Netjets EU Winter 2025/2026

THE QUARTER SHARE

- A n IsI

land Sanc t u ary like no oth e r

cd: ROBB AARON GORDON

LOVELANAI.COM

THE NETJETS—THE QUARTER SHARE QUARTER BY NETJETS SHARE

6

The start of a new year is more than a turn

of the calendar – it’s a time of beginnings,

fresh perspective and renewed energy.

This issue of The Quarter Share is all

about illumination and, at NetJets, that

is our goal – to be the bright spot in your

day of travel.

One bright spot is that we recently announced an agreement

with Starlink to provide high-speed satellite internet for most

of our fleet. More than 50 aircraft are receiving installations

per month, with completion slated for year-end. As we fully

expect the fast-paced nature of our world to continue, we

know seamless communication and reliable connectivity are

essential, especially while in flight. The importance of onboard

Wi-Fi is critical to an exceptional experience.

We look forward to building on this momentum.

Here’s to a great 2026.

Only NetJets!

Blane Bachelor

It may have just celebrated its 750th

anniversary, but Amsterdam is still young at

heart. An American journalist who has made

her home in the Dutch capital, Bachelor

examines the pretty city’s effervescent

scene – bursting at the seams with exciting

new museums, restaurants and hotels –

in Amsterdam in Soft Focus (page 12).

Sophie Mancini

An editor and writer based in New York City,

Mancini has her finger on the pulse of the

Big Apple’s heady nightlife scene. For this

edition’s Keeping Cosy in NYC (page 30),

she takes us on a high-concept bar crawl

across some of the city’s latest, greatest

after-hours hot spots.

Michael Verdon

In Flying High (page 66), the seasoned

aviation and marine editor of Robb Report

turns his discerning gaze to the new

Citation Ascend, Textron’s latest coup in

midsize-jet design, as it prepares to join

the NetJets fleet in early 2026 with an

upgraded cabin and cutting-edge avionics.

Adam Johnson

Chairman and CEO

Claudia Baillie

Having covered the wider world of home

interiors for some 20 years, the Londonbased

journalist knows what makes a house

a home. In this edition’s Burning Bright

(page 44), she turns her attention to

the modern fireplace, and how innovations

in design, sustainability and tech are

spurring its renewed appeal.

6

Jamie Wilson

The beauty journalist has been immersed

in the business of looking – and feeling –

great for the better part of a decade.

In Get Glowing (page 78), she unpacks

the wide-ranging benefits of the muchhyped

wearable LED light therapy

mask – and which models actually deliver

dermatologist-grade results from the

comfort of your own home.

THE NETJETS—THE QUARTER SHARE QUARTER BY NETJETS SHARE

12

80

30

8

Bright Lights, Little City

Homing in on Amsterdam’s newly hip districts,

cool cultural hubs and chic restaurant openings.

pages 12-22

Shooting Star

On the rise of the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark –

a once-in-a-generation WNBA point guard.

pages 24-29

Some Enchanted Evenings

Strong on atmosphere and artistry, NYC’s cocktail

bars are what winter nights were made for.

pages 30-37

Island Time

Missing summer? Check out our heartwarming

roundup of the Caribbean’s latest five-star stays.

pages 38-42

A New Flame

Fresh iterations of high-tech designer fireplaces

are proving that home is truly where the hearth is.

pages 44-52

The Late Show

From deserts to mountains, travellers are

discovering the beauty of the world after sunset.

pages 56-65

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TIM STET; © BEATRICE ALICI / COURTESY THE ARTIST, MILANO CORTINA 2026 AND TRIENNALE MILANO; EMILY SETELIN

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: © FOCUS, © NETJETS, © CANOUAN ESTATE RESORT & VILLAS

70

Up, Up and Away

Whisper-quiet and impeccably executed:

NetJets welcomes the Citation Ascend.

pages 66-69

Bring the Sparkle

Shine bright this season with these exquisite,

glam-forward diamond jewels.

pages 70-73

Sleep Tight

The Mayo Clinic’s experts reveal how daytime

light exposure is key to high-quality sleep.

pages 74-76

38

Looking Radiant

Targeting skin with different wavelengths, athome

LED masks are redefining personal skincare.

pages 78-79

Return of the Ice Queen

In the Dolomites, a reinvigorated Cortina

d’Ampezzo is gearing up for the Winter Olympics.

pages 80-89

Art of the Season

The genius of conceptual artist James Turrell’s

celestial-inspired Skyspace installations.

page 90

66

TABLE OF CONTENTS

THE QUARTER SHARE BY NETJETS

On the Cover

At dusk, a warm glow settles over

Amsterdam’s historic canal houses.

Photograph by Dmitri Zotov/ Unsplash

Editor in Chief

Thomas Midulla

Editor

Farhad Heydari

Creative Director

Anne Plamann

Photo Director

Martin Kreuzer

Art Director

Anja Eichinger

Managing Editor

Claudia Whiteus

Editor at Large

Emma Ventura

Staff Writer

John McNamara

Chief Sub-Editor

Vicki Reeve

Editorial Assistant

Jamie Watkins

Production Director

Albert Keller

Writers, contributors,

photographers and illustrators

Blane Bachelor, Claudia Baillie,

Jörn Kaspuhl, Sophie Mancini,

Rui Ricardo, Mariangela Rossi,

Josh Sims, Nigel Tisdall,

Michael Verdon, Jamie Wilson,

Xavier Young

Published by JI Experience GmbH,

Thomas-Dehler-Straße 2,

81737 Munich, Germany

Group Publisher

Christian Schwalbach

Michael Klotz (Associate)

Advertising Sales

Europe

Katherine Galligan

katherine@metropolist.co.uk

Vishal Raguvanshi

vishal@metropolist.co.uk

US

Jill Stone

jstone@bluegroupmedia.com

Eric Davis

edavis@bluegroupmedia.com

The Quarter Share by NetJets is

the official title for Owners of

NetJets in Europe.

The Quarter Share by NetJets

is published quarterly by JI

Experience GmbH on behalf of

NetJets Inc.

NetJets Inc.

4111 Bridgeway Avenue

Columbus, Ohio 43219,

USA

netjets.com

+1 614 338 8091

Copyright © 2025

by JI Experience GmbH. All rights

reserved. Reproduction in whole or

in part without the express written

permission of the publisher is

strictly prohibited. The publisher,

NetJets Inc. and its subsidiaries

or affiliated companies assume

no responsibility for errors and

omissions and are not responsible

for unsolicited manuscripts,

photographs or artwork. Views

expressed are not necessarily those

of the publisher or NetJets Inc.

Information is correct at time of

going to press.

10

Separation

Jennifer Wiesner

Rachel Hale

rhale@bluegroupmedia.com

egwu

BANQUIERS

SWISS PRIVATE BANKERS SINCE 1886

WWW.GUTZWILLER.CH


The early morning

calm settles in

along the canal-side

houses in the city’s

historic centre

12

Amsterdam in

Soft Focus

In a bid to draw visitors away from the

traditional tourist traps, Amsterdam is betting on

intriguing new cultural and gastronomic offerings,

up-and-coming decentralised neighbourhoods

and careful consideration of how to honour its

iconic centre. By Blane Bachelor

T

o anyone who’s

been following the

ongoing campaigns

of the “Venice of the

North” to combat mass

and “nuisance” tourism,

the latest developments

in the Dutch capital will

come as no surprise: the

750-year-old city is making

a concerted bid to reshape

its image from an anythinggoes

party hot spot to a

destination sought after for

its abundant cultural and

culinary riches.

Stubbornly rising visitor

numbers aside, there’s

plenty to applaud of

late: new museums and

restaurants, art-centric

happenings and invigorated

neighbourhoods that

invite exploration beyond

the usual haunts. All of

which dovetail with the

city’s efforts to spread out

tourists – both beyond the

city centre and outside the

high season – and make the

Dutch capital less crowded

and more enjoyable for

residents and visitors alike.

One shining example

of that work-in-progress

formula is Amsterdam-

Noord. A quick ferry ride

from Centraal Station,

IRENA CARPACCIO / UNSPLASH


French artist Martial Raysse’s

Peinture à haute tension,

1965, is among the

contemporary-art treasures at

the Stedelijk Museum

14

An eclectic sweep

of street art and

graffiti-inspired works

at the STRAAT Museum

this former shipbuilding

district now flourishes as

a thriving creative hub.

Must-visit stops include

the striking, spaceshipesque

Eye Filmmuseum

(eyefilm.nl), and the STRAAT

Museum (straatmuseum.

com), which features over

180 artworks, including

large-scale graffiti murals

and sculptures made from

repurposed materials, in

a more than 8,000sq m

former shipyard.

A bit farther north, the

initial phase of Zaanstad

Amsterdam Museum, or

“ZAMU” (zamu.amsterdam)

– an ambitious project

that has transformed a

decommissioned military

base into a centre for

modern and contemporary

art – is scheduled to open

in spring 2026. Here, 16

buildings will each be

dedicated to an individual

artist (19 sculptures by the

late American artist John

Chamberlain were installed

in the first building in June

The Eye Filmmuseum

cuts a futuristic

silhouette along the

city’s IJ waterfront

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APPLICABLE PURCHASE AGREEMENT. ALL DIMENSIONS, FEATURES, AND SPECIFICATIONS ARE APPROXIMATE AND SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE. All images and designs depicted

herein are artist’s conceptual renderings, which are based upon preliminary development plans, and are subject to change without notice. All such materials are not to scale and are shown solely for

illustrative purposes. Renderings depict proposed views, which are not identical from each lot or home. No guarantees or representations whatsoever are made that existing or future views of the project

and surrounding areas depicted by artist’s conceptual renderings or otherwise described herein, will be provided or, if provided, will be as depicted herein or that such views will not be obstructed in the future.


