So Haute!

{Haute Hotel} Cabo Azul

If you're looking to plan a little getaway, I'd highly recommend packing your bags and heading South of the border for a relaxing stay at Cabo Azul, a chic luxury resort just outside of San Jose del Cabo, Mexico. When I went to Cabo in Feburary I had the pleasure of staying at Cabo Azul and it was truly one of the most beautiful resorts I've ever visited. Situated at the tip of the Baja Penninsula along a 12 acre stretch of white sand beachfront, Cabo Azul is a luxe oasis with beautifully landscaped grounds, stylish interior spaces and incredible views of the Sea of Cortes.

The interiors were created by renowned hospitality designer Dodd Mitchell who has designed a number of world class hotels and restaraunts including the Hollywood Roosevelt, the Thompson Beverly Hills and the restaraunts Bond Street and Dolce in Los Angeles. I typically prefer smaller boutique hotels and Cabo Azul has 332 rooms. Despite the size of the resort, it's surprisingly quiet and has a peaceful, serene ambiance. Each of the rooms are actually 1, 2 or 3 bedroom villas. The villas are sleek and sophisticated with a light, bright and airy feeling. I love all of the dark wood accents and Spanish and Moroccan influences.

Each villa includes a fully equipped kitchen and the resort has personal chef's on hand to prepare fresh, in-room meals if you desire.

Cabo Azul is full of amenities, one of my favorites being their gourmet market which reminded me of Citarella here in New York. The market offers gourmet selections of your typical groceries including meats, dairy, produce and packaged goods. They also have a great selection of gourmet cheeses, wine and liquor as well as your standard toiletries. If that isn't enough, the resort also has a bakery, a deli a gelateria, an internet cafe and a great fitness center on site.

Flor de Noche and Javier's are the two restaurants at the resort. Flor de Noche is located right on the pool deck and offers casual, open air dining under a palapa covered roof. There's also a swim up bar. This is where I ate most nights during my trip. I loved the fresh fish tacos and other seafood concoctions.

The inside of the palapa roof at Flor de Noche is lined with this incredible pattern of nautical ropes that cascades down a column in the center of the restaurant. Above is a photo taken at night. Javier's offers a more formal dining experience. I didn't eat there at all (stuck to Flor de Noche & room service) but my traveling companions did and they thought the food at Javier's was amazing.

 

The pool area is probably the resort's crowning feature. It includes several connected, multi-level infinity pools which are surrounded by cabanas, stylish chaises and chic bamboo pod lounge beds. The pools are all kept at a warm temperature so you feel as though you're swimming in a pool of warm bathwater. It's divine! The landscaping also features several large flaming fire scluptures which illuminate the grounds at night.

For more information on Cabo Azul, visit their website here. And in case you were interested in seeing some of my personal photos from the trip, below are a few.

_{The bedroom in my villa}

_{The main living area. How fabulous is that Moroccan lantern?!}

 

_{The view of the pool and beach from my room}

_{At the beach}

_{I wish I was back there drinking this!}

Last week in LA...

Sorry I've been MIA! Work and life have been crazy! I spent 5 days in LA last week for work so I thought I'd give you a little recap of all of the design related stories from my trip...good and bad. Let's start with one of my favorite hotels, The Chamberlain West Hollywood.

Stayed a fabulous two nights at The Chamberlain. I go to LA quite often and stay here a majority of the time. It's quiet and cozy, centrally located and I love the large rooms, the pool, the service, and the gorgeous lobby pictured above. But...during this stay I was very disappointed when my expensive T3 flat iron mysteriously went missing. I realized it after I checked out and when I called the hotel said they could not locate it. And since then, hotel hasn't been very responsive to my phone calls. I think I deserve some sort of compesation...or at the very least an apology but nothing yet. I'm hoping they're just busy and not ignoring me because I'm going back there next week and will surely make a fuss about this if it's not resolved before my next stay! Anyway...I extended my trip a few extra days to visit friends and enjoy LA so I decided to switch hotels and stay somewhere a bit less expensive after I was finished taking care of business. I landed on Maison 140 in Beverly Hills which is a sister property to the Chamberlain, both owned by Kelly Wearstler's Hubby Brad Korzen.

