Fairmont Magazine Vol 7 issue 1

Turning moments into memories / Vol.7 No.1

Northern Exposure Embark on the Canadian Grand Tour –

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Napa vine-to-table dining The photography of Yousuf Karsh Architecture in the new Baku

Vol.7 No.1 —

Fairmont Magazine

30 FEATUR ES

Live the experience

Follow this icon to find out what

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has in store for you this season. You’ll discover exclusive news and offers to fit each of your passions.

30

Northern Exposure

40

The Light Fantastic

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Baku Reborn

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Scottish Rogue

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Marathon City

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From the Vine

Follow in the footsteps of royalty, railway barons and trailblazers in this summer vacation to some of Fairmont’s most treasured Canadian properties.

Essay by Vincent Lam From his in-house studio at Fairmont Château Laurier in Ottawa, photographer Yousuf Karsh captured the world’s most famous faces.

By Estrellita Karsh as told to Aliyah Shamsher Ambitious buildings from celebrated architects are turning Azerbaijan’s capital into a city of the future. By Tim Mckeough and Jasmin Legatos From whisky cocktails to 21st-century kilts, Edinburgh’s chefs, tailors and authors put their own spin on the city’s cultural cachet. By Eve Thomas Find out what it takes to make it in Boston, Massachusetts – the setting for the world’s most famous annual marathon. By Andrew Braithwaite Taste the terroir at a gourmet Napa Valley dinner that unites wine country and culinary California. By Natasha Mekhail

Vol.7 No.1 —

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D e Pa rt m e n t s

10 13

Contributors Focal Point

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The Dish

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Accents

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Three Steps

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40

Gourmet ice pops Bold looks inspired by Kenya Skip the shots and savor tequila

Street View

Bright spots in Shadyside, Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

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In Balance

24

Questionnaire

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Kyiv’s monumental view

Ampoules pack a punch Shark Tank panelist Kevin O’Leary

Travelogue

Make it yours with a monogram

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Tool Kit

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Thrill Seeker

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Day Trip

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Tech you can get wet Tennis tips from the pros Must-sees in and around Kunshan, China

Checkout

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr’s sleek symmetry

On the cover Photographer: Robert Lemermeyer; model: Megan Neitzel; styling:

Sansyrae St. Martin; hair & makeup: Erica Piebiak; all clothing provided by The Room at The Bay

8 70 72 74 76 78 80 81

President’s Letter Arts & Entertainment Spa & Fitness Food & Drink Sports & Adventure Shopping Leadership & Philanthropy Fairmont Destinations

ISSN 1925-4121

Fa i r mon t Hotels & r esorts

BIRKS.COM

1.800.682.2622

an engagement to remember with the amorique diamond速 by birks set exclusively with canadian diamonds

President’s Letter —

What a great pleasure it is for me to speak

to our guests and partners in a forum such as this. I have recently joined the Fairmont family as President and I am delighted to be communicating with you for the first time.

As a veteran of the hospitality industry, but new to Fairmont, I feel like I’m discovering the brand right alongside you.

In my first few months in the role, I have been traveling to our 60 hotels and resorts around the world to meet our General Managers, the people who lead our luxury hotels and provide a unique and memorable experience for our guests.

Fairmont has a reputation for providing extraordinary accommodations in extraordinary places. Our hotels include several unique and amazing “castle” resorts in Canada’s Rocky Mountains, exquisite lodges in African game country, a downtown tower in the futuristic metropolis of Dubai, a pilgrim’s retreat near the Holy Ka’aba in Mecca and our brand’s namesake, which has graced the San Francisco skyline since 1907.

Within moments of arrival you begin to understand how an iconic property like London’s Savoy or Shanghai’s Fairmont Peace Hotel doesn’t merely reflect its location, but defines it. Fairmont prides itself on delivering a local experience that makes guests feel that they are part of the destination.

Fairmont is also committed to providing an engaging service experience. We want to be able to anticipate the needs of our guests and to deliver on our promise of “turning moments into memories.” In my travels, I have seen how our colleagues are committed to delivering that on a daily basis, everyone from the doorman to the concierge to the night manager.

My first few months at Fairmont have indeed been a voyage of discovery and I am very excited about the future of this great brand. This year we will open several new hotels in more unique destinations, including Dubai’s Palm island, Kyiv, Baku and Jaipur – new destinations for our valued guests to explore and more communities in which to experience the Fairmont promise.

This year we continue to look at ways to deliver unique guest experiences, individualized service and an even deeper exploration of what locality can mean in the context of a great hotel or resort.

I hope you’ll be able to visit with us often. You’ll want to, because it’s going to be unforgettable.

Jennifer Fox

President, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts

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Fairmont Magazine

bulthaup

bulthaup b3 Timeless and classic.

Inspired by our convictions.

A bulthaup kitchen combines the utmost individualism with precision.

The passion for detail plays as important a role as the overall architectural concept. This is what makes every bulthaup kitchen unique. It represents true, customized perfection tailored precisely to the room and everyone that lives in it.

More via QR code or at www.bulthaup.com/vienna

Contributors —

Aliyah Shamsher

—Editorial Assistant As Fairmont Magazine’s editorial assistant, Aliyah Shamsher draws on her background in art history for “The Light Fantastic” (p. 40), where she delves into the life and work of one of Canada’s greatest and most prolific photographers, Yousuf Karsh.

Shamsher spoke to Karsh’s wife Estrellita Karsh and long-time curator Jerry Fielder to discover how the photographer truly saw the world.

Fairmont Magazine Vol.7 No.1 Editor

Natasha Mekhail

fairmontmagazine@spafax.com Editorial Assistant editor

Art Art Director

Eve Thomas

Guillaume Brière

Editorial assistants

Senior Designer

Jacinthe Dupuis Aliyah Shamsher

Macha Altare-Akian Production Production Director

Copy Editor

Melissa Edwards

Vincent Lam

—Writer Ottawa-raised Vincent Lam explores the Canadian properties that arose alongside the transcontinental railroad in this issue’s cover story, “The Railway Hotels” (p. 30).

A recipient of the Scotiabank Giller Prize for his first book of short stories, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures, his highly anticipated novel The Headmaster’s Wager has just been released.

Joelle Irvine

Fact Checker

Line Abrahamian

Production Manager

Online editor

Proofreader

Rachel Robbie

Jasmin Legatos

Katie Moore

fairmontmagazine.com

Contributors Corey Arnold, Pascal Blanchet, Andrew Braithwaite, Michael Crichton, Arianne DiNardo, Paul Dodds, April Fong, Joanna Fox, Alexander Hilner, Jesse Kalisher, Vincent Lam, Robert Lemermeyer, Brendan MacNeill, Tim McKeough, Stacey McLachlan, Celeste Moure, Nicole Noon, Eddy Pula, Jonathan Racasa, Vitaliy Raskalov, Charlene Rooke, Brett Schaenfield, Dean Stevenson, Jim Sutherland, Chantal Tranchemontagne, Anna Williams © copyright 2012 by Spafax 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 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.

Chairman & Chief Executive Officer

Executive Director, Brand Development & Global Partnerships

William R. Fatt

Alexandra Blum

President

Jennifer Fox

Executive Director, Public Relations

Senior Vice President, Human Resources

Lori Holland

Carolyn Clark

Vice President, Brand Marketing & Communications

Brian Richardson

Guillaume Brière

Michael Crichton —Photographer

Toronto-based photographer Michael Crichton is known for his dynamic, graphic and sometimes surreal still lifes that convey a strong point of view and transform the mundane into the unexpected. He captures the unique beauty and science behind some of today’s most coveted serums for “Booster Juice” (p. 22).

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Fairmont Magazine

—Art Director He gained his design chops in the advertising world, then as Fairmont Magazine’s graphic designer. Now, as the newly appointed art director, he unveils a complete redesign.

A talented illustrator and lover of all things print, Brière sought to bring Fairmont’s timeless elegance and iconic history to life. Look for his playful yet graceful stamp throughout the pages of this issue.

Manager, Brand Development & Global Partnerships

Diana Wetherly

Supervisor, Brand Development & Global Partnerships

Bethany Georgas

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Worldwide RBc centre, 155 Wellington St. W., Suite 3300, Toronto, oN M5V 0c3 canada +1 416 874 2600, fairmont.com

ExEcuTIVE VIcE PRESIDENT, MEDIa

PRESIDENT, coNTENT

PuBlISHER, SPaFax caNaDa

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North AMEricA canada Director of Sales

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Tracy Domitrovic National Sales Manager

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Western canada

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uNitEd stAtEs Manager, International Sales

Geraldine Lee

EuropE London Spafax Inflight Media

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mshaw@spafax.com PRoDucTIoN cooRDINaToR

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spafax.com ToRoNTo

1179 King Street West, Suite 101, Toronto, oN M6K 3c5 canada +1 416 350 2425 fax +1 416 350 2440

MoNTREal

lmason@spafax.com Media-corps

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noemia collection

Montreal To r o n t o Vancouver

EVEREST 514.338.5358 w w w. e v e re s t 1 9 5 0 . c o m D A M I A N I 905.850.4653 www.damianijewellers.com PALLADIO 604.685.3885 www.palladiocanada.com raymond-weil.com

Symbol TSX-V: NKL

US OTCQX: PNIKF www.ProphecyPlat.com

Frankfurt: P94P

Focal Point —

Live the experience ——

photo: vitaliy raskalov

pag e 7 7

Perched

on the right bank of the Dnipro River is Kyiv’s glorious Rodina Mat, aka “Mother Motherland,” built in 1981 from some 500 tons of stainless steel. With the National Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945 at her base, the statue salutes Ukraine’s Soviet past, but also its ambitious future: In 2010, a renovated observation deck was reopened atop her shield, more than 300 feet (92 meters) high. Gazing northwards, you can take in all of Kyiv, the beating heart of a revitalized nation . Andrew Braithwaite Fairmont Magazine

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The Dish —

Pop Stars

Upscale ice pops make cooling off an epicurean experience.

a

Augie’s gourmet ice PoPs augiesicepops.com; PoPbAr pop-bar.com; everyone’s An originAl everyonesanoriginal.com/recipes

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Fairmont Magazine

photo: anna williams

rtisanal ice cream may have turned vanilla soft serve into an endangered species, but there’s a new summer treat in town – the gourmet ice pop. With small, handcrafted batches and foodiefriendly flavors, these unique desserts will have you feeling like a kid again. Augie’s gourmet ice PoPs , available at Toronto farmers’ markets and select restaurants, focuses on local ingredients, including Ontario berries, herbs and maple syrup. (Try the Watermelon, Lemon and Mint ice pop for the ultimate summer cooler.) New York’s PoPbAr offers indulgence on a stick in its Greenwich Village shop, with fruit sorbet, frozen yogurt and imported Italian gelato flavors customized with chocolate dips and toppings ranging from shredded coconut to coffee grains. For a version with a grown-up twist, try a Berry Lemonade Vodka pop courtesy of Fairmont Pittsburgh’s executive pastry chef Naomi Gallego. Find the recipe on eVerYoNe’s AN origiNAL, Fairmont’s social-media site, and make a batch whenever you want.

Now that’s refreshing! Eve Thomas

WINNER: Best Private Residence Club - 2012 Fractional Life Awards The judges’ described Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square as: “A top location and a stylish conversion of a former chocolate factory combined with great amenities to make a superb residential development.”

The advantages of fractional home ownership with Fairmont Heritage Place, Ghirardelli Square are compelling. In addition to coming home to your luxurious Fairmont private residence club in San Francisco and experiencing world class benefits and services, as an owner you can also exchange into over 100 Fairmont, Raffles and Swissôtel hotels, resorts and residential properties worldwide.

L u x u r y l i vi ng a t Fa i r m ont H e r i t age P lace an d aro u n d th e wo rld , n o w y o u rs fo r t h e t ak in g .

F OR A L IM I TE D TI M E , FAI R M O N T H E R I TAGE PL ACE I S O FFE R I N G CO M PE T I T I V E FINA NC ING P ROG RA MS . TO L EAR N M O R E AB OUT T H E SE AT T R ACT I V E R AT E S, R E GI ST E R O N L INE TOD AY!

private residence club call 415 292 1000 www . F airmon t A t G hirardelli.com

This advertising material is being used for the purpose of soliciting the sale of fractional ownership interests. This is neither an offer to sell nor a solicitation to buy to residents in jurisdictions in which registration requirements have not been fulfilled, and your eligibility and the resorts available for purchase will depend upon the state, province or country of residency of the purchaser. Brokers must accompany their client(s) and/or pre-register them on their first contact with the Sales Gallery in order to be eligible for a broker commission. Exclusively represented by The Mark Company. Lic. #01235902.

Accents — 1

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photos: istockphotos (savanna landscape at sunset); tory Burch (Burt thong)

I Dreamed of Africa

Bright colors, bold prints and fierce fauna reign in looks inspired by the Kenyan plains.