A sneak peek of the

Drift Museum, slated for

a 2026 ribbon-cutting

16

An evocative tribute

to Surinamese author

Anton de Kom by artist

Ken Doorson at the

new Suriname Museum

2024), while the wildflowerrich

gardens by renowned

Dutch landscape designer

Piet Oudolf are poised

to become a standalone

destination for nature

lovers.

Another less-touristed

district that’s having a

moment is Oost, which

will receive its own artistic

level-up in 2026 with

the opening of the

Drift Museum (driftmuseum.

com) in the Eastern

Docklands neighbourhood.

Just one component of

the 25,000sq m

Van Gendt Hallen

(vangendthallen.nl), a

gargantuan industrial

complex dating to 1898

that was spared from

demolition, the museum

will showcase large-scale

experimental works by

Tapas on

tap at the

convivial

Mesa Mesa

Dutch artists Lonneke

Gordijn and Ralph Nauta,

whose portfolio draws

heavily from nature; the

space will additionally

house restaurants, cultural

events and residences.

Oost is also the home of

the newly opened Suriname

Museum (surinamemuseum.

nl), which explores the

complicated Dutch history

of colonialism and slavery.

Across town, H’ART

Museum (hartmuseum.nl),

formerly a satellite of

St Petersburg’s Hermitage

Museum, has leaned

into contemporary art,

partnering with heavy

hitters such as London’s

British Museum and the

Centre Pompidou in Paris.

FROM TOP: DRIFT MUSEUM, TREE OF TENERE, VISUALISATION BY CELINE LAURAND; INDY GJALTEMA; DENISE VALK

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NEMO Science Museum, all lit up

for the Amsterdam Light Festival


18

An upcoming exhibition,

American Myth & Memory

(from 13 February to

6 September), highlights

David Levinthal’s pioneering

use of staged miniature

scenes to explore the

narratives that shape

American identity.

But the opening that’s

earned the most buzz

among culture vultures

isn’t, in fact, a museum:

instead, the accolade goes

to Rosewood Amsterdam

(rosewoodhotels.com), the

134-key grande dame that

marked the luxury brand’s

Netherlands debut last

May. Following a decadelong

restoration of a stately

17th-century building that

once housed the Palace

of Justice, the property

features spectacular

interiors by Piet Boon, one

of the Netherlands’ most

prestigious design studios.

Factor in a robust arts

programme with around

1,000 works – including

a vending machine that

dispenses handmade Italian

marble sculptures – and the

building effectively doubles

A flight of pint-sized cocktails

at Fitz’s Bar, below

FROM TOP: © JAVIER RIERA, GEOMETRIES TO INHABIT TIME, ALF 2024, PHOTO BY JANUS VAN DEN EIJNDEN; © PILLOWS GRAND BOUTIQUE HOTEL MAURITS AT THE PARK; RAJ GIRI

BY APPOINTMENT TO

HIS MAJESTY THE KING

MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR

CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM


Lush greenery sets the

tone at the Rosewood’s

Eeuwen restaurant

as a museum showcasing

rising talent in the

Netherlands and beyond.

Rosewood Amsterdam’s

arrival is even more notable

considering that it could be

the city’s last major hotel

opening for the foreseeable

future, following the

city’s 2024 ban on new

hotel construction.

However, rebrands of

existing properties are

exempt, which means

another noteworthy

newcomer – Mandarin

Oriental Amsterdam

(mandarinoriental.com) –

will open its doors in early

2026. It will take over the

129-key Conservatorium, a

longtime favourite among

jetsetters and A-listers,

thanks to ultra-luxe touches

like penthouse suites with

direct private entrance from

the garage. Highlights here

include the popular Taiko

Cuisine, executive chef

Schilo van Coevorden’s Eastmeets-West

restaurant.

The team at the Michelin-two-star eatery

Spectrum cook up creative modern

European plates (left)

20

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: © ROSEWOOD HOTELS,

DISHTALES BV, © WALDORF ASTORIA

ILLUMINATION ISSUE—2025

Inside the

Rijksmuseum’s

beautifully vaulted

Gallery of Honour

ERIK SMITS

Meanwhile, the hotel’s

Museum Quarter location

is unbeatable for art

immersion, as it’s within

steps of icons such

as the Rijksmuseum

(rijksmuseum.nl),

Van Gogh Museum

(vangoghmuseum.nl) and

the Stedelijk Museum

(stedelijk.nl).

On the culinary front,

a cadre of talented chefs

has helmed a gastronomic

renaissance of sorts in

recent years. Options for

fine dining abound, as do

casual, cosy spots popping

up in neighbourhoods

well outside the city

centre, where menus have

mercifully expanded far

beyond the traditional

offerings of bitterballen

and frietjes. Recommended

venues include Vinkeles

(vinkeles.com), the two-

Michelin-starred eatery

at The Dylan, where chef

Jurgen van der Zalm’s

masterful seasonal

creations include turbot

with artichoke and crispy

PRO TIP

Some museums offer

after-hours admissions

and special events,

which can be an excellent

way to enjoy the

art in a more relaxed

environment.

21


potatoes accented with

smoked lemon and mustard

or pigeon with sour-cherry

duck liver. Then there’s

De Pijp-district newcomer

Mesa Mesa (mesamesa.

nl), which serves up

Spanish classics such

as jamón ibérico and

clams with garlic. Or, for

a real treat, Spectrum

(restaurantspectrum.com),

the two-Michelin-star

restaurant at the Waldorf

Astoria Amsterdam by

Dutch chef Sidney Schutte,

is hard to top. Schutte’s

deft touch with local

ingredients shines in

dishes as beautiful as they

are delectable, while the

top-notch staff attend to

diners’ every whim.

Finally, for an evening

tipple, there’s no better

spot than Fitz’s Bar

(fitzsbaramsterdam.com)

at Pillows Grand Boutique

Hotel, overlooking leafy

Oosterpark. Oozing with

a hip, Roaring Twenties

vibe, Fitz’s draws an inthe-know

crowd with its

impeccable cocktails and

electric atmosphere. It’s

a prime spot for revelling

in gezelligheid – a Dutch

concept that roughly

translates to cosiness and

conviviality – while raising

a glass to Amsterdam’s

next 750 years.

The cosy dining room

at Vinkeles, The Dylan

hotel’s Frenchinflected

restaurant

The magnificent neoclassical façade of the Rosewood

Amsterdam – once the city’s Palace of Justice

22

FROM TOP: ROEL RUIJS, © ROSEWOOD HOTELS

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Caitlin Clark flashes a smile after sinking

a three-pointer for the Indiana Fever

against the Atlanta Dream this past May

24

BORN

ILLUMINATION ISSUE 2025

ILLUMINATION ISSUE – 2025

TO

SHINE

Caitlin Clark may be the most gifted basketball player of her

generation, but she possesses rare qualities and an ineffable grace

away from the court, too – best seen in her down-to-earth attitude,

passion for golf and lifelong quest for the perfect cheeseburger

By Tom Mackin and Farhad Heydari

25


WATCH CAITLIN CLARK

ON THE COURT. That is, if you

can keep up with her. Each game, she’s

constantly moving, her eyes relentlessly

seeking out even the most minuscule

opening in the opposing team’s defense

– which she then exploits to find her own

teammates with pinpoint passes.

26

That’s the thing about Clark: she’s always thinking

ahead to where a teammate will be, rather than where

she is at the moment. Defenders allowing her even

the slightest space may find themselves helplessly

watching as she sinks one of her trademark higharcing

three-pointers from distances that, even

when seen in person, seem impossible to make.

The NetJets Brand Ambassador is a star in the

brightest of terms and the beloved subject of a

loyal and growing fan base. The impact she has

had on women’s professional basketball has been

transformational – in-person attendance and

television-viewing records have been shattered

of late, and she remains on an upward trajectory.

Oh, and she’s only 24 years old.

Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, in the heart of

America’s Midwest, Clark’s rapid ascent has made

her one of the most recognised names in the

WNBA. So, to what does she attribute her immense

nationwide popularity?

“Honestly, I don’t feel like I try to be aspirational,”

she says matter-of-factly. “I feel like I just come

across as me, and that’s kind of why people like to

follow and enjoy supporting me or enjoy watching

me. I feel like I’m a pretty relatable person, whether

it’s watching an interview or whether it’s watching a

game. They can kind of feel connected to who I am,

not only as a basketball player, but as a person. So

I feel like I’ve always just kind of tried to live my life

as myself. I’m not trying to be something I’m not.”

Here’s what Clark definitely is: a generational star.

Back in 2024, she enjoyed a stellar debut with the

Indiana Fever, which selected Clark as the WNBA’s

first overall draft pick. It was a move that paid off

handsomely for the team, with Clark earning 2024

Rookie of the Year honours – she set a new league

record for assists in a game and a season, plus a new

scoring record for a rookie – adding to an already

extensive portfolio of accolades. In college, she

received National Player of the Year honours during

her final two seasons at the University of Iowa,

where she led her team to the NCAA Championship

game twice and became the all-time leading scorer

in all Division I basketball.

COOPER NEILL / GETTY IMAGES; PREVIOUS SPREAD: COLIN HUBBARD / AP / PICTURE ALLIANCE

ILLUMINATION ISSUE 2025


Clark shoots a

free throw during

a face-off against

the Dallas Wings

All that success has been propelled by an unyielding

competitive nature, something that Clark frequently

displays on the court. So perhaps it’s not surprising to know

that when she has some rare time off, she’s applying her

enviable athletic skills and determination to another sport.

