Robb Report 07 2010

The British Automaker's Most Powerful Sedan Ever Takes to the Streets
The Radical Reinvention of a Moroccan Legend

JULY 2010

Delectable Debuts in Beijing, Beverly HillsJ Italy, and New York

Threeexceptionaijoumeys .. One historic g,ame. Cafe Maravillas, Madrid. Follow Morodona, Pele and Zidane on louisvuiHonjourneys.com

LOllis Vllilton IS proud 10 support The Climate Project.

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CONTENTS

RobbReport

JULY 2010, VOLUME XXXIV, NUMBER 7

FEATURES

86 The Great Marrakech Makeover

74 Spirited Ecstasy

The new Ghost offers ail the pomp and circumstance you would expect of a Rolls-Royce, but in a slimmer, trimmer, and sportier package that conjures up a supernatural driving expenence_ BY RAY THURSBY

1 , •••• I •••

.~

:'1111

La Mamounia was once the only luxury hotel hum Cairo to Timbuktu. Now-in the face of new competition from Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and even the king of Morocco-sthe Red City legend has reopened after a spectacular, albeit surprising, reinvention. BY JACK SMIHI

JULY 2010 ROBE REPORT 13

Intrepid

• Co-injection of nylon and rubber

• Rubber anti-fog upper air vents

• Anti-slip ear tips

• Polycarbonated polarized lenses

CONTENTS

RobbReport

DEPARTMENTS

24 Robb Design Portfolio

A Super example of a truly bespoke Ferrari, and the pretty pitchers of a great Dane.

107 Style

The bold Couture Collection by Evan Yunnan displays the young jewelry designer's signature style-----...and the gift his famous father handed down. BY JILL NEWMAN; PHOTOGR}U'HY BY JOHN LAWTON

41 Grand Openings

A tasteful touch to a Beverly Hills beauty's new look, an authen tic restoration of a storied upstate estate, a rosy addition to Beijing's skyline, and a highfashion, high-altitude retreat in the Italian Alps.

113 Wheels

Despite a relatively hefty figure, the fast, fuelefficient, and exceptionally fun Evora remains a Lotus through and through BY PAUL MEYERS

99 Journeys

The learn-to-surfprograms at four Southern California beach resorts offer the chance to ride the waves where legends have been nude. BY JENNIFER RYA.N

]20 The Robb Reader

Francis Ford Coppola discusses his big plans, old books, and new technologies. BY J3AILEY S. BARNARD

31 FrontRunners

Richard Mille serves up a winner, a new shine on a classic Shelby, Cigarette Racing Teams smoke on the water, From the Robb Cellar, and more.

49 Robb Callery

Aviation 49,Autos 52, Motorcycles 54, Boating 56, Travel 58, Golf 60, Spas 62, Wine 64, Smoke 66, Jewelry 68, Home. 70

16 From the Editors 117 Classifieds

119 Register of Advertisers

On the Cover

The 2010 Rolh-Royce GiJo.,r

JULY 2010 ROBB REPORT 15

r R 0 1\1 THE EDIT 0 R S

Obscured Destinies

ON DECEMBER 31,1914, the social pages of The NewYol'k Times cheerfully informed readers that Robert Coelet would host New Year's Day trotting races on Glenmere Lake, part of his estate "near the headquarters of what is generally known as the Tuxedo colony." These midwinter festivities were to serve as a housewarming of the American financier's new home, Glenmere, which nearly a century later would open as a resort for the second time (see "Upstate Update," page 42). Despite the public announcement, the public was hardly welcome to attend. "The races are to be invitation affairs," the newspaper added, "and horses from the stables of the host and from those of PIerre Lorillard, W_A.

Harriman, Richard Delafield, and other

owners of E'St horses living in the imme-

diate vicinity will be the contestants."

These prominent guests were more accustomed to publicity than their lesser-known host: Lorillard was an heir to a great tobacco fortune and founder of Tuxedo Park, while Harriman was the son of railroad tycoon E.H. Harriman. The Goelets had settled in New York in 1667, but, unlike many other members of the elite Four Hundred, the family possessed an instinct for avoiding the media magnifying glass that fi:equently singed the Astors, Goulds, andVanderbilts. Except when Robert Goelet's sister, May, married the eighth Duke of Roxburghe in 1903-an event that, according to The Horne Journal, triggered a disturbance outside St. Thomas Episcopal Church like "the fury of a mob dunng the French Revolution"-the Goelets dodged the headlines and so were able quietly to mcrease a multigenerational fortune that has outlasted most others of that era ..

Anonynnty proved an asset m this pursuit, as did the family's tendency to produce fewer heirs than the typically sprawling Knickerbocker clans. Yet the Goe1et family tree, if comparatively narrow, is nevertheless confusing, thanks to a centuries-old tradition of christening sons either Peter or Robert. The anginal Peter, born 111 1727, prospered as an ironmonger during the Revolution. Turning iron to gold, he then proceeded to turn gold into real estate. His sons, Peter P. and Robert R. Goelet, added to their father's land holdings and expanded the family'S financial repertoire by founding Chemical Bank of New York.

The sons of Peter P., Peter Goelet III and Robert Goelet II,

inherited their father's and their uncle's fortunes. Between 1850 and 1870, tlus thud generation made its pnmary contribution to the family coffers through the commercial development of a tract of farmland that stretched from what IS now Union Square to 47th Street and Fifth Avenue; yet the brothers' miserliness paid dividends as well. Lifelong bachelor Peter was frequently found 111 his office at Chemical Bank seWlng buttons on his coat to avoid the cost of a tailor, and he obsessively collected and sorted the scraps of paper he used as stationery J 11 addition to a peculiar variety of other fauna, he kept a cow in his stable and milked her himself.

Equally stingy, his brother indulged 111 only one extravagance: marriage. The two brothers; so alike; even died within a few months of one another in 1879.

Their combined estates, which journalist Gustavus Myers, author of History oj Great American Fortunes (1910), conservatively placed at $150 million, went to Robert's sons, named Robert III and-in a breach of habit-

Ogden. These brothers were as indistinguishable 111 their profligate tastes as their father and uncle had been in their parsimony. Stripping away the modest merchant veneer that, for generations, had concealed the family fortune, they spent freely on all the necessities of the GildedAge. Ogden dubbed his ITlaSSlVe Newport cottage Ochre Court; Robert called Ius Southside. Both surpassed yachtsmen William Backhouse Astor and his sonin-law James Van Alen 111 boatbuilding: Ogden commissioned the 320-foot Mayflower III 1896; his brother followed suit with the 306-foot Nahma (pictured) a year later. Yet neither would enJoy his floating palace for long. Ogden died aboard his yacht during the races at Cowes in 1897; two years later, Robert succumbed to heart failure aboard his vessel in Naples, Italy. Despite their spendthrift ways, the brothers, like their forebears, left larger fortunes than they had inherited to then own sons, who-in keepmg with the dynasty's odd fraternal harmonies-were both named Robert. Robert IV, Ogden's son, hosted the illustrious horsemen at Glenrnere on New Year's Day of1915. !III

BRETT ANDERSON

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EDITOR IN CHIEF

CORRECTION: An: article all. Feodship's new Trident meg(lYr1cht in the May 2010 issue ("Trident True,"page 118) should have identified the company (IS (I Dutch shipbuilder.

16 RonB REPORT JULY 2010

RobbReport

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Serrlor Vice President/Editor In Chlel Brett Anderson brettagrobtirecort.ecm Editorial D,irector Bruce Wallin bruceW@robbreport.com

Managing Editor Lori Bryan lorib@robbreportcom Assistant Managing Editor Nikki Prange nikkip@robbreport.cam Associa te Ed ito r J enni fe r Ryan j rya n@robbreport.com Assistant Editor Bailey S. Barnard ib.ileyb@robbreporLcom

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Edltor'lal Coordinator John Lyon johnl@robbreport.com

Edltortallnterns Kristin Jones, Stephanie Meza

Senior Correspondents Paul Dean, Jack Smith

Contributing Edltors William Kissel, James D. Malcolmson

Co ntrib ut in g Writer.

Jeff Anderson ,Jackie Caradonio, Danielle Cutler Wallin, James A, Fran k, Melisse Celula, Richard Carleton Hacker, Farhad Heydari, Paul Meyers, Cynthia Rosenfeld, Ray Thursby, Basern Wasef, Barry Winfield

Prlva te Avia 1.1 0 n Advlso ry 80 ard

Peter V Agur J r. (The VanAllen Group), James D Butler (Shaircraft Solutions), Walter Kraujalis (AeronomXj, Kevin O'Leary (Jet Advisors), William J. Quinn Jr. (Aviation Management Systems), H, Lee Rohde III (Aviation Management Systems), Keith G. Swirsky (GKG Law)

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""""Fli 'Ing ,.t e , furnlehed upon «qUO". SEND A" ADV£IlTlSING· I NFORMA,rON ANO M'T~RIALS TO 29160 H."h.rdlff Ral .• Suit. ~OO. MoIIOu, CA 9026-5. o;rRE'CTAll. SUBSCfUPTION INQU!JtlES TO 800 • .947.7472,. All advertising is subject to. appeovalbefure acceptance. ROBE HEPORTreser'.'es the tightro refuse: any ad! for any reason whatsoever. Only aetualpubfieaticn (If all advertisement constitutes acceptance tterecr, but does not ccnsttrute :any agreement for continued ,p!:.Iblkation in arJY roen. canromia law eccues til)' and OO!ltlO'15 an materials contained herein. OROERI~G FROM ADVE.~RiISERS; Advertisers warrant and represent that the dt;!-$ctlp! IOrlS of' he crccucts or se ...... lees ,fJd'o'e-rtls~ are true In au respects. :ROBI3. REf'ORT assumes no res ponsfbll ltv for d,fJlm S made by ;;'J~r'"llset:!;i.. ROBB HEPORT, curtco Bcbb M'tilia" lLC. its offtcers, dhectoes. employees. and agents make no recommendatlone as to tne purchase or sale ot any product. service. or ether item. AU views expressed! in 081] erticl es are these {If the authors and are not necessarily those at ROBB REPORT. All letters and their contents sent to ROBB REPORT become the sole orooestv {If ROBB REPORT and! rney he used and! publ lsfted in any manner whatsoever wlthcut lim it and without O:bligati{ln and :Iiability to the- auUlor th€r€{If. Canada Pnstlntematicnat Publicationa Mail {Cancujj,an distriboution) Sales, A.greement No. 0500502. CQP',tright @ 2010 !Jy ROBB REPORT. a ClJrtCo Rcbb Medl;;'J. Ltc pu'bIICfltlon_ All r,lghts reserved. Re~r'QductlOllln \\'nole- or In cart or storage I n ~~ data ratrleval system or flrt!/ tran.sml $Slon by any mean S til eretrcm without prim writt~n pemussl I1n 'is prohibited. ROBB R EPa Rlolll and FOR THE lUXURY LI FESTYL£TbI are :t:rad'emarks {If GurtCo Robb Media, l.1.C_

I I I II I I

HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN WORLD-CLASS FAIRWAYS

A TWO-HOUR FLIGHT IS BUT A SIMPLE pun.

