Luxury Goods conglomerate LVMH, owner of Louis Vuitton, plans to open a series of new luxury hotels starting in Oman and Egypt. The hotels will incorporate LVMH brands such as Vuitton and Dior boutiques and Givenchy spas. The company has created LVMH Hotel Management to “oversee the group’s activities in the luxury hotel sector” and “maximize the value of its brands”. The two new hotels, named Cheval Blanc after one of LVMH’s famed Bordeaux vineyards, are slated to open in 2012. The move follows the successful 2006 opening of the LVMH-backed Cheval Blanc hotel in Courchevel, France (above). The Maison Cheval Blanc in Oman is sited on the 11 square- kilometer island of Al Sodah and will include 32 private villas. The development in Egypt is on the private island of Amoun in Aswan and will include about 40 suites overlooking the Nile. LVMH notes that “other projects are currently under study in exceptional destinations”. The company won’t own the real estate or finance construction, but will instead run the resorts under management contract.
What good is a lie-flat seat if you’re going to muss your outfit as you slumber? That, at least, is the thinking behind international airlines that distribute pajamas to their upper class passengers, and, it’s good thinking — I’ve noted before that flying business class is like having the best sick day ever, and where would a sick day be without great pjs?
The last time I flew Qantas three years ago, they weren’t on the pajama bandwagon, but it’s now a standard in-flight amenity in Business and in First. (There are different pajamas by class, naturally, differences I shall delve into after the jump, so come along.) I was in business so the pjs I received were grey cotton, with the Qantas kangaroo logo on the shirt. They come with a little cotton pouch to store the jammies in post-flight, and the inside of the shirt bears this handwritten phrase: “I wish you wonderful travels to dream land - Morrissey, x. ” (The x is a goodnight kiss.) I was a little confused about why the one time lead vocalist from The Smiths was involved with Qantas pajamas — and isn’t he a Brit? I’ve since learned that this Morrissey’s first name is Peter, the Australian fashion designer who also handles Qantas uniforms, which makes much more sense.
One of the most interesting hotel features around are the bee hives at some of the Fairmont hotels. The hotel brand now has six apiaries around the world with hives set up on rooftops and in onsite herb gardens. The bees help the local environment by providing plenty of bees to pollinate area gardens and parks and the Fairmont chefs use the honey in sweet treats for guests.
The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver shares its herb garden with six honeybee hives on the hotel’s third-floor terrace. For summer 2010 they will host 390,000 honey bees producing an anticipated 500 lbs of honey. At the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto there are around 300,000 bees in peak season. The Fairmont Washington, D.C. welcomed 105,000 Italian honeybees in summer 2009 to their three new hives on the roof. The Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club has partnered with local beekeeper Stephen Macharia to bring fresh honey to guests. Stephen started out collecting wild honey from the slopes of Mount Kenya, but by June will have eight hives on property to help pollinate African flowers and the nearby Mount Kenya Forest. The Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac in Quebec hosted four queen bees in four hives in the chef’s roof top garden last year. Each hive contains about 70,000 bees that will produce enough honey for the entire hotel, with the extra being sold in the Fairmont Store. And at the Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews by-the-Sea, New Brunswick the queen bee and her hive feast on nearby Kingsbrae Gardens producing honey which is sold to guests and also used in the hotel’s three restaurants. Several of the hotels offer tours so that you can safely observe the bees hard at work.
The honey pops up in desserts, entrees and drinks. The Festive Buzz, shown at right, served at the Royal York includes white peach puree, champagne and the Royal York honey. Check out the recipe here or watch the Royal York bees in action in a video after the jump.
Last weekend, many of us ambitiously filled our Easter baskets with as many eggs as we could carry, and now we find ourselves with a refrigerator full of naughty things to eat.
Rather than feel guilty about the obligatory chocolate gorging going on, let’s celebrate by learning from a master chocolatier at Burie how chocolate Easter eggs are made. The video above shows the step by step process.
