ULLA HEFEL BÖHLER
CEO OF LUXURY GOLD AND INSIGHT VACATIONS
What impact has the digital sphere had on the world of luxury travel?
Our world has gotten smaller, and people are now used to having access to almost anything 24/7. The world has also gotten so much more transparent, as there is so much information available at everyone’s fingertips. Reviews are widely available these days – be it on a chosen hotel property or a restaurant, or any other experiences. Social media has come into this as well. We have leveraged this transparency by partnering with the independent review platform Feefo. We display unedited guest reviews on our website, as well as a variety of other user-generated content, as we are so confident in the outstanding luxury holiday experiences we deliver to our guests.
Is it more difficult creating luxury experiences for customers now?
Creating luxury experiences definitely requires a different focus and perhaps a little more creativity these days. We love curating these unique money-can’t-buy-experiences for our guests, and providing a point of difference. We always love to innovate and stay ahead of the curve, and our collection of unique VIP Experiences is ever evolving. Our guests can spend time with Rob Boyd – the Canadian skiing legend and Olympic athlete – or discover the hidden secrets of the Venetian Republic on a private tour of Doge’s Palace. And then of course there’s The Chairman’s Collection, which introduces our guests to exceptional characters and allows access to amazing places you simply couldn’t organise on your own. Travellers can join Count Rémy de Scitivaux for dinner at Le Procope – the oldest Parisian restaurant, or meet Princess Anita von Hohenberg at her home – Artstetten Castle in Austria.
The staff out in the field are dealing with customers every day. How is feedback delivered back to you?
We have very robust feedback processes in place – our team of Travelling Concierges provides detailed feedback about every aspect of every trip that they run, which is then reviewed by our outstanding QC and Operations Team. Of course, we also get feedback directly from our guests via our end-of-trip questionnaire. Plus, we have partnered with review platform Feefo, who contact our guests after their trip via email. We’ve received Feefo’s ‘Gold Trusted Service Award’ for two consecutive years – which speaks to the quality of our offering. Our guests love sharing feedback with us – this is an invaluable tool to help ensure we curate and deliver exceptional luxury holidays for our guests. After all, our guests are at the heart of everything we do.
For most people, free time is a luxury. How do you build this into an itinerary?
Having the perfect balance between sightseeing, dining and free time is crucial. This is why we deliberately don’t include all the meals when designing our journeys. We always make sure we build in ample free time, so our guests can really enjoy the wonderful hotels we stay at and explore the region at their own pace. Of course, our Travelling Concierge can assist with suggestions, and will make arrangements when necessary. We also offer our guests relaxed starts so they can linger longer over breakfast in bed, or go for a lovely morning stroll.