Netjets EU Volume 20 2023

DESIGN OF THE TIME 

The secret behind 

Laplace’s creations 

SLEEPING WELL 

Mayo Clinic’s guide 

to a good night’s rest 

PARADISE FOUND 

Costa Rica unveils 

its many charms 

IN THE SADDLE 

Cycling in all its 

forms is on the rise 

CHICAGO SCOPE 

The eclectic restaurant 

scene in the Windy City

TAKING OFF 

THE DEFINITION OF LUXURY CONTINUES TO EVOLVE. 

At NetJets, it’s about providing the highest level of Safety and Service – two 

words that we intentionally capitalise to create emphasis and priority among 

our employees and those we serve. 

Safety and Service are the foundations for creating peace of mind, exclusivity and exceptional 

experiences. It’s about making each flight special and personalised. 

As we enter the spring season after several cold, wintry months, we begin our busiest time of 

year – a great opportunity to capitalise on the luxuries we provide. Similarly, within this edition, 

we feature the best and brightest hotels and restaurants, all aligned to the same goal: to create 

a memorable, luxurious experience. 

All that to say, we embrace the opportunity with the new season, the thriving travel and 

hospitality industries, and the chance to underscore our commitment to Safety and Service. 

We look forward to serving you and your family. 

Only NetJets! 

Adam Johnson 

Chairman and CEO 

C O N T R I B U T O R S 

DEVORAH LEV-TOV 

The New Yorkbased 

travel writer 

explored an array of 

hotels and resorts 

for Costa Rica Cool 

(page 60), all of 

which place as 

much emphasis 

on preserving the 

natural beauty of 

the country as on 

providing ultimate 

luxe for visitors. 

MITCH PAYNE 

From his studio 

in East London, 

the photographer 

enjoys playing 

with contrasts of 

colour and light 

in his work, as 

demonstrated in 

Time Travel (page 

68), in which 

he portrays pilot 

watches against an 

apt aerial backdrop. 

SUSANNAH SKIVER 

BARTON 

The veteran wine 

and spirits expert, 

with qualifications 

on both sides of the 

Atlantic, casts her 

eye on Mexico in 

Mezcal’s Moment 

(page 78). The 

tequila alternative is, 

at last, proving a hit 

with connoisseurs 

globally. 

JOHNNY DAVIS 

In Dreaming Big 

(page 24), the 

London-based 

fashion journalist 

gets a glimpse of 

the future from 

the men behind 

Vollebak, a clothing 

company which 

does not so much 

think outside of 

the box as out of 

this world. 

JEREMY WAYNE 

An Englishman 

in the US, the 

acclaimed food 

writer headed to 

Chicago to discover 

America’s Culinary 

Crossroads 

(page 72), a city 

where established 

restaurateurs and 

inventive newcomers 

are giving the dining 

scene a fresh face. 

This symbol throughout the magazine denotes the nearest airport served by NetJets to the 

story’s subject, with approximate distances in kilometres and miles where applicable. 

4 NetJets

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Baseplate, bridges and case in grade 5 titanium 

Patented ultra-flat escapement 

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A Racing Machine 

On The Wrist

CONTENTS 

6 NetJets

CYCLE BREAK 

São Lourenço do Barrocal, 

Alentejo, Portugal, page 46 

12 60 72 64 

IN THE NEWS 

New hotel openings, 

the finest spirits and a 

unique outerwear brand 

pages 12-31 

RIDING RIGHT 

An in-depth guide to 

cycling, from home exercise 

to far-flung destinations 

pages 46-55 

GALE FORCE 

A wind of change is 

blowing through Chicago’s 

restaurant scene 

pages 72-77 

NETJETS UPDATE 

Latest events, staff in profi le, 

plus tools of the trade: 

inside a pro golfer’s bag 

pages 34-37 

TO A TEE 

Golf’s latest innovations 

include 100% carbon-fibre 

clubs and the perfect ball 

pages 56-59 

SPIRIT OF OUR TIMES 

Mezcal is rivaling tequila 

as the connoisseur’s 

Mexican tipple of choice 

pages 78-81 

EYES WIDE SHUT 

The beauty of sleep and how 

to improve it, according the 

world-renowned Mayo Clinic 

pages 38-40 

VIVA COSTA RICA 

The Central American nation 

matches natural beauty with 

inspiring hotels and resorts 

pages 60-67 

TURKISH DYNASTY 

Odunpazarı Modern 

Museum is one man’s 

hometown odyssey 

pages 82-89 

FROM LEFT: ASH JAMES, © NORTH ISLAND OKAVANGO. OLIVER PILCHER, KIM KOVACIK 

A CERTAIN STYLE 

Parisian architect Laplace 

blends art and design in a 

captivating way 

pages 42-45 

HIGHFLIERS 

Pilot watches prove to be 

the height of horological 

achievement 

pages 68-71 

THE LAST WORD 

Metallica drummer Lars 

Ulrich on how he spends 

his valuable spare time 

page 90 

7

NETJETS, THE MAGAZINE 

FRONT COVER 

SPRING 2023 // VOLUME 21 

A waterfall in Costa Rica. (See 

page 60 for a guide to the Central 

American country’s top resorts.) 

Image by @followmypath. 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Thomas Midulla 

EDITOR 

Farhad Heydari 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Anne Plamann 

PHOTO DIRECTOR 

Martin Kreuzer 

ART DIRECTOR 

Anja Eichinger 

MANAGING EDITOR 

John McNamara 

SENIOR EDITOR 

Brian Noone 

STAFF WRITER 

Claudia Whiteus 

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR 

Vicki Reeve 

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 

Albert Keller 

SEPARATION 

Delnaz Loftimaragh 

WRITERS, CONTRIBUTORS, 

PHOTOGRAPHERS, AND 

ILLUSTRATORS 

Johnny Davis, Lauren Ho, 

Jeffrey T Iverson, Jörn 

Kaspuhl, Devorah Lev-Tov, Jen 

Murphy, Mitch Payne, Julian 

Rentzsch, Matt Saternus, 

Susannah Skiver Barton, Elisa 

Vallata, Jeremy Wayne 

Published by JI Experience 

GmbH Hanns-Seidel-Platz 5 

81737 Munich, Germany 

GROUP PUBLISHER 

Christian Schwalbach 

Michael Klotz (Associate) 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Katherine Galligan 

katherine@metropolist.co.uk 

Vishal Raguvanshi 

vishal@metropolist.co.uk 

NetJets, The Magazine is the offi cial 

title for Owners of NetJets in Europe. 

NetJets, The Magazine is published 

quarterly by JI Experience GmbH on 

behalf of NetJets Management Ltd. 

NetJets Management Ltd 

5 Young Street 

London, W8 5EH England, 

United Kingdom 

netjets.com 

+44 (0)20 7361 9600 

Copyright © 2023 

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 affi liated 

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. 

8 NetJets

Riviera 

COLLECTION 

BY APPOINTMENT TO 

HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES 

MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR 

CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON 

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879 

Our latest Unstructured Collection 

Made using the fi nest calf suede or soft grain 

Featuring our SUPERFLEX leather sole 

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM

THE SMART GUIDE 

SUITE DREAMS 

Our collection of the latest, the brightest and the best begins with a 

bevy of hotel openings across the globe that suggest luxury is set to 

reach new levels in 2023 // By Lauren Ho 

© MELIA 

© CAP KAROSO 

PARADISE FOUND 

From top: Cap Karoso on the 

Indonesian island of Sumba; 

Ngorongoro Lodge in Tanzania 

WITH ITS RUGGED, gently rolling 

landscape and pristine whitesand 

beaches, Sumba, which 

is only a one-hour hop from 

Bali, is nothing like the rest of 

Indonesia’s dramatic volcanic 

islands. An almost forgotten 

isle, life here is slow, the 

bucolic countryside dotted 

with rural hilltop villages and 

more buffalo wander the roads 

than cars. For years, NIHI 

(nihi.com), a much-loved 

resort, anchored the island 

as the go-to destination for 

discerning travellers seeking 

serenity and world-class 

surfing. But now, surrounded 

by miles of untamed beach on 

the island’s western shores, the 

much-anticipated Cap Karoso 

(capkaroso.com) will shake 

things up with 67 slick rooms 

and villas, a spa, and a 3ha 

biological farm that will keep 

the resort’s three restaurants 

and two bars stocked with 

organic ingredients. 

Moving westward along 

Indonesia’s archipelago, the 

island of Lombok, an original 

surfer’s paradise is also upping 

its game with the arrival of 

Innit (innithotels.com), an 

intimate property with just 

seven beach houses, that 

seamlessly blend into the 

local architectural landscape, 

and a restaurant that serves 

fresh seafood caught by 

local fishermen. Over in Bali, 

the Capella Hotel Group’s 

design-focused lifestyle 

brand, Patina (patinahotels. 

com), will open the doors 

of its second outpost in the 

island’s lush Ubud region 

with a collection of cascading 

buildings on the banks of the 

sacred Wos River. Also along a 

river, but in Bhutan, &Beyond 

will launch Punakha River 

Lodge (andbeyond.com). 

The group’s first owned and 

managed property in Asia, 

the six luxury tents and two 

12 NetJets


© NORTH ISLAND OKAVANGO 

villas will be the perfect base 

from which to soak up the 

country’s magnificent scenery 

and culture. Meanwhile, 

deep within the Tibetan 

plateau along the northern 

reaches of Nepal, the Bensley 

Collection will reveal Shinta 

Mani Mustang (shintamani. 

com), a spiritual retreat with 

just 29 suites set against a 

dramatic backdrop of some 

of the highest snow-capped 

peaks in the world. Following 

the opening of its muchapplauded 

Bangkok property, 

The Standard (standardhotels. 

com) is set to join the list of 

upcoming hotel brands to 

launch in Singapore with a 

143-room gem set in prime 

location on Orange Grove 

Road, while Japan will receive 

its fourth Aman (aman.com) 

resort up in the snowy slopes 

of Niseko’s Mount Moiwa. 

The only development on the 

mountain, the property will 

encompass the country’s first 

destination wellness retreat 

and was designed by the 

late architect Kerry Hill to 

subtly reference Hokkaido’s 

indigenous people. 

Over in Africa, 

Johannesburg is proving its 

worth as a hub with the arrival 

of the Park Hyatt (hyatt.com) 

IN AND OUT 

From top: an elegant room at 

Cap Karoso; a boat trip at North 

Island Okavango, Botswana 

brand. Taking up residence in 

the former Winston Hotel, the 

property will feature just 30 

guestrooms, plus a restaurant 

and a bar designed by global 

design studio Yabu Pushelberg. 

Neighboring South Africa, both 

Mozambique and Botswana 

will also welcome new arrivals. 

The former will open the doors 

to a 40-villa Banyan Tree 

(banyantree.com) property, 

set on the private island of Ilha 

Caldeira, just off the country’s 

northeast coast, while amid 

the grassy floodplains of 

Botswana’s Okavango Delta, 

North Island Okavango 

(okavangodelta.com) is an 

intimate three-tented camp, 

where you can experience the 

region’s rich wildlife through 

activities such as canoeing, 

hot air balloon rides and, of 

course, game drives. Talking 

of game drives, Marriott has 

made its mark in Kenya with 

the soon-to-open JW Marriott 

Masai Mara Lodge (marriott. 

com), a luxury tented camp 

on the banks of the Talek 

River, while in Tanzania, 

the Meliá group has given 

the much-loved Ngorongoro 

Lodge (melia.com), a facelift 

to include a programme of 

sustainable initiatives. In other 

African news, the Seychelles 

will further burnish its offerings 

with the unveiling of Waldorf 

Astoria Platte Island (hilton. 

com), which will include 59 

seafront villas with private 

pools, six restaurants and bars, 

an observatory and of course, a 

spa. The Habitas (ourhabitas. 

com) group, meanwhile, 

continues to expand with 

the opening of two more 

properties: Caravan Dakhla, 

on the crystal clear shores of 

Morocco’s Dakhla Lagoon, 

which is best-known as one 

of the world’s most important 

kitesurfing spots, and Habitas 

Santa Teresa, a surfer’s 

sanctuary on the tip of Costa 

Rica’s Nicoya Peninsula. 

In New York, the muchanticipated 

Fifth Avenue 

Hotel (thefifthavenuehotel. 

com) will open its doors. 

Located minutes from Madison 

Square Park and the Empire 

State Building, the property 

is housed in a beautifully 

restored Gilded Age landmark, 

with interiors by Martin 

Brudnizki and a food offering 

from renowned chef Andrew 

Carmellini. Elsewhere, Raffles 

(raffles.com) will make its 

American debut in Boston, 

while Salt House (salthotels. 

com) will open two new 

properties – one in Nantucket 

and the other, the 123-room 

West Hotel, in Minneapolis, 

steps from the Mississippi 

riverfront. Rosewood 

(rosewoodhotels.com) also 

continues its expansion with, 

among a few others, the 

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14 NetJets

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AMIT GERON 

DIFFERENT WORLDS 

Below: R48 Hotel and Garden, 

Tel Aviv 

Facing page, from top: 

the pool at Mamula Island 

Hotel, Montenegro; COMO Le 

Montrachet, Burgundy, France 

opening of Kona Village, a 

Rosewood Resort, set amid 

33 hectares along Hawaii’s 

sun-drenched Kohala coast, 

and Rosewood Munich, a 132- 

room property spread over two 

landmark historical buildings. 

Elsewhere in Europe, The 

Hoxton (thehoxton.com) hotel 

brand is stepping things up 

with the launch of its second 

property in Amsterdam 

alongside a new opening 

in Brussels. Occupying the 

brutalist-style former IBM 

headquarters, the latter will 

have 198 rooms and a rooftop 

terrace with city views. In 

Edinburgh, 100 Princes Street 

(100princes-street.com) sets 

a new standard in hospitality 

with exceptional views of the 

castle, a 200-plus-bottle wine 

wall and a luxurious “whatever, 

whenever” approach to 

service, while Berlin’s former 

postal building, an elaborate 

Neo-Baroque pile, has been 

transformed into the hip new 

97-key Hotel Telegraphenamt 

(telegraphenamt.com). 

In Paris, designer Martin 

Brudnizki has been called 

on once again, this time 

for Le Grand Mazarin 

(legrandmazarin.com), a 

50-room/11-suite property 

that he has dressed to match 

the cosmopolitan eclecticism 

emblematic of the Marais 

neighbourhood, where it 

is located. Also in France, 

COMO Hotels and Resorts will 

debut COMO Le Montrachet 

(comohotels.com). Located 

in the heart of Burgundy, the 

hotel’s 31 rooms are spread 

across four heritage buildings 

and will house a COMO 

Shambhala retreat, the group’s 

signature Asian-inspired 

wellbeing experience. 

Over in Switzerland, Six 

Senses Crans-Montana 

(sixsenses.com) is an 

intimate 47-suite retreat with 

a full range of facilities from 

restaurants to the celebrated 

Six Senses Spa. W Hotels will 

bring its bold, über-cool take 

on luxury to Hungary with 

the opening of W Budapest 

(whotel.hu-budapest.com), 

which is housed in the former 

home to the Institute of Ballet 

and will include all the brand’s 

signature facilities like the W 

Lounge. 

Following its debut in 

Barcelona a few years ago, 

the Almanac (almanachotels. 

com) brand will open outposts 

in both Prague and Vienna, 

with the former located just 

a few steps from the city’s 

historic Wenceslas Square 

and the Old Town. Joining the 

recently opened One&Only 

Portonovi, Montenegro’s Bay 

of Kotor will welcome Mamula 

Island Hotel (mamulaisland. 

com), which occupies a 

19th-century fortress and will 

be home to a host of facilities 

including a memorial museum, 

a spa, and a collection of 

restaurants. In other One&Only 

(oneandonlyresorts.com) news, 

Greece and Dubai will soon be 

home to the brand’s newest 

hotels: One&Only Aesthesis, 

which is set in a 21ha estate 

on a mile stretch of beachfront 

in southern Athens, and 

One&Only One Za’abeel. The 

brand’s third property in Dubai, 

it is located in a striking building 

designed by Japanese firm 

Nikken Sekkei and comprises 

two towers connected by 

The Link (the world’s longest 

cantilevered building), which 

will be home to the hotel’s 

restaurants, swimming pool 

and retail outlets. 

