luxury

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Neiman's 2010 Fantasy Gifts: $15K Gingerbread House

Welcome back, ridiculous $1 million-plus offerings!

(Newser) - Well, the economy must be getting better: Neiman Marcus has returned to the practice of putting $1 million-and-higher items in its annual Christmas catalog. Specifically, you can have Dale Chihuly transform your swimming pool into a work of art for $1.5 million. Last year, such items were bumped from...

What It's Like to Stay in NYC's Priciest Hotel Room
What It's Like to Stay in
NYC's Priciest Hotel Room
perk No. 43: butler
Jun 12, 2010 10:29 AM CDT

What It's Like to Stay in NYC's Priciest Hotel Room

Champagne, butlers, and Maybachs, oh my!

(Newser) - To stay at the top of NYC's Four Seasons Hotel, you have to fork over $35,000 a night (no matter who you are—no discounts given). The four-room 4,300 square-foot Ty Warner Penthouse (named for the hotel's owner/Beanie Baby mogul) took 7 years to design and $50 million...

Aston Martin Debuts Mini-Car
 Aston Martin Debuts Mini-Car 
Dec 17, 2009 3:00 PM CST

Aston Martin Debuts Mini-Car

Cygnet is intended for 'luxury commuting'

(Newser) - Aston Martin released pictures of a tiny new concept car intended for "luxury commuting" today. The Cygnet, a miniature coupe that resembles a luxe Tata Nano, will be available only to existing Aston Martin customers. The hope is that they'll use the gas-efficient Cygnet to commute and run errands,...

Neiman 'Fantasy Gift' Pricetags Plummet to Mere $250K

Slowdown scales down costs as even super-rich turn 'frugal'

(Newser) - The slowdown in luxury spending has spurred Neiman Marcus to make its "fantasy items" in this year's Christmas catalog a lot less fantastic than in years past. For the first time in a decade there's no $1 million-plus items on offer, like the $20 million submarine offered in 2000...

Japan Loses Its Taste for Luxury

From food to handbags, high-cost items are suffering

(Newser) - Hundred-dollar melons and pricey designer handbags used to sell so well in Japan that companies considered luxury goods a mass-market sector. But while the Japanese kept on shopping through previous recessions, this one has produced a sea change. The luxury industry has been hard hit, and the change may be...

Find a Second Home Afloat&mdash;for Less
 Find a Second Home 
 Afloat—for Less 
TRAVEL
Jul 31, 2009 3:40 PM CDT

Find a Second Home Afloat—for Less

Barges or an ocean condo offer less cost, commitment than owning a yacht

(Newser) - A boat makes a great getaway home, but mooring and maintenance can turn ownership into an expensive hassle. A few alternatives have cropped up that offer the pleasures of sea living without requiring the vacationer to buy in hook, line, and sinker, USA Today reports:
  • The World. The first condo
...

Luxury Labels Flaunt Green Cred

Top-end firms realize eco-friendly image can boost brand value

(Newser) - As traditional luxury good buyers make way for a new generation of eco-conscious consumers, luxe brands are jostling to show off their planet-saving credentials, the Wall Street Journal reports. Firms like Louis Vuitton and Tiffany are snapping up eco-friendly firms, introducing new lines, and using green themes in their advertising...

Campgrounds Add Perks, Redefine 'Roughing It'

(Newser) - The purer pleasures of the outdoors don’t seem to be enough for some campers anymore, the New York Times reports. Increasingly, campgrounds are offering amenities like pizza delivery, air-conditioning, kiddie rides, and valet service to the delight of families and owners’ balance sheets. “The objective is to maximize...

High-End Media Strikes Back at 'Luxury Bashing'
High-End Media Strikes Back at 'Luxury Bashing'
glossies
Jun 13, 2009 7:00 PM CDT

High-End Media Strikes Back at 'Luxury Bashing'

High-end media strikes back at mass-market press

(Newser) - Tired of watching its affluent readership attacked, upscale media outfits are striking back at their mainstream press brethren, Johnnie Roberts writes in Newsweek. Brett Andersen, editor of the high-end monthly Robb Report, had led the charge by blasting the “demonization of the wealthy and the industries that cater to...

Pricey Yoga Mats Defy Recession

(Newser) - Consumers are cutting back in all sorts of ways amid the recession—just not when it comes to yoga. Sales of designer mats, which fetch in the ballpark of $100, are surging, reports Time. One leading company, Manduka, has seen sales shoot up 87% on Amazon in the last 4...

