Category Archives: swanky luxe stays

‘The Mikimoto’ at Beverly Wilshire

there’s a saying that “diamonds are a girls best friend” but did the girl ever meet Mikimoto?

it may come as NO surprise that the oh-so-luxe pearl jewelry experts, Mikimoto, have a store front in the posh Beverly Wilshire – Four Seasons. for those who don’t know, Mikimoto is the foremost producer of the finest quality cultured pearls. The Mikimoto name is synonymous with superior quality at every stage, from the selection of finest materials to expert workmanship to their customer service commitment. Mikimoto combines timeless elegance with sophisticated, modern design. let’s just say – VERY LOLA APPROVED!

however, only 1/3 of my Mikimoto story has to do with the gorgeous pearl jewelry outfitter.

another 1/3 has to do with a legendary cocktail that is the signature drink of Beverly Wilshire’s The Blvd. ‘The Mikimoto’ is a delicious concoction which was served for 50 days in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Four Seasons brand last year at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills. during my most recent stay with Beverly Wilshire, i requested to try the signature cocktail of the hotel. the lovely staff arranged for me to sample ‘The Mikimoto’ at The Blvd one afternoon with the dashing General Manager as my companion & tour guide to my cocktail tasting. well…i had NO idea what a treat was in store for me. i should have known as Four Seasons makes even the ordinary special! the brand prides itself on making your stay customized, unique & memorable if you allow them the opportunity. I SURE DID and they did not let me down.

it was a like a scene from Pretty Woman. no, i’m not claiming to be any Julia Roberts. let’s not get carried away. BUT this IS my Pretty Woman moment.

so, there i am at the Reg. Bev. Wil. and the GM escorted me out to a coveted sidewalk table with staff waiting on us hand & foot. he had the menu at the ready for me to view. then, as they brought me the drink – well, it was delivered in the MOST GORGEOUS crystal glass i’ve ever seen. here’s the final 1/3 of the story. the Beverly Wilshire worked with Swarovski Crystal to have a special glass for their signature ‘The Mikimoto’ drink. i can’t decide what was more heavenly?! the cocktail, the glass or the fabulous pearl designer it was all named after.

OH, and did i fail to mention Mikimoto created a signature bracelet to go along with this special anniversary? well, i was able to test drive one of these beauties and i think i’m now in LOVE.

‘The Mikimoto’ cocktail is a combination of watermelon, mandarin & pineapple infused ultimat vodka, along with cointreau & finished with a lychee garnish shaped like none other than a pearl! all of this deliciousness can be yours for $19.

if you were lucky enough to be a patron during the anniversary celebration you could have your ‘The Mikimoto’ served in the stunning Swarovski Crystal glass to take home to the tune of $500. and if your date was a BIG spender then you could have the divine cocktail, crystal glass & bracelet all for $2500. to me, this is the best value! the Trifecta…a case where three isn’t a difficult number.

i was sold. BUT where was my sugar daddy?! just kidding – the experience was reenacted for me and this was good enough for lola – for now! 🙂

thank you Beverly Wilshire for making me feel like a Pretty Woman sipping my own gorgeous ‘The Mikimoto’. you certainly did make my visit a most memorable one!

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Filed under california, los angeles, swanky luxe stays, travel

Palm Springs & the desert cities: retro chic + modern cool

Palm Springs packs a punch as a perfect short getaway!

when i think of Palm Springs i think of vintage Hollywood glamour. even though the desert cities and Palm Springs have grown up, modernized & changed – that vibe still exists. it was fun to experience the best of the old with the new recently. i love the retro influences in all things design these days – Palm Springs & the desert cities certainly fell into this fabulous category. it offers the best of modern luxury but still has that kitschy feel. even better yet, it honors its history with reminders in the names of the Aqua Caliente band of Cahuilla Indians that have forever inhabited the area as well as its ties to old Hollywood.

