Chic Trek

The Micro-Light, Super-Fast Private Jet of the Future

May 7, 2012 chictrek Airlines, Travel Accessories, Travel Culture

I have to admit that private two-seater jets usually give me a bit of a fright…but not the Lisa Akoya, perhaps because it’s so aesthetically engaging and its specs make me go gadget-gaga.

Like so many stylish things before it, it was born in France. While other mere mortal commercial airplanes travel 500 mph, this one goes a whopping 1300 mph! It’s super-lightweight as is visually evidenced by its positioning on the yacht below with Seafoil tech and folding wings.

The price tag is a decadent 300,000 EURO (approxiately $390,000). But that gets you the turnkey special, including maintenance and so on.

It’s being introduced to North America later this summer at the EAA Air Venture (the largest air show on the planet), and is apparently predicted to become the new international standard in its class.

And yes, it’s often rented out to eccentric James Bond villains… Did I mention it has two seats? One for you and one for your fabulous hairless cat.

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Richard Branson Really is Mr. Cool!

May 3, 2012 chictrek Airlines, Travel Culture

Is it a coincidence that the first four letters of the tirelessly cool Virgin founder’s surname are the same as the first four letters of the word ‘branding.’ Branson and branding go hand in hand. And apparently they also go ‘ice cube in glass.’

Now Richard Branson, maestro of marketing has fashioned an ice cube in his image to be placed in drinks on Virgin Atlantic flights. Yes, it’s also a wee bit disturbing. The details go right down to his Cheshire Cat-like toothy grin. But it’s also kind of brilliant.

Apparently, Sir Rich wants passengers to feel as though he’s flying with them or at least finding a way to melt in their mouths… eeuww!

The cubes do look pretty state-of-the-art fantastic and that’s because they are just that. Virgin enlisted four designers to work on the degradable works of portrait art. It took them six weeks to create the crafty cubes using detailed photographic techniques and laser scanning tech.

What next? The sky’s the limit…literally. Perhaps they could find a way to embed Branson’s likeness in some freeze dried space food for Virgin Galactic.

No comments Virgin

Chic Trek Videos: Marrakech – The Red City Rises (VIDEO)

April 4, 2012 chictrek North Africa, Videos

Snapshots of sights, sounds and the biennale, from my first trip to Marrakech. I got the chance to stay in a palatial 19th century suite at Angsana Riads Collection in the heart of the Médina. The three-day trip was a whirlwind, but I managed to capture some initial impressions of the fantastical North African city whose crimson and ochre hues and purple haze inspired the likes of Yves Saint Laurent, The Rolling Stones and, more recently, Sofia Coppola.

No comments Marrakech, Morocco

Collins Club Miami Beach, Hotel Meets Private Club

March 31, 2012 chictrek Hotels, Private Clubs, South (United States)

I’ve recently had Miami Beach on the brain as I was contemplating heading out West for Art Basel Miami. That’s of course a long time from now, December 6-9–but with airfares so high and airports so hectic, it’s never too early to start planning.

Perfect timing, as the Eden Roc Renaissance Miami Beach resort recently announced a new membership program: The Collins Club.

If I haven’t mentioned it before on Chic Trek, I am a big fan of hotel private membership programs. A while back I participated in one at the Chamberlain West Hollywood.

Sometimes you don’t want to make the expenditure (and commitment) to a private club like Jonathan or SoHo, but you fancy getting far from the madding crowd for a little bit of privacy and exclusivity. What better non-commital luxury of which to partake?

In the case of Collins, you pay a flat annual fee, and the membership gives you access to resort facilities and activities, as well as a preferred pricing plan all over the property.

There are two tiers of membership there: Eden–which includes 15% off select spa and salon treatments (at their ELLE spa), 10% off floral arrangements and 15% off food, drinks and retail purchases; and Roc–which includes six gratis spa and salon treatments per month and a 25% discount for Camp Roc (for kids 5-12)

So, next time you find yourself on Millionaire’s Row during a stint at Art Basel Miami, on a business trip or just a private sojourn, pop in and ask them about the program.

