Mr. & Ms. Connoisseur | #7

Mr. and Mrs. Connoisseur—Andreas and Simone Dressler—have been on the road again and bring back inspiring insights from the world of stylish travel. In their column, they take readers on an Art Deco discovery tour through Paris, recount surprising flight experiences, explore extraordinary architecture in the California desert, and share personal reading recommendations.

Between iconic hotels, fresh perspectives on familiar destinations, and deeply personal moments, a multifaceted view of travel emerges—marked by curiosity, style, and a keen sense for the extraordinary.

Beloved.

An Art Deco City Tour in Paris

Anyone who steps into the luxury hotel Prince de Galles on Avenue George V encounters a piece of Parisian architectural history. The hotel, which opened in 1929 and was designed by architect André Arfvidson, is one of those buildings where Art Deco was not retrofitted as decoration—it has been lovingly restored, with every detail dating back to the original era. Moreover, it is located in the heart of the “Triangle d’Or,” just a few steps from the Avenue des Champs-Élysées, and tells the story of a different, lesser-known Paris: of a city in the interwar period, of technological progress, international elegance, and a new understanding of luxury.

A magnificent Art Deco tour of the hotel begins right here. We suddenly came to see the hotel not merely as an extremely pleasant place to stay, but as a starting point for an exploration of style, materials, and urban modernism. Art Deco was never merely ornamentation. It was a language of acceleration, of travel, of the style of new metropolises—and in Paris, also an expression of French craftsmanship.





The Prince de Galles is a particularly apt example of this. The hotel was built at a time when the city saw itself as the center of a new style following the “Exposition internationale des arts décoratifs et industriels modernes” of 1925. The exhibition later gave Art Deco its name. Four years later, the Prince de Galles opened its doors—conceived as an elegant establishment for a luxurious, sophisticated clientele, named after the Prince of Wales, the future Edward VIII.

















Accompanied by Dr. Simpson, you can visit landmarks of the era such as the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées on Avenue Montaigne, the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris, the Musée des Arts, and the imposing Palais d’Iéna. The famous Parisian department store Printemps serves as the tour’s final stop. From here, original Art Deco storefronts lead into today’s world of luxury shopping. For guests of the Prince de Galles, this brings things full circle: what is experienced as atmosphere in the hotel finds its historical context during the city tour.

It’s worth it.

Surprise from Edelweiss Air. Just take off

When it comes to long-haul flights, we now always run thought experiments, especially since the popular routes to Asia with Gulf carriers and their hubs in Dubai, Qatar, or Abu Dhabi fall somewhere between a gamble and a daring move. Connoisseurs like us are increasingly looking for—unfortunately more expensive—direct flights when traveling for business to the Indian Ocean or Asian metropolises. It becomes particularly difficult when searching for a direct connection to Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. Here, the options are limited to sparse: Gone are the days when Austrian Airlines still offered this route from Vienna with its award-winning Business Class.





Anyone who hasn’t been a fan of SriLankan or the Swiss airline Edelweiss should give the latter a second chance: even after the outbreak of the U.S.-Israel-Iran conflict, there were still attractively priced business class tickets available at short notice. And here’s a surprise: The flight, which I checked multiple times, was extremely punctual; boarding began a full hour and a half before departure to ensure there would be no delays due to late passengers—hats off to them!

The Business Class on the A350-900 didn’t offer any showstoppers, but it is a thoroughly solid product with lie-flat seats, good headphones, and charming, competent service. The French welcome champagne, Gruet Rosé Brut, may not have a big name, but it’s an excellent start to the flying experience.





With lowered expectations, the menu surprised us several times over: The appetizer, a tomato-mozzarella salad, turned out to be a generous portion of tomatoes stuffed with burrata. Our main course, grilled barramundi with broccoli and saffron risotto, unexpectedly turned out to be a dream dish. We’ve never been offered barramundi on a flight before. In any case, we’ve marked the Swiss airline prominently in our flight calendar. It’s good to know that the airline will increase its frequencies to the Indian Ocean and Namibia starting with the winter flight schedule.

