Latest news with #Drake
Cosmopolitan
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Cosmopolitan
An Honest Review of Amanyara, the Luxe Hotel in Turks and Caicos
As a vacation enthusiast and travel editor, visiting an Aman property has always been at the top of my bucket list. The hotel group's ultra-luxury resorts have come across my desk—and IG feed—many times over the years, from Amangiri in Utah (a Kardashian-favorite getaway) to Amanpuri in Thailand (I drool every time I see it). So when I was invited to the Turks and Caicos to visit Amanyara, the brand's beachy retreat within Providenciales' North West Point Marine National Park, I nearly passed away. Me? Posting up in the same hotel where Beyoncé celebrated her 43rd birthday? I'd have swum there if I had to. Luckily, I didn't have to—I jetted off to the always-summery island this past December, and quickly realized I was going to be treated like an A+ lister for my entire three-night stay. Amanyara is, without a doubt, the most luxurious hotel I've ever stayed at (and, again, I'm a travel editor, so that's saying a lot), and I'm ready to tell you all about the food, rooms, amenities, and more below. Read on for my full review of Amanyara, and apologies in advance for all the poetic I'm about to wax. BOOK A STAY THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS This was my first time in the Turks and Caicos, but I'd heard so many amazing things about the island nation over the years, from both colleagues and Drake songs, that I found myself dreaming about the white sand beaches for the entire four-ish hour flight from NYC. When we landed, a driver from the resort was there to pick me up, and the good vibes started immediately with cold drinks and Caribbean tunes welcoming me into the van. After less than a 30-minute drive, we arrived at Amanyara, and that's when things really started I quickly learned that I was going to be staying in a villa—but not just, like, a room within a building. I was going to have an entire apartment to myself within Amanyara's Six-Bedroom Beach Sala Villa, aka a 13,640-square-foot retreat on the resort grounds, complete with six standalone apartments (perfect for a group of up to 12, but I was there with four other media members), a central pavilion with a dining room and hangout area, an infinity pool, plenty of lounge spaces, an outdoor dining area, and a private slice of beachfront. Our two villa "hosts"—who acted like private, golf-cart-wielding butlers throughout our stay—greeted me upon arrival and let me know that the private chef (because yes, each group is also assigned a chef, who can make you whatever, whenever) had prepared fresh spring rolls and mocktails to snack and sip on. I cannot get used to this, I remember telling myself in that moment. THE ROOMS "Room" is definitely an understatement here, but inside my apartment was a plush king-sized bed, a desk with ready-to-send postcards, a soaking tub with bath salts, a fridge full of complimentary drinks, so many closets I actually lost count, a bathroom larger than my NYC apartment (including an indoor/outdoor shower that changed my life), and a private outdoor space complete with lounge chairs and a yoga stage. I was in the apartment closest to the pool, so every morning I would hit a button to open the shades, and the floor-to-ceiling windows would reveal the sparkling water just outside. I always headed out to sun by the pool, book in hand, before getting ready each day. I asked one of the hosts for a cappuccino and orange juice the first morning, and every morning after that, I was greeted with a glass of both as soon as I plopped my butt down on a lounger. The juice was so fresh, it tasted like the host had picked an orange off a tree and hand-squeezed it minutes earlier, just FYI. THE AMENITIES In addition to taking service very, very seriously (like actually, I think the staff would have flown to another country to get something I asked for), Amanyara is also huge on prioritizing wellness. With your booking, you get access to four clay tennis and pickleball courts (and a very kind instructor), a volleyball court, a soccer field, a boxing studio, a Pilates studio, and a wellness concierge who you can work with even before your stay. Our group took a private boxing class on our second day, and the instructor, Aga, kicked our butts in the best way possible. If sports are your preferred style of self-care, you'll want to check out Amanyara's Legends Program, in which award-winning professional athletes from across the world come to the hotel to teach clinics in their field. Previous visiting icons have included tennis player Maria Sharapova, basketball player Kevin Love, football player Demarcus Lawrence, and more. On the flip side, if relaxing hard is your idea of wellness (same), you'll want to pop over to the spa, where there are four treatment rooms, a tranquil pool, and an outdoor yoga space. There are a variety of island-inspired spa treatments to choose from (including baths, facials, wraps, and massages), as well as rotating classes and treatments depending on which visiting specialists are in residence when you're in town. Holistic therapist Irene Maranon Villa was visiting during our stay, and she taught us an Ai Chi class—which is basically aquatic Tai Chi— in the spa pool. I had no idea what that was when I saw it on our itinerary, but I wound up loving the slow and thoughtful practice. THE FOOD AND BEV Food is also a form of wellness, and, naturally, Amanyara excelled in this area as well. Of course, we had our private chef on