Le Bain is the cool all-black bar/swimming pool with naked girls and guys and the roof top space on top of The Standard Hotel. The roof top with synthetic grass and old school lawn furniture with 360 degrees lower Manhattan and Hudson River views,  is a  wonderful place to spend an afternoon.

The club opens at noon each day for cocktails and light fare, but in the evening the open door policy ends.. In order to enter  you better be on the list..

Ace Hotel owners love doing things their own way, and creating a neat experience based on a sense of place. Formerly the Breslin Hotel, the historic property that houses Ace Hotel New York has always been full of life. Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen were neighbors; “Diamond Jim” Brady (the inspiration for Marlon Brando’s Guys & Dolls character) was a regular; visionary filmmaker, musicologist and painter Harry Smith lived there, too.
Built in 1904 as part of what would become an avenue of hotels, the property was situated in the Times Square of the turn of the century—an area full of clubs and restaurants, and New York’s first neighborhood to be electrified with lighting and signage.

The unique new boutique hotel has 260 rooms, and is located near the Theater District. Ace is the low card and the high card. The basic rooms are affordable but replete with cool amenities. The big suites offer all the luxury you would expect from a high-end hotel. They appeal to a broad spectrum of travelers. The interiors designed by Roman & Williams mixing modern and vintage furnishings, objects, lighting and finishes from different eras to reflect a sense of unconventionality and freedom, a little bohemian and a little sophisticated. While the lobby is layered and historical, the rooms are more efficient.

In some rooms, a full-size Smeg-brand refrigerator, with its streamlined, vintage profile, is stocked with real food, making the rooms feel more a friend’s cool apartment than a typical hotel room. Chalkboard paint on the walls and paintings by young artists individualize each room. Ace Hotel is working with forward-thinking local businesses to make the building a hub of movement and culture. They brought in Stumptown Coffee Roasters and a restaurant from Ken and April of The Spotted Pig as a natural extension of the Ace style and way of life. Ace New York is the coolest hotel in town.

L’Ours du Marais is the address of the teddy bear..  The shop is in the Marais and dedicated to teddy bears, most of them very specially hand-made. You can find here also teddy bears as collection items, as well as  products, tableware, clothing, decorative items. The owner Monique is always behind the counter and with her little English she is happy to explain, how each bear made.

Opening Ceremony brings together emerging American talent with both young and established designers and artists from abroad.   Opening Ceremony recreates a shopping excursion based on four different perspectives–established designer (designers that best exemplify the country), emerging designer, one of a kind vintage pieces and select items from the open-air markets. 

Opening Ceremony appropriates the mission statement of the modern day Olympics from the founder, Baron Pierre de Coubertin. In 1896, he transformed what the Greeks had created into a modern day business venture. The Olympics were founded under the guise of creatively merging sports, business, and global participation.  Opening Ceremony takes from this foundation and applies these elements towards fashion .They currently feature Proenza Schouler (US), Rachel Comey (US), Mary Ping (US), Rodarte (US), Alexandre Herchcovitch (Brazil), Lutz (Germany), Schiesser Revival (Germany), Pulver (Germany), BLESS (Germany), Hussein Chalayan (UK), Marios Schwab (UK), Hakan Yildirim (Turkey), Vlas Blomme (Japan), Whereabouts (Japan) and many more established and young designers. Now they opened their new store in Ace Hotel New York, which is much spacious than the flagship one in downtown.

Make a reservation at Mondrian Miami

Mondrain Miami is located on the West Avenue and has spectacular views of the Atlantic Ocean, Biscayne Bay and downtown Miami. You are surrounded by the style of Marcel Wanders  from the moment you pull into the porte-cochere: you walk through a grand entryway appointed with custom-designed furniture, lighting and accent pieces, evoking Wanders’ design homage of “Sleeping Beauty’s Castle”. When you enter the lobby the eye is drawn to the masterpiece of the room–an iconic, signature “floating staircase.” Black and gold patterned furnishings and over sized brass bell shaped lights give you the feeling that you are in a fairy tale.

