Quintessentially Hong Kong

Black Amex? That's so last year, darling. The new word in VIP land is "Quintessentially" - a seamless and, to the rich, indispensable concierge service available 24/7 for the sole purpose of providing the wealthy with anything they want. Almost every glitzy restaurant, five-star hotel, members’ club, millionaire, billionaire and celebrity in world cities across the globe has caught wind of it by now.

Quintessentially CEO Aaron Simpson asks you to imagine, "how impressive it would be to arrive in Geneva on business, and instead of relying on your hosts, you are the one getting them tables at all the best restaurants, entry to the top VIP areas across town, and the ubiquitous champagne reception at every destination." Quintessentially is dedicated to turning this fantasy into reality, to "connect you worldwide."

Can't quite imagine it? Neither could I, so I became a member for a day to get to the bottom of what their full treatment entails. My specifications? Nothing special, just standard girl stuff: a new haircut, a massage and a perfect bra. Obviously I was due for a dose of extravagance.

The Quintessential Hong Kong Day

9am

A chauffeured silver Jaguar pulls up outside my dilapidated Central walk-up. I hop in and meet the "head of global events and marketing," Sam Would, my official companion for the day. She thinks I'm an out-of-town visitor and her mission is to hold my hand, impress me and make me feel as rich as I'm pretending to be.

9:30am

After 20 minutes in the rush-hour traffic (it would have been three on foot), we finally arrive at Alexandra House where I'm turned over to the well-manicured hands of Kim Robinson, coiffeur to the rich and famous. He's Hong Kong's only genuine celebrity hairdresser, with just the right combination of assured cockiness, camp and intelligence. A long-standing Hong Kong resident and fluent in Cantonese, the Australian native has styled the polished locks of many a tai-tai and movie star. With his knowledge and skill with a comb, he'd be a good window to the city for an out-of-towner. Perhaps one of the most useful perks of joining the Quintessentially fold must be the contact with people like Robinson, or as Would put it: "Like having a best friend in every city."

10:30am

With my hair in order, Would whisks me off to our next destination, the bar/restaurant Opia in Causeway Bay, the newest addition to opulent boutique hotel Jia. We're led directly to the "VIP room" where we meet fortuneteller Yau Tien-yuen who tells me I am to be married twice and that I'll meet my second husband between the ages of 30 and 32, not to mention that I would be better off with a career using numbers, possibly in the IT sector. I neglect to mention that I’m dyscalculate because he seems to be on a roll and I don't want to toss in a monkey wrench. He gives me some feng shui advice on my apartment and recommends I keep black crystals on me at all times. At this point he says my aura is growing a little fuzzy. "Maybe you're confused," he muses. I am. On to lunch.

2:15pm

After lunch, we hop back into the Jag, and make our way to the harbor for the next surprise - a helicopter ride over Hong Kong Island. Quintessentially web designer (and the CEO's South African girlfriend), Leanne Lissack, joins us. It's interesting that most of the top echelons of the company appear to be romantically connected. My guide, Would, is dating her LA-based counterpart. Friends in every city, indeed.
Flights in helicopters always seem more exciting, and somehow more opulent, than airplane rides. Hong Kong has a fantastic skyline, probably one of the best in the world, but it's hard for most people living in the city's complicated tangle to actually see it. It was a breathtaking experience for me, and I imagine it's even more impressive to a visitor. As we cruised around, our pilot pointed out the residence of every starlet, billionaire and attendant wife and/or ex-wife he could think of. It was a bit of a show-off, but if I really wanted it, I don’t doubt Quintessentially could arrange an introduction to any of those high rollers.

3:45pm

So what's harder to find in Hong Kong than Stanley Ho's house? For me, it's a good bra. If you are anywhere above a C-cup, you are pretty much relegated to the old-lady section. For some reason, larger bras in the SAR resemble imaginative multiple jock-strap confabulations. Even good old Marks and Spencer can't be bothered with big boobs. So imagine my joy when I was handed a succession of nicely naughty, not-so-little numbers - many of which go all the way up to F-cups. Costing the same as a long weekend in Thailand, it would appear that for the rich and connected, being well strapped is easy. Too bad for the cash-strapped.

4:30pm

I was, by now, feeling somewhat bedraggled by all the excitement, my fabulous new hairstyle razzled by the helicopter ride. What better way to unwind than with a good massage? While the world is jumping up and down about the new spa wave - Zen spas, aqua spas, day spas - the Mandarin Oriental remains reassuringly old-school and functionally effective. Once the door closes and you shut your eyes, all that exists is your body being molded by skilled hands. The massage was so remarkably comfortable that I fell asleep, which is kind of disappointing since I missed the best part.

6:30pm

I was relaxed and hazy after the massage, so the following chi-chi couture fitting flew by in a colorful blur. All I remember was French designer Miriam Dazal and her children in a Peak apartment as she worked the fabric - all of it impossibly lovely. But by then the hustle of the day had taken its toll and I wanted nothing more than a large drink. So after the fitting, we were off to the Kee Club where I met up with the whole Q gang - Would, Simpson, Lissack and co. - for a glass of Krug and a simple dinner. Quintessentially was impressive, if not always for the events they arranged, but for their energy in executing them. Nevertheless, I was exhausted and it was time to take off my glass slippers and walk home.