Things are gaining 

momentum in Istanbul too, 

with the development of 

Galataport, a waterfront 

revitalisation project that 

includes art galleries, 

restaurants, and a new cruise 

ship port. Anchoring this 

new district is The Peninsula 

(peninsula.com), which is set 

along the Bosphorus and is 

spread across four buildings 

– three of them historic and 

beautifully restored. With 

just 11 suites, R48 Hotel 

and Garden (r48.co.il) is a 

bijou hotel housed within a 

1933 Bauhaus building in 

the heart of Tel Aviv. Many of 

the building’s original details 

have been restored, while the 

landscape architecture is the 

work of Piet Oudolf, who is the 

mastermind behind the green 

spaces in Manhattan’s High 

Line park. 

Down Under, The Ribbon, 

a spectacular $700m building 

in Sydney’s Darling Harbour 

will be home to a new W 

Hotel (w-hotels.marriott. 

com), which will have a 

plethora of facilities including 

an infinity pool overlooking 

the harbour and an IMAX 

theatre, while a short stroll 

away in downtown Sydney, 

one of the city’s sandstone 

properties – the heritagelisted 

former Department of 

Education Building – has 

been transformed into Capella 

(capellahotels.com). A muchanticipated 

opening, the hotel 

will feature 192 rooms set over 

eight floors and three groundlevel 

restaurants and bars. 

Last, but not least, Melbourne 

16 NetJets

MARK ANTHONY FOX 


is flying high with Australia’s 

tallest hotel. Soaring 80 

stories above the Victorian 

capital, the 257-room The 

Ritz-Carlton, Melbourne 

(ritzcarlton.com) will be filled 

to the brim with all the brand’s 

luxury offerings – including 

an infinity pool on the 64th 

floor – against a backdrop of 

jaw-dropping city views. 

MEXICO MARVELS 

From palm-fringed beaches 

to steamy jungles and 

archaeological ruins, Mexico is 

a beguiling and diverse country 

that offers a little of something 

for everyone. And with hotels 

like Nobu Los Cabos and the 

hip Grupo Habita collection 

of boutique properties, there’s 

no shortage of great hotels 

either. This year, the hospitality 

industry continues to up its 

game with a bunch of new 

arrivals, most notably along 

the Riviera Maya, a stretch 

of sunny Caribbean coastline 

on the country’s Yucatán 

Peninsula. Here, Belmond’s 

Maroma Hotel (belmond. 

com) will reopen after a tipto-toe 

renovation to include 

10 new waterfront villas 

and the first Guerlain spa in 

Latin America. The EDITION 

(editionhotels.com) brand will 

also make its Mexican debut 

with a 180-room property – 

including a sprawling 204sq m 

Penthouse Suite – a beach club 

and no less than six bars and 

restaurants located within the 

prestigious Kanai development. 

Keeping the luxury levels on 

an even keel in Kanai, St. 

Regis (st-regis.marriott.com) 

will open a 124-key resort that 

will include top-notch offerings 

such as private butler services, 

excellent dining across five 

restaurants, and access to two 

18-hole golf courses. One of 

11 properties from the brand 

due to open worldwide over 

the coming years, the Riviera 

Maya launch will also be 

joined by a new property in 

Los Cabos. Located within a 

13ha coastal development 

in Quivira, at the tip of the 

Baja Peninsula, the resort will 

unfold over 120 rooms and 

suites and 74 residences, 

each with spectacular ocean 

views. Also on the Baja 

California peninsula, Banyan 

Tree Veya Valle de Guadalupe 

(banyantree.com) – the 

group’s fourth hotel in Mexico 

– is located in the region’s 

emerging food and wine area 

and will include 30 villas, 

all with swimming pools, 

and a number of bars and 

restaurants spread over 16 

hectares of land. Meanwhile, 

following the success of its 

Tulum and Bacalar hotels, 

Habitas (ourhabitas.com) 

continues its rapid expansion 

with two new properties also 

on the Baja California. Habitas 

Todos Santos, particularly, will 

be a gem, its rooms fashioned 

from organic materials to fit in 

with the group’s low-impact, 

minimalist approach. Over 

in Tulum, on a remote white 

sand beach along a stretch of 

Quintana Roo’s coast, Casa 

Chablé (chablehotels.com) 

is barefoot luxury at its best, 

with only five rooms and five 

beachfront villas and a sense 

of wellbeing typical to this 

small, emerging Mexican 

brand. 

LONDON CALLING 

As one of the most visited 

cities in the world, London’s 

hotel scene has always been at 

the top of its game – not least 

with icons like Claridge’s, The 

Berkeley and The Connaught 

setting the standards. Part 

of the expanding Maybourne 

Hotel Group, these hotels will 

now be joined by The Emory 

(the-emory.co.uk), the brand’s 

first new-build in London 

designed by the legendary 

MARTIN MORRELL 

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HONGDE PHOTOGRAPHY 

© SIX SENSES 


CAPITAL GAINS 

From top: a balcony of a suite 

at Six Senses Rome; “yukhoe” 

(a raw meat dish) at Mandarin 

Oriental Mayfair, London 

Richard Rogers. Located in 

Knightsbridge, the 60-room 

property will be outfitted 

by a roll call of prestigious 

designers – including 

Alexandra Champalimaud, 

André Fu, Pierre Yves 

Rochon, Rémi Tessier, and 

Patricia Urquiola – and will 

be home to a restaurant by 

Jean-Georges Vongerichten 

and a subterranean spa and 

pool. Elsewhere, the city’s 

prominence has been raised 

a notch further with the debut 

of some exciting luxury brands 

from The Peninsula (peninsula. 

com) to Raffles (raffles.com). 

The former is perched in prime 

location on Hyde Park Corner 

in the heart of Belgravia. 

Designed by British firm 

Hopkins Architects, the 190- 

room newly built hotel takes 

luxury to the next level with a 

host of exciting collaborations 

that includes interiors by 

architect Peter Marino, staff 

uniforms by fashion designer 

Jenny Packham, a bespoke 

fragrance for the hotel’s inroom 

bath products by Timothy 

Han, and a rooftop restaurant 

overseen by Michelin-starred 

chef Claude Bosi. The muchanticipated 

Raffles at The 

OWO will also finally open its 

doors. A project many years 

in the making, the 120-room 

hotel occupies the landmark 

Grade II* listed former Old War 

Office on Whitehall. Alongside 

85 Raffles branded residences, 

there will be no less than 12 

restaurants and bars and a 

sprawling spa with an indoor 

pool. Another new international 

brand to debut in the city, Six 

Senses (sixsenses.com) will 

launch in the former Whiteleys 

department store in Bayswater 

with 110 rooms and 14 

branded residences alongside 

a host of facilities including, of 

course, an expansive wellness 

offering. Soho, meanwhile, 

will welcome Broadwick 

Soho (broadwicksoho.com), 

an eclectic residential-style 

57-room bolthole designed 

by Martin Brudnizki to also 

include a cosy Sicilian-inspired 

restaurant and a wraparound 

rooftop bar and terrace. Over 

in Mayfair, Mandarin Oriental 

(mandarinoriental.com) will 

open its second outpost in the 

city on Hanover Square with 

50 rooms and 80 residences 

– the most exclusive private 

homes in the city – which will 

all have access to the hotel’s 

facilities including a fitness and 

wellness centre and an indoor 

pool. Also in Mayfair, 1 Hotels 

(1hotels.com) will debut its UK 

flagship property overlooking 

Green Park. Featuring 181 

rooms, the hotel’s sustainability 

ethos will weave its way 

throughout, from its design 

that uses natural materials 

from Britain and Ireland, to a 

restaurant helmed by Michelinstar 

chef Tom Sellers, which 

will use seasonal and locally 

sourced organic ingredients. 

ITALIAN ICONS 

Home to some of the world’s 

most incredible architecture and 

works of art, not to mention its 

gastronomy, it’s no surprise that 

Italy is a bucket-list European 

destination, with millions of 

tourists visiting each year. 

Boosting the country’s already 

thriving hotel scene – which 

includes icons such as Il San 

Pietro di Positano, Lake Como’s 

Grand Hotel Tremezzo, and 

Hotel Il Pellicano – is a slew 

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of new openings set to make 

the country an even more 

desirable destination. Rome, in 

particular, is having a moment, 

with Soho House and The 

Hoxton both making their mark 

in the past year or so. Joining 

these hotels is the country’s 

first Six Senses (sixsenses. 

com) property. Housed in a 

restored 18th-century Unesco 

heritage building with interiors 

by Patricia Urquiola, there will 

be 96 rooms, a rooftop terrace 

and – as always – an emphasis 

on wellness, community and 

sustainable design. Also its 

debut Italian property, The 

Rome EDITION (editionhotels. 

com), with a central location 

just a few steps from Via Veneto 

and Bernini’s Tritone Fountain 

in Piazza Barberini, will provide 

all of the signature offerings the 

brand has become known for: 

93 expertly appointed rooms 

and suites, a cosy Punch Room 

Bar with handcrafted cocktails 

and, of course, a rooftop 

terrace and pool, perfect for 

private parties. Meanwhile, 

with hotels already scattered 

across the globe, including in 

London, Paris, Bali and Dubai, 

the Bulgari (bulgarihotels.com) 

brand has finally come home, 

with its much-anticipated 

Rome opening. Occupying a 

modernist 1930s building, the 

property – like the others in the 

collection – has been outfitted 

by Italian architectural firm 

Antonio Citterio Patricia Viel 

and will be layered with luxury 

details such as ochre travertine 

marble and burnt red brick that 

emphasise the link to Emperor 

Augustus’ ancient Rome. With 

hotels already in Venice, Rome, 

and Florence, Baglioni Hotels 

& Resorts (baglionihotels. 

com) continues its Italian 

expansion with its arrival in 

Milan. Located in the thriving 

Brera district, the property 

nods to the art and design of 

1960s Milan and includes a 

modern Milanese restaurant 

helmed by Michelin-starred 

chef Claudio Sadler. Perched 

CITY SLICKERS 

From top: the façade of the 

Capella Sydney; a lounge at The 

Fifth Avenue Hotel, New York 

on the waterfront on Venice’s 

Murano Island, The Langham 

(langhamhotels.com), housed in 

the former 17th-century Casino 

Mocenigo, unfolds over 138 

roomsand features the group’s 

signature Chuan Spa, which 

focuses on traditional Chinese 

medicine. It has been designed 

by Milan-based Matteo Thun 

& Partners to make the most of 

the historical building’s original 

frescoes and breathtaking views 

of the lagoon. Last, but not 

least, Capri’s Hotel La Palma 

(oetkercollection.com) – which 

since 1822 has been a social 

hub for a kaleidoscope of 

notable personalities from artists 

to poets – has emerged from 

a full facelift, courtesy of the 

Oetker Collection, to include a 

reduced room count, a rooftop 

restaurant and bar, as well as a 

newly built pool deck. 

QATAR CONTINUES 

Thanks to the football World 

Cup at the end of last year, 

Qatar has seen a rush of 

new openings including 

offerings from The Ned, 

Andaz, Raffles, and Fairmont 

in Doha. And this year, the 

city expands further with two 

much-anticipated launches. 

Set on the beachfront within 

The Pearl, a prestigious 

island community, the Four 

Seasons (fourseasons.com) 

offers residential style, a spa, 

indoor and outdoor pools, 

a private beach and seven 

restaurants and lounges, 

including one inspired by Joël 

Robuchon. The Rosewood 

Doha (rosewoodhotels.com), 

meanwhile, stands out for 

its home within striking twin 

towers that have a façade 

inspired by the coral reefs 

off the Persian Gulf Coast. 

Inside are 185 rooms and 

173 serviced apartments – 

the latter for long-term stays 

with 300 more available for 

private purchase – alongside 

eight bars and restaurants 

and Asaya, a new Rosewood 

signature wellbeing concept. 

TIMOTHY KAYE 

© ANNIE SCHLECHTER 2020 

22 NetJets

EXPERIENCE THE ULTIMATE LIFESTYLE 

IN A TIMELESS DESTINATION 

Set in 2000 acres of pine woodlands, inserted in the stunning Ria Formosa Natural Park with a 

pristine golden beach, Quinta do Lago is without a doubt the most prestigious area of the Algarve. 

Surrounded by three immaculate golf courses, world class sports and fitness hub The Campus, 

sublime gastronomic experiences, Quinta do Lago is world-renowned for providing the ultimate 

luxurious lifestyle set in one of the most sought-after locations in Europe, conveniently situated 

only 15 minutes from Faro's International Airport. 

For the most recent exclusive and spectacular properties available on the market, look no further, 

contact Quinta do Lago Real Estate, the official experts of the resort. 

+351 289 392 754 

realestate@quintadolago.com 

www.quintadolago.com


DREAMING BIG 

Avant-garde clothing firm Vollebak has rocketed its profile globally 

in just a few years – and now it’s headed to space and constructing 

its own private island down here on Earth // By Johnny Davis 

SUN LEE 

RANKIN 

FASHIONING THE FUTURE 

From top: Vollebak’s founders 

Nick and Steve Tidball; the 

Garbage Watch, made from 

electronic waste 

THE FIRST AND ONLY billboard 

advertisement Vollebak ever 

produced was a memorable 

one. It read, in full: “Our 

jacket is ready. How is your 

rocket going?” 

The billboard could 

be found in Hawthorne, 

California, directly opposite 

SpaceX. Its purpose was 

to let Elon Musk know that 

Vollebak, a London-based 

British clothing start-up, 

had launched its Deep Sleep 

Cocoon. Part jacket, part 

portable isolation tank, the 

Deep Sleep Cocoon featured 

an innovative segmented 

hood that folded over like a 

space helmet and fastened 

into place with magnets. 

Built for the first missions to 

Mars – but equally useful on 

long-haul flights on Earth – it 

was designed to eliminate 

external stimuli and allow 

the wearer to get some rest 

in inhospitable places. It also 

happened to look pretty cool. 

What Musk made of it we 

may never know. Vollebak is 

still waiting to hear. But it did 

prompt NASA’s Jet Propulsion 

Laboratory to get in touch, 

and the company is now 

working with them. The story 

illustrates what makes Vollebak 

one of the most remarkable 

companies you’ve probably 

never heard of. It’s strapline is 

“Clothes from the future”. But 

that’s just the start of it. 

Established by twin 

brothers Nick and Steve 

Tidball in 2015 its radical 

approach to clothing has 

included the fireproof, 

windproof and water-repellent 

100 Year Hoodie, designed 

to outlive you, the Full Metal 

Jacket, built with 11km of 

copper, which offers the ability 

to kill bacteria and disease, 

making it a potential building 

block for the next century of 

clothing, as well as garments 

made from algae, nettles, 

blueberries, turnips and raw 

hemp. Its designs have won 

multiple awards from Time 

and Wired. 

Vollebak’s commitment to 

material innovation has made 

it a magnet for some of the 

world’s smartest and most 

forward-thinking companies. 

They include not just NASA’s 

24 NetJets

SPACE TO BREATHE. 

Imagine waking up to cinematic sea views. With one of Mallorca’s most 

glorious hilltop addresses, “open-door living” lets the inside and outside 

work as one. Terraces feel like they pour out into the sea and the nature 

reserve. A symbiosis of modern Bauhaus and traditional Mallorcan 

architecture, of the highest quality – a tonic for the soul. 

www.villa-marysal.com 

CAMP DE MAR UNRIVALLED LOCATION 4 BEDROOMS 5 BATHROOMS GYM & SPA HIGH SECURITY 17.8 MIL €


“We don’t just want to clothe you for the 

future, we want to equip you for it”– Steve Tidball 

Jet Propulsion Laboratory, but 

also the National Graphene 

Institute, with whom it 

launched the world’s first 

Thermal Camouflage Jacket 

last year, built with the only 

material to win a Nobel Prize, 

and the first step towards 

turning an invisibility cloak 

from science fiction into reality. 

And a biotechnology start-up 

on England’s east coast that 

has managed to isolate the 

individual DNA that makes 

colour in nature and then 

grow it via fermentation, the 

same way beer is produced. 

