San Diego Magazine March 2008

Living La Vida Luxe

Private jets, fine wines, exotic cars, personal chefs. Peek into the gilded world of San Diegans living the luxury life—where the VIP perks flow as freely as the champagne and caviar.

CYNTHIA ATKINS IS THE ULTIMATE INSIDER on the local luxury scene. Eleven years ago, she founded Concierge At Large (619-234-7766; concierge-at-large.com), a personal-concierge service catering to a high-powered, high-profile clientele in San Diego. The personal net worth of her average client exceeds $2 million.

“The type of people we support have a lot of discretionary income,” says Atkins, who employs a Luxury Service Team made up of “highly resourceful” concierges specifically trained to meet the demands of high-net-worth clients. From setting up a meet-and-greet with New York Yankees players for a baseball buff celebrating his 50th birthday, to snagging a corner table at booked-solid Bertrand at Mr. A’s on Valentine’s Day, Atkins and her team rely on an “arsenal of contacts” to achieve the impossible for clients.

And there’s no shortage of “impossible” requests. In most scenarios, the question of cost never comes up. One client planned a scuba-diving trip without realizing his diver certification had expired. Atkins found a dive instructor who agreed to accompany her client on his private jet for the trip, recertifying him online while en route. Another client came to her needing a valuable heirloom—a Scottish cashmere sweater—mended. Atkins sent it to Scotland, where she matched the original thread and had it fixed. And for a client sailing a mega-yacht around the Mediterranean who was dissatisfied with the onboard chef, she screened and sent three personal chefs abroad to audition for the job.

“You just never know what people are going to ask for,” says Atkins. “The standard for luxury is much higher in San Diego than in other cities, Los Angeles included.”

In addition to private clients, Atkins also serves local corporate and residential markets, offering concierge services in 160 offices and seven high-end condo buildings. “People here want someone who can get things done with a phone call, not just someone who will sign for packages,” she says. That’s why Atkins spends 90 percent of her time networking with premier vendors and service providers so that when a client has a need, “all we have to do is make a call.”

Wining and Dining

You haven’t truly lived in the lap of luxury until you’ve had a personal chef whip up a gourmet, five-course meal (with wine pairings) and serve you in the comfort of your own home. So say the well-to-do clients of Dining Details (858-248-3413; dining-details.com), a personal-chef service serving tony burgs around the county. Before starting their business, owners/personal chefs Julie Ellard and Robbie Frans worked as private chefs aboard yachts. Frans was employed by a U.S. ambassador, whose family split its time between a 110-foot yacht and homes in Rancho Santa Fe and Miami.

Back on dry land, the couple provides a variety of personal chef services to clients. Ellard visits the home of one Rancho Santa Fe client each Monday, where she spends the entire day preparing a week’s worth of calorie-counted, organic meals. “They’re really watching their calorie intake and have lost a significant amount of weight,” says Ellard, who collaborated with the clients’ personal trainer to develop a nutrition plan. “They are very high-profile people who entertain all the time, so we do a lot of dinner parties, too.”

Along with developing customized menus and preparing in-home meals, Ellard and Frans offer “destination dinners,” in which a client chooses the location——a piece of Del Mar shoreline, a backyard garden——and menu for a unique dining experience complete with wine pairing and champagne service. Dining Details also coordinates limo service, live music and a personal photographer, if desired.

Other clients enlist their expertise for “how-to” dinner parties, where guests help create a five-course meal while sampling fine wines; in-home cooking instruction; and themed dinner parties (for instance, Caribbean Vacation or Bangkok Nights). And both chefs have knives, will travel—they’re still available for culinary assignments abroad.

It's About Time

Vahid Moradi, president of C.J. Charles Jewelers in La Jolla (858-454-5390; cjcharles.com), recently sold a watch to a buyer who flew for 12 hours to pick up his prized timepiece. The price tag: $600,000.

“My clients are discerning, demanding collectors who come to me because I have connections with high-end, handcrafted timepiece manufacturers,” says Moradi, who casually mentions plans to dine with the president of fine Italian watchmaker Panerai. Moradi deals in exquisitely rare, desperately sought-after timepieces—“the Van Goghs of watches.” Some of the world’s most valuable watch collections are being assembled under his expert, well, watch.

One recent acquisition, a timepiece by Swiss watchmaker Audemars Piguet representing “the apex of timepiece production,” sold for more than $100,000. “When the collector bought this watch, it was purchased as an investment,” says Moradi. Another watch, a Jaeger-LeCoultre, just sold for $375,000. With most of his sales, a backup buyer is lined up in the event the original deal falls through.

