Special to The Seattle Times
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The suite spot
Meanwhile, the giving method growing increasingly popular is the "gifting suites" offering "complimentary shopping" (spoofed memorably on last season's "The Sopranos"). They're dubbed suites because when they began they were often held in hotel suites. In the early days — just a few years ago — suite gifts were more focused on Emmy beauty prep, offering free hair and make-up before the show. Now? They've become super-sized and many events are held at Beverly Hills or Hollywood mansions. Here are just highlights of some of this year's stops; most will be open two to three days before the actual Emmys, which will be held at the Shrine Auditorium in downtown Los Angeles: • Showtime Gift House and Beauty Lounge: A mansion in Hancock Park is the location for this event, in which VIPs can walk away with a minimum of $30,000 in gifts, including custom computer cases ($1,000), Jane Booke designs (up to $10,000), Quintessentially concierge service (year's membership $3,500), dog bowl and argyle sweater from Hedy Manon, Pearl Swimwear ($400), and much more. Super A-listers will be given Century Watches, which range in price up to $63,350 for the Grace model. Unique (at press time, at least) to the Showtime suite: two hyperbaric oxygen chambers, and guests will be offered a gratis $200 treatment. The other prestige pay cable net, HBO, also has a suite, with gifts including up to $60,000 in closing costs offered by a local L.A. real-estate agent. |