Yes, I have disappeared. But I am doing well as you can probably tell ;-) And I will come back with an update once one of you guesses where I was when I took the above pics.
Happy New Year!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;-)
I was recently in Northern California spending a few relaxing days with my lover at the Squaw Creek Resort in Squaw Valley (note to the blog's European readers: this is one of the most famous ski areas in the US and was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympics)
Keeping in line with the recent theme of funny hotel notes, I scanned a page from the resort's in-room dining menu where they notify their guests that ordering a cold fruit and cheese tray will require 24 hours of preparation time. Don't worry though! If you are in a real hurry I guess you could opt for the mixed nuts or potato chips that require a mere 2 hours of preparation time.
Funny thing is Squaw Creek's outdoor hot tub and pool attendant was quite fast at night. He started circling around the tub like a vulture a full 45mn before the scheduled nightly shut down. And just in case we didn't get the message, he threw a plastic cover on the snow while we were enjoying our champagne. Oh well! We decided to roll on the snow and warm up in the bedroom instead ;)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Ok, I admit it. I am generally biased in favor of small properties with a tasteful, contemporary design.
So on a recent visit to Barcelona, a city that's quickly becoming a personal favorite, I decided to skip the 500 room, Ritz-Carlton owned, Hotel Arts. Or the brand new, 5-star Hesperia Tower where I attended a business lunch. Hesperia has an impressive lobby but is located next to what looks like a bunch of low income housing projects, is not within walking distance to anything of interest and has dull views despite its 107 meter height. And why on earth did they decide to install those ridiculous touch-screen software widgets controlling the elevators? (apparently walking to just any elevator is not good enough) Oh well, at least they are not running Windows, and you don't need to accept any end user license agreements before using the elevator.
I decided to explore the much smaller, and a lot more hip, Hotel Omm. My room was spacious and bright, with beautiful lighting and free wifi. Sure there were design and service glitches. Like the fact the bathroom sink & tub were on opposite sides of the room from the toilet and bidet. And the simple pasta dish I requested never made it to my room (someone must have been hungrier than me). But I forgive them. Mostly because the restaurant Moo downstairs was exceptionally decadent the following night, even without the chef's culinary recreation of perfumes (my lover and I had a desert inspired by Christian Dior's Poison.)
I was also impressed by some other details and decor at Moo. For example, every table had a unique modernist sculpture. We happened to be rather appropriately seated on a table with a sculpture of a naked female form ;) And every dish in our five course meal came on a different, brilliantly designed plate, with art deco-like interpretations of the restaurant's logo. Supposedly there are about 40 unique designs and they are all from different artists.
The rooftop area seems like it would be a happening place during the summer, and features a beautiful bar and a tiny pool facing the lunar landscape of Gaudi's Casa Milà roof. I am sure to go back. Probably during Sonar in June.
I attached on my travel album some pictures I took of Gaudi's Casa Batlló, a couple of blocks from the hotel.
Feel free to share your favorite Barcelona spots by leaving a comment below.
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Hotel Omm
Rossello 265
08008 Barcelona
Tel: +34 (934) 454-000
Fax: +34 (934) 454-004
During a recent visit to Paris I stayed at the "Murano Urban Resort", a trendy and pretentious hotel in the Marais.
I found the printed notes accompanying bathrobes, umbrellas and towels particularly amusing:
Here's what they are really trying to say:
Dear customer,
We are the coolest hotel on the planet. We know you want to steal our stuff and take it home as a "Souvenir", but don't even try. And don't bother asking us the price. If you ask, you probably can't afford it anyway.
Thank you for your understanding,
The coolest hotel in the world
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Tower 23: a young, hip hotel in San Diego
I admit my expectations were not that high. We are talking about San Diego after all :) But in all honesty, I was impressed. Besides, Miami was out of the question as a choice for a quick getaway since the hurricane season lasted longer than usual this year.
Tower 23 is a simple, elegant and happening hotel with a clean, minimalistic design right by the beach. I stayed at their "Surf Pad" room during a relaxing recent visit to Southern California.
I will be uploading some pictures in the next couple of days, until then enjoy the 52sec video!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Many readers emailed me to ask the exact location of the wildlife preserve I mentioned in my previous post Lara Goes Safari. The location is called Safari West and consists of 400 acres of land in the heart of California's wine country.
