Recommend February 2014 - (Page 58)

Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa on Silhouette Island. Opened in 1903, the Orient-Express Ritz property was originally built because King Alfonso XIII needed a place to honeymoon, and he wanted a belle epoque palatial hotel like the Ritz hotels in London and Paris. He also wanted brunch and afternoon tea, which had never existed in Spain before. To this day, the sumptuous Sunday brunch and daily afternoon tea at the Ritz are legendary. New this year, Chic Outlet will be packaging a fashion-themed tour through the Thyssen highlighting 15 paintings that showcase the evolution of fashion through the 18th to 20th centuries. Another tour, one that's ideal for soccer fans, includes a visit to the Atletico Madrid Football Museum. dublin About 30 minutes outside Dublin, Kildare Village is one of Chic Outlet's fastest growing venues. For 2013, attendance was up 38 percent over 2012. Presently there are 64 shops, with another 34 scheduled to open by 2015, and some of these are very high-end. For example, London-based Mulberry opened here last October, the only standalone Mulberry store in Ireland. There's a strong showing of English-owned lady and menswear brands, including Hackett, Anya Hindmarch, Radley, Savoy Taylors Guild and Ted Baker, along with international labels from Boss to Ralph Lauren. As customary at all Chic Outlets, we arrived in a luxury black coach and were welcomed in the VIP salon with champagne and ﬁnger sandwiches. Tourism manager Lee-Ann McCarthy sat with us while explaining how she works with clients booking Dublin's best properties, including Four Seasons Dublin, Clift Townhouse, The Morgan, The Marker, Shelbourne, Fitzwilliam Dublin Hotel, Merrion, Westbury and the Dylan, owned by rock band U2. For casual bites, L'Ofﬁcina is a warm Italian restaurant serving afternoon tea and dishes such as trufﬂed mushroom-ﬁlled ravioli with parmigiano chantilly. That goes well-paired with a German Hugo Boss suit. Facing posh St. Stephen's Green (Dublin's Central Park) next to the central shopping district along Grafton Street, the Fitzwilliam Hotel Dublin offers a decidedly modern design experience, but one no less lacking in artistic ﬂair. The lobby has pale slate gray ﬂoors and gray/white walls to showcase a museum-quality mix of classical and contemporary ﬁne art paintings. At the back of the lobby, the Inn on the Green is a relaxed pub popular with the fashionable locals; it serves astonishingly good ﬁsh and chips. For ﬁne dining, the Michelin one-star Thornton's Restaurant is considered one of Dublin's ﬁnest contemporary kitchens. Above the lobby on the mezzanine level, the more casual Citron restaurant was voted "Best Hotel Restaurant in Ireland in 2012" by Food & Wine critic Paolo Tullio. In the heart of Dublin, the upscale French bistro Pichet was our favorite restaurant during this trip. paris The aforementioned La Vallee Village is located next to Disneyland Paris, 45 minutes outside central Paris. It's one of the largest Chic Outlets with over 120 shops, and it's extremely popular with the locals. As expected, the selection of fashion is utterly mindbending, as are some of the discounted prices, with exclusive 58 february 2014 57-59 EU ChicOutlet.indd 58 boutiques operated by Diane von Furstenberg, Burberry, Jimmy Choo, Armani and other luminous brands. Chic Outlet day packages include a visit to Reims in the French countryside for the 1-hour tour through the Mumm Champagne cellars and museum. It's a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of one of the world's most iconic houses of bubbly. In Paris, Chic Outlet works with various museums like the Palais de Tokyo where we toured an exhibit celebrating the shoe and accessory design genius of Roger Vivier. For restaurants, Chic Outlet hosted a dinner at the incomparable Mini Palais restaurant inside the Grand Palais des ChampsElysees museum and exhibition hall, home to some of the greatest fashion shows in Parisian history. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Paris. Located a couple blocks back from the Champs-Elysees next to the George V, the historic Hotel De Sers bore witness to a steady stream of 19th century Parisian society life upon opening as a private residence in the 1880s. Today, the ﬁve-star hotel offers 45 rooms and seven suites, around the corner from a gauntlet of international headquarters for iconic fashion/perfume labels. While the building and interior architecture have all been dutifully preserved, the interior design on the ground ﬂoor blends both the old and new, combining oil paintings in the classical oeuvre with modern furniture. Small in size but big on drama, the hotel feels very much like a private apartment as it was originally created. The restaurant is a charmer with a small outdoor courtyard and a straightforward menu serving ossetra caviar to farm pigeon to a wonderful pan-fried mushroom salad. Some of the deluxe rooms have views of the Eiffel Tower, just a 10-minute walk away. The rooms are contemporary in design without being too slick, decorated with lovely Art Deco furnishings and large black and white or color vintage photography. For a super fun tour of Paris, book a ride in one of the vintage convertible Citroens operated by 4 Roues Sous 1 Parapluie. As the guide, usually a history student, drives the tiny car seating three passengers past all of the major landmarks, he or she explains the history of each with interesting anecdotes. We ended our whirlwind retail rendezvous through Europe with a dinner cruise aboard a 2-decker Bateaux-Mouches boat. The 3-hour experience explores the center of Paris ending below the Eiffel Tower light show. shopping package A Shopping Day Experience package at La Vallee Village includes Shopping Express-return tickets on the luxury coach service from central Paris to the Village; 10 percent savings with a VIP Card providing a further savings on purchases in six boutiques of one's choice in the Village; 2-course lunch at Natalie's Cafe; and a €50 (approximately $68) gift voucher that can be used in the boutiques of one's choice in La Vallee Village (gift voucher available for adult packages only). ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/ issue-archive): A French Twosome with SLH (August 2013) contact information Chic Outlet Shopping: chicoutletshopping.com recommend.com 1/21/14 8:23 AM http://www.recommend.com/magazine/ http://www.chicoutletshopping.com http://www.recommend.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend February 2014

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Corinthia Hotels
Tour Talk: Convertible Caravans of Europe
Boutique Hotels Beckon
VIP Havens
Crystal Cruises
Costa Rica Travel Planner
Anguilla, Foodie Paradise
Carlisle Bay, Antigua
Culturally Infused Mexico City
New Zealand's Luxury Retreats
Kenya: Where Wildlife and Luxury Coexist
Chic Outlet Shopping

Recommend February 2014