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March 2008
- Now Taking Reservations for Sometime Next Year
  
  Portfolio | Mar 22, 08 11:43 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Move over, French Laundry. The US' most in-demand dinner seat is in "flyspeck" Kennett Square, Pa., 35 miles from Philadelphia, Portfolio writes. Talula's Table takes reservations for its single, 12-seat table one year in advance. "My parents paid me $30 to stand out here," says one teen angling for a spot on a waiting list that commands an entire wall. More »
- When It Comes to Yachts, Size Does Matter
  
  New York Times | Mar 16, 08 2:40 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Billionaires have a new way to one-up wealthy neighbors: Buy a bigger yacht. Such jumbo boats confer "bragging rights,” one expert says. "No question, that’s a very strong part of the motivation.” And competition is riding a new crest: Four times as many superyachts, all more than 80 feet long, were being built last year than 10 years ago, the New York Times reports. More »
- Mama's Top Brand New Bags
  
  Forbes | Mar 7, 08 5:54 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - After spending thousands of dollars on a handbag, you might not be able to afford anything to put inside it—so choose wisely. Forbes outlines the best in "it" bags: Hermes Kelly Bag, $5,000 and up: Embrace your inner Grace Kelly with the original "it" bag, made famous by the actress in 1956. More »
February 2008
- UK Docs Call for Smaller Wine Bottle
  
  Guardian (UK) | Feb 29, 08 3:45 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Britons are downing too much wine, the British Medical Journal concludes, and it has a solution: smaller bottles. “Once two of us have had a glass each, it’s all too tempting to finish the bottle then and there,” wrote one doctor of the standard 750-mililiter size. One UK supermarket has already announced the introduction of 500ml (16.9 oz.) bottles. More »
- Top 10 Dating Tips for Rich Guys
  
  TheStreet | Feb 23, 08 8:21 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Wealth can present its own obstacles to romantic success. Here are TheStreet.com's dating tips for landing a woman who doesn't just love the money: Lose your PDA/Blackberry/etc. Whatever it is, it's not that important. Focus on the person right in front of you. Do pick up the check—it's only right. She can get the next one. Don't pick up the waitress. For that matter, don't flirt with anyone. Don't spend more than $100 on a first date. No. 2 notwithstanding, avoid indulging in ostentatious spending sprees. More »
- How to Be Middle-Class Rich
  
  Forbes | Feb 21, 08 10:26 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - Middle-class millionaires are carving out a luxe lifestyle to define their 16.5-million strong group, Forbes reports. And while the $1 million to $10 million stashed in the bank doesn’t make them all that rich, that doesn't put much of a dent in lavish spending habits: Mega-home improvements, to the tune of $150,000 yoga rooms. Haute couture jewelry, complete with 11-carat diamonds. More »
- Made in Italy — in a Chinese Sweatshop
  
  Los Angeles Times | Feb 20, 08 9:21 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - For consumers of luxury goods, the "Made in Italy" designation remains so prestigious that it can add 300% to an item's price. But the days of artisans plying their trade in little workshops are largely over, the Los Angeles Times reports, replaced by thousands of Tuscan factories employing Chinese workers at low wages and in deplorable conditions. For many, the labor is little more than indentured servitude. More »
- Porsche Gets Kitchen Cooking
  
  Wall Street Journal | Feb 15, 08 7:22 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - For wealthy people with nothing better to do than match their expensive cars with their ostentatious kitchens, Porsche has just the thing, the Wall Street Journal 's Robert Frank writes. The automaker is one of many luxury businesses trying their hands in completely different industries. Its "man kitchen" sports a "sleek and functional design language [that] specifically addresses male customers," a press release insists. More »
- Boom Time on Heartland Farms
  
  Wall Street Journal | Feb 15, 08 2:55 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - The US economy may be teetering on a precipice but agriculture is enjoying what one industry analyst is calling a "golden age" after decades of decline, with bountiful harvests of crops and profits. The boom is fueled by the soaring demand from ethanol producers and to fill grain orders from China and India, reports the Wall Street Journal . More »
- Guests Want It All at Lux Hotels
  