Moradi invests a significant amount of time cultivating relationships with his collectors, whom he describes as heads of industries—and some celebrities—who like their investments to be appreciated and sought after by other collectors. He says skyrocketing prices at prestigious auction houses like Sotheby’s have fueled an appetite for fine timepieces by collectors “who no longer see real estate or the stock market as their only investment options.” And what better way to wear your luxury lifestyle on your sleeve?

Stay, or Just Play

San Diego has a new playground for the rich (and sometimes famous). Blending design elements of a Spanish estate, Moroccan palace and Byzantine castle, The Grand Del Mar resort (858-314-2000; thegranddelmar.com) raises the standard of luxury accommodations to stratospheric heights. Nestled on 380 acres amid fairways of The Grand Golf Club (a Tom Fazio course), the resort encompasses 249 lavishly appointed guestrooms and eight villas offering 80 fractional-ownership opportunities (10 owners per villa).

Valued at $5 million, each villa includes more than $500,000 worth of fine furnishings and décor and is designed in the same opulent Mediterranean style as the resort. From the imported Italian marble columns to the hand-stenciled ceilings supporting crystal chandeliers, every corner exudes a palatial, Old World grandeur.

“There aren’t any other resort properties on the West Coast with this quality of architecture and five-star, five-diamond services,” says managing director Brian LaGrange. “The Grand Del Mar has raised the bar not only for San Diego but also for Southern California.”

From CEOs of Fortune 500 companies to members of the Hollywood set, the mix of villa owners is broad-based. What they do share, though, is that the villa is often their third or fourth home. One recent buyer is a racehorse owner who purchased a fractional for his summer visits to Del Mar for the track season.

Each model (there are two floor plans) features three bedrooms and four and a half bathrooms, state-of-the-art kitchens, landscaped yards (with outdoor fireplace, built-in barbecue and sunken Jacuzzi), media room, office, fitness room and an elevator. Villa owners also have access to personal concierges, a butler, a sommelier and a personal chef. Four hundred and fifty thousand dollars buys your piece of the pie, with an additional annual fee of $10,500, which includes golf membership fees.

“Buyers in this segment are willing to pay for the finer things in life as long as they see the value in what they’re paying for,” says LaGrange.

First Class, Please

As the San Diego general manager of Worldview Travel (858-459-0681 or 858-259-6560; worldviewtravel.com), Bob DeAgazio has the inside track on the luxury travel market. His company is a member of the Virtuoso Network, an exclusive consortium of luxury travel agencies (less than 1 percent of travel agencies in the country are accepted). The affiliation with Virtuoso gets him access to the finest cruise lines, travel packages and properties in the world. From African safaris to around-the-world cruises aboard the Queen Mary, he’s the go-to guy for luxury travel.

“Luxury travelers are seeking value for their money,” says DeAgazio, who recently booked one local couple on a 46-night cruise from Florida to Los Angeles——via South America——on the Regents Seven Seas luxury liner for $47,000. “Our Virtuoso alliance gives them that value with complimentary upgrades, VIP amenities and privileged access to excursions and properties all over the world.”

One tour currently on offer through Worldview is a 25-day excursion circling the globe, with stops at Machu Picchu ruins, Easter Island, Somoa, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, Papua New Guinea, India’s Taj Mahal, opulent Dubai, Tanzania’s Serengeti Plain and a final stop in Marrakesh. Your ticket: $55,950.

For clients with an appetite——and budget——for extreme adventure, Worldview can book a seat aboard a Virgin Galactic flight into outer space (lifting off in 2009) for $200,000.

Bentleys, Benzes and Boats, Oh My!

Can’t decide if you want to drive your Bentley Arnage up to Santa Barbara wine country or joyride around Coronado in your 400-horsepower Ferrari? Join the club. A number of San Diegans indulge their craving for high-performance cars with a membership in La Jolla–based Luxury Toy Club (858-456-0555; luxurytoyclub.com), which grants access to a collection of luxury cars, yachts and personal aircraft.

“Our members could own their own jet or high-performance car, but they choose not to deal with the burdens of private ownership, such as maintenance and depreciation,” says vice president Kariff Lizarraga.