Visitors are taken on a 2 1/2 hour tour by knowledgeable rangers on an authentic safari vehicle surrounded by antelopes, zebras and close to 400 other exotic mammals and birds (mostly from Africa). For the more adventurous types among you, the property offers overnight lodging in "luxury tent cabins". I spent the night in one of them and was quite impressed. The tent was almost the size (and height) of a typical hotel room, had hardwood floors, heated blankets and was equipped with a private bathroom and a primitive but functional shower. Make no mistake though, it's still a tent, but that's precisely why it's fun! Nighttime is very quiet and you wake up in the morning with a view of nearby giraffes (make sure to ask for a tent with a clear view of the giraffes)
If you are planning for a one-night romantic getaway, I would advice you to go during the week (or off-season) for more privacy, particularly during the night ;)
Safari west is located near Santa Rosa, CA about an hour and a half north of San Francisco. Nearest (large) commercial airport would be SFO, but you can land private planes in nearby Novato (Gnoss Field can accommodate jets) and Sonoma County airport.
Link to my Safari video Podcast file
Safari West Wildlife Preserve and Tent Camp
3115 Porter Creek Rd
Santa Rosa, CA
Tel: +1 (707) 579-2551
www.safariwest.com
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Continuing my summer exploration of NYC boutique hotels, I recently booked a room at Hotel Gansevoort in
I left disappointed and I’ll admit my expectations were not that high to begin with. Sure, there is a small pool on the rooftop with a nice view from certain angles, but it’s badly designed and quite noisy. The noise originates from the AC exhaust that’s configured to face the pool and is located several feet above the pool level (you got to love those engineers!)
To be fair, the sounds of children splashing each other masked the AC exhaust sound during my stay. Not sure if this made things better or worst… I noticed you were less likely to encounter children in the mornings and early afternoons, as well as after 6pm or so.
My room had a nice view of the water and was ok in terms of size (definitely larger than the one I had at 60 Thompson). However, the configuration of the space seemed a little odd and the décor was a bit too austere for my taste. The foam pillows and low quality mattress didn't help to enhance my image of the hotel...
The bathroom was nothing special either, although the sink had a somewhat interesting cylindrical design (someone needs to ban the use of fluorescent lights in bathrooms btw)
There were three different types of $8 bottles of water by the bed. At $500+ per night, I found placing non-complimentary bottles of water by the bed somewhat irritating.
There was a complimentary breakfast offered by the hotel downstairs and I took advantage of it. But the waiter completely ignored us. I understand breakfast was buffet style but how about the drinks and orange juice??? And you can buy better chocolate croissants at Safeway.
I was planning to go back and stay at one of their larger suites but I am not sure I want to! On the positive side, I experienced a certain kind of guilty pleasure lounging by the pool in a boiling hot NYC…
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
It's nothing too fancy, but feels like a home away from home. The pics are from the corner suite. Some art on the wall and a better hairdryer would have made me absolutely happy... That and a pop-star early warning system :)
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Last Thursday I was staying at Bryant Park, my favorite boutique NYC hotel. I had a beautiful suite on one of the top floors of the hotel and fell asleep after a late night out and a nice hot bubble bath. Unfortunately I was woken up by dozens of noisy Jessica Simpson teenage fans at 7am the next morning! Turns out she was having a concert at the park across the street for Good morning America and was staying at the suite right below me.
I wonder if the phone call I received in the middle of the night and the door bell ringing by some kids on Thursday evening was by overenthusiastic fans...
I took some pictures of the suite and will try to upload them in the next day or two.
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Emily, my Scandinavian friend who I see about once a month, came to NYC the other day for a photo shoot. I picked her up from JFK and we joined my former lover, a young British playboy, for lunch at Café des Artistes while enjoying the Howard Chandler Christy murals of playful naked nymphs.
Emily and I stayed at 60 Thompson, a trendy Soho hotel that is somewhat overrated but has a happening rooftop lounge (as long as you remember to avoid the Saturday night bridge and tunnel crowd)
I managed to take a couple of pictures for the blog.
