SEPTEMBER ‘21

A. The stunning new eatery Sessions Arts Club welcomed its first diners on July 28, a collaboration between Chef Florence Knight, artist Jonny Gent, St John co-founder Jon Spiteri and architect Russell Potter. The magical dining room, which is housed in the gorgeously-decorated top floor of a townhouse in London’s Clerkenwell neighborhood, is surrounded by three terraces with fireplaces, a rooftop bar, a garden and a pool. Chef Knight is leading the kitchen in creating dishes with both British and Mediterranean influences, "prepared simply and with the greatest of respect for the ingredient."

B. If you find yourself in Paris now through October 3, head to L’Arc de Triomphe to see Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s 16-day art installation on the historic Napoleon-era monument. Christo envisioned this installation for 60 years and had been working on it when he passed away last May. The €14M self-financed work of art, which took 3 months to construct, involved wrapping 270,000 square feet of silver-blue polypropylene fabric around the arc, bound with red rope. The shimmering colors of the fabrics, which change depending on the weather and time of day, are meant to imitate the colors of the French flag, and at times, the silvery rooftops of Parisian homes.

C. Also in Paris, on September 22, Fondation Louis Vuitton presented the Morozov Collection, one of the world’s preeminent collections of Impressionist and Modern Art. This is the first time the collection has toured outside of Russia. 200 works of art will be on view including pieces by Matisse, Renoir, Manet and Rodin. The exhibit will be displayed until February 22.

D. On September 4, Neri Baccheschi Berti, whose family is behind Tuscany’s Castello di Vicarello, debuted a 7-room boutique hotel in Milan called Vico Milano. Berti and architect Giuseppe Alito aimed to create a discrete and intimate space that focuses on authenticity and personal service. To fill the property’s guest rooms, library, sitting room and speakeasy-style bar, they sourced eclectic furniture from artisans around the world, including bathroom tiles from Fez and a bespoke bar and marble table designed by Neri and Alito themselves.

E. Four Seasons Resort Napa Valley will finally welcome its first guests on November 1. Located in Calistoga, the property features a working winery, allowing for immersive, hands-on programming to create a specialized “grape-to-glass” experience. Guests can choose from 85 rooms, suites and villas with bucolic vineyard views, including the Estate Villa, a 3,400 square-foot free-standing home at the edge of the vineyard with a private garden and swimming pool.

F. On November 16, Auberge Resorts will open a new all-inclusive property Hacienda AltaGracia near Costa Rica’s Talamanca Mountains. The 180-acre property also functions as a coffee farm with lush rainforest, vegetable gardens, a horse stable and 50 hacienda-style rooms. Guests can choose to spend their day luxuriating in a traditional Talamanca curative therapy at The Well spa, swimming in a green-house style pool, noshing on sustainable, seasonal fare at the resort’s five dining establishments, and partaking in a plethora of active or cultural activities. Offerings include seeing a traditional Costa Rican horse show, attending chef-led foraging expeditions, bathing in the Calientillo River, and snorkeling in the Pacific Ocean.

G. Rosewood is unveiling the reimagined Le Guanahani St. Barth on Nov 28. Nestled within Grand Cul de Sac, the lush 18-acre property offers 66 Creole-colored French Colonial guest cottages, many with plunge pools and most with ocean views. Guests can enjoy two beaches, a Sense spa, water-sports, a tennis court, and a Rosewood Explorers children's club.

H. Explora Parque National Patagonia will open its doors on November 30 in Chile’s Patagonia National Park, a southern territory that was donated to the Chilean State by the Tompkins Conservation Foundation. The intimate, 10-room property offers guests the opportunity to disconnect from their daily lives and soak in this remote corner of the world. Gaucho culture and conservation are two fundamental pillars of this hotel. Outdoor adventures include explorations by foot, van, bicycle and horseback, giving guests a front row seat to the territory’s vast and diverse landscape.