Destinations of the World News - DOTWNews - November 2013 issue

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November 2013

ON THE ROAD2014 Porsche Panamera

SPEND ITVoyages of a lifetime

SUITE DREAMSThe Oberoi, Dubai

The secrets of California’s wine country

A TALE OF TWO VALLEYS

ISTANBUL'S HAMMAMSA short history of healing FREEZE FRAME

Douglas Kirkland has stars in his eyes

WEEKEND IN SEVILLE24 hours in the Andalusian capital

PASS THE SCOTCHThree luxurious golf resorts in Scotland

AN INSIDER’S GUIDE TO DUBAI

Celebrity season in the UAE

CHENNAI AWAKENSGentrification the home of Indian luxe

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In the patchwork of islands that make up the Maldives archipelago, Kanuhura stands out as a unique treasure. Emerging from the waters of the remote Lhaviyani Atoll, the secluded resort is the ultimate island hideaway, 40 minutes by seaplane from the main island of Malé.

Scattered around the small tropical island are a collection of gorgeous villas, some nestled around the jungle-fringed beaches and others perched over the crystal-clear waters of the lagoon. All have been carefully made with hand-carved wood, bamboo and other natural materials that reflect the natural surroundings of the island, creating a rustic, ‘island chic’ ambiance.

The bountiful sea life found in the waters around Kanuhuru make it one of the world’s best places for diving, and the land-based activities available at the resort allow guests to do as much or as little as they like.

For the ultimate island retreat, Jehunuhura is a tiny uninhabited island ringed with a white powder beach, just a short boat ride away from the resort, where guests indulge in castaway fantasies.

CONTACT Tel: +960 662 00 44 n Fax: +960 662 00 33 n Email: [email protected] n www.kanuhura.com

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dotwnews.com December 20XX 19

title Sectiony

90Rugged countryThe fairways are surrounded by spectacular scenery at Gleneagles in Scotland

Contents November 2013

56 Napa vs. Sonoma Sibling rivalry in California’s sun-drenched wine country

68 Unwind in Istanbul

Modern spas and ancient healing in the home of the hammam

78 Chennai starts to shine

Trendy restaurants and bars take centre stage in southern India’s luxury capital

86 One day in Seville

Tapas, art and Flamenco in the historical Andalucian capital

88 My city... Dubai

Dubai Film Festival’s Samr Husain Al Marzooqi shares his top places in Dubai

90 Connoisseur Mary Gostelow embarks on a

luxurious golfing tour of Scotland

On the cover

19-21 Contents.indd 19 28/10/2013 11:04

Taj. Forever seductive, forever trusted, forever enchanting. From authentic Indian palaces to landmark city hotels, from dazzling resort properties to pastoral safari lodges, enjoy a thoughtful blend of tradition and modernity in the distinctive and highly personal Taj manner. Fabulous suites, splendid dining, and tranquil Jiva spas await. Discover the Taj difference at over 120 hotels around the world.

For reservations and special offers visit tajhotels.com, email [email protected], call 00.800.4588.1825 toll free or contact your travel consultant.

India • New York • Boston • San Francisco • London • Marrakech • Zambia • Cape Town • Dubai • Maldives • Sri Lanka • Langkawi • Bhutan • Sydney

13823_TCORP_DOTW_Magazine.indd 1 10/24/13 6:59 PM

Taj. Forever seductive, forever trusted, forever enchanting. From authentic Indian palaces to landmark city hotels, from dazzling resort properties to pastoral safari lodges, enjoy a thoughtful blend of tradition and modernity in the distinctive and highly personal Taj manner. Fabulous suites, splendid dining, and tranquil Jiva spas await. Discover the Taj difference at over 120 hotels around the world.

For reservations and special offers visit tajhotels.com, email [email protected], call 00.800.4588.1825 toll free or contact your travel consultant.

India • New York • Boston • San Francisco • London • Marrakech • Zambia • Cape Town • Dubai • Maldives • Sri Lanka • Langkawi • Bhutan • Sydney

13823_TCORP_DOTW_Magazine.indd 1 10/24/13 6:59 PM

100

48

ContentsNovember 2013

30 Europe Vienna prepares for a year of

architectural innovation

32 Middle East & Africa The UAE’s Northern Emirates

prepare to take the spotlight

36 Asia & Oceania Phuket’s new beach clubs;

Versace heads for Macau

40 Americas News and luxury trends from

ILTM Americas in Mexico

42 Debut Hot hotels, chic boutiques and exclusive new resorts

44 Diary Out and about this month? Don’t miss these events

46 VIP Artist Cai Gou-Qiang goes behind the scenes at Nuit Blanche in Paris

48 Interview Photographer Douglas Kirkland reflects on a life spent shooting stars

94 PassportPolo in Argentina, Europe by

rail, skiing in Switzerland and Burgundy by barge

100 On the road The latest launches from the

world’s leading carmakers

106 Ignition The 2014 Porsche Panamera is

as addictive as it is attractive

110 Set sail The 80-metre yacht Chopi Chopi was one of the stars at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show

113 Fine dining Regional Spanish cuisine at Catalan restaurant at Rosewood Abu Dhabi

114 Suite dreams Mix business and pleasure in the Presidential Suite at Oberoi Dubai

In the news

dotwnews.com November 2013 21

42

32

Spend it

19-21 Contents.indd 21 28/10/2013 11:05

22 November 2013 dotwnews.com

Letter

from t

he Edi

tor

Before I vIsIted CalIfornIa’s Napa Valley it had always been, in my mind, a sort of utopia — a semi-fictional place I never really thought I’d visit. In my version, the winding country roads of napa were surrounded by fecund green fields lined with smartly cropped rows of vines as far as the eye could see. Hawks would fly overhead as I’d spend long sunny days cycling down quiet lanes leading to cellar doors and restaurants, waving to farmers and occasionally stopping to talk to other visitors along the way. You can imagine my surprise when I did finally visit northern California and discovered that my idyllic version of Napa was pretty much spot on. Sure, the roads are less peaceful and the cycling more exhausting than anticipated, but apart from that, it was exactly as I had imagined.

What I didn’t know was that Napa was not the only winegrowing valley in the vicinity. I had never heard of sonoma County until I visited the area, and was at once horrified and delighted to discover that there was more than one major wine-growing region. It messed up my travel plans, since everyone I met insisted I visit both, but after heeding the advice, I was delighted to note the not-so-subtle differences between the two unique valleys. For this issue, I sent travel writer Graeme Green back to explore the differences between Napa and Sonoma, and see if he could tease out the most luxurious experiences available in each. Both are home to bountiful vineyards, dramatic landscapes and superb dining experiences, but the intangible differences in attitudes and atmosphere are what give each valley, and their wines, their unique character. Read Graeme’s story ‘A tale of two valleys’ on page 56.

Our next stop is Turkey’s exotic capital of Istanbul. Divided by the mighty Bosphorus strait, the ancient city lies partly in Europe and partly in Asia. The same dichotomy exists in its spa scene, as modern spas in five-star hotels compete with the more traditional hammams dotted around the city. Spa specialist Caroline Eden explored the local hammam culture for us and shares her recommendations on page 68. Also this month, our contributing editor Caitlin Cheadle had a chance to speak to legendary celebrity photographer douglas Kirkland to find out how a young man’s decision to try his luck in the Big Apple opened the doors to the lives of some of the world’s biggest stars and helped him become one of the world’s most prominent photographers. Read the interview on page 48.

If that wasn’t enough, we also reveal the new face of Chennai, on the south-east coast of India, which is undergoing rapid gentrification at the hands of luxury hotel operators and aspirational residents (page 78); explore the Presidential Suite at the oberoi, dubai (page 114); and find out how to spend 24 hours in the Andalusian capital of seville (page 86). I hope that’s enough to fuel your travel passions for this month, but if not, be sure to log on to www.dotwnews.com, where you’ll find a lot of exclusive news and features to keep you inspired. Wherever you are, wherever you’re going, enjoy the journey.

Joe Mortimer Senior [email protected]

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22 Editors Letter FINAL.indd 22 28/10/2013 16:29


Caitlin CheadleLucy TaylorAs travel and news editor at Arabian

Radio Network and host of The Travel Show, which airs daily on

Dubai Eye 103.8 FM, Lucy travels extensively, but sometimes finds the most rewarding experiences are closer to home. Recently, she

sampled authentic Spanish cuisine at Catalan restaurant in the new Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel, and

loved it so much she insisted on sharing her experience

(page 113) with Destinations of the World News.@lucytaylor_uae

Caroline EdenCaroline is a luxury travel and spa

specialist who regularly contributes to the likes of Condé Nast Traveller,

Elle, Asian Art Newspaper, Sphere and National Geographic

Traveller, as well as many in-flight magazines. She is also on the

judging panel for the annual Asia Spa Awards, which makes her

the perfect person to explore the traditional and modern hammams

of exotic Istanbul. Which ones are her top picks? Head over

to page 68 to find out. @edentravels

Contributors

Graeme GreenGraeme Green is a journalist, travel writer and photographer based in the UK. His work has appeared in many publications around the world including The Sunday Times, National Geographic Traveler, Wanderlust, The Guardian and The Independent. He specialises in adventure and luxury travel, and has travelled extensively across Asia, Latin America and the USA, where Graeme recently spent a painstaking week exploring Napa Valley and Sonoma Country — tough job, but someone had to do it. Read his story on page 56. @greengraeme

November 2013, Issue 89

Publisher Anna [email protected]

Senior Editor Joe [email protected]

Deputy Editor Rebecca [email protected]

Deputy Online Editor Simon [email protected]

Contributing Editors Caitlin Cheadle, Mary Gostelow, Andy Round

International Sales Director Jesse Vora [email protected]

Sales Executive Lee [email protected]

Account Executive James [email protected]

Art Director Kris [email protected]

Multimedia Manager Vandita [email protected]

Multimedia Graphics Manager Haitham El [email protected]

Circulation department [email protected]

International Commercial RepresentationsDestinations of the World News’ network of international

advertising sales and editorial representatives are based in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Egypt,

France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. Destinations of the World News is published monthly by WNN Limited and

distributed globally to the world’s premier airport lounges, our subscriber network and a select number of five-star hotels in the UAE. The title Destinations of the World News is a registered trademark and the publisher reserves all rights. All material in Destinations of the World News is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and articles reflect the

personal opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the publisher. Destinations of the World News is not responsible for omissions or errors that result from misrepresentation of information to the publisher. Advertisers assume all liability

for their advertising content. All rights of the owner and the producer of this conceptual development and artwork

design are reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be imitated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without

prior permission of WNN Limited.

Principal Offices WNN Limited, Reuters Building 1, Office 106, Dubai Media City, PO Box 500661, Dubai, UAE

Tel +971 4 3910680 Fax +971 4 3910688 WNN limited, 31 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, PO Box 51234,

zip 3503, Limassol, Cyprus

To subscribe to Destinations of the World News at an annual rate of $99 visit the website at www.dotwnews.com and hit SUBSCRIBE.

Images used in Destinations of the World News are provided by Gallo Images/Getty Images/Corbis/iStockphoto/

Photolibrary unless stated otherwise.DOTW News is printed by J G Cassoulides & Sons Ltd,

Nicosia, Cyprus and Al Nisr Publishing, Dubai, UAE

Published by

DOTWNewsmagazine

@DOTW_News

Cover imageThe Lakehouse at Calistoga Ranch, Upper Napa Valley

As our contributing editor, Caitlin is no stranger to exploring the

world, a passion that started four years ago with a backpacking trip

around Europe. Travel also happens to be a passion shared by legendary

celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland, so the two got along

famously when Caitlin interviewed him in New York recently. Read about Kirkland’s extraordinary

career as he talks about life behind the lens in the interview on page 48.

@caitlincheadle

24 Contributors.indd 24 28/10/2013 17:24


Caitlin CheadleLucy TaylorAs travel and news editor at Arabian

Radio Network and host of The Travel Show, which airs daily on

Dubai Eye 103.8 FM, Lucy travels extensively, but sometimes finds the most rewarding experiences are closer to home. Recently, she

sampled authentic Spanish cuisine at Catalan restaurant in the new Rosewood Abu Dhabi hotel, and

loved it so much she insisted on sharing her experience

(page 113) with Destinations of the World News.@lucytaylor_uae

Caroline EdenCaroline is a luxury travel and spa

specialist who regularly contributes to the likes of Condé Nast Traveller,

Elle, Asian Art Newspaper, Sphere and National Geographic

Traveller, as well as many in-flight magazines. She is also on the

judging panel for the annual Asia Spa Awards, which makes her

the perfect person to explore the traditional and modern hammams

of exotic Istanbul. Which ones are her top picks? Head over

to page 68 to find out. @edentravels

Contributors

Graeme GreenGraeme Green is a journalist, travel writer and photographer based in the UK. His work has appeared in many publications around the world including The Sunday Times, National Geographic Traveler, Wanderlust, The Guardian and The Independent. He specialises in adventure and luxury travel, and has travelled extensively across Asia, Latin America and the USA, where Graeme recently spent a painstaking week exploring Napa Valley and Sonoma Country — tough job, but someone had to do it. Read his story on page 56. @greengraeme

November 2013, Issue 89

Publisher Anna [email protected]

Senior Editor Joe [email protected]

Deputy Editor Rebecca [email protected]

Deputy Online Editor Simon [email protected]

Contributing Editors Caitlin Cheadle, Mary Gostelow, Andy Round

International Sales Director Jesse Vora [email protected]

Sales Executive Lee [email protected]

Account Executive James [email protected]

Art Director Kris [email protected]

Multimedia Manager Vandita [email protected]

Multimedia Graphics Manager Haitham El [email protected]

Circulation department [email protected]

International Commercial RepresentationsDestinations of the World News’ network of international

advertising sales and editorial representatives are based in the following countries: Australia, Austria, Belgium, Egypt,

France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia,

Sri Lanka, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America. Destinations of the World News is published monthly by WNN Limited and

distributed globally to the world’s premier airport lounges, our subscriber network and a select number of five-star hotels in the UAE. The title Destinations of the World News is a registered trademark and the publisher reserves all rights. All material in Destinations of the World News is compiled from sources believed to be reliable and articles reflect the

personal opinion of the author and not necessarily that of the publisher. Destinations of the World News is not responsible for omissions or errors that result from misrepresentation of information to the publisher. Advertisers assume all liability

for their advertising content. All rights of the owner and the producer of this conceptual development and artwork

design are reserved. Neither this publication nor any part of it may be imitated, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system,

or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without

prior permission of WNN Limited.

Principal Offices WNN Limited, Reuters Building 1, Office 106, Dubai Media City, PO Box 500661, Dubai, UAE

Tel +971 4 3910680 Fax +971 4 3910688 WNN limited, 31 Archbishop Kyprianou Street, 3036, PO Box 51234,

zip 3503, Limassol, Cyprus

To subscribe to Destinations of the World News at an annual rate of $99 visit the website at www.dotwnews.com and hit SUBSCRIBE.

Images used in Destinations of the World News are provided by Gallo Images/Getty Images/Corbis/iStockphoto/

Photolibrary unless stated otherwise.DOTW News is printed by J G Cassoulides & Sons Ltd,

Nicosia, Cyprus and Al Nisr Publishing, Dubai, UAE

Published by

DOTWNewsmagazine

@DOTW_News

Cover imageThe Lakehouse at Calistoga Ranch, Upper Napa Valley

As our contributing editor, Caitlin is no stranger to exploring the

world, a passion that started four years ago with a backpacking trip

around Europe. Travel also happens to be a passion shared by legendary

celebrity photographer Douglas Kirkland, so the two got along

famously when Caitlin interviewed him in New York recently. Read about Kirkland’s extraordinary

career as he talks about life behind the lens in the interview on page 48.

@caitlincheadle

24 Contributors.indd 24 28/10/2013 17:24 28-29 Retrospective.indd 28 27/08/2013 08:47

Luxury beauty care for your hair, face and body

Al Qasr, Madinat Jumeirah, Tel +971 4 3665653

Mina A’Salam, Madinat Jumeirah, Tel +971 4 3664357

Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, Palm Jumeirah, Tel +971 4 4530458

Sofitel Dubai Jumeirah Beach, Tel +971 4 4484743

P.O.Box 75579, Dubai, UAE

28-29 Retrospective.indd 28 27/08/2013 08:51

30Europe

32Middle East & Africa

36Asia & Oceania

40Americas

42Debut

44Diary

46VIP in Paris

48Douglas Kirkland

11.13 News The latest news from the world of luxury travel

42

29 News Opener.indd 29 28/10/2013 16:44

EuropEan capitals seem to take it in turns to have their moment in the limelight and 2014 looks set to be the golden year for Vienna, with new luxury properties and several architectural icons planned.

Perhaps most significant will be the arrival of Park Hyatt Vienna (above) in June 2014, the Hyatt brand’s first hotel in Austria. Located in a 100-year-old building in the UNESCO-protected Old Town, currently undergoing a major renovation, the 143-room hotel will be the flagship luxury hotel within

the new Goldenes Quartier complex, which also features high-end office space, 12 luxury apartments and flagship stores from luxury brands including Louis Vuitton.

Also making use of what will become an iconic city space is Meliá Vienna. Set to occupy the first 15 floors of the DC Tower 1 — one of a pair of iconic towers designed by French architect Dominique Perrault — the hotel will offer 253 rooms including 14 design suites, all with floor-to-ceiling windows, when it opens next year.