Surprisingly, we were well behaved this time around. There was no iPod scandal and no flirting with men from the hotel staff ;) Let me scratch that, we were well behaved until a morning conference call I completely forgot about. I ended spicing things up by using the mute function every now and then while focusing my attention on Emily... It gives the word "multitasking" a whole new meaning. And makes conference calls a lot more fun!
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
Café des Artistes
1 West 67th St (near Central Park West)
(212) 877-3500
I have been on travel and should resume my regular posting schedule tomorrow. Until then, I wanted to share a great post by Jet Set Blog contributor BofP that I believe speaks for a lot of us. I hope it makes its way to the Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton management. - Lara
Of the 194 separate properties on Travel+Leisure’s list of top US hotels, two familiar names crop up again and again – Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons. A full 20% of these hotels fly either the Ritz-Carlton or Four Seasons flag, and one of them, in Chicago, actually flies both, as a Ritz property managed by the Four Seasons company. Clearly, these high-end chains must be doing something right … right?
But I come to bury Ritz and FourSeasons, not to praise them. I have a recurring nightmare. In it, I wake up in a hotel room. The bed is perfect with four down pillows, 400 thread count linens, and a 2000 coil pillow top mattress. The clock radio is blaring classical music having been left on as some sort of primitive turf marking by the housekeeping staff. Oh – there is the green/gold bedspread rolled up behind the pale yellow armchair, along with the two overstuffed decorative pillows that will be placed back on the bed when it is made up. Ah yes, there are the faux-tique writing desk and armoire. Rubbing my eyes, I trudge to the bathroom – as I thought – green/brown marble with gold colored fixtures with Federalist era flourishes, a toilet stuffed in its own separate closet, and a glass shower stall with 2 ½ walls of the same marble and lemon verbena amenities by L’Occitane. At this point, I scream “Where am I?”
Continue reading "The Unbearable Sameness of the Four Seasons" »
BofP is an experienced world traveler with a taste for luxury hotels and expensive women. We know each other in the virtual realm and he emailed the following entry to Jet Set Blog based on recent comments he made on another site:
First let me establish that the perfect hotel suite obviously has a gorgeous, naked woman (or man if you prefer) on the bed with lust in her eyes, and it's located in some impossibly perfect location - Big Sur, Lake Como, Tahiti, what ever. I'm going to concern myself with the room itself.
The perfect hotel suite has the following general features:
- is unusually large, with separate sleeping and lounging areas; has enough room for two massage tables to fit comfortably ;)
- is distinctively decorated in keeping with its location, but trending toward contemporary design (I hate the faux antiques look of the Four Seasons and Ritz hotels; the rooms at the Four Seasons in San Francisco are exactly the same as the ones in Vegas)
- has floor to ceiling windows that look out on something scenic and interesting
- electric window treatments, controllable from bed and near door, including translucent shade for sunny days and blackout drapes for total darkness at night.
- has a sunny outdoor space with room for two chaise lounges shielded from prying eyes...
- well insulated walls and windows able to block out all outside noise.
- The thermostat must be accurate and responsive offering fine control of heating and AC through out the suite
- Wireless internet should be free, with a strong signal in all locations of the suite
- excellent cellular signal in all parts of the suite
Perfect bed and bedroom:
- Features a true king-size bed (none of those European twins-pushed-together arrangements)
- The bed has a densely coiled, pillow top mattress and the top is roughly 3 feet off the ground.
- The sheets are 600+ thread count Egyptian, Pima or Sea Island cotton.
- There are at least 6 large down and feather pillows, at least two of which are of significant heft, with cases as luxurious as the sheets
- There is a mid-weight Duvet with a crisp white cover
- The lighting is all on dimmers controlled on both sides of the bed, with separate overhead and reading lamps. All lighting in the suite should turn off with switches at the bed
- Electric outlets should be plentiful, easily accessed from desk, bedside table, sitting room couch, bathroom, and should not turn off when the lights are turned off
- Bedside tables should be large with phones and clocks on both sides of the bed. The alarm should always be turned off when the guest checks in - no surprise 6:00AM wake up left by the previous guest. It should have an extra large digital display and easily understood knobs for setting time and alarm.
- the bedroom TV should be large enough to be clearly viewed from the bed and should be mounted high enough to view when lying down. There should be a full roster of cable channels for free. There should also be a DVD player, and a good stereo with a selection of DVDs and CDs in the room.
