Luxury Lifestyle, Design & Architecture blog

Soneva Kiri is the most luxurious hideaway on Thailand’s unspoilt and untamed island Koh Kood. The natural beauty of the resort is unmatched and the experience of staying in one of its 27 villas nestle among palm fringed hills around a secluded bay is simply exhilarating. However the most uplifting experience at the resort is to dine in a treetop dining pod. This is the world’s only restaurant where diners are seated in a bird’s nest. These giant wicker pods have been fixed on tree tops about 16 feet above the ground. The trees have been selected carefully so that it provides stunning views of the sea and the rain forest. The Meals Are Expensive by Thai Standards A meal for two served in the bird’s nest 16 feet above the ground expectedly very expensive. Guests have to pay 14,000 Baht which is equivalent to £283 and more significantly is about half a month’s wages of an average Thai worker. These dining pods are designed and created specially to resemble a nest. It i...

Some of the greatest writers of the past century have gushed about the Gritti Palace Hotel in Venice . Somerset Maugham was so enamoured that he said, “there are few things in life more pleasant than to sit on the terrace of the Gritti when the sun about to set bathes in lovely colour the Salute”, while Ernest Hemingway described it as “the best hotel in a city of great hotels”. The favourite Venetian haunt of these great litterateurs has undergone a €5 million, 15 month long renovation and has been restored to its former glory.  The luxury hotel is located on the Grand Canal is a stone’s throw away from St Mark’s Square. The Gritti’s history goes back six centuries. In 1475, the Pisani family transformed it into the Gothic style, which it still retains today. In 1525, it became the private residence of Andrea Gritti, the Doge of Venice.  It is from him that the name of the hotel is derived. Even its history as a hotel is more than hundred years old...

Nobu Hotel and Restaurant was opened officially at Caesars Palace on Sunday. It was a grand event in Las Vegas and was attended by around five hundred celebrities and VIP guests. The new hotel and restaurant has been designed by David Rockwell. Investors Robert De Niro , chef Nobu Matsuhisa and film producer-turned-Nobu principal Meir Tepper were the perfect hosts for the high profile guests at the event. The hotel has been developed as a hotel in hotel concept and is the first to be developed under the Nobu brand. De Niro, who was visibly excited on the occasion, said that it had been their dream for a long time.   Robert De Niro and the Chef at Nobu   Robert De Niro and the Chef at Nobu   Nobu Has 25 Restaurants Across the World and it is the 26th It was the 26th Nobu opening which started with a traditional sake ceremony in the restaurant. Tepper, De Niro and Matsuhisa broke a sake cask with wooden mallets after being introduced by Caesar’s President...

The website focused on cars and related matters, Jalopnik has been trying to determine as to which is the most expensive rental car in the world. For the rental to be the highest the car also needs to be the best and capable of the best performance. There are several contenders for the top spot. The readers of the site have also posted their comments on the site with information. The Bugatti Veyron is considered to be the fastest car in the world and it is available on rent for as little as £16,500 per day. If you want the car for the entire weekend it will cost you £45,000. It will sound even more expensive when converted to American dollars. There is a Definite Demand for Dream Cars on Rent Car rental companies are also trying to get some dream cars in their fleet. Hertz caters to the mass market but Gotham Dream Cars is offering a Rolls Royce Phantom Drop head Coupe. The dream car is available for just under $5,000 for a day. The tariff perhaps includes the cost of gas as well ...

May 12 is celebrated as Mother’s Day and there are hotels and resorts that have created special packages that can be offered to moms as a gift. The packages offer the opportunity to relax and rejuvenate or explore and exercise. All the packages promise to pamper moms this Mother’s Day. Sorrel River Ranch Resort and Spa in Moab, Utah is offering “Red Rock Adventure Cleanse” package in collaboration with Blue Print Cleanse. The package includes three nights stay along with one 50-minute Swedish Massage; one Stand Up Paddleboard lesson from the SRR’s Adventure Team; Morning Fitness Sorrel Ridge Hikes; Sauna Cleanse Session; Yoga Class; One Personal Training Session and a Blue Print Gift Bag. The cost of the package is $1,950. Interesting Packages Tailored for the Occasion are Available Hotel Principe di Savoia which is part of the Dorchester Collection has devised a delightful “Mother and Daughter” package for the occasion. Located in the heart of Milan the hotel offers Buffet Breakf...

Raffles Dubai loves to do things in style even if they make it most expensive in the category. Earlier this year, they have introduced what they call the Middle East’s most luxurious floor. What they have done basically is that they have redesigned and redecorated the entire 14th floor as one luxurious unit. The new exclusive unit is spread over 21,500 square and takes up almost the entire floor. After the redesign the floor now has six rooms, a spa, hair salon, a meeting room, three private kitchens and a cinema that seats nine. You couldn’t really ask for anything more. Raffles Dubai loves to do things in style even if they make it most expensive in the category. Earlier this year, they have introduced what they call the Middle East’s most luxurious floor. What they have done basically is that they have redesigned and redecorated the entire 14th floor as one luxurious unit. The new exclusive unit is spread over 21,500 square and takes up almost the entire floor. After the redesi...

Leading hotels who have the honor of hosting legendary movie stars often design and name suites after them. Hotel splendid in the town of Portofino was a favorite of actress Ava Gardner and was her home during the filming of The Barefoot Contessa, co-starring Humphrey Bogart and Edmond O’Brien. Their sister hotel Splendido Mare has dedicated a suite to her and converted the entire top floor into the Ava Gardner suite that boasts of a 603 square foot terrace adorned with a potted lemon tree and Mediterranean plants. The expansive bedroom and the well lit sitting room and the terrace connect to create a magnificent space. Peter Sellers, the renowned British actor who is best known for the part he played of Inspector Clouseau in the legendary comic movie The Pink Panther has inspired Cristallo Hotel Spa & Golf to name one of its impressive Presidential Suites after the actor. A portion of the film was shot in the hotel in 1963. The Peter Sellers suite has an airy atmosphere with ...