Occasionally someone will post a request for a hotel or restaurant, etc. and include that money is no object. Wow, what is that like? If you are such a poster, just out of curiosity, what do you do for a living?

I was thinking the same thing earlier today when someone posted "Money makes no difference." It doesn't?? Even if you're rolling in it, it "makes no difference?" I don't get it. Will be curious to see if there are any replies here.

I'm not one of those posters (someday perhaps... ;-) ), but I'd hazard a guess that some of them do not work at all anymore. Either retired or inherited their wealth.

Just speculating here, but I wonder if some of those posters are fairly new travelers who don't completely understand just how expensive a hotel or restaurant can be, especially in a city like Paris or London.

When I am in my TA's office in Dallas, I love eavesdropping on the other agents' clients.There was this vapid hussy there last week, insisting that "money was no concern" whlie booking her hotels in Paris and Rome.When the agent told here that a Deluxe room at the Hassler was 700E, her respponse was "No room in Rome is worth THAT!" I listened a bit more and can guarantee the woman had never left Texas.

I think it is extremely rare that someones says on here that money is no object. Once in a while, yes, but not very often. The post references today had to do with a honeymoon, and some others also were for a few days on a special occasion. It's possible these posters don't know the cost, but also that they don't mind spending 500 euro a day for a hotel room on a honeymoon.

The ones that I wonder about are the folks who say that they routinely stay in 5* hotels and talk about that a lot. Now of course I know some folks who have that much money (top lawyers and business people, and top surgeons), and some entertainers do, also, but I wouldn't expect that many of them to be posting on Fodors. I think if you are a billionaire the difference in 300 to 600 euro a day probably does make no difference.

A few months ago, the NYT published an article on Paul Allen and his space project. I was fascinated enough to blog about it:

http://makeashorterlink.com/?N1AE219FB

But I'll quote from the article:

""He says he spent about $20 million on the project, which is about what he earns in interest while flossing."

Amused, I decided to humor myself and see if this statement could potentially be true.

My conclusion was that Paul Allen's wealth was exaggerated by a factor of 2102.4.

Chuckle (the blog has some plausibility arguments).

But yes, if you're as wealthy as Paul Allen, money is certainly no object. Maybe the money from flossing is not 20MM, but rest assured that it's enough to cover a few nights at Crillon.

I would rarely post saying "money is no object" but i have certainly, and on more than one occasion, spent more than $500 per night on a hotel room.

What is it like? Expensive!

What do I do for a living???? Work very VERY hard!

Few posters here say that, but when they do, it's usually for a special occasion--honeymoon, anniversary, some other life event celebration.
A couple I made their first trip to Paris for their 20th anniversary. Six weeks before they left, they thought the wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer and the husband narrowly missed being killed in a car crash. For just this one trip, they tossed the budget out the window, flew first, stayed in a deluxe room at the Meurice, ate in the top restaurants of every night, had a private limo tour of the city.
That's NOT their usual style of travel (although they usually stay in deluxe properties, they try to get a good deal). But this trip fell under the Life's Too Short to Worry about Money category.

Money is no object when we travel because travel is the only thing we spend any significant amount of money on.

We own our home and other property with no debt, no kids, we have both worked all our lives and yes, we had some inheritances. But we didn't blow that money on cars, fancy clothes, jewelry or other stuff - it's all about travel for us.

Flying first class and staying in the best suite are what interests us at this point in our lives (50s). (We both did the modest hotel, budget travel thing when we were younger.)

So when we plan a trip, we really have no budget - we just go for it.

See the post about whether to stay at the Crillon or the Meurice.

I think when people say "money is no object" what they really mean is that they are willing to splurge and spend more than they usually do.

Unless the person is superstar rich, they might mean they're willing to spend $500 a night, but would they spend $700? Or they might be willing to spend $1000 a night, but would they spend $5000 a night? Most people have their limits -- a very few truly have no limits, but as others have said, I don't imagine they are here posting on fodors.

Does it count if I say that if we had no college tuition to pay, no mortgage, no car payment and no taxes THEN we could say "money's no object???!"

Shoot, I was hoping the OP was going to ask me to plan some fabulous trip and as a reward let me and my DH come along for company. Afterall, "Money is No Object!"

I had a Sociology teacher in HS who always said: "Everything is relative." And, it is, isn't it?

Well, I mean if you are posting on Fodor's European vacation board you are clearly not living at the poverty level. Several of you have answered that you or others just 'go for it' on vacation, especially if it is a honeymoon or anniversary. But surely you must realize that the majority of us would love to 'go for it' on these occasions but could not in our wildest dreams pay $700 or $800 per night for a hotel. I'm just wondering what level of income or employment or inheritance allows a couple of twentysomethings to pay that amount per night for a honeymoon OR anyone other than Madonna or Steve Jobs for that matter. I'm not against it, mind you! Jealous, yes! Just wondering what these types of people do.

Sadly, I imagine a lot of it goes on the credit card...and doesn't come off for a long time.

I had the idea maybe somebody's daddy was paying for the honeymoon, since they are 20-somethings.

FWIW, rbnwdln, we worked incredibly hard for over 20 years, then sold our business and "retired" quite early. I suppose I could spend $700 a night on a hotel -- it just would never occur to me to do so. But we are very fortunate that we can travel wherever and as much as we like. I never could have done it when we were working -- no time!

Love the reference to 'hussy 'beachboi . An excellent old word seldom used these days - like strumpet and trollope . I digress .
Please pity Australians who on exchange for 1 English pound pay about A$3 and for US$1 get around 70c.( and the rate is presently good )Therefore our options for 5* are limited.However I have managed to do so in Asia and some of Europe and the U.S.A. where the cost of such hotels has from time to time been affordable .
On the issue of ''money is no object...''was anyone else taught that you do not say things like that because it is , well , just not said by polite people ?
I would be interested in knowing peoples 3 ' wish list' hotels to stay at .

Hello JohnFitz, sounds like you were raised as I was. Money really is not discussed as far as how much or how little one had to spend. But those times seem to have passed.

Honestly, if I had my wish right now I would be in a delightful small but charming hotel in a small town of Veneto that I love, seeing my friends, completely relaxing and eating the most fabulouus (but not the most expensive) food. Oh yes, also drinking the wonderful wine of Veneto!

I don't agree that in this case saying, "money is no object" is in any way "impolite."

I think the poster may have been trying to avoid the oft-heard here response, "What is your budget?"

Then again, the words, "Money is no object" often generates jealousy in others now doesn't it?