ND ILL 0 S OF DOL ARS NVESTED IN DESIGN, RECONDITIONING AND RESTORATION,

AS A WORLD-CLASS DESTINATION FOR LONG, SCENIC DRIVES.

TO BOOK YOUR VACATION: VISIT GOlFINBERMUDA.COM OR CONTACT YOUR LOCAL TRAVEL PROFESSIONAl. ! BER~1UDA j-I!m:..t-....

· FRONTRuNNERS ·

JlTLY 2010 RORB REPORT 31

• FRONTRuNNERS •

A Shelby IViustang sallies forth, and a KTM superbike speeds to the States ....

Montblanc's Elizabeth I Limited Edition 4810 fOuntain pen, Classic Recreations' 1967 G.T.500CR, and KTM's 1190 RCS R superhike.

BACK TO THE FUTURE *" Classic Recreations' Shelby G.1500CR (www .dassicrecreations.com) is the first continuation car of that model to be licensed by Shelby Mustang. Classic Recreations is handcrafting a limited number of the autos, each in about five months, as 1967 or '68 fastbacks. The Yukon, Okla.-based company built the G.T.500CR's 7-liter V-8 engme in-house, and used various suspenSIon, braking, and interior COlTlpOnents from Shelby Performance Parts. Three performance packages are available, at pnces rangmg from $119,000 to $199,000. ....

ROYAL SUBJECTS "* Montblanc is perpetuating its 19-year-old Patron of

32 ROHB REPORT JULY 2010

Art series with handcrafted writing instruments celebrating England's Queen Elizabeth I. Released earlier this year, the Elizabeth I fountain pens (www.m.ontblanc.com.) mclude the $2,630 Limited Edition 4810 (shown). Gold-plated dots and fittings decorate the lacquered cap and barrel-s-a design based on the Virgin Queen's dress in NIcholas Hilliard's famous Ermine Portrait. The $8,100 Limited Edition 888, by contrast, is coated III dark-red lacquer and engraved to resemble the cover of a book that Elizabeth, at age 11, copied m her own hand ....

REVVED UP*" Austrian motorcycle manufacturer KTM has designed its new superbike, the 1190 RCB R (www .krm.comr-r-the first RCS R to reach u.s. shores-with refinements meant to challenge European literbikes such as the Apri1ia RSV4 Factory, the BMW S 1000 RR, and the Ducati 1198 S. The $19,998 KTM has a 75-degree V-twin 1195 cc engine that churns out 170 hp and 90.7 ft lbs of torque. Light Marchesini wheels and stif'fWP Suspension components improve the bike's handling, while a powder-coated frame and carbo nfiber front fender sharpen its look ....

• FRONTRuNNERS·

Smoke on the water, and a rock that cradles ....

DRAG QUEEN "* Unveiled at the Miami International Boat Show in February, Cigarette Racing Team's 46' Rider, inspired by AMGedition (www.ciga recteracing.com), takes its design cues from the 2011 Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The boat's HlOSt ObVlOUS SImIlarities to the car are its paint colorAMG alubeam silver, one of the options available on the SLS-and Its marine-grade upholstery, which is reminiscent of the vehicle's white napa leather interior and two-tone seats. Additionally, many of the watercraft's motorized cornponents-from the propulsion system to the riggingevoke the SLS. The 46' Rider is powered by two twin-turbocharged 1,350 hp Mercury Racing engines capable of propelling the boat to speeds in. excess of 130 mph. The boat is priced at $1 million and, at press time, was slated to be available this summer ....

SIT IN STONE '* A series of new pieces from Santa Fe--based Stone Forest blurs the line between art and function.The company's Siena Collection


(www.stoneforest.com),available since June through select dealers, comprises seven pieces crafted fiorn Siena marble and priced from $1,600 to $22,000. The line's bathtub, varuty; and bench are clearly purpose-built, yet, owing to their Japanese-influenced contemporary aesthetic, they are equally suited for show. The chaise ($7,000) also exhibits this duality: The 700-pound pIece, cut from a single marble slab, is visually pleasing and shaped to cradle the human body. ...

Cigurette Racing Team's 46' Rider, inspired by

AMG edition; Stone forest's Siena Collection vanity and chaise.

AP AUDEMARS PIGUET

Le maitre de "hor{ogerie dep ui: 187:

AUDEMARS PIGUET. BOUTIQUES

NEW YORK, NY 888.214.6858 BAL HARBOUR, FL 866.595.9700

www.audemarspiguet.com

• FRONTRuNNERS·

Jewelry that stems from nature, and handmade shoes with the sale of an athlete.

Ch incise collectio n

LEAVING THE NEST *" After 20 years designing jewelry for Tiffany & Co. and David Yunnan, among others, Ward Kelvin struck out on his own in 2009 with American Chinclse (www.wardkelvin.com). For this collection, Kelvin drew inspiration from Chinese morifs.jncluding calligraphic flourishes and traditional wood joinery, creating Asian-Influenced designs

WIth a bold American sensibility. The Bamboo Nest cocktail ring (shown, $12,350) comprISes gold-and-diamond barnboolike rods supporting a large green tourmaline cabochon. "1 strive to make my Jewelry look effortless and slightly imperfect, so It appears closer to nature than man-made," says Kelvin. He begins each design with sketches and works closely with local jewelers and sculptors to forge every piece by hand ...

with certain SUIt fabrics from the company's made-to-measure program. Bespoke pairs take 45 to 60 days, because, as With Isaias clothing, they are handmade in Italy. Craftsmen use all-natural beeswax to match and dye the leathers and fabrics-s-a meticulous process that achieves a rich palette and texture seldom seen in a sneaker. tID

CONTRLBUTORS: Brett Anderson,

John Lyon,]ml1cs D. Malwlmsoll, Paul ,1v-teyers, Ji'Il Newman,Jennifer RyalJ, Basem Wasif

SNEAKER PREVIEW *. Combining the classic style of an oxford with the rubber sale of an athletic shoe, the new lsala sneakers (212.245.3733) will be available through select retailers in the United States beginning in late July. The shoes, priced from $425 per pair, come in a range of materials, including leather, suede, wool, and water-resistant cashmere. The footwear can also be customized

Isaia sneakers

FROM THE ROBB CELLAR j Fine wines & spirits worthy of a place in your private collection.

GREAT WINE IS the product of the relationship between the vmtner and the land; vet it is also sometimes the result of an abiding -friendship, as is the case with the wines of Cellers Melis, located in the Priorat region of Spain. Here, in 1984, Victor Gallegos and Javier Lopez, friends and fellow students at the University of California, Davis, arrived to investigate what was then an obscure winemaking area. Priorat's climatic extremes and unique soil (composed of a blue-black slate the Catalans call lIicorella) captivated the pair, and, upon returning to Davis, they agreed they would make wine there someday. After graduating, Lopez returned to his native Spain, and Gallegos eventually became general manager and director of winernaking at Sea

Smoke Cellars. In 2000, with Russ Weis, Gallegos and Lopez bought 47 terraced acres containing l Ofl-year-old Carifiena vines. The trio planted the additional var ietals+-Syrah , Cabernet Sauvigno n, and Grenachc+that complete Melis' distinctive red, which debuted with the 2004 vintage. The latest release, Melis 2006 Melis Priorat, like the region itself, exhibits contrasts. Black cherry and sweet floral notes greet the nose, while, on the palate, the wine conjures earthier flavors of licorice, sandalwood, tobacco, and slatelike nunerality. ($65) www.melispriorat.corn

THE VISTAS from a 165-acre parcel on the Sonoma County, Calif., side of the Mayacamas Mountains convinced Lynn Hofacker and Casidy Ward that

the site would be ideal for a country home. Unfortunately, its precipitous slopes proved an obstacle to cost-effective construction. So the couple

decided to plant Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Hidden Ridge 2006 55% Slope Cabernet Sauvlgnon affirms the wisdom of their decision. The texture is smooth, and flavors of chocolate, spiced plum, espresso, and tarragon lead to a lengthy crescendo. ($40) www .hi.ddenridgevineyard.com

36 Rons REPORT JULY 2010

SUR.GEON GE.NERAL WARNING:

Tobacco Use Increases The Risk Of Infertility, Stillbirth, And Low Birth Weight.

IN A CITY filled with sushi bars, the new Culina, Modern Italian, restaurant at the Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills offers a refreshing alternative. Opened in March, Culina incorporates a crude bar that serves Mediterranean-style rawseafood dishes distinguished by a simplicity absent from rice- and sauce-heavy rolls. Yellowtail with star anise oil and orange sea salt, a Maine scallop with black-trufRe-and-lemon oil, and other frivolity-free selections can serve as starters for a formal dinner or as the mam course of a casual meal.

