{lake placid}

Spent part of last weekend in Lake Placid, where fresh mountain air, a cozy chalet, a gondola ride, and dinner overlooking Mirror Lake chased away any traces of the past whirlwind week.

{home away from home}

{view from across the lake}

{all images taken by {this is glamorous} - August 2008}

{mollies in auckland}

Browsing for hotels again for an upcoming trip in late summer; last time, my searches led me to the sexy Ca Maria Adele in Venice, Italy, which is much closer to where we’re travelling than this small and luxurious place in Auckland, New Zealand . . .

Mollies, a beautiful boutique hotel that's full of charm, combines a mix of new and antiques together to create warmth and all around prettiness. One of its many features includes four premier suites complete with a baby grand in each room, and views of Auckland Harbour.

Of course, the best part of any hotel is an inviting, un-hotel-like feel, making it a true home away from home, and Mollies' wonderful warmth and vibrancy makes it just that.

{ca maria adele | venice}

While sorting through the papers on my desk the other day, came across the travel section of an old British newspaper, which fell open to La Sala Noir, one of 5 concept rooms at Ca Maria Adele in Venice, Italy. Was immediately lured by the yards and yards of luxuriously sexy silks, moody ambiance, and black Murano chandelier . . .

"The hues of pepper, cocoa, clover and other rich spices melt here in an incredible mosaic of colours that will charm your senses. The result is a room voluptuous and hot like the load of the ships which from far-away lands carried the products building for centuries the richness of Venice."

The rest of the hotel looked equally dreamy with its filtered sunlight, smoky browns and grays, and glimmering dashes of gold. Perfect for a long, languorous conversations over cappuccinos . . .

{the english countryside}

A little slow with the updates, this week, I know--(sometimes there are not enough hours in a day). When I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, I think about donning my wellies à la Kate Moss at Glastonbury, or Marina Hanbury (although I probably wouldn't wear them with a see-through evening gown) and head to the English countryside, the perfect place for repose . . . green rolling hills, moors, dales, old stone cottages, skittish rabbits, rambling rose bushes, fiesty roosters, random sheep wandering about the narrow, winding roads and rustic footpaths.

If you ever feel the need to (really) escape the city, find your way to the English countryside, and you'll return with a new perspective. The little village where we stayed has remained unchanged for years, farmers still building and maintaining stone pasture walls by hand, years of history in each perfectly placed rounded rock, on top of moss-covered remants and beneath newly built wooden step ladders. Here, time nearly stands still and the pace of life is relaxed, the pride of the town lying in their recent win in a countrywide botanical competition. Here you'll get to know the utterly charming locals and taste local cuisne, such as Lemon Baked Sole au Gratin, and here you'll lose yourself in the greenest hills and country air . . .

{Marina Hanbury collecting eggs.}

{One of my favourite photographs, an old farmer and his cow ambling down a cottage road}

{an old stone cottage with huge pink hydrangeas}

{pink English roses}

{a little late-summer lamb}

{Marina Hanbury image from Vogue Living, Houses Garden People; all other images, personal collection}

{high tides}

A friend of ours recently purchased a holiday home in Miami, so we'll be heading there sometime in the Spring, but if we didn't already have a great place to stay, we would definitely be checking in to the citrus-y bright, elegantly cheerful suites of The Tides. My favourite places to stay are the ones that look invitingly unhotel-like and feel like a home away from home.

{click images to enlarge}

{taj lake palace revisited}

Many of you were quite taken with and very inspired by the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur, India and some of you have sent lovely letters about your adventures there and elsewhere. I’m in and out of meetings today, so I’d thought I’d leave you with some stunning images of this magical place. There are also more beautiful photographs at All Things Bright and Beautiful.




























{images: badgurl, creative flair chic, Shilpi Singh }

{Taj Lake Palace}

I'm taking a personal day off from work today to get caught up on a few things, and but before I get knee-deep in design work, I thought I'd take a moment to dream about the 250-year old Taj Lake Palace, in Udaipur, India, a marble palace that appears as if it's floating on the waters of Lake Pichola. Guests, of course, arrive by boat.

Built in 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II, 62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar, Taj Lake Palace was originally built as a summer palace. It has recently been transformed to its former glory and is now possibly one of the most romantic hotels in the world. Filled with marble pillars, glasswork, silks, intricate paintings and ornately carved wood furniture, the palace is every bit as luxurious inside as it is dramatically stunning on the outside.

{villa monticello}

I may have a thing for all things French, but may make an Italian exception--after all, who doesn't love the sound of a villa in Tuscany?