1. Oyster Perpetual Datejust “Special Edition,” Rolex price upon request rolex.com; 2. Safari cosmetics kit, caRgo US$34 cargocosmetics.com; 3. Laura elaphetrimmed shoulder bag, jimmy choo US$2,300 jimmychoo.com; 4. Panthère ring, 18K yellow gold, caRtieR price upon request cartier.com; 5. Antelope earrings, chopaRd price upon request chopard.com; 6. Burt thong sandals, toRy buRch US$250 toryburch.com; 7. Faux-python halter caftan, michael KoRs US$3,595 michaelkors.com Eve Thomas

Live the experience ——

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Fairmont Magazine

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Discover all that Canada has to offer When planning the perfect summer getaway, look no further than Fairmont’s outstanding Canadian hotels and resorts. From Québec City’s old-world charm to Banff’s spectacular Rocky Mountain backdrop to Vancouver’s coastal splendor, you’ll enjoy the very best of each destination—as well as extraordinary culinary delights, the ultimate in spa experiences and a supremely comfortable stay. Of course, when you choose Fairmont, you choose a world of premium offerings: We’re proud to partner with some of the world’s most respected brands to bring you exclusive benefits, exciting offers and even more unforgettable moments.

Take advantage of our Everyone’s an Original offer today! Call 1 800 830 1411 or visit fairmont.com/summer Get the most out of your stay by joining Fairmont President’s Club, our complimentary guest-recognition program, designed around your passions and what’s important to you. Visit fairmont.com/fpc to enroll.

OUR PARTNERS

Three Steps — Danielle Griffin

Tequila Taster

Get the most out of Mexico’s most celebrated (and misunderstood) spirit with help from tequila sommelier Danielle Griffin.

Live the experience ——

pag e 75

1/ Skip the shots

Although you might equate tequila with a chilled shot, salt and lime on the side, this is far from the ideal preparation. “What I recommend, as far as really savoring tequila goes, is to have it the same way it’s been prepared in Mexico for the last 250 years: served neat and at room temperature,” says Griffin, tequila sommelier at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

LA HAciendA’S Red SnAPPeR A LA VeRAcRuzAnA

photos: dean stevenson (griffin, meal); thinkstock (glass)

2/ Give it 100 percent

Top Pick

Out of the more than 240 varieties of tequila at Richard Sandoval’s La Hacienda restaurant at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, Griffin can’t choose her favorite. A front-runner? Gran Patrón Burdeos.

The tequila is matured in new barrels made from French and American oak and aged for at least 12 months, then distilled again before it’s racked in vintage Bordeaux barrels. This adds color and sweetness to create a truly singular tequila taste.

Your personal tastes and budget are important when tasting tequila, but Griffin recommends choosing 100-percent de agave, produced from only the tequilana Weber blue variety of plant. “This is an indication that there is nothing added to the tequila to gain a coloring, flavor profile or taste – it is tequila in its purest form.”

3/ Match your meal

Pairing food with tequila is similar to pairing food with wine, balancing bold and delicate flavors. “It’s very easy to match a beef filet with a very full, round-bodied tequila añejo [extra aged], whereas for your appetizer, you would sip on a tequila blanco [white].” Griffin even suggests trying a little in your coffee, instead of cream and sugar. “It really gives it a sweet, rich aroma.” Joanna Fox Fairmont Magazine

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Street View —

Shadyside of the Street

photos: Care of ShadySide TouriSm (window); Paul SinneTT PhoTograPhy (1947 Tavern)

Make the trip to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania’s East End for Shadyside, a genteel district for strolling and shopping.

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Fairmont Magazine

MOda

Live the experience ——

pag e 79

1/

Best for beauty — Anchoring the neighborhood’s signature corner since 1903, Schiller’s combines vintage-style apothecary goods (Marvis Italian toothpaste, Claus Porto Soaps) with modern skin care, cosmetics and fragrances (Ahava, Blinc, Creed) – and it’s a full-service pharmacy, too.

811 S. Aiken Ave., +1 412 621 5900, SCHILLERSRX.COM

2/

Best for designer finds — At Choices, find an immaculately wellchosen selection of contemporary women’s clothing from The Row, Lanvin and Alexander McQueen, and shoes by Jimmy Choo. Seek out the equivalent for men at Moda, across the street. This boutique has two floors of designer gear, such as Hugo Boss and Z Zegna suits, standout Ted Baker pieces and a floor of casual and denim wear. CHOICES: 5416 WAlnut St., +1 412 687 7600; MOda: 5401 WAlnut St., +1 412 681 8640, MOdapIttSbuRgH.COM

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Best for fancy footwear — From a cordovan-colored wingtip to a Beatlesque ankle boot, find men’s classic and hipster footwear at Bondstreet Shoes, the North American retail outpost of Germany’s Lloyd Shoes. Women’s lines include Sacha London, Tamaris, Poetic Licence and bags from Fiorentina Italia and David&Alex. 5533 WAlnut St., +1 412 681 5533, bOndStREEtSHOES.COM

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Best for special sips — Under the old roof of recently relocated The Elbow Room, just a few blocks away amid funky Ellsworth Avenue’s antique shops, is the 1947 Tavern’s to-die-for short-rib macaroni and cheese and tasting flights of obscure single-barrel, aged and small-batch bourbons.

5744 1/2 ellSWorth Ave., +1 412 363 1947, 1947tavERn.COM (dinner only, cloSed MondAyS)

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Best for exotic eats on the go — Takeout sushi and bento boxes are in the cooler at Tokyo Japanese Food Store, but don’t miss the Pocky snacks, cool Japanese juices and sodas, and exquisite tea and chawan-mushi sets.

5855 ellSWorth Ave.,+1 412 661 3777, tOkyOStOREpgH.COM

Charlene Rooke

Fairmont Magazine

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In Balance —

Booster Juice

This potent beauty treatment proves that good things really do come in small packages.

Spa Grade

willow stream spa’s skincare brand of choice, kerstin Florian, recently released an at-home treatment: the serum C+ infusion delivers a hit of pure vitamin C, improving skin tone and firmness. kerstinflorian.Com

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Fairmont Magazine

CloCkwise from top: multi-vitamin and anti-wrinkle ConCentrate, Neostrata us$37; Cellular power infusion, La Prairie us$475; sisleya-elixir, sisLey-Paris us$555; rhythmiC night Conditioner, Dr HauscHka us$90; l’or de vie le sérum, Dior us$395

photo: Michael crichton; stylist: Jenn cranSton

s

nap! The glass neck splits in one swift movement.

The item in question? A facial ampoule, filled with a pea-sized portion of concentrated vitamins, minerals and proteins. Designed to be smoothed onto the face after cleansing and toning, the ampoule is stronger than any bottled serum on the market today thanks to potent ingredients and its hermetically sealed environment (which protects contents from oxidization and contaminants). Willow Stream Spa manager Becky Campbell uses ampoules as an added boost to routine facials at Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver, Canada.

“It’s a results-oriented beauty product,” she says.

“They are so concentrated that clients can see results almost immediately.” That instant gratification keeps Campbell’s clients coming back, but this is more than a quick fix. The effects of an ampoule used during a facial can last up to three days, while an at-home ampoule regimen, with applications every day for one week, can influence skin’s appearance for up to six months. And those beauty woes that send us running to the nearest cosmetics counter for potions that promise to brighten skin, keep fine lines at bay and strengthen cell renewal?

All taken care of with one swift snap. Aliyah Shamsher

indulge.

exclusive benefits

•

exclusive service

•

exclusive offerings

Fairmont President’s Club, our complimentary guest-recognition program, is designed around your passions and our desire to make them real. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, our goal is to create a personalized experience, always with your unique preferences and interests in mind. Every time you visit us, you’ll encounter a world of exciting benefits and an extraordinary hotel stay — one that’s all about you. To enroll or update your profile, visit fairmont.com/fpc

Questionnaire —

A Dragon’s Tale

Entrepreneur, author, curmudgeonly Dragons’ Den and Shark Tank panelist, Kevin O’Leary talks traveling for business and pleasure.

Where did you go on your last vacation? — I was in Geneva, then Montreux, then in France. I also have a cottage in Lake Joseph [Ontario, Canada] that I visit with my family once a year in the summer. I like to travel because it gives me information that other investors don’t have.

Where is the best city in the world to do business? — New York City. You can be anywhere in 15 minutes.

How do you feel at home while traveling? — I Skype with my kids a lot. I set up my computers so I’m always wired in.

What’s your idea of travel happiness? — Being on time in good weather.

What’s in your carry-on? — Three cell phones, a Mac and a PC, a Bluetooth headset and noise-canceling headphones.

How do you get to know a destination? — In each city I have a limo driver that I’ve worked with for years. I change drivers until I find one I like.

What’s your favorite quality in a hotel? — Turn-down service, 24-hour room service, overall impeccable service.

What is one of your greatest travel discoveries? — Seeing the aurora borealis from Greenland. It was an unbelievable experience, like a Van Gogh painting in the sky.

Live the experience ——

pag e 8 0

Cold Hard TruTH: on Business, Money & life is puBlished By Random house of Canada.

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Fairmont Magazine

photo: CBC

You recently released your autobiography, Cold Hard Truth.

Where is the best place to write? — At home, from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., with a bottle of bourbon. Brett Schaenfield

Travelogue —

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photos: getty (Dietrich); carlton Davis/tiffany & co.

Initial Appeal

From your pen to your perfume, put your seal of approval on everything you love with personalized monograms.

1. Actress Marlene Dietrich (pictured in 1959) traveled in style with monogrammed bags; find her extensive luggage collection at Berlin’s Deutsche Kinemathek (Museum of Film); 2. Mon Monogram Diary Cover, Louis Vuitton US$345 louisvuitton.com; 3. Square locket cufflinks in sterling silver, BiRKs US$250 birks.com; 4. Oval locket pendant in sterling silver, tiffany & Co. US$475 tiffany.com; 5. Rose 31 eau de parfum with personalized label, Le LaBo US$220 lelabofragrances.com; 6. Meisterstück Classique ballpoint pen, MontBLanC US$385 montblanc.com; 7. Seventies tote, GuCCi US$2,200 gucci.com Eve Thomas Fairmont Magazine

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Tool Kit — 2

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Drip Dry

Don’t be afraid to take these gadgets pool-side – they’re all meant to get wet.

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1. Trax custom fit sport headphones stand up to everything from sweat to water sports, h20 audio US$220 h2oaudio.com; 2. Take your work to the beach – the i812 8gb flash drive is dustproof and waterproof, PQi US$30 www.pqi.com.tw; 3. Record swimming data, including stroke count and pace times, with the SwimSense Performance Monitor, finis US$200 finisinc.com; 4. Attach the Freestyle HD video camera to your helmet and capture outdoor adventures, including kayaking, swann US$280 swann.com; 5. The Tough TG-810 camera isn’t just waterproof, it’s also freeze-proof and shock-proof, olymPus US$400 olympus.com; 6. A protective silicone covering makes the Tykho radio perfect for the pool, lexon design US$75 lexon-design.com Eve Thomas

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Thrill Seeker —

o n L o c a t i o n

Tennis, Anyone?

Feel Feellike likeFederer Federerwith withtips tipsfrom fromsome someof ofFairmont’s Fairmont’stop toptennis tennispros. pros.

p r o t i p s

“To perfect

your backhand, hold a cup of water with both hands. Twisting your body, take the cup all the way back behind you, then followthrough forward as hard as you can so the water is thrown from the cup.

This will show you how to create a nice, long, powerful swing.”

your forehand grip, stand at the side of the net, about a foot away. Bounce a tennis ball up and use your racket to catch it in the net. Hold for five seconds to feel the resistance needed when using your forehand. Repeat as necessary.”

Rudy Embernate

Iqbal Dulara

Mark Cordeiro

t o p illustrations: guillaume brière

“To firm up

the timing of your toss, hold a ball with your tossing hand and position it by your opposite knee and slightly in front.

Extend your arm up as far as you can before you toss: This indicates how high the ball should be during each serve.”

Director of tennis The FairmonT orchid, hawaii

g e a r

“To improve

Director of tennis The FairmonT SouThampTon, Bermuda

tennis manager FairmonT ScoTTSdale princeSS, arizona

Live the experience ——

pag e 7 7

an overSized leaTher carryall iS duraBle on and oFF The courT. Hermès boliDe relax uS$5,600, hermeS.com

Federer’S rackeT oF choice FeaTureS a uniquely enhanced Feel For pinpoinT preciSion. Wilson six.one tour blx uS$220, wilSon.com

revoluTionary when iT deBuTed in 1927, The lacoSTe polo iS now an inTernaTional STaple. lacoste l.12.12 Polo uS$98, lacoSTe.com

Fairmont Magazine

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Silk Road Trip

The picturesque city of Kunshan is the perfect starting point for some of China’s best sightseeing.

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Fairmont Magazine

Kunshan/ Yue Feng Island

Kunshan has long been an epicurean destination for its famous hairy crab.

Now there’s another culinary attraction: Yue Feng Island, an organic farm at Fairmont Yangcheng Lake. The 200-acre plot includes organic vegetables, beehives and fruit trees, and lets guests experience honey tasting, tea-leaf picking in spring and the hairy crab harvest in autumn. Two newly opened culinary facilities offer cooking demonstrations and private dining at the chef’s table. 3668 West Ma’anshan Rd., Kunshan, Jiangsu pRovince

photos: thinkstock (intro); April fong (buddhA); istockphotos (zhouzhuAng And silk cocoons); richmond lAm (jAzz bAr)

Day Trip —

2/ Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory

Sunshine, rainfall and rich soil have been a boon for Suzhou.

