What if, by some cosmic miracle, your six numbers are picked for a $5 million dollar jackpot win? What if you find out that a dead relative has left you all his cash monies to be spent however you please? It can happen, and when it does, here are some tips on how to spend that money in style before Monday rolls around.
Friday: Party Like a Rockstar
6pm: First things first. Call Lotus Limousine (47 Club St., 6325-9585, www.lotuslimos.com) to have a Chrysler 300 Super Stretch limo ($2,500 for 10 hours) pick you up and take you around the city for all the high-roller action you’ve got planned today. Each ride is eight meters long and equipped with a state-of-the-art audio system and leather couch seats. You can BYOB at a corkage fee of $80 or the company can arrange to purchase your poison for you.
6:30pm: With your moolah, you can afford to host a small party in one of the famed Japanese fine dining hotspot Waku Ghin’s private dining rooms, complete with a showcase of prowess by your very own assigned chef—a great way to start the celebrations. Indulge in the 10-course degustation menu ($400++), pick something nice out of their 3,000-bottle wine collection and take in the sensational city views through the restaurant’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
7.30pm: Everyone should be in pretty high spirits by now, making this the perfect time to head to the circus! The newly-opened Cirque Eloize iD is adapted from the world famous Cirque du Soleil and features acrobats, break dancers, contortionists and even a stunt biker. The VIP boxes ($500 for four seats each) should do nicely.
9pm: After the show, blow close to 10 grand on your buddies at Axis by buying them a Caviar Motini each. Made from super premium black vodka, dry vermouth and fresh lime juice, it comes with 30g of the finest Iranian beluga caviar, beluga-stuffed olives and all the traditional condiments you’d expect. At $1,888 a pop, it’s only natural that you’re required to order this baby two days in advance.
11pm: This is when the party really starts. Take the whole crew out for a celebration designed to make even Snoop Dogg weep with envy. Rent the Asha, a 48-ft. catamaran with gorgeous double cabin interiors from Lloyd Marine (#32-08 UIC Building, 5 Shenton Way, 6438-7889) for $1,900-3,600 and have your guests wake up to an amazing view of the sunrise, breakfast on the sun deck and access to snorkeling equipment, as well as a sea kayak. Want to make it a real occasion? Bring on board crates of delicious Krug Grande Cuvée, $3,076 a bottle from Vinopolis (#44-01 Suntec Tower 3, 8 Temasek Blvd., 6866-3390). Even millionaires get seasick, so if that happens, round up the troops for a late-night soiree overlooking the city skyline at Helipad. Cocktails and canapés for the night will set you back about $15,000. Send everyone home with a bottle of The Macallan 1946 whisky (register on www.themacallan.com to order), each customized by prestigious photographer Albert Watson ($20,700 each inclusive of a signed one-off collectible platinum print).
3am: OK, so maybe you’re not a celebrity flying in for your Asian World Tour concert, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be treated like one. Hell, go all the way and do a turnaround flight (to Jakarta and back, say) just so the crew at Marina Bay Sands can pick you up upon arrival at the tarmac and escort you to the arrival gate by limousine transfer as part of their exquisite VIP experience package. Get to the hotel in a BMW 5 or 7 Series luxury sedan and check into their highly exclusive Chairman Suite (spanning over 700 sq. m.—nearly the size of four tennis courts) and enjoy 24-hour personalized butler service plus access to their invitation-only club Paiza. All for just $17,000 a night. Get waited on hand and foot while you sip on their 2003 Domaine Romanée-Conti Grand Cru, priced at $22,708 a bottle.
Saturday: Shop Like There’s No Tomorrow
10am: After all that partying the night before, load up with Super Brunch ($158++) at Ritz Carlton and ponder your fine luck over fresh greens, Japanese sashimi, succulent seafood, slow-roasted wagyu beef and of course, free flowing Moët and Chandon Grand Vintage 2002 and Moët and Chandon Grand Vintage Rose 2003—one of the most indulgent buffets in town and worth every penny spent (not that you have to worry about things like that).
