Fairmont Magazine

VOL. 11 NO. 1

Scottsdale: The New Wild West Sail Away to Bermuda Nostalgic Nairobi

Shanghai to Beijing

Landmark hotels tell a tale of two cities Fairmont Unforgettable.

Since 1907.

LEGENDS LIVE FOREVER EL PRIMERO

www.zenith-watches.com

I Chronomaster 1969

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Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, Bermuda

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To learn more about exclusive rewards and privileges, visit fairmontcard.com

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9:18 PM The moment you held the key to luxury.

Accounts subject to credit approval. Restrictions and limitations apply.

Fairmont credit cards are issued by Chase Bank, USA, N.A. See fairmontcard.com for pricing and rewards details.

Breguet, the innovator.

Invention of the Tourbillon, 1801

With the Classique “ Grande Complication � Tourbillon Messidor wristwatch, Breguet reinvents its most spectacular invention, the tourbillon, designed to compensate for the effects of gravity. Held between two sapphire crystals, the tourbillon floats weightless inside its carriage, while the sapphire dial offers a transparent vision of the complex proprietary movement and its meticulous hand finishing. History is still being written ...

6:37PM The moment you toasted new friends and old favorites.

Experience what happens when elite Fairmont mixologists join forces to craft a cocktail menu. Visit our bar and lounge, and let us serve you a refreshing new idea or two from around the world.

See how the classics were reborn at fairmontcocktails.com

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CONTENTS

VOL. 1 1 NO. 1

FAIRMONT M AG A Z I N E

CONNECT WITH FAIRMONT by following this icon to insider tips and offers for Fairmont Magazine readers.

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40

Cover Story

SHANGHAI TO BEIJING Two iconic hotels and the strong founding figures behind them reveal the story of China past and present.

By Natasha Mekhail

ON THE COVER: A temple fair in Beijing held for Spring Festival, the Chinese New Year.

THIS PAGE: The Chinese Suite at Fairmont Peace Hotel, Shanghai; photographer: Xavier Girard-Lachaîne.

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 9

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CONTENTS

52 Features

20

32

A LIFE UNTAMED Meet Beryl Markham, the freespirited author and adventurer who challenged Kenyan colonial society.

By Paula McLain

Departments 12

COMMUNIT Y

52

14

THE NEW RULES OF THE WEST

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

From desert farming to Cowboy College, modern Arizona pays tribute to its frontier roots.

By Renée Morrison

16

CONTRIBUTORS 19

CHECK IN Travel, fashion & lifestyle.

60

SET TO SAIL

81

In Bermuda, the countdown to the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, the America’s Cup, is well under way.

CHECK OUT Turkish delights at the new Fairmont Ajman.

By Jody Robbins

By Eve Thomas

News & Promotions fea turing 73

Celebrate 70 years of tiki chic at Fairmont San Francisco’s famous Tonga Room.

29

77

Keep the whole family happy while on the go with Fairmont kids’ clubs.

78

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Peek inside the most exclusive suites at Fairmont hotels around the globe.

PHOTOS: CHRIS HINKLE (SCOTTSDALE); GABRIELLE SYKES (PENCILS); VIRGINIA MACDONALD (BOAT)

Megan Hess proves that fashion illustration is an art in its own right.

Fairmont Connections

ISSN 1925-4121

68

DRAWN TO IT

2016-04-21 12:22 PM

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COMMUNITY

UNITE D STATES

Share Your Memories

BERKELEY Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel BOSTON Fairmont Copley Plaza CHICAGO Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

Check in with us wherever you are.

So Fancy #fairmontcopleyplaza #boston @FairmontCopley @peachytj

DALLAS Fairmont Dallas HAWAII Fairmont Orchid MAUI Fairmont Kea Lani

@F a i r m o n t H o t e l s # Fa i r m o n t M o m e n t s

NEWPORT BEACH Fairmont Newport Beach NEW YORK The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel PITTSBURGH Fairmont Pittsburgh SAN DIEGO Fairmont Grand Del Mar SAN FRANCISCO Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square SAN FRANCISCO Fairmont San Francisco SAN JOSE Fairmont San Jose SANTA FE Fairmont Heritage Place, El Corazon de Santa Fe SANTA MONICA Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows Life is a little bit better from the top @FairmontSanFrancisco @oliviamorrow13

SCOTTSDALE Fairmont Scottsdale Princess SEATTLE Fairmont Olympic Hotel SONOMA Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa TELLURIDE Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge WASHINGTON Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown

Just chilling in my #Fairmont robe at the @FairmontBanff.

An amazing place to spend the weekend. #homeawayfromhome @FairmontBanff @CdnWakeSurfr

CANADA BANFF Fairmont Banff Springs CALGARY Fairmont Palliser CHARLEVOIX Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu EDMONTON Fairmont Hotel Macdonald JASPER Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge

Barbie dreamhouse #dreamhouse #fancy @FairmontLaurier @alexandratower

LAKE LOUISE Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise MONTEBELLO Fairmont Le Château Montebello MONTREAL Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth MONT TREMBLANT Fairmont Tremblant OTTAWA Fairmont Château Laurier

#Fairmont Mag

QUEBEC CITY Fairmont Le Château Frontenac TORONTO Fairmont Royal York Bo loves that he and Bunnie can stay and play #victoria #dogfriendlyhotel #yorkielove @FairmontEmpress @deneen_cooks

VANCOUVER Fairmont Pacific Rim VANCOUVER Fairmont Hotel Vancouver VANCOUVER Fairmont Vancouver Airport

Share your moments using the magazine hashtag and your post may be selected to appear in the next issue.

VANCOUVER Fairmont Waterfront VICTORIA Fairmont Empress WHISTLER Fairmont Chateau Whistler WINNIPEG Fairmont Winnipeg @FairmontDubai

The #FairmontFrontenac in Quebec City is absolutely gorgeous and has the title of being the most photographed hotel in the world. @kentondejong

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@ThePlazaHotel

LOVE the hotel we stayed in! The customer service is impeccable, the shower/faucets are made out of gold, and there was no stone left unturned – pure luxury. @FairmontBeijing @angeledrussell

Turns out there’s a whole lot more to #StAndrews than just golf. @FairmontStA @sologirltravel

@PrincessBermuda

2016-04-28 12:10 PM

COMMUNITY ASIA BALI Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali BEIJING Fairmont Beijing JAIPUR Fairmont Jaipur JAKARTA Fairmont Jakarta KUNSHAN Fairmont Yangcheng Lake MAKATI CITY, MANILA Fairmont Makati

Good morning – hope your weekend is as pretty and sweet as this candy stack #hightea #relaxing @FairmontJakarta @jiajia72

NANJING Fairmont Nanjing SHANGHAI Fairmont Peace Hotel Magnificent! @FairmontNanjing @realsakuyo

SINGAPORE Fairmont Singapore

MEXICO, CARIBBEAN AND BE RMUDA BARBADOS Fairmont Royal Pavilion HAMILTON Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, A Fairmont Managed Hotel RIVIERA MAYA Fairmont Mayakoba SOUTHAMPTON Fairmont Southampton

EUROPE Brunch with view #InstaBrunch #Monaco @FairmontMC @Jo_Yana

BAKU Fairmont Baku, Flame Towers BARCELONA Fairmont Rey Juan Carlos I, Barcelona

Toasting the #Superbowl in #Bermuda with a dark and stormy @PrincessBermuda @hamishbowles

HAMBURG Fairmont Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg KIEV Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv LONDON The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel MONTE CARLO Fairmont Monte Carlo MONTREUX Fairmont Le Montreux Palace ST ANDREWS Fairmont St Andrews

MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA ABU DHABI Fairmont Bab Al Bahr AJMAN Fairmont Ajman CAIRO Fairmont Heliopolis

Night view from our suite at @FairmontAjman @gul_kerr

CAIRO Fairmont Towers, Heliopolis CAIRO Fairmont Nile City DUBAI Fairmont Dubai

Morning cardio done with some paddle boarding #uae #abudhabi #paddleboarding @FairmontBab @kategnutrition

DUBAI Fairmont The Palm

IN DEVE LOPME NT

MAKKAH Fairmont Makkah Clock Royal Tower

ABU DHABI Fairmont Marina Resort, Abu Dhabi

MASAI MARA Fairmont Mara Safari Club

AMMAN Fairmont Amman

MOUNT KENYA Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club

AUSTIN Fairmont Austin

NAIROBI Fairmont The Norfolk

CHENGDU Fairmont Chengdu

ZIMBALI Fairmont Zimbali Lodge

FUJAIRAH Fairmont Fujairah

ZIMBALI Fairmont Zimbali Resort

ISTANBUL Fairmont Quasar, Istanbul RIYADH Fairmont Riyadh, Business Gate

PHOTOS: INSTAGRAM, TWITTER

#FairmontSingapore

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Did not expect my Tuesday evening to wind up at #TheSavoy #BeaufortBar with bluesy pianist & cocktails @TheSavoyLondon @BryonySymes

FOR RESERVATIONS

SHARM EL SHEIKH Fairmont Citystars,

PLEASE VISIT FAIRMONT.COM

Sharm el Sheikh

Back home from a memorable stay at the #FairmontBabAlBahr and can’t wait to go back! @Adranaline101

#FairmontPeaceHotel

Weekend getaway. Sunny day at the pool! #cairo #FairmontHeliopolis @avenseenafauzi

2016-04-28 12:15 PM

PRESIDENT’S LETTER

Dear Readers,

My passion is travel. Each journey becomes a wonderful memory – a chance to explore beautiful destinations, connect with the people and, of course, stay in amazing hotels.

Fortunately for me, I work in an industry that allows me to pursue my passion on both a personal and professional level. It is such a pleasure to be part of Fairmont’s long tradition of connecting extraordinary people with extraordinary destinations.

While it is easy for me to be biased toward Fairmont, J.D. Power is renowned for objectivity and the quintessential definition of excellence. I am very proud to share that Fairmont recently became the first hospitality company in history to be recognized with the J.D. Power President’s Award. The award is the ultimate recognition of our longterm commitment to connecting with our guests, and it is entirely due to the efforts of our extraordinary team of colleagues around the world.

In this issue of Fairmont Magazine, I invite you to step away from your busy life to travel the globe with me – and to meet some of the people behind the scenes. Revel in the historic and cutting-edge design details of Fairmont hotels in Shanghai and Beijing or find your own pace in the great American West in Arizona. Discover Nairobi through the eyes of bestselling author Paula McLain. Or perhaps jump on board for the countdown to the America’s Cup, happening in Bermuda in 2017, which has the island polishing up for the event in the form of new restaurants, renovated accommodations and sailing opportunities galore.

We are also giving you a glimpse of some new bucket list destinations where Fairmont can be your conduit to the very best of the locale, including Amman, Jordan, and Berkeley, California, home to the beautifully renovated Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel, overlooking San Francisco Bay. If your passion veers toward a culinary journey, we have exciting new restaurants joining the ranks of our world-renowned collection of dining establishments, which includes staples such as Nobu at Fairmont Monte Carlo. From its flagship in New York in the trendsetting Meatpacking District to Los Angeles and St Tropez comes Bistrot Bagatelle at Fairmont Dubai. Added to that is another Meatpacking District import, Catch, which brings Americanstyle seafood to Dubai.

Whether you join us for a vacation or drop in for lunch, we wish you safe travels and bon appetit!

Jennifer Fox President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 1 4

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5:17PM

The moment you saw an old favorite in a new light.

If you’re planning to get away, the San Francisco Bay Area often comes to mind. And Berkeley’s newly renovated Claremont Club & Spa offers you a true break from the ordinary, with 10 tennis courts, two swimming pools, fine dining and one of the top-ranked spas in the country. When you’re looking for distinction and ease, make Claremont Club & Spa—or any of Fairmont’s 70+ hotels worldwide—your home base for exceptional experiences.

Gateway to your moment in over 20 countries. fairmont.com

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CONTRIBUTORS Senior Vice President, Content Strategy

Senior National Account Manager, High Net Worth Media Fiona Stedman

fiona.stedman@spafax.com

Arjun Basu

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Natasha Mekhail fairmontmagazine@spafax.com

EDITOR I A L Associate Editor EVE THOMAS

PAULA M c LAIN

CHRIS HINKLE

French Editor VIOLAINE CHARESTSIGOUIN

Writer Paula McLain is the author of the New York Times best seller The Paris Wife as well as the memoir Like Family: Growing Up in Other People’s Houses and two collections of poetry.

For “A Life Untamed” (p. 32) she traveled to Kenya to follow in the footsteps of adventurer Beryl Markham, the heroine of McLain’s latest book, Circling the Sun. The historical novel explores Markham’s life amongst Kenyan colonial society in the early 1900s, which included Out of Africa author Karen Blixen.

Photographer Chris Hinkle captures a modern take on the cowboy way in “The New Rules of the West” (p. 52). The Arizona-based photographer’s past work can be found in Prevention, Fortune and the New York Times and his commercial clients include Under Armour and Nike. One of Hinkle’s favorite finds during the shoot was Singh Farms. “The passion Ken Singh has for growing organic and composting, trying to address an environmental crisis, is inspiring.”

