Tag Archives: COVID-19

COVID-19 Cocoon Bursting

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In five to 21 days, a butterfly stays inside their chrysalis or cocoon and transform over time to become a moth or butterfly. The magic within the cocoon has not translated quite as well with our own cocoon or shelter in place process. We are just emerging from over 60 days of quarantine and the Pandemic Cocoon is bursting with clients craving travel or at least seeking a fresh horizon. After sheltering at home with work and family responsibilities, we mourn our long planned exotic summer Journeys, all cancelled and everyone in need of a protected escape.

Nantucket - Wikipedia
Nantucket

We spent two weeks in quest of an elusive coastal beach house, we felt it was a jester’s dream, the client gave up the idea of driving to the sea and we uncovered several sensational Right Coast compounds. In the hunt, we rounded up a secluded private ranch in Colorado, a buy out at a former Rockefeller Adirondack Great Camp on Saranac Lake, had options at an amazing western ranch in Santa Fe – if you are looking for isolated exclusives there isn’t much left for summer in the U.S. Yacht charters vary, as the sea borders off the east coast open up, call to discuss options!

Hotel Bel-Air Plunge Beverly Hills
Hotel Bel-Air Suite with Pool Beverly Hills

Hotels – a few of our VV Favorite are open now! Hotel Bel Air and The Beverly Hills Hotel, with numerous isolated bungalows and suites are safe steps back into civilization, the pool is open, restaurants are slowly opening with limited seating. Our Diamond Club Membership assures best of stay amenities! Spa service at all hotels may not open until end of summer. https://www.gwenbooks.com/2020/03/state-of-emergency-why-not-stay-awhile/https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/05/hotel-bel-air-brief-break/

UPDATE ON opening The Beverly Hills Hotel
Wednesday, June 3: Soft Opening, Hotel Guests Only
Sunday, June 7: Full Re-Opening, All Guests Welcome
Hours of Operation:
Polo Lounge 8am-10pm
Cabana Café 10am-5pm
• Reservations are highly suggested due to our limited seating capacity with a max party size of 6 people
• There is no bar seating available and all guests are required to order food (no parties for “drinks only”)
• Guests are required to wear facial coverings at all times other than when they are seated at their tables
• Fountain Coffee Shop and Bar Nineteen12 will remain closed until further notice
• The swimming pool remains open and available to our guests 10am-5pm only so that social distancing guidelines can be enforced by our lifeguard and security team.
• Pool Cabanas will remain complimentary on a first come, first served basis until further notice.
• We are working on finalizing menus and will get them updated on the website ASAP.

Hotel Bel-Air
Currently with the existing restrictions we will not be opening the Bar and Lounge.
• June 3, Wednesday – Soft opening inviting hotel guests only at WP restaurant.
• June 7, Sunday- Full re-opening for WP restaurant and opening the “Garden/Fireplace Bar” which is a new estate dining area designed to extend the bar and lounge to our grounds – all guests welcome.
Hours of Operation:
WP restaurant 7:00 am – 11:00 am breakfast, 11:00-3:00 pm Lunch, 5:00 – 10:00 pm dinner
Garden Bar 2:00 pm- 10:00 pm
• As we are following social distancing protocols we have limited seating in the restaurant so reservations are highly recommended for all guests.
• Facial coverings are required for all guests entering and dining and can only be removed once they are seated at their tables.
• Max party size at our tables is currently 6 and under.
• The pool is open for swimming with food and beverage available from 9:00 am- 5:00 pm.


Malibu Beach Inn – while it doesn’t offer bungalows, the sea air, delicious farm to table dining and beach walks are guaranteed to provide a stress-free escape. I’ve stayed several times and absolutely adore this sweet property. The Northwest corner room has divine views, one-bedroom suite is a bit larger, but all rooms are simply scrumptious – take me to the beach! If you drive, make it a coastal drive from the bay area and stop in Santa Barbara and Montecito. https://www.gwenbooks.com/2019/10/malibu-beach-inn/

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Suite Malibu Beach Inn
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Malibu Beach Inn, Beach lounging!

