Luxury hotels are still fighting for customers; creative, high-end amenities and services help them stand out.
At The Lowell New York hotel, four-legged guests can now dine on freshly-made meals ordered through room service without having to lift a paw.
The new Pet Room Service Menu provides a choice of meals prepared a la minute as well as a selection of canine snacks, amenities and accessories so posh pets are not only healthy and comfortable, but also fashionable.â€
Continue reading
The latest and most exciting bag off the Hermes Fall runway is the Jypsiere bag (aka the Birkin messenger) designed by Jean Paul Gaultier. He was seen wearing the androgynous shoulder bag down the runway following his Fall ’08 show for Hermes.
The bag is fashioned after a hunting satchel in which Gaultier describes as “a functional, nonchalant bag slung across the shoulder, combined with the iconic details of the Hermes bags”.
The much anticipated bag has yet to make its first appearance but apparently, there is already a long waiting list in the United States.
Continue reading
Nokia just announced a new addition to the Arte series, the Nokia 8800 Carbon Arte.
Until now, there was the original variant in black metal and the Sapphire Arte with a gem in the D-pad and genuine leather on the front and back.
The Carbon Arte, as its name implies, has panels of carbon fiber in its front and rear faces, along with titanium, stainless steel, and polished glass.
Internally, the new Carbon Arte is identical to the previous two models, and the only improvement is that the integrated memory is now 4GB instead of 1GB.
The new model will be available before the end of the quarter at a price of about EUR1100 ($1600). It remains a Europe-bound tri-band GSM, which means it won’t be fully usable in the States.
Louis Vuitton Monogramouflage Collection is the result of Murakami’s collaboration with Louis Vuitton.
The collection that combines the monogram and camouflage, made its debut on June 1st exclusively at an exibition of Takashi Murakami’s art in Brooklyn, New York.
The LV Monogramouflage collection features everything from bags to wallets to belts made of canvas or denim:
Monogramouflage Lys for $2,090,
Monogramouflage Bandeau for $135,
Monogramouflage Stole for $725,
Monogramouflage Treillis for $1,610,
Monogramouflage Ceinture for $305.
Monogramouflage Pegase 60 for$2,570
Monogramouflage Keepall 55 for $1,930
Monogramouflage Speedy 35 for $1,530
You can also pick from Monogramouflage iPhone Case which sells for $280 or the really cute Monogramouflage Passport Cover for $355.
We don’t have the images of all these lovely LV items so if you are rich enough, just buy the entire collection and take some pics for us please ^_^
A rare 1937 Bugatti Type 57SC Atalante Coupe sold for $7.92 million at Gooding & Co.’s auto auction during the annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in California over the weekend
With its streamlined styling, low-slung chassis and supercharged engine, the Type 57SC Atalante is one of the most desirable Bugattis.
It was designed by Jean Bugatti as a two-seater sports coupe and became the rarest of the four different body styles offered at Carrosorie Bugatti : only seven were manufactured.
Continue reading
This luxury doghouse was created in 2007 for a sales event at a department store in Tokyo and designed in collaboration with a maker of high-end pet goods. It’s worth3.9 million yen (32,000 dollars).
The most expensive doghouse in the world, large enough for a Chihuahua or terrier, is decorated with 7,600 crystal beads and has a pillow in the shape of Hello Kitty’s face.
“There’s been a boom in luxury couches for larger dogs, so we thought there might be room for something new,” said a Sanrio (the company behind Hello Kitty) spokesman.
Continue reading
Described by the company as “the world’s most advanced business jet,” the $21 Million Hawker 4000 Business Jet is the first plane to offer big-jet safety and technology features at a midsized-jet price.
After a 20-year, $1 billion development process, Hawker Beechcraft has held a delivery ceremony at its Wichita headquarters to hand over the first production version of the Hawker 4000 business jet.
