With stunning features, fashionable interiors and private club-like service, the flagship Clubhouse at Heathrow Airport just opened for First Class passengers. Expected to double in size within the next year, the Clubhouse is a getaway without leaving the terminal. Have a sip of champagne or choose a sophisticated cocktail at the 14-metre-long bar. Treat yourself…
The Rutherford Grill in Napa Valley is surrounded by some of the world’s most famous vineyards. As part of the elite Hillstone Restaurant Group featuring exceptional cuisine, gorgeous design and top-notch service, this tre fashionable bar and grill is located at 1180 Rutherford Road at Highway 29 in the town of Rutherford. It’s famous for…
Another Hip Hotel from The Cool Hunter: From the street, its glass and metallic facade looks like a space-age slot machine. But the new boutique Una Hotel Bologna is anything but a gamble. Located in front of the central station, near the historic and trade fair centres of this people-friendly town in north-central Italy, Una…
What can you say about a dinner theatre that appeals to kids and adults, corporate groups, bachelor and bachelorette parties, plus everyone in between? Teatro ZinZanni is an experience to truly experience. Described as “the Kit Kat club on acid,” and “the place where the Moulin Rouge meets Cirque du Soleil,” it’s now in its…
St. Petersburg, Russia is best known for the sprawling Hermitage. But now, there’s a new café –– and Internet café –– scene in this very walkable city that’s attracting locals and Western tourists. One of the most popular is called Zoom Café Club which opened earlier in 2005. Zoom is a literary café that seats…
When Spanish interior designers Rafael Trobat and Miguel Miro of Puiugdorfila got their hands on an old, common B&B, they worked wonders. It’s now called El Hotel Rigel Esporles: “Their impeccable taste and sensibility have transformed this little mom and pop into a precious little gem. Still only 10 rooms, the exterior remains unchanged, yet…
From Moco Loco Modern Contemporary Design: The Lute Suites in Amsterdam are a boutique of highly unusual –– and most unexpected –– flair. For example, the Soap bath by the Marcel Wanders Studio highlight the wetroom of Suite 5 with a giant “soap dish” bath tub. Featured at Milan’s recent Salone Internazionale del Mobile, it…
I once rode the elevator in the celebrated Chateau Marmont Hotel in West Hollywood with model turned actress Lauren Hutton. You might know it as the place where John Belushi overdosed. But whatever the history of this seven story white castle-type hotel overlooking the Sunset Strip and built over 75 years ago, it’s been revitalized…
Thanks to my fellow S.F. blogger Stellah DeVille for inspiring this story… Nestled in the foothills of the Santa Cruz Mountains, about an hour south of San Francisco, Manresa is the superb showcase of French cuisine with modern Catalonian flair. Recently named one of the world’s Top 50 restaurants by Britian’s “Restaurant” Magazine and recipient…
Like dining? Love diving? Want to see sharks as you eat fresh fish? Then make waves to Ithaa Undersea Restaurant, the world’s only glass undersea eatery. Set five metres below the Indian Ocean, using aquarium technology, and offering a novel fusion Maldivian-western menu, Ithaa provides diners with 360-degree panoramic views in the spectacular Hilton Maldives…
The stylish Greek isle of Mykonos has been attracting jet-setters for decades. When I was a penniless college student staying in a cheap hotel, I loved strolling through the narrow, white-washed streets, gaping at the views of the deep blue Aegean Sea on each turn, and soaking up the warm summer sun. Now if I…
I’ve tasted tapas in many restaurants around the world, but today’s lunch at Fresca Restaurant in San Francisco topped them all. Tapas means “small plates” and usually, a few bites and $5-7 later, you’re still hungry for more. Not here. Their portions are huge. Their presentations are amazing. Their foods are fabulous. Their Ceviche Bar…