      

an example of swanky luxe is the four diamond award-winning Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage, with its modern fabulousness. it has all the amenities you could wish for in a casino property. obviously, there’s the casino aspect but it also has lounges, pool parties, a state of the art theater, multiple restaurants, a posh spa – i could go on! right up the LOLA APPROVED alley.

      

then there’s their sister property, Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, which fits perfectly into the retro category. the Spa at Spa Resort Casino was first opened in 1960 – talk about vintage cool! AND i was lucky enough during my long weekend stay to enjoy the award-winning Spa Resort Casino’s historic “Taking of the Waters” spa experience. in my opinion, this IS NOT to be missed. talk about a unique, one-of-a-kind experience to Palm Springs. the Spa has the last standing bath house where the area’s famous hot springs are pumped in to have this 5-step signature spa treatment. the treatment includes steam, sauna, eucalyptus inhalation, a 10 minute soak in a private tub of the famous therapeutic mineral waters & finally, the tranquility room where you can relax your mind & awaken your spirit. this is my favorite memory of my visit to Palm Springs!

      

another thing i think of when it comes to Palm Springs is cocktails. you know, like the forever classic martini. it just so happened that while i was visiting the desert cities it was Restaurant Week – a very progressive event happening around the US these days. it’s where many “see & be seen” POSH restos participate in a prix fix menu and feature some of their best menu items. talk about getting a FAB value. saving money on dinner enabled me to sample some of the best cocktails too!! lola was a happy girl! see my travelin’ partner in crime – Leah Travels mouth-watering write-up on the food!

      

i don’t know about you but, when i envision Palm Springs, besides the desert of the Coachella Valley, i also think of the gorgeous views of the mountains all around. another wonderful discovery i made and got to partake in on my quick visit was the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. such a spectacular way to get a real sense of the valley & desert cities. an absolutely stunning 10 minute, 2.5 mile ride up to the top of Mt. San Jacinto at an elevation of 8,500 feet & bam – INCREDIBLE VISTA! another must-do in my book!

      

other things i indulged in while in Palm Springs: some sunning by the pool, some good laughs with great friends & a little fun with a BIG Marilyn Monroe, of course. things i missed out on: shopping the notorious Rodeo Drive of the desert – El Paseo. all the finest shops are here including my favorite, a J. Crew concept store. see my hostess with the mostess – Mrs. O Around the World tantalizing write-up on the shopping and more! i would have liked to have taken a drive through Joshua Tree National Park as well. ah, there’s never enough time to do it all. i guess another visit to Palm Springs & the desert cities may be in order!

*some photo credit thanks to Leah, Mrs. O, Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa & Spa Resort Casino

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Chicago francophilia

oh, France, je vous adore

i’ve always adored all things French. French food (YUM), French fashion (oh so chic), French language (sooo romantic), FRANCE! i could go on. so booking with the French hotel chain, Sofitel, for my Chicago stay would seem like an obvious thing to do.

French language - parfait

i’ve actually been a guest of Sofitel before – in Budapest – when i got stuck there during the Icelandic ash cloud debacle. (side note – it was tres fantastique and the staff couldn’t have been more accommodating during that ‘crisis’) BUT i’ll be honest, i don’t automatically think Sofitel when planning my trips – at least, that used to be the case. i came across this particular property via my absolute favorite travel flash-sale site – Jetsetter.com. if there could be a romance with a website – mine is with them! FIRST LOVE – TRUE LOVE! i trust Jetsetter’s carefully curated luxurious taste and feel we are completely aligned AND this is how i found myself booking with Sofitel Chicago. merci, Jetsetter, for all your help and trip tips!

silly lola should have remembered how chic the Sofitel brand was. Sofitel Chicago Water Tower did not let me down.

lola simply adored the tribute to Brigitte Bardot in the lobby.

beautiful Brigitte Bardot

the smartly dressed mannequins inspired by the actress.

Bardot inspired fashion - tres chic

the gorgeous flowers everywhere.

cheery yellow flowers all over

the divine Hermes toiletries in the room. the lovely, delicious macaroon treats given by the hotel as a welcome amenity. (how did they know j’adore macaroons!)

delightful delicious macaroons!