Platinum members pay a one-time joining fee that ranges $20,000-$35,000 depending on package, plus annual dues of $15,000 (there’s also a monthly option). Membership buys access to cars like an Aston Martin DB9 Volante, Maserati GT Spyder, Rolls-Royce Phantom and Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder. New vehicles are added to the collection as additional memberships are sold, to maintain a low car-to-member ratio. There are currently 40 members, mostly hailing from Rancho Santa Fe and La Jolla. Others have vacation homes in San Diego and want to ride in style during visits.

“Our club is ideal for people who want to add some luxury to their lifestyle, whether it’s taking a weekend drive for pleasure or entertaining business clients,” says Lizarraga. Make the most of your membership: Book a private jet to Cabo San Lucas, where the club’s 70-foot yacht awaits your arrival. Then again, if you’re behind the wheel of a Maserati, you might opt to drive there.

Behind the Velvet Rope

“Nothing is off limits; as long as it’s legal, we’ll do it.” Perhaps it’s Patrick Flettman’s die-hard approach to customer service that makes the Ivy Hotel (619-814-1000; ivyhotel.com) the in-demand spot on the local nightlife scene. Flettman is director of VIP service for the Gaslamp Quarter’s hotel’s nightclub, Envy, where Hollywood hipsters like Gwyneth Paltrow, Nick Lachey, Vanessa Minillo and Meryl Streep flock for luxury-imbued nightlife south of L.A. While the celebrity presence keeps the buzz mill humming, Flettman says local regulars are his top concern.

“Guests who come in once or twice a week and spend $700 to $800—that’s the normal check—are the VIPs we want to make sure are taken care of more than anyone else.” He recalls recent guests from Las Vegas, two guys who dropped nearly $20,000 on Cristal champagne and the hotel’s $4,000-a-night suite.

Envy’s VIP guests are greeted at a separate entrance by a host, who escorts them to a choice table where their preferred cocktails await. “It’s all about anticipating every VIP’s needs and making sure we deliver,” says Flettman. “We know what’s going on in the city and use our contacts to make sure guests have access to whatever they need—whether it’s concert tickets or a party at another venue.”

Pony Up

Fancy hats, luxury suites, Thoroughbred racehorses. Few San Diego landmarks capture the spirit of the lavish life better than the Del Mar Racetrack.

“This is the track that Hollywood built,” says Joe Harper, head of the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club (858-755-1141; dmtc.com). “We inherited that energy and ambience, and it’s still the best place to be.” Harper has hosted many a VIP, from a Saudi prince to Katie Couric (“She got the best reception I’ve ever seen”). But he tells all of his customer-service employees to treat everyone like a VIP, because “you never know who you’re talking to”——like the guy in shorts and tank top who walked up to the betting window and put down $20,000 on a race.

Betsy Christmas, the track’s VIP concierge, keeps the big players and horse owners happy. “She’ll handle private jet travel, make sure their name is known around town, get them into the best restaurants even if they’re full, call local real estate brokers to find rentals for their stay and, of course, get them the best seats at the track,” says Harper. She also might get their kids into surf camp, or plan a trip to the zoo. “Like any good concierge,” she says, “we always have something in our hip pocket to take care of people.”

The continued interest by Holly wood only boosts the track’s luxurious image. HBO filmed an episode of its hit series Entourage at the track, reinforcing its reputation as a playground for the glitterati.

Groomed for Greatness

Where do the luxe-minded go for the ever-essential spa and beauty treatments? Guys head to Well-Heeled (619-338-8385; wellheeled.biz), a gentleman’s spa and retreat inside downtown’s Diamond View Tower. It’s the Bentley of barbershops—a full-service men’s spa that offers an array of grooming, massage and waxing services, as well as manicures and pedicures.

“We have clients who drive from Escondido and Poway,” says marketing director Alex Mendez. “We’ve created a gentleman’s sanctuary for our clients, who have a work-hard, play-hard mentality.” One such client is a commercial developer from England, who visits regularly for business and doesn’t leave town without paying a visit to Well-Heeled for some coddling in a decidedly masculine environment (the 2,665-square-foot space was designed by Porsche). Other clients are locals who come for their weekly straight-razor shave.

“It costs nothing for a guy to get up in the morning and shave his face,” says Mendez, “so the guy who comes here and pays $50 for a shave values that kind of pampering.” Monogrammed robes, shoeshine service and clients’ favorite cocktails awaiting their arrival (spa staff does its research) are other VIP perks.

