Float Spa

Story By Andrew Innerarity

Today I had my choice of Reboot Float Spa’s 3 Bay Area locations, San Francisco’s Mission and Marina Districts and Oakland. I head in, knowing they will succeed where the Atlantic, Pacific, Caribbean, Mediterranean, Aegean, Dead Sea, the Adriatic and even geothermally–heated Icelandic fresh water have failed.

I’m going from a sub-zero cold stand-up treatment to body temperature prone experience, so after check-in, I hit the changing room, before my hour of lying down I’m fully enclosed in the Cryo tube where liquid nitrogen cools the air, depending on the user’s comfort level from -165 to -220 degrees F. The idea is, during my 3 minutes of exposure in the telephone booth-sized compartment is for the sub zero temperature to activate a whole body “cold-shock response” in which the body’s release of endorphins promotes a “feel good and energetic” response. I find this super cooled method far more efficient, shorter and pleasant than standing in a waist deep ice tub. Reboot also offers a localized cold therapy treatment for those who prefer to have the treatment from a seated position administered by hand wand to specific body parts.

With the standup portion complete, I head down the hall to a private flotation room, swapping the dry world’s “vertical clothing” for garb appropriate to my horizontal liquid world. After the shower, my briefing with Elisa, the site manager, includes her description of the egg-shaped flotation pod; how to enter and exit the unit, an option to leave the lid open if I’m at all claustrophobic; how to choose from a rainbow of lights which can illuminate the pod; how the mechanism circulates, sanitizes for bacteria and physical objects the size of a hair, and maintains the water and its 1,000 pounds of dissolved Epson Salt’s temperature so close to my body and pod ‘s air temperature — the different sensations between my solid body, the air and the liquid suspending me are close to indistinguishable.

For my impression of Neil Armstrong, I take “one small step for a man.“ the pod’s water is deep enough to touch the bottom of my calf. I’m surprised at how my foot’s almost rejected by the extreme buoyancy, as though this heavily Epsom Salted water is a liquid spring, simultaneously inviting and suspending me. Things got strangely “springier” as I lay back and stretched out in the pod, but in a moment I went from thinking, “This is warm and springy-weird” to “Ha! I’m floating for the first time in my life, wow!”

I close the lid and the “whoah, I’m not gonna sink to the bottom, as usual” is over in a few seconds and I relax into the situation, experimenting with legs crossed at ankles, limbs spread eagle, fingers interlaced across chest coffin-style, I settle on fingers interlaced behind the head and legs crossed at the ankles.

Knowing I won’t need the audio “Mute” button on my left, or the “Lights On” button to the right, I appreciate how relaxed I am. In the first few minutes of floating, I’m happy with Elisa’s “Pro Tips”. She’s been working at Reboot since 2018, managing since 2019: Don’t take too hot a shower before getting into the pod … avoid getting the extremely salty water in the eyes, but if you do there’s a fresh water spray bottle and a dry washcloth on my left.

I relax into a Thunderstorm and Rain Track from their Spotify stream to my pod for my hour session for the first 10 minutes, then silence to accompany my hour of darkness until the last 5 minutes when storm noise returns as notice my time as a liquid astronaut will soon end. I can’t help but wonder how many levels of advantage there are to this process I’m enjoying. From a chemistry class long ago, I remember Epsom Salt is basically used to replenish Magnesium in farm soil. Today I’ll see what it’s doing for me. Maybe I’m part astronaut farmer. Between the chemistry, the darkness, the antigravity qualities of the super buoyancy, I feel like the world’s most relaxed astronaut. While Reboot recommends three float sessions to see how one truly feels, I was hooked at ONE, fish-pun intended.

I think I fell asleep at least three times – blame the uncertain count on me being so mellow – I couldn’t differentiate sleep from conscious relaxation.