Digital Editor RENÉE MORRISON Copy Editor MELISSA EDWARDS Fact Checker TARA DUPUIS Proofreader JANE PAVANEL Editorial Intern ROBIN DELLA CORTE ART Art Director GUILLAUME BRIÈRE Assistant Art Director MÉLANIE OUIMET Graphic Designer MARIE-EVE DUBOIS Photo Researcher JULIE SAINDON PRODUCTION Production Director JOELLE IRVINE Production Manager JENNIFER FAGAN CONTR IBUTOR S Amelie Beaulieu, Marc-Olivier Bécotte, Martin Côté, Nader Daoud, Shea Evans, Xavier Girard-Lachaîne, Chris Hinkle, Valerie Howes, Virginia Macdonald, Josh McKinley,

XAVIER G IRARD - LACHAÎNE Photographer Based in Montreal, Canada, photographer Xavier GirardLachaîne has snapped pictures for clients including Conde Nast Traveller, The Telegraph and Acquired Taste magazine. He says the most interesting thing to photograph in China for “Shanghai to Beijing” (p. 40) was the Forbidden City – though he was reluctant to choose. “It makes it so interesting to shoot in a place where everything is new to you!”

Lachaîne is currently working on photography for two books, including one about a forager family in rural Quebec.

NATASHA MEKHAIL Editor-in-Chief As editor of Fairmont Magazine, Mekhail is used to traveling far for work, from the beaches of Barcelona to the perfumeries of Grasse. In this issue she checks out China for “Shanghai to Beijing” (p. 40). The highlight of her journey: the food. “There is a true joy that surrounds mealtime that is palpable.

You see it whether people are grabbing a quick bowl of noodles or sitting down to a multi-course banquet.” Her next stop: a summer holiday in Paris.

Paula McLain, Raymond Pourchez, Jody Robbins, Amanda Ross, David Shaw, Gabrielle Sykes, Ambroise Tézenas, John Von Seeburg © Copyright 2016 by Spafax Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission of the publisher is prohibited. Fairmont Magazine is published twice per year by Spafax Canada Inc. Points of view expressed do not necessarily represent those of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising matter. The publisher assumes no responsibility for return or safety of unsolicited art, photographs or manuscripts. Printed in Canada.

ASI A SINGAPOR E Spafax Airline Network Pte, Ltd. Geraldine Lee geraldine.lee@spafax.com

EUROPE LONDON Spafax Inflight Media Phil Peachey phil.peachey@spafax.com

MIDDLE EAST DUBAI Spafax Dubai Nick Hopkins nick.hopkins@spafax.com

NORTH A MER ICA CANADA Media Director Laura Maurice laura.maurice@spafax.com

National Sales Manager Tracy Miller

Ad Production Manager Mary Shaw

mary.shaw@spafax.com

Production and Circulation Coordinator

Stephen Geraghty stephen.geraghty @spafax.com

SPAFAX.COM Toronto 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1020, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8 Canada +1 416 350 2425 Fax +1 416 350 2440 Montreal 500, St. Jacques Street West, Suite 1510, Montreal, QC, H2Y 1S1 Canada +1 514 844 2001 Fax +1 514 844 6001

Chairman, Spafax Content Marketing Niall McBain

CEO, Spafax Content Marketing Raymond Girard

Executive Vice President, Content Marketing

tracy.miller@spafax.com

Nino Di Cara

FRHI HOTELS & RESORTS

Vice President, Public Relations & Partnerships Alexandra Blum

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer William R. Fatt

Manager, Public Relations & Partnerships

President & Chief Operating Officer

Kaitlynn Furse

President, International & Fairmont Brand

Patricia Courtney

Michael Glennie

Jennifer Fox

Executive Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer Michelle Crosby

Senior Vice President, Marketing Sean Taggart

Vice President, Fairmont Brand Jane Mackie

Coordinator, Public Relations Administrative Assistant to the President International & President Fairmont Brand Sue Moore

FRHI Hotels & Resorts RBC Centre, 155 Wellington St. W., Suite 3300 Toronto, ON, M5V 0C3 Canada +1 416 874 2600, fairmont.com, frhi.com

PHOTOS: NINA SUBIN (M c LAIN); RICHMOND LAM (MEKHAIL)

VOL. 11 NO. 1

Sales Manager, Quebec and Eastern Senior Director, Canada Business Development Lysanne Boileau lysanne.boileau@spafax.com and Client Strategy Sales Manager, Courtney MacNeil Western Canada Barb Welsh Senior Strategist, barb.welsh@spafax.com Luxury and Lifestyle South America Brands Spafax Medios Y Christal Agostino Publicidad Ltda.

Deborah Mogelberg Account Manager, deborah.mogelberg Luxury and @spafax.com Lifestyle Brands A DVERTISING Elana Crotin PRODUCTION

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ONE CENTURY IN A BOTTLE Each decanter takes 4 generations of Cellar Masters over 100 years to craft.

A blend of up 1200 eaux-de-vie, the youngest of which is at least 40 years old.

www.LOUISXIII-COGNAC.com PLEASE SAVOR RESPONSIBLY.

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S M A L L B AT C H BOURBON A W A R D -W I N N I N G FLAVOR

C R A F T C A R E F U L LY. D R I N K R E S P O N S I B LY. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.2% Alc. By Vol., The Woodford Reserve Distillery, Versailles, KY Š2016

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VOL . 11 NO. 1

FAIRMONT MAGAZINE

CHECK IN T R AV E L , FA S H I O N & L I F E S T Y L E

CONNECT Discover the new Fairmont Amman, p. 74.

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A M M A N, JOR DA N

Strong Hold

PHOTO: NADER DAOUD

W H AT ’ S I N S I D E

Haute Hotdogs (P. 20), Bubbly Bars (P. 21), Snap Like a Pro (P. 22), Via Ferrata 101 (P. 23), Travel and Tequila (P. 24), Style in Bloom (P. 25), Scotland Road Trip (P. 26), Sounds That Soothe (P. 28), Multitasking Beauty Sticks (P. 29), Whistler au Courant (P. 30)

The Citadel, a national historic site in the center of Amman made up of temple ruins dating back to the Roman era, has attracted archaeologists since the 1920s, but a large portion still remains unexcavated. Noteworthy discoveries include the stone columns of the Roman Temple of Hercules (built between 161 and 180 AD) and the domed Umayyad Palace (circa 730 AD). But perhaps most striking is the Hand of Hercules, a fragment that belonged to an enormous marble sculpture of the mythological hero erected along with his temple. The figure is believed to have come crashing down during one of the region’s periodic earthquakes, and while the rest of Hercules is rumored to have been repurposed into marble countertops throughout Amman, these three digits remain – making it one of the cit y’s most mysterious attractions, hands down.

Renée Morrison

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FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 1 9

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CHECK IN

THE DISH

CONNECT Find out what’s new at Fairmont Singapore, p. 76.

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F

rom baseball games to barbecues, hotdogs have always been a simple pleasure – but could they ever be fine dining? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time comfort food went upscale. With wagyu beef burgers and truffle ketchup on the best dinner menus, it was only natural for chefs to vie for top dog.

Fairmont concierges at The Plaza in New York and Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown, sniffed out the best dogs at Daniel Boulud’s DBGB, where sausages are made in-house and served up three ways: classic, Tunisienne (harissa, chickpeas) or Thai (green papaya, sriracha). Although the invention of the hotdog is usually credited to a Coney Island entrepreneur, not all the best buns are all-American. In London, England, The Savoy’s concierge recommends Bubbledogs, which redefines high-low by pairing

Haute Dogs The humble dog gets a gourmet makeover from chefs with real pedigree.

By Eve Thomas

Champagne with a dozen different dogs, including the Trishna (topped with mango chutney) and the Breakie (fried egg, bacon).

At Fairmont Singapore’s poolside restau­rant, Alligator Pear, order up indulgent, hotdogbased takes on international dishes like poutine, pizza and spaghetti Bolognese.

The Best in Show award goes to DougieDog’s Dragon Dog, served at last year’s Calgary Stampede. Don’t let their food truck fool you – the foot-long bratwurst was infused with Louis XIII cognac and topped with Kobe beef and a lobster tail. Despite the $100 price tag, it sold out in a day, and there are plans for an even bigger dog this summer.

Still not sure a frank can be fancy? Take a cue from US President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

In 1939, he served up hotdogs to some very discerning dinner guests: the king and queen of England!

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 0

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THE DRINK

CHECK IN

Pop Goes the World Champagne is more than just a drink, it’s an instant merrymaker at dedicated bubbly bars around the globe.

By Eve Thomas Photo by Joss McKinley

“I

was only a few hours old when I had my first taste of Champagne,” says Veuve Clicquot chef de cave Dominique Demarville, who hails from the famed French region. “The tradition there is to put a little drop on the baby’s lips.”

It’s just the sort of mysterious, almost mystical rite that only Champagne can inspire. As much a symbol of celebration as a libation, Champagne fills a tall order for a drink, but one fulfilled at an increasing number of pop-ups, including a temporary Champagneand-chip shop in London, England, and a secret bar in the mountains of Aspen, CONNECT Colorado, only discoverable Learn more through online clues. Dediabout cated bubbly bars are also Champagne at Fairmont, turning up at LAX (Petrosp. 75. sian Caviar & Champagne ——— Bar) and Heathrow (The Bar at Fortnum & Mason) and at hotels such as Fairmont Beijing and The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel. After all, when Fairmont relaunched its cocktail program last year, not all the menu offerings were mixed drinks. The team of elite bartenders also picked out select spirits best enjoyed on their own, and that includes a glass of Veuve.

“There are two things that give Champagne the capacity to create happiness,” theorizes Demarville, who picked his first grape in 1985 before earning a degree in oenology and viticulture, then rising in the ranks to his current prestigious position.

“One is the famous ‘pop.’ When you hear that noise, everybody looks. The second is the lightness of the bubbles. I truly believe that this effervescence helps people to think more optimistically.” The idea may be simple – a serving of Champagne, straight – but the result is sparkling.

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 1

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CHECK IN

THREE STEPS

CONNECT Capture every moment with Flytographer packages for Fairmont guests, p. 76.

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Picture Perfected Flytographer’s international shutterbugs reveal their top tips for taking amazing travel pics.

01

02

03

BEAT THE CROWDS

STAND TALL

CHANG E YOUR FOCUS

Feeling jet-lagged? Use it to your advantage by catching the sunrise. “Getting up early lets you take photos with gorgeous light. The ‘golden hour’ occurs not only just before sunset, but also for about an hour after sunrise,” says photographer Tanja from Vancouver, Canada. “At that time you’ll find even major tourist sites are devoid of people.”

The nicest scenery can’t stand up to a shaky camera, but getting a stable shot doesn’t have to mean lugging around a heavy tripod. “The key is to tuck those elbows in tight to your body and plant your back foot behind you with your toe pointed outward,” advises Michelle from Portland, USA. “And hold your breath!”

Look before you leap – or before you turn your lens on your surroundings.

“Walk, discover, and only take your phone or camera out later,” says Emma from Florence, Italy. “That way, your photographs will tell a real story. Plus you will have a genuine experience by not walking around glued to your camera or phone.”

F LY T O G R A P H E R Founded in Victoria, Canada, by entrepreneur and frequent traveler Nicole Smith, the service lets tourists hire expert local photographers around the globe to capture their vacation memories, whether they’re on a honeymoon or family holiday. No selfie stick required. flytographer.com/fairmontmemories

PHOTOS: KKGAS (CAMERA); FLYTOGRAPHER (TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY)

By Eve Thomas

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 2

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01

THRILL SEEKER

CHECK IN

02

03

THE HISTORY While the origins of via ferrata date back to the 19th century, the modern “iron road” was created

by Italian soldiers during WWI to help them navigate the Dolomite Mountains. The routes include a network of rungs, ladders and steel cable attached to rock, allowing climbers to clip themselves in and out securely.

THE G EAR 01 Sport stylish, foldable Baendit sunnies, US$119, baendit.com 02 Stay hydrated with a S’well insulated water bottle, US$35, swellbottle.com 03 Pack a picnic for the peak in a Fjallraven Kaipak 28

THE TIP

backpack, US$150, fjallraven.com

CONNECT

PHOTOS: LEANDER NARDIN (VIA FERRATA)

Get pampered at Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, p. 75.

———

“Whatever your skill level, go with a qualified mountain guide or experienced friend your first few times, and always get them to check your equipment – helmet, harness, lanyards – to make sure it is fitted properly.”

Anna Chekurova, fitness instructor, Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

S TAY

CLIMB

Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge

Ajax Peak, Telluride, Colorado, USA

Fairmont Banff Springs

Mount Norquay, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

Rochers de Naye, Montreux, Switzerland

Rocky Road Via ferrata routes let hikers of all levels reach great heights. By Eve Thomas

THE STAT

400 The number of via ferratas in Italy.

Find them around the world, including China, Kenya, Canada and Mexico.

THE TRE ND A via ferrata offers the best of both worlds: Less-experienced hikers (even children) can access more dramatic peaks and views than they would during a regular walk, while expert mountaineers can use the system to cover more ground and travel solo in safety.

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CHECK IN

QUESTIONNAIRE

George Clooney and Rande Gerber

FAVORITE FAMILY TRIP — Tanzania, on safari.

In Good Spirits Casamigos Tequila co-founder Rande Gerber talks packing light, family vacations and the benefits of having a (super) model travel companion. Interview by Eve Thomas

CONNECT Taste Casamigos tequila in one of Fairmont’s new cocktails, p. 77.

———

FAVORITE BAR IN THE WORLD FOR SIPPING TEQUILA — Café Habana Malibu.

