Beyond, The St. Regis Magazine: Issue 3 - Spring/Summer 2014

T H E S T. R E G I S M A G A Z I N E

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CONTributors

Kiyan Foroughi The 30-year-old Kiyan Foroughi grew up between Paris and Dubai, and has lived in Boston, New York and London, from where he runs his “online bazaar”, Boticca. He describes for us a store full of many treasures in Mexico City, but would choose Japan above all destinations.

“I love the contrast of its buzzing cities with the rural calm of temples, shrines and mountains,” he says.

P. J. O’Rourke The celebrated satirical columnist and author, who ventured to some of the worst places on Earth for his book Holidays in Hell, writes for Beyond about the seven journeys that sum up his life and career. His favorite of all? “The 100-yard hike back to my office after dinner,” he says. “I’m allowed to smoke cigars there, and I also keep a bottle of Famous Grouse whiskey to hand.”

Livia Firth There’s nothing like returning to her home city of Rome to make Livia Firth’s heart sing, says the creative director of Eco-Age. “When I drive in from the airport, particularly in the spring with the smell of jasmine in the air, my mind goes back to the adventures I had there as a girl,” she says. Livia shares the address of the boutique in the city’s historical heart that she returns to again and again.

Norman Vanamee “I was in Newfoundland, Canada, when I asked a man at a gas station where I could find something to eat,” recalls the former editor of Sherman’s Travel magazine, who delves into the tale of the Old King Cole mural at The St. Regis New York. “He sent me to his brother’s house for dinner. I think about that generous family every time a tourist stops me in New York City.”

Nonie Niesewand Living with the Inuit in the Canadian Arctic had its downsides, says the Zimbabwe-born writer.

“It was so cold that tears froze my eyelids together. But I will never forget the dog sleds, being holed up in igloos and stuck in frozen kayaks.” In this issue she recounts a more relaxed but no less eventful trip to Chengdu in China, panda central and home to a new St. Regis hotel.

Cheryl Cheung The stylist, who did a stunning job working with model Lydia for our fashion shoot, is a huge fan of the Star Ferry crossing from Kowloon to Hong Kong Island. “It’s the most serene journey, in spite of the fact that you’re surrounded by skyscrapers,” she says. “The traditional sailor’s uniforms make it look old-fashioned, but it’s also fabulously efficient.”

Beyond, The St. Regis Magazine, Issue 03: Spring - Summer 2014 Editor-in-chief: James Collard / Editor: Lisa Grainger / Creative direction: Brave New World Publishing / Publisher: Crispin Jameson/Project manager: Sarah Glyde Design: Carolina Otero, Santiago Vargues, Vanessa Arnaud / Fashion: Nadia Balame / Picture editor: Lyndsey Price Assistant picture editor: Emma Hammar / Sub-editor: Tim Pozzi Published by Brave New World Publishing Ltd, 19 Beak Street, London W1F 9RP; T + 44 (0)20-7437 1384 Color reproduction by Wellcom London / Printed by Quad Graphics, Issn 2050-9081 Advertising: Advertising director: Sian Roberts / Represented by Cesana Media (cesanamedia.com) in New York, Milan, São Paulo and Zurich, in Paris by MyBubbleCom (cdemonbrison@mybubblecom.com) and in London by Thorley Media (thorleymedia.com). © Copyright

2014 Brave New World Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without prior permission from the publishers. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information contained in this publication, the publisher cannot accept responsibility for any errors it may contain

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Contents

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CONTENTS 16 The Magnificent Seven – The World in Seven Objects –

From highly collectable, tiny Japanese figurines known as netsukes to the tequila taking the world’s best bars by storm, we focus on desirable objects with a story to tell

34 A Taste of Shangri-La

54 Super Tuscans

Marco Polo compared Chengdu to Venice, crisscrossed with waterways and pretty bridges.

Nonie Niesewand finds today’s high-tech hub also has a new draw: a whole lot of pandas

Local writer Allegra Donn meets three Italian dynasties whose expertise in the fields of wine, olive oil and truffle-hunting has been honed through generations

44 Hidden Treasures

62 Carnival of Colors

Tastemakers share with us their secret haunts, from the Washington, D. C. bookbinder favoured by CNN’s Fareed Zakaria to Maria McElroy’s top Osaka sushi spot

The paintings of Beatriz Milhazes swirl with color and floral motifs that are as seductive as her native country, Brazil. We meet Latin America’s most lauded female artist

48 Angelica Cheung

68 The St. Regis Atlas

How Vogue China’s editor balances her globetrotting career with motherhood and being a designer-clad role model for millions.

By Hilary Rose

Our international network of hotels and resorts, from Mexico to Mauritius, Bali to Bal Harbour, plus the Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis, to help you make the most of your stay

52 Maps of Ages

70 The New Cultural Calendar

Antique maps are fetching big numbers at auction as aesthetes gain fresh appreciation of lost world views, whether of 18th-century North America or medieval Europe

Once high-society summers revolved around a season of ballet, opera, balls and races. Now, says Oliver Bennett, the jet set jaunts across the globe to rock, watch movies and soak up art

– The Producers –

– The Journey –

– A Little Place I Know –

– Art –

– Interview –

– The Directory –

– The Connoisseur –

– Leisure –

Above: photographed by Alex Majoli. Cover: dress, $3,790, and shoes, $767, both Gucci, gucci.com; bag, POA, Tory Burch, toryburch.com. Photographed by Baldovino Barani. Shot at The St. Regis Shenzhen

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94 Walls of Fame – Backstory –

Maxfield Parrish’s beloved Old King Cole mural in The St. Regis New York has recently undergone a $100,000 restoration. See how it looks today on p.94, and read Norman Vanamee’s fascinating account of the golden age of the New York mural

74 Day for Night

100 Kitchen Confidential

East meets West with bold silhouettes that mirror the skyline alongside the softest, most sensuous silks of old China, photographed at The St. Regis Shenzhen

Michelin-starred chef Gary Rhodes reveals why he’s taking English tea to the Middle East, how he’s given falafel a twist, and where to taste the best soup in the world

84 Smart Packing

102 High Society

Whether you’re beach-bound, dressing up for the city or heading up-country, these are the (essential) pieces to get you through your day

Airline expert John Arlidge explores the inner sanctums of the new private jets, which come complete with fireplaces, personal chefs and even retractable chandeliers

88 California Dreamer

106 Jewels in the Desert

When Andy Linsky isn’t sourcing fine properties in Palm Springs, he is stocking up on something else he loves: classic cars.

Celebrity photographer Patrick Fraser captures him at home with the rides he reveres

Fancy dropping into Abu Dhabi or Doha, but don’t know which one to pick? We compare the best of the emerging hotspots, from shopping to sporting life plus both cities’ dazzling new museums and galleries

91 The Kids Are All Right

108 P. J. O’Rourke

– Fashion –

– Food –

– Vacation Style –

– Aviation –

– The Connoisseur –

– Social Observation –

– A Life in Seven Journeys –

Once the offspring of the rich and famous needed to do nothing more than join the social whirl. Today, many are carving out enviable careers of their own, writes Jeffrey Podolsky

The famously droll cultural commentator offers us a glimpse into the journeys that shaped his views: from Indian highways and the Siberian wilderness to his own back yard

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Getty Images

– Culture –

Contents

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THE WORLD IN SEVEN OBJECTS Photography by Louisa Parry

Extraordinary, beautiful objects tell the stories of their age, from fashions in footwear to the way we travel. here we curate a ‘magnificent seven’ from around the world. feast your senses

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The World in Seven Objects

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Roman Intaglios When the Channel Tunnel linking Britain with France was excavated, one of the most exciting finds for archaeologists was a Roman intaglio ring. It was thrilling not only for financial reasons, but because the firstor second-century object was probably from a Roman settlement called Vagniacae, which once had a great religious significance.

During the Roman Empire, the engraved rings would have been worn by businessmen who had images – mythological beasts, horses, portraits – carved into gems such as amethyst, agate or jasper. While some were symbolic of a man’s status or of his beliefs, others were purely personal.

“In Roman times, paper didn’t last long and painting wasn’t a popular art,” says antique jewelry dealer Peter Szuhay. “So if you had a beautiful daughter, you had an intaglio made of her by the best gemcutters.” Collecting intaglios, he adds, was so popular among travelers on the Grand Tour that in the mid-18th century, most travelers to Italy came back with at least one.

Today, while there has been an increased interest in the rings at auction houses such as Christie’s, with one from 330 BC selling for $118,750 last year, most are still surprisingly affordable. “People have to be educated to know the value of historical pieces,” Szuhay explains, “but most buyers have no idea what they’re looking at. The most valuable ever sold, for example, for more than $300,000 to the British Museum, consisted of only half a portrait of the Empress Livia.” So next time you come across an old ring in less than perfect shape, it might be worth a second look. peterszuhay.com

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Exotic Tea Over the two millennia since Wang Bao first described the preparation of tea, writing in 59 BC, the drink’s popularity has spread from China across the globe. Once the highly coveted – and taxed – drink of the rich, tea has become the world’s second-most popular drink after water.

According to Cliff Burrows, the group president of Starbucks, it is not just the commonplace teabag that is being brewed. Loose-leaved teas, and floral brews such as the chrysanthemum infusion pictured here, have not been as fashionable in America since 324 tea chests were dumped into Boston harbor in 1773.

Why the resurgent popularity? Travel, says Burrows. Generation Y have journeyed to more exotic climes and heard all about tea’s health-giving properties. And, like all modern generations, they enjoy tasting new things – silver-needle iced tea, perhaps, or a cup of sparkling Golden Monkey.

And in China there is renewed interest in this most ancient of luxuries.

Consequently, the price of rare teas is on the rise. Last November, at Hong Kong’s first ever rare tea auction, teas more than half a century old and worth more than $1m went under the hammer. “We have had a teadrinking tradition for a really long time,” says tea expert Vincent Chu Ying-wah. “Chinese people have got wealthy, and tea is a necessary thing.

This is why the price of tea still keeps going up.” teasenz.com

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Tequila Twenty years ago, tequila was a drink associated with youthful excess: downed in shots and sandwiched between lime squeezes and salt licks.

What only a few aficionados appreciated was that in small places near the town of Tequila and villages along the Tequila Route, highly purified fine liquor had been distilled for use by aristocratic families for centuries.

When tequila was rediscovered by Western connoisseurs in the 1990s, it was hailed as “a spirit redolent of ripe fruits, honey and cinnamon.”

Since then, the finest tequilas – made from the juice of the blue agave plant – have been introduced into some of the most respected bars in the world.

At The St. Regis Atlanta, for instance, a Herradura Private Selection Tequila has been crafted using agave roasted in clay ovens and aged in oak barrels.

And at The St. Regis Mexico City, the specialist maker Tequila Revolución offers tastings of its finest bottles accompanied by pre-Hispanic delicacies.

Recently Sean “Diddy” Combs acquired part-ownership of boutique tequila brand DeLeón, sold in bottles made of French glass, seen here, that are as valuable as the nectar they contain. Although fashioned to appeal to Western consumers, they bears traces of the drink’s roots. “Look at the top and you will see calavera [skulls] associated with the Day of the Dead and snakes that symbolise the guarding of all that’s sacred to Mexico, including this precious juice,” says Brent Hocking, DeLeón’s CEO. deleontequila.com

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The World in Seven Objects

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The Stiletto When one considers the sheer beauty of a pair of stilettos by Manolo Blahnik – slithers of the finest leather, artfully constructed above an elegant heel – it is unsurprising that some women have become obsessed with them. Since the American fashion editor Diana Vreeland spotted the would-be set-designer’s first drawings for shoes in 1971, and urged him to pursue his talent for the sake of the happiness of womankind, Blahnik has created thousands of different styles, creating a shoe for every outfit, for every mood and for every season.

Although high-heeled shoes have been worn since Roman times, the slimline modern heel only came into existence 60 years ago with the evolution of metal extrusion, allowing short lengths of extremely strong metal rods to be made, which cobblers realized could be used to support the foot. Soon women were queuing at society cobblers such as Roger Vivier and Salvatore Ferragamo: Marilyn Monroe even had stilettos made with one heel slightly shorter than the other, to emphasize that famous wiggle.

After seasons of vertiginous clumpy heels, the stiletto is back in force: this year many are super-sexy, such as Antonio Berardi’s Roman-style sandals, while others, like Balenciaga’s ankle-strap creations, are studded in crystals. Yet Blahnik’s designs continue to be a favorite of serious aficionados: strappy, delicately heeled and, of course, padded underfoot.

Blahnik understands that what makes a shoe really covetable is not only sexiness, but comfort. “What shoes need to do is transform the way you feel,” he explains, “and to emphasise the way your buttocks move. That what makes shoes sexy. They make you feel good in your body.” manoloblahnik.com

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The World in Seven Objects

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The Bicycle This is the bicycle’s moment. It is the most popular means of transport on earth, with more than a billion models – almost half of them in China – whizzing across the planet. It is championed by such powerful global figures as U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

There’s good reason for its renewed popularity. Ridden at low speeds of 10 to 15 miles an hour, a bicycle utilises the same amount of energy as walking. It’s cheap to run, eco-friendly, requires minimal maintenance and doesn’t get stuck in traffic jams. And for a new generation of smart, environmentally aware men, it is far, far cooler to be seen pedaling to the office than riding in the back of a limousine.

It is, of course, good news for bicycling manufacturers, and for followers of style. Today there are dozens of small new manufacturing companies, such as the Vickers Bicycle Company, which hand-builds its made-to-order Roadster, pictured right, specifically for the sophisticated urban gentleman.

What their clients want, says Vickers’ founder Ian Covey, “is an elegant bike on to which they can leap, whatever they are wearing, in whatever weather, and arrive in style”. Hence this model’s elegant handlebars, which help to maintain an upright posture, and prevent suit jackets from pulling or creasing. “But then, because our bicycles are bespoke, we can make anything for anyone, no matter what their wardrobe,” he adds. “If you’re a kilt-wearer, for instance, we just remove the crossbar.” vickersbicycles.co.uk

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The World in Seven Objects

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Netsukes In his poignant family memoir, The Hare with Amber Eyes, Edmund de Waal describes how he inherited a collection of 264 netsukes from his greatuncle Iggie, originally a wedding gift to his great-great grandfather Viktor, and traces their journey through generations of the Ephrussi family back to a time when they were, like the Rothschilds, “unimaginably rich.” “Netsukes have an extraordinary, irreducible character,” De Waal explains, “some funny, some hideous, some charming. And you can feel their stories through your fingers. I kept one in my pocket the whole time I was writing the book.”

In the past, the tiny, carved Japanese figurines were not just objects of beauty, but part of a gentleman’s wardrobe: an accessory that demonstrated the wearer’s wealth, taste and social status. Because traditional kimonos had no pockets, men would suspend pouches on a silk cord passed behind their sash. The netsuke was threaded on the end to prevent the cord from slipping.

Although today few Japanese still wear kimonos, their value has grown substantially. Last year, an 18th-century ivory netsuke of a shishi, or “lion dog,” like the one pictured here, reached $416,000 at auction. And the number of netsuke-makers is increasing. As one craftsman explains, many young Japanese have little figurines hanging from their mobile phones or bags. “Although these are modern, and often commercial, the tradition is ancient. As more young people realize they can get them hand-made, the demand for traditional folkloric characters is once again rising.” rosemarybandini.co.uk

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The World in Seven Objects

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The Fly The film A River Runs Through It has a lot to answer for. When Robert Redford turned Norman Maclean’s novella into a movie starring Brad Pitt, fly-fishing graduated from a pastime for old-timers into a super-cool sport, from the rivers of Japan to the mountain streams of Aspen. Courses became oversubscribed with newbies wanting to acquire angling skills, fishing shops reported a surge in sales, and fishing retreats were all booked up.

Even two decades on, fly-fishing has lost none of its appeal, with increasing numbers going abroad to pursue their passion. “When it’s cold in the northern hemisphere, there’s nothing like sea fly-fishing in the Seychelles,” says Sean Clarke of Farlows, who accompanies international clients to rivers, lakes and seashores all over the world. “Or in summer, going into great wildernesses: in Canada, say, or Russia. You can helicopter into parts of Russia where there isn’t another soul for 150 miles.”

Perhaps the silver screen will inspire a revival of the dying art of fly-tying, too. This year’s cult documentary Kiss the Water tells the story of Megan Boyd, whose skill in creating such fly models as the Jock Scott and the Silver Doctor from feathers, tinsel and silk made her a revered figure among anglers, including her lifelong friend, Prince Charles. Ironically, Boyd hated the fact that her gorgeous lures were ultimately used to kill fish. farlows.co.uk

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a taste of

shangri-la Words by Nonie Nieswand

Once Chengdu was one of the richest cities on the silk route, eulogized by Marco Polo. today its temples and tea houses continue to seduce, amid the buzz of one of china’s fastest-growing hi-tech cities. Oh, and there are pretty cute pandas, too

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The Journey

hen Marco Polo visited Chengdu more than 700 years ago, he found the Chinese city refreshingly reminiscent of his hometown, Venice. “Several large rivers of fresh water come down from distant mountains to flow round the city, and through it. The branch-streams within the city are crossed by stone bridges of great size and beauty,” he observed. “Along the bridges on either side are fine columns of marble that support the roof; for all the bridges are covered with handsome wooden roofs richly decorated and painted in red. All along the bridges on either side are rows of booths devoted to the practice of various forms of trade and craft.”

Today, my first impressions of the capital of Sichuan province are not so different from his. Fresh water still flows through the city, crossed by charming bridges like those painted on willow-patterned china. The Anshun bridge supports a pagoda-roofed restaurant. Tea houses, temples and trees cling to riverbanks amid the silvery skyscrapers of Chengdu’s busy commercial centre. The city is one of the fastest-growing in the world, a magnet for high-tech companies such as Cisco and Dell and abuzz with new construction. Yet one still finds picturesque stalls piled high with bananas or bright yellow sunflowers, stacks of crimson bowls with ivory chopsticks and wicker trays of paper-white mushrooms.

Flying out of foggy Beijing to land at Chengdu is a breath of fresh air. It’s hard to believe that 20 percent of the world’s computers and two thirds of the world’s iPhones are made here. Perhaps its charm lies in the parks, lined with weeping willows, on the Jin river. Or the red-tiled tea houses, the exotic opera, and the food – “as spicy as its women,” as our not-so-politically-correct tour guide would have it. Or the laid-back attitude of the 14 million inhabitants, going about their business with roosters strapped to their backs, gliding through temples in saffron robes, sipping tea under silk parasols all along the riverbanks.

The capital of Sichuan has been a commercial hub ever since the city became a stopover for caravanserai on the silk route. In 1287 AD Marco Polo reported that entrance tolls into the city amounted to 1,000 gold pieces every day. Today, there are no charges. Instead, from the airport, travelers can be whisked to the splendour of Chengdu’s newest attraction, The St. Regis Hotel.

From here, in the capable hands of a chauffeur and an English-speaking guide, exploring the city is easy – and since Chengdu recently became the first city in western China to allow transit travelers a 72-hour visa-free stay, it has become a place from which to explore the country. That might be a daytrip south to Leshan to goggle at the one of the world’s largest

Doors to the East Previous page: a woman in traditional dress plays the flute at Wuhou temple.

Below: antique carved doors on Jinli Street, a treasure trove of traditional architecture

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A Taste of Shangri-La Buddhas – or, in my case, a 560-mile journey north into the forested Minshan mountains in the hopes of meeting a panda in the wild.

I had come to Chengdu with a party of international conservationists from the World Wildlife Fund. Our plan was to visit the breeding program for giant pandas at the nursery just outside Chengdu, and then to trek into the nature reserves of northwestern Sichuan, home to the largest number of pandas in the wild.

But before we set off into the countryside, there is a whole city to see: a circuit of temples and tombs, and tea houses serving green tea, woody lapsang souchong and feisty oolong in lidded porcelain cups. At the River Viewing Pavilion Park, we are treated to acrobats bending over backwards (literally) to pour steaming jets of tea into porcelain cups from a teapot with a spout as long as that of a watering can. “Why run the risk of being scalded?” comments a fellow traveler wryly.

Where there is tea, there is also often music. At the aptly named Culture Park, the tea house doubles as an opera house, with ivory walls weathered like mahjong tiles and seats covered in red velvet. The performance that night is an extravaganza of song and dance, acrobatics, fire-eating and magic. Against a backdrop of lavish screens depicting autumnal leaves one moment, spring blossom the next, beautiful dancers with ghostly

white faces and colorful brocades pirouette to percussive clanging and tinkling. “Now you see emperor become beggar,” promises our ever-present tour guide, introducing us to the ancient art of bian lian in which identities, even gender, are altered by swapping masks with great sleight of hand.

“Kept inside wide sleeves,” observes our friend, a hawk-eyed wildlife conservationist who carries his binoculars wherever he goes.

In this city, nightlife, too, is fun and colorful. Raised high above the streets, red lanterns and hand-painted signs proclaim the fiery food for which Sichuan is famous. The city’s speciality is the chuan chuan xiang hotpot: bamboo shoot skewers of duck, pork, chicken or fish with vegetables, rolled in spicy oil and dipped into a bubbling broth. Salty, sweet, hot, spicy, sour, sometimes bitter, Sichuan food is never bland.

The best local advice I am given is to ask for a menu with an English translation: something I really appreciate when I discover that fu qi fei pian is braised cow’s lungs, and when a fellow traveler discovers that his breakfast, which has the texture of a rubber boot and looks as if it has been dusted with gunpowder, is a thousand-year-old egg.

But then this city is full of surprises. Visiting the Qin Shi Qiao daily market early the next morning, we discover a variety of feet: of ducks, geese, pigs and roosters. Fish and eels wriggle in buckets. Lavender

Tea time in Chengdu Guanyinge is one of the oldest tea houses in Chengdu. Its rituals, layout, bamboo chairs and copper pots have changed little in more than 100 years

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The Journey

A world colored by tradition Clockwise from top left: Wenshu temple monastery; an actress prepares for a performance of opera in a Chengdu tea house; a Buddhist monk at Wenshu; sweet snacks in a city park.

Previous page: one of the many spectacular lakes within Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve

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A Taste of Shangri-La Peking bantams squawk in bamboo cages. Lotus leaves and flowers plucked from lily ponds, chestnuts and bamboo shoots, spices and star anise are piled high in baskets. Just outside, street vendors fan little braziers of hot coals to roast sweetcorn on skewers.

But there’s modernity, too. Beside the temples in which monks in saffron robes pray in a haze of incense and gardens towering with cypresses are the skyscrapers of the commercial district, and enormous shopping centres. On Jinli Street, a recently reconstructed treasure trove of kitsch framed by traditional-style architecture, we stroll amid Mao memorabilia and images of pandas printed on everything, from backpacks and caps to scarves and kites. In this part of the world, the creature is so revered that it is often used as the ultimate political bargaining tool. In 1972, following a visit by Richard Nixon that changed East-West relations for ever, the Chinese government gave two pandas to America which subsequently attracted millions of visitors.

To get our own real-life encounter, we drive six miles on the four-lane highway to the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which has had well over 100 successful panda births. The cubs, which are bred using artificial insemination, are raised in incubators and kept in enclosures, more like parks than pens. Booted and gowned like doctors, we visit the nursery where seven hairless, pink panda cubs are curled up in incubators before being moved into the toddlers’ grassy enclosures.

Snoozing on tree stumps, posing for pictures, appearing to beam amiably, the juvenile bears are delightful. Although they have toys and wooden climbing frames to play with in their enclosures, the creatures’ main activity is feeding.

Adults eat about 45lbs of bamboo every day, spend 16 hours a day chewing it, and the rest of their time asleep. Pandas won’t consider bamboo shoots more than a day old, so truckloads of the stuff from the mountainous north supplement the harvest from groves at the Research Base.

Sadly, efforts to reintroduce them to the wild have not been successful. A national survey from 2004 estimated there to be only about 1,600 pandas in the wild, 80 percent of which are in the 38 forest reserves in Sichuan Province. One such, the Wanglang Nature Reserve, is where we hope to encounter one.

