In a contemporary atmosphere, chef Max Wittawat serves meals that are both elegant and rustic.

Slate-colored bowl with grilled chicken slices and dipping sauce is accompanied by other items.

In the manner of Thai street sellers, chicken is roasted over charcoal at Bangkok Supper Club.

For thirteen years, Max Wittawat worked as the pastry chef at Spot Dessert Bar. Occasionally, you may detect the influence of his previous work in the Thai cuisine he currently prepares at Bangkok Supper Club, a recently opened restaurant in the West Village.

His ceviche of scallops is really a dessert, or the start of one. A pink mound of watermelon granita with tiny cubes of fresh watermelon and slivers of mint leaves in it is buried with pieces of scallop. A flash of spicy red chilies and other flavors—garlic, fish sauce, and pickled watermelon rind—that aren’t often found in sweets are detected when the ice crystals melt.

Photo: Evan Sung

Less visibly, Mr. Wittawat’s heritage is also evident. He treats rice as though it were dough, bringing forth a range of textures from airily crisp to soothingly chewy. Comes with sticky rice shaped like a burger patty and gently grilled like one, along with chicken roasted over charcoal in the vein of a street seller in Bangkok. You may break out lumps of the rice cake to chew on during the moments between bits of chicken fragrant with lemongrass and to dip into the liquids left behind on the dish, but its flavor is limited to soy and char.

The culinary manager, Max Wittawat, spent many years working as a pastry chef.

Fish sauce, garlic, and other Thai spices are combined with raw scallops and watermelon granita.

An additional sticky rice disk receives an entirely different treatment. It is as interesting as it is difficult to place. Flattened like a pupusa and griddled to a dark gold, it tastes nutty and peppery with crunchy surfaces and a murmur of Sichuan peppercorn. Although it could overshadow an exquisitely designed lobster arrangement, the rice cake is intended to serve as its backdrop.

Photo: Evan Sung

Subtle pieces of fried pig jowl are served with the jasmine rice that he steams. It’s smooth with hog fat and has a great clumpiness, assuming that’s not a pun. It’s satiny and fluffy, but yet sufficiently starchy to keep everything together and adhere to the crispy pig cracklings and golden fried garlic flakes sprinkled on top.

Mr. Wittawat uses a fairly standard method of frying rice paper to create airy white puffs. He then dusts them with a powder made of toasted rice, galangal, and lemongrass, which gives them the texture and flavor of a flatbread, perhaps a hotter version of carta di musica. These crackers may be used to spread a visually appealing version of goi, a northeastern Thai salad made with raw beef from the Lao people. The beef is seasoned with mint, culantro, aromatic makrut lime leaf threads, and enough dried chilies, chopped like tartare, to make it the spiciest dish on a menu that often leans toward the mild side.

Pork jowl slices, with their light inside and glossy, golden outside, are arranged in a metal bowl with additional garnishes such as a lime wedge.

Above puffy cracklings and jasmine rice sticky with pig grease is fried pork jowl.

Mr. Wittawat owns Bangkok Supper Club alongside Chat Suansilphong and Jennifer Saesue, who own Fish Cheeks, another Thai restaurant in NoHo. Fish Cheeks offers home-style, traditional Thai cuisine that has been thoughtfully selected and modified for a New York-based clientele.

Bangkok Supper Club’s cuisine by Mr. Wittawat is more sophisticated but also more casual. He arranges his dishes with a focus on color and contrast, then garnishes them with tiny herb leaves, flower petals, and garlic chips. In addition, a lot of the cuisine is influenced by street food, with the charcoal grill serving as the main focal point of a meal. Given that the proprietors are still waiting for a functioning gas line two months after the business opened, it’s likely much more dominant today than it was intended to be.

Yum khai dao is a salad that has fried duck eggs broken up and scattered throughout it.

There are patrons in a dining area, and behind them are bartenders at work.

Booths in the shape of horseshoes line the eating area.

Photo: Evan Sung

The appetizer of octopus has a delicacy and softness that could only be achieved by slow simmering. The classic nam jim sauce’s pickled garlic and fresh chilies give it a vibrant taste. However, the crispy edges and outside flavor are attributed to charcoal, paying homage to the seafood grills that emit smoke along Yaowarat Road in Bangkok’s Chinatown.

After cooking eggplant over charcoal until it collapses, a delicious and salty fermented soybean sauce is applied. Two luscious prawns are scented with smoke from the grill and served with a curry cashew sauce that is considerably more flavorful and intricate than the peanut butter-based satay sauce found at a thousand local Thai restaurants. (Ms. Saesue cannot use peanuts in the kitchen due to her allergy.)

Bangkok Supper Club has grilled salads, too. The green beans and pea pods are blistered over charcoal and served over a bed of creamed tofu, which balances the tangy dressing made primarily of chile oil and garlic.

With a dish of massaman curry, white rice is served.

A stew made of tender beef cheeks is called massaman curry.

Not everything, of course, tastes like it was prepared on a street corner in Bangkok. Especially the curries, which are obviously prepared with care by someone in an indoor kitchen. There’s something almost feral hiding behind the creamy coconut cream and spicy Indian spices of the massaman curry, giving it a wilder edge than typical. This variation, which is made using spoon-cut beef cheeks, could be my favorite in the city.

However, food might appear disoriented if it strayed too far from the grill. The lobster, while attractive on Instagram, didn’t have much to say about itself.

The rest of the restaurant reflects this as well, from the lighting cooking counter in the rear where Mr. Wittawat and his team work to the deep, horseshoe-shaped booths along the sides to the logo flashing in red neon light in the window on Hudson Street after hours.

Photo: Evan Sung

No restaurant in the world has any of the golden headdresses or other props from “The King and I” that are meant to symbolize Thai culture. Ms. Saesue and Mr. Suansilphong have created a restaurant that reflects modern Thailand, much like Junghyun and Ellia Park did at Atomix when they rejected decades of stale Asian restaurant clichés in favor of designs by current Korean artists. Taste Space, a Bangkok-based design firm, created the interior, with the majority of the materials—including the furniture and the sophisticated ceramic bowls and plates—coming from Thai artists.

The restaurant’s design was created by a company located in Bangkok.

Because of this, the restaurant has a considerably more contemporary vibe than many of the city’s newer establishments, which may explain why reservations are so difficult to come by at a respectable hour.

Of course, there’s also the cuisine. No one’s comfort zone is threatened by Mr. Wittawat’s serving of offal, fly eggs, blood, or other commonplace items in Elmhurst, Queens. He doesn’t give in, though. I hope that some of his meticulously crafted meals remain on the menu for many years to come.

Additionally, I hope Mr. Wittawat has time soon to create additional delicacies. There is now just one, basic yet unique. A dollop of sweet potato-coconut ice cream bristles with toasted coconut pieces in a wave pattern. Chunks of golden cake, like a cross between mochi and pound cake in texture, are ripped and scattered throughout the ice cream. The veteran pastry chef Mr. Wittawat, who is again on familiar ground, worked on another type of sticky rice that gives it its consistency.

The low-key beauty of the dining room is the result of a Bangkok design business, and its owners have filled it with modern Thai ceramicists and other artists.Level of Noise: Moderately loud.Suggested RecipesGoi (beef tartare from northern Thailand); satay (prawn); Hokkaido scallop ceviche; grilled octopus; massaman beef cheeks; Bangkok gai yang.Wine and BeveragesBanana vermouth, cabbage soup, and other ingredients you won’t find behind every bar are used to make cocktails. A brief but helpful list of wines and beers is also provided.Cost: $$$$ (exorbitant)Daily Open for supper.Reservations Welcomed.Access for WheelchairsThe sidewalk level has an accessible bathroom and a dining area.What the Stars Indicate: Star ratings span from one to four. Zero is fair, mediocre, or adequate. One star, excellent. Excellent, two stars. Excellent, three stars. Four stars, really impressive.The last update to this data was made on November 27, 2023.

Resy is the source of reservations

Since 2012, Pete Wells has worked as a restaurant critic. In 2006, he became a dining editor at The Times. Additional information about Pete Wells

Conclusion

  • Bangkok Supper Club, a recently opened restaurant in the West Village, offers a contemporary take on Thai cuisine by chef Max Wittawat, previously a pastry chef at Spot Dessert Bar.
  • The restaurant combines sophistication with casual elements, showcasing a range of textures in dishes like ceviche of scallops with watermelon granita and creatively treated sticky rice.
  • Influenced by street food, the menu features dishes like grilled octopus with a nod to Bangkok’s Chinatown seafood grills and flavorful salads prepared over a charcoal grill.
  • The restaurant’s modern and vibrant atmosphere, designed by a Bangkok-based firm, reflects a contemporary vision of Thailand, and its cuisine, though diverse, excels particularly in dishes prepared on the charcoal grill.

When the cherished oyster firm launches its new venture in Massachusetts, it will have one of the last remaining canneries in the United States.

In northern Spain, today is as pleasant as it gets. I’m in the Galician municipality of Cambados, well-known for its wine, monuments, and—most importantly—delicious fish. In particular, I’m watching Juan, a local shellfisherman, navigate to his favorite location in a little boat I’m aboard just off the shore. His grin from ear to ear and his vintage pink Thrasher sweatshirt exude total confidence. He comes to a halt, carefully lowers his rake into the clear, serene waters, and retrieves a cockle.

He opens the other, excited, and removes the shell of one to show a silky white belly sparkling in its brine. “Eat,” he says, passing it to me. I comply, savoring the delicious meat. It was the greatest bivalve I’ve ever had; there was no question about it. It’s also the first time I’ve ever been sure of the origin of the shellfish I’m eating. 

Admirers of Tinned Fish, Take Heart: Island Creek Oysters is Setting Up a New Cannery
Photo: STACEY LEASCA

I flew to northern Spain with Island Creek Oysters, a business that calls itself a “vertically integrated farm dedicated to making an impact on our food systems and having a damn good time along the way” and is based in Duxbury, Massachusetts. It has a successful direct-to-consumer company, one of the few shellfish hatcheries in the Northeast, and a chain of restaurants with sites in Portland, Maine, and Duxbury, Massachusetts.

It will soon run its cannery in New Bedford, Massachusetts, creating a high-end range of shellfish cans. When it does, it’ll rank among the nation’s rare canneries. In 2009, the last cannery in the United States that produced canned sardines closed.

Island Creek Is intoInto fish-tinned products.

Admirers of Tinned Fish, Take Heart: Island Creek Oysters is Setting Up a New Cannery
Photo: STACEY LEASCA

The business filed for and was awarded a grant in 2022 from the State of Massachusetts as part of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program. The money is intended to alleviate “urgent food insecurity for residents across the Commonwealth as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” according to a statement from Island Creek. But there are others here than feeding people. For Island, it’s about so much more than just disrupting distribution for neighborhood fishermen looking to get into the very competitive tin fish mitt; it’s also about assisting everyone in keeping better track of the source of their seafood. 

It takes a lot of work to follow the path of your fish from hook to plate. Additionally, customers are frequently required to have blind faith that the food they consume is exactly what the menu claims. The study “Fishy Business: Seafood Fraud and Mislabeling in New York State Supreme Courts,” published in 2018 by the office of the New York State Attorney General, revealed that 26.92% of seafood sales with a readable barcode were mislabeled.Although mislabelling affected almost every category, the survey found that customers who think they have purchased grouper, lemon sole, or red snapper are “more likely to receive an entirely different” fish..

The Seascape report, published by The Guardian in 2021, reviewed 44 studies that examined over 9,000 seafood samples from eateries, fishmongers, and supermarkets in various nations. According to the report, 36% of the goods had incorrect labels, “exposing seafood fraud on a vast global”scale.”

Photo: STACEY LEASCA

We Tried More Than Twenty Fish Cans. Here Are Our Favorites Chris Sherman, the president of Island Creek, is resolved to stand out in this situation. 

Sherman dec” is, “We would have to do it ourselves if we wanted a U.S. fish or harvested, U.S. processed, craft conserve.”” “A significant aspect of it is that, to the greatest extent feasible, we strive for vertical integration in all we do. Therefore, having control over the canning and production allows us to ensure that the product we get meets our quality and ethical sourcing standards. 

During our journey to Spain, Sherman and his colleagues, Robert Chandler, the director of operations, and MeggiO’Nealal, the director of procurement, they made this objective very evident. The three have spent years locating the suppliers of a few popular conserves brands to make sure they can be traced back to a single source. And when they did, they compensated them. They collaborated with them to introduce the Conservas Mariscadora, a six-tin range of products that included mussels in pickled sauce, clams, cockles, scallops in Vieira sauce, and razor clams with olive oil, garlic, and chile.”

“We love these single-origin tins from Mariscadora because they allow you to stock your pantry or hit the road with super premium seafood with minimal carbon footprint,” Sherman said at the time of the introduction. Additionally, they offer a nutrient-dense, shelf-stable, and sustainable source of protein that makes a valuable food source that benefits these populations. 

All the Information You Need to Know About Seafood Cans

Photo: STACEY LEASCA

These same businesses are now teaching students how to can in return. Not to outdo but to prosper alongside. 

With the enthusiasm of a child seeing a Nintendo for the first time at Christmas, Chandler said, “We learn so much about the care for the product from it. “Instead of looking at the sterilizing procedures in a spotless cannery, These individuals understand the product. They can determine when the fish is right and how to handle them.” “Bringing the good science in-house is the end game,” he continued.

Sherman noted that’s a two-way street since his business buys “a “significant volume ” of goods from regional suppliers in Portugal and Spain. All of that, though, is a necessary component of developing this more tightly knit, traceable, closed-loop, and, in some respects, sustainable system. “

“While there are many ways to think about sustainability, including sustaining communities of fishermen, who are often exploited in the process, we have to be careful about claims we make around sustainability,” Sherman said. “By the same token, it’s hard to imagine a better and more responsible seafood product than taking a farmed shellfish and putting it into a can at a cannery right down the street.” 

He said, “It ticks every box and has a small carbon footprint.”” “The farmed shellfish are improving the environment in their original habitat, the harvesters are generating revenue, and the factory employees are paid well and operate under sound regulations. It’s been rather challenging to find a problem with it. 

Photo: STACEY LEASCA

In many ways, bivalves are a more environmentally friendly choice for customers who enjoy seafood. In its national guidelines, Seafood Watch features mussels, clams, oysters, and cockles in the” “best choice” category. Is anything flawless? Not at all. However, it could be a superior option for the three billion people who rely on seafood as a significant source of animal protein worldwide. 

Naturally, the fact that the worldwide canned fish industry is projected to reach $50.47 billion by 2030 does not negatively impact Sherman or Hiteam’s financial performance. “We’re simply insisting on getting the absolute best stuff that these canneries are producing, “Sherman continued. And his cannery will soon follow them. 

Conclusion

  • Island Creek Oysters, based in Massachusetts, is launching a new cannery in New Bedford, aiming to produce high-end shellfish cans and becoming one of the last remaining canneries in the United States.
  • The company received a grant in 2022 from the State of Massachusetts as part of the Food Security Infrastructure Grant Program, emphasizing not only addressing food insecurity but also improving seafood source traceability amid concerns about mislabeling in the industry.
  • Island Creek’s commitment to vertical integration ensures control over canning and production, allowing them to maintain high quality and ethical sourcing standards, addressing issues raised by studies on seafood fraud and mislabeling.
  • The company’s focus on sustainability extends to supporting regional suppliers, developing a tightly knit, traceable, closed-loop system, and promoting farmed shellfish as an environmentally friendly choice, aligning with Seafood Watch’s “best choice” category for mussels, clams, oysters, and cockles.

AIR, Renfield, Beef, Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, and Murder Mystery 2 are the films with red carpets this week. Here is a list of the significant premieres, parties, and openings in Los Angeles and New York.

first appearance of Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

Photo: JC OLIVERA/GA/THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

At their Dungeons & Dragons movie’s L.A. premiere on Sunday, Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Daisy Head, and co-directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley strolled the red carpet.

Photo: JC OLIVERA/GA/THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Ben Affleck and his ensemble of Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Chris Tucker brought their Nike film to Los Angeles on Monday, following its SXSW premiere.

Photo: JC OLIVERA/GA/THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Photo: JC OLIVERA/GA/THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
Photo: JC OLIVERA/GA/THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Conclusion

  • Film Premieres: Notable movie openings this week include “AIR,” “Renfield,” “Beef,” and the debut of “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.”
  • Star-Studded Attendees: Celebrities such as Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Sophia Lillis, Justice Smith, Hugh Grant, Daisy Head, and directors Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley graced the red carpet at the “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” premiere.
  • Nike Film Premiere: Ben Affleck and a star-studded ensemble, including Matt Damon, Viola Davis, Jason Bateman, Chris Messina, and Chris Tucker, premiered their Nike film in Los Angeles following its debut at SXSW.
  • Event Locations: The week’s events unfolded in Los Angeles and New York, showcasing the glamour and excitement of the entertainment industry in these prominent cities.

This Francophile’s guide to Montmartre’s enticing hotels, retro shops, Michelin-star restaurants, and more will help you explore the neighborhood beyond Sacré-Coeur.

This city has many breathtaking vistas, but none are quite as calming as the cobblestone slope of Rue de l’Abreuvoir. You may convince yourself that you’ve strayed into Paris’ past by looking past the bus stop and whirling wheels; it’s a wisteria-filled beauty that slopes up toward Sacré-Cœur.

Despite being included in Paris’ city borders in 1860 after being a separate commune, the hilltop town of Montmartre has never lost its unique identity. Renowned for its religious, artistic, and occasionally shady past, the neighborhood’s distinctive lampposts, steep steps, and expansive views have captivated artists and photographers like Picasso and Renoir and deeply committed Francophiles like me with their rustic beauty. 