These conditions have allowed the city to nurture not only its renowned classical gardens, but also its silk industry. Learn about Suzhou’s connection to the famous fabric at the Suzhou No. 1 Silk Factory, where you can observe first-hand the process of raising silkworms, sorting and boiling cocoons (pictured) and silk reeling. 94 NaNmEN Rd., suzHou, jiaNgsu pRoviNcE

1/ Lingshan Buddha

Atop the Ling Shan Mountain in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, stands the awe-inspiring 289-foot (88-meter) bronze Lingshan Buddha. Though the statue was erected in 1997, the site has a long history as home to the ancient Xiangfu Temple of the Tang and Song dynasties. Surrounding the statue is a boulevard featuring sculptures, temples and artifacts, a lotus fountain and a Buddhist exhibition hall that explores the religion’s origins.

Wuxi

1 2

Wuxi taiHu LaKE NatioNaL touRist REsoRt, Wuxi, jiaNgsu pRoviNcE Kunshan, China Fairmont Yangcheng Lake

Shanghai

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3

Live the experience ——

pag e 75

3/ Zhouzhuang

4/ Jazz Bar

Sip classic cocktails and relive the 1920s and ’30s Shanghai vibe at the famed Jazz Bar at Fairmont Peace Hotel. The bar was a must-visit for international jazz fans at the turn of the last century – and since the hotel’s 2010 reopening, they’re flocking back. The revamped space fuses old and new, with shows by veteran musicians (pictured) and regular performances by trumpet player Theo Croker, grandson of the legendary Doc Cheatham. 20 NaNjiNg East Rd., HuaNgpu distRict, sHaNgHai

April Fong

Step back in time at Zhouzhuang, an ancient town south of the Yangtze River. The village, which is more than 900 years old, is often called the “Venice of the Orient” and is known for its willow-lined canals, 14 ancient bridges and classical Ming, Qing and Yuan slate-roof houses. But don’t just stroll through this tourist favorite.

Board one of the boats floating down the waterways and you’ll be serenaded with Chinese folk tunes by your gondolier. zHouzHuaNg, KuNsHaN, jiaNgsu pRoviNcE

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This page and opposiTe: the view of the emerald waters of lake louise has captivated visitors for more than a century

photos: grant harder (this page); robert lemermeyer (opposite); model: megan neitzel; styling: sansyrae st. martin; hair & makeup: erica piebiak; clothing: provided by the room at the bay

Northern Exposure

In this issue, we celebrate the

Canadian Summer Vacation as visitors have experienced it since the turn of the last century. From the early days of the railway, whose growth led to the construction of the country’s most iconic hotels, Canada has lured visitors with its union of untamed nature and luxurious hospitality.

And no other hotels embody this harmony better – or have been offering it longer – than Fairmont’s railway properties.

Join us as we travel across this vast nation on Canada’s version of the Grand Tour.

Birth of a Brand

the Canadian railway hotels were among the first to Be named fairmont.

— the predecessor to the fairmont brand was Canadian Pacific hotels, which acquired a number of railway hotels from then-competitor Canadian national railway during the 1980s. in 1998 Canadian Pacific hotels became fairmont hotels & resorts, which has operated the historic Canadian properties ever since.

The Railway Hotels

In the late 19th century, a ribbon of steel united the nascent Dominion of Canada. A nation was born and, with it, a new standard of accommodation, which continues to awe, inspire and enchant today.

Award-winning author Vincent Lam reflects on the legacy of the railway hotels and their significance to Canadians.

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

CloCkwise from top left: The sToried swiss wives chandelier aT The fairmonT chaTeau lake louise; breakfasT aT The fairmonT empress; canoes on The dock aT lake louise; The fairmonT banff springs; rusTic Touches adorn The walls of fairmonT’s rocky mounTain properTies

photos: granT harder (canoe, chandelier); angus ferguson (breakfasT); roberT lemermeyer (porTraiT); corbis (fairmonT banff springs)

O

ne summer, between university semesters, I set out with a desire to experience Canada’s vast grandeur. I had camping gear, not much money, and a rail pass. For days, I viewed the landscape as a constantly shifting film. I watched from the train windows, and yet I was also within this display. Shimmering Lake Ontario spilled into Toronto’s sprawling rail yards, which surrendered further north to dense forest and muskeg. I spent several nights on a chair that reclined only minimally, as I journeyed from east to west, sleeping in pieces and fragments.

At some early hour, I woke to the dusky silhouettes of moonlit shapes, the black shadow forms of pine. My eyes closed, and an hour or so later opened to a beaver dam and pond – its skeletal trees flitting past my window, glowing in daybreak. I rolled through a continent; the changes in my surroundings unfolded like a plot. The domain of trees faded into windswept prairies. Later, foothills promised the Rocky Mountains, and then the train entered them. I was as awestruck as if I had found a secret cathedral. When the train stopped to embark passengers, I would go for brisk walks, stretching my legs and taking the fresh air. In many places, I would encounter elegant stone hotels, the Fairmont railway hotels.

Literary theorist Northrop Frye described Canada as “a country that has made a nation out of the stops on two of the world’s longest railway lines.”

In 1885, the completion of a transcontinental rail link fulfilled Canada’s promise to connect British Columbia to the rest of the country. This nation had only come into existence in 1867.

In the young Canadian cities, stately hotels were built as part of the same continent-spanning project, buildings that were often considered nothing less than bastions of “civilization” in the new country.

Meanwhile, some of the most quintessential railway hotels, such as The Banff Springs Hotel and The Chateau Lake Louise, were built in locations of relative obscurity and surpassing physical beauty.

Views of the Rockies were so awe-inspiring to William Cornelius Van Horne, then-president of the Canadian Pacific Railway and the early force behind much of the hotel building, that he was famously quoted as saying, “If we can’t export the scenery, we shall have to import the tourists.”

These remote and isolated accommodations were constructed with every conceivable modern luxury, a contradiction that provided much of their attraction: affluent guests from around the world were enticed to Canada to engage with a wild, untouched landscape, while being able to retreat at the end of the day to a world of crisp linens and sparkling chandeliers. Traditional Swiss guides were hired so that travelers might walk or ride horses through primeval mountain passes, assured that they were in the most experienced hands.

Canadians consider these far-flung railway hotels to be part of the country’s historical legacy. The most characteristic irony may be that hotels whose existence was predicated upon geographical features have themselves become poignant features within the geography of these places. In the Rockies, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise has had numerous reincarnations since it began receiving guests in 1890.

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Regal Residents

— King george vi and Queen elizabeth toured canada in 1939. in alberta, they stayed in the charming outlook cabin at the fairmont Jasper park lodge. the Queen mum had fond memories of the place, so much so that her recommendations to her children have made it a royal retreat ever since.

— Queen elizabeth ii and prince philip have completed a total of 22 royal tours of canada since the Queen’s accession to the throne, touching down in every province. in toronto, the couple takes up their official residence in the fairmont Royal york, where their portraits also hang in the lobby.

— princess grace of monaco stayed at fairmont le château frontenac during the Quebec winter carnival in 1969, where she was the guest of honor. today, guests can stay in the turreted grace of monaco suite.

From Top: a guided Trail ride is one of The besT ways To explore The rocky mounTains; fairmonT canoe paddles aT The chaTeau lake louise; a mounTain goaT in banff naTional park; sTorybooTs by canadian moccasin-maker maniTobah mukluks

photos: corbis (FairmonT chaTeau lake louise); isTock phoTos (sheep, sTamp); roberT lemermeyer (sTables); granT harder (paddles); sTorybooT mukluks, designed by annie mckay, provided by maniTobah mukluks

since the eaRly anada 1900s, canada has hosted geneRations ations of monaRchs. chs. foR these visiting Royals, oyals, faiRmont’s iconic pRopeRties weRe the next best thing to home.

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Today it is hard to think of Lake Louise without the Fairmont Chateau.

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However, its juxtaposition with the mountains has remained constant, as has its perch at the edge of the emerald waters which the Stoney First Nations called Ho-Run-Num-Nay, or Lake of Little Fishes.

Today it is hard to think of Lake Louise without the Fairmont Chateau.

I have hiked up along that lake to the Plain of Six Glaciers on many occasions, with family, friends and fellow writers, and each hike is as crisp in my mind as the icy waters of Lake Louise. The Fairmont hotels have become very much part of the destination and part of the geography within many travelers’ tours of Canada, their Scottish Baronial and Chateau architectural styles making them appear as “castles” in the wilderness.

a

lso castle-like, the urban Fairmont hotels are inseparable fixtures of the cities that grew up around them. As one walks through Ottawa or Montreal or Quebec City, one might spy a distinctive green roof, a particular turret. The post-colonial towns in which these hotels were established have become major cosmopolitan cities.

Author Abraham Rogatnick observed in his ode to the railway hotels, Canadian Castles, “Almost any Canadian born within a reasonable distance from one of these centres will recall today that nearly all the important landmarks of his life took place or were celebrated – and even solemnized – in his local railway hotel: his baptismal reception… his marriage reception, his critical business meetings, the commemoration of his anniversaries.” In this way, the Fairmont hotels are a powerful setting and repository of people’s memories of their significant life events.

Memory is a funny thing, punctuated and episodic. One of my earliest memories of family travel was staying at The Fairmont Banff Springs, and meeting the steaming waters of the spa. I was surprised by their heat and pungency, by my skin flushing. A first encounter makes its impression.

As a child in Ottawa, I looked for Château Laurier when my family rode our bicycles to Parliament Hill for July 1, Canada Day. It was a long, thirsty ride along the Rideau Canal, my red bicycle following

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my father’s blue racer. I had my eyes open for the green-roofed castle, which finally appeared at the last bend in the canal, signaling that we were downtown.

Quebec City was a destination of an early school trip, where the landmark hotel Le Château Frontenac, high on its majestic bluff overlooking the St. Lawrence River, could no more be separated from the character of the old city than our history teachers could be separated from their slightly unruly charges. I also cannot think of my visits to the Inner Harbour in Victoria, British Columbia, without calling to mind The Empress Hotel. She perches at the water’s edge, as if upon a throne gazing down at her loyal subjects, the yachts and sloops at anchor.

And I can still picture one of my early public speaking engagements in the Canadian Room of The Fairmont Royal York Hotel. I was intimidated to be speaking in this venue, which was once the grand dame of the Toronto skyline, and the tallest building in the British Empire when opened in 1929.

I stood under its vaulted ceilings and remembered that many Canadians of greater eloquence and accomplishment than I had stood on the same stage, and so I was humbled by their legacy, reassured that I was in good company, and able to find my words.

On book tours I’ve stayed in almost all of the Fairmont properties, and can remember the palpable relief of finding tranquil refuge at The Fairmont Palliser in Calgary while on a busy trip. I can think of the pleasure of looking out from Edmonton’s The Fairmont Hotel Macdonald, down to a river that once carried fur traders. In the hotel bars and banquet rooms, I can recall the conversations I’ve had with fellow writers and with readers, and can look forward to many more.

Acknowledgements This article owes great thanks to and draws heavily from Wilderness Nation: Building Canada’s Railway Landscapes, my sister Elsa Lam’s doctoral thesis in which she examines the influence of the railways and their hotels upon Canada’s vision of itself.

Vincent Lam is a practising emergency physician and the Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning author of Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures. His latest novel, The Headmaster’s Wager, was released this spring.

Fast Forward

Celebrating the past doesn’t mean staying at a standstill.

Fairmont shows oFF its modern FaCe in these british Columbia hotels.

— room For Culture Fairmont pacific rim (pictured) reflects Vancouver’s status as a cutting-edge international hub (a reputation cemented long before the 2010 olympics), with accents evoking the city’s multicultural landscape, from Japanese soaker tubs to First nations artwork in the lobby.

— Jet-set teCh Voted the best airport hotel in north america, the Fairmont Vancouver airport is leading the way in innovation, with hightech touches that include advanced soundproofing technology in its Quiet Zone, hypo-allergenic guest rooms and universal flight check-in (so you can linger a little longer).

— green appeal the Fairmont Chateau whistler has the feel of an elegant old-world hotel – paired with very modern eco initiatives. it was the first hotel in the ski-resort town of whistler to have its own herb garden and its golf course was the first Fairmont property to receive audubon accreditation for wildlife conservation.

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The post-colonial towns in which these hotels were established have become major cosmopolitan cities.

Post Haste — these Canadian Pacific Railway posters showcasing iconic Fairmont properties didn’t just promote Canada – like the railway itself, they became part of the national identity.

Beginning in the late 1800s as unadorned typographic woodcut prints, the CP posters evolved over decades into elaborate, illustrated tributes to Canada’s natural beauty, always emphasizing the glamor of travel.

— all posters courtesy Canadian Pacific archives

EyE Spy

from top: Fairmont le château Frontenac towers over quebec city; a commemorative stamp oF toronto’s the Fairmont royal york underscores the cultural signiFicance oF the railway hotels in canada; the beauxarts inspired lobby oF the Fairmont royal york

— John & yoko put yourself in the shoes (or at least the slippers) of John lennon and yoko ono at Fairmont the Queen Elizabeth in montreal, canada. it was there in 1969 that the newlyweds held a Bed-in for peace, composing and recording the song Give Peace a Chance during their stay. Book the commemorative suite and marvel at memorabilia from that famous week, from photography to gold 45 rpms.