Our journey begins on the flat, driving through farmlands outside Chengdu. Around rickety little white-walled houses are clotheslines and gardens dotted with duck ponds and fruit trees. Watermelons hang from vines, and the pepper plants that give Sichuan cuisine its kick can be seen clambering over walls. The area is intensively farmed and densely populated.

We travel on Highway 101, passing lorries loaded with squealing pigs, a cyclist with roosters in a bamboo cage weaving past buses, and stretch limos with smoked-glass windows. As the landscape of the Sichuan basin turns golden with wheat, traffic slows for combine harvesters to move sluggishly across it.

The rolling farmlands give way to mist-shrouded forest and mountains that rise 10,000 feet to the Tibetan Plateau. As the road narrows and begins to climb through steep, forested gorges, the color changes from grain to green, with pine, rhododendron and barberry hugging the slopes. As it winds around steep mountainside, the road sometimes slips away or is covered by landslides. Erosion is so bad that travel is only permitted in daylight. Along riverbeds, flat-bottomed boats trawl for stone and sand to rebuild the road, the boatmen reduced to the size of ants as we climb.

As dusk falls we stop at the small town of Tudiling. Yaks graze in the

grassland and our hotel is surrounded by a cluster of little stalls lit by single lightbulbs selling Tibetan dolls, rice-paper drawings, Mao Zedong caps, incense and the carved stones and ammonite fossils, known as saligrams, that every Buddhist mountain traveler holds sacred.

Heading west for the hills of Wanglang early the following day, our route takes us past roadside beehives and clusters of beautifully scented white trumpet flowers growing in the rocky shale. Long ago a traveler brought juniper here, and there are juniper berries and peppercorns and honey for sale at roadside stalls. We stop at one where groomed yaks, snowy white, have red pom-poms stuck on their blackened horns.

Stallholders invite us to pay to pose for pictures with their beasts, wearing red cowboy hats. In the thin, crisp air our breath steams even at midday. We eat rice and drink green tea from small bowls.

As gears grind round hairpin bends and our teeth chatter as we cross precipices, there isn’t one of us who wishes we had taken the easy route to the nature reserve by flying to Jiuhuang airport to reach our next stop, the bustling tourist resort of Jiuzhaigou. “Just ten years ago this was a village with 2,000 residents,” our WWF field officer tells us.

“Today about 20,000 tourists a day head to Jiuzhaigou.” Mass tourism is as much a threat to panda habitat as the logging which the state has now prohibited in the region.

Driving down into the Jiuzhaigou Valley, a necklace of hotels and casinos and flashing neon signs appears in the middle of nowhere.

A plastic palm tree stands forlornly beneath a street lamp. It’s not pretty.

Just outside the town, however, lies the spectacular Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve, studded with turquoise lakes, fast-flowing waterfalls, forest trails and snowy peaks rising to 14,800 feet above sea level. Unesco has declared it a world heritage site. It is a paradise for birdwatchers and botanists. The water is so clear that when I drop a seed into a deep pool in the lush marshlands, I can watch it sink gently all the way to the bottom. High levels of calcium carbonate in the water turn the area’s lakes the most remarkable shades of jade and turquoise, giving rise to such poetic names as Promising Bright Bay, Five-Colored Pool, Pearl Shoal Waterfall – even Panda Lake.

While it’s a beautiful stop-off, we have another three and a half hours to travel on a hazardous road to Pingwu and from there, a further 75 miles to Wanglang Nature Reserve on a road pitted with craters. Sheer cliffs rise above us on our climb. We stop to photograph the only other vehicle on the road, a tractor carrying a family dressed formally in silk robes as if on their way to a wedding ceremony.

Just as the sun is slipping behind the towering mountains, we reach the Wanglang Nature Reserve, where the WWF has helped to establish an eco-lodge complete with learning center and a veranda from which to admire the spectacular view. At 9,800 feet, though, it’s not just the views that take your breath away. It’s the thin mountain air.

After a comfortable night’s sleep, we are ready to explore. Outside the lodge, a wooden sign painted in Chinese and English explains what awaits those who can make it: “Baisha valley is formed by the rockslide.

Walk along this way you can see grand mountains covered with snow, cuckoo and trees buried by mud flow. Single seed Savin and spruce are the main trees in this stretch of forest. There are lots of orchids under single seed Savin. Every year the best time to view and admire the orchids is from May to August.”

We stroll amid images of pandas printed on everything, from backpacks and caps to scarves and kites.

In this part of the world, the creature is so revered that it is often used as a political bargaining tool

41

All photographs courtesy Corbis

The Journey

42

A Taste of Shangri-La We begin in the petrified forest, where strangely sculptural, silvery black and white fossilized trees are surrounded by spruce, fir and Alpine cypress. Here wild roses bloom, pale pink and yellow, and the sudden, sharp lemon tang of azaleas reminds me that China is one of the world’s great sources of plants that have now spread across the world. This ancient forest contains species I have only ever encountered before in London’s Kew Gardens: the Venus flytrap, rare fritillaries, vivid orchids, and the curious Chinese sumac, a much-prized ingredient in Chinese medicine. All are vulnerable to plant hunters, and so anti-poaching teams regularly patrol the reserve’s perimeter. They are also charged with protecting the native fauna, which includes musk oxen and golden snubnosed monkeys, as well as the elusive panda. We hold little hope of seeing one of the latter, though, when the park’s director, Jiang Shiwei, warns us that he has never seen a panda in the wild, and he’s lived here for seven years.

As we climb, the going gets tougher. Suspension bridges with a lattice of saplings span torrents. Tangled undergrowth lashes us and bamboo saplings whip across our path. It’s cold, too. The watery sun at this high altitude never penetrates the dense forest. Suddenly a shout goes up from one of the park patrollers. He has found panda droppings. “How old is

it?” “Six or seven months.” “So it’s only a panda cub, then?” “No, the feces is six months old.”

Not exactly hot on the trail of a panda, we decide to call it a day and return to the lodge to prepare for the long ride back to Chengdu.

While disappointed, I remind myself that Peter Matthiessen wrote his bestseller The Snow Leopard without spotting a single one of the beasts on his trek across the high Himalayas. And we do know that they are out there. On YouTube there is footage captured last year of an impatient giant panda hustling her dawdling cub on a high mountain pass in Anzihe Nature Reserve, about 65 miles from Chengdu.

Even though we haven’t managed to find this elusive creature, the magnificence of the landscape that these solitary creatures inhabit, with its fast-flowing rivers, precipitous gorges and blue mountains wreathed in mist, more than compensates. The Tang dynasty poet Li Bai, who lived during the 8th century, described the journey to Sichuan as being more difficult than the road to heaven. Back in Chengdu, and about to fly halfway back across the world, I reflect that it was worth making that hazardous journey. For it was here that we discovered a real Shangri-La. Your address: The St. Regis Chengdu

Into China’s wilds Left: spectacular autumn colour at Peacock Lake in Jiuzhaigou Nature Reserve.

Above: juvenile pandas at the Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding

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A Little Place I Know ADdress-book secrets from luminaries of the worlds of fashion, perfume and politics

The California chocolatier

by Sally Perrin Christopher Michael Chocolatier, 2346 Newport Blvd, Costa Mesa, chrischocolates.com

This is really a hidden gem, because it’s in an unassuming shopping center on the Newport Peninsula where you’d never expect to find something quite as incredible. It is total chocolate heaven. To the right, as you walk in, there’s a counter featuring all the truffles, ganaches and confections of the day, and to the left, ready-made packages which make easy-tograb gifts, including the store’s famous chocolate bars with unique flavors.

The chef-owner, Christopher Michael Wood, discovered a chocolatier in SoHo in New York, and in 2006 decided to try to bring the same level of craft and detail to his native California. Every time I go to the Dana Point area, I have to go and get something: a bar, truffles, bonbons, chocolate-covered nuts... Current favorites are his balsamiccaramel and chocolate-covered strawberries, his unusual bars, like the spicy pomegranate and lime and his lavender-infused caramels. My husband absolutely loves the Sizzling Bacon Bar, which is Venezuelan chocolate flavored with sea salt, smoked bacon and popping candy.

What’s great is that they take classics and twist them; they take a risk, which is what I like to do. I like the unusual, the untried, the unexpected. And I like the fact that it’s small and artisanal. Christopher takes care of every little detail, whether that’s the painstaking airbrushing of designs on his chocolates or the unique flavors he creates on the premises. I am not sure whether to thank the friend who brought a box to a dinner party we had at our home a few years ago. I had three pieces and have been hooked ever since!

The recycled fashion shop in Rome by Livia Firth RE(f )USE , 40 Via della Fontanella di Borghese, carminacampus.com

I always enjoy wandering along the magical street of Via della Fontanella di Borghese, in the historical heart of Rome. Not just for its history and culture. I go primarily to see Ilaria Venturini Fendi’s magical shop, RE(f )USE. Ilaria launched her ethical fashion brand Carmina Campus a few years ago because she wanted to make her business more sustainable and to find a way of extending the life of objects.

It is the only store I know of whose fashion and design objects are all made exclusively with recycled materials. They use all sorts of things – remnants from factories, discarded fabric, end-of-line stock, vintage snippets – which are then all assembled and reused to create something with a totally new shape and function. When you enter RE(f )USE, you feel like Alice in Wonderland: the selections of jewelry, accessories, tables, chairs, sofas, lamps, chandeliers and other pieces of design are all unique. There are all sorts of incredible works by some of the most unconventional designers from all over the world, including the Berlinbased Stuart Haygarth and the Belgian Charles Kaisin.

The first floor is the place that reflects Ilaria’s real passion. It’s all paneled with mirrors and stocked with dozens of handbags, each of them different styles, sizes and colours and upcycled by artisans from Italy and Africa. What makes them extra-special is that each piece carries a tag, telling its story, listing the materials that have been used to make it and the number of hours spent to produce it by hand. To me, this place is temple of design. It’s somewhere I love going into and never regret buying anything from.

Sally Perrin is a designer of handbags and leather accessories Your address: The St. Regis Monarch Beach

Livia Firth is a film producer and campaigner for ethical fashion Your address: The St. Regis Rome 44

The homewares store in Mexico City

by Kiyan Foroughi Common People, Emilio Castelar 149, Colonia Polanco, commonpeople.com.mx

This store, in a beautiful four-story 1940s colonial mansion, is on an upmarket street in the characterful area of Polanco, which is known for its architecture, restaurants and hotels. From the outside there is no hint of what is within and even when you step through the door, it seems more like a gallery than a store. Nothing’s straightforward-looking. All the merchandise looks as though it’s been caught on a strong breeze: there are bags, plates, cushions of all sorts, piled high and hanging from walls and roofs.

The idea of the owners, Monika Biringer and Max Feldman, was to create “a place filled with uncommon things for common people.”

And that’s what it is. There’s something to contemplate wherever you look and nothing is the same. There are all sorts of names, from independent local artists to international figures. So you’ll get local companies such as TOSCA, which produces big, chunky jewelry, alongside Commes des Garçons and Vivienne Westwood, clothing piled alongside homewares, and high-tech gadgets next to projects by artists and musicians. It’s a bit like Colette in Paris. One minute you’ll be looking at books from Assouline, the next furniture from Vitra and then vintage pieces from the forager Emmanuel Picault.

The owners are involved in the creative scene in the area – fashion, design, art, music, everything – and incorporate that into the store wherever possible, which gives it a lovely creative edge. What’s great, too, is that although the assistants are incredibly cool, they’re not at all snobby and will know all about the makers: who they are, where they’re from and how they’ve made things. So every time you go in, you learn. A friend who recommended it to me suggested that I didn’t go in if I was in a hurry, and he was right. If you’re not shopping, then there’s a café and a beautiful ornate staircase to go up, to discover a whole other floor, then another, then another…

The haberdasher in New York

by Collette Dinnigan This shop is so tiny that it would be easy to miss. Its previous address, on West 38th Street in the Garment District, was even smaller. But wherever its location, it has always been packed from ceiling to floor with treasures.

Four generations of the same family have worked in the business since the current owner’s grandfather, Arch J. Bergoffen, took it on in 1933, specialising in French tinsel and metal threads, and it has much of the same charm, if not as much clutter or dust, as the original.

It’s the ultimate shop for treasure seekers: full of shiny, beautiful ornamentation that has been collected by its owners for decades, from all over the world. There are antique trims and beading from the 1930s and 1940s, metal fringing, tassels, vintage cards from 1900, old labels, waxed flowers. The things I most love are the buttons. In the old shop, you had to go through hundreds of boxes and jars to find the ones that were really special: those that were hand-painted, glass, covered in silk and velvet, collected from old military jackets. Sometimes they might only have enough for ten dresses; other times for whole collections.

Now the shop is much more organized. The buttons are all in boxes with a button sewn on to the front, so you know what’s inside. The rolls of fabric are also now merchandised according to colour, with a flower at the end of each roll, so the whole wall looks like a spring field.

What’s great fun is that you never know what you might find. Once I came out with a collection of big letters from the 1930s covered with real, old-fashioned glass glitter. Another time I found beautiful old tags and some quaint pieces of original embroidery and lace.

Today, it has been brought much more up-to-date; they now even have a website, which is handy if you can’t get there in person. Also, if you let them know what you want, they can often help you find it from one of their many contacts all over the world. It’s one of those quirky, quite peculiar places that is a real one-off. Just talking about it makes me long to go and rummage around in it.

Kiyan Foroughi is CEO of the online jewelry and accessories store boticca.com Your address: The St. Regis Mexico City

Collette Dinnigan is a fashion designer based in Sydney Your address: The St. Regis New York 45

Illustrations: Jacobo Pérez-Enciso

Tinsel Trading Company, 828 Lexington Avenue, tinseltrading.com

A Little Place I Know

The sushi bar in Osaka

by Maria McElroy Yamane, 1-3-1 Doujima Kitaku (+81 6 6348 1460)

The exclusive Kitashinchi neighborhood is the beating heart of Osaka at night, and this sushi restaurant is right in the center of it. Above the narrow streets are a tangle of neon signs and boards inviting people inside, to secret little places where geishas once delighted customers.

Because the area has such a lovely feeling, it’s where the cream of Osaka society goes. There are half a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants around, but for me and my Kyoto-born husband, Yamane is by far the best.

You’d never know from the outside that it was so special. It’s in an unassuming building and behind the sliding door is an intimate space, with a delicate blond-wood latticed sushi bar, behind which the master sushi chef Mr Yamane and his staff work.

There is nothing quite like sitting there, watching the action. Like most old traditional establishments, the fish from that morning’s catch at Sakai fish market is not on display, but kept in boxes of ice and taken out when the chefs need to slice it with their precision knives.

Some of them have been sushi chefs for decades and are masters in local specialities: mehari, a heady combination of rice with fatty tuna and salmon caviar wrapped in pickled mustard or square hakozushi, topped with marinated mackerel and kelp. Although I always have their tuna, octopus and flounder sushi, I love their dashimaki tamago, a thick, warm rolled omelet, much softer and more pliable than those you find in Tokyo.

The food, as you’d expect from someone with such a precise eye, is presented in an extremely elegant way, on ceramic plates made by the famous ceramicist Ippento Nakagawa. And the smells that waft through the air, of warm soy sauce, incense and the freshness of the sea, are as enjoyable as the sounds of the chefs chatting and laughing.

The people in this area of Japan are known to be very funny and full of life, and although everyone is hugely respectful of Mr Yamane, his restaurant is full of warmth and humor.

The stationery shop in Washington, D.C. by Fareed Zakaria Thornwillow, The St. Regis D.C., 923 16th Street, thornwillow.com

Entering Thornwillow is like entering a library or a gentleman’s club. It even has a “librarian” to look after you, who encourages you to have a cup of tea or a whiskey while you sit and browse books. It’s an extraordinary publishing house: a place where you can buy books, or get them printed, and walk out with incredibly beautiful stationery. My wife and I had our New Year cards printed there and as usual, the owner, Luke Ives Pontifell, came up with a wonderfully whimsical design: a flying pig!

He is one of those people who is extraordinarily wise although still pretty young. He wears wire-rimmed glasses and three-piece suits with a pocket square so you feel a bit like you’re talking to someone from another era.

We’ve also visited the place in which the books are made, an old coat factory in Newburgh, New York. There, we realized what a craft bookmaking is: they have lots of men, I think from Eastern Europe, who obviously make each book as a labor of love. They are expensive, but each one is fashioned by hand, their handmade paper covered in beautiful leather and each special for a different reason, whether it’s President Obama’s inaugural speech or a famous old novel they have reprinted.

I am lucky enough to have a set of simple notecards and matching envelopes printed with nothing but my name and a charming little vellum-based desk calendar that sits on a little gold easel. It’s a lovely old design and, in a world in which almost everything is on our phones, it is nice to have something on your desk that reminds you quickly about the passing of time. You don’t have to fiddle around to find the calendar app.

Thornwillow offers a reminder of the efficiency of paper and the beauty of the printed word. Whenever I visit, I am hit by not just the intellectual power of the printed word but the emotional power of seeing something beautiful written on paper. It always makes me feel great.

Maria McElroy is the founder of aroma M perfumes Your address: The St. Regis Osaka

Fareed Zakaria presents CNN’s flagship international affairs program Your address: The St. Regis Washington, D.C. 46

A Little Place I Know

SWIM SHORTS

SHIRTS

BEACH BATS

LINEN TOWELS

WWW.FRESCOBOLCARIOCA.COM

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BIKINIS

ACCESSORIES

Interview

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The Tastemaker: Angelica Cheung

‘I thought I’d done it all.

Then Vogue came calling.

How could I say no?’

Interview by Hilary Rose Photographed by Matthew Niederhauser

Angelica Cheung, Vogue china’s first editor, on being a modern working mother, an international role model – and the woman to lead Chinese designers into the West

H

ow did you come to be editor of Vogue China?

Before I came to Vogue I was thinking seriously about quitting fashion journalism. I had been editor-in-chief at Marie Claire Hong Kong and Elle China, but although I studied law at university, I’d never practised it. I wanted to do something other than fashion journalism, because I thought I’d done it all. Then Condé Nast came calling. I mean, it’s Vogue. How could I say no?

Some of them might buy only runway collections, for instance. Others are moving away from logo products; they feel that the newcomers from second- and third-tier cities are wearing those, so they want to show they have moved on.

Are Vogue editors friends or rivals?

There is a certain identity that is shared by being an editorin-chief of Vogue, because it is the pinnacle of a career in fashion magazines. However, we work within very different markets, with very different readers, so at the end of the day we are very independent of each other.

Institute

Vogue China has a print and online readership of more than 1 million.

Are you surprised by how successful it’s been?

Yes and no. China was tipped to be the next emerging market in fashion when we launched in 2005, and our launch issue sold out immediately, which was an encouraging sign! At the time, I said that if people are riding a horse, and you ask them what they need, they would say a very fast horse, until you show them the car. I think the time was right to show them the car.

The speed of change in China looks incredibly fast. Does it feel that way?

Yes. Even the architectural landscape around you changes at a rapid speed; buildings seem to come and go. However, when you live here for so long, you get used to change.

People are accustomed to a very fast pace of life. Sometimes, when I go to Europe or to America, I’m like, “Oh, this is still the same as it was two years ago.”

Has the way Chinese women approach fashion changed since 2005?

Definitely. Their approach has matured at such a rapid rate.

Obviously there are people who love the big brands and logos. But within the first- and second-tier cities, there is an incredibly sophisticated consumer base. These women travel extensively, they go to the shows in Paris, they buy couture.

Women here like to look polished. They like beautiful handbags, lovely high heels, dresses and having their hair perfectly done. People don’t admire “casual chic” here so much. Having said that, vintage is really taking off lately. In Beijing and Shanghai, there are some very niche spenders: money is not an object, but they want to buy the right things.

Do you have a good work/life balance?

I used to work all the time, then a few years ago I had my daughter, Hayley. I really felt the impact of these choices that you make between work and family. It’s so important to give it your all in both aspects, and it’s something that I really try to do. Even though I travel so much, I often end up taking day trips to different continents so I don’t miss out on too much.

What are the best and worst things about living in Beijing?

Beijing is a difficult city to live in, with its infamous traffic and pollution, but it is the center of China, and that has its 49

Interview

First lady of Chinese fashion Angelica Cheung in her office in Beijing, putting together another groundbreaking issue of Vogue China

appeal. Parts of the old city, around the Imperial Palace, are very beautiful. It doesn’t have the cosmopolitan charm of Shanghai, but at the end of the day, the majority of the movers and shakers are here, so Vogue is, too.

launched. But we just kept having new ideas. I always believe there is life after Vogue. Life is short. If one day I stop feeling inspired, I will move on to something else. But I don’t think I will go back to law now.

How different is your daughter’s world to the one you grew up in?

I can’t even begin to tell you. My daughter has been travelling with me since she was a baby – she’s such a little jetsetter. We grew up with nothing by comparison: there was no fashion to speak of, no diverse cuisines or restaurants, nobody traveled anywhere. Now, new shopping malls are opening up everywhere, people are exposed to so much via the internet, and everybody is on their phones all the time. Hayley knows her way around an iPad, and she’s only six. That would have been unimaginable when I was growing up. I still have a picture of when I was a kid, holding Mao’s Little Red Book. My grandma was a tailor, and she made me some really tight black-and-white check trousers to wear to school. Everyone else was in a blue uniform. I loved my trousers, but when I went to school they whispered, “Bourgeoisie.” That was a very bad label. After that, I didn’t dare wear them ever again.

Where in America have you traveled? What do you like about the country?

I travel to America quite a lot, but I always go on business trips with packed schedules. I love New York – I like the energy, and I love how everybody there is very direct. They know what they want, and they’re not afraid to go after it.

How would you describe your personal style?

In this industry you’re forced to make choices about fashion every single day, and with a young child, and the school run in the morning, I really try to keep things simple. I love onepiece dresses, and Jason Wu always makes ones that are chic but comfortable for running around in all day. Accessories are great for making an outfit stand out, and Lanvin does such fun pieces. I have a particular weakness for coats, and I find the shapes from Marni work really well for me.

What was the inspiration behind your trademark asymmetric haircut?

It was really the notion of my hairdresser at the time. He said he had an idea for a cut and couldn’t think of anybody who could carry it off, apart from me. I said, “Go for it,” and it’s been this way ever since.

Would you ever consider giving up work to be a full-time mother?

I don’t think so. Much as I love my daughter, I would miss my hectic life. One benefit we have from Chairman Mao is his slogan, “Women hold up half the sky.” That era basically lifted women to the same status as men. As a result, women of my generation feel that we have to work. It never occurred to us to stay at home. If I told my mom I wanted to stay at home, she would think my life a total failure. Maybe it’s nice sometimes to go to the spa and have your nails done, but I don’t think that’s me, and I don’t think it’s the majority of Chinese women.

Are we going to hear more from Chinese fashion designers in the future?

We’ve always been very conscious about promoting Chinese designers since our first issue, but I must admit that, back then, it was a bit of a struggle to find anybody. Now, we have people like Masha Ma and Uma Wang who show at Paris and Milan. Huishan Zhang, who we’ve supported from the beginning, has a presentation during London Fashion Week and has just won the Dorchester Collection Fashion Prize. They’ve come so far over the past few years, and I think they’ll go even further.

Is there any job you would like to do after Vogue China?

I never thought I would be in this job this long: nine years now. Friends still tease me about it, because when I joined Condé Nast, I said I would probably stay for two years and move on to something else once Vogue was successfully

Your address: The St. Regis Beijing 50

Iris Apfel: My New York

THE ART OF MINERAL BEAUTY

I N T RO D U C I N G O U R M O S T AC T I V E A N T I - AG E I N G M O I S T U R I S E R .

I N S TA N T L I F T I N G , V I S I B L E P L U M P I N G A N D S U S TA I N E D F I R M I N G .

SELFRIDGES

LIBERTY

HARVEY NICHOLS

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OMOROVICZA.COM

The Collectables

Maps of Ages Words by Charlotte Hogarth-Jones

L

ooking at Google Maps today, with its precise depictions of the world captured by satellites, it is strange to think that some early maps were works of complete fiction. “The maps of ancient Jerusalem are all fabrication, while celestial maps are an attempt to impose the Greek myths on to the night sky,” says Jay Walker of the Walker Library of the History of the Human Imagination in Connecticut.

