To take the edge off, let’s bring you 2009’s first hello.

Check in to: The Riviera South Beach. Make no mistake, the rooms here aren’t supposed to feel anything like your own pad (unless you happen to be Frank Lloyd Wright with a twist of John Wayne)—and it’s a good thing. Think wide-striped walls, eye-popping tints, and touches like tufted leather sofas. Running with Draper’s (Dorothy not Don) design, the South Beach Group has pumped $25 million into this project. Every detail, from architectural restoration to your organic cotton linens, has been thought out and executed to perfection.

While amenities like the gourmet kitchen and custom pillow-top beds are guaranteed to make you feel like a VIP, this all-suite hotel raises the bar when it comes to service. Courtesy limousine transfers, grocery delivery, and personal chefs can all be arranged. Poolside cabanas are stocked for your every desire.

And if you manage to pry yourself from your suite, complimentary cocktails and nightclub passes are on tap.

Finding someone to keep you company—we’ll leave that to you.


The Riviera South Beach
2000 Liberty Avenue (at 20th Street)
Tel: (305) 538-7444
rivierahotelsouthbeach.com

The Mondrian South Beach is proof.

Could you expect any less from the place that brought you Skybar? Straight from Sunset Boulevard, this latest transplant adds some California glitz to South Beach. With $150 million dollars of renovations and design guru Marcel Wanders up their sleeve, the Morgans Hotel Group (can you say Delano?) transformed a Biscayne Bay residential tower into a haven that you’ll never want to leave.

Part fairy-tale dream, part absinthe-trip, the hotel’s design reads like a fantasy. Stark white schemes are peppered with shiny mirrorball accents, oversized eye-popping baroque style, and swooping golden shades. Of course, some LA fixtures made the bi-coastal transition. Rooftop bar? Check. Asia De Cuba restaurant? You bet. Five-star spa? You better. And then there’s the pool…

Conjuring up some 1950s magic and sophistication, the sloping languid style and private cabanas will have you losing many an hour here. In a city where pools have become calling cards and social spots, the Mondrian ups the ante.

Welcome to the neighborhood, Hollywood.


Mondrian South Beach
1100 West Avenue, Miami Beach
Tel: (305) 672-2662
mondriansouthbeach.com

And for being treated like a king.

Which is why you’re going to feel right at home in the newly redesigned Eden Roc. Fresh off an 18-month hibernation and $200 million in renovations, the all-new Eden Roc is ready to roll. As you enter the 21-story hotel, take in the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and the stunning ocean view. Then, start your stay by playing bartender at the Culture Cocktail lobby bar (they even have an interactive drink station). Or take in some Miami sun at one of six island-style infinity pools with waterfalls overlooking the ocean.

As night falls, plan your evening at the onsite bistro, Gia, specializing in daily catches from local waters. Have the waiter get you the clams or steamed mussels - both perfect for wine pairings.

And come next spring, the Spa of Eden will tempt you further with the most extensive spa menu in Miami.

How’s that for the royal treatment?


The Eden Roc is now in soft-open mode. Enjoy it.


Eden Roc, A Renaissance Resort & Spa
4525 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach
Tel: (305) 531-0000
boldnewedenroc.com

And watching Maverick on the big screen just doesn’t quite cut it.

That’s why Fighter Combat International provides the chance to get your Top Gun on with unbeatable bravado. The world leader in aviation adventure offers you the opportunity to fly real air combat with real military fighter pilots, flying the Extra 300L: the world’s highest performance certified aerobatic airplane.

You’ll see first-hand that only the bullets are simulated as you’re catapulted through the sky, performing white-knuckle acrobatics while maneuvering between enemy attacks.

Even if you don’t win their prestigious “Nerves of Steel” award, you’ll walk away looking badass and feeling even more like Iceman than you ever dreamt possible.


Book your adventure today at fightercombat.com.

Sounds like a weekend in paradise?

Welcome to Solé East in Montauk. Setting the bar even higher for sexy summer fun in Long Island, this new luxury boutique hotel has been making waves throughout the Hamptons and beyond. Aside from the spectacular amenities of its rooms and garden cabana suites (like mind-blowing thread-counts), lavish fun seems never-ending at Solé East.

Dine at the Backyard Restaurant, featuring organic meats, local seafood, and a robust wine inventory. Take in a playful burlesque show with an after-hours cabaret menu. Catch an outdoor movie, hit the beach, do the pool with cocktails, BBQ, an individual yoga class with massage… the possibilities seem endless.

Even if the staff wasn’t completely decked out in Trovata, your exclusive vacation would still be more stylish than even you could fathom.

Why mess with the new standard of classic?


Get in the mood at soleeast.com.


Solé East
90 Second House Road
Montauk, NY 11954
Tel: (631) 668-2105
soleeast.com

You’re well aware of Miami’s status as a world-class playground.

And now it’s time for the close-up treatment with RareDaily Miami. Getting lost in a great international city is easy, so allow us to be your guide. Twice-weekly, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we’re going to bring you what’s muy caliente in South Beach and the surrounding metro area.

