Mmm - worth the wait [Photo by Paris by Mouth/Flickr]
After 2 years of red tape and countless hurdles, Spring has finally sprung and bon vivants in Paris are joyfully rejoicing the unveiling of American chef Daniel Rose’s beloved Spring restaurant now located in a roomier and refined locale just steps from the Louvre.
Less razzle, but lots of Andaz-zle
It’s New York week at LUXEtasy and while our previous posting on The Chatwal is all well and lovely, what of the other new hotels in New York? The good news is that you’re getting more stylish choices to lay your head all over town, including an eagerly anticipated boutique pad in Nolita, while Midtown and Times Square may be having their moment in the sun, but the bad news is, them rooms ain’t getting any cheaper, with the magic $300 line for a decent bed staying in force, and even facing upward pressure.
The Chatwal - take a bow
New York City has been awash with hotel launches this year, with more to come, but if you think more beds and more competition means lower rates, think again. One of the most anticipated, as well as most delayed openings, has been The Chatwal, a ticket stub away from Broadway and 42nd St, with entry prices nudging US$600 for a 300 sq ft chamber. Now, before you throw yourself under a yellow cab at the thought of 600 big ones for a Times Square address, read on…
Read more…
White nights at Wanderlust
Singapore’s hot right now. Not its usual year round wretchedly hot and humid, or humid and raining hot, but in-the-spotlight hot. Gone are the doldrums of 2008-2009 as the Lion City roars back as an Asian Tiger, with a slew of noteworthy celeb chef and hotel openings and the F1 Singtel Singapore Grand Prix just around the corner. Here’s our pick of the most head turning new beds for you to lay your head. Go on then, pop yourself into the lion’s jaws, you’ll be glad you did.
Chin Chin Lab's nitro ice cream - just like magic
It’s hot, you’re on holiday, darling little Apple is going into meltdown, you have a headache, you need a quick fix and there’s no kiddy valium at hand. Time to turn to one of life’s simplest pleasures – ice cream, or gelato if you’re feeling Continental, guaranteed to soothe and satisfy both young and old. From good ol’ fashioned ice cream trucks serving brand new flavours to the latest laboratories and their whiz-bang liquid nitro confections, here’s our pick of five places for a deliciously cooling tongue tango.
The LUXElife Travel Q&A
Easy, Tiger
The dapper Robert Verdi shares his impeccable tips on travel, life, style and the universe…
Who are you and what are you wearing?
Robert Verdi – TV personality, lifestyle expert and celebrity stylist, having dressed the likes of Eva Longoria and Tony Parker, Hugh Jackman, Terrence Howard, Kathy Griffin, Kristen Wiig, Joy Behar, Ana Ortiz, Sandra Bernhard, Mariska Hargitay, Bobby Flay and Jolie Fisher. I’m wearing sunglasses, always sunglasses!
Wick tease - you know you want it
The summer holiday season is upon us and fabulous London perfumer, Ormonde Jayne, has released a set of scentsational travel candles and perfumes that pass the practical hand carry and style test. Not only are they chic and highly portable, it’s also a guarantee that you’ll always smell as fresh as frangipani, or osmanthus, or jasmine, whether in Bali, Beirut or en route.
Class eco glass at Grasshopper 510
Bucktown, Chicago, it’s a solid, no nonsense name for a once gritty neighbourhood built on the backs of Eastern European immigrants, now tapped with the gentrification wand. Hipsters, yuppies and artists have moved in, century-old clapboard cottages are making way for low-rise lofts and farms have long gone, replaced by funky, out there and independent stores burning bright in the retail and design scene. The main boutique strip of Nth Damen cleaves Bucktown right down the middle, but get your walking boots on for this half-mile of women’s and home style.
FREE internet in the desert at Amangiri
As you know, dear reader, if there’s one thing we hate more than being ripped off, it’s being ripped off for life’s essentials. Rather than climbing back onto our high horse following our piece on extortionate hotel and internet charges, we’ve decided instead to shower bouquets on major hotels that do provide free internet. After all, these days, internet = oxygen, and it’s no longer a matter of being able to pay, it’s that hotels shouldn’t be charging in the first place. Kudos then, to the very few major hotel groups that don’t gouge you for getting online.
What a viewtiful world we live in
A great hotel bar is a joy to behold, and even better with your poison of choice in hand. It’s a salve for weary travellers and an escape for local denizens, all tinged with the frisson of a chance international encounter. Of course, there are any number of factors which make a hotel bar great, not least of which are the cocktails, but to really make you feel like you’re connected to the city, it’s hard to beat a knockout view and setting. So, sorry Bar Hemingway, we love you, but sometimes a gal’s gotta give a little extra, and these babies really put the oh AND the aah into panorama…
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