bLavish

Treat Yourself to a Luxury Hotel Suite

February 14, 2006 | Posted by bLavish as Reasons To Travel at 1:07 pm | (1) Comment »

In most circles, $1,000 or $1,500 a night for a hotel suite would net at least a raised eyebrow; $2000 would certainly give most people pause. But for the world’s most elite travelers, a room that costs less than $5,000 a night isn’t even worth considering. At ritzy hotels in some of the world’s most extravagant cities, presidential and imperial suites can be had for prices that climb to more than $10,000 a night.  Here are the top three, all coincidentally located in the Big Apple:

The Four Seasons, The Presidential Suite

To elite guests throughout the world, the Four Seasons embodies upscale hospitality. This New York City hotel was designed by noted architect I.M. Pei. The Presidential Suite is a 3,000-square-foot penthouse on the 52nd floor. Unlike many other top-of-the-line suites in the city that are done up in traditional furnishings and antiques, the Four Seasons offers up a contemporary look complete with black marble floors and rich wood paneling. Guests gain access to a 24-hour staff, TV monitors that pop up a la Jay Leno and marble baths complete with whirlpools. The list of notable former guests includes Michael Jackson, who made the Four Seasons his home for three months. Cost per night, $10,000.

St. Regis, Presidential Suite

For travelers in the market for luxury, the St. Regis, another New York City hotel with a lengthy pedigree, serves it up on a silver platter (to those who can pay $10,500 a day). The hefty rate buys guests a three-bedroom, four-and-half-bath suite with views of Central Park. John Jacob Astor opened the St. Regis in the early 1900s, and although much has changed in New York during the last hundred years, some things are exactly the same as they were in 1904. Each of the hotel’s 16 floors is served by its own maitre d’. Guests in the Presidential Suite dine in a formal dining room with meals prepared in the full-sized kitchen by their very own staff. The living room is furnished with antiques, tapestries, Oriental rugs and Louis XV furniture. The master bedroom has silk-covered walls, and a walnut-paneled library is available to guests who want to curl up with a book at the end of the day.  Cost per night, $10,500.

The Plaza, Presidential Suite

Guests who are rolling in the dough can check into the same digs as tycoon Alfred Vanderbilt! The 28-year-old chose to make the brand-new Plaza hotel his bachelor pad back in 1907 when an entire year’s bill was only $25,000. Since then, little has changed — except the prices. Now, one night’s stay is a cool $15,000, and the Plaza is still heralded as the city’s most elite hotel. The two-level Presidential Suite occupies the entire 18th floor of the hotel; plus, guests have access to a rooftop area. Within the 7,800-square-foot space, there are two living rooms, a parlor and a library. That’s in addition to six bedrooms and seven — yes, seven — bathrooms. The suite also has a private wine cellar, four balconies and a staff of maids, a butler and chauffeur with a Rolls Royce. For those quick snacks, there’s even a private chef on call at any hour of the day.  Cost per night, $15,000. 

Enjoy your stay!