Now that the fabled Hôtel de Crillon has reopened on the Place de la Concorde after a 4-year renovation, where does it rank in the pantheon of luxury hotels in Paris? We asked our Dandelion Chandelier Paris Bureau Chief to weigh in on what the opening means for those who are planning a trip to the City of Light and curious to learn where the chic insiders from France and other cosmopolitan places are staying right now. Here’s our report.
Isn’t spring your favorite season? Watchin’ the flowers bloomin’ up from the ground, watchin’ the snow melt down, boy, you may dig winter, boy, but spring is my joy. One of our favorite performances by the late great Al Jarreau was the artist singing “Joy Spring.” Whatever your favorite season, that song will make you feel alive to the possibilities of springtime. There are some reasonably kooky and sweet annual festivals around the world to mark the arrival of the season. For example, in Zenica, Bosnia, the Festival of Scrambled Eggs celebrates the egg as a symbol of new life. In Zurich, Sechseläuten is the opportunity to set fire to an enormous snowman (called the Böögg) to banish the winter. South Holland hosts a 12-hour-long parade that travels from Noordwijk to Haarlem; at the Flower Parade of the Bollenstreek every float is constructed of bulb flowers like hyacinths, tulips and daffodils. And in India and Nepal, at the Hindu spring festival of Holi – also known as the “festival of colors” – people of all …
Spending a winter weekend skiing in Vermont is a very fine thing to do. And one of the best places to do it is at Okemo Mountain Resort, in Ludlow, in the central part of the state. Depending on your luck, you could find ice cookies, mashed potatoes, snow snakes and joy.
Looking for vacation ideas for the upcoming snow season holidays? Eager to have your children learn to ski (or to increase their skills)? Hoping to raise a future Olympian? We’ve got you covered. Lots of our friends are avid skiers, and they hope that their offspring will be, too. But where’s the best place to go if you want the very best ski (or snowboard) instruction for your brood? Our Snow Editor and our team of far-flung correspondents have a double-black diamond list of suggestions.
In the annals of luxury, Aspen is one of the iconic legends. The name alone evokes a life of beauty, adventure and ease. But is the luxury hype about Aspen still true today? We decided to investigate. Here’s how to have a luxurious vacation in Aspen right now.