Chef Victor Casanova's concoctions at Cnlina+-whrch debuted as part of a $33 million renovation of the 23-year-old Four Seasons-also include brick-oven pizzas and such hearty entrees as the house specialty breaded veal chop. Desserts by pastry chef Federico Fernandez provide a grand finale to any Culina feast, especially the nuvola di riso, an ethereal rice pudding that, like audo, is simple, light, and delicious. Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Bevaly Hills, 310.273.2222, wwwfimrseasoJls .cont.wwwrulinarestaurant.com -BRUCE WALLIN


AFTER FOUR YEARS of renovations, the Glenmere estate in New York's Hudson Valley opened as a resort m January. The heart of the 150-acre property, located 50 miles north of Manhattan, is a 1911 Tuscan-style mansion that once belonged to American financier Robert Goelet.

Glenmere's developers kept the home's original floor plan, and each of the resulting 19 guest rooms has a distinct layout. All rooms share a classic-meetsmodern decor scheme, combining restored moldings and ornate chandeliers with such fashionable touches as Lora Piana curtains and Casa del Bianco linens. Contemporary

art from the owners' private collections (including a rare Robert Rauschenberg lithograph in the penthouse suite) pushes Glenmere further into the modern era.

Outside the mansion, a courtyard leads to gardens-also restored based on the estate's historic plans-a pool, two tennis courts, two croquet courts, and a lawn ideal for boccie ball. Next to the pool area, which evokes South Beach with its prrvate cabanas and full-service staff, is an under-construction spa that will have four treatment suites and a bathhouse when it opens early next year. Clenmere, 845.469.[900, www.giel1l1lcrel1umsion .. cofl! -JACKIE CARADONIO


B

NEW YO

NEIMAN MARCU

BERG DORf- GODMAN

JAPANESE ARCHITECT PAUL TANGE, son of architect Kenzo Tange, describes th e shape of the Fairmont Beijing as "symbolizing a gateway to modern China." The younger Tange's portal to the present, however, draws from the past: The 25- story, rose-glass-clad hotel recalls ancient Chinese city gates-erected to keep out foreigners-and presents a stark contrast to the Beijing business districts conventional towers.

Opened in December, the Fairmont houses 222 generously sized accommodations; all offer marble bathrooms,

and some, namely the hotel's Fairmont and Deluxe guest rooms, feature headboards inlaid with mother-of-pearl, which is thought to bring good fortune.

The establishment's concierge team can book last-minute reservations at the city's top restaurants, a couple of which are located inside the hotel. The Peking duck at the Fairmont's Lunar 8 is crisped to perfection, while prime Western cuisine can be enjoyed in view of the open kitchen at the Cut steak house. Fairmont Beijing, +86..10. 85'/1.7777, tIIL/lIIlfoirmOJlt.WI!1 -CYNTHIA ROSENFELD


SAFETY. SERVICE. STABIL.ITY. VALUE. 'THIS :IS THE MARQUIS lET CARD

Not an private jet card programs are created equal. Only Marquis Jet Card" Owners have access to the exclusive Netlets" fractional aircraft fleet and infrastructure, 25 hours at a time with no long-term commitment. Our thousands of Marquis Jet Card Owners purchase their Cards with confidence based upon the value we deliver .. Value derived from having access to Netlets, a Berkshire Hathaway company, operator of the world's largest and most reliable private jet fleet. With NetJets thousands of highly trained pilots, your safety aboard a Netjets flight is paramount and is never compromised. You get what you pay for, especially in priva.teaviation and jet cards.

THE. SAWTOOTHE.D PEAKS of the Dolomites surround San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge, a 16th-century maso (South Tyrolean farmhouse) that opened to guests in December. The former hunting lodge----set on 42 forested acres above the Italian town of Brunico and across a valley from the Kronplatz ski resort-underwent a two-year, $1.9 million renovation following its purchase by two prominent fashion-industry leaders .. Modern conveniences, including an under-fioor heating system hidden by larch and stone, now complement the centuries-old charm of the lodge, which rents to just one party at a time.

San Lorenzo sleeps as many as six guests in three en suite bedrooms and another four in an adjacent room with a pair of bunks. After a day spent hiking or skiing, visitors can reJax iJ1 intimate lounges or soak in an outdoor hydrotherapy pool. The lodge's petite spa includes a whirlpool, a steam room with a built-in color-therapy system, and a sauna fashioned from ancient spruce. Massage therapists, chefs, and sommeliers are available 011 request; San Lorenzo's VIP service package includes daily breakfast and dinner, afternoon tea, and aperitifs. San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge, +39.0474.40.40.42, www .sanloreneomountainlodee.it -FARHAD HEYDARI

Opened to guests ;n December, San Lorenzo Mountain Lodge sits 4,000 feet above sea level tn !'he Dolomtres,


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• AVIATION •

Flight of the Phenom

Embraer's latest light jet is primed to tahe off.

FORMER MOTO.RCYCLE DRAG'-RACING legend Terry Vance likes to take a hands-on approach to running his business, and his new Embraer Phenom 300 enables him to do so. The Brazilian manufacturer's $8.14 million aircraft-a larger, more powerful follow-up to the Phenom 100-delivers remarkable range, speed, and comfort for a light jet, making it an ideal transportation solution for entrepreneurs like Vance, who serves as president of Vance & Hines, an aftermarket motorcycle-product

manufacturer based in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.

"For me, it's about being places I wouldn't be able to be and taking care of business I wouldn't be able to take care of," he says of the benefits his new aircraft provides. "That's what's so wonderful about the 300. It's all about business."

Since announcing the Phenom program in 2005, Embraer has invested approximately $1.4 billion in bringing to market the line's two models-the $3.75 million Phenom 100 in December 2008 and the 300 in late January of this year,

With petjOrrnance-enhancing winglets and a swept wing, the Phenom 300 boasts remarkable mnge and speed for a light jet.

JULY 2010 RORB REPORT 49

• AVIATION •

when Vance became the first individual to own the new light jet. (Embraer delivered the very first Phenom 300 to aircraft-management firm Executive Flight Services just weeks prior.)

Unlike competitors' engineering teams, which most often are charged with simply developmg new models based on prevIOus designs, Ernbraer's engineers worked from a blank slate III developing the 300. This freedom from the constraints of existing blueprints enabled them to optimize the jet's performance with such innovations as a swept wing with a large surface area, which helps boost speed and minimize turbulence. Its advanced capabilities prompted vance, after selling his Cessna Citation CJ2+, to choose the Phenom 300 over one of the newer aircraft in Cessna's CJ line.

"[The 300] goes through the all" buming just a little bit more fuel than the CJ," says Vance's pilot Paul Belna, "But [the 300J gets you there quicker, so it actually burns less. It's a good trade-off."

The jet's greater velocity allows Vance, whose company runs Harley-Davidson's racing program, to travel more efficiently to the numerous destinations he must visit in the course of conducting business. "Harley is in Milwaukee," he says, "but we also have a facility in Indianapolis, so I need to

be allover the country. I went to Houston for a race last week, and this weekend we have an event 111 Phoenix. [The 300] makes It so f can take care of my business, do the things I need to do, and be home for dinner with my family For me, there's just no other way to do It."

A typically configured Phenom 300 interior can accommodate as many as eight passengers. While carrying SiX occupants, the Jet can travel almost 2,300 miles, achieve speeds beyond 520 mph, and reach 45,000 feet in less than 25 minutes. The aircraft is also efficient on the ground, thanks to such features as an externally serviceable lavatory, single-point refueling, and a full-size airstair door.

Vance and Belna also appreciate that Embraer equipped the 300 with Garmin's G 1 000 avionics suite, which lowers overhead costs by allowing a single pilot to operate the jet. But ramp presence also played a key role in the Motorcycle Hall of Fa mer's decision-making process.

"From an aircraft owner's perspective," says Vance, "when you see a CJ4 parked next to a 300 on the ramp, you'll understand why a guy would buy a 300 .. The difference is just unbelievable." -.BAlLEY S. BARNARD

Embraer; 954.359.3700, wuw.embraer.com

The Phen.om 300 seuts as man.y as eight passengers in a cabin created by Embraer and BM\V Group Designworhs USA.


SURGEON GENERAL WARNING: Tobacco Smoke Increases The Risk Of Lung Cancer And Heart Disease. Even In Nonsmokers.

• AUTOS •

X Factors

BMW's latest M-tuned models deliver performance in unlikely packages.

WHEN BMW UNVEILED the 2010 BMW X6 M and X5 M models at last year's New York International Auto Show, the carmaker surprised automotive enthusiasts and Bimmer fans-e-and put the Porsche Cayenne Turbo Sand MercedesBenz ML63 AMG on notice. "BMW has never offered anydung like tins before, but some of our competitors out there did," says Peter Miles, executive vice president of operations for BMW North America. "These are very low-volume cars designed to service an opportunity that currently exists In the high-performance market."

The X6 M and X5 M, however, were not conceived as a result of commercial capnce; In fact, they were nearly a decade 111 the making. Their ongms can be traced back to 2000, when the BMW X5 LM concept car debuted. This prototype holds the record as the fastest SUV to complete the N i.i.rburgring circuit: Equipped with the same 700 hpV-12 engine that was developed for the BMW LMR race car, the X5 LM was the first light truck to break the 8-minute mark around the 13-mile track, posting a time of 7 minutes, 50 seconds. In spite of this accomplishment, BMW's M Division refused to build the vehicle, because it did not have the proper platform and technology at the time to engineer a car that would be both fast and functional for the everyday driver. "The M Division was very clear about this," say Miles, "which is why

it took nearly a decade to put a car like this on the market."

Now available in the United States, the X6 M ($89,000) and X5 M ($H5,500) represent key innovations for the BMW M Division, They are the first M~tuned vehicles to feature turbocharged engines, all-wheel drive, and a utoma tic transmissions. While these new specifications may seem oddly uncharacteristic of BMW's in-house, high-performance tuner, Miles insists, "These cars do not compromise the (M Divisions] history of performance in any way. In fact, these cars behave more like sports cars than SUV s---especially the X6 M."

After spending a few thousand miles behind the wheel of the X6 M, we can certainly attest to Miles' claim, Its unfortunate resemblance to a roller skate notwithstanding, the car is blessed with an awe-inspiring 4A-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine that produces 555 hp and 501 ft lbs of torque. It reaches 60 mph in 4.5 seconds-the same time the much smaller BMW M3 requires--and provides all of the creature comforts necessary to make long road trips an enjoyable experience.

