Happy 2015!

The Annals of Luxury: Some Tourists Avoiding Manhattan in Favor of Brooklyn

Which statement is true?

(1) Derek Jeter has changed his mind; he's not retiring after all.
(2) Compassionate conservatism really does exist.
(3) Hotels in Brooklyn are doing better business than their Manhattan counterparts.

Ready in 2015: Renovations are underway at Brooklyn's Italian Renaissance Bossert
Hotel, where the Dodgers celebrated their 1955 World Series win over the Yankees

It's (3), of course, according to Hotel Management magazine. The publication cites a study, originally reported in Real Estate Weekly, showing that Brooklyn hotel occupancy levels are well above the national (and New York City) average.

Also read: Beyond Manhattan and Into the Void

The article goes on to say that, surprisingly,  some visitors are avoiding Manhattan hotels altogether. They prefer to stay in Brooklyn, where they get more bang for their buck, along with the right to brag about being cooler than their hipster friends back home.

Some 27 new hotels are planned for Brooklyn. These include a top-to-bottom restoration of the 1909 Hotel Bossert in Brooklyn Heights and the Pod Hotel in Williamsburg.

Can SLS, Ace, and Morgans be far behind?

Great Gifts: Your BBQ Grill Cleans Itself While You Watch "Seinfeld" Re-runs

Even though summer is almost gone, The Luxurist likes to use his outdoor grill nearly year 'round (as many do, other than those who live in Ulan Bator where it can get down to -25º in January; but I digress).

The Grillbot comes to the rescue!

The worst thing about outdoor cooking? Cleaning the steel grill. It's too hot to manage after dinner, and by the time you get to it the next day, you're faced with a hardened, carbonized mess. Yuch! (And does anyone really look good in rubber gloves? But, again, I digress.)

We now have the good folks who invented the Grillbot automated grill cleaning robot to thank for relieving us of these unpleasantries. Simply place the Grillbot on the grate, press the button, and you're done. The gizmo's strong rotating wire brushes will scrub your grill to shiny perfection.

You must have this. You must! Get one for yourself right here.

If you need a lot of them, for a fabulous cast and crew or holiday gift, for example, then best to call Jasper & James at (310) 581-6710.

Trouble In Paradise: Their Homes Are Too Big, But Don't Feel Sorry For Them

Can your home be so big that you don't enjoy living in it anymore? For some, the answer is yes. Now, this is what The Luxurist calls a high-end problem.

22,000 sq.ft. Southampton estate, must $69 million

A recent article in The Wall St. Journal found that the owners of super-large homes – 10,000 sq. ft. and above – are a particularly remorseful lot. They have everything but privacy. The upkeep of such properties requires a small army of housekeepers, gardeners, handymen and, in the case of the most expansive estates, a professional manager earning $150,000 per year.

Even if they can easily afford it, some of the moneyed-set balk at the high maintenance costs. (If you build a home with a 37-yard long swimming pool, 11 bathrooms, a 9,000 sq. ft. garage for your cars, and a two-level movie theater, what do you expect? But I digress.)

Of course it's not all about the money. It never is for the super rich. There's the loss of privacy issue, as we said. It can be hard to find your way around a 30,000 sq. foot residence and difficult to yell at your kids if their rooms are a couple of football fields away from your private study.

Prine Jefri of Brunei's Las Vegas compound, a bargain at $15 million

 (The Luxurist wants to know why the owners of gargantuan homes need to admonish their children anyway, if they can't hear them or if they need an Uber account to reach their bedrooms? They don't know what the kids are doing in the first place. But, again, I digress.)

Yes, owning a mammoth residence can be a huge headache, unless you are in the market to purchase one. With so few buyers able to afford them, these homes take a long time to sell, and sometimes bargains abound. One of the largest homes in the country, a 73,000 sq. ft. Las Vegas compound  owned by Prince Jefri Bolkiah of Brunei, was listed for sale at $60 million. Several price cuts later, it went  for $15 million.

That's a loss of $45 million, which is another sort of high-end problem. Or if you're part of the Brunei royal family, it may not be a problem at all.

