China’s ever increasing economic clout has again been reflected in a survey on consumer tastes in luxury goods which has shown the nation not only knows what goods it wants, it most certainly now has the means by which to buy them.

A report released this week by Bain & Company has claimed China is now the fastest-growing consumer of leather goods and jewelry worldwide.

Its overall luxury market has grown 23 per cent this year, meaning it’s on target to reap some 84.3 billion yuan (9.2 billion euro).

But what the world really wants to know is what are the Chinese after. According to this report, Louis Vuitton, Chanel and Gucci are the most lusted-for brands.

The hotel loyalty program Marriott Rewards, which counts 33 million members, has swept an awards event honoring the world’s best frequent traveler schemes.

It won the best hotel Program of the Year in both the Americas and in Europe, as well as a further nine awards, the most of any brand at the Frequent Traveler Awards presented November 4.

Gongs for the program included Best Redemption Promotion, Best Earning Promotion and Best Redemption Ability in the hotel category across the Americas, Europe and Africa, and Middle East and Oceania.

Forbes magazine, known for its lists, including The World’s Billionaires, Most Powerful Women, Top Earning Dead Celebrities, and Best Countries for Business, has selected this year’s list of the Most Powerful People in the World.

The top ten from the list are primarily heads of state, major religious figures and entrepreneurs, which is indicative of the full list of 68 people.

Lonely Planet has named its top cities to visit in 2011, picking New York as the best place in the world to be next year.

The list, compiled as part of the publisher’s Best in Travel 2011 guide, puts the Moroccan city of Tangier in second place and Tel Aviv in third.

New Zealand capital Wellington took fourth place spot, with the book saying that the innovative and inspiring city might just be the ‘Best Little Capital in the World’.

The bathrooms in Paris’s swanky Le Meurice hotel have been voted by best in Europe, beating a list of other contenders that prove the French know best when it comes to the salle de bain.

The honor was awarded last week at the industry Villegiature Awards, which recognizes the best aspects of Europe’s hotels — from terraces to websites.

The Philippe Starck-designed bathrooms of Le Meurice were judged to be the best, managing to top competition from Hotel Raphael in Paris, Le Palais Stephanie in Cannes, La Mas Candille in Mougins, and Muse in Ramatuelle (all in France) as well as Luna Baglioni in Venice, Italy.

Singapore and Hong Kong dominated a list of Asia’s best restaurants, but Malaysia made it into the elite ranks for the first time, an annual survey showed.

Singapore restaurant Iggy’s moved to the top spot from being #2 last year, according to this year’s ranking of Asia’s top 20 restaurants by The Miele Guide.

L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Hong Kong slid to second place from being number one last year.