Thunderstorm audio breaks the silence, the last 5 minutes of bliss pass all too quickly. Reluctantly I open the lid, ease my way out of the pod and shower up. My skin certainly feels smoother from the “float”. Mentally refreshed, I’m even feeling taller, was that because I dreamed I was as tall as Bay Area-resident Steph Curry, a Reboot Float Spa user whose video I watched on Reboot’s site as part of my visit prep? Dried off, relaxed and halfway through the final stage of this blissful afternoon, as I wait for the Reboot Compression Garment secured to my lower body to release the pressure on my thighs and abs, I’m feeling almost ready to reenter the world, and as we debrief, I ask Elisa which is more relaxing, floating or a massage? Her answer: Why not go with both?

Swellegant Stays: Mercure Bukhara Old Town – Bukhara, Uzbekistan

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The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Bukhara has a fine selection of boutique hotels, but what it lacked until now was a luxury property for the most discerning travelers. The opening of the 4* Mercure Bukhara Old Town in January 2023 has not only filled a gap in the market, but has done so with aplomb. This remarkable property, the first hotel in the city belonging to an international brand, has been designed with inspiration from local architecture. Its mud brick walls are perfectly in keeping with the nearby Ark fortress and madrassas, and the carved wooden pillars supporting the cool, open verandas are reminiscent of those on merchants’ houses and the Bolo Hauz Mosque.

Inside, too, there are plenty of features which give the Mercure a strong sense of place. The large open courtyard, the juxtaposition of bricks and colorful majolica tiles, and whitewashed arches are all typical of Uzbekistan. But if that is not enough of a reminder of where you are, you only need to climb to the restaurant on the rooftop terrace and take a table looking out across the Old Town. The magnificent Kalon Minaret – which survived destruction by Genghis Khan because he thought it was so beautiful – still beguiles onlookers and is the visual centerpoint of the horizon. Beside it are turquoise domes, icons of the Silk Road, and countless other cultural heritage monuments which collectively earned the city its UNESCO status.

Rooms in the hotel are simple, elegant, with small details such as turquoise tiles, hand-knotted carpets, and wooden lattice screens which make each one unique. Whether your room looks out onto the street or into the courtyard, it doesn’t matter; it’s a quiet haven of calm, though staff are only ever a moment or two away. Should you tire of sightseeing and need to relax, the hotel’s spa is a modern interpretation of Bukhara’s historic hammams, Turkish baths with hot and cold pools, a steam room and sauna, and an enticing menu of massages and other treatments.

www.bit.ly/MercureBukhara

Swellegant Stays: Hotel Restaurant La Cambuse – Vex, Switzerland

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For a long time I have had in the back of my mind what the perfect ski hotel would be like. It goes without saying that it should be ski-in, ski-out and in a picturesque location, a design which complements the surrounding landscape and vernacular architecture, and where after a long, energizing, but ultimately exhausting day on the slopes, you can collapse, relax, and feel at home. I knew the moment that I walked through the doors at La Cambuse, greeted by proprietor Jerry and a roaring wood fire, that I had finally found that longed-for place.

Hotel Restaurant La Cambuse is right at the bottom of the red piste linking Thyon 2000 and Thyon Les Collons. In fact, the Matze drag lift is immediately opposite the hotel’s entrance, and the resort is planning to add a new lift with a mixture of pods and chairs for winter 2023/24. This means that when you ski gracefully (or slide and tumble) down your final run of the day, everything is right where you need it.

The hotel’s facade is the archetypal Swiss chalet, with dark, aged timbers, Swiss flags fluttering above the door, and for most of the winter and into the spring, a thick dump of snow on the roof. The little stone lobby opens out onto a glorious restaurant and bar warmed by an open fire, where comfortable armchairs beckon and there’s the coziest of atmospheres. The best is yet to come, however, as once you’ve passed the chimney and the room opens out, you will see the hotel’s pièce de résistance: a glass viewing gallery looking straight out onto a panorama of the Alps. Nevermind the skiing, it’s a view which could entertain you for days, and the guest rooms upstairs and the terrace outdoors have similarly spectacular vistas.

