The Real Super Bowl Contest

Forget the game on the grid iron tomorrow, the real contest between the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII is who has the hottest wives. The fine folks at Complex have compiled photos of some of the wifeys and are asking their readers to vote. We think the Cardinals have edge, primarily due to Neil Rackers' excellent lock down of his wife Rachel.

Travel & Leisure Luxe Deals

Here are a couple luxe travel deals we found on Travel & Leisure:

Fourth night free at The Somerset at Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, rates starting at $469 per night.

Roundtrip business class to Europe on Swiss Air starting at $1800, must book by February 6th.

Porsche Design Retro Sunglasses

Growing up, I used to think that my Pop's Porsche sunglasses were absolutely pimp. I begged him to buy me a pair, which, in retrospect I'm glad he did not since the Carrera-styled sunglasses would look a bit out of place on a 10 year old. But now that I'm a mature and sophisticated 32 year old (if I do say so myself), the retro look would look just right. Fortunately, Porsche Design has recently reissued two glasses from the 70's and 80's: the P'8478 pilot shown here and the folding P'8480 which folds down to just 6 x 6cm. You can purchase a pair at porsche-design.com for $430.

via moodiereport.com

You Couldn't Pay Me to Wear These Shoes

I will buy these ridiculous looking pair of Gucci lace-ups for Crew Member Drewsky if he agrees to wear it every time he goes out through the Spring. If for some crazy reason you actually think these are pimp shoes, buy your own pair for $1,295 at saksfifthavenue.com. Amazingly, they're expecting such a demand that you're limited to buying only three at one time.

Bentley on Pause

Times must really be tough when even iconic auto maker Bentley is forced to stop production of its luxury cars for up to seven weeks. Sales of Bentleys dropped by 30 percent in 2008 as hip-hop and real estate moguls saw their discretionary incomes as well as balance sheets drop precipitously. Of course, if you managed to get through the last couple of years relatively unscathed and you've always wanted a Bentley, now is probably the time to make that insultingly low offer to your local Bentley dealer.

via autoblog.com

Fifth Night Free at Fairmont Kea Lani

The Fairmont Kea Lani located in the luxurious southern town of Wailea is our favorite destination whenever the G Luxe Crew heads over to Maui. A friendly staff, spacious rooms, a fun pool area complete with a multi-level slide (we couldn't get Crew Member Tandori off the damn thing), and easy access to the beach makes the Kea Lani worthy of its not-so-cheap hotel rate. Well things got a bit more affordable from now until December 17, 2009, where you get a fifth night free when you book five nights with rates starting at $485 per night.

Dita Sun Collection 2009

Last year, Crew Member Tandori and I had a heated argument on who would get this sexy pair of aviators by Dita. Looks like we may be arguing again with the introduction of Dita's Spring/Summer collection. Personally, I'm digging the Selector pictured here. Made in Japan of handcrafted Zyl Acetate and featuring polarized UV protected lenses, the Selector comes in three different colors, any of which will make you look like a stylish Miami drug lord. Check out the rest of the collection at ditaeyewear.com.

via everythingsunglasses.blogspot.com

PETA Super Bowl Ad Banned

Now were not exactly fans of either PETA or vegetarianism, but we're going to have throw our support behind those granola eating nuts with regards to their banned Super Bowl ad below. The hypocritical aholes at NBC think that scantily clothed women frolicking with vegetables is somehow more risque than countless Viagra and beer ads. Says head NBC prude Victoria Morgan, the ad "depicts a level of sexuality exceeding our standards". We say increase your standards.

Diesel Wine

What does designing luxury jeans have to do with wine-making? Probably nothing, but that hasn't stopped Renzo Rosso, the man behind Diesel Jeans from creating Diesel Farm, a producer of high-end wine. Limited bottles of Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, and Pinot Noir are produced on a 2,500-acre farm in Marostica, Italy. While you may scoff at the idea of a fashion guy making wine, this isn't just a hobby for Rosso who grew up on a farm watching his parents make wine. So how does the wine taste? The New York Times commented that "the chardonnay is predictably big and fruity, but the reds are subtle and elegant". You are, however, allowed to scoff at the price as each bottle will set you back at least two bills. You can buy a bottle at fine restaurants in New York and London.

via justluxe.com

Porsche Museum

If you plan on heading out the Fatherland this year, make sure to check out the soon-to-be-open Porsche Museum in Suttgart. Open to the public on January 31, the stunning 5,600 square feet homage to all things Porsche costs a staggering 100 million Euros - proving once again that yes, it's possible to sell cars profitably (hear that Big Three?). Cars to be initially featured include: Martini-liveried 917/30 Spyder, Porsche 924 Carrera GTS, RS Spyder, 550 Spyder, and close to my heart, the original Porsche Boxster concept car. Check out some exclusive pre-opening photos at carmagazine.co.uk.

