A Tough Day At The Office

by The Daily Front Row

Yesterday, StndAIR took eight journalists including Mark Ellwood and Fashionista’s Leah Chernikoff on a luxury Sea Plane ride to Shelter Island, where they enjoyed a private tour of the Sunset Beach resort, courtesy of hotel manager Steven Jauffrineau and an extravagant French- inspired cuisine prepared by renowned chef Mark Zeitouni. We gave Emily Lessard the arduous chore of covering all the action for us. Think Survivor with a case of rosé…

9:00 a.m.
The piercing sound of my alarm meant only one thing today: I had an incredible day ahead of me! After trying on no less than seven different maxi dresses (Duh! It’s a beach trip!), I finally selected my Lush cotton maxi, grabbed a granola bar, and headed outside to hail a cab. As the driver drove in circles and the fare continued to increase, I realized that he had absolutely no idea where the 23rd Street Skypoint Marina was located; I paid him for the ride, got out on First Avenue, and walked the rest of the way.

10:28 a.m
I arrived at the marina as the first guest on the trip and was handed the special “In-Flight Edition of Standard Culture” and a complimentary Aesop shower kit (perhaps they thought I already smelled after my long trek?) I waited about 15 minutes with the welcoming StndAIR representative before the other guests arrived. The editors and reporters coming along for the ride were equally as psyched to get out of the city on one of the hottest days of the year. Oh, and a complimentary glass of rosé at 10:45 a.m. helped a little, too…

11:00 a.m.
Eight strangers boarded a private sea plane to Shelter Island. Sounds exciting, right? Indeed! It took a 45-minute air cruise to get pretty comfy with each other, sharing each other’s fears, pleasures, and stressors. Let’s just say my seat neighbor was a little freaked out, but we won’t name names. Nothing to fret over, darlings…the ride was super smooth! And a private ride for you and your dearest will only set you back $3K…

11:40 a.m.
Greatest. Entrance. Ever. We landed in the water and exited the plane ready to greet the surrounding crowd captivated by our travel option. Steven, the hotel’s manager, welcomed us to the island with a fresh glass of André Balazs Reserve rosé courtesy of the French-simulated Sunset Beach Resort, along with delicious nibbles.

12:15 p.m.
The gang embarked on a private tour of the super chic hotel and its facilities. The highlight was definitely the stunning view of the beach…from the inside of an air-conditioned hotel room.  

12:45 p.m
Fatigued by the tour, and two glasses of rosé in the heat, we sat down for lunch. The French-influenced menu was superb; the mussels, the pasta, the Oreo sundae dessert, and, of course, more rosé. Starting to see a pattern here?

3:25 p.m.
The newly acquainted clan was given a tour of the Sunset Beach boutique. Curated annually, brands such as Tooshie, Salinas, and Ondade Mar are stocked. 

4:00 p.m.
Scheduled “leisure time”. The heat, the ocean, the rosé…it can all really add up to only one thing. That’s right darlings, yours truly (and the seven others) stripped down to our underwear and went swimming in the bay for over an hour. One writer left the day with a momento in the form of a jellyfish sting. Ouch! 

6:00 p.m.
After a warm and weclome swim in the bay, everyone got dressed and headed back to the hotel as we awaited the plane’s arrival for our trek back to Manhattan. Obviously there was more rosé!

6:35 p.m.
We departed on the journey back to the city. The trek back felt like 30 minutes, which beats Hamptons traffic any day of the week. Thanks, StndAIR, for an adventure I’ll never forget!

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