Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Services, Spas

Is your skin in need of a little TLC after a long hot summer of gelatinous humidity and city soot? The spa at the Trump Soho has just the cure.

The newly opened spa has nine treatment rooms within its well-appointed 11,000 square feet, but what really sets it apart is its take on the hammam - the traditional bathhouses of Morocco and Turkey. The Trump folks claim it is one of just two authentic luxury hammams in the U.S. (the first being at the Mandarin Oriental in Las Vegas) and the only one in New York. Ok, apparently there are other hammams in the Big Apple, but none whose tiles and materials have been sourced exclusively from Turkey and Morocco or that feature a domed ceiling and tiny pinhole lights that mimic the pin pricks of natural light found in many traditional hammams.

So, on a late summer day, I headed to Soho to check it out. Stefan Drobel, assistant spa director for The Spa At Trump, led me through the spa, stopping at the Tepidarium, a chamber where one is supposed to warm up before entering the baths. The steam and sauna facilities, alas, are still awaiting a final green light from city health inspectors. Then it was on to my Turkish hammam treatment, which Stefan assured me would detoxify and purify my skin. I changed into a robe and was led to a black- and white-tiled room - one of two hammams at the spa. Wearing nothing but the disposable mesh undies provided, I was instructed to sit down on a heated marble “belly slab” (which is big enough to accommodate couples, if you so desire). The mosaic tiles shimmered in the dim light and the little pinholes of light glittered like stars in the sky. My “hammam attache,” Jenny, was wrapped in a towel from the waist down — my first clue to what was to come. She promptly commenced filling silver bowls with warm water and pouring them all over me. That simple act elicited a surprisingly soothing, almost primal, sensation of warmth, and I felt the tension in my body melting away. I laid down and more bowls of water cascaded upon me. Then she donned a slightly coarse “kesa” mitt and gently exfoliated my skin, first front, then back, and always followed by more nurturing water.

Continue reading Trump Spa’s Turkish Hammam Has Suds Appeal

Trump Spa’s Turkish Hammam Has Suds Appeal originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadgets

We just can’t get enough when it comes to iPhone cases and these new designs by Alexander Amosu are a welcome addition to the pack. Hand-stitched of exotic crocodile and python skins the cases feature an exceptionally simple pocket design that lets the texture of the leather shine as the main attraction. A great option for those looking to stash their precious iPhone in something stylish and convenient but not flashy or over-the-top, Amosu’s iPhone cases are available in a variety of colors (including red and a bright shade of cotton candy pink) and can be personalized with your name or logo. £600

Amosu Crocodile and Python iPhone 4 Cases originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Estates

Today’s home is a brick Georgian style estate in Wilmington, Delaware. The five-bedroom home sits on almost seven acres and was originally built as a DuPont family home. The home has a front to back center entrance hall, wood-paneled library, office and formal living and dining rooms. The kitchen has been completely renovated with new countertops and cabinets (with a refrigerator to match). The master suite has a sitting room and his and hers baths. Other features include a media room, lovely tiled sunroom, exercise room, a playroom for the kids and a craft room. The grounds include a pool. This home is listed at $3.95 million.

Continue reading Kennett Pike, Estate of the Day

Kennett Pike, Estate of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 13:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Handbags

What a pretty, glowing finish this Snakeskin Three-Flap Clutch Bottega Veneta bag has, thanks to the exotic elaphne watersnake skin that has a slight iridescent finish. The three flaps aren’t real (they all open together as one) but there are three separate gusseted compartments inside. Lined in suede it has one interior zip pocket and comes with a detachable leather strap for clutch or shoulder bag use. It’s a pretty and fairly classic style but you better love it as it’s priced higher than many other options at $3,500.