Z.Buds by ZAGG

We're always on the lookout for good replacements for the standard iPod ear buds. Z.Buds by ZAGG offer a great looking pair which also doubles as a hands-free set for your cell phone. YankoDesign.com recently reviewed the Z.Bud and noted:

"Most people will probably use it for music and I was pleasantly surprised. Treble sounded crisp, bass very responsive at both the low and high ends. At the lower end bass was slightly muffled but you can control that directly on the iPhone’s iPod UI. ZAGG claims the Z.Buds have noise canceling technology but I couldn’t tell especially compared directly to ones from Shure."

You can buy a pair in either red or black for $80 at zagg.com. Below is their cheesy promo video.

Sexy in Seattle

Do you have any attractive friends in Seattle? If so, nominate them for Seattle's Sexiest, a contest run by The Stranger. If they're selected, they'll be featured in the Valentine's Day edition. Looking through some of the submitted photos, Seattle isn't a very attractive city.

You Can Tell A Lot About a Man by His Shoes

We always tell our lady friends that you can tell a lot about a guy by his shoes and his watch. Actually, what we really mean is that you can tell a true baller versus a pretender by his shoes and his watch. Sure you can drop a bill or two on a nice shirt and pants, but only a man of means would spend $500 on those perfect loafers or $10,000 on an understated leather band watch.

Well now Donna Sozio, the author of Never Trust A Man in Alligator Loafers: What His Shoes Really Say About His True Love Potential, has expounded on our theory. In a recent msn.com article, she provides some insight into what a man's pair of shoes says about his character and relationship style. And what is her take on guys like us who like wearing expensive designer shoes?

"Guys who sport this season's Gucci driving moccasins and Prada boots may very well be what Sozio calls "collectors." "This type of guy not only collects name-brand shoes, but also name-brand, 'trophy'-esque women, too," she explains. Because these men likely see women as boast-worthy accessories and not real people, Sozio notes that they most likely won't spend the time or effort required for nurturing a relationship."

I hate to say it, but she's spot on.

Grand Wailea $50 Million Renovation

The Grand Wailea Resort Hotel & Spa located on the beautiful island of Maui recently completed a $50 million renovation. Rooms feature new carpeting, fresh pain, 37" flat-screen TV and upgraded bathrooms. The pool and spa have also been touched up. They are currently offering a free seventh night when you stay six consecutive nights.

The G Luxe Crew stayed at the resort a couple years ago and while the resort is quite beautiful, we found the service to be a bit lacking and it's a resort catered to families so expect to find a bunch of screaming kids everywhere.

My Next Panerai

We at G Luxe are die-hard fans of Panerai watches. Manly, stylish, there's very little not to like about their entire line of luxury time pieces. At the recent SIHH show in Geneva, Panerai introduced their new line of P.9000 watches for the 2009 season which features in-house movement typically reserved for their pricier models. I've been on the lookout for my next watch and I think I may have found it with the new Luminor Marina 1950 3 Days Automatic which retails for $6400. The watch features an automatic movement with a 3-day reserve, a large 44m case, and a black leather band with white stitching which I absolutely love. The only problem will be convincing Crew Member Tandori to pick his own damn watch. Tandori: I'm going to be pissed if I see you sporting this watch the next time you're in town.

via gearpatrol.com

Olivia's Blog

It seems like every celebrity out there has their own blog, most quite craptaculor, but there are a few who we think are worthy of at least an RSS feed grab. One of our favorite is by the freckled-faced, half-Asian hottie host of Attack of the Show, Olivia Munn. On her blog, you'll find the usual off-beat observations and candid pics and videos. So what makes heyolivia.com so special? Because it's by the freckled-faced, half-Asian hottie host of Attack of the Show. Do you really need much more of a reason?