The towers will form the core of Vienna DC, a purpose-built urban centre, or city within a city, on the northern banks of the Danube opposite the Old Town, that was originally put aside for use during the EXPO 1995. At 220 metres, DC Tower 1 will become the tallest building in Austria when complete.

Perrault is not the only architect making his mark on the city. Zaha Hadid is one of many architects to have contributed to the new campus at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Hadid’s Library and Learning Center (left) is the focal point of the new EUR 492 million (US $679 million) campus, which took 41 months to build and is expected to become another key attraction for visitors with an interest in architecture.

Other significant luxury hotel openings in the city include Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna earlier this year and The Ritz-Carlton, Vienna in winter 2012.

Architectural innovation in ViennaPh

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30-31 Euro News.indd 30 28/10/2013 10:31


Amsterdam landmark under the hammer Fancy owning a piece of Dutch history? Amsterdam’s iconic Hotel InterContinental Amstel is to go under the hammer for the third time in 12 years. The hotel, built in 1867, was bought along with six others in 2006 by US financial corporation Morgan Stanley for US $900 million. All seven properties were sold again to Lebanese businessman Toufic Aboukhater for $621 million in early 2011. Later that year, he sold one of the hotels, the InterContinental Carlton Cannes, to Qatari businessman Ghanim Bin Saad Al Saad for $621 million, making his entire investment back in one transaction. The sale is being handled by Jones Lang LaSalle but the price has not been revealed.

Everything that chef Alain Ducasse does has style, and he is always up to something new. In Italy, he has taken over L’Andana Tenuta La Badiola, the Grosseto hunting villa of Duke Leopold II, and runs it as a 20-room boutique hotel surrounded by 500 hectares of vineyards (www.andana.com). In Paris, he not only cooks but he makes chocolates. La Manufacture de Chocolat is a chocolate factory where you can see his creations take shape. Watch in wonder as pistachios from Sicily are made into pralines. www.lechocolat-alainducasse.com Also in Paris, try Merci, at 111 boulevard Beaumarchais, Le Haut Marais. Its café is cleverly combined with a used bookshop, so it is easy to spend a long time here. Merci also has jewellery by French-Moroccan designer Bernard Delettrez, fabulous and fashionable clothes, and household wares. It was opened March 2009 by Bernard and Marie-France Cohen, founders of the cult BONPOINT kids’ clothing brand. The profits support charities in Madagascar. www.merci-merci.com In Göteborg, Sweden, have a ball driving a vintage Volvo PV 444/544. Only 440,000 were made in this city between 1947 and 1965. You can personally drive one in a 90-minute convoy of enthusiasts and learn about the history of this fascinating Swedish city up until November 17. www.timetravelgbg.se

Interested in eating in every three-star Michelin restaurant worldwide? Ve r y F i r st To . c o m c a n a r r a n g e this and several other once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences for you. Short for for VeryFirstTo Know, Have & Do, the company shares details of a whole range of new perfumes, fashion accessories, restaurants and travel experiences with its members. www.veryfirstto.com

MAry GOsTeLOw

PArIs’ legendary Hôtel Plaza Athénée, which celebrates its 100-year anniversary this year, has closed its doors for renovations, marking the occasion with an auction in which some 1,000 pieces of furniture and other items were sold.

The auction, which took place from October 7 to 8, a week after its closure, raised EUR 1.4 million (US $1.9

million), more than three times the expected amount.

Some of the most sought-after pieces included a pair of bronze statues by artist Jean-Michel Folon, which previously adorned the hotel’s Alain Ducasse restaurant. The two pieces, entitled Deuxième Pensée and Troisième Pensée, fetched $114,000 and $88,000 respectively.

The hotel’s iconic glass bar, designed by Patrick Jouin and illuminated from within by multicoloured lights, was sold for $54,000.

When it reopens in 2014, Plaza Athénée, a Dorchester Collection hotel, will feature 14 new rooms and suites, and a new ballroom. The two Alain Ducasse restaurants and other public spaces will be entirely remodelled.

Plaza Athénée auction raises $1.9 million

Europe

The latest in luxury travel

MAry sAys...

30-31 Euro News.indd 31 28/10/2013 10:31


Rise of the Northern Emirates

Middle East & Africa

For travellers who have already experienced the bright lights of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, it’s the more wild and lesser-known parts of the UAE that entice on return visits. Thankfully, there’s a raft of new high-end properties planned for the Northern Emirates – Ras al Khaimah, Fujairah, Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain and Ajman – which haven’t quite attained the celebrity status of their two successful siblings.

The dawning of a new era for these little-known emirates began in August with the opening of the Waldorf Astoria Ras Al Khaimah, which marked the ultra-luxury brand’s first property in the UAE (another will follow in Dubai soon). The opening of the palatial hotel has paved the way for other five-star brands to follow suit, many of which will open properties on the emirate’s ambitious Marjan Island development in 2014.

The 2.7-million-square-metre island will be home to several hotels when it is complete, including the 600-room Rixos Bab Al Bahr (February 2014), a 442-room Crowne Plaza resort (2015) and the InterContinental Resort Mina Al Arab Ras Al Khaimah (2015).

In conservative Sharjah, luxury Asian hotel chain GHM, which runs The Chedi in Muscat, will open two new properties by 2015: The Chedi Khorfakkan, on the Indian Ocean-facing east coast of the UAE, and the Al Bait Sharjah in downtown Sharjah.

The Chedi Khorfakkan is set to open in summer 2015

Tiny Ajman is also in line for some luxury attention with the opening of Fairmont Ajman in summer 2014. The Canadian hotel chain will also open a 194-room Fairmont Fujairah resort at the foot of the Hajjar Mountains on the east coast of the UAE in the not-too-distant future. The only emirate that seems to have missed out on the five-star attention is Umm al-Quwain, but just across the border, in Northern Sharjah, Nujoom Islands is another man-made development comprising 10 islands that promises luxury hotels and residential units when complete.

Waldorf Astoria Ras al Khaimah

32-34 ME & Africa News.indd 32 27/10/2013 18:16

Let us lend an air of luxury to your business meetings.

Let us find a translator fluent in both Arabic and your business.

Let us show your guests genuine Arabian hospitality.

Let us remind you that true success is always by design.

Experience the new level of luxury with Club Level accommodations. Enjoy access to Club Lounge for up to two guests with a dedicated concierge team, culinary presentation throughout the day, dedicated chef de cuisine, complimentary wireless Internet access, and complimentary two-hour usage of a meeting room.For reservations, call The Ritz-Carlton, Doha at +974-4484-8000 or visit us at ritzcarlton.com/doha.

Terms and conditions apply. © 2013 The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C.

Destination of the World News May issue - The Ritz-Carlton, Doha.indd 1 18/04/2013 18:14:44

Sectiony titleNews Middle East & Africa


Celebrity chefs tend to fall into one of two categories: tyrannical or lovable. Fortunately, British super-chef Gary Rhodes is the latter, which is good news for St. Regis Abu Dhabi, home to his first restaurant in the UAE capital. Rhodes 44 promises the Michelin-starred chef’s trademark traditional British and European dishes embellished with Arabian touches, served in an elegant, colourful dining room or on the spacious outdoor terrace overlooking Abu Dhabi’s Corniche. Heading up the kitchen is chef Paul Lupton, who has built a reputation for himself over the last few years as head chef at Rhodes Mezzanine in Dubai. Rhodes 44 is Gary’s third restaurant in the region, with Rhodes Twenty10 also in Dubai. www.rhodes44.com

All Rhodes lead to Abu Dhabi

Euro-chic lifestyle brand Purobeach has arrived in Dubai with the new Purobeach Urban Oasis at Conrad Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road. As well as being the first Purobeach club outside of Europe, it’s also the first one that’s nowhere near a beach.

Instead, Purobeach Urban Oasis transforms an open-air space on the roof of the hotel’s sixth floor terrace into a trendy pool lounge with tropical gardens, a 5,500-square-metre swimming pool, waterfall, private cabanas and daybeds. There’s entertainment from resident DJs, snacks, premium beverages and cocktails from the poolside bar all day from 11am until 2am. www.purobeach.com

Starchitect of the moment Zaha Hadid is collaborating with Spain’s Meliá Hotels on an upcoming hotel in Dubai. ME by Meliá Dubai, part of the firm’s upscale lifestyle brand ME, will be located in the Opus building, which Hadid has designed from the ground up for real estate firm Omniyat. The British-Iraqi designer’s flair will extend to the interiors of the hotel, which will open in 2016 in the downtown Burj Dubai neighbourhood. www.me-by-melia.com

Purobeach arrives in Dubai

Zaha’s new Opus

32-34 ME & Africa News.indd 34 27/10/2013 18:16


News Asia & OceaniaAsia & Oceania

Trendy XANA Beach Club

Beach club renaissance in PhuketON ThAilANd’s island of Phuket, Patong has always been the place to go for a taste of local nightlife. Now, competition in the form of luxury beach clubs is making waves along the west coast, attracting glamorous travellers who arrive for the sunshine and stay for the after-dark entertainment.

Two of the latest additions to Phuket’s burgeoning beach club scene — already dubbed ‘Thailand’s Ibiza’ — are Bimi Beach Club and Zazada Beach Club, which both opened on Surin Beach (also known as ‘Millionaire’s Row’ for the five-star resorts and luxury beach houses that line this stretch of coast). At Bimi, the party begins early with local and international DJs spinning chill-out tunes during the day while you soak up the sun on one of the spacious wooden cabanas. It’s a similar vibe over at nearby Zazada Beach Club, where you can use the free WiFi to tweet your picturesque location for the envy of online friends.

The two newcomers join many already established clubs including XANA Beach Club at Laguna Beach Resort. Opened last year by the team behind the popular Attica club in Singapore, XANA has garnered a loyal following of fans for its beautiful setting on the shores of Bangtao Beach, about half an hour north of Phuket, and a line-up of top DJs including NYC’s Frankie Knuckles and Paul Oakenfold from the UK.

For a bit of Euro-cool, head to Bliss Beach Club, all decked out in wood and white, with the main bar area adorned with black-and-white prints of celebrities for added ambience. It’s located right near Diamond Beachclub, where beachside dining takes a gourmet twist courtesy of a menu from executive chef, Bruno Nicollini, who earnt a Michelin star for his Belgium restaurant, Senzanome.

And there’s more to come, with the hotly anticipated Nikki Beach rounding off openings for the year. One thing’s certain — travellers to Phuket are in for one busy season.

Bliss Beach ClubAfter dark at XANA

36-38 Asia News.indd 36 28/10/2013 17:25

For the movers and shakers and rainmakers. For the ones who make it happen on the go and on the ground. Who accomplish great things without losing sight of the important things.

For you, we’re Marriott.

marriott.com

INSPIRATION HAS ARRIVED

Sectiony title


Rory and Melita Hunter might not be well-known names, but in the Koh Rong Archipelago of Cambodia, they are virtually celebrities thanks to their unfailing commitment to giving back to the community. Two years after opening Song Saa Private Island resort, the duo has established the Song Saa Foundation, an organisation dedicated to protecting the archipelago. After a successful medical outreach program in September, which saw half the population of the region receive medical attention, the foundation is now turning to educational. A mobile learning centre dubbed the ‘Boat of Hope’ is expected to commence education voyages around the islands from next year. songsaa.com

The hotel arm of the Italian fashion house Versace is set to make its mark on China’s burgeoning luxury hotel

market, by expanding it’s portfolio with the Palazzo Versace Macau. The design of the 20-storey hotel will be

completely under Versace’s artistic and styling direction, retaining the brand’s neoclassic style as seen in the

Palazzo Versace property on Australia’s Gold Coast. Early plans suggest the hotel will consist of approximately

270 rooms and suites, an indoor and outdoor pool, one gourmet restaurant and retail space when it opens in 2017.

www.palazzoversace.com

Flying with Virgin Australia? You can now use your own portable device to stream the airline’s inflight entertainment system via the aircraft’s WiFi network. The new system is compatible with iOS and Android, and can be accessed after downloading the free In-flight Entertainment by Virgin Australia app. The service has been extended to Virgin’s domestic and short-haul international flights to destinations including Thailand, New Zealand and Bali. www.virginaustralia.com

Versace comes to Macau

Let WiFi entertain you on Virgin Australia

Charitable luxury

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36-38 Asia News.indd 38 28/10/2013 10:34

FOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT

WWW.DOTW.COMReal-time online booking confi rmations for more than 100,000 ground services in over 7,500 cities.Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.

FOR TRAVEL PROFESSIONALS ONLY

London

Equally glamorous installments of the International Luxury Travel Market (ILTM) take place in key cities around the world annually, defining the trends and innovations that will inform the decisions of discerning travellers over the coming months.

This year’s ILTM Americas took place at Mayakoba, on Mexico’s east coast Riviera Maya, from October 1–3, and brought together some of the world’s high-end travel brands to meet with companies from the increasingly busy Latin American travel industry.

The results were positive for the Middle East: more South and Latin Americans are expected to travel to destinations including the UAE, Jordan and the Indian Ocean in 2014, attracted by the array of luxury spas and entertainment offerings. Brazilians and Mexicans in particular are becoming increasingly adventurous, and improved airlift across the Atlantic and Pacific has helped tourism activity from the region.

There’s also good news for those travelling to Latin America, with hot hotel openings expected in this part of the world over the coming year, including resorts in Ecuador and Peru. In Mexico, the Riviera Maya, known for cheap, all-inclusive resorts, is now adding several luxurious Hyatt properties. Meanwhile, Ritz-Carlton Hotels announced last month that it will expand its collection of Reserve hotels with Pearl Island (above), a private hideaway with oceanfront villas, 72 kilometres south of Panama City.

The next installment of ILTM takes place from December 2–5 in Cannes, where Destinations of the World News is an official media partner. www.iltm.net

Spotlight on luxury in Latin America

Pearl Island is set to receive the Ritz-Carlton touch

luxury in the Gulf of Panama

40-41 America News.indd 40 27/10/2013 16:16

Americas


Trump in D.CWashington, D.C, is set to get a taste of Trump with plans unveiled for a new hotel in the capital. The Old Post Office on Pennsylvania Avenue will undergo a $200 million redevelopment to become the Trump International Hotel, The Old Post Office, Washington, D.C. Once completed, the hotel will comprise 270 rooms, a nine-storey atrium, spa, retail shops and a museum dedicated to the history of the site.trumphotelcollection.com

As one of South America’s smaller and most isloated

countries, Bolivia is a land of contradictions. It’s one of the

poorest nations on the continent, yet it possesses one of the richest histories — and now, a restaurant sure to put Bolivia on the world’s

gastronomic map. Claus Meyer, better known as the man behind

Noma in Copenhagen, which was voted the world’s best restaurant

for three years until it was knocked off its post last year, has

opened a new restaurant 3,600 metres above sea level in La Paz, the country’s capital city. Gustu brings traditional Bolivian food to the table — think Lama filet

with glaced chuno, and ox cheeks with mushrooms. Will it mark

the start of a worldwide Bolivian food trend? Watch this space.

restaurantgustu.com

Bathroom amenities are the most common items taken by guests as souvenirs of their hotel stays (admit it, we’ve all done it). Inspired by his own habit of doing so, fashion designer Oscar de la Renta has collaborated with The Peninsula Hotels on a new range of bathroom amenities. The collection marks the designer’s first collaboration with another brand and includes bar soap, shampoo and conditioner, and bath and shower gel — no doubt the range will only entice more guests to covet the souvenirs for their own collection. www.peninsula.com

High dining in Bolivia

Oscar de la Renta at Peninsula

40-41 America News.indd 41 27/10/2013 16:16

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Frida Kahlo — A Life in Art

Until January 12, 2014Akren Musuem of

Modern Art, Denmark Mexican artist Frida Kahlo was a

pioneer of self portraiture, capturing her personality and culture in her

striking art. This exhibition presents a wide collection of her paintings, drawings and collages, as well as

selected works from contemporary artists to demonstrate Kahlo’s

continued significance in the ‘Mexican Renaissance’ movement.

www.arken.dk

Tropfest Arabia November 8Abu Dhabi, UAEThis year’s Arabian edition of the world’s largest short-film festival is co-directed by Egyptian actress, Yusra. All films entered by budding filmmakers around the Middle East and North Africa must feature this year’s Tropfest Signature Item (TSI), which is ‘time’. For the first time, the finalists’ films will be screened to a live audience before the jury decides on the winner. tropfest.com

Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

November 1–3Abu Dhabi, UAE

Yas Marina Circuit will rev up for the fifth annual Abu Dhabi Grand

Prix this month. Drivers taking to the track include Sebastian

Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton, while music stars

Depeche Mode, Jay Z and Muse are set to entertain the masses at

the daily post-race concerts.www.yasmarinacircuit.com


Diary

44-45 Diary.indd 44 27/10/2013 16:13

Melbourne Cup Carnival

November 2—9Melbourne, Australia

Ladies and gents dress to impress for the biggest event on Australia’s

horseracing calendar. Melbourne Cup Day on November 5 is the

must-attend event of the carnival. The 3,200-metre race, held at 3.00pm, is known as ‘the race

that stops a nation’, as many office workers across Australia hold

late-lunch parties for the event.melbournecup.com

Diwali November 3IndiaAlso known as ‘Deepavali’ or the ‘Festival of Lights,’ this celebration is the biggest on the Hindu calendar. Tributes are paid to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, while homes are adorned with lights and candles, and the night skies light up with firework displays in a show of thanks, goodwill and hope for the next year.www.incredibleindia.com

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44-45 Diary.indd 45 27/10/2013 16:13

Nuit BlaNche 2013, Paris,

FraNce

Contemporary artist Cai Guo-Qiang

takes us through this year’s Nuit Blanche

art festival in Paris

EvEntNuit Blanche is an annual

contemporary arts festival that turns Paris into a canvas for one

night only. The event was inspired by St. Petersburg’s White Nights,

where music and art entertain the public on summer nights when

the sun doesn’t set. This year’s event was held on October 5 from

7.00pm till 7.00am under the artistic direction of Chiara Parisi and Julie Pellegrin, who created

a program of exhibits and events in public spaces across the city,

under the theme, ‘Paris à l’infini’ (Paris to infinity).

