Sienna Charles: Luxury travel agent plans trips 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 carrying royal blue Texas Ranger hats -- one of many Texan's favourite sports activities groups -- gave him a heat welcome.

"I try to think of cool ways to make (travelers) excited, so I bought about 100 Texas Rangers hats. And when Bush came to the village, all the kids had them on."

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

"It's very much like theater -- world leaders have this vision of what this place could be like, how exotic and how amazing," provides India. "And we want to fulfill that vision with special 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 it's a former president or billionaire or celebrity, everybody's an individual," she says.

"If you understand what makes them tick and why are they taking that trip, it will be a successful relationship."

In 2015, luxurious travel specialist Jaclyn Sienna India accompanied former president George W. Bush to Ethiopia's Omo Valley.

Courtesy Sienna Charles

Delivering tailor-made experiences

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

"I fell in love with servicing the ultra-high-net-worth," she recollects. "I really excelled and understood their needs. That's really been the success of my career -- understanding the needs of each person and then being able to deliver that experience."

After school, the New York native moved to Palm Beach, Florida, together with her then boyfriend and now husband, Freddy Charles Reinert, the place she shortly realized the extent of service in "luxury" tourism paled by comparability.

Sienna Charles has even managed to realize its shoppers personal entry to the Louvre.

Frédéric Soltan/Corbis/Getty Images

"It just didn't make sense to me; at the restaurant, you would sit down for three hours and spend $5,000-10,000," she recollects.

"You'd have seven people waiting on you with silver (tableware); the somm knew every grape and winemaker; the chef came out to your table and knew where the foie gras came from."

Everything was obsessive and service-driven on the restaurant, she says, however that was not so in luxurious travel.

"The same type of clientele would be spending $100,000 on a trip to Italy or France but the (travel agent designing) the trip had never even been there," says India.

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

Every journey is tailor-made to the shopper's wants, be {that a} multi-generational retreat in Umbria or a personal island in Indonesia.

"I personally vet all of my recommendations and am obsessed with quality and service," 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 identify can't be shared because of a non-disclosure settlement), had their sights set on Egypt.

The chief had beforehand visited the nation for work and was "really interested in Egyptology," says India.

"We closed down monuments for (the leader), and they just wanted to dig deeper into their personal passion," recollects India of a visit to Luxor, Egypt she deliberate in 2012.

Khaled Desouki/AFP/Getty Images

So the travel knowledgeable 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 personal yacht, with a number of stops at historic websites alongside the way in which.

They completed the journey within the historical capital of Luxor -- nicknamed the "world's greatest open-air museum" -- the place among the nation's oldest tombs and temples could be discovered.

"We closed down monuments for (the leader), and they just wanted to dig deeper into their personal passion," recollects India. "They had this romantic sense of the world where they just couldn't wait to discover this place."

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

The Bushes in Ethiopia

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

Due to the huge entourage, phrase received out concerning the journey.

"We're all about discretion and privacy," says India. "But with so many staff and Secret Service agents, it just became a media frenzy. Some world leaders just go with one security agent and a baseball cap -- and nobody knows that it's them."

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

Edwin Remsberg/VWPics/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

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 told me that he visited about 80 countries during his presidency, but would be at a beautiful monument like the Taj (Mahal) and never really see anything (due to the demanding schedule)," provides India.

To immerse the former president in tradition and historical past, she deliberate a multi-leg journey from the distant Omo River Valley -- residence to among 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, personal jets and riverboats.

"Lalibela is all about Christianity -- that was amazing," says India, alluding to Bush's non secular affiliation. "When we were in the Omo Valley, (villagers) did a ceremonial dance to welcome him."

All concerning the private touches

India's group catered to extremely particular requests for meals and drink, since "the trip 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 have been obtainable even in essentially the most distant elements of Ethiopia.

"For world leaders, service is at a level of insanity in their homes and they have executive assistants everywhere they go," she explains. "So when they travel, they really have high expectations -- and understandably so."

"When you're willing to pay, it's a really easy conversation," says India of how Sienna Charles managed to shut down main world monuments for shoppers, together with the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, pictured.