Let me start by saying that I had really high expectations for Maison 140. When I arrived I was expecting valet service and bellhops to take my car and help me with my luggage. But when I pulled up front and no one came to greet my car I was confused. Then I realized the hotel had a self-park lot. At first I thought to myself, "Free parking! Great! Totally makes up for having to schlep my bags inside all by myself." But nope, $24 per night to self park. Sort of annoying but I rationalized it against the fact that I was saving money in valet tips.

Once inside I forgot all about the parking, because all I could focus on was the lovely lobby. It was dark, moody and very chic. It felt intimate and the staff that greeted me inside couldn't have been nicer.

While I waited to check in, I was offered a complimentary glass of champagne, which I graciously accepted;-) Definitely my kind of place!

Now on to my room...

My expectations for the decor were especially high since they were designed by Kelly Wearstler. This was my room. Not terrible. But when I saw it I immediately thought "KW designed this?! Doesn't look that special." I was particularly perturbed by the orange color on the walls which made me cringe and the bed and nightstands which were a dingy looking formica. Underneath the nightstand on the right was an exposed power strip with a tangled mess of cords surrounding it. I forgot to snap a photo of the cord situation but I promise, it was not very pretty. And there were a few other design offenses...

 

Like this garbage can in the bathroom. A white plastic dollar store-ish looking thing. I hate to sound snobbish, but you know, in a Wearstler designed space I just expected more.

When I was in the bathroom, I also noticed a weird windy sound coming from the vent. I looked up and saw this. A dust bunny covered vent. Eeew. Right then I decided to switch rooms. Even though I was only there for a few nights, there were too many things about that room that bothered me and I knew I wouldn't be able to rest easy.

I put on a smile and my sweetest voice and kindly asked if I could switch rooms. The woman at the desk was extremely nice about it and quickly moved me to one of the property's "Mandarin" rooms which looked sort of like the one above. (Sorry, I didn't take a photo!) My new room was small-ish, but perfect! The rest of my stay was amazing. So I'm going to give Maison 140 the benefit of the doubt and assume I just got the one bad room in the hotel. And despite those few minor issues, all in all I had a great stay there. I also loved the super cute, queit location and especially the friendly staff. I'd definitely give the place a second chance.

 

On Friday night I met up with interior designer Kishani Perera, who I was introduced to by a mutual friend. (She's amazing, by the way-Look for a profile plus Kishani's tips for decorating on a budget coming soon!) We dined at XIV which is located right on the Sunset strip. XIV is owned by LA nightlife impresario Brent Bolthouse who also owns a number of other trendy eateries and nightclubs in LA.

The eclectic menu was created by Michelin rated chef Michael Mina.The food was A-Mazing.  I had lobster corn dogs as an appetizer and halibut as my entree plus a yummy nutty banana thingy off their vegan menu for dessert. I loved that they offered different menus and also various options for ordering. They did offer tradtional appetizer, entree dessert but they recommend their selection of small plates so you can design your own tasting menu and try a number of items. The service was also top notch.

As much as I loved the food and impeccable service, I loved the decor ten times more. Designed by Philippe Starck, XIV's opulent interior spaces are meant to evoke the feeling of a 17th century chateau.

There are cozy fireplaces, built in bookshelves filled with beautifully bound books, rich chocloate brown velvet draperies, furnishings from France and Italy, gorgeaous crystal chandeliers and an incredible collection of original oil paintings and other works of art.

An interesting juxtaposition against the restaraunt's traditional European furnishings is its open, stainless steel kitchen which adds an element of modernity to the space.

The restaraunt also features a chic covered patio which is where we were seated.

The space is beautiful and filled with whymsical touches like vine covered trellises and wheelbarrow shaped chairs. The patio takes advantage of LA's beautiful weather by allowing patrons to feel the city's cool breeze as they dine. XIV gets an A+ in my grade book so if you haven't checked it out, it should be on your must-visit list!

