history, reinvented
STYLE
LIFE
BODY
P L AY
WORK Top Left: The newly updated rooms at Paris’ Plaza Athénée. Below: The hotel’s façade has stayed consistent over its 100-year history.
C U LT U R E roundup
THE BUCKET LIST
Five of Japan’s most exclusive, life-altering offerings 1. Get a BODY SCRUB from the HOTTEST NEW SPA
upgrade
History, Reinvented Everything old is new again at these storied, landmark hotels. Chadner Navarro checks in
T
ake a quick glance at the façade of Paris’ Hôtel Plaza Athénée—with its vibrant red geraniums dripping down over quaint Juliet balconies—and you might be fooled into believing that not much has changed since the property’s debut in 1913. But inside, it’s a different story. The famed hotel recently reemerged from a $268 million face-lift, a 10-month affair that offered subtle yet dynamic changes, like new lighting to brighten up interiors, revamped restaurants and the addition of 14 guest rooms. The makeover couldn’t have come at a better time: The Plaza Athénée celebrated its centennial in 2013. Renovating a historic property is a delicate art, of course. And in the case of Plaza Athénée—one of the city’s most legendary landmarks—the stakes are even
greater. The hotel’s marquee restaurant helmed by Alain Ducasse underwent the most dramatic transformation, thanks to designer Patrick Jouin, who added mirror-back chairs and a Swarovski crystal ceiling installation. Inside Plaza Athénée’s bustling cocktail lounge, an illuminated glass bar appears to glow when the lights are dimmed. It’s in these spaces that the hotel feels the most contemporary, and yet, Athénée’s overall character remains unchanged. The same can be said for Ashford Castle, a medieval estate-cum-luxur y hotel in County Mayo, Ireland, that is completing a multi-year restoration. Dated f lorals and faded plaids have been replaced with a mix-and-match decor, such as striped silk wallpaper, dark-wood chests and chairs upholstered in Ikat. Irish resplendence still dominates, because that’s vital to the property’s DNA, but there’s something modern about the delivery—especially with the addition of a cigar lounge and billiards room. An equally old-meets-new ethos came to San Juan, Puerto Rico this past December, when the Condado Vanderbilt completed a refurbishment that began in 2012. With guests like Charles Lindberg and Theodore Roosevelt, the Spanish Revival retreat is an established Caribbean icon. That signature aesthetic has been preserved—the lobby’s original lyre-shaped staircase is still intact—but there are now suites with Europeanstyle kitchens and 24hour butler service. The renovation also introduced a 10,000squ a re -foot spa , which houses the island’s first hammam. It’s an unprecedented unveiling, and proof that even the most historic institutions can reinvent themselves anew.
On the 37th floor of the Andaz Hotel you’ll design your own personal scrub, choosing from a garden of fresh mint, lavender and fruits. Close your eyes. Awake refreshed. TOK YO. ANDA Z .HYAT T.COM
2. SAVOR SASHIMI made by a STAR CHEF
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tsukamoto Sogyo Building, Ginza Book now for lunch at Chef Jiro Ono’s kitchen, home to a $300, 20-course omakase meal enjoyed by President Obama (among others) and featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. SUSHI -JIRO. J P
3. LEARN to MAKE TEA from a CERTIFIED MASTER Ippodo Tea, Kokusai Building, Marunouchi Chiyoda Ward Becoming a tea master takes years. In a hurry? Catch up on the highlights with a class at this zen locale. ippodo -te a .co. jp
4. BUY a CUSTOM KIMONO from a 100-YEAR-OLD OUTPOST
Choujiya, Toranomon, Minato Kimonos start at $2,500 and the handpainted silks are worth every yen. Discretion keeps the owner from mentioning celebrity clients, but the shop’s old-school website confirms its seriously local status. hom e page2.nif ty.com / toranomon choujiya
5. SIP a CRAFT COCKTAIL in a SECRET BAR
Bar High Five, Ginza, Chuo-ku On the fourth floor of a nondescript office building sits one of the most worshipped (and hidden) cocktail bars in the world. Pick a spirit; owner Hidetsugu Ueno will blow your palate. BARHIGH FIVE .COM
—Mickey Rapkin
fashion luminary christian dior was so taken with hotel plaza athénée that he opened up a couture house next door to the hotel in 1947.
interior: eric laignel. courtesy.