The results offer a very real 

alternative to the garment 

dyeing industry, one responsible 

for more CO 2 

emissions 

than shipping and aviation 

combined. Vollebak’s Petri Dish 

range will launch this summer. 

In a short period of time 

Vollebak has become an 

R&D incubator for industries 

across tech, space, climate 

and sustainability. “We spend 

a lot of time thinking about 

what life is actually going to 

be like over the next century, 

and that’s really the starting 

point for our designs,” says 

Steve Tidball. “It means 

that at the same time as 

designing clothing that can 

cope with realities like extreme 

heat, wild fires, floods and 

disease resistance, we’re also 

designing clothing that can help 

you sleep, or relax up in space.” 

But Vollebak’s ambitions don’t 

end there. “We don’t just want 

to clothe you for the future, we 

want to equip you for it,” he 

says. 

To this end it has teamed 

up with Bjarke Ingels, arguably 

the most celebrated architect 

alive today, to design Vollebak 

Island. “We have to look at the 

larger environment,” says Nick 

Tidball. “What Vollebak Island 

represents is our first step into 

that world of thinking about 

the environment around you, 

and how you’re going to use 

that for your survival. There are 

parallels between the insane 

use of materials in clothing, and 

the insane use of materials on 

Vollebak Island.” 

Vollebak Island isn’t big. 

It’s four hectares across, and 

situated off the coast of Canada. 

It is currently deserted, apart 

from trees and plants and birds 

and all the stuff nature has 

already put there. Vollebak and 

Ingels have designed plans for a 

cluster of buildings that will rise 

from the ground to form a dome. 

Each one will be built from a 

different sustainable material, 

inspired by the nature around it. 

A living room built of thatch. A 

dry storage area with walls made 

of seaweed. A bedroom made 

of hempcrete, a bio-composite 

CREATIVE MINDS 

From top: the Solar Charged 

Puffer; a 100 Year Hoodie; 

Vollebak’s offices 

material that’s a mixture of 

hemp shives, lime and sand. 

Vollebak Island is a completely 

unique, sustainable, off-grid 

home – a proof-of-concept for 

a carbon-neutral future human 

civilisation here on Earth. 

Meanwhile, Vollebak is 

also forging ahead with its 

plans up in space. And is 

about to launch its second 

billboard. This one measures 

just 65cm x 45cm x 5cm, 

comes in 11 pieces and 

packs down into a tiny flight 

case. That’s because it’s been 

designed to be constructed by 

a robot. On Mars. 

“We wanted it at the 

scale that the Mars Curiosity 

Rover would see as a full-size 

billboard,” says Steve. “We’re 

in conversations with people 

who can help us get it up 

there. Wouldn’t it be amazing 

if the first people on Mars 

were wearing Vollebak, and 

the first thing they see is an 

ad for Vollebak?” If anyone 

knows of a company crazier 

than this one – on Earth, Mars 

or anywhere else in the known 

universe – please do let us 

know. vollebak.com 

© VOLLEBAK (3) 

26 NetJets


Raising the Bar 

Tantalising elixirs and an insight into the latest 

creation from London’s Last Drop Distillers 

1 2 

3 

4 

5 

6 

1 CHIVAS ULTIS XX The forward-thinking Speyside-based brand still has great respect for its past. Its latest release honours five generations of master blenders by mixing 

a quintet of Chivas’ most precious single malts, along with its signature grain, Strathclyde. chivas.com // 2 METAXA GRANDE FINE Encased in a bottle that celebrates the 

Greek amber spirit’s Hellenic heritage, distillates from aromatic muscat wines set this apart from other Metaxa iterations. metaxa.com // 3 THE CRAFT IRISH WHISKEY 

CO THE AODH A futuristic design captures the eye on the latest release from the Dublin distillery backed up by a single malt that also defies convention. Inspired by Irish 

mythology, The Aodh has a rich, deep and dark flavour. craftirishwhiskey.com // 4 THE GLENROTHES THE 42 Matured for four decades, this single malt from the revered 

Scottish distillery has been chosen by master whisky maker Laura Rampling from just four casks. Limited to 1,134 bottles. theglenrothes.com // 5 GLEN SCOTIA 21-YEAR- 

OLD Aged in a combination of refill bourbon barrels and refill American oak hogsheads and finished in oloroso sherry casks, the new expression from the Campbeltown brand 

fills the gap between its 18- and 25-year-old bottlings. Only 2,500 bottles will be released per year. glenscotia.com // 6 HIGHLAND PARK 54 YEAR OLD The oldest release 

from the Orkney-based distillery will be a limited edition of 225—to mark Highland Park’s 225th anniversary. Master whisky maker Gordon Motion’s artfully created spirit is 

matched by its box by craftsman John Galvin, sculpted to represent the local cliffs of Yesnaby. highlandparkwhisky.com 

ALL IMAGES COURTESY THE COMPANIES 

JULIAN RENTZSCH 

WHAT’S THE GENESIS OF 

YOUR LATEST RELEASE? 

Last Drop formed The 

Assembly in 2020. Our 

objective was to work with 

each of the members to 

create exceptional blends that 

demonstrated the expertise 

and experience of the author. 

Following the release of 

our fi rst Signature Blend, a 

50-Year-Old Blended Scotch 

Whisky, created by master 

blender Colin Scott, we turned 

to Sazerac’s master blender 

Drew Mayville. The brief 

INSIDE KNOWLEDGE 

REBECCA JAGO 

Managing Director, The Last Drop 

was simple: can you create 

something truly remarkable for 

The Last Drop? Drew took up 

the challenge with enthusiasm 

and aplomb: using tiny 

parcels of some of the fi nest 

whiskeys he has tasted in his 

two decades at Buffalo Trace, 

Drew created a superb blend 

of vintage Kentucky straight 

whiskeys, all from the Buffalo 

Trace Distillery. Drew always 

says that the role of the 

blender is to create something 

that is greater than the sum of 

its individual components, to 

create a symphony of fl avour, 

depth, and something else – 

something which has its own 

story to tell. 

WHAT MAKES IT SPECIAL? 

This blend of rare whiskeys 

is a celebration of the 

fi nest characteristics in the 

category. Release No. 28 is 

a whiskey unlike any other: 

The result of the blending 

mastery Drew has honed 

over a 40-year career. In 

the process of creating this 

release, he tasted more than 

40 different vintage bourbon 

and rye whiskeys, and created 

multiple combinations of these 

spirits, before arriving at the 

fi nal masterpiece that bears 

his signature today. 

WHAT CAN YOU 

TELL US ABOUT ITS 

CHARACTERISTICS? A rich, 

golden amber hue speaks of 

the wood, the age and the 

maturation these whiskeys 

have been through. There are 

deep, dark fruit, fi gs and dates 

on the nose, some raisins, 

and an aromatic spiciness, 

with citrus zest. There is some 

spiciness from the straight rye, 

and a creamy vanilla from the 

bourbons, yielding a complex 

and layered fl avour. On the 

palate, there are dark fruits, 

candy and orange peel upfront. 

From there, we begin a journey 

through a veritable spice 

merchant’s storeroom, and 

into a saddle room full of worn 

leather and wax. A crescendo 

of rich and raw spiciness 

transitions across your palate 

– that balance is pure magic. 

lastdropdistillers.com 

© THE LAST DROP 

30 NetJets

WIRELESS FOR SOUND 

The latest iteration of the MH40 Wireless headphones from New 

York’s Master & Dynamic blends its timeless design with the 

latest in modern tech. Staying true to the first Master & Dynamic 

headphone design, an aviator-inspired 2014 release, the MH40 

keeps the iconic grill, durable coated canvas and leather of its 

predecessor, then adds new 40mm titanium drivers that can 

deliver a sound signature with crystal-clear highs and 

full-sounding lows. A greater compatibility with apps and a 

longer battery life (up to 30 hours) also raise the bar, while 

five colour options ensure style is very much on the agenda. 

masterdynamic.com 

SPEAKER CHIC 

Bang & Olufsen’s dedication to providing not just stylish high-tech 

speakers, but ones made to last are exemplified in new versions of 

two of its most iconic models. Both the Beosound A9 5th Generation 

and Beosound 2 3rd Generation incorporate Bang & Olufsen’s new 

Mozart software platform, which is capable of processing the latest 

updates to ensure a constant upgrade of the operating system. Even 

if the Mozart module becomes outdated, it can be replaced with an 

updated version. Along with longevity of technology, both models offer 

a timeless style, be it the A9’s Oivind Slaatto-designed circular form, 

or the 2’s instantly recognisable cone shape. bang-olufsen.com 

BRINGING THE 

MOVIES HOME 

British brand KEF has again pushed the 

boundaries of home entertainment with its 

new architectural speakers. The latest in the 

Ci-Reference series, which dates back to 

1973, come with the highest recommendation 

with certifications from THX, the industry’s 

quality assurance system. The Ci5160REFM- 

THX is actually KEF’s first issue to be THX 

Certified Dominus, introduced to bridge the 

gap between large home-theatre speakers 

and those used in cinemas worldwide. With 

KEF’s pioneering Metamaterial Absorption 

Technology to the fore, the speakers are 

designed for in-wall use, guaranteeing a 

quality of sound not heard in home cinemas 

before. kef.com 


NetJets 31

Private Paradise 

in Greece 

Nested on a gorgeous private sandy beach, Porto Zante Villas 

& Spa on the Greek Island of Zakynthos is a resort of worldclass 

villas, voted one of the World’s Best Hotels & Resorts 

for 2022 by Condé Nast Traveller among other awards, and 

considered to be the most private beach resort in Europe, 

offering unique experiences for families and couples alike.

Porto Zante Villas & Spa 

For the finest personal services, exclusive open-air facilities, exquisite dining, and bespoke activities, escape to 

Porto Zante Villas & Spa, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and one of the 25 Ultraluxe resorts in 

the World by Virtuoso. Its nine world-class beachfront villas are each built amphitheatrically over a secluded sandy 

beach and boast private heated pools and stunning views of the Ionian Sea. Inside these super-luxe havens, selected 

Armani/Casa and Kettal/Gervasoni furniture add to the laidback glamorous aesthetic; the divine marble bathrooms 

are equipped with Bulgari guest amenities. There are 5 different dining experiences including a 24-hour in-villa 

dining service, the Club House Greek & Mediterranean Restaurant and the Maya Contemporary Asian Restaurant. 

The fresh catch of the day is at the heart of delicious seafood dishes. 

Emerge from this private cocoon and an array of luxury experiences and activities for adults and children awaits. 

Private training in the resorts’ Gym by Technogym, yoga sessions on the tip of the water, both motorised and nonmotorised 

water sports for all ages, private yacht excursions, to the famed Navagio beach, Marathonisi protected area for 

the caretta sea turtles, or local landscapes like Ancient Olympia, birthplace of Olympic Games, sample fine wines at the 

local vineyard, or try a signature zen spa treatment. Awarded Greece’s Leading Hotel Spa, the Waterfront Spa is situated in 

front of the cobalt waters of the Ionian Sea and excels in over 20 therapies inspired by Greek nature. For parents wishing 

to escape and recharge, the resort is currently considered as one of the world’s best family resorts where they can rest 

assured that the staff at the Kids’ Club oversees children’s entertainment and organises fun activities. 

For further information about Porto Zante Villas & Spa in Greece, 

call +30 210 8218640 or +44 (0)20 8882 6767, visit portozante.com 

or contact reservations@portozante.com

NOTES FROM NETJETS 

Latest happenings, onboard updates, 

companywide news, and profiles 


INSIDE TRACK 

SHIRLEY WONG 

Director of Commercial 

YOUR ROLE AT NETJETS IS … to set the foundations for our Sales team to grow sustainably so that we can offer our Owners the 

greater benefi ts that come with scale. . My core responsibilities are to ensure that our Inside Sales, Sales Operations, Contracts and 

Account Management teams are delivering to the high standards we set and that we continue to improve both the service we deliver 

and the sales result to grow our market share. 

THE BEST THING ABOUT YOUR JOB IS … no two days are the same and there is never a dull moment. We are in a dynamic 

industry and being in a role that has visibility across all EMEA means there is always a diversity of thought, new opportunities to 

explore and challenges to learn from. 

YOUR NORMAL DAY CONSISTS OF … working very closely with our Sales, Product, Operations and Finance teams to anticipate 

changes in the market, understand the implications and develop the strategy, product and policies required to continue providing 

safe, reliable and outstanding service to our Owners. On a day-to-day basis, I am in constant contact with Sales Management and 

my teams to ensure we are optimising our processes and interactions with Owners, prospective Owners and internal stakeholders. 

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE IS… to grow and scale the business while maintaining NetJets’ culture and 

DNA. I believe a large part of the success of NetJets is due to the commitment, dedication and expertise of our employees that is 

developed over time and diffi cult to replicate. Throughout the growth we have been experiencing, my number one priority is to ensure 

we continue to be selective in the people we hire and provide the support they need to continue delivering the service and experience 

that is at the core of NetJets’ offering. 

NETJETS BY THE NUMBERS 

2023 AT-A-GLANCE 

900+ 

AIRCRAFT WORLDWIDE 

Greater than our three largest 

competitors’ fleets combined 

10+ 

NUMBER OF NETJETS 

MAINTENANCE SERVICE HUBS 

Strategically located to enable 

proactive maintenance, cleaning 

and stocking of every NetJets 

aircraft every 3-4 days 

1,200+ 

WORLDWIDE FLIGHTS PER DAY 

That’s nearly one landing 

every 60 seconds. Only NetJets 

can orchestrate this level of flight 

volume and still make you feel as if 

your flight is our only one 

Nearly 

7,500 

EMPLOYEES WORLDWIDE 

This includes nearly 4,000 pilots, 

nearly 400 flight attendants and 55 

NetJets Service Representatives 

34 NetJets

NOTES FROM SECTION NETJETS HEAD 


CREWMEMBERS IN PROFILE 

ALEXANDER ROSENZWEIG 

Captain, Embraer Phenom 300 

MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO FLYING WAS … 

when my father paid for a short scenic fl ight 

in a Cessna 172 for my brother, himself and 

me during a local fl ight display at a small 

airfi eld in the north of Germany when I was 

about 10 years old. Consequently, I started 

fl ying gliders when I was 14, the minimum 

age to do so in Germany. 

THE BEST PART OF FLYING IS … that you 

leave most of your earthly worries behind 

and focus on one particular thing – operating 

a sophisticated jet as professionally as you 

can while being exposed to some of the most 

beautiful and unique vistas of this world. 

BEFORE JOINING THE NETJETS TEAM, 

I WAS … fl ying for various business jet 

operators in Germany after fi nishing a career 

in the German Navy’s submarine fl eet. 

THE ONE DAY AT NETJETS I WON’T 

FORGET WAS… the day I fi nished my fi rst 

tour as a commander on the Phenom 300. 

ONE THING OWNERS PROBABLY 

WOULDN’T GUESS ABOUT ME IS … that I 

was a submarine commander before my fl ying 

career – Uboot Kommandant, as is the only 

correct form of expressing the position I held. 

ON MY DAYS OFF … I go longboard-surfi ng, 

ride my Harley around the Andalucían 

countryside, walk my rescue dog and 

practise Zen, besides spending quality time 

with my Andalucían spouse. 

WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR I WOULD LIKE 

TO … consolidate my experience and skills 

as a captain on the Phenom 300. 

WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS I WOULD 

LIKE TO … return to long-haul fl ying in 

NetJets or/and become involved in Crew 

Resource Management (training). 

MY BEST ADVICE FOR STAYING SANE 

ACROSS TIME ZONES … depends on what 

you want to achieve. If it is short term, try to 

stay in your home zone, sleep when it would 

be night at home. Otherwise stay with the 

rhythm of the new one. Force yourself to stay 

awake till it is nighttime there and then sleep. 

The same goes for returning home. Stay with 

the light-darkness cycle of the local time zone. 

MY PROUDEST MOMENT AS A CREW 

MEMBER WAS … related to an earlier 

question, as I now had gone full cycle and 

achieved the same in aviation as in the Navy, 

being the skipper of the “ship”. 

