Designed to visit both the North and South Poles, Le Soléal, the latest ship from Marseilles, France–based Compagnie du Ponant, has just made its maiden voyage, departing from Venice to cruise to Portugal, Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic to Russia, and then heading to Japan, Southeast Asia, India, and back to the Mediterranean.
Setting itself apart from other cruising companies that boast enormous vessels with Vegas-like amenities, Compagnie du Ponant designs it…

Louis Vuitton has opened an expansive, extraordinary installation by James Turrell—the contemporary artist known for his work with light and its interaction with space—in Las Vegas. This installation, titled Akhob, uses the ganzfeld effect,a phenomenon of visual perception that happens when a viewer stares at an unstructured, uniform field of color. Akhob, from the Amarna-period Egyptian for “pure water,” is the artist’s largest ganzfeld effect to date. In addition to the Las Vegas installation, Turrell’s work…

Zero Halliburton, the brand known for its sturdyaluminum briefcases, has opened a flagship store on Madison Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The 1,600-square-foot space is being used as a testing ground for new collections; it also highlights the company’s remarkable history with displays of significant products and achievements, such a vignette of Zero Halliburton luggage that was used during an Apollo space mission to transport moon rocks back to Earth.
The company was founded in the 1930s by Erle P. Halliburt…

Introduced in the spring at the Maison & Objet show in Paris, three new wallpaper collections from Belgium-based Arte are now available at the company’s five U.S. showrooms. As with the brand’s more than three dozen other collections, which are available in hundreds of colors, the new designs draw on old-world patterns and exhibit attention to detail and, thanks to modern technology, can be applied seamlessly to any wall. The Linen paper features a blend of metallic threads over linen; Heliodor is an inlai…

Modern lines and traditional craftsmanship merge in the recent collaboration between the 1-year-old, New York–based furniture brand Studio Van den Akker and the 600-year-old, Murano, Italy–based glass maker Seguso. The eight-piece collection includes five stunning new lighting pieces, as well as vases and a platter. The Matteo lantern ($5,375) is a 35-inch-long pendant featuring a handblown, light-diffusing shade, and the Nico table lamp ($4,525) has a vessel-shaped body with three layers of glass. All of the …

For the first time in 50 years, Relais & Châteaux is reviving its Route du Bonheur package: a series of dining-driven itineraries led by notable chefs, starting with Thomas Keller’s personalized tour of Northern California. The five-day journey, priced from $1,470, will stop at the chef’s favorite destinations for wine, food, and sites from Napa Valley to San Francisco, and includes stays at Relais & Châteaux properties.
Stops include an afternoon touring and wine-tasting at Chalk Hill Estate in the M…

Scottish themes abound in the nomenclature of Torbreck, the celebrated Australian winery founded in 1994 by David Powell, who once plied his hand as a lumberjack in a forest in Scotland of the same name. Having gained valuable experience during his tenure at Rockford Wines in the Barossa Valley, Powell decided to strike out on his own after discovering a small vineyard of ancient vines that went unfarmed. He arrived at an agreement with the owner, whereby he cultivated the property in exchange for the harvest …

Whether you’re a first-time explorer or a seasoned safari-goer, Extraordinary Journeys’ new Million-Dollar Safari will take you on an African expedition like no other. Led by the renowned private guide Mark Homann, the 36-day excursion (priced from $809,600 for a group of four) is an immersive voyage through some of the continent’s most exclusive regions, from Rwanda’s Volcanoes National Park to Tanzania’s Mahale Mountains.
Beginning in Rwanda with the country’s endangered mountain gorillas, the custom-t…

The Royal Beach Tel Aviv opened last month on the city’s beachfront, near its lively nightlife and entertainment. The 230-room property was designed by Harald Klein, who brought his signature urban contemporary aesthetic to the hotel. The rooms are spacious, and nearly all have balconies with views of the sea. The 15th through 19th floors feature suites, which are about 800 square feet each and are specifically designed for families. The Royal Beach Tel Aviv has two swimming pools, the Cloud 9 wellness club, a…

Lemala Kuria Hills has opened in Serengeti National Park in the Wogakurya Hills of Tanzania. Situated within the main migration corridor for wildebeest and in proximity to the Mara River, the remote camp comprises 10 tents in a picturesque surrounding. The eco-conscious camp is powered with solar- and wind-generated electricity, and the facility was built using a mix of recycled steel, glass, sustainable timber, composite decking, and canvas. Each tent has a bedroom, sitting and dressing areas, and a deck with…