Things Not Available in the U.S.: Sony Walkman Returns on Steroids

Does the world need another portable audio player?

Sony of Japan thinks so. Earlier this year it introduced a new, seriously robust device aimed at the audiophile set. It's not thin and light, like the iPod. It's bulkier and heavier, because it is carved out of a single block of aluminum.

With 128 gigabytes of storage, it's aimed at those who want to listen to ultra-high quality uncompressed audio files – or high resolution audio, as it's come to be known. These recordings contain about three times the digital information of a CD.

Sony is marketing it under the long forgotten Walkman label, first introduced 35 years ago.

Further limiting the appeal of the new Walkman is a $700 price tag. But it does come with high-end Sony earphones, not the usual entry-level earbuds bundled with other audio players.

Right now the gadget is available only in Japan and Europe. Sony has not announced plans to sell the device in the U.S.

However, it's possible to have one shipped to you from Japan or Korea in a couple of days. You'll find  them on amazon.com.

Make It A Double: How They Say It In Scotland

While small batch and craft bourbons are gaining popularity, premium Scotch remains a staple for The Luxurist.

Buying them online is one thing,  but ordering in a bar can be a challenge. Do you know how to  pronounce  Bruichladdich without sounding like a complete dunderheed, as they say in the Old Country? Now you can, along with the names of some 40 others, thanks to Esquire and the Scottish actor Brian Cox.

Trend Watch: In Las Vegas, Smaller May Be Better

The opening last year of the 181-room Nobu Hotel within Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas appears to have ushered in a new Sin City lodging concept: the boutique resort. Two other new small luxury properties are about to open in the coming months.

Asian-inspired luxury at The Nobu, Las Vegas

While it occupies one of six existing Caesar's towers, the Nobu is a serene, completely contained unit with its own dedicated staff, room service, bell service, lobby, security elevators, and more.

The tower was gutted to make way for contemporary Asian-inspired rooms (think sleek black lacquered furniture, Japanese woodblock prints, teak stools in the over-sized showers) that are larger than usual.

With a bathroom this big, you don't need a room

The mini-bars are stocked with sakes, Japanese beers, and exotic juices. Guests receive preferred seating at Nobu's highly rated restaurant. And that's not all. Caesar's luxurious QUA spa has developed special treatments just for the Nobu.

Walk out of the peaceful lobby and you are steps away from the action and gourmet dining you also came to Vegas for: Cleopatra’s Barge bar, Restaurant Guy Savoy, Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill, the new Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill, Payard Patisserie, the Forum Shops, showrooms, casinos, and race and sports book.

The new Cromwell, opening soon on the former site of Bill's Gamblin' Hall & Saloon

Next month Caesar's opens a second boutique hotel next to The Flamingo Hotel. The 181-room Cromwell boasts Parisian-inspired decor, a restaurant by celebrity chef Giada DeLaurentiis, a 65,000 square foot roof-top beach club operated by Victor Drai, and a chic basement-level after-hours bar, also run by Drai, that promises to be a Vegas hotspot for the young and good-looking or the old and ridiculously wealthy.

(Incidentally and seemingly without reason, Caesar's claims that The Cromwell is the Strip's first luxury boutique hotel. So what does that make its own Nobu Hotel, a gussied-up Travel Lodge? But I digress.)

The Delano: Miami Beach meets Las Vegas

Finally, later this year Miami's trendy Delano hotel launches a 190-room sister property in the part of the Mandalay Bay tower that used house The Hotel (an earlier attempt to bring the small luxury concept to Vegas). The hotel's press agents have been hard at work, promising that the "Delano Las Vegas will bring the effortless style and unparalleled service of the original Delano South Beach to the energy and buzz of the Las Vegas Strip."

(Effortless? In excessive, over-the-top Las Vegas? That we hope we live long enough to see. But, again, I digress.)

As for other Las Vegas trends, the leisure industry publication Travel Pulse reports that the Palm Hotel is following The Peninsula Beverly Hills in making its rooms available on a 24-hour basis. That is, you can check in at any time you prefer and check out at the same time 24 hours later.