Shangri-La Vancouver BC

Vancouver BC has some of the loveliest women on the planet. Now you'll have another reason to visit as the city recently welcomed the first Shangri-La Hotel in North America. Occupying the first 15 stories of Vancouver's tallest building, the hotel features 119 Asian-themed rooms ranging in size from 450-1395 square feet. The hotel also offers the food stylings of three-star Michelin chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at the Market restaurant. Get your relax on with Chinese and Himalayan inspired treatments at the CHI spa. Book your stay at shangri-la.com.

via globarati.com

Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2008

Cigar Aficionado recently released their list of Top 25 Cigars of 2008. Topping the prestigious list is a relative newcomer, the Casa Magna Robusto, a cigar that none of the G Luxe Crew has smoked before. The Nicaraguan smoke is a "full-flavored cigar, full of rich coffee notes and balanced by a cedary sweetness with a hint of raisins". Man, that sounds real tasty. The best part is that the cigar retails for only $5.25, making it one hell of a value. Rounding out the top five cigars are a Padron Serie 1926, Litto Gomez 2008 Chisel Puro, La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial, and a Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario. Go to cigaraficionado.com to check out the rest of the list.

Freebies at the Ritz

As we've mentioned a number of times at G Luxe, one of the benefits of being in a recession is the amazing deals you'll find at luxury hotels. HotelChatter.com recently spotlighted a wonderful promo by Ritz-Carlton hotels where they're offering various freebies as part of their Reconnect package. Credits range from $25-$200 depending on the resort. Skiers, you can get a $200 resort credit at the Ritz-Carlton Bachelor Gulch near Vail, Colorado. If you're more of an urbanite, stay at the Ritz-Carlton San Francisco and you'll get passes to various city attractions. And when you're ready to get all tropical, head down to the Ritz-Carlton Cancun and get free daily breakfast and $100 daily resort credit.

Santa Barbara Wine Festival

If you plan on attending the Santa Barbara Wine Festival which will be held at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History on June 27th - we will definitely be there - make sure to purchase your tickets by the end of January since you'll be able to save $15 if you're a non-member. Only 1,000 tickets will be sold for the event. Wineries that will be pouring including: Herzog Wine Cellars, Alma Rosa Winery, Cambria, Curtis Winery, Firestone, Foley, IO, Palmina, Zaca Mesa Winery and Riverbench Vineyard and Winery.

via latimes.com

Guess Spring/Summer 2009

Guess always has some of the sexiest ad campaigns and their newest for the upcoming Spring/Summer 2009 season is no different. Check out the the other ads featuring the sizzling Franziska Frank at fashiontography.blogspot.com.

Agent Provocateur Virgins

We doubt anyone modeling for, or shopping at risque lingerie retailer Agent Provocateur is a virgin, but that hasn't stopped them from naming their upcoming Spring collection "Virgins". To promote their new line, they've also come out with a "make-your-eyeball-sweat" ad campaign featuring sexy scenes inspired from Greek mythology. Buy some Virgins for Valentine's Day at agentprovocateur.com.

via luxist.com

Kanye's Louis Vuitton Sneaker

Just awful. Gawdawful. Here is the press release if you must:

PARIS — Marc Jacobs and the Louis Vuitton men’s studio director Paul Helbers have some design competition this season. Kanye West, who was sitting front row at the Vuitton show, has designed a line of five LV sneakers. Only one design, above, was featured in the show — a monochromatic midtop with no frills, save for a quilted flap in the back, all the easier to tuck pants into. “The inspiration came from a jacket with a huge collar in the movie ‘Dune,’ ” West says. “Most sneakers focus on the tongue, so I wanted to do something different.” West knows whereof he speaks: he says he has no idea how many shoes he owns, but he does know that he routinely needs to send shipments off to storage. The LV-meets-Kanye kicks will be available at Louis Vuitton stores in June.

via hypebeast.com

Jaeger-LeCoultre SEAL Watch

A couple years ago, I was in a cab when I received an email from Crew Member Drewsky telling me he was going to buy a Navy SEAL watch (Drewsky fashions himself as a self-styled commando). I turned to my buddy Doug who was in the cab with me, and who coincidentally is an actual Navy SEAL, and asked if there's such a thing as a SEAL-branded watch. He snickered and said, "Nah, we just wear Casion G-Shocks".

