INTRODUCTION LETTER
Hello,
Thank you for considering reading The Curious Eyes™. My name is Kiki Preston, as close friends call me, after a notorious socialite and a relative of the prominent Vanderbilt and Whitney families. However, I wasn't born with a silver spoon, nor did I earn the nickname "the girl with the silver syringe." Instead, I come from a Muslim/Jewish family that survived a decade-long war, losing everything, including our home. I made my way to receive an excellent education and find comfort in life, understanding just how uncomfortable it can get.
Over fifteen years ago, while living in a rented room just a five-minute walk from the Red Square in Moscow, I started a blog about fashion. It was around the time when Tavi Gevinson registered her Style Rookie in 2008. Within a couple of years, my blog became a must-read among hipsters in Moscow. This journey led me to contracts with major luxury brands, allowing me to become a photographer, evolve into a creative director, and offer my expertise as a brand strategy consultant. It also allowed me to travel the world and write not only for my blog but for magazines like Condé Nast Traveler. A significant part of my travel experiences revolves around the hotels I've stayed in, and they remain my greatest passion.
During my stays at various hotels in cities I visited for the first time, I always found myself engaging with the concierge team at the front desk. They have consistently been incredible guides, opening doors to countless unique experiences for my curious eyes. For example, the concierge at Mandarin Oriental Residence in Barcelona once opened the doors of Casa Amatller, a place that tourists were not allowed to visit. During my stay at the Hotel Bauer Palazzo in Venice (which is set to reopen in 2025), I had the honor of being introduced to Italian Filmmaker Luchino Visconti’s nephew, Leo, who provided a private tour of their family Palazzo Rocca Contarini Corfù on the Grand Canal. The same where Princess Diana once hosted a secret party during one of her visits, a fact not even revealed in Ken Wharfe's book, "Diana: Closely Guarded Secret." The dedicated team at Negresco in Nice happened to have connections that led to a private organ concerto in the empty Fraumünster Church in Zurich, with the sun setting through stained-glass windows created by Marc Chagall in 1967. I had to take a detour for a day to Istanbul to experience this spectacular moment. These are the people who not only open doors but eyes to the greatest beauty.
Little did I know that in 2017, I would relocate to New York City and have to learn to write and speak English. I've come to cherish my accent. Americans often perceive accents as a weakness, but those of us [immigrants] who have traveled the world to come to this country hold a wealth of knowledge behind our 'non-clear' pronunciations. It's a knowledge born of experience that many Americans may not fully appreciate, perhaps because they haven't traveled far enough beyond their borders yet.
After a couple of years of making my way in New York, I started working as a photographer and Creative Director, led an agency for a few years, launched a media project dedicated to men’s beauty and wellness, and eventually took a break during a challenging period in my life. During this hiatus, I made [the best] decision to step back from my previous pursuits, taking a couple of years to reflect on what's truly important moving forward. It was during this time that I embarked on a new adventure, deciding to become a concierge at a hotel myself.
Working as a hotel concierge, I'm learning what it truly means to provide exceptional service and become a guide for those seeking to explore all that New York City has to offer. Throughout this journey, I've had the privilege of meeting legendary concierges from different hotels with extensive experience, individuals I proudly refer to as the "concierge legends." I draw daily inspiration from them as much as the dedicated housekeeping attendants making up the room in such high demand.
This job isn't one where your best tool is simply Google; it demands a vast knowledge of history, culture, art, literature, music, and people, including those in the hospitality industry, to create a touch of magic for the guests. However, we always hold the right to refuse some of them because not everything has its price.
Inspired by the remarkable people who shape New York City in the best possible way, I want to try to share some of their stories. I want to discuss the restaurants we prefer and why. I aim to go beyond the commonplace experiences that are endlessly copied and pasted from one Instagram blogger to another, diving deeper than the meaningless captions that often go unread. I want to learn about something I've yet to discover and introduce you to places I've frequented.
These places aren't merely buildings; they are operated by individuals who often go unnoticed. These are the very people who make your visits exceptional, ensuring seamless perfection. I hope to introduce you to some of these remarkable people, along with recommendations and sharing untold stories. After all, if places like hotels don't have a history behind them, are they even worth experiencing?
Stay tuned, and let's go on this journey together.
In other words, let's have a Kiki.