No comments Miami

The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

March 27, 2012 chictrek California, Hotel Experiences, Hotels

HOTEL EXPERIENCES

Hotel Experience:
When the places you stay at are pivotal to your travel experience–be it by virtue of a uniquely artistic design, a special location, in-house events or unusual services that offer extra insight into the city or town you’re visiting

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles

Photo Courtesy of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Contemporary Glamour Meets Hollywood’s Golden Age

By Jacqueline Fitzgerald

Just steps away from Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Zorro and Johnny Depp impersonators, tour bus operators and camera-wielding out-of-towners, the Roosevelt Hotel’s lobby provides breezy respite from the hubbub of Hollywood Boulevard. Since 1927, guests have appreciated its Moorish-influenced design (monumental walls, airy arcades, muraled ceilings) and atmosphere of glamorous tranquility.

A favorite of powerbrokers and stars, such as Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, the hotel was built to cater to East Coast movie-makers working in Los Angeles. Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks and Louis B. Mayer were among its backers.

The first Oscars ceremony took place in the Blossom Room on May 16, 1929. Additionally, the Roosevelt has been a location for many films including Charlie’s Angels II (2003), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Internal Affairs (1990) and Beverly Hills Cop II (1987).

In 2005, the 300-room hotel became part of the Thompson Hotels Group and underwent renovation by designer Dodd Mitchell. The results managed to preserve the property’s Spanish Colonial Revival character while enticing the Hollywood in crowd and other offshoots of the Beautiful People tribe, whether for overnight stays or an evening’s entertainment.

This isn’t to say that everyone you see is strategically evading the paparazzi. There’s much potential for people-watching of all sorts and plenty of places to explore.

Teddy’s nightclub, for example, bills itself as a celebrity haunt hideaway. At the 1920s-inspired Spare Room, a gaming parlor and drinks lounge, you can bowl, play games or just relax. The Library Bar offers handcrafted cocktails. Public Kitchen & Bar is a casual dining room, and 25 Degrees puts a creative twist on burgers, fries and milkshakes. Outside, at the Tropicana bar, you can cool off with a beverage or a dip in the water and see David Hockney’s work on the bottom of the pool.

Cabana Rooms at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in Los Angeles

Photo Courtesy of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

On a recent visit, I stayed in one of the cabana rooms, which were refurbished in 2011. Clean lines, neutral colors (white, beige, grey) and a blend of textures (brick, blonde wood, glass and leather) catch the eye and create a mellow mood. The room wasn’t huge, but this is almost always the case in older hotels. If poolside lounging followed by a peaceful night is a priority, a cabana is the ideal place to stay.

All rooms and suites feature temperature-control units, two phone lines with speaker and conference capabilities, and in-room pantries. I enjoyed the oversized terry-cloth robe provided as well as the magnifying mirror and blowdryer in the bathroom. Bath products by C.O. Bigelow included conditioner, which is always a nice touch.

Checking in was easy. The pot of Lamill coffee I ordered in the morning arrived promptly and, when the room phone wasn’t working, a technician came quickly to fix it.

Rates vary but you can expect to pay about $290 in the main building and about $350 for a cabana room. My only quibble is that wi-fi/ internet access is an extra $15/day.

Otherwise, my stay allowed me to enjoy the high energy of Hollywood, knowing I could later escape to quiet comfort.

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel
7000 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-466-7000

More Hotel Experiences:

No comments Hollywood, Los Angeles

Marrakech: Dream of the Red City

March 16, 2012 chictrek North Africa

Model/ Artist Verushka in Morocco

[This article was originally published in The Arbuturian as a headlining feature]

By Shana Ting Lipton

I’m lounging in my spacious, three-room Bahia royal suite at the Angsana Riads Collection in Marrakech. My private confines are so serene that only the beatifically haunting call to prayer punctuates the quiet. Still, raucous reveries fill my head…

There, in my vibrantly-hued salon, through a haze of orange blossom incense, Keith Richards strums a guitar beside Anita Pallenberg, surrounded by cushions on a low sofa. Yves Saint Laurent pours a glass of Château Lafite Rothschild for Lord Patrick Lichfield in a reception room punctuated by 19th century objéts. Mick Jagger and David Bowie have unfortunately taken a liking to the four-poster bed in the master quarters; time to break up this fête.