“I probably don’t get as frustrated with golf as I do

basketball sometimes because I just accept that I’m not

as good at golf,” she says. “But I think that’s what’s so fun

about it … the mental aspect.”

Unfortunately for her golf swing, Clark’s job keeps her

busy during much of the summer season – the WNBA’s

44-game schedule begins in mid-May and runs through

mid-September – but she’s managed to play in several

pro-ams, including at the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic

and the LPGA’s Annika tournament, where she teed it up

with event namesake Annika Sörenstam, and Nelly Korda.

“She’s a really nice person, down to earth,” Sörenstam said

about Clark afterwards, according to LPGA.com. “She’s an

athlete, you can tell. If she didn’t hit it well, she’s a little

bit upset because she knows she can do it.”

Asked who she’d most like to tee off with next, Clark

names Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors), Patrick 27


A NetJets Brand

Ambassador, Clark

joined a NetJets

panel at the Masters

Tournament in

Augusta, Georgia,

this past April

Mahomes (Kansas City Chiefs) and actor Adam Sandler

(star of the two golf-based Happy Gilmore movies), a dream

foursome that sounds like the perfect blend of athletic skill

and humour.

“I feel like I try to find a way to still have fun with it,”

Clark explains. “And just getting to be outside and getting

to do it with people you love … I think that’s the best part of

the game of golf. Honestly, it’s probably one of the hardest

sports in the world. Everybody says that. You’re trying to

hit this tiny ball in a tiny hole. It’s incredibly challenging.”

But golf is by far not her only off-court indulgence.

“My family has always travelled to St Pete Beach in Florida.

I usually try to get down there, like, once or twice a year,”

she says. “So that’s always been a fun escape for me,

just spending time there with my family.” She adds that,

otherwise, her dream vacation spot is Lake Como, Italy.

Basketball is the last thing on her mind at St Pete Beach,

according to Clark. “I do nothing. I sit on the beach. I’m one

of those people who, when I travel, don’t always have to be

doing something,” she says. “I don’t always have to have

an activity. I love activities, but that is my life every single

day. So I like just relaxing, really just not doing anything,

and eating good food.”

Dining out is one of the ways in which Clark likes to

unwind. A few of the restaurants she’s enjoyed recently

include Trivoli Tavern in Chicago (coal-fired seafood and

cocktails), Avra in New York City (Greek) and Che Fico in

San Francisco (casual Italian). At other times, comfort

food will do the trick. “I’m a big cheeseburger person,” she

admits. “I’m always trying to find the best cheeseburger.

I have a big sweet tooth, so warm chocolate-chip cookies

are what I like, too. I can’t survive a day without them.

Every night, I swear I have warm chocolate-chip cookies.

Those are probably my two favourite things. But I love

trying a new restaurant, whatever it is.”

Equally hungry are her legions of fans, who now have to

wait until the 2026 WNBA season starts in May for their

next glimpse of Clark in action. What will next season bring?

Only time will tell. But odds are she will once again make her

presence known on the court, continue to be an inspiration

to young girls and basketball fans in general, and remain

a relatable superstar in a world where very few of them

remain, let alone thrive.

28

“JUST GETTING TO BE OUTSIDE AND

GETTING TO DO IT WITH PEOPLE

YOU LOVE … I THINK THAT’S THE BEST

PART OF THE GAME OF GOLF”

© NETJETS; OPPOSTIE PAGE: BRI LEWERKE / GAINBRIDGE

Clark engages with fans at

last year’s The Annika Pro-Am

in Belleair, Florida


29


30

Above & Beyond

Iconic views and an interior inspired by the golden age of ocean travel

await at Overstory, some 300 metres above NYC’s Financial District

Keeping Cosy in

New

York

City


The Big Apple’s famously

vibrant bars are stirring

once more, as the

latest iterations shake

things up with an

irresistible mix of stellar

talent, contemporary

culture and a dash of

nostalgia. Here are the

best spots to while

away the winter nights.

By Sophie Mancini

Illustrations by Rui Ricardo

31


32

New

York

City

Bars

have always held a particular kind of

magic. It’s alchemy in its purest form: the

potent swirl of so many cultures, tastes

and energies – strung along that sexy axis

between grit and glamour.

Schmuck (schmucknyc.com) opened in

the East Village in January 2025 to lines

around the block and a bouncer out front

to quell the crowds. Months later, seats

at the bar are still red-hot Manhattan real

estate. Founded by Moe Aljaff and Juliette

Larrouy (formerly of Barcelona’s famed Two

Well Connected

A sequence of discrete but linked

spaces make for refined social

networking at plush and seductive

People’s in Greenwich Village

Schmucks), the venue is styled like a midcentury

Space Age house party. Food –

created with chef Arash Ghassemi of Berlin

pop-up LOBB – blends Western European

and Middle Eastern flavours (think whitebean

cacio e pepe, smoked labneh), while

the 22-cocktail menu feels like a chemist’s

approach to bottling nostalgia: a savoury

highball titled “Bread with Tomatoes”,

a bourbon-based tipple with caramelised

yoghurt whey called “Caramelized Apple”.

Roaring through the audiophiles’ dream

speaker system? French rap.

Staying in the area, Bar Contra

(barcontra.com), on the Lower East Side, is

a brooding, intimate space evolved by New

York chef duo Fabián von Hauske Valtierra

and Jeremiah Stone from their muchlauded

tasting-menu spot, Contra. Created

in partnership with cocktail legend Dave

Arnold, this slick new chapter is all about

cheeky, curious creations. Try the Saltair,

a tequila-based drink made with umeboshi

plum and lime, or the “Two Percenter”, a

low-alcohol concoction made with Cynar,

celery-seed syrup and a twist of orange,

plus a “shot of champagne acid” – the

perfect sipper to ease into a night.

“Guavas are my favourite fruit, and

they make any drink better,” says von

Hauske Valtierra. “I usually take them and

make a simple syrup – basically just cook

equal parts of sugar and water, and throw

in some guavas while it’s hot, and then

strain it. I’d just make a classic margarita,

replacing the simple syrup and orange

liqueur with guava syrup. So, basically,

tequila, guava syrup, lime juice and a little

bit of salt all shaken up.”

When he’s not helming his hospitality

group (which also includes iconic restaurant

Wildair next door and boutique hotel

The Henson in the Catskills), von Hauske

Valtierra enjoys making martini pitchers for

guests at home: “Gin, of course. Hendrick’s

with a twist. That way, you get everyone

into prime form. That’s when the interesting

conversations start.”

In Chinatown, Lei wine bar (leiwine.

nyc), tucked into the storied alley that is

Doyers Street, was opened last June by

Annie Shi, of restaurants King and Jupiter,

to much acclaim. Expect a globally curated

list of low-intervention wines alongside

Chinese-American plates crafted with chef

Patty Lee (witness sticky beef short rib

glazed with strawberry jam, or hand-rolled

cat’s-ear noodles with lamb braised in

cumin and tomato), all in a jewel-box space

of cherry-stained mahogany and emeraldgreen

tiles. While wine’s the name of the

game here, Shi opts for gin when hosting

friends. “I like to make a home-infused

batch,” she says. “Rosemary or thyme is

great for the season. It’s an ‘impressive’

thing to deploy when you’re entertaining,

and so easy with a little bit of planning. If

you’re bringing it to a party, don’t forget

tonic, too, so it can be readily enjoyed as

a cocktail. Also, get a case of champagne

to have on hand. A nice bottle of bubbly is

always welcome on its own or to make a luxe

spritz or royale.”

Nearby, Opera House (operahouse.nyc)

was unveiled in October as a sultry,

subterranean concept below neighbourhood

mainstay Chinese Tuxedo. Named for the

site’s history as New York’s first Chinese

theatre, the bar offers a 12-cocktail menu

inspired by classic Chinese operas, brought

to life via baijiu, teas, herbs and unexpected

ingredients such as salted egg and Sichuan

peppercorn – set against carved sliding

moon doors, a glowing hand-painted mural

and sumptuous, wall-to-wall carpeting.

Contrary to the bar’s exacting mixology,

Flatiron Favourite

In addition to a

carefully honed

cocktail menu,

art-forward

Clemente Bar

offers plant-based

food by Michelinstarred

chef

Daniel Humm


33


owner, restaurateur and nightlife figure (he also

co-owns beloved club Mansions in Brooklyn) Eddy

Buckingham opts for a simple, old-timey batch at

home: for wintertime entertaining, “nothing beats

glühwein,” he says. “Grab a magnum or two bottles of

red, a cup of orange juice, white sugar, cinnamon and

cloves to taste. You can also add a couple of slugs

of brandy or cognac. Set it on the stove, and you

have not just a cold-weather crowd pleaser, but the

bonus of your whole house smelling like a Bavarian

Christmas.”

Onward north, with a stop at the mythic Eleven

Madison Park in the Flatiron District. Upstairs lies

Clemente Bar (clementebar.com), the restaurant’s

cocktail bar and collaboration with famed Italian

contemporary artist Francesco Clemente. While the

low-ceilinged, lounge-like space is lined with his

paintings, certain orders – like the Clemente Martini

– nod to the artist’s life, with the savoury, spiced

layering of infusions from saffron to green curry a

reflection of Clemente’s time in India.

34

In Midtown, two concepts a block away from

one another usher in that classic New York swank.

Our first is Rarities (raritiesnyc.com), located in the

Lotte New York Palace hotel – a historic landmark

known, and still widely understood, to be invitationonly

(it’s accessible only to an exclusive clientele – a

subsection of celebrities and politicians looking for

discretion). Insider tip? A few years ago, the Gilded

Age rooms quietly opened to the public. Nestle into

the hushed grandeur and tuck into some of the world’s

rarest spirits that this place is known for. Think preembargo

Cuban rum, gold-leafed ceilings and stately

winged armchairs.

