Patek Philippe, maker of the most coveted watches in the world, is staging an unprecedented exhibit of the most valuable timepieces from its collection here in the U.S. The exhibit, featuring hundreds of items including priceless pieces from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, is on display at Tiffany & Co.'s Fifth Avenue flagship through Saturday evening; next month it travels to the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons in Los Angeles, running from May 16 - 18.
With Patek Philippes fetching record prices at auction, this is a rare opportunity to view timepieces that the likes of Christie's would kill to get their hands on. The exhibits culled from the company's 169-year history include rare pocket watches and the first Swiss wristwatch ever made.
In the May issue of GQ hitting stands this week, the magazine gets its hands on twelve of the most expensive items of their kind on Earth to evaluate whether they're really worth the price. From the $5,980 Toto Neorest 600 toilet to the $1.5 million Bugatti Veyron, they try to determine the difference between comically overpriced and extremely valuable.
If you have the money, the magazine says, some things are indisputably worth every penny. The Toto toilet for one, as well as the $64,950 Hastens Vividus bed, a $148,000 pair of ugly but awesome Wilson Audio speakers, and, yes, the Veyron.
Things that are more hype than merit, however, include $6,500 Cheval Blanc wine, $600 java made from the excrement of a coffee bean-eating Indonesian civet cat, the $30,000-per-night Ty Warner Suite at the Four Seasons in Manhattan, and $160 Kobe beef rib eye steak. According to author Benjamin Wallace, "I've had $18 bar steaks that gave me more pleasure." We're willing to take his word for it.
When it comes to remote vacation homes ease of management can be almost as important as location. That's one of the major selling features for the Sundowner on Nevis, an idyllic Caribbean island. The Sundowner is part of the Four Seasons Nevis where all homes come with security systems, provisioning services for food, and routine maintenance of the homes. The home is prepared for your arrival and locked up when you leave. You also get access to the resort's championship golf course, clay or hard tennis courts, a full range of watersports, the fitness center, and the full-service spa. The home has five bedrooms (each with walk-in closets and refrigerators), large living room and a kitchen.
The home sits on 1.19 acres in the hills for views of the ocean and St. Kitts in the distance and, a bit closer the 13th hole of the award-winning Robert Trent Jones II golf course. There is an infinity pool with a large terrace and there is a bar downstairs for poolside entertaining. The home also has a wraparound terrace. The decor doesn't seem to quite match the home's pricetag and the kitchen is a bit less than fabulous but you aren't there to cook, you are there to soak up the sun. This home is listed at $4.5 million.
Leonardo Dicaprio's green leanings are well known. Now it is being rumored that he will be working with the Four Seasons Hotel group to create a green hotel on land he owns in Belize. He is reported to want to start building at the beginning of 2008. The green features haven't been announced. Belize has been in the news recently for a huge new development. DiCaprio wouldn't be the first celeb to open a resort in Belize, director Francis Ford Coppola owns a resort there.
Denver is set to get a new luxury residences tower that will make a big impact on the skyline. The recent groundbreaking of 1111 Tower marks the start of a building that will stand approximately 600 feet high and will be a new residential building in downtown Denver. The building will include 240 rooms of luxury hotel accommodations and 102 private residences that range from 1,000 square feet to 6,100 square feet. The new Four Seasons Hotel Denver will take up the first 16 floors of the building and will include a restaurant, lobby lounge and bar, spa, fitness center, meeting space and a rooftop pool and dining area. The private residences start on the 18th floor and extend up to the 45th floor offering gorgeous Rocky Mountain views. The tower is scheduled for completion by Spring 2010.
Looking to stay somewhere nice? Looking to stay somewhere really nice -- like, the nicest? Well of course "nice" is an extremely subjective term, but judging by price isn't. So if you're interested in staying in the most expensive hotel suite in the United States I'm sure you'll have an awesome and luxurious time, but you'd better be prepared to shell out (deep breath) thirty thousand dollars per night for the experience.
