Day 2 -- Shop Around
A trip to one of the chicest cities in the world wouldn’t be complete without a spot of retail therapy. Have your chauffeur whisk you underneath the Arc de Triomphe to Avenue des Champs-Elysées in the eighth arrondissement in Paris, where you’ll find big-name French designers such as Louis Vuitton, Christian Dior, Charles Jourdan, and Emanuel Ungaro. Home to the third most expensive real estate in the world, and stretching over a mile in length, the Champs-Elysées will more than cater to your urge to splurge. So whip out that Black Amex and get to work knocking up another $14,000 on a sparkling diamond-encrusted Cartier watch and a made-to-measure suit from the master tailors at Monsieur Elysées.
Laden with shopping bags, check into the Plaza Athénée Hotel, just one block from the Champs-Elysées. For the princely sum of $6,193 you’ll be able to snag yourself the Presidential Suite, where you’ll enjoy 110-square-meters of unadulterated luxury, with a king-size bed, marbled bathrooms, a dining area, a sauna, and views of Avenue Montaigne.
Change into your designer wear and have dinner downstairs at Alain Ducasse’s three-Michelin-starred Plaza Athénée restaurant. Designed by Patrick Jouin -- with a clementine and white color scheme and a ceiling embedded with 10,000 crystals -- it is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the taste buds. After you’ve stopped drooling over the decor, get stuck into the $426 four-course menu collection, which enables you to try a little bit of everything.
After dinner, venture out of the hotel and hit the city’s famed nightlife. Begin at the Buddha Bar not far from the hotel, and soak up the Zen-like, smoky ambience with a couple of $24 martini cocktails. Take it easy, however, as European measures tend to be strong and you don’t want to pass out while the night is still young. The new-age music is great here, so pick up a $61 compilation CD from the bar’s own record label before you make for the exit.
Finish off your day in the Champs-Elysées at Jean-Roch’s VIP Room, where Jay-Z parties when he’s in town. It’s choosy though, so make sure you’ve booked in advance, you've told them who you are and that your shoes are shining and your designer labels are showing. Past the velvet ropes you’ll find an incredibly detailed Baroque interior furnished with stunning rococo furniture, replete with pumping house music and a cooler-than-ice clientele. Blow another $1,000 on a couple of bottles of champagne and dance ‘til dawn on the tables.
Price tag: $21,704
Day 3 -- Going To The Cabaret
Wake up early and have your chauffeur take you 32 miles east of Paris to Marne la Valée, where you’ll be able to spend the day at Disneyland Paris. Whoever said Disney was just for kids clearly got it wrong, as there’s no better way to put a smile on your face than getting yourself a $294 day pass, mingling with the likes of Mickey Mouse at the daily Mainstreet parade, riding Space Mountain: Mission 2 in Discoveryland and catching the Moteurs... Action! Stunt Show Spectacular at Walt Disney Studios.
Follow in the footsteps of Theodore Roosevelt and Richard Nixon and check into the Hôtel de Crillon at the north end of Place de la Concorde, also on the Champs-Elysées. Fusing art and gastronomy within its historic stone walls, Hôtel de Crillon boasts 17th-and 18th-century tapestries, an array of stunning sculptures, and ornately decorated chests and chairs. And that’s just in the lobby.
Arrange to sleep in the $10,952 Leonard Bernstein Suite on the top floor, where you’ll enjoy a wraparound terrace with the best view in the city. Put on a jacket and have your last dinner in Paris at the hotel’s two-Michelin-starred Les Ambassadeurs restaurant, which has renowned French chef Jean-François Piège at the helm of its classic French menu. Opt for the restaurant’s signature dishes, such as the $187 caviar golden d’Iran for starters and the $127 Turbot de Bretagne as a main course.
Finally, catch a late-night $119 cabaret show at the Moulin Rouge in the Lido on the Champs-Elysées. Although neither Nicole Kidman nor Ewan McGregor will make an appearance, the legendary show is not to be missed, and features 100 burlesque artists, sumptuous sets and, of course, the famous giant aquarium.
Price tag: $11,679