Despite being a bit late to the high-performance SUV party, the two cars offer a refreshing--if not eccentric-alternative to your neighbor's Porsche Cayenne. -PAUL MEYERS

BMW, WI,I/W. bmurusa. com

The X6 M and X5" M (top and abave, respectively) feature turbocharged engines, all-wheel drive, and automatic transmissions.

52 ROBS REPORT JULY 2010

• l\;10TORCYCLES •

Shapely Shifter

Ducati's new Multistrada 1200 S is four bikes m one.

AS ITS NAME SUGGESTS,. the Ducati Multistrad a was conceived to do much more than simply travel down the highway. Even the bike's appearance-e-with its tall riding position, jacked-up front-fender overhang, and rear-wheel splash guard-e-telegraphed its dual-purpose ambitions. Yet despite these serious aspirations, looks and format were about all that the original Multistrada could offer m support of its all-terrain nussion.

With the new Multistrada 1200 S ($19,995), however, Ducati at last brings Its own brand of on-road! off-road perforrnance to the motorcycle market. Bearmg no resemblance to its air-cooled antecedent, the 1200 S features an engine-control menu that configures power delivery III four rnodes-c-Sport, Touring, Urban, and Enduro-c-enabling the rider to adapt the bike's handling for any surface.

The Sport and Touring profiles permit the machine to produce Its 150 hp maximum, while Urban and Enduro trim the power to 100 hp. Eac h 0 f the four modes also varies the degree to which the eight-level Ducati Traction Control (DTC) system intervenes. In Urban mode, for example, level six reduces the danger of spinning out; in Enduro mode, the DTC system assumes that the bike is on gravel roads and sets the level to two, which allows more slip.

The top-of-the-line Multistrada 1200 S also incorporates electronically variable Ohlins suspension components that adjust compression and rebound-damping values to suit whichever operating mode the rider selects. In fact, along

with the four basic operating profiles, the bike presents a choice of settings for four different weight distributions: solo rider, rider with luggage, rider with passenger, and rider WIth passenger and luggage. Because the new Multistrada is powered by the liquid-cooled Testastrerta 110, which is based on the engll1e 111 Ducati's muscular Superbikes, the 1200 S possesses plenty of power for any of these combinations.

By retuning the Testastretta 11 D'S valve timmg to an II-degree valve overlap (the overlap in the Superbikes' engme IS 41 degrees), engineers have optimized the big 1199 cc Lvtwin's torque characteristics, Ducati has also added a new valve-seat material to lengthen service intervals and reduce the high maintenance costs of Its famous Desmodromic valve-tram system.

The result of these refinements is an amazingly versatile motorcycle that can attack a winding road with the agility and response of a sportbike, undertake a long trip with a passenger aboard, and hack up a fire road Like a dual-sport machine. Ducati offers a 110n-S version of the 1200 that lacks the electronic suspension and traction control systems, but we wonder why anyone would forgo the versatility and verve of the Multistrada 1200 S. After all, with the S model you are essentially getting four bikes for the price of one.

~BARRY WINFIELD

Du[a.ti, wuw.ducati.com

The l\1ultistrada 1200 S features fa ur operating profiles that allow the ,·.der to adapt the bike's handling for any surface.

54 a o n a REPORT JULY 2010

~~

12 YEARS IN A BARREL.

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• BOATING •

Pet Project

Dutch boatyard Mulder gives new life to an old Favorite.

INTRODUCED IN THE 1950s, the Favorite line of cruisers from Dutch builder Mulder Shipyard still er~Joys a cult following. Enthusiasts around the world gather on a regular basis to take to the water in their vintage Favorites, which include the anginal Favorite Kruiser and the 1960s~erJ Super Favorite Kruiser. Now, on the heels of its 70th anniversary, Mulder is launching a line of Favorites for the 21st century. "To mark the occasion we decided to breathe new life 1I1to the Mulder Favorite," says company president Dirk Mulder Jr., son of founder Dirk Mulder, who started the company in 1938.

Mulder Shipyard's longevity owes much to the popularity of its Favorite line, especially the Super Favorite models and the 1980s~era Favorite Superior Kruisers, In the 1990s, Mulder began building a range of custom motor yachts, and today the company focuses 011 semicustom displacement and planing yachts, specializing in convertible, wheelhouse, and flybridge models in the 48~ to 98~foot range. To retain an element of exclusivity for owners of its semicustorn boats, Mulder builds a maximum of three of each design.

For its new Favorites, which will not be limited in production, Mulder collaborated with Dutch designer Guido de Groot and naval architecture firm Vrip ack. The line comprises three models-the 1400 (48 feet long), 1500 (51 feet), and 1600 (54 feet)-all of which share the open wheelhouse and smooth lines of the vintage Favorites. But instead of the steel frame and solid mahogany superstructure the originals had,

the modern renditions will be built completely of aluminum,

Each Mulder Favorite is available with either a roundedbilge or a hard-chine hull, and can be powered by two engmes that range from a pair of 150 hp motors to twin 435 hp IPS Volvos.With the rounded-bilge shape, the boats will be able to cruise comfortably from about 10 to 25 knots. With high-powered'Volvos and a hard-chine hull, the Favorite 1400 will fly as fast as 35 knots.

Prices for the Mulder Favorites begm at about $980,000 for the 1400, and the company says it can make deliveries 111 about a year from receiving an order. "The first new Favorites are under construction and expected to be launched at the end of the year," says MulderJr. "There IS a lot of response to the designs and pictures, and we are already talking with several new clients."

First to come out of the shed will be a 1400 with a Volvo IPS600 engine package and a hard-chine hun with spray rails. Also under construction and scheduled for an end-of-year launch is a 1500 with a rounded-bilge hull and a conventional propeller shaft system. Two Volvo D6 engines providing 330 hp each will power the vessel, which will be delivered to one of the biggest Mulder enthusiasts of all: Dirk Mulder Jr. has claimed the boat as his own. -DANIELLE CUTLER WALLIN

Mulder Shipyard, +31.715.612.325, I.Ifww.muldershipyard.nl

Modeled after its 20th-centlJJ), ancestors, Mulder's modernized Favorite is amHablein three lengths and offers a range of power options.


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• TRAVEL •

Railroad Royalty

Indian train travel takes a regal tum aboard the new Maharajas' Express.

GREAT BRITAIN'S COLONIAL legacy in India is a controversial subject, but few would question the infrastructural contributions the British nude to the subconrinent-e-namely the 28,.000 miles of railroad track that WJS laid by the early 1900s. A century later, the rail system is one of the largest m the world, with some 7,500 stations and 40,000 miles of track. India's trains carry more than 6 billion passengers per year (nearly equivalent to the world's population) and remain the most popular way to crisscross and see the nUSSlVe country. This often arduous undertaking now has a far more agreeable iteration, followmg the March debut of the 23-carnage Maharajas' Express.

India's first pan-continental tram, Maharajas' Express IS operated by Royale Indian Rail Tours, a C0111- pany part owned by the Indian branch of the 252-year-old British travel outfitter Cox & Kings. The 84-passenger luxury tram features a state-of-the-art pneumatic and hydraulic suspension system that smooches out any irregularities on India's wide Victorian gauge. The onboard comforts extend to the railcars' aCCOlnl11.O dations, which range from 20 nicely appointed cabins and 18 spacious junior suites to four extravagant double suites and a sprawling presidential suite that occupies an entire carriage. All of the compartments have panoramic windows, large bathrooms, individual air-conditioning controls,

satellite TVs, and even Wi-Fi-impressive considering some of the remote locations Maharajas' Express accesses.

The train's four cross-country routes span six or seven nights and start at $800 per person per day. Itineraries include a Mumbai-to-Delhi trip, with stops 111 Udaipur and Agra, and a Delhi-to-Kolkata voyage, which goes through Var,J.nasi and Gaya. Royale Indian Rail Tours arranges the train's exceptional daytime excursions, which might entail a private tour of Gwalior's Jai Vilas Palace; a round of elephant polo In the village of Kukas, near the ancient Rajput capital of Amber; a twilight desert dinner outside the town of Bikaner in Rajasthan; a VIsit to the Udaipur market; or a tiger safari at Rantharnbore National Park.

After a day exploring countryside or city, guests retire to Maharajas' Express' plum-colored wagons, which, in addition to guest cabins, house a pair of bars and two restaurants that serve Continental and Indian fare on custom L'Objet crockery. The train's comforts and cuisine make it a most welcome sight at day's end-though none so welcome as the entirely new vista that will reveal itself by morning. -FARHAD HEYDARl

Maharajas' Express, 212.292.5712, +91.22.6690.4747, wunsimaharajasexpress.com

Maharajas' Express'four cress-country routes include a Mumboi·to-Delhi trip thot stops inAgra, home of the Taj Mohol (top).


• GOLF •

Winds of Change

A bold and blustery Fazio layout accelerates Puntacana's ascent.

FRANK RAINIERI AND Tom Fazio are a perfect twosome. Rainieri, CEO of the Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic, dreams of making his property the Caribbean's top golf and beach resort. Fazio, the renowned golf arclutect, says he "helps people fulfill their dreams." With the opening of Punracana s Corales course-a bold, windswept layout that hugs the Atlantic-then' ambitions align 111 spectacular fashion.

The Puntacana resort spans 26 square miles on the Dominican Republic's east coast, an area that a few decades ago was untamed Jungle fi'mgecl with white sand and coral reef. "We knew what God had given us;' says Rainieri, a Dominican devel oper and hotelier, "but we lac ked the resources to develop it" A break carne in the 1980s, when the Dominican government allowed Rainieri and his partner, New York attorney Theodore Kheel (fashion designer Oscar de la Rent:a and singer Julio Iglesias joined as investors in 1997), to build an airport in the Punta Calla area; today, it welcomes about 2 million visitors a year. The partners also built hotels-including the elegant Tortuga Bay villa retreat-residences, and the PB. Dye-designed La Cana golf course, which debuted in 2001.

