The ICON Hotel has quickly established itself as Prague’s preeminent getaway destination for the avant-garde and discriminating traveler.

As its assertive namesake suggests, the ICON Hotel has itself become an icon for architectural ingenuity, Czech artistry, and cutting-edge style, placing it in an elite category apart that is ideal for every minx. Centrally located in the heart of the city, just one block away from Prague’s famed Wenceslas Square, the ICON embodies this dynamic urban nexus, where commerce, fashion, and entertainment coalesce as one.

The ICON hotel is the product of an intensive restoration effort, which transformed a nineteenth century building into a sleek and sophisticated modern space. Combining traditional Czech design elements with more contemporary style, the ICON emerges as a living, breathing modern art installation, unrivaled in its audacity and urban flair.

Not only does the ICON furbish its rooms with quirky furniture crafted by Czech designers, but the hotel also supports the arts by decorating the hallways with work exclusively produced by young and nationally recognized Czech artists. In addition to its tasteful artistic sensibility, the ICON also pampers its guests with unrivaled hospitality.

ICON’s partnership with Sweden’s premiere luxury bed manufacturer, Hästens, gives the hotel another edge over the competition, as every guest room features a natural Hästens handmade bed, indulging hotel patrons with the most comfortable lodging experience in all of Prague.

The ICON hotel sets the standard for Prague’s boutique hotel industry. With 31 luxury rooms offering WiFi and Skype connections, a biometric laptop safe to store sensitive computer information, a trendy restaurant and lounge area favored by Prague’s creative industry, and one of the city’s most elite spas located conveniently located on-site, the ICON feels like a venue conceived for a James Bond adventure and a true mecca for those seeking a unique and luxurious boutique hotel experience.

This is the Redbury: a hip, yet homey new hotel setting up shop in that big red building on the corner of Hollywood and Vine (neighboring the Avalon & Bardot, walking distance to Beso, Katsuya, The W Hollywood).

The owners of the hotel, CIM Group — Hollywood’s biggest commercial landlord,  its manager — nightlife impresario/genius, Sam Nazarian of SBE, and its interior designer — celebrity photographer and music video director Matthew Rolston, have managed to transform the space into a 57-room hotel of Hollywood Heaven.

The place goes over the top and beyond, with splashes of bohemian, 1960s flower power and old Hollywood everywhere. Featuring top-of-the-line kitchens, paisley throw pillows, washer/dryers, floor to ceiling windows, 300-thread-count Italian linen sheets and old-fashioned record players, the spacious rooms are fit to appeal to creative-types who need to settle in town for extended stays. Quirks include traditional English antiques (upholstered sofas with nail head trim and canopy beds), vintage rock and roll posters, exotic textiles like suzanis, ikats, and Persian rugs, and Old Word art collection of hand-drawn illustrations and oil paintings.

As for eats, the Redbury’s room service comes from SBE’s nearby hotspot Katsuya (sushi-to-die-for), and a stay in the hotel gets you guranteed VIP access to all of SBE’s other nightclubs and restaurants. There will also be an in-house restaurant by the name of Cleo (light and fresh Mediterranean fare).

This place is just so L.A., we have fallen in love and know you will too. If you can’t make it to Hollywood, you can expect similar creative-meets-luxury hotels by CIM/SBE to pop up in New York, Washington, Dallas and San Diego soon! The Redbury Hotel is set to soft launch on August 17th, and will open in full on September 1st! Make a reservation today (room rates range from $300-$700).

As the well-worn saying goes, there’s nothing quite like Paris in the spring. But let’s be honest, we’ll take Paris any old time. And with award winning digs like Mama Shelter (voted Travel & Leisure’s Best Design Hotel, and Wallpaper and Fortune Magazine’s Best Business Hotel), finding an excuse to buy a plane ticket is as easy as reserving a room.

The hotel opened last year in the 20th arrondissement, located near the sprawling Père Lachaise cemetery and opposite live music venue La Fleche d’Or. It’s off the beaten path in terms of the tourist haunts. But what it does offer is the chance to experience a more diverse and authentic side of Paris.

This pairs well with the unique and whimsical approach of this 172-room hotel, which design legend Philippe Starck lent his talents to. The lobby features a forest of tree trunk stools and glass display cases with high-concept porn and a collection of Napoleonic hats. At the bar and restaurant you’ll find graffiti covered ceilings and glass topped communal tables (a nice touch when feasting on the traditional French fare offered). Venture further still and you’ll find enormous mirrors with pencils where you can write messages. And both elevators have trivia decorating the walls, one elevator using French and the other English.

The rooms themselves can tread towards the smaller side, as Starck had the challenge of working with limited space, but everything you need is there. A super cushy bed, an iMac programmed to work as a TV, CD/DVD player or computer, and a minibar. And as Starck’s design continues to highlight the quirky, you’ll find the graffiti theme continued with the carpets, and lamps with superhero masks as shades.

