Remember that kitschy Mexican dive Toppers, that place you took out-of-towners for a couple of cheap beers, marginal Margaritas and free nachos for happy hour? Those bad/sad memories will be forever altered as soon as you step into the gauzy, elegant yet beachy Penthouse atop the Huntley Hotel (designed by Thomas Schoos, of Koi and NY Tao renown.) Open just over a month, the Penthouse is packing them in for happy hour, dinner and partying late into the evening with its white wood and black leather interior and killer skyscraper view of the entire Santa Monica Bay. Dinner reservations are a bit scarce on the weekends, so if you have to settle for simply appetizers, the ahi tuna, cheese plate and shrimp cocktail suffice quite nicely.
The Penthouse, 1111 2nd St., Santa Monica 310.393-8080
Topping Toppers: The Penthouse
Bon Relaxation
Remember when the Sofitel across from the BevCen was Ma Maison and stodgy/French, as opposed to its current hip/modern French? With last summer’s opening of Simon LA and Rande Gerber’s Stone Rose, those images were banished forever from the corner of La Cienega and Beverly.
Now it’s the spa’s turn for a complete makeover, and it’s gorge. Officially named LeSpa at Sofitel, it JUST opened its doors. Pampering aestheticians love using the Decléor and Carita products for face and body, both lines from Paris. Book Julia Palmer for a mean mani/pedi that will last twice as long as you’re used to. She’s recovered from the days when she used to paint J. Lo’s digits on music video shoots at all hours, but if you’re lucky, she might tell you some war stories.
Spa Director Maureen Schumacher runs a sleek ship. The relaxation lounge is luxuriously tranquil, a place to kick back, have a heated-rock foot soak and drink some soothing tea before indulging in an intense hydrating facial or an aromatherapy massage. And why no other spa has ever thought of comfy black robes, I’ll never know.
LeSpa at Sofitel Los Angeles, 8555 Beverly Bl., LA, 310.228-6777, 8a—9p daily.
Media Hype, Swine Flu and Mexico
A postcard perfect view in Cancun
I was just about to write a piece about how despite all the rabid drug violence it’s safe to travel to Mexico–when the swine flu hit. Media hype would have you believe they we’re all going to die of this disease, when the facts are that at this moment, very few people worldwide are affected, it’s not necessarily deadly and health agencies worldwide seem prepared to deal with any possible major outbreak. While no one is disputing that parts of Mexico are being ravaged by drug gangs at war with each other, it bears pointing out the most of the violence is in border towns like Tijuana and Ciudad Juárez, and not in the primary tourist destinations including Cancun, Riviera Maya, Cozumel, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, Ixtapa, Los Cabos and Acapulco—which are hundreds and often thousands of miles from the northwest part of the country, where most of the killings have gone down. Tens of millions of American and international tourists visited Mexico in 2008, and thus far not a single tourist from any country has been killed, injured or kidnapped due to the drug war. Mexican tourism authorities hope it stays that way, since tourism is the third largest business for the country, bringing in more than $13 billion in revenue, about 9% of the GDP. In fact, possibly because of better deals in a bad economy, tourism had gone up in the first few months of this year. Now, with the swine flu, all bets are off. Talk about hitting a country when it’s down. Let’s hope this “epidemic” runs its course quickly.
Montage Beverly Hills: New Place For Old Money
Once TAR’s favorite open-air parking lot, the space between Canon and Beverly Drives has finally been transformed—after years of political wrangling between the neighbors, including hotel neighbors who didn’t want the competition and the city—into one of Beverly Hills’ premier places to stay. Managing director Ali Kasikci, formerly of the Pen, is making sure this new 8-story, 201-room luxury hotel becomes an icon of style and refinement, with its elegant furnishings and palette of colors evoking Southern California glamour of the 1920s and 30s. Already, Parq and Muse restaurants and the Lobby Lounge (which features traditional afternoon tea) are buzzing, after opening just in time for the holidays. The spa, with its co-ed mineral pool, is already becoming known as one of the best in town. Rack rates start at $495 and go up to $7,500 for one of the two 2,000 square-foot presidential suites. Barack and Michelle, your room is ready.
Montage Beverly Hills, 225 N. Canon Drive, BH (310) 860-7800
Da Plane
I was told many years ago by my father, a pilot, never to fly the airlines of a third-world country. Why? Because they don’t maintain the planes properly, he said. The US airline industry is looking pretty third world right about now with the recent groundings, preemptively by American Airlines–like, oops, we better check the planes before we get fined millions of dollars like Southwest did! Southwest’s planes always looked really run-down and haggard, but that’s from a passenger’s view of the interior, and not a safety perspective. It always seemed suspicious that they were able to land, deplane and then load all the cattle on so quickly, with no time to clean up the crumbs and the junk snack wrappers. So it makes sense that they clearly weren’t on top of the mechanics, either. If I never have to fly that freakin’ airline again, it’ll be too soon. I never “got” Southwest. On my last regional trip–an hour and a half flight– with a cross-country fare of more than $350, there wasn’t even a tray table at my seat. I was told “Ma’am, this is a no-frills airline.” Are you kidding? And I fondly remember the time I asked for a cup of coffee and was given a packet of Sanka and a cup of hot water, like it was 1978. I hear in those days, Southwest gave out free drinks, and I don’t think they’ve bought new planes since then. Hopefully Virgin America and/or Jet Blue will give them a run for their money. The thought of going anywhere on that airline sends me into a tailspin, especially now.
Leaving Las Vegas
So, I’m headed out of Sin City yesterday after three days at NATPE (National Assn. of Television Program Executives) where I moderated a panel on environmental programming with reps from the soon-to-launch Discovery Planet Green, News Corp., PBS, HGTV and KRON in San Francisco. The aiport seemed overwhelmingly mobbed for a late Thursday morning. Wha’ happened? It seems Air Force One was docked at McCarran Int’l Airport, for a rather stealth trip by George W. that didn’t get much coverage. He had addressed a conservative think tank the night before, with his motorcade closing down the Strip and creating automotive chaos. But it was worse on the aviation side. All air traffic to and fro LV was shut down for several hours so AF One could have the airspace to itself, delaying tens of thousands of travelers. Funny thing, though. Nellis AFB is just eight miles away from downtown Vegas, begging the question of why the president’s plane didn’t avail itself of its facilities. No fuss, no muss, no security problems and no one inconvenienced. Go figure….
Network upfront presentations and parties fill venues through New York City May 14-17. Look for some big programming announcements from Fox, Univision, NBC, USA Networks and the CW.
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