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For the rich and well-heeled, luxury love seems to be the dominant theme for Valentine’s Day this year. A two-night romantic getaway in Paris overlooking the Eiffel Tower for Rs 60,000 (excluding air-fare) or Rs 75,000 for dinner in the sky is what couples are going in for.
Other lovey-dovey gifts that have hit a high in the prelude to V-Day are a Hermes silk scarf for Her and a classic Ulysse Nardin Swiss watch for Him.
Several companies and brands are doling out unusual gifting ideas and campaigns to woo couples as they rely on romance to flesh out the burgeoning Indian luxury market. The Jimmy Choos and Guccis of the world have got competition this year, what with leather and luxury trying to outdo romance and charm.
While e-commerce travel portals such as myguesthouse.com and ratedapartments.com are showering offers such as niche boutique apartments and bungalows, they are not compromising on the rates. After all, remember, you can’t put a value on love.
“We have got over 25 bookings for London, 20 bookings for Paris and quite a good number for Goa. Such apartments provide you luxury, even as they allow couples to spend quality time with each other, be it cooking together in a kitchen facing the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or an idyllic evening on a Goa beach,” said Sid Narang, Founder, ratedapartments .
Lushescapes, another travel portal, offers an array of luxury voyage options for couples with a penchant for the extraordinary. The dinner in the sky in Las Vegas, for instance, offers a dining experience with a difference, based on a Belgian concept, where the dinner table is suspended 50 metres above the ground. This can set a couple back by Rs 75,000.
The company said there is a huge demand for such experience-based products and they have packages catering to the most exotic of tastes. Their target customers: 10 per cent of the high income bracket.
Another portal, Giftology.com, said it expects about 10 per cent of gift-giving to happen on V-Day. The company has a swathe of luxury brands such as Lush, offering handmade bath and body products for the couple; Seven Seas Spa that promises to pamper your loved one; and Pizzeria Rossa for a cosy Italian dining experience.
Meanwhile, luxury car-maker Bentley has also, for the first time, launched expensive and exclusive leather bags for Valentine’s Day. Never mind if gifting the bag puts one out of pocket; love is expected to fill it right back up!
‘Another take’: Page 5
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