ELISA'S MOTHER / DAUGHTER TRIP TO LONDON & PARIS

Last month I headed back to Europe, this time with my youngest daughter Hadley,age 14, by my side. We spent 9 days between London and Paris, two of my favorite cities in the world. This was Hadley’s first time to both destinations so I wanted to make this experience super special for her. I created a modern day, classic itinerary that hit all the must city highlights and paired them with chic dining options and bought tickets to the hottest museum exhibits in town. It was such a gift to have this alone time with my baby girl. I spend so much time planning our family holidays that I forget to carve out time for one on one trips. I am so glad I finally did and have these memories to always look back on. Below I share some of the snaps and trip highlights xx Elisa

---

Hotel: A Terrace Suite at Claridges.

*Mapps is a partner with Maybourne Hotels. Complimentary daily breakfast, hotel credits and VIP priority upgrade.

Top 3 Eats: Fallow, Rovi and Coal Office.

Afternoon Tea: The Lanesbourough who has a special “Bridgerton” menu.

Museum Exhibit: Kusama Infinity Mirrors at Tate Modern.

Private Tour: Small Car, Big City Mini Cooper Tour.

Hadley’s Fav Moments: The Changing of The Guard, shopping at Selfridges and the spicy cauliflower tacos at Bourough Market.

---

Hotel: A Prestige Suite at Plaza Athenee ( I wanted her to have a true Emily in Paris moment )

*Mapps is a partner with Dorchester Hotels. Upgraded at time of booking, complimentary daily breakfast and hotel credits.

Top 3 Eats: Mokonuts, Girafe and our lunch at Lou Lou’s in the garden of the Louvre.

Afternoon Tea: Ritz Paris

Museum Exhibits: The new Dior Museum was AMAZING, Thierry Mugler, Love Brings Love Alber Elbaz and YSL Tribute at The Louvre.

Private Tour: Food tour in St. Germain and a Side Car City Highlights Tour with the team at Retro Tours.

Hadley’s Fave Moments: Shopping on Rue de Montaigne, boat ride on the Seine River, seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle, the macaroons at Laduree and the ice cream at Kith.

---

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Getting Here: We flew to London Heathrow Airport and then took the Eurostar Train to Paris which took under 2.5 hours. We flew home from Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Ideal Planning Lead Time: 6 weeks

Travel Requirements: England and France have dropped all the testing requirements and paperwork to enter the country if you are vaccinated.

Elisa’s Notes: London and Paris were jammed packed. I was so happy we had a buttoned up itinerary that included skip the line tickets. The lines to enter most museums were an hour long or same day tickets were sold out. Traffic right now in both cities was pretty hectic, so having an itinerary that focuses on one area of the city at a time is key.

CHEVAL BLANC OPENS IT'S DOORS IN PARIS NEXT WEEK

On September 7th, LVMH will open it’s first urban hotel, Cheval Blanc Paris, located In the heart of the City of Light, only a few steps away from the Louvre and the Marais and in front of the Left Bank. The 72 room/suite hotel was designed by Peter Marino, the architect behind numerous LVMH stores, who designed the hotel with the spirit of a Parisian apartment in mind. Below we share a sneak peek —

Mapps X Cheval Blanc: VIP priority upgrade, special nightly rates, complimentary daily breakfast and spa credits.

THE TOP 5 PLACES OUR CLIENTS ARE DINING AT THIS FALL IN PARIS

L’JEAN AMI: Tiny bistro serving elevated meat & seafood dishes made from sustainable ingredients.

LE SERVAN: French-Asian dishes like blood sausage wontons & ginger pork belly, in a space with a vintage vibe. We also love their sister property right down the street, Double Dragon.

FRENCHIE: Rustic-chic stop for seasonal French dishes with global influences, plus chef's carte blanche menus.

ELLSWORTH: They have great small plates to share and the fried chicken is sublime. This hotspot is from the same owners as Verjus.

MAISON: Sota Atsumi, the mastermind behind Clown Bar’s newest jaunt is comprised of a Japanese-accented French cuisine located in the city’s 11th arrondissement.

---

SHAKEN OR STIRRED: PARIS'S SUMMER COCKTAIL

Summer is the ideal season to tap into your inner mixologist. Take a detour from the trodden trail of classic cocktail recipes with Le Bar du Bristol’s summer make-it-at-home special, the Caribou Mule.

THE CARIBOU MULE

Ingredients

50 ml Bulleit bourbon whiskey
15 ml organic maple syrup
20 ml lime juice
30 ml cranberry juice
30 ml cloudy apple juice
50 ml ginger beer 

Method

Pour whiskey, maple syrup, lime juice, cranberry juice and apple juice into a cocktail mixer. Top with ice and shake until combined. Fill a glass with ice and pour over with cocktail mixture. Add ginger beer to fill and stir.