Bottega Veneta Snakeskin Three-Flap Clutch, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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If you’re a football fan, you’ve probably heard a thing or two about Troy Polamalu’s famous hair. Well, Head and Shoulders certainly have. They’re using the Samoan-descended NFL superstar’s lengthy locks to promote their brand and, in case of unforeseen hair trauma, they’ve insured it for $1 million. The 29-year-old strong safety received his first […]

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

This new watch from Franc Vila has a ludicrously long name “actual” name. The post title is just a shortened version. Like many full Spanish name, this one is long and complex being the Franc Vila FVa35 SuperSonico 5-­Minute Repeater SuperLigero watch. Why all that? Not sure. Franc Vila could easily have gotten away with just “SuperSonico 5-Minute Repeater 5 watch.” Anyhow, the watch itself is pretty cool, and builds on the Franc Vila “Cobra” style case that really does like to polarize watch lovers.

A 5 minute repeater is a chiming mechanism that has a small set of hammers hitting a gong in the watch to tell you the time to the closest 5 minute mark. You press the pusher on the side of the case, and the mechanical wonder sounds back the time to you in a little musical code. Different sounds stand for different parts of the time. Once the code is deciphered, you’ll get the time heard back to you in a little song that tells the time to the closest 5 minute mark. There are other types of repeaters out there as well - ones that are true to the minute repeaters, as well as quarter hour repeaters.

The case is made from blackened steel (there is also a gold model available), titanium, and an aluminum alloy known as “lightnium.” This sci-fi sounding material is dense and light, and assists with the sound traveling abilities of the case. Franc Vila’s intent behind the watch was to open the dial up and show you the workings of the 5 minute repeater in action. He does a good job at doing that, has the dial has the typical brand flair. For more details on the case dimensions and other elements of the watch that are standard to the Cobra cases, you can simply visit their website.

With a bold, technical, and slightly sinister look, the steel and titanium version of the SuperSonico are pricey at $44,000. Priced high, but Franc Vila apparently has found his niche. The gold version of course costs more. I just like saying “SuperSonico” out loud.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Franc Vila FV35 SuperSonico 5-­Minute Repeater Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Timepieces / Watches

Want to know what some of the last Jacob & Co. watches look like before the brand gets totally revitalized next year? Here is Sylvester Stallone modeling a Jacob & Co. Skull Five Time Zone watch. With both white and black diamonds, the watch features the famous five time zone design (with four additional watch dials in addition to the main time. The case is 47mm wide in either black or polished steel, and the skull can be had in white diamonds with a black diamond background or vice versa. Inside the watch are Swiss ETA quartz movements (five of them). Being a Jacob & Co. watch, it is available with almost 10 carats of diamonds. Price starts at about $27,000. Does Stallone like it? Well, he liked it enough to wear it. Watches like this are gonna be collector’s items of sorts when Jacob & Co. transforms itself under leadership by Yvan Arpa starting soon.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Sylvester Stallone Wearing A Jacob & Co. Skull Five Time Zone Watch originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Wine, Auctions, Charity

The Naples Winter Wine Festival isn’t for another few months but one of the lots has already been announced. For those who have been chasing down 100-point wines, save room in your cellar. One of the auction lots at the elite wine festival to be held
will offer an unprecedented auction lot of 100 bottles of 100-point wines at its annual event January 28-30, 2011 in Naples, Florida. Decanter reports that wines in the ‘Perfection Lot’ include a 1955 Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion, a 1989 Chateau Petrus, and a 1985 Domaine Romanee-Conti valued at more than $11,000. All of the wines were rated by Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate and other wine publications, including Wine Spectator. Auction proceeds go to help underprivileged and at-risk children, the Naples wine event has raised $82.5 million for local children’s charities since 2001.

Naples Winter Wine Festival To Have “Perfect” Wine Auction Lot originally appeared on Luxist on Tue, 31 Aug 2010 23:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group, has now unveiled the new Harman Kardon Logic7 HD system exclusively for the Range Rover Autobiography. The new system is also available as an option for the complete model range. Harman Kardon..