MY IDEA OF TRAVEL HAPPINESS IS — Taking

off on time and arriving on time to meet friends for dinner.

RANDE G E RBE R New York native Rande Gerber is an entertainment industry entrepreneur who helped pioneer South Beach’s nightlife scene. A former model himself, he’s been married to Cindy Crawford since 1998, and co-founded Casamigos Tequila with longtime friends George Clooney and resort community developer Mike Meldman. casamigos.com

PHOTO: CASAMIGOS

WHEN TRAVELING, I WEAR — Jeans and a T-shirt. I also bring a light coat or cashmere sweater.

WHAT’S IN MY CARRY-ON — Everything, since I never check luggage. I usually have an iPad for music, movies and work, and a passport since you never know where you might end up. I also have cash, a toothbrush, shirts, jeans and board shorts for surfing.

PIECE OF HOME I CARRY WITH ME — Pictures of my wife [model Cindy Crawford], kids and dad.

We spent a week and stayed at tented camps. It is the best experience you will ever have with your kids.

DREAM TRAVEL COMPANION — My wife.

She has traveled so much for her career, she takes care of all the details, so all I have to do is carry the bags.

BEST WAY TO GET TO KNOW A CITY — Visit the local bar and talk to the bartenders.

FAVORITE CITY — New York.

JET-LAG REMEDY — Casamigos tequila and a good night’s sleep. If I arrive late, I usually go to the hotel bar and have a tequila or two. That either leads to another or I’m ready for bed. Either way, I wake up ready to go.

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 4

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CHECK IN

ACCENTS

BIRKS Muse pearl ring in rose gold, US$625, maisonbirks.com

THIERRY LASRY DSMNY Special (Sexxxy), US$465, doverstreetmarket.com

GUERLAIN Kisskiss Roselip in Morning Rose, US$37, guerlain.com

JUDITH & CHARLES Agustus floral lace top, US$250, judithandcharles.com

CONNECT Be the first to experience the new Fairmont Chengdu, p. 77.

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Cherry Picked From the prettiest pinks to the deepest purples, Chengdu’s cherry blossoms inspire spring fashion.

CAROLINA HERRERA SS16

China’s budding cherry trees.

SHU UEMURA Limited Edition Dual Fit Pressed Powder Pastel Shimmer, US$30, shuuemura.com

CHLOÉ Grosgraintrimmed cady shorts, US$815, net-a-porter.com

LANCÔME La Vie Est Belle Eau De Parfum, US$86, lancome.com

GUCCI Blooms GG Supreme mini chain bag, US$950, gucci.com

CLARISONIC MIA 2 in pink, US$149, clarisonic.com PALLADIUM Flex Lace Mid sneaker in Old Rose/Marshmallow, US$55, palladiumboots.com

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DAY T R I P

Scotland Auld and New The Auld Country is full of new experiences, yet never forgets its past. Discover the ancient and the innovative on a day trip in and around St Andrews. By Valerie Howes

9:00 AM THE FIFE COASTAL PATH Fishermen’s cottages cluster around the harbor in Lower Largo, 12 miles from St Andrews, on the East Neuk of Fife.

Alexander Selkirk, the 17th-century sailor who inspired Daniel Defoe’s fictional castaway, Robinson Crusoe, was born here.

Visit Selkirk’s bronze statue on the main street, then stroll the sandy beach, from the sailing club to the harbor – one of the prettiest stretches on the recently developed 117-mile Fife Coastal Path. fifecoastalpath.co.uk

CONNECT Explore oldmeets-new accommodations at Fairmont St Andrews, p. 75.

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11:00 AM

FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS While the nearby Old Course is considered the birthplace of golf, Fairmont St Andrews’ outdoor activities are about more than hitting the links. Guests can hire mountain bikes on-site to explore the area (including the Fife Coastal Path) or, in case of rain, there’s an indoor pool, Signature Spa and a dedicated KidZone stocked with Xboxes and boardgames for the whole family. fairmont.com/st-andrews-scotland FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 6

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1:00 PM

4:00 PM

FALKLAND PALACE Hunting, hawking and tennis drew Mary, Queen of Scots, to Falkland Palace on family retreats. You can still see the tennis court where she honed her racquet skills – built in 1539, it’s the oldest royal tennis court in Britain. Tour the palace to ogle the spectacular gilded king’s bed and gallery of Flemish tapestries. Meander outside in the newly planted Physic Garden to discover the medicinal herbs of Mary’s time. nts.org.uk

KINGSBARNS DISTILLERY Golf caddy and dram lover Douglas Clement opened shop last year in a collection of historic farm buildings amid barley fields. His Kingsbarns Distillery laid its first cask to age in the centuries-old doocot, where pigeons once roosted. While you won’t be able to try the smallbatch single malt in bottles until 2018, you can already sample the fruity and floral new-make spirit. Sign up for one of three tasting tours, tailored to different levels of expertise. kingsbarnsdistillery.com

3

FISH SUPPERS TO UNWRAP 01 CROMARS

8:00 PM

Hit this St Andrews spot for battered haddock or cod with

PHOTOS: BCS/ALAMY (COAST); VISITBRITAIN/HARRY WILLIAMS (GOLF); NTS MEDIA (FALKLAND PALACE ); THE HELIX (THE KELPIES)

chips, peas, bread and butter – along with Prosecco to wash it down. cromars.co.uk 02 ANSTRUTHER FISH BAR Feast on Scottish haddock, sole or battered prawns while watching fishermen at work in the harbor. anstrutherfishbar.co.uk

THE KE LPIES 03 PITTENWEEM FISH AND CHIP BAR Try this old-school chippy’s hand-cut fries wrapped in newspaper – and don’t forget the malt vinegar! pittenweemharbour.co.uk

Located in Falkirk’s Helix Park, an hour’s coastal drive from St Andrews, The Kelpies are best visited at night, when they’re illuminated. Inaugurated in 2014, the majestic 100-foot horse heads are the world’s tallest equine sculptures and the largest works of public art in Scotland. Designed by Scottish sculptor Andy Scott, they speak to the region’s equine heritage and were inspired by beasts from Celtic mythology that had the strength of 10 regular horses. thekelpies.co.uk FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 7

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IN BALANCE

Tune In, Drop Off

By Renée Morrison

YOUR APPY PLACE Relax at home or on-the-go with these sound-based apps.

01 White Noise

F

orget whale songs, pan flutes and the satellite Zen channel: Spas and fitness studios around the world are unplugging the speakers in favor of live music.

The granddaddy of the movement is the Integratron in California’s Mojave Desert, an all-wood domed chamber where visitors lie down to feel the harmonic frequencies from quartz bowls in what’s called a “sound bath,” an experience said to have a deeply calming effect.

At Bota Bota in Montreal, Canada, spagoers can benefit from the health perks of classical music, which has been proven to reduce blood pressure, by booking a massage set to a private concert by harpist Annabelle

Choose from over 50 looped sounds, from ocean waves to heavy rain.

02 Classical Stream Pro Browse classical music by composer or select a playlist for your mood.

03 Brainwave Studio

Renzo (pictured). Yogis do the same at classes choreographed to live percussion, saxophone or guitar music, offered at New York City’s Yoga Vida.

Meanwhile, “sound therapy” spa treatments make use of objects that resonate – Tibetan singing bowls, gongs and tuning forks – to send the body into a deep state of relaxation. The harmonious vibrations are believed to release tension caused by stress, allowing energy to run freely throughout the body and stimulate cellular healing. Test out the theory with a tuning fork session at Tiburon Spa in California (the forks vibrate next to acupuncture points), or at Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, where every spa treatment begins to the song of Tibetan singing bowls, an ancient spiritual practice said to align the chakras and promote inner peace – not to mention harmony.

CONNECT Find more inspiration for your trip to Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, p. 75.

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Isochronic tones pulse at specific frequencies to send your brain into a state of bliss.

01

02

03

PHOTO: IAN WOO (BOTA BOTA)

Hit all the right notes with wellness treatments that harness the therapeutic power of sound.

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 8

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T R AV E L O G U E

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ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER: MARC-OLIVIER BÉCOTTE; PRODUCTION: RODEO

CONNECT Unearth your natural beauty with mineral makeup from Fairmont partner Jane Iredale, p. 76.

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Pencil Case These smart, portable makeup sticks do double duty.

Photo by Gabrielle Sykes

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 2 9

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STREET VIEW

SCANDINAVE SPA 8010 Mons Rd. scandinave.com/whistler

AUDAIN ART MUSEUM 4350 Blackcomb Way audainartmuseum.com

ALTA LAKE

WHISTLER

SE

A

TO

SK Y

HW

Y

A LTA L A K E R D

WILDFLOWER 4599 Chateau Blvd. fairmont.com/whistler

BAR OSO #9, 4222 Village Sq. baroso.ca

CAMP LIFESTYLE & COFFEE CO. 1066 Millar Creek Rd. camplifestyle.ca

All-Season Pass

BE ST FOR

At any time of year, Whistler has a vibe that’s more metro than mountain.

By Amanda Ross

W

CONNECT

histler, Canada, routinely conjures up dreams of epic powder, but this world-famous ski destination is a year-round attraction. As the weather warms up, down coats are swapped for T-shirts, hot cocoa for cool cocktails and the mountain runs transform into hiking trails with breathtaking views of the area’s evergreen forests and azure lakes. And now, thanks to a vision for Whistler village that’s more chic than quaint, both visitors and locals can look forward to fine dining, design and art every day of the year.

Plan an outdoor adventure at Fairmont Chateau Whistler, p. 77.

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No need to rough it while in the great outdoors. On the outskirts of Whistler Village sits the new Camp Lifestyle & Coffee Co., a concrete-cool shop “for the sustainable camper” (and stylish lumberjacks) that includes a café (Camp Grounds) and a design space (Camp Home) with Canadian-made goods like Woodlot candles and Loyal Loot log bowls, as well as an outdoor area (Camp Site) offering a fireside spot for making s’mores.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF HEFFEL.COM (E. CARR); CHAD CHOMLACK (SPA); BRANDON HART (SANTOS); KEVIN CLARK (TARTARE)

Cool Camping

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STREET VIEW

BE ST FOR

A Sweet Start A healthy day starts at Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s new dedicated juice-andcoffee bar in the recently renovated Wildflower restaurant. Smoothies are chock-full of superfoods like kale, avocado and spinach, and each carefully crafted cup is sweetened with honey from the hotel’s own rooftop hives.

Come summer, fresh local fruit, like raspberries and strawberries from nearby Pemberton, join the mix.

BE ST FOR

A Spa Day Scandinave Spa, which used to see its Nordic-inspired outdoor pools used as a post-downhill detoxifier, has been transformed into the perfect warmweather oasis. With a 4,000-square-foot (372-square-meter) addition completed this January, adventurers can rejuvenate post-hike/bike in its new eucalyptus steam room, Finnish sauna and yoga studio – all set against the postcard-ready cedar and spruce forest.

Chef Jorge Munoz Santos

“The Crazy Stair (The Crooked Staircase),” Emily Carr

BE ST FOR

Fine Dining Ever since it opened in 1981, Whistler’s dining heavyweight, Araxi, has dominated the culinary scene. Now, Bar Oso next door extends the institution’s storied reach. Offering Spanish tapas for easy sharing (Iberico ham, seafood escabeche), the pint-sized spot – helmed by Araxi chef James Walt and chef de cuisine Jorge Munoz Santos – is a glam but intimate space clad in mirrors and dark walls.

BE ST FOR

Upscale Art One doesn’t expect to find fine art tucked away just steps from a ski lift, which makes the hotly anticipated new Audain Art Museum all the more exciting. On those rare days when outdoor activities don’t appeal, this 56,000-square-foot (5,202-squaremeter) ode to the art of British Columbia is the perfect cultural sojourn. The artwork comes from the extensive personal collection of local philanthropist Michael Audain, and includes everything from early 1800s Aboriginal masks to contemporary photographs by Vancouver artist Jeff Wall.

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You know the Out of Africa love story of Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton– now meet Beryl Markham, the free-spirited author and adventurer who challenged Kenyan colonial society and stole away Finch Hatton’s heart.

By Paula McLain

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PHOTOS: AMBROISE TÉZENAS (LANDSCAPE); MONDADORI PORTFOLIO/GETTY IMAGES (PORTRAIT)

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Markham was a distinguished aviator, the first woman to fly solo east-west across the Atlantic.

“To see ten thousand animals untamed and not branded with the symbols of human commerce is like scaling an unconquered mountain for the first time, or like finding a forest without roads or footpaths, or the blemish of an axe.”

PHOTOS: AMBROISE TÉZENAS (LANDSCAPE); LEEMAGE/UIG/GETTY IMAGES (NEWSPAPER); ALAMY (STREET)

— Beryl Markham, West with the Night

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B

eryl Markham came to Kenya as a toddler. Drawn to a new life on an African farm, her pioneering parents, Charles and Clara Clutterbuck, traded the tame English countryside for bush country in Njoro, 100 miles north of Nairobi, and struggled to break the land.

Undoubtedly, growing up surrounded by wildness shaped the wildness in the future aviator and author’s own character.

Freshness, audacity and grit leap from the pages of West with the Night, her memoir first published in 1942, which reads like a love letter to Africa, but also to courage itself, and originality: the commitment to living on one’s own terms, no matter the cost.