Montecito – Santa Barbara. Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, an enchanting escape, the divine combination of secluded garden casitas and the Coral Casino pool complex will surely suffice on a toasty sunny day. Oh, and the recently opened Ty Warner Villa – unique beachfront hideaway! Within the main building, we recently reserved the best ocean view rooms, 702 and 703. Our darling British clients raved about the comfort and the views, ‘brilliant and immensely happy’ was their actual description! Tucked between the Pacific and the Santa Ynez Mountains, a historic hideaway on the American Riviera. Set within 22 lush acres, woven with secluded courtyards, fountains and sun-dappled, red-brick pathways lit by gas lanterns, our Spanish Colonial villas and bungalows invoke the same casual glamour that first delighted Hollywood’s power players in the 1930. Particular suites include access to the famed Coral Casino Club. Think South of France setting, take a dip in one of the largest hotel swimming pools in the world – or just sunbathe beside it, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Channel Islands from the second-story, peninsula sundeck. Sip a cocktail up in the Crow’s Nest, enjoy a soak in the oceanfront whirlpool, then walk down to Butterfly Beach through the Club’s private, gated stairway.
https://www.gwenbooks.com/2019/10/malibu-beach-inn/

Four Seasons Biltmore Resort, Ty Warner Villa

Further afield: Four Seasons Maldives Private Island – Voavah. A heavenly hideaway, a sublime sanctuary offering the utmost in privacy and iconic Four Seasons pampering at the world’s first exclusive-use UNESCO hideaway, Voavah. A seven-bedroom private island Maldives home, the sojourn includes a 62-foot luxury yacht: Voavah Summer and a marine territory that’s utterly your own! Voavah, private island is a welcome addition to the two luxurious Four Seasons Resorts in the Maldives.

Four Seasons Maldives

Our mantra on the art of the opening act, your arrival sets the stage: with a personal VIP Seaplane, alighting on the pristine pure white sand, your private beach! Tip toe over the scuttling white shelled hermit crabs and the delicious dilemma develops, what shall you do first: laps in the pool, a discovery afternoon of diving or casting, or snooze until sunset? Decisions, decisions!

Sneak peek: accommodating up to 22 guests in seven bedrooms, with its own chefs, staff, private spa, and a 65-foot-long PADI equipped motor yacht with a dedicated dive master. This extraordinary five-acre, island paradise is your private playground – retreat or indulge in the total privacy as a castaway!
https://www.gwenbooks.com/2018/02/four-seasons-maldives-private-island-voavah

Border status changes every day, our clients are not ready to leave for far flung out of country destinations yet, but if high-end properties and Villas for summer are sold out, we would advise you think of Festive Season asap… High on my list for December is Bhutan, time to trek!

Be well, we are ready to plan your dream Journeys!

COVID-19 Survival. A toast to Sisterhood and Cooking!

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I’ve been fueling my wanderlust by culinary measures — making delicious Thai spicy shrimp salads bursting with sweet pomelo – my Bangkok Journey introduced me to the Pomelo fruit – I was so obsessed, I wanted to plant a tree in my garden.  Snacking on French Truffle Frites, trying out recipes in my dusty cookbooks and digging out recipes from my travel cooking classes, now that I have more time to do so.

Whistle Pig Rye Manhattan Tipple from Jenksie!

Some of this cooking frenzy has been inspired by bountiful gift deliveries from one of my dearest friends from Catholic grade school and high school – known casually to us, as Jenksie, (there were 5 Kathy’s in our class, so she is known by a version of her last name), she has proven to be an assiduous online shopper of epicurean extravagances! Her generosity knows no bounds nor her enthusiasm and curiosity for seeking out only the best of the best! The NY Times mentioned one of her exclusive purveyors in an article about the pandemic rage for online gourmet goodies.

In the initial days of pandemic lockdown, sunset was heralded with my daily Rye Manhattan; the first gift box to arrive was a Whistle Pig 12-year-old aged Rye…a definite improvement from my daily Bulleit tipple. In early SIP, life felt fairly normal, I’m accustomed to working from home in my jammies. I even admitted it in a Fortune Magazine interview on ‘how an elite Luxury Travel Concierge survives the pandemic. ‘

Jenksie and I chat by phone every few days, comparing weather, what tennis event we may miss – she, the spring desert tournament; I reminded her that some Catholic high school girls followed Charlie Pasarell when as a college student, he played in the Ojai Tennis Tournament. Charlie is the founder of the Indian Wells Tournament that she attends every year.

Coconut Chocolates from Jackie’s Chocolates

In a conversation about my Lindblad National Geographic epic sailing adventure to the Marquesas, I shared that one of the ship waiters indulged me every night with a seemingly private ration of Chablis and off-menu Coconut Ice Cream – days later two boxes of scrumptious chocolate coconut candy arrived – and yes, my exercise program has remained in place, although with the generous Jenksie gifts, I should intensify my routine.

