Centennial Celebrations on Avenue Montaigne: Théâtre des Champs-Elysées & Hôtel Plaza Athénée Turn 100
It’s centennial season on Avenue Montaigne as two of the anchors of Paris’s most couture-conscious street celebrate their 1913 origins and moments in their illustrious histories: the ever-chic Théâtre des Champs-Elysées and the ever-fashionable Hôtel Plaza Athénée. See how to join in the celebration.
“Gary’s Cocktail” at the Bar of the Hotel Lutetia, Paris
On April 14, 2014, the Hotel Lutetia will close for a three-year renovation. While awaiting its reopening, readers are invited to take a sip of this cocktail-laden travel tale and to meet Gilles Guyomarch, one of Paris's most experienced bartenders.
The Reawakening of the Hotel Lutetia: Living Large on the Left Bank
On April 14, 2014, the Hotel Lutetia will close for a three-year renovation. This article, written in early 2013, provides a "before" view of this historical hotel as its owners were seeking a new path to glory that eventually led to its closure for a major overhaul.
Nasti Business in Kaysersberg, Alsace
Olivier Nasti may sound like the name of a villainous cartoon character, mean, bony, bitter and solitary, but the Olivier Nasti I met in the town of Kaysersberg in Alsace is a charming, round-cheeked chef and businessman with a strong sense family. Seven miles northwest of Colmar, in one of the small, colorful tourist-friendly towns along the Alsace wine route,...
5 Days in Auvergne, Part IV: Château La Canière, a Luxury Hotel
10 miles from the spa town of Chatel-Guyon (Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne), Château La Canière, the only luxury hotel within many miles, stands out in the plain. Lavoisier awaits inside, everywhere.
Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere in Paris: A Drink at the Bar Le Lucien
At the bar of the 5-star Hotel Fouquet’s Barriere, just off the Champs-Elysees, I met Stephane Ginouves, winner of the first Meilleur
Ouvrier de France (Best Craftsman in France) competition for bartenders, and got his recipe for mixing with Singles.
Adventures in Southwest France: A Home in the Landes
In which an English family move into a once-prestigious property in southwest France with hopes of enjoying the good life abroad. What they discovered was hard work… and the good life abroad.
Cannes Hosts France’s Largest Summit Meeting Ever
The many faces of Cannes: playground for the well-to-do, winter retreat for golden-haired retires, showcase for film stars, promenade for daytrippers, and site of France's largest summit meeting ever. Plus some boutique hotel suggestions.
A Review of the 5-Star Shangri-La Hotel in Paris
Considerations on the location, the decor and the Eiffel Tower views of the Shangri-La Hotel in Paris, a 5-star hotel in the 16th arrondissement, including tea in the lounge, a drink at the bar and dinner in one of its three restaurants.