I’ve been exploring the major tourist routes and beyond for over ten years, discovering hidden gardens, swoon-worthy museums, vintage picture booths, and hedonistic hotels. This is a carefully chosen tour to Montmartre, the timeless town of Paris, and a home for artists.

The Top 5 You Must Not Miss

Look no further than the Hôtel Particulier Montmartre for a wealthy, out-of-time home base in Montmartre. This tiny, three-story estate, which the Hermès family once owned, is in a secluded courtyard and has five opulent apartments. 

Photo: TAYLOR MCINTYRE/TRAVEL + LEISURE

See the well-known Sacré-Cœur Basilica, one of Paris’s most well-known attractions, for breathtaking cityscape vistas.

Savor creative variations on classic meals at the warm and welcoming L’Esquisse, a restaurant recommended by Michelin that also features a well-chosen natural wine selection. 

Nestled within the hills of Montmartre, Numéro Deux is an appointment-only store where you may find the ideal pair of vintage Levi’s. 

Admire the spectacle that is the Moulin Rouge, the most well-known cabaret in Paris.

Top Activities: Explore Sacré-Cœur Basilica.

Photo: LEOPOLDINE BAUER/TRAVEL + LEISURE

Understanding the area’s history requires a visit to the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, and it is worth going inside to see the magnificence of the stained-glass windows and apse mosaic. The domed church, known as “wedding cake” because of its strikingly white façade, is constructed from locally quarried travertine, which releases calcite when it rains, bleaching the stone and maintaining its immaculate appearance. Remember that although the basilica welcomes tourists at 6:30 a.m., the dome, which provides breathtaking views of Paris from above, doesn’t open until 10 a.m. 

Go to a museum.

There is no shortage of impressive museums devoted to the history of Montmartre, and each one presents the famous neighborhood from a unique perspective. Housed in a sage-shuttered villa and hidden down a cobblestone lane full of rose plants, the Musée de la Vie Romantique is a literary museum. This is apt, as the beautiful Rose Bakery has taken over the museum’s greenhouse cafe. The Musée de Montmartre pays homage to the creative heritage of the area. Renoir and French painter Suzanne Valadon formerly established studios there, and the museum’s verdant grounds provide breathtaking views of the city and the Clos Montmartre vineyard. Dalí Paris is another great place to visit, where you can view over 300 pieces created by the master surrealist.  

Investigate Halle Saint Pierre.

Located in a historic covered market, this place is worth seeing only for its fantastic architecture. A museum, gallery, cafe, and one of Paris’ most exquisite booksellers are inside. 

Make a picture for yourself in Place du Tertre.

Photo: HOTEL PARTICULIER MONTMARTRE

Yes, it’s always packed with visitors, but this old plaza has a charm you should notice if you’ve never gone. Although the eateries on the periphery contribute to the village-like atmosphere, they could be more appealing and pricey. Come here instead to witness the hundreds of painters who capture the essence of the neighborhood’s creative energy at varied prices and skill levels by drawing portraits of guests. 

Bring out the Amélie in you.

Over the years, Montmartre has served as the setting for several films, but none has been as enduringly famous as “Amélie” from 2001. Follow the protagonist as she travels through some of the most iconic scenes from the movie, such as the Abbesses metro station and the charming Rue Lepic, which is home to Café des Deux Moulins, the site where she works in the movie. One of the few surviving windmills in the area, the Moulin de la Galette, is visible up the road. Renoir, Van Gogh, and many other local painters were drawn to this windmill. 

Take a picture at FotoAutomat.

A vintage analog photo booth is located right before the picturesque Abbesses Garden. Proper photo booth shots are a fun souvenir to remember your stay. Since 2007, FotoAutomat has been renovating the surviving booths worldwide and placing them in communities committed to promoting the arts. There is usually a long queue since it will take several minutes to print out your photos, unlike contemporary computerized photo booths. However, the quality and wait are worthwhile, just like any film photography.

The Sacre-Coeur and café tables in the morning in the Place du Tertre in the Montmartre neighborhood of Paris, France

Top Dining Options at L’Esquisse

The cuisine at this little restaurant, which the Michelin Guide recommends, is sophisticated and creative without being pretentious. The room is cozy with wooden booths and vintage Tolix chairs, and it revolves around an open kitchen where owner and chef Laëtitia Bret works her culinary magic. A well-chosen selection of natural wines attracts a friendly group of knowledgeable tourists and locals. 

Hardware, The most well-known brunch destination in Société Montmartre, is well-deserved; this quaint Australian cafe, located at the base of the basilica, serves hearty yet unexpected dishes like smoked pastrami and scrambled eggs served on a crispy baguette. On weekends, expect to wait as it’s walk-in only. 

Mamma Pink

This well-known Big Mamma Group Italian restaurant, which is frequently Instagrammed, excels in abundant food and décor. Head for the stairway lined with portraits that lead to a glass cage overlooking the city; stay for the pillowy tiramisu, Neapolitan-style pizza, and twirls of truffled spaghetti.

Pigalle Bouillon

There’s nothing like Bouillon Pigalle for a traditional French feast that will fill you to the brim without breaking the wallet. Think red banquets, busy servers, and carafes of house wine on every table. This two-story restaurant, part of a network of cozy eateries around the city, serves up significant portions of French delicacies like boeuf bourguignon and escargot and views over the busy boulevard below. It’s a great place to stop for late-night munchies because it’s open every day from midnight. 

L’Arcane

This classy restaurant on Rue Lamarck offers a seasonal tasting menu that will satisfy any diner seeking a Michelin-starred dinner to remember. This restaurant is ideal for a special occasion since it combines a sophisticated culinary experience with a classic white tablecloth setting. 

Mokko

Photo: IVEY REDDING/TRAVEL + LEISURE

At Mokko, delectable dishes like lamb ravioli with black garlic jus and cucumber, creamy mushroom and parmesan polenta, and rich chocolate mousse are made with just three or four ingredients. The natural wine list is a must-try, and the warmly lighted, wooden environment is just as visually appealing as the food. 

Luxurious dining area at the Hotel Particulier Montmartre

courtesy of the Hotel Particulier Montmartre, one of the best hotels in the area

This little hotel is the most delightful spot to stay in Montmartre. The three-story house, which was once the Hermès family residence, feels like a world apart from Sacré-Coeur while being less than ten minutes away on foot. It’s tucked away down a forgotten alley, surrounded by a sculpture-filled courtyard and a beautiful green garden. Each of the five distinct rooms is a designer’s paradise; imagine soaking tubs with mosaic tiles and art deco murals in one, walls covered in leopard print in another, and an Eiffel Tower view from the Prestige Suite on the top level. If you cannot get a room at the hotel, you must visit the excellent French restaurant and seductive cocktail bar downstairs. 

Maison Souquet

The magnificently opulent Maison Souquet, located directly across the street from the Moulin Rouge, provides a sensual haven that honors the hideaway’s previous renown as a covert brothel for affluent hedonists. More than 120 distinct silks adorn the 20 rooms and suites, with tasseled lamps, filled headboards, and fabric-cocooned walls that arouse jealousy and desire equal to those of the renowned courtesans they are named for. Here, couples looking for complete seclusion and luxury are in for a treat. Remember to ask for the heavenly hammam and pool key.

Hôtel Arvor

This 30-room boutique hotel, located halfway between Sacré-Coeur and Palais Garnier, exudes the authentic creative essence of Montmartre, which is becoming increasingly difficult to find. Russian-born artist Nina Koltchitskaia made the hotel her canvas during the epidemic, painting paintings on each room’s walls that would have looked good in a museum. The hotel, now a creative refuge, is designed around a vintage spiral staircase, and the rooms are tastefully furnished with soft bedding and simple décor. 

The Monsieur Aristide Hotel

Photo: Gaelle Le Boulicaut Photographe

If your journey does not allow you to attend the renowned Saint-Ouen flea market, visiting the exquisitely designed Hôtel Monsieur Aristide will give you an idea of what you are missing. Boasting a mirrored vanity, framed artwork, and velvet chairs, among other antique discoveries, this 25-room guesthouse captures the bohemian vibe of the surrounding area. Beyond the repurposed furniture, another environmentally friendly feature of this recently renovated space—a hotel for more than a century under prior ownership—is the bright terrazzo floor, created from the debris of the construction site during renovations.

Top Retailers

La Butte de Fromagère

My mouth is watering just thinking about this little artisanal cheese business. It has a superb array of goat cheese, mostly from tiny French farms, matured Comté and Mimolette, and creamy Saint-Félicien for all palates. 

The Abbesses’ Cave

La Cave des Abbesses, a combined wine bar, pâté vendor, and bottle shop, is a foodie’s paradise. Established in 1986, this beloved local landmark is ideal for enjoying a cheese and charcuterie plate during happy hour or grabbing a bottle for a picnic on the basilica steps with a city view. 

Antique Shops

Amidst the plethora of kilo shops and massive thrift stores in Paris, there are a few unique locations for unique vintage treasures. Visit Numéro Deux, an appointment-only vintage Levi’s showroom specializing in 501s, for finely picked denim. Prepare to browse racks and take the spiral staircase down to the basement at Chinemachine on Rue des Martyrs to find well-priced designer selections and ’60s party gowns. One of my favorite stores in the city, Vintage Inspiration Paris, is a little further out. The eccentric proprietor of the business will happily assist you in trying on Hermès purses and YSL jackets; the collection is exquisite but not inexpensive. 

Stone Containers

Several French sommeliers have told me this fantastic cellar is their favorite in Paris, so natural wine enthusiasts shouldn’t miss it. The tiny but powerful wine shop offers an impressive range of well-known and up-and-coming organic and biodynamic wineries. 

Rouge Mouline: A sign with a red windmill

The Moulin Rouge

Although tickets for the “Féerie” show are pricey, this iconic lounge used to be the height of Parisian nightlife. Besides, how often do you get to watch a real French cancan? The spectacle is well worth the price of admission since it is a captivating homage to Paris’s history. 

Conclusion

  • Montmartre, a unique neighborhood in Paris, offers stunning panoramic views, romantic museums, and secret gardens, maintaining its identity despite being incorporated into the city in 1860.
  • The top activities in Montmartre include exploring the Sacré-Cœur Basilica, visiting museums like Musée de la Vie Romantique and Dalí Paris, experiencing Halle Saint Pierre, making art in Place du Tertre, and capturing memories in a vintage photo booth.
  • L’Esquisse is a recommended Michelin-star restaurant in Montmartre, offering creative variations on classic meals, while other dining options include Hardware, Mamma Pink, Pigalle Bouillon, L’Arcane, and Mokko.
  • For accommodations, Hôtel Particulier Montmartre, Maison Souquet, Hôtel Arvor, and The Monsieur Aristide Hotel provide unique and luxurious stays, each with its own charm and style, capturing the artistic essence of Montmartre.

The magnificent gala in February of next year will feature a sophisticated evening with a cocktail reception, a three-course meal, and dancing until four in the morning. The quadrille performance itself is the evening’s main attraction. One of the rare events in New York City that still requires white tie is the sophisticated quadrille.

The yearly event is a fundraiser for scholarships for deserving German or American college students. Decades ago, the Quadrille was established to strengthen and enhance transatlantic ties via trade and education. The Germanistic Society of America, the Quadrille’s non-profit parent organization, provides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral student funding.

Photo: Rupert Ramsay

Volunteers work together to plan the Quadrille Ball so that sponsors, advertisers, contributors, and ball attendees may benefit from the stipend fund with tax-deductible donations. The young professionals from many nations and backgrounds who give their time to practice the dance over the winter months are the ones who perform it at the Quadrille Ball.

Students can study and research across the Atlantic with the stipends granted by the 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Recipients of scholarships are selected in collaboration with three prestigious institutions: Columbia University, the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the Fulbright program. For nearly a decade, the Germanic Society of America has funded nearly 700 students.

Photo: Rupert Ramsay

With the consistent and kind assistance of business sponsors, individual patrons, and other private donations, the Quadrille Stipend Fund can fund the Germanic Society of America and award scholarships to deserving students from Germany and the United States with the assistance of monetary and non-monetary donations. The Mejean Family Foundation, the Full Scholarship Sponsor, Dr. William Radin, The Bye Family, and Max Kade Foundation, Inc. are Platinum Sponsors; Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Shiva, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, and The Bye Family are Diamond Sponsors.

Source transparency is a top goal for EIN Presswire. Our editors take pains to remove inaccurate and misleading information; we do not accept opaque clients. As users, kindly notify us of any items you believe we have overlooked. We appreciate your assistance. Everyone’s Internet News PresswireTM, or EIN Presswire, attempts to draw certain limits that make sense in the modern world. Kindly refer to our editorialEguidelinesuidelines for further details.

Photo: Rupert Ramsay

Conclusion

  • The 63rd Annual Quadrille Ball is a prestigious private event in New York City, featuring a sophisticated evening with a cocktail reception, three-course meal, and dancing until 4 AM, with the Quadrille performance as the main attraction.
  • The Quadrille Ball serves as a fundraiser for scholarships benefiting German or American college students, established decades ago to strengthen transatlantic ties through trade and education, managed by the Germanistic Society of America, a non-profit organization.
  • Volunteers plan the Quadrille Ball, and funds raised through sponsors, advertisers, contributors, and attendees go to the Quadrille Stipend Fund, supporting students studying and researching across the Atlantic through tax-deductible donations.
  • The Stipend Fund collaborates with prestigious institutions like Columbia University, the Institute of International Education (IIE), and the Fulbright program, with consistent support from business sponsors and individual patrons, including Platinum Sponsors like the Mejean Family Foundation, Dr. William Radin, The Bye Family, and Max Kade Foundation, Inc., as well as Diamond Sponsors like Dr. and Mrs. Andrew Shiva, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation, and The Bye Family.

Ironically, The Conventional in Hollywood was anything but conventional when it first opened in 1999. From poolside parties to late-night club nights, the hotel’s reputation as the hippest place on the block attracted many people. Since then, The Standard brand has developed, launching venues with sophisticated designs worldwide—of course, mixed in with a hint of that original wild side.

However, The Standard is introducing a new idea dubbed The StandardX after 25 years; its first location will open in February 2024 in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district.

Inside the Box at Melbourne’s The StandardX 

Photo: THE STANDARDX, MELBOURNE

“The Hollywood Standard had an X-factor that drew people in and was wonderful in its simplicity. “It was the essence of lifestyle hospitality, not an extravagant design budget or Michelin-caliber culinary options,” Standard International CEO Amber Asher stated in a Travel + Leisure interview. The new hotel gets its moniker from that X-factor.

“This was an opportunity to return to raw, unbridled simplicity that was accessible to the next generation traveler looking to experience a city through the lens of The Standard brand,” she stated.

The inside of a guest room at Melbourne’s The StandardX 

Photo: THE STANDARDX, MELBOURNE

The “rebellious younger sibling of The Standard,” as Asher put it, is The StandardX, Melbourne. The 125 guest rooms are sparsely furnished; instead, the major communal areas are The Roof restaurant, which is only available to hotel guests and modeled after Mexico City’s Mercado Medellín, and Bang, a Thai street food restaurant. Along with lots of lounging places adorned with handcrafted and vintage furniture and artwork created by local artists, the lobby’s loft-like design invites.

The Melbourne loft at The StandardX 

Photo: THE STANDARDX, MELBOURNE

The StandardX’s vibrant demeanor makes Fitzroy an ideal location for Melbourne. “Our team was taken with Fitzroy in particular due to its deep roots in culture, music, and the culinary scene,” Asher stated. “There’s also an easygoing energy and bohemian-edgy flair that was a catalyst for where we can take this new brand.”

Conclusion

  • The Standard is launching a new hotel brand called The StandardX, with its first location set to open in Melbourne’s Fitzroy district in February 2024.
  • The inspiration for The StandardX comes from the original Hollywood Standard’s “X-factor,” emphasizing lifestyle hospitality over extravagant design or culinary options.
  • Positioned as the “rebellious younger sibling” of The Standard, The StandardX features 125 sparsely furnished guest rooms, major communal areas like The Roof restaurant and Bang (a Thai street food restaurant), and a vibrant, loft-like design with handcrafted and vintage furniture.
  • Fitzroy was chosen as the ideal location for The StandardX due to its deep cultural roots, music scene, culinary offerings, and an easygoing, bohemian-edgy flair that aligns with the vision of the new brand.

Doug Wood, CEO of Tommy Bahama, told Travel + Leisure that the resort “pairs island living with desert luxury to offer an entirely new concept of elevated leisure and wellness for visitors to the Greater Palm Springs area.” Having spent a weekend at the new resort, I can attest that Tommy Bahama’s signature style, characterized by resort wear, a palm tree emblem, and a tropical atmosphere, fits in perfectly in its new Indian Wells, California, location. Opening on November 1st, it is the brand’s first-ever resort.

I was among the first to check out the world's first Tommy Bahama resort, which opened today in Palm Springs, California.
Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

The brand’s popularity was on display at the resort’s grand opening celebration, as shown by the attire choices of many attendees and the several questions raised about whether Tommy Bahama would be there. Unfortunately, the fictitious Mr. Bahama, the inspiration for the brand, would not be seen. However, if he had, he would undoubtedly have approved of the hand-painted murals in the lobby, the wallpaper in the guest suites with lush green palm trees, and the iconic print, “Calypso Palms,” which is on display in the new Rosa Boutique. He may have rested by one of the patio’s fire pits or strolled around the resort’s Olive Grove while sipping a Tommy Bahama staple, the Grapefruit Basil drink.

MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA Tommy Bahama

I was among the first to check out the world's first Tommy Bahama resort, which opened today in Palm Springs, California.
Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

The brand’s carefree spirit is realized in the first-ever Tommy Bahama resort, which is now open in Indian Wells, California. This community is part of the Greater Palm Springs area.