Today, printed maps of the ancient world have never been as prized, or as celebrated for their rarity and their beauty. The oldest date back to the early days of printing in the 15th century, when European explorers started documenting their travels, and hit an aesthetic high in the elaborately decorated works of the Dutch mapmakers of the 17th century, the so-called Dutch Golden Age. Although prices for antique maps start at about $100, most purchases are in the low five figures. The most expensive single printed map sold to date is Abel Buell’s A New and Correct Map of the United States of North America from 1784, which fetched $2,098,500 at Christie’s, New York in 2010.

Seven-figure sales such as this are becoming more and more common, with dealers pinning great hopes on increasing interest from the Far East and Southeast Asia. “I’m off to Hong Kong for the second time in two months,” says Daniel Crouch, of the eponymous map-dealing firm in London. “Five years ago I would buy in China and sell in the U.S. Now it’s the reverse.”

What are these new buyers going after? So-called “curiosity maps”, in which land takes the form of figures – monarchy or politicians, for example – are well-liked. Among the most sought-after are Ptolemaic maps, based on the shape of the world set out by Claudius Ptolemy around AD 150; the last one sold to an individual by Sotheby’s in 2006 was printed in 1477 and fetched £2.1 million (about $3.4 million). The most undervalued, Crouch believes, are whole atlases. “You can get a globally significant world atlas collection for the same price as a mediocre Impressionist painting,” he says.

Christie’s, meanwhile, has seen prices soaring for masterpieces which are rare, in fine condition and have an excellent provenance. Just two years ago at the Kenneth Nebenzahl sale in New York, the auction house 52

Images courtesy of Christie’s and Sotheby’s

Above: this portolan atlas, offering sailing directions and describing coasts and harbours, was made by Battista Agnese in Venice between 1542 and 1546. It is one of the first maps to depict the peninsula of California, and was sold at Christie’s New York in April 2012 for almost $2.8 million

The Collectables

Clockwise from top left: Abel Buell’s 1784 A New and Correct Map of the United States of America; three maps based on the works of Claudius Ptolemy, printed in 1477; a hand-stitched Star Spread, approximately 5 feet x 8 feet, made by E. Hattie Rogers in upstate New York in 1863

sold a 1542 portolan atlas by Battista Agnese for $2,770,500 – well above the original estimate of $800,000 to $1,200,000.

The internet has also had a huge part to play in rising prices, creating “a transparent marketplace where map and globe values can be easily traced,” according to Julian Wilson, specialist in books and manuscripts at Christie’s. “It’s also facilitated the globalization of the market, which was dominated by Western buyers ten years ago,” he adds.

Massimo De Martini of the Altea Gallery in London points out, however, that many people still like to make their purchase in person.

“The internet is like our shop window,” he says. “Part of the fun of collecting is the hunt. But people still try to feel the quality for themselves.”

Experts advise new buyers to start small, looking for anything with original hand-painted colour on it, and to collect what they love. For Daniel Crouch, this is maps that are unusual. “My favourite item is an original 1930 copy of a 16th-century book called Astronomicum Caesareum

by Petrus Apianus,” he says. “It’s made with moving parts and is full of

dragons.” Wilson advises looking to the skies. “Celestial maps such as Star Spread by E. Hattie Rogers (1863) will pick up soon,” he says.

Perhaps surprisingly, new territories are still being charted. “NASA has produced a complete set of geological maps of the moon,” says Wilson. “One day, they, too, will be seen as a part of history.”

Where to buy antique maps Altea Gallery, London, alteagallery.com; Antipodean Books, Maps and Prints, New York, antipodean.com; Christie’s, New York, christies.com; Geographicus Rare Antique Maps, New York, geographicus.com; Sotheby’s, New York, sothebys.com; Daniel Crouch Rare Books, London, crouchrarebooks.com Where to see antique maps and globes The Map & Atlas Museum of La Jolla, San Diego, mamlj.org; The National Maritime Museum, London, nmm.ac.uk; The British Library, London, bl.uk; The Newberry Library, Chicago, newberry.org

Your address: The St. Regis New York 53

The Producers

Super

TUSCANS Words by Allegra Donn Photography by Alex Majoli

to create luxury gastronomic products takes time, devotion and often centuries of expertise. we meet three dynasties from the heart of italy whose past, present and future have been dedicated to the pursuit of sublime good taste

54

The Empire Strikes Back

Like father, like son Left: some of the truffle products exported by the Brezzi truffle company.

Above, from left: Valdimiro Brezzi, his 93-year-old father Eugenio and son Ludovico

55

The Revival

56

Super Tuscans

I

n Italy, luxury has long been associated with food.

When Catherine de Medici, great-granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, moved to France in 1633 to marry Henry II, a bevy of cooks followed in her wake, heralding the first export of Florentine cuisine that would go on to spread across the globe. Some 400 years later, many of the world’s most prized gastronomic products are still produced in Tuscany, from single-estate olive oils to sought-after wines, cheeses and treasured truffles.

Remarkably, many of these highly regarded foodstuffs are still produced by the same families who once fed Europe’s aristocracy during the Renaissance. Here, we profile three of them: two noble families, the vintners Marchesi Antinori and the olive-oil producers Marchesi Mazzei, who have been growing grapes and olives for more than 600 years; and the Brezzis, the Tuscan kings of truffles.

Today, the 93-year-old is as passionate about the fungi as he was as a child, explaining how the seasons bring different qualities to the truffle. “The white Alba truffle, the most valuable, ripens in autumn,” he explains. “The best ones will have been nibbled at by animals, which only go for the truffles with the strongest scent,” adds his son Valdimiro, who now runs the family business at Grosseto, near the Tuscan coast.

Like many family businesses, the company headquarters abuts the family home, and it is filled with memorabilia from the family’s other passion, travel. The walls are a patchwork of photographs recording epic trips around the world in cars, on motorbikes, horseback and on foot, and there is an enormous map criss-crossed in thick black pen showing itineraries.

It is beyond this office that the truffle rooms lie: spotless areas in which the fungi are inspected, scrubbed, stored, packaged and exported to prestigious stores throughout Italy and across the world as far as Australia and the United States. Here, three members of staff work diligently with their organic gold, some packing up whole truffles, others making white truffle purée to a recipe created by Eugenio Brezzi many years ago.

The Brezzis use no chemical aromas; all of their products are 100 percent natural. “To do things well is the best lesson in economics,” explains Valdimiro, taking a handful of perfect white truffles from a fridge: all perfectly shaped, unmarked and absolutely fresh. This little pile, he estimates, will be worth about $11,000.

The Brezzi Family Eugenio Brezzi was six years old when he found his first white truffle. Standing by his father in a pine forest collecting cones, he suddenly saw a strange dog digging something up.

It was a truffle. Thrilled by the idea of a creature helping man to find such a treat, he took his father’s dog Lola into the forest the next day and found two more. And so began the world-renowned Eugenio Brezzi truffle business.

Truffle central Left: memorabilia from a life of travel and truffle-hunting in the Brezzi family’s office, including truffle-cleaning tools and truffle products for sale. Above: Valdimiro and Eugenio

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The Producers

Although the Brezzis are master truffle merchants and renowned throughout the world, theirs is a business for which they cannot plan. The truffle grows entirely wild, they explain, and no one can anticipate where it will grow or can plant it. Which is why the family explores forests all year round. Between December and March they will go out hunting for black truffles, also known as a Périgord truffle.

Then comes the season for white spring truffles, followed by black summer truffles and finally the white Alba truffles.

A good harvest depends purely on nature’s goodwill. “The deeper in the ground the truffle is found, the better it is,” explains Valdimiro. And it is only the best specimens that will be sold. “If they’re less than perfect, we eat them ourselves.”

Which is why Eugenio, Valdimiro and his son Ludovico have just enjoyed truffles with their lunch. As perks of the job go, it’s one that many of their customers would surely envy.

While Albiera, the eldest of the daughters, spearheads worldwide marketing, Allegra oversees Antinori restaurants and Alessia, the youngest, runs a family farm near Rome, producing organic wines and cheeses sold in the family restaurant, La Cantinetta Antinori. The first restaurant opened in 1957 in Florence, and it now has offshoots in Zurich, Vienna and Moscow, with another due to open imminently in Baku, the oil-rich capital of Azerbaijan.

“The idea is to export our gastronomic lifestyle around the world, centered around our wines,” explains Allegra.

Keeping the Antinoris’ rich heritage alive is constantly on the sisters’ minds – hence their decision to move from their historic headquarters in a 16th-century palace in the heart of Florence to Il Bargino, a splendid avant-garde cellar in Chianti’s rolling hills. More like the sprawling control center of a Bond villain than a wine vault, the 540,000 sq. ft. building is seamlessly integrated within the landscape and almost totally camouflaged. The only part completely visible to the naked eye is a panoramic terrace from which visitors can admire the vineyards, planted mainly with sangiovese grapes.

As Albiera shows us round their new cellars, her handsome features every bit as classic as those of a Renaissance Madonna, she explains how the company reached a turning point in the 1970s with the creation of its flagship wine, Tignanello. A blend of sangiovese with nontraditional grapes cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, which was then aged in small French barriques, it was hailed as a Super Tuscan in America, and was a harbinger of the success to come. “It was then we realised that the quality of the grapes was paramount,” continues Albiera. “We knew we had to work during every phase in the vineyards, as well as in the cellar, with the aim of producing the best possible wines without compromising the purity of typical Chianti terrains.”

The Antinori Family Who needs sons when you have three daughters – particularly ones as capable as the progeny of legendary winemaker Piero Antinori? Today, alongside their father, Albiera, Allegra and Alessia Antinori run Marchesi Antinori, one of Italy’s best-known wine labels.

Since their ancestor Rinuccio di Antinori started growing grapes at Castello di Combiate near Calenzano in 1180, the family business has expanded all over the world. Today, having passed through 26 generations, it employs almost 400 people worldwide and has vineyards comprising 1900 hectares in different regions of Italy and 540 hectares of vineyards abroad, from California’s Napa Valley to Chile, Romania and Malta.

The power of three Above: Tignanello, the first of the Super Tuscan wines, which changed the fortunes of the Antinori sisters, from left, Allegra, Alessia and Albiera

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The Empire Strikes Back

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The Revival

Oil magnates Brothers Filippo and Francesco Mazzei and, right, some of the documents acquired by the family over the course of 600 years of producing wine and olive oil

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Super Tuscans

Although the family’s vineyards are among the oldest in Tuscany, it is essential, Albiera says, for the Antinoris to continue to move forward. “We are always experimenting, because there could always be something new we could improve on. That might be in the vineyards and the cellars, seeing new clones of local and international grapes, experimenting with cultivation techniques, altitudes, fermentation and barrels. And that’s what is exciting: as a family, our work is never done.”

“We employ 54 people, but this is a seasonal business so the number of our employees increases during harvest time,” says Francesco Mazzei, as he shows us around the mill where the olive oil is produced. A keen sportsman, he sometimes cycles the 20 miles to and from Florence.

The large building is surrounded by 3,500 olive trees of different varieties – frantoio, leccino, moraiolo and pendolino – from which the celebrated Castello di Fonterutoli extra virgin olive oil Chianti Classico DOP is derived. The dark oil, rich with hints of artichoke and thistle, is sealed in a squat, dark-glass bottle that bears the family’s golden crest.

There are no great secrets, the family maintains, to producing olive oil: it is a process established in ancient times that has changed little over the centuries. But there is an art to producing the very best oils. All of the Mazzei olives, for instance, are picked by hand – mostly in November – before they’ve reached maturity to retain the fruity taste typical of Fonterutoli. They are also pressed within the space of two hours in an atmosphere with a partial, or total, absence of oxygen, depending on the variety of the olives.

The family’s investment in high-tech equipment has meant that they have been able to develop the processes even further. Oil can now, for instance, be extracted even from the smallest lots of olives, so that “cru” bottles can be produced for those with more discerning palates.

The aim, Francesco explains, is to make the same products created by their ancestors, but to make them as refined as possible. “We want to keep alive historical and family values, but with new tools, to make them the very best we possibly can.”

Magnum Photos

The Mazzei Family Among the ten oldest family businesses in Italy is that of the Florentine Marchesi Mazzei. They have been making wine and olive oil for nearly 600 years at Castello di Fonterutoli, where they live for part of the year. Known since Roman times as Fons Rutolae, a stopover for travelers commuting between Florence and Siena, the estate came into the family in 1435. It was here that Filippo Mazzei lived during the mid-18th century before traveling to America, at the behest of Thomas Jefferson, to plant vineyards at his estate at Monticello in Virginia: the first in that part of the New World.

Today, Fonterutoli is principally run by two of the middle Mazzei brothers, Filippo and Francesco: both CEOs. Their father Lapo Mazzei is the president, while their elder brother Jacopo and niece Livia are also on the board of directors.

Their mother Carla is also active, cultivating lavender on the land, producing small batches of oils and soaps that go on sale at the shop that greets visitors at the very top of the hamlet. Like the Antinori family, they have a magnificent state-of-the-art cellar designed by the CEO’s sister, Agnese Mazzei, an architect and also a member of the board.

Your address: The St. Regis Florence 61

Art

carnival of color Words by Rachel Spence

O

nce seen, a Beatriz Milhazes canvas is never forgotten. The 54-year-old Brazilian’s palette races through tangy citrus, raspberry, blueberry, coral, mint, scarlet and sky-blue. Sharpened here and there by linear shapes, the leitmotif is the sphere, often figured as a tropical flower. But she explodes the curves into fragmented arabesques that swirl and spiral across the canvas.

Rather than working directly on canvas, Milhazes paints on sheets of plastic which she then lays on to her surface and peels away.

From a distance, her paintings possess flawless, graphic sheen; close up, subtle shifts of tone and texture inject a vigorous, carnal vitality.

Today, her oeuvre has garnered worldwide recognition, with works residing in New York’s Guggenheim Museum and MoMA. In 2012, her painting My Lemon sold at Sotheby’s for $2.1 million, making her Brazil’s most expensive living artist at the time.

Last year the Paço Imperial cultural center hosted her first retrospective for ten years in

Rio de Janeiro, her native city. For Milhazes, the experience was thrilling. “The pulse of this city is incredible right now,” she tells me at her studio in Rio. But it was nerve-racking, too.

“People say, ‘I love your work’, but many have only ever seen it in books.”

This year, her sights are set on her first major U.S. retrospective, at the Pérez Art Museum Miami. Milhazes is keen to make her mark on a city she views as “a bridge between North and South America.” She is also enthused by the museum’s spectacular new building, whose glass walls are framed by a pergola of hanging gardens.

“I love the way that nature is integrated with the space,” she says, adding that the rapport with flora mirrors the tension in her own work, which thrives on the clash of landscapes. “I love to be surrounded by the city and yet also by nature. That’s why I love Rio and Miami.”

Jardim Botânico is at the Pérez Art Museum Miami (pamm.org) September 19 to January 11, 2015.

Your address: The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort 62

Georgios Kefalas/epa/Corbis

the swirling rhythms, floral motifs and intoxicating colors of Beatriz Milhazes’ paintings have made her Latin America’s most sought-after living artist

Carnival of Color

Mulatinho, 2008

The fantastic complexity of Mulatinho gives the eye nowhere to rest. Yoking together an airless huddle of squares and rectangles, ornate, rococo twirls, abstract planes and spheres and a proudly graphic flower, the painting would tip into anarchy were it not for Milhazes’ sense of proportion and capacity to balance color. In fact, those disparate motifs are inspired by drawings Milhazes has made for site-specific projects in museums and public spaces over the past decade. “The paintings [from that time] absorbed some aspects of their design, such as pure colors occupying their own space,” she says.

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O beijo, 1995 (above) In contrast with the smooth, mechanical contours that prevail in many works, the tentative, uneven character of the patterns in this painting highlights the work of the artist’s hand. Milhazes describes it as “a strong example of compositions I would do in the mid-1990s that were based on a tree structure. It features a central base and straight but fragile form, which hold but untangle all other motifs from that point.” It is telling that the artist naturally expresses her vision through a paradox – the act of holding but untangling – as if she is simultaneously constructing and deconstructing an image.

That tension is the key to her sense of structure, which always flirts with collapse. Here, her circular iconography refuses any single meaning, unfolding instead through a series of associations from the cross-section of a tree trunk to the spokes of a wheel and a lace doily. The painting’s title, which means “The Kiss”, adds another layer of possibility.

Coisa Linda I, 2001 (right) For all her celebration of color, Milhazes is not trying to seduce us with a harmonious chromatism in the manner of Matisse, to whom she is sometimes compared. Here, she interrupts her opulent mosaic of gold, red, terracotta and pink with cold cobalt and black. Their harsh counterpoint serves to heighten the painting’s formal qualities, which draw on Milhazes’s fascination with textiles. As she puts it, “In the 1990s, I developed a circular surface using lace and pearls as a reference. In the early 2000s, these circles grew in size and I started to juxtapose them in a spiral rhythm. This juxtaposition would also construct the color.”

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Carnival of Color

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Art

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A Carnival of Color

Phebo, 2004 (above)

The ecstatic chromatism of Phebo is reminiscent of the radiant, saturated surfaces of the Fauvism movement in early 20thcentury France. A luscious fantasy of crushed raspberry, strawberry, blackcurrant, blood orange and sorbet-pink, it plunges the spectator into a tropical orchard where fruits and flowers hover on the cusp between ripe and rotten. So compelling are those blossoming curves that it’s easy to overlook the grid of squares and rectangles that anchor them into order. Milhazes traces those subtle angles back to her practice of making paper collages. “Phebo is the first time I decided to work on a painting based on a previous collage work. It allowed me to assume the squares into my paintings’ compositions,” she explains.

Popeye, 2007-8 (left)

The taut, spiralling rhythms of Popeye remind us that the sensual, syncopated beat of samba – the traditional dance of Brazil’s Carnival – has been an inspiration for Milhazes. Although, she says, she does not go dancing herself, she loves to watch the professional samba practitioners for their bittersweet recipe of discipline and liberty. In Popeye, she juggles potent, staccato shifts in color with crisp, tight arabesques, as if mapping the quicksilver jiggling hips of a samba star. The painting resulted, she explains, from “a long process of building up a composition without any clear plan. I really opened the space for some expression to come along.” One aspect of Milhazes’ work that is often eclipsed by the overwhelming impact of her colors is that she is a highly intellectual painter, committed to extending and exploring modernist theories of abstraction.

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Sundance Film Festival January

The New Cultural Calendar Words by Oliver Bennett

If it’s January, it’s time to head to Jaipur for some literary fireworks. In February, Austin, Texas is the only place to be, while in late summer it’s a toss-up between getting art kicks in Venice or theatrical thrills in Edinburgh… Welcome to the new cultural calendar, more concerned with rock and tech than opera and ballet, shaped by a rule-breaking breed of festival entrepreneur. Now the top arts gatherings host think-tanks alongside fine arts, and top writers in T-shirts mix with besuited Forbes 500 players.

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Hindustan Times via Getty Images, Gallery Stock, Getty Images

When it started in 1978, the Sundance Film Festival was given an almighty boost by the involvement of inaugural chairman Robert Redford. Not only did the name come from his most famous role as the Sundance Kid, but the Utah resident wanted to encourage U.S.-made independent movies. Now it’s the single most serious film festival in the world.

Who goes: directors, film buffs, the merely curious and the painfully serious.

Stand-out moment: the awards ceremony at the end of each festival – if you’re not there, you haven’t really Sundanced. sundance.org Your address: The St. Regis Deer Valley

Jaipur Literature Festival January

South by Southwest March

Coachella April

There’s a certain grandeur to Jaipur Literature Festival. It’s been held in the glorious “Pink City” since 2006 at the city’s historic Diggi Palace Hotel, originally steered by writer William Dalrymple, and is now the biggest lit fest on the Asian continent.

The five-day festival is a great ticket, partly because of its location in the capital of Rajasthan, and also because for its five days it is free.

Who goes: India’s see-and-be-seen crowd, drawn from Delhi, Mumbai and Rajasthan, as well as literary greats from J. M. Coetzee and Donna Tartt to Salman Rushdie.

Stand-out moment: the biggest draw in recent years has been Chetan Bhagat, a former investment banker turned bestselling author of six blockbuster novels who is hated by critics, but revered by young India. jaipurliteraturefestival.org

As Texas’s alternative hub, Austin is special, and one of its biggest calling cards is the South by Southwest festival. With a name inspired by Alfred Hitchcock’s film North by Northwest, and often known as SXSW, it started in 1987 and has since flourished, held each March as a concatenation of hipster events: films, music, talks and tech startups in several venues. You’ll watch a band one minute – SXSW Music is the largest music festival in the world – and attend a talk on education the next.

Who goes: dressed-down Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and alt-music fans, avant-garde artists, assorted geeks and visionaries.

Stand-out moment: Bruce Springsteen’s keynote speech to launch 2012’s festival. sxsw.com

It’s Woodstock for Generation X: the biggest arts and music festival in California. The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival has taken place near the desert city of Indio since 1999, when acts included Beck and Morrissey. Since then it has moved from mosh pit to maturity, with a visual arts and lecture programme alongside the music. Pack sunscreen – and if it’s not quite out-there enough, then head to Burning Man in Nevada, which specializes in “radical self-expression.”

Who goes: music and new-media fans of all ages, plus Generation Ys with young children in tow.

Stand-out moment: in 2011, during their song Wake Up, Arcade Fire let loose thousands of beach balls on to the crowd, each one illuminated and synched with the music. coachella.com Your address: The St. Regis Monarch Beach 71

Hay Festival May

Venice Biennale June - November

Edinburgh International Festival August

Hay-on-Wye is a market town on the England/ Wales border and while quaint, it wouldn’t be famous if not for Hay Festival, held here each summer. Founded in 1987, the festival has grown into what former President Bill Clinton called “the Woodstock of the mind”. It hosts global luminaries ranging from Archbishop Desmond Tutu to Sir Paul McCartney and lures more than 200,000 visitors whom director Peter Florence describes as “argumentative, curious, skeptical and free-thinking”.

Hay has also spawned numerous festivals worldwide, from Mexico to the Maldives.

Who goes: writers, readers, bohemians of a certain age and intellectual politicians seeking cultural heat.

Stand-out moment: last year’s talk between Carl Bernstein and Peter Florence about the journalist’s role in the downfall of Richard Nixon. hayfestival.com

In recent years there’s been a surfeit of art festivals all over the world, but one name sticks out: Venice Biennale. Dating back to 1895, it started as an elegant showcase for decorative art, then became the world’s greatest platform for innovative visual arts after WW1, hosting national pavilions, mostly in the gorgeous Giardini park. Since then it has maintained its lead as the world’s premier showcase for artistic talent, helped by its extraordinarily beautiful location.

Who goes: the fashion world always tags along with the art world at Venice; the city is the perfect stage, after all.

Stand-out moment: a model of a museum called The Encyclopedic Palace of the World at last year’s festival, in which visitors could find all the world’s knowledge. Also key: Riva boat rides. labiennale.org

Each summer, the capital city of Scotland welcomes a seething crowd to the biggest arts festival in the world. It has theatre at its core, but you’ll also find everything else, including visual arts, music and comedy. Founded in 1947 to boost postwar morale, the festival expanded so quickly that it began to subdivide, with the main festival spawning the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Edinburgh’s claim to be “one of the most important cultural celebrations in the world” is, if anything, understated.

Who goes: the Festival attracts a seasoned crowd from around the world, but the Fringe has been catnip to generation after generation of fun-seeking students in search of cultural thrills.

Stand- out moment: a haunting performance of Shakespeare’s Macbeth on tiny Inchcolm Island, off the Scottish coast, in 2012. edinburghfestivals.co.uk 72

Frieze Art Fair October

Istanbul Biennial October

Art Miami

Gallery Stock, Dafydd Jones

December

Such is Frieze Art Fair’s importance in London that a week in mid-October is now known as “Frieze Week.” When it started in 2003, Frieze was the missing ingredient that propelled the UK’s capital towards becoming a world art centre. So significant has it become that other art fairs have joined the October fray – most notably the Pavilion of Art and Design (PAD). Now the fair is in export mode, with Frieze New York, in May, now entering its third year.

