Photos by Steven Visneau
Styled by Leslie Rivas-Kelly
Models Whitney Ann and Aaron Schechter for Page Parkes Agency, and Bryce Leasure and Ryan Boone for Neal Hamil Agency
Hair by Zackery Chapa for Hue Salon
Makeup by Edward Sanchez for Arched Beauty
Styling assistance by Tanesha Seafous and Kadita Dabu
Shot on Location at 100 Carnarvon Dr. in Memorial and is listed by Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty
Spring 2025 marks an exciting new chapter for Escape Spa! We'll be opening the doors to a significantly expanded space, designed to elevate your wellness journey. With an additional 1,200 square feet, the spa will feature a dedicated yoga and meditation room, providing a tranquil haven for mindful and therapeutic practices. Our guests can also look forward to an array of recovery options, including innovative therapies and treatments to rejuvenate your mind, body and well-being including Yoga + Mediation, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and a Cryotherapy Sauna. The expansion also includes more treatment rooms, ensuring a personalized experience for every guest. This larger, more versatile space allows us to enhance our services and create an even more immersive and transformative “Escape” for you.
My vision has always been to create a sanctuary where you can disconnect from the stresses of daily life and reconnect with your inner self. This expansion brings that vision to life in a whole new way, providing a haven of reset, and restoration with a wider array of therapies for body and mind. We're committed to providing a space where you can prioritize your wellbeing and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
And speaking of journeys, I'm embracing my own path of seeking a deeper connection with oneness and truly focus on intention setting. Every morning, I take a few moments to pray and set clear intentions for the day ahead. It's a powerful practice that helps me stay focused, grounded and aligned with my goals. Intention setting is more than just wishful thinking; it's about consciously directing your energy and attention towards what truly matters. By setting clear intentions, you create a roadmap for your day, your week, or even your year. It's a way to invite positive change and attract all that you desire. Give it a try — start by setting small, achievable intentions and observe the positive impact it has on your life. Remember, your journey is unique and personal. Embrace it, nurture it, and allow Escape Spa to support you along the way.
Vichy shower at Escape Spa
Couples treatment room at Escape Spa
Relaxation lounge at Escape Spa
Concert of Arias finalists on the Wortham stage, including first place and audience choice winner Geonho Lee of South Korea, third from left. (Photo by Michael Bishop)
The Wortham Center concert — which serves as the finals of the Eleanor McCollum Competition for Young Singers, pitting the world’s best young singers against each other for high honors and big money — was even more spectacular this year. The young opera performers were accompanied by a full orchestra for the first time, and not just a lone piano per the tradition. And a full orchestra requires a big-shot conductor. Enter Maestro James Gaffigan, the general music director of Komische Oper Berlin, music director of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia and music director of the Verbier Festival Junior Orchestra in Switzerland.
Other operatic glitterati also participated in the rousing affair. Judges included Michael Heaston, the deputy general manager of the Metropolitan Opera and the former music director of HGO’s Butler Studio school; Khori Dastoor, HGO general director and CEO; and Summers. World-famous, Houston-based diva Ana María Martínez selected the recipient of her Ana María Martínez Encouragement Award.
But of course, the real stars were the performers, each of whom performed two numbers for the judges — and for the audiences gathered in the hall and watching the live stream hosted by Ernie Manouse. The audience, by the way, participated in the dolling out of awards, voting by phone for the coveted Audience Choice Award.
