Luxury Rules at Exclusive Bahamas Resort

At $42,000 a night, Nygard Cay in the Bahamas offers one of the most expensive escapes in the world.

The $50 million resort lures celebrities like Robert De Niro, Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jackson, who come in search of luxury, privacy and sunny, 77-degree days. Canadian fashion mogul Peter Nygard developed the five-acre property in 1987, designing it to host 20 guests inside 10 glass-walled cabanas facing the ocean.

Nygard Cay attracts celebrities like Robert DeNiro and Oprah Winfrey.

Nygard, who runs Nygard International, took 13 years to complete the Mayan-themed project, which includes a 50-foot-tall temple and a giant stone cobra that hisses steam. He splits his time among his company's headquarters in New York, corporate facilities in Canada and the resort he created from the proceeds of his women's clothing business.

By building the haven at the end of Lyford Cay, Nygard follows high-level executives Henry Ford II, the grandson of Henry Ford and former chairman of Ford(F Quote); Ted Rogers, chief executive of Rogers Communications (RCI Quote); and Charles Lazarus, the founder of Toys "R" Us.

If you go: While the glitterati get first priority at Nygard Cay, regular people can also book cabanas.

The resort dispatches Hummers to pick up guests at the airport in nearby Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas. Visitors have two of the jumbo sport-utility vehicles and drivers at their disposal during their stays.

During the day, guests can explore the resort's beaches, palm trees and rainforest. There's volleyball, snorkeling, jet skiing, waterslides, basketball and a water trampoline for people looking for more activity. A 48-foot fishing boat is available to take visitors to see the parrotfish that roam the Caribbean's deep blue waters.