2012 to 2013: Oh, The Places You'll Go!

Oh, The Places You'll Go! There's no better book for a graduation gift than this Dr. Seuss classic. I've cherished my three copies for years and love reading it at the end of each year. And oh, what a year this was! Here's to more adventure in 2013 - Happy New Year!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who'll decide where to go...”

“You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!”

San FranciscoPenzance, Cornwall, EnglandIsles of Scilly, EnglandLondonCoworth Park, EnglandChewton Glen, Hampshire, EnglandBath, EnglandStratford, EnglandThe Cotswolds, EnglandHighclere Castle aka Downton AbbeyColonial WilliamsburgFlorence, ItalyVenice, Italy Ravello, Amalfi Coast, ItalyScottsdale, Arizona (hometown!)Kiawah, South CarolinaMiddleton Place - Charleston, South CarolinaNevis, Caribbean

Gold Coast, AustraliaO'Reilly's Rainforest Retreat, AustraliaHamptonsLake George, Adirondacks, New YorkThimble Islands, ConnecticutNewport, Rhode IslandMission Hill, British Columbia, CanadaLas VegasLos Angeles (twice!)Cusco, PeruMachu PicchuSacred Valley, PeruBarcelonaZurichHudson Valley, New YorkBudapest, HungaryVienna, AustriaPrague, Czech Republic

Washington, D.C.New York City - Home

Strolling London's Chelsea, From Sloane Square Up the King's Road

London continues to shine as the world-class city it is, from the royal wedding a year ago to the upcoming Olympics. But my favorite part about London, is discovering the best local shops and restaurants in each neighborhood. Sloane Square is the perfect starting point for a day exploring London's Chelsea neighborhood. The term "Sloane Ranger" was coined when Princess Diana was young to describe the London women that call Chelsea home and love shopping on the King's Road. 
Chelsea is where Pippa Middleton still lives in the flat that she used to share with Kate, but it's not about the royal connections here - just a day of shopping and strolling in one of London's great, modern neighborhoods.

Sloane Square: Start in Sloane Square, which has beautiful architecture and is also close to Belgravia and Kensington. The anchor of the square is Peter Jones department store, where Duchess Kate is often spotted shopping for clothes, sunglasses, and handbags. The store's origins date back to 1864, when Welshman Peter Jones arrived in London and started his business.  Today, Peter Jones stocks higher end brands like Mulberry but also more affordable lines like Whistles, Diesel, and 7 for All Mankind.

Walking away from Sloane Square, you'll soon see Duke of York Square, which is a great spot to have a coffee and people watch.  You'll spot the large Jigsaw stand-alone store, a London favorite for both casual and work clothes.  Next to Jigsaw is Partridges, a gourmet grocery store that holds a Royal Warrant.  A Royal Warrant means a company supplies goods or services to the Royal Family. At Partridges, you're sure to find a souvenir, or if you have a hankering for American processed food, they stock cereals like Cheerios and Apple Jacks, as well as Oreos, Pop-Tarts, and Fruit Roll-Ups.  There's a Banana Republic which stocks different items than U.S. stores, and a fabulous L.K. Bennett store to find a perfect pair of pumps or summer sandals.  If you need a haircut or color, the Richard Ward Salon is where Duchess Kate has gone for years, since she lived in the neighborhood.

Continue up the King's Road, where you stop at affordable shop Warehouse for trendy T-shirts, dresses, and pants.  Across from Warehouse is Kurt Geiger, one of Europe's leading shoe retailers.  Londoners stock up on Geiger branded shoes and accessories here, and other lines like Prada and Gucci.  Kurt Geiger branded shoes aren't too expensive, and average about 100-200 pounds.  By this point, you may want a gelato break, and Amorino serves some of the best in London.  For frozen yogurt, you'll spot Snog further up the road.

As you walk, you'll pass by the famous Raffles nightclub, which you can return to in the evening. Austique is a local favorite for its carefully curated selection of fashion, jewelry and accessories. It's where you come when you want to find something that no one else will have when you get home.