  W | Feb 13, 08 1:57 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Luxury hotels don't bat an eye at charging $500 a night, and guests are responding with increasingly zany requests, W reports. Concierges, once downright neglected by the average customer, are now routinely tasked with the impossible: Deliver an unspecified amount of breast milk, or procure a rub-down for a dog. Why comply? To ensure loyalty in an increasingly competitive market. More »
- 10 Best Valentine Getaways
  
  Reuters | Feb 10, 08 5:00 AM CST
  
  (Newser) - With Valentine's Day on the horizon, the luxury travel experts at globorati.com have come up with a list of 10 swank hotels for memorable romantic getaways. Fools for love are crazy about: Las Ventanas al Paraiso: Los Cabos, Mexico L'Hotel: Paris, France Nam Hai: Hoi An, Vietnam Maxim Bungalows: Cofresi, Dominican Republic Tides Zihuatenajo: Zihuatanejo, Mexico More »
- Beatles Hotel Opens in Liverpool
  
  BBC | Feb 2, 08 3:59 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Move over, Penny Lane: Liverpool’s latest draw is the Hard Day's Night, a Fab Four-styled hotel that boasts 110 rooms and two swanky penthouses near the fabled Cavern Club, the BBC reports. The hotel also displays rare band photos and art by Beatles painter Shannon. “The bookings are already good,” the hotel’s manager said. “It didn’t take a whole lot of selling.” More »
January 2008
- Chicago's Spire Condos May Be a Tough Sell
  
  Chicago Tribune | Jan 14, 08 12:00 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The Chicago Spire residential tower isn't even under construction yet, but its luxury condos—slated to be sold for unprecedented prices—will come face-to-face with a lousy housing market when the sales office opens today. Prices for units in the twisting skyscraper start at $1,400 per square foot, but developers worry that buyers will be slow to snap them up. More »
December 2007
- Rolls-Royce Sales Skyrocket
  
  Times (UK) | Dec 31, 07 12:15 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - The credit crunch is squeezing home sales, but Rolls-Royce sales were up in 2007. The manufacturer of the iconic Phantom (base price $403,000) is expected to announce growth of nearly 25%, reports the London Times . The standard-bearer of luxury cars, purchased by German automaker BMW in 2003, rolled out a sportier, two-door convertible version of the Phantom, the Drophead Coupe ($407,000) in July. More »
- Saddam's Love Boat Sets Sale
  
  New York Post | Dec 26, 07 2:37 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Saddam Hussein’s secret pleasure super-yacht can be yours—yes, yours!—for just $34 million. Moored off the French Riviera, away from the pesky bombers that destroyed the late dictator's other yacht, the Ocean Breeze was put up for sale last week by a British brokerage firm, the New York Post reports. The lucky buyer gets both a floating palace and a veritable fortress. More »
- Designer Perfume Profits Give Off Whiff of Decay
  
  Wall Street Journal | Dec 24, 07 6:41 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Perfume makers keep flooding the market with designer brands, but consumers appear to have had their fill. Global revenue from high-end perfumes—those $100 and up—increased only 3% to $18 billion in 2006 and is expected to slow even more this year, reports the Wall Street Journal. That's while sales for other luxury items are on the rise. "All the new perfumes resemble each other too much," says one consumer. More »
- Nokia Wins Big on Luxe Phones
  
  Der Spiegel | Dec 24, 07 4:25 PM CST
  
  (Newser) - Nokia is enjoying increasing success with its Vertu subsidiary, a maker of luxury cellphones, as a super expensive phone becomes a status symbol for the mega-rich . Der Spiegel reports that Vertu phones, which come diamond- or gold-encrusted, make the iPhone look absolutely pedestrian with a price range from $6,500 to $72,50