 

Saturday I checked out a few vintage furniture shops in and around Silverlake/Echo Park. a few I really thought were great were Living Room, Casa Victoria and Sunset Bazaar. Living room, pictured above contains a mix of new and vintage and is a bit more high-end. The  beds were covered in Dwell Studio and John Robshaw linens and most of the  vintage furnishings the sell are refurbished and re-covered in updated fabrics. Another shop i Liked was Sunset Bazaar which was small but I saw a few great quality pieces that were very reasonably priced. Sunset Bazaar was much larger and had two floors. The top floor was set up more like a showroom and the pieces were much nicer than the selection on the lower level. The lower level was actually two separate garage like spaces filled to the brim with furniture that all needed a bit of TLC but were solid pieces at amazing prices. I spotted a pair of black lacuqer asian insipred armchairs for $25 each! Casa Victoria was also great...reasonable prices and amongst the sea of the furniture there were definitely a few diamonds in the rough. All in all it was a great trip. I used to have a love/hate relationship with LA but now I just love it! I love the constant sunshine and palm trees all around you! I'm going back again next week and I can't wait!!

My Trip to Virgin Gorda

Just before Christmas I escaped to the beautiful island of Virgin Gorda for 5 nights and I'm really excited to share a bit of my trip with you. If you're not familiar with Virgin Gorda, it's located in the Caribbean just East of Puerto Rico and is one of the British Virgin Islands. It's a tiny little island that spans just 8 square miles and has a small population of around 3,000 people. Getting there was a bit of a journey. I flew from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico which took just over 4 hours and from there I took 45 minute flight on a small propeller plane to the island of Tortola. Once I landed in Tortola I took a short van ride to a nearby boat dock where I was picked up by a ferry that took me to Virgin Gorda. The ferry ride was about 20 minutes long.

I snapped this beautiful photo of the sun setting from the boat. During my trip I stayed at a beautiful resort called Little Dix Bay. The ferry I took belonged to the resort and the great thing about it (aside from the rum punch served!) is that it took me directly from the dock on Tortola to the Little Dix Bay property. While on the ferry, I was checked in and handed the keys to my room so that when we arrived I was all set to go. Such a great service as it was nice to not have to go to the front desk to check in.

 

This is the dock at Little Dix Bay. Upon arrival I was greeted by several friendly hotel staffers who took my luggage and since my room was on the farthest end of the resort property, they gave me a lift on a golf cart.

This was my cute little room. The decor was simple...nothing to write home about but it was comfortable and had the most beautiful views of the bay. It's definitely a place designed for relaxation. None of the rooms have televisions and I didn't even miss it. In fact, I didn't even notice there was no TV until my third day there! 

Here's another shot of the room where you can see the gorgeous ocean view just outside my window. It's hard to tell from the photos but the room was almost octagonal, with a pitched wood beamed ceiling...it kind of reminded me of a yurt. My room was on the second floor but right on the beach. So perfect.

This was my balcony....

And this was the view from my balcony....so beautiful to wake up to every morning.

I didn't snap any photos of the bathroom so here's one from the resort's website. Mine looked exactly like this.

The property was beautifully landscaped with lush trees and beautiful flowering bushes and shrubs everywhere. I snapped this photo walking along the resort's main road.

Here's shot of the main road where guests walk or ride via golf cart to get from place to place on the resort. Little Dix Bay offers an array of amenities from amazing restaurants and a gorgeous pool, to a world-class spa, a great gym, tennis courts and a variety of water activities.

The hotel has two formal restaurants as well as a Beach Grill which is a bit more casual. Above is the Sugar Mill restaurant which is the "nicer" restaurant at Little Dix Bay. I ate there on my first night on the island and the food was amazing.

