DC Modern Luxury October 2008

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9/19/08

9:49 AM

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ODERN LUXURY™

READY, JET SET, GO!

+ PLUS

BUSHWHACKED: JOSH BROLIN DOES W. VOLT CHARGES UP THE ’BURBS MEN’S STYLE: ROUGH & READY!

C’s Urbane Nomads Fly High

aradise Refound: ali, Thailand and ietnam Seduce!

THE WASHINGTON BALLET’S ROCKETMAN CHRISTO COMES TO THE PHILLIPS

Miami’s New Fever Pitch

Wax Brazilian in ão Paulo!

OCTOBER

SPECIAL TRAVEL ISSUE!

200

CONTRIBUTORS OCTOBER 2008 1.

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Shanghai-based writer JARRETT WRISLEY (1) headed south to Thailand for “Paradise Rebound,” discovering new life (and new luxury) post the devastating 2004 tsunami. After his multi-hotel sojourn, Wrisley found a favorite: “The Six Senses was totally remarkable—breathtaking views, and absurdly luxurious accommodations that are tucked neatly away in the jungle,” he says. Wrisley has contributed to National Geographic, Travel +Leisure and The South China Morning Post.

Contributing writer JANELLE NANOS (2) investigated how the economy is effecting the travel industry for this month’s Radar Travel.

“People haven’t necessarily stopped traveling— they’re just traveling differently,” she says. “It’s forcing them to push boundaries and go places they wouldn’t normally tread, and they’re assigning more meaning to their trips.” Nanos is an editor at National Geographic Traveler and has written for New York Magazine, Th e New York Times and Marie Claire.

When asked to shoot “Stylista” up-and-coming reality TV star Johanna Cox, contributing photographer PATRICK KING (3) took her to one of Washington’s most iconic locations.

“I thought of a place I’d seen in Georgetown beneath the Key Bridge,” he says. “I could see the question mark inside her head at the start of the shoot, but by the end she modeled with style and grace that even this location had to respect!”

King is a DC-based photographer who has shot for Time magazine and Ogilvy PR Worldwide.

For this month’s Food Drink Review, contributing photog team GREG POWERS AND AUDREY CREWE (4) headed to Frederick, Maryland, to scope out its newest restaurant gem, Volt. “The place houses a very accommodating owner/chef Bryan Voltaggio, who’s attention to detail is shown by the interiors of the place and the creation of truly outstanding cuisine,” Greg says. The DCbased pair is working on an interiors project with the new Tyson’s II location of Bottega Veneta.

From being the subject of a DC Magazine profile to doing the reporting herself, fashionista HOLLY CALDWELL (5) turned the tables for this month’s Radar Beauty, when she investigated the behindthe-scenes scene of plastic surgery. “It was a complete eye opener in how young Washingtonians actually start showing up at their plastic surgeons’ office,” she says. “I thought I was the only one! We are as aesthetically forward as our sisters in L.A. and NYC—we just keep it on the DL.” For this month’s Radar Music, contributing photographer STACY ZARIN-GOLDBERG (6) headed to U Street’s Bohemian Caverns to shoot Charlie Fishman, the organizer of the Duke Ellington Jazz Festival. “The place looks like something out of a movie!” she says. “You walk down the stairs and everything’s covered in rocks like a cave. It was really creepy—and a great location for the photo shoot.” Zarin-Goldberg is a DC-based photographer working on projects for DC Chefs magazine and St. Jude’s Hospital.

THE RADAR TRAVEL

A VINE TIME: DC travel agents suggest trading the well-trod vineyards of Burgundy for Portugal’s Douro Valley, surrounding the Aquapura hotel.

BY JANELLE NANOS

TIME TO GO! The economy may be in the (gas) tank, but DC’s high-end travel agents say business is booming

THE AGENT: Anne Morgan Scully, McCabe World Travel, 703.905.9100, www. mccabebremer.com. THE TRIP: “The Payback.” Travelers turning their backs on search engines have realized that no matter how hard William Shatner tries, Priceline.com will not get you an upgrade upon arrival. Travel agents’ reputations are based on their connections. “Nobody has the ability to VIP themselves,” says Scully. “That’s what I do.” And with confidence, consultants like Scully can help you decide when to pay more now in order to pay less later.

THE TIP: “You’re better off taking the least expensive room at a better hotel in a European capital” where you’re in the center of things and don’t have to pay for transportation, she says. Trading up also benefits cruise goers. Tacking on an extra $20 a night for a veranda room can not only get you a completely different view—but can overhaul the perspective of your trip. The agent also suggests thinking outside the calendar for off-season travel. “April is the new June for Europe,” she says. And don’t underestimate the value of the Caribbean in the summer. Most hotels will let you know beforehand if they’re expecting a big storm, and offer to exchange your stay for some time in the future.

THE AGENT: Gayle Bridgman-Santucci, Esprit Rainbow Travel, 301.656.4060, www.espritrainbow.com. THE TRIP: “The Multi-generational.” These days, many

patriarchs and matriarchs are giving their heirs not only an inheritance, but

an experience. And grandmother is coming along. THE TIP: The safari has been the cognoscenti’s trip of choice since YSL reintroduced the djaballah. Now it’s become the hottest trend for family reunions. CC Africa’s Bateleur tented camp (www.ccafrica.com), in Kichwa Tembo, Kenya, is exceptional, says Santucci. Sleep in small, luxurious tents overlooking the Masai Mara plains after spending days searching for the big five. “Learning about the tribes and history of Kenya, you soon realize this isn’t Williamsburg,” she says. Closer to home, Santucci suggests the new Wilderness Estates at Paws Up resort (www.pawsup.com), a poshly rustic family sanctuary in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley. You’ll set off from the comfort of the 3,400-square-foot home in the Rocky Mountains in your personal safari vehicle—an eco-friendly electric car that purrs quietly enough to get up close to all those elk, moose and wolves.

THE AGENT: Katie McCormack Krinkie, a Virtuoso Travel Specialist, 703.762.5043, www.virtuoso.com. THE TRIP: “The Trade Out to Trade Up.”

Mention the Euro and dread ensues. The shifting economy is making travelers swap the beaten path for the road less traveled. THE TIP: Italy and France’s wine regions are exquisite, but their room rates are growing exponentially. Opt instead for lesser-known growing areas where your dollar goes further. The Aquapura in Portugal’s Douro Valley (www.aquapurahotels.com) is a “secluded, luxurious hideaway situated within the port wine vineyards,” says McCormack Krinkie, who specializes in food- and wine-inspired trips. Or go south.

Argentina’s Mendoza Valley has all the ambiance of Europe without the jet lag—or price tag. The 14-room Cavas Wine Lodge (www.cavaswinelodge.com) sits on 35 acres of vineyards that stretch out to the foot of the Andes, says McCormack Krinkie. And if you’re looking for the romance of Paris, find yourself smitten with Buenos Aires instead. The privately owned Alvear Palace (www.alvearpalace.com) specializes in personal butler service and its location in the heart of the Centro Cultural Recoleta positions guests perfectly.

PHOTO OF AQUAPURA SUPPLIED BY AQUAPURA HOTELS.

Bring on the backlash! That’s what DC’s hottest travelistas are chanting. With hotels dropping their rates and a recent study by eMarketer finding that people have tired of do-it-yourself travel planning, DC’s highest fliers are once again looking for professional help. For agents, this means people are still traveling, they’re just being more selective. “If you have money, you’re traveling better now than you would have ever traveled before,” says über-agent Anne Morgan Scully of the McLean-based McCabe World Travel. Here, she and a few other local travel experts detail who’s heading where, why and how.