Each Friday, Russ Anderson, the president and CEO of Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty and the CEO of Pacific Sotheby's International Realty, writes about luxury, trends, business and more in the advertising pages of the Mansion section of The Wall Street Journal. Below is his letter of April 3, 2026.
FROM THE PRESIDENT'S P.O.V.
Talk about a perk.
We proudly represent a residential high-rise so pampering that it comes with its own hotel next door. And in that hotel is a new restaurant so intriguing that I guarantee the room-service orders have picked up in the residential tower.
The restaurant is called ASTRA Kitchen + Lounge, and it is newly opened inside the HALL Arts Hotel — which adjacent to HALL Arts Residences. Other perks in that sleek tower include a glass-walled wine room, a spa-treatment room and a rooftop putting green with the most thrilling skyline views imaginable.
ASTRA has that same oh-wow DNA. Blending art and atmosphere, it brings approachability to an elevated experience, offering seasonal, made-from-scratch dishes. Think vanilla-bean buttermilk pancakes for breakfast, beef Wellington bites with brandy-peppercorn sauce for lunch and miso-honey-mustard short ribs for dinner. All of this tastiness happens under a sculptural light installation, which lends a celestial aura to the space. It’s all ethereal and artful, just like the hotel itself — known for its contemporary art collection and, yes, premium pampering.
Life is all about coddling at HALL Arts Residences, from its built-in wellness features to its luxe amenities. If that sounds like your kind of place, I’d hurry: There are just a handful of homes left. Anyone can enjoy those delicious short ribs at ASTRA, but having them brought to your door is next-level.
Russ Anderson
President and CEO, Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s International Realty
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