Meet the luxurious journey agent who plans journeys for former US presidents and world leaders

(CNN) — On a private journey to Ethiopia in 2015, former US President George W. Bush encountered a nice shock.

When he arrived within the historical Christian city of Lalibela, dozens of youngsters sporting royal blue Texas Ranger hats — one of many Texan’s favourite sports activities groups — gave him a heat welcome.

“I attempt to consider cool methods to make (vacationers) excited, so I purchased about 100 Texas Rangers hats. And when Bush got here to the village, all the children had them on.”

Private touches, exclusivity, safety, discretion — these are the issues that world leaders have come to count on whereas touring.

“It is very very similar to theater — world leaders have this imaginative and prescient of what this place may very well be like, how unique and the way superb,” provides India. “And we wish to fulfill that imaginative and prescient with particular moments.”

Bush was not the primary world chief India labored with. Her company has deliberate greater than 100 journeys for not less than 15 presidents, prime ministers and premiers since 2012.

“Whether or not it is a former president or billionaire or movie star, all people’s a person,” she says.

“In the event you perceive what makes them tick and why are they taking that journey, it will likely be a profitable relationship.”

Delivering tailor-made experiences

India realized all concerning the artwork of luxurious hospitality at now closed Le Bec Fin, on the time a effective eating restaurant with three Michelin stars, the place she labored whereas incomes a bachelor’s diploma in artwork historical past on the Tyler College of Artwork at Philadelphia’s Temple College.

“I fell in love with servicing the ultra-high-net-worth,” she recollects. “I actually excelled and understood their wants. That is actually been the success of my profession — understanding the wants of every individual after which with the ability to ship that have.”

After school, the New York native moved to Palm Seaside, Florida, along with her then boyfriend and now husband, Freddy Charles Reinert, the place she rapidly realized the extent of service in “luxurious” tourism paled by comparability.

Sienna Charles has even managed to achieve its purchasers non-public entry to the Louvre.

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“It simply did not make sense to me; on the restaurant, you’ll sit down for 3 hours and spend $5,000-10,000,” she recollects.

“You’d have seven individuals ready on you with silver (tableware); the somm knew each grape and winemaker; the chef got here out to your desk and knew the place the foie gras got here from.”

The whole lot was obsessive and service-driven on the restaurant, she says, however that was not so in luxurious journey.

“The identical sort of clientele can be spending $100,000 on a visit to Italy or France however the (journey agent designing) the journey had by no means even been there,” says India.

Striving to supply a greater various for high-net-worth vacationers, the pair launched Sienna Charles in 2008.

Each journey is tailor-made to the shopper’s wants, be {that a} multi-generational retreat in Umbria or a non-public island in Indonesia.

“I personally vet all of my suggestions and am obsessive about high quality and repair,” she says.

An journey by means of Egypt

In 2012, Sienna Charles had an opportunity to plan and execute a visit for a world chief for the primary time.

When approaching India, the shopper (whose title can’t be shared resulting from a non-disclosure settlement), had their sights set on Egypt.

The chief had beforehand visited the nation for work and was “actually excited by Egyptology,” says India.

“We closed down monuments for (the chief), and so they simply wished to dig deeper into their private ardour,” recollects India of a visit to Luxor, Egypt she deliberate in 2012.

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So the journey professional organized a multi-stop, 12-day journey that peppered in historical past and cultural discussions with a number of professionals and teachers.

The journey took the world chief from Cairo to a Nile cruise on a non-public yacht, with a number of stops at historic websites alongside the best way.

They completed the journey within the historical capital of Luxor — nicknamed the “world’s best open-air museum” — the place a few of the nation’s oldest tombs and temples will be discovered.

“We closed down monuments for (the chief), and so they simply wished to dig deeper into their private ardour,” recollects India. “That they had this romantic sense of the world the place they simply could not wait to find this place.”

Due to referrals and this primary profitable journey with a world chief, India went on to plan journeys for George W. Bush, amongst a number of different world leaders.

