Editor En Route » luxury

Mar’sel Restaurant at Terranea Resort & Spa

Hayley — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 17:37:51 +0000

Eating and drinking is a big part of any good weekend away, and at Terranea there are plenty of dining outlets to do just that.

For my first dinner at Terranea, I went to Nelson’s a very casual eatery that is perched above the Pacific. This is a great place for burgers and beer and if full kid-friendly.

I certainly enjoyed my turkey club sandwich at Nelson’s, but for our second dinner, we decided to visit Mar’sel, the resort’s signature restaurant, which is much more formal than the other restaurants on property. A stunning restaurant with indoor dining and a huge outdoor patio as well, Mar’sel, which is Spanish for “sea” and French for “salt”, is a terrific place to watch the moon rise and the tide come in and out. It’s also a great place to enjoy an amazing meal of modern Californian cuisine and hand-crafted cocktail – oh, and a really great wine list.

Taking advantage of the ocean views, we sat outside on the patio and enjoyed a cocktail to start. I had a glass of rose Champagne while my husband quite enjoyed a gimlet. We shared the beet salad appetizer and then delighted in the main course. I had the salmon and my dinner companion had the halibut – its just so nice to eat fresh seafood by the sea. Also, I almost forgot to mention the delicious the fresh olive bread, served warm.

Since the moon was just rising, we ordered dessert to share while we watched the moon come up. It was truly a perfect evening out, yet so nice to have such a short walk back to our room.

For our daily breakfast, we went to Catalina Kitchen to enjoy the daily breakfast buffet. Breakfast can be ordered a la carte as well, but the buffet is just irresistible, so while on vacation you might as well go all out. Catalina Kitchen is the resort’s three-meal restaurant and is very kid-friendly, so if you want a romantic dinner, skip right over to Mar’sel (or go next door to The Grill) and leave Catalina Kitchen to the families. But for breaky and lunch, it’s perfect.

Also, one word of advice: make reservations, especially if you are at Terranea for a long-weekend. Even though there are numerous restaurants, when the resort is at full capacity you will need a reservation for all your meals unless you are OK with waiting a bit for your table.

Tune in tomorrow for mroe Terranea activities.

www.terranea.com

Capella Telluride Opens Last Week in Colorado

Hayley — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:00:57 +0000

Telluride is one of our favorite places, here at Estates West Magazine. And Capella is one of our favorite brands. So, we considered it a match made in heaven when the brand new Cappella Telluride opened for business last week. With a direct flight from Phoenix to Telluride, I just might have to go check it out myself.
Here’s the news:

Capella Telluride, the first U.S. Resort from Horst Schulze’s acclaimed new luxury hotel brand, Capella Hotels and Resorts, opened its doors for the first time last week, just in time for the spring ski season. Capella Hotels and Resorts has earned rave reviews for its debut properties in Europe and Mexico. Now, the brand’s signature blend of personalized service and world-class amenities comes as a welcome addition in Telluride, which has emerged as a destination of choice for skiers of all ability levels.
The spring ski season is shaping up as one of the best in years for Telluride. More than 17 feet of snow has graced the ski area during the 2008/09 season, with more than 17 inches falling in the past 10 days alone. Fresh snow complements Telluride Ski Resort’s newest terrain, Revelation Bowl. Situated above tree line, the European-style setting offers advanced and expert skiers a natural, wide-open bowl with 800 vertical feet of pure bliss and views to match (equally magnificent runs throughout the mountain are also available for the beginner and intermediate enthusiast).
Capella Telluride’s debut – offering premier ski-in/ski-out access to the slopes – underscores the metamorphosis of this prized ski retreat, making spring an ideal time to rediscover this mountain community. Through April 4, 2009, skiers can enjoy Capella Telluride’s special introductory rate of $295 (subject to availability), designed to introduce guests to the Capella experience.
Located in the heart of Mountain Village, every detail of Capella Telluride’s boutique setting has been designed around the needs of the discerning traveler. Skiers enjoy coveted access to Telluride Ski Resort, and are pampered by the complimentary services of the Nordic Lounge, where ski valet pre-warm boots, wax skis and offer warm beverages while they store guests’ equipment. For tired muscles, spa therapies are available in-room or in one of Capella Telluride’s beautifully appointed suites, pending the March 15th debut of The Spa at Capella. For après-ski aperitifs and tapas or a mid-day lunch, guests will find Suede Bar an elegant, yet comfortable, perch. Haute alpine cuisine is available during breakfast and dinner at Onyx Restaurant. And Personal Assistants – a core element of the Capella Telluride experience – are on-hand to ensure that every moment of each guests’ visit is custom-crafted.
A four-season destination, Telluride’s equally sensational warm-weather adventures are not to be missed. As the snow melts, guests of Capella Telluride will be introduced to the resort’s summer splendor thanks to a special starting rate of $195 (subject to availability). Reservations are available online at www.capellatelluride.com, or by phone at (877) 247.6688.

