October 2009 Archives

Friday, October 30, 2009 by Rudy Maxa.

Two great hotels in Manhattan reopened this summer, and both splashed out millions to remake themselves. Say hello—again—to Mark and Pierre. Well, The Mark and The Pierre.

The first time I checked into The Mark years ago, I thought it was the coolest hotel in the world. Before the phrase “boutique hotels” was on everyone’s lips, The Mark was a discreet hideaway on Madison and 77th with a tiny bar barely big enough to hold 15 people tucked off its lobby. A sophisticated restaurant was opposite the 77th Street entrance, and soon that will re-open with celeb chef Jean-George Vongerichten running things.

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Friday, October 23, 2009 by Rudy Maxa.

It’s a welcome bonus when a hotel reflects the city it’s in, and during a long weekend in Portland—crunchy, funky Portland, Oregon—I was the guest at two hotels that fit the bill. The Hotel deLuxe and the Hotel Lucia are managed by the same company, and they’re both great old Portland buildings that have found a new life as boutique hotels.

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Thursday, October 15, 2009 by Rudy Maxa.

OK, so maybe you don’t want to become a butler, as I suggested you might in last week’s blog posting. How about a Gentleman Host®? What’s that, you ask? They’re the suave guys who oil their way across the dance floor aboard cruise ships with women who don’t have partners or whose partners don’t care to dance.

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Tuesday, October 06, 2009 by Rudy Maxa.

Searching for a career? Ever consider becoming a . . . butler?

Charles MacPherson will teach you how at his Toronto school for butlers. You’ll take Laundry 101 and, if you pass that, Laundry 201. You’ll learn the correct way to shake a hand, how to set an elegant table, the general rules of protocol and how to run a household.

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Thursday, October 01, 2009 by Rudy Maxa.

I promised last week a Los Angeles restaurant that thrilled me as well as one that I’m not too sure of yet. Let’s start with the good news.

Right across the street in Beverly Hills from Wolfgang Puck’s Spago is the new, very luxe hotel Montage. I can’t speak for the hotel experience, but my guess is that like most other high-end hotels in the country, Montage may be having a tough time keeping rooms full and room rates high. But it hasn’t let culinary standards suffer.

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