Each hotel is being equally honored in no particular order.
Isn’t it truly so much more than quality, pampering, or indulgent offerings? Isn’t it something deeper? Perhaps an understated act of thoughtfulness or kindness, a gesture that connects you deeper to your destination, a carefully considered proposal customized just for you, an opportunity that eases our burdens, or a small deed that costs someone nothing but their time and creativity. In this category myriad past travel moments come to mind. Housekeepers who have untangled my cords and chargers and wrapped them with velcro, night attendants who have slipped a bookmark in my splayed-open tome, or organized my cosmetics atop a starched, white linen cloth.
I’ve requested bath salts at Four Seasons Hotel George V only to have a bellman bring a bag to my door from Sephora with oodles of options. I’ve been thrilled at Las Ventanas al Paraiso, A Rosewood Resort when butlers have brought — as they do for every guest — signature sewing kits, hand-built to match our travel wardrobe (which said butler has unpacked and hung in the closet). I’ve had my Micato Safaris guide in India stealthily “steal” my broken camera to send it off unbeknownst to me to be fixed in time for me to photograph the Taj Mahal. In Cusco, at Palacio Nazarenas, a Belmond Hotel, a butler has mixed me a Pisco Sour, drawn me a bath awash in roses, and fluffed up the feather pillows he knew from my profile I preferred — all within five minutes of depositing me in my room. At Segera Retreat in Kenya, I returned from dinner once to discover that my room attendant had built a canopied bed on the expansive lawn — mosquito net and electric fence protected — so I could look at the stars and listen to the sounds of the animals in Karen Blixen mode. In Cannes, I arrived at Hotel Martinez after a long day of travel and was asked if I’d like a snack. Within minutes, the Michelin-starred chef himself appeared with a veritable buffet for one: a feast with perhaps 20 little plates to allow me a tasteful range of toothsome delights. At the Ritz Paris, I arrived at 7 a.m. to have my room ready, something the iconic hotel does for all guests as one of its storied perks.
Around the world, I’ve had my shoes shined, my hairbrush cleaned, my clothing neatly packed for travel, an ice sculpture in my image erected as a treat, luggage tags affixed to my suitcases, passports put in a leather holder, my Champagne bottle replaced though I hadn’t emptied it, pillow gifts left as if by Santa, Christmas trees festooned in my room, monogrammed pajamas or pillow cases presented, and concierges who have walked me all the way to a restaurant or museum when I was worried I’d get lost. Once in Tel Aviv, the night desk clerk had to untangle necklaces that got caught in my hair long after midnight, a grueling act that took him a painstaking hour or more before he resorted to scissors. Kindly hoteliers have opened back doors, plonked me to the front of long lines, swept me through security/customs, and hand-delivered forgotten passports (once in Stockholm: a favorite skirt) to the airport in the nick of time. Hotels and upscale outfitters have mollycoddled my children and pets, too — as they would any guest.
We’re keen each year to share our peerless white-gloved moments, opportunities sure to please the most discerning traveler in 2025 and beyond. Some white-glove experiences come complimentary, some appear as generous gifts, while others must be ordered up. However they play a role in your vacation life, they reign as infinitely worth it.
Champagne Chauffeur
At sublime Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa, poised on the outskirts of Reims, in the heart of the Champagne region, tippling a bottle of bubbly is as easy as pushing the “Champagne Please” button on your room phone. At your disposal in myriad ways, attentive staff stand by for tastings and on-demand bottles day or night. When you’re ready to venture into the vineyards and gain access to exclusive Champagne houses, the hotel Champagne Chauffeur steers you through the region, stopping at domain addresses not normally open to the public. Don’t miss an intimate evening at the property’s Michelin-starred Le Royal restaurant with a gastronomic pairing of what else . . . Champagne.
Bespoke Menus That Go The Extra Mile
In a world of wanting to eat local, we sometimes crave something that can only be procured from far away. If we’re staying somewhere particularly far-flung, that void between regional and reasonable becomes quite cavernous. Sometimes we just want our needs met in the most first-world problem way. Enter the exceptional team at Madagascar’s Miavana by Time + Tide where daily menus do their best to incorporate products caught and gathered in nearby realms. Meant to only suggest possibilities, however, the private island resort’s kitchen team exceeds expectations by sending off to Paris, New York, Milan, Vienna, and beyond to satisfy your yen.
