Travel Like a VIP: Beverly Hilton’s Presidential Holiday Package

The following is part of an occasional series documenting over-the-top packages and experiences at hotels and resorts around the world.

As homage to the Beverly Hilton’s history of hosting presidents and diplomats alike since 1955, the Los Angeles hotel is offering a special “Presidential Holiday” package during the month of December.

Stay like the Commander in Chief with this $45,000-a-night package, which begins with a private police motorcade escort from LAX in an SUV stocked with holiday treats. Then, bunk down in the hotel’s presidential suite, which has served as a temporary home-base for every president since John F. Kennedy. The 1,870 square foot, three-room, lavish suite will be dressed with holiday décor inspired by the White House’s 2013 holiday design complete with a lush evergreen tree, trimmings, lights and a selection of holiday music.

Other VIP perks include:

• Family portrait session with famed celebrity photographer, John Russo, who photographed the First Family’s holiday photos
• Private gingerbread making class with the hotel’s renowned pastry chef, Thomas Henzi
• On-call private SUV and personalized shopping concierge including complimentary gift wrapping services
• Full service, daily breakfast buffet at Circa 55 Restaurant and Santa’s milk and cookies served each night
• Bottle of Moët & Chandon 2004 Grand Vintage Brut Champagne, the same champagne enjoyed by celebrities and dignitaries during the 2013 Golden Globes
• Personalized stockings for each family member

Now, let’s just dig out that checkbook and see if we can swing this once-in-a-lifetime Christmas gift…

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Daily Dream Home: L-House

Building a dream home in a rural landscape marries the best of both worlds. On one side, there is the serenity of the bright surroundings while on the other side modern design lines shape a highly contemporary residence. Designed by Architects Collective ZT GmbH, today’s dream home got its name from the traditional shape of the floor plan it showcases: the L-House. Spreading over 300 square meters, the modern house is home to a young family living in the South of Austria’s Burgenland region. They wanted “a contemporary living experience that is blended into the surrounding landscape”.

Reinvented to suit a modern lifestyle, this traditional L-shaped plan blends with the hilly landscape, creating a wonderful modern hybrid adapted to both the rural surroundings and the expectations of a modern lifestyle. The architects developed a geometric architecture that shapes a protected courtyard while keeping living and sleeping areas separate, as the clients asked for. Glazed surfaces offer generous panoramas of the calming rural surroundings while achieving the very stringent local classification of an ultra-low-energy-house by using triple panel glassing.

“Cantilevering the corner of the L-shape created a covered entrance area that leads into a two-story foyer and a courtyard. The upper level is divided into a bedroom and a living-dining-kitchen zone. Between the two areas is a continuous open space that is flexible and can be altered over the years by the residents. Currently the space is being used as a children’s play and reading area.”

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Epic "Don't Drink And Drive" Prank! (Watch)

Tom Mabe pranks a friend of his who already has 5 DUI's to teach him a lesson about "drinking and driving". Tom's convinced his buddy that he's been in a coma for 10 years!

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Karl Lagerfeld Ski Cable Cars Takes Chanel Up The Slopes

Chanel rises to new heights in uber-stylish cable cars while offering an opportunity to ski down the Alps in the most glamorous way! The label has launched a pop-up boutique at one of the most elite ski location in the Alps. And to mark this launch, Chanel has set up exclusively designed cable-cars that feature signature sketches by Karl Lagerfeld.

Located at Courchevel ski resort, the temporary outpost along with the designer cable cars promise to raise the bar of the brand’s innovative advertising strategy. Of the 72 Jardin Alpin cable cars, the Czar of fashion world has Chanel-ized 36 of them with his own sketches depicting images of Coco Chanel, polar bears and designs of pieces from his collections.

Vogue also reports that the 200m² space has been inspired by traditional Alpine chalets. The store located on the Le Tremplin esplanade is exclusively designed to showcase Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2013-2014 Cruise collection, along with all the skis, snowboards and winter accessories to elegantly glide down the slopes. The ornate window displays showcase pieces from Chanel Horlogerie’s Jardin des Camélias and Sous le Signe du Lion collections. Chanel’s make-shift Alpine lodge boutique will remain open from December 14 until April 2014.

