Where writers like Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Tennessee Williams, Truman Capote traveled and luxuriated in the 1950s and 1960s. If you haven’t completed your pandemic tome on The Art of Living, you may want to contemplate a sojourn at Villa Mabrouka next spring.
High above the Bay of Tangier sits Villa Mabrouka, an oasis of calm and ravishing beauty looking out across the wide Strait of Gibraltar to Andalucía. Now owned by hotelier Jasper Conran and set to open to guests in spring 2023.
Villa Mabrouka has a fascinating and illustrious past. Once home to Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Bergé it was described by The New York Times as ‘the visual incarnation of a breath of fresh air.’ Built in the 1940’s, it is a haven of privacy set in a lush expansive landscape within close walking distance of the ancient bustling Kasbah and Medina of Tangier – ‘The White City.’ It was the property that Laurent curated to be his most “restful, open, and happy environment.”
Why put it off any longer, this is the time to pack the trunk with yellow lined tablets, leather bound journals, or your trusty laptop to begin or finish your treatise on The Art of Living Your Life at Its Best. Tangier remains a hotbed of culture, a haven for artists and writers. Striped t-shirts, floppy leather sandals, linen trousers, or flowered frocks, embrace the adaptable lifestyle.
For virtually decades, the posh clubs of London have remained closed off to the public and especially to travelers —virtual sanctuaries of exclusion. Our Very Proper Man in London who belongs to several fine clubs has opened the doors to me a few times – I am always in awe – the clubs are posh and marvelous people watching haunts.
A unique culture which is changing with the recent opening of the sexy and stunning The Twenty Two. My walk though stopped me in my tracks at every corner – the owner, Iranian investor and former owner of Blakes, Navid Mirtorabi and the Newcastle United co-owner Jamie Reuben have created an exclusive nest in which VIP’s and travelers can mingle. It’s a petite 31-room hotel and a private members club in Mayfair.
Even the small rooms are oozing with charm and gorgeous finishes
Location: The massive limestone townhouse fits in on a perfectly manicured park square that was once the home of the U.S. Embassy and Oscar Wilde. In the 1920’s the Bentley Boys took adjacent flats where their day-long parties became something of social legend. So common was the sight of their large, green sports cars parked outside their flats, for many years the location was described as “Bentley Corner”. It seems perfectly natural The Twenty Two has reintroduced the glamour of Bentley Corner.
The Heritage Suite
Stunning residential homes rest amid the tree lined block, it’s posh, dignified, and luxuriously Edwardian. Grosvenor Square has always enticed the powerful and wealthy, it is the centerpiece of the Mayfair property of the Duke of Westminster, and takes its name from the surname “Grosvenor”.
The Audley Suite
The new hotel and club are a splendid gem combining Edwardian grandeur with double height ceilings, wide baseboards, deep thick carpets and walls upholstered in silk, thick layers of velvet drapes cloak the windows. Triple pane glass assures absolute quiet. It’s lushly plush!
For hotel guests this inclusion to a private club provides a traveler with all the amenities of a posh club without membership fees, and if one is tied up all day with meetings, head back to The Twenty Two the utmost in convenience of dining, tipples and if inclined, join in events in the Music Room or dance in the Vault Bar. The perfect marriage of hotel and private Club. Staff is implementing great programming around the brand pillars of wellness, art and film to ensure a constant dialogue among the members and a global community.
Deluxe Room
The dining emphasizes contemporary British and Mediterranean food and features local suppliers. Open daily from 7am-11pm, The Restaurant at The Twenty Two offers an all-day menu of British classics with a Mediterranean twist, overseen by Executive Chef Alan Christie. Christie has developed a seasonal menu, with dishes including chargrilled grass-fed ribeye, and local Devonshire crab salad.
The Dining Room
A plethora of room types provide choices for every type of traveler. All are decorated in luxurious finishes, I would be happy in any of these yummy rooms – many of the rooms and suites have very high windows which provide an abundance of daylight even on a gloomy London day.
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