Yavuz Draman
News on where to stay . . . what to see . . . what to buy . . .
BEDROCK
Ever wanted to sleep in a cave?Yunak Evleri, carved into a white stone cliff in the Cappadocia region of Turkey, will bring your Flintstones fantasies to life. The hotel, which opened in May, extends through six naturally cooled caves built in the sixth century. Eight years ago, Turkish entrepreneur Yusuf Gorgurgoz began buying the residences. Some are at the base of the massive cliff; stone stairways lead several stories up to others with views of the town of Ürgüp and the tabletop mountains. The 17 rooms and suites have been transformed into exotic accommodations — stark modern Mediterranean décor, handcrafted furniture, marble baths — that the former occupants would never recognize. Yunak Evleri, Yunak Mahallesi, Ürgüp, Cappadocia; 90-384/341-6920, fax 90-384/341-6924; www.yunak.com; doubles from $95.—Geraldine Fabrikant
BARCELONA, BEYOND FUSION
Madrid's often wacky fusion cuisine has moved east to Barcelona. The restaurant Coses de Menjar — Catalan for "things to eat" — offers oddball combinations including lightly grilled duck foie gras with Parmesan ice cream ("one of the most delicious things I've ever tasted," reports our spy). Chef Xavier Matarrudona juggles such dishes with traditional Mediterranean cooking. The design, with spoon-shaped lamps and cheese-grater candleholders, is just as inventive as the food, and surprisingly — like that ice cream — it works. Coses de Menjar, 7 Pla de Palau, Barcelona;
34-93/310-6001; dinner for two $46. —H. Scott Jolley
IN THE CHILL
OF THE NIGHT
This one's a chip off the old ice block. In January, Jacques Desbois (known for his igloo displays at Quebec carnivals) plans to open the world's second ice hotel, just outside Quebec City. Inspired by the deep-freeze style of Sweden's Ice Hotel Jukkasjarvï, Desbois will install a bar, a cinema, and seven suites — all frozen. Guests will slumber in insulated sleeping bags good to 30 degrees below zero. It'll be the coolest venue in town. Hôtel de Glace, www.icehotel-canada.com; doubles from $200. —Kristine Ziwica
LONDON'S
SPA OF THE MOMENT
Notting Hill's Spa NK is the latest brain wave from holistic diva Nicky Kinnaird, whose Space NK apothecary stocks cult beauty products. At the spa, nurturing therapies are served up with a feng shui aesthetic. Scented oil pots flickering in the shadows and Tibetan music set the mood. After a chi massage session, sip organic Japanese tea or head next door to Space NK and shop away. Spa NK, 127—131 Westbourne Grove; 44-207/727-8002. —Shane Mitchell
SURF'S UP (ON YOUR HEAD)
Miss the feeling of windblown summer hair?Bumble South's salt-infused Surf Spray, with kelp and algae extracts, gives you a sunbaked coif without the worry of sand in your string bikini. The beach-in-a-bottle product leaves your hair textured and crunchy — just like on your last trip to St. Bart's. $15; 888/772-8625 or www.bumbleandbumble.com. —Niloufar Motamed
MEXICO'S ECO-CHIC
The views from the new four-bungalow Verana are of cinematic quality, thanks to its setting high above the Bay of Banderas. The hideaway is so secluded that it can be reached only via a 30-minute boat ride from Boca de Tomatlan (near Puerto Vallarta), followed by a seven-minute hike or mule trek. There's limited electricity, so guests carry oil lamps to dinner (solar power keeps the kitchens running). Sound like some Hollywood creation?Well, it is. Verana is the work of production designer Heinz Legler and set decorator Veronique Lievre, who wanted to build an ecologically sound hotel that blends seamlessly into its jungle setting. Verana, Yelapa, Mexico; 800/677-5156 ; doubles $750 for three nights, including breakfast and dinner. —Katherine Cole
CREASE FREE
Guys, leave those junky travel irons at home. Mod British designer Ted Baker has unveiled his Endurance suit (above), whose space-age fibers repel wrinkles. No-iron men's suits are also on the radars of Jones New York and even luggage giant Samsonite, which lured one of Dolce & Gabbana's designers to create its own high-style line, debuting early next year. —H.S.J.
FANCY PANTS For pinup-perfect lingerie, Fifi Chachnil is the Paris boutique. Filmy peignoirs and ruffled panties hearken back to the 1950's; satin girdles are carefully crafted to give wearers bombshell figures. The Jacqueline Susann—esque décor is helping make Fifi the sexiest, if not the most kitschy, new address in town. And fashionistas couldn't ask for a more convenient location: across the street from Chanel. Fifi Chachnil, 26 Rue Cambon; 33-1/42-60-38-86. —Gentry Lane
ASIA BY NORTHWEST
Portland, Oregon, is now home to an urban Chinese garden, constructed by designers from Suzhou, an ancient city west of Shanghai. Inside Lan Su Yuan (Garden of Awakening Orchids), which occupies an entire city block, you can follow stone walkways around a lake and past a Ming-style teahouse. Delicate ginkgo wood carvings with calligraphied poetry hang throughout, completing what the Chinese call "paradise in a contained space." Portland Classical Chinese Garden/Lan Su Yuan, N.W. Everett St. and Third Ave.; 503/228-8131. —Sarah Thomas
SLEEPING BEAUTIES
Los Angeles already has 93,000 hotel rooms, but its newest 430 have style in spades. Kwid, the design firm behind the trendsetting Avalon Hotel, put together the 45-room Maison 140 (140 S. Lasky Dr.; 310/281-4000; doubles from $140), with an Asia-inspired riot of vivid, wildly patterned fabrics. The 88-room Luxe Hotel Rodeo Drive (360 N. Rodeo Dr.; 310/273-0300 or 800/468-3541; doubles from $255) has all the savoir faire — everything Frette, from napkins to sheets — but none of the attitude of other high-design L.A. hotels. And the 297-room St. Regis, Los Angeles (2055 Ave. of the Stars; 310/277-6111; doubles from $395), has transformed the staid Century Plaza Tower into a high-fashion palace, with Bijan toiletries and leather-topped desks. —Chris Rubin
ALBUQUERQUE ALL-STARS
A number of retailers have opened stores on upper Central Avenue (part of the original Route 66), thereby expanding Albuquerque's chic Nob Hill shopping area. ;Michelle Pentz
IN FOR A LANDING
Here's the perfect compromise for a traveler who just can't settle down. More glamorous than a mobile home, quirkier than a summer cottage . . . a Boeing 727! Aviation firm Max Power Aerospace has gone into the business of retrofitting old planes as residences. The Tennessee-based company will fly the plane to an airport near you, then install everything on site, including plumbing, heating, and electrical hookups. Seats and engines are removed, so Max Power will offer advice on how to decorate the 100-foot-long, 1,210-square-foot interior. For that retro aeronautic look, you're free to scour Max Power's warehouse for complimentary galleys and airplane closets. From $290,000; 615/223-5600; www.maxpoweraero.com. —Christine Kenneally