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Live Freely: Stunningly Modern Floating House by Dymitr Malcew

What do you do when your love for water and the need for creative housing collide? You build a Floating House. Singapore-based architect Dymitr Malcew designed a highly contemporary water home for French developer H2ORIZON which specializes in floating structures. Imagining an almost see-through residential structure based on the privacy given by its water-based location, the architect and designer visually connected the interiors to the surroundings.

A simple box-like structure surrounded by a deck seems to be all you need when living on water. A floating platform shapes the base of the house, allowing this modern construction to be moved around from location to location. This flexibility ensures the home can be safely docked at marinas or piers and its inhabitants can live freely on water while enjoying the best of modern comfort.

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Inside the luxury £80,000 per week Courchevel ski chalet

With an elegant spiral staircase, chic pale decor, roaring log fires and spectacular mountain views, Chalet Eidelweiss in +Courchevel is the epitome of alpine chic.

But you'll need to be a billionaire to afford it - the luxury holiday home in the exclusive French resort of +Courchevel costs an eye-watering £80,000 to hire for just one week.

So what do you get for your money? Along with eight bedrooms, each of which has been individually decorated, the seven-floor chalet boasts two massage rooms, a hammam and a library bulging with books.

For those in search of more high octane pursuits, the chalet boasts its very own nightclub, complete with vast sofas, a conveniently located indoor hot tub, a private dance floor and a fully stocked bar.

Sportier guests can take advantage of Chalet Eidelweiss' indoor swimming pool, hot tub and gym or take to the slopes - located on the doorstep - with the chalet's resident ski instructor.

Although +Courchevel, long a jetset favourite, has no shortage of Michelin starred restaurants, the chalet also comes with a full complement of staff, including two personal chefs ready to rustle up your favourite food - and two butlers to serve it.

For those who fancy a trip down to the village, there's a personal chauffeur and a concierge to arrange activities, while for those who'd rather relax, the chalet boasts a private massage therapist.

Explaining why the chalet is worth the outlay, Rupert Longsdon, founder and director of the Oxford Ski Company which markets the palatial bolthole said: 'It's not every day one has the opportunity to stay in the best private home in what is arguably the best ski resort in the Alps.

'You can't rent Buckingham Palace but you can rent Chalet Edelweiss in +Courchevel 1850. You could, of course, stay in one of the many first class five star hotels in this resort, but one can stay in hotels all over the world.

'Booking a private chalet for a holiday is like owning you own chalet in the Alps for a week. What's more, chalets like Edelweiss come fully serviced and catered to a seriously high standard.

'Think Downtown Abbey style service - you will want for nothing. Chalet holidays are a rare treat where you can be spoil t rotten and enjoy the privacy with your friends and family around you - that is if you can find to them in Edelweiss between the swimming pool, spa, cinema, games rooms or night club.'

Location:

Located in the spectacular Trois Vallées region of France, +Courchevel is the name given to four interconnected villages; Courchevel 1300 (Le Praz), Courchevel 1550, Courchevel 1650 (Moriond), and Courchevel 1850.

Of the four, +Courchevel 1850, the highest of the villages, is the most exclusive and as a result, has become a mecca for A-listers, royals and well-heeled travellers alike.

With more five star hotels than Paris, two ultra-exclusive 'six star' boltholes and no fewer than 11 Michelin starred restaurants, it's no surprise that fans such as Victoria Beckham, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Cameron Diaz and Zinedine Zidane just can't stay away.

For those who can't quite stretch to a weekend in +Courchevel, the nearby resorts of Val d'Isère and Méribel are good alternatives, while across the border in Switzerland, Verbier and Zermatt both offer perfect pistes with the chance of a celebrity sighting.

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Nike unveils ‘Dare to be Brazilian’ spot ahead of the World Cup 2014 (Watch)

Nike has rolled out a new ad featuring big names from the Brazilian football team ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Created by Wieden+Kennedy São Paulo, the 90-second ad blends live-action and animations to show the likes of David Luiz, Thiago Silva, and winger Bernard jumping from on the pitch action to street football.

The ‘Dare to be Brazilian’ spot is being supported by OOH and digital, while consumers can participate in the campaign through social media or customising a campaign-themed T-shirt at Nike.com.

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