Opened this April, Corales promises to perpetuate Puntacana's rise-and stimulate the senses of golfers. The course is a vibrant palette of blue sky and sea, white sand and coral, and green paspalum grass. Just as intense is the wind, a steady

presence that affects every shot.To accommodate the current, Fazio carved wide fairways and heaved the landscape, placing greens high and low and protecting them with gaping bunkers and rippled terrain as billowy as the nearby surf.

Two holes-the third and 15th-have two greens each, which alternate daily. "When Frank heard that Pine Valley had a hole with two greens, he wanted two holes like that," says Jay Overton, Corales' director of golf. "He wants this course to be regarded as one of the world's best."

Both nines finish along the ocean, where waves crash against retaining walls, cooling players with a fine mist. The final three holes have been dubbed "Devils Elbow" (another nod to Pine Valley, which has its own, more vulgar, allusion to satanic anatomy), because they start inland and then crook to the sea, crossing foaming blowholes before ending at greens that teeter above the ocean.

More hospitable environments await golfers at the end of a round at Corales. In addition to its golf courses, Puntacana features three m.iles of beach, a Six Senses spa, an ecological reserve, and a marina. In the coming years, the resort will also offer new options for golfers: La Cana is scheduled for a face-lift, and another PB. Dye course, an inland layout called Hacienda, will open in 2011. -JA1v1ES A. FRANK

Puntacana Resort & Club, 809.959.2262, !IIww,pl.mta.cmul..com

Set on the Dominican Republic's east coast, the new Corales course at Pttntacanajentures several holes along the Atlantic.


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• SPAS •

Big Macro

Spain's SHA Wellness Clinic promises significant gains-and losses-through a bold diet.

A DIETARY PUACTlCE known for its pnvations-no caffeine, dairy, refined sugar, chemical additives, or nightshades (such as eggplant and tomatoj-e-seems an unlikely baSIS for a destination spa. But Spanish real estate developer Alfredo Bataller Parietri believes the strict regimen of macrobiotics goes hand in hand with the good life. In May 2009, after using the diet to cure chronic stomach pain that had ailed hun since his thirties, Bataller Parietti opened the SHA Wellness Clinic, a $64 million facility south of Valencia, Spain, that makes a bold attempt at combining macrobiotics with luxury.

The Eastern philosophy of macrobiotics advocates a diet of whole grains, beans, dark leafy greens, fish, and other natural foods. Proponents claim the practice can aid in the treatment of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer; Bataller Parietti, who is now in his sixties, says his stomach condition was cured after Just one month on the diet.

The SHA clinic, which is located on the site of Bataller Pariettis former summer home overlooking the Mediterranean beach town of EI Albir, focuses on more common conditions, such as fatigue and excess body fat. Guests begin their stay at the 93-suite property with a private meeting with a macrobiotics specialist.The consultants follow the teachings of macrobiotics expert Michio Kushi, who serves as SHA's holistic director at large. (Kushi is best

known for bringing macrobiotics from Japan to the West m the 1960s and for founding a Massachusetts macrobiotics Institute in 1978.) Based on their initial meeting and the type of program they select (anti-stress, slimming, detox), guests receive a list of items they can and cannot eat. SHA's kitchen staff also receives copies of the list and prepares meals accordingly

To run SHA's kitchen, Bataller Parietti wooed Pablo Montoro from the famed EI Bl111i restaurant outside of Barcelona. The chef has handily adapted Mediterranean gastronomy to macrobiotics' mantra of grains and greens, bringing sophistication and flavor to ingredients such as quinoa and kale. His imaginative dishes, which include roasted artichokes on rice noodles with creamy tofu-sesame dressing, are savory and surprisingly filling.

Aside from healthy meals, a typical day at the SHA clinic might include a fitness class, a lecture or two by a macrobiotics counselor, a walk to the beach, and time by the pool, where guests often compare notes on their progress. An investment executive from London remarked during a recent visit that he had lost 14 pounds m 13 days. The CEO of an international cruise ship company-who was coping with obesity, diabetes, and two heart surgenes-said he lost 22 pounds in two weeks. Back home, he received the first favorable results from his physician in 20 years.

Weeklong programs at SHA start at about $3,390.

Accommodacions range from studio suites with oceanVIew terraces to a two-story presidential suite with a Bang & Olufsen home theater system, a jetted tub, a private pool, and butler service. Such indulgences, says Bataller Parierti, are in no way out of place at a macrobiotics retreat. "Macrobiotics is a way ofhving, a way of eating," he says. "For SHA, we just looked for the best in everything."

-I'v1.ELlSSE GELULA

SHA Wellness Clinic, +34.966.811. '199, wunushawellnessdiuic.com

Guests often gather around the SHA Wellness Clinic's rooftop infinity pool and compare notes on their progress.


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• WINE •

Patriotic Pour

The owners of Shervvin Family Vineyards share their American Dream.

A FEW MONTHS after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, Linda and Steve Sherwin received a request from a group of Italian vintners organizing an auction to benefit the families of employees of Windows on the World, the ill-fated restaurant on the top floors of the WorldTrade Center's North Tower. Held in Lake Garda, Italy, the event would offer bidders 50 pairs of special large-format bottles of wine-s-one from an Italian producer and one from. a Napa Valley, Calif., winery-c-as a symbolic display of international umty. Relative newcomers to the industry, the proprietors of Napa Valley's Sherwin Family Vineyards were flattered to be asked to participate. "I told my wife that I didn't want to send over a regular bottle," says Steve Sherwin. "I wanted to dress it up to meet the occasion."

Sherwin took the container to a local artisan, who etched and pam ted a graceful American flag onto the glass, along with the inscriptions "In God We Trust" and "United We Stand."This bottle of Sherwin PamilyVineyards 1998 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was presented at auction with a magnum of the classic 1985 Tenuta San Guido Sassicaia+-a combination that brought one of the evening's highest bids.

That sale was a heady moment for the Sherwins, who had purchased their 30 acres on the west side of the Spring Mountain District some five years before. The property's primary appeal was a beautifully situated home with wide verandas that overlooked a glassy lake, but it also included an unbonded garage-size winery and three acres of oldvine Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc. Intrigued by the land's potential, Sherwin began clearing the heavily forested acreage around this viticultural gem to create the present 16 acres of vineyards. He planned to sell

his grapes to neighboring producers, but the first year's harvest from the original vines yielded only about a ton and a half of fruit-too little to attract interest. So he hired winemaker Phil Steinschriber, then of Diamond CreekVineyards, as a consultant.

"After a couple of years, we entered that first vintage in a tasting 111 San Francisco," Sherwin recalls. "Someone from W!:ne Spectator came along and said they wanted to do a story on us. They came out with an article about the new kid on the block on Spring Mountain. That was when my wife and r looked at each other and said, 'Well, I guess we're In the wine bus mess.' "

The richly extracted style ofSherwm's Cabernets-which exude wild berry, ASIan spICe, and earthy mushroom and mineral flavors-has continued to draw converts, many of whom bid at auction for the special flag-festooned bottles that he continues to make to raise money for varrous charities, including the American Red Cross. In addition to the standard 750 ml bottle ($90), the 2007 vintage has now been released in a very small quantity of numbered collectible magnums ($475), 3-liter bottles ($950), and 6-liter bottles ($1,900). The winery has also produced a han dful of 3-liter ($3,800) and 6-liter ($7,600) formats featuring Swarovskicrystal flags and special burl-wood cases. For Sherwin, this program remains a point of pride and a vehicle for giving back to the community. "We are the only winery in the United States," he says, "that has federal certification to place the American flag on our bottle." -_BRETT ANDERSON

She/win Family Vinqards, 707.963 .. 1154, www.shel"llll:njimlilyvinel.ards.com

Sherwin Family's 2007 Estate Cabemet Sauvignon is also avaiJabtein limited-edition bottles engraved with an image of the Americanjiog.

64 Rons REPORT JULY 2010

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• SMOKE •

His Majesty

Benjamin Menendez creates the cigar of a l.ifetime.

OVER A CAREER spanning 58 years, Benjamin Menendez has worked in every major cigar-producing country in the world. But only now does the 74-year-old Menendez, vice president of premium cigars for industry giant General Cigar (maker of such brands as Macanudo, Punch, and Hoyo de Monterrey), finally have a cigar oflus own.

The new limited-edition Majestuoso (which translates to "majestic") represents a long and distinguished career that began in Cuba, where, as a young boy, Menendez played among the tobacco bales on his grandfather's farms. As a teenager, he earned only half the usual wages-a stipulation intended to teach him fi'ugality-for sweepll1g floors and packing CIgars in Havana's largest factory, H. Upmann, which his family owned as part of Menendez, Garcia y Cia. Two months after Fidel Castro nationalized the cigar industryon September 15, 1960, Menendez left Cuba for good with only seven devalued pesos in his pocket.

Despite early adversity, Menendez prospered, and today he is a master of his craft. Few contemporaries can match his encyclopedic knowledge of tobacco. It was therefore only natural that General Cigar should invite him to create his own signature smoke. He approached the company's vast stores of tobacco bales-which are aged in warehouses in Connecticut, the Dominican Republic, Africa, and Central and South America-like an artist selecting shades of paint for a portrait; and, for Menendez, there was no question as

to who his subject would be. His creation would serve as a tribute to his mentor, the late Ramon Cifuentes, whose family owned the Partagas factory before Castro's takeover,

"It would have to start as a Partagas," Menendez says, "as my homage to the Cifuentes family-as my way of saying, 'Thank you for all that you have done for me.' And it wouldn't be an after-dinner cigar; I wanted a cigar that could be smoked anytime."

He tested 10 cigars at a time for SIX months, numbering each wrapper and keeping the best CIgar from each batch. Eventually he decided on a hand-rolled 6 X 46 with a blend of Cuban-seed Dominican, Nicaraguan mainland, and Nicaraguan Ometepe, For the binder, he chose a Havanaseed Connecticut, and for the wrapper, a premium-aged African Cameroon. The cigar has an aroma like wet earth, and its taste is slightly spicy-sweet, reminiscent of Restaurant Guy Savoy's artichoke-and-black-truffle soup.