The resort features three saltwater pools, bocce courts, and classic Tommy Bahama architectural elements.

Spa Rosa’s services are excellent, the Chiki Palm pool’s cocktails are a must, and Indian Wells Golf Resort is nearby for golfers who want to work on their swing.

Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa guest room

I was among the first to check out the world's first Tommy Bahama resort, which opened today in Palm Springs, California.
Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

The Chambers

The $20 million resort is situated on 11 acres against the Santa Rosa Mountains and was once known as the Miramonte Resort & Spa until 1988. Three saltwater pools, two bocce ball courts, citrus and olive trees, flower and herb gardens, the spa, and the lobby are all connected by winding walks. Custom Tommy Bahama amenities can be found in the rooms, which are decorated with wallpaper that is a lush green color with hints of grapefruit pink.

The Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa guest room

Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

Tommy Bahama has completely renovated five opulent villa suites, including the furnishings, wallpaper, and bedding. The Palm Suite contains rattan accents, leather-wrapped carved bamboo, and tropical wallpaper, while the Tiger Suite showcases the brand’s Los Altos furniture collection. The Paradise Suite has natural wood finishes, palm trees, and elegant jungle animals. The Pineapple Suite has aged driftwood, woven rattan, and textured metal from the Cypress Point collection. The opulent 1,078-square-foot Grand Marlin Suite is furnished with exclusive Tommy Bahama Palm Desert furnishings, tropical flower wallpaper, and woven raffia embellishments.

Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa brunch table

Eatery and Beverage

I was among the first to check out the world's first Tommy Bahama resort, which opened today in Palm Springs, California.
Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

Citrus trees can be seen all around the resort, and the name of its trademark restaurant and bar, Grapefruit Basil, is an homage to the renowned Tommy Bahama drink. The bright dining area extends to the lobby and the Olive Grove terrace for both indoor and al fresco brunch and supper. The comprehensive daily brunch buffet reminds visitors that brunch isn’t only for the weekends, especially while they’re on vacation, and the menu contains dishes with a coastal flair.

At Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, a cocktail

I was among the first to check out the world's first Tommy Bahama resort, which opened today in Palm Springs, California.
Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

The bar, located across the lobby, was bustling and had various creatively called craft drinks, along with a small plate menu that included hummus, a charcuterie board, and flatbreads. The scallop sliders and the crunchy arancini ended up being my favorites. My spouse and I enjoyed drinks at a table in the Olive Grove the evening following the grand opening celebrations—a few items from the bar menu made for the ideal supper. Excellent praise was given to the Coachella Cadillac and the Grapefruit Basil drinks. To round off the evening, I had the wonderful Dancing in the Dark, an espresso martini-style drink. 

At Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa, there is group meditation.

The Pools

Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

I decided to visit Chiki Palm Pool on a lovely Friday afternoon and sipped prosecco while lounging in a lounge chair behind a pink-and-white-striped umbrella. I had the halibut tacos (which I strongly suggest!) for lunch after getting a facial at the Spa Rosa in the morning. Even though the music and the lively environment around the pool were enjoyable, I couldn’t help but wish I could return to the spa for a peaceful hot tub soak.

Photo: TOMMY BAHAMA MIRAMONTE RESORT & SPA

Visitors can reserve cabanas at the Chiki Palm pool for a luxurious day by the pool. The cost of renting a cabana includes:

  • Two reclining chairs.
  • Soft drinks.
  • A pitcher of margaritas or domestic beer.
  • A sun care kit from Spa Rosa.

Nestled in a different resort section, the Hideaway Pool boasts a sun terrace and hot whirlpool, creating a tranquil setting. 

Rosa Spa

The 103-degree hot tub mentioned earlier has little spaces with waterfalls and space for one or two people created by partially built walls. In addition to many cabana-style private places for lounging with a bubbly drink, there’s a swimming pool. After receiving treatment at Spa Rosa, visitors may unwind in the tranquil courtyard of the spa for the remainder of the day.

“With treatments like the guided Daydream to Life Ritual, Island State of Mind Massage, Santa Rosa Mountain Mud Body Mask, and Precious Rose Quartz Facial, the resort’s destination spa provides a fresh menu that represents Tommy Bahama’s island spirit,” Wood claims. 

Bocce court on the Olive Grove Patio at Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa. © 2018 Tommy Bahama Miramonte Resort & Spa. All rights reserved.

Location, Amenities, and Experiences

Activities offered to guests include bike tours, walks through the neighborhood, yoga and water fitness sessions, early morning treks, and trips to the nearby farmer’s market. Every night, visitors may congregate around fire pits in the Olive Grove to enjoy the entertainment, which features acoustic guitar music. There is a weekly calendar of events at the registration counter and online. 

Indian Wells, which is regarded as a part of the Greater Palm Springs region, is located 20 miles from Palm Springs’ downtown. The nearby Indian Wells Golf Resort offers the Players facility, Clive Clark’s Celebrity Course, and a putting facility for golfers. Conveniently located is the highly regarded Indian Wells Tennis Garden, which hosts concerts and athletic events in addition to the yearly BNP Paribas Open. All year long, the facility is accessible to the general public.

The 24-hour exercise center at the resort has free weights, ellipticals, and treadmills. Visitors should explore the Rosa Boutique in the foyer, which features an extensive array of high-end Tommy Bahama resort accessories and sundries, including a branded yoga mat, purses, hats, grapefruit basil candles, and Tobago Bay knitwear. 

Up to two well-behaved dogs per room are permitted at the resort (for an extra $100 per stay). The site has a space for dog walks, and amenities like a dog bed, bags, and bowls are included.

Sustainability and Accessibility

The resort is quite accessible, with plenty of parking lots, paved walkways, elevators, and rooms that can accommodate roll-in showers and bathroom grab bars. Wheelchair lifts are available for all the pools and hot tubs.

According to a resort representative, Tommy Bahama is “a proud partner of Kind Traveler to support the important work of The LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert in furthering the well-being and sustainability of the local community.”

Gazing Ahead

This is the perfect location for the first Tommy Bahama resort because of the popularity of the brand in the desert, where there are already Tommy Bahama restaurants and retail locations on El Paseo in Palm Desert and on Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs. “Opening the resort concept was a logical next step, and guests can now introduce friends and family to the Tommy Bahama brand experience,” Wood stated to T+L. Regarding what lies ahead, he stated, “We are currently searching for opportunities to bring the Tommy Bahama Resort & Spa to the Scottsdale area, Florida, or Hawaii.”

Conclusion

  • Tommy Bahama has opened its first-ever resort in Indian Wells, California, offering a unique blend of island living and desert luxury in the Greater Palm Springs area.
  • The $20 million resort, situated on 11 acres against the Santa Rosa Mountains, features three saltwater pools, bocce courts, and opulent villa suites with custom Tommy Bahama amenities.
  • Guests can enjoy the Grapefruit Basil restaurant and bar, indulge in spa services at Spa Rosa, and participate in various activities such as bike tours, yoga sessions, and visits to the nearby farmer’s market.
  • The resort prioritizes sustainability and accessibility, with wheelchair lifts for pools and hot tubs, partnerships with Kind Traveler to support local communities, and plans for potential future locations in Scottsdale, Florida, or Hawaii.

In northwest India, Rajasthan is one of the destinations that may enchant kids the most with its palaces, peacocks, tigers, and jewelry.

Our six-year-old son Leo stated, “I’m excited about painting and elephants. These are the two main things I’m excited about in India.” 

Though no one is quite sure where the idea for riding an elephant came from, Leo and his nine-year-old sister Stella are both art enthusiasts and in the weeks before our spring break trip, my husband Dave and I had told them we’d be visiting a miniature painting studio in Rajasthan. But somehow, by the time we set off last March, the elephants sat: kings of Leo’s imagination and at the top of his India to-do list. 

Two images from India, one featuring a traveler taking a picture of a palace and the other featuring a window seat in a home

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

From left: An observer photographs the murals on Ganesh Pol, one of the entrances of Amber Fort, a serene nook of Ganesh Emporium, a clothing and art shop housed in an Old Town haveli in Udaipur. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

From an animal welfare standpoint, I didn’t dare to inform him that using elephants for tourist transportation isn’t considered a great or even particularly acceptable thing in 2023. Therefore, I secretly sighed with relief when, approximately five days into our trip, the four of us arrived at Amber Fort outside Jaipur and discovered that the sorry, chained-up herd that had once transported guests up to the 16th-century palace on the hill was nowhere to be found. 

Leo, on the other hand, was discouraged. Our driver, Mr. Singh, an older man with a mustache and a beige uniform, sensed this, too, so he drove us up to the palace gates instead, where we all entered. There was a Hindu festival that day, and a crowd of worshippers had gathered around a temple in the central courtyard. A sermon echoed off the fortress walls over loudspeakers. A little further inside the complex, we stopped to snap a photo of the shimmering Sheesh Mahal, or Mirror Palace; close by, we discovered the hammam that had once been used by the fort’s founder, Maharaja Man Singh, as well as his restroom, much to the children’s unavoidable fascination. 

When I was younger, my mother read a lot to me, and some of the books I can still clearly recall are about India. It wasn’t so much the characters or the stories that captivated my attention as the sensation of heat, light, and color that were so strong and foreign that they seemed to be from another planet.

We passed a puppet show and a snake charmer on our way back down to meet Singh, and by the time we were driving away from the palace, we had almost forgotten about the elephant ride until we saw a lumbering shape ahead of us. “Elephant!” Singh exclaimed, racing ahead of the animal and pulling onto the shoulder before we could say anything. He then leaped out and started yelling up at the two mahouts who were taking the resplendent animal—its face and ears painted in vibrant festival colors, its tusks adorned with gold rings—from the festivities at the fort back to the temple where it resided. 

Two images from India: one of a woman having breakfast and the other of a red and white hotel guest room

From left: breakfast at Rajmahal Palace; a guest room at the boutique hotel Villa Palladio, just outside Jaipur. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

Stella and Leo paid a thousand rupees (roughly $12) and sat between the mahouts on the elephant’s back. At the same time, it lumbered along the road, tuk-tuks and Toyotas swerving and beeping, the sandy crenellations of Amber Fort receding into the background, and both kids’ faces lit up with astonished glee. It was magical and slightly wild, which sums up our trip to Rajasthan and the overall experience of traveling with kids in India. 

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

Growing up in the English countryside, I experienced extreme beauty and perpetually gloomy weather. My mother read a lot to me when I was younger, and some books I remember the most are about India. The books about India didn’t so much captivate my imagination with their stories or characters as with their intense and foreign color and heat that made them seem like they belonged on another planet. Was this a place where tigers, peacocks, intricate palaces, bejeweled saris, mangoes, and frangipani trees? 

Two images from an Indian safari resort, one featuring a thali plate and the other showcasing design details

From left to right: Sher Bagh’s chicken thali and a campaign chair in a guest suite at Suján Sher Bagh. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

When I was eighteen, I decided to find out, and I embarked on a backpacking trip around India that was at least a rite of passage in the 1990s for British students. And while parts of the storybook picture did survive, I discovered a reality that was even more compelling, one that drew me back, this time with Dave by my side, to spend three years working in Mumbai. After that, we moved to New York City, and somehow, a decade passed before I realized it was time to return to India along with Stella and Leo. 

Related: Reasons to Visit India on Your Next Safari

Not only does the subcontinent seem like a strange place to go on vacation because Dave and I have lived there, but the other parents we told about our trip responded in various ways, ranging from shock to outright horror. “Aren’t you worried they’ll get sick?” was one common question, and “How long is the flight again?” was another. Whether you fly into Mumbai or New Delhi, the journey from the United States is substantial; there’s no way to sugarcoat that, and the time difference is about as jet lag-inducing as it gets. However, if you choose the right tour operator and the suitable hotels, you will likely find yourselves more comfortable there than you would on a vacation back home. 

Two images from India, one featuring jewelry that was on exhibit and the other featuring two sari-clad women peering out of a royal window

Views of Lake Pichola from the Zenana Mahal, or Palace of the Queens, which is a part of Udaipur’s City Palace; from left: A pink tourmaline and amethyst salad, or seven-strand necklace, on exhibit at Jaipur’s Gem Palace. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

We booked our trip through a U.K.-based company called Wild Frontiers; its founder, Jonny Bealby, is passionate about traveling to less-traveled regions, especially India. He created a tour of Rajasthan that would include some of the most stunning hotels in the region and three of the northwest state’s most iconic locations: Jaipur, Udaipur, and Ranthambore National Park. 

“The old heritage palaces give children this sense of wonder, this Disney-style experience. And Rajasthan, in particular, delivers all of that in real life,” Bealby remarked. “India is a fairy tale.”

So we set off from New York City, flying through one night and into the next and finally looking down, some 16 hours later, to see Mumbai’s cacophony of high-rises, palm trees, and blue tarp roofs rising through the midnight haze. As the kids dozed in the back of the taxi into town, I tried to make out familiar sights. But since my last visit, the city’s familiar layers of colonial, Art Deco, and contemporary architecture had been disrupted by a series of massive infrastructure projects (an entirely new subway system; 50 overpasses; a 14-mile coastal bridge), and some of my favorite parts of town were almost unrecognizable. I’d heard that India was modernizing at breakneck speed under the controversial leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and here was the evidence.

Two Indian images, one featuring a fort and the other featuring people walking on steps beside a lake

From left: the Rajput royal dynasty erected Amber Fort outside Jaipur in the sixteenth century; APARNA JAYAKUMAR splashed in Lake Pichola in Udaipur.

But there are certain things you can count on being the same, and as soon as we walked inside the South Mumbai Taj Mahal Palace hotel, we felt as comfortable as the cold, air-conditioned lobby and the aroma of freshly cut jasmine. 

This leads to my first advice for long-distance family travel: try to stay the first night or two at a hotel you don’t need to leave. The Taj is probably the best example of this kind of hotel—it’s the city’s hub, with so much going on and a strong sense of place that you can spend the entire day there and still feel like you’ve experienced a typical Mumbai experience. 

Related: Every year, my family takes a 15-hour flight to India; these ten things always make the trip easier

We slept until almost noon the next day. Although we were a little lost and strange when we woke up, we were greeted by the magnificent arch of the Gateway of India directly beneath our window, black-and-yellow taxis beetling along Apollo Bunder, the road in front of the hotel, and pigeons flying in formation over the shimmering Arabian Sea behind them. 

After breakfast, which had ended hours earlier, we headed directly to the Taj’s garden filled with palm trees. Dave and I sipped coffee to calm our racing minds while the kids enjoyed the first of many mango lassis before jumping into the swimming pool. 

Six Senses Fort Barwara’s pool

Six Senses Fort Barwara’s main pool. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

We ventured into the city late afternoon when we embarked on an e-carriage tour around south Mumbai. Battery-powered replicas of the Victorias introduced a few years ago after the long-suffering horses that transported tourists through the chaotic streets were outlawed come equipped with a hilarious array of equestrian sound effects. Stella and Leo were enthralled as we neighed and clip-clopped past the evening crowds on Marine Drive and in front of the wonderfully Gothic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, which looked like Caesars Palace in the dusk. 

Before returning to the Taj, we decided to get the kids some weather-appropriate clothing (we went in March when the average high was in the low nineties). Leo selected a set of block-printed pajamas from Fabindia, a cotton emporium in the Kala Ghoda district; Stella selected a full-length skirt adorned with mirror work called a lehenga, a pink sari blouse, and a matching dupatta, or scarf. 

Two images from Jaipur, one featuring a server at a restaurant and the other showcasing the vibrant decor of a café

From left: APARNA JAYAKUMAR serves breakfast at Villa Palladio, located outside Jaipur in a peaceful area called Bar Palladio.

When we returned to our room, she changed into her princess attire, spinning about in front of the mirror and enquiring whether she may wear it again tomorrow. 

We flew from Mumbai to Udaipur, which was once the capital of the Mewar kingdom and one of the wealthiest princely states of Rajasthan. In Udaipur, we met Singh, our driver, who drove us from the airport to a jetty on Lake Pichola, from where we took a boat to our hotel, Oberoi Udaivilas. Dave and I had visited Udaipur previously. However, as we set out across the water that day, with the Aravalli Hills sloping away on all sides and palaces casting dramatic shadows from the shore, it felt like we were entering a novel again. 

Nestled between vibrant bougainvillea and hibiscus flowers, peacocks pose beautifully against picture-perfect vistas of the lake.

And then we reached the Udaivilas. We may still be processing the welcome there, but let’s say there was a camel involved, a shower of rose petals, and a troupe of dancers accompanied by a brass band in dazzling, rainbow-colored costumes. Stella looked stunning in her Fabindia lehenga and blouse, and she quickly became proficient in the steps and hand motions required for the dance.

Two images from the Six Senses Fort Barwara, one featuring the outside of the fort and the other an outdoor dining area

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

From left to right: A sitting space within a room at Six Senses Fort Barwara; an outlook of Muskmelon Palace, also known as Kharbuja Mahal, one of the original 14th-century buildings around the complex. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

The rest of the day was spent at the Udaivilas, basking in the beauty of it all. Situated on 30 acres along the shore of Lake Pichola, the property was once the hunting ground of the Maharana, or king, of Mewar and is now a sprawling hotel garden. Unlike many of Rajasthan’s iconic hotels, the Udaivilas is relatively new, having opened in 2002; its design, however, is unabashedly regal, with P.R.S. Oberoi, the company’s chairman at the time, declaring, “We are building a palace.” Mewari-style domes and cupolas are reflected in vividly tiled pools, mirrored mosaics shimmer away from the walls, and peacocks are arranged decoratively amid bougainvillea and hibiscus flowers against postcard views of the lake.