Proprietor Jerry and his team are effusive hosts, and La Cambuse’s restaurant is rightly packed in the evenings: advance reservations are recommended. Justifying it on the basis of the day’s exertions, we feasted on Fondue Chinoise, delicate morsels of chicken, beef, and venison which you cook in a vegetable broth at the table. Lighter than a cheese fondue, this dish is typical of Switzerland’s Valais region, and is one of those meals which warms the soul as much as the body. Combined with the views, you’ll never want to leave.

www.lacambuse.ch

Deb’s Swank Pick – Winter 22/23

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Tequila Komos

Tequila Komos respects tradition but is not bound by the past, using global inspiration and an innovative spirit to create something truly extraordinary. The Komos Collection features expressions that appeal to both light and dark spirit drinkers: an Añejo Cristalino, Reposado Rosa, and Extra Añejo. This portfolio is the highest rated ever, with the first perfect 100-point rating from The Tasting Panel Magazine. Their one-of-a-kind craft results in special tequila for when you want the best.

Costs:

• Añejo Cristalino $120

• Reposado Rosa $110

• Extra Anejo $399

www.siptequila.com

Gastronomic Gallivants: Palazzo Di Varignana

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By Sophie Ibbotson

Many years ago I was told that the difference between French and Italian cooking is that in France, it’s all about the skills of the chef; and in Italy, it’s all about the quality of the ingredients. This may be an oversimplification but it’s a description which stuck in my mind, and after countless visits to Italy — most of them with food on my mind — I don’t recall a single meal where the ingredients were anything less than mouthwatering. I have eaten my way across Rome, Naples, Venice, Verona, and beyond. But just before COVID hit, a friend asked if I’d visited the food capital of Italy. The what?! How come I’d let that slip by?

The province of Emilia Romagna is the home of Parmesan cheese, the finest balsamic vinegars from Modena, Prosciutto di Parma ham, and mortadella, the soft salami which appears on breakfast buffets and sharing platters across Italy. There are extensive vineyards and olive groves, too, producing some of the top wines and olive oils in the Mediterranean. The travel restrictions of the pandemic meant that I had to wait rather longer than I would have liked to visit Emilia Romagna, but as if I were in anticipation of an excellent meal, my appetite simply grew and grew.

Emilia Romagna’s administrative centre is Bologna, packed with Renaissance churches, UNESCO listed porticos, leaning towers, and one of the oldest universities in Europe. The city has direct connections to many destinations, making it an easy transport hub, but for this culinary extravaganza I knew I wanted to leave the metropolis behind and stay as close as possible to the producers growing and processing the ingredients which would end up on my plate. In short, I wanted a farm-to-table experience where the farm and the table were in the same place.

Palazzo di Varignana is just 15 miles from the centre of Bologna, a 20-minute train ride away. The palazzo (palace) itself dates from 1705 and is a grand building occupying a commanding hilltop position, with sweeping views over vineyards and olive trees, with more agricultural land stretching out on the plain as far as the eye can see. It has always been a working estate, but in the last few years it has entered into a new stage of life as Italy’s preeminent agritourism resort.

Agritourism has connotations of farm stays, charming, rustic experiences with simple amenities. Palazzo di Varignana has taken inspiration from this concept but transformed it into a luxury experience for those who want to enjoy the beauty of the countryside and understand where their food has come from, but to do so whilst staying in top quality accommodation, with all the facilities and services to be expected of a 5-star resort.

The first thing I noted on arrival is that Palazzo di Varignana’s architects have created a complex at one with the landscape. The new buildings are contemporary in style, built from natural materials, and in some cases are partially embedded in the hillside so their shape doesn’t detract from the views. Subterranean tunnels link rooms to the reception, a restaurant and bar, and spa, so you are very much at one with the earth. Balconies, terraces, and windows are oriented to look straight out at the hills and ensure that wherever you sit or stand, you are unlikely to be overlooked.

