Hotel du Marc

Madame Clicquot's former domicile gets a top-to-toe makeover

Housed in the former residence of Madame Clicquot herself, Hotel du Marc is a place to stay unlike any other. As if the historic setting in Reims, France wasn’t enough, Veuve Clicquot recently completed a head-to-toe renovation, updating the interiors and facade to create the kind of charming experience for which many hotels strive but few achieve. The facade underwent extensive repairs—though WWI-era pockmarks left …

Aston Martin Performance Driving Course

A day-long course with a private instructor behind the wheel of one of the world's most beautiful cars

Though I’ve had the opportunity to test drive several Aston Martins over the last few years, I always left feeling unsatisfied. I wanted to go to fast, to push the car its limits. An occasional burst of speed passing a car on a city highway or suburban lane felt like a tease with concerns of traffic, speed limits and safety always trumping the thrill. That …

Mountain

A lifelong mountaineer takes up the relationship between man and mountain in a gorgeous new book

Sandy Hill’s book Mountain is a meditation on what many consider the last real frontier. A lifelong mountaineer, Hill’s experience—she was among the first to climb the highest peaks on all seven continents—makes for an insightful look at the colossal entities and how humans coexist within their foreboding landscapes. With 350 images by more than 160 photographers, Mountain starts out like any other coffee-table book, …