You definitely don't want to break out these Louis Vuitton playing cards when the boys are over for some Texas Hold'em action. Instead, reserve them for that night of strip poker with your special some one. The card set comes with three decks of cards housed in a sturdy drawer case. You can purchase at eLuxury.com for $98.
One of the sexiest movies of the past 20 years has to be The Lover, released in 1992 and featuring the nubile sex goddess Jane March. Yes, its slightly (ok, really) erotic, but its artsy enough for you to convince your girlfriend that it's not porn (it isn't). Check out this awesome video montage we found on YouTube. It's clips of The Lover set to an incredible song by Andreas Johnson. Enjoy.
We found this great luxury deal on TravelZoo. The Hyatt Grand Champions Resort, Villas and Spa located in Indian Wells, CA (near Palm Springs) has been named one of Travel & Leisure's 500 Greatest Hotels in the World. Now exclusively through TravelZoo.com, you can stay for $89 per night for Sun-Thurs and $139 per night for Fri-Sat. In addition, you'll get a free upgrade to a Golf/Pool view room. To book your stay, click through TravelZoo.com and use promo code: TVL193 at checkout. To receive these great rates, you must book by June 15.
Update hours after post: Silverjet is closing their doors. Wow, talk about timing. This is a sad day. Despite the failures of other business class only airlines, we were hoping that Silverjet would make it. According to their press release, they're trying to find new investors so they can restart operations. Tandori, break out your checkbook.
OK, here is the scenario: You're at a New York night club. You meet this gorgeous exotic beauty who has a sexy accent you can't quite nail. You've talked a big game about how you're a Wall Street maven and would love the opportunity to show her the world. She calls your bluff and tells you that she would love to travel to Europe with you. Without missing a beat, you whip out your Blackberry, connect to flysilverjet.com and book two Business Class tickets for you and your new gal pal. You can do that now thanks to the newly-launched SilverJet Mobile, where in addition to booking flights, you can view flight status and schedules, select seats and choose meals from your mobile phone.
From now until June 2, Neiman Marcus is having their Designer Sale where you can save up to 35 percent off designer apparel, handbags and shoes for both women and men. Also get free shipping with promo code: NMSHIP. Go to neimanmarcus.com to start shopping.
One could dedicate a whole blog, hell a whole year, writing on what absolutely blows about the American airline industry. Horrific service, crowded planes, crappy food, ugly stewardesses...the list goes on and on. Contrast your average experience on a American/Delta/United flight with one on Singapore Airlines and it's like comparing Kelly Hu with that ill-tempered dim sum cart lady at your local Chinese restaurant. It's no comparison.
The last time I flew on Singapore Airlines was years ago, but I still remember the gracious service I received from the lovely stewardesses. And keep in mind, I was in the coach cabin, not Business or First class. Friend of G Luxe, Chuck "Sanchez" K., travels quite often to India for work in Singapore Business and he swears that he is literally saddened when he has to deplane after a 14 hour flight. A similar length flight on a US airline would have probably resulted in Sanchez turning into an enemy combatant.
Despite setting the world standard for airline experience, Singapore Air is not resting on its laurels. They have recently introduced their Premium Suites available on their new Airbus 380 aircrafts. Priced at 20-25 percent above their already pricey First Class seats, the suites are essentially hotel rooms on a plane. Just check out the picture and you can see what luxury travel really means. The suites are so spacious in fact, that the airline has had to enforce a "no sex" policy. Its a slightly different policy from American Airline's no food, no drink, no service policy.
If you're headed to Asia and money is no object, book a flight in one of the Premium Suites on singaporeair.com or try to find lower prices on international travel on vayama.com.
Gordon Ramsay of Hell's Kitchen fame has opened his first West Coast location at the London Hotel in West Hollywood. According to RareDaily.com, "the menu merges Ramsay’s signature Euro haute cuisine with California flavors and ingredients". Sounds suspiciously foo foo. Regardless, if you're a fan of Ramsay, it might be worth a try. (via Zagat)
Winston Churchill may have been the most important cigar smoker of all time. If it wasn't for him, there's a good chance we'd all be speaking German right about now. Davidoff is honoring this great man with a line of Churchill-branded cigars, cigarillos and other smoking items. According to the Davidoff press-release, the new Churchill cigars will use tobacco from the Dominican Republic, Peru, Nicaragua and Ecuador. No word quite yet when the cigars will be released. In the meantime, you can purchase other Davidoff cigars at TinderBox.com.
eLuxury is having a sale where you can save up to 40 percent on luxury brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Diesel, LAMB, and Roberto Cavalli. Save on women's and men's apparel, handbags and shoes. Go to eLuxury.com to start shopping.