Jim Loftis and Alexa Chally (photo by Michelle Watson)
Beth Madison and Steve Hamilton (photo by Michelle Watson)
Misook Doolittle, Stephen Beaudoin and Charlotte Lee (photo by Michelle Watson)
Albert Chao and Anne Chao (photo by Michelle Watson)
Megha Karkera and Mayur Kanjia, Warren and Rachel Ellsworth, Jaclyn Goodell, and Brad and Meagan Glover (photo by Michelle Watson)
Mark Walker and Thomas DeNapoli (photo by Michelle Watson)
Loren Meeker, Barbara Labatt and Blair Labatt (photo by Michelle Watson)
Harry and Diane Gendel (photo by Michelle Watson)
Janet Carrig and John Carrig (photo by Michelle Watson)
Roberto Kalb, Gloria Portela and Navasard Hakobyan (photo by Michelle Watson)
Angela Lee and Myrtle Jones (photo by Michelle Watson)
When the winners were announced, it was cute young baritone Geonho Lee of South Korea, with his warm buttery voice and impish charm, who walked away with both the first place award and the audience prize. That’s $30,000 in the total purse!
After the competition, event chairs Reinnette and Stan Marek welcomed nearly 500 opera lovers into the Wortham’s grand foyer for a dinner party celebrating the beaming contestants. In all, more than $775,000 was raised. “Proceeds from the Concert of Arias support the Butler Studio’s mission to recruit, develop and champion world-class young artists,” noted an HGO rep. “These funds also help bring opera to communities across Greater Houston, offering accessible programming for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.”
Guests for the evening included Estela Cockrell, Sarah and Ernest Butler, Molly and Jim Crownover, Cynthia and Tony Petrello, Theresa and Peter Chang, Stephen Klineberg, Anne and Albert Chao, Matthew and Kristen Loden, Robert Sakowitz and Mindy and Joshua Davidson.
The lobby of White Elephant Palm Beach
There’s only 32 rooms — and there’s just as many staff present to usher guests to their rooms, or whisk them to a destination of their choosing in a 2025 BMW. (Guests can also zip around town in a complimentary BMW from the hotel on their own.)
The lobby is draped in white curtains with woven rugs and a neutral palette. The centerpiece is “The Lady of the House,” a large painting by Orit Fuchs of a woman in oversize pink sunglasses and a blue headscarf inviting guests to explore the island (which is as colorful as she is!). The resort boasts more than 130 vibrant art pieces that pop against the neutrals of the hotel.
White Elephant has recently partnered with The Cove Club, giving guests access to the exclusive day-party locale. It’s a quick drive in the house BMWs to The Cove Club in West Palm Beach where pretty people sip rosé and listen to house music spun by a DJ with mega-yachts as his backdrop. There’s a splashy pool, a stretch of beach, and all the people watching one could desire.
While in West Palm Beach, head to higher elevation for more yacht views with a side of attractive tourists at Spruzzo, the rooftop restaurant on top of The Ben hotel. The Mediterranean-inspired environs include a 360-degree bar and lots of shareable dishes to pair with the eclectic cocktail menu.
Back in Palm Beach — or, as the locals call it, “the other side of the bridge” — Café Boulud is an al fresco oasis steps from the luxury shopping along Worth Avenue. In the courtyard of the single-story historic Brazilian Court Hotel, Boulud is dotted with white umbrellas shading brunch-goers who dine in an enclave of palm trees. Don’t miss the dover which can be shared and filleted at the table. It pairs perfectly with Boulud’s famous patio sipper, the White Cosmopolitan, served in a large martini glass with a frozen edible flower.
After a day of exploring the island, White Elephant beckons. The rooms are serviced three times a day, so returning is always relaxing and welcoming. Don’t travel far for dinner: Lola41 in the courtyard serves up sushi and international dishes in a buzzy vibe. For a nightcap, walk to Cucina, where the cool kids hang out. After the restaurant tables are closed out for the night, disco balls are illuminated and it turns into a full-on club. Don’t worry about staying out too late — the airport is close and easy to navigate, and the flight to Houston is only 2 and a half hours.
The entrance of the 101 year old building
The pool
The pool
The Park Suite at White Elephant
Capt'n Jose Roll at Lola41
DJ Adam Lipson at The Cove Club
The Seafood Tower at Spruzzo
Al fresco dining at Café Boulud