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Living Like a King: The World's Top Luxuries 
 
by Diana Bocco August 22, 2005

The world's most expensive car, house, and cruise are all for sale. See how the rich spend their money.

What would you do if you suddenly had the money to spend on all kind of frivolous things? Would you go shopping for the world's most expensive car or take sail around the world? Would you travel to the most expensive city on Earth? Or maybe treat a date to a $1,000 dinner? Whatever your choice, here is a little glimpse into what being a millionaire would let you do.

Most Expensive Car

The world's most expensive car has been around for over 85 years. A 12.7 liter cylinder engine, 300 hp, and a hood that reaches five feet high, make this the most impressive car ever designed. Built in the 1920's and 30's by Ettore Bugatti, who used part of a 16-cylinder aircraft engine, the Bugatti Type 41 Royale Kellner Coach is one of a kind. So special, in fact, that only six were built. Of those, two stayed with the Bugatti family until one of them was finally sold in 1987. Since then, it changed hands a few times, and it was recently bought in auction by an anonymous millionaire for the hefty price tag of $10 million.

Most Expensive Cruise

Welcome to the Queen Mary 2, the world's largest and most expensive cruise ship ever built. Owned by Cunard, it hit the waters in January 2004 and made, literally, quite a splash. A Todd English restaurant, a Canyon Ranch's spa, the largest ballroom on water, and a cabaret are just a few of the amenities found on board. Add to that a planetarium, a wine tasting seminar, a basketball court, and a playing field, and you're beginning to get the idea of what the Queen Mary 2 is all about. The cruise's top offer is the 121 night around-the-world voyage, which costs a lavish $480,000.

Most Expensive City

Tokyo has ranked first for years as the world's most expensive city. In a place where rents easily reach $8,000 a month and a three-month security deposit is required, you're left to wonder… does anybody but a millionaire live there? Apartments come without refrigerators, so you'll have to buy your own for about $900. No phone line either, which costs up to $700 to set up (depending where you live). Going out? Expect to pay $5 for either a coffee or a small beer, and an average $15 for a serving of sushi. Or stay in and order a pizza for $25. A microwave will set you back almost $600, same as a washing machine. Got a cold? Your average over-the-counter cold medicine runs about $15.

Most Expensive Wine

The world's most expensive bottle of wine, according to The Guinness Book of World Records, is a 1787 Chateau Lafite, a Bordeaux that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States. The bottle, in fact, has the initials Th.J. etched on the glass. The wine is undrinkable because of its age, and was bought by a collector of Jefferson memorabilia for $160,000.

The world's most expensive drinkable wine was sold in auction in New York City in 2001 as a seven-bottle case, for $23,929 per bottle (a $167,500 total). It was a Montrachet 1978 from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, a white wine (curiously, red wines fetch much higher prices in auction).

Most Expensive Restaurant

You don't have to leave the country for your most expensive meal. Just jet to Masa, on the fourth floor of the Time Warner Center in New York City, for the priciest sushi of your life. The intimate 36-seater restaurant does not have a menu. The chef and owner, Masayoshi Takayama, decides what you'll be eating, and the choices can vary daily, so you'll never know what to expect. As the choices vary, so do the prices. A fix sampler plate will set you back between $350 and $500. For that, you get a variety of dishes, from a uni risotto with white truffle to caviar on toasted Japanese sweet bread. Sushi is made right in front of your eyes, one piece at a time, which can turn your dinner into a three-hour-long experience. No cell phones are allowed in the restaurant, and reservations are needed at least three weeks in advance. Oh, yes, tips, taxes, and beverages are extra.

Most Expensive Hotel

Pink granite, ceilings made of real gold, creamy Italian marbles, and an entrance the size of the Arc de Triomphe… Just a few of the details that make The Emirates Palace, in the city of Abu Dhabi, the priciest hotel ever built at $4 billion. Add to that a private beach of the whitest sand you can imagine, an exclusive mall, and the most impressive Jacuzzis to be had, and you're starting to get a glimpse of the luxury around. Concierges patrol the surroundings relentlessly, offering all kinds of free perks, from foot massages to laptops that will read you the book of your choice. Getting hungry? Visit one of the 20 restaurants, including the one that serves white caviar (at a price of $60,000 a pound) or the one where an opera singer performs nightly. Once in your bedroom, control everything (AC and lights included) from a touch-on screen on your TV or call the butler and ask him to do it for you. A night in the top suites cost $16,400 and it includes airport pickup in a white limousine. A bargain, I can assure you.

Most Expensive Hotel Room

No, it's not in The Emirates Palace hotel. It's in the Caribbean. The Bridge Suite at the Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas costs $34,000 a night. For that, you get your own private butler, 11-foot high ceilings, a private bar lounge, and two master baths with marble bathtubs. And yes, you also get your own kitchen, where your butler can cook whatever you ask for. The hotel's highlight is the 54-foot high slide ending in a shark-filled lagoon, and the numerous swimming pools and snorkeling opportunities in private lakes. The suite has housed pop stars, film companies, princes, and sheiks.


 




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