India

Luxury Pet Hotels Around the World (video)

Filed under: Pets

Luxury hotels are opening up around the world catering to pets who are used to being pampered by their indulging owners. Many of these "five star" luxury hotels offer such amenities as indoor swimming pools, spa cuisine, television sets in private suites, personal fitness trainers, beauty shops and more.

The Canis Resort in Munich, Germany, for example, claims to be the first exclusive luxury hotel chain for dogs in the world. The first resort, which is located in Freising near Munich, offers nine heated lodges for up to 45 guests. Canis offers its pampered pooches personal and professional dog sitters who pampers them 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Personal fitness coaches are available to customize extensive and individual training and a dietary plan for each dog. The cost to stay at the hotel is $113 a night. Check out the video below.

Tags: Canis Resort, dog hotels, dogs, gurgaon, India, Kennel 1, koi, KoiPond, luxury hotels for dogs, luxury kennels, luxury pet hotels, luxury+pet+hotel, luxurypethotel, Munich, Nippon Koi Hotel, Pets Dream Park Hotel, pets+singapore+news, petssingaporenews, Taipei, training+in+hotels, traininginhotels

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Europe's Richest Man Building Scotland's Most Expensive Mansion

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal is building the most expensive mansion ever erected in Scotland, next to the famed Gleneagles golf resort in Auchterarder, Perthshire. The London-based tycoon, Europe's richest man and the fifth richest man in the world with a fortune of $28.7 billion, is spending a record $23 million on the posh estate, including the $6 million mansion he tore down to make way for his new luxury fortress. His lavish private palace in London is reckoned to be the city's most expensive as well. Costs on the Perthshire project soared after Mittal decided some of the finished weren't up to standard, Scotland's Daily Record reports.

At one point he demanded a $125,000 bathroom be torn out and done over. "We are all very aware that Lakshmi Mittal has bought the property and he has been very particular about the specifications," one neighbor told the paper. "He has flown in several times and I have spoken to his wife, who seemed very down to earth. I get the impression she is more likely to use the facilities up here than her husband. I think their priority is getting it perfect." The six-bedroom main residence will have furnishings by Ralph Lauren, a state-of-the-art entertainment system, two kitchens and staff quarters among other amenities.

Tags: billionaire, estates, Europe, Gleneagles, India, Lakshmi Mittal, London, mansion, Perthshire, real estate, Scotland, UK, wealth, worlds most expensive

Steal of the Century: $13 Million 'Star of India' Rolls-Royce Sells for $850,000

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Back in September 2009 we reported that the famed "Star of India", a one-off 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II 40/50 HP Continental "All-Weather Convertible" custom made for the Maharaja of Rajkot with coachwork by Thrupp and Maberley, had been listed for sale at $13 million, making it one of the world's most expensive automobiles. Now it has finally changed hands for a mere $850,000, making it the steal of the century. The buyer, Mandhatasinh Jadeja, is actually the grandson of the Maharaja who originally owned it. He told the Times of India he plans to return the car to its homeland and give it to his father as a 75th birthday present, after which it will be housed in a private museum. The incredible car is currently on display at Canada's Art Gallery of Ontario as part of the Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts exhibition.

Gallery: Star of India Rolls-Royce

Tags: classic cars, India, Maharaja, Rolls-Royce, Star of India

Indian Billionaire Plans Luxury Condo Tower In Bangalore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments, Wealth

Indian billionaire Vijay Mallya is betting on the future of real estate in India. Bloomberg reports that the liquor tycoon plans to tear down his ancestral home in Bangalore to build $4 million apartments. The Bloomberg article states that United Breweries Holdings Ltd. and Prestige Estates Projects Ltd. are developing the 4.5 acre plot into Kingfisher Towers. The name comes from India's best-selling beer, which Mallya owns.