Stopping at Bluebird Cafe is an absolute must for lunch or dinner. Their outdoor cafe and courtyard lunch menu has sandwiches, salads, and soups.  For dinner upstairs, it's one of the most popular spots in Chelsea.
Close to Bluebird Cafe is Old Church Street, which shows what a quiet residential Chelsea street feels like.  You'll hit the Thames after a ten-minute walk down Old Church, with nice areas to rest.

BluebirdOther favorite local dinner spots as you continue up the King's Road include Medlar for French-based, locally sourced cuisine or eight over eight for pan-Asian dishes.

Old Church StreetThis article was originally published on the  Exclusive Resorts blog, the online destination for all things luxury travel, from the world’s leading private club for luxury vacations.

Blakes Hotel, London

LobbyIf I had to live for an extended period of time in any London hotel, I'd choose Blakes, one of the world's first boutique hotels and this super cool global design journey with a main theme of Asia: India, China, Thailand. Furnishings and decor were collected from all over the world by Anouska Hempel.  The bar and restaurant are super sexy, exotic, and cozy as they're small and hidden away downstairs.  The restaurant even has fans made of feathers from rare birds.  You can just picture rebellious, glamorous Princess Margaret having a drink, and she loved Blakes (Duchess Kate has been spotted in the bar as well) In the lobby are two green lovebirds in a wrought-iron cage welcoming you to Blakes.

Lovebirds

As you can see from the photo above, it is perfectly situated on a South Kensington street, in one of my favorite London 'hoods with great restaurants and shopping.  You are totally tucked away in a place that feels like home but you've got the glamour and service of a top hotel.  The building took over several Victorian townhouses  The first thing I noticed was the scent of Blakes, not overpowering at all, but a subtle, intoxicating smell.  I was lucky enough to take one of their candles home.  I want my entire apartment to smell like Blakes. The rooms are all different and fabulous, from dark and dramatic to light and airy.  So hard to choose a favorite, but the take-me-away, white Corfu suite evoked a perfect beach vibe which I loved.

Dresser in the Corfu SuiteCorfu Suite Bed Corfu SuiteI (almost) always trust Goop and Gwyneth is a fan too - In Goop, she wrote "For awhile, Blakes was my home-away-from home in London before I got a flat. It is a super-chic design hotel, but comfortable and sexy. It is perfect for a romantic trip."

Room for One Neighborhood ViewYou don't want to know how much this bathtub cost! Another shot of the street & Blakes exteriorLove South Kensington

The Royal Suite at The Savoy Hotel, London

I toured the magnificent Royal Suite at The Savoy (wrote about my room here), which has one of the coolest marble entrances, huge closet and stately offices I've seen, all with incredible views of the London Eye and Houses of Parliament.

I love this: "The suite also includes a service kitchen - ideal for those traveling with a personal chef."

Photos tell the rest of this royal suite's story, though, of course, it's much more fabulous in real life.

The Savoy Hotel, London

In London, I spent one night at the iconic Savoy Hotel (managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts) and interviewed the head butler on the secrets he keeps, which I posted here on Forbes. I didn't want to leave the suite, which had the most incredible view of the London Eye and Parliament, and a living room that made me wish I had invited fabulous London friends over for a cocktail. At night, I looked out at the twinkling lights of Big Ben and half expected to see Peter Pan and Tinkerbell flying over.  I wish I had time to read all of the carefully chosen books on England and London history and personalities on the bookshelf. 

The Savoy underwent an enormous renovation and reopened in November 2010, with Prince Charles there.  It is one of those hotels that is so intertwined with the city that you can't distinguish one without the other. London=The Savoy and The Savoy=London. 

I did leave my room to go bop around London, but I came back earlier, and snuggled up in this perfect little cocoon.  And oh, I had a butler for 24 hours, which is just the greatest thing ever.  Before I left, he asked "May I send your bags ahead to your next destination?" Instead of me struggling with my heavy, awkward bags through the city?  He might as well have told me he had secured an invitation to tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace.  I have no doubt he actually could though.

View from my room

Door to my room

The lobby at The Savoy My bed

Like I said, isn't this room perfect for a cocktail party?

Another view of the living room

Where afternoon tea is served One of the many pieces of history on display

Amazing start to a day in London