The Bushes in Ethiopia

In 2015, India meticulously choreographed a visit to a few of the most distant corners of Ethiopia for Bush, his spouse Laura, 4 buddies, his physician and 30 Secret Service employees.

As a result of huge entourage, phrase received out concerning the journey.

“We’re all about discretion and privateness,” says India. “However with so many employees and Secret Service brokers, it simply turned a media frenzy. Some world leaders simply go together with one safety agent and a baseball cap — and no person is aware of that it is them.”

Lalibela, Ethiopia is famed for its attractive rock-hewn church buildings.

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She says Bush selected Ethiopia as a result of he had been there throughout his presidency however did not have sufficient time to get out and discover in additional depth.

“He informed me that he visited about 80 nations throughout his presidency, however can be at a lovely monument just like the Taj (Mahal) and by no means actually see something (as a result of demanding schedule),” provides India.

To immerse the previous president in tradition and historical past, she deliberate a multi-leg journey from the distant Omo River Valley — house to a few of the world’s most remoted tribes — within the south as much as Lalibela within the north.

The logistically difficult journey required numerous modes of transport, from SUVs to helicopters, non-public jets and riverboats.

“Lalibela is all about Christianity — that was superb,” says India, alluding to Bush’s non secular affiliation. “Once we had been within the Omo Valley, (villagers) did a ceremonial dance to welcome him.”

All concerning the private touches

India’s staff catered to extremely particular requests for food and drinks, since “the journey is all about them.”

For instance, she says Bush likes consolation meals like peanut butter sandwiches and pasta when he travels, so India ensured all of his favourite meals had been obtainable even in probably the most distant elements of Ethiopia.

“For world leaders, service is at a stage of madness of their houses and so they have government assistants in all places they go,” she explains. “So after they journey, they actually have excessive expectations — and understandably so.”

“Whenever you’re keen to pay, it is a very easy dialog,” says India of how Sienna Charles managed to shut down main world monuments for purchasers, together with the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, pictured.

Yunus Emre Gunaydin/Anadolu Company/Getty Photos

Because the motels in Ethiopia didn’t meet India’s expectations, she labored with native companions to construct luxurious camps for the previous president and his entourage as a substitute.

They bought model new furnishings, bedding, sheets — constructing stunning lodging from scratch.

The good factor about working with world leaders, she says, is that they know methods to delegate.

“I inform them what we’re pondering and so they let me run with it. These are individuals who run nations, in order that they perceive the facility of hiring specialists and might relinquish (management) to people who find themselves good at what they do,” says India.

As soon as, she helped a world chief rejoice his spouse’s birthday by masking the whole flooring of a non-public villa with unique “Cherry Snow” roses flown in from Ecuador, she says.

One other time, she labored with film set producers and styling specialists to create a cinematic Parisian scene within the coronary heart of Miami, the place famed chef Eric Ripert designed a particular menu.

And in Italy, she organized for a world chief to take pleasure in a non-public go to with a well-known jewellery designer. The chief helped design a novel reward for his spouse — a gold Navette ring with an oval-cut faceted ruby and 24 round-cut diamonds for $714,000.

Discretion, safety and exclusivity

Most often, India says her purchasers come to her with a imaginative and prescient of what they hope to expertise on a visit.

Maybe that is taking a deeper dive into Chinese language tradition, lazing by the pool in St. Barts, or just renting a home and being a grandpa for every week in Italy.

After an preliminary session, India — who has traveled to greater than 80 nations and insists on experiencing every suggestion first-hand — will sometimes recommend three to 5 choices, outlining the professionals and cons of every.

From there, the journey professional works intently with the shopper’s chief of employees, private assistant and safety to iron out the small print.

“From the room sort to meals allergic reactions, what sort of eating places they like, what time they wish to get up, what newspapers they need within the room, what sort of tour guides they like … we take each element into consideration,” she says.

India has taken purchasers on unique, non-public excursions of Machu Picchu.

