Do Try This at Home...
The super-equipped poolside cabana is the latest in luxury hotel excess--from spa services and a flat-screen TV at the W Hotel in Westwood to fine dining and complimentary prestige sunscreen products at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Here’s how to re-create that feeling of posh poolside lounging in your own backyard, and on any budget.
The Drinks
Budget: Coleman portable blender with rechargeable battery, $60, at www.rei.com.
Luxury: Haier 40-bottle wine refrigerator, $420, at www.amazon.com.
The Shade
Budget: Ace Canopy 10-foot-square “Instant Garden Canopy,” $199, at Ace Canopy, Reseda, (800) 838-3057, www.acecanopy.com.
Luxury: Tropitone Furniture Co. “Garden Pavilion,” 10-foot-square with standard or custom fabric, $2,500 to $4,000, at Anaheim Patio & Fireside, Irvine, (714) 669-9271, www.anaheimpatio.com; Tropitone Furniture Co., (949) 951-2010, www.tropitone.com.
The Atmosphere
Budget: The latest travel and shelter magazines, $4 and up.
Luxury: Pioneer 50-inch flat-screen, high-definition TV, $3,150, at www.bestbuy.com.