Additional Travel Inspiration: Travel + Leisure Readers’ Top 5 Indian Resorts for 2023

The following day, reluctant as we were to leave the grounds, it was time to try our hand at miniature painting. Singh took us to a shop called Shyam Arts, where a master miniaturist called Deepak Sharma was sitting on the floor of a second-floor studio, cross-legged, with two small paintings on a low table in front of him, both of which depicted a couple dancing on lotus flowers, so minutely detailed that we could barely make out the (invisible) brush strokes. The owner, Hemendra Pujari, explained that each picture would take the painter over a month to complete. 

Pujari held out a brush for the children to examine, explaining that squirrel fur is preferred due to its softness. However, as adherents of Jainism, which forbids harming any living creature, the artists go to great lengths to obtain their bristles humanely, gradually taming wild squirrels with peanuts before “giving them a haircut.” 

Two images from India, one featuring a little artwork and the other an antique automobile

From left: Maharaja Man “Jai” Singh’s 1950s Ford Thunderbird at Rajmahal Palace; a miniature painting at Shyam Arts, Udaipur workshop. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

Subsequently, Pujari demonstrated to the children how the miniaturists create their paints. “We search for the stones and we bring them home,” he said, taking a small rock from a bowl and identifying it as sulfur after dipping it in water and rubbing it against a tile to reveal a beautiful yellow color. Next, red oxide was used to create orange, zinc was used to create white, and graphite was used to create black. 

The children guessed at different things, mostly involving plants and flowers. “Stella, can you guess what this yellow paint comes from?” Pujari asked, eliciting a chorus of screams and giggles. “This recipe was kept secret for generations, especially from girls, who would pass along secrets to other families when they got married.” 

While the children practiced painting miniature versions of elephants, camels, and horses, Sharma prepared paper and a standard set of paints. Dave and I sipped masala chai from porcelain cups and browsed the store’s treasure trove of new and antique miniatures, having to control our impulse purchases once more on this trip. 

Two images from India, one featuring a hotel room and the other a woman strolling by a pink palace

An outsider in Jaipur, India’s City Palace, a guest room at Six Senses Fort Barwara. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

When people talk about how easy it is to fall into a routine when on vacation—for example, “We quickly fell into a rhythm of mornings at the pool followed by afternoons at the beach”—that is not how India was. Every day, we did something so intense, so different, so unlike anything we could ever do at home, that when it came time to leave one hotel for another, we would all collapse into Singh’s car, relieved to have a few hours to ourselves. 

Related: The World’s Top 9 Travel Expert-Selected Trips for Memorable Wildlife Encounters

But since this is India, those drives were an adventure in and of themselves. Our fearless pilot, Singh, skillfully avoided the obligatory cows on the road. We wound our way around camel carts driven by men wearing brightly colored turbans, herds of rugged-looking sheep and goats, and tractors carrying loads of hay so enormous that nobody was even slightly surprised when we passed several that had spilled all over the highway. 

Our next destination was Jaipur, also known as the Pink City, established in 1727 by Maharaja Jai Singh II. (The capital was founded at Amber Fort, where the children rode the elephant, but it was moved to its current location after a few centuries.) Although the city is as busy and loud as any other Asian city, there are traces of its royal past all over the place, and the Old City is one of the most atmospheric locations in India. 

Two images from Ranthambore National Park, one featuring a safari vehicle and the other a deer

From left to right: Suján Sher Bagh on safari in Ranthambore National Park; spotted deer in the park. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

In Jaipur, a handsome young king named Padmanabh Singh recently came of age; his youthful, jet-setting profile feels like an expression of changes afoot across the city, where the tradition of craftsmanship established by Jai Singh II and his successors is today attracting a creative crowd from around the world. The maharajahs were dethroned soon after India became independent from Britain in 1947, but their families still command a high profile in Rajasthan. 

We had seen vultures, parakeets, kingfishers soaring over a lake, and a crocodile lounging on a wall, but we had not spotted a tiger. 

One of the best examples of this mix of old and new was our hotel, Rajmahal Palace RAAS. Originally the pink Art Deco mansion of Maharaja Sawai Man Singh and his glamorous wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi, it has been updated with modern, maximalist wallpapers and other excellent design touches, and its restaurant, 51 Shades of Pink, is a favorite lunch spot for the Jaipur in the crowd. It also features a charming pool surrounded by pink stucco walls and mango trees, where the four of us would cool off between excursions and sip fresh lime sodas while lounging around in our bathrobes, feeling like we were in a Wes Anderson movie.

Jaipur is a big shopping destination, so one afternoon, we took Stella and Leo on a retail tour, stopping at upscale boutiques and traditional bazaars. The kids opened drawer after drawer of jewels in abundant shapes and sizes at the Gem Palace’s shocking pink upstairs atelier. They tried on candy-colored pieces fashioned like frogs, birds, and muskmelons. 

Two images from the Oberoi Udaibilas show a villa pool and a guy operating a ferry.

From left: The view from the Kohinoor Suite at the Oberoi Udaivilas; an Oberoi employee transports clients over Lake Pichola. APARNA JAYAKUMAR

Later, during a rummage through Johari Bazaar, the kids each selected a pair of jutti or embroidered slippers; Leo’s were excellent, with toes that curled all the way around in a manner reminiscent of Aladdin, and he insisted on wearing them straight out of the store. We all purchased matching pajamas at the flagship of Anokhi, the renowned block-printing label that brought Indian textiles to the West in the 1970s.

Ashish Sharma said, “Today, we are going full tigering,” while pumping his fist. Our guide at Ranthambore National Park, located in eastern Rajasthan, Sharma, told us about the park’s eighty big cats and how it’s one of the best sites to watch tigers in the wild. Undoubtedly, this aspect of the journey had been a significant selling point for Stella and Leo, and anticipation had been intense upon our arrival at Suján Sher Bagh the day before. The proprietors of the lodge, Jaisal and Anjali Singh, and Jaisal’s father, Tejbir before them, are regarded as pioneers in conservation tourism. The lodge was among the first to open in the vicinity of Ranthambore. Tucked away in the deciduous woods on their property are twelve tastefully designed rooms that resemble safari tents. Our accommodation, the family suite, consisted of two tents grouped around a swimming pool; within each was a four-poster bed screened from mosquitoes and a large brass bathtub.

Two images from Ranthambore National Park, one featuring a peacock and the other a route through a tree

At Ranthambore, the 14th-century fortress gate is home to a banyan tree that is reputed to be hundreds of years old. In Ranthambore, India’s national bird, the peacock displays its tail feathers.

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

We had met Sharma and our driver at first light that morning, and we had gone on a game drive. We noted spotted sambar deer mon, gooses, and golden jackals in the little Field Books we had each discovered beside our mattresses. We had observed vultures, parakeets, kingfishers soaring over a lake, and a crocodile sunning itself on a wall. But had a tiger been spotted? We hadn’t. 

When we were all back in the vehicle that afternoon, Sharma’s anxiousness was evident. If it came down to it, this would be our final safari, and if we saw a tiger, that was what we would do. There would be no pauses to snap pictures of intriguing trees or the picturesque 10th-century fortresses that sprout up among Ranthambore’s lakes and woods, nor would there be any opportunity to stop and observe birds or other less spectacular species. It was time to take things seriously as we were in full tigering mode. 

A father and son make a splash in an Indian mansion pool.

Refreshing at Oberoi Udaivilas resort. JAYAKUMAR APARNA

We drove about for an hour or so, stumbling over rocks and rattling through the brush until, at last, we turned a corner and saw a line of jeeps stopped up, everyone aiming their iPhones, binoculars, and zoom lenses in the same direction. After stopping and nervously adjusting our binoculars, we managed to finally spot the shank of a juvenile male, his stripes providing an exceptionally excellent camouflage against the dark, thin trunks of the dark trees and the pale ocher dirt. The most important thing was that we had seen a tiger, even though it wasn’t quite the sighting of our dreams. 

See also: 7 Family Vacations Everybody Ought to Take

A few minutes later, we pulled over and stopped for cookies and masala chai in the vehicle’s rear, to everybody’s amazement and relief. While eating, Sharma informed us that he was born in a hamlet that was moved to Ranthambore after the region was designated as a national park in 1981. “It was just jungle life back then—no electricity, no schools,” he remarked. While strolling in the jungle, Sharma and his father encountered a tiger one day. At this time, the youngsters stopped eating their snacks in mid-mouthful. “We hid behind a tree,” he added. “The tiger did not attack; it was aware of our presence. I was seven years and fifteen months old. 

Overlooking the Six Senses Fort Barwara resort, birds soar.

At Six Senses Fort Barwara in the early morning. JAYAKUMAR APARNA

We all fell silent as we realized that, when Sharma was just a few months older than Leo, he had been within feet of an unarmed, unprotected wild tiger. I inquired about his village’s thoughts about departing from Ranthambore. Sharma said, “The old people didn’t want to leave the forest.” “However, the youth perceived the future.”

It was time for our last castle, which represented Rajasthan’s artistic character in the most modern way. Rising from a hamlet with a lake view, Six Senses Fort Barwara is a stunning blend of old and new, around an hour’s drive from Ranthambore. Three modest original buildings, the oldest of which is the 14th-century Kharbuja Mahal, also known as Muskmelon Palace, form its core. A massive new resort has been built in the vicinity of these, bursting with contemporary glitz and harmonious with the fort’s original design. 

Related: These European Hidden Castles Look Like Something From a Fairytale

A high-profile Bollywood wedding happened at Fort Barwara shortly after it opened in 2021, and other visitors adopted the same attitude, hanging around the pool in fancy outfits with a Western flair, snapping phone photos, and behaving like Delhi-born Mumbaikars. The quirky doorknobs, room signage by the Jaipur studio ASA, and the chicly packaged local brands in the mini-bar added a trendy touch to the whole design. 

Picture of a youngster eating pastries taken overhead.

Pastries from Six Senses Fort Barwara’s Cortile restaurant.

We went on a tour with the knowledgeable guide, Kunal Bhatt, since I was interested in learning more about the history of Fort Barwara. He clarified that the Chauhan dynasty governed these areas 700 years ago and was responsible for building the first palace. To prevent elephant intrusions, a later family erected enormous wooden gates that are currently utilized as the hotel’s rear entrance. The gates were studded with hundreds of sharp metal spikes.

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

We had a tour of the Shikar Bhuj, a tower formerly used to shoot tigers and now a restaurant. The female members of the royal family would reside in seclusion from the outside world at the Zenana Mahal, also known as the Palace of the Queens. Presently, the elaborate 30,000-square-foot building houses the Six Senses Spa. 

As I watched the two tiny bodies next to me fidget and struggle to keep their eyes closed, I imagined they would only bring two things back from this trip: a feeling of wonder and perspective. Above everything, my greatest wish was that they would always have those items with them. 

In this quiet, temple-like setting, Dave and I each had a much-needed 90 minutes of massage therapy from a very talented masseuse from Kerala. I ascended the 650 stairs to a local temple the following morning. A villager dressed in a white turban, a kurta (tunic), and dhoti (loincloth) then arrived to instruct the children in the art of throwing clay pots into a stone wheel that resembled a massive spinning top, which he drove into the ground and rotated with his hands. 

Two images from India: one of pigeons in front of a vibrant painting and the other of a woman at a Udaipur market

From left: Pigeons at Gangaur Ghat, on the shore of Udaipur’s Lake Pichola; fruit vendors at a street market in Udaipur. JAYAKUMAR APARNA

In a pavilion atop the fort’s roof, we attended a family yoga session that evening as the sun started dropping. Our patient teacher, Rina Bharati, demonstrated many animals poses for Leo and Stella, including cats, cobras, and (downward-facing) dogs. She played a quartet of brass and crystal singing bowls, and we all sat cross-legged in sukhasana, or easy position, to close the class. Then the vibrations came, filling our pavilion with waves of mesmerizing music that appeared to reach far beyond the roofs and fields below. 

I reflected on my first trip to Rajasthan as a traveler at the age of eighteen, reflecting on how much my life had changed and how much had changed in India. I reminisced about my youthful curiosity and lack of understanding of the world. As I watched the two tiny bodies next to me fidget and struggle to keep their eyes closed, I imagined they would only bring two things back from this trip: a feeling of wonder and perspective. Above everything, my greatest wish was that they would always have those items with them. 

An Indian safari lodge’s family suite

The Suján Sher Bagh family suite has two tents grouped around an exclusive pool. JAYAKUMAR APARNA

Plan a Family Vacation to Rajasthan

PHOTO: APARNA JAYAKUMAR

Mumbai

Taj Mahal Palace: Although the original Taj Hotel boasts an unparalleled location, recognizable architecture, and more amenities than you could ever need, what makes it stand out is the atmosphere. For a low-impact approach to exploring the sites, ask the concierge to arrange an e-carriage tour of the city’s historic southern area. Doubles the $421 amount.

Fabindia: A must-visit for souvenirs and weather-appropriate apparel, this cotton emporium is located in the Kala Ghoda district.

Agra

The Oberoi Udaivilas is a consistent reader favorite, and for good reason—the lakeside location and architecture are breathtaking, and the service is exceptional.

The Leela Palace: We had a fantastic meal at the Sheesh Mahal restaurant, which offers a variety of traditional Indian fare and has a view of Lake Pichola.

The Ganesh Emporium is a townhome resembling a labyrinth filled with antique crafts, artwork, and fabrics. Vipul Shah, the founder’s son, operates a modern womenswear store upstairs that features traditional Rajasthani textiles.

Shahpura

Shahpura Bagh: This charming 11-room hideaway, formerly a royal palace, is ideal for taking a hiatus from the trip between Udaipur and Jaipur. The former Maharajah and his family now manage it.

Jaipur

Rajmahal Castle RAAS: Now a chic 13-room hotel, this pink Art Deco castle once housed generations of Jaipur nobility. When the British monarchy visited in 1961, we stayed in the QEII Suite.

Opened in 2022, Villa Palladio is a luxurious hotel on the city’s outskirts designed by the same Swiss-Dutch team that created Bar Palladio. The hotel has a cute red antique automobile that guests may use to get a lift into town.

Bar Palladio: This opulent restaurant and lounge in the Hotel Narain Niwas Palace grounds has become renowned on Instagram for its blue-and-white interior design, and the actual thing more than lives up to the hype.

The Johri: Located in the center of the bustling Johari Bazaar, this elegant five-room hotel features a restaurant serving seasonal, organic vegetarian fare and a picturesque martini bar.

Anokhi: There’s a reasonable probability that this innovative brand produced the Indian cotton outfit you’ve always envied. Shopping for apparel and home textiles is recommended at Anokhi’s main store in Jaipur.

The Gem Palace: This well-known jewelry business, which has been in the same family since 1852, is a must-see when visiting Jaipur. The bottom floor features traditional and antique artifacts, while the second-story atelier features more contemporary designs.

The Ranthambore

Suján Sher Bagh: This 12-suite safari-style resort, from which visitors may go tiger-spotting in the neighboring national park, has something about it. Samandar Singh, our butler, was among the friendliest, most accommodating employees I’ve ever met at a hotel.

Barwara Fort

Six Senses Fort Barwara: This resort, housed in a renovated 14th-century palace, made headlines in India and abroad when it opened in 2021. The 48 apartments are modern and fresh, and as this is a Six Senses property, the wellness offerings are exceptional. The scenery is reminiscent of something from a fairy tale.

Delhi

The Leela Palace New Delhi: This opulent hotel in the beautiful Chanakyapuri district is highly recommended if you want to fly into or out of the Indian capital. Even though the hotel is close to many of the city’s landmarks, its opulent guest rooms and faultless service make it feel like an oasis.

How to Make a Reservation

Wild Frontiers: This expert on India can assist in creating a personalized, family-friendly schedule that includes immersive activities like miniature painting in Udaipur.

This story originally ran under “I Dream of India” in the December 2023/January 2024 edition of Travel + Leisure.

Conclusion

  • The family’s trip to Rajasthan, India, with their children offered a magical and unique experience filled with cultural immersion and unexpected adventures.
  • The article highlights the blend of traditional and modern experiences, from visiting historic palaces and engaging in miniature painting to encountering elephants and exploring vibrant markets.
  • The family booked their trip through Wild Frontiers, a U.K.-based company, and stayed at luxurious hotels like Taj Mahal Palace, Oberoi Udaivilas, Rajmahal Palace RAAS, Suján Sher Bagh, and Six Senses Fort Barwara.
  • The travel itinerary included Mumbai, Agra, Shahpura, Jaipur, Ranthambore, and Delhi, showcasing the diverse attractions and rich heritage of Rajasthan, making it an ideal family vacation destination.

The collection includes swimwear, pajama sets, sweaters, wide-leg slacks, cashmere cardigans, bombers, and blazers.

The third installment of Frame’s partnership with the Ritz Paris Hotel is set to launch on Wednesday, according to the Los Angeles-based design business.

Cofounder and chief creative officer of Frame, ErikTorstensson,n has previously incorporated the Ritz logo into shoes, hoodies, and baseball hats. With bombers, blazers, and wide-leg pants, the collection has transitioned into ready-to-wear for its third edition. In addition, cashmere cardigans and sweaters, pajama sets, swimwear, and other things are adorned with the hotelier’s renowned crest.

Taking a cheeky jab at the “Do Not Disturb” hotel sign, the businesses have designed bombers and sweaters with the phrase “Privacy Please” printed on them.

Photo: FRAME

The 37-piece limited-edition collection, which ranges in price from $98 to $1,498 on frame-shop.com and the concept store at the Ritz Paris, will go on sale on November 29.

When we began our relationship three years ago, it was unusual to take the premium hotel brand and create a collection. We had anticipated it would be a friends’ cult project, but the tremendous commercial success surprised us. A far more refined look at wardrobe essentials in the Frame x Ritz Paris design can be found in Part 3. Every item, from the most abundant slippers to the quilted leather bomber, is sophisticated enough to instantly take you to a suite at Place Vendôme—a reservation is not required,” stated Torstensson.