Who goes: all the power players from the international art world, hedge-funders and oligarchs wearing dark clothes and dramatic spectacles.

Stand-out moment: in 2007 artists Jake and Dinos Chapman set up a table in front of the White Cube gallery’s stand and offered to draw on visitors’ £20 or £50 notes for no charge.

Your address: The St. Regis New York

Istanbul’s Biennial is one of the most challenging in the world. Since it began in 1987, it has mirrored the city’s development into a world hub. In the meantime the Turkish capital has welcomed the Istanbul Museum of Modern Art (2004) and a rash of gallery openings that have brought Istanbul into the big league. As well as a stunning setting, the Biennial also has a sense of political meaning: here, art reflects the transformation of Istanbul itself. Returns in 2015.

Who goes: a heady mix of radical artists, the glamorati, as well as urbanists and policy-makers who wish to see a city in flux.

Stand-out moment: in 2013 the Biennial took down its public artworks because of protests in Gezi Park. This gave the Biennial, already politically inquisitive, a real feeling of lived history. iksv.org Your address: The St. Regis Istanbul opens mid 2014

Everyone wants an excuse to go to the Sunshine State, and Art Miami is a good one. Located in Miami’s gallery-rich Wynwood Arts District, it’s one of the most venerable U.S. art fairs, luring legions of art lovers in early December and kicking off what is now known as Art Week. Alongside Art Miami, you’ll find CONTEXT (up-and-coming artists), Aqua Art Miami (performance, new media, installations) and of course, Art Basel Miami Beach, the U.S. wing of huge-hitting art show Art Basel.

Who goes: the international art crowd and celebrities from the worlds of film and music.

Stand-out moment: last year an unauthenticated piece by street artist Banksy, depicting a heartshaped balloon, went on sale – complete with the wall it was painted on. art-miami.com Your address: The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort 73

Fashion

day for night Photography by Baldovino Barani Styling by Cheryl Leung

From the cool of the morning to the heat of the night, mix classic, tailored pieces with touches of oriental glamor for a heady cocktail of East and West. Photographed at the St. Regis Shenzhen

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Day for Night

Above: white jacket, $3,445, Saint Laurent, ysl.com

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Fashion

Above: single-breasted stripe jacket, POA, Giorgio Armani, armani.com; shorts, $503, Jourden at Liger Hong Kong, ligerstore.com; necklace, $3,223, Christian Dior, dior.com. Right: swimsuit, $130, The Papeete at Lane Crawford Hong Kong, lanecrawford.com. Turban, $168, Rizvi Millinery at Hatwoman Hong Kong, hatwoman.hk. Overleaf: pink dress, $864, Jourden at Liger Hong Kong, ligerstore.com; necklace, $3,223, Christian Dior, dior.com; sandals, stylist’s own

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Iris Apfel: My New York

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Interview

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Iris Apfel: My New York

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Interview

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Iris Apfel: My New York

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Previous page: dress, $2,800, Kev Yiu Couture, kevyiu.com; ribbon choker, stylist’s own; shoes, POA, Tory Burch, toryburch.com. Left: coat, $6,036, Dolce & Gabbana, dolcegabbana.com; necklace, $387, Dear Bell, dearbell.com; flower corsage, stylist’s own; dress, POA, Tory Burch, toryburch.com; shoes, $767, Gucci, gucci.com Hair: Tristan Waikong. Make-up: Megumi Sekine. Model: Lydia Wei @ Dream Models HK. Stylist’s assistant: Charlie Cheng. Producer: Laura Lovett. Many thanks to Samantha Xiong and her team at The St. Regis Shenzhen

Smart Packing

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6. Striped halter bikini, $290, Heidi Klein, heidiklein.com 84

Smart Packing

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man on the move 1. Blue sweater, $795, Faรงonnable at eu.faconnable-store.com. 2. Watch, POA, Cartier, cartier.com. 3. Cashmere travel mask, $215, Armand Diradourian, armanddiradourian.com. 4. Penny loafers, $740, Alexander McQueen, alexandermcqueen.com.

5. Grey jacket, $2,125, Burberry Prorsum, burberry.com. 6. Black wheelie suitcase, $1,100, Mulberry, mulberry.com.

7. Travel kit, $330, Want les Essentiels de la Vie at wantessentials.com 85

Smart Packing

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pioneer 1. Portable BBQ , $229, Klaus Aalto at finnishdesignshop.us. 2. Wool cap, $35, Penfield, penfield.com. 3. Cotton shorts, $170, AMI at mrporter.com. 4. Cotton socks, $30, Paul Smith, paulsmith.co.uk. 5. Leather and nylon backpack, $350, Rag & Bone, rag-bone.com. 6. Picnic rug, $134, Woolrich at backcountry.com. 7. Hiking boot, $245, Sorel, sorelfootwear.co.uk. 8. Compact camera, $2,500, Hasselblad Stellar, hasselblad-stellar.com 86

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urbanista 1. Metallic blouse, $950, Gucci, gucci.com. 2. Classico ladies watch, POA, Ulysse Nardin, ulysse-nardin.ch.

3. Patterned stilettos, $885, Aquazzura, aquazzura.com. 4. Orange bag, $2,500, Fendi, fendi.com. 5. Striped blazer, $340, Tommy Hilfiger, tommy.com. 6. Tortoiseshell sunglasses, $196, Ray-Ban, ray-ban.com.

7. Rose-gold ring with white diamonds, $17,900, de Grisogono, degrisogono.com 87

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The Connoisseur: Andy Linsky

california

dreamer Words by Simon de Burton Photographed by Patrick Fraser

During the week, Andy Linsky can invariably be found behind the wheel of a conventional, modern car as he drives between some of the most prestigious properties in and around Palm Springs, going about his business as one of the region’s leading real estate agents. But in his spare time, Linsky is more likely to be spotted wafting along Palm Canyon Drive in a timewarp classic from the large and impressive collection which he keeps fully maintained and ready-to-roll in an 8,000 sq. ft. warehouse near his home.

“I’ve been interested in cars since the age of 4,” says 63-year-old Linsky, “but I didn’t get around to owning a classic automobile until the early 1990s when I bought a 1971 Lincoln Continental. It proved to be a false start.

I found I wasn’t ready to deal with the foibles of an old car, so I sold it on.”

Linsky, who is also a passionate collector of contemporary art and wristwatches, revisited classic car ownership in 2000 with the purchase of a 1966 Rolls-Royce with drophead coupé coachwork by Mulliner Park Ward.

“I sold that, too, and have regretted it ever since, but then I began buying more cars and, at one point, owned 25. That is now down to 18, two thirds of which are British or European, with the other third being American. I tend to buy those that were around when I first had a driving licence but couldn’t afford to own – although I have managed to buy an almost exact duplicate of my first new car, a 1972 BMW 2002tii in Inca orange.

Linsky purchases mainly from specialist auction houses and, more occasionally, from dealers or private sellers. “I try to buy the very best cars I can find, usually ones which have been restored to exceptionally high standards,” says Linsky, who counts among his stable a 1967 Rolls-Royce and a 1963 Cadillac that were previously part of the renowned, multi-award-winning Nethercutt Collection in California.

“I think that’s a better way of doing it than buying a car in poor condition and having it rebuilt,” he continues. “It’s also very important not to simply park them up and forget about them. They need to be used. For that reason I employ someone to manage the collection, servicing and maintaining the cars, as well as driving them on a regular basis.”

Like most collectors, however, there are still one or two cars that Linsky longs to own. “I would very much like a Bentley Continental Flying Spur with Mulliner coachwork, and an Aston Martin DB6,” he says. “But these two particular cars have become very expensive. So now, I’m on the lookout for a 1968 Ford Torino GT Fastback in Lime Gold.

That was the first car I ever owned, and I’d like to have another, but it’s proving very difficult to find one in that exact same color.”

Spoken like a true perfectionist.

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The Kids Are All Right Words by Jeffrey Podolsky

they are designers, entrepreneurs, musicians, digital pioneers and charity crusaders – anything but playboys or socialites. meet the hardworking scions of rich and famous families carving their own careers with pride

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Rex

alking into the New York office of social media company Mediabend, the first things one notices are its energy and its interiors. Beyond its buzzing staff, creating such luxury shopping sites as Lifestyle Mirror and Elizabeth Street, are an American flag owned by John F. Kennedy and a massive photograph by the late Dennis Hopper, and after them a series of four enormous expressionist paintings – forged not by some famous abstract painter, but by the owner’s young daughter.

Family bonds, clearly, are key to the success of Emanuele Della Valle – if not financially, then emotionally. “My family was equally happy when we had very little,” he says, noting that his family’s wealth, stemming from the Tod’s empire of which his father is CEO, only became a vast fortune in the past couple of decades. “I got the lesson of humility and hard work from an early age from my grandfather.

At one point, he lived in immense poverty, surviving on a piece of bread a day. From him, we learned it’s about what you do, not about your last name.”

Sam Branson, son of Virgin founder Richard, with his actress wife Isabella Calthorpe (left) and sister Holly. Sam is the chairman of film production company Sundog Pictures

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Tamara Mellon, who grew up in Beverly Hills next door to Nancy Sinatra, co-founded the Jimmy Choo shoe company

Emanuele Della Valle, whose family owns the luxury shoe brand Tod’s, helms online style magazines

Della Valle isn’t the only modern-day heir to abandon a facile trust-fund life and strike out on his own. Although many of the young rich may have brand surnames so powerful that they’re virtually synonymous with their homelands (take the royal David Linley in London, or the American newspaper heiress Amanda Hearst), these days it simply isn’t chic – in fact, it’s frowned upon – to live the life solely of a socialite or playboy.

While this younger generation is clearly aware of how they appear in the media, it is not just social approval that appears to drive

Many parents spurred their offspring on towards independence. “I didn’t have the choice of doing nothing,” says the young Chinese jeweler Bao Bao Wan, the granddaughter of Wan Li, former Chairman of the National People’s Congress, who grew up within China’s presidential compound. The former Paris debutante has since seen her luxe jewelry represented around the world – no mean achievement with “Made in China” stamped on it. “But then, one of my missions is to solve that misunderstanding and to open that knot,” she says.

Jaisal Singh, descendent of one of India’s most illustrious families, says he was always expected to forge his own identity. “My parents were very, very tough on me to do something,” he says. Today he and his wife own Suján, the preservation-minded luxury hospitality brand responsible for Jawai, the country’s latest luxury leopard camp. “It wasn’t like I had an open checkbook from my family, either. I had access to the family legacy, but it was sink or swim. We had nothing in the bank.”

Many others who were never expected to own a business have excelled. Tamara Mellon, the brains behind Jimmy Choo, recalls her English headmistress telling her and her fellow female students, “Don’t worry about the education. You’re all going to get married, and it’s going to be absolutely fine.”

Often, when the scions of successful families do get there, they don’t always get the credit

Charlotte Dellal’s father was property tycoon “Black Jack” Dellal. She steers accessories brand Charlotte Olympia

Bao Bao Wan called China’s presidential compound home and is now a sought-after designer of jewelry

ethical content. Camilla Al Fayed, whose father once owned Harrods, is attempting to overhaul the fashion label Issa.

“There is no such thing as ‘society’ today,” observes the social arbiter David Patrick Columbia, editor and co-founder of newyorksocialdiary.com. “Society is driven by money and the ability to make it.”

Columbia rightly notes that the jetset days documented by photographer Slim Aarons, culminating in the heady excesses of the 1980s, are long past. The vanishing of café society has pervaded the consciousness of a new generation. It is no longer just about buying a $10,000 ticket to some charity function, but turning their cause into a self-financing business entity that earns them both legitimacy in the outside world and the satisfaction of having done it themselves.

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them. A streak of entrepreneurial endeavor seems to have evolved, a goal to get their hands dirty, and to have their company or cause become a self-earning business entity.

This is true all over the globe. At the age of just 28, for instance, Carnival Cruiselines heiress Sarah Arison is becoming one of the most important arts philanthropists in the United States. Charlotte Dellal, granddaughter of the notorious gambler “Black Jack” Dellal, spearheads the accessories brand Charlotte Olympia. Sam Branson, son of Virgin founder Richard, runs a film company specializing in

they deserve, Mellon says. People tend to forget all the nameless jobs, such as working at fashion boutique Browns, that she undertook prior to her great shoe success. Instead they dwell on the fact that she is now one of the wealthiest women in England. “They forget what it took to get where I am,” she says, adding that the gender discrimination she encountered along the way “rots the ground underneath you. I fought for what I earned. Even after all that, you still get derided and questioned as to whether you really have ability.”

No matter their disparate backgrounds, successes such as Mellon or Singh stress that motivation stems from their families. How that is communicated, though, varies. “If a parent is looking for their child to fulfill the parent’s dream, then of course that’s unhealthy,” says the rock ’n’ roll jewelry designer Ann Dexter-Jones (anndexterjones.com). “You’ve got to nurture them to feel good about their own strengths.”

Dexter-Jones’s five offspring, from her marriages to Laurence Ronson of Heron International and the rocker Mick Jones, are a case study in pursuing their private passions.

Mark Ronson, Samantha Ronson and Alexander Dexter-Jones are flourishing musicians, songwriters and composers; Charlotte Ronson is an accomplished fashion designer; and Annabelle Dexter-Jones is a rising actress.

Their mother’s rule, she says, was to not treat her children like hand-puppets. “I impressed upon them that success is not about fame,

Charlotte and Samantha Ronson, with links to the Heron property empire, are stars of fashion and music

money, or status. It just may happen to be a result.” And although they mingled with the likes of Mick Jagger, Michael Douglas, John McEnroe and Joan Didion, being surrounded by fame was never allowed to go to their heads. “None of my kids believe in any sort of nepotism,” says Dexter-Jones. “They do it their way with pride.”

Although connections do, of course, help.

And why not? Plum Le-Tan’s introduction of her daughter Olympia to Gilles Dufour, for instance, helped her to get an internship and subsequently become his muse at Chanel. “I’m quite happy to assist in any way I can to help

Camilla Al Fayed’s father used to own Harrods in London. She runs the fashion label Issa, a royal favorite

Amanda Hearst, scion of the Hearst newspaper dynasty, is a crusader against inhumane puppy farming

young kids get a foot on the ladder,” says LeTan. “Connections help.”

Amanda Hearst, the 30-year-old greatgranddaughter of William Randolph Hearst, admits that her background does carry weight.

“If my last name helps get me access to something I care about, then I say, ‘Let’s go for it’,” she says, with particular reference to Friends of Finn, the charity she founded to raise money to eradicate inhumane puppy mills. Alongside friends such as Georgina Bloomberg, Kick Kennedy and Kimberly Ovitz, the young socialite has helped to ensure the closure of several deplorable puppy farms. “Whatever you do, it’s got to feel visceral,” she says.

Her passion is much admired by John Kluge, whose late father was once the richest man in America. Kluge co-founded Toilet Hackers to try to provide better sanitation facilities around the

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world (one child, he says, dies every 17 seconds due to a lack of clean water and poor hygiene).

His father, also John Kluge, donated the vast majority of his multibillion-dollar estate to philanthropic causes – something his son doesn’t begrudge. “It’s a blessing,” he says. “I don’t have the luxury of not being able to work for a living, and I get to go out and create my own personhood and achievements.”

Although having the same name as his father can have its disadvantages, too. “Often people assume that if you come from a family with means, then you have the same resources, and that can be a hurdle when raising money.”

Hard work, and bits of luck perhaps, will determine whether this new generation achieves its destiny. Not everyone can be Tory Burch, the laser-focused former socialite turned fashion mogul. They readily concede their good fortune, but point to their parents for their inspiration.

“If you come from a family of clear personalities, no matter if it is a tycoon or someone who runs a café in a small town, it is perhaps not as easy to do what you want to do,” says Della Valle. “But they have lived a life, so why not try to learn the treasures of their experiences? I always listen to my father’s advice.

I may do something different afterwards, but he’s a no-nonsense guy and he respects me for it.”

“No matter what your background,” he adds, “the integrity of a human being comes from the family and the work you do.”

Back Story

walls of fame Words by Norman Vanamee

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Walls of Fame

New york’s murals, scattered in bars and restaurants, mansions and civic buildings, have become part of the city’s fabric. But maxfield parrish’s old king cole, which sits above the bar of the St. Regis New York, is one of its most beloved and contains an extraordinary link to the man who commissioned it, John Jacob astor IV

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n a chilly November night last year, about 120 people squeezed into the King Cole Bar and Salon at The St. Regis New York. The co-host of the evening, fashion designer Jason Wu, wore a dark suit and a slim black tie and stood in the center of the wood-paneled room, welcoming friends and colleagues to a party to celebrate the reopening of the bar after a months-long refurbishment. A DJ played jazz, and models in Wu dresses and celebrities including Emily Mortimer and Uma Thurman dotted the crowd. But the star of the night was a brilliantly-colored painting, just back from a $100,000 restoration and rehung in its place of honor above the bar where it has presided over similarly chic events for almost eight decades.

One hundred and ten years ago, John Jacob Astor IV asked a young artist named Maxfield Parrish if he would like to paint a mural to hang in the bar-room of The Knickerbocker Hotel, Astor’s glamorous new flagship on 42nd Street and Broadway in New York City. The fee was $5,000, extremely generous for the time, but it came with caveats.

First, the subject of the painting had to be Old King Cole, and

second, while Parrish would have complete artistic freedom in how he depicted the nursery-rhyme character, he had to use Astor as the model for King Cole’s face.

“At first, Parrish wasn’t sure he wanted the job,” explains Laurence Cutler, chairman of the National Museum of American Illustration and an expert on the artist. “He didn’t like being told he had to do anything.”

Parrish had other concerns as well: he came from a conservative Quaker family that frowned on alcohol and wasn’t thrilled that his work would hang in a bar. Plus, he had already painted a version of King Cole for the Mask and Wig Club, a private theater club in Philadelphia.

But Parrish’s father, an established artist with connections in Philadelphia and New York society, encouraged him to reconsider.

“Basically, he explained how unadvisable it would be for somebody just starting their career to say no to somebody like Astor.”

Parrish had recently moved from Philadelphia to Plainfield, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Lydia, were expanding a small estate they had built called The Oaks, which they would live in for the rest of 95

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Back Story

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Walls of Fame their lives. He realized that the fee, the equivalent of $130,000 today, would set them up well and accepted the commission. He began work on Old King Cole in a studio that was too small to hold the whole mural, so he painted the three 8 feet x 10 feet panels one at a time. He placed the king in the center, flanked by jesters and guards. It was a more dramatic, less cartoon-like depiction than his first version of Cole for the Mask and Wig Club and, when it was installed at the hotel in 1906, it instantly became part of the fabric of a city and a culture hurtling toward the excitement and excesses of the Roaring Twenties. “The Knickerbocker Bar, beamed upon by Maxfield Parrish’s jovial, colorful Old King Cole was well crowded,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald in This Side of Paradise.

Parrish picked a good time to accept a mural commission. At the turn of the century, wealthy industrialists like Astor were building mansions as quickly as they could and hiring artists to adorn the walls. “It was the golden age of American mural painting,” says Glenn Palmer-Smith, a painter and author of Murals of New York City. “There was competition to see who you got.”

Established artists were able to command huge fees, but the appeal was more than just financial. The country had recently glimpsed the nuance and complexity of mural painting at the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago, which featured frescos and murals by some of the US and Europe’s most prominent painters. American architects and artists were eager to embrace the medium.

Not long after the fair, ten of the country’s best-known illustrators and painters, including Henry Siddons Mowbray and Robert Lewis Reid, collaborated on a mural depicting the history of law for the lobby of the New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division building on Madison Avenue, which opened in 1900.

“Can you imagine ten top artists collaborating on anything today?” says Palmer-Smith.

Dozens of similar projects began around the country. In the beginning, many of these works were commissioned and paid for by some of America’s wealthiest families. Along with his contribution to the Supreme Court Building, Mowbray painted a mural on the ceiling of the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, New York and one at John Pierpont Morgan’s

library in New York City, which is now a museum. Another popular turnof-the-century artist, William de Leftwich Dodge, spent most of his career painting murals for private homes and public buildings, including four for the lobby of the Astor Hotel in Times Square around 1900, titled Ancient and Modern New York. In the 1930s, William Randolph Hearst commissioned Dean Cornwell to paint a mural in the Raleigh Room restaurant at the Warwick Hotel. (After a disagreement over the fee, Cornwell added lessthan-heroic scenes, including a man urinating on Sir Walter Raleigh.)

Towards the middle of the 20th century more and more murals were commissioned by businesses, local governments and, starting in 1939, by the Works Progress Administration as part of Roosevelt’s New Deal. The largest of these latter was James Brooks’s 235ft circular mural, Flight, at the Marine Terminal at LaGuardia Airport, which depicts man’s dream of conquering the skies, from ancient mythology through to modern-day reality.

Parrish went on to paint eight additional murals over the course of his long and influential career, including The Pied Piper in 1909 for the bar at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco. But Old King Cole is arguably his most famous. It has all the hallmarks of his later illustrations and prints, including bold, luminous colors, classical architectural forms, and an impish sense of humor. “It launched his career,” says Laurence Cutler.

“Immediately afterwards he received a commission to illustrate a cover for Harper’s Magazine, and from then on he worked non-stop for the next 40 years.”

When the Knickerbocker closed in 1920, Old King Cole went into storage, then briefly hung in a museum in Chicago, and was finally installed at The St. Regis, an Astor-owned hotel, in 1932. There, at the heart of Millionaires’ Alley, as 55th Street was called at the time, it made the transition from artwork to icon.

Longevity alone might explain the King Cole Bar’s popularity – New York City has been torn down and rebuilt so many times that its residents develop emotional attachments to places and things that survive the constant reinvention. But it is Parrish’s painting that patrons love and return to see over and over again.

Murals have adorned some of the city’s most famous eating and drinking

Master of the golden age

Left: The Lantern Bearers, an illustration painted by Maxfield Parrish in 1908 for Collier’s magazine. Above: Parrish in 1920

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Back Story

Round trip

James Brooks’s 235ft circular mural, Flight, completed in 1942, at the Marine Terminal at LaGuardia Airport

establishments, and Old King Cole is just one of a long list of favorites. In the early 1930s, the restaurant Café des Artistes on West 67th Street fell on hard times as the city struggled with the effects of the Great Depression. Located on the ground floor of Hotel des Artistes, an artists’ cooperative apartment building, the café served the tenants who lived upstairs, as well as the general public. Howard Chandler Christy, a prominent painter and illustrator who resided at the hotel, offered to paint a mural that would, according to Palmer-Smith, bring in “crowds of new customers”. For a fee of $2,000, he composed a series of nudes in bucolic settings – frolicking in water, playing on swings, posing with parrots. The work has a dreamy, salacious quality that shocked and, as Christy anticipated, enticed the public. Café des Artistes became a crossroads for the art and business communities. Generations of New York’s top editors and gallery owners, bankers and stockbrokers met there for quiet lunches and dinners, or a drink at the bar, which The New York Times restaurant critic Sam Sifton describes as having been, “one of

Manhattan’s great dark-and-quiet cuckolding spots”. In 2009, after more than 90 years in business, the café went bankrupt and closed. When a new management team moved into the space in 2011, they changed everything about the room, but kept the murals in place. Now called The Leopard at des Artistes, the restaurant and its nudes have garnered excellent reviews and host a new generation of New York power brokers.

New York’s tradition of murals enjoys constant reinvention. In the late Nineties Sol Lewitt was commissioned by Christie’s to create a mural three-storeys high for the entrance to 20 Rockefeller Plaza. The artist submitted four designs, and the auction house plumped for Wall Drawing No 896, Colors/Curves, a voluptuous collage of bold undulations in red, blue, yellow, green, lavender, orange and black.

