The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
The holiday calendar of the 1 per cent
From dietary denial in Austria to diving in a remote Pacific archipelago, Aoife O’Riordain gives a month-by-month guide to the travel choices of the mega-rich – or their fixers
‘Extreme adventures appeal to high-networth individuals who like to push themselves in all areas of life’
The rich are different to you and me,” wrote the American novelist F Scott Fitzgerald, and this contrast could not be more pronounced when it comes to their holiday habits. While some of us are trawling the internet to plan our two weeks somewhere hot, those who can afford it are safe in the knowledge that this year’s travels have already been sorted – by someone else. Welcome to the world of the 1 per cent.
Seeing the planet from a privileged vantage point has been a thing since the Grand Tour, when the rich moved in a pack to France, Switzerland, Italy and Greece. For the modern high-networth (HNW) traveller, bumping into preening peers is not as desirable as it once was. The compass has shifted and, while the likes of Tuscany and the Côte d’Azur will never fall from favour, the ultra-rich have gone truly global.
Sun-sure winter options such as the Caribbean, skiing in the Alps, an African safari and a few weeks in the Med are cornerstones of the mega-rich travel calendar. Perhaps they form a key part of your own. The difference is that their villa is more likely to come fully staffed with a chef, personal trainer, yoga teacher, tennis coach and masseuse. They might also fly by private jet to avoid the crowds.
The wealthiest of the 1 per cent leave nothing to chance, and their travel advisor is as important to them as their accountant or personal trainer.
Scott Dunn Private is an invitation-only offshoot of the luxury operator Scott Dunn, giving clients access to a private relationship manager to plan their travel year. “I will sit down with my guests and ‘travel map’ their year or often two years ahead, working through the summer, the festive season and sometimes through to October 2025 because many family options at top lodges in South Africa’s Kruger National Park are already booked,” says Jules Maury, head of Scott Dunn Private.
High-end operator Original Travel has reported a 250 per cent increase in enquiries for Norway, making it their best-selling destination after Italy and Greece. According to co-founder Tom Barber: “We put this down to the fact that there are so many extreme adventures you can do in Norway, which tend to appeal to HNW individuals who like to push themselves in all areas of life”.
For the 1 per cent, lesser-known and off-the-beaten-track destinations are on the up. George Morgan-Grenville, founder and chief executive of Red Savannah, says: “HNW clients tend to be incredibly well-informed and savvy travellers, very often at the vanguard of changing attitudes and trends.”
When you are part of the travelling 1 per cent, the world really is your oyster. Here’s how they might spend their year.
January Wellness in Austria
New year, new you. The 1 per cent also buy into this idea – but on a more serious scale. The crisp mountain air of the Austrian Alps is the backdrop of choice for regenerative retreats that offer inside-out, head-to-toe resets involving blood tests, holistic diagnoses and tailor-made daily therapy schedules which include cryotherapy, psychology, yoga, hiking and differing levels of dietary denial.
As the Duchess of York’s recent visit shows, the FX Mayr clinics in Austria – Vivamayr Maria Wörth and Mayrlife Altaussee – are firm favourites. Both adhere to their founder’s restrictive dietary programmes devised to optimise digestion and stimulate the immune system – the daily Epsom salt gut cleanses are not for the faint-hearted. Programmes last a minimum of seven days.
The Lanserhof is a slightly glitzier iteration that operates along similar lines – the original Lanserhof Lans celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Healing Holidays (020 7843 3597; healingholidays.com) offers sevennight stays at Vivamayr Maria Wörth from £4,099pp, based on two sharing – and at Lanserhof Lans from £4,699pp, also based on two sharing.
February Winter warmth in Mustique
As Kate Moss’s 50th birthday celebrations last month prove, the tiny Caribbean island of Mustique never goes out of fashion. Dreamt up in the 1960s by Colin Tennant, 3rd Baron Glenconner as a private retreat, this tiny island in St Vincent and the Grenadines is synonymous with rock stars, royalty and the rich. The roll call of former guests is glitzy and glamorous, yet all are attracted by Mustique’s laid back, anti-ostentation vibe and its reputation for privacy.
The Prince and Princess of Wales, Daniel Craig, Harry Styles and Jennifer Lopez have all enjoyed downtime here, while Tommy Hilfiger, Bryan Adams and Mick Jagger are a trio of high-profile owners of some of the 100 or so villas dotted around the island. Mustique’s old cotton warehouse – a gingerbread-style, Caribbean fever dream – is now home to The Cotton House hotel. True regulars give the busy Christmas and New Year period a swerve and go in February, when the weather is near perfect and you never quite know who you might find drinking at the legendary Basil’s Bar during Sunday-night sunset jazz sessions.
An original Oliver Messel residence, Seastar (0207 201 6831; mustiqueisland.com) is available to rent for the first time in years from £22,000 per week, sleeps eight. Double rooms at The Cotton House hotel (00 1 784 456 4777; cottonhouse.net) cost from £260 per night B&B .
