Lifestyle and Adventure
A modern day palace
If there is one word to capture the spirit of the Peninsula Hotel Group, it has to be – in the simplest but all encompassing of words – dedication.
It is dedication that has led to the expansion of the Peninsula Hotel with chains across Hong Kong, its original “birth place”, Shanghai, Beijing, Manila, Tokyo to New York, Beverly Hills, Chicago and recently, the first of its kind in Europe, Paris.
In an exclusive interview with Peninsula Paris’ Hotel Manager Vincent Pimont, The Sybarite gets a first glance at this modern day palace to discover...
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The app for the “cash-rich, time-poor” - Urbanologie
What is it? It is essentially a luxury lifestyle global destination guide designed to keep members in the know with up-to-the-minute insider news and exclusive content on all of the latest restaurants, bars, pop-ups, clubs and hotels openings with exclusive access to the most happening and unmissable events; from the world of fashion, the arts, music and sport. In addition to London, Urbanologie has daily-updated, insider guides to New York, Los Angeles, Dubai, Miami, Ibiza and Mallorca. Next is Paris, Monaco and Hong Kong. What began as a hobby of sending out newsletters to his influential friends and family, turned into the Urbanologie email newsletter that Hugo Campbell-Davys began sending out in 2012. Witnessing the exciting response, Hugo transformed the concept into a sort of a global members luxury/lifestyle community club, where members could expect to quickly get round-ups of the best venues to check out, even long before a critic could lay a word on it. One of the most well-connected men out there, Hugo – with investment from some founding members – launched the Urbanologie app, making it much easier for the user/member to access insider events/news on most major cities in the world – literally, in the palm of ones hand.
Featuring Meditation packages and the Dalai Lama, to find your Zen
What if you could venture to a place where your mind’s noise and distractions are taken even farther to a place of deep serenity and calm – that is, if you can focus and find it. This month, The Sybarite focuses on finding your inner Zen, through some of these unique destinations around the world.
Featuring Beautiful Contradictions: Luxury for the Culture Aficionado
Sipping a cocktail on one of the many rooftop bars in the ancient district of Beyoğlu, Istanbul, it is safe to say your impression is both one of contradictions, and one-of-a-kind synthesis. As our conception of luxury moves further away from objects towards experiences, how we synthesise these unique contradictions in culture – scale and intimacy, spectacle and conversation – become unforgettable moments. Our desire for unique experiences is stronger than ever. Equal parts invigorating and dizzying, Istanbul has an abundance of them. Rest assured, your head will be spinning with (Turkish) delight once back on the plane, but undoubtedly, it’s worth every moment. For the one in the know, the historic capital offers a contemporary haven for the culture-seeking, discerning individual. Why not check into the newly designed Soho House Istanbul: a 19th-century Genoese palazzo complete with frescoed walls and Corinthian columns. With 87 rooms and two rooftop pools overlooking the Bosphorus, an aromatic Turkish coffee from its award-winning Cecconi’s restaurant will certainly rejuvenate you for the day ahead, if it’s Turkish-tiled rainforest showers haven’t already.
Featuring Chateau de Vallery, a destination without boundaries
Look no further, as The Sybarite thinks it’s found the ideal gem of a Chateau, where freedom and space is everything. You will often find, that on your search for the ideal Chateau, most will have time restrictions in how long you can dance and drink the night away, if not the capacity to accommodate guests overnight. It seems that there is always that “win or lose” situation when venue hunting for your wedding celebration – either you host your guests for a reception at a fancy restaurant by which it then becomes the dance floor for evening festivities only to manage to say farewell (if one is sober enough by then) to everyone and realize that it went by all too quickly, there was not substantial time to ask how everyone was. Most celebrations might happen that way and most couples might prefer it that way too, but if you’re one of those couples who have big families and intend to invite many guests (especially guests flying in from abroad) but prefer to have time for intimate gatherings and conversations, than why not consider renting out an entire Chateau that is exclusive to you and your guests only, for 1 or 2 nights?
Velocity – The restaurant-billing app
Or ever caught yourself trying in vain to even catch a waiter’s attention that by the end of it, you are quite literally fed up and take it upon yourself to head to the till? Ok maybe not, but still, it is one of those things that you don’t want to be kept waiting for. Well, that dread of waiting for your bill to arrive at your table might no longer be an issue – for some 300 restaurants in London at least. Probably one of the best and most useful apps in town at the moment is the Velocity app , co-founded by childhood friends and ex Goldman Sachs employees, Zia Yusuf and Alex Macdonald. Of course, they were not the first to realize that restaurant-goers usually have to wait minutes till their bill arrives, but they are currently one of the few in the fintech world to deliver an app that is truly changing the way restaurants utilize mobile payment.
Featuring Open Book – meet the man behind private members’ club The...
But aside from his successful endeavours and business ventures, who is Ronald Ndoro really? And more importantly, what has the journey been like for a man who continues to wear many hats in an industry known for its numerous pitfalls. Like opening a book, The Sybarite sat down with Ronald Ndoro in one of The Library’s many eclectic rooms for an intimate conversation to explore the many adventurous and artistic voyages that ultimately led him to create a private members’ club. With an insatiable appetite for books, it seemed almost eerily fitting that after his mum’s charity shop in Holloway Street closed down, the plethora of leftover books would come to good use for his project so much so that it became the starting point for the concept of The Library. Covered in floor-to-ceiling bookshelves, patrons can easily reach out and grab a volume from every possible genre and indulge in a bit of reading whilst sipping a beverage from a drinks menu that presents itself as varied as the literary selection.
Featuring How to give Glastonbury a dusting of luxury this year
As one of summer's biggest Greenfield music and performing arts festivals, style is all the rage, even more so when it comes to finding accommodation that is just as tasteful. Much like the dazzling Coachella Festival in the Colorado Dessert, where they too offer exclusive campsites (and services) in the form of Safari Tents, it’s no surprise that Glastonbury has further amplified its variety of on-site accommodation with attractive extras to go along with it. Whether you’re looking to revel in the festivities or have your family in tow or maybe you prefer to indulge in the festival in style - well, this huge tented city is filled with options for the festivalgoer. Our mission is to discover how to appreciate Glastonbury in ultra comfort and style – take for example The Popup Hotel which offers a reserved site replete with security, private parking, spa, exquisite food bars, concierge service and a host of room types depending on the person’s preferences, and what’s more, the site is located a mere few minutes walk from Gate D.
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