How to Gauge Tipping at a 5-Star Restaurant

Tipping at 5 Star RestaurantsAt Imagine Lifestyles, we strive to be the South Beach source for all that is luxury, and this encompasses more than Miami luxury car rentals and South Beach luxury property rentals.  Our passion for all that is luxury lends us the opportunity to serve as a go-to for other inquiries in extravagance, such as the following email we recently received:

Hello,
How much should I tip at a 5 star expensive restaurant?
I need a little help and direction before I can start. Any nuggets of wisdom
would be absolutely great and very much appreciated. Would you consider
giving me a couple pointers?
Thanks,
Janet

This is a very relevant inquiry and real concern when visiting South Beach, or any other high-end travel destination for that matter.  It is savvy to be knowledgeable on the ins and outs of luxury travel, and tipping is an integral part of the package.  Here are the pointers we gave Janet:

Janet,
Great question.  If the service is truly 5-star, 25% is ideal.  I believe when  you walk into an expensive restaurant and you do not have to ask for a single item, such as more water, butter, extra napkin, more wine, etc and your experience is flawless, the tip should be 25%.  Approximately 80% of the time we tip 20%, just so you can gauge.
•    3-4 Star Restaurant=20%
•    1-2 Star=15%
•    Horrible service=10%

 

Post by Imagine Lifestyles Luxury Rentals

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The Unfortunately Trashy Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

How the tables have turned on Dubai. At one point Dubai was boasting a $37 billion-something economy and was touted as the luxury capital of the world. Due to rapid real estate expansion and declining oil prices, Dubai finds itself in debt just a few months later. Yet from the looks of it, no one would know Dubai is suffering or borrowing money.

In October we brought you the outrageous, fully chrome Mercedes-Benz SLR.  The shiny sports car was just sitting outside the Emirates mall in Dubai. Well, here we go again. This time its a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and this time its fully gold plated not chrome silver. This way intense gold Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG sits right where its silver counterpart used to, out front of the Emirates mall in Dubai. The flashy, borderline trashy, gold-mirror finish was, of course, an aftermarket decision. The cost of adding this gold plated precious metal finish is unknown, but what we would rather know is why someone felt the need to ruin a perfectly good Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG? The silver chromed Benz was enough bling to last a lifetime, the second time around its just dull.

 

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If You Can’t Beat Them, Just Lean: The Leaning Capital Gate Tower in Dubai

If you can’t build the World’s tallest building then how do you get into the record books? You pick another less contested category just as the Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) have done in Abu Dhabi, Dubai. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and the country’s largest emirate with over 1.6 million residents, an abundance of wealth and prestige.  ADNEC is working on a building project called Capital Gate, this building will enter the Guiness Book of World Records as the "World’s most inclined tower."

Capital Gate will put the naturally inclined Tower of Pisa to shame by leaning four times as far, at an 18 degree angle. The intentional lean will require extra steel reinforcements to counteract the gravitational, wind and seismic pressures. The top of the building will be a dense mesh of reinforced steel, which will sit on top of 490 piles, drilled about 32 yards deep into the ground. Plus, Capital Gate will feature 728 custom-made diamond-shaped glass panels, each one fitted in a slightly different angle to adjust with the lean.  "Capital Gate will be one of a kind," added David Pringle, CEO, RMJM Asia and the Middle East. "Its graceful, asymmetric diagonal structure, known as a ‘diagrid’, supports the tilting external load of the building and we believe that this is the first building in the world to use a pre-cambered core."

The leaning Capital Gate Tower is part of a $2.2 billion business and residential project that will be part of an entire micro city. Capital Gate will be host to a five-star Hyatt Hotel fittingly named, "Hyatt at Capital Centre." Plus, some of the most coveted office space in all of Abu Dhabi. The concept is kind of stellar  and the engineering ingenious but, honestly, staying in a building that leans 18 degrees would probably make us vomit. Vulgar but true, check it out for yourself, though, if that sort of record breaking excites you.
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Welcome to the Good Life in Dubai: Fully Chromed Mercedes-Benz SLR

Dubai is the luxury capital of the World right now, boasting a $37 billion, plus economy. We will continue to bring you outrageous and exclusive must-see and must-have luxuries from the Persian Gulf city.

If you love the Mercedes-Benz SLR and you love glam, now you can have and overabundance of both. A fully chromed SLR sits outside the Emirates mall in Dubai. You may say to yourself, a mall? Number one it’s probably the most high end designer mall on the globe. Number two, high class custom cars in Dubai are as common as flowing water.

The shiny SLR sits alongside a Lamborghini Gallardo, Bentley Flying Spur, Porsche 911 Turbo, Rolls-Royce Drophead Coupe, plus some other exotics. The collection is like an art exhibit and the SLR has attracted enormous crowds. Put on your Tom Ford stunner shades and go enjoy the good life.
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Mile High Club on Emirates Airline

First ClassIf you don’t own a plane but still want to travel in true international Jet set style, then you need to know about the Emirates Airline and their new Airbus A-380. Emirates is based out of Dubai and is the seventh-largest passenger airline in the world, but Emirates luxury experience is an unrivaled first.

If you think you know what flying first class feels like, you have no idea until you experience an Emirates flight because they are bringing luxury to an all new high. The Airbus A-380 is both a lavish and futuristic airplane built for the wealthiest people of the world. When flying First Class with Emirates you will be an elite member of the best kind of mile high club.

Your First Class private suite awaits you with electronically operated sliding doors, a mini-bar, adjustable ambient lighting, and a vanity table with mirror and wardrobe. Each seat has an adjustable massage system which can be converted into a full flat bed and if you are traveling with a lover, just lower the center privacy divider and enjoy each other’s company. We don’t recommend sleeping through the entire flight because you will be missing out on heaven. Play on the Emirates high-speed, in-flight wireless Internet while browsing through 1,200 On Demand channels, on your private 23" flat screen. In flight passengers are able to use mobile phones to call or text people on the ground and now there is a docking station for your iPod. The docking capability allows you to play your own iPod music, television shows and movies through the In-Flight Entertainment system, while simultaneously charging your battery.

The award-winning multilingual crew will serve you a la carte with selections made by world renown chefs. After your meal, take a walk over to the exclusive bar and lounge area where you’ll rub elbows with high society and sip world-class wines, selected by Emirates sommeliers. If your thirst for luxury still hasn’t been quenched, then indulge in the Airbus A-380’s Shower Spas. For the first time in history you can take a refreshing shower 43,000 feet above ground. Choose from the Spa Revive kit or Spa Relax kit, both made from the finest natural ingredients by Emirates. By the time the Emirates Airbus lands you will feel as if you had just walked out of a 5 star hotel.

The A-380 Airbus development program has grown to be more then an $11 billion operation, so in the scheme of things what’s $15,000 for a roundtrip flight? We say it’s a bargain. Inaugural flights between New York’s JFK and Dubai began on August 1st, 2008, international destinations are being added..

First Class Shower Spa

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