When I was little, my Mom wanted a mink coat because, as she put it, “It was the ultimate luxury”. But every year orthodontist payments, a new car, cleaning up after a flood, etc., etc. took precedence over the mink.

Finally, my Dad bought her the mink coat. She went for fittings, paraded around in it (even on hot summer days), took joy in showing us how soft it was, and, generally, just loved her one big luxury item.

Back then, I knew what Luxury meant. I’m not sure any more, not since I started running into things that are billed as Luxury but seem to be fairly ordinary.

Companies call us to do “luxury marketing“.

My most obvious run-in with faux luxury happened a few years ago when I was invited to speak to the Luxury Marketing Council at a new “Luxury” hotel in downtown Miami. The hotel was new and clean with great service but the decor and layout were minimalist. Maybe that’s luxury these days. If so, what do we call the 7 star hotels in Beijing, Milan and Dubai? Deluxe luxury? Read the rest of this entry →