- Please... NO infrequently cleaned floral print polyester bedspread
- large bottles of still water provided on both sides of bed, refreshed each night
I’ve mentioned in the past that I find San Francisco hotels extremely disappointing. So you can imagine my excitement when I stayed at the newly opened (March 2005) Hotel Vitale overlooking the San Francisco bay.
Sure, the hotel’s exterior was a bit generic, but it’s not particularly noticeable from the waterfront anyway (maybe because it is so unremarkable!)
I made reservations for a friend and checked-in early for a room inspection. First thing I noticed was the young, sexy and friendly staff at the front desk (I hope the guy is not gay, maybe I should ask him out on a date sometime.) The lobby was spacious, in contrast to the beautiful but somewhat claustrophobic lobby at the Palomar, and the bar was buzzing with young professionals on a Friday afternoon.
After pressing a Gattaca-style elevator button, I headed upstairs. The corridors in front of the elevators were about 2-3 times the size of your average hotel corridor. The décor had a general “leaf” theme. Not sure it works with the hotel’s sterile exterior, but maybe it’s meant to establish some sort of balance.
I entered the room and was immediately seduced by the view. I took the picture on the left. Turns out my partner and I put quite a show the next morning right at that window, in plain sight of the pedestrians and the farmer’s market below. I remember getting out of the large, rainfall-style shower before putting on the velvety soft Hotel Vitale bath robe. If only there were side jets or dual shower heads it would have been perfect! I walked to join my partner who was enjoying the view by the window and next thing I knew we were both standing naked… Within a few minutes people on the street started to notice. I am not an exhibitionist but I'll readily admit I sometimes enjoy to tease. Nevertheless, I was a bit nervous because this hotel has only 8 floors. Imagine how scared I got when someone knocked on our door! It turned out to be someone from the hotel staff asking if we had anything from the mini-bar. He was polite, but I found it a bit annoying.
The hotel had a SONY dream machine and a decent selection of trendy CD's. The TV control for the flat panel TV was not working. Not sure why. I didn't care much for the bath products. Some of them, including the soap, had a lemon scent. Maybe it's just me, but lemon scented soap reminds me of dishwasher liquid! The conditioner was a bit too light for anyone that has to deal with long hair. But who cares? I carry my own conditioner anyway. The bathroom was spacious and beautiful.
Later in the day, my partner and I went to the Farmer’s market across the street, the best by far in San Francisco. Make sure to go if you ever find yourself in San Francisco on a Saturday morning, particularly in the summer. The fruits they have are simply amazing, the merchants are friendly and most of them will let you sample everything from delicious nectarines to juicy tomatoes… We then walked around the renovated Ferry building and had some great Kumamoto oysters at the Hog Island Oyster Company
BTW, a great place to go for lunch or dinner to enjoy some Vietnamese fusion cuisine is the Slanted Door restaurant right at the Ferry building.
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
The hotel I mentioned in last week's post, where "Max" from the hotel staff come to our room only to find Emily and I naked, was the Tribeca Grand.
In fact, the picture above was taken using Emily's cell phone and some of you may recognize the typical Tribeca landscape in the background. I was relaxing in bed (naked of course) but you can't really see much of me :)
Although the Bose iPod station was a great surprise, I was not pleased with the hotel in general. For example, there were about three tall men in suits and FBI-style earpieces at the door but they seemed to have trouble noticing arriving guests or send someone towards the limo/cab to help with luggage. I don't get it, isn't looking for arriving guests supposed to be their primary function? On the plus side, I was offered a glass of champagne during check in at the front desk.
Rooms were on the small side compared to my experience at Bryant Park and plugs were hard to find. The hotel markets a gold fish as a "surrogate pet to keep you company during your stay", but they forgot to bring one to the room even when I called in advance to specifically request it.
The lounge on the ground floor was busy and happening but I didn't care too much for the crowd. It was also way too dark at night. When Emily and I ordered something for dinner we could barely see what was on our plates...
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't a bad place. But there is a lot of room for improvement and NYC is a competitive market...
Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure ;)
I admit I was a bit skeptical before booking a suite at the Bryant Park Hotel. Of all the boutique hotels out there, they probably have the most annoying web site. The site is trying too hard to convey a hip image using full page flash animations, dark background, music, comic strip style images and other gimmicks...