A block away is fine-dining Italian restaurant

Fasano’s new Fasano Bar (fasanorestaurantny.com),

a reimagining of its expansive front room into a

burnished, honey-hued sprawl of evening delight.

While the back room retains its more formal, sitdown

spirit, this recently unveiled space holds a

slicker, see-and-be-seen energy – a precursor to

dinner, or the main event. Drinks favourites include

the Fumo, a velvety blend of whiskeys, cacao liquor

and dry vermouth, followed by a ramp up in flavour

with its Banana Old Fashioned, a rich bourbon,

banana-oleo saccharum, banana liqueur and

chocolate bitters concoction.


High Drama

The atmospheric Opera House, which celebrates

a slice of Chinatown’s theatrical heritage

35


36

Old-World Splendour

An esoteric experience at Rarities, set in the former Madison

Avenue home of 19th-century railroad magnate Henry Villard

For immersive tunes, head back down

and west to Birds (birds-nyc.com), a modern jazz

and cocktail bar opened in the autumn by siblings

Naama and Assaf Tamir, of Lighthouse BK and Messy,

alongside bartender Steve Schneider of Sip & Guzzle.

The velvet-curtained space has two live sets each

night – jazz, funk, bossa – providing the backdrop to

a simple menu of well-executed classics like martinis

and Manhattans.

Up the ante at People’s (peoplesny.com), somewhere

between cocktail bar, members’ club and art salon.

Its design unfolds in three parts: a front parlour with

warm, curling couches; a middle chamber, like a redlit

boudoir with simmering energy; and a back room,

where the ceilings soar up to reveal a skylight, also

doubling as a rotating gallery space for emerging

artists. Order a martini and watch the vibrations shift

towards something dancier as the weekend goes late

into the night (lines outside are to be expected; having

an insider connection helps). Co-owner Margot Hauer-

King’s go-to when entertaining at home is the Vesper,

“a crowd pleaser because you don’t have to confront

the vodka versus gin fight … You just give them both.”

A tip Hauer-King took from her bar? Pre-freezing. “It

makes serving groups really easy and means you can

perfect your measures in peace,” she says. “Bonus

points if you freeze your glasses, too. I also have a

guilty Baileys pleasure, and my dad [prominent British

restaurateur Jeremy King] will always buy a bottle for

me during the holidays. [It’s a] very easy way to my

heart.”

End on a high with dazzling views and highly

awarded cocktails at Overstory (overstory-nyc.com),

currently ranked 46 on the World’s 50 Best list and

located on the 64th floor of the Art Deco building at

70 Pine Street – where bar director Harrison Ginsberg

is also a member of the freezer martini team. “If

people are coming over, I make sure to have a bowl

of good olives, always Gordal,” he notes. “Big swathes

of lemon peel, and something pickle-y and fun like

piparra peppers, so guests can gussy up their martini.

If I’m heading to someone’s place, I always bring

some version of a margarita with fresh citrus and a

mix of cinnamon and warm spices. Other times, I’ll

grab a bottle of aperitivo or Cocchi Americano and

bring some soda and bubbles to set up a little spritz

station. Being the person you can count on for good

drinks is the best flex ever.”


37


SLANDS

N THE

UN

D

A

R

A

S

I

Resorts, Private Villas, Sports,

Dining & More!

P

E

M

O

R

F

P

O

S

S

T

C

D

A

R

In search of adventure and a little well-earned indulgence,

Nigel Tisdall offers a hot list of new treats and experiences

capturing the spirit of the Caribbean this season

38

Soho House’s laidback

bar opens onto

the placid waters of

Grand Bay Beach


The Great House iBEACH BAR

ANDREW JOSEPH WOOMER

Canouan, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Guests jetting into beach-notched Canouan, which is 5.6 kilometres long but never has more

than about 300 visitors, can now take advantage of an “invisible key” that lets them visit

all three of its luxury properties at leisure with complimentary transfers. Pleasures include

unwinding at Mandarin Oriental Canouan’s hillside spa (mandarinoriental.com), letting

the family go wild in the water park at the huge Pirates of Canouan Kids and Teens Club

(canouanestateresortandvillas.com), and dining on expertly prepared yellowfin tuna ceviche and

old-school rum punches at the super-relaxed Soho Beach House Canouan (sohohouse.com).

39


Dominica

The world’s longest detachable cable

car (dominicacablecar.com) will open on

this mountainous volcanic isle early next

year. Austrian-built and gliding above the

rainforest for more than six kilometres, it

will offer a 20-minute ascent to the 61kmwide

Boiling Lake, in Morne Trois Pitons

National Park, which has waters that steam

like a witch’s cauldron. Stay at Secret Bay

(secretbay.dm), near Portsmouth, which has

secluded beaches, cooking classes in an

organic garden and, since November, four

new clifftop villas, each with a high-spec

kitchen and plunge pool.

Ascending the steep

slopes of the Unescolisted

Morne Trois

Pitons National Park

Poolside at The Beach House,

just steps away from the

white sands of Meads Bay

Anguilla

40

As if having 33 dream beaches wasn’t paradise enough, this tiny, low-lying British Overseas Territory has

struck gold, thanks to a very 21st-century windfall: owning the .ai domain address. With artificial intelligence

booming, the island raked in some $62 million from registrations in the first nine months of 2025. The revenue

has helped fund a new airport terminal, opened this December, with a private-jet facility and superyacht

marina in the pipeline. Set beside the superb sands of Meads Bay, The Beach House is a majestic eightbedroom

villa popular with partying celebrities; the more discreet Indigo, in Little Harbour, comes with ten

bedrooms and a private beach (both littleharbourestates.com).

British Virgin Islands

Now back to full strength post-Hurricane Irma,

this scenic archipelago of 60 islands and cays

recently trademarked the title “Sailing Capital

of the Caribbean”. Find out why on a freespirited

yacht charter with Northrop & Johnson

(northropandjohnson.com), making “dock and dine”

stops in Virgin Gorda at Oil Nut Bay, which has

a new overwater spa (oilnutbay.com), and Bitter

End Yacht Club, where the burgee-festooned

Buoy Room (beyc.com) is a legendary watering

hole. Also of note is Peter Island (peterisland.

com), a private-island resort that was closed for

seven years but has now been reborn as a lofty,

almost 730ha sanctuary with five beaches, two

freshwater pools and a palatial spa.


Honeymoon Beach,

a secluded stretch

on the nearly 730ha

private resort of

Peter Island

The Great House’s

grand façade shows off

the estate’s elegant

coral stonework

FROM TOP: © PETER ISLAND, © THE GREAT HOUSE; OPPOSTIE PAGE: SCOTT SPORLEDER, © LHE

Barbados

It’s been 50 years since Typically Tropical topped

the charts with their catchy song “Barbados”,

about taking a flight with Coconut Airways to

where “the sky is blue and the palm trees are

really cool.” The island continues to seduce:

golfers’ favourite Apes Hill (apeshill.com) has

added 14 new hilltop villas with panoramic

views and a beach club in Speightstown, while

the 12-suite The Great House in Road View

(thegreathousebarbados.com) – with a staff of

22, the island’s largest rental property – has

introduced a pianist and cinema under the stars.

41


St Barts

Longevity-focused retreats are now

available at Le Barthélemy Hotel & Spa

in Grand Cul-de-Sac (lebarthelemyhotel.

com). Led by Dr Franck Baudino, stays

can be tailor-made for three to 14

days with the goal of improving your

vitality, mental clarity and long-term

well-being. The programme begins with

a comprehensive health mapping, and

treatments can include a “Metabolic

Reset” to rebalance the body’s baseline

metabolism, or “Brain Recovery” to

improve cognition and sleep. Retuning

for a better life is also the focus for the

newly launched Quiet Villas Collection

by Le Barth Villas (lebarthvillas.com),

which invites guests to put nature

and friends before digital noise.

Encouragements include switch-off

pouches for your devices, a conciergeonly

phone and guided yoga and Atma

Janzu water therapy.

Paddling the

shallow waters off

the Le Barthélemy

Hotel & Spa

At Sugar Beach,

play unfolds in the

shadow of the island’s

iconic Petit Piton

42

St Lucia

Padel, pickleball, tennis – these days, every resort across the Caribbean

seems to be full of happy whackers, merciless servers and devious lobbers.

To join the fun, head to the new four-court Racquet Club at Sugar Beach,

A Viceroy Resort (viceroyhotelsandresorts.com), set bang between the

World Heritage-listed Pitons with pro lessons, inter-guest competitions

and Hyperice compression boots and wraps to help with any sore muscles.

FROM TOP: © LE BARTHÉLEMY HOTEL, GIDEON AMBROSE

© 2025 Corcoran. All rights reserved. Corcoran and the Corcoran Logo are trademarks of Corcoran Group LLC. The Corcoran System in the United States is comprised of company owned offices which are owned by a

subsidiary of Anywhere Advisors LLC and franchised offices which are independently owned and operated. Corcoran Group LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.

be thrower

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FIND YOUR HOME AT CORCORAN.COM


BURNING

BRIGHT

44

Modern fireplaces have become as much about design and lifestyle

as they are about warmth, moving far beyond the traditional hearth.

Innovations in realism, efficiency and low-maintenance operation mean

there’s now a solution for almost any setting, from smaller personal

offices to expansive, architecturally driven homes. Today’s market

encompasses high-tech convenience, renewable energy and old-world

craftsmanship, offering homeowners an unprecedented level of choice.