It has a range of 3,280 nautical miles, that’s coast to coast or New York to London nonstop, which is pretty usefull unless you want to refuel in Greenland en route to London ^_^
Continue reading
Combining sapphire crystal, stainless steel, and aircraft aluminum the Mobiado Lucido limited edition takes inspiration from Mobiado Luminoso.
It will be unlocked and will work fine with any GSM operato but also across continents as it has triband GSM and WCDMA 2100 network coverage.
The Mobiado Lucido also supports MP3, MP4, eAAC+ and AAC multimedia file formats, which you can play on its built-in music player. It comes with A 2 megapixel camera and 2GB of memory.
Only 200 pieces of it will be produced. Price and availability has not yet been disclosed but as usual, that won’t come cheap!
According to Forbes, Golfing pro Tiger Woods will become the world’s first billionaire athlete in the next few years.
In 2007 alone, Woods earned $115 million, $65 million more than the second highest paid athlete, David Beckham.
Woods’ career earnings will hit the $1 billion mark by 2010 but given the taxes (45%), Tiger Woods should join the list of the world’s billionaires in 2011.
It will be an unprecedented occurrence. There are plenty of billionaires who have excelled at sports, but there are no billionaires who accumulated their fortune by playing sports.
Continue reading
Elite Traveler, the worldwide private jet lifestyle magazine, has recently released its much anticipated “101 Top Hotel/Resort Suites of the Year” in the July/August 2008 issue.
The Super-Rich continue to traverse the globe on private jets, experiencing the best the world has to offer in terms of hotel and resort accommodations, shopping, and living the private jet lifestyle.
The most expensive suite on the 101 Top Suites this year is in Europe, the $52,000/night Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva Switzerland, which is only reserved for Hed of states and celebrities
Continue reading
On the evening prior to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Bugatti unveiled
the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport.
In response to customer demand, significant modifications have been made to the vehicle’s complex structure to make possible open-top driving, thereby adding a new dimension to this high-performance sports car. Incorporating a host of new and innovative safety and equipment features, it is the world’s fastest roadster. It is immediately recognizable as a result of its slightly higher windscreen, stylized daytime running lights, and lightweight, transparent polycarbonate roof.
The main challenge in developing the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport with removable roof resulted from the unique structure of the fixed-roof Bugatti Veyron. An optimum combination of rigidity and lightweight engineering ensures the monocoque passenger cell of the original model is extremely strong while weighing an absolute minimum – it is a central element of the vehicle’s structure.
As the roof is an integral part of this, removing it meant the load paths had to be completely redesigned to maintain the vehicle’s rigidity and crash safety, and to offer additional protection from side impacts and rolling.
As a result, the monocoque structure has been reinforced around the side skirts and the transmission tunnel. The B-pillars have been cross-stiffened using a carbon fibre support, and a central carbon plate has been positioned beneath the transmission tunnel to ensure the vehicle suffers from less torsional flexing
than any other roadster. The doors of the new Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport are made of carbon fibre, and house an integrated longitudinal beam. In the event of an accident, this transfers the load from the A to the B-pillar, thereby dissipating impact energy. Furthermore, the two redesigned air intakes for the 16-cylinder mid-engine now feature 10-centimetre wide carbon-fibre elements to offer protection should the car roll.
Along with moisture-resistant, backstitched leather, a range of new equipment features has been added to the interior, including a reversing camera with 2.7-inch monitor in the rear-view-mirror, and the “Puccini†sound system with digital signal processor.
When the roof is closed, the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport can reach 407 km/h, while speeds of up to 360 km/h are possible with roof off. Should it rain, an innovative folding roof stored in the luggage compartment can be opened up like an umbrella at any time. When this folding roof is in place, the car can travel at up to 130 km/h.
Assembled by hand at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim, Alsace, the Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport will be available from March 2009 at the price of 1.4 million euros (excluding tax). Just 150 examples will be made, with the first 50 of these going exclusively to registered Bugatti customers.
It took 10 years for Japanese jeweler Mikimoto to find just the right pearls for this necklace. The 18-inch-long strand is composed of 27 perfectly matched, perfectly round White South Sea pearls (extremely rare AAA quality cultured pearls 15.06 x 17.24 mm in diameter) and bears a “heart-stopping” luster, Mikimoto says.