There are few men that embodies the spirit of G Luxe better than Sir Richard Branson. The man behind the Virgin empire, Sir Branson is not only a successful entrepreneur, but a man with a true passion for living and enjoying life as evidenced by his somewhat insane attempts at breaking air and sea records and his eclectic personal holdings including his own private fantasy island.
Necker Island is located in the British Virgin Islands and is a 74-acre island paradise owned by Sir Branson via his Virgin Limited Edition entity. Purchased for a measly 180,000 British Pounds, Sir Branson invested another $10 million developing the island into every ship-wrecker's dream. The Great House is the centerpiece of the island, a luxurious 10-bedroom Balinese-style villa on top of Devil's Hill that provides guest a 360 degree view of the island. In addition, there are five additional Bali Houses dotted across the island. In addition to two private beaches, you'll have access to private pools, tennis courts, water activities and a staff of 50 (including private chefs) who are ready to make your stay quite unforgettable.
You and 27 of your bestest friends (or in Tandori's case, 27 of his favorite "lady friends") can rent the island start at $47,000 per day with a 5-night minimum. At just under $1,700 per person, that's not too horribly expensive. If you're interest in reserving a stay on Necker, go to neckerisland.com. Just don't forget to invite the G Luxe crew.
We're always suspicious of non-luxury brands that try to go up-market with luxury products. That's probably why we're still suspicious of Lexus and Infiniti cars, and why we probably should be suspicious of Purus Vodka, made by the same folks who make that iconic NASCAR beer, Budweiser. Our friend Callie C. may want to give Purus a taste since as a vodka lover and avid member of the Green movement, she'll be intrigued by the environment-friendly bottle and the fact that this premium spirit is made of locally harvested 100 percent organic Italian wheat cultivated without the use of pesticides or commercial fertilizers. Bottles of Purus go for around $35 per bottle. Go to purusvodka.com to learn more.
While the ending of the Indy 500 turned out to be quite exciting with Scott Dixon holding off a motivated Vitor Meira to win the 92nd running of the Greatest Spectacle on Earth, most guys were interested in the frequent cutaways to Emma Davies-Dixon, Scott Dixon's stunning wife. Congratulations Scott!
Jet-set in style with this leather duffel travel bag by Chiarugi. This Italian-made bag has an extended zippered closure accented by brass buckles and a detachable shoulder strap. You can purchase at Forzieri.com for $850.
eDesignerShop is having a Memorial Day sale all week. Save 8 percent on all designer handbags including those by Fendi and Gucci. Go to eDesignerShop.net and us promo code: MWMWMW at checkout.
Let's admit it: Segways are dorky. Unless you're a campus security guard or Bill Gates, you really shouldn't be rolling around in a Segway. Well now the cool-factor may have been bumped up a bit with the introduction of the Ferrari-badged Segway. Called the Segway PTi2, this incarnation is colored in the Ferrari red. The i2 can go 24 miles or up to 480 city blocks on a single charge. If you're a fat bastard, maybe a little less. You can purchase at ferraristore.com for a measly $11,145.
Be honest now. If her waist size is bigger than her chest size, the answer would be "no". If her nickname is "Thunder Thighs" or some variation thereof, the answer is also "no". But since you're a loyal reader of G Luxe and not some crappy coupon web site, than chances are you're sharing a bed with a sexy little hottie. Make your guy friends jealous by asking her to audition to be a Playboy Playmate through Playboy's 55th Anniversary Playmate search on YouTube.com. Just submit a 2-minute video of your girl showing her best assets (pun totally intended). No nudity is allowed (strange) and she must be over 18 (sorry Tandori). To submit her video, go to youtube.com/PlayboyCasting. Below is a sample video submission. Enjoy.
Maui holds a special place in my heart as it is the first Hawaiian island that I visited. I remember my first day there, laying by the Fairmont Kea Lani pool and mentally drafting my resignation letter: "To Whom it May Concern, screw you, I quit and moving to paradise". Anything to bring the spirit of the islands back to the mainland is always and that is why I'll be finding a way to ship over cases of the new Wailua Wheat Beer by the Kona Brewing Company. Inspired by Wailua Falls down the old Hana Highway, this beer is a golden, sun colored ale with a citrusy flavor that is perfect for summertime sipping. Read more at konabrewingco.com.
Update May 27: Zeintec is offering a birthday special where they'll knock 20 percent off the price for the Zeintop if you place your order by the end of May. Go to Zeintec.com to purchase.
If you love the look of a Porsche Cayman but would like the ability to go topless for those glorious summer drives, why not buy yourself a Boxster or Boxster S and then purchase a detachable top by Zeintec. Unlike the Boxster top that is available directly from Porsche, the Zeintop flows much better with the overall silhouette of the car. Made of a combination of composite materials including carbon fiber, this top will provide you solid hard-top solution for your convertible. Currently, the Zeintop is only available for the 986 Boxster (1997-2004) but there are plans for a 987 model. At approximately 3250 Pounds, this isn't necessarily a cheap accessory but it's a helluva lot cheaper than buying both a Boxster and a Cayman. Go to Zeintec.com for more information.