Cash-Strapped Country Clubs Welcome the Public

Upper crust forced to adjust as struggling clubs aim for the common touch

(Newser) - Struggling country clubs have decided to ditch their exclusiveness to stave off extinction, the Washington Post reports, slashing fees and opening facilities to the public. Long-standing members often sniff as dress codes vanish, nachos replace filet mignon on menus, pickup trucks appear in parking spots, and the public floods in—...

Tiny Hotels Offer NYC at Micro-Prices

Inns provide Manhattan rooms for $75-$89

(Newser) - New York is expensive, even to visit. A hotel in Manhattan can cost $300 a night, and even deep into the other boroughs, you’re not likely to pay less than $129. But a few hotels have moved to provide affordable nightly accommodation—by cutting down on room size, NPR...

10 Recession Expenditures to Shut Up About
10 Recession Expenditures
to Shut Up About
OPINION
Apr 2, 2009 10:14 AM CDT

10 Recession Expenditures to Shut Up About

The economy has changed social etiquette

(Newser) - If you've got it, don't flaunt it. Forbes warns against boasting about these lavish purchases,:
  1. As your friends' faces get droopy, it's not cool to discuss cosmetic surgery splurges.
  2. The duck confit may have been exquisite, but resist describing a lavish meal.
  3. Lest you suffer the same scrutiny as Michigan's
...

JPMorgan Spending $138M to Update Swank Jet Fleet

Two Gulfstreams and a new hangar are slated for purchase

(Newser) - JPMorgan Chase, recipient of $25 billion in taxpayer money, is about to be the proud owner of two new luxury private jets and a lavishly renovated Westchester County airport hangar, complete with roof garden, ABC News reports. The $138 million purchase, described as “completely tone deaf” by one watchdog,...

The Rich Get Poorer
 The Rich Get Poorer

GLOSSIES
Dec 6, 2008 2:36 AM CST

The Rich Get Poorer

Richest are abandoning homes, jewels ... and some are even broke

(Newser) - Before Wall Street's woes reached Main Street they pillaged Fifth Avenue, the Upper East Side, and the Hamptons, upending the culture of Rich America in the process. Manhattan bankers—some of whom went from multi-millionaires to debtors—are offloading Central Park apartments, high-end art, and private helicopters in a dizzying...

What Recession? Dubai Throws $20M Party

Star-studded night boasts fireworks display visible from space

(Newser) - Rich and famous people from around the world avoided the recession blues last night by flocking to a ridiculously extravagant party on a man-made island in Dubai, Bloomberg reports. Boasting a performance from Kylie Minogue and a fireworks display that could be seen from space, the party was the emirate’...

Young Americans Ride Out Recession in Dubai

Booming reality counters talk of bubble in Middle East's 'Manhattan'

(Newser) - Back in Texas, Brooke Butler’s friends are worrying about their homes and jobs. Butler has other worries. “I’m thinking it’ll take about 5 years to make a million now,” the 24-year-old saleswoman tells New York. “It’s not that difficult over here.” Here...

Herman Miller Says Phooey to Financial Crisis

Still have a job? Thumb your nose at thrift with a $1600 office chair

(Newser) - With a "bah!" to the financial crisis, furniture manufacturer Herman Miller has introduced a chair that costs $1,600—making you “all the more comfortable as you sit for eight hours staring in disbelief at your plummeting stock portfolio,” writes Stacey Higginibotham on GigaOm. The Embody,...

Struggling Whole Foods Pushes Cheaper Image

Chain's 'Whole Paycheck' nickname becomes albatross in downturn

(Newser) - Whole Foods is attempting to lose its reputation for high prices as shoppers increasingly look for thrift, the New York Times reports. The economic slump has changed shopping patterns: A July survey estimated that 20% of US shoppers have switched to cheaper grocery stores. Whole Foods has cut prices and...

Slowdown No Problem for Luxury Goods

Affluent Americans still snapping up fancy watches, jewelry

(Newser) - If America’s economy is failing, at least it’s going down in style. Sales of luxury goods have been surprisingly strong this year, despite the overarching economic gloom, the Wall Street Journal reports. Brands such as Hermès and Burberry have seen double-digit growth, as Americans continue to snap...

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