Lisa and Johann Pepin’s relationship started with elements of a romantic comedy: A bubbly blonde from suburban Milwaukee meets a charming Frenchman working on his master’s degree in Wisconsin. The pair marry and move to Chicago to start their careers, she in public relations and he in finance. But in ... More

Luxury homeowners are bringing back more from their travels than just a basic souvenir. Now more than ever, frequent fliers return from their trips with a clear vision for the dream pool and spa in their backyards. “I’ve had homeowners come back from vacations in Hawaii with pictures of ... More

Marley Hodgson drives a 1962 Land Rover with custom leather seats, which—of course the founder of heritage leather brand Ghurka drives a car with custom leather seats. “When we bought ‘Rover’ in the 1970s, we replaced the vinyl seats with our own leather,” Hodgson explains. Summers in Martha’s Vineyard—and kid ... More

If you’re traveling to New York or London this summer with kids, don’t miss the newly unveiled Thomas & Friends Ultimate Playtime Pop Up Suite at The New York Hilton Midtown or The Waldorf Hilton, London. The exclusive suites are a child’s dream playroom, completely made over ... More

I eat out six nights a week, always meeting two or three friends for reviewing dinners. So I can't quite say when eating at the bar finally crept into my consciousness. Maybe it was in September, when  Manhattan's Le Bernardin, staid and very properly French, installed a lounge ... More

So many posh hotels these days make a big deal of all the ways in which they cater to pets—the in-room “Best Friends” menu featuring burgers and bone-shaped biscuits at L’Ermitage in Beverly Hills, the poolside pet massage at Las Ventanas al Paraíso in Cabo among them. But make no ... More

Unless I change my name from Joshua David Stein to something like Sterling, Blaine or Hunter—or maybe all three at once—there are limits to how close I can come to resembling a true Southern Gentleman. I’m not talking about Rhett Butler, but the modern version: Today’s Southern Gentleman is a ... More

When I received a bottle of a newly launched wine called Fichimori and was told to serve it “well-chilled,” I was skeptical to say the least. An Italian red, served cold?! I’d always been under the impression that red wine should be enjoyed just below room temperature and just above ... More

Shaye Moon spent more on her tail than she did on her wedding dress—and she doesn’t regret it a bit. “I’m wearing it more,” the 36-year-old says of the silicone contraption, which she straps on to splash around in a swimming pool near her Florida home. And she isn’t the ... More

You rarely get the call more than a day ahead, and that time in Beverly Hills was no exception. My friend Jerry, a fellow journalist and serious backgammon player, had been trying to get me into a hush-hush game of underground poker—high-class surroundings and real money on the table. Finally ... More