VIP

Models showcasing Chopard jewellery

Two-star dining at Onyx Restaurant

BFO’s founder and conductor, Ivan Fischer

An exhibition at La Samaritaine department store

La Samaritaine became a gallery for the night

Huang Yong Ping’s Ceinture at the Carreau du Temple

46-47 VIP.indd 46 28/10/2013 09:46


AmbienceWith art to be found from the banks of the Seine to Canal Saint-Martin and Belleville-Menilmontant, there was plenty to draw the crowds. Some of the exhibits and events allowed visitors to become active participants, from the dance floor set up along the Seine to artist Palle Nielsen’s playground of foam blocks at the Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad in the 19th arrondissement.

Rub shouldeRs withThe event is open to the public, so you’ll see anyone from families to amateur art enthusiasts and perhaps even professional artists. It’s a chance for all admirers of contemporary art to come together and appreciate works in a unique way.

stAyMy favourite hotel is the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris. This palatial hotel was the former home of Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte and is located near the Jardin des Tuileries.

dineMany cafés and restaurants extended their hours so visitors can take breaks while walking around. My favourite restaurant is Le Chalet des Îles, in Bois de Boulogne park in the 16th arrondissement. As the restaurant is a cottage on an island in the middle of the lake, visitors must stroll through the park and take a small ferry to reach it. The serene setting feels magical.

AfteR dARkAs the event ran until 7.00am the next day, so the streets remained a hive of activity all night. My commission was One Night Stand along the Seine River between the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, which used pyrotechnics to convey an ode to love in the City of Love. German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen’s String Quartet for Helicopters involved four musicians playing music from helicopters that flew over the audience. We saw the helicopters flying by as we were setting up, but did not have a chance to see the many other amazing works created for the event.

must doWear comfortable shoes and warm layers, as there is a lot to see all around town. Because of the crowds, you may find it is quicker (and far more enjoyable) to walk between exhibits rather than hailing taxis.

One Night Stand by Cai Guo-Qiang

Shangri-La Hotel, Paris

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46-47 VIP.indd 47 28/10/2013 09:46


AmbienceWith art to be found from the banks of the Seine to Canal Saint-Martin and Belleville-Menilmontant, there was plenty to draw the crowds. Some of the exhibits and events allowed visitors to become active participants, from the dance floor set up along the Seine to artist Palle Nielsen’s playground of foam blocks at the Place de la Bataille de Stalingrad in the 19th arrondissement.

Rub shouldeRs withThe event is open to the public, so you’ll see anyone from families to amateur art enthusiasts and perhaps even professional artists. It’s a chance for all admirers of contemporary art to come together and appreciate works in a unique way.

stAyMy favourite hotel is the Shangri-La Hotel, Paris. This palatial hotel was the former home of Napoleon Bonaparte’s nephew, Prince Roland Bonaparte and is located near the Jardin des Tuileries.

dineMany cafés and restaurants extended their hours so visitors can take breaks while walking around. My favourite restaurant is Le Chalet des Îles, in Bois de Boulogne park in the 16th arrondissement. As the restaurant is a cottage on an island in the middle of the lake, visitors must stroll through the park and take a small ferry to reach it. The serene setting feels magical.

AfteR dARkAs the event ran until 7.00am the next day, so the streets remained a hive of activity all night. My commission was One Night Stand along the Seine River between the Louvre and Musée d’Orsay, which used pyrotechnics to convey an ode to love in the City of Love. German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen’s String Quartet for Helicopters involved four musicians playing music from helicopters that flew over the audience. We saw the helicopters flying by as we were setting up, but did not have a chance to see the many other amazing works created for the event.

must doWear comfortable shoes and warm layers, as there is a lot to see all around town. Because of the crowds, you may find it is quicker (and far more enjoyable) to walk between exhibits rather than hailing taxis.

One Night Stand by Cai Guo-Qiang

Shangri-La Hotel, Paris

Phot

o: l

in y

i, cou

rtesy

cai

stu

dio

46-47 VIP.indd 47 28/10/2013 09:46

The man behind the lens

48-53 Interview JSM edit.indd 48 27/10/2013 19:13

Interview

Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland rose from small-town boy to jetsetting wunderkind during photojournalism’s heydey. We shift the focus onto him as he talks about his career and the lessons he learnt along the way


Photographer Douglas Kirkland’s life reads like a classic small-town-boy-making-it-big success story. Growing up in sleepy Fort Erie, in Ontario,

Canada, he took his first photographs at the age of 10. By age 14, Kirkland was taking passport photos at a local studio, and at age 19, he fell madly in love with the Big Apple while attending the New York Institute of Photography, an infatuation that would haunt him for years to come.

Eventually, he promised himself he would move to the US and give himself one year to make it in New York and that he did, with nothing to rely on but his own talent and determination. A decade later, Kirkland had well and truly established himself, having photographed the likes of Hollywood actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe — a provocative shoot that the then-27-year-old would later recount in his book With Marilyn: An Evening/1961.

He would go on to travel the world photographing some of the most iconic names in history, work at some of the most prestigious publications of his time including Look and Life magazines, write several books and work on more than 150 motion pictures including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Out of Africa, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.

His latest book, Douglas Kirkland: A Life in Pictures is more than just a collection of photographs, it’s also an autobiographical account of his struggle to make it to the top, a 40,000 word tome he says was easy to write because he is so passionate about its message: “I wanted to get across a few points,” he says as we sit under a cloudless sky on the rooftop of his publisher’s offices in midtown Manhattan. “Anything is possible with the right attitude, no matter where you start, if you keep a clear sense of the direction you want to go.” Here, he shares some memories along the road to success with Destinations of the World News.

Interview: Caitlin Cheadle

Screen sirens (clockwise from top left) Audrey Hepburn, Raquel Welch, Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot are just some of the actressses who have posed for Kirkland

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Interview

Famed photographer Douglas Kirkland rose from small-town boy to jetsetting wunderkind during photojournalism’s heydey. We shift the focus onto him as he talks about his career and the lessons he learnt along the way


Photographer Douglas Kirkland’s life reads like a classic small-town-boy-making-it-big success story. Growing up in sleepy Fort Erie, in Ontario,

Canada, he took his first photographs at the age of 10. By age 14, Kirkland was taking passport photos at a local studio, and at age 19, he fell madly in love with the Big Apple while attending the New York Institute of Photography, an infatuation that would haunt him for years to come.

Eventually, he promised himself he would move to the US and give himself one year to make it in New York and that he did, with nothing to rely on but his own talent and determination. A decade later, Kirkland had well and truly established himself, having photographed the likes of Hollywood actresses Elizabeth Taylor, Judy Garland, Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe — a provocative shoot that the then-27-year-old would later recount in his book With Marilyn: An Evening/1961.

He would go on to travel the world photographing some of the most iconic names in history, work at some of the most prestigious publications of his time including Look and Life magazines, write several books and work on more than 150 motion pictures including 2001: A Space Odyssey, Out of Africa, Moulin Rouge and The Great Gatsby.

His latest book, Douglas Kirkland: A Life in Pictures is more than just a collection of photographs, it’s also an autobiographical account of his struggle to make it to the top, a 40,000 word tome he says was easy to write because he is so passionate about its message: “I wanted to get across a few points,” he says as we sit under a cloudless sky on the rooftop of his publisher’s offices in midtown Manhattan. “Anything is possible with the right attitude, no matter where you start, if you keep a clear sense of the direction you want to go.” Here, he shares some memories along the road to success with Destinations of the World News.

Interview: Caitlin Cheadle

Screen sirens (clockwise from top left) Audrey Hepburn, Raquel Welch, Catherine Deneuve and Brigitte Bardot are just some of the actressses who have posed for Kirkland

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How did you make your way from Fort Erie, Canada to travelling the world photographing celebrities?I came from a small town in Canada where people said, “New York is dangerous and difficult.” I thought about all the people who came to New York from all over the world and didn’t know the language or the culture, who made giants of themselves… I thought, if they can do that, and I speak the language and know the culture, then I’m going do it, too.

How did you land your first job at Look magazine?When I first came to New York, a lot of my colleagues who were my age were approaching titles like Vogue and Life, and trying to get work, but there was no chance — they were beginners. I found smaller publications and I took every assignment. I did weddings, I worked for Shell Oil, I worked for Chemical Week magazine. I got my portfolio thick with published work, and after I had been in New York about eight months, the director of Look contacted me and said he wanted someone to do colour and fashion. They gave me some test assignments, and, to make a long story short, within that year I had gone from essentially unemployable to being hired

by Look magazine. And I made the most of every opportunity at Look; if you weren’t on assignment you didn’t have to go into the office, but I went in every single day because I wanted to be a part of the atmosphere.

When did you first begin photographing celebrities?About a year after I got the job at Look, I was in California photographing bathing suits when my boss called and asked if I could go to Las Vegas because Elizabeth Taylor, who hadn’t been photographed in about eight years said she would give us an interview, but no pictures. My boss asked if I could persuade her to give us some. So, I went along and I stayed at the back of the room, and at end of the interview I walked over to her and I took her hands, and I looked into her eyes and I said, “It’s very nice to meet you Elizabeth, I’m new to this publication — can you imagine what it would mean to me if you would give me the opportunity to photograph you?” and I kept looking into those famous violet eyes, and holding her hand, and she said, eventually, “Okay, come tomorrow night at 8.30.” She went on the cover of Look, and those pictures went all over the world, on Elle magazine and in several other publications.

Would you say that photo shoot was your big break?That got me photographing celebrities overnight, literally. My career skyrocketed. By September of that year I was on tour with Judy Garland. Suddenly I was photographing [Marlene] Dietrich and Shirley MacLaine, and then in November of 1961, I worked with Marilyn Monroe. Suddenly, I was established as the bright young boy photographing celebrities.

Every photographer who has ever worked with Marilyn Monroe has a story about her. Could you share yours with us?I’ve written a book about it [With Marilyn: An Evening/1961]. I had a very good experience with her, and it was very meaningful in my life. I was with her on three different occasions: the first was to talk to her about what we would do, the second was to do the shoot, and the third time was to show her the pictures. And on those three different occasions I never met the same person twice. She was very lovable; she loved still photography because she could experiment with it. With a movie, there’s a script and you have to hit marks, but still photography was more like real life and we had a wonderful time together.

Inside the hotel’s airy reception area

Photographer and muse (clockwise from above) A youthful Kirkland with Coco Chanel in August, 1962; up close with Marilyn Monroe in her apartment in November 1962; kicking back with Marilyn. Both women became subjects of books published by Kirkland later in his career.



How did you make your way from Fort Erie, Canada to travelling the world photographing celebrities?I came from a small town in Canada where people said, “New York is dangerous and difficult.” I thought about all the people who came to New York from all over the world and didn’t know the language or the culture, who made giants of themselves… I thought, if they can do that, and I speak the language and know the culture, then I’m going do it, too.

How did you land your first job at Look magazine?When I first came to New York, a lot of my colleagues who were my age were approaching titles like Vogue and Life, and trying to get work, but there was no chance — they were beginners. I found smaller publications and I took every assignment. I did weddings, I worked for Shell Oil, I worked for Chemical Week magazine. I got my portfolio thick with published work, and after I had been in New York about eight months, the director of Look contacted me and said he wanted someone to do colour and fashion. They gave me some test assignments, and, to make a long story short, within that year I had gone from essentially unemployable to being hired

by Look magazine. And I made the most of every opportunity at Look; if you weren’t on assignment you didn’t have to go into the office, but I went in every single day because I wanted to be a part of the atmosphere.

When did you first begin photographing celebrities?About a year after I got the job at Look, I was in California photographing bathing suits when my boss called and asked if I could go to Las Vegas because Elizabeth Taylor, who hadn’t been photographed in about eight years said she would give us an interview, but no pictures. My boss asked if I could persuade her to give us some. So, I went along and I stayed at the back of the room, and at end of the interview I walked over to her and I took her hands, and I looked into her eyes and I said, “It’s very nice to meet you Elizabeth, I’m new to this publication — can you imagine what it would mean to me if you would give me the opportunity to photograph you?” and I kept looking into those famous violet eyes, and holding her hand, and she said, eventually, “Okay, come tomorrow night at 8.30.” She went on the cover of Look, and those pictures went all over the world, on Elle magazine and in several other publications.

Would you say that photo shoot was your big break?That got me photographing celebrities overnight, literally. My career skyrocketed. By September of that year I was on tour with Judy Garland. Suddenly I was photographing [Marlene] Dietrich and Shirley MacLaine, and then in November of 1961, I worked with Marilyn Monroe. Suddenly, I was established as the bright young boy photographing celebrities.

Every photographer who has ever worked with Marilyn Monroe has a story about her. Could you share yours with us?I’ve written a book about it [With Marilyn: An Evening/1961]. I had a very good experience with her, and it was very meaningful in my life. I was with her on three different occasions: the first was to talk to her about what we would do, the second was to do the shoot, and the third time was to show her the pictures. And on those three different occasions I never met the same person twice. She was very lovable; she loved still photography because she could experiment with it. With a movie, there’s a script and you have to hit marks, but still photography was more like real life and we had a wonderful time together.

Inside the hotel’s airy reception area

Photographer and muse (clockwise from above) A youthful Kirkland with Coco Chanel in August, 1962; up close with Marilyn Monroe in her apartment in November 1962; kicking back with Marilyn. Both women became subjects of books published by Kirkland later in his career.



Nobu.pdf 1 24/10/2013 10:11

Who else has made a lasting impression on you?I was sent to Paris to do a story on Coco Chanel, which I also ended up writing a book about [Coco Chanel/Three Weeks]. During that time I grew up a great deal. She allowed me to gain more confidence in myself, and urged me to go further and to reach higher. She affected my life in remarkable a way. She got me to learn some French and to see the world. She was a dynamo.

How has travel changed your life?I was in Paris on assignment to photograph Audrey Hepburn when I met my wife Françoise, who I have been married to for 47 years. That’s

one way that that travel has changed my life. Travelling changed me in a lot of ways. You grow up, you see the world, you meet people. I’m from a small town. The place I came from was so different from the rest of the world.

Where are your favourite places?I love New York City, Italy — there’s a passion for art and photography in Italy that exceeds what is in North America — and Australia. I worked there with Baz [Luhrmann] on three films: Moulin Rouge, which was shot in Sydney; Australia, which was shot in the Australian outback and the Kimberley region; and The Great Gatsby, also shot in Sydney.

With the rise of photo apps and advances in digital photography, do you think anyone can be a photographer these days? They can, but not necessarily a good one. It’s a bit like journalism… anyone can get on a computer and type, and though a lot of people consider themselves journalists, they’re not. A lot of people think they can take a clear picture. You couldn’t take a clear picture easily when I was starting out. You had to go to a dark room and the mystery of photography was different. And that was part of the thrill — you might capture something you didn’t intend to.

“Sometimes, you come to a point of reinvention when you sort of fall on your feet and you have to say ‘So, what do I do next?’”

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How do you communicate someone’s personality through a photograph?Photography is not the photographer alone. If I were photographing you, it would be my job to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. I want people to be attractive. I like to find the best in people, man, woman or child. If you’re going to photograph a kid, be a kid yourself. Get down on the floor and talk baby talk. A photographer needs to be somewhat of a chameleon. If you’re with a steelworker, walk around like a steelworker. And if you’re with Elizabeth Taylor, be respectful. Flatter her enough to be appealing but not so much that you’re transparent. You have to project authenticity.

Why is your latest book so close to your heart?The book is really an autobiographical account of my life through pictures. I started in a small town in Canada, and my pictures show the complexity of getting into the business and making a name for myself. I had to come here to New York to get to the level I wanted to go. If I had stayed in Canada they wouldn’t have been asking me to travel all over the world to work.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to budding photographers?One thing I try to convey to students is that

you get knocked down sometimes, but you’ve got to get up and keep going. I had a period when things fell to pieces. In the early nineties I had my setbacks, the economy was bad and all the work just disappeared. But simultaneously, Photoshop turned up and I was fascinated by it and buried myself in that, and within two years I wrote a book on Photoshop. Sometimes, you come to a point of reinvention when you sort of fall on your feet and you have to say, “So what do I do next?” n

Douglas Kirkland: A Life in Pictures is published by Glitterati Incorporated.

In focus 1. A young Jack Nicholson (1975) 2. George Clooney in a recent 2012 shoot 3. Diana Ross on set in California (1979) 4. Actress Ann Margret on a chopper (1969)

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title Sectiony

How do you communicate someone’s personality through a photograph?Photography is not the photographer alone. If I were photographing you, it would be my job to make you feel comfortable and relaxed. I want people to be attractive. I like to find the best in people, man, woman or child. If you’re going to photograph a kid, be a kid yourself. Get down on the floor and talk baby talk. A photographer needs to be somewhat of a chameleon. If you’re with a steelworker, walk around like a steelworker. And if you’re with Elizabeth Taylor, be respectful. Flatter her enough to be appealing but not so much that you’re transparent. You have to project authenticity.

