 4/Volume 17 July/August 2017

EXPLORE RIVIERA MAYA

GUIDE TO

RIVIERA MAYA TOP RESTAURANTS BENAZUZA, CANCÚN Rafael Zafra, prodigy of elBulli’s Ferran Adrià, brings Spanish glamour to the Riviera Maya with Restaurante Benazuza. Interpreting Mexican products and classic cuisine with a molecular gastronomist’s slant, Zafra serves up rich moles, duck tamales and steamed tacos. Ensconced in sleek surroundings that befit the cuisine, the restaurant offers an unforgettable 20-course tasting menu. senscancun.com HARTWOOD, TULUM It’s difficult to get a reservation at the hottest eatery on the Riviera Maya, but it’s well worth the effort. See-and-be-seen Hartwood in Tulum serves locavore surf and turf and this 100 percent sustainable restaurant changes its menu every single day. In the restaurant, open-fire grills and a handmade wood-burning oven channel the techniques of Mundo Maya — the soul of the region. Along with craft cocktails, expect items such as agave pork ribs, jicama salad, grilled octopus with sweet potatoes, lobster salad and house-made ice cream. hartwoodtulum.com

by Becca Hensley

CATCH, PLAYA DEL CARMEN Call it a restaurant with a view. Overlooking the bustling town of Playa del Carmen and the sea, occupying the rooftop of the Thompson hotel, this hip seafood restaurant mixes global techniques with local products. Unique creations, such as the hellfire roll (with blue tuna caught just off the Ensenada coast, green apples and balsamic vinegar) hit the mark — as does crispy shrimp and catch-of-the day wonton tacos. Finish with “hit me” chocolate cake, a wonder of liquid Klondike, roasted with white chocolate ice cream brownie and devil’s food cake. thompsonplayadelcarmen.com

Photos Manu Padilla, the-stills.com

Some call it a more soulful Mexico. Infused with a preponderance of Mayan culture and steeped in history, the Yucatán’s Caribbean mingles tropical hues and flora with Mexican high style. Flowing south from Cancún to Tulum, the beach district called Riviera Maya encompasses some of the area’s most exquisite crescents of sand, expanses of untrammeled jungle landscape (complete with jaguars and monkeys), and healthy offshore reefs. It’s trumpeted for stellar diving and snorkeling, and stands out as a prime spot to spy whale sharks. Though highly developed in parts, most construction has been conscientious, and the government has made sure that the region’s fascinating ancient ruins and temples (some of them listed by Unesco) reign as Riviera Maya’s true stars. With more artifacts discovered each year, these centuries-old finds continue to enrich our understanding of the past. Peppered with swimmable, fresh water springs — known as cenotes — Riviera Maya promises more than beach play. Those willing to leave the ocean adventures, sailboats and pool cabanas behind for the day can hike, ride horses, explore caves and temples and peruse museums. Opportunities to delve into local Mayan culture abound — from cooking courses to stints in a temazcal sweat lodge — a spiritual ritual meant to purify the mind, body and spirit. Cap that with nonpareil culinary offerings, exemplary hotels that brim with personality and, of course, potent margaritas — and you’re sure to begin planning your next trip before you even return home.

YAXCHE, PLAYA DEL CARMEN Delve deeply into the Riviera Maya’s roots at Yaxche, where Chef Ramón Lizaola borrows from his mother, creating and re-envisioning family recipes that may date back centuries. Utilizing Mayan flavors and ingredients, from peppers to achiote to pumpkin seeds, Lizaola introduces diners to his new renditions of Mexican favorites — such as chili rellenos wrapped in banana peppers rather than the classic poblano. With a whimsical ambiance that showcases the region’s temples and mysteries, Yaxche delivers a regional sense of place. mayacuisine.com

