luxurylifestylenews.com

:: Detroit Free Press

Luxury seating at MSU stadium is a suite deal

"If I want to impress a client, this is the way to do it," Gerbel said recently. "This is first class. My two grandchildren like it up there, too. They asked me to let them know if I have extra tickets."

Five years in the planning, the addition of the club seats and suites gets MSU in the game with other college stadiums like Ohio State University and Purdue that have added luxury seating to attract alumni and generate revenue for athletic programs.

MSU is the first school in the state to add luxury seating to its stadium. The University of Michigan is also planning an expansion of Michigan Stadium that would add luxury boxes and an upper deck.

... full text here.

:: Southe Florida Business Journal

Trump takes wraps off  $125 million manse

The Donald Trump marketing machine is preparing to sell what is arguably the priciest home in the nation.

The Donald's newest "apprentice," Kendra Todd, is unveiling the transformation of bankrupt health care tycoon Abraham Gosman's 38,000-square-foot estate into a palace befitting a king's ransom.

Details of the nearly completed work will be revealed on Nov. 11 at the opening of the Florida Real Estate Showcase at the Coconut Grove Convention Center. The two-day event is a trade show and educational expo for buyers, real estate agents and businesses operating in the luxury real estate industry.

... full text here.

:: Deccan Herald

New luxury nature resort in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka’s expanding eco-tourism attractions are taking ‘a walk on the luxury side’ with the island’s latest offering – the nature resort Rainforest Edge.

Located 170 kilometres from Colombo International Airport on the edge of the beautiful Sinharaja Rainforest, this brand-new resort - which opened on August 30 - is a balance between ancient tradition and modern comfort.

... full article here.

Related Links:

... Rain Forest Edge official site.

... Plan your escape with Travelocity.

:: Art News Blog

Damine Hirst Hits Number One Slot on Art Review List

The ArtReview magazine has released its fourth annual listing of the art worlds most powerful players. British artist Damien Hirst was number 78 on the list of 100 last year, making it quite an impressive jump.

... Art News Blog has the Top Ten and some more info on the list.

:: The Age.com

Cool $32 million a record for contemporary cubes

A HOT contemporary-art market notched another price record when a sculpture by David Smith sold for $US23.8 million ($A32.6 million) and broke a mark for postwar art set 24 hours earlier.

... full text.

:: Ellsworth American.com

The Encyclopedia  Of Yacht Designers

If your'e passionate about yachts and their provenance and you don't own a coffe table, go out and buy one  today. Then put 'The Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers' at the top of your holiday wish list. Put it in second place, too.

The book is definitely a coffe table book, but in the best sense of the phrase. Large, heavy, elegantly designed and filled with exquisite photographs, the book has the kind of opulent look that makes you want to show it off.

... read the rest.

Get it from Amazon.com - The Encyclopedia of Yacht Designers

This monumental book, ten years in the writing covers virtually every yacht designer of the century. The length of the entry for each designe is based somewhat on their prominence or the prominence of their designs. The designs come from about the turn of the century (I really like some of the steam powered racing yachts.) to quite modern designs. The size of the yachts vary from small under twenty foot (7' is the smallest I see)) personal boats to the yachts of kings that may be 400 feet plus.

The statistics of the book are amazing in their own rights:

Ten years
87 of the world's finest yachting writers
525 of the world's best yacht designers
650 drawings and photos of represntative boats.

In on book, here is a history, a technical reference manual, a commentary, a picture book, a reference on the designers. In short, here's an encyclopedia.

:: Ask Men.com

The Prestige of a Luxury Watch

If you have heard of Patek Philippewatches, then you were meant to purchase one.

Easier said than done, right? Wrong. Once you get into the right frame of mind, you'll know that purchasing a Patek Philippe watch is one of the smartest investments you'll make. While diamonds are a girl's best friends, an elegant watch can take a man's image to a whole other level... in the nick of time.

... full text here.

Related Links:

... Patek Philippe official site.

