Singita Explore, Grumeti, Serengeti, Tanzania (Photo by Mark Williams)
Luxury lifestyle publication Robb Report is taking its wealth of knowledge to the skies with a travel experience in partnership with private jet tour company TCS World Travel.
Each month, Robb Report covers the best in luxury automotives, jewelry and watches and hospitality, among other topics, making the publication a revered source of trusted knowledge for its affluent readers. Now, the publication is presenting its insights physically by offering 52 readers a 23-day trip “Around the World with Robb Report: A Global Journey by Private Jet.”
“Involving Robb Report readers in events such as our Car of the Year and Culinary Masters competitions has been a great success, and we've received tremendous feedback from those who have participated,” said Bruce Wallin, editorial director of Robb Report.
“This trip is a natural extension of that relationship,” he said. “Our readers turn to us for stories and advice about the finest hotels, destinations and experiences the world has to offer, and our Around the World journey will bring those stories to life.”
In flight
Robb Report has partnered with TCS World Travel to offer its readers an unprecedented voyage around the world to enjoy rare and exclusive activities and experiences in extraordinary destinations.
The 23-day trip will begin on Oct. 13 and extend through Nov. 4 with an itinerary researched and planned by Robb Report’s editorial staff and carried out by TCS World Travel, which has nearly 25-years of experience in the personalized travel industry.
In a statement, Shelley Cline, president of TCS World Travel, said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Robb Report and operate unique ground experiences unlike any we’ve done before. Robb Report’s unparalleled access to events and experiences offers a fresh new perspective to world travel.”
Open to just 52 guests, Around the World with Robb Report will circumnavigate the globe on a customized Boeing 757-200ER aircraft. The interior boasts 180-degree flatbed seats handcrafted in Italy while the aircraft’s staff includes an executive chef and journey managers, who will act as concierges, dedicated to addressing the specific interests of each guest at every destination, thus creating a bespoke and individualized travel experience.
The journey begins in Honolulu before embarking to the island of Fiji, where the guests will stay at the 28-villa Vomo Island Resort on a private island accessible only by helicopter, seaplane or speedboat. Activities include scuba diving, kayaking and other water sports.
Robb Report jet operated by TCS World Travel
Next stop is two days in Melbourne, Australia’s culinary capital. Excursion options include a private dinner at one of the world’s top restaurants or a winery tour. Following Melbourne, the tour continues in Bali, Indonesia where the guests will stay in Como Shambhala Estate, among Robb Report’s Best of the Best spa resorts (see story), for three days of wellness and local culture.
The trip continues in Sri Lanka where guests will stay at another Best of the Best resorts, Cape Weligama, before heading to the Serengeti to visit Singita Grumeti in Tanzania, the world’s ultimate luxury safari destination. This leg of the trip includes wildlife adventure alongside private chefs, butlers and expert trackers.
Around the World with Robb Report then heads to Marrakech, Morocco, for a stay at the Royal Mansour hotel with day trips including private shopping, a round of golf in the Palmeraie or a visit to a Berber village.
As the trip winds down, Around the World with Robb Report guests will head to Bermuda to explore the coastline in a yacht or play golf during their stay at Rosewood Tucker’s Point hotel, which boasts the island’s largest private white-sand beach club.
In addition to the trip, those who attend will have the opportunity to join Robb Report’s panel of editors in California during the magazine’s signature Car of the Year event. The guests will spend time behind the wheels of the world’s newest luxury models to help Robb Report’s editors select the next Car of the Year.
For 2015, Robb Report’s editors selected the Porsche 918 Spyder as Car of the Year, featured in its March issue (see story). Other winners and notables have included Bugatti, Bentley, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Aston Martin, among others.
Robb Report’s September issue capture the essence of the voyage through editorial that is also present on the publication’s Web site. The editorial content visits several of the world’s top hotels and highlights insider experiences in terms of automobiles, jewelry, yachts, wine and wellness.
All around the world
Recently, the skies have become luxury’s next frontier.
For example, Four Seasons’ private plane will reach consumers outside of its own branded trips through a partnership with private jet tour company TCS World Travel.
The tour operator will use the hotel brand’s jet to transport travelers embarking on one of its “Secret Escapes,” a series of bespoke itineraries that journey to locales such as the Great Barrier Reef, Bora Bora or the Serengeti Plain. This expands the impact that Four Seasons’ private jet can have on affluent travelers beyond that of the chain’s own planned trips (see story).
Also, United Arab Emirates airline Etihad Airways has debuted a concierge service for affluent travelers flying in The Residence onboard suites.
Etihad has teamed with global concierge service provider Ten Group to provide a specially trained Etihad Lifestyle Concierge team who will work together with the airline’s London Savoy-trained Residence by Etihad Butlers (see story). The addition of a concierge service will ensure that travelers onboard Etihad flights will have access to unparalleled service, rivaled to what is expected on a private jet rather than a commercial airline (see story).
Robb Report’s allegiance to the best of the best in all aspects of its coverage is fitting.
“As editors, we look at travel in terms of story, and the narrative for this trip will follow a fascinating path through the seas of the South Pacific, the savannas of the Serengeti and several other amazing destinations,” Mr. Wallin said. “From our festive send-off in Hawaii to the fitting finale at our Car of the Year event, the Around the World journey will be the ultimate experience for the luxury traveler.”
Final Take
Jen King, lead reporter on Luxury Daily, New York