Friends Ranch Ojai, Pixies & Haas Avocados

We grew up in the small village of Ojai, which hosts the oldest tennis tournament in the U.S. it too was cancelled; in grade school, we could skip class if we served fresh squeezed orange juice or afternoon high tea to the guests, a day sans strict Catholic nuns, you can accurately assume we all raised our hands to help. In spring, the Ojai Valley is perfumed by citrus blossoms yielding orchards of sweet Pixie Tangerines. The ranches have been in the valley for eons, three eleven-pound cartons of Pixies arrived at my gate – in several intervals. Jenksie Joy, Pixies by the carton!

Cinco de Mayo Pixie Margarita and Haas Guacamole – from Friends Ranch Ojai & Jenksie

What to do? Pixie Margaritas, of course! Or an Ojai Silver Sunrise. Jenksie texted me multiple recipes for healthy Vitamin C enriched frothy concoctions! A few Ojai avocado’s and local Oro Blanco grapefruit, similar to a Pomelo, dotted the boxes. See previously mentioned Thai Pomelo salad. Cinco de Mayo fell during pandemic, the avocado’s and Pixie Margaritas were perfectly timed. I assume Jenksie planned that detail with her delivery schedule. Multiple texts were exchanged when UPS lost a shipment of Pixies, Covid-19 mask in place, I broke the 5-mile drive radius to visit the UPS facility and demand my Pixies! I’m convinced the Agriculture Inspector desired an 11-pound box of sweet fragrant Pixies, as it was never delivered. My social media recipes for Pixie Margaritas became the rage among our friends.

Pixie Margarita Recipe https://www.thespruceeats.com/tangerine-margarita-recipe-760873

Pomelo Salad Recipe https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/pomelo-salad-with-chile-lime-peanuts-and-coconut

Spicy Thai Salad with Pomelo or Oro Blanco grapefruit grown at Churchill Ranch Ojai

Day 49 of SIP. A travel industry friend and I have shared monthly platefuls of Truffle Fries at a local restaurant – our March truffle lunch scratched 2 days into lock down – we optimistically penciled in May 1 for a raincheck. Who knew? It was the only activity on my calendar and I wept on social media that I was missing my long-awaited truffle lunch! Jenksie asked if I was lunching on chocolate truffles? No, Truffle Fries!

Are you reading ahead? Days later, elaborate gift boxes arrived at my gate bearing imported truffle salt, white and black truffle oil and truffle catsup, with recipes! A rare market run for russet potatoes; it was an exceptionally warm afternoon for cooking, but I persevered and baked several batches of truffle fries – they were divine!

Truffle Frites
Truffle oils, salts and spicy Truffle Catsup, yum!

I’m eternally grateful for my travel cooking classes and dear Jenksie for the multiple gourmet goodie provisions, reminding me of the importance of relationships. Who know fifth grade friendships would guide us through a pandemic? Two little Catholic girls who rode Jenksies horses on weekends through Ojai citrus orchards and the sisterhood flourishes!

Day 60 of SIP. A reminder of how fortunate I am to have such close friends – a very wise woman once said: You can’t chose your family, but you can choose your friends…and just like that a frozen box of McConnell’s Santa Barbara ice cream is at my gate! No recipe required!

  • McConnell’s Santa Barbara ice cream
  • McConnell’s Santa Barbara ice cream

I’m not the only recipient of Jenksie Joy. Her gesture of love and friendship is being replicated among her family and friends. If only we could meet to break bread, my treat! 

Friday Frolics – a text arrives advising me to unlock my gate, a delivery is imminent! What?! Apparently, an order from a local specialty pie firm, Niles Pies, the Peninsula delivery is now scheduled for Friday afternoon. Hours later a bulging bag of boxed pies arrives. Not a typical pie company, Niles Pies, is a small cooperative in Fremont with a diverse menu, Pie to the People is a caption on the site! My pie bounty included: potato cheddar pasties, a double chocolate espresso pie, a tomato ricotta galette, and savory breakfast treats: blackberry blossom and Mango galette, and a soon to be enjoyed Moroccan Vegetable Pie. My nine mile Friday bike ride deserved the yummy tomato ricotta galette with a frothy Pixie Margarita. https://www.nilespie.com/

Pandemic shelter has been infinitely more interesting, delicious and manageable due to Jenksie’s generosity!  One truly enchanting prezzie from attending Catholic girls school, I’m grateful for my school days ‘sister family’ who have been an important part of my support system, my ‘posse’ spanning over 50 years. From the bottom of my heart, thank you, Jenksie!

Niles Pie  tomato ricotta galette
Niles Pie Moroccan Vegetable Pie
A Pixie Margarita Toast to Sisterhood and Jenksie!

Toasting to good health, Sisterhood and Jenksie!