This is the Pavilion restaurant where I ate breakfast and lunch every day as well as several dinners. I'm not much of a fan of buffets but one day a week the Pavilion has this ridiculously over-the-top buffet. It was amazing...I consumed so much seafood I'm surprised I didn't get mercury poisoning! The pavilion is also where I went for a drink most nights and was great for people watching. I can't resist telling you that during my stay I spotted Orlando Bloom as well as Nick and Drew Lachey who were all staying at Little Dix Bay too!

This resort is situated on a long strip of gorgeous white sand beach which you can see pictured above. Isn't it gorgeous?

This is the pool at the resort, also very beautiful. I loved Little Dix Bay. Aside from being insanely beautiful, I give the place an A plus on service as well. The staffers couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating. After my wonderful stay, Little Dix Bay is definitely on my Haute Hotels list! For more on the resort visit their website.

Virgin Gorda is definitely a destination for people who want to get away from it all. The Island is small...there really isn't a central town and if you want to shop you'll have to hop a ferry to nearby Tortola or St. Thomas. Pretty much the only thing to do on VG is go to the beach, eat and drink which suits me just fine and is all I did when I was there. Above is Spring Bay beach. I spent the first three days of my trip hanging out there during the day. The thing I love most about the beaches of Virgin Gorda is that they're empty! There were less than 10 other people at any of the beaches I went to at a given time...so peaceful and serene.

Here's another view of Spring Bay beach.

Another beach I visited was Devil's Bay. This is a photo of the path to get there. I was surprised to see lots of cacti on the island because I usually equate cacti with desert locations, but there was cacti abound on Virgin Gorda.

Here's more of the path to the beach. It was about a 15 minute hike down a hill, through trees and bushes...it was a beautiful hike but also kind of scary because I was all alone walking through what felt like a jungle!

When I finally got to the beach this is the beauty that awaited me.

There was a lovely Canadian couple walking nearby who saw me taking photos of myself and offered to take my picture. I jumped at the offer since all of my pictures from the trip are "self-portraits" with my extended arm visible in the shot! I usually don't like to post photos of myself but this is the only one I had that showed a broader perspective of what Devil's Bay looks like. Isn't it beautiful?

While I was laying out there were some chickens that tried to encroach on my territory!

It was pretty funny to see chickens on a beach! This one had such beautiful coloring.

The island is best known for all of its beautiful natural rock formations. These are some of the rocks at Devil's Bay but just nearby is perhaps one of the most spectacular natural wonders in the Caribbean...a beach called The Baths that has the most beautiful natural rock formations I've ever seen.

<sub>The Baths

 
The Baths


The Baths</sub>

The Baths is one of the most popular tourist destinations on Virgin Gorda. People often take day trips from nearby islands just to experience this unique beach. The giant rocks and boulders form many natural caves with shallow pools of water that are so much fun to explore. I took this photo above inside one of the caves.

I only ventured away from the resort for dinner once and that was to go to The Rock Cafe. The Rock is considered by many to be the nicest restaurant on the island. Inside is a lively atmosphere with a bar and a band band while outside is a serene dining area surrounded by large rocks (hence the name) with fish ponds and waterfalls adding to the ambiance. The service was great as was the food...I had lobster spaghetti...so good!

The day before I headed back to New York I took a taxi tour of the island so I could finally get a chance to see more than just the beaches. Above are the Copper Mine ruins.

Up until the late 19th century, Virgin Gorda was rich with copper and this used to be the mines where the copper was extracted. The Copper Mine ruins are now a national park.

For Virgin Gordian's this is the equivalent of the Rockefeller Center tree in New York. While I was there, the island had its tree lighting ceremony. I didn't go but I heard that many of the islands residents attended and each year it's quite a big event in town.

My taxi driver Andy was nice enough to drive me up up the tallest mountain on the island so I could see the view from the highest point. This is a zoomed in photo but the far island in the shot is Necker Island, Sir Richard Branson's luxe private island which is a popular vacation destination for the uber rich and famous.

As we were coming down the mountain the sun was starting to set so I had to stop and take a photo. One of the most gorgeous sunsets I've seen and a perfect ending to a perfect trip!