Now there's a privilege that all travelers would like to see implemented around the globe.

A Watch That's Beautiful, Affordable –And A Design Classic, To Boot

"Form ever follows function," wrote the architect and father of the steel-framed high-rise Louis Sullivan in 1896. "This is the law," he affirmed, as if to make certain that his intentions would be clearly understood.

And they were. These few words defined international style in architecture and minimalism in industrial design for the better part of the 20th Century (although not everyone agreed with Sullivan, and his emphatic "ever" is no longer used when the phrase is invoked.)

Flash forward about 50 years to the Museum watch face, one of the archetypal expressions of Sullivan's commandment. Designed by George Horwitt in 1947, the museum dial has no numerals or lines to indicate intervals between the hours. Horwitt reduced the wristwatch face to a pair of elegant white gold hands and one lone dot where the 12 goes, set dramatically against a black background. That's it.

The design has been produced continuously – first by Vacheron & Constantin, then by Movado – since the late 1940s. The timepiece itrself became synonymous with Horwitt's dial and is universally known as The Museum Watch after the Museum of Modern Art added it to its permanent design collection in 1960.

While Horwitt specificed white gold hands and dot againsta black background, today yellow gold is typically used, sometimes with a white or navy blue background in place of black. In any combination it's still a stunner, an affordable piece of timeless luxury that you can use and enjoy every day.

Buy yours here. See other versions of Movado's Museum Watch here.

For a Memorable Valentine's Day, Try These Outstanding Champagnes

Jay McInerney observed in the Wall St. Journal recently that the British regard champagne as a necessity, rather than a luxury

As might be expected, Winston Churchill was less tactful. "I cannot live without champagne," he once said.

Most of Britain continues to concur. More champagne is sold there than in any other country outside France. That includes the U.S., whose population is about five times larger than the U.K.


So what do the British know about champagne that Americans don't? For one thing, they're more knowledgeable about a wider range of first-rate producers. These include the historic French houses of Pommery, Pol Roger and Bollinger.

Not one to disagree with the man who also said, "I am easily satisfied with the very best," The Luxurist proposes a few memorable bottles that are worth seeking out.

(Or for ease, just click on the links and they will be whisked to your residence in no time at all.)

Let us start with Bollinger. It's a family run house with a long tradition dating back to 1829.  "Bollinger's appeal is unmistakable: It's rich and powerful and Pinot Noir-heavy—the Château Latour of Champagnes," McInerney opined.

"Bollinger's Special Cuvée is one of the biggest non-vintage champagnes on the market, and the complex La Grande Année is really a food wine more than it is an aperitif." For a notable Valentine's Day, the Grande Année Rose is the way to go.

Bollinger's richness and particular quality is often attributed to it's fermentation in wooden barrels, some more than 100 years old and kept in shape by a full-time cooper. The Luxurist believes it is the only house producing champagne in this manner.

The Luxurist notes that James Bond often quaffed Bollinger in both Ian Fleming's novels and movies made from them.

Also Read: Sweets, Hearts, And Other Valentine's Day Confections

Pol Roger is another tradition-steeped family owned operation. Founded in 1845, it is known for its vintage champagnes, which McInerney rightly states "merit comparison with the best.". Right now 2002 Pol Roger Vintage Brut is available at a very reasonable under $100 price. Also try the non-vintage Pol Roger Brut.

You might find you will enjoy Pol Roger more than the usual champagnes Americans are used to drinking. Churchill certainly did; it was his favorite.

But if you must have Veuve, then The Luxurist recommends you opt for their rose, which is more highly rated than the Yellow Label and, take it from The Luxurist, absolutely delicious.

Finally, McInerney notes that "champagnes likes these really deserve to be drunk year round."

The Luxurist certainly subscribes to that philosophy. In fact, he's heading to his cellar now to make his champagne selections for tonight's dinner.

Sweets, Hearts, And Other Valentine's Day Confections

Giving chocolates to your sweetie on Valentine's Day may be banal, but, like guilt, it usually works. The trick is to seek out an elegant offering from one of the more distinctive choclatiers.