Micato Safaris
I’ve been to India three times with Micato Safaris and explored multiple countries in Africa under their tutelage — one time staying for a month and indulging in a solo safari composed of just me and my outstanding safari guide. What sets this Nairobi-based outfitter (with New York and Delhi family connections) apart can barely be put into words, but it boils down to intuitive customer care and seamless service driven by a desire to perform helpful deeds and satisfy guest needs — not for personal gain but from the heart. Deeply entrenched in the regions where they lead safaris, Micato takes guests behind the scenes, discreetly opens closed doors, eases all burdens, offers unexpected surprises and gifts along the way, and generally treats every guest like family — or the family you wish you had.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
Hollywood glam sets the mood at this tony hotel in the heart of the city. Well-schooled in the art of celebrity care, The Peninsula Beverly Hills slips on its white gloves to minister to their needs — especially when they’ve booked a suite where monogrammed pillows await. Guests in residence in a luxury suite also receive complimentary use of a BMW during their stay, while all guests can be dropped off anywhere nearby in the house Rolls Royce. The only hotel in Los Angeles to proffer an on-site concierge at LAX, The Peninsula Beverly Hills ensures a guest’s stay begins before walking through the door. Best of all, The Peninsula Beverly Hills allows guests to check in or check out at any time during the day or night for no additional fee.
Texas-Sized Service
You can avoid Houston’s notorious traffic to arrive from the airport to The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston by helicopter, gracefully setting down rooftop on the helipad that crowns the retreat’s 700,000 square-foot contemporary tower. Whisked to your Penthouse Suite, a bi-level haven that sprawls for 22,000 square feet (the largest in the US), resplendent with a pool, a half-court basketball court, his-and-her closet, a personal theater, and state-of-the-art fitness room (among other things), you can relax in your monogrammed robe, your hair wrapped in a monogrammed towel as your attendant unpacks. Later, you can take a VIP art tour of The Post Oak Hotel’s acclaimed museum-worthy art collection or sip from the hotel’s $5 million wine cellar’s bounty. Proudly treating every guest like a celebrity (most actually are), The Post Oak Hotel features a dedicated elevator for top suites, and proudly extols its anticipatory service, always aiming to please.
Forget the Airport
Oh, the horrors of the airport and its rat race. Forgo it when traveling from (or to) Los Angeles and Atlanta (soon Dallas and Miami) when you sign up (or buy a membership) to hang out with PS. A clever alternative to fighting the crowds in the airport lounges — or worse — sitting at your gate, PS eliminates the airport entirely. Set in its own private terminal, equipped with its own private TSA and Customs on site, not to mention a full kitchen and bar menu (plus spa and grooming treatments), PS offers options of a private suite or salon lounge for guests with a penchant for exclusivity. Just make your reservation online, then head straight to the PS terminal for swanky repose. When it’s time for your flight, a BMW will drive you across the airport tarmac to board privately up the jet bridge. The service works seamlessly, as well, for return flights thanks to its private Customs service. For guests celebrating special occasions, PS curates a range of extras such as kids’ birthday parties and guys’ golf trip amenities (think customized golf balls and tees to get the mancation started).
Artsy Endeavors
With Blue Parallel in Argentina, I lingered in the studio of a famous artist in Bariloche watching him paint, met with another renowned painter in the private room of a crowded atelier in Buenos Aires, and hiked manifold miles to find a picnic by a lake with a violinist from Teatro Colón serenading me as if I were the only woman — queen — on earth. Two decades old and brimming with options, Blue Parallel is a ne plus ultra outfitter, skilled at designing trips to any theme in Latin America, the Mediterranean, and the Polar region. They use meticulously honed personal connections around the world to provide access for their guests. However I am most amazed by their customized programs for guests with a passion for the arts. In Paris, for example, for a hefty price, you can even visit the Louvre before it opens (or after it closes) — just you and your guide. Imagine!
Featured image courtesy of Miavana by Time + Tide
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