— BEngal loUngE Famous among locals and visitors for its authentic curry buffet and cocktail menu, the colonial-style Bengal lounge at the Fairmont Empress is a tribute to Queen victoria’s title of Empress of india.

— SwiSS chandEliEr the chandelier at Fairmont chateau lake louise (pictured on page 32) honors the wives of Swiss mountain guides. they put candles in the windows so their husbands could return safely from their tours of the rockies.

— StrangE SignatUrE when canadian pacific railway president william van horne visited the Banff Springs during construction, he found it being built backwards (the staff, rather than the guests, were getting the picture-perfect view). van horne had his workers swiftly correct the problem and later made light of the incident by painting a landscape on which he signed his name backwards. the picture still hangs in the hotel.

— lEgionS oF logS it took 10,000 logs – red cedar, transported by train from British columbia – 100 miles (166 kilometers) of wooden molding and 3,500 workers to build the Seigniory club, which later became the Fairmont château montebello, the world’s largest log cabin.

photos: getty (Fairmont le château Frontenac); corbis (John & yoko); robert lemermeyer (opposite page); canadian paciFic archives (poster); library and archives canada (royal york stamp)

UncovEr hiddEn hiStory at Fairmont hotElS.

Concierge

Canada British ColumBia Begin your Canadian Grand Tour in Vancouver, a bustling waterfront metropolis where you’ll find four outstanding Fairmont properties: the ultramodern FairmonT PaCiFiC rim, coastal haven The FairmonT WaTerFronT, historic The FairmonT hoTel VanCouVer and YVr oasis The FairmonT VanCouVer airPorT. make your way to Victoria’s inner harbor for a stay at The FairmonT emPress, or travel to the base of Blackcomb mountain where you’ll find all-seasons resort The FairmonT ChaTeau WhisTler.

a l B e r ta Journey through the majestic Canadian rockies with stops at national historical site The FairmonT BanFF sPrinGs, pristine and picturesque The FairmonT ChaTeau lake louise and The FairmonT JasPer Park lodGe, home to the country’s number-one resort golf course. Find The FairmonT Palliser in the heart of dynamic downtown Calgary and visit The FairmonT hoTel maCdonald on the edge of edmonton’s lush river valley.

manitoBa The FairmonT WinniPeG brings a distinctly cosmopolitan vibe to the charming Canadian prairies. Check in and get instant access to the city’s downtown arts scene and sporting events (including Winnipeg Jets hockey games).

o n ta r i o

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Take a trip to Canada’s capital – and back in time – at the stately FairmonT ChâTeau laurier in ottawa, or book a suite at The FairmonT roYal York in Toronto, the perfect place to indulge in high tea and spot international celebrities.

“I’ve been to Lake Louise many times but have never done a cover shoot up there.

It was like feeling it for the first time. Its raw beauty and profound scale really inhabit you.”

— Rob ert L e m er m e y er , P hoto gr a ph er

QueBeC

On the cOver: model meGan neiTzel aT The FairmonT ChaTeau lake louise WiTh Canine amBassador, sonnY. our insPiraTion For The CoVer shooT Was This 1930 Canadian PaCiFiC railWaY PosTer ThaT onCe inViTed inTernaTional TraVelers To Take in The BreaThTakinG sCenerY oF lake louise. WhaT surPrised us Was hoW liTTle The VieW From ThaT WindoW has ChanGed.

immerse yourself in the european vibe of montreal at FairmonT The Queen elizaBeTh, then travel across the province to experience FairmonT le ChâTeau FronTenaC in the heart of Quebec City, the palatial FairmonT le manoir riChelieu in Charlevoix, the serene countryside setting of FairmonT le ChâTeau monTeBello and FairmonT kenauk aT le ChâTeau monTeBello, and FairmonT TremBlanT in the resort village of mont Tremblant.

Whether you want to take in the Toronto skyline or wake up in a rocky mountain castle, experience a custom Canadian holiday with the everyone’s an original package. fairmont.com/summer

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T h e L i g h t Fa n t a s t i c

Yousuf Karsh

(1908–2002) sought to photograph

through his gift for portraiture, became as famous as his subjects. The Armenian emigrant to Ottawa documented the artists, statesmen and religious figures who visited the Canadian capital. From his 6th floor studio at Fairmont Château Laurier and on his many travels abroad he would photograph some 15,000 people, among them the 20th century’s most illustrious figures. Karsh’s skill was in capturing the subject’s true character. His wife Estrellita describes his portrait sittings as “a mutual collaboration of trust.” As Fairmont Château Laurier celebrates its 100th anniversary, she reflects on her late husband’s life and work.

Stor i e s by E str el lita K ar sh as told to A li ya h Sha msh er

photo: GeorGe o’Neil

the people who left their mark on the world, and

Winston Churchill 19 41

One of the most widely reproduced photographs in the history of photography, this portrait, taken in Canada, catapulted Yousuf to international fame. His image of the British Prime Minister became a symbol of British resistance during World War II. Yousuf often told the story of how he plucked the cigar from Churchill’s mouth and was rewarded with this belligerent stance.

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Audrey Hepburn 195 6

Now a worldwide Hollywood icon, Audrey Hepburn was then a fledgling star with what Yousuf described as “sophisticated vulnerability.� She told him tales of her heroic life in the German-occupied Netherlands during World War II and remarked how wonderful it was to be in a free country.

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sElf-portrait Official phOtO Of canadian GOvernOr General and lady BessBOrOuGh (1933)

photographing ChristinE bissEll, wifE of thE prEsidEnt of thE univErsity of toronto (1960) Karsh photograph of thE ottawa drama lEaguE’s Romeo and Juliet (1933) Karsh with ErnEst hEmingway in havana, Cuba (1957)

advertisinG campaiGn phOtOGraphed

By Karsh (1952–1977)

photos: all library and arChivEs Canada; Edward stEiChEn (EstrEllita and yousuf Karsh); waltEr Curtin (bissEll); monty EvErEtt (hEmingway)

EstrEllita and yousuf Karsh (1967)

Karsh with his parents (1948)

filming the SecRet of KaRSh doCumEntary (1958)

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Pablo Picasso 195 4

No one believed that the aloof artist would actually show up at his ceramic gallery in Paris to be photographed. But he arrived on time and wearing a new shirt.

Nelson Mandela

Albert Einstein

Nelson Mandela had been released from prison in South Africa only a year before he arrived in Ottawa to sit for this portrait. Struck by his subject’s strength and compassion, Yousuf regaled Mandela with tales from his travels, making the exhausted activist smile.

Yousuf arrived for his sitting with the great scientist carrying a huge tape recorder to capture Einstein’s words.

He was impressed that Einstein was not only a remarkable man of science, but that he radiated goodness and serenity. When asked what would happen if the atomic bomb were dropped once again, Einstein replied, “Alas, we shall no longer hear the music of Mozart.”

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Fa i r m o n t C h ât e au L au r i e r

Centennial Celebrations 100 Years of Stories When it opened its doors on June 1, 1912, Château Laurier changed the face of Canada’s capital. Ottawa’s famed “castle” has hosted heads of state, celebrities and dignitaries from around the world. This year it marks 100 years with a series of events.

Timeless Treasures A nationwide search for memorabilia has uncovered truly unique pieces from the hotel’s history (think menus, silverware, dishes and photographs), all returned by their borrowers, no questions asked. It’s all on display as part of a one-time exhibit. June 1 to December 31, 2012

Open DOOrs As part of Doors Open Ottawa, Fairmont Château Laurier will welcome the public on June 2nd and 3rd with music, a cake cutting, period costume tours and surprise elements along the way. In addition, guests staying overnight at Fairmont Château Laurier on June 1 can sign up for one of three VIP behind-the-scenes hotel tours.

photos: LIbRARy AND ARCHIVES CANADA (PAINTING)

Karsh & Fairmont Château Laurier

In 1931, following his photographic apprenticeship in Boston with John H. Garo, Yousuf Karsh chose the Canadian capital, Ottawa, in which to live and work. As his celebrity grew, Karsh began to travel the world to capture the great personalities of his era, but it was to his home in Ottawa that he always returned. In 1972, Karsh moved his studio to the 6th floor of the Château Laurier, where he personally developed all of his photographs. For the celebrated portraitist there was no better location. The Château with its green-capped turrets, was often referred to as “the third chamber of Parliament,” playing host to world leaders, royalty and some of the most important figures of the 20th and 21st centuries.

In 1980, Karsh and his wife Estrellita relocated from Little Wings, their home on the Rideau River, south of Ottawa, to a spacious suite within the hotel. They fell in love with suite 358 the moment they saw it, making it their home for the next 18 years. Today guests of the Karsh Signature Suite can stay among the framed photographs of Ernest Hemingway, George Bernard Shaw and Pablo Picasso. The Karsh chandelier still hangs in the dining room, and a portrait of Yousuf and Estrellita in the main foyer welcomes guests to their former home.

June 1 to 3, 2012

FrOm

The

archives

Whether you’re staying as a guest or just passing through, take a trip back in time with the hotel’s Heritage Gallery. Never-before-seen images, menus and letters will be added to the existing gallery to celebrate the Château’s rich history.

June 1 to December 31, 2012

cenTennial Tea Since the hotel’s opening, high tea has been a beloved afternoon tradition. To commemorate the special occasion, Zoé’s Lounge will offer a special Centennial Tea inspired by the original 1912 menu.

April 26 to December 1, 2012

T h e T i Ta n i c c O n n e c T i O n estreLLita in the karsh suite; Above: Painting of the Château Laurier by riChard rummeLL, (1848-1924)

Charles Melville Hays, general manager of the Grand Trunk Railway and visionary behind Château Laurier, died on the Titanic while returning from England on April 15, 1912, days before the hotel was originally scheduled to open. Some say that Hays’ spirit lives on, having returned to the Château to complete his labor of love. To mark the eerie connection, during the month of April the hotel is hosting an adaptation of the very last dinner served on the ill-fated voyage.

fairmont.com/laurier

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Dazzling cultural monuments by celebrity architects are putting the Azerbaijani capital back on the map.

B y T i m M c K e o u g h a n d J a s m i n L e g at o s I l l u s t r at i o n s b y Pa s c a l B l a n c h e t

Touching down in Baku, expect to see cranes. Lots of them. The capital and largest city of Azerbaijan is in the midst of a building boom that recalls the phenomenal growth of the U.A.E. oil and gas superpowers, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. But, unlike these cities, which seemed to have sprung overnight from the desert, Baku, on its fertile peninsula curling into the Caspian Sea, has an architectural landscape prime for reinvention.

With a predominantly Muslim population and a recent Soviet past, Baku’s skyline is a fusion of influences, from the Walled City of Baku (a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose structures reveal Zoroastrian, Arabic, Persian and Ottoman ties) to the Soviet-style block apartments that lie outside its walls.

In a quest to craft a uniquely Azerbaijani identity, Baku is in the process of becoming the world’s next unlikely architectural hotspot. Ambitious projects, like the Heydar Aliyev Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid, one of architecture’s most gifted sculptors of space, are already underway. Meanwhile, the magnificent Flame Towers, three multiuse buildings that comprise the new 299-room Fairmont Baku, opening this year, rise like fiery sentinels from the highest point in the city. Then there’s Baku White City, an award-winning master plan for an eco-friendly, urban development that will transform a former industrial zone into an ultramodern city center.

Sandwiched between Russia and Iran, Azerbaijan emerged from Soviet rule in 1991.

After centuries of occupation under the Russians and other foreign powers, defining a national identity became the first order of business. “Radical changes in creativity have occurred since the acquisition of independence,” says architect Elbay Gasim-zada, president of the Baku-based firm El & En and first secretary of the Union of Architects of Azerbaijan. “There has appeared a freedom of creation and competitiveness, and private entrepreneurs have a taste for architectural projects with original ideas.”

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Ambitious projects like the Heydar Aliyev Centre, designed by Zaha Hadid, are already underway.

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The Heydar Aliyev Centre, which will house a library, museum and multipurpose hall under one undulating roof, is the current showpiece of the new Baku. The 620,000-square-foot (57,600-square-meter) building, designed by Iraqi-born Hadid, appears to peel off the surrounding landscape in long ribbons of concrete. Inside, wall and ceiling merge together with no perceivable edges or corners, while a series of ramps carve unexpected circulation routes through the building, allowing individual spaces to bleed together.

The Centre is often cited as a symbol of Baku’s sophistication and new wealth, evidenced by the upscale boutiques – Gucci, Armani, Dior, Bulgari – that now line the surrounding streets. With the otherworldly building nearing completion, the project stands as proof that Azerbaijan’s architectural ambitions are more than the stuff of dreams.

Nearby, the Flame Towers have symbolically ignited Baku’s landscape with their curving façades, designed to resemble bursts of flame.