This same step-by-step piecing together is used to create all kinds of different chocolate things, from chocolate celebrity heads to the famous Burie chocolate hands and chocolate diamonds (”for and by Antwerp”). Hans Burie even, quite famously, created an 1,800 pound Belgian chocolate car, complete with a life-like interior and completely edible.
Check out some more chocolate creations we saw in the Burie factory, as well as their charming Antwerp boutique, below.
As Antwerp, Belgium continues to make its name in the fashion and art scenes, “super-concept” stores have emerged. These stores include everything from art galleries to organic cafes, vintage shopping and a selection of wares to wear from various designers. Basically, they’re like smaller, hipstery versions of department stores — and they’re a lot more fabulous to be spotted in.
One of these spaces I visited was Ra, at Kloosterstraat 13. Ra has an 800 square meter space with an internet cafe, a bookshop reminiscent of what you’d find in a museum, an open art installation space with the latest exhibition, a kitchen serving a full menu of healthy food (the kind I like to call “aggressively healthy,” like carrot soups and tofu), some antiques and two floors of carefully curated designer clothing, shoes, jewelry and other accessories, including some one-of-a-kind pieces from emerging designers. Catching on? Super-concept shops accommodate pretty much everything people of certain lifestyles want. They’re one-stop-shops for their target demographic; and the kind of place you could spend a whole Saturday without getting bored.
Another super-concept venue I visited was Hospital, a scrap metal dealer’s warehouse-turned-boutique. They have an art space, fabulous clothing for sale and a restored vintage car — also for sale. I dined at the adjoining restaurant and wine bar The Glorious, which was glorious (see gallery for mouth-watering pictures), and mingled with a completely different crowd from the Ra-goers (Hospital is a posher, deliciously more pretentious scene).
Last year I mentioned that Saudi multi-billionaire Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal was looking to unload Singapore’s historic Raffles Hotel as part of his great hotel sell-off. At that point the price was reported to be $450 million but it looks like he was willing to accept a lot less. The hotel has been sold to Qatari Diar investment fund in a deal worth $275 million. The legendary hotel was once the home of writer Somerset Maugham and has been around since 1887. This is the hotel that gave us the cocktail known as the Singapore Sling and has been a stopping place for decades of movie stars.
The London Times reports that the deal includes plans to refurbish the hotel and revamp the adjacent retail and leisure facilities adding another 78 guest rooms. Fairmont Raffles would continue to run the hotel. Fairmont Raffles was created from the merger four years ago of the Fairmont and Raffles groups and runs more than 100 hotels. Qatari Diar already owns Le Royal Monceau in Paris, which is set to reopen under the Raffles brand this year after its Philippe Starck-led makeover.
Tipping housekeepers, bellmen, concierge staff and others in a luxury hotel is a topic even experienced travelers ask about. How should staff be tipped? How often should you tip them? How much should you tip?
Robin at AAA New England says “Housekeeping receives $3-$4 a day, only if you choose to tip. You should tip daily, because staff changes. Leave cash in a sealed envelope (most hotels offer stationery and envelopes in guest rooms), and write “for the chambermaid” on it. You may put the cash in the hand of whomever you’re tipping. Tip the bellman about $2 for each bag, or more. Tip the concierge depending on how hard he worked for you. For example, if you want to have dinner in an exclusive restaurant and can’t get the reservation yourself, tip the concierge $5 -$10 if they get you in..depending where you are, the money you leave may be very appreciated. When I was in Mexico five years ago, I left $10 with the housekeeper. She started to cry and hugged me so hard. Workers are paid really low wages, our tips are so great to them.”
If your New Years Eve party this past year somehow fell short — and you got distracted by Valentine’s Day and President’s Day and missed Chinese New Year too — here’s another chance to usher in a new year: Songkran, a festival celebrating the new year that takes place throughout Southeast Asia, with the epicenter in Thailand. It goes from April 13th to April 15th in 2010.
