High skies
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, Jacaranda, Four Seasons Cartagena, best Hawaiian villas, MORE
GETAWAYS • Dubai
Oasis of restraint
Dubai is open. A recent trip confirmed the city is still functioning well, and for the intrepid traveler, still very much worth a visit or stopover.
Even as traffic’s abated from pre-conflict hyper-saturation, Dubai remains one of the most competitive five-star hotel battlegrounds on earth. At the full-on spectacle end, Atlantis The Royal dominates. Bvlgari holds the yachts and oligarchs private-island position. Mandarin Oriental Jumeirah and The Lana (operated by Dorchester Collection) have also raised the bar for design and service. The remaining gap in the market? A property that matches Dubai’s scale and ambition with genuine restraint.
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab, which opened in March 2025 on the beachfront peninsula between Jumeirah Beach Hotel and the Burj Al Arab, makes that case. The architecture is by Shaun Killa, who designed the local Museum of the Future, and here, he’s completed the Jumeirah beachfront architecture trilogy — sail, wave, yacht — with curved balconies and horizontal lines that feel fluid (rather than monumental). A dramatic arch at the base frames the Burj like a deliberate act of deference to the over-the-top opulence that defined the original era.
When you walk inside, the restraint becomes more clear. Designer Tristan Auer and Wilson Associates delivered a lobby broken into a sequence of intimate rooms (soft neutrals, lacquered wood, and a nice interplay of contrast colors) rather than the Gulf’s standard marble arrival halls that are engineered for maximum effect.
The food and beverage program is where the operating acumen really shows itself. There are 11 restaurants and four bars, clearly zoned: Bombay Club for Indian, Rialto for Italian with a rare green marble bar known for being a solid Negroni perch, a discreet gin room off the back, Iliana for Greek beachfront lunches. The overall approach seems to be aiming for repeat visits from locals and visitors alike, not just one-night corporate card blowouts.
An 82-berth superyacht marina with its own casual dining boardwalk gives the property a social perimeter. In the rooms, minibars are stocked with interesting, handpicked desserts rather than the usual Snickers and Pringles minibar fare. It’s a small touch, but shows someone’s thinking about what actually delights a guest.
Rooms facing the mighty Burj al-Arab are the obvious photo-snapping tourist play, but the city-view could be a deeper option. The prestigious low-rise Umm Suqeim neighbourhood below, one of Dubai’s older residential quarters, tells a quieter version of Dubai, one of restraint and more subtle urban hum. The duality is part of the appeal. –Colin Nagy
→ Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab (Dubai, UAE) • Jumeirah St – Umm Suqeim Third – Umm Suqeim 3 • Rooms from AED 4500–6500 ($1225-$1770/night).
RESTAURANTS • First Person
In bloom
Spring is a fitting time to welcome back chef Daniel Patterson after a decade hiatus from fine-dining kitchens. His new Hollywood tasting menu restaurant, Jacaranda, opened at the start of May. In less than a season, it’s already blossomed into an LA favorite.
Tucked away just a block off the corner of Highland and Melrose, the restaurant could be home to a boutique architecture firm from the outside. There’s plenty of concrete, darkened wood overhangs, and a fully draped floor-to-ceiling window. But the cozy inside smooths out any edges. My party was welcomed in with a warm violet light, conversation, and an invitation to take a seat at the full-wall banquette. Above, a shelf held potted flowers and home-brought paintings, and the speakers played a heavily Gen-X-tilted soundtrack.
Sarah Lewitinn, former music journalist and producer (explains the playlist), is Patterson’s wife-slash-partner and Jacaranda’s head host and entertainer. After she greets the night’s guests (there’s only one seating), she spends the rest of the evening floating around the dining room, starting and joining conversations, introducing one party to another, and vibing, essentially. We met and then talked to our neighboring two-top for about 30 minutes. Despite our decades-wide age gap, we both knew and loved a deeper-cut, early aughts Beck song that played over the fourth plate of the 10-course ($295 per) tasting menu.
The menu, an evolution of the tasting program Patterson oversaw at San Francisco’s famed Coi, is quite the journey. Highlights include a puffed rice cracker decorated with avocado and radish that was as fresh as starts get. Then, a more savory yuba roll, with whipped miso wrapped in tofu skin, and whipped tofu underneath a gelatin made from Monterey Bay seaweed and caviar. I marked the latter as “caviar tiramisu” in my notes. –James Royce
GETAWAYS • Colombia
Cartagena cloisters
The Four Seasons Hotel and Residences Cartagena opened its doors in April. Instead of feeling like a shiny new build resort dropped into Cartagena, the hotel is folded into the city’s history, weaving together a 16th-century cloister, restored theaters, and the historic Club Cartagena into one sprawling luxury property in Getsemaní, on the edge of the walled city.