Photo: FRAME

“This latest capsule collection proves the extraordinary success of our 2021–2022 partnership with Frame. It blends this well-known American brand’s modern, upscale look with the classic elegance of Ritz Paris. ”  A sophisticated yet laid-back capsule that will catch the eye of discerning fashion enthusiasts,Ritztz Paris general manager Laurent Herschbach stated.

Conclusion

  • Frame’s third drop in collaboration with Ritz Paris, set to release on November 29, features a diverse collection including swimwear, pajama sets, sweaters, wide-leg slacks, cashmere cardigans, bombers, and blazers.
  • Cofounder and chief creative officer Erik Torstensson has integrated the Ritz logo into various items, evolving the collection into ready-to-wear for its third edition.
  • The 37-piece limited-edition collection, priced between $98 and $1,498, showcases a refined blend of modern, upscale aesthetics from Frame with the classic elegance of the Ritz Paris.
  • The collaboration, which began three years ago, has evolved into a highly successful venture, with the latest capsule collection emphasizing a sophisticated yet laid-back style for fashion enthusiasts.

Robbie and Di Caprio were well-known attendees at the Gotham Awards, and the actress has joined Burberry as an ambassador.

On Wednesday, the British luxury company announced Tang’s hiring and shared photos of her alongside a green pond, taken by Ryan McGinley, wearing a trenchcoat with a faux-fur collar from the brand’s winter 2023 collection. Round-toe boots, a little shearling, and a blue, rough calf leather Knight bag complemented her ensemble.

Regarding her new position, Tang remarked, “Having known Burberry for many years, it feels as though we’ve become old friends, with its influence woven deeply into my life.”

“I sincerely appreciate this long-lasting friendship. Burberry has such a unique grasp of color and line that conveys familiarity and surprise, which I appreciate. I’ve grown to know and admire its quintessential British charm mixed with a timeless but rebellious contemporary vibe. Our union was ordained by fate. I would want to see this friendship develop because it’s like a rose, Tang continued.

Photo: BURBERRY/RYAN MCGINLEY

Regarded as one of the most renowned Asian actresses of her century, Tang has won several significant honors since making her silver screen debut in Ang Lee’s sensual historical espionage picture “Lust, Caution.” 2007, the film won the Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival.

Her career reached new heights with the South Korean film “Decision to Leave,” which won the best director prize at the 75th Cannes Film Festival the previous year.

Her depiction of Song Seo-rae, a Chinese immigrant suspected of killing her husband, who subsequently fell in love with detective Jang Hae-jun (Park Hae-il), the main character who was looking into the case, helped her win twelve significant awards in Asia and abroad.

In China, where the brand faces similar challenges as its peers due to a macro slowdown in demand caused by rising interest rates, cost of living pressures, and consumers’ more conservative mindset, Tang’s appointment is expected to help the brand raise awareness and desirability around Lee’s new direction.

Comparable store sales in mainland China increased by 15% in the first half, with the first three months accounting for the improvement. Burberry claims that sales in the area decreased by 8% during the second quarter due to expenditure shifting outside.

The affluent, roaming Chinese shoppers who have been spending their cash in Japan (where the exchange rate is advantageous) and in resorts like Hong Kong and Macao have been the driving force behind the overall 25% growth in the Chinese shopper cluster in the three months leading up to September 30.

During an earnings call, Burberry’s chief financial officer, Kate Ferry, stated that while demand from Chinese tourists traveling overseas is still strong, the slowdown in mainland China has “extended” into the current quarter.

Tang was the face of Loewe in China before joining the Burberry family, where she collaborated with Chinese actor Chen, Thai star Bright, South Korean actress Jun Ji-Hyun, soccer player Son Heung-Min, and actress Chen from South Korea on video material and red carpet appearances. — ZHANG TIANWEI

Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper, Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, Penélope Cruz, Laura Dern, Greta Lee, Carey Mulligan, Michel Williams, Bella Ramsey, A.V. Rockwell, Andrew Scott, Steven Yeun, Cailee Spaeny, Greta Gerwig, Willem Dafoe, Colman Domingo, Bob Odenkirk, Ali Wong, Danielle Brooks, Rebecca Hall, and Nicole Beharie were among the celebrities in attendance. 

Photo: BRYAN BEDDER FOR VARIETY

When Song accepted the night’s grand prize, she addressed the audience, saying, “This is actually the first film I’ve ever made. It’s a very personal film about an extraordinary feeling I had in an ordinary bar in the East Village, not too many blocks away from here.”

A number of the biggest blockbuster movies of the year, such as “Barbie,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” and “Maestro,” were also honored. 

While performing for “Barbie,” Gerwig and actress Robbie said, “We had the absolute best time from beginning to end making this film, [where] every day felt like the most euphoric collective expression of creativity I’ve ever been part of.”

“It has truly been a dream come true to have people show up to the movie theater dressed in pink from all over the world,” Robbie remarked.

Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio at the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards, November 27, 2023, New York City, at Cipriani Wall Street.

On November 27, 2023, in New York City, Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone attended the 33rd Annual Gotham Awards hosted at Cipriani Wall Street. NINA WESTERVELT FOR WWD Gladstone urged the big-budget filmmakers in the audience to “invest it in the people that you are telling the story about” while onstage with the actors of “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Your lives and your movies will both benefit from it.

The highlight of the evening was De Niro’s address when he introduced the “Killers of the Flower Moon” cast. He abruptly paused in the middle of his speech to say that his original speech had been trimmed to leave out references to Donald Trump, censorship, and treatment of Native Americans.

Photo: BRYAN BEDDER FOR VARIETY

“History is no longer history. True isn’t always true. Breaking from the teleprompter, De Niro read from his phone, “Even facts are being replaced by alternative facts and driven by conspiracy theories and ugliness.”The entertainment sector is not exempt from this rotten illness. John Wayne, the Duke, is credited with saying, “I don’t feel we did wrong in taking this great country away from Native Americans.”

The audience cheered De Niro on whenever he deviated from the plan. Melton’s victory for supporting actor was undoubtedly the most moving moment of the evening (it’s worth noting that the last two years’ recipients of the Gotham for this category, Troy Kotsur and Ke Huy Quan, have gone on to win the Oscar). 

“This is amazing, but it’s heavy.” Melton, looking embarrassed, stated from the podium, “I just think about the 23 days in Savannah, Georgia that we spent filming, and it’s the greatest experience of my career.” “Mom, I love you too.” — LEIGH NORDSTROM

Conclusion

  • Actress Tang Wei has been announced as a new ambassador for Burberry, expressing her long-standing connection with the brand and highlighting its unique British charm.
  • Tang Wei, renowned for her roles in films like “Lust, Caution” and “Decision to Leave,” is expected to boost Burberry’s brand awareness in mainland China amid challenges in the market.
  • The 33rd Annual Gotham Awards saw a star-studded attendance, with celebrities like Leonardo DiCaprio, Margot Robbie, and Robert De Niro present.
  • Robert De Niro’s speech at the event took an unexpected turn as he addressed issues of historical misrepresentation, censorship, and the treatment of Native Americans in the film industry.

NEW YORK (AP) The most dramatic moment of the first Gotham Awards on Monday night was Robert De Niro’s political speech, which the actor claimed had been changed without his consent. Celine Song’s melancholic romance “Past Lives” took top honors.

After taking home the best feature picture prize at the Gothams, “Past Lives,” which debuted at the Sundance Picture Festival in January and became an arthouse blockbuster for A24 in June, might be a dark horse for this year’s Oscar race. Strong feelings are felt for Song’s feature film debut, which stars Greta Lee as a Seoul-born lady who, after marrying an American (John Magaro), gets back in touch with her South Korean childhood friend (Teo Yoo).

Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

When Song accepted the prize, she remarked, “This is the first film I’ve ever made and a very personal film about an extraordinary feeling I had in an ordinary bar in the East Village, not too many blocks away from here.” “This film has taught me and all of us that you’re never alone in that extraordinary feeling as it has been shared with the world.”

On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, at the Cipriani Wall Street for the Gotham Independent Film Awards, Celine Song poses with the best feature trophy.

On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, at the Cipriani Wall Street for the Gotham Independent Film Awards, Celine Song poses with the best feature trophy.

Though “Past Lives” was the clear favorite, things went awry when De Niro—who starred in Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon”—took the stage to give the movie a commemorative award. As he was speaking, De Niro saw that something had been left off of the teleprompter. He finished his speech, tried to scroll back through, and went back to reading from his phone.

“My speech was edited, with the beginning removed,” De Niro said. “I was unaware of it.”

Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Known for his vehement criticism of the outgoing president, Donald Trump, De Niro went on to discuss America’s “post-truth society” and chastised Hollywood, especially John Wayne, for their previous portrayals of Native Americans.

“During his four years in office, the former president lied to us more than 30,000 times, and he’s keeping up the pace with his current campaign of retribution,” De Niro declared. He is unable to conceal his soul behind all of his falsehoods. He denigrates nature, assaults the defenseless, and displays his disdain by, for instance, calling Pocahontas a liar.

After “Killers of the Flower Moon” was released, De Niro appeared to hold Apple responsible for the alterations to his speech.

“So I’m going to thank Apple and say these things to them. Batmans. Blah, blah, blah. Apple. However, I don’t really feel like giving them credit for what they accomplished,” De Niro remarked. “Actually, how dare they do that?”

Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Late on Monday night, calls for a response from Apple were only answered after some time.

Even if Scorsese was unexpectedly absent, it was still a great night for his epic about the Osage murders in the early 20th century. Though not for that performance, Lily Gladstone, who plays Leonardo DiCaprio’s opposite in the movie, took home the Best Lead Performance award.

“I issue a challenge to all the filmmakers in this room: Invest. “Invest in people with your budget,” said Gladstone. “Make an investment in the people your narrative is about. It will improve your film. Your lives will improve as a result.

In its 33rd year, the Gotham Awards have surpassed most of the significant events preceding the Academy Awards. However, they have come to be known as the season’s first major event and a sneak peek at some of the favorites.

The Gotham Awards, presented by the Gotham Film & Media Institute and held at Cipriani Wall Street annually, are unique among award shows because of a few peculiarities. A tiny group of journalists, critics, and industry experts selects the prizes. Ten actors are nominated for lead performances and ten for supporting roles in their gender-neutral acting categories.

The best international film category was one of the most contested this year. There, Justine Triet’s courtroom drama “Anatomy of a Fall,” which won the Palme d’Or, defeated films including “Poor Things,” “All of Us Strangers,” and “The Zone of Interest.” Also winning for best script was Triet’s movie.

With four nominations, Andrew Haigh’s poignant metaphysical drama “All of Us Strangers,” which starred Andrew Scott as a screenwriter sent back into his youth while forging a bond with a neighbor (Paul Mescal), was the leading contender going into the Gothams but left empty-handed.

Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

Despite removing the $35 million budget restriction for nominations by the Gothams this year, many high-budget films chose not to submit. Awards season began more slowly due to the months-long Screen Actors Guild strike, but one of the first issues to be answered is if anything can match the polar opposite summer hits, “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, Greta Gerwig left, and Margot Robbie stand with their worldwide icon & creator homage trophies for “Barbie” at the Gotham Independent Film trophies at Cipriani Wall Street.

On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, Greta Gerwig left, and Margot Robbie stand with their worldwide icon & creator homage trophies for “Barbie” at the Gotham Independent Film trophies at Cipriani Wall Street.

Among the various tribute honorees were Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie from “Barbie.” During their joint statement, Gerwig stated that Noah Baumbach, her partner, learned that they were co-writing the film via a Variety piece that included both of them. Gerwig says he forwarded the piece to her with only a question mark.

“He replied, ‘It’s alright, let’s make each other laugh,'” continued Gerwig.

Charles Melton performed in Todd Haynes’ “May December ” and received the best supporting role. He portrays a young parent who was a juvenile when he initially started seeing his wife, Julianne Moore.

Teyana Taylor plays a single mother in A.V. Rockwell’s directorial debut, “A Thousand and One,” which took home the award for breakthrough director. She mentioned that every other nominee save her was a woman. “Just getting here is a fight,” she remarked.

“To be honest, when you look like this, it is really difficult to tell a culturally specific story,” stated Rockwell.

Photo: Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

The Tunisian documentary “Four Daughters,” directed by Kaouther Ben Hania and based on an accurate tale of a woman who had two radicalized kids, won best documentary. The disappearance is reconstructed in the film.

Presenting their breakthrough series under 40 minutes trophies for “Beef” at the Gotham Independent Film trophies at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York are Jake Schreier, left, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, and Lee Sung Jin.

Presenting their breakthrough series under 40 minutes trophies for “Beef” at the Gotham Independent Film trophies at Cipriani Wall Street on Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York are Jake Schreier, left, Steven Yeun, Ali Wong, and Lee Sung Jin. Images courtesy of Evan Agostini/Invision/AP

The Netflix series “Beef,” which starred Steven Yeun and Ali Wong as a couple embroiled in a quarrel following a road rage incident, took home the awards for both breakthrough series under 40 minutes and Wong’s performance in the TV category.

“I promise that ‘Beef’ is more than just Steven and me crying if you haven’t seen it yet.” Wong stated.

On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, Gideon Glick, left, Carey Mulligan, middle, and Bradley Cooper, pose in the winner’s room at the Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street.

On Monday, Nov. 27, 2023, in New York, Gideon Glick, left, Carey Mulligan, middle, and Bradley Cooper, pose in the winner’s room at the Gotham Independent Film Awards at Cipriani Wall Street.

The Gotham stage was guaranteed celebrity power thanks to tribute awards. These were awarded to Ben Affleck, director and costar of “Air,” George C. Wolfe, director of “Rustin,” Michael Mann, director of “Ferrari,” and Bradley Cooper, director, star, and co-writer of “Maestro.”

However, Affleck was not present. Instead, Alex Convery, the film’s screenwriter, took the prize.

Convery said, “Well, you thought you were getting Ben Affleck.” “I apologize.”

The Gothams have a mixed record for predicting future award-show success. Ke Huy Quan’s supporting actor bid began with this year’s first victory in “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” which became a runaway Oscar campaign. The previous year, “The Lost Daughter,” the Gotham winner, faltered throughout the campaign path, while “Nomadland,” the 2020 winner, made it to the Academy Awards.

Conclusion

  • Celine Song’s film “Past Lives” won the Best Feature Picture prize at the Gotham Awards, making it a potential dark horse in the upcoming Oscar race.
  • Robert De Niro claimed that his political speech at the awards was altered without his consent, criticizing the outgoing president and Hollywood’s portrayal of Native Americans.
  • Lily Gladstone, who starred in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” won the Best Lead Performance award, urging filmmakers to invest in the people their narratives are about.
  • The Gotham Awards, known as a precursor to the Academy Awards, also honored other films like “Anatomy of a Fall,” “Beef,” and tribute awardees such as Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, and Bradley Cooper.

As a travel writer, I see that many lodging establishments try to capture the elusive sense of “home.” Of course, that’s a noble objective, but sometimes, you only want a capital-V vacation. Thus, while a decent hotel might provide you with the comforts of home, a fantastic hotel can provide you with something much better: a sense of community in a completely renovated, modern, and distinctive setting. That is precisely what the new Rosewood Munich accomplishes.

During drinks at the property’s October launch celebration, Radha Arora, president of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts, said, “Munich hasn’t seen this before — a hotel with a vibe.” With all the artists we feature, the hotel “speaks to the community and place,” he continued. We are relatively confident about this place.  

The current state of Rosewood Munich represents the result of a ten-year endeavor. And it’s as unique as you would anticipate from ten years of labor. 

Rosewood Munich’s Prinzessin August House bathroom

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

The foyer, 132 guest rooms, Brasserie Cuvilliés restaurant, Asaya Spa, and other areas are all decorated with soft earth tones, light woods, royal blue accents, and opulent emerald green velvet furniture that you can’t help but touch. This includes the hotel’s flagship Maximillian Suite, which has a full kitchen and soaking tubs in every bathroom. Named after a royal Bavarian dynasty, it boasts almost 2,500 square feet of living space and starts at over $25,000 per night. Tara Bernerd & Partners, who collaborated with Munich-based architectural company Hilmer Sattler to create the most opulent but welcome room conceivable, is responsible for all these glitzy décor details. 

Bernard said, “Rosewood Munich is our first project in Germany with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts and is a key moment for us.” We have aimed to incorporate a modern interpretation of Baroque architecture with a sophisticated residential design. In this lively and diverse city, this refined feeling of refinement will offer a space for distinguished visitors and residents to mingle.

Seating area at the Rosewood Munich lobby

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

The Rosewood Munich seems lived in, even though it still has the fresh hotel scent. It’s large but comfortable. As you stroll through the common areas, you’re sure to run into both new and old friends getting together over delicious chocolates that are laid out on the table, visitors reading books while relaxing on the soft chairs by the picture windows, and maybe even a four-legged friend or two stretching out like they owned the space. 

One location, though, that you might or might not see when visiting the hotel is 100B; it’s an uber-exclusive and incredibly exclusive speakeasy. I will only ruin a few details here since discovering will only be a few half the joy. I did, however, get a good look at 100B, which is tucked up someplace close to the bar. With its dark lighting, deep red leather furniture, and scarce spirits behind the bar—including a couple of bottles of Pappy Van Winkle that would make any whiskey enthusiast go bonkers—it’s as sultry as it gets. Do you want to enter? Attempt befriending a hotel bartender. They may divulge the location and the secret code. Just know that when you inquire about 100B, they are supposed to remain exclusive, so don’t be shocked if they give you a confused look.

Here is my whole assessment of the new Rosewood Munich, along with other information you may find helpful.

