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The most exclusive concierge service in the world?
By Michelle Johnson | 28 November 2023 | Indulge, Lifestyle, Travel, Wealth
Knightsbridge Circle’s Stuart McNeill on today’s luxury travel trends and what goes into creating the ultimate unique experiences
“We like to call ourselves an extension of the clients’ personal office,” says Stuart McNeil, founder and CEO of Knightsbridge Circle. This luxury concierge, travel and lifestyle agent describes itself as ‘the most exclusive concierge club in the world’ and, with a highly curated approach and limited members, one can see why.
“[Our members] trust us to open seemingly closed doors and deliver amazing value, in the form of upgrades and negotiated prices,” says Stuart, emphasising that key to the company’s approach is a personal touch backed by genuine connections with people around the globe. “Other concierges seem to be hiding behind apps these days, whereas we at Knightsbridge Circle pride ourselves on face-to-face quality service.”
Knightsbridge Circle manages both day-to-day and extraordinary requests, with travel, hospitality and lifestyle being among the concierge’s areas of expertise. “Travel is our forte,” says Stuart. “I sit on the advisory panels for both Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts and Corinthia Hotels; we know everyone in luxury travel and our members benefit from our relationships. After two decades of experience, we have a very impressive concierge network – we know the best private chefs and maître d’s in the top restaurants and private members’ clubs.
“We are also arranging more and more personal shoppers. Department stores and boutiques can have all of your items ready to try, with a glass of champagne,” he says. “We just did an amazing experience with the fabulous new products at Saks Fifth Avenue in New York.”
Stuart founded the company in 2012, after leaving American Express Centurion. “I felt there was an opportunity to take luxury travel and concierge to the next level,” he says. Core to Knightsbridge Circle’s unique approach is the limited number of HNW global clients invited to become members. “Our personal managers look after just five members each, which is the highest staff-to-member ratio in the world. We also cap our members to 50 in each city, which allows us to deliver unparalleled access and exceptional proactive service,” he says.
“In return, we negotiate exceptional value for our members. It’s beautiful to watch relationships evolve between our members and their personal managers. We build transparent, trusting relationships and make ourselves irreplaceable. Our team-members have been invited to members’ birthday parties, weddings, bar mitzvahs, and to spend time on their yachts.”
UNIQUE EXPERIENCES
The company’s global membership and expansive network of offices worldwide means they can offer a unique perspective on current trends and behaviours, but what becomes most clear is that individuality and authenticity are the most enduring movements.
“We are fortunate to have members from all around the world – different nationalities, religions and ages,” says Stuart. “Some of our members like well-polished service whereas other prefer the ‘bare foot luxury’ approach.”
In terms of travel, Stuart says: “It’s been a busy summer in Europe, with private yachts being popular. As always, we’ve had lots of clients in the South of France and Italy, and we have already arranged many trips to the Caribbean and the Maldives, and skiing in North America and Europe for the upcoming winter and festive season. We are also working on some Africa trips for 2024,” he adds, pointing to next year’s potential ‘It’-location.
“Our clients want unique experiences,” he says. “For example, this summer we arranged a private concert at Andrea Bocelli’s villa in Forte dei Marmi, and next month a fabulous event in Paris, the Golden Vines Awards, [will see] Alain Ducasse keeping all guests well fed. We also arranged a private island in the Maldives for a multi-generational experience – the key factors were everyone being in the same place and security.”
Another interesting insight is in how we travel. Stuart points to some clients who are taking the saying ‘it’s not the destination but the journey’ to a new level, by opting for slow travel in the form of transatlantic cruises where they can work from the comfort of a luxury liner, undisturbed by the rush of the world. However, this leisurely voyage is not for everyone.
“This is a new trend for a few of our members,” he says, “but, as no two members are alike, we’re finding that others are still very much living life in the fast lane and asking us when the new supersonic jet will fly from New York to London in 90 minutes.”