Trendy travel

An article entitled The 31 Places to Go in 2010 has been lingering in the New York Times most-emailed list for a week or so. The whole piece is a little obnoxious, really -- the premise being that these are "the" hip places to be this year, as evidenced by sprouting luxury hotels and plenty of chic restaurants. (e.g., "Is this the next Koh Samui? The Trat islands are emerging as Thailand’s new luxury outpost.")

One mention caught my eye in the blurb for Marrakesh, Morocco:

Ms. Zwollo herself is adding to the glamour of the city. Later this month, she plans to open Harem (www.harem-escape.com), a wellness retreat just for women, set on a stunning 12-acre estate in the city’s outskirts surrounded by olive and palm groves.

So, you've named your new women's spa "Harem"? You've got to be kidding me. The website promises: "...we give our clients the opportunity to (re)discover their Femininity with a capital F."