As a result, choosing the right fireplace is ultimately a question of how

it fits into your wider vision for your lifestyle. Herewith, five worthy

options for keeping your space cosy, inviting and awash in the warm

glow of the flame. By Claudia Baillie


45


Nordic Warmth

THE ART OF THE TILED STOVE

Tiled stoves are gaining popularity beyond their

native Scandinavia. Boasting a long history, they

became a common source of heating in Swedish

homes in the 18th century, thanks to the King

of Sweden, who ordered the Royal Swedish

Academy of Sciences to develop a wood-saving

heat source. “To this day, the principles of

the stove remain the same, and there are few

solid-fuel heat sources that can achieve the

same efficiency and low emission levels as this

ingenious design,” says Jesper Svensson, CEO

and owner at Gabriel Kakelugnar. One of the

benefits is the slow and pleasant heat release,

which is around 2.5 kilowatts per hour, and a

stove will retain heat for almost 24 hours after

a burning cycle. By contrast, a traditional woodburning

stove gives off about 5–7 kilowatts

at its hottest, then cools down as soon as

the fire goes out. “The most critical aspect is

the foundation below the stove as they weigh

around 1,400 kilograms, therefore installation

must be performed by a skilled craftsman,” says

Svensson. “Our stoves fulfil the Ecodesign 2022

criteria in terms of emissions, and efficiency is

93 per cent – one of the highest in the woodfired

segment. We also offer bespoke sizes,

glazes, hand-painted decorations and other

customisations. In many cases, our customers

see the stove as a piece of furniture more than

a fireplace.”

© GABRIEL KAKELUGNAR; PREVIOUS SPREAD: © ELEMENT4

46

Swedish maker Gabriel

Kakelugnar’s handcrafted

Kungälv, a ceramic-tiled stove

finished with sleek brass doors,

gabrielkakelugnar.com


47


High Tech, Low Commitment

GOING ELECTRIC

For those seeking a relatively simple

installation, electric fireplaces can

be the answer. Incredibly energy

efficient, they’re available in a wide

range of styles, from wall-mounted

panels to built-in units, and are

the ultimate plug-and-play option,

with the bonus that they can be

installed virtually anywhere with a

power source. Ideal for spaces with

no venting, they’re great for hotel

suites or corporate environments

that prohibit open flames. But

while visually appealing – the

simulated flame effect is created

using LED lighting and digital

imagery – they do lack the warmth,

movement and sensory depth of

genuine firelight. “A lower heat

output also means they are best

suited as a supplementary heat

source,” says Nicole McKenzie,

VP sales representative at

Element4. “Though they continue

to advance in realism and smarthome

connectivity, the desire for

natural, sustainable flames is

driving the interest in bioethanol

fireplaces.” (See page 52)

The Elite 180 E Supreme, Element4’s elegant three-sided fireplace

brought to life with cutting-edge LED flame technology, element4.nl

48

© ELEMENT4

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The Vertigo 50,

a chic firepit table

suitable for both

indoor and outdoor

use by EcoSmart Fire,

ecosmartfire.com

Fuss-less Flames

THE GAS ADVANTAGE

50

A reliable, consistent, controllable heat source that creates no mess, gas fireplaces can serve as sleek room

dividers, transform vertical corners or stretch across entire living areas – with space above for a statement

television. They can be operated at the touch of a button or with a voice command thanks to smart-home

integration. They do, of course, require a gas connection, and fuel-cost fluctuations can also be a consideration.

“Bear in mind that gas fireplaces rely on fossil fuels and produce methane emissions, which means they are

increasingly restricted in new buildings under electrification initiatives, and installation also requires venting

and professional fitting,” says Stephane Thomas, Group CEO of MAD Design Group, whose portfolio includes

EcoSmart Fire. These practicalities often lead potential purchasers to explore alternatives that offer a similar

ambience with fewer constraints.

Elemental Warmth

THE CASE FOR WOOD

Since many still prefer a more traditional multisensory

experience, wood-burning stoves remain an enduring

favourite, and there are hosts of elegant options,

including freestanding designs, fireplace inserts and

zero-clearance models designed to be installed close to

combustible materials. Every certified appliance must

undergo extensive tests that vary depending on the

country where it is sold. These verify compliance with

building codes, installation standards, safe clearances

and, increasingly, environmental obligations. “In North

America, for example, wood stoves must meet strict

air-quality standards established by the Environmental

Protection Agency,” explains Nadia Gilbert, marketing

director at Stûv. “To receive certification, an appliance

must emit less than two grams of fine particulate matter

per hour, a threshold designed to protect both air quality

and public health. This ensures that only clean-burning,

high-performance units can be offered to consumers.”

Stoves work well as a complementary source of heat that

can reduce the demand placed on gas or electric systems,

and wood is a renewable resource if obtained from

responsibly managed forests. But sourcing, stacking and

allowing wood to dry properly requires planning and care.

“Many homeowners see this as a tangible connection

to nature and to the changing seasons,” says Gilbert.

“Lighting a stove offers a moment of pause, and there’s

an almost meditative sense of well-being that comes

from watching a living flame. The sound of crackling

logs and the dance of the fire create an atmosphere that

encourages people to slow down and reconnect.”


JONANTHONY JAMES; OPPOSITE PAGE: © ECOSMART FIRE

Stûv’s slow-burning s30C

51

wood stove, fully rotatable to

360 degrees, stuvamerica.com


Element4’s remotecontrollable

Sky Medium

Roomdivider Bio,

beautifully framed in

black steel, element4.nl5

Clean Heat

THE BIOETHANOL ALTERNATIVE

52

Ideal for environments where you want the look and feel of a live flame but traditional installation isn’t

practical or even permitted, bioethanol models are ventless, smokeless and require no chimney or flue. This

means that they’re simple to install and can be positioned virtually anywhere, indoors or out. Fuelled by a

renewable, clean-burning alcohol made from plant byproducts, they are eco-friendly, safe and need little to

no maintenance. “As well as built-in and customisable options, many models are available as freestanding

designs, which provide an instant solution that can be unpacked and enjoyed within minutes. They can also

be used to transform an existing or unused fireplace, plus, they align perfectly with the global movement

toward renewable energy solutions,” says Stephane Thomas of MAD Design Group. A consideration, though,

is that bioethanol itself is a premium fuel. “The cost reflects its renewable origins,” says Nicole McKenzie

of Element4. “Plus, the output is a ‘soft heat’: more ambient than a primary heat source, and shorter burn

cycles mean refuelling is part of the ritual, but for many, it’s also part of the charm.”

© ELEMENT4

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call +30 210 8218640, visit portozante.com or contact reservations@portozante.com


Into

the Night

56


As the evening draws, a different kind of wanderlust awakens. Across deserts,

oceans and mountains, discerning travellers have traded sun-soaked days

for star-filled nights, seeking beauty in the quiet moments between twilight

and dawn. Josh Sims explores a new way to see the world, one in which

darkness reveals what modern living too often obscures.

“Hello darkness, my old friend,” sang Simon & Garfunkel,

“I’ve come to talk with you again.” A desire to commune

with the night is one that more of us share these days,

driving what’s been dubbed “noctourism” – explorations of

the world after sunset, especially its star-spangled skies.

It’s a side of the 24-hour cycle that many of us rarely get

to experience in our overexploited, 21st-century world – we

are too drawn to the light. “You only have to look at modern

human behaviour – that tendency, when dark sets in, to draw

the curtains and hunker down until morning – to understand

why the nighttime ecosystem is overlooked,” says Kevin

Gaston, professor of biodiversity and conservation at the

University of Exeter, UK. “In fact, the 24/7 city economy

notwithstanding, we tend to avoid the dark far more than

we used to. And much is lost in that important aspect of our

world, in how we understand and experience it.”

Indeed, the growing problem of light pollution has also

had a profoundly negative effect on those organisms that

need natural light cycles to thrive – us included, perhaps.

The US National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab reckons

that, over the past decade, there has been an average

global increase of 9.6 per cent in sky brightness per year.

Put another way, at that rate, a child born where, say, 250

stars are visible at night, will only be able to see 100 stars

on their 18th birthday.

Policy change is required to address this, but the rise

of noctourism, Gaston argues, is a good step towards

“encouraging us to see natural nighttime conditions not as

something to get rid of but to seek out. After all, there’s rarity

value in, for example, the mind-blowing experience of seeing

the Milky Way clearly, which so few of us get to do now.”

Aaron Cherrie, a UK-based astrophotographer who

specialises in capturing the sky at night, agrees. As he

points out, it’s not just the deep solitude offered by the

blackest night, but also that it provides an invaluable sense

of perspective: “The night is a reminder not just that the

world offers these beautiful, still moments all the time – we

just don’t see them. Nighttime is also a chance to better

connect with the rhythms of nature, and a welcome reminder

of how insignificant we are, too.”

57


The Celestial

Canopy

Go Stargazing

There’s a reason that some 40 percent of the world’s ground-based

astronomical observing capacity lies in Chile, much of which is

located in the Atacama Desert—its low light pollution levels, thinner

atmosphere (being nearly 8,000 feet above sea level), and invariably

unclouded skies make for unparalleled views of the night sky. The

Nayara Alto Atacama hotel even has its own professional telescope.

nayaraaltoatacama.com

58

SERGI REBOREDO / VWPICS / REDUX / LAIF; OPPOSTIE PAGE: IMAGO; PREVIOUS SPREAD: ALAN DYER / VWPICS / REDUX / LAIF

Aurora Rising

Chase the Northern Lights

One of the eeriest and most magical phenomena observable

from our planet is the aurora borealis, better known as the

Northern Lights—green and purple washes across the night sky

caused by charged particles from the sun hitting gases in Earth’s

atmosphere. As the moniker suggests, you need to head north to

see nature’s own light show, and few places combine style with a

sense of isolation as splendidly as the Arctic TreeHouse Hotel,

in Finnish Lapland. arctictreehousehotel.com


59


60

Nocturnal Instincts

Take a Moonlit Safari

Aardvarks and hyenas, servals and pangolins, foxes and jackals. There are

some animals that you’ll mostly only get to see on an after-hours safari.