Despite being in a city as beautiful as Paris, Mama Shelter manages to stick out as a chic spot fit for gawking or staying.

It’s nice to know that you can get all the benefits of a vacation without having to hop on a plane. The London West Hollywood is a 200-room oasis, where you can hang your hat in their spacious digs (the smallest room checks in at 750 square feet), lounge by the glassed-in rooftop pool, and dine at celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant.

Located just off of the Sunset Strip, the stucco exterior doesn’t quite prepare you for the glam factor inside. Lavish touches like gold lame leather couches, large framed mirrors, and the lobby’s glittering mosaic floor add to the posh atmosphere. The attentive staff caters to the beautiful guests that stay here. And with a loaded rooftop gym, free Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, and complimentary laundry service for your gym clothes, it’s no surprise that the clientele tread towards the hip end.

Whether you’re looking for a spot to hole up in for the weekend or scouting out pools to be seen at this summer, The London West Hollywood will always impress.

Boston, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Las Vegas, and South Beach all have one thing in common: magnificent hotels created for your pleasure by the Morgans Hotel Group. Their Sanderson Hotel in London is a luxury defined with eclectic modern, classic and ethnic furniture that surprises the senses while acting as a comforting space for all to take in.

Showcasing a collection of furniture art pieces like Salvador Dali’s curvaceous red lips sofa, this hotel is as creative as it is sophisticated. The fabulous furniture is not limited to the lobby. Filling their rooms with a sophisticated vibe and a few ornate decorations, the juxtaposing theme lingers throughout and continues into their two featured bars on the premises. The Purple Bar, aptly named for the varying shades of purple that caress everything from the chairs to the leather ceiling, is a stylish atmosphere suitable for the most VIP clientele. For a worthy alternative, there is the Long Bar, with an eighty foot long onyx bar gleaming as the focal point. This bar, as well as the enchanting garden patio, are open to the public and caters to the palette with a seasonally changing menu and innovative cocktails.

Located on London’s West End, the Sanderson Hotel is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of one of London’s busiest districts and slide into the comfort of true sophistication.

SANDERSON LONDON
50 Berners Street
London, W1T 3NG
TEL: +44(0) 20 7300 1400
US Reservations: 800-697-1791

If you prefer an aesthetic that leans toward the distinctively whimsical—and who in LA doesn’t? —then proceed immediately to check-in at the SLS Hotel. Located on La Cienega Blvd., intersecting the shiny veneer of Beverly Hills and the frolic of West Hollywood, the hotel strikes a beguiling balance between both. 

 It all begins with a Hollywood worthy red carpet entry. Designer Philippe Starck, that certain Frenchman with that certain je ne sais quoi when it comes to mixing highbrow design with quotidian comfort, wants every guest to feel like a star. While Starck’s vision is always one to elicit ogles, it is never one to prohibit a good, old-fashioned plunking down, kicking off the shoes, loosening the tie and feeling right at home.

This is not accomplished at the SLS without drama, noir-like corridors, splashes of primary colors and black curtains. Yet juxtaposed with elements you imagine might populate Ted Turner’s Montana ranch house, i.e. moose antlers, comfy couches, fireplaces and throw rugs, the effect is welcoming. Oh, and did we say that the same goes for the rooftop pool as well?

Perhaps not the throw rugs, but some well “worn” furniture, lamps and artwork turn that most ubiquitous LA tableaux into territory that even the most overworked executive can’t resist. And for the clear, sunny and 75-degree weather that demand poolside meetings? There are plenty of tented areas deck- side just for that.

SLS has taken cuisine and, just like the design, put a few ordinary ingredients into a shaker, stirred and mixed, daring to depart from the standard fine dining and casual restaurant combo.

For the adventurous there is the Bazaar, truly a place that invokes all the implications of its name. Aside from Moss, a haughty yet accessible custom-curated shopping area, there is The Patisserie for sweets, and the star of the show, the Bazaar by José Andrés. This is Spanish food bold and imaginative in scope, tingling and sublime in taste. Ottoman carrot fritters, lush savory morsels that rest atop a bed of thick pistachio cream, are A Must. A salad of Brussels sprout leaves with warm lemony foam makes you wonder why you don’t eat this vegetable more often. And for brunch, eggs done in so many different ways, (although we’re partial to the 12 mini eggs, sunny side up, Huevos a la Cubana “Andy Garcia”), you’ll want to try them all. Seafood, meats and ham tapas veer toward the unusual, Japanese tacos, or the Hilly Cheesesteak, for instance, and plates are small enough so you may try several dishes sans overindulgence.