One thing you do get a glimpse of from most rooms are Palazzo di Varignana’s trails. At check-in every guest is given a map of the estate with suggested walks, and there are bicycles to borrow, too. Thinking I’d better earn the feast I was sure to come later in the evening, I set out on a half-hour circular stroll which took me past infinity pools and sculptures to a peaceful olive grove of ancient trees. The benches are carefully positioned in places where you might want to take a rest, or at least sit and reflect upon the majesty of nature. I didn’t venture down into the vineyards, their vines cascading in rows below me on a slope, as darkness was drawing in, but was reassured to think that the wines I hoped to try at dinner had come from just a few hundred feet away.

There are two main restaurants at Palazzo di Varignana, fine dining restaurant Il Grifone, an opulent space within the palazzo; and Aurevo, a more casual dining restaurant in a contemporary glass cube. I stayed two nights at the palazzo and made sure to eat at both: it would have been a tragedy to come all that way and not indulge at every opportunity!

The nighttime walk to Il Grifone is magical, as although it is only a few minutes’ away from the guest rooms, that is still sufficient time to gaze up at the bright stars and appreciate the silence of the air, a rarity in hectic modern life. The palazzo is strikingly lit, and it’s a wonderful nod to the building’s heritage that its tiny chapel has been preserved, the doors left open should you want to pop in and say a prayer.

Up the steps and through the main entrance, the atmosphere immediately changes. Now you’re a guest in an opulent residence; I wondered for a moment if I was here for dinner or a ball. There’s a grand piano in the hallway, glitzy chandeliers, and a level of gold in the decor that might be over the top elsewhere, but here in Italy is the epitome of elegance and sophistication. I had every faith that the food would be everything I’d waited not-so-patiently for months to taste, and Il Grifone’s chef ensured I was blown away.

Given the choice, I will always opt for a tasting menu. It’s not just because I’m greedy, but because a tasting menu gives the chef the opportunity to showcase their most creative ideas, their skill, and the freshest seasonal ingredients. And those ingredients, after all, were the raison d’etre for my trip. It also saves me choosing between dishes which all sound tantalising, and means I taste new combinations of flavours which I might not otherwise select from the menu.

And that is how, foodie friends, I first tried white chocolate and raspberries with anchovies and olive oil. It’s a desert I raised both eyebrows to when I heard it announced and which I approached with a certain amount of trepidation. But what I’ve learned is that a chef will never put a dud dish on a tasting menu; everything is perfectly curated to dazzle your senses and expand the horizons of your palate. It was the fitting finale to a meal which constantly surprised me, from the eel and anchovy with chestnut purée and pomegranate, to the most succulent ribbon of pink duck I’ve ever been fortunate enough to place upon my tongue.

The accompanying wines, as promised, were all made from grapes grown on the Palazzo di Varignana estate. They were so beautifully paired with the dishes that I promptly added “hold luggage” to my flight ticket home, enabling me to pack a few bottles for later. The memories of that meal and of my stay at Palazzo di Varignana will last long after the wine is drunk, but I have at least prolonged the pleasure a little longer.

www.palazzodivarignana.com

4. Le Marzoline Trattoria (3) Interiors (3)

Swellegant Stays: The Seabird and Mission Pacific – Oceanside, California

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A quintessential Southern California surf town, Oceanside enjoys fabulous weather year-round and pristine coasts with culinary adventures, boutique shopping and artistic treasures. Once a hangout for soldiers from the nearby military base, Oceanside has leveled up drastically in the last couple of years. This is thanks in no small part to the arrival of two new resorts The Seabird and Mission Pacific Hotel in 2021. Since the twin hotels opened side-by-side, just steps from the beach, Oceanside’s popularity as a chic beach destination is soaring.

Mission Pacific is a luxurious sanctuary with a laid-back atmosphere that speaks to sophisticated travelers who want to splurge on five-star experiences but also appreciate Oceanside’s unpretentious vibes. Throughout the property, earthy textures and artisan touches abound, thanks to the design by award-winning firm EDG and complemented by local artwork curated by the Oceanside Museum of Art.

