Suddenly old age doesn't seem so bad, says LINDA KELSEY (70 3/4)
It's not a nursing home, honey. This is luxury end-of-life living! A champagne bar. A Savoyard chef. And a driver snapping his fingers. Suddenly old age doesn't seem so bad, says LINDA KELSEY (70 and 3/4). not a club, but what people might call a retirement homeLinda Kelsey, 70, says it's luxurious, high-end living for the over-65s
Arriving at my destination on a wet Wednesday morning, I am greeted by a gentleman with a large umbrella that protects me from the rain as I made my way from the taxi to the high-ceilinged lobby.
Inside, a smiling concierge takes my suitcase and I immediately realize that a Louis Vuitton suitcase would simply be more appropriate than my John suitcase Lewis a bit scuffed. The feeling of disorientation is acute. I came for a reconnaissance and a one night sleepover, but what exactly is this place that works with all the services and amenities of a luxury hotel (think Claridge's, no exaggeration) and has the feel like a private club (think Soho House, in terms of coolness)?
How is it possible that Auriens, as it is called, is neither a hotel nor a club, but what we ordinary people , could call a retirement home . The kind of place I'm now entitled to, in terms of age if not pocket.
It's not that the term "nursing home" would ever pass the marketing team's lips in this five-star environment. No, it is the ultimate expression of what is now called "luxurious end-of-life living".
Arriving at my destination on a wet Wednesday morning, I am greeted by a gentleman with a large umbrella that protects me from the rain as I made my way from the taxi to the high-ceilinged lobby.
Inside, a smiling concierge takes my suitcase and I immediately realize that a Louis Vuitton suitcase would simply be more appropriate than my John suitcase Lewis a bit scuffed. The feeling of disorientation is acute. I came for a reconnaissance and a one night sleepover, but what exactly is this place that works with all the services and amenities of a luxury hotel (think Claridge's, no exaggeration) and has the feel like a private club (think Soho House, in terms of coolness)?
How is it possible that Auriens, as it is called, is neither a hotel nor a club, but what we ordinary people , could call a retirement home . The kind of place I'm now entitled to, in terms of age if not pocket.
It's not that the term "nursing home" would ever pass the marketing team's lips in this five-star environment. No, it is the ultimate expression of what is now called "luxurious end-of-life living".
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