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Flashback>
the Return of the Motel
HOTELS
Sure, the word “motel” may cause you to break out in a cold sweat and prompt less-than-fond childhood memories of pulling in for the night at a nondescript roadside motor inn after riding for hours in the family station wagon. But things have changed. Many formerly drab cookie-cutter motels have been reinvented in 1950s style with retro decor, fabulous pools, and hotel-quality amenities.
 The epicenter of mid-century design is Palm Springs, California, a hangout for the likes of Sinatra and the Rat Pack back in the day. In keeping with the lounge spirit, the nine-room ORBIT IN (from $169, www.orbitin.com) is a tonic for the harried L.A. crowd, with funky furnishings like lava lamps and Eames fiberglass chairs, and a fun social aspect -- there’s a free Orbitini poolside cocktail hour, and guests can play games like Monopoly and Uno. You’ll be channeling Dino in no time.
Another desert oasis that’s been turned into a retro hipster hangout is the HOTEL VALLEY HO (from $159, www.hotelvalleyho.com) in downtown Scottsdale, Arizona. This 1956 classic with a Frank Lloyd Wright–inspired facade now boasts glass-walled rooms with vivid color schemes like orange drapes and aqua platform beds, private patios facing the always-buzzing circular pool, and Café ZuZu, which serves updated versions of comfort foods like meatloaf and just-baked apple pie.
THE ROXBURY (from $125, www.theroxburymotel.com) is shaking up the Catskills in rural upstate New York, about a three-hour drive from Manhattan, with its whimsically decorated motel rooms that sport tongue-in-cheek names like the Shagadellic and Genie’s Bottle. After a day of hiking mountain trails or antiquing, chill out in the Shimmer Spa or by the groovy high-tech outdoor gas fire pit.
L.A. style guru Kelly Wearstler has transformed the former Beverly Carlton motel into the AVALON HOTEL (from $289, www.avalonbeverlyhills.com), a mid-century-modernist hideaway with snazzy George Nelson lamps, Noguchi tables, and Eames-inspired chairs. The place to be (especially during Thursday’s happy hour) is Blue on Blue, the restaurant beside the hour-glass-shaped pool, where lime-green-walled cabanas fairly scream California cool.
Even the standard economy motel chains are getting in on the action: Motel 6 recently announced plans for a new brand called Phoenix, which will showcase a more stylish, contemporary decor. -- Jill Fergus
Freeze Frame Memorable Motel Moments
Caught on Film
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STYLE
Time is Money
Why you should spend $18,900 on a watch. -- Rob Brinkley
 Investing in a 5119G is arguably smarter than investing in stocks or art. PATEK PHILIPPE
is one of the most prestigious firms in the world, with a history
dating back to 1839. Consider the stats: more than 70 patents held;
three to five years of research to develop each new model; 220
watchmakers who make everything on the premises; 1,200 to 1,500 steps
to make the movement of a single watch. Your grandchildren’s children’s
children will appreciate this. They will be wearing the watch, but
without having had to spend many thousands of dollars on it. The 5119G is an evolvement of Patek Philippe’s most popular watch, the Calatrava 3119, which was introduced in 1985.
The CASE
measures 36 millimeters in diameter and is exceptionally thin, at only
seven millimeters. Around the edge is Patek Philippe’s iconic “Clos de
Paris” hobnail pattern, etched using the traditional diamond guilloché
technique. It’s also water-resistant (at depths of up to 98 feet) and
is handmade in either 18-karat white gold, yellow gold, or rose gold.
It will certainly survive your shower.
The subtly domed glass over the watch’s face is called a “sapphire” CRYSTAL
, and it’s exceptionally clear. It’s also highly resistant to
scratches, which means the 5119G will stay brilliant for a long, long
time -- like its owner, of course.
On a background of pure white lacquer, the simple Roman font used for the numbers makes the DIAL
easily readable. Its uncluttered austerity, say the folks at Patek
Philippe, “has survived all fashion trends.” Translation: It goes with
everything -- and it always will.