March Opulent hotels and ancient tombs in North Africa
With its blue skies, warm temperatures and easy accessibility, North Africa is perfect for a blast of early spring sunshine. Morocco and Egypt are the destinations of choice here, the former thanks to its array of upmarket places to stay. Marrakech has a number of luxury stalwarts including La Mamounia, while Richard Branson’s Kasbah Tamadot in the Atlas Mountains is due to reopen in March.
For more off-the-beaten-track adventures, there is the newly opened La Fiermontina Ocean on the Atlantic Coast near Larache, plus Jasper Conran’s Villa Mabrouka in Tangier and the underthe-radar Dar Ahlam in a remote location outside Skoura. The most opulent hotel in Marrakech, the Royal Mansour, will open a much anticipated sister property in a restored 1930s building in Casablanca this spring.
Egypt is another favourite at this time of year. The tombs and temples are must-see sights, most commonly done with a leisurely glide down the Nile on a luxuriously appointed, traditional dahabiya in the company of an expert Egyptologist guide.
Abercrombie & Kent (01242 386 500; abercrombiekent.co.uk) has a new Grand Egyptian Journey costing from £6,820pp based on two sharing. Includes flights, transfers and eight nights’ B&B in Egypt, plus a four-night Nile cruise on a full-board basis.
April Cherry blossom in Japan
Not immune to the charms of the natural world, even the 1 per cent have witnessing cherry blossom season on their bucket list. Something of a moveable feast depending on the conditions, this ethereal flower-viewing spectacle known as “hanami” is a highlight of the Japanese calendar and reaches its peak in late March and early April.
There is always a scramble for availability when it comes to accommodation, but HNW individuals can afford the very best. The Unesco World Heritage-listed Ancient Kyoto, with its vast collection of temples and shrines, is a hanami hotspot.
Japan has also seen a glut of luxury hotel openings recently. Soon to be joining them are Aman’s new brand Janu in Tokyo and the Six Senses Kyoto, due to open this spring.
Audley Travel (01993 461 041; audleytravel.com) offers an 11-day Central Japan tour visiting Tokyo, Kyoto & the Japanese Alps from £4,595 per person based on two sharing; and a 16-day Luxury Japan tour from £14,435 per person based on two sharing, including flights, B&B accommodation and guiding.
May Stardust in the south of France
If it’s May, then it has to be the south of France – always in favour with the A-list, who come for the same things as everyone else: art, culture, climate and glittering scenery. The beach clubs in St Tropez are less crowded in late spring, the Cannes Film Festival sprinkles a bit of stardust on the Riviera, and petrol heads make for Monaco and the Formula One Grand Prix on the final Sunday of the month.
The secluded Hotel du Cap-EdenRoc is a favourite, as is the newer Maybourne Riviera in Roquebrune Cap-Martin and Villa La Coste on the art and wine-centric Château La Coste estate near Aix-en-Provence.
Le Collectionist (00 33 1 73 03 02 02; lecollectionist.com) offers Mas des Vallons, a traditional Provencal house near Saint-Remy-de Provence that sleeps up to 14, from €9,000 (about £7,676) per week.
June Partying in the Hamptons
With a glittering roster of occasional residents such as Gwyneth Paltrow, Stephen Spielberg and Ralph Lauren, the Hamptons – a string of historic villages on Long Island – needs little introduction as the stateside retreat de rigueur for the one per cent.
The season kicks off on Memorial Day (this year on May 27) and June is the month of choice for insiders, who wouldn’t dream of holidaying there any time after July 4, when the narrow streets of Southampton, Bridgehampton, Sag Harbour and Amagansett are clogged with out-of-towners and you can’t get a parking space at the broad Atlantic beaches.
Here, it is all about renting a house – and many of them get snapped up for the entire season so people can enjoy the endless merry-go-round of parties at the sprawling oceanside mansions.
Plum Guide (020 4579 9309; plum guide.com) has rentals in a number of locations throughout the Hamptons, such as The Nocturne, a contemporary house in Southampton that sleeps up to eight, costing from £1,579 per night (minimum 14 nights). Hotels tend to be of the more bijou variety, such as Baron’s Cove (00 855 290 8467; caperesorts.com) in Sag Harbour, which has doubles from £200 room-only.
July Adventure in Norway
Anecdotally, some of the super-rich are gradually migrating from default summer destinations such the Mediterranean to more northerly climes. Norway has been gaining ground as the retreat of choice for peak summer, and several high-end operators have seen its popularity explode.
This might be due to the Succession effect, as Norway was one location for the final series – or it might just be the majestic beauty of the fjords. Whatever the reason, the mega-wealthy, particularly those with children, can’t get enough of this outdoor playground.
It is also scattered with luxurious wilderness retreats such as the Juvet Landscape Hotel and the historic Hotel Union Oye in the Sunmore Alps, while the opening of the cutting-edge Six Senses Svart within the Norwegian Arctic Circle, slated for later this year, will provide another place to stay for bragging rights.