{Haute Hotels} The James

I spent most of last week in Chicago for work. Chicago is one of my all-time favorite cities...I absolutely love it there. I went to college there and it's not too far from where I grew up in Michigan so it's like my second home. And during my visit the weather was absolutely perfect. I almost forgot how beautiful the city is in the summer! I had such an amazing time but what made my trip even better was staying at The James Hotel. I've stayed at The James once before and now after two great stays I've deemed the hotel worthy of Haute Hotel status here on So Haute!

_{The James Lobby}

The James is a luxury boutique hotel with impeccable service and a warm atmosphere. Being inside the hotel feels like you're in a place "where the cool kids hang out" yet it also exudes a quietness that makes you feel relaxed and a sophistication that makes you feel like you're in a special place. The James is characteristically modern both in its decor and in its amenities. One of the features I love is the small library in the hotel lobby that's filled with current magazines and a well edited selection of amazing fashion, art and design books that are available for guests to peruse. During my most recent stay, I took a copy of Julian Schnabel's book up to my room and got lost flipping through the pages which highlight his fascinating work.

_{A Guest Room}

The James' architectural and interior design was done by the New York based firm Deborah Berke and Partners who created a modern, minimalist and slightly masculine retreat that exudes both style and comfort. In the rooms, cool tones of gray are juxtaposed with warm wood paneling and hints of red.

_{A Loft Suite}

The decor includes custom furniture such as the hotel's signature wooden platform beds combined with modern furniture classics like the Noguchi table you see in the photo above and the Eames lounger that you see in the photo below. The clean bathrooms are tiled with slate and marble and feature deep soaking tubs along with many uniquely modern fittings and fixtures. I'm kind of a snob about bathroom amenities in hotels so I was pleased with the selection of Kiehl's products in the bathrooms at The James.

_{A Penthouse Suite}

Other pleasing guest room amenities include 42" plasma TVs, ipod docks and dimmable lighting. And if you have a pet traveling with you, no worries. The James is pet friendly as evidenced by the huge doggie bowl of water at the hotel's front entrance.

_{Inside David Burke's Primehouse}

The James also wins points for having an amazing restaurant: celebrity chef David Burke's Primehouse. The ultra cool steakhouse, which offers 24 hour room service for hotel guests, features an extensive menu of creative, modern cuisine including prime cuts of dry aged steaks which are their specialty. I'm easy to please so the highlights for me were the incredible, buttery popovers that are served before your meal as well as their truffled fries sprinkled with asiago cheese. They were SO good! It's not a surprise that Primehouse has quickly become a Chicago favorite that is enjoyed by hotel guests as well as local Chicagoans.

_{Inside JBar}

If you're looking for a little nightlife action, The James' JBar is a great place to visit. JBar is the hotel's sophisticated lounge that offers amazing cocktails in a cool atmosphere. It's one of the "it" places to see and be seen in the city and is frequented by many of Chicago's boldface names.

I would highly recommend a stay at The James on your next visit to The Windy City. For more info on the hotel, click here.

Beach Chic by Kelly Wearstler

Last week I was in Miami for work and blogged about my trip here. Well, I'm back in Miami again...this time to attend a weekend long bachelorette party celebration for a good friend of mine. I travel quite often and love to keep up with the latest hotels in some of my favorite destinations so today I am highlighting a gorgeous hotel that is right here in South Beach.

With the fairly recent redevelopment of the Miami Design District as well as the growing popularity of Art Basel as one of America's premiere contemporary art exhibitions, Miami has slowly been establishing itself as a design mecca over the past several years. And South Beach is home to a number of iconic hotels with beautifully designed interiors including The Tides South Beach, a hotel whose redesign was just completed this January. The interiors of The Tides were done by none other than our favorite design darling Kelly Wearstler.

Wearstler designed every single element of the hotel. The overall look is infused with her signature modern Hollywood glamour style but the interiors also have a bit of an Art Deco feel as Wearstler thoughtfully approached her design with the landmark building's 1930's Art Deco architecture in mind. Above is the hotel's dramatic lobby which features opulent details such as a 1920s gold leaf wall hanging and beautifully tufted chesterfield style leather sofas.