It’s tempting to engage in such offbeat daydreams in Marrakech. The colourful, fantastical Moroccan city dates back to the 11th century but was re-imagined and reinvigorated in the ‘60s and ‘70s by rock stars, fashion arbiters and rich hippies. Post-millennial Marrakech has continued to draw the bling and branché – everyone from Colin Farrell to P. Diddy, Daman Albarn to Vanessa Branson.

The latter founded the Marrakech Biennale in 2005. Its 2012 edition (the fourth to date), pulled together local and international authors like Ben Okri, filmmakers like Gabriel Range and artists like Luca Pozzi for citywide exhibits and talks. The 2012 Biennale’s central Higher Atlas exhibition continues through June 3rd. From the looks of its opening soirée at the dimly lit La Salama (a trendy new restaurant / lounge just off the Place Jemaa el Fna), attendees are continuing to carry the torch first lit by the bobo jet-set of the Morroc’n Roll era.

It’s easy to understand why such artistic torches continue to burn brightly here in Marrakech, a city whose namesake is believed to emanate from a Berber phrase meaning ‘land of God’. The air is rife with a piquant kind of divine inspiration. Mysterious creative catalysts operate via different senses here: sweet oil infusions wafting through the air, equally aromatic and rich-tasting chicken tagine; and woven fabrics, rugs and building materials brought to life by bleeding shades of ochre.

Angsana's Si Said Riad in Marrakech Morocco

Photo of Angsana's Si Said Riad in Marrakech by Shana Ting Lipton

Similarly enlivened by crimson tones is the Si Said riad that houses my suite. The restored 19th century structure is the oldest of Angsana’s collection of six riads (lavish courtyard homes once owned by wealthy families). The 5 star Angsana Riads Collection consists of 41 rooms and suites, located in the Riad Zitoun district of Marrakech’s fortified historic city centre of the Médina. Five of the hotel’s riads are clustered together near the La Bahia palace and Dar Si Said museum. The sixth is located a short walk away in Kasbah, by the most famous of the 19 gates that lead into the Médina: Bab Agnaou.

I could have easily spent all of my Marrakech sojourn in the Angsana Riads – with my famous eccentric imaginary friends to entertain me, of course. A stay offers access to facilities in all six riads: a Thai restaurant, a Moroccan restaurant, a library, plunge pools, and rooftop terraces with views of the city. You can even take an al fresco cooking class atop one of the latter.

Photo Courtesy of Angsana Riads

However, perhaps the most tantalizing sybaritic in-house pleasure is the Oriental Spa managed by the world renowned Banyan Tree. It is located in the Riad Bab Firdaus (which appropriately translates into ‘gateway to heaven’). Perhaps inspiration for Jimmy Page and Robert Plant who first visited Marrakech in the ‘70s? In this paradisiacal spot, such indulgences as aromatherapy treatments and Thai fusion massage await. Angsana’s hammams – perfume-scented steam rooms – transport guests even further back in time, centuries past.

Although the thought of sequestering myself in the beautiful hospice with its tadelakt plasterwork, giant palm plants and lavish rugs, was tempting, a footnote from my highly informative tour guide Youssef Rharrab helped motivate my extracurricular explorations. He explained that the reason riads are open-air is that, in the past, women in Morocco were rarely permitted to leave their residences; so it gave them the illusion of being outside.

That was the perfect excuse for this princess to go beyond the riad’s confines and northbound to the souks where tranquility was replaced by a lively scene of beeping mopeds, donkey drawn carts and entrepreneurial marketeers eagerly hocking their wares.

This at times overwhelming uber-market atmosphere is the central, pulsating force that drives many retail-inclined visitors to Marrakech in the first place. This is where the art of haggling is practiced and perfected. Admittedly, this isn’t one of my areas of expertise and excellence. So I just sit back and watch the more worthy players do their verbal dance in the name of inexpensive throws, rugs, dishes, jewellery, artwork and musical instruments.