36 NetJets

What’s in the Bag 

His professional golf career began in his teens. Since then, Ernie Els 

has amassed no fewer than 73 professional career victories, including 

four major championships: the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and The 

Open Championship in 2002 and 2012. In addition to his successes in 

the sport, The Big Easy, as he is known, is a keen golf course architect 

with more than a few notable tracks to his credit and is actively involved 

with a slew of groundbreaking charitable endeavours. A true champion 

on and off the course, Ernie Els shows us what’s inside his golf bag. 

DRIVER: 

3-WOOD: 

XXIO 12 Driver, 8.7 degrees 

XXIO X 3-wood, 14 degrees, 

EvenFlow Blue 6.5 85x 

shaft 

IRONS 2-5: Srixon ZX Mk II utility 

irons with KBS S-taper 

130X shaft 

IRONS 6-9: Srixon ZX7 Mk II irons with 

KBS S-taper 130X shaft 

WEDGES: 

PUTTER: 

Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tour 

Rack wedges 52MB, 56MB, 

60LB with KBS S taper 

130X 

Bloodline 

GOLF BALL: Srixon Z Star XV (yellow) 

© XXIO 

GLOVE: 

SHOES: 

APPAREL: 

Srixon 

Puma IGNITE PWRADAPT 

Caged 

Bobby Jones 

& Sunice Sports 

NetJets 37

JÖRN KASPUHL 

LIVING WELL 

38 NetJets

THE POWER 

OF SLEEP 

Stacy Peterson, a certified Wellness Coach with 

Mayo Clinic who sees many busy high-travel 

business leaders in the Mayo Clinic Executive 

Health Program, explains the importance of a 

good night’s rest and offers tips on achieving it 

MANY OF US LIKE to brag about getting little sleep under the 

misguided belief that it makes us appear busy and productive but 

we’ve learned that going without sleep can make a big impact on 

our health. Countless studies show how important sleep is to our 

emotional, mental and physical health. 

“In our culture, we wear a lack of sleep like a badge of honour,” 

says Stacy Peterson, NBC-HWC, Wellness Coach in Mayo Clinic’s 

Healthy Living Center and partner of Mayo Clinic’s Executive Health 

Program. “But the more we learn about it, the more we see it is so 

crucial and so important.” 

It can be tough to get a good night’s sleep, particularly when 

you’re travelling across time zones or when your work never seems 

to end. Household responsibilities and family commitments are 

other areas that many people prioritise over healthy sleep. Throw 

in a partner’s snoring or unexpected challenges like an illness and 

quality sleep seems like even more of a myth. The good news is, 

you’re not doomed to a life of staring at the ceiling night after night. 

According to Peterson, most people need at least six to eight 

hours of restful sleep to assist in regulating and restoring the 

nervous system, muscles and brain. Appropriate sleep has 

been proven to improve immunity and metabolism, leading to 

fewer cases of the sniffles and a healthier weight. Lower risk of 

heart disease, diabetes and stress are also perks that come with 

healthy sleep. 

“Think about the times when you haven’t slept. Maybe you’ve 

pulled an all-nighter, whether that was intentionally or maybe 

NetJets 

39

LIVING WELL 

“Sleep is important to our health 

and our wellness and to being 

the best that we can be and to being 

engaged in our lives” 

Stacy Peterson, NBC-HWC, Wellness Coach, works within Mayo Clinic’s Healthy Living Center 

in Rochester, Minnesota, USA. Peterson consults with patients within the Mayo Clinic 

Executive Health Program, which serves as a preventive health programme for busy executives 

in the demanding stages of their careers. The Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program is 

available at four locations: Rochester; Jacksonville, Florida; Phoenix, Arizona; and London. 


just had some concerns or worries or other things that kept you 

up,” Peterson says. “What do you notice the next day? Tired, 

cranky, sluggish, lack of focus, physical issues like headaches 

or stomach aches? It manifests a little differently in each of us, 

but all of these things are heavy and burdensome. It shows what 

we already know – that sleep is important to our health and 

our wellness and to being the best that we can be and to being 

engaged in our lives.” 

Sleep is a time for our bodies and brains to be restored. During 

sleep, hormones are regulated, learning is stored and toxins are 

eliminated (among other things) making it a crucial consideration 

for our daily functioning and performance. 

To improve your sleep, particularly when travelling, there are 

a few very simple steps that Peterson recommends: 

1. Stick to a schedule. Go to bed and get up at the same 

time every day, including weekends and across time zones. 

If you’re unable to fall asleep within 20 minutes of going to 

bed, leave the room and do something relaxing, like reading 

or listening to music. Go back to bed when you’re tired. 

2. Pay attention to what you eat and drink. Avoid large meals 

within a couple of hours of bedtime. Use caution with nicotine, 

caffeine and alcohol, as all can disrupt quality sleep. 

3. Create a restful environment, even when away from home. 

Keep any hotel room cool, dark and quiet. Avoid using screens 

before bedtime. Fans, earplugs and other devices can help 

create the environment you need. 

4. Limit daytime naps. Long sleep in the daytime can interfere 

with nighttime sleep. Naps should be short and taken earlier 

in the day if needed. 

5. Be physically active. Regular activity can promote better 

sleep. You don’t have to run marathons each day; simply using 

a hotel gym and stretching and taking a walk while on a flight 

make impacts on sleep quality. Be sure to avoid strenuous 

exercise close to bedtime. 

6. Manage worries. Try to resolve worries and concerns before 

bedtime. Set it aside for tomorrow. Stress management and 

meditation can also be helpful. 

“A physician here on our team at Mayo Clinic has a saying, 

‘Sleep will find you’. Remind yourself that when you’re tired, sleep 

will find you,” Peterson shares. “It can be frustrating, but your 

body knows how to do its thing.” 

Almost everyone has the occasional sleepless night or a few 

nights in succession. If you feel your sleep issues go beyond an 

intermittent occurrence, talk with your physician about some of 

the issues you face and whether clinical intervention or testing 

might be appropriate. 

MAYO CLINIC AND NETJETS 

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. 

40 NetJets

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OWNERS’ PROFILE 

THE ART 

OF DESIGN 

Partners Luis Laplace and Christophe Comoy have become the 

premier architects of the art world thanks to their keen eyes and 

willingness to truly listen to what clients want // By Jeffrey T Iverson 

AMBROISE TÉZENAS 

LAPLACE, SIMPLY PUT, is a design firm like no other. Founded in 

Paris in 2004, its rise into the hallowed ranks of Architectural 

Digest’s AD100 list has been fuelled by the uncommon talents 

of its founders, the Argentinian architect Luis Laplace and the 

French lawyer Christophe Comoy. It’s a partnership that has 

bridged not only the New World with the Old, but merged 

the realms of art and design with the client-centred codes of 

the service industry. In an era of self-aggrandising, signature 

architects, Luis Laplace has distinguished himself less by his 

audacity than his sensitivity, celebrating art and nature before 

his own creative brilliance, through bespoke interiors and 

architectural designs with a palpable sense of place. 

Born in Buenos Aires, Laplace’s first passion wasn’t for 

design, but the ceramic arts. He carried that artistic sensibility 

into his profession after graduating from Universidad de 

Belgrano in 1995 with a Master’s Degree in Architecture & 

Urbanism. Moving to New York, he would cut his teeth with 

Selldorf Architects. There, in a decade that saw a resurgence of 

minimalism, Laplace refined a vision of architecture wholly at 

odds with the white cube template then in vogue. “Minimalism 

makes for a nice photo, but generally it doesn’t work in real 

life,” he says. “For me, it means lack of personality, of history, 

lack of everything.” Laplace, on the contrary, imagined designs 

steeped in character and context, informed by a client’s needs, 

tastes and – whenever possible – art collection. 

In 2002, Selldorf sent Laplace to Mallorca to oversee the 

construction of a residence for the owner of one of the most 

important contemporary art collections in Europe – Ursula 

Hauser, co-founder of the Hauser & Wirth gallery. The project 

DIFFERENT STROKES 

Luis Laplace, left, and Christophe 

Comoy have a unique take on design; 

facing page: their work at Mount Street 

Restaurant, London, one of many 

collaborations with Hauser & Wirth 

42 NetJets

SIMON BROWN 

NetJets 

43

OWNERS’ PROFILE 

was a turning point for Laplace, whose masterstrokes included 

placing one of Louise Bourgeois’ giant bronze Maman spiders in 

the middle of Hauser’s living room. In 2004, he moved to Paris 

and founded a firm with his partner, Christophe Comoy, whom 

he’d met in New York in 2001. Soon, he would become the art 

world’s architect of choice, designing residences for gallerists such 

as Iwan and Manuela Wirth, Emmanuel Perrotin, artists like Cindy 

Sherman, and collectors from Mick Flick to Adriana Abascal. 

Comoy, with his Gallic tastes and acute business mind, offered 

the perfect foil to the creative Argentinian. By situating the firm 

in Paris, the men were able to begin sourcing antiques from the 

city’s flea markets and auction houses, while also establishing 

relationships with French cabinetmakers and craftspeople, creating 

a private line of Laplace-designed furnishings for their clients. In 

time, they developed a worldwide network of local contractors, 

architects and artisans, to be able to mastermind projects large 

and small, inside and out. “I think our business model is unique, 

in that we can build a house from scratch, and deliver everything 

down to the silverware,” says Comoy. “It’s a one-stop firm. When 

we’re finished, the clients arrive with their toothbrush.” 

This conception of architecture, which shifts the focus from 

the designer’s ego to the client’s needs, came naturally for 

Laplace. “It comes with being curious and empathetic people, 

always trying to understand the desires of the person before 

you,” he says. Where another designer might impose his own 

signature style, Laplace uses his formidable cultural and artistic 

fluency to enhance the existing beauty in a space, its owner, 

and their collection. As he told Architectural Digest, “We never 

use art as a decoration … we design for its installation and 

rotation.” In Laplace’s interiors, furnishings often appear to have 

been unpacked from the paintings themselves. In the home of 

a Mexican film producer, the spiral motif in an Alexander Calder 

tapestry is echoed in the curves of a chair by George Nakashima. 

In an art connoisseur’s Parisian apartment, the geometrics of a 

tableau by Yves Laloy seem to have re-emerged as the hexagonal 

1950s Hans Andersen furnishings and angular 1961 Max 

Ingrand sconces. In the living room, parchment-covered cocktail 

tables, designed by Laplace, could have been plucked out of a 

painting by the surrealist Victor Brauner. 

Often, the very structure of a Laplace residence is designed to 

better contemplate an artwork or the surrounding environment. 

At a collector’s Alpine getaway, a swimming pool serves as the 

watery screen on which an oneiric video installation by the artist 

Pipilotti Rist is projected. At a villa overlooking a wild stretch 

of the Pacific coastline, instead of using glass walls to create 

an uninterrupted view of the seascape, Laplace divided the 

panorama into a series of visual moments, using stone framed 

terraces, bay windows and intimate patios. “When you see 

everything at once you can’t appreciate it all, the cliff, the rocks, 

LAPLACE PERFECT 

Clockwise from top left: Spider, 1994, 

by Louise Bourgeois in the central 

patio of Hauser & Wirth’s Menorcan art 

centre; a private house design; Casa 

Luz, Mexico; The Audley, London 

the bay, the open sea,” he explains, “so we use architecture to 

help you to focus on one moment, through a single frame.” 

Iwan Wirth, co-founder of Hauser & Wirth, whose empire 

of galleries spans three continents, calls Laplace “the silent 

architect” for his willingness to be subsumed by his creations 

– and by the art and nature they sublimate. In 2012, Hauser 

& Wirth asked Laplace to help them revamp the 18th-century 

Durslade farm in Somerset, England, into an art centre. As 

preparation, Laplace studied the English countryside and the 

passion for gardening there. “Everything teaches you something, 

from how narrow the roads are, to how the hedges are trimmed,” 

he says. “It’s inspiring to take all that in, to identify a place’s 

DNA, and then enhance and celebrate it through our work.” 

Instead of building over the derelict stables, piggeries, granaries 

and barns, he gave them new life, transforming them into a 

series of connected spaces, each punctuated by a picturesque 

view of woodland, fields, or sky. Opened in 2014, The 

Architectural Review proclaimed it “an anti-Bilbao … The aim is 

not to give the town a new identity, a new icon, but to celebrate 

the beauty it already has to hand.” 

Over the last decade, Laplace has assisted Hauser & Wirth in 

similar renovations around the globe. In 2021, a conservation 

project that saw Laplace convert an 18th-century naval hospital on 

Menorca’s Illa del Rei into another art centre received numerous 

accolades, from Wallpaper*’s “2022 Best Art Destination” to a 

European Heritage Award. Now Laplace is collaborating with 

Hauser & Wirth on two more projects – the transformation of a 

19th-century hôtel particulier into Hauser & Wirth’s first Paris 

location Rue François 1er, and the creation of their new flagship 

London gallery in the iconic Goode Building, a Victorian jewel built 

1875-76 in the heart of Mayfair. 

With multiple ongoing projects on different continents, 

Laplace and Comoy felt themselves nearing a breaking point 

a few years ago and realised something had to change – to 

preserve their own wellbeing, but also that of the hundreds 

they employ. “Public commissions for the renovation of our 

architectural heritage are in decline today, skills are being 

lost,” says Comoy. “So we feel it’s our duty to help save the 

country’s artisan traditions, by providing that talent with 

work on private projects here and overseas.” The solution 

to keeping it all afloat, they finally realised, was NetJets. 

Suddenly, a two-day trip to visit a project in Engadin, 

Switzerland, attend an art fair in Britain, meet a client in 

Menorca and another in Capri, became more than viable. 

“They make it seamless,” says Comoy. “We travel for work, 

and for the hundreds of craftspeople we now represent.” 

Which are so many more reasons why we’ll hope Laplace 

continues casting that sensitive eye of his around the globe, 

from the Old World to the New. luislaplace.com 

“We never use art as a decoration … we 

design for its installation and rotation”– Luis Laplace 

44 NetJets

COURTESY LUIS LAPLACE (3) 

DANIEL SCHAEFER 

NetJets 

45

WORLD ON WHEELS 

A RETURN TO 

OLD-SCHOOL 

CYCLING 

46 NetJets

CYCLING IS HAVING a moment. The humble bike 

has transcended sports and fitness to become a 

status symbol among a certain crowd who proudly 

rock spandex like designer jeans and invest in 

advanced bicycles pricier than a Ferrari. Bike sales 

in 1970 rose so fast that Time magazine claimed 

it was the “bicycle’s biggest wave of popularity in 

the sport’s 154-year history”. We’re now seeing a 

bigger explosion still, and one that extends beyond 

road riding. Sales of mountain bikes, gravel bikes 

and hybrid bikes are off the charts, thanks in part 

to the pandemic bike boom, but also fuelled by 

a new wave of high-tech apps, gear, opinionated 

celebrity athletes and tricked-out cycling shops 

that double as exclusive clubhouses. 

As more people prioritise health and 

fitness as well as time spent outdoors, they’re 

swapping their annual beach vacation or 

cruise for cycling holidays. Specialty bike tour 

operators are seeing people flock to classic 

cycling spots such as the French Alps and 

are also seeing growing interest in emerging 

destinations like the remote Noto Peninsula in 

Japan. Hotels are taking note. The latest bragworthy 

amenities aren’t Egyptian cotton sheets 

or complimentary BMWs. Hotels are catering to 

cycling fans with fleets of pro-worthy bicycles 

from cult brands like Ventum, gyms stocked 

with Pelotons and in-room post-bike recovery 

modalities like Theraguns. Here, we look at all 

the aspects of cycling, provide inspiration for 

amazing trip ideas and training tips as well as 

interviewing those who are moving the needle 

in the right direction in the industry. 

KLEMENS KOENIG 

NetJets 

47


Peak Performance 

Peloton v Zwift face off: Which indoor cycling workout is right for you? 

At first glance, these virtual cycling experiences may sound similar. But talk to devoted fans and you’ll learn why these two indoor 

workouts attract different crowds. Zwift brings competitive, professional cycling indoors, and Peloton offers live fitness classes led 

by celebrity instructors without leaving your home. Learn which option suits your style as we compare Peloton with Zwift. 

Peloton 

WHAT IS IT? 

A sleek stationary bike and app, Peloton has become 

part of pop culture thanks to instructors such as 

Ally Love who have celebrity status among diehard 

riders. Live and pre-recorded classes mimic gym 

spin classes, while workouts can be selected based 

on music genre, workout type or instructor. 