The main swimming pool is surrounded by lounge pillows, lush gardens hung with hammocks and landscaped into a labyrinthine trail with lounge areas, secret pathways and “kissing corners.” A second level terrace offers sunset views.  Separate kids’ pool and play areas include a tented sandbox and toy room and large cabanas for family rental.  Jet skis, boating and water sports are also offered on the bay.

Mondrian hotels signature restaurant Asia de Cuba is on the ground floor and blends the design of Marcel Wanders with  Jeffrey Chodorow’s Asian,  Latin cuisines . The  indoor/outdoor lounge is the only bay-side destination for watching the sunset over Miami’s downtown skyline.

Make a reservation at Mondrian Miami

Standard Grill is the “‘Americanized Bistro”‘ at the bottom of André Balazs’s Standard Hotel, in the Meatpacking district. This elegant bistro offers good  food for everyday and every time of the day. It has sidewalk tables for the café set and and casual lounge tables and a long bar at the front. And separate from all this is there is a more formal dining room inside..The floor of the dining room is stippled with thousands of copper pennies, there are red leather booths and the tables are covered in white cotton.
The Standard serves simple, reasonably priced food in a warm yet fashionable atmosphere. .The chef  is Dan Silverman, formerly of  Lever House restaurant,  and he has successfully created an “American Bistro” menu to suit for every taste.   The best choices are oysters , chicken, steaks and burgers and small  salads.

Tamirane is a cafe, restaurant and performance hall inside Santral Istanbul. The building, an old warehouse used to be water purification premises and later the repair yard of Istanbul powerhouse. Tamirhane’s today design reflects the raw and industrial stance. Its menu reflects Mediterranean flavors. Music is one of the cornerstones of Tamirane’s existence, weekly gigs take place in that respect.

Open from the morning till late night, Tamirane is a very nice spot for urban people who is interested in good food, drink and music.

Make a reservation at Soho London

Situated in the heart of Soho between Dean and Wardour Streets,  Soho hotel has 85 bedrooms and suites plus 6 one and two bedroom apartments with an alternative street entrance and private elevator. The style of the hotel  is a contemporary London look being every room is different. Some burst with color and pattern, others are more calming and restrained. Although the hotel is in busy Soho district being in an alley, the rooms are very quite and comfortable.

A ten foot tall Botero cat stands guard in the lobby, welcoming you. The ground floor blends wood, metal, glass and stone – 12 inch oak floorboards sit alongside metal framed windows and doors, pebble lined pillars and French fireplaces. The hotel’s spacious drawing room with fireplaces is a host of color mostly in pinks and greens whilst the nearby library blends warm neutrals with clean-line modern sofas and lamps. Refuel bar has been designed in a palette of browns, greens and neutrals which has been offset by a long.

Make a reservation at Soho London

Located in Covent Garden, St Martins Lane is a dramatic and daring reinvention of the fantasy hotel. Smart, witty and sophisticated, Philippe Starck’s design is a brilliant collision of influences – from the modern to the baroque – that suffuses the hotel with energy, vitality and magic.

Entered through improbably tall, luminescent yellow-glass revolving doors, St Martins Lane’s lobby is a theatrical space that offers a provocative manipulation of dimension and proportion. Starck presents a visually stunning play on scale, with oversized columns and angled niches painted a deep fluorescent yellow, complemented by Portuguese limestone floors. From its acid-etched, double-height yellow glass facade to its unpredictable plays on vivid color to the dramatic series of columns that appear as shining towers, St Martins Lane’s lobby is a triumph of color and light.

The floor-to-ceiling windows in the rooms offer a dramatic view of the city.  An eclectic mix of custom-designed furniture by Philippe Starck will tickle your fancy, while the crisp white linens, plush duvet and luxurious agua by Korres amenities will soothe your soul. A one-of-a-kind interactive light installation allows you to personalize the space. With one touch you can change the ambient lighting, choosing from a full spectrum of vibrant colors to express every mood.  Housed in a dramatically colonnaded space, Asia de Cuba’s innovative menu is matched in its surroundings by a dramatic series of soaring art columns.

