Mercer has just released its top 50 most expensive cities in the world based on cost of living.

Mercer’s Worldwide Cost of Living Survey 2008 is used to help multinational companies and governments determine living costs for their expatriate employees, who usually demand a relatively high quality of life.

Mercer’s survey covers 253 cities across six continents and measured the relative cost of over 200 items in each place, including housing, transport, food, clothing, household goods and entertainment.

Its week-end guys, time to relax… Although we are based in Hong Kong, the temple of the luxury ^_^, I would like to post about a fabulous place in New York City, where a friend of us is working !

Pierce Mattie Public Relations, one of the hottest luxury PR firms, has an oasis right in Times Square. Their 4000 square foot corporate office houses a luxurious and tranquil spa-like facility well known to savvy editors from the top beauty, fashion and lifestyle publications.

The Media Oasis hosts a spa treatment room, shampoo room, makeup and hair studio, as well as, a lounge where editors can relax while hearing about the hottest products launching on the market. The Media Oasis was an innovative design concept and collaboration between CEO, Pierce Mattie and Architect, Edward Thornton. The result is the feel of a modern day resort while still maintaining the function of a large corporate office.

Guests of the Media Oasis can receive exclusive facial treatments, body massages, manicures and pedicures, aromatherapy sessions, chemical peels and body treatments based on which brand is presenting at that time.

The clandestine milieu is also outfitted with a shampoo room fit for scalp treatments and hair processing. The soothing chocolate-stained wood floored lobby is simply furnished with soft white leather banquettes accented with elegant flowing jade curtains. Soft sights, sounds, and textures are complemented by the superb taste of a cold beverage along with the relaxing release of aromatherapy scents throughout the Oasis, provided by Scent Air™. All rooms with the exception of the lounge have handcrafted brown-suede flooring and technoline moka tile. The lounge area exhibits a distinct Italian tile by Bisazza Mosaico.

Pierce Mattie Public Relations remains the industry leader in communications for luxury beauty, fashion, home, health and fitness brands. With offices in New York and Los Angeles, Pierce Mattie PR has solid relationships with the editorial world of New York and the celebrity world of Hollywood.

Pierce Mattie PR has a proven track record of collaborating with its client partners to deliver consistently outstanding results and with an amazing space such as the Media Oasis, it’s not difficult to figure out why. Though, If you guys are invited over there, that means you have a great fashion blog ^_^.

Goldman Sachs Group have just bought 230 Park Avenue, New York for $1.15 billion from a property investment fund owned by Dubai’s government.

Istithmar World Real Estate sold the property to Goldman’s Whitehall Fund and Monday Properties, the Dubai-based company.

The 172-meter tall 230 Park Avenue building, also known as the Helmsley Building and having 35 floors, originally served as headquarters of the New York Central railroad companies.