Quick question for you – what’s your favorite James Bond film? Dr. No? Goldeneye? On Her Majesty’s Secret Service? Certainly not The Living Daylights. Point is, there’s no single answer – Bond is a subjective experience that everyone appreciates differently. It might seem like a bit of a stretch, but luxury travel is defined by the same paradigm – one person’s perfect adventure will not have the same elements as another person’s perfect adventure.
The luxury travel arena has gone through a pretty amazing transformation over the past decade. Not long ago, a perfect high-end getaway was defined by lavish fluff – silk sheets, a chauffeured car ride, silver cutlery, maybe a private plunge pool. While those things certainly are nice, they are not unique – they are merely expensive.
The modern definition of luxury travel encapsulates so much more than expense. Rather than overwhelming the traveler with a coat of luxury paint applied by roller, we believe that the luxury experience needs to be applied with a fine brush. Finesse over speed; personalized over off-the-shelf. Flash no longer impresses, but the attention to detail.
A recent article by Ad Age revealed that 92% of people with above average wealth agree with the phrase: “To me, small indulgences can be just as meaningful as purchasing a high-end luxury product.” We couldn’t agree more.
All of these attributes fall under a new type of travel we like to call Intelligent Luxury. This is for busy people with refined sensibilities who are not impressed by big and fancy. When someone with high expectations is traveling within the bureaucratic spiderweb of Asia, it’s the unexpected speed bumps that pull them out of the adventure. Things like showing up to your 5-star hotel and finding out breakfast is an extra $40 a day, or running out of water to drink in the middle of a day trip, or rushing through a tour itinerary because the guide finishes work at 6pm.
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None of that happens with Smiling Albino. Those are the details that matter – worry-free hotel experiences, unlimited drinks whenever you need them, a guide who finishes their day when you do. Got kids? We’ll have diapers and toys. Bad knee? We’ll have ice packs and Aspirin… just in case. Our aim is to eliminate the unexpected, to provide the support you didn’t know you needed, and ensure that the only surprises on your trip are the good ones.
Luxury travel has existed in a holding pattern for years, and – ahem, much like our website – it’s great to see that it’s finally getting a new coat of paint for a new type of traveler.
The next time you splurge on a vacation, don’t do someone else’s trip. The only person you need to impress is yourself. And that’s our job. Contact us for intelligent luxury Southeast Asian trip enquiries.