Luxury travel isn’t just about the destination, it’s also about the journey. This week, Marcus Baram delves into the luxury transportation industry, showcasing the most extravagant planes, trains and automobiles available to today's ultra-high-net-worth clients.
For sports enthusiasts heading to the upcoming Paris Olympics, we’ve got the perfect guide for you. I’ve compiled a list of the top places to visit during the Olympics and must-see, bucket-list experiences just beyond the city limits.
As always, we appreciate any comments, ideas and insights that would make this newsletter more useful. I look forward to growing this family office community with your help. Please email me at [email protected].
HANDPICKED: Way beyond planes, trains and automobiles: The rise of luxurious transportation
By MARCUS BARAM
When it comes to high-end travel, forget the usual planes, trains and automobiles. In recent years, as luxury travel has exploded, so has the demand for luxury transportation to get to those exotic locales.
The size of the market for global luxury travel, estimated at $1.38 trillion in 2023, is expected to grow by almost 8% a year through 2030, according to Grand View Research. And one of the growing trends is for exclusive transit experiences such as luxury trains like the Belmond Venice Simplon-Orient-Express line through Europe, boat excursions such as the Aqua Mekong river cruise through Cambodia and Vietnam, and luxury yacht tours in outlandish locations — the global yacht charter market is expected to rise by almost 23% per year through 2027, according to Deloitte.
According to its recent survey, 68% of luxury travel advisers reported that “their clients are pulling out all the stops — taking longer vacations and spending more to help ensure privacy, from booking private jets, islands and villas to hiring guides with expertise that matches their interests.”
Part of the reason for the increased interest in luxury transportation is the increase in trips. “It used to be that you took one trip a year and one bucket trip in a lifetime,” said Kate Mitchell, a travel adviser at the Local Foreigner in New York. “But now if you have the means, there are more places to visit, there is more access to remote and exotic locations, and you can work from anywhere.”
FLIGHTS OF FANCY
To match the increasing demand, suppliers have gotten more creative, Mitchell said, serving the needs of the adventurous traveler with novel experiences that were previously unimaginable or off-limits. That includes around-the-world private jets and the recent trend for outer space travel.
Rather than take a six- to eight-seat Gulfstream or other private jet, Jim Ison’s clients are charting VIP luxury airliners like the Airbus ACJneo. “These flights are incredibly more expensive because they’re on another level,” said Ison, the founder of the 0.1% Group, which provides luxury travel services to members who pay at least $250,000 a year.
“These bigger airplanes have one or two full bedrooms on board, movie rooms, conference rooms, and they’re configured to accommodate 18-20 passengers, a whole family or two. It’s the top tier of what’s available in the world.”
Unlike traditional private jets, newer models can easily fly longer distances. That allows families to take three to four weeks to truly travel around the world, with stops in India and South Africa and South America, Mitchell said.
WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR BOAT
When it comes to boating, the options have expanded to include new yachts like the Hermes Catamaran, which includes suites with floor-to-ceiling windows, private balconies and Jacuzzis for cruises of the Galapagos Islands. And next year, Four Seasons introduces its own line of yachts to travel the Caribbean and Mediterranean, featuring floating marinas designed for swimming and water sports.
For rail enthusiasts, the choices range from high-speed adventure to old-school style. In South Africa, the three-day Rovos Rail journey from Pretoria to Cape Town takes passengers through the grasslands of Highveld and the Great Karoo desert with views from the train’s open-air balconies. The Maharajas Express features seven-day rides through India, with a private butler for each car and a two-bedroom presidential suite.
“There’s an ever-growing emphasis on exclusive access and experiential travel,” Mitchell said. These travelers don’t want to be where everyone else is; they want to be in the Sistine Chapel by themselves or heli-skiing in Japan. Her clients have gone diving in Belize, traveling hut to hut in the Dolomites, hiking in Patagonia or horseback riding in Spain.
WHALE OF A TALE
For more adventurous clients, Ison has arranged some unique experiences. “I had a client come to me about sending his parents on an expedition to the Arctic. They took a private yacht to go see the penguins and do whale-watching, and then got to enjoy luxury dining on the ice.”
In addition, Ison said, “Volcano trips are getting very popular, either flying over the crater with a helicopter or via drone” in lands as varied as Greece, Indonesia and Iceland.
And sometimes, the mode of travel doesn’t involve any fancy machines or contraptions.
Mitchell said one of the most satisfying trips she arranged for clients involved a horseback-riding trip through Spain, “in which they rode on horses from town to town” for several days. Other such equine adventures are possible in the Himalayas, where you can spend three days riding through villages, stopping each night at a house designed for your comfort and ending in a luxury lodge high in the mountains.
“As they say,” Ison said, “the journey is the destination.”
Travel bucket list: The Paris Olympics
By KRISTEN OLIVERI
The Summer Olympic Games in Paris begins July 26 and continues through Aug. 11. This is the perfect opportunity for sports enthusiasts to head to the City of Light for a vacation packed with Olympic events, bucket-list experiences and exquisite food and drink.
We've put together a list of the best places to stay, dine, drink and explore during the Games.