 Garnish ideas: mint leaves, orange peel, star anise and bourbon cherries.

 Chin-chin!

THE INSIDER: J.K. PARIS

J.K. Hotels are famous for their chic modern decor and high-touch personalized guest service. With outposts in Rome, Florence and Capri, we were chomping at the bit to see their most recent unveiling, this time in Paris. We asked General Manager and friend of Mapps, Riccardo Ortogni to take us inside.

ACCOMODATIONS

ROOMS: 29 including suites, all individually styled with Italian furnishings and Parisian accents.

RICCARDO’S FAVORITE: “The J.K. Signature Suite, my favourite Suite in Paris, we have only one and it is nearly 90sqm. It was designed personally by Michele Bonan with pieces of furniture from the Flea Market in Paris. The room features a stunning bathroom with a huge and sexy shower and a fireplace (not usable). Furthermore the living room and the bedroom are separated by a unique cube of bronze made by an artisan in Tuscany, that is a walk-in cabinet. I love this beautiful "apartment" for a long stay, fantastic for a couple but suitable also for families with 1 or 2 small kids as the sofa turns into a comfortable bed.”

DINING

With successful stints in both Miami and Aspen, it was time to go global. Casa Tua ( a MAPPS fav ) opened its first international location at J.K. Place Paris. Nestled on the ground floor of the hotel, the restaurant features it's signature open-air kitchen and serve delicious Italian cuisine and fine wine.

THE LOUNGE BAR

The perfect place to enjoy your morning coffee while reading Le Monde or for pre-post dinner cocktails where guests choose between sparkling French Champagnes and the finest Italian Negronis served in Paris.

J.K. WELLNESS

The Sisley Spa offers signature treatments and features an indoor swimming pool, sauna, steam room and a fully-equipped gym.

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

MAPPS X J.K PLACE AMENITIES: Special nightly rates, a complimentary upgrade subject to availability, daily breakfast at Casa Tua and a spa credit.

GETTING HERE: The hotel is 35 minutes from Charles De Gaulle Airport by car, on the Left Bank of The Seine River. The hotel is a stone’s throw away from Musee D’Orsay.

BEST TIME OF YEAR TO VISIT: March - May, September-December.

IDEAL GUEST: J.K. junkie, one who prefers small hotels that have an at home-like atmosphere.

P.S. Contact info@mappstravel.com for our complete guide to Paris.

A very special merci beaucoup to Riccardo and Team J.K.

BEHIND THE SCENES: ELISA TURNS THE BIG 40 IN PARIS

With only 4 days to explore Paris and celebrate my big 40, I hit the streets running to pack in all of its’ glory. The goal? I set out to perfect my guide to Paris, breaking down each neighborhood by highlighting the top cultural landmarks and pairing it with incredible dining experiences to make my clients' future stays seamless. I had the opportunity to test out a few new restaurants, visit the latest museum opening Atelier de Luminere and checked into one of my favorite hotels on the planet, La Reserve Paris. Here are some highlights below... Happy Birthday to me xx Elisa

---

Checking in...La Reserve owner Michel Reybier kept a journal for several years of everything he would want in a hotel of his own, starting with the slippers and going all the way to the flowers and hand-selected vintage books in the library. While the location put me in the heart of the Champs, the 40 room hotel felt more like the home of my chic friend with Eiffel Tower views… delivering the ultimate romantic hideaway in one of my favorite cities in the world.

ROOM TO BOOK: My personal favorites are the Imperial Suites and the Prestige Junior Suites.

MAPPS X LA RESERVE: Category upgrade at booking, daily complimentary breakfast and spa credits.

---

Ellsworth Kelly at the Louis Vuitton Foundation took my Sunday morning coffee to a whole other level #swoon

---

Scored a table at the latest hotspot Girafe. Eiffel Tower views and killer razor clams = perfection.

---

Atelier de Luminere, Paris’s first digital art center was gorgeous, presenting classic pieces to immersive music- & video. We were lucky enough to catch the Van Gogh exhibit.

PRO TIP: Book the 11am time slot, block off an hour and then head over to Le Servan or Double Dragon, just a few doors down for an epic lunch. The restaurants open their doors at noon and do not take reservations, so timing accordingly is imperative.

---

My new amour, Maison Labiche. Striped tees and sweatshirts with customized monograms and graphics located in Le Marais, one minute from the city’s best pizza, Big Love. #StripeGirlForever #ECB #MAPPS