Night is also when leopards and lions are most active, stalking their prey.

Indeed, with its cooler air, unspecified noises, and a heightened sense

of danger, the dark may be the best way to fully appreciate the safari

experience. Kenya’s Saruni Basecamp is a specialist. sarunibasecamp.com

GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSTIE PAGE: NATURE PICTURE LIBRARY / ALAMY

Sparks of Life


Catch Firefly Season

Every year, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the southeastern U.S. is briefly home to the

mysterious sight of synchronous fireflies lighting up the night—synchronous because, although their

flashing on and off looks random, each species has its own pattern which, over the course of an evening,

falls into sync. So rare is the sight that viewing is by lottery. But a stay at North Carolina’s rural-chic

The Swag, some 40 miles from Asheville, should assuage the unlucky. theswag.com

61


of

62 Glow

Dive into Bioluminescence

Whether it’s to attract a mate, scare off predators, or simply to observe the surroundings,

bioluminescence—an organism’s ability to manipulate chemical reactions to produce

light—is one of the wonders of marine life. A dive or a swim in Mexico’s Manialtepec

Lagoon, Oaxaca—with Hotel Escondido as your base—is one of the world’s best ways to

witness this underwater spectacle. hotelescondido.com


GETTY IMAGES

the Deep

63


Midnight

Strolls

64

Hike by Firelight

Sometimes you don’t have to go far from the glow of civilization to appreciate the dark. On a guided tour

with Carlton Hotel St. Moritz, you can channel ancient Alpine tradition and head out into the snowy

night on a torchlight tour of the striking Engadin slopes equipped with a flaming flambeau. The altitude,

flickering flames, and crystal-clear air make for a unique way of enjoying the Swiss resort’s storied views.

tschuggencollection.ch

GETTY IMAGES; OPPOSTIE PAGE: PETER WEY / STOCKSY

The Darkness Within

Enter the Void

The darkest night? Well, according to St. John of the Cross, that

was the “dark night of the soul.” Bold adventurers might wish

to explore their inner midnight at Yangti Yoga Retreat Center,

located in a verdant, wooded corner of Massachusetts, where

the Buddhist practice of yangti yoga means spending days at a

time in complete darkness. yangtiyoga.com


65


66

IN THE AIR


FLYING HIGH

Combining super-luxe finishes, a spacious,

light-filled cabin and innovative avionics, the new

Citation Ascend promises an elevated experience in the

midsize category when it rolls out for NetJets Owners

this quarter. Michael Verdon steps aboard.

© NETJETS

F

irst impressions count, especially in business

aviation. NetJets Owners will immediately notice

the sense of openness in the Citation Ascend,

which enters the fleet in the first quarter of 2026.

Moving up the illuminated steps into the cabin, the

noise drops, light streams in through large windows,

and a flat-floor layout, stretching the length of the

5.7m interior, creates a spaciousness that is rare for

the midsize class.

The Ascend is Textron’s newest entry in its 560XL

line, which started in 1998 with the Citation Excel.

Since then, more than 1,000 examples of different

models have been delivered. Designed from the inside

out, the Ascend incorporates the airframe of the

previous generation, XLS Gen2, and includes many of

its best features, and even some from larger Citation

siblings. But with multiple differentiators, it would

be a mistake to view the Ascend as simply the next

step in the 560XL evolutionary chain. It’s arguably the

missing link between the series’ storied past and the

best of current midsize design.

With a long list of cabin refinements, including

a flat floor, innovative seats, a flight deck derived

from the Citation Latitude and Longitude, and

new Pratt & Whitney Canada PW545D engines, the

Ascend demonstrates how smart design can change

67


Left: a peek inside the Ascend’s

light-flooded cabin; facing page:

with its sumptuous seating in

hand-stitched leather and elegantly

crafted pop-out tables

68

WITH A LONG LIST OF

CABIN REFINEMENTS,

THE ASCEND DEMONSTRATES

HOW SMART DESIGN CAN

CHANGE THE PASSENGER

EXPERIENCE IN AN ALREADY

SUCCESSFUL PLATFORM

the passenger experience in an already successful

platform. With a range of up to 1,700 nautical miles

and a cruise speed of around 441 knots, the Ascend

can connect cities like Austin and Bozeman, or Los

Angeles and Cabo San Lucas.

NetJets eventually plans to replace its Citation

XLS midsize jets with an all-Ascend fleet, with 35

aircraft slated for delivery by the end of 2027. The

world’s largest fractional provider worked closely with

Textron to create a customised version of the Ascend,

employing premium leather upholstery, rich wood

veneers, custom carpeting and quartz countertops to

fashion a midsize jet that complements its fractional

fleet. A good example of how this collaboration

works: NetJets replaced the standard two-seat divan

at the entrance with a single seat and an additional

closet, which, when paired with the upgraded galley

design, enhances storage, catering and other inflight

services.

The Ascend also has an upgraded flight deck,

incorporating the same Garmin G5000 avionics suite

and auto-throttles as the Citation Longitude and

Latitude. This common design improves the pilot

experience, enhancing situational awareness and

predictive diagnostics.

The cabin will be equipped with Bluetooth,

wireless charging cradles and USB-C ports at the

seats, and NetJets’ IFE and 4G connectivity, with

Gogo Galileo being a future option. For passengers,

NetJets chose specific options for its Ascend fleet

to maximise the onboard experience. They include

Bongiovi’s immersive sound system, which produces

sound through the wall panels rather than speakers,

wireless control of cabin lighting, temperature, and

onboard entertainment. The FlightPath3D moving

map means passengers can track air journeys with

a glance, while lighted rings on the windows (now

15 per cent larger than the last-gen XLS Gen2)

and electric shades add to the cabin’s openness.

Textron also focused on noise abatement with as much

sound-dampening technology as possible, including an

acoustic curtain. The aircraft maker says that, decibelwise,

interior noise is now comparable to driving in a luxury

car on a highway.

At the heart of these enhancements are the

new seats. Derived from the Latitude, the seats are

optimised for comfort and flexibility, with lumbar

support and quilting, and are able to swivel and

track thanks to the innovative push-button release.

The seats can twist 45 degrees for meetings with other

passengers, while the outer armrests lift upward and

can stow fully flush with the side of the seat. Textron

spent significant time surveying fleet owners, pilots and

passengers to come up with the new design, a much more

intuitive seat for the midsize market.

In the end, the Ascend lives up to its name, with

enhancements, innovations and smart design in a proven

platform adding up to a serious new entry in the highly

competitive midsize segment.


7PASSENGERS

THE DETAILS

4 HOURS

MAXIMUM ENDURANCE

5.7 METRES

CABIN LENGTH

2.2 CUBIC METRES

BAGGAGE COMPARTMENT

1.7 METRES

CABIN WIDTH

1.5 METRES

CABIN HEIGHT

11

LARGE WINDOWS

© NETJETS

69


Lugano white-gold and

titanium earrings set with

diamonds David Morris

white-gold Riviera flexi

bangle set with diamonds

Boodles platinum and

diamond Victoria Falls ring,

from the Africa Collection

Photography

by Xavier Young

Styling

by Elisa Vallata

The Light Fantastic

70

Deep within a mirrored maze, a brilliant cache of diamonds works its magic

Graff white-gold

high-jewellery

necklace set with

round, pear-shaped

and oval diamonds;

earrings set with round

and oval diamonds


– 71


Jessica McCormack

blackened-white- and

yellow-gold Fern earring

with pavé-set diamonds

Ming Jewellery white-gold

Zig Zag ring set with

baguette diamonds

72


– David Morris white-gold

and diamond Riviera

necklace Chopard

white-gold and diamond

earrings, from the L’Heure

du Diamant collection

73


BRIGHT IDEAS FOR BETTER SLEEP

The Science Behind Light Therapy

Healthy sleep is essential for a sharp mind and high

energy. Research suggests that managing light exposure

during the day is key to a good night’s rest

74

The High Stakes of Sleep Deprivation

The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends

at least seven hours of nightly sleep for adults. Chronic

sleep deprivation is linked to many health issues. For

business leaders with intense schedules, lack of rest

also undermines decision-making, memory, emotional

regulation and productivity.

“Insufficient, disorganised and poor-quality sleep

impacts performance and cognition,” notes Bright Thilagar,

an MD with the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program.

“Disturbed sleep predisposes people to develop obesity,

fatigue, hypertension, heart disease, mood disturbance

and even Alzheimer’s disease.”

While medication can help, many professionals prefer

sustainable, non-pharmaceutical options. Can light – the

most powerful cue for the body clock – be engineered

to improve sleep? Here is what research says about

three light therapies.

Blue Light Therapy

Blue light is often blamed for sleepless nights, but with

strategic use, it can boost daytime energy and focus while

protecting sleep quality. Morning exposure to blue light

can help the brain and body rev up naturally. Generally,

blue light therapy involves sitting in front of a device

emitting bright blue light during morning hours for 20

minutes to an hour.

One study of adults over 60 found that a longer morning

exposure of two hours to blue light increased activity,

reduced daytime sleepiness and led to earlier bedtimes.

Skipping morning blue light resulted in fragmented sleep,

highlighting the importance of timing. However, evening

Illustrations by Jörn Kaspuhl

EVOLUTION ILLUMINATION ISSUE—2025

– 2025

exposure to blue-rich LEDs can signal the brain to stay

awake, making blue light both a performance enhancer

and a sleep disruptor – depending on when it is used.