127 elite traveler

JULY/AUG 2017

MUST DO

TOP SUITES GRAND VELAS RIVIERA MAYA Redefining all-inclusive, Grand Velas Riviera Maya brings only the best to play. Stretching across 206 verdant acres alongside the turquoise sea, this exemplary resort manages to honor more eco-initiatives than any other retreat in Mexico — even while operating eight outstanding restaurants, providing upmarket wines and giving guests the choice between three distinct hotel experiences, including an adults-only section. The twobedroom Grand Class Presidential Suite can house four. Double-height ceilings, hand-painted frescoes, local art and hand-loomed fabrics add to its charm. A plunge pool on an ample terrace overlooks the Caribbean. Enjoy its crowning glory: an in-suite champagne and caviar bar. From $7,000 per night, contact Dinorah Tobon Hampshire, tour & travel sales manager, dtobonh@velasresorts.com, +52 1 984 877 4418, rivieramaya.grandvelas.com BELMOND MAROMA RESORT & SPA Once the private home of a visionary architect, the intimate and elegant Belmond Maroma Resort & Spa lords over a sugary-white, secluded beach about an hour from the airport. With beachside rooms and an art-bedecked main house, the chi-chi resort also vaunts a shaman-built beachside temazcal (sauna), and a hut-like tequila and ceviche bar. Bed down in the Oceanside One-Bedroom Suite, located steps from the water, which offers a private fitness room, outdoor shower, plunge pool and palapa for private spa treatments. From $1,365 per night, contact Heda Chehda, director of sales and marketing, heda.chehda@belmond.com, belmond.com BANYAN TREE MAYAKOBA AND ROSEWOOD MAYAKOBA Mayakoba, an eco-conscious compound just south of Playa del Carmen, incorporates four five-star hotels into its wilderness-like expanse. A unique melange of mangrove forest, lagoons and man-made canals, the sensitivelybuilt, wildlife-rich complex whisks guests by boat to the beach and between the resorts, which share amenities, such as the Greg Norman-designed golf course. Set on opposite sides of the landscape, the top stays are Rosewood Mayakoba — a contemporary-style haven — and the spa-focused Banyan Tree Mayakoba. Both have grand residences on the beach. Rosewood Mayakoba’s Beachfront Presidential Suite, with three bedrooms and private butler service, showcases the view via floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Down the shoreline, Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s Oceanfront Three Bedroom Villa, built around a private pool, is ideal for families, and provides stellar ocean access. Or book Banyan Tree’s Sanctuary Spa Pool Villas, which sit lagoon-side with a personal pool, and offer unlimited spa treatments and wellness menus. Banyan Tree Mayakoba: Oceanfront Three-Bedroom Villa from $3,570 per night, Sanctuary Spa Pool Villa from $1,399 per night, contact Jesus Estrada, reservations manager, jesus.estrada@banyantree.com, +52 984 877 3688, banyantree.com Rosewood Mayakoba: From $5,500 per night, contact Monica Ortiz, rooms division director, monica.ortiz@rosewoodhotels.com, +52 984 875 8016, rosewoodhotels.com

Chichen Itza and Tulum Ruins It gets crowded and the trek is long, but Unesco-listed Chichen Itza is worth it. Stone temples, ball courts and pyramids, edged by jungle, provide just a glimpse into the spectacular Mayan settlement; plan to spend hours exploring. Many choose to stay the night, and return the next morning when the ruins are less crowded and bathed in golden light. Alternatively, Tulum, an hour south of Playa del Carmen, is an extant 13th-century Mayan port and city-state. It nestles a cliff by the sea and can be accessed by foot, bike or car. chichenitza-tour.com; tulum.com Cenotes Unique to this region, cenotes (freshwater sinkholes) are plentiful. They connect in subterranean tunnels, creating the world’s largest underground river system. Sacred to the Mayan people in past and present times, the cenotes have crystalline water, framed by limestone and local flora. Explore them with fins or by foot. Don’t miss Cenote Dos Ojos, located just south of Tulum on Highway 307. It boasts two round pools, perfect for scuba divers, swimmers and snorkelers. cenotedosojos.com Whale Sharks Breaststroke with the biggest fish on earth. Funny-faced, harmless whale sharks mirror hippos in size. They crowd the waters along the Riviera Maya from May to September in search of plankton snacks. Join an expedition (such as reputable Solo Buceo), which takes guests 30 miles offshore by small boat to spot the magnificent creatures. solobuceo.com Cancún Underwater Museum (MUSA) It’s a whole new way to visit a museum. MUSA, the largest underwater exhibition in the world, presents hundreds of statues amid the reef. Home to countless colorful fish, MUSA was created to promote the interaction between art and the environment. Here, the scientifically directed installation promotes healthy coral and marine life, while offering a family-friendly ramble in the sea. musamexico.org