Well it looks like another watch company is trying to take advantage of the SEAL cache as watchmaker Jaeger-LeCoultre has created a limited-edition Master Compressor watch inspired by the famed SpecOps force. The watch will be water resistant down to 1000 feet and will feature diving alarms and mechanical depth gauges. Big arse huevos don't come with the watch.

via acquiremag.com

Hanno the Gorilla

Who couldn't use a wooden gorilla? Meet Hanno, a "brave, strong, and curious" wooden gorilla made of sustainable harvested beech wood. He can strike many a sexy pose and has elastic-band muscles and durable limbs that make him one tough gorilla. Buy one at areaware.com for $95.

Top 99 Women of 2009

AskMen.com just came out with one of the most important lists of the young new year: Top 99 Women of 2009. More than 10 million readers (damn, that's a lot of readers) placed their votes, and when the dust settled, sexy Latina Eva Mendes came out on top. Rounding out the top five are Megan Fox, Marisa Miller, Keeley Hazell (who?), and Anne Hathaway. While we don't necessarily agree with the rankings, the voters have spoken.

DealBase Luxe Deals of the Week

It's that time of the week again for luxe deals from DealBase.com:

Chicago - $115/night & up (23% savings)
The Fairmont Chicago (5-star)
"Only One Way Winter Package" includes discounted room rate and double airline miles for members of Aeroplan, American Airlines AAdvantage, Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan, and United Mileage Plus.
Expires: April 15, 2009

Las Vegas - $89/night & up (44% savings)
Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas (5-star)
"Suite Escape Package" includes discounted room rate, $50 spa credit, and late check-out by 4 p.m.
Expires: February 11, 2009

Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles (4-star)
"The Biltmore Classic Package" includes discounted room rate, and your choice of free valet parking, or free breakfast. You may also choose both valet parking and free breakfast for $199/night.
Expires: December 31, 2009

San Francisco - $129/night & up (26% savings)
The Warwick San Francisco Hotel (4-star)
"Warwick Weekend Package" includes discounted room rate and free parking.
Expires: December 31, 2009. Select weekends.

Three Grand for T-Shirt is Reasonable

We love this t-shirt. Its tag line: "Fuck the Recession, I'm Still Rich" could well be the G Luxe Crew motto. And you'll definitely have to be rich, or really delinquent with your credit to purchase this shirt from zazzle.com for $2,695 (only an additional $630 if you want it in black).

What we found most entertaining are the clowns posting comments on The Daily Interweb complaining about the shirt. Chill the fuck out people, I'm sure the shirt was designed to be a bit tongue and cheek. I'm talking to you Trinity who posted "Ew. People need to evolve faster. Or at least grow a brain." Why don't you stop being a Socialist and grow a bank account?

Sexy DJ's

Honestly, the only concept that needs to be taught in any undergraduate business or MBA course is the following: add hot girl, profits will come. It works with coffee shops, chicken wings, and now spinning the turn tables. StaDJ's concept is simple: hot modelesque DJ's are more fun (at least to look at) that a bunch of poser DJ AM wannabes. And as you'll see on their site, the StaDJ girls are legitimately hot. And how about their DJ'ing skills? We have no idea, but reading this interview with StaDJ founder DJ EM on psychoPEDIA, it looks like these girls are legit.

Five Star Wynn Macau

The Wynn Macau just received the prestigious Mobil Five Star hospitality award. This is a pretty big deal considering only five Asian hotels have received the five star designation and only 69 hotels in the entire world. Hopefully they have a more generous late checkout policy than their Vegas sibling.

via justluxe.com

Find Luxury Rentals at Otalo

There are a lot of great travel sites out there and a new one just hit the information superhighway. Otalo specializes in finding that perfect vacation rental using its next-gen search engine technology. The site searches through a whole host of different vacation rental sites including Vacation Home Rentals and Vacations FRBO and provides users with access to over 200,000 vacation rental listings.

What we love most about the site is it's simple layout and ease of use. Just type in your destination of choice and it will show results complete with photos and general info (# of bedrooms and bath). Select the property to get more information on the listing or you can use the filter tools to refine your search even further. We already found some terrific rentals for our next trip down to Cabo.

2010 Audi R8 5.2 FSI Quattro

Admittedly, I wasn't a big fan of the Audi R8 when it first came out. Despite the ooh'ing and aah'ing by the automotive press, how the R8 is essentially a just-slightly-above-$100K Lamborghini, I didn't like the way the car look (and you know how aesthetics is oh so important to us at G Luxe). Specifically, I found the contrasting carbon fiber panel on the side of the car to be rather unsightly. Over time, I've grown to become a fan especially after seeing one in real life scream past me on the 10 Freeway in Los Angeles, and more importantly, after one of our Cabo Smoke cigar girls posted on her Facebook page that she loves the car.