The first of a proposed Benji Menendez Partagas Masters Series, the Majestuoso is available in 5,000 numbered boxes of 20 cigars apiece ($200 per box). The band of each cigar bears the Menendez family crest and the master's own mark: the code he used to record his final selection.

--'RICHARD CARLE1DN HACKER

Ben]! Menendez Partaga.s Masters Series, wunubenjimenendeesocial.com

The hand-rolled MaJestuoso is Menendez's _first signature srnokein a distinguished career that commenced 58 years ago in Cuba.


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• JEWELRY •

Technical Triumph

Self taught jeweler Alex Soldier brings an engineer's eye to his art.

NECESSITY WAS INDEED mother to Alex Soldier's inventions. As a young man, he lived in Russia's remote Ural Mountains, where even the most basic tools to pursue a career 111 jewelry design, much less the advanced trammg and artistic encouragement required to excel at it, were lacking. His native ingenuity, however, supplied what his meager resources did not.The determined novice experimented with wood carving, metal casting, and sculpture and, in the process, devised Ius own tools for creating finely detailed finishes. "We didn't have stores to go buy things or places to research technique, arts, and technology;" says Soldier, who spent SIX years as the chief designer of a government-controlled jewelry factory before immigrating to New York at age 33.

Soldier's want of formal traming-together WIth his remarkable inventiveness-v-accounts for the distinctive style of his jewelry. Each piece is a gold or platinum work of art cast in a meticulously carved wax mold, set with colorful gemstones, and painstakingly finished with Soldier's own handmade tools. "You will never see a polished gold setting in my collection," he says. "I create layers of hand-engraving so that each piece sparkles and has life. Jewelry should never look dull or flat."

His metal surfaces glitter so delicately that they appear, at first glance, to be inlaid with tiny diamonds; this effect, however, is the result of the proprietary engraving techniques that he uses to finish each piece. He has mastered so many different hand-finishes that, he says, if he were given 10 identical polished gold bands, he could create 10 completely

original designs simply by applying his varied techniques and treatments.

Thanks to the engineermg degree he earned m Russia 111 1979, before beginning his career in the jewelry factory, Soldier has also developed a technical approach to his concepts. "Each design is about proportion, detail, and cornposition," he says. "It is like a Rubik's Cube, with each piece dependent on the next to create the whole."

Recent examples of Ius complex workmanship include an elaborate floral ring that easily converts to a pendant or a brooch, and the Lava rmg, a bulbous, organic form set with hundreds of rubies and black diamonds on the outside and featuring a seamless hollow on the inside.The Rambow ring features seven layers of stones-including amethyst and yellow, pmk, and blue sapphires-s-in the shape of an arched bridge.

These one-of-a-kind and limited-edition designs, priced from $15,000 to about $100,000, are not Soldier's only offerings, however; he also creates gold and sterling silver pieces employing the same hand-finishes, and, on occasion, he accepts commissions for Cl1StOlYl miniature sculptures. The latter hark back to his humble beginnings, which are never far from his mind: In a glass vitrine in his New York showroom, he displays his first sculpture-the figure of a woman-which he made at the age of 14. "It still inspires my designs and ideas," he says. -JILL NEWMAN

Alex SoldieJ; 212.354.4244, u/unnalexsoldier.com

The Swirl and Lava rings (left and right, respectively) feature bulbous tops with glitte,·ing gemstones outside and seamless hollows inside,


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Think Tanks

Thoughtful design is the hallmark of an Oheanos aquarium.

AQUARIUM OESIGNEl1 MAUTIN SCHAPIl1A'S love affair with marine life began in the third grade. "My father came home with a 10-gallon fish tank one day, and I was immediately captivated," he recalls. I twas Schapiras first aquarIUm, and although it contained just two small turtles and a goldfish, it fostered a fascination that bordered on obsession. "I went to every pet store in New York and bought every type of plant and rock I could find 1D order to maintain it," he says. "I've been hooked ever since,"

Now 28, Schapira creates some of the world's largest and most complex aquatic landscapes through Okeanos Aquascaping, the New York-based aguanum and pond design firm that: he cofounded with Noam Kamelhar in 2002. Schapira's approach relies on a think-outside-the-box mentality: He and Kamelhar reject traditional stand-alone tanks in favor of sleek, modern-looking aquariums (priced from $12,000 to upwards of$lS0,000) that they build into the walls or other paneling in their clients' homes. "It's not easy to make SOO gallons appear light and elegant," says Schapira, "Most people think you can just stick an aquarium in the middle of a room and people will be wowed, but the design side is as much a factor as the aquatic side."

Every Okeanos project is custom .. At each client's behest, the company combines such cutting-edge materials as Starphire-e-a low-iron glass that minimizes reflection and

green tinc-e-with interior-design elements like shagreen stingray leather, macassar ebony, or zebrawood to decorate the tank's exterior, and recessed lights, set III the top or bottom of the receptacle, to mimic sunlight. The lighting equipment is concealed, as is the filtration system. To accomplish this, the company produces all parts----fiJte.rs, tubes, drains, and so forth-by hand, with each project's particular requirements 111 mind. The result is a seamless scene submerged 111 many gallons of water and rife with dozens of types of fish and coral.

"It's like a living painting," says one client, whose 300-gallon coralreef aquarium displays rare Kupang Island live rock and a rainbow of down fish, wrasses, and anthias from Indonesia.Vanuatu, and Fiji, respectively. Okeanos spent nearly four months building the 10-by-32-foot aquarium, which is built into, and Hush with, the walnut paneling in the den of the client's New York CIty home. "We didn't want it sticking out into the room," says the client. "It's part of the wall, almost like a window into another world."

To add yet another dimension to their company's offermgs, Schapira and Karnelhar recently announced a travel option that will immerse their customers in some of the planet's most densely populated underwater ecosystems. Beginning this summer, Okeanos will offer vacation packages to 10 exotic locales, among them Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Guided scuba diving and snorkeling tours will enable clients to identify firsthand the various species they would like to see in their tanks. The trips, priced from $75,000, will include round-trip airfare, accommodations in a five-star resort, and the construction and filling of an aquarlLUll.

These sojourns may also afford the opportunity to experience the kind of childlike wonder that Schapira felt when he received his first fish tank. "Exploring that world is one of the most beautiful experiences you can ever have," he says. "And to replicate it at home is the greatest souvenir imaginable .. " -JACKIE CARADONIO

Okeanos Aqr;ascaping, 212.244.9555, www.okearw>sroup.wm

A builder of custom aquariums since 2002, Ouennos Aquascaping is now offering vacation packages geared toward filling the tanks.


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Spirited Ecstasy

FOR ROLLS-ROYCE,

FINDING THE GOLDEN MEAN BETWEEN MODERNITY AND TRADITION IN THE

development of a new automobile is critical. After all, consumers have, on the one hand, more than a cen-

tury's worth of products to inform their impressions of the marque and, on the other, the knowledge that the current incarnation of Rolls-Royce is not the company Henry (later Sir Henry) Royce and Charles Rolls founded III 1904, but rather, since 1998, an asset in the BMW automotive portfolio.

These and other factors loomed in our minds as we approached the new Rolls-Royce Ghost for a test-drive in Newport Beach, Calif., 111 March. That this model draws on rue BMW 7 Series parts bins is no secret, but then the sharmg of components among the different divisions of a large parent company IS nothing new in the automobile industry,

Traditional folding wood picnic tables-essential fare in any British luxury car-harmoniously coexist with modern BMW technology in the Ghost.


JULY 2010 ROBE REPORT 77

Gratification

Still, a Rolls-Royce is not like any other automobile, and we wondered if those charged with bnnging the Ghost into production+-some of whom worked directly for BMW before transferring to England-fully grasped that the special traits and qualities that make up the marque's mystique are purely subjective and cannot be measured by sensors wired to a computer.

From the outside, the Ghost is al] Rolls-Royce. Chief designer Ian Cameron and his staff have refreshed with sensitivity and skill a set of proportions and forms dating to the 1920s and '30s. Much of the design language of the existing Phantom IS replicated here, along with pronounced references to claSSIC models, yet the whole amounts to far

more than the sum of its parts. Here, the massiveness of the Phantom has been refined and even made lithe, almost athletic, III keeping with the company's intended mission to make the Ghost more approachable.

&, with the Phantom Drophead Coupe, designers reshaped the Ghost's "Parthenon" radiator shell-a Rolls-Royce fixture from time immemorial-s-de-ernphasizing Its lines to some extent and recessing it slightly within the sculpted pro\\r of the sedan. This change was not strictly a stylistic statement, but also partly a response to current European Union pedestrian-safety regulations. Purists who bear In mmd the mandate for rounded surfaces and minimal projections will find the reinterpreted grille less grating. Thanks to Cameron's sensitive touch, the Ghost's frontal aspect still heralds the arrival of a genu me Rolls-Royce.

The car's superb interior combines timeless elegance with 21st-ceJJ.tury innovations. Traditional elements-supple leather, lambs-wool carpet, beautifully finished match-grain veneer, and classic instrumentarion-e-coexist harmoniously with modern ones, including a system based on BMW technology that provides access to a wide array of operating systems via a large knob with selector buttons set around its circumference. Though the five-person seating capacity may seem paltry given the Ghost's nearly 213-i.llch overall length and 77 -inch width, this quintet of 0 ccupants will be a happy one: Each seat affords abundant personal space that can be climatically regulated by adjusting the individual heating and air-conditioning controls. The wide doors make ingress and egress convenient, and passengers in back

For passel1gers in the Ghost's backseats, every excursion feels like a formal occasion thanl,s to Rolls-Royce's rear-hinged coach doors.

78 a onn REPORT JULY 2010

Spirited Ecstasy

need not worry about making potentially awkward moves to close the rear-hinged coach doors, as a small button mounted on the roof's C-pillar directs an electric motor to perform that chore for them.