The four bedroom units will cost at least $3.7 million and sales will begin in the next few months. The apartments will appeal to non-resident Indian businessmen and other high-net- worth individuals. Mallya lives in a bungalow on the site currently but will have his own lavish residence once the towers are built. The towers will have 72 units and will have a helipad, swimming pools, squash courts and concierge services. Mallya will keep 60,000 square feet on the ground floor plus one other level with a separate entrance and private elevators to his apartment. Not as lavish as Mukesh Ambani's pad in Mumbai but not too shabby either.

Tags: Bangalore, billionaire, india, Vijay Mallya

Everest Explorer Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex Collection Up for Auction

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Auctions, Celebrity Shopping, Sports, Men's Style

Antiquorum's sale of Important Vintage and Modern Timepieces to be held Nov. 13 – 14 at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Geneva will include the personal collection of Rolex watches of the legendary 20th century explorer Sir Edmund Hillary, credited with being the first climber to reach the summit of Mt. Everest in 1953. These exceptional timepieces have been consigned for sale by Lady Hillary and all had special significance for Sir Edmund. The earliest model in the collection is a Rolex Oyster Perpetual, ref. 6084, dating from 1953 (above) which was presented to Sir Edmund by Rolex Bosecks of Calcutta, India after his descent from Everest.

It was then worn by him during the Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955-1958 – the first overland crossing of Antarctica and the first expedition to reach the South Pole since Scott in 1912 – and as such it has immense historic significance. The watch, with a caseback engraved "Sir E. Hillary", is conservatively estimated to fetch up to about $20,000. Also part of the collection is a gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Date, ref. 15238, purchased by the explorer on the 50th Anniversary of the day he reached the summit of Everest, estimated at about $10,000; as well as a 1972 Rolex Explorer I and a 1973 Explorer II also owned by the great adventurer.

Gallery: Sir Edmund Hillary's Rolex Collection

Tags: Antiquorum, auction, explorer, Geneva, India, Mt. Everest, Rolex, Rolex Explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary, Timepieces, watches

Lufthansa's Flavors of India Contest

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Luxury Travel & Hotels, Wings

Your cooking skills could win you a trip to India. Lufthansa is running the Flavors of India contest that invites people to submit creative and exotic Indian-based recipes in order to win the Grand Prize – two round-trip tickets to India and a three-day, two-night stay at one of The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts, which are located throughout India.

The promotion is available to U.S. residents and entrants do not have to be aspiring chefs to register and participate in the "Flavors of India" contest. The first step is to register at www.lufthansa.com/FlavorsOfIndia, and enter a weekly raffle with prizes such as an iPad, fine china, food processors, $50 gift certificates to renowned Indian restaurants in the U.S. and more. Registration is open for the duration of the contest, from September 15, 2010 – November 15, 2010. Tell a few friends and you can earn points if they register at the site. The individual that secures the most new registrants will win one Lufthansa round-trip economy class ticket to India.

From now until October 25, 2010, chefs can submit an Indian recipe of their own creation to win the grand prize. From October 25 – November 15, 2010 recipes are up for voting on www.lufthansa.com/FlavorsOfIndia. Chef Surender Mohan who hails from The Leela, Mumbai will review every recipe submission, and whomever created the dish that he designates as his personal favorite will receive an iPad.

Tags: contest, flavors of india, india, lufthansa, travel contest, travel contests

Experience India With Dominique Browning

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Books

The former editor-in-chief of House & Garden, Dominique Browning has reinvented herself as a connoisseur of the simple life. Her recent book and ongoing blog Slow Love, chronicles what happened after she lost her job and learned to appreciate life at a more leisurely pace. Browning's book has spoken to many of the same women who read Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love and are looking for more out of life.

Browning is going on her own travel odyssey, teaming up with the philanthropic travel company, Elevate Destinations on a new trip to India, fulfilling one of her own secret travel dreams. As Browning puts it on the Elevate Destinations website: "one of the most important lessons I have learned is not to defer our dreams for too long. So off we go!"