During the Detroit Auto Show, Audi introduced the V10-powered Audi R8 FSI Quattro which will be released in Germany later this year. The bigger sibling of the base V8 R8, the FSI Quattro is powered by a 5.2 liter V10 engine that generates 518 bhp and 391 lb-ft of torque and can go from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds with a top speed of 196 mph. Incredibly even at these performance levels, the new Quattro can still achieve 17.2 mpg.

At $182,000 the V10 R8 is about sixty grand more than it's younger brother. Either way, I'm sure our cigar girl would love to ride shotgun.

Pyrat Rum by Patron

Shame on us, we had no idea that Patron also made fine rum. We found out about Pyrat XO Reserve Rum while perusing chow.com the other day. The rum is made from a blend of tasty 15 year old Caribbean rums and according to spirit retailer Hudson Wine Market has a "smooth taste and delicious flavor" and "is excellent over ice with a twist of lemon or as an ingredient in a premium rum drink". Our resident rum expert Drewsky will try some shortly to confirm. A bottle starts at a very affordable $23.

Rubbers Having Sex

This ad for Durex condoms is cute, funny, and probably not safe for work.



via geeksaresexy.net

Obama's Watch

Regardless of which side of the political aisle you're on, you cannot deny that today is a historic and important moment in our country's history. As President Obama takes his oath, he'll be sporting a custom Jorg Gray JGC6500 watch given to him by the Secret Service. The black-on-black chronograph watch features a polished and brushed stainless steel case with Italian Buffalo leather strap. You don't need to be President to wear one of your own. You and 11 of your closest friends can order a dozen (minimum order) for $181 each at logomark.com.

via uncrate.com

James Perse American Flag Shirt

Sport your patriotism today with this new American Flag shirt by James Pearse. Made of 100 percent cotton, this limited edition men's t-shirt features a chest pocket and an American flag print on the left sleeve. Purchase one for $65 at jamesperse.com.

Poor Billionaiire

Let's all shed a tear for these poor Russian billionaires and their recent misfortunes, such as Sergei Polonsky who is looking to dump his five-star Sungate Port Royal Hotel in Turkey which he bought for $340 million. It looks like he's trying to sell the property at blue light special prices in order to help finish his other projects. Other things being put on the block by Mr. Polonsky include a yacht and a mansion.

via luxist.com

Trump Deal

While we probably won't be staying at the Trump Hotel next time we're in Vegas, they are offering some terrific rates. The Los Angeles Times found rates at the hotel starting at under $100. They also recommend the Suite Escape where you'll get a Studio Suite, $50 credit at the spa, and late checkout for under $200 including tax.

Stig Revealed!

If you're a fan of car show Top Gear, you know about the mysterious uber-test driver who simply goes by The Stig. The original Stig was fired by the show after his identity was revealed and it looks like a second Stig may be offed as the UK's Telegraph is reporting that current Stig is 33 year old Ben Collins. Collins has raced in NASCAR and LeMans and also worked on the last James Bond flick. No official word yet from the Top Gear crew on whether Collins will be fired.

Poltrona Frau Helleu Chair

Whether you're directing that next great indie film or just a really good amateur porn video, you need a stylish directors chair. That's exactly what you get if you plunk down eight grand for this Poltrona Frau Helleu Chair, which was designed in honor of Jacques Helleu, Chanel's artistic director for more than 40 years. For eight grand, that better be a really good film you're making.

Sexy Compilation

Here is three minutes of sexiness to start off your Monday right:



via arabaquarius.blogspot.com

New York Times Luxury Hotel Finds

You all know by now that hotels everywhere are slashing rates in order to bring in more visitors. The New York Times recently found some great rates on a number of luxury hotels including: the The Honua Kai Resort & Spa in Maui, The Blue in Miami, The Nines in my hometown of Portland, The Thompson LES in New York, and The Inn at St. Botolph in Boston.

