Monthly Archives: October 2011

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

By Rachel Lamb at Luxury Daily

Apple cofounder Steve Jobs left a mark on the luxury industry not just in the mobile space, but in the way that executives think about design, retail experience, presentation and innovation.

The first step that luxury brands usually take into mobile is through iPhone or iPad applications, using the platform as a way to engage consumers and immerse them into a branded world. Despite the obvious mark that Mr. Jobs left on the industry, his innovations have helped to sculpt the way that luxury products are viewed by the world.

“Steve Jobs’ innovations were not just about being expensive, although many Apple products are considerably more expensive than the competition,” said Al Ries, chairman of marketing consultancy Ries & Ries, Roswell, GA. “Jobs’ innovations were about being different.

“The way to build a brand today is by being different, not just by being better,” he said.

Mr. Jobs passed away Oct. 5 presumably due to complications from pancreatic cancer.

Industry and marketing experts weigh in on Mr. Jobs’ and Apple’s impact on the luxury world:

Michael Becker, managing director for North America, Mobile Marketing Association
The term “revolutionary” is applied too often, but in the case of Steve Jobs, it simply doesn’t go far enough to account for his influence and impact. Informed by a personal vision of ‘what could be,’ as opposed to one driven by market research, Steve Jobs imagined devices that were more than the sum of their parts and programs, and which became an extension of the user’s needs, desires and aspirations. He not only changed the face of the mobile channel, [but] his devices and those created to compete with Apple’s offerings are creating a new world based on his vision. While Steve Jobs’ loss leaves the world a poorer place, it is a world that he helped reimagine and re-engineer. That world will be his legacy.

Pam Danziger, president of Unity Marketing, Stephens, PA
Besides the obvious fact that Jobs’ Apple brand is the luxury brand for techies, I think Jobs’ greatest contribution is the example he set to all businesses for innovation. He wasn’t afraid to shake up his industry’s ‘conventional wisdom.’ Coming from the tech world, he recognized that design and style are just as important as gigabytes and RAM. He understood the importance of delivering an ultimate experience to his customers, both when using his products and when visiting his stores. He understood the need for the Apple brand to successfully manage all touch points with his customers.

Steven DeLuca, publisher of American Express Publishing’s Departures magazine, New York
For the luxury consumer who wants the newest and best products available, Steve Jobs was among the most innovative of trailblazers. His vision and contributions enhanced the lives of luxury consumers. For these affluent individuals and the marketers who want to reach them, his work was game changing.

Nancy Hubbell, prestige communications manager at Lexus, Torrance, CA
Steve Jobs and Apple have changed the way people think and use technology in their cars. By setting the bar for intuitive functionality and incredible design, Jobs has influenced what technology luxury automakers integrate into their cars, as well as how intuitive that technolgy needs to be. His ability to provide customers with what they want, before they even knew they wanted it, is a lesson to all manufacturers.

Linda Passaro, global vice president of sales and marketing for McIntosh Laboratory, New York
Steve Jobs had a huge influence on the luxury industry, one that is being played out today on many levels. Luxury brands are all about providing customers with experiences that generate enhanced feelings for the products they purchase. In this way, the products become relevant to their lives. Steve Jobs and Apple brought the world a variety of products that create exactly these types of enhanced life experiences. He was also a visionary branding expert who set new standards that inspire all luxury brands and he tapped into the youth culture in a huge way. It is that culture that is in many respects driving today’s luxury market. Our McIntosh actually sold Steve Jobs the rights to use the name Mac in the 1980s, and everyone here is very sad with his passing. But his legacy will help shape the future of luxury brands to come.

Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Industry, New York
He changed the world in various ways. First of all, he helped the luxury industry think through how critical design is in every single product and service that you deliver. I think that it influenced the luxury automobile industry and probably the luxury home products in the design way. And I think that he probably influenced fashion designers and how to think about design and functionality. You have to use the left and right brain for any product whether it is apparel or a handbag. I know that every time I speak to a luxury CEO and ask them, “What’s the benchmark for you in luxury?” invariably they would point to Apple as the benchmark in terms of product, retail experience and innovation. I think that luxury executives have a wonderful affinity for Steve Jobs and what he has done to influence them, especially the younger luxury executive. He most likely influenced them to be better and set a very high benchmark for the luxury industry.