80
AO Spa, Andaz Tokyo, Toranomon Hills, Minato
LIFE
BODY
P L AY
WORK Top Left: The newly updated rooms at Paris’ Plaza Athénée. Below: The hotel’s façade has stayed consistent over its 100-year history.
C U LT U R E roundup
THE BUCKET LIST
Five of Japan’s most exclusive, life-altering offerings 1. Get a BODY SCRUB from the HOTTEST NEW SPA
upgrade
History, Reinvented Everything old is new again at these storied, landmark hotels. Chadner Navarro checks in
T
ake a quick glance at the façade of Paris’ Hôtel Plaza Athénée—with its vibrant red geraniums dripping down over quaint Juliet balconies—and you might be fooled into believing that not much has changed since the property’s debut in 1913. But inside, it’s a different story. The famed hotel recently reemerged from a $268 million face-lift, a 10-month affair that offered subtle yet dynamic changes, like new lighting to brighten up interiors, revamped restaurants and the addition of 14 guest rooms. The makeover couldn’t have come at a better time: The Plaza Athénée celebrated its centennial in 2013. Renovating a historic property is a delicate art, of course. And in the case of Plaza Athénée—one of the city’s most legendary landmarks—the stakes are even
greater. The hotel’s marquee restaurant helmed by Alain Ducasse underwent the most dramatic transformation, thanks to designer Patrick Jouin, who added mirror-back chairs and a Swarovski crystal ceiling installation. Inside Plaza Athénée’s bustling cocktail lounge, an illuminated glass bar appears to glow when the lights are dimmed. It’s in these spaces that the hotel feels the most contemporary, and yet, Athénée’s overall character remains unchanged. The same can be said for Ashford Castle, a medieval estate-cum-luxur y hotel in County Mayo, Ireland, that is completing a multi-year restoration. Dated f lorals and faded plaids have been replaced with a mix-and-match decor, such as striped silk wallpaper, dark-wood chests and chairs upholstered in Ikat. Irish resplendence still dominates, because that’s vital to the property’s DNA, but there’s something modern about the delivery—especially with the addition of a cigar lounge and billiards room. An equally old-meets-new ethos came to San Juan, Puerto Rico this past December, when the Condado Vanderbilt completed a refurbishment that began in 2012. With guests like Charles Lindberg and Theodore Roosevelt, the Spanish Revival retreat is an established Caribbean icon. That signature aesthetic has been preserved—the lobby’s original lyre-shaped staircase is still intact—but there are now suites with Europeanstyle kitchens and 24hour butler service. The renovation also introduced a 10,000squ a re -foot spa , which houses the island’s first hammam. It’s an unprecedented unveiling, and proof that even the most historic institutions can reinvent themselves anew.
On the 37th floor of the Andaz Hotel you’ll design your own personal scrub, choosing from a garden of fresh mint, lavender and fruits. Close your eyes. Awake refreshed. TOK YO. ANDA Z .HYAT T.COM
2. SAVOR SASHIMI made by a STAR CHEF
Sukiyabashi Jiro, Tsukamoto Sogyo Building, Ginza Book now for lunch at Chef Jiro Ono’s kitchen, home to a $300, 20-course omakase meal enjoyed by President Obama (among others) and featured in the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. SUSHI -JIRO. J P
3. LEARN to MAKE TEA from a CERTIFIED MASTER Ippodo Tea, Kokusai Building, Marunouchi Chiyoda Ward Becoming a tea master takes years. In a hurry? Catch up on the highlights with a class at this zen locale. ippodo -te a .co. jp
4. BUY a CUSTOM KIMONO from a 100-YEAR-OLD OUTPOST
Choujiya, Toranomon, Minato Kimonos start at $2,500 and the handpainted silks are worth every yen. Discretion keeps the owner from mentioning celebrity clients, but the shop’s old-school website confirms its seriously local status. hom e page2.nif ty.com / toranomon choujiya
5. SIP a CRAFT COCKTAIL in a SECRET BAR
Bar High Five, Ginza, Chuo-ku On the fourth floor of a nondescript office building sits one of the most worshipped (and hidden) cocktail bars in the world. Pick a spirit; owner Hidetsugu Ueno will blow your palate. BARHIGH FIVE .COM
—Mickey Rapkin
fashion luminary christian dior was so taken with hotel plaza athénée that he opened up a couture house next door to the hotel in 1947.
interior: eric laignel. courtesy.
80
AO Spa, Andaz Tokyo, Toranomon Hills, Minato
