Hotel Suites

Since the W Hotels brand launched in 1998 their properties have featured a reinterpretation of the classic hotel Presidential Suite, dubbed the Extreme Wow Suite. Now W has commissioned Paris-based architect / designer Patrick Jouin to create the Extreme Wow Suite of the future, taking technologically advanced customization to the max. The resulting design includes hidden details and elements of surprise in addition to every imaginable luxury. The main feature of the suite is a large pod (above) housing a bathtub that can move around to capture different views, containing movable screens that will display greeting messages, time, temperature and information on the location city. The concept suite was just unveiled in Sao Paolo, Brazil as part of a special touring exhibition entitled "Le Paris de Patrick Jouin."

It's time again for the list of the most expensive hotel suites and the latest survey from Wealth Bulletin rounds up some of the usual suspects. We've seen the Royal Penthouse Suite at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva Switzerland top lists before and it does here too at the highest rate we've seen so far, an astronomical $65,000 a night for the four-bedroom suite. It occupies the entire top floor of the hotel and has bulletproof windows and doors. The suite is popular with international diplomats.

Last year's winner, the Ty Warner Penthouse at the Four Seasons in New York City was a distant second at $35,000 a night. The top ten list has a few new entries: he Presidential Suite at the Hotel Cala di Volpe in Sardinia which features a rooftop terrace with a saltwater swimming pool, the Villa La Cupola Suite at the Westin Excelsior in Rome set inside a cupola with a lavish frescoed Jacuzzi area and the Presidential Suite at the Ritz-Carlton in Tokyo.

The 10 most expensive hotel suites according to Wealth Bulletin's survey for 2009 are:

1. The Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva: $65,000 per night

2. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel, New York – $35,000 per night

3. The Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia – $34,000 per night

4. Villa La Cupola Suite, Westin Excelsior, Rome – $31,000 per night

5. The Presidential Suite, Ritz-Carlton Tokyo –$25,000 per night
6. The Bridge Suite, The Atlantis, Bahamas – $22,000 per night
7. The Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt Vendôme, Paris – $20,000 per night
8. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai – $19,600 per night

9. Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva – $18,900 per night
10. The Ritz-Carlton Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow – $16,500 per night

Those looking to stay in some celebrity digs in Houston, Texas might want to hit up Hotel ZaZa's Tycoon Suite. The Houston Chronicle reports that the luxury suite at the boutique hotel has hosted comedian Ron White, Sharon Osbourne and Kid Rock among others. The 2,200-square-foot, $2,500-a-night suite has two bedrooms, a kitchen and an extra-large balcony. The refrigerator is stocked with Veuve Cliquot, Cakebread Chardonnay and a selection of designer waters and guests can request certain items to be waiting for them on arrival.

The suite is just one of the Magnificent Seven Suites at Hotel ZaZa Houston. Others include the velvet-clad Rock Star suite and the sleekly modern Black Label suite which, like the Tycoon, features a hot tub out on the balcony. The For Your Eyes Only Suite has a more delicate style that includes a crystal chandelier while the Fatal Charms suite ramps up the sex appeal with a black velvet bed. The Bella Vita was inspired by Italy's grand hotels and the It Happened One Night Suite has a cosmopolitan flair. For those really in need of major celebration room the entire 11th floor can be rented out for $15,000 to $20,000 a night plus food and beverage minimums.

At $7,000 per night, the Premier Suites at the beachside Halekulani resort in Hawaii are among the world's priciest. However, the posh getaway has just added a luxurious new amenity that gets you a lot more bang for the buck. Called "Art in Motion," the program consists of a fleet of custom designed exotic autos, included at no additional charge as part of the Premier Suite guest experience. These include the Royal Suite, the Vera Wang Suite and the Orchid Suite.

The fleet features a Bentley Continental GTC convertible (above), Maserati Gran Turismo, Lotus Elise and Lotus Exige S. With the Bentley and Maserati guests have the option of being chauffeured around the glorious landscape in Waikiki, while the Lotus collection features GPS-guided thematic tours of the island, such as Culture, Adventure and Romance. Each car also comes with personalized leisure itineraries prepared by a Halekulani concierge.

There was at least one glaring omission in the Wealth Bulletin's list of the world's top 10 most expensive hotel suites, which we reported on last month: the penthouse at The Setai in South Beach, Miami. With 6,500 square feet of interior space and 3,000 square feet of terraces and balconies, the pad's $30,000-per-night pricetag makes it the 3rd most expensive hotel room in the world when inserted in its proper place on the list.

The Setai penthouse is designed with an haute-Asian aesthetic employing exotic woods and other luxe finishes, and features a double living room that extends across the entire eastern end of the 40 story glass tower. The living room boasts unlimited views of the northern, southern, eastern and western horizons. There are two master suites with soaking tubs, private balconies and beach views.

State of the art LCD touch panel screens, installed throughout the penthouse, offer total control over the lighting, audio-visual and building systems. A sunken infinity edge stainless steel pool (above) complete with waterfall and raised coral stone-encased hot tub highlight the massive terrace. The Setai also recently opened a recording studio designed by Lenny Kravitz. See the gallery for more.

The Wealth Bulletin has compiled a new list of the World's Top Ten Most Expensive Hotel Rooms, and the first and second both cost over $30,000 per night. And despite glum economic prospects, demand for these costly suites is as strong as ever, with waiting lists stretching from now until the end of December. Also worth noting is the appearance of Dubai (the Burj Al Arab's Royal Suite, above) and Moscow hotels on the list, which would have been unheard of just a couple years ago. Here are the Top 10:

1. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons, New York; $34,000 per night
2. Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva; $33,000 per night
3. The Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smeralda, Italy; $21,000 per night
4. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai; $18,000 per night
5. Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva; $17,500 per night
6. The Ritz-Carlton Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow; $16,500 per night
7. The Royal Suite, Four Seasons George V, Paris; $16,000 per night
8. The Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt-Vendôme, Paris; $15,500 per night
9. Brook Penthouse, Claridges, London; $10,000 per night
10. Penthouse Suite, Hotel Martinez, Cannes; $9,300 per night

The final and most luxurious phase of the chic The London NYC hotel's major renovation was completed with the recent opening of its duplex Penthouse suite. The 2,500 sq.-ft. spread is located on the hotel's 53rd and 54th floors, making it the highest hotel suite in New York City, according to the company. The $15,000 per night pricetag for the space, which boasts plush living areas showcasing modern design and a luxe marble bathroom, also includes the following amenities: daily afternoon tea; a bottle of vintage champagne; an evening at The Chef's Table , located in the inner sanctum of the hotel's Gordon Ramsay restaurant for an eight course tasting menu; and access to a personal concierge and a private car and driver daily. See the gallery for more.