We have earlier introduced you to some of the magnificent wooden creations you would love to spend your money on and today, we have the beautiful Mahogany Bikes from SANOMAGIC. Designed by Sueshiro SANO, these are not just wooden bikes but works of…

The Cocoon by Cubist Outdoor Residences Ltd. — specialist in luxury design outdoor spas – is an ultimate outdoor oasis designed for private properties as well as for commercial buildings such as hotels, golf clubs and beach clubs. Offering an…

Filed under: Handbags

Opposites attract in this Trophe Studded Nappa Bag by Christian Louboutin. Soft black leather gets toughed up with plenty of silvertone chains, zippers, and studs with a very busy, slightly feminine, biker chic result. It has a chain shoulder strap, a simple zip-top closure and two zippered pockets on the front, plus long layered zipper pulls with gobs (yes, gobs) of silver stud details. It’s fully lined in Louboutin’s signature red and has two interior pouch pockets. Lots of places for stashing small essentials and a great way to make any look a little edgier. $1,495

Christian Louboutin Trophe Studded Nappa Bag, Handbag of the Day originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Gadgets, Luxury Cars & Autos

Mercedes already loads its S-Class with copious amenities. Drive that bad boy over to Brabus, though, and they’ll be glad to add things you didn’t have the imagination to consider. The German tuner’s latest creation is the Brabus iBusiness, which is an S-Class stuffed with a giant engine up front and a giant load of tech in back.

The rear seats have essentially become plush, open-plan workspaces fitted with all things Apple: two iPads with keyboards, a 64GB iPod Touch, and a Mac Mini in the trunk displayed on a Mac monitor in the Alcantara headliner and controlled via a Magic Mouse. And that’s in addition to the monitors mounted into the backs of the headrests. The system is hooked into the car so that the S-Class systems can be ordered about directly from your seatback desk.

Pulling that office along is a 6.3-liter V12 with 750 horsepower and 811 lb-ft of usable torque. What’s the bottom line on that? About 3.8 seconds from zero-to-sixty and a top speed of 211 mph. We recommend you type or go for top speed runs because the brunt of 750 horsepower is not good for your words-per-minute. The price? Brabus didn’t say, but figure a little less than it would cost to buy Finland. A little.

Brabus Adds Power and iPads to the S-Class to make the Brabus iBusiness originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Art

Moses Maimonides, the great biblical scholar, physician, and Rabbi (1135-1204) codified Jewish law in what has been dubbed “the most innovative legal text of all time.” Compiled between 1170 and 1180, his highly revered tome is called the Mishneh Torah —the “Repetition of the Law.” Written in Hebrew rather than Arabic when he was living in Egypt, it consists of 14 books and is the first complete codification of Jewish law. The eighth book, “the Book of Divine Service,” contains laws pertaining to the eventual rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem that was destroyed in 70 AD. Medieval observant Jews always believed it would be rebuilt and Maimonides described how it should happen. Just in time for the Jewish High Holy Days, the Met in New York City is showcasing a manuscript page of the eighth book open to a diagram of the temple and another describing regulations for rebuilding. Made in northern France or Germany, sometime between 1200 and 1400, this rare edition of the Mishneh was created in tempera and ink on parchment. Written in the clear, concise style of an authoritative legal scholar, it establishes rules which make sense even today when we think of rebuilding any religious edifice. Intended as he wrote “for young and old,” Maimonides noted:”Everyone is obligated to build and to assist both personally and financially…(both) men and women….Children are not to be interrupted from their studies.” And once the Temple was rebuilt: “Everyone who enters the Temple Courtyard should walk in a dignified manner…” The manuscript is on loan from the Library of the Jewish Theological Seminary.

Continue reading Judaica at the Met

Judaica at the Met originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Designed for riders who demand more wake, more space and more style, the new 2011 Axis A20 wakeboard boat from Axis Wake Research offers room for 11 and versatile. The Axis A20 is designed on the footsteps of the company’s Axis 22 wake boat and is..

Filed under: Gadgets, Sports

First came the Ciclò, a concept stationary bicycle by Italian designer Luca Shieppati. Then came a place in the Milan Design Museum for that Ciclò. Now, a year later, comes a retail version of the concept that will make your spinning more beautiful than it has ever been. Called the Ciclotte, the bike has been fitted with more usable bars - more like horns than handles - and a touchscreen to set and monitor your immobile progress.

Inside the circle are an epicycloid gear system and a magnetized wheel offering adjustable resistance. You can get it in three hues: carbon, steel, and, would you guess, purple. It will cost you $10,000 to place yourself aboard the Ciclotte and ride it to better fitness, but you can probably make your money back rather quickly if you charge a dollar every time someone asks, “What is that?”