 The SLS Hotel

Address: 465 South La Cienega Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90048

Tel: 310.247.0400 Fax: 310.246.2165

Number of Rooms: 297 total, 61 Suites

Website: www.slshotels.com; or, www.luxurycollection.com/sls

The Sundance Film Festival has officially come to a close, and in Park City, Utah films with a darker edge swept the Festival this Saturday night.

Director Debra Granik’s film “Winter’s Bone” won the grand jury prize U.S. dramatic category and the prestigious Waldo Salt screenwriting award. The film follows the journey of Ree Dolly (Jennifer Lawrence), a 17 year old impoverished teen searching for her meth addict father. This thriller is based on Daniel Woodrell’s novel and was set in the woods of the Missouri Ozarks, a truly haunting landscape as the background. Selected highlights of the film can be seen here.

The winner of the U.S. documentary grand jury prize also took advantage of its terrain. Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s “Restrepo” is set in Afghanistan’s dangerous Korengal Valley and examines the American army platoon stationed there. In the midst of reporting for duty and staging their next moves, they are also faced with the task of shooting and killing.

Josh Radnor, star of “How I Met Your Mother” had his directorial debut with the lighter comedy “happythankyoumoreplease.” The film took home the audience prize for U.S. dramatic feature, and connects a series of interwoven stories about a group of 30 somethings trying to adjust to their adult lives.

The festival went through a kind of reinvention this year, with Robert Redford introducing a program to screen festival films simultaneously at theaters around the country, a programming section for low-budget flicks, and the distribution of certain titles via YouTube. But the lineup of consistently stunning films remained.

We hear this is the place to be…if you have the extra cash, don’t miss this. Buy tickets HERE

It is just about time to begin thinking about summer 2010!  Instead of taking your rendezvous to generic summer locations (Mexico, various islands, western Europe), consider a less common destination: Varna, Bulgaria.  Long discarded as a mysterious chunk of land in the Balkans, Bulgaria is actually a quite modern country frequented by vacationers from other areas of Europe.

Varna, in particular, is notorious for its summer nightlife; from the belly-dancing clubs in Golden Sands to the rows of beach bars next to the port, there is certainly no shortage of things to do during the night.  The day is for relaxation, but there is a wealth of things to do.  Visit the beaches next to the port in eastern Varna; there are miles of sand (a rarity in European beaches), volleyball courts, Olympic-sized swimming pools, bars, restaurants, and even giant waterslides.

Varna is also home to the Sea Gardens: a national landscape monument consisting of an aquarium, terrarium, zoo, planetarium, and dolphinarium.  At the dolphinarium in particular, there are several shows a day (lasting about a half-hour each), showcasing the talents of five or six dolphins.  Enjoy lunch before or after the show in the dolphinarium café, where one wall is completely transparent so that you can watch a dolphin or two swimming underwater.  It costs 1.50 lev to get into the café, but the nearly one dollar is worth it to marvel at the dolphin(s) and enjoy the sandwiches, which are quite good.

For shopping, head to Varna mall or, for more expensive clothing and souvenirs, Golden Sands.  Golden Sands is an area further up the Black Sea coast, about a twenty-lev cab ride from the Port of Varna.  Here, horseback-riding, high-end shopping, upscale hotels, beachside bars, restaurants, jet skiing, and other water sports are all available.

Sushi is popular in Varna, and the seaweed is far more delicious than in the United States.  There are many restaurants offering the Japanese specialty, but for a guaranteed good experience, visit Rappongi, a restaurant and bar right on the beach.  The best way to try the restaurant is to go in your swimsuit and rent a bed on the beach, which is about twenty lev (or thirteen US dollars) for two under the “palm trees,” which are turquoise and fake, but not cheap looking.  Charging for the beds or chairs is sporadic, however, and if someone does not come asking for payment during the first five minutes, the beds will probably be free.  Order drinks from the Rappongi bar and bask in the sun; toplessness is common here, and not considered taboo.  Afterwards, stop by the outdoor shower and head to the restaurant, where sushi mingles with steak, French fries, and other items on the menu.  A must-order for dessert is the fruit salad, with or without ice cream.

At night, begin at any of the beach bars (either in Golden Sands or next to the port), where the European equivalent to a 22-ounce beer is about $1.50.  Head to another bar afterwards, such as Arabian Nights, a belly-dancing bar in Golden Sands.  Enjoy the hookah (called “shisha” there) and sit around the circular bar, watching the female and the male belly dancers.  Finish the night at Copacabana, a nightclub along the beach, and then stop at any of the kabob stands for a late night or early morning snack that satisfies.

Overall, there is an incredible amount of fun to be had in Varna.  Whether you are the type who enjoys relaxation or partying, there are plenty of things that satisfy both in this up-and-coming European hotspot.