The 14-day adventure takes place next February and includes three nights in Delhi, three nights in Jaipur, two nights in Nimaj, a night in Rohet, two nights in Shahpura and two nights in Udaipur. The experience includes a private elephant safari, yoga, meditation, tours of temples and visits with local artists. In Nimaj, travelers will stay in a conservation area and learn about rainwater harvesting and Durry rug weaving. All Elevate Destinations trips benefit a philanthropic organization. This one supports RugMark and the GoodWeave project which works to end illegal child labor in the carpet industry and to offer educational opportunities to children in South Asia. The trip costs $8,500 per person with a single supplement of $1500 per person. More details are available on the Elevate Destinations website.

Gallery: Experience India with Dominique Browning

Tags: delhi, dominique browning, elevate destinations, India, Jaipur, nimaj, philanthropic travel, shahpura, slow love, Udaipur

Mercedes Owner Smashes Dealership Showroom in India

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Anyone who's ever been frustrated with the service at his car dealership will undoubtedly be able to relate to this story. And anyone who's ever worked at one will likely cringe.

Reports coming in the India tell the story of one Sudeep K. Agarwal, a Mercedes owner who grew angry with having to bring his car in repeatedly to fix the same problem. After the dealer suggested that the owner's driving was at fault for the problem, Agarwal reportedly drove his car into the showroom and smashed four others in the process. Apparently Indian laws leave consumers with little recourse against manufacturers and dealers selling malfunctioning cars, and Agarwal had apparently had it with his.

Source

Tags: Agarwal, india, mercedes, mercedes-benz, Sudeep K. Agarwal

The 5 Most-Naked, Least-Modest Spa Treatments in the World

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spas

When you go to a spa, you expect a few nods to modesty -- a private room, for instance, and artful draping of your naughty bits, which are usually Not to Be Touched. And while spas that cater to Westerners around the world do tend to observe these protocols, there are a few entirely legit spa treatments that make these modesty-preserving measures entirely counterproductive.

Here are five spa treatments for which you'll just need to let it all hang out.

1. Turkish Hammam: A Turkish Hammam is sort of a like a communal bath, where you spend time in rooms of varying heat. The highlight is having your skin nearly flayed off with a loofah. (Some people call the resulting ribbons of removed skin "spaghetti".) In a traditional hammam, this scrubbing is administered by a person wearing a bathing suit, and usually within few view of everyone else. My observation has been that people mostly avert their gaze from the scrubee, these are rarely attractive angles for anyone.

There are spas that offer a more modest variation on a hammam treatment. The spa at La Mamounia, for instance, has a shared steam room (which you enter wearing a bathrobe, leave it on or take it off as you wish), and then a private room for the scrub-a-dub, with private shower. The post-hammam moisturizer is applied in a communal relaxation room, so gaze aversion strategies are still a must if you don't want to get an eyeful.

Tags: germany, hammam, India, japan, most naked spa treatments, naked, spa, tokyo

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Playing Polo On Top of the World in Himalayan India

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Events, Sports

Polo isn't just for the cushy confines of Palm Beach and the Hamptons. In far-northern India they've been playing a more rough-and-tumble version of the sport, called "the ancestors' game", for hundreds of years. In September the annual Ladakh Festival Polo Cup will take place in the mountainous town of Leh, 11,500 feet above sea level. Against the majestic backdrop of the Himalayas, local civilian and Army teams "battle it out in a haphazard, no-rules display of sportsmanship," the Christian Science Monitor notes. Grueling games last for an hour, with one 10-minute break at halftime, and the condition of the players' horses often determines the outcome. The championship is sponsored by the State Tourism Office of the Indian government, and hundreds of villagers, city dwellers, and foreign tourists turn out to watch "at their own risk".

Tags: Asia, equestrian, Himalayas, horses, India, Polo, sports

Explore India's Golden Triangle by Private Plane

by Alison Wellner (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Greaves, the tour company which specializes in India, is running a rather good deal on a private plane package now. Spend a week touring India's "Golden Triangle" -- Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, stay at super-luxey Oberoi hotels, and do all of your traveling in between via a Beechcraft Super King Air B200 plane.