call to make us anything our hearts desired (and he did whip up breakfast every morning), but we also had access to The Restaurant, an Asian-inspired fine dining spot, The Beach Club, which offered Mediterranean and American fare down by the ocean, and The Bar, where you can grab light bites along with some seriously delicious drinks. We tested out all three, and I highly recommend getting the chicken fried rice and dumplings from The Restaurant, and the gazpacho, mortadella pizza, and tzatziki from The Beach Club. I think my favorite meal, however, was the one the hosts set up for us on our last night, in which they arranged a candlelit table by the pool in our villa. The chef whipped up a multi-course, family-style meal comprised of their best Thai dishes. It was such a nice way to close out an incredible trip, and a great way to make use of the privacy afforded by the villa. THE BOTTOM LINE A stay at Amanyara doesn't come cheap—I kept texting my fiancé how sad I was that he wasn't there with me, because it's definitely out of our regular vacation price range—but oh my god, if you can afford I've been wined and dined at dozens of hotels across the world, but there's something about Amanyara that's just special. The service is top-notch without being stuffy, the food is out of this world without feeling over the top, the design is peak luxury while still being minimalistic, and I felt like the best version of myself throughout my stay. I've finally checked an Aman stay off my bucket list, but now I a bigger bucket list. Because now I've decided I have to see every other Aman there is out there in the world. Wish me luck!
National Post
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- National Post
Former Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan shares thoughts about playing in Toronto
DeMar DeRozan may have a beef with one of Toronto's most famous musicians, but he has nothing against the city itself. Article content During a recent appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, the California-raised NBA star – who has become involved in the rap feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, siding with the latter — shared his feelings about playing the majority of his career north of the border. Article content When asked by host Theo Pinson, a former NBA guard, about his time playing in Toronto, DeRozan was nothing but complimentary towards the Six. Article content 'Talk about hooping in Toronto, in general … How special is Toronto?' Pinson asked. Article content 'I'm glad I didn't get drafted nowhere else. Toronto is always going to be the No. 1 place in my heart,' DeRozan said. Article content 'For everything that they've done for me, did for me, supporting me through my time there.' Article content Article content DeMar's love for Toronto is unconditional #WeTheNorth — Raptors Republic (@raptorsrepublic) May 28, 2025 Article content DeRozan was selected ninth overall in the 2009 NBA draft by the Raptors. Article content 'I grew up there, I embraced everything that came with playing there and I just wanted to give everything back to that place when it came to playing basketball,' DeRozan continued. Article content 'That's why I worked so hard, that's why I repped so hard … that fanbase deserved that when it came to sports.' Article content The six-time NBA all-star also said that he wanted the city to be known for more than just the Leafs on the sporting landscape. Article content 'When I got there, I remember just only seeing the Maple Leafs on TV every single day,' he said. Article content 'I wanted it to be respected for basketball as well, I wanted people to think that Toronto, from that standpoint as well. Article content 'That's why it was so dope when we hosted (NBA all-star weekend) there in 2016, to bring more light to the city.' Article content Article content During the interview, DeRozan also praised his former teammate and fellow Raptors great Chris Bosh. Article content Article content DeRozan said that, during his rookie season, he was blown away by the 11-time all-star. Article content 'Listen, CB was cold,' DeRozan told Pinson, according to Basketball Network. 'Listen, bro. I remember our first training camp. I remember coming in training camp and excited for training camp. I'm like, 's***, Chris Bosh is about to be here.' He coming in training camp, but he didn't do training camp, because I think that's the summer before they did the Olympics. He was on the Olympic team, so he was resting. Article content 'But when the season started and how he got to it, he was getting buckets, he was getting 40. I'm like, 'Yo, this motherf***** nice!' DeRozan added. Article content
Edmonton Journal
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Edmonton Journal
Former Raptors all-star DeMar DeRozan shares thoughts about playing in Toronto
Article content During a recent appearance on the Run Your Race podcast, the California-raised NBA star – who has become involved in the rap feud between Drake and Kendrick Lamar, siding with the latter — shared his feelings about playing the majority of his career north of the border. When asked by host Theo Pinson, a former NBA guard, about his time playing in Toronto, DeRozan was nothing but complimentary towards the Six. 'Talk about hooping in Toronto, in general … How special is Toronto?' Pinson asked. 'I'm glad I didn't get drafted nowhere else. Toronto is always going to be the No. 1 place in my heart,' DeRozan said. 'For everything that they've done for me, did for me, supporting me through my time there.'