That means the hottest bars and clubs, the next “it” restaurants, the newest shops, and the arts.

Miami, meet everyone.

Everyone, meet Miami.


Head to raredaily.com/subscribe and sign-up to Miami.


RareDaily Miami debuts in two weeks.



So get out and head to Eastern Europe’s secret luxury destination: Bucharest, Romania.

Once in town, stroll down Lipscani, nicknamed “Little Paris.” Unlike the Rodeo Drives of the world, Lipscani is relatively untouched by commercial boutiquery, showing off its own brand of hip. Stop in the Rolzab de Mura showroom (9-11 Strada Selari; 40-21-311-6215; rozalbdemura.ro) and see the future of Europe’s avant-garde fashion scene. Find incredible pieces, (like a snow-white, floor-length blazer), in a space featuring artificial mist, Communist relics, and D&G-clad deer heads. There’s a reason this recent EU addition has its own Fashion Week.

After some shopping, enjoy a meal at the über-chic Balthazar (Dumbrava Rosie 2; 40-21-212-1460; balthazar.ro). Not to be confused with the New York eatery of the same moniker, Balthazar serves intricate French-Asian fusion cuisine in a hip yet elegant dining room and lounge. Try the exotic Pork Emincé with Braised Vegetables, Grapefruit, and Plum Chutney, or the Roasted Chicken in Small Peach Boats with Fruit and Herb Confit.

Finally, unwind at La Motor, the no-stress, pub-style rooftop-bar perched atop the National Theatre of Bucharest (Boulevard Nicolae Balcescu 2, Piata Universitate, 40-21-315-8508). Drink a Ciuc beer at the communal wooden tables with a view of the city, and enjoy the rest of your stay in Eastern Europe’s underground hotspot.

Try a kilt.

With the help of Chivas Regal, makers of that smooth, dark spirit Dad’s been nursing since the ’60s, you and your father can experience both the history and luxury infused in his favorite Scotch whisky (now that’s a win-win). Start with first-class tickets to Scotland and accommodations in a private mansion. Then tee off at at the world famous St. Andrew’s Links, discover a little Scottish heritage with kilt and crest consultation, and then dine with the Duke of Argyll at Inveraray Castle. You’ll even meet Colin Scott, master blender at Chivas Regal, who will let you sample never-before tasted blends, then teach you how to perfect your own family Scotch.

To top it all off, upon returning from the Highlands, you and Dad will receive two bottles of Chivas Regal 25-Year-Old.

Perfect for unwinding on the flight back to the States.


The Ultimate Father’s Day Trip can be reserved by contacting Travelcorp International at (225) 231-4735. For additional information, please call (888) 332-2907.

When it comes to sexy, Argentina has always had its finger on the pulse.

The latest proof that everything is hotter in Buenos Aires… meet The Faena Hotel + Universe. Primely located in the heart of the burgeoning Faena Art District, the Faena Hotel is a playground for the fabulous. Its luscious interiors, designed by Philippe Starck, are meant to evoke the glory of the early 1900’s Belle Époque era when the building was originally erected. For you, that means deep red velvet curtains, eighteen-carat gold leaf swan chairs, and great views from every room.

In between hitting the pool and the city’s nightlife, you’ll also want to check out El Mercardo, the hotel’s signature restaurant cheffed by Mariano Cid de la Paz, a former protégé of Chef Ferran Adria (El Bulli).

Or you can sit back and take in one of their critically-acclaimed, nightly tango shows that begins with a three-course dinner paired with regional wines, and ends with a masterful dance performance.

See it twice.


Faena Hotel + Universe
445 Martha Salotti Street
Buenos Aires 1107BDA, Argentina
Tel: 0054 11 4010 9000
faenahotelanduniverse.com


Visit faenahotelanduniverse.com.

But for a truly intoxicating mix of art and commerce, give in to the pleasure of Perrier-Jouët’s first ever bespoke Champagne, Perrier-Jouët By and For. This once-in-a-lifetime experience begins with a visit by you and four guests to the Maison Belle Époque, Perrier-Jouët’s private guesthouse located on the legendary Avenue de Champagne in Epernay since 1811.

There you and your entourage will be treated to a tour of the Maison’s 200 original Art Nouveau paintings before meeting with Hervé Deschamps, Perrier-Jouët’s House Cellar Master. As Chef de Caves, Deschamps will indulge you with a private discussion to understand your “Champagne personality” (every bon vivant has a Champagne personality). Then it’s on to the intricate process of Champagne making, which starts with the exclusive Perrier-Jouët Fleur de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2000 cuvée and ends with a case of your tailor-made bubbly.

You’ll have to sit back for eight years to allow proper aging and marriage of ingredients.

But trust us, good things do come to those who wait.


Want your very own signature Champagne? Interested buyers can contact Pernod Ricard at (914) 848-4743.


Visit perrier-jouet.com.