Why is your latest book so close to your heart?The book is really an autobiographical account of my life through pictures. I started in a small town in Canada, and my pictures show the complexity of getting into the business and making a name for myself. I had to come here to New York to get to the level I wanted to go. If I had stayed in Canada they wouldn’t have been asking me to travel all over the world to work.

What is one piece of advice you would pass on to budding photographers?One thing I try to convey to students is that

you get knocked down sometimes, but you’ve got to get up and keep going. I had a period when things fell to pieces. In the early nineties I had my setbacks, the economy was bad and all the work just disappeared. But simultaneously, Photoshop turned up and I was fascinated by it and buried myself in that, and within two years I wrote a book on Photoshop. Sometimes, you come to a point of reinvention when you sort of fall on your feet and you have to say, “So what do I do next?” n

Douglas Kirkland: A Life in Pictures is published by Glitterati Incorporated.

In focus 1. A young Jack Nicholson (1975) 2. George Clooney in a recent 2012 shoot 3. Diana Ross on set in California (1979) 4. Actress Ann Margret on a chopper (1969)

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56Sibling rivalry in California’s wine country

68Istanbul – the home of the Turkish bath

78India’s new luxury travel golden child

86One day in

Seville, home of Flamenco

88An insider’s

guide to going out in Dubai

90The best

golfing breaks in Scotland

Destinations The world’s most desirable locations

90

55 Features Opener.indd 55 28/10/2013 17:24

Napa and Sonoma go head-to-head in California’s wine country

A T A L E O F T W O

Words: Graeme Green

VALLEYS

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We float silently across clear blue skies. Balloon pilot Bob Barbarick remarks on the pretty valley below as he releases a hissing orange-blue flame and takes us up to 1,800 feet above the ground. Below us, getting smaller, are homes, swimming pools and a busy highway, but, as it stretches out before us, most of Napa Valley is

covered by neat lines of vines with heavy-hanging grapes ready to be harvested. To the west, as we drift towards San Francisco, is Mount Veeder, part of the Mayacamas Mountains. “This mountain range separates the Napa Valley from Sonoma,” Bob explains. It’s a thin dividing line between two of California’s leading wine-growing regions that, although both part of the same wine country, have a sometimes-playful, sometimes-serious rivalry, like two football teams from the same city.

Napa Valley and Sonoma County are two of eight major wine regions in California. Winegrowing started in California with the early Spanish missionaries, but stepped up a notch with the importing of European vines and the establishment of the first commercial wineries in the mid-1800s. California now produces around 90 percent of US wine production. The state is one of the world’s largest wine producers, home to nearly 4,000 wineries, from small family operations to internationally known giants.

Napa Valley is the most famous of California’s wine regions, with 16 sub-sections known as sub-AVAs (American Viticultural Areas). The Mayacamas provide shelter from the cool coastal air, giving the narrow, 56-kilometre long valley a warmer climate that’s good for the highly prized cabernet sauvignon grapes that dominate the region. Many put Napa’s global reputation down to pioneers like André Tchelistcheff and Robert Mondavi who helped make technical improvements to Californian wines and marketed the wines and the region to the world. But the defining moment in Napa’s boom was a 1976 blind-tasting competition in Paris, known as the Judgment of Paris, in which Napa’s chardonnays and cabs won out against French chardonnays and Bordeaux wines, a shock to the established order. The Judgment of Paris was later made into a film called Bottle Shock.

Besides great marketing, Napa’s international status is down to the quality of the wine, says Pauline Tilley at V Madrone, a family winery at Mount St. Helena in the northern part of the valley. “Napa Valley wines are exceptional. I’m sure if you go to Sonoma, they’ll say they’re the best. But they’re wrong,” she laughs. “Napa Valley is the best.”

“Napa Valley wines are exceptional.

I’m sure if you go to Sonoma,

they’ll say they’re the best. But

they’re wrong”

The sunny terrace at Auberge du Soleil



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Dubai

“It’s the soil,” Pauline continues, uncorking another bottle of flavourful cabernet sauvignon. “People are very proud of what the French call the terroir; the combination of soil, plant and climate. Soil in the valley is volcanic, so it’s rich in minerals. Grapes soak up the taste of the earth. We have hot days all summer long and nights are cool. That’s important for cabs. The flavours get intense.”

Driving through the valley, it feels like there are wineries and vineyards at every turn. Wineries now attract visitors with ‘experiences’, rather than simple tastings. Raymond Vineyards in Rutherford has a working wine cellar that looks like a New York City nightclub, with Baccarat crystal decanters and mannequins hanging from trapezes, and the Red Room, a tasting room that is part gentleman’s club, part French boudoir. Next door, Sullivan Vineyards is a quieter affair where guests at the impressive old Sullivan home can enjoy high quality chardonnays, merlots and cabs on the balcony with views of the landscaped gardens, pond and St. Helena.

Three of the best places to stay in the valley are run by the same company: Auberge Resorts. Solage Calistoga is the youngest, hippest of the three. I eat at their Solbar restaurant, which is buzzing at the weekend, the food being creative combinations of local ingredients. There’s a lively cocktail menu and, as is common in Napa, an inviting wine menu. In the morning, I experience Spa Solage’s signature three-part Mudslide treatment in The Bathhouse. I’m coated with mud and gently ‘baked’ in a heated room, followed by a soak in a heated tub, then finishing with a rest in a sound and vibration chair, which sends relaxing vibrations out with every bass note.

Auberge’s flagship property is the arty Auberge de Soleil in Rutherford. Make time for brunch: sparkling wine or cocktails with fresh dishes such as poached hopper shrimp or tuna tartare, enjoyed on the balcony with its fantastic view of the Napa Valley.

My favourite of the three is the Calistoga Ranch, modern but rugged and outdoorsy, built into the forested hills around Calistoga. Dinner at The Lakehouse restaurant is one of the best meals I eat in Napa. They do two things that are very Californian: they make use of the region’s high-quality fish, fruit and veg, not to mention wine (their own Stagecoach Cabernet is worth trying), while staff combine expert knowledge of the food and wine with an informal, friendly style.

“The Mayacamas

provide shelter from

the cool coastal air,

giving Napa Valley a

warmer climate that’s

good for the highly

prized cabernet

sauvignon grapes”

The Bathhouse at Solage Calistoga



Dubai

“It’s the soil,” Pauline continues, uncorking another bottle of flavourful cabernet sauvignon. “People are very proud of what the French call the terroir; the combination of soil, plant and climate. Soil in the valley is volcanic, so it’s rich in minerals. Grapes soak up the taste of the earth. We have hot days all summer long and nights are cool. That’s important for cabs. The flavours get intense.”

Driving through the valley, it feels like there are wineries and vineyards at every turn. Wineries now attract visitors with ‘experiences’, rather than simple tastings. Raymond Vineyards in Rutherford has a working wine cellar that looks like a New York City nightclub, with Baccarat crystal decanters and mannequins hanging from trapezes, and the Red Room, a tasting room that is part gentleman’s club, part French boudoir. Next door, Sullivan Vineyards is a quieter affair where guests at the impressive old Sullivan home can enjoy high quality chardonnays, merlots and cabs on the balcony with views of the landscaped gardens, pond and St. Helena.

Three of the best places to stay in the valley are run by the same company: Auberge Resorts. Solage Calistoga is the youngest, hippest of the three. I eat at their Solbar restaurant, which is buzzing at the weekend, the food being creative combinations of local ingredients. There’s a lively cocktail menu and, as is common in Napa, an inviting wine menu. In the morning, I experience Spa Solage’s signature three-part Mudslide treatment in The Bathhouse. I’m coated with mud and gently ‘baked’ in a heated room, followed by a soak in a heated tub, then finishing with a rest in a sound and vibration chair, which sends relaxing vibrations out with every bass note.

Auberge’s flagship property is the arty Auberge de Soleil in Rutherford. Make time for brunch: sparkling wine or cocktails with fresh dishes such as poached hopper shrimp or tuna tartare, enjoyed on the balcony with its fantastic view of the Napa Valley.

My favourite of the three is the Calistoga Ranch, modern but rugged and outdoorsy, built into the forested hills around Calistoga. Dinner at The Lakehouse restaurant is one of the best meals I eat in Napa. They do two things that are very Californian: they make use of the region’s high-quality fish, fruit and veg, not to mention wine (their own Stagecoach Cabernet is worth trying), while staff combine expert knowledge of the food and wine with an informal, friendly style.

“The Mayacamas

provide shelter from

the cool coastal air,

giving Napa Valley a

warmer climate that’s

good for the highly

prized cabernet

sauvignon grapes”

The Bathhouse at Solage Calistoga


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Auberge’s flagship property is the arty Auberge de

Soleil in Rutherford. Make time for brunch: sparkling

wine or cocktails with fresh dishes such as poached

hopper shrimp or tuna tartare, enjoyed on the balcony

with its fantastic view of the Napa Valley

56-64 California JSM FINAL.indd 62 27/10/2013 18:08 56-64 California JSM FINAL.indd 63 27/10/2013 18:08

I drive south to Yountville, a small town that shines brightly with Michelin stars. Yountville was put on the map over the last 20 years with the openings of Thomas Keller’s three-star French Laundry and one-star Bouchon Bistro. Travellers are now spoilt for dining and wine-tasting options. “This all used to be farmland,” says Becky Penick, who pours me a few glasses of Napa Valley cabs and syrahs at Hestan Vineyards. “Now, it is the best place in Napa for food and wine.”

That evening, I wander down to Redd, chef Richard Reddington’s Michelin-starred restaurant with tasty, well-presented food, like scallops with cauliflower puree, which is served in the dining room, the bar area or at outdoor tables next to a roaring fire. The place to stay in town is Bardessono, a LEED Platinum Certified hotel. Each suite comes with its own patio or terrace, with spa beds for in-room treatments. Cabanas around the rooftop pool have views of the Mayacamas.

OVER THE HILLSNext day, I cross over the mountains to Sonoma, which, in many ways, prides itself on not being Napa. Many feel Napa is too crowded, too business-focused and has lost the feel and passion of the old wine country. “Sonoma’s less corporate, more artisan, with more family involvement in businesses,” suggests Greg Wilcox, owner of Lambert Bridge Winery in Dry Creek Valley. “You might never see the owners in Napa. Here, you’re likely to see them behind the bar or out in the fields.”

At 4,579 square kilometres, Sonoma County is more than twice the size of the Napa Valley (2,041 square kilometres), with more microclimates (it also has 16 AVAs) and more diversity in the wines they produce, including top chardonnays and pinot noirs, as well as cabernet sauvignon. “Napa’s busier because it’s better known,” continues Greg. “Sonoma can produce wines every bit as good as Napa. We have more microclimates, more soil types, more elevations. So much diversity. We can do anything Napa can.”

All-white suite at Farmhouse Inn



Dubai

Sonoma feels less busy than Napa, the winding roads quieter as I drive across the wine country to Jordan Vineyard & Winery, a French château-style property in the Alexander Valley. They make only a Bordeaux-style cabernet sauvignon and a Burgundy-style chardonnay here; a case of quality over quantity. Their wines are served inside a ‘secret’ library/tasting room behind a glass display cabinet, or as part of picnics next to the lake or up at Vista Point with a view of the Russian River twisting through the valley.

With Buena Vista Winery in Carneros, Sonoma also claims to have the oldest commercial winery in California, started here in 1857. “You’ll start an argument in any winery with the question of who started everything,” winemaker Jim Umphries says diplomatically at Buena Vista, as he guides me through a fun process of tasting, blending, bottling, corking and labelling my own wine. “We say it started here. Napa will say there were already wines in Napa. Each of us can take out reference books to say it started in our area. It’s hard to verify.”

I stay overnight at nearby Kenwood Inn and Spa, a creamy Mediterranean-style villa with ivy-coated walls and each room decked out with antique furniture. Dinner, including poached lobster with rhubarb and almonds, is served in the courtyard next to a fountain. A chatty waitress brings a selection of wines to try, including a peppery pinot noir.

Next day I move up to the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville which has big white suites housed inside a converted barn, with modern four-poster beds, large bathrooms and a big stone fireplace that heats the room and the private balcony outside, which looks out onto the surrounding woods. The spa scores instant points for playing Brian Eno’s ambient music, while the Catherine’s Favorite treatment — firm body massage, head and scalp treatment, foot massage — provides 90 minutes of the blissful state between deep relaxation and sleep. I eat at Steve Litke’s romantically lit Michelin-starred restaurant at the Inn, washing down the finely crafted dishes with the recommended cabernet sauvignon from nearby Stonestreet Winery.

I visit Stonestreet the following day at the end of Getaway Advenutes’ Sip ‘n’ Cycle tour of the backroads around the Alexander Valley. En route, I see grape-crushing in action: tons of harvested grapes being loaded into machines to be separated and squeezed. The harvest takes place every year around September and is a busy time for hotels in the area.

“Napa has more press, more buzz, but I strongly believe Sonoma county is the place to be,” says Randy Johnson, my cycling guide, as we ride past vineyards. “It’s got less people, less traffic and is more rural. The wines are equal, if not better than Napa. I’d call it a sibling rivalry — big brother, little brother. Even though we’re really the same wine country, there’s a lot of competition.”

“Sonoma also claims to have

the oldest commercial

winery in California,

started here in 1857”

The Mediterranean-style Kenwood Inn and Spa



Dubai

Sonoma feels less busy than Napa, the winding roads quieter as I drive across the wine country to Jordan Vineyard & Winery, a French château-style property in the Alexander Valley. They make only a Bordeaux-style cabernet sauvignon and a Burgundy-style chardonnay here; a case of quality over quantity. Their wines are served inside a ‘secret’ library/tasting room behind a glass display cabinet, or as part of picnics next to the lake or up at Vista Point with a view of the Russian River twisting through the valley.

With Buena Vista Winery in Carneros, Sonoma also claims to have the oldest commercial winery in California, started here in 1857. “You’ll start an argument in any winery with the question of who started everything,” winemaker Jim Umphries says diplomatically at Buena Vista, as he guides me through a fun process of tasting, blending, bottling, corking and labelling my own wine. “We say it started here. Napa will say there were already wines in Napa. Each of us can take out reference books to say it started in our area. It’s hard to verify.”

I stay overnight at nearby Kenwood Inn and Spa, a creamy Mediterranean-style villa with ivy-coated walls and each room decked out with antique furniture. Dinner, including poached lobster with rhubarb and almonds, is served in the courtyard next to a fountain. A chatty waitress brings a selection of wines to try, including a peppery pinot noir.

Next day I move up to the Farmhouse Inn in Forestville which has big white suites housed inside a converted barn, with modern four-poster beds, large bathrooms and a big stone fireplace that heats the room and the private balcony outside, which looks out onto the surrounding woods. The spa scores instant points for playing Brian Eno’s ambient music, while the Catherine’s Favorite treatment — firm body massage, head and scalp treatment, foot massage — provides 90 minutes of the blissful state between deep relaxation and sleep. I eat at Steve Litke’s romantically lit Michelin-starred restaurant at the Inn, washing down the finely crafted dishes with the recommended cabernet sauvignon from nearby Stonestreet Winery.

I visit Stonestreet the following day at the end of Getaway Advenutes’ Sip ‘n’ Cycle tour of the backroads around the Alexander Valley. En route, I see grape-crushing in action: tons of harvested grapes being loaded into machines to be separated and squeezed. The harvest takes place every year around September and is a busy time for hotels in the area.

“Napa has more press, more buzz, but I strongly believe Sonoma county is the place to be,” says Randy Johnson, my cycling guide, as we ride past vineyards. “It’s got less people, less traffic and is more rural. The wines are equal, if not better than Napa. I’d call it a sibling rivalry — big brother, little brother. Even though we’re really the same wine country, there’s a lot of competition.”

“Sonoma also claims to have

the oldest commercial

winery in California,

started here in 1857”

The Mediterranean-style Kenwood Inn and Spa


Solage Calistoga Tel: +1 707 226 0800www.solagecalistoga.com

Calistoga Ranch Tel: +1 707 254 2800www.calistogaranch.com

Auberge du Soleil Tel: +1 707 963 1211www.aubergedusoleil.com

BardessonoTel: +1 707 204 6000www.bardessono.com

Kenwood Inn and Spa Tel: +1 707 833 1293www.kenwoodinn.com

Farmhouse InnTel: +1 707 887 3300www.farmhouseinn.com

Getaway AdventuresTel: +1 707 568 3040www.getawayadventures.com

DB AutosportifTel: +1 707 938 7474dbautosportif.com

Balloons Above the Valley Tel: +1 707 253 2222www.balloonrides.com

Thegoldenbook

“Sonoma Cabs absolutely hold their own against Napa,” says Jeff Noel at Robert Young Estate Winery, our first stop on the tour. “The thing about Sonoma is we can do it all: quality and diversity. Sonoma makes riesling and champagne, outstanding pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon...” Comparable Sonoma wines are also noticeably cheaper than in Napa.

I explore the town of Healdsburg in the evening, which has earnt a serious reputation as a foodie destination. “Healdsburg is a magnet for food right now,” says Galen McCorkle from newly opened Partake by KJ, a food- and wine-tasting room. We pick liberally from a menu, which has lots of small tapas-style plates, each matched with a wine. “Sonoma has so much local food to choose from, with all the agriculture and also the coast,” says Galen. “It’s all about exploration.”