The inner workings of the
5119G are mechanical and manually wound -- old-school style (the mark
of dapper gents everywhere). It is called the 215 PS MOVEMENT
and has 130 hand-crafted parts. At only 2.55 millimeters thick, it is
one of Patek Philippe’s thinnest, made in-house by craftsmen who polish
each tooth of each hardened-steel pinion gear with a beechwood disc. It
oscillates 28,800 times per hour -- outpacing maybe even your
BlackBerry. It also, as you might suspect, keeps painfully accurate
time.
The hour and minute HANDS
are shaped like long, elegant leaves and made of 18-karat white gold.
The smaller inset hand -- it keeps track of those 60 little seconds --
is shaped more like a conductor’s baton.
The BAND
is crafted of bold-scaled alligator hide that’s finished with a high
gloss. The 16-millimeter, 18-karat prong buckle will keep your 5119G
securely fastened around your wrist -- important when you’ve spent the
equivalent of a Mini Cooper on your watch.
| Time Keepers: The Patek Philippe Museum If
you find yourself in Geneva, Switzerland, soon, make time for the Patek
Philippe Museum. This 1919 gem of a restored building houses more than
500 years of marking time, from a circa-1550 watch shaped like a
celestial globe to several stunners from the watchmaker’s personal
collection, including an 1848 pocket watch depicting two Polish princes
as well as a limited-edition wristwatch made to survive the harrowing
slide into the year 2000. That one had an especially lengthy power
reserve -- 10 days, in fact. Patek Philippe Museum, Rue des
Vieux-Grenadiers 7, CH - 1205 Geneva; www.patekmuseum.com |
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DRINK
A Glass of Scottish Terroir
Aye,
laddie, the more than 100 distilleries in seven bonny regions across
Scotland means Scotch whisky has a sense of place -- and many different
flavors. Join us as we sip a wee bit of a few of them. -- Becca Hensley
 The Region: Speyside, in northeastern Scotland
The Distillery:
Glendullan, opened in 1898 in the heart of Dufftown, a charming
Highland village at the foot of the Conval Hills that’s a little over
an hour from Aberdeen
The Whisky:
The Singleton of Glendullan, an amber-colored, 12-yearold single-malt
whisky that tastes like orange marmalade and brown spices. Its nutty,
toffee nose comes from malted locally grown barley; its smoothness is
from pure water drawn from the wooded hills above the distillery. $36
The Region: Coastal East
The Distillery: Clynelish in Brora, on the North Sea
The Whisky:
The color of burnished gold, Clynelish 14 Year Old has a dried-flower
fragrance from nearby fields, sea salt notes from the sea, and a
spiced, fresh fruit aftertaste. $50
The Region: Isle of Skye, off the northwest coast of Scotland
The Distillery: Talisker, the only distillery on the rugged islands
The Whisky:
Talisker 18 Year Old starts as soft, peaty water drawn from 21
underground springs. Double-distilled, smoky from the peat, sweet and
salty, with the faint aroma of oysters, evoking the sea. Warms with a
peppery aftertaste. $65
The Region: The Island of Islay
The Distillery: Ardbeg
The Whisky:
Perhaps the most distinctive whisky in the world, award-winning Ardbeg
Airigh Nam Beist explodes with burning peat. Ponderous, it smells of
vanilla-laced pipe tobacco, fennel, and Chinese tea but tastes like
creamy smoke. It ends with a deep aggression. You either love it or you
don’t. $120
The Region: The Highlands
The Distillery: Glenmorangie
The Whisky:
Crafted by just 16 men (like all Glenmorangie products), the festive
12-Year-Old Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban is finished in port pipes from
Portugal. It’s voluptuous and highly textured with nutty aroma blended
with mandarin orange and mint chocolate. $65
The Region: Coastal West
The Distillery: Oban, located about two hours from Glasgow in the atmospheric seaside town of the same name
The Whisky:
A maritime whisky, born of local water running from Loch Gleann na
Bearricdh, Oban 14 Year Old’s nose suggests walking through the lemon
orchards of Italy. Its honey-like flavor fills the mouth, and its salty
finish has been puzzled over for nearly 200 years. $65
If You Go
Ardbeg Distillery Islay
001-44-1506-508227
www.ardbeg.com
Clynelish Distillery
Brora, Sutherland, KW9 6CR
011-44-1408-623000
www.malts.com
Glendullan Distillery
Dufftown, Keith, Banffshire AB55 4DJ
011-44-1340-822303
www.malts.com
The Glenmorangie Company
Tain, Ross-Shire, The Highlands
011-44-7843-441427
www.glenmorangie.com
Oban Distillery
Stafford Street, Oban, Argyllshire
011-44-1631-572004
www.malts.com
Talisker Distillery
Carbost, Isle of Skye
IV47 8SR
011-44-1478-614308
www.taliskerwhisky.com
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TECHNOLOGY
So, You Wanna Be Famous?