Spanning a series of restored landmark buildings, the developers assembled a team of architects, designers, restorers, and artisans focused on preserving the property’s sense of place. Some spaces feel grand and dramatic, while others are more quiet and intimate, with breezy courtyards, colorful tiles, and lush vignettes that draw guests in.
There are two broad categories of rooms to choose from: contemporary rooms that are classic, bright, and everything I’d expect at a Four Seasons, with a chaise lounge chair and desk area. Then there are the rooms located in the historic Cloister. These so-called Colonial rooms are darker and moodier, with high ceilings, four-poster beds, and a much more unique aesthetic, plus direct access to the property’s peaceful courtyard.
It’s also home to Major Food Group’s first South American outpost with The Grand Grill (a riff on The Grill in New York City) and Bar LeLarge. On my visit just a few days after opening, a glamorous steakhouse energy was already evident at the former, and I sipped tropical cocktails made with local fruits at the latter. There’s also a lovely rooftop with two pools and a separate restaurant with panoramic views of both the city and the sea, plus Pizzeria Della Chiesa on the ground floor with a patio that spills out into the street. –Amber Love Bond
GOODS & SERVICES • Big Ticket
Select answers to the FOUND Routine query, What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
→ EMILY STRAUSS, founder, EF Collection (LA): I bought this Chanel bag in Paris from Matthieu Blazy’s debut collection. It’s current and fresh, but also a forever bag. I just love it!
→ AYSIA CENTENO, head of membership, The Ned NoMad (NY): On a trip to Barcelona, I stumbled upon ADN Galeria and splurged on a framed print. Getting it home was a challenge, but it now anchors a corner of my apartment and instantly brings me back to Gaudí and those winding Barcelona streets. In New York, Poster House is where I’d go for something similar, as they always have beautifully curated exhibitions and prints.
→ NII-AYI EVANS, pastry chef, The Surf Club Restaurant (Miami): Recently, I bought the Roomba Plus 505 Combo Robot, and it’s been fantastic.
REAL ESTATE • California
Three for-sale properties in Montecito, CA, that came to market in the last 10 days:
→ 1060/1064 Ladera Ln (Montecito, above) • 4BR/4.1BA, 5316 SF house • Ask: $4.75M • on 45 acres in the hills, with gracious interior courtyard • Days on market: 5 • Annual tax: NA • Agent: Cristal Clarke, Berkshire Hathaway.
→ 195 Sheffield Dr (Montecito) • 4BR/4.1BA, 4074 SF house • Ask: $7.95M • Spanish hacienda w/full-floor, spa-quality primary suite • Days on market: 6 • Annual tax: $30,880 • Agent: Don Johnston, Sotheby’s.
→ 709 San Ysidro Ln (Montecito) • 4BR/5.1BA, 6000 SF house • Ask: $12.975M • 1926 Andalusian estate in Golden Triangle w/ sweeping mountain views • Days on market: 9 • Annual tax: $71,320 • Agent: Frank Abatemarco, Sotheby’s.
AROUND FOUND • Other Notable Intel & Recs
→ UPSTATE NY: When Gaskins, the Americana restaurant in Germantown, NY, closed in 2024, the small town collectively mourned and then gossiped about what would replace one of the only restaurants in town. In April, NINES finally filled the void. The space is brighter and softer. This new aesthetic aligns nicely with the food, which emphasizes Italian and French flavors and preparations, with the ingredients and twists beloved by (and local to) Hudson Valley diners.
→ CALIFORNIA: A boutique hotel smack in the middle of the Danish-themed village of Solvang in the Santa Ynez Valley, The Landsby is a sea of understated charm in the middle of what could easily be mistaken for a Hallmark movie.
→ LONDON: Traditionally a high-end destination for jewellery, watches, hats and handbags, the historic Burlington Arcade is now home to a different type of gem: master pâtissier Nicolas Rouzaud’s eye-popping pastries. Opened in January, Le Café by Nicolas Rouzaud is an elegant spot fitting of the 200-year-old shopping arcade, yet colourful and modern enough to attract a much younger clientele.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Brace: ASE (Aspen) airport closing April-November 2027 for runway shift • Checking in at new Red Cliffs Lodge Moab • A case for bringing back the Concorde • Who’s actually running the hotel?
ASK FOUND
One PROMPT for which we seek your intelligence:
What’s your favorite restaurant that you’ve visited on your travels?
More answers or questions? Hit reply or email found@itsfound.com.
GETAWAYS • The Nines
Hawaiian villas and residences, family stay
The Nines are FOUND’s distilled lists of the best. Here, 9 villas to book in Hawaii:
Four Seasons, Hualalai (Big Island), all 3 BR, Hawaiian Loa Presidential Villa (10 guests), Makaloa Villa (12 guests), Ho‘oneanea Villa (7 guests), all w/ second stories, ocean views, concierge team, book