PROS 

A fantastic option for high-intensity training. 

Other workouts like yoga, strength training and 

meditation encourage you to make time for a more 

holistic approach to fitness. Peloton has become 

commonplace in hotel gyms, making it easy to take 

your workout on the road. 

THE COMMUNITY 

A leaderboard encourages friendly competition, 

instructors give shout-outs to virtual riders, and the 

app allows you to share stats with other cyclists. 

BEST FOR 

Fitness junkies or those looking to boost their cardio 

endurance and strength and find a high-energy, 

encouraging instructor motivating. 

Zwift 

WHAT IS IT? 

An app that recreates a competitive, outdoor riding 

experience. You’ll need your own bike and a smart 

trainer, a piece of equipment that turns your road 

bike into a stationary one, to participate. Riders 

create an avatar and can enter virtual worlds to train 

or race with other users. 

PROS 

Multiworkout plans help you prepare for a specific 

event, like a century ride. The smart trainer adjusts 

the resistance to match the virtual backdrop you 

choose. Live events and races allow you to compete 

with other cyclists. 

THE COMMUNITY 

Diehard road cyclists who thrive in competition. The 

app allows users to chat with one another and is 

gamified so you can earn points to buy your avatar 

new gear. 

BEST FOR 

Serious cyclists who want to increase power and 

endurance and prepare for competitions. 

48 NetJets


Mountain Biking 101 

It can feel intimidating for the older 

rider, but Jesse Anthony, USA Cycling’s 

race director for mountain bike and 

cyclocross, shares tips for beginners to 

ease safely into the thrilling sport 

1. 

Don’t grab any old bike 

Be sure your bike is sized correctly. When you straddle your bike 

with your feet flat on the floor and lift the mountain bike, you want five centimetres 

minimum clearance between the tires and the ground. 

2. 

Don’t look down at the front tire 

Scan your eyes over the line where you want 

to go on the trail. Your body will follow your eyes. 

3. 

Don’t deathgrip the handlebars 

Hold them securely with your hands, but keep 

your shoulders and hips loose. 

You want your body to be fluid over the bike. 

4. 

Don’t be on the balls of your feet 

Plant your feet flat in the pedals and put all of your weight into 

your pedals in corners and on technical sections of the trail. 

5. 

Don’t give up 

Practice makes perfect. If you can’t clear a section, 

go back and try it again. Repetition is the mother of skill. 

6. 

Don’t zone out 

Be aware of your surroundings. Keep an eye 

out for hikers, horses, dogs and other trail users. 

Cycling lingo 

decoded 

A novice cyclist’s guide to 

bike-nerd speak. 

BIBS 

Cycling shorts that have braces instead of an 

elastic waistband. 

CENTURY 

A 100-mile ride or race. 

CHAMMY 

Short for chamois (pronounced “sham-wah”), 

this is the cushiony pad in the seat of 

cycling shorts that wicks away moisture and 

prevents chafing. 

CHEWING THE HANDLEBARS 

Describes the feeling when you are suffering, 

leaning over your handlebars in exhaustion. 

COL 

Mountain pass. 

FRED 

Someone new to cycling identified by an 

unmatched kit and poor bike handling skills. 

GRAND TOUR 

One of the three major European professional 

cycling stage races: Giro d’Italia, Tour de France 

and Vuelta a España. 

GRANNY GEAR 

The lowest, easiest gears on the bike. 

HAMMERFEST 

A grueling ride pedalling in the big gears, which 

have the greatest resistance and most power. 

KIT 

Cycling uniform. 

KOM OR QOM 

Stands for King or Queen of the Mountain and is 

the ultimate bragging right for people who use 

the cycling app Strava. This is an award given 

to a cyclist who summits a climb first. 

Five Cycling Podcasts to download now 

THE CYCLING 

PODCAST 

Daily analysis of the Giro 

d’Italia, Tour de France, 

Vuelta a España and 

Classics from three top 

cycling journalists and 

special guests. 

THEMOVE 

Lance Armstrong 

knowledgeably and 

unapologetically opines on 

the planet’s most iconic 

cycling races and endurance 

events, with prestigious 

guests like six-time Ironman 

World Champion Mark Allen. 

THE SLOW RIDE: 

A CYCLING PODCAST 

A humour-filled conversation 

between three bike nerds 

on all things bike racing and 

cycling culture. 

BIKES & BIG IDEAS 

Trusted gear review site 

BLISTER curates interesting 

conversations on everything 

from the bikepacking trend to 

the environmental footprint 

of bike manufacturing. 

THE ASK A 

CYCLING COACH 

PODCAST 

Musings on cycling nutrition, 

threshold workouts, recovery 

beers, and more from expert 

coaches and guest athletes. 

NetJets 

49


On Trend 

These once niche cycling segments have exploded in recent years as they provide 

riders an escape from traffic-heavy roads and a chance to get into deep nature. 

Bikepacking 

WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT’S HOT 

It’s all about escaping the crowds and immersing yourself in 

nature. This style of bike touring combines mountain biking with 

backpacking. Cyclists ride self-supported, filling bags on their 

bikes with food, clothes and camping equipment. 

THE BIKE 

Gravel bikes (see right) are some of the most popular models 

due to their durability and terrain versatility. A rigid mountain 

bike or hardtail mountain bike provide more comfort and 

stability on rocky descents. If you’ll only be riding pavement you 

can get away with a touring bike. 

Gravel Riding 

WHAT IT IS AND WHY IT’S HOT 

Low-traffic gravel routes feel safer to car-weary road cyclists, 

plus offer more opportunities for exploration since gravel bikes 

can roll on asphalt, soar on gravel and tackle lighter single 

tracks historically reserved for mountain bikes. 

THE BIKE 

Imagine a road bike with larger tyre clearance and a slightly 

relaxed geometry for added comfort over long distance. The tyre 

clearance allows you to ride impressively large tyres, with some 

bikes capable of running tyres up to 50mm (a typical road bike 

tire is 25mm-30mm, for reference). 

WHERE TO TRY IT 

Wilderness-rich Vancouver Island in British Columbia, 

Canada boasts the Tree to Sea Loop, a 1,000km gravel route that 

links deep fjords, seaside villages, soaring coastal mountains 

and lush valleys via a network of forest service roads. Added 

bonus: coastal campsites and whale-watching opportunities. 

bikepacking.com 

WHERE TO TRY IT 

Gravel Graceland, a three-day intro to gravel adventure in 

northern Colorado is hosted by professional cyclists Whitney 

and Zack Allison. Capped at 20 riders, each day covers between 

63 and 89 kilometres and routes include a mix of gravel, 

pavement, and beginner single-track terrain. bikesportsco.com 

ISTOCK 

Gear Obsessions 

Cyclists are notorious gearheads, spending millions on the newest equipment. 

If you want to be kitted out like the pros but don’t have time to read 

all the gear debates and reviews, we’ve got you covered. João Correia, former 

pro and owner of inGamba cycling tour company, shares his cheat sheet on 

the latest and greatest equipment you should invest in this season. 

GIRO ARIES SPHERICAL HELMET 

Giro’s lightest, coolest, most aerodynamic 

road helmet to date weighs in at just 

around 300 grams. Extra safety features 

include a unique ball-and-socket design 

powered by multidirectional impact 

protection system technology to redirect 

energy away from the brain in certain 

impacts. giro.com 

NIMBL CYCLING SHOES 

Handcrafted by skilled artisans in Italy, the super-stiff, 

light-as-air road cycling shoes from this new brand have 

already earned a loyal following from pros like Belgian 

racer Greg Van Avermaet. nimbl.cc 

CASTELLI UNLIMITED 

GRAVEL CLOTHING 

Italian brand Castelli recently 

debuted a collection of 

high-performance, extra-durable 

jerseys, bibshorts, gloves 

and other apparel designed 

for cyclists who dabble in 

both gravel and road riding. 

castelli-cycling.com 

COURTESY THE COMPANIES (3) 

50 NetJets

SCAPULA WALL SLIDE 

WHY 

A great drill to improve shoulder mobility. If your posture needs work, this 

exercise will take time to perform at its full range of motion, Holden says. 

HOW 

Stand against a wall and step your feet out two lengths and slightly bend 

your knees. Extend your arms above you so the backs of your hands press 

into the wall. Squeeze the muscles in your mid-back as you slide your 

arms down until they are just below the shoulders. Your hands, wrists and 

elbows should press into the wall the entire time. Hold for one count then 

slowly raise the arms back up. Repeat 10 times. 

PRONE COBRA 

WHY 

This exercise strengthens the muscles in the back, 

especially the ones that are weak because of slouching 

and bending over the front of a bike, Holden says. By 

forcing the muscles in the back to work you can combat 

muscle fatigue and improve posture. 

HOW 

Lie face down on the floor. Squeeze your glutes and 

lift your chest off the floor. Turn your palms out and 

away from your body, thumbs facing up. Squeeze your 

shoulder blades and tuck your chin. Hold 20 seconds. 

Lower down. Repeat eight times. 

Five Exercises 

To Undo the Cycling Hunch 

You might assume that the legs would be the first muscles to fatigue on a long ride. 

But new riders who suddenly tack on extra miles often feel pain in the neck and lower back as a result 

of being unnaturally hunched over their bikes for long periods of time. A weak core and weak trapezius 

muscles – the ones that span the upper back, shoulders and neck – are often the cause of the aches, 

says Mari Holden, a cycling coach and former world champion. She recommends incorporating these 

exercises into your routine to help avoid injuries and relieve the effects of bike hunch. 

SHOULDER BLADE SQUEEZE 

WHY 

An easy antidote for rounded shoulders. 

HOW 

Sit up straight and squeeze shoulder 

blades together. Hold then release 

and repeat 10 times. Perform this 

throughout the day at your work desk 

to undo desk hunch. 

SHOULDER DISLOCATIONS WITH BAND 

WHY 

Opening up the chest is important after spending so much time in a closed 

and hunched position, says Holden. This stretch is great for tight chest and 

shoulder muscles. 

HOW 

Hold the ends of a resistance band with each hand in front of your waist with 

your hands around 20cm wider than shoulder-width and palms facing the floor. 

Rotate your arms to bring the band up and over your head and down to your 

lower back then reverse forward. Repeat 10 times. 

PALMS UP PLANK 

WHY 

Placing the palms up forces you to open the chest and focus on the core. 

HOW 

Start in a plank pose with forearms flat on the ground. Flip your palms 

upward. Engage the core and don’t let the hips sag. Hold 10 to 20 seconds. 

Repeat five times. 

NetJets 

51


HAVE BIKE, WILL TRAVEL 

Classic cycling destinations for 

every biker’s bucket list 

BURGUNDY, FRANCE 

Renowned for wine, Burgundy 

also delivers the ultimate 

leisure cycling holiday with 

1,000-plus kilometres of 

mostly flat roads set against 

a backdrop of vineyards and 

châteaux. 

THE PYRENEES, 

FRANCE AND SPAIN 

This region’s legendary climbs 

such as the Col du Portillon 

and Col du Tourmalet have 

humbled riding greats in the 

Tour de France and Vuelta 

a España. 

THE ITALIAN DOLOMITES 

Grind it out on the highmountain 

passes featured in 

stages of past Giro d’Italia 

races while experiencing three 

distinct cultures – Italian, 

German and Ladin. 

THE CALIFORNIA COAST 

If you think a road trip along 

California’s picturesque coast 

is epic, wait until you take in 

the sweeping Pacific views, 

rolling vineyards and mighty 

groves of redwoods by bike. 

THE FRENCH ALPS 

Home to climbs made famous 

by the Grand Tour, including 

Alpe d’Huez and Col du 

Granon, this is a proving 

ground for cyclists looking to 

test their stamina. 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

Butterfield & Robinson offers 

a six-day trip capped at 16 

guests that complements 

cycling with barrel tastings 

at prestigious spots like 

Domaine du Comte Armand in 

Pommard. butterfield.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

Trek Travel hosts group and 

private 10-day trips with 

daily routes averaging over 

100 kilometres and 2,500 

vertical metres. Your efforts 

are rewarded with hearty 

Basque and Catalan cuisine. 

trektravel.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

Dolomite Mountains has 

curated a seven-day 

Legendary Giro d’Italia Climbs 

itinerary that includes the 

opportunity to conquer the 48 

switchbacks of Passo Stelvio. 

dolomitemountains.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

The annual six-day Coast 

Ride hosted each March by 

California-based outfitter 

inGamba begins in San 

Francisco and covers a 650 

kilometre route to Paso 

Robles passing by famous 

Cali spots like Half Moon Bay, 

Santa Cruz and Monterey Bay. 

ingamba.pro 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

The Haute Route Alps is an 

organised, supported ride 

from Megève to Nice which 

covers 750 kilometres and 

nearly 21,000 metres of 

climbing over seven days. 

hauteroute.org 

FROM LEFT: JOSIAH Q. ROE, ANDREA COSTA, ADOBE STOCK 

52 NetJets

Feel like an insider and visit these 

up-and-coming cycling destinations. 

MALLORCA, SPAIN 

This sun-drenched Balearic 

Island is a pro-cycling 

training playground thanks 

to demanding climbs like Sa 

Calobra, which gains nearly 

670 metres of elevation in 

almost 10 kilometres. 

TUCSON, ARIZONA 

In winter, when temperatures 

hover in the mid-60s, pros 

base themselves in this 

southwestern US city so they 

can ride the paved roads that 

wind through nearby Saguaro 

National Park and tackle the 

ascent up Mount Lemmon in 

Coronado National Forest. 

SUNNMØRE, NORWAY 

Most people experience 

Norway’s dramatic fjords 

from the deck of a cruise 

ship, but the steep, icecarved 

valleys are even more 

spectacular when viewed by 

bike on the region’s trafficfree 

roads. 

NOTO PENINSULA, 

JAPAN 

One of the least populated 

areas in Japan, the coastal 

roads of this protected quasinational 

park take in terraced 

rice paddies, rural villages 

and rocky ocean cliffs. 

PUERTO VARAS AND 

CHILOÉ ISLAND, CHILE 

Chile isn’t just a paradise for 

hikers. If you want leisurely 

riding on gravel roads with 

jaw-dropping views and a 

serious dose of culture, check 

out the Lake District and 

Chiloé Island. 

FROM LEFT: KLEMENS KOENIG, MATTIAS FREDRIKSSON, KLEMENS KOENIG 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

DuVine Cycling’s six-day bike 

tour is geared to intermediate 

cyclists who want to 

challenge themselves on 

ascents through the UNESCOprotected 

Tramuntana 

Mountains while also enjoying 

the island’s luxe hotels, like 

La Residencia, and indulging 

in super fresh seafood 

and local wine varietals such 

as callet. duvine.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

A four-day itinerary from 

Backroads combines cycling 

and hiking in Saguaro 

National Park with cultural 

stops like a visit to the 

excellent Arizona-Sonora 

Desert Museum. 

backroads.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

Family-run travel company 

62˚Nord recently introduced 

a six-day bike adventure 

that breaks up 65- to 100- 

km days with RIB boat or 

helicopter transfers and farmto-table 

lunches. 62.no 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

On a nine-day trip with Spice 

Roads Cycling you’ll average 

70 kilometres a day in the 

saddle and get a serious dose 

of local culture including 

overnights in historic 

farmhouses and soaks 

in traditional mineral hot 

springs. spiceroads.com 

HOW TO 

EXPERIENCE IT 

Cari Gray, the intrepid 

founder of luxury active 

travel company Gray & Co., 

is always the first into a 

destination. She’s scouted 

the top stays in these remote 

regions, like &Beyond Vira 

Vira, set near the foot of 

Villarrica Volcano, and 

architectural stunner Tierra 

Chiloé Island, and uses them 

as bases for daily 32km 

rides on her bespoke trips. 

grayandco.ca 

NetJets 

53


HOTELS FOR 

THE CYCLING 

OBSESSED 

© ELEVEN EXPERIENCE 

AFTER THE RIDE 

Chalet Pelerin offers ample 

opportunity to put your feet up 

after a long day in the saddle 

54 NetJets

Discriminating cyclists can rest easy at these fabulous hotels. 

