Location: 9th Street between 5th and 6th Avenues in New York.
Type: 6,965-square-foot townhouse with 5 bedrooms, 6 bathrooms, 3 powder rooms, a family room and a separate dining room. Set on five floors the house comes with an elevator and 9 fireplaces.
Price Tag: USD 15m
Type: An estate constructed by Damussis, which refers to buildings constructed with volcanic rocks. The complex has a main house, which is not a Damussi, consisting of 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a large living room, a separate dining room and a large infinity pool. Aside the main house are 4 separate Damussi guesthouses (one with its own private swimming pool), a garage, a sauna and a Turkish bath.
The estate stands on 6 hectares of land with multiple exterior lounge/relaxation spots and is considered one of the largest on the island of Pantelleria. It could almost be used as a small luxury hotel, giving its proprietor the option to stay permanently at the main house.
Location: Set right between the tip of Italy and Tunisia on the Mediterranean Sea, the island of Pantelleria is known for its ancient volcanic activities. Although the last recorded volcanic activity was back in 1891, the island is tapped with rich soil and volcanic structures.
Pantelleria has no source of fresh water and relies completely on rain water, requiring its construction to include collection structures. It is also famous for its sweet Moscato wines, which (as I wrote earlier) are one of my favorites. There were several Neolithic findings on the island and they are permenantly on display at the museum in Syracuse, Sicily. Visitors can reach Pantelleria with a ferry from Trapani, Italy.
Price Tag: USD 14.6m
This apartment is located right on Ave. Foch, minutes away from the Arc de Triomphe and Champs-Elysees. Set on two floors, it comes with multiple balconies overlooking the avenue and 4 bedrooms.
The price tag is close to USD 10m.
I first saw this building as the penthouse residence of Russel Crowe in the movie “A Good Year”. I believe it came up again in “Match Point”. Both of the units were equally impressive. Set on the top floor, they are washed with light and filled with expansive river and city views through their curved floor-to-ceiling windows.
Located right across from Chelsea on the other side of the Thames, Albion Riverside was designed by the famous architect Norman Foster and was completed in 2003. Foster is well-know for his office building designs such The Gherkin in London and The Hearst Tower in New York. So, it is no wonder that Albion is mostly too cool to warm up to. Its ultra-modern look is completed with a glass/metal exterior and light tones of gray.
The first two floors of the 11-story building are dedicated to restaurants and shops. The top floor houses 12 duplex penthouses. 2 bedroom apartments start around USD 3m with penthouses reaching close to USD 20m. Each floor houses approximately 26 individual units.
Type: Ultra-modern chalet with 4 bedrooms and a living room equipped with a Bose home theatre system. The large terrace comes with a hot tub and the basement houses a hamam, a sauna and a massage room. It is at walking distance to the slopes and the village.
Location: Haute Savois, Rhones Alpes/ Megeve, France
Price: Advertised for rent at EUR 10,000 – 40,000 per week.
What to expect: Before I actually went there I thought Aspen was a compact, single, ultra posh ski resort. I was mistaken. Although a tiny Aspen is there with a handful of challenging short ski slopes and a really nice village, there is so much more to explore. Consider the name Aspen as the roof to a massive family of mountains consisting of Aspen, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands and Snowmass. When it comes to shopping and dining, Aspen is a wonder, but for skiing you have to try Snowmass and Aspen Highlands. Aspen has the most luxurious hotels and Aspen Highlands has none. Instead Highlands has the largest private mansions. In addition to more affordable ski in/out hotels, Snowmass, as its name suggests, encompasses a huge mass of winter wonderland with the best variety of slopes. It is highly recommended that you visit all of these mountains while you are there. The transportation between the three is free. You can take the free shuttle from multiple stops spread around each mountain. They run all day until midnight. The interval is usually 45 min and it takes approx. 20 min. to get from one mountain to the other.
Getting there: Fly to Denver and then either drive or fly to Aspen. Flight from New York to Denver takes 6 hours. Driving will take 4 hours from Denver to Aspen and flying will take 45 min. Bear in mind that although the flight from Denver to Aspen is short, it is highly likely that the flight will be delayed or even canceled because of strong winds.
Where to Stay: We chose to stay in Snowmass at the Stonebridge Inn. It was a great decision for us because we were there to ski. Aspen would have been a more expensive, relaxing and wining & dining spot. Stonebridge Inn is almost a ski in/out resort. The rooms are nice and the breakfast is great. You will have to wear your ski boots and shoulder the skis to walk 5 minutes to the slopes. The Silvertree Hotel, which is right on the Fanny Hill slope, is also recommended. If you are looking to splurge, go for the St. Regis or the Little Nell in Aspen.
Recommended Slopes:
Snowmass: Slot, Dallas Freeway, Sheer Bliss
Aspen Highlands: Mushroom
Aspen: Buckhorn, Midway Road, Ruthie’s Run, Summer Road, Gentelman’s Ridge & Jackpot (if you like the big challenge)
Buttermilk: Jacob’s Ladder
Where to Eat:
Save most of the dinners for Aspen.
Snowmass:
Lunch: Sam’s Smokehouse, Gwyn’s High Alpine
Dinner: Village Steakhouse at the Wildwood Lodge
Aspen Highlands:
Lunch: Loge Peak
Aspen:
Lunch: Sundeck
Dinner: Rustique, Matsushisa, Campo De Fiori, Pacifica Seafood, Kenichi. Please refer to the “Eat in Aspen” article for more details.
