Brenda Song Breaks Down The Suite Life Of London Tipton
Here’s how much $$$ you need to live like the hotel heir for a day.
Stepping into the shoes of London Tipton really helped to shape Brenda Song’s personal style. “The reason I love to accessorize and layer so much is [because] I spent eight years playing her,” she tells Elite Daily. Not being confined to one type of look is another thing the star picked up from her Suite Life of Zack & Cody character: “She wears whatever she likes. Her inspo is her mirror.”
When it comes to sourcing her real-world aesthetic, the 38-year-old looks to her immediate surroundings. “I love getting inspiration from the people around me,” she says.
Song’s look is also driven by her emotions. The Running Point actor recently used her sense of style to curate a Fall Fashion Field Guide for Marshalls, creating a collection that changes with her mood. “Every day, I dress for how I feel,” she says. “That’s what’s really fun about fashion — it is so incredibly malleable.”
But while Song styles herself for her current vibe, her longtime Disney Channel counterpart dressed for her tax bracket. It also doesn’t hurt that billionaire London has a seemingly endless credit card limit to fund her love for designer clothes. To see how far that unlimited budget actually goes, here’s what it looks like to match her daily lifestyle:
The Long-Term Expenses: Welcome To The Tipton
Let’s start with London’s home at the Tipton Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts. From her name to her heir status, Song’s Suite Life character is heavily inspired by Paris Hilton of Hilton Hotels. The Fairmont Copley Plaza also served as inspiration for the fictional hotel where London, Zack, and Cody all lived.
The most expensive stay at the Fairmont is the one-bedroom Presidential Suite that costs around $5,034 a night (or close to $1.8 million for the year). Even though London’s penthouse at the Tipton is much larger with a room that’s just her closet, that’s the closest to what her dad would be paying to keep her living at the Tipton.
When she wasn’t at the hotel, London was attending school. In Season 2, she starts at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow with Maddie (Ashley Tisdale). A similar private school in Boston is Catholic Memorial, which costs $31,185 in tuition to attend. That’s roughly $173 a day for the school year (about 180 days).
Another long-term expense that London is attached to is her cellphone. She doesn’t go anywhere without it. When it comes to her cell, she has the most recent release, like a 2TB iPhone 17 Pro Max for $2,000 (or $83 for 24 months), with service that costs around $100 a month. That’s around $6 a day.
Total: $5,213
London’s Morning At The Tipton
6:30 a.m.: To give herself plenty of time to do her full skin care routine in the morning, London would need to wake up early.
In 2021, Song shared that she’s always been a “skin care junkie” since her Disney Channel days, so her routine would be very similar to what London would use to achieve the same gorgeous complexion. She’d start off with a Tatcha cleanser ($42), and follow up with RèVive Renewal Refreshing Balancing Toner ($75) using Shiseido cotton pads ($18). She would then use La Mer Treatment Lotion ($140), iS Clinical Active Serum ($155), Hourglass Equilibrium Intensive Hydrating Eye Balm ($82), RèVive Moisturizing Renewal Day Cream ($195), and Tatcha Camellia Gold Spun Lip Balm ($32).
7 a.m.: Once her face is prepped, London would go into her makeup routine. Song recently shared that her fave products include Armani Luminous Silk Concealer ($42), Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick in Biscuit ($48), Dior Forever Skin Bronze ($52), Givenchy Luminous Silk Cheek Tint in 12 Rosy Nude ($40), Givenchy Prisme Libre Powder in Rose ($34), a lash curler ($40), Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara ($20), Make Up for Ever Artist Color Pencil in Endless Cacao ($26), and Ctzn Nudiversal lip gloss ($29).
7:30 a.m.: After curling ($169) her hair, London would put on her uniform for school. The uniform seen in Season 2, Episode 6 is a simple white polo ($18), navy blue cardigan ($32), and plaid skirt ($49).
7:45 a.m.: Before heading out the door to meet up with her chauffeur ($1,500 a day) to drive to school, London would stop by Maddie’s counter in the lobby to pick up a magazine ($20).
Total: $2,858
London’s Surprise Training Sesh After School
8 a.m.: London would usually breeze right past homeroom, because she was known for skipping class.
11 a.m.: At some point, London would need to take her dog, Ivana, to her personal workout (something she did in Season 1, Episode 6). A six-week agility class for dogs in Boston is $225, so roughly $38 a session.