Not only are they surrounded by scenic roads and trails, but they cater 

specifically to bikers with top-of-the-line rentals and loaners, in-house 

mechanics, talented spa therapists and delicious food and wine 

HOTEL DOMESTIQUE, TRAVELERS REST, 

SOUTH CAROLINA, US 

Named for owner George Hincapie’s legendary role as the trusty 

domestique who helped win multiple Tour de France titles, this 13- 

room hotel pairs exceptional cycling with outstanding food and wine. 

Guests can ride out the door and test their mettle on the challenging 

climbs and technical switchbacks of the surrounding Blue Ridge 

Mountains then reward themselves with a massage, followed by craft 

cocktails and Italian-inspired dishes like burrata and duck prosciutto 

salad. A fleet of Ventum NSI road bikes is available for rental and 

comes with a Garmin 810 preloaded with Hincapie’s favourite training 

routes. hoteldomestique.com 

GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: 25miles/40km 

AMANDANI, UBUD, BALI 

This 32-suite sanctuary is surrounded by verdant rice paddies and 

perched above the Ayung River Valley, five minutes from the city 

centre and 20 minutes from 9th-century caves and temples. The best 

way to explore the surrounding countryside is by bike. The resort’s 

in-house team of cycling guides can lead guests off-the-beaten-track 

or borrow a bike and peddle the quiet roads solo, taking in remote 

villages and thrilling downhill jungle descents. aman.com 

NGURAH RAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: 22miles/35km 

CHÂTEAU ST PIERRE DE SERJAC, 

PUISSALICON, FRANCE 

Located on 80 hectares of rolling vineyards and cypress-fringed 

olive groves in the south of France, this restored 19th-century manor 

turned hotel has its own working winery (and label), plus a fabulous 

Cinq Mondes spa for post-ride pampering. In addition to eight hotel 

rooms, the estate’s 36 self-catering villas are a great option for 

families or friends. Complimentary Cannondale CAAD12 bikes make 

it easy for guests to explore the area’s famed beaches and the trails 

of Haut-Languedoc Regional Nature Park are just 30 minutes away. 

serjac.com 

BEZIERS CAP D’AGDE AIRPORT: 11miles/17km 

HOTEL CAN JOAN CAPÓ, SINEU, MALLORCA, SPAIN 

This 11-room, stone-and-wood-beam boutique hotel in the centre 

of the island caters to cyclists with amenities such as a garage 

stocked with repair tools and a bicycle wash station and services like 

bicycle rentals, sports massages and healthy, customised snacks 

and meals. Three routes ranging from 56 to 104 kilometres take in 

some of Mallorca’s most scenic landscapes; the 100km Coll de Sa 

Batalla route includes one of the island’s most challenging ascents. 

canjoancapo.com 

PALMA AIRPORT: 22miles/35km 

STANLY RANCH, AUBERGE RESORTS COLLECTION, 

NAPA VALLEY, CALIFORNIA, US 

This new wine country resort encourages guests to earn their glass 

of cult cab. A 250sq m training complex and seven-building spa offer 

every imaginable class and therapy from restorative yoga to musclerepairing 

hyperbaric chamber sessions. And guests can join the Stanly 

Ranch cycling team for two-hour, locally hosted rides through quiet, 

vineyard flanked-lanes every Saturday. aubergeresorts.com 

NAPA COUNTY AIRPORT: 7miles/11km 

PARK GSTAAD, SWITZERLAND 

Nestled in the Bernese Alps, Gstaad boasts more than 450 kilometres 

of GPS tours for cyclists. The Park Gstaad, with its modern twist on 

chalet style and 900-plus square metre spa, caters to discerning 

cyclists with its Bianchi-sponsored bike lounge, equipped with areas 

for washing and repairing bikes, a charging station for e-bikes, a 

lockable room for guests’ bikes, and a hang-area for swapping Strava 

bragging rights. The hotel’s signature ride covers 90km and nearly 

1,700 metres passing photo ops like Gruyères Castle. parkgstaad.ch 

GSTAAD AIRPORT: 3miles 

CHALET PELERIN, SAINTE–FOY-TARENTAISE, FRANCE 

This stylish Savoyard chalet from adventure collective Eleven is 

a dream base for cyclists. From the front door you can access 

some of the most formidable stages of the Tour de France or opt 

to pedal across the border into Italy and explore the Aosta Valley. 

When you return to the five-room hotel, you can soak in views of 

the surrounding Tarentaise Valley in the outdoor hot tub and get 

a taste of local terroir during wine-paired, multicourse dinners. 

elevenexperience.com 

GENEVA AIRPORT: 99miles/160km 

TWIN FARMS, BARNARD, VERMONT, US 

Set on 120 pine-dotted, trail-laced hectares, this 20-suite Relais & 

Châteaux hotel was once the country estate of author Sinclair Lewis. 

A fleet of Trek Checkpoint SL and Cannondale Topstone gravel bikes, 

Trek Slash 7 and Trek Fuel full-suspension mountain bikes, and 

e-mountain bikes from Giant and Trek make it easy to discover the 

bucolic region (build in time for stops at quintessential New England 

sites like covered bridges and old-school general stores). Fuel your 

adventures with the hotel’s acclaimed soufflé pancakes topped with 

Vermont maple syrup. twinfarms.com 

LEBANON AIRPORT: 25miles/40km 

SÃO LOURENÇO DO BARROCAL, ALENTEJO, PORTUGAL 

You’d be forgiven if you never left the trails criss-crossing the 

780-plus hectares of vineyards, ancient olive groves and shady 

oaks at this historic working farm estate and winery. Guests have 

their pick of best in class bikes including Cube Aim Pro hardtail 

mountain bikes, Husqvarna e-mountain bikes, and cruisers from 

Portuguese manufacturer Órbita that come equipped with wicker 

baskets handwoven by local artisans. Pedal away from the property’s 

GPS-marked trails and you’ll uncover some of Europe’s quietest 

roads, as well as quaint villages and old castles. The hotel’s awardwinning 

Susanne Kaufmann Spa can cure bike-weary muscles with a 

roster of remedies including sports massages and pilates sessions. 

barrocal.pt 

EVORA AIRPORT: 30miles/48km 

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55

TEEING OFF 

GOLFER’S 

DELIGHT 

Knock a stroke or two off the handicap 

with the latest tech-driven developments 

in club design // By Matt Saternus 

CLIFF ENDSLEY 

56 NetJets

1 

2 

3 

D R I V E R S 

All the biggest 2023 drivers have one thing in common: carbon fibre. Callaway’s Paradym (1 callawaygolf.com) driver is making waves with 

a 100% carbon-fibre chassis. A winner in its first three PGA Tour starts, it boasts a 15% tighter dispersion than its predecessor. Callaway 

also continues to use AI to design its club faces for maximum ball speed. The PING G430 LST (2 ping.com) marks the first time in recent 

years that the brand has incorporated carbon fibre into a driver. Its Carbonfly Wrap covers much of the crown as well as the toe and heel, 

aiming to lower the centre of gravity so high-speed players can get the low spin they need to optimise their drives. Finally, the TaylorMade 

Stealth 2 (3 taylormadegolf.com) is the brand’s first driver to contain more carbon fibre than titanium, including an all-carbon-fibre face. This 

second iteration of the Stealth features significantly higher MOI than the first, making it user-friendly for a wider range of players. HD (High 

Draw) and Plus (adjustable) models of the Stealth 2 make it a complete driver family. 

1 

2 

3 


F A I R W A Y W O O D S 

2023’s crop of new fairway woods sees the game’s biggest names taking different approaches to maximise distance. TaylorMade’s Stealth 2 Plus 

fairway wood (1 taylormadegolf.com) pushes adjustability to the extreme. In addition to the adjustable hosel, it has a 50-gram sliding weight in 

the sole. For comparison, the sliding weight in most drivers is 20 grams or less. This massive weight allows players to make the Steath 2 Plus 

high launching, low spinning, or something in between. It’s really like getting three clubs in one. For the players trying to rein in a slice, the Cobra 

Aerojet Max (2 cobragolf.com) is a great option. With two interchangeable weights and an adjustable hosel, players can dial in the exact amount 

of draw bias that they need. Regardless of their preferred set up, the PWR-BRIDGE design will boost ball speed for longer shots. Callaway’s 

three Paradym fairway woods (3 callawaygolf.com) cover a broad range of players, but the faster swingers will be focused on the Paradym Triple 

Diamond. This compact FW uses Jailbreak batwing technology to produce huge ball speed and a low, forward CG to create a penetrating ball flight. 

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TEEING OFF 

2 

3 

P U T T E R S 

The level of technology, forgiveness, and customisation in putters has never been higher. Leading that charge is the new TaylorMade Spider 

GT Max (1 taylormadegolf.com). Since the original Spider was introduced 15 years ago, TaylorMade has been at the forefront of making 

putters more stable. The Spider GT Max takes that and adds two sliding 40g weights on the sole. With these weights, golfers can change the 

putter’s toe hang and CG to suit the needs of their putting stroke. For players seeking a flatstick that strikes a balance between tradition and 

modernity, there is The Boss from SWAG (2 swag.golf). The company’s first full-sized mallet will get a retail release this summer. Though it 

is larger and more forgiving, it sacrifices none of the company’s trademark attention to detail. It’s billet-milled from a single block of 303 

American stainless steel to deliver premium feel and feedback. Lastly, L.A.B. Golf (3 labgolf.com) is also pushing putter technology forward 

with its MEZZ.1 MAX. These putters have zero torque, so the clubface naturally stays square to the path during the stroke. Fitting is essential 

for L.A.B. Golf putters, but the brand offers a simple, on-line method for making sure your putter suits you perfectly. 

1 


DEBUT OF THE PXG GOLF BALL 

Many elements of golf equipment can be confusing, but none more so than the golf ball. PXG (pxg.com) is aiming 

to clarify things with its new PXG Xtreme Premium Golf Ball. Rather than offering multiple models, PXG has 

introduced one ball that produces both distance and short-game spin comparable to the top-selling ball in golf. This 

achievement was unlocked thanks to new partnerships that expanded PXG’s research and development capabilities. 

To create high spin around the green, the PXG Xtreme Premium Golf Ball uses a soft urethane cover. The distance is 

achieved with a combination of a high C.O.R. core and a seamless, aerodynamic 338 dimple pattern. This new ball 

will be available exclusively through PXG’s retail locations, its website and Amazon. 

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1 2 

3 

H Y B R I D S 

Hybrids are asked to do a lot in the modern game, and this group has all the shots: drives on tight holes, recoveries from wayward shots and 

long, precise approaches. Cobra (1 cobragolf.com) has taken a sharp turn away from its past with the new Aerojet hybrid. Gone is the tried and 

true rail sole, replaced by a deep body design and high bounce leading edge to prevent digging. A combination of H.O.T. Face and PWR-Bridge 

suspended weight give the Aerojet the strong ball speed needed for reaching long par 5s in two. Srixon’s ZX Mk II hybrid (2 dunlopsports.com/ 

srixon) enhances the company’s growing reputation in the metalwood space with strong all-around performance. The same Rebound Frame 

technology found in the drivers appears in this hybrid to promote higher ball speed. A deeper CG creates higher launch, even on imperfect 

strikes. The hybrids from PING (3 ping.com) have always been models of consistency and forgiveness, but the G430 adds a new level of 

distance. Carbonfly Wrap – an ultralight crown technology also used on the drivers – has allowed PING’s engineers to lower the CG, increase 

ball speed and boost forgiveness, which adds up to longer shots, even if you’ve slightly botched your shot. 

1 2 3 

I R O N S 

This year is bringing exciting new irons for players across the handicap spectrum. For the most skilled players, Mizuno (1 mizunogolf.com) is 

leading the way with its JPX 923 Tour irons. These irons are focused on giving elite ball strikers the look, feel and turf interaction that they’re 

seeking with a copper underlay beneath the chrome plating, thinner topline and a more rounded trailing edge to the sole. Golfers somewhere 

between the players and game improvement categories have a lot to look forward to. TaylorMade’s P770 (2 taylormadegolf.com) irons take 

the ball speed and forgiveness of the popular P790 and pack it into a smaller, more appealing club head. Slightly weaker lofts also give 

players higher launch and more spin so their shots land softly. PXG (3 pxg.com) continues to push the game improvement category forward 

with its new 0311 GEN6 irons. These clubs – available in P (Players) and XP (Xtreme Performance) models – feature the thinnest face in any 

iron. That thinner face results in higher ball speeds and more forgiveness for longer, more consistent approach shots. 

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59

ON LOCATION 

COSTA RICA 

BRICE FERRE 

60 NetJets

COOL 

Foregrounding environmental sustainability, 

Costa Rica’s best new hotels put the focus on the surrounding 

natural splendour // By Devorah Lev-Tov 

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61

COASTAL ATTRACTION 

Nantipa – A Tico 

Beach Experience 

Previous page: the 

Arenal Volcano in the 

northwest of Costa Rica 

62 NetJets

ON LOCATION 

EMBRACING ITS philosophy of “Pura Vida”, which 

literally means “pure life”, Costa Rica encourages 

its residents and visitors to immerse themselves 

in nature and enjoy the good life. Thankfully, 

the diverse and dazzling landscapes across the 

country – from lush jungles to rushing waterfalls 

to looming volcanoes to unspoiled beaches – 

make it easy. And while the country still places 

a premium on protecting its natural resources 

– it runs on 98% renewable energy, is 98% 

free of deforestation, and is making inroads to 

decarbonise its economy by 2050 – the recent 

and upcoming luxury developments here show 

that sustainable doesn’t have to mean rustic. From 

five-star hotels with all the trimmings to upscale 

restaurants focused on farm-to-table ingredients 

to posh galleries and designer boutiques, this 

easily accessible Central American country is 

coming in hot. 

BRICE FERRE 

REST FOR THE WEARY 

Costa Rica is already home to countless wellness 

retreats and eco lodges, but recent years have 

pushed it to evolve and mature with more luxury 

hotels. And while the Four Seasons Resort Costa 

Rica at Peninsula Papagayo (fourseasons.com) 

has been open since 2004, it has taken some 

time for others to follow suit. But now, even 

longtime hotels are expanding and becoming 

more exclusive, like the well-established Tabacón 

Thermal Resort & Spa (tabacon.com), which 

celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. In 

December, it added 14 adults-only rooms and 

suites, including its first pool suites fed with 

water from volcanic hot springs. Historically, the 

thermal river that runs through the resort has 

been open to day-pass holders but now it is a 

more exclusive, guest-only experience. In 2019, 

Tabacón debuted a sister property in Santa Teresa 

called Nantipa – A Tico Beach Experience 

(nantipa.com). Dotted across two hectares of 

rainforest are just 19 pool and beach bungalows 

and two recently added two-story beachfront 

GREEN VIEW 

The Nayara Tented 

Camp looks on to the 

Arenal Volcano 

ANDRES GARCIA LACHNER 

CAFFEINE FIX 

Inside one of the oldest and most emblematic houses in downtown San José, AL CÉSAR (instagram.com/alcesarcr) opened in July 2021. Known as 

the “house of mirrors”, the home was built by the Gurdián Agüero family in the early 20th century. Today, guests sip Costa Rican-grown coffee and 

nibble indulgent pastries and cakes amid soaring ceilings, glittering chandeliers and gilded mirrors that recall the opulent coffeehouses of Vienna. 

ART + FOOD 

GALERÍA TALENTUM (galeriatalentum.com) opened its doors in Barrio Otoya in San José in September 2022 with the mission of supporting emerging 

Costa Rican talent and established artists. With space for individual and group exhibitions, it hosts shows in two- and three-dimensional formats. 

The gallery shares space with Orvieto, a restaurant combining visual and gastronomic art. 

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63

ON LOCATION 

WILD AND WONDERFUL 

Clockwise from left: the horses at Hacienda 

AltaGracia; a pool deck at Nantipa – a Tico Beach 

Experience; the sands at the same property; 

in the jungle at Pasha Beachfront Estate 

© CAYUGA COLLECTION OLIVER PILCHER 

© NANTIPA 

villas, each with a full kitchen, dining area, three 

guest rooms with stunning ocean views and 

en-suite bathrooms, and a private infinity pool. 