Discover Mayan history at Chichen Itza

Plunge into clear cenotes Blessings sculpture by Elier Amado Gil at MUSA

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! But it's not exactly roughing it. Jillian Kramer September 28, 2017

When you think of the Beverly Wilshireâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the iconic hotel perched at the end of Los Angeles' opulent Rodeo Driveâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; it's likely you picture its stunning marble foyer, its state-of-the-art spa, its velvet-clad sofas inside each suite. Perhaps you can all-but feel the rooms' silky down duvets against your skin, or your stress melt away during an aromatherapy massage. What you don't likely see is camping. In a tent. Outside. And yet, that's exactly the latest experience the Beverly Wilshire is touting. Its new luxury experience doesn't take place in the penthouse suite or inside Michelin star-rated restaurant Cut by Wolfgang Puck. In fact, it doesn't really take place inside at all. Instead, guests of its veranda suite will be welcomed outside, into a tent pitched on the suite's attached 2,140 square-foot terrace, perched 10 stories above Rodeo Drive and offering sweeping 270degree views of Hollywood Hills. And like those views, this is no ordinary tent: it's huge, at 10 feet tall and 16 feet wide, and holds a queen size bed, night stands, marble lamps, fur rugs, and even a crystal chandelier.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Step outside the tent, and guests will find lounge furniture, a fire pit—and a dining table set for eight. Here, guests will nosh on anything but standard camping cuisine. ! "People are paying serious money here—we cannot bring them basic food," joked executive chef Samir Roonwal on a recent phone call with Food & Wine. Indeed, the experience starts at a cool $3,500, so hot dogs and canned beans won't exactly cut it. Roonwal, who began working at the Beverly Wilshire just a month ago, says he was inspired to "create a menu that is predominantly cooked on charcoal or in a wood fire oven, to maintain a campfire ambience." With smoke and flames licking nearly every dish, "the taste profile stays more authentic" to dishes hikers might cook over campfire, but with the "elevated, exquisite" twist guests expect to find at the Beverly Wilshire, Roonwal says. Presented on serveware made from wood and stone, the meal even looks a tad rustic—yet hints of gold remind you the food is anything but. The eating experience kicks off with rosé—frozen rosé topped with special reserve Osetra caviar, a combination that pairs surprisingly well, Roonwal promises. "The softness of the caviar—with its umami flavor—and the sweetness of the rosé are an incredible combination," Roonwal describes, adding this course is his favorite dish. Specialty fish, Wagyu beef, and seasonal vegetables round out the main courses, he says, then the dessert comes: a s'more. But before you shake your head in disbelief, remember, this is no ordinary camping meal. This s'more is very, very special. Executive pastry chef Chris Ford told Food & Wine that, "it's really challenging to do a s'more. It's probably the most basic and generic dessert—the poor thing has had so many reinventions. So I wanted this one to be really interesting." And it really is. ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! To start, Ford roasts just the marshmallow, then tops it with a ganache made from caramelized milk—which takes on a nutty, almost brown butter-like flavor—that's been heated with a cinnamon stick burnt with a torch. By using these techniques, "the char taste comes from the inside out, and not from the outside," Ford describes. ! Then, Ford adds a slice of smoked 55 percent Valrhona chocolate and encases it and the roasted marshmallow in a Tahitian vanilla bean marshmallow, "so it looks just like the puff marshmallows you buy at the store," he says. The marshmallow sits on a housemade cookie, and is covered in a sheet of 24-carat gold. "This is the kind of dessert than can make anyone of any age go back to feeling like a kid," says Ford. !

