For those who can afford it, new luxury options are opening up

The five-star Ritz-Carlton Toronto recently opened, while a hotel in Chicago is offering a $10,000-a-night room with a definite view and Richard Branson is now inviting guests who can afford it to stay at his private island  —  all among recent luxury hotel-resort options..

“The Ritz-Carlton, Toronto is destined to become one of the city's signature buildings. At 53-stories high, its elegant composition of glass and limestone has a distinctive shape unlike any other buildings in the city,” according to the Ritz.

When a writer asked a hotel staff member what the difference was between the Ritz-Carlton and other hotels, the answer was, "service."

“More staff per guest means personalized service that anticipates your needs. This means a lot of greeting and escorting,” writes Jane McLean in Aboutcom. guide. “For example, if you arrive at the pool, someone will be there to make sure you have everything you need.”

Club Lounge guests have access to continuous, complimentary food, drink and other services throughout the day.

She listed perks:

• Attention to detail, such as plush towels and robes, fine linens, glassware and china.
• Excellent on-site restaurant and lounges.
• Bright, airy indoor pool area, yoga and fitness rooms.
• 23,000 square foot spa includes 16 treatment rooms, lounges, sun room, steam, sauna and vitality pools.
• Flat screen TVs in every room. Portion of bathroom mirror can be activated to TV screen.
• State-of-the-art meeting rooms and event planning professionals.

Room rates here start at US$500. Club level rooms are about double and can run up to thousands of dollars for more exclusive suites.

The new “Inside Out Suite” at Chicago’s Affinia includes private access to the 29th floor with more than 1,800 square feet of space. It also has a suite indoors, a king-size bed outside at C-View (the hotel’s outdoor rooftop lounge is all theirs for the night), a private butler and security.

Guests booking the Inside Out Suite also get:

• Private dining experience on the roof by Executive Chef Nicole Pederson from C-House, Top Chef Master Marcus Samuelsson’s modern American restaurant, located on the first floor of the hotel.
• A bottle of champagne.
• Private outdoor movie screening.
• Late night snacks.
• Breakfast in bed (inside or out).

The suite starts at $10,000 per night for a maximum of five guests, based on availability for Friday and Saturday night stays only and weather permitting.

No word on what to do if you fall from the roof.

For those who can afford it, there’s also Virgin tycoon Richard Branson’s island off the Sunshine Coast. The billionaire and his wife used to throw parties there.

Holidaymakers can now "rent" the British billionaire's private leisure haven, Makepeace Island, located 20 minutes from Noosa in Queensland.

"When neither Brett nor myself are visiting Makepeace, we will make the island and its facilities available for others to enjoy the tranquility of what is a very special place," Branson told the news media..

The property features a main long house with a giant bar, a four-bedroom guest house, several two-bedroom villas, a boat house and a lagoon pool with a lap lane, dive spots and a 15-person spa.

It can accommodate up to 22 guests.

The island has its own riverboat to transfer guests. It has a full-sized tennis court and outdoor cinema, among other perks.

Makepeace is available for whole of island rental only. It costs US$7900 a night for between one and eight guests, and up to US$14,990 a night for between 20 and 22 guests.

Branson also owns Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands. It costs US$53,000 (NZ$62,000) a night to hire the Balinese village-style accommodation for up to 28 friends.

By David Wilkening