The book and the woman instantly got under my skin, and obsession took over. Within hours of cracking West with the Night, I knew I would write a novel about Markham’s life. I also knew I would someday travel to Kenya to better understand her by standing on her own turf. But first, there was a lot of work to THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE do, and also pining. Out of my study window, CleveMarkham’s memoir, West land’s punishing winter turned to slushy, stingy spring, with the Night; following her while my desk remained buried under drifts of source separation, the author trained materials – some of them biographies and compilations horses; a modern Kenyan game of letters from Karen Blixen and Denys Finch Hatton, reserve; Nairobi street scene, historical figures I had been half in love with since circa 1930; Markham on the watching Sydney Pollack’s swoon-worthy film adaptafront page of French review tion of Out of Africa, the memoir written by Blixen L’illustré du petit journal; under the pen name Isak Dinesen. By this point in my The Norfolk in the 1930s. research, I’d learned something I couldn’t have even guessed from reading West with the Night: that when she was a young woman, Markham was entangled for nearly 10 years in a complex love triangle with Blixen and Finch Hatton, the safari hunter immortalized in the memoir and film.

Blixen is never mentioned in Markham’s book, nor does Beryl turn up even briefly in Out of Africa. The gaps and silences between these rivals, far more tantalizing than confession, began to clamor with an invitation to tell a story that hadn’t been told. Now I was fixated on all three historical figures, mesmerized by the smoking gun of their intimacy, and so keen on getting to Kenya I might have flown there on my own two wings.

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I was fixated on all three of these figures, mesmerized by the smoking gun of their intimacy.

...

Nairobi. The word alone is as exotic and rich with potential as a genie in a bottle. When I landed after 25 hours of travel, adrenaline swirled in to replace every whiff of travel fatigue. The night air was warm as an animal and unfamiliar stars glinted from above. After I’d navigated Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, it seemed an act of simple magic to find a rumbling Land Cruiser waiting to speed me through the sultry night toward Fairmont The Norfolk. Simple magic and also the deepest sort of wish fulfillment that this landmark hotel, so synonymous with Kenya’s early history and a place I’d imagined more times than I could count, would be my home base in Nairobi.

It’s dangerous to fall in love with history. Current-day Nairobi is sprawling and modern with a population verging on 3.5 million.

There are very few vestiges of the sepia-toned frontier town Markham and Blixen knew – but The Norfolk is one. Once inside its doors, I felt marvelously plunged back into colonial days. Graceful columns and balustrades defined the lobby and plush sitting room, and the storied lobby bar. But it was the courtyard that drew me most, the stately palms and jacaranda trees, the shrubs in flower along the manicured path.

Beyond the sheltering gates, Nairobi pulsed and thrummed, but here the past felt near enough to touch. It took no effort to imagine Beryl Markham on her wedding night, in 1919, when she was not quite 17 years old. Her first husband (she was married three times) was Jock Purves, a local farmer twice her age who is rumored to have purchased Markham’s hand from her father when the Clutterbucks’ farm went bankrupt after the First World War. In photos Markham is as tall and slender as a warrior’s hunting spear, fair and regal in her ivory silk dress, but there’s a hint of lostness in her eyes, as if she can’t quite believe she’s someone’s wife.

Marriage didn’t suit her. She was too young, for a start, but also too free a spirit, and Purves couldn’t begin to tame her.

She was impulsive, had affairs and made no apologies or attempts

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PHOTOS: FABIAN VON POSER/ALAMY (MUSEUM INTERIOR); NIGEL PAVITT/ALAMY (MUSEUM EXTERIOR); KAREN BLIXEN MUSEUM (BLIXEN); APIC/GETTY IMAGES (FINCH HATTON); KPA HONORAR & BELEGE/ALAMY (OUT OF AFRICA); AMBROISE TÉZENAS (MAASAI)

to hide her behavior. The colony was scandalized, but Purves was at fault too. When drunk, which apparently he often was, Purves stirred up fights with his young wife that set tongues wagging.

She finally got the nerve to leave him, and turned to training racehorses to get by. Women didn’t do any such thing then, but Markham had no other choice. Thank goodness she also happened to be brilliant at it.

It was during this period of her life that she first became friendly with Karen Blixen, who lived on a coffee farm just outside of Nairobi at the foot of the Ngong Hills, a farm that shimmers with immortality in the author’s writings. Like Markham, Blixen was too original and independent for many in the colony.

After her marriage to her Swedish cousin, Bror, fell apart, Blixen ran her farm on her own, risking her health and financial ruin to do so. “Here I am,” THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE she wrote passionately in Out of Africa, “where I ought Blixen’s famous novel was first to be.” published in 1937 under the pen The house, now the Karen Blixen Museum, has name Isak Dinesen; portrait of been so lovingly and perfectly preserved it virtually Finch Hatton; Blixen and Finch quivers, alive with its own history. Beyond the graceHatton as portrayed by Meryl fully curving gravel drive and broad, groomed lawn, Streep and Robert Redford in a cool veranda rings a gray stone bungalow with a Out of Africa’s 1985 film pitched tile roof. The whole place seems wonderfully adaptation; Kenya’s Maasai people. haunted by Blixen’s spirit. Inside, nearly everything OPPOSITE Karen Blixen is as it was then: the silky mahogany walls in the and her preserved Nairobi home, dining room, where she penned the sketches that now a museum. comprised the raw material for Out of Africa, Shadows on the Grass and Seven Gothic Tales, her low white bed, and the dressing table where her silver-handled brushes still rest as if waiting for her return. And there’s the pitted bluestone hearth in her parlor, where she piled up pillows to make a nest for storytelling, decanting brandy for her friends and her famous lover.

Standing six feet and three inches in his custom-made shoes, and with far less hair than Robert Redford, who played him in the film (with an American accent, no less), Denys Finch Hatton was the son of a British peer. His father was the thirteenth Earl of Winchilsea, and the eighth Earl of Nottingham. But his father’s Britain was far too small and safe a world for Finch Hatton. After Eton and Oxford, he lit out for the territories, landing first FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 3 7

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CONCI ERG E NAIROBI

in South Africa and finally settling in the Great Rift Valley. He met Karen Blixen at a dinner party at the famous Muthaiga Country Club in Nairobi, and though she was still married, she fell instantly for his intoxicating mix of man’s man, troubadour and eternal wanderer. He loved poetry and Caruso, strong, iconoclastic women, and wildness, both external and internal. He was also willing to risk absolutely everything to live life on his own terms.

Blixen and Finch Hatton were both older than Markham by more than 15 years, and far more cultured and worldly. Markham found herself drawn to their warm, civilized circle, liking that they had things to teach her about poetry, wine, classical music. But it was the wild creature still very much at her center who wanted Finch Hatton.

She got him, too. Though Out of Africa is too perfectly romantic a mythology to so much as whisper it, Finch Hatton had left Blixen for Markham well before his tragic death, in 1931, when his de Havilland Gipsy Moth spun to the ground and burst into flame. (Markham lived until 1986, her ashes scattered over a Nairobi racetrack.)

Finch Hatton’s grave rests atop one of the knuckle-shaped Ngong Hills, which I reached with some effort in the Land Cruiser, climbing a rutted, swaybacked road through towering eucalyptus.

When Finch Hatton died, Blixen set four posts at the gravesite to hold a white cloth she would be able to see from her veranda and know, always, exactly where he was. In the 1940s, the posts were replaced by a stone obelisk that now stands nearly hidden behind a garden fence overhung with flowering thistle. I walked through the gate into a small, tended garden to reach the stone marked with a small plaque – “Denys George Finch Hatton, 1887–1931” – and then these lines from Samuel Coleridge’s “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner”: “He prayeth well, who loveth well, both man and bird and beast.”

It’s particularly cruel that Blixen lost her farm to bankruptcy in the same year that she lost her lover. She left Africa for Denmark, where five years passed before she was able to write through her grief to produce Out of Africa, one of the most unforgettable love stories of all time. And if it’s not an altogether true story, I couldn’t find it in me to fault Blixen or any of these three as I touched the stone edifice one last time and THIS PAGE, returned to the Land Cruiser and the bumpy, haunted ride back to FROM TOP town. The human heart is mysterious and complex and untameable, a The lush setting and “forest without roads,” as Markham said of Kenya – an “unconquered manicured grounds of today’s mountain.” And better for it, I believe.

Fairmont The Norfolk; Circling the Sun is Paula

Back at Fairmont The Norfolk, opened in 1904, I found a deep rattan chair on a veranda overlooking the quiet courtyard and scribbled furiously in my notebook, not wanting to forget a single moment.

But of course that wasn’t possible. In just my first 24 hours, Nairobi had given me such a powerful sense of connection to the past it had already taken up residence deep in the recesses of my own complex heart. I would take everything I’d seen and felt back to Cleveland, back to my desk and my book… but not just yet. For the moment, I was still held tight by the past, still in Nairobi, where an all-but-forgotten time rests close enough to step into, near enough to touch.

McLain’s fictional biography of Beryl Markham’s life.

Kenyatta Suite

S TAY With its stately Lord Delamere Terrace and lush tropical gardens, Fairmont The Norfolk earned the nickname of “the hotel that built Nairobi” for having fostered the city’s growth since opening in 1904. Today, The Norfolk remains a popular meeting place for locals and a home base for safari-going visitors. fairmont.com/norfolk-hotel-nairobi

DINE Reserve a table at the hotel’s award-winning Tatu for American-Kenyan cuisine (try Sukuma Wiki, a traditional dish of braised greens, or a succulent steak sourced from a local farm).

Don’t miss Sunday brunch at Lord Delamere Terrace, which features a sprawling buffet, raw bar and carving station.

DO Shoppers can test their bargaining skills at the City Market, where vendors sell one-of-a-kind souvenirs, accessories and household items.

Back at the hotel, lounge by the heated outdoor pool, a peaceful oasis tucked away from the city crowds, or indulge in a massage at the Health & Fitness Centre.

Ask the concierge about arranging a visit to nearby attractions such as Lake Nakuru National Park, known for its Pink Lesser Flamingos, or the Karen Blixen Museum, housed in the famed author’s former estate and showcasing many of her belongings.

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7:30AM The moment your dream of a peak experience suddenly becomes a reality.

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SH A NGH A I

Two iconic hotels and the strong founding figures

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TO BEIJING

behind them tell a story of China past and present.

By Natasha Mekhail

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EAST MEETS W EST

LUCKY NUMBE RS The choice of digits counts at Fairmont Peace Hotel.

I

n the 1920s, Shanghai real estate tycoon Victor Sassoon had a dream to create “the most beautiful hotel in the Far East.” He succeeded in 1929 when the Cathay Hotel opened its doors at 20 the Bund, one of the most commanding addresses on Shanghai’s most important financial corridor. A model of Art Deco architecture and the tallest building in the city at the time, it became an international landmark, visited by dignitaries and celebrities. Imagine Marlene Dietrich breezing into the Cathay Ballroom, Noël Coward penning Private Lives in his suite and Charlie Chaplin greeting press on the stairs. All the while Sassoon presided over his glittering empire from his 10th-floor

apartment, unaware of the vicissitudes ahead. In 1937, guests watched from the rooftop as Shanghai fell to the Japanese. Within a decade, the occupation and ensuing unrest would push the founder from the city he loved. After the Cultural Revolution, the hotel served as offices for the newly formed People’s Republic, and was later renamed Peace Hotel. “Every aspect of modern Chinese history took place here,” summarizes general manager George Wee. So when the hotel emerged in 2010 as Fairmont Peace Hotel, following a three-year renovation timed to welcome the world for Expo, it marked yet another turning point. Restored to its former splendor, Fairmont Peace Hotel once again fulfills its promise of superlative beauty on Shanghai’s storied landscape.

East – 8 The Mandarin word for “eight” is similar to that of “prosper” and is therefore auspicious. Find it in the octagonal shape of tables and the stainedglass lobby ceiling. The Sassoon Presidential Suite is #888.

West – 20 Sassoon was a betting man and thought this number lucky. He used his influence to ensure the hotel was numbered 20 on the three streets it faces: the Bund, Nanjing Road and Dianchi Road.

T H E T R E AT M E N T

PHOTOS: XAVIER GIRARD-LACHAÎNE (ALL EXCEPT BUND); ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN CÔTÉ

WILLOW STREAM WISDOM

SASSOON’S SECRETS Symbols throughout the hotel give clues to the founder’s history and passions.

01. Whippets were Sassoon’s favorite dogs. Find the miniature greyhounds in a number of stylized reliefs, such as over doorways and in floor mosaics. 02. The hotel’s triangular floorplan represents a “V” for “Victor,” while Sassoon’s other property, the Metropole, forms an “S” – his literal stamp on the city. 03. Tudor roses on the ceiling of Sassoon’s suite speak to his reverence for England, where he was educated. 04. The Nine Nations Suites represent countries to which Sassoon had a deep connection, including India, where he lived before moving to China.

Duration: 90 minutes Where: Fairmont Peace Hotel’s Willow Stream Spa Service: An aromatic footbath followed by a full-body massage with a warm herbal pouch.

Benefits: The pouch’s heat alleviates muscle tension, allowing a deeper pressure massage. Its herbal ingredients (wormwood, ginger, club moss, balsam and Chinese elder) stimulate blood circulation and lull the recipient into a profound state of relaxation.

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SHANGHAI

A SUITE SURPRISE Match each famous guest with the Nine Nations Suite where they stayed.