In 2006, Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter and three partners purchased Ye Waverly Inn, an historic Greenwich Village pub that had for years offered an old-world New York dining experience. Carter and his partners dropped the “Ye” and transformed the inn into one of the most 98

Walls of Fame

House proud The 1999 three-storey mural created for Christie’s at the Rockefeller Plaza by Sol Lewitt

popular and celebrity-filled restaurants in the city. During the redesign, they kept many original fixtures but commissioned illustrator Edward Sorel to create a mural that celebrated notable residents of Greenwich Village. He painted an outdoor scene filled with 43 caricatures in illuminating, sometimes hilarious poses. Norman Mailer lies naked and staring, Narcissus-like, at his reflection in a pond. Dylan Thomas sits on a rock looking unremarkable with a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other, except that his lower half is drawn with a satyr’s legs.

Back at The St. Regis New York, an early evening crowd is enjoying cocktail hour. A wide and shallow room adjacent to a more formal white marble lounge and dining area, the King Cole Bar has a polished wood ceiling and walls and is furnished with low cocktail tables and chairs.

Twin mirrors flanking the black granite-topped bar scatter glimmers of Parrish’s brilliant palette around the room. The bar is far enough removed from the rest of the hotel to feel like its own entity, but close enough to serve as easy landing spot for newly arrived travelers seeking respite from

Midtown New York’s hustle. The range of famous people who have enjoyed drinks in the bar over the decades (Salvador Dalí, Marilyn Monroe and Ernest Hemingway, to name just a few) is well documented, but it also hosts neighborhood regulars, out-of-town shoppers, and a chic slice of New York nightlife.

Old King Cole has a secret that any Parrish expert, St. Regis bartender, or knowledgeable 14-year-old boy will happily share. “He is called the Flatulent Monarch,” says Cutler. “If you look carefully you can see that the king is raised off his seat and that the jesters and guards are reacting to him passing gas.” Although Parrish publicly denied it, the story of his revenge on Astor for having insisted on being included in the painting became part of the mythology surrounding the artist. “Parrish had a bet with his friends that he could paint absolutely anything,” said PalmerSmith. “Old King Cole proved it.”

Your address: The St. Regis New York 99

Interview

Kitchen confidential Interview by Charlotte Hogarth-Jones

michelin-starred chef Gary rhodes has been spearheading a revival of traditional british cooking for the past two decades. Yet he also adores the flavors of france and the middle east, believes there is nothing as romantic as cheese and wine – and reveals he’ll never match his mother’s lasagne

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Gary Rhodes: British Classic What do you find most rewarding about being a chef?

You never stop learning. If people give me advice on our Arabic dishes, for example, for which there will be any number of recipes from all over the Middle East, and I think that those comments will improve things, I will definitely make that change. I never, ever want to stop cooking – it’s a continuing education and it keeps your mind alive.

Gary Rhodes, OBE, made a name for himself in the early Nineties, bringing traditional British classics such as braised oxtail, fish cakes and bread and butter pudding into the realm of fine dining. He earned his first Michelin star as head chef at the Greenhouse restaurant in London’s Mayfair in 1996, and opened his own restaurants, City Rhodes and Rhodes in the Square, a year later. He has since launched an array of restaurants around the world, and traveled far and wide to present such TV shows as Masterchef USA and Rhodes Across China. His newest venture is Rhodes 44 at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi.

What’s your favourite food?

I’ve always loved cheese, especially gorgonzola or a really runny brie de Meaux with truffles running through it. Years ago my wife Jennie wouldn’t touch cheese, and now we’ll both sit there together, munching into cheeses and tucking into a good bottle of wine. I find that quite romantic sometimes, just sitting, eating and chatting, without any pressure.

What’s your earliest food memory?

I’ll always remember the first dessert I made when I was about 13. It was a steamed lemon sponge with lemon sauce, and I’ll never forget turning it out in front of everyone at Sunday lunch. I just sat there admiring the faces around the table as this lovely thick lemon sauce dribbled down the sponge.

I thought to myself then, “I want to be a cook.”

What style of food are you serving at Rhodes 44?

I wanted to do great British classics – my braised oxtail with mashed potato has been unbelievably well received – but at the same time venture into some local Arabic dishes, too. For afternoon tea we’re doing little pecan pies, Victoria sponges, scones with clotted cream and jam, and tiny quail’s-egg sandwiches. I’ve also done my own interpretation of a mezze platter, which has been very popular. We’ve made our own baba ghanoush, our own falafel with a tiny bit of melting feta cheese in the middle… Just as my scallops with a devilled sauce were on the menu in London for ten years, I’d like to think that our mezze platter would last a lifetime with us here.

Who taught you to cook?

My mother was really accomplished in the kitchen, and I was one of those children who wanted to help out a lot. Even today I still don’t believe I can match her lasagne. Peter Barratt, one of my tutors at catering college, was a genius, though – anyone who was taught by that man would say he was an amazing chef.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever eaten?

Guy Savoy in Paris makes an incredibly creamy globe artichoke soup, with shavings of black truffle and Parmesan cheese, served with truffle brioche buns that are lightly toasted and spread with melted truffle butter. It makes me go weak at the knees. I’ve been to his restaurant six times to eat it.

Is there anything you would never put on the menu?

Tripe. I cannot abide it.

How do you find inspiration for your new dishes?

Sometimes I just wake up in the middle of the night and there’s a new creation in my mind. I’ll tell my wife, and she usually says, “Give it a go.”

But she’ll also tell me if it sounds awful.

What do you like to cook at home?

When I’m working in a restaurant I taste all the time, so by the time I get home I’m sick of the sight of the stove. People come over to our house expecting a big Michelin-star meal, but I’m not that kind of guy. I’ll just do a bit of fish, a bit of risotto and a big platter of cheese. Fish is the only thing I insist on cooking at home because I am fussy. Otherwise my wife, who I met at catering college, does most of the cooking. Try as I might I cannot match her roast. She manages to do the meat and all the trimmings such as cauliflower cheese, runner beans, carrots, gravy and lovely Yorkshire puddings all by herself – I’d need four other cooks with me.

Who would be at your last supper?

Marilyn Monroe – she was stunning. Bill Clinton is a man I’ve always wanted to meet, too, and Martin Luther King would have to be there. Also Stevie Wonder. Oh, and I’m a massive Manchester United fan, so Sir Alex Ferguson [the legendary former manager] should definitely be invited.

Your address: The St. Regis Abu Dhabi

A corner of England in the Middle East The tea lounge at The St. Regis Abu Dhabi, where guests can indulge in anything from quail’s-egg sandwiches to Rhodes’s interpretation of a mezze platter

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Private Jets

High Society Words by John Arlidge

for the world’s super-rich, a private jet is much more than a whizzy way of getting from a to b. The newest breed of hi-tech aircraft are now mini-mansions in the sky, complete with walk-in showers, chandeliers – and even spas

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here are plenty of places you might expect to see a roaring fireplace: a cozy bar in Aspen, a Renaissance palace in Florence, even a welcoming living room in Lhasa. The last place you’d think to discover one is at 39,000 feet. But times, and flying, are changing.

It’s 9AM on a soggy November Thursday in London and Elisabeth Harvey, a designer of interiors for private jets, is showing me sketches of the fireplace she will soon be installing in a Falcon 7X. A fireplace? Surely that’s against aircraft safety regulations? Not so, she says.

“The technology to install a fireplace is available today, and we have customers.”

Orders for sky-high fireplaces can only mean one thing: the world’s high-fliers are flying private again. The turnaround from the slump of 2008, when many private jet firms went bust, is remarkable.

Bombardier, one of the world’s major private aviation companies, has just received the largest order in its history: more than 245 business jets worth up to $7.5 billion. The firm says that one of the fastest growing segments of the market is the one for large aircraft. These can cover more than 5,000 nautical miles non-stop, have up to 3,000 cubic feet of cabin space and cost around $50-70 million.

These most technologically advanced aircraft are being snapped up by a new breed of plutocrat, as well as by firms that offer fractional ownership or a jet card that allows prepaid, fixed hours of airtime. As demand rises, so have levels of comfort, speed and technology. In particular, some buyers want their jets to look, feel and even smell like their homes – and their yachts, too, while they’re at it.

“For the fireplace, we took inspiration from the domestic environment. Clients want a habitat similar to those they already own and

feel comfortable in,” says Harvey, who is head of the design studio at Jet Aviation, a Swissbased private aircraft specialist with around 4,500 employees across the globe.

A fireplace isn’t the only new must-have for the private jet set. Take a look above your head at the latest accessory offered in larger Boeing private jets that cost from $200m. No, your

eyes are not deceiving you. That really is an Italian chandelier. But don’t worry about it swaying wildly at takeoff. It retracts into the ceiling, before dangling down again when the plane reaches its cruising altitude.

Furnishing expensive private jets with fancy lights, bedroom suites and stylish showers has always been an obsession among celebrities, sports stars and old-money billionaires.

But thanks to globalization, new private-jet customers are emerging, and they have new ideas and new tastes.

A study by Citi Private Bank shows that 64 percent of Indian millionaires plan to increase their spending on private jets. Spending in 102

Africa, whose economy is growing at the fastest rate in its history, is also at record levels. Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, has two private jets, one for short-haul trips and the other for long-haul journeys.

Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal, a member of the Saudi royal family, owns the grandest private jet of all – a $400m double-decker Airbus A380. The “flying palace” has a garage for the Prince’s Rolls-Royce, a concert hall, a Turkish bath, and even a revolving prayer room that always faces Mecca.

Mexican billionaire Jorge Vergara owns an Embraer Lineage 1000: a jet that comes with a bedroom with a queen-sized bed, en-suite bathroom and a walk-in shower, a mini spa, meeting rooms for work and even a private bathroom for the crew.

India’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani, presented his wife with a $40m Airbus 319 Corporate Jet for her 44th birthday. It is furnished with entertainment cabins fitted with games consoles and music systems, a master bedroom and a bathroom with a range of showers. Ambani also owns a Boeing Business Jet 2 akin to a flying business hotel, equipped with an executive lounge, conference rooms, private offices and bedrooms.

Personalization of a jet’s interior is key, says Harvey. “We have fitted gold and other precious metals, rare woods, marquetry, marble, mother-of-pearl. We install buffet areas rather than galleys, use real glass mirrors and customdesigned lamps – whatever the clients find beautiful and luxurious. I recently designed a bespoke horsehair mattress for a client because they were used to sleeping on one at home.”

Prices for customized private jets are as stratospheric as their cruising altitudes. One of the most popular is the Falcon 7X made by Dassault, which costs about $50m and has a

Blue Skies Thinking

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Private Jets

range of almost 6,000 nautical miles. Its innovative soundproofing and insulation make it one of the quietest jets in the sky – noise levels are believed to be one of the most tiring aspects of jet travel – and the ride of choice for former U.S. president Bill Clinton and movie mogul Steven Spielberg.

Other new technological innovations include computerized fly-by-wire systems that save weight and thus reduce fuel bills. And there are new radar systems by Honeywell that allow pilots to detect hazardous weather at distances of up to 300 miles, so that they can comfortably reroute to avoid turbulence.

These days, of course, luxury in the air does not begin and end with plush interiors and hightech tricks. Those who can fly in style also

Don’t worry about the chandelier swaying wildly at take-off. It retracts into the ceiling, before dangling down again at cruising altitude

want to wine and dine in style. Private aviation companies now offer personalized meals to their high-end clients, whether it’s authentic pizza from Italy or a special lunch flown in from an exclusive restaurant in the United States for around $700. Private-jet owners and operators have even started hiring special catering companies who employ the services of chefs based all over the world. Renowned cake artist Duff Goldman and sushi master Nobu Matsuhisa offer global menus with ingredients specially chosen to retain their flavor in the dry atmosphere of a jet cabin.

Antony Rivolta has been in the private jet aviation business for the past 30 years and knows all the tricks of the trade. His company, JetPartner, specialises in bespoke catering. “We

A typical dining room, above, and bedroom, below, as offered by Swiss-based Jet Aviation

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High Society

build up a portfolio of what a client likes, so we can produce whatever they wish,” he says.

Eastern European clients, says Rivolta, are the fussiest eaters. Western clients are “quite happy with what is available on our usual menus.”

For VistaJet, one of the fastest-growing companies in private aviation, food is supplied

by London department store Harvey Nichols.

As well as made-to-order confectionary, chocolate and savoury snacks, its 30 brandnew aircraft have rich wood furnishings, lavish carpeting, designer glassware and silverware and red-striped livery and soft furnishings.

When the sky’s the limit, what’s next for the future of private aviation? “Business aviation tends to be ahead of the airlines in terms of technology,” says Rivolta. “The customers

demand more than your average airline passenger. So we provide the most up-to-date hi-fi systems and Wi-fi as standard, and we’re on the verge of being able to use mobile phones freely.”

Rivolta predicts that the greatest advances will be in speed and fuel efficiency. “We will see supersonic private jets in the next five years.

That means New York to London in three hours, faster than the old Concorde. New technology means we can reduce the sonic boom [which until now has prevented supersonic aircraft from travelling over land].

The whole concept of business aviation is to save time, so supersonic is the final frontier.

Supersonic jets will become the ultimate travel status symbol.”

High-end couture designers are also keen to exert their influence on jet interiors. Every year, hundreds make their way to the Business Jet Interiors World Expo at London Farnborough airport in the hope of bagging a deal to develop concepts ranging from showers to dining tables.

Donatella Versace has already created custom private jet interiors: seats come in white leather with the fashion house’s distinctive logo.

And just when you thought you had heard it all, there is a new frontier. No, not for you and me. Not for the crew. Not even for the engineers struggling to contain the sonic boom.

Pet cabins and catering for pets at 39,000 feet are the latest perk on buyers’ wishlists. Because after all, no fireplace is complete without a cat or dog curled lazily in front of it.

Amenities on today’s high-tech private jets range from cocktail bars, above, to classic living rooms, below

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Doha vs Abu Dhabi

jewels in

the desert In the Middle East, two cities are jostling for cultural supremacy. But which has the greatest treasures? Oliver Bennett compares the top attractions in Doha and Abu Dhabi. illustrations by vanessa arnaud

Doha

Abu Dhabi

State of the Art

Although it’s some way from completion you can still visit the Saadiyat Cultural District, an astonishingly ambitious zone where you’ll find the future home of the Louvre Abu Dhabi (Jean Nouvel, 2015, above) and the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (Frank Gehry, 2017).

Doha has been transformed into a key arts hub with film festivals, innovative architecture and a thriving art market. The I. M. Peidesigned Museum of Islamic Art, above, has become a feature of the skyline, with numerous other museums being built, including Jean Nouvel’s National Museum of Qatar, opening in December.

Sporting Life

Just outside the city is Doha’s camel-racing track, which makes for an entertaining morning’s tour. Even with no racing on, it’s great fun to see the camels taking their exercise, wobbling along the track.

Curiously, this ancient sport has embraced the latest in technology, with robot jockeys now sitting in the saddles.

Yas Links, on man-made Yas Island, also home to the Yas Marina Formula 1 circuit, is the Middle East’s only true links golf course. Set among rolling hills and mangrove plantations, it was devised by Kyle Phillips, and has been hailed by Golf Digest as the best golf course in the Middle East.

Power Lunch

If there’s one place that delivers the perfect lunch, it’s Opal by Gordon Ramsay at The St. Regis Doha. It has perfectly-judged informality, great views of the lagoon, and street-food-inspired dishes such as tamarind chicken wings and short-rib burgers. The perfect start to an afternoon’s sightseeing – or siesta.

Sontaya, the Southeast Asian restaurant at The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi has a serene ambiance and offers classic dishes from Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia.

The outdoor terrace is the ideal place to linger a while and savor the views of the shimmering Persian Gulf.

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Doha vs Abu Dhabi

Doha

Abu Dhabi

The Cool Quarter

When in Abu Dhabi you’ll inevitably head to the island of Saadiyat, 500 yards away from the coast. There’s so much going on in its seven distinct districts: art galleries, business hubs, sports and of course, a proper, five-mile-long beach. Try the Monte-Carlo Beach Club for wellbeing and dining options.

Katara cultural village is home to attractions such as the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, the Qatar Photographic Society and events such as the Doha Tribeca Film Festival – a mix leavened by the beach, the glittering Corniche and several restaurants serving the cuisines of the world.

Retail Therapy

Abu Dhabi’s best mall is generally considered to be the Galleria on Al Marayah Island, a luxury destination housing all the world’s top brands, from Gucci to Cartier to Louis Vuitton. Shopped out? Then head to Almaz by Momo for Moroccan food on the waterfront terrace.

Souq Waqif is Doha’s spiritual heart and an old trading zone. It’s now one of the few traditional locations in Doha: a cluster of shady lanes that host hundreds of stores selling spices and handicrafts. Try Al Adhamiyah for lunch, which serves tasty Iraqi food.

Seafront Stroll

Abu Dhabi’s five-mile-long Corniche is a riposte to Doha’s, with a frieze of skyscrapers and waterfront fringed by a Blue Flag beach. Shade yourself with a rented umbrella, and take odd forays into the water, which is usually so warm that it’s like jumping into a bath.

Doha’s most glittering walk is along the Corniche, the sea-hugging promenade. It’s perfect for an evening’s constitutional when the heat of the day has ebbed. Old fishing dhows cruise against a backdrop of spectacular skyscrapers, all the more striking for the fact that this city barely existed 50 years ago.

Fun with Kids

The Sheikh Faisal Museum is one of those great random museums, housing cars, furniture, weaponry, furniture and fossils – anything that the Sheikh likes, really. Adding value is the Al-Samariyah Equestrian Academy next door, with riding lessons for children as young as four.

Ferrari World Abu Dhabi has more than 20 Ferrari-inspired attractions, including Formula Rossa, the world’s fastest roller coaster, which reaches 150 mph. You’ll find it on Yas Island, and while you’re there, check out Yas Waterworld, Abu Dhabi’s top water park.

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A Life in Seven Journeys

P. J. O’Rourke

The author of Holidays in Hell and Driving Like Crazy reflects on the expeditions that have shaped his droll view of the world

Across America in a ’56 Buick, 1977 I hadn’t traveled much until I was 30 and drove a very used car from Florida to California. It couldn’t go fast enough for Interstates so there was lots of scenery. I got stranded in most of it. The car broke every day: fuel-pump failure between a New Mexico cattle roundup and the only liquor store for miles; Mid-Mojave, a radiator leak. The transmission locked itself in reverse on Santa Monica Boulevard. I had to drive the last two miles backwards. There’s something to be said for staying home.

2 Into the Beqa’a Valley, 1984 During Lebanon’s Civil War I went with journalist Charlie Glass to Ba’albek to interview the ferocious leader of an extremist Shiite militia. I was terrified. After a day spent largely being held at gunpoint we went to the magnificent, if bedraggled, Palmyra Hotel, where we were the only guests.

Charlie bribed a waiter to bring us a bottle of arak, which we hid under the table. Over surreptitious swigs we managed to piece together from memory the whole of Yeats’ The Second Coming. Poetry is great solace, if you’ve got something to drink.

3 The Baja Peninsula, 1984 Later that year a pal and I took our girlfriends on a Jeep ride down Mexico’s Baja peninsula, off-road, sleeping in tents. The only flat place in the Baja is where you land after rolling off something steep. Every living thing

has a prickle, a thorn, a fang or a stinger. The temperature was 110F. The food was… “Sea turtle is like beef,” said the poacher/cook, “except for the smell.” By La Paz the women insisted on a hotel. The Jeep’s undercarriage collapsed at the door. The women flew home. Some journeys are for couples.

Neither couple is together today.

4 Driving Around in South Africa, 1986 Apartheid was still in ugly force. I visited English suburbs, Soweto, Boer settlements and various “homelands”.

An American seemed welcome anywhere; I don’t know why. I especially enjoyed the KwaZulu capital, Ulundi: world’s smallest Holiday Inn with maybe five rooms. No television reception but a VCR at front desk, wired to bar-room TV. Just two tapes: Zulu and Zulu Dawn. Many patrons had been extras in the latter. I brought an illustrated history of the Zulu War to the bar. All were fascinated. Let us not discount journeys taken on barstools.

5 Through the Gulf War into Kuwait, 1991 When the ground war began I was in Saudi Arabia with a convoy of reporters. Our plan was to stay behind the front line as troops advanced. But in modern warfare there is no front line. It was midnight. The oil wells were aflame. Iraqi tanks littered the road. Explosions could be heard. The only map we had was in a Fodor’s guide for businessmen. Buildings began to loom. Was there another city 108

between the Saudi border and Kuwait City? There wasn’t. At dawn we were in liberated Kuwait, greeting the troops liberating it. Nothing wrong with getting ahead of yourself.

6 The Trans-Siberian Railroad, 1996 My wife asked, “Will the trip be fun?”

The lady behind the counter said, with Russian poker face, “It will be long remembered.” The train was filthy, stuffy, slow. No hot water in the bathroom. Dining-car fare inedible.

But amazing sightseeing. Mountains to awe Sir Edmund Hillary. Forests to daunt Paul Bunyan. We stopped at Lake Baikal. Gorgeous. Empty. I stuck a toe in the July water: 32F. Because a place is beautiful doesn’t mean you have to go there.

7 From Islamabad to Calcutta, 1998 Land Rover sent two vehicles around the world promoting its Discovery II. I joined the leg across the Indian subcontinent. The Grand Trunk Road was a combination of highway, front parlor, playground, factory floor, barnyard and emergency room for one billion Indians. India’s trucks seemed to lack brakes, lights, speed limits or anyone awake at the wheel. We bet on how many fatal accidents we’d see each day. The top score was more than 25.

It’s wrong to say, of certain places, that life there is cheap. But it can be brief.

P. J. O’Rourke’s latest book, The Baby Boom, is published by Grove Atlantic

Illustration: Vanessa Arnaud

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The St. Regis ATLAS The St. Regis story around the globe, from the first hotel opening in Manhattan in 1904 to the latest in Chengdu and those forthcoming in Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur

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1. The St. Regis New York 2. The St. Regis Beijing 3. The St. Regis Rome 4. The St. Regis Houston 5. The St. Regis Washington, D.C. 6. The St. Regis Aspen Resort 7. The St. Regis Monarch Beach 8. The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort 9. The Lanesborough, a St. Regis Hotel (currently under renovation) 10. The St. Regis San Francisco 11. The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort 12. The St. Regis Singapore

13. The St. Regis Bali Resort 14. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort 15. The St. Regis Atlanta 16. The St. Regis Mexico City 17. The St. Regis Princeville Resort 18. The St. Regis Deer Valley 19. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico 20. The St. Regis Osaka 21. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort 22. The St. Regis Bangkok 23. The St. Regis Florence 24. The St. Regis Tianjin 25. The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort

26. The St. Regis Shenzhen 27. The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi 28. The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort 29. The St. Regis Doha 30. The St. Regis Mauritius Resort 31. The St. Regis Abu Dhabi 32. The St. Regis Chengdu

COMING SOON IN 2014 33. The St. Regis Istanbul 34. The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur

A Message from St. Regis

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME

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t. Regis began with a simple idea: “to build the finest hotel in the world”. To do so our founder, Colonel John Jacob Astor IV, blended uncompromising design with the finest traditions of European hotel service. Having recently returned from his own Grand Tour, Col. Astor was abuzz with how hotelier César Ritz and chef Auguste Escoffier were reinventing the idea of luxury, most notably at the Grand Hotel in Rome, built in 1894 and now The St. Regis Rome. He was also inspired by the white heat of innovation of the era, which meant that in 1904, the first guests of the St. Regis were greeted by such mod cons as internal mail systems, air-chillers and hot and cold running water in their private bathrooms.

Having nurtured the original St. Regis since 1966, Starwood Hotels & Resorts has set out to build upon the traditions and legacy of a remarkable family, from Col. Astor himself, and his mother Caroline, that legendary doyenne of New York society, to his son, Vincent, who kept an office at The St. Regis until his death in 1959. We are also inspired by the fascinating cast of characters that populated the hotel throughout its first century.

So when we launched the St. Regis brand a little more than a decade ago and sought to capture the spirit of New York circa 1904, while finding its relevance for not one, but 40 St. Regis Hotels & Resorts (by 2016), we wrote 15 simple words that have since guided our way: “Born of a distinctive legacy and crafted for modern connoisseurs who desire the finest experiences.”