A Layman’s Guide to Achieving Overnight Celebrity
 Ask any superstar:
Most will swear they’re blessed to enjoy such widespread success and
media attention. But with the power that today’s Internet has to
transform everyday individuals -- e.g., TechCrunch founder Michael
Arrington and bitter divorcee Tricia Walsh Smith -- into overnight
sensations, well … who needs serendipity when you’ve got the World Wide
Web? Case in point: American Way’s contributing editor SCOTT STEINBERG. His recent book, Get Rich Playing Games (www.getrichgaming.com),
cost pennies to make but has landed him guest spots on NBC, Fox, and
CNN. We decided he could teach us -- and you -- a thing or two. If
you’re ready to take the world by storm, then heed the following
advice, and worldwide renown will be just a click away.
Shh, don’t tell Al Roker:
The way modern newsrooms operate, pen a volume on anything and you’re
an instant expert. Print-on-demand services like iUniverse, Lulu.com,
and Worldclay mean anyone can become a published author. And for just
$500 to $600, you can even ship illustrated, professionally bound
hardback volumes to Amazon.com or Barnes & Noble.
Clothes make the man.
Use CafePress, Print-Mojo, or Spreadshirt to design and sell hats,
jackets, tees, boxers, bodysuits, and more. Coin an especially catchy
slogan or ideological statement, and runway stardom could be yours.
Prove tomorrow’s Spielberg is staring back in the mirror…
It just takes a simple, budget-friendly USB camera, e.g., Logitech’s
QuickCam Communicate MP ($50) or Creative’s Vado Pocket Video Cam
($100). Once shot, video shorts are easily transferred to computer and
film-sharing sites like YouTube, Viddler, or Metacafe, which attract
millions of eager viewers. Film gets discovered, and poof, you’re
accepting an Oscar come February.
Want to play DJ?
Podcasts -- homemade digital audio clips created using any Mac- or
PC-compatible headset ($10 and up) -- cost nothing to distribute via
the web through iTunes or Zune Marketplace. Prefer music-making? Like
witty monologues, songs can be quickly recorded using free (or
wallet-friendly) programs like Audacity and Reaper. CD Baby and
TuneCore offer immediate sales outlets.
Need Inspiration?
Just look to these online icons
Following the 1996 launch of film industry fansite Ain’t It Cool News (www.AintItCool.com), founder Harry Knowles
quickly became a Hollywood fixture. He’s since appeared in several
pictures, starred alongside Siskel & Ebert, and recently made the
Forbes Web Celeb 25.
Humorist and public speaker Ze Frank
began his Webby-winning career with a simple birthday-invitation video,
which spread like wildfire online, culminating in a deal with Beverly
Hills’ United Talent Agency.
Stand-up comedian Dane Cook -- a primetime regular most recently seen starring in the feature film Dan in Real Life alongside Steve Carell -- used MySpace to captivate millions of fans and watched his prospects skyrocket.
Emo quartet Panic! At the Disco
scored a legendary record deal after they caught the ear of fellow
multimillion-dollar-selling rocker Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz, who
created a buzz for their online demo. The band’s contract was inked
before the group had played one live show.
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