Now there are other hotel rooms that are valued at comparable rates (think high roller suites in Las Vegas), but what makes the price tag for the Four Seasons New York Ty Warner Penthouse stand out is that it's not available at a discounted rate or as part of an upgrade package -- it's $30,000 per night, period.
Of course the lavish design, location, and perks included with a nightly rate that could buy a small house in some neighborhoods is a long one. To get an idea, though, check out these great photos.
The Times Travel section has a beguiling article on the new Four Seasons Spa in Provence, France. The Spa at Four Seasons Resort Provence at Terre Blanche may be one of the most gorgeous spas in Europe. The spa is in a two-story villa with a huge black granite pool surrounded by columns. The spa has 14 treatment rooms, a manicure and pedicure studio, gym, hair salon and studio for yoga and pilates classes, as well as saunas, steam rooms, laconiums and showers with tropical rain and arctic mist. Travel writer Julia Brookes opted for the Espa Provencal Escape that included a salt, olive oil and lavender body scrub, a body mask of honey and red clay and a massage with olive oil infused with lavender and rosemary.
The spa also includes Infusions, the spa café which features local produce. The Spa Discovery Package starts at 695 euros per night and includes bed and breakfast in a suite and a 55 minute treatment per day.
Alexandria, Egypt, a city rich in ancient ruins and also the home of the strikingly modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina will have a new place to stay. The Four Season Hotel Alexandria is part of San Stefano, a massive complex that includes residences, offices, a shopping mall and a marina all done on a grand scale that is nearly Dubai-esque. There are 127 rooms and suites overlooking the Mediterranean and the hotel has a restaurant, spa and a circular infinity pool on the fourth-floor terrace overlooking the Corniche and the Mediterranean. Reservations are available starting September 1 and rooms start at $250.
We first covered this back in August of 2005 but the Four Seasons Hotel in Westlake Village, California opened this week. The lavish hotel is different than the usual Four Seasons in that it is also a lifestyle center designed to promote good health. The project, which broke ground in 2004, is the mission of David Murdock, the Dole Foods chairman who is interested in health and longevity.
The hotel has a 40,000-square-foot-spa with 28 treatment rooms and a wide variety of options for wellness treatments such as aromatherapy and massage. There is also a 12,000-square-foot fitness room with cardio stations, weight training equipment, an indoor pool and Pilates, yoga, tai chi and personal training. An outdoor pool includes cabanas, including two private outdoor suites with flat screen TVs and splash pools.There are also extensive grounds with serenity gardens with waterfalls, sequoias, bonsai and rose gardens and a Chinese pagoda. The hotel also includes the California Wellbeing Institute which offers more in-depth healthcare consultations with experts in nutrition and fitness, gourmet cooking workshops in demonstration kitchens, and medical offices employing top professionals and advanced digital diagnostic tests including DNA imaging, radiology and cardiology.
The hotel also includes a large lounge, a signature restaurant, Hampton's and a Japanese restaurant, Onyx, which has a 2,000 gallon saltwater aquarium . Introductory rates start at $285 and there is an over 2,500-square-foot presidential suite with silk walls, gilded sinks and a treadmill room for $3,000 per night weekdays.
The Four Seasons is now accepting reservations for their latest gorgeous resort, the Koh Samui in Thailand. The resort is located on a hillside in Laem Yai Bay and overlooks the beaches of the Gulf of Siam. The resort includes villas and residences that feature private pools and sundecks. There is a forest spa and dining options that the opportunity to eat high on a hill or beachside. They are now confirming for February reservations and rates start at $600 per night.
This year marks a great moment for the citizens of Toronto and all of Canada as the Canadian Opera Company moves into Canda's first purpose built opera house, Four Seasons Centre. Situated in the heart of Toronto, this opera house is a modern showplace that cost $181 million to build and received its name from the Four Seasons Hotel Group, who ponied up $20 million for the project. The season begins with Wagner's Der Ring Des Nibelungen in September.