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Terranea in Palos Verdes, Something to Look Forward to

Hayley — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 16:10:14 +0000

I have been looking forward to the June opening of Terranea ever since I heard about this monumental resort development situated on the Pacific Ocean on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. The 582-room resort includes a 360-room hotel with 20 bungalows and 32 suites. There are also some insanely beautiful real estate offerings – 50 oceanfront casitas and 32 ocean view villas.

Here are a few more details on the golf and spa offerings to come:

Ted Eckenrode Nine Hole Golf Course
At a time when everyone is looking to build the next biggest, longest, hardest golf course, comes the short course game. Terranea joins some of golf’s most storied short course venues…Augusta National, Shinnecock Hills (Southampton), and Pebble Beach.

Terranea’s nine-hole, par three short course and practice area with chipping and putting greens is located on one of the most scenic peninsulas in Southern California with views to the Pacific and Catalina Island. Despite being a short par 3 course, the elevation changes, contours, bunkering, views, unobstructed sightlines and excellent playing conditions all combine to give it more than its share of visual drama and ‘wow’ factor. The finishing 8th and 9th holes, which head straight down to the ocean, will be the most memorable.

For those short on time, seasoned golfers, and beginners, this course delivers a fun and manageable course, reasonably priced, that won’t take all day to play. The practice area will be an ideal place to brush up on the essentials of the short game. For those with more time, the Trump golf course is two miles from the resort.

The Spa at Terranea
Relaxed and stylishly elegant, The Spa at Terranea is a state-of-the-art, 25,000 square-foot oceanfront oasis nestled in a secluded, unrivaled setting with sweeping views of the Pacific and Catalina Island – a distinctive California-style “sanctuary of the senses.” Twenty four treatment rooms, including three VIP Suites, are accessed by a grand staircase with unobstructed ocean views. The pristine and protected setting of Terranea makes it uniquely positioned to immerse guests in the natural world. Nature’s rhythm is an integral part of the Spa at Terranea experience with treatment options designed to correspond to the body’s internal rhythms. Vibrant and invigorating treatments will be offered in the morning, while gentle, quieting treatments offered in the afternoon and evening.

The Spa at Terranea features an array of fitness options including a 5,000 square-foot Fitness & Wellness Center with cardiovascular and weight training equipment, a movement studio and outdoor yoga terrace. Spa cabanas and spectacular ocean views from sweeping terraces create intimate areas for lounging around the spa’s lap pool. And, an expansive and diversified wellness program includes hiking, cycling, yoga, Pilates, movement, meditation and lifestyle awareness classes. The intimate Spa Café offers a wide variety of delicious, freshly prepared natural food, juices and other drinks.

For more information and construction update photos visit www.terranea.com.

Buy a House, Get a Bentley

Hayley — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 22:22:20 +0000

So any of us who live in Arizona (or California and Nevada for that matter) and bought a house last year (umm, ME) already know we missed out on some good deals, but the home sale techniques are starting to resemble blue light specials and are beginning to be a bit comical, despite the fact I wish I could take advantage of them.

On the weekend, as I was driving out to the Cardinals playoff game, my husband and I actually laughed out loud as we passed a huge billboard we saw advertising, “End of Year Blow-Out. Home Prices Slashed.” It just sounded too much like a car sale. The again, the next thing we saw were sheep roaming in the pastures out by the stadium, so it’s easy to see why housing might be a bit cheaper out there in no-man’s land.

But the publisher of our company just alerted to me to something I had yet to see in this fumbling housing market – the luxury market turning to gimmicks to sell their mansions. It turns out that Five Star Development Group (a Scottsdale-based company that is also bringing us the new Ritz-Carlton, Paradise Valley resort and community in 2010) is offering free $200,000 Bentleys with the purchase of one of their Paradise Valley estates. Now, these homes are priced around the $4 and $5 million mark, so a fancy car thrown into the deal isn’t all that bad, its just kind of funny.

Of course, its a way of generating and buzz and hopefully getting a few more people out to these estate open houses (where loaner Bentley will be parked outside), so we commend the creativity. In fact, they are not just appealing to the car-lover. If a Bentley will not do, a 50-hour NetJets card or a free month (for life!) at the Newport Beach Marriott Hotel are other options. Or buyers can be a bore and just take $200, 000 off their severly discounted home sale price.

Creativity is the word of the day when it comes to survival in this economic state, but its interesting to see the luxury market also adopting non-traditional sales technique. I am just a little sad my house didn’t come with a car – I guess patience really is a virtue. I’ll remember that next time the housing markets spirals downward and I am need of new wheels and a new home.

Hayley Mitchell, editor in chief

Bentley Skis For the Slopes