Many people and visionaries and CEOs and designers can learn from Steve Jobs and the way he lived his life and how he created luxury and premium products, because that’s what they are. I think he created products that helped the world and made people better. Luxury can learn from that, too. Its not just about a product, its about the emotion and the empowerment and the inspiration that a product, luxury or not, can provide to a human being.

Chris Ramey, president of Affluent Insights, Miami
Steve Jobs is the primary reason technology brands entered the luxury segment. He is my generation’s Walt Disney. He integrated design into everything he did, and touched the luxury world by doing so.

Al Ries, chairman of marketing consultancy Ries & Ries, Roswell, GA
I’m not sure that Steve Jobs has had much effect on the luxury industry because the industry tends not to pay attention to what happens elsewhere. But they sure could have learned from Mr. Jobs. Typically, the luxury industry is focused on being expensive.That can be very effective if you already have built a powerful brand such as Prada, Chanel [and] Louis Vuitton. But Steve Jobs’ innovations were not just about being expensive, although many Apple products are considerably more expensive than the competition. Steve Jobs’ innovations were about being different.

The Apple personal computer was the first “packaged” PC and the Macintosh was the first 32-bit personal computer. Just as the iPod was the first high-capacity MP3 player, the iPhone was the first touch-screen smartphone [and] the iPad was the first tablet computer. The way to build a brand today is by being different, not just by being better.

bonus video : Steve Jobs’ 2005 Stanford Commencement Address by Stanford University

  

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

at automotive.com

  

It’s officially known as Las Vegas Boulevard, but in reality it’s a strip of glitz and glam of unrivalled proportions. To say it’s over the top might be an understatement. The Strip is the main drag of gambling U.S.A. and home to most of the top Hotels, casinos and nightclubs Las Vegas style! A stroll down the Strip at night is a blaze of blinking lights and a sea of humanity making its way to that winning slot machine. Night time is also the most comfortable time of day to be outdoors in the Las Vegas heat zone, so take your stroll under the stars and bask in the glow.

What really took me aback about Las Vegas is that it’s a lot more than casinomania.  The town most of the time buzzes with high-tech conventioneers (Couture show and JCK presented in this issue), weekending couples and families out for a little fun in the desert sun, not to mention people searching for pleasure in the capital of sin. Great! the next question arises; where to stay?

‘‘F’’” Luxury World – Luxury Travel Services selects for you the top 10 Hotel Suites & Villas for an unforgettable Las Vegas trip. Enjoy !

If You wish to read the whole article click on the magazine logo and don’t forget to subscribe here to receive the next issues for free.

  

Variety is the essence of shopping in Madrid, retailers and products are never limited to a defined style nor a single look and feel. It is a city where you find almost everything, particularly if you are seeking the sophisticated, the unique or the eccentric. From the elegance and flair of the boutiques in the Salamanca district, through to the more cosmopolitan charms of the Chueca district, and beyond to the large department stores and popular chain stores, Madrid truly has it all. Combine all this with the city’s history, art, culture, good weather and gastronomy and you may just have found the shopping capital of Europe!

District of Salamaca

This is one of the most distinguished neighbourhoods of Madrid. Created in the 19th century, it was the first district with running water and famed for the French-style boulevards. The richest man in Spain at the time lived here, the Marquis of Salamanca, and he promoted the construction of this neighbourhood. Paseo de la Castellana, Alcalá, María de Molina and Francisco Silvela are the avenues that border this district. When shopping here you will find some of the most prestigious boutiques in the world: Versace, Hermès, Dolce & Gabanna, Giorgio Armani, Valentino, Louis Vuitton or Chanel. If you are looking for local designs, there are also a number of talented Spanish designers such as Victorio & Lucchino, Adolfo Domínguez, Loewe, Roberto Verino and Elena Benarroch, to name a few. Every September this district is converted into the venue for Vogue Fashion Night Out. This is also the central area to find diamonds and other precious stones. C/Serrano is where you will find most of the exclusive jewellery stores in the Salamanca district. Jewellers such as Carrera y Carrera, Cartier, Rabat, Suárez, Tiffany & Co, Wempe, Brooking and Bulgari have superb diamonds and gems for jewel lovers.