The trio of skyscrapers is made up of the new Fairmont Baku, a residential tower and an office building. The recently completed complex, covered in over 10,000 glass panels, pays homage to Azerbaijan’s Zoroastrian past. Fire plays an important role in the country’s identity, from the natural-gas f lares in its outskirts to the Ateshgah, a fire temple in the suburbs of greater Baku, to the flame that burns eternal in remembrance of those who lost their lives following the 1990 protests for independence. The Towers are already iconic and

Concierge

Baku, Azerbaijan S tay The 299 guestrooms, 57 Fairmont Gold suites and 19 serviced apartments of the FairmonT Baku are located in the resplendent Flame Towers, adjacent to the azerbaijani parliament buildings and overlooking the Caspian Sea. Designed with the modern business traveler in mind, the business center provides an iT butler service and computer stations with high-speed internet. The hotel also offers more than 26,900 sq ft (2,500 sq m) of meeting space, including two ballrooms, to accommodate functions of any size.

fairmont.com/baku

Do Discover Baku’s rich medieval history in the narrow streets and alleys of iCheri Sheher (inner City), a uneSCo World heritage Site. Visit the maiden Tower, an eight-story structure shaped like a giant key, in the southeast corner. The building dates back to the 12th century; however, the bottom three levels are thought to have been an astronomical observatory or fire temple as far back as the sixth or seventh centuries B.C. The Shirvanshahs’ Palace, built in the 15th century, is a multibuilding complex that includes the residential palace, mausoleums, mosques and a hammam.

Dine can be seen from every corner of the city. At night, the illuminated structures cast a flickering glow on their surroundings.

“For people who live in Azerbaijan, it’s the first time they’ll be able to observe those kinds of monuments,” says Emir Huseynov, an associate professor at Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction.

“These projects will open a new page of unprecedented modern architecture in the country.”

While the Flame Towers and the Heydar Aliyev Centre are very real projects, the ones that still reside on paper have the potential to transform Baku into one of the world’s most architecturally avant-garde cities.

Baku White City, for example, is destined to transform the center of the Bay of Baku (a former industrial zone, nefariously dubbed Black City) into an eco-friendly, mixed-use city center. The plan, led by Atkins, a U.K. architectural design firm, is to create space for 50,000 residents, while dividing the area into 10 distinct districts. One of them, the Park District, will revive a green space, established in 1883 by the Nobel brothers (who made their fortune during Azerbaijan’s first oil boom), to its belle époque splendor as the largest park in Baku. And the Waterfront District will accommodate a Ferris wheel that will be a proposed 213 feet (65 meters) tall, higher than the famed Roue de Paris.

From its top, visitors will be able to see all that makes this emerging destination so full of promise: Baku’s storied past, its illuminated present and, of course, the cranes heralding an even more dazzling future.

For a taste of local cuisine, dig in to the plov (rice pilaf) and lavangi (stuffed chicken or fish) at the popular old City eatery, kohna Shahar. The atmosphere is traditional: kilims adorn the floors of the two dining rooms, while azeri artwork hangs on the walls.

Flame towers

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Scottish Rogue

By Eve Thom as P h o t o s b y B r e n d a n M a c N e i l l a n d Pau l D o d d s

Fresh Fiction, haute haggis and tartan For the 21st century – a tour oF edinburgh reveals modern twists on scottish traditions.

Gaelic Gourmet

Like their literary counterparts, today’s Scottish chefs aren’t reinventing their cuisine so much as rediscovering – and reinterpreting – what was there all along. For a taste of tradition with a twist, take a seat at the Scottish National Gallery’s The Scottish Cafe & Restaurant on the Mound, at the edge of the New Town. There you’ll find a chalkboard map of Scotland. It won’t help you get around, but it will reveal the local origins of your meal, from Shetland salmon to Aberdeen Angus beef.

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photos: brendan macneill (this page); paul dodds (opposite)

t

o give you an idea of Edinburgh’s history, what we call the New Town was built back in the 1700s,” says Lin Anderson as she navigates her way up the cobblestoned Royal Mile. Despite her polka-dot raincoat and cheery demeanor, Anderson betrays a zeal for the Scottish capital’s seedier side. She strolls past a sword-wielding street performer in the Old Town, then stops at Deacon Brodie’s Tavern, whose namesake is thought to have inspired Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

“Brodie was a cabinet maker by day, burglar by night,” says Anderson in a soft lilt. “You still find that a lot in Scottish fiction, the idea of a dark shadow residing in each of us.” Anderson, author of Dark Flight and Deadly Code, has a unique perspective on Edinburgh, the world’s first UNESCO City of Literature. Alongside best-selling contemporary authors, including Alex Gray and Ian Rankin (creator of Inspector Rebus), she is part of a new literary subgenre: Tartan Noir. Theirs is a gritty, modern fiction, with plots you’d expect in an episode of CSI, but Scotland’s past is still felt on every page.

Playing with cultural cachet isn’t just the business of books. It’s an approach shared by a new guard of Scottish artists, from chefs recreating classic dishes to designers dominating the fashion world with tartans and kilts. Together, they are reshaping the country’s cultural landscape.

That mingling of past and present is why you might follow up a visit to Edinburgh’s bronze statue of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle with a pint at Inspector Rebus’s local, The Oxford Bar; ascend a towering Gothic monument dedicated to Ivanhoe author Sir Walter Scott, and, from the top, spy the street where Renton flees police in Irvine Welsh’s 1993 novel Trainspotting. You can even follow in the footsteps of J.K. Rowling at The Elephant House, the cafe where she worked on the first Harry Potter novels, using Scotland’s streets as inspiration for a worldwide phenomenon.

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

historic monuments and modern architecture mix at scottish parliament; OppOsite: designer howie r. nicholsby toys with traditional dress in his shop, 21 st century kilts

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photos: brendan macneill

urban angel makes modern scones and shortbread

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Even the pubs and chippies tout organic Sunday lunches and loch-fresh trout.

shetland salmon at the scottish cafe & restaurant on the mound; BELOW: pins and sporrans on display in the 21 st century Kilts window

A few blocks away at Harvey Nichols, past the Italian truffles and French Champagne, discover shelves stocked with Scottish goods: chocolates from Highland Perthshire, Edinburgh shortbread and, naturally, a wide selection of whisky (don’t dare ask for an import). Even the pubs and chippies tout organic Sunday lunches and loch-fresh trout instead of takeaway curries and deep-fried Mars bars. It’s a wave of culinary patriotism that’s only recently become the norm.

“When I moved to Edinburgh 18 years ago, we had these wonderful, wonderful ingredients, but there were very few places where you would actually want to eat,” says chef Clarissa Dickson Wright, of Two Fat Ladies fame. A spirited defender of heritage livestock and produce across the U.K., she’s delighted by how much Scotland’s dining scene has changed in her lifetime. (Though she was born in London, and Random House recently released her book A History of English Food, Dickson Wright now calls the Scottish countryside home.) “What happened was, a number of Scottish chefs went abroad, to Europe, Australia, America, and then they brought it all back. Plus we had Italian migrants back in the 1890s, and there’s always been a big French influence on Scottish food with the Auld Alliance,” she says, referring to a treaty signed between the kingdoms in the 13th century.

When David Andrews joined Fairmont St Andrews (an hour outside of Edinburgh) as executive chef, he discovered a wealth of ingredients to work with. “Haggis is the stereotype,” he admits, “but we’ve figured out how to make local dishes both authentic and modern by just tweaking them.”

So Andrews added dates and Mull of Kintyre cheddar to haggisstuffed chicken breast, creating a lighter, more complex dish. He turned venison into carpaccio, complementing it with redcurrant jelly. He also brought recipes with him from his previous stint at Fairmont Mayakoba, like a chimichanga – bursting with Scottish produce, of course – that was a hit with hungry golfers. The resident bartenders are following suit with modern whisky cocktails including the Nutty Manhattan and the John Mac Black, a spicy blend of single malt, cinnamon and ginger wine.

A mix of pride and possibility is what, in Andrews’ opinion, keeps Scotland’s dining scene evolving alongside London’s: “You do get your traditionalists, but as long as there is some local flavor, Scots are happy to experiment.”

photos: XXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dressed to Kilt

Experimentation is more than welcome over at 21st Century Kilts, in Edinburgh’s New Town, where heritage meets haute couture. Inside, between the stacks of muted tweeds, uncover bolts of black leather and embroidered Chinese silk. On the walls, spot celebrities like Vin Diesel and Lenny Kravitz posing proudly, naked up to the knee, and a kiltthemed shoot by famed fashion photographer Mario Testino.

Sorting through a selection of sporran pouches is Michael Stewart, a New York transplant to Edinburgh. “I’m a history nerd,” says Stewart, who has tasked himself with tracing his family’s Scottish clan. He’s Fairmont Magazine

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Edinburgh, Scotland S tay Hit the links in the home of golf. Located just a 60-minute drive from Edinburgh and Edinburgh Airport, the award-winning FAIRMONT ST ANDREWS is a serene getaway with stunning views. Book a Manor Home for a private family getaway, or the Kingdom of Fife Suite overlooking the North Sea.

fairmont.com/standrews

Do

fairmont st andrews

treating himself to a custom kilt – a gift that easily runs four figures. “It’s a conversation piece, and probably the most unique piece of clothing I’ll ever own. You can’t say that about a regular tailored suit.”

Kilts are as traditional as a tuxedo for many male Scots (and a few foreign Braveheart fans), having evolved long ago from the full-body feileadh mor to the tailored garments familiar to us today. (They were banned in the 18th century in an effort to quash Scottish rebels, though they continued to be worn by Highland regiments serving in the British Army.) Tartan is trending again with the revival of 1990s fashion, but it’s always been stylish in designs by Jean Paul Gaultier and Vivienne Westwood. Now 21st Century Kilts founder Howie R. Nicholsby aims to take things a step further, making the kilt not just an option for black-tie events, but, as he puts it, “everyday men’s clothing.”

After working for his parents’ Edinburgh store, Geoffrey (Tailor), Nicholsby presented his own line at London Fashion Week in 1999, then set up shop on Thistle Street about a decade later. “When we first launched, I knew how to grab headlines,” says Nicholsby with a sly grin. “A pink, transparent PVC kilt did the trick.” However, he adds, his tastes have “changed massively. Now it’s more about quality wools, Harris tweeds.”

To the untrained eye, there’s little difference between a tartan 21st Century Kilt and any other. You just need to know where to look: The waistband sits closer to the hip, six yards of fabric are used instead of the traditional eight, and there are two optional back pockets, one for a wallet, one for a mobile phone. In short, it’s wearable.

Nicholsby says the bulk of business still comes from soon-to-be grooms.

“Sometimes their more conservative dads come in with them,” he says. “They see we’re still tailoring quality kilts, we’re just doing it a wee bit different.”

Truly, it’s the best way to describe these new Scottish iconoclasts. In a land where a colorful past makes for a bright future, and small-town charm works on a worldwide scale, being “a wee bit different” is more than welcome.

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Activities abound in Edinburgh in 2012, the Year of Creative Scotland. Literature comes alive through iPod-enabled exhibits at the NATIONAL LIBRARY OF SCOTLAND, and there’s something for everyone at the recently renovated NATIONAL MUSEUM OF SCOTLAND, home to Dolly the cloned sheep, the oldest color TV in the world and taxidermic birds collected by Charles Darwin. Treat yourself to a custom kilt from 21st CENTURY KILTS (orders can take eight to 10 weeks) or stick to tradition a few blocks away at sister shop Geoffrey (Tailor). Head to nearby department store Jenners, which has been around since 1838, for modern shopping in a quaint setting – check in for Harris tweeds and Orkney-inspired jewelry from Sheila Fleet.

creativescotland.com, nls.uk, nms.ac.uk, 21stcenturykilts.com, houseoffraser.co.uk

Dine Sample Scotland’s finest dining, from hand-dived scallops to single malts, at Fairmont St Andrews’ restaurants, including award-winning, Mediterraneaninspired ESPERANTE and brasserie THE SQUIRE, named after golfing legend Gene Sarazen. In Edinburgh, try THE SCOTTISH CAFE & RESTAURANT for lunch and follow with fondue at HARVEY NICHOLS’ CHOCOLATE LOUNGE.

thescottishcafeandrestaurant.com, harveynichols.com

St Andrews

St Andrews Bay

Fairmont St Andrews

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photos: Getty imaGes / denise marcotte (old state house); eddy Pula (marathon)

a runner cools down after crossinG the finish line in coPley square

Marathon

City A runner’s long weekend exposes Boston’s flair for all things patriotic and adrenaline fueled.

B y A n d r e w B r a i t h wa i t e

photo: eddy Pula

What sort of person eats breakfast at four thirty on a Monday morning?, I wonder as the man ahead of me in line for the concierge desk of The Fairmont Copley Plaza,

Boston, confirms that the hotel restaurant will open especially early this weekend to provide him, and any guest who so desires it, with oatmeal at that truly ungodly hour.

Scanning this extremist for clues I find the answer.

Wiry-limbs, nylon jacket with 26.2 emblazoned between the shoulder blades, calf-muscle stretches while he leans against the desk. A marathoner.

“Perfect,” he says. “My shuttle to the starting line leaves at six.”

For the concierge, this is nothing out of the ordinary. Of all the great American cities, Boston stands out on two points: its role in the formation of the United States and its citizenry’s mad passion for sports. This is the hometown of Paul Revere and the Boston Tea Party, of Larry Bird and the Curse of the Bambino. It’s a city tailor-made for aficionados of stories: those composed centuries ago by bold revolutionaries and those authored today by modern legends of the playing field.

That is precisely why I’ve come here for April’s Patriots’

Day long weekend – a commemoration of both the American Revolutionary War and that other battle waged annually over 26.2 miles of asphalt, the Boston Marathon.