I thought cycling couldn’t be beaten as a way to explore the wine country, but it has a very serious rival. From Sonoma, I pick up a classic 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, white with green interior, from hire company, DB Autosportif. I could’ve chosen a ’65 Jaguar E-Type or a ’62 Buick Electra among others, but the Porsche won. It feels like the coolest car on the road, engine purring as I drive up Sonoma’s coast on Highway 1, stopping on the way at Bodega to check out the white church where Hitchcock filmed scenes from The Birds. The car’s top is down and wind blows in my hair, as waves crash in from the Pacific onto jagged dark rocks.

I turn inland and follow Russian River’s course into the valley to Hartford Family Winery, known for its pinot noirs. “Since the film Sideways, pinot’s popularity has really grown,” says the winery’s president, Don Hartford. “Paul Giamatti’s character talked about pinots a lot.” They do a big fruity zinfandel here too and the tastiest chardonnay I try anywhere in the region. There are little discoveries like this throughout Napa and Sonoma, which makes me even more reluctant to hand back the keys to the Porsche at the end of the day. I feel like I was just getting started. n

“I cross over the mountains to

Sonoma, which, in many ways, prides itself on

not being Napa”

The Barrel Cellar at Raymond Vineyards

Profiteroles at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro Phot

o: T

hom

as k

elle

r Res

tera

unt g

roup



Solage Calistoga Tel: +1 707 226 0800www.solagecalistoga.com

Calistoga Ranch Tel: +1 707 254 2800www.calistogaranch.com

Auberge du Soleil Tel: +1 707 963 1211www.aubergedusoleil.com

BardessonoTel: +1 707 204 6000www.bardessono.com

Kenwood Inn and Spa Tel: +1 707 833 1293www.kenwoodinn.com

Farmhouse InnTel: +1 707 887 3300www.farmhouseinn.com

Getaway AdventuresTel: +1 707 568 3040www.getawayadventures.com

DB AutosportifTel: +1 707 938 7474dbautosportif.com

Balloons Above the Valley Tel: +1 707 253 2222www.balloonrides.com

Thegoldenbook

“Sonoma Cabs absolutely hold their own against Napa,” says Jeff Noel at Robert Young Estate Winery, our first stop on the tour. “The thing about Sonoma is we can do it all: quality and diversity. Sonoma makes riesling and champagne, outstanding pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon...” Comparable Sonoma wines are also noticeably cheaper than in Napa.

I explore the town of Healdsburg in the evening, which has earnt a serious reputation as a foodie destination. “Healdsburg is a magnet for food right now,” says Galen McCorkle from newly opened Partake by KJ, a food- and wine-tasting room. We pick liberally from a menu, which has lots of small tapas-style plates, each matched with a wine. “Sonoma has so much local food to choose from, with all the agriculture and also the coast,” says Galen. “It’s all about exploration.”

I thought cycling couldn’t be beaten as a way to explore the wine country, but it has a very serious rival. From Sonoma, I pick up a classic 1963 Porsche 356B Cabriolet, white with green interior, from hire company, DB Autosportif. I could’ve chosen a ’65 Jaguar E-Type or a ’62 Buick Electra among others, but the Porsche won. It feels like the coolest car on the road, engine purring as I drive up Sonoma’s coast on Highway 1, stopping on the way at Bodega to check out the white church where Hitchcock filmed scenes from The Birds. The car’s top is down and wind blows in my hair, as waves crash in from the Pacific onto jagged dark rocks.

I turn inland and follow Russian River’s course into the valley to Hartford Family Winery, known for its pinot noirs. “Since the film Sideways, pinot’s popularity has really grown,” says the winery’s president, Don Hartford. “Paul Giamatti’s character talked about pinots a lot.” They do a big fruity zinfandel here too and the tastiest chardonnay I try anywhere in the region. There are little discoveries like this throughout Napa and Sonoma, which makes me even more reluctant to hand back the keys to the Porsche at the end of the day. I feel like I was just getting started. n

“I cross over the mountains to

Sonoma, which, in many ways, prides itself on

not being Napa”

The Barrel Cellar at Raymond Vineyards

Profiteroles at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro Phot

o: T

hom

as k

elle

r Res

tera

unt g

roup



I N T R O D U C I N G

THE NEW SCENT FOR MEN

GAP Soul.pdf 1 10/24/12 7:38 PM

66-74 Istanbul Spa JSM.indd 68 28/10/2013 10:10


For a luxurious insight into Istanbul’s past, visit its historical hammams and sleek hotel spas, which offer

traditional treatments and modern therapies

Words: Caroline Eden

THE HEALING WATERS OF ISTANbuL



To understand Istanbul’s hammams is to know the city. If their walls could talk, these great testaments to the

Ottoman age would no doubt narrate countless tales of gossip and intrigue. None more so than Galatasaray Hammam, on Istanbul’s European side. Here, the terracotta walls would recount stories of how the foundations were laid in 1498 by Sultan Bayezid II, who wanted a preparatory school for children heading to the Topkapi Palace for their Ottoman education. They’d speak of how, in the mid-19th century, the baths were rebranded as Galatasaray Lycée, a school for

diplomats. Lastly the walls, with their rich marble borders, would whisper of how in the Swinging Sixties it became a magnet for detoxing celebrities, opening its doors for the first time to women bathers to keep in the spirit of the age.

In fact, the hammams can be viewed as microcosms of Turkish life throughout history. When the Turks lived as nomads in the Central Asian steppes, water was scarce and the Turkish tribes closely guarded it, considering the life source sacred. Later, when these tribes migrated to Anatolia and converted to Islam, they adopted the Islamic tenets of

cleanliness and bathing. Cleanliness is, of course, next to godliness and it’s therefore not surprising that many hammams are attached to mosques.

During the Seljuk and Ottoman periods, Turkish baths combined the aesthetic aspects of the Eastern bath tradition with their complex water systems and the heating techniques of the multi-roomed Roman bathhouses. There were key differences between Roman baths and hammams. The open and closed areas of Roman baths tended to be larger than the Ottoman hammams and, unlike Roman baths, the outer walls of hammams were not at all intricately designed.

Relax, rejuvenate(above) Modern design elements and traditional touches combine at Four Seasons Istanbul’s luxurious spa

“If their walls could talk, these great testaments to the Ottoman age would no doubt narrate

countless tales of gossip and intrigue”


Treat yourself(above) A marble hammam treatment room in Shangri-La Bosphorus’s CHI spa

These bathhouses attracted all walks of life. Sultans would visit alongside humble workers, and everyone would go in with the same aim: to combine pleasure with a practical body scrub. Over time, the Turkish baths became a place to meet as well as a place to get clean. During Ottoman times they were some of the few venues where women could socialise — separate from men, of course.

Architecturally, most hammams follow the same plan. There is a marble podium — usually white marble from Turkey’s Marmara region — covered by a large central cupola, often punched with star-shape perforations to let light in, with rooms set off to the

sides. There is a hot room where guests get steamed up and are massaged, then there is a warm room for washing and a cold room where post-treatment relaxation takes place. Treatments end in the camekan (lobby or lounge area) where there is normally a lot of talk over tea. Two sets of doors usually lead out onto the street, one for women and another for men. The bathhouse ritual is always the same — a bath, a soak and a soap massage.

A century or so ago there were around 2,500 working hammams in Istanbul but today only around one hundred remain. Many have been converted into shops and cafés. Of Istanbul’s surviving public baths,

quite a few are little more than tourist attractions, however there are some that really ought to be visited for their historical importance.

The Çemberlitaş Hamami (Vezirhan Caddesi 8), dating back to 1584 and designed by the great Ottoman architect Sinan, is among the most beautiful in the city. Commissioned by Nurbanu Sultan, wife of Sultan Selim II, the hammam features two bath chambers each commanded by a marble heat platform, over which a striking cupola with glass apertures dominates. Visitors can bathe between 6.00am to midnight and people come from far and wide to experience it. Not far away, the 450-year-old

“A century or so ago there were around 2,500 working hammams in Istanbul, but today only around

one hundred remain”

hammam etiquette

n tipping is expected, particularly at the historical hammams, less so at the modern spas

n the intense heat means that it is essential to drink plenty of water during and after your visit

n Nakedness is not the norm, so wear swimwear

or a pestemal (sarong) provided by the spa

n taking time to relax post-treatment is key

n if you’re keen to take home a hammam souvenir, try turquoise istanbul for towels and pestemals

(www.turquoise-istanbul.com). alternatively, book Kathy hamilton, an expat american journalist

who is also one of the best personal shoppers in the city (www.istanbulpersonalshopper.com)



23 Month 20XX dotwnews.com

Sectiony title

understated residential eleganceauthentic details gracious serviceexquisite cuisine

The trademarks HYATT™, PARK HYATT™ and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt International Corporation. ©2013 Hyatt International Corporation. All rights reserved.

Arrive at Park Hyatt Istanbul – Maçka Palas and find yourself surrounded by contemporary luxury. Imagine dramatic architecture and design where you are offered privacy, personalised service and peerless quality – from original works of art to culinary arts.

Reservations +90 212 315 1234 or istanbul.park.hyatt.com

22 Editors Letter JSM.indd 23 28/10/2013 14:17


Indulge

Süleymaniye Hamam (Mimar Sinan Caddesi 20), also designed by Sinan, is also a contender for Istanbul’s most impressive hammam, with its huge cupola and location next to the Süleymaniye Mosque, close to the Grand Bazaar. After being closed for 80 years, it was restored and reopened in 2004. Today, it draws many visitors for its splendid entrance hall and marble work.

Lastly, the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamami, another of Sinan’s designs, dates back to the 1580s and was reopened in 2012 after considerable restoration. The decor is minimalist and by far the most luxurious option of the antique

hammams in the city. The 17-metre high cupola is worth the visit alone.

With the ongoing building boom in Istanbul, many new five-star hotels now offer classically designed hammams within their spa complexes. Today’s hammams are much gentler than the original Ottoman ones. Treatments are less forceful and are more along the lines of traditional massage movements rather than the thumping, hitting method that traditional therapists once used. The heat is less intense and the steam not as stifling, but the biggest difference of all is the fact that nowadays guests are regularly given the option to choose

the sex of their therapist and can even opt for couples treatments. The beneficial effects, however, remain the same. The mix of sauna and massage is the ultimate tonic for the skin. Nothing beats warm temperature for helping essential oils soak into the skin and only through massage can they penetrate further. It’s a tried-and-tested method and it works.

If it is a sophisticated hammam experience that your body needs then the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus is a good choice, with several different treatments available in a traditional marble hammam setting. There is the

Soak it up(above) Shangri-La Bosphorus boasts river views and the first CHI The Spa in Europe

“The hammam can be viewed as a microcosm of Turkish life throughout history”



Indulge

Süleymaniye Hamam (Mimar Sinan Caddesi 20), also designed by Sinan, is also a contender for Istanbul’s most impressive hammam, with its huge cupola and location next to the Süleymaniye Mosque, close to the Grand Bazaar. After being closed for 80 years, it was restored and reopened in 2004. Today, it draws many visitors for its splendid entrance hall and marble work.

Lastly, the Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamami, another of Sinan’s designs, dates back to the 1580s and was reopened in 2012 after considerable restoration. The decor is minimalist and by far the most luxurious option of the antique

hammams in the city. The 17-metre high cupola is worth the visit alone.

With the ongoing building boom in Istanbul, many new five-star hotels now offer classically designed hammams within their spa complexes. Today’s hammams are much gentler than the original Ottoman ones. Treatments are less forceful and are more along the lines of traditional massage movements rather than the thumping, hitting method that traditional therapists once used. The heat is less intense and the steam not as stifling, but the biggest difference of all is the fact that nowadays guests are regularly given the option to choose

the sex of their therapist and can even opt for couples treatments. The beneficial effects, however, remain the same. The mix of sauna and massage is the ultimate tonic for the skin. Nothing beats warm temperature for helping essential oils soak into the skin and only through massage can they penetrate further. It’s a tried-and-tested method and it works.

If it is a sophisticated hammam experience that your body needs then the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus is a good choice, with several different treatments available in a traditional marble hammam setting. There is the

Soak it up(above) Shangri-La Bosphorus boasts river views and the first CHI The Spa in Europe

“The hammam can be viewed as a microcosm of Turkish life throughout history”


A LUXURY-CLASS DESTINATION

Breathtaking natural beauty, fine dining, first-class service and ultimate relaxation await at Kuum Hotel & Spa, a place of contemporary exclusivity on the Turkish Riviera.

Located in the bay of Türkbükü in Bodrum, Kuum Hotel & Spa offers an unsurpassed level of hospitality that caters to every desire, with 61 stylish rooms and suites, a 2,200 square metre spa and wellness centre, and a private

stretch of Aegean Sea. The perfect escape for people seeking pleasure, privacy and relaxation.

Ataturk Cad. No 150, Turkbuku, 48400 Bodrum, Mugla, Turkey Tel: +90 252 311 0060, e-mail: [email protected], www.kuumhotel.com

Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at the Bosphorus Tel: +90 212 381 4000 www.fourseasons.com

Shangri-La Bosphorus Istanbul Tel: +90 212 275 8888 www.shangri-la.com/istanbul

The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul Tel: +90 212 334 4444 www.ritzcarlton.com

Park Hyatt IstanbulTel: +90 212 315 1234 www.istanbul.park.hyatt.com

Pera Palace Hotel JumeirahTel: +90 212 377 4000 www.jumeirah.com

Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamami Tel: +90 212 393 8010 kilicalipasahamami.com

Thegoldenbook

Traditional Ultra Luxury hammam which, along with the usual hammam experience, also includes a top-to-toe treat combining a soothing foot massage with a nourishing hair treatment and body mask. Then there is the Epicurean Hammam, an unusual take on a traditional treatment and one that is literally good enough to eat. Bathers are cooled down with an olive oil ice-cream popsicle or two while being swaddled in a strained yogurt and rosewater wrap.

Not far away, the new Shangri-La Bosphorus, located in Besiktas right along the banks of the Bosphorus (the strait that cuts the historic centre of Istanbul in two), has to be at the top of any serious spa-goer’s list. The hotel is home to Europe’s first CHI The Spa and even seasoned spa visitors can’t help but be impressed. As with all the best spas, it’s not the decor — although here, it is very smart indeed — it is the therapists who can make a good spa a great one. My Thai therapist Dolrudee was effective, intuitive and graceful, and her work could be felt for days afterwards. I could not rate her highly enough and would travel back to Istanbul just to have another CHI Balance massage with her.

The location, right by the opulent Dolmabahçe Palace, is quiet and

the views onto the Bosphorus are unmatched, as you literally cannot be closer to the water. Add to this the staggering craftsmanship in marble decor and exceptional service throughout, and this hotel makes an incredible addition to Istanbul’s luxury hotel scene. The air of refined elegance means that it is hard to imagine that the hotel stands on the site of a 1920s tobacco factory.

One of Istanbul’s more established hotels, The Ritz-Carlton, Istanbul, also boasting fantastic views of the Bosphorus, has an award-winning, five-star spa on its premises. As well as an authentic Turkish hammam, you can book in for a unique spa experience here, known as the ‘Open Air Spa’. Two treatment rooms are located on the roof beside the swimming pool, where you can unwind with a treatment from a full wellness program, massage therapies, facials and body treatments.

These luxurious five-star hotel spas are the new-age places in Istanbul to relax and enjoy a hammam; they are private, modern and staffed by fully trained therapists who use organic products. They provide an interesting contrast to Istanbul’s historic and still thriving hammams, which are physical windows into the city’s Ottoman past — a glimpse of a romantic, bygone era. n

Halls of cleanliness(clockwise from above) Four Seasons Hotel; the cavernous hammam at Kılıç Ali Pașa Hamami; relaxation area at Kılıç Ali Pașa Hamami



CHAMPAGNE IN CHENNAI

Luxury hotels, rooftop bars and fast cars are a common sight in modern Chennai, the new hub of all things

luxury in southern India

Words: Devanshi Mody

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 78 27/10/2013 19:03

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 79 27/10/2013 19:03


City

Modern luxuries (left to right) A mood-lit spa plunge pool at Park Hyatt Chennai; The Edge rooftop infinity pool at Park Hyatt Chennai

Chennai blues (previous page) Library Blu bar at The Leela Palace

Coffee is expertly poured from tumbler to tumbler a metre apart. The fuming foam swells like champagne, rising in aromatic puffs. The smoke disperses – the fabled Madras ‘metre’

coffee is complete. You descend from the coffee high and realise you’re in Chennai (formerly Madras), in one of the seven five-star hotels to have recently launched in the city.

Three years ago, when my brother Samir and I moved here from the UK, the family was dismayed, staggered by our decision: why abandon the impressive spires of Oxford for the mires of Madras? Nobody envisaged that today we’d be sipping champagne on the edge of Park Hyatt Chennai’s emerald-coloured rooftop infinity pool, which seems to fall into Guindy National Park over yonder, or chuckling on the terraces of The Leela Palace, an unapologetically opulent hotel and the city’s first seafront property.

Welcome to present-day Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu where not so long ago, luxury experiences and destination restaurants were virtually

unheard of — though in the past, I would re-route flights via Chennai just to visit the erratic Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant for its celebrated dosas (a sort of fermented pancake made of black lentils).

Today, Milanese-style delis, Monte-Carlo-esque terraces and French pâtisseries have erupted across the city in a frenzied flurry. But they’ve forsaken tradition: no new venue serves Madras coffee as it should be, frothing in little glasses of metal that accentuates the coffee’s sharpness. The dictates of modernity demand banal ceramic or plastic, as big-brand coffee shops burst at the seams with trendy young patrons.