Yves Saint Lauren in Marrakech by Patrick Lichfield

Yves Saint Lauren in Marrakech by Lord Patrick Lichfield

Respite from this labyrinthine land of wares can be found beyond the Médina’s high terra cotta walls, around the modern quarter of Guéliz where the Jardin Majorelle is situated. In 1980, the lush and chic 12-acre garden was acquired and restored by Marrakech residents Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé. It not only offers a verdant respite from the ‘souk and the city’ hustle-bustle but also plenty of fashion shoot worthy backdrops punctuated by walls and pots in eye-catching yellow and Yves Klein blue.

I can just see a young Veruschka flexing and posing in the jardin for some avant garde shutterbug. Or quite recently, Sofia Coppola using the evocative and mysterious backdrop of Marrakech as the location for her Marni commercial. The city always has and always will be like a living lab for Bohemian creatives around the globe.

For more information about the Angsana Riads Collection, visit the website, or telephone +212 524 388 905. The trip was organized by Kuoni Travel.

No comments Marrakech

U.K. Meets LA Via David Hockney’s Brushstrokes

March 15, 2012 chictrek Art & Design, United Kingdom

London becomes another city when it’s sunny out. All the grim, pale facades that once were, in the overcast light become sanguine, hopeful, and full of new life. That could be said of any city but I feel that London–and England for that matter as well– is particularly prone to pulling a meteorologically-induced Jekyll and Hyde of the positive variety.

Few creators have been able to accurately capture Britain’s ‘other side’ as well as David Hockney. Perhaps this is due to the fact that he spent all those years in sunny LA. I have often imagined a hybrid city London-LA (or LoLA) and how perfect it would be with its uplifting, balmy weather, magnificent architecture and cultural contributions.

As a LoLA denizen myself, I was particularly looking forward to seeing the David Hockney RA: A Bigger Picture exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It’s sold out and I’ve heard nothing but stellar reviews.

Hoards of slow ambling salt and pepper headed visitors filled up the galleries on my visit–Hockney is, after all, their generational emblem of creativity. Yet, even though the space was cramped and packed, the exhibit delivered on its inherent promise to depict both the scale and depth of Hockney’s work–largely his country lane and tree paintings.

Truthfully, I was really only familiar with the vintage LA stuff–the pools, Hollywood Hills homes, etc. So experiencing (and that is the word when you’re dealing with pieces of this scale) the work was phenomenal.

The best view in the space beckons as you enter the first sparsely populated, modest exhibition hall of open-space tree paintings. If you peer through to one of the back galleries you get a perfectly pulled-back vista of one of the largest tree paintings that occupies an entire massive wall.

The rustic country lane paintings made me nostalgic for California road trips. They were rich in vibrant colours and promise (as a road trip is). I read a placard that named some of the works including a piece called ‘Nichols Canyon’ (which is just a stone’s throw away from my LA home). So of course I felt a sense of nostalgia and closeness to the work. Imagine my surprise when I inched closer to a particular piece that recalled Central California and saw that it was not California or the States but the English countryside.

Sense of place, memory, seasonal shifts, geographic markers–all of these things seem to blur in the works of the show–into the realm of the universal.

Some of my favourite paintings were small and hung side by side (clusters of many) on a massive wall. More ‘tree tunnels,’ country lanes and such. In all of them, a common thread: that distant point that he’s manoeuvring your eye towards. It’s very Jungian, archetypal and profoundly magical.

Despite the fact that most of the show was centred on these natural pieces, towards the end of the exhibition there were a few paintings of ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ that had a dreamlike feeling to them…Something archetypal, a shared memory in the consciousness of all, a past life becoming present…

[The exhibition runs through the 9th of April]

No comments David Hockney, London

5 Most Beautiful Golf Courses on Earth

March 12, 2012 chictrek Golf

When I recently took up golf, it wasn’t for the views (as my ‘baby course’ was in LA’s less-than-spectacular San Fernando Valley). However, jaw-dropping vistas are indeed an enjoyable side effect of hitting the links.