The all-suite hotel features 45 guest rooms, all with ocean views. The rooms are very glamorous and modern and each suite features one of a kind vintage elements as well as artwork and custom furniture hand picked by Wearstler to give each space its own unique feel. The room above is absolutely stunning. 

Because the hotel is situated on the beach, Wearstler kept the spaces light and airy to reflect the sunlight and to give off a casually chic, beachy vibe. The colors used in the spaces reflect the natural hues of the hotel's ocean front location. The color of the floors remind me of sand, the bright orange upholstered headboard in the bedroom photo is reminiscent of a starfish and the sofa above is upholstered in a warm coral colored fabric. Elements such the vintage seashell lamp and the driftwood coffee tables above add to the beach chic feel.

In this photo you can see the incredible ocean view from the room's window. Everything about this room is perfect. It exudes glamour and sophistication but also projects a casual elegance that seems so inviting. The Tides South Beach is certainly a sophisticated hotel designed with the luxury traveler in mind...And with luxury prices to boot! Doubles start at $700. Exclusive ownership opportunities are also available and prices range from $800,000 to $1,400,000. For more information on the tides visit tidessouthbeach.com.

Since we're on the subject of Kelly Wearstler's hotel interiors, I was recently tipped off that she will be bringing her signature style to the British West Indies in the Carribean with her latest project, the Viceroy Anguilla Resort & Residences. Wearstler is designing the entire property which is being developed by her husband's Kor Hotel Group. A rendering of a guest suite is seen below.

The resort, currently under construction, is located on 35 lush acres of land with 3,200 feet of gorgeous beach front real estate along Barnes and Meade Bays in Anguilla. Once completed, the resort will feature 140 villas and town homes, all situated beachfront or blufftop.  Forty five of these units will be available for ownership.

Above is another rendering of one of the resort's villas and you can see that the architecture is very clean and modern. The resort recently unveiled a model villa and like The Tides, The Viceroy Anguilla's interiors reflect the naturally beautiful aesthetics of its beachfront location. The interiors, which reflect the modern architecture of the villas and townhomes, are filled with many organic materials and textures. In a Kor Hotel group press release, Wearstler says, “Overall, I was inspired by the tranquil beach setting. In designing the property, we used textiles and techniques from all over the world, including hand-carved wood pieces from Asia, hammered metalwork from India and beaded artwork from Africa which offer a visual contrast with the modern architecture.”

The five star Viceroy Anguilla Resort & Residences is scheduled to open this winter. Wearstler's hotel projects are always so captivating and inspiring so I can't wait to see the finished product! For more information on the resort, visit viceroyanguilla.com.

Westward Bound!

The Chamberlain Hotel's Exterior

I'm heading to LA tomorrow for work and am psyched to be staying at another one of my favorite hotels...The Chamberlain in West Hollywood. You must know that I'm admittedly a bit of a hotel snob. I love to stay in hotels with gorgeous interiors, a great restaurant and, if it's in a warm weather locale, it has to have an amazing pool. I also really appreciate a quiet, low-key ambiance. I hate to stay in a hotel that's so hip and cool you feel like you're in a nightclub. Fortunately, The Chamberlain encompasses everything I could ever want in a hotel. Aside from its stylish decor, it's tucked away on an quiet, inconspicuous residential block and the vibe is so tranquil you'd never know you were right around the corner from some of LA's busiest streets. It's the perfect place for the busy business traveler, the paparazzi shy celeb seeking a quiet refuge, or the stylish vacationer looking for chic and relaxing retreat.

Top, the hotel's reception area. Below, a sitting area in the lobby.

The Chamberlain's interiors were designed by David McCauley, a Kelly Wearstler protégé. The fact that McCauley is KWID alum is not surprising as The Chamberlain's decor is very Wearstler-esque with it's Hollywood Regency meets Asia feel. McCauley worked with Wearstler on the Viceroy hotel in Santa Monica among other projects, and interestingly, The Chamberlain and The Viceroy are both owned by Wearstler's husband, hotelier Brad Korzen. Many of the interiors in Korzen's other Kor Hotel Group properties were done by Wearstler including Maison 140 in Beverly Hills, The Avalon in Beverly Hills, the Viceroy in Palm Springs and the Tides South Beach among others.