Yunus Emre Gunaydin/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Since the inns in Ethiopia didn't meet India's expectations, she labored with native companions to construct luxurious camps for the former president and his entourage as an alternative.

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 the way to delegate.

"I tell them what we're thinking and they let me run with it. These are people who run countries, so they understand the power of hiring experts and can relinquish (control) to people who are good at what they do," says India.

Once, she helped a world chief have fun his spouse's birthday by masking the complete ground of a personal villa with unique "Cherry Snow" roses flown in from Ecuador, she says.

Another time, she labored with film set producers and styling consultants 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 get pleasure from a personal go to with a well-known jewellery designer. The chief helped design a singular present 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

In most instances, India says her shoppers come to her with a imaginative and prescient of what they hope to expertise on a visit.

Perhaps that is taking a deeper dive into Chinese 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 counsel three to 5 choices, outlining the professionals and cons of every.

From there, the travel knowledgeable works intently with the shopper's chief of workers, private assistant and safety to iron out the main points.

"From the room type to food allergies, what type of restaurants they like, what time they like to wake up, what newspapers they want in the room, what type of tour guides they like ... we take every detail into account," she says.

India has taken shoppers on unique, personal excursions of Machu Picchu.

Pablo Porciuncula Brune/AFP/Getty Images

Transport tends to be comparatively clean since 100% of her shoppers have their very own personal yachts, helicopters and personal jets.

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

"We've closed down the Sydney Opera House, the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul, the Louvre, Versailles, the Great Sphinx of Giza, Machu Picchu... tons of monuments," says India. "When you're willing to pay, it's a really easy conversation."

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

"We don't need to spend money just for the sake of spending money," she says. "You just have to know who to call. But if they're able to view it in a private manner, that's a win."

Leaving room for spontaneity

Security is rather more difficult, particularly when working with world leaders who are likely to travel with not less than one safety agent.

"They have a lot of security -- and the security wants an itinerary," she says. "They want it mapped out from literally how many steps we have to take from the car to every monument to every restaurant."

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

"The trip unfolds as (our clients) are traveling. We learned pretty quickly after that first trip (in Egypt) that yes, we'll prepare a minute by minute account of what we're going to do for the security teams, but we also have to manage the client," she says. "And if the client feels like it's a great trip, that's a win for me."

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

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

"I asked his staff if he could do it so (Bush) could see more. And they said absolutely not," recollects India.

"But this would be the only way we would get a moment with this tribe, so I asked Bush directly, and he said, 'Absolutely.'"

"I've learned to respect the security and staff who want to keep the person safe, but that (strict itinerary) can also shield them from enjoying things," 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 a lot of places like Fiji and Thailand that started letting private jets in about six months ago," she says. "It's an advantageous time to be an ultra-high-net-worth person. Because, like anything else, money talks. People are willing to spend the money to do whatever they want."

She has observed a number of ultra-luxury travel developments spurred by the pandemic. For occasion, India's shoppers are likely to plan trips on the final minute -- generally only a day or two upfront -- as a result of uncertainty of border restrictions and quarantine necessities.

They have additionally began skipping intermediaries solely, buying their very own yachts and personal jets and shopping for trip properties.

What's more, India says discretion has turn out to be the norm.

Gardens of the 'Orangerie' of Versailles Palace.

Stephane De Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images

"They are not traveling just for the sake of travel. But when they do go, the wealthy are not sharing online anymore," she says. "When so much of the world is struggling, they're not going to post photos aboard their mega yacht."

Still, the cash spent on trips proper now's "insane", she provides. "People just want what they want. If they are chartering, it's going to be the most expensive yacht. And they're not messing around with staff who don't know how to deal with them."

Before the pandemic, India would assist shoppers 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.

When it involves trip properties and estates, spending has skyrocketed from a median of $10,000 an evening to $35,000 or more for Sienna Charles shoppers.

"The spending is certainly out of control," says India. "It's across the board. People are just willing to pay for exclusivity and being at the right place at the right time. Always."

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