Posted on 11/16/2004 11:31:36 AM PST by aculeus
WASHINGTON (AP) - A luxury hotel is promising some of the finer things in life - fur coat, 18-karat gold watch, plush bathrobes with political party affiliation - to the couple willing to purchase its presidential inauguration package for the over-the-top price of $200,500.
For President Bush's Jan. 20 inauguration, the Mandarin Oriental's "Presidential Privilege" includes four nights in its top-floor, 3,500-square-foot presidential suite; round-trip, private-jet service; designer outfits the couple gets to keep and use of the chauffeur-driven Maybach luxury sedan. The car alone costs more than $300,000, has a built-in refrigerator and seats up to four.
High-end retailer Neiman Marcus will provide an Oscar de la Renta evening gown and matching Manolo Blahnik high-heeled shoes, a Judith Leiber minaudiere crystal handbag, a Henry Dunay emerald ring and a full-length Jerry Sorbara mink coat for the woman. Her escort will be outfitted in a Kiton tuxedo with matching bow tie and cummerbund, David Yurman cuff links, a Tank Francaise 18-karat gold Cartier watch and a Burberry reversible coat.
Additional luxuries include:
-Krug champagne and Beluga caviar for two, served daily at dusk in the suite's living room, which offers panoramic views of the major monuments and other Washington landmarks from its windows and pair of balconies.
-A private, five-course dinner for eight at the hotel's flagship restaurant.
-Tickets to an inaugural event.
-Personal, 24-hour butler service.
-A 20-set collection of Washington-based movies on DVD.
-Monogrammed, plush robes with party affiliation.
-Daily breakfast in bed.
-Daily, two-hour spa treatments.
-An American flag that has flown over the Capitol.
The Mandarin Oriental, which opened earlier this year, is where the campaign of Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry usually arranged for reporters who traveled with him to stay when he was in Washington.
AP-ES-11-16-04 1341EST
Will the Kerrys (Kerries?) pony up?
pass...
Woe is me. I'm just driving to California and back over Christmas in my Navigator and planning to stay in Motel 6 along the way. I've just got to reconcile myself to extreme poverty.
Krug champagne? Surely they can do better than that!
Oh, good. I was trying to figure out what to get the wife for Christmas.
Aren't there any truck stops or roadside rests along your route?
There are, but I used Motel 6 last year on a similar trip and was quite favorably impressed by them. The prices are reasonable, the rooms and linens are clean, and the plumbing all works. If you drive about 600-700 miles a day and just need to crash at night, Motel 6 is a good way to save money en route.
I wonder if we're going to get a Motel 6 thread going now.
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