A guest room

The Chamberlain's 112 rooms feature a very serene blue and gray color scheme. Another feature I love is that every room has a fireplace...not that you ever need one in LA but it's such a luxury and makes the rooms feel extra cozy. The only drawback is that the views from the rooms aren't that great. I've stayed there several times and each time my room had a horrible view. But in the hotel's defense, it is only a four story hotel so I doubt any of the rooms have truly spectacular views. Since we're on the subject of views let's discuss the hotel's pool.

The uber chic rooftop pool

The INCREDIBLE 360 degree view from the hotel's rooftop pool more than makes up for the bad views from the rooms. From the pool area you can see Beverly Hills, Downtown LA as well as the Hollywood Hills. The pool is on the small side but it's oh-so-stylish, surrounded by chic cabanas and lounge chairs as well as a large lounging cabana off to the side which you can't see in the photo. Even if you're not up for a swim it's the perfect place to lounge and have lunch in the daytime or chill out with a bottle of wine and some friends in the evening. I'm kind of bummed because the weather won't be quite warm enough for laying out during my visit:-(

The Bistro

The Chamberlain's intimate restaurant bistro is equally as chic as the rest of the hotel and has amazing food as well. I love the green tufted leather banquettes. The restaurant also has an outdoor patio that's surrounded by palm trees. I love dining al fresco...especially in beautiful, sunny places. I'm so looking forward to getting out of cold New York and can't wait to check in to The Chamberlain!

***UPDATE***

So after reading this blog entry my mom called me immediately to tell me that  in the early 70's she used to LIVE in the building that is now the Chamberlain! At the time it was just a rental apartment building. How ironic?! She lived there for 2 years in her early 20's and just after she moved they turned it in to a hotel called Le Dufe, then it was the Summerfield Suites and now it's the Chamberlain. She also said that when she lived there she and her then boyfriend once found a dead man on the rooftop sitting in a lounge chair by the jacuzzi. They called the police and afterward learned that the man had suffered a heart attack and had been dead for several hours. Creepy. Anyway...just thought I'd share!

Dreaming of Sunny St. Barths…

The view of Le Sereno & its beach from my room's terrace...wish I was there again!

Yesterday was absolutely freezing in New York! The low was 19 degrees but with the wind chill it felt more like 7 (Do I sound like a weatherman?!). Today isn't much warmer. As you could imagine, being outside in this weather is completely miserable! Makes me want to get the hell out of here and jet off to someplace warm and fabulous like the fashionable, tropical island of St. Barths, where I visited this past December. I’ve been there twice and both times I stayed at the ultra hip Le Sereno. It such a cool hotel and the atmosphere is so tranquil and relaxing. 

My room during my trip in '06.

The 37-room boutique hotel was designed by a dream team design trio which includes famed French interior designer Christian Liaigre (whom I admire greatly), lighting designer Arnold Chan and Venezuelan landscape architect Fernando Tabora. Liaigre, arbiter of minimalist chic, is closely connected to the fashion world and has designed interiors for places such as Soho's Mercer Hotel, Valentino's New York office, trendy NYC restaurants Spice Market and Buddakan as well as Selfridges in London. He's also designed private homes for some of the most revered names in media and fashion including the Soho loft of Rupert Murdoch, homes for Calvin Klein and Karl Lagerfeld and the amazing French Polynesian private island estate of makeup artist and cosmetics king Francois Nars.

The room I shared with a friend in '07. The last picture is of its terrace...you can see the reflection of the ocean through the window.

The designs of the rooms at Le Sereno are relatively simple but luxurious. Stark white walls and linens provide contrast to the striking dark woods and a mixture of modern wenge and French Polynesian inspired teak furniture makes the rooms feel beachy and modern. Open air shutters allow the ocean breeze to fill the rooms.