Valentine's Day Gifts from England's Charbonnel et Walker...

The British confectioner Charbonel et Walker is little known in the U.S. In England it's considered top shelf, as it holds a Royal Warrant to the Queen of England, and has for more than a century.

You will find two Charbonel et Walker offerings at Neiman-Marcus, including a Milk Chocolate Vintage Red Heart ($65) and a 16-piece assortment of "Vintage" Chocolates ($39) charmingly presented in a box covered in Charbonnel et Walker's original floral print paper.

...and from Vosges (left) and Bissinger's.

Neiman's also has stocked the Vosges Exotic Carmel Collection ($74), 36 butter caramels infused with exotic flavors. They are packaged in a sophisticated, round pink and purple four-tiered gift box. Vosges is the fashionable maker of fine candies from Chicago. It has become better known in recent years after opening stylish boutiques in Beverly Hills, Las Vegas, and New York.

Also Read: Memorable Valentine's Day Champagnes

Finally, Neiman's has astutely elected to offer Bissinger's Signature Heart Box Chocolates at the very attractive price of $40. Don't know Bissinger's? You should. It has been producing quality confections in St. Louis since 1927.

When it comes to Valentine's Day gifts, if you cannot be original, then at least show some class. It will not go unnoticed, which, of course, is the point of plying your loved one with bon-bons in the first place.

Make It A Double: An Appealing Wine At A Good Price. And You've Probably Never Heard Of It.

If you ever see a bottle of Chinon on a wine list when you are dining out, do yourself a favor and  order it. You are likely to be pleasantly surprised.

The Luxurist has been taking his own advice for many years because he knows what many wine mavens have learned: this medium-to-full bodied red wine from the inviting Loire region in France pairs nicely with food and, because it is so little known, ordering a bottle won't break the bank.

In fact, the prices are so reasonable that a high quality Chinon usually turns out be a terrific value.

Made primarily from the cabernet franc grape, Chinons tend to show more herbal and mineral qualities than Burgundy. They might show some nice fruit. But you will not find any floral notes in them.

Some have called these wines "austere" or "reserved" Of course, that is precisely why they are wonderful wines to drink with a meal.

While the quality can be quite good across the board, the style of the wines will vary, not simply because of the skill of the winemaker, but also because the soils in the Loire Valley are not uniform.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, the Chinon appellation comprises "a mix of terroirs, including alluvial soils that tend to produce lighter, easier drinking wines; limestone, chalk and clay slopes, where the most complex, structured and age-worthy wines are grown; and soils dominated by clay, which can produce wines that reflect both styles."

Perhaps this is more than you need to know about Chinon. Suffice it to say that if you spend a few minutes with a thoughtfully assembled wine list, you may well find a Chinon worth drinking.

If you want to try a Chinon: Charles Joguet is one of the oldest and most reliable Chinon producers. Others include Bernard Baudry, Couly-Dutheil, Domaine des Roches Neuves, Phillipe Alliet. Wines from several of these producers were highly rated last week in a New York Times tasting of Loire reds. The Marc Bredif 2011 received 2 1/2 stars and is widely available in the U.S. You an get it here.

Big Deal: Big Savings On Big Books At Taschen Stores

Taschen publishes smart, swanky, beautifully designed, large format books on art, photography, fashion, and pop culture. These are volumes to covet and treasure. They don't come cheap, yet which of you, beloved readers, does not want to own at least a few of them?

The Luxurist has his eye on several that are just out, especially Genesis, the sensational collection of Sebastiao Salgado photos which comes in a leviathan 18.4 x 27.6 in. two volume set for a mere $4,000 and a smaller, yet still highly desirable version that seems like a bargain at just $69.99.

The Complete Works of Hieronymus Bosch, with large fold-outs of The Last Judgement and  The Garden of Earthly Delights  ($150), and National Geographic Around the World in 125 Years (three volumes, $499) are two others that Santa did not have in his bag for The Luxurist.

(There's always next year, but I digress.)