Prospective owners expect such creature comforts from the Ghost, but one aspect of the sedan may surprise them:

Unlike the Phantom and many past Rolls-Royces, the Ghost aims to attract the owner-driver, rather than those who prefer to be driven. While this fact alters nothing for passengers, it changes everything for the individual who takes the wheel. Gratification begins the instant the driver presses the starter button and the automobile's twinturbocharged 6, 6-liter V -12 powerplan t comes to life.

Although Rolls-Royce historically has been coy about

divulging power outputs, the company cheerfully proclaims that the 563 hp Ghost takes a mere 4.7 seconds to go from a full stop to 60 mph (a feat to which the big V-12's 575ft lbs of torque also contributes) and has a 1.55 mph electronically limited maximum velocity. Near silence remains the rule under most circumstances, but during those rare moments of distinct audibility, the engine sounds its own inimitable exhaust note-quite unlike that of a 12-cylinder Ferrari or, for that matter, BMW

Some of the driveline and chassis components derive from the BMW parts bins, but, having been tuned for Ghost duty, they feel as though they are unique to this vehicle. An 8-speed ZF automatic transmission connects the engine to the rear wheels. The gearbox offers a superb army of ratios

A thkl, steering wheel rim and a. sense of openness are concessions to the new. Instruments are understated and rerro-chlc.


Spirited Ecstasy

The Ghost thrills the driver who wants to do more than waft, offering handling abilities that, if not sports-car-like, are classifiable as sporting.

with almost undetectable changes between them-a fact that, no doubt, played a part In the designer's decision to leave off the almost ubiquitous shift paddles.

The suspension is an even greater revelation than what lives under the Ghost's hood. The sedan's ride is remarkable, providing splendid isolation fr0111 all pavement irregularities and a near-total suppression of road noise-+hardly a surprise given the reputation Rolls-Royces have for "wafting along" (a favorite phrase within the company). But the Ghost thrills the driver who wants to do more than wait, offering handling abilities that, if not sports-ear-like, are at least classifiable as sporting. The secret lies with the four-wheel air suspension and the electronic system that automatically controls body roll. When hurried into a corner, the Ghost's

roll resistance stiffens, and both the rate and amount of roll are reduced, Improvlll_g handling and driver confidence while leaving the softness of the ride virtually unaffected.

During our test-drive, we discovered that piloting the Ghost on a Sll1UOUS mountain road is more delight than duty- The steerrng, which delivered almost too much power assistance at a walking pace, became firm and precise as speed increased. Applying power through a corner did not upset the car, nor did midcourse braking and steering corrections. During these maneuvers, the car felt agile and relatively light-not at all as ponderous as its nearly 5,500-pound curb weight might suggest. In fact, the occupant of the front passenger seat remained fully relaxed and continually underestimated our cornering speeds.

Spirited Ecstasy

These dynamic adjustments to the sedan's performance take place without any intervention on the part of the driver, who need not choose, for instance, between normal and sport modes (perhaps more fittingly called waft and motor briskly modes). This Rolls-Royce leaves its driver feeling secure fium any threat this side of a direct meteor strike and may well induce 111m or her to explore the far reaches of tile car's capabilities. Anyone so inclined, however, should be cautioned that tile combination of SH100tl1 ride and sound Insulation makes constant vigilance In speed-limited areas imperative. To stay within the limits of tile law durmg our long runs, we made extensive use of the Ghost's cruise control-e-a sophisticated active system that, among other features, offers radar assistance and, when necessary, brake intervention to maintain safe distances between the sedan and the cars ahead of It.

These considerations may distract some drivers from the Ghost's plentiful other appointments. Tradition decrees that a Rolls-Royce sedan incorporate folding wood picnic tables and a superb audio system, and so the Ghost does. External cameras combine to generate an overhead view of the car that makes parking and other close-in maneuvers easier, while a night-vision camera displays its images on the navigation system's screen. Additional safety and convenience features include lane-departure warning and automatic adjustment of headlamp settings to lighting conditions.

The only task the Ghost does not simplify is choosing one of 12 exterior colors to go with the hood and windshield pillars' Silver Satin finish, which is not unlike the brushedaluminum treatment used on the Phantom Drophead;

however, in the Ghost's case, paint-not polished metal-is used on the hood. Eight colors and five varieties of wood veneer are available for the interior. Bespoke editions of the Ghost will be made available eventually, but the company cautions, with its customary politeness, that requests for spe~ cial features will not be allowed to compromise safety considerations or structural and exterror design.

The Ghost is expected to double Rolls-Royce's sales volume in the years to come, though that volume will remain well below 3,000 cars per annum. Witll a list pnce of $245,000, the Ghost IS hardly the "Rolls-Royce for the masses" that some 111 the press rumored it to be. Rather, it remains a handbuilt (or, more properly, hand-assembled and hand-finished) car 111 keeping with the marque's longstanding traditions. In an age of machine-made modules pieced together by robots, the human element at the factory at Goodwood is reassuring.

We entered the Ghost with a healthy skepticism and, after a day of driving, emerged converted. The romance of being led along the highway by the Spirit of Ecstasy is genuine, and this latest model furnishes th at emotio 11 in abundance. This is an automobile meant for long-term use and enjoyment-an investment one can acquire secure in the knowledge that the bond between owner and car will grow more solid with time. The Ghost is a Roils-Royce in every respect-one whose exhilarating, driver-oriented performance harks back to the delightful days of the Rolls-Bentley "silent sports car." rID

Rolls- Royce Motor Cars, WU!U!. rolls-roycemotorcars.com

\\lith its subsmnttve boot and small backlight, the Ghost is readily identifiable as a Rolls-Royce without even a glimpse of its grille.


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THE GREA'"r

Marrakech Makeover

Morocco's Red City is on the rise, with a spate of refurbished riads and new resorts, and the radical reinvention of North Africa's most legendary hotel.

BY JACK SMITH

OR MEMORABILIA

hunters, the auction on May 24, 2009, at Marrakech's Palais des Congres was a bonanza. The 5,000 items 011 the block-chandeliers, carpets, bathroom fixtures, monogrammed tableware-had until then graced one of the world's most celebrated hotels, and speculation abounded over which head of state might have splashed in this bathtub, which famous artist may have sipped from this martini glass, or which pair of movie stars might have tousled this kingsize bed. Some wondered, too, what the auction, which brought in $4.2 million, bade for the future of Morocco's legendary La Mamounia.

Interested parties found out last September, when, following a three-year, $180 million renovation, La Mamounia reopened to reveal its long-awaited new look. For SOUle devotees of the Marrakech landmark, the change came as a shock. This was not simply a makeover; it was an entirely new hotel. >-

The Great Marrakech Makeover

"Just the mention of La Mamounia said that you

In La Marnounias lobby, nary a trace remained of the Art Deco ambience for which the hotel was known. Suites and rooms, too, had been stripped of the marquetry rerrumscent of transatlantic liners of the 1930s. Fanciful themed accommodations, such as the Orient Express suite-once replete with souvenirs from the fabled Istanbulto-Paris train Iine+-were a thing of the past. Even the uniformed page boys, who formerly moved through the lobby and called guests to private intrigues, were nowhere to be found.

"Nobody needs them any more," says Didier Picquot, general manager of La Mamounia, over lunch by the hotel's newly expanded swimming pool. "Today everybody has cell phones."

So much for nostalgia.

"Every 20 years or so a luxury hotel has to renew itself," continues Picquot, who Joined the hotel in time to orchestrate the makeover. "After all, times


and tastes change, and hotels must too."

Change, however, can be painful, especially when the place in question is laden WIth history and memories. Nonetheless, says Picguot-who managed such historic properties as the Ritz 111 Pans and the Pierre 111 New York before commg to Marrakechold hotels must remain fresh, dynamic, and relevant "Otherwise, instead of offering a luxury experience, you're just wallowing in the past."

Considering its history, La Mamounia could hardly be faulted for a bit of wallowing. Part palace and part oasis, the original hotel owed much of its magic to Marrakech. For nearly a millennium, the Red City-so called for its walls that turned a fiery hue i.n the setting sun-was the juncture of trade routes between Africa, Europe, and Asia. Its main square, the Jamaa el-Pna, or Place of the Dead, remains today a riot of snake charmers, storytellers, holy men,

and witch doctors, a marketplace where craftsmen and customers haggle over everything from pots and rugs to honey and hammered Jewelry.

Within Marrakech's bustling and labyrinthine mner city, or medina, wealthy Moroccans of the 17th through 19th centuries constructed private and mysterious retreats known as dads. Hidden behind crude mud walls, these pleasure palaces revolved around courtyards and gardens colored by bougainvillea, roses, and lemon and orange trees .. The grandest example of all was the riad 18th-century Moroccan Sultan Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah built for his son, Prince Mamoun, amid 20 acres of gardens on the edge of the medina. History knows the prince best for the soirees he hosted on the lushly landscaped grounds.

Perhaps inspired by the original owner's sense of hospitality, the occupying French transformed Mamoun's

were sophisticated, a person of taste ... " -JEHRY SORKIN

riad mto a hotel, La Mamounia, III 1923. Here, scented by flowers, the romance of the West fused with the mysticism of the East. At mght the hotel corridors resonated with the gentle jmgling of belly dancers' cymbals and the sonorous call to prayer from the neighbormg Kcutoubia Mosque. The hotel's guests included Orson Welles, Edith PiaL Charlie Chaplin, and Marlene Dietrich. Winston Churchill persuaded Franklin D. Roosevelt to join him at La Mamounia for strategic talks during World War II, describing the orange gardens as" ... the most lovely spot in the whole world." Post war, Churchill. wintered at the hotel, moving his canvas and easel from balcony to balcony to catch the gardens in their best light.

For Churchill and Ius ilk, La Mamounia was not just the best place to stay in Morocco, it was the only place to stay. "It was the only luxury hotel from Cairo to Timbuktu," says Jerry Sorkin, of Radnor, Pa., who taught courses on North Afncan rugs at the University of Pennsylvania and now organizes tours throughout the Arab world. "It was where you met everybody moving through NorthAii:ica. It was like a dub; just the mention of La Mamounia said that you were sophisticated, a person of taste, and a world traveler."