The package includes all sorts of nice extras, like a horse carriage ride to the Taj Mahal, a cycle rickshaw ride around Old Delhi, a cooking demo at The Oberoi Rajvilas, as well as multiple opportunities for spa treatments and yoga classes along the way. The price is $5,100 per person, based on four people traveling together -- although you could always bring a bigger crowd, the plane seats up to eight. Travel through December 15th, 2010.

Tags: India, oberoi, private plane, taj mahal, TajMahal, tours

Maharajas' Express: India's First Cross-country Train

by Bobbie Leigh (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

South Africa has Rovos Rail; Scotland, the Royal Scotsman, and now India has the Maharajas' Express, its first all-out upscale, live like royalty, luxury train. Anyone who has waited in an Indian airport for a plane that never arrives or has dealt with incessant traffic delays or other travel mishaps will welcome the ease and convenience of private train travel. As a passenger on the new train, there's no more waiting for guides, packing and unpacking, and wondering where or what to eat. Travel in India can be daunting. Just imagine how terrific it is to traverse the country in your own private train without missing all that's special about this fascinating and beautiful country.

Tags: Delhi, India, luxury train travel, MaharajasExpress, Mumbai, Taj Mahal

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The Plans For The World's Largest Residential Tower

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Want to live at the top of the world? You're going to have to move to Mumbai. That's where Lodha Developers Ltd. is about to start construction on World One, a stack of luxury residences that will stretch over 450 meters (over 1,470 feet) into the sky. The tower will reportedly cost around $450 million to build and units are already being sold at prices from around $1.5 million all the way up to more than $12 million. The developer told the Wall Street Journal that the building will go green by recycling its water, harvesting rain water and using solar power.

Given the recent opening of the Burj Khalifa amid Dubai's real estate implosion, the building of such a monumental new skyscraper seems risky at best but according to Abhisheck Lodha, managing director of Lodha Developers, there is enough economic growth in India to support the project and enough rich people to live there.

The oval shaped building, designed by Pei Cobb Freed & Partners and Leslie E. Robertson Associates, provides a balcony for each unit. The units on the higher floors don't only have better views but they will have less street noise and cooler balconies.

Tags: india, lodha developers, mumbai, residential tower, skyscraper

Assouline Launches Luxury Collection Destination Guides

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Holiday Guides, Books

Luxe publisher Assouline has come out with a passport to the prestigious Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts in the form of limited edition set of guidebooks. The Luxury Collection Destination Guides unlocks the charms of six destinations – Italy, Greece, Argentina, India, Spain, and the United States. The Luxury Collection's world-renowned concierges act as your personal guide, offering an insider view of each locale's most unique restaurants, boutiques, and cultural sites. Each book features a passage and recipe from a celebrated chef including Mario Batali for Italy, Francis Mallmann for Argentina, José Andrés for Spain, and Charlie Palmer for the U.S. Curated by Assouline, the collection is beautifully photographed by the Luxury Collection's Global Explorer Andréa Fazzari and packaged in a vintage inspired travel box. The guides will be exclusively offered as a complete set at Assouline Boutiques in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York, as well as www.shopassouline.com and other major retail stores for $140.

Tags: Argentina, Assouline, books, Charlie Palmer, Greece, guidebook, India, Italy, Luxury Collection, Mario Batali, restaurants, Spain, The Luxury Collection, travel

The Splendor of India's Royal Courts

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Books, Wealth

Newly published to accompany a major exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, Maharaja: The Splendour of India's Royal Courts examines the rich world of the famed Indian princes from the early 18th century to 1947, when they formally ceded their territories to the modern states of India and Pakistan. Everything from incredible jewels to custom made Rolls-Royce motorcars, paintings, textiles, metalwork, and furniture is examined in the lavishly-illustrated book, showcasing the rich and varied objects that reflect different aspects of royal life. The aim is to "give readers an understanding of royal status and identity, court culture, and patronage." Particular maharajas are highlighted alongside essays by international scholars exploring "Indian concepts of kingship, the public aspects of princely life, architecture of the princely court, palace life and recreation, and the important role of the princes as patrons of traditional arts."

Tags: India, London, Maharaja, royalty, Victoria and Albert Museum, VictoriaAndAlbertMuseum

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