Book a Paris Olympics package with Kensington Tours
Global luxury tour operator Kensington Tours is offering a Paris Olympics package completely customized to the traveler’s needs. Every item is taken care of in terms of door-to-door transportation and 5-star accommodations at the best hotels. But more important, guests will have premier access to Olympic experiences like a once-in-a-lifetime viewing opportunity of the opening ceremony on the Seine and the Olympic athletes' parade from a Parisian bridge.
Visit Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa
Looking for something to do outside the city walls? The Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in the Champagne region is offering a Make it Olympic! package. This 47-room boutique hotel in the French countryside, located just 45 minutes from Paris by train, features vineyard views, a 16,000-square-foot foot spa, Michelin-starred restaurant and bubbly on demand through a “Champagne Please” button — without the crowds. The package includes a stay in a junior suite as well as excursions to Reims Cathedral; a historic Champagne cellar; an electric bike tour to the village of Hautvillers and its Abbey, the birthplace of Champagne; and a hot-air balloon ride over the Montagne de Reims.
Take a cultural running coach tour with Fauchon L’Hotel Paris
For those who fancy themselves runners, the Fauchon L’Hotel Paris offers a “Cultural Running Coach” tour where a guide will show you the sights on a morning or evening jog — it’s a fun way to feel as if you are an Olympian running through Paris. Along the way, the tour will allow guests to learn about the history and fun facts of streets, monuments and attractions. The culinary-centric hotel also boasts a new chef at its signature restaurant, with a beautiful terrace in the shadow of the Madeleine church, to relax on and soak up the nearby Olympic action.
Visit the Celebrate Her Pop-Up in Paris with the Unlocked Foundation
Join the Unlocked Foundation for its first international pop-up in Paris on July 25 in honor of the historic achievement of gender parity among athletes on the eve of the Games. The 2024 Olympics will see a 48% increase in female athletes compared with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This free event will be hosted at select Dior activation spaces in Paris, made possible with the support of lead sponsor Kirkland & Ellis. The day's celebration will feature a multipart activation, including a special-edition recording of the Unlocked Foundation's podcast, "The Key," featuring commentary from luminaries excited about this moment in women’s history. The event will culminate with a public reception at the Dior Store, where attendees can enjoy commemorative remarks, beverages and shopping.
Stay at luxury hotel Hôtel Maison Colbert
For those seeking to indulge in some self-love during the Games, the Hôtel Maison Colbert is the perfect choice. Located in the Left Bank, it embodies the spirit of female empowerment. This intimate hotel, with its 39 rooms and suites, offers a prime location right in front of Notre Dame Cathedral. Celebrating the work of Spanish artist Joaquín Sorolla, a Madrid-based painter who adored the City of Light, each room and suite is inspired by his paintings. Sorolla, known for his unparalleled acuity and sensitivity in portraying women, provides the artistic essence for this charming haven away from the urban hustle and bustle.
Take a road trip to Domaine Des Etangs, Auberge Resorts Collection
Just three hours from Paris, make a visit to Domaine Des Etangs — a nature-filled retreat in the French countryside that is no doubt a haven of relaxation, featuring art, wellness, nature and exquisite cuisine. For sports enthusiasts, the property offers activities such as tennis on floating courts, cycling tours, horseback riding and a children’s day camp filled with friendly competition, ideal for those looking to continue the spirit of the Games in a more tranquil setting. Alongside a Summer of Sport Itinerary, the property will welcome visiting master Erika Moya, a movement and recovery specialist, who will be offering guests an opportunity for recovery with athletic massages, rebozo stretching and myofascial release — whether guests are preparing for an event or recovering from one.
Dine at The Peninsula Paris for its summer escapes series
The Peninsula Paris is offering a summer escape series on its expansive Kléber Terrace. These music-filled dinners offer guests a magnificent spread of Mediterranean-inspired fare. Starters include citrus burrata, pissaladière, and Greek garden vegetable and quinoa salad with candied lemon; while cooked-to-order main courses feature braised octopus, lamb shoulder with seaweed and miso-grilled salmon. The dessert spread, made by award-winning pastry chef Anne Coruble, showcases items like vanilla panna cotta with fresh strawberries, tiramisu with caramelized pecans, and red fruit pavlova with notes of verbena. As for a beverage pairing, guests can choose from fine wines or delicious cocktails while taking in mood-setting rhythms of a rotating cast of live musicians and DJs.
LOOSE CHANGE
Union Square Events debuts in the Hamptons: Danny Meyer’s company will be leading food and beverage operations at Canoe Place Inn & Cottages in Hampton Bays, New York, headlined by the esteemed Good Ground Tavern restaurant within the boutique inn.
Looming wealth transfer spotlights social media use: A $73 trillion wealth transfer to younger generations is drawing attention to the rise of social media as a tool for financial advice for Gen Z and millennials, according to a report by the World Economic Forum.
Black Tomato unveils luxury trips inspired by TV series: The luxury travel company is offering two new “set-jetting” trips inspired by "Ripley" on Netflix and Paramount’s "Yellowstone" TV series.
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