If you’ve got the money, here's how to experience the world's top cities in a way that few others can possibly afford.
A classic choice for those with the finance is to buy expensive wines, those pricey enough to reach auction or be kept behind a cage of gold bars. In Spain the production of such wine is so rare as to be unthinkable, but as a consumer of wines in the land, it would be unthinkable not to try any. And some which are not necessarily extravagant hold their own sense of luxury.
1996 Pingus Ribera del Duero is one of few wines starred with 100 Parker points – and priced at 1,495 euros. The Pingus mystery arose when a shipment of 75 boxes sank off the Azores, which caused the few bottles that were found to raise significantly in value.
Teso la Monja 2008 is another bottle not seen in supermarkets. With a price of 1,200 euros, this Toro D.O. wine is a treasure of the Eguren family vineyards.
And a third option would be the 2004 Clos Erasmus. Another with 100 Parker points, it costs 1,395 euros and comes from the Priorat D.O. They may not be the most expensive items available, but all will provide a taste of luxury to the few who get to taste them. - Marcos Fernández
Cover image courtesy Flickr/ Iain Browne
If 15,000$ per night isn’t an issue for you, then the Principe di Savoia’s Presidential Suite offers the ultimate luxury when visiting Milan. Bathe in an Pompeian-inspired spa all by yourself and spend a few days in a 500-square-meter Emperor-style suite decorated with authentic 19th Century Venetian mirrors, Murano glass lamps and fine art objects all around. The hotel is located in Piazza della Repubblica, right next to Milan’s central train station, and is now part of the Dorchester Collection Group.
The suite, which featured in Sofia Coppola’s movie “Somewhere”, is at the tenth floor of the hotel, with a terrace offering breathtaking views of the city, three bedrooms, astonishing marble floors, a dining room featuring French crystal, Limoges porcelain and exquisite silverware. Among the lucky people who have got the chance to lodge here are George Clooney, Woody Allen, Lenny Kravitz, and Queen Elizabeth II. – Sara Schifano
Since New York City can be an over-the-top experience, what better way is there to experience it than from the top?
Imagine viewing all 360 degrees of the city — with landmarks like the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings to your left, or Central Park under your nose — without fighting the crowds, or having to leave your hotel room on the 52nd floor. The Ty Warner Penthouse Suite at the Four Seasons Hotel affords you such a luxury — if you can afford the $45,000 a night price tag. (That’s before tax, by the way.)
At 4,300-square-feet, the Coptic-crossed shaped castle in the clouds is up to four times larger than many $1 million apartments in Manhattan, and comes with a bedroom accented by hand-stamped Venetian velvet, Thai silk with 22-carat gold threads and custom-designed furniture; a bathroom entirely clad in custom slabs of rare Chinese onyx and sinks carved from solid blocks of rock crystal; a spa room that calms your nerves with rich walnut, afrormosia and Mexican sycamore wood — not to mention semi-precious stones in the Zen waterfall. In a city that never sleeps, you can afford to pamper yourself with some culture in the library, which is lined with hundreds of art volumes housed in bookcases framed by an exquisite bronze leaf motif — an ambiance fittingly topped off with a whimsical gilded bronze chandelier and a Bosendorfer grand piano.
More unique details abound elsewhere around the room, such as hand-hammered cast-bronze baseboards, 18th-century Japanese silk pillows, and soft calfskin leather walls, making the multi-sensory splurge worth every penny.
Already sound like a good deal? Wait — amenities are complimentary, including unlimited international telephone calls, an art concierge, a personal trainer, a 24-hour personal butler, and a chauffeured Rolls-Royce to take you to any Michelin-starred restaurant in the city you desire (don’t miss out on Masa, Per Se, Le Bernardin and Eleven Madison Park).