It’s basically one giant water fight. The belief here is that water washes away bad luck, and so it’s actually a benevolent act when someone throws an ice-cold bucket of water on your head — whether a passerby on the street or a person armed with buckets from a flat-bed truck. It’s also similarly an act of kindness when you’re attacked by water pistols. Plus — and I would imagine, somewhat separately from dousing zones — there are beauty contests. I’m going to be in Thailand over this festival, and so I’m going to be sure to pack plenty of plastic baggies for my phone and camera, etc. Heck, I’m ready to have any potential bad luck washed away, and it all sounds much less messy than the Indian holiday Holi, where celebrants throw paint.
It’s been in the works for a very long time, but Saffire, a new ultra-luxury hotel on Tasmania’s Freycinet Peninsula is about to open, on June 1st, 2010.
Let’s get oriented first. Tasmania is Australia’s southernmost state, and it’s actually an island, separated from the mainland by the 150 mile wide Bass Strait. But it’s not at all wee — twice the size Switzerland, about the size of Ireland — and is widely considered one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. (Check out that sunset, above!)
The Freycinet Peninsula juts off right around the middle of the island’s eastern shore, and is home to national park, which is popular for its hiking particularly to the white sand, turquoise to cobalt waters of Wineglass Bay. Freycinet, by the way, is pronounced as you would in French — the first Europeans on this part of Tasmania were from France.
There’s a lodging concession in the park, Freycinet Lodge, and it has some more upscale accommodations in addition to the more basic — but it’s nothing compared to what’s being planned for Saffire. (The same company owns both properties.)
I was in Tasmania a couple of weeks ago, and had a chat with Matt Casey, general manager, and Hugh Whitehouse, executive chef. The main point they got across about Saffire is that it is going to be intimate. There are just 20 suites all together, with a high staff-to-guest ratio, says Casey — plus they’re not expecting to be running at full capacity at first. The rooms themselves, however, won’t be small: the smallest are 860 square feet and the four largest premium suites are just over 1500 square feet. (Chef Whitehouse will prepare custom meals for premium guests in the suite’s kitchen.)
“Originally, the Palazzo Tornabuoni Private Residence Club became quite a successful fractional after it opened in 2007. The residences were fractionalized into 1/8 shares in 36 apartments. Back then, the population who bought was approximately 70% American, 30% European. It is now 50% US and 50% rest of the world, and we expect the “world” portion to continue to increase. We have members from 5 countries.. At present, two whole ownership residences have been sold and there are offers on two more. Given the state of the world economy, we are very pleased, but given the unique nature of the offering, we are also not surprised.”
The wholly owned residences range in price from 1.6 to 5.1M Euro ($2,350,000 to $7,884,500 dollars), and are between one and two bedrooms, with from one to three baths. They are between 700 sf to nearly 3000sf in size. The wholly owned residences are part of the Palazzo Tornabuoni, an edifice that defines the architectural and historical significance of Florence,Italy, as it was built for the Medici family in the l5th century, original 16th-century frescoes by Ciampelli,and an exquisite fireplace adorned with micro-mosaics by the miniaturist Rafaelli (c.1800). Each property is set among the Palazzo Tornabuoni’s various courtyards and terraced gardens, and certain residences feature roof-top views of Florence and the Duomo.
It took five years to restore the Palazzo into residences. But with the collaboration of Michele Bonan, the award-winning Tuscan-born interior designer, Its contemporary design captures Bonan’s signature style in creating “an environment in which the owner feels they belong…and are not just visiting.” This was a complex undertaking, as the Palazzo defines by its very architectural style, a kind of Renaissance formalism, and is also is a museum of sorts of Renaissance art and artisanry — there are original 16th-century frescoes by Ciampelli,and an exquisite fireplace adorned with micro-mosaics by the miniaturist Rafaelli (c.1800). Outside, a central courtyard still exists that was originally created by Renaissance architect Michelozzo (1400). But yet the residences do have a kind of contemporary comfort, even though surrounded by the finest 15th century Florence had to offer.