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

The hotel features 59 suites and 73 roomy guest rooms, including five luxurious homes that are large, apartment-style lodgings perfect for large parties or longer stays. The price ranges for entry-level rooms are between €700 and €2,750 (about $740 to $2,904), suites are between €1,200 and €4,650 (roughly $1,267 to $4,910), and homes are between €4,300 and €35,000 (roughly $4,540 to $36,954). Each apartment offers a beautiful view of Munich’s internal courtyard or skyline. You can anticipate custom furniture, minibars stocked with regional delicacies, and marble bathrooms featuring shampoos scented with rosemary that will make your hair smell better than ever. 

Rosewood Munich’s Spa Assaya Spa

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

The hotel’s mountain environs inspire much of the design and treatments offered at the Asaya Spa. Indulge in holistic therapies here with items from Ground Wellbeing, Dr. Barbara Sturm, OTO, and EviDenS de Beauté. Six treatment rooms, two saunas, steam rooms, and an indoor pool are all included in the 1,300-square-foot spa. I suggest making an appointment for The Aufguss Journey, an aromatherapy-based 120-minute treatment that consists of three stages: a body scrub, a wrap, and a massage. I like that the treatment preserves the crucial “sense of place” Rosewood is known for by combining natural pine and spruce. 

Food and Drinks Rosewood Munich’s Bar Montez interior

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

Cuvilliés is responsible for introducing more great dining to Rosewood Munich. The restaurant serves dishes centered around regional foods, such as lamb from a breeder in Jochberg, which is only two hours away, and Helmut Schlader Alpine caviar, which are available to visitors and residents. The cuisine highlights include wiener schnitzel, and bite-sized steckerlfisch (grilled fish) served with spinach dumplings. Don’t forget to try the Celeriac Cream Soup as an appetizer, though. Made with white balsamic, truffle, and spices, it’s the ideal way to start a decadent dinner. 

After your last dinner, head to Bar Montez, where you can enjoy live jazz musicians strumming in the corner while sipping a custom drink, wine, or local beer. 

Things to Do and Things Seen

The hotel has a specialized concierge service to help visitors create custom itineraries. The group may assist with scheduling private guided tours via nearby institutions such as the Museum of Urban and Contemporary Art (MUCA) and trips to notable locations like the Nymphenburg Palace or more exhilarating events like BMW Driving Tours. 

Rosewood Munich’s Wintergarten

Family-friendly Products and Services

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

The hotel also welcomes children with open arms. The concierge staff is pleased to arrange special events for them, such as crafts and culinary lessons in the area. To allow parents to enjoy a night out without their children, the hotel is also pleased to help with babysitting services.

Sustainability and Accessibility 

The Rosewood Munich features a ground-floor elevator for convenient access in and out of the building and three ADA-compliant rooms. Regarding sustainability, 1,500 tons of metal, cables, copper pipes, reinforced concrete, and glass were among the 96 percent of demolition components recycled during hotel construction and used in the new building. Like other Rosewood establishments, this hotel adheres to the company’s “Relationship Hospitality” concept, which calls for strong links with regional vendors to lessen the environmental impact of the supply chain. The most remarkable feature is the trash-to-energy bins in the brasserie kitchen, which power a portion of the eatery.

How to Get the Best Deal at Rosewood Munich’s Entrance

PHOTO: ROSEWOOD MUNICH

At Rosewood, several methods exist to get the most out of your deal. If you reserve one of the Rosewood Escapes, you’ll receive complimentary breakfast for two, free use of the fitness center, and free admission to Asaya Spa. There’s also the More Rosewood Offer, with free admission to Asaya Spa and a complimentary third night for every two consecutive paid nights. The Suite Sojourn is the last option; it offers access to the spa and fitness center and a 20 percent discount off the best available rate at the hotel.  

Conclusion

  • The newly opened Rosewood Munich offers a unique blend of modern luxury and community ambiance, reflecting a decade-long effort to create a distinctive and welcoming space in the heart of the city.
  • The hotel boasts 132 guest rooms, including the opulent Maximilian Suite, designed with soft earth tones, royal blue accents, and luxurious velvet furniture, providing a comfortable yet lavish atmosphere.
  • The exclusive speakeasy, 100B, adds a touch of mystery to the experience, tucked away near the bar with sultry décor, leather furniture, and rare spirits, accessible by befriending a hotel bartender.
  • With 59 suites, 73 spacious guest rooms, and five luxurious homes, Rosewood Munich offers a range of accommodation options, each featuring custom furniture, regional delicacies in minibars, and marble bathrooms with rosemary-scented shampoos. The Asaya Spa, inspired by the surrounding mountains, provides holistic treatments, and the dining options at Brasserie Cuvilliés and Bar Montez showcase regional cuisine and live jazz performances. The hotel is also family-friendly, sustainable, and offers various deals and packages for guests.

The Wall Street Hotel wasn’t even open for business until June 2022, but by the time Travel + Leisure announced the 2023 World’s Best Awards the following summer, people were gushing about it. “Excellently crafted,” someone said. Perfect service, according to someone else. “Amazing new addition to NYC’s downtown”

While in town to celebrate the award winners, I knew I wanted to check it out for myself because it’s not typical for a hotel to amass the kind of following that makes it the top hotel in a city like New York in only its first year.

Despite the fact that New York is my hometown, I’ve been in hotels all across the city since moving to Los Angeles over five years ago. Admittedly, my mental picture was of a tiny, dim, and strictly business hotel in the Financial District. Late on a Monday night, I arrived at FiDi with my fiancé, and I noticed a lightness I hadn’t felt before. The atmosphere was a little more lighthearted than anticipated, the decor was elegant yet whimsical, and the halls were warm and bright. I felt strangely comfortable after a lengtripaveand wasl and ready for an early morning of meetings. 

Well-considered design produces a sophisticated yet cozy and homey atmosphere.

Locals and hotel visitors alike congregate at the friendly lounge on Pearl, which serves martinis.

Bar carts filled with snacks and Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers are among the in-room amenities.

Inside the Tontine Building, a real-life example of New York Stock Exchange history, you may find it.

New York Harbor is better protected because of a collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project.

Seating at the reception area

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

Our 800-square-foot Otto Suite had a sitting space with light gray couch and blue velvet chairs that echoed the hue of the flower artwork behind it thanks to pastel-colored pillows. The marble bathroom had a shower that felt as large as my old flat in the city, as well as a separate soaking tub. I smiled at the unexpected face painted on a lampshade and at the minibar delights arranged on two floors of a jovial bar cart.

The Lounge on Pearl, the lobby bar, had just closed for the evening, but I had a sneaking suspicion that we would be there for a few hours at least, sipping martinis on its scallop-backed chairs with friends and coworkers. I had more than one suspicion. My immediate hypothesis about what attracted T+L readers to this hotel was that it’s a place that gives you a sense of being a part of the downtown buzz while also providing a break from this area of the city, which can be busy during the day and occasionally too quiet at night, despite being incredibly convenient for business travelers. 

Pearl Lounge: Martinis and oysters

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

It turns out that the key lies in one family’s talent for capturing the glitz and glitter of old New York via a relaxed Australian perspective. Or, to put it another way, this is where “Old World luxury” meets “Australian approachableness,” according to James Paspaley, executive director of Paspaley Pearling Group, the family-owned firm that owns Australia’s oldest pearling enterprise and its first hotel, The Wall Street. 

The group’s general manager of properties, Nick Hanigan, told T+L, “The Paspaley family had a vision to create a familial space that would capture the favorite moments of their own travels.” “We blended the laid-back Australian vibe with the allure of New York architectural design.” 

It’s the Australians’ job to teach FiDi how to relax. 

The Background

The hotel’s location at the intersection of Pearl Street and the Paspaley family’s history are noteworthy. Otto Gerdau & Co., an import-export business, purchased the original Tontine Coffee House in the 1930s. This building was the first to house the New York Stock Exchange in the late 18th century.

Under Allan Gerdau’s direction, Otto Gerdau & Co. began to grow and established a natural pearl farm in Australia with the goal of exporting flawless pearls. The Paspaley family, the company’s biggest Australian pearling rival, purchased Gerdau’s estate, which included the Tontine Building, in 1989, a few years after he passed away. They turned the structure into their first hotel thirty-two years later.

In addition to being a clear symbolic tribute to our legacy as pearlers, Hanigan noted, “it allowed us to share with our guests the rich fabric of our hotel’s history.” Old and fresh historical photos, as well as a few pictures from family albums, may be found in the halls of the floors. Even Pearl Martinis are served to guests in the Lounge on Pearl.

Interior guest room with a king bed 

The Chambers

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

The 180 rooms and suites of the Wall Street Hotel range in size from 290 to 800 square feet, and each is designed to feel “familial,” according to Paspaley. Think of it as a “luxurious home away from home with residential touches.” The ancient buildings of Wall Street and the river were visible from our Otto suite. 

Bang & Olufsen Bluetooth speakers are provided for entertainment, Frette linens adorn the beds, and marble bathrooms include heated floors and Acqua di Parma bath products—my particular favorite. Suites provide areas for relaxing and working, and families may easily spread out with the option of connecting rooms.

Interior Great Pearl Suite living space

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

“To add softer touches to the heavy masculine image of Wall Street, we led with a female muse for the rooms and décor,” Paspaley continued. “To make sure all the tiny things that make traveling easier are present, our board looked over each room, item by item. A guilt-free minibar, convenient gadget charging, and a few little indulgences.

The unique Great Pearl Suite, located on the 14th floor, promises to provide exceptionally restorative sleep on a Bryte Balance mattress.

Eatery and Beverage

It’s not simple to design a hotel lobby bar that New Yorkers want to spend their evenings in, but Lounge on Pearl succeeds in doing just that. The space has swiftly gained popularity among residents and hotel visitors because to its cityscape murals, marble fireplace, mixed-print furnishings, and bright selection of liquors behind a bar that is centered around martinis.

Almost immediately, I understood Paspaley when he said, “I love to unwind with a Manhattan in the Lounge after a busy day and fall back into the mood of the hotel and slow down from the pace of the city.” My fiancé and I looked forward to getting together at Lounge on Pearl to unwind after exhausting workdays since it rapidly became our secure home base. Several T+L editors made the special effort to come back downtown for drinks and a debriefing following an exhilarating World’s Best Awards launch party. 

Private meal at La Marchande 

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

Before dinner at La Marchande, the lounge is the ideal spot to start the evening with an aperitif and, if you’re lucky, live music. John Fraser, the chef behind NYC’s Michelin-starred Dovetail and Nix, skillfully crafts the contemporary cuisine for the French chophouse-style restaurant. Amy Racine, Esquire’s 2021 beverage director of the year, curates the wide wine list with a French bent. Like the rest of the hotel, it’s fashionable without taking itself too seriously, as seen by the French onion dumplings and drunken mignonette, an oyster accompaniment enhanced with vodka. The candlelit environment strangely works equally well for a date or a business meal. 

Activities and Facilities

The hotel’s luxurious, compact gym is equipped with Rogue exercise equipment, Peloton bikes, Mirror—the beloved interactive exercise screen that Lululemon currently owns—and everything you need to do yoga or even CrossFit. 

Free bike and scooter rentals are provided for visitors to explore the city, and valet parking is offered around-the-clock. Anything from private pilates to a hot shave to childcare may be arranged by a well-curated concierge service. Pets are allowed, and upon request, bowls, beds, and toys can be found in the rooms. 

The hotel also has event areas, such as a rooftop with a classy private bar and breathtaking views, that are ideal for conferences, meetings, and weddings.

Sustainability and Accessibility

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

All aspects of The Wall Street Hotel’s operations, from daily attempts to reduce the use of non-renewable resources and carefully manage waste and water, to building and design that made use of salvaged local materials, are driven by the fundamental goal of sustainability. The restaurant and bar focus using sustainable suppliers and don’t use single-use plastics. 

The hotel’s collaboration with the Billion Oyster Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to rehabilitating New York Harbor’s oyster reefs, is perhaps its most noteworthy arrangement. Join in the fun by purchasing presents inspired by oysters, like as the half-shell bottle opener found on each minibar, with a part of the sales going to the charity. Additionally, a donation can be made at the time of checkout. Take an instructive tour of the neighboring Governors Island, home of the Billion Oyster Project, for a chance to become involved firsthand.

The lobby entrance, registration desk, and all on-site food and beverage establishments are accessible. Reservations for ADA-compliant rooms may be made by calling 212-688-9255 or sending an email to [email protected]. Both wheelchairs and valet parking for accessible cars are provided upon request.

Bathroom of the Carnegie Suite

Photo: THE WALL STREET HOTEL

The hotel is well located for those with business obligations in the Financial District and has good subway connections to the rest of the city, situated on the historic corner of Wall Street and Pearl Street.

Walking distance away are the Seaport District, which is home to the Tin Building, where chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened his popular dining hall, Pier 17, one of the most picturesque concert venues in the city, and Manhattan’s only Ipic theater. Stone Street is a charming cobblestone stretch that is pedestrian-only during the warmer months.

Conclusion

  • The Wall Street Hotel was voted the No. 1 hotel in NYC in the 2023 World’s Best Awards by Travel + Leisure readers, just a year after its opening in June 2022.
  • The hotel, owned by the family behind Australia’s oldest pearling enterprise, combines Old World luxury with a relaxed Australian perspective, creating a familial space capturing the glitz of old New York.
  • With a prime location at the intersection of Pearl Street, the hotel offers a mix of luxurious rooms and suites, each designed with a “familial” feel and residential touches, showcasing a blend of Wall Street’s history and Australian charm.
  • The hotel emphasizes sustainability in its operations, collaborates with the Billion Oyster Project to rehabilitate New York Harbor, and provides accessible facilities, making it an attractive and environmentally conscious choice for business and leisure travelers alike.

A Bavarian castle amidst the grapes, u-pick farms, rich Indigenous heritage, several events, and an incredibly gorgeous scenery are just a few of the reasons to visit this little portion of British Columbia’s wine area.

More than half of all wine produced in Canada is made on the 4,000 acres of vines that make up Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country in British Columbia’s South Okanagan Valley. Housed inside that area is Nk’Mip Cellars, the first Indigenous-owned and run winery in North America, headed by winemaker and member of the Osoyoos tribe Justin Hall. The area’s varied ethnic mix contributed to its formation via its understanding of agriculture and winemaking traditions. 

Some even have restaurants on site, such as Kismet Estate Winery, where guests may enjoy traditional Native Canadian food coupled with their wines from British Columbia. Veteran Napa winemaker Mark Beringer adds his touch to Phantom Creek’s winemaking. Beyond his insightful analysis of this nascent region, Phantom Creek has a secret wine cave where visitors may dine in style beneath a specially commissioned Chihuly artwork meant to symbolize the winery’s development. 

According to Jennifer Busmann, executive director of Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country, “the diversity in terroir and all the microclimates” is what sets Oliver Osoyoos apart from other Canadian wine areas and makes it an undiscovered treasure. Within a little area, exquisite pinot noir may be grown, while a mile away, world-class syrah can be found. Across the valley, three vineyards cultivate world-class cabernet franc. 

Additionally, you can now monitor which of the 50 wineries and tasting rooms you’ve visited by collecting stamps on a digital passport. This allows you to access exclusive events, deals, and prizes. Here’s how to arrange a visit to the lesser-known wine area of Canada.

Top Resorts and Hotels

The Watermark Beach Resort

Photo: Watermark Beach Resort

The condo-style accommodations at Watermark Beach Resort, just steps from Osoyoos Lake, come with large patios and views of the beach and mountains. Nestled on the shores of Canada’s warmest lake, the property boasts two swimming pools, outdoor hot tubs, a yoga/pilates studio, an on-site spa, and a marina, all of which contribute to its attractiveness. The award-winning vineyards are easily accessible from the central location, which also features a walking center with coffee shops and small boutiques.

Spirit Ridge Lake Resort

Spirit Ridge Lake Resort from above

Photo: SPIRIT RIDGE LAKE RESORT

The Nk’Mip winery’s Spirit Ridge Lake Resort is surrounded by Anarchist Mountain, Osoyoos Lake, and gently sloping vineyards, all situated among Canada’s sole desert, which is holy to the Osoyoos tribe. There are 226 adobe-style suites with large kitchens, warm fireplaces, and some that allow pets. Visit the Solterra Desert Spa to have a holy mud wrap, or try your skills at the Sonora Dunes Golf Course, which is located nearby. Through multisensory theatrical experiences, the displays at the Nk’Mip Desert Cultural Centre teach about the land, traditions, and the history of the country. Also for rent are cottages, an RV park, and a camping directly on the lake underneath the vineyard. 

Villas at Hester Creek

The six Hester Creek Villas include views of the South Okanagan Valley, orchards, and rows of wine vines. Beautiful sunrises over the vineyard, a handmade breakfast, and two electric car charging stations are all included in the Mediterranean-style rooms. Busmann remarked, “The menu at the on-site restaurant Terrafina is fantastic.” Additionally, you may enroll in culinary lessons and prepare cheese and charcuterie boards to savor on the terrace as your children play in the grass to live music. Hester Creek truly elevates each day into a memorable event. 

The Burrowing Owl Guest House

Sonora Room and Burrowing Owl Winery’s exterior

PHOTO: OLIVER OSOYOOS WINE COUNTRY

With ten roomy rooms, the Burrowing Owl Guest House is another establishment that Busmann suggests. Every room features a daily wine country breakfast, a private veranda with views of the 140-acre ecologically friendly vineyard, and a warm fireplace. Swim in the 82-foot outdoor pool or unwind in the all-season hot tub after a strenuous day of cycling among the vineyards. 

