April 16th, 2009
Nantucket restaurants have always been pricey, we won’t deny that. But this year, the island is giving off a more wallet-friendly vibe – restaurants, hotels, boutiques all have specials for spring 09. Bon appétit!
Brant Point Grill at White Elephant (open April 22) and TOPPER’S at The Wauwinet (open May 13) are starting off this season with a more wallet-friendly vibe. New Executive Chef Frederick Bisaillon at the Brant Point Grill has crafted a few opening promotions for the Brant Point Grill including a Stimulus Steak for $15, a four-course prix fixe meal for $29, and $1 oysters, clams, and appetizer specials every day from 3-11pm. When TOPPER’S opens in May, Executive Chef David Daniel’s menu will move away from the traditional pre-fixe to an á la carte menu with a classics category that will include choices such as Lobster Pot Pie, Yankee Pot Roast, and Beef Wellington. (more…)
April 15th, 2009
Living amongst the hustle and bustle of New York, it’s sometimes difficult to think of life outside our tiny island. So with Earth Day around the corner, it’s uplifting to take note of the efforts around the world of individuals being mindful of Mother Earth. (more…)
April 15th, 2009
The kids are going to be off from school soon, and then what are you going to do with those little buggers? Take them to Santa Fe! The new family-friendly package from the Inn on the Alameda offers up an enticing extended weekend trip that satisfies parental units and offspring alike. Charming (and discounted!) accommodations at the Inn are combined with exciting and educational trips to the Georgia O’Keeffe museum and a ghost ranch. More details below… (more…)
April 14th, 2009
Longing for the elegant aesthetic of an English country house? Look no further than The Royal Oak Foundation Collection. Each design is inspired by classic British art and architecture found on the properties of the National Trust of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland that The Royal Oak Foundation has supported with over $7 million in grants. The sale of these products generates royalties that support ongoing preservation and conservation of the more than 300 important historic houses and gardens that influenced their design. Available to the trade exclusively at Lee Jofa showrooms in New York, Atlanta, and elsewhere, The Royal Oak Foundation Collection includes Lee Jofa fabrics, Holland & Company furniture, Cole & Son wallpaper, and Katha Diddèl home accessories.
If you’re in New York this spring, stop by the D&D Building where The Royal Oak Foundation Collection will be on display in a lobby window. (more…)
April 13th, 2009
Guess where we’re dreaming of jetting off to this summer? The Grand Canyon? Cold. Ibiza? You’re getting warmer. South of France? Hot. The picturesque hillside community of Ramatuelle on the Côte d’Azur? Sizzling, spot-on! And where to stay? The brand-new La Réserve Ramatuelle, that’s where. La Réserve, the sophisticated hospitality group with a Jacques Garcia-designed hotel on Lake Geneva and apartment flats in Paris will open their third property, La Réserve Ramatuelle, on June 1, 2009. Right outside St. Tropez, La Réserve Ramatuelle is an elegant, intimate getaway with views of the Mediterranean as far as the eye can see. World-renowned architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte-designed Ramatuelle’s new hotel and spa, creating an exceptional streamlined retreat. (more…)
April 9th, 2009
Master Chef Nobuyuki “Nobu” Matsuhisa joins Crystal Serenity’s July 28 Mediterranean cruise “Byzantine Accolades,” and will personally prepare seven Omakase (chef’s choice) dinners at Silk Road, where his signature cuisine has reigned since 2003. The amazing news? These Omakase dinners are complimentary to Crystal Serenity’s guests, and have a value of over $90 per person at any of chef Nobu’s 25 restaurants worldwide! Also onboard as special guest lecturers will be popular political duo James Carville and Mary Matalin, whose lively debates will surely spice things up a bit!
The 12-day itinerary visits such exotic ports such as Venice, Marino, Corfu, Rhodes, Bodrum, Istanbul, Mykonos, and Athens. Click here for the complete itinerary, onboard programming, and list of Crystal Adventures shore excursions.
Fares begin at $6,055 per person, double occupancy, not including port, security, and handling charges of $405 per person. Those who book will also receive a $2,000 per couple spending credit, good to use towards virtually anything other than casino gaming and cruise deposits. Last but not least, the Crystal Assurance Plan offers guests peace of mind with reduced deposits, shortened cancellation periods, and protection if the fare for a stateroom category is later reduced once booked.
For more information, visit www.crystalcruises.com. For reservations, contact a travel agent or call 888-799-4625.
April 9th, 2009
The Victoria-Jungfrau Grand Hotel & Spa will play host to the Global Spa Summit this year- the first time the summit will be held in Europe. Talk about spa street cred. Spa pros will gather at this legendary Swiss spot from May 17-29, 2009 to hold forth on the latest developments in the industry.
Those who ’spa’ for pleasure rather than business can go anytime and sample the 60,000-square foot wellness space. Way above and beyond the usual pool/sauna/gym combo, the spa offers guests a chance to feel good in what seems like a thousand ways…
An ESPA treatment center. A Clarins beauty center. Botox and other medi-spa services. Hair extensions. Eastern treatments like Shiastu, Breema, ‘Singing Bowl Massage,’ and ‘The Five Tibetans.’ Golf lessons. Mountain biking. Color-light therapy saunas. An outdoor saltwater Jacuzzi. A 65-foot pool, topped with a skylight.
Come to think of it, it’s kind of a spa smorgasbord.
April 9th, 2009
While England might evoke images of tradition and all things stuffy to some, here’s a new National Trust holiday cottage with a storied past to electrify – the Wireless Cottage on the Lizard in Cornwall, the most southerly point of mainland Britain. It was here that Guglielmo Marconi (Nobel Prize winner and inventor of the radiotelegraph) developed wireless communication, and the site is the oldest surviving wireless station in the world. Working in the cabins, Marconi and his team received a record-breaking wireless communication in January 1901 that covered a distance of 186 miles and proved that signals could travel well over the horizon. Had Marconi not had this breakthrough, it is thought no one could have saved the 700 who survived the Titanic nearly ten years later. Accommodating two people (plus one dog!), the fully-restored cottage has a double bedroom and a sitting room with sea panoramas. Next door, the second, smaller hut now houses a museum dedicated to Marconi’s pioneering work. The cottages are within one mile of Lizard Lighthouse and directly next to the southern Cornish coastal path. Wireless Cottage is available all year at a price ranging from £407 a week in spring and up to £934 in summer.
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April 8th, 2009
For those who can’t make the big trip out to the U.K. this spring as suggested, a little taste of the mother country is coming to a city near you, in the form of the Royal Oak Foundation’s Spring 2009 lecture series! An informative and eclectic group of Anglophiles are scheduled to teach their trade to American urbanites in New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston, Cincinnati, and Philadelphia. Forget about a “theatre near you,” find a “lecture near you” instead and be entertained and enlightened!
To learn more about each lecture, including price and location, click on the lecture name:
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April 8th, 2009
Renowned worldwide for creating award-winning spas and top of the line products and treatments, ESPA introduces its best-selling skincare products with the Radiance Home Spa Collection. This limited-edition set provides the “tools” for a facial on a par with ESPA’s standards, providing products that nurture skin and gently promote cell turnover, leaving the complexion radiant. (more…)