I head to the new Dessert Safari for coffee with the owner, but decide on a more fashionable Belgian hot chocolate at the last minute. Instead of the owner, a scrawny youth by the name of Vineet presents himself and starts talking me through the eccentric menu with its whacky desserts. An hour later I enquire when the owner might materialise. As it turns out, Vineet is the owner. Chennai is spouting young entrepreneurs promoting

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 80 27/10/2013 19:03


City

Modern luxuries (left to right) A mood-lit spa plunge pool at Park Hyatt Chennai; The Edge rooftop infinity pool at Park Hyatt Chennai

Chennai blues (previous page) Library Blu bar at The Leela Palace

Coffee is expertly poured from tumbler to tumbler a metre apart. The fuming foam swells like champagne, rising in aromatic puffs. The smoke disperses – the fabled Madras ‘metre’

coffee is complete. You descend from the coffee high and realise you’re in Chennai (formerly Madras), in one of the seven five-star hotels to have recently launched in the city.

Three years ago, when my brother Samir and I moved here from the UK, the family was dismayed, staggered by our decision: why abandon the impressive spires of Oxford for the mires of Madras? Nobody envisaged that today we’d be sipping champagne on the edge of Park Hyatt Chennai’s emerald-coloured rooftop infinity pool, which seems to fall into Guindy National Park over yonder, or chuckling on the terraces of The Leela Palace, an unapologetically opulent hotel and the city’s first seafront property.

Welcome to present-day Chennai, the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu where not so long ago, luxury experiences and destination restaurants were virtually

unheard of — though in the past, I would re-route flights via Chennai just to visit the erratic Sangeetha Vegetarian Restaurant for its celebrated dosas (a sort of fermented pancake made of black lentils).

Today, Milanese-style delis, Monte-Carlo-esque terraces and French pâtisseries have erupted across the city in a frenzied flurry. But they’ve forsaken tradition: no new venue serves Madras coffee as it should be, frothing in little glasses of metal that accentuates the coffee’s sharpness. The dictates of modernity demand banal ceramic or plastic, as big-brand coffee shops burst at the seams with trendy young patrons.

I head to the new Dessert Safari for coffee with the owner, but decide on a more fashionable Belgian hot chocolate at the last minute. Instead of the owner, a scrawny youth by the name of Vineet presents himself and starts talking me through the eccentric menu with its whacky desserts. An hour later I enquire when the owner might materialise. As it turns out, Vineet is the owner. Chennai is spouting young entrepreneurs promoting

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 80 27/10/2013 19:03EDA_Prettyface_ADV_141.indd 1 15/03/13 10:2428-29 Retrospective.indd 28 27/08/2013 08:42

Wine and dine (left to right) City views from Q Bar at Hilton Chennai; The Flying Elephant at Park Hyatt Chennai; decor at Library Blu bar reflects elements of traditional Indian decoration

hipness in hitherto conservative Madras. They are taking influences from all over the world and bringing them back to their businesses in Chennai, giving the city a cosmopolitan, dynamic feel.

Vineet and I emerge from Dessert Safari to find a line of white BMWs curled around the curb like a silk worm. I remark at Chennai’s current penchant for white BMWs and white Audis, all manufactured, like Renault, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai, in Chennai’s new Car City. Vineet, with a yawn as wide as the cavalcade of BMWs, remarks nonchalantly, “One is so bored with BMWs in Chennai. White Ferraris are in. Satyam Cinema’s owner has only one.” “Only one,” my eyebrow shoots up. “The India Cements people have two.” Once upon a time, I’d have thought such a conversation impossible in erudite Chennai, but the city seems to have processed, if not progressed, from books to BMWs.

The latest additions to Chennai’s café scene may neglect the traditional Madras coffee, but the cocktails at the bars certainly knock up a true taste of the modern city. Expect suave cigar lounges that look like they were just transplanted from London’s St. James’s; retro-chic ladies’ bars; sophisticated wine and cheese bars pairing rich Pondicherry-made brie with pineapple and cinnamon compote; and champagne lounges with interiors so exorbitant you’d think you were in New York.

At Hilton Chennai, the rooftop Q Bar serves the ‘Chennai Beach’, a vodka-spiked interpretation of the ice-lollies pedalled on Chennai Beach. Hot spices make for the coolest cocktails at lush Library Blu, back at The Leela Palace, where curry leaf-infused ‘Curry Berry’ tingles like Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The hotel is also home to Vintage Bank, a wine and cheese bar decorated in earthy tones and wood accents, giving it a true wine-cellar feel.

Chennai

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 82 27/10/2013 19:03

Wine and dine (left to right) City views from Q Bar at Hilton Chennai; The Flying Elephant at Park Hyatt Chennai; decor at Library Blu bar reflects elements of traditional Indian decoration

hipness in hitherto conservative Madras. They are taking influences from all over the world and bringing them back to their businesses in Chennai, giving the city a cosmopolitan, dynamic feel.

Vineet and I emerge from Dessert Safari to find a line of white BMWs curled around the curb like a silk worm. I remark at Chennai’s current penchant for white BMWs and white Audis, all manufactured, like Renault, Ford, Nissan and Hyundai, in Chennai’s new Car City. Vineet, with a yawn as wide as the cavalcade of BMWs, remarks nonchalantly, “One is so bored with BMWs in Chennai. White Ferraris are in. Satyam Cinema’s owner has only one.” “Only one,” my eyebrow shoots up. “The India Cements people have two.” Once upon a time, I’d have thought such a conversation impossible in erudite Chennai, but the city seems to have processed, if not progressed, from books to BMWs.

The latest additions to Chennai’s café scene may neglect the traditional Madras coffee, but the cocktails at the bars certainly knock up a true taste of the modern city. Expect suave cigar lounges that look like they were just transplanted from London’s St. James’s; retro-chic ladies’ bars; sophisticated wine and cheese bars pairing rich Pondicherry-made brie with pineapple and cinnamon compote; and champagne lounges with interiors so exorbitant you’d think you were in New York.

At Hilton Chennai, the rooftop Q Bar serves the ‘Chennai Beach’, a vodka-spiked interpretation of the ice-lollies pedalled on Chennai Beach. Hot spices make for the coolest cocktails at lush Library Blu, back at The Leela Palace, where curry leaf-infused ‘Curry Berry’ tingles like Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5. The hotel is also home to Vintage Bank, a wine and cheese bar decorated in earthy tones and wood accents, giving it a true wine-cellar feel.

Chennai

76-82 Chennaiv2.indd 82 27/10/2013 19:03

At Park Hyatt’s champagne brunch at the iconic The Flying Elephant restaurant, I spot a five-year-old in a Louis Vuitton dress and Gucci pantoufles, and I wonder if this is really Chennai. These days, women slink around the city in strapless dresses as if this were the French Riviera. When I see a nubile teenager propping her ancient grandmother (resolutely silk sari-wrapped) while flaunting her short-shorts, I almost choke on my Peruvian asparagus. Things have certainly changed in once-conservative Chennai.

Making a daring style statement itself, the Park Hyatt flouts tradition with a minimalist style. The interior decor celebrates Chennai’s textile culture, with textile motifs imaginatively woven into decorative elements. I delight in The Dining Room’s spectacular tapestry of paisley in silken reels, which hotel owner Amit Mahtaney says he dramatically rescued from a deluge during construction.


Everything about Amit is dramatic, as illustrated by The Flying Elephant’s decor, which reflects his theatrical background. This phenomenal five-tiered restaurant’s staircase spirals up, each level showcasing a particular kitchen and corresponding decor, and culminates in the sensational Bedroom, a private dining space on which a dozen retro cameras are trained.

The sleek and smug Park Hyatt epitomises Chennai’s evolved taste. Its lean suites frame the new ITC Grand Chola, sprawled like a dragon. Although contemporaneous, the monster next door rather seems an anachronism amid Chennai’s rarefaction.

The prevalent tastes haven’t spared gastronomy. As emboldened Tamil chefs exhibit epicurean finesse, Chennai’s restaurants have debuted on the world’s top restaurant listings. But this should not come as a surprise; Tamil Nadu once produced the world’s oldest

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Simple elegance (left to right) The rooftop infinity pool at Hilton Chennai; the minimalist interiors of Ecstasy by Mickaël Besse

culinary treatise and fastidious attitudes to food in the region make the French seem almost easygoing. Here, cooking is one thing still steeped in tradition — Tamil chefs implement age-old, time-consuming (and therefore pricey) skills acquired in their villages.

That’s not to say that Chennai is without gourmet Euro influences. It’s home to French pâtissiers with Michelin-star restaurant training, most astonishingly at Ecstasy by Mickaël Besse, which is one swish establishment. Here, pastries resemble works of art, evoking the quality found at Paris’s legendary Pierre Hermé. And yet, Ecstasy languishes unappreciated, because unadulterated Valrhona, the Ferrari of chocolate, sharp as a bullet and richer than a sultan, bewilders the uninitiated.

Chennai’s dramatic and frenetic evolution is thanks in part to a booming business sector and the arrival of overseas workers. The new IT City hijacks Bangalore’s cyber monopoly; investors invade and expats swarm into posh pockets where Hindi, French, German, Japanese and Korean soon replace Tamil. These expats must be

accommodated, fed and entertained, which means that new establishments attracting an expat clientele are opening up all the time. A recent addition is the new Notting-Hill-meets-Chelsea Lloyd’s Tea House, run by local resident Verdana. In India’s coffee capital, a teahouse is a bold move. Especially one as delightfully quirky as this: eighties suitcases have been embedded into the walls, fashioned into shelves bearing antiquated oddities, while the old-fashioned menu boasts 63 exotic teas and opens with American writer and poet Jessica Nelson North’s The Tea Party:

I had a little tea party This afternoon at three. ‘Twas very small— Three guests in all— Just I, myself and me. Having your cake and eating it too is something that Chennai seems set on, and is certainly achieving. n

Park Hyatt Chennai Tel: +91 44 7177 1234chennai.park.hyatt.com

The Leela Palace Chennai Tel: +91 44 3366 1234www.theleela.com

ITC Grand Chola Tel: +91 44 2220 0000www.itchotels.in Taj Coromandel Tel: +91 44 6600 2827www.tajhotels.com

Thegoldenbook

Myself ate all the sandwiches, While I drank up the tea; ‘Twas also I who ate the pie And passed the cake to me.

Chennai

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Hotel do Chiado is located in Baixa, Lisbon’s historic district, near the popular sites of Bairro Alto, Rossio Square and Avenida da Liberdade. The hotel was built in the historic building of Armazéns do Chiado, which was completely restored by the famous architect Álvaro Siza Vieira after the tragic fire of 1988. Hotel do Chiado is the only hotel in town that offers rooms with private terraces and panoramic views of the Castle and the Tagus River. Bar Entretanto on the 7th floor has the best views in Lisbon, making it the perfect place for a romantic dinner, an informal meeting, or a gathering with friends.

Rua Nova do Almada, Nº 114, 1200 -290 Lisboa, Portugal

email: [email protected] | tel. +351 213 256 100 | fax. +351 213 256 161

Your charming home in the heart of historic Lisbon

SEV

ILLE

09.00After arriving at Sevilla Airport (www.sevilla-airport.com) on an Emirates flight from Dubai, make your way to Hotel Alfonso XIII (San Fernando 2; +34 95 491 700; www.starwoodhotels.com), a Luxury Collection Hotel, to check into your Deluxe Suite. Built in 1929 and renovated in 2012, the hotel is an architectural tribute to Seville’s Moorish, Andalusian and Castilian influences: think large arches, wrought iron and ceramic detailing. The hotel is frequently visited by royalty (it was commissioned by King Alfonso XIII) and makes for a luxurious base from which to explore the town, as it’s located very close to the historic Santa Cruz quarter and the Guadalquivir River.

09.30With winding cobblestone streets, breathtaking Moorish architecture and a rich history of arts and crafts, it’s fair to say that Seville is a living, breathing museum. The best way to explore is on foot. Leave the hotel and wander down through the old

town to the Royal Alcázar (+34 954 50 23 24; www.alcazarsevilla.org) near Patio de Banderas, once a Moorish fort converted into a palace. The palace sits alongside Seville’s cathedral, dominated by the Giralda, a former minaret, now bell tower. The cathedral is also the burial site of explorer, Christopher Columbus. The complex as a whole dates back to the Reconquista of 1248 and is a lasting testimony to the Almohads and later Christian Andalusia civilizations that left their mark on the city.

11.00Continue your way north through the neighbourhoods along the right bank of Canal de Alfonso XIII and discover hidden workshops of local craftsmen in the winding streets. Darío Fernández (Viriato 13; +34 954 90 09 33; www.dariofernandez.com) is the place to go for exquisite sculptures, while Wabi Sabi (Viriato 9, +34 954 21 40 65) is a gallery space with contemporary artworks for sale. You’ll find ceramics for sale almost everywhere in the city, but pay a visit to Isabel Parente (Calle Dona Maria

Coronel 21; +34 626 963 086; www.isabelparente.com) for the best creations — ideal souvenirs to commemorate your time in this part of Spain.

13.30 A morning of exploring on foot is sure to work up an appetite. It’s time to make like the locals and tuck into the most important meal of the day. Lunches is Seville are drawn out, relaxed and best shared with friends, so stroll back up towards the cathedral to Bodega Góngora (Calla Albareda; +34 954 221 119; www.bodegagongora.com). This tapas bar has a chilled vibe, welcoming sta£ and a solid menu — be sure to order the house speciality of fried anchovies, as well as dried tuna drizzled with local virgin olive oil. After lunch, the city winds down for siesta, which gives you the perfect time to linger over a glass of cava (sparkling wine).

15.00A visit to the Museo del Baile Flamenco (Calle de Manuel Rojas Marcos 3; +34 954 34 03 11; www.museoflamenco.com) is a

Small in size and filled to the brim with history and culture, the Andalusian capital has so much to see in 24 hours

NIGHT & DAYWords & photos: Anna Zhukov

86-87 24 Hours.indd 86 27/10/2013 19:05


Hotel Alfonso XIIITel: +34 954 91 70 00www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-seville.com

STAY

must. The world-famous passionate dance, music and singing movement originated in this part of Spain, so where better a place to learn all about it? The museum houses an impressive collection of photos, videos and artifacts, and hosts many workshops where you can learn a few flamenco steps yourself – provided you aren’t still full from lunch, of course.

16.30Seville’s architecture is beautiful no matter when you visit, but at sunset, it’s truly special. Watch the setting sun cast a golden glow over the city’s buildings as you wind through the streets on a horse and carriage ride. You’ll find the carriages and their drivers waiting in the shadow of the Giralda, so it’s just a matter of choosing one and climbing aboard. Tours take approximately one hour and are a great way to appreciate the contrast of Seville’s old and modern architecture. Your driver will point out historic buildings, squares and contemporary structures including the iconic wooden Metropol Parasol (Plaza de

Horse and carriages outside Giralda

la Encarnación), which was designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer-Hermann and is nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’ for the brown, dome-like roof.

18.00It’s time to head back to your suite to rest for a short while and prepare for dinner. As after-dark proceedings generally begin later here, start your evening with an aperitif on the romantic Terraza XIII of Hotel Alfonso XIII as you watch darkness fall onto the property’s elegant gardens.

21.00With thousands of tapas bars in the city, it would be remiss to skip the opportunity to indulge once again for dinner. Many bars claim to be the best in town, but the simple way to know you’ve found a gem is when it’s packed with locals. El Rinconcillo (40 Gerona St and 2 Alhóndiga St; +34 954 223 183; www.elrinconcillo.es) is one such institution and also happens to be Seville’s oldest tapas bar. Order a few light dishes or opt for a set menu. The bar itself is also

Sample tapas at Bodega Góngora

well stocked with lip-smacking local wines — don’t worry about keeping track of what you’ve sampled, as the staff will chalk your bar tab on the board behind the bar.

23.00Despite being a markedly smaller town compared to the likes of Madrid and Barcelona, Seville holds its own with a nightlife that kicks on into the wee hours. Head out and explore if you’ve a late flight the next day. If not, head back to Hotel Alfonso to Bar Americano for a nightcap, where you can throw everything to chance and let the resident mixologists create a cocktail for you. The resident jazz band may seem a little out of place in the capital of flamenco, but cultural mix is a key characteristic of Seville, a quality that makes it such a charming place to visit. n

86-87 24 Hours.indd 87 27/10/2013 19:05


Hotel Alfonso XIIITel: +34 954 91 70 00www.hotel-alfonsoxiii-seville.com

STAY

must. The world-famous passionate dance, music and singing movement originated in this part of Spain, so where better a place to learn all about it? The museum houses an impressive collection of photos, videos and artifacts, and hosts many workshops where you can learn a few flamenco steps yourself – provided you aren’t still full from lunch, of course.

16.30Seville’s architecture is beautiful no matter when you visit, but at sunset, it’s truly special. Watch the setting sun cast a golden glow over the city’s buildings as you wind through the streets on a horse and carriage ride. You’ll find the carriages and their drivers waiting in the shadow of the Giralda, so it’s just a matter of choosing one and climbing aboard. Tours take approximately one hour and are a great way to appreciate the contrast of Seville’s old and modern architecture. Your driver will point out historic buildings, squares and contemporary structures including the iconic wooden Metropol Parasol (Plaza de

Horse and carriages outside Giralda

la Encarnación), which was designed by the German architect Jürgen Mayer-Hermann and is nicknamed ‘the mushrooms’ for the brown, dome-like roof.