Tokyo, consistently rated one of the world's most
expensive cities, has had a glaring absence of luxury hotels. Certainly, the Four Seasons is probably the best in town, but up till now
it hasn't had any real competition. The Mandarin Oriental has just opened
its 179 room hotel in Nihonbashi that balances the natural elements of forest and water. In other words, its designed to
make you feel at one with nature, even though you are on top of a skyscraper is one of the most densely populated cities
on Earth. Joining Four Seasons and Mandarin in 2007 are both Peninsula and Ritz-Carlton, who will open new hotels in Tokyo later in the year. The venerable
Peninsula Hotel Group is opening a 315 room, 24 floor hotel in the Marunouchi district of Tokyo. Situated in a area
experiencing a revitalization, the triangular shaped hotel will certainly become a hub of luxury-minded travelers.
Ritz-Carlton is opening 250 rooms on the top nine floors of a high rise in Roppongi district. Part of a mixed-use
facility designed by American architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. The hotel will feature a sky lobby,
several restaurants, and a large spa. At long last, a place to lay my head where I can dream of the world's most
expensive hotel bill.
The Four Seasons has opened a new hotel in Damascus, Syria. The
297-room hotel will also be home to the city's first full service spa which will opne later this year. The interior was
designed by Pierre Yves Rochon and combines both classic elegance and Ottoman, Persian and Syrian influences. There are
66 suites including 12 long-term-stay apartments. There are several restaurants including an Italian restaurant, Il
Circo as well as bars and lounges and meeting space. The new hotel is the first five-star hotel to be launched in the
Syrian capital in almost a quarter of a century.
If Paris seems too blase
for your Valentine's Day, why not trade red roses for a blue Danube. Last year, Four Seasons opened its hotel in a
grand art nouveau style building at the end of the famous chain bridge. Hopefully, this hotel is going to set the
standard for new Four Season properties. A historic building that underwent a multi-million dollar restoration, the
hotel manages to preserve the awesome beauty of the structure while swathing it in complete luxury. Inside, a glass
atrium covers a marble mosaic floor and brings a great deal of light to the lobby. The rooms are smart and modern with
river views and luxurious baths.
A romance package features a bottle of sparkling wine, chocolate covered
strawberries, and flowers in your room. Dinner at the hotel's restaurant, Pava, and daily breakfast is also included.
All of this and a view that can't be beat, the best location in all of Budapest, and Four Seasons service, what more
could you want? This hotel has received rave reviews from many travel publications and is a steal compared to most
other Four Season locations. Prices begin at 280 Euros a night. Wow a
bargain!
Looking to impress a special someone this
Valentine's Day? Well there is still time to make your reservation at the Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris. Routinely called the best hotel in
Europe, the George V has a special package available for the entire month of February. The package includes a bottle of
champagne, a 3 day museum pass, 100 euro spa credit, breakfast daily, and a book by the hotel's flower designer, Jeff
Leatham. Prices range from 720 euros to 1300 euros per night, depending on room choice. Notably, you will probably
spend the same amount in the hotel's dining room, Le Cinq, if you decide to dine in 3 Michelin star fabulousity.
Valentine's Day in Paris is an experience not soon forgotten, but practically impossible to top. So, use caution when
trying to impress.
Patek Philippe, maker of the most coveted watches in the world, is staging an unprecedented exhibit of the most valuable timepieces from its collection here in the U.S. The exhibit, featuring hundreds of items including priceless pieces from the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva, is on display at Tiffany & Co.'s Fifth Avenue flagship through Saturday evening; next month it travels to the Beverly Wilshire Four Seasons in Los Angeles, running from May 16 - 18. 
In the May issue of 
The Times Travel section
This year marks a great moment for the citizens of Toronto and all of Canada as the Canadian Opera Company moves into Canda's first purpose built opera house, 
Tokyo, consistently rated one of the world's most
expensive cities, has had a glaring absence of luxury hotels. Certainly, the 