12pm: Not even the Queen can get an appointment with the Hong Kong-based Aussie celebrity hairstylist Kim Robinson but, as a newly-made millionaire, you should treat yourself to his famous dry cut, a signature technique he’s trained all his creative stylists to master. Get that perfect coif at kimrobinson hair salon (#02-12 Ngee Ann City, 391 Orchard Rd., 6738-8006, www.kimrobinson.com), where prices start from $158 for a consultation, wash and cut. And it’s not just your hair that’ll get the royal treatment here. Book their four VIP suites for yourself and your posse (an extra $280 each), and get to sit on leather-bound ergonomic chairs from Japan worth over $7,000 each. Every client gets a free review one week after their initial cut too. If you’re lucky enough to have your tresses trimmed by the man himself (and you might, considering you just scored yourself more money than the Youth Olympics budget), be prepared to fork out $1,580—his standard fee.
3pm: Round up eight or more of your les amis and reserve one of the private dining rooms at Savoy, Michelin-starred chef Guy Savoy’s Singapore offering. Indulge in their signature Menu Prestige, a 10-course degustation menu that includes their refreshing oyster in ice gelée and pigeon “poché-rôti” with pumpkin gratin and watercress. That’s $688 (inclusive of wine pairing) well spent.
5pm: Now that you’re done indulging your hair and body, it’s time to suit up and get slick. Make an appointment at the Club 21 Style Services Suite (#02- 20/21 Hilton Singapore, 581 Orchard Rd., 6304-1388), a salon spanning over 1,250 sq. ft., complete with three fitting rooms, consultation rooms and a powder room with a full M.A.C. makeup bar. With its dark oak floors and elegant velvet accents, the salon is where you can sit back and preview the fashion empire’s latest collections over organic tea or fine wine. A session here costs $300 (and that’s without all the real shopping involved).
6pm: Sometimes, the most satisfying way to spend your money is to buy something for someone. With or without the proposal, the Destinee Aria ring (picture above) is one of the most extravagant pieces of jewelry a woman can buy. It features a magnificent 4-carat diamond centerpiece in a petal-shaped setting and can cost over $800,000 from Lee Hwa Diamond Promenade. For the guys, pay a visit to the biggest Montblanc Mandarin Gallery boutique in Southeast Asia, with its own four-meter high Swarovski crystal chandelier. Keep an eye out for the John Lennon Special Edition pen ($1,330), styled after an old vinyl record with a peace sign engraved into the handcrafted rhodium-plated 18k gold nib. Unfolding paper money from your breast pocket is gauche in any situation so invest in a money clip ($530 from their Men’s Classic collection) while you’re there. And you can’t not head over to The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, which is something of a playground for those with money to burn. Spoil your best girlfriends with a luscious Lady Dior handbag ($4,400-5,000 at #B1-28, 6688-7188) or an edgy Bryanne bangle ($1,548) from Tianpo’s (#B2-16, 6688- 7044) latest Spring/Summer collection. While we’re on the subject of shopping— why not spruce up your pad as well so that you’ll have a design haven to come home to when the whirlwind weekend is over? Invest in a statement piece like a Giorgetti Royal sofa (over $200,000 depending on configuration), exclusively created by hot new Italian designer Antonella Mosca at Space. Check out other designers’ works over gourmet coffee and wine at their brand new showroom, which houses a villa-like showcase unit. Hang a masterpiece like a Botero or Chagall on your wall for $10,000-75,000 from Opera Gallery and everyone will be dying for a sleepover. And hell, why not treat yourself to a kickass home theater system at Coherence Audio. Go for the MBL Reference line (about $246,455) and a $15,000 JVC RS60 projector—sweet.