And: Edelweiss will be accepted as a full member of Miles & More starting in mid-2027. Frequent flyers will no longer have to book their flights through Swiss to earn their coveted Miles & More miles and qualifying points. A ray of hope in times like these…

Spotted.

A UFO lands in the desert

Palm Springs is usually known as a mid-century architectural highlight . Americans also appreciate the 360 days of sunshine per year and a champagne-like desert climate that invites “experiences” and “activities,” including world-famous luxury spas.

About an hour from Palm Springs, however, in the small town of Joshua Tree near the national park of the same name, the scenery shifts completely. Lovers of extreme aesthetics will find few hotels here, but rather private accommodations with a mix of bohemian, minimalist, and self-assured roughness: often simple structures staged with design flair—concrete, wood, glass, plus outdoor bathtubs, fire pits, and hammocks: raw, atmospheric, close to nature.

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Small boutiques sell handmade ceramics, vintage clothing, or desert art. Cafés serve soul food and vegan cuisine, often accompanied by conversations about art, music, or life in alternative communities. This captivates adventurers around the clock. Many stay in the national park until late at night—not least because of the starry sky, which is among the most spectacular in North America: stargazing here is not just an activity, but a ritual.

An alien-like hotel fits right into this extreme landscape. Nestled into the desert terrain, everything in this hotel is different from a classic resort. The architecture of the Reset Hotel follows a radical concept: minimalism as luxury. Materials like concrete, steel, and dark wood echo the colors of the desert, allowing the interior and exterior spaces to blend seamlessly. The “container-style” rooms appear minimalist at first glance—and it is precisely this that gives them a special quality.





The true center of each “box” lies outside its four walls. Private patios with fire pits, daybeds, and—in select categories—freestanding outdoor bathtubs transform the desert into a living space. In the evening, the sky becomes the ceiling: telescopes for stargazing, flickering fires, and a silence that is almost physically palpable. This is “Quiet Luxury” in its purest form: space, light, stars, silence—and the feeling of having completely fallen out of the world for a moment.

Read.

A book that moves you

Ms. Connoisseur doesn’t usually pick up self-help books—but this time, I did. The reason: I know the author of the recently published book “I’m Just Going to Do It Now – On the Courage to Take the First Step” personally.

Our friendship began on a trip. We were both looking for a healthy break from work and everyday life and decided on an Ayurvedic retreat—my first, but not Yvonne’s. We hit it off immediately. We exchanged travel reading material and personal stories. Yvonne, previously a senior bank employee in Leipzig with a secure job, had quit to pursue personal development as a coach. Among other things, she completed seminars on the “Big Five for Life” by bestselling author John Strelecky. After the early loss of her husband, she walked the Portuguese Way of St. James to make a fresh start—and was surprised herself at how well it worked.

When we met, she was planning a trip around the world. I was impressed—and even more so when she actually carried out those plans a few months later. I followed her travel blog and was captivated by her clear, honest writing and her thoughtful reflections on her experiences. Later, while she was staying in Cambodia, I invited her to join the Heritage Line’s “Lower Mekong Cruise” and to write for Connoisseur Circle about this unique “slow travel” luxury experience.

Yvonne loves writing just as much as she loves traveling. The Camino de Santiago, her round-the-world trip, and the numerous encounters with inspiring people she met while traveling alone became the protagonists of her book. Her journeys are also journeys of self-discovery. To this day, I admire her courage to embark on this path and fulfill her heart’s desire to write a book about it. Our journeys are not yet over—for any of us. Whether we choose luxury or adventure is secondary. Our personalities can grow with every new beginning, as long as we step away from the familiar.

Today, Yvonne is a “courage-inspirer”—and has found her true self.
Anyone who wants to join her for a while should read this book.

'Yvonne Simon
“I’m Just Going to Do It Now – On the Courage to Take the First Step”

HERE is the link to the book





Photo credits: Marriott International, Gry Space, Brandon Harman