The hardwood floors made me feel at home. There were a few glitches, for example the blinds were cheap and some of them were not working. But the friendly staff, large windows and views of Bryant Park made me want to come back. The lounge/bar on the ground floor was a happening spot but I didn't get the chance to stop for a drink. 
The NYC Public Library is around the corner. The rooftop garden Bryant Park Cafe is across the street for a quick snack. The park also has free wi-fi and several tables and chairs, so you can leave the hotel and work outside! In fact, I wrote most of this blog entry there :)Jet Set Lara, exploring the Science of Pleasure (TM) ;)
Once in a while I find myself in unusual or strange situations… Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction!
I was staying at a (supposedly) trendy NYC hotel the other day, sharing the bed with Emily, a friend from Scandinavia who works as a model in London.
There is a romantic component to our relationship but we only get to see each other about once a month. As you can imagine, our encounters are quite passionate and we tend to stay naked in the room…
The hotel’s CD selection was awful, elevator music meets soft porn soundtrack. I wanted to use my iPod but lacked a base station or appropriate cable to connect to the room’s Bose entertainment system.
My partner suggested I call the front desk. To my surprise, the hotel had Bose iPod stations for use by the hotel’s guests.
Within five minutes someone knocked on our door. I joked I was going to open the door naked. My partner went “Yeah, right!”
Well, I was in a playful mood that evening and much to my own surprise I did exactly what I said I was going to do...
The following is the conversation that ensued between the hotel employee (let’s call him Max), Emily and me, as best as I can recollect it.
The following entry is from guest Jet Set Blog contributor Sigmund Fuller.
I have been travelling further than usual. In the last six months I went around the world three times, and around Asia a few more. The around the world itineraries were:
1. Asia / Dubai, UAE / Barcelona, Spain / Jalisco, Mexico / Asia
2. Asia / Paris, France / Oslo, Norway / London, UK / Vancouver, CA / Asia
3. Asia / Moscow, Russia / Montreal, Canada / New York, USA / Asia
I also did several tours of north Asia and southeast Asia. I visited Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Singapore, China, Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and the Maldives. More on those trips later.
Some people have asked me for some opinions on travel. Basically, I'm a fan of teleportation. Airplanes suck. Private jets are much better than commercial flight (in large part due to the lack of airport queuing), but the logistics of managing them is a pain, and I am entrepreneurial enough that the price premium bothers me. A lot.
Outsourcing private aircraft logistics, or using fractional shares sounds good in principle, but my several active lawsuits in those areas show that not everything always goes smoothly.
First-class travel is actually improving in many ways, but I have to say that service in the first class cabin doesn't seem as good now as it used to. Perhaps I am jaded. But recently I have tried most all the top-rated airlines' first class long-haul cabins: Singapore, Cathay Pacific, British Air, Air France, Emirates without a big impression left on me.
Um, cancel that. There were two things that were impressive.
Continue reading "Sigmund Fuller: 'Round the World 60 Days " »
Admittedly, I am a little spoiled when it comes to hotels. I am accustomed to late checkouts, luxury bath products, slippers by the side of the bed, high thread count cotton sheets, rapid dry cleaning & pressing services, and little perks that vary from hotel to hotel: fresh fruit in the rooms (Lanesborough/London), afternoon tea and cookies upon arrival (Bel-Air/LA), de Granvelle dark Belgian chocolates (Trump Intl/NYC), etc
A lot of people are surprised to learn that Parisian hotels are generally disappointing. Sure, you could go for the Champs-Elysees experience (like the Four Seasons-managed Georges V) but why would you want to? You would have more fun at the Montalembert anyway.
South Beach is clearly becoming more competitive this year with the opening of several new or renovated hotels targeting the luxury traveler. I decided to skip the Setai and try the more hip and equally new Hotel Victor. I stayed at the hotel shortly after the controversial P. Diddy opening party that featured penguins in the hotel's pool.
The following was sent to me by Elle, a reader who is a Washington, DC-based companion. I loved it and I am publicly sharing it here with her permission:
"The thing I absolutely cannot stand is a luxury hotel that doesn't have WiFi. In quaint European cities, I might forgive the offence, but in Northern California it's absolutely unforgivable. I'm at the Ritz Carlton in Half Moon Bay, and after three days without WiFi I'm absolutely livid. I'm chained to the desk in the hotel room while there's all this beauty going on outside. It's a gorgeous day, and I'd much rather be outside working than inside working.
