Sandra‘s Closet

The Bulgari Hotel and Residences, London officially opened its doors last week. The luxury hotel located in Knightsbridge is the third hotel project of Bulgari Hotels & Resorts, following the opening of the Bulgari Hotel in Milan in 2004 and of the Bulgari Resort in Bali in 2006.

The Bulgari Hotel in London was designed for Bulgari by the renowned architectural firm Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel and Partners, with Squire and Partners as the local architect for the project.

With the contemporary style, the hotel features sleek lines and refined colour combinations created using a variety of marbles, fine woods, and unique details. The hotel has 85 rooms and suites, including seven extraordinary Bulgari suites, each more than 200 square meters that offer a unique combination of refined amenities and exclusive services. Its restaurant and bar have been designed to become the destination of choice in Knightsbridge. The hotel also features a large ballroom, a private cinema and a 2,000 square meter Spa and fitness centre with a 25 meter indoor pool.

LoL, Sandra

The restaurant

The bedroom

The spa

Photos: Courtesy of Bulgari, © Massimo Listri and © Leo Torri

“The last bastion of hospitality left in the world” – Roja Dove
This is what the famous perfumer said about the beautiful Lausanne Palace & Spa hotel and I could do nothing else but agree with him.

Located in the heart of the Olympic capital, with a magnificent view over the Lake Geneva and the Alps, this charming five-star luxury hotel is only a throw stone from the most elegant shopping streets and the picturesque old city. The entire property has been renovated over the past years, thus creating a unique environment, combining luxury and refinement, well-being and savoir-vivre. Its blend of the traditional with modernity is lending the hotel its unique character. The Lausanne Palace & Spa, an unforgettable experience.

Me in front of the Lausanne Palace & Spa, wearing a flared barnacle-intarsia dress by Alexander McQueen, a light blue leather jacket by Gucci and a black bag with golden zippers by Tom Ford and studded leather ankle boots by Valentino.

View from…

…my beautiful renovated room.

My favourite flowers, peonies, were waiting for me.

The Lausanne Palace Signature Scent
“The scent is soft and elegant recreating the impression the hotel itslef conveys. As you enter you are greeted at once by a marriage of elegant understatement, tradition, and refinement.
To recreate the atmosphere I have created a bespoke scent which blends soft balsamic, amber-like elements with a very precious and rare rose, rose de Mai, which pays homage to the hotel’s famous guests and my origin” – Roja Dove

Top notes: Bergamot
Middle notes: Rose
Base notes: Cedar, patchouli and leather

Some parts of the hotel are still reminiscent of its Belle Epoque soul.

Coco Chanel Suite – A fashionista’s dream
A privileged client of the Lausanne Palace & Spa for many years herself, the famous fashion designer Coco Chanel greatly inspired this suite in blue sky and cream tones. Located on the 5th floor of the Palace, the 170m² of space includes everything you can dream of.
The best feature: A vast dressing room of 24m² embellished with an English shower judiciously completes this apartment. Princess Grace of Monaco, wrapped in her mink stole, and Prince Albert visited as well.

Dining at Lausanne Palace & Spa is a true experience, thanks to four restaurants and a variety of culinary options. Le Côté Jardin offers healthy, creative Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. The Michelin-starred and the newly appointed 17/20 points Gaultmillau, La Table d’Edgard serves French-inspired gastronomic cuisine. Italian restaurant La Grappa is just a few minutes by feet away from the hotel.

In the center of the lobby, the new 1915 Bar (the year of the hotel’s inauguration) welcomes the guests throughout the day.

The LP’s Bar (above) and the Habana Bar (below) serve refreshing cocktails and cigars.

At the Parisian-style la Brasserie du Grand-Chêne, guests like the Rolling Stones, enjoy typical brasserie dishes, such as entrecôte with French fries. Opened from 6:30 am to 1:00 am, hot dishes served until midnight.

The Palace Sushi Zen, where 3 specialists from the Land of the Rising Sun will prepare dishes in front of guests.

The Cellier invites you to taste carefully selected wines in an unforgettable setting.

The 2100 square metres CBE Concept Spa of the Lausanne Palace offers a wide range of treatments, therapies and contemporary or traditional rituals: sports rooms, indoor pool, jacuzzi, sauna, hammam, solarium and relaxation rooms.
I had an Ayurvedic massage which was absolutely wonderful.

The Yogi Booster, a relaxing bar and lounge, to enjoy healthy drinks and treats in the spa.