This year marks the 116th running of the world’s most famous road race, and every year some 26,000 stories conclude at the finish line, just steps from The Fairmont Copley Plaza. On the Saturday before race day, the historic hotel, celebrating its 100th anniversary, is invariably packed with runners sporting nylon track jackets from previous editions of the marathon. These color-coded badges of honor range from 2011’s green-and-black to the sunshine-yellow-and-skyblue of 1996 that marks the marathon’s centennial year and makes kings of a select few.

Just beyond the archway that will serve as Monday’s finish line, I join the thick crowd gathered inside Marathon Sports, the city’s running gear shop-par-excellence. As Nancy Sinatra’s “These Boots Are Made for Walkin’” shuffles from the stereo, I pick out a flashy new pair of runners – though sadly not a pair I will wear for tomorrow’s race. I’m a marathoner myself, but I’ve never been quick enough to meet Boston’s brisk qualifying standards. Running Boston is the ultimate ambition for any distance runner, so my visit this weekend is aspirational, if not entirely perspirational.

I find Sunday far less fruitful for spotting marathon jackets, as most of the runners are staying off their feet, saving their legs for the race. As afternoon bleeds into evening, I head to the waterfront, and Fairmont’s second Boston property – Fairmont Battery Wharf – for a pre-race dinner at Aragosta Bar and Bistro. Chef David Daniels, running the open kitchen with the managerial flair of famed Boston Celtics coach Red Auerbach, leans across the counter to place his signature ahi tuna flatbread in front of me. When he asks if I’m running tomorrow, I say yes (which is technically only a half-lie). “Then you’ll want some of this, too,” he says, and I dive into squid-ink pasta with caviar, made surprisingly light and frisky with crème fraîche and lemon preserve. Now that I’ve eaten like a champion, the question is: Can I perform like one?

On Monday morning, while the early-breakfast elites of the running world are riding shuttles to the starting line, and the locals are enjoying a Patriots’ Day sleep-in, I set out from The Fairmont Copley Plaza on a training run. I’m excited to break in my new sneakers, especially since I’m racing a Fairmont Magazine

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At the one-mile-to-go mark, Kenmore Square represents

the moment of truth for runners of the Boston Marathon.

As a spectator, it’s also the perfect place to watch the drama unfold. The runners have already endured the Wellesley College “scream tunnel,” the Washington Street steep downhill and the legendary Heartbreak Hill. They are helpless to hide the physical strain of the preceding two-plus hours, and desperately in need of encouragement from the three-deep crowd lining the metal barrier. We indulge them by ringing cowbells and snapping photographs, collectively urging each runner to keep pushing.

The other reason I’ve parked myself at Kenmore is the square’s close proximity to Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, who play an 11:05 a.m. home game every Marathon Monday. The most famous stadium in North America is one of the oldest, too – like The Fairmont Copley Plaza, the ballpark celebrates its 100th anniversary this year.

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When the Red Sox game wraps up, another 37,000 fans flood the square.

I can see and hear the fans just up the street, cheering atop the imposing Green Monster left-field wall, and occasionally I’ll catch a whiff of the sausage-and-peppers carts just outside the stadium’s red brick façade. To me, this is the smell of baseball and summer, but I reckon it’s torture for calorie-starved runners to catch the scent of grilled meat on the breeze.

When the Red Sox game wraps up, another 37,000 fans flood the square to cheer on the lagging runners, who (judging by the pained expressions on some of their faces) can use the exponential support. The crowd swells to five deep, then 10, coupled with such a wild cacophony of “Go! Go! Go!” and “You Can Do It!” that I have to re-route onto a back street to make my way to the finish.

Back inside The Fairmont Copley Plaza, the hotel’s

elegant Grand Ballroom has been transformed into the venue for the post-race medal ceremony. The world marathoning community explodes with admiration as top finishers are called up onto the stage to receive their honors. Many can only hobble up the ramp.

“Let’s not take ourselves too seriously tonight,” says the MC on the microphone. “After all, there were 27,000 of us out there today, running the streets of Boston essentially in our underwear.” The crowd roars.

After the ceremony I settle into the hotel bar, which has been taken over by marathoners, and where the

photos: jonathan racasa (square); eddy pula (marathon)

half-marathon in two weeks in Rhode Island, so I order up a complimentary set of workout gear – T-shirt and shorts, plus a pre-loaded MP3 player – from the Fairmont Fit program.

Boston’s quiet downtown streets are awash in glorious sunshine as I set out along the Freedom Trail, which proves to be a dream for the out-of-town jogger. Simply follow a double-thick line of red bricks embedded in the sidewalk – no map required. My two-and-a-half-mile (four-kilometer) route loops past such Revolutionary War-era landmarks as Paul Revere House, home of the silversmith who made the fateful 1775 midnight ride to alert John Hancock and Samuel Adams that the British were coming. I cross over the Charlestown Bridge and circumnavigate Charlestown’s skypiercing monument to the American Revolution’s Battle of Bunker Hill, then push on past the famed USS Constitution warship – “Old Ironsides” – said to have been named by George Washington after the signing of the United States Constitution and moored in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

With my heart already thumping from the run, I find it further stirred by centuries of stories. I loop back in time to catch the race.

A stAtue of AmericAn portrAitist John singleton copley in his nAmesAke squAre is surrounded by the historic And modern ArchitecturAl mix of trinity church, the John hAncock tower And the fAirmont copley plAzA (fAr right); opposItE: At the finish line in copley squAre, the exhAusted runners receive refreshments, A metAllic blAnket to prevent heAt loss And even A little help untying their shoes

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for over 140 years the famous swan boats in the boston Public Garden have been oPerated by the same family; opposite: the fairmont coPley Plaza marks its centenary

Of the great American cities, Boston stands out on two points: its role in the formation of the United States and its citizenry’s mad passion for sports.

Concierge

Boston, U.S.A. S tay bartenders are serving four special Gatorade-based cocktails – “Heartbreak Hill” and “Finish Line” among them.

I ask the chef what these depleted bodies are consuming.

“Hamburgers,” he says. “Lots of hamburgers tonight.”

My own indulgence is of the patriotic variety: a classic New England lobster roll – succulent meat lightly seasoned with shallots and Champagne vinegar, loaded onto a buttered roll. The experience is exquisite, and I top the meal off with a slice of Boston cream pie, which seems a fitting conclusion.

As I turn on my barstool, I nearly tumble into a stunning 50-something woman in a red dress and heels. I recognize her – she was onstage tonight collecting the trophy for her age group. I wait for a lull in the line of well-wishers before tapping her on the shoulder.

Christine Kennedy, a native of Galway, Ireland, is impeccably fresh and good humored for somebody a mere eight hours removed from having run 26.2 miles in 2:56:17.

I congratulate her on her achievement, and clink my beer against her glass of white wine. But I can’t resist chasing the epilogue of her particular tale: What does she plan to do now that the race is over?

“Oh,” she says. “I think I’ll set out tomorrow morning for an easy two-mile jog along the Charles.”

Celebrating its 100th anniversary, The FairmonT Copley plaza, BosTon, is a true city landmark, located in stylish Back Bay and situated just steps from the finish line of the Boston marathon. The heritage property’s centennial year marks the completion of a full renovation of the hotel’s 383 rooms and suites, as well as a new 3,000-square-foot (279-square-meter) rooftop fitness center and observation deck.

fairmont.com/copleyplaza Tucked just above Boston’s historic north end, FairmonT BaTTery WharF advances modern luxury in a waterfront setting. The property’s harbor connection includes a “Keep the Catch” package from may to october, featuring a tour on a lobster boat with a Fairmont chef, who later prepares your catch at the hotel’s aragosta Bar and Bistro.

fairmont.com/batterywharf

Do if you’re not yet quick enough to qualify for the Boston marathon, held on the third monday in april, this running hotbed of a city features a year-round slate of other great races, including half marathons in late may (the run To rememBer) and early october (the B.a.a. halF maraThon). bostonsruntoremember.com, baa.org For a little post-race repair, visit Fairmont Battery Wharf’s partner spa, exhale, where skillful massage therapists dive into weary hamstrings and calves. milk your recovery even further with a restorative sweat in the spa’s sleek hammam. exhalespa.com

Dine after an extensive restoration, the oaK long Bar & KiTChen debuts this summer. The historic details of this legendary room are complemented by a copper-top bar, working hearth and outdoor patio. The menu features locally-sourced american cuisine meticulously prepared by chef stefan Jarausch. fairmont.com/copleyplaza in a town known for its bivalves, B&g oysTers hits all the bases. Barbara lynch’s hip subterranean joint features all manner of molluscs, from east and West Coast oysters on the half shell to one of the city’s best clam chowders, spiked with lardons and spicy croutons. bandgoysters.com

Fairmont Battery Wharf

photo: Jesse kalisher (swan boats)

Fenway Park 22 21

Marathon Mile Marker

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Fairmont Copley Plaza

24 23

Boston

Boston Harbor

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From the Vine At an intimate Napa Valley dinner, chefs and winemakers explore the connection between land and table.

House-made charcuterie

Salmon Creek duck rillette, Parma ham, salumi, pickled vegetables, heirloom tomato chutney, rosemary mustard

Local cheese tasting

Point Reyes bleu, Mt. Tam brie, Fiscalini cheddar, Purple Haze chèvre, sourdough, quince, honeycomb, almonds

c

Oakville Ranch Vineyards Chardonnay 2009

hef JW Foster tests the dials on the electric range. This isn’t his kitchen. He’s preparing a small dinner party at a private home at Oakville Ranch Vineyards in Napa Valley. The meal begins in half an hour and he wants the prep done and kitchen immaculate.

While it’s not the industrial-sized setting The Fairmont San Francisco’s executive chef is used to (his kitchen at the hotel occupies an entire floor), Foster treats this dinner for 10 with the same deference as he would a banquet of 500. His commitment to local, sustainable cuisine has already given a small-restaurant feel to the enormous food-and-beverage program he operates at the hotel. Intimate dinners like this offer not just a sounding board for his latest creations; they also allow him to interact with the very people who supply him with his creative materials – such as the vintners invited this evening, whose wines he has paired with each course and whose stories will become part of a larger narrative unfolding in the sustainable-food movement.

Foster is nothing if not adaptable. Already he has pilfered from the cabinets, emerging with the green, leaf-shaped plates that will lend just the right presentation to his walnut crostini.

Fifteen minutes earlier he was plucking fresh figs from the garden – a replacement for the third-course fava bean puree that spilled on the hour-long drive up from San Francisco.

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This attention to detail is also why I find myself shooed out of the kitchen along with the winery’s basset hound, Magoo. Outside on the poolside patio, a handful of people are sipping their first glass of the 2009 house Chardonnay and enjoying the last rays of golden summer sun.

Our host, Oakville Ranch Vineyards general manager Paula Kornell, pours me a glass and we gaze out at the hills. The vineyard sits at an elevation of 1,400 feet (427 meters) and from our perch we can see its vines stretching out in neat rows that trace 85 acres of rolling landscape.

Kornell joined Oakville Ranch Vineyards a decade ago. “I thought it was a magical place,” she says. Its soil – red, rocky and volcanic – gives wine a sense of place and lends it a unique minerality. To protect this landscape, the winery has one of the most comprehensive environmental programs in the Valley, entirely organic and 100-percent solar powered.

Napa has been a wine-producing region since the mid 1800s.

Its 100-plus soil variations and Mediterranean-style climate make it ideal for the cultivation of grapes, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay.

The Chard I’m drinking complements beautifully with the charcuterie and cheese laid out by Foster. The cheese was sourced from Bay Area artisan producers and, amazingly, all of the charcuterie was cured in-house at The Fairmont San Francisco.

Foster has revived the art of butchery at the hotel. His chefs start with the whole animal, sourced from a local ethical supplier, and process everything on site: bacon, headcheese, prosciutto, chops. Even the bones go into the jus, so nothing is wasted.

With everyone accounted for, Kornell leads us to the long outdoor table, dressed with vases of bright orange tulips, under an arbor of bougainvillea. Before we toast, I’m introduced to the visiting winemakers, members of the Napa Valley Vintners association: Richard Ward of Saintsbury and his wife, Linda Reiff; Michael and Stephanie Honig of Honig Vineyard & Winery.

“To a gorgeous evening,” someone says.

“To great wine,” says another.

“To Chef.”

“Cheers!”

Table decoraTion: Tesoro Flowers

B y N ata s h a M e k h a i l — P h o t o s b y C o r e y A r n o l d

clockwise from top left: A bright summer longtAble dressed in An ArrAy of wine-pAiring glAsses; guests sip oAkville rAnch vineyArds chArdonnAy; chef foster’s house-cured chArcuterie And its locAlly sourced Accoutrements

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“The creativity of a chef and winemaker coming together is art you can taste.”

honeycomb harvested from The fairmont san francisco’s rooftop apiary

Bellwether creamery ricotta

walnut crostini, pickled petite beets, honey

Honig Vineyard & Winery Sauvignon Blanc 2010 Smoked wild salmon & local crab

artichoke baby anise salad, pommery crème fraiche

Saintsbury Carneros Chardonnay 2009 The Honig Sauvignon Blanc’s creaminess pairs exquisitely with ricotta layered on a walnut crostini. The wine’s stone-fruit notes bring out the sweetness of the honey drizzle. This and the honeycomb accompanying our cheese plate come courtesy of the rooftop garden and apiary at The Fairmont San Francisco, another of Foster’s locavorist initiatives.