On April 2, 2010, a brand new Ritz-Carlton opened its doors at the L.A. Live complex, steps away from the Los Angeles Convention Center, the STAPLES Center, Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE, The GRAMMY Museum and plenty of bars and restaurants. Basically, it’s the only luxury hotel at LA ’s one destination where you don’t need a car to have a good time.
The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles is a 54-story tower with 123 guestrooms including a 3,000 square foot Ritz-Carlton Suite with a piano, entertainment room, media corner, lounge, kitchen, formal dining area and spectacular northern and western views. The 24th floor features a brand new Wolfgang Puck restaurant, WP24 — it has a “wine cave” — and on the 26th floor guests can relax at the private rooftop pool and bar, as well as the 2,000 square foot fitness center.
The hotel is also home to downtown LA’s only full-service hotel spa (a must-have after long days at the convention center) — an 8,000 square foot facility which encapsulates the glamor of Hollywood with exclusive gold facials and champagne and citrus scrubs.
Together with its sister hotel, the JW Marriott Los Angeles, ample space is available for weddings and other functions, and the amenities and attractions of Beverly Hills and Hollywood are just a cab ride away.
Basically, it’s hard to believe that a hotel like this didn’t already exist to accommodate the luxury guests of downtown LA. The Ritz-Carlton, Los Angeles is the final, and perhaps most extravagant piece of the $2.5 billion L.A. Live project, which began with the STAPLES Center in 1999. Click here to be one of the first to book.
Today is National Tartan Day, the day to celebrate Americans of Scottish descent. Over 11 million Americans claim Scottish and Scotch-Irish roots making them the eighth largest ethnic group in the United States. These people and accomplishments that are honored on National Tartan Day, April 6th.
Should the homeland be calling you you can join the action at St. Andrews, Scotland for the 150th British Open from July 11-19. Tour operator PerryGolf is offering British Open packages that offer ways of exploring Scotland both on and off the fairways. Scotland is the home of golf and has over 550 golf courses to explore from iconic courses of St Andrews and the coastal links of Aberdeenshire (where Donald Trump is setting up shop) to the challenging fairways of Dalmahoy and Gleneagles. Click through after the jump for details on specific packages.
One of the Caribbean’s finest residential and vacation enclaves is taking shape on 483 pristine beachfront acres in Puerto Rico, at the foot of the only tropical rain forest in the U.S. National Forest System. At the vanguard of what promises to be a true Puerto Rican renaissance is the stunning Bahia Beach community with a St. Regis resort and residences as its centerpiece. Located within 25 minutes driving distance of San Juan, Bahia Beach boasts a magnificent two-mile crescent of sandy beach, a challenging 18-hole golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Jr., golf and beach clubhouses, and a charming seaside village. St. Regis Hotels & Resorts will operate the intimate St. Regis Resort, Bahía Beach, which will include an ultra-luxurious hotel and spa slated to open this fall. As any visitor to Bahia Beach can attest, its naturally perfect setting inspires dreams of permanent residence. Bahia Beach offers a number of ways to make the dream a reality, with a variety of homes including St. Regis Residences, Las Estancias estate homes, resort residences, golf and ocean view villas, and beachfront townhomes available in advance of the resort’s official opening.
The resort will feature the signature St. Regis Butler and St. Regis Concierge service, a world-class Remède Spa and Fitness Center, a 120-seat Jean-Georges Vongerichten signature restaurant as well as a 90-seat St. Regis restaurant, retail shops and beachfront pool facilities. The tropical, unspoiled splendor of Bahia Beach, located on Puerto Rico’s northeast coast at the foot of the El Yunque rain forest and bounded by two scenic rivers, can easily lead you to imagine a remote idyll, yet part of its appeal lies in the community’s convenience and accessibility. U.S. residents don’t need to bother with passports or worry about currency exchange, while the distance from New York for example is not all that much more than Miami. Once a coconut plantation, Bahía Beach is richly populated with 100-foot palms and other tropical trees, inhabited by myriad species of birds and the vivid green iguanas native to the coast. Over 65% of the property has been preserved as green areas, sanctuaries and nature trails; the Bahía Beach Resort & Golf Club is Puerto Rico’s first resort community to become a Certified Gold Audubon International Signature Sanctuary.
