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ALERT AIR FORCE ONE
 Comprising 7,000 square feet, the
recently refurbished five-bedroom
Presidential Suite at the Intercontinental
Hong Kong is fit for a head of state. For around
$12,000 a night you can play potentate and enjoy
24-hour personal butler care, roundtrip Rolls
Royce Phantom VI limousine service and more
A-list cachet than Bono in the Oval Office. The
hotel, a Victoria Harbour landmark since 1980,
recently completed a $70 million renovation
and has been re-branded as the Asia Pacific
flagship of InterContinental Hotels Group. With
restaurants SPOON by Alain Ducasse (Condè Nast Traveler 2007 “Hot Tables” list) and NOBU
on site, the hotel also offers cabinet-level gourmet
appointments. To get into the inner-circle, try
Dim Sum at Yan Toh Heen and complimentary
early morning Tai Chi lessons with master teacher
William Ng, who has showcased his skills to Tony
Blair. After addressing the state of your Chi’s union,
book a 30-minute private spa suite with sauna,
steam shower and whirlpool bath, followed by an
aromatherapy massage at I-Spa ($121). Get there:18 Salisbury Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong, +852-2721-
1221,
www.hongkong-ic.intercontinental.com. |
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NORTH OF THE WEST WING
Want Presidential? What is better than
luxury and legendary ervice just a
block from the White House at the St.
Regis? In ecember, after extensive renovations,
the famed hotel will re-open with 175 guest
rooms and 25 luxuriously appointed suites that
mix glamour with tradition. The hotel will offer
signature butler service and modern amenities,
including state-of-the-art technology like a Bose
iPod SoundDock and DVD player. Get there:923 16th St NW, Washington, DC, 202- 638-2626,
www.stregis.com. |
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A DIFFERENT KIND OF WASHINGTON
If Air Force One is in the shop and you can’t
make it to Hong Kong, there is another
presidential getaway just a short motorcade away.
The Inn at Little Washington has just opened a
presidential suite of its own, the Claiborne House –
named for late food writer and cookbook author
Craig Claiborne, who celebrated many birthdays
there when it was the private residence of the
Inn’s chef, Patrick O’Connell. The house features
two bedrooms, two and one-half baths, living and
dining rooms, a media room and library (plus views
of the Inn’s herb and cutting garden). Past guests
include Al and Tipper Gore and Warren Beatty and
Annette Benning (none presidential, though one
got awfully close). Get There: Middle and MainSt., Washington, Va., 540-675-3800, www.theinnatlittlewashington.com |
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