You see, the modern Courtesan has to work. We can't lie around all day playing the lute and reciting poetry. That's for the evenings. While the men are at work, we work. It's terribly unfeminist to not have at least as high-powered job as your clients do. But, lack of WiFi makes the modern Courtesan's job impossible, or at least much less pleasant, and pleasure is the whole point of it. What's a girl to do?"
Thanks Elle!
And for the readers who might not be as tech-savvy, or for those of you living in countries where wireless internet access is popular using other standards like 3G, WiFi is a local area network that uses high frequency radio signals to transmit and receive data over distances of a few hundred feet via the ethernet protocol. Translation: browse the web from the airport lounge, or while relaxing at the pool... Now, if they could only invent something for that glare on the laptop's screen!
US readers may already be familiar with the quiet and beautiful
Mendocino coast. There is something magical about it, particularly when
you consider that it is within a three hour drive from San Francisco.
The coast alternates between dramatic cliffs, streams and pristine
beaches (but don't even think about swimming, the water is absolutely
freezing!) It is not unusual to observe seals lounging on the sand in
some areas.
One of the great things about the Mendocino coast is that there is virtually no cell coverage. You can truly escape. No beeps, polyphonic ring tones or BlackBerry vibrations. As far as accommodations go, one place is worth special mention: the Heritage House Inn. The place is small and intimate with several small cottages spread over the property (no phones or TVs either!). It also has a good restaurant with a great wine selection.
Some of the suites have an ocean-view
jacuzzi. The tiny seaside town of Mendocino
is nearby and offers what appears to be like a trip to another era. One
thing to keep in mind is it gets cold at night, even during the summer,
but hey, that's one more reason to hug your SO all night and use the
fireplace!
Would you like to share your romantic getaway? Send me an email or post a comment!
Heritage House Inn
5200 North Highway One
Little River, CA 95456
Toll Free: 800-235-5885
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog (please email me if you want to add a comment):
From: (Anonymous)
Date: November 15th, 2004 - 09:42 pm
another wonderful close to SF area
Is pretty much all of western Marin- heading up the coast just outside of Mill Valley on the way to Stinson Beach is Mountain Inn- a great close by getaway with wonderful atmosphere and views. Onto Muir Beach is The Pelican Inn- informal pub like place, a nice spot for lunch, or make a side trip to the signless town of Bolinas (make a left at the colorful mailbox just past the lagoon on the left) heading north past Muir Beach and Stinson beach and on towards Pt Reyes is the town of Inverness with a wonderful restaurant and Inn called Mankas- a very unique restored '20s hunting lodge- most if not all of the food comes from within 20 miles of the restaurant. Try the Sean Thackery wines which sometimes are not on the list but usually available- the "Orion" blend is my favorite. Inland from here about 15 miles is Rancho Nicasio- a great rustic watering hole/ music venue, back along the coast and farther north you have Hod Island Oyster farm, a great place for a picnic, then onto the town of Tomales with a great bakery/ cafe, or Dillon Beach to the west.
From: (Anonymous)
Date: November 6th, 2004 - 09:26 pm
hotel in Dublin
Hi Lara
Just came back from a trip to Dublin where I stayed in a lovely hotel called Morrison (www.morrisonhotel.ie), the penthouse is great has a great view and the restaurant Halo is wonderful. Loved the design and the decoration of the hotel. As I understand you like nice hotels I thought I should share this one with you, unless you already know it.
A bientôt
Val
From: Jet Set Lara;
Date: November 8th, 2004 - 08:49 am
Re: hotel in Dublin
Hi Val,
Thanks for the tip. The Morrison looks wonderful, especially the penthouse. I haven't been to Ireland yet, although it's on my list of places to visit. The hotel web site has a link to a calendar of major local events in Dublin.
Lara
As we have all noticed during this election campaign, perception of security can serve as an effective marketing tool. I recently learned that Hotel Bel Air in LA, a location routinely hosting VIPs, installed a network of more than 100 cameras on the 12-acre property's periphery to guard against "intruders and paparazzi". I'm ok with it as long as they don't end up installing a camera in my bedroom:)
I am willing to bet the most likely and frequent intrusion is through (surprise!) the front door.
