Sarah Haywood reveals the travel experiences of the ultra-wealthy
comments
For the 0.01 per cent, booking holiday travel is a far different experience than it is for the rest of us.
Instead of scrolling through holiday deals on bargain-finding websites, these ultra-wealthy individuals prefer to take off on a moment's notice and sort out any over-the-top accommodations and activities upon arrival.
To get a glimpse inside this elite - and rarely planned - world, MailOnline Travel spoke to wedding and event planner Sarah Haywood, who has helped organise ceremonies and honeymoons for everyone from celebrities to Fortune 500 businessmen.
Scroll down for video
For the super-wealthy, money is of no concern when it comes to booking private jets and chartering yachts
'Most of our clients have a private travel consultant,' Haywood explains to MailOnline Travel. 'There are several really upmarket agents where you pay a fee annually to have them take care of all your travel.'
Haywood reveals that she often works with these agencies, where she estimates that membership fees for such a service start at about £50,000.
'These aren't companies you'll find online,' she adds. 'The people that they're working with don't plan and they expect things to be catered to their whims.'
Victoria Hoffman, founder and CEO of the Miami-based Concierge & Events by Victoria, tells MailOnline Travel that some of the most common last-minute request include special access to exclusive events, such as the Cannes Film Festival, the Academy Awards or tickets to the White House Correspondence Dinner.
Victoria Hoffman, who owns her on US-based concierge service, reveals she's had clients request special access to exclusive events such as the Cannes Film Festival
And if you're heading to the luxurious five-star properties hoping to catch a glimpse of some of the world's wealthiest individuals, don't bother.
Haywood tells us the the ultra-elite don't often check in to big hotels, much preferring somewhere private for their opulent getaways.
'This is above just a private island in the Maldives,' she tells us. 'People with this kind of money aren't looking at what's fashionable, they're looking for privacy and security.
'The world's wealthiest like to stay low profile, so we'll be looking at places where they can do that.'
Hoffman agrees, explaining that more and more clients have been asking her recently to rent villas and help them to live like a local.
Instead of splashing out on a luxurious suite, the ultra-rich prefer to rent their own private Maldivian island
Haywood cites Cote d'Azur and the Maldives as two locations favoured by her A-list clientele, while Hoffman notes that she has planned extravagant vacation experiences everywhere from Paris to Italy.
'We once provided access to Coco Chanel's apartment and private jewellery collection,' Hoffman tells MailOnline Travel.
'The entire experience was a day in the life of Coco in which the clients dined and had afternoon tea in many of the places in Paris she frequented.
'In other scenarios, we have given privileged access to the private estates of winemakers in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Piedmont.
'In one case, my client wanted to relive the 18th century, so we had period costumes and horse-drawn carriages for the day. In another, we created a progressive feast in which each course was served at a different historic home in Italy. '
Hoffman tells MailOnline Travel that exclusive access to private wine estates in France is a common request
One of Hoffman's most impressive travel experiences included creating a 'day in the life' of Coco Chanel for a client visiting Paris
Elite wedding and event planner, Sarah Haywood, explains that the ultra-wealthy prefer not to book in advance
Haywood has also had very last minute requests that she has had to sort only hours before - and from many miles away.
'Once, somebody was on a post-wedding shoot and they wanted a white horse at sunset,' she remembers.
'Finding a white horse at sunset, it is possible and it did happen, but for a few hours it was quite touch and go.
'And it turns out that white horses are actually grey, not white.'
Haywood reveals that one traveller once asked her to find a white horse at sunset for a post-wedding shoot - only hours before they needed it!
In future, these one-of-a-kind holiday experiences will only become more popular.
'People want a customised vacation focused around an annual event or theme,' Hoffman says.
But such an extravagantly-themed getaway will cost you - as much as $100,000 for a dinner, depending on who its with.
'Pricing structure varies,' Hoffman adds. 'A VIP experience to France or Italy in which two people explore special access historic UNESCO sites not generally open to the public could have a starting range of $7,000 (£4,540), whereas dinner with a celebrity or athlete could have a starting cost of $100,000 (about £65,000).'
Put the internet to work for you.
0 comments:
Post a Comment