Another place to realize the allure of that magical combo of cocktails and spa treatments is Sea Spa at Loews Coronado Bay Resort in Coronado (619-628-8779; loewshotels.com). It hosts weekly “Fizzy Fridays” from 5 to 7 p.m., when spa-goers indulge in the Champagne & Caviar manicure and pedicure. A caviar firming complex works its magic on hands and feet, while a signature champagne cocktail performs its own alchemy. Does the good life get much better than bathing in caviar and champagne?

Castles in the Sky

What does the most expensive condominium ever to hit the San Diego real estate market look like? In a word: palatial. Offered at $12.5 million by Neuman & Neuman Real Estate (619-595-7025; palaceinthesky.net), the 4,400-square-foot condo, dubbed Palacio del Cielo, or Sky Palace, occupies the 22nd and 23rd floors in the south tower of the Renaissance building in downtown’s Marina District.

“It’s like living in Hearst Castle in San Diego,” says real estate broker Gregg Neuman. The four-bedroom, four-and-a-half-bath condo at First Avenue and G Street features a 1,500-square-foot garden terrace and two-story main hall with 2,000 square feet of Italian marble flooring, gold-leaf ceiling and a 20-foot-tall fireplace. “The detail is beyond belief,” says Neuman. “Elaborately carved woods, stonework, hand-painted artwork—every detail was created on the spot.” Another detail: Each toilet is covered in silver gilt. Other features include a state-of-the-art kitchen, two wine cellars, a home theater and game room.

Neuman says the interest level has been “extraordinary.” The property’s listing page on Realtor.com has received more than 15,000 hits in the past 90 days. Owners Jerilyn and Jim Shaw bought the penthouse in 2004 and began the multimillion-dollar renovation to transform it into their Italian palace. The couple is now looking to their next building project.

The Plush Life

For San Diegans accustomed to the finer things, it’s only natural their canine companions share the lifestyle. Enter Plush Puppies Kennel & Daycare Center (619-561-4299; plushkennel.com) in El Cajon. The VIP treatment begins the moment the Lincoln Town Car stretch limo pulls up to whisk pooches off to the free-range kennel operated by Catz Plush (yes, that’s her real name).

“People have started calling it Disneyland for dogs,” says Plush. “It’s the alternative to traditional boarding in that play time is all the time.” Facility features include 5,500 square feet of outdoor play yards with shade trees, agility jumps, a large swimming pool (and wading pools for smaller dogs) and a waterfall. “It’s a very Zen type of atmosphere,” says Plush, who leads daily games and activities. She also operates a cattery, a separate space with four “kitty condos.”

Plush “interviews” all dogs prior to acceptance into daycare or boarding. “We want to ensure each dog is comfortable in a social setting,” she says. “Creating a safe and a stress-free environment is our top priority.” She recently opened the Plush Puppies Doggie Depot, a convenient pickup location for dog owners who live or work in the downtown area.

Opening next month in Sorrento Valley, Snug Pet Resort (858-643-0010; snugpetresort.com) bills itself as a “four paws” resort, with more than 22,000 square feet of space for dogs to lounge, play and be pampered. Dog trainers Toni and Michael Stone teamed up with LaDainian and Torsha Tomlinson and veterinarian John Boyd to create the ultimate all-in-one resort for pooches, complete with EasyTurf play yards, swimming pool, a grooming/spa center, luxury suites (each with its own window and television), a training academy, full-time veterinary clinic and upscale retail boutique.

“LaDainian and Torsha are big animal lovers, and they’re really involved in creating a state-of-the-art facility where everything is top-notch,” says Toni Stone, who became friends with the Tomlinsons after training their dog. “They know there’s a huge need for something like this in San Diego——a place that offers all of these services in one spot.”

Sweating in Style

For some, merely getting to the gym for a workout is a luxury. For others, real luxury means the gym comes to them. Addie Merrill and her husband, Tyler, offer private, in-home personal training through their business, Addie’s Personal Training Studio (858-483-2711; addiesstudio.com), which has semiprivate, appointment-only gyms in Pacific Beach and La Jolla. “We take a boutique approach to fitness by offering customized personal-training sessions,” says Addie.

One La Jolla client she trains five mornings per week called on her to re-create Addie’s Pacific Beach studio at the client’s home. “I built her a complete 1,600-square-foot gym, bringing in all the equipment I use in my own studio,” she says. Addie also trains the woman’s husband and stepdaughter in their home gym and has developed a comprehensive nutritional program. She’s hit the road with them on vacation, too.

“They took us to Hawaii with them for a week so they could stay up on their training while on vacation,” says Addie. “We did a lot of outdoor training on their private beach, went hiking and kayaking and were able to monitor their nutrition.”