On January 24-26 Taschen stores in Beverly Hills, Hollywood, New York, Miami and London are cleaning house by offering discounts of up to 75% on retired display copies, slightly dented specimens, and discontinued items.

The selection is different at each location and may or may not include The Luxurist's, or your, favorite titles. Taschen says that they will offer some of their reduced stock online, as well.

Look for bargains on the three-volume Julius Shulman Modernism Rediscovered ($300, Zaha Hadid Complete Works ($49.99), The James Bond Archives ($200), Caravaggio The Complete Works ($150), Modern Art 1870 to 2000 (2 vols., $59.59), Diego Rivera The Complete Murals ($200), any of the six books in the limited edition Fashion Design A-Z series on Akris, Etro, Stella McCartney, Missoni, Prada, and Diane von Furstenberg ($350 each).

You'll be lucky to snag any of these, but Taschen also publishes several hundred other titles, many of which sell for a more modest $9.99, $14.99, and $19.99. Even if you don't find a distressed treasure, you'll enjoy browsing through your nearest Taschen store. Each one is architecturally unique.

Again, the sale takes place on January 24-26. Start your countdown clock now.

The Artful Traveler: St. Petersberg's New Faberge Museum

Faberge eggs are having a moment just now.

This might not have come as a surprise to Tsar Alexander III who in 1885 commissioned the first ornately bejeweled egg as an Easter present for his wife. It became an annual tradition over the next 30 years, with prized specimens going not only to the tsaritza, but also to other matriarchs in Alexander's family.

(Yes, the wife of the Tsar is properly called tsaritza, not tsarina, which, though commonly used in some places is woefully incorrect. Trust me on this. But I digress.)

Forty-two eggs still exist. If you can get your hands on one – good luck! – it will set you back $8 - $10 million, perhaps more. 

Even if you cannot buy one to put on the mantle next to your Oscar, it is possible to see a good many of them this season.

Four will be on display at Vienna's Kunsthistorisches Museum from February 18 to May 18.

You must travel to Russia to view two larger collections.

Moscow's Kremlin Armoury museum has ten eggs on display. Nine are to be found, along with another 1,000 pieces of jewelry and objects crafted by the Faberge workshops, in the much anticipated Faberge Museum set to open in St. Petersburg this winter.

The museum is owned by Viktor Vekselberg, purported to be the fourth richest man in Russia, and housed in the elaborately renovated Shuvalovsky Palace, described by The Telegraph as "a fabulous riot of 18th-century rococo."



As this is a privately owned institution,  admission is limited to just 15 people per hour, and then on only certain days of the week – after the museum finally opens, that is. While the museum held a gala society and press  event in November, it has yet to announce the date the public will be welcome.

Reports in the Financial Times, The Telegraph and other British papers indicate that it could be quite difficult to get in. (Would you expect anything less from Russia's fourth richest oligarch?)

Advance planning will be necessary, and it might be best to leave the arrangements to the several Russia travel specialists based in London who can guarantee admission to this and other coveted sites, whisk you through customs on our arrival, and arrange luxury accommodations for your trip.

The Artful Traveler: Unexpected Pleasures In Unlikely Places

Art actually is all around us.

 

It's in museums, of course, in plazas in front of rude public buildings and soul-crushing skyscrapers, and in the homes of well-heeled friends or business associates.

Occasionally it turns up in the least likely of places.

The Dutch chain Spar recently opened a supermarket in Budapest designed around a series of curvaceous wooden ribs that extend, not uniformly, from the ceiling to the floor so as to divide the  large space into a series of inviting, humanly scaled pods.

Curved counters are clad with similar wooden ribs for displaying wine and baked goods. Produce is displayed on curving white islands, and the forms of the checkout counters echo the same pleasing shapes.

Undulating white beams in the ceiling contrast with the warm wood and guide shoppers on one of several routes through the store – short for daily shoppers, long for those on a weekly shopping expedition.

The market opened in September in a mall in a wealthy suburb of Budapest and is the work of the local LAB5 architectural firm.

Let us hope that the Spar store is so successful that it spurs less progressive chains to think along the same lines.