The hotel's restaurant and lounge is an elegant open air veranda facing the ocean complete with solar shades that shield guests from the sun.

The deck to the right of the restaurant is the center of the hotel property and is surrounded by tall palm trees and gardens of lush tropical plants and flowers. It also features a stylish assortment of lounge chairs and beds which either face the ocean or the freshwater pool in the middle of the deck. You'll see such a beautiful and interesting mix of people when lounging at the restaurant or by the deck.

The view of the ocean from Le Sereno's beach.

Palm trees above my beach bed.

The hotel is situated on St. Barths' Grand Cul de Sac, which was voted one of the world's top ten beaches by the Travel channel. At Le Sereno, shady palm trees provide refuge from the sun. It is truly amazing...I SO wish I was back there now!

Had to share this photo of a boat docked at Le Sereno's beach...love the name!

{Haute Hotel} XV Beacon

I travel to Boston for work quite a bit and every time I go I make sure I stay at one of my all-time favorite hotels, XV Beacon. The intimate and uber chic boutique hotel is located in downtown Boston in the historic and charming little enclave known as Beacon Hill. The tree-lined, picturesque streets are filled with red brick Victorian and 20^th century colonial town houses, many bearing American flags on their facades. Home to the likes of John Kerry and other prominent residents, it’s one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country and one its most notable streets, Beacon Street, is where the namesake XV Beacon is located.

XV Beacon Lobby

Entering the hotel feels more like you’re walking into someone’s living room, rather than a hotel lobby. A luxuriously upholstered sofa surrounded by several armchairs sits facing the fireplace and the seating is enhanced with throw pillows in rich fabrics and wool throws which give the room an even cozier feel. The color scheme consists of warm neutral tones accented with unexpected pops of deep red. The atmosphere is so inviting you almost want to skip going up to your room and just curl up right there in the lobby with a good book and a glass of red wine! The interiors were designed by Boston based interior designer Celeste Cooper, who is also an Interior Design Magazine Hall of Fame inductee. The décor is the perfect mix of old and new with modern furnishings and accessories juxtaposed with traditional architectural details. The building, originally designed in 1903 by famed Boston architect William Gibbons Preston, is now a registered landmark with the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the original architectural details were preserved including the tall crown moldings, grand marble staircase with decorative brass handrails and wrought iron cage elevator. And I just love how Cooper covered the elevator walls in read leather…every chic little detail was perfectly chosen!

XV Beacon Guest Room

The hotel's guest rooms are just as warm and inviting as the lobby. I’ve stayed there several times and the rooms all seam to have different layouts but one commonality is that every room features a fireplace…a wonderful  luxury especially if you’re visiting in the winter months when it’s freezing outside. Aside from the gorgeous décor, the impeccable service and amenities are what keeps me coming back to XV Beacon. When you check in you’re provided with a stack of business cards for your stay with  a direct line and fax number to your room. Upon entering your room for the first time you'll find the drapes closed, the lights dimmed, the fireplace on and jazz softly playing on the room's surround sound system, which even extends to the bathroom so you can listen to your favorite tunes while showering or taking a relaxing bubble bath.

XV Beacon Bathroom

Speaking of the bathrooms, they don’t skimp on luxury either. With a simple scheme of white marble and dark wood cabinetry, what makes these bathrooms so great are the elegant little details such as the fresh orchid blossoms, chrome towel warming racks, monogrammed bath linens and the most beautiful Lefroy Brooks faucets you’ve ever seen! (Yes, it’s the small things that get me excited!)

I would highly recommend a stay at XV Beacon if you’re ever visiting the Boston area. At the very least, stop by to check out the lobby and have drinks or dinner in the hotel’s adjoining steakhouse, Mooo… (Love the name!) which, aside from their amazing steaks, offers the best lobster bisque ever. I’m going back to Boston in April and can’t wait to call XV Beacon  home for the one night I'll be there. During my stay, I’ll make sure to take some close-ups of the bathroom faucets to share with you!