A day earlier, I had visited the hotel garden and found it alive with culinary herbs, lavender, strawberries, raspberries, lime trees and kumquats. A few bees could be seen circling the lavender blossoms. “I love coming up here,” Foster said. “It feels like a meadow.”

Managed by local bee farmer Spencer Marshall, the Fairmont’s four hives have produced over 600 pounds of honey since their installation in 2010. The flavor differs from harvest to harvest. Two years ago, the first harvest revealed lavender notes, the second tasted of the Bay Area’s ubiquitous eucalyptus, but this most recent incarnation – with its unidentifiable herbal overtone – proves a mystery to even the refined “noses” at our table.

Our talk meanders from bees to the vintners’ histories.

Michael Honig started in the wine business almost by accident in 1984. He’d grown up visiting the hobby vineyard of his grandfather, riding the tractors and playing in the fields with his siblings. After his grandfather passed away, his dad and his sister started the winery in his memory. But after a few years, when talk arose of selling the property, the then-22-year-old Honig stepped in to rescue it. He began promoting the wine out of his old pickup truck, putting on a suit for sales calls and changing into jeans to make deliveries.

Today, Honig produces 80,000 cases a year. Its Sauvignon Blancs and Cabs sell in shops as far away as Asia.

The waiters bring out the next course, a tender wild Pacific salmon, cured and smoked at the Fairmont, with local Dungeness crab and artichoke salad. Moving on to the crisp Saintsbury Chardonnay, we discover a wonderful synergy between the zesty artichokes, pouched in Meyer lemons, and the wine’s citrus notes.

The course is delectable, but the best is still to come.

Foster’s perFect cubes oF pork belly were days in the making above: cheFs Foster and sullivan with magoo

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(left to right) Linda Reiff, pauLa KoRneLL, RichaRd waRd and stephanie honig Raise theiR gLasses to the evening ahead

Stone Valley Farm heritage pork belly fava bean puree, roasted cherries

Saintsbury Brown Ranch Carneros Pinot Noir 2005 The pork belly proves to be the pièce de résistance.

Sourced from Stone Valley Farm, about an hour and a half outside San Francisco, and prepared by Foster, this perfect cube, with its layers of meat, fat and crackling, was days in the making. Cured for two days in brine then cooked sousvide for 12 hours, the pork was then compressed under bricks for another 24 hours to give it its signature texture. Before serving, Foster seared and plated it with roasted cherries and the improvised figs – their tartness cutting through the pork’s fattiness.

“It’s like a dessert!” exclaims guest Michele Snock, a certified sommelier.

A rich dish such as this demands a lighter-bodied red, and that’s where the Saintsbury Brown Ranch Carneros Pinot Noir, with its dark fruits and earthiness, comes in.

Saintsbury’s Richard Ward and his business partner David Graves met in a brewing class at UC Davis, where they were studying viticulture and enology. Ward was a trained structural engineer, while Graves had a degree in biology. They considered themselves “refugees” from their academic pursuits but, as time would tell, they never really left their methodical backgrounds behind.

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“I was lured by the artistic, romantic, scientific and technical side of winemaking,” says Ward. “Throw in farming and I became intoxicated by the challenges.”

In the ’80s, the pair set up in what was then a no-man’s-land: Carneros, at the southernmost tip of Napa. But the old bay mud soil – heavier and less fertile than its counterparts to the north – proved perfect for Pinot. “Pinot wants to be restrained,” says Ward. “We thought if we were doing this when everybody else was doing Cabernet, we could find our niche.”

And what a niche it turned out to be: Saintsbury’s multiaward-winning wines have shown that the New World could produce Pinot to rival those of the grape’s native Burgundy.

RedHill Farms lamb

blueberry jam glace, duck fat marble potato, chanterelle mushrooms, natural jus, young asparagus, heirloom squash

Oakville Ranch Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 It’s twilight as the waiters set down the main course: lamb from nearby Petaluma, perfectly pink and tender. The dish is accompanied by potatoes roasted in duck fat. Its rosemary-bathed aroma is divine, and poor Magoo paces desperately, looking for a fallen morsel.

At this point Foster makes his first tableside appearance and we erupt in applause.

Concierge

Napa Valley, U.S.A. S tay

The honigs Take in a laTe-day view of oakville ranch vineyards

The FairmonT Sonoma miSSion inn & Spa, 25 minutes from napa and set directly above a natural mineral hot spring, has been a wine-country retreat since the 1800s. power down with help from the championship golf course, daily wine tastings and michelin-starred Santé restaurant. indulge in the Bathing ritual, a circuit of steams, saunas and dips in the spa’s therapeutic waters.

fairmont.com/sonoma

Do

In the 24/7 schedule of a hotel executive chef, it would be easy to take a cookie-cutter approach to menu preparation, but Foster finds ways to break the mold.

“Anytime I get stumped,” he tells me, “I go to the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market and walk around. I’m like a kid in a candy store, looking first at colors, then flavors, figuring out how it’s going to work.” The producers inspire him, he says, “They have great stories.”

Foster’s passion also spurs his staff’s creativity. They look forward to the farmers’ weekly deliveries. They anticipate the arrival of the heirlooms.

“It brings out the best in us,” he says. “It’s the real thing.”

Raspberry royale

champagne mousse, Sacher sponge, apricot sorbet, candied rose petal

Pâte de fruit Stephen Sullivan, The Fairmont San Francisco’s executive pastry chef and Foster’s assistant in the plating, presents his desserts. The dish is strewn with organic candied rose petals he’d picked up from a San Francisco florist that morning.

A perfect dessert, he tells us, “Should have no more than three flavors. Just like a movie has no more than three stars – everyone else plays a supporting role.” We dig in with a gusto that only a wine-infused evening can inspire.

In spite of that fact (or perhaps because of it), the conversation takes a philosophical turn.

“What is it you really love about wine?” I ask.

“That it’s intellectually interesting and drives a further curiosity,” says Ward.

“It’s the creativity of a chef and a winemaker coming together,” says Snock. “It’s art you can taste.”

We consider this a moment until Snock breaks the silence with a giggle. Pretty soon we’re all laughing.

“We’re so articulate at this level,” says Honig, giving Snock a playful nudge.

But jokes aside, this entire meal, sourced entirely from within a 100-mile radius, is about all of those things: craft, community, passion, art, tradition and, above all, wonderful stories.

mark your calendar for California’s quintessential charity wine event, auCTion napa Valley. The four-day extravaganza, held the first weekend in June, features intimate winemaker dinners, barrel tastings and vintner parties, all culminating in Saturday’s live auction. There’s more than wine on the block: expect to find everything from golf getaways to TV walk-on parts.

napavintners.com/anv Fairmont president’s Club members enjoy private tours and wine tastings at select napa Valley VinTnerS wineries, including oakville ranch, honig Vineyard & Winery and Grgich hills estate. at oakville ranch Vineyards, reserve a tour of the organic mountain vineyard by aTV, then retire to the poolside patio overlooking the valley to sample current releases.

fairmont.com/promotions/nvv

Dine Just an hour’s drive from napa, experience executive chef JW Foster’s seasonal fare, house-cured charcuterie and homegrown honey at The Fairmont San Francisco’s signature restaurant, laurel CourT. Try the specialty hand-cut organic dry-aged steak with local asparagus and house honey butter.

fairmont.com/sanfrancisco Oakville Ranch Vineyards

Sonoma Napa

Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

San Pablo Bay

Fairmont San Francisco

Pacific Ocean

San Francisco

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Your stay with us will come to an end.

But the experience doesn’t have to.

As a guest of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, you appreciate the finer things. And your taste for comfort, elegance and extraordinary design isn’t likely to vanish at the end of your stay. This is why we are proud to partner with The Invidiata Team, an award-winning real estate organization that specializes in luxurious, high-end homes in and around Toronto, Canada. From innovative downtown condominiums to immaculate waterfront estates, The Invidiata Team brings you the very best this area has to offer—helping you live the Fairmont life, every day.

For more information and to view available properties, visit invidiata.com To savor all the comforts of home when you travel, join Fairmont President’s Club, our complimentary guest-recognition program.

You’ll enjoy personalized benefits, exclusive privileges and experiences designed around your passions. Visit fairmont.com/fpc to enroll.

Arts & Entertainment

Spa & Fitness

Food & Drink

Sports & Adventure

Shopping

Leadership & Philanthropy

Fairmont Destinations

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photo: AlexAnder Heilner

Jewel of the Palm Fairmont Palm Jumeirah — The five-star Fairmont Palm Jumeirah, U.A.E., slated to open before the end of the year, will be the sparkling jewel of Dubai’s resort scene.

Stroll the 2,625-ft (800-m) stretch of private beach or lounge in one of the many cabanas alongside one of the resort’s four swimming pools. At night, have a seat at the bar of the hotel’s pan-Chinese restaurant and let the bartenders impress with their showmanship and molecular cocktails. fairmont.com/palm

Asia Major

Fairmont Beijing — As part of the Sounds of Fairmont Music Series, Fairmont Beijing, China, has launched a new music program in which top international EMI artists perform in the hotel’s intimate lobby bar. The first installment of the Sounds of Fairmont China Series kicked off in February with a performance by American jazz singer and pianist Diane Schuur. Reserve space for the next event by booking a Fairmont Beijing Bed & Breakfast package. fairmont.com/beijing

Arts & Entertainment

Abbey Road

The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel

— From The Beatles to Lady Gaga, the world’s most celebrated musicians have recorded in London’s Abbey Road Studios since it first opened in 1931.

The studios have always been strictly closed to the public – until now. A new partnership grants Fairmont hotel guests unprecedented behind-the-scenes access, including tours and even the chance to record a song. The classic art-deco style of The Savoy will also serve as a blueprint for a refurbishment of the studio lounges. fairmont.com/savoy // abbeyroad.com

Always a Classic Fairmont Beijing

— Classical trumpeter Alison Balsom has elevated the brass to star status. While performing for a televised gala in China this New Year’s Eve, Balsom said staying at the Fairmont Beijing was “the perfect antidote to the spectacle and the pressure” – as well as a great spot to enjoy the city’s famous Peking duck. This fall, look for Balsom’s seventh album, works by Purcell and Handel.

photos: Mat Hennek (alison balsoM); eMi (coldplay albuM)

fairmont.com/beijing

Listening Party Select properties

— Sounds of Fairmont invites guests to intimate music showcases at Fairmont hotels, featuring such EMI recording artists as Johnny Reid, the Barenaked Ladies (pictured) and Corinne Bailey Rae. Find out who’s playing at a Fairmont near you by visiting soundsoffairmont.com

ProMoS Turn It Up!

Tech Savvy

Download of the Month

Stay on top of your workouts while listening to today’s top artists with Fairmont Fit. Available to Fairmont President’s Club members, the program provides Reebok workout gear and a complimentary MP3 player preloaded with 500 EMI artist tracks. Now that ought to put a spring in your step!

Fairmont Gold floors offer an unparalleled level of service. For the business traveler, that means private meeting spaces, 24-hour concierge and clerical assistance. Visitors to Fairmont Gold floors also have access to iPads for presentation reviews or just to catch up on international news over breakfast.

Fairmont and EMI have teamed up to present Download of the Month. The first 500 social media users to enter the download code will receive free hit tracks. Follow Fairmont on Twitter (twitter.com/fairmonthotels) or visit its Facebook site (facebook.com/fairmonthotels) to start receiving your Download of the Month code today.

Select properties —

fairmont.com/fpc/fit

Select properties —

fairmont.com/gold

Fairmont online —

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From the Source Fairmont Scottsdale Princess — Surrounded by Arizona’s vibrant desert landscape, the Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Scottsdale Princess draws inspiration from natural elements – air, water, earth, wood and fire – for an inspiring, rejuvenating spa experience. The award-winning spa services are designed to help you find your inner energy, so pamper yourself with a heated riverbed stone massage, or indulge in a full-body wrap with native jojoba oil. fairmont.com/scottsdale

Spa & Fitness

Kid Comforts Select properties

— It’s a kid’s world at Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, with healthy activities, amenities and meals just for little ones. Take it outside with Fairmont Fit for Kids, featuring programs like The Obstacle Course. For the junior gourmand, menu items from classic chicken strips to Loch Duart salmon are sure to impress even the pickiest eaters.

And the newly launched Ollie the Otter amenities kit makes bath time fun with no-tears hair wash, bubble bath, soap, a toothbrush and a plush toy. fairmont.com

The Great Escape The Fairmont Banff Springs

— Treat your skin to a spa experience any time, any place.

Products from Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ own Willow Stream Spa are now available online at the Fairmont Store. The newly launched ener.g skincare collection includes a hydrating body emulsion and mineral scrub, formulated with exhilarating essential oils.

— Refresh and rejuvenate in the mineral-infused waters of The Fairmont Banff Springs, Alberta, in Canada’s spectacular Rocky Mountains.

The Escape to the Willow Stream Spa package offers one-night accommodation, a gourmet breakfast and a signature spa treatment such as the invigorating Banff Mountain Body Scrub.

fairmontstore.com

fairmont.com/banffsprings

Home Spa Fairmont online

PromoS Club House

Signature Summer

Paradise Calling

Fairmont President’s Club Members are rewarded with exclusive benefits, from complimentary suite upgrades to private concierge service. In addition, members receive 10 percent off Willow Stream Spa treatments and products, for an indulgent experience at a rewarding price.