In keeping our worldly, sophisticated guest at the heart of our service, every St. Regis aims to deliver a highly personal yet relaxed experience that is tailored to each individual.

Similarly, in this copy of Beyond, The St. Regis Magazine, I hope you get a flavor of the passions and promises that drive our singular goal, to deliver an experience “Beyond Expectation.”

Yours faithfully

Paul James Global Brand Leader, St. Regis Hotels & Resorts

The Aficionado’s Guide

An introduction to St. Regis Hotels and Resorts around the world, in alphabetical order by region Page #

AFRICA & THE MIDDLE EAST

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi The St. Regis Doha The St. Regis Mauritius Resort Coming Soon Amman and Dubai, Opening 2016

THE AMERICAS

The St. Regis Aspen Resort 9 The St. Regis Atlanta 10 The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico 11 The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort 12 The St. Regis Deer Valley 13 The St. Regis Houston 14 The St. Regis Mexico City 15 The St. Regis Monarch Beach 16 The St. Regis New York 17 The St. Regis Princeville Resort 18 The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort 19 The St. Regis San Francisco 20 The St. Regis Washington, D.C. 21

ASIA PACIFIC

The St. Regis Bali Resort The St. Regis Bangkok The St. Regis Beijing The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort The St. Regis Chengdu The St. Regis Lhasa Resort The St. Regis Osaka The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort The St. Regis Shenzhen The St. Regis Singapore The St. Regis Tianjin Coming Soon Kuala Lumpur, Opening 2015 Changsha, Lijiang and Zhuhai, Opening 2015 Jakarta and Quingshui Bay, Opening 2016 Haikou, Opening 2020

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EUROPE

The St. Regis Florence The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort The St. Regis Rome Coming Soon The Lanesborough, Under renovation Istanbul, Opening 2014

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The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Africa & the Middle East

The St. Regis Abu Dhabi Enduring Legacy, Arabian Sophistication

Ask us about The ornate Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which can house up to 41,000 worshippers, making it the eighth largest mosque in the world.

Arrive around 4:30pm (except Fridays) to catch the afternoon sunlight glinting on the mosque’s 82 domes of differing sizes.

Shopping at the plush Marina Mall, which also has an ice skating rink, a movie theater and a bowling ally. Traditional crafts are also available here.

Putting your pedal to the metal at the home of F1, the Yas Marina Circuit, which offers driver-experience days. Adrenaline junkies will also love hitting the dunes in Liwa.

The guestroom of the Al Hosen Suite; afternoon tea in the Crystal Lounge

In 2013, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi opened in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, which is fast developing a major arts and cultural scene, turning the city into an ever more sophisticated metropolis. Add cuttingedge architecture and world-class sports, and it’s easy to understand Abu Dhabi’s appeal. Part of the prestigious Nation Towers complex on the Corniche, a five-mile stretch adjacent to the Arabian Gulf where you’ll find walking and cycling paths and children’s play areas, The St. Regis Abu Dhabi is the ideal home-away-from-home. The hotel is near several major corporate headquarters and embassies and is convenient for shopping malls. Relax after a day exploring with dinner in the hotel’s destination restaurant, Rhodes 44, overseen by Michelin-starred British chef Gary Rhodes. This acclaimed new restaurant offers guests contemporary cuisine with Arab influences, and is Rhodes’ first venture in Abu Dhabi.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Visiting Yas Waterworld on Yas Island: funseekers pour in from far and wide looking for thrills all day long at this state-of-the-art theme park. It’s an adventure of a lifetime, with 43 rides, slides and attractions – the Bandit Bomber rollercoaster alone is an awesome 550m long.

The sand-dune and camel-farm visit: take a trip out to the Al Khatim desert for a thrilling ride, then on to a camel farm to meet the ‘ships of the desert’. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

Rhodes 44, Best New Abu Dhabi Restaurant in What’s On, 2013

Nation Towers, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates u T. (971) (2) 694 4444 u info.abudhabi@stregis.com 283 guest rooms and suites; 8 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; private beach; children’s club stregis.com/abudhabi 6

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Africa & the Middle East

The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi Visionary Destination, Seductive Address

Ask us about Playing a round at the championship Saadiyat Beach Golf Club, just a few minutes away. The beachfront course was designed by Gary Player. Three salt-water lakes, dunes and the beach itself are challenges along the way of this par-72 course. Lessons can be arranged.

The World Falcon Tour shows how falcons are cared for, bred and released via the Sheikh Zayed Falcon Release Program. Families can meet the experts who will tell the stories of these fascinating birds.

The exterior of the hotel at night; relax on Saadiyat Beach, moments from the hotel

Saadiyat is an island of only ten square miles, but it packs a lot into that space. Just 15 minutes’ drive from the center of Abu Dhabi, it has a white-sand beach, a designer golf course and, very soon, offshoots of both the Louvre and Guggenheim museums. It’s a chic retreat from the bustle of the city, and The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Abu Dhabi (which opened in late 2011) has been welcomed here by regulars and new visitors alike. The architecture and interior design are stunning, showcasing the bold design principles of the award-winning architecture firm Woods-Bagot and Johannesburg-based Northpoint Architects. Each room has panoramic vistas of the Gulf or golf course and interiors that meld Spanish and Arabian elements with a contemporary edge. In addition to business facilities, the resort has an Iridium spa, four swimming pools, a dedicated children’s club and the state-of-the-art St. Regis Athletic Club. Watch the dolphins in the blue waters, while nearby Saadiyat Beach is a nesting site for hawksbill turtles.

The Private Abu Dhabi City Tour.

The perfect way to discover this vibrant metroplis, with the option to customize your trip. You may wish, for example, to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, linger at the fascinating Central Market or spend more time on amazing Yas Island.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Ferrari Fun. Explore the world’s first and largest indoor theme park, Ferrari World Abu Dhabi. It has more than 20 unique rides and attractions including the world’s largest rollercoaster, dedicated entertainment, themed stores and restaurants. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 11am to 8pm. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

Included in Robb Report’s Top 100 Hotels, 2013 Included in Condé Nast Traveler’s HOT list, 2013

Saadiyat Island, P.O. Box 54345, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates u T. (971) (2) 4988888 u saadiyat@stregis.com 377 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; beach; golf; children’s club stregis.com/saadiyatisland 7

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Africa & the Middle East

The St. Regis Doha The Finest Address in Qatar

Ask us about A private guided shopping trip to the Souq Waqif for some MiddleEastern spices and souvenirs. This is the premier souq in the city for locals as well as tourists and is within walking distance of the Corniche, Doha’s waterfront promenade. Small cafés and restaurants, many with shisha, will give you a break from haggling, and they make entertaining stopping-off points en route.

Enjoy jazz in the Museum of Islamic Art’s park. Relax under the stars and listen to great jazz with the spectacular backdrop of the Doha City skyline. This monthly treat is open to everyone. Your concierge will be able to advise the exact date, and can also organize a picnic hamper should you desire one.

The hotel’s postmodern Arabian exterior is both bold and welcoming; enjoy a light snack on the Sarab Lounge Terrace

Doha has transformed itself in an incredibly short time. Now the media and arts capital of its region, a major player in the aviation stakes and the host of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, it’s an ultra-cosmopolitan capital.

If Victorian travellers needed to visit Florence, Paris and Vienna, any 21st-century Grand Tour would definitely take in this city. The St. Regis Doha, with its postmodern Arabian architecture and panoramic views of the Persian Gulf from all rooms, is a fitting address for a stay. Five miles from the main diplomatic and financial districts and close to several of the big energy corporate headquarters, it makes business sense to make your base here. The hotel’s new Hakkasan Doha restaurant opened in January 2013, and its modern Cantonese fine-dining restaurant has already received two awards. Thanks to the hotel’s Jazz at Lincoln Center venue, which has made Doha the jazz hub of the Middle East, you are in the right place for the best evening’s entertainment, too.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Private dhow cruising: along the Corniche you will find traditional fishing boats that offer guests dinner and music aboard. It’s a delightful way to see the sweep of the bay from the land, and the sea breezes as the sun goes down are especially refreshing after the heat of the day.

Desert Safari: in the south of Qatar, this family trip is a thrilling ride into the dunes. Enjoy a picnic lunch, sand boarding, camel riding and desert quad biking. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

winner, Best Luxury Hotel in Qatar, at World Luxury Hotel Awards, 2013 Included in Condé Nast Traveler’s HOT list, 2013

Doha West Bay, Doha 14435, Qatar u T. (974) 44460000 u stregisdoha@stregis.com 336 guest rooms and suites; 10 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; tennis; private beach stregis.com/doha 8

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Africa & the Middle East

The St. Regis Mauritius Resort Island Sanctuary

Ask us about Horse racing: founded in 1812, the Champs de Mars is one of the oldest racetracks in the world, and every Saturday it throngs with race-goers.

Blue Marlin fishing from the legendary Le Morne Angler’s Club in Black River. Some of the world’s best game fishing lies within a few miles of Mauritius’s coral barrier reef. Watch out for blue and black marlin, mako sharks, dorado, barracudas, swordfish, yellowfin tuna and others.

Rhumerie de Chamarel Distillery: enjoy a behind-the-scenes tour of this distillery, and taste the rum for which it is justly celebrated. Then tuck into local delicacies over lunch at L’Alchimiste restaurant.

The Manor House, which offers the feeling of a private residence; Surfing and kite surfing are popular activities

The Indian Ocean is famed for many things: blissful beaches, indigo seas, sublime diving and a vibrant culture that melds Asian and African traditions. Mauritius brings all these together, then adds a few more.

Sheltered from the open sea by the world’s third largest coral reef, the “Pearl of the Indian Ocean” also harbors, inland, some of the planet’s most beautiful mountain scenery: lofty waterfalls, lush forests and wildlife that you won’t find anywhere else, such as the Mauritian flying fox. The St. Regis Mauritius Resort has a beachfront setting at Le Morne, a seductive peninsula at the southwestern tip of the island, and will indulge you with fine food and wine, spa experiences, world-class kite surfing, activities and excursions to excite the senses. An epicenter of culture and history, the peninsula has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2008, and is less than 60 minutes’ drive from the capital and 20 minutes’ drive from the famed Black River Gorges National Park.

Kite surfing: the Le Morne Peninsula has a vast, turquoise lagoon and is windy almost all year round, while the Resort’s Club Mistral Prestige Kite Surf Center offers a seamless transition from guest room to surf spots, private lessons or just great local advice.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Casela Nature & Leisure Park: the park’s 11 hectares are home to lions, monkeys, giant tortoises and zebras. For the energetic, there are also quad bikes, Segways and zip lines. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

Included in Condé Nast Traveler’s HOT list, 2013 FEATURED in Tatler’s 101 Best HotelS, 2013

Le Morne Peninsula, Le Morne, Mauritius u T. (230) 403 9000 u stregismauritius@stregis.com 172 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; children’s club stregis.com/mauritius 9

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Aspen Resort Majestic Spirit of the Rockies

Ask us about Fly fishing with Aspen Outfitting Company. Whether you’re an experienced angler or a complete novice, the resort’s private troutfishing lake provides a sumptuous setting for a battle of wits with what lies beneath. The surrounding mountain streams have been designated Gold Medal Water, while our certified guides know the wily ways of your fishy foe as well as anybody in Aspen.

White-water rafting. Enjoy the thrill, from gentle float trips for beginners to Class V rapids for the more ambitious. Throughout the summer months, a variety of excursions are offered on the beautiful waters of the Colorado, Roaring Fork and Arkansas rivers.

The hotel surrounded by woodland, as seen from the base of Aspen Mountain; a Deluxe King Guest Room

Aspen is a special place where people can lose themselves in nature, as views of the Rockies are rarely more than a turn of the head away, yet find great pleasure in the many sports on offer. Beyond skiing, there is the arts scene and of course great spa-based activities. Yoga, fly fishing, rock climbing, jeep tours, paragliding, ballooning, winter skiing, summer hiking… the menu of lifestyle options rivals the food and drink you’ll enjoy here. One of the restaurants, Trecento Quindici Decano, has a vibrant blend of contemporary Italian and American cuisines for the whole family, including handmade pastas and pizzas. And there’s something about the raw, unspoilt setting that visitors find inspiring.

Comprehensively redesigned in 2012 by acclaimed architect Lauren Rottet, The St. Regis Aspen Resort is in downtown Aspen, between the mountain’s two primary base ski lifts and within walking distance of Aspen’s shops, restaurants and entertainment, while the celebrated Chefs Club by FOOD & WINE brings America’s most innovative cuisine to your resort experience.

Hot-air ballooning. There’s no more breathtaking way to experience the splendor of the Rockies than from high up in a hot-air balloon. The views of majestic 14,000-foot peaks and glorious sweeping meadows will stay with you forever.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Backcountry sunset Jeep dinner. Great food – spare ribs, salmon, S’mores – starlit mountain skies and live music make this four-hour excursion to Burlingame Cabin on Snowmass Mountain one for the whole family to savor.

Winner, Top 40 Resorts in the West, in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013 Winner, Best Ski Resorts & Hotels category in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013

315 East Dean Street, Aspen, Colorado 81611, United States u T. (970) 920 3300 u info@stregisaspen.com 179 guest rooms and suites; 3 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; golf; ski stregis.com/aspen 10

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Atlanta Refining Southern Tradition

Ask us about A helicopter flight to see the bas-relief at Stone Mountain. The largest carving in the world, sculpted into the face of this massive natural quartz dome, is magnificent. Stone Mountain is surrounded by a park with scenic trails and plenty of attractions for families. Hire a private guide to show you around the Antebellum Plantation, a collection of 18th- and 19th-century dwellings that bring history to life.

Saks Fifth Avenue. Travel in style via a chauffeured Mercedes-Benz to Atlanta’s premier shopping destination, Saks Fifth Avenue. Then enjoy a style consultation with a Saks Personal Stylist, and refine the look that best suits your personality.

The hotel at dusk, in the enclave of Buckhead; the dining room in the Empire Suite

Atlanta is known for its breezy, Southern, uncomplicated approach to life, business, culture… and just about everything. It’s a perfect city for getting things done and for enjoying some great boutique shopping, cuisine, art, jazz and sports: major league baseball, basketball and football teams are based here. When you need to wind down or catch up with friends or business colleagues, then the perfect spot is this grand, home-away-from-home hotel in the center of Buckhead, a neighborhood just a few miles from downtown. The neighboring streets, lined with oak trees and Georgian, Tudor, Italianate and Greek Revival mansions, are pedestrian-friendly. The King Center, the CNN headquarters (which is open for tours), the Atlanta Ballet and Symphony Orchestra are all a short drive away. Inside the hotel, you’ll find an “in-town resort,” including the 40,000 sq-ft Pool Piazza. And if the mood takes you, try the hotel’s first signature tequila, The St. Regis Atlanta Herradura Private Selection Tequila, hand-crafted in Mexico’s legendary Casa Herradura distillery, served in The St. Regis Bar & Wine Room.

Private Swan House Capitol Tours.

The Swan House at the Atlanta History Center was used as a set for the movie The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. This experience offers exclusive behind-the-scenes access, and the chance to discover more about Atlanta’s burgeoning film industry.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Whale encounters. At Georgia Aquarium (225 Baker St NW) try the new Beluga & Friends Interactive Program, which offers a two-hour wetsuit encounter with its extraordinary beluga whales. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Best U.S. Business Travel Hotel in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013 Voted IN THE Top 5 U.S. Hotels for Service in Travel + Leisure, 2013

Eighty-Eight West Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta, Georgia 30305, United States u T. (404) 563 7900 u stregisatlanta@stregis.com 151 guest rooms and suites; 4 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym stregis.com/atlanta 11

An Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: The Americas

The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico Caribbean Indulgence

Ask us about Hiking in El Yunque National Forest, a sub-tropical rainforest on the east of the island that boasts plenty of well-marked trails for an experience which is sure to thrill the more adventurous traveler with extraordinary sights and sounds.

Tucking into the flavorful local cuisine, known as cocina criolla: try traditional dishes such as arepas (corn patties), arroz con habichuelas (rice and beans, the delicious local staple), empanadillas (small patties with various fillings) and the favorite, mofongo (stuffed plantain).

The Plantation House; the magnificent two miles of pristine Bahia Beach

Puerto Rico is where American and Latin American cultures meld and clash and get up to dance. A key center of the salsa music revolution of the ’60s and ’70s, it is still the home of many star performers. The St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort, Puerto Rico the first St. Regis property in the Caribbean, opened in 2010 on a former coconut plantation and is the only Five-Diamond resort on the island. The expansive 483-acre property boasts views of El Yunque National Forest (with trails galore through the forest) and the Atlantic Ocean, and its low-rise plantation-style buildings have been designed with the natural surroundings in mind.

There’s a two-mile secluded beach, a bird sanctuary, a Remède spa and a golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. Puerto Rico is a muchloved beach destination, but its tropical waters are also perfect for seakayaking, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing and fishing. The island is known for its distinctive cuisine, culture and Caribbean vibe.

Culinary U is an evening event designed for food lovers and wine connoisseurs. Enjoy culinary classes given by some of Puerto Rico’s top chefs and sommeliers, followed by live entertainment. The event will be held in August at the hotel, please ask the concierge for details.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Organize a kayak tour to the bioluminescent bay in Fajardo or Vieques; the water contains billions of single-celled organisms called bioluminescent dinoflagellates that emit light at night. Best viewed on an evening without any moonlight. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

One of the Top 25 caribbean hotels in Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold list and reader’s choice awards, 2013 Named second in Puerto Rico and one of the best in U.S. by U.S. News, 2013

State Road 187 kilometer 4.2, Rio Grande, Puerto Rico 00745, United States u T. (787) 809 8000 u reservations.bahiabeach@stregis.com 139 guest rooms and suites; 3 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; tennis; beach; children’s club stregis.com/bahiabeach 12

An Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: The Americas

The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort Miami Beach’s Most Exclusive Enclave

Ask us about Old Miami: rent a vintage car (opentop, of course) and drive around the historic Art Deco district. Or make a day of it and, afterwards, head out to the Keys.

Hiring a private guide to show you the coolest film locations. Miami has been a movie set for celluloid classics, such as Goldfinger, Scarface and There’s Something about Mary. It’s a hugely entertaining trip to discover the real places in front of Hollywood’s lens.

Tours of Pérez Art Museum Miami.

Discover the city’s exciting new cultural attraction, a home for international art of the 20th and 21st centuries, with one of PAMM’s experts. With its focus on works that reflect Miami’s diverse roots, it’s a great way to get an instant handle on its dynamic identity.

The luxurious Tranquility Pool; the bedroom of the Imperial Suite

Suddenly and superlatively, Miami is very exciting again. Art Basel, South Beach’s effervescent social whirl, the global chic of sophisticated urbanites, the rediscovery of Art Deco, the 500th anniversary of Florida. All these have focused the world’s attention on one of the cities that will define America’s future. Exclusive Bal Harbour, on Miami Beach, has a rich history as a hotspot attracting jazz musicians, including those Rat Pack legends. It’s now one of South Florida’s premier retail arenas, with more than 100 boutiques and dozens of superb bistros and cafés. With the Atlantic right on its doorstep, The St. Regis Bal Harbour Resort was one of the hottest hotel openings in the US of 2012, and has immediately become one of the key sites of Miami’s buzzing social scene. Last year the hotel launched a comprehensive Wellness Program, offering more than 25 different fitness classes and optimally balanced menus. In addition, its poolside and beachfront dining venue, Fresco, has been reimagined to offer enchanting dining experiences based on chef Tom Parlo’s insistence on the freshest seasonal ingredients.

The unique Neiman Marcus Closet service. Tell the personal shopping team about your style preferences, and they will stock your hotel closet for you. Genius.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: On the Jungle Island VIP Safari Tour you come very close to some of the world’s most exotic animals: red ruffed lemur, a tame cassowary and red kangaroo from Australia. It’s a day to remember. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

AWARDED AAA FIVE DIAMOND, 2014 AWARDED 5 STAR AWARD BY FORBES , 2014

9703 Collins Avenue, Bal Harbour, Miami Beach, Florida 33154, United States u T. (305) 993 3300 u info.balharbour@stregis.com 227 guest rooms and suites; 4 restaurants and bars; spa; gym; children’s club stregis.com/balharbour 13

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Deer Valley Slope-side Sophistication

Ask us about Vodka and whisky tasting at the saloon of the award-winning High West Distillery on Park City’s Main Street, a historic, landmark thoroughfare lined with cool boutiques, galleries, restaurants, bars, pubs and clubs.

High West Distillery. Enjoy a tour of the first legal distillery to open in Utah since the end of Prohibition.

Go behind the scenes and learn about Rocky Mountain whiskies and other mountain-crafted spirits.

One of the Guest Rooms, with stunning views; enjoy après ski on the Mountain Terrace with its Garden of Fire

Ski the champagne-powdered Deer Hollow run or sip champagne while you watch everyone else rushing about. Catch a cool arthouse movie or a largemouth bass, relax with a hot-air balloon flight over the peaks or feel the exhilaration of a high-alpine trek… The St. Regis Deer Valley is surrounded by the majestic Wasatch Mountains, a hop away from three world-famous areas for downhill skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, ice-skating, snowshoeing, tubing and horse-drawn sleigh rides. When the snow melts, it reveals an all-season playground: walking and mountainbiking trails, golf courses, art galleries, shops and restaurants. In the resort’s state-of-the-art Fitness Center, renowned instructor Randi Jo Taurel offers customized yoga classes, including Yoga for Skiers and Yoga for Hikers.

Situated slope-side, the two buildings of The St. Regis Deer Valley are connected by a funicular rail line, the only one of its kind in the USA, which makes for easy access from the base of the mountain to the resort.

Utah Olympic Park. Test your mettle on the luge rides on the Olympic track. Afterward, why not wind down with visits to the fascinating Alf Engen Ski Museum and the 2002 Eccles Olympic Winter Games Museum?

Saddling up for a horseback ride into the Rockies to take in some of America’s most ruggedly beautiful scenery, including memorable views of Hunter Creek and the Continental Divide.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Bobsledding at Utah Olympic Park: Reach speeds of up to 70mph with professional bobsled pilots who take three passengers along the route. All you have to do is enjoy the ride, or shut your eyes. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Seventh in Best Ski Resorts & Hotels category in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013 One of Travel + Leisure’s TOP RESORTS IN THE CONTINENTAL U.S., 2013

2300 Deer Valley Drive East, Park City, Utah 84060, United States u T. (435) 940 5700 u deervalley.reservations@stregis.com 181 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; ski stregis.com/deervalley 14

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Houston Explore Houston’s Best Address

Ask us about Saddling up and playing a chukka or two at Houston Polo Club (8552 Memorial Drive) after a private lesson. If that’s too energetic, Sundays are when the pros play, and you can sit on the sidelines sipping bubbly and admire the fast polo ponies.

A tour of Bayou Bend, the Museum of Fine Arts’, house museum of decorative arts and paintings. Set amid 14 acres of gardens, the former home of philanthropist Ima Hogg showcases superb American furnishings, silverware and ceramics.

Real fires and soft furnishings in the tea lounge offer the epitome of comfort; the destination swimming pool

Energy and power, Texan pride and individuality, open space and outer space, Houston is the big-muscled business capital of the Lone Star State. If the city has a reputation for getting things done and no messing around, The St. Regis Houston, in the tranquil, residential neighborhood of Post Oak Park and River Oaks, is the perfect complement. It is gracious, opulent and discreet. It’s also conveniently located only half a mile from the Galleria and six miles from Houston’s central business district. In July 2012, the celebrated design firm ForrestPerkins created a warm and welcoming Tea Lounge with a library so that guests could punctuate their outings with morning coffee, afternoon tea or pre-dinner cocktails. The spectacular outdoor pool and sundeck, located on the mezzanine level and adjacent to the spa and fitness room, draws guests back time after time. It is open from 5am until 11pm daily, for guests who love to work hard and play hard as well.

Playing the role of oil baron at the Oil Ranch (23501 Macedonia Road, Hockley), a 50-acre theme park just outside the city, where there is paintball, pony rides, miniature golf, fishing and even gemstone mining.