“Morning blue-enriched light is beneficial whereas

evening light should be avoided,” says Dr Thilagar.

“Recommendations from the American Heart Association

warn against bright light exposure in the evening, especially

short-wavelength blue-green light. Personal devices are a

major source of blue light exposure in the evening.”

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is gaining attention as a sleep aid. Unlike

blue light, red light has minimal impact on melatonin and

circadian rhythms. It may stimulate the mitochondria

in cells, which can boost cellular energy and reduce

inflammation, potentially supporting relaxation. Red light

therapy for sleep is usually done in the evening with light

exposure of 20 to 40 minutes.

However, research on its effectiveness is mixed. One

study found exposure to red light slightly shortened time

to fall asleep but led to more micro-arousals and lighter

sleep. Some studies suggest benefits for shift workers,

athletes and people with certain health conditions.

“Low-level light-emitting diode light therapy improved

sleep quality in shift-work nurses with insomnia in one

study,” Dr Thilagar says. “However, robust studies to show

improved sleep quality are still needed.”

Circadian-Targeted Light Therapy

Circadian-targeted light therapy customises light exposure

to counteract specific circadian disruptions, such as jet

lag, shift work or delayed sleep disorders. It strategically

75


uses both bright light and darkness to reset the body’s

internal clock.

“Light is the primary zeitgeber for synchronising

circadian rhythms,” comments Dr Thilagar. “Strategic

exposure to bright morning light, especially natural

sunlight, serves as a powerful regulator of the body’s

internal clock, enhancing mental clarity, sustaining energy

levels and reinforcing a resilient sleep-wake rhythm

essential for peak performance.”

Morning light supports the sleep-wake cycle; evening

light hinders it. With circadian-targeted therapy, people

work with a doctor or other sleep expert to determine the

best timing and duration of light exposure. In addition, this

light therapy is paired with behavioural coaching, sleep

scheduling strategies and, at times, melatonin.

Controlled studies on circadian-targeted light

therapy show consistent improvements in sleep timing

and daytime alertness, particularly in travellers, shift

workers and individuals with circadian rhythm disorders.

Meta-analyses in insomnia populations also note modest

improvements – roughly 17 additional minutes of total

sleep per night – when this therapy is correctly applied.

Bottom Line

For improved daily work performance and a good night’s

sleep, simplicity wins. The simplest solution for better

sleep is often just turning the lights off. Always consult a

healthcare provider before trying any new treatments like

light therapy.

“Light therapy and its effect on general health and

sleep is a rapidly progressing field of medical science,”

concludes Dr Thilagar. “Align your daily light exposure

with the body’s natural rhythm, embracing bright light

in the morning and limiting blue light in the evening to

support optimal sleep. Light exposure interventions have

been shown to improve mood, energy levels and sleep.”

Light Tips for Health & Sleep

Blue Light Therapy

- Use blue light deliberately during daylight

hours to reinforce circadian stability and

improve readiness.

- Avoid blue light after dusk, as it delays

the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin and

reduces restorative sleep.

- Consider using lighting systems that shift

from cool blue in the morning to warm amber

at night, or use blue-light-blocking eyewear

or devices in the evenings.

Red Light Therapy

- In workspaces, red light may be a

low-disruption option overnight.

- For bedrooms, complete darkness or very dim,

warm light is best for deep, restorative sleep.

- Overreliance on red lighting can backfire by

possibly increasing anxiety.

Circadian-Targeted Light Therapy

- Research supports circadian-targeted light

therapy for people with sleep disorders.

- Precision matters. Poor timing or variable

travel schedules can blunt the positive effect.

Without a clinician’s guidance, sleep benefits

may fade quickly.

- It is generally safe, but those with eye

or mood disorders should consult with a

physician or sleep specialist.

Mayo Clinic & NetJets

76

NetJets is excited to partner with the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program to bring expert medical,

health and wellness content that matters to you. With a focus on preventive health and wellness with

timely, coordinated access to multidisciplinary care, including advanced diagnostics, state-of-the-art

prevention strategies and therapeutics, the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program provides individualised,

comprehensive care to meet the unique needs of business leaders in the demanding stages of their

careers. The QR code will lead you to more thorough information about this world-class programme, and

your Mayo Clinic Executive Health liaison for NetJets Owners will be happy to answer your questions.

A program that

protects your

health, and

your time.

Executive Health Program

World-class expertise designed specifically for today’s busy leaders,

on their schedule. That’s Mayo Clinic’s Executive Health Program.

mayoclinic.org


Cutting-edge wearables bringing dermatologist-grade

treatments straight to your couch, LED light therapy masks can

be potent allies in the fight against ageing, acne and all manner

of conditions. Jamie Wilson spotlights the standout devices

redefining luxe skin therapy

GET GLOWING

78

The beauty consumer is more discerning

than ever. An astute understanding

of buzzy ingredients and curated

skincare routines has progressed into

a desire to master tools and technology once

confined to professional treatments, but now for

at-home use. The buzziest these days? LED light

therapy masks that commonly emit red, blue and

infrared lightwaves to penetrate the skin at various

levels – each addressing specific concerns. Red light

boosts collagen and brightens skin closer to the

surface, infrared penetrates deeper into the tissue

to tighten, and blue light kills bacteria, minimising

mild acne without any of the appointments. These athome

LED mask treatments are noninvasive, low risk,

easy to use and have no downtime, which only adds to

their appeal. While an at-home mask is not quite the

same as a professional treatment, over time and with

consistent use, these devices can produce genuine

and noticeable results.

One of the most popular right now is the

CurrentBody LED Red Light Therapy Face Mask:

Series 2. Recent upgrades have made this already

in-demand mask even more covetable: Outfitted with

extra LED bulbs, the improved layout adds a new

level of near-infrared light that expedites results.

The UK-based retailer’s offering utilises three

wavelengths: red, near-infrared and deep nearinfrared

to jumpstart collagen, reduce wrinkles and

brighten skin. Another fresh release comes courtesy of

Los Angeles-based skincare-tech specialist Solawave

with its Wrinkle Retreat Pro. Some at-home masks

require at least 10 minutes of use, but Solawave’s

treatments are only three minutes. With 320 LEDs,

JON COMPSON / GALLERY STOCK; PRODUCTS: COURTESY THE COMPANIES

three wavelengths of red light plus amber light (to

boost lymphatic flow), this at-home mask aims to

achieve more focused skin rejuvenation results.

Another major contender comes from techforward

California brand Lumara. Kitted out with

470 densely distributed LEDs and set on a flexible,

contour-hugging silicone base, its Viso – Anti-Aging

Red Light Mask unleashes uniform energy across

every millimetre of the face. Visible improvements –

from reduced inflammation to softer fine lines – can

appear after only five days of 10-minute sessions,

with full results after four weeks.

Taut, radiant skin isn’t the only benefit of athome

LED light therapy devices, however. For anyone

dealing with acne, these can help too, and the DRx

SpectraLite Faceware Pro, from NYC dermatologist Dr

Dennis Gross’s eponymous line, specialises in exactly

this. Even though it features four wavelengths of

red light, it’s the blue wavelengths included that kill

acne-causing bacteria to combat mild breakouts. All

it takes is three minutes a day.

Although anti-ageing and acne benefits are a

popular use for light therapy, some LED at-home

masks offer a little bit more in the way of a luxury

spa-like experience. The TheraFace Mask Glo – from

Therabody, perhaps most famed for its industryleading

massage guns – is one of them. It includes

blue and red light, like most, but the addition of a

vibration setting to massage the scalp sets it apart.

Its 504 red, infrared and blue lights work with 12

minutes of use a day, and it’s clinically proven to

reduce under-eye wrinkles, fine lines and tighten skin

with as little as eight weeks of consistent use.

Like the TheraFace, there’s more than meets the

eye when it comes to SharkNinja’s Shark CryoGlow.

This at-home device is the only LED mask in the US

that combines LEDs, infrared and under-eye-cooling

cryo technology with four pre-made settings. An

adjustable five- to 15-minute eye-cooling treatment

for calming and tightening, the Under-Eye Revive

setting is the star. The six-minute Better Aging

session uses red and infrared LEDs to soften lines

and firm up skin, while the Skin Sustain treatment

supercharges radiance with four-minute intervals

of red, blue and infrared LEDs. The Skin Clearing

segment uses eight minutes of blue, infrared and

red LED to reduce acne and redness. It’s all the

technology of a spa neatly packaged for the comfort

and ease of home use.

MUST-TRY MASKS

SharkNinja Shark

CryoGlow, sharkninja.com

Solawave Wrinkle

Retreat Pro, solawave.co

Therabody TheraFace

Mask Glo, therabody.com

CurrentBody LED Red Light

Therapy Face Mask: Series

2, currentbody.com

Lumara Viso – Anti-Aging

Red Light Mask,

lumarasystems.com

Dr Dennis Gross DRx

SpectraLite FaceWare Pro,

drdennisgross.com


79


Under

the

Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy’s most elegant ski

town, readies itself for the Winter Olympics with

a rush of luxury openings, fine dining and highaltitude

glamour – reviving the allure that first

captivated the world in 1956. By Mariangela Rossi

Torchlight

80

Italian painter Maddalena

Tesser’s In the Mountain,

depicting the craggy

peaks of the Dolomites’

Monte Cristallo, is one of

ten official posters for

the 2026 Games


81


Winter sunlight

floods the

mountain-framed

town of Cortina

d’Ampezzo

82

In Cortina d’Ampezzo, days are bookended by sunsets and sunrises

that turn the surrounding limestone peaks luminous shades of pink

and orange, a phenomenon known as enrosadìra in the local Ladin

language, still spoken in five Dolomite valleys. But with the flame

burning for Milano Cortina 2026 – the Winter Olympics set to take

place in February – there’s more than just the alpenglow lighting up this

chic Italian ski town.