All residences sold within Bahía Beach include social membership in the community’s private club, providing members with special dining and recreational privileges and services. Upgrades to full golf club memberships are also available. The signature St. Regis Residences, Las Estancias, will offer 25 majestic estate homes introducing an unrivaled dimension of luxury and hospitality to Puerto Rico. Located on a private island within the Bahía community and designed in a tropical plantation architectural style on spacious lots, these residences are available in six different models with floor plans offering large verandas, three-car garages, infinity edge swimming pools and separate maid’s quarters. Homes are sized from 6,000 to 9,000 square feet and built on half acre to 1.5 acre lots with stunning ocean and golf course views. The first homes have already been delivered and one well-known major league baseball player has already taken up residence. Owners of Las Estancias will enjoy full access to St. Regis Resort amenities including the signature St. Regis Butler and St. Regis Concierge. Read on for details of the rest of the residences, and check out the gallery for stunning images.
A couple of years ago I wrote about the plans for a Moschino hotel in Milan, Italy. It was supposed to open last year but is finally ready for guests. Maison Moschino, the latest project from Stefano Ugolini of Hotelphilosophy, is a fashion fairytale. Together with the Moschino creative team and designer Rossella Jardini, Ugolini has created a whimsically chic hotel. The hotel was converted from an 1840s railway station in the heart of Milan and has 63 guestrooms and two junior suites over four floors. The rooms, with names like ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, ‘Clouds’ and ‘Sleeping in a Ballgown’ offer sweetly surreal hotel experiences.
Outside, the hotel’s neoclassical 19th century facade reveals nothing unusual but once inside guests see a Moschino lampshade dress acting as a lamp to illuminate the main entrance hall where origami clouds hang from the ceiling. Rooms feature imaginative designs, including one where silk rose petals dangle from the chandelier as if falling from the sky. In another, guests will feel as though they really are sleeping in the enormous ballgown that transitions from the headboard to the baseboard. ‘The Forest’ room, ‘Luxurious Attic’ and junior suites on the second floor are inspired by Alice in Wonderland.
The hotel’s ‘Clandestino Milano’ restaurant has decorative elements that echo the curvaceous silhouettes of the Moschino dresses. Small lights on the ceilings look like clouds and a bar light was created from a stiletto boot. The restaurant, headed by Italian chef Moreno Cedroni, serves pasta, meat, vegetarian and vegan dishes, including ‘Colourful Sushi’ creations. An unusual palate cleansing concoction of sake and mint based ‘mouthwash’ finishes the meal. For breakfast there is the ‘Mos kit’ that comes in a choice of four, six or eight combinations and is served in a shoe box-like tray. Room rates start at 270 euros.
Get ready for the onslaught, Sex And The City 2 is opening on May 28, inspiring women around the country to want to live a little bit of the lifestyle that Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte, and Samantha enjoy in New York City (the girls may be headed to Dubai but they’ll always be New Yorkers at heart). A couple of hotels are cashing in on the craze with some Sex and the City hotel deals.
Available May 28 to June 30, Apple Core Hotels’ “Sex and The Big Apple Core” package includes modern accommodations, passes to the Sex & the City Hotspots Tour, and complimentary Sex & The City DVD to brush up for the sequel! There are five Apple Core Hotels in New York City and rates for the “Sex and The Big Apple Core” package start at $215.
Hotel Gansevoort is offering a package with designer shopping discounts, nightlife, and cocktails at the rooftop pool. The package is available April 30th - September 7th, 2010 and prices start at $545 for a deluxe room and $785 for a suite. Hotel Gansevoort’s “Sex and the City 2″ package includes accommodations, valet parking, VIP passes to Provocateur at Hotel Gansevoort, PM, Cielo, Dirty Disco, Guest House, Marquee, or Pink Elephant and a copy of the Sex and the City book or DVD. The package comes with discounts at Meatpacking District neighborhood boutiques including Completely Bare, Shelly Steffee, LuLu Guinness, Constanca Basto, Darling, Cynthia Rowley, Rebecca & Drew, Massimo Bizzocchi, Constantino Café, Abingdon 12, Bond No 9, Lucy Barnes and La Cafetiere.
