Private Affair

The ultra luxury segment was already an emerging trend in the premium travel space, but it has gained momentum in the post-lockdown era. Private island buyouts, charter planes, and remote destinations are the buzzwords among the affluent.

- RIAAN JACOB GEORGE

BILLIONAIRES, MOVIE STARS, and oligarchs tend to prefer anonymity and exclusivity on their holidays. Sample these vacations: a leading Indian business family (names withheld on request) chartering a plane to Cheval Blanc’s private island in the Maldives, Shah Rukh Khan renting a ₹ 2.2 lakh-a-night luxury villa on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills through Airbnb, and Lady Gaga’s ₹ 7.3 lakh-a-night Airbnb villa in the California desert. The pandemic may have hit pause on everyone’s plans for a bit, but this ultra luxury segment has only seen a discernible spike around the globe post the lockdowns. Big spenders are choosing to fly private, avoid cookie-cutter five-star suites, and travel to exclusive destinations. This spike in demand makes sense at a time when people are seeking physical distancing more than ever before.

SECRET GETAWAYS

According to industry experts, the prevailing trends in India—while the super rich wait for European luxury getaways to open up again—involve private charters to domestic destinations (especially Goa), island buyouts in the Maldives, exclusive properties on island destinations and driving destinations around the major Indian cities.