The Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas showcases the world’s tallest chocolate fountain designed by award-winning executive pastry chef Jean Philippe Maury. At 26 feet tall the fountain circulates nearly 2100 pounds of dark, milk and white chocolate at the rate of 120 quarts per minute :

* 6 pumps circulate close to 2 tons of chocolate
* Over 500 feet of stainless steel piping
* Chocolate circulates at 120 degrees F
* Climate controlled enclosure maintained at 95 degrees F
* Chocolate rises 27 vertical feet from lower level pump room
* 6 ceiling spouts disburse chocolate 14 feet above floor level
* Chocolate cascades into 25 hand-crafted artistic glass vessels
* 2 years of engineering, planning and design

IYC (International Yacht Collection, LLC.), recently announced the addition of two new superyachts to their charter and management fleet, the M/Y TUSCAN SUN and the M/Y CHEVY TOY (Ex JANIE).

The 147’ 7” (45m) six (6) stateroom M/Y TUSCAN SUN was built in 2006 by Izar/Navantia and can accommodate twelve (12) guests. She has a crew of nine (9). The beautiful interior also includes oversize windows on the main and bridge decks that provide stunning views. A selection of water toys are available as well as a gym.

The TUSCAN SUN is available at a rate of EU 160,000/wk. for the Summer of 2008 and $235,000/wk. for the Winter of 2008/09. Her charter schedule is West Med - Riviera/Corsica/Sardinia, West Med - Naples/Sicily for the Summer of 2008 and Caribbean - Windward, Caribbean – Leeward for Winter 2008/09.

The 157’ (47.8m) M/Y CHEVY TOY has a spectacularly rich interior that mirrors a stately home of Europe. Built in 2004 by Trinity Yachts, this plush superyacht has a baby grand piano, large swim platform, and air-conditioned alfresco dining for 10 on the aft deck. There is also a Kaleidescape entertainment system throughout for easy selection from yacht’s central movie and music libraries.

The CHEVY TOY is available at a rate of $157,000/wk. in the Bahamas for Summer 2008 and $165,000/wk. in Winter 2008/09 in Caribbean - Windward, Caribbean – Leeward.

An innovative eco-friendly home in a Cotswold nature reserve has been sold for a world record £7.2 million for a country house. The ‘thoroughly modern manor house’, modelled on a bee orchid found on the reserve, was sold off-plan last week. The buyer has chosen to remain anonymous but speculation is rife with Brad Pitt having looked at the plans and Kylie Minogue having stayed nearby recently.
The size of an average semi, the cost works out at £3,000 per square foot.

Orchid House will be part of the Lower Mill Estate, built on a 550-acre privately-owned nature reserve near Cirencester, known as the ‘Capital of the Cotswolds’.

Building work for the house, which is one of the country’s most complicated planning applications, will take three years to complete. It is hoped it will produce more energy than it uses, with an underground pump and geothermal heating. The house is designed by Sarah Featherstone, whose practice in east London is designing part of the Olympic athletes’ village

For quite some time the American express Centurion card or commonly known as the American black was a highly coveted item. For users of the American black there is no such thing as credit limits ordinary folks have to put up with.

The estimate is that at the moment there approximately 17,000 black cards in circulation. However to be eligible for the American express black you must charge 250,000 per year. The initiation fee will set you back for $5000, while the annual fee is $2500.

But apart from the no credit limit there are many added perks – a personal concierge service that will score tickets for events and make your reservations for you. Then there are the private shopping services that will open doors for you at all the major fashion houses.

Here comes a perfect antique gift for your beloved. Featured above is a 206.82 carat sapphire pendant encrusted with diamonds to be auctioned at Sotheby’s auction house in Geneva, London.

Designed by jeweller Cartier in 1951, the pendant formely was a part of collection of Britain’s Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. It is anticipated to fetch $1.1-1.5 million (Euros 6,97,000-9,50,000) on 15 May.

A Ron Arad sofa may fetch up to 80,000 pounds ($159,000) at a London sale this week that aims to tap demand for “design art.”

The steel work looks amazing — just don’t sit in it. “If you’re sitting on a polished metal sofa with rivets on your jeans you have to be careful,” said Ben Williams, a design specialist at Phillips de Pury .

“Sitting on these pieces tends to be reserved for special occasions. They’re usually just looked at as a sculptural element in the room.” [...]