AMPR May Newsletter
May 7th, 2018
What’s New?
Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort is building a new collection of island homes, the Piton Residences. These St. Lucian retreats will have four or five bedrooms and will be perched between the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Pitons above the Caribbean Sea with unbeatable sunset views.
andBeyond’s new 11-day India Mobile Camping Small Group Journey weaves travelers through Delhi, Kalinjar, Panna National Park, Orccha, and Kuno on a glamping adventure to explore India’s history and wildlife.
Rosé Thursdays is launching on May 3 at Jacques, the new bar at The Lowell in New York.
PONANT announced the launch of two additional ice-class vessels, Le Bellot and Le Surville, which will expand its fleet to 12 ships with 460 departures by 2021.
Napa Valley’s Jamieson Ranch Vineyards’ Mini-Moments is a new family-friendly experience offering guests the opportunity to enjoy a tasting of five wines whileinteracting with miniature horses – Whinnie the Pooh, Sweet Jane, and Molly. Measuring just 38 inches in height, the “minis” are trained as therapy animals.
The Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa Valley now offers hands-on cooking experiences in its new 9,000 square-foot state-of-the-art kitchen. Themes include A Beginner’s Guide to Sushi Rolls, Healthy Cooking, Exploring Brazilian Cuisine, and Grilling Like a Pro.
In celebration of Ian Fleming’s 110th birthday, Island Outpost is offering a new four-night package at GoldenEye and Strawberry Hill with champagne, bird watching, and a picnic at Noel Coward’s Firefly. Rates start at $2,435 for two guests.
This summer, Royal Mansour is offering a new Prestige Riad package perfect for families or large groups. Guests will enjoy complimentary non-alcoholic drinks from the mini-bar and one pool pavilion per stay with a main sitting room, terrace, and private bathroom when booking any three-bedroom riad.
Off-Property Excursions
At the end of an afternoon game drive, guests at the newly-refurbished andBeyond Bateleur Camp are driven to an escarpment overlooking the Masai Mara to discover the dream sundowner setting: a full bar set up fireside with andBeyond staffers on-hand to whip up cocktails and pass hors d’oeuvres. The experience is topped off with a surprise performance by a group of Maasai warriors.
Nantucket Island Resorts partners with members-only Barton & Gray Mariners Club to offer guests access to their fleet of Hinckley yachts for full- or half-day experiences.
Located on the shores of Lac Léman, La Réserve Geneva can arrange for guests to have a private helicopter ride over nearby Mont Blanc.
Belmond has partnered with British equestrian polo player and international model Jodie Kidd to host an exclusive six-night Horseback Safari departing September 25, 2018. Guests will split their time between Belmond Eagle Island Lodge and the newly redesigned Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge. Highlights include daily safaris with Jodie through the Okavango Delta, evening sunset cruises, and a traditional Botswanan Boma dinner.
In partnership with famed French perfumer Serge Lutens, Royal Mansour provides exclusive access into his private Moroccan home. Guests will travel by motorcycle sidecar to the estate, which is otherwise closed to the public, where they will enjoy a private tour through the laboratory where Lutens has created over 70 signature fragrances and his eponymous cosmetic line.
Weekend Warriors
During the summer months, JetBlue operates direct flights to Nantucket from Boston, New York, Washington D.C. and now Charlotte. Stay at the White Elephant Village, one of the few in-town hotels with a swimming pool and ice cream cart with complimentary sweet treats.
With direct flights from New York (and other major cities) arriving in St. Lucia in time for lunch, weekend warriors can get a quick slice of paradise at Sugar Beach, A Viceroy Resort and be back for work on Monday. Groups and families can stay in one of the new ultra-luxe Beachfront Collection Residences complete with private beach access, an infinity pool, and postcard views of the Pitons for a suped up summer rental.
Couples looking for a quick urban getaway can zip over to Washington, DC for a little sight-seeing, art, history, and even some romance. The Dupont Circle offers a Private Chef Experience on the suite’s outdoor terraces overlooking the city lights – complete with a personalized menu, some bubbly, and a VIP turndown service.
Only a two-hour flight from New York, travelers can make the most of their weekend getaway to the Holy City. Belmond Charleston Place offers bespoke architecture tours through the city, a horizon-pool situated under a retractable glass roof, and innovative southern cuisine at the infamous Charleston Grill.
Hotels with History
Located in the Grade II-listed building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, The Bloomsbury recently emerged from a renovation spearheaded by design darling Martin Brudnizki. Special attention was paid when restoring the hotel’s historic elements, including the original entrance, the fireplace in the new Sitting Room, and the double height ceilings in the space that is now home to the buzzy Coral Room bar.
Built as a luxury apartment house in the 1920s and a go-to for the likes of F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald, Madonna, and Bruce Springsteen, this Manhattan mainstay has retained its timelessness through its recent $25 million renovation. The Lowell’s classic tea room, the Pembroke Room, will reopen this spring with a new outdoor space as the finishing touch.
The three-story Jared Coffin House, built by and named for one of Nantucket’s original prominent whaling merchants, was one of the few buildings to survive the great fire of 1846. Today, the landmark Inn is set on a prime corner of the cobblestoned downtown, surrounded by the top restaurants and boutiques.
Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel opened in 1889 as the first luxury hotel in Cape Town – and the first to offer both hot and cold water. Originally adopting its pink exterior to celebrate the end of World War I, the hotel celebrates its 100th year in the cheery hue with themed cocktails, spa treatments, and new experiences.
Celebrating its centennial anniversary in 2018, Majestic Hotel & Spa Barcelona was the city’s first luxury hotel – first opening its doors on Paseo de Gracia for just 10 cents per night. The neo-classical building has been family-owned since the beginning, with the Soldevila-Casals family taking over in 1963. The hotel now features 303 rooms, a rooftop bar and swimming pool, and the largest suite in Barcelona, the Royal Penthouse Suite.
Built in 1905, The Chatwal is one of the last remaining buildings designed by famed architect Stanford White and was originally home to America’s first professional theater club. Following a redesign by Thierry Despont in 2010, The Chatwal now features 76 keys with 14 spacious terraces – the highest concentration of terraces for any hotel of its size in Manhattan.
La Réserve Paris was built in 1854 and owned by the family of the Duc of Morny (step-brother of Emperor Napoleon III) until 1888. The Haussmann-style mansion in the city’s eighth arrondissement was transformed into a hotel in 2015, while retaining the feeling of 19th century private apartments. Original elements include five marble fireplaces and the embossed Cordoba leather walls in Le Gabriel, the hotel’s two Michelin-starred restaurant.
Calendar
June
Summer 2018: Park Brewery is back at Park Hyatt Tokyo’s Delicatessen this summer in collaboration with Sankt Gallen Brewery
June 2018: andBeyond Bateleur Camp’s South Camp reopens on Kenya’s Masai Mara, completing the largescale renovation
June 2018: andBeyond Phinda Vlei Lodge reopens in South Africa after a complete renovation
June 2018: Belmond Afloat in France launches two new barges, Lilas and Pivoine
June 8-10, 2018: Belmond Reid’s Palace will host its first “The Art of Flavours” gastronomy festival, hosted by seven Michelin-starred chefs
June 15-17, 2018: Nantucket Book Festival, a multi-day cultural event celebrating the rich literary history and community on island
July
July 2018: Guinot’s Crème Night Logic launches
July 2018: Margrit Mondavi Summer Concert Series every Saturday on the lawn (Napa Valley)
July 24-29, 2018: International Biannual Congress of Capoeira Sul da Bahia at UXUA Casa Hotel & Spa