T+L Martini Index | Travel + Leisure
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T+L Martini Index

The T+L Martini Index tracks the price of a gin martini at luxury hotels from Paris to Cape Town. We've also charted the corresponding currencies to see how they fared against the greenback over the past year, and forecast what's to come.

From May 2005

By Jennifer V. Cole and Eric Wolff

The dollar continues to be weak—but not uniformly—and its purchasing power varies widely around the world.

What a Martini Will Cost You in . . .

Paris $26
London $22
Geneva/Rome $16
New York $15
Tokyo $14
Sydney $12
Seoul/Toronto $11
Hong Kong $10
Mexico City $9
Shanghai/Warsaw $8
Buenos Aires $7
Cape Town $5

Percent Change in Value of Global Currencies Versus the Dollar

CURRENCY FEBRUARY 23, 2004-FEBRUARY 23, 2005 PROJECTED FEBRUARY 23, 2005-DECEMBER 31, 2005
Polish Zloty 30.05% 4.70%
South Korean Won 17.63% 0.30%
South African Rand 14.65% -1.21%
Swiss Franc 8.03% 4.27%
Japanese Yen 3.37% 4.76%
Chinese Yuan* 0.00% 7.00%
Euro 5.26% 1.52%
Canadian Dollar 7.39% -1.61%
Australian Dollar 1.87% 2.53%
British Pound 2.19% 0.00%
Hong Kong Dollar -0.30% 0.00%
Argentine Peso -0.34% -4.10%
Mexican Peso -0.41% -7.21%

Source: J.P. Morgan Securities Ltd.

*The Chinese yuan has historically been pegged to the dollar, but analysts expect China to sever the link this year.

T+L Martini Index based on March 2005 average price of a house gin martini from a minimum of three luxury hotels in each city.

The information in this story was accurate at the time it was published in May 2005 but we suggest you confirm all details and prices directly with any establishments mentioned. The quality of offerings and services tends to change over time.