NOT TO MISS

OLD JA ZZ BAND

01 Marlene Dietrich

02 Charlie Chaplin

03 Guglielmo Marconi

04 Muhammad Ali

A Indian Suite

B German Suite

C Chinese Suite

D Italian Suite

The spirit of the jazz age lives on throughout Fairmont Peace Hotel, but nowhere more so than in the cocktail bar where the Old Jazz Band performs nightly. The band’s name is not just a nod to the 1920s and ’30s style of tunes they play, it’s also a tribute to their collective life experience.

With an average age of 80 and the eldest member pushing 95, the senior sextet has made the Guinness Book of World Records.

01–B / 02–A / 03–D / 04–C

H IGH L OW

SHANG HAI SPECIALTIES OU T I NG

PRESE RVATION SOCIETY

OLD TOWN

XIN TIAN DI

In this beautifully restored

Combining Chinese and Western

section of the ancient walled city,

details, the shikumen style of stone

a zigzagging bridge connects

architecture was popular with

stilted buildings that appear to

wealthy Chinese families in the late

float over a lake. Next to it lies

1800s. A surviving pocket of this

Yu Garden, a Ming-era residence

housing style remains in Xin Tian Di,

that offers a glimpse into how the

now occupied by trendy boutiques

dynastic elite live.

and restaurants.

HISTORY UNFOLDS

Xiao long bao No Shanghai street-food experience is complete without this dumpling stuffed with meat and hot soup. The larger tang bao contain only soup, which can be sipped from a straw.

Cong you ban mian At Fairmont Peace Hotel’s Dragon Phoenix restaurant, this simple, traditional green-onion noodle dish goes haute with a hint of truffle oil and crispy-fried scallions lending texture.

1929

1937

1949

1956

2007

2010

The Cathay Hotel opens

Guests watch from the rooftop as the Japanese invade Shanghai

The hotel is used as government offices during the early formation of the People’s Republic of China

A conference for world peace convenes in China and the hotel reopens as Peace Hotel

Closed for restoration and renovation

Reopened as Fairmont Peace Hotel

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LEGENDARY L I B AT I O N S While researching Shanghai Grand, writer Taras Grescoe discovered Sassoon’s own cocktail recipes written into his journals. Four of these drinks are now on the Jazz Bar menu.

01 PUSS MOTH, 1931 Gin, White Rum, Cointreau, Lemon Juice – Named for the de Havilland aircraft.

AC T I V I T Y

TAI CHI LESSON The fluid movements associated with tai chi are based on the spiraling motion of the silkworm as it wraps itself in its cocoon: too fast and the silk breaks; too slow and it tangles. To its practitioners, tai chi is exercise and meditation rolled into one. The slow repetitive work stimulates circulation and generates body heat, while the concentration involved provides mental calmness and clarity. Guests can sign up for a lesson on the Peace Hotel rooftop with tai chi master Liu Ai Hua.

02 CONTE VERDE, 1934 Gin, Cointreau, Dry Vermouth, Crème de Menthe, Lemon Juice –

ESSENTIAL READING PRIVATE LIVES

BY NOËL COWARD

Inspired by the Italian ocean liner

C U LT U R E L E S S O N

aboard which Sassoon hosted a

CHINESE DOUBLE MEANINGS

Venetian masquerade.

When used in decoration, these auspicious homophones elicit cosmic favor.

While recovering from a bout of the flu at the Cathay Hotel, the English playwright wrote his PHOTOS: XAVIER GIRARD-LACHAÎNE (OUTING, STREET FOOD, COCKTAILS, DESIGN DETAILS); ALAMY (FAMOUS GUESTS)

classic comedy about a hotel.

HOTEL SHANGHAI

BY VICKI BAUM Set at the hotel on August 14, 1937, the novel follows nine people at the

03

VASE

FISH

BAT

CHAMPION MARTINI, 1933

onset of the Sino-Japanese War.

Gin, Dry Vermouth, Bitters –

SHANGHAI GRAND

celebratory cocktail served

Hotel staff say this was the

BY TARAS GRESCOE

when Sassoon’s horses won

Told through real letters, this

“PEACE”

“SURPLUS”

“FORTUNE”

non-fiction account reveals the often

Pronounced píng.

Pronounced yú. At the

Pronounced fú. Not only

passionate relationship between Victor

A vase in your home

Chinese New Year meal,

do these words share a

04

Sassoon, New Yorker journalist Emily Hahn

or an archway in the

it’s good luck to leave

sound, but so do the words

SAN REMO, 1934 Brandy, Orange Curaçao, Orange

and Chinese poet Zau Sinmay.

at the track.

form of a vase wards

some fish uneaten.

for “turn over” and “come.”

off evil and encourages

What remains signals

As the bat hangs upside

Juice – Named for Sanremo, a

peace and tranquility

abundance for the

down, so too will good

town on the Italian Riviera where

within.

coming year.

fortune come.

Sassoon summered.

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SHANGHAI

“Countless words count less than the silent

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BEIJING

PHOTOS: XAVIER GIRARD-LACHAÎNE

balance between yin and yang.” - Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching

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B E part I JtwoI N G

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AC T I V I T Y

CYCLE TOURS Bicycles arrived in China in the 1890s and became a way of life.

Cycling is ideal for sightseeing, allowing easy navigation of both the city’s wide streets and its narrow hutongs. Guests of Fairmont Beijing can borrow BMW bikes and follow one of these two routes planned by the hotel’s chief concierge.

W PHOTOS: XAVIER GIRARD-LACHAÎNE (ACTIVITY, DESIGN DETAILS); IMAGINECHINA/CORBIS (RUAYRUNGRUANG); ILLUSTRATION: MARTIN CÔTÉ

ith its 25-story twin towers connected by a soaring sky bridge and a facade of thousands of reflective rose-gold panels, Fairmont Beijing stands out in Chaoyang as a beacon of modernity. Not only does the building overlook the 21st-century business district around it, it also faces the 15th-century former seat of the emperor, known as the Forbidden City. In fact, the hotel’s shape was inspired by the ancient gates that granted access to the palace’s

inner sanctum, and its gold color was drawn from the imperial hue. The man behind this desire to pay homage both to where China is going and where it has come from is the hotel’s owner, Chanchai Ruayrungruang. The founder of multinational multi-industry conglomerate Reignwood Group, whose offices occupy the west tower, is a passionate collector of everything from antiquities to the latest technological finds. His aesthetic pervades all aspects of Fairmont Beijing and, as with the exterior form, reveals itself once you take a closer look.

IMPERIAL EMBLEMS These hotel design items celebrate symbols of ancient China.

01. Four gates led to the center of the Forbidden City, and the gate-like shape of the hotel shows reverence to guests who cross its threshold today. 02. A lobby installation of oversized marbles represents the traditional game of fei xing qi or “flying chess.” 03. Lion doorknockers, found on each floor as you exit the elevators, mimic the talismans on ancient Chinese residences. 04. A ceiling installation in the lobby portrays a spiraling shoal of fish. Its ribbon-like shape also represents the long-sleeved costumes worn in Chinese opera, a passion of the hotel’s owner.

Hutong Route (20.1 km) Hutongs are networks of alleys that follow the lines of ancient courtyard residences. Today fewer than 1,000 remain in Beijing and efforts are under way to restore them. Along this route, you’ll explore several of these small streets and find them bustling with shoppers, market stalls, street food and souvenirs.

Monuments Route (21.1 km) This route explores the seats of Chinese government old and new. From the Forbidden City Palace Museum, you’ll head north to Jinshan Park, a former imperial garden now open to the public. Doubling back, you’ll travel past the Great Hall of the People and around Tiananmen Square.

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BEIJING

C U LT U R E L E S S O N

CHINESE SOCIAL ME DIA Use of international social media may be prohibited in China, but that hasn’t stopped a vibrant social network from developing.

WECHAT

WEIBO

BAIDU

Picture WhatsApp,

Its name means

The primary Chinese-

Facebook, Amazon and

“microblog” and that’s

language search engine,

CHANCHAI’S COLLECTIONS

PayPal rolled into one.

what you can expect

similar to Google, it hosts a music-download service

Next to Fairmont Beijing, discover the owner’s treasures on display at Reignwood Centre. Private tours are available to hotel guests upon request.

A personal QR code lets

from this Twitter-like

users pay through the app

social network that

and the online user-

with their phones – even

combines posting with

generated encyclopedia,

for street food.

photo and video sharing.

Baidu Baike.

EAST MEETS W EST

East His collection of Chinese antiquities includes ceramics, sculpture, scroll paintings and artifacts of the nobility’s daily life, such as jade jewelry, silver hair combs and an exquisite bronze Shang-era pouring vessel dating back to 1600 BC.

West The Reignwood “piano museum” houses no less than seven uprights and 11 grand pianos, the oldest being a Grotrian-Steinweg, dated 1800. Downstairs find a precious collection of vintage French fine jewelry and Swiss watches, as well as a Fabergé egg.

OU T I NG

798 Art District This former munitions factory was nearly demolished in the 1990s until the artists using it as studio space intervened to have it formally recognized as a creative district. Today you’ll find it filled with public art and abuzz with modern galleries and design shops.

Sanlitun In this go-to destination for going out, expect every style of nightlife from mojito bars to karaoke stages.

Try Migas to groove to top Chinese and international DJs, and Janes + Hooch for inventive cocktails, including one of the city’s best whisky sours.

MAKING THE CUT Taking its inspiration from Chinese festival lanterns, this beautifully appointed private dining room is part of The Cut steakhouse, which as the name implies, serves only the finest cuts of meat from Australia and North America.

A VA S T E M P I R E Fairmont Beijing’s owner Chanchai Ruayrungruang oversees Reignwood Group, a wide portfolio of interests from multiple industries – and their spoils pop up in the guest experience.

GOLF COURSES Owns several golf clubs around the world, incuding Beijing’s Reignwood Pine Valley Golf Resort.

AVIATION Operates a fleet of helicopters.

There’s a landing pad on the roof and occasionally one on display in the lobby of the west tower.

BEVERAGES Owns the Chinese rights to Vita Coco, served in the fitness center, as well as Red Bull.

REAL ESTATE Develops luxury properties.

Look for the architectural model of Singapore’s Hamilton Scotts residences, where owners can drive their cars into their flats.

PHOTOS: XAVIER GIRARD-LACHAÎNE (ALL EXCEPT REIGNWOOD GROUP, NOODLE, DUCK, SPA, COCKTAIL); REIGNWOOD GROUP (HAMILTON SCOTTS RESIDENCES); BELL HELICOPTERS

COOL QUARTERS

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MIXED MEDIA Expect the (completely) unexpected in these Fairmont Beijing house cocktails.

T H E T R E AT M E N T

TUI NA MASSAG E

01 VITA COCO MOJITO White Rum, Vita Coco, Simple Syrup, Lime Juice, Mint Sprigs –

NOT TO MISS

REIG NWOOD THEATRE Located on the first floor of Reignwood Centre, the opulent Reignwood Theatre is the owner’s semi-private venue for all manner of entertainment, from movie premieres to Peking Opera performances. The gilded theater, reminiscent of Monaco’s famed opera house, has an 18th-century ambiance but hides many modern conveniences. An ingenious sinking floor transforms the hall from theater to banquet seating in a matter of minutes, while its six, one-ton crystal chandeliers can be raised or lowered at the push of a button. Among the celebrities who have graced its stage is tenor Plácido Domingo, who visits the venue twice a year to work as a mentor for the Reignwood Asian Young Artists Training Program.

Duration: 60 or 90 minutes Where: Fairmont Beijing’s Willow Stream Spa Service: A pressurepoint massage delivered dry (without oil) using deep finger pressure, stretching and handrocking movements.

Benefits: The massage follows the body’s meridian lines, the “energy highways” along which the qi, or life energy, flows. By relieving the muscle tension that causes blockages, circulation to vital organs is restored.

The classic with a coconut kick.

Reignwood Group owns the Chinese rights to this US coconut water brand and this take is off-menu but available in the Lobby Lounge upon request.

02 CHINESE FIVE SPICE FIZZ

H O U S E S P E C I A LT I E S

Cognac, Soda Water, Lemon Juice, Ginger, Five Spice Syrup – This

BEIJING CUISINE

cocktail gets its kick from the

The chefs at Fairmont Beijing’s Lunar 8 take tradition to the next level to prepare these local dishes.

Szechuan spice combo of black and green peppercorns, chili, star anise and cinnamon.

03 ACETO BALSAMICO Vodka, Apple Juice, Maple Syrup, 10-Year-Aged Balsamic Vinegar – A play on the drinking vinegars or “shrubs” used in Asia to whet the appetite and cleanse the palate.

04 THE FBEI

Handmade Noodles Watch a master at work as he tosses, twists and teases the noodles from a ball of dough. Then enjoy the freshly pulled noodles as part of a hot and spicy beef soup.

Peking Duck This version, baked for an hour over an applewood fire, comes out crisped to perfection and ready to be wrapped in thin pancakes with all the accoutrements (strips of celery, honey melon, cucumber and green onion), plus a drizzle of hoisin sauce.

Gin, Lemon Juice, Red Bull – Distributed in China by Reignwood Group, the energy drink serves as a potent mixer in this cocktail, served as a flip with a fresh egg white.

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From desert farming to Cowboy College, modern Arizona pays tribute to its frontier roots.

