The luxury travel trend continues to rise, with rates reaching up to seven figures per night.
At the recent International Luxury Travel Market in Cannes , France , there were proposals aimed at travel advisors who organize experiences for billionaires. From a private hotel in Paris to exclusive train cars and boats, the options are unprecedented.
Among the novelties, the Maison Barrière Vendôme of the Barrière group will open next month in Paris, with just twenty-six rooms, suites and apartments. It is designed for full bookings, allowing a client and his guests to privatise all services, from the restaurant to the spa. Although the company did not reveal prices, exclusivity is guaranteed.
Mandarin Oriental, meanwhile, launched Exceptional Homes , luxury residences with services managed by trained staff, including chefs and spa therapists. Rates start at $10,000 per night, with custom pricing options.
LVMH , which invested $3.2 billion in Belmond in 2018, is taking rail travel to an unprecedented level. The Venice Simplon-Orient-Express will incorporate the private L’Observatoire Suite carriage , designed by artist JR . Featuring a freestanding bathtub, tea room with fireplace, private dining room and dedicated attendants, the experience costs $80,000 per night.
Accor CEO Sebastien Bazin revealed that the Orient Express Silenseas , a seven-hundred-and-twenty-foot yacht that will set sail in 2026, will be available primarily for full charters. Featuring fifty-four suites, the rate will be $1 million per day, with a seven-night minimum.
Meanwhile, Grace Bay Resorts in Turks & Caicos , headed by Nikheel Advani , notes that villas that accommodate large groups can cost significant amounts, justified by the quality and capacity of the services.
Senior Vice President Arnaud Champenois says customers select from a variety of itineraries and decide how many nights they want to travel by train, with their private carriage attached to luxury trains, just as barons did in the Gilded Age .
The Orient Express Silenseas is a 220-metre luxury yacht that will set sail in 2026. With just 54 suites, the ship will be offered primarily for full charters, allowing clients to set their own itineraries. The rate is $1 million per day, with a seven-night minimum, and reservations are now being accepted.
Nikheel Advani , co-founder and chief operating officer of Grace Bay Resorts in Turks & Caicos , criticizes the exorbitant prices used as sensational headlines. While he has seen $1 million packages where 95 percent of the value was a diamond included, he notes that villas that accommodate 10 or 15 guests cost a lot for their capacity and amenities.
These single-customer hotels, cruises and trains reflect a trend: the wealthy are travelling with large groups of family, friends or business partners. Indeed, Belmond ‘s Arnaud Champenois says the brand’s trains are in high demand for full bookings, with the private carriages just an extra.
For those on more modest budgets, Albert Herrera , executive vice president of Internova , has mixed news. First, the bad: Since 2019, the number of hotels in the U.S. with average rates above $1,000 a night has doubled. The good? Herrera says that after years of double-digit price increases, luxury travel rates by 2025 will rise by just 1 to 2 percent.