Centurion Living City Guides Los Angeles Centurion Living 2023 Performances, Experiences and Introductions: John Legend, Bebel Gilberto, Renée Fleming, Chucho Valdés, Orna Guralnik Stockholm Centurion Living 2023 Performances, Experiences and Introductions: Bebel Gilberto, Renée Fleming, Chucho Valdés, Orna Guralnik PHOTOS FROM LEFT: JOSH WHITE / © ACADEMY MUSEUM FOUNDATION, PER-ANDERS JORGENSEN; OPPOSITE PAGE: NIKOLAS KOENIG Where to STAY & GO — The hotel boom in West Hollywood, the most walkable of LA neighbourhoods, continues apace, led by The West Hollywood Edition, where the leafy rooftop is always buzzing. At 1 Hotel, sustainable design comes to life, while The Pendry hosts Wolfgang Puck’s Merois. Over in Beverly Hills, the Montage has been reborn as The Maybourne, where the airy terrace’s white parasols welcome with an LA take on afternoon tea. The Renzo Piano-designed Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on Wiltshire Boulevard is filled with more than 13 million items charting the history of film – including Dorothy’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz. Academy Museum of Motion Pictures Where to STAY & GO — It pays to book in advance to sample the Nordic- Asian tasting menu at 23-seat, three Michelin-starred Frantzén – reservations are snapped up almost as soon as they’re released. At Ekstedt, New Nordic cuisine is cooked with age-old techniques using only natural fire and heat, completely eschewing electricity and gas. Call ahead and they’ll even make the tasting menu fully vegan. At Tjoget, bartenders mix up cracking cocktails with names like Cruel Summer, Business in Paradise, and Permanent Vacation. The storied waterfront rooms of the Grand Hôtel have been a favourite of travellers since 1874. Try a Nordic bathing experience at the spa or, since you’re in Sweden, a proper Swedish massage. Just next door, Lydmar Hotel has a laidback luxe vibe that is heightened by live music on the patio in summer and design-forward convivial indoor spaces in winter. Quirky, family-owned Hotel Ruth welcomes with a design aesthetic combining mid-century lines with floral prints. And for modern minimalism on a grand scale, head to At Six, with its monochromatic rooms and suites, marble head by Jaume Plensa, and summertime rooftop “park” with drinks, DJs and views over the city. Moderna Museet’s huge modern art collection, housed in a former navy drill hall, includes thousands of paintings, sculptures and installations, and 100,000 photographs from the 1840s until today. For more photography, Fotografiska hosts exhibitions by some of the world’s biggest contemporary names, and it’s worth dedicating a few hours to the light-filled Bonniers Konsthall for rotating exhibitions. Ekstedt 105
Centurion Living City Guides Paris Centurion Living 2023 Performances, Experiences and Introductions: Le Mépris, Renée Fleming, Chucho Valdés, Orna Guralnik Inside the Bourse de Commerce, don’t miss the excellent Halle aux Grains restaurant Where to STAY & GO — The French capital is embracing the bijou-is-beautiful trend, with the rise of boutique hotels in the real sense of the word – small, design-led and with a sense of privacy. All 72 rooms of the Art-Deco Cheval Blanc sit above the Pont Neuf, all soft light and exquisite detail. On Avenue George V, the residential-style Bulgari Hotel is filled with wood, marquetry and marble. Don’t miss the spa’s vitality pool, backed by gold mosaics inspired by the Roman baths of Caracalla. Transforming the 19th century former Louvre Post Office is Madame Rêve. Opt for a room with a balcony for private views over the Parisian rooftops, or join the scene at the hotel’s 1,000sq m rooftop and restaurant. In Le Marais, Le Grand Mazarin embraces a sense of flamboyant eccentricity designed by Martin Brudnizki, while over on Place de la Concorde, the Hôtel de la Marine is not a hotel at all, but the 18th century former navy headquarters, now a museum housing the Al Thani art collection. Finally, the former commodities exchange is now the Bourse de Commerce – Pinault Collection, perhaps the most exciting art venture to hit Paris in recent years, featuring a rotating selection of contemporary masterpieces and up-and-coming vedettes of the arts scene. PHOTOS FROM TOP: MARC DOMAGE, TOMMY PICONE; OPPOSITE PAGE FROM TOP: © MANDARIN ORIENTAL, © SUPERBLUE Bulgari Hotel in Paris 106