Forget eclipse chasing… golf course trekking is probably one of the best ways to see some of the most gorgeous milieus on the planet (and quite a bit less nerdy than eclipse chasing, incidentally).

What follows is just a small handful of the most beautiful–or at the very least wanderlust-worthy golf courses in the world.

1. Assoufid Golf Resort, Marrakech

Assoufid Villas Golf Resort in Marrakech Morocco

Photo Courtesy of the Morocco Tourism Board

Assoufid is a new 18-hole world class course is famous for its epic view of the Atlas mountains. It consists of 222 hectares of pastoral splendour and is attached to 80 villas and a luxury hotel and spa.

2. Nullarbor Links, Western and Southern Australia

When this behemoth golf course first opened back in late 2009, I remember one of my editor’s reactions to my pitch: “Too gimmicky.” Perhaps. But it sure looks like a lot of fun. Nullarbor Links is the longest golf course in the world. The 18-hole par 72 course covers a distance of 1,365 kilometres from the state of Western Australia to Southern Australia. Each hole corresponds to a participating town or roadhouse along the Eyre Highway. I supposed you had better enjoy your golf partners’ company if you’re going to embark on this road trip/golf course.

3. Himalayan Golf Course, Pokhara, Nepal

This stunning pro-championship designed 9 hole golf course offers a panoramic view of the Annapuma Himalayan range that will probably slow down your game. The Himalayan Golf Course‘s club house sits atop a balcony 250 above a river canyon. With eagles, waterfalls… and of course your unstoppable moves… who could ask for more?

4. Caye Chapel Golf Resort, Belize

Twelve miles off the coast of Belize sits the golfer’s dream of Caye Chapel, one of the most private (and clearly gorgeois) courses in the world. The 18 hole championship course promises a tough game challenged by trade winds and other obstacles. Its long par 72 boasts over 7000 yards of vistas of the Carribean and the barrier reef.

5. Victoria Golf and Country Resort, Sri Lanka

The Victoria Golf & Country Resort is nestled amidst grand Mara Rain Trees and fragrant flowering shrubs. The award-winning 18-hole course requires some level of skill to successfully navigate. But its beauty makes it worth the effort. Apparently its fourth hole is infamous for its mesmerising view from 100 feet above the fairway.

No comments Belize, Marrakech, Nepal, Sri Lanka

Top 10 Travel Destinations For 2012

March 7, 2012 chictrek Travel Culture

An Island in the Maldives Photographed By Patrick Verdier

Kuoni, a travel agency in the UK that helped organise my recent press trip, has released its list of top 10 most popular travel destinations for 2012.

The interesting findings are based on statistics from booking patterns between January and December 2011 for holidays taken during 2011-2012, passenger numbers, customer behaviour and feedback.

I say ‘interesting’ because it looks like UK travellers are, generally speaking, an adventurous bunch, as I don’t see any nearby European cities listed (even during supposedly rough economic times).

Also, oh how the mighty have fallen–namely my own homeland of the U.S. which only comes in #5.

Maldives
Thailand
Sri Lanka
United Arab Emirates
USA
Mauritius
Barbados
Malaysia
Kenya
Singapore

Some of their other more specific lists are illuminating as well. The #1 location for solo travel is Thailand. I’m guessing this is solo, ahem, male travel. I’m sure it’s beautiful over there, but let’s face it, it’s become something of a sexual rite of passage for young Western men to uh, teach English for three to six months in Thailand.

At the opposite end of the spectrum, Sri Lanka’s the #1 wedding destination of 2012. Sounds dreamy.

No comments

Rocking the Casbah

March 2, 2012 chictrek Art & Design, Hotel Experiences, North Africa, Travel Culture

Shana Ting Lipton in Marrakech by the Saadien Tombs in the Casbah | Photo by Johara Chambers

My first few moments in Marrakech were like a tidal wave of sweet, exotic fragrances, manic sounds, colourful hues everywhere and a mazelike architecture of nooks, stairs and back entrances. All of this contributed to the mystery that already surrounded the North African city even before I arrived.