My stay at the Lausanne Palace & Spa was truly unforgettable and I can absolutely recommend this hotel and its boutique to you.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Lausanne Palace & Spa and © Sandra Bauknecht

For the second year running CHANEL has taken up residence at La Mistralée Hotel, a two minute walk from the Place des Lices and the Old Port. From April through to October the sumptuous interior of this 19th century manor house has been transformed to create a contemporary décor. The Paris-Bombay and the S/S 2012 collection are displayed throughout the house, in the magnificent private gardens and by the swimming pool, juxtaposing the opulence of the house with modernity and boldness.

The spacious “white cube” (contemporary art gallery) drawing room – white walls and chevron parquet – is illuminated by the colours of the Paris-Bombay collection: tyrien rose, gold, and a host of rich and nuanced shimmering metallics. Sculptural monoliths surround the Ready-to-Wear collection and accessories. These minimalist volumes set off the dynamic contrasts: bronze, brass, white mirror and gold on the outside, set against candy pink, burgundy, petrol blue and parma grey inside.

Antique doors open for the walk to the fitting rooms, where each booth is swathed in sensual coppery quilting.

Beneath the glass roof of the conservatory bathed in light, the surroundings become even more summery, providing the perfect vibe for a Saint-Tropez lifestyle. There we discover a six meter-long bar in a metallic shade of champagne for a festoon of hues. We can enjoy perching upon an elegant stool, beneath a glistening beige arch, and try on the costume jewelry and accessories from the collection. A mirrored kiosk has been constructed in the garden as an inviting area in which to relax and to languish in the multi-coloured striped armchair.

Gaze towards the pool house covered with intense block colours, from chocolate, burgundy and taupe grey to Indian pink and mustard yellow. Transparent busts are suspended from the ceiling and appear to float. On display, here are the J12 watches set with diamonds or sapphires as well as the multi-coloured stones, pearls and diamonds from the fine jewelry collection.

An exclusive, limited edition beach bag has been created by CHANEL especially for its ephemeral boutique in Saint-Tropez. The bag comes complete with a reversible mat, woven straw on one side and towelling on the other and will be available end of June 2012. Stay tuned for a photo of the bag coming up soon on Sandra’s Closet.

CHANEL EPHEMERAL BOUTIQUE

From April 28th to October 7th 2012
10.00AM-1.30PM / 3.30PM-8.00PM (4.30PM-9.00PM in July and August)
1, avenue du Général Leclerc
83990 Saint-Tropez
France

What a beautiful store filled with precious must-haves! Happy holiday shopping!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Chanel

“Island of the Gods and Demons”, “land of 10,000 temples” – these are just two of the many names for Bali, the Indonesian island located in the Indian Ocean between Java and Lombok. I love the friendliness of the Balinese people and the beauty of the island and not only because I spent my honeymoon at the Four Seasons Bali at Sayan. The same resort and villa that Cindy Crawford and Randy Gerber celebrated their honeymoon. The island has an aura that is quite overwhelming.

Bali Balance is a label launched in 2011 with offices in Indonesia and Switzerland that brings the magic of this wonderful island to your home.
High quality hair and body spa products made with organic essential oils that are produced biologically in Bali and that have an intense revitalizing effect. 
Indulge yourself and wake up your senses with magical scents that will accompany you throughout the day.

The product range includes shampoos (CHF26.-/250ml), conditioners (CHF29.-/250ml), body wash (CHF24.-/250ml) and body lotion (CHF 29.-/250ml), oils (CHF32.-/250ml) and candles which are all available in two scents: Morning Mantra (lemongrass, clove, lavender, peppermint, cajeput, ginger) and Bali Passion (vanilla, ylang ylang, ginger and sandelwood).
For further enquiries, please contact: .
In Switzerland, Bali Balance products are exclusively available at Cachet.

Famous places such as the The Istana are using the Bali Balance products.
A feast for the senses!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of Bali Balance

The Berkeley London designer afternoon tea, Prêt-à-Portea, is inspired by the themes and colours of the fashion world. The menu is transformed every six months to follow the changing seasons in fashion. All served on fine-bone china by Paul Smith for Thomas Goode.

The new S/S 2012 collection sees designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Jason Wu and Valentino grace the Berkeley’s tea stand as Prêt-à-Portea adds a creative twist to the classic elements of the traditional English afternoon tea with cakes and pastries resembling the latest catwalk designs for the style conscious.

Prêt-à-Portea is served in the Caramel Room daily from 1pm to 6pm.

Christian Louboutin must have neon yellow high heeled chocolate biscuit with signature red sole
Jason Wu romantic cherry bavarois and coconut cream topped with playful pink skirt and biscuit heel
Mulberry white chocolate crème de menthe and raspberry mousse topped with a lemon meringue
Miu Miu 1950’s inspired vanilla bikini biscuit with red hot icing and playful white bow

Valentino romantic peach cake dress with light pink champagne jelly and edible flower
Fendi nautical red and white striped vanilla cake filled with fraise des bois cremeux accessorized with oversized yellow button
Michael Kors safari opera cake with dark chocolate and mocha filling topped with signature leopard print
Dolce & Gabbana light blue Sicilian blueberry sponge cake wicker basket wrapped in chocolate
Gucci art deco Grand Marnier and dark Valrhona chocolate mousse embellished with golden beads

And for those who are still hungry, a mouth-watering selection of miniature savoury skewers, taster spoons, elegant canapés and tea sandwiches is served.