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Transport tends to be comparatively easy since 100% of her purchasers have their very own non-public yachts, helicopters and personal jets.

As a part of safety protocol, Sienna Charles typically wants to shut down main monuments and museums so purchasers can expertise them alone.

“We have closed down the Sydney Opera Home, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Louvre, Versailles, the Nice Sphinx of Giza, Machu Picchu… tons of monuments,” says India. “Whenever you’re keen to pay, it is a very easy dialog.”

Usually, Sienna Charles first tries to rearrange a go to throughout off-hours. If that is not doable, they try to make a donation of wherever from $20,000 to $100,000.

“We needn’t spend cash only for the sake of spending cash,” she says. “You simply must know who to name. But when they’re capable of view it in a non-public method, that is a win.”

Leaving room for spontaneity

Safety is rather more difficult, particularly when working with world leaders who are inclined to journey with not less than one safety agent.

“They’ve plenty of safety — and the safety desires an itinerary,” she says. “They need it mapped out from actually what number of steps we now have to take from the automobile to each monument to each restaurant.”

Initially, this was fairly irritating for India as a result of she believes that “journey is all about being serendipitous.”

“The journey unfolds as (our purchasers) are touring. We realized fairly rapidly after that first journey (in Egypt) that sure, we’ll put together a minute by minute account of what we will do for the safety groups, however we additionally must handle the shopper,” she says. “And if the shopper feels prefer it’s an incredible journey, that is a win for me.”

Meaning, at occasions, venturing off the minute-by-minute itinerary. For instance, when she took Bush to Ethiopia, India had an sudden alternative to go to a distant tribe within the Omo River Valley.

However the group must shimmy down a really steep path with poor visibility to achieve the river, then take a ship to get there.

“I requested his employees if he might do it so (Bush) might see extra. They usually mentioned completely not,” recollects India.

“However this might be the one manner we might get a second with this tribe, so I requested Bush instantly, and he mentioned, ‘Completely.'”

“I’ve realized to respect the safety and employees who wish to maintain the individual secure, however that (strict itinerary) also can protect them from having fun with issues,” she says.

A brand new period for ‘uncontrolled’ spending

The pandemic hasn’t impacted the travels of the ultra-wealthy and elites, says India.

“There are plenty of locations like Fiji and Thailand that began letting non-public jets in about six months in the past,” she says. “It is an advantageous time to be an ultra-high-net-worth individual. As a result of, like anything, cash talks. Individuals are keen to spend the cash to do no matter they need.”

She has seen a number of ultra-luxury journey tendencies spurred by the pandemic. For example, India’s purchasers are inclined to plan journeys on the final minute — typically only a day or two prematurely — as a result of uncertainty of border restrictions and quarantine necessities.

They’ve additionally began skipping intermediaries totally, buying their very own yachts and personal jets and shopping for trip houses.

What’s extra, India says discretion has change into the norm.

Gardens of the ‘Orangerie’ of Versailles Palace.

Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Photos

“They aren’t touring only for the sake of journey. However after they do go, the rich aren’t sharing on-line anymore,” she says. “When a lot of the world is struggling, they don’t seem to be going to publish pictures aboard their mega yacht.”

Nonetheless, the cash spent on journeys proper now’s “insane”, she provides. “Folks simply need what they need. If they’re chartering, it is going to be the costliest yacht. They usually’re not messing round with employees who do not know methods to cope with them.”

Earlier than the pandemic, India would assist purchasers constitution yachts for roughly $200,000 to $300,000 every week. Now, they’re reserving boats that price as much as $1 million every week.

Relating to trip houses and estates, spending has skyrocketed from a median of $10,000 an evening to $35,000 or extra for Sienna Charles purchasers.

“The spending is definitely uncontrolled,” says India. “It is throughout the board. Individuals are simply keen to pay for exclusivity and being on the proper place on the proper time. All the time.”

Prime picture: Jaclyn Sienna India, founding father of the Sienna Charles luxurious way of life firm. Credit score: Anna Gunselman