By Renée Morrison Photos by Chris Hinkle

THE NEW RULES OF THE WEST “THE CODE OF THE W EST WAS A GENTLEM A N’S AGR EEM ENT TO CERTA IN RULES OF CONDUCT. IT WAS NEV ER W R ITTEN INTO THE STATUTES, BUT IT WAS R ESPECTED EV ERY W HER E ON THE R A NGE.” — R A MON A DA MS, W ESTER N AUTHOR A ND HISTOR IA N

THIS PAGE The saguaro cactus, one of the most recognizable plants of the Sonoran Desert, can grow to over 70 feet tall.

Long before Arizona joined the United States in 1912, it was a rugged land that some of history’s most famous outlaws, lawmen and cowboys called home. It wasn’t all saloons and showdowns, though: The hard-working cowboys of the 19th century helped pioneer the frontier with advancements in farming and ranching. And although some notoriously disregarded the law, the legendary cattle-herders lived by an unwritten ethics code that set the guidelines for society. Today, what was once the Wild West is a much more refined destination where high heels and spurred boots, upscale spas and rugged ranches, celebrity-chef restaurants and rustic saloons exist side by side. A case in point is Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, a home base that’s stylish and contemporary but still proudly Western – apparent from the moment a cowboy-hat-clad doorman welcomes guests in. It’s proof that even the modern cowboys (and cowgirls) of Arizona haven’t forgotten the values their culture was built on. In Scottsdale, a city that calls itself “the World’s Most Western Town,” here are five updated rules for life.

FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 5 2

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Ken Singh relies on chemical-free farming techniques to keep his 20-acre urban farm brimming with organic produce for local residents and businesses.

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NO.1

“W H EN IN DOU BT, LET YOUR HOR SE DO THE THINK IN’.”

— OLD W EST PROV ER B

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Lasso lessons at Arizona Cowboy College, where even little ones learn the basics of horseback riding; Lori Bridwell, Cowboy College founder and cowgirl extraordinaire; Southern-style brisket at Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in nearby Cave Creek.

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It’s only been a short 30 minutes since my departure from Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, but already the scenery has changed from landscaped lawns to what Arizona evokes in most people’s minds: dirt roads, cacti and nothing but raw desert for as far as the eye can see.

When I step out of the car, a hefty black pig walks over and begins sniffing at my ankles.

“Myron likes to greet our guests,” says Lori Bridwell, who runs the Arizona Cowboy College, an equestrian center where I’ve come to learn the ropes of ranching. She pulls out a granola bar and Myron eats it up, digging his snout into her hand. His reception job is well paid.

We’re joined by head instructor Rocco Wachman, who begins the school day with a lesson on horse psychology. He stands in the middle of a ring, a brown and white mare at his side.

“Watch how she bolts when I come straight toward her from front or behind. I need to approach her from an angle and make my body language more vulnerable.”

In a Cesar Millan-esque demonstration, Wachman tips his head down and moves diagonally toward the anxious horse. She quickly stills and lets him make contact.

Next up, ranch manager Elaine Pawlowski shows us how to brush, saddle and mount our horse for the day. I’m pointed toward Que, a silky black male gelding that I’ll be practicing my skills on. I’m nervous as I approach him, remembering Wachman’s tip about staying very close to the horse’s body (“Your instinct will be to stand far back, but that just gives the horse more room to kick!”) as I switch from grooming one side to the other. The process isn’t just to primp the horse, but to get acquainted with each other, and soon enough Que lowers his head – a sign that he’s getting comfortable, according to Wachman. Once my horse is saddled up, I hop up and take him for a ride around the pen (with a little help from my guide), practicing my whoas and giddy-ups.

Our final lesson is lassoing. Bridwell expertly swings the stiff rope in circles above her head, throws it toward a plastic cow figure, and secures the loop around it. I try to follow her lead, waving my rope around me, when I hear a few snickers from behind me. “That’s closer to ribbon dancing,” she says, “but you get an A for effort.”

2016-04-21 5:03 PM

NO. 2

“A LWAYS FINISH W HAT YOU STA RT.” — JA M ES P. OW EN, COW BOY ETHICS

When my alarm clock goes off at 6 a.m., I silently curse myself for agreeing to hike Camelback Mountain, whose elevation surpasses the Empire State Building, at such an ungodly hour. Half asleep, I lace up my running shoes and pack my supplies. Trail mix? Check. Coffee to go? Check.

The Echo Canyon trail I embark on is challenging, and each step feels like nature’s StairMaster. A couple of especially steep sections have rails to hold onto. The morning air is cool – the goal was to beat the heat with an early trek – but I’m already sweating. I spot prickly pear cacti along the mountainside and, off in the distance, the 100-foot-tall Praying Monk rock formation (which looks just as its name suggests).

Over an hour later, as I finally reach the top, I step up onto a boulder overlooking grids of homes and far-off mountains visible from every angle.

Camelback’s copper-toned cliffs, named because they look like the humps of a kneeling camel from a distance, are their own reward: a stunning, postcardworthy contrast to the pink light of the morning sun.

THIS PAGE FROM TOP Hikers rely on rails to get past the more challenging stretches of Camelback Mountain; morning sunlight casts a rosy hue over the cliffs and city below.

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THIS PAGE FROM TOP The Old Adobe Mission church is a historic icon of Old Scottsdale; flowers, herbs and vegetables grow side by side at Singh Farms; the garden’s citrus trees produce crates of bright, juicy fruit.

NO.3

“TH E FA R M ER HAS TO BE A N OPTIMIST OR H E WOULDN’T STILL BE A FA R M ER .” — W I LL ROGER S, A M ER ICA N COW BOY A ND NEWSPA PER COLUMNIST

A dozen years ago, Ken Singh’s lot was just a piece of dry desert, but that’s hard to imagine now as I follow the real-estate-developer-turned-farmer through his 20-acre ranch, shaded by a lush canopy of mesquite trees, rows of greens poking through soil patches at every corner.

“When I met the Native American community here and decided to settle down, I said, ‘Give me a piece of land that isn’t productive.’ Then I leased this place, cried and said, ‘Can I have a different piece?’”

After leaving the family business in Vancouver, Canada, Singh rolled up his sleeves and dug in, relying on all of his agricultural know-how to bring his acres of Sonoran Desert to life.

“My dad had taught me all about composting, so I got to work, adding microbes. As they die, they create humus, and humus nourishes the crops,” he says, describing the complex composting process that he used to make Singh Farms fertile.

These days, hundreds of locals show up to his weekly Saturday morning market to buy fresh produce, bread, eggs, homemade dips and honey. Through his chemical-free farm, Singh is determined to pass on the importance of natural agriculture – not only for the sake of nourishment, but also for the sustainability of the land.

“We’ve started holding yoga classes here,” he says, leaning down and placing his hand on the earth. “I’ve had a few students tell me that it’s the perfect spot for it because the earth is so happy, it resonates.”

We gather around a fire pit, and an onsite chef hands me a plate of frittata made with eggs and vegetables gathered from the farm. It’s perfect: savory and hearty, but not heavy. For dessert, I help myself to a massive carrot, roots still attached, from a pile of fresh vegetables that Singh has laid out. Unlike the earth, my belly is no longer resonating, and it’s very happy.

CATTLE CALL Until 1950, Arizona was home to more cows than people.

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THIS PAGE FROM TOP Aside from chilly mornings, Arizona typically has year-round pool weather; sunsets are spectacular thanks to the arid environs; the pomegranate guacamole at La Hacienda is a guest favorite.

NO.4

“A STRONG, H EA LTH Y BODY IS A PR ECIOUS GIFT.” — CLA R ENCE E . MULFOR D, HOPALONG CASSI DY ’S CR EED FOR A M ER ICAN BOYS AN D GI R LS

Back at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, I’m admittedly relieved to take a break from Western duties to visit Well & Being Spa. With its rooftop pool and bright fitness studio with a glass ceiling, it’s a chic reminder of what the new Scottsdale is all about: an appreciation for rigorous work, but also for indulging in some well-deserved R&R. Aside from its diverse menu of massages, facials and body treatments, the spa also specializes in exercise and nutrition programs aimed at total lifestyle overhauls so guests can achieve that same balance.

“Smell these, and choose whichever one you’re most drawn to – that’s what your body needs today,” says my treatment therapist at Well & Being, handing me two bottles of essential oils to sniff.

With a few strategically placed dabs of Deep Peace, a blend of clary sage, patchouli, vetiver and sweet orange, I can feel my breath slowing down.

As part of the Hacienda Retreat treatment, she polishes my body with a scrub made of yellow corn and lime, and all evidence of having been subjected to a North American winter is sloughed away. After a rinse, my sore muscles are treated to a massage with mojito butter. I’m in heaven – and just a few ingredients short of a Mexican fiesta.

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CONCI ERG E

Guests at La Hacienda can select from over 200

SCOT TSDA L E

varieties of Mexican spirits with help from the tequila goddess, or sample three types in the Snake Bite flight.

NO.5

“FILL YOUR GLASS TO TH E BR IM.” — ZA NE GR EY, TH E CODE OF TH E W EST

After sunset, the fire pits at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess are buzzing with couples clinking glasses and corporate retreat attendees loosening their ties. When I stroll up to La Hacienda, the in-house Mexican restaurant, it’s bumping. A model-like brunette leads us to our table and gives a knowing nod when my host, public relations director Valerie Lee, says, “Snake Bite, please.”

“That’s Katie, our new tequila goddess,” says Lee. “She just got her tequila sommelier certification in Mexico.”

Lobster tacos, shrimp and halibut ceviche, queso fundido and a guacamole sampler (with bacon, pomegranate and spicy crab varieties) arrive at the table. They’re quickly followed by three tasting glasses filled with tequila, mescal and sotol on a plate adorned with a taxidermied snake. The goddess has arrived with my Snake Bite flight.

“Let the tequila sit under your tongue a little bit to take the edge off,” she suggests. I do as she says, and it really works, but it’s still fiery going down.

Then I spot actual fire: A waiter is tableside preparing flaming coffee, the house specialty. Mine is ignited with a generous dose of Patrón XO Café and topped with whipped cream – but I haven’t yet finished the margarita I ordered with dinner, and two-thirds of my venomous trio are waiting for me.

Maybe the West still has a wild side.

3 COWBOY HOT SPOTS 01

02

03

Scottsdale’s oldest saloon, The

In Tombstone, the O.K. Corral

From sheriff badges to

Rusty Spur is now a registered

is the notorious spot of the

saddles and art depicting

landmark. It was once the

30-second cowboy gunfight that

life in the Old West,

Farmers Bank of Scottsdale, but as

took place in 1881. Experience

Scottsdale’s Museum of

the owners proudly declare, “the

it for yourself with daily

the West is a must-visit for

vault’s now filled with liquor.”

reenactments of the battle.

cowboy enthusiasts.

S TAY With a landscape of saguaro cacti, palm trees and the expansive Sonoran Desert, Fairmont Scottsdale Princess is an ideal home base for exploring Arizona. Guests can book corporate parties and weddings at the hotel’s Copper Canyon, a replica of an 1880s Western town complete with saloons, a blacksmith shop, jail, stage and dance floor, for the ultimate Wild West experience. fairmont.com/scottsdale

DINE Enjoy al fresco cocktails and light fare at The Plaza Bar, where lounge seating and fire pits are a popular pre- or post-dinner gathering spot. Of the hotel’s four restaurants, celebrity chef Richard Sandoval helms two: La Hacienda, one of Scottsdale’s top-rated Mexican eateries, and Toro Latin Restaurant & Rum Bar, where sushi and ceviche are menu favorites.

DO Find a desert oasis in the hotel’s Well & Being Spa, which offers a rooftop adults-only pool with private cabanas, as well as saunas, steam rooms and a fitness studio with group classes. Several spa treatments feature local ingredients, like Sedona clay, desert salt and prickly pear.

Ask Fairmont Scottsdale Princess’s golf concierge to arrange your tee time at the adjacent TPC Scottsdale Stadium Course, an 18-hole golf course that proudly hosts the annual WM Phoenix Open PGA Tour. tpc.com/scottsdale

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SET TO SAIL

In Bermuda, the countdown to the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting trophy, is well under way.

by Jody Robbins

Team USA in training: These wing-sailed catamaran racers use foils to hover over the ocean at almost three times the speed of the prevailing wind.

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CLOCKWISE Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is the official host hotel of the America’s Cup; across the island, find the pink-sand beaches of Horseshoe Bay and smooth sailing waters.

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hampagne-cork pops and peals of laughter ripple off the water. The sun is high in a cloudless sky and a warm sea breeze invites us to sail along, but we don’t move. The yachts in our fleet, at least a dozen strong, have cut their motors and stand at attention in the turquoise waters of Bermuda’s Great Sound. We’ve become stakes marking the racecourse for the oldest trophy in international sport.

I’m among hundreds of revelers taking in the America’s Cup qualifiers and we couldn’t be any closer to the action without getting wet. Bubbly in hand, I have a bobbing frontrow seat on the racecourse, watching six teams do battle in the fastest sailboats in the world. The prize: points toward the America’s Cup finals, which will happen right here in June 2017.

Adrenaline pumps through my veins just watching the teams whiz around the course. That sense of exhilaration is palpable no matter where you find yourself on the island these days. Mere hours ago, while taking afternoon tea at the Jasmine Lounge in Fairmont Southampton, I had just tucked in to a second scone when Team France made its way to the restaurant balcony to conduct an outdoor workout – a rigorous combination of aerobics and balancing postures – in full view of the guests. Wherever I look, preparations are under way. The cup is a major coup for this island that owes its heritage to sailing.