Morocco gained its independence from the French in 1956, and with the departure of the bourgeoisie from the more modern European quarter, the old social order turned on its head. Affluent Moroccans began purchasing

swanky, modern apartments from the French and abandoned the old family riads 111 the medina.

In the late 1 960s, American oil heir Jean Paul Getty Jr. took a shine to one of these deserted riads while visiting Marrakech. He bought the old palaceone of hundreds in the medina-for $26,000 and asked his friend Bill Willis, an architect and interior decorator from Memphis.Tenn., to restore it.

Willis not only completed Getty's property but also acquired one of his own, the former harem quarters of a larger l Sth-century riad, By the early 1970s, Willis had transformed his ramshackle property into an Arabian Nights fantasy that oozed seduction and intrigue from every tapestry, j abo t, and swag. The home appeared in

These page,s and next: The Moorish inleriors of the new La Ma.motmia may be .mreeogn:izable to guests who knew the hotel In its Art Deco days. Even the employees got a.fresh loolt: French designers Terre & Ciel Consei! emated distinct tUliformsfor more than J 70 staff positions.

Previous pages: The lobby's statue of a horseman spearing a lion is one oJ the few remaining features from the original La Mamounia.




high-profile magaZlnes, and the onceclandestine palace soon became an international must-see: Britain's Prince Charles, a noted art and architecture buff, stopped by for cocktails; Mick Jagger came over for dinner, as did Catherine Deneuve.Yves Saint Laurent, Pierre Berge, an d J ean- Paul Ca ultier,

Thanks 111 part to Willis' wonderland, it eventually became de ngueur in French fashion circles to own a palace 111 Marrakech. Riads that were once ghostly shells were transformed into private vacation homes or exclusive "hobby hotels." run by and for the international creme de la creme. Staying at La Mamounia, it seemed, no longer possessed the cachet It once did. "You could tell just by sitting in the lobby," says Sorkin. "The parade was passing La Mamounia by."

"In the 1980s an American tourist might come to Marrakech and spend five or six nights at La Mamounia," says local guide and antiques dealer Mohamed Bouskri, whose own 11- room Riad Kniza includes such amenities as a harnmarri.an ozone-purified pool with a swimming current, and a bar on its top terrace where musicians play the haunting Cnawa music. "But in the 1990s they were spending two or three nights there and two or three nights in a restored riad, It's a more authentic experience, and what VIsitors to Morocco want moore than anytlung IS authenticity'

The medina's riad renaissance has continued in more recent timesAngsana Hotels and Resorts, a subsidiary of Singapore's Banyan Tree group, has opened six such retreats 111 Marrakech in the past four years alone-+while boutique hotels and golf resorts have sprouted in the Palmeraie, the suburban oasis known to expatriates as the Moroccan Beverly Hills. Foremost among me Palmeraie properties is Amanjena, which opened in 2000 as Singapore-based Amanresorrs' first hotel on the African continent.

But the most serious threat to the old La Mamcunia became clear later in the decade, with the first ripples of a new wave of luxury hotels Il1


Marrakech. In 2006, construction commenced on the Royal Mansour Marrakech, a hotel In the medina owned by none other than King MohammedVI. In 2008, Four Seasons began building a 140-room hotel adjacent to the city's Menara Gardens. By the end of the decade, Mandarin Oriental had broken gro und on a resort outside of town, and W Hotels, Raffles, Rocco Forte, Baglioni Hotels, and Park Hyatt had announced plans for properties of their own in Marrakech.

Scheduled to open by the end of this year, the Mandarin Oriental juan Rahma is a stunner, even in its current state of construction. The property is located within the Palmeraie, about 25 minutes outside the medina, and much of its 125 acres have already been elaborately landscaped. None of

the Mandarin's 161 guest rooms will be alike, but each will include a fullSIze terrace, all the better for overlooking the gardens and the resort's vast green~marble pool. A spa will incorporate 13 treatment rooms, a yoga temple, and two Moroccan hamrnams.

Closer to the heart of town-just five minutes from the medina-the Four Seasons Hotel Marrakech wilt open in 2011 with a hammam-equipped spa of its own, along with 203 guest rooms and multibedroom riads and villas. But the most immediate challenger to La Mamounias eminence is the Royal Mansour, which is scheduled to open just down the block (rom the refurbished legend this July. Tucked behind a bronze gate, the resort will re-create a historic medina, replete with Andalusian courtyards, winding

alleyways, and rooftop terraces with sweepmg VIews of the city and the Atlas Mountains. Its 53 riads will range in size from 1,400 square feet to a paia tial 21,520 square feet, and will be complemented by a 26,900-squarefoot spa and a pool pavilion surrounded by a moat.

In the (ace of chis mounting competition, La Ma.Jl10tU1ia had little choice but to change. It had been some 20 years since the hotel had last undergone a renovati on, a $50 million update that morphed the property i.nto what The New York Times called "an Art Deco fantasy." Picquot was determined not to repeat this mistake. "I wanted to restore the glamour of the '20s and '305, to make La Mamounia an international destination once more," he says. "But we couldn't do it with Art

FOI·merly "two small cabins," according to hotel general manager Didier Picquot, the spa at La Mamoun;a ts nOW a 27,OOO-squar<!-joot pleasure palace with swimming and decorative pools, and a traditional Moroccan hammam.


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Deco. After all, Morocco is not an Art Deco country."

On the contrary, It is a country whose design traditions are rich 111 symbolism and conventions often unfamiliar to Western audiences. But not to French decorator Jacques Garcia, who had earned acclaim for 1115 work III such spaces as the Hotel Costes and Hotel des Beaux Arts In Paris. Garcia had a gift, Ius devotees said, for creating atmospheres that took the viewer to places where they bad never been before. That is one way of describing the ArabicAndalusian ambience he created for the all-new La Marnounia.

La Mamounia's Art Deco past seems tame in comparison with the property's new design. Under Garcia's direction, the hotel has become Pharaonic, with corridors sculpted fiorn black marble leading past colonnades and fountains, and plump burgundy-colored settees veiled mysteriously behind beaded curtains. Zillij, hand-carved term-cotta

tile work covered with enamel and set into plaster to form geometrrc mosaics, is everywhere-in fountains; on ceilings, floors, and tables; and in stylized "tree of life" symbols on the walls. Flowers abound 111 pots and urns, while ornate fountains drip over rose petals.

La Marnounias guest roorns-once said to be better SUIted to an Agatha Christie play than a five-star hotelhave been enlarged and remade with hand-carved ceilings and cedar paneling, hand-sewn carpets from the High Atlas Mountains, and richly upholstered chairs. "People ask why the renovation took three years," says Picq uot. "I t is because the ho tel IS 95 percent new and almost completely handcrafted. Morocco is one of the few places in the world where you can find artisans for a project of this magnitude. No detail was overlooked."

Nor were any of the senses ignored.

La Mamounia commissioned famed perfumer Olivia Giacobetti to produce SIgnature scents for the hotel, where

hints of fresh dares now waft fr0111 candles that flicker and glow throughout the property. Essences du Maroc created a skin-care line of exfoliants, cleansers, and regenerating oils exclusively for the hotel's guests. And where once there was what Picquot dismisses as "t\NO small cabins," there is now the 27,OOO-square-foot Marnounia Spa, which offers everything from a traditional Moroccan hammam to beauty services by Japanese cosmetic conglomerate Shiseido.

La Mamouuia also has four new restaurants, including one each from Michelin-starred chefs Don Alfonso Iaccariuo and Jean-Pierre Vigato. Especially memorable for seafood lovers is the heaping array of shrimp, prawns, scallops, sushi, and raw oysters served at Le Pavilion de la Piscine, adjacent to La Mamounia's pool area.

Not to be ignored were La MamouIlia's staff members, who now don uniforms by the French fashion team Terre & Ciel Conseil, The designers created

Le Pcrvillon de tu Piscin.e, one offour new restaurants at La Mamotmia, serves a. memorable meal pools ide.



The most serious threat to the old

La Mamounia became clear with the first ripples of a new wave of luxury hotels in Marrakech.

different looks for more than 170 positions, including bellmen, waiters, concierges, airport greeters, and gardeners.

The staff and other Marrakech residents appear to be pleased with the changes to La Mamounia, which has long been a source of pride in the city. "I'm. 46 now, but I've known all about La Mamounia since J was six," says Gerard Madani, the haters director of operations. "I'm happy to see the hotel go back to the Moroccan style instead of the Art Deco 100k.And I think our guests are, too. This is the way it always should have been."

Riad-keeper and guide Bouskri agrees:

"My guests have been enchanted by

the fabulous changes at La Mamounia," he says. "Our grande dame has become more beautiful and elegant 111 her new designer caftan."

She has also become darker. A guest movll1g through the dimly lit lobby over the black m.arble floor may be excused if he feels a momentary sensation of zero gravity. Hallways to the rooms are also much murkier than those in American or European hotels, and elevators are hidden away in alcoves. This, says Picquot, was all part of the grand scheme. "The hotel is designed to deliver a hands-on level of service," he explains. "We have personnel everywhere; if you can't fmd

something, people will see you and take you where you want to go."

This personal touch can sometimes be misinterpreted. The charming young lady who approaches you by Le Bar Italien to ask "Would you like some company?" is, in reality, asking if you need directions, not if you want company rn:J

Four Seasons Hotel M"affakech, IVWW jourseasoJls.com; La Mamounia,

+212 .. 524.38.86.00, www.mamounia

• CO 111; Mandarin Odental}I1<111 Rahma, +212.524.32.77.77, wusurnandarinoriental .com; Royal Ma11S0ur Marrakech,

+212 .. 529.80.80.80, www.royaimaJ1sollr.coJlJ

New to Marrakech are the Royal Mansour (iejt) , which is owned by King Mohammed VI, and the Mandarin Orienta! Jnan Rahma (right).


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﻿The British Automaker's Most Powerful Sedan Ever Takes to the Streets

The Radical Reinvention of a Moroccan Legend

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The British Automaker's Most Powerful Sedan Ever Takes to the Streets