In 2019, Nayara Tented Camp 

(nayaratentedcamp.com), a luxury safari-style 

resort, opened in the shadow of the massive 

Arenal Volcano in La Fortuna, the most upscale 

offering of the three connected Nayara properties 

(the others are Nayara Gardens and Nayara 

Springs). It recently expanded to a total of 37 

spacious tents – complete with private, hotspring-fed 

pools, plush king-size beds, bathrooms 

with copper soaking tubs, and indoor and outdoor 

showers – including several new multiroom tents 

ideal for families and groups. A main common 

area with a reception tent, a new Mediterranean 

restaurant and bar and a large swimming pool, 

were also added to the spacious jungle property, 

64 NetJets

JULIAN TREJOS 

which already has six cantilevered hot-spring 

pools of varying temperatures. 

The end of 2021 brought the 73ha Hacienda 

AltaGracia, Auberge Resorts Collection 

(aubergeresorts.com) to the Nicoya Peninsula, 

along with its 50 stylish one- and two-bedroom 

casitas with private plunge pools and the vaunted 

spa, The Well, where guests can experience 

integrated holistic health and wellness treatments 

and consultations, as well as experience the 

hydrotherapy tub, thermal suite, healing garden 

and outdoor ranchos where various movement 

classes are hosted. Guests can enjoy a freshsqueezed 

juice or coffee from the resort’s own 

plantation, go horseback riding or hiking and 

even rope-climb to the top of the rainforest 

canopy. The resort also hosts wellness experts for 

multiday retreats or one-off programmes. 

HOTELS ON THE HORIZON 

Even with so many luxe resorts already 

in Costa Rica, the northwest province of 

Guanacaste will see (at least) three big highend 

hotel openings over the next few years. 

In 2024, SIX SENSES PAPAGAYO (sixsenses. 

com) will debut on a site that stretches 

from the highest point of the Guanacaste 

archipelago down to a forested beachfront. 

There will be 41 secluded pool villas and 31 

residences, along with extensive Six Senses 

wellness programming and a beautiful spa 

and fitness centre. An organic farm located 

in the heart of the property will inspire the 

chef’s menus and signature spa treatments. 

NEKAJUI, A RITZ-CARLTON 

RESERVE RESIDENCE (ritzcarlton. 

com), a partnership with Peninsula 

Papagayo private club and resort 

community, will also launch in 2024. 

Designed by Luxury Frontiers and SB 

Architects, there will be 36 villa and 

estate residences and 107 hotel rooms 

that are divided into three zones. The 

Classic Zone has modern interpretations 

of traditional, hacienda-type buildings; 

the Transitional Zone features typical 

architecture found in the surrounding 

region; and an Organic Zone boasts 

treehouse-style structures inspired by the 

natural environment. 

In 2025, the WALDORF ASTORIA 

GUANACASTE (hilton.com) will open 

with 190 rooms and 25 residences 

as part of the Cacique Costa Rica 

community, which will offer retail, 

residences, and wellness experiences 

on Guanacaste’s Cacique peninsula. 

Boasting panoramic views overlooking 

the ocean, Waldorf Astoria Guanacaste 

will include “El Pueblo”, the lobby area 

and hub, a signature restaurant and bar, 

a gelato shop, a holistic wellness centre 

with a state-of-the-art gym, movement 

studio, outdoor yoga, and lap and thermal 

pools, and a cenote-inspired spa with 

eight treatment rooms, plus three outdoor 

treatment rooms emulating a treehouse. 

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65

ON LOCATION 

LAND AND SEAS 

From left: poolside at Pasha 

Beachfront Estate; surfing at Pasha; 

a seafood dish at Casa Lamia 

© CAYUGA COLLECTION 

Also on Nicoya is Pasha Beachfront Estate 

(pasha.cr), which opened last year as part 

of the Cayuga Collection, which operates five 

other luxury hotels in Costa Rica. Pasha is a 

4ha private luxury estate with more than 1,400 

square metres of private living space and 

200 metres of pristine private beachfront on 

Playa Hermosa. Comprising a luxurious fourbedroom 

house and three two-bedroom villas, 

it also includes a staff of 19, who take care of 

everything from cooking to housekeeping to 

security. 

One of the country’s newest hotels is 

Botánika Osa Peninsula, Curio Collection 

by Hilton (hilton.com), which offers some 

of the region’s best sportfishing, thanks to 

its proximity to Crocodile Bay Marina, along 

with guided rainforest hikes, zipline tours, 

snorkelling and access to the Botánika Science 

and Nature Center. The 44-room resort has 

four drinking and dining outlets, a lagoon-style 

swimming pool, spa and manicured gardens 

across some of the resort’s eight hectares. 

This summer, Nicoya will gain Habitas Santa 

Teresa (ourhabitas.com), the sustainabilityfocused 

brand’s first property in Costa Rica. 

Tucked into a private beachfront inside verdant 

jungle, the eco-sustainable retreat will feature 

rooms that blend seamlessly into the environment 

with minimal disruption, built from local and 

ethically sourced organic materials. Designed to 

embrace Santa Teresa’s laid-back surfer lifestyle, 

the 45 earth-inspired rooms and 10 luxury tents 

will be hidden under palm trees and greenery, 

steps away from white sand beaches and longbreaking 

waves. 

© CAYUGA COLLECTION 

66 NetJets

DINING WORTH A DETOUR 

Two recent restaurant openings 

in the country are worth 

seeking out. If you arrive or 

leave from the capital city 

of San José, book a table 

at the plant-filled DOMA 

ESCALANTE (domaescalante. 

com), which offers a fine 

dining French-inspired menu 

made with local ingredients 

by the English chef Richard 

Neat. Located in a beautifully 

remodeled historic house in 

the vibrant neighbourhood 

of Barrio Escalante, Doma 

Escalante also houses the 

atelier of owners and designers 

Óscar “Toribio” Hernández and 

Donato Morales of sustainable 

fashion brand TORIBIO & 

DONATO (toribiodonato.com). 

The restaurant features art 

from the personal collection 

of Hernández and a stunning 

flower shop. 

Over on the central Pacific 

coast in the beach town of 

Manuel Antonio, local chef 

Lamia Funti introduced CASA 

LAMIA (casa-lamia.com) in 

December. Perched on a hilltop 

with incredible sunset views, 

the restaurant offers tapas and 

pinxos and a raw bar (including 

vegan ceviche), plus entrees 

that focus on locally caught 

seafood like fish of the day in 

a sugar cane reduction, as well 

as dishes with a more global 

influence such as flatbreads 

and a Cajun lobster broil. 

Casa Lamia also has weekend 

brunch and offers romantic 

picnics on the beach. 

© CASA LAMIA 

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67

XXXXXX 

From top: 

ZENITH Pilot Chrono Steel with 

42.5mm steel case; black 

dial with special “aviation 

type” pattern and indexes filled 

with Super-LumiNova; selfwinding, 

flyback chronograph 

movement; date at 6 o’clock; 

black Cordura strap 

CHOPARD L.U.C GMT One Black 

with 42mm ceramised titanium 

case; dial with vertical satin 

finish featuring an azured hour 

circle and a second time zone 

disk with a circular satin finish; 

self-winding movement; date 

at 6 o’clock; black rubber strap 

BULGARI Aluminium GMT Amerigo 

Vespucci Special Edition with 

40mm aluminium case; black 

DLC-coated titanium back 

engraved with the “Nave Scuola 

Amerigo Vespucci” ship name 

and its motto; black dial with 

Super-LumiNova-filled hands 

and markers; date at 3 o’clock; 

rubber strap 

FEELING BLUE 

The coolest of hues took some time to make its 

way into the world of watchingmaking, 

and now it’s here to stay. // By Chris Hall 

The latest pilot watches hit rarefied 

heights of style and sophistication 

TIME 

TRAVEL 

Photography by Mitch Payne // Production by Elisa Vallata 

68 NetJets

From top: 

BLANCPAIN Air Command with 

42.5mm red gold case; two-way 

rotating bezel with blue ceramic 

insert and Super-LumiNova hour 

markers; self-winding flyback 

chronograph movement; blue 

calfskin strap 

BREGUET Type XXII 3880 with 

44mm rose gold case; two-way 

rotating and graduated bezel; 

brown dial with luminous hands 

and numerals; self-winding 

flyback chronograph movement; 

date and small seconds on a 

30-second basis; alligator 

leather strap 

ON THE PULSE 

NetJets 

69

ON THE PULSE 

From top: 

PATEK PHILIPPE 5524G Calatrava 

Pilot Travel Time with 42mm 

white gold case; sapphire crystal 

caseback; blue varnished dial 

featuring gold-applied numerals 

with luminescent coating; selfwinding 

movement with dual time 

zone mechanism; vintage brown 

calf leather strap 

IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 

with 41mm bronze case; convex 

sapphire glass with antireflective 

coating on both sides; blue dial 

with luminescence; self-winding 

movement with day and date 

display at 3 o’clock; blue 

textile strap 

70 NetJets

From top: 

BREITLING Navitimer B01 

Chronograph 43 Boeing 747 

Limited Edition with 43mm 

stainless steel case; steel and 

sapphire crystal caseback with 

“One of 747” and “The Original 

Jumbo Jet” engravings; alligator 

leather strap 

TUDOR Black Bay GMT S&G with 

41 mm steel case with polished 

and satin finish; bidirectional 

rotating bezel in yellow gold with 

24-hours graduated matt brown/ 

black anodized aluminium disk; 

self-winding movement; steel and 

yellow gold bracelet 

BREMONT Airco Mach 1 Jet with 

40mm jet-brushed stainless 

steel case; metal dial featuring 

printed Arabic numerals and 

nickel-plated hands; self-winding 

movement; date at 3 o’clock; 

khaki sailcloth strap 

MONTBLANC 1858 GMT with 

42mm stainless steel case and 

bracelet; caseback engraved with 

images of the continents and the 

names of cities in each of the 24 

time zones; black sunray dial; 

self-winding movement 

NetJets 

71

GOURMET GUIDE 

AMERICA’S 

CULINARY 

CROSSROADS 

SPOILED FOR CHOICE 

An array of delicious options 

from LIVA at Chicago Winery 

ANTHONY TAHLIER 

72 NetJets

Chicago is a foodie’s kind of town – and a veritable khamsin of hot new 

restaurants and bars is blowing in the cool Windy City // By Jeremy Wayne 

NetJets 

73

GOURMET GUIDE 

NEW TASTE 

Clockwise from top left: full wheel 

baked camembert at LeTour; Andrew 

Graves of LIVA at Chicago Winery; 

the interior of Kindling Downtown 

Cookout & Cocktails; LeTour’s Amy 

Morton and Debbie Gold 

ONE OF AMERICA’S great food cities, Chicago may have been laid 

low during the pandemic but it certainly wasn’t felled. Yes, there 

were casualties – Jean Joho’s beloved Everest, for one – but now, 

the phoenix is rising. Less show, more substance – restaurants 

which are authentic, brave and responsible are opening all over. 

And, while these independents thrive, a clutch of deep-pocketed, 

serial restaurateurs are also back at work, breaking new ground 

and introducing their own particular brand of razzle-dazzle. From 

modest joints opened by partners or a bunch of friends to grand 

Parisian-style brasseries, Chicago has new restaurants aplenty – 

plus a rekindled love affair with France. 

With a clutch of popular bars and restaurants already in its 

portfolio, the Fifty/50 Restaurant Group has just launched Kindling 

Downtown Cookout & Cocktails (kindlingchicago.com) on the 

ground floor of the Willis Tower in the Financial District. With over 

1,600 square metres of restaurant floor space (no hole-in-the-wall, 

this one) and James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer 

wearing the whites in the live-fire kitchen, from wood-fired oysters 

to confit chicken wings to horseradish-crusted steaks – if it can be 

cooked over an open flame, Kindling will be serving it. 

Chargrilled meat and shellfish are also the kingpin at José 

Andrés’ Bazaar (thebazaar.com) in the nearby Bank of America 

Tower. Here you get two for one. Upstairs is Bazaar Meat, the 

Chicago iteration of Andrés’ countrywide retro steakhouses, with 

its beautiful Persian-style carpets and plush, crimson velvet chairs. 

This is where you feast on Japanese Wagyu beef and sweet, 

suckling pig imported from Salamanca in Spain, exquisitely roasted 

in the firepit. Downstairs is the more nautically themed Bar Mar, 

where you come for oysters, black-ink squid, Galician-style octopus 

and seafood butifarra subs. It’s a real doozy of a menu. 

For Chicagoans keen on beef, Grill on 21 (grillon21.com) on 

the 21st floor of The LaSalle, Chicago’s newest luxury boutique 

hotel, is yet another downtown/financial district steakhouse to have 

recently opened. Billing itself as a “classic but more approachable” 

American grill, the watchwords here are “local”, “humane” and 

“sustainable”, evidenced in dishes like Faroe Island salmon 

with kale and wheat berries and steaks from named farms and 

producers. There are also some splendid retro dishes to enjoy, such 

as lobster thermidor and sole meunière. 

Prized, prime beef, though, is not the only Japanese import 

Chicagoans are interested in. In the restaurant-dense River North 

neighbourhood, just across the river from the Loop, deluxe ramen 

and striking design (check-out those spaceship-like hexagonal 

booths – think Star Trek with a gastronomic twist) go hand in 

hand at Kyura Men (kyuramen.com). The first Chicago location for 

this highly regarded Japanese chain, brought to the city by serial 

restaurateur Tony Hu, Kyura Men has built its reputation on silky 

ramen crafted by masters, diligently made soup bases and broths 

and the highest-grade pork and chicken. 

Located near Logan Square on the city’s northwest side, the 

American diner-like Second Generation (eatsecondgen.com) 

self-identifies as both “Asian” and “women-owned”. To say this 

restaurant explores the relationship between America and Asia is 

perhaps a little glib, but it is fair to say that if Second Generation’s 

heart is in the West, with standard American fare – chopped salad, 

mac n’ cheese, chicken wings, and burgers – then its soul is 

most certainly in the East, titivating those American classics with 

fermented black soybean, Korean spices, Sichuan peppers and the 

like. Shouldn’t work but it does. 

Another newb brought to Chicago by the indefatigable Tony 

Hu (see Kyura Men) is Shoo Loong Kan Hotpot (+1 312 526 

3242), the fourth and newest US outlet for this Chinese megachain. 

With its striking interior of bamboo, lacquered wood and 

gilt motifs, Shoo Loong Kan is almost as remarkable for its design 

as for its food. Best suited to families or groups of friends – you 

cook your own beef and lobster over hotpots at the table, a sort of 

Benihana for the 2020s – the overall experience is a theatrical as 

well as a culinary one. Hu, incidentally, is the man who has been 

almost single-handedly responsible for introducing Chicagoans to 

discrete Chinese regional cuisines: with Shoo Loong Kan now up 

and running after protracted delays through Covid, the unofficial 

“Mayor of Chinatown” looks certain to have another winner on 

his hands. 

Like Hu, chef Daniel Rose is also a Chicago restaurant luminary, 

although his new restaurant, Le Select (leselectchicago.com), is 

actually his first in his native city. Named, one supposes, for the 

famous Montparnasse brasserie, with its gracious arches, antique 

mirrors and Art Nouveau table lamps – not to mention beautiful 

linens and tableware – Le Select is a stunner. As for the food, 

Rose earned his stripes in Paris and polished them in New York (at 

Michelin-starred Le Coucou), so he knows his contre filet from his 

faux filet. Corners are never cut, with classic French gastronomy 

alive and well in dishes such as soupe à l’oignon, tarte flambée 

and choucroute strasbourgeoise. Even a simple green salad here is 

a thing of excellence. 

Faithfully executed French dishes like Burgundy snails, 

salade Lyonnaise and classic skate wing in beurre blanc are also 

pulling in diners at LeTour (letourevanston.com), in the sought- 

74 NetJets

HAYLEY KELSING 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: KIM KOVACIK, © LIVA, © KINDLING, KIM KOVACIK

GOURMET GUIDE 

after suburb of Evanston. This restaurant “in the round” is the 

brainchild of hospitality industry veteran Amy Morton (her late 

father, Arnie, founded Morton’s The Steakhouse) and James Beard 

Award-winning chef Debbie Gold – the two are Chicago natives 

and longstanding friends. Bright and airy, with beautifully dressed 

tables, a zingy bar and charming terrace, LeTour is further primped 

with the addition of some beautifully executed Moroccan dishes, 

including a chicken tagine and lamb couscous, North African 

influences being some of the “favourite parts” of present-day 

French culture for both Morton and Gold. 