When Cortina, in the heart of the Unesco World Heritage-listed

Dolomites, hosted Italy’s first Winter Olympics back in 1956, it was the start

of a golden era that drew royalty and celebrities from around the world.

In recent decades, however, the Queen of the Dolomites became a quieter

destination, one favoured mostly by Italian tourists.

Today, a wave of renewal is underway, with some 70 construction

projects catering to an expected influx of up to two million visitors across

the mountain villages and Milan. While the new bobsled, luge and skeleton

track has sparked controversy due to partial deforestation – offset by its

future use for training and competitions and the planting of 10,000 new

trees – other infrastructure upgrades have been largely welcomed. These

include the Tai di Cadore and San Vito di Cadore tunnels to ease traffic,

and the Olympic Ice Stadium. Underground parking, new public squares, the

© CORTINA MARKETING; PREVIOUS PAGE: © MADDALENA TESSER, COURTESY THE ARTIST, MILANO CORTINA 2026 AND TRIENNALE MILANO


83


Apollonio-Socrepes cable car, as well as pedestrian and cycling

paths, round out the transformation, along with a significant

expansion of luxury accommodations.

Among the new and soon-to-open international hotels in

this Alpine basin – less than two hours from Venice’s Marco

Polo Airport – are the Mandarin Oriental Cristallo (slated for

a 2026 opening; mandarinoriental.com), The Bellevue (a debut

for Accor’s Emblems Collection in 2027; emblemscollection.com)

and the revamped Grand Hotel Ampezzo (grandhotelampezzo.it).

There’s also the historic Ancora Cortina hotel (ancoracortina.

com), dating back to 1826 and now owned by fashion mogul

Renzo Rosso, whose portfolio includes Diesel, Maison Margiela,

Marni, Viktor & Rolf and Jil Sander. Together with designer

Vicky Charles, known for her Soho House interiors, Rosso

has reimagined Alpine charm with a retro-contemporary flair.

Black-and-white vintage photographs, velvet sofas, art and

lifestyle books, playful inscriptions (“Enjoy” or “Cortina dreams

with you”) and abstract multicoloured works by Cuban artist

José Yaque set the tone on each floor. Private club The Brave

evokes the 1970s, complete with DJ sets and a no-phone policy.

Room 505, Rosso’s favourite, is a stunning penthouse with a

kitchen, a living room with a fireplace, and a terrace overlooking

2,352m-high Mount Faloria. The hotel is already a hot spot for

an aperitivo, perhaps a Hugo, enjoyed either on the terrace or in

the cocktail bar, the tunes of Fred Buscaglione invoking la dolce

vita in the background.

Not far from here, the Hotel de Lën (hoteldelen.it) emphasises

wood, sustainability, a rustic-chic ambience and good cuisine.

Its spa, on the top floor, can be privatised for couples’ massages

and candlelit dinners in a serene, pine-scented setting.

The elegant,

Alpine-inspired

dining room at

Baita Piè Tofana

84

From Cortina, travellers head toward San Cassiano and

the Alta Badia Dolomites, passing the Falzarego Pass and

the Lagazuoi cable car – where the Lagazuoi EXPO Dolomiti

museum (lagazuoi.it) sits at 2,732 metres above sea level. The

journey leads to the newly reopened Aman Rosa Alpina (aman.

com), one of South Tyrol’s oldest hotels. Now part of the Aman

portfolio, its heritage has been polished, its design sharpened

and its legendary luxury recast for a new audience.


CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: ALEX MOLING, © AMAN, JACOPO SALVI

Sunset views of San

Cassiano’s peaks from Aman

Rosa Alpina’s infinity pool

Masi wine bar,

an oenophile’s aerie

at 1,778 metres

above sea level

The Pizzinini family – led by Ursula and Hugo – remain

the gracious hosts and majority owners of the Rosa Alpina,

preserving local traditions while embracing modern tastes.

Designed by Jean-Michel Gathy of Denniston, the hotel blends

minimalist elegance with regional materials such as wood,

natural stone and decorative fossils. Guests enjoy panoramic

views of the Lagazuoi peaks and distant silhouettes of

Sassongher and Sella. After skiing or hiking, they can unwind

in one of three pools or the spa with a “Zen Fusion” ritual,

then hit The Grill for Italian and Ladin specialities paired with

wine from its cellar (which boasts over 25,000 high-quality

bottles) before finishing the evening in one of the three

private screening rooms. This winter, the hotel unveiled Akari,

a refined Japanese restaurant featuring Shabu Shabu and rare

sake selections.

85


86


A skier carves their way

down Forcella Rossa,

one of Cortina d’Ampezzo’s

most spectacular – and

challenging – black slopes

“It’s hard to beat the beauty of Cortina

when the weather is the usual gorgeous,

sunny, relaxing, Alpine atmosphere”

– Mikaela Shiffrin, American alpine skier and two-time Olympic champion

87


The Brave, Ancora Cortina’s

moody basement club

The region’s culinary scene is exceptional, encompassing

everything from Michelin stars to mountain huts. Highlights

include Alajmo Cortina (alajmo.it), helmed by Michelin-starred

chef Massimiliano Alajmo. Housed in a renovated barn that was

once home to the legendary El Toulà restaurant, its fairytale

setting was once captured in Slim Aarons’ photographs. On

the ground floor, the evening starts with a glass of sparkling

wine paired with caviar and focaccine. But climb the stairs

and you’ll taste specialities such as bone-marrow risotto with

champagne and caviar, a savoury smoked-trout and potato

“cappuccino”, and “Mamma Rita’s Rice Pudding” with toppings

like chocolate, tropical fruits and hay caramel.

At Michelin-starred SanBrite (sanbrite.it), chef Riccardo

Gaspari has evolved his family’s dairy farm and agriturismo

into a gastronomic destination. His “regenerative and ethical

cuisine” features bold pairings such as pine-needle spaghetti

and “Il Prato” (the meadow), made with wild herbs foraged

88

Roasted tomato with

basil and aubergine, served

with lavender ice cream at

Alajmo Cortina

from nearby forests.

Baita Piè Tofana (baitapietofana.it), originally built to

accommodate Olympic timekeepers in 1956, now hosts one

of the area’s most exciting kitchens led by Federico Rovacchi,

formerly of Rosa Alpina’s St Hubertus. Many other former

mountain huts have transformed into gourmet restaurants.

In Socrepes, Chalet Franz Kraler – Club Moritzino

(chaletfranzkraler-clubmoritzino.it) just opened as ultra-luxury

lodgings with cutting-edge architecture, in partnership with

Club Moritzino, and future guests will be able to enjoy lunch

at Masi wine bar at Col Druscié (masi.it), accessible via the

Freccia nel Cielo cable car. On the terrace overlooking Cortina’s

top slopes – Forcella Rossa, Olympia and Vertigine Bianca –

signature dishes include risotto and braised pork cheek with

Amarone and honey courtesy of Masi, a leading producer in the

Veneto wine region.

At more than 2,200 metres in the Nuvolau range, Rifugio

Averau (rifugioaverau.it) and Rifugio Scoiattoli (rifugioscoiattoli.

it) both offer high-level cuisine. In Alta Badia, Maso Runch

Farm in Pedraces (masorunch.it), a 1700s Ladin house with

traditional stuben, remains a classic. A new addition is the

Super G Faloria Mountain Club (lovesuperg.com), a revitalised

1939 refuge turned restaurant and après-ski hot spot with

DJ sets, panoramic windows and a terrace dubbed “Cortina’s

Brooklyn” for its views of the majestic Tofane mountain range.

The cable car now runs until 7pm instead of 4.30pm – though

many, despite the music, dance and bubbly, still ski down to

the valley. As the countdown to the Olympics begins, it’s all in

keeping with Cortina’s renewed energy.

FROM TOP: © HOTEL ANCORA CORTINA, RICCARDO ANDREATTA; OPPOSITE PAGE: HELENIO BARBETTA; PREVIOUS SPREAD: FRANZ PERINI

A timber-and-glass balcony

at Hotel de Lën looks out over

Cortina’s sunlit valley


89


ART OF THE SEASON

James Turrell’s

Skyspace in Lech,

in the Austrian Alps

90

There may be no greater, more vast, more profound a canvas than the sky above us, with its gently shifting hues and the

delicate choreography of clouds, sun and stars. Framing the heavens has been a career-spanning fixation for American

conceptual artist James Turrell, who began creating a now-global constellation of Skyspaces – site-specific chambers that

open up to the skies through a precisely engineered oculus with integrated light systems – in the early 1970s. But the ether

itself was never the true subject of his works – it’s always been the viewers themselves, and how they experience the world

from inside the dome’s circular “sensing space”. “I like to use light as a material, but my medium is actually perception,”

Turrell, now 82 years old, told Smithsonian Magazine in 2003. “I want you to sense yourself sensing – to see yourself seeing.”

Unveiled in 2018, the artist’s mostly underground installation in the Austrian ski mecca of Lech, pictured above, blends into

the Alpine scenery at more than 1,800 metres above sea level, where the sky almost feels within reach. Fans of Turrell’s

unique concept will also want to make a beeline for Denmark, where the world’s largest museum-based Skyspace – dubbed

As Seen Below – will debut at the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum in June. – Claudia Whiteus

FLORIAN HOLZHERR

Netjets EU Winter 2025/2026

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