An expansive rooftop pool and jacuzzi with private cabanas offer a perfect vantage point to take in panoramic Pacific views, and an expertly restored 1940s vintage beach Rambler provides guests with everything from sunscreen to surfboard rentals for a day in the waves. There is also a 24-hour fitness center, a library, and 13,000 square feet of ocean-view function space. But the real winners are the spacious rooms, which feel restful and welcoming thanks to warm tones and textures, along with smart technology that allows you to choose between lighting options, plus big balconies on which to enjoy a glass of wine with a sea view.

The Seabird next door totally reimagines the concept of a beachfront resort as a fashionable coastal escape that appeals to romantic couples as much as families or groups of friends. The designer ensured that the local surf culture runs through every part of the hotel, and both rooms and lobby here feel more like a big family beach house complete with a tastefully rendered nautical theme.

The hotel has a sweeping pool deck with wide ocean views. The indulgent Sunny’s Spa and Beauty Lounge offers what it terms ‘farm-to-sea’ holistic care with ritual experiences and beachy sun-relief treatments alongside traditional spa offerings like facials and massage. Elsewhere on the property, there is a stylish wood-paneled library, and OMA West, a rotating art gallery at that serves as an extension of Oceanside Museum of Art.

Together, Mission Pacific and The Seabird mark the largest oceanfront development in San Diego County in 50 years, and the future looks very bright for Oceanside.

www.missionpacifichotel.com

www.theseabirdresort.com

Swellegant Stays: The Bird – Bath, England

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Ornithophobic? If you are afraid of birds you had probably better stay away from this brilliantly bonkers bird-themed hotel in the popular British tourism destination of Bath. Though the city typically sells itself on its Roman baths, Regency architecture, and connections with Jane Austen, The Bird shows off Bath’s more youthful, creative side. It’s the ideal spot to stay for those who want to be within easy walking distance of the tourist sites but enjoy a more contemporary style.

The Bird is a large stone property looking out across Bath Rugby ground and to Bath Abbey beyond. The lobby and living room feel like part of someone’s home, with plenty of comfortable armchairs and couches scattered with bright cushions, eclectic artwork on the walls, and a pantry where you can help yourself to soft drinks and snacks. The staff may be at the desk (which is decorated with a collage of porcelain plates painted with birds), or in the bar downstairs: the atmosphere is wonderfully casual, though there’s always someone nearby to help.

Rooms and suites are divided between the main house and the garden; they’re all spacious and brilliantly designed. Whichever room you choose, there will be intriguing art to admire, lush fabrics, and theatrical touches such as free-standing copper baths, gilded mirrors, and even chandeliers.

Meals are served at Plate, The Bird’s restaurant, which has indoor space but also a terrace for al fresco dining and transparent domes for those days when you’d love to be outside but the English weather is being, well, English. Whatever you plan to eat, start with a cocktail: the cocktail menu is bird-themed, too, with fabulous illustrations of our feathered friends. Start with a Kingfisher (sake, ginger, and vermouth, topped with prosecco) or Robin (vodka, cointreau, and lemon marmalade), and segue via dinner to the Bald Eagle (bourbon, armagnac, and banana) for the ultimate night cap.

www.thebirdbath.co.uk

Swellegant Stays: Shore Hotel, Santa Monica, California

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Right across Ocean Avenue from the Santa Monica Pier and beach, the Shore Hotel couldn’t have a better location. The boutique property is both chic and sustainable, with strong eco-certification standards and a sleek, contemporary design. The Shore is shaped like a horseshoe and each of the rooms features its own balcony with views of the “living room” style pool (which is solar heated) and out to the Pacific Ocean beyond.

Upon entering, the lobby feels airy and beachy thanks to huge, floor-to-ceiling windows that look out onto the ocean and let in lots of California sunshine. Guests are treated to a welcome drink – a cold glass of champagne goes down, a treat as the friendly staff check you in. In the mornings, breakfast is served at sunny tables adjacent to the pool with a fresh sea breeze spilling in.

