Heritage Suites Hotel

One of the few luxury independent-run boutique hotels in town, Heritage Suites Hotel is located in the inner belly of Siem Reap. The isolated, and expectedly, quiet neighbourhood provides the guests a very restful stay indeed. Built only a few years ago, it adopted the French Colonial architecture reminiscent of European-style village inns.  Nestled amid…

Shinta Manila

Modern Heritage is the phrase that best defines this swanky boutique style hotel; a fusion of both old and new in a contemporary setting. No less than the acclaimed American architect Bill Bensley, named as one of the Top 100 Architects and Designers by Architectural Digest, was tasked to build this ultra-modern yet distinctly Angkorian…

Welcome to Siem Reap

A holiday at this Khmer town may no longer mean “backpackers” or “basic accommodation”. Construction of  luxury accommodations has been on the rise in the last decade. “Bong, Angkor was never lost. It has always been here.”  So asserts my conscientious guide, addressing me in the local way of saying “Madame”, correcting for the nth time,…

Mark of Prestige

Author’s Note: Another version of this article was published in the January 2012 issue of the Philippine Tatler magazine The pursuit of wine perfection continually burns in the mind of Château Haut-Brion’s Jean-Philippe Delmas. The cool November night was wrapped in anticipation as the Wine Story owner Romy Sia prepared to host the arrival of a…

Beyond Cakes

Diamond Hotel took the cue from its best-selling pastries to pave the way for the birth of The Cake Club that features not only Parisian-inspired cakes but artisan ice creams as well… The ever dynamic, ever changing landscape of Bonifacio High Street at The Fort has a new, sweet-toothed muse in The Cake Club. Inspired…

Second Coming

Author’s Note: Another version of this article appeared in the PHILIPPINE TATLER magazine Château Rauzan-Segla and Château Canon get a second chance at greatness through the talent of John Kolasa. Because of the vision of one man, two of Bordeaux‘s eminent wine producers rose from the doldrums to reclaim their place in the wine world….

Re-inventing Lu

For a dining experience that has been dubbed as unusual but surprisingly good, Lulu restaurant is definitely that, and more. Restaurant ownership is one of the most highly stressful endeavours. But it’s also one of the most gratifying successes. If there is one person who truly knows about it, the chef Tom Hines would be…

The Zonin Heritage

At a private wine-pairing dinner event in Paparazzi at Edsa Shangri-La, we caught up with Lorenzo Zonin, appointed Ambassador for Casa Vinicola Zonin, to tell us why they are Italy’s world-renowned and multi-awarded winemaker. For Italy’s largest privately owned vineyard, it has been a long journey since it started as a small-scale grower in 1821….

Summer Beauty

Summer has always been a time I look forward to. The light is remarkably different. The golden hours even more enhanced by the summer sun. Photographers like me, or at least those who have deep appreciation for natural light photography,  find the process inspiring, as well as, engaging. So one afternoon, I trooped to a…

Maternity Portrait I Sarah BA

I remember that rainy Sunday in December. We were scheduled to have the shoot at 4:00PM, the start of the Golden Hour but as the gloomy morning progressed to a pouring afternoon, I only prayed the overcast weather would do the portraits justice. Alas, not even that was possible as traffic was at standstill and…