THE LUXURY MAGAZINE FOR AMERICAN AIRLINES & AMERICAN EAGLE PREMIUM CLASS PASSENGERS

September/october 2016

BEHIND THE LENS

B A R H E M I N G WAY I S B A C K

CRUISE CONTROL

P H OTO G R A P H E R M AT T H E W R O L S TO N O N H I S D E S I G N D O M I N ATI O N

T H E L E G E N DA RY R IT Z PA R I S R E C A P T U R E S IT S O P U L E N T S P I R IT

A N E XC LU S I V E J O U R N E Y T H R O U G H T H E B R ITI S H V I R G I N I S L A N D S

T H E P L AT I N U M L I S T

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FINE DINING

NIGHTLIFE

STYLE

2 1 C M U S E U M H OT E L OKL AHOMA CIT Y New location, creative comfort

klahoma City is a frontier town, home to the proverbial Western hero. The pulse of contemporary OKC still beats for the salt of the earth and working class, and there’s something artistic about that, as demonstrated by the new 21c Museum Hotel. A rehabilitation project that transformed the historic Ford Motor Company Assembly Plant into a 135-room boutique hotel, 21c offers 14,000 square feet of art-exhibition space open to the public for free, as well as Mary Eddy’s Kitchen x Lounge, the local toast of the OKC culinary scene that serves American contemporary cuisine in a renovated industrial setting. Built in 1916 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the building still has its original casement windows, the former Model T showroom’s original terrazzo floor, entry canopy and marquee. Rates start at $219. 21CMUSEUMHOTELS.COM —ADAM PITLUK

H OT E L S A I N T G E O R G E M A R FA , T E X A S Modern genius in the Lone Star state

A N DA Z S COT T S DA L E R E S O R T & S PA S COT T S DA L E , A R I ZO N A The perfect picture of desert life

s you stand on your private terrace at the Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Spa, art and nature collide in spectacular fashion around the 23-acre property. With the rugged Camelback Mountain in the distance, the 201 bungalow-style guest rooms boast brilliant pops of color and graphic patterns representative of artists Alexander Girard, Frank Lloyd Wright and Paolo Soleri. Rooms and common spaces feature works from the resident artists at Cattle Track Art Compound, a short walk from the resort. As part of a partnership between Cattle Track and the Andaz, guests can sign up for lectures, exhibitions, live performances and workshops at the resort — including pottery and landscape photography — as part of the Artist in Residence program. Rates start at $175. SCOTTSDALE.ANDAZ.HYATT.COM —SAVANAH DICKINSON

CELEBRATED LIVING • september/october 2016

PHOTOS COURTESY 21C OKC; CASEY DUNN; COURTESY ANDAZ SCOTTSDALE

hen you decide to open a hotel in a town that boasts one of the largest permanent installations of contemporary art in the world, you’re undoubtedly faced with a conundrum: Do you embrace the art connection or ignore it for fear of not getting it quite right? Fortunately for visitors to Hotel Saint George in Marfa, Texas, owner Tim Crowley opted for the former by installing the works of more than two dozen artists in the rooms and public spaces. Artwork by part-time resident Christopher Wool (whose painting “Untitled [Riot]” sold for $29.9 million at Sotheby’s last year) hangs in LaVenture, the hotel’s fine-dining restaurant. A diptych by Michael Phelan welcomes guests with the lyrics from Neil Young’s song “Fade to Black.” And the best part? The lobby bar is the new artist hangout. Rooms start at $195. MARFASAINTGEORGE.COM —RIMA SUQI