Take a walk around the grounds of The Grand Del Mar and you might think you’ve stepped through a wormhole to a 16th Century Mediterranean villa. Fortunately for modern spa-goers, the resort is a reality - and the Luxist Awards Readers’ Choice award winner in the best day spa category.
Founded in 2007, The Grand Del Mar and its 249 guestrooms are tucked between the rolling fairways of a Tom Fazio-designed golf course near San Diego, Calif. The resort’s 21,000-square-foot spa was created with Renaissance sensibilities in mind, from its earthy colors to is crystal glass tiles and imported white Carrera marble. Framed Hermés scarves and vintage photos of Venice adorn the walls; sauna rooms, an indoor Jacuzzi and a stone fireplace beckon.
Inside the spa’s 11 treatment rooms - including a couples’ suite - guests receive a host of natural therapies, including facials, hydrotherapy and body treatments. For the body, treatments include “Renaissance,” a bath of mineral mud and warm oil proceeded by a warm body wrap and rosemary-infused Swiss shower, topped off with a stretching massage (90 minutes: $310). All treatments at the Spa utilize The Grand Del Mar Skin and Body Care Collection, a private label of botanical and aroma therapy-based facial and body wellness products. The entire product line is handmade and organic (products are for sale exclusively at the Spa Boutique).
For the face, options include “Luminous,” a combination of a pressure-point massage and a nutrient-rich facial (90 minutes: $270), as well as “Art for Art’s Sake,” an exfoliating facial followed by a neck, shoulders, face and scalp massage done with warm oils (90 minutes: $270). Not a bad way to end the day after 18 holes.
Should you find yourself in Buenos Aires looking for a spa that caters to gentlemen, look no farther than Markus Day Spa For Men. There, you can chose from an array of treatments for face, body, hair, hands and feet - all of which have earned Markus the title of “El Primer Spa Masculino.” Markus Day Spa For Men is also the winner of the Luxist Award Readers’ Choice Award for Best Men’s Spa.
Founded in 2005, Markus was designed to create an atmosphere of harmony and tranquility. Water fountains and fish tanks abound; dim lighting and wood accents pervade the establishment. Check into the Aqua Room and relax with up to eight friends or business partners in a large marble Jacuzzi. Sip tea or champagne while receiving reflexology treatment on your feet. Enjoy the “Adore Me” treatment - three hours of bliss including a face and body scrub, tantric massage, and even a tea serving.
Markus offers more than just relaxation. With a trained medical staff on call, the spa doubles as a tranquil place to receive aesthetic medicine. Botox injections and refill are available on demand, as are peelings, hair implants and plastic surgery. Best of all, the prices are much cheaper than similar procedures stateside.
Outings to Markus can be purchased individually or in bulk. A range of corporate packages are available at discounted rates and include a combination of hair cut, shave, facial and deep tissue massage. Sorry, ladies, Markus is only for caballeros.
Best Day Spa The first nominee has 20 locations around the world, its own line of take-home products and an attitude almost as refreshing as its spa treatments while the second nominee is a luxurious spa ensconced in a sumptuous hotel located in one of the most splendid cities in the world. The third nominee is widely recognized for revolutionizing the day spa, while stepping into the fourth us reminiscent of a sixteenth century Mediterranean villa, albeit in San Diego. The final nominee offers body treatments and skincare with techniques borrowed from European and Asian tradition with sweeping views of the Hong Kong Harbor.