Nude Madonna - NSFW

I personally think that Madonna is just gross. She reminds me of a used leather glove with a face that just makes one angry. However, there are folks out there who like her and someone is probably going to shell out at least ten grand for this fairly explicit nude photograph of a 20-year-old Madonna (apparently shaving did not exist back then). The photo was taken before the Material Girl had any hit singles or found Kabbalah; she was just a broke ass dancer showing off her goodies for a $25 fee. If you dig the nastiness, go ahead and place a bid on February 12 at christies.com.

WiFi on United

United Airlines announced this week that they will roll out WiFi service on flights to and from Los Angeles (LAX), New York (JFK), and San Francisco (SFO) later this year. The service will be offered by Aircell LLC and will cost $12.95 per session. So now instead of having to look at the Grandmas of United while on that cross-country flight, you can just sit back and enjoy your Asian porn...or G Luxe...whichever.

via perfectescapes.com

Bentley GTC Speed

Nothing says "F*ck You, I'm Rich B*tch!" than riding down the street in a drop-top Bentley. And if you've got the balance sheet and cache to make such a statement, do so properly in the new Bentley GTC Speed, the latest and most powerful convertible ever produced by Bentley. In addition to looking svelte as hell with radiator and lower intake grilles featuring a dark tinted matrix, large 20-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels with Bentley-bespoke Pirellie PZero ultra-high peformance tires, lowered suspension, wider tail pipes and a new rear lip spoiler, the GTC Speed is powered by a 600 bhp W12 engine that hauls the GTC Speed from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. This beast of a car can reach 195 mph...with the freaking roof down! Better use extra hair product if you decide to hit max speed.

The price to own a GTC Speed? At least $200K and that's before options. So for the price of a track home, you can ride in style in your very own Bentley convertible. And as the saying goes, you can live in your car but you can't drive your house.

The Informers Trailer - NSFW

We just got hold of the NSFW trailer for the upcoming film The Informers, the on-screen adaptation of the acclaimed novel by Bret Easton Ellis who was the man behind Less Than Zero and American Psycho. What's the movie about? To be honest, we couldn't figure it out by watching the trailer. According to official PR, The Informers is "a multi-strand narrative that deftly balances a vast array of characters who represent both the top of the heap (a Hollywood dream merchant, a dissolute rock star, an aging newscaster) and the bottom (a voyeuristic doorman, an amoral ex-con). Connecting all his intertwining strands are the quintessential Ellis protagonists—a group of beautiful, blonde young men and women who sleep all day and party all night, doing drugs—and one another—with abandon, never realizing that they are dancing on the edge of a volcano."

Sounds interesting, but honestly the reasons we're probably going to check out the movie when it's released in April are: 1) Kim Basinger, 2) Winona Ryder, 3) Amber Heard, and 4) racy menage-a-trois action. Get intrigued by checking out the following NSFW (we mean it, NSFW) trailer:

Colibri RIP

WTF America??? How could we have let an iconic luxury brand like Colibri go out of business? The Colibri Group announced that after 81 years in business providing customers with high-end accessories including cufflinks, humidors and lighters, it has laid off all 280 employees and will go into receivorship to pay off its remaining debts. The company is owned by New York-based Founders Private Equity, proof that the real magic behind PE deals is debt and not any special business acumen PE may have thought they had. Just like with seemingly every other business failure over the past couple of years, Colibri blames the collapse on the poor economy and tight credit environment. What's sadly ironic is that the home page still shows the slogan: Guaranteed. Forever. Eternally.

If Crew Member Tandori is reading this from his boat in the Caribbean: let's go buy this bad boy out of bankruptcy.

DealBase Luxe Deals of the Week

Here are weekly luxe deals from our friends at DealBase.com:

Cancun, Mexico
JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa
"Get Away, Your Way"
Includes a $100 resort credit, and daily breakfast for 2 adults and 2 children.
From $229/night (48% savings)
Comments: Soak in the sun on the Yucatan Peninsula.

Maui, Hawaii
Hotel Hana-Maui
"Explore Hana"
Stay 3 nights and get the 4th night free. Also includes a $100-150 daily resort credit.
From $278.25/night (53% savings)
Comments: Relax and rejuvenate at this secluded resort.

Las Vegas
Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas
"Suite Escape"
Includes a $50 spa credit and late check-out.
From $89/night (44% savings)
Comments: Maybe you can run into one of The Donald's Apprentices in these suites.

New York City
The Carlton on Madison Avenue
"Winter in the City Package"
Includes 2 ice skating passes and a New York City souvenir snowglobe.
From $192.50/night (15% savings)
Comments: Relive the holiday experience with this winter promotion.