Houston Culinary Tours are led by the city’s top chefs, keen to introduce guests to Houston’s neighborhood restaurants. Including tastings, complimentary drinks and gift bags, they’re a great way of seeing the city.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: George Ranch Historical Park (10215 FM 762 Rd, Richmond): the essence of Texas, a living-history museum tracing the Texas story, with exhibits including a prairie home, a mansion and a ranch complex with cattle demonstrations. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Awarded AAA Five Diamond, 2013 Gold Medal winner voted by Global Business Travel Association, 2013

1919 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, Texas 77027-3408, United States u T. (713) 840 7600 u res247.stregishouston@stregis.com 232 guest rooms and suites; 2 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; exercise room stregis.com/houston 15

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Mexico City Grace and Distinction Uncompromised

Ask us about Visit the Museum of Art Carrillio Gill, founded by Dr. Alvaro Carrillio Gill to house a heritage collection of Mexican paintings, engravings, sculpture and videos.

Ballooning to ancient Teotihuacan.

This complex of temples and pyramids lies 30 miles north of Mexico City and is a UNESCOlisted wonder of the world. Built between the first and seventh centuries, it was first excavated in the 19th century. A particularly magical way to view this extraordinary site is by a guided hot-air balloon adventure from Mexico City.

The sleek hotel dominates the Mexico skyline; the Remède Spa infinity pool on the 15th floor is a serene spot

The St. Regis Mexico City is the main resident of the Torre Libertad, an architectural masterpiece built by César Pelli. It sits on Mexico City’s Paseo de la Reforma, a grand thoroughfare modeled on the Old World’s iconic boulevards, and a bridge between the city center and the Imperial Palace in the Chapultepec Forest, between the ancient and the thrustingly modern, between business and pleasure. In the heart of the world’s biggest city, you can, from the helipad, take in the most mind-boggling urban sprawl and, on a clear day, the majesty of Popocatépetl volcano.

Down on La Reforma, you’re a taxi ride away from Polanco and Condesa, the smart, leafy ’burbs, and from the Aztec temples, art galleries and cool bars and clubs of the resurgent downtown. Guy Santoro at Restaurant Diana and Maycoll Calderón at the J&G Grill, two signature restaurants within the hotel, are among the very best chefs at work in this city with a celebrated food scene.

Valle de Bravo. This beautiful lakeside town, less than a couple of hours away by car, is a haven of tranquility much favored by the capital’s elite. Enjoy a boat ride, go paragliding in the surrounding mountains, or simply take in the elegant architecture on a gentle stroll.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: The El Papalote Museum is a children’s museum with exhibitions of science, technology and art. Young visitors will enjoy the 228 interactive exhibits, while grown-ups will love the Mayanthemed garden next door. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Included among the Top 15 hotels in Mexico in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013 Mexico’s Leading Hotel winner at World Travel Awards, 2012

Paseo de la Reforma 439, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, Mexico City, Federal District 06500, Mexico u T. (52)(55) 5228 1818 u mexico.city@stregis.com 189 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; tennis; children’s club stregis.com/mexicocity 16

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Monarch Beach A Spectacular Setting

Ask us about Your surf expert. The hotel employs a wave expert, someone who can teach you everything from the bare basics of surfing to where to find the hairiest breaks, depending on your ability.

The Mission at San Capistrano (26801 Ortega Highway, San Juan Capistrano). Visit this lovingly restored Alta California mission, founded by Spanish Franciscan monks in the 1770s. There are picturesque ruins of the Great Stone Church, which was destroyed in the 1812 earthquake, as well as a fascinating little museum.

The hotel exterior; an Ocean View Executive Suite

With its high bluffs, sheltered coves and long, inviting beaches, Monarch Beach at Dana Point, only a short drive from Los Angeles and San Diego, is one of the romantic addresses on the California coastline. A legendary surf spot, it is also recognized as one of the lifestyle hubs of southern California. Monarch Beach gets its name from a bay backing on to hills clad in sagebrush and manzanita, where the Monarch butterfly was found.

The St. Regis Monarch Beach at Dana Point is a 172-acre estate with elegant signature rooms and suites as well as the multiple award-winning Spa Gaucin. Its innovative spa menu includes the latest from Intraceuticals™ and The St. Regis Monarch Beach’s own Signature Mediterranean Spa Scent, created by Darcie DeBartelo, the spa director. The acclaimed 18hole golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., while the hotel’s private beach has memorable views. But with everything from vintage car gatherings to whale watching and even a tall-ships festival in September, this is so much more than the ultimate Californian beach destination.

Fashion Island in Newport Beach.

Enjoy the unique blend of luxury designer and speciality boutiques with a personal shopper before relaxing in one of the many fine and al fresco dining options.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Dana Point Harbor cruise.

Take in the extraordinary sight of migrating dolphins and whales in herds up to 5,000 strong, in a boat with a glass viewing pod, allowing you and your family to see this, one of nature’s great sights, up close, personal and in comfort. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

AwardeD FORBES travel guide five-star award, 2013 Awarded AAA Five Diamond, 2013

One Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California 92629, United States u T. (949) 234 3200 u reservations@stregis.com 400 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; tennis; golf; children’s club stregis.com/monarchbeach 17

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis New York The Address Is the Experience

Ask us about Private art tours. Explore New York’s finest galleries – MoMA (the Museum of Modern Art) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art – and discover the history of some of the world’s greatest and most highly prized treasures.

VIP shopping at Dior and Tiffany & Co. The Parisian fashion house of Dior has been a favorite with well-heeled New Yorkers ever since the New Look, while Tiffany & Co.’s iconic status in the city was confirmed by the store’s starring role in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Both brands are justly renowned for their personal service.

The Concierge can arrange for you to enjoy the VIP experience at these two luxury emporia.

The hotel’s custom-built 2013 Bentley Mulsanne courtesy car; one of the newly renovated guest rooms

New York City is a collection of exceptional experiences, from the natural beauty of Central Park to the bustle of Broadway, from contemporary art at MoMA to the cobblestone streets of the Meatpacking District. In the heart of this great city is The St. Regis New York, the ultimate Manhattan hotel, which completed a stunning renovation in September 2013, infusing contemporary style with great heritage. Since opening its doors in 1904, cementing Fifth Avenue’s status as the ultimate address, the hotel founded by John Jacob Astor IV has been synonymous with bespoke service, innovation and luxury. The St. Regis New York celebrates a rich history that includes famous residents (Salvador Dali, Marlene Dietrich) and the invention of the “Red Snapper” – more commonly known as the Bloody Mary – by legendary barman Fernand Petiot in 1934. The classic cocktail can still be enjoyed today in front of the same Maxfield Parrish mural at the hotel’s King Cole Bar.

The Fischbach Food Tour is a way to discover New York City’s great food culture. With five different itineraries to choose from, you will try bagels, cheesecake and pizza from renowned restaurants and delis across NY’s five boroughs.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Central Park Escape.

Discover the largest park in Manhattan with our family fun expert guides. They will show you the best of the park’s culture, public art and gardens before you relax and enjoy a picnic lunch prepared by the hotel’s chef. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

Included in Condé NasT Traveler’s Gold list, 2014 Included in Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels, 2013

2 East 55th Street at Fifth Avenue, New York, New York 10022, United States u T. (212) 753 4500 u stregisny.res@stregis.com 238 guest rooms and suites; 1 restaurants and bar; spa; gym stregis.com/newyork 18

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Princeville Resort The Address for Life’s Celebrations

Ask us about A round on the 18-hole championship Makai golf course, designed by the renowned Robert Trent Jones Jr. in 1971, who returned some 30 years after its construction to make revisions, adding length to some holes and reshaping bunkers.

Just try not to be distracted by the mountain and ocean views!

Stand-up paddle boarding. Hawaii has to be one of the best locations to take a lesson in the watersport that’s sweeping the world. It’s not hard to get your balance, but speed you have to work at.

The stylish dining area of the Royal Suite looks out over the magical Hawaiin scenery; and outdoors, the Makai golf course in perched on the very edge of the ocean

The first thing you’ll notice on arrival on the Hawaiian island of Kauai is the remarkable collage of natural beauty wherever you look. Lush tropical foliage is set against a deep blue ocean with a backdrop of majestic mountain peaks. The St. Regis Princeville Resort, which reopened in October 2009 following a multi-million dollar renovation by the hotel design firm WATG and local Hawaiian architecture firm Group 70, pays homage to this beautiful setting. The clean, modern exterior is unfussy yet sophisticated, and the lobby is dominated by a cascading chandelier of more than 4,000 pieces of Murano glass, representing the waterfall on Na Molokama mountain. Four restaurants serve locally farmed and produced ingredients, and the hotel’s infinity pool overlooks the wide expanse of the Pacific Ocean.

Tropical Taste at family-owned Moloa’a Sunrise Juice Bar. Try the delicious, freshly-prepared juices with fun names such as Passion Fruit Hoot, and discover the fabulous flavours of local Kauai farm produce.

Niihau is a privately-owned island just off the southwest coast and a great place to snorkel via a catamaran sea tour. The marine life in these waters includes stunning manta rays and charming sea turtles.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Jungle Valley Adventure.

From the spectacular Uluhe Fern Ridge, ride our two magnificent, 400ft-plus zip lines and connecting bridge over a pristine waterfall and swimming hole. Learn more at stregis. com/familytraditions

Featured in Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold list, 2013 One of Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels, 2013

5520 Ka Haku Road, Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii 96722, United States u T. (808) 826 9644 u travelspecialist@stregis.com 251 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; tennis; golf; children’s club stregis.com/princeville 19

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort Paradise Revealed

Ask us about A lesson with a pro at one of the hotel’s two breathtakingly beautiful, 18-hole, par-72 Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses, Pacifico and Bahia, a challenge to golfers of every level.

Rest and relaxation the Remède way: the 10,000 sq ft Remède Spa features views of the landscapes of Punta Mita from every angle, making it the perfect setting for pampering both body and spirit.

Punta Mita Beach Festival (July 4 to July 7, 2014). Four days of fun-filled events allow you to get a taste of everything from stand-up paddleboarding to yoga. We can arrange full access to all activities, luncheons, events and dinners.

The rustic yet elegant interior of a Deluxe Guest Room; one of the hotel’s pools, giving a magnificent view of the bay

At the same latitude as Hawaii, and blessed with year-round balmy sun and ocean breezes, Punta Mita on Mexico’s Pacific Coast is where Mexico City high society comes for its beach-side retreats. The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort is in the Riviera Nayarit, a 1,500-acre resort and residential community, looking out on to a flawless white-sand beach and surrounded by luxuriant tropical flora. There are three infinity pools on the beachfront, and the pool butlers can arrange snorkeling tours as well as excursions in the region, while La Tortuga Children’s Club provides an exciting schedule of creative and energetic activities for children between 5 and 12 years. There are two Jack Nicklaus golf courses, two full-service restaurants, villa residences, a Beach Club and the luxe Remède Spa on site, but this is no gated island experience: nearby seaside villages are kept vibrant by fishing and agriculture and by the indigenous Huichol, who maintain their artisanal traditions.

Diving in the waters off the Marietas Islands. The ecosystem of this sanctuary for marine and bird life offers a good chance of seeing manta rays, dolphins, sea turtles, humpback whales and beautiful reef fish, while above the surface you can see extraordinary birds such as the blue-footed booby.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Surf ’s Up surfing lessons are available for all ages and abilities.

Alternatively, why not try stand-up paddle boarding. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Awarded AAA Five Diamond, 2013 Awarded third PLACE in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best RESORT, 2013

Lote H-4, Carretera Federal 200, KM 19.5, Punta Mita, Nayarit 63734, Mexico u T. (52)(329) 291 5800 u puntamita.butler@stregis.com 120 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; 3 pools; beach; spa; golf; diving; tennis; gym; children’s club stregis.com/puntamita 20

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis San Francisco An Icon of Elegance and Artistry

Ask us about The San Francisco Giants Package is a treat for baseball fans with accommodation in a Metropolitan Suite, two St. Regis baseball hats, a St. Regis stadium blanket and two premium tickets to a game.

The ultimate tasting menu. At Saison you will receive the consummate dining experience during numerous courses comprised of rare ingredients sourced locally and from around the world at this two-starred Michelin restaurant.

One of the world’s greatest landmarks: the Golden Gate Bridge; a view across the city from the Astor Suite

The Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, cable cars, beaches, beautiful city vistas, the Beats, the breezes… it’s little wonder San Francisco tops the list of many people’s must-see cities. The St. Regis San Francisco is on the corner of Third and Mission, a short walk from the financial district, but when you have downtime, the city is a great playground for nights on the town and cultural days. On your doorstep you’ll find the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Museum of the African Diaspora, worldclass shopping in Union Square, and the Yerba Buena Gardens. Take a trip out of town to enjoy Napa Valley, the coastal town of Carmel and Monterey, or the redwood trees in Muir Woods. Relax in the Remède Spa, where the innovative Beauté de Terroir treatment is now on offer, a partnership with Matanzas Creek winery, pairing a body scrub and massage with a three-course wine-and-cheese menu. Or simply relax and enjoy this extraordinary property, with its spa, infinity pool and Michelinstarred Ame restaurant.

Celebrate art in Sausalito. Over Labor Day Weekend some of the country’s best art and most exciting artists will come together with a top music line-up, gourmet food, fine wines and premium beers at the Sausalito Art Festival. Please ask the concierge for more details.

The California Academy of Sciences. The world’s greenest museum is four destinations in one: an aquarium, planetarium, naturalhistory museum and giant rainforest.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Try grape-juice blending with the family at the hotel, and find out how to be a master blender. With ingredients and equipment supplied, adults and children can bottle their own personal blend to take away.

Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Ame Restaurant awarded one Michelin Star, 2014 winner, Best San Francisco hotel, Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013

125 3rd Street, San Francisco, California 94103, United States u T. (415) 284 4000 u sanfrancisco@stregis.com 260 guest rooms and suites; 2 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym stregis.com/sanfrancisco 21

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: The Americas

The St. Regis Washington, D.C. Where Glamour Meets Tradition

Ask us about Segway the sites with Bike and Roll The tour includes an overview of the National Mall all the way from the Capitol to the National World War II Memorial, including the north side of the White House and a ride down Pennsylvania Avenue.

The first President’s home. Set out on a special private tour of Mount Vernon, home of President George Washington. Explore this magnificent estate along the Potomac River and experience a fascinating glimpse into the life of the Father of the Nation.

The hotel exterior at night on K Street; the splendid lobby

In the city of powerful addresses, the grand, gracious St. Regis Washington, D.C., two blocks north of the White House, remains the powerbrokers’ hotel of choice. It was opened by President Coolidge in 1926; Ronald Reagan used to drop in to see his barber, Milton Pitts; and Jacqueline Onassis, Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor were loyal guests. Over the years, redesigns by Henry Wardman and Sills Huniford have enhanced the legendary status of this, one of America’s most iconic hotels. Business and politics are right on the doorstep, but the hotel is also close to the cultural heart of D.C., a short stroll from the splendors of the Smithsonian and the Kennedy Center. Eat at the hotel’s new signature restaurant, Decanter, which serves the freshest seasonal ingredients by executive chef Sebastian Rondier, influenced by the cuisines of France, Spain, Turkey and Italy, and served in a landmark restaurant designed by the architect David Rockwell.

Monuments by moonlight. Explore the city’s major monuments when they are gloriously illuminated at night. Historic sites to visit include the memorials to World War II, the Vietnam War, Abraham Lincoln, the Korean War, FDR and the city’s newest addition, in memory of Martin Luther King Jr. Family Traditions at St. Regis program: A D.C. scavenger hunt with 11 mind-bending riddles and a special bonus challenge, this scavenger hunt will surely test the skills of intrepid young guests. The concierge team has prepared an official St. Regis scroll, replete with rhymes, clues and riddles. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

One of Travel + Leisure’s 500 World’s Best Hotels, 2013 Included in Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold list, 2012

923 16th and K Streets, N.W., Washington, District of Columbia, 20006 United States u T (202) 638 2626 00193 u reservations@stregis.com 182 guest rooms and suites; 2 restaurants and bars; gym stregis.com/washingtondc 22

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Bali Resort Beachfront Elegance

Ask us about Seeing one of the island’s beautiful temples: the 17th-century HinduBuddhist Pura Ulun Danu Bratan temple (Candikuning) has a stunning lakeside location in the highlands and is best visited in the early morning when the air is cool and the manicured gardens are empty of visitors. Around the southwestern coast, seven sea temples form a chain within sight of each other.

Scuba diving: experienced divers can explore wrecks such as the USS Liberty at Tulamben, to the northeast of the island, while novices can enjoy learning in warm tropical waters that are home to manta rays and small reef sharks.

The guest room of a Lagoon Villa; the private pool and exterior of the beachfront Strand Villa

Bali is the best known of several thousand Indonesian islands and has been inhabited since 2000 BC. Its natural wonders are the main draw: beautiful beaches, colorful coral reefs, a central mountain range and dense tropical rainforest harboring many species of flora and fauna, including orchids, butterflies, ferns, birds, monkeys and miniature deer.

The St. Regis Bali Resort is in Nusa Dua, on the southernmost tip of the island overlooking the Indian Ocean, with a private sandy beach, a saltwater swimmable lagoon and the sublime Remède Spa with its hydrotherapy pool. It’s the perfect base for a Bali break. In its own tropical park, the Children’s Learning Center has intelligent, fun-filled activities for the youngest connoisseurs. From your journey around the island, take back souvenirs of local crafts, such as woodcarving, weaving, and colorful batik textiles, which make wonderful gifts. In the evening, dine in style at Kayuputi or enjoy the traditional gamelan live music along with Indonesian specialities at Dulang.

A canang sari is an offering of flowers, nuts and herbs presented at Balinese temples, with each color in the canang having a different meaning.

Families are invited to visit the Children’s Learning Centre to learn more about these delicately crafted Hindu baskets, and create their own.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: The Eco Learning Park, close to the resort in Sawangan Village, Nusa Dua, is an attraction supported by the Role (River, Ocean, Land, Ecology) Foundation. Guests will discover a campus that integrates plant ecology with resources such as Women’s Skills Education and a café.

Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

indonesia’s leading hotel award, world travel awards, 2013 traveler’s favourite Nusa Dua Hotel in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice awards, 2013

Kawasan Pariwisata, Lot S6, PO Box 44, Nusa Dua, Bali 80363, Indonesia u T. (62) (361) 8478 111 u stregis.bali@stregis.com 123 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; children’s club stregis.com/bali 23

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Bangkok Vibrant Location, Discreet Hospitality

Ask us about The hotel’s Blue Elephant private cookery classes, which can be tailored to any skill level, from kitchen virgins to professional chefs.

They take place in an atmosphere of warm encouragement to inspire you to get creative in your own kitchen.

Learning Thai massage: Wat Po is an important center of Thai arts, where in-depth massage courses are offered to a professional standard.

The Grand Palace. This magnificent complex of buildings was begun by King Rama I in 1782. Highlights of this spectacular site include the glittering spires of the adjoining Emerald Buddha Temple, and the elaborately decorated Main Chapel.

Bangkok city view with the Royal Bangkok Sports Club in the foreground; a Grand Deluxe Guest room

Tuk-tuks, trucks, riverboats, bicycles, boats and buses... the Thai capital is a whirling mass of energy that will surprise returning visitors as much as first-timers. But Bangkok is a warm and friendly place, thanks to its people, and you can always follow up that sweltering morning’s outing, business meeting or hike around the spectacular 18th-century Grand Palace with a slow meal of the most fragrant cuisine on earth. The soothing décor of The St. Regis Bangkok immerses guests in luxury from the moment they arrive. It might be in the fast-beating heart of central Bangkok, but it is also just moments from the peaceful Lumpini Park, with its lawns, trees and boating lake. What could be better than starting your evening with cocktails in the Sky Lounge, watching the sun set on another eventful day?

Hiring a guide for a visit to Bangkok’s markets, especially the flower market and the Asiatique night bazaar on the banks of the Chao Phraya river. The sprawling Chatuchak weekend market has everything, from ancient books to herbal remedies.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Caring for elephants is an inspiring experience at Elephant World, a rehabilitation facility in the Kanchanaburi province, 110 miles from Bangkok. During your visit learn how to feed and bathe elephants.

Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Named second Hotel in Thailand in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2014 One of Smart Travel Asia’s Top 25 Business Hotels in Asia, 2013

159 Rajadamri Road Bangkok, 10330 Thailand u T. (66) (2) 207 7777 u stregis.bangkok@stregis.com 227 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym stregis.com/bangkok 24

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Beijing Beijing’s Most Prestigious Address

Ask us about The art districts: The neighborhoods of 798/Dashanzi and Caochangdi, both in the Chaoyang area of the city, are not only fascinating for their contemporary art shows but also have a laid-back village feel, with lots of coffee shops and cozy bars.

Entertainment at Laoshe Tea House.

Enjoy a diverse performance of everything from acrobatics to puppetry, kung fu, hand imagery and even a smattering of opera. A great way to experience the lighter side of Beijing’s cultural heritage.

One of the elegant bedrooms; the porte-cochère at night, a short walk from the Silk Market

Beijing is the capital of a great power once more, and The St. Regis Beijing is ideally positioned close to the diplomatic quarter, business district and the Forbidden City, as well as being surrounded by some of the city’s finest restaurants and bars. The signature St. Regis Butler Service, private-dining suites and mansion ambience reflect the values of old China, preparing you for your next foray into local business or culture and the dizzying experience of Chinese cuisine, including the highly-esteemed Celestial Court restaurant, serving authentic southern Chinese cuisine in a traditional setting. Afterwards, take time to unwind in the hotel’s Iridium Spa, one of Beijing’s most luxurious, and one that has its own hot spring water for soaking in. On the spa menu you will find as many as 40 Western and Chinese therapies, a comprehensive list that is sure to soothe the spirits and rejuvenate the senses.

Park life: spend a morning on the lawns of the Temple of Heaven among today’s tai chi students, opera singers and musicians. They gather here at the base of a cluster of 15th-century buildings to practise their arts in the open air. An ancient pine forest still surrounds this architectural masterpiece.

Family Traditions at St. Regis progam: One night in Beijing is a special six-hour family experience. Ride a traditional Chinese rickshaw to historic Houhai Lake, climb the ancient Drum Tower, join a local family to make dumplings and then watch a Houhai kung-fu spectacle.

Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Hotel of the Year in China Business News, 2013 One of the World’s Best Places to Stay, in Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold list, 2012

21 Jianguomenwai Dajie, Beijing 100020, China u T. (86) (10) 6460 6688 u stregis.beijing@stregis.com 258 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym stregis.com/beijing 25

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Bora Bora Resort Paradise Perfected

Ask us about Snorkeling in the hotel’s private lagoon: the crystal-clear waters surrounding Bora Bora are home to a rich variety of marine life including beautiful coral, manta rays, white-tip reef sharks, turtles and dolphins.

Discover the secrets of Tahitian cultured pearls. This is an unmissable chance to gain a fascinating insight into the world of pearl cultivation and if you wish, to try pearl diving for yourself in one of the world’s most beautiful lagoons.

If you are lucky enough to find one of these fabulous creations, it is yours to keep.

The dreamy Over Water Villas face Bora Bora’s Mt Otemanu; inside the Royal Estate villa

Bora Bora, discovered by Captain Cook in 1769, is a 16-square-mile tropical island surrounded by coral reef and lagoons. This muchmythologized South Pacific island is some 5,000 miles west of Lima and almost 4,000 miles northeast of Sydney, its remoteness matched by its year-round warm climate and outstanding beauty. A step away from the picture-perfect beaches are rugged volcanic mountains covered with lush tropical vegetation. At the secluded 44-acre St. Regis Bora Bora Resort, all rooms have private dining areas, daybeds and state-of-the-art entertainment systems, and are elegantly decorated with Polynesian arts and crafts. Rooms either have direct access to the beach or are thatched villas built over water; views are of the extinct volcanoes, the lagoon or the reef. For the utmost privacy, the three-bedroom Royal Estate has four bathrooms, its own beach, a pool and a spa with sauna and hamam. If you are in search of perfect pampering, go to the resort’s Miri Miri Spa

by Clarins, a place of deep relaxation on its own private island.