Forbes
13 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
Kendrick Lamar Replaces Drake At No. 1 On A Billboard Chart
For the past year, Kendrick Lamar has been beating Drake left and right. He first ended a rap feud between the two with "Not Like Us," which has become perhaps the biggest hit of his career and was easily declared the top tune among all the diss tracks the two aimed at one another over a short span of time. Lamar's album GNX and its singles have kept many of Drake's releases at bay for the past several months. This week, Lamar scores another win on a Billboard ranking, stopping Drake in his tracks yet again. Lamar is in charge of the Rhythmic Airplay chart this week, as he rises to the summit with "Peekaboo," his collaboration with AZChike. Last frame, the tune sat at No. 4, and now it jumps to first place, becoming another champion for Lamar in its fourteenth frame on the tally. Lamar collects his eleventh No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay tally as "Peekaboo" climbs. Over the course of his career, he has landed 20 top 10s and 35 total appearances on the radio list. "Peekaboo" is another huge single taken from GNX, one of several that have hit No. 1 on the Rhythmic Airplay radio tally. Previous focus tracks from the project like "Squabble Up," "Luther" with SZA and "TV Off' with Lefty Gunplay have all spent time in first place. Lamar has been on quite the winning streak lately, as he's also added new No. 1s with "30 for 30" alongside SZA, and "Not Like Us," his longest-running ruler. All six of his tunes have dominated the ranking over the past year or so. Last week, Drake's "Nokia" was in charge of the Rhythmic Airplay tally, and now it dips to the runner-up rung. The Canadian hip-hop superstar made history just a few days ago when "Nokia" ruled, as it became his milestone fortieth No. 1 on the list. That's a landmark no other artist has come even close to. Amazingly, Drake claims more No. 1s than Lamar has total appearances on the Rhythmic Airplay chart. So while Lamar may be winning at the moment, Drake may be the true champion here.
USA Today
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
6 all-time viral National Spelling Bee moments you need to rewatch
6 all-time viral National Spelling Bee moments you need to rewatch Happy 100th anniversary to the Scripps National Spelling Bee, the event that teaches us all about great sportsmanship, the intensity of competition and -- oh, right -- how to spell some really, really REALLY tough words. But since the event was televised -- mostly on ESPN for a while -- we've been given some wild, weird and downright shocking moments as these impressive kids try to win a ginormous trophy and the glory of having their name among the all-time spelling champs. With 100 years of S-P-E-L-L-I-N-G to look back on, we selected six of the wildest viral National Spelling Bee moments that you should rewatch. Here they are, in no particular order of importance: 1. The EUONYM mic drop, 1997 This is the first viral moment I can remember from young Rebecca, who knew EUONYM for the win and nailed it with ease. 2. The Napoleon Dynamite imitation, 2005 Dominic nailed the spelling AND the line from Napoleon Dynamite. 10/10. 3. The Drake reference, 2015 I love when there's a pop culture reference, as you can see. And now I'll never forget what a bacchius is. 4. The faint, 2004 Poor Akshay Buddiga. He stumbled, he fell .. and then got up nailed the word. 5. "Sardoodledom," 2007 Admit it: you laughed too, didn't you? 6. The Milkshake mistake, 2014 Oops. But this was a happy mistake in my opinion! We need more funny sentences involving Drake and Kelis and beyond! Even with how intense it all is, a little humor breaks it all up, right?