The South Sea White cultured pearl is distinguished from all other pearls by its magnificent, satiny luster. MIKIMOTO South Sea White cultured pearls have a subdued, opalescent appearance which changes slightly under different light conditions.
This spectacular piece is complemented by a gorgeous art deco oval clasp with 11.92 carats of diamonds. It’s on sale for $1 million and available for a limited time at MIKIMOTO New York.
The Saudi government is planning four new cities, in its bid to diversify the economy and increase employment opportunities, has encouraged growth in the non-oil industrial sector.
The mega project was revealed in 2005 by Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the king of Saudi Arabia. As designed, the cities will have a total of four times the geographic area of Hong Kong, three times the population of Dubai, and an economic output equal to Singapore’s.
The coastal King Abdullah Economy City (abbreviated as KAEC; pronounced CAKE – Arabic: مدينة الملك عبدالله اللإقتصادية‎) is designed to house two million in an area twice the size of Hong Kong.
Entirely funded by domestic and foreign private investors, this is the only one of the four planned cities that is currently under construction.
With a total development area of 173 km² (66.8 sq mi), the city is located along the coast of the Red Sea, around 100 km north of Jeddah, the commercial hub of the kingdom.
The city will be the largest transportation and logistics hub in the Middle East and will be approximately an hour away from the holy Islamic cities of Mecca and Medina by car and an hour away of the 12 Middle Eastern capital cities by plane.
The city will be divided into six main components: Industrial Zone, Sea Port, Residential Areas, Sea Resort, Educational Zone, and a Central Business District (Find out more details on Wikipedia).
The total cost of the city is $26.6 billion. The first stage of the city is planned to be completed in 2010, while the whole city is going to be fully completed by 2020.
The city will help diversify the oil-based economy of the kingdom by bringing direct foreign and domestic investments. Based on initial forecasts, the project and its several components will create up to 500,000 employment opportunities for the youthful population of the country, where 60% of the population is under 15. (Source CNN)
The Frozen Haute Chocolate at the Serendipity-3 restaurant in New York has taken the cake, according to Guinness World Records, as the most expensive dessert in the world.
One year ago, the dessert emporium teamed up with jeweler Euphoria New York to create the “Frrrr-ozen Haute Chocolate” a $25,000 chocolate sundae.
The dessert is made from a blend of 28 cocoas from all around the world and contains five grams of edible 23-karat gold. It is topped with whipped cream, more gold and a side of La Madeline au Truffle from Knipschildt Chocolatier, which sells for $2,600 a pound.
The whole mass is served in a goblet surrounded with a crown made, of course, of gold. And diamonds. If that is not enough, the spoon is gold, too.
It even comes with souvenirs, an 18K gold bracelet with a carat’s worth of diamonds that rests at the base of the goblet and a gold spoon set with white and chocolate-colored diamonds.
Joe Calderone, a spokesman for the restaurant, said the lead time for an order is two weeks. “Everything is created for the order,” he explained. “The truffle has to be flown in from France; we order the cocoas from around the world; we have the gold flown in from Switzerland, so it takes time to put it together.”
Sounds delicious ? And now the glamorous side of the story
A week after the announcement of its new record-holding dessert, the four-star restaurant Serendipity 3 shut its doors due to pest infestations (roaches, two types of flies, and mice).
Health inspectors also found standing water in the two-story restaurant’s basement. The landmark was closed after failing two health inspections in one month, according to a report from the Associated Pres.
A Japanese boy looks at a 10 cm (4 inch) model of Japan’s rocket-powered boy Astro Boy encrusted with diamonds, rubies and emeralds worth about 100 million yen ($828,720) displayed at a Tokyo department store April 7, 2003.
Artist Osamu Tezuka, considered the father of Japan’s animation or “manga” industry, created Astro Boy as a serialised comic strip in 1951 and set his character’s birthday far in the future-April 7, 2003.
