Luxury Travel Issue 59

2015. Remember this year, for this is the year when you’ll be able to take a stunning balloon ride to space and look at the Earth from a height of 36 km. Jules Verne dreamed of it, Bloon is ready to implement it! The helium balloons used by the company are inspired by ones researchers used in the 1930s to probe the upper atmosphere, and have added a pressurized cabin underneath, which is equipped for the maximum comfort of its passengers. The smooth climb takes about two hours, and it is as green as it gets: the only thing powering this balloon is helium. The balloon then descends with a guided parachute system, the safest available technology for re-entering the Earth’s lower atmosphere. Bloon is currently conducting test flights in…

Hôtel du Continent Go on a journey around the world This isn’t a Hotel Five Continents, but rather a Hotel Six Continents, with the sixth being a combination of Antarctica and the Arctic regions. This was Christian Lacroix’s way of giving a unique spin to a hotel that has a rich history of almost two centuries in the heart of Paris’s first arrondissement, a stone’s throw away from Vendome Square. This makeover takes you on a journey around the world by offering you 25 rooms full of colorful and exotic tapestries, furniture, engravings, postcards, patterned fabrics and embroideries from all four corners of the globe, with each room showcasing the brilliance and creative genius of Christian Lacroix ! 30, rue du Mont-Thabor, 75001 Paris. Phone: +33(0)1 42 60 75 32…

Le Café des Abattoirs Welcome to the meat lounge 30 years after founding his gastronomical restaurant, Michel Rostang sat down with his daughters, Caroline and Sophie, and came up with the idea for Le Café des Abattoirs. The result: a place where the first course is made up of onion cake, chef’s special terrine and other meat dishes that taste like a slice of heaven: ultra-soft pig rump, Black Angus veal or perfumed lamb kebab with lemon confit. We won’t say anything about the chips though, you should find out for yourself how godlike they taste. If you want something to take away from your experience here, the meat lounge also offers a selection of fine wines at affordable prices, as well as terrines and Ibérico ham. Le Café des…

HOTEL MAJESTIC BARRIÈRE, CANNES Penthouse inspired by Christian Dior The Majestic Barriére, the famous 5* hotel located on La Croisette Boulevard in Cannes, hardly requires any presentation. A new wing was added to the building in 2010, which provides an amazing view of the squares in front of the Film Festival Palace. The hotel currently has a total of 265 rooms, 82 suites and two penthouses with private rooftop terrace and swimming pool. Other amenities include the refurbished Fouquet’s brasserie and the Provence-themed restaurant known as La Petite Maison, as well as the private beach and beachside restaurant (the B. Sud). However, the most interesting thing about this hotel is by far its 450 m2 Christian Dior penthouse, located on the sixth floor of the new wing. It’s the brainchild…

Have you ever dined on top of the world? No? Then you should visit Izumi, a restaurant located in the Four Seasons Hotel des Bergues, an establishment on the banks of Lake Geneva in Geneva. Starting in March, the rooftop restaurant (located just above the hotel’s sixth floor) offers the most beautiful views in all of Geneva, a 360° panorama of the city and all its landmarks: the harbor and its Jet d’Eau fountain, the summit of Mont-Blanc and the Jura Mountains in the background. If you look close enough you might even see the statue of philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau watching over his hometown from Rousseau Island. The view truly is staggering, a must-see! Be careful not to stare too long though, because the food at Izumi is equally good.…

The façade of this 5* hotel hides an oasis of relaxation in the heart of the city, a miniature city on its own that runs like a Swiss watch. Located on the shore of Lake Geneva, the hotel offers an amazing, unobstructed view of the lake, its Jet d’Eau fountain and the city of Geneva. This view can be enjoyed from three lakeside-view restaurants and from most of the hotel’s 412 rooms, 42 of which are suites. The design of the suites combines beige, burgundy and light blue colors with simplicity and elegance, making sure that it doesn’t steal the spotlight from the spectacular view. If you manage to avert your eyes from the lake for a second, you should try the restaurants. Stepping into Il Vero feels like travelling…