18.00It’s time to head back to your suite to rest for a short while and prepare for dinner. As after-dark proceedings generally begin later here, start your evening with an aperitif on the romantic Terraza XIII of Hotel Alfonso XIII as you watch darkness fall onto the property’s elegant gardens.

21.00With thousands of tapas bars in the city, it would be remiss to skip the opportunity to indulge once again for dinner. Many bars claim to be the best in town, but the simple way to know you’ve found a gem is when it’s packed with locals. El Rinconcillo (40 Gerona St and 2 Alhóndiga St; +34 954 223 183; www.elrinconcillo.es) is one such institution and also happens to be Seville’s oldest tapas bar. Order a few light dishes or opt for a set menu. The bar itself is also

Sample tapas at Bodega Góngora

well stocked with lip-smacking local wines — don’t worry about keeping track of what you’ve sampled, as the staff will chalk your bar tab on the board behind the bar.

23.00Despite being a markedly smaller town compared to the likes of Madrid and Barcelona, Seville holds its own with a nightlife that kicks on into the wee hours. Head out and explore if you’ve a late flight the next day. If not, head back to Hotel Alfonso to Bar Americano for a nightcap, where you can throw everything to chance and let the resident mixologists create a cocktail for you. The resident jazz band may seem a little out of place in the capital of flamenco, but cultural mix is a key characteristic of Seville, a quality that makes it such a charming place to visit. n

86-87 24 Hours.indd 87 27/10/2013 19:05

Du

ba

i

Samr Husain Al Marzooqi, manager of the business arm of Dubai International Film Festival, talks top places to eat, shop, stay and see

BiCE rEStAurAntMy favourite restaurant for a business lunch is BiCE at Hilton JBR. It’s a very elegant place that serves really good and authentic Italian food. Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort; +971 4 318 2520; www3.hilton.com

tHE CiGAr LOunGEThe Cigar Lounge at The Address Downtown is an amazing spot; wherever you sit you’re facing the Burj Khalifa. There’s seating inside and out. The atmosphere is very chilled out and you can bring your own cigars. The Address Downtown Dubai; +971 4 436 8888; www.theaddress.com

rEEM AL BAWADiBest place in town for late-night dinner and shisha. It’s very chilled out and there’s live music — great for birthday parties. Sheikh Zayed Road; +971 4 330 6663; www.reemalbawadi.com

MinA A’SALAMBy far my favourite hotel is Mina A’Salam at Madinat Jumeirah. The whole resort is absolutely beautiful. I try to spend time there as much as possible. The rooms, the design, the staff — I love it all.Madinat Jumeirah; +971 4 366 8888; www.jumeirah.com

OriEntAL HAMMAMThe Moroccan bath at One&Only Royal Mirage is my favourite place to indulge. It’s just beautiful. It’s hard to get a booking on the day so book in advance.One&Only Royal Mirage; +971 4 315 2130; royalmirage.oneandonlyresorts.com

tHE DuBAi FOuntAinThis is my favourite spot in the entire city for the family. You can sit, eat at one of the restaurants and just enjoy the atmosphere and the music. The Dubai Mall; +971 4 362 7500; www.thedubaimall.com

AL MAMZAr PArKHere, you’ll find a beautiful green park and a huge beach. Emiratis like to spend a couple of hours driving around with friends and talking or sitting on the beach.Al Mumzar Residential Area, Deira

AL rAS MArKEtThis area next to Bastikiya is where the souks are. It’s where I go to buy cloth for my kandora (robe) and my ghutrah (headdress). I prefer to buy it there than from the malls. It’s nice to be outside in the heat.

tHE LiME trEE CAFÉ & KitCHEnThe Carrot Cake in the Ibn Battuta branch of Lime Tree Café & Kitchen is unbelievable. It has all the usual café treats, but the carrot cake is amazing.China Garden Courtyard, Ibn Battuta Mall; +971 4 325 6325; www.thelimetreecafe.com

AZZA FAHMYAzza Fahmy is a brand of very unique jewellery. Azza is an Egyptian designer that uses Arabic calligraphy to make absolutely breathtaking gold and silver pieces. Bloomingdales, The Dubai Mall; +971 4 350 5333; www.azzafahmy.com

ArMAni HOtEL DuBAiThe whole design of Armani and the fact that the hotel is located in the bottom of the Burj Khalifa is amazing. You go from one side to the other and you have walked through the tallest building in the world.Armani Hotel Dubai, +971 4 888 3888; dubai.armanihotels.com

AL WArQAAAl Warqaa is a spot for desert activities. I really enjoy having a BBQ in the dunes at night. It’s the spot where they sit in the desert in the movie, City of Life.

The 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival takes place from December 6–14, 2013.www.dubaifilmfest.com

MyCity

Armani Hotel Dubai

BiCE restaurant


88-89 Insider.indd 88 27/10/2013 16:11

Du

ba

i

Samr Husain Al Marzooqi, manager of the business arm of Dubai International Film Festival, talks top places to eat, shop, stay and see

BiCE rEStAurAntMy favourite restaurant for a business lunch is BiCE at Hilton JBR. It’s a very elegant place that serves really good and authentic Italian food. Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Resort; +971 4 318 2520; www3.hilton.com

tHE CiGAr LOunGEThe Cigar Lounge at The Address Downtown is an amazing spot; wherever you sit you’re facing the Burj Khalifa. There’s seating inside and out. The atmosphere is very chilled out and you can bring your own cigars. The Address Downtown Dubai; +971 4 436 8888; www.theaddress.com

rEEM AL BAWADiBest place in town for late-night dinner and shisha. It’s very chilled out and there’s live music — great for birthday parties. Sheikh Zayed Road; +971 4 330 6663; www.reemalbawadi.com

MinA A’SALAMBy far my favourite hotel is Mina A’Salam at Madinat Jumeirah. The whole resort is absolutely beautiful. I try to spend time there as much as possible. The rooms, the design, the staff — I love it all.Madinat Jumeirah; +971 4 366 8888; www.jumeirah.com

OriEntAL HAMMAMThe Moroccan bath at One&Only Royal Mirage is my favourite place to indulge. It’s just beautiful. It’s hard to get a booking on the day so book in advance.One&Only Royal Mirage; +971 4 315 2130; royalmirage.oneandonlyresorts.com

tHE DuBAi FOuntAinThis is my favourite spot in the entire city for the family. You can sit, eat at one of the restaurants and just enjoy the atmosphere and the music. The Dubai Mall; +971 4 362 7500; www.thedubaimall.com

AL MAMZAr PArKHere, you’ll find a beautiful green park and a huge beach. Emiratis like to spend a couple of hours driving around with friends and talking or sitting on the beach.Al Mumzar Residential Area, Deira

AL rAS MArKEtThis area next to Bastikiya is where the souks are. It’s where I go to buy cloth for my kandora (robe) and my ghutrah (headdress). I prefer to buy it there than from the malls. It’s nice to be outside in the heat.

tHE LiME trEE CAFÉ & KitCHEnThe Carrot Cake in the Ibn Battuta branch of Lime Tree Café & Kitchen is unbelievable. It has all the usual café treats, but the carrot cake is amazing.China Garden Courtyard, Ibn Battuta Mall; +971 4 325 6325; www.thelimetreecafe.com

AZZA FAHMYAzza Fahmy is a brand of very unique jewellery. Azza is an Egyptian designer that uses Arabic calligraphy to make absolutely breathtaking gold and silver pieces. Bloomingdales, The Dubai Mall; +971 4 350 5333; www.azzafahmy.com

ArMAni HOtEL DuBAiThe whole design of Armani and the fact that the hotel is located in the bottom of the Burj Khalifa is amazing. You go from one side to the other and you have walked through the tallest building in the world.Armani Hotel Dubai, +971 4 888 3888; dubai.armanihotels.com

AL WArQAAAl Warqaa is a spot for desert activities. I really enjoy having a BBQ in the dunes at night. It’s the spot where they sit in the desert in the movie, City of Life.

The 10th edition of the Dubai International Film Festival takes place from December 6–14, 2013.www.dubaifilmfest.com

MyCity

Armani Hotel Dubai

BiCE restaurant


88-89 Insider.indd 88 27/10/2013 16:11

dotwnews.com August 2013 89

The Cigar Lounge Oriental Hammam

The Dubai Fountain

Mina A’Salam

88-89 Insider.indd 89 27/10/2013 16:11

Gleneagles

Golfers simply must visit Scotland, where the ultimate itinerary for a golfing holiday would

incorporate three courses: Turnberry, St. Andrews and Gleneagles, in that order. All three here have serious gyms, big indoor pools and, of course, a seemingly endless selection of prize Scotch whiskies.

Turnberry, A Luxury Collection Resort in Ayrshire, is less than two hours’ drive south from Glasgow. The open coastal landscape is dominated by a gigantic three-floor building, built in 1906, perched 50 metres up from the sea. On the site of the 14th-century Turnberry Castle, the resort looks out over one golf course and 17 kilometres of the rough waters of the Firth of Clyde to Ailsa Craig, a 340-metre high rocky island where locals source the stones used in the traditional sport of curling.

One of the resort’s three golf courses is Ailsa, a 7,217-yard, par-70 course. The ninth hole is Turnberry’s trademark. The Kintyre is a par-72, at 6,921 yards, and the nine-hole Arran plays at par-31. Whatever time you tee o�, try to be back at the hotel by 6.00pm, when a bagpiper in full kilt makes his way around the outside of the building. Drink a wee dram (of Scotch) as you listen to him.

The 209 rooms, expertly overseen by general manager Jordi Tarrida, include white-harled cottages a couple of hundred yards from the main hotel, which are popular with groups of friends. Within the main building, room 125, the Price Suite, is specially prized for its modern, heather-tweed-and-new-oak look. Book the Chef’s Table

at restaurant 1906, for whatever cuisine appeals, and of course enjoy a whisky tasting. Also make time for an ESPA spa treatment, where you can look out through the glass walls of the sauna at rabbits frolicking in the grass.www.luxurycollection.com

Fairmont St. Andrews was opened by the Panoz family in 2001, passing to Fairmont management five years later. It is now overseen by general manager Robert Glashan. It enjoys prime position on a dramatic cli� top and made great headlines on June 20, 2013, when two of its young golfing professionals – one of whom only has one arm — played all the local courses (189 holes) in one day. Together they walked more than 50 miles and each lost five pounds in weight. The Kittocks Course is a par-72 and 7,192 yards, and the Torrance Course is par-72 and 7,230 yards. The fitness centre has 600 members and the hotel’s 120-seat theatre is very popular for corporate promotions. There are 209 bedrooms; suite 3001, Kingdom of Fife, is an end suite in the North Wing that boasts commanding views across the North Sea. If you need to make a quick trip to London during your trip, now is the best time as they will shuttle you to Leuchars rail station for the five-hour train service direct to London’s Kings Cross.www.standrewsbay.com

The Gleneagles hotel, vintage 1924, hosts the Ryder Cup in September 2014. The Jack Nicklaus-designed PGA Centenary Course is a par-71 (for professionals) and 7,296 yards. James Braid’s King’s Course is par-70 and 6,790 yards. The woodland- and water-featured Queen’s is par-68 and 5,926 yards. Other activities at general manager Bernard Murphy’s 344-hectare estate include horseriding, o�-roading, falconry and shooting, and there’s a significant health club. Of the 232 rooms, choose the third floor of Braid House, which has balconies and, if front-facing, views of the putting green. Savour one of the eating ambiences, from casual to chic, at Deseo Italian grill, or book ahead to enjoy Michelin-starred cuisine at Andrew Fairlie.www.gleneagles.com

Mary Gostelow

Luxury travel connoisseur

SCO

TLA

ND

Connoisseur An insider’s guide to the most luxurious hotels in the world

Fairmont St. Andrews


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STD58Montaigne_EDLT_ADV_141.indd 1 24/01/13 15:18

JC_EXOTIC_RVB_141.indd 1 18/04/13 14:4728-29 Retrospective.indd 28 27/08/2013 08:45

Spend it The latest luxury products and once-in-a-lifetime travel experiences

94Once-in-a-

lifetime travel itineraries

100The latest

from McLaren and Ferrari

106Testing the

2014 Porsche Panamera

110CRN’s new 80-metre superyacht

113Spanish flair at Catalan in

Abu Dhabi

114Presidential Suite at The Oberoi, Dubai

100

93 Spend It Opener.indd 93 27/10/2013 16:08

Spend it Itineraries


Play polo in ArgentinaThe Sport of Kings has quite a significant following in Argentina. In fact, Argentina is home to many of the world’s finest players including Facundo Pieres and Adolfo Cambiaso. Your six-day experience will begin in Buenos Aires, where you’ll stay at Algodon Mansion boutique hotel. After a night to settle in, you’ll spend the next day watching one of the three Triple Crown polo tournaments (the event depends on when you arrive) while learning the ins and outs of the sport. The final days of your trip will be spent at La Aguada Polo Resort, taking polo lessons and participating in a practice polo match with some professional international players, who’ll be able to help you refine your technique. In between these activities, there will be time to explore Buenos Aires, with its awe-inspiring architecture and bustling café scene, or unwind on the green with a round of golf at the world-class Pilara and Olivos courses.Available: nowPrice: AED 40,921 ($11,141)Book: [email protected]

Enjoy a luxury polo experience in Buenos Aires

Enjoy a polo-themed holiday in Argentina, ski on a private mountain in Switzerland or relax with a 24-carat gold spa treatment in Dubai. Your next travel experience awaits

Passport

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Another day in paradiseThe Maldives is one of the world’s most breathtaking tropical-island havens. No matter where you stay on the archipelago, you are guaranteed amazing lagoons, seemingly endless sunshine and a chance to completely switch off from the rest of the world. With the amount of luxury resorts in the area, it’s hard to decide on one that really stands out, but a private island will surely fit the bill. Naladhu Maldives has 19 Beach and Ocean Houses (for 38 guests at full capacity), each providing 300 square metres of space as well as a private pool area, leaving you with no choice but to spread out and relax. If ever you need assistance, House Masters are on hand to ensure your needs are met and anticipated as your stay goes on. It makes sense that your arrival and departure should be as equally special — the Naladhu Raanee motor yacht is available to book so you can take advantage of the scenic 21-kilometre journey to the resort.Available: nowPrice: from $18,563 (inc. breakfast) for one weekBook: [email protected]

*All prices are subject to change. Please contact the listed companies for further information.

Cool change in SwitzerlandAs snow season arrives, deciding where to enjoy an alpine holiday can be tricky, as there are tens of thousands of other tourists wondering exactly the same thing. Switzerland continues to be one of the most popular destinations for powder-hounds and Tschuggen Grand Hotel, located in the luxury resort district of Arosa, is giving keen skiers the rare chance to experience a private ski session. The hotel has launched a ‘Private Mountain’ package, which will give you the opportunity to be among the first to hit the slopes before the seasonal crowds arrive. As part of the offer, you’ll get one-day access to the slopes on the Grisons Mountains, reserved especially for the hotel’s guests, so you can have clean runs before the official ski season begins the following day and the slopes are open to the public. The package also includes three nights in a junior suite, as well as free access to the hotel’s mountain railway, Tschuggen Express, and free admission to the Tschuggen Bergoase — the ideal place to treat tired muscles after a day on the slopes. Available: from November 28 until December 1Price: CHF 1,110 (US $1,219) per personBook: [email protected]

Unwind in a spacious villa at Naladhu Maldives

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Passport


Feel as good as goldJumeirah Zabeel Saray on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah has one of the largest Turkish

hammam spas in the Middle East and now the resort has another claim to fame, as the home

of the world’s most expensive spa treatment. Thanks to a collaboration with luxury skincare

brand, Margy’s Monte-Carlo, the hotel’s Talise Spa is offering the appropriately titled

‘World’s Most Luxurious Spa Experience.’ The treatment begins with a bespoke Margy’s

facial, the main component of which is a Gold Facial, in which a 24-carat gold chain mask is applied to the face. This is followed by an Arabian gold hammam and a Rose Bliss and

Argan oil massage, followed by a Jacuzzi bath in skin-softening milk and rose oil. When

you’re ready to leave the treatment room after all that pampering, lazily make your way to your private SPA suite, where you’ll enjoy a champagne and caviar lunch before leaving

with a premium gift bag from Margy’s. Available: now

Price: AED 25,000 ($6,806)Book: [email protected]

www.jumeirah.com

Explore Europe by railA luxury rail journey across Eastern Europe is a great way to see the sites if you’ve got the time — or an aversion to flying. Book a ticket aboard the Danube Express and you can enjoy a jaunt across Europe taking in some incredible sights and experiences along the way. Fancy travelling from Budapest to Vienna? Perhaps a three-day tour through Hungary’s wine regions, just as harvest season draws to a close? There are many itineraries available, though you can hire the train exclusively and determine the route yourself, deciding where the train will stop along the way. A private charter is available for up to 40 guests in total, with all meals and stops included. The journey is as much about the experience as it is about the actual destinations you travel to. The Danube Express will ensure your journey is a comfortable one, with is revamped en-suite sleeping cabins, lounge car (with resident pianist) and restaurant car where you can tuck into authentic Central European cuisine.Available: nowPrice: tours from EUR 49,000 ($66,581) Book: [email protected] www.danube-express.com

Cross Europe on board the Danube Express

Enjoy a gold treatment at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray

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Your ideal stay is wait ing at Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa. Experience the puri ty and beauty of the Maldives l ike you have never seen before wi th the resor t ’s Pure Hadahaa package—the f i rs t al l - inc lusive fu l l food, beverage and excursion experience avai lable at a Park Hyat t resor t . This complete experience of fers you the luxur y of unl imi ted food and beverage ser vices during your t ime on the is land as well as experiencing the wonders of Hadahaa’s breathtaking underwater kingdom. With the recent opening of the new domestic airpor t at Kooddoo, our remote is land paradise in the extreme south of the Maldives is that much more accessible. We invi te you to experience pure Maldives at i ts ver y best .