ShoreHotel_MeghanBobPhoto_Room321View_HR

In the 164 guest rooms, high-tech, auto-adjust lighting and temperature controls help eliminate energy waste and all of the tasteful decor is sourced sustainably, with plush, pillowtop mattresses, Lather toiletry products, and iHome docking stations. The decor reflects an ocean aesthetic with fresh sea blues and turquoises warmed by natural woods and offset by cool grey tones.

Elsewhere on the property, amenities include a fitness center, business center, and valet parking, and it is easily accessible from the Downtown Santa Monica light rail station, and walkable to all of the delights of Santa Monica, including cafes, shopping, and of course the seaside. Also within the property, the women-owned Blue Plate Taco serves fresh, locavore Mexican fare, including some of the best ceviche in Los Angeles and strong margaritas that are best sipped watching the sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

The Shore’s design and construction are Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certified and it has won the prestigious Sustainable Quality Awards (SQA) Grand Prize and the Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International (HSMAI) Los Angeles Best Green Hotel Award.

A Letter From Asia: Samarkand, Uzbekistan

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By Sophie Ibbotson

How is it that a city has so much energy, so much creativity, that it can reinvent itself over and over again for more than 2,700 years? I was pondering this over breakfast this morning in Samarkand. Alexander the Great conquered this Central Asian city at the heart of the ancient Silk Road, and declared that it was more beautiful than he ever imagined. Genghis Khan came here too, and he flattened what remained of the city which Alexander saw. But under the rule of Amir Timur (known in the West as Tamerlane), Samarkand once again rose phoenix-like from the ashes, rebuilt by the greatest architects, engineers, and craftsmen from Iran and Turkey, Afghanistan, and India. In more recent history, the Russians and then the Soviets expanded and rebuilt Samarkand, saving many of the fragile monuments and adding modern infrastructure. And only this summer the latest incarnation of Samarkand has launched in a glittering spectacle. Its name is Silk Road Samarkand.

Central Samarkand is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, exquisite, fascinating, but vulnerable. Tourism in Uzbekistan is already recovering from the impact of COVID, and with significant growth on the cards, especially in Samarkand, the city needs more hotels, more restaurants, and generally more facilities to cater to the crowds. There’s no way that you could clear a site big enough for 5* hotels or a conference center within the UNESCO city, so what urban planners, investors, and heritage consultants have settled on is a completely new tourism complex on the eastern side of the city, around the old rowing canal. It’s this new resort, Silk Road Samarkand, which I’m in Samarkand to see.

I’ve called Silk Road Samarkand a resort, but don’t underestimate its scale. It covers 260 hectares, well over two-thirds the size of New York’s Central Park, and is a destination in its own right. The canal is the centerpiece, creating the sense of being within an oasis, and the landscaped gardens between the buildings will grow and blossom in the years to come.

A critical part of Silk Road Samarkand is the accommodation offering. As hard as it to believe, until this summer there wasn’t a single 5* hotel in Samarkand, in spite of it being Uzbekistan’s second largest city. Now there are eight 4* and 5* hotels within this resort alone, so there’s plenty of accommodation options to choose from. The Samarkand Regency Amir Timur is surely the flagship property, and it is the first hotel in Central Asia to belong to the prestigious Leading Hotels of the World association. When heads of state from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization came to Samarkand for their annual summit in September, this is where they opted to stay.

For those who aren’t looking to follow in the footsteps of presidents and would rather stay somewhere a little more quirky, there is Savitsky Plaza. If the name “Savitsky” sounds faintly familiar, that’s because it is named after Igor Savitsky, curator and collector of the world’s second-largest collection of Russian avant-garde. The museum he founded in Nukus, Karakalpakstan is often referred to as the “Louvre of the Steppe” or the “Gallery of Forbidden of Art” and it rightly has a cult following of art lovers. The hotel’s interior design is inspired by Savitsky’s legacy and the walls are hung with contemporary art.