Skimming across the waves out to a private island retreat for a picnic.

Your motorboat skipper will whisk you away to a deserted motu, a coral-andsand speck in the ocean. Here you experience a true Robinson Crusoe hideaway, but one where you never have to forgo fine food and wine.

Taking a history-themed 4x4 safari of the island. During the Second World War, Bora Bora was home to 7,000 U.S. troops, who used the island as a supply base. The surviving cannons make an eerie contrast to the tropical landscape.

Voted first hotel spa and fourth resort in the South Pacific in Travel + Leisure, 2013 winner, Top 25 hotels in the South Pacific, TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice, 2013

MotOme’e BP 506, Bora Bora 98730, French Polynesia u T. (689) 607898 u reservations@stregisborabora.com 100 guest rooms and suites; 4 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; tennis; children’s club stregis.com/borabora 26

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Chengdu A Modern Legacy of Storied Luxury

Ask us about Getting fired up. Sichuan is rated as one of the four great Chinese cuisines, but the region’s delicious food is not only spicy; it’s a careful balance of different tastes and textures. Try gong bao ji ding (chicken with peanuts) or yu xiang qie zi (sweet and sour Sichuan eggplant).

Jinsha Site Museum (277 Qingyang Dadao). The impressive nine-acre site showcases a dazzling array of historical pottery, jade, gold and elephant tusks from the Jinsha culture.

The Presidential Suite Master Bedroom; the Grand Staircase and Drawing Room

The capital city of Sichuan province is flourishing as a business hub, not least because it has excellent links to the rest of the province. But this is nothing new for Chengdu. It was one of the first places in the world to issue paper currency. It was a starting point for part of the Southern Silk Route, from where merchants would take the region’s renowned wares to the wider world. Yet for all its importance, this ancient metropolis, founded in 316 BC, retains a remarkably relaxed atmosphere. You’ll find delicious Sichuan food being served at the hotel’s signature restaurant Yan Ting, lots of tea houses and, for downtime, parks and temples to explore. Thanks to its location, The St. Regis Chengdu, the newest St. Regis hotel, is perfectly placed for business meetings, yet within easy reach of prestige boutiques and cultural highlights, including temples, museums and parks. If time allows you a trip out of town, visit the world’s largest Buddha statue or visit Dujiangyan to see the ancient irrigation system built in 256 BC during the Qin Dynasty.

Wenshu Temple (Renmin Zhonglu, 66 Wenshu Yuan Jie). However stressed out you might be feeling before closing that all-important deal, a visit to this ancient wellpreserved Buddhist monastery will leave you feeling calm and serene.

A personal shopper. Chengdu is known for high quality crafts such as silk and embroidery or lacquer ware as well as tea. Our conceirge can hire a personal shopper for you.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: National treasures. The Chengdu Panda Base, 6 miles north of Chengdu, is a spacious park with lakes, lawns and bamboo forest that’s home to 120 giant pandas and other endangered animals.

Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

99 Tidu Street, Qingyang District, Chengdu 610016, Sichuan, China u T. (86) (266) 287 6666 u stregis.chengdu@stregis.com 279 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; indoor & outdoor pools stregis.com/chengdu 27

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Lhasa Resort Pinnacle Address

Ask us about The Potala Palace: one of the most famous architectural works in the world and a symbol of the Tibetan people, just 15 minutes from the resort. See it after hours, in an atmosphere of peace and sanctity.

Yak Butter Tea tasting in a traditional Tibetan tea house. According to traditional lore, yak butter tea makes you strong and promotes a long life.

Visiting the celestial lake on the Tibetan Plateau. There are hundreds of high-altitude lakes; among the most popular with visitors is Yandro Yumtso Lake, 80 miles from Lhasa.

The magnificent Potala Palace overlooking Lhasa; the hotel’s Golden Energy Pool

Set 12,000 ft above sea level, Lhasa is surrounded by the snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, with air as clean as you’re likely to find anywhere in the world. This extreme location will most likely take your breath away in more ways than one – you may need time to adjust to the altitude. For centuries, Lhasa has been the spiritual and political home of Buddhism, and the city is booming as tourists and pilgrims alike search for enlightenment and peace in the Place of the Gods, the name given to the city by the ancients. The St. Regis Lhasa Resort is the only five-star property in the city’s bustling old quarter where the Jokhang Temple, frequented by Buddhist pilgrims, is found. The resort’s spectacular Iridium spa offers specialist Tibetan treatments, or you might find healthy inspiration at the hotel’s cooking school. A must for lovers of good food, the Si Zi Kang Restaurant is one of the first gastronomic Tibetan restaurants in the world and through cooking and décor, will bring you closer to this fascinating culture.

Touring the Jokhang Temple (Balang North Street, Chengguan): this 7th-century temple is Tibet’s holiest site. It has been expanded over the centuries, yet many original features remain. Go in the morning when Tibetan Buddhist pilgrims arrive, and stay until the afternoon, when the interior is opened to non-Buddhists.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Seeing Namtso Lake, the largest in Tibet and one of the highest-altitude saltwater lakes in the world. Yaks and horseback riding are available for families in this threehour excursion. Learn more at stregis.com/ familytraditions

Included in Travel + Leisure’s Top Hotels in China, 2013 Best Luxury Hotel Award winner in City Traveler, 2013

No. 22, Jiangsu Road, Lhasa, Tibet (Xizang) 850000 China u T. (86) (891) 680 8888 u reservation.lhasa@stregis.com 162 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; yoga; pilates; cookery school stregis.com/lhasa 28

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Osaka Cosmopolitan Distinction

Ask us about Kuidaore: the food-lovers’ pastime.

Osaka is the foodie capital of Japan, and you should spend an evening exploring neon-lit Dotonbori trying delicacies such as takoyaki octopus balls and puffer fish sashimi. The Midosuji festival takes place in summer next to the hotel and is packed with gourmands from different corners of the world.

Walking the seven slopes of Tennoji, and visiting a handful of the 200 temples and shrines on the south side of Osaka Castle. The route, along Kamimachi-suji street, is lined with ancient cherry trees laden with blossom in spring and filled with the fragrance of incense.

The St. Regis Osaka Zen Garden; the Master Bedroom of the Royal Suite

For many travelers, Osaka has all the urban energy and lively vibe of Tokyo with the heritage and historical riches of Kyoto. On Midosuji Avenue, where The St. Regis Osaka is located, you will find examples of the city’s long history, in the form of architectural masterpieces dating from the Taisho Era (1912-1926) and the following Showa period. The avenue has been dubbed the Champs Elysées of the Orient. The St. Regis Osaka is within a 27-story building, the tallest in the urban renewal zone.

It provides striking views over the city and is perfectly positioned for you to explore Osaka’s multi-Michelin-starred restaurant scene, cultural life and Buddhist shrines. The hotel’s garden terrace is lush with plants and has a stone garden around which to take a stroll, or you can sit and take time out from the streetscape below.

The Tenjin Matsuri Festival of Osaka is held in July and is one of Japan’s top festivals. Enjoy the spectacular celebrations, which include processions, fireworks, music and puppet theater, in the streets or on board a festival boat.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: My Cup Noodle Factory makes for a fascinating excursion: learn about ramen noodles, create a custom noodle soup, design your own cup and explore the museum. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Winner of 5 pavilion awards in Michelin Guide Kansai region, 2014 Winner, Japan’s Leading Hotel, World Travel Awards, 2013

3-6-12 Hommachi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0053, Japan u T. (81) (6) 6258 3333 u stregis.osaka@stregis.com 160 guest rooms and suites; 3 restaurants and bars; spa; excercise room stregis.com/osaka 29

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort China’s Most Coveted Beachfront Address

Ask us about Mingling with the locals at a food market. Chun Yuan and Di Yi Shi, known locally as Number 1 market, are famous for their fresh seafood.

Take your pick from tempting stalls and then hand it over to one of the many open restaurants, where they will cook it to your liking.

Visiting Nanshan Temple: the sprawling Buddhist temple at the foot of Nanshan mountain, 25 miles from Sanya, was completed only in 1998 (2,000 years after the arrival of Buddhism in China), and comprises replica Tang Dynasty architecture.

Relax by the heated pool and enjoy views of the tropical gardens; beachside bliss at the two-bedroom Royal Villa

The tropical island of Hainan, China’s smallest province, has clean air, tropical vegetation, pristine beaches and offers the perfect escape from the bustle of the mainland cities. Located in the exclusive Yalong Bay on the south coast of Hainan Island in South China, The St. Regis Sanya Yalong Bay Resort’s contemporary architecture was inspired by the concept of two intertwined dragons. The hotel opened in November 2011 and is the perfect choice for guests looking for a deluxe, relaxing vacation. It has access to more than half a mile of coastline on Yalong Bay (also called Asian Dragon Bay), where guests can stroll or swim. The bay has the island’s only sail-in, sail-out access for yachts, through an exclusive partnership with the Sanya Yalong Bay Yacht Club (and the only golf driving range on the coveted beach side of Yalong Bay), and guests can charter a fully staffed Yacht Club vessel for a sunset cruise.

Diving or snorkeling: you can see coral reefs and colorful tropical fish in the calm waters surrounding the small island of Wuzhizhou, which lies in Haitang Bay, just northeast of Sanya. On the island itself, up to 2,700 individual plant species exist.

Trekking Hainan’s highest peak: Wuzhi Mountain in the island’s central highlands is a distinctive landmark and a scenic hike, but steep.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: The Mangrove Forest Kayak Tour: a guided trip taking you to nearby mangrove forests by kayak, a ride that lasts for up to three hours, where you can see egrets, cormorants and pink flamingos. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

MOST POPULAR RESORT IN CHINA AT the 10TH GOLDEN PILLOW AWARDS, 2013 Winner in TripAdvisor’s Excellence Awards, 2013

Yalong Bay National Resort District, Sanya Yalong Bay, Hainan 572016, China u T. (86) (898) 8855 5555 u reservations.sanya@stregis.com 401 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; private beach; water sports; tennis; children’s club stregis.com/sanyayalongbay 30

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Shenzhen Towering Sophistication

Ask us about Shenzhen’s art scene: visit the galleries in Dafen Oil Painting Village (Dafen Village, Buji, Longgang District) and buy something that will last. This place trades literally millions of artworks a year. Or see the OCT Contemporary Art Terminal in the He Xiangning Art Museum (Enping Road, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District).

The Window of the World, a theme park with models of sights from around the world, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Angkor Wat of Cambodia. Continue your visit in the world’s largest fossil forest, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden and Shenzhen Palaeontological Museum.

The sky lobby, with expansive views over the city; the Iridium spa pool

Shenzhen, a commercial hub in southern China just to the north of Hong Kong, is one of the country’s most dynamic supercities. The hotel, which opened in 2011, was designed by the renowned architect Sir Terry Farrell, and occupies the top 28 floors of the landmark glass-and-steel 100-story Kingkey 100 tower in the heart of the Luoh financial district.

Take advantage of the height at The St. Regis Bar on the 96th floor, which serves sushi and sashimi and has stunning panoramic views of Shenzhen city. Business travelers like to unwind with a treatment in The St. Regis Shenzhen’s Iridium Spa, or meet colleagues in Decanter wine bar or in Malt, the whisky bar. Shoppers are spoilt for choice and make straight for the upmarket KK Mall. Otherwise, head off to explore the city’s local theme parks, gardens and historical attractions.

Discovering Dapeng Ancient Town: this fortress city, overlooking Daya Bay in the east of Shenzhen was built during the Ming Dynasty at the end of the 14th century and offers visitors a powerful connection to China’s imperial past.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Happy Valley: Shenzhen’s most famous theme park, with almost 100 exciting rides and attractions in nine themed areas, including Cartoon City, Mount Adventure, Shangri-la Woods and Sunshine Beach. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

One of Travel + Leisure’s Top 100 Hotels in China, 2013 One of the Hot 25 Business Hotels by Smart Travel Asia, 2012

No. 5016 Shennan Road East, LuohDistrict Shenzhen, Guangdong 518001 China u T. (86)(755) 8308 8888 u stregis.shenzhen@stregis.com 290 guest rooms and suites; 5 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym stregis.com/shenzhen 31

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Singapore Timeless Elegance

Ask us about Gillman Barracks is one of Asia’s newest contemporary art destinations.

Visitors may wander around this former military stronghold and enjoy regularly changing exhibitions in the international art galleries.

Bollywood Veggies in the Kranji countryside enables visitors to experience the rustic side of the island through cooking classes, walks around the 10-acre farm, or simply by relaxing in the excellent restaurant.

Taking the cable car to Sentosa Island, where you will find sheltered beaches, old forts and family attractions, such as a butterfly park and Universal Studios. It’s a popular draw for visitors.

The lounge of the Astoria Suite on the 20th floor; the hotel pool with its sculpture Floating to Sukhavati, by the Taiwanese artist Li Chen

Singapore isn’t all skyscrapers: close to The St. Regis Singapore, in the embassy district, the Singapore Botanic Gardens offer a respite from the city’s angular modern architecture. Stroll around its themed gardens, and enjoy lakes, sculptures and displays of exotic flora: orchids, mature kapok and rain trees. The hotel is also close to the financial district, the famous shopping on Orchard Road, and Dempsey Hill, a revitalized colonial neighborhood with restaurants, clubs, bars, boutiques, antiques stores and art galleries. And if you want more of the latter, The St. Regis Singapore is home to one of the finest private art collections in Asia, with works by Miró, Chagall and Fernando Botero. For dining, the hotel’s Cantonese restaurant, Yan Ting, has new interpretations of classic dishes, or experience contemporary French cuisine at Brasserie Les Saveurs or Italian at LaBrezza.

Hopping aboard a yacht for a private tour of the Southern Islands. For your trip over to this peaceful weekend getaway, a bulging picnic basket is packed for you and the crew will gladly serve you cold drinks throughout the cruise, a delightful way to escape the bustle of the city.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: River Safari, Asia’s only river-themed safari park. Enjoy a natural adventure inspired by eight of the world’s greatest rivers, which also has two resident giant pandas, Kai Kai and Jia Jia. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

One of the Top City Hotels in Asia in Travel + Leisure’S WORLD’S BEST AWARDS, 2013 Winner of TripAdvisor’s Excellence Awards, 2013

29 Tanglin Road, Singapore 247911 u T. (65) 6506 6888 u stregis.singapore@stregis.com 299 guest rooms and suites; 6 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; tennis stregis.com/singapore 32

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Asia Pacific

The St. Regis Tianjin Tianjin’s Premier Address

Ask us about A private guided tour around Tianjin’s Shenyang Road antiques market: it’s one of the most significant collectors’ markets in the whole of China, with more than 300 stalls. The region is known for its carpets and clay figurines, but it’s fun just to browse. Look out for pottery and Chairman Mao memorabilia.

XiangSheng, a tea house tradition: XiangSheng, meaning cross-talks, is a much-loved Chinese comedy and one of the country’s most popular art forms. Experience this in a Tianjin tea house and gain a fascinating insight into traditional Chinese culture.

The hotel’s spectacular exterior – part of the city’s march skywards; The St. Regis Suite Guest Room has panoramic views over the Hai River right outside

China’s fourth-largest city, the coastal metropolis of Tianjin has a fascinating history as the entry point for foreigners visiting and trading with Beijing and the rest of northern China. The city’s history is well explained at the Tianjin Museum. The European-style houses of the French and German concessions add a dash of grandeur to the metropolis, and original turn-of-the-century architecture can still be seen in the Wudadao district. The hotel is on the bank of the scenic Hai River (cruises can be arranged), near the craft shops along Ancient Culture Street; the Jinwan Plaza and ferris wheel are also nearby. All rooms have city views, but if it’s a special trip, book the Presidential Suite, which has Chinese antiques, its own dining room and whirlpool bath. And try the St. Regis River Lounge, the only chic riverside lounge bar in the city, where there is a monthly gathering for cocktails and Italian antipasti, with great food to accompany the breeze from the river.

An exclusive Bentley road trip will take you past the Tianjin Eye to Ancient Culture Street. Then journey north to the market town of Yang Liu Qing, famous for its wood block paintings and prints, and visit the Family Shi Grand Court Yard, known as the first mansion in North China.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: Ancient Chinese Family Mansion Tour. This ancient single family home, called the Shi Family Courtyard, dates from the late Qing Dynasty and is a great place to find out about the history and traditions of Northern China. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Best Luxury Business Hotel OF THE YEAR, NORTHERN CHINA, China Travel & Meeting Industry Awards, 2013 One of CHINA’S TOP 100 HOTELS, CHINA TRAVEL AWARDS BY TRavel + Leisure, 2013

158 Zhangzizhong Road, Heping District Tianjin, Tianjin 300041, China u T. (86) (22) 5830 9999 u stregis.tianjin@stregis.com 274 guest rooms and suites; 3 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; gym; cookery school stregis.com/tianjin 33

An Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis Hotels & Resorts: Europe

The St. Regis Florence Premiere Location, Renaissance Grandeur

Ask us about A chauffeur-driven Bentley to take you up into the Florentine hills: combine sightseeing and mountain air with lunch at Ristorante Omero (Via Pian dei Giullari 47, Località Arcetri), which specializes in traditional Tuscan cuisine. Farther afield you can visit the deservedly popular ancient walled city of Siena, or Pisa – both are just an hour’s drive from the city.

Art Unveiled enables art and culture lovers to enjoy a personal guided tour of the finest museums and contemporary art galleries in Florence. Curator Caterina Diana Biagiotti will create a custom tour informed by your particular interests.

The Duomo and the rooftops of Florence; a Deluxe Guest Room in the Medici style

A palazzo designed in 1432 by Filippo Brunelleschi, the architect of the Duomo Santa Maria del Fiore, The St. Regis Florence was converted into a hotel in the mid-1800s. When Queen Victoria indulged in a Grand Tour, she stayed here. Extensive restoration in 2011 included the addition of a designer suite by Italian luxury fashion house Bottega Veneta, and the public areas are just as dramatic. The fine-dining Winter Garden by Caino restaurant has a 19th-century illuminated colored-glass ceiling; and in keeping with the Tuscan capital’s Renaissance heritage, there are classic frescoes and antiques throughout the building. Florence is a compact and, in the right season, relaxing city. After you’ve seen the world-class Uffizi Gallery and Michaelangelo’s David in the Accademia, make the most of the hotel’s location on the Piazza Ognissanti in the city’s historical heart: order an aperitivo, and sit back and watch as dusk falls over the city’s churches, hills and belltowers.

The St. Regis Dan Brown Package is a treat for fans of the bestselling author - and of the great poet Dante Alighieri. The tour takes in sites that feature in the book Inferno, including the Badia Tower, the palatial home of the Dante Society, the Dante Church and the Signoria Palace.

Family Traditions at St. Regis program: The Secret Florence Treasure Hunt: a three-hour discovery of the hidden gems via a privately guided treasure hunt, both magical and revealing. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

Fourth best hotel in Italy in Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards, 2013 Included in Hot 100 by Harper’s Bazaar, 2013

Piazza Ognissanti 1, Florence 50123, Italy u T. 0039 055 27161 u stregisflorence@stregis.com 100 guest rooms and suites; 1 restaurant and bar; spa; gym stregis.com/florence 34

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Europe

The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort A Mediterranean Masterpiece

Ask us about Wine-tasting: Binissalem is a much-admired wine DOC (official wine-growing region), long appreciated in Spain, but with a growing reputation among wine fans from farther afield. There are 13 important wineries in the area: combine cellar visits with lunch in lovely, unspoiled towns such as Alaró and Santa Maria del Camí.

The Superyacht Cup. June sees the return of what has become Europe’s longest-running superyacht regatta.

Since 1996 it has been attracting many of the most prestigious sailing yachts from all over the world.

The Pilar and Joan Miró Foundation. Take an after-hours tour of this great and much-loved artist’s studio, where he worked from the 1950s until his death in 1983.

The resort is both a tranquil hideaway and the perfect base for exploring the island; the hotel’s traditional-looking Spanish architecture

All the pleasures and treasures of the Western Mediterranean are found in Mallorca, the main island of the Balearics. The beaches get a lot of attention and some are pretty stunning, but inland are olive groves and vineyards, mountains and rural mansions, cozy old restaurants and tourist-free towns and villages. Long before the mad rush for the sand and the sea, the wealthier and wiser islanders preferred to build their estates high up and away from the coast to avoid pirates – follow their lead to get a real insider’s view of the place. In the southwestern corner of the island on the Costa d’en Blanes there are turquoise waters and a sense of being apart from the hubbub. This is also where you’ll find The St. Regis Mardavall Mallorca Resort, whose guest rooms were designed

by Claudio Carbone. It is a lovely hideaway and a perfect base for exploring the best of the island. Continue your relaxing stay with a session on the new wooden yoga platform, which has a tranquil sea view.

A day out in Deià: associated with intellectuals, writers and artists, this tumbling, terraced village, now home to celebrities, makes an idyllic setting for a spot of lunch.

Family Traditions at St. Regis progam: The Tramuntana Mountains, close to the hotel, are one of Mallorca’s greatest natural assets and UNESCOlisted as a World Heritage Site. Walks and treks to suit all take place in this exquisite landscape. Learn more at stregis.com/familytraditions

RestaurAnt Es Fum awarded one Michelin Star, 2011

Carretera Palma - Andratx 19, Costa d’en Blanes, Mallorca 07181, Spain u T. (34)(971) 629629 u info.mardavall@stregis.com 130 guest rooms and suites; 4 restaurants and bars; spa; pool; beach; gym; private jetty; children’s club stregis.com/mallorca 35

The Aficionado’s Guide to St. Regis: Europe

The St. Regis Rome Iconic Elegance

Ask us about Viewing the spectacular sculptures and paintings inside the Borghese Gallery (Piazzale del Museo Borghese 5). Afterwards, why not rent a bike to explore the celebrated gardens, one of the glories of the Eternal City.

Lavori Artigianali Femminili (Via di Capo Le Case 6). The go-to store for Rome’s best-dressed children, featuring hand-made velvet skirts, lace-trimmed party dresses and embroidered linens.

A private after-hours tour of the Vatican. Avoid the entrance lines and explore the magnificence of the Sistine Chapel and Michelangelo’s extraordinary art, away from the milling crowds who throng the Vatican during the day.

The hotel’s facade, next to the historic Fountain of Moses; one of the hotel’s stylish bedrooms

For history, beauty, style, culture and romance, Rome has few rivals as the world’s most compelling metropolis. Here ancient palaces, temples, churches and monuments sit alongside all the contemporary attractions of a modern European capital. Such a city deserves a hotel of classical proportions, and The St. Regis Rome, built right beside the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian, more than lives up to those expectations. Rome’s first grand hotel, this palazzo was opened by celebrated hotelier César Ritz in 1894, and it retains its majesty and prominence in the life of this great city to this day. The building was lavishly restored in 2000, and the luxurious interiors, complete with a beautiful ballroom, chandeliers and hand-painted frescos, make for a majestic base from which to explore the Eternal City.

Rome by Vespa. Did you ever dream of your own Roman Holiday, and being Audrey Hepburn or Gregory Peck just for one day? Movie memories aside, a Vespa is also a highly practical way to get around this city and explore the narrow streets of its oldest quarters, without getting stuck in traffic.

Elizabeth Minchilli’s Insider Food Tour is an expert’s guide to gastronomic Rome. The author takes you on a day-long culinary walk through Rome’s neighborhoods, eating and drinking en route.

Included among Best Business Hotel in Rome in Travel + Leisure, 2013 winner, Best Italy Luxury Hotel, in TripAdvisor’s Traveler’s Choice, 2012

Via Vittorio E. Orlando 3, Rome 00185, Italy u T. (39)(06) 47091 u stregisgrandrome@stregis.com 161 guest rooms and suites; 2 restaurants and bars; spa stregis.com/rome 36

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LA ROSE DIOR PRÉ CATELAN AND BOIS DE ROSE COLLECTIONS Yellow gold, pink gold, diamonds, pink sapphires, white coral and pink quartz.