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Save up to 40 percent on handbags and shoes by designers such as Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, LAMB, and Versace at eLuxury. Go to eLuxury.com to start shopping.
If your new mistress is going to pull a Basic Instinct on you, you might as well go out in style with the Jagger Dagger, a $250,000 ice pick that is the result of a collaboration by Jade Dagger and Belvedere Vodka. The dagger is made of 18-carat white gold studded with 13 carats of brilliant-cut diamonds and 42 pieces of pale sapphire and a blue lapis lazuli (don't know what that is) above the blade. If you'd rather spend the quarter-million of spare change on something else, say a Ferrari or a mansion in Iowa, you might want to go with the $10,000 version which is adorned with 12 carats of white topaz and 42 pieces of aquamarine. Belvedere claims that ice jabbed by the dagger will melt more slowly and make your drink of choice taste even better. Ok.
Why do we have a feeling that G Luxe crew member Tandori will meet his maker via this dagger? Go to belvedere-vodka.com for more information.
Today is Memorial Day, and to honor those who've fallen defending America, we're profiling the Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF). SOWF provides free college scholarship grants, along with financial aid and educational counseling, to the children of Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident. Go to specialops.org to donate to this wonderful charity.
If you love wine and love Benzos, you'll need to pick up these cool wine stoppers that are shaped like classic Mercedes shift knobs. You can purchase the set of four at mbusa.com for $55.
We have to admit, we've never smoked the CAO Conquistador but you can never go wrong with a CAO. Thompson Cigar is offering 20 CAO Conquistadors with a collector's box for $85, 43 percent off their regular price of $149. The cigars are medium to full-bodied and made with Cuban seed Nicaraguan filler. Go to thompsoncigar.com to purchase.
If you're a GT racing fan, watch the Nurburgring 24 hour race for free. You can view a live stream video feed on: http://adac.24h-rennen.de/live/live-streaming.html. The cars rolled out of the pits this morning at 5:41AM PT. You've got to love technology.
When a stylish music icon teams up with one of the creative geniuses behind Louis Vuitton to create a new line of jewelry, you get something quite extraordinary. Blason is the result of a partnership between Pharrell Williams and Camille Miceli. While some may find the jewelry a bit too blingy and over-the-top, we think they're a perfect accessory for the rebel mogul. Price: Real Expensive. Go to louisvuitton.com to check out the collection.
Reuters reported that an Israeli tourist trying to withdraw money from an ATM in New Zealand decided to strip off her clothes after being wolf-whistled by some road workers. Apparently, she was a bit annoyed by the whistling and decided to just get it over with and show them her goods. According to the arresting officer, "She's not an unattractive looking lady". In other news, G Luxe crew member Tandori has been spotted on London street corners wolf-whistling every attractive girl that walks by.
I hate chicken breast. I really do. I hate everything about it: its taste (or lack thereof), its texture, and what it says about the American palate, which is that we consider nature's culinary cardboard to be good eats. Nothing ticks me off more than hearing some moron go, "Ummmm, chicken breast". What are you "ummmm'ing about" you jackarse? Ummmmm....dry, flavorless meat....yummy.
We Americans could learn a thing or two from the rest of the World when it comes to figuring out what counts as good food. While we consider the chicken breast to be the zenith of gastronomical options, our counterparts in every other continent eschews such blandness and prefer to create meals from more adventurous parts of the animal including the lung, heart, stomach lining, feet, cheek, basically all the pieces that we either throw away or stick in a hot dog (that's right, what do you think are in those Ball Parks you're eating?).
That's why we were glad to read on forbestraveler.com that more restaurants, including finer establishments, are offering dishes that incorporate some of the tastier tidbits. For example, the Tasting Room in New York offers the $23 Old MacDonald burger, whose patty is made of cow's heart, liver, bone marrow, tongue, flatiron, brisket, shank and clod. It is then topped with raw cow's milk cheese and mushroom ketchup. That, my fellow luxers, is a tasty burger.
On a side note, below is a video clip of me at the Hash House A Go Go in Las Vegas when I was told that they couldn't serve me dark meat fried chicken because all they had was chicken breast.
Discover Martin and Osa this holiday by taking 20 percent off all purchase of $100 or more through May 27. Go to martinandosa.com and use promo code: 29781922 at checkout.
The Assioma is the latest line of watches by Bulgari and is highly recognizable by its distinctive quadrangular case. The model shown here has a 44m stainless steel polished dial and a stainless steel bracelet with a three blade stainless steel folding clasp. It has a mechanical movement with automatic winding and a 42 hour power reserve. The watch retails for $4200 but you can purchase at Amazon.com for $3396.