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:: Fashion Montior

Save the Date: Gourmet Food and Wine Expo

The 11th Annual Gourmet Food and Wine Expo is a unique opportunity to taste the new South Africa as well as over 1000 internationally renowned wines, beers and spirits, gourmet delicacies from local restaurateurs, a variety of professional cooking demonstrations, and attend over 40 educational wine seminars and tutorials.

South Africa takes centre stage as this year’s theme wine country. Celebrating ten years as a democracy and a wine industry that’s fully alive, honoured guests are South African vintners Chris Kelly of Hidden Valley and Razvan Macici of Nederburg Estate, one of the most beautiful vineyard landscapes and dynamic wine producing regions in the world.

... full text here.

:: Miami Herald.com

Is the Miami luxury hotel market getting overcrowded?

Viceroy luxury hotel checks in on Brickell

Florida's biggest condo developer plans to bring a hip West Coast hotel to Brickell Avenue, where the Four Seasons, Conrad Hilton, Mandarin Oriental and JW Marriott already compete for well-heeled business travelers.

But Perez sees his Viceroy at Icon Brickell creating a new niche by catering to younger, stylish executives eager for South Beach chic in the city's premier financial district. The 129-room Viceroy will have a rooftop pool and lounge on the 50th floor, a luxury spa, and interiors by the designer behind the Delano, South Beach's iconic boutique hotel.

... full text here.

Related Links:

... Kor Hotel Group (owner of Viceroy) official site.

:: International Herald Tribune.com

French developer Pierre Schnebelen has big plans for the Dominican Republic.

Hispaniola: Unlikely spot for luxury

Along the country's northwest coast, near the border with Haiti, Schnebelen has acquired thousands of acres of waterfront property for Costa BayanA, three residential developments to be linked by high-speed hydrofoils.

The plans call for more than 13,000 properties, ranging from clusters of condominiums to seven-bedroom estates, as well as 900 marina slips, 260 super-yacht hangars, six golf courses, nine hotels, 28 boutique inns and three cruise ship piers.

"Costa BayanA will change the country," Schnebelen said. "If we are successful in our plans, we should be known around the planet."

... full text here.

:: MLive.com

Lexus hybrid doesn't skimp on luxury or performance

How do you mix V-8 power, leathered luxury and electric environmentalism in one sleek green machine?

Well, Lexus calls their effort the RX 400h.

The RX 400h promises "luxury driving performance," and it delivers. The all-black one I drove had ample power and exceptional comfort from the individually controlled heated seats (a $540 option) and firm, supportive, adjustable buckets.

And the 400h even made me feel like a tree-hugger - at least a little - with the dual-motor electric assist from the hybrid powerplant... (read more)

:: Yahoo News

Tom Ford: Fashion Superstar and Now, Beauty Mogul

He's not a movie or rock star (at least not yet), but Tom Ford, whose rise to fame came in the '90s as creative director at Gucci and later, at Yves Saint Laurent Rive Gauche, is clearly the closest thing that the fashion world has to such a personality aside from say, Karl Lagerfeld.

"Tom Ford is a genius," said Talley. "He's a dazzling superstar. And for me, anything he does is way beyond the stratosphere of style. It's beyond fashion. He has impacted upon our culture and our times with his point of view, which I find unique and wonderful and so strong, and so brilliant. Like Andy Warhol, you can only be great when you are yourself, and that's what Tom is." ... (read the rest)

... recent post on Mr. Ford here.

:: Advertisement - Amazon.com

Browse Godiva Selections @ Amazon.com

:: Top Tech News

Icahn Eyes Profit, Not Luxury, with Fairmont

Billionaire investor Carl Icahn has spent about $185 million to acquire a stake in Canadian luxury hotel operator Fairmont Hotels & Resorts Inc. and plans to push the hotel company's management to improve its share price through a sale of the entire business or in individual properties.

Icahn announced his stake in Fairmont -- 6.7 million shares, or about 9.3 percent -- in documents filed with regulators on Monday. Icahn's filing said he plans to meet with Fairmont executives to discuss his ideas and said he might try to get a seat on Fairmont's board.

Icahn is known for taking stakes in companies and then agitating for change, often receiving a large payout in the process.... (read the rest)

Related Links:

... Fairmont Hotels & Resorts official website.