Top Activities

The Grape Festival

A guy trampling on grapes

PHOTO: OLIVER OSOYOOS WINE COUNTRY

The only grape stomp in Canada takes place in September each year at Oliver Community Park. Celebrate The Festival of the Grape with 50 wineries from throughout the region, food trucks, live entertainment, and an artisan market. “It’s family-friendly and reminds people that wine doesn’t have to be pretentious,” Busmann continued. A highlight of the event is the stomp, when teams fight to smash the most grapes, eerily reminiscent of the scene from I Love Lucy. We have a fantastic time, create memories, and break bread together.

A Half-Corked Marathon

Wine-fueled runners throng the roads in late May to compete in Canada’s most popular marathon, the renowned Half Corked Marathon. Winery stops throughout the 13.1-mile course, which travels through valleys, vineyards, and the Okanagan River, help to keep the good vibes going. Even T+L covered the event, writing, “You can still pop in to many of the valley’s wineries without a reservation, and tasting fees rarely top $10 CAD per person.” The article highlights the approachable and unpretentious character of wine tourism in the valley.

The Festival of Pig Out

A man at the Pig Out Festival preparing paella

PHOTO: OLIVER OSOYOOS WINE COUNTRY

Wine and grilled meats? Please say yes. Every May, the Pig Out Festival is a family-friendly occasion that highlights regional wines, fresh food, and leisurely outdoor activities. In further detail, Busmann stated, “We always incorporate a theme like ‘May the Pork Be With You,’ where everything was inspired by Star Wars.'” All of the meals are pork-focused. The setting is an outdoor vineyard with award-winning wine, fine food prepared by renowned Canadian chefs, and the juxtaposition of eating with your hands in a stunning vineyard. 

Venables Theatre

See a play at Venables Theatre, a contemporary community theater that hosts a variety of performing arts activities, including performances, dance, music, and programs for young audiences. “Venables Alive!” is available to visitors.”, a local artist series that runs from November to March and includes spoken word poets, actors, musicians, dancers, and comedians. 

International Cycling and Hiking Route

There are some stunning vistas from the International Hike & Bike Trail, whether you are seeking to travel on an e-bike, a regular cycle, or just a lovely strolling trail. The 12.5-mile track starts at the northern tip of Osoyoos Lake and winds past vineyards and farmland along the Okanagan River Channel. It is comparatively level, well-maintained, and accessible via the wooden bridge on Road 22. 

Top Dining Establishments 

Curry Bistro

The Masala Bistro at Kismet Winery is unlike anything else in Oliver. With views of the mountains, a charming vineyard surrounds the contemporary restaurant. Favourites from the traditional Indian menu include lamb vindaloo, butter chicken, tandoori-cooked entire fish, and much more. There is a recommended wine pairing for every meal, and the friendly staff can help you choose the right bottle. “They do some North Indian dishes, which we don’t see a lot of here, and it’s all outstanding,” Busmann continued, expressing his enthusiasm for this establishment. 

The Mexican Cantina TacoRiendo

Jany Lopez, a native of Mazatlán, Mexico, moved to the area in 2002. She and her husband opened TacoRienda in 2021, and ever since, the restaurant has been packed with patrons. Busmann brings diners from all over the world to this modest eatery. “I love it. I love to eat and eat and eat and eat and eat,” she said. The menu features hearty classics like tortas, tostadas, and tacos, and the portions are generous.

Phantom Creek Restaurant

The Founder’s Palette

Photo: PHANTOM CREEK WINERY

Visit Phantom Creek Estates for an opulent dining experience. The winery produces delicious bottles of Alsatian whites, single-vineyard Bordeaux reds, and varieties of viognier and syrah from certified organic vineyards. The glass-encased restaurant offers sweeping views of the vineyard, desert, and lake while serving up Indigenous-inspired dishes. For a truly unique dining experience, reserve a seat in the hidden wine cave for the Founder’s Cellar Experience, where guests dine beneath a specially created Chihuly sculpture that symbolizes the evolution of the winery.  

Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s Sonora Room 

The Sonora Room overlooks the 140-acre vineyard and features a seasonal menu filled with organic produce, artisan bread and cheeses, and thoughtfully prepared meats and seafood that highlight local farmers. The wine list rotates to include a selection of Burrowing Owl library wines no longer publicly available for sale alongside other Okanagan wines. At Burrowing Owl Estate Winery, you can feel the care that the locals have for conservation—every aspect is dedicated to preserving and growing the local population of burrowing owls.

Ideal Time to Go

Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country is blessed with an abundance of fall foliage. The sunny sky and comfortable temperatures create an ideal setting for riding among the vineyards, stand-up paddling on the lake, and strolling around the about fifty wineries. 

Harvest season begins in September, when Busmann said, “There’s melons, peaches, and apples. Tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers are coming alive.” There’s also the wine harvest, which occurs every September. Any day you visit a winery, you can participate in an informal interactive experience on the crush pad, where they sort or press grapes. September also hosts the annual Festival of the Grape.

“A springtime vineyard. British Columbia’s Okanagan area is in Canada. smoke produced by wildfires. heat-related fog. color picture that is horizontal. Scenery.”

Though many wineries provide unique events such as lighting up the vines, mulled wine pop-ups, and fondue parties against the background of snow-capped vineyards, Oliver Osoyoos’ winter season shouldn’t be discounted. The Half Corked Marathon in May delivers all the springtime fun.

How to Travel There

The closest airports to Oliver Osoyoos Wine Region are the regional Penticton Airport (30 minutes) and the Kelowna International Airport (one hour). Most visitors rent a car from these airports and drive the picturesque route to Oliver, British Columbia; it’s also easily accessible by car from major cities like Vancouver and other parts of Canada.e-bikes are also available at most resorts and hotels. Oliver’s downtown is very walkable and features lots of restaurants, boutiques, and coffee shops.

If you don’t want to rent a car, there is a bus service that travels between Kelowna and Oliver. Mountain Man Mike’s can be reserved for $40–$55, and the trip takes about 2.5 hours. If you arrive by plane in Penticton, there are routes to Oliver that Mountain Man Mike’s runs, or you can take a taxi ($65–$80, 35 minutes), or take the Line 40 bus ($2 fare, 40 minutes).

Using the estate’s opulent partners, visitors may now arrive at Phantom Creek Estate by private aircraft. 

Other Wineries You Shouldn’t Miss

Surreptitious Vineyard and Farm

Wine-tasting individuals

Photo: OLIVER OSOYOOS WINE COUNTRY

“Wine starts on the farm, and Gene and Shelly have done a variety of things over my lifetime of living here that leads the pack as far as sustainable practices,” Busmann said. Covert Farms Family Estate has been setting the standard for organic, regenerative agriculture since 1959. Covert offers immersive and educational experiences such as tours around the property in the red 1952 truck restored by Gene’s mom, tastings of their award-winning wines, and fields of u-pick fruit and vegetables.

vinAmité

The winemaker at vinAmité, Catherine Coulombe, is a trained chef who curates perfectly paired bites and charcuterie offerings in the wine lounge. Busmann continued, “The wines that they’re doing are amazing. Their pinot noir which has faded from the region is delicious. The unique wines, locations, and overall experience is just heartwarming.” The family-owned, ten-year-old winery has a secret weapon.

Nk’Mip Cellars

Nk’Mip Cellars, the first Indigenous-owned and operated winery in North America, is led by winemaker and member of the Osoyoos nation Justin Hall. Known for being the pioneers of riesling ice wine in the region, Nk’Mip has gone on to cultivate a portfolio of award-winning wines that reflect their dedication to preserving the land. The story of Nk’Mip, which has been around for 20 years, is one that is unique and unique in the world of wineries.

Rust Wine Co.

View from Rust Wine Co.’s wine tasting

OWNERED BY RUST WINE CO.

Similar to Oliver Osoyoos, Busmann describes Rust Wine Co. as “New Kids on the Block,” despite the fact that the vineyard and its facilities date back to 1973. “This one hasn’t quite been discovered yet, but they are getting lots of attention as their wines come online. Their zinfandel is especially impressive,” Busmann said. Rust Wine Co. has an outdoor patio, garden, and tasting room. Visitors can submit photos to be used as label material for bottles; creative rust shots from all over British Columbia and beyond are poured over to identify the shots that match specific varietals; the photographer’s name, subject, and location are then printed on the tag.  

Vineyards on Road 13

You know you’re in for something special when you roll up to the Bavarian castle, and Road 13 Vineyards delivers. You can even bring your dog along to relax in their “Barking Lot,” which is furnished with biscuits and cold water. Below the vineyard patio, rows of wine grapes fan out, and you can enjoy a variety of targeted tastings paired with their famous harvest boards.

How to Navigate

You simply must rent a car in order to fully enjoy your time here. The major car rental companies, such as Enterprise, Avis, Budget, and more, are available at Kelowna International Airport, and there are also kiosks for Budget and National in Penticton. Once in Oliver, there are several e-bike rental shops and e-bike wine safari tours. Busmann concurred that a rental car is essential, saying, “We don’t have the infrastructure for public transportation, but if you’re coming in the Spring, Summer, or Fall, you can enjoy the outdoors using e-bikes for short day trips. It’s physically beautiful riding or driving around the region.” 

In addition to the Wines of BC Explorer App, which offers information on grapes farmed, maps, dinner wine pairings, and more, don’t forget to download the Wine Country Digital Passport to assist with organizing your vineyard tours and experiences.

Conclusion

  • Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country in British Columbia’s South Okanagan Valley features 4,000 acres of vineyards, the first Indigenous-owned winery in North America (Nk’Mip Cellars), Bavarian castle aesthetics, and diverse terroir contributing to a variety of wines within a small area.
  • The region offers top resorts like Watermark Beach Resort, Spirit Ridge Lake Resort, Villas at Hester Creek, and Burrowing Owl Guest House, providing visitors with scenic views, spa experiences, and proximity to award-winning vineyards.
  • Notable activities include The Grape Festival, Half-Corked Marathon, Festival of Pig Out, Venables Theatre performances, and exploring the International Hike & Bike Trail, showcasing the region’s vibrant cultural and recreational offerings.
  • Top dining establishments such as Curry Bistro, The Mexican Cantina TacoRiendo, Phantom Creek Restaurant, and Burrowing Owl Estate Winery’s Sonora Room offer diverse culinary experiences complemented by local wines, enhancing the overall visit to the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country.

Where better than Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, where the Central Park Conservancy had its annual gala last night beneath glowing green lights among much more greenery? Given the show’s 20-year run on Broadway, the event’s theme this year, “A Night at Emerald City,” was appropriate. Wicked also provided a performance in addition to the Oz-themed decorations.

Photo: MATTEO PRANDONI

Celebrated as New York City’s backyard, the park drew over 400 visitors, including Martha Stewart and Tina Leung, to honor the Conservancy’s work of keeping it in good condition. In one evening alone, more than $1.3 million was raised to protect the landmark. According to a news release, Betsy Smith, president and CEO of Central Park Conservancy, expressed her happiness that everyone could get together this autumn to celebrate the organization’s efforts to protect New York’s most famous monument. “I am appreciative of the commitment of our patrons, employees, volunteers, and guests, who all contribute significantly to maintaining the park tidy, friendly, and accessible to all for many years to come.”

a bunch of individuals carrying balloons on a stage

Kara Lindsay and Talia Suskauer from Wicked performed a special.

Photo: MATTEO PRANDONI

Following dinner, Ivy Getty, Zach Weiss, Savannah Engel, Beverly Nguyen, and other well-known individuals co-chaired a dessert and dance for the Young Associates of the Conservancy. The festivities concluded with an after-party at Pebble Bar. Explore the event by navigating through the gallery provided below.

Conclusion

  • The Central Park Conservancy Gala honored the 20th anniversary of Wicked on Broadway at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park, featuring a theme of “A Night at Emerald City.”
  • The gala, which Harry Winston sponsored, brought in more than $1.3 million in a single evening to help the Central Park Conservancy preserve and maintain the famous park.
  • Notable attendees included Martha Stewart and Tina Leung, and the event celebrated the organization’s commitment to keeping Central Park clean, friendly, and accessible.
  • The evening included a special performance by Kara Lindsay and Talia Suskauer from Wicked, and after dinner, the Young Associates enjoyed dessert, dance, and an after-party at Pebble Bar.

The finest and most illustrious people in business, fashion, entertainment, the arts, politics, charity, and who knows what else were crammed into the Plaza’s ballroom this week. The moment? 36th Annual Power Luncheon by Citymeals on Wheels. 

The event, which honored fitness pioneer Joe Holder and philanthropic mainstay Barbara Tober, was emceed by Stephanie Ruhle of MSNBC and NBC News. It collected $1.5 million to provide 150,000 nutritional meals for homebound senior New Yorkers. 

Photo: Citymeals on Wheels

Attendees included Judith Zabar, Aerin Lauder, Huma Abedin, Fabiola Beracasa, Barbara Bush, Brett Heyman, Derek Blasberg, Leigh Lezark, Natalie Massenet, Kate Young, and more. Are you curious about who donned what to the lunchtime event in Uptown?

Photo: Citymeals on Wheels
Photo: Citymeals on Wheels

Conclusion

  • The Plaza hosted the 36th Annual Power Luncheon by Citymeals on Wheels, attracting notable figures from various fields like business, fashion, entertainment, arts, politics, and charity.
  • Fitness pioneer Joe Holder and philanthropist Barbara Tober were honored at the event, which raised an impressive $1.5 million to provide 150,000 nutritional meals for homebound senior New Yorkers.
  • MSNBC and NBC News host Stephanie Ruhle served as the emcee for the occasion, adding her presence to the gathering of influential individuals.
  • Attendees included prominent personalities such as Judith Zabar, Aerin Lauder, Huma Abedin, Barbara Bush, and others, making it a prestigious and impactful luncheon in support of a vital cause.

In addition to selling the company’s notebooks and other items, the 1,100-square-foot boutique in the former James A. Farley Post Office will have an artist studio. On Thursday, it is scheduled to be open to the public.

Milton Glaser, a graphic designer, created the state’s slogan in 1976, and the store has designed an “I Love NY” notebook to pay tribute to the artists in New York State. The original drawing he made on the back of the cab is part of the Museum of Modern Art’s permanent collection.  

For the Holidays, Bergdorf Goodman Unveils “Isn’t It Brilliant?”

There are three interactive sections in the Moleskine boutique. Customers may design their notebooks or planners at the customization center at the entryway.

After that is a library with gray concrete floors, wood bookcases, and black lacquered cabinets. Moleskine’s products, including writing instruments, writing sets, bags, and their recently announced partnership with the Californian graphite pencil manufacturer Blackwing, are available in that space. 

In the back of the artist’s studio, Moleskine has set up a workstation with sculptural notebook screens that block the way.

According to Daniela Riccardi, CEO of Moleskine, “We are very pleased to be opening this new flagship at Moynihan Station—a very special boutique as it will also be a supportive space for artists and creatives, in keeping with the core Moleskine tenet of empowering human genius and creativity.” “I’m sure people of all ages will fall in love with the gorgeous selection of Moleskine items and gifts that this boutique will offer.”

According to Giuseppe Rizzo, president of Moleskine North America, “the new Moleskine flagship boutique has an eye-catching design that matches the station’s aesthetic.” The stunning atmosphere that the station’s architectural beauty creates supports the next generation of creative geniuses at Moleskine.

Through the end of January, the artist studio is home to SoMad, an independent art space run by female and queer people.

Conclusion

  • Moleskine is set to open a 1,100-square-foot flagship boutique in the former James A. Farley Post Office, featuring an artist studio.
  • The boutique includes interactive sections such as a customization center for designing notebooks and a library showcasing Moleskine’s products and collaborations, including a partnership with Blackwing.
  • The artist studio within the boutique will host SoMad, an autonomous art space managed by female and queer individuals, until the end of January.
  • Moleskine’s CEO, Daniela Riccardi, emphasizes the boutique’s role as a supportive space for artists and creatives, aligning with the brand’s focus on empowering human genius and creativity.

The uncontested contemporary burlesque queen, Dita Von Teese, inaugurated her new residency, A Jubilant Revue, last Thursday. The 75-minute spectacle, which is being presented at the famed Jubilee Theater at the Horseshoe Las Vegas, is a chic tribute to Jubilee!, one of the most well-known revue shows on the Strip in Vegas and the final showgirl production of its sort, which ran from 1981 to 2016. Von Teese exclaims, “I was a huge fan of the Jubilee!” When I used to travel to Vegas, I would frequently visit it. I adored the diamonds and feathers, the luxury and extravagance. The $12 million costume budget was all by itself!

Examining Dita Von Teese's opulent New Vegas wardrobe in More Detail 
Photo: Pedro Zalba

Von Teese has completely new choreography, numbers, and designs in her performance but also uses parts of the original Jubilee! Show’s showgirl costumes and set pieces are a nod to the original production. Original costumes by Pete Menefee and Bob Mackie are included. According to Von Teese, “They were just locked up downstairs [in the Jubilee Theater], and I was like, ‘Can I use them?'” It was an excellent opportunity to showcase them once more. But instead of giving them a showgirl vibe, Von Teese added intimate touches like Swarovski crystal pasties to make them feel more like her. Von Teese declares, “I don’t fit into the showgirl [archetype].” “I’m excited about breaking free from the many constraints that have surrounded showgirls for the past ten years and showcasing the costumes—which were typically worn by extremely tall, thin women—in a new light.”

Bob Mackie’s original Jubilee costume

A novel group composed by Catherine D’Lish Captured by Fiestaban Photography

Examining Dita Von Teese's opulent New Vegas wardrobe in More Detail 
Photo: Pedro Zalba

The new, glitzy clothing was a collaboration between von Teese and her closest pals. One particular piece of clothing that stands out is Catherine D’Lish’s bodysuit for Von Teese, constructed of Swarovski fancy-cut crystals. “She’s been working with me for the past 23 years, and she creates the most incredible looks with Swarovski crystals,” Von Teese adds. The actress also dons two completely beaded Jenny Packham outfits, one in the color of a pink cowgirl and the other in white, tamed tigers. Von Teese claims that “she always turns it out for me.” However, All the shoes are custom-made Christian Louboutin heels; Von Teese is good pals with the renowned designer of red-soled footwear. Von Teese says, “We always enjoy coming up with ideas.” “They build a unique Dita heel just for me. He constructed the shoe’s rear, which curved inward sharply toward the ball of my foot. It has a very curved heel.