First it was Prince versus Michael, then it was Pamela versus Carmen, finally it was Britney versus Christina. We all know who won that last one. The stunning Mrs. Aguilera will be hosting a party at the LAX in Las Vegas on May 31. DJ AM and DJ Vice will also be spinning. Go to LAXthenightclub.com to book your VIP table. Gawd she's hot.
Ok, the title of this post is a slight exaggeration but Vinquire.com is truly an amazing search tool for all you wine lovers. Based in San Francisco, CA, Vinquire maintains a database of over one million wines to help you find, review, and purchase wine. Vinquire offers some real cool tools to help you find that perfect bottle of wine. You can enter your zip code and Vinquire will limit its search to nearby wine stores. In addition, Vinquire displays all wine search results regardless of site sponsorship. Finally, Vinquire is also getting in the social networking game by enabling you to create a personal profile where you can provide wine reviews, participate in forum discussions and receive wine recommendations based on a user's review. Pretty cool stuff. In-house wine expert Shad E. should love this tool. Go to Vinquire.com to start searching.
If you need to just getaway and unwind for the weekend, check out they Hyatt Grand Champions Resort located in the foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains near Palm Springs, California. The 45-acre resort has two 18-hole golf courses, tennis courts, seven outdoor pools, and most importantly the spacious Agua Serena Spa.
They are now offering 25 percent off their Agua Serena Balance Package where for $499 (reg. $665) you'll get:
- One night stay in deluxe accommodations - Two 50-minute spa treatments per room, per night (choice of Swedish massage or deep cleansing facial)
Alright ladies, its time to start do some damage on those credit cards. Nordstrom's Half Yearly Sale for women is happening now. Go to nordstrom.com to start shopping.
For one week only, Barney's of New York is having their Private Sale where you can save up to 40 percent off selected regularly price items. Go to Barneys.com to start shopping.
Alright ladies, its time to load up on those sexy panties. Fredericks of Hollywood is having offering six panties for $20 through Memorial Day Weekend. Go to Fredericks.com to start shopping.
I always wondered why it was so darn difficult to connect my laptop to my TV so that I can watch...ummm..."videos" on my 51 incher. With the soon-to-be-released ZvBox by ZeeVee, I can entertain myself with ease. The ZvBox is a device that allows you to watch anything you can stream on your computer from any HDTV by simply connecting the monitor output of your computer to the ZvBox, then the ZvBox to your home's cable TV wiring. Zee Vee will also be coming out with the ZvRemote and ZvReceiver to provide you with full control of your computer from anywhere in the house. In addition, the ZvKeyboard is expected to hit stores in August 2008, and it will make it easier for you to compose email, surf the web, and type text for desktop applications.
The Apple-esque utility of this device won't come cheap. You can pre-order the ZvBox exclusively at Amazon.com for $499.99 with an expected June 30 delivery date.
This USB memory key by Swarovsky may not be the best idea for you if security is a big concern. Nothing says corporate theft better than a blinged-out memory stick. But if you're looking for the perfect conversation-starter on your next business trip (and need some extra memory), pick up this crystal-encrusted 1-GB memory key for $180 at swarovski.com.
The last time I was in Bali, I was just a wee bit Luxer in middle-school. I still remember the adolescent glee I felt seeing all the topless Australian women walking around the beach. You've got to love the Australians. We found this great deal on Halogen Guides for the Jimbaran Puri Bali luxury resort where five nights of island love start at $1798. The package includes: an Ayurvedic spa treatment 'Best of Ayurveda' (90 minutes) , an 'Ultimate Spa Journey' treatment (2.5 hours), a yoga session (60 minutes) and a foot reflexology treatment at the Beach Spa. Go to halogenguides.com to book your stay.
Traveling abroad to a new location is not an excuse to eat at crappy restaurants. Find the best places to dine using Zagat's latest restaurant guide: World's Top Restaurants 2008/09. You can purchase it at zagat.com for $15.95 ($11.96 if you're a member).
This can't possibly taste good. The Crunk-Master himself, Lil Jon has started his own wine-making enterprise called Little Jonathan Winery (admittedly, a hilarious name). The wine is produced from California grapes and includes a Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot. We'll leave it up to our resident wine expert Shad E. to sample some bottles. We even have a pimp cup he can use for the tasting. Go to littlejonathanwinery.com to get your crunk on.
We can't tell you the technical merits of the soon-to-be-released Beats headphones by Monster, but we can tell you that the guru of hip-hop, Dr. Dre, was involved in the design and that is good enough for us. Whether you're bumpin The Chronic or the latest Ashley Simpson gar-bage, it will all sound better on these headphones. Or at least we hope so since they're expected to set you back a cool $350. They should be available for your listening pleasure by this summer. To learn more, go to monstercable.com.
