New York City
The city that boasts an array of swanky offerings and elegant stays is the perfect home for the Sherry Netherland. It’s New York…It’s going to be in a tall building. Yet this apartment hotel is hidden in plain sight, right on Fifth Avenue overlooking Central Park. Location, location, location… and space, space, space!
Each floor houses just a few of the hotel’s 50 rooms and suites, allowing guests to take advantage of one of New York City’s hottest, most precious commodity: space. This unique boutique hotel has ornate ceiling artwork and elevators from the Vanderbilt mansion with original inlaid wood detailing, preserved and maintained to the highest standards. No worries about guests damaging these treasures, as the elevator attendant handles all the details of their coming and going. There’s even a tufted seat for those who can’t stand for the ride. These guys must have seen and heard it all. Not dropping names, but The Sherry has been – and is – home to captains of industry, Francis Ford Coppola, Andy Garcia, Danny Kaye and Diana Ross. But shh, this is a well-kept secret for a very good reason.
The hotel’s history dates back to 1892, but the current building wasn’t erected until 1927. Although Louis Sherry (who died one year prior to its completion) wasn’t personally involved in the landmark hotel, his touch can be found in some rooms upon check in. Mr. Sherry was a confectioner and his chocolates live on as a welcome gift. Very sweet!
The staff’s attention to you and your specific desires is noticeable from your entrance: They already know you by name. Whether you filled out a special request form, are a repeat guest or are simply chatting upon check in, each stay is specialized. Each of the 50 rooms is uniquely decorated and designed, many with glorious views of Central Park, so check out the details when booking. If the rich warm wood in the elevators, the gilded artwork throughout and some of the most comfortable beds in town don’t make you bat an eyelash, then perhaps the presence of the famed Cipriani’s in the lobby will do the trick. sherrynetherland.com
7) Exhibitionism, “playing” at London’s Saatchi & Saatchi Gallery, is the first international exhibition with, well, the stones to document the Rolling Stones’ 50-plus years as music/fashion/film icons. Over 500 authentic artifacts (audio tracks to album art, stage designs to diaries), interactive technologies, and displays on collaborations with Scorsese, Warhol, McQueen and others demonstrate how Mick, Keith, Charlie and Ronnie shaped popular culture: a platinum hit! 
Windsor it is. As I sit and write, gazing out my extremely large windows, I’m prone to fantasize. The castle is only steps away from The Macdonald Windsor, and my digs, The Onyx Suite, was perfectly perched to give me the right vantage point. The sculpture of Queen Victoria, somehow capturing her as both statuesque and rotund, provided excellent fuel for my imagination of what went on behind those thick stone walls. This vision, juxtaposed with the scores of business travelers staying at my hotel, gave it an edge. It was the initially stark contrast of the changing of the guard, which happens every morning during summer – a tradition that never gets old – against the well-dressed business people milling about the lobby, posting up on the couches and having power-meetings over coffee, that made me wonder what was going on in Windsor.
The 120 rooms are all of varying shapes and sizes because the hotel is an amalgamation of very old buildings. Initially, it was a department store on all floors, dating back to the 1890’s. See? Such intrigue contemplating all the comings and goings. My room was from an annex to that original store, as it grew in popularity. It had a fireplace… and it was original. Part of a set of townhouses that were bought up and converted into additions to the store. The banister, just to your right upon entry, is original and blends seamlessly with the luxurious and contemporary decor. It’s casual elegance in a way that can only be done in England and really, only by the chain of Macdonald Hotels. They have 41 hotels in the UK, started in Scotland in 1990, as well as properties in Spain and Portugal. Most have a great story to tell.
That evening it was Charlie Sepulveda and his band playing the familiar big band sounds and Latin jazz tunes that entertained the bustling lobby. I had just heard him the night before as a headliner at the Heineken Puerto Rico JazzFest where I also had the pleasure of meeting the charming Cuban-born Andro Nodarse Leon. Andro is part owner of the El San Juan Resort and Casino and a driving force behind the resort’s new musical endeavor – El San Juan Live – which happened to feature several Heineken JazzFest musical greats. I could not help but notice his passion for the arts by the glint in his eyes and beaming smile when he spoke of the vision of El San Juan Live. A musician himself – he shared that architecture, design, business, and music are all brought together at the El San Juan Resort and Casino – the intent is to showcase local musical talent through El San Juan Live. And talent there is – historically, the island has produced such great Latin crooners and musicians as Hector Lavoe, El Gran Combo and Marlow Rosado – just to name a few. Not to mention those with Puerto Rican heritage such as Tito Puente, Marc Anthony and Ricky Martin. With their close cultural ties to Cuba, understandably, the sister island will also showcase their tropical voices and sounds in this new artistic scene.
W offers several studio suites; ours is the “Spectacular Ocean View Studio Suite.” After going up for a quick change to waterside attire, we make a left out of the elevator, sorry Lift, pass check in and make another hard left at the Warhol/Basquiat and head into The Dutch, where they specialize in American dining. Our server, John, rendered a brief history of both the lunch menu – a greatest hits of their most popular dishes from the five years they’ve been open – and the hotel’s deliberate overall Eurocentric design vibe. I ordered THE STEAK, which triggered his description of the handmade house steak sauce. Our meal on the patio began with a selection of tomato compote atop thick focaccia or jalapeño-infused cornbread and fresh pineapple juice, then peaked when we each had a 10-ounce filet mignon and the Florida Mahi.
The dining experience – described as “High-end Mediterranean fare in a garden setting” – is an understatement. The actual effect on me is multi-sensory, being funneled down the hallway, past the Sean Penn party photo, ending in the explosion of leaves and nighttime sky with a tasteful supplement of pinpoint low-power lightbulbs that is the outdoor dining area. My meal began with plantain yucca guacamole chips and crackers and culminated with prime filet mignon. All I needed to finish off the generous delicious portions of truffle fries and a three-Wagyu-slider appetizer was fresh juice and imported vodka. Sundays are Jazz music events from 8:30-11; the guitar and vocal duo’s variety ran from “My Funny Valentine” to “All About That Bass…” yes, that “All About That Bass.” My musing on the thoroughly entertaining jazz version of that popular little number was interrupted by another diner who remarked “Oh my God, we were inside and now we’re outside!” as she walked past.
My first night in the bush I learned about the magic of the “Star Beds.” The staff of Loisaba Tented Camp greeted me with a warm cloth to wash my hands and a cold pineapple to sip while listening to the general manager brief us on the property. I can be easily distracted, which was the case as I took in the beauty of the region and the monkeys scampering by me. However, my ears perked up at a suggestion to sleep on raised beds under the sky.