Curtis & Compay Watch

Sometimes you need a large and loud (maybe obnoxious) watch to make a statement. Curtis & Company makes big watches, many of which have 50mm+ faces, and their time pieces do tend to be loud (and perhaps obnoxious to some). We love them and so do a bunch of celebrities ranging from Reggie Bush, Rihanna, and Rampage Jackson - as well as others who's first name starts with a letter other than "R". One model to consider is this Big Time World Watch that features a 57mm case, polished stainless steel, sapphire crystal coating, Swiss Ronda movement, and will tell you that you're late in three time zones. You can purchase one for $1680 at shopkitson.com.

Nothing Standard About This Staff

If you love the quirky stylings of The Standard Hotel, you'll appreciate the odd cast of characters who work there. Well now you can see them 365 days a year as they are showcased in their very own 2009 Staff Calendar. It's got a high school yearbook theme to it and the photos are shot by renowned photographer Michael Elins. Pick one up for $20 at shopthestandard.com.

via limitedhype.com

Truffle Camp

The next time you're headed up to Napa Valley, you'll have the opportunity to enjoy some delicious truffles in addition to great wine. The Westin Verasa is offering a "Truffle Camp" where campers spend three days learning how to cook with the luscious fungi under the tutelage of the hotel's Michelin-starred chef, in addition to taking private tours of farms and wineries. The next camp runs from January 18-21.

via globarati.com

Dream Job

How many of us have wished we could spend our days on a tropical beach, enjoying the sand and surf without having to worry about things like earning a living? Unless you're part of the Hilton clan, shorted the sub prime market in 2006, or Crew Member Tandori, this is probably not likely to happen. Well take heart dear readers cause we may have found the second best option. An Australian state is currently taking applications for a $105,000 a year job as an "island caretaker" for Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef, where the duties include strolling the white sands, snorkeling the reef, taking care of "a few minor tasks" and reporting on the paradise existence via weekly blogs and photo and video updates. In addition to the salary, the lucky employee will get free airfare to the island and use of a three-bedroom beach home that comes equipped with a plunge pool and golf buggy.

If you think you're up for the job, go ahead and apply at islandreefjob.com by February 22. Just make sure you're a good swimmer, able to speak and write in English, and comfortable dealing with the media. Hell, I think I'll apply.

Send an STD

Ok, we have to apologize in advance: this isn't necessarily luxurious or sexy, but it's sure damn funny. STD-E-cards.com is a new site created by the folks behind Extreme Movie where you can send that weekend booty call the bad news that he or she is the new carrier of a nasty STD. Think of it like the Hallmarks for the promiscuous Internet set. Our favorite e-card: "There are different ways that herpes is spread, my best guess is when you gave me head". Classy.

The Dalai Lama Wears a Rolex

What does yours truly and the Dalai Lama have in common? We both wear a Rolex. (However, I can guarantee you that THAT is the only thing we have in common as evidenced by my browser's browsing history). The fine folks at Melrose Jewelers recently wrote a great piece on their blog explaining why His Holiness - a man who eschews most luxuries - would sport a piece of jewelry that is synonymous with material success. The story goes that the Rolex was given to him by President Franklin Roosevelt and since the Dalai Lama is a "lover of fine machinery", he has kept the watch in good working order during all these years. So dear readers, just because you enjoy the finer things in life doesn't mean that you can't be spiritual and have a good shot at going to heaven. However, those porn sites you enjoy...

Thomas Pink Panther

Yes, it may be a bit tongue and cheek, but we kinda dig the new line of Pink Panther ties and accessories by Thomas Pink. The collection will be released next month in conjunction with The Pink Panther 2, which unlike the ties, we're sure we're going to hate.

via selectism.com

2010 Jaguar XFR

We're generally not big fans of Jaguar cars. The XK is a poor man's Aston Martin, the XJ is just blah, and the XF reminds us of a boring 'ol Lexus. Well now Jag has released info on their 2010 XFR which comes with a 5.0 liter V8 engine that produces 510 hp that powers the car from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph. What we like most about the XFR compared to the base XF are the aesthetic touches including the newly designed front fender which gives it a masculine look. The interior has also been improved with added dark aluminum trip, sports seats, and a sport steering wheel. Price is still TBD. Read more about at autoblog.com.