Talk about snob appeal: If you have a really, really high-end group, this might be just the ticket for a luxurious brunch. According to this article in today’s New York Times, the Parker Meridien hotel’s latest breakfast dish is a $1,000 “six-egg frittata with lobster, cream and 10 ounces of sevruga caviar.” And, just in case anyone in the restaurant might miss the fact that you’re a big spender, they ring a cowbell when you order it.

“The folks at Le Parker Meridien realize they won’t be selling many $1,000 frittatas,” the article says. “But they also know that plenty of people will be drawn to a place that offers such a choice. And besides, it makes the $28 French toast look like a bargain.”

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According to a new report from Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown & Russell/Yankelovich Partners, both business and leisure travelers are going for the best price on the road these days. The thing is, they don’t necessarily know where the best price is. The study found that 74 percent of business travelers said they always attempt to get the best prices on travel services when traveling on business. They think they’ll get it first on the Internet (38 percent), then from suppliers (33 percent), then travel agents (29 percent).

But, says a press release from YPBR, “As most practitioners who market travel services know, this perception may, in fact, be erroneous, yet it is one that is has been embraced by consumers, presumably as a result of the singular marketing message communicated by most online travel sellers during the past two years: you’ll find it cheaper online…the effort underway by most travel suppliers to drive consumers to book through their online distribution ‘outlets’ is a prudent one. Now the critical question is from which sites consumers will believe they actually get the best prices: those hosted by third-party sellers or those hosted by dedicated suppliers. The race is on…”

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