Pure social engineering by elegantly dressed ladies and gentlemen
hoping to enjoy the beautiful pool with its fresh fruit buffet and
celebrity eye candy, rather than criminals practicing acrobatics to
climb over the fence!
By the way, if you get the chance to visit the hotel, try to attend one of the signature winemaker's dinners with cuisine by Executive Chef Douglas Dodd. The following is the calendar of events courtesy of Mariani's newsletter:
Nov. 8: Tenute Sette Ponti with Dr. Antonio Moretti;
Nov. 11: Sterling Winery Wine and Cheese Dinner with Ron Lilly, Cellar Master;
Nov. 18: Cain Vineyards, with Chris Howell;
Dec. 2: Dom Perignon
Make sure to call in advance (310) 909-1602 for reservations ($125 per person)
After publicly revealing my disappointment about San Francisco hotels, I received an email from a reader asking me about New York. It shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that luxury hotels in NYC are overpriced. After all, demand is high and real estate is precious. However, the bad news is that even in 5-star hotels, there seems a fair amount of variability in the quality of service. This is not a problem if the hotel management knows you well; you'll be treated like royalty. But the rest of us have to take our chances...
I haven't yet stayed at the less than a year old Mandarin Oriental at the Time Warner Center. The hotel is between the 35th and 54th floors. It is pricey and the rooms tend to be on the small side, so I'd recommend a suite. Another thing to be careful about: many of the rooms have their view of Central Park partially obstructed by the Trump Tower across the street. And speaking of the Trump: for some mysterious reason it has small bathrooms (at least that's been my experience).
By the way, even if you don't stay at the Mandarin, make sure to dine at Per Se (by Thomas Keller of French Laundry), that's located inside the Time Warner Center.
I'll come back to the subject of classic NYC hotels in more detail at a later post. For a more fun and hip hotel experience, I also refer friends to the Soho Grand Hotel. The penthouse lofts look especially good; if anyone has tried them please email me privately or post a comment.
At the risk of sounding like a snob, I'll publicly declare that San Francisco hotels suck. I'm relatively easy going, maybe due to my immigrant background, but it's hard not to engage in comparisons with other cities.
No matter how you slice it, San Francisco, this beautiful city with a healthy tourism industry and an enviable business environment, suffers from a lack of good hotels. I am always embarrassed when friends from out of town ask me where to stay, because there are no good choices for the traveler who's been exposed to 5-star accommodations in LA, Chicago, etc (and if you've been spoiled in Asia, forget it!)
Sure, the Mandarin Oriental has amazing views, almost to the point where you feel like you're on a cloud, but it's old and rather sterile. And on Market St., the Four Seasons lacks imagination, although on the plus side, you have access to the Sports Club LA downstairs. The small boutique hotels are decent, but nothing to rave about. In fact, I was recently staying with my partner at a downtown hotel suite of some boutique hotel for several days. At the end of our stay, he called the front desk to request a late check-out (something that would have been considered no big deal at most decent hotels). To our surprise, they refused our request!
I might as well take advantage of this post and ask if anyone knows what happened to the Sherman House on Green Street. Is it gone? I had heard so many good things about it!
There are several beautiful hotels in LA and perhaps more importantly, they seem to be staffed by a number of very attractive young men and women (usually aspiring actors). Yet for some reason, I only seem to get the motherly-looking ladies coming for room service. Very frustrating. I wonder if they have a hidden bisexuality detector at the front desk... The pool is a different story, because I usually get a number of attractive and attentive guys bringing wine, towels, newspapers, etc so no complaints there:)
There is also this other thing that almost inevitably happens in LA. Whenever you have an exceptional and romantic suite, instead of enjoying a private dinner, the jacuzzi, etc you end up spending most of the weekend in some gorgeous (but crowded) house up in the hills or Malibu. And usually you don't even know the owners. Well, maybe I am exaggerating a little;)
Hotel Bel Air (my favorite)
Beverly Hills Hotel (a distant second)
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog:
From: (Anonymous) Date: November 13th, 2004 - 09:45 am
No exaggeration
I lived in Malibu for a while and if you knew 30% of the guests in your line of sight, you were a true power networker.