Think of it as less a suite than a seven-year, $50 million labour of love and work of art, by its renowned architect and designer, I.M. Pei and Peter Marino respectively – Michelle Tay
Fancy a little privacy in the permanently crowded, highly prestigious Château de Versailles? Dream of gazing at your reflection in one of the Hall of Mirrors’ 357 looking glasses, its famous ancient hardwood floors creaking under your steps in a miraculously visitor-free palace? It’s a dream within reach — for a fee. The historic landmark site now offers exclusive tours with a private guide outside opening hours — that is every evening after 6.00 pm — on special request. For groups of 1 to 30, the tour costs 3,600 euros, with the price decreasing according to the size of the group, going up to 90.
The program includes the best of Versailles: the Royal apartments — the king’s in the north and the queen’s in the south — connected byJules Hardouin-Mansart’s celebrated Hall of Mirrors, whose decor, painted and sculpted by Charles Le Brun, was restored in 2007. A private encounter taking in, among other highlights, the lavish gold decor of Marie-Antoinette’s bedroom or Louis XIV’s silver throne – Celine Piettre
Hopping aboard one of private Korean airline Blue Airlines’ American-made Robinson R44 helicopters is one of the best options for residents and tourists who fancy seeing Seoul in a whole new light. The premium option, for those who want to splurge a bit, is the 1 million won, 30 minute tour of Korea’s spectacular Paldang Dam on the Han River near Seoul.
The Paldang Dam tour gives guests the opportunity to experience the beauty of the Han River and the surrounding mountains. Starting at the Jamsil Heliport, the tour follows a course that passes the famous Cheonho Bridge, the Olympic Bridge, the Seoul Olympic Rowing Course at Misarim, Lotte World, and of course the Paldang Dam itself, before returning to Jamsil.
Blue Airlines’ Robinson R44s are four-seat light helicopters with a bubble canopy that allows passengers to get an unobstructed view of their surroundings – the perfect mode of transport for inquisitive sightseers who like to travel in style – Nic Forrest
For those who like to travel in style, hopping aboard a RedBalloon scenic seaplane flight to Jonah’s restaurant for lunch is the most indulgent and luxurious way of experiencing Sydney in all its glory.
Beginning at Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour, you will be taken on a tour of Sydney’s spectacular coastline, taking in views of Manly, Freshwater, Curl Curl, Newport, and Palm Beach before landing near Barrenjoey Headland at Palm Beach where a boat will be waiting to whisk you to shore.
Once on dry land a courtesy transfer will take you up the hill to the award winning five-star, chef's-hatted restaurant, Jonah’s, where you will experience three courses of exquisite innovative modern Australian cuisine while enjoying views of Whale Beach and the Pacific Ocean.
After a leisurely lunch you will board your return flight to Sydney during which you will see further views of the Sydney coastline, culminating in a circuit of Sydney’s iconic Bridge and Opera House before landing back at Rose Bay – Nic Forrest
For a country where nuanced variations on the customary toppings, soup stock ingredients, and noodle weight and thickness can be the cause of factional infighting among ramen aficionados, there’s little dispute over what this humble noodle dish essentially is — a down-home comfort food that’s often best enjoyed as a carb-heavy nightcap, before heading home after a hard night of bar-hopping and clubbing. No matter how refined and laborious the ramen production process may be, a bowl of these slurpalicious noodles almost always still leaves you with some change from a ¥1000 ($10) note.
Not at Fujimaki Gekijo in Tokyo’s hipster central of Nakameguro, however. Owner Shoichi Fujimaki, who concocts his soup from more than 20 ingredients — including two types of chicken, pork, Jinhua ham, dried scallop, dried shrimp, sweet shrimp, swimmer crab, mussels, two types of clam, ginger, and lemongrass — charges a princely ¥10,000 ($100) for his “Five Flavor Blend Imperial Noodles”. You’ll have to reserve at least three days in advance, but the starched napkins and cool underground concrete bunker vibe (with a ping pong table in the basement that you can avail yourself of after the meal) all contribute to making this the ultimate in obsessive ramen connoisseurship in a city renowned for its incredibly exacting cuisine – Darryl Jingwen Wee