The wonderful thing about Silk Road Samarkand is that there’s a strong sense of place. Yes, the hotels are multi-storey modern buildings which wouldn’t look out of place in Los Angeles or London, but in between them is something altogether more intriguing: the Eternal City. Uzbek modern artist Bobur Ismailov has created an 11 ha site which embodies the oriental fairytale, but at the same time is an educational space. Many of the buildings and squares have been recreated from historical models, and the turquoise domes and intricate mosaic tiles have all been made by skilled artisans using traditional techniques. It’s a place to learn about Uzbekistan’s intangible cultural heritage, from puppetry to ceramics, to encounter street performers and to feast freshly baked bread and pastries. Samarkand has once again found a way to express its 2,700 years of history and culture and to reinterpret and share it with another generation.

Come and join me on the Silk Road soon,

www.srs-tc.com

Swellegant Stays: The Surfrider Hotel, Malibu, California

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From the moment you arrive at the Surfrider Hotel, there is no question that you are in California. The effortlessly cool boutique hotel stands along the iconic Pacific Coast Highway overlooking the ocean and Malibu Pier, across to First Point, where the legendary Malibu break draws a lineup of world-class surfers.

The Surfrider was formerly a rundown motel renovated by wife-and-husband team Emma and Matthew Goodwin. The vibe is a California dream with a laid-back beach house aesthetic. Matthew is an architect and redesigned the building and did the construction, while Emma drove the hotel’s creative direction, branding, and interiors.

Even arriving doesn’t feel like arriving. The reception is an airy living room with a huge wooden table, a lemon tree, wicker chairs, bone-colored rugs, and floor-to-ceiling shelves that quietly offer some of the hotel’s products to take home: bio-compatible Grown Alchemist toiletries, high-end sunscreen, elegant, soft beach towels, and sunglasses.

The soft, beachy design runs through the rest of the property. Both guest rooms and suites have crisp, white bedding and natural fabrics: think teak wood, wicker, Bellino linens, coir, and palm fibers. The 20 rooms include two suites with living areas and private balconies with hammocks overlooking the ocean. All rooms feature custom teak beds, spa rain showers, and terraces, but each is gently unique like the rooms in a sprawling, cozy beach house.

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The Surfrider aspires to be a reborn icon of the Malibu scene and a source of warm Californian celebrations, providing access to swimming or riding the waves just below the property. Surf and paddle boards are available free for guest use and the hotel also offers special picnics designed to be taken to the beach or on a hike, complete with housemade cocktails or local wines.

The Surfrider’s rooftop restaurant is only open to guests, meaning you have to book a room to dine there – it feels like the kind of place where Hollywood A-listers go to hang out without being bothered. The menu is fresh and unfussy with sustainably sourced, California-inspired seafood, fresh-cut pasta, ceviche, and huge salads accompanied by a list of small-producer, California wines. There is also an unmissable ‘apres surf’ cocktail hour each afternoon for refreshing drinks like the “Endless Summer” with coconut-infused tequila, lime, and agave, or the “Sea & T,” featuring local gin, calamondin citrus fruit, and Boylan’s tonic.

Swanky RetreatsBeyond the Beach

Float Spa

Swellegant Stays: Mercure Bukhara Old Town – Bukhara, Uzbekistan

Swellegant Stays: Hotel Restaurant La Cambuse – Vex, Switzerland

Deb’s Swank Pick – Winter 22/23

Tequila Komos

• Añejo Cristalino $120

• Reposado Rosa $110

• Extra Anejo $399

Gastronomic Gallivants: Palazzo Di Varignana

By Sophie Ibbotson

Swellegant Stays: The Seabird and Mission Pacific – Oceanside, California

Swellegant Stays: The Bird – Bath, England

Swellegant Stays: Shore Hotel, Santa Monica, California

A Letter From Asia: Samarkand, Uzbekistan

By Sophie Ibbotson

Swellegant Stays: The Surfrider Hotel, Malibu, California

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