JULY ‘21
A. After a 4-year, $158 million renovation, Hotel de la Marine was finally unveiled in June on Paris’s Place de la Concorde. The property was first used as a depository for royal furniture, tapestries and jewelry in the late 18th century, and then became headquarters of the naval ministry during the French Revolution. Now open to the public as a museum, the rooms have been meticulously restored by master craftsmen, gilders and upholsterers, giving visitors the feeling that when they enter they have stepped back in time.
B. Which brings us to Café Lapérouse, the newly opened restaurant and bar within Hotel de La Marine. Benjamin Patou, owner of the storied, 250-year old Parisian restaurant Lapérouse, teamed up with Antoine Arnault (of Berluti and LVMH) to create this offshoot which was designed by Dior Maison artistic director Cordelia de Castellane. The inspiration came from a portrait hanging within the Hotel de la Marine of Jean-François de Galaup, comte de La Pérouse, a navigator and wine merchant who worked in the building in 1766 before disappearing at sea. De Castellane’s decor inspiration comes from La Pérouse’s exotic travels, as she imagines them to be. (We only have two of his letters.) In addition to the all-day dining establishment, Café Lapérouse will open a wine cellar, a fine foods store, and a chocolate and ice cream shop in September, at which time Jean-François Piège’s restaurant Mimosa will also open in the same building.
C. This summer The Maybourne Hotel Group is set to open its fifth hotel, The Maybourne Riviera, built on a rocky peninsula above France’s Roquebrune-Cap-Martin. Here, guests can while away their days at the hotel’s indoor and outdoor pool, or bask in the sun at the Maybourne Riviera Beach Club. The restaurants will be a treat, with Mirazur’s chef Mauro Colagreco at the helm of the hotel’s top floor restaurant, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Hiro Sato behind the two other establishments. The hotel design was led by Michelle Wu, in collaboration with a number of globally recognized designers including a favorite of ours, Pierre Yovanovitch.
D. After a decade in the making, The Ace Hotel Brooklyn finally welcomed guests July 29. Located in Boerum Hill, the 287-room hotel was designed by Roman and Williams, marking the firm’s third collaboration with Atelier Ace. The lobby, which was created to feel open, spacious and communal, features an indoor garden, an art gallery, a bar, a restaurant, and plenty of seats to sit and gather.
E. In the southern region of Israel’s Negev Desert, the wellness retreat Six Senses Shaharut debuts August 5. Set atop sandy dunes, the property offers mesmerizing views of glow-y sunrises and sunsets as well as mountains that reach as far as Egypt and Jordan - all of which can be viewed from your hotel room, or perhaps from your camel ride. In the hotel’s spa, guests can zen out with Ayurvedic treatments, get sweaty with exercise classes such as Aerial Yoga, and take part in specialty programs to improve wellness and sleep. A Bedouin dining tent gives guests the opportunity feast along an open fire utilizing century-old sand-cooking techniques, and an open-air amphitheater creates a cozy space to snuggle up for a movie under the stars.
F. On September 1, Il Tornabuoni hotel will open in one of Florence’s oldest residences, Palazzo Minerbetti, which dates back to the 12th century. Sitting in the heart of the city’s historic center, the property offers views of the Duomo, the Arno River, and Il Ponte Vecchio. The hotel will feature 3 dining establishments, one of which will be located on the roof where diners can feast al fresco while watching the sun set over Santa Maria Novella. Perfetto!
G. Two international galleries have established themselves in Monaco this summer, putting the Cote D’Azur town on the map as a burgeoning art destination. On June 19, Hauser & Wirth opened up a new gallery space featuring an inaugural exhibition of Louise Bourgeois works titled “Maladie de l’Amour." KÖNIG GALERIE also debuted a showroom in Monaco’s Villa Nuvola on June 18, displaying a diverse selection of works from the 40 renowned artists that it represents.
H. Monaco was not the only location that Hauser & Wirth rolled out in this summer. On July 19, the gallery’s 16th location welcomed visitors on Menorca. Located in the port of Mahon, the new art center on Isla del Rey features an outdoor sculpture trail as well as a restaurant run by local vineyard and eatery Binifadet. The inaugural exhibition features works by Mark Bradford.
I. If you happen to find yourself in Kennebunkport in August, don’t miss the last month of Club Cumming on the Coast, the summer residency of actor and entertainer Alan Cumming’s New York City cabaret bar. Singers, dancers, and drag queens will perform every Friday and Saturday night on a replica of the East Village venue’s “postage stamp sized” stage set up within Kennebunkport Inn.