Another hotel I'd mention where you can certainly escape would be the Peninsula. Nothing like that Hong Kong style service.
Secondly, and more in my price range, which I assume falls below that of your clients, would be the Sunset Marquis. A short walk from all the action of Sunset, but cleverly hidden amongst an intercity grove of green just below the action.
-Greg (again)
P.S. I'm loving your blog. Don't think of this rash of posts as anything more than a friendly smile and a silent, knowing clink of two champagne glasses.
From: Jet Set Lara; Date: November 13th, 2004 - 11:22 am
You are right Greg, I have heard great things about the Marquis although I haven't tried it yet. I believe it was closed for almost a year for renovation (well, not completely closed but you wouldn't want to be there with all the construction noise!)
I know it's probably not very original, but I admit it, I have an Asia fetish.
Something about the culture, history, the people, architecture and food (sushi being one of my favorites). I can't really remember where or when my fascination started, but unfortunately I don't get to experience the continent as much as I would like to.
Anyway, I was recently reading (on the Wall St Journal of all places) about the Japanese ryokan (traditional inns) that are starting to be a little more open to foreigners nowadays. Some of them even added an English-speaking person or two to help foreign guests navigate the sometimes odd customs. There is a whole communal bath protocol for example.
I was already somewhat familiar with a couple of ryokan in northern Japanese hot springs, but an excellent place to learn everything you need to know is the web site of Jeff Aasgaard, Japanese Guest Houses.
As always, feel free to share your personal experiences by leaving me a comment. I really appreciate it, as do the rest of the readers of the site.
It has been a while since my last visit to Paris. And I miss it alot,
even if most Americans love to bitch about how rude the French are,
blah blah. I never really had a problem there, but then again, I am not
what most people would consider an American (wasn't even born in the
States!)
Anyway, I was reading on the New York Times about this relatively new (at least new to me!) hotel on the Marais, the Murano (the "Murano Urban Resort" to be precise and pretentious). It's this ultra sleek, relatively small hotel where entry to the rooms is through biometric imaging and the interior is dominated by shades of white.
If any of you have been there, I'd love to hear about your experiences.
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog (please email me if you want to add a comment):
From: (Anonymous)
Date: September 17th, 2004 - 09:38 am
Murano
The Murano is a fun place to visit. It was built on the site of a
former garage, transformed into what is probably Paris' only serious
boutique hotel. I'm not so sure about the "bio-metric" room entrance,
but their bar, and restaurant (chef from Sketch) is very happening
lately, and getting a lot of reviews. It's probably too pricey for the
service offered (mediocre), but it is a hot place...
Speaking of the Mediterranean (see post below), a new jewel is opening this spring in Corsica. Located near the bay of Porto Vecchio in the south-eastern part of the island, Casa Del Mar is a contemporary, yet discreet boutique resort.
It is 25km (16 miles) from the Figari-Sur-Corse international airport, benefits from a private beach, stunning views of the sea and the dramatic cliffs of Corsica's mountain.
Imported comments from my old livejournal blog:
I looks wonderful. I suppose that's just how Corsica is. I would like to have seen the hotel in its setting to know just how remote it truely is. If it has an isolated feel to it, and those great views, then it is worth the money. If it's on a Waikiki stretch of hotels then definately not.
I'd love to do a photo shoot there sometime. Wonderful colors and geography! photographer |
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One of the advantages of living in the Bay Area is the proximity to several locations of great natural beauty. Lake Tahoe, the pacific coastline along Highway 1, Big Sur, etc
There are also some real treats when it comes to hospitality. Auberge du Soleil in Napa Valley is probably number one on that list. This private, romantic and serene boutique hotel is also widely recognized as one of the best restaurants in California.
Speaking of restaurants, some excellent choices in San Francisco include La Folie and House of NanKing. I've also heard very good things about Gary Danko, although I haven't been there yet. The chef, Gary Danko, started attracting national attention in the mid 90s while at the Ritz Carlton dining room in San Francisco.
Another convenient escape from the Bay Area is the Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, although it's a bit too massive and does not really fit the understated elegance of Northern California beauty.
Anyway, I could go on and on, but can always add places on a later post. Feel free to post your own suggestions too!
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