Reser vat ions +960 682 1234 or maldives.parkhadahaa@hyat t .comNor th Huvadhoo (Gaafu Al i fu) Atol l , Republ ic of Maldives

The trademarks HYATT™, PARK HYATT™ and related marks are trademarks of Hyatt International Corporation. ©2013 Hyatt International Corporation. All rights reserved.

i n t ro d u c i n g p u r e h a d a h a a

p a r k hya t t ’s f i r s t a l l - i n c l u s i ve p a c k a g e

e x p l o r e o u r u n d e r wa t e r k i n g d o m

e n j oy a c o m p l e t e m a l d i v i a n e x p e r i e n c e


From Cape to Cape Crossing 5,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean

from Cape of Good Hope in Africa to South America’s Cape Horn, visiting all the countries

that share Atlantic coastline along the way, is a great travel experience, provided you can

afford to take the time off. Otherwise, you can opt for a private jet charter and visit most of

these destinations in just three weeks. Starting your journey in London, you’ll work your way

over to Portugal before heading down to South Africa, across to South America and then up

to North America for your homeward journey. During the 21-day tour, you’ll have the

opportunity to participate in some exclusive experiences to help you gain a better sense

of the local culture and scenery of the places you visit, including wine tastings, helicopter

flights, wildlife encounters and tours of World Heritage-listed sites. You’ll also get to sample the luxe life of each place you visit, staying at

top hotels along the way. Available: Jan 10 to Feb 1, 2014

Price: from $69,950Book: +1 866 903 7650

www.smithsonianjourneys.org

Burgundy by bargeThe canals of Burgundy form an aquatic network of trails perfect for exploring the picturesque region of Central France. Fleur de Lys is a luxury barge that services the area, and will take you down Canal de Bourgogne, River Saône and Canal du Centre on a route that is 80 percent canal and 20 percent river. It is an intimate vessel carrying just six people at a time, but don’t be fooled by it’s small size — inside, there are three en-suite cabins, a generous lounge area and a pool out the back. You’ll start your journey moored in Vandenesse-en-Auxoi with a private dinner and welcome reception. From there, you’ll cruise north-east up the canals and then west to Dijon, stopping at historic châteaux, Michelin-starred restaurants and cellar doors along the way. You can even tailor your itinerary to fit a certain theme, be it food, family or golf. The package includes all meals and private transfers to and from Paris, and all the disembarkation points along the way. Available: from March 2014Price: journeys start from $47,700Book: [email protected]

Tour Burgundy on the Fleur de Lys

Tour the countries of the Atlantic by private jet

Passport

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FOR WORLDWIDE HOTEL RESERVATIONS REGISTER AT

WWW.DOTW.COMReal-time online booking confi rmations for more than 100,000 ground services in over 7,500 cities.Net wholesale rates for hotels, resorts, apartments, villas, transfers, sightseeing tours and excursions worldwide.

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Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, MaldivesNiyama, A Per Aquum Resort, MaldivesThe Residence, Maldives

Kanuhura Maldives

“Twenty years ago, with the McLaren F1, we raised the supercar performance bar. With the McLaren P1, we have redefined it once more”

Ron Dennis, executive chairman, McLaren Automotive

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Engine: 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo

Power: 727 bhp (engine) + 176 bhp (electric motor)

Torque: 720 Nm (engine) + 260 Nm (electric motor)

0–100 kph: <3.0 secs0–200 kph: <7.0 secsTop speed: 350 kph

(electronically limited)CO2: <200 g/km

Origin: Surrey, UKCost: US $1.15 million

McLaren had one goal in mind when creating the new and frankly terrifying looking P1: to be the best driver’s car on the planet. The results of several years’ work — a project created to celebrate 50 years of the UK-based car company — will soon be apparent, as the first of just 375 limited-edition models are delivered to their owners. The combination of a 3.8-litre V8 twin-turbo and an electric motor capable of delivering extra power when it’s most needed means the P1 can spring from 0–300 kph, in less than 17 seconds, making it an impressive five seconds faster than its predecessor, the McLaren F1.

McLAREN P1ON THE ROAD


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On the road

Engine: 4.5-litre V8 direct injectionPower: 596 bhpTorque: 540 Nm0-100 kph: 3.0 secsTop speed: >325 kphCO2 emissions: 275 g/kmConsumption: 11.8 l/100 kmOrigin: Maranello, Italy.Cost: EUR 238,000 (US $322,000)

As the old saying goes, if you’ve got it, flaunt it, and that’s exactly what Ferrari have done with the new 458 Speciale. “It”

in this case is a Formula One team, from which the company has borrowed innovations and used them on this, the pinnacle

of the Ferrari 458 collection. From new aerodynamics that reduce drag to lightening-fast responsiveness, the Speciale is

as close to a racing car as you’ll get on the road. Add to that the most powerful naturally-aspirated Ferrari V8 engine in history,

and this model is Speciale indeed.

FERRARI 458 SPECIALE

On the road

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On the road MotoringOn the road

Jaguar has become the latest prestige carmaker to introduce an SUV crossover concept model. The C-X17 will pioneer a new lightweight build technology based on an aluminium monocoque that will become the shape of all Jaguars to come. Although it’s not due to go into production any time soon, the sporty looking C-X17 blends hallmark Jaguar design elements with futuristic interiors and engineering innovations designed to deliver Jaguar performance in an off-road-capable SUV.

JAGUAR C-X17 CONCEPT




Ignition

It’s not quick o� the blocks, but it doesn’t matter. It’s a relaxing drive rather than a high-performance experience. Given its size, it’s light on the road; the steering is smooth and the braking controlled.

Inside, the Panamera is very much a prestige vehicle. Embossed Porsche logos on the headrests of the front sports seats remind you of the car’s pedigree, and the leather upholstery is a rich, cream tone. There is no climate control on the

I WAS sceptical about the Porsche Panamera when it launched in 2009. Its bulky form and large rear-end seemed to contradict what I thought Porsche was all about: unreserved racing prowess. But, in time, I have grown to love it and see it now as the latest evolution of the Porsche psyche, from wild child to discerning auto enthusiast. The Panamera’s sleek curves are easy on the eye and there’s a certain sense of understated elegance about it. The exterior sill looks like a racing car, but it looks mature and refined, too.

The new range comes in 10 di�erent models, including the four-wheel drive 4 and 4S, two extended wheelbase ‘Executive’ models and the super-sports GTS. I’m driving the entry-level version, known simply as the Panamera.

The first thing that strikes me is the size. Up close, the Panamera really is a large vehicle. I’m immediately surprised to learn that the engine is in the front; I assumed that the huge back-end of the Panamera contained a large engine, but instead, the wide rump o�ers plenty of room for golf clubs or enough luggage for a serious road trip. Sitting in the driver’s seat, the bonnet looks vast, its curves meandering up and down from left to right.

The naturally aspirated 3.6-litre engine makes a lovely buzz when accelerating hard with the windows down. There’s a sport button, which, when combined with the Sport Plus suspension setting, has a noticeable impact on the drive, especially when cornering on its wonderful 20-inch 911 Turbo II wheels, but it still feels like a luxury saloon rather than a racer.

Engine: 3.6-litre V6Power: 310 bhp Torque: 400 Nm0-100kph: 6.3 secsTop speed: 259 kphCO2: 196 g/kmConsumption: 8.4 l/100km Origin: Stuttgart, GermanyCost: from AED 383,300 (US $104,000). This model AED 451,710 ($122,980)

NUTS & BOLTS seats, but this is an optional extra on the other models in the range. Meanwhile a Bose sound system delivers a crystal-clear sound in the front and back — also essential for the long-weekend road trip obligatory in a Grand Tourer of this calibre.

Not everything is perfect: the wing mirrors and rear windshield are tiny and the large haunches create quite a large blind spot, but these things can be forgiven in lieu of its other traits.

This is a serious car, one I’d be happy to use on a daily commute or a weekend road trip. Once I start, it’s very hard to stop driving it; the temptation to aim the car at the distant mountains and go for a long drive is hard to ignore. If I was buying a car for two people, I’d probably opt for one of the more powerful models, but for a family car, the Panamera is more than adequate. With 10 models in the range, the Panamera is a car that can be tailored to suit any driver, whether you’re a road warrior or a weekend cruiser. ■

Once you start driving the new 2014 Porsche Panamera, its very hard to stop, finds Joe Mortimer

THE PORSCHE EFFECT

106 Motoring Review.indd 106 27/10/2013 15:52

Built: 2013 Length: 80 m

Beam: 13.50 m Gross tonnage: 2,363 tonnes

Draught: 3.40 m Cruise speed: 16 knots

Range: 6,000 nautical milesCharter: N/A

Cost: more than EUR 80 million (US $108 million)

A ‘more is more’ approach seemed to be the order of the day at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show — that is, if Ancona-based company CRN were anything to go by. With the Italian company celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, there couldn’t have been a more momentous occasion to showcase the 80-metre Chopi Chopi, the largest pleasure vessel ever built by the shipyard.

CRN is part of the Ferretti Group, producer of prestigious yacht brands such as Bertram, Pershing, and the handsome classic, Riva, earning the group recognition as an industry leader in the construction and design of luxury motor yachts. The buzz at the Monaco Yacht Show was triggered by an impressive line-up of new luxury vessels vying for attention.

Chopi Chopi certainly stood out, with its five decks revealing the quality craftsmanship and innovation that went into the building of this unique vessel, which can accommodate 12 guests. Spacious balconies and open terraces dominate, but perhaps the most desirable aspect is the beach club with a collapsible hatch that converts into a 100-square-metre swimming platform. An on-board spa, sauna, Turkish bath and massage area round off the luxurious additions, making the vessel feel like a resort on the sea.

CHOPI CHOPI COSTRUZIONI E RIPARAZIONI NAVALI (CRN)

Sail away

Words Rowena Marella-Daw

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“Perhaps the most desirable aspect is the beach club,

with a collapsible hatch that converts into a 100-square-

metre swimming pool.”

ON THE WATER THIS MONTHGOld COAST INTERNATIONAl MARINE ExpOQueensland, AustraliaNovember 1–3www.gcmarineexpo.com.au

CHINA (xIAMEN) INTERNATIONAl BOAT SHOWXiamen, ChinaNovember 8–11www.xmboatshow.com/eng/

duBAI pRE-OWNEd BOAT SHOWDubai, UAENovember 21–23www.dubaigolf.com

KuWAIT INTERNATIONAl BOAT SHOWKuwait City, KuwaitNovember 29 to December 2www.kuwait-boatshow.com

Yachting

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Fine dining


Review

Walking into Catalan, the restaurant that promises a slice

of Barcelona in the UAE capital, you might wonder if this really is an authentic Spanish restaurant.

The room doesn’t feel traditionally Catalan. It is, in fact, fairly unremarkable: cream walls, accents of gold, pale wood floors and bright lighting. You could be anywhere. But don’t let this fool you. The plain decor is merely the backdrop for a menu as vibrant and colourful as the autonomous Spanish region’s celebrated flag, La Senyera.

Ensconced in the newly opened Rosewood Abu Dhabi, the outlet is the brainchild of double Michelin-starred chef, Antonio Saez. What’s particularly appealing about Chef Antonio is that he hasn’t simply masterminded the menu of fresh seasonal Catalan produce, then zipped off to handle another outlet. He is actually the chef in situ, and clearly relishes the opportunity to come out, chat to the customers and explain his twist on tradition.

It’s upon his recommendation that I choose my starter: Spanish sardines and a take on beef tartare which, I am promised, is pure Barcelona. The dishes arrive at the table, plated in an attractive but uncomplicated style, showcasing premium products in all their glory.

The sardines come in silky slices, deboned and layered thickly over a zingy sofrito (a mix of onions, peppers, garlic and tomatoes) that cuts through the richness of the oily fish with a bright, zesty note. The dish is finished with beetroot cream and a smoked anchovy canapé, highlighting that glorious fresh sea flavour.

The tartare comes in a round patty of roughly minced meat, topped with a fried egg and surrounded by a chopped oyster

mix that compounds the richness of the meat. It’s a large starter, not one for the faint-hearted, and I feel the need for something light and acidic to cut through all that rich, silky meat.

Happily, the restaurant has a stellar wine cellar that exclusively showcases Spanish wines, lovingly overseen by restaurant manager, Jordi. I take Jordi’s advice on pairings for each course, and receive not only some great recommendations but also some history about each vintage.

Back on the food front, selecting a main course from the Fall/Winter menu is another tough task. In the end, I opt for the classic Catalan chicken paella, with porcini mushrooms, turnips and crispy artichokes.

The rice is woody, nutty and creamy, packed with generous chunks of chicken and plump mushrooms, simmered in a slightly smoky stock and served in a heavy cast-iron pan. It’s not a showy dish, but definitely a winner, with flavours so subtle and well combined, it feels like we’re eating a bonfire-scented autumn day. Pure food nostalgia.

Pudding is presented with panache — a billow of smoke, to be precise — finishing the meal off with some contemporary flair. We order smoked and caramelised torrija, a Spanish bread pudding of sorts, served with milk ice-cream, plum chutney and grapefruit air.This updated classic arrives under a glass dome, hidden under clouds of smoke. The cover is lifted with a flourish at the table, leaving me surprised as the warm smoke dissipates to reveal a chilled dessert.

Feeling guilty for tucking into such an elegant creation, I crack through the crisp brown caramel top to discover a rich, almost custard base with sweet vanilla notes from the ice-cream, the fruity flavours adding a beautiful tart note to the mix.

It’s the perfect end to a meal that has been refreshingly different and yet familiar. This is a menu that seems to encapsulate what Catalan is all about. It’s not afraid to try something new, but all the while harking back to its traditional Spanish roots. n

What: CatalanWhere: Rosewood Abu DhabiOpen: dinner 7-11.30pmBook: +971 2 813 5550www.rosewoodhotels.com

The important bit

Flavour fiestaCatalan at Rosewood Abu Dhabi promises authentic cuisine with a dash of daring. Lucy Taylor samples its Spanish wares

113 Review.indd 113 27/10/2013 15:45

Suite dreams


As someone who strictly enforces the ‘no work on weekends’ rule, checking into a business hotel in Dubai’s appropriately named

Business Bay goes against my usual weekend plan. Luckily, said hotel is The Oberoi, Dubai, the first Oberoi hotel in the Middle East. I’m here to stay at one of the two Presidential Suites on site: 2,700 square metres of luxury. My eagerness was marred slightly due to a delayed check-in (the suite wasn’t ready and we were passed along to several different staff members at the front desk), but my wait with a coffee in the lobby only heightened the sense of anticipation.

And I certainly wasn’t disappointed. Stepping over the threshold of the suite on the 25th floor, a long, brightly lit corridor extends all the way to the end of the suite, with a kitchenette, bedroom, bathroom and walk-in wardrobe commanding the left side of the apartment and a guest bathroom, dining room, office and living space to the right. The colour scheme throughout is neutral, complemented by tasteful furnishings and decor in regal colours of gold and red, and dark wood. Bright artwork by Indian artist Mrinmoy Barua, specially commissioned for the hotel, can be found throughout. The colours dance off

What: Presidential Suite 2501Where: The Oberoi, DubaiPrice: from AED 12,000 (US $3,267) per night Tel: +971 4 444 1444www.oberoihotels.com

The important bit

the crystal chandeliers in each room, which appear to be lit up even when switched off thanks to the abundance of natural light streaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows on either side of the suite.

With just my companion and I staying for the night, the expansive space (especially the eight-seater table in the dining room) seems excessive, but it would be ideal for families and groups of friends. There’s just one bedroom, but another deluxe room and additional security room can be connected by request. After taking a quick shower in the marble-tiled bathroom, with oversized shower, freestanding tub, double sinks, dressing table, self-contained toilet and Etro amenities, I throw on a robe and explore the rest of the suite in detail.

The office, decorated with dark wood furniture, is perfectly suited to conduct business meetings, but I’m more interested in the bookshelves, which are thoughtfully stocked with a varied range of literature. I select Milan Kundera’s The Unbearable Lightness of Being and walk through to the living room, with its plush gold lounges, mini bar and Samsung flat-screen TV (which seems small as it is dwarfed by the suite’s size), to the covered deck and private plunge pool outside,

Height of leisure

which comes with great views over Dubai’s ever-expanding business district.

The real drawcard here is the master bedroom. Swapping marble tiles for floating wooden floorboards, the expansive bedroom commands most of the left side of the suite — where the best views of the city can be found. It features a king-size bed and a smaller lounge area with a second TV and minibar.

After a day spent enjoying the hotel’s other facilities, including the state-of-the-art spa and fitness centre (both of which are conveniently open 24 hours), outdoor infinity pool and Umai restaurant, I retire to bed. I leave the blinds open to take in the night lights of the city, commanded by a twinkling Burj Khalifa, so close but seemingly a world away. Whether you’re here for a weekend or longer, a stay at The Oberoi’s Presidential Suite will take relaxation to new heights. n

Despite its location in Dubai’s newest luxury business hotel, the Presidential Suite at The Oberoi, Dubai makes relaxation the focus, says Rebecca Haddad

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