Chueca and Triball District

Chueca, city centre and the triangle known as Triball (between C/Ballesta and Corredera Baja de San Pablo) offer a large choice of the most varied fashion stores, from leading labels of casual wear to a wide selection of vintage clothes. In Chueca you will find the Fuencarral Market where originality and the avant-garde stand out with colourful and psychedelic products. This attractive market also has a DJ as well as little shops where you can get a tattoo, a piercing or a surrealistic hairdo. This area was the epicentre of the Movida Madrileña cultural movement in the late seventies and early eighties that gave Spain a new cultural identity. It brought new ideas and colourful changes to places like Chueca, Malasaña and Fuencarral. Triball triangle is a rehabilitated area alongside Chueca where new designers, gourmet boutiques and organic restaurants thrive.

Centre

Puerta del Sol, between Gran Vía, C/Preciados and C/Arenal, forms a fashionable and diverse shopping district lined with the well-known department stores. You’ll find El Corte Inglés, fashion chain stores and franchises, such as Zara, Mango, Benetton, Springfield, Sfera, and Blanco. In Plaza de Callao, you will come across one of the largest music and bookstores, FNAC. Plaza Mayor, Gran Vía, Puerta del Sol and surrounding streets are the traditional shopping areas in Madrid, home to many traditional establishments, some centuries old, offering products such as classical guitars, Spanish fans and mantillas, handicrafts, ceramics and even ‘flamenco’ costumes and accessories. If you’d like a trip down memory lane, visit C/Luna and Malasaña, to find bizarre items, comics, forgotten old records, retro fashion and second-hand clothing. Traditional establishments include

• Casa de Diego (since 1823) specialized in fans, umbrellas and Manila shawls

• Casa Yustas (since 1894) which sells military hats, caps and accessories

• La Favorita (also since 1894) selling all types of hats

• Other traditional shops inlcude Belloso, Capas Seseñas, Doña Manolita, El Gato Negro or the haberdashery Pontejos. These stores, over a century old, can be distinguished by the bronze plaque affixed to their shop fronts that certify them as being Comercios Centenarios – Century-old Stores. The neighbourhood that lies between Plaza Santa Ana, C/Huertas and C/Atocha, is home to both avant-garde stores and traditional stores such as silversmiths, jewellers, antique stores and bookshops.

Markets

Old and Bargain Book Fair – on Cuesta de Moyano

Stamp and Coin Market – the oldest in the city, open every Sunday in Plaza Mayor

El Rastro – is the most popular and oldest market in Madrid, and it is also one of the oldest medieval markets in Europe, but today one of the most modern. Held every Sunday all year long, you will come across it in Plaza de Cascorro

Mercado San Miguel – very close to Plaza Mayor, although quite “touristy”, this market dates back to 1916. Here you can taste an assortment of ‘tapas’.

Chain stores

C/Princesa and C/Alberto Aguilera are lined with multiple shops, including leading fashion chains, shoe shops, jewellers and department stores such as El Corte Inglés. Located in many districts in Madrid they have a large array of merchandise to choose from. If you do not like crowds, I recommend El Corte Inglés in the Nuevos Ministerios district as it is one of the biggest and you will find absolutely everything. Another place which is a must visit if you love top designer fashion without the price tag is to visit Las Rozas Village. Here you can visit 100 outlet designers stores with up to a 60 percent discount all year round. This is found in the outskirts of Madrid, about 30 minutes from the city centre. Open 7 days a week from 10 am to 9pm.

Tips

• To enjoy the best prices in Madrid it is worth noting the exceptional sales that take place here two times yearly. Winter sales start on the 1 January, although the best ones start from the 7 January which is the day after Reyes, when most Spanish children receive their gifts from the Three Kings. Summer sales start 1 July – 21 September.

• Please remember when shopping in Spain and using a credit card, you must provide some sort of identification.

• In the city centre, near the tourist areas, restaurants and shops are open all day, every day, most public holidays and Sundays.

• Shopping Centres, department stores and supermarkets are open all day, Saturday included and only the first Sunday of every month. During the Christmas season, they have longer trading hours and are open every Sunday.

• In the residential areas, small establishments open between 10am and 2pm in the morning and 5pm to 8pm on weekdays. On weekends, shops only open in the mornings and are closed on Sundays. Establishments stay open later in the summer.

bonus video : Madrid Luxury City Guide