Whether you’re jetting off to faraway places or relaxing in your own backyard, Fairmont’s Willow Stream Spa makes summer even sweeter with the Signature Summer spa package. Book any Willow Stream signature treatment and receive a Willow Stream travel kit.

Experience “Pamper in Paradise” with someone you love at The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda. You’ll each enjoy three nights deluxe accommodation, a sunset Bermudian dinner at the historic Waterlot Restaurant & Inn and a soothing, 60-minute Basic Body treatment.

Fairmont properties worldwide —

fairmont.com/fpc

Willow Stream Spas worldwide —

willowstream.com

The Fairmont Southampton —

fairmont.com/southampton Fairmont Magazine

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Say Cheese!

The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel — Gourmet four-year-aged goudas, hand-crafted clothbound cheddars, cave-aged chèvres: Experience a world of dairy delights as Fairmont Hotels & Resorts partners with New York-based fine foods retailer Artisanal Premium Cheese to create exclusive cheese and wine tastings for guests at The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, in New York City. Visit the Artisanal Premium Cheese’s website for dates and class events. artisanalcheese.com/cheese_classes

Food & Drink

North by Northwest The Fairmont Olympic Hotel

— Taste the Pacific Northwest at The Fairmont Olympic Hotel, Seattle, U.S.A. At the Georgian Restaurant, master sommelier Joseph Linder pairs Washington and Oregon’s finest wines with local dishes, while at Shuckers Oyster Bar, guests who order a dozen oysters can tuck into another six on the house. Bon appétit! fairmont.com/seattle

G-Free and Loving It

Tea Party

Fairmont featured author Elizabeth Hasselbeck

photos: Kelly campbell (elizabeth hasselbecK); patrÓn spirits (cocKtail)

— Following her widely successful New York Times bestseller The G-Free Diet, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, cohost of The View, has released Deliciously G-Free, a collection of hearty Italian-style family recipes (think spaghetti and meatballs and mile-high lasagna) – all gluten-free. Since being diagnosed with celiac disease, Hasselbeck has been g-free for 10 years. But, as these recipes demonstrate, a dietary restriction doesn’t have to mean a boring diet. You too can enjoy gluten-free options on your next trip as part of Fairmont’s Lifestyle Cuisine Plus menu.

The Fairmont Royal York

— A tradition since 1929, high tea in the Library Bar at The Fairmont Royal York, Toronto, Canada, remains a daily ritual. Select from an extensive menu of loose-leaf teas while nibbling on delicate sweets and finger sandwiches. Afterwards, take a stroll in the hotel’s rooftop garden. fairmont.com/royalyork

g freediet.com

PROMOS The Sweet Life

California Dreaming

Classic Cocktails

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and Toronto are all abuzz with bees, and now Fairmont Yangcheng Lake, China, is the latest hotel to install its own hives.

With all that harvested honey used on-site in daily menus and cocktails, a stay at the resort is about to get a whole lot sweeter.

Napa Valley Vintners provide exclusive experiences for Fairmont President’s Club Members. Enjoy complimentary eco-tours at Honig Vineyard & Winery, wine and cheese pairings at Grgich Hills Estate and a private tour by ATV at Oakville Ranch Vineyards.

The Savoy, A Fairmont Managed Hotel, perfected the art of the cocktail 100 years ago. Celebrate mixology’s rich history with Fairmont’s Classic Cocktail Menu, featuring expertly prepared libations using premium spirits such as Cointreau, Bacardi, Bombay Sapphire, Finlandia and Patrón.

fairmont.com/promotions/nvv

fairmont.com

Fairmont Yangcheng Lake —

fairmont.com/yangchenglake

The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa —

Fairmont properties worldwide —

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Changing Gear

Select properties — Fairmont President’s Club members have long enjoyed the benefits of the Fairmont Fit program, which supplies clothing, shoes, yoga mats and stretch bands for their workouts. This summer, Fairmont Fit teams up with international sportswear brand Reebok to give guests access to its fitness programs and products. Sign up online to receive Reebok gear the next time you use Fairmont Fit. fairmont.com/fpc

Sports & Adventure

Served Sunny Side Up

The Fairmont Southampton

— Play tennis in paradise. For beginners, intermediates, or for those just looking for a fun challenge, the Ace Package at The Fairmont Southampton, Bermuda, includes nightly accommodations, full breakfast to fuel up for the day, court time and racket rental along with a one-hour tennis lesson with Southampton’s pro. fairmont.com/southampton

Kenyan Adventure

Fairmont’s Kenyan properties

— Wildlife encounters are just the beginning: At Fairmont Mara Safari Club, take a walking safari with Maasai warriors then sleep under the stars in a luxury tent. At the breathtaking Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club, visit Aberdare National Park to catch a glimpse of zebras and elephants living in the bamboo forest. fairmont.com/kenyasafariclub // fairmont.com/marasafariclub

Hot Shots Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

— Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, U.A.E., was the official hotel of the Mubadala World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi this past December. Mubadala hosted some of the world’s tennis greats, with Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, David Ferrer and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga vying for top spot alongside championship winner Novak Djokovic (pictured). Beyond the glitz of the court, the event’s legacy includes the Mubadala Tennis in Schools Program and the Mubadala Community Cup, which lets U.A.E. youth play with some of the game’s best. fairmont.com/babalbahr // mubadalawtc.com

proMoS

photo: Peter StaPleS (djokovic)

Water World

Football Fever

Sharp Swing

This summer, football fans get their fix at the newly opened Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv.

The excitement is already palpable as the Ukranian capital gears up to host the grand final, quarter-final and three group matches of the UEFA EURO 2012 European Football Championship in June and July.

Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ services extend far beyond the doors of their iconic hotels.

Fairmont President’s Club members can request complimentary sports equipment, such as TaylorMade’s technologically advanced golf clubs and BMW Cruiser bikes, in sizes for the whole family.

Fairmont Mayakoba —

Fairmont Grand Hotel Kyiv —

fairmont.com/mayakoba

fairmont.com/kyiv

A SCUBA lesson is just the beginning at Fairmont Mayakoba, Mexico. The AAA 5-Diamond resort offers underwater adventures for every skill level, from snorkeling the Great Mayan Reef to diving the cenotes (a subterranean fresh water cavern system) to swimming with the dolphins.

Select properties —

fairmont.com/fpc Fairmont Magazine

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Eloise At The Plaza

The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel — The Plaza hotel in New York City inspired author Kay Thompson to create her precocious heroine Eloise some 50 years ago. Now kids can find out what it’s like to grow up in The Plaza with the Live Like Eloise Package. A one-night stay, a copy of an Eloise book and a Super Duper Sundae are all on the agenda – Nanny not included. fairmont.com/theplaza

Shopping

Gourmet Grocer The Plaza, A Fairmont Managed Hotel

— New Yorkers in the know already head to The Plaza Food Hall for international cuisine, from fried dumplings to flatbread pizza. Now the European-inspired restaurant concept, created in collaboration with chef Todd English, is expanding.

Highlights include a fresh pasta station, a sommelier table offering pairing advice, a private event space and 28 custom wine lockers available for rent, so you’ll always have your favorite vintage on hand. theplazafoodhall.com

Make a Statement

Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park

— Blocks away from Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park, U.S.A., you’ll find one of the world’s largest department stores: the historic Macy’s on State Street. This 10-level flagship location is the inspiration for the State Street Package, which includes overnight accommodations, a $100 gift certificate to spend at Macy’s and a 5 p.m. checkout, so you can shop a little longer. fairmont.com/chicago

Shops on Wheels Fairmont Dubai

— The shopping is endless in the U.A.E. and Fairmont Dubai helps you get there with complimentary shuttle service to Dubai Mall, where even seasoned shoppers struggle to hit the more than 1,000 stores spanning Armani to Zegna, and Dubai Outlet Mall, where you’ll find massive discounts on top brands. fairmont.com/dubai

photo: Eric LaignEL (pLaza food haLL)

PROMOS At-Home Experience

Malls For Miles

Unforgettable Night Out

Dreamy down duvets, invigorating Willow Stream Spa products and signature premium loose-leaf teas: Treat yourself to all the comforts of your favorite Fairmont hotels and resorts at the Fairmont Store online. Fairmont President’s Club Members receive 15 percent off all purchases.

A night at The Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Canada, isn’t complete without some retail therapy. Find it nearby at Eaton Centre, downtown’s largest mall; along the PATH network, 17 mi (28 km) of underground shopping; or in the luxury retailers of Bloor Street.

Fairmont Pittsburgh, U.S.A., invites you to experience A Night to Remember. The package includes one-night accommodation, valet parking and dinner for two at Habitat (one of the city’s top restaurants). Find top shops such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue and One Oxford Centre all within walking distance.

Fairmont online —

fairmontstore.com

The Fairmont Royal York —

fairmont.com/royalyork

Fairmont Pittsburgh —

fairmont.com/pittsburgh Fairmont Magazine

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Leadership & Philanthropy

Treetop Adventure

The Fairmont Waterfront

— Experience the Vancouver of the First Nations culture with the Treetop + Totem Poles Package at The Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver, Canada. You’ll stay at the ocean’s edge, just steps from Stanley Park, downtown Vancouver’s 1,000-acre evergreen forest. The package includes accommodations and admission to the Capilano Suspension Bridge, where you’ll stroll among the treetops, take part in a guided nature tour and visit the Kia’palano First Nations’ Cultural Centre. fairmont.com/waterfront

Authors Up Close

Eco Force

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr

— This past December, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., was a partner hotel of the Eye on the Earth Summit. This gathering of some of the greatest minds of our time (such as high-profile speakers Bill Clinton and Jane Goodall) addressed new and existing environmental challenges that the world faces in 2012. Facilitated by Abu Dhabi Global Environmental Data Initiative, the summit focused on allowing knowledge and scientific data on the environment to be widely available which, in turn, will facilitate proper government decisionmaking in the years to come. fairmont.com/babalbahr // eyeonearthsummit.org

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Fairmont Magazine

— The Random House Iconic Voices series lets Fairmont guests get up close and personal with some of today’s most influential writers at select properties worldwide. Past speakers have included Natalie MacLean, presenting her bestselling Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, and Clarissa Dickson Wright, speaking on her thoroughly entertaining tome, A History of English Food. To find the Iconic Voices making an appearance near you, visit fairmonticonicvoices.com

photos: istockphotos (stanley park); random house (book)

Select properties

fairmont destinations

Find Fairmont Worldwide Fairmont Gold floor property

Fairmont Hotels United StateS Boston at Battery Wharf Boston at Copley Plaza Chicago Dallas Newport Beach New York Pittsburgh San Francisco San Francisco at Ghirardelli Square San Jose Santa Monica Santa Fe (opening 2012) Seattle Washington, D.C. Canada Calgary Edmonton MontrĂŠal Ottawa Toronto Vancouver at Hotel Vancouver

Vancouver at Pacific Rim Vancouver at Vancouver Airport Vancouver at Waterfront Winnipeg EuropE, MiddlE East & afriCa Abu Dhabi Baku (opening 2012) Cairo at Heliopolis & Towers Cairo at Nile City Dubai Hamburg Kyiv (opening 2012) London Makkah Nairobi Riyadh (opening 2013) asia Beijing Chengdu (opening 2014) Jaipur (opening 2012) Jakarta (opening 2014) Manila (opening 2012) Nanjing (opening 2013) Shanghai

Singapore Taiyuan (opening 2014)

Fairmont Resorts United StateS Hawaii Maui Scottsdale Sonoma Telluride Canada Banff Charlevoix Jasper Lake Louise Montebello Montebello at Kenauk Mont-Tremblant QuĂŠbec City Victoria Whistler

BErMuda, CariBBEan & MExiCo Acapulco at Acapulco Princess Acapulco at Pierre Marques Barbados Bermuda at Hamilton Princess Bermuda at Southampton Riviera Maya EuropE, MiddlE East & afriCa Dubai at Palm Jumeirah (opening 2012) Fujairah (opening 2013)

Kenya at Mara Safari Club Kenya at Mount Kenya Safari Club Monte Carlo Montreux Moscow (opening 2016) St Andrews Zimbali at Zimbali Lodge Zimbali at Zimbali Resort asia Kunshan

For reservations, please call +1 800 441 1414 in the United States and Canada, and +1 506 863 6310 internationally, or visit us at fairmont.com

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Checkout —

Golden Globes

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, Abu Dhabi — There is a soothing rhythm to the sea as it ebbs and flows along the coast of Abu Dhabi where the city meets the Persian Gulf. This ancient natural force contrasts with the Emirate’s sleek, modern buildings and the cutting-edge technology that has thrust the U.A.E capital into the future. Letting the landscape do the talking, Wieland Schorer, lead architect of 4D Design, played with this juxtaposition at Chameleon, Fairmont Bab Al Bahr’s bar and lounge. The strict symmetry of the marble-and-steel bar is immediately countered by five larger-than-life globe pendants.

When lit, their seemingly ephemeral forms mimic the patterns of reflected water. Aliyah Shamsher

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Fairmont Magazine

Brilliant white diamond necklace in platinum

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