A musician friend of mine from LA who was proud of her Berber heritage had set the tone for me with her eccentric tales and the magical aura that surrounded her (she won the lottery, twice!)

But, as they say, you had to be there…in situ, that is, to really take in the nuances of this special place and to even sense–if in hushed undertones–its Ash’ Ari Sufi (regional spiritual form of Islam) influences.

I was in Marrakech on a media trip hosted and organised by the travel company Kuoni, and Angsana Riads Collection/Banyon Tree Hotels. It was short but sweet, yet just enough time to amass inspiration for some broad strokes to come (in the form of an article for The Arbuturian and a video which will be posted here and on Huffington Post | Travel).

The finer strokes–those sweet and bizarre moments–make up my own quirky take on the Red City. My journal of random thoughts…

The culturally mashed up locale (you’ll find mixtures of Berbers, Jews, Arabs from Jordan, Egyptians and French there) is home to the free-roaming feral cat. Like in Greece, these beautiful but wild felines roam the streets in search of food–not affection. I happened upon one that was quintessentially Marrakechi–dipped in henna and trying desperately to lick off the terra cotta hue from its fur.

A henna-hued cat in the streets of Marrakech | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

Everything in Marrakech is dipped in colour–lips, cheeks, textiles, fabrics… The friendlier traders will warn, before selling you a beautiful striped throw, that its dye will wreak havoc on your sofa.

Beeping mopeds navigated by old women in burqas and young men in modern dress zoom through narrow streets, leaving trails of smoke as they nearly scathe distracted passers-by whose heads are always inevitably turned skyward to capture details like the intricate metalwork of windows.

Marrakech Souk Market in Morrocco by Shana Ting Lipton

The souks possess an oddly not-so-subtle sense of mystery all their own | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

Marrakech is the perfect blend of chic and earthiness. For every branché francophone visitor marvelling at Yves Saint Laurent’s Majorelle Gardens, hip new lounges like La Salama, and design details worthy of Maison Coté Sud magazine, there are earthy local bonds to be formed down ends of dusty roads over mint tea and marzipan pastries.

Marrakech Biennale guests bring art and fashion to ancient riads | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

We got to experience a bit of both–at first cavorting with the Biennale crowd at hot spots like the aforementioned La Salama (where Vanessa Branson and her mum hosted a lovely fete that drew art luminaries and American-Euro comedienne Ruby Wax), then wandering the less touristy streets of the Casbah with our charming and knowledgable guide Youssef Rharrab.

Angsana Riads Collection Marrakech Morocco

The serene and subdued side of a Moroccan riad | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

I could have stayed at our hotel the entire time and been content, so thrilling and diverse were the architecture and decor (and so sybaritic were the spa/hammam treatments). The property consisted of several riads (courtyard homes once resided in by wealthy families) each decorated in its own style.

Nooks charm and abound at Angsana Riads | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

Two of my colleagues were in Riad Blanc which had a very fashionable, pristine white feel to it as the name implies. My other colleague and I found ourselves in the crimson and orange-hued Riad Si Said. And I lucked out as I had one of the two massive multi-roomed royal suites all to myself.

Women never left the riads; I understand why | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton

As I drifted off to sleep to the sound of the late night/early morning call to prayer, I imagined being a princess relaxing in my manor. Of course, excluded from that reverie was the not-so-dreamy real life historic notion that riads were built ‘open-air’ with their ladies of the manor in mind (the women weren’t permitted to leave the premises except on rare occasions).

Conversely, my wonderful suite could also have been the site of a fabulous circa 1970 rock n’ roll bash thrown by The Rolling Stones and filled with Warhols, Bowies, Monaco monarchs, and obscure psychedelic scenesters. Or better yet, a vast yet–thanks to its nooks–intimate love nest for a poetic and mesmerising romance à-la 1001 Nights.

Disappear here... | Photo by Shana Ting Lipton