Meet The Ultra-Luxury Travel Fixers Making The Impossible Possible
From private tours through Bhutan and grand pianos flown in for the holidays to prized diamond earrings with their own airborne minder – NATASHA BIRD meets the elite insiders creating new paradigms for ultra-luxury travel
Some might consider flying private to a sprawling villa on a remote island to be the height of extravagance, but there are far loftier goals to aim for, if you’re among the privileged few with access to resourceful fixers.
In the right circles, there are people who can arrange for your favorite French butter to arrive in Bora Bora, or a town in Japan to throw a party in your honor. For the world’s most discerning travelers, the new paradigm for luxury is a convergence of imagination, ingenuity and a little black book that’s bursting at the proverbial seams. Here we meet a new guard of travel virtuosos, making your every whimsical wish come true.
For the ultimate family confidantes
Hope Dowlen & Sophie Shelton, co-founders of 48 London
Live reindeer and snow in the middle of Miami? Certainly. A private bonsai workshop in Japan? Consider it done. For Sophie Shelton and Hope Dowlen, whose London-based luxury concierge company looks after everything from travel to family life, even the most unlikely requests are all in a day’s work.
Having met through the rarefied world of Harrods’ private-shopping department, the pair founded 48 London in 2015, recognizing curious gaps in the lives of their extraordinarily well-heeled clients. “I noticed that clients with access to everything still didn’t always seem happy,” says Shelton. Their answer was a service that feels like an extension of the family, arranging everything from hard-to-get aesthetic appointments to months-long adventures across the world.
Recently, Dowlen accompanied a client’s family of 19, spanning several generations, on an elaborate trip to Japan, negotiating private encounters with geisha and an elevated bonsai-tree experience. “I went along on the trip and was there throughout as the constant point of contact,” she explains.
“We know how old the kids are. We know their allergies. We know everything,” Dowlen says. “From the little things to the big things, I think our intuitiveness and the way that the clients trust us is our big USP.”
For the requests that are never too far-fetched
Lily Richards, global head of lifestyle at HY10 – and member of Virtuoso
Lily Richards once sourced fully provenanced Roman dice, commissioned a bespoke presentation box and arranged their delivery across Europe in a matter of hours, making up for a forgotten wedding gift. “I always say you’re three calls away from the place you want to be,” she says.
A former hedge-fund professional and a trusted Virtuoso advisor, Richards now heads the lifestyle division of HY10, a financial and lifestyle platform whose members’ requests can range from the exceedingly eccentric to the downright improbable.
One client of hers required a specific brand of tinned crab meat, chilled and opened exactly five minutes before their arrival, in every hotel they ever visited. Another wanted their favorite French butter delivered to their table at breakfast – in Bora Bora. And when a traveler arrived in Courchevel having forgotten a beloved pair of diamond earrings, Richards arranged for someone to fly them out and accompany them in the air.
Richards’ prediction for where luxury travel is headed next? The great summer migration will increasingly be towards the mountains. “I actually think that summer is more beautiful,” she says of St. Moritz, citing alpine lakes, wellness and agreeable temperatures. She’s also championing the vineyards of Bordeaux and fully staffed private residences over increasingly crowded Mediterranean hotspots.
For the coolest capital-city reservations
Jaclyn Sienna India, founder and CEO of Sienna Charles
For Jaclyn Sienna India, luxury travel is not necessarily about going on holiday at all. “Wealthy people don’t take vacations anymore. It’s really part of a very nomadic lifestyle,” says the CEO of Sienna Charles.
Having visited 91 countries and built a database of more than 6,000 suppliers, India has developed a forensic knowledge of the world’s most desirable destinations. She divides her own time between New York, Los Angeles, Paris, Tokyo and Palm Beach, keeping herself firmly embedded in the places her clients frequent.
“People have really insulated their lives, and they’ve created their own universe,” she observes. With private homes, chefs, jets and yachts already at their disposal, some clients now require less conventional travel planning and more seamless management of their global lives. Beauty and wellness are increasingly paramount, so sourcing the best estheticians, trainers and hairstylists at every destination is becoming as important as plush hotel suites.
Still, India is determined to encourage her clients beyond their familiar circuits. Her team has arranged private access to monuments in India, while upcoming itineraries include a family journey through Nepal and Bhutan by helicopter.
For out-of-the ordinary adventures
Tom Marchant, co-founder of Black Tomato
A Yamabushi monk offering a blessing in a remote village. Or a clandestine game of The Traitors unfolding through the Moroccan medina, into the Atlas Mountains and across the Agafay desert, with treasure hunts, cooking challenges and a buggy rally along the way. For Tom Marchant, co-founder of award-winning luxury tour operator Black Tomato, no notion is out of the question.
“The idea can be ambitious, even a little improbable, but the finished experience is about people sharing something they couldn’t simply book off a shelf,” Marchant explains.
His latest initiative – an itineraries series called The Keepers – builds on this philosophy, with five itineraries across Italy, China, Chile, Morocco and Ireland built around traditional knowledge and crafts. Think milking goats, gathering shellfish at low tide or walking alongside migrating herds.
“It’s a return to the analog: hands-on, slower experiences based in learning from people and being present in the moment,” he says.
For authentic insider access in Asia
Izumi Kirchmayr Ogawa, luxury travel advisor at Luxury Experience Travel
For Japan-born Izumi Kirchmayr Ogawa, the magic of experiencing luxury Asian travel exists in the cultural nuances easily missed by outsiders. Her specialty is unlocking the region’s extraordinary traditions, which she does by gently leaning on trusted and long-cultivated local relationships, while navigating the complexities of its fast-moving tourism landscape.
“Luxury is no longer simply about staying in the most expensive hotel or choosing the most exclusive suite,” she says. “It is about how effortlessly travelers can enjoy their journey.”
Her approach favors encounters with master artisans, centuries-old ceremonies and intimate cultural experiences over conventional sightseeing, relying on privileged access. Just as importantly, she considers the dichotomy of experiencing Asia’s panoply of countries as both resplendent with history, but also the way “cultural traditions coexist with the world’s most cutting-edge technology and innovation.”
For journeys of cultural discovery
Victoria Reynolds, manager at Scott Dunn Private
Grand gestures can also be extremely personal. When a longstanding Scott Dunn Private member requested a multigenerational Christmas vacation in Sri Lanka, Victoria Reynolds discovered that the family’s festive tradition involved gathering around the piano while their grandfather played carols.
So, on Christmas Eve, while everyone slept, she arranged for a grand piano to be brought into their private coastal villa. It was one of only two in the country. By morning, it was waiting for them.
Her itineraries are designed to foster intellectual curiosity, as well as lean into luxury. A recent request involved designing a journey through Bosnia centered on understanding the Bosnian War, with private tours exploring how the conflict continues to shape the country.
Elsewhere, she’s orchestrated an eight-week sabbatical spanning Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Indonesia, New Zealand and Australia. “The more niche the request, the more I enjoy it,” she says.
PACKING ESSENTIALS
8 items
GUCCI+ FPM Milano monogrammed coated-canvas and aluminum suitcase
ANYA HINDMARCHSuede-trimmed shell vanity case
SMYTHSONMara croc-effect leather passport cover
JACQUES MARIE MAGE+ Erin Wasson The Sud square-frame acetate sunglasses