Original Travel (020 7591 4430; originaltravel.co.uk) has an Alesund and Northern Fjords Road Trip costing from £3,140 per person, based on two sharing. The price includes return international and domestic flights, seven days’ car hire and six nights’ B&B accommodation.
August Island-hopping in Greece
Old habits die hard and, for many HNW travellers, August is still prime time to head to the Med. Greece is a must, although islands such as Mykonos and Santorini are increasingly being left to the Instagrammers and the day-tripping cruise passengers.
Less touristy islands are proving more and more popular, hence the ever-increasing number of first-rate resorts popping up all over the Cyclades and beyond. These include The Rooster wellness and lifestyle resort on Antiparos, Parilio on Paros, the soon-to-open One&Only Kea Island, Gundari on Folegandros, and Odera on the trending island of Tinos. The Greek Islands are also sprinkled with a plethora of high end villas where every possible whim is catered for.
The Thinking Traveller (020 7377 8518; thinkingtraveller.com) offers Zelena in Soros, Antiparos, sleeping up to 10 from £18,847 per week. It also offers the villa Ephyra in Makria Miti on nearby Paros from £4,767 per week, sleeping nine.
September Lakeside luxury in Italy
It is not lost on the high-end traveller that September is one of the most pleasant months to visit Italy. The hordes that descend on its most popular spots have abated and the high season heat has mellowed.
The Lakes are always a favourite, with the 1 per cent gravitating to grande dame hotels such as the waterside Villa d’Est, Grand Hotel Tremezzo, its even swankier sister Passalacqua on Lake Como and the Grand Hotel a Villa Feltrinelli on Lake Garda. Holidays amid the rugged peaks of the Dolomites are increasingly requested by the wealthy, while Hotel Castello di Reschio in Umbria was an instant hit with the money-is-no-object crowd.
Meanwhile, Rome has seen a raft of luxurious openings including the Six
Senses Rome, the Bulgari Hotel Roma and The Rome Edition.
The sweeping beauty of Tuscany’s Unesco World Heritage-listed Val d’Orcia is beloved of well-heeled Italians and popular with smart Romans as a weekend escape. SJ Villas (020 7351 6384; sjvillas.co.uk) has the Villa Lucia to rent, a beautifully-restored Tuscan farmhouse that sleeps up to eight, from £5,831 per week.
October Wildlife watching in Botswana
For a safari, Botswana tops the list – offering fewer crowds, superlative game-viewing opportunities and ultraluxe micro lodges with just a couple of rooms. It is home to the Okavango Delta, which fills with floodwaters between May and October and teems with wildlife.
Those looking for a private safari experience can take over a small camp or safari house, giving them exclusive access to on-site guides and the ability to dictate their own schedule.
Xigera Safari Lodge was one of the country’s most eagerly anticipated recent openings, while Atzaro Okavango, Tawana in the Moremi Game Reserve, and Karangoma in the northeast corner of the Okavango are among the anticipated new arrivals coming later this year.
Aardvark Safaris (01980 849160; aardvarksafaris.com) offers a luxurious seven-night Botswana safari from £19,776 per person, based on two adults sharing. The price includes all meals, transfers and safari activities, with four nights at a private reserve in the Okavango Delta and three nights at the Selinda Reserve.
November Diving in Raja Ampat
Lying off West Papua is one of the remote frontiers of off-grid travel beloved of the ultra-wealthy. The only way to do Indonesia’s Raja Ampat is by chartering a traditional but luxuriously decked out, two-masted sailboat called a “phinisi” to cruise around this archipelago of more than 1,500 islands.
Unspoilt and very much under the radar, Raja Ampat is somewhere people want to tick off their list for the superlative diving above pristine coral reefs, plus jungle-blanketed islands and deserted beaches. It’s no surprise that this year’s Golden Globes winners took home a goodie bag that included the chance of a four-night voyage around the islands worth $50,000.
Rascal Voyages (0065 8085 2831; rascalvoyages.com) offers seven-night itineraries on its custom-made phinisi yachts. One night costs from US$12,000 (about £9,500) for a yacht sleeping up to 10 people on an all-inclusive basis.
December Skiing in Switzerland
Switzerland remains the setting of choice for a festive season on the slopes. For many, St Moritz ticks all the boxes, with snow-sure slopes, chocolate-box looks, Bond Street-worthy browsing, and a lively après-ski scene.
Its Cresta Run, opened in 1884 by the St Moritz Tobogganing Club, is also popular with adrenaline junkies. Heli-skiing – when you reach the top of the mountain by helicopter – is also favoured by the elite and in abundance here. Its status is gilded by a clutch of luxurious grand hotels, such as Badrutt’s Palace, the Kulm Hotel and slopeside Suvretta House.
Seven nights at Nira Alpina costs from £2,010 per person with Elegant Resorts (01244 757 562; elegantresorts.co.uk), based on two sharing. The price includes flights, transfers and B&B accommodation.