10pm: All good things must come to an end; well a classy end anyway as you lounge at Tanjong Beach Club with the friends (or friend, now that you’re nearing the end of your million-dollar weekend). Tuck into a good supper and down a couple of potent cocktails for the sweet sum of $2,280-3080 if you book the whole space for yourself for a couple of hours.
Note to Self: In case all this indulgence kills you, snag a prime spot at Asia’s largest six-star columbarium Nirvana Memorial Garden (950 Old Choa Chu Kang Rd., 9047-0330, www.nirvanasg. com), which is equipped with a fancy lounge area, VIP discussion and prayer rooms, as well as various color scheme choices. Penthouses are also available.
Sunday: Live Like A King
10am: Time to unwind a little, and what better way to get things started than with a lovely day at the spa? Auriga Spa’s (Capella Singapore, 1 The Knolls, Sentosa Island, 6591-5023) Honey Moon couple’s wellness journey ($1,176) involves the award-winning spa’s signature Moon Spa treatment, a ritualistic floral bath, an intimate tea session in their private garden, mocktails and tapas—perfect for you and a loved one. Or you could take over the entire place for three hours for $9,888.
1pm: Sundays are great for lazy picnics on the beach but we’re not talking about Sentosa. Rent the entire Pulau Pangkil for $6,900-7,900 for three days (daily rates are also available). Have it all to yourself and a maximum of nine other people and go kayaking, sailing and snorkeling without having to wait around for equipment to be available. Their attap huts or “driftwood palaces” are also perfect for lounging about. There are only about 25 members of staff stationed on the island so you feel almost completely isolated from the rest of the world.
If your little getaway is making you crave a real, honest-to-goodness holiday, book one! In fact, go the whole way with the Singapore Airlines Suite, exclusively available onboard their Airbus 380 (up to $15,435 for a round trip). There are only 12 available, and each is equipped with sliding doors for privacy, a lavish Italiancrafted armchair and a queen-sized bed. You’ll be choosing from menus created by SIA’s International Culinary Panel, dining on Givenchy tableware, sleeping in Givenchy bedlinen and pajamas, and treated to their award-winning “cinema in the sky” concept. How’s that for luxe?
5pm: Getting used to the island life? Snag a spot at the ridiculously upscale Sentosa Cove after your little sojourn back into town. For $2,800,000 (assuming you still have spare cash), cop yourself a nice three-bedroom apartment with a sea view at the Oceanfront Sentosa —perfect if you need extra space for your diamond-encrusted kicks and hot new friends.
6pm: Ah, golf… the rich man’s game. Fit in with the upper crust by practicing your swing at the Singapore Island Country Club. Book the entire golf course for $2,850-2,980 for yourself and 14 of your other rich and sporty pals.
9pm: Round off your weekend with a magnificent aerial tour (Helicopter Flight Services, ST Aerospace Engineering, 600 West Camp Rd., 6480-6877) of Singapore. This commercial division of the aviation giant conducts all commercial flights on an EC120B Colibri and also provides VIP transport, as well as aerial filming and photography services. Look for chief pilot Captain Tan Sah Boon to make arrangements. It costs $500-2,000 for just 20-45 minutes of flight but the 360-degree view of our tropical island at sunset is absolutely worth it. That’s the lights going out on your luxe lifestyle, by the way.
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Just a few of the extravagant tasks luxury concierge service provider Quintessentially (#06-31 High Street Ctr., 1 North Bridge Rd., 6511-1199, www.quintessentially.com) have done at their members’ request:
• Find five tiger cubs for a junglethemed party.
• Arrange for three reindeer, a sleigh, Mrs. Claus and some elves to attend a Christmas party in London.
• Deliver a metal detector up to the French Alps for a member who’d lost his house keys in the snow.
• Arrange a romantic and private dinner for a member and his wife—on an iceberg.
• Send 50 roast ducks and 40 pork bellies from London to Thailand.
• Source a pet jellyfish for a member’s home.
• Create a Batman-style bat cave in a member’s house, complete with a secret passage.