AND then there was the warm hospitality received by my travel blogging friends and me at Le Bar. they even stock my favorite rum at Le Bar and make a handcrafted dark & stormy – YUM! you know how lola loves her cocktails.

Le Bar dark & stormy

let’s just say, this hotel was nothing short of parfait! Sofitel Chicago Water Tower even gives lola the social media attention i absolutely endorse! tres bon manners all around.

au revoir, my French friend in the Windy City!

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Filed under chicago, france, swanky luxe stays, travel

te amo Miami

big surprise, i know. heading back to my happy place today. can’t wait…here’s a preview of my love, my Miami!

miami beach

miami beach

Soho Beach House LOVE

Soho Beach House LOVE

playful delano

playful delano

season of the sun

season of the sun

happy hour compliments of soho beach house

happy hour compliments of soho beach house

delish eastern standard

delish eastern standard

amazing minibar - SBH

amazing minibar – SBH

a gift from the doorman at SBH...lola's fave color - PINK

a gift from the doorman at SBH…lola’s fave color – PINK

enjoy nuvo on the beach...yes, please

enjoy nuvo on the beach…yes, please

gorgeous pool ala soho beach house

gorgeous pool ala soho beach house

lola's at home at soho beach house

lola’s at home at soho beach house

ahhh relaxing in style SBH

ahhh relaxing in style SBH

one of my favorite places...delano

one of my favorite places…delano

 

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hollywood or hollywon’t?!

welcome to Hollywood! what’s your dream?

the boa in the city of angels

i’m going Holly’would’ ALL the WAY, baby! 😉

lola quite enjoyed her time in Beverly Hills.  let me just say, if you have the choice, choose this! OMG, i don’t love LA but i could live in Beverly Hills quite happily. i’ll start with the Beverly Wilshire. it’s old school Hollywood glamorous! the building itself is gorgeous and a landmark worth visiting just to see it. the staff was amazing – waiting on me hand & foot – making sure i was satisfied. you know how lola loves the great customer service and attention!!

the beautiful Beverly Wilshire hotel

the whole “hood” of Beverly Hills is spectacular. who couldn’t be wooed by Rodeo Drive and all the beautiful boutique stores? or the expensive, fancy, fast cars parked along the palm-tree-lined streets? everything is perfectly groomed and very clean. it is sooo posh – i could have just died and gone to heaven!

super swanky Rodeo Drive

Beverly Hills Bugatti – the most pricey car in the world

i quite enjoyed my little LA tour complete with a visit to Grauman’s Chinese & Kodak theaters. it may be totally touristy but it was fun to find some of my favorite stars hand and foot prints in the cement as well as their stars on the side walk of Hollywood Boulevard. the whole area seemed to be buzzing about the Oscars happening just one week after my visit.

Grauman

Ms. Paltrow

my Hollywood crush – Johnny Depp

i got a kick out of getting close up to the Hollywood sign too. boy, driving up those winding roads was something else! it was interesting to learn the history of the sign (it was just an advertisement for land being sold to build homes) and how Hugh Hefner saved the sign by recently buying up all the land where the sign sits so that it cannot be developed. awww, that Hef is such a softie!

you can find every food imaginable at the farmers market

i also discovered some yummy foodie places and the 3rd & Fairfax Farmers Market – nom, nom, nom for eyes, nose, ears &  belly! in Bev Hills, i recommend Taberna for delicious Mexican (and that’s coming from a native Texan) 😉 AND The Farm of Beverly Hills was fantastic for breakfast (it didn’t hurt to have a star sighting of David Spade while eating my omelette)!

lola loves Beverly Hills!

to be honest with you, there really wasn’t anything that was hollywon’t. well…maybe the terrible LA traffic on the way to the airport but that’s it. looking forward to returning in May, Beverly Wilshire in the ritzy Beverly Hills, it’s the only way to stay! definitely ‘Lola Approved’!!

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Filed under california, los angeles, swanky luxe stays, travel