Set in futuristic Metro City, “Astro Boy” tells the story of a young robot created by a scientist to replace the son he has lost. Unable to fulfill the grieving father’s expectations, the robot embarks on a journey before he returns to save the city and reconcile with the man who had rejected him.
Summit Entertainment plans to distribute Imagi Studios’ computer-animated feature “Astro Boy” worldwide in 2009.
Hong Kong real estate tycoon Joseph Lau is one of the lucky few who ordered a Dreamliner VVIP in 2007 for $153 Million USD.
He will have a 2400 square foot luxury cabin fully equipped with a loft, vaulted ceilings, video wall displays, modern appliances, and elegant furniture.
Its fully equipped with bars, kitchens, dining rooms, and beds for a comfortable night of sleep.
Continue reading
After an absence of seven years, Christie’s wine department will be back in Asia for an auction on 29 Nov 2008 at the Hong Kong Exhibition and Convention Centre and it will open Christie’s Hong Kong Fall 2008 Sale Season.
Christie’s International Wine Department will conduct a focused sale of fine wine including select offerings from the cellars of first growth, Château Latour.
Christie’s Hong Kong sales totaled HK $2.4 billion in Spring 2008, the highest total ever achieved for any auction season in Asia.
The evening sale will feature around 250 selected lots, with 150 lots from Ch̢teau Latour. One of the top prizes is a 1900 magnum estimated at $18,000 Р$24,000. The Latour selection in its entirety is expected to realize in excess of HK $10 million.
Alongside the unique offering from Château Latour will be a further range of fine and rare wines, all sourced from impeccable European cellars, including rare Pétrus and other First Growth Bordeaux, a selection of exceptional Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, vintage Champagne and venerable Vintage Port and Old Cognacs.
The Iconic GTR Roadster, that is is being showcased at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Car Show, is one of the most luxurious American cars on the market.
That is where many of the world’s luxury auto manufacturers choose to debut beautiful supercars, including the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport that will also make its first public appearance this Summer.
The GTR has a V-8 engine that generates 800hp and 600 lb-ft of torque. The car can reach speeds of more than 200mph and accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in a blazing 2.8 seconds.
“I have wanted to build a car that combines the latest innovative technologies with the most exquisite detailing, design and all out performance since the day I began reading car magazines as a kid,” said Claudio Ballard, the inventor and visionary behind the GTR Roadster. The dash center console has a 8-inch touch screen display utilizing the same bright-view technology found in military strike fighters and bombers for clear visibility regardless of sunlight exposure in support of its onboard GPS navigation and driver information displays.
Entirely designed, engineered and constructed in the US, this supercar is priced $600,000 with production slated to begin in Fall 2008.
The first auction devoted solely to contemporary design will take place at Christie’s in New York this autumn.
“It really is an increasingly popular market,” said Carina Villinger, design specialist of Christie’s New York. “There is a huge overlap with contemporary art. It has got to the point where we need a separate auction.
The Christie’s sale will feature items such as a polyurethane table by the London-based Iranian architect Zaha Hadid, who designed the aquatics centre for the London Olympics, estimated to raise $200,000.
Another lot will be a highly polished steel sofa by the British-born Israeli designer Ron Arad for $300,000. Arad’s work will be exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art in New York next year.That sofa is made of steel that’s polished to match the reflection of a real mirror!
Luxury-designer Christian Dior has launched a brand new luxury handbag collection they have titled “Jazzclub Collectionâ€.
The newest Dior collection is an absolute standout, boasting edgy designs, bold prints and sharp details.
This zebra-printed version is a striking piece that capitalizes on the black and white trend and retains a timeless appeal thanks to its animal print.
The large amount of silver plated hardware found throughout the handbag, gives off such a classic and sophisticated look. The silver chain link strap and engraved buckle are the perfect finishing touches.
This pony-finished leather purse is also available in a leopard print, Plain black and white aged leather versions are also available. (source pursepage)
Contact Dior for pricing and availability.
