Taste
Where to book: check in with Ivo Weyel
He enjoys two things most: traveling and being pampered. Ivo knows better than anyone where to book a room or suite. How about hotel Vermelho, founded by the extravagant designer Christian Louboutin? Or Casa Butler, the former home of Douglas Tompkins…
CASA BUTLER WITH BUTLER
Being rich is nice, but what do you do with all your money? Investing, starting a new business, giving away (very popular nowadays with the super rich, while their children are thinking about their inheritance, poor souls), or buying until you drop. Douglas Tompkins did the latter. He became rich through his clothing brands Esprit and The North Face and when everything was sold, he became a patron of nature. He went to Chile and bought so much land there that he almost split the narrow country in two, causing the government to become involved. Long story short: he died in harness, kayaking in nature, after which his heirs donated the more than 300.000 hectares to the Chilean government under the condition that it would remain a nature reserve. We can now take advantage of this, because from next autumn you can spend your holiday in his house there, Casa Butler (nomen est omen, because a butler is included), which is of course completely eco-built and equipped. Three bedrooms (sleeps up to seven guests), endless nature all around, but close to Valle Chacabuco, the local hub. Prices have not yet been fixed, but fluctuate around five thousand dollars for three nights full-board, because the house is only rented in its entirety with all the trimmings. The house is not yet officially listed on Explora.com - the travel organization that organizes and will operate very expensive trips to remote places - but that will happen soon and registration is already open.
SHOE HOTEL
Jewelry brand Bulgari has hotels, just like Fendi, Armani, Versace and several other fashion brands. Fashion magazine ELLE recently opened a hotel, while Camper was until now the only shoe brand with one in Barcelona (recently completely renovated and even more luxurious). Now Christian Louboutin has been added, the extravagant designer who created the well healed provided with footwear. He chose the relatively undeveloped Portuguese Melides as a location for his hotel Vermelho (Portuguese for red), sunny and warm, just like the interior that revolves in a colorful palette with tiles and mosaics, preferably in opposite patterns because a quiet decor is nothing. for Louboutin, whose motto 'More is More and Less is a Bore' is. Everything is handmade and specially designed and made for the hotel, not only the furniture (as far as it is not Portuguese antiques) but also the gate-like wooden doors with enamelled inlays and the shiny gold-colored sinks in the bathrooms. Of course the man was involved in everything - and will continue to do so, because he lives nearby and also has his studio there. "I keep walking in there," he promises, not least to have breakfast, lunch or dinner there (local dishes with a twist). The junior suites have a lovely shady private terrace. Don't worry that wearing your shoes is mandatory here because I saw - to my horror I must say - someone walking around in bright green Crocs.
MASTERS MAGAZINE #54
This article is from MASTERS Magazine. The summer edition is a fresh cocktail of entrepreneurship and sport. In this edition, several entrepreneurs from the Champions League of business are reviewed. Including Freddy Heineken and hospitality tycoon Richard Caring, whose expanding empire has been called the 'restaurant equivalent of LVMH'. Doing business is top sport, but top sport is also doing business. Take Formula 1: the sport is increasingly developing into an octopus with arms that touch all aspects of our society. Jaap de Groot investigated how millions are converted into billions. Also interviews with gymnast Sanne Wevers, two-star chef Guido Braeken, hotelier Robert-Jan Woltering, designer Maarten Baas and Rico, together with his Naomy. The 'King of Kickboxing' also turns out to be an octopus (with very strong arms): as an entrepreneur he is active in various industries. “When I look back later, I don't want to think 'I wish I had this or that'. I just want to, boom, accelerate, do fun things, enjoy.” Boom, the new MASTERS: enjoy!