Make a reservation at Tides Miami

As icon of Art Deco architecture on Miami’s famous Ocean Drive, The Tides South Beach is really the Diva of Ocean Drivede. After the renovation the Tides re-opened its doors in 2007 with the glamorous new design which incorporates elements from the sea, rich textures, sunset colors and vintage recreations. The Tides is on the beachfront, ideal for South Beach lifestyle lovers

The  hotel features forty-five stylish luxury suites all offering expansive ocean views. Spacious accommodations range from Oceanfront Studio Suites of 550 square feet to the 2,600 square foot Tides Suite.

For a real South Beach dining, La Marea offering a fresh dining concept in a dramatic setting, is a very good choice. The hotel’s front terrace overlooking Ocean Drive  is an ideal spot for people watching while enjoying a signature popsicle martini. Or, for an intriguing gathering place to enjoy cocktails and appetizers, experience Coral Bar, South Beach’s tucked away treasure.

Make a reservation at Tides Miami

When she first arrived in 1948 with her husband, Paul, she spoke no French and knew nothing about the country itself. But as she dove into French culture, buying food at local markets and taking classes at the Cordon Bleu, her life changed forever. Julia’s unforgettable story unfolds with the spirit so key to her success as a cook and teacher and writer, brilliantly capturing one of the most endearing American personalities of the last fifty years.

For Dover Street Market Rei Kawakubo said “I want to create a kind of market where various creators from various fields gather together and encounter each other in an ongoing atmosphere of beautiful chaos: the mixing up and coming together of different kindred souls who all share a strong personal vision.” . This is absolutely true and each year Dover Street Market is getting more and more interesting.

Dover Street Market is a multilevel fashion retail store created by Rei Kawakubo of Japanese fashion label Comme des Garçons, located in Mayfair London . This is a department store which combines street market feel with a cutting edge design in a minimalist, cool decor. Even you don’t buy anything,  walking around this 4 floor store is very rewarding.

Roka is the younger sibling of Zuma, the Japanese restaurant.  The menu consist of  modern Japanese and mainly robota grill, which forms the centerpiece of the beautifully decorated dining room. The dishes include sushi ans sashimi platters beautifully presented over crushed ice with freshly grated wasabi,  lobster & black cod dumplings, while the robata delivers everything from ultra-tender chops infused with Korean spices to plump skewered scallops grilled to nutty perfection. Not only food is amazing, Roka is always full of beautiful people of London.

Make a reservation at Sunset Beach

Sunset Beach is Andre Balazs’s romantic 20 room hotel on the beautiful and secluded Shelter Island on the east end of Long Island. This part of the island is like Côte d’Azur especially with Sunset Beach.

The seasonal hotel (only openduring summers) has opened its doors in 1997 and remained one of the most unique and beloved Long Island retreats with its unique decoration and beautiful clients. Inspired by the French and Italian Rivieras, the outdoor bar and restaurant offers French bistro cuisine with very charming sunset views overlooking the Peconic Bay, where you can really swim..Great for a romantic weekend hideaway..

Do not forget to reserve your table at hotels restaurant, which is always full especially at weekends.

Make a reservation at Sunset Beach

Make reservation at Standard Downtown
Located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, Standard Downtown is not only ideal for business travelers, but for everybody who loves stylish, fun places to stay…
The building was originally constructed in 1958 as the headquarters of Standard Oil. Designed by Los Angeles architect of the period Claude Beelman as a fine example of Mid-Century Californian architecture, it was acquired by Andre Balazs properties in 2000 and renovated by architect Shawn Hausman for today’s needs of contemporary travelers.
Hotels 207 rooms are very minimalist with platform beds, black-and-white decor, and abstract art. They include everything a business traveler could want..
The hotels funky restaurant is open 24 hours, so is the room service..

Standard Downtown has one of the coolest bars in LA  on its rooftop around the pool. ..The parties starting here in the afternoon and continuing all night attract a young and hip crowd. It is really cool dancing around the pool, sitting in the red cabanas with water beds surrounded by skyscrapers of downtown. Standard Downtown is stylish and cool and affordable at the same time but if you are looking for a quite place to work, you have to book somewhere else..

Make reservation at Standard Downtown