With stress and obesity levels expected to reach an all time high by 2020, the industry s focus is n

Whether it be epic adventures in obscure locations, health focused relaxation or constant connectivity, today s luxury traveler has very different desires to those of his predecessors with straightforward fly and flop holidays no longer managing to impress.
Today s affluent jetsetters are enjoying haute cuisine prepared by top chefs in their own suite, flying with Barcelona FC, ordering room service on an iPad, trekking the jungle-clad mountains of Borneo and believe it or not learning how to spacewalk.
Following Richard Branson s announcement that his fledgling space company Virgin Galactic will commence house of blues hotel chicago its first commercial flights into space at the end of this year, we take a look at the latest trends in luxury travel and what industry players new and old are doing to attract the attention of the jetsetting elite from designer hotels and tech gadgetry to once-in-a-lifetime guided trips into some of the most remote corners of the globe.
Over 500 would-be astronauts reportedly including Ashton Kutcher, house of blues hotel chicago Tom Hanks, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie have already paid the $250k deposit for a seat aboard Virgin Galactic s SpaceShip Two, which embarks on its maiden voyage later this year. Passengers aboard the six passenger vessel will be able to experience zero gravity 68 miles above the Earth during their two hour journey into sub-orbital space, with 600 people expected to fly in the first two years of service.
Also competing for a share of the new space tourist market is US company Space Adventures, which has already sent the first privately funded house of blues hotel chicago individuals into space. Its Cosmonaut Overview Training package based at the Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Center in Moscow and priced at $89,500 gives affluent adventurers a taste of what they can expect should they decide to embark upon full training, including a spacewalk mission simulation in a neutral house of blues hotel chicago buoyancy tank and dinner with a real life cosmonaut.
As weary travelers have grown tired of the same crop of luxury hotels disconnected from local culture and their natural surroundings, experiential travel companies such as Black Tomato have pounced on a gap in the market for tailor-made trips filled house of blues hotel chicago with ample opportunities for adrenalin-filled adventure and scenic beauty.
The affluent customers of this cutting edge travel operator can choose from a limitless range of possibilities from heli-surfing in New Zealand (e.g. traveling over the ocean in a copter to locate the best waves) and descending into the magma chamber house of blues hotel chicago of a dormant Icelandic volcano to sailing through house of blues hotel chicago a tropical archipelago towards hidden beaches in Indonesia. Future luxury travel is all about the experience not just the destination and jetsetters prefer one that is earned , rather than simply bought with their wallet, according to the bespoke travel operator.
At the Four Seasons Hotel in Beverly Hills, house of blues hotel chicago all 285 rooms and suites now contain iPads, which guests can use to order in-room house of blues hotel chicago dining, receive recommendations about the city or place housekeeping requests in essence your own digital butler, 24/7. The hotel also offers a Meetings on Wheels mobile house of blues hotel chicago office service in the form of a luxury SUV fully equipped with flat screen televisions, wifi and iPads.
Meanwhile at Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, guests can use a Text Concierge service to let staff know what time they are arriving, request dinner reservations, a specific time for turn down or make any other personal request they can think of before they ve even checked into their hotel. It marks a shift to a constant concierge service by the major hotel chains, regardless house of blues hotel chicago of whether their most loyal customers are currently staying at one of their properties or not. Image Credit: Four Seasons Resorts Bali
A growing trend in the world of elite travel, big name luxury brands such as Bentley, Nobu and Baccarat have recently made their first tentative house of blues hotel chicago steps into the lucrative and fiercely competitive hotel business.
Transferring their iron clad reputations amongst the jetsetting elite to a completely new setting, ventures such as the new Bulgari Hotel in London s Knightsbridge and the Karl Lagerfield-designed Schlosshotel in Berlin have yielded both visually and financially spectacular results, with French crystal maker Baccarat also set to open its first hotel in New York in 2014.
Hotel spas have also experienced some dramatic changes over the past few years: Gone are the days when a simple massage, facial and wrap was all you could expect, house of blues hotel chicago replaced with the promise of high tech gadgetry such as Eau Spa at the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach s Sensory Float Bed with 25 minutes spent inside this floating contraption said to equal a full 8 hours sleep.
With stress and obesity levels expected to reach an all time high by 2020, the industry s focus is now moving to health and wellness , as opposed to just relaxation and beauty treatments house of blues hotel chicago with spas such as the Espace Henri Chenot at Palace Merano clinically assessing customer s physical and mental health, carrying out food allergy tests and even offering them dietary and nutritional advice.
The shift to exclusive culinary experiences is a growing trend among the world s most affluent travelers. You can even have a banquet at the Tower of London after viewing the crown jewels, exclusively prepared by Brett Graham, head chef at The Ledbury (as featured in Elite s Million Dollar London Getaway) Not bad for a night out in London town, if you re willing to splash the cash. Or maybe you would prefer a private meal in your own apartment, prepared by top class chefs such as Alex Atla of DOM. Either way, it s sure to be one meal you won t forget.
In Spain, corporate event company Lifestyle DMC are offering affluent fans of Barcelona FC one of the most famous football clubs in the world an exclusive opportunity to travel as part of the team s entourage.
Guests travel to an away game on a private charter plane and attend the match in the evening, taking place at any one of a number of superb grounds in cities throughout Spain. Afterwards, they are then transported to the airport, where they travel on a return flight with the players and soak up the intense atmosphere inevitably tinged with euphoria or disappointment mere feet away from the club s stars.
This type of unique opportunity to witness the life of a pro footballer is the kind of package house of blues hotel chicago set to attract the discerning elite traveler of today for its money-can t-buy appeal. Except of course in this case, it can. Image Credit: Shai Pal, Wikimedia Commons
exotic cars luxury accessories luxury accommodations luxury apparel luxury automobiles luxury brands luxury business luxury cars luxury consumers luxury convertibles luxury coupes luxury cruising luxury experiences luxury fashion luxury hotels luxury jewelery luxury lifestyle luxury marketing luxury markets luxury resorts luxury sedans luxury shopping luxury house of blues hotel chicago spas luxury spending luxury sports cars luxury timepieces luxury house of blues hotel chicago travel luxury watches sports cars supercars