Posts Tagged ‘art’
It’s not often that you’ll find original works of fine art produced by renowned artists adorning hotels in the Caribbean. Even when you do, the price you’ll pay to stay at properties showcasing such art makes buying the works themselves a better investment.
At La Suite Villa, though, you get the best of both worlds.
The Caribbean is not perfect. Oh, I know we make it sound that way, but believe me, we West Indians are well aware of our warts. One of the biggest that has always disturbed me is litter.
When I was a kid growing up in St. Croix, I remember once getting a ride home from school with a family friend who tossed a soda can to the side of the road like it was no big deal. This was a guy who used to be like an uncle or older brother to me, but our relationship was never the same after that.
Stay in special places and you’ll meet special people. It’s a rule I’ve followed over the years that has spawned many great friendships and brushes with fame. Case in point, my last trip to Old San Juan, where no more than 10 minutes after checking into The Gallery Inn, I met Anton Kuerti.
Who’s he? Oh, only one of the most accomplished classical pianists of our time; a master in the works of Beethoven who initially rose to fame after performing with the Boston Pops in 1949… at the tender age of 11. Most of us guys will remember age 11 as a time when we were still riotously amused by games like Pull My Finger.
Remember the first time you heard of the chocolate chip cookies featured in the turndown service at DoubleTree Hotels? I do. Truth is I have kind of a lust issue with these chewy, gooey treats. I’ve actually gone out of my way on business trips to stay at a DoubleTree to get my late-night fix. Yeah, I have a problem.
I was reminded of my favorite bedtime hotel vice when I heard of a cool new turndown amenity offered by Cotton Tree, a small luxury property that bills itself as the first (and only?) boutique cottage hotel on Grand Cayman. The owner, a local Caymanian named Heather Lockington, designed the property as a hideaway where guests can fully embrace the island’s local culture and heritage.
A bottle of rum is a great souvenir of any trip to the Caribbean, every sip providing vivid reminders of sunny, carefree days, endless relaxation, and uniquely exotic adventures.
The bottles pictured here, of course, offer a little bit more.
I found these at the Rhum Neisson distillery in Martinique. The colorful hand-painted labels on each bottle, no two exactly alike, make these bottles a nice piece of artwork as well. Neisson rums also have regular labels, of course, but these are really special mementos that will still look good on your shelf long after they’re empty.
You shouldn’t sleep on what’s inside, though… These bottles are considerably more than just a pretty face.
Last week we clued you in on the U.S. history lesson to be learned at Habitation Clement in Martinique. This week, we turn our studies to art. Specifically, Caribbean art, like the beautiful works you see pictured above, which are currently hanging on display at La Case à Léo, also located at Habitation Clement in Martinique.
A former rum plantation/distillery cum rum museum may seem like an odd place to find such fine works of art displayed in such an elegant fashion, but as we said last week, Habitation Clement is no ordinary tourist attraction. I’ve traveled to Martinique 6 times in the past 3 years and have visited Habitation Clement each time.
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