Best Green Spa The first nominee is a Napa Valley retreat that opened a year ago while the second, also in the California wine country takes green to a whole new level. The third nominee is in Australia, nestled in the middle of the world’s oldest living rain forest, while the fourth is located more than 500 miles off the coast of East Africa, making it one of the world’s most exclusive and secluded spas. The final nominee is located in Hawaii and is powered almost entirely by the energy soaked up by solar panels that adorn the roofs of nearly all of its structures.
Best Extended Stay Spa
The first nominee is the recipient of countless awards and accolades for its innovative approach to health, wellness and holistic and integrative care while the second offers different site-specific perks at each of its five locations. The third nominee offers all-inclusive stays that include airfare and is located in the mountains of Arizona. The fourth nominee dates back over 80 years and is located in a charming historic town 35 miles south of Santa Barbara and the final nominee is the original destination fitness resort and spa.
The first nominee offers the best of ancient Asian relaxation techniques while the second is “comfortable and stylish” and “reassuringly masculine.” The third nominee has earned the title of “El Primer Spa Masculino” in its native Buenos Aires. The fourth nominee has styled itself as a destination for a new generation of men and the final nominee, which is based in Chicago, has a distinct masculine feel to it, thanks to exposed brick walls, rich wood trim and a beer-stocked refrigerator.
The first nominee offers results-oriented programs and is located on the island of Capri in the Tyrrhenian Sea. The second nominee was built in the 17th century by Ferdinando I de’ Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany, in the Tuscan countryside while the third nominee is the only treetop spa in Polynesia. The fourth has long been a favorite retreat for Hollywood celebrities and savvy travelers alike since it originally opened in 1956. The final nominee is in Costa Rica amidst a lush rain forest setting complete with a thermal mineral river and a volcano.
Many establishments tout their low impact on the environment, but Calistoga Ranch in California takes green to a new level. Its harmony with the Upper Napa Valley’s pristine wilderness makes it an obvious choice for a nomination for a Readers’ Choice Award in Luxist’s best green spa category.
Founded in 2004, Calistoga is nestled in a secluded canyon a mere 90-minute from San Francisco by car. Set on 157 acres, the resort boasts 47 guest lodges and 27 owner lodges, all of which are designed to share the feel of a vintner’s estate. The lodges were all built to ensure that the area’s streams, lakes and ancient oak trees wouldn’t be disturbed; each lodge features floor-to-ceiling glass doors that create a seamless flow into the resort’s copious outdoor deck space.
Calistoga’s spa is adorned with warm wood and encircled by trellised walkways. Relax in soaking pools shaded by mossy oaks above and graced by a babbling brook below or head inside to receive organic treatments in a private room. Afterward, recline on deck chairs and gaze out into the expansive forest before you.
Try the spa’s “Calistoga Cure” treatment, an exfoliating salt body scrub followed by a mineral bath in your own private outdoor tub, a polarity session, and a massage. Or check out the “Soul Soother,” which begins with a yoga session in your own lodge and continues with an aromatherapy massage at the spa and ends with a lunch at the onsite Lake House restaurant - all without ever leaving your personal Napa paradise.
You can cruise the Mediterranean like Johnny Depp in the actor’s private yachtVajoliroja this summer for $130,000 a week. The classic and stylish 156-ft. craft, which Depp purchased in 2007 and had completely refitted, is modeled on the vintage lines of a 1930s tycoon’s steam yacht. Vanity Fair once described the Vajoliroja as Depp’s “floating salon, garret, and getaway”, and he sometimes stays aboard while on location. With accommodations for 10 guests and a crew of 8, it features a formal dining room, outdoor seating areas, a master suite, four guest cabins, built in walnut cabinets housing the actor’s considerable floating library, and Honduran mahogany paneling. The décor, which Depp himself had a strong hand in along with designer L.M. Pagano, is an emphatically vintage cross between an Art Deco-era Parisian bordello and the Orient Express. Of course it also features state-of-the-art entertainment and communications systems.
LVMH to Open New Luxury Hotels originally appeared on Luxist on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
One of the most interesting hotel features around are the bee hives at 
Tipping housekeepers, bellmen, 
On April 2, 2010, a brand new 