When Ivana is getting her sweat in, so would London. In Season 1, Episode 20, London said she’s been “trained by some of the top professionals.” This is why she’s able to lift a stack of magazines like it’s nothing. Celebrity trainers often charge around $500 an hour, which is nothing for London.
Before her session starts, she would need to change into some workout clothes. London always has a bit of sparkle in her ’fit, so she’d likely opt for a Juicy Couture sweatsuit ($119 top, $99 bottoms). When it comes to London’s style, Song says, “London actually did kind of have a uniform. It was very monochromatic. She would always wear a very simple outfit that Cathryn Wagner, our costume designer, would layer and accessorize.” So even if she’s going to the gym, London would throw on some earrings ($30) and a necklace ($25).
12:30 p.m.: After the gym, she would pick up Ivana from her workout, head back to the Tipton, shower, and change into another look. According to Song, London is changing her outfit “at least two times” per day. “She has an outfit for every mood, every outing, and that’s fashion.”
Since she likes to keep it monochromatic, she would wear something like her all-pink tweed outfit from Season 1, Episode 5. This is one of the two looks from London’s closet that Song was able to keep after the show. (The other is her Sharpay dress from the “Lip Synchin’ in the Rain” episode from Season 3.)
A very similar pink outfit to London’s is the Ashtyn Tweed Blazer ($98) from Revolve with a matching skirt ($58). London completed the look with a pink beret ($34), a pearl necklace ($48), large hoop earrings ($200), and a pink tote bag ($730) for her dog.
1:30 p.m.: All dressed and ready to go, London would take her chauffeur to get lunch at a Michelin-recommended restaurant in Boston like Carmelina’s, where the Lobster Ravioli is $50. While out, she might stop at a few shops for retail therapy and pick up designer accessories like sunglasses from Chloe ($230), a Balenciaga shoulder bag ($1,600), and a Gucci scarf ($230). Scarves are actually a Y2K fashion accessory that Song is still obsessed with. “I’m really excited to see the big comeback of the scarves,” she says, especially with the fall season on the way.
4 p.m.: By the time London gets back to the Tipton, Maddie would also be out of school and back to work at her counter in the lobby. Before going up to her penthouse to drop off her new things, London would make sure to chat with her BFF.
Total: $4,089
London’s Shenanigans With Zack & Cody
5 p.m.: Since she’s in her closet, London might as well change up her outfit again. Inspired by her love for scarves, London would style a ’fit around something like this Missoni scarf ($60) from Marshalls. London was also a culprit of pants under dresses in the early 2000s, so she would put something similar with Free People pants ($50) and a tank mini dress ($195) that she’d finish off with a pink flat cap ($70) and shiny oversize belt ($245).
6 p.m.: For the rest of the night, London would get into some shenanigans with Zack, Cody, and Maddie at the hotel like riding luggage carts through the lobby or sneaking into Jesse McCartney’s rehearsal by dressing up like Tipton bellhops.
8 p.m.: For dinner, London would have in-room dining from the hotel’s chef. The most expensive item (aka London’s taste) on the menu is an American Wagyu Striploin for $79.
9 p.m.: Then, it’s time for London to start getting ready for bed. She would go into a similar skin care routine, mirroring how Song likes to double cleanse at night to get all the makeup off from the day. Her go-to oil-based cleanser is Tatcha’s The Camellia Cleansing Oil ($50). She also uses a nighttime cream, Moisturizing Renewal Cream ($195).
9:30 p.m.: In one episode, London can be seen wearing rollers in her hair for bed, so this would be her next step in the routine. Today, she might opt for soft heatless rollers ($18) — which are more comfortable.
And finally, she’d throw on a floral nightgown ($70) and a sleep mask ($7), because even in bed, London is always accessorizing.
Total: $1,039
TL;DR: London Tipton’s Really Great (& Expensive)
Who doesn’t want to live at the Tipton Hotel year-round, have a room that’s just your closet, and have friends like Zack, Cody, and Maddie? London truly is living the sweet life, but it does come with a price.
There were times when London’s dad would cut off her credit card or put strict rules in place that Mr. Moseby would have to enforce. In the end, though, she had it all, from the designer clothes to the luxe living quarters. It’s no wonder Song enjoyed playing London Tipton for so many years on the Disney Channel. I also wouldn’t want to step out of her Jimmy Choo shoes.
Total: $13,199