PHOTOS: JOHN VON SEEBURG/ORACLE TEAM USA (PREVIOUS PAGE); VIRGINIA MACDONALD (BOAT, BEACH)

Bermuda, the oldest British overseas territory, has been

continuously inhabited since the Sea Venture, an English ship carrying settlers and supplies, ran aground here in 1609 on her maiden voyage from Plymouth to Jamestown, Virginia.

Many locals can still trace their roots to the survivors of this wreck. In its founding century, islanders would also invent the Bermuda rig, a tall, triangular mainsail that more efficiently harnessed the power of the wind than its gaff-rig predecessor. Four hundred years later, it’s still used in 95 percent of sailing yachts.

Ironically, the reef system that sank the Sea Venture and caused hundreds of other historic wrecks is what acts as a shield around Great Sound, preventing choppiness and creating the flat, fast water that makes Bermuda one of the best sailing venues on the planet.

Given these endowments, bringing the pinnacle prize of international sailing to the island should have been a mathematical certainty. But this is a competition without the benefit of regularity. Unlike the Olympics, the competition has no set schedule or requirement to rotate venues. Only five nations have hosted the last 34 cups. And both the timing and location are determined in a “gentleman’s agreement” between a challenger and the defender.

The “Auld Mug,” as it’s known, is also one of the most difficult trophies to win. Fierce rivalries have developed since the inaugural race in 1851, when America, a purpose-built yacht commissioned by members of the New York Yacht Club,

trumped the best of the British fleet. Only four countries – the US, Switzerland, New Zealand and Australia – have managed to take home the America’s Cup (named after the first victor), in spite of dozens vying for it.

All eyes are once again on the Americans, with Team USA defending their back-to-back victories in 2010 and 2013. A “three-peat” in 2017 won’t be easy, as this competition is as much a testament to boat design and management as it is to sailing prowess.

“Technical improvements, which we work on for years,

All eyes are once again on the Americans, but a “threepeat” in 2017 won’t be easy, as this competition is as much a testament to boat design and management as it is to sailing prowess.

...

account for 80 percent of the opportunity,” avows Grant Simmer, Team USA’s general manager and chief operating officer.

I catch up with Simmer on the northern barb of this fishhook-shaped isle, at the Royal Naval Dockyard, now the headquarters of the 35th America’s Cup. Amid the 19thcentury buildings, wharves and fortifications, Team USA has erected a dry-land base camp out of 40 shipping containers.

A constant buzz is emitted from this nerve center as engineers and boat designers work feverishly on improved versions of the sailing vessels.

This isn’t your grandfather’s boat race – it’s pure action on the ocean. The wing-sailed catamaran racers use foils to lift the hull so it hovers over the ocean, moving at almost three times the speed of the prevailing wind. Over the years the race has been reduced from five hours out at sea to 25 minutes just offshore, making the America’s Cup more exciting and accessible, easily viewed from land.

It may be organized chaos behind the scenes, but it’s smooth sailing for fans. With a vibe akin to the Grand Prix, visitors groove with locals to live music along Front Street in the seaside capital of Hamilton, where handsome Victorianera pastel buildings and bustling outdoor patios line the harbor, presided over by the regal Hamilton Princess & Beach Club, a Fairmont Managed Hotel. The street-party atmosphere is enhanced with pop-up restaurants, fireworks and plenty of rum-splashed cocktails. VIP hospitality is served up throughout the day inside Club AC, a swish marquee overflowing with Champagne, canapés and a festive Sperry-heeled crowd.

While the America’s Cup will take over next June,

nautical opportunities abound in the lead-up. Visitors can start at the newly built 59-berth marina at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club. Here, guests can hoist sail on a chartered yacht and get up close and personal with the teams in training. Sitting prominently along the harbor, the “Pink Palace,” as it’s affectionately referred to by guests, is the official host hotel for the festivities and the place to rub shoulders with the who’s who of the sailing world.

And while the entire island is polishing up for the Cup’s arrival, the Hamilton Princess has undergone its own $100-million top-to-bottom refresh. With public art laced throughout the property, it has also become an unexpected new art destination, featuring original works by FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 6 3

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Named for the year that the shipwrecked Sea Venture brought the first Bermudians to the island, 1609 Bar & Restaurant at Hamilton Princess & Beach Club presides over the capital city harbor.

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PHOTOS: DAVID SHAW (FAIRMONT SOUTHAMPTON); RICARDO PINTO/ORACLE TEAM USA (RACERS); VIRGINIA MACDONALD (CHILDREN, BIRD)

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Fairmont Southampton sits on Bermuda’s highest point, overlooking a 100-acre estate; find fresh takes on Bermudian cuisine on the menu at Marcus’; Team USA trains daily on Great Sound; boat travel is often quicker than driving across the fishhook-shaped island; many Bermudians can trace their ancestors to the shipwrecked Sea Venture; class is already in session for the America’s Cup sailors.

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CONCI ERG E BER MU DA

S TAY The Dock at the Waterlot, on the grounds of Fairmont Southampton, serves up inventive cocktails made with locally sourced ingredients.

Damien Hirst, Andy Warhol and even Nelson Mandela: modern masterpieces that juxtapose with the property’s historic architectural detail.

Generating an equal amount of buzz is Marcus’. The hotel’s new restaurant is the place to see and be seen. Situated in the former grand ballroom overlooking the Atlantic, it offers creative riffs on traditional Bermudian dishes by acclaimed New York-based chef Marcus Samuelsson.

Inside the airy, window-lit space, I dunk fish chowder croquettes into savory rum aioli.

Samuelsson’s nod to a traditional Bermudian soup is fresh and inventive. The jerk pork belly topped with a quivering quail egg is also a winner, but after feasting upon vibrant flavors from the sea, I’m ready to dive back into it.

With snorkel gear and a gallon of Rum Swizzle (an intoxicating punch of rum, fruit juice, grenadine and bitters) below deck, I board the Aristocrat, a 55-foot catamaran. In Bermuda, everything has a distinct hue: from the national cocktail to the tailored shorts sported by businessmen to the powdery pink sand found at Fairmont Southampton’s southshore beachfront.

Cutting through the very same jeweltoned waters of the America’s Cup racecourse, my group and I set sail for the northwest side of the Royal Naval Dockyard. Palm trees and ice-cream-colored houses sweep by as we pick up speed, cruising between five and 10 knots.

Mindful of the reefs, our sober-faced crew expertly hugs the coastline. These treacherous corals have led to the world’s greatest concentration of shipwrecks, making

the island a haven for scuba divers. Even so, you needn’t plunge very deep to have a vivid underwater experience.

We don snorkeling gear and leap off the bow into a kaleidoscope of fish. The visibility is incredible and I feel worlds away from the technology and training of the competition.

While the America’s Cup has helped Bermuda regain her sea legs, I’m reminded there is much to enjoy out here, smack dab in the middle of the Atlantic.

Schools of curious technicolor wrasse, silver sea bream and yellow-fringed angel fish swirl around me as I float over massive coral reefs.

After losing track of time in these underwater gardens, I slip back onto the sailboat refreshed and ready for the Rum Swizzle quickly pressed into my hands. The boat’s captain boards right behind me, grasping a spiny lobster he plucked off the reef with his bare hands. We are impressed, setting down our drinks to give him a round of applause. “Deep diving is something you learn to do here as a kid,” he says with a shrug.

Back at the Hamilton Princess after our snorkel, I gaze through floor-to-ceiling windows as the sun sinks ever so slowly into the ocean, its final rays splashing tangerine across the sky. In the near distance I spot an intriguing vessel, her commanding sails billowing in the breeze. She is the Spirit of Bermuda, a replica of a Royal Navy sloop of war, created to instill an awareness of the island’s maritime heritage. It serves as another reminder that, no matter where you are in Bermuda, you are never far from life at sea.

The 131-year-old Hamilton Princess & Beach Club (pictured) is the official host hotel of the America’s Cup. A recent ambitious renovation revealed a new selection of suites, a newly assembled modern art collection, a 2,150-square-foot gym and Exhale Spa. thehamiltonprincess.com Perched majestically atop Bermuda’s southern shores, the bougainvillea-clad Fairmont Southampton resort ensures guests can partake in both beach and city pleasures. A yacht shuttles guests to Albuoy’s Point in the center of Hamilton. fairmont.com/southampton-bermuda

DINE Nestled dockside on Jew’s Bay, the Waterlot Inn serves fine steaks and chops in its award-winning dining room. Afterwards, head to the outdoor loungers at The Dock at the Waterlot to sip handcrafted cocktails and groove to the DJ’s beats.

With just-out-of-the-ocean fish roasting on the wood-fired grill, it’s no wonder Marcus’ at the Hamilton Princess & Beach Club is the island’s latest hot spot. One of the few oceanfront dining establishments in Bermuda, this celebrity-chef outpost serves up island hospitality and local flavors.

DO Trek through Bermuda’s one and only jungle, swim in an underground cave and barrel off cliffs into an aquamarine mangrove pond on a tour with Hidden Gems guiding service. bermudahiddengems.com Landlubbers can cycle down the “Old Rattle and Shake,” Bermuda’s short-lived rail line. Bike tours with Fantasea Diving & Watersports stop at points of interest, including old British forts and the world’s smallest drawbridge. fantasea.bm

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Purism. Sensuality. Intelligence.

To see what else bulthaup kitchens have to offer, please contact your local retail partner.

bulthaup Toronto 280 King Street East Toronto ON M5A 1K7 www.toronto.bulthaup.com

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bulthaup Vancouver 93 West Cordova Street Vancouver BC V6B 1C8 www.vancouver.bulthaup.com

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DRAWN TO IT

Megan Hess proves that fashion illustration is an art in its own right.

By Eve Thomas

FROM LEFT Megan Hess (pictured) shares her inspiration and work, including her book on Coco Chanel, via her Instagram account @meganhess_official.

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Fashion illustration doesn’t have to stay on the page – or the runway. Find Megan Hess’s artwork gracing her own collection of housewares and clothing, from throw pillows to caftans. meganhess.com

“To me that is the ultimate luxury, to be able to do what I love for a living,” says acclaimed fashion illustrator Megan Hess.

When she was growing up in Australia, drawing was a hobby, one the former ad agency art director never dreamed would turn into a career. The big break came in 2008, when she was tasked with illustrating the cover of a soon-to-be-legendary book: Candace Bushnell’s Sex and the City. Now her list of clients reads like a who’s who of the fashion world (not to mention Carrie Bradshaw’s closet), from labels like Chanel and Dior to magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.

“Illustration is essentially an imaginary world,” says Hess, who takes inspiration from runways and fabric swatches, but also from music, film noir, pastries and people watching. The appeal of her work is instant, whether she’s illustrating a ball gown or a box of macarons – or the lobby of Fairmont The Palm, Dubai, where she launched her most recent book, Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon, and left behind a special souvenir – four custom sketches of the property. Like all of her drawings, the images mix bold black lines and delicate details with splashes of pastel. The results are wistful yet sophisticated, distinctly modern and utterly timeless. But Hess doesn’t do it all by herself.

She gets help from an impossibly glamorous accessory: “Monty,” her trusted Montblanc pen.

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MODEL HOTEL Art meets travel at Fairmont The Palm, Dubai, where Megan Hess created a series of custom illustrations (above) as well as a silk scarf inspired by the region (opposite, top).

Launched in early 2016, the scarf is available to VIP hotel guests. fairmont.com/palm-dubai

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5:21PM The moment California welcomed you home.

Live the coveted California lifestyle at The Villas at Fairmont Grand Del Mar, where ownership comes with spacious interiors, impeccable finishes and an enviable array of amenities—a Five Star spa and salon; Addison, Southern California’s only Five Star/Five Diamond restaurant; and membership at the private The Grand Golf Club—with none of the hassles of a vacation home.

Not many of these luxury fractionalownership properties remain—request your private tour of The Villas now by contacting 1 888 583 8088 (toll free in North America) or visiting villasatfairmontgranddelmar.com

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Vol. 11 No. 1

News & Promotions

CONNECTIONS SCAN THIS CODE with your smartphone or visit fairmont.com/ momentsoffer to find more special offers and save on your next Fairmont stay.

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70 YEARS OF TIKI

In 1945, MGM Studios set director Mel Melvin was hired to transform Fairmont San Francisco’s 75-foot-long indoor pool into an extravagant venue worthy of the silver screen: a one-of-a-kind tiki bar with its own lagoon and floating stage. Tonga Room opened later that year and became an instant hit, attracting stylish San Franciscans, tourists and celebrities who came to sip Mai Tai cocktails and dance the night away.

Seven decades later, the bar is still a local favorite and a bucket-list destination for the rest of the world. It was even named one of North America’s most iconic bars by Travel + Leisure, Harper’s Bazaar and the Food Network. A system to create simulated thunder-and-lightning rainstorms was installed in 1980, and a $1-million renovation in 2008 introduced updates such as a new lounge area and a sleek granite bar, but Tonga Room’s time-honored tiki decor has remained intact. So do as many have done before you: Have a seat, order a Mai Tai and sway to the sounds of the live band playing on the floating-barge stage, rain or shine.