Pedro Zalba and Albert Sanchez depict Bob Mackie’s original Jubilee costume.

Photo: Pedro Zalba

Even though Von Teese is well-known for her lavish clothing, the residence fully immersed her in her outfits. Von Teese explains, “Normally, I’m building a show that travels around the world, and everything has to be made to travel.” “Staying in one place is amazing—we don’t have to pack up and head to the next city every night.” You would assume that she would require easily changed clothes, but Von Teese acknowledges that she never considers functionality while choosing clothes. She chuckles, “I don’t think practically at all.” Most of the time, I think, ‘How can we make this even more unrealistic? How can we complicate this further? I’ve always been fascinated with creating beautiful objects that are rarely seen in everyday life.

A fresh group led by Alexis Mabille Captured by Fiestaban Photography

Pedro Zalba and Albert Sanchez depict Bob Mackie’s original Jubilee costume.

The burlesque performer hopes that audiences will feel happy and imaginative after watching the performance, which runs until spring 2024. Von Teese claims that “there isn’t a show like this in Las Vegas.” I can’t wait for others to see it. I want them to experience inspiration and joy. She also intends to alter people’s perceptions of what showgirl and burlesque fashion should be. “I’ve always wanted to change people’s perceptions because striptease has such a bad reputation,” Von Teese explains. “I adore striptease; I’m not trying to sterilize it. I think it’s fantastic that a performance with a lot of sensuality and frivolity can still inspire people, especially when they see a variety of complexions and body kinds. It celebrates sexiness, sensuality, and eroticism without feeling guilty about it.

Conclusion

  • Dita Von Teese’s new residency, “A Jubilant Revue,” at the Jubilee Theater in Horseshoe Las Vegas pays tribute to the iconic Jubilee! show, incorporating original costumes and set pieces from the 1981-2016 production.
  • Von Teese collaborates with costume designers like Catherine D’Lish and Jenny Packham, incorporating Swarovski crystals and beaded outfits into her opulent wardrobe, showcasing a departure from traditional showgirl aesthetics.
  • The burlesque queen aims to break free from conventional showgirl stereotypes, adding intimate touches to the original costumes, and customizing Christian Louboutin heels to create a unique and personalized style.
  • With a residency lasting until spring 2024, Von Teese hopes to bring joy, inspiration, and a fresh perspective to Las Vegas entertainment, challenging stereotypes associated with striptease and celebrating diversity in body types and expressions of sensuality.

Park Magazine honored Dr. Barry Weintraub with an event at the David Nolan Gallery, a board-certified plastic surgeon with a practice located in the heart of New York on Fifth Avenue and 61st Street. Newsweek named Weintraub one of America’s best plastic surgeons in 2023 for facelifting.

Leading experts in the industry honored Dr. Weintraub by selecting him for inclusion in Newsweek’s yearly list of the Best Plastic Surgeons for 2023. Dr. Barry Weintraub, who has over 30 years of expertise and is board-certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is known for his remarkably natural-looking outcomes. Park Magazine chose Dr. Weintraub to be their Fall 2023 magazine cover publisher in recognition of his skill and patient-centered methodology.

Photo: Sabrina Steck

“Park Magazine is pleased to recognize Dr. Weintraub as one of the best plastic surgeons for 2023, as he is committed to giving his patients the best medical and plastic-surgical care,” said Christopher Pape, publisher of Park Magazine. He has a talent for producing the most elegant, age-appropriate looks while maintaining a sharp eye for natural beauty.

Danielle Gnatz, Rolise Rachel, Marsin Mogielski, and Elena Gibbs Gibbs Danielle Gnatz, Rolise Rachel, Marsin Mogielski, and Gibbs  GibbsGraytok Katia, Chaunu,and Thierry Graytokk Katia, Chand Thierry Ibrahimovicimovic TijanaIbrahimovic TijanaDr. Barry Weintraub, Anya Taylor-Joy, Dawne Marie Grannum, andbach  Spiesbach bach Barry Weintraub, Anya Taylor-Joy, Dawne Marie Grannu e SpiessbachAnna DiAnna DiDawn Marie GrannumDawn Marie GrannumSayej NadjaSayej NadjaNatalie Ross and Eric RossNatalie Ross and Eric RossGordon, VanessaGordon, VanessaRowland, LeesaRowland, LeesaNolan David and Branchini ValentinaNolan David and Branchini ValentinaMichael A. Weintraub and David NolanMichael A. Weintraub and David NolanMercedes D’Alessio Mercedes D’AlessioAndreassen KatherineAndreassen KatherineSofie MählkvisSofie MaňhlkviBrigitte SeguBrigitte Segura

Photo: Sabrina Steck

Dr. Barry Weintraub, along with Jill Sand, Christopher Pape, David Nolan, Eric Ross, Natalie Ross, Leesa Rowland, Sofie Mählkvist, Alan Brown, Luisa Diaz, Jose Castelo Branco, Tijana Ibrahimovic, Chloe Harrouche, Dr. Albert Levy, Katia Graytok, Thierry Chaunu, Carmen D’Alessio, Nadja Sayej, Brigitte Segura, Rolise Rachel, Marsin Mogielski, Elena Gibbs, and Danielle Gnatz were among the notable ones present.

About Barry Weintraub, M.D.

Often named one of Castle Connolly’s “Best Plastic Surgeons in America” and “Best Doctors in New York,” Dr. Weintraub values the principles he learned at Cornell during his medical school and plastic surgery fellowship, when compassion and patient care were valued almost religiously.

According to Dr. Weintraub, doctors should never forget that operating on a human being is a holy privilege and should treat patients with kindness and respect. Every patient is an individual with problems and worries from their own actual life. He says, “Surgery is not a horse race, and taking your time is essential to ensuring an outstanding, understated, and natural-looking result, as well as patient safety.”

Photo: Sabrina Steck

Please visit www.drbarryweintraub.com for additional details.

X/T: @barryweintraub; I: @drbarryweintraub; F: DRBarryWeintraub

LOCATION:

New York, NY 10065; 800A Fifth Avenue

T: (212) 737-7500

Concerning Park Magazine:

PARK is a premium magazine with a worldwide perspective, full of personality and sense. It is all about people, art, culture, and

Generosity. Chic, elegant, and past tense.

For further details, visit www.parkmagazineny.com.

X / Twitter: @parkmagazineny | I: @parkmagazineny | F: parkmagazineny | X

David Neale

Regarding the Gallery of David Nolan:

The Gallery was established in 1987 in New York City and specializes in modern and contemporary artwork from a variety of foreign artists from various eras and cultural backgrounds.

Conclusion

  • Dr. Barry Weintraub, a renowned plastic surgeon based in New York, was celebrated at the David Nolan Gallery for being recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s best plastic surgeons in 2023 for facelifting.
  • Weintraub, with over 30 years of experience and board-certification by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, is known for his natural-looking outcomes, leading to his inclusion in Newsweek’s yearly list of the Best Plastic Surgeons for 2023.
  • Park Magazine honored Dr. Weintraub by featuring him on the cover of their Fall 2023 edition, citing his skill and patient-centered approach to plastic surgery.
  • The event at the David Nolan Gallery included notable attendees such as Jill Sand, Christopher Pape, David Nolan, and others, emphasizing the recognition and respect within the industry for Dr. Barry Weintraub’s contributions to plastic surgery.

Despite what many people think, the Hamptons doesn’t close after Labor Day. 

Hell, this is the best time of year to live out east—not only is it less expensive, but fewer cars on the road and less entitled weekenders!

A short stroll off Bridgehampton’s little but charming main stretch, Topping Rose House, a white colonial masterpiece of a building, commemorates the season with an offer that’s just too wonderful to pass up. 

This winter, the hotel offers many roomy, stylish rooms and suites for just $150 per night to visitors who arrange a minimum 4-night stay! 

$150 per night? Too Good To Resist: Rose House's Winter Stay Special
Photo: Topping Rose House
$150 per night? Too Good To Resist: Rose House's Winter Stay Special
Photo: Topping Rose House

The costly package also includes access to the hotel’s gym, which offers daily fitness classes, Monday night cocktail receptions to celebrate the next week, breakfast each morning downstairs at Jean-Georges, invites to special holiday programs, and much more.

The following viral moment from Balenciaga was revealed (or, maybe, unrobed): a grey terry fabric towel is worn as a mid-rise, knee-length, unisex skirt. The item debuted online today from the label’s spring 2024 collection despite not seeming to have been shown on the runway during Paris Fashion Week. (It is also available in grey, black, and beige stone.) It has an internal belt and two buttons despite being made of towel material. The front of the skirt has an embroidered Balenciaga emblem, and strangely, that’s what makes this outfit stand out from every other grey bath towel. It’s also dry-clean only.

$925 to Make It Seem Like You Just Wound Up in the Shower
Photo: Monica Feudi / Indigital.tv

Unsurprisingly, the skirt sparked a lot of passionate comments on social media. One user commented on X, “Remember that this idea was pitched, managers approved it, someone made it, created the marketing for it, uploaded it on the website, and still no one thought this was a bad idea.” Another person said, “I can buy one that looks like that for $15 at Kmart.” Some, meanwhile, appeared to be here for the contentious item. One person said, “Oh, I will purchase,” while another said, “What is the Black Friday price? Requesting a companion.

Photo: Alessandro Lucioni

Furthermore, this could not even be a deliberate trick. Although many memes are already, Balenciaga is one of many to introduce towels as a high-fashion item. Prada, Fendi, and Ludovic de Saint Sernin wore towel skirts on the runways for spring 2020; Miu Miu and Acne Studios did the same in 2017 and 2015, respectively. Donatella Versace returned a set of terry cloth trousers with a butterfly motif from Gianni Versace’s 1995 collection in 2018. Marc Jacobs gave a towel dress published in the February 1989 edition of Vogue a sequined makeover.

Photo: Condé Nast Archive

Photographers and models have always captured the intimacy of dressing simply in towels. Models at varying stages of preparation have been featured in several previous editions of Vogue. In a 1954 photograph by John Rawlings, a model is shown posing with a white terry cloth towel wrapped over her head and wearing a strapless one-piece swimsuit. Furthermore, Veruschka was captured by Franco Rubartelli in 1967 using only an orange cloth and a string of beads. Additionally, Linda Evangelista and Patti Hansen have been captured by Arthur Elgort in various undressed poses, such as just out of the shower or after a skinny swim.

Although most people identify towels with women’s getting-ready (or not-so-ready) rituals, Balenciaga joins the long-standing custom of towel dressing, transforming the practise into a non-gender-specific activity for those willing to part with $925.

Conclusion

  • Balenciaga has released a controversial unisex skirt made from grey terry fabric towels as part of its spring 2024 collection, priced at $925.
  • The knee-length skirt features an internal belt, two buttons, and an embroidered Balenciaga emblem, standing out as a high-fashion item despite its bath towel material.
  • Social media reactions to the skirt varied, with some expressing disbelief at the concept and price, while others embraced the uniqueness of the item.
  • Towel-based fashion is not entirely new, as other luxury brands like Prada, Fendi, and Versace have incorporated towel skirts or clothing items in previous runway collections, highlighting the historical association of towels with dressing rituals.

Embark on an authentically French celebration to pay homage to Sézane & Laura Brown’s innovative new capsule collection. Mastering the art of being French — carefree, casually stylish, exuding the obnoxious ease and natural refinement of icons like Emmanuelle Alt or Jane Birkin — requires a skillful touch. However, achieving a level of French sufficiency? Now that’s a delightful and forgiving notion one might just be able to embody.

Supermodels, celebrities, and fashionistas descended at Gem Wine on Wednesday night to try on this new limited-edition capsule collection by Laura Brown and Sézane, which is all about this sartorial attitude. Celebrities including Christy Turlington, Naomi Watts, Brooke Shields, Rose Byrne, Sarita Choudhury, Beanie Feldstein, Jamie Chung, and others came out for the joyous, food-filled event

An Enough French Party To Honor Sézane & Laura Brown's Inventive New Capsule Collection
Photo: Sézane
An Enough French Party To Honor Sézane & Laura Brown's Inventive New Capsule Collection
Photo: Sézane
An Enough French Party To Honor Sézane & Laura Brown's Inventive New Capsule Collection
Photo: Sézane
Photo: Sézane

Conclusion

  • Sézane and Laura Brown collaborated on a limited-edition capsule collection celebrated at Gem Wine with a French-inspired party.
  • The event attracted supermodels and celebrities like Christy Turlington, Naomi Watts, Brooke Shields, Rose Byrne, Sarita Choudhury, Beanie Feldstein, and Jamie Chung.
  • The collection embodies a carefree and casually stylish French attitude reminiscent of iconic figures like Emmanuelle Alt and Jane Birkin.
  • The festive evening was filled with joy, featuring a food-filled celebration where attendees could try on the inventive new designs.

The Mark Chalet, an Alpine haven that sprouted up on the intersection of 77th and Madison Avenue, is the chicest après-shopping destination this winter. Warm up with a special menu of Swiss classics by Jean-Georges Vongerichten at this luxurious pop-up restaurant with wood paneling and fur drapes.

Salmon roe, horseradish, crispy celeriac, and potato rösti are served with slow-baked Arctic char, delicate squash and escarole salad, and veal Zurichoise with spätzle. A pot of melted Gruyère and Vacherin cheese, sourdough bread, broccoli, potato, apple, pear, and pickled cauliflower for soaking and stabbing is the centerpiece of this fondue feast. 

Photo: The Mark Hotel

And, of course, they have a Mont Blanc cake, which we would purchase shares in, to end things pleasantly sweetly

Hot toddies and mulled wine—see you there?

Photo: The Mark Hotel

Conclusion

  • The Mark Chalet, located on 77th and Madison Avenue, is a luxurious pop-up restaurant offering Swiss classics by Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
  • The menu includes dishes such as slow-baked Arctic char with salmon roe, horseradish, crispy celeriac, and potato rösti, veal Zurichoise with spätzle, and a fondue feast featuring melted Gruyère and Vacherin cheese with various accompaniments.
  • The chalet’s ambiance is characterized by wood paneling and fur drapes, creating a cozy and chic après-shopping destination on the Upper East Side.
  • The culinary experience is complemented by a Mont Blanc cake for a sweet ending, as well as hot toddies and mulled wine to enhance the winter atmosphere.

Few brands can compare to the grandeur of The Ritz-Carlton Dallas when it comes to extravagant experiences and unrivaled luxury. This famous hotel, tucked away in the middle of Texas, just had a massive multimillion-dollar restoration that raised the bar on luxury. In this article, we welcome you to take a virtual tour of The Ritz-Carlton Dallas, where you can discover the remarkable amenities, first-rate features, and sumptuous lodging that have made this establishment a timeless symbol of luxury.

Looking Up at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas: A Taste of Luxury

Elegant Accommodations

Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

The luxurious lodging options at The Ritz-Carlton Dallas are carefully crafted to give the utmost comfort and luxury. Every area, from opulent suites to luxurious guest rooms, radiates refinement. With opulent decor, expansive city vistas, and state-of-the-art services, visitors are enveloped in an aura of unadulterated luxury.

Unmatched Dining The Ritz-Carlton Dallas offers a unique dining experience. The hotel has many top-notch eateries, each with a distinct charm. Savor culinary marvels are produced by world-class chefs, offering various cuisines. The superb tastes and flawless service will delight even the most discriminating palates.

The Oasis of Spa and Wellness

Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton Dallas spa is a haven of tranquility for those looking to unwind and revitalize. The spa provides a variety of therapies and treatments that are all intended to calm the body and the mind. With services ranging from massages to facials and wellness plans, each visit ensures a peaceful getaway.

Meeting and Event Superlatives

In addition to being a sanctuary for vacationers, The Ritz-Carlton Dallas serves as a major venue for business gatherings and meetings. With its cutting-edge amenities, the hotel is a great option for corporate meetings. Every event, from private board meetings to high-profile conferences, benefits from first-rate technology and flawless service.

Redefining Luxury with a Multimillion-Dollar Renovation

Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

The Ritz-Carlton Dallas has reached even higher heights thanks to a recent multimillion-dollar restoration. The attention to detail in every element has been carefully chosen to provide an exceptional experience to the visitors. The hotel’s dedication to quality is evident in every makeover aspect, from the foyer to the guest rooms.

Creative Style

Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

The hotel’s exterior has been redesigned to combine classic elegance with contemporary style. There will be modern artwork, chic furniture, and an air of elegance via the color scheme. The end effect is a setting that is both warm and breathtaking.

Improved Facilities

Due to the refurbishment, numerous improved facilities have been added, guaranteeing each visitor will have the most convenient and pleasant stay possible. Everything about the hotel has been upgraded to surpass even the highest standards, from the state-of-the-art in-room technology to the completely renovated fitness facility.

Going to the Dallas Ritz-Carlton

Photo: The Ritz-Carlton

For bookings and more details, visit The Ritz-Carlton Dallas’ official website and experience the height of luxury. The hotel’s central Dallas location makes seeing the city’s attractions simple, giving it an ideal starting point for seeing all this energetic metropolis offers.

To sum up, The Ritz-Carlton Dallas is a monument to unwavering luxury and classic style. Thanks to a recent multimillion-dollar restoration, it has reached new heights and will continue to be a top choice for tourists looking for the finest. With opulent lodgings, top-notch dining options, and a wellness center, The Ritz-Carlton Dallas provides an unparalleled experience that epitomizes luxury.