Daily Pampering: Brunch in Chicago Park Hyatt’s NoMI

by Grant Martin on

Seven floors above the bustling streets of Chicago’s Michigan Avenue lies one of the finest restaurants in the city: NoMI. Peering over Water Tower Plaza from a sweeping, glass-lined perch, there’s much more to enjoy at NoMI than the spectacular view. Chef Christophe David has created a brunch to best all brunches, complete with a dizzying array of stations, fares and dishes. Depending on the day, this can include a fresh, made to order sushi station, carving stations, every imaginable breakfast fare possible, scores of desserts, meats, cheeses and pasts — and that’s all before the main course.

That smoothie above? That’s the Care Smoothie, $16 worth of pureed raspberries, peaches, strawberries, aloe vera, soy milk, and ground almonds. And lo, it’s worth every drop.

Everyday brunch at NoMI runs $55 for adults and $27 for 12 and under children, while a typical holiday brunch can reach around $100 per person. For the view, quality and company, however, in Chicago it can’t be beat.

Daily Pampering: Five tips for luxury home-swapping

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Even the most ostentatious of hotel rooms doesn’t compare to the luxury of an upscale residence. There’s something at once more comfortable and luxurious about having an entire home to yourself, especially when it comes with a housekeeper, butler or chef. If you’re looking to swap homes instead of booking a suite when you take your next vacation, Luxe Home Swap is an essential destination for you.

I had the chance to sit down recently with Debbie Wosskow, co-founder of Luxe Home Swap, and she introduced me to the ins and outs of trading homes in the high-net-worth world. Her site, which facilitates these exchanges is built with he own experiences in mind and is designed to help you window shop and make contact. The rest is up to you and your fellow home-traders.

Currently, the service has more than 600 homes registered and available, and Wosskow is targeting 10,000 by the end of the year. The profiles are content-rich, she says, providing member-submitted information on both the homes and the surrounding areas. Yet, this is just a starting point. Below, you’ll find five home swap tips from Wosskow.

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1. Chemistry: This is the most important ingredient, according to Wosskow, who says, “The chemistry has to be there.” Unless you feel good about the swap, it’s not going to work out for you.

2. Communication: Expect to trade up to 20 or 30 messages when arranging a swap. In addition to getting comfortable, you’ll have plenty of details to nail down. Also, Wosskow says contract is a good idea.

3. Greetings: Have someone on hand to greet your swappers and get them settled. Your housekeeper, for example, can take care of this for you.

4. Details: Think about what your guests may want or need. Are you willing to let them use your car? Your skis? Work out what you’re willing to share, and decide what will be off-limits. Make this clear up front.

5. Honesty: Be honest – from deciding whether to list your home to how you behave throughout your swap. Luxe Home Swap works because of its members’ honesty, and this peer pressure has been rather successful.

So far, most of the homes available on Luxe Home Swap are in Europe, though Asia is growing rapidly. The United States is still a bit thin, but you can change that by joining!

Want more? Get your dose of Daily Pampering right here.

Daily Pampering: Seven chances to try a new job around the world

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Do you feel a bit confined by your gig? Sure, the cash is great, but you are held hostage by it. You can’t throw it all away and chase your low-paying dream. Well, now you have a chance to turn the paycheck that keeps you in the office 14 hours a day into the chance to try something new, even if only briefly. Cox & King is offering several packages designed to give you a once-in-a-lifetime shot at living your dream.

1. The Textile Expert
The “Textiles of India” tour takes you to some of the most famous weaving centers in the country, including Varanasi (known for Benarsi silk wedding sarees), Kanchipuram (zardozi embroidery work on Mysore silks) and Jaipur (handmade block printed cotton fabrics). This experience lasts 22 days and comes at a cost of $12,735 per person (based on double occupancy).

2. Painting Papyrus
With the “Splendors of Egypt” and “Discover Egypt” tours from Cox & King, you can satisfy your jones for Egyptology and learn to paint, draw and write under the tutelage of one of the masters. Participate in the rare and fine art that dates back thousands of years (trips start at $4,075).3. Fine Wine … in Lebanon?
The Phoenicians sold wine to Lebanon more than 4,000 years ago, and it’s believed that the Lebanese brought it to Spain and Italy. The fertile soil of the Bekaa Valley is the secret behind Lebanese wine, and you can get all the details on the “Lebanon & Syria: Empires Past” tour. Spend a day at Chateau Ksara, the oldest running winery in Lebanon, and learn the intricacies of the process of making Lebanese wine. This 15-night tour starts at $6,585.

4. South American Shutterbug
Click like crazy in Argentina on the Cox & King “A Photographic Journey: Buenos Aires & Northern Patagonia” tour. You’ll travel with Diego Ortiz Mugica, known as the Ansel Adams of Argentina, and pick up some tips and tricks, against the backdrop of the Argentinean culture. This unique opportunity is only available from November 6 – 13, 2010 and starts at $5,894.

5. Study Primates in the Wild
Startin Kigali, Rwanda on the “Gorillas in the Mist” tour, and you’ll climb into the world of gorillas. After a briefing, you’ll enter Parc National des Volcans, where you’ll enter their habitat and get great views of these massive creatures. The experience lasts four days and starts at $4,195.

6. Jewelry Craftsman
You could make jewelry in your living room … but wouldn’t be more interesting to try it in Mozambique? Go to Ibo Island, and experience classes with traditional silversmiths. You can even bring your old jewelry to melt down and use as a starting point (creating a bridge between old and new) or buy materials from the locals. This trip starts at only $1,585 a person.

7. The Origami Master
Put your fingers to work on an art form that dates back to the seventeenth century. You’ll learn to fold paper into amazing creations and gain an appreciation for the history behind origami on the “Treasures of Japan” tour, which starts at $12,525 per person.

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Daily Pampering: Join up at the Ritz-Carlton Orlando

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Is it time for resort and luxury membership club to make a comeback? The new program from the Ritz-Carlton Orlando – the Grande Lakes Membership Club – takes a personal approach, rather than push the same caned programs to the many different people who write the same big checks. The baseline consists of the sort of top-shelf amenities you’d expect, but the programs are differentiated by level: platinum, golf, spa and social.

Depending on what you choose, you could pick up an Executive Suite and gain unlimited access to the 18-hole, par 72 Greg Norman signature golf course or 50-minute treatments or salon services at the spa are nice – and that’s per month! Everyone scores resort pool and tennis court access, concierge services and member social events.

If you prefer predictability in our annual vacation and like a certain level of treatment, this is the way to go.

Daily Pampering: All your private aviation needs in one place

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The fragmented private jet market is coming together, making it much easier for you to satisfy your needs in this space. For travelers who use a variety of different private options, it’s no longer necessary to establish relationships with a number of companies. Now, you can just work with Flexjet. With Skyjet fully integrated into Flexjet, you can now get everything a full spectrum of travel options in one place – including charter brokerage services (Skyjet), aircraft maintenance, jet cards and fractional ownership.

“Flexibility isn’t just in our name, it’s in our DNA.” said Fred Reid, President, Flexjet. “With these recent enhancements to our business model, Flexjet has firmly established itself as the only business aviation company ready to meet travelers’ challenges with a truly complete set of customizable options.”

Want to see what’s available? Head over to Flexjet’s newly redesigned website an check out photo galleries of the fleet, which includes the Learjet 40 XR, Learjet 45 XR, Learjet 60 XR, Challenger 300 and Challenger 605 business jets. I hope you like ’em yong – the average age of these planes is only around three years.

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