Last weekend, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took a break from their official royal duties to celebrate the opening of Soho House Amsterdam with founder Nick Jones and other A-list guests. According to the Evening Standard, the whole weekend was filled with "eating, drinking, napping, dancing, boats, and bikes" at many of Amsterdam's premier attractions.
As with nearly all the vacations Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan go on, we wanted to know every detail of this recent trip to Amsterdam. However, unlike many of their over-the-top luxury getaways, this one could actually be recreated by non-royals — those who are willing and able to send the money, that is. "I think it's not a crazily over-priced trip. It's actually attainable for some people. Normally, them going to Africa or them going to crazy private islands is never attainable. For [this trip], you can ball out and feel like them for the weekend," Jaclyn Sienna India, founder of the elite travel consultancy Sienna Charles told Refinery29 over the phone. She broke down the costs for us based on the reports of where the couple stayed, ate, explored, and relaxed while in Amsterdam.
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As the trip was made in honor of the Soho House opening in Amsterdam, the couple likely stayed there. According to India, the best room at Soho House Amsterdam is the extra-large Monumental Room, and depending on the season, it averages about 550 euros, or around $581 per night.
Soho House Amsterdam's opening coincided with the birthday of founder Nick Jones, so on Saturday night, he celebrated with Harry, Meghan, and his other guests at Cecconi, a restaurant inside Soho House. Though the birthday dinner was probably taken care of by Jones, India explains that if Harry and Meghan had a nice dinner there alone, they would probably spend around 300 euros for two appetizers, two entrées, and some wine. That's around $348.
During the day, guests including Meghan and Harry went on a boat tour down Amsterdam's famous canals. "Generally, the canal tours run about 250 euros per hour. I’m sure that it was some sort of agency that put that together so there was probably a markup. They were probably paying closer to $500 an hour," said India.
The Evening Standard reported that on Sunday, the couple decided to unwind from the eventful weekend with treatments at the Soho House's Cowshed Spa. The elite travel consultant explains that they probably paid around $400. "Just looking at the spa menu there, everything for 60 minutes ranges from 110 to 120 euros per person. Anything for 90 minutes is a little bit more... If they went together, it would be like 240 euros plus tax and gratuity."
Since you wouldn't have to pay for security and rooms for your staff like the Prince and Duchess did, it's safe to say a mere commoner could pull off a similar weekend trip for around $3,000. Unfortunately, though, there is one additional expense associated with this specific vacation. According to India, staying at the Soho House requires a membership, and there's a hefty annual fee to get one. The membership that allows you access to all the Soho House locations around the world will set you back $3,500 a year. If you're under 30, however, and only get membership to one of the houses, it's cheaper. India estimates that more affordable membership to be around $1,800 a year. But there's more: You'll only get the chance to pay that sum if you make it through the extensive Soho House member application process, which requires things like a headshot and letters of recommendation. So, yes, while this vacation is technically more attainable than most the royal couple go on, it's still pretty damn exclusive.
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