When it comes to gift-giving season, which is pretty much around the corner, nothing beats Neiman Marcus’s annual list of top-tier presents, aka the Fantasy Gifts. The company is revealing its 2020 picks later this morning, but we got an exclusive sneak peek at this year’s offerings and they are absolutely incredible.
The highlights include an adventurous escape to one of the most remote and magical places in the country—Alaska’s Denali National Park, and more specifically the luxury Sheldon Chalet. The $345,000 experience includes a six-night stay at the 2,000-square-foot chalet nestled in the Don Sheldon Amphitheater of the Ruth Glacier, a tour of the area with an experienced mountaineer, and a meeting with Robert Sheldon, the son of Alaskan pilot and explorer Don Sheldon, who discovered this otherworldly corner of the country. A professional nature photographer will also be at hand to teach you how to best document the stunning views around you.
Related: The Ultimate Luxury Holiday Gift Guide
“Experiential gifts create memories that last a lifetime,” Robert Sheldon told Departures. “My dad gave my family this gift back in 1966 when he first acquired this land and started flying us up to the Historic Mountain House. Two generations of Sheldons since have been blessed with those memories and creating new ones to this day. We’re so thrilled to be able to share the beauty of these surroundings with the help of the Neiman Marcus Fantasy Gifts for other families to create their own. Our family’s historic home is the perfect remote and intimate experience to make up for those missed gatherings from 2020.”
And if you have a creative friend or family member on your list, may we suggest the Jonathan Adler Ultimate Sanctuary experience that will have him or her collaborate (safely, over video chat, of course) with the famed interior designer on transforming a room of your choice into an entertaining paradise.
“Like everyone else, I’ve spent much of 2020 just trying to stay safe, sane and solvent. I’ve been fortunate that my loved ones are healthy, and that I’ve gotten to spend so much time at home with them. So much time. But the only thing better than spending time with loved ones is spending time with loved ones as you beat them at your favorite game,” said Jonathan Adler. “Our game room will give you a glamorous place to trounce your teen, win against your wife, or hose your husband, and that’s the best fantasy gift of them all.”
And for those who prefer all things sparkly and precious, Neiman Marcus offers an exclusive opportunity to own a ring by legendary jeweler Oscar Heyman. The collection of stunning sparklers feature diamonds as well as exotic gems from far-flung locales such as a Vietnamese Star Ruby, a Sri Lankan Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyl, and a Nigerian Mandarin Garnet. Needless to say, any one of those rings would be the perfect way to pop the question to your partner this holiday season.
“With 2020 being an out of the ordinary year, why not give an out of the ordinary gemstone to the one you love,” said Larry Pelzel, Neiman Marcus’s vice president, and general merchandising manager for fine jewelry.
And finally, for the Zen seeker (and this year, that’s probably all of us), Neiman Marcus teamed up with Canyon Ranch Resorts to offer a $315,000 wellness experience that includes a week-long resort stay, virtual consultations, plus several more week-long checkups, as well as two Neiman Marcus shopping sprees with a personal stylist (after all, shopping therapy is an actual thing).
"Canyon Ranch has always guided people toward their own personal dream of health, happiness, and well-being. A Year of Wellness with Canyon Ranch is an incredible opportunity to give someone you care about a path to finally reach their ideal. That’s never been more important than now, as 2020 presents all of us new challenges to mind, body, and spirit,” said Canyon Ranch’s CEO Jeff Kuster. “The personalized guidance and expert answers found during A Year of Wellness with Canyon Ranch are the gift of returning to balance, and finding a life of well-being not just in the new year but for a lifetime."
And while any one of these gifts is incredibly special, the best thing about them is that $10,000 of each will go to support charities such as The Boys and Girls Clubs of America and Aid to Artisans.
Below, the other dreamy items from the luxury retailer’s 2020 Fantasy Gifts:
Assouline Custom Travel Library
A customized library will be added to your home and then filled with a curated collection of Assouline books, furniture, and objets d’art.
To buy: $245,000, neimanmarcus.com
Bowlus Road Chief Endless Highways Performance Edition RV
Are you a road trip fan? Then have a Bowlus RV customized to your preferences (features include an electrical system that allows you to stay completely off-the-grid for several days) for the ultimate home on-the-road.
To buy: $255,000, neimanmarcus.com
Montage Healdsburg Weekend and Wine for Year
The oenophile in your life (and five more guests) will surely appreciate a chance to spend five nights at The Montage Healdsburg resort in California’s wine country full of exclusive experiences as well as a year’s worth of wine, curated by its owner Jesse Katz.
To buy: $185,000, neimanmarcus.com
Perini Ranch and Steaks for a Year
Head to Buffalo Gap in Texas to meet the Perini family and learn first-hand about ranching culture and cuisine. Also, in this experience—a year’s supply of Perini steaks.
To buy: $175,000, neimanmarcus.com
Keith and James Custom-Made Hats
Give the gift of impeccable style with a collection of custom-made hats by celebrity milliner James Keith.
To buy: $95,000, neimanmarcus.com