Ciclotte is $10,000 Worth of Design, Exercise, and Spin originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Estates

Could one of the country’s most extravagant and expensive homes finally be sold? The NY Post says that Dunnellen Hall in Greenwich, Connecticut is at the contract stage. Leona Helmsley’s former home first hit the market in 2008 for an astounding $125 million. Price cut after price cut followed until it hit $60 million. The NY Post’s source revealed that the home may sell to a mystery buyer for under $55 million. The listing still appears on the David Oglivy & Associates website.

The traditional brick mansion is approximately 23,0000 square feet with seven upstairs bedroom suites, a glass-walled music room, a wood- paneled library with a 15th century fireplace mantel, formal dining room, family room with a bar and much more. The back wing is home to the staff area which has six bedrooms. The indoor pool has four exposures and includes areas for sitting and changing. There is also a 75-foot outdoor pool with a terrace and a cabana with a kitchen. There are also brick cottages with an additional six bedrooms total. The Helmsleys bought Dunnellen Hall in 1983 for $9 million (paying an extra $2 million for the furniture) and later picked up another 14 acres bringing the total to 40 acres.

The sale will be a boon for the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, which supports health care and medical research. We’ve heard from those who have visited the home that it is in a state of disrepair and will cost millions to fix. The Post article echoes that saying that it has a leaky roof and other problems. It also has astounding property taxes, a total of $183,000 a year according to the Post. The MLS lists the most expensive piece of property on the market in Greenwich right now as a 27-acre piece of property that is “contiguous to and once part of the great estate, Dunnellen Hall” for $39 million.

Will Dunnellen Hall Finally Sell? originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The latest from the house of Sunseeker is the 40-meter flagship yacht that will make its world debut at the PSP Southampton International Boat Show (10th - 19th September 2010). Offering accommodation for up to 12 guests AND 9 crew members, the…

Filed under: Wine, Auctions

From the depths of the ocean to your wine cellar. Spectrum Wine Auctions, Southern California’s leading auction house of fine and rare wine, will hold its first sale of the fall 2010 auction season on September 24 including a bottle of shipwrecked Madeira wine dating to the 1800s. The bottle, which is estimated at $1200 was discovered off of the Savannah, Georgia coast by professional diver Bill Kinsey in the late 1970s. The lot comes from a collector who bought the only two bottles from the shipwreck in 1980 at The Heublein Premiere National Auction of Rare Wines XII. He tasted the first one on television and noted that it was fantastic and in perfect condition. The thick mud on the ocean floor protected the bottles from worms and water.

The sale will take place at 6 p.m. PDT at the Peninsula Hotel in Beverly Hills and Saturday, September 25 at 9:00 a.m. HKT at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong. Other highlights from the sale include some of the greatest vintages from producers in Bordeaux, Burgundy and California including 37 lots of Harlan Cabernet Sauvignon, 47 lots of Screaming Eagle Cabernet Sauvignon and several verticals of Chateau Montelena in magnum, three-liter and five-liter bottles. The total pre-sale estimate for the 761 lots on offer is $3.2 million.

Shipwrecked Madiera To Be Sold At Auction originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 23:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Estates

Move Trends recently unearthed an interesting story, Toni Braxton’s Nevada home appears to be listed as a foreclosure. Braxton has had financial troubles for years starting with a bankruptcy filing way back in 1998 and this isn’t the first time her name has popped up on our foreclosure radar. Last year TMZ reported that she was facing foreclosure on a Century City condo.

The six-time Grammy winner and her husband, Keirston”Keri” Lewis bought the home in Henderson, NV home in 2007 for $2.6 million. The couple separated late last year. The home is listed as a foreclosure on Realtor.com for $1.15 million. Listing pictures show that the home has been completely cleaned out. The home in the Seven Hills area of Henderson Nevada has four bedrooms, a pool, three-car garage and views of the surrounding desert.

Toni Braxton’s Foreclosed Nevada Home originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 30 Aug 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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