To me, living in luxury is living within one’s means while making smart choices about time and money. Living a life of luxury isn’t about vulgar, conspicuous consumption or displaying wealth (or illusions of wealth). Mr. Gatsby’s aspires to report about unique treats, haunts and experiences independent of price.
Traveling to Paris to work to report on the Yves Saint Laurent Auction and to preview villa rentals for Mr. Gatsby’s Travel Club, I tried to be very deliberate in my travel choices. My budget, beyond the cost of the hotel, was 100 euros per day, and I wrote every single expense in my pocket journal. I ’m not very good at “sticking” to a budget, but “tracking” to a budget gave me sense of empowerment. Many days I broke the budget, but writing each expense down made me aware of what I was spending.
A few tips:
Da Plane Da Plane….use Points! When not pursuing the life of a
Travlelisto, I build and remodel homes in the Hamptons. When buying appliances, lumber, and furniture, I use my American Express which has enabled me to accumulate a fair amount of points. I booked my ticket to Paris using points and used American Express Travel which is very helpful in navigating blackout dates.
Hotel Bookings. Paying for my flight with points allowed me more of an indulgence for my hotel expense. Most “luxury” hotels aren’t eager to discount their nightly rate, but are willing to offer “packages” such as spa packages or meal plans. I reserved the basic room at the hotel and was offered my fifth night free, and when I arrived I was upgraded to a junior suite with a terrace facing the avenue. Usually, I prefer to stay on the Left Bank, but I chose to stay in the 8th to be walking distance to the Grand Palais which is where Christie’s was exhibiting the Yves Saint Laurent collection.
Don’t order hotel coffee. Unfortunately, my hotel didn’t offer a meal plan, and I refuse to pay 35 euros (plus service) for a pot of coffee. The price of coffee motivated me to leave the hotel earlier than I might otherwise have. I discovered a great café, La Grande Corona, at the foot of Avenue George V that offers omelets for 7 euros.
Publicis Drugstore on the Champs-Elysee Publicis is open until 2 a.m. and sells Evian for 1.15 euro. The store feels like a hybrid of White’s Pharmacy in East Hampton and Fred Segal on Melrose. There are various kiosks in the store selling perfume, champagne, chocolates, candles, magazines, Pierre Herme macaroons and Missoni sweaters.
Tipping is a Karma…good tipping brings good karma. I factor tips into my travel budget. I tip the doorman, the maid, and the concierge the first day I arrive.
Don’t aspire to be “Euro-trash”. When I was in my late teens, my friends and I would make pilgrimages into the New York to frequent Au Bar and Nell’s. Wearing a collective bad attitude and projecting a sense of entitlement as if we were minor royalty of undetermined European origin always gained us immediate access to the clubs and frequent admission to the “VIP Area”. At thirtysomething, I don’t find acting like Euro-trash serves me well when actually traveling in Europe. A sincere “please” and “thank you” with a smile seems to be more effective these days.
Take a Lulu Lemom Tracksuit and Trainers. Running along the Seine is free and helps to shake jetlag.