I truly enjoyed this fashionable tea time. 
For Prêt-à-Portea reservations, please call +44 (0)20 7107 8866.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: Courtesy of the Berkeley Hotel and © Sandra Bauknecht

After or – of course before – your visit to the Gucci museo, you can enjoy a nice lunch at the restaurant that is located on the museum’s ground floor.
And here the logomania is to be taken literally, see for yourselves:

Aren’t those little sugar “cubes” just too cute?!

This happens when you are having lunch with bloggers…

Right next to the restaurant is the museum shop that offers a large selection of art, fashion and photography books plus all sort of Gucci-labelled goodies, from chocolates to Caran d’Ache pencils and small leather goods.

In a seperate room, so-called “Icon Store”, you can find all sorts of special edition bags and scarfs, made for the museum. These pieces are only available here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

For the Dior Addict Extrême event in Paris, I was invited to stay at the beautiful Plaza Athénée, already an institution on the famous shopping street Avenue Montaigne that captures the Parisian spirit of life perfectly. The hotel has also a Dior spa.

I stayed in an amazing suite on the third floor of the hotel. Isn’t the view from the balcony just divine? The only thing missing was the sun…

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Today, I am off to Paris for an exciting event with Dior Addict Extrême. To get you in the French mood, I would like to show you some photos of the Mandarin Oriental Paris that opened its doors last June and where I stayed during Haute Couture Fashion Week. For more information on the hotel, please click here for the previous post.

I thought that you might like the photos of my Deluxe room to get a better idea of the beautiful interior design. The service was outstanding and the location on the rue Saint Honoré is absolutely fantastic. The famous concept store Colette is just down the street.

My new Paris favourite!

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

Last month, I was invited by Clarins to Paris for the launch of their newest products (stay tuned for the upcoming post on those amazing new beauty must-haves). I stayed at the Royal Monceau where the presentation and dinner also took place. One of the reasons why Clarins chose this newly renovated hotel that was re-imagined by the famous Philippe Starck is their amazing My Blend by Clarins (a new revolutionary approach on personalized skincare) spa.

Le Royal Monceau has always embodied “Parisian elegance” in all its spontaneity, culture and sagacity. Philippe Starck captured the spirit in perfection. The Royal Monceau is one of the nicest hotels I stayed in recently and I can only recommend it. Please see for yourself!

My look: Patchwork coat by Louis Vuitton, silk-crepe top by Vionnet, alpaca and wool gilet by Gucci, stretch-leather leggings by The Row, scarf by Chanel, Pistol leather ankle boots by Acne and animal-print Boston bag by Céline.

I travelled for the first time with my new Victorinox Spectra trolley (Thank you!) that works as a carry-on luggage perfectly and has a lot of space.

Some impressions of my room.

View from my hotel room.

Clarins Spa offers 4 new spa body treatments with 18 new exclusive PRO formula products. The Body Sculptor, The Moisture Quencher, The Firming Age Corrector and The Body Polisher are based upon a selection of masks, supplements and pure plant body oils from the PRO range, chosen by the therapist to meet your skin’s individual needs. The Clarins PRO products are truly amazing and are totally working their magic. All treatments are done manually which is the best to me. To search for the Clarins institut nearest to you, please click here.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht

In Venice, we stayed at the Palazzina Grassi. A design hotel, situated on the Grand Canal, with an atmosphere full of charm and vitality, steeped in history, where you can experience the melancholy grandeur of Venice like true Venetians. Privacy, flexibility, luxury and elegance are the fundamental elements of this exclusive property, designed by Philippe Starck.

The 21 rooms and six suite apartments are characterized by a marriage of contemporary and romantic design, highlighted by unique furnishings, glass works by the French artist Aristide Najean and sophisticated collector’s items, with some rooms offering glimpses of the lagoon landscape. 
Adorned with many mirrors, the rooms appear much bigger than they are.

My look for the first night in Venice: Dress with tropical print and matching clutch by Matthew Williamson, suede pumps by Yves Saint Laurent, ring by Dior Haute Joaillerie and watch by Roger Dubuis.

Tropical and hawaiian prints are a huge trend for Cruise 2012 and can be found at Stella McCartney, Marc by Marc Jacobs and Givenchy among others.

LoL, Sandra

Photos: © Sandra Bauknecht