And that’s not the end of it. The city’s love affair with France 

continues at newly opened Obélix (obelixchicago.com), an intimate, 

MICHAEL MUSER 

modern French bistro in River North, opened by the Poilevey 

brothers, whose family also launched the popular Bucktown bistro 

Le Bouchon. (Their other restaurant, La Sardine, now closed, was 

a victim of the pandemic.) Wielding the whisk at the new family 

enterprise is scion and chef Oliver Poilevey, who devotes an entire 

menu section to duck and foie gras and doesn’t shy away from 

the laborious preparation of classics – beef Wellington or baked 

Alaska, say – but seems to revel in it. A good cocktail list too – look 

out for the beguiling Calvados Negroni and Saffron Sidecar – and 

a particularly fine wine list, especially strong on “grands vins” of 

Bordeaux and Burgundy. 

Wine is the focus, too, at another River North newcomer, LIVA 

at Chicago Winery (livachicago.com). Liva is the “community 

inspired” restaurant headed up by chef Andrew Graves, longtime 

sous-chef at Grant Achatz’s celebrated Alinea. His “Modern- 

American” menu includes “The Chef’s Whim”, featuring cheese, 

meat, fruit, and vegetables, no two selections the same, along 

with bold dishes like smoked pork hoc and umami short rib. The 

winery is a working one amid the skyscrapers of River North, 

which sources grapes from premier growers around the country 

and produces wines on site, a perfectly creditable malbec, pinot 

noir and riesling among the nine bins currently offered. Chicago 

Winery also offers tours and winemaking classes. 

If you think the death of fine dining and tasting menus 

has been exaggerated, you’d be right. At another River North 

newcomer, Indienne (indiennechicago.com) – the name refers 

to a type of textile design – chef Sujan Sarkar, who has worked 

in prestigious kitchens in India, Dubai, London and New York, 

is offering what he calls “progressive fine dining”, with two fivecourse 

tasting menus, one of which is vegetarian, along with à la 

carte. The restaurant also offers wine pairings and sophisticated 

tea pairings, a first in the city. 

And at Ever (ever-restaurant.com) in the West Loop, already 

the recipient of two Michelin stars, Michael Muser and his coowner 

and chef, Curtis Duffy, posit arcane ingredients – including 

guajillo chili, oxalis and tatsoi (a kind of brassica) – and play with 

flavour, texture and temperature to produce eight- to 10-course 

tasting menus, as well as highly creative wine-pairings. Ever also 

offers weekly wine tastings – no prior knowledge necessary. “We 

believe Chicago long ago earned its place on the global stage as an 

extraordinary dining destination,” muses Muser on Ever’s website. 

This is certainly true, but in the competitive world of restaurants 

you need to test yourself constantly, continually extend the limits. 

With its latest crop of culinary hotspots, Chicago has yet again 

proved it can and does. 

WATERING HOLES 

KENNEDY ROOFTOP 

(kennedyrooftop.com) 

It’s not all about the view, but the 

panoramic vistas of the Chicago 

skyline are certainly a big part of 

the draw at the new bar on the 

seventh floor of the Hyatt Place 

hotel, overlooking the Kennedy 

Expressway in trendy Wicker Park. 

Already attracting a fun local 

crowd, cocktails run the gamut, 

there’s a good selection of local 

beers and ales – and with salads, 

burgers, and shareable platters 

to snack on, no one’s going to 

come down from the roof hungry. 

AFTER 

(after-lounge.com) 

This dark, dramatic, theatrically lit 

bar is under the same ownership 

as Ever (see above) and is located 

just one door away. In addition 

to “Classics” and “Inspired” 

cocktails – check out a Fig 

Sazerac or Haitian Daiquiri – 

After also serves some exceptional 

light bites, including caviar flights, 

skewers of Wagyu beef as well 

as less exalted items such as 

chicken satay and steamed buns. 

“When guests enter After,” say the 

owners, “they can finally exhale.” 

NINE BAR 

(ninebarchicago.com) 

Asian cocktails with abstruse 

ingredients are the shtick at 

this less than year-old old bar, 

hidden behind a swing door at 

the Moon Palace restaurant, in 

Chinatown. Open from Wednesday 

to Sunday, a mostly young crowd 

flood Nine Bar at weekends to 

enjoy Asian-themed or inspired 

cocktails – the Mahjong Money, 

with Mezcal Unión, Suntory Toki 

whisky, matcha and lemongrass 

is a bestseller. 

THE MEADOWLARK 

(meadowlarkchicago.com) 

Mahogany panelling, deep leather 

chesterfields and shelves lined 

with antique books, pint-sized 

Meadowlark has a cosy, huggermugger 

ambience. And with its 

skillfully made, complex cocktails 

that currently take their inspiration 

from the birds of the Midwest, 

this new Logan Square district 

bar is definitely something to 

tweet about. 

76 NetJets

CHICAGO HOPE 

Clockwise from 

top left: Second 

Generation’s team 

is led by chef Ed 

Kim, right; from 

the grill at Kindling 

Downtown Cookout 

& Cocktails; LIVA 

at Chicago Winery 

Facing page: 

Skyline views 

at Ever 

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: NELSON DOW, CHRIS PETERS, ANTHONY TAHLIER

TASTING NOTES 

The once-obscure spirit can barely keep up with demand – 

and the buzz has only just begun // By Susannah Skiver Barton 

MEZCAL’S 

MOMENT 

78 NetJets

ONCE UPON A TIME, mezcal was virtually unknown outside Mexico. 

A drink of the people, it was poured from reused Fanta bottles into 

clay cups and glass candle holders, sipped on the dusty roadsides 

of Oaxaca and hoisted at community celebrations. There were few 

commercially available brands, and foreigners who kept a bottle in 

their drinks cabinets tended to be spirits geeks of the highest order. 

The landscape has since changed dramatically. Last year, mezcal exports 

topped one million cases, snapped up by serious and casual drinkers alike. 

Like tequila before it, mezcal now embraces celebrity partnerships, such as 

the collaboration between Breaking Bad stars Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul 

and the Dos Hombres brand. Mezcal has the second-highest average bottle 

price, at $40, of any spirit in the world, after single malt scotch. Interest is 

at an all-time high, and the field of offerings is crowded with contenders. 

© LOS SIETE MISTERIOS 

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79

TASTING NOTES 

Standing out requires differentiation like never before. Take 

Del Maguey (delmaguey.com). One of the earliest mezcal brands 

to emerge, in the mid-1990s, it has brought crucial visibility to 

the category and a broad portfolio of single-village and varietal 

expressions that are eagerly snapped up by collectors. But there’s 

still so much to explore, according to Del Maguey’s director of 

brand education Éva Pelczer. 

“Mezcal means a lot of different things,” she says. “There’s an 

infi nite amount of fl avour profi les you can access based on who 

is making that mezcal, what their heritage and their culture is, and 

what agave they’re using. There really is this cornucopia of what is 

available.” Survey the shelf at a high-end bar or off licence and 

you’ll see what Pelczer means. The rows of mezcal bottles now 

display dozens of agave varieties, and names of villages and 

palenques (distilleries) that supply the liquid. On the back labels, 

you might fi nd a photo of the maestro mezcalero whose expert 

hand shaped the spirit, emphasising that, much like winemaking, 

the hand of the maker matters as much as the base ingredients. 

Eduardo and Julio Mestre, the brothers behind Los Siete 

Misterios (sietemisterios.com), understand that implicitly. They 

partner with ten families across multiple regions to distill their range 

of mezcals. Among the offerings are rare mezcals distilled in the 

ancestral method, using clay-pot stills. “It’s what makes us really 

unique since less than one per cent of total mezcal production is in 

clay,” Eduardo says. In recent years, Los Siete Misterios has begun 

blending some of its clay-pot mezcals, which are limited in volume, 

with its Doba-Yej expression, made in copper stills, stretching the 

precious liquid further so that more people can enjoy it. 

Unlike tequila’s singular weber varietal, mezcal has over two 

dozen agave options for its base ingredient. While espadín is most 

common, cuishe, tepeztate, arroqueño and tobalá get frequent play 

as well. Mal de Amor (maldeamor.com), made by third-generation 

maestro mezcalero Armando Hernandez, makes the most of this 

diversity with its wide array of mezcals. The brand’s range includes 

such rarities as Sierrudo and Jabali, each one a unique refl ection 

of Oaxacan terroir. 

Another rare agave, cenizo, goes into Bosscal mezcal (bosscal. 

com). The certifi ed-organic brand from Durango is one of the few to 

offer a pechuga mezcal. Distilled with meat – often chicken, turkey, 

or rabbit – spices, and fruit inside the still, pechuga is typically 

reserved for family celebrations, and rarely sold. With its emblem a 

conejo (rabbit) from a folktale, Bosscal cheekily makes its pechuga 

with rabbit meat, pineapple, guava and apples, resulting in an 

intensely fragrant and fl avourful spirit. 

Vegans wishing to avoid meaty mezcals could try Bosscal’s 

Damiana, infused with fl owers and citrus, or Gracias a Dios 

del Cura (thankgad.com). The unusual spirit, made by maestro 

mezcalero Oscar Hernández Santiago for his local priest, includes 

guava and pineapple, which impart tropical brightness onto the 

earthy base notes. Gracias a Dios makes a version with mango as 

well; both are perfect bases for a margarita or paloma, or simply for 

sipping on the rocks. 

No matter their journey’s direction, explorers of mezcal 

should stay curious. “Mezcal is not a sprint; it’s an ultramarathon,” 

Mestre says. “There are so many areas of 

knowledge and opportunity that we have to explore.” 

A GUARANTEE FOR THE FUTURE 

With such buoyant growth, the leading mezcal makers are focused on protecting the resources that created the 

category’s success in the first place. Many, like LOS SIETE MISTERIOS, BOSSCAL and GRACIAS A DIOS, 

practise sustainable cultivation that prioritises biodiversity in agave and the health of the wider ecosystem. 

Others reinvest profits into the communities that produce their spirits, building schools and libraries, and 

supporting vital services. With its deep roots and long history in the region, DEL MAGUEY takes an all-round 

approach that it calls 360-degree sustainability. “It means sustainability is not one thing,” Éva Pelczer says. 

“We’re not just talking about environmental … but also cultural and economic sustainability.” That means 

providing medical care, undertaking reforestation of both agaves and trees (used as fuel in the production 

process), donating computers for education, preserving indigenous language and more, all organised in 

partnership with respected NGOs. As mezcal continues its upward trajectory, these issues will become more 

important than ever – one more thing for mezcal drinkers to consider as they explore the category’s diversity. 

COURTESY THE COMPANIES 

80 NetJets

“Mezcal means a lot 

of different things”—Éva Pelczer, Del Maguey 

© DEL MAGUEY (2) 

FROM START TO FINISH 

Making mezcal at Del Maguey 

Previous pages: Harvesting agave 

at a Los Siete Misterios farm 

NetJets 

81

YUNUS OZKAZANC 

INSIDE VIEW 

WOODEN HEART 

82 NetJets

An architectural masterpiece in northwestern Turkey 

plays host to a remarkable collection, curated by a man on a mission 

NetJets 

83

YUNUS OZKAZANC 

INSIDE VIEW 

ABOVE 

Ferruh Başağa, Mavi 

Akdeniz,1995 

FACING PAGE 

From top: Armen Gevorgian, 

The Parade, 2014; Hans Op de 

Beeck, Sleeping Girl, 2018 

P90-91 

Jean-François Rauzier, Escalier 

de L’Hôtel de Ville, 2011 

84 NetJets

KAYHAN KAYGUSUZ 

OZAN ÇAKMAK 

NetJets 

85

INSIDE VIEW 

A TURKISH 

DELIGHT 

It’s a mark of modern museums and galleries that they are often envisaged to match 

the ingenuity and creative zest of the artworks that they contain. Incredible buildings in 

major art centres have proved an attraction in their own right, but finding an example 

in a small city in northwestern Turkey may come as something as surprise. The 

Odunpazarı Modern Museum (OMM) in Eskişehir is the brainchild of art collector Erol 

Tabanca, a native of the city that may fly under the radar but, as Tabanca is keen to 

point out, is home to around 20 museums and three universities. Opened in 2019, 

OMM was designed by acclaimed Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Associates 

and is inspired by the timber trade for which the Odunpazarı district is renowned. 

The collection of wooden slats join together to form a three-level 4,500sq m building, 

within which Tabanca’s 1,000-piece collection of modern and contemporary art sits 

alongside temporary exhibitions. The initial show in 2019, entitled The Union, featured 

a selection of the Turkish artists that Tabanca has focused on, along with complementary 

pieces from around the world. It’s Tabanca’s dream to both draw attention to this 

little-known cultural hub and promote the work of the creative talents in his home 

country – backed by his family, as his wife Rana and daughter Idil are also involved 

in the museum. Various media feature throughout his collection, as exemplified in 

the painting, photography, sculpture, video and installations in the latest exhibition, 

Grief and Pleasure, which focuses on the contradictory nature of human emotions 

as portrayed through art. Time will tell whether Tabanca’s dream of drawing an array 

of new visitors to his hometown comes to fruition, but it’s clear that the art world’s 

imagination is already captured. omm.art 

FACING PAGE 

Idil and Erol Tabanca, the 

daughter-and-father team 

behind OMM 

86 NetJets

GÖKHAN POLAT 

NetJets 

87

© NAARO 

INSIDE VIEW 

ABOVE 

An installation in bamboo by 

Tanabe Chikuunsai IV 

FACING PAGE 

Scenes from OMM’s opening 

exhibition The Union 

88 NetJets



NetJets 

89

THE LAST WORD 

LARS 

ULRICH 


The Metallica drummer 

talks about life away 

from the band 

TRAVEL 

Sun worshipper or thrill-seeker? Defi nitely more of a thrillseeker. 

In my current headspace, my favourite is skiing, but 

back in the day I was a manic scuba diver. I’ve dived more or 

less all over the planet but have a special place in my heart for 

Micronesia, specifi cally Palau. There are so many diverse things 

to see – you can dive reefs, walls, wrecks, go drift-diving, there 

are endless shark encounters, and an incredible place called 

Jellyfi sh Lake. I’ve been a half-dozen times, and it’s hands-down 

my favourite spot. 

FOOD 

Big names or hidden gems? Both. Whenever we get a 

chance to travel around, I’m always up to exploring nextlevel, 

fi ne dining and seeing what creative and adventurist 

opportunities await us in those kinds of establishments. But 

sometimes the hidden gems in smaller, unexpected places 

can be equally rewarding. 

ACCOMMODATION 

Grandes dames, luxe design, or eminently private? Once again, 

a little bit of everything. When you travel as much as we do, you 

end up with your favourite spots in specifi c cities, often hotels 

that are familiar and you’ve had a memorable relationship with. 

ARCHITECTURE 

Classical or modern? Modern. I love Mid-Century Modernism and 

I’m also a big fan of Minimalism. I appreciate how in a lot of bigger 

European cities older buildings are fused together with modern 

architecture, which then creates an interesting and unique aesthetic. 

ENTERTAINMENT 

Good book or big screen? Defi nitely big screen all the way. 

Going to see movies, especially in a big cinema with lots of 

people, is hands down my favourite escape from the day-to-day. 

STYLE 

Latest fashion or smart casual? Smart casual, thank you very 

much for asking. When I fi nd something that’s comfortable 

and I enjoy wearing it, I prioritise that over any kind of outward 

statement. 

FUTURE PLANS 

Keep on making music or spreading your wings in different 

directions? I love making music with the fellas, creating albums 

and going out and playing to the Metallica family all over the 

world. And, thankfully, we are branching out into fi nding ways 

to connect with fans through beverages, clothing collaborations, 

video games, comic books, and other experiences. 

90 NetJets

when others see a 

HOUSE 

we see a 

WORK 

of 

ART 

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Enjoy responsibly. Over 18s only.

Netjets EU Volume 20 2023

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