Hotel & Tourism SMARTreport #40

In The Field
with Mary Gostelow
THE "INSIDE LINE" ON WHAT'S HOT IN HOSPITALITY
NAPA VALLEY
- MORE THAN JUST WINES
MARY GOES
WEST
Mary Gostelow is often called the world
authority on luxury hotels. In addition to
being global ambassador for International
Luxury Travel Market events, www.iltm.com,
she has a daily travelogue, www.girlahead.
com. In this report, she takes us to the US
west coast.
Napa is more than just wines – it is
also superb lodging. Calistoga’s fivebedroom
Francis House luxury B&B has
been booked out since it opened August
2018. Architectural Digest and Robb
Report immediately lauded how owners
Richard and Dina Dwyer have so brilliantly
transformed the former local hospital,
built 1860 in the style of a Parisien palais.
Ten minutes’ drive south in St
Helena, is the adult-only Los
Alcobas, on St Helena’s
Main Street, immediately
next to the Culinary
Institute of
America (it’s
sibling to Los
Alcobas Mexico City
- both Luxury Collection,
managed by Mexico Cityborn
Sam Leizorek). Here, in
California, his partner is Presidio
Companies. The 1907 main building,
Acacia House, which has a total of three
acres of land, has, with three, three-floor
2010-vintage bedroom blocks, a total of
68 rooms, designed by Yabu Pushelberg in
soft greys that beautifully complement the
Beringer Cabernet Sauvignon vineyards
immediately behind.
GM Alain Negueloua feels he is back home
– fortunately he kept his house here, from
his days running Meadowood. He told me,
over dinner at Acacia House restaurant,
how all food here is overseen by Oliver
Wharton, including room service and
events (there is a gorgeous outdoor space,
right in the centre of the development,
that is really popular for weddings).
CALISTOGA’S
EIGHTBEDROOM
FRANCIS HOUSE
LUXURY B&B HAS BEEN
BOOKED OUT SINCE IT
OPENED AUGUST
2018
Former F&B guru for SBE, Oliver Wharton
heads Las Vegas-based A Perfect Bite Inc:
one of its divisions is Delicious MFG & CO,
a partnership with Chris Cosentino. It is
he, Cosentino, who is the ‘celebrity chef’
fronting Las Alcobas, and he who attracts
locals to the restaurant. My night, we
drank Beringer Single Vineyard Cabernet
Sauvignon 2009, from the vineyard
just outside corner suite 338 – this
is probably best-on-property,
with two all-wall windows,
both leading out on
fire pit.
to an L-shaped
balcony, with
seating, and an
electrically-operated
Las Alcobas is a highly popular
wedding venue, with a readybuilt
outside spot, grass and concrete,
to hold up to 200: some parties have
the ceremony here, and move into the
adjacent just-built Acacia Barn for food –
they might, alternatively, build in a tasting
at the hotel’s wine shop. There’s also a
great spa, and a 24/7 LifeFitness gym.
Talking of fitness, Four Seasons Hotel Los
Angeles at Beverly Hills has a 24/7 poolside,
and open to the elements that seldom
interrupt workouts in California – the main
equipment, Precor, is complemented by
oh-so-trendy Peloton bikes.
SEE YOU AGAIN IN THE NEXT EDITION