So you have some money to burn. You make a list of luxury items to purchase: fast car, beach house, exotic vacation package. Sure, those are great; but they seem so ordinary. When you have the financial resources, the sky is the limit. Or is it? For the right price, you could fly with fighter pilots, skyrocket into outer space, and experience the adrenaline rush of racecar driving—firsthand. If you can pay for it, you can get it. With so many options, just deciding what to do is a full-time job (personal assistant to the rescue!). Whether you’re new to luxury living or consider yourself a pro, you may not have heard of some of these lavish products and services to serve discriminating consumers yourself.
Your Wish is Granted
From personal concierge services, customized African safaris, and fractional private jet and yacht ownership to shopping clubs with perks, personal shoppers and fashion stylists to high-tech products like outdoor LCD televisions, refrigerators with TVs built into them and exotic luxury automobiles to custom wine storage, feng shui specialists, and interior designers, there is a product or service to fulfill every desire.
Cheeca Lodge: Luxury in the Flordia KeysThe Luxury Retreat
The Cheeca Lodge in the gorgeous Florida Keys offers an infusion of luxurious accommodations amid a truly tropical setting. “The location is extraordinary,” says Signe Bjorndal, director of marketing for Cheeca Lodge. “Even for the Florida Keys you won’t find better beaches than what we have here.” With 199 elegant guest rooms, suites, beachfront bungalows, and of course the George Bush Presidential Retreat, there’s a certain touch of the lavish life for everyone. Many of the rooms are newly renovated with a décor reminiscent of the West Indies, complete with mahogany accents and marble bathrooms.
You don’t have to leave behind your lavish amenities from home while at the Cheeca Lodge. Each room is fully equipped with plasma screen TVs, DVD, and CD players. Blissful sleep awaits you amid the pillow-top mattresses. Step onto your private balcony and listen to the distant crash of the waves. Or visit the beautiful spa – “in terms of size it’s not one of the bigger ones,” says Bjorndal, “but the services and the staff are extraordinary. Coming out of it, you just feel like you want to turn around and go back in.” Utter relaxation encapsulates this fantastic resort.
You don’t have to leave the kids behind, either. With Camp Cheeca, the resort will keep them entertained. In fact, Bjorndal says that the resort is a popular family destination, particularly in summer.
“The location is extraordinary. Even for the Florida Keys you won’t find better beaches than what we have here.” -Signe Bjorndal, Director of Marketing, Cheeca Lodge
From deep-sea fishing in an area known as the fishing capital of the world to a challenging round on Cheeca’s executive course, there are leisurely activities on and off the resort. Cast your rod off the end of the private, 525-foot pier, or charter a boat and rig a massive marlin from the middle of the Atlantic. Surround yourself with tropical fish and the luminous coral reef while snorkeling with Cheeca Watersports. Brilliant oranges and radiant pinks light up the sky during the Key’s fantastic sunset – as you take in nature’s lightshow from the comfort of your poolside cabana.
The Life Aquatic
While money can’t buy everything—you can’t walk on water, for example—you can drive on water with the Amphibious Hydra Spyder, thanks to Cool Amphibious Manufacturers Incorporated (C.A.M.I.). So far C.A.M.I. has produced several large unsinkable vehicles, such as the Terra Wind and Ford Explorer variants, along with the small and sporty Hydra Spyder. While you wouldn’t take one of these vehicles into the open sea, you never have to worry about getting submerged in a flood.
Luxury Living at Home
When you think you have everything for the home, new products can slip by your radar. The HD-Ready All-Weather Outdoor TV (www.sunbritetv.com) does a lot more than let you channel surf. Featuring a built-in thermostatic heating element, it's protected in temperatures as low as -24 degrees F., so that regardless of climate, you can lounge in the hot tub and not miss your favorite shows. During the summer months, imagine watching the game in full HD glory while grilling up some juicy burgers (or simply lounging while your personal chef assumes Grill Master duties).
Want to unwind but don’t want to leave the comfort of your compound? You could always have the spa come to you. Companies like Spa On Location, Inc. (www.spaahonlocation.com), which serves Southern California, will bring the entire spa to your front door. Contained in a specially designed 36-foot RV, it offers services available in a traditional spa, including manicures, pedicures, eyelash extensions, massage and sunless tanning.
Your home’s interior is a virtual smorgasbord of luxury opportunities, and a feng shui specialist is one of the first calls you should make. People “in the know” believe that channeling positive energy can lead to prosperity and optimal health. Whether you're looking to increase your productivity at work or change the "feel" of your living space, feng shui firms like Reiko Feng Shui Interior Design can help create harmony in your luxury home. The feng shui design experts offer in-depth design consultations and customized services to elevate homes, offices, restaurants, spas, even children's rooms and pet areas into places of inspiration and abundance. According to Reiko, their clients have seen their incomes increased, romantic life enhanced, marriages saved, health strengthened, sleep improved, and life-enthusiasm renewed.
It’s All About You
Personal concierge services are all the rage among luxury clientele. InnerCircle VIP Concierge Services offers help with everything from the mundane to the sublime. With just a phone call, you can have your Paris hotel room stocked with your favorite beverages and snacks, or arrange for a private dinner with a movie mogul at his private retreat in Belize. What about help finding the best curry in Bangkok or the most authentic tapas in Madrid? A concierge can find whatever you want, wherever you want it. Now that’s luxury living.
Now all you need is a private jet and yacht. The Avion Private Jet Club (www.flyavion.com) is a fast way to get in with the Jet Set crowd. With the only DOT approved private per seat program, you're guaranteed comfort and safety without the overhead of private jet costs. With cuisine provided by Wolfgang Puck Catering you can sit back and enjoy luxury at 2,500 feet.
Buying your own private yacht and hiring a full-time crew, chef, and maid, plus arranging for marina space, could take awhile to complete. Luckily, a private staff is a phone call away. PrivatSea (www.privatsea.com) is an exclusive yacht club, offering members luxury cruising aboard an exceptional fleet of superyachts. The club's prestigious fleet of yachts is for discerning vacationers and provides the ultimate in the discreet "escape." Every yacht is hand picked for its pedigree, crew experience and security criteria. On board, every club member is treated as if the yacht were their own. The club takes care of every detail leaving members free to enjoy a truly relaxing vacation in the height of luxury.
Whatever your desire--bullfighting, swimming with the sharks, racecar driving, shopping sprees--there is a luxury service or product to help you realize your fantasies.
