Penthouse at Trump SoHo in New York City

I know the hotel industry is expecting 2011 to be a good year, but I’m still surprised to see how much expansion is taking place in luxury accommodations. Maybe there’s something to this “economic recovery” talk after all.

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Normally, I travel without reservations and just find a conveniently located hostel upon arrival in a new city, but an eleven-hour bus ride from Chihuahua meant I would arrive in Zacatecas at 11 p.m. Since many hostels literally “roll down the shutters” after a certain hour, in this case I emailed Hostel Villa Colonial to reserve a room. Still, I worried whether they would be open when I arrived. I need not have worried; not only are they open 24 hours, when I arrived their front doorway was crowded with people, as was the small lobby and common kitchen. I fought my way through the crowd of revelers to the front desk and the manager greeted me warmly, explaining that he had received my email and reserved the penthouse for me. At $250 pesos (about $21 USD) per night, it was more expensive than I normally preferred, but since it was their last available room, I didn’t quarrel.

View of illuminated dome of Cathedral from the rooftop terrace at Hostal Villa Colonial

Three and a half flights of narrow stairs later the manager and I alighted on the rooftop terrace. “How do you like the view?” he asked. “Pretty impressive, no?” Indeed, it was the best view in Zacatecas. One direction looked directly at the illuminated dome of the Cathedral, another at the crest of La Bufa Hill, with its historic hilltop chapel, museum, and mausoleum lit up against a pitch black sky.

Rooftop terrace and second common kitchen

Across the terrace and just beyond a second common kitchen, we mounted a few more steps to the penthouse and stepped inside. Its double French doors were thrown wide to the sights and sounds of the city, which was crammed full of visitors for an arts festival. The room’s queen size bed and TV were luxuries for me, as was the ensuite Read More »

Did you know that prices at the best hotel suites have gone up by 10% this year? Apparently, the super rich have a lot more free time on their hands, what with the recession and all. And do you know which are the 10 most expensive hotel suites in the world this year? 

Burj Al Arab, Dubai

As per Wealth Bulletin’s 2009 survey, the Royal Penthouse Suite at the President Wilson Hotel in Geneva is the world’s most expensive hotel suite at $65,000 per night.

The President Wilson Hotel won out over last year’s winner – The Ty Warner Penthouse on the 52nd floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in New York, which charges $35,000 per night and offers 360-degree view of the city.

And here’s the full list of the world’s 10 most expensive hotel suites for 2009:-
1. Royal Penthouse Suite, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva ($65k/night)
2. Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel, New York ($35k/night)
3. Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smerelda, Sardinia ($34k/night)
4. Villa La Capula Suite, Westin Excelsior, Rome ($31k/night)
5. Presidential Suite, Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo ($25k/night)
6. The Bridge Suite, The Atlantis, Bahamas ($22k/night)
7. Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt, Vendôme, Paris ($20k/night)
8. Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai ($19.6k/night)
9. Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva ($18.9k/night)
10. Ritz-Carlton Suite, Ritz-Carlton Moscow ($16.5k/night)

Here’s a  few more gorgeous pictures of some of these expensive suites and the 10 hotels which house them.

 The Royal Penthouse, President Wilson Hotel, Geneva - Offers dramatic views of Lake Geneva through bulletproof windows and complete privacy including your private elevator.

Penthouse Suites - Presidential Wilson Hotel Geneva & Ty Warner, Four Seasons New York

Ty Warner Penthouse, Four Seasons Hotel, New York – Magnificent 9-room suite atop New York’s tallest hotel with cantilevered glass balconies and floor-to-ceiling bay windows offering a breathtaking 360 degree view of the City.

Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smerelda, Sardinia

 Presidential Suite, Hotel Cala di Volpe, Costa Smerelda, Sardinia – Located in the hotel tower, this multi-level Presidential Suite boasts 250 square metres of light-filled space with 2 living rooms, 3 bed rooms and 3 bathrooms, and also your own private swimming pool on the rooftop terrace.

The Westin Excelsior, Rome

 Villa La Capula Suite, Westin Excelsior, Rome – Seven terraces, a selection of  160 imported wines while relaxing in the magnificent tapestry-hung drawing room, and a study/library covered in hand-carved wood paneling and featuring numerous original works of art.

Presidential Suite, Ritz-Carlton Tokyo

 Presidential Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo – 3300 sq ft of pure luxury with a stunning four poster bed in the master bedroom. The suite is located on the 53rd floor of the hotel with a spectacular view of Tokyo including Imperial Palace outer gardens and Roppongi Hills.

The Bridge Suite, The Atlantis, Bahamas

The Bridge Suite, The Atlantis, Bahamas –  16 stories high and bridging the distance between the Royal Towers, this suite offers sweeping views from an 800 square foot balcony, with a 360 view of the water, lagoons and pools in Paradise Island. 

Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt Paris - Vendôme

 Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, France - A 2nd floor palace all by itself, the Imperial Suite houses a full featured in-suite spa with whirlpool bath, steam room shower and a dedicated massage table.

Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai

Royal Suite, Burj Al Arab, Dubai – The last word in luxury with a marble and gold staircase and leopard print tufted carpets, this 25th floor suite has it’s own private elevator, a private cinema, and a master bedroom with a rotating four-poster canopy bed.

Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva

 Royal Armleder Suite, Le Richemond, Geneva – The floor-to-ceiling bullet-proof windows are surrounded by beautiful terraces which offer stunning views over Lake Geneva, the Alps and Geneva’s Old city and the Cathedral.

Ritz-Carlton Suite, Ritz-Carlton Moscow

 Ritz-Carlton Suite, The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow – Floor-to-ceiling windows facing the Kremlin, Red Square, St. Basil’s Cathedral and Christ the Savior Cathedral.  Classic Russian Imperial furnishings and a spacious living room with a grand piano and dining area, library, office room and boardroom.

Photos courtesy Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Kerzner International Holdings, Ritz-Carlton Tokyo, Ritz-Carlton Moscow, and Rocco Forte Hotels. Ty Warner Penthouse photo by Durston Saylor, courtesy Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.