Global Luxury Living in Zurich

The Dolder Grand HotelThe Global Access and Continuity ConferenceThe Haus zum RüdenThe Haus zum Rüden ceilingDinner entertainmentViews along the Limmat RiverA cruise on Lake Zurich

The last three days have been spent in a well-appointed conference room on the lower level of the Dolder Grand Hotel in Zurich. The Dolder Grand is one of the world’s most luxurious hotels located in the original “Curhaus” dating from 1899. From the glass wall of my room with a private terrace, there is a lush green golf course below and a magnificent view of the lake and the Alps. It’s impressive.

The room is luxurious with it’s king size bed and all marble bathroom with enough shower spouts to drown oneself, a claw-foot tub, complimentary terry cloth robe and more towels than one person can use in a day. The double sink is beautiful (even if there’s not enough space to put all my cosmetics) but the shelves nearby are filled with all the necessary shampoos, lotions, etc. including a scented candle and bath salts. Of course, the housekeeping is two or three times daily and fresh fruit is provided in the room every afternoon. The service is perfect.

I’m not accustomed to all the luxury, but it’s obvious how one can become spoiled. I would just hope never to become jaded!

The conference is the Global Access and Continuity Conference sponsored by Hemispheres Publishing. The illustrious line-up of speakers who came from all over the world are enlightening high wealth individuals and financial planners on ways of protecting their assets in today’s world.

The HIRE Act and FATCA are big topics of conversation, as you can imagine. Some of the topics include international trusts, U.S. tax laws, why gold is such a good investment, how to financially plan for your retirement, etc. I spoke yesterday, naturally on living and investing in France. It was well received as owning an asset in euro value in France, for Americans, is a great way to get their money off-shore, legally, without reporting requirements to the IRS and a it’s a great way of diversifying their investments in other currencies. More importantly, it’s a real change in lifestyle, which was the emphasis of my talk and believe it or not, that’s what everyone is looking for, monied or not.

One of the group dinners took place at the Haus zum Rüden, a tavern built by an association of noblemen in 1348 in the heart of old town on the Limmat River, that boasts of an 11 meter-wide curved wooden ceiling with carved timber heads, known as the “Gothic Room.” A Swiss trio played folk music with traditional instruments and sang — and I swear, yodeled!

Another dinner was spent on a cruise boat on Lake Zurich. It was almost as lovely as a cruise on the Seine (call me partial to Paris), with picturesque villages along the shoreline and a small train snaking its way along the edge. It reminded us of a miniature model train set up one might have at home with their little white houses along the tracks.

A special treat was connecting with an old friend from Paris who I hadn’t seen since she moved to Zurich two years ago who is now the in-house legal counsel for a big European company. She hated leaving Paris, but the position in Zurich was too enticing and now she’s happy here. She says no, Zurich is certainly not Paris, and the cost of living is too exorbitant to even think about. We vowed to reconnect in the Fall when she comes to Paris for a visit and to manage the properties she owns there.

Later today I am home bound on the TGV and hope to view our latest House Hunters International episode tomorrow with friends. I hope many of you were able to see it yesterday and I’m anxious to see it for myself!

A la prochaine…until Monday August 26th…as I’ll be on the Corsican sands all of next week getting a good tan (hopefully) and rejuvenating for La Rentrée!

Adrian Leeds

Director of The Adrian Leeds Group, LLC

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P.S. REMINDER: There will be no Parle Paris Nouvellettres® next week (Monday, August 19th nor August 21st). It’s our vacation break! Encourage your friends to subscribe at Parler Paris. And Enjoy past issues at Parler Paris