Villa Monticello was built by the counts of Orsolini at Avenza in 1766 as a small country retreat. In the late 19th century, it was acquired by French Dervillé family, who did some renovating by adding grand flights of steps at the front and back, as well as loggias (balconies or entrance porches) on three sides of the villa. Statues and fragments of ancient sculptures still adorn the main entrance, while marble vases and a marble gable were placed on the roof.

Today, Villa Monticello is owned by Marzia Vanelli Dazzi, who lives there with her husband and children.




























{images: Taschen}

{hotel azucar}

It's beautiful and balmy here, reminding me of tropical places like the Hotel Azucar in Veracruz, Mexico, a beach eco-resort and Veracruz's first environmentally-friendly hotel.

Named for the sugar cane grown in Veracruz, the Azucar was dreamed up by hotelier Carlos Couturier, founder of some of Mexico’s hippest resorts. For the Acuzar he decided on an almost anti-design back-to-basics theme: “I wanted to recuperate a lifestyle gone by…and give guests the pleasures of simple things."

Azucar is comprised of twenty bungalows with a white-on-white colour scheme and thatched roofs, and includes private terraces with organically produced hammocks that overlook the Gulf of Mexico. The decor is an intriguing mix of bohemian-chic and seaside appeal with individually selected driftwood and 1930's furnishings from Couturier's grandparents' farm. The public spaces are mainly open-air, including a library with wicker seating and a thatched ceiling, as well as a spa area with a yoga space and a full range of spa services. Also included is a pool area with brightly colored beanbag loungers with silky-pillows and a swim-up bar.

Thirty miles to the north of the hotel are the ninth-century ruins of El Tajín.

For more information, go to www.hotelazucar.com

{happy weekend + inverness}

When people think of Inverness, Scotland, they often think of the loch and the place where the fabled Loch Ness Monster resides. It is, however, also a beautiful, historic town of 65,000 and the Capital of the Highlands.

According to legend, in 1040, Macbeth built his stronghold in Inverness, and in 1158 King David of Scotland awarded Inverness its charter as a Royal Burgh. Robert the Bruce seized the first of the city's five castles from English forces in 1307, and in 1562, Mary Queen of Scots had the Governor of Inverness Castle hanged for refusing her entry to the Burgh. Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite troops were defeated in the famous Battle of Culloden, the last battle on British soil, in 1746. Soon after, Fort George, the finest 18th century fort in Europe, was established just outside the city. In 1822 the Caledonian Canal was completed by Thomas Telford, linking Inverness to the west coast of Scotland, and in 1921 Inverness Town House hosted a historic meeting of the British Cabinet, the only Cabinet meeting of the British Government ever held outside London.

We stopped for dinner and a glass of wine at a charming little place that used to be an old water mill, after strolling through town in the fresh highland air.

{room with a (spectacular) view}

I've been fortunate to have travelled to many amazing places around the world, but one place I would love to visit is South Africa, and when I finally make it to this exotic destination, I will stay at Makanyane Safari Lodge, which lies hidden in lush riverside forests and was designed by a team of award-winning architects to effortlessly blend the lodge with its surroundings.

Makanyane consists of a main building and only eight suites, which lie hidden in a forest overlooking the Marico River. Rich with African textures and walls of natural rock and dried tree trunks that merge with rough teak doors and contrast with overhanging thatches, the glass walls allow uninterrupted views of the river and surrounding bush.

happy weekend & edinburgh in pictures

{Click here to view GLASGOW in pictures}

glamping

After having recently survived my own 'wilderness' adventure this past Labour Day weekend, I was surprised to come across an article in the LA Times about an emerging trend, glamping," that is, glamorous camping.


The Paws Up, a 37,000-acre resort in Montana, offers services such as a camp butler to build a fire, a maid to turn up your heated down comforter at nightfall and a cook to whip up bison rib-eye for dinner and French toast topped with huckleberries for breakfast. The cost is $595 a night plus an additional $110 per person per day for food. Another popular glamping destination is the Clayoquot Wilderness Resort on Vancouver Island, British Columbia.











{click here to read the full article}

happy friday & glasgow in pictures

the glass house, edinburgh

If you're in Edinburgh, Scotland, and looking for a seriously fabulous place to lay your weary traveler's head, check in to The Glass House, a boutique hotel that offers a rooftop garden with an amazing view of the city and the coast, balconies, lounge areas with an indoor firepit, and the best service you're likely to receive anywhere. Also, since I'm a little like The Princess and the Pea, wasn't sure what to expect, but the super-comfortable beds made me forget I was not at home . . .

there's no place like Home

Buenos Aires is fast becoming a fashionista hotspot, and Home Hotel is the place to stay. Filled with beautiful vintage furniture, bold colours and patterns, a pool and spa, this retro-modern refuge in Palermo Soho will make you never want to go, well, home.