In the hotel one upmanship stakes, this one beats the lot. Hilton Sydney have just come up with a novel way for the well-heeled to spend their small change, a hotel package that costs a record AUD$1,000,000 aimed, says the hotel at ‘Australia’s flashiest high-rollers who desire the ultimate luxury hotel experience’.
So what do you get for a mere million?
Well, there is two nights in the hotel’s Master Suite where you’ll receive a number of bespoke in-room services (the hotel doesn’t specify exactly what but they’d better be good) and as many Payot spa treatments as your body can take in one weekend. There is no limit to how many you can ask for – a massage for the wallet possibly?
It is not just you that gets a spa treatment. The three Executive Floors of the hotel will be booked exclusively for your 100 ‘best friends’ for one night. And by now you probably have more besties than Paris Hilton since the entourage get exclusive access to the Executive Lounge and the chance to party on champagne and canapés, courtesy of your million dollar tab. Meanwhile either you or your partner will be looking pretty sharp in a new suit that has just been measured up for you by the tailor service of suit specialists Henry Bucks.
From this point on its party time with exclusive use of Luke Mangan’s glass Brassiere and a degustation dinner for all, featuring signature dishes developed personally by Luke for those other big spenders, celebrities including Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise, Princess Mary, Richard Branson and Bill Clinton; later the Zeta bar is closed for your own private use. And guests will indulge in a Hennessey cognac and cigar pairing with DJ Jim Wood flown in direct from London to spin your favourite tunes while the Dom Perignon bubbles over.
Worth a million yet? Wait there’s more.
You get to drive away and keep a customised brand new convertible Bentley Continental GTC courtesy of Trivett’s Bentley Sydney, NOW you’re talking and if those little adjustments you’ve demanded aren’t quite ready Bentley will lend you another for the duration of your Millionaire stay.
Oh and there’s one more thing... the one who didn’t get the suit, or if you like, the one who did (each to his own) gets to walk away with a serious rock on their finger – Australia’s largest diamond in fact. Care of Bunda, the Million Dollar Package includes an exceptionally beautiful and rare 12.16 carat pear shaped diamond – the only one of its kind in Australia. Which begs the obvious question what happens if more than one guest books the Million Dollar package? There’s going to be some unseemly squabbling over that ice then!
Of course the truth is that Hilton doesn’t expect a lot of takers. When the same package was offered at the Hilton Rome (in US dollars – since a million lire ain’t that much) there were no takers – but a lot of publicity.
I suspect the same can be said of Sydney.
However Hilton is not the only hotel chain to offer a Million Dollar Package. Any one who has a cool $US 1 million can secure seven nights at the ultra-luxurious Maldivian hideaways of Soneva Gili (44 bures) or Soneva Fushi (65 bures, 32 private pools) for themselves and a select group of good friends. For your money you get exclusive use of resort, seaplane and power boat transfers, spa, water sports and gourmet dining. Those interested should contact the General Manager of either. Soneva are coy about how many takers there have been but imply that at least one billionaire (for whom a mere million is loose change) may have taken up the package.
What would I do if I had a million dollars on the nightstand in small change? Buy my own island probably, and then I could entertain my guests whenever I chose. Palm Caye in the Caribbean would suit me just fine, at $US900, 000 for 4.15 acres there would be change.
Hilton Sydney, + 612 02 9265 6045,
www.hilton.com. Soneva Resorts, +960 6600304,
gm-fushi@sonevaresorts.com,
gm-gili@sonevaresorts.com. Islands for sale,
www.caribbeanisalndbrokers.com