Sample Pineapple Royale, Mai Tai and Hurricane cocktails at the 70-year-old tiki bar, today known

PHOTO: SHEA EVANS

as Tonga Room & Hurricane Bar.

fairmont.com/san-francisco FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 7 3

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HARDCOVE R HE RITAG E In Canadian Pacific: Creating a Brand, Building a Nation, a new hardcover book by Marc H. Choko, the story of Canada’s famed railway company is brought to life with full-color historic photos, advertisements and illustrations. Among them, find stunning vintage posters of Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Fairmont Banff Springs, Fairmont Empress and other iconic Fairmont hotels that helped shape North America’s tourism industry. callisto-publishers.com

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AMMAN OPENING In the heart of Jordan’s capital, Fairmont Amman is slated to open in 2016 and will feature 300 luxurious guest rooms and suites, as well as a Fairmont Gold floor. Over 21,500 square feet of function space will cater to business travelers, while leisure-seekers will appreciate the city’s numerous markets and ancient ruins. fairmont.com/destinations/development/amman

BEAT JET LAG

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Recovering from long flights across multiple time zones?

Fairmont Vancouver Airport has three jet-lag cures that will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated.

At Absolute Spa, three specialized treatments featuring signature white grapefruit lotions and oils help detoxify and rehydrate weary bodies. Soothe tense muscles with a massage focused on the lower legs, neck and shoulders; stimulate circulation and relieve post-flight stiffness with an organic body wrap, followed by an express massage; or indulge in a pampering foot treatment: soak, massage and pedicure.

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For peaceful respite between flights, check into the hotel’s Quiet Zone, where soundproofed rooms are designated for daytime use (up to eight hours) and include access to the health club and pool.

Tired travelers on different time zones will love the 24-hour breakfast and the low-caffeine jetsetter tea, a malty blend with citrusy notes of bergamot to combat insomnia and aid in relaxation.

fairmont.com/vancouver-airport-richmond

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CONNECTIONS

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G REAT SCOT!

SKIN SAVE RS

Whether it’s a romantic getaway or a family trip, Fairmont St Andrews has something for everyone. Rent mountain bikes for a day of thrills, take a relaxing stroll along the Fife Coastal Path, or fly kites on the beach. Even rainy days are memorable at the indoor pool and dedicated KidZone, complete with Xbox consoles and board games. For some well-deserved adult time, arrange for a babysitter and head to the newly renovated bar. fairmont.com/st-andrews-scotland

It’s no secret that travel can take a toll on skin. Keep yours in top shape with help from three star ingredients recommended by Fairmont partner brand Kerstin Florian.

NEROLI The 16th-century princess of Nerola, Italy, is said to have popularized the use of this bitter orange blossom oil.

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SUNDAY FUNDAY Wrap up the weekend in the most relaxing way possible with the Cozy Sunday package at Switzerland’s Fairmont Le Montreux Palace.

Start the day with the hotel’s buffet-style Sunday Brunch, then indulge in a 90-minute spa treatment at Willow Stream Spa, where facilities include a sauna, hammam, Jacuzzi, swimming pool and fitness room. Come Monday, you’ll feel relaxed and ready to face the week ahead. fairmont.com/montreux/willow-stream/ special-offers/cozy-sunday

In partnership with the celebrated Champagne house and as part of the new Fairmont cocktails program, Veuve

while also improving elasticity. Find it in creams and facial mists, or mix Neroli essential oil into your moisturizer.

Kerstin Florian Rehydrating Neroli Water, US$35

ORGANIC PLANT OILS Sun exposure, air travel and changing

Clicquot is now available to order by the glass at Fairmont locations worldwide.

meadowfoam-seed oils contain fatty acids

fairmontmoments.com/cocktails

Kerstin Florian Face Serum SPF 25, US$60

temperatures can have a negative impact on skin. Organic jojoba, olive and that nourish and protect skin from dryness or harsh climates.

ALGAE EXTRACTS

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Algae has long been known to be

BALINESE COOKING LESSONS

PHOTO: CAINE DELACY (BALI)

Neroli speeds up skin’s regeneration process

one of the best ingredients in skin care.

Look for products containing spirulina

At Fairmont Sanur Beach, Bali, embark on a culinary adventure and learn the secrets of authentic Balinese dishes. The experience starts with a bicycle ride to the local market to select ingredients with the hotel’s executive chef, followed by a cooking class overlooking the beach, and finally a well-deserved lunch at which you’ll dine on your own culinary creation. fairmont.com/sanur-bali

and chlorella, which are packed with nutrients. Algae also contains minerals and works as an antioxidant, which protects skin against free-radical damage.

Kerstin Florian Rehydrating Algae Gel Masque, US$40

Kerstin Florian International is a global leader in the skin-care industry and one of the featured brands at Fairmont Willow Stream Spas. kerstinflorian.com FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 7 5

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PACK LIKE A PRO Nomad and ex-attorney Sery Kim has worked with outlets such as Travel + Leisure, ABC and Food & Wine, racking up over 250,000 miles since beginning her career as a travel writer in early 2015.

Here, she shares three tips for efficient packing.

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SINGAPORE RE FRESH A recent multimillion-dollar renovation project at Fairmont Singapore saw the addition of a vibrant new lobby, a modern cocktail bar and the transformation of all guest rooms in the hotel’s North Tower. It also refreshed the on-site Willow Stream Spa, which features stylish relaxation lounges, whirlpools, cool plunge baths and steam and sauna rooms, as well as two free-form pools in a beautifully landscaped outdoor area. fairmont.com/singapore/willow-stream

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The number of Fairmont destinations that offer Flytographer, a service that pairs visitors with a local photographer who snaps you as you see the sights.

Fairmont guests receive bonus photos at no extra cost and shoot at insider locations. f lytographer.com/fairmontmemories

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MINE RAL MAKEUP

JANE IREDALE Just Kissed Lip and Cheek Stain, US$25, janeiredale.com

Makeup applications at Fairmont Willow Stream Spas feature renowned products from Jane Iredale, a brand whose high-quality, cruelty-free mineral makeup has earned it a cult following around the world. fairmont.com/explore/spa/ willow-stream-spa

Keep Calm and Carry On Nothing takes more time at the airport than checking luggage, and you likely don’t need half the items you packed. Pick versatile items and stick to carry-on bags for less headache (and luggage fees).

Rock and Roll Folding and stacking clothes wastes 50 percent of luggage space, but you can maximize every inch by rolling everything up like a burrito. I can easily pack 10 days worth of clothes, several pairs of shoes, hairstyling tools and more into a 21-inch carry-on.

Don’t Pack Products Except for the essentials (e.g. contact solution, travel-sized perfume and face moisturizer), leave heavy toiletries behind.

The hotel will have everything you need, and if not, replacing it at a drugstore once you’ve arrived might be more affordable than paying excess baggage fees.

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CLASSICS . PE RFECTE D. From London to Singapore, Shanghai, Dubai, Vancouver, Boston and Quebec City, Fairmont’s newly minted Tastemakers are now stirring and shaking the new “Classics. Perfected.” cocktails on all continents. Among Fairmont’s new spirit partners is Casamigos, a brand of small-batch, 100-percent Blue Weber agave tequila co-founded by longtime friends Rande Gerber, George Clooney and Mike Meldman. casamigostequila.com

KIDS’ CLUBS Did you know that several Fairmont hotels and resorts offer unique activities to keep little ones happy, active and engaged during their stay? Here are three kid-approved clubs.

At the 1,500-square-foot

The Trailblazers Kids’ Club

The Fairmont Falcon

Keiki Lani Kids’ Club at

at Fairmont Scottsdale

Juniors’ Club at Fairmont

Fairmont Kea Lani,

Princess lets kids ages five

The Palm in Dubai

Maui, children between

to 12 take part in unique

welcomes children from

five and 12 years old build

activities, from getting

18 months to 15 years old.

volcanoes, craft sand

acquainted with wildlife on

Toddlers are treated to a

castles, paint coconuts

hotel grounds to making

supervised splash park,

and even learn basic

s’mores in a solar oven.

arts and crafts stations and

Hawaiian words

There are also sports,

climbing wall, while teens

and phrases.

board games and craft

make use of the Xbox, Wii

fairmont.com/

projects to keep them busy

and PlayStation consoles.

kea-lani-maui

– and an ice cream social at

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the end of each day. fairmont.com/scottsdale

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CHECK IN TO CHENGDU

GUIDE D EXPEDITIONS

Set to open later this year, Fairmont Chengdu will be situated within the city’s Palm Springs International Centre and will feature 375 guest rooms and 60 serviced apartments. Amenities include a Willow Stream Spa, fitness and pool facilities, banquet space and a 39th-floor restaurant that’s sure to afford panoramic views of the Chinese metropolis.

Whistler is an iconic outdoor destination, but it takes a seasoned explorer to move off the beaten path and into the wilderness. Fairmont Chateau Whistler’s Experience Guide, a complimentary service for guests, includes four-wheel-drive truck transport to trails and an interpretive tour with a qualified local. Excursions depart several times daily and range from hikes through an old-growth cedar forest to treks along a rushing white-water river.

fairmont.com/destinations/development/chengdu

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The Suite Life From special occasions to intimate events, make it an unforgettable stay in one of Fairmont’s breathtaking hotel suites around the world.

01 GET A ROOM

On the 14th floor of Fairmont Hotel Vancouver, the wood-paneled Lieutenant Governor’s Suite has become a prime attraction since playing host to Anastasia and Christian Grey on-screen in 50 Shades of Grey. Book this distinguished suite for a Valentine’s Day, anniversary or honeymoon getaway to turn up the romance in style. fairmont.com/hotel-vancouver

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In Dubai, bigger is better. Celebrate accordingly with Fairmont The Palm’s Presidential Suite, which makes an ideal venue for hosting events with up to 100 guests. The majestic 4,198-squarefoot space, finished with wood and marble accents, includes a large outdoor terrace. fairmont.com/palm-dubai FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 7 8

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05 Fairmont Monte Carlo 03 BUSINESS OR PLEASURE? With over 3,200 square feet of space, Fairmont Jakarta’s Presidential Suite offers enough room for corporate reunions or special events. A long dining table, fully equipped kitchen and bar counter make it perfect for hosting dinner parties, and a separate study with an audiovisual system caters to business meetings. For added convenience, a private butler service is available to assist with your every need.

caters to racing fans during the prestigious event with Grand Prix Suites, each one situated so that guests can look out onto the circuit’s legendary Fairmont Hairpin turn from their balcony.

06 ART AND SOUL The Diplomat Tony Bennett Suite at Fairmont San Francisco features paintings by the singer himself – who famously left his heart in San Francisco, first performing the song at the hotel in 1961. Situated on the 22nd floor, the suite offers panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz that will make you fall in love with the city, too.

fairmont.com/monte-carlo

fairmont.com/san-francisco

fairmont.com/jakarta

04 Fairmont Nanjing ’s ultimate

home away from home is the 59th-f loor Presidential Suite.

Gamers will appreciate the home theater system, two 70-inch televisions and PlayStation 3 console, while stargazers can use the telescope to explore the night sky from the f loor-toceiling windows. fairmont.com/nanjing

07 A NOVEL STAY The lavish 18th-floor Fitzgerald Suite at The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, is a tribute to celebrated author F. Scott Fitzgerald and Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby. Designed by Academy Award-winner Catherine Martin – costume designer, production designer and co-producer of the 2013 blockbuster – the suite is a dramatic Art Deco space furnished exclusively by Restoration Hardware to reflect the style of the era. Odeon glass fringe chandeliers hang from domed ceilings, while walls are adorned with portraits of the film cast captured

by Hollywood photographer Douglas Kirkland, images of Fitzgerald and his wife, and 1920s photos from Vogue and Vanity Fair. Pore over one of Fitzgerald’s classic novels, which line the suite’s bookshelves, or pop open the bottle of Champagne (complimentary with every stay) and make it a night truly worthy of the Roaring Twenties. fairmont.com/the-plaza-new-york

Looking for an extra-special stay? Explore all the suite possibilities at fairmont.com/suites FA I R M O N T M AG A Z I N E 7 9

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Where Students Choose To Be At Brentwood, student choice is a unique part of our culture and a deciding factor in who attends.

It is why this place is so special. Because when a student truly chooses to be here, and they’re surrounded by a family of like-minded friends and supporters, we believe they can choose to be‌ anything.

#choosetobe

www.brentwood.bc.ca Co-ed | Boarding | Grades 9 -12 | University Prep | Vancouver Island

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FAIRMONT MAGAZINE

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A J M A N , UA E

Souk Cool With its ornate lanterns, bronze sphere chandeliers and Byzantinepattern rugs, Fairmont Ajman’s Turkish restaurant Kiyi is a sleek take on an Ottoman market.

Private dining nooks with low, majlis-st yle seating welcome groups, and the menu – which feat u res ref i ned versions of signature Turkish dishes like f lash-torched Çökertme beef – encourages sharing. Patrons can also order from a selection of fami ly platters, which are traditional in Turkish culture.

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Renée Morrison

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Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is proud to offer the Fairmont Visa SignatureÂŽ Card.

Learn more about the Fairmont Visa SignatureŠ Card at fairmontcard.com

6:18 PM The moment your someday became everyday.

Accounts subject to credit approval. Restrictions and limitations apply.

Fairmont credit cards are issued by Chase Bank, USA, N.A. See fairmontcard.com for pricing and rewards details.

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BLINK AND YOU’LL MISS IT. INTRODUCING THE BMW M2.

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